Hanging Out at the Old Bakery in Alton

My first brewery for the brew blog sent Jeff and I all the way to Southern Illinois – Alton to be exact. I picked The Old Bakery Beer Company since Jeff and I were going to be down south to celebrate a family member’s engagement. I mean how many opportunities to choose a brewery 5 hours away will I get? And luckily for me, my first brewery was gold!

               Old Bakery is next to the Mississippi River, right before you get into Grafton (another location you should check out). The brewery has a cute little patio outside of the entrance, but since that day was scorching hot, we chose to sit inside. Which shocker, the place is enormous! There are 3 different areas where you can choose to sit. Jeff and I (along with my cousin and her husband) chose the second alcove. There was ample seating for the four of us and… this area was dog friendly! The alcove was homey yet spacious with a neat vending machine whipping out random prizes, couches, and an open floor concept. I’m 28 so an open floor concept just calls to me on a bone deep level. If your sans doggo, you can head all the way to the back where the bar, food, and plenty of photo op murals reside. Honestly, you can’t go wrong anywhere you sit.

               And you cannot go wrong with the beer. Old Bakery had IPAs, fruit, and sour beers for any and everyone. I was a huge fan of the Winter Gose and the Hibiscus Tart. Granted, I have never had hibiscus before this moment, so I cannot validate the flavor. However, I can tell you I LOVED Old Bakery’s hibiscus flavor; I’ll definitely try hibiscus without the beer if I get the chance. Along with the strong flavor, the tartness was very present, which is a must for me. I love a sour that makes me pucker – my favorite beers are ones that know what flavor it is and runs strong with it. The Winter Gose was milder, with a refreshing lightness that made it excellent to sip on, which if you know me, sipping beer is my specialty. I sat on this beer for an hour and the taste was just as good at the end as it was in the beginning. While it might be their Winter Beer – this Gose was perfectly fine in the air conditioning during the summer time.

               Some extra tips for you: come with an empty belly (the food is delicious), bring some games to play with your group (it will only add to the amazing atmosphere), and plan on staying for a while.