BEER THIS!

Grain Belt Beer & Maxwell's American Pub

2011-07-09T09:16:00.063-05:00

I used to love blogging. It gave me something to do at work. Now I don't have a desk job anymore so I rarely blog. In fact it's been about ten months since my last post. But this story I just have to share. It's a feel good story so don't say I didn't warn you. I promise the story revolves loosely around beer. So go grab a Grain Belt Premo and make sure it's a 16 ounce Big Friendly cuz this story's a long one.

My wife and I recently celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. Last Thursday, actually. If you're scoring at home that means we were married 7/7/07. Let it go. This story begins 21 months earlier. Carolyn and I met briefly in the summer of 2005 while we were both in separate relationships. A few months later I called her and asked if she'd go out with me. She agreed. She was a friend of a friend and knew this call was coming. I knew she wasn't the Applebees type (thank goodness) so I suggested a burger and beer joint. She liked the idea. And it would change my life forever.

THE BEGINNING OF A TRADITION

October 14th, 2005 I took her to Maxwell's American Pub on Washington Ave in downtown Minneapolis. I remember one of the first things she said to me. The waitress had just taken our drink order when Carolyn leaned in and said, "Oh good, you drink". I didn't know how to respond. Turns out she had recently dated a former drinker and dates with him were either drinkless or awkward. It's been a catch phrase that we've joked about ever since.

Moving right along... If you've never been to Maxwell's, most of the tables are situated along one of the perimeter walls. Each table has a black and white photo of some famous Minneapolis landmark. The table we chose on our first date we've dubbed The Grain Belt Table. On the wall was a nice shot of the famous Grain Belt bottle cap billboard near the Hennepin Avenue bridge. I learned that night that she had never seen it before so I made a point of crossing the bridge on our way home. It was as beautiful as any unlit billboard in pitch black night can be. Did you see it? We eventually went back to see it in daylight and it became, along with Maxwell's, one of our favorite spots.

A PROPOSAL

July 14th, 2006 Fast forward nine months. Her parents had season tickets to the Twins that year. Most often it was Carolyn and I who used them. Maxwell's is very close to the Metrodome and we'd usually stop there before games. I knew in December that I was going to ask Carolyn to marry me and I always knew I would do it on our nine monthiversary. I had to do it at Maxwell's where it all began. There was a home game that evening and that would be my guise. Just another pregame at Maxwell's. I also went there for lunch that day. I met a friend who was a photographer, but whom Carolyn had never met. I asked her earlier to secretly shoot the events of the night. Lunch was our reconnaissance mission. I also spoke with the manager. I told him my plan and asked if he could reserve the Grain Belt table for us. He said they don't reserve tables on event nights. Understandable. It was game night and Maxwell's would be busy. So I asked, "How about this? You mark the table reserved and when that becomes that last empty table in the place you take the sign off". He agreed.

The night went perfectly. She was unsuspecting, although she did on one occasion mention that she thought someone was taking a lot of pictures in our direction.

I asked, she said yes.

Carolyn's parents threw us a fantastic engagement party. A great surprise that evening was that Carolyn's mom had a neighbor make a couple of cakes. They were modeled after pictures of Maxwell's and the Grain Belt billboard. Pretty impressive.

July 7th, 2007 We got hitched.

DISASTER STRIKES!

February 20th, 2008 A fire breaks out in the Maxwell's building! Fortunately no one was injured but the space above the pub sustained serious damage. Maxwell's itself had mostly water and smoke damage. The air was so cold that the water from the fire hoses froze to the building making for some bittersweet photographs. Click HERE to see some of them! The fire was devastating and we, too, were devastated. What if they never reopen? What if they have to condemn the building? What if they have to tear it down? That would have ranked right up there with the day Sherlock's Home closed in 2001. I'm still mourning that day, but I digress. Agonizing days turned into weeks and we finally heard Maxwell's was going to rebuild. Great news! But... what if it looks nothing like it used to? We waited anxiously. They said it would take four months. While we waited the bar hired on a new manager - Rosie. He turned out to be another friend of a friend. He heard our story and knew we would be coming in on (re)opening day.

September 13th, 2008 Seven months after the horrible fire they reopened. And it looked darned near exactly like the original. Phew! Carolyn and I were welcomed by Rosie. And to our surprise we were presented with a framed and matted black & white photo of the Grain Belt billboard. We were honored to say the least. It turned out to be a great evening of reminiscing, making new friends and new memories.

ANOTHER CHAPTER

August 24th, 2010 Now if you're reading this you probably already know that I am a brewer by trade. I should note that it was this wonderful woman who got me started in brewing. For my 30th birthday in '05 she bought me a homebrewing kit. Since then a lot has happened. My starter kit ballooned, I went to brewing school, quit my day job, interned for a large craft brewery and happened to land a job with none other than the brewery that makes Grain Belt beer. That's right, as an employee of the August Schell Brewery I assist in the entire process of producing Grain Belt beer. Coincidence? Even the Maxwell's pint glasses have Grain Belt on the other side. Fate? It brought my wife and me together. Irony? Call it what you will but one thing will always remain true; Grain Belt beer has touched my life in so many different ways that it will always be special to us. It must run in the family. My dad, a lifetime New Yorker until he met my mother, still drinks Grain Belt forty years later. It's the beer he fell in love with while he fell in love with my mom.

July 11th, 2011 Raise your glass (or can).

Here's to the continued success of Grain Belt Beer. May it be around for generations, quenching thirst and making memories. Cheers!

From Homebrewer to Pro Brewer

2010-09-14T20:53:00.008-05:00

If you've followed my facebook or twitter posts you probably know that I've taken a new job. Last week I received my first paycheck from The August Schell Brewery and it was a proud moment for me. I told myself all the way to the bank..."I am no longer an amateur". My first day at Schells (8/24/2010) was almost two years to the day after the I started my chemistry class (8/25/2008) to prepare for the American Brewers Guild. So far it's been great. I am learning a lot and after three full weeks I feel like I am able to contribute to the team instead of just getting in the way. My four months at Summit were also great, I would not trade that experience for the world, but for the sake of comparison this is whole different ball of wax. Summit is a new state of the art brewery. Schells is 150 years old if these walls could talk. I often find myself imagining who may have worked within these walls and when did they work here. In the filter room there are some initials carved into the concrete walls and the guy who has trained me so far told me "Those are my old man’s initials; he worked here back in the 60's". I thought that was so cool. I got to see an attic that is rarely used except to replace blown fuses. Up there were old kegs and wooden box crates. I love the history in this place. I am pretty sure it's haunted by some ex-employees and maybe even Schells drinkers. Good times indeed.

Currently I am spending my days in the filter room. Long story short we are responsible for getting the beer from the fermenters to the bottle house. First we "drop" the beer from the fermenters to the ruh tanks - 'ruh' is German for 'rest' and is pronounced 'roo'. This is where the beer goes after fermentation. The ales will condition for a short time and the lagers will, well, lager here for a little longer. Once that is complete we run the beers through a centrifuge and into a pre-finish tank. This step gets rid of most of the solids in the beer. From the pre-finish tank we send the nearly ready beer thru a DE filter and into bright beer tanks in the bottle house. 'DE' is short for Diatomaceous Earth which is a silica based powder made up of the fossilized remains of hard-shelled algae known as diatoms. It is a great filter aid which allows beer to flow through but catches even the smallest particles still left in the beer. From the bright beer tanks the packaging crew will bottle, can or keg the beer.

After a while I will move to other parts of the brewery and I will post about that when I get there. And in case you're wondering... no, we don't use those old wooden tanks anymore. Unfortunately they've been dry so long they don't hold liquid anymore. Still beautiful.

Deschutes Black Butte XXI

2010-07-28T09:23:00.006-05:00

If anyone were to ask me what my favorite beer styles are, I always respond IPA, Porters and Stouts. Like the hometown hero, Summit's Great Northern Porter, Desch utes' Black Butte Porter is another one of my favorites. In honor of the brewery's twentieth anniversary in 2008, they brewed an imperial version of this beer adding cocoa nibs, coffee beans and aging a portion in bourbon barrels. And they more than doubled the ABV. They called it Black Butte XX. They did it again in 2009 and called it, well, Black Butte XXI. I had the XXI and the result was amazing. I purchased this beer at the Eden Prairie Muni next to Kowalskis back in May. The intent was to take it along to our annual Men's retreat in early June. But then I noticed something I had never seen on a bottle of beer before. Not a "Best By" date but a "Best After" date. BEST AFTER: 10/17/10 it read. Okay so I would need to do a little aging first. Well I couldn't wait any longer. Last night we had dinner with some friends so I broke it out. Wow this impressed from the start. The aroma was a amazing; full, dark and rich. The flavor followed the aroma up in the most perfect way. I hate it when you get a nice nose and the flavor is completely different or just crap in general. The aroma of this beer suggested that what was to come was going to be special. And it was. It's hard to describe the flavors in this one, but I can say it was less coffee than most coffee beers, less chocolate than most chocolate beers and less bourbon than most barrel aged beers. But together they were all recognizable, existing harmoniously together creating a Gothic mix of java/cocoa with dried fruits and rich tobacco. Mouthfeel was big but not syrupy. The 11% was not boozy and barely distinguishable. If you like big porters and you can find it, pick one up. Better yet, pick up two and drink one now and save one for the inevitable holiday season. You'll be glad you did. For me it was Christmas in July!

This Blog's Growing Mold

2010-06-14T08:36:00.004-05:00

The good news is, I'm having a great time and learning a great deal as an intern for Summit Brewing Company. The bad news, as a result, is that I am no longer sitting behind a desk all day. So I really haven't been keeping up with my blog as I should be. I did, however, recently contribute to another blog. Summit's blog. There I talked about some of my experiences as an intern. I posted to Facebook and Twitter about the story but thought I should put something out here too. If you want to read it, go to summitbeerblog(dot)com or just click here.

Terrapin - Left Hand Depth Charge

2010-02-18T10:36:00.006-06:00

I don't do a whole lot of reviews here on my blog but in anticipation of Surly's 4th anniversary beer, I thought I would break this one out. Depth Charge is an Espresso Milk Stout and Surly 4 is going to be an Iced Double Espresso Milk Stout. Stylistically these sound like similar beers. But there is only one way to find out just how much they have in common.

Let's drink them!

Depth Charge is a collaboration beer from Terrapin in Athens, Georgia and Left Hand in Longmont, Colorado. Here is what Terrapin's website says about the beer:

"The second in the midnight project series. Left hand brewer, Ro, joined Spike at the Terrapin Brewery in Athens to cook up this espresso milk stout in July 2009.

Be wary of the calm before the storm. This creamy, deeply delicious milk stout will seduce you into submission while the explosion of hand roasted gourmet espresso will blow you into next week. We Shall Drink in the breweries. We Shall Drink in the pubs. We Shall Drink in the comfort of our homes. We Shall Never Surrender.

Brewed with a blend of espresso roasted coffee beans made just for this project by Jittery Joe's Coffee, Athens, GA"

That's quite the build up. Let's see if it stands up. Beer Advocate reports this beer has a 7% ABV. Oops, perhaps I shouldn't have let this one age for six months. I got this beer in a trade from fellow beer blogger Rusty Diamond last fall and I wonder what it would have been like then.

Well, let's get to it.

Aroma: Lots of bitter coffee. Some milk chocolate and cocoa aromas, like the smell of powdered hot chocolate. There are no esters or hops and surprisingly I don't get the sweet lactose I was hoping for. All good smells, no flaws evident.

Appearance: Very dark, opaque. Dark garnet when held up to a light. Pretty clear actually. Clear and opaque... huh? Frothy brown head. Very tight bubbles, rocky head commences. Fades slowly.

Flavor: Again, mostly espresso/coffee, harsh not smooth. Bitterness from both hops and dark malts. Dark chocolate and finally some lactose sweetness. Some nice hop flavors, more lactose as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body, some roasty astringency but not offensive. As expected, no heat. Somewhat creamy and loads of pleasant carbonation.

Overall I enjoyed this beer, I would certainly drink another one, and another. But since I like milk stouts and coffee beers so much I was expecting a lot. More lactose sweetness would have been welcome in both the aroma and flavor. Also, I would have enjoyed a smoother coffee flavor instead of the bitterness here. Coffee beers are usually one or the other and I used to think that the cold press coffee beers were the smoother of the two. But I've had some cold pressed coffee beers that were bitter as well. Go figure. Another please!

Questions I'd like to throw out to the beer drinking community are these: 1) Does coffee bitterness increase over time? 2) Does lactose sweetness diminish over time? I would love to know your experiences and determine whether or not time had anything to do with the imbalance of this coffee milk stout.

Slainte!

PS Surly 4 review will be forthcoming. Release party is February 23rd at The Blue Nile. Stay tuned.

Happy New Year!

2010-02-10T14:20:00.019-06:00

Okay, so this post is 43 days late. With all that's been going on, I haven't been able to keep my blog as up to date as I'd like. In my last post I explained why I'd been so absent. Despite neglecting the blog, I have not been neglecting the beer.

So what have I been up to?

In my last post of 2009, before my Houdini act, I wrote about a Beer Blogger's Brewoff in which I was participating. Since the original brewday disaster, things have been going along fairly well. On January 2nd I racked the molasses stout into secondary where it remained until the 10th at which time I bottled the beer. After two weeks I popped one open and it was as flat as the Earth before Columbus turned left to go right. I figured it was just too cool where I was storing it so I moved it upstairs in our townhouse. One week later, still flat. What to do? I moved it into one of the internal bathrooms. No, we don't have an outhouse. Internal as in one with a heat vent but no windows. I shut the door and ignored for a week. This did the trick. I popped one open last weekend with The Captain and it was nice and frothy. Tasted good too, I can't wait to try everyone elses next weekend.

Molasses Stout "breathing" on bottling day

Not long after the new year began I discovered a new beer bar. Opened in September (I think they said) in the old The Times restaurant space is a new Asian inspired restaurant called Ginger Hop. Always eager to try something new I sauntered in and sat down at the end of the bar. I think I was the only person in the place so I had to ask if they were even open. They were indeed and I was told I had just caught them between the lunch and happy hour rush. As luck would have it I arrived about the same time as happy hour. Their HH runs from 3-6 and 10-close everyday but Saturday. During happy hour, pints will set you back a mere $3 (excluding some high gravity or special release beers - even those are reduced to $5). Besides the Mich Golden Light and Sapporo, their twelve taps were all craft beer offerings (four of them from Minnesota). I inquired about the obviously absent Surly and discovered they are on a waiting list. The beers that interested me that evening were the Founders Imperial Stout and the 21st Amendment Back in Black. Being a virgin of both, I wasted no time. The BIB was a black IPA and was pretty much just as you'd expect. It was dark, like a schwarzbier but very hoppy. I like the idea, but the flavor just didn't work for me. I always say my three favorite styles are Porter, Stout and IPA but apparently I don't like them all in the same glass. The Founders Imperial Stout was very pleasing. Thick and viscous and a nice balance of sweet and roasty bitterness. We tried the smoked duck potstickers and a couple different kinds of satay and were very pleased with the food (which is also priced nicely during happy hour). The beer was great, the service friendly and the atmosphere comfortable and welcoming. Check it out if you haven't already. I know I'll be back.

Ginger Hop

As you may have read in other local beer blogger posts there was recently a meeting of the minds for local beer writers. Both hobby and professional writers met at Stub and Herbs in mid January. We put down our pens and keyboards and raised a glass with one another. There was no agenda, just a group of like-minded individuals getting together to do what they do best; examine and, most importantly, enjoy beer. A couple of shout outs: Thanks to Jon from Stub and Herbs for the apps and beer specials and to Stu from Friday Night Beer for organizing the event. I can't wait for the next one.

In attendance that evening were Front Row: Nils (Nils Pils: A Poor Man's Guide to Spendy Beer), Kat (aka Hopwhore), Kris (MSP Beer - Beer Musings from Minneapolis - St. Paul), Stu (Friday Night Beer), Micheal (A Perfect Pint), Jon (Legal Beer), Eric (Bearded Brewing). Back Row: Scott (Scott McGerick's Weblog), Mag (MSP Beer - Beer Musings from Minneapolis - St. Paul), Ryan, (MNBeer.com), Shawn (The Beer Genome Project), Eric (Lucid Brewing), Aaron (The Captain's Chair), Derek - that's me (Beer This!), El Jefe (Friend of the Bearded Brewer), Spencer (A Brewer's Journey). Not Pictured: Andrew (Hopchart.com), Doug (Author - Land of Amber Waters). I am sure I have missed someone.

Slainte

DA

Happy FeBRUary!

2010-02-03T09:02:00.003-06:00

Wow, February 3rd already and I still haven't posted a single time in Twenty Ten. There is a very good reason for that. In anticipation of my suspected unemployment we have been prepping our town home for rental. Where are we going to live if we rent out our home? In the in-laws basement! Now I know that living with the in-laws has a certain negative connotation to it, but I don't think it's going to be so bad. I was lucky enough to marry a gal with great parents. I get along with them well and I believe they will respect our privacy. They have a roomy lower level and we should be able to spread out pretty well.

Since ringing in the New Year I have spent countless hours packing up our nonessentials and getting them over to a storage locker. It's amazing how we are still able to function normally when three quarters or our stuff is inaccessible. When we finally purchase a new home, I think we may simplify things a bit. However, despite all the packing, all of my homebrew equipment remains on site.

So about this unemployment I mentioned earlier. I work in the retirement trust industry and my one and only (very large) client decided to take their business to another bank leaving me and another fellow high and dry. The deconversion was an eight month process and upon completion I was expecting a pink slip. Of course also during this time I was enrolled in the Craft Brewers program with the American Brewers Guild. Hoping to make a career change soon a pink slip would be almost welcoming. As it turns out I finally got the news on January 21st. We got a one month notice and my last day in the corporate world will be February 19th.

What's next? Well as a student at the Guild I was to do an internship upon completion of the course work. I lined up the internship with Summit Brewing Company right here in the Twin Cities. Summit has been very flexible with me and very patient as I waited for my current job situation to play out. I will begin my four month internship with them on February 22nd. It is an unpaid internship but as luck would have it, I am receiving four months of severance from my current employer. Talk about luck!

After the internship with Summit I will be looking for a job in the brewing industry. Perhaps there will be a position at Summit? That would be ideal, but I have to remain realistic. Summit is a great company to work for and has very little turnover. Open positions are hard to come by. My wife and I are faced with the very real possibility of having to move out of state to find work. This is why we are getting the town home rented now (or soon) so we don't have to worry about that if we suddenly have to move across the country. While we'd both love to stay close to our families, I think we'd both welcome an adventure as well.

I apologize for being blog-absent for so long. It has been a ton of work not only packing up our entire home but also bringing it up to good renting condition. Now that I have much of the pre-rental paperwork out of the way I will try to post more frequently. And being that we are in the only month of the year with the word Bru in it, I think that makes it all the more important.

BEER THIS!

DA

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

2009-12-14T12:37:00.007-06:00

I was going to hold this post off until tomorrow, but I couldn't keep misleading everyone like this. Red Hots were NOT my secret ingredient. It wasn't a complete fabrication; it was a very clever idea from my mother-in-law. However, I thought it was a little too risky for a project like this. And, I don't know how appetizing it would be. It could be alright. I might just try dropping a few red hots into a beer sometime and see how it goes.

Sorry guys, just a little early April Fool's joke.

Okay, so what did I really do? My short list consisted of Vanilla, Lactose, Coffee, Molasses and Bourbon. I didn't know how much vanilla to use, how to use it or when to add it so I crossed that off. Lactose was already being used by another blogger and I didn't want to be the guy who made the second best milk stout. Coffee can be tricky, but it made it to the final two. And I didn't know if adding bourbon soaked oak chips would be considered adding two ingredients or not. So, I went with molasses. I have wanted to use molasses in a beer for a long time. I love the smell and flavor of molasses and I think it would compliment a stout nicely.

I found a recipe using molasses (a Marzen beer, actually) in Sam Calagione's book Extreme Brewing. I could not find any high-grade light molasses so I went with Grandma's Original Molasses. I used one pound as called for in the book and added it at the ten minute mark. The cooled wort smelled of fantastic molasses, now we'll just have to wait and see what is left after fermentation.

I carelessly forgot to take a gravity reading just before the addition so I don't know how much this added. The OG officially weighed in at 1.064. Apparently molasses is 90% fermentables and the aroma and flavor are supposed to remain. I sure hope so.

Cheers, and again, sorry! DA

Beer Blogger Brewoff - Brew Day

2009-12-14T09:42:00.004-06:00

I have recently started using Twitter more often and shall we say more completely. I had registered a while back just to play around but never really used it on a day to day basis. I've only recently started doing this as well as adding a bunch of users to my "following" list. As a beer guy it's a great tool for staying connected with all the local beer happenings as well as the individuals involved. Some of the people that I follow are other beer bloggers from the twin cities area. It was in doing just this that I discovered a brew-off just in the nick of time. Fellow blogger Aaron from The Captain's Chair had retweeted a tweet from SimplyBeer in Jersey about a brew off. This tweet piqued my interest so I checked out the SimplyBeer website. Sure enough, there was a brew-off between bloggers where each of them would brew the same stout. The kicker is that each would be brewed with a minor change or one secret ingredient. When finished all of them would be shared with the rest of the brewers. I thought it was a great idea. There was a brewing, bottling and shipping schedule and it looked like I could meet all the dates. So, I sent an email to Peter over at SimplyBeer and asked if I could get in on the action. I was welcomed enthusiastically. The cap was set at nine brewers to try and keep the shipping costs from getting out of control.

