Booming suburbs are as an iconic of an image of the past
half century of America as hot dogs and apple pie. Freeways leading out of
downtowns are packed with people every day at 5 pm trying to get home to their
quiet tree lined streets. Familiar franchises have popped up on every corner of
every city of a certain size. When one lawnmower revs up in these
neighborhoods, a chorus of garage doors can be heard opening as lawnmowers down
the street are let out to make sure the uniformity of this landscape is being
maintained.
When the mass exodus to the suburbs began, historic
neighborhoods in every city suffered the same fate as the small towns that we
have been chronicling. Family run restaurants suffered as the population moved
to neighborhoods served by shiny new menus with goofy names and big drinks. The
local pharmacy now had 2 names to deal with on every corner of the suburbs. The
hardware store and local specialty shoe dealer suffered the same fate. Homes
that once signaled an age of growth and hard work were reduced to being located
in the place you really don’t want— or need– to go to anymore because they had
become empty and a bit dodgy.
An example of one of these neighborhoods is the Benson
neighborhood in Omaha, NE. Many people traveling to Omaha don’t hear much or
make their way to Benson very often, or at least they didn’t. There is no
cluster of hotels in Benson. The Henry Doorly Zoo and downtown entertainment
district are off on the horizon for those visiting the area for events such as
the College World Series. But this once proud Omaha neighborhood (that at one
time was home to an amusement park and an iconic small town “Main Street” of
local shops that shrank due to the suburbs movement) is making a proud
comeback. Benson, which became a few streets of closed storefronts and “don’t
go there after dark” talk, is now one of the premier districts to find genuine
nightlife in Omaha. And one of the reasons for this revival is craft beer. Two
new breweries with tap rooms have opened and have aided immensely to the
continued growth of this great neighborhood, and the city as a whole.
Welcome to Benson Brewery |
Benson Brewery
Benson Brewery is a heavy weight even though it is one of
the new kids on the block. It has only been open for just over a year and the
head brewer, Andy Elliott, is in his first head brewing position. Elliott, a
Colorado native, honed his craft by not only home brewing, but also spending
his final semester in college as an intern for Odell Brewing in Fort Collins.
With that experience under his belt he was offered multiple assistant
positions, but when the opportunity arose to become the master of his own craft
beer destiny he packed up and moved to Omaha. For the record, Omaha is lucky
that he made that choice.
This Brewpub with growlers for takeaway and a beer garden
that just opened for summer fun is located in the heart of Benson. Benson
Brewery is located inside a turn of the century movie house. The inside is a
mix of old and new with reclaimed flooring and beams along with modern lighting
and a great bar to saddle up to. The brewing operation is enclosed in glass,
running constantly between the brewery and a walk-in cooler out back. New and innovative brewing techniques are on
the horizon as well with clay pots and barrels at the ready to try new recipes
and flavors.
Boarding our first flight! |
A flavor for all |
The flavors, though, already jump out of your glass at
Benson Brewery. I started with a flight of 4 and then also sampled from
friends. My flight consisted of the Maple Street Porter (a chocolate porter so
rich it evoked thoughts of Belgian Chocolatiers), the Brewers Duet Coffee Cream
Stout (not overwhelmingly coffee flavored but well stouted), the Dirty Blonde (
a smooth golden Ale) and an Alt-Er Ego English Mild Ale (a hoppy ale with a
nice citrus note).
All of these beers were full flavored without being
overwhelming. The porter with its wonderful chocolate notes does not over or
under do it. There is a perfect blend of beer, malt, and chocolate to make this
beer a go-to when you arrive at Benson Brewery. The same can be said for the
stout. I am not a huge coffee fan but the subtlety of the coffee pushes this
cream stout to a higher level of smooth. The Benson Brewery, unlike other
breweries, is not focused right now on having flagship beers though. There is a
good rotation in and out of Elliot’s creations. At some point down the road
there may be a full brewery cranking out regular selections to a broader
audience. With that being said, I hope a few of the above selections stay on
regular rotation.
Just up the street from Benson Brewery is the Infusion Brewing Company and Tap Room . Infusion Brewing is located in another wonderful turn of the
century building (this time a former butcher shop) that has been restored to
showcase its history. Infusion Brewing is the brain child of Bill Baburek. Bill
is the owner of 2 great craft and import beer bars in Omaha. The Crescent Moon
(one of Bill’s bars) has been noted by many publications as 1 of the top 100
beer bars in America. With that history and love of craft beer, the next logical
step for Bill was to open a brewery to bring his own recipes to the public.
After finding the perfect spot in this burgeoning craft beer neighborhood,
Bill’s dream was realized in the form of Infusion Brewing.
Let's take another flight! |
With a seat secured and menu in hand I looked for 4
choices for my inevitable tap room flight. My flight at Infusion Brewing consisted of
the Re-Fresh Wit (the signature pale Belgian Wit with its sweet orange easy
drinking flavor), the Joel Porter ( an English Porter with a roasted malt
hint), the Butcher Block Brown (a malty American Brown with a little bitterness
that sets it apart from other browns) and a Vanilla Bean Blonde (a crisp blonde
ale with a great Bourbon Vanilla flavor).
May the good beer be with you! |
Both of these breweries have some fun seasonal and
specialties as well. The Blood Orange IPA from Infusion Brewing truly takes a bitter
west coast IPA and mixes it with an intensely strong orange flavor. The combo
is a great match if you like bitter and sweet. Benson Brewery has a chai tea
inspired brew called Karha T which must be sampled. Cinnamon, spice, Far East
inspired, it is a beer for any temperature.
Taco Trucks! The perfect nightcap |
Craft brewers around the country are innovative,
creative, and inspired to do new and great things. These attitudes, and these 2
breweries, fit perfectly into a space (or neighborhood) on the rise. As Benson
has woken up from its hibernation through new bars and fresh restaurants, these
2 breweries not only fit the new mold of the neighborhood but they also provide
a vehicle to propel this neighborhood to new heights as the absolute place to
be in town. When you come to Omaha (or if you live in Omaha already) head to Benson
for a few beers, a food truck taco, and the chance to be a part of the area's
revitalization.