#brewsnque in July

We are totally off track with our #brewsnque experiences.  But, the reason is one of the most precious reasons ever...welcome Tucker James...you are so very loved!

Hoping to get back on track in August!  In the meantime...here are more photos of our cute grandbabies!

 

Curtis Family

Kinney Family

Toots is a good nanny.

Sweetness!

Two Rays in a pod.

M&M's mini me!

#brewsnque in June

"Its a smile, it's a kiss, it's a sip of wine.  It's summertime!"

One place Lamar and I have wanted to visit for a while has been the Autauga Creek Craft House. The Craft House is located in charming downtown Prattville, AL.

 Just a couple of quick "Pratt Vegas" facts:

At one time, Prattville was the fastest growing city in the state of Alabama.  Keeping up with his booming growth, the downtown area has seen a resurgence in local businesses moving back in and renovating the Main Street area.

It is known for being the "birthplace of industry" in Alabama because of the paper mill located on Autauga Creek founded by Daniel Pratt.

Prattville is also known as the "fountain city" because of its numerous Artesian wells.

Prattville is the town where Lamar grew up and holds many memories for him there.

Between dinner and brews we walked down to the creek and looked around. It is the quintessential main street in a small town. Good family fun.

Dinner for our night in Prattville was at Uncle Micks Cajun Market and Cafe, just a few doors down from the Autauga Creek Craft House.  It is set up buffet style with authentic cajun cuisine.  My entree choice was the Chicken and Sausage Sauce Piquant and y'all, it was good.  And the desserts were just as good!  A definite stop if you are in Prattville!

The Autauga Creek Craft House did not disappoint.  They do not micro brew but they have great local beer on tap.  There was something for everyone and Lamar was a happy camper.  The atmosphere there is fun, it is family run and if you missed getting dinner at Uncle Mick's you can order from several downtown restaurants like Fox's Pizza and they will deliver it to the Craft House. Great idea! The Craft House is just a fun place!

We saw and visited with several people we knew and were joined by two of our favorite people and fellow craft beer lovers.  Of course, Jasmine was not participating in the brew sampling for obvious reasons.  Ha!  Looking forward to more trips back!

May 2016 Pre-Nuptial #brewsnque at Avondale Brewing and Saw's Soul Kitchen

May...wonderful May.  May gives us graduation celebrations, parties and teas, bridal showers and weddings, baby showers, birthdays and Mother's day.  May packs a punch in the event department so planning a #brewsnque date was difficult.

This weekend was the wedding weekend for our friend Ron.  Ron and Cliff were planning on tying the knot at Avondale Park...down the street from Avondale Brewing...where we've wanted to visit for quite a while now...ding, ding ding!  We have a winner!

On the day of the wedding, I wanted to swing by Cahaba Heights and have lunch at Miss Myra's BBQ and then go to Avondale Brewing for a prenuptial libation but we left Montgomery too late to squeeze in a stop at Miss Myra's.  We'll catch you another time Miss Myra! Maybe on our next trip to or through Birmingham.

Running short on #brewsnque time, we went straight to Avondale Brewing.  This brewery is a really cool place!  We ordered a couple of Miss Fancy's Tripels and wandered out back. Music was flowing, the low country boil was being served from a truck and so many hip young people with their pups were hanging out and enjoying life.  We were a little overdressed in our wedding attire, but all in all, it was good times!  We will definitely make a return trip because this one was way too short!

Being hungry and not wanting to wait for the wedding reception, Lamar and I decided to tack on another Saw's to our #brewsnque experiences!  We thought about trying the Post Office Pies but were a little short on time to eat and want to be able to sit and enjoy the pies when we finally visit.  So, Post Office Pies, we'll catch you another time too!

The pork sandwich at Saw's Soul Kitchen in Avondale was again, one of the best BBQ sandwiches I have ever tasted.  Y'all, it literally melted in my mouth!  The vinegar based coleslaw was delish and the only thing that was missing on the fries was a good brown gravy and melted cheese!  (Sidenote : must make Poutine soon.)  The hubs enjoyed his too, although we both ate way too fast.  But the clock was ticking on the two Cinderellas we were there to watch get hitched so we ate fast.

