Tag: beer

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Changes at Ghost River

The space is a mess — dusty concrete floors, hanging wires, pipes sticking out of the floor, plastic hung over doorways. But soon, this will be Ghost River Brewing’s new taproom.

The new taproom comes, along with a change in branding, just in time for the craft brewery’s 10th anniversary.

The space was carved out of the front of the Ghost River building. Office space and storage was sacrificed for the taproom, which will feature a bar along the front with 12 taps and a large window into the brewing operations with the big, gleaming steel tanks (six 25-barrel tanks and 12 50-barrel tanks).

Family photo with with baby Randall and granddad in Budweiser shirt

“We got our hands dirty first,” Jimmy Randall, Ghost River’s head brewer, says of Memphis’ craft beer scene. “But when we started, we legally could not open a taproom.”

Then, with High Cotton leading the charge, the law requiring food be served wherever alcohol is sold was changed.

The question subsequently arose about where to put Ghost River’s taproom. Off-premises seemed the most logical conclusion. But, says Randall, it wasn’t feasible to run an operation off-site for 20 hours while maintaining the brewery. Ghost River’s building offered no give, either — until it did.

“We didn’t have room,” Randall says. “Then we said, ‘Let’s tear down some walls.’ Sure enough, we have the space.”

Ghost River offers three core brands: Ghost River Gold (formerly Golden Ale), Riverbank Red, and 1887. The 1887, an IPA named after the year the sand aquifer was first tapped, is now offered year-round — a nod to Ghost River’s overall rebranding.

owner Jerry Feinstone

The cypress tree, the unifying visual element of all of Ghost River’s beers, has been axed for a look that gives each beer a strong identity.

“When we first started, we needed brand recognition. We needed people to know Ghost River,” Randall says. “Well, people know Ghost River now.”

Hieroglyph was enlisted for the rebranding.

“You can’t have a name like Ghost River and not do something really great with it,” says Josh Horton of Hieroglyph.

Initially, the idea was to do something outdoorsy. That was struck for coloring and images for each beer that tell a story.

There are gold coins on the Gold label; the beer is Ghost River’s best-selling beer by far. “It’s been our bread and butter beer. It speaks well to the palates of non-craft beer consumers,” Randall says. “It’s a wonderful stepping stone out of mass-produced light lagers and moving into craft beer.”

The Riverbank features a copperhead snake on the label, which delves into a bit of Ghost River history. Riverbank started as Home Run Red, which was brewed to be served at AutoZone Park during Redbirds games. The beer proved to be a hit, so they decided to make it year-round, which necessitated a name change. They landed on Copperhead Red, but were thwarted when they discovered a Copperhead Pale already existed.

The 1887 has a bird’s-eye view of a well, a tribute to the sand aquifer. “It’s a nighttime scene. You can see the crescent moon reflecting off the water in the bottom of the well, and there are ripples across the water like someone’s thrown a coin down and made a wish,” Randall says.

Each label has a black background, connnoting mystery and harking back to the ghost. On the bottle neck label is a lantern, which has multiple meanings, including the idea that Ghost River, as the first modern brewery in Memphis, led the way.

As for getting rid of the cypress tree, there was some pushback.

“There’s a lot of love for the cypress tree, and there are a lot of people who miss it,” Randall says. “Unfortunately, there wasn’t much of a story associated with it, and we’re finding that our prime market really wants to have a story involved.”

The new branding kicked in about six weeks ago, and the taproom could be open as soon as early October.

“It’s coming up,” Randall says. “Closer and closer.”

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We Recommend We Recommend

Downtown Olympics on South Main

The Olympics has always represented mankind at its very best. The goals set by organizers of this weekend’s Downtown Olympics are somewhat less ambitious. They just want people to drink and play cornhole.

“The idea is not to burn down the whole South Main district,” says organizer Aaron Krunszyinsky, acknowledging that everybody involved with the event will be drinking and there has been some talk of lighting an olympic flame.

“So it’s basically all drinking games,” Krunszyinsky says. “Most of them are classic, but there are a couple of new ones too. And teams from all over will be competing in this beer olympics for fun and for bragging rights.”