The important dates for this brew-off are December 13th - brew day, January 10th - bottling, February 1st - shipping and finally February 12th - TASTING! Details of the day can be found here.

My brewday began somewhat surrealistically. I slept much more than usual on Friday night (I wasn't feeling so hot) so when I woke up at 5am on Sunday I just tossed and turned. I gave in at 5:45 and jumped out of bed. I was already heating my strike water by 6:10 without even a hint of fatigue. Here's where disaster strikes (pun most definitely intended). There are many websites out there with strike water calculators. These help you determine what temperature a given volume of water needs to be when mixed with grain at another tempurature. If done correctly you will hit your target mash temp. Well, the strike water temp seemed abnormally warm but my grain was left in the garage overnight so that temp (50 F) was lower than normal. There were a lot of other internal alarms going off at this time - enzyme denaturing, tannin extraction, etc. But I just dismissed those and decided to not argue with the computer. What happened is I completely overshot my target - 170 F!!! In my panic I added a lot of ice which dropped my mash to 135 F. More hot water followed by more ice and I finally gave up. My mash was too cold and too thin. Chalk it up to a learning experience and move on. I discovered later in the day that I had selected the pounds/quarts option when I was entering my water volume in gallons (I did the gallon to quart conversion in my head). Perhaps I was sleepwalking after all.

Now, I will be the first to recognize that we are spoiled here in the Cities because we have not one, not two, but three LHBS* in the metro area. For many other brewers out there this would have ended their day. The bad news for me is that on Sunday the earliest store opens at 11am. And all this happened before 8am! Fortunately I had two beers that needed to be racked into secondary. I also decided to make lemonade out of lemons and use the wort collected from the disaster brew. I collected all those yummy flavors and colors and added six pounds of wheat LME and pitched it on top of the Scotch Ale yeast cake I had just racked off of. I also used all six ounces of Glacier hops I had sitting around. Yikes, thats a lot of hops! It was nice to have all this random stuff at my disposal to try and salvage what I could. I came up with an OG of 1.078, higher than I expected. But how much of it is fermentable? We'll find out. To my surprise, I had vigorous fermentation after only three and a half hours! Keep your fingers crossed.

At 11:30 I finally made it to the LHBS, got my new grain and I was off. The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful. To my delight I mashed in at precisely 152 F. Vorlauf lasted about 20minutes and sparging around 45 minutes. The boil was more of the same, just following the recipe. I could only get leaf hops in the one ounce Willamette variety but used pellet hops for Tettnang. I wasn't sure if we were to use German or US Tettnang so I defaulted to the traditional German variety. With ten minutes left in the brew I added my secret ingredient... Irish Moss! Just kidding. I did a lot of thinking about what I would add. I wanted it to be very unique and I finally decided that since the tasting would be conducted around Valentines Day that I would add cinnamon red hots. I added 1/4 pound with ten minutes remaining in the boil. The wort was very sweet and roasty with just a little bit of cinnamon heat. I think it will be good.

I finally pitched my yeast at 6:20pm and my 12 hour brewday was complete. I am really excited about this project. It is great getting to know the guys and fun to experiment. I have to admit, I unintentionally deviated from the recipe because I did indeed add Irish moss. It was more out of habit than anything. One could argue that with an opaque stout like this it isn't even necessary and you'd be right. Hope I don't lose any points : )

Cheers!

DA

*Local Home Brew Store/Shop/Supply

A Brewer's Journey... Priceless

2009-11-12T11:19:00.014-06:00

Round trip from Eden Prairie to Hudson, Wisconsin... 78 miles
Local craft beers from Minnesota and Wisconsin... $72.98
Packaging, shipping and lots of bubble wrap to send beers to Vermont... $60.04
Sharing local craft beer with fellow brewers from around the country... Priceless

Some of you know, some of you may not, that I have been studying with the American Brewer's Guild as part of their distance learning program. This program is just another step in my personal journey towards professional brewing. I have been following a fellow blogger's page A Brewer's Journey since its inception and it has really been a source of inspiration and motivation for me. It is in honor of his story and the many other dreamers out there that I am naming this post, a post about my own story, after his blog. Cheers, Spencer, and good luck in your new endeavor.

I suppose my story begins way back in the summer of 2000. My father has family in England, aunts and uncles and many cousins, so we have made a number of trips. The previous trips I was neither legal nor even interested in beer so on this visit the English beer culture was completely new for me. I graduated from college in 1998 and really didn't even know that beer could have different colors or flavors but my wise English uncles changed all that. My brother and I spent a lot of time throwing darts (did you know there are metal tip darts?) and drinking great English beer.

The next five years was a real growing period for me as I sought out beers most similar to the great brown ales, porters and bitters from across the pond. My palate was still very unrefined but I gravitated toward beers like Sam Adams Boston Lager (what the hell is a lager?), Summit EPA, Newcastle, Beamish, and one of my favorites from our trip, Caffrey's Irish Ale. As my palate began to refine I was able to identify different nuances in each beer. I found myself searching out even more styles and brands. I started to discover Hefeweizen, IPAs, Belgians, Imperial Stouts and more. It was then that I decided to take my love of beer to the next level.

In 2005 after many subtle and even some unintentional hints, my wife surprised me with a homebrew kit for my 30th birthday. After developing quite the passion and thirst for fine beers, I would now be making them myself. Or at least trying. They say if you can boil water you can make beer, and they are absolutely right. I was amazed at how easy it was to make beer. Was it good beer? That can be debated, and I often find, as most brewers do, that I am my own worst critic. But it was still beer. Well, that hobby exploded into an obsession. At times my wife would wonder..."What kind of monster have I created?". To her dismay, there were many trips to the local homebrew shop for kits, ingredients and worse... more equipment! Brewing at home can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it and I seemed to think I needed all the best gadgets and gizmos. I don't, but I love them just the same.

I'm a person who gets bored quickly. I have had many hobbies but I always seem to lose interest and move on to something else. The brewing fire, however, seemed to burn with a perpetual flame. It even intensified with each beer brewed and I knew I was on to something. They say if you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life. That resonated well with me so I decided I needed to learn more. I checked online for brewing education courses and let me tell you, it's pretty thin. From what I could find my choices were University of California at Davis, Siebel Institute in Chicago, Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and the American Brewers Guild (ABG) in Vermont.

Not being one to take a lot of risks, I decided the distance learning program at the ABG was just for me. I wouldn't have to quite my day job and I wouldn't have to move. I reluctantly applied for the program early in 2008. I say reluctantly because I did not have the math and science prerequisites they asked for. To my surprise and delight I was accepted. The program must be a popular one because there is a waiting list. They do two programs per year, one begins in January and the other in June. This was April of 2008 and I was accepted into the June 2009 program! I was excited, but it was hard to get too excited because it was so far away. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it gave me time to do other things before hand.

Not only did I have time to refine my skills as a homebrewer, but it gave me an opportunity to take the introductory chemistry class the Guild recommended. I was going back to school! That summer I enrolled in a chemistry class at Normandale Community College and completed it during the fall semester. This would later prove immensely helpful during the water chemistry portion and the engineering lectures of the Guild's program. And it was kinda fun to be a student again.

In January of 2009 I was fortunate enough to get into the BJCP class offered by the Minnesota Homebrewers Association. This class (which also has a waiting list) is a 14 week program that educates you on all aspects of beer tasting, appreciation and evaluation. The class included many lectures, presentations, quizzes, mock exams and, yes, tasting a lot of beer! It wasn't all fun and games. The Beer Judge Certification Program is the foremost authority on beer tasting and evaluation and the exam for which this class was to prepare us was brutal. Three hours of essay and tasting was not nearly enough time for the amount of material on this test. I took the exam in April and, while it took quite some time to get the results, I did pass. I am now officially recognized as a beer judge. Woo hoo!

That finally brings us to June 2009 and the ABG program. After over a year of waiting, it was time to begin. The chemistry class and the BJCP class both prepared me quite well for the ABG program. The program is a 23 week course in which I "attend" lectures on DVD, read text books, study online and communicate with classmates through Internet message boards and chat rooms. Although the program is basically an online school, the format for which we learned worked out well. I really felt like I was learning right along with everyone and if I needed help or had a question it was just a click away. And here were are, just finishing up week 22.

What's next? Well, the last week of the course takes place in Vermont. Ah ha, the ripoff MasterCard commercial I began with is starting to make sense. I will be heading out this weekend (Nov 13) to meet up with the rest of my class for our 'hands on' residential week. This is something I have really been looking forward to. We get to put many of the things we have learned to use. The week will take place in Middlebury, Vermont at Otter Creek Brewery.

From what I hear Middlebury is a pretty little New England town with lots of beauty and old world charm. We will be spending time at the brewery in the brewhouse, cellar and lab during the days and the evenings will be spent doing sensory evaluation training back at the hotel. At the end of the week there will be a review session followed by the final exam. The exam is the only part of the week that is making me uneasy, but even that is mild. I've faired pretty well on the exams so far so I really shouldn't be worring at all. I am sure there will be ample time for extra-curricular activities so I've sent a bunch of great local beers to my hotel and I've asked other classmates to do the same. It sounds like there will be a nice variety from around the country.

Well, I hope I haven't put you to sleep but if I've driven you to drink then I guess I'll consider that a wash. Hopefull this journey will continue positively in 2010 and I'll be able to share more with you in the coming months. I'll be spending the next ten days enjoying the best beer NYC and Vermont have to offer. And I'll raise a glass to you, my readers, cheers!

BEER THIS... DA

And The Winner Is...

2009-10-01T05:57:00.008-05:00

As many of you noticed from my most recent post, there was a homebrew competition down on Eat Street Tuesday night and I was in the running. I have been homebrewing for about four years now and I have yet to submit a beer in a competition. Why, you may ask? Well, when you submit your beers to a competition the organizers are usually looking for two 12oz bottles of your beer. The very first time I brewed I was stuck with the task that so many of us homebrewers are… washing, sanitizing, filling and capping fifty bottles of beer. I hated it so much that I went out and bought a kegging system while my next batch was fermenting. I have been kegging ever since. There were a few times when I would bottle half a batch and keg the rest but even that seemed too tedious. Long story short this was the first time I have been involved in any kind of brew-off.

It was a great time and I was pitted up against some great brewers. In addition to my IBA, we had a Dunkelweizen, a Biere de Garde, a Dusseldorf Alt and a Blonde Ale with Honey and Violet. If you’ve never been to the Black Forest Inn they offer flights of beer on their menu. If memory serves, you can get a dark beer sampler, a German beer sampler or a create-your-own sampler. This worked out well because we were able to use their nifty little carrying trays and 3oz sample glasses. All five brewers were on hand to talk about the beers, the club and homebrewing in general. Oh, and we were also waiters. It was our job to run samplers around to each of the tables in the restaurant and bar.

I gotta tell ya, it was a lot of fun and the time absolutely flew by. It helped that much of my family and many of my friends were there. Before we knew it, it was 9pm and time to count the ballots. I was very happy with the way my beer turned out but as a certified beer judge I didn’t think it was the best. Thankfully the restaurant agreed. Deep down inside everyone wants to win, but I didn’t want to win because I brought the most friends. The winner was the Dusseldorf Alt, brewed by long time brewer Mike Behrendt. I thought it was great that Mike won. He has been doing this for a long time and is a great brewer, not to mention his beer was a German style beer. Mike won with 35% of the votes and to my delight I came in second with 26% of the votes. I have to thank all my thirsty friends for that.

I really hope I can be a part of this next year in some capacity, whether as a brewer or a volunteer, as it was a lot of fun to be a part of. It was great to take brewing to the competitive stage and was nice to get some positive feedback as well. One highlight of the night for me was the gentleman from New Orleans who came up to us and wanted to “meet the guy who made the Brown Ale”. He thought it was fantastic and just wanted to let me know. Awww…

Thanks to all my great friends. I always say I have the greatest friends in the world and Tuesday they again showed me why. Thanks also to the Black Forest Inn. The food and service were fantastic and they really took care of our every need.

Prosit!

Oktoberfest!

2009-09-28T12:32:00.005-05:00

Homebrew at the Black Forest Inn

Yep, I'm doing it. I'm pimping out my blog to advertise an event. The Black Forest Inn on Eat Street in Minneapolis is just one of a myriad of German bars and restaurants that host an annual Oktoberfest celebration. Some reserve one day for their celebration, others do it every weekend for a number of weekends and others yet host a nightly celebration for a block of nights. Black Forest Inn does the latter. For ten days they host a different themed party each night. One night is Fake German Accent Night (you vill haf fun) and another is David Hasselhoff Night (he's kind of a big deal in Germany). But tomorrow night, Tuesday September 29th, is Home Brew Night. There will be five homebrewers (including yours truly) on hand each pouring a different home made concoction.

I would encourage you all to stop on by and check it out. If you are a fellow blogger, stop by and introduce yourself, I love meeting you guys. If you are a homebrewer, let's talk beer. If you're thinking about homebrewing, there will be a number of us on hand and we'd love to answer your questions. Have youselves some bratwurst and kraut and vote for your favorite homebrew (free samples). Details of the event can be found below. Oh and did I mention prizes? Yes, there will drawings for goodies from local home brew shops and other places.

What will I be bringing?

About the beer: "Muddhop" This beer is my take on an India Brown Ale. This all malt beer was brewed with nine pounds of malt extract. I also used various specialty grains that would put it somewhere between a Brown Ale and Porter. I then aggressively hopped it in the spirit of an India Pale Ale. Big bodied and a sweet roasty malt finish, this muddy concoction was dryhopped with Cascade for a divine aroma. She comes in at around 7% ABV.

(from Black Forest Inn website)

Tuesday September 29
Home Brew Night
Five accomplished home brewers pit their best beers against each other. And you are going to decide whose brew rules Oktoberfest! Free to all dining customers, the sampler comes with descriptions and a ballot.

6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Homebrew samples available
6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Live music!
Skeets Langley on accordion
9:00 p.m.

Votes counted and Prize for Best Home Brew awarded
Win home brew and other type prizes!
The Minnesota Home Brewers Association will be on hand to answer all your basement beer making questions.

Ya, I would argue the words 'accomplished' and 'best' above, but whatever, we'll see. Prosit!

The Perfect Trifecta

2009-09-14T13:27:00.017-05:00

The one gripe that I have about living in Eden Prairie is the lack of good beer bars. Now you could make the argument that Old Chicago is a great beer bar and it ain’t bad, but it’s no Muddy Pig. It’s no Buster’s on 28th. It’s no Stub and Herbs. Each of which are 22 miles, 14 miles and 17 miles from my house, respectively. Old Chicago is not a bad place, in fact that’s where I enjoyed many a beers while in my transitionary stage between macros and craft beers. There was always something new and exciting on tap and rarely did I have to drink the same beer twice. But, now that I’ve graduated to full flavored craft beers I rarely find anything there on tap that I want to drink. It’s not just the tap list. I don’t like the sports bar atmosphere unless I am at happy hour with friends. Let’s face it, it’s a chain restaurant and it's obvious. Sometimes when I’m in there, I have to ask myself, “Am I in Eden Prairie or is this Plymouth or Minnetonka or Sioux Falls or Denver?” I like a little more individuality. And I like to support my local guys too. Local bar owners and local brewers. I love Summit and Schell's but where’s the Surly, Liftbridge, Flat Earth, Brau Brothers? I can't bad talk them completely. There are times when I am thankful they are here, like the recent meet and greet with Lagunitas front man Tony Magee. But come on... Micro of the month - Summer Shandy??? Seriously!

Now I think I’ve finally found a cure for my beer bar blues. When I want to go and just sit peacefully pontificating over a good beer or three, I've found that the Gold Nugget is just the place. Just over five miles away this recently (re)opened bar in Minnetonka is both close and comfortable. This little burger joint has quite the past, unfortunately I know little about it. What I do know is that for most of the last 30 years the Gold Nugget was a small greasy spoon type dive bar that was famous for its burgers and onion rings. This is how it used to look. New developments in the area at Excelsior Blvd and County Rd 4 resulted in the demise of the old shack that housed it. In its place went apartments, condos and a stripmall. How sad. As someone who is still mourning the closing of Sherlock's Home nearly seven years later I can certainly empathize with the regulars who lost their favorite burger and beer joint. I think it's really cool that they incorporated the original stained-glass windows into the new restaurant.

I'll be honest, I never made it to the original bar but I have quickly grown fond of the new one. Coincidently I found the website for the old place. It's an old antiquated website and is actually quite entertaining. As for the new place, it's got that nice polished fresh feel. The dark wood, sharp lines and soft arches compliment each other nicely and are very inviting. Photos can be found on their website. In addition to a comfortable ambiance and atmosphere, the tap beer selection is pretty darned good. Local guys like Schell, Summit, Surly, Brau, Mantorville and Lake Superior. Craft breweries like Lagunitas, Founders, Bells, New Belgium and Boulevard. And they offer flights, they will pour four 4oz samples of any of their draft beers. In fact I had one on my first visit. This time however, I knew exactly what I wanted. It was a 3-pint flight of killer IPAs. It was Friday afternoon, I had some nagging homebrew follow up waiting for me at home but I convinced myself I could stop for a few. I deserved it, I earned it. I spent the previous two days working both jobs and I was due. Besides, the better half would be working until 10:30 and I had to warm up for the Autumn Brew Review.

I started with the Centennial IPA from Founders. Not the first time I'd had this one, but never a bad choice. Huge grapefruity hop aromas, sharp bitterness rounded out nicely with a heavy malt presence. I always enjoy this one, one of the best IPAs out there. I followed that up with a Lagunitas IPA. Less malt in this guy but perhaps a bit more bitter. Again, nice hop aroma but this time different fruit. More pineapple and lemon in the nose. This one also had a nice big body. I backed those up with perhaps the grandaddy of them all, Surly Furious. But before that I needed to eat. On their menu there are a few "originals" that remain from the former place. I chose the happy hour burger and onion rings both of which were originals and both were delicious. My one knock, albeit small, was that this combination was served in a basket. Nothing wrong with that but it just didn't fit the ambiance of the restaurant. Kinda like getting chinet at Manny's. I'm sure this was how it was always done in the old place so all is forgiven. Now that I had a nice base of beef and grease I could wash it all down with that Surly. Officially a double IPA, but what a great beer. Easily the most bitter of the three and again a great aroma. It's no secret the guys at Surly like hops and this one kneels to the hop gods. One of the best smelling beers ever brewed. The flavor is fantastic as well. All that bitter yumminess anchored by a substantial malt profile.

Hard to pick a favorite, so I didn't. These are all great hop bombs in their own right. I just considered myself lucky. While not really a beer bar per se, the Gold Nugget in Glen Lake is a warm, friendly, welcoming place with great service and an exceptional tap list. But alas it was time to go home... thankfully I didn't have far to go.

Viking Brewing Company

2009-09-02T08:09:00.000-05:00

As an aspiring brewer I have been trying many angles to make myself more marketable as a prospective employee. I am currently enrolled in the American Brewers Guild but I'd like to put what I am learning into practice. I wanna get my hands dirty. Many of you know that I eventually want to open my own brewpub... but not before I know what I am doing. The best way to do this is to spend some time in both a restaurant and in a brewery. Right now I am working at Punch Pizza. As a smaller restaurant it is very easy for me to see all the different aspects of the operation. I work closely with the manager and it has really been educational. Now if I could just find a part time job or volunteer opportunity in a brewery. I have sent many letters to local and not so local breweries and brewpubs in hopes that I could at the very least join them for a day of brewing. We are learning so much in the ABG program, it would be fun to see some of the equipment and procedures in action. So far of all the letters and emails I’ve written I’ve only heard back from one. Perhaps I should try follow up calls to the others. The one that I did hear back from was Viking Brewery in Dallas, Wisconsin.

Viking started turning out beers in 1995 in a time when craft brew was just hitting the radar. Located in the old Dallas creamery building this small family owned and operated brewery has been creating beers for nearly 15 years. And they’ve been doing it all on standard dairy equipment. The mash/lauter tun? Milk tank. The kettle? Milk tank. The fermenters? You guessed it, milk tanks. The beer, mostly lagers, is then aged in refrigerated milk storage tanks. It was a great experience and I got to see a whole brew process from mash in to yeast pitching. I also got to see and participate in keg cleaning, filling and beer transferring. Oh, and there was a tour while I was there so I got to partake in that as well. As a thank you for some of the help I was able to provide, I was graciously offered one bottle of everything in the beer cooler. This included eight 12oz bottles of their current seasonals and year round beers and a bomber of Berserk their Barleywine. The barleywine is young so I will age it a few years before diving into it. The others however I will taste over the next few days or weeks and share my thoughts. Before my visit I had only tried one of their beers so most of these will be new for me. In addition to some personal reviews I will try to include some pictures and stories from my day in the brewhouse.

I thought I would start with their flagship beer the CopperHead Marzen style lager. This one, I hate to say was a little bit off. For a Fest style beer I was expecting big malty flavors and aromas. Instead I got papery, floral, honey, perfumey aromas and a very dry light easy drinking flavor. I really didn’t get a whole lot of malt or hop aromas or flavors. It was certainly drinkable but I would like to give it another chance. I have read many reviews much better than mine and I’d like to experience what those guys were getting. Perhaps I just got a bottle with a little oxidation.