Just a few blocks down the road, and it's off to the wedding we go.  It was a beautiful night for an outdoor wedding at the Avondale Park Amphitheater.  Surprisingly cool and breezy for a Saturday late in May.  The wedding was really nice. Surrounded by family and friends, it was truly the perfect way to usher in the next chapter of their lives.  It was a fun celebration and the bonus was getting to visit with Lamar's sister, Traci.  She was the "best person" for Ron. Traci and Ron are long time friends and I thought it was sweet that she was able to "stand up" for him on an important day.

Rosie was the flower girl.  Lamar always finds the pups, wherever we go, always.

The Avondale area of Birmingham is a great neighborhood if you are young and hip or old and would like to look hip, like us!  This #brewsnque is deserving of a repeat!

April 2016 - Railyard Brewing

April was a busy month!

We welcomed a new grandbaby into the family!

He's is fearfully and wonderfully made and perfect in every way! The Ivey family is totally in love with Alexander!

Our #brewsnque weekend for April became just a #brews weekend.  We enjoyed an early evening of dinner and shared a flight at Railyard Brewing.  Railyard Brewing is one of our most favorite places in downtown Montgomery.  We love the atmosphere and the food and we are sure to run into someone we know while we are there.

The night we were there was also prom night for several young couples.  It was fun to watch them at their pre-prom dinners, hanging out, taking photos and just having a good time downtown.  

We love the area down by the river in our capital city.  When I was growing up in Montgomery, downtown was office buildings and the Civic Center.  Other than an event at the Civic center or to do business you just didn't go to downtown Montgomery...unless it was to eat at Chris' Hotdogs.  

Chris' Hotdogs, where on any given day you could be sitting in a booth with the Governor on one side and a homeless person on the other because all are welcome and all the way is the only way.  =)  

If you ever get an opportunity to visit Montgomery, be sure to visit the historical sites and stick around for the really fun spots downtown...which might be my next blogging venture in 2017...hmmmm.

March 2016 - Calhouns, Cribbs and RJ Rockers

It was time to hit the road again for a few days and this time we headed to Spartanburg, South Carolina to see our friends Ritch and Pat!

Ritch, Pat and their kids lived in Montgomery when all of our kids were young.  Pat and I worked together and for too many reasons to mention, we gravitated toward one another in friendship.  The Ivey family soon began to form a bond with the Calhoun family and even though we are now miles apart Lamar and I count our friendship with Ritch and Pat as eternal!  We.love.them.  We love their kids.  We love their grandkids and we love their pets!  RIP Maxx you were such a good pup.

So our typical #brewsnque weekend had a little twist this month. Ritch is the Executive Chef at the Piedmont Club in Spartanburg and he has a killer recipe for Boston Butt. Not only was he kind enough to share the dry rub recipe with the "Cooking Through the Calendar" Cookbook that the Dream Team at New Waters Realty gave to their clients in 2016, he went above and beyond to treat us to a BBQ for dinner the first night of our weekend!

I was, as you can see, half way into my dinner before I thought to take a photo.  Ritch and Pat have always spoiled us in the food department of our visits!  This weekend was no exception!  (ps Pat makes a clam dip that has always, always been my favorite.  She's a keeper!)

Here's the recipe for both the dry rub and the blueberry BBQ sauce. #yumformytum #myfavorite

8 pound Boston Butt

Dry Rub:
1 cup chili powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons garlic
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Trim fat to 1 inch.  Rub pork butt and set in refrigerator overnight.  Smoke at 250 degrees for approximately 8 hours or until internal temperature is 190 degrees.

Blueberry BBQ Sauce:
3 jars Stubbs BBQ sauce
2 pints blueberries (frozen is fine)

Simmer for 10 minutes.  Puree in food processor.

I need to back up just a bit and let you know that Ritch had surgery on his wrist the day before our visit, so the phrase "above and beyond" doesn't seem to quite cut it.  He's doing better now...but those first few days were rough, even with pain killers.  Ritch is the Man.

