Last weekend, we made the trip to attend the United States Sailboat Show showcasing just what the wise sailor ordered. From equipping your own vessel to exploring new ones all together, this show has it all.
But first, beer.
Before arriving to Annapolis, we decided to stop half way in Pittsburgh to check out the city and of course their breweries. It was opening day for hockey season so the streets were bustling while the DoubleTree elevators filled with neckties of minions in the everyday rat race. We went with what we know, soon finding ourselves meandering from brewery to brewery in search of Pittsburgh’s finest.
We stuck to suggestions for dinner and beer selection first stopping at Gaucho Parrilla Argentina for an incredible South American meal and then making our way to The Church Brew Works. As interesting as it is to have a brewery take over this abandoned church, the beer was only okay. Our favorite was their Thunderhop IPA which we tried two ways – traditional hopped and then a wet-hopped version.
Next up was Roundabout Brewing which pleasantly provided us a better selection, almost all being rated higher than the previous stop. Our favorites were Bière De Barge, a mixed culture ale w/ bière de garde and brettanomyces yeast strains and their That’s an IPA featuring Huell-Melon, Ekuanot and Mosaic hops.
Last but not least was East End Brewing Company which also became an instant favorite with their Big Hop American Ale and Green Giant India Pale Ale.
Other great beers we tried in Pittsburgh (local to PA) were The Rapture from Helltown Brewing and 360 degree IPA from Sly Fox Brewing Company.
Umm, more beer?
The next afternoon, we had an incredible lunch at Kaya, a Caribbean style restaurant staying similar to the theme of South American cuisine and left towards our Airbnb in Glen Burnie. A final stop before our destination and one of our now favorite places in Maryland, was Flying Dog Brewing. This brewery has been a staple of mine to drink for quite some time and it was awesome to make time to visit finally! Starting off with their mainstays, we were thoroughly impressed by their taproom/patio area, exceptional service, and simplicity in style. We grabbed a table outside to admire the incoming storm and finish sampling their selection of small batch brews. In the end, we tried ALL the beers and got an awesome flag to fly on our sailboat! I’m pretty excited about that 🙂 My favorite beer of theirs, during this season, is The Fear – Imperial Pumpkin Ale but I normally enjoy their Raging Bitch – Belgian IPA year round. All of their beers are yummy though! Now I’m excited to provision good beer for our upcoming sail to the Bahamas.
Check out more beer reviews –> Untappd
The United States Sailboat Show
Previous Annapolis posts –> 2014 (no post) + 2015 + 2016 + Charming Annapolis + Sponsored Cocktails
Our friends David & Courtney, joined us for an incredible weekend at the U.S. Sailboat Show! It’s always an exciting weekend for us but having them come made it twice the fun. We looked at MOST of the boats, drank lots of Pain Killers, and bought ourselves an Electric Paddle. Highlights of this trip were obviously jumping on board all of these dreamy sailboats but also always meeting other awesome sailors. Sailors are a unique network of individuals that always, almost immediately, become friends with other sailors. This year we met sailing heroes, sailors we follow on YouTube, we made new friends, hung out with old ones, and even crossed paths with a few Tipsy Gypsy fans!!
Sailor’s Helping + #BVIstrong
Alongside all of the typical joys of our boat show experiences, we also volunteered our time to promote Sailor’s Helping! They were there spreading awareness of upcoming projects and their efforts in helping hurricane victims. What started out as two people, turned into a mass of sailors helping to rebuild the Caribbean we know and love. If you’d like to make a donation, visit their fund page here –> Sailor’s Helping – Rally to Rebuild. If you’d like to know more about what they are doing to help out, check out their website here –> Sailor’s Helping – What We Do.
In partnership with Sailor’s Helping, we also sold these AMAZING #BVIStrong shirts. If you’d like one of those, 100% of the proceeds go to VISAR BVI Relief Fund. Buy one here –> #BVIStrong Shirts
That’s all for now! Next up, we’re heading back to S/V Tipsy Gypsy to get some projects done before our launch.
Cheers! Thanks for reading 🙂
