Cheese + Beer = Shaw Brew Pub

My husband and I joined our fellow brew hoppers last week to visit the Shaw Brew Pub in Washington DC.  Shaw Brew Pub is a smaller brew house which features brews from Right Proper Brewing Company.  We had a great time; this is definitely a place to check out.  There is plenty of outdoor seating with some rustic picnic tables which will be perfect once the weather warms up.

Shaw Brew Pub seems to differentiate itself from other brew houses by not only offering a great selection of brews and food, but also having a pretty impressive cheese selection.  I was surprised not to find that highlighted on their website (maybe it's a new offering).  They have a cheese counter and an entire cheese menu to order from.

Let's face it, cheese is awesome, especially with beer, and the beer was good - definitely worth trying.  My only complaint/recommendation is the fact that they do not offer beer flights.  I'm a huge fan of beer flights.  First of all, I like to try everything and the only way I can physically do that is to drink 4-6 oz small glass of each brew.  Additionally, I don't like committing to an entire beer if I'm not 100% certain I will enjoy it.  Luckily, they do offer the ability for a customer to taste the brew before ordering.  I ended up ordering the Range Life which is a hop-focused, wheat beer (5.7% abv)  It was extremely flavorful.  My friend ordered the No Depression, which is described as a country alt (5.5% abv).

Another aspect is that the Shaw Brew Pub seems to be kid-friendly.  Maybe it was because it was a Sunday afternoon - but there was a small group of parents in a far corner celebrating their child's birthday.  Interesting.  Also, I'm sure when the weather turns and people sit outside, it seems like a place which might even be dog friendly in their outdoor seating area.  

One last (but most definitely not least) highlight to mention was the food selection.  In my opinion, this is the kind of place that you should offer multiple appetizers to share.  "Sharesies" is what they refer to on their menu.  We wanted every single one of them.  We ended up ordering the brussel sprouts with a sticky sweet tai sauce (and topped with crushed peanuts and scallions) as well as the smoked salmon mousse with house made pickles.  Amazing.  

     

Welcome!

Hi – and welcome to my blog.  My name is Mandy and I decided to create this blog to share my brewery experiences.  The craft beer and brewery industry is growing like crazy.  There are currently over 3,400 breweries in the US.  I love exploring new places, tasting different beer and taking in the ambiance of a good brewery.  It can be overwhelming trying to decide what new brewery to explore and what new beer to try.  There are some great resources that rate beer and breweries with a numeric system like BeerAdvocate.com, UnTappd and CraftBeer.com. 

However besides local blogs, I haven’t found a resource that gives me a complete understanding around which breweries are better than others.  And what constitutes a “better brewery”?  Is it strictly the beer itself?  The variety?  The ambiance?  What about food, is that important?  Which breweries are “children friendly”?  I hope to address these questions with each review in my blog.  I also look forward to sharing my discoveries some great breweries for you to check out.  As always, if you drink, please make sure you have a designated driver.

So feel free to read my reviews and what’s worth checking out in your local area.  I live in Columbia, MD which is right between Baltimore and Washington DC.  The majority of my reviews will come from this local area; however as I travel, I always enjoy checking out what’s around me and I’ll be sure to share all of my brewery experiences.

Please feel free to comment and ask questions, I love interaction and welcome everyone’s opinion.