The next beer I tried was Whole Stein and this was a totally different story. Of the ones I've had so far this one is my favorite. The label calls it a Coffee Oatmeal Milk Porter and it is delicious. It reminds me a lot of a good sweet stout, something with lactose (unfermetnable milk sugar). This I am sure has some lactose because of the flavor and well, the name kinda gives it away, too. In my imperial pint glass this opaque monster sat up straight with a great tannish brown head, fluffy and light. Speaking of light, there would be none getting through this beast. Just check out the picture held up directly in front of the sun... nothing! Getting great aromas, like candy sweetness accompanied by espresso, dark chocolate and the like. Flavor mimmicks the aroma but much more dark coffee flavors than in the aroma. I don't believe this is brewed with coffee or has any added later, the dark roasted malts contribute to this perception. Body is big and creamy, low but appropriate carbonation and no acrid bite from the roasted malts. Despite descriptive words like monster and beast, this beer drinks criminally smooth. Must be the oatmeal. I will be looking for this one again. They no longer distribute to Minnesota but I'm sure I'll be back to Hudson before long.

Many thanks to Randy Lee for letting me come and be part of his life for a day.

Cheers!

Hell Hath No Fury...

2009-08-31T21:36:00.011-05:00

...like a beer geek scorned. Please excuse the pun, it’s the best I can do at the moment. There has been a lot of chatter recently around the beer community about the latest seasonal release by Surly. I’m not sure if it’s really even considered a seasonal but this is the second annual release of 'Hell' their version of a Helles lager - although I have also heard it categorized as a Zwickel or Kellerbier. One thing I learned this year is that "helles" is actually a German word meaning 'light'. I'm still not sure if that means not heavy or not dark. Either way it fits as this beer is both light on the palate and light in color. Traditionally (as in Light American Lager) that would also suggest light on flavor and light on enjoyment but this is anything but. Well, at least that's how I perceived it. This, however, is the root of a lot of debate. There was a lot of hype over this beer's release (first time in cans this year) and the limited availability has created quite a bit of hysteria. The Four Firkins, one of the finest craft beer stores in the city, received 10 cases. I think that equates to sixty 4-paks. There was a limit of two 4-paks per customer and they still sold out in about an hour. Why all the discussion? Well you can read about all the yays and nays here and here (in the comments section).

Personally, I am absolutely tickled to see the beer community getting excited about a non-extreme beer. At the same time I love seeing one of the most respected extreme brewers shift gears and tackle a style that's been relatively untouched by the craft brew scene. Between you and me, I think Todd (head brewer) just wanted to make a beer he could call Hell, but that's just me. On to the review:

Surly Hell

In a tall Pilsner glass this beer comes out dark golden even amber and despite its unfilteredness it is very clear. A small poufy one finger white head quickly reduces to a ring. I stick my nose deep into the less-then-full glass and take a big whiff. Woah, the hops that I am told are not there hit me in the face. The can says there are American hops in here but I am getting some spicy floral noble finishing hops in the aroma. The sweet citrusy American hops are there as well. Also present is a refreshing bready grainy aroma. The flavor is more of the same. I am getting corn, spicy hops and a serious bitterness that along with the vibrant carbonation scrubs the back of my tongue and down my throat. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and easily drinkable. No astringency or creaminess to speak of but certainly the aforementioned carbonation. Very refreshing and a lot bigger, in my opinion, than the style would suggest. This is a great beer. A nice clean lager with sharp edges. There are a lot of varying opinions out there about this beer but that is what I love about the beer community and my online beer geek friends. My opinion? More please!

Cheers, DA

Beer This!

Tony Magee and Lagunitas

2009-08-28T11:44:00.009-05:00

Well here it is Friday already and I am finally getting around to posting about Monday. Monday was one of those impromptu evenings that just kinda happens and turns out to be a heck of a good time. I was at home all ready to watch some lectures on DVD when I checked the dreaded Y! mail. There it was, an email from the MHbA my homebrew club. Tony Magee, founder and owner of Lagunitas Brewing Company was going to be at the Eden Prairie Old Chicago at 5pm. They will also be pouring a firkin of their Russian Imperial Stout. I live in Eden Prairie and within walking distance of Old Chicago. So, I had a decision to make; do I stay home and study and miss yet another meet and greet with someone in the beer industry or do I head over for a chance at a snapshot and some words from the wise? Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, beer pressure got the best of me and I headed over.

Me and Tony Magee

While ordering a glass of the Imperial Stout, Matt, a friend of mine from the BJCP class spotted me. Since I was flying solo I gladly took him up on his offer to sit with him and his wife. It sounded like they were on their last beer and would be heading home for supper, but before long Alvey from the Four Firkins arrived. Matt and Alvey are both avid bikers and ride together occasionally. Soon we were all hanging out together, drinking beer, laughing and having a great time. Matt and Courtney who were about ready to leave at 6pm ended up hanging out all night. We even got free pizza! What I thought was going to be just another mundane evening turned out to be a load of fun. Tony was a really cool guy to just be around and listen to him talk. Check out this interview I found online, this pretty much sums up his personality. Oh and the Russian Impy? Pretty fantastic. Sweet, roasty and a viscosity that resembles motor oil, just the way we like it! Cheers.

Bearded Brewing Beer Review #2

2009-08-19T08:20:00.022-05:00

Another day has dawned and that day is hump day, the middle day of the week. That makes today the perfect day to review the middle of the three beers I got from Eric over at the Bearded Brewing Blog... El Muerto Ale. What started as a Dead Guy clone has morphed into something I can only classify as an Amber and that may be inaccurate as well. I love the naming convention of calling a Dead Guy clone 'El Muerto', very clever.

This beer started as the Gringo did, with a big rush of carbonation. A big poofy tan head sits atop this cloudy dark amber to brown colored brew. This beer isn't clear but it is fairly translucent. It was much prettier than I could get with my camera and flash. Some sediment in this one too, but again appears to be mainly yeast. In the nose I initially got a phenolic peppery or clovelike aroma. Not what I think Eric intended, but I think time may have gotten the best of this one. I am getting a little bit of papery aroma which would suggest oxidation, also evidence of aging. Fortunately those aspects weren't dominant enough that I couldn't get down to the meat of the beer. I got a slight but faded hop aroma and toffee and caramel sweetness. The flavor was very intriguing. This one again started sweet but finished dry, kind of a dusty dry. There is plenty of nutty toasty malt presence which I found very welcoming. Nice bitterness dances across the tongue and down the back of my throat. The bitterness lingers ever so slightly into a medium to medium-high mouthfeel. Lots of cleansing carbonation but the body almost comes across as chewy, but in an enjoyable way.

I liked this beer, but I have a feeling in its prime I would have loved it. I especially enjoyed the malt profile which was one that you rarely find by either commercial or homebrewers these days. I would love to see this rise from the dead sometime down the road and give it another shot. I imagine the hops could be more of a highlight and the malt aromas would shine through.

Bearded. Brewing. Blogging.

2009-08-18T13:03:00.017-05:00

When I started blogging I knew little about it. I got into great beer and homebrewing long before I got into blogging but it is because of homebrewing that I discovered it. My homebrewing website, Luther Public House is based on the life and works of Martin Luther. My interest in Luther goes back a long ways but that’s a story for another day. It is because of this interest that I took notice to a BeerAdvocate user whose avatar is a picture of Luther. A glance at his profile led me to his website, Singing Boys Brewing. Jim, the guy behind Singing Boys is a homebrewer in the suburbs of Chicago. Low and behold his website led me back to Minneapolis and the brewing blog of The Bearded Brewer. It seems Eric from Bearded got Jim from Singing involved in brewing organically and that’s how the connection was made. This series of events got the ball rolling and before long I was blogging. Many of you are familiar with the Bearded Brewing blog as it seems we all follow each other’s blogs to a certain extent. And it's a fun little community to be a part of.

A while back Eric and I connected by email and between his two young children and my two jobs we found it very hard to find a date that worked. Finally, after months of trying, he and I were able to meet face to face and talk beer while enjoying great beer. We met up at Buster’s on 28th and in addition to great conversation we also exchanged a few bottles of homebrew. He blogged a while back about his Gringo Imperial Mexican Lager made with agave nectar. This beer was later reviewed by yet another blogger I follow, Stu, from Friday Night Beer. I decided after reading about it that I needed to try this beer.

And last weekend at Buster's I finally got my hands on some!

Last night, after a couple hours of lecture on yeast health, propagation and yeast washing, I decided I was thirsty. Not a surprise. This is usually a daily occurrence while studying beer and brewing, I find myself craving a well crafted beer. After just one whiff followed by a sufficient swig, I knew I was holding a well crafted beer. I opened the bottle carefully and got the gush of carbonation I was warned about. After it settled down I poured it into my Vegas* glass and had a look. It was a murky straw color with a huge sudsy head. I determined the murkiness was due to some chunky yeast matter. These were probably creating many tiny nucleation points which encouraged all the vigorous foaming. I have to admit that I was hoping for the crystal clear version as seen HERE on Eric’s review but appearance has very little to do with the overall enjoyment of a beer. What makes a beer are great flavor and a great aroma and this beer had both. Escaping ever so delicately through the massive dense head was a divine citrusy and floral hop aroma complimented nicely by a clover-like honey sweetness, probably the agave. In addition I also got a mild graininess and just a hint of alcoholic heat. The flavor was just as enjoyable.

I got more of that floral hoppy yumminess and just a slight amount of malt probably from the specialty malts. I also got what I could only explain as pineapple, but I liked it. The hop bitterness was low but the hop flavor and aroma were emphasized and fantastic. The other thing that amazed me about this beer was how clean it was, a very straightforward flavor profile that was so easy to drink. It started out sweet but finished dry which made it so refreshing. The mouthfeel was pleasant as well. Low to medium-low body and very effervescent. No astringency and due to the intense carbonation, no real creaminess to speak of. To be honest it really reminded me of

Rogue’s Imperial Pilsner which I absolutely loved! Very nice beer Eric, I will be attempting this at home if I may have your blessing.

Please stay tuned as I review the “El Muerto” manana… I mean tomorrow.

*My Vegas glass is one of a pair that my wife and I acquired from Ellis Island Casino and Brewery. We went in one afternoon for a couple of their great hefeweizens and we were served in these nice glasses. We didn't want to stay so we took them to go and the glasses ended up back in Minnesota some how.

The Perfect Hefe?

2009-07-09T10:02:00.006-05:00

First of all, Mom, you’re not going to like this one. My mother usually reads my blogs but she doesn’t like the ones that talk about all the intricacies of a well crafted beer. She’d rather read a good story. June was for you Mom, July is for the beer geeks.

I cannot get enough of this Schell Hefeweizen. I do not recall if I have ever had this before but it’s very impressive. I have to admit, I often overlook beers from Schell. They put out a consistent product in each of their offerings but I am guilty of American consumerism; always looking for something big and bold. I am going to try and change that. This past weekend I had a Summit ESB and I thought it was amazing. That’s another beer I wouldn’t usually seek out but it’s all that dad had in the fridge. I will certainly be seeking it out now. But this blog is about Schell. As I said, I usually don’t go to the store looking for Schell beers. I’ve enjoyed their 150th Anniversary beers and I usually get antsy for their Snowstorm which changes each winter but that’s about it. I do like Firebrick in a pinch, in fact I used to drink Firebrick a lot when I was converting from macros to craft. But, as I started to discover all the new flavors and styles I started to lose interest. I started to drink mostly ales and stopped giving lagers a chance. How small of me. At any rate, a post on BeerAdvocate this month brought this beer to the forefront of my mind. Being a fan of this style I decided I needed to try it. I visited Sean at the Four Firkins one day and got the last six pack. What did I think? Well…

This beer pours a beautiful cloudy golden-yellow color. A nice big frothy head that dissipates quickly to a small bed that covers and retains nicely throughout. Most brewers get the appearance right but this just keeps getting better. The aroma is amazing. The yeast gives off the characteristic banana esters and clove phenolics that any good hefe will but this one’s perfect. Not too much of either and just a tad more clove than banana. To me that makes a hefe. More banana than clove and I feel like it’s off a bit. Either way the two should be balanced. The aroma is so delicate and perfumey it’s just absolutely inviting. The flavor you ask? There is a wonderful grainy breadyness to it and no hop presence as expected. In line with the aroma there are plenty yeasty flavors present. How can this get any better? Well, we haven’t talked about mouthfeel and this is where the perfect hefe comes full circle. The body is light and carbonation pleasantly effervescent. The one thing that I notice that really sets this apart is the aftertaste. There is none, it finishes dry and crisp with none of that residual astringency that I am so used to getting from a Hefeweizen. You know that lingering tartness on the sides of your mouth? This really improves the drinkability. As a certified beer judge, I have never scored anything above a 45 (50 being perfect) but I would be tempted to throw a big old Five Oh on this scoresheet. This is one beautifully crafted beer and they should erect monuments in its honor.

Congrats goes out to the August Schell Brewing Co in the 2009 US Open Beer Championship
#4 Brewery overall
Silver in the Stout category (Schell Stout)
Gold in Kolsch (Zommerfest)
Gold in German Hefeweizen (Schell Hefe)
Gold in German Pilsener (Schell Pilsner)
Bronze in Bock (Maifest)
Gold in American Cream Ale (Deer Brand Original)

Prost!

P.S. How do you like the BREWTUS pilsner glass? I do not frequent Applebee’s much anymore but this glass is special. Nearly 13 years old, this is the glass I had my first “legal” beer in on my 21st birthday. Hey, Sioux Falls didn’t have much to choose from and I was still sadly in my macro heyday.

Colorado Beer Trip Master List

2009-07-02T12:53:00.007-05:00

Well, it took over a month to post about all the fun and exciting things we did in Colorado and everywhere inbetween over Memorial Day weekend. Here it is almost Fourth of July weekend, yikes! It was a lot of fun to write as I recalled our experiences, I imagine it will be a lot of fun to go back and read this a few months or years from now. Let’s just hope Google doesn’t go bankrupt. I thought I would post a list of all the great (and no so great) beers we sampled along our way. It’s quite impressive. This is in chronological order and includes the location of said tasting. Please don’t ask me to rank them from my favorite to least favorite. That would probably take another month. We learned some interesting information on our trip, namely:

1. 1000 miles in a Honda Civic is not as bad as it sounds
2. Not all Rock Bottom Breweries are created equal
3. Yeast can “breathe” in beer, humans cannot
4. Vine Street does not open until 4pm
5. The Colorado Rockies really suck
6. Hotels that deliver beer to your room for free are cool

Now, without further ado, the list!

5/21/09
Court Ave Brewing Company – Mike Gauthier brewer
1. Two Rivers Light
2. Belgian White
3. Iowa Oaks Amber
4. Kaplan Hat Hefeweizen
5. Topping Pale Ale
6. Honest Lawyer IPA
7. Pointer Brown
8. BlackHawk Stout
9. Barrel Aged (whiskey) 21st Amendment Ale (Rye)
El Bait Shop
10. Rogue Imperial Pilsner
11. Flying Dog Woody Creek Wit
12. Raccoon River IPA
Upstream Brewing Company
13. O’Gold Light
14. Honey Raspberry Ale
15. Gold Coast Brown Ale
16. American Wheat
17. Capital Premium Pale Ale
18. Firehouse Red Lager
19. Double IPA
20. Dundee Scotch Ale
21. Blue Mystic Saison
22. Oatmeal Cookie Beer
23. Blackstone Stout
24. Blackstone Stout Cask
Crescent Moon Ale House
25. Lucky Bucket Lager
26. Ska Nefarious Ten Pin Imperial Porter

5/22/09
Odell Brewery
27. Sadie Hawkins Lager
28. Easy Street Wheat
29. Levity Amber
30. Rocky Mountain Great Red Ale
31. 5 Barrel Pale Ale
32. 90 Shilling Scotch Ale
33. Cascadian Dark Ale
34. Cherry Stout
35. Cutthroat Porter
36. Odell IPA
37. Buffalo Bourbon Stout
Fort Collins Brewing Company
38. Major Tom’s Pomegranate Wheat
39. Birdie Lager
40. Dortmunder Export
41. Retro Red
42. Rocky Mountain IPA
43. (Billy the) Kidd Schwarzbier
44. Barrel Licked Bock
45. Z-Lager Rauchbier
46. Double Chocolate Stout
47. Chocolate Stout
CooperSmith’s Brewery
48. Poudre Pale Ale
49. Albert Damm Bitter
50. Punjabi Pale Ale
51. Not Brown Ale
52. Horsetooth Stout
53. Sitzmans Steam

5/23/09
Catalyst Coffee
54. BearRepublic Racer - X
New Belgium Brewing Co
55. Trippel
56. Mighty Arrow
57. Mothership Wit
58. Sunshine Wheat
59. Blue Paddel
60. Adam’s Ale
61. Abbey Ale
Oskar Blues Brewing
62. Dales Pale Ale
63. Mother’s Little Yella Pils
64. Old Chub
65. Ten Fidy
66. Gordon.
67. Barrel Aged Ten Fidy
Great Divide Brewery
68. Begica
69. Yeti Imperial Stout
70. Titan IPA
71. Hercules DIPA
72. Wile Raspberry Ale
73. Hades Belgian Style Ale
74. St Bridget’s Porter
75. Saison
76. Claymore Scotch Ale
Bull & Bush Brewpub
77. Allgood Ale (Amber)
78. Man Beer IPA

5/24/09
Coors Brewing Company
79. Coors Original (Banquet Beer)
80. Blue Moon – Honey Moon
81. Killians Irish Red
Rock Bottom Brewery – Original Location
82. Bottoms Up Kolsch
83. Buffalo Gold Ale
84. 16th St Wheat
85. Falcon Pale Ale
86. Red Rocks Red
87. Molly’s Titanic Brown

5/25/09
Falling Rock Tap House
88. Pliny the Elder – Russian River Brewing Co
89. Damnation – Russian River Brewing Co
90. Crazy Ivan – Bear Republic Brewing Co
91. Sweet Sixteen Saison – Avery Brewing Co
92. Black Butte Porter – Deschutes
93. Biere de Mars – New Belgium
94. ‘Oaked’ Butthead Bock – Tommy Knocker
95. Modus Hoperandi IPA – Ska Brewing Co
96. Blind Pig IPA – Russian River Brewing Co
Sandlot Brewing – Coors Field
97. Pale Ale
98. Red Ale
Wynkoop Brewing
99. Two Guns Pilsner
100. Wixa Weisse
101. Mile HI. P.A.
102. B3K Schwarzbier
103. Mackenzie’s Milk Stout
104. St Charles ESB
105. Railyard Amber Ale
106. SilverBack Porter

Day 5 Colorado Beer Trip (continued)

2009-07-01T13:26:00.009-05:00

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Monday, May 25th, 2009 After a number of hours at the Falling Rock, the rain ceased and the tarp was removed at Coors Field. We bid farewell to our new friends and headed out to the ball game. By the time we got there it was already the bottom of the third inning. I guess we were having too much fun at the Rock. We didn’t miss much as the game was still scoreless. In the top of the 4th however, the Dodgers ran laps around the bases, scoring seven runs. Over the next three innings the Rockies got within one run before giving up an eight spot in the top of the seventh. The Dodgers scored once more in the ninth but we were already at the bar by then. Final score 16-6. Not much of a game but we did get to see the majority of the scoring. We watched the fourth and fifth innings from the lower deck first base side and spent the sixth and seventh in the right field upper deck seats. Not sure what seats our tickets were for but our two-for-twenty dollar tickets seemed to get us to all areas of the stadium. We were kind of just there to see the stadium anyway.

While at the game we made a stop at the Sandlot Brewery. This is basically a bar in the stadium however the beer is also brewed right there. The brewery, owned and brewed by Coors under the Blue Moon brand, is visible behind glass opposite the bar. We had the Red and the Pale Ale. The Red actually reminded me more of an English Pale Ale and the Pale Ale reminded me of an American Amber (although that style as a descriptor has always been a little ambiguous). The Pale Ale (Amber) was malty but not sweet and not hoppy at all except to balance the malt. The Red (English Pale Ale) was much hoppier but more so in the English term. No citrus here, just earthy and grassy hops. The Red was my favorite, and although the beers were much better at the Falling Rock, the beers here were much better than at the stadium vendors. Definitely worth visiting, after all it is a brewery inside a ballpark. What’s cooler than that? Now that I think about it, perhaps I just had the two beers mixed up… hmmmm. After the Falling Rock that is certainly possible.

After the game (er, the 7th inning) we headed just a few blocks down the street to Wynkoop Brewing, Colorado’s first brewpub. Opened in 1988 this beautiful brewpub is situated in an old mercantile building and retains a lot of its old world charm. We bellied up to the bar and were greeted by a friendly barkeep. One who in fact lived in the Twin Cities for a brief period of time. Dragged there by, you guessed it, a girl, and all he could remember was the brutal cold winter. Likely story. I started with the sampler here and slowly worked my way through it. All of the beers I tried were unique and nicely crafted to represent the respective style. Pretty consistent and above average across the board. My favorites were the black beers. These were the SilverBack Porter, McKenzie’s Milk Stout and the B3K Schwarzbier. I didn’t take notes, unfortunately, but I think I remember the B3K to be a great roasty dark lager, yum. I just love the dark beers with roasted malt but Schwarzbiers being lagers have a nice clean finish to them with little fruity esters that are common among ales. The B3K was so named in honor of it being their three thousandth batch. The milk stout was creamy sweet and the porter was dark, roasty and smokey all over. I just love me a smoked porter. I also remember the Mile HI. P. A. being a very good American representation of the style. Inviting citrus hops on the nose and tongue which gave way to a maltyness that started sweet but finished nice and dry. The overall experience here was great. Our bartender was very friendly, funny and entertaining. It seemed like it was truly his pleasure to serve us instead of feeling like a burden. I would recommend their service, their vibe and their beers to all.

