Continuing my Maryland Brewpub Summer Tour 2011…

Part 3: Pratt Street Ale House, Baltimore, Maryland

When Visited: July 9, 2011

Occasion: Monster Jam at Ravens Stadium! My 10-year-old son Benjamin loves Monster Jam and I think that monster trucks are cool too so when we saw that Monster Jam was coming to the stadium in Baltimore with all of our favorite trucks and drivers, we bought tickets.

We arrived as soon as the Pit Party opened at 2:30 p.m. in one of the parking lots outside of the stadium. All of the trucks were on display and Benjamin had a great time meeting and talking to the drivers.

The show itself didn’t start inside the stadium until 7:30 p.m., so after the Pit Party, we had time for dinner in downtown Baltimore. We walked over to Pratt Street Ale House, my go-to spot for local craft beer when I’m in Baltimore to see either the Orioles or the Ravens. I miss it as the Wharf Rat, but they are still serving Oliver Ales! The beer was as excellent as I remember from my last visit, and after a fun dinner, we enjoyed an incredible Monster Jam at Ravens Stadium (see pics below).

Beers Sampled: Pratt Street offered two different four-beer flights, a light version and a dark version. I opted for the light version, which included:

• Ironman Pale Ale, my favorite Oliver beer is a drinkable English Pale Ale (6.2%)
• Blonde Ale, a smooth, refreshing ale (4.3%)
• Irish Red, a hoppy Red Ale with character (5.0%)
• Conventry Cream, an English-style Bitter (6.0%)

In addition, I tried the Strongman Pale Ale, a single-hopped beer made with Sorachi Ace hops (8.3%) and 3 Lions, a strong English-style Brown Ale (7.5%).

Best Beer:  The Ironman Pale Ale. It’s been a tradition of mine to have a pint of Ironman before O’s games since the Wharf Rat days, and I love the nod to Baltimore’s favorite son, Cal Ripken.

I was most impressed with: The beer selection. I love a brewpub with a large selection of house made beers, and Pratt Street Ale House always has more beers on tap than I have time to try.

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