When you love beer, I mean really love beer, it's natural that you'd want to learn more about it. Tasting is one way to go about your beerducation, and while essential, there comes a point when that just isn't enough.
Awhile back, I made a conscious effort to immerse myself in the world of beer, hoping to stew in the mashtun of knowledge, ferment and age a bit, and pour out as an enlightened, educated beer geek.
There are so many great resources to this end. Reading material abounds, both at the bookstore and on the internet. With the abundance of beer blogs, websites, trade magazines, and books, I have no shortage of things to read. I just got done reading Brewing Up A Business by rock-star Dogfish Head brewer Sam Calagione. While he does know a few things about brewing, his book was often a chore to get through. Contrast that with the book I am currently reading -- Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer by Maureen Ogle, which is a totally fascinating read.
I've got my favorite websites as well, and am always discovering new ones. There really aren't enough hours in the day for everything that I'd like to read and absorb.
But what to do with all that knowledge once it's gained? Why test yourself, of course. This great quiz on greatbrewers.com is a fun way to see if you are truly learning anything, or if you need to hit the books. Developed by,
"beer educators Eric McKay of L. Knife & Son and Sam Merritt of Civilization of Beer, the GBT is offered exclusively online by GreatBrewers.com. This challenging 20-question quiz covers the history of beer, the brewing process, beer styles, brewing anomalies, and some miscellaneous topics. Questions are randomly drawn from an ever growing bank of potential queries, so come back and take the test again for an entirely new experience. Would you prefer a more in-depth test? If so, challenge yourself with the GBT 100, a 100-question version of the Great Beer Test."
Just enough to whet your appetite for more delicious beer knowledge. Click here to take the test - good luck!
Another week in the Capitol, and another fantastic beer event. On Saturday, November 7, The Smithsonian Resident Associates Program presented “Beer Planet: A Voyage of Discovery to the World’s Great Beers and Brewing Cultures” with speaker Horst Dornbusch. An award-winning beer author and regular columnist for beeradvocate.com, Dornbusch entertained a group of 150 attendees with a fascinating history of beer and the evolution of brewing throughout civilization, beginning in Mesopotamia, expanding with the development of Europe and on up to the beer culture that we see in present-day America.
Beer Planet advertisement outside of The Brickskeller
Guests at this sold-out event, held at The Brickskeller in Dupont Circle, were treated to thirteen different tasting-sized pours, each of which corresponded with a different section of Dornbusch’s lecture. Patrons took their seats and settled in for the three hour presentation and the first of thirteen tastes - Old Brown Dog (Smuttynose Brewing Co., Portsmouth, New Hampshire). Attendees listened attentively as the raconteur told stories about Cleopatra and the invention of the beer tax, and the theory that beer brewing originated before the winemaking process.
Speaker and Beer Historian, Horst Dornbusch
With the history of beer and brew development in Germany came the second taste, a Weihenstephan Hefeweizen (Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, Germany), produced in the oldest continuously operating brewery in the world, dating back to 1040 AD. From there, participants sampled Jever Pils (Friesisches Brauhaus zu Jever, Germany) and Reissdorf Kölsch (Privat-Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf & Co., Germany). Relating beer development to the development of law, Dornbusch explained the origins of the Reinheitsgebot, the German beer purity law, adding that about 95% of the edict has to do solely with price fixing, and very little actually pertains to the ingredients which may or may not be used in the brewing process.
Moving west to Belgium, the speaker gave a brief history of the Trappist tradition, explaining that monks merely copied and adapted what they had already found in existence, and from that, came Trappist ales. He mentioned that in today’s society, we might think that a beer bottled in a champagne-style bottle is high brow, though it wasn’t always so. In early Bavaria, bottling beers in champagne-style bottles would have been a symbol of one’s frugality, signaling that you were a poor bastard rather than a noble.
