No! We're in Newark

"No! We're in Newark" was the impatient response to his little girl's question while walking along the concourse. Jersey jokes aside, Newark isn't my destination, but might as well enjoy it, if possible.

Brief research on the Concourse C map showed that the Samuel Adams Brew Club was just a gate from where I needed to be. Airport beer is notoriously bad, usually suffering from poorly cleaned lines; yet, I persist in trying to find good beer in bad places.

Like today, the excitement of starting a new trip overwhelms me and I want to log my first beer. Today it's Sam Adams Boston Ale, which, surprisingly, isn't listed as a draft in the database. And, when I saw they were serving in the specially designed Sam Adams glass (and that they have outlets to recharge the iPad), it was clear I was going to spend my down time in Newark here.

Surprisingly, the beer is fairly well served. Clean white head falls with a serious lace and bubbles nicely from the etching on the bottom. Smooth caramel malt with a supporting hop earthiness. Perfectly good pint of Sam Adams.

George noted that the booth I'm in smelled more than a little bit of spilled and spoiled beer, the nachos at the next table looked like melted cheese wiz, and the $10 (w/ tip) price was maybe a bit high. But, the Samuel Adams Brew Club makes for a nice stop between flights and a cute picture.

Bound for Brussels

Presently, I am on United Airlines heading to Newark for my first leg of my journey to drink Brussels. I've elicited chuckles using the phrase "drink Brussels" but that is precisely what I intend to do--almost exclusively: this is an unabashed beer trip.

Here's what I hope to hit in the next week: Bosteels, Oud Beersel, the Lambic Discovery Center, Het Anker, Cantillion and Boon. Ending in Lembeek is a nice touch and was a matter of luck. Boon is only open to individuals to tour on Wednesdays at 3 pm.

Which segues nicely to my first conclusion for doing a Tour of Belgium. It's hard to get into breweries. Many don't do tours or do them very rarely, and others only do large group tours. For example, Duvel has a 15 person minimum and then the tours where closed when I checked back after a week at GALA in Denver. Huyghe responded with the same 15 person minimum.

The above list consists of those that do tours daily (Cantillion), on a regular basis (Het Anker, weekends), periodically (Boon) or me getting lucky with a nicely worded email (Bosteels). The Bosteels rep very kindly found me a single spot on a German language tour and I'm very much looking forward to the experience.

In short, combined with a personal rule of never driving in a foreign country with even a single beer, it's extremely difficult to get to Belgian breweries further a field without help. While I'm sure the Delerium Cafe and The Kulminator will quench my thirst for Belgian brews outside of Brussels, I can really see the value of doing a planned beer tour with a group that has efficient and chauffeured access.

Firehouse Brewing (Rapid City, SD)

7/15/12

As one of the only brewpubs in South Dakota, I've had Firehouse Brewing on my list for a long time.  I love the concept of a place built in an old firehouse, but the love affair ended there.  BA reviews are lukewarm at best and it seems like beer isn't necessarily the primary focus when looking online. With a fair amount of experience researching breweries, I've started to get a pretty accurate feel for a place ahead of time.  Plus, the guys at Monks in Sioux Falls said that I could find better places in Rapid City.  While part of the fun is being surprised, my beer-sense was spot on for this trip.  

As a walked into Firehouse at 8 pm on a  Sunday night, it was full to the brim and had a waiting list.  I hawked a seat at the bar after 15 minutes of lurking about and ordered a sampler of all of their beers.  Inside is clearly an old firehouse and a great brick building with a stamped tin ceiling in spite of the TGI Friday's decor.

The four ounce samples in low ball glasses were generous, but I didn't finish many of them.  Smoke Jumper Stout lead the pack with a drinkable smoked stout, and Smokin' Betty, another smoked beer but an amber this time, was a close second. But the rest dropped off precipitously.

    The bartender was friendly and helpful, but the sampler had no order or place mat to keep track of the beer.  I wrote down the beer names from the white board on the wall behind me and re-ordered them with the bartender's help to match my notes.  

Firehouse is a classic tourist trap brewpub in the vein of others I've been lured into before. In heavy touristy areas, my theory is that the beer suffers because there are no/few locals to serve and the quality falls as a result. Oblivious tourists will eat and drink there no matter what, so no reason to improve--just keep serving it up. We experienced this at Oak Creek Brewing in Sedona, Arizona a few years ago on a trip to see our niece Regan. And, I repeated the optimistic error at Estes Park Brewing outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, another pub where the traffic is to the detriment of the beer, just a few days before my stop at Firehouse. 

At Firehouse, the menu boasts the best food and brew in the Black Hills; I don't know about the food, but head to Spearfish and Crow Peak for the best beer in the area. 

Soaring Wings Vineyard and Brewery (Springfield, NE)

Soaring Wings tasting room at the top of the hill.  

7/5/12

After lunch with my mom and sister at Pizza Ranch for the 4th of the July, I spent the night with the folks in law in Sioux Falls before heading down early to drink Omaha the next day en route to Denver.  To my surprise, my mother in law Jo had a beer recommendation for me.

On a recent trip, Jo and her sister Truede stopped at Soaring Wings Vineyard for a bus tour and the guide boasted that the beer was very good as well.  They liked the wine and she wondered if the beer bragging was true or not.

