Friday 6th of September 2013 06:57:33 PM

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Mother Road -- otherwise known as Route 66. At one time, the ONLY "highway" that brought Mid-Westerners in Chicago out west to Arizona and California.

There are some who still insist on traveling mother road and for go reason. History abounds there. I screams and beckons the driver to stop, stare, stay awhile but do not just pass through on the all-too-familiar Inter-State.

No.

Mother Road Brewery in Flagstaff requests the same thing of its passers-by. Don't just stay on the main road through the historic downtown -- be adventerous and venture off on to a side street. You just might find a perfect place to meet new friends, drink good beer and re-new your humanity along with a coupla dozen of your new closest compadres.

Mother Road is actually right behind the train station in downtown but it takes a bit of navigating thanks to the one-way streets...but it's worth the time and trouble. Very friendly bartenders, more than ready to talk beer...and if you're very lucky, you can talk to Michael the owner who just might give you a taste of some back closet, hold-it-in-the-cooler-for-another-year beer.

I was lucky. Of course, I also practiced my "get never exceeds the ask" mantra as well, something wife Persimmon tells me I invented but such a practice seems way beyond my wisdom. Still, seeing a bottle of porter sitting on the bar with a gold medal from GABF AND another from the recent San Diego Beer Festival, I asked why it wasn't on tap. "A special anniversary brew," Michael replied, "never to be brewed again." "And how many bottles do you have left?" I asked. "10," he answered. A dialogue then ensued about why, if it was that popular, it wasn't at least an annual - a seasonal. Like most brewers, their independence wins out and they want to try something completely different for their next upcoming anniversary in November. Fine. But with only 10 bottles remaining....well, I just had to have a taste....and Michael answered, "see what we can do." 10 minutes later, he popped the cap and poured several 2 ounce tasters for all who were "in house." And, oh my!! The subtle fruit taste comes through immediately and does not go away. The rich, full malt feel in the mouth lingers. This was truly a unique, one-of-a-kind brew and I had to -- HAD TO -- re-start my conversation about why it should be a yearly beer.

Don't know but I do know it was one of those special brews a beer geek can proudly claim to have sampled and will, often to the point of being shot, brag about.

Pretzels for partakers in a bowl along with a nice selection of brews ranging from a Kolsch with Pink Peppercorns (which I didn't taste and wanted to....but still a nice example of this style & easy going down) to Twin Arrows Brown, a perfectly perfect beer that could give Moose Drool a run for its money. In between there is Roadside American Ale (Bud) and a Black Imperial IPA that 100 IBU's one would expect an ass-puckerer but no! Quite the contrary, this is more an English IPA rather than an overly hopped and un-drinkable American style IPA...and awful good.

I didn't know about this place until the folks at Flagstaff Brewery told me to "be sure and drop by." Very glad I did.

It was one of those entirely un-expected surprises one can find on Mother Road....like Angel Delgatillo's Barber Shop, the Cadillac Ranch or that magical corner in Winslow the Eagles sang about.

An old 1960's TV show told us to "get your kicks on Route 66."

Boy howdy....did I ever.

Saturday 8th of December 2012 09:42:23 PM

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This is purely a tap room, so be sure to check the hours since I don't believe they are open for lunch. Located only a few streets from Lumberyard and Beaver Street, you could probably park near Beaver Street Brewing and walk to all 3. There luckily are a number of walkable hotels in the area too.

I tried the brown ale, it was decent, but not particularly memorable. The Black IPA however was excellent. Highly recommended.

There was a small area on the outside for a patio. Inside was mainly industrial with a smaller U shaped bar. On the street parking.