I've had my eye on Red's Alehouse for awhile now- there's a lot of buzz about it in the area and it's got a reputation for having really good beers and, as it's our first bar outside of Iowa City we wanted to head up there on an off night when it might be a wee bit quieter. (The few times I've driven past it, the place has been rockin' hardcore- presumably for a reason.) Although we didn't sample the food, the quality of the beer alone makes you see why the place is so popular.
Red's is serious about their beer- they proclaim it loudly and proudly for all to see: 'No Crap on Tap' and they back that up. I was immediately impressed when our waitress offered us samples of anything we'd like to try- after some deliberation, I decided to be brave and locally based and try a Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue pale ale from Decorah and was more than slightly blown away. First of all, the description promised citrus and it more than delivered. The waitress set the beer down in front of me and all I could smell was mango, distinctly and clearly- and my nose while it's decent when not stuffed with allergies is nowhere near the nose that The Quiet Man has for this stuff- though he's pushing 500 official beer samplings so that's to be expected. The pale ale aspect worried me- and there was nice bite of hoppiness in the aftertaste but the citrus fought it back nicely after awhile to the point where you could almost write it off as being just part of the grapefruit that was buried in the beer. Excellent stuff...
The atmosphere was also excellent- the color scheme, appropriately enough was various shades of red and The Quiet Man and I sat at the bar with no problems and watched the LA Clippers take on the Boston Celtics, while further down the bar two very enthusiastic Portland Timbers fans watched them take on the Philadelphia Union in one of the first (think Vancouver-Montreal was the absolute first) matches of the season. As usual, I made my yearly vow to actually get into the MLS and pay attention ('when I have a Thursday night off, I'm going to get drunk and watch the MLS game of the week') and pondered becoming a Clippers fan (I find myself becoming partial to them if nothing else for the sheer-bloody mindedness of it all. Stick your thumb in the eye of Laker fans everywhere!)
Beer number 2 was my very first Norwegian beer ever... a Nogne O Imperial Stout- a little pricier, it came in a smaller glass which The Quiet Man frowned upon but to me, it was well worth the experience. Although I was a little uncertain at first (the licorice smell was overpowering- almost to the point of Nyquil levels) the payoff, as with the Toppling Goliath was well worth it- chocolatey smoothness, a nice smooth finish and tantalizing hints of black cherries and brandy made it an excellent drink. I enjoyed it immensely.
Overall: An entirely awesome experience- these people are serious about their beer and it looks like a nice place to eat overall- informed the Missus that it's made a list of places we should go for potential 'date nights' or special occasions. The wait staff was friendly, the atmosphere was a bit quiet- but then again, it's North Liberty on a Monday night- probably not the most happening of places at the best of times and I can appreciate enthusiastic, rowdy soccer fans wherever I can find them- even if they are from Portland.
The Verdict: A
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