Salt Mine City Brewing, Lincoln NE
25 July 2026
It was so flippin’ hot outside when I arrived in Lincoln that I forgot to get a picture of the outside of this place! There wasn’t honestly much to capture though — it’s on the first floor of a hotel building but with its own entrance.
They offer a flight of any number you want so I picked what I thought were the most interesting five beers. Here’s the assortment, and I’ll describe them left-to-right, top-to-bottom on the board, followed by the singleton to the right.
HWY 101 – Spruce Tip Pale Ale, 5% – I haven’t had a beer brewed with spruce tips since I was at Dirt Road Brewing in Philomath, Oregon! This was really well done with a great balance between the spruce and the pale ale, but because the spruce lingers as an aftertaste, I decided this would be better with food (and it was).
The Bandit – Golden Lager, 5.2% – What can I say? Smooth, easy-drinking, everything I like in this style.
Uncle Otto – Kölsch, 4.9% – I love a good Kölsch and I loved this one … floral, pleasant, and not overdone. Splendid!
Beachin’ – IPA, 5.8% – Honestly, I tried this one just to see what it was like because I usually don’t really like a plain IPA unless I’m eating something that can balance the bitterness. But this?? It was fruity, it was exceptionally smooth, and there was just a hint of bitterness at the end. It was such a surprise — so unlike anything else I’ve had — and so good that I had a pint of it to follow the flight.
Tripple Axle – Hazy IPA, 6.8% – This wasn’t my favorite, but it was definitely a first cousin of the Beachin’ with a fruity, citrus flavor and a curious tingle on the back side but only a very mild bitterness. It was a very interesting pairing with the Beachin’, in fact, and I rather wish I’d had the space and the time to try their other IPA, a “take on a New England IPA.”
My food was a chicken parm sandwich with unusual tater tots, all very acceptable but not outstanding. Good pub food, in other words, but far from a match to Field Day Brewing from yesterday.