Belgian - style beer samples included Ommegang Abbey Dubbel (Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, New York), Saison Dupont (Brasserie Dupont, Tourpes, Belgium), and Liefmans Kriek (Oudenaarde, Belgium).
Dornbusch expounded on the shift, in 1553, from the Bavarian “ale culture”, to a new “lager culture”, which he calls the most underreported event in beer history. As he explains it, Duke Albert V of Bavaria essentially enacted this shift, after placing a ban on summer brewing - believing that cold fermentation was safer and more pure than top-fermenting in the summer, and risking bacterial infections.
The British Isles tastings included Fuller’s ESB (Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C., London, England), O’Hara’s Irish Stout (Carlow Brewing Co., Carlow, Ireland) and Boddington’s Mild Ale (Anheuser-Busch Inbev, Manchester, England). Dornbusch related that on a recent trip to London, he and his wife, Elva, had difficulty tracking down traditional British beers, noting that Anheuser-Busch products are sadly ubiquitous, even in historical British ale houses.
Lastly, in the North American segment of his presentation, Dornbusch expounded on the rise of American craft brews, stating that the United States is currently at the top of the world beer game, making over-the-top styles and implementing new and creative styles and processes. Guests tasted Flying Dog Double Pale Ale (Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, Maryland), Allagash Curiexu Bourbon Cask Tripel Ale (Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, Maine) and The Great Pumpkin - Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, Maryland).
Beer Cronies: Dave Alexander (owner, Brickskeller), and beer writers Jim Dorsch and Greg Kitsock.
A brief Q&A session rounded out the lecture, and participants left full on beer and beer knowledge, satiated for the moment with an afternoon of history and education of beer culture.
This article was also recently posted at dcbeer.com, a website run by DC beer gurus Mike Dolan, Andrew Nations, and P.J. Coleman. Check them out!
On these blustery autumn days, sometimes you just feel like snuggling up with a blanket, a movie, and a delicious glass of your favorite beer. Why not get the weekend started with these four tasty pairings?
Strange Brew / Sleeman's Cream Ale Strange Brew (1983, MGM) is a cult classic favorite, and loveable Canadian's Bob and Doug McKenzie (played by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas) will provide all the laughs you could ever yearn for during this hour-and-a-half adventure that strangely mimics Shakespeare's Hamlet (note the "Elsinore Brewery", as Bob and Doug play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern). Pair this with a few smuggled bottles of Sleeman Cream Ale or Sleeman Original Draught and you've got an afternoon of couchside delight. For those of you who don't have access to this beer (and that's pretty much everyone I know), a flavorful Unibroue will beat out Molson or Labatt's any day. Favorite Quote: "This movie was shot in 3B - three beers - and it looks good, eh?"
American Beer / Chuckanut Brewery Rauch Bier
Road trip fun begins as a group of friends head out to visit a massive amount of breweries in this "bockumentary" -- and while we all know that road trip movies = hilarious foibles and hijinx, this film is also pretty educational. Pair American Beer (2004, Six Hundred Films) with a delicious Rauch Bier from Chuckanut Brewery (Bellingham, WA), stoke the fire, and raise your glass to Chuckanut for winning Best Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival. Next, break out the maps and a highlighter because this film will have you planning your very own Beer Road Trip.
Beer Wars / Hopworks Urban Brewery, Organic Ace of Spades Imperial IPA
Another documentary, Beer Wars (2009, Ducks In A Row Entertainment Corporation) hit the theatres in the early part of 2009 and is now available for purchase through their website - http://www.beerwarsmovie.com/. Director Anat Baron does a great job rooting for the underdog and exposing the truth of the craft brewing industry, so pair this film with a beer that has as much moxy as she does - the Organic Ace of Spades Imperial IPA from Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland, Oregon. This IPA took home a Gold from the 2009 GABF, and requires tasting faster than you can press the pause button.
