By Timothy Long

Getting an Old Towner to leave Old Town can be challenging. Just mention DC or Tysons Corner, and you’ll get a look of derision. It’s as though we live in the old Soviet Union, and that we need papers to travel.  I’m an Old Towner, and I admit that I could be better about it. I mean, I get it. We live in a beautiful part of Alexandria. People come here to visit. So why go elsewhere? What could other places possibly offer that we don’t?

This being the case, I don’t often travel to places like Vienna, VA.  But then I was told about Caboose Brewing Company. And after tasting a couple of their beers, I wanted to go check them out. Writing about destinations is my favorite part of this gig. And nothing is more fun than visiting a brewery.

Caboose has two locations, Vienna and Fairfax Commons. I visited their Vienna location. The brewery is in an old railroad area. There is a red caboose right down the road, hence the name. As you enter, the first thing that grabs you are the two giant chalkboards over the bar with the various beers listed on them. The employees do a great job of keeping the chalk board colorful and fun. They told me that they will fight to see who gets to update it next.

My initial contact was with one of the owners, Jennifer McLaughlin. Their head brewer is Matt Smith. I got to meet with David Traille, the Head of Brewing Operations. Dave’s story is fun. He learned brewing the old-fashioned way, through apprenticeship. He started at Oak Creek Brewing Company in Sedona, Arizona. When the head brewer fell and broke his arm, Dave had to step in and take over. Dave’s wife is in the military, so he would travel with her as she was stationed in different parts of the country. He found brewing jobs everywhere that they went, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nebraska, and now Virginia. His story reflects just how big the craft beer industry has become. Unlike wine, you can make beer anywhere. So almost every city and town in the U.S. has a craft brewery, or several craft breweries.

Dave gave me a tour of the brewery and was excitedly telling me about their process and the different yeasts, malts, and hops they use.

His favorite yeast is Augustiner. For Oktoberfest, Caboose made both a Festbier and a Marzen, which thoroughly impressed me. The brewers at Caboose also like to use Weyermann German Malt. They used it in both of their Oktoberfest beers, plus their Pilsners, Dunkel, and Maibock. I always find technical talks with the brewers to be very fun. But I know what my readers are interested in, beer.  So, we sat down and started tasting.

One of the first beers that Dave puts in front of me is their Spruce Tip Ale. This beer is not for lightweights or the amateur beer drinker. This is probably the boldest brew I’ve ever tasted. The nose up front smacks you with pine before some citrus starts to come through. When you drink it, you get a mouthful of Christmas tree. This beer blew me away. I’m not sure how much of it I could drink, but I applaud them for making it. It’s a bold, experimental, and beautiful beer. Dave then tells me that it’s featured in a beer dinner they are having the next night. I started to laugh.

“What the hell would you pair this beer with? What dish could it possibly complement?”  I ask. I didn’t say “hell.” I used a stronger expletive.

Dave then asks Tim Wilson, the company’s Director of Operations, to come over. Tim and I discuss the Spruce Tip Ale for a moment, then I pose the question to him. “Pheasant.” Tim replies. The beer was being paired with a Pheasant Duo. Herb crusted breast with roasted leg confit, Roasted Hen of the Wood Mushrooms, and hazel nuts. Wow. I can see that being a great pairing.

As we continue to taste, I am blown away by the beers. They offer a great variety. Dave then pours me their Caboose California Common Steam Beer. They were brewing a steam beer. I couldn’t believe it.

Steam beer is a Bavarian creation that is mostly associated with California. As beeradvocate.com explains it.

“The California Common, or Steam Beer, is a hybrid style unique to the US. It’s usually brewed with a special strain of lager yeast that works better at warmer (ale-like) temperatures. This method dates back to the late 1800’s in California when refrigeration was a great luxury. At the time, brewers had to improvise to cool the beer down, so shallow fermenters were used. In a way, the lager yeast was trained to ferment quicker at warmer temperatures.”

Caboose created the beer to honor Anchor Steam Brewing Company, a true American legend of a brewery that went out of business earlier this year. It’s a sad situation that I will pontificate on at another time.

Caboose nailed it with this beer. Their California Common is very smooth, as a steam beer should be. You get biscuity notes on both the nose and palate.

I had a blast tasting all their beers. Their Vas Gute German Pilsner hits every note. Their Hobo Imperial Stout with Vanilla Bean has great cocoa, vanilla, and caramel flavors. They also age it in bourbon barrels to make their Bourbon Aged Hobo Stout. The bourbon barrel aging gives the beer a delightful bitter dark chocolate aspect. They have recently released In The Rough – Wee Heavy Scotch Ale for Christmas. I didn’t get to taste this one in time for this article. But I’ll be swinging by their Fairfax Commons location soon to give it a try.

The holidays are a perfect time to visit and support your local breweries. Many of them have fun holiday beers and great events that are perfect for celebrating the season. Do yourself and favor and go to Caboose Brewing. You’ll be thoroughly pleased. Oh, and they open for breakfast and serve coffee as well. You read that right, a brewery that serves breakfast.  I’m glad that they are not in Old Town. A brewery for breakfast might just be too tempting. Happy Holidays everyone!

Tim’s Whiskey and Cigar Recommendations

Buffalo Trace Bourbon

I have gotten into the habit of peaking into liquor stores as I pass by. In Virginia, you never know when there may be a few goodies behind the counter. I got lucky the other day and spotted a box behind the counter labeled Buffalo Trace. I asked if the box contained Buffalo Trace. It did. My joy was palpable. I now have a bottle to enjoy during the holidays. Buffalo Trace is a bit of a unicorn these days, but it’s worth the search. The nose is red apple and honey up front with licorice, marshmallow, and clove that follows. You get honey on the first sip as well, with some cinnamon and oak that follows. This bourbon is smooth and delightful. It finishes as it starts, with honey and red apple. At 90 proof and $29 in Virginia, it’s a great addition to any collection. If you’re lucky enough to find it

Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu Blue No. 1

This wonderful cigar is spicey and nutty. The smoke is thin in body, but medium in flavor. You get black pepper and anise up front. It’s sweet on the palate with hints of hickory. It finishes even sweeter with a licorice flavor. I really enjoyed every puff. This is a great Christmas morning standing by the tree smoke. Just don’t stand too close.

This cigar, and many other fine cigars, are available at John Crouch Tobacconist at 215 King St. in Old Town Alexandria. Mention this article and get 10% off the purchase of this month’s recommended cigar.

About the Author: Timothy Long is an educator, writer, consultant, and experienced restaurant operator. Email: tlong@belmarinnovations.com. Instagram and Twitter: @wvutimmy. Blog: What is that fly doing in my soup? http://whatflyinmysoup.com