Happy Belated New Year!

I really wanted to post on New Years but didn't have it in me as our flight back from the STL was delayed a day and got in early the evening on the 31st. Yep, I went home to the STL during a historic cold snap. I forgot after 12 1/2 years in CA what bitter cold feels like.

Alas, I will have this post and another detailing the trip, well the beery and Cardinals highlights.

Last time we were in the STL two years ago we got there and two days later we were flooded in the suburban town I am from for the remainder of the vacay. So, I was unable to hit some breweries or the Cardinal's Hall of Fame (to be blogged next). After watching Real Madrid fall to Barca in the El Classico on the 23rd we visited two breweries and grabbed some Bosnian food to take home. St. Louis has the largest population of Bosnians outside of Bosnia and the STL is better for it. First brewery, and one I really wanted to visit last time-Side Project-named because the owner is also the brewer at Urban Chestnut. Great sour beers, actually some of the best I have had which is saying something.

Then on to 2nd Shift Brewing not too far from Side Project.

Picked up some Bosnian goodness from Berix 

A couple of days later was time for mom's pasta and sauce with a "few" salciccias.

The day after Christmas we-my wife and mom visited the STL Art Museum then hit an unusual brewery-Urban (Chestnut) Research Brewery-this is across the street from the newer Urban Chestnut Brewery in The Grove area-I can't say I was impressed but it was an unique concept. Here you can buy samples of their experimental beers for $1-a nice 4 oz sample but if you do you agree to complete an online survey regarding the beers you tasted. I tried to do it but couldn't figure it out-so alas no survey from us. Next time I will visit the one across the street. I actually forgot to take a picture.

We met two close friends the following day in the nice quaint town of Waterloo, IL.

Two local breweries were visited-Hopskeller and Stubborn German Brewery. Both decent enough-different vibes, of course I have some fondness for the name Stubborn German since I have German ancestry.

The following day after a visit to the Cardinals' Hall of Fame we hit an old favorite-The St.Louis Brewery and Taproom. Unfortunately we were under whelmed by the selection in spite of the lengthy list-I would say they had some width, but no depth. 

I thought this would be the last brewery visited during our trip but nope it wasn't. It was so bloody cold the airline couldn't get an operating plane to the STL on time that was to take us up to MN. So we were delayed till the following day-when we had to go from the STL to ATL to San Jose. Parents came back to pick us up and we took them out to another brewery for supper. O' Fallon Brewing was underwhelming-the beers we sampled were thin in body and there was little distinction between the styles. However, the burgers we had were fantastic. 

Of course we had few at my parents including a fantastic Yeti Oatmeal Imperial Stout-and some local gooey butter cake (google it).

Times have changed, my home town has a killer booze store called Friar Tucks where we picked up the above and the below to bring home.

Yep mucho cerveza-in all, 2 16 ounce 4 pack cans, 3 12 ounce 4 packs, 3 6 packs, minus the bomber and 750Ml, and local whiskey, we brought home an equivalent of 28.66 12 oz cans, or 344 ounces of local and regional beer. We lost only one can to a leak. Salud!