Day 5 Colorado Beer Trip

2009-06-23T17:26:00.014-05:00

Monday, May 25th, 2009 Our last day in Colorado… Had a great breakfast at Dixons. Totally made up for the breakfast the previous day. I had the huevos rancheros and Carolyn had an amazing avocado benedict. After breakfast we made it our mission to get to The Falling Rock Tap House right at 11am when they opened. There was a Rockies game (two blocks away) at 1pm and we thought it might get busy early. This has been rated by a number of publications as one of the best beer bars in the country. Being only a few blocks from our hotel we knew this would certainly be one of our stops. We were greeted with: “It’ll just be a couple minutes folks, we’re still setting up” No worries. We sat at the bar at the far end. We were greeted by a friendly talkative gentleman who was in his element while talking beer. Shortly after we sat down it started to rain heavily. Perhaps there would be no game. We didn’t have tickets yet but we were planning on going. We visited with this gentleman for a while. We had talked about all the places we'd been on our trip and he seemed to have a story about each of those places. He even shared some personal stories of his own. Like the time he went out and spent some time with the people at Russian River. While there he stayed at the home of owners/brewer Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo. How cool would that be?! Or how about the time he spent an afternoon bottling cage-tops at New Belgium with Kim Jordan. This guy had a story for everything and it was very entertaining to listen to him.

We later found out this was Chris Black, the founder and owner of The Falling Rock. A great article about him can be found HERE. We tried some fantastic beers here. The elusive and much sought after Pliny the Elder from Russian River was on tap so I started with that. A rich, sweet, caramaly, malty, hoppy creation that was fantastic. Carolyn started with another Russian River creation, Damnation. I of course had to try this Belgian Golden Ale and thought it was delish. Bear Republic had a blend of their Hop Rod Rye with their Racer 5 and fermented with a Westmalle strain of yeast. It was called Crazy Ivan and resembled a Belgian Pale Ale more than anything. Pretty good actually, as if I expected it not to be. It was also here that I had for the first time the New Belgium Biere de Mars. I really had a hard time defining this beer but I really really liked it. A nice dry nutty start yet fruity finish to it. I heard they had this on tap at Three Squares a few weeks ago, would have loved to get up there and tried it. Anyone reading this know if it’s available anywhere else in the Twin Cities? I enjoyed the heck out of the Tommyknocker Oaked Butt Head Bock. Never gave much attention to this brewery, perhaps I should start. But the real treat for me at this visit was the Deschutes Black Butte Porter. Wow was this amazing. I just love chocolatey black porters and this had just a touch of sweetness, I was in porter heaven. In addition to a great conversation with Mr Black, Carolyn and I made another new friend. Jose had just moved from Chicago. Literally he had just dropped his rental car off at the agency and his first stop was Falling Rock. He had visited Denver in November and fell in love with the town and so he decided to call it home. I can’t remember for how many years but Jose was the resident beer geek and bar manager at Sheffield’s in Chicago. As the rain came down and the game was delayed we just sat and talked beer. We talked about the Minnesota scene, the Chicago scene and the Denver scene and everything in between. We had a dang good time. That reminds me, I still owe him a shipment of beer. I hope to build a trading relationship with Jose as well as a friendship. Salud my friend!

Day 4 Colorado Beer Trip

2009-06-22T19:09:00.004-05:00

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Sunday, May 24th, 2009 Here it is June 22nd and I’m still writing about May! I will try to finish this trip up so I can write about more current events. We arose famished, however The Oxford has no complimentary breakfast and downtown Denver is a ghost town. I guess this is normal for a Sunday morning. We find a coffee shop across the street with a good looking breakfast menu. Of course on Sunday there is a different more limited menu. We had to settle for a couple of rock hard dry breakfast paninis and an average cup o joe. We began the touristy day with not a beer bar, nor a brewery, nor a beer pouring coffee shop but Red Rocks Amphitheatre. This place is like a shrine to live music. Most people have heard of this concert venue in the foothills. We both enjoyed the architecture, history and landscape very much. We even took a 1.4 mile hike. It’s true what they say… the altitude really makes a difference. Probably didn’t help that the previous three days really dehydrated us. After Red Rocks we made it to Golden, Colorado.

Yep, you guessed it, the home of brewing behemoth Coors Brewing Company (Now MillerCoors). Carolyn and I toured Miller in Milwaukee in 2006 and while the beers leave something to be desired, I am always impressed with the sheer size of the facilities and the process. As a homebrewer I am familiar with the brewing process. It’s quite fascinating comparing and contrasting the similarities between producing 2.5 gallon batches and 20 million beer barrels. Many of you have been on brewery tours before and know that a lot of places still utilize the copper kettles. At Coors there are more than fifty of them, all in one large room and it’s almost hard to fathom. It’s easy to visualize Summit and Leinie’s where there are just two. I almost wondered if there were mirrors or some other creative illusion trickery. I was quite impressed. I also enjoyed watching the packaging room in progress. It’s amazing how many 30 packs of Coors Light can be packaged in sixty seconds. About half way through our self guided tour we were offered a fresh beer sample of either Coors Banquet Beer or Coors Light. The gimmick here is that the beer is supposed to be a day or two old. “Fresher than you’ll find anywhere else” they claim. Like the Silver Bullet tastes any different after a month or two. Whatever. I wasn’t going to just walk by so I grabbed a Banquet Beer and continued on the tour. I gotta tell you, nothing makes Coors Banquet Beer sound so good as when it’s being advertised by Sam Elliot. “Coors… The Banquet Beer” Can you hear it? At the end of the tour we were offered three more samples. We could chose from any of the Coors line of products, Coors, Blue Moon, Killian’s, etc. These were by far the biggest sampling glasses of any brewery tour I’ve ever taken; probably 8 or 10oz each. I regrettably went for the Blue Moon Honey Moon first. I’d never had it before and I foolishly expected a wheat beer. It turned out to be a bland tasteless mess. I choked it down and went back for a Killian’s Red. Again, major disappointment. I always remembered this beer to be more flavorful. It seemed more like a light lager with a little color. Not cool. The lines for the samples were quite long so we opted for the gift shop instead of our last sample. I think this was the first time I’ve ever done that on a tour. Turn down free beer? Blasphemy. Now I must say, even though I didn’t necessarily enjoy their products, I still think they are doing a good job. It really is hard to make a beer with that little color and that little flavor and do it consistently over long periods of time. For the style of beer they produce, they do a very good job. This guy just doesn’t find them quite to be all that inviting.

After the Coors tour we returned to Denver. I had heard good things about a brewpub in Boulder, the Mountain Sun. They have a second brewpub in Boulder called the Southern Sun and recently (about a year ago) opened another brewpub in Denver called the Vine Street Pub. I don’t think they make their own beer on premise yet but you can get their famous Boulder options on tap here. We showed up at 3:15 only to find out that the place doesn’t open until 4pm. You have go to be kidding me! What kind of pub isn’t open on the weekend for lunch? It was raining and we were getting wet so we returned to the car to assess the situation. I don’t think it makes good business sense to open at 4pm seven days a week. I did hear later in the trip that it’s not uncommon for people to start hanging out a half hour to an hour before opening. Wouldn’t you want to let these people in and take their money? Oh well, I am biased and bitter. We decided we didn’t want to sit in the car and wait for 45 minutes so we returned to the hotel. I needed to get the bad taste out of my mouth (literally from Coors and metaphorically from Vine Street). I finished the last of the Odell Red while we started discussing dinner plans. Being a fan of our local Rock Bottom I suggested we go to the one in Denver. I usually avoid chains while on holiday but since this was the original Rock Bottom Brewery we decided to make an exception. The atmosphere is a lot like ours in Minneapolis. I’ve been to Rock Bottoms in Des Moines and Chicago and they seem to have their own unique touches but the Denver one is a lot like ours. Long bar, dark wood, vessels behind glass above the bar. What I liked about this one is that the brew house was visible in a small room on the other side of the bar. In fact, our booth was situated against the windows looking into the brew kettles. I returned to form and ordered the sampler which consisted of six beers. I hate to say it but I felt like all these beers tasted pretty much the same. I’m not sure if my mouth was experiencing palate fatigue or if they use some kind of house yeast in all the beers or what. I was truly unimpressed. I felt they were all similar versions of each other, only the color varied. Now of course there were more differences than just color but nothing really stood out or excited me all that much. Upon completion of the sampler, I followed it up with a pint of the Falcon Pale Ale. I should have been more aggressive at asking about any special or seasonal brews but I was too preoccupied with the Twins game that just happened to be on National TV. We certainly had our share of good food here, however. The chips and guac were great as were the potstickers and I finished the evening off with the half rack of ribs. Mouthwatering, fall off the bone good! We were both so full we could barely move. On the way out we talked briefly to the host about the novelty of being “the first”. It could just be folklore, but we were told where the name came from. The building that houses this restaurant used to be called the Prudential Building and the symbol for Prudential is, of course, the Rock of Gibraltar. Situated in the bottom of the building, the name became Rock Bottom. Personally, I like to think of drinking beer as the place I go to when I’ve hit Rock Bottom but whatever. Not a great day for beer, but as they say… a bad day of beer drinking is better than a good day working. No truer words were spoken.

Day 3 Colorado Beer Trip (continued)

2009-06-16T08:07:00.010-05:00

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 Ring, ring, ring… No one ever answered the phone at Great Divide Brewing Company in the weeks leading up to our trip so I had no way of knowing if the tap room would be open on Memorial Day. Had I known ahead of time that they were indeed open we would have gone to Boulder from Longmont to hit Avery, Mountain Sun and/or Boulder Beer. But alas, we shall save that for another trip. After three days of driving we finally arrive at our final destination, the Mile High City. Before even stopping at the hotel we find our way to Great Divide. This unassuming two story brick building in the heart of downtown appeared closed from the outside but was bustling with people once we got in. We cornered up to the bar and were given a list of available taps. We picked a few we wanted to try and the bar man returned with some attractive mini-snifters. We sipped for a while on the Belgica, Yeti, Hercules, Titan, Wild Raspberry, Saison, St Bridget’s and Hades. We were three days too early to taste the Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti which was too bad, but best not dwell on what we didn’t drink. I liked the Belgica and Hades, but Carolyn really found them yummy. She’s a big fan of Belgian beers. Very well done in my opinion. This was my first taste of the Yeti and I thoroughly enjoyed its roasty yumminess. The Wild Raspberry Ale was very good. Very nice aroma of natural raspberries, like you were smelling a handful of them. Not sweet like raspberry puree but tart like fresh picked raspberries. The beauty of this one was the flavor as it was not overly raspberry. I like fruit beers but only if the majority of the fruit is recognized in the aroma. I don’t like a sweet fruity taste. Berry Weisse would be an extreme example, but even Sam Adams Cherry Wheat is too much for me. Their IPA (Titan) and DIPA (Herc) were amazing but I was most impressed with this Wild Raspberry. Another beer I enjoyed was the St Bridget’s Porter. Lot’s of chocolatey smoothness, mmmmm. I even learned something new from this beer; St Bridget was a Patron Saint of Ireland and is said (among her many other acts of benevolence) to have turned bathwater into beer to nourish lepers and visiting clerics. We must remember in those days the water was not always potable, but beer was always safe. I’ll raise my glass to this legendary lady of the Emerald Isle, Sláinte! Luckily we arrived just in time for the 4pm tour. It was a good tour given by one of the brewers so it was very informational. It wasn’t one of those tours where you're taken into a big room, given the grain-to-growler spiel and you're done. You actually get guided from room to room with an entertaining narrative of the brewing process. We finished the tour, finished our beers and off we went.

We checked into our hotel and took a load off. It was good to finally slow down and relax and it was nice to know we wouldn’t be packing up again in the morning and driving somewhere else. This would be our home for the next three nights. We stayed at The Oxford Hotel and we really enjoyed the place. Everyone was super friendly and very helpful. When we checked in they asked us why we were travelling and we enthusiastically shared that we were on a beer tour of Colorado. About an hour later there is a knock on the door. It’s room service… except we didn’t order room service. Turns out the front desk sent up three bottles of Odell Red Ale. What a classy move! And we got a great rate on the room, too. We would definitely recommend this place if your plans ever bring you to Denver.

So anyway, this isn’t HOTEL THIS, it’s BEER THIS, so let’s get back to the beer. My buddy Joe, with whom I was neighbors during my post college days in Sioux Falls, was going to pick us for dinner. He is originally from Denver and moved back to the area about eight years ago. I told him Care and I were thinking of heading to the Bull and Bush for dinner and he was really excited we picked that place. Just southeast of downtown sits this little English brewpub which happens to be very near to where Joe grew up. Regrettably, I only had two beers here, the Allgood Ale and the Man Beer IPA. I didn’t want to fill up on a bunch of samples and I didn’t really want to think anymore so I just enjoyed a couple of pints and a great conversation with an old friend. The Man Beer was quite good. This American style IPA was certainly American in the hop aroma and flavor however, I thought he malt base was more English. Appropriate I suppose since we were sitting in an English Pub. I’m not criticizing, just thinking out loud, I could care less about stylistic accuracy. I certainly did enjoy it. I could have had another but thought I should try something else. I went with the Amber Allgood Ale and I wish I would have gone with a Brown or Stout. What was I thinking? This was an English Pub. The Allgood wasn’t bad, just not very exciting. Ambers aren’t really ever exciting, but it seemed like the flavors were muted a bit. At any rate the visit was still enjoyable. The food was excellent and the mood was electric as the Nuggets-Lakers playoff game had just begun. By the end of the meal the day’s activities had caught up with us. We were tired. We headed back to our hotel as happy as a clam and moving at about the same speed.

Day 3 Colorado Beer Trip

2009-06-09T10:04:00.010-05:00

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Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 Our day begins as we rise on our terms. I can’t remember the last time I slept in, and it feels good. We get down to the free breakfast lounge just as they’re closing up at 9am. We got plenty to eat as they were very accommodating despite our tardiness. We finished up, brushed our teeth, checked out and hit the road. First stop was a coffee shop on the other side of town, Catalyst Coffee. Now, the only reason we’re heading to this place is because I heard of the awesome tap list. You’re scratching your head thinking, tap list, at a coffee shop? It’s true, the other half of this place is a tap room. Tap Room @ Catalyst as it’s know, offers local artwork, live music, fine wines and a generous selection of world class beers. The taps at Catalyst feature a nice selection of local Fort Collins beers such as New Belgium and Odell as well as some top notch regional and national beers. I remember seeing Stone, Russian River, Dogfish Head and BearRepublic while we were there. I had heard that they had the evasive Racer X on tap but I wasn’t holding out faith that I would get any. Sure enough, upon arriving at 9:30 we saw the Tap Room hours posted on the door… open at 4pm. Oh well, we went in and ordered some coffee and found some comfy seats to lounge in. I saw some computers over on one side and thought I would check Facebook, BeerAdvocate, etc, while I had some time to kill. Someone from the adjacent room greeted me warmly and I turned and realized I was looking into the taproom. We exchanged pleasantries and I told her I was disappointed that I couldn’t try some Racer X. She looked at me straight faced and said, “Oh you can get beer here anytime, just order if from the barista”. Are you freakin kidding me??? A double IPA at ten in the morning? Why not! It looked like the three ladies in the tap room were setting up for a musical show, but they also seemed genuinely interested in talking beer with us. I didn’t want to intrude but they didn’t seem like they wanted us to leave either. I felt very fortunate to be sitting in the Tap Room (six hours before opening) enjoying one of the country’s best double IPAs talking beer with whom I found out later were the new owners. After a great conversation, a great beer and a great cup of coffee we were off to our next brewery tour. Thanks to Dru and Cynthia and everyone for a wonderful, memorable trip to The Tap Room @ Catalyst! I highly recommend checking it out if you're ever in the area.

After Catalyst and before heading south we had to check out one of the most popular breweries in the US right now… New Belgium Brewing Company. I must have confused a phone call to Coors with one to New Belgium because I didn’t think you needed a reservation for their tour. I was so wrong. By the time we got there at straight up 11am the next available tour was 1:30. We needed to be on the road by 12:30 so we had to settle for some samples in the tap room. Free beer is never a bad second prize. We were instructed to find a seat and a “waiter” would come by with a menu. We chose which four we wanted to try and he returned quickly with them. I was really disappointed to have missed the tour but we got to spend more time in the tap room. They really cram you in and we were forced to meet our neighbors, a couple from Denver, fortunately they were pretty cool. The four of us conversed and consumed and had a nice time. My favorites were the Abbey Ale (wonderful bouquet in the nose) and the Biere de Mars was uniquely delicious. I wish it were more readily available around here. This was the one place I forgot to take notes so I am lacking in the descriptions. Before we knew it, it was 12:30 and we needed to get on the road. Next stop Longmont, Colorado.

We exited the freeway at the Longmont exit and made a pit stop at Mickey D’s. It was going to be a long day and we wanted to pile on a good base for cheap. Plus, someone really had to pee! Two QPCs later and we snaked our way into the city. Longmont is home to both Lefthand Brewing and Oskar Blues. Unfortunately we wouldn't have time for Lefthand. I surveyed Beer Advocates before the trip as to which Oskar Blues location to visit and there really wasn’t an overwhelming consensus between Lyons (the original brewpub) and Longmont (production facility). We chose Longmont simply because it was right on the way to Denver. Built literally right inside the brewing facility is the tasting room which they call The Tasty Weasel. Having just opened in February we were pretty excited. We arrived around 2pm and it was pretty much empty. It was nice because we had the place to ourselves and had the complete attention of the bartender. She was very helpful answering questions. We found out where the names Ten Fidy and Gordon came from. There were some other folks out in the brewing area which we found out later were from Nordeast Minneapolis. Gotta give a shoutout to Jameson and his wife and their newborn (what’s her name?). Everything here was mighty tasty. Many of these beers we can get across the border in Hudson, but it was great to get them on draft and straight from the brewery. We enjoyed Dale’s of course and his friend Gordon. Mama’s Little Yella Pils, Ten Fidy, Old Chub and Barrel Aged Ten Fidy. Which one was my favorite? If you guessed the Barrel Aged Ten Fidy you’d be right on (and you’d probably been reading my other blogs). I’m told they also use Stranahan’s Whiskey barrels and they make some dang fine beers. As a fan of the hops, Gordon was of course amazing and I have always been a big fan of their Scottish Ale Old Chub. Yum and double yum.

During our visit we were encouraged at anytime to go wander around the brewing area which we did. They have a basketball hoop and a batting cage set up for break time. They ride bikes around the brewery to get from one end to the other; it’s a really fun scene in there. And the guys working were really friendly. I asked one guy if he liked where he worked and he said “Yah, it’s a brewery, what’s not to like?” he continued “of course it is still hard work. The novelty does wear off, but it’s still a great place to work.” I replied, “Hey, people come to watch you work, that’s gotta be cool. No one comes to my office to watch me work”. He nodded in agreement as he threw another palate of empty cans on the bottling… er, well, canning line. A couple of other young gentlemen were working the rear end of the line, taking the full six-packs from the ring machine and stacking them onto palates. There was a guardrail at the end so the six-packs didn’t fall off the back. They offered, “Sometimes this guard slips out and we lose a couple. It’s unfortunate because whatever falls on the ground we have to take home. Oops”. I’m sure they’d used that line a hundred times before but I got a kick out of it. It just goes to show how much these guys really enjoy their job. Because they can…

Day 2 Colorado Beer Trip

2009-06-04T09:30:00.011-05:00

Friday, May 22nd, 2009 We get on the road relatively early. The coffee at the hotel was pretty crappy (seriously, I wasn't thinking about the coffee's proximity to the toilet when I wrote this - I just laughed at my own unintended joke ha ha). So, about as quickly as we got on the freeway we get off. Guided by the towering golden arches we followed our eyes to better coffee. We got our coffee (black, no McLattes for us) and off we went. Anyone who’s made this trip knows there ain’t much to look at in Nebraska. Eventually we made it into Wyoming and then Cheyenne where we took a left and headed to Fort Collins. We were pleasantly reminded that we gained an hour somewhere near North Platte so we arrived earlier than expected. We checked into our hotel, freshened up and headed to brewery number one, Odell!

Being from Minnesota we’re not accustomed to breweries selling beer like bars. We didn’t get there in time for the tour but were able to walk right up, order some beers, sit down, drink, repeat. We got two different samplers, one was house beers and the other was some specialty brews. There were so many that were so good, they really know what they’re doing at this place. The Cascadian Dark Ale had a nice American hop aroma and complex flavors including toasted and roasted malts. The Rocky Mountain Goat Red Ale was very hoppy, had a creamy head and nice amber reddish color. The hops were the star of this show. The Cutthroat Porter was also very good with the right combination of dark and delicious malts providing some great melanoidin flavors. Like I expected, I enjoyed the Odell IPA I had heard so much raving about. In this day and age it seems IPAs have to be “Imperialized” or “doubled” to be exciting. It’s nice to have a straight up IPA knock one out of the park. Very bitter and full of flavor, I had to pick up a sixer of this to take home.

