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.

__________

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

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

The Session #6–Fruit Beers

When Greg Clow, from BeerBeatsBites, announced this month’s Session topic, I knew immediately what I would do: I’d circumvent the ubiquitous brewpub raspberry beer, and talk about the malt driven fruits that my tastebuds favor. But a little closer inspection revealed that there’s “the stipulation that it be a beer brewed/augmented with fruit (or fruit juice or extract).” Okay. I know there are good ones in that department as well.

Part 1-Follows the Rules

It was a few days after the announcement when I paid a visit to an aunt. Hidden in the back of her fridge was a single bottle of Estes Park Brewery’s Long’s Peak Raspberry Wheat. Perfect, thought I. I need to drink a fruit beer this month.

With raspberry extract added following conditioning, this 4.1% abv beer is the very beer I feared discussing this month. Lackluster. Some would call it a chick beer, but no chick I’d hang around. And certainly not the beer that Stan found for his Session this month.

Off to the cellar, where I turned to a homebrew named for a song by the The Runaways: Cherry Bomb.

A Belgian Dark Strong, originating at 1.092, I racked a gallon into a separate carboy for secondary fermentation, and added a half pound of dried bing cherries. This deepened the color and added a touching cherry nuance. Yummy.

Part 2-Bends the Rules

To be sure, I love fruit, and I love a well done fruit beer. If I’d had more time, I fully intended to MacGyver a Randall, and fresh fruit-ify myself some beery pleasure for this fine day. But here I go, still thinking about those other beers: the ones that pull dark fruit flavors from the malts. How about a quick roundup of styles and flavors of my favorite alt-fruit beers?

Russian Imperial Stout: raisin, plum, prune

Old Ale: dried fruit, vinous

Flanders Red: plum, orange, black cherry, red currant

Flanders Brown: raisin, plum, fig, date, black cherry, prune

Belgian Dubbel: raisin, dried fruit

Belgian Tripel: orange, lemon

Belgian Dark Strong: raisin, plum, dried cherry, fig, prune

Rules or no rules, I think it’s important to think about these styles as brilliant ideas for transition beers. Their fruity nuances are very appealing (and educational). Some might fall in the love/hate category, and some may need to be built toward, but flavor is flavor and one likes what one likes. I, for one, had epiphany after epiphany when I discovered these “fruit” beers. And I’ve seen others do the same.

Cheers!

The Session 5.5–music, maestro

It’s hard for me to fathom, but somehow, when writing last Friday’s Session on Atmosphere, I managed to blow off music, one of the most integral parts of my soul. I focused on people and places, but missed a huge element of atmosphere: the tunes.

 

I drive my wife crazy with music on all the time. Zeppelin, AC/DC, Flogging Molly. And more mellow stuff, too: Stan Getz, Sinatra, Solas. For her, it causes sensory overload when accompanying a conversation, meal preparation, Jake bugging Tom while Tom’s watching The Simpsons and the occasional barking dog. I tune the other stuff out and the music sheds the muck of a long, ugly day. She needs quiet for that task.

 

In any case, music’s a big part of beer drinking I’d say. I’ll never forget the atmosphere the local musicians created in the pubs of Ireland. And if George Thorogood doesn’t make a party better, I don’t know what does. With beer and music on my mind these last few days, I thought I’d share my iTunes playlist entitled “Dirt Road.”

 

Dirt Road harkens back to my younger days, when lacking anything better to do, a few of us would gather on an out of the way dirt road and make our own little party. Dirt Road is the soundtrack of our Bruce Springsteen-like “Glory Days.” It proved difficult to create, as I had to leave off whole albums. How many times did we listen to Back in Black, High Voltage and the rest of the AC/DC catalogue, for that matter? Can you have a playlist that simply repeats “Have a Drink on Me” for two hours? In the end, I came up with a relatively comprehensive list of anthems that set the tone for our revelry. With the exception of the opening three tracks, which always started the evening, I tried to limit it to one track per artist. I hope it sparks memories. And I hope that, like me, you drink a lot more responsibly these days.

Here ‘tis, somewhat annotated and in no particular order:

 

“Back in Black,” AC/DC

“You Shook Me All Night Long,” AC/DC

“Have a Drink on Me,” AC/DC

“Gypsy Road,” Cinderella (Hair and silly clothes pigeon-holed the rapsy, bluesed out Tom Keifer, one of the most under-rated songwriters of their era)

“One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” George Thorogood (these days it’s John Lee Hooker for me, but this is just a great beer drinking song)

“Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers,” ZZ Top (that was then…)

“Bang a Gong (Get it On),” T. Rex (I have bigger influences, but if I had a band, this is how I’d want to sound)

“Honky Tonk Women,” The Rolling Stones (more than one way to gimme shelter)

“Wanted Dead or Alive,” Bon Jovi

“Fly me Courageous,” Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ (where’d Rodney ever end up?)