And lastly,
Beer / Stone Cali-Belgique IPA
Take a trip back in time with Beer (1985, Orion) with Loretta Swit and Rip Torn and revel in the eighties, tasteless beer, and the rise of the female executive. Add fizzy yellow beer and you've got the whole experience right at hand. But for those of you who don't care to squander your afternoon or your taste buds with beer that lacks gumption, try a glass of San Diego's finest - a Stone Cali-Belgique IPA (limited release). After all, this is the brewery that coined the advertising slogan, "Yellow Fizzy Beer is for Wussies." Which is admittedly a better advertising slogan than used in the movie -- "Norbecker Lite. For whether you take it in a bottle or in the can."
I just got back from San Francisco, and you'd think that my desire to travel would be satiated for awhile. Not so. In the last year, I've been on a few trips here and there, but there are so many more that stay on (and keep being added to) the list. And so many to do before I leave the east coast. Among them: Philadelphia to see the city of Brotherly Love, Pittsburgh to see a Steeler's game and eat a famous Primanti Brother's sandwich, a longer visit of Memphis, can't ever get enough of New York, a dive trip in the Florida Keys, and of course North Carolina.
I have not explored enough of the east coast yet, and one of the places I've been hearing a lot about lately is Asheville, North Carolina. As a burgeoning indie music and arts scene, it seems like this might be a town I'd really bond with. The gorgeous wooded landscapes and the serene beaches look amazing, too. As if that weren't enough, I just heard from my friend Kellan that her parents (Hi Jim and Francene!) recently visited North Carolina, and discovered this amazing beer store called Bruisin' Ales.
With over 800 brews, this is a Mecca for beer geeks everywhere. Pray to the east, my friends. They have your everyday favorites, hard to find gems, and even a (gasp!) build your own six-pack program. It appears to be a colorful and cozy store, very well laid out, and a great example of what I hope to build one day. Best of luck to the owners, Jason & Julie Atallah! You've already got a fan made outta this girl, and I haven't even been there yet.
This was a full weekend of working, cooking, and socializing. Saturday was spent working at the wine and beer shop, which is always a good time. I love the camaraderie and sense of community between the owners and the customers, and I never fail to learn something new. And of course, I typically come home with something new to taste, which gives new meaning to “Will Work for Beer”.
This time, I brought home a couple bottles of Southern Tier Crème Brulée Stout and a bottle of Tröegs Java Head Stout. Naturally, the wheels started turning…what to pair them with?
Late last month, I came across a recipe for Chocolate Stout Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting, and have been doing everything in my power to find an excuse to try it out. I can’t just make a chocolate cake for any old weeknight dinner, because inevitably there will be leftovers, and then I’d feel obligated to eat the leftovers - and the vicious cycle continues. However, with a dinner party to attend last night, I had the perfect reason to test this recipe, but I did it with some small alterations - including changing the layer cake format into individual cupcakes.
Though I found the recipe on epicurious.com, it originally comes from Bon Appétit Magazine, and was written by Bruce Aidells.
This recipe calls for ¾ cup chocolate stout, but strong fresh-brewed coffee is also a key ingredient, which is why I chose to cook with the Tröegs Java Head Stout. After a few sips of this distinct brew, I decided that I’d rather bake with it than drink it on its own. The brewing process makes use of whole Kenyan coffee beans, which are at the forefront of every sip. This was a little strong willed for my taste. However, the finish does have a slight citrus presence, which may be attributed to the way the whole flower Cluster, Cascade, and Chinook hops are subjected to a sort of “French press” style of brewing.
Also key to this recipe is the use of really good chocolate. I used a pound of Callebaut, which is made in Canada by a chocolatier by the name of Bernard Callebaut, whose family has been in the fine chocolate business for generations. It’s not cheap, but it tastes extravagant. I also learned the hard way that the amount of frosting needed for a cupcake is a lot less than the amount needed for a tall cake. No shortage of frosting at my house.
