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3 Daughters LaBREWtor y
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Founders DKML
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Off Tap. is a bimonthly publication of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Copyright 2017 ABC Liquors, Inc. All rights reserved. Not all products are available in all stores. If the product you’re looking for isn’t available, ask us to order it for you! Meghan Guarino Editor Allie Smallwood Contributing Editor
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F LORIDA I NSPIRED. TAMPA B REWED COPPERTAIL BREW ING CO.
M EG H A N GU A R IN O
An unassuming building with a simple,
The brewery sports a row of tap handles,
Then there’s Free Dive IPA, the go-to brew
modern vibe—brick, metal and big wooden
some of which are local guest beers. On tap
for hop heads all over Florida. A mix of citrus
doors—is tucked away behind an exit ramp to
the day of our visit was an array of sours with
and pine against a malty backbone makes
the Selmon Expressway in Tampa. Above the
flavors that ranged from guava to watermelon
this medium-bodied brew just right for grilled
second-floor patio, COPPERTAIL BREWING
to slightly hoppy—“It’s the season,” Casey
shrimp. It’s a quintessential IPA that is also
CO. is written in big block letters that greet a
Hughes, Coppertail brewmaster, said with
quintessentially Floridian in flavor. Try this one
cloudy Florida sky. This is the home to one of
a shrug. Under Casey’s direction, Coppertail
to see what it takes to be hoppy and refreshing
Tampa’s favorite breweries and certainly the
crafts the beers Florida demands—big, bold,
at the same time.
most artistically decorated.
but drinkable in the Florida heat.
If you’re still looking for the perfect Florida food
Inside, the tasting room is industrial chic,
Coppertail Brewing releases four core brews
pairing, try Wheat Stroke with fresh grouper.
with medal wall fixtures, leather seats and
with seasonals sprinkled throughout the year.
A hint of citrus and persistent carbonation
big beams from the building’s earlier days as
Each of their year-round offerings showcases
carry this beer to its bitter finish. Wheat Stroke
a Hellman’s Mayonnaise factory. There are
Floridian flavor but in a different style. Unholy
is a crisp example of a hoppy wheat beer—an
murals that match the beer labels and folksy
American Trippel, for example, takes the
interesting combination that can only be truly
drawings of sea creatures throughout. The
traditional Belgian style and combines it with
welcomed in a state that is often revered for
tasting room bar spans most of the back wall
American hops for a beer that pairs well with
its eccentricities.
and is held up by a base of beautiful dark
Cuban deviled crab. With aromas of pear and
The final beer in the core four is Night Swim,
wood patterned to showcase each plank’s
apple and a funky palate filled with fruit flavors
Coppertail’s robust porter. This is the beer
color and grain. Behind the bar are two
and bright hops, Unholy is a big beer at 9% ABV.
you want when the sun goes down and a cool ocean breeze rustles the tree tops. Night Swim is dark and luxurious with notes of chocolate and roasted malt. It’s a smooth, flavorful match to BBQ brisket.
Märzen lager showcases a dark amber color with a tan head. It’s malty with a clean finish— just like any good Oktoberfest beer should be. Toasted bread, a touch of caramel and a hint of fall spice round out this delicious seasonal. Coppertail Brewing Co. will celebrate their 3-year anniversary on August 26. Raise a toast in their honor with a one of their core four beers, available at select ABC Fine Wine & Spirits locations throughout the state!
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brewery’s tribute to Oktoberfest. Coppertail’s
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On shelves beginning in September is the
August/September 2017
windows into the brewmaster’s territory.
BEFORE THERE
WERE HOPS
A L L IE S MA L LW OOD
Hop heads across the nation can hardly
ing agents are the oils and resins. The oil
go a Friday night without drowning their
and resin seeps from the leaves but the
taste buds in the highly bitter, golden
tannins are found in the stem of the
liquid they call their absolute fave. And
hop cone.
understandably so—it’s delicious stuff.
The essential oils in the hop leaves
But before there were hops, there weren’t hops, and it wasn’t such a terrible thing.
(myrcene, caryophyllene, humulene and farnesene) are considered by scientists
Beer of old, and the beauty behind the
to contribute mostly to the aroma of the
recipes that inspire what we drink these
beer. When a brewer adds them to the
days, incorporated an array of plants,
boil, then they are responsible for the
botanicals, herbs and spices. The sweet
flavor. When using the flavorings of old,
maltiness of beer always needed balanc-
the oils in the spices were also respon-
ing, so brewers would infuse bitter, flo-
sible for aroma and flavor, but it doesn’t
ral, tart or savory flavors by way of herbs
preserve beer like hops do. And so the
and spices. Commonly used were sweet
hops’ soft resin became the judging
gale, ground ivy, mugwort, heather,
point of quality.
ginger, caraway seed, nutmeg and
To create the optimal hop characteris-
cinnamon. Just as the collective combination of cooked grains and water is called wort, the collective combo of these flavorings was called gruit. It’s where the term “grut ale” comes from, and many small breweries around country have explored this style as an homage to these old brewing methods. Grut ales were brewed heavily across Europe until about the 11th century, when a steady shift to hops took the brewing world over. The earliest recorded use of hops was in A.D. 736, and it is likely that they were brewed in conjunction with other herbs in a gruit recipe.
