After our Castle Danger visit we headed back into Duluth to hit our dinner reservations at Va Bene Caffe. If you’ve never been there, it’s highly recommended. Once we caught up with a full stomach we made the trip across the lake to our next stop in Superior, WI: Thirsty Pagan Brewing.
Established nearly ten years ago, Thirsty Pagan has become known for two things: beer and pizza. With a fine tuned focus it is easier to excel and that’s what they’ve done since their opening. They’ve managed to turn their operation into a thriving business known for quality and unique charm.
Upon entering the brewery you can tell immediately that they’re a little different. It seemed like more of a dive bar than a taproom. We settled into a booth while the live band was getting ready for their next set. What immediately jumped out at me was how colorful things were. This was a shocking change after we’d been getting used to the wood and metal of the other breweries we’d visited. The walls were jam packed with colorful art of all varieties making the vibe very eccentric.
Each couple ordered a seasonal flight which came in at nine 3oz glasses of beer. It was served to us on a curved board that looked almost like a bridge. This was one of the more unique flight vessels that I’ve had and at first glance the board appeared to be bending when they were serving it to us! With nine beers in a short period of time I wasn’t able to get too detailed with my thoughts and discovered later I had even missed recording one. The full list is below.
We tried the Pas de Calais, Pils, Shubble, Black Lager, AM Barleywine, Vinny Lager, Beamer Sour Batch 003, and Beamer Sour Batch 002. Out of the eight beers I have notes for the Pils and the Black Lager were my favorites. The Pils was full of bready malty flavor and the Black Lager was rich and creamy. Both were better than I expected, but maybe I was just ready for some lagers at this point.
We didn’t get a ton of time at Thirsty Pagan but I liked what I saw when I was there. I’d like to try their normal selection the next time we go. Based on their seasonals I think I’ve got something to look forward to. This place is certainly unique and stands out from the normal taprooms. Definitely worth a trip!
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