Gulf Shores / Orange Beach - Part 2

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to hit up local beer & liquor stores and see what's available that I can't find in BR, or the semi-regular beer runs to Houston.  After breakfast Jay and I found one that was open in Gulf Shores, and decided to check out the selection.  

We knew we didn't have a whole lot of time to spend hanging out drinking at the suite, but still we figured a couple of six-packs was a good idea, right? 

Jay and I decided on some Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown Ale, and Bell's Two Hearted Ale.  We had both tried another Tommyknocker beer the day before and enjoyed it, and I've been hearing great things about the Bell's Two Hearted for years.  

First for the Tommyknocker Imperial Nut Brown Ale... I poured it from a 12 oz. bottle into a straight glass. Not ideal but it's the best option here! Has a cola appearance, small head but I'll give it some leeway.

I really like the smell. Delicious malt flavor and the alcohol is mild. The taste is good but a little thin on the mouth. Same malt flavors but nothing else happening. Again, can't pick up the high abv.

All in all I'm happy with this one. Definitely worth a try and better than the average nut brown ale.

 

My rating: B

BeerAdvocate: B

Now for the Bell's Two Hearted Ale!  Just like the Tommyknocker brew, I had to use a straight glass, as that was the best option at the condo in Gulf Shores. Next time I'm bringing my own glassware, especially when I have all sorts of room to pack stuff and I know I'll be looking to try some different brews. 

The beer poured a deep yellow color with a big fizzy head... definitely a good looking beer!  There is a great nose to it, full of mild hoppiness with a malt balance. The taste is more of the same blend of hops and malt. I really like the balance this beer displays and would recommend it whole heartedly to anyone trying to get into hoppy beers.

If anything, it reminded me a lot of Parish Brewing's En Vie APA that I was able to taste a while back.  It's the same style, and really had the balance between hops and malts nailed.

My rating: A-

BeerAdvocate: A

Two good choices, in my opinion, and next time I'm over there, I'm definitely going to try some other new ones, and stock up on some Bell's!

Gulf Shores / Orange Beach - Part 1

Greetings everybody!  It's been a few weeks since Jay and I were lucky enough to take in a weekend at the beach, so it's past time to fill you in on the beach beer scene.  The first stop, after navigating through I-10 traffic and checking in to the Phoenix All-Suites West and grabbing a quick look at the oil-free beaches was a place called Live Bait at the Wharf.  The first thing Jay and I did, after the introductions of course, was hit the bar and see what they had to offer.  Unfortunately the selection wasn't impressive, just Blue Moon, Land Shark Lager, and something called the Tommyknocker Pickaxe Pale Ale.  Okay, easy choice here, when in doubt I always go with the beer I've never tried first. 

I know it's not the best picture ever, but I was armed with only my smaller camera this time.  The beer itself, however, was pretty damn good.  It turns out Tommyknocker is actually a Colorado brewery, not local at all, but it's still a brewery I've seen in Baton Rouge, so I'm happy to give them a try.  The Pickaxe Pale Ale was a well balanced APA with good malt and hop presence but not overpowering in either direction.  APAs are quickly becoming one of my favorite styles, and this one wasn't even the best of the trip... more on that later of course.  For the food options at Live Bait, check out Jay's Bite and Booze blog where he'll cover that in full. 

That was it for the first night, and it was back to the suite to crash.  The place was pretty nice, actually, a converted condo into a suite, with a master bedroom, pull-out couch, and a small bunk-bed in the hallway that would be perfect for kids or college cheerleaders.  Plus it had a full kitchen and a half-bath to make the stay even easier.  I'd consider a place like the Phoenix West again for my next trip to Gulf Shores.

The next morning it was on to a place called Tacky Jack's over in Orange Beach.  It had received good reviews from what Jay and I had heard, and had a very cool seaside ambiance to it.  Upon recommendation we started off with some 'hair of the dog' bushwhackers, even though we weren't hungover.  I mean, it seemed like a good breakfast drink, and you can't drink all day if you don't start before noon!  The 'bushwhacker' is a delightful sweet concoction of white rum, coconut rum, and coffee liqueur all mixed in with some vanilla ice cream, and then topped off with a 151 floater.  I'm not usually one for sweet drinks, but this one is famous around those parts and it was mighty delicious.  Delicious enough to go back for a second, that's for sure!  (The food was alright... as Jay will describe...)

And that was it for breakfast... on our way back to the suite we stopped in at a liquor store to see about some beers that can't be found in BR, but that will have to wait for Part 2!