‘On the Road’ Articles
Written by Abram on 07 April 2011
In San Francisco on Saturday March 26th, I found myself in the Thirsty Bear Brewpub sitting with Fab Specht who brews with Gary Lohin at Central City Brewing in Surrey, BC. We were hearkening back to hanging out at the Craft Brewers Conference in Portland in 2001. It then occurred that this meant we’d been at these conferences for a decade. I didn’t go for a few years after the Portland conference, until the event returned to Cascadia in 2006 in Seattle, but have seen it grow quite a bit even since then. The standard opening reception in a brewery seems to have been replaced by fancy shindigs in museums. Apparently it is now the Craft Brewers Fossil Appreciation Conference, as, like at the Field Museum in Chicago the California Academy of Sciences brewers were welcomed to the reception gala by a towering tyranosaurus.
The conference included a lot of fun events, including the keynote “fireside chat”with craft beer pioneers Ken Grossman (founder of Sierra Nevada) and Fritz Maytag (savior of the Anchor Brewery). The introduction from Tom McCormick of the California Small Brewers Association, described the family tree of craft brewing, and it was easy to see that we were all gathered at Grandpa Fritz’s knee to hear the stories of the early days. Throughout the conference week the roots of the tree were clearly visible.
Bob Brewer gives a tour of the Anchor brewhouse
Don Barkley, who was the first brewer
“hired” by Jack McAuliffe at the New Albion Brewery (he had to apprentice actually) in Sonoma in 1976 was on hand promoting the beers he now makes at NapaSmith brewery.
San Francisco and Oakland’s beer bars were a testament to that family story. Craft brewers have certainly “gone forth and multiplied.” From the classic Tornado to newer places like the Trappist and Beer Revolution in Oakland, the family is alive and well. There were said to be people from 650 new startup breweries at the conference, showing that that growth continues. There are currently 1717 brick and mortar brewing facilities in the US, up from about 35 in the 1970′s when McAuliffe got his start.
Look for more detailed information on this year’s CBC coming soon.
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Written by Abram on 28 May 2010
Brewsville: Chicago- The Craft Brewers Conference in Chicago was excellent, I finally got caught up in late May, and now I’m back in Chicago, and actually have time to visit some of the places that I didn’t get to during the CBC. I’m sitting in Piece, whose beers impressed me at the CBC opening reception at the Field Museum.
Matthew O'Hara of Beau's All Natural in Ontario with Sue, the tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton at the Field Museum for the CBC opening ceremony
Piece was established in a former roofing company space in the Wicker Park neighborhood in 2001. A huge vaulted skylight and exposed joists make a welcoming open atmosphere. The hooped trusses have interesting 2×6 lattice work connectors. The bar reflects the shap of the trusses, arking around a 22 degree corner which holds the 7 barrel brewhouse and fermentation area.
The impressive thing about Piece are the number of different yeast strains used to produce the nine beers currently on draught. The Golden Arm Koelsch 5% abv has the distinctive perfumey aroma of Koelsch yeast, and a pilsner malt flavor. A Bavarian wheat, and Belgian single (which is like a 4.5% tripel, beautiful bubblegum yeast notes) all employ signature yeast strains. There is also a Belgian Wit, with emphasis on the wheat flavor provided by a dry wit strain.Of the standards the Koelsch is a standout. The Full Frontal Pale Ale 6% is a Northwest-style pale with huge grapefruit aroma and grassy dry-hop flavor.
My favorite beer in the lineup has got to be the Big Black Mariah, a 7.5% porter with just a hint of smoked malt. The smoked malt is a subtle aroma note, but balanced quite well in the flavor with milk-chocolate like malt flavors. One of the reasons I’m such a fan is that it reminds me of Sailor Hagars’ Sherpa Porter, down to the milk-chocolate like mouthfeel.