This boozy test of strength, speed, and endurance begins with an opening ceremony, followed by a four-man relay race where teammates chug beers starting at Cafe Pontotoc, then run a baton to the next bar and hand off to a teammate who follows suit. It ends with a tricycle race and talent show.

“There’s beer pong. And, of course, there’s cornhole, which is just a normal lawn game, but then we add drinking.”

According to Krunszyinsky, the games, which double as a fund-raiser for the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry, will be as fairly adjudicated as liquor allows.

“Yes, it’s true, if there are hecklers and they accuse the judges of drinking, they would be correct,” he says.

Teams must hail from 38103, 38104, and 38105 zip codes. Bring your own tricycle.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

High Cotton Set For High Times

IMG_6322.jpg

High Cotton Brewing Co. will grandly open its Monroe Avenue Taproom Saturday at 4 p.m. with food, music, and the brewery’s lineup of tasty (and even daring) beers.

The taproom has been under construction for months and will open pretty close to the brewery’s first birthday. Anticipation for the event has been high.

Like Willy Wonka to the golden ticket winners, the High Cotton owners opened the taproom doors to the Memphis press Thursday. (No one got stuck in a tank of beer, turned into an enormous pint glass, and the bartenders did not sing self-righteous songs against gluttony or anything else.)

The taproom is located right across Monroe Avenue from Kudzu’s, the Memphis institution known for live music and a laid-back attitude. One bartender remarked that the proximity will be great for any taproom guest looking for a cocktail and he pointed right across the street to Kudzu’s.

The taproom itself is has a warm glow, lit by huge bay windows that face Monroe. It’s also spacious with tons of room at the long bar (right out of a Hollywood western), and plenty of high-top and low-top tables. High ceilings make the whole space feel airy and comfortable. Not airy enough for you? High Cotton offers a big covered patio right outside the bar area for a good mix of light, breeze, and shade.

The taproom aesthetic is a spot-on blend of High Cotton’s agrarian branding and good-time approach. Reclaimed wood surrounds guests from the tables, the walls, and the ceiling (much of the wood was reclaimed from older parts of the Cotton Exchange building). The wood, the concrete floor, and deliberately un-fancy fixtures create a back-to-basics vibe, bereft of modern-day distractions. It makes it easy to focus on good beer and good company.

A giant, light-bulbed sign that reads, “BEER!,” makes it easy to find High Cotton’s main event behind the bar. The company’s beer has been in Memphis restaurants and bars for a good long while now and many by now are familiar with its mainstay Biere de Garde, ESB, Saison, or Scottish Ale. All of those are present on the tap wall at the Monroe Avenue Taproom, of course.

But High Cotton has always had the creative space to try something different. On tap Thursday was the brewery’s delicious, refreshing, and rose-colored Sow & Reap Saison made with with cherries and smoked beets. Try it. You’ll like it, especially in the heat. Owners said to expect a wide array of limited-edition beers at the taproom as seasons change or bolts of creativity strike them.

Saturday’s grand opening will feature music from Dead Soldiers and food-truck food from Rock ‘n’ Dough and Stickem. Doors open at 4 p.m. and close at 10 p.m.

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Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Beer Flows

CREDIT: by Simone Wilson

Chuck Skypeck, co-founder of Boscos and its master brewer with 18 years in the business, feels strongly that locally made beer should be available in area bars and restaurants. He says he finds it hard to believe that Memphis, a city of more than half a million people, has only two breweries — the small-batch operation inside Boscos’ Overton Square restaurant and Boscos’ main brewery on South Main.

That’s why Skypeck started Ghost River Brewing, a subsidiary of Boscos Brewing Company.

The Ghost River beers — Ghost River Golden, Glacial Pale Ale, Brown Ale, as well as seasonal beers, such as a German-style Hefeweizen and a Scottish ale — are draft-only beers and are currently being marketed to local restaurants and bars by Southwestern Distributing.

Ghost River’s beers are brewed with water from the Memphis Sands Aquifer, source for the area’s drinking water.

