The Session #15–How did it all start?

My mom and dad met on a blind date. They married. I arrived.

I had the beer gene. That’s the long and short of it. But it’s always the long story that’s more interesting, right?

I always looked forward to drinking beer, way back when I was a kid. I wasn’t wooed by cartoon characters or curvy babes. I just thought beer looked right for me. I started in earnest when I was 15. Those imbibing days are a world away from today. Cheap beer in mass quantities. Multifacetedly sad, but true.

There was a time back in high school when a few of us discussed making our own beer. It’s probably a good thing that we didn’t, as we’d have been impatient, unsanitary and five gallons wouldn’t have been a big enough pay-off, given the effort involved. Worse, I may have been deterred from ever again giving it a go.

In college, getting into coffee and cooking in restaurants got me more tuned into flavor, so I started to show interest in a better beer. Ale seemed an illusive entity. I tracked one down here and there, though a college budget doesn’t allow much of that. I took an advanced public speaking course, and that’s where the light bulb flickered more brightly. One of my classmates did a demonstration speech on homebrewing. While my cheesecake speech wowed the class, his inspired me to strive for a new hobby as soon as I graduated and got a “real” job.

That’s what happened. I moved to the Navajo Reservation in Northern Arizona to teach, hit the homebrew shop in Flagstaff and began brewing right away. It was a German Altbier, and though I forgot to add the hops, it was bottled glory. Like every first homebrew.

My early commercial transition beers included the likes of Bass and Newcastle. And sampling at brewpubs revealed the beauty of stout. No more cheap beer. It was an exciting time. My inborn predisposition for loving beer was one thing. But it was choice that brought me Good Beer. But then I’ve also chosen to jump out of airplanes and off of cliffs, drive demolition derby cars and climb vertical rock faces. Some folks are going to need a little more prodding and massaging to make the switch. We converted have work to do.

Whatever I do, I try to do well. I partied very well, way back when. Now I drink well. There’s a big difference between drinking hard and drinking well. Life is better this way. Brewvana, even.

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Many thanks to Boak and Bailey for hosting this month’s Session!

The Session #12–Barley Wine

There’s something to be said for not knowing anything about the beer you are about to try.

You could learn something. You might discover you know something. And you might discover some unexpected pleasure. The beers I have for today’s Session are books I judged by the cover.

The first is Flying Dog Brewing Company’s Horn Dog Barley Wine. Somehow, I’ve never had it. My assumption was that it was an American Barley Wine, juiced up on Cascades beyond my level of pleasure. I assumed it would be the barley wine brother of Flying Dog’s Gonzo Imperial Porter, which is a beer that doesn’t make me smile.

Horn Dog made me smile. First of all, it was that gorgeous mahogany, my favorite beer color. They should make Crayons that color. Glints and all. The aroma was a deep, rich malt, with caramel and earthy hop undertones. Some alcohol. All these players were there for the flavor, along with a full, chewy body. Some warmth. And a peculiar, vague tomato nuance that took me a while to name. There were hops here doing their job, to be sure.

Just a fine beer. This was an English barley wine, dangerously drinkable, but packing a punch. Don’t judge a beer by its brethren, thought I.

Really, I thought that was the only barley wine I might encounter for today’s Session, as I had to search for that one, here in rural Iowa. I found it at my third beer store in Des Moines. Suddenly, last night, I realized that I had another one in my cellar! And coincidentally, it was a beer that I bought knowing nothing about the actual beer, just the brewery and the words on the label.

It was Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale. I bought it last summer without having had a lot of exposure to Bell’s. I’d heard their good reputation, and when I saw the words “old ale” on the label, I quickly plunked down my cash. I came home and tried it, and I thought, what the hell? Then Dave chimed in and said that the BJCP listed it as a classic example of an American Barley Wine. Oh, that explains it. And aren’t I wonderful for noticing that it wasn’t much of an old ale? I’m still puzzled by their choice of a name.

