A Loss of Words

( A salsa judge at the World Championship

Chili Cook-off in 2010. )

There are fewer words here than there used to be. I'd bet on that continuing. And this is not a surprise to me.

In April of 2010 when I gave my 18 month old winemaker's journal (blog) a shot in the arm I was full of ideas and energy. It was a birthday present to myself. "Go do something", was the idea. And I did. Over three plus years I have achieved some of what I initially set out to do. I tasted, sampled, wrote, took photos, networked, laughed, sighed, sponged up information, provided education to others and did a fair bit of traveling. I changed courses many times and for many different reasons. I still do most of these things and with gusto! The early goals I didn't achieve have been superseded by so many others, some I have nailed, some I haven't; and some just not yet. Some weeks I wrote a lot and some weeks I wrote less. I wrote, shared, read, shared, commented, debated (argued), shared and along the way I have learned so much!

I continue to enjoy all of the experiences this journey affords me, and most of all I genuinely appreciate the many people I continue to "meet" along the way. I have never met some of these people in person (yet), but there are things we have in common so we get each other enough that we have a great dynamic in a networking context. I continue to carry on relationships with some of the people I've met while others are more often a friendly face in the more business-y realm of food & beverage events. All of them are part of the "family" however weird that ends up being in one city or another. I still look forward to these days.

But I just don't write about this stuff anymore and I don't spend much time on social media plugging my work and keeping tabs on the beverage media. Why? Well, it's complicated I guess.

Late last year (2012) I felt my drive to write about and share my experiences waning. I reformulated my approach, a natural and not unexpected reaction given the 2+ prior years, and kept plugging away. But I wasn't digging it. The idea of throwing a bunch of words together, using a euphemism here, and sharing them as a way of expressing my experiences secondhand just wasn't resonating anymore. Things change and I know myself well enough to know that when I lose interest in something there is nothing good in trying to keep it going. So I won't.

From some reflection I came to realize that my goal of "go do something" was never intended solely to mean blog about my life nor that it should necessarily create something new and permanent. So setting aside some of the activities I picked up while out "doing something" when they no longer interest me is not a crime. It isn't even failure. It is quite the opposite actually. Here is what I am keeping:

• I have more time for dates with friends (yes this is you Margot) where we get to sit around the table eating, drinking and socializing. We all want to do this and we all love it.
• I still make a shit-ton (I saw a joke this week that in the UK that is shite-tonne, he he!) of beer, mead, cider and wine and I share it with friends, all the time!
• When I travel I can strike a better balance of food/beverage visits with other things of interest. Some of it is just baked in. Portland, Oregon and the Oregon Brewer's Festival anyone? Week after next.
• With other aspects of my life (work, family, community) being as dynamic as they are for anyone else my life isn't as harried. I know I can't do everything and I can balance all of what I am doing better now.
• I am less structured and more open to just exploring things. That is what I get out of bed for.
• When I see you I'll have stories. They weren't on the blog so we'll have something to talk about for sure!

It is OK to miss the words. I'll miss my words too, but not because I regret changing my priorities but because when blogging was my priority I really had fun sharing my days with all of you. It is good to have memories that make you smile. I have fun doing lots of different things and following my interests is keeping things plenty exciting so I am sure to keep racking up good memories. See you on the trail!

Cheers!

Jason

My Half Full Glass - May 14th, 2013

This is actually last week's HFG, but shit happens. I also had a bottle of wine on deck to include this installment, but with allergy season in full swing my nose just wasn't gonna do it. And now I'm on to the next thing, so here it is!

Ommegang Three Philosophers

Three Philosophers is a Belgian Quad, a high ABV Belgian beer for which there is also a growing number of domestic examples worth drinking. The most recent release of Gravitation from Smuttynose caught my attention earlier this year and I've wondered how it compared to the offering from Ommegang.

Ommegang is known for their true-to-style Belgian beers as well as paving some new ground, and I can't say I have ever been disappointed with one of their beers. This Quad was not what I expected however, but in fairness there isn't anything wrong or off about it. It is just much drier than I expected. All of the aromatic and flavor notes are representative, dried fruits, dark sweet fruits, a breadiness and some spices. The alcohol is moderate at 9.7%, and is not a detractor. In the mouth it's all there, but it is very subtle because of the low residual sugar.

Having had a few homebrewed versions that are sweet and viscous I checked the BJCP Style Guide to see what the ranges in the different attribute categories might be. Category 18E, Belgian Dark Strong Ale is where a Quad could be classified. The alcohol is expected to be between 8 and 11% and the bitterness low. As for the sweetness, there are two sub-styles, Trappist & Abbey, that differ greatly in this aspect, while retaining considerable similarities otherwise. OK, glad I checked. The BJCP style guide is one of the ways I have been learning about beer styles and the two different versions (based on dryness) of Belgian Dark Strong Ales was something new to me!

At the end of the day this is a sweet style of beer for me, which is a good thing to know. I haven't ventured to make a Quad yet, but I do like Belgian beer so after trying a few more who knows!

Cheers!

Jason 

Now Hear This – Kid Rock Helped Me Make Better Beer

( Us from the night in question. )

Where: Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean onboard the Carnival Destiny cruise ship

When: April 2012,  late at night

What: Me joking that I could create a lime-infused ale that is better than Bud Light Lime, not that that is really that hard…

I’ll be honest, I struggled to find what I personally consider worthy beer options at the bars while on the Kid Rock Cruise. If you are a Chillin’ The Most cruiser and are reading this, take no offense. I make my own beer and over the years I have lost my taste for the big three brands (Bud, Miller, Coors), but I believe people should drink what they like. Drink freely my friends.

During one of the evenings on the cruise Margot and I sat outside enjoying both the warm night air and the people watching. The people watching on the cruise was epic by the way. I hit the bar and decided on a couple of Bud Light Limes. As I was drinking my beer I remarked “hey this isn’t so bad” and began talking about how I might craft something similar at home. Margot was goading me on, asking me to express how I really felt about Budweiser and got it all on video, but the video isn’t SFTB (safe for the blog) so you’ll just have to imagine it.

