One of my favorite pastimes is traveling and visiting new breweries, but with a pandemic going on, it’s a little more difficult to do that these days. So I decided to take a trip down memory lane, all the way to last July when the world was a much different place.
It was a beautiful summer day, and my new wife and I decided to take a short road trip from Cincinnati to Louisville to visit her cousin and to finally take in some of the breweries. We had a great day and were blown away by some of the offerings in Louisville, which isn’t a place where a lot of people think of when it comes to great beer.
But my philosophy is that there’s great beer everywhere, and Louisville proved just that. Here’s our trip down memory lane:
The state of Kentucky is probably most famous for its bourbon, but breweries have been popping up in the Bluegrass State over the past few years as well.
Louisville may have the biggest concentration of craft breweries in the state, which makes sense as it is continuing to become a great city to live in with a rejuvenated downtown and low cost of living.
On a recent trip to Derby City to visit my wife’s cousin and fiancé, we were able to take in some of the best brewery offerings the city has to offer.
Against the Grain
First up was Against the Grain, a brewery I was already pretty familiar with as they distribute regularly to the Cincinnati area.
Located in the same complex as Louisville Slugger Field, ATG has a large open brewpub with a large bar, a long high-top community table, and lots of low-top tables. The brewery is loud and animated, reminding me of a festive German beer hall.
The owners of Against the Grain tell a story of being tired of the “gray” beer scene in Louisville in the 90s, so they decided to add some color and innovation to the landscape. They also opened an amazing smokehouse with meats for days to top it all off. The ATG guys don’t take themselves too seriously, but they definitely take making good beer seriously.
The beer at Against the Grain is all fantastic. They specialize in double IPAs, with their Citra Ass Down being a fan-favorite and their flagship coming in at 8.2% ABV. They’ve also got some killer stouts, with the 35K (7%) and 70K (13.1%). But what stood out to me was Blood Eagle, a sour oak-aged Belgian Blond brewed in collaboration with Cincinnati’s Taft’s Brewing Co.
Taft’s and Against the Grain turned out to be a powerful combination, as their beer Are You Pricklish? won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival last fall. ATG is a fantastic brewery and will probably be the first one that I hit up on my next trip to Louisville.
Goodwood
On the other end of the spectrum from Against the Grain, Goodwood sits just a few blocks down the road. Their taproom is smaller and inviting, and just about everything offered is aged in some sort of wooden vessel.
Goodwood also distributes to the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area, focusing on a portfolio of drinkable, reliable beers.
This brewery clearly ties the bourbon heritage of Kentucky to their brewing process, even incorporating the same limestone water used to brew bourbon in their beers. Their Bourbon-Barrel Stout and Walnut Brown Ale are their most popular, but they had some fun offerings available in the taproom, including El Gozador, a gose aged in tequila barrels.
There was a bluegrass band jamming on a Saturday afternoon when we visited, and I’m not sure if you can get any more Kentucky than that.
Thinking back, Goodwood is probably the most “Kentucky” brewery that there could be. Great beer, good people, and simple yet delicious styles are what continue to stand out here.
Mile Wide
Our next stop was a short Uber ride to Mile Wide, located in a large warehouse behind a set of silos. The brewery is open and industrial, and they also have a small outdoor patio.
Their beer list is IPA and stout-heavy, including their most popular Idlewild session IPA that we tried. I also enjoyed Moxie, a double New England IPA, and DJ Roomba, a single hope New England pale ale with Amarillo hops and Lululin Powder.
Mile Wide was honestly one of the letdowns of the trip, but they were newer at the time. They seem to continue to expand and grow, which means they must be doing something right. It might be time to give Mile Wide another chance.
Gravely
Just a few steps from Mile Wide, Gravely is one of the more unique settings in Louisville. With a great view of the skyline on their patio that sits atop a hill on their property, they also have a large indoor space, including a stage for bands.
In fact, they’ve built their business around the three pillars of beer, music, and food. Their Mayan Street Food is also top-notch, including an “American” burrito I had that featured fried chicken and mac and cheese.
Gravely also has some splendid beer, including Channel Orange, their blood orange IPA, and La Bamba, a Mexican lager.
Where Mile Wide may have been a little disappointing, Gravely was a true gem and one of the highlights of the trip. They’re also continuing to grow and expand, as some of their beers are available in cans now.
3rd Turn
After Gravely we closed out the night in the suburb of Jeffersontown at 3rd Turn, a brewery located in an old church. Their dog-friendly space allows you to bring your own food while you enjoy beer from their 20 taps of both in-house and guest offerings.
They offer the regular gamut of styles, including a Baltic porter, wheat beers, kolsch, and more. I tried their Tuxedo T-shirt session IPA and Salty Vibes, a gose with pink Himalayan sea salt and coriander. Both were good and showcased their wide brewing range.
3rd Turn was a great place to end the night. It’s a relaxing yet festive atmosphere with a few different distinct places to enjoy a beer on their grounds. They also offer some guest taps that may be a bit harder to get out in the suburbs.