(Insert evil laugh) Gottcha to click over, didn’t I? I had the pleasure of spending the other
day at Naked City Brewing and had a blast. Don Webb and Donald Averill were excellent hosts. The 3 barrel brew house was in the thick of making beer. We moved brews from one barrel to another. Kegs needed to be cleaned. Brews needed to be checked on to see whether they are ready for us to drink – that was the hard part!
Don Webb showed me every aspect of the brewery. The 3 Barrel DME system had so much history. Take the two 8 barrel fermentors, which were originally from Thomas Kemper Brewing, then Pike Brewing. When Pike got big they were sold to Pacific Crest, but when they closed down the tanks were sold to Schooner Exact, who got bigger equipment so they landed in the hands of Naked City. Whew!
It is amazing to hear the life of the equipment as it has traveled and been used by so many in the pursuit of making people happy with its liquid libations. In the past two years, Naked City Brewing has become one of the most sought after place to visit, but not just as a brewery. Draft magazine listed Naked City as one of the top 100 Best Beer Bars. They are so good at providing a great selection to the customers, with their 24 taps ranging from 6-8 different Naked City brews and to others from all over the country.
Hold on – I know mentioned Fish Brewing. Yes, Fish arrived in the early evening for a special launch of their Reel Ales Series, including the Starfish Imperial Red Ale, Swordfish CDA and 10² Barley Wine. Sitting down with Tony Powell, the Fish head brewer, over a pint of Starfish was awesome. Rounding the evening out with a taste of Starfish from the cask is enough to make a guy cry, and it’s not even my birthday! Fish did not disappoint. The Starfish is one of the best Imperial Red Ales I have had this year. Rich with malt and hops flavor, great reddish color, Tony has hit this one out of the park. I tip my hat to the Fish crew for such a wonderful brew.
But all good things must eventually end, so I say goodbye to Naked City and thank them for a wonderful day and thank Fish Brewing for being there to add to the awesome beer day for this BrewDad.