As I thought about it over the remainder of the weekend I figured a basic American ale containing both wheat and corn would be a solid blank slate to layer on some lime. Having worked with citrus flavors in my home fermentations before I knew that a multi-phased approach would work best. I added dried lime peel to the hot wort just before I chilled and strained it, and then fresh lime zest after I transferred the beer to the secondary fermentation container. Finally, lime juice was added at bottling to help bring it all together and lock a solid zip of lime into each bottle.

My plan worked. The beer was brewed on July 4^th, 2012 and we set about enjoying it about a month later. We actually used the same beer base to make a lemon shandy, a beer that went on to take a first place in a brewing competition later in the year. But I digress.

Everyone who tried the lime ale had positive words for it, and some people drank every bit of it in sight each time I chilled some down. It is a light-bodied beer and early on the effect of the corn was not very apparent. We just drank the last of the batch this past weekend and just like when I’ve brewed with corn in the past a rounded, sweetness developed with age. In the first few months after the beer was brewed the lime complex in the beer was potent, adding considerable tartness and crispness to each sip. Nearly a year later the lime was much mellowed, but still present.

Skip to the current day. I brewed a fresh batch of lime ale on my birthday last month, nearly one year to the day I hatched the plan in the first place. The recipe for the beer (provided below) has been slightly modified, but the first dose of lime (dried peel) was added at the same time and the fresh lime zest will be as well. At bottling however I will be using more lime juice, and all of it freshly squeezed rather than bottled. 

Getting an earlier start on the second batch means it will be conditioned and ready to go for the summer drinking season, where I expect it will be consumed even more quickly, meaning I won’t be able to say I finished the last of it ten months later.

As for Kid Rock, he needs to get his ass to my house to try the creation he inspired. If you are reading this Bob (I’m dreaming, but one has to do that now and again) the invitation is open and we can retreat to the basement with openers and straws and see what comes of it!

And with that I’ll leave you with a video from the sail away show from the Kid Rock Chillin’ The Most Cruise #3. I can still hear my favorite Kid Rock songs reverberating across the sand and sea while I stood in the sun enjoying the simple things in life, like when and where.

 ( This video is not my own, but it kicks ass so I shared it! )

Cheers!

Jason

Ancient Fire Lime Ale 2013

SRM: 4.6

OG: 1.050

IBU: 14.5

Mash time: 30 min

Boil time: 45min

4lb Pilsner Dry Malt Extract

1lb CaraPils

1lb Flaked Wheat

1lb Flaked Corn

1oz Hallertauer hops (45 min)

0.5oz Cascade hops (5 min)

0.0oz Cascade hops (post boil, 5 min)

1oz dried lime peel (post boil, 15 min)

Zest of 6 limes (secondary, until bottling)

Lime juice (amount TBD, at bottling)

Maurivin brewing yeast, 1 liter starter

My Half Full Glass - April 25th, 2013

White Birch Ol' Catty Flemish Sour

Hanging out at the Cask & Vine bar can be dangerous. Four beer flights help you experience what's been newly tapped and then a full glass of something that catches your fancy can make for a dangerous night!

Last weekend the Ol' Catty Sour from White Birch (a soured version of their Ol' Cattywhompus Barleywine) was on tap. I will say that I am developing a taste for sour beers and with the experience I do have I know what I like and don't in this style. Beers that are sour for sour's sake and don't have a lot of character in their own right just don't do it for me.

The White Birch Ol' Catty Sour is NOT one of those beers. It's actually sweet, and sour! Brown in color with a wonderfully rich & malty full body and earthy hops you'd be good enough there. The sour, but not too sour, tangent adds depth to this drink. Because it is also sweet the sour profile doesn't taste forced or out of balance. My Facebook message on this beer finished with "damn, I love this beer!" I guess I was having a good time.

Meinklang Burgenland White 2012

Last night (April 24, 2013) the topics of bio-dynamics and Austrian wine were showcased on #winechat. I received the sample kit and popped the bottles open earlier in the day to do my tasting and note taking. The first wine I tasted was the Meinklang Burgenland White 2012 a blend of Welschriesling, Gruener Veltliner and Muskat Ottonel. I'm a sucker for fresh & fruity white blends and this one definitely drew me in. Bottled with some of its own carbonation the wine is a bit prickly which adds a surprising but very workable dimension all of its own. This wine makes a perfect summer sipper. It does need to be chilled to be best.

Aromas of white flowers, crushed herbs and tart, white fleshed fruits (tart apples, pears) blend together nicely in the nose and mouth. The finish is crisp and prickly but does have just a little sweetness left before it exits. There was plenty of conversation about this wine during #winechat and having enjoyed it on the first really warm Spring day we've had in New Hampshire made it easy to consider how this wine might pair well with the inevitable backyard parties of Summer.

Thank you to Austrian Wine USA for hosting #winechat and for the producers who participated. Not having a lot of Gruner experience I was taking in a lot of the feedback from others to help put these wines in context. I purposely decided to make an Asian-inspired salad for dinner tonight so that I can return to the Sepp Moser and Nikolaihof Gruners to experience more of what they offer!

Cheers!

Jason

My Half Full Glass - April 4th, 2013

Chateau Le Bonnat 2010 Graves Blanc

I can't say that I am a fan of White Bordeaux because I've have never really had that many. But when I have had them I have typically enjoyed the experience which begs the question of why I don't seek more of them out. Who knows, life is just like that I guess!

I came by this particular selection, Chateau Le Bonnat 2010 Graves Blanc, in a Bordeaux combo pack from Lot 18 and if I recall the price per bottle was just shy of $17, which is about the current average price for the label according to sites that track price trends.

I opened the bottle for no particular reason or occasion and I don't even remember now what I had for dinner with it. Clearly getting off track with the blogging has created some undesirable outcomes!

The wine is a blend of 66 percent Sémillon and 34 percent Sauvignon Blanc, with 6 months of oak aging. I found conflicting information on whether just the Sémillon was aged or the blend. I am guessing just the Sémillon. I was met with white flowers (or maybe citrus blossoms), herbs and a bit of stone in the nose. There was also a touch of nuttiness as well. The flavors were predominantly unripe peach with a dose of tart citrus that picks up in the middle through the finish. The wine has a creamy texture with a bit of body on the palate, but does remain crisp with a clean finish and a touch of acid in the exit.

I would recommend this wine as a worthy example of Graves Blanc  and a decent value. If you are looking for a versatile white and can find it for under $17, go for it!

