Sincere apologies to all the bloggers who participated for taking an extra day to compile the round-up. A weekend full of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, craft beer and travel made any sort of Internet work almost impossible.

Alas, let us move on.

For two years now, beer bloggers have been partaking in a community exercise called “The Session”. On the first Friday of each month, a different beer blogger brainstorms an original theme or topic and then anyone interested in participating is instructed to write a post on their own website and link it to the host website. The following week, the “host” blogger then conjures up a list and a brief synopsis of each post.

I had the honor and pleasure of hosting Session #44. In honor of my favorite holiday which falls at the end of this month, I chose the theme “Frankenstein Beers”. Although I gave a lose description of the topic, bloggers were free to interpret the theme as they wished. The results were extremely entertaining. So without further ado… allow me to present the Session #44 Blogger Roundup:

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BROOKSTON BULLETIN — Session #44: Frankenstein’s Beers

Novato, CA: Jay Brooks gives us a more in-depth background behind the story of “Frankenstein” and creates a unique parallel between Dr. Frankenstein and modern day craft brewers. “The American craft beer scene, and more recently the world beer scene, has become a landscape filled with Frankenstein-like beers, unique and unusual and beloved.”

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APPELLATION BEER — The Session #44: Frankenstein and lust

Stan Hieronymus shares a brief glimpse into the background of “extreme” beers using citations from famous beer connoisseurs such as Randy Mosher and Ron Pattinson, who are both in agreement that Danziger Joppenbier is one of the weirdest and most freakish beers to have ever been created. “Does a beer brewed with wheat malt, oat malt and beans sound like a Frankenstein beer? How about if once fermentation begins the brewers add the inner rind of a fir tree; fir and birch tree tips; Cnicus benedictus, a bitter herb used to stimulate appetite; flowers of Rosa Solis, an insect-eating bogplant, said to stir up lust; elder flowers; betony; wild thyme; cardamom; and pennyroyal (which turns out to be dangerously poisonous).”

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THE BEER NUT — “Mont Blanc, in awful majesty”

Dublin, Ireland: The Beer Nut brings us a story of a beer brewed with “La Verte” from Brouwerie Mont Blanc — the very same substance that the greenfairy uses to make absinthe. The beer itself is a shocking color of bright green. “Were Victor Frankenstein a brewer, this is definitely what he’d be turning out.”

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SEACOAST BEVERAGE LAB — “Session #44 — Frankenstein Beers”

Portsmouth, NH: Brian addressed the question: What if there were a beer that could change men/women into beasts? His answer? Kate The Great, a Russian Imperial Stout with an intense cult following. “I risk my life whispering this name in public, let alone type it. I’m talking about Kate the Great from the Portsmouth Brewery.”

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LUG WRENCH BREWING COMPANY — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beer Costumes

New England & Virginia: Tom and Jeff Wallace took a unique approach to the theme by researching beer-themed Halloween costumes on the web and posting pictures with funny captions on his blog. The Wench’s favorite had to have been the Flying Dog Six-Pack. “It is truly creative to go out as a variety six-pack of your favorite craft beer with your closest friends.  I would imagine the six-pack holder for these people was an exercise in invasion of personal space.”

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FROM MY MELLIN — Session 44 – the Frankenstein Beers

New York, NY: Seth Mellin discusses how much the craft beer industry has evolved in just the past few years and sites examples of crazy experimental beers that prove brewing really has no limits or bounds. “This to me is just a sign that brewers today are very much like Dr. Frankenstein pushing the envelope of brewing to new boundaries and new heights.”

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THE BEER BABE — The Session #44 “Undead” t’Smisje Catherine the Great

Portland, ME: Carla Companion brings us a chilling tale of a run-in with an aged bottle of Catherine The Great. “Why is that weird? Because it was once a strong stout, but has been aging so long (since 2004… when I graduated from college) that the malts have been devoured, leaving a funky, hollow and soul-less (yet delicious) monster behind.”

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THE BREW SITE — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers (Unusual Beer Week)

Bend, OR: Although he qualifies most beers that fall outside of style guidelines as “Frankenstein” beers, Jon defines the original Frankenstein style as being the sour wild ale. “These are the true “monstrous” beers—brews that are purposefully infected, inoculated with wild, unpredictable yeasts and bacteria, left to sour and bubble away for years at a stretch, often quite ugly along the way.”

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A GOOD BEER BLOG — Session 44: Frankenstein Beers? What Isn’t?

Ontario, Canada: Alan McLeod tells us about his encounters with Frankenstein beers and his predictions for the future of the industry. “Most freakish beer I have ever had? Without a doubt Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru by Cantillon. I was so offended by this beer that some cheese eating schoolboy lost it. That was funny.”

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BEER 47 — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

San Francisco, CA: David Jensen discusses different variations on “Frankenstein beers” — experimental and extreme beers, blended beers, colored beers, wild yeast beers etc… “I’m enjoying all of this wonderful experimentation and creativity in the craft beer world to create these so called Frankenstein beers.”

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BURGERS AND BREWS — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

Mike Lynch develops an interesting analogy between Frankenstein and hybrid-beers. “Like Frankenstein, a lot of brewers have begun meddling with “hybrid” beer styles, combining (sometimes radically) different types into one. Like the two notions of Frankenstein, the evil monster and the misunderstood creation, two of these hybrid beers stick out for me. One is the Belgian IPA, and the other is the Black IPA.”

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LOV BEER — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

Seattle, WA: Mike Steinburg addresses the pros and cons of extreme beers and makes a strong argument in favor of supporting non-Frankenstein beers. “Some may actually argue that to brew a great Pilsner is harder than brewing some of the Frankenstein beers. I may have to agree with that because it’s always harder to make something stand out that is made simply.”

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RAMBLINGS OF A BEER RUNNER — The Session #44: The Drive of a Scientist Brewer at Mayfield

Belmont, CA: For this post, Derrick Peterman highlighted a hometown brewery called Mayfield Brewing. They are known for their Iconoclast series of win barrel-aged beers. “I have to say, Alderete seems much more turned on by the challenge of creating a beer of unusual flavor combinations for people to slowly discover for themselves, than putting out something easily and instantly appealing to everyone that’s easy to sell.”

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THE DENVER BEER REVIEW — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

Denver, CO: David D. describes his experience tasting a “Frankenstein” collaboration between Left Hand Brewing and Terrapin Beer called Teutonic India Pale Lager. “Whether it’s the Teutonic India Pale Lager, a black IPA from Stone or Deschutes, or a wheat wine from Portsmouth Brewing, the craft brewing scene is full of Dr. Frankensteins, all seeking to create something unique and innovative for their fans.”

