Setting certainly matters.
I have 2 breweries that are super local. 1 has decidedly better beer. The other it a very offbeat place with regular events…murder bingo, etc.
Actually both are great. The one with the better beer is more family friendly, closer, and throws regular blockparties with facepainting, bands, etc. probably why I go there more these days…
I was at one of their locations last weekend when I was in SD for business….I would agree with your assessment. Good beers but nothing that struck me as extraordinary….the setting however, was excellent.
lol, yeah, I hear you. Party on Wayne 
Thats my CA, can’t wait for a trip to the central coast in a few weeks for some gravel and great food and seeing daughter #1.
Were you in town for the “big storm” aka Hilary? Did you do any riding while you were in SD?
No, the weekend before….did manage a couple of rides, one of which went up around Lake Murray. Dunno if they were the greatest routes in the world, but they worked.
Yeah, there’s some great riding in SD but I wouldn’t include the Lake Murray area on the list of places to go… unless you’re an MTB’r and you’re riding Mission Trails, but even then, it’s not the greatest. Feel free to reach out if you’re ever back in town and I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction or invite you to join one of our rides.
I forgot to take a picture yesterday but we popped into the Tap & Kitchen on our ride. The pub is associated with the next door micro brewery, the Nene Valley Brewery and I had a pint of this :
I went to their taproom in north park several months back and couldn’t agree more. Good beer but nothing to write home about.
Great Adirondack Brewing Company Heavenly Hefe. Labeled as a German Hefeweizen, but it actually tastes more similar to a Hoegaarden. Regardless, very easy to drink
You’ve obviously earned your pint with a bike ride so enjoy.
But I think Madri is one of those marketing campaign beers. Nothing to do with Spain. Just marketing because that’s what they think appeals.
11 of them according to Strava sauce
Front Yard Party DIPA from Hop Butcher in Chicago…my favorite brewery continues to deliver regular excellence.
Mmm, that looks like a front yard party!
The Front Yard Party was last night’s bevy……I just cracked this one.
Tuna Pale Ale from Half Acre….a bit of a Chicago area staple. Always consistently good.
Guinness 0!
How does that taste? I do a fair amount of alcohol free, but haven’t had that one
It’s not as ‘hearty’ as regular Guinness, but It’s close. The nitro charge put a thin head on it. It’s not at all bad. I’ve got a couple cans left. I’d get it again for sure. (Sometimes regular Guinness is a little too ‘thick’ 
)
And this was disturbing, and I swear I did not mix up the cans.
A very murky ‘light copper’ cerveza.
And a really anemic looking Oktoberfest.
And the former has a very powerful taste and the later is very weak. Makes me wonder if the canner swapped the cans, or didn’t…
(This happened over several days, not the same day)
