Valley Inn Alehouse

Recently my wife and I went to the Valley Inn Alehouse with some of our friends and liked what we found.  Among our group, my wife was the only one that had been to the Valley Inn https://www.facebook.com/ValleyInnAleHouse?ref=ts&fref=ts before the remodel and she could not believe the changes.  The interior was totally redone, no longer a "dive bar" atmosphere.  Also they had a good selection of beer on tap and bottled as well and what looked like a good food menu.

From the exterior Valley Inn Alehouse looks about the same as it always has, expect for the outside sitting and smoking area.  When we opened the door an above the door blower/heater clicked on to limit the cold air entering, a nice idea.  We were quickly greeted and told to sit where we liked.  Once we were seated the waitress was there to take our drink order.  This took a bit of time since they had a good amount of beer.  They have sixteen taps, which I would venture about half are craft beer, and probably 30 or more bottles, with about half craft beer as well.  Once we decided on our beers, the next question was what size, 16 or 22?  We all went with the larger option.  An important thing was that all of the tap beer we had was clean and tasted as it should.  Sometimes at an "alehouse" beer can sit in the line and lines are not properly cleaned so the beer can taste unpleasant.

We did not try any of the food options, but a quick look at the menu did lead us to decide we would have to come out some evening to eat as well as to drink.  One thing we were cautioned on was that they are busy on Friday nights and do not take reservations, so seating can be at a premium.  They also have food specials listed on a blackboard.

The interior is well done with a bar big enough to seat 10-15 people, nice lighting, plenty of tables and booths.  The decor is upscale pub/sports bar with a TV everywhere you look.  Also they carried over the remodel to the bathrooms.

Located in between Bettendorf and Le Claire this is an option if you are doing anything in the area for some beers and food.  We are looking forward to our next visit.

QC Beerguy

Bottom fill cup

I had been hearing a few people talk about a bottom fill beer cup and had the opportunity Friday night to see it in action.  Our local event center has switched over to these beer cups to serve Bud Light beer.  My wife and I went with some friends to see our local minor league hockey team play and it was $1 beer night.  Which meant that a cup of Bud Light for a $1, so my wife and I decided to go for it.

We walked to the beer line and waited our turn. While in line we observed the filling of the cups.  The cup is placed down on what almost looks like a sprinkler head and the cup is filled for the bottom up.  Also we noticed that once the cup was full the filler automatically stopped.  Once it was our turn we ordered our beers.  As our beers were being filled my wife chatted up the beer vendor about the beer cups.

We found out that the cups have two magnets in them, the magnet bottom and a magnet ring embedded in the cup itself.  The cups are any thing but perfect, we noticed a few leakers that did not seal properly.  Our beer vendor told us that if the cup does not come with the magnet they save them and get their money back.  These bottom fill cups are a cool invention, but I am unsure if they will actually catch on without revisions.  Namely for me a stronger seal on the bottom between the magnets, several times last night I dripped on my clothes because I inadvertently broke the seal between the magnets by tapping the bottom of the cup.  I am sure they are already working on that concern.  Here is the website to find more out about this new invention http://bottomsupbeer.com/ .

QC Beerguy

Another new glass?

As many of you may have noticed, there is a new glass designed for an IPA, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/garden/designing-an-ipa-specific-beer-glass.html?_r=3& .  This latest addition to "must have" glassware was designed by Sam Calagione of Dogfishead and Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada in conjunction with Spiegelau, a German glassmaker.  I guess if anyone should design an IPA specific, this group would be toward the top of my list to do it.  They have forgotten more about IPAs than most people would ever learn in their lifetime.  I am just unsure if it is actually needed.

If you are like my wife and I, we have more than enough glassware all ready between all of the tasting, pint and various other glasses we have in our cupboards.  I do believe that many beers are glorified by the glass they are served in, whether it be a Belgian Ale, Hefeweizen or a stout.  So I understand that a prevalent style like an IPA could be better served in a specific glass.  But come on, we only have so much cupboard space.

Yes we did purchase the glasses that Sam Adams designed to better enjoy their beer and it yes it does seem to better present the beer to the drinker.  So the idea of designing a glass for a beer is not foreign, but really is it needed?  In a roundabout way I guess it is.  And yes I will probably fork over the $25 for a pair of them and add them to our glassware collection.

All I have to say is "Please no more specifically designed glassware"  my cupboards can not take any more glassware.

QC Beerguy

QC Nano beers

In the past week I had the opportunity to try beer from both of the nanobreweries that are working on getting up and running in the QC.  At our most recent MUGZ meeting one of our members was able to secure a bottle of each of the Wormburner beers.  Since Wormburner is not open yet these were secured without any exchange of money.  To find out more information on Wormburner you can visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/WormburnerBrewCo?ref=ts&fref=ts.  Also another blog has a bit more  information about Wormburner http://franklyfoodblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/wormburner-brewing-company-of-davenport.html?m=1.  Check out both.

Now onto the beer.  Unfortunately I was not the only one trying these beers and I only had an ounce or two so my description and review will be brief.  If I am able to secure more I may be able to do a more thorough review.  First up was Smooth Operator: Iowa Pale Ale.  It was a hazy orange gold with a white head.  The aroma was of citrus hops and was clean otherwise.  Taste was a nice malt and hop mixture that was clean from off flavors.  The beer did seem to be a bit light in the body and to me could be bulked up a bit.  Overall it was a good beer.  Second was Dark Side of the Moon: Belgian Ale.  It was a deep golden color with a white head.  Aroma was of citrus and spices with hints of Belgian characteristics.  My friend that brought the beer mentioned that he was told this beer was best served with a slice of orange, which we did not have.   The body seemed close to what you would expect from a beer like Blue Moon.  Again sorry for the brief review, maybe I can do a more thorough review if I score a couple bottles.

Last Wednesday our friend Rich Nunez, brewer and co-owner of Against the Grain Brewery and Alehouse, tapped his first test batch.  To find out more information on Against the Grain visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Against-the-Grain-Brewery-Alehouse/445902535438203?ref=ts&fref=ts.  His first offering was a Belgian Witbier.  My wife and I had to share the last 6 ounces from the keg, so again my review will be a bit shy on details.  The beer was a light hazy yellow with a good white head.  The aroma was of orange and spices with a hint of wheat and spicy notes from the yeast.  Taste was pleasant and included orange and various spices.  The beer had a medium body.  We were pleased with the beer and would of been happy to have a full glass each. Maybe next time.  The beer lasted just over a hour, not bad for seven gallons.  I am looking forward to batch two and may have to be present at the time of tapping to make sure I receive a full sample.

I am pleased to say that both of the nano-breweries seemed to be heading in the right direction.  If these quick tastes of their beer means anything they will be great additions to the QC beer scene.

QC Beerguy