Being the eccentric beer geek that I am, I’m always looking for new, fun, unique and quirky beer gadgets and accessories. And I like my swag like I like my beer — artisan, hand-crafted and made with love.

Unique objects make awesome gifts, and with this holiday season rapidly approaching, I’ve been on the mission to uncover fun, original and quirky gifts for my very special beer geek friends.

The coolest thing I recently stumbled upon was porcelain ceramic beer glasses and beer goblets produced by Jim Gottuso, a talented potter and the author of the blog Sofia’s Dad’s Pots.As someone who loves Ancient Greek and Egyptian art exhibits, I find Jim’s unique designs to be quite appealing.

The beer glasses can be viewed and purchased a the Gottuso Etsy Store.

About Sofia’s Dad’s Pots

Functional porcelain ceramics made by none other than Sofia’s Dad. Glazes are dishwasher safe, microwave-able and are LEAD FREE. You can eat off of them and drink out of them and I do. Pots are thrown on an electric wheel and fired in an electric kiln. These pieces are decorated using a combination of chattering and etching using a resist. Chattering is a method of allowing a metal “rib” to bounce on the surface of a rotating vessel while the resist method is done by physically painting a resist on with a brush and etching the areas that are left exposed. The latter method can be done multiple times and the combination of techniques results in various delicate and visually complex decorations.

Note: I will ship anywhere that the US Postal Service ships which is almost everywhere. I have successfully shipped to England, Belgium and Australia. If you live outside the US, just send me a message via Etsy or email me at go2sew(at)gmail(dot)com and I will pack the piece, take it to the Post Office, get the shipping price, and edit the listing with said price to your particular country.

Please visit my blog to get a glimpse of how things are made and the life of a potter.

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

Alas, let us move on.

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

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

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BROOKSTON BULLETIN — Session #44: Frankenstein’s Beers

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

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APPELLATION BEER — The Session #44: Frankenstein and lust

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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FROM MY MELLIN — Session 44 – the Frankenstein Beers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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BEER 47 — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

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

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BURGERS AND BREWS — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

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

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LOV BEER — The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

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

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

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

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

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

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THE BEER SEARCH PARTY — Session # 44

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

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A FLAGON OF ALE — The Session #44

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CHEERS!

WELCOME TO THE SESSION — the brain child of beer blogging veterans Stan Hieronymus of Appellation Beer and Jay Brooks of Brookston Bulletin. On the first Friday of each month, all participating bloggers write about a predetermined topic. Each month a different blogger is selected to host The Session. The blogger gets to choose the topic (provided it has not already been covered). The day after The Session is over, the blogger is then “required” (I say this loosely) to post a roundup of all the responses received. For more info on The Session, check out the archive page.

Today’s theme was chosen by … yours truly! Session #44 = FRANKENSTEIN BEERS!

A name, what’s in a name?

Everywhere you look these days, brewers are defying traditional style guidelines and crafting products that resemble science projects and culinary experiments more than beer. Beer festivals have become grownup science fairs where brewers can display their latest inventions.

Some brewers have pushed the limits so far that they have become modern day Dr. Frankensteins — crafting mutated monster beers.

Dr. Frankenstein was obsessed with natural philosophy and chemistry. He set on a mission to defy the laws of nature. His scientific creation was unlike anything the world had ever seen before. It was not a man, but a monster, constructed of human parts and various other inanimate objects.

One brewery, in particular, stands out above the rest as the brewing equivalent Dr. Frankenstein.

Over the past year or so, the Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde brewing duo from BrewDog, James Watt and Martin Dickie, have unleashed mad chaos and massive confusion on the craft beer industry with some of the most extreme beers known to man — if we can even call them beers.

Brewdog’s monstrous, freak-of-nature beers beg the question… Is this science or is this witchcraft?

My first run in with BrewDog’s Frankenstein-esque beers was Nanny State — a 1.1% ABV beer with a theoretical IBU of 225. Orginally brewed as an out-lash against the government, Nanny State was BrewDog’s odd attempt at creating the world’s first Imperial Mild. Technically, it is below the legal classification of beer.

