Brewper Bowl IV Post-Game Show

I'm the Sous-Brewer coming to you live from the scene of Brewper Bowl IV. Another hard-fought, nail-biting Brewper Bowl is in the books. Both sides showed well, and in one sense, there really aren't any losers. But in a more real and less nonsensical sense, there can be only one winner, and that winner is…

Seattle.

And when I say Seattle, I mean Everett and Olympia, WA. Let’s review the game.

Seattle came right out of the gate with a solid amber ale from Fish Brewing Company called Fish Tale Vicious Circle. Vicious Circle was all malt with very little hoppiness to speak of. It was sweet, smooth, refreshing and sessionable – an excellent example of the style. I scored it a 7 out of 10 and Seattle led 7-0.

Fish Tale Vicious Circle Amber Ale,
Fish Brewing Company, Olympia, WA

New England countered with a solid offering of its own in Shipyard’s American Pale Ale. This one was a touch more hoppy than the Vicious Circle, and it was thinner and crisper as well. That being said, it was good, not great, and I scored it a 7 out of 10 as well. The score was now tied 7-7.

American Pale Ale,
Shipyard Brewing Company, Portland, ME

Seattle next brought out their Fish Tale Organic IPA from Fish Brewing Company. Of course it’s organic… it’s from the Pacific Northwest. Actually, this beer was pretty good. The hops were slightly forward although the IPA was more balanced than overly hoppy. The Pacific Gem hops shined and the flavor was very pleasant. I scored this IPA an 8 out of 10 and Seattle retook the lead 15-7 at half time.

Fish Tale Organic India Pale Ale,
Fish Brewing Company, Olympia, WA

In the second half, New England kicked things off with their Casco Bay IPA from Casco Bay Brewing (otherwise known as Shipyard Brewing). Casco Bay was an English-style IPA, and was definitely more malty sweet than it was hoppy. The hops were underwhelming and the malt sweetness was out of balance. Overall, the beer was just fine. I scored it a 6 out of 10, which made the score 15-13, Seattle.

Casco Bay IPA,
Casco Bay Brewing, Portland, ME

With the ball and the lead, Seattle brought out their last combatant of the game – Scuttlebutt’s Gale Force IPA. This IPA had a bold hop aroma of EKG, Cascade and Columbus hops and a clean finish. It was properly balanced, sweet but not too much, and a nice hop compliment. This beer scored an 8 out of 10, and made the score 23-13, Seattle.

Gale Force IPA,
Scuttlebutt Brewing Company, Everett, WA

With one beer left, New England needed a perfect score just to tie. What they brought out was a delicious black IPA from Clown Shoes Brewing called Hoppy Feet. This was an excellent example of the black IPA/Cascadian Ale style. Rich, dark, robust and sweet malt balanced beautifully by Amarillo and Columbus hops. There was even a hint of chocolate. It was quite good, but only earned a 9 out of 10, making the final score 23-22 with all zeros on the clock.

Hoppy Feet Black IPA,
Clown Shoes Beer, Ipswich, MA

So (the) Seattle (area) avenges the ghosts of its past and wins Brewper Bowl IV. They did it with a consistent attention to detail and adherence to style. They didn't have anything flashy, but they went out and did work, and were rewarded for it. New England’s beer were good too, but ultimately too inconsistent to take home Norm Petersen. The Most Valuable Beer (MVB) was clearly the Hoppy Feet, which is odd considering it was on the losing team, but the best beer is the best beer.

So that wraps it up! Brewper Bowl IV is finished, and Seattle has added itself to the pantheon of greatness, and to the Norm Petersen Trophy, along with past winners New England, Baltimore and Denver. The only thing left to do is see whether the Seattle Seahawks can duplicate what their beers did here today, or if the New England patriots can avenge what happened to their beers. All I know is that I will be drinking beers while I watch. Many beers.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Brewper Bowl IV - The Pre-Game Report

A sure sign that another year has come and gone – it’s time once again for the Brewper Bowl!

I’m reporting to you live from overcast Northern Virginia, the site of Brewper Bowl IV. The Seattle beers are back again this year, hoping for a better result of course, and will be opposed by the beers from New England, which have returned to the big stage for the first time since winning Brewper Bowl I many years ago.

But first, let me explain how this whole thing works for those of you who are new. Every year, for the past three years, I have orchestrated what I call the Brewper Bowl. The concept is simple: I acquire a few beers from the two cities (or regions) represented in the Super Bowl and pit them against each other in a head-to-head tasting format, in order to determine which city has the better beers. Aside from the obvious fortune and glory, the winning city gets its name added to the handsome Norm Peterson Trophy… which I don’t have to tell you is kind of a big deal. People have heard of it.

So now, without further ado, I present this year’s participants. We’ll start with the beers from Seattle, WA:

Blogger’s Note - The following beer descriptions are taken from Untappd or from the brewery websites themselves and are not my own.

1.   Fish Tale Vicious Circle Amber Ale from Fish Brewing Company in Olympia, WA - Well balanced and full flavored, Vicious Circle Amber Ale has a rich, malty body with a pleasant caramel character derived from a special blend of six malts. A complex hop aroma, with a hint of floral and citrus, comes from a combination of NW hops. It has a deep copper hue and a rich, creamy head with a fine lace that almost seem to suggest the hints of nutty sweetness and toffee that are about to follow.

2.   Gale Force IPA from Scuttlebutt Brewing Company in Everett, WA - Many people enjoy this IPA because of its bold hop aroma and flavor while it still finishes clean. It’s a great companion with a meal or a bull session with friends. It is unfiltered and dry-hopped to give you the full blast of the Gale Force. Hops: UK East Kent Goldings, Cascade and Columbus.