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THE BEER SEARCH PARTY — Session # 44

The World: Sean Inman paints us a picture of the myth and the legend of modern day Frankenstein beers. “These fright inducing, sometimes cringe worthy ingredients are tossed into the kettle for many reasons. There are breweries raising nearly extinct beer styles from the dead. There are breweries pushing the ABV boundry. There are breweries that use brettamyoces just to add another note to an already great beer.”

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A FLAGON OF ALE — The Session #44

The Twin Cities, MN: An interesting argument that, at some point or another, all beer styles were Frankenstein beers. “Every new idea and beer style was frankenbier at some point. So while I might not enjoy novelty brews just for the sake of novelty, all the beer we drink was a Frankenstein beer at some point, even ones which are steeped in tradition.”

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BEER IN BALTIMORE — The Session #44: Biologically Engineered Beer?

Baltimore, MD: Alexander brings us a “geekified” report about the protein content in beer and its impact on flavor. “The most interesting part of this for the layman or ordinary beer drinker?  There were twice as many proteins from yeast as there were from barley malt, far more than previous experiments had discerned.” But the real question is, will the mega corporations use this knowledge to genetically-engineer beer from lower quality ingredients to taste like beers with higher quality ingredients?

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A BEER IN HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE FRIDGE — The Session- Frankenstein Beers

Baltimore, MD: Jay Zeis expresses that while he has no qualms with crazy beers, sometimes a well-crafted traditional beer is “For every Frankenstein beer that comes out, every crazy new fad (goze, sours, RIS, hop-bombs)- there will always be solid basic beers that will win people to craft beer, and keep beer geeks/snobs happy. My favorite beer is the one in my hand, and I would be happy to share it with you.”

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THE BEER WENCH — Session 44: The Frankestein Beers of BrewDog

San Francisco, CA: I chose to highlight BrewDog and its crazy brewers for my particular theme of The Session. “Over the past year or so, the Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde brewing duo from BrewDog, James Watt and Martin Dickie, have unleashed mad chaos and massive confusion on the craft beer industry with some of the most extreme beers known to man — if we can even call them beers. Brewdog’s monstrous, freak-of-nature beers beg the question… Is this science or is this witchcraft?”

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I really hope that I did not miss anyone’s posts on the roudup. If I did, please please please forgive me because it was not intentional. Just leave me a comment or shoot me an email and all will be corrected ASAP!

Thanks to all who participated! See you next month for another episode of THE SESSION!

CHEERS!

The Wench is most definitely a story teller. I have been this way since I was a kid. Growing up, all the kids in the neighborhood used to sit around for hours listening to my crazy tales. I had one story called “The Blob” that I swear lasted for weeks. In fact, I am pretty sure I never ended it.

I almost rarely ever review beers without telling some sort of story about the brewery and the background of the beer. For me, it is these stories that add a completely new dimension to the whole beer tasting experience.

Today’s story is about Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale.

Two-Hearted will always hold a special place in my heart. It was my first IPA, and you always remember your first IPA. I had never experienced anything like it before. Citrus and pine aromas, wickedly bitter taste, super dry finish. It was flavorful and intense. It smacked me in the face and made me beg for more.

I will never forget that fateful night in Columbus, OH. At the time, I was a complete wine geek studying for sommelier certification. My good friend Zach was (and still is) a total beer geek and beginner homebrewer. We met up at a local craft beer bar called Bodegas, where I was introduced to The Two-Hearted.

I suppose I consider Bell’s Two-Hearted to be my “hop epiphany.” That beer turned me into a full-fledged hophead. From the moment I tasted it, I became obsessed with hops. I searched high and low for the hoppiest beers I could find. But, at the end of the day, I always came home to Two-Hearted.

Two-Hearted became an integral point of my life after that. It was my go to beer. Although I loved trying new beers everywhere I went, Two-Hearted was my fallback crush. I drank that beer like it was water. Pint after pint, everyday for almost 2 years.

Some of my best memories with some of my best friends involved Two-Hearted. All of my favorite local watering holes served it — including my favorite bar in the entire city of Columbus, Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails.

Oh Tip Top, how I miss thee. That bar is the epitome of everything I look for in a great bar –> dark, divey yet swanky interior, fantastic craft beer, excellent whiskey cocktails, great wine, amazing bar-style food made from local ingredients (and ingredients from the roof garden), an outdoor patio, wonderful staff, privately owned and dedicated to the local community. Overall, Tip Top just has a great ambiance. And I could ride by bike there, which was icing on the cake.

I have many happy memories of swilling down pints of Two-Hearted, sitting on the patio of Tip Top, noshing on sweet potato fries and eggplant fries with the house-made Bloody Mary dipping sauce, playing Apples to Apples for hours upon hours with some of the best friends I have ever had in my life.

Those were the days my friend, those were the days.

Ultimately, an itch inside The Wench took me away from the city of which I have so many fond memories to a new city, where I was virtually alone, with no friends and no bars “where everyone knows your name.”

But I was not entirely alone. Lucky for me, Bell’s had distribution in Orlando. And I found a local wine bar that served Two-Hearted on tap. On the days when nothing seemed to go right and it felt like the whole world was against me, I found myself sitting at that very bar, visiting my old friend Two-Hearted, and with every sip, all my trouble would just melt away.

Now I am not talking about an alcoholics moment, where turning to booze helped me to escape reality. I am talking about nostalgia. I am referring to the “mom’s apple pie” concept. You are old and grown, your wife wants a divorce, your kids hate you, you just got fired from your job — and then you go home, to mama’s house, and as you walk in the door you get a big whiff of her homemade apple pie, and then, in that moment, everything is alright.

That is the effect that Two-Hearted has on me. It is a psychosomatic response. Two-Hearted has only brought me pleasure. Once my senses experience it, I fall into a comma of pure bliss, pure happiness, pure zen.

Last year, I moved to California. And although our West Coast style IPAs are absolutely amazing, Pliny the Elder and Sculpin are now my two favorite IPAs, no beer gives me that feeling of pure inner peace like Two-Hearted.

Last week, a good friend of mine (fellow beer blogger James Marks), visited me from Columbus. And with him he brought out Bell’s Two-Hearted and Bell’s Hopslam. And tonight I decided to pop open a Two-Hearted. And as soon as I did, the memory flood gates opened and I was instantly enveloped by the nostalgia and taken to my happy place.

And so I wonder, do any of you have a “ZEN BEER”? If so, I would love to hear your story!

Thanks for listening to mine!

Cheers,

The Wench

Despite what many people may think, there is an actual science to the proper tasting and analyzation of beers.

Now yes, I understand that experiences with and  individual perceptions of beer does vary from person to person. Some people prefer to have an emotional connection with beer. They tend to review beer using expressive and artistic descriptors as opposed to scientific terminology.

Don’t get my wrong though — the emotional method of beer analyzation is by no means “unprofessional.” There is no real or wrong way to experience beer. After all, beer is in the eye of the beholder.