“Authority Song,” John Mellencamp

“Hair of the Dog,” Nazereth (these days, give me some Adam)

“Slow Ride,” Foghat

“I Love Rock & Roll,” Joan Jett (I once named a beer after a Joan Jett song)

“Rock ‘n Roll All Nite,” Kiss (and we partied every day)

“Slide It In,” Whitesnake

 “The Lumberjack,” Jackyl (two words—chainsaw solo)

“Epic,” Faith No More

“Night Moves,” Bob Seger (we grew up on a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha, and my first car was a ’60 Chevy)

“Refugee,” Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

“Black Dog,” Led Zeppelin (but give me Led Zeppelin III any day of the week)

“Wasted Rock Ranger,” Great White (great accompaniment for the life of danger)

“Paradise City,” Guns N’ Roses

“Stroke,” Billy Squier (I don’t know why Hedstrom didn’t like this one)

 “Ice Cream Man,” Van Halen

“Werewolves of London,” Warren Zevon

“Pour Some Sugar on Me,” Def Leppard (I didn’t drink tequila for years)

“Rocker,” AC/DC (you’re crazy if you thought I wasn’t going to include something from the Bon Scott years)

“Life’s Been Good,” Joe Walsh

“Keep Your Hands to Yourself,” Georgia Satellites (I never get tired of this song)

“Unskinny Bop,” Poison (Hair today, gone tomorrow)

“Everything About You,” Ugly Kid Joe

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” Queen (party on, Wayne)

“The Joker,” Steve Miller Band

“Free Bird,” Lynyrd Skynyrd (now that I’ve moved away from the South, I can stomach these guys again)

“Hard to Handle,” The Black Crowes

“Fire Woman,” The Cult

“Takin’ Care of Business,” Bachman-Turner Overdrive (thank goodness Carlos didn’t die–not good for the foreign exchange program)

“Mother,” Pink Floyd

“Purple Haze,” Jimi Hendrix

“Gettin’ Better,” Tesla (another under-rated band, in my opinion)

“Seven Bridges Road,” The Eagles (the ultimate dirt road song, if ever there was one)

 To atmosphere, to music, to friends old and new. Cheers!

The Session #5: Brewvanic Atmosphere

When Hop Talk announced this month’s Session topic, “atmosphere,” they mentioned that, “while life isn’t all about beer, beer is all about life.”

 

Here at brewvana, that certainly is the mentality. The where, when, with whom and why of drinking beer are many of the elements that go into this brewvanic ideal condition of harmony, beer and joy. While drinking beer has always been in my quality world, the rhyme and reason of it all has evolved drastically over the years.

 

As I often say, these days it’s about quality, not quantity. It seems that I observe that rule of thumb for more than just the beer itself. In the old days, I’d say that I was a good deal more gregarious than I am now. Then, I drank everything everywhere with everyone. I’m still a nice guy, friendly to all, but the purpose behind my drinking has changed, and nowadays, I find that I’m a much better friend to a few good people, with whom I share similar interests and attitudes. Those are the people I drink with. Paul. Alan. Michelle.

 

If I took a closer look, I’d say I prefer hanging around folks a little older than myself. This trend began when I was straight outta college hanging around Colonel Clark, Butch and the Ruddster. They were older and wiser than people my age. Whether it was about beer or life, they had something more to offer. These days, their counterparts are Alan (how many of us attend beer festivals with our uncle?) and Ken. Drinking with a homebrew club is a great place to find like-minded individuals, many whom can teach you something. Any day of the week, I’m happy to share a beer with Grandad Dave, Paul’s old man Frank and Don Juan. It’s this wisdom thing I’m after.

 

That’s not to say that I’m just out trying to get fed. Having learned a little about beer and brewing, I am obligated to spread the good word. God knows there are plenty of bad words about beer. A couple of months back I thoroughly enjoyed a brew day with a young cat just getting started. I probably taught him something. My beer tastings are all about the beer education of my good friends. Talking and teaching beer was one of the most enjoyable parts of working for The Duck-Rabbit.

 

The people I’m with do a lot to influence the atmosphere, regardless of our physical surroundings. The where of my beer drinking is usually at home. That may be sharing a beer with my wife at the end of the day, sharing a good meal with friends or family or my annual beer tasting. I like a good brewpub or beer bar like the next guy, but somehow, I don’t get out much. It seems a bit of a chore. I find that there are three reasons: one, I’m a homebrewer and always have abundant beer around the house, with at least two on tap; two, I’m poor; and three: the fact is I’m a family man. I like being around my wife and kids, and make a concerted effort to be good at that role. Five nights a week in even the coolest looking bar wouldn’t make me a very good dad.

 

However, I like to hit the old pub now and again, one with a wide selection of beers on tap. It’s not necessary that there be 100 taps on the wall, but what they do have ought to be stylistically diverse. In my perfect world, an eight-tap bar would have a porter, Scotch ale, dubbel, RIS, saison, ESB, bock and Flanders red. At least half of those should be local. I’d want that bar to be dark, old-world and smoke-free, with solid pub grub and a few fancy-pants dishes that rotate, when I’m feeling like fancy-pants food. I don’t need TVs on the walls, sports-themes or waitresses with short skirts. I don’t expect the staff to be BJCP judges, but they ought to be enthusiastic about craft beer and generally knowledgeable about styles, flavors and local breweries in the area.

