Drink Laugh Learn Sell Out

OF THE MONTH Karl Strauss Mouette Trois

BEER

THE NEWSSTANDS MOST DESIRABLE BEER MAGAZINE!

TOP

BEERS OF 2012

30

JAN/FEB 2013 / ISSUE 29

WE TALK BEER with SKA LEGENDS

www.thebeermag.com

THE INGREDIENTS
THE REGULARS 6 Cheers Sell Out 8 Buzz
What's happening

17 Calendar

JAN / FEB 201 3 ISSUE 29

Drink on These Dates

18 Ask Beer
Go Ahead, Ask

20 Heres to You
If that was black and white it would be the bizzaro Beatles.

And You, and You and You

22 Beer Kitchen
Coq Au Bire

26 Beer Anatomy
Lambic

32 Home Brew
Parti-Gyle Brewing

35 The Brewery Comic Central 37 Beer Recipes

Honey Red Ale, Brown Ale

66 Taste Tests
New Year, New Beer

80 Beer of the Month

Karl Strauss Mouette Trois

56
Reel Big Fish
Beer to Beer

FEATURES 38 Great American Beer Fest 2012

3 Days in Denver

46 Top 30 Beers
Of 2012

52 BrewCakes

Cupcakes Made Better

74 Brux

Collaboration

38

[ 04] :

46
Of 2012

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

Top 30 Beers

What is your top beer of 2012?

On the Cover: Reel Big Fish I Twitter @ReelBigFish I www.reel-big-sh.com Photo by: Marc Piron I www.marcpiron.com Location: Riverside, CA I www.reel-big-sh.com

52
BrewCakes

Beer Magazine (ISSN 1941-1804) is a publication of Beer30 Media LLC, 4327 Highland Place Riverside, CA 92506; Phone: 909.702.7994; E-mail: derekb@thebeermag.com. Subscription rates are $19.99 for 6 issues (one year), $39.99 per year for foreign airmail, $29.99 for Canada and Mexico. All rights reserved. The entire contents are copyright 2013 Beer30 Media LLC, and may not be reproduced in any manner in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The views and opinions of the writers and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Beer30 Media LLC, the publisher, or the editorial staff. The publisher assumes no responsibilities for advertising claims, errors, and omissions. Beer Magazine is created, printed and produced in the United States of America. We occasionally use material that we believe has been placed in the public domain. Sometimes it is not possible to identify and contact the copyright holder. If you claim ownership of something we have published, we will be pleased to make the correct acknowledgement. 100% recyclable. Save the planet. Drink Beer Frequently. Read Beer. Printed in the U.S.A

: [05]

CHEERS

THE RANTS
PUBLISHER/EDITOR/JANITOR [Was not 5 in 1986!]

DEREK BUONO
WHEN I WAS 5 I WANTED TO BE A... Fighter Pilot. FIVE YEARS AGO I THOUGH ID BE DOING... Owning a steel mill and building Americawait that was a TV series. FIVE YEARS FROM NOW ILL PROBABLY BE DOING... Sitting and thinking about where the hell 5 years went.

ART DIRECTOR [Very logical at 5, killer whales can be trained so why not?]

JOANNA BUONO
WHEN I WAS 5 I WANTED TO BE A... Shark trainer. FIVE YEARS AGO I THOUGH ID BE DOING... Pretty much what I am doing. FIVE YEARS FROM NOW ILL PROBABLY BE DOING... More of the same and thinking just how right my parents were when they told me the older you get the faster time passes. Ugh.

Anybody know the Swedish Bikini team?

HEY, THE COVER DOESNT LOOK THE SAME?

Sell Out

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [Always appropriate.]

BRAD RUPPERT
WHEN I WAS 5 I WANTED TO BE A... A bootlegger despite booze being legal. FIVE YEARS AGO I THOUGH ID BE DOING... The beer guy on a porn set. Like the key grip only better. FIVE YEARS FROM NOW ILL PROBABLY BE DOING... Teaching my kids to be beer mules to transport daddys elixir across the border.

hen I started this magazine, there was no mainstream beer magazine. So we tried several things to try and trick people into reading about beer.1 The rst and most notable place where we try to attract your attention is the cover. We occasionally get emails asking whether the women who grace our covers are brewers, if they like sours, or even if they drink beer. I can honestly say that part isnt important to me, but surprisingly, some do, and most who do our cover shoots with us end up trying beers they would never have tried before.2 Ive broken my rule a few times about who is on the cover. The rst rule break was two years ago, and recently, it was having Gene Simmons on it, and now that issue has ofcially sold out. This one is the rst male model cover weve ever done, and I have mixed feelings. Its sort of like if Reel Big Fish decided to play some country music.3 The good news about being a small company is that Im not afraid to try things. This is one of those covers that breaks away from our formula, and well nd out what it does in terms of sales, which is ultimately what the cover is designed to stimulate.4 With a total of six people on the cover, all of them male, I gure this one will satisfy the few people who ask Why dont you ever put guys on the cover? So here it is, ladies, six professional models who drink beer, home brew, and play music. I think were good for the next six years? Or who knows, right?5
Godspeed,

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [Or a Lego Cowboy.]

JASON CASTONGUAY WHEN I WAS 5 I WANTED TO BE A... Cowboy with Legos. FIVE YEARS AGO I THOUGH ID BE DOING... Less for more. FIVE YEARS FROM NOW ILL PROBABLY BE DOING... More for less.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [Not a bad 5 year plan.]

DON OSBORN
WHEN I WAS 5 I WANTED TO BE A... Cool skateboarder like the big kids. FIVE YEARS AGO I THOUGH ID BE DOING... Hookers and blow. FIVE YEARS FROM NOW ILL PROBABLY BE DOING... Kegstands in the middle of a mid-life crisis.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [Actual photo]

JAY BROOKS
WHEN I WAS 5 I WANTED TO BE A... An astronaut. FIVE YEARS AGO I THOUGH ID BE DOING... Exactly what Im doing, just less of it. FIVE YEARS FROM NOW ILL PROBABLY BE DOING... Ill still be trying to nish my beer book thats now six-months overdue!

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [Not an actual photo.]

ROB STERKEL
WHEN I WAS 5 I WANTED TO BE A... Five year old astronaut. FIVE YEARS AGO I THOUGH ID BE DOING... What I wanted to be doing ve years before that. FIVE YEARS FROM NOW ILL PROBABLY BE DOING... What I should have been doing ve years ago.

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

1. Yes; we try to trick people into learning about beer. If you buy it for two pictures of a girl or three pages of drinking games, odds are youre going to read about craft beer, too, since the rest of the magazine is about that. 2. Weve created beer drinkers at every photo shoot. Isnt that what we want? 3.Or maybe like Reel Big Fish being cover models? 4. Yes, I said stimulate. <Beavis and Butthead laugh> 5. Weve had men, women, dogs, and off-road race trucks ... whats next?

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [Days are numbered.]

PEPE
WHEN I WAS 5 I WANTED TO BE A... Pinnochio FIVE YEARS AGO I THOUGH ID BE DOING... Summer block buster movies. FIVE YEARS FROM NOW ILL PROBABLY BE DOING... Nothing, sitting folded on a shelf, or packed in a box.

[ 06] :

THE BUZZ

NEW RECORD: Worlds Strongest Beer?

eople often ask what the strongest beer in the world is, but the answer isnt always cut and dried. Recently, a beer called Armageddon was released by the Brewmeister Brewery in Scotland. Weighing in at a whopping 65% ABV, the 130-proof beer is more like a spirit than a beer. The previous record setter was the 55% ABV End of History beer brewed by Scottish brewery, BrewDog. The question of whether these are actually beers remains a bit debatable. They start off as any normal beer, with Armageddon being brewed with crystal malt, wheat, flaked oats, and spring water, and fermented as usual. The next step involves a form of concentration in a process called fractional freezing. Fractional freezing is the act of separating two different liquids with different melting points. With beer, that means water and alcohol. Since the freezing/melting point for water is lower than for alcohol, it freezes and thereby leaves most of the alcohol unfrozen. The iced water is then removed, and a concentrated beer of sorts is left behind. Fractional freezing is used to make ice beers like Eisbocks from Germany. The process is also used to make applejack from apple cider. Fractional freezing differs from distillation, which is the process of purifying a liquid by boiling and condensing the different volatiles. A beer that is distilled is called Bierscnaps. Regardless, fractional freezing is a form of concentration, and a beer produced in this fashion should technically be considered a spirit. Utopias from Samuel Adams is an example of a naturally fermented beer that has not been concentrated by fractional freezing or distillation and is around 27% ABV. Samuel Adams is able to achieve these levels of alcohol by feeding the yeast with sugar as it continues to ferment. The alcohol concentration then kills the yeast, making around 27-29% the highest possible naturally fermented beer. Utopias will set you back around $190, and Armageddon costs about $95 plus shipping for a 330ml bottle. Youre better off getting a nice bottle of Scotch or Bourbon to drink and share with friends for that price.

Lets be clear. Its not beer when its distilled.

www.brewmeister.co.uk www.samueladams.com www.brewdog.com

[ 08] :

THE SCIENCE OF

GREAT HEAD

ho doesnt love great head? Some

may argue that the head on a beer is not desirable, but the truth is that

beer foam is extremely important to experience a beer properly. There are, in fact, many studies that focus on the science of foam, from how it forms to how it affects our perception of the beer. Foam is formed when proteins in the beer wrap around CO2 gas bubbles, which leads to an

Breweries and Charity

2012

increased surface tension and stable foam. While most of these proteins come from the malt used to brew beer, a new study suggests that the yeast plays an active role in its stability. The new discovery involves the actual genes in beer yeast that produce proteins that contribute to the creation of a beers head. The ndings came from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain and were published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. Essentially, during fermentation, beer yeast produces a protein that when introduced to CO2, bubbles quickly bind to them to form trapped bubbles of CO2 foam. The gene responsible is dubbed CFG1 and not only helps to produce great head but also adds to the longevity. This discovery is important to the breweries that pasteurize their beers. Pasteurization can actually denature proteins in beer and lead to poor head retention. Brewers that do this often add foam stabilizers to their beer. From a non-craft beer drinkers point of view, beer foam is normally looked at negatively. But visually, the foam on top tells the drinker that the beer is carbonated and is not at. Many avors and aromas are also trapped in the foam, which in addition smooths out the burning sensation that carbonation can produce on the tongue. The proper amount of foam hanging around in the glass is actually a sign of good brewing techniques. The strain of yeast that the scientists used was from the 972-year-old Weihenstephan Abbey brewery. You can get the Weihenstephan 34/70 yeast strain and brew with it yourself. It comes in a dry form from Safale as Saager W-34/70, or in liquid form from Wyeast number 2124 Bohemian lager or White Labs as WLP820 Oktoberfest lager. http://pubs.acs.org/journal/jafcau www.whitelabs.com
When we die we will probably look like that squirrel.

was a big year for charity in many forms from several different breweries. From the small craft breweries to the gigantic, theyve managed to contribute a great deal to some great causes. New Belgium raised more than $500,000 for a local non-profit organization. The money came from beer and merchandise purchases and the cars donated in each city during the Tour De Fat via the car-for-bike swap. Volunteers swapped out their cars for a bike, and the car was then auctioned off for the charity. Stone Brewing Co. also donated over $400,000 to local charities in 2012. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Anheuser Busch donated about 44,000 cases of water to victims in New York and New Jersey. Though some would joke they are already canning water, Anheuser-Busch has donated 71 million cans of water to various relief efforts since 1988. Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurants in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania set up a Give 20 Fundraiserto support the American Red Cross during their cleanup and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Sandy.They raised the money by taking 20% of patrons food bill and donating it to the Red Cross. Beer charity rocks! www.newbelgium.com, www.ironhillbrewery.com, www.stonebrew.com, www.anheuser-busch.com

ALL HAIL THE NEW ALPHA KING!

Since 1999, Hopunion has hosted a competition during the GABF called the Alpha King Challenge. The competition is open to commercially licensed breweries in the U.S., and submissions must have a minimum of 60 IBUs. Every year, some of the hoppiest beers on the planet get judged in hopes of winning the coveted Alpha King Challenge. The competitions name was inspired by Three Floyds Alpha King Pale Ale. This year, Kirk McHale of Thai Me Up Brewery ended Pizza Ports old brewer Jeff Bagbys two-year winning streak with their double IPA called 2X4. Thai Me Up calls their 2X4 a Quadruple Pale Ale, which doesnt make much sense, but the light-colored, unltered 10% hop bomb is still delicious by any other name. Kirk stated that his hoppy beer was inspired by the Wu Tang Clan. It beat out 128 entries from 98 different breweries with Stones Enjoy By 11.09.12 coming in second, and Alpines Bad Boy IPA taking third. www.hopunion.com

: [09]

THE BUZZ

DONT MISS A DROP

BEER APP
OF THE MONTH

Brew Masters

L
Subscribe Online Today
People still use apps?

ots of beer apps are available in the virtual world. Some beer appshelp you with homebrew recipes, while others provide glossaries for beer and brewing terms. Social beer apps help track and rate commercially available beers while connecting you with fellow beer drinkers. There are even several drinking game apps, but there is one that combines

the concept of brewing with a simulated experience. Brewmasters by Red Katana gives users the opportunity to design and build a brewery from the ground up. First you name your brewery and design a customized logo for it. Next, you grow and harvest your grains and hops. Further down the road, you can grow different grains to change up the recipe. The grain is then malted and brewed into wort, then fermented into beer. You then transfer the beer to different packaging options and send it to distribution, at which point the money starts to roll in. Just keep on top of it, or your grain will go rancid! If you are into simulated games, have time to kill, and like the idea of brewing beer, then check out Brewmasters and get your brew on. Its free! https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/

WWW.THEBEERMAG.COM

brew-masters/id475883088?mt=8

THE BUZZ

BEER CAN KEYBOARD

Weed in beer = a boring party.

uring the 2012 Webstock conference in Romania, a company called RoboFun had a functional keyboard on display that used empty beer cans as keys. The cans were from a Czech brewery called Staropramen, and patrons were allowed to test the keyboard by signing up for a sweepstakes at the show. The keyboard works much the same as a touchscreen on a smartphone. Instead of a pressure switch that a standard keyboard uses, the Beer Can Keyboard uses changes in electrical capacitance in the cans when touched. The human touch slightly changes the aluminum cans electrical characteristics. The small change is then relayed to an onboard Arduino board (mini computer), where the information is sent to the computer via a USB cable. RoboFun also made a Beer Piano, where the keys were beer cans connected to an electric piano or synthesizer. www.robofun.ro

Cannabis Beer

annabis recently became legal, with the passage of Amendment 64 in Colorado and with Washington States Initiative 502. Gary Glass of the American Homebrewers Association acknowledged that homebrewers have been using

pot in beer for years and even had the opportunity to try some??. With the new initiatives, homebrewers in these states may consider adding some buds to their beers. This is certainly

not a new concept, as there have been reports of homebrewers sharing what was dubbed Brain Death, a marijuana-spiked barleywine, with the likes of Craft Beer writer Michael Jackson back in 1988. Some marijuana dispensaries have been known to sell beer infused with buds. The rst question that people often ask when discussing pot beer is, how do you make it? Not to be mistaken with Hemp Ale, which uses the seeds of the plant and has no THC, Cannabis beer uses the buds of the plant that contain the psychoactive THC. THC is fat soluble, and boiling the buds in wort doesnt necessarily extract it, unlike hops that are boiled and the alpha acids are isomerized, making the bittering compound soluble. There are a couple of ways around this. First is the use of oats. Oats have the highest content of fat (approximately 4.8%) of all types of cereal grains. Its this fat that gives oatmeal stouts their creamy mouthfeel. Using oats in the mash will add a small amount of fat and give the THC a place to go. Another option involves higher levels of alcohol, which will help extract even more THC. The buds would need to be added postfermentation like a dry hop and allowed to soak. An Imperial Oatmeal Stout would make a great base for bud beer, as it would have the oat fat and high alcohol. The last option involves soaking the bud in vodka for a couple of weeks and then adding the extract to the beer. Despite being legalized in both states, it is still illegal in the eyes of the Federal government, so you wont see any local breweries serving pot beer anytime soon. www.brewersassociation.com

Mad Max would be happy to know that a Cold War-era experiment showed that beers are safe to drink even after being exposed to radiation from an atomic blast. Dubbed Operation Teapot, the tests were performed at a Nevada atomic test site in 1955, and they looked at the effects of nuclear explosions on commercially packaged beverages. Both cans and bottles of beers were placed at various distances from a 30 kiloton blast, ranging from 1,000 feet to 2 miles from ground zero. The first thing learned was that the cans held up better to the initial shockwave of the blast. Another great reason for canned beer! The radiation levels of the bottles and cans that survived the blast were then tested. Radiation exposure was minimal and didnt warrant any long-term health concerns in what was deemed safe for emergency use. The most important question was, how did the nuked beer taste? Apparently someone had the awesome job of tastetesting the mildly radioactive beer. Taste testers claimed the beer tasted off. Regardless, next time youre out buying beer to stock your cellar, remember to get the End of Days IPA.

