Drink Laugh Learn Candy Corn

OF THE MONTH Sierra Nevada & Russian River Brux

BEER

+ COFFEE
THE NEWSSTANDS MOST DESIRABLE BEER MAGAZINE!

NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST

Bake with

BEER Liquid Bread Gets Solid

ODELL & MONKEY PAW WE VISIT!

SEP/OCT 2012 / ISSUE 27

COMPUTERS
www.thebeermag.com

CAN TASTE?

15 BEERS REVIEWED
Drink These!

THE INGREDIENTS
THE REGULARS 6 8 Cheers
Beer Icon

Buzz
Bang. Boom.

14 Beer Mail
Lick the stamps

SEPT / OCT 201 2 ISSUE 27

17 Calendar
Drink on these dates

18 Ask Beer
Go Ahead, Ask

20 Heres to You
And You, and You and You
Is there something beer doesnt go with?

25 The Brewery
Comic strip returns

26 Beer Anatomy
Belgian IPA

34 Home Brew
Holiday Cheer

39 Beer Recipes
Seasonal Brews

66 Taste Tests
15 Beers of Yum

74 Beer Games
Pukes and Staggers

52
Coffee + Beer
Morning, Noon and Night

80 Beer of the Month

Sierra Nevada / Russian River Brux

FEATURES 22 Computers Can Taste

Robots Are Tasting Beer

40 Behind the Brew

Odell Brewing, Fort Collins, CO

60 Beer Kitchen
Make Oatmeal Stout Bread

40
[ 04] :

56
Beer Gear
Mindy Humphrey Makes Cool Stuff From Beer Boxes

Editorial Executive Editor: Derek Buono Editor-At-Large: Brad Ruppert Copy Chief: Z. M. Zwerling Contributing Writers Rob Sterkel, Jay R. Brooks, Matt Simpson, Seth Martin, Jason Castonguay, Todd McElwee, Jacob McKean, Jennifer Litz, Don Osborn, Brandon Hernandez, Luke McKinney Art & Photography Art Director: Joanna Buono Cover Photographer: Michael Vincent Advertising Circulation Manager: Tom Ferruggia Advertising Account Exec: Is it YOU? A Beer30 Media Publication Publisher: Derek Buono Subscriptions & Change of Address Phone: 1.866.456.0410 Phone (International): 1.818.487.2045 Back Issues, Beer Gear, Sales Info Phone: 1.888.200.8299 www.thebeermag.com Carry Beer in Your Store or Brew Pub Phone: 1.800.381.1288 Advertising Rates Available upon request. Contact: Advertising Department: Beer Magazine 4327 Highland Place Riverside CA 92506 ph: 909.702.7994 National/International Newsstand Distribution The Curtis Circulation Company DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

All animals love beer. Even plastic monkeys.

On the Cover: Jennifer Irene Gonzalez I @JGmodeltalent Photographer: Derek Buono Hair & Makeup: Ashley Gannon @AGmakeuphair Location: Augies Coffeehouse Redlands, CA I www.augiescoffeehouse.com

46
Monkey Paw
San Diego, CA

Beer Magazine (ISSN 1941-1804) is a publication of Beer30 Media LLC, 4327 Highland Place Riverside, CA 92506; Phone: 909.702.7994; E-mail: derekb@thebeermag.com. Subscription rates are $19.99 for 6 issues (one year), $39.99 per year for foreign airmail, $29.99 for Canada and Mexico. All rights reserved. The entire contents are copyright 2012 Beer30 Media LLC, and may not be reproduced in any manner in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The views and opinions of the writers and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Beer30 Media LLC, the publisher, or the editorial staff. The publisher assumes no responsibilities for advertising claims, errors, and omissions. Beer Magazine is created, printed and produced in the United States of America. We occasionally use material that we believe has been placed in the public domain. Sometimes it is not possible to identify and contact the copyright holder. If you claim ownership of something we have published, we will be pleased to make the correct acknowledgement. 100% recyclable. Save the planet. Drink Beer Frequently. Read Beer. Printed in the U.S.A

: [05]

CHEERS

THE RANTS
PUBLISHER/EDITOR/JANITOR [Gets diaper rash]

DEREK BUONO

IF I HAD TO RELIVE ONE YEAR OF MY LIFE... My rst year of life. Its when you could be naked and cute. IF I HAD TO FORGET ONE MOMENT IN MY LIFE... Yesterday. That day always seems to be a disappointment. MY HALLOWEEN COSTUME THIS YEAR... An optimist. I need to feel what its like to be overly positive instead of painfully realistic.

ART DIRECTOR [Dances like the Peanuts]

JOANNA BUONO
IF I HAD TO RELIVE ONE YEAR OF MY LIFE... Senior year of college, good times, good friends, pre-reality check. IF I HAD TO FORGET ONE MOMENT IN MY LIFE... I think Ive already forgotten it. MY HALLOWEEN COSTUME THIS YEAR... Candy presenter and costume judger at the front door.

BEER ICON
hen it comes to food, its easy to dene a countrys style. Italian, French, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, or English-style cuisine all bring to mind images of certain types of food.1 America has always gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to what that means. Head over to an American-style restaurant, and you could be in for grilled cheese, hamburgers, or really a mix of all countries.2 For beer, its much the same. Certain countries are known for their styles of beer, and you almost pinpoint a brand as their ambassador of a beer style. Here in the U.S., we are again a melting pot of styles. Some may think that Budweiser or Coors could be considered American-style beer, but in reality, those were borrowed from older, traditional styles.3 This melting pot of beer style that we now consider American is not a bad thing, but we now tack on American-style to a lot of beers.4 Are we going to be known as the country that just adds hops to every beer, and thats American? Isnt that just like adding bacon to every style of food and calling that American?5 I think we need to pick a dening beer, and beer style, as Americas denitive beer and then roll with it. Should it be Anchor Steam Beer? How about Sierra Nevadas iconic Pale Ale? Some might even consider Sam Adams Boston lager the beer of America. Americas beer scene is really leading the world in style, creativity, and inspiration. I feel its time we gure out which beer we will choose as the style example that allows people around the world to say Ah, I get it American because although we make great food over here, Im not sure grilled cheese or meat is what we are all about. Both are delicious together, and a grilled cheese with shorts sounds delicious right now, but I want an iconic American beer that represents all we do here. Which beer represents American brewing to you?
Godspeed,
Melting pot for beer?

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [Unintential reality TV star]

BRAD RUPPERT

IF I HAD TO RELIVE ONE YEAR OF MY LIFE... I would go back to the year I visited England, Ireland, and Scotland. 1st trip to Guinness Brewery. IF I HAD TO FORGET ONE MOMENT IN MY LIFE... It would be walking into that room with a six-pack of Bud Light and seeing Chris Hansen. MY HALLOWEEN COSTUME THIS YEAR... Kuato with my 1yr old strapped to my beer gut.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [Still partying 15 years later]

JASON CASTONGUAY IF I HAD TO RELIVE ONE YEAR OF MY LIFE... Party like its 1999! IF I HAD TO FORGET ONE MOMENT IN MY LIFE... No need, I have beer for that. MY HALLOWEEN COSTUME THIS YEAR... Popeye!

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [Does the worm]

DON OSBORN
WHAT I AM BBQING ALL SUMMER LONG... It would surely be a year in college, probably Junior year. WHAT I WISH I COULD BBQ BETTER... I would love to forget farting while break dancing in front of a girl I was trying to impress. WHAT MAKES BBQING BETTER?... Maybe as a sober person. While being drunk.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [The bubbles tickle his nose]

ROB STERKEL

IF I HAD TO RELIVE ONE YEAR OF MY LIFE... 1977. This time my sister wouldnt ditch me to go see Star Wars with her friends leaving me to see it on crappy laser disc ten years later. IF I HAD TO FORGET ONE MOMENT IN MY LIFE... Waking up after splitting a case of unltered wheat beer with a friend. MY HALLOWEEN COSTUME THIS YEAR... Lawrence Welk, complete with bubble machine.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [Doesnt test on animals]

PEPE
IF I HAD TO RELIVE ONE YEAR OF MY LIFE... The year I became a Beer Magazine mascot. IF I HAD TO FORGET ONE MOMENT IN MY LIFE... Lets just say it involved a donkey. MY HALLOWEEN COSTUME THIS YEAR... It will be me as Border Patrol. What better way to sneak across?

Derek Buono Publisher/Editor/Janitor derekb@thebeermag.com

1. Sorry, England, I know your food scene is growing, but theres a reason why your country favors Indian curry over traditional Brit food. 2. Are we known for unhealthy fatty foods? Great. 3. Dont let craft nerds tell you otherwise; the style is #1 around the world. 4. The term American now just means hoppy. 5. Bacon? Bacon should be added to just about everything. Is American food just bacon? Were okay with that.

RANDOM READER [Cheated death, or did shots of water]

JAMES BALLESTEROS
IF I HAD TO RELIVE ONE YEAR OF MY LIFE... It would be the 2008 because thats the year I really got into craft beer. That year alone I tried over 150. IF I HAD TO FORGET ONE MOMENT IN MY LIFE... It would be my 21st birthday I did 23 shots in 45mins!!! MY HALLOWEEN COSTUME THIS YEAR... Jim Jones of Jonestown I will be carrying my special punch!!!

[ 06] :

THE BUZZ

Deschutes Expands its Market and New Releases

hanks to the five new, 1,300-barrel fermentation tanks installed last year, Deschutes was able to expand its reach by supplying both Missouri and Kansas with its popular Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter. The two additional states will have access to the Reserve Series, Bond Street Series, and other seasonal favorites available, as well.
The new Reserve Series includes the Black Butte XXIV, which is a double version of Deschutes porter, along with some fun ingredient additions. Last years addition included oranges and chili peppers and scored a 94 in Beer Magazines review. The 2012 release will be 11% ABV, aged in bourbon barrels and will include dates and figs. September 2012 brings another Reserve Series called The Dissident. Released every two years, The Dissident is a 10.5% ABV sour ale that takes 18 months to age. It is a Flemish-style brown ale aged with Oregon cherries, Brettanomyces, and Lactobacillas. Both of these Reserve Series beers will be available on draft at the pub, along with 22-ounce bottles that are dipped in wax. The Bond Street Series are hop-centric beers. The first of this series to be released is called Chasin Freshies Fresh Hop IPA. It is a wet-hop beer that will replace the Fresh Hop Mirror Pond Ale. Its brewed with Cascade hops grown locally in the Willamette Valley. Chasin Freshies will have 65 IBUs and will be higher in alcohol than its predecessor at 7.2% ABV, compared with 5.0% ABV. The other Bond Street Series to look for is Hop Trip: Fresh Hop Pale Alea citrusy pale ale using fresh Crystal hops with 38 IBUs and 5.5% ABV. Both are available on draft at the brewpub and in six packs. Drink these beers ASAP!

Great Year for Shipyard:

AWARDS, INCREASED PRODUCTION AND CANS

2012 has been a great year for Shipyard Brewing Company. Located in Portland,

Maine, Shipyard has grown to become the 24th largest brewery in the U.S., and it produces a number of awardwinning beers. Old Thumper Extra Special Ale earned a silver award at the 2012 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition held at the Los Angeles County Fair. Shipyard Brewing also received two awards at the 2012 Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) in Melbourne: one for their XXXX IPA, which earned a Silver award in the Imperial/Double IPA category, and another for their Smashed Pumpkin, which took home a Bronze in the Herb and Spiced category. Both of these beers are part of Shipyards award-winning Pugsleys Signature Series, which is named after Shipyards master brewer, Alan Pugsley. Shipyard also increased its production capacity by building three, 1,000-barrel, open fermentation tanks at City Brewing in Memphis, TN. This leased location at City Brewing gives Shipyard the ability to can its beers for the first time. The first to be canned will be the Shipyard Export, followed by the ever-popular Smashed Pumpkin.

No news is good news?

www.deschutesbrewery.com

www.shipyard.com

New Beer Vitamin Discovered

newly discovered form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide riboside was found in low concentrations of milk and, more importantly, beer. Researchers reported in the June 2012 issue of Cell Metabolism that this molecule can serve as a unique supplement that

will boost ones metabolism to help burn off more calories and prevent weight gain. Apart from preventing weight gain, it also helps boost muscle performance, increase energy expenditure, and minimize the risk factors of diabetes. Nicotinamide ribosides action site is in the mitochondria of the cell. Mitochondria are a cells powerhouse. The molecule works by becoming trapped in cells, where it boosts the metabolism, much like resveratrol, which is found in wine. The concentration in beer is quite small and would take way too much consumption to see any benets. But we can at least try! www.cell.com

[ 08] :

Much like Champagne, Tequila, and Bourbon, which all come from their respective regions, Trappist beer comes only from Trappist monasteries and is brewed only by Trappist monks. The term Trappist is reserved for monasteries that are certied under the International Trappist Association (ITA). The ITA was set up to protect the Trappist name. The Trappist logo ensures that the beer is of monastic origin and that the products measure up to the quality and traditional standards rooted in the monastic life of a real Trappist community. Beers from non-Trappist breweries are called Abbey beers, which basically means products similar in style or presentation to monastic beers. Until recently, there were only seven Trappist monasteries that brewed and sold their beers. Six are in Belgium, and the beers are called Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren, and Achel. The seventh is in the Netherlands and is called La Trappe. In May 2012, the International Trappist Association approved Engelszell to be the eighth producer of Trappist beer. Located in upper Austria, Engelszell is the second Trappist brewery to be recognized outside of Belgium. Their beers are to be imported by B. United International in Redding, CT. Gregorius is a strong, dark ale brewed with local organic honey and a unique Alsatian wine yeast weighing in at 9.7% ABV, and is bottle/keg conditioned. Benno is a strong pale ale that is 7.2% ABV and is also bottle/keg conditioned. Both beers are named after previous Abbots of the monastery. Look for them to be imported sometime during summer 2012! www.bunitedint.com, www.stift-engelszell.at

A NEW TRAPPIST BEER!

