Feb 21, 2008
03:07 PM
The Life

Palm Springs Restaurant Pub Crawl, Restaurants for Beer Lovers near Palm Springs California

By Kip Allen

Cheers to the Best Beers!

Are you searching for a really great beer in the Palm Springs area? There are some terrific brews in Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage and Indio that are prime attractions for beer gourmets. Why not organize a pub crawl? Start by choosing one special brewpub or restaurant and sample their offerings. Then, the next time you go out, choose a different place.

Babe's Bar-B-Que Grill and Brewhouse at the River, 71800 Hwy. 111 in Rancho Mirage, is a terrific entertainment venue for a pub crawl. Babe's is a true brewpub with its beers brewed on the premises.
Managing partner Art Vasquez says he has the perfect brewmaster who knows the art inside and out. Babe's has a number of handcrafted offerings.


A great way to savor all of the offerings without fear of intoxication is to purchase a Babe's sampler of small glasses of all the beers offered. Of course, you can always opt for a full serving.

Beer connoisseurs generally start with the lighter flavored lagers and then move on to the more robust ales and Babe's is especially well-suited for such a taste adventure. It's a good idea to eat a bit of French bread and drink a sip of water between samplings to refresh the palate.

It's important to remember that the true beer experience is more than just flavor. In addition to taste, check aroma, appearance, mouthfeel and overall impression as well.

Start with Babe's Honey Blonde Ale. This is a gentle brew. The color is a trifle darker than the standard commercial beer, but has honey-gold highlights and a creamy head. Now, breathe in the aroma. It has a very delicate fragrance.

Take a sip and hold it in your mouth for a few seconds. You'll notice a variety of flavors coming through with a hint of sweetness from the honey adjunct used in brewing.

The mouthfeel is light, with the carbonation complementing the sensation.

Overall? Well, that's where the art of tasting comes in to play. That's for you to decide.

Next comes Babe's Classic Golden Ale. Vasquez says this ale is a blend of pale malts and a darker, sweeter Vienna malt. It's lightly hopped with two different varieties.

Go through the same procedure as before. Note the color, clarity, and head retention. Sample the scent; notice the hop bouquet and malt aroma? The flavor will be a bit more pronounced than the Blonde. Still, it is flavorful and the blend of malts is a delight that even the novice beer taster will appreciate.

Now, let's move into the darker brews-- Babe's Blackfin Lager. This is a fun beer. Lagers tend to be lighter in flavor than ales, but this one will fool you with its richness. The color is very dark brown, but note how this contrasts with the creamy white head. Check out the nose and notice the aroma of roast grains with a faint hit of caramel and chocolate. Sip it and notice the burst of different flavors -- malt, caramel, chocolate and coffee. Despite the robustness of the malt, it is surprisingly smooth on the palate.

Next, let's move into the big leagues. Step up to Babe's Thee Original Drunk'n Monk ale. This is what's known as an "Abby Tripel," which was originally brewed by Belgian Trappist monks. This beer is made from a variety of grains and hops with candy sugar added. A special Belgian yeast is used in the fermentation. It has a fairly dark color with a nose of alcohol and hops with fruity undertones. Despite its relatively high alcohol rate (about 7.8%), the flavor tends to be a blend of citrus and hop bitterness with some sweetness. Bitterness is especially noticed in the aftertaste.

The Coachella Valley Homebrewers club recently celebrated its first anniversary by sampling Babe's offerings, especially Thee Original Drunk'n Monk. Their Web site has some good pictures of this beer. Club president Micah Stark invites anyone interested in learning more about the art and delights of homebrewing to contact him at 760-449-0827.

Give homebrewing a try. It's a lot of fun. Everyone needs a hobby and you can't drink goldfish.


Visit Dine Out for additional restaurant reviews.

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