Springfield is a short drive from Nebraska Brewing Co in Papillion, and very quickly I was in the corn and gravel roads.  According to my mother in law, the owner was a former military pilot that was making wine and beer in his retirement. Nice facility at the top of a hill with a view of the area. 

The tasting room deal is five samples for $6--wine or beer in any combination.  I tried four beers and ended with a wine recommendation from the friendly and seemingly knowledgeable server.  The recently retired marine at Nebraska Brewing had said the DIPA was ok, so made sure to save a sample.  Of the four brews, the Blackbird, vaguely labeled a dark stout, was the best, but that's not saying much.  

All of the beers suffered from a common brewing error that I was having difficulty pinning down, but there was definitely a problem.  And, the Hop Zeppelin was possibly the first Double IPA that I didn't finish.

Ended with wine since the beer conclusions were clear.  Based on a recommendation from the server, I tried the Chambourcin Special Reserve 2009. Heavy legs in the glass. Pretty, deep, two tone red. Good but I like my local Cannon Falls wines much better. I'm not a knowledgeable wine drinker, but this seems to be simply average.

As I was leaving, one of my fellow tasters was wearing a Pleepleus shirt.  We had a nice chat from the inside beer joke from the now defunct Three Sheets show.  Overall, a fun stop and an interesting beer hunt, but I won't be going out of my way for Soaring Wings again.

5000

This week there was an odd confluence in my pursuit of beer.  I hit two 5000 milestones: total commercial beers sampled and total all time page views.

I knew I was going to hit beer 5000 some time this summer, but thought it would be in Belgium.  Evidently, the Denver road trip was more productive than predicted.  My beer notes started in 2000, so it took a bit over a decade with fifty plus festivals and over two hundred brewery visits.  Because I didn't try to count down to the exact beer, I'm unsure which beer was the magic number; however, I think I was at Firehouse Brewing in Rapid City, SD.  Unfortunately, it was one of the worst brewpub stops--ever.  My guess is that beer 5000 was Chukkar Pale Ale, which also happened to receive my lowest rating: 1, undrinkable.  Oh well--they can't all be world class brews.

On a bike tour in South Dakota with my nephew Ben a few years ago, we did a century ride (turned an 88 mi day into 100+ on our own) on the wrong day because the weather was too rough on the actual day of the official century ride.  We asked if we could still have a century patch (and if it counted) and the volunteer responded "Your money, your rules" and handed us each a patch. I decided it counts and I've adopted this experience as a  mantra to reduce some of my more overly uptight attitudes in life.  So, in Brussels next week, I'm making whatever great beer I'm drinking number 5000.

For the page views, I'm surprised that 5000 came so quickly.  I started in November and the page views have been steadily climbing except for a dip in February during speech season.  Posting on a regular basis seems to contribute, but recently page views accumulate in spite of a low posting rate while on vacation.  Approaching 200 posts, the amount of information on the blog is building and making it easier for people to find.

I'm still trying to transfer over three hundred beer reviews and a hundred plus onsite brewpub visits that I've written on BeerAdvocate over the years.  In process but hope to post them this fall on a semi-regular basis in between this summer's visits.  For the BA transfers, I'm back dating all of them to when they were originally written so that a reader can put the information into proper time context.  As a result my blog will eventually appear to be far older than it is: my money, my rules, so I'm not going to worry about it.  :).

Reflecting on the milestones, I've really enjoyed this journey into beer geekdom and glad to have readers to join the ride through what I hope is still the beginning.  I'm having a great time and plan to continue to be an overenthusiastic drinker and writer for the foreseeable future.

Eighteen (Avery Brewing, Boulder, CO)

Picked up a bottle of Eighteen at Top Ten Liquors in Woodbury recently.  Ironically, I drank Nineteen a few days ago on site at Avery during our trip to Colorado.  While I try to keep up on beer happenings, I do lose track of some of the details for breweries not local.  Buying a anniversary ale a year late would fall into that category, but that will teach me to trust the Top Ten bottles a bit less--especially those on sale.  I should know better, but life happens.  It's just beer and it's still Avery.

Eighteen is (was) a dry-hopped rye saison, but the hops are missing in the nose this late in the game.  Light white head falls quickly over the cloudy, ruby ale.  Rye and yeasty spice are clear in the nose and pleasant.  Taste is heavy, flat and a bit muddled, but guessing time has taken the shine of this ale.  Still pretty good and fine for tonight.

5 O'Clock Shadow (Grand Teton Brewing, Victor, ID)

Pours with a dark tan head that's two tone with brown as it swirls.  Head falls quickly over a a nearly pitch black beer with ever so slight ruby highlights along the edge.  Very clean, singular roast in the nose with a little bit of chocolate. Roast and chocolate follows in the taste with a sweet maltiness. Bitter roast finish that lingers a bit--almost too much.  My notes say I had a draft on my wife's birthday at Grumpy's, but I don't remember much about it.  I was either entranced by my wife or the beer didn't make much of an impression.  Gloria likes schwarzbier and there's no note that she liked it. 


In the final analysis, it's a good beer but the roast is out of balance with the smooth lager characteristics.  Had this beer twice and that's going to be enough.  If you like a a heavy roast, give it a shot.  If not, find another dark lager.