Whisker Yeast

GOOD NEWS FOR MOMS

eve had beer on our beards but never beer made from a beard. According to Rogues blog, White Labs has discovered a new variety of yeast growing on brewmaster John Maiers beard. In hopes of adding to their repertoire of local ingredients, Rogue Ales went in search of a new local yeast strain. So Rogue had White Labs culture and test some samples from their hopyard for a new or unique form of yeast. Unfortunately, the samples did not produce any viable yeast for brewing beer. But this is where the story gets hairy. Someone at Rogue suggested they send a few strands of John Maiers beard in a petri dish for testing. Apparently, White Labs discovered a viable yeast strain that not only is different from the Rogue Pac-Man yeast currently used but is also able to ferment and produce a high-quality beer. Chris White of White Labs was reportedly shocked by the discovery. John Maier has been growing his beard since the late 70s. Apparently, the concept of micro ora in beards has been studied for some time now, and there is even a venture called The Beardome project by Hydrocalypse Industries. The beard yeast is currently being studied in test batches to determine what style of beer it will produce. The beard beer made from whisker yeast will be called New Crustacean and will be released in early 2013. Whether this story has merit or is a pure publicity stunt, it brings a whole new meaning to the phrase avor saver. www.rogue.com, www.whitelabs.com

White Labs Tasting Room

White Labs has been in business for 17 years supplying yeast and fermentation supplies to breweries, wineries, distilleries, and homebrew shops. They are known in the homebrewing community for their diverse collection of pitchable liquid yeast strains. Several breweries have put together a series of beers showcasing a single hop with the same base beer, but none has showcased different yeast strains. If youve ever wanted to know how different yeast strains impact the avor of beer, then the new White Labs Tasting Room is for you. White Labs started the Tasting Room with a soft opening in March 2012 and has since been demonstrating how different yeast strains and fermentation regimens can inuence the avors of the same beer. White Labs ofcially opened the Tasting Room on June 15th in honor of White Labs Daya term coined by San Diegos Mayor Jerry Sanders one year earlier while visiting the ofcial opening of the new White Labs production plant. The Tasting Room is a beer nerds dream come true, down to the chandeliers made out of Erlenmeyer asks. It has 32 taps and a three-cask system with a lineup of experimental beers that changes regularly and features brews created with different yeasts and various brewing and fermentation techniques. Beer styles range from Hefeweizens to Saisons, and Golden Ales to IPAs. Understanding that everything remains constant except the yeast, you truly begin to get a sense of how yeast impacts the avor of the beer. What better way to learn?! www.whitelabs.com

n the U.S., about 12 percent of pregnant women report that they drank alcohol during pregnancy. According to a Danish study funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, low to moderate weekly drinking in early pregnancy had no significant effect on neurodevelopment of children through age five. During the time of this study (2003-2008), the cultural consensus of the women in Denmark was that drinking a little during pregnancy was not necessarily a concern. More than 1,600 women with an average age of 31 took part in the studies. The researchers measured the IQs, attention spans, and decisionmaking of 5-year-olds and compared them with the drinking habits of the moms during pregnancy. There were no significant effects on test performance in children of mothers who drank up to eight drinks per week compared with children of mothers who didnt drink. The results suggest that light drinking (one to four drinks a week) and even moderate indulgence (five to eight drinks) may be considered safe. The study went further and stated that occasional binge drinking (five or more drinks in a single session) didnt appear to be tied to developmental issues. Though we certainly arent suggesting that any mothers-to-be run out and buy a six-pack of their favorite craft beer and drink it in one sitting, it seems that an occasional craft beer to calm an expectant moms nerves might not be so bad. www.cdc.gov, www.bjog.org

Come try our yeast... sounds delicious!

: [09]

THE BUZZ

BEER APP OF THE MONTH GABF App

TWEET POOP Things we asked on Twitter
Oh no... they list Orange County! Thats like listing we live in America!

the poop you gave us back.

and

ctober brings one of the largest drunk fests in the U.S.! Located in Denver, CO, the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) hosts more than 460 breweries with over 2400 different beers to choose from. There is nothing worse than stumbling over the map in one hand while you try to hold your precious beer in the other. Well, theres an App for that! Simply called the GABF App, you can search based on brewery name or by beer name. Once you click on the brewery it gives you the booth number along with what beers are pouring. You can then add take a picture of your tasty beverage, rate it, and then share it on Facebook or Twitter and make all your friends back home jealous. By clicking on the booth number you are quickly shifted over to the booth map where it blinks and guides even the drunkest user to their next destination. One click on the brewerys name takes you to their website or click on the location and Google Maps opens you up to the brewerys location. Another cool feature is that once your are in the booth map section you can click on a section and see which breweries are in that particular section so you dont have to stumble all over hell looking for your next stop. Theres an option for the beer geek in all of us, which is the ability to review the current Competition Style Guidelines. If you have ever been lost or overwhelmed while at the GABF or its your rst time, download this app and get sloshed with technology!

www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com

THE MAGAZINE YOUVE BEEN THRISTING FOR

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BEER MAIL

RANTS&

RA VES

ERES YOUR CHANCE to tell us how you feel. Hate us? Love us? We want to hear. The world wants to hear. Send you

comments, suggestions, poems or toasts to derekb@thebeermag.com

Did you catch our fake modesty?

RODE HARD

hardcore insanity
I would like to submit my picture and info for Heres To You. I did not even know this mag existed until last night, when I bought the Jul/Aug 2012 issue at my local Safeway. I am in love with this magazine and will be subscribing! I am a devoted family man, with two wonderful children, and I work as a supervisor for the Agero call center in Tucson, AZ. We take inbound calls from drivers on the road in need of roadside assistance. I also play guitar in the Thrash/ Hardcore band, Brutesquad. Beer is a huge part of my life. I am known amongst our friends as the beer snob, because I refuse to drink the standard Bud Light/ Miller Lite/Coors Lite swill that everyone else seems to salivate over. I will walk past aisles of mass-marketed beer to nd something produced by a craft brewer who actually cares about quality. Ive lived most of my adult life in St. Louis, MO, and you cannot give me a 30-pack of any Anheuser-Busch product for free. I will only save it for friends who do not bring enough beer for the nights events. Thank you for producing this magazine! I enjoyed it immensely, and have driven my family insane with Look at this recipe! Look! Gene Simmons! and plenty of OMG!!! This is a beer I have to try! It would denitely be a kick to see my pic in the magazine, for sure.

AND PUT AWAY WET

suppose these could be interpreted as enormous, multi-mile digital tattoos on the city of Baltimore? Anyway, I rode out (mountain bike) the mug this morning and gured Id share it with beer friends, so I clicked around and found you. I threw in an older tap I made as well. What you are looking at are two very specic GPS bike rides that I took through Baltimore. You have my permission to use them, if youd like. Please direct any trafc to www.wallygpx.com or @WallyGPX to spread the fun. Enjoy & Cheers! Wally Thanks! So this doesnt seem so random, we are currently searching for our readers beer tattoos, and Wally sent in this City Ink-style artwork. Thanks for maps, and if anybody has a tattoo thats beer themed send it in! Derek

Arent they all?

Thank you so much for the back issues; I just got them in the mail today, and I am very excited to get some back issue reading done.
I want to voice my opinion that your magazine is awesome! Keep the great issues coming. Oh, and I hope that the beer games section will continue. Just curious, is the May/June 2009 issue a collectors item? I cant seem to nd it anywhere. Anyhow, keep it going, brother. Best wishes, Patrick McDonald Hey Patrick, thanks for your letter! Sometimes we run out of issues, and they technically dont exist anymore. Therefore, the issue you mention might just be rare enough not to be for sale. We wont be bold enough to say we are worthy of the collectors item status but, if you say so! Derek

Thanks, Lael If I had hair left, I would be whipping it around! We love to get letters from people whove just discovered the magazine and cant get enough. Thanks for the letter, and hopefully, we can keep you from annoying the crap out of your family. You have 25 back issues to catch up on! Derek

[ 14] :

BEER CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER 201 2
September 1 BOULDER BREW AND MUSIC FESTIVAL Boulder, CO www.boulderbrewfest.com September 1 PORTLAND BREW FESTIVAL Portland, OR www.portlandbrewfestival.com September 8 THE OC BREW HA HA Irvine, CA www.ocbrewfest.com September 8 5TH ANNUAL HILLTOWN BREWFEST New Salem, MA www.hilltownbrewfest.com September 8 TACOMA CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL Tacoma, WA www.tacomacraftbeerfest.com September 8 THIRSTY TROLL BREW FEST Mount Horeb, WI www.trollway.com September 14 6TH ANNUAL FESTIV-ALE Chicago, IL www.cff.org September 15 BREWGRASS FESTIVAL Asheville, NC www.brewgrassfestival.com September 15-16 CALIFORNIA BEER FESTIVAL VENTURA Ventura, CA www.californiabeerfestival.com September 15 McCOOLES BEER FESTIVAL Quakertown, PA www.mccoolesbeerfest.com September 21-23 FREEMONT OKTOBERFEST Seattle, WA www.fremontoktoberfest.com September 22 CALIFORNIA BEER FESTIVAL MARIN Novato, CA www.californiabeerfestival.com September 22 HARBOR BREW FEST Bridgeport, CT www.harborbrewfest.com September 22 HARVEST FESTIVAL Greensboro Bend, VT www.hillfarmstead.com September 22 NEWTOWN BEERFEST Newtown, PA www.newtownbeerfest.com September 28-30 PACIFIC NORTHWEST BREWCUP Astoria, OR www.astoriadowntown.com September 29 15TH ANNUAL KENNETT BREWFEST Kennett Square, PA www.kennettbrewfest.com September 29 CHARLOTTE OKTOBERFEST Charlotte, NC www.charlotteoktoberfest.com September 29 WEKO BEACH BREWERS FESTIVAL Bridgman, MI www.wekobeachbrewersfest.com

OCTOBER 201 2
October 6 MONTANA BREWERS 4TH ANNUAL FALL FESTIVAL Missoula, MT www.montanabrewers.org October 6 CALIFORNIA BEER FESTIVAL CLAREMONT/SAN DIMAS San Dimas, CA www.californiabeerfestival.com October 6 3RD ANNUAL CRYSTAL CITY BREW FESTIVAL Painted Post, NY www.crystalcitybrewfestival.com October 6 BIG BEERS & BARLEY WINES BEER FEST Dayton, OH www.bigbeersdayton.com October 6 TEXAS CRAFT BREW FESTIVAL Austin, TX www.texascraftbrewersfestival.org October 7 STONE POUR IT BLACK Escondido, CA www.stonebrew.com October 11-13 GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL Denver, CO www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com October 12 DENVER RARE BEER TASTING Denver, CO www.pintsforprostates.org October 20 AUSTIN LIQUORS FALL BEER FESTIVAL Shrewsbury, MA www.austinliquors.com October 20 UMPQUA BREW FEST Roseburg, OR www.umpquabrewfest.org October 27 TREASURE COAST BEER FEST Fort Pierce, FL www.beerambassador.net October 27 INMAN PARK BEER CHASE Atlanta, GA www.inmanparkbeerchase.com

Who doesnt think a coffee sack is hot?

MONTH
NAME: Jennifer Irene Gonzalez
HOME TOWN: Redondo Beach, CA

POUR

Photo: Derek Buono

: [17]

ASK BEER
Sometimes people talk to their beer, and sometimes that beer will answer your questions. If youre one of those people who dont hear the beer talk back, but want to know the answer to your questions about beer, this is the column to turn to. Ask Beer is where you get to ask a question and receive an answer without looking like the crazy person at the end of the bar. Got questions? Email derekb@thebeermag.com

Q:
A:
Fruit for fruit.

I ORDERED A HEFEWEIZEN AT A BAR THE OTHER DAY, AND IT CAME WITH A LEMON.

IS THIS CUSTOMARY?
he wheat in Hefeweizen and other wheat beers tends to add a perceived dryness with a tart nish. Many fruit beers are made with a large
portion of wheat because the avor and mouthfeel that the wheat contributes blends

well with many types of fruit. There are several varieties of wheat beer from around the world. Belgian Wits are wheat beers traditionally brewed with orange peel, coriander, and sometimes other spices. Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant, which has a mild, citrusy avor. Because of the already present orange-like avors in wits, many people will add an orange to boost the existing avor. Blue Moon is an example of a Belgian-style Wit that many people drink with an orange wedge. Berliner Weisse are low-alcohol wheat beers that tend to have a lemonlike quality, mainly because of the lactic acid produced during fermentation. Traditionally, these beers are served with a shot of fruit- or spice-avored syrups. German wheat beers tend to have more clove and/or banana avors due to the yeast byproducts called esters and phenols. These avors dont necessarily complement the citrus avors of lemons and oranges, which is why you wont nd these traditional beers served with them in Germany. American wheat beers, on the other hand, do not have banana or clove aromas but rather citrusy, spicy, and/or oral notes. The avors of American wheat beers are known to be intensied by lemon and orange wedges. This practice is a matter of preference, and many purists believe it to be sacrilegious; hence the acronym NFL, or No fucking lemon! The server should never assume that customers want citrus wedges served with their beer and should, instead, supply them upon request. The oil in the rind of citrus fruit diminishes the great head retention and lacing that the wheat proteins promote. Its really up to each individual drinker to decide whether they want their beer served with a citrus wedge. Who knows; maybe the waiter was trying to prevent scurvy!

[ 18] :

A:

Q:

I AM CONSIDERING PURCHASING A KEGERATOR. IS IT A GOOD INVESTMENT?

Q:
T

IVE NOTICED THAT SOME BEERS GET CLOUDY WHEN I REFRIGERATE THEM AND THEN CLEAR AS THEY WARM UP. WHATS THAT ABOUT?
he phenomenon that you describe is called chill haze; its the result of proteins and tannins derived from malts and hops clumping together when chilled. As the beer warms back up, the clumps dissipate, and the beer no longer looks hazy. The clumps are slightly heavier than the beer, so if the beer is kept undisturbed at refrigerator temperature for a few weeks, it will become clear again as the protein and tannins settle to the bottom of the bottle. One thing breweries do to combat chill haze is to chill the beer down, causing the larger clumps to form, and then lter the beer. Brewers can also add certain clarifying agents, or nings, that bind to the haze, creating proteins, which then causes them to occulate or settle out of the beer. There are several different types of clarifying agents. One popular one is called Polyclar, which is an insoluble plastic polymer (mmmm plastic) that binds to chill-hazecausing proteins. Another additive is gelatin nings, which clears beer by causing the particles to coagulate and settle. Isinglass is derived from the swim bladders of sturgeon (in other words, sh guts!). Isinglass attracts negatively charged proteins and yeast, causing them to settle out of the beer. Some beers like Hefeweizen have the yeast in suspension, which is different from chill haze. Chill haze does not affect the taste of the beer, but it annoys some people who prefer a crystal-clear beer. Just remember, if it smells and tastes good, drink it!

Being able to serve fresh beer from a tap at home will make you the envy of all your friends, and that alone is worth the investment!

The great thing about a kegerator is that the cool temperature and the CO2 help to preserve the beer over time. Kegerators also give you the option to pour a small amount instead of opening an entire bottle. Overall, your question really boils down to economies of scale; when you buy in bulk, you save money. I apologize in advance for the math lesson, but more money means more beer! The rst thing to look at is the cost of buying a kegerator versus converting an existing refrigerator into a kegerator. When it comes to manufactured kegerators, there is a huge price range. Prices vary greatly depending on the brand, the quality, whats included, the capacity, and whether it is intended for indoor or outdoor use. Prices for a low-end, stripped-down model start off at about $400. High-end models can cost as much as $2,000! Features you want to look for when considering a standalone kegerator are the size of keg it will hold and whether a CO2 tank and regulator are included. The thing about CO2 tanks is that they cannot be shipped once theyve been charged with CO2, so you will need to nd a local welding supply or homebrew shop to have the tank lled or exchange an empty one for a full one. A 2.5-pound bottle of CO2 will push from two to four full-size kegs and costs about $10 to ll. The larger the CO2 tank, the less often youll have to ll it, and the cheaper it will be in the long run. Another option includes converting an existing refrigerator into a kegerator. (See Issue 12 of Beer Magazine for a how-to.) Ready-made kits are available online for as little as $180. Basically, the kit includes a keg coupler, tubing, an empty CO2 tank, a regulator, and a faucet with a long shank to go through the front of the fridge door. This, of course, requires some drilling and assembly but will you save a shit ton of money. And money is beer! Every beer has a different price for cases and kegs. Well use Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as a tasty example. According to the 2012 Harris Poll, the average price for a case of SNPA is $32.36. Thats 24, 12-ounce bottles of beer at $1.35 per bottle, or ~$0.11 per ounce. Six packs cost even more! The average price for a half barrel or full-size keg is $150. At 15.5 gallons, thats 165, 12-ounce servings at $0.91 each, or ~$0.07 per ounce. That ends up saving an average of about $0.44 per serving, for a savings of $72.60 per keg. At a savings of $72.60 a keg minus the cost of CO2 at $3 per keg, that equals $69.60 in total savings per keg. You would have to drink 427 beers to make up the cost of a conversion kit or 1,185 beers to cover the cost of a brand-new kegerator. If you drink two, 12-ounce servings per day, it will take only 1.6 years to recoup the cost of your initial investment in a brand-new kegerator. So invite your friends and family over to help you save money by drinking more beer!

