Tonight marked Brewery 85‘s retail launch, the first time their beers were available for purchase. I popped into Community Tap just after the 5:30 p.m. start time and found an enthusiastic crowd already imbibing!
The chalkboard above the taps announced pour #1: Brewery 85’s Southern Style Pale Ale and pour #2: Brewery 85’s Quittin’ Time Bock.  I squeezed my way to the counter and asked for a sample of the pale ale.

This first brew poured a darker, amber color. The flavor was bitter, though on the milder side, and I almost asked for a whole glass before trying the next one. In the end, though, the honey-colored, wheaty bock won out as my glass of the night—and at 8.5% ABV, it made for a good single drink.

I also got a chance to catch up with Will McCameron, who I haven’t seen since I won the Brewery 85 Scavenger Hunt last fall. Naturally, I can think of a lot of smart questions now rather than when I’m standing by him, but c’est la vie. He told me to expect these two beers plus a brown on opening date. I was intrigued to hear him say he’s not completely satisfied with these first beers, but it’s the kind of dissatisfaction you welcome from a perfectionist and beer nerd who is always hunting for something to improve his beer.

One drink down, I headed to Roost for DJ Trivia night. My first visit to Roost was a success: the trivia was fun, the food was good and the beer list had a lot of great craft brews to offer. I tried the Chocolate Rye Porter, from River Dog Brewing Company in Ridgeland, SC, but ended up ordering Lazy Magnolia’s Jefferson Stout after “sweet potato” caught my eye. This sweet potato flavor was mild, with coffee and chocolate flavors taking the lead.

Although my team’s score plummeted by the game’s end, the drinks made up for some of the upset. I wrapped up the night with the rich, dark Milk Stout from Left Hand Brewing Company.

All in all, this night was a rousing success for beer. I’m eager to try more Brewery 85 offerings and peruse Roost’s menu again.