Josh G.
Yelp
Drive up to Keegan Ales from the wrong direction and you might not even realize you're in the midst of a brewery. The facade facing Prospect St is nothing out of the ordinary. Come from a different direction and you'll be greeted with a huge Native American mural which might have you wondering what's in this spot. So what is here? A brewery worthy of 4.5 stars (with that last half needing to be earned on a return trip).
This past Sunday, traveling back home from a weekend of baseball and beer, my amigos and I were driving near Kingston and decided to make one final beery stop. It was on the later side so Keegan's was barely inhabited, which some might find a good point as not to be too crowded. The thing is, Keegan's set up feels like it thrives best with an exuberant amount of bodies in the building.
The layout is basically split into two sections. When you first enter, there's a platform, a window into the brewery, and a counter where you can pick up your ordered food (because Keegan's does do grub, which we'll get to in due time). The rest of the place is a typical dive bar set up. A few tables, some seats around the bar, and another mini platform in the rear. You might notice that the place is void of televisions. This is Keegan's intention as they want that genuine human interaction taking place. Oh and those platforms help with that as they aren't there for you to stand on and belt out a few tunes when you've had one too many too drink. No, they're meant for bands and performers to breathe life into this grungy spot. Unfortunately, those stages stayed empty during our visit, and the lack of bar goers left us with a "you're on your own" feeling.
Beyond that, we had beer (and food). In the mindset of giving our livers a little break, we split one large flight (nine tastes) between the three of us. There was still plenty to go around. Highlights start with the milky based brews in Mother's and Joe Mama's Milk. Both are creamy stouts with a little sweet flavor and arguably some of the best milk stouts you'll try anywhere. Old Capital and Hurricane Kitty bring in the next line of lovely tastes with a crisp golden ale and a flavorful IPA, respectively. Bine Climber and a few of the other seasonal selections bring up the rear. Though, there's a couple of wild cards mixed in there: Super Kitty, with its 12% ABV, is a ferocious choice, and the White Birthday Stout is a unique brew just based on color (flavor holds it down as well).
All that beer made us hungry, so we ordered up a couple of dinners. No waiter service so the bartender will take your order and in exchange you'll get a beeper that'll buzz when you can head to that aforementioned food counter. Choices, though somewhat limited, are what might be expected at a pub. I kept it simple with a grilled chicken breast sandwich (marinated in Old Capital) and a side of chili. The poultry had a nice taste, but a slightly odd consistently in that it was a little too chewy in bites. The herb mayo saved the day with a creamy addition to flavor. Chili was hearty and meaty and worthy of a repeat order. Nice touch with the pickle spear on the side. Between the meal and the beer, we created the best of the quiet night at Keegan's. Before departing, I also grabbed a $5 pint glass for my collection.
Overall, Keegan Ales rocks...well, not entirely on a Sunday night. But the brews that are concocted here are worthy of consumption any day of the week. Food basically hit the spot and ambiance is what will hopefully bring me back again as I want to see this place in full swing. Until then, I'll stock up on some bottles of those milky beers (maybe something that purrs too?) and call it a night.