One of the more comical moments of the afternoon occurred when we tasted the Cherry Stout. I picked it up and gave it a little sniff. I couldn’t swirl it to wake up the aromas because it was filled all the way to the top. I said “I’m not getting any cherry in the nose”. Carolyn took it from me and proceeded to inhale, but only after she had submerged her nose in the overfilled glass. She came up for air in a bit of a panic… “I breathed it in, I breathed it in!” Not knowing what to do, I told her to blow her nose which I assumed meant a napkin and maybe a trip to the ladies room. Well, during her hastened non-thinking state she just turned and blew between us. Inky liquid splattered everywhere; her leg, my leg, the vinyl booth seat. That seemed to do the trick alright. I couldn't resist, I had to say "Looks like you got some cherry in the nose". All we could do was laugh. It was probably to most idiotic scene ever made and it all happened so fast. I didn’t dare look around to see who was watching us. After we got cleaned up and the samplers were finished I tried the Buffalo Bourbon Stout. This was fantastic. I’ve recently been getting into the whiskey barrel aged beers lately. I like them more subtle than over the top and this was just that. A great rocky head and its opaque jet black color complimented this big bodied malty monster perfectly. At 10% and a lot of day ahead of us, I was both glad and sad that I only ordered a half pint. We wandered the grounds for a little while, taking in the fresh Front Range air and really enjoyed ourselves.

Literally right down the street was another local brewery, Fort Collins Brewing Company. We didn’t spend a whole lot of time here, Carolyn cut herself off since she was driving and she was getting bored drinking just water. The (Billy the) Kidd Lager was nice. It was a Schwarzbier but had more fruity esters than I expected. This dark beer was spot on in color and drank nicely. The other two beers I enjoyed here were also dark. The first, their Double Chocolate Stout, was an Imperial Stout. Nice roasted and chocolate malt undertones as well as a subtle sweetness. Exceptional compromise between the hop and chocolate in the aroma, very nice. And finally, the Barrel Licked Bock. Yum another barrel aged beer. This is their Doppelbock aged 12 months in Whiskey barrels from Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey in Denver. This beer packs a punch of superb maltiness and terrific whiskey flavors and aromas. My mouth is watering for it again. Their “single” Chocolate Stout and Rauchbier were also pleasant on the palate. But, after seven hours in the car we were wiped out so we headed back to the hotel to catch a few Z’s before supper.

After a well deserved (IMO) late afternoon nap we awoke a little famished. So it didn’t take us long to get ready and head out to CooperSmith’s. This place was a neat little venue in the bustling downtown area. It was the end of the school year for Colorado State so the town was busy with students and parents alike. It was a nice vibe. CooperSmith’s is unique in that it’s separated into two areas with a sidewalk and patio between. The Pubside and the Poolside. Both serve food and fresh brews, but the Pubside was more restaurant-like and the Poolside was more bar/pool hall. We ate in the restaurant and sampled some nice beers. I liked the Not Brown Ale (“not” a typo), very dark, sweet and malty. It reminded me of Bell’s Best Brown. I also enjoyed the Horsetooth Stout which was opaque, thick and oatmeal smooth. I also enjoyed the Sitzman’s Steam although this one was made with Cascade hops (one of my favorite), instead of the typical woody Northern Brewer variety. It was a nice twist. Very mellow and easy drinking. The food stood out as well. I ordered the Mesa Verde Burger which consisted of a large green chili, roasted and peeled, placed atop the meat. On top of that was a generous topping of pepperjack cheese and chipotle bbq sauce. Mmmmm, mmmm, is your mouth watering yet? I definitely will be trying to replicate this at home. I don’t think I’ve ever been so full in my life. Downtown is a really neat busy area full of energy. We took a stroll for about a block or two before retiring for the evening.

Colorado Beer Trip – Great Hotel

2009-06-02T07:48:00.009-05:00

Okay, no beer highlights here, just wanted to comment on our first night’s hotel. The Downtown Omaha EconoLodge is in a great location and was a great price. I’m thinking this was more of an extended stay hotel than anything else. It seemed like some people had gotten pretty comfortable there. But on that note, we too were comfortable. I love me a King-sized bed and it was comfy. I am wondering however, if they got their furniture from the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas. Now let’s get this straight, this EconoLodge (and none others that I know of) does not have an Asian theme, but I am pretty sure that this is the exact same bed and chest of drawers that we had in our room during my bachelor party in Vegas.

I was also very surprised and pleased that before we arrived, they somehow seemed to secure my Grandpa’s recliner and place it in our room before we got there. I thought that was a nice personal touch. Finally, It was very convenient to have the coffee maker within arms reach of the toilet. This was especially helpful when we woke up late and needed to get on the road. It was nice to be able to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. This place also included free breakfast which is always a plus. We were able to fill up on frosted flakes, yogurt, various juices and a banana all while listing to two old guys passing a cell phone back and forth trying to direct a third to their current location. Pretty hilarious, especially when you're dealing with two cities in two States separated by a river.

Only seven hours to Fort Collins, on the road again…

Day 1 Colorado Beer Trip (continued)

2009-06-02T07:22:00.016-05:00

Thursday, May 21st, 2009 After the drive from Minneapolis to Des Moines, the Omaha leg of the trip seemed like a breeze. A short two hours after leaving El Bait Shop and we were already approaching the Council Bluffs/Omaha area. Before the sun went down I wanted to check out the Old Market. I had spent quite a few afternoons in the Old Market when a buddy of mine was at Creighton Dental School. I used to go down every summer for the College World Series and I was always impressed with the Old Market. This part of downtown is Omaha’s trendy hot spot. Old warehouses tastefully refinished into gift shops, retailers, bars and restaurants. Of these old buildings, one of them is a renovated firehouse, and creates some pretty tasty beers. The Upstream Brewing Co, from firehouse to brewhouse. The atmosphere is comfortable, very clean and straight lines, almost like you’re in a chain restaurant but with the charming wait staff of an independent. We bellied up to the bar and were treated the way first timers should be treated. Very friendly bartenders, offering to help in anyway possible but not intrusive, hasty or forceful. I knew what I wanted… the sampler, duh. We were brought two tall glasses of water without even asking. I like a place that does that. Too many times water seems like an inconvenience than a service.

No fancy rack for their sampler, just a laminated placemat with descriptions of the beer to be placed on it. Thirteen mini Pilsner glasses to be exact. “Oh how cute”, Carolyn exclaimed! I won’t go into detail on all of them but rather just the more memorable ones. The Dundee Export Scotch Ale was very pleasant. Plenty of malt and a nice easy drinking smoky finish; hints of sweet caramel set this one apart. It was also fun to taste the Blackstone Stout along side the cask version of the same beer. Both were nice and roasty with big body but the cask version was more complex. I was picking up a hint of oak and maybe some bourbon. It definitely seemed barrel aged to me, but the bartended assured me it was not. The only differences are serving temperature, the cask version isn't on nitro and the cask version was dry hopped. I enjoyed them both but more so the cask version. Another couple of beers really stood out. The Oatmeal Cookie Beer and the Blue Mystic Saison. The cookie beer was toasty, creamy, malty, biscuity and all around delicious. The Saison was brewed with ginger which added a nice refreshing twist. This saison was very citrusy already and the ginger added that piney something extra. It's not overpowering, I may not have even noticed it if I wasn't looking for it. It was very subtle but very welcome. After finally finishing them all plus lots of water we headed out. The guy next to us at the bar ordered a flourless chocolate cake and we almost pulled the trigger. Bartender said it would go nicely with a Stout/Raspberry Ale fusion. I bet it would.

We quickly checked into our hotel, dumped our bags and headed for the Crescent Moon Ale House. Omaha is pretty much a beer desert. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy visiting Omaha. There are many fun places to go have a beer, but if it’s a fine selection of craft beer you're looking for, your options are slim. There is one place, however, dubbed “Beer Corner USA” that should satisfy all of your desires. The corner of 36th and Farnam streets plays host to a wealth of beer imbibing opportunities. Under the confines of one roof you will find a Tap House with a wonderful selection, a German Bar with all your favorite German imports, a Belgian Beer Bar and a liquor store with a name all too inviting, Beertopia. What more could you ask for? We could have spent a lot of time and a lot of money on this little corner. It’s probably a good thing the seven hour drive looming the next morning was in the front of my mind or we would have. It was ten o’clock on Thursday night and the place was packed! While researching this trip I had read an article online about bartender Chris Bettini at the Crescent Moon. This guy has a mad passion for beer. We were lucky enough to have him taking care of us during our visit. I told him I was looking for Lucky Bucket, a brewery that I heard two stories about earlier in the day. I woke that morning having never heard of Lucky Bucky and by 10 PM, I had heard two people in two different States talking about it. In Des Moines, Mike from Court Ave had mentioned that Zac Triemert, former brewer at Upstream, ventured off to start his own brewery, Lucky Bucket. He said that I should seek it out while in Omaha. Then, while sitting in Upstream I overheard a bar manager talking about “our side project” Lucky Bucket. I obviously don’t have the whole story but I was intrigued nonetheless.

Crescent Moon had Lucky Bucket’s Pre-Prohibition lager on tap so I gave it a whirl. It was good, no wow factor, but very drinkable. I thought it was a rich creamy fruity lager, if there ever was such a thing. Of course I had tasted 25 beers already that day so my palate was pretty fatigued. I certainly had no problem finishing it. I would love to have another shot at this one. Later I tried the Ska Nefarious Ten Pin Imperial Porter. I had heard about this one and was eager to try it. I knew we weren’t going to make it to Durango while in Colorado so I didn’t find any problem drinking it here. Mmmmmm, this was superb. Thick as tar but drank like silk. A lot of smooth creaminess behind this big bold roasty fella. I even got some alcoholic heat. At 8% it isn’t huge, but it ain’t no slouch either. I had to stop after this one. We had some crazy folks take a picture of us in front of the mural on the wall. This picture (not pictured) looked fine when we took it, but when we got home it was all blurry. Funny how clear everything is when viewed through beer goggles. Ha ha… and off we went into the Nefarious Nebraska night.

Day 1 Colorado Beer Trip

2009-05-29T21:40:00.008-05:00

(click on pictures to make 'em bigger)

Thursday, May 21st, 2009 Again, due to my limited vacation days this year, I was forced to work a half day on Thursday morning. Not ideal, but doable. The clock struck 11:00 and we were off! Or so we thought. We fought the Marq2 construction downtown and finally made it to 35W. Remember that TV commercial where everyone is tailgating and having a good time and then they pan out and you realize they are all on the freeway? Well this was just like that except without the barbeque grills, beers and happy people. I knew there was major construction on 35W south and should have avoided it altogether but I wasn’t thinking. Half an hour behind schedule and the Civic was finally in 5th gear.

We made some time up on the road and arrived in Des Moines at 2:45. First stop was at The Court Avenue Brewing Co (or CABCO). Most people were still working so when we walked in it was pretty quiet. Naturally we sauntered over to a table by the glass separating the brewery from the dining room. As I did throughout most of this trip I started with the sampler. This was about the coolest (and heaviest) sampler rack as I had ever seen. It seems that about as much creativity as goes into the beer goes into how various brewpubs serve their samples and this was no exception. See picture. I usually sample beers from lightest to darkest in color with the exception of really hoppy beers. They usually do a number on my taste buds so I save those for last. I really enjoyed all of the beers I tried as each of them was unique and all its own. So many times I’ve been to brewpubs and besides color they were all really similar. Not here. I especially enjoyed the Belgian White (Wit). It was brewed with Curacao orange peel and it really added a nice citrusy punch, very refreshing. We got to speak with brewer Mike Gauthier later and he mentioned it was much sweeter than previous versions and more so than he likes it. I thought it was great but would love to try a drier version someday. I also enjoyed the Kaplan Hat Hefeweizen. More clove than banana than most American Hefes and a nice grainy malt backbone. It was a very clear beer so I asked if it was the Krystal style… no, just nicely flocculating yeast. That might also explain the unique yeast flavor characteristics. I really enjoyed talking with the brewer and learning some of the joys as well as the challenges of being a brewer in a brewpub. He talked about the pressures of keeping production up with demand; a constant battle between brewer and bar manger. He also talked about how frustrating antiquated beers laws can be. For example, in Iowa you can’t brew beer stronger than 6.2% ABV but you can sell it stronger. So it’s hard to compete with the Belgian Beer bar down the street which often has beers on tap 15% or higher. After visiting for a while he took off for the bar rather quickly. I assumed there was a question that needed addressing or something, but no… he went up to grab a specialty beer. 21st Amendment Ale. This brew named in honor of the Volstead Act is their Rye Pale Ale aged in rye whiskey barrels from Iowa distiller Templeton Rye Whiskey. A 2008 barrel aged beer festival Silver medal winner. What a barrel aged treat, the whiskey really shines through. Low in carbonation and very smooth. One of my favorites on the trip. Had a great time at CABCO but alas, on to the next!

Thanks to the great crowd of beer gurus on BeerAdvocate I was introduced to a beer bar in Des Moines with over 100 beers on tap, El Bait Shop! It’s located right by the Iowa Cubs stadium and there was game that evening so it was beginning to get busy. This biker bar (think spandex not chaps) boasts one hundred and five beers on tap. How do you decide? I went with a recommendation and tried the Rogue Imperial Pilsner and I really liked it. It was high in alcohol, very fruity in aroma, clover and honey and a rich powerful noble hop aroma blurring the line between floral and spicy. Mmm I could drink a few of these. The last beer I tried when we were there was Raccoon River’s IPA. Raccoon River is another brewpub in downtown Des Moines that didn’t quite make our short list. I was happy to get the chance to try one of their beers but was disappointed once I did. It could have been old, but it seemed very dumbed down. The hops had all faded and the malt presence was a bit more than it should have been. I also detected a little butter. Oh well, it would take more than a diacetylic amber to bring me down. This eclectic place was really comfortable, the taps were just begging for the camera and the food was awesome. I am a big supporter of the “When in Rome” menu theory* so I had to try El Garlic Bait Burger. This minced garlic infused burger topped with American and Gouda cheeses and barbeque sauce melted in my mouth AND in my hands. What a delectable gooey mess, yum. We finished our beers, licked our fingers, polished off every last crinkle cut french fry and hit the road. Omaha or bust!

BEER THIS! DA

*If there is an item on the menu that features the establishment’s name I tend to lean toward it. When in El Bait Shop, do the El Bait Burger.

ROAD TRIP! Tasting beers to Colorado and back.

2009-05-29T12:11:00.004-05:00

On June 8th I begin my studies with the American Brewers Guild. That will consist of ten hours of lecture per week plus another six hours of studying for 29 weeks. Add that to my full-time job and a second part-time job and any free time will disappear. I thought I should have one last hurrah before going underground for the next seven months and a beer trip sounded good. While both my vacation days and budget are limited this year we decided to take a road trip and do it over the Memorial Day weekend. Colorado is definitely a beer Mecca so it was off to the Centennial State.

Our trip included stops in Des Moines and Omaha along the way followed by stops in Fort Collins, Longmont, Denver and Golden. The itinerary included a couple of stops in Boulder and Lyons as well but due to some rescheduling we weren’t able to make it. Missing Boudler was disappointing but that just means we’ll have to go back.

We had a lot of great beers – I tasted 105 different beers in all. We had a lot of good laughs – Carolyn even had beer coming out her nose at one point. We made a bunch of new friends and even got to catch up with some old ones. We met some great people in the brewing and beer bar business and had about as great a trip as we could have imagined.

Inspired by another beer blog I follow (Thanks Kris and Mag), in the coming days I will be blogging in more detail about our daily visits to the local beer scene. Check back soon and often.

DA

Convert This!

2009-05-14T11:32:00.010-05:00

I’ve read various blogs recently arguing Craft Beer vs. Macro Beer. The argument is never about which is better, but always about why craft beer is better than macrobrewed (mass produced) beer. For the most part I’ve stayed out of this like I do most debates. My Mom is nearly full blooded Norwegian which makes me nearly half and we Scandinavians like to avoid conflict. If you keep your mouth shut, it can’t get you in trouble. However, I feel it’s time to comment, especially since this week is American Craft Beer Week.

How do I feel?

My feelings on the matter are simple… if you like the way it tastes, drink it. The problem is that I am confident many people think Bud, Miller and Coors products taste good. Are they wrong? Not necessarily. Do I think they taste good? No, but I also don’t think they taste bad either. In fact I don’t think they taste much at all. But just because I don’t think they taste good doesn’t mean they can’t taste good to someone else. But what if that’s all they knew? I believe a conversion to craft beer enjoyment begins with a little education and some good old fashioned persistence. How many of you liked the taste of beer the first time you had it? I certainly didn’t and I would bet a majority of you didn’t either. I learned to like it though. As they say, it’s an acquired taste. Some younger drinkers are lucky to have started with craft beers but many of us older guys did not. But that doesn’t mean we’re a lost cause. Why did we start drinking light lagers in the first place? Certainly not because they tasted good. For a long time in this country that was all that was available. And if Light American Lagers are all you know (like me until I was 24) chances are you’re not going to go into a bar or liquor store and buy anything else.

I remember my junior year of college. I was just barely legal. Not a rookie beer drinker by any means, but turning legal means going to bars and making your own decisions on what to drink. One evening I ordered a Sam Adams. Holy crap did that taste horrible. I didn’t know what it was that I was tasting but it wasn’t beer. I even remember buying one for a friend on her 21st birthday as a joke. Sadly I went back to old reliable. I wish I hadn’t given up on old Sammy so easily. More importantly, I wish I would have had a friend to tell me what it was I was tasting, that is was normal, in fact intentional and to tell me that people actually enjoy that flavor. I would have become a craft beer drinker a lot sooner if someone had educated me and told me it was okay to explore those flavors.

Well, I didn’t have to wait long. Three short years later my family took a trip to England. I was forced by some pretty persistent (and evidently brilliant) uncles to drink what the locals drink… and I fell in love. By that time, the American Craft Beer scene was nearly 20 years strong and I had no idea what I was missing. When I came back state-side my beer life made an about-face and I have never looked back. My uncles introduced me and educated me on the wonders of different beer flavors. While many of the beers I drank in jolly old England are not available here in the States, I began seeking out beers that compared to them (in my rookie palate’s opinion). Eventually the evil Sam Adams became my best friend.

Although the craft beer scene was long past the infancy stage in 2000 it was still rare to find anything but macros or common imports on the majority of restaurants tap lists. Sadly this is still the case in many places, but it is getting much better. We are lucky here in the Twin Cities to have a local brewery like Summit. Most places around town have Summit’s flagship beer Extra Pale Ale on tap and it’s a pretty dang good beer. For me my go-to beers when dining out became Summit EPA and Sam Adams Boston Lager. Now here’s where it gets interesting. For a while I actually thought that Sam and Summit tasted “pretty much the same”. Many of us know that this is most certainly not the case but at that point that’s what I perceived. Eventually my palate matured as I tried new things. As my tongue became barraged with new flavors, bitterness, sweetness, spiciness, roastiness, etc it actually got more refined. I was able to perceive and identify new flavors and distinguish similar beers from each other. And I’ll tell you what, my friends, there is nothing more exiting than that. I remember the first California Common I tried. Gross! What is that stinky rotten cheese aroma? And what’s that bitter/tart flavor? That can’t be healthy! Well as things progressed I learned that those were Northern Brewer hops, a defining character of this style. “Stinky cheese” and “tart” became “woodsy” and “rustic”. Once I knew they were intentional and unique I became more open minded and began enjoying the complexities that set this style of beer apart from others.

I challenge you.

Let’s back up a little bit and follow the progression of Sam Adams in my life. For the first thirteen years Sam Adams was around I had never heard of it. First time I tried it I hated it. Tried it again and again and I started to enjoy it, but still compared it to every other hoppy “dark” beer. Eventually it became individually unique and even more enjoyable. So I challenge you today, in the spirit of American Craft Beer week, convert a friend or two. It’s not an overnight conversion but you just might be the person to flip the switch and redirect a friend down the ride of their life. I’m not sure if craft beer sales will ever equal (or heaven forbid exceed) macro beer sales, but it’s worth a shot. We have a wonderful opportunity here to start, or I should say continue, a revolution. Light Lager lovers are curable and I truly believe that craft beer drinkers are irreversible. Convert someone today!

It’s Finally Done!

2009-04-27T09:32:00.025-05:00

I have been working on a project for nearly a year and a half and it is finally finished. In a post (paragraph two) earlier this year I wrote briefly about a project that was finally completed. Well it wasn’t completely done. It was finished to the point where we could move it out of the garage and into our living space. But it wasn’t the completed working bar that I had envisioned when I started. Here’s the long story.

My father has been a Lutheran pastor for nearly 25 years. It is customary in this profession to move around every ten years or so to keep congregations from getting stale. These days you can find him on St Paul’s east side at Arlington Hills Lutheran Church (or with my mother at any of the many great pubs in St Paul). I sometimes think they have more fun than I do. We’ll get picture text messages from them while they’re at places like The Muddy Pig, W.A. Frost or Great Waters. What can I say? They know how to enjoy life. Back to the story… Before moving to St Paul, Dad was a pastor in rural central Minnesota. They lived in a parsonage (home owned by the church reserved for the pastor's family). And in that parsonage was a garage. And in that garage was a workbench. For the first eight or nine years they lived there I never knew that the workbench was actually an altar. The decorative side always faced the wall since the back had a door on it and inside they would keep gardening tools and what have you. Well, the altar must have been removed from one of the old country churches that are constantly closing up all over the Midwest. No one really knows how long it was sitting in the garage but I really wanted it. Dad asked around and no one seemed to know where it came from or whether it was of any sigificance to anyone so he said I could have it. I saw lots of potential in this beat up old grubby workbench.