A:

Hazy days of summer eventually clear up too.

Coolness factor: Priceless.

Average price of a kegerator: $500. Average price of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Keg: $150.

: [19]

HERES TO YOU

HERES
words: You photos: You

TO YOU
and Cold Brews!

hats better than reading about beer? How about reading

about you? This is where we will feature our readers love of beer. Want to see Yourself in HTY? Send your request to

DerekB@thebeermag.com
Submission must include a highresolution picture of you drinking a beer and the answers to the questions.

NAME: Bettee BrrLyn (bu in-up modeling OCCUPATION: Student/P th Carolina LOCATION: Rock Hill, Sou s after all) : ) ess(Im an Irish Las FAVORITE BEER: Guinn na... Hot Chicks , Charlotte, North Caroli FAVORITE BAR: Tilted Kilt
l waterfall known as TAP

t, U can call me Alana)

*wink*

Your guess is as good as ours.

The manmade alcoho BOTTLE,CAN, OR TAP: ... Oh my where are FOOD: BRAINS...YUMM eat Melba FAVORITE HANGOVER zled Goat Chevre on wh & Honey driz my manners? Chipotle Coconut water. ed -ll toast & a electrolyte stion...right? Lol : This must be a trick que ER BE E MOST MEMORABL NT remember it! Haha because obviously I DO Domestic beers. : Most commercial label LEAST FAVORITE BEER (I like mine Imported!)

NAME: Matt Ro AGE: 37 ager : Asst. Ops Man OCCUPATION PA , anberry LOCATION: Cr Ale House R: Gravel Path BA TE g Lager. FAVORI with Yuenglin nt go wrong Ca : ER ing. BE TE po FAVORI cold and ur P: Wherever is TA OR , N eese CA Ch , d BOTTLE n, Egg an R FOOD: Baco VE GO AN . H se ea TE gr FAVORI in the bacon
sandwich, eg y rst Homeb ABLE BEER: M MOST MEMOR tone TE BEER: Keys LEAST FAVORI gs are made

gos

rewa porte

r.

sneak up on you)

FAVORITE HANG OVER FOOD: Sourdough Jack from Jack in the Box MOST MEMORABLE BEER: Pikes Place Munks Uncle (stuff will

bar=tap, shower=bottle

NAME: Nate Kujawa AGE: 30 OCCUPATION: Waste Water Specialist LOCATION: Spokane Washington FAVORITE BAR: Viking Tavern, Swinging Doors FAVORITE BEER: Pikes Place Tandem Ale & my homemade dark ale BOTTLE, CAN, OR TAP: Depends on the situation, camping=cans,

LEAST FAVORITE BEER: Corona, Miller High Life

[ 20] :

NAME: Heather Ma AGE: 23 College Grad other Job-seeking OCCUPATION: An Boston Area LOCATION: Greater ster, MA. by Abbey in Worce ms FAVORITE BAR: Ar possibleim th wi ers be ing

cLeod

amaz They always have mes. na ce un no pro toBismark. Oooh BrewDog Sink the FAVORITE BEER: it in the making w sa I D on Earth AN heaven is a beer ago! brewery two years during a visit at the TAP: Tap BOTTLE, CAN, OR tt Ale ER FOOD: Hookse OV FAVORITE HANG ERkery BE the m fro o cupcakes Caramel Jalapen in Tilton, NH. in Beer in LE BEER: Bathing MOST MEMORAB d tap of the ite lim un an kia next to Bratislava, Slova c). bli (from Czech Repu REAL Budweiser PBR light. Yes, it

LEAST FAVORITE

BEER:

ists. unfortunately ex

NAME: Shaneice McNabney AGE: 28 er OCCUPATION: Political Scientist/Writ KS n, LOCATION: Manhatta FAVORITE BAR: Timothy OToole, in

Black & Chicago, IL. They make an amazing Tan. Best Ive ever had. an Red FAVORITE BEER: Samuel Adams Tasm out, Im n whe Tap : CAN, OR TAP

Overnight that package to us!

BOTTLE,

bottles when Im in.

e& FAVORITE HANGOVER FOOD: Coffe

d after a long Ibuprofen. Coffee is my best frien y. Barle Dr. & Hops Mr. with night Adams MOST MEMORABLE BEER: Samuel still was I it, had I time Cream Stout. The rst beers, as light to used only and rgrad an unde t beer, so I was still learning the ropes abou g for me: it lmin whe over too far was r avo the few years a been Its ass! knocked me on my Maybe I ce. chan nd seco a it give to yet & Ive ! will try it again soon campus LEAST FAVORITE BEER: The college . I see so Light tone Keys & Light Natty les: stap ty cans on many lawns littered with those emp ? why ask, I and ings morn rday Satu

lemon/lime avored bee

LEAST FAVORITE BEER

ER: Lunch with my wife of 35 years at a restaurant on Ocracoke Island, NC called Dajio Restaurant and Bar. It was there that I was intr oduced to Sisters of the Moon IPA by Mother Earth Brewery, a hidden gem craft brewery tha t I visited in the small town of Kinston, North Carolina. : Anything that Labatts brews and those rs.

MOST MEMORABLE BE

something it knows.

BOTTLE, CAN, OR TAP: Bottle rst, then Cans for the beach. FAVORITE HANGOVER FOOD: Cheerios, toast and juic

, open 24/7 and 365 day limitless beer varieties, s a years, a patio if needed and all the sports channels anyone could want; als o no designated drivers required. FAVORITE BEER: Beaus Lug Tread, Sleemans Cre am Ale and Mother Earths Endless River.

NAME: Roland Bourque AGE: 55 OCCUPATION: Telecom Tech LOCATION: Burlington, Ontario Canada FAVORITE BAR: Rolys a.k.a. Home

e; give the gut

: [21]

COMPUTERS & BEER

Yes that is our vision of what a computer who drinks looks like.

words: Luke McKinney photos: Derek Buono

s there anything computers cant do? You might say something smug about enjoying a beer, because computers stop working when you pour drink into them, but think about it: so do you. And scientists are working on artificial brains that can drink faster and longer without exploding in a shower of sparks. The movies warned us this would happen, but its okay; instead of travelling back through time to kill our resistance leaders, the machines are targeting bad beers instead.
Its important for big breweries to maintain quality, and no matter what your dreams say, working on a tasting panel isnt a lot of fun. Even if you werent testing your bladder to destruction (avor receptors at the back of the tongue mean beer tasters swallow, unlike those wine pansies), its expensive. Human taste panels require pay and training (because they havent thought of asking Beer Mag readers to volunteer) and can test only a few beers per session (again, not using Beer Mag readers). And combining people with drink is actually a recipe for mistakes, especially since some professional beer-rating scales use over 20 values including autolysis, fusty, vinylguaiacol, and two different types of liquorice. Most people would need computer assistance to even spell that third one*, let alone taste it.
*a spicy, clove-like phenol

[ 22]:

Giving robots the job of tasting beer might sound like a bad idea, but remember: for us it isnt a job, its a pleasure. Which is why were making machines do the grunt work while we kick back with the results.

But the whole point of machines is to do the boring and dangerous work for us. Who wants to drink the same beer every day, or risk sinking a bad one? Thats why were working on Bad Beer Terminators to hunt them down. The rst super-sense is vision. Humans are notoriously bad at this, because unless something is actually crawling out of the glass, the rst beer of the day will always look good. We can still tell the difference between pale ales and porters, but for a human eyeballing a drink is like tasting a violin; youll get some information but it wont be very relevant. And human desire can be affected by all kinds of strange things (just check the internet). But if a machine doesnt like the look of you, youre in a lot more trouble. Scientists have built systems to screen beer with infrared light. Aliens and robots from the future might use infrared to hunt (or be) Arnold Schwarzenegger, but these systems have far more realistic goals. Just like all the best things (including you), beer is mostly a complicated arrangement of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Each bond between them resonates at a specic frequency, so when infrared light is shone through a sample, the amount absorbed at each frequency tells you about the drink. Every beer has a unique ngerprint of frequencies. Unfortunately, this chemical signature is altered by drinking the stuff, so you cant go all CSI and track down the pint responsible by analyzing the remains on the porcelain telephone the morning after. By shining infrared through prepared samples, the Belgian AlcoQuick 4000 system, which sounds like the funnest

And on this side you can see why we have better ideas.

robot in the entire world, can recognize the drink and identify a whole host of parameters like fermentation degree, Plato and energetical value. These help

breweries ensure that the beer wont spoil between being brewed and being used. But this Belgian brewmaster is very fussy: it rst decarbonates the beer with

: [23]

COMPUTERS & BEER

ultrasonics and then dilutes it with water. Were assuming that this isnt anything to do with how the machine works, but is just to make sure that the computer doesnt start enjoying the stuff. A simpler German system shoots straight for alcoholic strength. Its advantage is efciency; it can be installed as a ow-through system, with infrared beams scanning the feed lines as beer constantly pours past, so can you can make sure that gallons of the stuff are strong enough without ever stopping pouring or measuring anything else like taste or quality. They might as well have called it the Oktoberfest-o-tron. Looking is all well and good, but the most interesting part is when you use your tongue. Because we all know that the best things humans can do involve tongues. Thats why scientists have been working on electronic tongues for decades, and again, were going to resist commenting on the uses of robotic tongues no matter how hard it gets. Other things that are rather harder to write include potentiometric

Soon we wont need us. Computers make the beer and they drink it.

They might as well have called it the Oktoberfest-o-tron.

chemical sensors with chalcogenide glass and plasticized PVC and hybrid membranes, polymeric metalloporphyrins gas and liquid sensors, noble metal voltammetric liquids, and a quartz crystal microbalance sensor coated with dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamin. Those are types of taste sensors. Theyre using more high-tech syllables to measure beer than they are to nd the Higgs boson. This is called priorities. It turns out that the human tongue is one of the most incredible devices in existence, and if you didnt already know that, you should get out more. That pink sluggy thing behind your face can provide incredible amounts of pleasure (and not just to you, but thats a different article). The human version is so complex that the only way to make one is to take a load of sophisticated sensors and just plug them into a brain. And some electronic tongues do the exact same thing. We dont know how to work it out articially, so we dont. We build an articial brain to work it out instead.

The mass of data from the array of sensors is run through complex data analysis to nd beer control parameters, which isnt just a posh name for the bar staff. Some of the prototype tongues then send this data through a neural networka type of program designed to work like a brain. Connections between nodes in this program get stronger or weaker as its trained to recognize certain beers. And just to prove that the people training these machines to taste had good taste themselves, most of the experiments focus on Belgian beers. These electronic brains thus get smarter with every drink, proving that computer brains really are the evil opposite of eshy ones. The computer has a better idea of what its doing with every taste, just like us, except the computer is actually right. The only problem is that while these computers can taste beer, no matter how much they drink, theyll never get drunk. No wonder robots want to kill us. But until then, these prototype tongues will work toward making the drinking world a better tasting place.

BEER ANATOMY

Belgian
MONKS WITH HOPS
itting here waiting to see if I get chosen for jury duty, all I can think about is getting outside in the sun, enjoying a nice Belgian IPA, and hoping to absorb what little summer we get here in Seattle. As my mind wanders through all the places Id rather be, my memory bank stumbles on a golden afternoon about two years ago when I rst discovered Belgica from Great Divide Brewing in Denver. This is one of the best representations of this style because it combines all the great qualities of a Belgian Tripel with an American IPA. I recall my rst taste of this beer during the Great American Beer Festival in October, at a BBQ hosted at the brewery that combined a live band, pulled pork sandwiches, lots of sunshine, and their amazing lineup of beers. The Belgian IPA appeals to a wide array of beer lovers because its a fantastic beer that has the complex oral bouquet imparted by the Belgian yeasts combined with an awesome hoppy follow-up. This provides brewers with another avenue of exploration by taking their experience with heavy, hopped IPAs and gradually introducing Belgian yeasts and avors to the hop heads.
Silly Monks are always drinking.

Anatomy of

words: Brad Ruppert photos: Derek Buono

IP A

[ 26] :

uropean brewers tend to follow long-standing traditions that have been practiced for thousands of years; when it comes to change, they are tough nuts to crack. Because of this, breweries maintain a hardcore following of region-specic beers, and customers often drink nothing besides their local brewerys beer. If you are ever in Bavaria, dont think of asking for anything other than a helles or weiss beer, lest you be called a little girl and booted from the bar. And likewise, traveling north to Cologne, you will nd only Kolsh beers on tap and should refrain from seeking any beers you may have enjoyed in Munich. The English and Belgians are also traditionalists, and rarely will you nd any signicant changes to a brewerys lineup. Fortunately, Americans have no problem taking longstanding traditions and throwing them out the window. We are happy to take two separate yet incredible beers, as in the Belgian Tripel and the IPA with English roots, and seeing what happens when they are combined. Our brewing traditions may not have as long a history as Englands or Belgiums, but we often break ground and, therefore, demonstrate the art of taking something good and making it better.

HISTORY

THE INGREDIENTS:

After tasting a Belgian IPA, you probably think there must be dozens of ingredients that contribute to that refreshing avor bouquet of peaches, mangos, and pineapples along with a generous oral array of grassy, piney hops. Surprisingly, this beer is merely a combination of water, barley, hops, and yeast along with some candied
sugars that help feed the yeast. What separates the big dogs from the rookies is the ability to wield that Belgian yeast and combine it with a generous portion of hops without overpowering the sweetness and leaving a bitter aftertaste. American brewers have become masters of the IPA, but they are only just beginning to break ground with Belgian beers, and this style provides a gradual path for the hopheads to step outside their comfort zones.
YEAST: Of the various beers available today (pale ale, stout, porter, lager, amber, Belgian Dubbel, Tripel, IPA, weiss, bock, barleywine), the yeast is most prominent in Belgian-style beers. Yeast turns sugar water into a carbonated alcoholic beverage, and in the process, imparts a rich avor prole that is reminiscent of many tropical fruits, citrusy aromas, and subtle tartness. This is part of a metabolic process whereby the yeast consumes the fermentable sugars, given the right temperature and stimuli, and leaves behind alcohol and CO2. Belgian yeasts are often capable of sustaining a feeding frenzy in higher than normal alcohol levels while continuing to feed, thus producing a high-alcohol nished product. A typical yeast for brewing a Belgian IPA would be Wyeast Trappist High Gravity or White Labs WLP540 Abbey IV Ale Yeast. BARLEY: The Belgian IPA has a vibrant straw-colored glow, HOPS: Inspired by American brewers and their overtly hoppy

Yeah we fast too... every Friday at happy hour.

beers, the Belgian IPA is like a Belgian Tripel on steroids. Belief in the idea that we can take the best qualities of two great beers and merge them to make an uber-tasty beer is what the Belgian IPA is all about. While the yeast was denitely Belgian inspired, the hops are all American. Big, bold hops like Amarillo, Cascade, and Chinook are key to getting the beer to stand up and tout its aroma and aftertaste. These hops provide the piney freshness we look for in an IPA and give us that welcome nish that we hopheads have come to love. Other recipes have called for Saaz, Centennial, and Liberty hops to balance out the sweetness and give the beer a needed kick.
WATER: In its simplest form, water is characterized as being

like the pale sun as it rises over a hillside, and it just begs to be consumed. Its glorious color and vibrancy are attributable to the pale and Munich malts that provide the base for this great beer. The barley is the key ingredient in a beers appearance, and it acts as a foundation for the other ingredients to leverage when creating the perfect balance. Pilsner and Vienna malts have also been used in the Belgian IPA, as these barleys help create character without darkening the beer. If youre making a vegallon batch, youll need to start with 10 to 15 pounds of malt.

either hard or soft. Hard water has a higher concentration of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, which are helpful when making an ale, as they add to the upfront bitterness. Soft water is generally used when making a lager, as it resembles the water found in the regions of Bavaria and Pilsen, where these beers originated. The key to making a good beer is to start with clean water that is free of pollutants such as iron, manganese, nitrate, and suldes. With a Belgian IPA, we are looking for calcium levels to be about 50-200 parts per million (ppm) and sulfate to be about 80-100 ppm. This will help lend a dry character to the beer along with accentuating the hops and enhancing the protein coagulation during the brewing process.