Tags: Chicago
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Written by Abram on 08 April 2010
Brewsville-Porkopolis (aka Chicago) April 8, 2010: Once known for its massive meat-packing industry, Chicago still prides itself on its meat. Yesterday I had the opportunity to sample the meat in various forms, even in beer form. It started with lunch at Goose Island, which serves up Swan Creek pork, which is raised on the brewery’s spent grain. It was excellent in the pork loin sandwich, in which the succulent pork is thin shaved, and served on a German-style roll. The brewpub also serves pork as bacon, and serves the bacon as beer.
a sample of Goose Island beers, including Burtons Maplewood Farm Maple Bacon Stout
Burton’s Maplewood Farm Maple Bacon Stout 6.5% abv, is served with a garnish of bacon. The garnish presents the drinker with a bit of a puzzle: eat it, dunk it, or drink around it. Not wanting to get grease on my cheek, I opted for the first option. The bacon sweet, soft and mildly smoked. After eating the garnish, the flavor of the bacon used in the beer is subtle.
Later that evening I ended up at the Publican with a number of Oregon and Washington brewers. The Publican is a gastropub, but it is also a shrine to the humble hog. From its iconic image of two pigs peeking from behind a barrel, to the larger than life paintings of porkers that adorn the walls it is clear that they take their pork seriously. The charcuterie plate was fantastic. Highlights were the pork pie, served could with a flaky crust, and the head cheese noir, which was flavored with citrus zest. For the evening the pub was featuring exoctic beers from Three Floyds and Dogfish Head, and oysters flown in from the coasts. As a coastal person eating shellfish in landlocked Chicago didn’t appeal, but apparently with its major airport the city gets fresh seafood daily and the Atlantic oysters I tried were excellent.
Tags: beer and food, Chicago, pork
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Written by Abram on 06 April 2010
Brewsville-Chicago: The Craft Brewers Conference and World Beer Cup draws brewers from all over the world to America’s Second City this week. I got in at 8, met some brewers from Haverhill (prounced Averil (as in Levine) on the L train, and went to Rock Bottom for Ralph Olson’ s retirement party. Ralph has been a hop salesman in Yakima for 31 years for HopUnion. The party was brilliant, with uber-hoppy beers from far and wide pouring at the event, including Oakshire’s Watershed IPA.
This is what retirement looks like
A large contingent of Cascadian brewers were there to wish Ralph well. I felt right at home, and saw a large number of brewers and beer folks from other parts of the US and Canada (well OK, US, Canada and Quebec).
After the Hopunion party, it was off to a Stone/Surly party at Jake Melicks, a beer bar with mad amounts of flatscreen TVs showing sports which reminds me of the Tap and Mallet in Rochester, NY, or St. Augustines on Commercial Drive in Vancouver, BC. Surly founder Omar Ansari went to my alma mater, Macalester College, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the company based in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of the Twin Cities makes some amazing beer. I had Surly’s Schaudenfreude, described to me by the barman as “their take on a session beer” which was like a massively hopped English brown, super malty and tasty.
All evening there were many enlightening conversations about beer, and sustainability. This week will hold many more fantastic conversations over fantastic beer, I’m certain. Stay tuned to brewsville.com for the latest. Cheers.
Tags: CBC, Chicago, Fests, hops, Oakshire
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Written by Abram on 23 March 2010
Brewsville-Vancouver, British Columbia
Maybe its because the queen’s on the money, maybe its because many of the pioneering BC brewers were English, whatever the reason, British Columbians have a great enthusiasm for cask-conditioned beer. Spinnakers, in Victoria hosted its second cask-conditioned beer festival in a year, and Vancouver abounds with cask nights.
St. Augustines on Commercial Drive advertises Cask Night
These weekly events draw a crowd of CAMRA (Campaign For Real Ale) members, and beer enthusiasts. Casks are generally placed on the bar, and served by gravity until empty. DIX Brewing, on Beatty Street, and Yaletown Brewing on Hamilton Street in the heart of Vancouver’s trendy Yaletown neighborhood, are both part of the Mark Jame Group, and offer weekly cask tappings on Thursday nights. The casks range from experimental beers from the host breweries, to casks from brewers throughout the province. The Whip Restaurant and Gallery, located on 4th Street, just off Main holds a cask night every Sunday with different brewers from BC and beyond. (Brooklyn Brewing’s Garrett Oliver, and Elysian’s Dick Cantwell have both hosted tappings of their casks at the Whip in recent years).
