It has been entirely way too long since I’ve posted a recipe that uses beer as an ingredient. Time to change that!

Autumn is the time of year when I prefer eating heartier dishes, soups and stews. Something about the change in the weather makes me crave foods and beers with more substance and a stronger backbone.

Stuffed peppers are awesome for many reasons. They are pretty easy to make, they are great for solo diners and for groups. The combination of ingredients and different variations are endless.

Before we get to the recipe, there are a few things I feel compelled to say. Naturally, some of my ingredients can be swapped out for lower fat or vegetarian versions — but I don’t particularly suggest it. I don’t like beans, but they would probably make a nice addition for those that do like them. Also, I tend to like my food on the spicier side of the spectrum, so beware and spice according to your own palate.

For this recipe, I chose a smoked porter. The smoked and dark malts work really well with the chili pepper and helps to enhance the flavors of the ground meats. The two beers I recommend are Stone Smoked Porter and Alaskan Smoked Porter. If either of those are not available, try substituting with a Raushbier!

SMOKED PORTER STUFFED PEPPERS

Ingredients:

• 4 Large Bell Peppers (for stuffing)
• 1 Large Bell Pepper — diced
• 1 Large Yellow Onion — diced
• 1 Poblano Pepper — diced
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper — minced
• 5 Cloves of Garlic — minced
• 1 Pound Ground Pork Sausage
• 2/3 Cup Basmati Rice
• 1 Bottle Smoked Porter
• 1/8 Cup Chipotle Pepper Puree (can be found in the Hispanic foods section of the grocery store)
• 2 (6oz) Cans Tomato Paste
• Chili Powder
• Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

1. Pour the bottle of Smoked Porter into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add rice. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Cut the tops off of the peppers and gut them out (seeds and ribs). Cut the bottom so that the peppers can stand up, but not so much that the stuffing falls through the bottom.
4. In a medium skillet, heat oil and add the garlic and jalapeno. Saute for a minute then add the diced onions and green peppers. Sautee for about 5 minutes then add the ground pork sausage. Brown the meat. Turn off the heat and mix in the tomato paste, chipotle puree, chili powder, salt & pepper and cooked rice.
5. Stuff the peppers with the filling. Stand the peppers up inside an non-greased baking dish. (Wrap the bottom of the peppers in tin foil if they look as it they might leak.) Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top of the peppers. Bake for about 45 minutes. Option: Top peppers with cheese 10 minutes before removing from oven.
6. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with a smoked porter! Cheers!

This year, 3,523 beers were judged in 79 different categories at the Great American Beer Festival. Breweries and brewers from all around the country received due recognition for their hard work and dedication to the art of beer.

Whereas these great accomplishments should not go ignored, I will let my fellow bloggers and the Brewers Association inform the rest of the world about the great beer feats at the festival.

You see, while the most studious among us took notes the entire time, I was too busy what we will call… errrr… “living in the moment.” Instead of reviewing beers and recapping the GABF higlights, I have decided express my own (extremely subjective) experience at GABF in the form of “spoof awards.” Because, after all, no awards ceremony is complete without a “spoof awards” presentation. Am I right?

Disclaimer: Some of these awards are more serious than others. And all of them are entirely subjective and not meant to be offensive or taken too seriously…

So without further ado, allow me to present:

The Wench’s 2010 GABF Spoof Awards

_________________________________________________

Best Costume

Niko, 21st Amendment — Watermelon Suit

_________________________________________________

Most Likely to Get His Mustache + Eyebrows Dyed at a Mansion Party

Josh Deth, Revolution Brewing Company

_________________________________________________

Most Likely to be Found Smoking a Cigar

Dr. Bill Sysak

_________________________________________________

Studliest Man in a Cowboy Hat

Three-way tie between:
Fred Bueltmann, New Holland Brewing Company
Brad Kraus
Ryan Fulmer, Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que

_________________________________________________

Coolest Brewery Booth at GABF

Sierra Nevada
Honorable Mention: Oskar Blues

_________________________________________________

Most Iconic Facial Expression in Pictures

Greg Koch, Stone Brewing Co. — #gregface
Honorable Mention: Ashley Routson, The Beer Wench — #wenchface

_________________________________________________

Brewer Most Likely to Snag Bottles and Continue Pouring Outside the Convention Center

Jason Yester, Trinity Brewing

_________________________________________________

Most Likely to Spike Beer with Spirits

Sebbie Buhler, Rogue

_________________________________________________

Brewer Most Likely to Take off His Pants

Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head

(At least that is what the rumor was…)

_________________________________________________

Best Socks

Random Dude with Bacon + Beer Socks

_________________________________________________

Most Dapper Dressed Brewer

(And the only Brewer who can pull off Red Pants and a Straw Fedora)
Garrett Oliver

_________________________________________________

Most Attractive Brewing Company

The Bruery
Honorable Mention: Port Brewing Company

(Photo stolen from: Drink Eat Travel)

_________________________________________________

Hottest Chick Brewer

Veronica Vega, Deschutes

_________________________________________________

Hottest Dude Brewer

Noah Regnery, PIzza Port San Clemente

Honorable Mention: Tyler King, The Bruery

_________________________________________________

Most Disturbing “Quote” Overheard

_________________________________________________

Cutest Chick (Denver) Bartender

Leah, Cheeky Monk

_________________________________________________

Cutest Dude (Denver) Bartender

Colin, Great Divide Taproom

_________________________________________________

Rowdiest Brewery (Inside and Outside of GABF)

Iron Hill
Honorable Mention: Port Brewing

_________________________________________________

Brewery Most Likely to Randomly Pass Out in Another Brewery’s Hotel Room

(Unintentionally, of course…)

Dogfish Head

_________________________________________________

Most Likely to Pass Out on the Hotel Stairs

Brian Kropf, Mutineer Magazine

_________________________________________________

Brewery Most Likely to be Caught Drinking Coors Light at 4am on Saturday After Winning a Gazillion Awards at GABF

Port Brewing Company

(Photo stolen from: Drink Eat Travel)

_________________________________________________

Most Likely to Be Found At The Bruery’s Table

Cambria, Drink Eat Travel

_________________________________________________

Most Likely to be Caught Singing Karaoke

E.C. Crowe, The “A2″ Beer Wench (Star Bar)

_________________________________________________

Brewer with the Most Badass Style

Jamie Floyd, Ninkasi Brewing

_________________________________________________

Best Dreadlocks

Jason Yester, Trinity Brewing

_________________________________________________

Most Talented Beer Chef

Sean Paxton

_________________________________________________

Best Brewer’s Beard

Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker

_________________________________________________

The Man Whose Presence Was Most Missed

David “Moose” Buhler, Elysian

_________________________________________________

Best Birthday Party

Taylor Shaw (The Art of Beer), Falling Rock Taphouse

(Picture stolen from: John M. P. Knox)

_________________________________________________

Best “Unofficial” GABF Tasting

Dr. Bill’s Rare Beer Party

_________________________________________________

The Only Party Where Boobs Outnumbered Beards

Beer For Boobs Brunch, Freshcraft

_________________________________________________

Best Harry Caray Impression

Kell Bensen, Colorado Beer Week

Honorable Mention: Alex P. Davis

_________________________________________________

Most Likely to Get Leied on His Birthday

Justin, Brewing Network
(Disclaimer: Leied not Laid)

_________________________________________________

Most Likely to Get Her Boobs Grabbed in Public

Melissa Cole

_________________________________________________

Most Likely to be Seen in The Cruise Room

Steve Parkes, American Brewers Guild

_________________________________________________

Most Photographed Man (In Person & Cardboard Form)

Charlie Papazian

_________________________________________________

Number One Way to Cause a Hangover

Last Call at Whiskey Bar

_________________________________________________

Number One Way to Cure a Hangover

Bacon Bloody Marys at Stuebens

_________________________________________________

Best Beer Bar in Denver (and quite possibly The World)

Falling Rock Taphouse

_________________________________________________

Best NEW Denver Craft Beer Destination

Tie between:

FreshCraft

Star Bar

_________________________________________________

Best Worst Idea at the End of the Night

Whiskey Bar

_________________________________________________

Swankiest Cocktail

(Accompanied by a swanky head bob and a shimmy)

Guava Sexy, The Cruise Room

_________________________________________________

Best Street Food in Denver

Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs

_________________________________________________

Best Get-Away (Hideaway) Inside the Convention Center

Farm To Table Food Pavilion

_________________________________________________

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST…

_________________________________________________

THE Most Epic MOMENT During GABF

(Left to Right: Vinnie, Dave, Jennifer, Natalie, Brett, Jay)

The Big Daddy + Jennifer Smith “Impromptu Wedding”

Who: Dave Keene + Jennifer Smith of Toronado

Best Man = Vinnie Chilurzo

Best Woman = Natalie Chilurzo

“Father” of the Bride = Jay Brooks

The Reverend = Brett Joyce

Where: Russian River Booth, GABF Convention Floor

When: Saturday Night

_________________________________________________

Naturally, the list could go on forever. Have a spoof award that you would like to give out? Leave a comment below!

CHEERS!

Crowds of enthusiasts don’t visit salsa factories, and no one geeks out over the chance to meet a soda maker. There isn’t a Great American Wine Festival, and people don’t line up for the chance to buy special release potato chips.

Craft beer fans differentiate this industry from all others. From introducing craft beer to friends, to playing a crucial role in the passage of vital legislation, fans are the frontline in the movement to make the world safe for craft beer.

Using social media tools for grassroots activism, craft beer fans numbering in the millions can be more effective than the priciest ad campaigns and the most well-connected lobbyists.

During the Saturday evening session of the 2010 Great American Beer Festival, a panel of four craft beer evangelists from all aspects of the industry will fuel a discussion on how to become a craft beer activist and build a grassroots movement based on a shared love for the most diverse, delicious, and authentic beverage in the world.

The panel will take place on Saturday, September 18th at 7:30pm in the Brewers Studio Pavilion. During the panel, Short’s Brewing Company will be pouring its Anniversary Blood Orange Wheat Wine and Stone Brewing Company will be pouring samples of its 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout – the only time and venue that particular beer will be available during the Great American Beer Festival.