: [27]

BEER ANATOMY

VARIATIONS
THE PROCESS
Belgian beer gives good head.

There are two schools of thought when making the Belgian IPA: rst, its a Belgian Tripel but with a shit ton more hops. Or: its an IPA made with a Belgian yeast. This might seem like picking the y shit out of the pepper, but youll nd that going about it one way may produce better results, and your customers (or free-loading friends) will be more likely to want more of one particular version than the other. The other variation to the mix is whether to use European or American hops. As the birthplace of the hopheads, American hops are much stronger and tend to generate the desired taste and aroma that most folks here in the U.S. are looking for. My advice would be to follow all recipes for making a Belgian Tripel and hop the hell out of it.

hat makes brewing a Belgian IPA so different from any

other beer? For starters, this beer is a combination of high alcohol from high-yielding Belgian yeasts paired with generous quantities of hops. So to get the booze levels up to par, youll be adding Belgian candied sugars to supplement the fermentable sugars extracted from the barley during the steeping process. Given the extra sugars awaiting transformation into alcohol and CO2, be sure to include

extra yeast; otherwise, youll end up with a really sweet beer, which is not what you are aiming for. It often helps to make a high-concentrated wort that the yeast can sharpen its teeth on prior to pitching it into your beersort of like pulling the choke on that old chopper thats sitting in your garage, and letting that baby roar. Because were making an IPA, youll also use some generous additions of hops all throughout the boil that will help add bitterness to balance the beers sweetness. Dry-hopping is another aspect of the Belgian IPA, meaning that hops are added after the boil to enhance the avor and aroma prole.

[ 28] :

BEER ANATOMY

CHARACTERISTICS
APPEARANCE >>
Imagine that you are riding shotgun in an old-school biplane, sweeping over the wheat elds at the break of dawn just as the sun peeks over the horizon. As the sun begins to illuminate the sky, that vibrant yellow glow that weakens your pupils is reminiscent of gazing into a freshly poured glass of Belgian IPA. Frothy and rich, the beer dances along the sides of the glass as its poured, with a deep golden base hoisting up a thick, bubbly white head. These beers are typically quite effervescent with tons of bubbles skyrocketing off the base of the glass and propelling themselves to the top. Holding the beer up to the light, you should see a slight haziness backed by a stunning vibrancy that immediately whets the palate and drops your jaw in awe as you prepare to go in for the kill.

We actually have pictures of the beer listed in the article?

AROMA >>
The yeast and hops of a Belgian IPA clasp each other like Argentinian tango dancers as they swoop across the surface of the beers head and waft into your olfactory zone. Light, tropical breezes scented with peaches, mangos, and pineapples waft from the beer, thanks to the lively Belgian yeasts that are screaming to be consumed. As you draw away, hints of a conifer pine forest linger in your head and alert your senses to the high-alpha hops used in dryhopping. The citrusy scent of this glorious beer makes it a prime candidate for pairing with a Mexican breakfast scramble, as you would Champagne and orange juice.

TASTE >>
Crisp, dry, and refreshing, the Belgian IPA engulfs the senses with a bouquet of orals sparking on the tongue yet mellowed by a clean, hoppy aftertaste. Rich and vibrant, the carbonation crackles on the palate, opening with a sweet citrus-like avor and rounded out by a delectable piney character. The combination of Belgian yeast and aromatic hops makes the beer surprisingly easy to drink and allows it to sneak up on you if you let your guard down. Nothings ner than sitting in your Adirondack chairs with your neighbor, enjoying the early morning with a gentle breeze at your face and sipping some Belgian IPA while watching your wives mud wrestle in bikinis. Ahh the good life.

he rich, bold avors of the Belgian IPA can be harnessed only by other strong, aggressive tastes, to prevent one from overpowering the other. In the cheese arena, smoked gouda and aged sharp cheddar would be an excellent base for Flying Dogs Raging Bitch to strut its hoppy character. In the Carnivores Corner? Throw some peppercorn steaks on the BBQ so you build up a hefty thirst that will be quenched only by Green Flashs Le Freak. If you prefer a bit of an Asian kick, Fort Collins The Incredible Hop is one hell of a great combo with some spicy Pad Thai Chicken and noodles. If youve got a sweet tooth, nothing beats a little crme brle paired with some Houblon Chouffe Belgian IPA. Cheers!

FOOD PAIRING

[ 30] :

SERVING
Given the higher alcohol content of the Belgian IPA combined with the uber hoppiness, the typical glass for serving this beer is the Tulip. This stemmed glasswares bulbous bottom accentuates the beers golden glow and enables peak viewing pleasure when raised at eye level. Tilting the glass and holding it up to the light reveals a slight haziness coupled with voracious effervescence, ready for the quafng. The carbonation from these beers rushes to the surface and builds up a generous white head roughly two ngers in width and collects a hefty hop aroma. This trophy-like glass demonstrates the beers superior quality and class when compared with a traditional pint glass or stein. The opening of the glass enables ample breathability of the beer and allows it to spread its wings and ripen like a fresh hop clove. Given the higher-than-average alcohol content of the Belgian IPA coupled with the heavy hops, youve got a recipe for mucho generosity when it comes to serving temperature. Tasting a beer is a combination of temperature, viscosity, scent, and your bodys ability to absorb these properties. Beers served too cold will freeze your taste buds and limit your ability to enjoy all of the beers qualities. Serving a beer too warm may bring out some of the unwanted characteristics, along with challenging your inherent expectations for something cool and refreshing. Belgian IPAs are best served in the 40- to 50-degree range, thereby maximizing the beer avor potential without compromising its thirst-quenching capabilities.

GLASS:

TEMPERATURE:

Raging Bitch... great beer name.

COMMON BELGIAN IPAs

Bear Republic Crazy Ivan Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp Coronado Happy Daze Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA Flying Dog Raging Bitch Fort Collins The Incredible Hop Fort George Roses on Roses XVIth Chapel Great Divide Belgica Green Flash Le Freak Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Belgian Tripel Marzonis Belgian-style Double IPA Mayower Audacity Of Hops Midnight Sun Belgian-Style IPA New Belgium Lips of Faith Belgo IPA Rock Art American-Belgo IPA Sixpoint Belgian IPA Southampton Trappist IPA Stone Cali-Belgique IPA Terrapin Monks Revenge Urthel Hop-It Walking Man Divergent

STATS
BELGIAN IPA

ABV

>>

6 - 12%

: [31]

THE ONE YOUVE BEEN

FOR

LONGING

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Why do we always invent reasons to drink?

[ 34] :

HOMEBREW

D E W E R B E M O H SPREADING

words & photos: Rob Sterkel

ts that time already. Summer is over. Leaves are covering the grass you worked so hard grooming all summer, and the sounds of college football drift through the neighborhood. As you stand in the garage, peering out at this seasonal transition, you take a drink of homebrew. The beer complements the crisp autumn breeze, and its depth and complexity warm you as you prepare to nish ripping out the dried remains of the vegetable garden. After that, its time to get busy. Time to get brewing for the holiday season the most wonderful time for a beer.
Like the seasons, what we brew and drink tends to transition as well, from the light, thirst-quenching beers of summer to biggerbodied, robust brews full of character and warmth for fall and winter. The colors get deeper, and the avors are often more malt-forward and toasty. No matter how, or even if, you celebrate the holiday season, its a great time to express your brewing creativity. To me, some type of holiday beer is appropriate at least from early October to the end of January. That doesnt mean youll be sucking down Pumpkin Ale for a quarter of a year; there are many styles and recipes that t every festive occasion. Every year, I seem to wait until I want to drink holiday beers before I think about making them. Thats too late and rules out anything that needs to age or cold condition for any amount of time. These are beers to make in August or September and even earlier. You might not be in the holiday mood when you brew it, but you will be when you drink it. So put it on your schedule and start early. Youll thank yourself for brewing your holiday batches before the days get much darker.

r e e h C y a Holid
SEASONAL
STYLES
to it; its as easy as tweak-

}
What makes a holiday beer? Theres really no trick
ing an old recipe to raise the malt and increase the alcohol content, then offsetting that added sweetness with more hops, spice, fruit, or other additions. Many big beer styles are available year-round, but winter is the time when breweries release special holiday beers. Youll find some of the freshest examples of these at a good local microbrewery if youre fortunate enough to have one close by.
Probably because the world is boring.

Certain styles can evoke the holiday mood without spice additions and high alcohol. Even if youve never been to the birthplace of Oktoberfest, you know nothing says fall like this smooth and malty German lager. Typically made in the spring at the end of the traditional brewing season, it was stored in cold caves over summer and served in the fall. Its a bit of a challenge for homebrewers to brew a clean, balanced lager. Time, temperature control, and cleanliness are essential. That great malt character comes from Vienna or Munich malts and is allowed to shine, thanks to a cool fermenting yeast strain. Hop bitterness is moderate, and noble varieties are most authentic for the style. Commercial examples include Paulaner, Ayinger or Samuel Adams Oktoberfest, Victory Festbier, and Gordon Biersch Mrzen.

OKTOBERFEST/MARZEN LAGERS

{
: [35]

HOMEBREW

Rob used to send us a gift of his beer...now we just see pictures. Sad.

Though not a style itself, pumpkin ales have become synonymous with fall, at least in the U.S. This beer actually falls under the Spice, Herb, and Vegetable category of the Beer Judge Certication Program. The addition of pumpkin is a bit of a novelty, and by itself, does not provide much of the avor. Roasting the pumpkin meat rst, especially with brown sugar, will add avor and a nice color.
Roasting also converts the starch in the pumpkin to fermentable sugar. If you can nd them, the smaller pumpkins grown for pies have more avor than those grown for ornamental use. If you use canned pumpkin, make sure it does not contain preservatives. The spice additions are what give this beer its avor. Allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and whatever else you would spice a pie with are added to the beer during the boil or in the fermenter. Ideally, you want the base beer to be prominent and the spice to play a avorful but supporting role. Be careful when using potent spices like cloves. If you overdo it, the spice character does fade over time. Then you can enjoy your pumpkin ale on New Years. Commercial examples include Buffalo Bills Pumpkin Beer, Shipyard Pumpkinhead, Saranac Pumpkin Ale, and Dogsh Head Punkin Ale.

Pumpkin Pie SPICED ALE

s the days get shorter, beers with a little more alcohol and body, and perhaps some spice, brace us for winter. Something darker with rich body and a warming nish is a perfect t for the cold months. Being a beer of somewhat higher alcohol content, its good that the winter holidays typically include friends and social gatherings to allow sharing. These beers are sippers. Half the fun of drinking them is savoring the wide range of aromatics, avors, and color. Descriptors like Christmas cookies, gingerbread, spruce trees, or mulling spices are commonly used. Pairing these beers with artisan cheese or baked goods is a sure hit at parties. The base beer style often has a malty prole that supports the balanced addition of any spices or special ingredients. Spice additions usually include those evocative of the season, such as allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, citrus peel and fruit additions. Additional fermentables like molasses, invert sugar, brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup provide another layer of avor as well as a little more alcohol. Commercial examples include Harpoon Winter Warmer, Goose Island Christmas Ale, North Coast Wintertime Ale, Great Lakes Christmas Ale, Samuel Adams Winter Lager and Troegs Mad Elf.

CHRISTMAS/WINTER or Spiced Ale

[ 36] :

HOMEBREW

HOLIDAYS TO BREW FOR

eer lovers have their own special holidays that they celebrate aside from the traditional ones. You could have a dozen holiday homebrew recipes to commemorate a date any month of the year. Here are a few to get you started.

Yes we will be making those cookies.

Homebrew Legalization Day October 14. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed H.R. 1337, which contained an amendment creating an exemption from taxation for beer brewed at home, making it legal to brew for personal or family use. Its still illegal to brew in a handful of states, but thanks to the efforts of homebrewers and organizations like the American Homebrewers Association (AHA), progress is being made. Learn to Homebrew Day Saturday, November 3, 2012. The AHA established this day of learning and sharing in 1999 to encourage people to homebrew. This is a great hands-on introduction for beginners, as well as information for homebrewers wanting to move to more advanced procedures. Learning sites will be listed on the AHA website, www.homebrewersassociation.org, as the date nears. Repeal Day December 5. On December 5, 1933, the United States repealed the 18th Amendment and reinstated the constitutional right to consume alcohol. King Gambrinus Day April 11. Gambrinus is the unofcial patron saint of beer and is usually credited for adding hops to malted brews that supposedly led to something near to what we drink today. National Homebrew Day Saturday, May 4, 2013. The AHA posts recipes well in advance of the date so brewers around the world can unite and produce the same beer for the Big Brew, which commemorates the holiday. Any day that ends in y. Nuff said.

THE GIFT OF HOMEBREW

If you have friends who enjoy your homebrew, theyll welcome it
as a gift any time of the year. (That is, if it doesnt suck.) To add even more to the gift, pair your beer with cheese, chocolate, or a tasty dessert in a basket. A catchy label makes a nice presentation and conversation piece. A card hung from the bottles neck with a recipe that includes some of your homebrew is fun as well. A basket of homebrew and bread you baked with spent grains is a welcome treat in the cold of winter.