POSTAPOCALYPTIC BEER

www.dtra.mil

[ 12] :

BEER CALENDAR

JANUARY 201 3
January 10-12 BIG BEERS, BELGIANS AND BARLEYWINES Vail, CO www.bigbeersfestival.com January 12-18 KALAMAZOO BEER WEEK Kalamazoo, MI www.kalamazoobeerweek.com January 18-20 ACES AND ALES WINTER BEER FEST Las Vegas, NV www.acesandales.com January 18-19 GREAT ALASKA BEER AND BARLEYWINE FESTIVAL Anchorage, AK www.auroraproductions.net/beer-barley.html January 18-19 YAGAS CHILI QUEST & BEER FEST Galveston, TX www.yagaspresents.com/chiliquest/index.html January 19 BREW HA HA WINTER BEER FEST Flagstaff, AZ www.agstaffbrewhaha.com January 19 TOP OF THE HOP BEER FESTIVAL Biloxi, MS www.topofthehopsbeerfest.com Yeah, somebody forgot that when you shoot guys for a cover ... there isnt a good shot for here. January 25 WINTER BREW FEST Denver, CO www.denverbrewfest.com January 25-27 STRANGE BREWFEST Port Townsend, WA www.strangebrewfestpt.com January 26 ATLANTA WINTER BEER FEST Atlanta, GA www.atlantawinterbeerfest.com January 26 BEER, BOURBON & BBQ New York, NY www.beerandbourbon.com January 26 BEER DABBLER SHOWCASE AT THE WINTER CARNIVAL St. Paul, MN www.thebeerdabbler.com January 26 BREWERS OF INDIANA GUILD WINTERFEST Indianapolis, IN www.brewersondianaguild.com January 26 JOLLY SKULL BEER FEST Greenville, NC www.beerarmy.com/jollyskull January 26 WINTER WARMER BEER FESTIVAL Asheville, NC www.ashevillebeerfest.com

FEBRUARY 201 3
February 1 MINNESOTA CRAFT BREWERS GUILD WINTERFEST St. Paul, MN www.mncraftbrew.org February 1-2 BARLEY BROS. WINTER ALE FESTIVAL McCall, ID www.barleybros.net February 2 BUFFALO WINTER BREW FEST Buffalo, NY www.buffalowinterbrewfest.com February 2 GREAT BEER EXPO AT THE MEADOWLANDS Secaucus, NJ www.greatbeerexpo.com February 9 WINTER BEER CARNIVAL Atlanta, GA www.winterbeercarnival.com February 16 BREWZ CREWZ CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL Lakeland, FL www.brewzcrewz.com February 23 ARIZONA BREWERS GUILD STRONG BEER FESTIVAL Phoenix, AZ www.azbrewguild.com February 23 HOPS AND PROPS Seattle, WA www.museumofight.org February 23 MICHIGAN BREWERS GUILD WINTER BREW FEST Grand Rapids, MI www.michiganbrewersguild.org

MONTH
NAME: Jennifer Irene Gonzalez
HOME TOWN: Redondo Beach, CA TWITTER: @jgmodeltalent
Photo: Derek Buono

POUR

: [17]

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

Finish a growler of beer and you probably get why.

Q:

Early growlers.

A:

WHY ARE HALF-GALLON JUGS OF BEER CALLED GROWLERS?

efore cans and bottles, the only way to enjoy a brewski at home, or even at work, was to take away a lled container directly from a local saloon. Starting in the late 1800s, galvanized pails

were lled for patrons off-premise consumption. People would also pay young kids to run the pails of beer to and from the tavern. The original growler held one quart of beer half the size of todays average growlersand for a price of about 7 cents. As to the name growler, there is some debate about its actual origin. Explanations range from the sound that the pail of beer made when it was slid across the bar to the sound that the pail itself made when being hand-carried, or even the sound made by the children while running the errand. Other sources suggest that it was the sound of a working mans stomach while waiting for his pail of beer to be fetched during lunchtime. In 1883, the Trenton (NJ) Times mentioned growlers as follows: The growler is the latest New York institution. It is a beer can, the legitimate outgrowth of the enforcement of the Sunday liquor law. Young men stand on the sidewalk and drink their beer out of a can, which, as fast as emptied, is sent to be relled where-ever its bearer can nd admittance. One hundred years later in the 1980s, at their small brewpub in Wilson, WY, the Otto brothers decided to put their beer in a healthdepartment-friendly glass container. They added their logo to the bottle, and the rest is beer history! Todays growlers range in size from one quart to one gallon and are made of glass, plastic, and stainless steel and generally cost between $10 and $30. Not all states allow growlers and, because of packaging laws, growlers generally have the brewery logo and name on them. The cool thing is you get to keep the growler and get rells that cost between $7 and $15, depending on the brand. Breweries such as Fort Collins in Colorado have even installed a special growler lling station to minimize waste and guarantee freshness. If the growler is lled correctly, the lid is tight, and the growler is kept cool, the beer should last for nearly a week.
Fort Collins growler lling station.

[ 18] :

Q: A:
Q: A:

WHATS A TAP TAKEOVER?

Tap Takeovers occur whenever a bar or brewpub brings in and features a lineup of draft beers from another brewery. Its a great opportunity
for both enterprises; its a great promotional concept for a local pub as well as an awesome way for a brewery to get both its limited release and popular beers out to a different geographical area. The number of beers that can be included in a takeover depends on how many of the pubs taps are available and how many the pub is willing to have taken over. Flying Dog Brewery is holding one of the largest tap takeovers at Maxs Taphouse in Baltimore, with 56 of their beers on tap. The most extensive takeover to date was hosted at the Cannery Row Brewing Company, where last November, all 73 of their taps were lled with Sierra Nevada beers. That many taps at one brewery under one roof set a worlds record, according to the Guinness Book. The beers included all their regular brews, some Beer Camp beers, their Ovila beers, and some vintage series beers and single-barrel releases, as well. This gave Cannery Row the opportunity to hold several beer dinners hosted by SN brewmasters and regional representatives. We didnt know that Sierra Nevada even brewed that large a variety of beers. That is one awesome lineup!

Q:

EXTRA PALE ALE

WHAT DOES THE

A:
to be just an extra word. with more citrus and pine.

MEAN?
ords are often thrown around to

describe a

particular style, in hopes of making it stand out in a crowd, such as the over-saturated craft beer market. Much like double pale ale or the difference between Imperial and Double IPA, the names can all be a bit confusing. When it comes to the extra in extra pale ale, it seems Pale Ales generally come in two forms: English or American. The English version uses European grains, hops, and yeast, and it tends to be maltier and fruitier. American versions, on the other hand, use a combination of grains (often exclusively American), and American hops and yeast. They tend to be drier, higher in alcohol, and hoppier, XPAs are simply a variation of an American Pale Ale. At rst glance, the term extra might be interpreted as more alcohol or more avorful. But from experience, they tend to be drier and crisper, allowing the hops to come through more. However, some versions seem less hoppy than others. The malt character for most XPAs also leans more to the biscuit and bready side rather than caramel. Alcohol content ranges from lower to higher than average Pale Ales, as well.
: [19]
Extra Double Session Imperial beer. When is that coming?

IS GOOD BREWING WATER JUST A MARKETING PLOY, OR IS BREWING WATER REALLY THAT IMPORTANT?

Beer is approximately 90% water, and the quality of the water thats used cannot be over-estimated when considering the quality of the nal product. Historically, the water source was extremely important because breweries did not have the knowledge or technology to change the chemistry of the water. Brewers pay attention to a few key elements when considering water chemistry. They look at dissolved salts, which are measured in parts per million or ppm; pH; and residual alkalinity. When the salts dissolve in water, they become ions that are crucial for mashing, fermentation, and even mouthfeel. Some of these ions include calcium, chloride, sulfates, magnesium, sodium, and carbonates. Because water chemistry is so important, regional water supplies often dictated what was brewed locally, and this led to the different styles of beers that we have today. In Burton-on-Trent, England, the local water is extremely hard, which means that it has a high content of dissolved salts that come from the gypsum in the surrounding hills. The hard water, which measures around 1200 ppm, promotes and accentuates the hops bitterness and avors that resulted in the regions iconic pale ales. The region of Burton-on-Trent was the leader in pale ales until a chemist by the name of Charles Vincent discovered Burtonization, a process in which gypsum is added to softer water to mimic Burtons water chemistry. Because of that process, brewers are now able to brew pale ales in the Burton style. In the Czech Republic, the opposite is true. Thanks to local aquifers, the water is very soft, which means it is low in dissolved minerals and has a low alkalinity. This soft water, which measures around 50 ppm, helped to create the softness and roundness that is the trademark of the classic Czech pilsner lagers. Brewers today simply use distilled or reverse osmosis water that has all or most of the salts removed. By diluting local harder water with treated water, brewers are able to produce traditional Bohemian Pilsners. So is there truth to the water dictum, or is it all a marketing ploy? Well, it turns out that old-school advertising was right for the times. In the past, it was all about the water source. But in todays chemically altered world, breweries have access to a variety of types of lters, brewing salts, and acids, and can re-create any water prole they choose. With this knowledge, the local water source is not as signicant as in days of old. So now we can drink our favorite styles locally!

HERES TO YOU

HERES
TO YOU
words: You photos: You
If you wonder who reads this magazine...here they are.

hats better than reading about beer? How about reading

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

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

NAME: Lee M cDonald AGE: 71 OCCUPATIO N: Retired LOCATION: H ydes, MD FAVORITE B AR: Du Claw, in Abingdon FAVORITE B , MD EER: Yuenglin g BOTTLE, CAN OR TAP: Tap FAVORITE H ANGOVER FO OD: Cold Milk MOST MEM ORABLE BEE R JaxonsBre : Borderlands wery in El Pa Lager from so, TX LEAST FAVO RITE BEER: R ed, White an
d Blue

NAME: Steve Matta AGE: 36 OCCUPATION: Medical Device Sales Rep LOCATION: Medford, MA FAVORITE BAR: Horse Brass Pub
Portland, OR

NAME: Alisa Conte AGE: 24 signer OCCUPATION: Web De GA, Jersey girl ah, ann Sav N: LOCATIO
at heart

FAVORITE BAR: World

FAVORITE BEER: The Maharaja IPA,

Avery Brewing

BOTTLE, CAN, OR TAP: Tap, preferably

cask conditioned.

FAVORITE HANGOVER FOOD: 5 Guys

cheeseburger, fries.

of Beer in gian Tavern Bel ogy Eul ; Savannah, GA in Philadelphia, PA giumFat FAVORITE BEER:New Belg during kin Tire; Southern Tier Pum gsh Head October; anything Do TA E, CAN, OR P: Tap

MOST MEMORABLE BEER: Egils Gull

Lager in Blue Lagoon

BOTTL FOOD: FAVORITE HANG OVER

Anything greasy with bacon. Signature Morimoto Ha

LEAST FAVORITE BEER: Budweiser

ER:Rogue MOST MEMORABLE BE : Coors Light LEAST FAVORITE BEER

zelnut Ale

minutes! Sake Bomb! (Hit my head on the hardwood table to drop the shot... tryin g to be cool at a sushi bar... still hav e a knot on my forehead years late r!) LEAST FAVORITE BEER: Mill er. Stinks. Especially if not ice cold!

MOST MEMORABLE BEER:

Beeeer! Hangover gone in

NAME: Lu Inmany AGE: 32 OCCUPATION: Slot Host LOCATION: Las Vegas, NV FAVORITE BAR: OSheas FAVORITE BEER: Guinness (tap) BOTTLE, CAN, OR TAP: TAP !! FAVORITE HANGOVER FOO D:

[ 20] :

BEER KITCHEN

A Beerlicious Spin

on a French Classic

C
We need some new table settings...

recipe: Joanna Buono photos: Derek Buono

OQ AU VIN IS A CLASSIC FRENCH DISH THATS TRADITIONALLY MADE WITH WINE. I have made versions of it using red wine as well as white. Both wine renditions result in a delicious chicken stew, so I wondered, why not give beer a shot? Since this is a traditional French dish with a little twist, I decided to use a brew from Frances neighbor that is so well known for its beer: Belgium.

COQ
[ 22]:

e r i B
AU

SERVES: 4 to 6 DIFFICULTY: 2 (Scale of 1 to 5) SUGGESTED BEER:

La Trappe Quadrupel Trappist Ale

Ingredients
4 chicken thighs, 4 chicken legs or 4 leg/thigh quarters 3 oz. pancetta, chopped 2 cups chicken stock Bouquet garni5 sprigs each of fresh thyme and parsley with 2 bay leaves, tied together with kitchen string 12 oz. package frozen pearl onions 3 tbsp. our 3 tbsp. unsalted butter Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 medium onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into -inch dice 1 celery rib, cut into -inch dice 8 oz. mushroom caps, quartered 2 cups Belgian beer (I used La Trappe Quadrupel Trappist Ale)

Tools Heavy Bottomed Skillet with lid or Dutch oven Knife Cutting Board Tongs Slotted and Wooden Spoons Kitchen Twine Mest Sieve/Strainer

I feel each person who reads this will know our kitchen if they come over.

: [23]

BEER KITCHEN

The Method
1. Rinse chicken and pat dry with a

paper towel, then season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Set a heavy-bottomed skillet over

medium heat. Add to it 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and a drizzle of olive oil. When the butter has melted, add the frozen pearl onions and saut until softened and heated through, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove the pearl onions with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook until they release their juices and begin to brown. You can add a little more butter to the pan if it seems too dry. Once browned, remove them from the pan and set aside with the pearl onions.
Bacon. It rules. (Pancetta too!)

3. Add the pancetta to the skillet and

cook over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp, about 8 minutes or so. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on a small paper towel-lined plate. Reserve for nal garnish. Place chicken pieces skin side down in the skillet and brown both sides, turning once, about 8 minutes per side. Brown the chicken in batches if necessary so as not to crowd the pan.
4. Discard all but about a teaspoon

of fat from the skillet. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, the sliced onion, garlic, carrot and celery to the pan, stirring to combine. Saut for 5 minutes, then add 3 tablespoons of our, stirring to combine and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat.
5. Add the beer to the skillet,

followed by the chicken broth, and stir to blend well with the vegetable and our mixture. Return the chicken to the pot with any of the accumulated juices, toss in the bouquet garni, and make sure that everything is covered by the liquid. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low to low, to maintain a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer for 35 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure that it stays at a simmer.

[ 24]:

6. Remove the chicken from the pan,

set it aside, and cover to keep warm. Strain the sauce with a sieve to remove all the solids, veggies, herbs, etc. Return the sauce to the pan over medium heat and add the reserved pearl onions and mushrooms, stirring to combine. Put the chicken back in, turning to coat the pieces well, and continue to heat for about 5 more minutes. Serve in wide, shallow bowls with mashed potatoes, and top each serving with a sprinkling of crisp pancetta bits. Enjoy.

What's the matter Colonel Sanders, Chicken?

ike most stew-y dishes of this kind, Coq au Bierelike its sister dish Coq au Vinis even better prepared a day before you intend to serve it. The flavors will have a chance to meld together, making this both an easy and delicious option for dinner guests. All thats required is a gentle reheating, covered, over medium heat or in a 325 oven until heated through. Bon appetit!
: [25]

BEER ANATOMY

H
Lambics are in all libraries.

words: Brad Ruppert photos: Derek Buono

AVE YOU EVER HAD A FRIEND SAY, IVE TRIED BEER, AND I DONT LIKE IT. Whenever I come across someone who says this, I challenge them to name the beer they tried, and they almost never can. Or worse, they make something up. Even if they do throw out a name, its usually some macro-brewed lager. The sad thing is, these people will cut themselves off from ever trying any one of the million other beers out there. To me, beer is like boobs. There isnt a man, woman, or child who doesnt like them. Sure, there might be some scary pairs out there but guaranteed, more often than not, theres a pair of sweater puppies out there for everyone. For those pansy-asses who think all beers are the same, I guarantee theyve never tried a Lambic. This beer has been around for thousands of years, and youd be hard-pressed to nd a hater who didnt respond with Wow ! This is a beer? when drinking one. Its perfect for sipping on a Sunday morning in place of mimosas or pairing with some chocolate cake for dessert.

Lambic
Anatomy of
[ 26] :

THE PANTY PEELER OF BEERS

HISTORY

ambics are one of those hoity-toity beers that are named after a particular region where they originated and thus, all other Lambic-inspired beers brewed outside this region should be named Lambic-style. This classication is similar to Champagne and sparkling wine. Lambics come from a 300-square-mile Senne River valley called Payottenland, which near Brussels and is thick with orchards, elds of owers as far as the eye can see, and is surrounded by rich woodlands. This environment is what enables the Lambic to thrive, since it is a beer that relies upon natural fermentation or wild airborne yeasts to bring it to life. Despite centuries of invading armies such as Celts, Romans, Franks, Germans, Austrians, Spanish, French, and even the Dutch, this beer has survived to be one of the oldest commercial brewing styles still enjoyed today. The name Lambic is thought to have originated from one of the four villages where the beer was initially brewed (Borcht-Lombeek, Sint-Katelijne-Lombeek, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek, or Lembeek).

THE INGREDIENTS:

These beers are known for their extremely sour or tart avors, so its only natural to complement this with cherries, apples, or raspberries. As with many beers that start with the primary four ingredients: water, barley, hops and
yeast, its acceptable to get a little creative and see what else can be tossed into either the boil or the barrel during maturation. Should you choose to avoid the fruit additions, there are still plenty of wild and crazy yeast combinations that can take this beer to various extremes. Another key player in this beers lifecycle is the barrel aging. The barrels are typically made of oak that were used to house wines prior to taking on the responsibility of maturing the Lambic to perfection.
BARLEY: Though it isnt typically desirable for beers to HOPS: Known for their bitterness and grass-like aroma,
Derek only reads beer labels...and shampoo bottles.

have high protein or haziness, the Lambic uses a higher than normal amount of unmalted wheat that needs to be paired with enzyme-rich pale malt to ensure that the yeasts have something to eat during fermentation. This unmalted wheat produces a carbohydrate called dextrin that isnt readily digestible by the yeast, but fortunately, bacterial fermentation will eventually gobble it up after several years of barrel aging. Lambics go through several years of fermentation, which makes them an extremely rare and expensive (time = money) beer to make compared with a pale ale. One good quality of the high-protein barley is that it helps build a generous head and intensies the aroma.
YEAST: The magic wand of these beers is, without a doubt,

hops are a key component of Lambics, but not for these particular qualities. Hops also provide a preservative that helps keep beers from spoiling from bacteria. So how do brewers access these preservation qualities without incorporating the heavy bitterness and grassy aroma? Using aged hops, roughly three years old, enables brewers to get the preservation they need while keeping bitterness in check. The aging oxidizes the alpha acids, thus mellowing these hops. Many Belgian brewers use a locally grown hops called Coigneau. Unfortunately, these Belgian hops are pretty scarce, so they may have to go to England to get some Kent Goldings.
WATER: Along with being the most abundant ingredient in

the wild yeasts that thrive over several years of fermentation and turn a boring, sugary liquid into a vibrant, carbonated beverage that hits you in the corners of your mouth like sweet tart candy. These souring yeasts are only part of the four overlapping stages of yeast interaction. In the rst stage, Kloeckera apiculata work with enteric bacteria to break down the proteins and produce a slight fruity aroma. Next, Saccharomyces yeasts start chewing on the sugars to make some alcohol and give these beers some balls. The sourness starts to spread its wings in stage three, when the lactic bacteria puts on its lab coat and goes to work. Last, Brettanomyces brings everything home over the span of several years, thriving in wine barrels and creating those fruity esters that our palates crave.

beer, water plays a key role in the mashing process, along with contributing to the overall mouthfeel and taste of the beer. You may think that having the purest ion-free water is optimal, but this would be incorrect, as many of these are needed depending on the style of beer you are shooting for. There are six ions in water that can make or break a beer: carbonate, sodium, chloride, sulfate, calcium and magnesium. An examination of the water near Brussels or the home of the Lambic reveals that it contains ample calcium and carbonate, which contribute to the waters hardness, while the other ions are fairly insignicant. Carbonate or total alkalinity determines the acidity of the mash and contributes to the extraction of fermentable sugars from the barley, while calcium helps stabilize the beer and extract proteins. Too much or too little of either ion will adversely affect the mash efciency, meaning you will get a watered-down product.

