Considering that I live in San Francisco, you would probably be surprised to learn that my favorite place to drink craft beer is in Warwick, Rhode Island. But it's true.

The smallest state in the country is home to Track 84, a small bar located about 100 feet away from railroad tracks and next to "Providence's" TF Green airport (the airport is really in Warwick).  At Track 84, you'll find 19 taps rotating a variety of craft beer every day and a huge list of bottles from all over the world. The only beer you'll always be sure to find on tap is Delirium Tremens. That's because in the middle of the bar, with 8 taps on each side, there is a big pink elephant tap that constantly features this delicious nectar on tap. Did I mention it's on tap?

The Track goes out of their way to bring serious craft beers from all over the world, with an emphasis on Belgian beers. What's great about this bar is that while you may recognize the brewery, the beer style could be one you never heard of or have never seen on tap before. When I stopped into "the Track" for a few beers with some friends while visiting my family for the holidays last month, I was greeted with a selection of beers that made me happy to be home:

• Dogfish Head Burton Baton
• Stone Double Bastard Ale 2010
• Brouwerij De Musketiers Troubador Magma
• Cisco Moor Porter (nitro)
• Southern Tier Choklat
• Pretty Things Our Finest Regards
• Achet Schlenkerla Eiche

They've also got a beer engine with rotating casks and you'll never have a beer served in the wrong glass. Plus, you can eat all the peanuts you like and just toss the shells on the floor.

If you find yourself in the Ocean State, make an effort to stop by the Track.

84 Kilvert St., Warwick, RI 02886 MAP

Ed. Note: Jon is a guest writer for HopHunter.com from San Francisco, CA.

There's lots of great breweries making lots of great beers out there, but I wanted to commend New Holland Brewery from Michigan for making some of the best beers I've had this year. I'm consistently happy with everything I've tried from them - I know how hard it is to have great beers across an entire line.

Just to name two, the Dragon's Milk Ale is probably one of the top 2 beers I've had this year. Incredibly smooth, super flavorful and just an all-around great barrel aged beer. If you have the chance, do yourself a favor and try this stuff.

The second is a bit of a novelty, but after a single taste, it's proof that even New Holland's unique beers are outstanding. The "El Mole Ocho" is really unique - a full chocolate flavor with a hint of chili pepper spice on the back end. It's not something I thought I would even like, but have to admit is pretty darn good.

To the people at New Holland - keep up the good work up there!

The New York Times has posted a really nice article about some of the best pale ales in the country. It's just in time for the 4th of July. They mention some of my favorites, including Dogfish Head's "Shelter Pale Ale" and the fabulous "Dale's Pale Ale" from Oskar Blues. It's a good read and points consumers in the right direction for great American Craft Beer.

http://nyti.ms/93YmDD

The good folks from Sixpoint Craft Ales in Brooklyn were kind enough to send us a care package of some of their fine brews, one of which included a "Dr. Klankenstein". Not knowing exactly what that was, I enquired with brewmaster Shane Welch. I'm glad I did because the story behind this beer is amazing.

You have a kegerator. You want it to look cool. You want everyone to know what's on tap. But how can you get custom handles for every beer? You can't. Enter the Keg Cap Tap™ - a new tap handle that lets you use the free plastic caps on new kegs to easily show everyone you're drinking a quality beer. We tried one out and were suitably impressed. Full review after the jump.

Barley's Smokehouse in Grandview held their 8th annual Mini Real Ale Festival on Saturday and as it has been in the past, it was a really good event. Last year I would have described it as a great event, but this year's, while still really really good, seemed like a bit of a letdown.

The biggest issue may have been the start time. 11am is really early for a day of drinking to start. I get it, they wanted the festival crowd out of there in time for the dinner crowd, but how about noon to 4? The bulk of the crowd seemed to come after noon anyway and I think it contributed to the slower than usual ticket sales.

The beer selection was very impressive as usual, but there seemed to be some notable absences.  No Great Lakes, only one Bell's selection, and Left Hand Brewing sent the wrong keg - Oops. It seems Great Lakes didn't have time to participate, but no Lake Erie Monster was a disappointment.

On the bright side, there were some beers that were a very pleasant surprise for me. Ohio Brewing Co's "Twice Bitten" strong ale was really nice, and Thirsty Dog's "Hop Dog" was especially good. It's a pale ale made with Belgian yeast, so it has a nice blend of that Belgian flavor along with a flavorful American pale ale.  Kudos.

Don't get me wrong - I'll attend this event every year for as long as they have it. You can't get this many beers on cask at one time during many other events, and no other event in Columbus. If you like cask beers, this is one event in Columbus not to be missed.

I spent some time in Brooklyn last weekend and was able to sample one of the fine Sixpoint Craft Ales beers being brewed there.  The Bengali Tiger IPA was a tremendous beer, and a fine example of a more traditional IPA. It wasn't too heavy in the hop profile like some IPA's are these days. It was full of flavor and refreshing enough for some warm spring days in Brooklyn.

While I'm at it, I should mention it paired nearly perfectly with the burger at Prime Meats in Brooklyn. The hefty burger, loaded with bacon and bleu cheese, really brings out the bitter profile in the beer, but like I said above, it's still quite refreshing.

Wish I'd had the chance to sample some of their other offerings, but I guess that'll wait until next time I'm in the area.

Who's had some of their other beers and what did you think?

If you haven't been to a beer tasting and a movie at Clintonville's Studio 35 yet, you really need to. 

This may have been one of the most fun events I've been to in a long time. The tasting was great, featuring 10 of Columbus Brewing Company's beers, including some rarely seen ones.  Brewmaster Eric Bean was there to talk everyone through the samples, and I've listed some of the highlights and news from CBC after the jump.

I've never been inspired much by Troegs beers - it seemed to me they were trying a bit too hard to be on the cutting edge and too bold in their marketing.  But, I have to give credit where credit is due and say that the Troegs Nugget Nectar is a great pint of beer.

Right as the Hopslam ran out this year, I tried a pint of this and was pleasantly surprised at the hoppy, complex flavor it offers.  It's a tad sweeter than Hopslam, and that might be a good thing.  Bitter, but not smacking you in the face, it's great for this early spring period.  

From the Troegs website:
Squeeze those hops for all they’re worth and prepare to pucker up: Nugget Nectar Ale, will take hopheads to nirvana with a heady collection of Nugget, Warrior and Tomahawk hops. Starting with the same base ingredients of our flagship HopBack Amber Ale, Nugget Nectar intensifies the malt and hop flavors to create an explosive hop experience.

Spent new year's day with two great treats -- first the Buckeyes pulled off a bowl win in Pasadena, and so we celebrated with a bottle of Fuller's 1845 Celebration Ale (the name seemed fitting). I realize Fuller's isn't exactly craft beer, but there's is an occasional need for some fine imported ale.

The 1845 Celebration Ale is a bottle-conditioned ale in the style of "real ale" and man is it good. This probably isn't news to most Brits as its popularity there seems high, but real ale doesn't have the same following here in the states. I hope this changes soon as these ales are really good - smooth, dark and complex, it's a taste you can enjoy for a while.  

It was a great choice to celebrate the Rose Bowl victory and the new year.

So, who's making real ale in the states?  Any recommendations?