The first thing we had to do was evict all the tenants that resided in the altar. Yep, it seems between the frame and the decorative crown molding lived a family of mice. Once that problem was eliminated we loaded it up in dad’s truck. I got it home and into our garage and quickly got to work. Shows like Mythbusters and Smash Lab are successful because people like to destroy things and see things getting destroyed. This was no exception. I had a lot of fun disassembling this little gem. Crowbars, hammers, flying nails, yay! However, once I got it all apart the fun stopped and the “work” began. I quickly got burned out and neglected the project. I found it was too hard to sand all the intricate decorative pieces that adorned the front of the altar. I gave up and pursued other interests. Eventually I returned and decided it might be easier to sand if I removed all the pieces. So I did just that. The wood was old and brittle and some of the parts broke. Frustrated again! This pile of lumber nearly became firewood. But since I wanted the end result to be rugged and antiqued I decided to plug away. I bought a dowling jig and slowly put Humpty Dumpty back together. Slowly I worked about an hour a month. We’re talking glacial pace. Then all of a sudden I got the urge to step it up and finish it. My brother comes to town once, sometimes twice, a year and he was coming soon! I decided in early December that I would finish it by the time he got here January 10th.

I worked and worked and worked until finally I got everything sanded, everything broken put back together, every rotten board replaced, everything stained and everything reassembled. I did it; I got it finished literally the night before he flew in. And by finished I mean I now had a nice new piece of furniture to grace our living/dining room. It was pretty and it worked too. Sort of. The problem was that I had to fill a cooler with ice and place the kegs in it to keep them cool. Not difficult but a pain in the kiester. In addition to that, when beer warms up, the carbonation comes out of solution (un-dissolves?). So the lines between the keg and the tap (uncooled) ended up filling with foam. That’s all that would come of the tap for a few seconds. Every time you’d pour a beer you’d get a glass full of foam. Becasue of this I didn't use it very often. It wasn't much more than a piece of art that was nice to look at.

What I had envisioned all along was a kegerator so to speak. A refrigerated altar that dispenses kegged beer. Am I going to Hell? Perhaps. After three months of just admiring my bar, I went back to work. I framed up the inside of the altar kinda like you would do if you were finishing a basement. Next, I applied quarter inch plywood for a nice smooth interior. Using Liquid Nails I adhered 1” foam insulation to the plywood and finally adhered pieces of FRP to the foam. Let me tell you this was no easy chore. FRP stands for Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic and it is very hard to cut. Also fiberglass is very itchy and you don’t want to breathe the dust. I ended up using my dad’s Dremel with a cut-off wheel to cut it. I wore gloves, long sleeves, a mask, safety glasses and took my work outside. This seemed to work well and it got me outside one nice afternoon. Once the FRP was applied I caulked the corners with white caulk and now I have a nice waterproof and easy-to-clean interior. I did the same to the bar top and it actually insulates very well.

Of course at this point all I have is a glorified cooler. I’ve been holding on to my old dorm fridge for use on the altar bar and it was time to install it. It wasn’t hard to remove from the original fridge and not very hard to reinstall on the new altar either. It did annoy me a little that I had to cut a big (4” x 4”) hole in the side but I had no choice. It doesn’t cool as well as I’d like and I’m sure it’s not efficient but it does the trick. Perhaps I can find another old fridge and put another one on the other side. Right now it cools to 39-42 degrees which is good enough. Can’t wait to see my electrical bill. Overall, I am quite pleased with how it turned out. And my wife is pleased since I did all this most recent work in our dining room! Running up and down between the garage and dining room... sawdust and tools everywhere... but I digress. I got home from work yesterday and poured myself a beer from my own living room. It was nice.

That being said, I am sure I will continue to play around with this project. I would like a bigger bar top, I’d like to improve refrigeration, add another draft tower, etc. I am fully resigned to the fact that it may never be truly completed. Pictures of the project can be found HERE.

Cheers!

Beer + BBQ + Baseball = Good

2009-04-16T15:12:00.005-05:00

Good Friday was good to me. I woke up refreshed from having the previous day off (which I spent brewing). Work was slow as the Market was closed. I left work early, went to the gym, went to church and all this before 5pm. Heck, I’m not even home from work by 5pm on most days. Good Friday was good indeed.

Like many people, I like to have a little balance in my life. For instance, when grilling I like to have a beer in one hand and the tongs in the other. This creates a nice balance and keeps me from tipping over. Seriously though, I find it a lot easier on the conscience if I hit the gym before over indulging. Balance. By the time I was home from church and got cleaned up after the gym it was almost 5 o’clock. I was heading over to our good friends’ home in Savage. They have a seven month old and I am a bachelor on Friday nights so it’s a win-win for both of us. I don’t have to spend the night alone and they don’t have to get a sitter but we both feel like we didn’t waste a perfectly good Friday night. The warm weather meant it was time to get the grill out (enter ‘Tim the tool man Taylor’ sound effects here). In my opinion there’s nothing better than sitting outside on a warm evening. The smell of marinated meat sizzling on the grill, the sound of dogs barking and a glass of craft beer in your hand… ahhhhhh. The only thing missing was the smell of freshly cut grass. Soon enough.

The night was planned out perfectly. 5:00, happy hour. 6:00, eat. 6:30, enjoy a nice cigar. 7:00, Twins game. The evening was welcomed by a nice cold Summit EPA. Ah, yes, a man’s beer. A Minnesota staple. A craft beer brewed to perfection every time. Sure there might be more exciting, trendy craft beers out there but there is no beer more solid. Enjoyable day in and day out. A local favorite and must have in my fridge. After supper (and a couple cold EPA’s) it was time for a new favorite of mine… Cigars and Surly. I just love the flavors that dance in my mouth during the combination of a good cigar and a Surly Bender. As they say; it takes two to tango. The cigar tasting of rich tobacco, spice and of course smokiness with the dark chocolatey roastiness of the Bender meld in prefect harmony with one another. However, it could be the over the top hoppiness of this beer that really compliments the cigar. Give it a try.

After the fire was extinguished and Kaylee was put to bed the boys retired to the man cave for a night of baseball and bitterness. Bitter because the game wasn’t being broadcast in HD, Grrrr! But bitter also because I was enjoying the latest Surly seasonal – Bitter Brewer. I find myself saying “this is one of my favorites” about many of their beers but this one I really look forward to. So easy to drink yet so delicious at the same time. I love hops and this beer has plenty. A far cry from their Furious but more than enough to make me happy. Bitter brewer is also low in alcohol (4% ABV) so you can drink a few and still function. A classic session beer.

Our mighty Twins were just coming off a 2-2 opening series home stand. I always get excited for baseball’s opening day. For me, at least mentally, it signifies the end of winter and the beginning of summer. Other than that, there really is nothing too exciting about Seattle coming to town. I would have preferred to sweep them but hey, the Twins will lose 50 or 60 games this season so I can’t get down on them already. This next series is where it is at. Many of you remember last year… the dreaded game 163. A crushing defeat in a one game playoff with our arch-rival Chicago White Sox. That game was decided by a solo homerun by Twins-killer Jim Thome. Final score 1-0. White sox in, Twins out. Now, seven months later, we pick up right where we left off; US Cellular Field in Chicago’s south side. As we all know by now the game ended up in favor of the Twins and it was a treat to watch as a Twins fan. The highlight for me had to be Joe Crede’s homecoming. Joe was acquired by the Twins as a free agent from the White Sox in the offseason. He was a crowd favorite in Chicago.

When he came up to bat for the first time he was greeted with not only a standing ovation but a warm up song. As Joe stepped into the box the loud speakers blasted Air Supply’s hit All Out of Love. “I 'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you…etc”. It was pretty funny and even Joe himself got a kick out it as he was seen chuckling. Moments later he reminded the White Sox fans just what they loved about him… his ability to hit the long ball. Crede laced a 2-0 pitch off Jose Contreras (see picture) into the left field bleachers giving the Twins a two to nuthin lead. After see-sawing for the next five innings the Twins finally broke it open with a seven run seventh innning. Final score 12-5 Twins. It was a great game to watch if you are a Twins fan. And it was a great way to finish out the work week. Beer, Baseball, BBQ and Blunts. It was a Good Friday indeed.

By Myself, Yet Not Alone…

2009-03-31T14:58:00.009-05:00

Last Friday, March 27th, I found myself in need of some good beer. I had plans to meet up with a good friend of mine at Acadia Café in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood near the U of M. They were celebrating their first anniversary in this “new” location and I had still never been. I should say it’s about time. Well, unexpected car trouble kept my friend close to home but I still wanted to check this place out. So I ventured out on my own. Not knowing the area very well I drove around looking for parking. I found myself on one-ways which darned near led me to the U’s East Bank. Before long I was back in Cedar Riverside and in the Carlson School of Management parking ramp. One flight of steps and a half a block later I got to Acadia and in the front door. Seemed like everyone else had the same idea I did. 7pm, I figured it would be somewhat subdued, a lull, a break in the action. Wrong. I find that downtown (where I work) there is usually a break on Friday evenings between the happy hour crowd and the night crowd. The bars seem to thin just a little between 7:00pm and 9:00pm. I should have known, this was a college bar, there are no breaks. Long story long, there were no open tables, no open seats at the bar and a lot of people standing… waiting. I walked right back out after quickly scanning the place, making it look like I was trying to find someone. Good news is, anything under ten minutes and the parking ramp is free. The better news, I was only a few blocks from the Blue Nile.

Al, if you are reading this, I don’t want you to feel like second fiddle. I’ve been to the Nile a handful of times which is a handful more than I’ve been to Acadia. Besides, free beer for a year is quite the temptation. If second place is a bar with Surly, Tyranena, Duchesse, Lion, Tremens and Summit then you can call me the Buffalo Bills any day. But I digress. Knowing I wouldn’t be disappointed I hauled my thirsty palate on over to The Blue Nile. The Blue Nile is home to local beer celebrity (though he won’t admit it) and bartender extraordinaire Al McCarty. If you ask him he’d rather be known as just the beer guy. And he is exactly that. With ‘I don’t know how many’ years in the craft beer dispensing business and nearly 3000 personal beer reviews, this guy knows his stuff. But enough about Al, let’s talk about beer. My first beer of the evening was a Surly 16-Grit. I’ve been waiting to try this beer for a long time. See my previous post here for more info on that. This was great! In my opinion, this was like a Furious on steroids. At first whiff I got loads of hops. It seemed like a similar hop profile as Furious. But upon further investigation, there was a lot more going on in the aroma. Definitely smelled like a double IPA. IPA’s smell, well, mostly hoppy, but not much in the way of maltiness. But with doubles (Extras, Imperials, etc) I get that rich deep caramel sweetness. And I was certainly getting that here. It tasted fantastic and was rich and hoppy, perfectly carbonated and a nice smooth mouthfeel. I could swirl, sniff and sip this all night, but at 10% abv I better not. On to the next.

Al has started something new here at the Blue Nile, the Beer Cruise. It seems like local establishments are finally catching on to what wine people have been doing forever… flights. However, the word flight in this case suggests elevation or escalation and a ranking of sorts. This seems a little silly since all of Al’s beers are good so he’s decided to call them cruises. Cruises consist of three 4oz pours and if I remember correctly there are four different cruises to choose from. A hoppy cruise, a malty (dark beer) cruise, a Surly Cruise – 4 Surly beers – and I can’t for the life of me remember the forth one. Although I think it has a Belgian or two. I decided to go with the dark beer cruise. Of the three beers, there were two that I hadn’t tried before so this seemed like the logical choice. This cruise consisted of Surly Bender, Tyranena’s Chipotle Smoked Imperial Porter and Lion Stout. I wanted to taste them one at a time so as not to confuse my palate. I would save the Bender for last since I’ve had that many times and start with the Lion Stout. I had watched a lot of that being poured since I arrived so my interest was piqued. Mmmm, smells great! Lots of dark/dried fruit, mostly raisin. It smelled great! And the taste was just as rewarding. Lots of raisin and also the roasty dark malt that stout is known for. Finishes with a nice thick mouthfeel.What a sweet treasure, I will certainly be looking for this one again soon, I recommend you do the same. In fact go see Al at the Nile and tell him the Lion sent you. I enjoyed this one so much that I decided to save it for last. I wanted it to be the one I remembered on the ride home. So next up was the Tyranena. As I said at the bar, I really couldn’t find the chipotle. I think I may have sensed its spiciness on my tongue, but I really couldn’t taste it at all. I did get the smoke though. Just enough to know it’s there and very pleasant. Wish I could have tasted the chipotle pepper though, I do like a little of that and I think it would have been nice with the smoky porter. I think I’ll look for ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’ next time. The Bender was business as usual a solid dark beer that just doesn’t quite fit into any style. And that’s the way Surly wants it. Fine with me. Although I must say, this was a nice change of pace as I have been drinking mostly the coffee version of Bender these last few months. I had just a taste of Duchesse de Bourgogne before cutting myself off and heading for home. It was a little after 9:00 and I thought I had plenty of time to get home (Eden Prairie) before my wife got home at 10:00. That thought soon came to screeching halt. Tonight was the night that 35W south would be shutting down three of four lanes. I could expand but that is neither beer nor there.

Well, that’s another episode of BEER THIS! Special thanks to Al at the Blue Nile for not only providing me with content for this post but for also keeping me company. I may have been sitting on that bar stool by myself that night, but I was certainly not alone. It’s always a pleasure to talk beer with the great Felonious Monk.

P.S. I made it home just in time!

Open Mouth... Insert Foot

2009-03-30T11:45:00.003-05:00

Dang, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything and I have something fun that needs to be addressed. Most craft beer connoisseurs have tried or are at least aware of Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot Barleywine. This annual limited release by the west coast giant (pun intended) receives much attention by the national beer drinking community. Every year aficionados wait patiently for the release. And every year they are not disappointed. I decided this year would be the year for me to get in on the action. BEER THIS, Bigfoot!

I got luckier than I expected. Not only was my first Bigfoot ever a 2009 edition, but I also got to try the 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008! That’s right, I got to taste 11 years worth – 1998 thru 2009 (sans 2000) – of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot side by side in one sitting. In a word, amazing! I can see why this is highly anticipated. In a country such as ours where the masses love hop bombs this young Barleywine resembles an Imperial IPA. But as with any Barleywine, they only get better with time. We started with 2009 and worked our way backwards. While high in hop bitterness and flavor while fresh, the hops are the first to go. Each year proceeded to get less hoppy and more malty. The hop bitterness stuck around longer than the flavor and aroma but even that mellowed with time. The addition of time also brought out the wonderful dried fruit aroma and flavors and just a hint of toast. It was just incredible. Even now, almost two weeks later I can still taste it and it leaves me longing for more.

I found 2002-2004 to be my favorite, although I can certainly respect the hype the fresh Bigfoot demands. My advice, go out and buy the Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA and drink it fresh. Buy the Bigfoot, cellar it appropriately and enjoy 2-3 years later, you will not be disappointed. A HUGE thank you to the BJCP judge, we’ll call him “Joe Nathan”, who brought these gems to our weekly BJCP class, it was a treat indeed!

Cheers and BEER THIS!

Hopslam, Torpedo, One Thousand, oh my!

2009-03-02T10:08:00.005-06:00

Okay, I’m sorry for the Wizard of Oz reference but I’m just so giddy I feel like dancing around like the brainless Scarecrow. Call them what you will – Double, Imperial, Strong, Extra – but the selection of big IPAs that is available to us right now is nearing utopian levels. The elevated amounts of hops, malt and alcohol give these beers a very pleasing experience. These beers, so rich and bitter yet smooth at the same time, deserve a multiple punctuation BEER THIS!!!

I am new to the whole hyped beer revolution. I joined an online forum dedicated to beer lovers in January 2008. It was there that I learned about all the beers in my area, the US and even the world that everyone was talking about. If something was getting built up and I could find it locally, I usually sought it out. And here is the funny thing; they are almost always worth the hype. It’s not like movie trailers that play every commercial break for 3 months and then the movie flops. No, this isn’t Hollywood created advertising hype, this it certifiable 100% consumer created hype. Thanks to this website http://www.beeradvocate.com/ I learned about so many new beers. Can you believe 2008 was the first Darkness I’ve ever had? Well, here’s another shocker, this year is the first time I’ve ever tried the Bell’s Hopslam. Sure enough, again, this is worth all the hype. It pours a nice orange copper color with a little off white head that dissipates quickly but still leaves a nice lacing behind. A little swirling revives the head and aroma. Pretty much clear, maybe just a little haze. I stick my nose in and bam! Hops hops and more hops. Mostly citrusy including grapefruit and some pineapple. But, there is also an inviting sweetness as well. Pretty balanced in the nose despite the extreme hoppiness. Can’t wait to taste it… Yuuuuuum. Just as it smells, lots of delicious hops and malt. Maybe a little dried fruit, a lot of caramel. Not really toasty or bready, just hoppy and sweet. Sweetness may come from simple sugars as excessive crystal malts can make a beer dextrinous and cloying. In spite of the bitterness this beer is still incredibly smooth. A must have if hop bombs are your thing.

About a week later I picked up some Sierra Nevada Torpedo, a brand new year-round offering which they are calling an Extra IPA. And then just a couple of days ago I stopped in to Town Hall Brewery and tried their Batch 1000. This beer named simply for the milestone batch number in which it was brewed is similar to both Hopslam and Torpedo but is being marketed at a Strong IPA. I won’t bore you with reviews of each of these as they would sound very similar to the one I did for Hopslam. I can, however say that each of these beers is unique in its own right. don’t settle for trying just one, you will certainly appreciate the subtle differences of each. I’ll give you a few tidbits from each of the brewers about their respective beers.

First, the Sierra Nevada Torpedo…
“Chico, CA (1/05/09) - For a brewery known for its use of hops, it seems out of character to wait nearly 30 years to produce a year-round IPA. Torpedo is worth the wait. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is proud to announce the release of Torpedo Extra IPA as the newest addition to its year-round roster of beers. This is the first full-production IPA to come from the brewery and the first change in its year-round lineup in over a decade.”
I would have to agree, not that we had a choice, but definitely worth the wait. Makes me excited for all the other great beers we're waiting for???
– from Sierra Nevada's website

Next, Town Hall Batch 1000…
“Today is the day for the release of Batch 1000. This is a Strong IPA (8.5% abv) that used about 11 pounds of hops per barrel (another way to celebrate our 11th year). This is limited in supply and I do not think it will be around long.”
– Mike Hoops, Brewer, Town Hall Brewery in an email newsletter 2/24/09.
Congrats, Mike on batch 1000, it’s a good one!

Since we’re on the subject of big IPAs I feel compelled to mention that Surly 16-Grit is returning. In an email to Surly Nation, owner Omar Ansari told loyal drinkers that the brewery “got some new 60 bbl fermentors a few weeks ago. The 1st beer we brewed into it - 16 GRIT!” (bbl = beer barrel - one bbl = about 31 gal) They made this beer late 2008 and sold it the last week of the year. Brewer Todd Haug and company made a small amount, 30 bbls and they sold it in growlers only. State law allows breweries to sell growlers (large take-out jugs of beer) if they produce less than 3,500 bbls annually. Well, in 2008 they far exceeded that, so as of January 1st 2009, no more growlers. To go out with a bang they made this huge IPA and sold it December 27th-31st. You can imagine how excited I was. December 30th being my birthday I decided I would go that day and pick up my growler. Unfortunately they sold out on Dec 29th. Good for them, bad for me. Oh well, if you are one of the 3 people who regularly read this blog, you know what happened on my birthday. I probably wouldn’t have made it there anyway. There have been a lot of questions since then about whether they will remake this beer sometime and I guess our questions (prayers) have been answered. I am so excited to try this beer. Let the hype begin!

Well, that’s all for this episode of BEER THIS! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this almost as much as I enjoyed drinking the beers I wrote about. Next time you read or hear about a beer that’s all hyped up, I would encourage you to go out and try it.

Please also visit www.lutherpublichouse.com for more fun with beer.

The Lager the Better

2009-02-13T13:33:00.006-06:00

Well, it’s been a while so I think it’s about time I wrote. I haven’t been lazy… okay maybe I have, just a little. But mainly I haven’t written because I don’t have anything to write about. Now, I know what you're thinking, how could the king of marathon posts have nothing to say? Well, it's true. In the past few weeks I have been neglecting good beer. Could be the cold keeping me in. Could be the economy taking hold on my wallet. Could be the fact that I am working seven days a week. It could be that I have been fighting a cold. Whatever the reason I hadn’t been out for a few weeks but there have been a couple fine beer moments lately. First of all… Happy Fe-brew-ary! The month with the word ‘bru’ right in it needs to be celebrated. BEER THIS Febrewary!

Thursday, February 5th, 2009 Sean and I are back at Rock Bottom again. Tonight was the release of their third Anniversary IPA in the series. This series consists of a monthly version of a single hop IPA. This month the hop is one of my favorites… Simcoe! We’d have to wait until 6pm for this one so we started with a couple other beers. The first one we tried was another new beer, the Irish Red. Sean is Irish and I am a red head so it only made sense for us. The color was true to the name, a rich light ruby red with just a touch of copper. The floral spicy hops hit you first but the malt certainly comes through in the finish. Certainly a refreshing beer and went well with our happy hour nachos. Fire trucks are red and so is this beer, but I was certainly glad to have the latter to put out the jalapeno fire in my mouth. And speaking of fire trucks, later this month is the much anticipated Fire Chief Ale. I’ll be back on the 19th to check that out. After the Irish Red we both had one last (possibly) pint of the Curmudgeon Winter Warmer. It always amazes me how quickly the winter beers disappear and the spring seasonals show up. We were drinking this year’s Summit Maibock on January 21st. I thought May beers were supposed to be brewed in January and aged until May? Whatever, best not dwell. It was finally time for the Simcoe IPA release toast. Brewer Bryon Tonnis got up on the bar like he always does and gave the kickoff toast. His feet had barely hit the ground and we were already holding our complimentary pint. A beautiful hazy orange copper color with a rich frothy head. I stuck my nose in and gave a good whiff. MMmmmm, lots and lots of awesome grapefruity Simcoe hops. The flavor was more of the same; mucho citrus flavor and high bittering slides down your throat with a generous mouthfeel. I REALLY liked this beer. Not a whole lot of malt, very dry and the hops definitely dominate. I hope this lasts a while, however I’m already looking forward to the 4th beer in the series. That beer is an IPA with all three hops from the anniversary series. Don’t quote me, but I believe it is Centennial, Amarillo and of course the Simcoe. That should be a treat.