: [27]

BEER ANATOMY

THE PROCESS

A
Thats right! We deliver beer action shots!

long with taking considerably more time and effort to brew a Lambic than other beers, the Lambic grain bill is

also quite different, as it requires about 40 percent wheat to 60 percent barley. Through a process known as turbid mashing, the grain is steeped in a kettle of water at about 105 degrees Fahrenheit, and then portions of the wort (liquid) are extracted, brought to a boil, and added back to the mash. By decanting the rst portion, adding more hot water to the grist and extracting that wort as well, the brewer ends up with a higher yield. After mashing, the liquid is ltered and brought to a boil for several hours, when the hops are added. After a successful boil, the liquid is pumped out into a shallow openair cooling vessel to allow nature to take its course. Nature in this sense is opening the windows of the brewery, allowing airborne yeasts and other micro-organisms to nd their way in and set up shop (pitching) within this sugary liquid. After a good night of inoculation, the liquid is transferred into oak casks, where the beer will ferment for a little over a year. At this time, the brewer will sample the Lambic and will often blend it with older versions to achieve the desired taste. Blending old and new Lambics presents new sugars to the older Lambic and creates a secondary fermentation process that often happens in the bottle.

VARIATIONS
Lambics are part of a sour classication of beers that includes Flanders Brown Ale or Oud Bruin, Flanders Red, Gueuze, Fruit Lambics, and Berliner Weisse beers. All of the beers are of Belgian descent except the Berliner Weisse beer, which is a regional specialty of Berlin, Germany, and which was referred to as the Champagne of the North by Napoleons army. The Flanders Red or Burgundy of Belgium is notable for its reddish color attributed to the Vienna and Munich malts. The Brown tends to have a higher malt character and less acidity than the Red. The Gueuze has a golden appearance and a high degree of effervescence, which can be attributed to the refermentation of mixing one-, two-, or three-year-old Lambics. The fruit Lambic is, as the name implies a version that includes the addition of berries (cherries, pears, and/or raspberries) during the barrel aging process.

[ 28] :

ibu.
Hop Aftershave. www.ibuaftershave.com

BEER ANATOMY

CHARACTERISTICS
APPEARANCE >>
The color of the Lambic often depends on the variety as well as the fruit that may have been added during the maturation phase. As denoted by the name, the Oud Bruin or Flanders Brown Ale tends to be a reddish brown hue, while the Flanders Red appears a dark ruby red. Gueuze beers are golden, while traditional Lambics (sans fruit) are pale yellow or straw colored. Fruit Lambics can vary in color from raspberry red to blueberry blue and even to apple- or pear-colored green. Many of these beers are extremely effervescent, giving rise to a generous head that lasts for about three-quarters of the consumption period. Unblended Lambics tend to be cloudy or a bit hazy, while fruit Lambics, Flanders Red, and Brown are often much clearer. Standing tall and proud in its tulip glass, the Lambic is an iconic beer that is often mistaken for some variety of cocktail.

1896? We cant remember 1986 ... thats old.

AROMA >>
Thanks to the souring yeasts, the Lambics off-putting scents have actualy come to be desirable traits that only the nest beer connoisseurs can appreciate. Words such as barnyard, earthy, goaty, or horse blanket describe how successful Lambics should smell. Although they tend not to have any hop aroma, fruit Lambics will carry scents of cherries, blueberries, apples, and peaches, depending on which fruits were added during barrel maturation. I must admit that my rst sample of such beers was more shocking than delightful. But after continuous research of the style, recognition of the effort involved in the process, and shared tasting notes with multiple sour beer brewers, I came to have a fond appreciation for them.

TASTE >>
Atmosphere and pre-consumption setup are going to be the strongest inuences on whether you will enjoy a Lambic beer. Because our brains have been conditioned to think or believe that all beers should follow a typical avor or aroma prole, most people will initially be either shocked or disgusted by the taste. If you have an ofce, study, or quiet room with a couch, these are the best places to enjoy a Lambic so your senses are not distracted by anything. The fruit Lambic beers should be tart like a sour apple or cherries, with strong effervescence and a solid head that overwhelms the taste buds and stings the corners of your mouth. The traditional Lambic or Gueuze will be moderately sour, with good balance of malt character yet not overly pungent. The unblended Lambic should be light bodied, have a dry aftertaste, and be uncarbonated, which again goes against our notion of what a beer should taste like. So forget what youve learned, and just enjoy what you have in front of you.

FOOD PAIRING

Lambics tend to pair well with seafood appetizers, sugary desserts, and water fowl, so for all those non-red-meat eaters, this may be your beer of choice. What a surprise that Belgian mussels in white wine sauce taste fantastic with a puckering Cantillon Gueuze. The traditional nonfruited Lambic is an amazing complement to a little Dungeness Crab and potatoes. If you are game to try some Duck Cont with cherry sauce, that would pair well with Uplands Cherry Lambic. For those who are inclined to quote, Its 5 oclock somewhere, eggs Benedict or Belgian wafes are the perfect breakfast when going through a sampler of Lindemans Framboise, Peche, Apple, or Kriek.

[ 30] :

SERVING
GLASS: If ever there was a beer that required the pinky out during
consumption, it would be the Lambic. These beers should be poured into Champagne utes, tulip glasses, or brandy snifters. If your beer glass collection is severely lacking in diversity, a decent wine glass will do. The key is to provide adequate visibility of these beers in some type of stemware while concentrating the head into an area that allows you to gather the full bouquet of aromas. Thinner-edged glasses are thought to provide a better experience for tasting, considering that these beers are referred to as the Champagne of the North or the Burgundy of Belgium.

TEMPERATURE: When drinking a sour beer, its best to

start cooler and let it warm up as its being consumed to allow the complex aromas and tastes to penetrate the palate. Most refrigerators are kept at about 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a tad too cold. So if you truly give a damn, let the beer sit about 10 minutes on the counter to warm up. Its recommended that most Lambics be served at the 40-55 F range. The Gueuze variety can be served slightly warmer than the fruit Lambics so as to get the full array of funkiness and allow you to get your moneys worth. Waiting to pour the beer until it has reached the correct temperature will also enhance the size of the head and, thus, the aroma.

Did you read the quote in the interview about Gueze?

COMMON LAMBICS
Alpines Chez Monieux Bootleggers Lambic Cantillon Gueuze Lambic Cascade Apricot Ale Jolly Pumpkin Lambicus Dexterius Iron Hill Lambic Lindemans Framboise Oude Kriek River City Framboise Razzberry Lambic Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic Timmermans Peche Lambic New Belgiums Transatlantique Kriek Uplands Persimmon Lambic

STATS UNBLENDED LAMBIC GUEUZE

ABV

IBU

>>

5.0-6.5% 0-10 5.0-8.0% 0-10 5.0-7.0% 0-10

>> >> >> >>

FRUIT LAMBIC

FLANDERS RED ALE BERLINER WEISSE

4.6-6.5% 10-25 2.8-3.8% 3-8

FLANDERS BROWN ALE

4.0-8.0% 20-25

>>

: [31]

HOMEBREW

BREWING Getting the Most from your Mash

Parti-gyle
Beer 1 Beer 2 Beer 3
words & photos: Rob Sterkel

Is this recycling?

P
[ 32] :

arti-Gyle brewing is more than a traditional practice with a funny-sounding name. Its a technique used years ago by small breweries to make a variety of beers at different strengths, economically. For the homebrewer, its a good way to make two or more beers from a single mash. Id heard the term over the years but never gave it any practical thought until I decided to try brewing the Barley Wine style. This was an opportunity to try two new things and not be sitting on a large quantity of a beer style I wasnt sure Id like. Its a great way to split wort into separate smaller batches and play with yeast and hop varieties, as well.

Parti-Gyle gives you two or more beers from one batch of base grain. The rst batch is typically a no-sparge, high-gravity beer, but you
can do a small sparge if needed to reach your target boil volume. Typically, the second is a weaker beer using the rest of the sparge runnings. My goal for the second beer was something in the 1.035 starting gravity range, so I made no new grain additions. If you want to alter the character of the subsequent beer, you can add some specialty grains that do not require conversion and proceed with the next runoff. If you decide to add unconverted malt, you will need to repeat the mash rest before sparging again. Basically, mash the grains as usual, then completely drain the mash of the wort to get the rst runnings. Rell the mash vessel with sparge water, stir, then drain the mash again to get second runnings. In some instances, this can be repeated a third, or even a fourth time. After the second runoff, the wort still had a good amount of color to it so I decided to ll another kettle and make a low-alcohol, simply hopped table beer. The third run was light on fermentable sugars, so I boosted the wort in the kettle with a generous addition of honey and crushed coriander, 10 minutes before the end of the boil.

PARTYING AND GYLING

f youre an all-grain brewer, you dont need much additional equipment other than more boiling vessels. Since the volume of this mash was split, I was able to use three smaller boil kettles from a stockpot set. If youre limited on kettles, you can collect the batches in other containers and boil them later. It will just make for a longer brew day. Make sure that you plan on enough additional fermenters, airlocks, and fermenting space. It would also be nice to have extra propane burners or some heat source to boil simultaneously, but it isnt absolutely necessary. If you arent boiling every beer at the same time, you can even reuse the hop additions from the previous batch. It will be tough to determine how much bitterness to extract, but its an economical way to use whats left for a smaller beer. Have plenty of good yeast ready for the different batches. An active yeast starter that you can split up will work. Since your rst beer will likely have a higher alcohol content, you will need to pitch more yeast for this batch. Sufcient liquid or dry yeast packets can also be used. The Parti-Gyle technique was handy in my case because I didnt want to make as strong a beer. It can also be helpful if your mash tun wont hold enough grain for a big beer or youre short on time and need to brew two beers on the same day without doing two mashes and cleaning up two messes.

We havent gotten Sterkel beer in a long time ... Rob?

: [33]

HOMEBREW

The 5th running is NA beer?

First runnings

Split Batches in the MasH

you want to make, what starting gravities you should shoot for, and even the level of hop bitterness you want. You can then calculate the appropriate grain bill for the starting mash that will balance hop additions in the boil.

f you follow tradition and do your rst mash to collect runnings for a bigger beer, try something different on the second. Instead of doing a second mash to produce a weaker version of the rst, add a small amount of specialty malt before sparging. Some chocolate malt, roasted barley, or rye can turn a pale beer into a Brown Ale or a Porter. Unless you are an experienced brewer, you may initially want to try an easy-going approach to this brewing method. Familiarize yourself with the procedure the rst time, and then play around with it. Then when you approach it the next time expecting to hit every projected number, youll know better what to expect. Taking specic gravity readings of each runoff, tasting the wort, and even judging the color will help you determine your efciency and what youre going to end up with. You do need to give some forethought to what beers

second runnings third runnings

[ 34] :

HOMEBREW

Did we just print a long web link? Ouch.

Split Batches in The Boil and Beyond

Not wanting to over-complicate my rst attempt at Parti-Gyle brewing, I made no grain additions to the initial mash. I chose instead to add spices and different amounts of honey to each kettle. Another simple method is to add a bag of steeping grains to the kettle and remove it before the boil begins, just like extract brewing. Making separate hop additions in each kettle and using various yeasts in the beers can make different styles, even though their grain bills are similar. Drawing off the rst part of the mash and using it to make a strong ale or Barley Wine can then lead to an English Bitter, or maybe a Mild on a third running. Starting with a Double IPA can lead to a hoppy American Pale Ale and on to an easy-drinking Pale Ale. A Belgian Dark Strong, then an Abbey ale, and a low-alcohol table beer. You get the idea. The prospect of making a lager and an ale from a single batch is very intriguing and is on the list for my next Parti-Gyle.

[ 36] :

{
I

Calculating

f you love digging into detailed ratios, equations, and charts, this brewing method is for you. Party-Gyle brewing can be as easy or as complicated as you like. For more details on the topic, read Randy Moshers Brewers Companion. It contains a table that indicates color and gravity splits, in addition to tons of other information. That information has also been reprinted in the Brewing Techniques archive at brewingtechniques.com/library/ backissues/issue2.2/mosher.html.

HOMEBREW

RECIPES r e w e r b e m o h e h For t
recipes: Rob Sterkel

HONEY
5 GALLON, EXTRACT & SPECIALITY GRAINS RECIPE
5 lbs. Light Dry Malt Extract (DME) .5 lb. Caravienne Malt .25 lb. Chocolate Malt (450L) 2 oz. Cascade Pellet Hops (45 min.) 1 oz. Cascade Pellet Hops (5 min.) 1 lb. Honey (Add to boil at 5 minutes) 1 vial White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast tsp. Irish Moss or 1 Whiroc Tablet (10 min.) Procedure: Place specialty grains in a mesh bag and steep for 20 minutes or until water reaches 170 F. Remove the bag and bring to a boil. Remove kettle from the heat and add the malt extract. Return wort to boil. Add yeast once the temperature of the wort is 78 or lower and ferment at 64-68. Keg, chill and carbonate, or bottle with priming sugar and let condition at room temperature for three weeks before refrigerating. Comments: A smooth red ale. The subtle honey character blends well with the Cascade hops. OG 1.044 FG 1.008

RED ALE

BROWN ALE
5 GALLON, ALL-GRAIN RECIPE
8 lbs. Pale 2-Row Malt 2 lbs. Medium Crystal (60L) .5 lb. Cara Pils Malt .5 lb. Special B Malt (180L) 1 oz. Centennial Pellet Hops (60 min.) 1 oz. Mount Hood Pellet Hops (15 min.) 1 vial White Labs WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast tsp. Irish Moss or 1 Whiroc Tablet Procedure: Mash grains at 154 F for 60 minutes, then sparge with 170 water. Boil for 60 minutes making hop additions. After cooling, transfer to fermenter. Pitch yeast when the temperature is near 65. Ferment at 65-67. Keg, chill and carbonate, or bottle with priming sugar and let condition at room temperature for three weeks before refrigerating. Comments: A tasty brown ale with a touch more hops than most recipes. OG 1. 055 FG 1. 011

[ 37] :

BEER FEST BEER KITCHEN

BEER
FESTIVAL 2012 The Worlds Best Beer Festival

GREAT AMERICAN

GABF is almost like Ground Hog Day.

words: Derek Buono photos: Brad Ruppert & Derek Buono

HIS IS THE WORLDS BEST BEER FESTIVAL, PERIOD. No question, no saying maybe; the Great American Beer Festival is all things American and all things craft beer. Its bigwere talking 45,000+ people in just three days and that doesnt even include the beer events at every bar or the dozens of amazing breweries within walking distance or a short bus ride. This year, Beer Magazine journeyed to the event, and we spent some time doing what we do best: drinking beer with people. The event showcases 1,300 breweries and a mind-boggling 2,000+ different beers in the same building, and there is also a huge judging event that can literally rocket small breweries into super-star status. Weve collected the winners, and weve pieced together our three days in Denver to share with you again. If you havent been to this event, you need to make plans now. Dont finish reading this or wait for a stupid Kayak commercial so you can save $4. When youve finished booking your flight and hotel, come back and finish reading about the winners and following our tracks.

3 DAYS AND A LOT OF BEER

You could spend two weeks at this event if you wanted to, but we had only three days to cover it. So packing as much face, beer, and fun into those three days was our goal. Yes, there is a giant beer festival in town, but Denver and the surrounding area are packed with places to drink great beer. Heres what we thought was the best idea this year.

ing lins, you probably know we love Odell Brewing. At least ve l Brew Odel Fort Col love we t a must. Their though
If you a stop at Odell was distance of one another, so breweries are within walking local food. and ples with some great beer sam tasting room provided us

[ 38 30] :

s lue ary B Osc ange the way ch at th er brew

The t place ns was a grea we look at ca with t to hang out to stop. We go euce, D e their new Th Dale, sample of e lin ck t their si and check ou (beer s called Reeb ke bi n ai mount e os not wards, for th spelled back . to notice) quick enough

Not a bad thing to repeat.

ck Falling Ro ry

This legenda lly beer bar is usua tire packed for the en d de en week. We att da va Ne the Sierra ent, Estate Harvest ev where they try to pour out a keg as fast as possible.

reweries from all over hosted events around tow n, and Deschutes alway s delivers a great party. They released the ir new Abyss and a few other beers du ring the event.

Deschutes Brewing

: [39]

BEER FEST BEER KITCHEN

THE WINNERS 2012 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards:

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. Devils Backbone Brewing CompanyBasecamp Roseland, VA Devils Backbone Brewery Team

Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Beer Institute Pabst Brewing Company Los Angeles, CA Gregory Deuhs

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year

Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group The Church Brew Works Pittsburgh, PA Steve Sloan

2012 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition GABF Pro-Am Competition Gold Medal
More Fun Blonde, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO Brewmaster: New Belgium Brewing AHA Member: Jay Shambo

Brewpub Group and Brewpub Group Brewer of the Year

Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company Madison, WI Rob LoBreglio
Quick, nobody look at the camera.

GABF Pro-Am Competition Silver Medal

An English Mild, RAM Restaurant and Brewery, Wheeling, IL Brewmaster: Lanny Fetzer AHA Member: Scott Pointin

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year

Boston Beer Long Shot

Sponsored by Microstar Keg Management Funkwerks Fort Collins, CO Funkwerks Brewing Team

GABF Pro-Am Competition Bronze Medal

Classic American Pilsner, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN Brewmaster: Mike Hoops AHA Member: Kyle Sisco

The Long Shot contest from Boston Beer is great. Its worth waking up at 8 a.m. to get a spot closer to the buffet line. At this event, we picked the employee beer that gets put into the Long Shot pack.

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group Troegs Brewing Company Hershey, PA John Trogner

Fort Collins Brewery

CB isnt as big as some of the breweries in Fort Collins, but we like their beer. This year we got to stop in, sample their new beers, and get a great tour of the brewery. One beer (more than one, actually) stuck out: their Smoked Bambastic. We arent usually huge fans of over-smoked beers, but this dreamy beer was perfect. We thought it was awesome to sit with owner Jan Peters and get to taste a beer that blew us away and then later, watch it win gold!