3.   Fish Tale Organic India Pale Ale (IPA) from Fish Brewing Company in Olympia, WA - Fish Tale Organic India Pale Ale is a medium-bodied beer with a rich golden color. The organic pale and crystal malts lay down a firm malt body. This provides the backbone for an assertive hop profile featuring organic Pacific Gem. The moment the Mighty Fish Brewers sampled this pungent and resinous New Zealand hop, they knew it would be perfect for their Organic I.P.A. The result: A Cascadian treasure.

Now let’s meat the beers from New England:

1.   American Pale Ale from Shipyard Brewing Company in Portland, ME - A classic American style Pale Ale bursting with grapefruit citrus flavor.  Dry hopped with American hop varieties for greater aroma and flavor. This beer was originally brewed in the United Kingdom on July 4, 2010 as a collaboration with Marston’s Beer Company.  It was such a hit in the UK, Shipyard decided to brew it back in Maine.

2.   Hoppy Feet Black India Pale Ale from Clown Shoes Beer in Ipswich, MA - Hoppy Feet has been lovingly crafted by combining Premium malt with lots of Amarillo and Columbus Hops.  Grapefruit and Pine are balanced on the nose and on the palate by a nutty, dark chocolate, roasted backbone.

3.   Casco Bay IPA from Casco Bay Brewing Company in Portland, ME – I’m not able to find an official description of this beer anywhere. Apparently, Shipyard bought this brewery in 2008 and turned into a Shipyard brand. Most beer advocate reviews indicate this is going to be an easy-drinking, hop forward IPA that is good, not great. We shall see…

This year's combatants, all lined up on media day

Overall, this is a pretty solid line-up. As always, I am limited to what I can find in my local package store from these far way beer towns, so there might be better beers out there to represent Seattle and New England. Still though, I’m pretty jazzed about these beers. Both cities are leaning pretty heavily on hops – I guess word got out that I am a hop head and may judge accordingly.

I suggest reading through some of the write-ups of the hard-fought grudge matches of years past while you wait for next week’s results. Take a trip down memory lane to Brewper Bowl I (click here and here) when Boston Beer Company’s Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA literally carried New England to a defeat of New York. Then, read on to Brewper Bowl II (click here and here) when Flying Dog’s Gonzo Imperial Porter earned a perfect score and MVB (Most Valuable Beer) honors to lead Baltimore to an overtime thriller victory against San Francisco. Next, cap off your reminiscing by reading about Brewper Bowl III (click here and here) when Oskar Blues’ Deviant Dales Double IPA stole the show with a near perfect performance and a fair bit of trash talking to propel Denver to a nail-biting win over Seattle.

So until next week, may the best beers win!

To be continued…

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Pouring Beer Matters

FREEDOM!!!

Let me say that again, as it bears repeating… pouring beer matters. I’m not talking about the correct way to pour beer versus the incorrect, and I’m not necessarily referring to the perfect amount of head versus the less-than-perfect. For the purposes of the title of this blog, and the lead sentence for that matter, I am stating this in the simplest terms… pouring beer matters. As in pour your beer into a frackin’ glass and drink it correctly!

Now, before I explain myself, let me back up and lay down a few caveats.

1) I am absolutely not talking about industrial, mass-produced, yellow, fizzy, corn-beers. All the reasons to drink beer out of a glass are exactly the reasons why you don’t want to drink THAT beer out of a glass. In fact, you probably shouldn’t be drinking that beer in the first place.

2) This is not a snobbery manifesto, although I can see why it would be perceived that way (hence this particular caveat). I’m not appealing to our 21st century post-modern human penchant for narcissism and self-loathing, but rather a basic primal discussion of right versus wrong. There is a right way, and there is a wrong way. This post is intended to present the right way and explain why it’s right. Some of you will read these words and correct your behavior, or it may reinforce already existing behavior. Others will read these words, disregard them and continue to ignore the facts out of spite, willful ignorance or a perception that you know better. What can I say? Some people still think big beer is better than craft beer. Some men just want to watch the world burn.

The reason why drinking beer out of glass is better than out of a bottle or can is simple... aroma. Science has already explained that 90% of our sense of taste is tied directly to our sense of smell. If you don’t believe me, try eating while holding your nose closed and note the difference.

Our sense of taste and smell are both sorted out in our brain by chemoreceptors, of which there are two classes: 1) olfactory receptor neurons in the olfactory system (where our sense of smell comes from) and 2) taste buds in the gustatory system (where our sense of taste comes from). They are designed to work together to process chemical reactions from the molecules they encounter and give us the perceived taste and smell of said molecules.

See? It's all connected.

Now let me ask you this, when you drink beer out of a bottle or can, can you smell it? The beer is completely contained within the vessel until the moment you tip the vessel, causing the contents to pour into your mouth. Those molecules that are supposed to be smelled never have the chance to get to your nose. They go from being completely contained in a bottle or can to being completely contained in your mouth. Unless you pour the beer into your mouth and keep it open while you swallow it, or gargle with it, you will not have the chance to smell it while you drink it.

Bottles and cans are very effective to their purposes, which are the transportation, storage and marketing of beer. They are not meant to be used for serving beer.

Get your nose in that beer!

Contrarily wise, beer drank from a glass allows those smell molecules to escape, and when you tip that glass into your mouth to drink the beer, your nose physically goes into the glass as well. You can smell the glorious aromas that the brewer (and nature) intended for you to smell and your drinking experience is enhanced. Clearly, beer from a glass is correct. Ever wonder why beer always tastes better on draught?