Nebraska Brewing Co (Papillion, NE)

7/5/12

Nebraska Brewing is on the outskirts of Omaha in Papillion, Nebraska in a big mall across the street from Dick's Sporting Goods. This is definitely the best brewpub I've visited that's in a mall. Brewpubs in malls tend to be on the Granite City variety--technically a brewpub but not very inventive. NB is clearly not in this category.


Long dark wood beer is inviting and the brewery is well displayed behind glass. Hard working brewery staff with work apparent in the brewhouse, including putting on labels on bottles by hand at one of the big tables on the slow afternoon.

For lunch, I had the four cheese spent grain pizza. Cheese combo is good on top of the thin, grainy crust. Fresh grated parmesan if you want that works very well. Offered a personal and full size, which is much appreciated. Not the best pizza I've ever had, but very good and hits the spot today nicely.


At the bar, a marine was on his second day of retirement and enjoying a sandwich with "death sauce." Evidently the super-hot habanero death sauce can come on wings and other items. I did not try it myself since I had a long day ahead of me.

From stickers on one tank and flags on the wall, the bar seems to be a local for many from the military base. When asked, the bartender didn't really categorize NB as a military bar, but many of the regulars stop in on the way home from the base and there's clearly a supportive relationship between the bar and those that serve our country.


I can see NB's famous Melange a Trois and Fathead Barleywine in bottles, so will go home with those for sure to end a very nice first stop in Nebraska. Added Black Betty as a last minute impulse buy. Of my samples, I really liked Hop God, which is basically a Belgian IPA. Listed as a trippel crossed with west coast IPA, Hop God has plenty of hops that are supported by a yeasty Belgian funk to make it very interesting.

Easily my best stop of the day in Nebraska, I wouldn't hesitate to return to Nebraska Brewing.

Hop God (Nebraska Brewing, Papillion, NE)

7/5/12

Stark white head that looks creamy in the tulip glass. Hazy gold to amber. Peppery spice in the nose, very Belgian yeasty. Hop is clear but under the spice. Strong hop bite on the tongue, but smoothed by the Belgian characteristics, especially the vinuous and oily traits. Nose opens up as it warms, the body lightens and the yeasty characteristics become more assertive, and, to be expected, the nearly 10% alcohol becomes more apparent in the taste. Good a several temperatures, this is a great beer to sip.

Monk's House of Ale Repute (Sioux Falls, SD)

7/4/12

On 8th street in the downtown area of Sioux Falls, Monk's is down near where I think the defunct (and not great ) Sioux Falls Brewing was years ago. As a kid, I remember heading to Lewis Drug just over the river, but that downtown was something to just drive through on our way to the Empire or Western malls.

However, my folks-in-law said as kids they would go to downtown Sioux Falls because that's where all of the big stores (some names I didn't recognize) were located. By the time I was a kid in the 70s and a teenager in the 80s, it seems the Empire and Western malls were up and running so that I don't remember the hey day of downtown at all. Now, the renovated old buildings make downtown a destination again for bars and restaurants and the Falls are around the corner to visit--truly worth a stop if you are near by, especially frozen and lit for Christmas.

Opening in December of 2007 (according to the bartender), I have a hard time getting to Monk's since I tend to come home on holidays when they are closed. Today is the 4th of July, but the small crowd is enough to be pouring drafts to a few locals and me. Twenty three taps from my count and several pages of bottles, this is definitely the place for beer in Sioux Falls (and maybe the midwest outside of the Twin Cities). I noticed while finding the bar again that a JL Beers has also moved in downtown, but a negative experience in Grand Forks with JL meant I didn't even swerve in my quest for Monk's.


Let's start with the name. Monk's House of Ale Repute. Very clever and I just enjoy saying that I'm going there for the pun. Very gorgeous bar of distressed metal and a pleasant, not-too-dark space that's conducive to chatting. Friendly atmosphere and clients, I've always had a chat with someone at the bar in my sporadic stops. There's a TV in the corner, but this pub isn't built to be a sports bar--beer and good conversation are clearly the point. I vaguely remember that they built it all by hand when they opened and the place has expanded into a larger sitting area and a patio (empty today in the triple digit summer heat). Not overly large, Monk's is a cozy local that serves up some great beers.


Taps include some solid classics like Delirium Tremens and Duchesse de Bourgogne and western favorites like Deschutes and Grand Teton with a few locals like Crow Peak and Brau Brothers mixed in. However, the bottle list is extensive and loaded with quality beers in a wide range of styles. I was sitting next to Jim, who introduced me to the owner Jerry Hauck. Jim argued that Monk's is the best bar between Denver and Chicago, and was willing to bypass the Twin Cities.

While chatting, Jerry and I agreed that the Twin Cities has a real advantage of distribution options plus just sheer volume of potential customers when looking at a pubs like the Muddy Pig, Happy Gnome, The Republic, Town Hall Tap or Blue Nile as a comparison. But for being in Sioux Falls, this is an outstanding selection, especially for some beers from the west that aren't often found in the cities. Jerry did acknowledge that he thought his bottle list is second to none, and I would agree. However, since my time is always limited, I've never gotten past two or three beers from the tap line that I don't have on my database (a compliment all by itself).