[ 40 30] :

CATEGORY: 1 American-Style Wheat Beer 29 Entries GOLD: Wagon Box Wheat, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY SILVER: Shredders Wheat, Barley Browns Brew Pub, Baker City, OR BRONZE: American Wheat, Gellas Diner and Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS CATEGORY: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer with Yeast 29 Entries GOLD: MBC Wheat Ale, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT SILVER: Tumblewheat, Altitude Chophouse and Brewery, Laramie, WY BRONZE: Wrangler Wheat, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA CATEGORY: 3 Fruit Beer 58 Entries GOLD: Dry Dock Apricot Blonde, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO SILVER: ChChChCh-Cherry Bomb, Thai Me Up Brewery, Jackson, WY BRONZE: Strawberry Blonde Ale, DESTIHL, Normal, IL CATEGORY: 4 Fruit Wheat Beer 38 Entries GOLD: Ruby Raspberry Wheat, Mad Anthony Brewing Co., Fort Wayne, IN SILVER: Leinenkugels Summer Shandy, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI BRONZE: 5 Lizard Latin-Style Witbier, 5 Rabbit Cerveceria, Bedford Park, IL

CATEGORY: 5 Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer 63 Entries GOLD: Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI SILVER: Anaheim IPA, RAM Restaurant and Brewery Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN BRONZE: Cucumber Saison, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL CATEGORY: 6 Herb and Spice Beer 114 Entries GOLD: Sweet Heat, Burnside Brewing Co., Portland, OR SILVER: CBC Heather Ale, Cambridge Brewing Co., Cambridge, MA BRONZE: Utah Sage Saison, Epic Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT CATEGORY: 7 Chocolate Beer 39 Entries GOLD: Cocoa for Coconuts, Chicago Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV SILVER: X-1, DuClaw Brewing Co., Bel Air, MD BRONZE: Milk Chocolate Cherry Stout, Il Vicino Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM CATEGORY: 8 Coffee Beer 63 Entries GOLD: Smog City Groundwork Coffee, Tustin Brewing Co., Tustin, CA SILVER: Hazelnut Coffee Cream Stout, Redwood Brewing Co., Flint, MI BRONZE: Big Shot Espresso Stout, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO

CATEGORY: 9 Specialty Beer 35 Entries GOLD: Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Brewery, Newport, OR SILVER: Alaskan Birch Bock, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK BRONZE: Exit 8, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Somerdale, NJ CATEGORY: 10 Rye Beer, 62 Entries GOLD: Gramarye, Heretic Brewing Co., Pittsburg, CA SILVER: Kyles Baltic Porter, Flat Branch Pub and Brewery, Columbia, MO BRONZE: Roggenbier, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant Phoenixville, Phoenixville, PA CATEGORY: 11 Specialty Honey Beer 33 Entries GOLD: West Bound Braggot, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO SILVER: Georges Fault, Nodding Head Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA BRONZE: Kuhnhenn Braggot, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., Warren, MI CATEGORY: 12 Session Beer 67 Entries GOLD: Twerp, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA SILVER: Dock Street/Thiriez Table Saison, Dock Street Brewery, Philadelphia, PA BRONZE: Bitter American, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA CATEGORY: 13 Other Strong Beer 55 Entries GOLD: Reverb Imperial Pilsner,

Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO SILVER: Heart of Gold, Perennial Artisan Ales, St. Louis, MO BRONZE: Double White, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM CATEGORY: 14 Experimental Beer 62 Entries GOLD: Redrock Paardebloem, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT SILVER: Petit Obscura, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA BRONZE: Track #8, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA CATEGORY: 15 Fresh Hop Ale 34 Entries GOLD: Estate Homegrown Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA SILVER: HopTime Harvest Ale, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA BRONZE: Colorado IPA Nouveau, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO CATEGORY: 16 Indigenous Beer 27 Entries GOLD: Got Beer, BJs Restaurant & BreweryBoulder, Boulder, CO SILVER: Signature Gratzer, choc Beer Co., Krebs, OK BRONZE: Hot Rocks Lager, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA CATEGORY: 17 Gluten-Free Beer 20 Entries GOLD: Nikkis Gluten Free Honey Pale Ale, Rock Bottom Arlington, Arlington, VA SILVER: Brown, New Planet
What is that smirk for?

: [41]

BEER FEST
Beer Co., Boulder, CO BRONZE: Pale Ale, Harvester Brewing, Portland, OR CATEGORY: 18 American-Belgo-Style Ale 71 Entries GOLD: Le Freak, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA SILVER: Chainbreaker WIPA, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR BRONZE: A Little Crazy, Revolution Brewing, Chicago, IL CATEGORY: 19 American-Style Sour Ale 34 Entries GOLD: Barrel SelectGold, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY SILVER: Red Poppy, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA BRONZE: Fitgers Framboise, Fitgers Brewhouse, Duluth, MN CATEGORY: 20 American-Style Brett Ale 29 Entries GOLD: Seizoen Bretta, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Hood River, OR SILVER: Flemish Kiss, The Commons Brewery, Portland, OR BRONZE: TPS Report, Trinity Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO CATEGORY: 21 Wood- and BarrelAged Beer 51 Entries GOLD: Jerry Maker, BJs Restaurant & Brewery Chandler, Chandler, AZ SILVER: Bourbon Barrel Aged Night Sail, Island Brewing Co., Carpinteria, CA BRONZE: Local Species, Blue Mountain Barrel House, Arrington, VA CATEGORY: 22 Wood- and BarrelAged Strong Beer 103 Entries GOLD: The Manhattan Project, The Beer Co., San Diego, CA SILVER: Pappy Van Muckle, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN BRONZE: Golden Delicious, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY CATEGORY: 23 Wood- and BarrelAged Strong Stout 65 Entries GOLD: Fourteen Fourteen, Central Waters Brewing Co., Amherst, WI SILVER: Silva Stout, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA BRONZE: Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout, AC Golden Brewing Co., Golden, CO CATEGORY: 24 Wood- and BarrelAged Sour Beer 70 Entries GOLD: Lady of The Woods, Cisco Brewers, Nantucket, MA SILVER: Sentience, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Denver, CO BRONZE: Georges Phunk, Nodding Head Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA CATEGORY: 25 Aged Beer 24 Entries GOLD: 2010 Old Trainwreck Barleywine, Silver Moon Brewing, Bend, OR SILVER: 2004 Triple Exultation, Eel River Brewing Co., Fortuna, CA BRONZE: Lovely Cherry Baltic Porter, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR CATEGORY: 26 Kellerbier or Zwickelbier 32 Entries GOLD: Bottle Rocket, Uncle Billys Brew & QueLake Travis, Austin, TX SILVER: Redrock Organic Zwickel Bier, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT BRONZE: Organic Hopworks Kellerbier, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland, OR CATEGORY: 27 Smoke Beer 50 Entries GOLD: Bambastic, Fort Collins Brewery, Fort Collins, CO SILVER: Rauchtoberfest, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant Lancaster, Lancaster, PA BRONZE: Smoke & Dagger, Jacks Abby Brewing, Framingham, MA CATEGORY: 28 American-Style or International-Style Pilsener 26 Entries GOLD: Gold Country Pilsner, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA SILVER: Redhook Pilsner, Redhook Brewery Woodinville, Woodinville, WA BRONZE: Gold Leaf Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. Outpost, Lexington, VA CATEGORY: 29 German-Style Pilsener 52 Entries GOLD: Sunshine Pils, Tregs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA SILVER: Hans Pils, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX BRONZE: Paintbrush Pilsner, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY CATEGORY: 30 Bohemian-Style Pilsener 53 Entries GOLD: Hometown Blonde, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI SILVER: Summit Pilsener, Summit Brewing Co., St. Paul, MN BRONZE: This is the Pilsener, Hoppers Grill & Brewing Co., Midvale, UT CATEGORY: 31 Munich-Style Helles 42 Entries GOLD: 6X Helles, CB & Potts Restaurant & BreweryFort Collins, Fort Collins, CO SILVER: Session Premium Lager, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR BRONZE: Longboard Island Lager, Kona Brewing Co., Kailua-Kona, HI CATEGORY: 32 Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest 23 Entries GOLD: Move Back, The SandLot, Denver, CO SILVER: Rolling Thunder Dortmunder, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY BRONZE: Celestial Gold, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA

New Belgium

F
Everybody is always happy in Denver/Fort Collins.

ort Collins is an awesome town with tons of great breweries. New Belgium spent the week doing an open house, and the day we attended it was amazing. We got to tour the brewery, hang out at a private event while enjoying some amazing food, and we even ran into our friends at Hangar 24 Brewery there.

[ 42] :

CATEGORY: 33 American-Style Lager, Light Lager, or Premium Lager 51 Entries GOLD: Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA SILVER: Miller Lite, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI BRONZE: Keystone Light, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO CATEGORY: 34 American-Style Specialty Lager or Cream Ale or Lager 34 Entries GOLD: Henry Weinhards Blue Boar Pale Ale, Blitz-Weinhard Brewing, Hood River, OR SILVER: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Los Angeles, CA BRONZE: Mickeys Malt Liquor, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI CATEGORY: 35 Vienna-Style Lager 36 Entries GOLD: Vienna Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. Outpost, Lexington, VA SILVER: Chuckanut Vienna Lager, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA BRONZE: Danish Red Lager, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA CATEGORY: 36 German-Style Mrzen 69 Entries GOLD: Shiner Oktoberfest, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX SILVER: Mecktoberfest, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Charlotte, NC BRONZE: Dominion Oktoberfest, Old Dominion Brewing Co., Dover, DE CATEGORY: 37 American-Style Amber Lager 45 Entries GOLD: Point Oktoberfest, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI SILVER: Staghorn Octoberfest, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI BRONZE: Uberbrau, Humperdinks Restaurant and Brewery, Dallas, TX CATEGORY: 38 European-Style Dunkel 20 Entries GOLD: Knight Ryder Munich Dunkel, Equinox Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO SILVER: Pious Monk Dunkel, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA BRONZE: Mother Earth Munich Dunkel, Mother Earth Brewing, Kinston, NC CATEGORY: 39 American-Style Dark Lager 12 Entries GOLD: Shiner Bock, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX SILVER: Old Virginia Dark, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. Basecamp, Roseland, VA BRONZE: Session Black Premium Dark Lager, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR CATEGORY: 40 German-Style Schwarzbier 32 Entries GOLD: Shiner Bohemian Black Lager, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX

SILVER: Baba, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT BRONZE: Black Bear, Morgan Street Brewery, Saint Louis, MO CATEGORY: 41 Bock 33 Entries GOLD: Butt Head Bock, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO SILVER: Elixer Maibock, Mad Fox Brewing Co., Falls Church, VA BRONZE: Turbo Cougar, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. Outpost, Lexington, VA CATEGORY: 42 German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock 19 Entries GOLD: Uber Bock, Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co., Madison, WI SILVER: Samuel Adams Double Bock, Boston Beer Co. Samuel Adams, Cincinnati Brewery, Cincinnati, OH BRONZE: Resurrection Doppelbock, Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co., Red Lodge, MT CATEGORY: 43 Baltic-Style Porter 31 Entries GOLD: The Hammer, Rock Bottom King of Prussia, King of Prussia, PA SILVER: Danzig, Devils Backbone Brewing Co.Basecamp, Roseland, VA BRONZE: Polska Porter, American Brewing Co., Edmonds, WA CATEGORY: 44 Golden or Blonde Ale 67 Entries GOLD: Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA SILVER: Firemans #4, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX BRONZE: TAPS Cream Ale, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA CATEGORY: 45 German-Style Klsch 61 Entries GOLD: Capital City Kolsch, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS SILVER: Chuckanut Kolsch Style, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA BRONZE: Sky Blue Golden Ale, Carolina Brewery, Pittsboro, NC CATEGORY: 46 English-Style Summer Ale 38 Entries GOLD: Cross of Gold, Revolution Brewing, Chicago, IL SILVER: Sumr, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT BRONZE: Mother Lode Golden Ale, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR CATEGORY: 47 Classic English-Style Pale Ale 29 Entries GOLD: Royal Scandal, Peticolas Brewing Co., Dallas, TX SILVER: Gayle Force Pale Ale, Wind River Brewing Co., Pinedale, WY BRONZE: Hurricane Reef Pale Ale, Florida Beer Co., Melbourne, FL

CATEGORY: 48 English-Style India Pale Ale 54 Entries GOLD: India Pale Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL SILVER: Silverspot IPA, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacic City, OR BRONZE: Monumental IPA, Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA CATEGORY: 49 International-Style Pale Ale 29 Entries GOLD: River Runners Pale Ale, Eddyline Brewing, Buena Vista, CO SILVER: Southern Chaos, Hollister Brewing Co., Goleta, CA BRONZE: Pipe Organ Pale Ale, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA CATEGORY: 50 American-Style Pale Ale 109 Entries GOLD: Brickstone APA, Brickstone Brewery, Bourbonnais, IL SILVER: The Weight, Piece Brewery, Chicago, IL BRONZE: Zombie Dust, Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN CATEGORY: 51 American-Style Strong Pale Ale 111 Entries GOLD: Melvin, Thai Me Up Brewery, Jackson, WY SILVER: Lumberyard IPA, Lumberyard Brewing Co., Flagstaff, AZ BRONZE: Laughing Dog IPA, Laughing Dog Brewing, Ponderay, ID CATEGORY: 52 American-Style India Pale Ale 203 Entries GOLD: IPA, Tap It Brewing Co., San Luis Obispo, CA SILVER: Pallet Jack IPA, Barley Browns Brew Pub, Baker City, OR BRONZE: Duet, Alpine Beer Co., Alpine, CA CATEGORY: 53 Imperial India Pale Ale 128 Entries GOLD: 2 X 4, Thai Me Up Brewery, Jackson, WY SILVER: Caf Racer 15, Bear Republic Brewing Co. Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA BRONZE: Double Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA CATEGORY: 54 American-Style Amber/Red Ale 87 Entries GOLD: Hopback Amber Ale, Tregs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA SILVER: Fixed Gear American Red Ale, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI BRONZE: Winterhook, Redhook Brewery, Woodinville, Woodinville, WA CATEGORY: 55 Imperial Red Ale 60 Entries GOLD: Organic Deranger Imperial Red Ale, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR SILVER: Imperial Red, Marble Brewery, Albuquerque, NM BRONZE: 547 Haight - The Toronado San Franciscos 20th Anniversary Imperial Red Ale, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

CATEGORY: 56 English-Style Mild Ale 31 Entries GOLD: Bristlecone, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT SILVER: Breakside Session Brown, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR BRONZE: S.S. Minnow Mild Ale, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO CATEGORY: 57 Ordinary or Special Bitter 37 Entries GOLD: DBA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA SILVER: Mens Room Original Red Ale, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA BRONZE: Sawtooth Ale, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO CATEGORY: 58 Extra Special Bitter 53 Entries GOLD: Crystal Bitter Ale, No-Li Brewhouse, Spokane, WA SILVER: The Tower E.S.B., Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO BRONZE: Extra Special Ale (ESA), Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia PA CATEGORY: 59 Scottish-Style Ale 29 Entries GOLD: Wee Heavy, Maui Brewing Co., Lahaina, HI SILVER: Isle of Skye Scottish Ale, Boscos Brewing Co., Memphis, TN BRONZE: MacPelicans Scottish Style Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacic City, OR CATEGORY: 60 Irish-Style Red Ale 48 Entries GOLD: Irish Red, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO SILVER: TAPS Irish Red, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA BRONZE: Balere Red, Echo Brewing Co., Frederick, CO CATEGORY: 61 English-Style Brown Ale 46 Entries GOLD: Sierra Blanca Nut Brown Ale, Sierra Blanca Brewing Co., Moriarty, NM SILVER: Red Hydrant Ale, Big Dogs Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV BRONZE: Mollys Titanic Brown Ale, Rock Bottom Westminster, Westminster, CO CATEGORY: 62 American-Style Brown Ale 61 Entries GOLD: Face Down Brown, Telluride Brewing Co., Telluride, CO SILVER: Upslope Brown Ale, Upslope Brewing Co., Boulder, CO BRONZE: Redrock Nut Brown Ale, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT CATEGORY: 63 American-Style Black Ale 61 Entries GOLD: Wookey Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA SILVER: Turmoil, Barley Browns Brew Pub, Baker City, OR BRONZE: Black IPA, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant Wilmington, Wilmington, DE

Find a winner and drink their beer.