Smuttynose Gravitation

I had the most recent release of this beer on tap over dinner with my wife at Cask & Vine (a place I will share more about soon) in Derry, NH.

Gravitation is part of the Big Beer series from Smuttynose Brewing located in New Hampshire. At 12% ABV the word big is apt. Categorically this beer is designated as a Belgian Quad and this particular beer is made with a range of specialty malts and raisin syrup to create its unique character.

The beer is a light brown color and smells/tastes of dried fruits (raisins, prunes), unrefined/raw sugars and malts.  The alcohol is not entirely balanced and easily perceptible. The beer goes down smoothly enough making it insanely dangerous. It is sweet, but there is a crispness or sharp edge to it that keeps it from coming across as cloying.

As I was researching this beer I reviewed the comments on it at Beer Advocate. Clearly the reviews are mixed and not having much experience with the style I can't really confirm or refute any of it on a technical basis. I did enjoy it, and so did Margot, so when consumed socially rather than with my reviewer hat on, I humbly suggest that this beer is hugely enjoyable.

Cheers!

Jason

Home-brewing Is Messy & Noisy But Is So Worth It!

I've been home-brewing nearly ten years now and several things have been constant during my experience. The mess and the noise. I am going to cast these ideas specifically in terms of making beer,  something I am doing a lot of in 2013, but my experiences with making mead, cider and wine are very much the same.

Home-brewing is messy. I make more of a mess and spend more time cleaning up than I do actually brewing. I brew with extract, although I have switched to a partial mash technique and dry, versus liquid, extract in the last year or so. Dry malt extract is a funny substance. It is a fine powder so it kicks up dust pretty easily which means I usually end up with a small coating of it near my scale and vessel I am measuring into. Even a small amount of moisture, steam for example, turns the dry malt extract sticky, and if you don't get any excess wiped up quickly it dries and is oh so fun to clean up!

Wort, unfermented beer, is another messy character. Having blended water, malt & hops together this should be no surprise. Spilling wort in the wrong place can create a nice mess and having a boil over during the initial brewing can be a real pain to clean up. I watch my brewpot like a hawk and I haven't had a boil over in almost 3 years now. That last time I did have a boil over I had to wait until it dried so I could de-clog my burner. That was a huge buzz-kill on that brewday! I've never taken any pictures of these types of messes so I can't share the visual. If you've ever experienced it firsthand you know what I'm talking about!

Cleaning in general is the part of home-brewing that will always consume a huge amount of time. Equipment is cleaned & sanitized before you use it (the pic above is a table full of cleaned equipment) and then again afterwards before is it put away for the next brew session. That means lots of time at the sink, the application of several kinds of cleansers and sanitizers and a fair bit of both hot and cold water. My cleaning work always takes a toll on my hands and until the day is done I can't put anything on them because it would transfer to the equipment that I am trying to get or keep clean.

None of this is really a burden and I am not complaining about any of it, but a bit of honesty in pursuit of homemade beer can at least ensure folks new to the craft know what to expect. With experience you can mitigate the effects of the mess and manage the cleaning so that you can enjoy standing around the brewpot in the sun with a tasty homebrew.

Less of a labor-inducing issue but still constant is the cacophony of sounds released by home-brewing. Propane burners, boiling wort, air locks & blow-off tubes are just some of the sounds. For folks that use pumps and more sophisticated brewing rigs I bet there are other sounds I am not accustomed to from my low tech approach.

The last several high gravity (more sugar) beers I have made required a blow-off tube that was terminated in a pitcher of water. And boy did they make a racket! One of them is still going along albeit at a reduced pace from 10 days ago when it was brewed. I went down to the basement at one point and didn't initially know what the gentle pounding on the ceiling was. It was the CO2 being expelled into the pitcher from the fermenting beer on the floor above!

I took a short video of that recent brew on the second day of fermentation. If you watch closely you can see the bubbles being expelled into the pitcher, but with the sound on and the volume up you can also hear the noise it makes. Luckily you can really on hear it in the adjoining rooms on the same floor and as I mentioned from below in the basement.

Now that I've carried on a bit about some of the joyous challenges of home-brewing you might be wondering what I have been making and what is on the future brew schedule.

So far in 2013 I have made the following brews:

• English Barleywine
• Double IPA
• Belgian Style Braggot
• Moylan's Kilt Lifter Clone (a Scotch Ale)
• Stout Braggot (currently in a used whiskey barrel)
• Maple Wheat Wine
• Belgian Dubbel

The Belgian Style Braggot and the last three above are still fermenting and/or aging.

Over the winter I also created three mini-batches of braggots (mead/ale hybrids) that also contained fruit or cider. All three have been bottled and two of the three have sampled well. My primary takeaway was that a light ale based braggot with fruit, like raspberries, is a nice beer; but the honey might not be best used in this way. The cider-based versions have a sour tinge to them, something that might not find a happy home in a broad audience. Interesting experiments nonetheless.

We are switching over to brewing lighter beers for Spring over the next month or so, which includes:

• Orange Wit
• Lime Ale
• Double Pilsen Ale

We are also going to need to fill our two new barrels again soon so we have a Russian Imperial Stout (our first ever) and a Smoky Chocolate Ale on the schedule for that purpose.

( One of our one-used whiskey barrels from Balcone's Distillery in Texas. )

As you can see we are quite busy with the home-brewing right now!

All of the work is worth it, especially when you get to share your homebrew with friends. I usually forget all the hard work in between brewing sessions so I don't grow anxious about my next one.

Cheers!

Jason

My Half Full Glass - February 14th, 2013

Happy Valentine's Day!

No matter what you are doing today/tonight I sincerely I hope you are enjoying it. Being a Valentine with you based solely upon that wish is my pleasure. Cheers!

The last three Wednesday's have been fun. We started with a mead/beer cocktail livening up the mood with fruit & chocolate flavors and then enjoyed a homemade rose petal wine with a humorously romantic twist, and we finished yesterday with a flirty little sparkling cocktail!

Valentine's Day in Three Beverages

You Gonna Stop and Smell the Roses?

Cupid's Arrow

I also shared a beer specific take on Valentine's Day in the February edition of On Tap in Taste of Seacoast Magazine.

Cheers!