The first batch of cupcake batter went fairly smoothly. I substituted brown sugar in place of white sugar, which I believe may have lead to the too-dense consistency of the cake. Also, I used unsalted butter while the recipe called for salted butter -- something I wouldn’t repeat if making this again. But other than that, the cake batter and the frosting were both pretty uncomplicated, and enjoyable to prepare. And being that it was a cozy fall day here in DC, I chopped a chocolate brick, mixed, and sifted ingredients to my hearts content, content to be dry and indoors.
Unfortunately, the serene afternoon of baking came to a screeching halt when taking the first tray of cupcakes out of the oven. The heat from the pan was too much for my little oven mitt, and in a panic of scorched nerve endings, I ended up tossing the cupcakes all over the kitchen. Ugh.
Cupcakes in the rug, cupcakes smashed on the floor, cupcakes smeared across kitchen cabinets, batter on the wall - it wasn’t pretty. After some colorful cursing, a quick clean-up, and a few minutes of calming back rubs from my thoughtful onlooker, I was on to batch #2.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, in my case) I was out of the Java Head Stout and had to substitute with the Southern Tier Crème Brulée Stout. The second batch of cupcakes was done in no time, and frosting them was a breeze. Without the frosting, though, I’m not sure I’d have much interest in this cake. The dough was a little too dense and heavy, without the über-chocolatey taste I was expecting.
Southern Tier Crème Brulée Stout is the most delectable dessert beer I have ever tasted. This stuff is like sarsaparilla heaven in liquid form. I couldn’t drink more than a small glass, so a bomber can be shared between friends. It’s creamy without being overly sweet, and pours super dark with little carbonation. Definitely one you’ll want to linger with. Maybe over a chocolate cupcake, even.
Last night’s dinner party was great - good friends and good food, hilarious conversation, a side of MLB and NFL alternating channels and a bunch of people streaming in and out of the kitchen all night long. We paired the cupcakes with Cookies & Cream flavored ice cream, which made for the perfect addition. Even though I won't be making cupcakes again anytime soon, I've got plenty left over to snack on. Probably while admiring my freshly scrubbed floor...and cabinets...and walls...with a glass of stout in hand, and a smile on my face.
My sisters and I had to part ways on Monday morning, so we checked out of the hotel and said our goodbyes. With some rainy weather in front of me and a few ideas how to spend the day, I checked to see what time City Beer Store would open. And go figure, they were closed on Monday. Such a disappointment - that was the one place I wanted to go most. Next time, I guess. After a quick call to Shmaltz Brewing, I learned that they don't yet have a tasting room in San Francisco - strike two. And Anchor Steam's tours are booked solid up through November - strike three. What to do with the last day in San Francisco?
Stretching my legs and getting some fresh air seemed like a good idea, so I walked up Sacramento Street from the Financial District back to Polk Street. Lavande Spa has always been a favorite mani-pedi place of mine, and I'm glad I stopped in. A tiny woman scrubbed and buffed my feet to perfection, and with her miniscule hands somehow crunched and manipulated my tired, half-marathon pounding feet into relaxed mush. No sooner than when I left Lavande, the rain had stopped and the day was beautiful again.
After a quick browse through a bookstore, I grabbed a seat at Swan Oyster Depot for a bit of lunch. I love sitting at the crowded counter and watching the guys who work there laugh and joke with each other and entertain the customers as they go about their business day.
In chatting with one of the men behind the counter, I learned that Swan has been open since 1912, but in 1946, upon returning from the war, this guy's dad (Sal Sancimino) bought the place, and it has been family run ever since. (Which isn't suprising - there is a striking family resemblance in many of the guys who work here). The choices are many - fresh lobster, crab, clams, oysters, salmon, squid, shrimp - they've got it all, but the menu is far from complicated. I knew exactly what I wanted, though, and my meal couldn't have been more fitting for this drizzly, sleepy day in San Francisco. A big bowl of creamy clam chowder, a hunk of fresh sourdough bread and butter, and a pint of beautiful, amber-hued Anchor Steam.
