I posted on Facebook last week that I’d thought up a surprise outing for me and J. I’d planned it for later in April but decided to go ahead and do it sooner, as our original plans fell through due to places we wanted to see having closed.
The surprise outing was a trip to Tallgrass Brewery in Manhattan. J likes beer, and though he doesn’t drink it a lot, he has a deep appreciation for the taste and the process. I, on the other hand, have turned into a wine drinker. But I remember the days when beer was my thing, and I figured going to an old fashioned beer tasting and tour would be fun.
Let me say first that we didn’t actually get around to the tour part. We’d wanted to, but at that point, my foot had already started to hurt, and I didn’t think I was up for the walk. Instead, we sat down at one of the tables and started with the tasting.
Tallgrass tours are free, but for tasting, you pay five dollars and get a sampler glass and six tickets for samples. Tours start at 2, 3, and 4 on Saturdays and go for about a half hour. The rest of the time, you can sit in the sampling room or stand at the bar and taste away.
The atmosphere was good and the staff was friendly. The stool type chairs were a little uncomfortable for my big butt, but they weren’t horrible. Sitting on the outside edge was better, especially when people started coming in. Because when they did, it got crowded in there really fast.
I’ll be honest…I don’t even remember what I sampled. Not because I got drunk (I was driving, after all), but because I really have lost my taste for beer. I know there was a grapefruit beer that I didn’t like at all. The last one I tried was actually really good and suited my taste buds. Tallgrass makes a brew called Buffalo Sweat, and the sample was a Vanilla Bean version of that stout. I really liked it. J said that even if I’m not a beer drinker in general, I may have an affinity for stouts.
J had a great time and really enjoyed most of the beers he tried, which was what I was aiming for. We had fun sitting and chatting and people-watching. Before we left, we met another couple who were out for the day. We visited for awhile, then decided to take off to hang with some friends for the rest of the evening.
We’re definitely planning on going again, though I’ll likely curb my drinking to a stout or two and then volunteer as designated driver. Next time, we’ll also take the actual tour. If any Manhattan friends want to join us, it’s definitely the kind of place to have a good friendly gathering.
The Romance Factor 