Jason

Building a Better Homemade Beverage

Last year (2012) I asked friends and fans for ideas about flavors and styles of home-fermented beverages I should try. Huge responses came in for mango and cranberry, and oddly enough quite a few also came in for savory ingredients including chili peppers. Here's how that worked out:

• A mango infused mead, which started with a base of orange and vanilla (a current fave) is done and ready to drink!
• A cranberry wine, and a mead variant, will take final forms later in the spring. All the base wine is clear and aging right now. 
• Both our lemon and lime beers have consistently shown well at home, and the lemon (a riff on a Shandy) took a first place last year. 
• A three-chili mead won Best in Show at a regional competition last Fall. Once I can grow peppers outside again this year, a new batch of this is on the list. And I'm going to go bigger than one gallon!

Clearly our collective efforts (and I say our) were successful. Got any more crazy ideas?

Jason

Session-able Beers

After I selected a couple beers to enjoy while I was working on bottling several batches of wine, mead and beer it occurred to me that part of my selection criteria might make for an interesting blog post.

Two of the bottles I picked out were filled with the Ancient Fire 2012 Mild English Ale. This beer was my first attempt at this style, a Mild and in sub-category 11A of the BJCP style guidelines for those familiar with the BJCP program, a style that when made correctly should have an ABV of 2.8% to 4.5%. Mine came in somewhere between 3.75% and 4% when it was finished. That alcohol content potentially qualifies it as a session beer, a term that is warmly debated in some circles, although before I claim victory for that designation to be applied to my beer let's explore what a session beer actually should be more broadly.

I like the definition of a session beer from the folks over at the Session Beer Project.  It is packaged neatly as a set of bullets and covers both objective AND subjective concerns about a beer you might find in your glass. They say that a session beer should be:

• 4.5% alcohol by volume or less
• flavorful enough to be interesting
• balanced enough for multiple pints
• conducive to conversation
• reasonably priced

I've got the first bullet covered with my Mild. The next three are subjective and all I can say is that my English Mild is somewhat interesting, easily quaffable by the pint or three and has in fact inspired conversation amongst several kinds of people including some in my brew club as well as others that are typically light American beer drinkers. The last bullet applies only in that I made the beer myself and it does turn out to be pretty cheap in the homemade, small-batch context. Would others call it a session beer? Maybe. I do.

Where did the term session beer originate?

The term originated in Britain and was quite literal, meaning a beer that could be drunk in sizable quantity during a session, e.g. a social event, workday break, etc., without the onset of intoxication. The honest origin is that alcohol was taxed so creating lower alcohol, but flavorful and drinkable, beers was more advantageous for brewers. Many of the contemporary British beers commonly associated with this definition do in fact contain alcohol of less than 4% ABV, although such beers are harder to find being made in the US. Historically even the premium ales (the next step up in British beer parlance) would have likely topped out around 4% ABV, but would have been considered too strong for a session beer. The Fullers line of pub beers, including the Chiswick Bitter (3.5%) , London Pride (4.1%) and ESB (5.5%) are a close approximation of the classic session, premium and strong tiered British beer scale.

Why did I select my Mild for my "work" beer? Well, mostly because of the lower alcohol content, but also because the flavors are mild and won't wreck my palate so that I can't properly taste the products I am bottling. At bottling time a solid taste is the last line of defense in making sure what goes in the bottle is as good as it can be. A last minute adjustment, sugar or acid perhaps, might be called for based on how the product smells and tastes. And a beer that won't overpower my senses, and who really wants to drink water while they do this work anyway, is a solid fit here.

When you are out and about what beers might you find that would fit all five of the bullets above, making it a true session beer?

You may find the Fuller's beers at some bars, including the British Beer Company, but both the bottled and kegged versions for import to the US are generally above the 4-4.5% ABV mark. Guinness on draft is typically about 4.3% ABV, but I personally don't find it interesting enough for a "true" session beer.

The beers from Notch brewing, brewed in several locations in New England, range from 2.8% to 4.5% ABV for the bottled versions and in the high 3's for their cask series. I've had the Notch Session Ale (4.5%) before and do think it is an interesting beer, although it is right at the cutoff for the alcohol content.

There are others session-able beers out there and at beer bars and brew pubs that serve cask ales you might actually find more than one version to try at any one time. Check the beer menu at any new bar you visit, most will have the ABV noted making it easy to find something session-able if desired.

Cheers!

Jason

Session Beer References 

• Session Beer Project
• Beer Advocate
• Brew Your Own Magazine
• Notch Session
• DINGS Beer Blog

My Half Full Glass - January 3rd, 2013

White Birch Tavern Ale

For those not familiar with White Birch Brewing, they are a nano-brewery based in Hooksett, NH. They are also one of a few local breweries that resonate with my tastes, and in the case of the Tavern Ale, my wife's tastes as well.

Margot and I were on hand when Tavern Ale was first debuted, and the story that went with it, which can be found at the WB Tavern Ale page, is interesting; connecting the beer to the history of tavern's in New Hampshire.

I am not in general a fan of smoky beers, I find the overt smokiness in many of them to be too much for me. The Tavern Ale presents a more subtle and restrained smokiness, one that doesn't keep building as you continue to drink the beer. With the addition of rich malty accents, hoppy notes and a pronounced chocolate flavor, this beer comes off very balanced and smooth. Margot and I killed two growlers of this BEFORE Christmas!

Bellwether No. 4 Cider

Nose is subtly of tart, cider apples. Slightly sweet with a funky apple flavor that comes in mid-way and lingers through the finish. Very polished and clean. This cider is made with Northern Spy apples and if you know that apple variety you will pick up the flavors straight away. An example of a mellow, understated cider. This is not the best from Bellwether (Trumansburg, NY) that I've had, and if you've never enjoyed their ciders I recommend a visit! When I last tasted at Bellwether I most enjoyed the Cherry Street and King Baldwin. I know I took the Cherry Street cider to a bachelor party in the fall, but no tasting notes survived the night!

One more note. This cider is a perfect stand-in for sparkling wine for a drinker who isn't a wine person. It has the sparkle needed, but presents all-together different flavors and might appeal to beer drinkers that you might be hosting.

Cheers!

Jason

Ancient Fire Cellar Update

I'm going to end the year with the type of post that was the genesis for this blog, a cellar update. I shared a year in review, the Top 10 Ancient Fire Moments of 2012, last week and while that highlighted all types of adventures Ancient Fire, what's bubbling away or aging in the cellar is the passion and the heart of what I am all about.

