John Migliore

Review of CB Craft Brewers

For months I had been kicking around the idea of v...

For months I had been kicking around the idea of visiting CB Craft Brewers. Making the journey would be a 70 mile round trip on a Saturday to sample IPA's and lunch at this renowned regional microbrewery. It fit the agenda on my birthday.

The dining area is very limited and obviously not the focus of their effort for public sales. The main focus seems to be the large bar used for tastings. An adjacent retail area was small and limited in it's offerings While the Food and Wait service was above average, I expected more of an experience with regard to brewery touring and for beer purchases for later consumption. The retail aspects of the experience leave a little to be desired.

With my Wife volunteering as the designated driver for the ride home, I decided on six brews to sample with a "Monkey Burger". The CB Caged Alpha Monkey and Three Heads "The Kind" were topnotch standouts. The CB Funky Monkey -a special edition IPA was good too. Most of the brews at "CB"can be purchased locally at grocery outlets that feature craft beer. The Monkey burger was messy and delicious, with sliced pickled Jalapenos and a very tasty garlic-horseradish-cheese sauce. The spicy Mac N' Cheese was cheesy and good.

Although I enjoyed the meal and beverage, I was disappointed to discover that the "Discover" credit card was not welcome for payment. This limitation was not advertised and I feel it to be a limiting factor for future visits. No Discover cost them any return visit business from me.

The retail store side was severely limited. I hoped to see a variety of beers for sale. To my great disappointment there was little retail available. There was a refrigerated case with sauces and some Caged Alpha Monkey 12 packs, some clothing stacked on some sparse shelves, and a rack with a few 22 oz. "Three Heads" varieties. I am guessing the tasting bar (which seems to be the main attraction) sells growlers, but there was little point of promotion.