Rust Belt Porn

The grain elevator hearkens back to the glory days of Buffalo, NY. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 made Buffalo the first gateway to the (mid) west. Grain was one of the premier products shipped through Buffalo and as use of the Erie Canal expanded so did the need for grain storage. Enter Joseph Dart. Mr. Dart invented the first grain elevator and built it in Buffalo. The grain elevator changed everything by unloading grain by something other than the backs of men. Everything you could want to know about grain elevators can be found here.

Today, things are different. Only a few grain elevators remain. This past weekend we got a close up look at a few of the towering structures and the pictures are worth sharing. Up close, these elevators are monstrous. We took a brief self-guided tour through one of the smaller brick buildings. It was creepy and romantic at the same time. Walking through the structure you can feel just how busy it once was. Whatever comes of these buildings, and the pieces within, they must be preserved.

Grain elevators in Buffalo, NY

Self-guided tour.
Pics below were inside this structure.

Nearby elevator.

h/t The Buffalo History Works

Running into an Old Friend: Sierra Nevada

Rye is the worst. Nobody worth his salt ever has a sandwich made of rye bread. When you go to a fancy restaurant and they offer a selection of breads which one is always left on the table? Rye. Sure, Martin van der Griten will tell you it's "a hardy grain, more tolerant of frost and drought than is wheat. It is the most winter hardy of all cereals." Nobody eats rye cereal, do they? Rye is used to make animal feed, flour, and...beer.

Tonight, I'm sipping on a Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA. There's a parallel between rye and Sierra Nevada. Craft beer snobs, of which I am one, are always looking for something new. Preferably something small, niche, hard to find. Same thing with rye. I don't have scientific data to back me up but it's safe to assume it's not the first choice of most bakers.

The point is that I'm regularly scouting grocery stores, beverage stores, craft beer stores, along with pubs and restaurants looking for something  new. Virtually every one of which offers Sierra Nevada. It's easy to forget they are craft brewers. It's also easy to forget they make damn fine beer. Prior to this evening, I can't say when I last had a Sierra Nevada. In the early days they were one of my favorites. The same can be said for brewers like Dogfish Head and even Troegs. Shame on me for letting so much time pass.

So, here's to you Sierra Nevada and all the other craft beer trail blazers who get unnecessary shit from beer snobs (aka idiots) like me. Now, off to renew some old friendships.


C'mon, you were thinking it.