How does one even begin to describe this beverage? Nanny State has a nose of pure hops — very floral with intense notes of pine and citrus. The nose does nothing to prepare you for the palate onslaught of its flavor. But then, I’m not even sure the beer has any flavor since one sip of it completely destroys the ability to taste anything. It was by far the most bitter thing that I have ever put on my tongue. Drinking Nanny State felt like I was licking the pine sap off of a pine tree.

Nanny State left my tongue completely numb for a good 15 minutes. And it took my taste-buds a good hour to fully recover from the hop attack.

Brewdog followed Nanny State with the release of a polar opposite Frankenstein-esque beer called Tactical Nuclear Penguin — an insane imperial stout with an ABV of 32% ABV, which was achieved through repetitious freezing and re-fermentation with mutinous yeast strands.

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

But in all seriousness, the beer was actually not that bad. I happen to be a huge fan of scotch and TNP had many characteristics that reminded me of scotch. A small shot of the beer, goes a long way, though. I doubt I would ever be able to finish an entire bottle

Interesting enough, the beer does mellow out and become more drinkable with age.

The Germans were not about to let BrewDog claim the highest alcohol beer crown. They retaliated with a 40% ABV. Not one to step down to a challenge, BrewDog recaptured the title with its 41% ABV Sink The Bismark.

Sink The Bismark has one of the best noses, ever. The aroma hits you like a hop explosion — in your face citrus, pine, resin, grass. At 41%, the beer drinks like a spirit — and it warms the esophagus like a spirit. The extreme alcohol level and boisterous malt bill help to balance out the intense bitterness from the hops.

Surprisingly so, I liked this beer a lot. However, as with anything that teeters around 80 proof, I don’t think I could handle more than a few “shots” of this beer. Interestingly enough, though, Sink The Bismark worked nicely as a “spiking agent” and a shot of it took BrewDog’s regular IPA to the next level.

As if 41% wasn’t extreme enough, BrewDog released what they are deeming as the last of its extreme alcohol beer series, aptly named End of History. Clocking in at a boisterous 55% ABV, The End of History is the Frankenstein beer of all Frankenstein beers. It is an Imperial Blond Belgian ale, infused with nettles from the Scottish Highlands and fresh juniper berries. Each bottle of the beer is stuffed into the carcass of a dead woodland creature (that has been taxidermified).

According to BrewDog: “The name derives from the famous work of philosopher Francis Fukuyama, this is to beer what democracy is to history. Fukuyama defined history as the evolution of the political system and traced this through the ages until we got the Western Democratic paradigm. For Fukuyama this was the end point of man’s political evolution and consequently the end of history. The beer is the last high abv beer we are going to brew, the end point of our research into how far the can push the boundaries of extreme brewing, the end of beer.”

Only 12 bottles have been made — and it has been completely sold out. As fate would have it, BrewDog released one bottle (and one bottle only) to be sampled by members of the press. The lucky recipients were my good friends over at BeerTapTV. I’m extremely honored to say that on November 5th, I have been offered the opportunity to taste this freak-of-nature beer during a live steaming of BeerTapTV at the Beer Bloggers Conference! Make sure to tune in and watch the debauchery go down.

Well folks, there you have it. I have dedicated my Session #44 Frankenstein Beer post to none other than the freak-show circus act known as BrewDog. Cheers!

“I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.” -The Monster.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for listening to mine!

Cheers,

The Wench

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

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

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

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

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

The key is learning what terms to use when.

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

My favorite beer analyzation resources are as follows:

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

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

From the back cover:

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

Enough said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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THE BEER JUDGE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM STYLE GUIDELINES

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

Why have style guidelines?

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more indepth knowledge, check out:

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

Cheers!

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

]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/2010/03/tools-for-proper-beer-analyzation/feed/ 1 http://drinkwiththewench.com/2010/03/beer-review-valley-brewing-decadent-evil/ http://drinkwiththewench.com/2010/03/beer-review-valley-brewing-decadent-evil/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:02:12 +0000 Wenchie http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=3778

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

Bad Beer Wench.