“Water is the main ingredient in beer,” Skypeck says. “Its quality has a big influence on how the beer tastes, and we have some of the best water available right here.”

The aquifer is a deep segment of saturated sand and gravel, which acts as a natural filter, making the water that trickles through it extremely pure.

“The great thing about Memphis water is its low mineral content,” Skypeck says. “We believe this is ideal water for brewing beer. If you want to change the beer’s character, you can add certain minerals to affect the taste.”

Beers brewed from soft water with a low-mineral content tend to have a milder flavor than those made from hard, mineral-rich water. In Europe, breweries were historically located on sites with consistent water supplies and a characteristic mineral makeup. This explains the many regional beers, and the tradition of adapting the recipes to the shortcomings of the brewing water. Acidic dark malts, for example, were used to neutralize the high alkaline levels of carbonate waters.

Today, the mineral composition of “brewing water” can be controlled scientifically to create a larger variety of beers. Craft breweries, such as Ghost River Brewing, however, treat the brewing water only minimally, if it all.

Ghost River beer is brewed at Boscos’ main brewery downtown. The brewery was inaugurated on New Year’s Eve 2007, when it turned out its first batch of beer, with kegs headed to the Boscos locations that don’t have a brewery on-site.

If you expect bottles rattling past on a conveyor belt, the earthy smell of beer, and foaming brews bubbling in a kettle, you won’t see that here. In fact, the brewery is reminiscent of a milking parlor, minus the cows (although a local farmer does pick up the spent brewer’s grain to use as animal feed). The brewery’s centerpieces are three stainless-steel tanks in which the beer ages for about three weeks. Each tank holds 50 kegs of beer, each a different variety, rotating between the Boscos signature beers and the Ghost River varieties.

“Beer is food, and as the focus shifts more and more to what’s available locally, we are thrilled to contribute a beer that is made in Memphis,” Skypeck says. “Many restaurants and bars that we talked to were excited about the prospect of being able to offer a local beer to their customers, and we hope Memphians will see Ghost River beer on tap at their favorite places soon.”

Although the beer will only be available in restaurant and bars, individual kegs for private parties can be purchased through Southwestern.

And while Skypeck is tapping the aquifer for water, he’s giving back, too. Ghost River Brewing donates a portion of the proceeds of every barrel of beer sold to the Wolf River Conservancy.

ghostriverbrewing.com

Mark your calendar and grab your steins for two upcoming beer events.

The Memphis Zoo is holding its second Zoo Brew on August 29th, from 6 to 9 p.m. Anyone who’s 21 and older can sample beers from around the world on the grounds of the zoo. The event includes appetizers, an exclusive pottery show by Hayden Hall, and live entertainment.

Price for the event is $10 for zoo members and $15 for nonmembers. For more information, visit memphiszoo.org.

Tickets for this year’s Art on Tap at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens will go on sale on August 18th. The event is on September 5th, from 6 to 9 p.m., and advance tickets are $40 for members and $50 for nonmembers.

All guests must be 21 or older to attend. Visit dixon.org. for more information.

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News

New “Blue Law” Passes Memphis City Council

When they say Memphis is the Home of the Blues, they’re not talking about blue laws. But maybe they should be. The City Council voted last week to prohibit beer sales for off-premise consumption within 500 feet of churches, schools, and most residential areas. Though stores currently selling beer will be grandfathered in, any new stores wanting to locate within the 500-foot restriction will have to be located on a state or federal highway.

“We’ve got a crime problem, and this is the catalyst,” Councilman Joe Brown said during a recent committee meeting, adding that he was speaking from a moral perspective. “That’s why this is so important.”

But the ordinance wasn’t easy for everyone to swallow …

Read the rest of Mary Cashiola’s In the Bluff column on the possible repercussions from Memphis’ newest blue law.

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News The Fly-By

Blue City

CREDIT: DORIY | dreamstime.com

When they say Memphis is the Home of the Blues, they’re not talking about blue laws. But maybe they should be. The City Council voted last week to prohibit beer sales for off-premise consumption within 500 feet of churches, schools, and most residential areas. Though stores currently selling beer will be grandfathered in, any new stores wanting to locate within the 500-foot restriction will have to be located on a state or federal highway.