In chatting with Jim and Jerry, they very nicely updated my beer schedule on my drive to Denver via Omaha and Rapid City (to and fro, respectively), giving me several places to consider that I had not found in my research. Very knowledgable beer folks and a pleasure to take advice from tonight.

Jerry even divulged some new information that Monk's is going to build a brewery in the back space that he used to sell organic furniture (natural wood used from mill). While some of the plans are understandably vague at the moment, he hopes to add brewed on premise beers around December. Asked why he was adding a brewery (besides the fun of it), he said "for the fun of it".

Expanding a bit more, the motivation to have a well run brewpub in Sioux Falls seems to also be a factor. According to Jim, Sioux Falls Brewing had been very good when it opened in the late 90s and I remember reading some good reviews and that they had won several medals, which had gotten me to go there; it was obviously not good when I tasted it in 2003. Since SFB went out of business, there hasn't been a brewpub in Sioux Falls except Granite City (which we argued whether or not it's really a brewpub with the fermentus interruptus system of shipping wort from Iowa to finish locally). Regardless of your GC opinion, there isn't a brewpub in town of the quality of a Town Hall that is constantly bringing locally inspired brew to a loyal clientele. I wish them luck and hope to sample some original Monk's beer in the future.

Monk's is truly an outstanding bar and not to be missed if thirsty in South Dakota. While I don't know if it's the best beer bar in the midwest, it most definitely gives nearly every bar I know from Denver to Chicago a run for its money. Do yourself a favor and stop in at Monk's House of Ale Repute.

Location:Monk's House of Ale Repute

Lost Continent Double IPA (Grand Teton Brewing, Victor, Idaho)

7/4/12



Second draft for my 4th of July stop at Monk's House of Ale Repute. Almost white head on a clear, two-toned amber ale in a tulip glass. Again, a pretty lace (in a well cleaned glass) which funnels a strong grapefruit, tropical fruit and pine resin into the nose. 8% ABV is hidden in the nose, but a light peppery note betrays it on the tongue, which is assaulted by spice and sweet malt and an oiliness that coats sweetly. Very fun Double IPA, and, from memory, seems to be a bit brighter on draft. Not exactly news that a draft surpasses a bottle, but there seems to be a significant boost to the hops for this particular beer (or the bottles I've sampled were not up to snuff).

Location:Monk's House of Ale Repute

Pursuit of Hoppiness (Grand Teton Brewing, Victor, Idaho)

7/4/12

Served well in a tulip glass at Monk's House of Ale Repute. Dark amber ale with an off white head. Clean and a nice lace. Listed on the menu as 100
IBUs using Summit, Chinook and Nugget hops. Nose is full of hops and lives up to the advertising. Some grapefruit and citrus, but more earthiness with some serious spice. Hops and some alcohol hotness on the tongue that doesn't linger heavily, so a nice ale on this very hot triple digit day. Listed as an 8.5% amber ale, this is a great hoppy beer that has enough malt to give a different feel from drinking an IPA or DIPA.



Still learning to use the iPad on this trip, so I was a little slow taking the pic. Beer is half gone, but definitely worth a second draft. I didn't have time for it today, but would definitely give it another shot in the future.

Boatilla Amber Ale (Big Bay Brewing, Shorewood, WI)

After tasting Big Bay recently, I let this one sit in the fridge for a while--not looking forward to it.

In the glass, it's pleasant enough--hazy orange ale that glows yellow with the afternoon sun. Dirty white head piles high on the pour.  Nose is light with some nice hop spice if you look for it. Mostly a sweet bready malt with a mineral note. Sweet though light mouthfeel has caramel and toffee notes with a light hop twang. Again, the mineral taste.

Not bad, but not a beer that I will buy again unless it's the best option in the bar.

Stagecoach Saloon at Hubbel House (Mantorville, MN)

Stagecoach Saloon @ Hubbel House

6/29/12

After touring Mantorville Brewing Co (MBC), I felt a need for a draft of the local brew and walked a block to the Stagecoach Saloon inside of the Hubbel House in historic downtown Mantorville.  

The place was full on a Friday night--the bar and a line for the main dining room.  The popularity was in anticipation of the Old Tyme Days happening on Saturday and Sunday.  I should have waited for the Saturday tour of MBC, but tonight was my only option.  Another time for Old Tyme Days.  Mantorville's twelve block downtown is a nationally recognized historic place, which is easy to see with a short stroll, but I think the walking tour with explanations would give a better feel for the history.

Stagecoach Amber Ale at Stagecoach Saloon

I sat at the bar and ordered a Stagecoach Amber Ale.  From the tour, Mantorville Brewing has been doing some maintenance and was a bit behind in the brewing, so the amber was the only MBC on tap.  Sadly, I was looking for the Smoked Porter--next time.  Chilled glass, which the haze can be seen slightly in the photo.  Perfectly fine draft, but it didn't live up to my expectations from the sample at the brewery.  For my second draft, I tested the bar with a beer I know a bit beer--Alaskan Amber.  In both cases, it didn't seem that the beer was 100%.

Pleasantly surprised, there were several veggie options on the menu--including a veggie burger substitute, a portabella mushroom club with fries and a veggie lasagna.  I went for the shroom sandwich with grilled peppers and onions.  In the dim light of the bar, the portabella was so thick I briefly panicked that they brought me a burger by accident. Good sandwich, though the fries needed ketchup--a personal criteria that fries should be good enough without a condiment of any type, whether or not I chose to dip.   In retrospect, I maybe should have tried the wild rice plate--maybe next time.

