NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

Butch and Sundance. Yin and yang. Beer and shopping.

That last one may seem like a stretch to some of you. But after umpteen hours of window-shopping for “the perfect---”, a cold beer is often a relationship saver.

Rock Bottom brew master Chris Rafferty says they regularly offer six house beers—the full RB beer catalog includes the house standards, a dozen seasonal drafts (routinely unveiled the third Thursday of every month) and a handful of porter/stout clones—on tap, plus the seasonals and at least one cask-conditioned selection (served warm, sans carbonation; manually pumped out via a beer engine).

At full capacity, Rafferty says they could produce about 3,000 barrels per year, though he says they produced closer to 2,000 in 2006. Rafferty brews anywhere from four to six batches per week in their eight-barrel brew house (1 barrel = 31 gallons = 2 half kegs). He lists Mother Martha’s Kolsch (traditional, easy-drinking light beer) as the biggest mover, with the El Jefe Hefeweizen, Blue Line Pale Ale (bronze bomber with some spicy-fruit undertones) and Radio Towers Red (classic ale) coming in a close second.

“Folks are getting savvy to craft beers … but the majority of people’s tastes remained geared toward lighter beers,” he says of his clientele, adding, “We have a very diverse drinking crowd here.”

Solid nourishment can be had via the brawny bourbonzola burger, a deluxe patty covered with crumbled Gorgonzola (wakes your whole mouth up), batter-fried onion straws and a side of Jim Beam marinade. The brewer’s club shows the softer side of the traditional triple-decker by layering the now familiar ham-turkey-bacon creation between buttery halves of warm ciabbata bread. Or lose yourself in a sea of pasta shells mixed with melted cheddar, shredded chicken and a baked-on Parmesan crust (home-style heaven).