So with about six months on it, I pulled out another bottle to drink with the term “barley wine” in mind. It poured a dull, burnt amber-brown and threw a nice aroma: malty in the caramel/toffee vein, with hops melded nicely. Yippee! I’m drinking it with the correct eyeballs, and it’s going to be great. I took a sip, and there it was again, an overpowering bitterness that told me the first time this wasn’t much of an old ale. This time, though, it’s telling me that this isn’t a barley wine I can enjoy. Crunchy, posturing, unpleasant. There’s some alcohol warmth, nice body and malt way behind. I’m thinking that they could have taken about half the hops that went toward bittering and used them for aroma instead. That would have been a delightful beer.

I’m not touching my remaining bottles for a couple of years. Hopefully they’re more engaging by then. This bottle was a chore to finish. It took me all night.

So there you have it. Don’t judge a book, or a beer, by its cover. Drink each one in its own light. Let it speak to you. And if it doesn’t speak to you, move on to the next. It might.

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Many thanks to Jon at The Brew Site for hosting.

Illuminating Roundup–The Session #11

It was an illuminating day, indeed, thanks to the many beery bloggers that have involved themselves in this lovely little project known as The Session. This month, we’ve discussed doppelbocks, a glorious liquid bread that’s none too ubiquitous in the grocery store aisles.

I chose this beer because it’s one I love, but due to scarcity, I was concerned that we’d have 19 posts on Celebrator. Fortunately, the Sessionists came through with a respectable variety to talk about. It’s hard work being a serious beer drinker, but someone has to do it. We’re here to illuminate the world. A Mighty big thanks to everyone who chimed in on this month’s topic.

This Month’s Contributions:

Of course, my entry on Spaten Optimator can be found here.

David at Musings Over a Pint gives us a little history as he talks about Flying Dog’s Collaborator.

Eli at The Four-Eyed Beer Geek brings a Pennsylvania perspective on the style with Troegenator Double Bock.

Heath at Bottles of Barley hits on his Marathon in Munich and a bottle of Paulaner Salvator, the originator, so to speak.

Jason at The Brew Basement offers up his tasting notes on Samichlaus.

Shawn, The Beer Philosopher, directs us to his own pre-holiday post on Samichlaus.

Kieran at Beer from the Motherland overcomes his prejudices to touch on Hansa UR-Bock.

The Dude from Akelas Biggins gives us our first taste of Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock.

Lew Bryson from Seen Through a Glass walks us through his evolution to “getting” EKU-28.

Stan at Appellation Beer needs a translator at Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas as he tries out their “Double Bock”

Josh at Kegs and Kitchens does beer and pizza with doppels Salvator and Celebrator, as well as weizenbock Aventinus Schneider-Weisse.

Rick from Pacific Brew News contemplates a life with goats, one of which ought to be named Celebrator.

Jay at Brookston Beer Bulletin gives us of the German Big Three: Salvator, Celebrator and Optimator.

Stephen from That’s the Spirit and On the House proves that if at first you don’t succeed (Niagra Falls Eisbock ['95 and '98]), try again (Kulmbacher Reichelbrau Eisbock)

Boak from Boak and Bailey gives a rundown of their doppelbock experiences over the last year: Alligator from Der Koenig von Flandern, Weltenberger Klosterbrau, Herrnbrau Operator and Left Hand’s Goosinator.

Keith at Brainard Brewing kicks in with Rock Art Holiday Bock 2007, Thomas Hooker Liberator, Celebrator, Doppel-Hirsch and Samichlaus.

Josh at Beerdinners.com features Flying Dog’s Collaborator in a bloody good sounding beer dinner.

Chris at Flying Dog News follows Josh with another mention of the Wild Dog Collaborator Doppelbock.

Gray Hunter from Bottled Llama tosses out another bottle of Optimator.

Al at Hop Talk scrambles for a bottle of Celebrator.

Dave from Hair of the Dog Dave revisits both The Session and The Muse with a bottle of Celebrator.

Alan at A Good Beer Blog throws a two-fer from Wagner Valley Brewing Company (Sled Dog Trippelbock and Sled Dog Doppelbock), as well as St. Victorious.

Jim, the Boston Beer Man, takes a stroll down memory lane with Celebrator.