However, it is important to note that there is a universally recognized and accepted language in the beer industry. Whereas describing a beer in an artistic format makes an excellent visual for readers and consumers, I guarantee if you tell a brewer that her beer takes like rainbows and butterflies she will look at you like you have three heads.

So exactly how does one learn how to “speak beer”? Learning proper beer terminology can seem daunting at first. But have no fear, its not like learning to write code. In fact, most of beer terminology already exists in our language.

The key is learning what terms to use when.

One does not have to go out and buy books on the science and engineering of brewing in order to learn this language. There are several resources on proper beer analyzation that can be more easily  ”digested” than hitting the “big kid” textbooks.

My favorite beer analyzation resources are as follows:

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TASTING BEER — An Insider’s Guide to The World’s Greatest Drink
by: Randy Mosher

Randy Mosher is a public speaker, teacher, writer, and enthusiastic promoter of traditional beer styles. He is the author of The Brewer’s Companion and Radical Brewing, as well as many articles and columns for All About Beer, the country’s leading beer magazine.

From the back cover:

Everybody knows how to drink beer, but few know how to really taste it. Tasting Beer is a lively exploration of the culture, chemistry, and creativity that make craft beers so wonderfully complex. Heighten your enjoyment of every glass with an understanding of the finer points of brewing, serving, tasting, and food pairing.

Enough said.

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THE BEER FLAVOR WHEEL
by: This website was created by some brewer friends who will remain nameless…

The Beer Flavor Wheel is perfect or both budding beer connoisseurs as well as professionals. It breaks down the entire tasting experience in general categories. Each category gets further brown down until you reach the “scientific” conclusion.

For example, I get “vegetal” characteristics in a beer. Now let us break vegetal down: is is resinous, grassy or nutty? Let’s say I get resinous. Let us break it down further: is it woody or piney.

Naturally, one needs to have a semi-decent palate and educational background that predisposes them to understanding this wheel. However, with the help of google and a significant amount of time tasting with learned professionals — the information on this wheel becomes second nature.

And for those of you who do not understand every term on this wheel, do not feel overwhelmed or inadequate. Developing a palate doesn’t happen overnight … or even over a decade. It is a constant learning process. My palate is admittedly novice. But that does not stop me from trying to advance it, ya feel me?

If you want a good glossary of proper terms to use, this wheel is definitely a top resource.

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THE BEER JUDGE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM STYLE GUIDELINES

For some time now, I have been following the BJCP format of reviewing beer. Why? Because its system is well-established and internationally recognized. Even more badass? BJCP has a FREE, yes free, iPhone App … with ALL of its style guidelines. Yeah, go download it like now.

Why have style guidelines?

Styles are a convenient shorthand for discussing beer. They allow all those who are tasting and describing a beer to use a common framework and language. Style Guidelines are designed to assist organizers, entrants and judges participating in beer, mead and cider competitions by providing a standardized set of descriptions of beer, mead and cider styles.

The style descriptions are based on currently acknowledged world class examples, historical references to styles no longer brewed, and writings of noted beer researchers and journalists.

One of the purposes of the BJCP is to promote beer literacy, which includes understanding more about the world’s great beer styles. The BJCP has been operating since 1985 and has been publishing guidelines for much of that history.

The BJCP has spent considerable time researching world class beer examples, visiting renowned breweries, talking with noted authors, and searching key reference materials for information on beer styles. It has collected this information into its guidelines as a way to reduce the amount of time, effort and variability in learning this knowledge.

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Of course, there are more than three major resources on the proper tasting and analyzation of beer. But these three happen to be my particular favorites. Each contributes to beer education from a different aspect of the spectrum — and together, these resources are golden.

Wanna “speak beer”? Check out the resources above and you are well on your way to understanding the (not-too) cryptic language of beer.

For more indepth knowledge, check out:

• Siebel Institute of Technology
• Cicerone Certification Program
• American Brewers Guild
• UC Davis

Cheers!

Disclaimer: In addition to being a craft beer professional, I am a creative writer. I am in no way insulting those who chose to describe beer in more artistic and expressive terminology.

]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?feed=rss2&p=3954 1 http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=3778 http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=3778#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:02:12 +0000 Wenchie http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=3778

It recently dawned on me that, despite the fact that I drink beer every single day, I have been really bad about writing about the beers I drink.

Bad Beer Wench.

Last week, I had the opportunity to shadow brewmaster Steve Altimari as “Brewer For A Day” at Valley Brewing Company. The experience was tremendous and I look forward to writing about it shortly.

Steve was kind enough to send me home with a couple of samples. I figure it is only nice of me to talk about them, right?

Today I popped open a bottle of Decadent Evil. According to its label, Decadent Evil is considered to be a Belgian Style Golden Ale. Valley used local organic pomegranate honey in a secondary fermentation. This beer originally debuted as part of the 2009 Collaborative Evil GABF project.

DECADENT EVIL

Specs: Pilsner Malt, a little Cara malt, Oatmeal (3%) and Wheat (9%). Mt. Hood hops,
32 IBU’s calc., only one bittering charge. 1.084 starting gravity. Organic pomegranate honey added in secondary fermentation.

Appearance: Deep marigold, excellent clarity, relatively thin white head that dissipates quickly.

Aroma: Significant fruity esters reminiscent of banana-nut bread (dead serious on that one), sugar cookies and honey. Moderate pepper notes. Spicy & floral hop aroma. Very light malt character, aroma is dominated by hops & yeast.

Taste: Sweet and slightly “winey” with hints of honey. Extremely fruity with a noticeable hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation, smooth, medium bodied, slightly vicious, noticeable alcohol warmth. Dry, bitter finish.

Overall: Complex, well-balanced and very fruity. Its fruity ester dominated aroma in combination with its bitter, dry finish is very reminiscent of Duvel. The main difference, is the honey addition and its winey like character.

For me, this beer was both Decadent and Evil. The organic pomegranate addition in secondary fermentation gave it a unique complexity that I really appreciated. Since I have had the opportunity to spend time with him, I know personally that Steve likes to use pomegranate in his beers. He is pretty dedicated to putting his own “Central Valley California” touch on all of his beers — which I think is awesome.

This is definitely a perfect beer for my wine friends. And my beer friends. Well heck, all my friends.

Cheers!

Disclaimer: This beer was given to me as a free sample from Valley Brewing Company. (Stupid disclosure laws…)

Although I have toured my fair share of breweries all over the country, until recently I had never actually observed the entire brewing process — from start to finish — in a production facility.

This past week Christian Kazakoff, good friend and Brewmaster at Iron Springs Pub & Brewery, invited me to shadow him as an “Assistant Brewer” for the day.