“We’ve got a crime problem, and this is the catalyst,” Councilman Joe Brown said during a recent committee meeting, adding that he was speaking from a moral perspective. “That’s why this is so important.”

But the ordinance wasn’t easy for everyone to swallow.

“As I understand it,” said Councilman Dedrick Brittenum at a full council meeting, “the existing stores that sell beer have a problem with people loitering around those establishments and selling beer to minors and that sort of thing. The original ordinance on the floor would do nothing to stop that.”

As initially proposed by Brown, the ordinance banned off-premise beer sales at stores near single-family homes and duplexes, as well as near schools and churches. Under that scenario, only 8,000 parcels of land would qualify for off-premise beer consumption, compared to more than 25,000 currently eligible.

“It tended to exclude a large portion of the city,” said Brittenum.

Citing economic and development reasons, Brittenum offered an alternative that removed residential areas from the ordinance but added a penalty phase.

“We’re trying to go to a more livable, walkable, smart-growth city. If that’s the case, we may need some stores close to residential areas,” Brittenum told fellow council members.

Under smart-growth principles, developments are often built as mixed-use, with residences near, next to, or even above retail stores. A draft of the new Unified Development Code, which lays out zoning and subdivision regulations, has provisions for just such mixed-use areas. In addition, many smaller stores see a large portion of their profit from beer sales.

“If you don’t leave out [residences],” Brittenum said, “no new stores will open in residential areas that will sell bread, sugar, your staples. The economics just won’t work.”

Brittenum also pointed out that the ordinance — as originally proposed — would essentially create a territorial monopoly for existing stores.

“We would be forever grandfathering in those businesses because they will be so valuable they’ll never go out of business. Ever,” he said.

To solve that particular problem, he suggested a penalty phase to the ordinance: If a store gets three violations in two years, it would lose the privilege of having a beer license. The licensee would lose the right to apply for a new beer license anywhere in the city for the following two years.

Other council members liked the penalty provision but could not be convinced to remove residential areas from the ordinance. In fact, when it was pointed out that the ordinance inexplicably left out a distance requirement for apartments, those areas were added, too.

“I do understand that we’re talking about livable communities and walkable communities, but we’re also talking about communities where our children are,” said Barbara Swearengen Ware during a committee meeting.

Brown said he thought the council was “in the business of eliminating crime.”

“There is a lot of criminal activity [at convenience stores]. People who walk to stores for beer have [alcohol and drug] problems,” Brown said. “Let’s stop this thing, and we can live in a good city.”

In a compromise, Brittenum suggested that the ordinance exempt those stores on interstates and state and federal highways, and the measure passed. The ordinance also gives applicants who are rejected by the beer board a chance to appeal directly to the City Council.

Even so, adding residential to the ordinance is an extensive change. Frankly, considering how many areas are now off-limits, I’m surprised that the measure didn’t meet with more resistance.

Just two years ago, after a Wal-Mart opened in Whitehaven and wasn’t allowed to sell beer at that location, the council considered lowering the distance requirement from schools and churches because members felt it was hampering economic growth.

There might be a lot of churches in this city, but there are a lot more houses, duplexes, and apartment buildings. The stores I can think of that sell beer for off-premise consumption — gas stations, drug stores, places like Miss Cordelia’s on Mud Island — are often located close to residential areas.

And for many areas, it’s already last call.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

A Café Makeover

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Café de France, inside Palladio Antiques & Art, closed in June. In its place is Café Palladio, which opened in early September. And while the address is the same, the café itself has gotten a facelift.

“We raised the floor so that all tables are on the same level, and we updated the furniture,” says Rebekah Vaughn, the café’s manager. “We’re using white tablecloths for a brighter, more contemporary look.”

