Skull Coast Gallows Point at The CBG

I had the opportunity to attend the release of Gallows Point at the fairly new Cherry Bomb Grill in Raleigh. At the former site of a Raleigh establishment, I thought it would be a good chance to check out the new place as well as try a new brew. Pleasantly, both were a success. First, the CBG has retained a lot of the old feel of the restaurant before (down to the landmark, neon "Restaurant" sign outside), with some noticeable updates, including a new bar and flat screen TV's. The service was attentive, and the menu was a step up from your normal "pub grub". The craft beer selection was impressive as well, and will likely become a regular stop when downtown, up there with the Raleigh Times and Busy Bee Cafe.

As for the beer, it was a solid offering from the folks at Skull Coast. I had never had the opportunity to try one of their beers before, but if this is any indication, then it certainly will not be the last. Gallows Point is an imperial stout that smells of cocoa and malt. You can really taste the macadamia nuts used in the brewing process, and is also fairly malty. Even for an imperial porter, it was very drinkable, as me and my drinking buddy were not able to stop at one, and had to go for one more. This gave us the opportunity to try CBG's Hawaiian Tuna Wraps, which were tuna salad with toppings inside a lettuce wrap. Very tasty and light, and the spice held up well with the beer.

Cheers to the CBG and to Skull Point for a job well done, and here's to many more craft beer events in the future!

Porters City Tavern going all "NC Brews"

In another example of the craft beer scene taking off in Raleigh, Porters on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh will be changing all of their taps over to NC draft beers. Already an outstanding place to eat, and boasting an above average beer list, this will push Porters over into the "must go" category. Beers that should be available as of the end of this weekend are (courtesy of the New Raleigh blog):

Mother Earth ‘Endless River’ - Kinston
Triangle ‘XPA’- Durham
Lone Rider ‘Peacemaker Pale Ale’ - Raleigh
Foothills ‘Hoppyum IPA’ -Winston Salem
Red Oak ‘Amber Lager’- Whitsett
Aviator ‘Hot Rod Red’-Fuquay Varina
Big Boss ‘Hell’s Belle’- Raleigh
Carolina ‘Nut Brown Ale’- Holly Springs
Highland ‘Oatmeal Porter’- Asheville
Huske Hardware ‘Sledgehammer Stout’- Fayetteville

Events coming up this week at Big Boss

--THURSDAY--*BIG OPERATOR CASK @ REVOLUTION PIZZA-Charlotte* When- Thursday @ 7pm Where- Revolution Pizza / 3228 North Davidson St/ Charlotte / 704-333-4440 More - http://www.revolutionpizza.com/JJ is headed down to Revolution Pizza in Charlotte for a Big Operator Cask. He’ll tap that thing at 7pm. Don’t be late!

--SATURDAY--*SLACKERS & DOCO @ TPHMH - Raleigh* When- Saturday @ 10 pm Where- Pour House Music Hall - Raleigh More- http://www.the-pour-house.com/ Music- http://www.theslackers.com/The Slackers bring their “Jamaican rock n roll” sound to Raleighwood with local support from DOCO. The Slackers are the real authentic deal and have shared the stage with Rancid, Joe Strummer, Floggin Molly, Jimmy Cliff, Pennywise, Toots & the Maytals and The Pogues Show support for the Rude boys!--

FEBRUARY @ Tolliver’s Crossing – Asheville--At Tolliver's, Big Boss is the brewery of the month for February!! Celebrate Groundhogs Day, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day and all days in between with Bad Penny/ Hell's Belle Draft specials- $3.25 plus Angry Angel Bottles- $3.00 all month long.http://www.tolliversirishpub.com/

Advance notice:February: Broadstreet Beer Dinner/ Bark and WineMarch: St Patricks DayApril: Cuegrass Festival / Hickory Hops / World Beer Festival

http://www.bigbossbrewing.com/event.php

On draft in the Big Boss taproom: -ANGRY ANGEL Kolsch Style Ale -BAD PENNY Brown Ale -HELL'S BELLE Belgian Blond Ale -HARVEST TIME Pumpkin Ale -BIG OPERATOR Belgian Black Raspberry -SACK TIME Amber Rye- LTTLE LARRY Belgian Pale ale

Lexington Avenue Brewery opens in Asheville

I was in Asheville over New Years, and heard a lot of buzz about the new brewery about to open, Lexington Ave. According to ncbeer.org, it appears they opened on Jan. 7. Looks like they are going with the "gastropub" concept and are going to be brewing naturally carbonated brews. This just adds to the already robust craft brew scene in Asheville. They are located at 39 N Lesington Ave., and should be added to the list when visiting western NC in search of good beer.