Haymarket Pub & Brewery

Apparently someone was so upset from not reading any new wonderful posts from me that he had to complain about it.  Unfortunately, being a real person is quite the drag and other priorities needed to be taken care of first.  That being said, I'm back after the short break so everyone can stop worrying.  I know my time away was detrimental to your well being.

Last weeks adventures brought me to Haymarket Pub & Brewery.  I had passed it multiple times and now I wish I would have ducked in much sooner.  The inside is pretty similar to any restaurant, but with the exception of their brewing system being quite visible behind glass and with doors open.  This does let some of the brewing smell out, but really not that much.  More importantly, it tempted me to sneak in.  My curiosity fortunately did not trump my not wanting to get thrown out.

Haymarket seems to have a focus on Belgian beers, and they do them quite well to say the least.  All of the beers (except for the barrel aged) are available in multiple sizes: 12 oz., 16 oz., 20 oz., and I believe a smaller sample but I can't remember at the moment.  I started with the ill-named Angry Bird Belgian Rye I.P.A. and needless to say I was blown away.  After tasting it, I wasn't surprised to look up and see the giant banner telling me it won the gold medal at the  2011 Great American Beer Festival for the American-Belgo -Style Ale.  I have yet to taste an example with better yeast flavor development and just enough hop balance without either being overbearing.  Fairly soon I looked down to find I drank mine at an alarming rate and needed another beer.  Opps...

The food menu was mostly burgers and sandwiches, once again keeping with the theme I have apparently picked up with the places I visit.  Unfortunately, their sandwiches don't come with any sides (fries, chips, vegetables, etc.) yet keep the same price you would expect them to have if they did.  I also think it was around $4 to add a side of fries.  Settle down, Haymarket.  Is there a potato shortage or something?  Adding on to that, a growler fill is around $40?  I want nothing more than to fill your sweet growlers with Belgian I.P.A. but you are making it quite difficult.  Don't you know I have no money?  More people should tailor to my demands.

I plan to make it back to Haymarket in the future and hopefully they will let me to lay directly beneath their Belgian I.P.A. tap.  Please?  Also, their website apparently voices their support for Drinking & Writing.  Fans of Fitzgerald and Hemmingway, Haymarket?  I have a great idea, you support my writing by giving me growlers of your delicious beer!  That way I'll seem more like a tortured soul when I attempt (poorly) to write things down.

Also, a couple days following this I was able to see Paul Simon in concert because of the generosity of a friend.  Although it was missing a certain Garfunkel factor, it rounded out the weekend quite nicely.