 

Local. I knew that would come up. Small businesses owned by real people. That’s an atmosphere that we should support. I, for one, am tired of pavement, chain stores and fast food. Craft beer transcends that.

 

People. Socializing, celebrating, living. Beer has long been an important aspect of culture and history. Brewing is a craft. My grandma made quilts. I make beer. Beer is an art. It’s beautiful and tasty, and adds to the atmosphere in my life.

The Session #4–Big Boss Brewing Company

According to the Brewers Association, the average American lives within ten miles of a brewery. If that’s the case, I’m above average, as Big Boss Brewing Company is exactly 4 miles from my front door.

With this month’s Session, hosted by Gastronomic Fight Club, focusing on local beers, Big Boss makes my job both easy and flavorful. Big Boss is a re-branding of an existing brewery under new ownership. With the steady hand of brewmaster Brad Wynn at the helm, Big Boss stands poised to offer some of the area’s finest beers. Presently, Big Boss is available on draught around the Triangle area of North Carolina. They inked a distributor deal this week, so bottles will soon be hitting the shelves.

With local beers in mind, I made my way to the Tavern (the brewery’s upstairs taproom) on two occasions this month. Big Boss will be bottling four year round beers: Hell’s Belle Belgian Blond, Angry Angel German Pilsner, Bad Penny Nut Brown and High Roller IPA. Seasonal offerings will include the likes of double IPA, double wit, farmhouse ale, pumpkin ale, stout, coffee stout and bock. The attentive Big Boss fan will show up on the second Saturday of each month for a free beer-laden brewery tour. The really attentive beer drinker will be ready for the monthly cask-conditioned ale, always a surprise and a treat.

I made it out for this month’s cask ale, their Double Tavern Ale, which was unfiltered and about 8.5% abv. In the vein of an English strong ale, this slightly cloudy, copper-colored dandy was malty sweet, with just enough hops to make you smile. I’m thinking a meal centered on meat, either ribs on the grill or a pot roast that’s been simmering all day long would be an ideal pairing.

On another occasion, I focused on the Belgian Blond. At 7% abv, this one was a hazy golden color with a wispy white head that didn’t persist. The aroma was initially a subtle touch of perfumy fruity esters, but as it warmed clovelike phenols came front-and-center. The flavor was similar: fruity, tangy and refreshing with a slight spicy cinammon character moving over for a dominant clove finish. A slice of pumpkin pie would be perfect with this beer.

A little out of the way, the Tavern is a great place to unwind, sample a few excellent brews or, you know, study for the BJCP exam. This was one of the “libraries” I frequented during my recent preparations. Ken (brewer) and Jonny (sales manager) can often be found working behind the bar treating patrons like gold. Pool tables, darts and friendly bartenders make it a great stop for the local, and a don’t-miss for the wayward business or pleasure traveler passing through Raleigh.

Big Boss Brewing Company

1249-A Wicker Drive

Raleigh, NC  27604

(919) 834-0045

The hard life of a homebrewer

For the past three months, beer bloggers have been united under one flag on the first Friday of every month–The Session. Spearheaded by Stan Hieronymus from Appellation Beer, and hosted this month by Jay Brooks, of Brookston Beer Bulletin, The Session Bloggers take a day to savor and wax poetic about a single beer style, having thusfar covered stouts and dubbels. This month’s beer is the British mild, achingly scarce on this side of the pond.

Once widely popular in England, mild took a hit around the time of the First and Second World Wars, thanks to rationing, poor pub handling (they’re best on-cask and well-cared-for) and a post-WWII influx of big, lager kegging brewers. Thanks to England’s Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), there’s a bit of a reversal in the air in England.

Can we hope to see a similar influx of this restrained, low alcohol nugget in the States? Hmmm… Five hundred pounds of high alpha hops per barrel seem the trend these days, so no time soon. However, I know that tastes change and ideas evolve. I used to quite like the hoppy IPAs, and now I’m just tired of them. Maybe others will take the same course I have. I’m hopeful, as I know a number of folks that are truly appreciative of a Dortmunder or Kolsch, neither the least bit aggressive. And what is America, if not the king of planned obsolescence?

Having said all that, I really didn’t set out to participate in The Session today. The timing of my blog launch, the million things I have going on and the unavailability of milds in my market prevent me from doing the topic justice. Fortunately, I had the opportunity a couple months back to try a fine homebrewed mild at a club meeting. Steve’s Mild at least gives my tastebuds something to think about as I type (and plot a trip to England).

Instead of Sessioning, I was going to wallow in the self-pity of a homebrewer. I’m supposed to submit some beers for a competition today. And last night it was necessary that I do some bottling. Woe is me! I didn’t have any empty bottles in the house. I had to drink beer last night, just to have clean bottles to use. What a rough life. It really was a burden. We had tickets for a play. An appointment.

We arrived home last night at ten o’clock, and I had one more beer to drink, then on to washing, sanitizing, bottling and capping. What a hassle. What a beautiful hassle!