The area of South Carolina that is home to Greenville and Spartanburg is probably one of my most favorite places to be!  I've always told Lamar that if he ever had a job offer anywhere close to there we were going!  They have four, count them, four seasons!  Cultural diversity and rich in history.  During our few trips to visit the Calhoun family, they have shared some of their favorite spots and this trip did not disappoint!

Pat took us to downtown Spartanburg on Saturday.  Y'all.  I could move there tomorrow.

 

We ate lunch at Cribbs Kitchen and enjoyed the delicious Warmed Bread Plate, I'll Have the Dip assortment of chips and dips and Pimento Cheese Fritters with Tomato Jam.  Everything was so good!  We shared a flight with Pat and selected a couple of dark beers, pale ales and signature drafts from the brewery next door.  What a fun place and we will make plans to stay for dinner next time we are in town!  

You'll notice the US map made of different brewery logos.  Look who we found! One of our favorites and the first stop on our #brewsnque tour of 2016! Good People Brewing

After we enjoyed some good food and fellowship, we walked next door to RJ Rockers Brewing to sample some more home brews to make our #brewsnque weekend complete!

Great place!  Great fun!  Great friends!

Lamar, of course, made friends with a couple of rescue dogs and their owners.  Looking forward to taking Pretty Girl and Minnie to enjoy a #brewsnque weekend soon!

To walk off our #brews we headed back up the street to look at some creative street art and then visited Olive and Then Some in downtown Spartanburg.  We sampled so many delicious oils infused with wonderful ingredients.  I came away with an Olive Oil infused with Cilantro and Roasted Onion.  My spaghetti has not tasted the same since... =) Pat had some delicious finds as well!

They also have Vinaigrettes that are infused.  So many things to taste...so little time!  This is definitely a place to revisit and budget for on our next trip!

When I first started thinking about the whole #brewsnque in 2016 thing I wanted it to be a time to spend with Lamar doing something he was interested in (#brews) and something I am interested in (#que) and if it was something we could do with family and friends...all the better!  This weekend was not intended to be a "brewsnque weekend.  This was a weekend that we wanted to spend with friends and just be with them.  The surprise BBQ dinner and trip to downtown Spartanburg was just a happy bonus!  Looking forward to our next #brewsnque weekend but even more than that, I am looking forward to seeing my friends Pat and Ritch welcome a new addition to their family in July! Welcome Baby Sproul!

February 2016 Full Moon BBQ and Red Clay Brewing

Stop #2 on our #brewsnque tour of 2016 was the great city of Opelika!  It was kind of a last minute decision so the adventure became date day for these soon to be empty nesters!

I can finally say that I ate lunch at Full Moon BBQ.  More than one friend has told me that they enjoy eating there and I can see why.  Lamar and I drove the 45 minutes north east to Opelika and it was worth it.  We had bbq and it was delish.  We also had some of their Half Moon cookies...omg y'all...those alone are worth the drive!  Annnndddd...we brought home some of the Full Moon BBQ Chow Chow  as well.  Fun atmosphere, having just a few Alabama and Auburn memorabilia items and the service was great! We will definitely visit again.

After our lunch at Full Moon BBQ we decided to do a little adventure seeking in the fair city of Opelika.  We stopped in to look around at The Museum of East Alabama.  Located on 9th Street in historic downtown Opelika this place is a fun little stroll through time. Did you know that Opelika was a location for a POW camp in World War II?  I had no clue! Side note, if you are looking for a history project for your 4th grader during their Alabama History year this would be a great place to visit!

It's been a while since I've taken photos just to take photos.  This adventure presented a good opportunity so we headed to the Salem-Shotwell Covered Bridge  The bridge was moved from it's original home in Salem to Opelika where it was reconstructed after suffering some storm damage.  It was a fun way to spend a pretty day.  Covered Bridges are so rustic and Americana and you can only imagine all of the stories those places have to tell.  Just a fun detour from the norm.