: [43]

BEER FEST
CATEGORY: 64 German-Style Altbier 35 Entries GOLD: Balt Altbier, Union Craft Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD SILVER: Lands End Amber, Kannah Creek Brewing Co., Grand Junction, CO BRONZE: Little Red Cap, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Loveland, CO CATEGORY: 65 German-Style Sour Ale 29 Entries GOLD: Berliner Metro Weiss, Devils Backbone Brewing Co.Basecamp, Roseland, VA SILVER: German Sparkle Party, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR BRONZE: NBB Love Felix, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO CATEGORY: 66 South GermanStyle Hefeweizen 70 Entries GOLD: DreamWeaver Wheat, Tregs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA SILVER: Ebels Weiss, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL BRONZE: Yazoo Hefeweizen, Yazoo Brewing Co., Nashville, TN CATEGORY: 67 German-Style Wheat Ale 23 Entries GOLD: Wildpitch Hefeweizen, The SandLot, Denver, CO SILVER: AlpenGlow, Fat Heads Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH BRONZE: Weizeneisbock, Gordon Biersch Brewing Co., San Jose, CA CATEGORY: 68 Belgian-Style Witbier 50 Entries GOLD: ZON, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO SILVER: White Rascal, Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO BRONZE: White Lightning Belgian White, Full Pint Brewing Co., North Versailles, PA Category: 69 French- and Belgian-Style Saison 68 Entries GOLD: Saison, Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO SILVER: Saison, Aspen Brewing Co., Aspen, CO BRONZE: El Verano, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA CATEGORY: 70 Belgian- and French-Style Ale 68 Entries GOLD: Saints Devotion, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA SILVER: Your Favorite Foreign Movie, DC Brau Brewing Co., Washington, DC BRONZE: Domaine DuPage, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL CATEGORY: 71 Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale 42 Entries GOLD: Sour Reserve, Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington, IN SILVER: Barrel Select - FO/ BB, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Elmsford, NY BRONZE: Sans Pagaie, The Bruery, Anaheim, CA CATEGORY: 72 Belgian-Style Abbey Ale 86 Entries GOLD: Green Flash Trippel, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA SILVER: Sanitarium, Bier Brewery, Indianapolis, IN BRONZE: ABT 12, Dock Street Brewery, Philadelphia, PA CATEGORY: 73 Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale 51 Entries GOLD: Deceit, Funkwerks, Fort Collins, CO SILVER: Rhinoceros, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA BRONZE: AleSmith Grand Cru, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA CATEGORY: 74 Brown Porter 44 Entries GOLD: Pluff Mud Porter, Holy City Brewing, North Charleston, SC SILVER: Exodus, SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA BRONZE: Peter Brown Tribute Ale, Bear Republic Brewing Co. Factory Five, Cloverdale, CA CATEGORY: 75 Robust Porter 62 Entries SILVER: Coco Loco, NoDa Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC BRONZE: Black Sand Porter, Kona Brewing Co., Kailua-Kona, HI CATEGORY: 76 Classic IrishStyle Dry Stout 16 Entries GOLD: Seaside Stout, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA SILVER: Oyster Stout, Stewarts Brewing Co., Bear, DE BRONZE: Ramseys Draft Stout, Devils Backbone Brewing Co.Basecamp, Roseland, VA CATEGORY: 77 Foreign-Style Stout 25 Entries GOLD: Starry Night Stout, Island Brewing Co., Carpinteria, CA SILVER: Whiteface Black Diamond Stout, Great Adirondack Brewing Co., Lake Placid, NY BRONZE: Ramseys Export Stout, Devils Backbone Brewing Co.Basecamp, Roseland, VA CATEGORY: 78 American-Style Stout 43 Entries GOLD: Order in the Port, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA SILVER: American Stout, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend, OR BRONZE: Ironman, Free State Brewing Co., Lawrence, KS CATEGORY: 79 Sweet Stout 32 Entries GOLD: Udder Love, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA SILVER: Milk Stout, Rock Bottom Westminster, Westminster, CO BRONZE: Udder Madness, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI CATEGORY: 80 Oatmeal Stout 45 Entries GOLD: Oats, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA SILVER: Stumblers Stout, Columbia River Brewing Co., Portland, OR BRONZE: Stagecoach Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA CATEGORY: 81 Imperial Stout 58 Entries GOLD: Anastasia Russian Imperial Stout, Weasel Boy Brewing Co., Zanesville, OH SILVER: Imperial Stout, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA BRONZE: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & RestaurantMedia, Media, PA CATEGORY: 82 Scotch Ale 44 Entries GOLD: Way Heavy, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA SILVER: Iron Thistle, Rahr & Sons Brewing, Fort Worth, TX BRONZE: Scotch Ale, Barley Browns Brew Pub, Baker City, OR CATEGORY: 83 Old Ale or Strong Ale 31 Entries GOLD: Heinis Hooch, The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA SILVER: Papier, The Bruery, Anaheim, CA BRONZE: AleSmith Decadence 10 Old Ale, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA CATEGORY: 84 Barley WineStyle Ale 51 Entries GOLD: Johan the Barleywine, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN SILVER: Barley Wine, Charleville Vineyard & Microbrewery, Ste. Genevieve, MO BRONZE: Dr. StrangeLove, Strange Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Tilted Kilt
We are better looking when she wears those glasses.

ometimes its good to be in the mood for a Kilt and some beer. Brad made friends with everybody, but our Leprechaun mascot got the most attention.

Great Divide
A stop at the Great Divide for a Yetti x was one of Brads to do items on his phone.

Brad the Monk

Y
[ 44] :

ou havent lived until you walk around with a monk and a Leprechaun all day. Denver never fully recovers from a few days of Brad!

If you like top ten lists better...stop reading 1/3 of the way in.

Top30
2
E
012 was a great year for beer, and we try a lot of beer. Over the past 12 months, weve sampled more than 300 beers, with only about half of them making it into the magazine. Since we cant predict which beers will steal our hearts in 2013, the only thing we can do is look back and collect the top 30 highest-scoring beers of 2012. This year, we actually put them in order, too. Did your favorite beer make the list? Are you surprised by our #1 beer of 2012? Let us hear from you!

TOP 30 BEERS 2012

Beers
99
L

OF 2012

LOGSDON FARMHOUSE ALES

SEIZOEN BRETTA

very once in a while, we stumble on greatness. While shopping at the local beer store, we found this bottle and took it back for review. The beeswax cap might let you know its something special, but it isnt until you pour the beer into a glass that youll nd out how really special it is. It pours out a serious pillowy head and lls the glass with a glowing cloudy orange. The aroma is amazing. You get some earthy notes from the Brett, but after that quick note, its full of apricot, peaches, marmalade, and cherry. The taste is equally amazing. Its dry from the brett but packed with citrus, orange, peach, stone fruit, spice, and a little bit of yeasty fruitiness. The nish is wonderfully dry, and this beer screams summer afternoon. This beer is so good that you might not want to share it with friends. Were in love with this beer.
BREWERY: Logsdon Farmhouse Ales LOCATION: Hood River, OR STYLE: Farmhouse Ale WEBSITE: www.farmhousebeer.com PRICE: $13 / 750ml bottle

V E R AL

OUT O 100 F

TIN G

[ 46] :

KNEE DEEP BREWING

SIMTRA TRIPLE IPA

98
R
OUT OF 100

VE

R AL

ATIN G

A brewery can be around for years without having a breakout beer, and Knee Deep is that old, and their Simtra is just that. Pour this triple IPA into a tulip and youll be treated to a pretty, light golden-yellow liquid and a frothy head that sits like a well-trained dog. The aroma is hop-orgasmic with a few of the reviews saying Hey, that is some danky stuff right there. Pine, resin, grass, and a little bit of citrus. Tasting reveals a wonderfully balanced beer with tons of hops that are mostly avorful and not bitter. Its really good and nished like one of the best days youve ever had. Although we all might be confused about what a triple IPA means, this beer does not confuse you with how good it is.
BREWERY: Knee Deep Brewing LOCATION: Lincoln, CA STYLE: Triple IPA WEBSITE: www.kneedeepbrewing.com PRICE: $10 / 22 oz. bottle

98
L

V E R AL

OUT OF 100

TIN G

FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING

HANGAR 24 BREWERY

BARREL ROLL PUGACHEVS COBRA

98
R ATIN
T O OU 00 1 F

ER

ALL

SUCABA BARREL AGED BARLEY WINE

Every brewery is looking for a beer that makes a mark, and Pugachevs Cobra is Hangar 24s spotlight. This giant stout was aged in barrels and pours out a coal-red black with a complementary tan head that oats perfectly on top. The aroma is your rst warning of the avor punch thats coming your way. Your nose is assaulted with Hersheys chocolate chips, vanilla, and cookie dough. Swirl this in a glass and enjoy it before you let your taste buds enjoy it. The avors are similar to the aroma with lots of chocolate, cookie dough, vanilla, bourbon, and a hint of orange peel. The mouthfeel on this beer is light and silky. Sure, you get to experience the alcohol, but its surprisingly smooth and delicate for a freshly bottled beer. This one will age extremely well and will mellow, but right now, its amazing.
BREWERY: Hangar 24 Brewery LOCATION: Redlands, CA STYLE: Barrel Aged Stout WEBSITE: www.hangar24brewery.com PRICE: $20 / 750ml bottle

Firestone had to change the name of its barley wine, and if you spell the name backwards, youll see the humor in the new name. Pour this thick liquid into a snifter, and youll see a stunningly beautiful mahogany/amber color with a surprisingly good head for such a big beer. The aroma delivers lots of caramel, fruit, oak, grapes, leather, tobacco, and some boozy aromas (good ones). Tasting the beer delivers lots of chocolate, caramel, leather, dark fruit, and huge toasted marshmallow avor that intensies as it gets warmer. It nishes with a nice balance between sweet and bitter. We like the humor in the renaming of this beer, and we like the beer even better.
Interesting mix of beers.

BREWERY: Firestone Walker Brewing LOCATION: Paso Robles, CA STYLE: Barrel Aged Barley Wine WEBSITE: www.firestonebeer.com PRICE: $18 / 22 oz. bottle

DRAKES BREWING

JOLLY RODGER IMPERIAL RED ALE

O

97
R
OUT OF 100

VE

R AL

ATIN G

VE

R AL

98
R
OUT OF 100

ATIN G

The name of this beer is the same every year, but the product inside the bottle changes. This year, they call it an Imperial Dark IPA, and this one will satisfy the biggest hophead on the planet. It pours a nice dark brownnot blackbut dark brown with a tan head. The aroma is striking. Its like a hop plant is growing inside the bottle. The avor is hoppy, or as one reviewer put it, its stabbingly hoppy-bitter. But that bitterness is packed with orange, tangerine, and some roasted malt but its well balanced for a hoppy beer and has a wonderfully light mouthfeel that makes you want to never share it with anybody. The nish is great, with a lingering bitterness. Wed love it if this beer made a year-round appearance!
BREWERY: Drakes Brewing LOCATION: San Leandro, CA STYLE: Imperial Dark IPA WEBSITE: www.drinkdrakes.com PRICE: $7 / 22 oz. bottle

FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING

DOUBLE JACK IMPERIAL IPA

If youve had Union Jack, youll understand just how good this beer is. Pour it into a tulip and enjoy the clear, orange/yellow liquid lling your glass. Watch the off-white head rising up, and notice the tiny bubbles. The aroma is an aromatic treat of tangerine, cumquat, herbal, malts, and pine as it warms up. The avors are near perfectly balanced with tangerine, citrus, rind, pepper, herbal tea, and caramel, all owing together in harmony. The nish is a lovely, lingering hop bitterness and caramel. Can you be in love with a beer? Yes.
BREWERY: Firestone Walker Brewing LOCATION: Paso Robles, CA STYLE: Imperial IPA WEBSITE: www.firestonebeer.com PRICE: $11.99 / 4-pack, 12 oz. bottles : [47]

TOP 30 BEERS 2012

ODELL BREWING

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VERA

BOURBON BARREL STOUT

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One of the great traits of Odell is that they dont over-do their beer. They dont try to make you drink a hop plant, or shove wood down your throat; instead, they just try to make great balanced beer. This Bourbon Barrel Stout pours a nice black-brown with red-orange highlights, and a very frisky head sits on top. The aroma is bourbon, vanilla, and some faint chocolate and smokey notes. Nothing overwhelming, just good aromas all dancing in the glass. The taste is where you will fall in love. The silky smooth mouthfeel delivers coffee, toffee, smokey, vanilla, anise, cocoa, some peppery spice, and even a little bit of oak and wood. The beer nishes in that same silky-smooth prole the taste provides. This one isnt a huge bag of avor bomb, but it is a wonderfully balanced treat in a bottle that really can only be described as lovely. BREWERY: Odell Brewing
LOCATION: Fort Collins, CO STYLE: Barrel Aged Imperial Stout WEBSITE: www.odellbrewing.com PRICE: $17 / 750ml bottle

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RUSSIAN RIVER BREWING

We only rate beers that are sent to the ofce.

ODELL BREWING

ROW 2 HILL 56 PALE ALE

FOOTPRINT REGIONALE

Terroir in beer is hard to dene, but hops seem representative of the concept. Russian River took hops from three different Simcoe farms and mixed them in this pale; the result is simply amazing. It pours a golden yellow and has a nice frothy head. The aroma is packed with cotton candy, grapefruit, and tangerine, and is whole-cone hoppy fresh and super-inviting. The avor isnt mindblowingly complex; you get nice fruity citrus, orange, grapefruit, and some pine. The nish is a little bit astringently lemon. Pale ales can be amazing, and this one really knocks your socks off, but in a smooth, easy drinking way.
BREWERY: Russian River Brewing LOCATION: Santa Rosa, CA STYLE: Pale Ale WEBSITE: www.russianriverbrewing.com PRICE: $5 / 500ml bottle

R ATIN

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Some beers are easily dened, but Foot Print from Odell is one thats not easy to put in a category. We will call it an American Mutt Beer, and Mutts are good! Pour this into your favorite vessel, and youll see a hazy orange liquid with a wonderful white head. The aroma is huge. You get tangerine, grape, and oral notes. Your rst sip may be similar to ours, with a Whoa being your rst response. The avor is full of orange, tangerine, and biscuit, and its alive with carbonation. The best way to describe this is almost a mimosa of beer. There is a slight warming in the throat from the chili, but the carbonation and mix of fruit make this one youll want with breakfast or just hanging out on a warm spring day.
BREWERY: Odell Brewing LOCATION: Fort Collins, CO STYLE: Saison WEBSITE: www.odellbrewing.com PRICE: $15 / 750ml bottle

GREEN FLASH BREWING

PALATE WRECKER

AT

ING

R AT

IN

DESCHUTES BREWING

BLACK BUTTE XXIV PORTER

Wouldnt it be nice if your birthday came twice a year? Maybe not the aging part, but if you could have Black Butte series more than the one time its released, it would be worth being twice as old. This beer pours out a dark brown-black with red and caramel highlights. It coats the glass like an oil spill in the Gulf. The aroma is full of chocolate, gs, cocoa nibs, coffee, fruitcake, and butterscotch. The avor is a nice mix of caramel, nuts, raisin, chocolate, pepper, Germans Sweet baking chocolate, coconut, and a sweet, jammy fruit mix. The nish is cherry and chocolate, and as it warms, the jamminess pops out more. This beer is wonderful and makes us want it to be our birthday every day.
BREWERY: Deschutes Brewing LOCATION: Bend, OR STYLE: Imperial Porter WEBSITE: www.deschutesbrewery.com PRICE: $15 / 22 oz. bottle [ 48] :

BREWERY: Green Flash Brewing Co. LOCATION: San Diego, CA STYLE: Imperial IPA WEBSITE: www.greenflashbrew.com PRICE: $8 / 22 oz. bottle

NEW BELGIUM BREWING & ALPINE BREWING

96
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LIPS OF FAITH SUPER IPA

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Super is a bold statement, but if a pair of breweries exists that can produce super duper products, its New Belgium and the IPA specialist Alpine. They went in together to brew this, and the result is ... super. It pours a great-looking light golden yellow with a super-frothy white head. The aroma is one of super-fresh green hops, herbal, pine, tangerine, and orange. The taste is a super punch of hops, like a hop tea. Its orange, tangerine, grassy, pine, and a nice cotton candy sweetness. The oils coat your mouth the way cotton candy would. This Super IPA is super. You can drink it all yourself, or share it with friends. Drink this now!
BREWERY: New Belgium Brewing LOCATION: Fort Collins, CO STYLE: IPA WEBSITE: www.newbelgium.com PRICE: $5.99 / 22 oz. bottle

96
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V E R AL

If you ever wanted to know what a hop high might feel like, Green Flash and Hamiltons Tavern made that available in a bottle. Palate Wrecker pours out a gold-orange, and a wonderful head sits on top and sticks to the glass. The aroma is like a full-on murder of your sense of smell. Tons of herbal notes, citrus, mango, tangerine, and grassy notes tangle with a nice, sweet caramel note. Once you decide to ruin your palate and drink this, youll be overwhelmed with a surprising caramel front, followed by war by hops-mango, pineapple, grass, herbal notes, and a little bit of peppery alcohol burn all take over your senses. It nishes with a nice pithy bitterness that really delivers a hop main-line.

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DECONSTRUCTION GOLDEN ALE

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This beer is something wed drink daily. It pours a simply beautiful glowing orange caramel, and a slightly off-white head oats on top. The aroma is tart, with some maple/wood notes dancing with the spicy character. The taste is wonderfully complex but not overbearing. Its packed with passion fruit, mango, peach, apricot, some spices, and a bit of a caramel backbone that hits all the right spots. Big beers can be intimidating, but this beer demonstrates how subtle complexity is much more appealing. This beer could easily convert white wine drinkers over to the True Faith.
BREWERY: Odell Brewing LOCATION: Fort Collins, CO STYLE: Golden Ale WEBSITE: www.odellbrewing.com PRICE: $24.99 / 750ml bottle

AT

OUT OF 100

ING

SWEETWATER BREWING

ODELL BREWING

There must be something in the water in Atlanta, because the crew at SweetWater keeps cranking out some amazing beer. This release in their Dank Tank series takes on a scary theme and literally throws just about every hop they had into each bottle. Its called a double black, double dry hopped, double IPA and is more than double delicious. The beer pours a demon black with glowing red highlights, and a pillowy tan head sits on top like a gargoyle. The aroma slices into your nose like Freddy Krueger with a sharp orange and tangerine avor and a minute amount of Tootsie Roll. Once you take this demon into your soul, you get murdered with orange, tangerine, and a nice, slightly candy-sweet backbone. Theres a slight bit of Tootsie Roll in the background. The nish is hoppy, and a little bit of the malt comes through, but this is a great imperial black IPA!
BREWERY: SweetWater Brewing LOCATION: Atlanta, GA STYLE: Imperial Black IPA WEBSITE: www.sweetwaterbrew.com PRICE: $7 / 22 oz. bottle

DANK TANK GHOULASH

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POND HOPPER DOUBLE EXTRA PALE ALE

This is a collaboration beer that we think should be collaborated more often, because its double and extra all in one bottle. Pop the cork and pour this into a tulip, and youll get some wonderful tropical aromas like pineapple, mango, herbal tea notes, stone fruit, and yeast components. The taste is a work of art, as its very tropical fruity with peach, mango, and pineapple, and also mixes in some nice, malty sweetness and bread in the middle. The beer has a very refreshing quality that makes you want to drink more. The nish is dry, and theres a nice bit of juiciness left over that coats the tongue. This is a slight mix of American and English beer styles.
BREWERY: Odell Brewing LOCATION: Fort Collins, CO STYLE: Exta Pale WEBSITE: www.odellbrewing.com PRICE: $13.99 / 750ml bottle

So if youre a brewery who thinks your beer is better ... send it.