Former Café de France regulars won’t be disappointed. Even though most baked goods aren’t made in-house anymore, the menu still offers great lunch fare. Sandwiches such as “Chunkie-Chicken Salad,” “Southern Fried Green Tomato,” and “Dixie Delight” (a vegetarian option) come with a choice of potato, fruit, pasta, or side salad. Large salads include grilled chicken Caesar, Greek chicken salad, and pear and walnut salad, among others. Desserts are plentiful too: Homemade brownies, coconut cake, and layer cake (caramel, red velvet, strawberry, chocolate) come from Sugaree’s Bakery in New Albany, Mississippi, and there are locally made sweets, such as Ms. Katz Cobblers, based on availability.

Café Palladio is open for lunch Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Café Palladio, 2169 Central (278-0129)

This year’s Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, was another record year for the world-famous event. From September 22nd to October 7th, visitors drank 6.7 million mass, the standard one-quart beer served from tap in humongous steins. The Wiesn, the locals’ name for the fest, drew 6.2 million visitors. On one Saturday, thirsty guests were turned away from the beer tents just a few minutes after opening at 9 a.m. because they were already at maximum capacity.

If you didn’t make it to Munich this year, try local brew pubs and restaurants for a little Oktoberfest spirit.

The Flying Saucer (130 Peabody Place, 523-7468) offers Spaten Oktober, Paulaner Oktober, Sam Adams October, and Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale on tap. Buffalo Bill’s Wild Pumpkin and Schlafly Pumpkin beer in bottles should arrive any day now. In honor of Oktoberfest, the pub holds a monk’s blessing of the kegs every Friday at 5 p.m. during October.

At Boscos Squared (2120 Madison, 432-2222), you can enjoy Boscos Oktoberfest on tap for a limited time. It’s Boscos’ version of the full-flavored, full-bodied, golden German beer.

Tuesday on the Terrace at the Memphis Botanic Garden (750 Cherry, 576-4131) on October 30th is also Oktoberfest-themed. Instead of beer, guests can enjoy German and Alsatian wines and German food. The event is from 6 to 8 p.m. Reservations are suggested. Cost for the event is $25 per person.

The coming weeks offer plenty of opportunities for those who want to eat good and do good too. October 23rd is the date for the Great Chefs Tasting, the annual tasting and silent auction benefiting United Cerebral Palsy. Participating restaurants include Grill 83, Memphis Pizza Café, Circa, Folks Folly, Café 61, Central BBQ, Soul Fish, Celtic Crossing, and many others. Tickets for the event, which is being held at the Pink Palace Museum, are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. For tickets, call 320-6362.

On November 2nd, you can raise your wine glass to support the National Kidney Foundation of West Tennessee during this year’s Sip Around the World. The event at the Memphis Botanic Garden offers fine wines, hors d’oeuvres, and live and silent auctions. Tickets are $65 in advance and $75 at the door. The event starts at 7 p.m. For tickets, call 683-6185 or visit www.nkfwtn.org.

From November 5th through 12th, you can help “Feed the Need” by adding a donation to the Memphis Food Bank to your restaurant bill. The Food Bank serves more than 300 agencies in the Mid-South and helps prevent hunger by delivering food to the needy and through services such as the Kids Café and the Food for Kids BackPack and the Prepared and Perishable Meals Recovery programs.

For more information and a list of participating restaurants, call 527-0841 or visit www.memphisfoodbank.org.

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Best of Memphis Special Sections

Nightlife

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

In the “Nightlife” section of the Best of Memphis, the number of places to earn votes broke down like this: More than 75 bars received a vote for best bar. About 30 bars got votes in the “Best Jukebox” category, while 57 were deemed as having the best happy hour. Some 44 bars got votes in the “Best Hole in the Wall” category, and about half of that group got votes for “Best Gay Bar.” Our readers also let us know that there are some 50 great places to see live music and that there are at least 100 musicians or bands worth checking out. We could go on, but you catch our drift. Saying there’s nothing fun to do in Memphis after sundown — that just doesn’t add up.

Best Beer Selection

BOM 1. Flying Saucer

2. Boscos Squared

3. Young Avenue Deli

Entering the Flying Saucer is entering into a mythical pantheon of beer. New or old, the Saucer makes over 200 labels from five continents available to the novice and connoisseur alike. Taste the finest Belgian Trappist Ales, English IPA’s, and German Dunkel and Märzen lagers, all on tap. But sorry, folks. There’s no PBR.