On to the piece de resistance!  Yeah, I'm still hanging on to some of the French phrases I was actually able to use last summer while in Montreal.  Anyhoo... The Red Clay Brewing Company was our #brews part of the tour day.  What a fun place!  I am seeing a warehouse trend in these "college buddies" brew businesses.  At Good People Brewing we felt we were on the older end of the average as far as age.  At Red Clay Brewing we were definitely feeling our grandparenting age, ha!  We played board games, talked with the father of one of the owners and enjoyed some really cool drinks.  

I had a cute and fruity hard cider cocktail...yum!  Lamar had the Swamp Stout..he does enjoy a dark beer!  The atmosphere is relaxed.  Ping pong games were being played, music and just fun conversation. Red Clay is worth a return trip!

All in all, it was a really fun day!  Looking forward to another weekend of #brewsnque!

January 2016 Ingrams, Saw's and Good People Brewing

Lamar likes craft brews.  I like bbq.  We both like to experience new places and new flavors.  That's how the idea for a #brewsnque tour began.

The tour looks a little something like this, Lamar and I will select a city based on local breweries and bbq places to visit each month.  We'll pick a bbq restaurant to eat lunch and then a local brewery to hang out and enjoy spending time together and with friends if possible.  There are no rules about picking places, just whatever strikes our fancy or whatever opportunity presents itself.

For our first stop on the #brewsnque tour, we decided to hit the road and head north to Birmingham, AL.  Lunch at SAW's and then a taproom tour at Good People Brewing.

SAW's BBQ is a Birmingham staple known for its good bbq, great sauces and juke joint atmosphere. There are three locations and we decided to go to SAW's in Homewood.  For our first venture out, we invited our friends Richard and Laura.  Rich and Laura live in Pelham but had never been to SAW's...so it would be a first time experience for all of us!

SAW's in Homewood is a dinky, hole in the wall joint and it.was.fabulous!  The hubs and I tend to enjoy the local diner type establishments so this place is gold. The bbq sandwiches were delicious and the sauces were the cherry on top!  Not only did we enjoy the meal but the very little elbow room seating was perfect for our crew.  A cozy four topper along the wall where we could see people coming and going was the perfect setting for four friends to catch up on all kinds of family news.  Our official bbq review is that the bbq lived up to its reputation.  #yumformytum

After lunch we window shopped (literally) at the antique store at the other end of the strip of stores and restaurants in Homewood.  The community where this is located is absolutely adorable and it was fun to spend a little time wandering around and walking off our very filling lunch!

We had scheduled tap room tour to begin at 2pm at the  Good People Brewing so after eating and browsing we left Homewood and drove to downtown Birmingham, AL. I had first heard of Good People Brewing through the Two by Two Animal Rescue. Good People has charity nights and charity brews and Two by Two has been one of their charities in the past.  We love our pups so this was a no brainer to be our first stop for brews on the #brewsnque tour of 2016.

Good People did not disappoint.  A warehouse across from the Birmingham Regions field complete with corn hole boards on what used to be a loading dock, a food truck in the front parking lot and huge textile spools for tables was everything I had hoped it would be!  Dogs hanging out with their humans was an added bonus!  Of course there was more than one mom with a baby asleep in a sling.  Laura and I both found ourselves quoting Reese Witherspoon from "Sweet Home Alabama" when her character makes the observation "you've got a baby...in a bar!"  Yeah, we really cracked ourselves up with that one.  =)

The tap room tour was fun!  Laura and I both commented on how we felt like we were on a field trip learning about how beer is made!  It is quite the process.  I can only imagine how many students in college went home one weekend and declared to their parents the goal of becoming a chemist so they could determine the proper balance of ingredients in beer...as a career.  Seriously, it is a real job. If only I had been more creative in my thinking while at college.  BTW, if you do the tour you get a glass, a sticker and a free beer.  We love free stuff!

We learned also about the "free the hops" movement in Alabama and allowing higher contents of alcohol to be brewed and sold.  Lamar had an El Gordo which has the highest content of alcohol allowed in the state at 13.9%.  Needless to say...I drove home.

Lamar, Rich, Laura and I all agreed that we should meet again for another #brewsnque weekend.  It was a fun Saturday...definitely worthy of a repeat!