On Tap is a regular column featuring our recommendations on the most unique new draft beer offerings from local pubs.
Our Recommendation: Tweeds Tavern Stout
Where: Twin Lakes Brewery, 4210 Kennett Pike, Greenville, Delaware, (302) 658-1826
After crossing the Delaware border along route 52, you may notice a welcome flag alongside a driveway that leads up to a farmhouse. It’s easy enough to miss if you aren’t looking for it, but this is the entrance to Twin Lakes Brewery, a seven-year-old micro-brewery that produces small batches of excellent beer using water from the farm’s spring.
Twin Lakes beers can be found in select pubs throughout the tri-state area, but real beer lovers should make the trek to the beautiful 266-acre farm for a tour and tasting. We made the trip to sample their Tweeds Tavern Stout, a delicious beer that had just been kegged.
After taking a long driveway up the hill, we came upon an historic old stone farmhouse and a few outbuildings, one of which contains Twin Lakes’ brewery. The tasting room is an awesome space, with a high ceiling and unique artwork on the walls. A comfortable couch and chairs, and a large table set with checkers, invite you to sit a spell and sip your beer. Hanging from the middle of the ceiling is an over-sized (and breathtaking) recreation of NC Wyeth’s famous black and yellow Treasure Island illustration. In addition to having typical growlers for sale, they also offer special edition ceramic growlers—the collection is quite amazing. While we were tasting the beers on tap and enjoying the room, a continual stream of beer lovers in the know floated in with their growlers.
But let’s talk about the beer. On the day we visited, the beers on tap were Jubilicious Ale, Greenville Pale Ale and the newly tapped Tweed’s Stout. Founder and CEO Sam Hobbs explained, “we are making unfiltered, unpasteurized, all natural living beer—we have no filters.” He explained that Twin Lakes uses water from the artesian well that feeds the Twin Lakes on the property and they only use whole flour hops. “It’s truly a labor of love—our beer is very well received—we’re just trying to make really good fresh beer.” They currently produce about 3,000 barrels a year.
Greenville Pale Ale is their signature beer, named after the town in which the brewery is located. This is a hoppy light amber ale with a citrus taste, refreshing and clean. At 5.5% ABV, this is a great sessionable ale for summer nights.
Our second sampling was the Jubilicious Ale, their holiday winter warmer which just about finished. I’ve tried my share of winter warmers, and often feel these ales are overly spiced at holiday time. Not here! Jubilicious has no added spices, it’s crisp, simple and delicious. At 8% ABV, this seasonal release will get the holiday party off to a rollicking start.
Finally, we tried the beer of the day, the Tweeds Tavern Stout,which had just been kegged earlier in the week. This stout has subtle hints of coffee and chocolate. Not overly carbonated, so it provides a silky mouth feel. It’s not complex or overpowering, and at 5% ABV, you can order a few on a cold day. This stout is named after the Tweeds Tavern, one of Delaware’s oldest taverns.
Sam believes beer lovers should take the Twin Lakes Brewery Tour, which costs $22 and runs for about two hours with plenty of sampling. “This is not like going to a major brewer. A lot of the tour is about the brewing history and the history of the Brandywine Valley.”
Twin Lakes Brewing Co. offers tastings and growler fills on Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m., with a tour at 5 p.m. On Saturdays, growler fills and tastings run from noon to 4 p.m., with a tour starting at 1 p.m. Bring your own growler or pick one up there. Learn more at twinlakesbrewingcompany.com.
