Some breweries have an emphasis on the beer, whether they have food or not (examples: Rubber Soul, which has no food or Backshore, which does), others emphasize their restaurant and leave the beer mostly for distribution (the vibe I get from Evo and Tall Tales). Moon River makes both of these things a joint mission. The dog friendly place doesn’t just have a restaurant but also a huge beer garden that opened in 2013, with strung up lights across the room and space for over 200 people. The brewery has been around since 1999! Savannah is known for its haunted history, so the owners specifically picked a historically haunted old building for the brewpub. The building itself was the City Hotel built in 1821--oldest hotel in Savannah--and fun fact, home to the first branch of the United States Post office! It is widely regarded as the most haunted place in Savannah. Located on West Bay Street, the brewery is right across from Savannah City Hall. The place has an Irish pub kind of feel with the bar in the middle when you walk in and casual dining throughout. On the left side of the restaurant you can see through to the brewing process behind glass walls. It’s decorated with cool art and the typical beer phrases I've seen in more than one brewery: Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. Notably there’s an British telephone booth! Interestingly, it isn't the only red telephone booth on its kind that you'll usually find in the city. Chosen for their beer and ability to serve us our lunch, I ordered the full flight of 9! And, their delicious…and kind of weird, ravioli dish. It is advertised on the menu actually as a shrimp dish: Bayou Shrimp grilled atop sausage ravioli finished with house Wit beer, mustard sauce! It was amazing! The hugeeee flight started with the Yoga Pants, a southern-style Pale Ale. I don’t know what makes something Southern style but I was intrigued. I liked it a lot. It was hoppy but light at the same time and balanced well in both scent and taste. It is definitely an easy drinker. The next was the Wild Wacky Wit, a Belgian-style Wheat Ale. It had a light bite to it, with less carbonation than most of the others. It was sweet with a light spice and bubble-gumminess to it and a hint of orange. There is a definite floral taste from the dried chamomile flowers. The Swamp Fox, an American-style IPA, had a deep hoppy smell, distinctly different from the aroma of the pale ale. A sweet and noticeable floral taste and aftertaste. I found its balance between the sweetness of the floral hints and the “assertive bitterness” and interesting combo, but one that I reeeally liked. The Captain’s Porter, a “Robust Porter” was one of the deepest chocolatey aromas I’d ever received. I did as I was told with this one. I closed my eyes and thought dark chocolate and tasted it, like melted dark chocolate in a glass. It had a very light coffee roast to it and was only slightly sweet which made for a perfect porter to me. The Taterlicious, a Harvest Ale and, their cask ale of the week, was everyone’s least favorite. While I understand it is because of the style, the lack of carbonation threw us off. It had a sweet smell, warmness to it, and just tasted off. Made with North Carolina sweet potatoes it was sweet but some combination with it didn’t mix well. I much preferred their other sweet potato brew: the Taterator. The Taterator, their Doppelbock, may have been my favorite. The sweet potato, quite upfront in this beer, gave it a unique sweetness. It was a light drink over all with slight hoppiness and a medium body and full taste. The sweet potato lingered in the aftertaste leaving that subtle starchy sweetness. The Ogeechee River Keeper Ale, a Spice Pale Ale, had a sweet honey infused scent, upfront spice taste, and a light ginger hint. While all flavors that should have mixed well together, something wasn't balancing right for me. Lastly, the Dixie Krystal, a Belgian Style Tripel Ale, at 9.8% alcohol was incredibly sweet with a boat load of spices to it. Bananas and pears really contributed to the sweet flavor. It’s warming but not too strong despite the high ABV. There was a slight hop to it, as well, balancing it out. If you're in Savannah, walking along West Bay, passed long strips of hanging Spanish moss on the river side, and come across this place, take a detour inside!
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