We left Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City, MO and proceeded towards St. Louis.  About halfway between Kansas City and St. Louis is Columbia, MO.  With a population over 113,000, Columbia is the fifth largest city in Missouri.  The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the home for the University of Missouri.  According to Money Magazine, over half of Columbians possess a bachelor’s degree and over a quarter hold graduate degrees, making it the thirteenth most highly educated municipality and one of the top 100 cities to live in the United States.

Also in Columbia, MO is Flat Branch Pub & Brewing and this is the place we chose to have lunch.  According to their website, Flat Branch has been voted best overall restaurant in Columbia for four years straight and they offer a wide variety of menu items.  Flat Branch Pub & Brewing was started in 1994 and gets it name from a nearby creek which was the water source for Columbia’s first settlers and Flat Branch is Columbia’s first brewery since 1841.

The brewery is co-located at the pub and restaurant.  Indoor dining and an indoor bar are available.

However, the feature that we enjoyed the most about Flat Branch was the outdoor dining area.  During our visit, the weather was perfect for outdoor dining and the outdoor dining area is beautiful and serene.

I sampled six beers at Flat Branch (all on tap) – Mosaic Wet Hop American Pale Ale (APA); Katy Trail Pale Ale; Flat Branch Extra Special Bitter; Ed’s India Pale Ale (IPA); Flat Branch Smoked Porter; and Oil Change Oatmeal Stout.  My tasting notes follow.

Flat Branch Mosaic Wet Hop APA (5.5% ABV / 26 IBUs): According to the brewer at Flat Branch, this beer is made by infusing “our APA with 30 pounds of fresh wet, not dried and processed, Mosaic hops overnighted to arrive in just picked condition. Mosaic hops have a strong blueberry, mango and tangerine profile with hints of rose.”  Mosaic Wet Hop APA poured a clear gold color with active bubbling and an off-white foam that left curtains of lace.  The beer had an aroma of malt, caramel, biscuit, brewer’s candy, fruit, and floral honey.  Mosaic Wet Hop APA was light to medium-bodied and creamy with mild carbonation.  The beer has a nice malt flavor followed with floral honey and fruit.  There was a dry finish that includes some mild spicy black pepper.  Mosaic Wet Hop APA was creamy and delicious.

• Suggested Pairings – Turkey Club Sandwich
• Serving Temperature – 40-45 degrees F
• Glassware – Pint Glass

Katy Trail Pale Ale (4.8% ABV): Katy Trail Pale Ale is named after the well-known Katy Trail and State Park that parallels the Missouri River.  This beer poured a clear copper amber color with active bubbling and an excellent creamy, off-white foam that left a persistent lace curtain.  Katy Trail Pale Ale has an aroma of malt bread and subtle citrus.  The beer was light-bodied but creamy with mild carbonation.  Katy Trail Pale Ale tasted of malt bread followed by pine resin and floral notes.  The beer had a dry finish with nice hops bitterness.  Katy Trail Pale Ale is a very good session pale ale.

• Suggested Pairings – Cheeseburger; BBQ Ribs
• Serving Temperature – 40-45 degrees F
• Glassware – Pint Glass

Flat Branch Extra Special Bitter (ESB) (6.0% ABV): Flat Branch ESB poured a clear amber brown color with creamy tan foam.  This beer was tank conditioned and served from a traditional British beer engine.  This ESB had a nice malt and bread aroma, with hints of raisin or prunes, as well as floral notes.  The beer had a creamy and lush feel and was medium-bodied with very mild carbonation.  Flat Branch ESB tasted of malted bread with hints of prunes and subtle caramel.  The beer had a creamy finish with very mild hops bitterness.  Flat Branch ESB was a creamy, smooth, and delicious delight.

• Suggested Pairings – Brie Cheese; BBQ Ribs
• Serving Temperature – 45-50 degrees F
• Glassware – Pint Glass

Flat Branch Ed’s IPA (5.5% ABV): Named for a long-time patron, this beer is a British-style IPA made with premium malt, three English hop varieties, and a special British yeast culture.  This beer poured a clear gold color with active bubbling and off-white foam that left nice lace streams down the side of the glass.  Ed’s IPA has a grassy, floral, and fruity aroma.  The beer was light-bodied with moderate carbonation.  Ed’s IPA tasted of sweet malt followed by assertive hops bitterness.  The beer had a dry finish.  Ed’s IPA is a good session beer and should be drunk by people who love assertive hops bitterness.

• Suggested Pairings – Salad with Blue Cheese
• Serving Temperature – 40-45 degrees F
• Glassware – Pint Glass

Flat Branch Smoked Porter (4.8% ABV / 17 IBUs):  Flat Branch uses 85 pounds of malt that has been slowly smoked over a hardwood fire and that is added to their Baltic Porter to yield a flavorful, but not overly assertive smoked brew. This beer poured a dark black color with rich tan foam.  Flat Branch Smoked Porter had an aroma of smoke and roasted and sweet malts.  The beer was medium-bodied and creamy and had mild carbonation.  Flat Branch Smoked Porter tasted of delightful campfire smoke, toast, and sweet malt followed by a mild hops bitterness. Flat Branch Smoked Porter tasted just a little thin at the end but had great up-front flavors that had me burning for more.

• Suggested Pairings – Smoked meats; BBQ Ribs
• Serving Temperature – 50-55 degrees F
• Glassware – Pint Glass

Flat Branch Oil Change Stout (4.6% ABV): Oil Change Stout is named to honor the past life of the brewery building and Flat Branch uses oat flakes to create a smooth feeling and nitrogen to induce a thick, creamy foam head.  Oil Change Stout poured a very dark black color with rich tan foam.  The beer had aromas of roasted malt, espresso coffee, and dark chocolate.  Oil Change Stout was creamy but a little thin for my taste.  The beer had very mild carbonation.  Oil Change Stout tasted of dark chocolate and sweet cocoa, espresso coffee, and lightly toasted malt.  Oil Change Stout was a reasonably good session stout but it definitely did not get my engine revving.

• Suggested Pairings – Smoked meats; Chocolate desserts; Mocha Ice Cream
• Serving Temperature – 50-55 degrees F
• Glassware – Pint Glass

Flat Branch Pub & Brewing was a relaxing stop.  If you are in Columbia, MO, I recommend you stop and have lunch – especially in the spring or fall when warm enough to eat outdoors.  The beer was good, but I wouldn’t travel to Columbia just to try it.

I had hoped to visit Perennial and/or 4 Hands Brewing Companies when in St. Louis.  However, we arrived to late for me to make these stops.

Stayed tuned for my next blog entry which will cover Against the Grain Brewery.  This was one of my favorite stops so don’t miss out on the details!