There is definitely lots going on at Ancient Fire these days. I'm going review the home fermentation projects of just the last few months and also share hints at where we will be going in 2013.

( Grenache grapes from Central Valley, CA. )

The Fall harvest netted two batches of local Concord grapes, Vermont blackberries and juice/grapes from the Central Valley in California. Several different fermentations were undertaken including my first pyment (grape/honey wine), a blend of French Colombard juice, Muscat grapes and orange blossom honey. The Concord grapes will be made into two Rosés, a red pyment and the leftovers were already made into a spiced holiday wine similar to a Swedish Glogg or German Gluewhein. I also fermented the remainder of my wildflower honey for use in meads, some of which will be infused with tea and other spices. A Syrah/Grenache (CA) blend will hopefully produce a straightforward dry red wine that I can enjoy with a range of foods in a year’s time. The remainder of the Colombard and Thompson seedless grapes were used to make a white blend that will be our house wine in 2013. The Central Valley Cabernet Franc is going to be used in both a red pyment with the remainder bottled on its own.

We didn’t brew any beer again after the Stout/Porter experiments and my fresh hopped ale at the end of the summer, but we have plenty of plans for new brews in 2013.

Two days ago I brewed two barleywines, my first ever, both of which should be in prime drinking form for Fall/Winter 2013. I brewed in the snow as you can see from the picture to the left. I'm the Postal Service of brewing I guess. These are big beers (lots of malt) and the blow-off tubes are already outgassing like mad.

In 2012 I already have plans for a Scotch Ale, an Imperial Pilsen style ale, a Belgian Dubbel, a Belgian Wit and a Weizenbock. I would also expect a new edition of our Lime Ale to be made just before the summer party season kicks in. Two braggots are also on the docket, one a Belgian/Saison style and the other with some form of black or dark brown ale as the base.

The most recent cellar enhancement project at  Ancient Fire was the installation of wine racks to store the growing cellar of commercial wines. The short video below captures the current inventory and shows off the new storage space. 

All of the carboys (containers in the pool) are the conclusion of the 2012 production, including all of the libations described above. My cellar is more organized now which makes "shopping" in the basement all the more fun!

The only wine I plan to make in 2013 is strawberry, and only if the local crop is worthy. This decision is based on a couple of factors. First, I've got lots of wine inventory, both commercial and homemade to drink, and I'm saving my resources for a new special project late in the year.

Ancient Fire cider is going to make a big comeback in 2013. I've made cider in five different years, but it has been a while (2009) since I made one I was happy with. The 2012 cider that was a blend of local sweet cider, pears and ginger smells like a chemical lab and is likely going to be dumped. I can't say what went wrong there, but I plan to get back on track with cider when the season comes around again next year. The picture to the right is fresh cider flowing out of a tote that my brewing club purchased in 2011. I made a couple decent ciders from it. 

The rough vision is to source cider from several orchards including both dessert blends and traditional cider styles. Leading up to cider season I also hope to acquire several once-used whiskey barrels that will be used to age some of the cider. And don't be surprised if a cyser (apple/honey blend) also makes an appearance. Other ideas include a second attempt at an apple/pear blend, hopped cider and fruit/ apple blends. Definitely lots to look forward to!

In the meantime I've got lots of blending and bottling to do which why I've been furiously cleaning bottles this past week. The stack of bottles in my garage was the largest it had ever been, but thankfully it has almost been converted from dirty to clean or recycled bottles.  I've developed a special relationship with my dishwasher this week, let's hope it doesn't get tired of my willful (mis-) use of it and walk out on me!

Happy New Year to all. I hope everyone finds a delicious beverage in their glass tonight. Raise that glass high and make a joyful sound. We've earned it! Be safe and see you in 2013.

Cheers!

Jason

My Half Full Glass - Christmas Edition

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I'm sharing a special edition of My Half Full Glass this week. There was a fair bit of drinking at my house over the Christmas holiday. But I didn't do the majority of it. I know that is what some of you were thinking. 

By the time the day after Christmas came we had entertained at least forty people, and they all enjoyed something different. When I overheard guests talking up something from the bar I made a point to take a taste it and find out what the buzz was all about.

The Whiskey Bar

I put together a whiskey bar for the first day of our holiday open house. It was a smash hit! I selected several Bourbons, two Scotches, a Canadian, an Irish and a Rye whiskey as base liquors. Next to those bottles I placed sweet vermouth, simple syrup, Drambuie, ginger ale, bitter and garnish.

Above the bar I listed the recipes for popular whiskey cocktails, specifically the Manhattan, Sazerac, Old Fashioned, Rob Roy and Rusty Nail. As guests arrived I let them know to serve themselves. I had expected it to be a fun way to make the bar work during a busy party, and I was right. Other than refilling the ice I never had to make the drinks or help guests navigate the bar. I wholeheartedly suggest this trick for your next party. I repeated the same format with gin the next day, but with a smaller crowd I didn't see as much activity. The only regret is that I didn't take any pictures of either bar. I guess you had to be there!

Two Orange/Vanilla Meads Walk Into a Bar

The opportunity to try the recently released Moonlight Meadery Summer Love side by side with my own version (a new attempt using the recipe that Moonlight also riffed on) came during our Christmas celebrations. I didn't taste them blind so the feedback can be assumed to contain some bias. To be fair I don't care which one people like more, both are a source of pride for me and when someone smiles drinking one of them, I win!

The overwhelming feedback focused on two key differences between these meads. The first is that the Moonlight version is a bit spicier and that bite came across as a sharp edge to some. Having used Tupelo honey, and not Orange Blossom as I did, an element of spiciness is to be expected.

The second difference, and the one that got the most attention, is that my version was perceived to be creamier and smoother. I again recognize this difference, but in this case don't know why and furthermore how I might reproduce it in another iteration. Food for thought.

Everyone who tried both meads found the experience interesting. For my friends who have been with me along this nearly ten year journey the existence of a commercial product that I had influence on is not a surprise, although it feels like a long time coming for my most faithful fans.

