Photos from A Night of Learning and Eating In Rockport

Brian aptly captured the evening in words and pictures in his post A Night of Learning and Eating in Rockport. His kind words about my libations are a great honor. Knowing he enjoyed them by having been there is made better when you get share what other people bring! (in the street sense, “totally bringing it”)

Here are some food shots from the evening. I didn’t get everything and I hope nobody feels left out. We had fun!

( Peppe cutting his own handmade sausage! )

( I think this is the organ bits version. So good with some Italian red wine! )

( There's Brian's cheese. That's right, it's his I didn't have any. BS flag anyone? )

( Gotta have some good crusty bread! )

( I know we have bread, but this on top? Oh my! )

( We started with these, and the grenadine was truly optional. )

( Peppe made risotto look easy, as you would think he would! )

( Lindsay & Michael brough a calamri spring salad. Innovative! )

( Brian's beef cheek taco assembly line! )

( My beer soup sorbet being served by Heather. )

Much thanks to Heather for hosting. I suspect this group has some more events in store...

Cheers!

Jason

Six New Beers for Beer Week!

Beer week continues today with a beer tasting I put together last weekend for one of my brothers-in-law and I.

Last weekend my sister-in-law Celeste and her husband Bob came to stay with us at the house in VT for the weekend. Bob tends towards lighter beers and his go-to is Bud Light. I think people should drink what they like so I am fine with that. I lean towards darker and hoppier beers and am not a big fan of the high-volume production light beers, so I don’t typically drink them.

Before I left for VT I stopped in at the Drinkery and picked up eleven beers that I hadn’t had (actually I realized I have had one of them) before. I went with blonde and pale ales, and lighter lagers specifically with Bob in mind. I picked selections from Germany, Spain, Quebec and from the East Coast, Central and West Coast in the US. They way I figured it, we could both sit down and drink slightly out of our comfort zone. We would each be coming from a different direction to beers that offer small production, light to medium body and flavors and something different. Margot and Celeste jumped in on the tasting as well and provided very positive feedback on a few of the beers. Here are the notes and stories from six of the them.

All of the pours were from 12 or 16 ounce bottles into small tasting glasses.

Cisco Brewers Whale’s Tale Pale Ale
Style: American Pale Ale
Location: Nantucket, MA
Pour: Thin white head that dissipates quickly, moderate carbonation
Color: Copper, almost clear
Aromas: Hops, honey
Flavors: Mild bread/yeast flavors with a hint of sweetness
Finish: Mild bitterness and citrus
Review: An easy drinker with moderate to low hop and malt influences. Refreshing but not overwhelming in any way. This was the first beer Bob mentioned a similarity to a “honey-brown” for. The full joke, which was on me, is a bit farther down.

Peak Organic Summer Session Ale
Style: Wheat Session Ale
Location: Portland, ME
Pour: Minimal head with quick exit, obvious carbonation in pour
Color: Golden with a slight orange tinge, clear
Aromas: Citrus, grains, greens
Flavors: Grains, mellow hops
Finish: Tart with a bit of a hop kick
Review: A great summer beer, and one that I am glad I picked up. I have only had Peak beers at tastings before, and not this particular one, so knowing it is out there will mean I will be picking some up once the weather warms. Bob, Celeste and Margot all agreed that this beer was a solid lighter drinking beer.

Anchor Brewing Anchor Steam Beer
Style: CA Steam Beer
Location: San Francisco, CA
Pour: Medium off-white head that sticks around, well carbonated
Color: Amber colored, and almost clear
Aromas: Bread, yeast, herbs/grass
Flavors: Slight sweetness wrapping malty/bready flavors and some citrus
Finish: Mild aftertaste, some hop aromas linger
Review: A well put together beer, but not one that jumps out and grabs me. Bob said “honey-brown” again!

So we got about half way into the tasting and I noticed Bob kept comparing the amber and sweeter beers to what I clarified was the JW Dundee Honey Brown beer we find in some stores out our way. I realized that while it was true for some, he was messing with me. OK, I finally got it and it is pretty funny. I got a good laugh from the joke when we took a break and he broke out a Bud Light. I asked if it tasted like a “honey-brown” and he said “no, and actually it tastes like shit!” Celeste joked that I may have broken the Bud Light monopoly in the house.

