Grillaz, always inquisitive, learned from the Mayflower Brewing Company that the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower drank beer as a safe alternative to water on their long, famous voyage to the New World – “Men, women and children drank beer daily, and sailors aboard the Mayflower received a daily ration of a gallon.”  Grillaz would willingly have been deck  hands on the Mayflower.

Grillaz could simply have purchased a six pack, but we have been having fun exploring local breweries’ products at local pubs that serve good food.  We sauntered over to the Wild Horse Cafe, where Mayflower IPA is kept on tap, and sidled up to the bar.  Clay, one of our favorite bartenders, poured us a long cool draft of Mayflower IPA.  It is a fine, well-balanced IPA, with light hops and none of that over-the-top sweetness sometimes found.  This is an American IPA, using hops from the Pacific Northwest to give it a piney flavor and fruity aroma.

We ordered Thai Fry Poutine and another Mayflower IPA to wash it down.  Ohhh, an excellent combination, leaving us full and satisfied.  The Mayflower, with its balanced hoppiness (disregard any claims you may hear of it being powerfully hoppy) , stood up well with the ambitious flavorings of the poutine.