Anchor Steam is the quintessential San Francisco beer. Their website gives an interesting and detailed history of the brewery's beginnings, the obstacles they faced, and the manner in which they have risen to prominence today. Steam beer is faily unique as well, and according to their history, Anchor "inherited a long tradition of brewing that had come to be known as steam beer, one of the quaint old nicknames for beer brewed along the West Coast under primitive conditions and without ice. Today "steam" is a trademark of Anchor Brewing." I really wish I could have toured their facility on Potrero Hill, but I suppose there always has to be a reason for a return trip to San Francisco.
Another reason to return would be a visit to the City Beer Store. In thinking back over my trip, I was pretty bummed to have not seen it, and realized that I'd also be sad if I completely missed Toronado, as well. I grabbed a cab and in a few minutes, I was standing on Haight Street, outside of the legendary beer bar.
I'm so glad that my trip crescendoed with a visit to Toronado. When I walked in, the bar was fairly populated for a Monday afternoon. Choosing a seat at the counter, the bartender asked me for my selection, and I whispered those three magic words: Pliny The Elder. This Russian River brew is not available where I live, and I couldn't wait to take a sip.
The bartender checked in with me as my glass slowly emptied, to see if I liked the beer. I said I did, and that since I lived in DC, I'd like to taste the beers that I can't get out East. He responded, "DC, huh. I think the best thing about DC is (insert name of beer bar here)." When I mentioned that I worked there, I'm pretty sure my credibility as a bar patron suddenly rose like a stock ticker in a bull market. He introduced himself as Stephen, and we started chatting about delicious beers and the adventures of working in a beer bar. He brought me a taster of Epiphany Ale next -- the product of Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax, California.
As one does in a bar on a Monday afternoon, I started chatting with my neighbor* to my right, and beer conversation turned in to running and biking conversation. We compared notes on the ales we were sipping, and enjoyed the quiet day in a musty beer bar.
Next in line was a pint of the Port Brewing Company "High Tide" Fresh Hop IPA. Not my favorite of fresh hop ales. This must be a hard beer to brew (I haven't yet tried) because so far, I have only found one fresh hop style that I truly love, that being the Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere. But the ambiance and the company at Toronado was fantastic, so who's gonna complain about one less-than-memorable taste?
Yep, there was even more beer. But c'mon...they were little! Sort of. The next beer was from Drake's Brewing in San Leandro, California. The Drake's Quasar Imperial IPA was delicious. Very sweet and bitter at the same time. I could have had another glass, but Steven had different things in mind for my lineup.
Death & Taxes Schwarzbier is brewed by Moonlight Brewing Company in Fulton, California. This beer gets high marks by some serious beer heavyweights in the tasting world, but it's just not my cup of barley. In fact, at the risk of offending my new friend, I had to push it away. Way too smokey and tobbacco-y for my tastes.
To get the chocolate smoke taste out of my mouth, I indulged in my last brew of the day - the Deschutes Hop Trip, another fresh hop ale. This was good, but still (in my opinion) not as good as the Sierra. But a great way to round out the tastings at Toronado. And really, Deschutes can do no wrong in my opinion.
It was nearly time for me to head to the airport, and start the long trek home to DC. I picked up some Toronado souvenirs, a Rosamunde sausage, and waved aloha to my new friends. Another great visit to my favorite city on the planet, and a few delicious beers along the way. Until next time, San Francisco.
*My neighbor at the bar, though I didn't know it at the time, was Gary Fisher, one of the major influences in modern mountain biking and an all around genius pioneer in cycling. Steven kept saying "hey Gary, can I get you anything?" but I had no clue, even though we talked a lot about biking. He was a super cool guy though, with some amazing ideas about the future of our youth and their influence on the globe. What a trip. Great to meet you, Gary!