The Craft Beer Activism Panel consists of:

Jacob McKean, Social Media Coordinator at Stone Brewing Co.

Scott Newman-Bale, CFO & Vice President at Shorts Brewing Co.

Peter Johnson, Brewers Association Programs Manager

Ashley Routson, Founder of Drink With The Wench

Hope to see many of you there! CHEERS!

DRINK WITH THE WENCH PRESENTS:

The Beer Blogger Interview Series

Curious what goes on in the minds of your favorite beer bloggers? Well, The Beer Wench is and she has embarked upon a mission to interview as many beer bloggers that she can — from all over the world. Are you a beer blogger? Do you want to share your story? Send me an email!

INTRODCUING: JACOB MCKEAN

AUTHOR OF: THE STONE BLOG + THE BEERCHOOSER BLOG

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Jacob McKean
Internet nickname: J-Delicious
Twitter handle: @stonebrewingco, @beerchooser
Name of blog: The Stone Blog, The BeerChooser Blog
Current location: San Diego, CA

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Los Angeles

2. How old were you when you had your first beer?

14

3. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it?

I split a 12-pack of fizzy yellow beer with the valet parking attendant at my classmate’s bat mitzvah.

4. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?

Columbia University. I studied history and anthropology. I was an anti-globalization activist, rakish troublemaker, and young bon vivant. New York is a great town in which to ply those trades.

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.”

1. What was your first craft beer epiphany? Recall as many details about it as you can:

Although I drank plenty of Brooklyn lager in college, my epiphany came shortly after I graduated. In the process of courting the lovely girl I now live with, I made regular visits to Chicago. She lived in Andersonville, near The Hopleaf, a Belgian-focused beer bar of legendary repute. A tulip glass of Tripel Karmeliat blew the doors off my life. I fell in love with the beer and the girl at The Hopleaf.

2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:

That fortuitous glass of Tripel Karmeliat turned me on to Belgian beer, but it was an AleSmith IPA that turned me on to American craft beer. Another AleSmith beer showed me just how epic beer can be: Kopi Luwak Speedway Stout, a beer made with weasel shit that tastes like rainbows. That removed any doubt that beer is, in fact, the most dynamic and delicious beverage on Earth.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been writing your beer blog?

At Stone, 8 months. At beerchooser.com, intermittently for a couple of years, I think.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

Well, writing for Stone is my job, so fear of starvation is the prime motivation there. BeerChooser.com is a personal project designed to help people explore craft beer, especially those bewildered by the array of options and worried about wasting money on six packs they won’t like, so that’s a labor of love.

3. Why did you choose the name of your blog?

You’ll have to ask the creative genius who came up with “The Stone Blog.” As for “The BeerChooser Blog”, well, that’s my groundbreaking originality.

4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?

People love Stone. They really, really love it. So I want to give them a look behind the curtain. As a beer geek, that’s what I want to see. For BeerChooser, it’s mostly site updates, press coverage, etc…I hope BeerChooser helps people explore craft beer with more confidence, as if they have a knowledgeable friend who consistently recommends beers they love. Except that the friend is a computer/phone instead of a human being.

5. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?

I get a paycheck from a legendary craft brewery for which I have oodles and oodles of respect. That is the coolest. Plus, I get to go to some events for my job that I would gladly pay to attend. OK, so the whole thing in general is pretty cool. But don’t think I don’t work my ass off; I do. In fact, I have very little ass remaining at this point.

6. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?

BeerAdvocate, RateBeer, BeerNews. That’s where the tribe congregates.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

IPA, Russian Imperial Stout, American Wild Ale. Groundbreaking, I know.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Stone, Russian River, AleSmith. Cigar City should be in there as well; they’re pushing American Strong Ales—the style pioneered by Arrogant Bastard Ale—in new and devastatingly delicious directions.

3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?

I wish I were chopping wood at Brasserie Caracole in Belgium for their wood-fired kettles. That sounds far better than taking pictures at obscenely decadent beer and food events.

4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?

Yes, I am. I recently brewed an American Pale Ale that creates wormholes in the space/time continuum every time you crack one open.

5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?

I have a purple belt in Taekwondo. It helps me hold my own on judging panels.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Dark Lord paired with fillet of unicorn.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Social Media Coordinator at Stone Brewing Co. I attend to my adoring fans on Facebook. In the 8 months I’ve worked at Stone, we’ve gone from 18,000 to 52,000 “Likes” on our Facebook page. My personal goal is to surpass a certain (insipid, deceptive, bullshit) lunar-themed brand with around 58,000 fans. If I do that, Greg has promised me a Fabergé egg filled with leprechaun tears from his personal collection. I’ve also been doing a lot of work on the European brewery project.

2. If you could change your career at this very moment, without any restrictions on what you could do, what would you want to do and why?

I would be an Afghan opium lord. I wrote a short story about the subject in 5th grade, and it’s been a dream ever since.

3. Are you married? Children?

Nope. Yup. Kidding.

4. Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?

I rip phone books in half for stress relief.

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be an why?

I would be a maple-wood smoked rye imperial brown ale fermented & lagered with a mix of Belgian, German, and American yeasts and aged in a toasted American oak barrel.

2. You were caught smuggling beer illegally, which has now been made punishable by death. Right before you are sent to the executioner, you are offered one last beer. What beer would you chose and why?

Russian River Temptation. I forget the batch, but my first bottle of that beer had more white wine character than the subsequent bottles I’ve had. The smell and taste of that first bottle were so good they nearly melted my face off.

3. If I contracted you to brew a beer (or design a beer recipe) called “The Beer Wench” — what style would you chose and what, if any, extra ingredients would you add?

Sorry, but I don’t believe in contract brewing. I think it undermines the authenticity of craft beer and misleads consumers about beers’ origins. If your name is on a beer, you should be making it yourself, on your own equipment.

4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

The ability to conjure up a plate of vegan tamales and a live mariachi band at a moment’s notice.

5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?

I went to a baile funky (literally, “funk dance”) in a Rio slum. There were a thousand people dancing inside a crater in the middle of the favela. Teenage drug dealers were walking around, hitting on girls and firing their machine guns in the air. They had crews of younger kids with handguns stuffed into their swim trunks who were drinking cocktails, smoking joints, and sniffing glue. There was an enormous wall of speakers blasting music so loud it made your brain vibrate. The dancing was frenetic, endless, and—to put it mildly—suggestive. Compared to that spectacle, the parties you see in hip hop videos look like ice cream socials hosted by the Yale a cappella club.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

I’m a vegan. I could fuel my Hummer with a pureé of rainforest trees and endangered coral reefs, and it wouldn’t equal the environmental impact of eating animal products.

SPECIAL THANKS TO JACOB FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!

DRINK WITH THE WENCH PRESENTS:

The Beer Blogger Interview Series

Curious what goes on in the minds of your favorite beer bloggers? Well, The Beer Wench is and she has embarked upon a mission to interview as many beer bloggers that she can — from all over the world. Are you a beer blogger? Do you want to share your story? Send me an email!

INTRODUCING: THE BEER WENCH

AUTHOR OF: DRINK WITH THE WENCH

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Ashley Virginia Routson
Internet nicknames: The Beer Wench & Wenchie. (Do not even ask me how, why and when people started calling me Wenchie. The Beer Wench was meant to be a BADASS name … but somewhere along the road people decided to give me a cutsie little nickname. Crazy kids.)
Twitter handle: @TheBeerWench
Name of blog: Drink With The Wench
Current location: I am a gypsy. (But currently reside in Berkeley, CA)

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

I was born in Denver, but grew up in the town of Montgomery — just 60 miles north of Manhattan in the very beautiful and historical Hudson Valley, NY. And despite what all the the city folks love to say, I am not from UPSTATE New York. I am from DOWNSTATE.

2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?

I swam competitively from age 6 till I was nearly 21. My swimming career ended with a debilitating bicep injury while in college and I was forced to quit just 6 weeks before the Big Ten Swimming & Diving Championships. (I tore my bicep in the weight room and trained on it until I could not lift my arm. I couldn’t even write. It was bad.)

In middle school and high school, I was on the track team. Although sprinting was my forte, I dabbled in almost every single field event — hurdles, long jump, high jump, shot put, decathalon and I’m proud to say that I was the VERY FIRST female polevaulter in my school.

After quitting swimming, I played intramural ice hockey for a quarter at Ohio State. Then my senior year at Ohio State I joined the novice rowing team. After a month on the novice squad, the varsity coach moved me up. An ankle injury was my ultimate downfall and I got surgery just one month before the season started. Instead of quitting, I ended up holding my place on the varsity squad as a coxswain. And no, I did not just yell “stroke stroke stroke” the entire time.

What else? I grew up on a river and have sweet canoeing skills.

3. How old were you when you had your first beer?

Technically, I had my first taste of beer while in the womb. Apparently, my mother’s doctor told her it was safe for her to have a half of beer a day during pregnancy. And naturally, my mother indulged. My father wasn’t too thrilled about coming home to a half of a warm beer sitting on the counter, though.

To this day, my mom attests that beer sent her in labor. Whether or not this is true, is debatable. Regardless, I was born to be The Beer Wench.

4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it?

The first beer I actually remember drinking was Samuel Adams Boston Lager. My mother went to Boston College and my parents eloped in Boston. Despite the fact that my mother was born and raised in NYC, she has a weird loyalty to Boston (picks the Red Sox over both the Yankees and the Mets).

Samuel Adams was my mother’s beer of choice. Spaten was my father’s beer of choice. Those were the only two beers that I saw in my house growing up.

Speaking of Spaten and my Dad, that is a great story as well. My Dad rarely ever drinks anything other than Spaten. I’ve never known anyone so loyal to one brand of beer than my father. Our garage refrigerator is always stocked with it. Like always. My Dad brings his own beers to parties because he does not trust anyone else’s tastes. On my 21st birthday, instead of getting kegs of cheap beer for my college-aged cheap friends, he got Spaten. My Dad even brought Spaten to my cousin’s wedding.