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RECIPES r e w e r b e m o h For the

recipes: Rob Sterkel 8 lbs. 2-Row Malt 1 lb. CaraPils Malt 1 lb. Biscuit Malt 8 lbs. Canned Pumpkin 1 oz. Cascade Pellet Hops (60 min.) Spices 60 minutes: 1 tsp. Cinnamon tsp. Nutmeg 20 minutes: 1 tsp. Cinnamon tsp. Nutmeg 2 minutes: tsp. Ginger tsp. Ground Cloves 1 tsp. Cinnamon 1 tsp. Nutmeg 1 tsp. Coriander (Crushed) 1 Pack US-05 Dry Ale Yeast

HOMEBREW

PUMPKIN SPICE ALE

5 GALLON, ALL-GRAIN + PUMPKIN RECIPE

CINNAMON
5 GALLON, ALL GRAIN RECIPE
10.25 lbs. 2-Row 1 lb. Flaked Oats 8 oz. Dark Munich Malt 8 oz. American Chocolate Malt 3 oz. Roasted Barley 8 oz. Toasted Barley Flakes 4 oz. Torried Wheat

OATMEAL STOUT

.5 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet Hops (60 min.) .5 oz. Saaz Pellet Hops (30 min.) .75 oz. Cascade Pellet Hops (10 min.) 1 Cinnamon Stick at (60 min.) 1 Pack Wyeast 1056 American Ale Yeast Procedure: Mash grains at 150 for 60 minutes. Sparge with 170 water. Boil for 60 minutes making hop additions. After cooling, transfer to fermenter. Pitch yeast when the temperature is near 70. Ferment at 75-80. Add 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks into the fermenter after primary fermentation has slowed (2 to 3 days.) Keg, chill and carbonate, or bottle with priming sugar and let condition at room temperature for three weeks before refrigerating. Comments: Stouts are a winter staple beer. The addition of cinnamon gives this one the avor of the season. If you keg, add the cinnamon directly to the keg. The avor will increase the longer the contact time, but if consumed when it reaches it s peak, it s an easy option. OG 1.060 FG 1.012

tsp. Irish Moss or 1 Whiroc Tablet (10 min.) Cup Corn Sugar for Priming Procedure: Caramelize the pumpkin on cookie sheets by baking at 350 for about 1 hour. The pumpkin will turn a dark brown color on the top layer. While baking pumpkin, follow standard procedures for mashing and sparging grains. Mash grains at 153 for 60 minutes. Sparge with 170 water. Take the wort to a boil while adding the caramelized pumpkin and rst spice addition. Boil for 60 minutes making hop additions. After cooling, transfer to fermenter. Pitch yeast when the temperature is near 70. Ferment at 75-80. Keg, chill and carbonate, or bottle with priming sugar and let condition at room temperature for three weeks before refrigerating. Comments: There will be a tremendous amount of trub and pumpkin that settles out during fermentation. A tasty fall brew. Variations can include toasted pumpkin seeds in the mash, honey, molasses or Cardamom. OG 1. 056 FG 1. 010

[ 39] :

BEHIND THE BREW

The oldest brewery in fort collins offers more than just GREAT beer
They offer great people
words & photos: Derek Buono

Fort Collins is awesome.

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It might sound slightly rude to say this, but technically, if youve seen one brewery, youve seen them all. Inside, youll find lots of stainless steel piping, some hot boiling water, some grain, a wonderful smelling hop
room, and some bottles and kegs. If youre lucky, theyll also have a few taps to pour out their product at its freshest. The great thing about all these similar factories is that their products are all different, and the people within make each one a place you want to visit despite the industrial digs. Odell Brewery became one of my favorite breweries about five years ago when I was lucky enough to get a press sample. Their IPA was one of the best we had tasted, and it became our highest scoring beer at the time and also started my personal love affair with their products. Balance was the one word that always came to mind when I described their style to people. Never did they seem to want to brew a beer for the purpose of making a statement or to follow a trend; they simply wanted to make great beer. Their IPA didnt try to be to bitter, just to say it has lots of IBUs, and their line of sour beers doesnt try to be too sour, either. Every beer seems to be well sorted and easy to love. So for me to get to visit Odell and hang out in that stainless-steel-piped institution is one of the highlights of my beer career. The added bonus was that I got to meet lots of wonderful Odell employees, eat a burrito with Doug Odell, and hang out at their spectacular Small Batch Festivalall in the same weekend.

Legend has it Odell was Dereks favorite brewery.

Beers

CLASSICS 90 Shilling Easy Street Wheat Levity Amber Ale 5 Barrel Pale Ale IPA Cutthroat Porter SEASONALS Red Ale St. Lupulin Isolation Ale Woodcut SINGLE SERVE SERIES Pond Hopper Foot Print Friek Saboteur Shenanigans 4-PACKS Myrcenary Double Pilsner Mountain Standard

Stats

LOCATION: Fort Collins, CO OWNERS/FOUNDERS: Doug Odell, his wife Wynne, and his sister Corkie FOUNDED: 1989 CAPACITY: 65,000 bbls (est. for 2012) DISTRIBUTION: CO, AZ, NM, NE, WY, KS, SD, MO, MN, ID EMPLOYEES: 67 BREWERS: Bill Beymer (head brewer), Brent Cordle, Jeff Doyle, Scott Dorsch, Michael Fannon, Jake OMara, Linsey Cornish, Jake Bailey

: [41]

BEHIND THE BREW

The Tour
Brewers always wear the wrong shirts.

The walk through the brewery revealed a very clean, well-kept, and organized brewery. The building looks mountainous from the outside, but the brewery is pretty standard. The barrel room is a great treat for those who love beers of that nature, and if youre lucky enough, as I was, you might be able to do some barrel tasting! Of course, theres most beer geeks favorite part of any brewery: a wonderful-smelling hop room.

[ 42] :

Who doesnt love barrel rooms?

: [43]

BEHIND THE BREW

Dear Rental Car... Dougs Burrito wasnt supposed to leak all over the seat.

This is what many will come to experience. The tasting room has a nice, cozy feeling with 14 taps offering a great variety of their more common Odell liquids and a wonderful selection of pilot beers that test the waters of future offerings and even push the boundaries of beer. Their system to get ights (or pints, if you wish to stick to bigger glasses) is unique. You simply walk up and order pre-xed ights, then move on down the line and pick up the tray at the end. Every time Ive been to the brewery, the tasting room is full of peopleall of them smiling. Be sure to bring lunch since they dont serve food, but thankfully, the wonderful downtown area of Fort Collins is just a short walk down the street, and you can eat all sorts of food and nd lots of taps of Odell, too.

The Tasting Room

Interview with

DOUG ODELL

heres no better way to learn what a brewery is all about than to sit down with the founder. Doug Odell isnt flashy; he wont be making faces and printing them on stickers, but at the brewery hes very involved in the daily operations and after talking with him, youll understand why the beer is so good and the employees all speak so highly of him. I got to sit and share a beer with Doug, and we talked for over an hour about where Odell Brewing came from and where it is going.
What have been some of the challenges of getting bigger?
Early on, it was getting equipment in fast enough. The rst few years, we had some really high growth, and it was hard to get tanks as fast as we needed them. After about ve or seven years, it was me learning how to delegate some of the tasks and give employees the opportunity to take on more responsibility. Im not a born manager, so it was hard to let go. I realized that it was sustainable for me, and I remember leaving the brewery for the rst time and leaving some employees pages of instructions I realized then that I just needed to give people a chance. What we found was that once we gave them that opportunity, our employees were a lot more engaged in the business. There is more to happy employees than just money, and I feel like engagement is one of the things that makes people love their jobs more.

Why did you open the brewery in Ft. Collins?

Back in 1988, when I rst wanted to open a brewery, I was living in Seattle and even back then, I thought there was too much competition for a brewery. You had Bridgeport, Red Hook, Portland Brewing, Grants, and it was pretty well developed. We looked elsewhere around the West and found that the front range of Denver was a good spot, and since my sister lived in Ft. Collins, its where we ended up. Turns out it was a pretty good decision. There were a few brewpubs around when we opened, but we were the rst packaging brewery in Ft. Collins.
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What was the first beer you brewed?

Our rst beer was simply called Golden Ale, which we no longer brew. We were such novices at this, but I wasnt sure what the area was ready for, since craft beer, and fuller body beer, wasnt known. So I started out with an all-malt beer, which had some hops and color but wasnt

extreme in any way. A few weeks later, I brought out 90 Shilling as a winter warmer and that took off and became very popular, and its still our number-one-selling beer to this day. Weve evolved in our ways and use more hops and make bigger beers, but thats where we are now.

dinner, on a cold night or with friends, I really enjoy sharing a bottle of Woodcut.

walked into my brewery, I walked up to him and thanked him for not hiring me! I probably wouldnt be here right now if he had.

What was the beer that changed your thoughts about what beer is and what it can be?
Anchor Steam. I was going to school at San Francisco State in 1978 and responded to a job listing that a local brewery needed cleanup help. I knew at that time that Anchor was the only brewery left there. So I went down and I got the job emptying the mash ton and scrubbing out the brew kettle. When I realized how people looked at Anchor beer as being different and distinctive, it was pretty amazing. Id go to a party or event and as soon as they found out that I worked there, they wanted to hear all about the beer and what happens there. Even though I probably had the worst job in the brewery at that time.

Whats the game plan for the future of Odell?

Our game plan is the same, and its a system called managed growth. We have growth goals that we feel are reasonable and allow us to be a healthy company, make good beer and be a good member of the community. We project that well have 10% growth each year, and so far, were holding to that. We want to grow to help our employees have more responsibility and opportunity. If we grow slowly but surely, we hopefully wont see any drastic changes in the product. And I dont want to be so big that I dont know everybody and I start to feel a disconnect. Weve kept our rate of growth where we want it by limiting our distribution.

Has that beer changed at all over time?

No! Well the only change I made was, since it was just a seasonal, I brewed it to about 6.2% and the second brew, I decided that since it was so popular and going to be an everyday beer, that it might be too big. Back in 1989 that was a big beer, but I dropped it to 5.2% and its been the same ever since.

At what point did you realize you were going to get bigger and expand?
Our rst full production year was 1990, and it was about then I started getting calls for beer in Boulder, and I just hauled it down there myself in my pickup once a week. When that kept building and I started to get calls at 9 p.m. asking to come x a line where the CO2 was simply turned off, I thought it was time to get a distributor to take care of the rest of the state so we could focus on the beer. Right now, we only self-distribute in a 10-mile radius from the brewery, which is still about 15% of our total production. Seventy percent of our total production is still in Colorado.

Where you into brewing before that job?

Yes, I was a home brewer, but just using extract, and I wasnt really happy with the results. I learned how to grain brew in the early 80s in Seattle.

Is it scary getting a new brewhouse these days?

Our current brewhouse is 17 years old and has done us well. To meet our growth, we need a new brewhouse, and weve done lots of traveling and research on this over the past few years. I think we understand the new technology, but we will have to learn the new system. It will be easier for our brewers.
Derek would like to open an Odell Speakeasy at his house.

Were you going to school to be a brewer?

No, I was going to school for geology at the time, and I eventually transferred to Sonoma State since I wanted to live up there. As soon as I decided to leave SF, Anchor offered me a full-time brewing position. I really had to think about that, and if it hadnt been the shift that started at 3 a.m., I might have taken it! But I decided to get my degree instead. Brewing always stuck with me, though, and as I got better at brewing, and breweries started popping up in the Pacic Northwest, thats when I started thinking about doing it for a living. Another beer I really enjoyed up in the PNW was Grants Scottish Ale. That was the hoppiest beer I had ever had to that point. I tried to get a job at Redhook, and Paul Shipman, the president, just wouldnt hire me. Years later when Paul

What states are next? Hopefully, California where I live ... hint hint!
Were not scheduled to be in any new states this year, but after our new brewhouse comes in, we will have the capability to spread out, but we still wont. I like regionalism in products like beer. I like to travel to different parts of the country and get a feel for that area through its food and beer. When I go to California, I like to get beer thats local. So in Laguna Beach, which I frequent, there are a few beers on tap that I cant get here, and I enjoy that.

Whats your favorite beer of all the ones you make?

[Laughs] How many people actually answer that question with just one beer?

I just keep asking until they answer it! We all have a favorite beer, dog, or kid!
I like the hoppier beers we make, so I usually drink the IPA and if Im in the mood for something a little less hop forward, I go for the 5 Barrel Pale Ale. There are certain times, like after

Odells Small Batch Festival (left) drew thousands of beer drinkers, most of whom rode bikes. Three beer stations and a lot of people meant you had to wait in line, but the end result was getting to sample some great Odell beer and hang out all day.

f you are thinking about where to go for a beer-cation we think that heading to the Fort Collins Area should be one of the top choices. The downtown vibe is amazing, and there are lots of breweries to visit. Odell makes great beer and has great people working there. There might be no better place to spend a few days and enjoy a great brewery.

: [45]

MONKEY PAW

Monkey Paw
SCOT BLAIR ISNT MONKEYING AROUND; HES SERIOUS ABOUT BEER.
Scot only rocks one T,, but still spells beer with 2 es.

MONKEY PAW BREWING AND PUB

words & photos: Derek Buono

805 16th Street, San Diego, CA www.monkeypawbrewing.com

f you live in Southern California, specifically the San Diego area, and you like beer, odds are youve been to Hamiltons Tavern. This small, cozy bar started a great trend in that area, and owner Scot Blair has become sort of a legend since he has now built his craft beerthemed empire into four bars and a brewery. It isnt easy to track the bearded beer baron down, but if you get the chance, the amount of information, opinion, and humor youll be met with will rival the scene in The Goonies where Chunk confesses to fake-puking in the movies. Its that intense. You might just have to fight to get some words in, but the ex-Marine will show you some love by letting you sip your beer while he tests the limits of your comprehension and note-taking speed.
[ 46]:

Over the past few years, Scot has expanded his nest to include Hamiltons, Small Bar, Eleven, Monkey Paw, and Monkey Paw Brewing. Loyal patrons might not realize that this evil beer genius stacked a production brewery next to a new pub so it looks like a brewpub, but in fact, its two separate entities. We took the good old 15 freeway down to visit and talk to his new brewer, Derek Freese, to nd out what they were doing down there. The pub and brewery are located in an up-and-coming area, and their beer is already nding its way to better bars in the area. Ever dream about opening a brewery? Or how about being the head brewer? Derek gave us some interesting insights into what it takes. Turns out, its just being annoying and persistent, and drinking lots of beer. Who would have thought Monkey Paw would be the rst brewery in the San Diego area to can beer, too!

The Beers

Monkey Paw started off with some not-so-average styles of beer. Brown, Stout, and an Oatmeal Pale ale were among the rst beers offered, but since then, a steady stream of beers has been produced that will surely tickle your beer fancy. Most of the beers are normal strength, but a few low and high strength beers are on the tap list as well. Gose to Double IPA all round out a solid house beer list that is also complemented by a wonderful rotating tap list of 32 taps and a variety of bottles!

The Food

You dont come here if youre dieting or expect ne dining in any way. The vibe of the pub is relaxed, and so is its menu. The theme is cheese steaks, and they dont try to foo-foo up the classic combo; instead, they embrace some high-quality ingredients and use the sticky, gooey, American cheese that makes them so much better. Wafe fries were cool when I was a kid, and they are back with a few ways to order them: plain, cheesy, or Piggyback which adds shredded pork, melted sharp Cheddar, and fresh green and red onions. Yeow. There is a salad for those who need to cut calories, and wings are available in a variety of styles, too. Overall, the food is simple, good, and easy on the wallet.

If you dont like any of these bars... you probably suck.

Banana in the Tail Pipe

San Diego is one of the worlds craft beer hot spots. The craft beer bar scene has blossomed into a full-blown movement, and Scot Blair has been at its leading edge. Owning one successful bar isnt an easy task, and now having four of them, plus a brewery, is just simply insane. Thankfully for all of us beer lovers, Scots insanity now gives us Monkey Paw Brewing, and we suggest that if you are able to visit, you get there immediately because the place is bananas.

: [47]

MONKEY PAW

He is wearing a wolf shirt under that button up.

