I went to my first brewery--ten months after turning 21--and let me just say that it was a fantastic first-time brewery experience. I went on a Friday night with a few friends: Preston, Andy, Sean, and Alison, and the first thing we saw looking in the windows from the outside were the huge beer silos hidden in a separate back section of the restaurant. Upon walking into the place, I immediately fell in love with the stunning, laid-back atmosphere and also found myself wanting to know more about why the place is called "Big Ditch." After doing a little bit of research on www.bigditchbrewing.com/about-our-brewery/#about, I found that "Big Ditch" was actually just a joking name for the Erie Canal back in 1825, which is when the canal was first beginning to be constructed. The canal ended up giving the city of Buffalo over 100 years of prosperity in trade and commerce. If you don't believe me, just go to the place for yourself! They have the history of the Erie Canal all over the walls right when you walk inside. As shown, Big Ditch is fully equipped two floors of seating for your brew-tasting, grub-eating selves. While three of the friends I was was with ate some food there, I didn't because I ate before going there, but it did look mighty tasty, and those couple french fries I tried definitely were A+ material. For beers, two of my friends got flights (consisting of 5 small IPAs), and three of us got regular IPA beers. As for me, I chose three beers (clearly I was getting real crazy that night), and they were called the "Cinnamon Apple", the "Golden Shovel," and the "Hayburner." FYI, these are all IPAs, because that's what this brewery is known for serving.
For the first one, the "Cinnamon Apple," let me just start by saying that this is the typical "Katie" beer to choose. With a name like that, no one was surprised that I picked it. As a 6.8% ABV amber ale, this beer has a really nice aroma and aftertaste. It is made with local apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, and even oatmeal! It's the perfect fall brew, and 10/10 would recommend. The second beer I sampled was called the "Golden Shovel," and with a name like that, you know it has to be a good one. This beer is a Belgian-style strong ale with 7.2% ABV and a bit of a tangy, sweet finish. The unique taste of this beer is most likely due to its unique ingredients: white grapes, tangerines, cloves, and freshly-cracked peppercorns. Finally, was the "Hayburner," which I admit, is one that I didn't really want to try due to its harshly strong smell, but my friend eventually persuaded me. This beer is a classic American IPA with 7.0% ABV, and made with orange, melon, and grapefruit! Despite its fruity components, this beer has a bit of a earthy aftertaste and totally lives up to its rebellious-sounding name.
2 Comments
Arabella Lyon
12/6/2016 10:04:53 am
This sounds like a great place.I keep thinking I should do some brewery visits. Buffalo-Erie has opened half a dozen in the last few years. I hesitate, however, because the alcohol content in the beer is so high, that I would have to be the designated driver.
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Kai Wong
12/8/2016 10:44:34 am
I love trying new types of alcohols and since I'm more of a beer person, all the beers you described seem quite interesting. The only thing about those three beers is they all seem a bit too fruity for me, which I'm not a huge fan of. But after reading this post, I really want to go check out a brewery.
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