I have to say I was fairly impressed from the moment we arrived. The facility looked great from the outside, even as we looked for a spot in the full parking lot. The bar and gift shop had an attractive look and a comfortable feel. Lots of wood and medium lighting. They were right accross the entry way from the bottling line that is easily seen through a wall of glass both inside and out.
In the past I've not been a huge fan of Schlafly Pale Ale (one of the few Schlafly's I could get here in the South). I mean it's a well made beer and all but it just never wowed me before. To be fair, I am a bit partial to the up front bitterness and citrusy flavor of west coast style pales. But I try always to ignore this predisposition when tasting any pale.
We ordered the sampler flight and got six good beers. There was a Pilsner, a Hefeweizen, an Oatmeal Stout along with what appeared and tasted like a Dunkelwiess (they called it No.15), their flagship Pale and what they called Dry Hopped APA.
The Pale tasted better than I remember. The Dunkelwiess was really nice. My wife made me get a six pack to bring home to Memphis. The Hefe, Stout and Pilsner were all good too. But the "Dry Hopped Pale" was really nice. It had a nice aroma and came on strong from the start with what tasted like Amarillo hops and a good malt profile. The hops are up front here but not overwhelming. The beer wasn't too heavy on the alcohol either. But it goes down so easy that you could still get in trouble with it. I felt compelled to leave with a six of that beer too.
The menu was wide ranging with several selections made with beer in the recipe. The food was delicious, the service was excellent and they accomodated our 5-year-old.
When we're back in St. Louis, we'll go again.
Now, I promise to turn my attention back to Memphis beer.
When we're back in St. Louis, we'll go again.
Now, I promise to turn my attention back to Memphis beer.
I've lived in St. Louis my entire life and a friend turned me on to Schlafly recently. It's starting to feel like my second home. I'm so glad you're getting the word out.
ReplyDeleteI live in Central Illinois and I agree that the Schlafly bottles I get here don't compare to that which I get in St Louis. Maybe it's something that happens in shipping by the distributor, but I always try to pick up fresh Schlafly when in STL.
ReplyDeleteBased on your pics and description, you were at Schlafly Bottleworks not the Schlafly Tap Room. The Tap Room is separate and housed in a big historic building downtown and just a great place with three separate bar areas inside. You'll have to try it next time. Schlafly makes more than 40 beers altogether, including seasonals, and have them ALL on tap during their Hop in The City festival in September.
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