Downtown Alton, Illinois
Summer is in full force here in my part of Illinois. That means summer vacation time for me. I slow down my work schedule during the summer months so I can have some fun. Fun for me is getting in the water, riding my Harley-Davidson, doing a little traveling, and knocking back pints of delicious craft beer. So, now is as good a time as any to plan how I’ll be spending my summer “beercation” this year. Craft Joint friends, here we go.
My Summer of Beer is Here
I’m a firm believer in extending the experience. If I’m going to have fun, and I do like having fun, I’m going to dedicate either as much time as possible to that fun or I’ll increase the frequency of the fun. If I can do both, you know the saying, “Winner, Winner, Chicken and Beer Dinner”. Yeah, I modified it a bit for my evil beer purposes.
Hitting It Close To Home
Currently, I’m calling the Mississippi River town of Alton, IL home. There’s a really nice little downtown bar district near the river. I know some of the bar owners and they carry some real flavorful craft beers.
Bossanova is a classy, sassy bar with top-shelf creative food and a cocktail and craft beer menu to match. I’ll be sure to visit Bossanova often.
The Cat’s is Where its At!
Catdaddy’s is my hometown divey bar in the best sense of the word. I was just there the other night having some new cans of craft they stocked. Cat’s, as we call it, will be graced often with my drinking presence.
There’s a self-serve craft beer place called the Germania Brew Haus which I’ve only been to once. Okay, twice. I’ll be sure to check in there again.
Chez Marilyn’s is downtown and I was there to have a new IPA. More from them as the summer wears on.
The Old Bakery Brewing Company is a micro-brewery which I have yet to visit. Yeah, shameful. I have emptied quite a few of their canned craft brews though. I know I’ll be getting together with some of my craft blasting buds there for sure.
Across the River
St. Louis, MO is just a short drive across the river. St. Louis is a beer town. I’m not talking about big corporate beer, I’m talking craft. A whole bunch of craft beers are in and around St. Louis. I will do a little research and make a hit list. Some I’ll hit solo. Others I’ll drag someone with or meet some like-minded beer friends there.
I think I have a rough outline for my craft “beering” over the next couple months or so. As I hit these joints I’ll let you know what I’ve been drinking and my thoughts on my craft beer explorations.
More craft beer fun next week. Cheers to my summer beercation!
John Johnson
John “Big John” Johnson is a serial fun seeker, a lover of craft beer, and enjoys all things adult beverage related. A dedicated online marketer and SEO, he has been described as “Peter Pan with German Work Ethic”. John is also a sleight of hand magician with serious chops, enjoys riding Harleys, practicing martial arts and travel.