Interview With

Derek Freese
Derek is Monkey Paw Brewings head brewer. We cornered him between tanks and made him pour us a beer while we asked him about Monkey Paw, his role, and how he got it.
Is this your rst commercial brewing job? Yeah; I was a homebrewer before this, and I was homebrewing for about ve and a half years before I started brewing here. Now, Im sure this is probably every homebrewers dream; how did you get this job? So, about a year before Scot called me to offer me the job, I was working for Sony just doing software stuff, and I got laid off. Severance was good enough that I decided to be unemployed for a while and start working toward writing a business plan to open up my own brewery. About when I was ready to nd nancing, he offered me this job, and so it seemed like a really good way to get into the industry without putting hundreds of thousands of dollars down on my own neck, essentially. How did you know Scot before this offer? I met him through Hamiltons; I was just a patron there, and when I started homebrewing, I wanted to decide whether my beer was good enough to give to people, so I started bringing him stuff. And then he had a B3, which is a pretty advanced homebrew system, in his backyard that he

[ 48]:

never used, and I asked him if I could borrow it and after about a month of me asking if I could borrow it, he said yeahand its been in my garage ever since. After that, everything I made, I would give him a couple bottles of because I was using his system, and everything just got better and better, and he liked everything I was doing and he knew I needed a job. I think it was just the right place, right time, and I think he likes what I come up with and how I make things. So your advice to future homebrewers is, rst of all, borrow somebodys equipment? And then bug em? Yeah, yeah, you know. And then just try to get them drunk as much as possible until they offer you a job? Thats pretty much it. [laughs] You know, its funnypeople ask on homebrew forums and Probrewer all the time, like, how did you get started in the industry, and one in ten are like: I went to Davis and got this; its who you know, its being passionate, its being obsessive, anal, and aggressive, and putting yourself out there. And I have a big enough personality that Im not really afraid to say what I want, when I want, and I know that it probably helped that I was that loud and obnoxious around Blair. What was the biggest difference of homebrewing coming to a professional system? What was the Oh shit moment when you realized this was more complicated than homebrewing? Its actually not that complicated; the system itself is not that complicated, but knowing hop utilization on a larger kettle, the dimensions of the kettle, makes a difference in the math that you use to balance that stuff. So, really recipe formulation was the biggest trick, and beyond that, its just

learning how to clean a system like this, basically just the things that you dont normally do at your house. We dont use acid or caustic at home, so learning how to handle chemicals herelearning how to pitch yeast, and how to dry hop, and how to get beer to ferment out in the right amount of time to really turn beer over fast enough. This helps you can keep production schedules how you want them to be. Most of the learning was actually more on the business side rather than the brewing? More than anything because its routine, and you put water at a certain temperature with grain, and there: thats your mash. And if youre hitting the numbersif this says 153 because this one said 179, thats the same as at home. Its just bigger, and you get more grain out of it. But really, its the same kind of thing. Its just business is the big difference, and then, you know, cellaring and learning how to keg off beer and stuff you wouldnt normally do at home, it has been a bit of a learning curve. There are proper cellaring techniques, like when to drop it to 50, and then to 32, and all of that kind of thing. Just keeping proper schedules so you have healthy yeast, and maintain proper fermentation thats really what I got out of it. [pause] So far. [pause] Hasnt been that long. [laughs] and I guess Ive been super lucky too, because were so close to so many good breweries, if I have any questions, Colby from Ballast Point, or Chuck from Green Flash theyve answered my questions within 15 minutes. This is a fairly popular beer area. Is it easy for a brewpub to compete with 52 other world-class breweries? Do you nd people coming here strictly for your beer? Sure, we get a lot of people who walk in and when they see that we have our own beer, theyll buy our beer because its from here. We have

All breweries really do look the same.

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MONKEY PAW
some people who come here specically because we are a brewpub; business did increase when we started actually having our own beer on tap. And I think it just offers something unique that you cant get anywhere else. People might come in and even if they dont like it, maybe theyll switch to something else, or maybe they came in because their friends were here, but then they realized that we have something different that theyve never had before. We get all kinds of people from down the street at Mission, and theyll say Oh yeah, theres a brewpub over there and theyll come up from there, or they tried it at Coronado, or at Wine Lady, and theyre coming over to see what else we have. Its a bit of a mixture of bothI dont think the market is saturated just yet. I think theres probably a little more room for a couple more breweries. But at the same time, a couple of the more average breweries will probably get pushed out. I think as long as youre making a good beer, people will drink it. I think theres enough room in the world for more beer. What is your favorite beer that youve brewed here so far? Sweet Georgia Brownthe English brown that we make.

That beard is growing to EPIC proportions. EPIC.

So youre a brown fanis that your favorite style of beer? Its just that I love malty beer; I mean, I like hoppy beers, Im an IPA fan too. I like just about anything, no matter, just depending on how hot it is outside But Ive always been a huge brown and porter fan. Nautical Nut by AleSmith is probably my all-time go-to beer, and so just having a

beer in that style was important to me, and I love that beer and I like the new ones, too. [laughs] Its hard to pick a favorite, sometimes, but

Sometimes everybody has a favorite.

that ones my favorites. Yeah.

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COFFEE + BEER

COFFEE + BEER
We team up with Bayhawk and Augies Coffee to make a Coffee Porter
words & photos: Derek Buono
Who doesnt drink their breakfast?

offee. Beer. Coffee. Beer. These words have some similar traits. First, the obvious: they both have two es in them. That alone indicates that they are at least cousins, but the real connection is that they are both brewed liquids, and once you acquire a fondness for either, you cant stop drinking them. Theres a legend floating around Facebook (so its either true or made up) that contends coffee was invented so we could wake up in time to start drinking beer, or depending on what time you got in the ending to drinking beer (well that and a Super Bird from Dennys). These two great liquids are both so diverse and so full of different flavors that its hard not to want to mix them together. Wait! You didnt think coffee had a huge depth of flavors? Well, just as beers have a tremendous range of flavors, so do coffees. Local roasters are now popping up to deliver a coffee experience previously unimaginable. Blueberry, peach, raspberry, and a variety of flavors can all be found in coffee, but you do have to find places that can offer it done right.

Since were huge fans of coffee beers here at the magazine, we thought wed do a little cross pollination, so we invited Bayhawk Ales of Irvine, Calif., to bring their recent bronze-medal-winning Chocolate Porter out to Redlands, Calif., to visit Augies Coffee. Augies is a local roaster who also happens to love beer. In fact, we met the owners while drinking beer, and this is how we came up with this glorious idea for an article. We used our pull to convince Bayhawk and Augies to set up a tasting session where we all went over four coffee options and then put each of them into the beer to see its effect, and in the end, choose a roast that complemented the Chocolate Porter enough to release a special edition of it. If youre local to Southern California, youll be treated to a tasting of the coffee and beer at Killarneys in Riverside, but even if you cant come sample our creation, you can use this article to expand your coffee awareness and, possibly, build a beer like we did.
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= Breakfast?
Special Thanks: Bayhawk Ales, Augies Coffeehouse, Killarneys Irish Pub
Coffee is a fruit.

Cold Press Iced Coffee

C
old press coffee is the preferred method of infusing coffee avors into beer. The night before we met up, Augies made three or four batches of various beans at a ratio of 2:1 water and coffee. This method also extracts the most caffeine, since its directly related to how long the water is in contact with the bean. We then tasted each variety as iced coffee rst to get the avors.

: [53]

COFFEE + BEER

Juan looks much different than I remember from the commercials.

The Coffee

COLOMBIA GERARDO COLLAZOS

For this, we used the ratio of 1 part coffee to 3 parts water. This had a slightly watered-down avor. We got lots of hazelnut, milk chocolate, and caramel in this but the ratio was off, which showed that getting the ratio of ice to water is very important.

GUATEMALA ANTIGUA HUNAPU

This one had some earthy aroma, deep caramel, and some fruit on the nose. Tasting gave a wonderful chocolate, cherry skin tartness, and some nice caramel. There was a residual sweetness that left a very nice aftertaste.

EL SALVADOR SAN JUAN BOSCO

The aroma was slightly less intense than that of the rst one. Citrus/pithy notes and bitterness were very upfront. It nished with some caramel and was very dry. The avor was more intense than our rst samples.
[ 54]:

ESPRESSO BLEND
This was their house blend of the El Salvador and the Colombia beans, and it did combine the best of both beans. It had a very robust chocolate nose, and mixed in the fruitiness and tartness very well. It nished dry and pretty clean.

The Beer

BAYHAWK CHOCOLATE PORTER (7.2%)

was our beer of choice. We thought that the light notes of chocolate combined with some roasted notes werent overpowering and could work perfectly with coffee.

97 PARTS BEER, 3 PARTS ICED COFFEE

The next step was to see how the two liquids blended together. After a brief discussion about ratios for beer, we decided that a 3% blend of the coffee would be a starting point. We took 100ml of beer and added 3ml of cold press coffee to each, then sampled. The results were somewhat surprising and very fun to taste.

BEANS MATTER?
Beer and coffee share lots of things, and one of them is the difference in quality and avor. Most of us who read this magazine understand some differences in the quality of ingredients but may not understand that all roasting is not the same. Lots of coffee roasters burn their beans, and the result is coffee that all tastes the same, because it loses some of the fruity qualities that occur naturally in the fruit. The best way to describe the importance of roasting is to get a slice of cheap grocery-store bread and a piece of wonderful artisanal bread from a great bakery, and burn them both. They will pretty much taste the same.

Coffee does go with other styles. We just like this one.

6% > 3%
After tasting all the coffees blended at 3%, we found the avors to be very different. The aromatic El Salvador put a great nose in the beer and dried out its nish. The Guatemala added a nice coffee avor into the beer and complemented its chocolate notes. It added a bit of residual sweetness to the beer that wasnt there with the coffee or beer alone. The espresso blend added a nice combination of both, but we felt after tasting it that the Guatemala was the bean that made a great coffee beer. After we selected the coffee, we then experimented with the blend percentage and found that 6% coffee really amplied the avors and created a rich avor prole that was exactly what we wanted.

COFFEE INFUSION
Adding iced coffee to beer is one way to get great coffee avors, but weve experimented with a coffee bean infusion, which most have seen as a Hop Randal. This is running beer through a lter that has whole beans, and it adds a completely different avor to the beer. We experimented with a few beans in this method because our plan is to do an event with the coffee used this way. It was really amazing how some of the beans completely changed the avor. One of the varieties actually infused so much fruit avor that many thought if we were given it blind, wed say it was a fruit beer!

his experience was actually very fun, very educational, and very repeatable for everybody around the country. Finding a local roaster isnt the easiest task in the world, but much like craft beer movements, they are popping up all over. Try them out and ask them if they are interested in doing something similar; odds are, they will be on board in seconds. Our experiment will produce a locally released Bayhawk/Augies Chocolate Coffee Porter that will be available around the Southern California area, and well be using our coffee-infused Randal at events in the area, too.
: [55]

Coffee and Beer

BEER GEAR

Can you make beer underwear?

Beer Gear A
lot of people who read this magazine dream about working in the beer industry. They think that working with beer means you just travel around, hang out at bars, drink a lot of beer and smile a lot. Some of that is true, but mostly its a fast paced, fun job that takes a lot of time and love. Then there are the people who take their love of beer and make it their job, and Mindy Humphrey is one of those. She took her passion for beer and made a business out of old boxes and six packs. Beer Magazine discovered her via a random post on Facebook showing the song Beer by Reel Big Fish Mindys brothers band. From there she showed us her awesome collection of Beer Gear, and we thought wed share it with our readers. If you want a cool, fun, brewery-themed wallet, purse, or luggage tag, Mindy will fire up her sewing machine and make that happen!
[ 56]:

COMPANY: Mindys Beer Gear FOUNDED: 2010 OWNER: Mindy Humphrey

BIO: I moved from Southern California almost 6 years ago to the Portland, Oregon area. Thats when my love for beer blossomed. WEBSITE: www.etsy.com/shop/MindysDesigns CONTACT INFORMATION: mindys_designs@yahoo.com PRICE RANGES: $8-$25 PRODUCTS: cuffs, wallets, luggage tags, headbands, purses, belts
How did you come up with the idea of creating beer-themed gear? I thought the name Bridgeport across the six-pack box of Hop Czar would make an excellent bracelet. Plus, my favorite cats name is Bridgeport. Then I tried making a Ranger wallet for my brother. It snowballed from there, as people responded well to what I came up with. Were you into beer rst? Since I was 21 (because thats when you start drinking, right?), I have always enjoyed trying new-to-me beer. I used to think I was pretty tough when Id nish a bottle of Spaten Optimator on my own. Then I found BJs in Brea, CA, and started going every Thursday night to try their latest batch of Cask. Thats when I was turned onto the romance of drinking something craft and locally made. I had no idea I would end up in Portland, OR, someday. Boy, was I in for it.
Made in America!

: [57]

BEER GEAR

Hey we love our next beer too!

What is your favorite beer, and what is your favorite piece youve made? Id have to say my favorite beer is the next one Im trying for the rst time. My latest favorite styles are Saisons and Farmhouse. Im most proud of my wallet design, but my favorite piece has to be my latest messenger bag. Im a Ralph Steadman fan, so my favorite beer boxes to cut up are from Flying Dog. Are the pieces just made of the cardboard boxes? Most of my creations are made from sixpack and four-pack carriers. Im also able to use bottle labels and larger boxes. I just have to peel the corrugation apart from the larger boxes. Ive been experimenting with used grain sacks by making them into growler bags and totes. They are pretty cool, but grain sacks are a little harder to come by. Do you think more women or men buy your products? Sales are pretty evenly split between men and women. But a lot of my sales to women are gifts for their male loved ones. Lately, Ive been taking orders for groomsmen gifts, which I think is a fantastic idea. I also work with several breweries scattered across the U.S. to make merchandise for their gift shops. Im no marketing expert, but I get comments on my personal Yeti wallet and 10 Barrel Brewing bag almost every day, and that has to mean something. Way more attention than if I wore the t-shirt. Plus, many of my customers go out and purchase beer with the intention of sending me the box ... and then drinking the beer.
[ 58]:

Can people create custom products? Can they send you their material for you to make them a wallet? I welcome custom orders. Theres satisfaction in making something unique for a customer and knowing that they will be super excited to receive the nished product. I have an impressive collection of boxes, and if I dont have what you want, you can send a box my way. Its fun to receive boxes from breweries that Im unable to purchase at home. Even better if the customer sends me extra. Doesnt everyone save those things, thinking there must be something awesome that can be done with them? Send em to me!

BEER KITCHEN

Make Bread!
Loaf in with Oatmeal Stout Wheat Bread
recipe: Joanna Buono photos: Derek Buono
Liquid bread meet... bread.

t feels like its a thousand degrees outside, and I find myself longing for cooler weather: that first early autumn day when the weather begins to feel ever so slightly crisp. Time for sweaters, yeah! Living in Southern California, that first crisp day is still a long way off even though the calendar says September. Autumn weather makes me want to cook things that simmer for hours on the stove or linger at lower temperatures in the oven, perfuming the house with rich aromas. Its also the perfect weather for baking. So Im going to do what any normal person would do on a really hot day while dreaming of fall: bake some bread. Ive come to love baking bread; its a process, and I like that. Ive loved cooking and baking forever, but bread was one of those things that always seemed a little daunting. Once I started making my own and feeling comfortable with the process, though, I started experimenting. Lately Ive been experimenting with wheat breads, so while sipping a Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout, I thought it only natural the two should meet.

[ 60]:

Tools Stand Mixer with Dough Hook Deep Bowl Plastic Wrap or Tea Towel 5 x 9-inch Loaf Pan Wire Cooling Rack

MAKES: 1 5 x 9-inch loaf DIFFICULTY: 2.5 (Scale of 1 to 5) SUGGESTED BEER: Firestone Walker Velvet
Merlin Oatmeal Stout

Eat solid bread and drink liquid bread at the same time.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose our 1 cups whole wheat our cup Vital wheat gluten 1 12-oz. bottle Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout (at room temperature) 1 tsp. active dry yeast 1 tsp. kosher salt 2 tbsp. light molasses (not blackstrap)

Set Aside for Later:

1 egg white at room temperature 2 tbsp. oatmeal (not quick-cooking)

: [61]

BEER KITCHEN

The Method
You can tell Joanna loves her bread. She made the article longer.

