The Brewery Boy with Ichnusa number fifty something I think.
The Brewery Boy is back… well, almost. I am back from my adventures in Italy but I haven’t really had the time to get back on the brewery trail yet. In the meantime though I wanted to talk about Inchusa! This is a brand of beer that comes from an island called Sardinia that I spent five days exploring with my friends from Milan. Sardinia is a popular vaction spot for many Italians and is off the west coast of Italy right above Sicily and bellow Corsica. Ichnusa is both the name of the brewery and the beer they produce. The beer and brewery are so closely connected to the island that it uses it’s flag as their logo on every bottle. The people and visitors of Sardinia return the love as well. There is Ichnusa beer in every super market, bar, restaurant, backpack and cooler on the island. The only situation I could compare it to is Guinness in Dublin, you can find it anywhere and it is essentially Dublin in a glass. Ichnusa is exactly the same, with every glass you can imagine sitting on a white sand beach, while the sun shines over the crystal clear sea.
Just a little bit on the beer itself, Ichnusa comes in a couple varieties. You can get the standard Ichnusa and a non filtered version that is in the picture above. The best way I can describe the taste is its very similar to a Corona which makes sense since both beers are made to be enjoyed during a sunny day on the beach. Ichnusa Non Filtrata has a slightly higher alcohol content and more of a hoppy flavor. I usually reached for the Non Filtrata but that is just my preference.
Not a bad “view from your beer” right?
Sardinia was picture perfect and I had an amazing time exploring it with my friends. You might think that the photo above was just me being in the right place at the right time but surprisingly you would be wrong. Views like this are everywhere you turn in Sardinia; the beaches, countryside, the ocean, the people and of course the beer were all incredible. I’m glad I got to share a little bit of my experience with you guys.
I will try to be back very soon with a new brewery but in the meantime as always I thank you for reading. If you’d like to keep up with everything Brewery Boy you can catch me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or by email. Feel free to shoot me a message, comment or email, I would love to chat with you guys. See you next time!
Good news! I’m unexpectedly back with another post straight from Milano Italy! My friend Sam and I were trying to get over our jet lag this afternoon so we decided to burn some time in an Irish Pub of all places before dinner (Which was Authentic Naples Style pizza). We saw that The Friends Pub Milano was only about a fifteen minute walk so we went for it and man did it pay off. Not only was it a strangely accurate Irish Pub but they also brewed two of their own beers which of course got me fired up.
The Friends Pub In Milano’s version of the IPA
In the photo above was the first of their two beers which was an IPA. It was very good and similar to what I would expect from a nice IPA in the states. If anything it went above and beyond expectations because of the powerful hoppy flavors that it captured without having the bitter aftertaste that some IPA’s suffer from.
The second beer that they make at The Friends Pub In Milano is the Mystery Beer above. To be perfectly honest we both had to have about two pints of this because, one it was soooooo good and two we couldn’t figure out what fruit they had used in it. It was very obviously there and a major part of why we both enjoyed it so much but we just couldn’t place it. I’m assuming this excessive tasting session is what made us both forget what the name of the brew was, whoops. Ignoring all of that though this was a beer unlike any we have ever tried before, it was light, malty, strong but not bitter. It also had this incredibly subtle fruit flavor that we both determined was probably pear? Not entirely sure though because we went through orange, lemon, and apple before we landed on the pear flavor. Anyway I wasn’t expecting to have such a one of a kind beer experience in Italy, let alone on our first day so I’ll make sure to keep you guys posted. In the meantime thank you so much for reading as always and I’ll see you at the next one!
Welcome back!!! We are in the Utica/Rome area once again at Copper City Brewing Co. which has been recommended to me by several people so thanks for that! Much like Woodland Farm, Copper City is a micro brewery so the whole brewing process is super personal here which is something I get wicked excited about. As I’m writing this and enjoying my beer the brewing floor is literally five feet away from me. For me this whole project is about experiencing the passion and creativity of these brewers through their beer and micro breweries like Copper City Brewing Co. are where that is easiest to see. A lot of these businesses were started by men and woman who have a real desire to make beer so they pour everything they have into their brewery and eventually into your glass. Of course that statement stands true here!
This is how close we’re talking. I am sitting at the bar when I took this photo. The brewers were actually working as I was there!