Not Bud Light Lime

One of the Ancient Fire Top 10 Moments of 2012 was riffing on Bud Light Lime after finding refuge with one on the Kid Rock Cruise. This beer has officially exceeded any expectations I would ever have for homebrew. With just enough of a sour kick, this beer brings so much to tickle the palate. 

The base beer is a very simple wheat ale, and is ridiculously easy to make. I make can two of them in just over 3 hours. This is a great summer beer and will likely pop up on the late spring brewing schedule for just that season of enjoyment. Keep an eye for summer party invites, especially if I mention the lime ale.

Strawberry Riesling Wine

My niece Ashley gets a mention this week. She loves my homemade wine. She specifically likes my fruit wines and this is huge for me, because I always hope they come so good that smiles are assured. These wines tend to be the freshest and most interesting wines I make primarily because the fruit is fresh and the composition is more elaborate than a typical grape wine. Ashley, thank you for being such a huge fan, it really does mean a lot!

Over the Christmas holiday I opened no less than five bottles of my Strawberry Riesling wine made in 2011. This wine was a project hatched after talking to my mother about a similar wine she enjoyed on a vacation to I can't remember where. To make it I took half of a recipe for my flagship Strawberry wine and for the other half I used fresh Riesling juice. The result was a hugely drinkable, light, fruity wine that is medium to off-dry with moderate character.

As we sail into the New Year holiday I wish you all a happy and safe end to the year. It would be irresponsible not to mention that making arrangements for transportation, designated driver, cab, etc, is a must during those crazy New Year's celebrations. Have fun, be safe and get home to start the new year with maybe only a headache.

Cheers!

Jason

Top Ten Ancient Fire Moments in 2012

My friend Richard Auffrey has gotten me in the mood to offer something of a year in review. Each year in his blog entitled The Passionate Foodie Richard shares "top ten" lists in a number of different categories. I'm not prepared for that. And I'm not sure I'd just go and steal that idea, especially from someone who executes it so well. I'm a different guy which means I need to do something different.

As a beverage blogger I also stick my neck out on a weekly basis, offering my thoughts on drinks, food and occasionally the beverage business. I'm also the producer of award-winning home fermentations and do a fair bit of travel in search of new and interesting beverages. Taking all of this together it occurred to me that the highlights from those adventures in 2012 might make for interesting reading. If not, at least it will satisfy a sense of vanity having shared a bunch of "I did that" moments. Choosing what of my adventures should make the list and in which order they should go in was hard. Don't read too much into it. So here goes!

#10 - Kid Rock and Bud Light Lime

Margot and I went on the Kid Rock Chillin' The Most Cruise this year. Four days of music and partying. Of course that meant we saw, and to a lesser degree participated in, quite a bit of consumption. And not necessarily the good stuff. I'm not a Bud/Miller/Coors fan, but one of the nights I enjoyed a Bud Light Lime whilst sitting out on the deck watching the party rage on. Margot asked what I thought of it, it wasn't my first one but I think she was making some fun conversation, and I ultimately quipped that I could make a much better version of the beer at home. And in fact I did with an overwhelmingly positive response! The beer turned out to be one of our most well received brews of 2012. You might think it would be a warm-weather-only beer but it turns out that it is a very smooth drinker and is also good with food. We served it at our two-day Christmas party that wrapped up last night, proving that it even brings a smile in cold weather. Kid Rock is right, sometimes it is "the simple things in life, like when and where."

#9 - Award Winning Fruit Wine Making Tips

I was invited to speak at the WineMaker Magazine Conference again this year. The topic in 2012 was tips for making award winning fruit wines, something I am happy to say I have done five years in a row. I live in an area with lots of farms and farm markets so access to ripe and fresh fruit is something I am blessed to have. Fresh, ripe fruit is one of the most important requirements for making good fruit wine. On top of that you also need creativity, curiosity and a taste for fruit wines. During the 75 minute session the questions were rapid fire and I struggled to keep up with it all. Being able to share the breadth of experiences this occasion allowed was a real delight. The sharing from members of the audience was not lost on me and several projects later in the year were inspired by their participation.

#8 - Roses & Gold - A Man's Best Friend

In 2011, for the second time, I made a Rosé style wine from Concord grapes grown in a friend's yard. I didn't set out to make a sophisticated wine, rather I endeavored to use the fresh grapes to make a bright pink, slightly sweet wine that would put smiles on a lot of people's faces. The first attempt had come out OK, but the result in 2011 wowed everyone who tasted it. The grapes were more ripe and my basic process for making it resulted in a hugely pleasurable wine. Wanting to get feedback on my new wine I entered it into the WineMaker Magazine annual competition.

I was present at the award ceremony and as the first couple of categories were called none of the winners were present. When they got to the Concord wine category there were winners for Bronze and Silver, but again no winners were present. When the Gold medals were announced my name was called. What a great way to kick off my competition results, by both winning a Gold medal AND the first medal awarded in person that night. When I later reviewed the judging notes I found that I scored highly in color, aroma, flavor AND overall impression. I had scored big with a well made, balanced and delicious wine!

#7 - Tasting a Flight of Homemade Strawberry Wines

We can't move on from the WineMaker Magazine conference trip before sharing one more Ancient Fire Moment. In 2010 I attended my first WineMaker Magazine Conference and during that trip I shared my homemade strawberry wine. I went on to win gold medal for that wine. Once word had spread about the wine I also fielded a number of requests for the recipe and tips for making it, which I happily shared. In 2011 I didn't medal for my strawberry wine at this same competition, but was happy to see that I was back on track in 2012 with a Gold medal. This wine has been a special project for me since 2006, and the only one that I really feel like I "know" how to make from experience.

( Brother Mark, me, Amy and Brant comparing notes on homemade Strawberry wine. 

Thank you to Tim Vandergrift for this great photo with Daniel Pambianchi photo-bombing us! )

During the 2012 conference swap meet I was approached by two of the winemakers who had asked me about my recipe and process for the strawberry wine. And each of them was brandishing a bottle. With my own bottle in hand an impromptu comparative tasting was undertaken. What an amazing experience! All three of us made something a little bit different, due to both production choices and that we live in three different locations, each with access to different fruit. We each shared our production process and contrasted how what we knew about how the wines were made might have influenced the distinct outcomes. Some experiences make you realize you have found your people, and this one screamed it!