I could go into further details regarding the correct method for cleaning glasses, matching glassware to beer styles or pouring beer so that the head is perfect and maximizes the aroma character of the beer, but I don’t need to. I’ve already shown that the simple act of pouring beer into glasses in the first place is correct and drinking beer out of a bottle or can is incorrect. Unless you are drinking garbage beer for some reason, and then by all means… minimize your exposure to the aroma and taste.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

What in the Wild World of Sports is a White IPA?

Continuing on in my 2015 tour-de-beer-styles (that I happen to be brewing or getting ready to brew), I give you the White IPA. In the simplest of terms, a white IPA is a Belgian witbier that is over-hopped to IPA strengths, or an IPA that is made with Belgian yeast. Depending on the subtle intricacies of what you’re brewing, either can be an accurate over-simplification.

In order to understand this hybrid style, first you must understand the component parts. Obviously, an IPA is ale brewed with pale malted barley and higher than standard additions of hops, creating a very complex beer with flavors and aromas ranging from bitter to citrusy to sweet. Witbier is an ancient (over 400 years old) style of Belgian ale that uses a 50/50 blend of malted barley and unmalted wheat to create a light-bodied and hazy beer. Witbiers also contain combinations of spices and aromatics like curacao orange zest and coriander seeds to add further complexity.

The combination of the above styles first occurred commercially in 2010, when Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Oregon collaborated with Boulevard Brewing Company of Kansas City, Missouri to create a beer called Conflux No. 2. The brewers sat down together to write the recipe and then returned to their respective breweries to brew the beer. The beer created a lot of buzz as it was produced in very limited supply and was extremely hard to find. One reviewer wrote:

“The beer lived up to the hype. We found it to be a very complex beer with tons of assertive spice character that complemented its hop-forward IPA DNA.” – John Michael Verive, Beer of Tomorrow (April 18th, 2012)

Since Conflux No. 2 dropped a new world of craft beer possibilities onto a thirsty industry in 2010, many other craft brewers of note have joined the fray. The Boston Beer Company created a version with apricots added called Sam Adams Whitewater IPA. Deschutes has followed up their initial collaboration with their own white IPA called Chainbreaker White IPA. Founders Brewing Company (Grand Rapids, MI) and Green Flash Brewing Company (San Diego, CA) collaborated on a white IPA called Lynch Pin White India Pale Ale. Other delicious examples include Otter Creek Brewing's (Middlebury, VT) Fresh Slice White IPA, Saranac Brewing Company’s (Utica, NY) White IPA, Sierra Nevada's (Chico, CA) Snow Wit White IPA, Anchorage Brewing Company’s (Anchorage, AK) Galaxy White IPA and El Segundo Brewing Company’s (El Segundo, CA) White Dog IPA.

Now in 2015, the style is proliferated to the point that I think it’s here to stay. IPAs quickly dominated the craft beer landscape as the industry grew through the 90s and beyond, and nowadays, the push is to experiment with other-worldly ways to build on that success. Black IPAs, Red/Rye IPAs and White IPAs are being brewed more and more every year as demand for something different increases in the marketplace. It might be time to stop thinking of this as a sub-style or hybrid variant and give this style a capital “S.”

You should immediately drop what you’re doing (reading this blog) and go to your local craft beer point of sale, or to your local brewers assuming they have a white IPA on at the moment, and check out this delicious take on your favorite IPA (or witbier). You’ll be glad you did.

Here's a white IPA I found in the wild... absolutely perfect.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

A Stronger Porter

The sea was angry that day, my friends...

Whoa, that was the first time I wrote 2015 instead of 2014. Weirds me out a little bit…

In the age of creating a bigger, faster and stronger version of something we all love, I give you the Baltic Porter… a beer that is quite literally a stronger version of our beloved English Porter. Or perhaps it’s a weaker version of an Imperial Russian Stout – the Baltic Sea is located between Russia and England after all. Maybe we should split the difference and call it an Imperial Porter.

Baltic Porter as a style developed in countries that border the Baltic Sea and drew influence from the porters of England and Imperial Stouts of Russia… see? I told you. It is a legitimate style and is style 12C in your BJCP style guide if you’re following along at home.

Baltic Porters are dark reddish copper to opaque dark brown (not black) in color and have a thick, persistent tan-colored head. They pour clear, although darker versions can be opaque, and are generally quite full-bodied and smooth, with a well-aged alcohol warmth. They have medium to medium-high carbonation, making it seem even more mouth-filling, although not heavy on the tongue due to carbonation level. Most versions are in the 7-8.5% ABV range.

Viking approved since the 1700s (ish)

Their aroma is of rich malty sweetness often containing caramel, toffee, nutty to deep toast, and/or licorice notes. A complex alcohol and ester profile of moderate strength is often present, and reminiscent of plums, prunes, raisins, cherries or currants, occasionally with a vinous Port-like quality. The aroma can also have some darker malt character that is of deep chocolate, coffee or molasses but not burnt. There should be no hops or sourness, and the aroma should be very smooth.

As with aroma, the flavor of a Baltic Porter has a rich malty sweetness with a complex blend of deep malt, dried fruit esters, and alcohol. It has a prominent yet smooth schwarzbier-like roasted flavor that stops short of burnt. The flavor starts sweet but darker malt flavors quickly dominate and persist through the finish. The flavor is also just a touch dry with a hint of roast coffee or licorice in the finish. The malt can have a caramel, toffee, nutty, molasses and/or licorice complexity with light hints of black currant and dark fruits. There should also be medium-low to medium bitterness from malt and hops, just to provide balance. Hop flavor from slightly spicy hops such as Lublin or Saaz ranging from none to medium-low is appropriate.