Needless to say, I grew up being exposed to “good” beer and craft beer growing up.

5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?

I love this question. Why? Because I love to live in the “glory days.” I am extremely proud of my achievements at The Ohio State University. I graduated with two B.A. degrees, varsity letters in 2 different sports and I was also involved in several school organizations. I guess you can call me an overachiever.

For this question, I will copy and paste from my resume:

The Ohio State University, 2001 – 2005, Columbus, OH
B.A., Psychology/B.A., Criminology, GPA: 3.6, Cum Laude

*Big Ten Scholar Athlete Award 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
*Ohio State Scholar Athlete Award 2002, 2003, 2004 ,2005
*Ohio State Varsity Swimming & Diving 2001-2004
*Ohio State Varsity Rowing 2004-2005
*Most Improved OSU Female Swimmer 2002
*Buckeye Power Club Award 2003
*Student-Athlete Advisory Board, Marketing Chair
*Romophos Sophmore Honorary (social chair)
*Bucket & Dipper Junior Honorary
*Mortar Board National Senior Honorary
*National Society of Collegiate Scholars
*Golden Key International Honor Society

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.”

1. What was your first craft beer epiphany? Recall as many details about it as you can:

My first craft beer epiphany was with DogFish Head’s Midas Touch. At the time I discovered it, I was managing a restaurant in Columbus, OH. I was also studying for sommelier certification and extremely into wine. This was back in the day when DogFish Head did not have a wide distribution and its specialty beers were extremely limited and hard to find. My restaurant was able to secure two cases of Midas Touch (which back then was a lot to get).

Being the “beverage manager,” I made sure to do my research about the beer before it came in. The concept of the beer completely blew my mind. I learned that it was brewed based on an ancient recipe from a DNA analysis of scrapings from barrels in King Midas’ tomb. The ingredients themselves were so weird for beer: honey, saffron, white muscat grapes and barley.

Now you must remember, I was an uber wine geek at that time. So they idea of a “winey beer” really excited me. The flavor delivered as well. This beer completely changed the way I thought about beer and encouraged e to push my beer palate to the extreme.

2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:

The next beer epiphany was Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale. It was my first taste of an American IPA. It was this beer that turned me into a total hophead. Over the course of two years, while still in Ohio, I probably consumed at least one pint of it a day. No joke. My two favorite beer bars (in my early Drink With The Wench days) always had it on tap. And I used to drink it like water.

My greatest craft beer epiphany BY FAR has to be the first time I ever tasted THE GUEUZE. It was at The Map Room in Chicago in May of 2008. I was in town for the National Restaurant Association Show. Somehow my coworker stumbled upon Brian VanZandbergen of Merchant Du Vin and raved to him about me being a beer blogger.

At this time, I was a total hophead and extreme beer fan. The closest I got to drinking Belgian beers was Unibroue’s La Fin Du Monde and Trois Pistols — which are Belgian styles, not Belgian beers. And I most certainly never touched English of German beers. I wanted my crazy hoppy, big alcohol, over the top flavored beers.

You see, I consider myself to be of the “DogFish Head Generation.” I started drinking extreme beers and completely skipped over the “classic styles.”

Once Brian realized how amateur my palate actually was, he made it his mission to school me on beer. And so my coworker and I piled into his car for a memorable night of beer bar crawling and beer tasting throughout Chicago.

As fate would have it, we ran into Stephen Beaumont — renowned beer writer — at Goose Island brewery. Since then, Stephen has served as an inspiration, tremendous resource and mentor to me. Stephen was also there for my gueuze epiphany.

Long story short (okay I guess it’s a bit late for that), we found ourselves at The Map Room. Brian set us up with a line up of 8 different Merchant Du Vin imported Belgian beers. One of them was Cuvee Renee, Lindeman’s gueuze. From the first sip, I became consumed and obsessed by the gueuze.

And the rest is history.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been writing Drink With The Wench?

I started the website in February of 2007. It was originally titled “The Columbus Beer Wench.”

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

I am a writer. I love writing. And I happen to think that I have an affinity for it. I used to write a random stream of thoughts blog but, after a few months of doing that I decided to really focus my writing skills on one subject.

So I chose beer. Why? Well once I started studying beer, I became obsessed. After I left the restaurant for the marketing and advertising world, I still wanted to be involved in beer. I started hosting tastings and events around town. And then I started my website to help promote my events, recap my events as well as record my tasting notes and experiences.

3. Why did you chose the name of your blog?

Around the time I started writing her blog, I was working for a marketing and advertising agency. As a result of my job, I understood the importance of establishing a brand (as well as the proper steps of doing it).And so, I sat down one night and forced myself to come up with an Internet beer identity. I wanted something that was relevant to beer, yet playful and ‘rough around the edges’ — just like me. To me, the name Beer Wench is unpretentious and rowdy. However, don’t let the word Wench fool you. The Wench knows her beer.

As for the name Drink With The Wench, that used to be the name of the events I would host around Columbus. When I realized that The Beer Wench URL was taken, I opted for Drink With The Wench.

4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?

The original goal of the blog was to force me to learn more about beer. When I started it, I was an amateur. I learn best when I take notes and, more importantly, when I teach others. The blog was originally a “virtual notebook” of my beer studies as well as a resource for me to organize beer tastings and beer events where I would teach others what I had learned.

I’m proud to say that I’m no longer a novice and, at the moment, I consider myself to be a beer connoisseur. The goal of my blog now is to spread the good word of craft beer — whether it be through beer tasting notes, beer news, beer event coverage, beer industry interviews, beer & food pairings, recipes with beer.

I love writing. I hope that my blog will help me turn my hobby into a career. Ideally, I would love to write about beer for a living (aka get paid for it). Michael Jackson is a huge mentor and inspiration of mine. I have said this many times before — my ultimate goal is to become Michael Jackson meets Ray Daniels with a little bit of Anthony Bourdain thrown in. I would love to get paid to travel the world, touring breweries, attending beer events, judging beers, hosting beer dinners & beer pairings etc… and then write all about my experiences. Eventually, I want to be published as well.

So if anyone knows how to make this dream a reality, please PLEASE help a Wench out!

5. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?

I would say it definitely has to be all the people I’ve met. I have traveled all over the country and have met a tremendous amount of important beer industry folks — brewers, writers, bloggers etc. I love the beer industry. The people in it are truly amazing. It takes a special kind of person to dedicate their life to craft beer!

6. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?

This is a really hard question. Especially since I started this beer bloggers series. I have been finding all sorts of exciting & interesting beer websites as a result.

For news, my favorite beer resource is: BeerNews.Org

For podcasts, my favorite beer resource is: The Brewing Network

As for blogs, my “favorite” beer resource is: Brookston Beer Bulletin (Jay Brooks has been blogging about beer longer than I’ve been legal to drink. He has a HUGE archive)

I know I said 3, but I must throw in a fourth beer resource. My favorite (alive) beer writer is Stephen Beaumont from The World of Beer. He is “new” to blogging, but has been writing about beer professionally for decades. And he is damn good at it!

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

1. Gueuze — I grew up in a “dairy country” New York. The smell of barnyard funk is relatively nostalgic for me. My neighbor across the street had horses as well. I’m oddly attracted to “manure” and grassy hay smells. My favorite wine regions — Rhone, Burgundy and Piedment — are known for producing “Bretty” wines. What can I say? I heart Brett.
2. American IPA — Specifically, the American IPAs hopped with Pacific Northwest varietals. I’m a huge fan of super high alpha acid hops. Love pine, resin and grapefruit flavors and aromas.
3. Saison — Back to the “barnyard” funk obsession. I love this style because of the Belgian yeast fruity esters aroma as well.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

This is a really tough question. American or European?

American (in no particular order) =

• Russian River Brewing Company
• DogFish Head Brewery
• 21st Amendment

European (in no particular order) =

• Drie Fontien
• Westmalle
• Orval

3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?

Where would my skills and talents best be used and appreciated? Probably with DogFish Head. My writing in fairly witty and they “get” social media. I think it would be really fun to work in the Marketing “department” of DogFish Head. I love their creativity and passion. And I would love to work along side Mariah Calagione!

However, I have fallen in love with living on the West Coast. (Although, I would leave it for a job in the industry — hint hint). So if I was to stay on the West Coast, I would probably enjoy working for Stone Brewing Co. Same idea as with DFH. They are creative and “get” social media. And I love Dr. Bill and Greg Koch.

Can I do one more? New Belgium in Fort Collins would be an awesome place to work. I really admire their dedication to sustainability. I ride my bike every chance I get and would love to work somewhere that not only appreciates that, but encourages it. And I would love to help them take their social media presence to the next level.

4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?

Not yet. Being a gypsy has made it hard to aquire the proper equiptment and I have no yet had the proper room for it or storage space. Soon, though. Soon.

5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?

Cicerone Certified Beer Server!!!

I’m in the process of pursuing Cicerone Certification. Follow my adventures at In Pursuit of Cicerone Certification.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

My favorite pairing, by far, is beer mussels & gueuze (or saison).

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Aye, therein lies the rub. I have no day job. No income source. Sigh.

2. If you could change your career at this very moment, without any restrictions on what you could do, what would you want to do and why?

As I said earlier, my ideal job would be Michael Jackson meets Anthony Bourdain. I would love to travel the world writing about beer (possibly doing videos as well).

I would also love to do social media marketing, copy writing and traditional marketing for a craft brewery. I am super bummed that I missed the opportunity to do so with Stone, but hopefully another craft brewery will create a similar position (hint hint).

3. Are you married? Children?

Oh hell no. And hell no. I want to trade my uterus for an extra liver.

4. Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?

I am still a wine connoisseur, although it has been quite some time since I’ve truly wine geeked out. I’m an avid cook and and even more avid eater. I love developing recipes with beer. I like taking beer adventures on my bike (not a good combination, I know. Hence all my scars). I also love hockey skating, but rarely get the chance.