SUDWERK

DOPPEL BOCK

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This winter seasonal kicks some double ass! The unassuming bottle wont excite you, but the prize inside will. It pours a great-looking, deep, dark, mahogany color with an intense frothy head that lasts and lasts. The aroma is spicy, raisin, prune, and some cocoa. The avor is wonderful; its nicely balanced with raisin (dark fruits), molasses, anise, pepper, tobacco, and leather. All the avors ride on a rich and creamy body thats very well balanced for the alcohol content. It nishes creamy and with a nice, dark, fruit nish. This one is a winter warmer thats worth hunting down. Its high ABV will make it one you can keep, but when its this good now, why wait?
BREWERY: Sudwerk LOCATION: Davis, CA STYLE: Doppel Bock WEBSITE: www.sudwerkbrew.com PRICE: $8.99 / 6-pack

R ATIN

THE ALCHEMIST-VERMONT

HEADY-TOPPER

ST. FEUILLIEN

SAISON

Its hard to pronounce correctly, but you wont have a problem enjoying this saison. It pours out a wonderful hazy orangish yellow and has a ton of carbonation that creates a stunning, pure white head. The aroma has a grape quality, with fruitiness, apple, cinnamon, and oats. The avor gives a bit more hops with citrus notes, apple, grape, mild coriander, and a peppery heat. The nish is a nice, tart citrus. All in all, this is a nice refreshing beer that ts into summer but works anytime you feel like a great beer.
BREWERY: Brasserie St. Feuillien LOCATION: Le Roeulx, Belgium STYLE: Saison WEBSITE: www.st-feuillien.com PRICE: $10.99 / 750ml bottle

95
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F T O OU 00 1

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ALL

Double IPA freaks drool over this beer, and if you look online, youll nd that its one of the highest rated beers ever, so it has some hype to live up to. The can suggests that you not use a glass, and if you disregard this instruction and pour it into one anyway, youll see that its one of the murkiest beers weve ever observed. Its thick looking and has a nice, white head. The aroma is pine, dank green, wet herbal, pineapple, and some ammonia notes. It smells good, but those who are sensitive to that part of a hop aroma will notice it. The taste is thick and oily. Its full of pineapple, mango, orange, pine, acidic fruit juice, and a nice, balanced fruit bitterness thats all very juicy and raw. Its sticky and very easy to drink. Its complex beyond description and is denitely one to seek out. You want to know what sweaty hops taste like after being juiced? This is it.
BREWERY: The Alchemist-Vermont LOCATION: Waterbury, VT STYLE: Double IPA WEBSITE: www.alchemistbeer.com PRICE: $12 / 4-pack cans : [49]

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TOP 30 BEERS 2012

DOGFISH HEAD BREWING

URKONTINENT

94
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Ours, yours, somebodys continent. What this beer does is combine ingredients from the ve continents that the Germans theorized were the source of our current seven. Despite the number disparity, the beer pours out a wonderful-looking brownish-red mahogany with a nice, tan, lasting head. The aroma is packed with brown sugar, raisin, chocolate, and orange candy. The avors include raw cocoa, dried cherry, plum, raisin, and hazelnut. The nish is surprisingly dry, with a Tootsie Roll and herbal linger. Overall, this continental theory beer makes us wish there were only ve continents.
BREWERY: Dogfish Head Brewery LOCATION: Milton, DE STYLE: Specialty WEBSITE: www.dogfish.com PRICE: $13.99 / 750ml bottle
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UPRIGHT BREWING

SIX

94
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HOPWORKS URBAN BREWERY

ACE OF SPADES

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ING

Arent the maps interesting?

Beers can be named to be funny, or they can just be named after a number. Six from Upright pours a nice-looking brown/red with a killer head that almost reminds us of the ice cream in a root beer oat. The aroma gives you lots of dark chocolate with a nice citrus orange mixed in. There are some nice rummy notes, and toffee, cherry, and peach, too. The avor encompasses wonderful notes of cherry, toffee, raisin, and natural chocolate. We couldnt really nd the rye tang that we expected but we didnt miss it, either. It nishes dry and almost evaporates off the tongue, leaving you wanting more. American Belgian-style beers are getting better all the time, and this one is awesome.
BREWERY: Upright Brewing LOCATION: Portland, OR STYLE: Rye WEBSITE: www.uprightbrewing.com PRICE: $12 / 750ml bottle

We tasted this beer a year ago, and it was great. This newest version steps up the game a bit and delivers a hop assault on your senses. The beer pours a lovely, hazy orange amber with a nice frothy head. Dip your nose close, and you get slapped with orange, tangerine, candied citrus, pine, and some caramel bringing up the rear. Getting your taste buds wet is a treat, and youll get a huge amount of pine, grapefruit rind, and some tropical fruit. You really have to stretch to get the caramel and malt, but you can if you ignore the hops. The hops coat your mouth, and youll be immune to subtle hop avors for the rest of the day. We love it.
BREWERY: Hopworks Urban Brewery LOCATION: Portland, OR STYLE: Imperial IPA WEBSITE: www.hopworksbeer.com PRICE: $9 / 22 oz. bottle

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ODELL BREWING

FRIEK

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This beer has a long, complicated process that we cant get into with the limited space we have, so we suggest that you look at their website. The beer pours out a shockingly berry pink, almost the color of a ruby-red grapefruit. The head even carries some of that pink tone. The aroma starts off with a little bit of earthiness but quickly becomes a very overripe, fruity aroma. The avor is sharply tart and is very similar to a dry champagne. There is some raspberry and cherry in there, but its masked by the tartness and insane carbonation. Its one of the driest beers out there that is complex, yet subtle. Youll convince those who lean toward sparkling wine to love beer with this one.
BREWERY: Odell Brewing LOCATION: Fort Collins, CO STYLE: Barrel Aged Sour WEBSITE: www.odellbrewing.com PRICE: $18 / 750ml bottle

94
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OUT OF 100

ING

ALASKAN BREWING

SUMMER ALE

R ATIN

Summer beers should be light and refreshing. Alaskan summers probably arent as hot as in some other parts of the country, but youd never guess it from this brewerys take on a Kolsch. The color is a nice golden yellow, with a head that, surprisingly, is missing. The aroma has light notes of honey, oats, and some oral. The taste is smooth, with a honey-like sweetness and a very silky, easy drinking mouthfeel. This is a lighter beer that doesnt try to kill you with avor or alcohol, so whether youre wrestling a bear in the woods of Alaska or getting an amazing sunburn in the record heat, this beer will quench your thirst and deliver a nice, light avor prole, too.
BREWERY: Alaskan LOCATION: Juneau, AK STYLE: Kolsch WEBSITE: www.alaskanbeer.com PRICE: $7.99 / 6-pack bottles [ 50] :

NG

OLD CHUB 94 SCOTTISH STYLE ALE

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ALL

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY

Oskar Blues made cans acceptable, and it seems they also know how to make some of the best beer around. Old Chub starts with that familiar crack of a can and pours out a deep brownish red, with a tan head. It coats the glass as it goes in and looks thick and delicious. The aroma is full of caramel, toasted oats, raisin, and every dark fruit that you have committed to memory. The avors are chubinducing with a nice roll of caramel, malts, raisin, and raisin-skin bitterness, all rolled into a beautifully silky mouthfeel. Its hard to reconcile how this beer looks so thick but is so smooth on the palate. If you dont have a Chub in your fridge right now, you should have one there tomorrow.
BREWERY: Oskar Blue Brewery LOCATION: Lyons, CO STYLE: Lager WEBSITE: www.oskarblues.com PRICE: $8.99 / 6-pack cans

SIERRA NEVADA

OVILA ABBEY QUAD

94
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There arent too many quads on the market, and this one is worth seeking out. Pop the cork and pour this good-looking beer into a glass, where it reveals a brownish-red liquid with a frisky tan head. The aroma is light and appealing, and it delivers a hint of malt, brown sugar, and some faint, dark fruit. Tasting reveals a very well-balanced beer for the amount of alcohol. Subtle notes of oat, plum, raisin, currant, cocoa, caramel, and wine grapes all work well together with the sweetness of the beer. The beer is super velvety and light. It nishes dry and begs to be shared with friends. Were glad that we have the only monks in the country teamed up with Sierra Nevada to produce this ne-quality beer.
BREWERY: Sierra Nevada LOCATION: Chico, CA STYLE: Quadrupel WEBSITE: www.ovila.com PRICE: $15 / 750ml bottle

94

NEW GLARUS BREWING

SAMUEL ADAMS

IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE

We hate New Glarus, and the reason is simple: they hoard their beer in one state and deny the rest of us the opportunity to enjoy it more often. This Imperial IPA isnt fully a West Coast style, nor an East, either, but instead its a blend of the two. It pours out a nice hazy orange with a pillowy white head. The aroma is a nice mix of orange, kumquat, tangerine, and a touch of pine. The taste is all about a hop experience, and youll get lots of orange peel, citrus zest, some pine, and a nice, sweet, malty backbone that hide this beers alcohol amazingly well. The nish is nice and smooth, and youll nd yourself looking for another bottle to share pretty quick. If Wisconsin wasnt on your list of places to vacation, this brewery is reason enough.
BREWERY: New Glarus LOCATION: New Glarus, WI STYLE: Imperial IPA WEBSITE: www.newglarusbrewing.com PRICE: $10 / 4-pack

THE VIXEN CHOCOLATE CHILI BOCK

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Its time to remember that Sam Adams can make a killer beer because The Vixen is one of the best beers weve ever tasted from the craft giant. The bottles look nothing like an SA beer, and youll think the same when you taste whats inside. This one pours a squidink black with a darker tan head. The aroma is very nice with a fruity chili side, but also chocolate and some cinnamon. The avor is full of chocolate, chili, cinnamon, and a little bit of heat from them all. You get a nice warming from the alcohol, but its still a creamy mouthfeel. The nish is dry, and all the avors meld well and create a pretty great chocolate bock. Dont discount this beer; its one of the best bocks weve had, even though we feel its more porter/ stout ... regardless, it works.
BREWERY: Boston Beer Company LOCATION: Boston, MA STYLE: Chili Beer WEBSITE: www.samadams.com PRICE: $6 / 22 oz. bottle

Lots of 94s ... More than t here.

NARRAGANSETT BREWING

PORTER

R ATIN

94
OF OUT 100

ALL ER

Good things come in cans, and this porter is one of them. Snap the can open, and youll pour out a deep, dark porter with ruby highlights at the extremes. Its got a good head and is good and sticky. The nose is light, but you can nd a nice, light, roasted malt and espresso. The taste is where the fun starts; youll get a nice mix of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, and some pepper notes. Its smooth and very easy to drink considering the alcohol. It nishes very clean and smooth with a nice fruity note that mixes with a little bit of pepper heat from the alcohol. Another beer that is very easy to drink more than one of!
BREWERY: Narragansett Brewing LOCATION: Providence, RI STYLE: Porter WEBSITE: www.narragansettbeer.com PRICE: $8.99 / 6-pack (16 oz. cans)

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BRUVADO

MEXICAN LAGER

SPOETZL SHINER

Light beers get bad press in the beer geek world. Mexican lagers arent designed to trick you into drinking 43 spices in your beer. They are simple by design. This Bruvado Mexican lager really shines for the style. It pours like it should: clear, yellow, with a nice head. The aroma is also as expected, with mild notes of grain, sweet hay, malt and a touch of fruitiness. The taste is pure lager with a slightly sweet side, but balanced with carbonation and bitterness to provide a creamy mouthfeel thats almost thirst quenching. The nish is dry, with nothing to offend your senses. If youre somewhere hot, BBQing or just mowing the grass, sometimes simply yellow zzy beer is really almost the perfect thing to have. Riding lawnmowers have cupholders for this reason.
BREWERY: Bruvado LOCATION: Tecate, Mexico STYLE: Mexican Lager WEBSITE: www.bruvado.com PRICE: $8.99 / 6-pack

PRICKLY PEAR

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Sometimes you can only get beers in a variety pack, and this summer offering from Shiner is just that. Prickly Pear is a cactus fruit, and we were curious to see whether this worked. The beer is a nice, deep orange, very clear and bright, and a nice head sits on top. The aroma is cactus pear, a sweet Pez-like tangy orange that smells sort of articial, but we all seemed to like it regardless. The taste was really well balanced and not as sweet as the aroma had led us to expect. There is a ton of fruit, oral notes, and juicy berry, all wrapped together. It nishes sweet with a juice-like linger. This is a very approachable beer for those who might not like beer avors, and wed sip this during the summer and feel pretty manly doing it.
BREWERY: Spoetzl Brewery LOCATION: Shiner, TX STYLE: Fruit Beer WEBSITE: www.shiner.com PRICE: Only in variety pack - $15.99 : [51]

BREWCAKES

BrewCakes
words & photos: Derek Buono

Cupcakes Made Better

f you own a TV, youre probably aware that cupcakes have become the in cake. Pancakes had their time, wedding cakes are sad, and cake sounds better when it has the word cup in front of it. Cooking, or in this case baking, with beer is all the rage right now,

Does beer make everything better?

I
[ 52]:

and some have taken it a step further. CJ and Sarah dreamt of opening a bakery, and when the opportunity to take over a bagel shop came up in their hometown of Redlands, Calif., they jumped at the opportunity and opened their bakery, which is called Kiddoughs. Their slant toward cupcakes came a little later when they figured out that putting beer into cupcakes made sense. Combining two things they likedbaking and beerresulted in an offshoot called BrewCakes. Local beer and local cupcakes have now been appearing at local beer festivals and dinners. We all love dessert, and having cupcakes made with beer while enjoying a nice stout seems like a fine idea.

That was a dumb question. Of course.

Owners: Brother and sister CJ and Sarah Sillers Founded: August 2011 Pricing: $3 each, $18 - 1/2 dozen, $35 - 1 dozen,
Cakes start at $28

Website: www.Brewcake.com

: [53]

BREWCAKES

How did you get started?

It was Saras life dream to open a bakery, and we found a place that was looking to sell. I told Sara that if Im going to do a bakery that I want to have some fun with it. Ive had Guinness cupcakes before, but I was a fan of craft beer, so I wanted to combine them. We called our original beer cupcakes BrewCakes from Kiddoughs bakery, and people got confused, so we just made them BrewCakes and it caught on better.

What beers work better for cupcakes? Does an IPA work with the inherent bitterness?
Will adding beer to beer make it taste better?

We have actually done an Apple IPA cupcake with a vanilla butter cream frosting that people really like. Some of the bitterness in IPA can be countered with sweetness from the sugar, or in the case of the Apple IPA, the apples tartness also helped. It really depends on how much you use. You can cook the beer down, which removes the alcohol, and we use that in the frosting. Stouts obviously work well, as most people probably had some sort of cake, or cupcake, with a stout.

[ 54]:

What does the beer replace in baking the cupcakes? What does it change?

The beer usually replaces one of the liquids in the batter. You might have to add a little bit more liquid to the recipe, and weve found it makes the cupcakes a little more dense, too. We do a few cupcakes with wine and champagne, and those seem to make the cupcakes a little ufer.

Which breweries have you worked with?

Were trying to work with local breweries like Hangar 24, Packing House, Inland Empire, Ritual, and Society breweries. We really like working local.

What was one of your favorite pairings that youve done?

Yes. And bacon.

The most recent pairing we liked was done with Dr. Bill from Stone Brewing. We took our Cracker Jack cupcake made with Inland Empires brown ale with a caramel butter cream frosting and he paired it with a Smoked and Oaked beer that was really nice.

Do you think Cupcake Wars has helped in any way?

Yes, we do. There are a few TV shows based on baking, and we think theyve helped the baking industry a lot. Those shows sometimes just focus on the cake, but we try to be more about the pairings of cupcakes, or our cakes at beer festivals. We focus on the cupcakes because they are easier to sample.

Where can you get BrewCakes?

Right now were selling them out of our bakery, and at beer festivals in the Southern California area. You can also buy them on our website, but logistically we are trying to focus on the local area. Were talking to some local restaurants about supplying our cakes for desserts.

: [55]

REEL BIG FISH

BEER to BEER

I
Beer and a brass section. Who knew?

dont believe in fate,

destiny, the stars, Santa, or Smurfs, but some things just seem to cross paths at certain times. Back in

the 90s, I was barely 21, and when I eventually started drinking beer, I stuck to the light variety. Something that I still like from that time of my life is music. I always joke that I grew up in the gangsta rap generation, but my musical taste varies. For a long time, I was into Ska, and one of my favorite bands was Reel Big Fish. My friends and I were so into that band that wed actually bring the CD into bars so we could all sing Beer whenever we could. It was just a song that we felt symbolized our beer drinking. If you were drinking with us, you were our friend, and that CD has traveled the world with me.
Little did I know that my frivolous beer drinking and love for that CD would be relevant in my later life. Since I like to relive my youth through the old music I listened to, I recently posted that I was listening to that song on Facebook, and in a strange twist of fate, one of the band members sister replied and said they were really into craft beer. That started my quest to interview them, have a beer with them, and see what they were up to these days. After a few months of emails and phone calls, fate twisted my way once more. While attending a local home brew festival, I met the manager of the band, who was into home brewing, and at last the interview was set up. Since they were local to my area, and lming a new video for their new CD, Candy Coated Fury, not only would I get to hang out and talk beer, but Id also get to see a music video lmed. (Yes, they still do those, and MTV still exists.) So I spent a day with the band, shared some beer, and watched them repeat the same song about 100 times. It was time to learn that the song Beer might not be their favorite anymore, but their love of craft beer has turned this legendary Ska band into a legendary Ska band who loves all things about beer.

[ 56]:

Anybody get the song to drink reference? Probably not.

words: Derek Buono photos: Marc Piron & Derek Buono

: [57]

REEL BIG FISH

Name: Aaron Barrett Age: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay over 21. Occupation: I actually make a
living playing guitar and singing in a Ska band!

Location: Orange, CA
Years In Band: 21 (since late 1991)

Favorite Song (RBF):

Everyone Else is an Asshole from Candy Coated Fury

Favorite Band (other than yourself):

The Aquabats

Favorite Drinking Song: How Can I

be so Thirsty by John Anderson or the UB40 version of Red, Red Wine

Worst City for beer:

Salt Lake City, Utah

Best City for beer: Anywhere in

Aaron is like a woman. Never ask his age.

Belgium

Favorite Bar: Big Hands in

Manchester UK

Favorite Beer: Delirium Tremens by

Huyghe Brewery in Melle, Belgium

Bottle, Can, or Tap: Lately Ive been

preferring an ice cold can over anything else

Favorite Hang Over Food: English

full breakfast with fried eggs, baked beans, ham, bacon, sausage, fried bread, grilled tomato, grilled mushroom...I think theres more but I cant remember

Most Memorable Beer: I did a lot of

acid one time and drank 5 pitchers of cherry wheat beer...that was pretty memorable. Also I think I was surrounded by drag queens for some reason.

Least Favorite Beer: Heineken!

Skunky bullshit!

[ 58] :

You got something in your eye.

Name: Dan The Monster Regan Age: 35 Occupation: Adventurer Location: Long Beach, California Years In Band: 19 years Favorite Song (RBF): The Kids Dont
Like It.

Favorite Band (other than yourself):

Frank Zappa (around 1972)

Favorite Drinking Song: Anything in a

pirate voice.

Worst City for beer: Lubbock Texas Best City for beer: I hulk out in
Portland Oregon.

Favorite Bar: Beachwood BBQ and

brewery in Long Beach.