#6 - Staring at the Pacific Ocean from the Rocky Cliffs of the Oregon Coast

Living close the coastline we are a bit spoiled. With only a short drive we can walk along the New England shore and stare out at the Atlantic Ocean beyond. In 2012 my pursuit of new wine experiences took us to the Portland, Oregon area for the Wine Bloggers Conference. I had heard that the Oregon coastline was absolutely beautiful, very different in appearance to New England and not to be missed. On a day after the conference Margot and I planned a trip out to the coast. The drive itself was quite beautiful, first through the farmland of the upper Willamette Valley, then through the big pines of the Van Duzer Forest Scenic Area and finally the coast. Wow! The rocky cliffs and abrupt end to the land at the Western edge of Oregon is breathtaking. We stopped in many places along the way to take it all in.

#5 - Friendly Faces

In the last several years I've met a number of other area wine & food writers with whom I have forged stronger ties since. Being able to spend time exploring the world of food & drink with them this year certainly wasn't just one experience, but these moments would not be fairly exchanged for any object of value, they are the stuff life is made of.

So as I look back at another exciting year, I wish the happiest of times to Richard Auffrey (Passionate Foodie), Adam Japko (Wine Zag), Marie Payton (Life of Vines) and Todd Traskos (Vermont Wine Media). I can't wait to be out drinking and eating with all of my friends again in 2013!

#4 - Collaborating with Moonlight Meadery

Pro-am collaborations in the brewing world have been news-worthy in the last couple of years. I've always thought it was a pretty neat concept, but didn't believe I had ever made anything that might be of interest to a commercial producer. Then I made an orange and vanilla infused mead. And it took a top place in a regional competition. Michael Fairbrother from Moonlight Meadery asked if I was interested in commercializing the recipe. Really? Are you serious? I really did ask those questions. And the answer to both was yes.

A new mead named Summer Love recently went into the bottle and has been flying off the shelves from what I hear. The experience of making a mead based on a recipe of my own with Michael and the team at Moonlight was so much fun, something I would have never dreamed of.

#3 - Fighting Cancer with Wine

For a number of years now my Relay For Life team has hosted wine tastings to raise funds in the fight against cancer. In 2012 the team reached a new milestone in our efforts, having eclipsed $100,000 raised since 2003. (Not all of this was raised through wine tastings.)  In the context of larger fundraising efforts, $100K isn't a huge number, but when you consider it was raised by a group averaging 10 people each year, and in a very grass roots fashion you start to see why it is significant. When I first started making beer & wine I never imagined I would be able to combine it with a message of hope and do so much good in this world. I shared the history and current activities of my Relay For Life team in a series of posts this year, the most information I have shared about Relay and my fundraising efforts since the inception of my blog. My Relay thank you post, after the 2012 event, sums up the year we had and includes the link list to all the stories I shared. If you haven't read them I encourage you to spend the time. The people that stand with me in this fight are very dear to me, and sharing their stories was one of my fondest memories of the year.

I never set out to be recognized for my efforts fighting cancer, but awareness of my passion spread and recognition came nonetheless. In 2012 I was honored with a Mass General One Hundred Award. This award is given to individuals whose efforts in the battle against cancer have impacted lives and advanced the cause in a meaningful way. I was nominated by a friend (anonymously so this was a surprise) who felt my passion and energy deserved to be shared. Marie, thank you again for helping create a moment that made 2012 an incredible year for me!

#2 - Last Man Standing

There have been several competition moments in this top 10 list. All together it might seem like I am hugely competitive and getting recognition from competition is a primary motivator for me and my homemade creations. Not exactly. Competitions generate feedback and that feedback is hugely useful in determining what I am getting right and what I getting wrong. Adding the response from tastings to competition feedback gives me a more complete picture of how I am doing. I win in competition less than half the time I enter and the feedback is at least as useful when I don't win as when I do. I'm not actually as competitive as it might appear.

( Watching the Best in Show judging at the NERHBC was both exciting and nerve wracking. )

Winning Best in Show and Meadmaker of the year were highlights for me because they confirmed that the hard work and resources that I plugged into my projects in the last year were very well spent. I guess you could say I've learned a thing or two and I've used those lessons to get better. This type of recognition is motivating and that is why this was one of the top Ancient Fire moment in 2012.

#1 - Sharing My Creations

This isn't so much of a moment as it is the aspect of my mad science that brings me the most joy each year.

Trust me, all the hard work that goes into the beverages I make has to be followed with something fun or it really wouldn't be worth all the time! I love sharing the beverages that I make. Only a few of my friends recall family members who made their own beer or wine and most often the stories trend towards "it wasn't very good."  I think home brewing and wine-making has come a long way and while it still takes lots of hard work, I am always pleased to see these same people react so positively to my beverages. There is truly something special when you can hang out with friends drinking home brew, whether it be my own or someone else's. I make a lot of different beverages, and much more than I can drink. Sharing my beverages at tastings and as gifts brings me great joy and helps with my "inventory problem!"

( Margot and I brewing up another batch of beer to share with friends. Cheers! )

To my family, friends, co-workers and neighbors I wish you the very best during this holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Jason

My Half Full Glass – December 13th, 2012

Explore the many French wine varieties and enjoy.

Some notable sips from the last couple of weeks.

Paumanok Vineyards North Fork of Long Island 2010 Grand Vintage Chardonnay

The Empire State Cellars Wine Club has really been delivering for me. I don't know the club curator (Lenn Thompson of the New YorkCork Report) well enough to think that we have the same tastes in wine, but based on the success of this particular bottle I think we are pretty close.

The Paumanok 2010 Grand Vintage Chardonnay is bottled using the Grand Vintage name which refers to the special nature of the wine as designated by the producer. Specifically, it is made using the free-run juice of the ripest batches of Chardonnay from the vintage and is fermented in new French oak.

The wine is elegant on the palate with a mild toasted and nutty profile and a creamy finish. The fruit isn't hidden with oak, rather the fruit flavors taste like something you would find in a pastry or other baked, sweet treat. The finish is dry (it is a tad round, but not sweet by my definition) and lingers a bit allowing the texture to be savored. I drank this wine on its own the first night, and quite happily, then fiddled around with a couple different dinner pairings, none of which were worth highlighting. 