William from What’s on Tap settles for Salvator here and here.

Abel Pharmboy from Terra Sigillata speaks up for Flying Dog’s Collaborator.

Ted at Barley Vine give Collaborator a go, thanks to a trip to Denver.

Captain Hops, over at Beer Haiku Daily, graces us with 3 poems on 2 beers, Troegenator and Celebrator.

Rick from Lyke 2 Drink gives us one last bottle of Celebrator.

JHumphries at Hump’s Brewing threw down a Doppelbock Deathmatch with Celebrator winning out over Salvator, Optimator, Tucher Bajuvator and Weihenstephaner Korbinian.

Jon at The Brew Site pulls out yet another bottle of Flying Dog’s Collaborator.

Craig from Beers, Beers, Beers chimed in with a late entry, reviewing Algauer Cambonator.

Greg “Procrastinator” Clow at Beer Beats Bites gives us a rundown of a few of his Doppelbock experiences.

Whew! I’m exhausted. My rough count says there were about 11 folks chewing on Celebrators, confirming my suspicion that there’d be multiple takes on that beer, which wasn’t exactly a bad thing. There were other multiple-post beers like Salvator, Optimator, Samichlaus, Troegenator and Collaborator. Of those, I’ve had all but Flying Dog’s Collaborator, and I can’t wait to try it. But thanks to the wide range of locations of our participants, there’s a lot more doppelbocks I have added to my to-do list.

Again, thanks for participating. I found it to be illuminating in more than one way: lotsa great reviews, lotsa great history and lotsa good stories. I don’t know about you, but I’m thirsty.

Cheers, all!

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If I missed your piece, I apologize. Shoot me an email and I’ll rectify that oversight. If you’re a straggler, I’ll append you to this post this evening or tomorrow.

The Session #11–Doppelbock, the Illuminator

Welcome to The Session (the brainchild of Stan, over at Appellation Beer) for Friday, January 4, 2008. Today, beer bloggers the world over will be discussing Doppelbock: the illuminator.

From my announcement:

I don’t feel like coming up with a bunch of rules and restrictions. I want to learn about doppelbocks, and so the sky’s the limit: write about doppelbocks however you see fit. History, reviews, pairings, pictures, poetry and experiences. All of it.

The first time I ever had a doppelbock, I was living on the Navajo Reservation, in Pinon, Arizona, where the pavement ends and the Wild West begins.

It was early in my own private Beer Renaissance. I had but a few homebrew batches under my belt, and my “local” brewpub was 2 1/2 harrowing hours away over washboarded, unpaved roads. Every month or month and a half, we’d make a long list and make our trip to Flagstaff to stock up our pantry, to eat out, to have a good cup of coffee, to get homebrewing ingredients and to track down a local beer or three.

Due to our livelihood, we became very close to many of our fellow co-workers. We helped each other move into our houses. We grilled out together. And since they also made that monthly trip “to town,” we cared for each others’ dogs.

So, once upon a weekend, I took care of The Ruddster’s dogs. He caught up with me Monday morning in the teachers’ lounge, offering some unremembered amount of cash for my troubles. I said that would not be necessary. He said it would. I said it’s one thing to pay the kids in the neighborhood for feeding, walking and looking after pets, but since I was an adult, friend and neighbor, I expected no payment.

I could see him stew internally. The Ruddster is a towering man. A jovial man. He looks like Howdy Doody with an Amish beard, and is generally of a temperament consistent with those two elements of his appearance. But he had an underlying hint of intensity that leaked to the surface occasionally. We argued the dollars back and forth briefly.

Then: “I have a six pack of one of my favorite beers that I brought back with me this weekend. I’ll give you that then.” I persisted slightly with a, “no, really, it’s okay, Rudd.” And then the intensity burst forth. In a raised voice, “I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DID, AND I WILL BE OFFENDED IF YOU DO NOT TAKE IT.” There was specific emphasis on the word offended that bold, capitalized and italicized letters do not seem to capture. He meant it, and so to save our friendship, I agreed.