St. Augustine’s on Commercial Drive, just north of Broadway, a new sportsbar-cum-multitap takes up the cask torch on Mondays. March 22nd its cask of DIX Grand Cru had been drained by 9pm. The pub’s tap selection is increasing to 50, so the selection on offer was limited to 16 for the change over. One downside to St. Augustine’s is their use of 14 ounce “cheater pints,” which when charging $7.50 for a pint of Deschutes Mirror Pond, is a little ridiculous.
So why such great cask-culture? Part of the excitement about the casks stems from their fleeting nature. Many brewers in BC add herbs and spices directly to the cask. DIX hosts two annual Caskival events, one in summer, and another in December, at which the spices often shine through. Brian MacIsaac, of Crannog Ales in Sorrento, once made a cask of “Droncrem” milk stout, by adding whole milk to a cask of stout for the Okanagan Fest-of-Ales. (the result was rather cloudy, as the milk and beer did not mix so well, but the flavor was enjoyable). Storm Brewing once made a basil IPA, in which fresh basil was added directly to the cask.
Not all the cask beer in Vancouver is served gravity feed, the Alibi Room on Alexander Street offers three rotating casks served on hand-pump at all times. Yaletown serves its ales on handpump in the restaurant, and many other brewpubs boast a handpump or two. The Raven in Deep Cove on the North Shore offers several cask selections. Stay tuned to Brewsville.com for info on upcoming cask events.
This just in from the suburbs- Amberjack’s in Surrey also hosts occasional cask nights, and Taylor’s Crossing Brewery in North Vancouver has a monthly cask night on the first Friday.
Tags: BC, CAMRA, cask conditioned beer, Caskival, Crannog, Deschutes, DIX, Okanagan Fest-of-Ale, real ale, Spinnakers, St. Augustines., Storm, the Whip, Vancouver BC, Victoria, Yaletown
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Written by Abram on 21 March 2010
Brewsville-Vancouver, British Columbia
In preparation for Vancouver Craft Beer Week (May 10-16th) Brewery Creek Beer Store has organized the BC Beer Awards Judges for the beer awards were selected primarily from the beer media, with judges traveling from Alberta and Oregon. 188 entries from across British Columbia were submitted in 10 categories.
Beer writer John Rowling of Victoria judges wheat beers
I was honored to be asked to judge at the event, which was held March 22 at the Alibi Room. The Alibi has quickly become Vancouver’s top craft beer bar, with 24 taps dedicated to BC craft beers, one rotating Rogue tap, and three handpumps. The Albi has a reclaimed industrial feel to it, with high ceilings, and arched leaded glass windows that face on the railroad tracks. The light airy space made the perfect setting for a day of judging.
The Alibi also boasts a large collection of movie scripts, which may be perused while drinking. The Alibi offers a broad menu with a focus on hearty new world twists on European cuisine. The menu lists the local farmers and ranchers who grow and raise the food.
I can’t talk too much about the judging, lest I let slip any clues about who won, but I can tell you the best of show round to pick the overall champion beers was really tough. The beers were all so great, that judges were hard pressed to come to a decision on which three would be awards medals.
The judging was organized by Gerry Erith, owner of Brewery Creek, and Chester Carey, Canada’s first certified Cicerone, who undertook the monumental task of collecting and organizing entries from 36 breweries from across BC.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony May 14th during Vancouver Craft Beer Week. The Craft Beer Week phenomena is spreading, with San Francisco recently completing its inaugural CBW.
