They're Finally Starting to Get It

Home of the Potomac Nationals
in Lake Ridge, Virginia

A surprising and welcome trend has begun to develop across the sporting world. The sports venues are serving craft beer! Sure they are still over-inundated with corn-based yellow beer, but craft beers are slowly beginning to crack the big beer armor.

For the most part, these are all local craft beers and are still being sold as an afterthought by the actual vendors. But for the beer nerd like me, it’s a sight for sore eyes; an oasis in the barren desert if you will.

Last night, as I was taking in a Potomac Nationals minor league baseball game, it occurred to me that I was in dire need of a beer (which is not an indictment of the caliber of play that the Potomac Nationals or Salem Red Sox were displaying, although they were pretty bad). I remember dreading the selection of beers that I was about to be presented with as I walked towards the beer vendor. I can’t recall ever walking slower in my life.

When I arrived, and saw the lineup of brews staring back at me, I thought that this might be the most pathetic collection of beers that I had ever seen. Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Natty Light, Stella Artois, Shock Top Belgian Wit… ugh… but then I was greeted with a gift that filled my heart with delight. They had Port City Brewing Company’s Monumental IPA on tap (all the way from Alexandria, Virginia). I felt like a mountain climber who had been buried in an avalanche but was now being met by a St. Bernard with a jug of whiskey around her neck. I may have started dancing at the sight of the Monumental, but since I can’t remember and there were no witnesses, let’s just assume I didn’t.

Later on in the evening, at a different concessionaire, I was equally impressed to see that they also had Starr Hill Brewing Company’s Northern Lights IPA on draft; a local (Charlottesville, Virginia), which is great to see. The P Nats are supporting craft beer, and their also supporting the local economy. Take that Big Beer!

A few years back, I was attending a Philadelphia Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and I happened upon a vendor cart that was serving craft brews from Victory Brewing Company (Downingtown, PA), Lancaster Brewing Company (Lancaster, PA) and Troeggs Brewing Company (Harrisburg, PA). I thought, at the time, that it was an isolated incident, but now it appears that sports venues are finally starting to get it… there is a large swath of the population that want GOOD beer… not el cheapo corn-based no love for brewing industrial swill beer. That, my crafty friends, is very good news.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Always Look in the Back of the Fridge

Cheer up Brian...

Eric Idle of the British comedy team Monte Python once sang a song called “Always look on the bright side of life.” Great advice to be sure, but for my money, equally great advice is to always look in the back of the fridge. Let me explain.

If your house is anything like mine, the items in the fridge are constantly in flux. Tonight’s leftovers will undoubtedly travel from the front of the shelf to the bottom back corner of the fridge by breakfast tomorrow morning. Not to mention that as you accumulate more beer, you get excited to drink the new ones, which often results in neglecting the last one or two from previous six packs. As a result of the unsettled nature of things, your beer can easily end up hidden behind a head of lettuce or wedged between the milk and the eggs… and then you forget it’s there.

This is not actually our fridge, but it might as well be

Just the other day, I was convinced that I was down to one bottle of beer in the entire house… a bottle of Abita Brewing Company’s Andygator Helles Dopplebock (not a bad beer to have if there is only one left). As I was wargaming a strategy to go to the store to get more beer before getting loaded on the Andygator, it occurred to me that there was a bottle of Lagunitas Imperial Red that I didn’t remember drinking. Granted forgetfulness and beer drinking do go hand in hand at times, but I thought it was worth looking for it in the back of the fridge… just to be sure. But as I looked back there, behind the milk and the OJ, I saw the Imperial Red, and next to it, was a third bottle… a bottle that I had absolutely no idea was in there… a bottle of Lancaster Brewing Company’s Milk Stout. I went from one to three beers, just like that. Somebody up there likes me.

Now THAT's more like it

Now I know what you’re thinking… “Why not get a second fridge that’s just for beer?” Okay, maybe you aren’t thinking that, but I am. I think that the need to keep up with the beers in your house trumps milk, and lettuce, and eggs, and whatever the frack else is in the fridge, other than beer. Does it require a revolution? Perhaps. You say you want a revolution, well, you know, we all want to change the world.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Back in Black

Tall, dark, and mysterious

This is a post about a style of crafty beer that is presently sweeping the nation. You may not have heard of it yet, but chances are, if you travel in the good beer circles, before long, you’ll be staring down this menacing visage from across the bar and succumbing to its wiles of deliciousness. This crafty specter is none other than the Black IPA.

Blogger’s note: I realized recently that, while I have found a real affinity for Black IPAs in recent years, many people have never even heard of them. A friend of mine (who I will refer to as Jimmy for the duration of this post) was getting ready to go back to Sacramento, California and mentioned that he really enjoyed the beers that are made by the 21^st Amendment Brewing Co in San Francisco. He mentioned that his favorite was the “Brew Free or Die” India Pale Ale (an excellent beer by the way), and then I mentioned that their “Back in Black” Black IPA was wonderful. To which he replied, “Black IPA? Is that actually a thing?” Jimmy, you can tell everybody that this is your blog post.

Sweet can art

Black IPAs are known by many other names, such as India Dark Ale, India Black Ale, Cascadian Dark Ale, Dark IPA, and sometimes India Brown Ale. But whatever you call it, there is no denying the wonder and sheer spectacle of a beer with IPA-level hopping, relatively high alcohol and a distinct toasty dark malt character. Hop heads will be drawn to the expressive dry-hopping using American hops that are common in the style. Stout hounds will find that the style is slightly less roasty than a strong stout, but is hoppier than a strong porter. They range in color from dark brown to pitch black and, if the brewer is going for a “double or imperial” version, can be quite alcoholic.

In addition to 21^st Amendment’s Back in Black, there are several delicious, and fairly easy to find Black IPAs out there. One of the best I’ve ever had is the Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale by the Stone Brewing Co in San Diego, California, which is generously laced with Chinook, Simcoe and Amarillo hops, and weighs in at 8.70% ABV. It is available in 22oz bottles, or on draft if you can find it.

This label scares the bejesus out of me

An excellent Black IPA that I’ve had the pleasure of stumbling upon in the DC metro area is the Tupper’s India Ink Black IPA, made by the Mad Fox Brewing Co in Falls Church, VA. It is an assertive jet black brew that is aggressively hopped and dry-hopped with Mt. Hood hops, weighing in at 7.20% ABV and 70 IBUs.

Others that I encourage everyone (not just Jimmy) to go find and enjoy are Iniquity Imperial Black Ale by the Southern Tier Brewing Co in Lakewood, New York, Heavy Seas Black Cannon by the Clipper City Brewing Co in Baltimore, MD, Alaskan Black IPA and Double Black IPA by the Alaskan Brewing Co in Juneau, Alaska and Big Black Van by the Three Floyds Brewing Co in Munster, Indiana. There are, of course, countless others out there, but for the purposes of this post I have provided an adequate list that should serve as a launching point for your search.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Rico! I need options.

Smile and wave boys...

One of the many less-enlightened people that I spread the good news of craftiness to on a daily basis asked me a question the other day: “If Blue Moon is crappy beer, what SHOULD I be drinking instead?” That is an excellent question (I told him), and it is an excellent opportunity for a blog post on the subject of finding alternatives to crap.

First, some background information to set the scene. My friend, who I’ll refer to as Walter for the remainder of this story, is younger (26 or so) and in his defense has never really been exposed to the light. He has been trapped in a world of Bud Light, Milwaukee’s Beast Light, Busch, and Miller High Life for the duration of his (so far short) adult life.

Not a finga!

Walter is also an artist when it comes to hyperbole. He uses exaggeration the way Vincent van Gogh used oils, or Ralphie’s dad used profanity. A true master craftsman if you will. This has led to those of us who are trying to convert him to good beer to take everything he says with a canister of salt.  But Walter said something to me that surprised me a bit when he said, “I actually do like good beer – I drink Blue Moon all the time.”

Walter was not expecting the reaction he got, as me and a few other beer nerds in the room scoffed with haughty derision at the premise of Blue Moon being good. As you no doubt know by now, Blue Moon is owned by Pete Coors and the Coors Brewing Co. It was created as an attempt to trick craft beer seekers into thinking they were enjoying a proper Belgian Witbier, when actually, Blue Moon is made with the same cost-cutting, corn-substituting, yellow practices that Pete Coors uses when making Coors Light. In other words, its crap.

The enemy is clever

Of course, Walter was not happy to learn of this, as I truly believe he actually does like Blue Moon. He then asked me, as I alluded to at the beginning of this post, what he should drink instead of Blue Moon, if we insist he go craft. Well Walter, I hope you’re reading this, because here you go:

Quick Style Note: Belgian Witbiers (or White Ales) are pale and cloudy in appearance due to being unfiltered with high levels of wheat, and sometimes oats, which are used in the mash. They are always spiced, generally with coriander, orange peel and other oddball spices or herbs in the back ground, as a throwback to the old days when the beer was made with a spicy substance called gruit instead of hops. The crispness and slight twang of witbier comes from the wheat and the lively level of carbonation. They are sometimes served with a lemon, but if you truly want to enjoy the untainted subtleties of this style you'll ask for yours without one.

Belgian and delicious

Perhaps the most globally iconic Belgian Witbier is Hoegaarden’s Original White Ale, made by the Brouwerij van Hoegaarden. It is widely distributed to the four corners of the United States and is crispy and delicious. But if you want to drink American, as I always advocate, here are the ones you want to look for:

·        Allagash White by the Allagash Brewing Co in Portland Maine

·        Ommegang Witte by the Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York

·        White Rascal by the Avery Brewing Co in Boulder, Colorado

·        Red and White by the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware

·        Bell’s Winter White Ale by the Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan

·        Whirlwind Witbier by the Victory Brewing Co in Downingtown, Pennsylvania

·        Great Lakes Holy Moses by the Great Lakes Brewing Co in Cleveland, Ohio

·        Namaste by the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware

·        Great White by the Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, California

·        UFO White by the Harpoon Brewery in Boston, Massachusetts

·        Optimal Wit by the Port City Brewing Co in Alexandria, Virginia

·        Sam Adams Imperial White by the Boston Brewing Co in Boston, Massachusetts

American craftiness
meets Belgian spicyness

There are, of course, legions of other options that aren’t on this list. Witbier is a very popular style of beer and is brewed by just about every brewer out there. I tried to name some of the ones that I’ve seen for sale in the Northern Virginia/DC/Maryland area as that is where Walter and I live. The best advice I can give is to go to the craft beer section of your local beer purchasing location and look for “witbier” or “white ale” on the labels of the different beers they have. And when looking for craft beer, stay away from Blue Moon and Shock Top, and any other trick that big beer is trying to pull off.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Beer Origins: Ancient Egypt

An actual Egyptian painting depicting beer

By now, many people have heard that beer was enjoyed by the ancient Egyptians. But most don’t truly appreciate how critical it was to their society.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that beer was of central importance to ancient Egyptian society. Beer was enjoyed by both adults and children and was the staple drink of poor Egyptians. It was also central to the diet of wealthy Egyptians. The gods were often made offerings of beer and beer was mentioned in the traditional offering formula. Wages were often paid in beer (and other supplies) and the workmen living in the workers village at Giza received beer three times a day as part of their rations.

If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Water quality was sketchy in those days and disease was widespread, but beer is boiled, and therefore safer to drink than your average water source. Not only that, but an inebriated worker is a happy worker, and is less likely to realize he or she is possibly getting a raw deal (and is also less likely to do anything about it).

Beer was often known as "Hqt" ("heqet" or "heket"), but was also called "tnmw" ("tenemu"). There was also a type of beer known as haAmt ("kha-ahmet"). The glyph of the word Hqt (beer) was a beer jug.

This one might be a fake

There is some evidence that as a staple foodstuff, ancient Egyptian beer was not particularly intoxicating. Rather it was nutritious, thick and sweet. However, it is clear that beer could also be as intoxicating as Egyptian wine, as participants in the festivals of Bast, Sekhmet and Hathor would get very drunk as part of their worship of these goddesses. A popular myth tells how beer saved humanity when Sekhmet (in her role as the "Eye of Ra") was tricked into drinking colored beer which she mistook for blood and became very drunk, passing out for three days! Although the above three goddesses were closely associated with beer, it was Tjenenet who was the official ancient Egyptian goddess of beer.

According to legend, Osiris taught ancient Egyptians the art of brewing beer, and the brewing of beer was traditionally (though not exclusively) a female activity, in which women could earn a little extra money (or bartered goods) for themselves and their families. The main ingredient in the beer was bread made from a rich yeasty dough possibly including malt. The bread was lightly baked and crumbled into small pieces before being strained through a sieve with water. Flavor was added in the form of dates and the mixture was fermented in a large vat and then stored in large jars.

However, there is also evidence that beer was brewed from barley and emmer which was heated and mixed with yeast and uncooked malt before being fermented to produce beer.