Justin Fox Burks

Best Place To See Live Music

1. Hi-Tone Café

2. Beale Street

3. Mud Island Amphitheatre — tie —

New Daisy Theatre

When Elvis Costello comes to town, he plays at the Hi-Tone. So does virtuoso violinist Andrew Bird, West Coast roots-rockers the Blasters, and Wanda Jackson, the first lady of rock-and-roll. This stripped-down club even housed the martial arts studio where Elvis learned to kick people in the face. Toss in a kick-ass sound system, cold beer, and friendly staff, and you’ve got a venue that musicians love and music lovers cherish.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Karaoke

Best Local Band/Singer

READERS’ CHOICE

Harlan T. Bobo

The Dempseys

Kevin Paige

Lucero

Twin Soul

What’s Memphis listening to now? Apparently the greatest hits of the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s (the Dempseys); the greatest hits of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s (Twin Soul); quirky, self-deprecating love songs (Bobo); and whiskey-drenched heartland rock (Lucero). And who can resist the pop stylings of the Reverend Kevin Paige, the man who opened for Debbie Gibson back when that actually meant something?

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Place to See Live Music

Best Karaoke

1. Windjammer Restaurant & Lounge

2. Yosemite Sam’s

3. Alfred’s

Most bars can only manage to devote one night a week to karaoke. And can you blame them? Bartenders can only handle so many white girls rapping “Baby Got Back.” Bartenders are sober, after all. But the staff of the Windjammer braves the bad notes, offering karaoke Wednesdays through Mondays. For that, the Best of Memphis voters commend them.

Best Bar

READERS’ CHOICE

Young Avenue Deli

Flying Saucer

Blue Monkey

Boscos Squared

Dish

Bar patrons in Memphis just can’t decide. Some nights, they like to shoot pool and nosh on the best fries in town at the Deli. Other nights, they treat their tastebuds to beers from around the world at the Saucer. On Sundays, it’s cheap Bloody Marys at the Blue Monkey. A weekday lunch lends itself to a quick cask-conditioned ale at Boscos, and dinner cocktails are best enjoyed on the comfy beds at Dish.

Best New Bar, opened in 2007

1. Spindini

2. EP Delta Kitchen & Bar

3. Sauces — tie —

King Biscuit Diner

Those Italians know their wines. That’s probably why Judd Grisanti’s Spindini boasts such an impressive wine list. From Chardonnays and Rieslings and Chianti to Cabernets, this new South Main eatery’s got you covered. And with a modern, spacious bar, there’s plenty of room to kick back and sip in style.

Justin Fox Burks

Readers’ Choice: Best Local Band/Singer

Best Hole in the Wall

1. Alex’s

2. P&H Café

3. Lamplighter Lounge — tie —

The Buccaneer

Alex’s is a place where the Blues Brothers would be perfectly at home.

Best College
Hangout

1. R.P. Tracks

2. Alex’s

3. Zinnie’s

R.P. Tracks lies nestled in the shadow of the University of Memphis. Sit on the porch, order the hummus, and pick from one of the best beer lists in the city. But watch your grammar. The English department may be right behind you.

Best After-Hours Club

1. Blue Monkey

2. Alex’s

3. Wild Bill’s

It’s no surprise that the Blue Monkey is our readers’ favorite place to go after dark. The elaborate bar, the brick and tile, and the huge dining room give the Monkey an environment that’s relaxing and fun.

Best Happy Hour

1. Flying Saucer

2. Chili’s Grill & Bar

3. Boscos Squared — tie —

Blue Monkey

Meet your friends or sit at the bar with an order of hot wings and people-watch. You’ll forget your day at work in no time.