Alright we’ve all gathered that I’m a sucker for a theme at this point. I don’t care how cheesy it is either, I’m the type of guy that even gets a kick out of lazy nautical themed seafood restaurant. Give me bad pirate jokes and walls covered in mounted fish and I’m sold. Whether we’re talking about the Belgian roots at Ommegang or the good old American farm at Red Shed and Copper City is no exception. Sometimes it can be really simple and Copper City Brewing Co. has really committed to the “copper” in their name. Everything in this place has a dark brown industrial feel to it. There are old copper pipes on their flight paddles, beer taps and you can rest your feet on them at the bar. If you walked into this brewery and were told you were in the basement of an old 1920’s industrial factory it wouldn’t be hard to believe. Overall just a really nice looking place to hang out.
Todays flight with Woods Valley Witte, Bloody Good Porter, Belgian Redhead, and Delta Double IPA.
Woods Valley Witte, todays winner.
We’re on to the beer and it is GOOD at Copper City; I’m talking really good, and we’re going to start with my favorite which was the Woods Valley Witte. Copper City’s version of the witte has an ABV of 4.5% and is brewed with orange peel and coriander. I’ll just go ahead and say it, the Woods Valley Witte is my favorite witte I’ve had so far and its no wonder that it is the most popular beer at Copper City. It’s similar to the witte at Brewery Ommegang except it’s missing the sort of abrasive bite that Ommegang’s has which I think is a huge plus. You can really taste the orange peel and the spice from the coriander in the Woods Valley Witte and it goes down easy while being super refreshing.
Bloody Good Porter as advertised is bloody good.
Next up is the Bloody Good Porter which has an ABV of 5.1% and is your pretty standard english porter. Its creamy, not too bitter and you can definitely taste the chocolate flavors that make porters enjoyable in my opinion. If you’re a dark beer lover this one is for you, its a simple porter done right.
Belgian Redhead!
We’re back into the world of belgian beers with Copper City’s Belgian Redhead which packs the expected licorice and spice punch from a standard belgian red. Belgian Redhead manages to incorporate those powerful flavors without overwhelming you and I would totally recommend trying this one during your next stop at Copper City Brewing Co.
Delta Double IPA (Double the delta double the fun!)
We’re going to end it on another great one from Copper City. The Delta Double IPA has a high alcohol percentage of 8.5% with a very hoppy start and a melon finish. This one is strong and really bitter when you first take a sip but that is immediately replaced by a powerful floral and melon taste which is something you don’t get often in an IPA. It is strong but if you’re somebody who normally likes IPA’s this is one you need to try. I loved it and if the Woods Valley Witte wasn’t SO GOOD then the Delta Double would have been my favorite beer at Copper City Brewing Co.
Todays “view from your beer,” the micro brewery magic.
This week’s “View from your Beer” is a simple one but I can’t emphasize enough how much I enjoy this aspect of microbreweries. That is my glass at the bar and its just a few feet away from where the beer was made in the first place. Theres just something really unique and interesting about the whole brewing process to me so naturally I love seeing it in action. Woodland Farm had a very similar setup to this as well and I know that when I walk into a view like this its going to be a good day.
If beer isn’t your thing Copper City also has some local ciders and wines available. Some of the cider is from Critz Farm Brewing & Cider Co. in Cazenovia. Critza Farm is a great place if you’re visiting the beautiful Cazenovia area. I spent New York Maple Syrup day there last year and I will be making another stop in the future for sure so stay tuned for that one.
“Never startle a brewer in their natural habitat it could be dangerous.”- probably not Steve Irwin
I did visit Copper City Brewing Co. on a Wednesday afternoon so it was a little dead other than myself and a few families headed to and from the Adirondacks but I can imagine once work gets out this is quite the place to be. The bar is huge (I’m guessing close to 50ft), the beer is some of the best I’ve had so far, and the staff is incredible. My bartender was super friendly, asking everyone where they were from, what they were doing and she even explained the brewing process to one curious guest. Copper City Brewing Co. is a wonderful place to visit, the people are friendly and the beer is really really good. I mean it, its all good, and the creativity and skill of the brewers is clear.
If you find yourself in the Utica/Rome area you can catch Copper City Brewing Co. at 1111 Oneida Street in Rome, NY or visit them online at http://www.coppercitybrewing.com!
That is it for todays visit! As always thank you for reading and feel free to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to make sure you never miss a post. See you at brewery #5!