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

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

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

DECADENT EVIL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back to the brewing …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are my highlights:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/2010/03/brewer-for-a-day-iron-springs/feed/ 4 http://drinkwiththewench.com/2010/02/leafy-green-info-review-dogfish-head/ http://drinkwiththewench.com/2010/02/leafy-green-info-review-dogfish-head/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:38:20 +0000 Wenchie http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=3463

Fellow beer blogger and my new friend, Mike Kivowitz of Bergenation and Leafy Green Info, recently went on a tour of Dogfish Head Brewery as well as attended the DogFish Head New Years Eve’s 15 Beers for 15 Years Beer Dinner. Earlier this week he released an article about his experience.

In order to support both Dogfish Head and Mike get more exposure for this article, I am reposting it on Drink With The Wench. The following editorial content and pictures are property of Leafy Green Info — a green product review blog.

– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Milton, DE. Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales: Most companies don’t let you get to know them and relate to them. Dogfish Head is not one of these companies. Dogfish Head is a craft brewery from Delaware and their beer is amazing but that is not the only reason I love them.

Many breweries practice in an eco-friendly way, but what Dogfish Head does is unique. They recycle the spent grains used in the brewing process to a local farm in Delaware. These grains are fed to the cows to eat and play in and once those cows are slaughtered, they actually buy back the beef for their brewpub in Rehoboth Beach, De. They also provide a local baker with some of the grains to use in creating dog treats. That’s pretty freaking cool. But DFH does a lot more than that.

They recycle their water that cools the wort also. That doesn’t seem that impressive, but ask a homebrewer. That water is usually wasted unless you have a ton of space to store water.

Dogfish Head is known for off-centered beers and wacky and surprisingly amazing flavors. Below are some of my favorites and what they do that makes them so different.

60/90/120 Minute IPA – Hops, More Hops, MORE HOPS!

Punkin – Organic brown sugar and spices and pumpkins. It tastes like pumpkin pie, but better.

Ancient Ales – They have a series of ancient recipes reconstructed. These beers are unreal you need to try them all. Some of the ingredients include chai tea, wildflower honey, grapes, organic juniper berries, cacao nibs (antioxidant-rich energy) and even quinoa (gluten-free grains).

Black Thai Brewpub exclusive – Thai basil, soybeans (locally sourced from the Delmarva Region) and real blackberry puree.

DFH is not just a brewery. It’s an experience. You must go down to Delmarva and take a tour of the ever expanding brewery, play some bocce ball, buy an organic cotton or bamboo shirt and then travel the 20 minutes to Rehoboth Beach to eat lunch or dinner.

The brewpub is loaded with fun and great beer. Sam put his heart and soul into the pub. They have a distillery upstairs that you maybe able to tour if they let you. The menu is well thought out with that local beef in the form of hamburgers, sandwiches and they even have Leafy Greens.

We headed over there for New Years Eve’s 15 Beers for 15 Years Beer Dinner. It was amazing!

This is the menu below.

The best part was the dessert. A World Wide Stout and Chocolate Milk Shake paired up with World Wide Stout and a Fort Crème Brule paired with a Fort. Oh my!

We were fortunate enough to sit upstairs in the larger private room with a small amount of people including Sam Calagione, the founder and president of DFH. I spoke to Sam and tried to get some info out of him about what else is coming down the pipe but he wouldn’t reveal any secrets.

The people at Dogfish Head really know how to have a great time. The dinner, the drinks and the entertainment were all great. Overall, it was an amazing party and I wish I could book my trip for next year already.

If you’re looking for an alternative to that boring beer, pick up a 6 pack of 60 Minute IPA or if you’re a stout guy, go for the Chicory Stout and know that you’re enjoying a beer that not only is eco-friendly, but has heart and soul.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tactical Nuclear Penguin from BrewDog on Vimeo.

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

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

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

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

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

Sink the Bismarck! from BrewDog on Vimeo.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fire Island Lighthouse near Sunset by Jim Dohms

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE BEER WENCH’S TASTING NOTES

FIRE ISLAND RED WAGON IPA

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

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

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