Personal fave

Baltic Porters are usually made using Munich or Vienna malt as a base and chocolate or black malt as specialty malts. Brown or amber malt was common in historical recipes as adjuncts. It is also important that Baltic Porters be fermented with lager yeast in order to give the beer a crisp clean lager character.

Victory Brewing Company’s Baltic Thunder and Flying Dog’s Gonzo Imperial Porter are excellent examples of the style. Expect a strong, robust and complex flavor and quite a bit of alcohol heat. It’s perfect for cold winter nights along the Baltic Sea, or here in the States for that matter.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Epic Craft Beer In Low Down County

Since the end of the year is fast approaching, this will be the final post of 2014. Historically, I end the blog year with something either epic or reflective. This year is definitely more on the epic side.

Last weekend, I set out on another one of my epic beer drinking quests. On this particular occasion, we journeyed to the Leesburg, Purcellville and Lovettsville region of Northern Virginia to pop in on one of the area’s a surging craft beer markets. I don’t use the word “surging” loosely in this sense – Leesburg is home to Crooked Run and the Beer Joint (formerly Vintage 50), Purcellville is home to Adroit Theory, Corcoran, Old 690 and Belly Love and Lovettsville has the Mad Horse Brewpub. Not only that, but two major national breweries have taken notice and are moving into the area – Victory (out of Downingtown, PA) will be building a brewpub in Leesburg and Flying Dog (out of Frederick, MD) will be opening a hop farm/farm brewery in nearby Lucketts. Clearly, the area is booming with craft-brewed excellence.

So we went up there and spent the weekend drinking their beers.

We started with the Mad Horse Brewpub in Lovettsville. Mad Horse is one of those craft beer jewels that you would never know was there until you happened upon it (or unless you’re obsessed like I am). They had a solid flight of beers that consisted of their Hefrageous Hefeweizen, Blonde Bunny Blonde Ale, Resurrection American Pale Ale, It’s A Trap Belgian Golden Ale, Justus Lager American Light Lager and S. O. Stout. Their beers were all very approachable (which they told us was on purpose) and only the Belgian golden ale had any kind of nose on it. Still, they were all solid and the friendly and knowledgeable staff and overall atmosphere and experience were great.

Very warm, casual and inviting brewpub with great
beer and great food!

Next, we found ourselves at Crooked Run, a very small nano-brewery in the Tuscarora Mill shopping center in Leesburg. Crooked Run is a perfect example of how to maximize space, because they have none, and still manage to make pretty delicious beer. The beers we had that day were their Red Kolsch Irish Red/Kolsch, Breakfast of Champions American Pale Wheat Ale, Shadow of Truth Black Belgian Tripel, True Vision Belgian IPA and You’re Cool Cucumber Mint Wheat. They were all quite tasty and trended more towards experimental, particularly the cucumber mint wheat which was a lot better than it sounds. Owner/Operator/Brewmaster Jake Endres was there, and was fully willing to engage his beer drinking customers.

Small but awesome, and the beers are terrific!

Next up was the Beer Joint (formerly Vintage 50) in Leesburg. While the Beer Joint has the ability to make beer, and has historically made beer under the Vintage 50 flag, the Beer Joint is currently not making beer. Courtesy of the Virginia ABC, who decided to take the re-branding and ownership change as an opportunity to wield authority and rescind their license. The Beer Joint has reapplied for a new license, but until they get it, their tanks are dry and the beer they sell is someone else’s.

Next on the schedule was Adroit Theory in Purcellville. Adroit Theory is both exactly what you imagine it is and nothing like what you imagine it is at the same time. They have a large space – a warehouse – that is fully decorated and stocked with merchandise and marketing. They have a large cold room, production space, bar area and even a second story above their kitchen that they use to store odds and ends. They have the look and feel of a large production brewery, but they are a nano. They have a ½ barrel system and they contract with Beltway Brewing Company to handle the rest of their demand. Their beer is really amazing though. They had twelve beers on tap, including their Tenebris Barleywine, Trendy T.R.I.P.A. Triple IPA, B/A/Y/S Cognac Barrel Russian Imperial Stout, Ortolan Bunting Strong Ale, Zero Coffee IPA, BLVCK Celebration Imperial Porter, Caramel Macchiato Stout, Black Pepper Saison, Persona Non Grata Saison, Ginger & Lemongrass Wheat and Jicama Blonde Ale. These beers were all north of 7.5% ABV (most ranging towards 10%) and were very impressive, particularly the Trendy Triple IPA and Caramel Macchiato Stout.

Drink art indeed! Delicious brews at Adroit Theory!

After Adroit, we went to Belly Love Brewing in Purcellville. Belly Love is new, but their beer was pretty good. They had Shut the Fook Up Pale Ale, My Bitter X IPA and Eye of Jupiter Oatmeal Stout. All were tasty and solid representations of the styles. The food at Belly Love was also pretty good, but there was some incense burning in the tap room that really spoiled the atmosphere. It was difficult to enjoy the good beer and food with the incense in the room. Other than that, Belly Love was pretty good.

Belly Love beer is really good! Welcome new brewers!

