Wisconsin BBQ, who knew?

How can they possibly have good 'que here? Its no where nears hot enough. They have no concept of iced tea. The Wisconsin idea of spicy involves ketchup.

I ate these words two nights ago. Smoky Jon's is a much lauded institution here in Madison and apparently award-winning even in the South. So we wanted our fix. Holy crap, vinegar-based ribs that literally were cooked so long that the bones became soft. Sauce that was tangy and only a tiny bit sweet. Almost spicy, but really astringent. The ribs made me want to gnaw on bone like a dog. I don't even really like ribs, I like pulled pork or chicken bbq. Or mutton.

Crinkle fries, baked beans with the vinegar based sauce, and lame bread rolls rounded out the meal. Next time we'll try other sides.

Beer pairing: for unknown bbq, I decided that maybe an opposite flavor would work well. I was thinking spicy, smoky, or tart- so I chose a Belgian Dark Strong Ale with its high alcohol, dark fruits, yeasty malty goodness to balance the flavors. It did work well, we drank the Trois Pistoles by Unibroue and the large goblets of liquid goodness fit the bill.

Cowboys need beer too

Arizona is not exactly a beer paradise. We love the state; the ecological diversity, the adventure activities, the margaritas, and some tasty cuisine. Beer? Eh.

We begin our tour in Tucson, a perennial favorite of ours for the city vibe, the trails, and the best museum/zoo we have ever seen. And they have these freakin huge cacti.

Thunder canyon Brewery- Well reviewed regardless of the strip mall setting. Sadly, I don't agree. "Orange u Glad" it sucked, so someone poured orange juice concentrate into a hefe? Really? This is what I call a chick beer. Smell the disdain.

The ESB and the Amber were decent examples of style but not particularly stellar. The amber was definetely drinkable with some piney/citrus hops. The food was so unremarkable, not only did I not take notes, but I also have no idea what we ate.

1702 beer bar- In a near-campus strip mall, we found the beer snob bar. And it was good. We sat at the bar facing the wall of taps the likes of which are not often seen in the South or Midwest (Green Flash, AZ breweries like Barrio, Papago, Four Peaks). I drank an Eel River Old Ale; not the best for the warm weather with its full body and slick finish. Too vanilla and honey for my taste, it had a bit too much hop aroma for style but other than that it would have been a deent Old Ale for winter drinking- what the hell was I thinking in Tucson? Drew allowed me to sample his New Belgium Fleur Missere- a perfect warm weather drink: carbonated, citrusy hops, herbal, grassy, barnyard, even some grapefruit. I really thought it was a cross between a saison and a blond with the yeasty aromas and brett flavors but its a Belgian Pale. So I need to study more...

Overall 1702 was a great place for a beer, very local and the bartenders knew their beers. We didn't get a chance to try the food but we were impressed overall by the place.

Local Tuscon brewery Nimbus was one we'd hit in the past. Lacking time on this trip, we skipped the industrial-location of the brewpub but did pick up some Old Monkeyshine for camping. Its a lighter Old ale style, or a heavier/maltier cask ale. Its higher ABV probably prevented its dark fruits, nutty and biscuity malts from being too sweet. Well carbonated, with only a hint of earthy/floral hops in the aroma and taste. Maybe a high ABV, sweeter mild? Nice full body, and smooth. It was great for a windy desert camping nightcap, and a private train room.

Having never been in North Arizona, we planned a drive through Flagstaff and the Painted Desert all the way to New Mexico. Stopping through historic-cool downtown Flagstaff, we hit the Beaver Street brewpub. Typical beers: a stout, IPA, amber, etc. The stout was a thick chewy oatmeal, chocolate, toasty malts. The amber, 'red' ale, was a balanced easy-drinking beer. We reccomend the interesting meatloaf sandwich, tasty but very filling. We also munched on the Green Goddess grilled salmon salad- just for a bit of green in a vast pub-food sea. The food and the beers fit the bill after a day of driving.