Sunday, February 8th, 2009 After a couple of days at my part time kitchen gig I figured Sunday night would be my Friday night. My wife and I decided tonight was as good a night as any to get our keesters back to the Herkimer Brew Pub. It had been a while and although I am an Ale fan, I always seem to enjoy the lagers at Herkimer. I decided I was going to start out dark and dig my way to the top. I started with the High Point Dunkel (see picture) a dark, nearly opaque lager with a nice brown head. The head disappointed quickly and left a little lacing, but the flavor lingered on forever. Rich and malty, appropriate for style, a very enjoyable start to the evening. Next, I ordered the mini burgers and washed them down with their Bock (see picture). This deep amber beer was just what I was expecting. A pretty color and lots of Munich malt contribute to this easy drinking caramel sweet gem. This was listed as the brewer’s favorite and I’m not surprised. I get this beer each time I am here so I guess that qualifies it as my go-to beer. One last beer before I head home to slumber in preparation for the week ahead. Sticking to my dark to light commitment, I finish off the evening with a Sky Pilot Kellerbier. This unfiltered cellar beer was a nice hazy golden color. A little biscuit malt present on the nose, but the noble hops really come through. Taste was very similar, you could really feel the hops on the back of the tongue whilst tasting the spicyness throughout. It was definitely Pilsner-like, but then again the brewer calls it a continental Pilsner. Too bad I had to work in the morning, these beers were really tasting good and they were about to start Trivia. Maybe next time.

Two Brothers – SPECIAL EDITION Part II

2009-01-28T13:42:00.002-06:00

January 15th, 2009 It’s freakin cold! When is it ever going to warm up? The goof on the roof says it should be above zero again on Saturday but that doesn’t help us today. After spending the day indoors at the world famous (locally ignored) Mall of America we appropriately spend this below zero evening watching a sport played on ice. The Wild are in town which means another night out in St. Paul. The evening started out great, bellied up at Alary’s with Andrew and some of his college buddies. Alary’s is a great place for guy’s night since they are probably most well known for their… ah… pizzas. And what goes better with beer on a frozen day than a slice of frozen pizza. Can’t argue about the two dollar Grain Belt taps either, or “Premos” as the bartenderesses called them. Parking was free as was the shuttle to the game. How can you beat that? I avoided the expensive beers at the arena and saved my pennies and palate for later. After the game we caught the free shuttle back to Alary’s. It was so packed that we turned right around and headed to the newest of the trifecta of Bulldogs - Lowertown. I had heard a lot of great things about this new beer bar so I was excited to try it. At the exact moment that we walked in the Gophers hit a jumper to tie Wisconsin completing the comeback and sending the game into overtime… and boom goes the dynamite! The crowded bar exploded with cheers. Here I thought they were just giving us a warm welcome. I immediately fell in love with this place. I love the big bar in the middle of the room. I love the high ceilings and the old hardwood floors. And I loved the huge windows connecting the two. It felt very New York City to me and I heart NY. I enjoyed many a good beer while here. From Greenwich, England I tried the Meantime IPA. Less IPA’ish than I was expecting. More malty and possibly higher in alcohol but still with plenty of hops. A beer so complex and enjoyable that it prompted ultimate beer taster Michael Jackson to proclaim ”For heaven’s sake, where’s dinner?” It was here that I also had a Two Brothers Cane and Ebel. I’ve always enjoyed this hoppy rye treat. At one point I even thought I could smell rye bread, perhaps it was just my imagination. Finally, before checking out and going home I had a Rush River Bubble Jack IPA. I always seem to like this on tap, but this time it tasted a bit different. One thing I have recently learned is that I am hypersensitive to diacetyl. Diacetyl is a yeast by-product that is produced during fermentation. However, after all the sugars are fermented diacetyl is usually consumed by the yeast leaving imperceptive levels in the beer. It creates a buttery or butterscotch flavor as well as a slickness on the tongue if too much remains in the beer. Much of the time this is considered a flaw but there are times when it is appropriate. I happen to enjoy it, I just don’t if it is supposed to be in Bubble Jack. I personally wish this was how the beer tasted all the time, but most of the time it has a much cleaner finish to it. Right or wrong, I enjoyed the heck out of it. Well it was getting late, it was VERY cold and I had to work in the morning so we called it a night. It was off towards home for us. I will certainly venture back here soon.

January, 17th 2009 I’d love to start out by saying that tonight is our annual trip to Manny’s Steakhouse, but this is even rarer than that. In fact this is only the second time in all my life that I have ever been. The first time was in their old location with all food and drinks paid for by a client. Tonight would be my first trip to their new location in the newly renovated Foshay Tower. Before dinner I wanted to show my family this great new lounge also in the Foshay tower. It’s called Prohibition and it’s located on the 27th floor of the 30 story building. I’ve read that the 27th and 28th floors were to be Wilbur Foshay’s residence and office when he built the building back in 1929. However, he never actually lived there because shortly after the building was completed the stock market crashed, his fortune was wiped out and the building went into foreclosure. To add insult to injury, Foshay attempted a sort of Ponzi scheme to raise capital to save the building, but it was discovered and he spent 1932-1947 in prison. He died relatively unknown in a Minneapolis nursing home in 1957. Today the 27th floor has been remodeled and turned into an upscale lounge keeping much of the same African mahogany woodwork that Foshay installed. The lounge is aptly named because the country was in the midst of prohibition (1919-1933) when the building opened. Well that’s enough history for now, back to present day. We grabbed a drink at the bar conveniently located adjacent to the elevators and went in search of seats. We were lucky enough to find a little lofty corner just above the bar… floor 27 ½ we’ll call it. This is definitely a lounge in every sense of the word. No crowd, no mingling, just small parties quietly conversing over some smartly made cocktails. My brother had what he is calling “…the best Maker’s Mark Manhattan, this side of Manhattan”. My parents and wife went with wine (please excuse the accidental alliteration) and I of course had beer. They don’t have any draft lines but they did have a decent but predictable list of imported and specialty bottles. I decided to go with the always satisfying Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Never disappointing, this hoppy yet refreshing American Pale Ale was just the thing to kick off a family night of social celebration. As our reservation drew near we made our way back down to the main floor where the restaurant was. As both places are owned and operated by the same team we were allowed to bring our drinks down to the restaurant with us. A big plus! However they didn’t carry the Pale Ale so I had to think locally and switch to Summit Extra Pale Ale. This is never a bad thing as this EPA is about as solid as any beer can be. Remarkably consistent just about everywhere. We enjoyed our meals and, of course, over ate but we didn’t over order. We were blessed with great service and a waitress that spoke honestly about the sizes of the side dishes. I must also compliment the wait staff upstairs. I’ve always received service with a smile up there. At $7 a bottle, the prices are as steep as the architecture, but the service is certainly down to earth. While we were up in the lofted area it would be easy to forget about us but we never did have to wait with empty glasses for our server. Some may call the atmosphere pretentious but I found it to be very friendly and inviting. We had a great night and a great experience.

January 18th, 2009 Nothing much going on today. I had to work in the morning at my part time job and in the afternoon we had my brother and a mutual high school friend and his wife over for dinner. The one highlight of the night beer wise was the inaugural pour out of my new altar bar. The only beer I have in the kegerator right now is my Indulgences Chocolate Porter, so I brought it up and hooked it up to the new altar bar. It was fun to finally drink from the new faucets (there I go with the alliteration again). In the long run I plan to refrigerate the altar bar but as of now it is not and this caused a problem. Carbon dioxide will remain dissolved in beer at low temperatures but as the beer warms up it will come out of solution. I have about five feet of hose between the keg and the tap and as the beer in the hose warmed up, the CO2 came out. So every time I went to pour another beer it would start with a lot of foam. It was quite a bit of waste but still fun to finally use the altar bar. I was glad to have my bro home for the inaugural pour. To my surprise, he and Nate had more than one pint a piece. I was thinking it was going to be an all wine night for everyone. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but to brewers… refills are.

January 19th, 2009 As they say, all good things must end and today is the end of what has been a great extended week. As we celebrate King and his Dream, the four of us gathered for one last meal together. Being a fan of other restaurants owned by the Blue Plate Restaurant Company I was excited to try the Longfellow Grill. As a biker, I would ride by the place while biking along West River Road but never made a stop. Groveland Tap impressed me last summer and my wife and I always enjoy the Edina Grill so my expectations were elevated. After being told we’d have to wait a while, we were seated rather quickly. It was only 11am but it was a holiday so I justified the Summit Winter Ale. I’ve got to get as much of this as I can before it’s gone. There are a lot of seasonal beers out during the winter but this one can be found on tap at many places and is welcomed any time of day. I enjoyed all the food we had and was especially impressed with the Meatloaf Hash & Eggs. They tell you to only eat your mother’s meatloaf, but who are “they”? The Breakfast Tostadas were out of this world as well, crunchy, spicy and succulent. As Guy Fieri would say… “Off the hook!” I would recommend this place for breakfast any day. After breakfast, I wished my brother well and mom and dad ran him to the airport. I went home and brewed. This time an IPA with Simcoe hops. Looking forward to trying it.

At eleven days this was one of the longest trips home for Andrew and we still didn’t find time to do all the things we wanted to do. Probably just as well, it will give us that much more to look forward to next time and it stopped the wallet bleeding before it got any worse. Now that Andrew is back in New York I feel like the holiday’s are finally over. As the days get longer and February just around the corner, we are reminded that winter doesn’t last forever in this state. It comforts me to start thinking about my other great love… baseball! After all, pitchers and catchers report in just 17 days! BEER THIS!

Two Brothers - SPECIAL EDITION Part I

2009-01-23T14:17:00.012-06:00

No, this isn’t going to be a post about Two Brothers Brewing Company – although we do review one of their beers here. This is a post about a different two brothers. Me and my brother Andrew. Andrew lives in New York City and recently came back for 11 days in good ole Minnesota. Of course he picked the coldest week of the winter, but if that ain’t good beer drinking weather, then I don’t know what is. In this special edition of BEER THIS! I will be posting more than the usual one week of beer. I will be posting all 11 days of hijinks that ensued while Andrew was in town. And if that isn’t enough, I’ve got some exciting homebrewing news and some beer judge news as well. We did a lot so let’s get started.

Like I said in my last post, I have been working on a project for a while and I have finally completed it. My father, who is a Lutheran pastor, had in his possession an old wooden altar that had been removed from an old country church. It was being used as a workbench in their garage. They've recently moved but the altar never made it to their new house. Instead, it went to mine. It was my intention to refinish the old thing and retrofit it with a few draft beer faucets and turn it into the Altar Bar! Well, my ambition quickly faded once I got the thing disassembled and it nearly became firewood. After sitting in the garage untouched for over a year I got back on the horse and resumed the project. When I found out Andrew would be in town I told myself I would finish it by the time he arrived. Five months later I realized that goal just in time. Eventually, I am going to refrigerate the thing and it will be one heckuva kegerator. Until then I will just use it for special occasions. Pictures of the project can be seen here.

January 9th, 2009 Andrew arrives. Where’s the first place we go after he steps off the plane? Beer bar! That’s right, the whole family heads to St. Paul and the Muddy Pig. The place is just packed, in fact all of Cathedral Hill is packed tonight! We were fortunate enough to find parking and also three places at the bar while we waited for our table. I got a Left Hand Warrior IPA. As I suspected by the name this beer uses exclusively Warrior hops for its bitterness and flavor. It poured a nice orange color with a very frothy head. It smelled magnificent, full of floral earthy hops. One taste and I was convinced this was fresh/wet hopped. It reminded me a lot of Sierra Nevada’s Harvest Ale. Very earthy or grassy hop flavors. I had ordered this beer off the chalkboard but once we were seated I was able to take a look at the beer menu. Confirming my suspicions I read that this is indeed wet hopped. I am really starting to enjoy all these wet hopped beers. This was a good beer, but I am curious how old it is hops are harvested in the fall in the northern hemisphere and in the spring in the southern. I am not used to seeing a wet hopped beer this late in the year. Regardless it seems to have aged well as I found no distracting flaws. After this beer I had to settle a dispute with myself. As you may recall from an earlier blog I had an experience with a Victory Stout (literally two blocks away) that was just a little off. I checked the world wide net for information on Victory Stout and found no mention it even existed. The closest thing I could find was Victory Storm King Imperial Stout. Well they had this on tap at the Pig so I ordered it. I had to know if this is what I was drinking last month. I’m pretty sure it is although I liked it much better today. I could taste more of the roasted malt and sweetness. Nose was the same though, beautifully hoppy! After our meal which was delicious we had an Eel River Organic Triple Exultation Old Ale. Although our brains kept telling our mouths to say ELK River this beer was very good. We could definitely smell molasses or brown sugar. There was also a nice burnt raisin aroma. I would certainly order this one again. This is the first I have heard of Elk, er… Eel River, I will certainly look for more of their stuff.

January 10th, 2009 Not much to report today except that I did have a new, rather good beer today. But, before I get into that I have to give props to one of my favorite diners, the Town Talk Diner in the Hi-Lake neighborhood of Minneapolis. My family and I have been coming here for a while and are always blown away by the quality and inventiveness of the food. I had the peanut butter and jelly pancakes. Sounds interesting right? Almost sounds gross? That’s what I thought, but I’ve never had any bad experiences here and my curiosity got the best of me. The pancakes were awesome! Just enough peanut butter so you knew it was there and topped with strawberry jelly. Mmmm, my mouth is watering again. Of course you can never go wrong with the pulled pork pepper hash. That is fantastic. And so, like any good Scandinavian, while enjoying this fantastic brunch, I had to have coffee… Coffee beer! Today I tried for the first time the Lagunitas (LAH goo KNEE tuss) Cappuccino Stout. It poured a dark amber color not quite opaque. A little tan head that dissipated quickly and left little lace. At first pour the coffee smell was prevalent but towards the end it was barely discernable. You can tell there is some brown sugar or molasses in there, too, probably to boost the ABV. At 8% this is no breakfast beer, but I won’t tell anyone. I could taste the coffee in the first few sips but not much after that. The molasses and raisin qualities really dominate. It was a very good beer but not really a stout and not really a coffee beer. Maybe I am a product of the American bigger-better-faster-more mentality, I like a lot more coffee in my coffee beers. Still a great beer, loved the flavor, just wasn’t what I was expecting.

Real quickly… went to supper at Masa in downtown Minneapolis tonight. I would definitely recommend this place, fantastic contemporary Mexican food. But what would you expect from the people who brought you D’Amico & Sons and Campiello? Just a quick note about the beers. I started with a Dos Equis Amber, a nice brownish easy drinking beer which has very little malt and even less hops. But what really piqued my interest was a nice little pilsner (?) that my wife ordered. Bohemia from Mexico was a nice light straw color like just about every other pilsner but the taste was significantly different. I got a nice little creaminess out of it. Hard to explain, but it was more in the taste than the mouthfeel. I’d like to try another one of these some day, but with so much better beer out there it may be a while. If you get a chance, check out Masa, but go for the food, not the beer.

January 13th, 2009 Tonight we had another fantastic family dinner, this time at home. We dined at my parent’s house in St Paul and as I’ve mentioned before my mom is a wonderful cook. I can still almost taste the Swedish meatballs and creamed green beans. Yum. It was nice family time; even Grandpa and Grandma were there. Well, we finished dessert, we loosened up our belts, we got the dishes all cleaned up. And like most eighty-somethings the sandman came early. Grandpa’s tail lights were barely out of view by the time we got our coats on and were heading to The Happy Gnome. The cold wasn’t going to stop us. It was Tuesday night and the temperature was -17 so we thought the bar would be quiet. Wrong! The bar was completely full and we got the only open table in the dining room. I decided tonight would be a tour of IPAs. I started the trip off with Tyranena Scurvy. This beer is part of their Brewers Gone Wild series and is made with Orange Peel – hence the name. This came out in a bottle which I immediately poured into the glass that accompanied it. It all happened so fast that I didn’t realize the glass was warm and wet. Fresh out of the dishwasher. The first whiff of Scurvy was all detergent – yuk. I got through it and enjoyed it anyway. I remember this one from last summer so thankfully it wasn’t my first taste of this beer. The next two were firsts for me. The second beer I had tonight was Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA. Had this one on tap and it came out with no head and had very little lacing as I drank it. This one could have also been victim of freshly cleaned glass syndrome. It tasted and smelled just fine though. I got a great citrus aroma, mostly grapefruit out of it. And the taste… wow was this one bitter! There are a lot of hops in here, kinda reminds me of the same hop profile as Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA. I really liked this one. Finally I finished off the night with a Lagunitas IPA. This one was also exceptional. It poured a nice dark orange caramel color, got a thick one finger head that dissipated slowly and left serious lacing. I’m getting some good malty and hoppy characteristics out of the taste. More malt than I am used to in an IPA but I like it. Bitter like an IPA outta be but not over the top. In fact the malt almost dominates. In addition this has a nice creamy mouthfeel to it. Very nice.

January 14th, 2009 This was an especially interesting day. Today was my first BJCP class. BJCP stands for Beer Judge Certification Program. Their website puts it best… “The purpose of the Beer Judge Certification Program is to promote beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer, and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills. We certify and rank beer judges through an examination and monitoring process.” What I am doing now is taking a class offered by my local homebrew club the Minnesota Home Brewers Association to prepare for the exam in April. It’s a 14 week course and if I pass that test I will achieve the rank of Recognized Beer Judge. After that I can accumulate experience points by judging in BJCP sanctioned competitions. The more experience points you accumulate and the higher your score on the exam (you can retake it if you want to) the higher your rank as a beer judge. Training for the exam is rigorous… today we drank a lot of beer! It is actually about as cool as it sounds, but the exam is very tough. Passing means a score of at least 70%. Wish me luck!

After class I picked up Andrew up from the folks' house and we headed to Buster’s on 28th. Things were hopping (no pun intended) when we got there at 10pm but we were able to find a spot at the bar. I got the wings which were tasty; I would recommend them and certainly order them again. These were no “wild” wings, these were actually big enough to see without a magnifying glass. A heaping pile, not sure how many, but they were good and plentiful. I started with a Coffee Bender and was pleased to finally see these mugs everyone has been talking about. Surly began distributing coffee mugs for use with their Coffee Bender a while back but I’d never seen them yet. They are shaped like a coffee mug, short and wide and complete with a handle, but they were clear like a pint glass. Now we’re percolating! The Coffee Bender was great as usual and the coffee mug just made it all the more enjoyable…
Good News! Coffee Bender is now available in cans. That’s right; the company that made canning beer cool has just released its famous Coffee Bender in cans for the first time.
…now back to your regularly scheduled program. After finishing up the mug o’ mud I switched to another favorite I’ve drooled about here, Bell’s Best Brown. This one went down pretty well as usual. I just love those malts. We enjoyed good beers, good food and good conversation. One of my favorite places in the world is bellied up with my brother.

Rock Bottoms Up!

2009-01-21T09:14:00.002-06:00

Well, another week has passed and what was looking to be a quiet beer week has turned into some pretty decent hauls. We visit Rock Bottom Brewery (twice), Mackenzie Pub, The Muddy Pig and Town Talk Diner. We’ve also got an exciting bit of news for you as well. A long time project comes to an end… and the fun is just beginning!

January 7th, 2009 Today, my beer drinking friend Sean Callahan and I visit Rock Bottom Brewery. This is one of our favorite places for happy hour as it seems the beer menu is always changing. Brewer Bryan Tonnis and Company seem to push out at least two different beers a month in addition to their satisfying line up of year round beers. Today we enjoyed two special releases. First I had the Silver Mullet Oatmeal IPA. Traditionally when thinking about Oatmeal in beer, you think about Stout. But, American brewers have become so adventurous in recent years that they will blur the lines and try just about anything. And we’re all the better for it. I remember this one from last summer. According to reviews I found it was also available last winter at this time. It was so smooooooth. I know that Oatmeal is used to create a smooth texture and mouthfeel in beers but this was also served on nitrogen which also adds smoothness. Wow! Take a beautifully bitter beer like IPA and smooth it out with nitro and oatmeal and you get a blissful combination. This beer still packed hoppy bitterness but the flavor was more subdued. It was a pleasure drinking this. After “the Mullet” I went to their winter seasonal, Old Curmudgeon Winter Warmer. Even Ebenezer Scrooge would enjoy this beer. This sweet beer is packed with spices and malts and perhaps currants or some dried fruits. It was a nice variation of flavors new to my palate. Either that or my palate is becoming more refined and I’m more able to identify or perceive certain favors. Either way, I really enjoyed the new flavors on my tongue.

