Sometimes, the algorithm is still good. True, not that often anymore, but last week social media managed to alert us to the fact that FMV Brewing quietly tapped their first beer.

The brewery has been open for a while now at 2500 Yale Blvd SE (pro tip: if you are driving south on Yale, do not pull into the larger parking lot on the north side of the building, turn left at the light at Randolph and park on the south side, where the brewery is located; Google Maps will confuse you on this) but this marks the first time they have one of their own beers available.

Stage 10 American Amber was tapped late last week. A couple of us from the Crew had time on Friday to sneak over for a pint apiece. The joint was pretty quiet, as one might expect around 2:30 and at the start of a holiday weekend. One other customer that was there told the bartender that he was waiting to pick someone up from the Sunport. We have to imagine that sort of thing happens a lot.

Anyway, back to the beer. In terms of color it looks more like a red ale than an amber. The mouthfeel was good, perhaps a tad more robust than we expected (again, more of a red than an amber). It was not overly sweet, but nor was it bitter in any way. The aftertaste was minimal. About the only thing it needed was a little more carbonation, but that tends to be an issue for just about every brewery when they first open. Overall, it was a very strong introductory beer for FMV.

Later that night, I popped over to Canteen to take advantage of their sale on six-packs. I made sure to taste test the beer, too, and while I was sitting there it turned out the person next to me was one of the owners of FMV. She said a blonde ale is on deck, with plans for an IPA and a darker beer or two coming down the line. It’s not expected that FMV will churn out seasonal after seasonal like Canteen or any of the bigger, more established breweries.

In the end, that’s just fine, there is no need to rush into things. As long as you park on the right side of the building to save yourself an extra walk, getting to FMV is fairly easy. Inside, it’s spacious, but hasn’t found its true character just yet. That will take time, and ultimately the customers that do end up frequenting FMV will determine the direction of the beers and where the lineup will go.

If you have time this week or next, pop into FMV and try the Stage 10, check out the space, and if you’re hungry there are a couple of eateries on the north side of the building. Heck, there are worse ways to spend the time waiting for your friend or relative’s flight to land at the Sunport.

We will stop back at FMV one of these days, either to (finally) interview the owners, or just to try the next beer when it rolls out.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister