Free the Hops needs your support

For three years, Alabama’s Free the Hops has been working to change bad beer laws. Who’s Free the Hops? From their website:

Free The Hops | Alabamians For Specialty Beer is a grassroots, citizen-driven movement solely committed to lifting the 6% alcohol by volume and 1 pint container limits for beer brewed or sold in Alabama.

We are an Alabama incorporated nonprofit—comprised of volunteers who, like you, enjoy the world’s wide selection of beer styles. We are a diverse group composed of writers, architects, IT professionals, and many others.

It’s been a long, hard road, and guess who’s standing in the way? A guy by the name of Pat Lynch, the vice president at Birmingham Budweiser, an Alabama Anheiser-Busch distributor. His undermining efforts must stop. Our brothers and sisters in Alabama need our help.

Free the Hops has launched a boycott of Anheiser-Busch products. Further, we can whip out our dialing fingers and call Pat. In a firm, but respectful manner, call Pat Lynch and implore him to throw his support behind the Free the Hops campaign. Ask him to make his stance public with a press release. Ask him to help, not hinder, the world of beer.

This guy puzzles me. This ain’t rock ‘n roll, where even bad publicity is good publicity. This is business, and he’s hurting his. And all of beer. I hope his bosses are paying attention. I hope you’ll take a few minutes today to help get his attention.

Here’s his phone number: (205) 945- 4893.

What, you can’t call? Here’s an email address: customerservice@bhambud.com

Rather call A-B corporate? 1 (800) 342 5283

Remember, be respectful, but firm. We don’t want our zealotry to backfire and harm Free the Hops or Alabama in any way.

I finally got my phone call made this morning, and I feel better already. Of course, he was out of the office, so I left a message. He should be calling back any time now. Just in case, I sent him an email. I’ll let you know what he says when I hear back from him.

Having been involved in North Carolina’s Pop the Cap campaign, and having seen the results of the lifting of the alcohol limit, I know how hard this is for the volunteers involved, but I also know how big the payoff is.

Let’s give ‘em a hand.

My new brewery

After much debate, I’ve brought my brewing setup indoors.

Of course many homebrewers, myself included, start indoors–on the stove top. Like other brewers I know, I eventually took it outside to avoid destroying and tying up the kitchen. Cleaning up a boil over with a hose is so much easier. And a propane burner is faster than my stressed out stovetop.

But now that I’ve moved to the cooler winter climes of Iowa, brewing outdoors has become less attractive. It’s freakin’ cold here. Aside from my personal shivering, it’s tough for my mash tun to maintain its temperature. And it takes “a coon’s age” (as they say around here) for my wort to come to a boil–not to mention all the propane involved. Fortunately, my very own Room of Requirement has revealed itself in my basement. The room has a cement floor and cinder block walls, a window for ventilation, space for storage shelves, a sink and a floor drain. Could I safely brew here?, I wondered.

Using propane in a confined space is a good way to die, or cause an explosion (and die). I consulted with other brewers, reasonably intelligent folk, as well as a friend–a heating-and-cooling guy. Some people seemed quite concerned about the idea, others not. After weighing all considerations, I decided to give it a shot.

First, I conducted a few propane test runs by roasting my coffee beans inside. I opened the window for ventilation and all seemed well. With a brew day approaching and the mercury well below freezing (not to mention the wind chill), I decided to give it a shot. I double checked my system for leaks, set up a fan in the window above my brewing system, and opened other windows to ensure fresh air.

The brew day went well. I didn’t pass out. My house didn’t burst into flames. And the beer seemed to have potential, as well.

Great as this is for winter brewing, I’m actually looking forward to using my new brewery in the summertime as well, since the basement’s very cool in the blaze of July and August, not to mention shaded.

In closing, I really should say that bringing my burner indoors was not a decision that I took lightly. My dad (ardet nec consumitur) died in an explosion while performing the routine (albeit occasional) task of lighting the pilot on his hot water heater. I consulted with a number of people on the issue, some of them professionals related to all things gas. And even then, I thought about it a while longer. For my basement, this seemed a workable undertaking. For another basement, it might not be a good idea. If anyone else were considering this, I’d recommend caution, common sense and the expertise of professionals. I’ve still got tweaking I plan before calling this brewery permanent, but today, I’m pretty pumped about my setup.

Fat’s Inaugural Great Beer Ride Across Iowa

I’m not sure if they dipped their rear wheels in the Missouri River, but New Belgium Brewing Company’s beers have arrived in Iowa.

New Belgium was slated for a launch party at El Bait Shop, in Des Moines, prior to statewide availability on September 10. In a weird twist of well-oiled logistics, stores received deliveries on Thursday, the 6th, and sales were under way ahead of schedule.

Complete with a custom Iowa label for their flagship Fat Tire Amber Ale, New Belgium also unleashed their Mothership Wit and 1554 Enlightened Black Ale. The Fat Tire label includes a red panel, which reads, “Fat’s Inaugural Great Beer Ride Across Iowa.” New Belgium’s affection for cycling is no secret, and this phrase smiles at Iowa’s famous week-long bikeride, RAGBRAI, or Register’s Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. This summer marked the 35th ride sponsored by the Des Moines Register.

Myself a 2-year RAGBRAI veteran (RAGBRAIs XXV and XXVI), I find the prospect of a relationship between these two lovely entities enticing. A return to the Ride is in my future, and even more interesting if I know I’ll be fueled by one of my favorite breweries.

There’s a lot of buzz about Fat Tire, and a fair amount of backlash, too, in the world of beergeekdom. I’ve felt both. I’ll never forget my first Fattie, on tap in Telluride after a long day of skiing. It was in the early days of my Good Beer Life, and a beer that surged my passion. I drank a lot of Fat Tire, and other NB beers, in my days of living in Arizona. While in North Carolina, I had to rely on trips to the West (mine and others) to sip this nectar. There were a couple of times that Fat Tire didn’t seem to measure up to my memories, and I’ve heard others say the same.

I looked forward to another taste, as I’m sure nothing’s changed but my tastebuds, perceptions and the other beers now available. Has my affection for intense Russian Imperial Stouts simply made Fat Tire seem a little too small? Am I just obnoxious? Do We, the People, raise up breweries and tear them down just like we do politicians and celebrities?

A trip to Fleur Wine and Ale yesterday revealed that the Mothership Wit sold out over the weekend. When I got home, I poured that much anticipated “fair shake” glass of Fattie, and feel strongly that I must have had a couple of bad bottles in my NC days, whether oldish, or poorly handled. This beer was quite nice. It isn’t meant to have the intensity of a full-bodied RIS; it’s an incredible, tasty brew for making everyday drinking a wonderful experience.

My own backlash, thankfully, is over. I appreciate this beer for what it is, and what it has done for craft beer. And I very much look forward to this beer on draught.

New Belgium coming to Iowa

Having exchanged emails with the good folks at New Belgium Brewing Company, I’ve got it on good authority that the Iowa beer scene is about to get better.

Mark your calendars: September 10 is the magic day. However, if you’re the lucky person with access to El Bait Shop, in Des Moines, on the 8th, you get the preview party. I’m told that bicycles and beer will be involved. And fun. And taste sensations.

My beloved abbey won’t make it until the Iowa beer laws are navigated a little further down the road. Instead, Fat Tire, 1554, and the new Mothership Wit will invade Iowa in 22 ounce bombers. Nothing to complain about there.

Thirsty Thursday–To Michael Jackson

It’s a sad day in world of beer. Michael Jackson has passed.

I can’t say as I’ve had the opportunity to meet this beer guru, and it would be beyond pointless for me to wax philosophically on his contributions. I can only sit here and stare reflectively and respectfully at this man’s beer wisdom, writing, and, is it blasphemy to use the word discipleship? Go to Lew Bryson or All About Beer for inspiring firsthand accounts.

It made sense for me to drink something special today. Unfortunately, I live in a rural place where one can’t just run to the corner store and pick up a Thomas Hardy to pay tribute. Instead, I went to my cellar to find something good. Oddly, I came up with a mead, rather than a beer or a Scotch whisky.

I guess it’s fair to say there’s some explaining to do, since Jackson’s distinguished himself in the realms of beer and whisky. Suffice it to say that no matter how great I think my homebrews are, and whatever the coolness factor of anything commercial I might have tucked away for a vertical or a special occasion, they just didn’t measure up. They weren’t appropriate. They weren’t good enough. They weren’t special.

The mead was a gift from my good friend Ken Hilton. He’s a stellar homebrewer. He took the Carolina Brewer of the Year title in 2005, and is currently in the running for Meadmaker of the Year. I guess he needed something else to be great at. More importantly, this dude is just a good guy. I’ve been saving this bottle of Maple Black Walnut Mead since Christmas. I thought I’d drink it on my birthday. I was wrong.

This was made for Michael Jackson Day. I shared it with my wife, Michelle; my brother-in-law, Kyle; and my new beer buddy, Jimmy. Kyle and Jimmy weren’t familiar with Michael Jackson, so I had to lay down some background. And I had to explain Ken, as well. They didn’t know it, but Michael Jackson impacted them.

The mead was soft and delicious, as I’d known it would be. It was worthy. We raised our glasses…

To Michael Jackson!

Down the drain?!?!

Some come (came) to craft beer rather late in life. I flirted late in college. Then, when I joined that class of real-job folk following the graduation I didn’t bother attending, I jumped in feet first. It was meant to be. I’d fancied beer from a very early age.

So early that I might have screwed up my path to good beer. As early as high school, a few of us contemplated buying the goods to brew a kit found in the back of a magazine. Thank Arnold we did not. It would have been more work than we bargained for. We probably would have had sanitation issues. It would have taken more time than we figured. And we’d have consumed those 5 gallons all at once. So much for our ploy to obtain beer more easily. If we’d tried brewing back then, I wouldn’t be doing it today.

But college. That would have been a good time to experiment with roommates. But college-related poverty…

A class! If they’d only channeled our beer-loving energy into zymurgy, I’d have actually taken away something from chemistry. From math. I’d have opened a textbook, for goodness sakes!

That’s what Oregan State University is up to these days. But oh, the pain. Since it’s strictly for “research purposes,” they have to pour the lovely elixir down the drain! Talk about demoralizing.

Prohibition sounded simple once before

What is right and what is wrong seems so simple. But there are a handful of fiery and divisive issues that have caused battles for ages. There’s no end in sight. Beer, and more broadly–alcohol, certainly makes the list. We could take time to talk about the drinking age. We could talk limits on alcohol content. Rather, a USA Today article that appeared yesterday provides a modern day look at a microcosmic use of prohibition as the solution to a problem. Take a moment to read Battle over beer brews on border.

If it were as easy as shutting down the Jumping Eagle Inn, I’m sure that we’d have gone ahead and solved not only the issue of alcoholism on the Reservation, but also a number of other problems around this country and the world. I say that as a beer enthusiast, so what weight does my argument carry? Of course I want beer to be available.

But as a responsible human being, I’d rather skip the whole suffering of people scene. I’ve watched the ugliness that is alcoholism. The parent of a good friend. The gutter life of a veteran living on the streets. First hand, I saw the Reservation.

Alcohol isn’t the only problem out there. And banning it on, or around, doesn’t make the issue go away. I spent two years living on the Navajo Reservation, in Northern Arizona, where, like Pine Ridge, alcohol is banned. I did not live near the border, nor have a White Clay counterpart in my view. I lived in Pinon, near the Rez’s geographic center. It was a two and a half hour drive over rutted dirt roads to stock up on groceries in Flagstaff.

Did we see alcohol problems out there, so far from a White Clay? Yes. And pot and gangs and suicide and teen pregnancy and low reading levels and apathy. Was it a depressing place to live? Absolutely not. The people were wonderful. Many were concerned about important issues like this one.

From what I witnessed, here is what would happen if beer stores are closed down in White Clay: the problem marches on. As the article noted, people would simply move to other locations to buy beer. Problem not solved. More concerning to me is what I witnessed everyday that I lived on the Rez. There, I found roles to be oddly reversed from my own youth. When I grew up, we teens would beg older dudes to buy us a case of cheap beer. On the Rez, I saw old, alcohol-burned men beg teen-aged girls to buy for them. Buy what, you ask? Hair spray. Or vanilla or mouthwash. They were all behind lock and key.

Hairspray mixed with water, 7Up or straight is called Ocean, a helluva lot more damaging to a body than beer or wine or vodka. There was a hill not far from the grocery store called Mount Ocean. It was littered with hairspray cans beyond belief. That was a far sadder sight, in my opinion. And that is what we can expect if simply shutting down a few beer stores is the sole approach to solving the problem.

Unfortunately, it’s not just on the Reservations where people think this way today. There are many dry counties in several states. And there is Cary, North Carolina. Sean Wilson, from Pop the Cap, posted this not long ago. I happen to know Sean. While he spearheaded the North Carolina bid to nix the abv limit, he is also a very responsible, concerned citizen, on more than one level. Beer opponents seem to overlook the layers and depth to both people and policies. Brace yourself, then take a few minutes to surf this narrow-minded view.

That is scary.

Avoiding rash, unrealistic and irresponsible attempts at dealing with the problem of alcoholism might be found here. 

Alcohol issues aren’t confined to the Reservations. There is a far broader mindset that needs to be dealt with in this country. Just saying no isn’t good enough. Education is key. Starting kids off with a positive and appropriate introduction to alcohol’s role is terribly important. Unfortunately, we’ve got a few adults to educate first. And I don’t mean the ones sleeping in the gutter tonight.

Award-winning chefs’ beer lists

Each year, the James Beard Foundation Awards recognizes culinary excellence in categories ranging from food-related writing to design and graphics to the nation’s top chefs. The 2007 awards were announced on May 6 and 7.

With the best chefs in the country finding recognition, and craft beer growing by leaps and bounds, it seems only natural that the top chefs are on the cutting edge of beer. Surely they don’t just do wine? With all the buzz about fresh, local, seasonal ingredients, they must be eager for the next local seasonal beer, right?

As expected, I generally met beer disappointment as I poked around to find out about the beer list at these fine establishments. I took a look at four categories: Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Restaurant, Best New Restaurant and Rising Star Chef.

The Rising Star Chef was awarded to David Chang, of Momufuku Noodle Bar, in New York City. A quick look at their web site revealed what, while short, would go on to be the second most impressive beer list I found. It included a number of sakes, which I expected. The beers on the menu consisted of Stella Artois, and a number of excellent Japanese offerings: Hitachino’s red rice, white ale and weizen, as well as Orion. For a place like this, I found that perfect.

I then ventured to another New York restaurant, the one that nabbed the Best New Restaurant award: L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, owned by Chef Joel Robuchon. Here, I found my worst nightmare: no beer list at all. Wouldn’t at least a bier de garde be appropriate for a patron like myself? Fortunately housed in The Four Seasons, the staff has the freedom to dart across to the hotel’s bar if some cantankerous knucklehead like myself shows up demanding the likes of Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Amstel Light, Guinness, Heineke-blah, blah, blah, Samuel Adams. I wonder if that Sam Adams would be served in a chilled glass?