The Stagecoach Saloon is clearly not a beer bar, but they aren't trying to be.  It's a good hotel watering hole that's serving the folks that are more interested in old west re-enactments than the six taps at the bar.  My purpose for a local pint was to get a fresh, perfectly served draft of MBC beer.  Unfortunately, I will have to keep searching to give their beer a proper tasting.

Ruination 10th Anniversary IPA (Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA)

I've been lusting after this beer since I heard about it and tonight I get to drink it.  According to Stone, Ruination was the first year-round Double IPA on the market (several qualifiers in there, but a first).  It's the same palate hammering beer, but kicked up 3% ABV with double the hop additions to five pounds per barrel.  Here's Stone's explanation video with some pretty good beer porn camera work.  I like Steve Wagner's thoughts on how this anniversary edition really flows from Stone's success: bigger, better equipment and a lot more expertise to be able to pull off this beer.   Ruination is not only one of my favorite beers, but the only beer for which I have a bicycle jersey.  I bought three bottles assuming I'm going to like it.

Just off white head piles high on the first pour, but my camera failed, so the second pour is to the right.  It's exactly as advertised: Ruination but bigger. Very recognizable big flowery, spice and pine nose.  Higher alcohol is apparent in nose and taste, and there's a very slick, resiny characteristic in the mouth.  Big hop bite that spreads across the tongue and overtakes everything else; again, as advertised.  Compared to the standard Ruination, the 10th is slightly darker with more amber swirling around and a heavier mouthfeel.  The full bodied but not heavy contrast of standard is one of my favorite parts of the Ruination, which the 10th falls short of some of that balance because of the increased sweetness and oiliness.

As it warms, the hops go from biting to sinus clearing and the beer develops an almost whiskey like character as the alcohol becomes domineering.  Still happy that I bought three bottles, but don't think the 10th will replace the "Liquid Poem to the Glory of the Hop" that is Ruination IPA.

Newt's North (Rochester, MN)

 

5/27/12

For years, I've driven by Newt's on Hwy 52 through Rochester and never took the opportunity to stop.  In reality, it was vegetarian bias since it looks like a local meat-centric burger joint. In this case, it seems to have been a mistake. 

Some teacher friends (thanks Scott and Heather!) are regulars (after school happy hour), so when several coaches got together here for some Sunday afternoon out-of-season socializing, Newt's feel like our local.  Newt's is a fine pub with a very friendly feel and a solid beer list to keep you entertained.

Let's start with beer. Not recognizing what the 21st Amendment Dark could be, I asked and the server wasn't impressed with the beer.  It turned out to be Brew Free or Die IPA, one of my favorites (I'm drinking it at home right now!) and not Dark at all.  The beer list is respectable, especially for Rochester, so that's fine, but the staff doesn't seem to be overly knowledgeable of craft beer.  But I'm use to Al at the Blue Nile as a guide, so maybe I'm spoiled.  But the staff made up for it in friendliness, even joining in our group photo.

It doesn't say it on the menu, but Heather said she knew of others that ask for a Boca Burger on any of the main burger combos.  So, I ordered the Shroom Burger with a veggie substitute, which was good and reheated well as left overs.  While just a Boca Burger, it was still very good and something I couldn't make as well at home (an eating out food criteria for me).  However, it would be great if that was listed on the menu so I wouldn't have to feel so high maintenance by ordering off the menu.

Ended with after lunch drafts of Alaskan Amber and Lagunitas IPA.  Both were well served and the beer is taken care of well at Newt's.  Inside information--a member of our group is related to the line cleaner of Newt's, so we know that it's done by someone we trust.  And, it shows in clean pints that taste fresh. Taking a closer look at my list, I evidently visited Newt's back in 2001 and had a Mantorville Stagecoach Ale.  My memory of this stop is vague, but it doesn't seem to mesh with Newt's North so I'm guessing I was at the downtown location (and the pictures online do seem to mesh with my memory).  Newt's is not a beer destination for those out of state, but it is a great local bastion of craft beer.

Iowa beer fests--now and then

Reading through my feeds, I came across this review of the Iowa Craft Beer Fest 2012.  Looks like a really good time and got me thinking of the only festival I've attended in my home state of Iowa.

Only a year into this hobby, my wife and I attended the Brewfest in Des Moines in 2002.  A small festival at that time, we sampled nearly as many new beers at Court Avenue Brewing as we did at the festival.  At least those I recorded.  I remember drinking  beers that I had already imbibed, even that early in my tasting career. The best samples of the fest were Rogue's Mocha Porter and Boston Beer's Octoberfest followed by Blue Cat's Hefeweizen, none of which are from Iowa.

The Brewfest is still going on and seems to have improved, slightly.  However, it's still mostly regionals and imports like Rogue and Unibroue with a few locals mixed in.  Less of a craft beer fest than beers distributed in an area, similar to the City Pages Beer Festival that I attended years ago.  I have since learned my lesson and I wouldn't go to either today, but we all make mistakes when we're learning.