Since it was only Wednesday we called it a night and headed home after just two beers – albeit 23oz beers. Sean was lucky enough to catch his bus, but I missed mine, or it was late or early or who knows. It was snowing and it was freezing and the traffic wasn’t even moving, so I thought screw it, back to the bar for me. Bummer. Near 10th and Hennepin there is a pub which I often forget about. I don’t know if it is location or proximity or what, but I never seem to think about Mackenzie Pub. One of this city’s original beer bars, this nice little pub boasts a healthy tap list and great bottle list of local, regional and national craft beers. I tried a couple of beers for the first time on this trip. After a brief hiatus, Dark Horse Brewing Company out of Marshall, Michigan is finally back in Minnesota. They brought with them a stellar lineup of beers. Tonight was the first time for me to try Scotty Karate. This highly acclaimed cleverly named beer is their version of the classic style Scottish Ale. What I notice most about Scottish Ales is the light smoky flavor. This beer has that, but that is about all that is Scottish about it. What an extreme beer packed with flavor and one hell of an aroma. You could definitely smell the alcohol and lots of brown sugar. The flavor was very nice as well. In addition to the faint smoky malts there was lots of residual sweetness. I’m not sure if the yeast adds to the flavor profile or not, but there was a lot going on in here. I thought it was really good and I look forward to another sometime. With its alcohol content being 9.7% it would make a nice let’s-get-this-party-started beer. Finally, before venturing back out in the cold I ordered a Left Hand Milk Stout. Milk stouts aren’t something I am very familiar with. I haven’t drunk many and I’m not sure what makes a milk stout a milk stout but I am learning it has something to do with lactose. I will make sure to learn more about this style as I was quite impressed with this beer. The smell was like a stout, plenty of dark roasted malts but I also picked up a… sour aroma? I don’t want to call it sour milk because it was pleasant but that’s what I immediately thought. It was not daunting but inviting rather, curious, I asked myself what will this taste like? I could not wait, I had to dive right in. What I got was not sour at all, but sweet instead and very creamy. Almost refreshing. I know you can’t taste colors but this did not taste dark at all. It tasted light, but not Bud Light. This may leave you scratching your heads… what the hell is he talking about? For that I apologize. I just love experiencing new beer flavors, but have a hard time putting it into words. I will certainly research milk stouts and their origins and how they’re made.

I wanted to have this posted on or around January 11th and as you can see time has escaped me. I did eventually make my bus and as so, I did eventually make this post. It did not include my second trip to Rock Bottom, the Muddy Pig or Town Talk as I mentioned in the opening. And it did not make any mention of the project that has come to a close, but rest assured it will all come out in the next (Special) Edition of BEER THIS!

Happy Birthday… and Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T12:05:00.005-06:00

Happy New Year to you and your families. I hope you survived the Holidays and wish you much prosperity in 2009. I have decided that I am going to blog once a week, Sunday. It will be a “Weekly Beer Review” so to speak. I realize this blog, the first under the new schedule, is already late.

December 27th I love birthdays! I love my birthday and I love other people’s birthdays, I love having a reason to get together with friends. Nothing makes me happier than enjoying some social lubricants with my best friends. But, as we get older (birthday’s will do that to you) we find it harder and harder to get everyone together at one time. Birthdays are the one time when most people try the hardest to get together. Why? Is it guilt? Do we feel ashamed for missing birthdays? I don’t know. I don’t care. Whatever gets us all together is what’s most important. And that's why I love birthdays!
I especially like my birthday. I’m not really sure why. Many people I know actually try to avoid their birthday. Maybe they don’t like getting older, maybe they don’t like being the center of attention. I love mine. Maybe it’s because it falls between Christmas and New Years and often gets lost in the shuffle. Whatever the reason, it’s the one day of the year when I can be selfish. I get to say what we do, I get to say where we go. My wife lavishes me with attention. What’s not to like? Sure another year has gone by, but that’s a good thing. Considering the alternative, I’ll take it. My birthday is December 30th and this year I decided to team up with a good friend whose birthday happens to fall on December 28th. So we had a two for one sort of deal. We picked Saturday, December 27th at Jake O’Connor’s for the festivities. There were about sixteen of us and we all huddled together downstairs around a bunch of tables nestled in front of the fireplace. It was a cozy little scene and we all had a wonderful time. The beer scene wasn’t much to write home about but I’ve seen worse (see: sports bar). I certainly wasn’t complaining as I enjoyed my “English” and “Irish” beers. I put those in quotes because all of them were undoubtedly brewed somewhere on this continent. Probably Canada and shipped across the border so the product can still read Imported. While a little deceiving, this is not a bad thing. Beer is one of those products that doesn’t ship well. It doesn’t like excessive handling and/or temperature changes. If you have ever been to Europe, most likely the Budweiser you had (or saw) was brewed right there in Europe as well. This is common, practiced the world over. But enough about beer production and distribution; on to consumption. Since there was nothing at Jake O’Connor’s that I hadn’t tried before, I went with a variety of old standbys. I enjoyed one of each of the following; Smithwicks, Boddingtons, Harp, Murphy’s Stout and Guinness. Now, I am not an advocate of binge drinking so I must note these were consumed over the course of many hours. Having had all of these brews before, I wasn’t terribly excited by any of them but that didn’t stop me from enjoying them. Truth be told, many of these beers were my gateway beers. You know, the ones I enjoyed while converting from a light beer drinker to the full flavored craft brew I enjoy today. I was pleasantly surprised by the Murphy’s Stout. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before but I do believe this one was not on nitrogen. It was a nice change of pace, very warm and toasty, perfect for a cold night by a fire.

December 30th My actual birthday. It has become tradition to visit one of my favorite bars every thirtieth of December - Sweeney’s Saloon in St Paul. I’m not quite sure how it all got started but I believe it had something to do with visiting an old friend. He lives in St Paul and I think my birthday was the only day we could get together. It was either 2001 or 2002 and it was my first visit to Sweeney’s. I’ve been there on my birthday every year since. This year it snowed… again… as it has done often this December. My wife reluctantly picked me up at work after unsuccessfully lobbying to skip Sweeney’s this year *gasp*. I know, I know, this qualifies me for worst husband of the year, asking her to risk her life so I can go drink beer. But hey, I looked at the radar, the snow had almost passed. Besides, she would have felt horrible for my having missed one of the days I look forward to most. I saved her that guilt. This year it was Carolyn and I and both our parents. We played a little bit of musical tables, moving three times before finally settling into one of their church pew booths. It was a nice relaxing time in that warm old pub with some of my favorite people. It wasn’t until after I got home that I realized all my beers were dark, very dark. I kicked the afternoon off with a Summit Oatmeal Stout. I remember when this beer was first brewed. It was intended to be a limited release that would only be available for a short time. Customer demand was so great they decided to keep making it. This seems to pop up around town during the winter months and I’ve only ever seen it on draft. I was blown away when I first tried this beer and it still amazes me. Sweet, chocolately and smooth. So tasty, yet so easy to drink. I look forward to a few more of these this winter. I followed the Oatmeal Stout up with one of my favorite Bell’s offerings, their Best Brown Ale. I have always enjoyed this beer. Toasty like a brown ale should be with some caramel sweetness to it and hoppy as well. This was the lightest colored beer I had and it was still nearly opaque. Not uncommon, but on the dark end for a brown ale. Next came the only disappointment of the evening… Victory Stout. I’m not sure if this was the Storm King Imperial Stout or not. It wasn’t listed as such, only as Victory Stout and I didn’t ask. It started out well, with a very nice nose full of hops, but the taste was disappointing and reminded me of lavatory hand soap. Weird, I know. I would like to try this again on a fresh palate as I usually enjoy all of their products. I finished off the evening much how it started… with a Summit. This time it was their Winter Ale. I needed a sure thing after the Victory and this was it. Delicious. Every. Time. Everything a winter warmer should be, dark, malty and full bodied. This beer was what I needed resonating in my memory as we made the 20 mile drive back to Eden Prairie on sloppy roads. That and maybe a catheter.

January 1st Believe it or not New Years Eve was not a big beer night for me. I didn’t have any beer at all in fact. Just a couple of glasses of red vino with my seafood ravioli. I’m not sure but we may have been up late enough for the ball to drop in Times Square but not much later. However, I did welcome the New Year with a couple of new beers. New year… new beer… seems appropriate. After trying out our new skates at Centennial Lakes Carolyn and I stopped by the new Chatterbox Pub in Edina. I did not realize that they had their own house beers. I always get excited when I see something on tap that I’ve never had before. While the commercial tap and bottle list was exceptional, I decided to opt for said house beers. These beers, I was told, were brewed by Point Brewing Company in Stevens Point Wisconsin exclusively for Chatterbox Pub. The Dubbel sounded good, as did the Empyreal Pale Ale, but I went for the Magnanimous Brown Ale instead. The menu defines magnanimous as noble and generous in spirit (or something like that), but I found this to be anything but. The color was a light watery brown, not unattractive but not at all inviting. I took a whiff and nothing. No evidence whatsoever of what I was about to imbibe. I tasted it and again, nothing. This beer was about as blah as any can be. No aroma and no flavor. That’s not to say it was a horrible experience, just disappointing. It was very drinkable, I could easily drink these all night, but I’d rather drink something else. I imagine this beer would be perfect for the light beer drinker looking to establish himself as a sophisticated beer drinker. It certainly looks better than the ubiquitous yellow beer but it won’t shock your taste buds. Dictionary.com defines magnanimous as generous in forgiving an insult or injury. Well, I forgive quickly and forget even faster so on to the next. Being a fan of Belgian Wit beers I had to try the Chit Chat Belgian White Ale. While usually enjoyed in the summer this was a redeeming beer in the heart of winter. A very well done Wit, true to style. I really enjoyed this one, right down to the Curacao orange peel. This particular Chatterbox opened for business only about a month ago and the neighborhood welcome, we were told, is overwhelming. New Year’s Day was no exception. It was much busier than I expected. Everyone’s supposed to be hungover claiming “I’m never going to drink again!” Well, there was one group in the corner who appeared to be still partying from the night before. A lot of weathered clothes, tousled hair and tired eyes. They were still having fun though. Contrasting them was a quiet row of booths filled with families, couples and friends. I saw people ages 10-60 and seems to welcome all ages. If you’ve never been, their niche is games. They have card games, board games and video games. I saw a couple of thirtysomething guys playing Sega PGA Golf and the rowdies in the corner were playing Super Mario Bros. My wife added “This place looks like a living room” and she was right. Game counsels everywhere and couches and art work straight out of your Grandma’s basement. Everyone was comfortable. As we sat there playing battleship and drinking our beers I felt glad. Glad to be there and glad to see such a fun hip place succeeding so near the dining saturated and sometimes stuffy 50th & France district. I would rate this place E for Everyone.

As we welcome 2009 I am excited for what is in store for this year. Every year the craft beer scene seems to expand exponentially. New breweries and brewpubs pop up and new products from existing brewers hit the shelves. I cannot wait to see what happens, it’s going to be a great year.

Kaylee Crawls!

2008-12-22T20:29:00.009-06:00

Some of the biggest thrills of having a child (I’m told) are their first word, their first step and even when they first start crawling. Each of these milestones is just further evidence that, even though you were not prepared in the least to take on such a momentous challenge as parenthood, you are still succeeding. Kaylee is the daughter of good friends of ours and was born September 26th. We’ve really loved getting to know her and not even three months old she’s already crawling. Okay, not on hands and knees, but pub crawling! By definition, a pub crawl is described as the visiting of a smattering of pubs throughout the course of a day or evening... or both! Although today was neither, our intentions were good. Kaylee’s mom and my wife made appointments together for an afternoon at the spa. So the guys made plans to hit a couple of pubs since we’d be in the beer friendly Selby-Dale neighborhood.
We started out at W.A. Frost since it’s right across the street from the spa. No, not exactly a beer bar, but neither of us had been for a while and because of the snow, it was quite convenient. My parents were joining us too, before rushing off to their holiday party, because they hadn’t met Kaylee yet. Well, the snow kept coming down harder and harder and the bar at Frost kept feeling more and more comfortable. Needless to say, we didn’t crawl anywhere that afternoon and instead spent the next couple of hours at Frost. But anyway… about the beers.
We kicked the night off with a couple of Surly Coffee Benders. I’m always looking to try something different, but I can’t get enough of this stuff. So, whenever I find it on tap I take advantage of it. As usual, I enjoyed every drop of malty java goodness. At $8 a glass tho, I think I’ll stop at one. Sheesh! On to the next. I saw something on the bottles list that I have been wanting to try for quite sometime – Flying Dog’s Gonzo Imperial Porter. Normally I will order off the tap list, but boy was I glad I went this route. The nose was really hoppy. I know big beers need a lot of hops to balance them out, but this smelled to be dry hopped even. Being a hop head myself, this was quite alright with me. The flavor was exceptional as well. Malty sweetness with some subtle smokiness to it. And for a big beer there was even some powerful hop bitterness in addition to the coffee and chocolate. I’d certainly have another, but not this afternoon.
Although I didn’t know this when ordering, my last beer of the evening was a Flat Earth Winter Warlock. This was another beer I had always wanted to try. I had heard little about it, but what I heard was encouraging. For some reason I was expecting something dark and toasty, but what I got was quite different. I enjoyed it for the most part. It had a hint of spiciness to it, but not the big Belgian kind I have gotten accustomed to from Flat Earth. It was very easy to drink, no heat like I would have expected from 9% abv. I have not had many barleywines to this point so I haven’t much to compare to, but this isn’t like any of the others I’ve had. The alcohol hit me later so I know it was there, but that could have had something to do with the rate in which we consumed them. About halfway through we got a call from the ladies saying they were done. They added that they were in sandals and we needed to pick them up. Who wears sandals in the middle of a snowstorm?!?! Turns out it had to do with toe nail polish or something.
Sadly this was the conclusion to what could have been a great evening. It was decided that due to the weather we would just head home instead of heading to another pub. I was supposed to meet some BeerAdvocates at Stub and Herbs later tonight as well and that won’t be happening either. Oh well, I have not been home much lately so staying in won’t be all that bad. Being such a big fan of all things Christmas I was even a little excited to go home and enjoy the lights, the season, the merriment and the kegerator. Tonight would be the Indulgences Chocolate Porter. This beer is probably my favorite of all my homebrews. A little bit sweet and a whole lot of chocolaty, this great brew pours like tar but drinks like silk! Looking back, the Winter Warlock was a very appropriate selection. Taken directly from the brewery’s website… “Enjoy this beer with someone special [they don’t come more special than friends and family] on a cold winters night [twenty below wind chill cold enough?], a roaring fire [how about a handful of fireplaces?] and time to reflect on how each beer is as unique as a snowflake [try six inches of snowflakes]”. It’s as if it were calling our name, I just wish I could have enjoyed it more. Oh well, best not argue with Mother Nature.

Many Reasons to Give Thanks!

2008-12-18T12:55:00.007-06:00

Being married to someone who works at a liquor store certainly has its perks. Ya know what the greatest of these is? I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count. That’s right, employee discount! As the cost of beer continues to rise and the size of my 401K continues to fall, it’s nice to be able to get some good beers at a discount from time to time. While the selection of fine craft beers at this simple little municipal often falls short there are a few gems that I’ve come to enjoy. For example one of my all time favorites, Surly Furious is almost always available. And, being one of those beers that pushes the limits of both hops and malt, the sticker shock can often cause paralysis. Speaking of hops, I’ve really been drinking the crap out of a perennial favorite lately. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, what a fantastic beer! Even as a seasonal, this beer is often voted among the tops in “Best IPA” category in online polls. You’ll get no arguments from this guy, and fortunately you can also find this seasonal at my wife’s store.
Of course there are many great beers out there that you can’t find at this muni so I found myself venturing out to my favorite beer store, the Four Firkins to stock up for Thanksgiving. The drive is short for me, the service always pleasant and you never have to trip over mountains of macros to find what you came for. In the evening you will often find open bottles from which to sample something new. Quite an ingenious concept if you ask me. It keeps people in the store longer and I’ve found myself more than once picking up that little something extra because of it. While it is in every store owner’s interest to make a profit, it’s obvious this store makes it a priority to spread the good word of craft beer and promote local brewers and educate us on all things beer. For the annual family Thanksgiving feast I picked up a kaleidoscope of fine beers from Alvey and the good folks at Four Firkins.
First, I cracked open Victory’s annual homage to the hop harvest “Hop Wallop”. This beer is just as it suggests; a wallop of hops that hits you right in the kisser - Kapow! At 8.5% this proved to be a good beer to kick off the annual festivus. I followed that up with some of Tyranena’s “The Devil Made Me Do It” from their highly regarded Brewers Gone Wild series. If you think the name is a mouthful, wait 'til you get the real thing in there. I should have had this thing for breakfast… Oatmeal, coffee, delish! Finally, I finished off Thanksgiving Day dinner with a bottle of Sierra Nevada’s “Chico Estate Harvest Ale”. I was not surprised to find myself enjoying this one as well. It’s very much like their Original Harvest Ale, this one also wet hopped, but this time using fresh hops grown at their brewery. I tried the Original Harvest Ale around Halloween this year and was introduced to a different hop experience than I’d ever had. Being wet hopped, I kinda expected a difference, I just didn’t know what that would be. Well, not as bitter as other hoppy beers, but a lot of hop flavor. And not citrusy but more “earthy” as they say. Seems to be an appropriate way to describe it. It was very pleasant and I look forward to trying more. The Chico Estates release was very similar and I enjoyed it just the same.
I realize it is nearly Christmas but I just had to get on and share my long overdue Thanksgiving Day experience. We have been having Thanksgiving at my parent’s house for as long as I can remember. It’s always a great time getting together with grandpa and grandma, aunts and uncles and many cousins and this year was no exception. My mother’s fantastic cooking was complimented with a solid variety of brewed adventures. In this day and age when the news always seems so full of gloom and doom we’re reminded that we all have so much to be thankful for. For when you have nothing better to do than get online and talk beer, life is certainly good indeed.

Please also visit www.lutherpublichouse.com for more fun with beer.

A Quiet Evening at Brit's

2008-12-16T21:06:00.005-06:00

December 16th 2008, my first blog. I figure this is as good a topic as any since Brit’s Pub was one of the first places that I really enjoyed beer drinking since moving to Minneapolis. Sure, there’s any number of places in town to find a happy hour and get a beer but Brit’s has that something extra special. I am English. Well, I am a lot English anyway. My Grandma was born and raised in Western England and moved to America with my Grandfather after WWII. I graduated college in 1998. College is where I really started to enjoy beer. I drank beer in high school because that is what everyone else drank (insert “if everybody jumped off a cliff” comment here) but I never really enjoyed it… at least not the taste. In college I rather enjoyed the taste and especially enjoyed the side effects. I moved to Minneapolis in 1999, but it was a trip to England in the summer of 2000 that I really started to appreciate beer. Sure, by 2000 the American craft beer scene had already taken off, but I hadn’t seen or heard about it. On that trip I saw beers in a whole new light… beers of a whole new color, new flavor (or should I say “colour and flavour”) and *gasp* new temperature! It’s no secret that real ales in England are served a little warmer than the colonials are used to, but it may be a secret that it’s actually enjoyed that way. It’s not the flat, warm, sitting out over night type that so many of us perceive. It’s slightly warmer at around 45-50 degrees. As I’ve learned more recently, warmer temperatures actually bring out more flavor in the beer. I imagine this had something to do with the “wow factor” I experienced on that fateful trip across the pond. Once I got back to the States, it was Brit’s Pub that I sought out more and more frequently to satisfy my longing for good English ale. The beer may be served at temperatures more conducive to the local crowd, but the atmosphere and fish and chips are just as good and the pints are proper Imperial style – 20oz.

Fast forward to 2008. I am a bit of a traditionalist. I often find myself choosing to do things I’ve enjoyed in the past rather than seek out something new. After almost 10 years of visiting Brit’s Pub, I think I now visit to reminisce about some of the other great times I’ve had there instead of going so that I can remember a trip to the homeland. Tonight I did just that. I found myself with a rare evening off and nothing but an empty house to return to. I am a big fan of Christmas beers but I am also a big fan of Christmas in general. I really enjoy downtown this time of year, and the cards seemed to be stacked in my favor. I had to work late so it was already dark out, the Christmas lights were lit, I had no where to be, it was lightly snowing and I was thirsty. I sauntered down to Brit’s and my luck continued. The Long Room was not reserved for a corporate holiday party and was open to the public. I ordered a Fuller’s ESB and settled into one of those deep leather chairs situated next to the fireplace. I took a deep breath, a long sip and watched the snow gently falling outside. I was happy. Don’t get me wrong, Brit’s isn’t always the greatest place in the world, but tonight it was perfect. There were no crowds. There were no suits and ties trying to look important, no groups of frat boys trying to impress a single maiden as her dejected friends watch. I was entertained by a small group in the corner playing musical cell phones – one would answer as another hung up. It seemed one of them was always on the phone. There’s just something about a Fuller’s ESB. That rich caramel maltiness, residual sweetness and subtle hop notes just soothe the throat and tease the mind. When the Fullers is gone, I order a Boddingtons Pub Ale. So many times have I heard beer snobs lambaste the nitro beers for its gimmicky appeal, but there would be none of that tonight. Just a smooth ale that drinks like a lager. Mmmmmm. At one point I caught Sportscenter on one of the few TV’s. It appeared to be an interview with Terrell Owens and for the first time in my life I’m glad there was no volume. As I finish I think about one more but decide against it. I was reminded of a quote from Martin Luther I had heard recently about drinking too much…
"It is possible to tolerate a little elevation, when a man takes a drink or two too much after working hard and when he is feeling low. This must be called a frolic. But to sit day and night, pouring it in and pouring it out again, is piggish...”
While I wasn’t nearing the piggish point I thought it best to hit the road and try and arrive home about the same time as my lovely wife. And thus concludes not only my first blog but also my perfect evening of solitude. A time to reflect, a time to imbibe and a time to enjoy the simple pleasures that is life. Brit’s pub, ahh the memories. Frolic on my friends…

Also, please visit http://www.lutherpublichouse.com/ for more fun with beer.