First of all, let it be stated that my girlfriend is some kind of hotel finding sorceress. We pulled into Birmingham with the intent of stopping at a small chain motel on the outskirts of town, but then Jessi pulled out her phone and said, “You know, it’s late enough in the evening, let me check Expedia…” And that’s how we wound up staying at this place:
On the drive, we listened to The Liturgists Podcast on spiral dynamics and C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce, both of which made for some outstanding contemplation. By the time we arrived at our hotel, it was nearly 8pm, so we left our car and decided to hit a couple of bars on foot. The Rogue Tavern (not associated with Rogue Ales & Spirits) boasted a slew of local beers, and The Collins had an interesting gimmick: a cocktail bar with no menu. Just tell them what you like, and they’ll design something on the fly. Let’s talk beers though. Counting Jessi’s pint at The Collins and our two flights at Rogue, we tasted seven beers between us…
Avondale Vanillaphant (Birmingham, AL)
Even though we found great reviews of this beer at both Rogue and The Collins, we thought it was pretty mediocre. For a vanilla stout, it was a little thin (more like an ale), and frankly, there wasn’t much flavor to it— a trace of vanilla at best. My first response was, “Okay, this is pretty much a microbrew version of Murphy’s.” I like Murphy’s, but still, this was a disappointment.
Blue Pants Coffee Oatmeal Stout (Madison, AL)
We enjoyed this stout but found that the flavor description was a little off. This beer made for a good solid oatmeal stout, but it lacked any trace of coffee. Jessi, a proud coffee snob, couldn’t find a single note of our beloved bean. It’s a good beer, but it’s not what the description promised.
Good People Brown Ale (Birmingham, AL)
This one was my pick of the litter, and we liked it so much that we stopped on our way out of town to pick up some cans of it. It’s fairly light in texture, and there’s a strong pecan flavor to this beer— a really solid brown ale. Jessi normally hates brown ales, but she loved this.
Good People Coffee Oatmeal Flavored Stout (Birmingham, AL)
After the disappointment of Blue Pants, this beer saved Jessi’s night. Coffee notes dominate the nose of this beer, creating a pleasant sharpness followed by the smoothness of a traditional oatmeal stout. Like their brown ale, this beer showcases just how creative and dedicated to flavor the folks over at Good People are.
Harpoon Vanilla Porter (Boston, MA)
Of the vanilla beers, Harpoon was the stronger competitor, but there were some surprises in this beer. Jessi found it heavier than a traditional porter; this thing has the body of a stout. At the same time, there’s an earthy complexity to the flavor profile that partners well with a very strong vanilla tone. Not quite the best beer of the night, but we’re fans now.
Highland Thunderstruck (Asheville, NC)
Holy crap, this beer. The menu was actually mislabeled as Marietta, AL, but having lived in North Carolina for three years, I spent a lot of time drinking Highland Gaelic, and this led us to double-check the brewery location. Jessi described Thunderstruck as “a very stouty porter,” giving it a “five out of five, best of both worlds.” The initial bitter notes feel like a porter, but it finishes with the milky smoothness of a stout. This beer’s flavor profile was a surprise, but given my previous experience with Highland, I’m not surprised by its quality. The mislabeled menu had us saying this was worth the drive to Birmingham; turns out we need a trip to Asheville instead!
Terrapin Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout (Athens, GA)
We have had this beer before in cans, but it’s lightyears beyond when on tap. Jessi assessed this beer as delivering exactly what it promised: it’s chocolate milk in a beer! It’s smooth and creamy on first taste, and that continues all the way through the palate. I don’t think the beer was on nitro, but it had that kind of smooth texture. This is just a beautiful beer all around.
In general, Birmingham is a pretty good beer town with Good People Brewing as the standout. The Rogue Tavern was a welcoming venue with excellent service, and their pot roast was absolutely phenomenal. Even if you’re not a beer drinker, it’s worth checking out for the food. The Collins was impressive, and their gimmick worked well for someone with some basic cocktail knowledge. A server sat down momentarily at our table to talk about my cocktail tastes. “Mostly bourbon, but I’ve been using brown sugar a lot lately, and I’m a sucker for some unexpected bitters.” She came back a little later with a brown sugar John Collins that had cherry notes to it— my money is on Fee Brothers cherry bitters. Recreating this drink is high on my to-do list when we get back to Jacksonville! The Collins is a great stop for cocktail nerds; make sure to find a seat with a clear view of the bar— it’s a blast watching their bartenders work.
Our evening in Birmingham was a great way to kick off this trip, and we’re excited to head to Wiseacre Friday night at 8pm. See you there, Memphis readers!