I've never tried BJ's pizza, but I'm with you on being unimpressed with their house brews. That's just what you get from big brew pub chains. It's not like Gordon Biersch is any better.
But I do have to defend BJs a bit here. Their roast beef sandwich and shoe string fries are legit,
and they always have 12 oz bottles of
La Fin du Monde for $5.95. You'll pay that much for a Bud Light at some places. Thus, BJ's tends to be my go-to lunch spot for meeting clients. There are places with better beer lists near my office (The Hungry Monk, Whole Foods, etc.) but the food isn't as good, and it's sometimes hard to tell which of my clients won't be comfortable with day drinking. Damn puritans are still running this country.
My family has gone to church at St. Tim's (just north of Dobson High) for 30+ years. Since Nello's is right around the corner, that's been our "family night out" place forever. Their beer list has improved a lot, too, recently. Split a pitcher of Deschutes' Fresh Squeezed a couple weeks ago with my dad.
What sort of whiskey did you use? I usually use a
Tovolo King Cube to prevent my Old Fashioneds from turning into a watery mess so quickly. Or better yet, I stick a bottle of pre-mixed Old Fashioned in the fridge so I can skip the ice entirely.