For those of you who are not familiar with Iron Springs, it is a privately owned and operated pub and brewery located in Fairfax, California. The owners are dedicated to crafting everything from its food to its beer from scratch, using the highest quality of ingredients, as locally sourced as possible. Iron Springs has been certified as an official Green Certified Business by the Marin County Community Development Agency.

Christian Kazakoff has been the Head Brewer of Iron Springs since late July 2008. I had the honor of meeting him just shortly after moving to Berkeley, CA. He has become a good friend and tremendous resource to me since. So when Christian invited me to come brew with him, I could not resist jumping on the opportunity.

By the time I got to the brewpub, Christian had already started mashing in. The beer of the day? A classic Kolsch. For those of you unfamiliar with the style, Kolsch is a German style of beer typically brewed with 100% Pilsner malt or pale 2-row barley, German noble hops, Kolsch yeast and fermented at cooler temperatures that most ales.

Shortly after I arrived, it was time to start the sparge.

While waiting for the sparge to complete, I asked Christian about his brewing background — Where, when and why did he decide to become a brewer?

After serving 4 years on an Airforce Carrier in the U.S. NAVY, Christian decided to “get his hands dirty” in the restaurant industry. He enrolled in the culinary program at the City of San Francisco and started his career as a line-cook in various Bay Area restaurants. As fate would have it, Christian landed at Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse, where he got his first taste for brewing.

But the story was not one of love at first sight. Christian admits that, at first, he did not drink Triple Rock’s beer. Instead, he opted for the ciders. His first real beer epiphany occurred during a visit to England, where he had his first taste of cask beer — what Christian refers to as “real ales.” Being spoiled by this real ale experience, it was hard for Christian to adapt his palate to the “American West Coast” styles of beer.

(I stole this photo of Christian at Triple Rock from Jay Brooks of Brookston Bulletin)

Everything changed (for the better) when Shaun O’ Sullivan, who was a Triple Rock brewer at the time, convinced Christian to start homebrewing. Eventually, Christian started volunteering to help out in the Brewery. The “lightbulb” officially went off during a trip with Shaun O to Portland in the summer of 1996 for the Oregon Brewers Festival, where Christian realized his calling.

According to Christian, Shaun O had a significant impact on his decision to become a brewer.

Shaun O ultimately left Triple Rock to assist with brewing operations at the (unfortunately “late”) Twenty Tank Brewery in SF. (Shaun went to open his own brewer, 21st Amendment in San Francisco, after Twenty Tank). After Shaun left Triple Rock, Christian jumped on the opportunity to become the new Assistant Brewer. He eventually became the Head Brewer in 1999. And in that same year, Christian completed a five week intensive brewing and engineering course at the American Brewers Guild.

Back to the brewing …

Once the sparge was finished, it was time to start the boil and the first hop addition. Iron Springs operates a 10 barrel brewing system, which is pretty standard for a brewpub of its size.

Once we got the boil going, it was time to clean out the mash ton. Christian made the comment that brewing is 90% cleaning, 10% brewing and 100% cleaning — which I found to be entertaining. In a small operation, cleaning is the majority of the work load. This is because it is almost entirely manual. And so, while I lazily watched, Christian scooped the spent grain from the mash ton into huge plastic barrels.

Iron Springs, like most breweries, donates its spent grain to a local farmer to use as feed for its animals. The neat part about their farmer is that he comes an picks up the grain from EACH batch of beer brewed. I had the honor of meeting the farmer that day.

After taking the grain to the truck, I helped Christian spray out the mash ton. He ended up getting inside to clean it more thoroughly while, yet again, my lazy butt watched from the sidelines. While Christian was cleaning, I proceeded to ask him more questions about his interests and hobbies.

Like me, Christian is also a wine geek and uber foodie. We discussed out favorite wine varietals, favorite wineries and various experiences with wine. I was extremely envious to learn that Christian once had the opportunity to try a Chateau La Tour from the late 1960′s. I anticipate the day when I will be able to even touch a bottle of La Tour, let alone drink one that is decades old.

After cleaning out the mash ton, it was time to inoculate the fermenter with the Kolsh yeast. I was very excited and impressed to learn that Christian uses traditional Kolsch yeast in his recipes. It may be the reason why he produces the BEST American Kolsch that I have ever tasted.

Speaking of tasting beers, it was around this time that we both got a bit “thirsty.” Still having some time left on the boil, we threw in the second hop addition and took a break to taste through some of his beers.

Here are my highlights:

• Kent Lake Kolsch: Brewed with all German ingredients.  Light, crisp and clean — slightly characteristic of a lager. Hops: Tettnang, Hallertau Abv: 4.5%  O.G.: 1.050
  Grain Bill: German Pilsner, German Wheat, Vienna, Munich, Acidulated (its tangy and tart notes are attributed to the slight addition of acidulated malt). Overall impression: As I noted before, this is by far the best American Kolsch that I have tasted. And I’m not just saying that. It is super clean, refreshing and easy to drink.
• Chazz Cat Rye: A light, golden amber ale with a slight hop bite. Well balanced with fruity, earthy notes and spicy overtones. Hops: Liberty, Fuggles, Cascade Abv: 5.5%   O.G.: 1.054
  Grain Bill: Belgian CaraPils, British Two-Row, Munich. Overall Impression: This is a really good beer. I happen to really enjoy the use of rye in beer (and I almost always prefer rye bread to other styles). This particular beer was made with 50% rye, which yielded a really nice caraway-like flavor.
• The Dark Path Dark Lager: German style Sharwzbier, or “black beer.”  Clean, dry, chocolate and coffee malt flavor. Hops: Halletaur, Crystal Abv: : 5.5% O.G: 1.049
  Grain Bill: Durst pilsner malt, Dark Munich, Chocolate Wheat, Chocolate Malt, Black Malt. Overall Impression: This is an extremely tasty beer. Perfectly attenuated, mild roasted notes with a nice clean, dry finish. Easy sipper.
• Fairfax Coffee Porter: English-style porter Infused with real “Marin Roasters” coffee. Dark in color, heavy coffee and roasted malt aroma. Dispensed with nitrogen gas which produces a nice creamy head. Dry finish. Hops: Horizon, Crystal Abv: 6% O.G.: 1.065
  Grain Bill: British chocolate, British Brown, Two-row Pale, Crystal Malts. Overall Impression: Christian is quite known for this particular beer. It is extremely well-attenuated and the malt & coffee flavors are very well-balanced. Having this particular style on Nitrogen added an appreciated creaminess to the body.

By now, the boil had ended and it was time for the whirlpool. Being a small brewery, the whirlpool was done in the brewkettle.

Around this time, we were informed by the kitchen staff that steak tacos (well, they were more like fajitas) had been prepared and Christian and I gladly helped ourselves to a couple of them. We washed the lunch down with the J.C. Flyer IPA — which ended up being an excellent match for the spicy “tacos.”