That beer was Spaten Optimator. And I loved it, still do. I’ve thought about Rudd  every time I’ve cracked one open since then, and that’s been a lot these last few weeks.

Beer is a lot of things to a lot of people. A thirst quencher. A social lubricant. Art. Science. Spaten Optimator that day became a negotiation tool, a part of the economy and a conflict resolution strategy. Yes, it’s glorious flavor and brewing talent, as well.

For me, it’s something of an Illuminator. Like many other beers, my first example of this style is a sentimental beer that makes me think of the bond between friends.

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It’s exciting to be hosting The Session today. I’m looking forward to reading all of the contributions that come in throughout the day, and I’ll post a round-up tomorrow. If you’re playing along, (1) post your contribution; (2) leave the URL to your post in a comment here OR send me an email: jwmongrel [AT] yahoo . com.

Peace and Pints!

Wilson

The Session Reminder #11

Just a quick reminder: The Session is slated for next Friday, January 4, 2008.

For Session #11: Illuminator, we’ll be discussing doppelbocks. I’ll be hosting, and invite you to read and contribute. I’ll post my contribution, and you can either post your link in a comment or shoot me an email at jwmongrel [AT] yahoo .com. I’ll round things up the following morning on January 5.

Cheers!

Announcing The Session #11–Illuminator

Time to be thinking about next month’s Session, the brainchild of Stan over at Appellation Beer. I’ll be January’s host, hoping to be the instigator of beer excitement. Pollinator of beer enthusiasm. Elevator of beer appreciation. Detonator of beer discussion.

If you catch my drift, I’m thirsty for a doppelbock.

And there you have it. The Session for Friday, January 4, 2008 will be Doppelbock: the illuminator. I don’t feel like coming up with a bunch of rules and restrictions. I want to learn about doppelbocks, and so the sky’s the limit: write about doppelbocks however you see fit. History, reviews, pairings, pictures, poetry and experiences. All of it.

On that fine day, (1) post your contribution; (2) leave the URL to your post in a comment to my contribution OR send me an email: jwmongrel [AT] yahoo . com. I’ll wrap things up the next day.
Illuminate us.

The Session #10–Winter Seasonal Beers

With great timing for today’s Session topic–Winter Seasonal Beers–I have a beautiful 3 inches of snow on the ground.

Last night, I spent the last few moments of daylight sledding outside with my two boys before they did homework and watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Sunday we picked out and decorated our Christmas tree. Then we sipped homemade egg nog while watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. There are Christmas carols in the background. I’ve got plans materializing for our Christmas Eve festivities. I’ve got all the ingredients lined up for making peanut brittle and fudge and Christmas cookies and…

….And it must be time for those winter seasonals.

Honestly, I don’t drink a lot of ‘em, because sometimes the spiced versions are a little overbearing. I do, however, go for the Russian Imperials, old ales, Scotch ales and barley wines around this time (and year-round) and especially look forward to the seasonal releases of these styles from some breweries. Not long ago, I enjoyed Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout, which was delightful.

This past week, I did track down two “holiday” beers: Boulevard Brewing Company’s Nut Cracker Ale and Goose Island Brewing Company’s Christmas Ale.

As it turns out, I liked them in that order. It’s not that I didn’t care for the Goose Island; it’s just that it seemed like a great beer to drink year-round–a hoppy American brown that would be ideally suited for a burger on the grill stuffed with bleu cheese. The Nut Cracker, however, delivered the depth of flavor I was hoping for, with a subtle spiciness that was not at all overdone. Perfect for the chill in the air characteristic to an early December in Iowa.

Tasty beers. Don’t hesitate to check ‘em out (don’t forget the BCS–also wonderful).

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Many thanks to Ted at Barley Vine for hosting this month’s Session.

The Session # 9–Beer and Music

Music has always been an integral part of my life, an integral part of my being. My gramps, Joe Johnston, was a professional musician back in the forties. His impact on my life goes well beyond music, but today we’re here to talk about tunes.