Best Place To Dance

1. Alfred’s

2. Senses

3. Backstreet — tie —

Club 152 Beale

Dancing at Alfred’s just seems to happen. You’re walking around Beale with some friends. You stop into Alfred’s while the band’s playing. You have a few drinks, and by the time the DJ comes on, you’re ready to move. Some guy walks up behind you, starts grinding, and before you know it, you’re on the floor dirty dancing like Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Place to Play Pool

Best Jukebox

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. Alex’s

3. Young Avenue Deli

Etta James, Otis Redding, and John Lee Hooker reside alongside disc upon disc of obscure Motowners and Sun Studio B-sides, with a minimum of rock. Best of all: no Tom Petty.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Hole in the Wall

Best Place To Play Pool

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. P&H Café

Let off that workday steam and unwind with a game of pool at “the Fox.” High ceilings, huge TVs, cigar shop, and great menu make it the perfect weeknight playground.

Best Sports Bar

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. T.J. Mulligan’s

On game day at the Fox & Hound, the only way not to see a match-up is to leave. With huge TV screens everywhere, the local enthusiast can keep track of the SEC and C-USA without having to turn his head more than six inches.

Best Gay Bar

1. Backstreet

2. Dish

3. One More

In the local gay community, the phrase “going to the club” means one thing: a night of booty-shakin’ at Backstreet. Backstreet offers a large dance floor, fantabulous drag shows, an outdoor patio, and even a gift shop filled with rainbow-themed merch.

Best Bar Décor

READERS’ CHOICE

P&H Café

Huey’s

Buccaneer

Flying Saucer

Dish

No one bar swept this category, but the top vote-getters indicate that our readers appreciate a bit of kitsch and clutter. One can spend hours studying the P&H’s hodgepodge of eclectic art, taking in the pirate aesthetic of the Buccaneer, reading Huey’s graffiti-covered walls, and counting the Saucer’s vast array of commemorative plates. But for those who like their surroundings a little more low-key, there’s always the sleek bar and hip beds at Dish.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Hometown Brew

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

There’s no better way to end the day than with cold beer and good conversation — especially when you’re having that beer with the man who created it.

Tony Vieira is a certified master brewer and CEO of Naked Lion Brewing Co., which he started with his family. The Memphis company launched its first beer, Copper Flask, in May.

Vieira is, like all serious brewers, a scientist by default. He has steeped himself in chemical formulas, the physics of cooking, the biology of managing organic substances such as yeast, and the technology that resulted in the beer on the table in front of us.

Vieira’s clear devotion to the craft is a shared trait among brewers, whose love for the minutiae lends them a sort of Trekkie-like vibe.

“Brewers are kind of weird,” Vieira admits with a grin. “It’s a hobby you can’t get rid of.”

Vieira’s philosophy toward beer is a reflection of the local culture near Boston, where he grew up and went to college. “It’s sort of the great equalizer,” he says. “The poorest man can buy the best beer in the world.”

Justin Fox Burks

Master brewer Tony Vieira

Vieira knows how to get things done. He received his masters from Vanderbilt, owned a string of brew pubs in the Boston area, and worked for two of the nation’s largest brewing companies, including the local Coors plant. He currently holds a position in corporate strategy with FedEx.

But brewing beer seems to be what he loves best.

“It’s such a great sort of industry to be in, ” Vieira says. “When you can take your work home and enjoy doing it, that’s the best situation.”

To create Copper Flask, Vieira began with a question: “What’s the very first beer I’d make?” he recalls. “This is closest to an Oktoberfest [beer]. It’s a lager. The style would be a festbier, and that’s because the alcohol is a little higher and a little darker.”

The label on the bottle boasts of the sour mashing process that the lager undergoes during the brewing. “The process itself is a trade secret,” Vieira explains. He says a great deal of the beer’s distinct flavor comes from this process.

Copper Flask, named after a brewing term for unofficial taste testing, weighs in with an impressive 5.95 percent alcohol per volume. It has a lager’s smoothness, the hops biting just enough without overpowering. The beer finishes with a satisfying malty fullness.

“We wanted to brew something that was closer to true-style but at the same time give consumers a beer that was drinkable and had a higher alcohol content,” Vieira says. “We’re really happy with how the beer came out.”

Naked Lion’s beer is brewed at City Brewery in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and then distributed to Memphis and the several other markets.

Vieira says he would eventually like to open his own brewery in Memphis. “If people like the beer, then I’ll build that brewery,” he says.

