In San Juan Again

I had to go back to San Juan...not in the sense that, "gee I had such a great time I need to go back" but in the, "There I was sitting on a beach drinking a fruity rum drink and I got a call telling me to get back to San Juan pronto." No I'm not kidding and it was just like that when I found myself back in San Juan unexpectedly. Even better, I couldn't get a hotel room for the first night so I had to sleep at the Coast Guard Base...at least it was a clean bed...I think.

Coming back to San Juan allowed me to check out some other great beer places. I was back at the Caribe Hilton enjoying ocean views and great views of people playing in the pools and ocean. While this time I had a lot of work to do, with long hours I still managed to find a couple of good places and revisit some old favorites from two days before.

I'm just going to cover some of the new places on this trip.

The Pina Colada Club is located in the Caribe Hilton. Though it's a little pricey, it is reasonable for a hotel restaurant. They have good ceviche, massive hot dogs and Brooklyn Brewery and Magic Hat beers. This ended up as my go to place when I was tired and didn't want to go out. The bartender called me a beer snob after I turned down a Magic Hat Number 9 because I wanted to try something new...she also couldn't pronounce Leinenkugels.

Buns is a good burger and beer joint in Condado across from the Marriott. They have good food, good fries and a good beer selection ranging from Belgians to local brews and a few things in between.

I was here for ten days but with the long hours I just didn't get to explore like I usually do. Anyway, safe travels and keep reading there's always more to come.

Opening the third beer

So how did it turn out?

First of all it is a lively beer and by lively I mean explosive. No, none of my bottles have blown but the beer is definitely carbonated. It pours a robust, lingering head. The beer itself is actually light and refreshing with a small hint of honey. This is the first brew I’ve done that had sediment in the bottle. It didn’t detract from the flavor, it was just interesting. 

One friend who tasted it said, “it’s like summer.” 

Another review:

“Drank your brew last night under a Carolina Moon. The taste was smooth and clean. I poured the beer and a nice 2-inch head of frothy foam materialized but soon it settled down into a innocent-looking, reddish-brown brew. Your brew matched its rich color with a heavy mouthfeel. I wouldn’t call this a “session” beer, to be downed in multiples but one to be savored. A little stout for my taste but pretty darn good for a yankee-beer. ”

If you’ve had it, leave a comment and let me know what you thought.

What’s next?

It will be a take on Brooklyn Brew Shop’s Coffee and Doughnut Stout.

The Island Life

I had to go to San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands in June to give training for work. I had a chance to explore both places briefly and found a couple of good beer spots.

SAN JUAN

If you've ever ridden the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disney you have seen something similar to Old San Juan. Surrounded by forts and city walls this citadel of old is a great place to wander. While you're wandering head into El Jibarito for some local food and a Medalla Light or a Magna.

If you want to spend some money and are looking for local craft brews you can check out the Old Harbor Brewery. This is the only microbrewery on the island. They have a small selection of ok beers and a pricey food menu. Oh, and sitting at the bar, the lighting keeps changing color which ended up being really annoying.

I stayed at the Caribe Hilton, a great hotel and resort. While staying here check out the Oasis Bar happy hour for $5 Medalla Light or Don Q rum drinks.

ST. THOMAS

They drive on the wrong side of the street! I don't mean like in England, I mean they use American style cars and drive on the England side of the street. Put's a whole new meaning on look BOTH ways before crossing. 

St. Thomas is a paradise for many people. Myself, well it was nice but, I'm not much of a hot, sunny beach type person and I really am not into shopping till I drop for jewelry, booze or clothes...so, yeah not so much.

One part of paradise I did like was The Pie Whole...only I could find a Belgian beer bar and pizza place. With an excellent selection of brews on tap and in bottles this is a must stop on anyone's list. The food was amazing. I had sausage stuffed mushroom caps and a pizza. The brick oven pizza was done perfectly. The place is small and I had to move around so the could accommodate people into the restaurant but the serving staff and bar tender were really nice about it and very apologetic. 

This is a great local hangout. I had a few other places to check out on my list but I got the call to deploy for an emergency while I was sitting on the beach with a fruity rum drink.

update

I know it's been a long while since I posted but I've been very busy with work. Sorry about that. More updates are coming so stay tuned. until then check out:

White House Beer: A brewer weighs in