While I’m something of a headbanger at heart, Joe has seen to it that I have a well-rounded musical education. My grandma has a picture of me tearing open Kiss’ Rock and Roll Over–a Christmas present when I was in kindergarten–but my gramps’ efforts to educate me haven’t fallen on deaf (or bleeding, remarkably) ears. Undoubtedly, I’m nearly as hooked on the likes of Stan Getz as Black Sabbath. I love the Blues, Grunge, Swing, Classical and face-melting rock. Well-rounded as I am, nothing beats the Mighty Zeppelin in my book.

Two of my prized possessions are Gramps-related music photos. That’s him, left, back in the day. Pictured below is none other than Mel Torme, sitting in with Joe’s band when the drummer took ill. Always the sideman, and never the braggart, Joe once turned down a Woody Herman job offer. He had a young wife on the road with him, so preferred week or two stints rather than the constant one-nighters of the big name bands like Herman. Besides that, they paid better. I’m proud to know that my gramps rubbed shoulders with the Dorsey brothers, Torme, Herman, Lawrence Welk and others (in real life, Welk didn’t have that accent). He’s taught me to appreciate music, but I’m no clone: I can’t believe that nut job turned down working with Woody Herman.

My non-Gramps-clone status has been confirmed further, just these last few weeks, for example. I’ve been working in what will be next year’s garden lately. Perhaps no one else in gardening history has grooved to Kid Rock like I have while wrangling a tiller. Then again, and to quote the Kid, “You never met a motherf–ker quite like me.” Joe probably doesn’t listen to much Kid Rock.

Though Kid Rock’s more likely to drink Mickey’s than the rockin’ stuff from his home state of Michigan, he makes a good segue to beer. The thing I like about Kid Rock is his depth and texture melded with arse-kicking bang for your buck. His influences range from country and Southern-fried rock to to hip hop and metal. That’s one complex grainbill. Couple that with some over-the-top dry hopping, 12% abv, a bourbon barrel swarming with brett and a couple of years’ worth of age, and you’ve got yourself a Kid Rockin’ Russian Imperial Stout if ever there was one.

This blending of characteristics is clearly why I’m such a Led Zeppelin fan. They rock. But a good measure of the time they’re  in a rocking chair swaying with an acoustic guitar or mandolin in hand. Blues and rock and folk. Willie Dixon and Joni Mitchell and Elvis Presley. With these influences, what need would my mom have had for concern? To me, they’re a malty old ale with some age and vinous oxidative notes. Warmth, raisins and dates. And a kick.

But you’re not always up for a band, or a beer, so complex. Cake is a good example of a one-dimensional band that’s good to drink. Kiss. The Ramones. Dick Dale. All good, but not so complex.

There’s a lot of lousy music out there today. Budweiser = Britney Spears. Fizzy yellow stuff moves a lot of product.

But there’s good stuff out there as well. The craft beer bands I spend a lot of time with these days are Flogging Molly, Izzy Stradlin, Old Crow Medicine Show, Buckcherry, Amy Winehouse, The White Stripes, The Arctic Monkeys, Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch.

Of course, there’s that whole drinkin’ and listenin’ thing. That’s just a huge given. A huge pleasure. A huge slice of my life.

I’ve veered in many directions in my life, but like a good beer, music and my silver-pated grandfather have served me well, kept me grounded, kept me good.

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Not long after The Session #5–Atmosphere, I realized that I’d left out one of the most crucial parts of having a beer. I followed that post a day or two later with my own Session #5.5–Music, maestro. It delved into the old days of AC/DC, cheap beer and dirt roads. If you missed it, I’d encourage you to back up and check it out.

For the sake of tossing out other beer and music related posts over the last few months, I’d encourage you to hit these as well:

Brew Like a BB King (talks about the “less is more” approach to beer and music)

Izzy-inspired Living (talks about how one musician inspired me to quit my job)

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Many thanks to Tomme Arthur, from The Lost Abbey, for hosting this month’s Session.

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As a side note: Hey, Bailey, can you get me tickets for the Zep show at the O2? I didn’t get drawn in the lotto.

Cheers, all!

The Session #8–Beer and Food

I’ll be blunt–I love beer and food. I enjoy them both daily, often together. I don’t have to pay big bucks to attend a beer dinner; I live like that. It’s a good way to live.