So, it's been a decade since I've done a festival in Iowa.  Organized by the Iowa Brewers Guild, the ICBF looks like a very promising festival.  With this bit of information, inklings of improving Iowa beer quality from various articles that have crossed my path and a positive experience in 2008 for a day trip to Worth Brewing in Norwood, Iowa,  it's clear to me that Iowa deserves another chance.

Road trip, anyone?

Buffalo Sweat (Tallgrass Brewing, Manhattan, KS)

Buffalo blockage in Yellowstone 2006

Watching the most recent episode of Brewing TV featuring Tallgrass Brewing, my wife thought Buffalo Sweat looked like a promising stout.  She can sense the taste characteristics from the color of the head (and is surprisingly accurate).  So, I took the opportunity to try it again and see if Gloria could have a stout to drink at home.

Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat

Incredibly thick brown head the color of malted milk balls.  So creamy that it trails dark where the final line of beer fights through to join the luscious blackness on the bottom.  Heavy earthiness, roasted malt and light floral notes in the nose.  If a buffalo sweats roasted chocolate, it would smell like this--oddly.  Mouthfeel is unexpectedly light and the coffee comes across as acrid over the smooth sweetness in the mouth.  I could see where an all day coffee drinker would like this beer--a cold coffee taste lingers about.

Yellowstone 2006 when we got through the line of cars

I'm perfectly fine buying this four pack of Buffalo Sweat, but probably won't get another one any time soon for either of us.  I'm curious to see if a draft would mellow some of the flavors, so will give that a shot when the opportunity arises.  It's a perfectly good stout, but the flavor profile doesn't match with either one of us.

And the Buffalo Sweat name doesn't exactly get my taste buds watering.  However, taking a closer look at our travel pic, the two tone color of the beer has a striking resemblance to an actual buffalo's coloration.  I have no idea how Tallgrass came up with the name, so it's just an observation.  Creative names are becoming harder and harder to find in the booming craft beer industry, but this one doesn't leave me dreaming about the next one.

Amsterdam Bar & Hall (St. Paul, MN)

Amsterdam Bar and Hill.
Pedal Pub out front, but
didn't find out why.  

6/15/12

Having a bit of time before One Voice performed at The History Theater, I parked in the flat lot across the street from the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in downtown St. Paul.  I've had a pint or two here before for happy hour, but have never stayed very long.

Gnomegang and tap list

Tonight I was able to have a few beers, dinner and run into a beer friend as well.  Started off the visit with an extremely well served draft of Gnomegang--a collaboration ale between Ommegang and Brasserie d' Achouffe.  Hazy yellow brew witha built up white head.  Strong spicy nose that doesn't quite forecast the sweet, pepper and yeast twang the fills the mouth and is very balanced.  I've had it before, but this was a particularly good draft tonight.

Dutch cheese broodje and frites

For dinner, I ordered a Dutch cheese broodje (small sandwich) and the smaller $2 happy hour frites (Belgian fries).  Multiple sauces can be ordered with the frites, so I tried the curry mayo and ketchup.  Having had frites in Amsterdam before, I need to have both mayo and ketchup to eat them.  While not completely authentic, the frites were definitely better than the ones I had last summer at Brugge Brasserie in Indianapolis. The onions were an addition I've never had before but I liked them.  The broodje was heated and excellent for just being a cheese sandwich.  It was definitely small, so ordered a second sandwich: grilled vegetable.  The very friendly waitress said it was her favorite, and it was extremely tasty.  I'll start with it next time.  Later in the evening, I was chatting with someone about the Amsterdam and she recommended the house cured salmon broodje.  Definitely enough foodsoptions of reasonable size and high quality to warrant more sampling.

Amsterdam coasters

Beer friend (and beer writer) Jim walked in with his wife Louise and I suddenly felt like I was in my local.  The bar was lively in the early evening on a Friday with the after work happy hour crowd chatting happily. With the summer sun, it was lighter inside than it has been when I've stopped in the past.  Nice atmosphere, but the music from the stage speakers behind me was a bit loud for easy conversation.  I've never been here late night, but the website (and stage behind be) indicates that it is a music destination, but I have no idea of its quality.  I haven't heard of it as a music venue like Triple Rock Social Club or the Blue Nile, but me not hearing of it for music does not mean much.   A final odd note--I noticed an excessive number of beer mats on the bar--seemingly strewn about for easy use.  For some reason, I like the messy look.

For dessert, I ordered an Amstel Wheat (to add to the database) and finished with a Deschutes Inversion IPA. Overall this is a good beer bar with a nice atmosphere.  Plus they always have La Trappe Quad on tap--an excellent go to beer for my wife.  I won't necessary travel downtown just to visit the Amsterdam, but a stop is definitely in order the next time I'm heading to a show or hopefully my wife's co-workers will do another happy hour here again.

MGM Liquor Warehouse (Inver Grove Heights, MN)

MGM Inver Grove Heights

Every once in a while, it's easier to make a beer run at MGM Liquor Warehouse while grocery shopping at Cub than to head over to Arbor Pointe Liquors.  But, MGM is a convenience stop at best--not a place to trust.

Over the years, I've bought a range of beer at MGM. As a result, I now only by from the cooler since it seems that some of the craft beer can sit on the shelf while, especially singles that can often be severely out of season. Since a daily beer in six pack form is the goal if stopping, I look for something mainstream craft that's probably moving well--like a Summit seasonal, Rogue, New Belgium, etc.