During college football season, I spend a good deal of time watching football. I am obsessed with Ohio State Football — to a fault. I can throw a better spiral than most boys I know (but I just can’t throw the ball as far).

I am also getting into both scotch and cigars.

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be an why?

If I were a beer style, I would be Orval — the only beer that is its own style. My creation story is stuff of childhood fantasies (the Countess, the wedding band, the trout). I am the only Trappist beer to be dry-hopped, which makes me earthy & spicy. The Belgian candy sugar gives me an underlying sweetness.

But the real kicker, is the Brett. Since I was inoculated with Brett at bottling, I am constantly changing in the bottle. Today I taste like an English IPA, but tomorrow I might be sour and reek of horse blanket. The wild yeast makes me funky and unpredictable, Yet, since I was purposefully inoculated by the Monks, it means that there is method in my madness.

2. You were caught smuggling beer illegally, which has now been made punishable by death. Right before you are sent to the executioner, you are offered one last beer. What beer would you chose and why?

Definitely a gueuze. Although Drie Fontenien is my favorite, I might go for Lindeman’s Cuvee Renee because it was my first gueuze and it holds a special place in my heart. I would die after a moment of nostalgia and great memories.

3. If I contracted you to brew a beer (or design a beer recipe) called “The Beer Wench” — what style would you chose and what, if any, extra ingredients would you add?

Ah yes, I finally get to answer this question. I’ve been really impressed by a few people’s answers on this question. The best answer by far was by Alex P. Davis. I was going to steal his idea, but instead I’m going to make my own recipe.

The base beer would be a Saison. I would brew the beer in Colorado because that is where I was born and I want to use Rocky Mountain water. Primary fermentation would be with traditional Saison yeast. The beer would then be put into Chateauneuf-Du-Pape wine barrels (my all time favorite wine region) with Brettonomyces and Hudson Valley unpasteurized apple cider (for extra fermentable sugars … not sure if it would work because I don’t know the technical details of Brett and re-fermentation in barrels). The final product would be dry hopped with rose petals (my birth flower).

Yeah, that sounds pretty cool to me.

4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

Flight of teleportation. That way I can travel the world and do all the things I dream about doing.

5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?

Jumped off an 80 foot cliff. I was one of those kids growing up (okay maybe I’m still that way) that tried to out-do everyone. “Anything you can do, I can do better.” Cliff jumping was a hobby of mine in my later high school days. Naturally, it was illegal and very dangerous.

My friends and I went to a new spot that we heard about. We all started on the small cliff — about 30 feet. Then me and a few others decided to bump up our game and try the 50 foot. No biggy.

I decided it would be awesome to swim across the river, climb up the steep hill and attempt to jump off the 80 foot cliff. Why? Because I had to show off. I though I was such a badass.

I slipped when I jumped and ended up hitting the water at an angle. You have to understand, water becomes as hard as concrete from that height. When I hit the water, my contacts blew off of my eyes, my wind was completely knocked out and I was completely paralyzed. I thought I was going to drown. And as a competitive swimmer, drowning is your greatest nightmare.

Some boys across the river (on the small cliff side) jumped in the water and pulled me out. I could not walk for almost a week. And the whole left side of my body was a giant black and blue bruise. My ribs were bruised. I was a mess.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

I am utterly obsessed with it.

Thanks to everyone for reading “my story”! Sorry my interview was so long winded. But what can I say, I am a writer after all. And the one subject I can write a lot about is myself

CHEERS!

DRINK WITH THE WENCH PRESENTS:

The Beer Blogger Interview Series

Curious what goes on in the minds of your favorite beer bloggers? Well, The Beer Wench is and she has embarked upon a mission to interview as many beer bloggers that she can — from all over the world. Are you a beer blogger? Do you want to share your story? Send me an email!

Welcome to the second of three beer blogger interviews in a series featuring the brilliant (and ultra sexy) minds behind one of the hottest internet beer-themed video podcasts: New Brew Thursday.

Each and every Thursday, the boys from New Brew Thursday take their thirsty viewers on an adventure through beer geekdom. Some how, the boys seem to get their hands on some pretty rare and unique cult beers — and we are all forced to live vicariously through their video podcast tastings. Expect to see The Wench on a few of their shows in the very near future!

INTRODUCING: JOHN HOLZER

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: John Holzer Jr
Twitter handle: @johnholzer
Name of blog: New Brew Thursday @ newbrewthursday.com
Current location: Moreno Valley, CA

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Grew up mostly in Fontana, CA, but I was born in San Dimas, CA, which is home to the AWESOME store, Lone Hill Liquor. Spent a majority of my life in the good ol’ Inland Empire.

2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?

I was never really into sports as a kid, and I’m not really all that into sports now. Sometimes I wish I were more into sports, or at least watching them. Looks like a lot of fun to be so involved with your favorite teams. But, whatever…

3. How old were you when you had your first beer?

I was 16 years old.

4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it?

I don’t even remember what kind of beer it was–something cheap. Probably Budweiser or PBR. My friend and I got to have the beers left over after a Christmas party that his parent had as reward for cleaning up after the party. The beer sucked. It was a mystery to me why anyone would drink beer. My feelings have obviously changed over time…

5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?

I didn’t go to college. I wasn’t a bad student or anything. I graduated High school with High Honors and never missed a day of school. College just wasn’t for me. I fix and upgrade elevators now and play in a punk rock band called “Better Luck Next Time”. We’ve toured around the world and have a lot of fun. I don’t regret not pursuing higher education.

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.”

1. What was your first craft beer epiphany? Recall as many details about it as you can:

I remember it clearly: I was at The Grove in Anaheim, California to see Carrot Top [don't hate--you know you all laughed at his comedy at least once in your life. Plus now, he could kick your ass... ].

I went with a few friends of mine, all of which drank Bud Light and Coors Light and such. One friend that was there, Jeremy, asked if I had ever tried New Castle. I said no and he ordered me a pint from the bar. The show was a dinner show, so we were served dinner during the performance.

We were eating barbecue chicken. When I tried the beer, I couldn’t believe how good it was and much it was NOT Bud Light. I was also impressed by how well it went with the food I was eating. Before then, I always kind of looked at craft brew at the time as something weird and outlandish. Only weirdos and alcoholics drank that stuff. I was 21 at the time and really had no idea why I thought the way i did about Craft beer.

Call it ignorance. Needless to say from that moment on, I would never look at Craft beer the same.

2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:

I got stuck in a rut for a long time of drinking very, very light and fizzy beers. Mostly because of the calories. I would drink the occasional New Castle here and there, but when I was with my friends–who to this day don’t understand why I love craft brew–Bud Light was the beer of choice.

I woke up one morning after a night of drinking and felt horrible. I don’t usually get hangovers, and this morning was no exception. I had a splitting headache that did not go away until later that night. Nothing else, just a bad headache. After a few more weekends of the reoccurring headache, I had a feeling it was the type of beer I was drinking. I wasn’t even drinking a lot. The smallest amount of Bud Light seemed to just trigger something. So from that day on, I stopped drinking Bud Light and switch to my now all time favorite beer, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

After consistently drinking good quality Craft brew, I noticed that I was spend a lot more time tasting the beer instead of just drinking it. That’s probably because there was something there to actually taste instead of the watery fizzy liquid that would give me a buzz. I haven’t had a Bud Light since, but that doesn’t mean I never will. There’s a time and place for everything. I just don’t see a time or place anytime soon that would facilitate me drinking a Bud Light…

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been involved with New Brew Thursday?

Well, I just recent joined New Brew Thursday about two months ago. So, two months, I suppose.

2. What inspired you to join New Brew Thursday?

I loved watching New Brew Thursday before I was a member of the show. I thought it was so cool that I had some type of guideline to follow for finding and tasting new beer. I looked forward to the show every week and was excited to come home from work, pick up the new brew for that show and try it. Now that I’m on the show, I’m thrilled to know that others are having the same experience I had back then and am still having now on the show.

3. Why did you chose the name of your blog?

New Brew Thursday. Does it need an explanation? Stephen is the man to ask about the history behind New Brew Thursday.

What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?

I think Stephen and Brad would both agree with me when I say that I think our ultimate goal is to inform as many people as possible about great, quality Craft beer, and to spread the idea of drinking what YOU like, not what others tell you to like. It’s all very punk rock.

4. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?

Shooting episodes on location at craft beer bars and breweries is awesome. I think so far, shooting at Stone Brewing Co. with Dr. Bill Sysak was the best.

5. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?

beeradvocate.com
hop-cast.com
drinkwiththewench.com

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Ale, Strong Ale, Stout.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Stone Brewing Company. Still searching for my third…

3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?

I don’t think I have any aspirations to work at a brewery. However, I would love to learn how to make some great home brew and just learn the techniques behind brewing beer. So, to answer the question, I think I’d want to learn from a local brewery in the I.E. [Inland Empire] called Inland Empire Brewing Co.. They make stellar beers, they’re awesome people, and are very brand new to the beer scene. Since they are so small and so passionate about beer, I think they would be the best people to get me on the right track to brewing great beer.

4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?

Not a Home Brewer, but I would like to be someday.

5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?

Not a one. But I can see myself pursuing some kind of certification in the future.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

To date, my favorite beer and food pairing is The Lost Abbey’s Angel’s Share Ale with caramel cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. It’s freaking heaven in my mouth.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

I build, repair and modernize elevators. I also play in a punk rock band known as Better Luck Next Time.

2. If you could change your career at this very moment, without any restrictions on what you could do, what would you want to do and why?

I think if I wanted to do anything full time, it would something involving art and computers. This could be graphic arts, video and film making, web design, or anything along those lines. I was not exposed to things like Photoshop until I was well out of school. So if I did go to college, I would pursue something in the arts. I’m a big Photoshop fan.

3. Are you married? Children?

Not married. No Kids. I have a steady girlfriend of 6 years. She’s rad. Her name is Yvonne.

4. Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?

