Downtown Below the Surface

BY BRANT MYERS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TODD MEANEY

San Luis Obispo has a problem: a proliferation of patios. Now, we all know sitting in the sun is nice, and great weather is likely one of the main benefits of living here, but what about when you want to avoid that pesky circadian rhythm for a spell? Even our city’s most notorious dive bar moved to a building that had a patio, then they recently expanded that patio even further into the parking lot. We can’t even have a can of domestic swill without the sun barging in to remind us that time is fleeting and I “should probably get going soon to be with my family!” the same time together, so I know my cohort well and went straight for a couple known entities as well as a few new ones that weren’t even on my radar. Drinking a previously unknown beer for the first time is akin to the feeling you get as a child when you find the elusive last few Easter eggs; a short burst of elation followed by the sweet, sweet reward of ravenously consuming found treasure.

Well, hello darkness, my old friend. The Barrelhouse Brewing San Luis Obispo Taproom and Speakeasy is a big name for a small joint. Located in the center of downtown SLO, the Speakeasy is spitting distance from the Mission Plaza and can be easily missed if you’re walking down Chorro while chatting and people watching. With an unassuming façade nestled between Luna Red and Park 1039, you’ll see a half-dozen windows opening into a small sitting room and a large staircase headed straight down into what just might be oblivion. Who knows? While definitely not as daunting as the Deep Dark running beneath the streets of downtown, it is an unusual site in a city full of brightly lit window displays and short jaunts through a dining room to a back deck overlooking San Luis Obispo Creek.

The first taster was the most intriguing. A relative blip in the world of craft beer, but still an interesting one, is the recent popularity of hop waters. Think a non-alcoholic mashup of sparkling water and an IPA. These came on my radar a few years back when my designated driver was pregnant with my son and wanted a refreshing alternative to malty non-alcoholic beers. This one from BHBC has the welcome addition of passion fruit to add a fruity nose to an already refreshing drink. Now that I’m hydrated, its time to drink seven beers. Despite being dark in color, it’s always a good practice to try stouts and porters before Pale Ales or IPAs. I have the aptly named Stout next. It’s a great beer for drinking under Edison bulbs and I appreciated the roasted, nutty aromas coming from my glass reminiscent of a light breakfast of coffee and toast.

Head down the staircase and watch the sun quickly set no matter what time of day you enter. As your eyes adjust to the shade, you’re greeted by an open taproom with dark wood furnishings and a very prominent steel beam jutting out of the ceiling. The friendly bartender greets you from across the room with a smile and a “hello.” Hello indeed. Dark. Inviting. Beer. Check, check, and check. Todd Meaney, the ever intrepid photographer, and I introduce ourselves to Alicia Miller, the Taproom Lead, and get some beers flowing. Miller quickly starts a flight for me while Meaney gets a full pour and starts clicking away before the foam settles. BHBC and the beer tour company I founded grew up around >>

Now we’re off to the races with the hoppy stuff. Punny beer names never go out of style as is evidenced by the

Hazed and Confused tropical hazy IPA. Haze refers to the unfiltered, murky nature of the beer style commonly called New England India Pale Ale, or NEIPA for short. This was highly quaffable as the pillowy character of the added wheat flake give it a smooth mouthfeel, while the addition of Sabro and El Dorado hops release aromas of tropical fruit with a touch of citrus. Luckily this is a year-round offering and I made sure to grab a six-pack of cans to go before I left. The next glass in line is their Big Horn Experimental IPA. The problem with IPAs is that the big, brash characteristics that make them so popular also have a tendency to blow out your tastebuds real fast. I was detecting notes of melon, which would come from the “experimental” part of the name. At this point the staff changed over from day to night (I’m assuming; time has no meaning here) and I was able to pick Taproom Lead Bradley Hendrix’s brain about this beer. As no stranger to working at breweries, Hendrix confirms that the hop varietal is from New Zealand and the experimental part is derived from the hop which has no name, but is likely a cross-breed of known varieties with some amalgamation of alphanumeric designations in lieu of a clever pun. It was good.

My next beer is the Kong, a hazy double IPA. Or is it a double hazy IPA, as they say? It is hazy, but clocking in at over eight-percent ABV I’m going to classify it as a DIPA. This beer is unique to their lineup as it utilizes Thiol. Without getting too deep into the weeds it’s a naturally occurring additive that is used to increase the aromas of boxwood, citrus, and tropical fruits. Breath deep and inhale that boxwood. Well, my tasting notes are getting minimal and illegible. This one simply says “deceptive” twice. Not sure if I was trying to correct my chicken scratch or just forgot halfway through the beer that I was being deceived.

After saying goodbye to the staff, I walk up the stairs and am greeted by the sun. I guess it’s still there after all, but as the days get hotter and longer, the Speakeasy is looking like a great place to escape from outside, the downtown hustle and bustle, or just life in general. Stop in next time and try a beer, or eight, just don’t complain to me when you come out and the earth rotated a bit more than you expected. Raise a glass with me and salute the time void that is the Barrelhouse Speakeasy.