Well the first beer from Nebraska looks to have made it south to Kansas. It’s not what I was hoping for but I guess it’s a start. No, I’m not referring to Nebraska Brewing Company or any of the larger breweries but instead SchillingBridge Brewing Company. I hadn’t even heard of this brewery until I went into Heritage Wine and Liquor in Manhattan and saw a six pack sitting on a shelf in the cooler. Once I saw they were from Pawnee City, Nebraska I couldn’t leave without purchasing some. I am a little disappointed in the Git-R-Done aspect of their Golden Lager. That in itself told me not to expect much from this beer. My apologies to SchillingBridge but when I hear that I think watered down beer (ok, it’s not really watered down and I know the large companies make a consistantly flavored beer but most golden lagers taste like water to me). There doesn’t seem to be much about this brewery except for their website. I asked the Nebraska Beer blog if they had any information about them and they hadn’t even tried them yet. So I’m not sure what to think about this. Could they be a faux craft brewery? Doubtful, they are also a winery and last I checked the big breweries weren’t interested in that. Their website says they’ve been brewing since 2007. They do list several beers but for now only offer this one and a 70 Schilling Scotish ale. I’m hoping to try the 70 Schilling but Heritage Wine and Liquor didn’t have that one. Here’s how the Git-R-Done Golden Lager fared.
The body color was gold with a white head. The aroma was buttery, semi sweet, with a hint of citrus. I’m not sure if the buttery aroma was supposed to be there but I didn’t get it in the taste just the aroma. The taste was a semi sweet finish and an overall hint of citrus. But that’s all. Lagers have to be more than golden for me to really taste much. I’m trying not to be a beer snob on this one but it really tasted like a clone of the larger breweries. The mouthfeel is smooth with lots of bubbles. Pretty much the overall review is that it tastes like a lager.
I’m hoping that I can find their 70 Schilling Scottish Ale so that I can try that one. But for now I’m still in shock that the first Nebraska brewery was not Nebraska Brewing Company. I figured with their rapid expansion they would have been the first to move south. So congrats to SchillingBridge Brewing for being the first to take that plunge. I’m sure the name Git-R-Done Golden Lager will make that one quite popular around here.
Prost!
Brewmiscuous 
“I’m trying not to be a beer snob on this one but it really tasted like a clone of the larger breweries.” Score one for ShillingBridge, that is the point of this beer to be a BMC rival, nothing more, nothing less. 70 Shilling is an okay Amber Ale (not really Scottish in my mind). ShillingBridge is a real brewery/winery (awesome place to visit, BTW) but the two beers they bottle are not elite.
SchillingBridge is the first Winery and Brewery in the country. Get-R-Done is brewed for the Bud & Miller people that want a craft Lager instead of the traditional larger brewery’s offerings. They are not trying to Hop it up for the Hop lovers or the heavy. They have other offering for them. With Larry the cable guy from Pawnee City the G-R-D name is for the red neck crowd trying to upgrade their beer tastes. The 70 Schilling Scottish is their top selling Ale. They also have seasonal offerings (Roasted wheat, Lemon/lime, English Brown, Cherry wheat, October Fest and others). Also Zulu APA and a Stout. They also do custom brewing for restaurants with their own formulas. For the Wine offerings they have over 20+ award winning white and red’s. Great place to to go to for a day trip and you can have a choice of Craft Beer and Wine so everyone is covered. They have food offerings and special events.
My review is based on the Git-R-Done and Scottish ale. The Schillingbridge beer seems comparable to the world of beers like Corbett Canyon wines are to the world of wines. A very mild flavor of the style, potentially a stepping-stone from the standard domestic beers to a Sam Adams and possibly beyond. Nothing offensive, but nothing that daring beer-drinkers would love. Perfect for someone moving from a Bud Lite, etc. to more varieties of styles. Problem is that Anheuser Busch already has been doing this with their Michelob Amber Bock, the American Ale, Shock Top, etc. As a small brewery, I hope they succeed. They’re selling the 6-packs for < $4 each here in Kansas City…either they have a great marketing plan or the distributor can't get rid of them.
Dave, Where are they selling them for less than $4?
Grand Liquor on Johnson Drive in Mission, KS. Near the Lucky Brewgrille, just a half-block east of Nall Avenue.
Thanks Dave. Up north in MO it is $8.