1. Combine both ours and the Vital wheat gluten in the bowl of a stand mixer. Make a well in the center of the our. Slowly pour in the beer, followed by 2 tablespoons of light molasses. Sprinkle 1 teaspoons of active dry yeast over the liquid. Let sit for 10 minutes. 2. Using your mixers dough hook, mix the ingredients together on a low speed until all the our is moistened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt and mix for a minute or two longer. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let rest for 20 minutes. 3. Knead the dough for about 7 minutes. You want the dough to slap against the sides of the bowl, so adjust your mixer speed accordingly. The dough should be smooth, not sticky, so 7 minutes is an estimation. 4. Lightly oil a deep bowl and place the dough in the bowl, turning it over once to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 hours. It will double in size. 3

Hands-on

T
[ 62]:

his loaf can be made entirely by hand the old-fashioned way without the ease of a stand mixer and dough hook. Kneading by hand will take a little longer than using a mixer, roughly 15 minutes give or take. Itll be stinky work at rst, but once the dough becomes smooth and is no longer sticking to your hands, its ready to rise for 2 hours and you can sit back and admire those nicely toned upper arms.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oured board and begin patting it into a rectangle. You can use a our-dusted rolling pin to help with this; just dont roll it like a maniac. A light touch is all thats needed. Once you have formed a rectangle and the dough is about half an inch thick, fold one end over about two-thirds of the rectangle, then fold the other end over thatlike folding a letter to put in an envelope. 6. Starting with one of the shorter ends, begin rolling the dough as tightly as possible until you have a log. Roll the log back and forth until it is the same length as the loaf pan. Pinch the long seam and the ends so they dont look like cinnamon rolls and place, seam side down, in a lightly oiled loaf pan, carefully tucking under the ends so the loaf ts snugly and looks neat. Once again, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let rise for 1 to 1 hours.

Lots of steps to basically say... roll it.

The ends of the loaf will resemble cinnamon rolls so be sure to pinch the ends closed to make a nice neat loaf. Then tuck the ends slightly under to get a snug t in the pan for the nal rising before baking.

: [63]

BEER KITCHEN

And we end with a sandwich... perfect.

7. When the loaf has risen, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Separate one room temperature egg. The egg white is the glue that will hold the oatmeal on the loaf and make the top glossy. With a pastry brush gently paint egg white over the top of the loaf. (You need only a small amount, not the whole egg white.) When the top is lightly coated, carefully sprinkle and pat on about 2 tablespoons of oatmeal. 8. Pop the loaf into the oven on the center rack and bake for 40 minutes. When done, turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

hen the weather begins to cool and the leaves start turning brilliant colors, fill your home with the scent of baking bread. Use it for sandwiches or toast, or eat a slice buttered, warm right from the oven. This is a versatile and easy loaf of bread youll be sure to make again and again.

[ 64]:

TASTE TEST

TASTE TEST
Ratings
60-70 A Little Rough Around the Edges 70-80 Recommended 81-90 Highly Recommended 91-100 Beer Magazine s Top Choice
Remember. Simple is good.

WE LIKE THIS TEST

ach month we taste a wide range of beers. Our panel of tasters range from the average beer drinker to some of the most experienced tasters in the country. This method helps provide a more accurate impression of what a typical beer drinker can expect. Of course, every persons tastes are different, and even if we dont like a beer, it doesnt mean

you wont. All of our beers are rated on appearance, aroma, taste/body, and nish. Our weighted scale favors the tasting side of the beer and is based on a 100-point scale. All testing is performed in the beers appropriate container, in a range of temperatures, and with all scores averaged.

ummer beers should be light and refreshing. Alaskan summers probably arent as hot as in some other parts of the country, but youd never guess it from this brewerys take on a Kolsch. The color is a nice golden yellow, with a head that, surprisingly, is missing. The aroma has light notes of honey, oats, and some oral. The taste is smooth, with a honeylike sweetness and a very silky, easy drinking mouthfeel. This is a lighter beer that doesnt try to kill you with avor or alcohol, so whether youre wrestling a bear in the woods of Alaska or getting an amazing sunburn in the record heat, this beer will quench your thirst and deliver a nice, light avor prole, too.

Alaskan Brewing SUMMER ALE

94
O
V E R AL
L

OUT OF 100

TIN G

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40) (out of 35)

8 14 38 34

Golden yellow head wasnt too rad. Honey, grain, some oral. Honey, some oat and grain, and silkily delicious. Smooth, with some bitternessgreat!

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Alaskan Location: Juneau, AK Style: Kolsch Website: www.alaskanbeer.com Price: $7.99 / 6-pack bottles Alcohol Percentage: 5.3 % International Bitterness Rating: 18 Glass Recommendation: Pint Availability: Summer

[ 66] :

90
O
VERA

OUT OF 100

TIN G

his brewery went from being a little brewery in Indiana to being an award-winning little brewery in Indiana. The Chaka is a collaboration with Oskar Blues, and the Belgian amber pours out of an aluminum bottle and into a glass to reveal a great-looking amber-mahogany color and a head that doesnt stick around too much. The avors are banana bread, spicy rum, dates, and clove, all balanced very well and not overpowering. It nishes soft with a little bit of rummy sweetness. The aluminum bottle stands out, and the beer does too.

Sun King Brewery CHAKA BELGIAN-STYLE AMBER

his is a collaboration beer that we think should be collaborated more often, because its double and extra all in one bottle. Pop the cork and pour this into a tulip, and youll get some wonderful tropical aromas like pineapple, mango, herbal tea notes, stone fruit, and yeast components. The taste is a work of art, as its very tropical fruity with peach, mango, and pineapple, and also mixes in some nice, malty sweetness and bread in the middle. The beer has a very refreshing quality that makes you want to drink more. The nish is dry, and theres a nice bit of juiciness left over that coats the tongue. This is a slight mix of American and English beer styles.

Odell Brewing POND HOPPER DOUBLE EXTRA PALE ALE

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40) (out of 35)

8 13 36 33

Nice-looking amber-mahogany head wasnt as big as wed expected. Banana bread, spicy rum, dates, clove, light. Raisin, clove, banana bread. Soft nishes with a slight rummy sweetness.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Sun King Brewery Location: Indianapolis, IN Style: Belgian-style Amber Website: www.sunkingbrewery.com Price: $9.99 / 4-pack Alcohol Percentage: 5.4% International Bitterness Rating: 45 Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Limited That aluminum bottle is currently our favorite.

95
O
L

V E R AL

OUT O 100 F

TIN G

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40) (out of 35)

10 13 38 34

Orange, mango, a nice cloudy orange with a brilliantly white foamy head. Yeast dominant, musty, fruit can come through: mango, tropical fruit, pineapple. Super tropical fruit, peach, mango. A nice sweet, bready middle. Nice and dry, with a little bit of tropical left over.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Odell Brewing Location: Fort Collins, CO Style: Extra Pale Website: www.odellbrewing.com Price: $13.99 / 750ml bottle Alcohol Percentage: 8.9% International Bitterness Rating: 36 Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Summer Release

: [67]

TASTE TEST

ometimes you can only get beers in a variety pack, and this summer offering from Shiner is just that. Prickly Pear is a cactus fruit, and we were curious to see whether this worked. The beer is a nice, deep orange, very clear and bright, and a nice head sits on top. The aroma is cactus pear, a sweet Pez-like tangy orange that smells sort of articial, but we all seemed to like it regardless. The taste was really well balanced and not as sweet as the aroma had led us to expect. There is a ton of fruit, oral notes, and juicy berry, all wrapped together. It nishes sweet with a juice-like linger. This is a very approachable beer for those who might not like beer avors, and wed sip this during the summer and feel pretty manly doing it.

Spoetzl Shiner PRICKLY PEAR

94
O
V

ER

ALL

RA

TIN

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
Minus points for calling a beer a style... then saying its not.
(out of 10) (out of 15)

10 13 38 33

Nice amber, deep orange, clear and a great head. Cactus pear, Pez orange/fruit sweet/candy smells; somewhat articial but inviting. Delicious; not as sweet as the aroma. Fruit comes through, but balanced; very juicy, and thirst-quenching with a berry nish. A little sweet and sticky; juice-like.

Aroma: Taste:

(out of 40)

(out of 35)

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery Location: Shiner, TX Style: Fruit Beer Website: www.shiner.com Price: Only in variety pack - $15.99 Alcohol Percentage: 4.9% International Bitterness Rating: 20 Glass Recommendation: Pint Availability: Summer Variety Pack

87
O

ER

ALL

Grand Teton Brewing SNARLING BADGER

R ATIN

T O OU 00 1

erliner Weisse is becoming more popular and as we see more of them deviate from the low ABV of the style, we start to wonder when styles end. This version of a Berliner Weisse isnt really in that style at all. The appearance is a nice, hazy straw yellow with a bright white head. The aroma is packed with wheat and green banana, sort of like soggy Cheerios with bananas. The avor has some tartness but not what the style should be; instead, there is some banana, lemon, and green apple. The nish is a little sticky and sweet. Despite being called something we dont agree with, it works fairly very well as a double wheat.

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40) (out of 35)

OF OUT 0 10

8 12 35 32

Hazy yellow hay and straw. Bright white head. Wheat, some green banana, and soggy Cheerios with banana. Slightly tart but sweet, banana, some lemon, green apple. Finishes pretty dry and refreshing and leaves a little bit of alcohol, too.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Grand Teton Location: Victor, ID Style: Berliner Weisse Website: www.grandtetonbrewing.com Price: $8.99 / 750ml bottle Alcohol Percentage: 7.5% International Bitterness Rating: 15 Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Year-round

[ 68] :

91
O
L

V E R AL

AT

OUT OF 100

Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing BIG EDDY IMPERIAL IPA

ING

t pours a lovely orange, hazy mahogany color with a nice head. The aroma perks up your senses with some candy corn, earthy notes, caramel, and toffee. The avor is robust toffee, coffee, sweet tobacco notes, orange bitters, and lots of malt character. The more you drink this, the more you feel youre drinking a good barleywine and not a double IPA. The nish is nice and leaves a little bit of sweetness. This is a big beer that packs lots of avor into a small bottle. Those who are used to more mainstream beers will nd that this one takes you for an unexpected ride.

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40) (out of 35)

10 13 36 32

Darker mahogany and orange. Candy corn, earthy, caramel toffee. Toffee, coffee-esque sweet tobacco, orange bitters, malt and English barley. Good nish; a little sweetness hangs around.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Jacob Leinenkugel Location: Chippewa Falls, WI Style: Double IPA Website: www.leinie.com Price: $10.99 / 4-pack Alcohol Percentage: 9.0% International Bitterness Rating: 75 Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Summer Release

Spell check is required to spell Leine...

os Angles beer is getting better all the time, and this IPA from Eagle Rock is proof. The beer sits in a glass and shows off its yellow/orange hay color with a nice, white head and good carbonation. The aroma is full of bitter orange, grapefruit, and some toffee notes. The taste was a nice balance of hop avor with a nice coffee/ toffee sweetness that is sometimes missing from IPAs that choose to just showcase hops. The caramel backbone was appreciated by all. The hops lasted throughout the entire taste, and they denitely do not let you forget youre drinking an IPA. LAs beer scene is growing, and this IPA from Eagle Rock is proof.

Eagle Rock Brewery POPULIST IPA

92
O
L

V E R AL

OUT O 100 F

TIN G

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40) (out of 35)

9 13 37 33

Nice-looking hay with orange tints, white head, and some good carbonation bubbles. Bitter orange, grapefruit, light toffee. Nice hop avor of pine, citrus rind, and some herbal balanced with a nice coffee-toffee sweetness. Hop avor all through the taste, and a nice balance of sweet.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Eagle Rock Brewery Location: Los Angeles, CA Style: India Pale Ale Website: www.eaglerockbrewery.com Price: $6 / 22 oz. bottle Alcohol Percentage: 7% International Bitterness Rating: 71 Glass Recommendation: Tulip Availability: Year-round

: [69]

TASTE TEST

rodo might be happy to see craft beer in New Zealand, and so are we. EPIC Brewings Pale Ale delivers a deeper amber color with a big, sticky head. The aroma delivers a nice mix of lighter honey, grapefruit, and some nice malty undertones. The avor is very balanced with some citrus, toffee, and caramel background that reminds of us more of an English Pale. It nishes nice and light with some of the sweetness coming through. In terms of the word, this isnt an epic pale, but its good and we like to see other countries making good beer like this.

Epic Brewing PALE ALE

87
O

E R ALL

OUT OF 100

ATIN

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40)

9 12 34 32

Amber, raw honey, big head, sticky. Grapefruit, oral, some honey. Nice balance, sweet, some light citrus, toffee notes, caramel background. Lighter in nish, with sweet notes nishing out.

Aroma: Taste:

If you live in the US... buy US Pale Ales.

(out of 35)

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Epic Brewing Location: Auckland, New Zealand Style: American Pale Ale Website: www.epicbeer.com Price: $3.99 / 12 oz. bottle Alcohol Percentage: 5.4% International Bitterness Rating: 45 Glass Recommendation: Pint Availability: Year Round

91
O
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E R ALL

OUT O 100

ATIN

rack this beer open and pour it into your favorite glass; youll see a good-looking golden orange color with a nice, white head. The aroma is light, with notes of grain, hay, and Cheerios oats. The avor is very light and the beer goes down the hatch smoothly. Youll get nice notes of grain and honey, and some slight bitterness that all works together very well. The label mentions intense hop additions, which we dont think are in there, but this is just a solid Imperial Pilsner that kicks up the punch without overpowering at all.

Gordon Biersch BRAUMEISTER SELEKT IPB

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40) (out of 35)

9 12 36 34

Nice golden orange, with a nice white head. Slightly hazy, but good looking. Grain, hay, Cheerios, apple, and some light sweetness and earthy notes. Very refreshing, easy drinking. Honey up front with some nice oats and some slight bitterness at the end. A nice, clean nish but not as over the top as the intense wording on the label implies.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Gordon Biersch Location: San Jose, CA Style: Imperial Pilsner Website: www.gordonbierch.com Price: $8.99 / 22 oz. bottle Alcohol Percentage: 6.5% International Bitterness Rating: 50 Glass Recommendation: Pint Availability: Summer

[ 70] :

89
O
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OUT O 100 F

TIN G

eers can have all sorts of ingredients, and some of them will never be tasted when you sample them. Shorts Anniversary Ale isnt one of those. You pour this beer into a glass, and you get a glowing orange/red that has some pink highlights and a head with a pink hue. The aroma is sweet orange, some earthy vegetal notes, and some peppercorn, too. When you nally take in the aroma, you get just what the ingredients state. You are assaulted by blood orange, and then pepper punches your taste buds. The wheat adds some mouthfeel and complexity, but it was almost like we were sampling a avor-changing gum. The pepper controlled the experience even after you swallowed, which most of us thought was a little too much. We would never think of putting pepper on our blood oranges, but in the end, this strange mixture actually works. Youre not going to get a keg of this and drink it every day, but the experience is not to be missed.

