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Last time I was in Moynihan’s Pub, it was called Body in The Bog - I think that was five years ago. I went there for St. Patrick's Day and I had a great time so I have no idea why I haven't been back. Every time I go shopping at The Save Mart right there, usually on the late night tip, I see their area of the parking lot packed and the place full of people. At that time of night I am usually in my work out gear sans makeup and alone, so I am not inclined to go check it out even though I have been wanting to.
Last week I headed over to Moynihan’s right after work to rendezvous with a buddy of mine. The small patio was full and there were about 7 people at the bar. As we walked in I was greeted by Mike Moynihan, Bartender and Proprietor of the establishment. They serve beer and wine only - but with 140 beers to choose from (some that after tasting I can't even believe they are categorized as beer), you will not want for selection. By the way, they don't serve food so Mike lets you bring in your own food. There are like six restaurants in the same shopping center so you can just walk a few feet to pick something up and enjoy it at your leisure at Moynihan's.
I am not a big beer drinker, unless it is Corona, so I was considering getting a glass of wine. I had noticed the woman directly across from me was drinking what I thought was a thick looking wine, since was in a wine glass. She told me it was raspberry beer and that she was hooked. I ordered the same and after only a few sips, became an addict myself.
I asked Mike to tell me all about it and he said it was called Lindemans Framboise Lambic beer. It is a Belgian beer that in the middle of the fermentation process they throw in raspberries giving it a very sweet raspberry flavor and very dark purpley red color. This may not appeal to people who don't like a sweet beer, but was perfect for me and unlike wine it doesn't mess with your tummy.
I did a little research to find out more about Lindemans Framboise Lambic Beer. Lindemans is a family brewery Southwest of Brussels, in a small Belgian town called Vlezenbeek. The Lindemans family has been farming and homebrewing as long as anyone can remember, but their commercial brewing started in 1811 in their barn-like brewery.
Lambic, or spontaneously fermented beers, are among the world’s rarest. Produced more like a methode champenoise champagne* than a typical beer, these products mature in oak barrels for nearly two years prior to release. Apparently long before hops were common in most beers, various fruits and vegetables were used to season beers.
Why do I tell you all this? Because Mike already knew it. This goes to show the care he takes in picking his quality beers. He has tried all 140 beers that he carries. And apparently a lot of his very regular clientele are trying to do the same. I was there about 5:30 and I would say the crowd was mostly in the 40's and 50's and it wasn't too packed. Mike said that around 9:30 the place gets packed with a very young crowd and that they are open until 2:00 am. This was great new for as there are only like two other places in town that are consistently open that late and draw a great crowd every night of the week. Anyways, I had a nice time. Moynihan’s is like one of those great neighborhood bars completely lacking in any kind of dive quality which is a fantastic combination. It's a great place to go and I highly recommend it.
Moynihan’s Pub is located at 7089 N Marks Ave at Herndon. For more information call (559) 435-4994. I almost forgot to mention...it smells really good. You'll see what I mean.
*Méthode champenoise, French for "Champagne method", is the secondary, inside-the-bottle fermentation that is used to create authentic Champagne and other high quality sparkling wines, as well as certain kinds of Belgian beer. The Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon is credited with first using this method. It creates the carbonation in the finest sparkling wines, but it is an expensive, labor-intensive process. Inexpensive sparkling wines are generally made by the Charmat process.  | 