Our last stop was Corcoran Brewing Company in Purcellville. Corcoran also has a solid and expansive flight of beers to choose from. The beers I had while I was there were their Wheatland Pale Wheat Ale, Waterford Wit, Corky’s Irish Red, Padawan Pumpkin, P’ville Pale Ale, Loco IPA, Hops The Bunny IPA, Slainte Dry Irish Stout, Paeonian Porter and Jeb Stuart Stout. I have to be honest – by this point in the weekend, I wasn't exactly all the way there anymore (I blame Adroit Theory) but I do remember Corcoran’s beers tasting pretty good. I particularly liked the Jeb Stuart, the Loco IPA and the Padawan Pumpkin.

Great selection and quality brews at Corcoran! Cheers!

One brewery we did not get to visit was Old 690. We missed them by one day, as they had a hearing on the Thursday prior to our arrival with Loudoun County officials to remain open in spite of a zoning ordinance violation. The short story is that Virginia legalized farm breweries in May and Old 690 opened shortly thereafter, but Loudoun County has not changed the county ordinance to allow farm breweries, meaning Old 690 was operating against the county law. The particularly irritating part is that the county already intends to change the ordinance and allow farm breweries on 23 January 2015. So in other words, Old 690 will be fully compliant in one month, but until that time, they have to shut down… all because Loudoun County is dragging their feet. Total drag.

But other than two instances of government interference, too much incense and a bit of a headache, the weekend was a total success and will go down in history as another successful beer quest. I recommend all of these breweries to you weary beer travelers, if you find yourselves in the northern-most section of Northern Virginia.

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve that is filled with great beers like the ones I wrote about here today. There is large, potentially huge news in 2015, but for now, you're just going to have to wait for it. Unless you know it already, in which case... no spoilers!

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Ten Beers-a-Drinking...

Tis the season

There are less than two weeks until Christmas, which can only mean one thing… it’s time for me (and every other beer blogger for that matter) to publish a list of Christmas beers you must go try immediately. I know I do this every year, and many of these beers don’t change from year to year, but that should only serve to strengthen their case for why you should go drink them immediately. If you’re new, and would like to see past lists, click here and here.

And honestly, these Christmas beer list blog posts are some of my highest click-count posts, so obviously the readers are clamoring for more Christmas craft beer recommendations… who am I to argue with the people?

I will, however, refrain from using gimmicks this year – just 10 craft-brewed delicious Christmas-themed brews to get you through the holidays and increase your overall merriment. These are in order, starting with the best, in my opinion. The descriptions below, however, are those of the breweries themselves and are not my opinion. Let’s hit it.

1) Hardywood Park Craft Brewery’s Gingerbread Stout (GBS)

This beer is so good, it scored a 100 on BeerAdvocate. That should be enough of a reason right there, but if you need more… GBS is an imperial milk stout brewed with fresh local ginger and honey. The flavors range from milk chocolate and vanilla to honeycomb, cinnamon and a snap of ginger in the finish. The beer pours a dark mahogany color and has a caramel colored head and silky mouthfeel. Bourbon vanilla beans and cinnamon dominate the nose, making for a truly special drinking experience.

Like freagin' Christmas in a bottle!

2) Tröegs Brewing Company’s Mad Elf

The Mad Elf, a cheerful creation to warm your heart and enlighten your tongue, is a combination of cherries, honey, and chocolate malts that deliver gentle fruits and subtle spices. Fermented and aged with a unique yeast, this ruby red beer has significant warming strength that underlies the pleasant character of this intriguing yet delicious Ale. These guys vary from year to year, so even if you've had one before, you should definitely have one again. But tread cautiously – that alcohol heat does not mess around!

3) Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Christmas Ale

Great Lakes Christmas Ale is another perennial favorite. It pours ruby red with a beautiful white head and the flavors range from sweet roasted barley to honey, cinnamon and fresh ginger. There are also very subtle hops involved, but the spices dominate the flavor and aroma. The ABV is a modest 7.5%, so it’s a bit less menacing than the first two I listed – overall a wonderful treat to be had.

So that's how it gets to Virginia

4) Anchor Brewing’s 2014 Anchor Christmas Ale

Another Christmas beer that changes every year, and is always delicious, is Anchor’s Christmas Ale. This year is their 40th Christmas Ale, and just as in the 39 previous editions, the intent is joy and celebration of the newness of life. Not a lot is published about the recipe of this beer – Anchor has listed everything as “Top Secret” – but it pours a dark ruby red color and has a balanced sweet and holiday-spiced flavor and aroma profile that is sure to delight.

5) St. Louis Brewery’s Schlafly Christmas Ale

Schlafly’s Christmas Ale is a warming winter ale that blends the spices of the season with sweet caramel malt.  Orange peel, juniper berries, ginger root, cardamom and cloves are added for spiciness.  They also use honey in the fermentation process, which raises the ABV without producing too much heat from the alcohol content. The beer pours a beautiful deep copper color with white head and is 8% ABV. Sure to smooth the rougher edges of enjoying each other’s company this season.

Glogg it is not, delicious it is

6) Southern Tier Brewing Company’s 2xMAS Ale

2xMAS Ale was inspired by a Swedish concoction known as Glogg. This holiday brew combines traditional brewing ingredients with figs, orange peels, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and ginger root, perfect for knocking the ice off of toes while raising spirits – another reason to toast the season.

7) Avery Brewing Company’s Old Jubilation Ale

Old Jubilation is an English old ale / winter strong ale that has a gorgeous mahogany hue, a hint of hazelnuts, and a finish reminiscent of mocha and toffee. No spices, just a perfect blend of five specialty malts – two-row, special roast, black, chocolate and victory malted barley. Combined with bullion hops, this non-spiced holiday warmer is delicious, and a welcome addition to your holiday plans.