“I started my 19th year in the brewing industry in May,” he says. “I’m brewing beer for myself and the people I love, and if I can sell it after that, I’m happy.”

Copper Flask is sold at Raffe’s Deli, Sam’s “Z” Mart, Ike’s, and Schnucks. It’s also served at Young Avenue Deli, Bangkok Alley, and Yia Yia’s.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Beer Is Near

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Grab your beer stein: Two local events will be keeping beer enthusiasts busy in the next couple weeks.

During the Memphis Zoo’s first Zoo Brew on Friday, August 31st, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., visitors can sample beers from around the world. On tap for the evening are more than 20 beers from Southwestern Beverage Distributing, including Avery White Rascal, San Miguel, Singha Lager, Yazoo, and Murphy’s Irish Stout.

The evening will also include live entertainment from Jeremy Sharder’s Quintessentials and a sale of mixed-media paintings and sculptural clay pieces from local artists Susan Inman and Skippy Gronauer. Proceeds from the art sales will benefit the zoo.

Tickets for the event are $15 for zoo members and $20 for non-members. All guests must be 21 or older to attend.

Art on Tap at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens started 10 years ago with only 100 guests and 20 beer varieties. Today, the event has become the Dixon’s second-largest fund-raiser.

At this year’s Art on Tap on Friday, September 7th, from 6 to 9 p.m., more than 125 beers — microbrew, import, and domestic — will be provided by local beverage distributors as well as Boscos Brewery and the Bluff City Brewers and Connoisseurs. Blue Coast Burrito, Elfo’s, and Jimmy’s Chicago Style Pizza, Dogs, & Beef will supply the food.

Tickets are $25 for Dixon members, $35 for nonmembers, and “Young at Art” members are admitted free. All guests must be 21 or older to attend.

Fresh Slices Sidewalk Café & Deli, a popular neighborhood restaurant on Overton Park Avenue will open a second location in Cordova in September.

The deli is a family affair, started by Ike Logan and supported by his wife Willie and daughter Tasha. Although Fresh Slices is Logan’s first venture as a restaurateur, he’s been in the business for 35 years. “My dad started as a busboy at Bennigan’s, worked his way up to cook, [then] manager, and eventually became area director,” Tasha explains.

Ike Logan’s desire to have his own restaurant was strong, but it took the whole family to finally make it work. “We were trying to find the right location, and then one night at 2 a.m. after a party, I drove down Overton Park and saw this beautiful space,” Tasha remembers. “I called my dad immediately and made him get out of bed to look at the building right then.”

Fresh Slices has been on Overton Park for four years now, serving an extensive selection of sandwiches, burgers, entrées, and salads. While Willie Logan will reign over both locations, Tasha will lead the Midtown restaurant as her dad gets the slightly larger Cordova Fresh Slices off the ground.

Fresh Slices, 1585 Overton Park Ave.(725-1001). Opening soon at 8566 Macon

Circa is offering a special treat for diners who plan to take their family to see The Lion King, which is playing at the Orpheum through September 16th.

Between 5 and 6 p.m. on show nights, guests can enjoy Circa’s three-course Lion King Prix Fixe Menu for $30 per person plus tax and gratuity. Kids can select from the three-course Cub’s Menu for $12 per child plus tax and gratuity. In addition, valet parking at Circa is just $5, so you can walk to the Orpheum after dinner.

Your choices on the menu: lobster and crab bisque, the chef’s soup du jour, or a petite mixed salad for the first course; a six-ounce filet mignon bordelaise, grilled blackened fish du jour, or Tasmanian King Salmon for the main course; and fresh strawberry sponge cake or Circa’s “Il Diplomatico” (dark chocolate mousse layered with coconut rum cake) for dessert accompanied by a selection of teas or coffee. The kids can start off with a selection of fresh vegetables and fruit and then choose between chicken à la Lion King with potato purée, macaroni ‘n’ cheese, or a pair of beef sirloin sliders with pommes frites. They can end the meal with a choice of homemade sorbets or ice creams.

Circa, 119 S. Main (522-1488)