While eating, Christian and I chatted some more about his passion for food & beer. Like me, he enjoys cooking with beer as much as possible. We discussed all the various ways to incorporate beer or beer ingredients into food. He had the great idea of spraying ribs with wort while they were in the smoker, in order to create a nice caramelized layer on the outside and help to retain a moist inside.

Being a relatively low malt bill and low hop content beer, the whirlpool took no time at all. It was then time to transfer the hot wort through the heat exchanger to the fermenter.

Once all of the wort was in the fermenting tank, Christian and I took a moment to engage in his “tradition” of toasting the new batch with the old batch. And so we raised a glass of Kolsch to a successful day of brewing.

However, we were not entirely done at this point. If there is one thing that I learned this whole day it was that the majority of brewing, as Christian pointed out, is cleaning. Lucky for us, though, Kolsch is a relatively “easy” style of beer to brew and fairly easy to clean up after.

So once again I found myself lazily standing by while Christian did all the dirty work.

The brewing day officially ended with a few more tastes of beer and some more compelling conversation about all things beer and food. Overall, the experience was very insightful and very fun. Next time I vow that I will definitely help out more. I intend on being the one to climb inside the brewkettle and clean it. The thought of it oddly excites me, actually.

SPECIAL THANKS TO CHRISTIAN AND IRON SPRINGS PUB & BREWERY FOR THE AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO GUEST BREW! CHEERS!

]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?feed=rss2&p=3712 5 http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=3473 http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=3473#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:17:40 +0000 Wenchie http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=3473

I am quite “embarrassed” to admit that, despite having my finger on the craft beer pulse, I only just learned about BrewDog in the Summer of 2009 — after moving to California.

How on Earth they never made it on my radar until recently completely boggles my mind. The insane master minds behind BrewDog, Martin and James, are epically entertaining. The boys have a ridiculously creative, dry and twisted British humor — which is showcased in their beer, their blog and their viral Internet videos.

Established in 2007, BrewDog boasts the title of Scotland’s 2nd largest brewery. But that is NOT what made them notorious in the craft beer industry. Martin and James are famous for brewing the world’s MOST RIDICULOUS beers.

According to the website, “BrewDog is about breaking rules, taking risks, upsetting trends, unsettling institutions but first and foremost, great tasting beers.”

And that is no overstatement. Martin and James haves completely turned the craft beer industry on its head.

This past Autumn, I had the rare opportunity to taste Nanny State — a 1.1% abv ale, which is below the legal classification of beer. Nanny State was BrewDog’s response to the controversy surrounding their Tokyo* beer — which at the time was Britain’s strongest beer (18% abv).

According to BrewDog, Nanny State contains more hops than any other beer they have brewed. There is over 60 kilos used in the 20HL batch. The boys boast that it has a theoretical IBU of 225.

My reaction to Nanny State? Take a shit ton of hop extract. Mix it with a tiny splash of soda water. And that is Nanny State. After tasting it, my tongue was completely numb for a good 15 minutes. It felt as if I had licked sap off the bark of a pine tree. No amount of water could get the resiny feeling off my tongue.

Only a few months after releasing one of the world’s lowest alcohol beers, BrewDog shocked the world with its release of Tactical Nuclear Penguin. At 32% abv.

How does one make a beer of 32% abv? Below is the entertaining video of how Martin and James were able to achieve such a venture:

Tactical Nuclear Penguin from BrewDog on Vimeo.

Just last week, during SF Beer Week, I had the opportunity to taste the infamous Tactical Nuclear Penguin. Friend and fellow beer blogger, Mark Dredge of Pencil & Spoon, was kind enough to smuggle a few bottles during his visit to San Francisco from England. For a painful fee of $60, I was able to score my own bottle for my collection. Mark was kind enough to open a bottle of it on spot.

My reaction? Take a wad of peet, some dirt, a bunch of liquid smoke and a bottle of vodka. Blend. Filter out the dirt. And there you have it. Tactical Nuclear Penguin.

But in all seriousness, the beer was actually not that bad. I happen to be a huge fan of scotch and TNP had many characteristics that reminded me of scotch.

BrewDog did not hold the title of the world’s strongest beer for very long. German brewery Schorschbrau became the new king with its Schorschbock 40% ABV beer. This did not sit well with BrewDog, who launched a counter attack with its 41% abv Quadruple IPA called Sink The Bismark. How they managed to reach that high a level of alcohol with a beer, is besides me. It is higher in alcohol that Vodka. That is just insane.

Although the tactics used to design the beer have not been released, BrewDog has released a very entertaining video about the “counter attack” to Schorschbrau. Check it out:

Sink the Bismarck! from BrewDog on Vimeo.

Looking forward to trying to get my hands on a bottle of this new insane beer. Hopefully, my feminine and Wenchie wiles can convince Martin and James to send my a bottle from across the pond!

About a month ago I wrote an article about the release of Fire Island’s Red Wagon IPA.

In an email to the brewers, I playfully hinted that I wanted to taste the beer — but living on the West Coast made it logistically impossible to acquire it.

Well kids, I’ve learned that sometimes if you ask (very very nicely), you shall receive. Within about a week of writing my article and emailing my request, a sample of Fire Island Red Wagon IPA showed up on my door step. Unfortunately for all the parties involved, it was just days before my trip to San Diego Beer Week. And so in order to give it the love and attention it deserved, I put tasting the Red Wagon IPA on the back burner until I returned.

Unforeseen travel and events forced me to put it on the back burner longer than I intended, for which I owe the brewers a BIG apology.

But alas, the time has come. And I’m extremely excited for this moment.

For those of you who are too lazy to read my previous article, Fire Island Beer Company is brand new “up-and-coming” brewery located in “The Other New York” — aka “The Anti-City.” I’m ashamed to admit that, even as a native New Yorker, I’d never heard of the place known as Fire Island until the brewery came about.

Today, Fire Island is considered by many as one of the chicest places to have a beach house. It remains popular among artists, actors, musicians, and the ultra-rich. Fire Island has never succumb to the same commercialism and class distinctions that haunts the Hampton’s. It is COMPLETELY car-free and the only automobiles allowed on Fire Island are service and emergency vehicles.

No restaurants on the island have a dress code. No shoes? No shirts? On Fire Island? No problem!

Fire Island Lighthouse near Sunset by Jim Dohms

Fire Island Beer Company was founded by two beer loving brothers –Tom and Bert Fernandez– along with their beer loving cousin,  Jeff Glassman. Growing up, the boys spent a significant amount of their summer vacations on Fire Island. It was here that boys developed their love of beer and Tom discovered his affinity for brewing.