Baby it's cold outside...

8) Anderson Valley Brewing Company’s Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale

Winter Solstice is a take on the classic style of “winter warmer.” Boasting a deep amber hue and rich mouthfeel, its creamy finish will lift your spirits. Hints of toffee, spice, and caramel tease the senses making this the perfect ale to share with friends and family during the cold days and long nights of winter.

9) Port City Brewing Company’s Tidings Ale

Tidings Ale is a strong Belgian style blond ale brewed with local Maryland wildflower honey and Virginia wheat. These special local ingredients store away the flavors and essence of summer, and later warm us during the cold winter months. It is gently spiced with coriander, cardamom, fresh ginger and grains of paradise.

Good tidings we bring...

10) Boston Beer Company’s Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale

Spicy & bold, this festive ale is bursting with the flavors of the season.  With a full body and spice it’ll help those long winter nights pass more quickly.  The rich malt character creates notes of sweet toffee, caramel, & roasty chocolate while classic holiday spices like cinnamon, ginger and orange peel dance on the tongue bringing with them the celebratory spirit of the season.

This is certainly not an all-inclusive list, but it is my top ten Christmas beers, as of 2014. These are all available for purchase in the Northern Virginia area, so those that are local to my neck of the woods should have no trouble finding these treats. And in the case of number one and nine, there is no reason you Northern Virginians couldn't stop into the breweries themselves to try these delicious brews in person. Now THAT is a recommendation. Happy holidays!

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Want to Make Your Christmas Party Better?

It happens every year when the calendar page turns to December (or perhaps earlier if you spend a lot of time in department stores)… it’s time to start thinking about Christmas. There’s a lot to think about – gift giving ideas, travel plans, party arrangements, you name it. This time of year can overwhelm even the most tenacious tactician among us. This is why helpful blogs like the one you’re currently reading are so *valued* this time of year.

For example, I’m about to give you the solution to your holiday party hosting woes. Specifically, “How do I keep my party guests from getting bored and thus making my Christmas party an abject failure?” I’m glad you asked.

The answer is a traditional white elephant gift exchange, except that all the gifts are craft beer.

If you’re not familiar, in a white elephant gift exchange, each participant brings a wrapped but unlabeled gift and then the group takes turns unwrapping a gift from the communal pile of gifts. Draw numbers to determine who goes first. After the first person has unwrapped his/her gift, the next person can either steal the first person’s gift (causing the first person to have to unwrap a different gift) or choose a different gift from the pile to unwrap. The stealing and gift unwrapping continues until everyone has had a turn and all the gifts are unwrapped. It is customary to set ground rules limiting the number of steals per turn so that the game doesn't take hours to complete.

Now imagine playing this game with beer.

Here are some suggestions

Each participant brings a delicious craft beer of their choosing, wrapped and unlabeled, and puts it into the gift pile. Then, we all take turns opening beers and stealing beers from each other until we all have something delicious to take home and enjoy. What a great way to make your Christmas party awesome and memorable.

For planning purposes, I suggest you decide ahead of time on things like quantity and price so that all the gifts are of relatively equal value. For example, have everyone bring a 22 ounce bomber or have everyone bring a six pack. Perhaps set your maximum price at $10. This way, value is a non-factor when people decide to steal, and it’s all about the beer itself.

You can also determine a theme for the exchange, like a specific style of beer or a particular location of the breweries. You could make it a “local beer only” exchange, or even an “opposite side of the country” or “only Japanese beers” exchange.

There are, of course, other games and craft beer activities that you could arrange to make your party that much better, but trust me… this one will be a hit. Your guests will always be talking about that time at your house that so-and-so stole that great craft beer from what’s-her-name. You’ll be the toast of the town!

You might say, you'll go down in history... just like a certain red-nosed reindeer

More holiday craft beer advice to come. Free of charge. All month long.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Now Open for Business... Tin Cannon Brewing Company

In case you missed it, because you were too busy with your Black Friday shopping or were still in a food coma from Thursday, a new Virginia craft brewery opened yesterday in Gainesville, Virginia – Tin Cannon Brewing Company. And because I’m the intrepid hunter of craft-brewed deliciousness and shenanigans (and because I had nothing else to do), I braved the cold and made my way out to Gainesville for some new beer.

And just so I can be sure I don’t bury the lead, Tin Cannon makes some pretty delicious beer, and you should go check them out when you get a chance. They’re located off of Limestone Drive, not too far from Jiffy Lube Live.

Tin Cannon is a small brewery (only 2 bbl per patch) that is located in an industrial/office park location. They had seven beers on their flight for opening day which included two blonde ales, a chili beer, a black IPA, a dunkelweizen, a peanut butter porter and a winter warmer. Their staff was very friendly and welcoming, and the tap room was filled with thirsty patrons and an excited opening day buzz.

The tap room itself is warm, welcoming, intimate and fun. They have a stamped copper bar top which looks amazing and retro looking pendant lamps hanging from the ceiling that give off a golden glow. The artwork is pretty cool too – all made from used shipping pallets. There’s plenty of seating and you can even see into the brewing side of the operation from your seat. I didn't get a chance to pop back and take a look around in the brewing side, but I did notice the fermentation room door with the old “Intel Inside” logo that had been changed to read “Beer Inside.”

