Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Tap Room Tunesday & Diggin' the chews, brews & fellowship

EU Jacksonville - November 2012
Good evening! … just a quick note about tonight's Mini-Prowl.

First of all, I had a great meeting with Will Henley, Publisher of EU Jacksonville – more about that and my future involvement later. Be sure to pick up their latest issue where you will see our very own Robert Bergeron on the cover, featuring FLA Productions (George Deacon and Robert Bergeron), Whole Wheat Bread and details for Jax Film Fest!

After that, companion squired me over to Intuition Ale Works (720 King Street – 904.683.7720)  and upon reaching the establishment, I was amazed at how crowded it was for a Tuesday evening! … then, I remembered – it was Tap Room Tunesday and Canary in the Coalmine would start performing at 7:30 pm.

I also remembered that Dig Foods would be present offering their delicious vegan and organic pizza for those interested in trying it. Count me in!

Canary in the Coalmine
Entering the tap room, I was excited to see Lindsay and Staci serving behind the bar. Later, Sam came out from the back and assisted the girls as needed.

Sitting at the bar, we quickly ordered (description per Intuition's website):

Rail Spur Double IPA – (aged in oak bourbon barrels)
Aromas and flavors of tropical fruit, citrus peel and pine needles dominate this brew. Two row malted barley, Belgian Caramunich, and Victory malt were used to create a malt backbone that can handle 40 pounds of seven different hops and two dry hop additions. JBB Notes: WOW! … not normally a fan of bourbon-influenced beer but THIS one was delicious! … just enough hint of the oak bourbon barrel to make it very interesting!

Truck Stop Breakfast Stout
Breakfast stout with pure maple syrup and locally-roasted Lucky Dog coffee.

Intuition Ale Works, Punk Monk Dubbel
Sam brought out a sample of their Punk Monk Dubbel, being tapped tomorrow and described on their website:

Our seasonal Belgian-style dubbel pumpkin beer. We added 80 pounds of pumpkin to the mash and another 20 pounds to the kettle and used specially a formulated pumpkin pie spice blend to add hints of nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. Aged on vanilla beans for 10 days.
Sam was right when he said it was more “roasty” than last year's – and Lindsay nailed it by saying “Oh, that's stupid! … it's so good!” … I thought companion was going to blow Truck Stop out his nose ...

Right before I went outside and ordered our pizza from Dig Foods (half Pumpkin and Roasted Red Kale and half Sweet Potato Cashew Cream and Olives), companion ordered another beer, Intuition Ale Works Oktoberfest, described on their website:

Dig Foods goodness!
Our seasonal Oktoberfest brew is a golden, medium bodied lager with a balanced noble hop profile.
By this time, our friend Greg Steele came in and we enjoyed listening to him describe his incredible trip up north visiting an impressive list of breweries, including Ommegang and Southern Tier. I was green with envy after hearing all of his exploits!
The pizza was outstanding and Staci informed me Dig Foods would soon be opening a food truck via Kickstart; Both halves of this rather healthy pizza was very satisfying - as was the warm and genuine fellowship we shared with Lindsay, Staci, Sam and Greg. Right before we left, Springfield Brew Crew Marc Wisdom (aka Jax Beer Guy) joined us at the bar to grab a beer and eat some food he had brought in prior to heading home (school night for him and companion).
As we were leaving, we noticed Greg had meandered over to a table and was talking with three women. We went over to bid him farewell and were introduced to Sarah Choi and Jennifer Earnest Corrente of 2 Gutsy Girls.  Check back soon for more information about these two beautiful food bloggers!
My heartfelt thanks to Lindsay, Staci and Sam for their great service and for making us feel welcome every time we visit Intuition Ale Works during Jax Brew Bitch Prowls!
Intuition Ale Works

Canary in the Coalmine

Dig Foods

2 Gutsy Girls

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