Craft Brews in the Park

Well color me impressed. Trail Tavern and Chickie's and Pete's are now carrying alot of local craft brews and not just yearly craft but some seasonal offerings as well. Currently enjoying a Hoppus Maximus by Thrirsty Dog. I'm going to try and get a good list of what they have currently for everyone, but things do rotate through here like any normal bar offering craft brews so the list may not reflect current results. Again though, color me impressed. Had one hoppy IPA already and now another regional Brewery in one day..happy beer dork right here

Chickie's and Pete's:

Unknown
Great Lakes Burning River
Thirsty Dog Twisted Kilt and Hoppus Maximus
Kona Brewing: Castaway and Fire Rock
Curious Traveler Forbidden Apple
Goose Island 312 and Rambler IPA
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Shiner Bock
New Belgium Fat Tire
Woodchuck Peach and Regular Ciders
Sweetwater IPA

More in a bit, no glasses, can't see ****

I need to bring them a case of Boulevard Wheat and maybe some Toppling Goliath Light Speed when I'm there next weekend.,

While I love beer, actually any booze, I can count on one finger the number of beers I've had at Cedar Point. 1992, when I became of age. At just an hour away, it's so easy to go for just a few hours several times a year. And so hard to justify an overnight visit. Every year, I want to spent a couple nights at Breakers, but just can't pull the trigger. I have a savings account set up as a "car fund", I should do the same to splurge next year for a Breakers fund.

Ah forgot to put up Trail Tavern:

Everything above is potentially there, but they do run out of things now and again. The special ones I took interest to regarding beers are:

• Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Dortmunder Gold Lager
• Columbus Brewing Company Columbus IPA
• Small Town Brewery Not Your Father's Root Beer

They also run $6 beer specials for some more common craft brews, and this list might rotate, not sure. Other beers are $8.00 so that's not bad really, and for craft that's about outside of park pricing really. I wish they would carry just a bit more out there craft brews, but I understand not every beer drinker is going to be a beer dork like me. However if I could see a Fat Heads Head Hunter hit the park, oh you bet I'm going to enjoy MANY of them. Combining an almost perfect IPA with Frontier Trail and riding rides, oh I'd be a happy camper.

They do have some wines there, nothing I haven't seen before or really thought was quite special. I was a tad disappointed to see the cheese platters are no longer sold due to lack of sales, but hey business is business.

Lastly if the park reads this, I'd encourage someone to take the initiative and create a beer menus website to let beer dorks like me and others to see what you have and where ahead of time, especially when seasonal rotations come through. Lastly, I'd follow the Untappd app. Once people buy beers, if they have the app and review it in park, you'll be able to see what people like and don't like. There were a few reviews either way for a few different brews, most notably the Hoppus Maximus I had, apparently a few CP fans didn't like that it was an Ale pretending to be an IPA, which is understandable. Just good food for thought, it's pretty neat stuff.

But.. But.. an IPA is an Ale.

Hence the "A" in India Pale Ale. :)

I think you forgot the word Amber. It's all good. I love hoppy amber ales.

I think it is fantastic that the park has such a nice selection of beer now, and the Trail Tavern is a really cool place. The Full Throttle Moonshine is also excellent and I've seen it at three places - Chickies and Pete's, Trail Tavern and Last Chance Saloon. Wonderful job upgrading the beverage service in the park!

Yeah forgot Amber...but seriously for Amber Ales, it really doesn't stick to one, it really wants to be a overly hopped up IPA which is totally fine by me, ended up having two of them with an order of Crab Fries and wings.

I will say, seeing high proof liquor inside the park is a huge positive for me. Hopefully we see more of this within the park at other places and a larger variety. If I could sit back with a perfect or Sahara Dry Martini with a twist I'd be one very very happy dude. This even makes me cross my fingers hoping someday my companies spirits could be carried in the park. That'd be exciting for sure!

You've experienced Troegs Hopback Amber, right? It's probably my favorite of the Amber ales on the market. Red Seal being another.

Hoppus Maximus is only 43 IBU - which is pretty standard for Amber ales - Red Seal is 42 IBU. Hopback Amber is 55 IBU, and Nugget Nectar Imperial Amber is 93.

it's been a long time since I've had Hoppus, because something about it tastes "off" to me, but I get what you're saying. I don't think it's the hoppy bitterness that throws people off, though.

I was just going off of my tastes and a few Untappd reviews. It's definately not bitter, I've had bitter..Palate Wreckers..Oy Vey...

The best one of the weekend there was the Columbus IPA. Nice hops but finishes very VERY malty. Bit unbalanced for my tastes but I could easily have several of those.

Right now though my sights are on finishing a few of the Avery Barrel Aged series I bought last week. Have one Insula Multos Collibus left and a Fortuna to enjoy. Great stuff, just cringeworthy price tag.

I've had that Troegs, but I want to say it's been a few years since I have had it, I'll take a look down here to see if I find it. If I remember correctly that a year round availability.