Co-owners and brew masters John Hilkert and Aaron Ludwig

The core four beers include a blonde ale called Virginia Blonde (it’s called Belgian Judy on the website and is identified as a Belgian blonde ale), their Busted Pipe Black IPA, their unkelWeizen (dunkelweizen) and their Vaughn’s Peanut Butter, which is a peanut butter porter. At first glance, this seems like a very unusual flight of core offerings. First of all, a black IPA is not generally found in a core flight, especially if a basic IPA is not there too. Peanut butter porters are also unusual for a core flight and would typically be reserved for a seasonal or other rotator series. All of that being said, I thought their core beers were all very solid. The dunkel was attentive to style, and being that it’s not a style of beer typically found around this neck of the woods, it was all the more appreciated. The black IPA was perfectly balanced between hops and malt. The peanut butter porter was also well balanced, which I was very pleased to learn because most peanut butter porters go too aggressive with the peanut butter.

Also on flight was a winter warmer/holiday spice beer called Honey We’re on a Date. They’re calling it a winter warmer, or at least that is the indication on their website and Untappd – this beer is really tasty, but a bit tricky to figure out. It’s cloudy, and has phenolic banana and clove notes, so it has the look and feel of a hefeweizen. I suppose there are other spices in there too, and technically a winter warmer can be whatever you want it to be as long as you use those “holiday” spices. Again, great beer, but a mystery wrapped inside of an enigma, and juxtaposed to a conundrum.

When you are this close to a line of cannons, make sure you bring hearing protection

Then there was the Breakfast of Champions, which is the first in their “experimental” series. This beer is labeled as a chili beer, and rightly so because the chipotle peppers dominate the beer through and through. According to their tasting notes on the website, this beer was brewed as an amber ale with bacon and chipotle peppers – I would have to drink it again to see if I can pick up the bacon, but it is definitely out-shined by the peppers. I thought the beer was tasty, but just like with most chili beers, I don’t think I could drink two of them in one sitting.

There was also a second blonde on the opening day roster, which one of the owners identified as a “California Blonde.” I suppose this means that it is an American blonde by style as opposed to a Belgian blonde. He explained that this second blonde was created while adjusting mash temperatures… which would explain the change in sweetness. Either way, it was good, and I actually liked it a little bit better than the Virginia blonde.

One glaring issue that immediately became a problem is Tin Cannon’s occupancy, which apparently is 50 people. The tap room isn't very big, but 50 people aren't very many, and I imagine they will routinely have a scenario where they are turning people away or asking them to be patient. Do the workers count against that number too, or is it just the patrons? What about any live music that Tin Cannon may potentially want to host? Yesterday, they had a lot of people standing around outside in the cold, waiting for their turn to come in and drink. Fortunately, Tin Cannon’s friendly staff was able to keep people informed and in good spirits, and even started a waiting list so people could wait in their cars and be called on their cell phones when it was their turn.

Really cool idea for tap room art

But other than that small hiccup, I’d say Tin Cannon has a great brewery going on this their second day in operation. It is evident that the brewers care and really want to build a lasting business in their community. It is also very obvious that they know how to make beer and are both committed to brewing classic styles and willing to live on the wild side. The staff is made up of good people and the atmosphere is inviting. You should definitely check them out when you get a chance, particularly if you live in Gainesville or the surrounding Northern Virginia area. Drink local and support your local small businesses!

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

A Tasty Beverage to Wash This Down

From all of us in the Mash Tun... okay fine, it's just me.

I've put it off long enough. It’s time for my yearly recommendations on what beer to pair with your Thanksgiving dinner. I know you’re saying, “It’s about time! I need to start grocery shopping for Thursday and how can I do that without knowing which beers to get?” Never fear… I've got your back.

Hello Sweetie.

I've written extensively on the interconnection between beer and Thanksgiving over the years. After all, we Americans started out drinking beer on Thanksgiving (or did we?). Unfortunately, we lost our beer drinking ways as a nation, and during the bad beer era, Thanksgiving was an exclusively “wine” holiday. Now, we have good options in the beer world, and (not) surprisingly, beer can pair very well with food… even Thanksgiving food. For previous suggestions on the art of food and beer pairing on Turkey Day, click on this link. And when you are done reading that, click on this link. Then follow up the beer pairing posts with a list of reasons to be thankful for craft beer. It’s okay… I’ll still be here when you get done reading all of this stuff. It’s the beauty of the interwebz – As far as you’re concerned, I am a fixed point in time that you can access at your whim. But you can’t change a fixed point in time… everyone knows that. Unless your name is River Song.

Spoilers.

Anywho, as you no doubt gleaned from reading about beer pairings a few minutes ago, there are seemingly endless options, which make the task both daunting and hard to mess up so there’s no need to get overwhelmed (or underwhelmed for that matter). I've found the key to success is to provide individual bottles for individual self-paced pre-dinner consumption, a table bottle for dinner, a table bottle for desert and individual bottles for individual self-paced post-dinner consumption.

Like peas and carrots

For the individual pre-dinner bottles, I recommend you stay away from anything with an aggressive flavor profile because you want to preserve your palate for the food. Something in the amber/red/brown ale family or golden/amber lager family is best – not to mention that if you have any non-craft beer people in your audience, they will not be put off by these beers. They may even be converted once they taste how nonthreatening properly made beer can be. Bonus!

For your table bottle to pair with dinner, you first have to determine what’s for dinner. Assuming you are having turkey, mash potatoes, gravy and veggies, you can either choose a classic Oktoberfest/Märzen southern-German lager to highlight the salty starchiness (particularly in the gravy) or a highly-carbonated Belgian Bière de Garde (BDG) to cut through the rich flavors and literally cleanse your palate as you eat. BDGs may be hard to find at your typical beer store, but if you can find one, it really is the perfect pairing for the various food flavors on your Thanksgiving table.