Boulder Brewing Sweaty Betty
Style: Blonde Wheat Ale
Location: Boulder, CO
Pour: White head that escapes slowly, average carbonation
Color: Straw/yellow and clear
Aromas: Citrus, clove, banana, yeast
Flavors: Wheat/grains, lemon, creamy with a little head in the sip
Finish: Citrus zip at the end lingers
Review: This was another favorite, and for Celeste especially. She said something about it being saucy like her. Or at least I think she said that… She also said she would buy it just for the label which strengthens Margot’s long help theory that women by alcohol based on the label. I would definitely drink this beer as a lighter option to my normal malty/hoppy selections.

Ballantine XXX Ale
Location: Woodridge, IL
Pour: Small amount of white head, passes quickly.
Color: Pale gold color
Aromas: Mild, a little hop and a little grain
Flavors: Again quite light, a little malt and a slight hop bit
Finish: Clean and simple
Review: This beer is better than many of the big commercial competitors that it can be run up against and for that I have some laying around and plan to make a clone of this beer in 2011. It really isn’t anything special, but Bob did agree that is a bit more flavorful than Bud or Coors. Margot had has this before and bagged on another taste.

Unibroue Blanche de Chambly
Location: Chambly, Quebec
Pour: Thick white head and plenty of carbonation
Color: Dry straw color
Aromas: Yeast, citrus, spices, mild hops, slight sweet
Flavors: Sweetness in the nose is not in the body. Tart with honey and orange flavors
Finish: Bitter orange and clove
Review: I love the Unibroue beers so when I spotted this one I knew it had to be included. Bob was “ehhh” on it and I was not at all surprised. It is a lighter style of beer, but with the yeast, citrus and spices it doesn’t lack character which can take some getting used to.

I had a lot of fun discovering some new beers and figuring out that much of the brewing world can be boiled down to “it taste like a honey-brown”. Bob and I definitely has fun with this and the best quote of the day has yet to be shared. Come back at the end of the week for the other five beers and more goo laughs.

Cheers!

Jason

Brew Masters Episode 3 & the 90 Minute IPA

Check out my introduction to the Discovery Channel series Brew Masters in my post from earlier in the month.

Episode 3 of BrewMasters has us thinking about the Dogfish Head (DFH) Punkin Ale, originally inspired by a competition winning beer Sam brewed before he went commercial. This beer is one of the brewery’s most popular and is brewed with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, brown sugar and of course pumpkin. I have never quested to try all the pumpkin beers I could get my hands on (yet, I will be doing so this year) so I have to regretfully admit I have never had this beer. It is only available in the Fall and sells out quick. This year I will be primed and ready to get it while I can! The twist in this story was a mixup with bottles that resulted in quite a few screwtop bottles being capped with traditional crown caps, a combination not used by Dogfish Head. The big concern was whether the bottles would leak and render the contents unworthy of distribution. The quality assurance team is called into action to run tests on the errant bottles over a short period of time to determine if they were experiencing any problems. In the end, although no problems were found, the beer was given to employees as part of the normal incentive program. The exuberant comments from several employees at being able to get this particular beer this way was a sure sign that they love where they work.

The second story of this episode was the newest “off-centered” idea from Sam, a beer brewed in partnership with Epic Beer of New Zealand. The brew is brewed using a porter base and smoked tamarillos, a tree tomato found in New Zealand. This beer hasn’t landed in the United States yet and I can’t say whether we would find it interesting or not. The competition it was entered in for Beervana, a New Zealand brewing trade event, did not net an award and it was clear some judges were not sure they could perceive the influence of the indigenous ingredient. At any rate the story did show us how beer fanatics from both sides of the planet can come together to do what they love.

Tasting the 90 Minute IPA

I have enjoyed the Dogfish 90 minute IPA many times. I haven’t had the 60 minute only because I really like this one. As for the 120 minute I just haven’t worked hard enough to get it when it is available. I will this year though.