Entrepreneurial spirit eventually led to boys to run “The Shack” — a landmark institution and concession bar located on Atlantique Beach, Fire Island. The boys first started selling Tom’s different types of homebrews to friends and family at “The Shack.” The popularity of the local brewed beer ultimately inspired the trio to create Fire Island Beer Company.

Fire Island Beer Company released its first beer, the Lighthouse Ale, in May of 2009. It’s second beer, Red Wagon IPA, was just released this October (2009). The recipes for both beers were inspired by the easygoing, laid-back & unpretentious vibe of Fire Island. Fire Island Lighthouse Ale is based off a recipe Tom has been brewing for almost ten years. It is a favorite among the boys.

“Fire Island is known for being easygoing with a lot of character, so Lighthouse Ale has been crafted the exact same way.”

For more on why Fire Island Lighthouse Ale is the “kind of beer you want to have a beer with”, check out this video:

Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to taste the Lighthouse Ale. But that is neither here nor there. I’m extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to sample the Red Wagon IPA, despite my non-geographical proximity to Fire Island — or the East Coast for that matter.

THE BEER WENCH’S TASTING NOTES

FIRE ISLAND RED WAGON IPA

BACK LABEL: After work, I’ll occasionally stay in the city and go out with co-workers. The first hour I noticed is usually filled with Red Wagon IPAs and also conversations about work. If the second hour is more of the latter, I’ll usually ninja out of the bar and catch the ferry back to Fire Island. It’s not that I’m not having fun with everyone. It’s just those nights remind me to never work so hard that I forget what I’m working for.

• APPEARANCE: The beer pours a cloudy, amber color with a fluffy, meringue-like  off white head. Head dissipates quickly, leaving a nice thick lacing on the sides of the glass.
• AROMA: Citrus & floral hops aroma w/ notes of earth and spice. Slight hints of caramel malt. Moderate fruity esters.
• TASTE: Hops dominate the palate. Hop profile starts out citrusy and fruity, yet finishes earthy and bitter. Nice malt backbone that yields a slight caramel sweetness.
• MOUTHFEEL: Medium-bodied, medium-carbonation, smooth mouthfeel. Undetectable alcohol — the label does not specifiy the ABV, but I’d reckon it was around 6%. Dry, crisp finish. Very well attenuated and pleasantly drinkable.
• OVERALL: The Fire Island boys consider themselves to be “brewers of world-class beers that are inspired by the color, character and overall experience of Fire Island.” Well, if Red Wagon IPA is the essence of Fire Island — then I need to take a trip out there! In my opinion, the Red Wagon IPA is very well-balanced with a complex palate of different hop varietals. Despite my usual preference for IPAs brewed with the super piney, resiny and citrusy hops of the Pacific Northwest, I found the earthy & spicy hop profile of Red Wagon IPA to be extremely enjoyable. This is a an easygoing IPA that can be easily consumed in all sorts of situation. It would pair well with spicy & fried foods, yet is delicate enough for salads and seafood. I could easily picture myself taking Red Wagon IPA to the beach, kicking off my shoes, laying back and taking in the scenery. Perhaps one day, I will get such a chance — and I hope its on Fire Island.

FTC DISCLAIMER: I received the aforementioned bottle of beer as a gift from Fire Island Beer Company.

I recently had one of the most amazing beer experiences of my life.

No I’m not talking about the beer — which was amazing. Or the food — which was also outstanding.

I’m referring to the opportunity to meet both Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head, and Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada. And let me just say one thing, these dudes are rockstars.

Prior to the Life & Limb dinner, I had the opportunity to meet Sam at the Great American Beer Festival. Naturally, as with all beer festivals, Sam was too busy to chat. BUT, he was gracious enough to take the time to say hello and snap some photos with me.

Although I had met Sam before the Life & Limb dinner, it did not prevent me from being wickedly nervous prior to our interview. Many of my friends can attest to my jitters in the weeks leading up to the dinner. But oddly enough, the moment Sam arrived at the restaurant, all of my nerves were put at ease. Sam was extremely congenial and from the moment we shook hands hello to the moment we shook hands goodbye, I felt right at ease.

And then of course, there was Ken Grossman — another major “celebrity” in the beer world. As soon as he arrived, Sam introduced us and we shook hands. Ken was extremely approachable and I had a blast talking to him before, during and after the dinner. Ken is definitely a man who truly loves life. There was not one moment in which he wasn’t smiling. No joke. This guy did not stop smiling.

Well as much as I’d love to gush on and on about meeting these two spectacular men, this article is not about me swooning over two of the greatest brewers in the country. Sigh. Shall we talk about the beer?

For it’s first ever collaboration, Sierra Nevada chose to team up with Dogfish Head to develop wo collaborative beers: Limb & Life (a draft-only beer) and Life & Limb (available in 24oz bottles and limited draft). Mutual respect, admiration, and none-too-few shared glasses of beer led to the collaborative idea.

THE BACKGROUND: The beers-Life & Limb, and Limb & Life-are dedicated to the family of beer drinkers and enthusiasts worldwide who continue to support the little guys, iconoclasts, entrepreneurs, and pioneers who risk life and limb to shape the vibrant craft-brewing community. Over the years, the two brewers-Ken Grossman and Sam Calagione-have become friends in the industry. They quickly realized how many similarities they share. Grossman’s history as a craft-brewing pioneer and his radical approach to brewing are echoed some fifteen years later by Calagione-through his boundary-pushing innovation and tireless promotion for the cause of craft beer.

Both men started out as home brewers obsessed with beer-making. Both share deep values of sustainability and responsibility. Both share the desire to pass their breweries on to the next generation, and both started out small-from humble beginnings-and built vibrant, creative, beer-centered and fiercely independent breweries, despite the long odds.

Below is a great video of Sam Calagione describing the story behind the Life & Limb collaboration, filmed by Draft Magazine.

Shall we move on to the actual event? Good plan …

The evening started out with Ken & Sam tapping the inaugural kegs. Hearing the kegs tapped was music to my ears. Although both kegs were tapped at the same time, the Life & Limb was reserved for dessert and we were all served the Limb & Life first. (BUT! I was one of the honored few to sip from the Holy Grail — aka Sam let me try some of his Life & Limb from his glass)

FIRST PAIRING: Passed Hors D’Oeuvres w/ Limb & Life

Unfortunately, I have no picture to insert because I was too busy mingling, drinking beer & noshing on the apps. However, let us discuss the pairing …

THE FOOD =

THE BEER = LIMB & LIFE

Limb & Life is a companion to the big beer-an acorn off the larger tree. It is a 5% ABV small beer-a low-gravity beer made using the residual sugar as “second runnings” from the first larger brew, fortified with American hops. This is a session beer. Its big brother is a sipper. Limb & Life will be a limited draft-only product, a prelude to the bigger beer.