The desert table beer is another important choice that has many right answers. Again, depending on what you are eating, and assuming the answer is pie (obviously), the best solution is a sweet English barleywine or sweet stout. Sweet on sweet may seem a touch too sweet, but since the beer has a subtle barley sweetness, it actually accentuates the sugar sweetness of the pie. Another direction to go, and one I may try this year, is to counter the sweetness with spice – like a chocolate chili beer. I know you’re asking yourself “Chili in beer? That sounds terrible!” Trust me, chili peppers pair really well with chocolate, and the two together will highlight your delicious sweet pies perfectly!

Or we can skip desert and go right to beer

And then there is after dinner. This is where the gloves come off. Obviously, depending on how experienced your guests are, you will have to gauge the likelihood that they will appreciate the beers you have. I recommend, assuming you are unencumbered by rookies, strong hop bombs and high ABV face-melters. By this point, the tryptophan has already kicked in and the desert is sitting heavy in your gut as you sit back to watch the football game… you’re going to fall asleep. I recommend you go out swinging with a beer that will properly finish you off. Double IPAs, imperial stouts, Belgian strong ales… this is where you want to be.

Just remember, it only looks overwhelming. Most of the tips and tricks of beer pairing are common sense if you think about it. The only difference with Thanksgiving is that you often have many different foods with vastly different profiles that you’re trying to pair with a single beer. In a perfect world, you would line up each food item with its perfectly matching beer, but you’re not hosting a beer and food pairing event, you’re hosting Thanksgiving. Find the commonality in your dinner items, like the fact that they are all coming out of an oven and have that “baked” taste… and pair off of that.

I sincerely hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that your beer and food are delicious!

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

They Sold it to Who?!

You are freaking out... man...

In case you haven’t heard, the craft beer world is in a tizzy this week following the announcement that 10 Barrel Brewing in Bend, Oregon has sold itself to Anheuser-Busch In-Bev. I know what you’re thinking – Craft beer world in a tizzy? That never happens.

Usually it doesn't, unless a well-respected craft brewery sells out to big beer, and then there is flood of hyperbolic “the sky is falling” talk from anybody with a soapbox, be it actual media or pesky beer blogs, or my personal favorite – the old Twitface.

I’m tempted to join them, and if I’m being honest, at least half of me is truly bothered by this. After all, big beer is the enemy. Companies like Budweiser make their beer using substandard ingredients and processes so they can make more money. And then, they go around scooping up craft brewery properties so they can compete with the ever surging craft beer segment of the beer market, but usually end up sucking the “craft” right out of that brewery in the process.

But my inner critical thinking rational self tells me that the sky might not actually be falling and that we might all be okay.

First of all, I don’t own 10 Barrel Brewing. I don’t even own a brewery (yet). It is very easy for me to spend other people’s money, or to make outrageous hypothetical statements like “I would never sell my brewery to Budweiser! Those 10 Barrel guys are a bunch of sell-outs!” I’ll tell you right now, on the record on November 15th, 2014… if Budweiser ever shows up offering to buy my brewery for seven or eight figures, I may have an ethical conflict on my hands.

BTW – I have not yet seen how much AB paid for 10 Barrel – I have no idea how many figures it was.

A big part of the whole “big beer kills craft breweries” thing is that we craft beer superfans make any brewer who sells his or her brewery to big beer into a pariah, and nationally boycott their brewery. It would be interesting to see what would happen if breweries like 10 Barrel weren't branded with a scarlet letter… would they continue to be a fan favorite under an AB-InBev flag?

For the most part, the beer formulas stay the same when big beer buys a little guy. They may tighten up the brewing process on the experimentation side of the operation, but usually what happens is a few of the more popular labels from the craft brewery become major national flagship offerings and everything else is contained to the brewery itself, so that only the locals have ever heard of it. I’m thinking of Goose Island, who sold out to AB what seems like a lifetime ago – you can still find 312 Urban Wheat Ale, IPA and Honkers Ale all over the country and the taste is pretty good.

Adolphus Busch, co-founder of
Anheuser Busch

Then there is the actual benefit that the brewery gets from selling to big beer… as in access to more equipment, more ingredients, more resources… more everything! AB might want to be able to tell the brewer what to do and when to do it, but in exchange, they’re going to spend as much money as it takes to ensure that failure is not an option, otherwise why would they have bought it in the first place? Yes, Adolphus Busch and Eberhard Anheuser built the empire by buying all of the little guys just to shut them down in the post-prohibition era, but those days are long gone… at least, I hope they are.

But we have to remember the very foundation on which the craft beer revolution was built – what separated the pioneers from those they were attempting to reform… beer should be better. One thing I absolutely do not see from any big beer company is the desire to innovate, push the envelope, or make a better product. They’re always focusing on survival in the marketplace, or merging with other companies, or buying this company, or stock tickers and board meetings. They focus on sales, and while money drives this little world of ours, if the desire to make money outweighs the desire to make good beer, it will be evident in the final product and the consumer will know it. It’s one thing to say “our beer is better than Budweiser,” but it’s a completely different thing to say “we make great beer!”

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens to 10 Barrel. Will they become another cold national franchise like Goose Island, Blue Point, Terrapin, Leinenkugle, Widmer Brothers, Red Hook and Kona, or will they maintain their identity that they worked so hard to foster and continue to be celebrated as great brewers? I suppose only time will tell, but if I had to guess based only on recent history, I’d lean towards the former.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!