Next stop on my beer lover’s food journey: Washington, D.C., where Chef Michel Richard of Citronelle took the Outstanding Chef award. His sommelier, Mark Slater, nabbed the prize for Outstanding Wine Service. I spoke with Slater on the phone, and he explained that they simply serve a more wine-centric clientele. While Citronelle serves no beer on draught, he boasted, “Corona, Sam Adams and that shit…” He went on to mention Old Speckled Hen, a beer I love, as well as Chimay, Delirium Tremens and a few other nice brews. At least they didn’t have to go next door. Despite craft beer’s growth, there’s no interest in embracing beer dinners or faking excitement about beer. This place is for a different clientele. And not for me, despite the few nice beers they have hanging around the cooler.

Finally, I moved toward Chicago, where Chef Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill won the Outstanding Restaurant award. Bayless has been recognized as one of the best in the world of Mexican food, and his beer choices reflected that Mexican element: Pacifico, Corona, Dos Equis, Tecate, Negra Modelo. I was pleasantly  surprised to find a number of micros and imports, while talking with Frontera’s Craig Compton. Sierra Nevada, of course, and a handful of Rogue’s offerings, including their chipotle ale, found shelf space alongside Ayinger, Pinkus-Mueller, and finally, something local: Goose Island’s IPA. Even better, Compton didn’t put me on hold to go check a bar menu. He knew the beers he had, and sorely missed the presence of Bell’s, which they carried prior to Bell’s recent exit of the Chicago market.

I’m sorry. I’m a stuck-up beer geek. I don’t dislike wine, but I don’t order it. I love good food, value the marriage of beer and food, and am excited at the direction beer is heading. If these guys are at the top of the food chain, I’d like to see them taking the lead in this regard. Pushing if forward. Some get insanely cutting-edge with their dishes. Why is beer stuck in the missionary position in all too many fine restaurants?

My hat is off to Bayless’ effort, and the next time I have a hankering for noodles in New York, I know where to go. But where is the recognition for New York’s Cafe d’Alsace, the gem that can boast over a hundred beers and a beer sommelier? The mission of The James Beard Foundation is “to celebrate, preserve, and nurture America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence.” Both wine and beer in earnest came from European settlers to this land that would become the United States of America. The Mayflower landed due to a shortage of beer, not wine. If that’s not heritage worth celebrating, preserving and nurturing, I don’t know what is.

American Craft Beer Week 07

American Craft Beer Week is fast approaching. Thanks to the hard work of the Brewers Association and American Homebrewers Association last year, Congress established this fine, beer loving week, which will take place May 14-20.

 In conjunction with this week, the Brewers Association has put together the Great American Beer Tour, a passport program that recognizes beer lovers’ efforts to visit as many breweries as possible. If you’re the average American, you live within 10 miles of a brewery, so it shouldn’t be too big a hassle to get involved.

So plan to get out there and take a tour. Listen to the brewer, don’t just wait for the next beer he or she might pour into your glas. Each brewer is likely to hit on something different about styles, ingredients or the brewing process. A week like this is a great way to learn about beer and brewing, even for folks that already boast a healthy body of beer knowledge. And for crying out loud, ask questions. Brewers love talking about beer.

For more information on the Tour, click here.

National Homebrew Day 2007

Saturday, May 5, 2007 is National Homebrew Day, a day organized by the American Homebrewers Association. On the first Saturday of May, homebrewers across the country celebrate their hobby by participating in Big Brew, gathering and simultaneously brewing the same recipe. In some cases, clubs manage opportunities to brew as a group in a commercial brewery.

This year’s recipe choices are Griffin Spit IPA, Striking Gold Belgian Strong Ale or Hailbrau Doppelbock. As yet, I’m unsure what I’m going to do this fine day. I’m sure that I won’t be participating in a brew-in with my club. It’s possible that I’ll be brewing quietly at home. It’s possible that I’ll raise a glass to the day. There’s just so much going on these days. If I do brew, I won’t be using one of the Big Brew recipes, as I don’t have the means at present to ferment a lager (the doppelbock) or the inclination for the other two beers.

Maybe a Scottish of some shilling or another. Or maybe a wit for the warming weather. Or both?

For more information on Big Brew X, click here. For a look at the recipes, click here.

Cheers!