It all started with Oregon Craft Beer Week in 2005, which soon blossomed into Oregon Craft Beer Month. Philadelphia launched its Craft Beer Week in 2008, and has been a model for other cities, from Seattle to New York, to Charlotte, with at least 20 Beer Weeks scheduled this year according to an article on beernews.org
Tags: Alibi Room, awards, BC, Brewery Creek, competition, judging, Oregon Craft Beer Month, Vancouver BC, Vancouver Craft Beer Week
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Written by Abram on 09 March 2010
Every February I visit Timmy Brown, Brewmaster at Mission Spring’s brewpub in Mission, BC with a chef, and we do a beer dinner at his house. This year the chef was my friend Izaak Butler, (formerly of Green Dragon and Roots), and we did a 5 course pairing dinner which was fantastic. Chef Izaak perused the Granville Island Marketplace for produce and meat, while we delivered Northwest Brewing News in an Olympics-besieged Vancouver. With some road closures already in effect navigating the city was mental, and we got out as quickly as we could, with a quick stop for a sanity-restoring pint at the Alibi Room. The Alibi’s 18 taps are all BC craft beers, with the exception of one Rogue handle. The three handpumps serve a rotating selection of local casks. Owner Nigel, who hails from Middlesboro, England, has revolutionized the BC beer scene in the last two years. The food at the Alibi is excellent too, and tends toward the rich and filling.
Chef Izaak Butler
Chef Izaak and I visited Brewery Creek beer shop on Main to get some of the beers for the dinner, and brought some of the others from Oregon. Sometimes when envisioning how the flavors of each food and beer will interact you get it right, other times you miss the mark, and sometimes its pure magic. (At 2009’s beer dinner at Timmy’s chef Jesika Starr Rowley and I paired Central City’s Springboard Lager with scallops wrapped in bacon and pan seared. It was one of the best flavor combinations ever). Each course in this year’s meal and its beer pairing is listed, and the pairing is rated and explained.
NAILED=wonderful perfect, no better flavor match, HIT=Worked as envisioned, DINGED=OK but it wasn’t quite as expected. MISSED=Did not work, train wreck in the mouth.
Course 1
The Farmhouse cheddar, from Agassiz, BC with kiwi salsa and locally made Que Pasa organic blue chips. BEER: Widmer Drifter Pale Ale 5.7% abv, 32 IBUs. DINGED The tropical fruit flavors of the Nelson Sauvin hops in the Drifter worked well with the fruitiness of the kiwi and sweetness of the yellow bell pepper in the salsa. I had expected this interplay to be more pronounced than it was. The mild cheddar flavors paired well with the beer as well.
Course 2
A salad of cauliflower, fennel, radicchio, Niciose olives, topped with a sardine with Mission Springs IPA dressing. BEER: Mission Springs IPA, 5.6% abv 45 IBUs NAILED Mission Springs IPA is brewed with NZ Saaz and NZ Hallertauer, giving it a more herbal flavor than those brewed with Northwest hops. The herbal flavors compliment the bitterness of the radicchio Timmy Brown began brewing it with New Zealand hops during the hop crisis, and has kept using them.
This is a course I was skeptical about when Izaak described it to me as we were driving into Vancouver. It really worked though.
“The strong presence of bitter flavors cuts the oiliness of the fish with olive oil,” says Chef Izaak.
Our host Tim Brown pours the Amity Pinot Noir
Course 3: Intermission
Brioche bun with wild boar bacon, poached egg with truffle oil, and Normandy sea salt. BEER: (wine for intermission) Amity Vineyards 2005 winemakers reserve Pinot Noir NAILED. This course says Chef Izaak was the “most adult and upscale breakfast sandwich I could think of.”
It’s truly fantastic, rich and sweet with salty notes from the bacon and sea salt, and paired well with the dark cherry, salal and blueberry flavors of the organic Pinot Noir.
Course 4
Spicy beef chili BEER: Hopworks Secession 6.5% abv 70 IBUs HIT the roast and hops of Hopworks Cascadian Dark Ale married well with the spicy smoke of the chipotle-based chili. The beef roast was stewed with the peppers until it naturally fell apart, and was flaky soft and sweet.
Course 5: Dessert
Medjool dates stuffed with Manchego cheese wrapped in French prosciutto with mint leaves BEER: Traquair House Ale 7.2% DINGED: I had high hopes for this course, but the flavors did not work together as well as they had in my mind the mint helped cut the rich sweetness of the dates, but paired with a sweet malty Scotch ale it could have used more salt as a counterpoint.