Like I’ve said before, I’m in a band so I love playing music. I’m really into New Brew Thursday too–not only for the show, but because I get to do a lot of the back-end production stuff. I’m no expert, but it’s fun and lets me play with my toys and gadgets.

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be an why?

I would be an Pale Ale. I get along pretty well with anyone, and I’m not too scary… unlike some of those Stouts out there…

2. You were caught smuggling beer illegally, which has now been made punishable by death. Right before you are sent to the executioner, you are offered one last beer. What beer would you chose and why?

Stone Brewing Co. Double Bastard Ale. Probably the most delicious beer ever. It would also help a lot in numbing any pain I might feel while I’m being executed.

3. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

Superman. Hands down. Everything he does, i want to do. Flying is probably at the top of that list.

4. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?

This might not be very crazy, but playing a festival called Punkspring in Japan in front of 10,000 people with some of the biggest punk rock bands of all time was EPIC for me. I drank so much free booze that night that it’s a wonder I lived to tell about it…

5 What are your thoughts on bacon?

It’s the other white meat, and goes surprisingly well with chocolate.

SPECIAL THANKS TO JOHN FOR HIS AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!

DRINK WITH THE WENCH PRESENTS:

The Beer Blogger Interview Series

Curious what goes on in the minds of your favorite beer bloggers? Well, The Beer Wench is and she has embarked upon a mission to interview as many beer bloggers that she can — from all over the world. Are you a beer blogger? Do you want to share your story? Send me an email!

Welcome to the first of three beer blogger interviews in a series featuring the brilliant (and ultra sexy) minds behind one of the hottest internet beer-themed video podcasts: New Brew Thursday.

Each and every Thursday, the boys from New Brew Thursday take their thirsty viewers on an adventure through beer geekdom. Some how, the boys seem to get their hands on some pretty rare and unique cult beers — and we are all forced to live vicariously through their video podcast tastings. Expect to see The Wench on a few of their shows in the very near future!

INTRODUCING: STEPHEN JOHNSON

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Stephen Johnson
Internet nickname: “darthweef”
Twitter handle: @newbrewthursday
Name of blog: New Brew Thursday
Current location: Moreno Valley, Ca

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Cerritos, Ca

2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?

I played peewee soccer, but sucked. Then in Jr High played Football.

3. How old were you when you had your first beer?

9

4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it?

Um.. Awkward. LOL I was 9 when I had my first beer, and I hated it. It was a Budweiser product of some sort. I swiped from my parent’s fridge and hid it in a snow boot in my closet (called moon boots back then) where it was forgotten for about 2 weeks. When I did find it, I basically drank a can of warm, old Budweiser.

Looking back on it, I think later in life that incident curbed me away from the crap massed produced beer & I have never really been a macro beer drinker.

5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, and sports did you partake in during college?

I attended SCTC in Mankato, MN for Computer Programming. I also attended MSU to handle general stuff.

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.”

1. What was your first craft beer epiphany? Recall as many details about it as you can:

I have always bee considered a “beer snob” by my friends since I refused the Coors and Bud products and would drink Newcastle or Guinness. My craft beer epiphany came from a Home Brew festival I attended a few years back.

I was trying a home brewed porter and talking to the brewer and I started complaining that good beers could be found at the Home brewer festival. The Brewer asked me what I normally drank and I told him Newcastle or Guinness (notably proud of myself) and he chuckled, took me aside and from his cooler, introduced me to about 4 different craft beers from Sierra Nevada, of course, Stone brewing company, and a couple of others that I don’t remember.

Needless to say, I was blown away! I couldn’t believe that commercial beer could have that much complexity, flavor and intensity. I was sold. From then on, I searched everywhere to find a place that I could find “Craft beer” which at that point I thought was a California thing. LOL

Since then, I have learned much, but am still beer child wandering through a Willie Wonka like land of Craft beer, each one making me happier then the last.

2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:

The only other unique event was when I was first able to help someone else find the thrill of Craft Beer. I had a close friend who was a Coors light fiend. He agreed to expand his horizons, once a week, as long as I paid for the beer. So once a week we would get together and try out a new beer that neither of us had ever had. He converted, and even introduced me to a wider range of craft beers.

Beer Blog & Video Podcast Background

1. How long have you been working on New Brew Thursday?

I tend to forget that New Brew Thursday is also a blog, since we focus pretty solely on the video show. But New Brew Thursday actually started out as a twitter / flickr project where we would post the new beer that we were drinking each week and what we thought of it. We discovered that people were actually paying attention to both, and following along, so we started taking our obligation to post more seriously, and it evolved to the blog then to the show. The official site went up in May of 2009, but we were doing the twitter / flickr thing for about a year before that.

2. What inspired you to start New Brew Thursday?

I kind of answered that above, but to add, the inspiration came from a single tweet on a Thursday night, later, that asked why we hadn’t posted a beer for the night. When I realized that I could reach a larger group of people, and help them to see the wonderful world of beer for what is truly, rather then what the In-Bev and Coors-Miller want you to think it is, I knew I had an obligation.

3. Why did you chose the name New Brew Thursday?

The name came from the fact that every Thursday night me and my buddies would get together and try a “new brew” … so New Brew Thursday.

4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?

My immediate goal, is to help one person each show find the beer that will be the beer that creates their own craft beer epiphany. I feel like if I can convert at least one person each time I put out a show (or at least on average), then all the time and money is worthwhile.

Ultimately, I love to see the audience grow, and have the show turn into something more mainstream, allowing me the opportunity to be more involved in the craft beer industry.

5. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?

I have three, so bear with me.

• I got recognized at GABF. Which sounds vain, but what that person doesn’t know is that they saved the show. NBT was on hiatus, and I was without cast members to start it back up, so I was actually considering dropping the show all together and just going back to twitter / flickr thing. When he came up, and acted like he was meeting a celebrity, he told me how much he loved the show and how he shows it to his friends and they are getting more into Craft Beer, it really validated my need to do the show, and I left GABF more enthused to do the show then ever.
• I got to film an episode at the Stone World Gardens and Bistro, with Dr. Bill Sysak. There is nothing quite like kicking back with the beer Dr. himself drinking Double Bastard and eating food that he paired with it. EPIC!
• I have met some of the most amazing people in the world, like the Beer Wench, over the last couple of months, thanks to the show. That has been the best part of the show.

6. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?

Drink with the Wench (honestly, this is not just a suck up.
Confessions of a Beer Geek
Draft Magazines blogs

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

This is a tough question for me, since it changes a lot. Right now…
Porters (this never changes)
Bourbon barrel aged beer
Barleywine

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Stone Brewing Company
The Lost Abbey
Dogfish Head

3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?

I think I would like to work for Dogfish Head. They are still on the extreme edge, while producing great beers. I love that. Although I will never leave SoCal, so they would have to move here.

4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?

Technically, yes. I am home brewer. So far none of my brews have been good enough to even call beer. So I am on a learning journey with that.

5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?

I am working towards my Cicerone certification, and to be a Beer Judge. But right now, still working towards it.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

The Lost Abbey’s Bourbon Angel’s Share with Dulce De Leche Caramel Cheescake.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

I own a software development company called “The Lone Coder LLC”.

2. If you could change your career at this very moment, without any restrictions on what you could do, what would you want to do and why?

I would want NBT to be my career. I initially thought I would answer Brewer to this question, but ultimately, my passion comes from helping people see how wonderful craft beer is, not from making my own.

3. Are you married? Children?

I am married with three furry kids (dogs) .

4. Outside of beer, video podcasting and Twitter, what are some of your other hobbies?

Is there anything else..

I play disc golf, love photography and want to get back into Mountain Bike riding and Motocycling.

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be and why?

I would be a Baltic porter. I come from harsh beginnings but I finish sweet and love to be paired with dark cholocate.

2. You were caught smuggling beer illegally, which has now been made punishable by death. Right before you are sent to the executioner, you are offered one last beer. What beer would you chose and why?

I would choose a Coors Light..   Since death is not as bad as Coors Light, it would give me something to look forward to when the beer was done.

3. If I contracted you to brew a beer (or design a beer recipe) called “The Beer Wench” — what style would you chose and what, if any, extra ingredients would you add?

It would be a DIPA, and I might consider Dry-Hopping it.

It would punch your taste buds in the face and then smile at you, and you would love every minute of it.

4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I want to be able to read peoples minds.

5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?

When I was 11 I spent the night in a customs jail when my “ride” was caught smuggling drugs and illegal immigrants into the country.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

Bacon is the universes way of telling you that no matter how bad things get, it will always be ok in the end.

SPECIAL THANKS TO STEPHEN FOR HOSTING AN AMAZING BEER PODCAST AND ENTERTAINING ME ALL OVER THE INTERNET!

CHEERS!

Although San Diego was able to severely kick my a$$ on my first day of beer week, I was able to regain momentum and score a win for The Wench on the second day.

Morning came fast on Day 3. Unfortunately, our party of 4 (Pj, Alex, Tay & myself) dropped down to a party of 3 (we lost Alex to Law school — damn those smart kids). In order to sustain ourselves for the long day of beer consumption ahead, we chowed down on some whole wheat bagels with red onions, tomatoes, capers, cream cheese & lox — hey, we were just trying to be good Jews (and Jew wannabes).

Sometime before noon, the 3 Musketeers dragged our slightly disoriented butts up to San Diego Brewing Co. to meet up with head brewer, Dean Rouleau, for open house brew day with guest brewer Scott Jennings from the Sierra Nevada “Beer Camp” pilot brewery. We were greeted at the door and within seconds of being inside the bar, we had beers in our hands. Not a bad way to start a day, eh? I was pleasantly surprised by the scene inside San Diego Brewing Company’s brewpub. A bunch of homebrewers turned out for the event with several interesting brews in tow. But more importantly, almost every TV in the bar featured a Big Ten game. And if you have not learned by now, I’m obsessed with college … err … Big Ten … err Ohio State football. Dean was awesome enough to provide us with a tour of the SDBC facility. Just as the tour finished, it was time for the boys (Dean & Scott) to add the hops to the boil. The Cascade hops for the collaboration brew came from Star B Ranch Bison & Hops Farm in Pamona, CA.

