Nora McGunnigle

One of the brewpubs that Tom and I loved the most up in Vermont - out of many excellent ones - is the Alchemist Pub and Brewery in Waterbury, VT. We went there for the first time during our elopement/honeymoon and made special trips to be there for special occasions, such as the chef's sister (a friend of ours) visiting, or their 5 year anniversary. For that event in 2008 we actually booked a B&B that was stumbling distance. They were proud to brew all sorts of beers - they had a great wild fermentation selection - I remember their Bacchus, O Positive, and Petit Mutant very fondly. Other favorites included (this is by no means a complete list, because everything there, frankly, was fantastic) Menage a Trois, Sterk Wit, Nightstalker, Farmers Daughter, El Jefe, Revitalization Rye, Shut the Hell Up (oh how I loved to order that!)Panty Dropper, Beelzubub, Uncle Daddy, Heady Topper, Pappy's Parter... the list goes on and on. They also brewed a gluten free beer series, ...

Mid-City is pretty spread out, but navigating it is definitely doable with the help of the Canal Street streetcar line. Again, as with Magazine Street, make sure you have your walking shoes and a bottle of water and off we go! (Note: there's a whole other area of Mid-City for the exploring around Esplanade and the Fairgrounds. I don't know enough about it to discuss, plus Mid-City is so sprawling that I needed to focus on what I consider the best beer bets in the area.) You can pick up the Canal streetcar downtown very easily, just look for one of the waiting shelters on the neutral ground. The ride is not as picturesque as the St. Charles one, but you’ll pass by where the new VA hospital is going to be built (when you pass the intersection with Galvez, have a moment of silence for the beloved and departed Deutche Haus), and Betsy’s Pancake House (which I’ve not been to, but I hear it is quite good) and the Eat Well Grocery that will sell you a perfectly acceptable bahn mi...

A fun trip is a wander down Magazine Street. Once you get past the I-10 underpass, you’ll pass by many bars, restaurants, and shops. On a nice day, (i.e., not raining or summertime) you could probably have a nice walk starting from downtown at Magazine and Canal. Now, I’m not gonna lie to you. There’s a lot of Magazine Street to cover, and if you walk it, it will take up a big chunk of your day. Happily there is also a bus that runs up and down Magazine Street: the #11 bus. Just hop on and off when needed. If you begin your stroll downtown, you can stop at Capdeville which is right past the courthouse area; you’ll see the teeny street (called Capdeville Street, that’s your first clue) and if you duck up it, you can grab a NOLA Blonde or Hopitoulas, or a Pimms Cup or Champagne Julep if you’re in the mood for that kind of thing instead. Carrying on, you’ll pass the World War II Museum and John Besh’s American Sector restaurant within it. I highly recommend checking out t...

If you are staying in the French Quarter, the CBD, or the Warehouse District (collectively known as downtown), the first pilgrimage you must make is to the Avenue Pub, located at 1732 St. Charles Avenue, at the intersection of Polymnia Street. You can get off at Stop #11, St. Charles at Euterpe, or if you miss that, keep a look out on the left hand side of the street, and you’ll see it on the corner, with a balcony on top that is right over the sidewalk. You can get off at the next stop (#12) and backtrack. Go inside, grab a beer list. Place your order and prepare for awesomeness. Check to see if the Balcony bar is open- while The Avenue Pub is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the Balcony Bar upstairs is only open in the evenings (6 pm – midnight Monday through Thursday; 4 pm – 1 am Friday and Saturday; and 4 pm – midnight Sunday.) The Balcony has few beers on tap, but they tend to be a little more specifically beer geeky than the ones downstairs (though there are plenty of ...

Unite! Or something. I have some people coming from out of town in the next couple of weeks and I have been thinking about places that beer lovers would enjoy an amazing New Orleans experience. Here are some thoughts: BARS: GOLD MEDAL: Avenue Pub : Anyone who has read this blog before knows that I spend a lot of time at the Avenue. Plain and simple, they have a large and thoughtful (and amazing) beer selection. Local stuff, Belgian stuff, great American Craft stuff... if you want to get your beer geek on, this is the place to be. SILVER MEDAL: places that have fun atmospheres and decent beer lists. Bulldog ( Uptown and Mid-City ), Bayou Beer Garden , Rendon Inn (Broadmore/Gert Town), Twelve Mile Limit - primarily an amazing cocktail bar but with a small but eclectic beer selection. d.b.a on Frenchmen. Crown & Anchor in Algiers (just hop the ferry!), Finn McCool's in Mid-City, and Cooter Brown's uptown . Also check out the Bridge Lounge on Magazine Str...