Made with native Egyptian yeast

Interestingly enough, the beer jug glyph also appears in the glyphs for breakfast, dinner, food, meal, payment, and offering. Obviously, beer was a huge part of everyday ancient Egyptian life.

Fast-forward a few thousand years to 2010, when none other than the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, DE set out to recreate the ancient Egyptian beer (who else but Dogfish would try such a thing?). The story goes that the Dogfish guys based their recipe on hieroglyphics that were found in Egypt and even went so far as to capture a wild Egyptian saccharomyces yeast strain to ferment their Egyptian brew. The resulting beer is called Ta Henket, brewed with an ancient form of wheat and loaves of hearth-baked bread, and flavored chamomile, dom-palm fruit and Middle Eastern herbs.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

The One with the Bike on It

One of the best cap designs in
the beer world

Those of you who are plugged-in to the craft beer scene (or have spent any amount of time in the Western half of the US) have no doubt seen or heard about a lovely little beer called Fat Tire, which is one of the many offerings that are brought to us by the New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado. New Belgian beers are easy to spot because they have an unmistakable “old-timey” bicycle on the cap. Here is their story (in their own words)…

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We'll set the scene. 1989. Belgium. Boy on bike. (Ok, make that a young man of 32).

As our aspiring young homebrewer rides his mountain bike with "fat tires" through European villages famous for beer, New Belgium Brewing Company was but a glimmer in his eye. Or basement. For Jeff Lebesch would return to Fort Collins with a handful of ingredients and an imagination full of recipes.

And then there was beer.

Jeff's first two basement-brewed creations? A brown dubbel with earthy undertones named Abbey and a remarkably well-balanced amber he named Fat Tire. To say the rest was history would be to overlook his wife's involvement. Kim Jordan was New Belgium's first bottler, sales rep, distributor, marketer and financial planner. And now, she's our CEO.

Electrical engineer meets social worker; ideals flourish

The other side of the New Belgium story isn't as romantic as bicycling through Europe, but it gives testament to our dedication and hard work. And it goes like this: Jeff, an electrical engineer by day and tinkerer by nature, builds a homebrewing kit in his basement out of repurposed dairy equipment. His Belgian inspired brews garnered enough praise from friends and neighbors that Jeff and Kim take their basement brewery commercial in 1991.

Kim, social worker by day and mother to two always, began the marketing process by knocking on their neighbor's door. Anne Fitch was that neighbor and her watercolors are the artwork we continue to use on our labels today. With labeled bottles and local encouragement, the first Belgian-style beers brewed in the United States were officially for sale.

Bringing Peter Bouckaert, a Belgian Brewmaster working at Rodenbach, on in 1996 helped influence our love of sour beers. Moving forward, Peter would take the brewing reins as Jeff began pursuing other interests. In 2009, Jeff moved on completely and we have continued to flourish with Kim, Peter, and a team of dedicated employee-owners at the helm.

What else continues today?

The Core Values and Beliefs that Kim and Jeff built New Belgium Brewing Company on. Before they ever sold a bottle of beer, they hiked into Rocky Mountain National Park with a jug of home brew in one hand and pen and pad in the other. Together, they wrote down what they wanted to instill into this business dream of theirs.

I wonder if they actually ride their bikes to work everyday, or if its only on picture day

New Belgium Brewing Purpose Statement: To operate a profitable brewery which makes our love and talent manifest.

Company Core Values and Beliefs

1. Remembering that we are incredibly lucky to create something fine that enhances people's lives while surpassing our consumers' expectations.

2. Producing world-class beers.

3. Promoting beer culture and the responsible enjoyment of beer.

4. Kindling social, environmental and cultural change as a business role model.

5. Environmental stewardship: Honoring nature at every turn of the business.

6. Cultivating potential through learning, high involvement culture, and the pursuit of opportunities.

7. Balancing the myriad needs of the company, our coworkers and their families.

8. Trusting each other and committing to authentic relationships and communications.

9. Continuous, innovative quality and efficiency improvements.

10. Having Fun.

Which brings us to ownership

As this tasty amber named Fat Tire grew in popularity, Jeff and Kim knew they’d need help. Enter Brian Callahan, an aspiring brewer and New Belgium’s first employee-owner. By giving Brian a vested interest in the company, Jeff and Kim did, “what seemed like the right thing to do.”

And all the employee owners today thank them for doing what came naturally.