 If you stop at MGM (possibly many MGMs, but definitely the one in IGH), buy carefully from the cooler and it will be just fine.  If you're looking for super cool singles, head to the Four Firkins or The Ale Jail.  

St. Paul Summer Beer Fest 2012 (State Fair Grounds, St. Paul, MN)

International Bazaar stage

6/16/12

According to my notes, I haven't been to the St. Paul Summer Beer Fest since 2009 when it was at Midway Stadium.  While 2009 was a perfectly good time, the Midway location wasn't the conducive location for a fun festival.  Good beer, but drinking in a parking lot didn't cut it and was a part of why I hadn't returned.  When some friends, Heather and Scott, suggested we do the festival together, I thought it was time for a return visit at the state fairgrounds location.

After a Chipotle stop, we showed up early to the fest and stood in line--to my surprise--in the sun.  I predicted we'd have rain, or at least clouds.  Plenty of sun (and a bit of a burn, unfortunately), but a great day to drink. Hit list in hand, we headed in at 1:30 pm, an 1/2 hour before the posted time.  There was a bit of confusion as to when to start serving beer--some people (Jeff and Gene!!!) got beer before 2 pm (and my theory was I wasn't cute enough).  At 2 pm, we headed back to the grassy area for Surly, etc in  for the start of the day.

Beer crowds under the bazaar 

For taking notes, I only took a pen and decided to rely on the festival program because the organization seemed promising online.  For a festival, my main consideration for a program is the ease of use when drinking.  Period.  For the Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, my main critique of the festival is that the program becomes useless  because it lists the breweries by state. It's impossible for me to find the state, then the brewery, etc.  It needs to be alpha order or something very clear and easy to navigate because--well, you know why.   With large numbers in the corner for each brewery, the program for the St. Paul Summer Beer Fest looked to be good organization.  


However, since the matching numbers weren't on the brewery booths, I had to look at the map in the center of the guide to see which set of numbers I was near and then head to the general location in the festival program to flail around until I found the actual beer in my glass.  In short, the program was hard to use.  The numbers would be great if the physical space was clearly marked for each brewer so that it could be easily located.  I would think that the brewers would want patrons to be able to very easily get to the right spot in the program since the purpose of the festival is sell more beer through name recognition. Plus, there wasn't an alpha order list of the breweries, so it was very difficult to find a brewery by name because the only option was to scan the entire list for a particular brewery. Maybe fewer patrons care about this than I do, but I don't see where program confusion is a benefit for anyone.  I would prefer an alpha list with the numbers beside the name to locate on the map.

While my analysis of the program may make it seems like I didn't have a good time, I really enjoyed the festival.  While the picture above looks crowded, it was not a problem to get from beer to beer.  Everything is very much contained is an easily navigable space. The music from the stage was great and served as a nice background when not too close to the stage--it was a bit loud for me when right up front. Locating the festival at the International Bazaar is a great idea and the setting is a plus that will encourage me to return.

For the pre-festival prep, my hit list had 39 beers that are new to me from breweries I've tried before and 14 brand new breweries.  This should be more than enough to keep me entertained for four hours. As it turns out, it was more than enough.  I counted 38 new beers on the list--not all of them from the original hit list.  The accuracy of what was offered compared to what was listed in the program varied considerably from brewery to brewery, so I tasted several that I wasn't aiming to drink.  Nine new breweries on the day as well, which is really good for a local festival.   McNeill's Brewery from Vermont was best new brewery I sampled; good beers across the board, the Dark Angle Stout was my favorite.  For a new Minnesota brewery, Third Street Brewhouse from Cold Spring was a good initial experience, especially the Lost Trout Brown Ale.  However, Olvalde's Brynhildr's Gift was easily the best beer on the day--an amazing brew that I will most definitely be finding in the near future.

A very affable festival, I ran into a lot of friends: beer, work and family.  In fact, I had so much fun chatting and hunting beers, there are only two pics that I took at the last minute.  To finish the day, I had planned to eat at the fest and ride the (free--another great idea) Bus #3 to downtown St. Paul to see my wife's performance, but friends  offered a ride after dinner at the St. Clair Broiler.  Breakfast for dinner fit the bill with a four egg cheese omelet (provolone and smoked gouda), well done hash browns and wheat toast.  Lots of other veggie options, so will have to try to get back at some point.  

If you haven't been to the St. Paul Summer Beer Fest, it's time to check it out.  If you haven't been in a while, like me, it's definitely time to give it another chance.

Brit's Pub & Eating Establishment

Fuller's London Pride @ Brit's

Brit's Pub & Eating Establishment

Brit's Pub is one of those eating establishments that has a great reputation with a wide range of people.  It seems everyone has been there one time or another.

As a beer geek destination, it doesn't really hold up. While Brit's does have 20 taps by my count, they are the basic UK bar line up: Speckled Hen, Guinness, Newcastle, Boddington's (maybe the prettiest poured pint ever), Strongbow and the like.  I noticed locals from Fulton and Surly as well on this trip.

For many, Brit's is the stop when going to Orchestra Hall for a show.  Today, that was my excuse to have a couple of pints while Gloria prepped with One Voice for the opening concert of Chorus America, which was a great concert for those who like choral music.