The Wench’s opinion? PLEASE SIR … can I have some more? (And trust me … I did)

Life & Limb TASTING NOTES

• APPEARANCE: Fairly clear, brown. Great head. Lots of carbonation.
• AROMA: Hops dominate the aroma, yet there is a subtle hint of the maple syrup, rich roasted malts & wood (which I know now to be “birch”)
• TASTE: Wow. I mean wow. This beer is too easy — way too easy. The malt is perfect — slightly malt notes with hints of maple. Hops are definitely the key player in this beer — yet, they are not overwhelming.
• MOUTHFEEL: Light-to-moderate in body. Very smooth. Carbonation is perfect.
• OVERALL: This is one of the best session beers I’ve ever tasted. Why? Because it has a great balance. There is a significant malt and sugar presence, yet the hops take center stage — without being too dominate.

THE SECOND PAIRING

THE FOOD = Seared Ahi Tuna, Hearts of Palm, Jicama Salsa, Citrus Vinagraitte

THE BEERS =

• Sierra Nevada Kellerweis: Kellerweis is one of the only American Hefeweizens made using the traditional Bavarian style of open fermentation. This difficult and labor-intensive technique adds uncommon depth and flavor complexity. This hazy-golden hefeweizen is deeply flavorful, refreshing and perfect for a sunny day.
• Dogfish Head Festina Peche: A refreshing neo-BerlinerWeisse fermented with honest-to-goodness peaches to (get this!) 4.5% abv! Below is a video of Sam talking about Festina Peche…

THE VERDICT = The Ahi tuna was rubbed with some sort of red pepper, chile, black pepper spice blend. The Ahi tuna was super fresh (bright magenta/purple) was perfectly cooked (just barely seared). The hearts of palm and jicama salad with citrus vinaigrette was a perfect accompaniment with the spice from the tuna. Although both beers were entirely different from each other, each added a different depth to the dish. My favorite pairing, however, was the DFH Festina Peche. I thought that the acidity in the Festina Peche helped to cut the spice on the tuna and complimented the citrus vinaigrette very well.

THIRD PAIRING

THE FOOD = Crispy Skin Five-Spiced Poussin, Snap Peas, White Corn Pilaf, Sweet & Sour Sauce

THE BEERS =

• Dogfish Head Midas Touch: This recipe is the actual oldest-known fermented beverage in the world! It is an ancient Turkish recipe using the original ingredients from the 2700 year old drinking vessels discovered in the tomb of King Midas. Somewhere between wine & mead; this smooth, sweet, yet dry ale will please the Chardonnay of beer drinker alike.
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, is a delightful interpretation of a classic style. It has a deep amber color and an exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. Generous quantities of premium Cascade hops give the Pale Ale its fragrant bouquet and spicy flavor.

THE VERDICT = The Poussin was cooked extremely well — the skin was delightfully crispy while the meat remained extremely juicy and fell right off the bone. The white corn pilaf was rather plain and I did not care much for it. I really did enjoy the chemistry between the 5 spice blend on the Poussin and the sweet & sour sauce. As for the beers, they happen to be two of my all-time favorie beers. Although Midas Touch is one of my “epiphany” beers and one of my all-time favorite DFH beers, the Sierra Nevada pale ale made a better pairing for this dish. The clean, crisp refreshing hops helped to cut the spice and syrupy sweetness of the dish.

THE FOURTH PAIRING

THE FOOD = Wokked Tourenedos of Beef Tenderloin, Sweet Onions & Peppery Cress

THE BEERS =

• Sierra Nevada Celebration: The long, cold nights of winter are a little brighter with Celebration^® Ale. Wonderfully robust and rich, Celebration^® Ale is dry-hopped for a lively, intense aroma. Brewed especially for the holidays, it is perfect for a festive gathering or for a quiet evening at home.
• Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron: An unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented brown ale aged in handmade wooden brewing vessels. The caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this beer comes from the exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood from which these tanks were crafted. Palo Santo means “holy tree” and it’s wood has been used in South American wine-making communities.

THE VERDICT = The beef tenderloin was cooked very well. It was juicy and the spice blend in the sauce was a great combination of heat and sweetness. It was interesting to see two very different beers being paired with this dish. Prior to being served, I had already made up my mind that Palo Santo Marron would make the better pairing with the meat. But oddly enough, I actually preferred the Celebration Ale with the dish.

THE DESSERT PAIRING

THE FOOD =

• Valrhona Dark Chocolate Semifreddo
• Flourless Cocunt Run Cake

THE BEER = LIFE & LIMB

Life & Limb is a 10% ABV strong beer that defies style characteristics-brewed with pure maple syrup from the Calagione family farm in Massachusetts and estate barley grown on the Grossman “farm” at the brewery in Chico. The beer is alive with yeast-a blend of both breweries’ house strains-bottle conditioned for added complexity and shelf life, and naturally carbonated with birch syrup fresh from Alaska; it is the first beer we know of ever to use birch syrup in the brew. If stored under good conditions, this rich, full-bodied beer should age well for years.

VERDICT= I was honored enough to get a sip of the Life & Limb right after it was tapped. Despite its rather hefty ABV, Life & Limb was extremely smooth and very well balanced. Oak, maple and malts definitely dominated the aroma and taste of the beer. Finish was pleasantly dry. This was BY FAR the best pairing all night. The dark chocolate semifreddo was so rich and amazing and the beer complimented it perfectly.

Overall, I had an amazing time at the beer dinner. Big thanks to both Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada for putting together the event. Also, big props to both breweries for collaborating on two spectacular beers!

Cheers!

During a recent visit to Milwaukee for the Great Lakes Craft Brewers & Water Conservation Conference, I had the honor of meeting Patrick F. Conway, owner of the Great Lakes Brewing Company.

Once upon a time, I had a 6 year stint in Ohio. I moved to Ohio from NY to attend THE (yes THE) Ohio State University in 2001. Ended up working there for two years post college. Columbus is where I first discovered my love for craft beer. That is the city where I became The Beer Wench.

So naturally, there will always be a place in my heart for Ohio craft beer. Especially, beer from the Great Lakes Brewing Company — probably, hands down, my favorite Ohio craft brewery. No joke.

Why? Because they make consistently GREAT beer. Must be the water …

Of course, when I noticed a group of Great Lakes Brewing boys at a table across the room from me at the conference, it became my prerogative to meet them. No expectations. Just wanted to meet them and tell them how nostalgic their beers were for me.

But, fortunately for me, the Great Lakes Brewing boys were willing to entertain the crazy craft beer obsessed Wench for some time during the conference.

So there I was … at a conference regarding sustainability and water conservation in the craft brewing industry … sitting at a table with the Great Lakes Brewing team … and I made a comment about their solar panels.The response? “How do you know about the solar panels? They are only just being built. No one knows …”

Ah ha! Despite living all the way across the country in a state that GLBC does not distribute to, I still know what is going on behind the scenes. And how? Well … that is my little secret.