Shorts Brewing ANNIVERSARY ALE

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15)

10 13 35 31

Aroma: Taste:

(out of 40)

(out of 35)

Finish:

70 65 60 55 Sweet orange and some nice deep peppercorn; vegetal. 50 45 Blood orange assault followed by a punch of pepper. Read the 40 label, and you taste it all. Its like a avor-changing gum with 35 an immediate switch to the next avor. 32
Blood orange hints, amber with pink highlights. White head with pink hue. Finished peppery, and a little bit of spice.
Brewery: Shorts Brew Location: Elk Rapids, MI Style: Fruit Beer Website: www.shortsbrewing.com Price: $11.99 / 6-pack Alcohol Percentage: 10% International Bitterness Rating: 63 Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Spring Release

We like the easy name... Six.

eers can be named to be funny, or they can just be named after a number. Six from Upright pours a nice-looking brown/red with a killer head that almost reminds us of the ice cream in a root beer oat. The aroma gives you lots of dark chocolate with a nice citrus orange mixed in. There are some nice rummy notes, and toffee, cherry, and peach, too. The avor encompasses wonderful notes of cherry, toffee, raisin, and natural chocolate. We couldnt really nd the rye tang that we expected but we didnt miss it, either. It nishes dry and almost evaporates off the tongue, leaving you wanting more. American Belgian-style beers are getting better all the time, and this one is awesome.

Upright Brewing SIX

94
O
V E R AL

AT

OUT O 100 F

ING

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40) (out of 35)

10 13 38 33

Brown red, with a sick head that looks like the ice cream in a root beer oat. Dark chocolate, citrus, rummy, spice, toffee, cherry, peach. Cherry, toffee, raisin, and chocolate. Dry and light.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Upright Brewing Location: Portland, OR Style: Rye Website: www.uprightbrewing.com Price: $12 / 750ml bottle Alcohol Percentage: 6.7% International Bitterness Rating: 25 Glass Recommendation: Tulip Availability: Year-round

: [71]

TASTE TEST

like turtles! Terrapin has done some great beers in their time, and this one marks their 10th anniversary. The beer pours out a glowing, hazy orange and scarcely has a head. In the aroma, there are anise, tart fruit, coriander, orange, and other citrus notes. Once you take a sip, the avors reveal orange peel, a coriander explosion, and a sweet creamsicle-like smoothness mixed with ginger, chamomile, and honey notes. The nish has lots of the spice notes hanging out and letting you think about what you just drank for a bit. This is a big beer, so get it while you can.

Terrapin Beer Company SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ALE

89
O

V E R AL

OUT O 100 F

TIN G

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15)

9 12 35 33

Glowing hazy orange with a slightly small head. Anise, tart, coriander, orange citrus. Orange peel/coriander explosion, anise candy, orange creamsicle, ginger, oral chamomile, honey. A little sticky on the spices, but a good lingering.

Aroma: Taste:

Math on bottles makes our brains swell with knowledge.

(out of 40) (out of 35)

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Terrapin Beer Company Location: Athens, GA Style: Belgian-style Strong Website: www.terrapinbeer.com Price: $13 / 22 oz. bottle Alcohol Percentage: 9.969% International Bitterness Rating: 30 Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Limited

89
O
V

ER ALL

Midnight Sun Brewing MAMMOTH EXTRA STOUT

OUT O 100

ATIN

ome may think you need a beard to drink stouts from Alaska, and they might be right. The Mammoth Extra stout pours into the glass like a deep, dark, Alaskan winter night. The head is a nice, thick tan, and you can watch some cascading of the carbonation in the glass. The aroma is light and has some slight fruit, mineral, and some cocoa. The darkness of the beer gets lighter as you drink. The light mouthfeel is a nice surprise, and the avors are lots of cocoa, some herbs, fruit, and a bitterness that doesnt turn us off at all. The nish has some raw cocoa and a slightly charred avor, and some pepper from the alcohol.

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40) (out of 35)

10 11 35 33

Deep and dark like an Alaskan winter, nice tan, frothy head, cascading look stains glass oily. Slight fruit, mineral, and cocoa. Nice light mouthfeel, lighter than expected, cocoa, and slight tart/bitterness at the end, herbal. Slight raw cocoa and a charred avor; maybe alcohol pepper?

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Midnight Sun Brewing Location: Anchorage, AK Style: Extra Stout Website: www.midnightsunbrewing.com Price: $7.99 / 22 oz. bottle Alcohol Percentage: 7.8% International Bitterness Rating: 50 Glass Recommendation: Tulip Availability: Year-round

[ 72] :

90
O
V

ER

ALL

Stone Brewing RUINATION 10TH ANNIVERSARY

R ATIN

OF OUT 100

uination was a beer that you either loved or hated. Full of in-your-face bitterness was the plan. After 10 years of that beer, Stone decided to give it some attention and offered this limited release. It pours into your glass a very pretty, hazy orange with a foamy, off-white head. The aroma is best if youve got this fresh, as most hoppy beers are, but even if its a little bit aged, it delivers a stink fest of orange, pine, resin, herbal, and even some cider notes. The avor is stickthick and oily. Orange-peel bitterness, pine, and grassy notes all coat your teeth and offer your palate a polite vacation from proper use for a while. The nish is long and bitter, but thankfully, a nice buttery sweetness helps make the beer easier to drink than pure hop blood. Its hard to think that even 10 years ago, Ruination was something people would drink, and now that beers this extreme are common, its nice to see Stone giving it some love.

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40) (out of 35)

10 13 35 32

Nice hazy orange with a nice, slightly off-white head. Orange, pine, resin, herbal, and cider. Orange peel, grapefruit, pine, resin, and a little bit of sweetness showing up. Bitter but almost ends buttery sweet.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Stone Brewing Location: Escondido, CA Style: Double IPA Website:www.stonebrew.com Price: $7 / 22 oz. bottle Alcohol Percentage: 10.8% International Bitterness Rating: 100+ Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Limited

What! Its not a collaboration beer?

e tasted this beer a year ago, and it was great. This newest version steps up the game a bit and delivers a hop assault on your senses. The beer pours a lovely, hazy orange amber with a nice frothy head. Dip your nose close, and you get slapped with orange, tangerine, candied citrus, pine, and some caramel bringing up the rear. Getting your taste buds wet is a treat, and youll get a huge amount of pine, grapefruit rind, and some tropical fruit. You really have to stretch to get the caramel and malt, but you can if you ignore the hops. The hops coat your mouth, and youll be immune to subtle hop avors for the rest of the day. We love it.

Hopworks Urban Brewery ACE OF SPADES

94
O
V E R AL

AT

OUT O 100 F

ING

THE RESULTS
Appearance:
(out of 10) (out of 15) (out of 40) (out of 35)

10 13 38 33

Pretty hazy orange amber with a nice head. Tons of orange, tangerine, candied citrus, some pine and caramel. Danky! Hops really kung fu chop you in the face! Nice hop kick of pine, citrus, rind, and some hints of caramel. Sticky hops and bitterness teach you how bitter and hoppy beers can be!

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Hopworks Urban Brewery Location: Portland, OR Style: Imperial IPA Website: www.hopworksbeer.com Price: $9 / 22 oz. bottle Alcohol Percentage: 9.0% International Bitterness Rating: 100+ Glass Recommendation: 100+ Availability: Spring Release

: [73]

S T A G G E D N A PUKES S
BEER GAMES
During this photo shoot. Dereks great white butt was seen.

E K U P R
words & photos: Derek Buono

emember all the games we used to play as kids? Mouse Trap, Life, and maybe even a little Chutes and Ladders?

What simple games they were, and what fun they were. Were

lucky we couldnt drink beer back then

because Chutes and Ladders might just have done our 7-year-old asses in! Now

that were old and mature, those games just arent really that fun well, unless you have a beer in hand. Beer makes every dumb game of rolling dice and counting more interesting. We could have just made up a game using Chutes and Ladders, but it seems some bored company that likes to drink beer beat us to it, and a few years ago, they released Pukes and Staggers. Its still a simple game of rolling a die and counting squares, but those squares! They are much more than just a color; they tell you to do dumb things. Lets all put underwear on our heads and get a little crazy this weekend.

Open the box, pull out the board, pick a color. and roll the single die.

THE SETUP

1)

ITEMS NEEDED
Pukes and Staggers board game 2-8 players Bruvado Beer: The ofcial beer game beer of Beer Magazine

2)
[ 74] :

If thats too complicated. sit down and re-evaluate where you are in life.

S R E G G A TS S E R
OBJECT OF

THE GAME:
Win. Make it to the end without deciding you need to take a nap or use the bathroom, becuase the oor is cold and uncomfortable.

Unfortunately for all of us... it was Derek with his underwear off.

: [75]

BEER GAMES

Hopefully this company that made this game is still around.

HOW TO
PLAY
Roll the die, and move your little colored peg ahead. Read the square, and do what it says. There are no cards to lose, but squares commands can be simple, like Take 4 drinks, to fun stuff like movie quotes, removing your underwear and wearing it on your head, truth or dare, or even body shots. If you land on a puke slide, you follow the trail down. If you nd some staggering footsteps, you get to move ahead. The crazier your friends are, the better, and while it might be fun to play with a bunch of dudes women always make these things more fun.
oard games are fun. Board games that involve drinking are more fun, and board games about drinking? Do we have to even say it? Of course, drinking games dont mean you have to do the shots it says, or drink 32 beers to have a good time. They are about hanging with friends, or getting that person you like to take off their pants in front of you. This game is worth picking up and having on stand-by in case your party needs to be taken up to Legendary.

[ 76] :

BEER LIST

GREAT PLACES TO HAVE A BEER

Arizona
Prescott
The Raven Cafe 142 N. Cortez St. 928-717-0009 www.ravencafe.com TAPS: 36 BOTTLES: 350+ Craft Beers FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: No. Beer/Wine only

Los Angeles
Blue Palms Brew 6124 Hollywood Blvd 323-464-2337 www.bluepalmsbrewhouse.com TAPS: 25 BOTTLES: 80+ FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: Yes

San Diego
Hamiltons Tavern 1521 30th St. 619-238-5460 www.hamiltonstavern.com TAPS: 30 BOTTLES: 200+ FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: No Small Bar 4628 Park Blvd 619-795-7998 www.smallbarsd.com TAPS: 42 BOTTLES: No FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: Yes Eleven 3519 El Cajon Blvd 619-450-4292 www.elevensandiego.com TAPS: 16 BOTTLES: 15 FOOD: No SPIRITS: Yes

Temecula
Killarneys Restaurant & Irish Pub 32475 Temecula Pkwy 951-302-8338 www.killarneys.com TAPS: 17 BOTTLES: 70+ FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: Yes

If you visit a place seen here tell them where you saw it.

Redlands
Eureka Burger 345 W. Pearl Ave Ste.130 909-335-5700 www.eurekaburger.com TAPS: 10 BOTTLES: 35+ FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: No

California
Claremont
Eureka Burger 570 W. First St. check website www.eurekaburger.com TAPS: 30 BOTTLES: 15 FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: No

Connecticut
Willimantic
Willimantic Brewing 967 Main Street 860-423-6777 www.willibrew.com TAPS: 20 BOTTLES: No FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: Yes

Riverside
Killarneys Restaurant & Irish Pub 639 Riverside Plaza Dr 951-682-2933 www.killarneys.com TAPS: 23 BOTTLES: 100+ FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: Yes Marios Place 3646 Mission Inn Ave 951-684-7755 www.mariosplace.com TAPS: 6 BOTTLES: 25+ FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: Yes The Salted Pig 4205 Main St. www.saltedpigriverside.com TAPS: 13 BOTTLES: 45 FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: Yes

Fresno
Eureka Burger 7775 N Palm Ave Ste 106 559-320-1300 www.eurekaburger.com TAPS: 30 BOTTLES: 15 FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: No

Florida
Tampa
World of Beer 9524 West Linebaugh Ave 813-852-2337 www.wobusa.com TAPS: 35 BOTTLES: 500 FOOD: No SPIRITS: No

San Gabriel
Stuffed Sandwich 1145 E. Las Tunas Drive 626-285-9161 www.stuffedsandwich.com TAPS: 9 BOTTLES: 700 FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: No

Hayward
Buffalo Bills Brewery 1082 B Street 510-866-9823 www.buffalobillsbrewery.com TAPS: 5 BOTTLES: 5 FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: No

Seal Beach
Beachwood BBQ 131 Main St. 562-493-4500 www.beachwoodbbq.com TAPS: 22 + a Cask BOTTLES: 150 FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: No

Long Beach
Beachwood BBQ & Brewing 210 E. 3rd Street 562-436-4020 www.beachwoodbbq.com TAPS: 36 + a Cask BOTTLES: 30 FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: No
[ 78] :

ADVERTISE YOUR BAR OR RESTAURANT HERE

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BEER OF THE MONTH

SIERRA NEVADA/RUSSIAN RIVER

Beer is art, so it was shot on art.

brux C
words & photo: Derek Buono

ollaborations are all the rage right now in the

industry. If you could choose two breweries to get who would you name? To dream up its rst

together and come up with something interesting, mass-produced beer with Brett, Sierra Nevada

chose the legendary Russian River Brewery as a partner. In true Sierra Nevada form, they took the concept and came up with a magic device to add the Brett to the bottle and eliminate the risk of contaminating their entire brewery. The result is a wonderful take on a wild ale using

both breweries strengths. A wild yeast strain from Russian River, a rened, smooth beer from Sierra Nevada, and Brett to make it change over time. They said they were making a beer to honor their friendship and that this beer will improve over time. We cant say whether that will really happen, but if this beer is this good now, we are excited to see how it changes in the future. Will it still have hair? Will it gain weight? Or will it just taste better? Only time will tell.

[ 80] :

HEAD: The head wasnt as frothy as we expected, but it did stick to the glass as we drank it. The odd thing is, we got a great carbonation stream, but it didnt make a giant headjust a small, consistent one. APPEARANCE: Once you decide if you want to swirl the yeast before you pour or try the settled method, you can pour it ino your favorite glass. We chose to provide a little agitation to get some of the yeast in suspension, and the result was a hazy, glowing orange. Its really a pretty beer. AROMA: Digging your nose in for some of the aroma reveals a nice, subtle pear, spice, and some mild citrus/coriander. Brett fans might not nd too much of what is often described as funky, and they might feel its missing. We, however, thought it was good that it was missing. Over time, this aroma may change and get funkier. TASTE: If the two breweries think of this beer as their friendship, then its a good, strong friendship. You can taste the two breweries personalities in this beer, and youll notice that its very drinkable right now; young, but drinkable. The avors are bright and sharp. Its very dry and almost evaporates from your mouth before you can get it down. Its mixed orange, lemon, green apple, and lemongrass, with a touch of caramel and a hint of bubblegum and cinnamon coming through. Its pretty mellow and balanced in its avor. It has a nice, subtle complexity that isnt going to shock your system, it will treat your tastebuds right. FINISH: The nish does leave a little bit of sweetness and green avors, which are both good since you want your friends that way, right? OVERALL: Brux is great. There are lots of complex, subtle avors in there that are all working well together now. Over time, the Brett in the bottle will help the beer change and evolve. We enjoyed drinking this beer now, so its going to be hard to save a bottle to see how it ages, but well try. Two of the best breweries in the world created this symbolic beer. Drink it now with friends, and then drink some next year and the year after that, and discuss how the beer has changedand how youve changed. Take notes on both.

GREAT NOW,

DOWN THE ROAD?

GREATER

Why do we keep saying what the Brux?

BREWER: Sierra Nevada / Russian River LOCATION: Chico, CA WEB: www.sierranevada.com STYLE: American Wild Ale ALCOHOL PERCENT BY VOLUME: 8.3%

STAT S
IBU: 15 CAN SIZE: 750 ml. bottle AVAILABILITY: Year Round PRICE: $16.99 SERVING GLASS: Tulip SUGGESTED SERVING TEMP: 42-52 F

: [81]