For today's stop, I started with the Fuller's London Pride on cask to go with a true British feel.  It was tasty and well served.  It's the only cask engine, but at least they seem to be handling the cask well from this sample.  I had a cask of this at The Blackfriar in London, possibly one of the coolest pubs in the world.

Next was a glass of Stella Artois, the Budweiser of the EU.  A better beer than Bud, but it is a ubiquitous beer much in the same vein.  However, SA likes to maintain a more sophistcated profile, so I guess that's why there's a separate tap for it.  The website, as with most macro websites, was relatively useless in telling me why, but the video of the 9 step process to pour a chalice of SA (SA's word--they are fussy about that as well) points to how serious they are to have a well poured beer.  Or, at least how serious they are about making it look like SA is a high end product.  When I asked the waitress what it did besides keep it ice cold, she shrugged sarcastically and said "nothing".

Can see ice build up on neck of Stella Artois'
own special dispenser.  

Featured choirs, including One Voice, listed
to the right on the sign.  

I didn't eat here tonight, but have generally been very happy with the food and service at Brit's.  The beer is well served and the place is cozy and a generally a great place to have a chat.  Besides the less than adventuresome beer list (though true to their marketing), the only other negative I've had with Brit's is that the bar seems to smell funny to me.  Not sure why--spilled beer stank maybe, but a minor detail and it seemed less pronounced on this trip.  I don't go out of my way to drink at Brit's, but I'm perfectly happy when I find my there, pint in hand.

Hefeweizen (Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN)

Town Hall Hefeweizen

Snow white head drifts heavily on top of a burnt sunset orange ale.  Haziness enhances the color, and I assume that this beer is unfiltered and full of vitamin laden yeast.  Strong spicey yeast nose with plenty of banana and fruity esters characteristic of the style.  Fruitiness--banana, mango, lemon--continues in the taste with a solid bite on the tongue.  Assertive, full beer for the style, which is why it's one of my favorites.

A perennial Town Hall favorite, just wait and it will come around again if you missed it.  BA's on  BeerAdvocate aren't nearly as glowing about this beer as I am.   Reading through the reviews, it seems like they are drinking different beers.  In my experience, this has been somewhat true.  When I opened the growler, I decided to do the review, in part, because it's a good version of this brew.  Not the best that I've had, but really good.  However, I've had it a couple of times that it's not quite up to its own standard.  Not sure if it's a variability of the batch or if time affects this one.  Showing up when it's tap has proven to be a good strategy in the past when I've had the better pints of hefeweizen.

Plus, though I don't generally care about styles (thus why I don't judge homebrew competitions), TH's hefe, like Masala Mama, probably won't win a medal at GABF any time soon.  Medals are about hitting the style bullseye and some of Town Hall's beers just don't hit that target--but when they are this good, I surely don't care.  I don't drink medals.

Torpedo (Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, CA)

The awesome dry hopping technique used to create this IPA is from Sierra Nevada's hop torpedo.  The hop torpedo is a cylindrical device that controls the hop contact.  Normal dry hopping is inefficient because placing hops in a bag hides much of the hoppy goodness it the center away from direct contact from the beer.  A quick search yielded this pic of the hop torpedo.  More hop, less cost: everyone is hop happy.

Thick creamy off white head that continues to grow from the strong effervescent bubbles flowing up in the afternoon sun.  Overflowing with grapefruit, citrus, a bit of lemon and clean, assertive spice in the nose.  Sweet biscuit caramel notes support the Magnumb, Crystal and Citra hop combination. The promise of hops in the nose is fulfilled with a strong bite that spreads along the tongue.  7.2% alcohol points to a fairly large malt bill and it shows in the mouthfeel.  Alcohol hotness is slightly apparent.  Excellent IPA and it's a bit over the top for the style--which is perfect for me.

If you have any inclination to savor hops, try this beer.  I love the 16 oz tallboy bans, but the packaging was terribly inconvenient.  Hard to carry and no obvious way to hold on to it.  A minor issue but not great marketing.  Take home the awkward four pack and enjoy.

birth of a beer obsession (part 3) Blue Moon

birth of a beer obsession (part 1)

birth of a beer obsession (part 2) Rolling Rock

The fluffy white head pours hard and dissipates almost immediately.  Shimmering gold with amber highlights for the body.  Light spice in the nose that is the standard wit beer orange peel and coriander with a bit of floral hoppiness underneath.  Sweet, fruity taste that lingers with a bit of spice along the sides of the tongue.  Sits in the mouth well, which is one of the characteristics I originally liked about this beer.

Tonight's bottle isn't the draft beer that I had in the Chicago Bennigan's over a decade ago.  That's my fault since it took me a while to get to this post.  Recently, I had a draft of Blue Moon when at a non-geek bar. Blue Moon tends to be my standard back up beer when it's the best beer in the tap line up.  It tends to be fresh in most places.  Guessing Blue Moon moves well to make it my a safe choice.

I still like this beer and will claim it as my gateway beer over Rolling Rock--unless pushed.  While Rolling Rock is a cleanly brewed beer, it lacks a the craft quality to really serve as a gateway beer.  However, between my lack of knowledge and the state of beer in the early 1990s, I think I can be forgiven.