Richly fulfilling, a good meal with family or friends can’t be beaten–unless there are well chosen beers involved. Sometimes the meals are planned around the beers that are thirsted after, the beers that are in the fridge, the beers that came back from a vacation. And the recipe needn’t be strenuous. Like a simple, well-brewed beer, one needn’t do backflips to craft a solid meal (though backflip beers and meals are also wonderful).

A couple summers ago, my family took a little trip to Delaware to visit Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. We toured the brewery, loaded up on Midas Touch and Raison D’Etre and paired World Wide Stout with roasted marshmallows around the fire–to this day, the best food pairing I’ve ever tasted.

Of course, before returning home, we stocked up on a few nuggets unavailable in our own market. One sixer that came home was Troegs Brewing Company’s Troegenator Double Bock. A malt-alicious monster of love, this beer was. Hmmm…I thought. What should we have for dinner tonight?

I was craving brats, but not just the same old brats on the grill. I needed something new. After a little rumination on the flavors, I came up with a little something I call Doppel-brat Stew. Easy and flavorful.

With amazing food days like this one, I can’t imagine going back to the mundane sludge on which I grew up. There’s so much more to life than canned green beans and Hamburger Helper. Fortunate circumstances rescued me from a life of blah food. I am thankful.

Everything is okay now. Couple the tasty victuals with the yummy libations, and the good life just got better.

Pass me a doppelbock.

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For your cooking sensations, here ’tis:

DOPPEL-BRAT STEW

Ingredients:

6-8 New potatoes, quartered

3 T Butter

1 Onion, sliced

5 Brats, freed from their casings

1 Can diced tomatoes, drained

1 Tsp beef base

2 Bay leaves

12 Ounces Troegenator, or other fine doppelbock

Salt/Pepper, to taste

Procedure:

Boil potatoes (then drain and set aside until needed). Saute onions in butter briefly, then add brats and brown. Add tomatoes, beef base, bay leaves, beer and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add potatoes and toss gently. Adjust salt and pepper.

Serve with fresh bread, to mop up the juices, and–you guessed it–another doppelbock.

Clink ‘em and drink ‘em!

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Need a dessert idea? Click here for a bonus recipe, tried and true.

Many thanks to this month’s host: Captain Hops at Beer Haiku Daily.

The Session #7–The Zoo

When the topic for this month’s Session was announced, my mind immediately went to work, searching out ideas for beery animals. Dogs, cows, fish, monkeys. And then came my moment of clarity. The Zoo would provide me with my desert island beer. If I had to drink from one brewery for the rest of my life, it would be from the Belgian brewery with the tiny, timid creature gracing its labels: Brasserie Caracole.

Caracole is the Spanish word for snail.

To be sure, there are any number of cooler animals out there. It would have been fun talking about Hair of the Dog Adam today. Or Victory’s Golden Monkey. Or Great Divide’s Oak-aged Yeti.

But the snail is a deeper choice. It’s a lifestyle choice. It’s how brewing gets done at this brewery. And it’s very representative of this place called brewvana.

They do everything at a snail’s pace. They have no fork truck. They have no conveyer belts. They carry the milled grain by hand to the mash tun, a process that takes a half a day. Even more beautifully, Brasserie Caracole utilizes the last wood fired kettle in Europe. And to keep me supplied, I’d want them working overtime on Nostradamus.

I’m a Romantic. What’s wrong with that? When beer loses it’s romance, we call it macro-swill. All of the craft beers we love so much harken back to history, to art and to what one can do with his or her own two hands. In order to live a better life, we must not only support our local brewery, but also our local farmers, buying fresh sweet corn and eggs. We must buy meat from our local butcher. From time to time, we must simmer tomato sauce all day. We must bake fresh bread.

These beers are labor bottled. History bottled. Art bottled. Love bottled. If I were on a desert island, I’d want to give my money to the brewers of Caracole.

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This month’s Session is dedicated to the memory of Michael Jackson.

Many thanks to Rick Lyke at Lyke 2 Drink for hosting.