Ownership is now awarded at one year of employment. And just when you think it can’t get any better, they roll in your very own one-year anniversary cruiser bike. It’s pure bliss.

It’s my company

If it were your company, what would you do? Look for ways to be less wasteful, be more efficient, recycle and reuse? Yep. It’s infectious. Once you start thinking of ways to make your company better, you can’t stop.

In 1998, a unanimous vote by employee owners switched New Belgium to wind power. The first wind powered brewery in the United States, thank you very much.

And, like all responsible business owners, it’s important to know your bottom-line, barrels, and books. Meet New Belgium’s practice of open-book management: a policy of fiscal transparency throughout the company that encourages a community of trust and mutual responsibility.

It’s something good. All agreed.

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Love the Fat Tire

I have managed to try only six of the twenty five different brews that New Belgium has to offer, but I loved all six of them. I developed a strange obsession with Fat Tire during my time out west many years ago because of its deep spicy flavor and beautiful amber color; it was one of the first craft beers I ever had and played a large role in my development as a craft beer enthusiast.

As the brewery’s name (and back story) would suggest, they are Belgian beer specialists, but have carved out their niche by applying American craftiness to classic Belgian styles. Their Ranger and BELGO IPAs are hoppy and delightful. Their 1554 is dark and mysterious – and delicious!!! And the Snow Day Winter Warmer is a holiday miracle.

The best news of all is that New Belgium has their eyes on expansion. News reports (http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-04/D9TVFQT80.htm) indicate that they are looking to open a new brewery somewhere on the east coast, which will make it easier for those of us on the eastern seaboard to find these wonderful beers.

Go to http://www.newbelgium.com/shift.aspx for more information, and go find a bottle of delicious beer with a bike on the cap. You won’t be sorry.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Smoke 'em if you got 'em



Soaked barley roasting on
an open fire... sing it Nat...

This post is all about the style of beer known as rauchbier, or smoked beer if you speak English. I have beer-enlightened friends who have told me that they LOVE smoked beer and I have beer-enlightened friends who have told me that they HATE them. The flavor of smoked beer is, as the name would suggest, smoky, which for many people is different and takes a bit to get used to. It is also possible for a brewer to go overboard with the smoky notes and thus make the beer undrinkable.

The key to achieving smoky flavor in beer comes from drying the malted barley over an open flame, which causes the grain to retain some of the smoke from the fire. In the olden days, malt was dried out either using sunlight or over an open flame. Because using an open flame was quicker than dying the malt out in the sun, smoky beers were more common than they are today.

Schlenkerla Brewery's Rauchbier

Beginning in the 18^th century, kiln drying of malt became progressively more common and, by the mid-19^th century, had become the near-universal method for drying malted grain. Since the kiln method shunts the smoke away from the wet malt, a smoky flavor is not imparted to the grain, or to the subsequent beer. As a result, smoke flavor in beer became less and less common and eventually disappeared almost entirely from the brewing world.

Certain breweries, however, maintained the smoked beer tradition by continuing to use malt which had been dried over open flames. Two brewpubs in Bamberg, Germany, Schlenkerla and Spezial, have continued smoked beer production for nearly two centuries. Both are still in operation today and both dry their malt over fires made from beechwood logs, producing several varieties of Rauchbier.

The gold-standard for rauchbiers in America

Here in the States, there are several brewers who dabble in rauchbiers. Geoff Larson, founder and brew master of the Alaskan Brewing Company, made a smoked beer, Alaskan Smoked Porter, in 1988 influenced by the Rauchbiers of Bamberg. In 2008, New Glarus Brewing Company in Wisconsin produced Smoke on the Porter, a beer produced partially with Bamberg-smoked malts and partially with malts smoked at a neighboring smokehouse. Samuel Adams of Boston began brewing their Bonfire Rauchbier in 2011, making its premiere in Sam Adam's Harvest Collection alongside their well-known Oktoberfest and Pumpkin Ale. The Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas used to make a Helles style beer that used mesquite smoke for flavor called Shiner Smokehouse, but I believe they have discontinued it.

Another cool side-effect of smoking the malts is that rauchbiers pair extremely well with steak, burgers or any other grilled meat. The smoky notes of the beer will play off the smoky notes from the food, and you’ll be in smoky heaven (not actually a place).

So go get some rauchbier at your local beer store – and experience a delightful spin on what you’re used to.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!