[have you tried?] butcher & the boar
[have you tried?] features a small glimpse at the underappreciated brew, a neighborhood gem, an oldie but a goodie, a new classic, or an often overlooked.
The list is compiled by taste and includes price, specific style, ABV, and brewery location. Although it sways slightly toward the hoppy and bitter, so does the American palate these days, so while I am not a hop-head, I get it.
The list is constantly changing (as it should be) but below is what is listed on their website today.
DRAFT HOPPED & BITTER: Odell Saint Lupulin / Bell’s 2 Hearted / Founders All Day IPA / Founders Reds Rye P.A. / Lagunitas Maximus / Summit EPA / Summit Saga / Cisco Island Reserve Double India Pale Ale / Clown Shoes Galactica / Surly Furious / Fulton Sweet Child of Vine
MALT & ROAST: Surly Coffee Bender / North Coast Old Rasputin / Left Hand Milk Stout / Two Brothers Domaine DuPage / Founders Dirty Bastard / Southern Tier Crème Brûlée
LIGHT & CRISP: Indeed Shenanigans / Summit Meridian / Odell Double Pilsner / Surly Hell / Fulton Lonely Blonde / Lagunitas Czech Pils / Bad Weather Migration
FRUIT & FUNK: Boulevard Tank 7 / Goose Island Matilda / Ommegang Hennepin / Founders Rübaeus / Tallgrass Wild Plum Farmhouse Ale / Ommegang Abbey
BOTTLE
FROM THE UNITED STATES: Liftbridge Farm Girl / Pabst Blue Ribbon [can] / Grain Belt Premium [can] / Widmer O’Mission Pale Ale [gf] / Crispin Original / Crispin Browns Lane [can]
FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Duvel / Chimay Rouge / Lindemans Cuvee Rene / Tripel Karmeliet / Rochefort 10 / Saison Dupont / Hitachino Nest White Ale / Estrella Damm Daura [GF] / Molson Canadian / Beck’s
What are the critical components of this beer list?
First: Balance and variety are the keys to this list; it offers a multitude of diverse choices. The selection of local beers is excellent, too, underscored by many international choices. The offerings make sense according to (and very well may be dictated by) the food selection. Many of you have heard the story of my destination dessert restaurant that had no stouts or porters.
A few throwbacks mix up the specialty and limited choices – i.e. PRB tallboys + Founders Rubaeus. Similarly, many high-quality beer standards appear on this list such as Domaine DuPage, Duvel, and Old Rasputin. Gluten-free and Cider offerings are available.
Finally, what sets this list apart are the fun and unusual aspects: organization by flavor, an asian beer, a true Geuze, a nitro offering, and an authentic Farmhouse.
If, like me, you tried Butcher & the Boar during its opening months and haven’t made it back, go this Sunday! They are hosting an event to benefit dog adoptions, which brings me to my final point.
James Beard Award finalist and Executive Chef Jack Riebel uses his skills and his restaurant to benefit others. This year at Winefest, a benefit to raise money for my hospital, University of Amplatz Children’s Hospital, I witnessed as he auctioned off not one but TWO private dinner parties with multi-course meals and drink pairings, all to benefit the children! There was a true bidding war, with two tables going back and forth while we all watched. In the end, Jack took the podium and said he would host them both, raising twice the money.
So there are about seventeen reasons to try Butcher & the Boar. I live dangerously close to their beer garden, which is open daily at 3pm. See you soon.