Tapping Into Savannah's Newest Beer Joint
Crafting an eloquent write-up of pretzel bites and beer is a delicate process. The last thing I want in describing the taste of sea salt and cheese dip combined between sips of brew is to come off as tacky, pretentious, or “basic” as the hashtags say.
It hit me over a cup of coffee that food and drink is one of humanity’s universal languages. We all need it, and we certainly love to talk about it. With this in mind, I shoved my worry away, much like how I did when I entered the Savannah Taphouse Friday night after a long, marathon of a day.
This new addition to Broughton Street is located between Planet Fun and the Marshall House in what used to be the Avon Theater. Reminders of the Taphouse’s former occupant hang on display, including an old marquee sign with working lights on the second floor (our table had a great view of it). A full service bar greets customers, and the venue offers the typical ambience of omnipresent screens and an upstairs seating area.
My two guy friends who accompanied me stuck to Cabernet Sauvignon and Yuengling. Our waitress, a lovely woman named Luanne, recommended a four flight special which included four different drafts served in flights on a plank of wood. When it came to my selection, I opted for flavorful, full bodied sips of both light and dark quality: Coastal Empire Southern Delight Amber; Tripel Karmeliet; Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen; and Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout.
Being a Friday in Lent meant this Catholic woman had to substitute meat for carbs. The flight sampling made this fast much easier. My drinks of choice were a harmonious quartet of liquid flavor. The Lagunitas went down with the foamy texture of a cappuccino. The Tripel Karmeliet was a full, dark cocoa to the slightest aftertaste. Coastal Empire was one of my favorites, with a light hint of dry, roasted chestnut and an aroma of a wood-burning fire. The Weihenstephaner was as fun to sip as it is to pronounce when ordering. I enjoy sampling beers via flights more than I do ordering a regular draft, and their full bar offers an enticing selection of spirits and draughts.
For food, we started with an appetizer of pretzel bites with garlic cheese dip. Nothing tastes better than wheat in pretzel combined with wheat in beer. The pretzels were small, square-shaped poppers, quick to eat and dangerous to keep eating. With the beers substituting as the “meat” for my meal, I decided to balance out the nutrients and order a “Make Your Own Salad” with romaine lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes, corn, and peppers with olive oil vinaigrette on the side. Also on the side came a plate of deep fried pita bread, which was basically a plate of pita chips. No matter. The slight grease in their crunch was a wonderfully addicting asset to a bed of greens and beer that tasted like coffee.
Four flights lasted throughout our two hour dine. If I had to order a single sip from my quartet as a regular draft, I would choose the Lagunitas. It offered my palate enough subtle sweetness in between munches of fungi and salt. My tender food critic affirms the Savannah Taphouse definitely delivered a symphonic spread of light delicacies and oily noshes fitting for celebrating the week’s work.