Martha Q's Low & Slow Smoked Ale

I met Sean Hopkins who owns the LobsterQ Restaurant in Hampstead, NH earlier this year. My foodie friend Richard Auffrey had connected with him previously and asked if I knew of the restaurant. I didn't, so we planned a visit to check out the joint. I enjoyed the food, people and atmosphere then and I have enjoyed the same several times since. But, let's fast forward a bit.

A few months ago Hopkins (should we call him Q or Mr. Q?) was tweeting about making a collaboration beer with Martha's Exchange in Nashua, NH. A smoked beer was the plan and Sean was hoping to smoke the grains at the restaurant to give the beer a firm LobsterQ profile.  I was intrigued and looked forward to the release so I could give it a whirl.

( Greg Oullette, the brewer for Martha's and Sean Hopkins of LobsterQ. )

That time came, and to celebrate the release LobsterQ held a private event to debut the beer, named Martha Q's Low & Slow.  Low & Slow was paired with great people, food and music from two members of the Tom Dixon Band. The event was lively, fun and the only downside was that I had arrived home from vacation not even 24 hours earlier and was feeling a bit spent.

How about the beer? Martha Q's Low & Slow is a mellow smoked ale, one that folks who don't normally like smoked beers might enjoy. In a Facebook review for both Martha's & LobsterQ I said: " Martha Q's Low & Slow - slow cooked meats & sweet tobacco meet in a bar... damn fine smoked ale. mellow and hugely drinkable. Bravo!" The beer pairs well with BBQ, but I also found it melded nicely with fish & fries. The beer was made in a small run and is available on tap at both Martha's and LobsterQ while it lasts.  

I'll Have Me A 'Gansett

I'm too young to say anything nostalgic about Narragansett beers. I've had the recent incarnation of several of their brews and have been pleasantly surprised. 

I tried the Narragansett Bock last week and was excited for the mellow balance of sweet malts & grains. The finish is clean and crisp. This beer isn't anything special, not requiring you to savor or study it; and that I think is its virtue. It isn't tasteless, light colored swill but also isn't something uber-crafty that requires a PhD in beer to understand. 

Cheers!

Jason

Epcot Food & Wine Festival – November 2012

The trip I took to Florida during which I checked out the Epcot Food & Wine Festival was last month, but I waited to share it until December as an excuse to share additional pictures of the Disney parks we visited decorated for Christmas. Disney really goes all out for the holidays and starting 4-6 weeks early meant we got to see it in early November.

A few years ago a neighbor passed along the festival map for the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. A friend of hers had attended it and thought she might want to share it with here “wine guy” neighbor. It looked pretty interesting, a neat way to amp up the regional adventure of the World Stage at Epcot I thought. I tucked the event away in the back of my mind hoping I would remember it when we planned to head to Disney again. When it came time to plan our Florida vacation I checked the festival calendar and found that we could attend on the second to last day and see what the festival was all about.

Festival events are a challenge on many levels, and when you look at the intent of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, to showcase the countries already part of the World Stage, you have to accept a few things. First, lots of people. We saw that even on the second to last day, but we do believe it could have been worse. Many of the beverage selections will come from the host country’s’ roster of volume leaders, e.g. one or more of the most popular brands. This was also true, but not without some exception. Serving that many people requires a volume commitment so we must reconcile that. Food service food. Back to the volume of people and need to produce lots of food quickly and consistently. This was also true, but Disney, the festival organizers and kitchen staff get high marks for producing tasty dishes and serving them in a smooth process.

Now that we have the context set, what were some of the good dishes, drinks and pairings?

The very best pairing was from Ireland and consisted of a cheese plate and an aromatized wine-based beverage made by Bunratty that was sweetened with honey. Kerrygold was one of the booth sponsors and both butter and their Dubliner cheese was on the plate. Served with a fruit chutney and some brown bread this stop felt the most like a wine tasting to us.

( You can almost touch it. )

Before we attended the festival we had heard that both the Kahlua Pork Slider from Hawaii and the Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms and Truffle Sauce from Canada were must haves. We did have both and the Canadians win. They were out of the truffle sauce, but the beef and shrooms were plenty delicious to get the thumbs up.

( Kahlua Slider. )

( A Canadian eating shrooms & steak. No frites though. )

The American Experience for me was a lobster roll and Sam Adams sampler. The beer sampler included the Cherry Wheat which was notably good on this outing. The Sam Adams Chocolate Bock has been the festival special beer for the entire 17 year run of the festival, and was originally produced for this event, but was already tapped out. The Lobster roll was fresh and delicious, but was trending a bit too far in the dill direction for my normal tastes.

( Looks like home! )

Local Florida beers were available at both the Craft Beer and Florida Local booths. I tried all three selections, which I reviewed along with six other local beers last week in the November 29th edition of My HalfFull Glass.

( Thirsty? )

Other countries that got high marks on food were China for their pot-stickers, which were cooked perfectly and Morrocco with a spiced meat patty pocket that was hugely flavorful. 

( Crisp outside, full of flavor inside! )

We had a second Cheese plate from a cheese-specific booth. It included several kinds of cheese and again made us pretty happy. We did also taste dishes from France, Argentina and Australia but they didn’t make the highlights.

( I enjoyed this with water as it was getting late and the small bites were stacking up! )

The line for the German beer and Brewer's Collection booths were long and visiting on the second to the last day meant that most of the beers I wanted to try, ones I hadn't had before, were already unavailable. I tried a few wines, but nothing really struck me. I had had most of the labels available and did feel compelled to pay to try them again at each booth. And then there are so many other countries we didn't have the stomach or time to visit. There is always next time Mexico, Caribbean, Japan, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Greece & Scandinavia!

We also never spent any time at the Festival Center that contained booths with tastings and retail from many of the brands behind the festival. This is definitely a multi-day event if you expect to cover even half of what is available. We finished the night with the Reflections of Earth show. I snagged a couple decent photos of the fireworks to share.

( Sunset over Epcot. )

As I said in the opening, Disney decorates for the holidays. Below is a slideshow of holiday pictures to set the mood. Merry Christmas everyone!

( The big tree at Epcot. )

( Above the door of the German Christmas shop. Love this place! )

( The American tree. ) 

( And Epcot Christmas. )

( The Magic Kingdom. )

( Main Street USA was already decked out for Christmas. )

( He almost looks surprised to see me. )

Cheers!

Jason