This beer is a cloudy orange brown in color. The head dissipates quickly. The orange and floral aromas emanating from the glass turn on the enjoyment meter for me. The body has just enough sweetness to it to balance the sour citrus flavors. The malty flavors harmoniously hang with the citrus and pine components. The bitterness on the finish is just enough to be cleansing and the finish lasts. For me this is the best IPA I have ever had. In 2010 when I attended the NH Brewers Fest there was an IPA from Flying Goose which was incredibly pleasing and is on par for the hoppy components in this DFH beer. The Flying Goose version didn’t have as much body and sweetness so it couldn’t top this one, but it reminded me of the many times I have tipped back a DFH 90 Minute IPA. One word of caution. At 9% ABV the 90 Minute IPA creeps up fast. Drink them responsibly.

That wraps up installment two. Check back soon for reviews on Grain 2 Glass (ep. 4) and Ancient Ale (ep.) 5 and tasting notes on Midas Touch and Indian Brown Ale. Hopefully episode 6 will drop soon and I can sit down and try some new off-centered beers while watching the DFH crew create craft beer magic.

Cheers!

--Jason

Brew Masters – “Off-Centered Ales for Off-Centered People”

When I first heard that The Discovery Channel was going to be airing a series called Brew Masters and it would be about the Dogfish Head (DFH) brewery I was pretty psyched. I have enjoyed their off-centered brews for over 10 years and knew their story was one of passion, creativity and fun-loving people who worshiped beer. I was sure I didn’t know the whole story though.

The series was initially slated for a six episode run. I have watched the first four so far. The fifth episode aired when I was not at home, the DVR decided not to tape it and it is not yet available on demand. The sixth and final episode has been slow in coming amidst rumors that the show had been cancelled. The rumors are not true, and the word is the final show is in the works. What is still unclear is whether the show has a future and neither The Discovery Channel nor Dogfish Head is saying. After having enjoyed the first four episodes what I can say is that future or not, this show was very educational and entertaining. If you want to get the inside story on a small craft brewery started by a guy with crazy ideas and lots of energy, find Brew Masters.

It would only be fitting that I would be enjoying several styles of Dogfish beer as I recap the first two episodes of the show for you. The selections for this installment are the Raison D’être and Chicory Stout. I’ll get started with the first episode and get back to the beer tasting a little farther along.

Starting off the series we are introduced to Sam Calagione, the founder of the Dogfish Head brewery located in Milton, DE. He started home brewing in the 1980’s and ended up winning the annual food and beverage competition at Punkin’ Chunkin’ for his pumpkin beer. This is an event that Sam says got the ball rolling. In 1995 the brewery opened as a brew pub in Rehoboth Beach, DE. The brew pub is still there, very popular and the site of frequent product tasting and unveilings.

Dogfish Head is known for creating “extreme beers”, e.g. beers with unusual ingredients and/or unique processes. While some beer drinkers believe this to be a scourge, I appreciate the diversity and the story behind each of their beers.
The first episode is entitled “Bitches Brew”, a reference to the classic Mile Davis album from 1970.

Early in the episode Sam takes the camera crew to a wall in the brewery where there is the following quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“Why so would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”

 I myself am a Thoreau guy but I can appreciate the sensibility in the Emerson quote, living much this way myself. Clearly the reputation of Dogfish Head, Sam and his crew live up to this lofty idea.

Tasting the Raison D’être

According to the brewery web site and the packaging this beer is made with Belgian beet sugars and green raisins. The beer is a dark reddish-brown (the bottle says mahogany) with an ever so slightly sweet, malty aroma. The off-white head came up nicely and left a light lacing on the glass. The body is full with flavors of generously roasted malts and grains. We easily detected the influence of the raisins, comparing it to our wines made with the influence of black currants. I love a good brown ale and the sweet malt flavors of this one definitely did the trick. At 8% alcohol by volume (ABV) these could be dangerous!

Back to the show. What’s with the episode name? The primary story of this episode was that Sony approached Dogfish Head about creating a beer to debut with the re-launch of Bitches Brew. The beer they came up with was a blend of an Imperial Stout and the ingredients typically found in an Ethiopian fermented beverage named Tej. Sam clearly has immense creative vision to be able to consider the elements of his craft and how they can be blended in a tribute to the work of someone like Miles Davis. I haven’t had the beer yet so I can’t give you a first-hand review.

