(Photo via http://www.cornercafeandbrewery.com)

It was hot yesterday. Goddamnit hot. Well, it is July in SoFL and what else should I expect? Nothing, that’s what. But, you know what I can do about it? I can drink beer; it makes it hurt less. As you can see in this picture, I’m less than impressed by the heat, and am soooooo ready to tuck into the Corner Cafe & Brewery’s beer sampler in front of me!

I’ve been planning and planning to come up here for so long; but mind was made up by two things: 1) the fact that Pooch did Matt’s recent ink (just missed him getting his done the day I went in for my most recent) – he must be a good guy! and 2) Brent came here twice without me and wont shutup about it!!

The Corner Cafe & Brewery is the brainchild of Jim & Lisa Hill, and the brewery portion is in the hands of the very talented Matt Webster. They serve Breakfast and Lunch 7 days a week, and Dinner Tuesday thru Sunday; and what a menu! It is really extensive and everything sounds so good it took me forever to make up my mind what to order.

Macaroni + Cheese + Crab + Essence of Truffle, Kaiser Dip with Pretzel Bites,  Fried Ravioli & Lobster Cigars all caught my eye as appetizers; but with our recent health kick in full swing, I knew I’d never finish my main if I ordered appetizers…so onto the big stuff! If it wasn’t so hot, I probably would have gone immediately with the Gnarly Beer Cheese Soup, couldn’t do it though – next time for sure!

There was serious inner turmoil over the Entrée menu choices; Jaeger Schnitzel, Bavarian Lamb Shank, Terminally Ale Platter (incl. Smoked sausage, Andouille sausage & bratwurst) & the Lobster Thermidor Burger were all serious contenders,, but the winning choices were:

Brent: Low Country Platter – Clams, shrimp & sausages in a Cajun cream sauce, with cheese grits and collard greens

V: 14oz Rib Eye steak – grilled medium rare (my choice) and garnished with fresh onion straws.

Both dishes were fantastic; my steak was tender and perfectly seasoned (no salt necessary? Amazing!!) and the mashed potatoes and beans cooked perfectly. Brent’s was especially good – I don’t know if they make the Andouille on site [if they don’t, I NEED to know where they get it!] but it was soft and delicious, and the cheesy grits were absolutely magnificent.

Okay, onto the really important stuff; THE BEER!

As I mentioned, I started out with a sampler (it was my first visit) which included [in order L to R] The Kaiser – Kolsch; Julio’s ‘Jefé’ Weizen – Hefeweizen; The Latest Idea! [rotating] – English Bitter; Gnarly Barley – Pale Ale & Terminally Ale – Dark Ale.

I wrote up some brief notes in my 33 Beers notebook – which caught the eyes of the guys sitting next to us, and instigated quite the conversation; it’s cool to see more and more regular people (read: not beer nerds like us) getting into better beers, and really talking about and enjoying the experience.

The Kaiser – Very pale lemony-yellow in the glass, nice and clear. Nose is lightly malty,  a little hops and a touch minerally – kind of like a german riesling smells minerally/earthy. Taste is light and refreshing, with a really fabulous balance of honey-like malt and some light citrus hops; very smooth! What I loved about this beer (besides the fact it was a perfect summer in SoFL beer) is that when I went back to the beginning of the flight, it had warmed up slightly, and I could then make out the yummy tropical fruits on the nose; mangoes and pineapples! Wonderful!

Julio’s ‘Jefé’ Weizen – Very clear for a Hefe, definitely not hazy! I could see through it A light goldeny-orange in colour. Definitely clove and banana on the nose, which made me think this would be an awesome match for some middle eastern food (sorry – sidetracked by edibles!). Has a solid caramel malt backbone, with a slight citrus twang as well – although I suspect some of this was from the floated orange, I thought I caught some grapefruit too. This was probably my least favourite; not that it was bad (far from it), just that hefes with the standard ester profiles aren’t my thing.

The Latest Idea! –English Bitter – Amber/Copper in colour, slightly cloudy. The nose is slightly soapy and a little on the smoky side, with some earthy english-style hops. Taste has a substantial malt backbone, followed up with some earthy and slightly citrusy hops. Mouthfeel is great! Being of the British Empire, I love a good bitter, and this certainly fits the bill – pair it with with some fish & chips and you’d be golden.

Gnarly Barley – Clear, coppery hued ale. Floral and citrus on the nose, plus some granny smith apple peel (and Brent’s 2 cents – rhubarb). Matt informed us the hop profile was Magnum, Centennial & Cascade; there was definitely the grapefruit and the floral from the Centennial and Cascade on the nose. The magnum started to shine its noble self through in the taste; what a great balance! Great maltiness, that bordered on the salted caramel (YUM), and then when I came back after the first round thru the flight I was pleasantly surprised by a gingerbread aroma. Marvelous! For the Aussies out there; it smelled just like the Pizza Hut Pete!! Mmmm….childhood food flashbacks

Terminally Ale -  Dark, coppery brown in colour and nice and clear. Smells of strong, cuban coffee, clean soil, dark chocolate & lychee fruit. Tastes strongly of the coffee, which plays nicely off what I am guessing is a chocolate malt; gorgeous! I’m also getting some grapefruity hops on the back, and it’s reminiscent of Gubna’s hop profile (although ever-so-slightly less pungent!) –makes me wonder if it’s summit hops. Matt was running all night so I didn’t get a chance to ask. Next time. Really good stuff.

All in all, this place knocks it out of the park; I can’t believe I waited over a year to get my arse up there. Idiot! Breakfast next Sunday anyone????

Go. Now!