Okay maybe not. Truth is, I have an “in” to information regarding Great Lakes Brewing Company. One of my all time best friends recently landed a marketing & sales job with GLBC in Cleveland. So I might be privy to some news, now and then.This is how I know that Great Lakes Brewing Co. has implemented several sustainable measures in both its brewery and its brewpub.

GLBC has a pretty powerful mission statement that really illustrates their commitment to the local community and the environment:

“Great Lakes Brewing Company is a principle-centered, environmentally respectful and socially conscious company committed to crafting fresh, flavorful, high-quality beer and food for the enjoyment of our customers. We aspire to maintain our status as the premier craft brewery in the Great Lakes region and are dedicated to uncompromising service, continuous improvement and innovative consumer education.”

GLBC owner, Patrick Conway, took great interest in Drink With The Wench and my passion for the craft beer industry. In support of my pursuit for beer, Patrick made a point to retrieve a bottle of Great Lakes Brewing Christmas Ale from his car and hand deliver it to me at the water conference. To me, this was very humbling and extremely exciting.

Now, without any further ado, allow me to present my tasting notes:

THE BEER WENCH’S TASTING NOTES
GREAT LAKES BREWING COMPANY CHRISTMAS ALE

FACTS:

Christmas Ale A holiday ale brewed with honey and spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon. ABV: 7.5% ABW: 6.0% IBU: 40

• APPEARANCE: Brilliant clarity, marigold-orange color. Rapidly dissipating, off-white head.
• AROMA: Intoxicating hints of ginger & cinnamon — reminiscent of Christmas cookies & gingerbread. Subtle notes of caramel & biscuit malts. Slightly fruity. No detectable hop aroma.
• FLAVOR: Spicy, ginger shows through stronger than the cinnamon. Rich caramel & toasty malt character with noticeable hints of honey. Slight
• MOUTHFEEL: Medium to full bodied. Highly carbonated, rich creamy texture, slightly syrupy. Dry, bitter finish. Spice lingers. Subtle alcohol warming sensation.
• OVERALL: Balance is the key to producing a well-made spice beer. In my opinion, this beer has a wonderful balance between the spiciness of the ginger & cinnamon and the sweetness of the honey and the malts. I particularly liked the use of honey. Neither of the spices were overpowering. Alcohol level created a nice warming sensation without being to “hot” or intense. This is the first time I’ve tasted the GLBC Christmas Ale and it is definitely one of the favorites in the category. I’m kind of bummed that it is not distributed in California. Hopefully, I will get a chance to drink it again before the end of the season.

CHEERS!!!

I love to cook with beer. In my opinion, any recipe that calls for water, stock or broth can easily be replaced with beer. I love to steam rice and couscous in beer. It adds so much flavor.

Whenever I come across a spiced beer, fruit beer or specialty beer — the wheels in my little brain start turning and I think of ways that I can cook with it. Case and point — My new friend Dan Del Grande, brewer and owner of Bison Brewing Company, gave my some samples of his latest release — the Bison Brewing Co. GINGERBREAD ALE.

This beer screams Autumn. It is a refreshing take on an Autumnal spiced beer. During this season, the majority of craft brewers are either producing a pumpkin ale or a Marzen/Oktoberfest-style beer. Some brewers, such as Bison Brewing, are stepping outside of the box and brewing different styles for the season.

Bison GINGERBREAD ALE is a porter spiced with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. The first pairing that came to mind was a nice hearty Roasted Butternut Squash soup. But pairing the beer with the soup was not compelling enough for The Wench. Oh no. So I decided to make my own very special Roasted Butternut Squash soup using Bison GINGERBREAD Ale as an ingredient.

And surprisingly, it worked. It worked very well.

Ingredients:

• 2 bottles of Bison Brewing Gingerbread Ale (spiced porter)
• 2 (very large) Butternut Squash — peeled and diced
• 1 large yellow onion — peeled and roughly chopped
• 6 cloves of Garlic (I know this sounds like a lot, but half of them will be roasted) — peeled and roughly minced
• Raw Ginger — peeled and roughly minced
• 6 TBSP unsalted butter
• 4 TBSP 100% natural maple syrup
• Salt & cracked pepper
• Cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F
2. Melt 6 ounces of the unsalted butter. In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash cubes with the melted butter. Add 2 TBPS 100% maple syrup and toss. Put butternut squash cubes onto 2 baking sheets. Sprinkle the cubes with salt, cinnamon and fresh cracked pepper (to taste preference).



3. Roast butternut squash for 30 minutes — or until soft.
4. In a large sauce pan, melt 2 TSPB butter on medium heat. Add minced raw garlic & raw ginger. Sautee for about a minute. Add the roughly chopped yellow onions. Sautee in the butter until golden brown.



5. Add 4 cups of vegetable broth, 1/4 cups raw cane sugar & 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat. Add salt, cinnamon and fresh cracked pepper. Allow mixture to simmer for 10 minutes (in order to allow the garlic and ginger to release more flavor into the broth). Add 2 bottles of Bison Brewing Gingerbread ALE. Bring to a boil.



6. Add butternut squash to the pot.



7. In small batches, blend the butternut squash mixture and pour into a different pot until the whole mix is blended. TASTE. At this point … Personally, I added 1/4 cup of maple syrup and lots of cracked black pepper as well as salt.
8. Serve with Bison GINGERBREAD ALE (and fresh bread if desired). ENJOY!!!
   

Bison Brewing Company is one of the ONLY 100% USDA certified ORGANIC breweries in the United States. I recently discovered them when I moved to Northern California — as they are based out of Berkeley. I was lucky enough to cross paths with Dan Del Grande, head brewer and owner of Bison Brewing, on his way back from the brewery with the first batch of this year’s GINGERBREAD ALE.

THE WENCH’S TASTING NOTES:

BISON BREWING GINGERBREAD ALE

• DETAILS: Porter. 6% ABV. Organic malt, organic hops, water, yeast & organic spices.
• APPEARANCE: Cloudy, dark amber brown color. Frothy off-white head with tiny bubbles. Moderate lacing.
• AROMA: Dark malts, chocolate malts, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar.
• TASTE: Roasted dark malts, chocolate malts — very dry, spices are present but subdued.
• MOUTHFEEL: Medium-bodied, very dry w/ long lasting (dry) finish.
• OVERALL: This beer is extremely well balanced. Despite its dark color and rich appearance, it is not too heavy and easy to drink (almost too easy for its own good). Perfect for cool Autumn. I recently opened this beer for breakfast. It is awesome…

BIG THANKS TO DAN DEL GRANDE AND BISON BREWING!!! CHEERS!!!