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What’s on Draft
It’s hard to believe so many combinations can come from just four simple ingredients: water, yeast, malt and hops. Below are descriptions of some popular styles.
India Pale Ale
Known for its high hop rate, India Pale Ale (IPA) was originally developed in the early 1700s as a way for Britain to ship beer to troops and citizens in India without spoilage. IPA is characterized as copper colored with a full flavor and plenty of hop bitterness.
Dry Irish Stout
Despite its jet black hue, a dry Irish stout is generally a medium-bodied beer with a creamy character, boasting a roasted flavor with a dry, coffee-like finish. The most famous example is Guinness, revered in many circles as one of the best beers in the world, according to Tremont owner, Dustin Choate. Considered healthful during the 1920s, numerous recipes calling for the beverage were spawned and contributed to the slogan “Guinness is good for you.”
Belgian White
The “white” beers of Belgium are distinguished by their orange taste and sweet to dry spiciness, according to famed beer writer, Michael Jackson. They typically have a full yellow-white color with a pale, dense head.
Porter
Originating in England in the 1700s, the porter style was a working class beer popular with, of course,porters. A classic brown porter will exhibitmalt flavors and mild roastiness with possible caramel, nutty or toffee undertones.
Irish Red Ale
Known for its characteristic hue, Irish Red boasts a moderate caramel malt flavor and sweetness thanks to its low hop content. The brew tends to be low in alcohol, also known as a session beer since drinkers can imbibe for longer periods of time.
Dustin Choate of Tremont Tavern
Tremont Tavern's Coltrane
Big River's Irish Red Lager
Writer: Merrell McGinness
Bagpipe-led parades and green-tinted beer are iconic images of St. Patrick’s Day. But a more authentic way to toast Ireland’s patron saint would be with a few pints at your neighborhood pub. After all, there wasn’t a celebratory parade on the Emerald Isle until the mid-1990s, when the potential for tourist dollars was recognized. And while there aren’t any watering holes in Chattanooga that claim Irish lineage, there are several off ering the same kind of craft beer, delicious food and warm atmosphere enjoyed across the Atlantic. If you plan to sample the suds mid-month, here is a quick guide to finding the Scenic City’s perfect pint.
TASTING TREMONT
Although Tremont Tavern only seats about 30, it stocks more than 130 beers. Established brands such as Sierra and Harp are squeezed in next to start-up labels such as McNeills Brewery, founded by a former McCallie graduate living in Vermont. But the beer isn’t the only thing packed into this matchbox-sized pub. Locals flock to the beer-only bar because of its Cheers-like quality. After a few visits, you’re likely to be greeted, by name, at the door by owners Dustin Choate, Aaron Long and Miller Hedges. This explains why the clientele reaches far beyond Tremont’s North Chattanooga location, with several regulars traveling from Soddy Daisy and North Georgia.
Tremont offers many ways for beer enthusiasts to expand their palate, such as free brewery tastings every Wednesday night. Patrons can also become “World Travelers” by systematically drinking their way through 200 cold ones, earning a personalized glass mug and plaque on the wall of fame. But beer isn’t the only attraction at this four-year-old pub. Hungry tavern goers can enjoy specialty burgers such as the Coltrane, topped with cheddar cheese and a fried egg for a mere $8.50. For the more health-conscious, Tremont offers fresh garden salads with home made dressings. Live, local music is also a mainstay. On St. Patrick’s Day, patrons can cozy up with a pint of Guinness, on draft, and enjoy live music from a local Irish band, Pay the Reckoning.
A DECORATED BEER LIST
Since opening more than 15 years ago, locally-owned Big River has expanded to 30 locations across the country, featuring the most decorated beer list in town and winning a combined 23 medals from the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. With roughly 25 brewers in the company, a lot of expertise and collaboration goes into each pint, and onsite breweries ensure ultimate freshness. These high quality drafts draw plenty of foot traffic. At Chattanooga’s downtown location, regional brewer David Sharpe goes through about 36,000 pounds of pale malt every three or four months. In addition to Big River’s seven flagship beers, one or two seasonal selections are ushered in every few months with tapping parties. For St. Patrick’s Day, look for the Irish Red lager.
Located steps away from the Tennessee River in a historic trolley barn, Big River compliments its fresh brews with an extensive lunch and dinner menu. Traditional pub food like burgers and pizza coexist with more upscale offerings such as the blue crab-stuffed chicken, which is lightly breaded, stuffed with artichokes and crab, then served with spinach, smoked Roma tomatoes and rice pilaf.
IT’S NOT A PUB, BUT A ‘FEELING’
When friends Matt Lewis, Geoff Tarr and Bert Ingram opened Hair of the Dog Pub in 2005, they wanted a place that was comfortable and welcoming, much like the traditional neighborhood pubs of England. “There’s not a certain kind of décor or food that makes you a pub,” says Lewis. “It’s a feeling.” Today, Hair of the Dog opens its heavy wooden door to all —or at least all over 21. Its dark wooden interior and gritty tavern floors, worn thin from late night reveling, lend an Old World charm to the two-story brick building, situated on the corner of Market and 4th streets.
The pub offers a wide selection of English brews like Monty Python’s Holy Grail Ale, Old Speckled Hen, Hobgoblin and St. Peter’s Organic English Ale. But it also supports local microbreweries such as Terrapin of Athens, Georgia, and Highland out of Asheville, North Carolina. Of course, the famed Irish stout, Guinness, is on draft. But don’t confuse the pub as just another watering hole. Its menu is equally satisfying, featuring an amalgamation of traditional pub fare from both sides of the Atlantic. The classic Bangers n’ Mash—grilled sausages with mashed potatoes— is a filling meal, and the hand-battered jalepeno corn dog platter is an ever-popular choice that arrives on a bed of hand-cut French fries.
HOUSE BEER MADE WEEKLY
Only open a year, the triangularly-shaped Terminal BrewHouse is already a mainstay in its Southside neighborhood. The warm wooden booths hugging the exposed brick walls were made by local craftsmen, and the menu is chock full of items from local vendors including Niedlov’s Bakery, which is responsible for the “outstanding pizza pies.” The relationshipsare reciprocal. The spent grain from The Terminal’s brewing process is sent back to a North Georgia farm as feed. “We really wanted to be part of the community,” says Steve Purdy, brewmaster.
This attention to detail and quality carries over into the young firm’s house beer, made fresh each week in basement-level steel tanks. Styles like IPA, American pale ale, maibock and stout are regular off erings, as well as rotating seasonal beers like their Scottish ale. For St. Patrick’s Day, the brewpub plans to host a cask tapping of their Scottish ale, a traditional method of brewing and serving beer dating back to perhaps the origins of beer itself.
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