For Father's Day, Lee Ann nudged me to enjoy the day by checking out a craft brewery I've been wanting to drop in on in the Raleigh metropolitan area. Well, I became curious about it a little over a week ago or so when I sampled one of the Mason Jar Lager Company's beers while stopping in at Elevated Grain at Ten-Ten Road and U.S. 401.
So on Sunday afternoon, we drove to Fuquay-Varina to check it out. On the drive, we debated whether to go to Mason Jar's brewery or to its tavern. They are in different places in the southern Wake County community. Lee Ann was hungry, and we knew I'd be able to try the brews at either place, so ... we elected to go to the tavern.
Imagine my surprise when parking the car after arriving that I noticed a separate craft brewery -- The Fainting Goat Brewing Co. -- right across the street from the Mason Jar Tavern. We stopped first at our original destination then checked out the Fainting Goat afterward.
I bought a flight of four different brews at each place, and here are my findings. I'll go backwards, starting with the Fainting Goat, because I liked the brews I tried there significantly more than those at the Mason Jar. On this day, Fainting Goat knocked the ball out of the park; Mason Jar did not.
Two little items before launching into the photos. For those of you who aren't familiar with Fuquay-Varina and might wonder how the town name is pronounced, it's FOO-kway vah-REE-nah. And for the benefit of the photo geeks among you, all of the photos in this post were taken with the camera on my iPhone X.
Fainting Goat Brewing Co.
At the Fainting Goat, I tried the What the Buck Pale Ale, Rusted Red Ale, Horny Honey Wildflower Witbier (year-round offerings) and the seasonal Stiff Leg Belgium Tripel. That's my flight in the photo leading off the post; I'd already downed the pale ale (second from right). The horny honey is on the far left, then the Rusted Red and, on the far right, the Stiff Leg.
I give the three staples very high marks, and I was tempted to grab a growler of the pale ale -- my favorite of the trio -- to take home. But ... I inexplicably decided against it at the last minute.The What the Buck Pale Ale was refreshing -- a recipe that reflected -- for my taste, anyway -- a perfect blend of malt (medium) and hops (low), which is how I like my pale ales. When you get that combination, it does not force me to question whether I'm going to enjoy the rest of the drink. In those cases when brewers boost the hop content in some pale ales ... I often question whether the beer should have been marketed as an IPA. Indeed, with Fainting Goat's Pale Ale, my palate was in brew heaven.
To me, the Horny Honey wibier tasted like Fainting Goat's pale ale with a hint of sweetness -- something that I did not mind at all. I also found it refreshing and enjoyable. Also enjoyable was the Rusted Red, which also had a fine balance of malt and hops ... and a slightly earthy undertone I wasn't expecting.
The Swift Leg Belgian Tripel was fresh, but its citrus (especially the grapefruit I sensed) did not sit well with me. That doesn't mean this is knock on the beer, because people who enjoy that kind of thing I'm sure will rave about it. But I don't usually enjoy brews with citrus emphasis. (For example, I'm not a huge fan of Blue Moon).
Another factor that made me happy with my visit to Fainting Goat was the eclectic decor and array of clothing merchandise on display -- evidence by a handful of the pictures you'll find below. The upside down goat logo is one of those "different" things. When I turned to a display of T-shirts and smiled at one emblazoned with "Brew - Quay," the woman working the taps explained that it's a play on the town's name ... and a nod to the town's growing reputation for having several craft breweries within its small confines.
One sign hanging in the seating area advised visitors of the following: "We have no WiFi. Talk to each other. Pretend it's 1995."
Mason Jar Brewery and Tavern
The Mason Jar Tavern was busy on Father's Day. Our server said the kitchen was backlogged as much as 45 minutes, so we decided to munch on an appetizer while I sipped my flight (first picture below).
My flight consisted of the Pull Tab Pilsner (far left, which I had already finished), the House Lager, the new Hype-Hop Ottamus and the Luchador Mexican Lager.
Mason Jar is a lager-focused brewery, which makes it stand out. I usually like lagers, so I thought this would be a slam dunk enjoyment. I tried the pilsner first, and it was my favorite of the batch. The House Lager was not crisp or refreshing, the Hype-Hop was what you'd expect -- on the hoppy side. I went a year or so when I really enjoyed IPAs, but in the past four months or so, I've eschewed hoppy brews. And the Hype-Hop reminded me why.
The Mexican Lager was my second "favorite," but I think I'm using the word "favorite" too loosely. I'm not sure I'd return to it.
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