Favorite Beer: Today? Firestone

Walker 16th Anniversary

Bottle, Can, or Tap: Mouth Favorite Hang Over Food: I keep it

greasy, so itll go down easy.

Most Memorable Beer: The rst

homebrew I made, that tasted good: A Belgian Abbey named Bob Dubbelina

Least Favorite Beer: Bud Light

: [59]

REEL BIG FISH

Name: Ryland David Burton Steen Age: Old enough to party Occupation: Drummer of Reel Big Fish Location: Pound Town USA Years In Band: 8 Favorite Song (RBF): Everyone Else
is an Asshole

Favorite Band (other than yourself):

Foo Fighters

Favorite Drinking Song: Lalac

WineJeff Buckley

Worst City for beer: ZZYZX , CA Best City for beer: Durango, CO Favorite Bar: The Blue Oyster Favorite Beer: Pyramid Oatmeal Stout Bottle, Can, or Tap: Bottle Favorite Hang Over Food: Double
bacon cheeseburger and seasoned curly fries .

Most Memorable Beer: Heineken at

the Heineken brewery in Amsterdam.

Least Favorite Beer:

Old Speckled Hen
Animal!

[ 60] :

Ill show you were to put this beer.

Name: Johnny Christmas Age: 37 Occupation: Musician Location: Montclair, California Years In Band: 8 Favorite Song (RBF): The Set up Favorite Band (other than yourself):
Loudon Wainwright

Favorite Drinking Song:

Simmer Down by the Wailers

Worst City for beer: Milan, Italy Best City for beer: Portland, Oregon Favorite Bar: The Kings Arms in
Oxford England. A chance to have a pint in the same place that Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins once did is pretty awesome.

Favorite Beer: St.Bernardus Abt 12 Bottle, Can, or Tap: Bottle Favorite Hang Over Food:
Pancakes..mmmnnnn Pancakes!

Most Memorable Beer: New Belgiums

La Folie straight out of the oak barrel at the brewery with my Reel Big Fish buddies.

Least Favorite Beer: Rotator IPA:

Spiced IPA I love Chai tea, just not when its in my beer.

: [61]

REEL BIG FISH

Name: Derek Gibbs Age: 39 Occupation: Bass player Location: Fullerton, CA Years In Band: 5+ Favorite Song (RBF):
Down In Flames

Favorite Band (other than yourself):

The Foo Fighters

Favorite Drinking Song:

Hot Rod Lincoln

Worst City for beer:

The one that does not have any.

Best City for beer: Portland, OR Favorite Bar: Beer Kitchen in

Kansas City, MO.

Who plays that cord with Abyss?

Favorite Beer: Ranger IPA Bottle, Can, or Tap: Yes! Favorite Hang Over Food: Bacon
Breakfast Burrito at Burgertown in Fullerton, CA.

Most Memorable Beer: The

Eisboch in Cologne, Germany at the Bier Museum.

Least Favorite Beer: Carling

[ 62] :

Name: Matt Appleton Age: 31 Occupation: Saxophonist Location: Lake Arrowhead, CA Years In Band: 2 Favorite Song (RBF):
Alternative, Baby

Favorite Band (other than yourself):

The Beach Boys

Favorite Drinking Song: Wasted by

Paranoid Social Club

Worst City for beer: Buenos Aires Best City for beer: Burlington, VT Favorite Bar: 3 Penny
Taproom. Montpelier, VT

Favorite Beer: Fayston Maple Imperial

Stout by Lawsons Finest Liquids

Bottle, Can, or Tap: Tap Favorite Hang Over Food:

Cheeseburgers!

Most Memorable Beer: Snack Attack

by Cigar City Brewing. Its a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup beer. Amazing.

Least Favorite Beer: Spitre Kentish

Ale. Always skunky, without fail.

Thats it! Thats what I want my hair to look like dad! Oh Rusty you dont want to look like a rooster do you?

: [63]

REEL BIG FISH

Always meditate on rocks before drinking beer.

NEW BELGIUM CHANGES IDEAS

For most craft beer drinkers, there is usually one key, defining moment in our beer timeline that changes the way we think. As we huddled around the kitchen of a local church,
it was awesome to hear how New Belgium was the one brewery that made the biggest impact. Dan and Derek told the story of running into somebody who knew that the brewer was always there, and right on the day of the concert they were playing in Fort Collins, they went to the brewery and for the first time got a behind-the-scenes tour that made them look at beer differently. They got to taste beer from tanks and sit with the brewer as he explained the flavors and introduced the band to sour beer.

[ 64] :

How does America stand as far as its beers are concerned? Dan: Its my favorite beer destination. Weve travelled the world, and there are places where there are better beer styles, but we mostly crave more of the extreme styles found all over the U.S. Think of how long Sierra Nevada has been available just about everywhere in the country. Being in a band, we always get hooked up with beer, but on my 21st birthday I bought a keg of Sierra Nevada Celebration. So for most of us this is what we started drinking, not the typical lightest, cheapest beer you can nd. Being on the road, we get to see the craft scene develop. For example, England has always had a great pub culture with local small breweries. Most people drink light, sessionable, low-ABV beer because they have forever, and the older generation is retired and thats their job. There isnt as much creativity there, but its changing a bit. What are some of your favorite bars? Dan: I am in the Long Beach area, and I really like Beachwood BBQ and Congregation Ale house. Tuesday nights are what we call our Congregation congregation night. Do any of you home brew? Dan: Ive been home brewing for over 6 years, and my garage is my brew house. Touring puts a big damper on my schedule, so I only get to brew a couple of times a year. This doesnt help me advance my brewing. I do get to nd new gear all the time because we search out home brew shops everywhere we go. Its also a rumor weve found kegs in alleys and taken them home on the tour bus to brew out of. My brewing has been infrequent but fun. There are times when I brew at night and have forgotten my schedule, and Im sitting there looking at my alarm wondering if I did what I was supposed to do. One time I remember hearing a great crack, which ended up being the hot wort cracking the cold glass of the carboy. When I woke up, I found that I decided it was best to just shove the sticky mess under a table. Now when I brew, I wait to sample the beer after brewing. Do you have a favorite style to brew? Dan: I havent brewed enough to have a go at style, but I found Belgian yeast seems to be a bit more friendly to work with and it likes my California garage temperature, too. I seem to hit all my numbers and, to

me, come out the least like home brew. I dont claim to be professional but they work out the best for me. What are your two favorite breweries? Dan: I have to give props to Sierra Nevada, not just because they make good beer all around but autobiographically, it was the only beer Ive ever loved and Id only drink their pale ale for so long. Also because the brewery itself is a beautiful place with a great restaurant. You can get so many beers on tap there you didnt know they made. Its also great that the town seems to be an extension of the brewery with their beer everywhere. New Belgium was the rst brewery that gave us the behind the scenes look at what goes on. We were playing in Fort Collins, and a bartender told us he could get Zack, son of Kim Jordan, to give us a private tour since hes usually there on Sunday and loves the band. So we hung out on a Sunday with nobody actually at the brewery, and years before the sour line made it mainstream. They were still experimenting with their sour, and we got to taste out of the pipe. We got so schnockered we could barely play later that night. Thats when we realized that breweries were great. Before we just went to breweries for beer and lunch, but we really got to appreciate them after that day. What is your idea of a good beer? There are some great beers out there, but most of us in the band agree that sometimes the best beers are more the situation you are in. When youre standing on a cliff overlooking the Rockies, suddenly the beer tastes way better. We have a great memory of sitting in a small cafe in Belgium, sitting outside drinking a beer right after it rained, and the sun was setting. Were all just there taking in the moment. That beer was memorable because of the moment. Makes Trippels go down really fast. I noticed you guys checking into every beer on Untappd during this interview! How many beers have you checked in? We usually just try and check in on the new beers we taste, so the number is obviously lower. Matt is checked into 965 at the time of that question and Dan is well over 1,000. Johnny is only at 281, but he doesnt check in every time we do. But we just started checking in about 2 years

ago, which was about 2 months after it launched. So wed all be over 1,000 if it existed before that. What kind of bar do you guys like? Were not a sports bar group, we dont like it too loud, either. We dont want TVs, we like just talking to each other and drinking great beer. Something quiet with a good beer list. Its getting harder to nd beers we havent tried. Good food is a nice bonus. We usually nd a place before sound check. We have to eat before we play, and well before we play so we dont throw up on stage. Even though some of us do anyway. Its not that we cant handle our alcohol, its the running around and bouncing on stage that often makes it happen. Weve got some great throwing up on stage stories, but well leave those out. Lets just say sometimes when you throw up in your instrument the only way to get it clear is to suck it back out. Other than California, where are the best places youve been for beer? Belgium is amazing, but there are amazing places in Colorado, Portland, and the Mid East Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania area (some people call this the Midwest) is really becoming a hot spot for beer. It seems the Mid East has a great blend of cosmopolitan and farming. Seems like a good place to make great beer. What was the most memorable beer you guys had? We were in Germany and walked 2 miles in the snow to get an Ice Bock, and it was a full pint of 28% Ice Bock. So we had that great beer and Indian food, which led to a saxophone full of Indian food. But I think anything with a view makes a beer better. We also had a great memory of ordering a geuze in Belgium. We ew in and went right to the bar and ordered a beer in an outdoor table on the street. All the sours and lambics are really popular now, so we were really excited to order a geuze in Belgium. He replied to me Umm that beer is for the women! I asked him to record that so next time Im back in the U.S. and somebody orders a geuze, I can play that. We also really got into breweries when we got to drink out of the tanks at New Belgium. That made us start looking for breweries in every country we go to. We have about a 2.5-mile radius to walk to in every country. If we can walk to it, well be there.

Dear Byron. Its the Mid-East! (Dereks personal debate with a friend on this.)

: [65]

TASTE TEST

TASTE TEST
Ratings
Will any of these make the Top 30 next year?

60-70 A Little Rough Around the Edges 70-80 Recommended 81-90 Highly Recommended 91-100 Beer Magazine s Top Choice

WE LIKE THIS TEST

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

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

his yearly offering from Odell pours an interesting, cloudy caramel with a slightly strand green tint. The head was alive and strong. The aroma is full of lemon, oak, fermented orange, pepper, and pineapple. The avor inside is a strange/wonderful/ appealing mix of hops up front, quickly moving to caramel, apple, orange, and even something that reminded us of fruitcake. Its like Mr. Toads wild ride of fruit, mixed with some nice sweetness and vanilla. Youre not going to nish a bottle by yourself, so sharing this rollercoaster is the best option.

Odell Brewing WOODCUT NO. 6 2012

90
O
V E R AL
L

OUT OF 100

TIN G

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

8 13 36 33

Cloudy, caramel, green tint, nice frothy head. Lemon, oak, fermented orange, pepper, pineapple, and other tropical fruit. Crazy hops up front, then runs to caramel, apple, orange, fruitcake. Lots of vanilla lingering.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Odell Brewing Location: Fort Collins, CO Style: American Strong Ale Website: www.odellbrewing.com Price: $25 / 750ml bottle Alcohol Percentage: 10 % International Bitterness Rating: NA Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Fall

[ 66] :

93 I
O

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ALL

Sierra Nevada NARWHAL IMPERIAL STOUT

RA

OF OUT 100

TIN

t wasnt until two years ago that we discovered narwhals are real, and it wasnt until this year that Sierra Nevada decided to go black and enter the world of imperial stouts. This Gold-winning beer pours oil-spill black, and sticks to the glass. The aroma is nothing over the top. Some oral notes mix faintly with some chocolate and coffee. The avor is signature Sierra with a brilliantly balanced mix of Bakers chocolate, coffee, butterscotch, and some charred notes. The nish is nice and silky. This is their rst Imperial Stout, and it won gold. Its not one of those beers that will blow your doors off, but its an amazingly drinkable beer for its size.

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

10 12 37 34

Deep, dark black. Sticks to the glass and has a medium uffy head. Fruity aroma from the hops, with some metallic notes, coffee, and Bakers chocolate. Subdued. An amazingly silky and drinkable mix of Bakers chocolate and coffee; buttery and mouthwatering. A bit of chalky chocolate avor. Surprisingly light mouthfeel. Silky smooth.

Aroma: Taste:

(out of 40)

(out of 35)

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Location: Chico, CA Style: Imperial Stout Website: www.sierranevada.com Price: $10 / 4-pack Alcohol Percentage: 10.2% International Bitterness Rating: 60 Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Winter Will you believe in Narwhals after drinking that beer?

f we were 150 years old, wed be smelly and stale, but this anniversary release from Chimay is something to be tried. Carefully pour the beer into your favorite glass, and youll get a cloudy, deep gold beer with a head that reminds us of summer days. The aroma is hugely bubble gum, like you just bought a box of gum wrapped in bad comics. Some lemon comes through after the bubble gum fades. The avor is like a 12-lemon centerpiece. There is some candy sweetness, bubblegum, and red apple. The nish is dry, and like a nice lemon square combined with some warming from the alcohol. Happy anniversary, and bottoms up with this one.

Chimay SPECIALE CENT CINQUANTE

92
O
V E R AL

OUT O 100 F

TIN G

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

10 13 36 33

Cloudy deeper gold, stunning head, clouds. Bubble gum, 5 cents with a comic included, lemon. Lemon, lemon, lemon, coriander, candy bubble gum, red apple crisp. Dry lemon squares, warming, burning.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Bires de Chimay S. A. Location: Baileux, Belgium Style: Trippel Website: www.chimay.com Price: $25 / 750ml bottle Alcohol Percentage: 10% International Bitterness Rating: 60 Glass Recommendation: Chalice/ Tulip Availability: Limited

: [67]

TASTE TEST

lot of people would like to know the enigma of how New Glarus can sell so much beer in just one state. To taunt everyone, their Enigma pours a pretty, clear, amber-red, but the head falls short of making a very long appearance, although for sour beers this is not uncommon. The aroma is hugely cranberry, cherry, bitter, chewy sweet tarts, juicy, and grapes. The taste is a huge amount of cherry, but with a nice tartness to cut the sweetness. It is borderline intolerably sour, but also borderline perfect. Sour beers are coming on strong, and New Glarus is ready for it. This one isnt for everybody, but it is for those who love sours and already have an enigma.

New Glarus Brewing THUMBPRINT ENIGMA

95
O
V

ER

ALL

RA

TIN

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

10 14 37 34

Pretty, clear amber red; pretty head was disappointing. Cranberry, cherry, bitter, tart, chewy sweet tarts, juicy, grape. Super cherry, but tart and pretty intense. Some balsamic vinegar shines through, too. Finishes with a pretty intense tartness, but is strangely delicious.

Aroma: Taste:

Will you learn to like Fruit beers this year?

(out of 35)

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: New Glarus Brewing Location: New Glarus, WI Style: Sour Brown Website: www.newglarusbrewing.com Price: $8.99 / 4-pack Alcohol Percentage: 5.5% International Bitterness Rating: NA Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Fall

4 9
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ALL

Deschutes Brewery CHASIN FRESHIES IPA

R ATIN

T O OU 00 1

f you were a snowboarder, youd be doing it every chance you got, and maybe this applies to beers, too. This fresh-hopped IPA pours a nice, pale yellow, bright with a frothy head. The aroma is what most fresh hop beers produce: some light lemon, vegetal, and some citrus. The taste is wonderfully light, and the thinner body really allows you to taste the mintier notes and the citrus that you can taste only when a beer is this light. It nishes dry and with a little bit of mint burn. This one hides the alcohol well, but what beers dont these days. It goes down like a bunny slope, but its really double black diamond in strength.

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

OF OUT 0 10

9 13 38 34

Pale yellow, bright and clear, frothy head. Light lemon, fresh veggies and a little sweetness. Nice, light body allows you to get the hop avor; minty, candy, slightly citrus. Dry and really easy to drink.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery Location: Bend, OR Style: IPA Website: www.deschutesbrewery.com Price: $6.99 / 22 oz. bottle Alcohol Percentage: 7.4% International Bitterness Rating: 60 Glass Recommendation: Pint Availability: Fall

[ 68] :

89
O
L

V E R AL

AT

OUT OF 100

Pennsylvania Brewing Company HARVEST RYE PA

ING

his beer pours out a caramel copper with an off-white head. It looks almost like aged honey. Pretty. The aroma has notes of fruit, rye, and some oral. Nothing too crazy, but enough to get you wanting more. The taste has a nice fruity component, with wood, cedar, citrus, and sweetness that all seem to balance out very well. The nish is robust with a slightly sticky feeling, but a nice bready and orange note. This beer is a great blue collar version of the style. Its good, hard working and what makes America great.

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

10 12 35 32

Caramel copper, amber, off-white head. Aged honey. Fruity, rye, oral. Fruity, woody, cedar, some citrus, sweet caramel. A little heavy feeling, but a nice bready and orange linger.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Pennsylvania Brewing Co. Location: Pittsburgh, PA Style: Rye IPA Website: www.pennbrew.com Price: $7 / 6-pack Alcohol Percentage: 6.1% International Bitterness Rating: 55 Glass Recommendation: Pint Availability: Year round

Will you drink a beer from every state this year?

lending beer is a science, and Odells got a degree. Their old brown ale is a nice blend of aged beer mixed with wild yeast and brett. The result is a beer that pours a lovely brown with orange shoes. Its slightly cloudy, with a decent-looking head. The aroma smells tart, like a grape Fun Dip. Theres orange, grape, cherry, and some wood, too. The avors are balanced well between tart and sweet. Think grapefruit rind and dark fruit. This one takes a few sips to get your palate ready, but once you dig in, youll enjoy this complex beer that meddles with your mind.

Odell Brewing THE MEDDLER OUD BRUIN

92
O
L

V E R AL

OUT O 100 F

TIN G

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

10 12 37 33

Brown with some orange amber shoes. You smell tartness, a bit like vinegar. Orange, grape, cherry, and some woody notes. Nice and tart upfront with a good balance of sweetness. Finishes with some warming and some acidity

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Odell Brewing Location: Fort Collins, CO Style: Wild Ale Website: www.odellbrewing.com Price: $15.99 / 750ml bottle Alcohol Percentage: 8.9% International Bitterness Rating: NA Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Fall

: [69]

TASTE TEST

ames are everything these days, and Oskar Blues and Sun King dropped The Deuce on the world. This beer pours almost like black coffee with a tan head that grows big and stays big. The aroma is amazingly hoppy, with orange and tangerine citrus streaming out. Theres a good blend of bread and malt that then gets overpowered by grapefruit, pine, apricot, and peach. The avor is just as amazing as the aroma: sweet grapefruit, ginger, biscuit, oral, and balanced. The nish is wonderful with a great dryness and just the right amount of avor. Its mouthwatering, and we wouldnt mind picking up this Deuce in the yard without a bag. Hoppy brown? We think its one of the best Black IPAs weve had.