Overall the dinner was a huge success with its focus on hearty rich foods paired with big beers leaving us sated and happy.
Tags: Alibi Room, beer and food, Brewery Creek, Cascadian Dark Ale, CDA, cheese, Hopworks, Mission Springs, Vancouver BC, Widmer, wine
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Written by Abram on 06 March 2010
Brewers Union's phalanx of hand pumps
Brewsville: Eugene, Oregon 13 February, 2010
Happy Zwickelmania! Don’t know what a zwickel is? Keep reading. First though a visit to the KLCC Microbrew Festival in Eugene.
A benefit for local radio station KLCC 89.7 FM, the KLCC Microbrew Fest combines two of my favorite activities, a beer festival and a record fair. Though admittedly in recent years CDs have been overtaking the vinyl at the event. (Full disclosure my CD player broke last year, and I have record players on all three floors of my house). The selection was pretty picked-over by the time I finished judging the homebrew competition (specialty and experimental category), and made my way through the festival floor. I still managed to score a couple Irish trad. Records. On the beer front I had the opportunity to try a good number of beers not found in Portland on a regular basis, including Wakonda Brewing’s Firthur, a pale ale brewed with fir needles. Named for the town in Ken Kesey’s Oregon Logger Odyssey Wakonda is located in Florence, the coastal town on which Kesey based the mythical Wakonda. Firthur named for Kesey’s famous magic bus matches resinous NW hops with actual Doug fir needles. The beer was a bit yeasty, but the hop and fir flavors melded well.
I also tried a few of the Collaboration beers. Every year Eugene brewers team up and make the same style to serve at the KLCC fest. This year 11 breweries in and around Eugene brewed “Belgian Rye Cascadian Dark Ales.” Sound like a mouthful? It was. The Chouffe yeast played off the hops in an interesting way in most examples and the rye backed up the dark malts of the CDA with a thick mouthfeel. Maui Brewing took part in the Collaboration brew this year. Belgian Rye CDA from Hawaii? Well yes, it is about as bizarre as feathers on a shark, but there is a Eugene connection. Scott “Spank Dog” Freitas formerly of the much-mourned Wild Duck brews at Maui. His take on the style was a little sweeter than most.
Brewers Union Local 180, from Oakridge got the benefit of serving its Collaboration Beer “Because We Can” on hand-pump like all of its house beers. The brewery is tucked away in the town of Oakridge, surrounded by national forest. Brewer Ted Sobel learned his chops in the North of England, and its evident in his beers. His Collaboration brew was a little on the heavy side for a CDA, and reminded me more of a porter. The brewpub in Oakridge offers five house ales on handpump, and guest taps on CO2. Sobel bought the old 3-barrel brew system from Hawks in Roseburg, and worked to make the building feel like an authentic English country pub. “Tannin Bomb” a 6.8% abv Old Ale tasted on the recent visit to the brewery had an aroma of prunes and dark plums, sweet dark toffee, and a raisiny finish with subtle notes of toast and a hint of warming alcohol. A truly English style beer.
Tags: Brewers Union, Cascadian Dark Ale, CDA, Eugene, Fests, Wakonda
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Written by Abram on 25 February 2010
I spent Zwickelmania in Eugene February 13th this year. Statewide the brewery open house weekend, sponsored by the Oregon Brewers Guild drew 10,00o attendees. In Eugene a bit of February sunshine and the KLCC Microbrew Fest the same weekend brought out the crowds.
I was lucky enough to be on a beer junket sponsored by the Eugene, Cascades and Coast tourism board with a crowd of other beer writers and bloggers. The ECC “Adventure Center” a few blocks away from Hop Valley features a selection of local beers and wines.