It also makes me happy seeing other beer dorks who are just as big if not bigger CP fans..Never thought I'd see that combo aside from me :P

EIt's crazy, right? See if you can locate Stone "Thunderstruck" 19th Anniversary IPA. It's a one-off that was just bottled a few weeks ago. It's 99 IBU, 8% ABV, but tastes way bigger than that. Also, I know you're a fan of New Belgium - try Pumpkick. It's really good, and the label is amazing. If you like anything sour in your beer at all, you'll find it here. It's not funky sour (which I personally love) but it's got cranberry and lemongrass in it. It's super good, up there in my favorite fall beers now.

It's funny, though - when people find out that out of all my beers, my favorite macro is Bud Heavy. Can't stand Bud Light, but there's something about the king of beers that I just love. When I'm not in the mood to get my mouth destroyed by grapefruit and pine, or a heavy imperial stout, it just hits the spot.

Another one that I really miss is Jack's Pumpkin Ale. It was brewed by Michelob, and they used to have it on draft at Red Garter every halloweekends, but they've discontinued it and replaced with Shock Top, which I've never tried.

Edit: Columbus IPA is pretty good, but you're right about the malt. My buddy and I split a tower of it at the Thirsty Pony once, and that's a heavy beer to be drinking that much of.

The best pumpkin beer I've had is Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. Note, not a misspelling, it is spelled Punkin. It's a brown ale that has a nice, smooth pumpkin and brown sugar flavor.

Dogfish Punk is pretty good, too. I used to really dislike pumpkin ales, but something has clicked the last few years, and the beers have gotten better and more diverse. Seems I've been seeking them out already this year.

Dogfish is good, my favorite is still Pumking from Southern Tier. However I feel like last year was much better for it. Warlock this year however was perfect, one of my favorite seasonal stouts.

So far Left Hand Brewing Oktoberfest has been my favorite fall seasonal selection.

That "Not your Father's Root Beer" mentioned earlier seems to be the latest fad beverage. Stores can't keep the stuff in stock. It's actually not bad and does have 8% alcohol or something like that.

I love it that there are choices at CP..I noticed that right away at the bar in Breakers.

I'm with e x i t English....If I'm not in the mood for something "complicated", regular Bud still works for me.

NYFRB is a 10% which is very well hidden especially when it's served very cold. As it warms up it does taste a tad boozy.

It's ridiculous how explosive it was in Ohio. It's selling out of kegs and for awhile it was selling out in bottles too. It's def become a fad and popular drink almost to the kin of Fireball not long ago (and still is in ways). My only question is will it remain, or fade away eventually. Then will other sodas or companies try to market something with a Root Beer flavor to match the current craze. Only time will tell..

Honestly though I wish I could get their 19.5% ABV bomber..it's not ever going to hit Ohio with the way the laws currently are, but hey maybe on my next road trip. Plus I'd like to talk with them and see what's in the works next. So far its just this beer at various levels of ABV. I'd be impressed to see where they go from here.

Here's a fun fact. The current NYFRB that you can get on the shelves in grocery stores isn't brewed at their location at all. It's contract brewed, by none other than Pabst.

That's how it wound up so widely distributed. Otherwise, no one would ever have had access to it outside of its small market, and it would only be ther stronger stuff.

Edit: absolutely not a bad thing.

Huh, interesting. So it's kinda what Clown Shoes Brewery did in a way...

Sad that Pabst can't make anything good themselves :P

Edit: Well, interesting turn, went to review some stuff about Small Town...per TTB, they're not owned by Pabst..yet. However the company is wholly owned by the same people as Four Loko (Phusion Brands).

Pabst basically uses it's giant distro network to get their beer out everywhere and is also contract brewed by City Brewing Company. Very, very interesting indeed.

Lastly I guess I really can't even call it a beer, it's moreover a malt beverage, but hey I'll go with it.

It's actually a combination of Pabst and 4 Loko, believe it or not.

In any case, PBR is also a non-offensive beer that I often find in the coolers of my buddies and I for in between big beers. Or when I used to play music and the bar gives us a tab and a "special" on tall boys. I'll smash them then, but that's rock and roll, or playing hipster music haha.

I'd still rather stick to Bud on those occasions, and we had a show/party sponsored by Black Crown once so we got a few free cases of that. It's not bad, though a bit sweet for my tastes.

Sadly, I'm not playing music anymore. At least not right now. Maybe some
Day again

Hah, was editing and typing while you responded, ah well Ill leave it. But PBR is where you and I draw the line :P I had enough of that when I was a bit younger :P

I usually only do craft stuff with maybe a few big Macro Brews here and there, but generally being in the Dayton scene, I've got plenty of good craft around me that make anywhere from a generic crowd pleaser all the way up to IPLs now..yes IPL..you read that right, and damn was Hippie Trail good.

I've only just begun to use it over the past few months but I've got a bit reviewed on Untappd since I started using it. I've only done new beers here that I've had since I started it, but I may add some old beers to it later.