Something New is Brewing in the Rosemary District

Although the idea of brewing beer is centuries old, the concept in Sarasota is relatively new. The interest in hand-crafted beers, made from fresh ingredients, and locally brewed spread throughout the country. Now local brewage is available right here in downtown Sarasota.

Occupying and transforming the former Rustic Grill on 4^th Street, Mad Crow Brewery and Grill has created a “brewery-like” experience coupled with an innovative food menu designed to complement the local brew. Locally sourced, high quality food ingredients are used extensively with local purveyors proudly listed on the menu.

The menu is ambitious offering a range of items from simple small plates, salads, sandwiches, and full entrees. There is definitely something for everyone on this menu. For our meals we chose the following: 

• Homemade Soft pretzel, Beer and Cheese Dip:  $7.00
  Warm, definitely homemade, soft on the inside, firm on the outside with a delicious dipping sauce.
• Fried Mac & Cheese: Goat’s cheese, Tomato broth, and arugula $7.00 Cheese, tomato, and beer, the ultimate comfort food, need I say more?
• Smoked Chicken Nachos:  Blue corn tortilla, avocado, King’s Farm tomatoes, jalapeno, queso fresco, tomatillo salsa.  Lunch $9.00/Dinner $11.00
  Very filling, pulled chicken was smoky and moist, great flavors, a little kick from the jalapenos.
• Duck Confit Salad:  Watercress, green apple, celery, toasted walnuts, brie toast, grain mustard vinaigrette  $12.00
  Wonderful combinations of tastes and textures; crisp, tart, creamy, crunchy, a tad salty but good nonetheless.
• Grilled Chuck Burger:  On toasted English muffin with traditional accompaniments.  $10.00 Juicy, flavorful, cooked to order; a very nice burger indeed!

 Beers Sampled:

• Blitzkrieg (7.2% ABV):   Taking a traditional German style with flair.  This beer has a lot of malty sweetness and alcohol. Smooth yet strong; drink with caution
• Perseverance Porter (5.4% ABV):  A robust porter with chocolate and coffee undertones.  This was the first batch brewed by Mad Crow. True to its description, a rich, flavorful, dark stout
• Mean Girl Ale (5.4%):  Pleasant and refreshing at first, but once you get to know this blonde ale, she’s just a little bitter at the end. A very refreshing mouth filling ale; pleasant.
• Off Kilter Scottish Ale (5.8%ABV):  Sweet and malty with just a touch of hops, an amber colored smooth ale, worked great with the burger!

The wait staff is friendly, talkative, attentive, and efficient. Even though the focus is on hand crafted brews, Mad Crow does offer a selection of wine and soft drinks to accompany your meal. It should be noted, the brewing process at Mad Crow is truly hand-crafted. This means the availability of certain beers will change often and there will be some variability between the various batches of brews. This is part of the process which makes the tasting exciting.

Although the concept of locally brewed beer is not a new one, having access to a new micro-brew pub in downtown Sarasota is exciting. The combination of local brews and a food menu comprised of locally sourced ingredients designed to showcase the beer should serve this establishment well. If current customer traffic is any indication, the Mad Crow Brewery is off to a good start.

Mad Crow Brewery & Grill
1525 4th Street
Sarasota, FL, 34236
(941) 954-BEER