…And This Is Why We Drink™

After lunch at Todd English P.U.B., Winewench and I decided to stop by The Pinball Hall of Fame and Museum. They have over 150 games and pinball machine including some very early Bally, Williams, and others. Most of the machine play for a quarter, and bring back lots of memories (like I really suck at centipede). We quickly dumped five buck worth of quarters, and Winewench won most of the time.

Then it was off to Aces & Ales to try out Rogue Nation.

They had ten Rogue beers, many of which have never been outside of the state of Oregon. Now Rouge is into hops, so if you’re not into hoppy, and I mean HOPPY, beers, this may not be for you. I started off with the Double Mocha Porter, and it had a very distinctive coffee and chocolate note, with a big hoppy finish. Did I mention that these beers were HOPPY??? Winewench took the plunge and tried the Glen Ale Chatoe Single Malt Pale Ale. It took a big plate of Pepper Bombs to subdue the hops in her beer, but she carried on.

My second brew, drunk during several rounds of pool, was a Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout, while Winewench decided to try a Stone Old Guardian Barleywine. I was umimpressed with the Oatmeal Stout, and Winewench also didn’t realize that Stone Brewery also has some hop-monsters, so instead of a sweeter, more malty drink, she was once again engulfed in hops.

Cutting short our visit, we headed home, and opened on of our Trader Joe’s Vintage Ales for a nightcap.

It’s our anniversary and Winewench’s birthday this weekend, so we decided to forego our regular happy hour at Yardhouse and instead give Todd English P.U.B. a try.

Todd English P.U.B. is located in the Crystals Casino in MGM City Center. After driving around for a while trying to find our way in, we finally managed to get to the valet parking area and secured our vehicle. A short walk finally got us to the P.U.B. and we headed to the bar.

It was packed. This was on a Friday afternoon at about 1:30. After walking the bar twice looking for two open seats, we finally strolled over to an open area at one end of the bar where we could stand together and have a beer. We weren’t there two minutes before one of the many assistant managers and a waiter produced a couple of bar chairs for us. While they call it a P.U.B. and try to give the impression that they are styled after a pub you might find in Great Britain, in reality it’s got more of a feel of a sports bar, all live surfaces, big-screen tvs and very noisy.

Desiree and Michelle were the two bartenders working our area and were quick to produce a beer and food menu. They have 30-40 beers on tap with a decent selection of styles. My first draw was a Fullers ESB, the first time I’ve had it on tap. Winewench tends toward the stronger Belgian Ales, and there the offerings were a little more deficient, as they had nothing she really cared for, so she finally settled for an old fallback, Killian’s Irish Red. One thing to note: the beers are all available as pint servings, even the higher ABV ales that are normally served in 8 ounce goblets, and are priced accordingly.

Perusing the menu, Winewench opted for a set of sausage and pepper sliders, while I succumbed to the draw of 8 ounces of lamb from the carvery. The items arrived promptly, and the lamb was delicious, nice and rare, with a scourge-your-sinuses horseradish sauce, and a fabulous black truffle mayo. The sides were cabbage, beets and asparagus, all pickled. I savored the cabbage and asparagus, while Winewench devoured the highly spiced beets. The sliders were ok, but nothing special. We then decided to try the fish and chips, and they were a BIG disappointment, more batter than fish.

All told, our four beers and three platters ran about $90 with tip, which is not bad for a restaurant located in a casino on the strip. I want to go back to try the carvery duck, and sample the cask beers that are going to be set up in the near future. We’ll keep you informed.

Winewench and I are all about happy hours.

So we had been talking to some of our favorite bartenders at Yardhouse, we were told over and over again to try Aces and Ales, so we figured we’d give it a go.

Checking out their website, we were horrified to discover that the only thing approximating a happy hour was their Graveyard Special. I’ve never been a wee-hours-of-the-morning person, so we decided to give them a try, even if we had to pay full boat.

We arrived at about 3pm on a Saturday, and the place was deserted. This gave us an opportunity to chat with Lindsay, the bartender about the beers available on tap. First thing: Do NOT rely on the draught list on their website. They have 14 taps, and change the list frequently, so if you want to know the latest, sign up for their email list. Dogfish Head was taking up three taps, with Burton Baton, Black and Blue, and Red and White. The 90 Minute IPA, one of Winewench’s favorites, is normally a regular selection, but the new keg had not yet arrived. Lindsay gave us a taste of each, and I opted for the Burton Baton, while Winewench went for the Red and White. We also ordered a side of their Pepper Bombs, fresh jalapenoes, hollowed out, stuffed with cheeses, breaded and deep-fried until perfect. The fresh spicy peppers and melted cheese went great with the hoppy ales. Next was a Joseph James Brewing CompanyHop Box Imperial IPA. Joseph James Brewing Company is located in Henderson Nevada, and does not sell to the public, so the only way to try their brew is to find it at a pub. According to my You Rate It iPhone App, I gave it a 7, hoppy but not excessively so, with a smooth finish. Winewench tried a Goose Island Matilda a Belgian Pale Ale. She gave it a 6, a good first beer, but not great. Talking to Lindsay about some of the beers we like, I mentioned that I’ve been trying to get a bottle or two of Pliny the Elder with no success. She reaches into the cooler, and produces a bottle, opens it and pours it into a goblet. It’s everything I expected: hoppy, citrusy, with a long, clean finish, just a great beer. But at $12 a bottle, one I’ll enjoy sparingly until I can get my own stash.

Aces & Ales Pepper Bombs Aces & Ales Pliny the Elder

Overall a very enjoyable, experience. I might even stay up late enought to try the happy hour!!