By Lee Cole–

For a post-game pint of some of the city’s finest ale, it’s hard to beat the Bluegrass Brewing Company. While there are several locations, BBC at 3rd and Main is the closest to the KFC Yum! Center and is the perfect place to unwind after an exciting game of Cardinal basketball.

BBC at 3rd and Main is the newest of their three locations, but you can expect to find the same great food and beer. The restaurant is divided into two sections: a well-lit upper level with plenty of windows and the lower area termed “The Cellar,” with a bar in each. There are plenty of TVs around for sports fans and ample seating, although it gets crowded on game nights.

The main attraction for most visiting any one of BBC’s locations is the beer. The T-shirts worn by workers insisting that “Beer is Food” can attest to this fact. The beer selection is impressive and all of them are brewed on location. BBC has six beers on tap at all times: American Wheat, Dark Star Porter, American Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale, Altbier and Luna de Miel: Rasberry Meade. Specialty brews include Bearded Pat’s Barleywine, Heine Brother’s Coffee Stout and the Christmas themed Ebenezer Spiced Ale made with a hint of nutmeg and clove.

There is a wide assortment of entrees to choose from, including an impressive array of delicious sandwiches. They serve a mean Chipotle pork chop and the always classic Hot Brown.Their brick oven pizzas are popular menu items, along with the buffalo chicken, and for vegetarians, BBC serves tofu stir fry and wild mushroom ravioli. I went with the corned beef Reuben on rye and the Dark Star Porter. The corned beef was good, but there was an excess of Italian dressing, making the bread a bit soggy. Other than that, the sandwich was enjoyable; it wasn’t as good as corned beef from a New York deli, but it will pass for Louisville.

The beer, on the other hand, was undeniably remarkable. The porter was dark in appearance, almost black, and had a malty, coffee-like flavor. In addition, it had an incredibly smooth finish and wasn’t quite as thick as other dark beers, like Guinness. I decided on the Altbier next, and though I preferred the porter, the Altbier had its own unique set of flavors. It was lighter and made with more hops and might be preferred by those who lack the same affinity for darker beers.

All in all, BBC at 3rd and Main makes for a terrific post or pre-game environment. After all, there’s nothing better than swilling beer and trash-talking University of Tennessee at Martin’s embarrassing defense.

Read about more pizza and brew at Papalino’s

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Photos: Nathan Douglas/The Louisville Cardinal