Oskar Blues/Sun King THE DEUCE BROWN ALE

98
O

E R ALL

OUT OF 100

ATIN

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

9 15 39 35

Leaning toward black, coffee, tanish head, killer head Orange, tangerine underlining bread and malt, grapefruit, pine, apricot, and peach oral Balance is nuts, biscuit, ginger, little sweet, sweet grapefruit Wonderful, dry, but a nice lingering malt and sweetness... mouthwatering

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Does beer in cans make you happy?

Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery Location: Longmont, CO Style: American Brown Website: www.oskarblues.com Price: $9 / 4-pack, cans Alcohol Percentage: 7.0% International Bitterness Rating: 69 Glass Recommendation: Pint Availability: Limited

89
O
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ER ALL

Shipyard Brewing BOURBON BARREL AGED DOUBLE ESB

F OUT O 100

ATIN

his beer from Shipyard steps onto the extreme side of brewing. It pours a cloudy caramel amber with a foamy off-white head that stayed longer than expected for a big beer. The aroma isnt super appealing, but its got raisin, soy sauce, syrup, and some charred wood in the nose. The taste is heavy on the wood, green apple, raw cinnamon stick, peppery spice, and apple juice. The mouthfeel is lighter than this heavyweight ABV aunts. There are some serious booze avors going on, and it reminds us more of a spirit than a brew. Over time, that hot alcohol will mellow out, which means in a year, this beer should be better. Share this now if you like beer on the hot side, but if youre aging it for later, we think wed see this score higher. This one can be in your ask at a cold football game, and youll really appreciate the warmth.

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

8 13 35 33

Cloudy caramel, amber off-white foamy head. Raisin, soy sauce, syrup, charred wood. Heavy wood, green apple, raw cinnamon stick, peppery, apple pie. Hot but will mellow with age.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Shipyard Brewing Co. Location: Portland, ME Style: Barleywine Website: www.shipyard.com Price: $15 / 750ml bottle Alcohol Percentage: 13.2% International Bitterness Rating: 80 Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Year round

[ 70] :

92
O
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OUT O 100 F

Hinterland Brewery BOURBON BARREL DOPPELBOCK

TIN G

s Americans, we love excess in just about everything. Our bourbon barrel beers are sometimes too thick, too bold, and too much. So when we poured this beer into a glass and discovered a hazy, deep amber brown with a tan head, we were pleased. The aroma was packed with toasted marshmallow, vanilla, bourbon, and cookie dough. The avor is lighter than the aroma lets on, but its still a very nice mix of light caramel, cola avors, vanilla, some prune, and dried fruit. The nish is still pretty light in mouthfeel and avor. The only problem with this beer was that it took a saw to get through the wax to open it. After that, we really appreciated the baby barrel aged quality of this beer.

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

10 14 35 33

Hazy, deep amber brown with a tan-ish head. Toasted marshmallow, vanilla, bourbon, cookie dough. A lighter than expected body, but some nice vanilla, maple, brown sugar. Wonderful, dry, but a nice lingering malt and sweetness ... mouthwatering.
Brewery: Hinterland (Green Bay Brewing Co.) Location: Green Bay, WI Style: Doppel Bock Website: www.hinterlandbeer.com Price: $6 / 16 oz. bottle

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Alcohol Percentage: 7.4% International Bitterness Rating: NA Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Fall

Does having to use a hacksaw to open a beer make it better?

here are sours, and then there are sours. Cascade is known for both. Noyaux is an apricot pit thats used in the beer. This one pours like you just juiced a peach, and a minimalist head sits on top. The nose is full of dried apricot, vanilla, almond, and some raspberry. The avor will suck the spit out of your mouth. It is not for the faint of heart. Theres lots of tart raspberry, vanilla, and caramel with a biscuit sweetness in the background, all mixed with unripened apricot. The nish is tart, and we normally dont say things taste sour, but its sour. Its intense, yet appealing. Those who like a balance of tartness and sweetness arent going to love it, but those who like aggressively sour beer, will.

Cascade Brewing NOYAUX NORTHWEST STYLE SOUR

91
O
V E R AL

AT

OUT O 100 F

ING

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

9 15 36 31

Peachy, juicy looking, minimal head, hazy. Dried apricot, vanilla, almond. Sour raspberry, vanilla, caramel/biscuit sweetness in the back, and unripened apricot. Lingering sour.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Cascade Brewing Location: Portland, OR Style: Fruit Beer Website: www.cascadebrewing.com Price: $25 / 750ml bottle Alcohol Percentage: 8.94% International Bitterness Rating: 13 Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Year round

: [71]

TASTE TEST

y denition, this beer is supposed to be a happy accident, but we think it is happy on purpose. Pouring the beer reveals a dark amber liquid thats brilliantly clear with good head retention. The aroma is that of a fruit basket; mulling spices, apple, cherry, cranberry and cinnamon are all mixed into a cider-like blend. The avors are much the same, with sweet cherry, cranberry, and apple. Its a very sticky-sweet juice, almost like a cider with a mild tartness. Those who dont like fruit beers wont like this one because beer is not the rst thing it brings to mind. Wed think of this as a great breakfast-time liquid that we would gladly drink for the vitamins alone. Manly men might not think they like fruity beer, but this one seems to work for us.

New Glarus SERENDIPITY

91
O

V E R AL

OUT O 100 F

TIN G

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

9 15 36 31

Dark amber, bright, good head retention. Fruit basket, mulling spices, apple, cherry, cranberry, cinnamon, cider. Sweet cherry juice, cranberry, apple cider. Sweet, but not sticky. Sweet, but not sticky.

Aroma: Taste:

Is 2013 the year we barrel age everything?

(out of 35)

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: New Glarus Brewing Location: New Glarus, WI Style: Fruit Beer Website: www.newglarusbrewing.com Price: $10 / 750ml bottle Alcohol Percentage: 7.0% International Bitterness Rating: NA Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Limited

88
O
V

ER ALL

Sweetwater Brewing DANK TANK DANKTOBERFEST

OUT O 100

ATIN

his beer from Sweetwaters experimental series can be on both sides of a love/hate relationship. Pour it into a glass, and youll see a nice caramel-orange liquid with an off-white head. The nose is very malty with raisin, some orange, and an almost breadpudding-ish aroma. The avor is malt forward with raisin, chocolate, vanilla, and brown sugar. The nish has a slightly hard raisin, but overall nishes a bit sweet. If you arent a hophead, this beer will satisfy your malt cravings. The name is a little misleading, since this is more of a dubbel or Trippel. One taster commented, Its neither dank nor tober to me. Maybe Dankippel didnt make sense?

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

10 12 34 32

Caramel orange, off-white head, nice color, slightly hazy. Malty, slight raisin, bread pudding, orange. Raisin, malty, nice bitterness, chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar. Slightly harsh, raisin, some sweetness.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Sweetwater Brewing Location: Atlanta, GA Style: American Strong Website: www.sweetwaterbrew.com Price: $8 / 22 oz. bottle Alcohol Percentage: 8.5% International Bitterness Rating: NA Glass Recommendation: Pint Availability: Fall

[ 72] :

94
O
V

ER

ALL

Sierra Nevada OVILA BARREL AGED DUBBEL

R ATIN

OF OUT 100

ierra Nevada released this line of beer a while ago, then decided to stick it in some barrels. The result is a very pretty-looking beer: copper and tawny brown with red highlights. The frothy off-white head sticks to the glass. The aroma is light and appealing. You get grape, oak, vanilla, and raisin. The avor has more depth than the non-barrel-aged version. The malt is there but with cinnamon, apple, vanilla, and jammy grape. The nish is crisp and dry. This barrelaged version adds something to the other version that elevates its appeal. If you havent looked into what Ovila is, check out what they are doing up there in the Chico area; amazing.

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

10 12 38 34

Very pretty, tawny copper brown, red highlights, frothy off-white head. Grape, oak, vanilla, raisin. Malty, cinnamon, fruity, spicy, crisp apple, vanilla, grape. Nice, dry.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Location: Chico, CA Style: Dubbel Website:www.sierranevada.com Price: $7 / 330ml bottle Alcohol Percentage: 8.5% International Bitterness Rating: NA Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Limited

We have magazines in barrels now. Barrel Aged Beer Magazine.

he name of this beer alone makes us happy. Coffee and chocolate? Sold. It pours like a dark night with no stars. A nice tan head and good lacing make it even better. The nose is full of what they say on Long Island: cooo-awffee! Theres a nice, mild, herbal/earthy note with anise, chocolate, toffee, and caramel. Once you get some in your mouth, you get coffee, and more coffee, but then here comes vanilla crme brulee, Bakers chocolate, and cream. The nish is almost a magic trick: a super-creamy mouthfeel that then dries up like water on a hot pan. This beer is wonderful and we want it all year round, but most will have to be happy to try it just once.

New Belgium LIPS OF FAITH IMPERIAL COFFEE CHOCOLATE STOUT

96
O
V E R AL

AT

OUT O 100 F

ING

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

10 14 38 34

Deep, dark, black night, no stars, tan head, good lacing. Cooo-awffeee, mild herbal/earthy, anise, chocolate, toffee, caramel. Coffee, coffee, nice roast, vanilla, creme bruleee, Bakers chocolate, creamy. Strangely creamy, yet dry and lovely.

Aroma: Taste:

Finish:

70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 32

Brewery: New Belgium Location: Fort Collins, CO Style:Coffee Stout Website: www.newbelgium.com Price: $7 / 22 oz. bottle Alcohol Percentage: 10% International Bitterness Rating: 39 Glass Recommendation: Snifter Availability: Winter

: [73]

BRUX COLLABORATION

When you plant wild owers are they still wild?

words: Don Osborn photos: Courtesy of Sierra Nevada

Beer Magazine spoke with Bill Manley, Sierra Nevada Product Development Manager, to get the inside scoop on BRUXa collaboration
with Russian River Brewing Co. BRUX is bottle-conditioned with the wild yeast Brettanomyces, and this proved to be a significant challenge and concern for Sierra Nevada. The final product is an 8.5% ABV Belgian ale with a distinguishable Brett character that will likely become even more pronounced in years to come.
[ 74]:

Sierra Nevada Collaborates

Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada, has been involved with the Brewers Association and has been friends with other brewers for years. It is only somewhat recently, though, that he has begun making collaborative beers with other breweries. In 2009 they did their rst, releasing Life and Limb with Dogsh Head. They have also done smaller projects that have been draft-only. On a larger scale, they did their 30th Anniversary beers, involving notable brewers and beer personalities Fritz Maytag, Jack McAuliffe, Fred Eckhardt, and Charlie Papazian. In 2012, Sierra Nevada worked with Boulevard Brewing on a special beer called
Brian and Vinnie dress like this every day.

BRUXA COLLABORATION BETWEEN SIERRA NEVADA BREWING AND RUSSIAN RIVER BREWING
Terra Incognita for the SAVOR food and beer event. So although Sierra Nevada has not been involved in joint ventures for as long as some other breweries, they are beginning to do more of them.

When you cultivate wild yeast is it still wild?

How Did BRUX Come About?

Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo, founders of Russian River, have been friends with the Grossmans for years. Sierra Nevadas General Manager Brian Grossman, Kens son, is particularly good friends with Vinnie. Bill Manley explained that Brian thought it would be cool to do a beer that would change over time. Just as friendships change and mature over the years, it would be fun to make a beer that would behave likewise. Thinking along those lines, Brettanomyces and the way it can slowly change a beer over time became an ideal ingredient to employ. A couple of years ago, Vinnie and Brian started making pilot batches at Russian River. They added Brett, tasted the results, and modied the recipe to get it where they wanted.

: [75]

BRUX COLLABORATION

Dont Fear the Brett

BRUX is the rst product for which Sierra Nevada has used Brettanomyces in the brewery, and the decision to do so did not come easily. Bill Manley told a story of Vinnie saying there was no way its going to happen. Vinnie did not think Ken Grossman would allow Brett in the Sierra Nevada brewery. Brian Grossman said, You worry about the beer. Let me worry about the old man. Brian convinced Ken to go for it, but although he agreed, it had to be done his way. Bill Manley says that unwanted Brettanomyces for a brewery like Sierra Nevada would be devastating. For most breweries that use forced carbonation, it would not be as big a deal, but Sierra Nevada does a lot of bottle conditioning. This means that the beers stay at warm temperatures while the carbonation develops. This environment would be perfect for Brett to grow and take hold. Once it is present, it can be hard to eradicatenot to mention that clean beer contaminated with Brett could be a public relations mess. The risk is that this wild, somewhat unpredictable yet resilient yeast can get into all of the soft goods of the brewery: the valves, gaskets, and connectors that make

Brett is a cool guy. I think he was in a band?

The insemintator is delivering a calculate amount of brett in every bottle. Science rules.

the system watertight. Ken came up with the idea of buying a pharmaceuticalgrade doser, which can put the right amount of Brett yeast cells into each bottle at bottling time. In this way, Brett does not have to go into bright tanks or other beer llers. Essentially, BRUX is simply bottle-conditioned with Brett and currently has a mild Brett character, says Bill. But as it ages, its going to get much stronger and more pronounced, and turn into something quite different. BRUX was kept extremely segregated

from the rest of Sierra Nevadas beers. It was bottled on their smaller bottling line, and everyone involved had to wear clean suits. It was like a Hazmat zone, Bill Manley recalled. Breweries like Russian River have totally separate equipment for any beer involved with Brett, and they keep their clean beers away from any equipment that has come into contact with it. Partially due to the scale of production, this is not practical for Sierra Nevada, and they had to come up with a workable solution.

[ 76]:

More Brett in the Future?

About the possibility of using Brett again, Bill Manley said, I think wed probably do it again, but it really depends. The project has got to be worth it because it is an awful lot of labor and concern. Its got to be something pretty special. They probably would not be interested in doing a year-round Brett beer. They have no plans to use it again right now, but they have gured out a good way of doing it with the least amount of risk. Those are the kinds of problems that a brewer loves to solve, said Bill. Brewers like to think about if only scenarios, and then gure out a way to make it happen. Sierra Nevada likes to innovate and gure out solutions to the problems that they want to solve. I really feel like Ken is a homebrewer at heart. Nothing is off the table until it is off the table, said Manley. He spoke about sitting in brewery meetings and talking about what is next. When a cool idea

Apparently you always need to have a buddy with another bottle for pictures.

comes up, everyone gets excited and gures out what needs to happen to make it a reality. That innovative spirit makes one think that Sierra Nevada could continue to surprise us for years to come.

BRUX Dirty Details

For beer lovers who enjoy details, I asked Manley if he would share some specic information about the beer, and he complied. They used German Select hops. The primary fermenting yeast was a French Saison strain that came from Russian River. The strain of Brettanomyces used was Bruxellensis, and it was purchased from White Labs. The mash pH was adjusted to foster a more bitter beer without using more hops. Malts used were Belgian Pilsner, Golden Promise, Caramel 15L, and a touch of acidulated. The original gravity was 16.2 Plato, and it nished (before adding Brett) at a low .6 Plato. Currently, Bill says it is down to .2 Plato, and it could well drop all the way down to 0.0 Plato with time. The beer is 8.3% ABV and has 16 IBUs.

: [77]

BEER LIST

GREAT PLACES TO HAVE A BEER

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

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

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

The Salted Pig 4205 Main St. www.saltedpigriverside.com TAPS: 13 BOTTLES: 45 FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: Yes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Downey
Uncle Henrys Deli 7400 Florence Ave. 562-927-0114 www.unclehenrysdeli.com TAPS: 59 BOTTLES: VariesLimited Releases Only FOOD: Yes, Deli & Appetizers SPIRITS: No

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

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

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

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

Hayward
Buffalo Bills Brewery 1082 B Street 510-866-9823 www.buffalobillsbrewery.com TAPS: 5 BOTTLES: 5 FOOD: Yes SPIRITS: No
[ 78] :

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

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BEER OF THE MONTH

KARL STRAUSS

No presents this year ... coal for all.

mouette a trois
HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE ALE

I
[ 80] :

words & photo: Derek Buono

t has been said that no new fruitcakes have been made in the past 50 years; all the fruitcake in the world has simply been regifted and recycled over and over. So when Karl Strauss announced the third release in their twelve days holiday seriesMouette Troisand it had the word

fruitcake on the label, the rst thing we thought was that this was where that aged fruitcake ended up. Our expectations for the beer might have been lowered by the thought of fruitcake infecting it, but like most surprises, they are better when you dont expect them. Its three days into their 12-day holiday series, and if you didnt like fruitcake before, you still wont. But the good news is that this beer is just spicy enough, just fruity enough, and just malty enough to bring up some great winter memories ... or create new ones.

APPEARANCE: We almost expected this beer to be much darker, so it was nice to see it pour a very attractive reddish-amber into the glass. The head was frothy and foamy, but it didnt seem to want to hang around too longalmost like it was visiting in-laws. AROMA: The aroma isnt like walking into a Yankee Candle or Sephora, so dont expect to be gasping for fresh air or smelling fruity for days. But if you dig your beak in, youll get some subtle notes of vanilla, molasses, grape, fruit, and even some bready notes of toast. TASTE: Preparing to sample a fruitcake beer was a little scary. Was it really going to taste like the cake that Ive never seen anybody eat? Fortunately for all, the beer is a nice balance of fruit, spice, vanilla, bread, and some bourbon that all works well together and doesnt overpower. The body was lighter than expected, and that was another bonus. Youll actually want to drink this and not re-gift it forever. FINISH: The light body gives a nice lingering spice and grape avor that is very festive. Sticky, but not too sticky. Spicy, but not too spicy, and malty, but not too malty.

Who really likes fruitcake? Really.

FRUITCAKES GO TO BE EATEN

WHERE

BREWER: Karl Strauss LOCATION: San Diego, CA

Stats

CAN SIZE: 22 oz. bottle AVAILABILITY: Fall 2012 PRICE: $11.99 SERVING GLASS: Tulip SUGGESTED SERVING TEMP: 42-48 F

WEB: www.karlstrauss.com STYLE: Fruit/Spice Beer ALCOHOL PERCENT BY VOLUME: 8.5% IBU: 10

OVERALL: This beer gives fruitcake a bad name, mostly because it tastes way better than the cake, and still tastes like a beer wed drink on more than one holiday. Throw in some snow, a replace, and a friend or ve, and this beer will delight and youll never have to worry about entering the endless cycle of giving and re-giving.

: [81]

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