Searching for the line between "hobby" and "obsession"

Buster's on 28th

God damn, I love this place.

I don’t know if there is a better bar in Minnesota for craft beer lovers than Buster’s on 28th. My wife suggested we go here after a long brew day this past Saturday and it was a good reminder of her awesomeness. As their website attests, they have so many great tap and bottle options it’s completely overwhelming to order anything, which effectively makes me giddy. On top of that, their food is all top-notch, especially considering the size of their tiny kitchen.

The wife and I ordered a few rounds between the two of us. Here’s what we tried:

  • Flying Dog Pale Ale (Firkin): This was only the second cask-conditioned beer I’d ever had (the other was Odell’s Best Brown). Conditioning and serving beer in this manner really does allow you to taste all the flavors more than if the beer was colder and force-carbonated. Though I think this method of serving works better for malty beers (unlike this somewhat hoppy pale ale), it was still interesting to really taste all the nuances of the hops.

    Flying Dog Pale Ale - cask conditioned

  • Odell’s Mountain Standard – Double Black IPA: This was probably one of the best beers I’ve ever had, like a hoppier, cleaner-drinking version of Surly’s Darkness (which is a Russian Imperial Stout). I would definitely order this beer again and would nab a few bottles in the liquor store for aging if I have the opportunity.
  • Odell’s Red Ale: This one was ok, but I had it after dinner and right after my favorite beer of the night, so I was naturally underwhelmed.
  • Omegang Hennepin: In trying to get my wife to expand her beer palate beyond Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss and Paulaner, Since I had just finished brewing a saison earlier that day, and since it’s a bit of a fruity effervescent beer, I suggested she try the only saison Buster’s had on tap. I think she liked it. I tried a bit of it and thought it was a little over-carbonated for my taste but had good flavor that reminded me of what I had been dropping in the boil kettle earlier that day.
  • Bell’s Double Cream Stout: We shared this beer. I think I must just be a fan of stouts, porters and other malty beers this time of year (the high in Minneapolis this past Tuesday was zero, yep, zero) because I really dug this one as well. I’m currently thinking about doing an imperial cherry stout as my holiday beer next winter.

I’ve probably been to Buster’s about 10 times since we moved to the neighborhood in 2008. Great place. I highly recommend.

Ommegang Hennepin

One Response

  1. Pingback: 4th of July Weekend in Chicago – Part 1: The Hopleaf Bar « Barking Dog Beer