Release the Hounds

If you live inside the Beltway then you probably know about Franklin's in Hyattsville, MD and you know about Mad Fox in Falls Church, VA. The two couldn't be farther apart both geographically and aesthetically. Franklin's is more like a pub, the clientele is exactly what you would expect from  a brewpub located near a liberal arts university (hippies), and the place is frequently loud-ish. Mad Fox is literally on the opposite side of the map. It's warm and dark wood feels like you walked into an A-list restaurant, the clientele is what you would expect from Norther VA (lobbyists, lawyers), and it's rather quiet.* What do these opposites have in common? Great beer.

We'll briefly touch on the food since Mad Fox is both brewery and restaurant though we know the only real priority is the beer. Overall, the food is quite good. It started slow with the miniature soft pretzels that were little more than little pieces of bread with salt. The fish and chips, made with a kolsch-style beer batter, was spot on. The Cheesesteak Panini, served to the trusty assistant, looked exquisite.

Stir-About Oatmeal Stout. It's a good time of year to be drinking the Oatmeal Stouts and the brewers at Mad Fox rise to the occasion. Sir-About is rather malty with a good, solid coffee finish - something we consider critical to any good Oatmeal Stout. It's certainly full-bodied but not heavy so there's always room for another round.

Festivus Ale. It's like drinking the Feats of Strength. If you like spices this is the beer for your. Brewed with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg this beer will send your taste buds over the edge. It makes for a good compliment to the Sir-About.

Reynard Black Saison. Mad Fox's "Belgian inspired dark Saison" is the best of the bunch. It's brewed with 8 different malts, according to the beer menu, and fermented with a French farmhouse yeast. It tastes mighty fine and goes right to your head if you're not careful, according to our trusty assistant.

If we have one regret it's that we didn't start with the sampler. Four beers, 4 ounces each, of your choice is definitely the way to start. From there you can make your choices on full pints - one you sampled or something new. It's the best way to get a full sampling of brews in one visit. So, I guess we needed an excuse to come back we have it.  

*Mad Fox may have been quiet because we visited during the awkward dining hours between the lunch and dinner rushes. A quick visit their Web site indicates that it's not always easy on the ears - New Year's Eve, for example, looks like it will be a blast.

Pre-SAVOR Party at Cap City

If you can't wait for the SAVOR event this Saturday we have a little something that might ease your pain.

Take your SAVOR ticket to Cap City Brewing's downtown location for a pre-party on the 29th. From 7:00-10:00p you will enjoy appetizers and 10 different Cap City brews including Capitol Kolsch, Amber Waves Ale, Pale Rider Ale, and Organic Saison.

All this for flashing your SAVOR ticket. That's right, no additional cost. Don't believe us? Check it out for yourself at the Cap City Brewsletter.


Brewsletter.....that's awful.

March Means Beer Madness

Ripping off names of popular events for your own endeavor is nothing new (anything that ends in "apalooza" should be banned from existence). The Washington Post is doing it's own take with the bracket competition Beer Madness; not to be confused with the original March Madness, Mini-Madness, or even the English ska-band Madness.

We are not disappointed by the Post's sad attempt at naming this event. Nor are we insulted for getting snubbed as judges for the competition. To the contrary, we're just excited to see beer take an almost-front seat in a major newspaper. So, on to the highlights.

First Round
Lager Division: Gordon Biersch Marzen beats Clipper City McHenry Old Baltimore Style Beer. A chain brewpub beats out the locals from Baltimore...way to go judges.

Ale Division: Honkers Ale beats Lord Chesterfield Ale. hmmm...one sounds like an old, grumpy English gentleman. The other sounds like boobs.

Dark Beers Division: Brooklyn Brown and Kalamazoo Stout advance. We are big fans of both so kudos to the judges for getting this division right.

Specialty & Fruit Division: Who cares about beer brewed with fruit?

Tune in next time for our in-depth analysis of Round 2 winners and losers.

Another Reason to Skip Delaware

OK, so everybody knows that Dogfish Head is the pop music of microbrews. Seriously, how many other microbrews offer bike shirts as part of their merchandising? We actually met Sam Calagione (we even read his book) while he was at the Savor event in Washington, DC. Since that makes us old friends we can give these blunt assessments. Remember kids, pop music is not always a bad thing (see image, right).

This past weekend we gathered with friends to check out the still almost new Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, MD. It's conveniently located just off the highway so there's no excuse for getting lost. Arriving a bit earlier than expected we put in a bid for a table and sauntered up to the bar. The place is nice, clean, and has a homey feel to it. There's a lot of dark wood which provides a wintery comfort. The bar is nice and open, sports 3 big screen televisions, and offers 9 Dogfish brews. It's very a casual atmosphere and the staff, particularly at the bar, are friendly.

The food was good but we relegated ourselves to a few appetizers and the sandwich portion of the menu. Frankly, when you're going to a brewpub you go for the beer - not the food. And the beer is everything you expect when you're drinking a Dogfish Head. Their beers tend to be hoppier then most and a bit bitter but we love that in our beer. We feasted on the Indian Brown, Raison D'etre, Alehouse, and Pangea. We probably drank too much but isn't that the point?

We didn't pick up any fancy merchandise and we didn't give the menu a thorough vetting. Despite drinking several rounds we only made it through half the brews on tap. Basically, we left ourselves many reasons to go back - and we plan to do just that in short order. You're obviously not going to use the Alehouse as an excuse to skip the home brewery but it is a great place to get your fix in between trips to the big DE.

Feed My Franklinstein

Thirsty for beer and it's feeding time. One of the better brewpubs in the metro area is a little place just across the border. The food is fine - stick with the sandwiches and the pizzas, throw in an appetizer for starters, and you can't go wrong. Really, the beer is the reason you visit Franklin's. Of course, it's the reason you visit any brewpub.

One of the great features of Franklins is the 64 oz. take home growler. Enjoy a brew at the upstairs bar and if you fall in love with it take some home. Or, have one brew and enjoy an entirely different one at home. This particular visit found me enjoying the Rubber Chicken Red. Rumor has it the brewer is not a big fan of reds but you wouldn't know it when you drink from the chicken. What did I take home with me? The Coffee Stout. This is a great dark, dare I say black, beer that provides a nice cream colored head when poured. It has a distinct coffee aroma and there is a wonderful coffee taste. It's a somewhat complicated flavor, really but even for those who prefer a lighter beer this is a great option.

We can go on raving about the Franklin's brews for days but maybe you'd like to know more about the place. It was formerly a sandwich shop and the owner lives within minutes of the building - a truely local owner is a wonderful find. It has the restaurant downstairs with the bar and additional seating upstairs. Don't overlook the fact that it's also attached to a toy store that has fun and games for both the kiddies and the adults. We won't dwell on the kids toys but know that after you fill your growler you should stop by the store to purchase a nice hard-to-find microbrew. Everything from DogFishHead to Chimay to brews of the world. Fill your fridge with equal parts Franklin's beers and microbrews. It's one stop shopping for the microbrew lover in all of us. Franklin's truly is the best little pourhouse in Maryland!