During the episode you are introduced to a number of interesting people including Floris, the DFH master brewer from Belgium, Sam’s wife Mariah who heads of DFH marketing, Katrinka their resident yeast expert and lab goddess, and Brian the right-hand-man brewer Sam relies on to handle R&D for his all crazy ideas.

The ultimate blend they come up with for Bitches Brew is ¾ Imperial Stout and ¼ Tej-based brew. While the genesis of the beer might seem crazy, Sam can really think big. His plan was to brew the beer and debut it a Savor, a high-profile industry event for craft beer and food pairings. We see Sam rolling in the fresh kegs, tapping them and serving them to his self-admitted very discerning audience. The feedback was positive overall and the little research I did suggests the beer was well received but hasn’t risen to the status of one of DFH’s best.

The hilarity of this episode is the rap Sam and Brian put together and their rap group The Pain Relievahs. They filmed themselves making a version of the song all decked out in 80’s era rapper gear and using locations in an around the brewery to provide phat visuals. Did I just write that?

You can check out clips of the show including the rap “Makin’ Bitches Brew” as the show’s web site at Discovery.com.

Tasting the Chicory Stout

This is a very dark brown, almost black, ale with a strong coffee aroma. The bottle indicates that the beer is smoothed out with a touch of Chicory and Mexican coffee. The tan colored head dissipates quickly leaving minimal lacing on the glass. The classic stout flavors of chocolate and coffee are easily accessible. With a nice kick of acidity on the finish the flavors lingered just long enough to make me smile. I am not familiar with Chicory so I can’t say I know what the influence is in the beer. This beer is 5.2% ABV, making it a little easier to line up a couple to drink! Margot liked this one the best, and she doesn’t say that about dark beers very often.

The second episode is entitled “Chica” which refers to a Peruvian brew made from corn that has had its starch conversion aided using human saliva. Are you still reading? Beer nerds will know about the process at work here, but the application of saliva is a unique answer to the problem that is done in the modern era by cracking the grains and mashing (not like potatoes) them in hot water.

This episode takes Sam to Peru in search of the process and the local versions of Chicha. Watching a very experienced Peruvian woman working up a batch of Chicha was a lot of fun for a home brewer. I agree with Sam in his pursuit of appreciating the craft in its historical context.

Sam's hope for the trip was to gain insight into the process to build on an earlier experiment in making it at DFH. The humor involved in asking employees to chew corn on the job had me rolling! Interviews with members of the public who we on hand to sample the new brew were interesting. Despite the fact that the saliva is no longer present in the beer and any creepy crawlies had been long since boiled off didn't seem to sway some folks from passing on a taste. Can't please everyone!

You can check out clips of the show including at the show’s web site at Discovery.com.

One of the historical tidbits I took away from the episode is where the traditional ingredients for beer derive their esteemed history from. Hops are a relatively new addition to beer brewing. Before the 1300’s spices like rosemary and thyme were used to flavor beers. Hops not only add bitterness and flavors, but they also have an antiseptic quality that helps preserve beer. In 1516 a German beer purity law, the Reinheitsgebot, established that that beer would have only four ingredients, malt, hops, water and yeast. That pretty much settled it and beer laws all around the world now levy this requirement on commercial brewers.

In the end Sam confirms that the research done in Peru definitely improved the second batch of Chicha which was only available at the brewpub and for as long as it lasted. The beer isn’t commercially viable made the way they made it, something that makes a trip to the brewpub a must do. You never know what you might be able to sample that you can’t get anywhere else!

While I was doing my research I came across another blogger’s post about Dogfish Head and a New Years Eve dinner they enjoyed in 2009. Clearly DFH knows how to make good beer AND have a good time!

*** After I first published this I realized I forgot to include a link to Renee's post on making Pork & Sauerkraut with DFH Indian Brown Ale. Renee publishes the Eat. Live. Blog. and is one of my Boston foodie friends. The pic with her taking a swig and tending to the pot on the stove pretty much sums it up!

Cheers!

--Jason