Time quickly caught up to us and, before we could order another beer, we found ourselves running out the door to pick up our good friends Renee & Jordan Rounds for the 7th Anniversary Green Flash Charity Beer Festival. All proceeds from ticket sales to the 7th Anniversary Green Flash Charity Beer were donated to the FIGHT ALD ORG.

Adrenoleukodystropy (ALD) is a genetic disease that affects 1 in 15,000 boys in childhood but is most often diagnosed or goes undetected until it is too far progressed for treatment. A inexpensive blood test can easily identify boys at risk and it is treatable if caught before there is cerebral involvement.

Fight ALD educates medical professionals and the community about the early onset symptoms and diagnostic test with the hope that every affected boy will have a chance to win their fight with Adrenoleukodystrophy. On an interesting yet related side note, the President of Fight ALD, Bill Sherwood, is also the facilities manager for Stone Brewing Co. His wife Janis founded Fight ALD after loosing their son Sawyer back in 2003. Janis has visited at least 600 medical facilities in 22 states educating medical professionals on recognizing early symptoms of ALD. I had the honor of meeting Janis during the festival and I have tremendous respect for her amazing “one woman” fight against ALD. I’m just sorry that it was inspired by a loss. RIP Sawyer Benjamin Sherwood.

Upon arriving at the festival, we were distributed neon green wristbands with 10 tasting tokens, a meal ticket & a 7th Anniversary tasting glass. Being the clever professional photographer that she is, Renee Rounds shot a cool pic of the Green Flash Anniversary beer with the shadow from the glass.

Despite the large crowd, it was extremely easy to navigate the festival. In addition to Green Flash, other featured breweries included: AleSmith Brewery, Backstreet Brewery, Ballas Point, Coronado Brewing Co., FireHouse Brewery, Karl Strauss, La Jolla Brewhouse, Lightning Brewery, The Lost Abbey, Mission Brewery, OGGI’s, Pizza Port Brewing, Port Brewing Co., San Diego Brewer’s Guild, San Diego Brewing Co., San Marcos Brewery and Stone Brewing Co.

In need of a super refreshing “Pacific Northwest” hopped brew, I made a bee-line to Ballast Point for a sample of one of my favorite IPAs — Sculpin. After being refreshed by Sculpin, I found myself hitting up the Green Flash tent for samples of the Anniversary Ale, Hop Head Red Ale & Summer Saison. Somewhere along the way, around sample 4 or 5, we ran into our good pal Dr. Bill.

Dr. Bill convince us that we needed to go inside Green Flash’s tasting room where they were pouring tastes of a few limited special release beers. Not ones to turn down the opportunity to taste rare barrel-aged beers, the crew assembled and obediently marched to the tasting room where we ran into our new buddy Gordon, a brewer for Lost Abbey. Gordon poured us samples of Green Flash Little Freak — a barrel-aged Saison inoculated with Brett– as well as Green Flash Super Freak — the Green Flash LeFreak (Belgian-style IIPA) aged in San Pasqual Grenache wine barrels with brettanomyces. Little Freak was light and refreshing with hints of barnyard, while the Super Freak was more full-bodied and more complex. Gordon surprised us by whipping out a bottle of Lost Abbey Carnevale from underneath the table. Pj and Jordan got really really excited about that … as you can see.

For those of you unfamiliar with Lost Abbey Carnevale, it is a dry hopped saison ale sporting a hazy yellow color and moderately spicy nose with hints of oranges and tangerines from Amarillo and Simcoe hops. The yeast phenols add layers of clove and allspice. Weighs in around 6.5% with a medium-to-light body. It is seasonal and released around Lent.

After a few hours of quality beer drinking, it became apparent that the group needed to seek out some substance — in the form of meat products. The two food vendors for the day were Pizza Port & Kansas City Barbeque. On the way to the food tables, I ran into Greg Koch and got distracted by beer.

Before we knew it, the festival was wrapping up and it was time to embark upon yet another beer drinking mission. Dr. Bill invited the crew up to Stone Brewing Co. for a tasting of some rare beers from his collection. Once again, we are not ones to turn down opportunities to taste rare and interesting beers. Traffic was utterly unbearable and … sobering.

After what seemed like a year and a day, we arrived at Stone World Bistro & Gardens where Dr. Bill secured us the VIP section for our private tasting. Among many beers, Bill brought us Avery Dugana, De Dolle Special Reserva Ourbiera, the super exclusive (club membership only) Lost Abbey Sinners blend 09′, Hansens Oude Geuze, Hansens Oude Kriek and various vintages of Stone Double Bastard Ale.

Being that I had been distracted from obtaining food at the Green Flash Festival, Dr. Bill was also kind enough to provide us with a plentiful helping of Wild Boar Baby Back Ribs & Artisan sausages — which I devoured like it was my job. Earlier in the day, Stone hosted the Brewdog bahash bash where they tapped bashah, the latest collaboration brew by Scottish brewers BrewDog and Stone.

Bashah is the world’s first ever Black Belgian Double IPA. According to the BrewDog blog, there are five hops used in the beer: Hercules, Magnum, Warrior, Centennial and Amarillo. It is currently available in bottles. Dr. Bill couldn’t resist showing up the “disposable” keg in which bashah was distributed. Personally, I’ve never seen anything like it. It looks more like something you’d find at a NASA than a bar …

After getting our fill of meat products and amazing rare beers, it was once again time to hit the road in search of more beer week escapades. By the time we got to Taylors house, the crew was exhausted from hours of day drinking. We loaded up on a few cups of espresso while we debated our next stop. One of our friends, Beverly Bancroft, had charted a limo for the entire day and offered to send the limo to pick us up and bring us out on the town.

The limo took us to Toronado in South Park, San Diego — where we met up our new Twitter beer geek buddies Tab Brewer and Beverly & Mark Bancroft. My heart stopped when Tab ordered a bottle of (the rare) 2003 Boon Mariage Parfait. Some of you may not be aware (bad stalkers!) of my obsession with the gueuze. Long story short, the gueze is one of my all-time favorite styles of beer and I’ve put myself on a mission to taste as many variations of the style from as many brewers possible.

When Tab handed me the glass of Mariage I felt like a giddy little school girl who just got passed a love note from her biggest crush. It was bright golden in color with a, what is in my opinion, pleasant earthy, hay & barnyard aroma typical of Brett Bruxellensis. Overall, I found Boon Mariage Parfait to be light-bodied, highly carbonated & tart with a crisp, dry finish. That beer definitely had it going on. And I was really digging the funk … until of course I reached the bottom of the glass. Which was a very, very sad moment. But I quickly cheered up when the server delivered my beer brat smoothers in peppers and onions in a toasted pun with housemade potato salad on the side.

Now, I know what you are probably thinking. And yes, I have a bottomless pit for a stomach. Especially, when drinking beer in vast quantities. And especially when it comes to pork products.

I have a weakness for the pig.

You see, I was deprived of most pork products as a child. This is because my mother has been a vegetarian for 30+ years as well as a health & fitness fanatic. I’m oddly grateful that she never introduced me to the beautiful world of bacon, sausage, brats, pulled pork, BBQ ribs and so on and so forth — for I think I may have been an obese child if she had.

In Autumn of 2008, I tried bacon for the FIRST time — EVER. (FYI: I was 25 years old). And then I had my first bratwurst, first pulled pork sandwich, first rack of ribs etc… Food was never the same. And to come to think of it, either was my waistline. (Bacon belly anyone?)

Being both a beer connoisseur & pork fiend, it was pertinent that I try Toronado’s beer sausage — even if I had just previously pigged out (no pun intended) on sausage at Stone Brewing Co.  Toronado’s houesmade sausage was very juicy with a perfect blend of spices. It was so tasty, in fact, that it made me extremely thirsty for more beer. Hamilton’s must have been the go-to spot that evening because by the time I was ready for another beer, the entire bar was packed. It took some elbow swinging, but eventually I was able to make it to the bar.

If you’ve never been to Toronado (in either San Francisco or San Diego), than you probably are not familiar with the amazingness that is its beer menu. Toronado boasts and extremely impressive and slightly overwhelming tap and bottle list. Being surrounded by hardcore beer geeks, the pressue was on. One poor decision, and I was going to be fed to the wolves. After the gueze, I was on a Belgian beer kick. I decided to order a bottle of Fantome Printemps — a bottle-conditioned Spring seasonal Saison from Belgium. Fantome exclusively produces the Saison style and releases a different twist to the style every season. I’ve been lucky enough several of Fantome’s Saison variations as well as have a few older vintages in my cellar.

Feeling confident with my decision, I presented the bottle of Fantome Printemps to the group. Unfortunately, the beer did not win the hearts of my fellow beer geeks, who were quick to reject it. I blame it on palate exhaustion. To be fairl, it is really hard to expect people who’ve been quaffing high gravity, super intense & extreme beers all day to drink a Saison. It would be like asking someone whose been drinking Bordeaux & Barolo to sip on a rose. Seems like water in comparison.

So being the sulky face hurt puppy dog that I was after being rejected, I took the whole bottle of Fantome Printemps and sat in my own little corner where I enjoyed every last drop of it.

As the crowd started to dwindle, it became apparent that our time was up and the bar was getting ready to close. But instead of throwing the towel in, a small contingent of loyal party-goers headed back to Taylor’s place for a nightcap and some Kill Bill Volume 1 action. Yet, just as I was thinking that I had won the third round, San Diego beer week snuck up on me fast. Halfway through my beer and even less through Kill Bill, I was out like a light.

However, this round was not a complete loss. For the first time during the trip, I was the first person to be awake and productive the next morning. I even made breakfast for everyone. And so San Diego, although you wore me down and put me to bed before everyone else, you did not win right out. Instead, we will call this a tie.

THE WENCH = 1.5 & SAN DIEGO = 1.5

Stay tuned for the 4th Round and last installment of: The Wench vs. San Diego Beer Week! Cheers!