We started the day at Hop Valley Brewing in Springfield, where brewer Trevor Howard poured us samples of his Natty Red from the zwickel. A zwickel is a small spigot or samplecock on a brewing vessel that allows a brewer to pull a sample of beer (generally to check on its progress). The word, like many brewing terms is borrowed (well probably stolen) from German. The verb zwicken means to nip or to pinch, so Wir zwicken became the motto for the day. The Natty Red from the conditioning vessel was a tasty NW red, with big citrusy hop flavor from Cluster, Simcoe, and Cascades pairing with a sweet toasty chewy malt mouthfeel.
Hop Valley, in the former Spencers Brewpub location just off Beltline, is bedecked in photos of early Lane County hop pickers, and a McKenzie River driftboat hangs from the ceiling. (These flat bottomed boats were designed locally and have become quite popular with fishermen throughout the west.) The enlargements of the photos of local hop pickers tie Hop Valley to the local history, which it is proud to celebrate. Hop Valley is brewing a special beer for Springfield’s 125th anniversary celebration later this year.
In Eugene, Ninkasi Brewing was featuring Oregon Beef burgers, from cows fed on Ninkasi’s spent grain. Owner Jamie Floyd gave us a tour of the rapidly expanding brewery. Last time I was at Ninkasi, in November of 2008, they had just installed their new 30 barrel system, well the brewery is growing so fast they are building an expansion which will include a Krones bottling line, 240-barrel fermentation vessels, and a 60-barrel brewhouse. The brewery has grown from 2 employees (Floyd and business partner Nikos Ridge) to 37 today. All this growth hasn’t distracted Floyd from his calling to be “the village brewer” though. He strives to support the local community, and on Thursdays all employees get chair massages. The growth is gauged to keep up with demand, which keeps growing both locally and in other markets. Ninkasi’s beers are now available in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and in the Bay Area in California. The local Costco in Eugene recently agreed to buy two pallets of Ninkasi beer and said maybe they would buy two more. A few months later they are on their 32nd pallet of Ninkasi beer, and it has become the first beer to outsell Coors Light and Corona at that store. Ever wanted proof that Oregonians like their hops? 60% of Ninkasi’s production is Total Domination IPA, and Tricerahops its Imperial IPA and Believer, a NW Red ale, which, though maltier clocks in at 60 IBUs make up another 25%. Floyd still likes to have fun, and the Ninkasi brews special beers for Burning Man and The Oregon Country Fair, as well as offering limited release beers for the local draught market.
Recently Ninkasi opened a beautiful new tasting room with swanky locally designed metal tables and bar, and offices that have a layout that resembles the bridge of a starship. (Their conference table is something that would do Darth Vader’s sense of style proud). The tasting room is open 11-7 seven days a week.
Across town at Oakshire, food carts were on hand for Zwickelmania, and the atmosphere was quite festive. The production brewery has a small tasting bar, open two days a week, with a few special beers brewed on its half-barrel pilot brewery.
Brewmaster Matt Van Wyck showed off the brewery’s newly acquired 30-barrel and 80-barrel vessels. The brewery got its start in 2006 as Willamette Brewery with a 4 barrel system, but now has a 15 barrel system. The brewery was forced to change its name by winemaking behemoth Willamette Valley Vineyards, and chose Oakshire, which refers to the Willamette Valley’s white oak savannah.
“The oak tree symbolizes independence and strength, what Oregon is all about, and shire is community and bioregion,” says founder Jeff Althouse. “In my opinion we don’t really need much more than we make here in Oregon.”
Last year Oakshire’s Overcast Espresso Stout was its top seller, though only by 10-20 barrels more than its Watershed IPA. The espresso for the Stout comes from Eugene roaster Wandering Goat, and is made in a cold press extraction in 10 gallon batches. In the 80-barrel vessels, 100 pounds of espresso are used.
We badgered Van Wyck into letting us sample Oakshire’s new spring seasonal, a Cascadian Dark Ale, called O’Dark:30, though it had only been in the fermentor two days. It showed excellent potential, and I am excited to try it when it comes out. That’s the beauty of Zwickelmania- a chance to taste beers still in the fermentor. Cheers to Zwickelmania.
Tags: Cascadian Dark Ale, CDA, Eugene, Hop Valley, Ninkasi, Oakshire, zwickel, Zwickelmania
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