Category Archives: Beverages

Breaking New Grounds

I was looking through some pictures and I completely left out one of my favorite stops while I was in New Hampshire – Breaking New Grounds in Portsmouth.

One of the things that I miss most about Burlington and I guess its common throughout New England are coffee shops, especially in the winter. Walking into a small shop, fresh smell of coffee, fresh muffins and pastries just waiting to be eaten – does anything get much better. The atmosphere is warm and cozy and it’s just the place where you could find yourself sitting for hours, reading, doing homework, relaxing, playing card games or just catching up with friends.

Obviously, the sweets have got this guy intrigued. Who wouldn’t be?!

Now I will be honest and say I don’t drink coffee (but I do love the smell) and how stuffed I was from my great lunch at the River House, I settled for a hot chocolate. Let me tell you, it was probably the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had in my life. Chris said he thinks it was made from real chocolate. I don’t know, I don’t care but it was so delicious and most importantly the temperature was just right. Don’t you hate it when you go to take a sip of a hot drink and you end up burning your mouth and cursing yourself. Didn’t happen folks. It was perfection in a to-go cup! As for the coffee you ask – Chris and Cody both got one and they found them fantastic. What did they have? I have no clue but I’m pretty sure you’ll be satisfied with whatever you try – I mean, look at the line….

So if you find yourself in Portsmouth and it happens to be a cold chilly day, I’m pointing you in the direction that you need to go, or at least the place that I would go. And it’s located right in downtown, you can’t be in a better location. Try it out and as always, let me know if you liked it!

Portsmouth Brewery

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I’m a firm believer in micro-brews. If you have read some of my previous blogs, you have probably caught onto this by now. Pubs and breweries are pretty prominent in New England and it’s one of the reasons why I love the place. Each brewery and even each beer is diverse in its own right and provides a great opportunity to try something different. So, I did what I think every New Englander would want to do when heading back up to the great Northeast after being away for a bit – they’re wanting to go to a pub!

I happened to check out the Portsmouth Brewery.

Located in the heart of Portsmouth, it is surrounded by historical buildings and small shops. It’s a really interesting area to check out. Walking into the pub, your attention is grabbed and you soon find yourself pondering what to try first.

I seriously cannot remember which beer I tried so I’m going to be honest – it could be the Winter Ale. I’m 90% sure. I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t overly impressed – it was a little bitter for my taste. One thing I do wish is that I had tried the sampler so I could get a bigger variety. Mental note for future visits.

Char-grilled half pound cheese burger with a side of fries, obviously.

I opted to try the crab cake sandwich with bacon and avocado with a side of macaroni salad. The tomato didn’t last long and lets be honest here – neither did the lettuce. The sandwich (minus the tomato and lettuce) and the salad was tasty and filling!

What’s a brew pub without a window to the world of how beer is made!

If you happen to be in the area, there are many pubs to check out – this being one of them and I believe one of the only ones directly in the historical downtown. I would definitely suggest getting (or sharing) a sampler and while enjoying the pub fare. As always, if you happen to check it out – let me know what you thought!

World Of Beer, Arlington, TX

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This past Saturday we decided to finally check out World of Beer in Arlington, TX and it just so happened to be the Grand Opening. I heard that this place opened up a few weeks ago and couldn’t wait to go. Finding out that Velvet Love Box was playing was icing on the cake!

Before I say anything else, I will say that this is one of the places where you kick yourself because you didn’t come up with it first. I love microbrews. LOVE them. I’ve felt like since I’ve moved to Texas there just isn’t enough places that serves “the good stuff”. The closest I come is Blue Moon and Shiner at most places (not all of them). Don’t get me wrong, I like Blue Moon and Shiner but you need to get some variety in there!

And then there was World of Beer! (Chime in the music please!)

World of Beer is exactly that – a beer heaven. A heaven for those who appreciate the real beer in the world (sorry all of you Bud Light fans). They have over 500 different beers from around the world. There is no doubt that you will find something that tickles your fancy!

When you walk in, this is what you see. TV’s, a bar that sprawls across just about the entire width of the establishment and lots and lots of beer. Right above the TV’s (in the picture below) is a balcony area where the band was set up and getting ready to play. We asked if Velvet Love Box had a few VIP seats in their section that we could slyly take – their response – they only have three and they were taken (there are three guys in the band).

The night of the Grand Opening, of course it was packed but even more so due to the fact that Deep Ellum Brewery had bused in a ton of folks from Dallas. We found a spot upstairs where we had breathing room, found some free chairs and a good spot to sight see not only the band but the crowd.

If its too busy inside, grab a seat on the couch outside.

Not only does World of Beer pride themselves with having a great variety of beer but also having live music. I think this place was created just for me. And if that isn’t enough – there are plenty of tv’s so you can keep up with all of the sports! Now, I bet you are asking, what about some food? Well, in the Arlington, TX location, they provide numbers for nearby restaurants (there are many) where you can order and they’ll bring it right over to ya! Impressive, eh?

The menu is extensive. I mean, come on there are over 500 beers to choose from. So where does one begin? How does one keep track of which ones they’ve tried (especially if you have a memory like mine)?

Let me introduce you to “The Loyalty Card“.

For $15 you can sign up to get this Loyalty Card and a free t-shirt. (Let’s not kid ourselves, you are basically paying for the t-shirt.) This program is pretty simple. The card keeps track of every different kind of beer you try and you get a point for each one. These points add up of course and in return you earn rewards (a plaque, mug and even a $250 beer tab when you reach 500). Now, I don’t really think I’m ever going to reach 500 points but having the Loyalty Card just to keep track of the variety you’ve tried is pretty awesome.

Also keep an eye open for the Service Industry Appreciation card (for those in the industry) and the WOB University card (for students and faculty).

Per recommendations from a couple friends from home who travel around the world for their work – I remember they loved Kona. So I tried it out.

Now, I will say that even though they have over 500 beers available, they are missing a couple of the most important ones. So if anyone is reading this from World of Beer if you could PLEASE do this Vermonter a favor and look into some Longtrail Blackbeary Wheat and Switchback, I promise you that you and your customers won’t be disappointed!

There are many WOB locations within the US. If you are truly a beer lover or just looking for a new place to try out, you may want to check out a World of Beer near you.

**Note, WOB has no idea who I am. I was not paid or compensated for this post. However if WOB enjoys this post and decides to try out my suggestions – my email is in the contact section!