I must apologize for leaving you all hanging on the San Diego beer week updates. I’ve recently been plagued with a series of unfortunate events and have fallen off of the Internet map.

So where were we?

I last left off with the score: San Diego = 1. The Wench = 0. Truth be told, San Diego kicked my butt on my first day of beer week. The combination of going to sleep at 7:30AM and drinking high-gravity beer for 16 hours straight did me in.

After about 4 hours of sleep, I was awakened by the smell of bacon and sound of voices coming from the kitchen. Never one to to down bacon (or pork products for that matter), I dragged my tired, hungry & dehydrated body into the kitchen. Much to my delight, another Twitter obsessed beer geek friend of ours had just arrived from the L.A. area. Unfortunate for him, his first real life impression of The Wench was a bit ugly.

But, even a massive hangover could not hold me back from San Diego beer week. And so we rounded up our ever-growing crew of Twitter beer geeks for some more beer adventures. After filling myself up on bacon, eggs and buttery biscuits from my big sis Taylor and chugging down some Duck Duck Gooze compliments of Alex, The Wench was almost ready to put the “game face” back on.

This time, we were smart about it and chartered a shuttle van. Which was actually relatively cheap and easy to do. The Beer Van’s first stop was, yes you guessed it, Stone Brewing Co. Although Firestone Walker was set to “officially” launch their latest cult beer — the 13th Anniversary Ale — on November 14th, the magical Dr. Bill used his Don Juan skills to persuade them to tap it a night early at Stone. It made more sense anyways tapping the Firestone Walker 13th on Friday the 13th.

Word of the special release spread like wild fire and Stone had a tremendous beer geek turnout for the event. Firestone Walker stepped up to the challenge and not only tapped its 13th Anniversary, but also tapped its 12th Anniversary side by side. A lucky few also got to sample the bottle conditioned 11th.

Before anyone was allowed to taste the 12th and 13th, we were first primed with the original beers that were blended to create the 13th. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. In order to understand the beer, you need to know more about Firestone first.

Since its birth in 1996, Firestone Walker has been specializing in the “rare” art of brewing beer in oak barrels. On it’s 10th birthday, Firestone Walker created the first of its Anniversary series — The 10. For the special release they created a Barrel Aging and Blending Program, which they refer to as “Quercus Alba” (which means White Oak, FYI).

THE VISION BEHIND QUERCUS ALBA

• The GOAL: To create complexity centering on oak, in a multitude of forms, by brewing high gravity beers in complementary styles, aging them in different barrel formats and then blending them together to achieve harmonious new flavors.
• The PUZZLE: To blend these various components (or lots) to create a synergistic whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. This is done with the help of a few neighboring Paso Robles winemakers who are practicing experts in the art of blending.
• The INSPIRATION: Firestone Walker’s oak brewing tradition and connection to winemaking. Of course until the advent of stainless steel, brewing was intimately linked to wood barrels and vessels. Brewing has a deeply rooted history in the alchemy of blending.
• The BARRELS: The individual lots were aged in oak barrels, many of which were hand selected from premium Kentucky spirits producers by Tom Griffin, who is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about bourbon barrels and beer. Each barrel lents its own influence to the final blend.

So shall we talk about the beer?

THE COMPONENTS OF FIRESTONE 13th:

• 39% of final blend = PARABOLA (13% abv) — Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels
• 15% of final blend = VELVET MERKIN (6% abv) — Traditional Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels
• 6% of final blend = RUFUS (11% abv) — Continental Imperial Amber Ale aged in rye barrels
• 4% of final blend = SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS (9%abv) — Belgian Strong Ale aged in bourbon barrels
• 24% of final blend = BRAVO (11% abv) — Imperial Brown Ale aged in 50% bourbon barrels and 50% in brandy barrels
• 6 % of final blend = OPAL (11% abv) Wheat Wine aged in rye barrels
• 6 % of the final blend = DOUBLE DOUBLE BARREL ALE (10.9%) — Double English Pale Ale aged in 100% in retired FW union barrels

Most of us started the night out with Parabola, which made it hard to move onto anything else. After all, it was definitely the biggest and boldest of all the beers on tap that night. Parabola was thick, rich & viscous with lots of hints of vanilla, oak, toast & bourbon. It was a very warming beer, without the alcohol being too potent.

While we waited for the special tapping of the 13th Anniversary, the group of us chowed down on several of the items from the Stone World Bistro & Gardens menu. The highlight was, hands down, the beer mac & cheese — tender macaroni, Stone Porter Cheese, sun dried tomatoes, basil, Stone Smoked Porter Sausage  topped off with some baked bread crumbs. In one word -orgasmic.

As I mentioned earlier, the event had a tremendous turnout. There were many “celebrity” beer and twitter personalities in the “house” that night. These included: Greg Koch (CEO of Stone), Dr. Bill of Stone Brewing Co., several members of the Firestone Walker team, Stephen Johnson of New Brew Thursday (and his wife), my big sister Taylor Shaw, PJ Hoberman of Starting a Brewery, Kristen & Marin Emde of GoBeering.com, adorable homebrewers Renee & Jordan Rounds, beer connoisseur Alex P. Davis, talented photographer Declan, JJ Bagley of Mutineer Magazine, Chris Richards of Six Palms Entertainment and many others I cannot recall at this moment.

Photo of Renee Rounds & Taylor Shaw -- By: Declan

Declan did an excellent job of capturing the party on his camera. According to Greg Koch, I totally rocked the camera in this pic:

Photo of The Beer Wench -- By: Declan

However, I think that the best photo in the bunch is the one of Alex P. Davis and I rocking the “too cool for school” Top Gun look. Rock. Stars.

Photo of Alex Davis & The Wench -- By: Declan

I also had the honor of meeting more of of my Twitter friends at the Firestone Walker 13th event at Stone Brewing Company — including (but not limited to) @BrewBud, @IPABev and @BeerMark.

Ultimately, the Firestone 13th and 12th were tapped. A line of beer lovers desiring to be among the first to taste the 13th wrapped around the bar area. Being the lazy line hater that I am, I procrastinated getting on line. But when I realized that the line was not going to die down anytime soon, I bit the bullet and joined PJ in line — with some “line” beers in hand, of course.

The verdict? Both the 13th and 12th are extremely complex beers with multiple levels of flavor. At the time, I preferred the 12th. But this does not mean the 13th was bad, by any means. In fact, it rocked. With a little bit age, the 13th can only get better. By the looks of it, I think Stephen (New Brew Thursday) enjoyed both of his Firestone Anniversary beers …

Photo of Stephen Johnson -- By: Declan

The original plan was to follow the Firestone Walker 13th event up with a Stone Brewing Co. dinner at Kitchen 1540 at the L’Auberge resort in Del Mar. Unfortunately, unforeseeable and very understandable circumstances (including sickness) prevented Chef Paul McCabe from being available for the dinner — and the event was cancelled. I was bummed that I did not have the chance to meet Chef McCabe, but then I completely understand his situation and agree whole heartedly with the decision. And who knows, maybe Chef McCabe was lucky not to have met me — as I have a reputation for being a predator and “groupie” of extremely talented chefs.

Chef Paul McCabe (adorable, no?)

A big group of us were planning on attending the Kitchen 1540 dinner and, in lieu of completely forfeiting the event, I approached Greg Koch about organizing a substitution dinner. Greg was able to track down a substitute option — a 3 course Stone pairing menu at Suite & Tender in downtown San Diego. Lucky for us, Suite & Tender was willing to accommodate a last minute reservation for 17.

After a fantastic time at the FireStone Walker event. The Beer Van headed back downtown for a private beer dinner with Greg Koch. The pairing menu was pretty impressive. We were given two choices on three of the pairings. Being that both choices sounded amazing, it was hard to chose. So instead of choosing, Alex & I decided to order one of each course and split them.

The Menu was as follows:

FIRST COURSE

• Fish Tacos w/ Stone IPA
• Crispy Lump Crab Cakes w/ Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale

SECOND COURSE

• Baby Spinach Salad (BACON, pine nut butter, crispy shallots, crab apple & caramel vinaigrette) w/ Stone Levitation Ale
• Hearts of Romain Salad (parmesan cheese, garlic croutons, anchovies & caesar dressing) w/ Stone Pale Ale

THIRD COURSE

• Filet Mignon (garlic mashed potatoes, seasonal mushrooms) w/ 2009 Stone Old Guardian Barleywine
• Grilled King Salmon (warm potato salad, sweet onion, herb creme) w/ Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

There was one other option, but Alex and I passed on it:

• Pan-roasted Chicken Breast (cornbread stuffing, oyster mushrooms, pan sauce) w/ Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

FOURTH COURSE

• Stone Smoked Porter Pecan Pie & Smoked Porter Fudge swirled ice cream w/ Stone Smoked Porter

The service and presentation of the dinner was slightly unusual yet, despite the last minute notice, it was executed pretty well. The food was extremely tasty — although, it was a group consensus that the beer pairings were a bit off. Not really sure what the method in the madness behind the beer — food pairings was, but at the end of the day I left the dinner stuffed to the brim with great beers and food. So, can’t really complain!

After the dinner, the group dissipated. A few people went back to Taylor’s place for a few beers. I joined Greg for a nightcap before returning to Tay’s pad. By the time I returned, everyone was asleep. Which was probably for the better since we had a big day of beer ahead of us starting the next morning. And so to bed The Wench went, with visions of Green Flash and rare beers in her head.

San Diego = 1 … The Wench = 1

Stay tuned for ROUND 3 of San Diego Beer Week! CHEERS!

For those of you who are lucky enough to follow me on twitter, you are probably acutely aware of my recent voyage to San Diego for beer week. In fact, I’m almost positive that many of you may hate me for the events I attended and the beers I tasted. Heck, I would hate me too

But for those of you who might not have been following my San Diego Beer Week adventures, have no fear, I’ve decided to write up a recap of the whole experience so that you too can hate me. Hey, they don’t call me Wench for no reason.

My SDBW story actually starts pre-arrival. This was the first time that I had ever flown Virgin Airways and I had no idea what to expect. And let me tell you, my experience was more AMAZING than I can possibly describe. The purple and red themed interior of the plan was extremely calming. The plane itself was very clean, spacious, comfortable and impressively high-tech. But the real kicker was the chain of events that occurred in flight.

The stars must have been aligned for me that morning because 1. Virgin Airways provided 21st Amendment IPA (my favorite craft beer IPA in a can) on flight 2. Virgin Airways provided FREE internet access on flight (hello, The Wench is a known Internet addict) and 3. Virgin Airways provided free satellite cable on flight …

The sequence of events went as follows: I order a delicious and frosty 21st Amendment IPA. Then I open up my laptop and immediately sign into my Tweetdeck. And then — get this — I turned on ESPN classic and, what do you know, the game on TV is the 1990 Ohio State vs. IOWA showdown. Let’s recap: awesome craft beer + free Internet + Ohio State football … throw in some bacon and I would never have gotten off that plane!

I had never been to San Diego prior to this trip. Needless to say, I was super excited to check out one of the top ranked beer cities in the U.S. And let me tell you one thing, San Diego not only lives up to its reputation — its beer scene completely blows all other cities out of the water. (This from someone who travels extensively in the name of beer). DISCLAIMER: I was in San Diego during beer week, which may or may not have biased my previous statement.

The San Diego airport was easy to move through and I was able to get in a cab to downtown in no time flat. My hostess for the weekend was my brilliantly talented and beautiful big sister, Taylor Shaw. (Technically, we were not “born” into sisterhood. Blood or not, she is family and I love her unconditionally as if she was blood.)

Tay has several years of beer connoisseurship on me and I was completely blown away by her collection of craft beers. Her normal refrigerator was loaded to the brim with beers, as were her cupboards, her wine fridge, her storage room etc. And on top of it all, she has more beer stored in a beer locker. I can only aspire to be as kick-ass as Tay one day.

The first stop on our SDBW agenda was the famous Stone World Bistro & Gardens. To come to think of it, I never did get a tour of the Stone Brewery. Oh well, just another excuse to return.

When it comes to describing the Stone World Bistro & Gardens, I cannot even being to start. I’ve never been to Disney World or Land (despite living in Orlando for 8 months). But I’m almost positive Stone World Bistro & Gardens to me is the equivalent of Cinderella’s castle to a young Disney princess obsessed girl.

The big event that we went for was the 10 year vertical tasting of Double Bastard Ale. For those of you unfamiliar with the beer, weighing in at around 10.50% ABV, Double Bastard is considered an American Strong Ale (a catch all category for “uncategorizeable” ales with high alcohol content). Double Bastard boasts a huge malt bill and a belligerent hoppiness. Both it’s hop varietals and IBU level are classified. It is not recommended for the weak of heart.

Double Bastard is most definitely an arrogant son-of-a-wench. The earlier vintages had a savage-like level of hops and insulting level of alcohol, while the older vintages were more smooth and balanced. All vintages attacked my palate with a malty vengeance. The 10 year flight of Double Bastard had me constantly questioning if I was, indeed, worthy.

Lucky for me, I’m The Wench. Double Bastard has nothing on me. I grabbed it by the balls and showed it who was boss.

In addition to tasting an epic vertical of Stone beers and seeing Stone World Bistro & Gardens for the first time, I had the extreme honor of meeting THE ONE, THE ONLY, THE FAMOUSLY  SPECTACULAR & AMAZING Dr. Bill.

Bill Sysak is one of my greatest heroes in the beer industry. I aspire to one day be as knowledgeable as him. He doesn’t know it yet, but we may get married someday.

I have an open invite to come raid Dr. Bill’s collection at his home. Which I plan on doing some time in the VERY very near future. It is sooooo worth the flight down, trust me.

Dr. Bill was not the only beer celebrity I met that day. As fate would have it, the adorable studs of New Brew Thursday filmed an episode with Dr. Bill in the Stone Gardens.

The mayhem at Stone Brewing Co. did not end with the flight of Double Bastard. While there, we ran into the husband and wife team from Kern River Brewing Company – Eric & Rebecca Giddens.

Upon discovering our beer geekness, they offered us some samples the Kern River Brewing Company JUST OUTSTANDING IPA. And naturally, being the mischievous and impatient “Being of Pure ID” that I’m become known to be, I opened up the bottle in the parking lot. Verdict? The name says it all, Kern produces an outstanding IPA!

The first day at Stone was extremely exciting. Not only did I get to rub elbows with Dr. Bill, the boys from New Brew Thursday (Stephen Johnson, Brad Kohlenburg & John Holzer) and the Giddens, I also got to meet SEVERAL of my fellow beer geek twitter buddies: Jordan Rounds, Renee Rounds, Martin Emde, Kristin Emde & Laura Johnson.

And I must admit, we are one fine looking group of geeks.

The excitement of day one did not end at Stone Brewing. Oh no, it did not not. The insanity had only just begun …

After drinking some pretty intense high gravity ales at Stone Brewing, it was pertinent that my big sister and I scavenger for food. Our grumbling pork-product craving tummies brought us to the Blind Lady Ale House, where we had the pleasure of sitting down at the bar with two of its owners, Lee and Jenniffer Chase. The pair provided lots of great insight into the local San Diego beer industry. It was interesting to here things from and insiders perspective.

That particular evening, BLAH was featuring a special beer/food pairing menu with Green Flash Brewing Co beers. Taylor and I decided to order both of the courses and share them. While we waited for the food to come out, each of us enjoyed a “aperitif” beer.

The first was bacon-wrapped Char stuffed with homemade stuffing on top a bed of micro greens in a creamy dill sauce paired with Green Flash Little Freak.

The second dish was melt in your mouth, fall straight of the bone, lamb shank in a rich gravy served over a bed of root vegetables and new potatoes paired with Green Flash Belgian Brown Ale.

After satisfying our cravings for top notch beer, food & conversation … Taylor and I found ourselves back on the road in search of more beer adventures. It wasn’t long before we found ourselves down in San Diego’s vibrant Gaslamp Quarter at JSix Restaurant, where Lost Abbey hosted a dinner & art show in conjunction with its artist, Sean Dominguez. Sean was there with his adorable son. Usually, I don’t like children. But this kid, this kid was a winner.

For a mere $20 admission, guests enjoyed passed-around hors d’oeuvres and were able to taste all of the following beers while viewing their original label artwork:

• Inferno – Oil on Canvas
• Carnevale – Chalk and Pencil
• Deliverance – Oil on Canvas Beer not yet released
• Devotion – Chalk and Pencil
• Duck Duck Gooze – Oil on Canvas

• Gift of the Magi – Chalk and Pencil
• Cuvee de Tomme – Chalk and Pencil
• Judgment Day – Oil and Canvas
• Lost and Found – Chalk and Pencil
• Angel’s Share – Oil on Canvas

• Red Barn – Oil on Canvas
• Serpent’s Stout – Oil on Canvas
• Avant Garde – Oil on Canvas
• Ten Commandments – Chalk and Pencil
• Witch’s Wit – Oil on Canvas

True to Wench form, I found myself in good company at JSix. My victim? Gordon Gerski, Brewer & Bottling Line Wrangler at Lost Abbey.

Much to Gordie’s dismay, I latched myself onto to him for the majority of the evening. As a result, I received endless pours of my favorite Lost Abbey beer — Duck Duck Gooze — as well as had the opportunity to meet the man behind the magic of Lost Abbey — Mr. Tomme Arthur.

Also present that evening was the illustrious Mr. Greg Koch, CEO of Stone Brewing Co.

The evening took a turn for the more awesome when my good friend and fellow beer blogger, Pj Hoberman, showed up at JSix. Unfortunately, PJ arrived towards the end of the event. Nonetheless, Taylor and I did our damnedest to catch him up.

Like all good times, the Lost Abbey art show had to come to an end. But this did not hinder our goals to create mayhem and reek havoc on the city of San Diego. And so the Three Stooges of Debauchery trekked onward to our last stop of the evening: Hamilton’s Tavern for the Liar’s Club Redux event.

By this point, The Wench was feeling good. A little too good because I cannot for the life of me remember what I drank. I do, however, remember eating some kick-ass chicken wings and fries. Nothing like fried food to cap an evening of amazing beer drinking, am I right?

After practically closing down Hamilton’s, it was a group consensus to take the party back to Taylor’s swank pad downtown. Being quite a few beers deep, I decided (like the mature adult that I am) that the bed sounded more lucrative than continuing with the beer drinking festivities. Unfortunately, my lovely friends did not agree with that move. And after 2 attempts to pass out, the crew was able to resurrect my half-dead body.

The night took yet another turn for the awesome when I decided to make nachos. People really need to learn not to feed me past midnight. Think Gremlins, kids. You don’t feed the Gremlins past midnight. You don’t feed the Wench past midnight. Because once you spike my blood sugar, I cannot be responsible for any of my actions.

Needless to say, the blood sugar rush from the nachos sent me into a manic state which then enabled me to drink more beer. Drinking more beer ultimately led to 2 back-to-back screenings of … wait for it … wait for it … The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

What can I say? I’m a freak for Dr. Frankenfurter. Usually, my crazed requests to watch the Rocky Horror Picture show get over-turned by my peers. But not this night. As fate would have it, another member of the twitter beer geek crew, The Mr. Martin Emde, is also a RHPS fiend.

As much as I would love to share the details of the rest of the evening with you all, there are just some things that are meant to be kept private. All I can say is that there was lots of “Time Warp” dancing action combined with shouting out various phrases at the movie. But then, if you’ve ever seen Rocky Horror live, you can probably imagine the madness that ensued.

The sun ended up coming sooner than one would expect. The “night” officially ended at 7:30AM.

The first day, San Diego Beer Week kicked my ass.

San Diego = 1 — Wench = 0

Stay tuned for ROUND 2 … Cheers!

]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?feed=rss2&p=2042 7