“The earliest recorded use of hops was in A.D. 736, and it is likely that they were brewed in conjunction with other herbs in a gruit recipe.” Unlike hops, gruit recipes are difficult to botch. The tannins in hops can affect a beer if too many are used in the boil. For hops to be used properly, they must be understood – they’re not like tea leaves. The main flavoring, aromatic and bitterPhotography by: Jacob Bailes
tics, scientists began to cross-breed varietals. North American varieties contained almost 3x the amount of soft resin compared to European hops, and European hops showed much more floral qualities. The marriage of these two hops created an aromatically floral hop with a high resin count. It’s what we drink and love today. Though hops have absolutely exploded, it’s good to look back on the days of no hops. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, after all.
Unibroue Éphémère Elderberry elderflower liqueurs in floral cocktails. The
Justin Trudeau comes an ethereal, yet
Vietz, brewmaster at Unibroue.
combination of the dark fruit with the light
beautifully complex beer: Unibroue
Jerry Vietz has been with Unibroue since
floral characteristics of the blossom in
Éphémère Elderberry.
2003 and the brewmaster at this iconic
Unibroue’s newest beer is what Jerry can
The ninth edition to a series of limited
brewery since 2007. His beers have won
only describe as magic.
edition brews that first hit the scene in
numerous medals on the international
“The elderberry is very close in flavor to
2000, Éphémère Elderberry brings an
stage and have been lauded for their
blueberries and blackberries, it’s kind
interesting twist to the Éphémère name—
consistency and flavor. “We’re really
of a combination of both but with more
it’s made with both the elderberry fruit
renowned for the consistency and com-
tannins. It’s more astringent than black-
and the elderberry flowers. “This is the
plexity and balance in our beers. These
berries
first Éphémère that I decided to combine
three parameters are my trail markers
and blueberries and is very high
the fruit and the flower as well—the
when I develop new beers,” he explained.
in tannins, so the antioxidants are very
And Éphémère Elderberry is no different.
good. It’s very healthy,” he explained.
Since the beer’s launch in other markets
“The flower brings a more floral note.
earlier this year, Éphémère Elderberry has
It’s reminiscent of the Muscat grape with
earned a gold at Les
tropical fruit flavor, like lychee.”
Prix du Publique,
These flavors combine with the citrus
a people’s award in
characteristics of wheat beer for a light,
Quebec, and a silver
sessionable and flavorful beer. The official
medal at the Chicago
tasting notes describe the beer as “slightly
Beverage Testing
cloudy and seductively reddish color with
Institute World Beer
purplish hues, topped by a creamy pink
Championship. Once
head. Its medium bubbles and sustained
you have a sip of
effervescence make it a fun and refreshing
this new beer, you’ll
choice when unwinding after a busy
understand why it’s
summer day.”
no surprise that it has garnered so much attention. Elderberries are small, dark purple berries that cluster together and look similar to blackberries. The fruit is often used to make jellies, jams and syrups, and the flowers are known by mixologists who use
Try Éphémère Elderberry with pork loin, grilled chicken, fish, seafood dishes, and goat, Brie and Camembert cheeses. A final word to the wise from Jerry himself: “If you see it, please try it! You’ve got to enjoy it while it’s out in the market.” Éphémère Elderberry is available at select ABC Fine Wine & Spirits locations for a limited time only.
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blossom from the same plant,” Jerry
August/September 2017
New from the land of poutine and
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M EG H A N GU A R IN O
THE SCIENCE
BEHIND 3 DAUGHTERS BEER A L L I E S MA L LWO O D
A Tuesday afternoon stroll through the 3 Daughters brewery started out as normal as any other tour. A few BrewFab tanks (300 barrel tanks made locally in St. Pete), a couple canning lines and one massive stage for brewery entertainment later, we met with the person we made an appointment to see: Desiree Chubb, resident director of quality assurance. She operates the lab that houses a $12,000 piece of equipment that looks like an old answering machine. “That is the Alex 500,” she said, pointing to the seemingly ancient device. “It tests important beer parameters like alcohol, calories and degrees of fermentation.” When 3 Daughters opened about four years ago, the team decided to take craft beer geekdom to a new level by joining in on The University of South Florida St. Petersburg’s internship and Brewing Arts programs. Instead of creating a laboratory that would be used only for testing their products, 3 Daughters took it a step further and made the less-than-200 square feet lab a space for interns to learn the science behind beer through hands-on experience. Desiree was an intern through this program before being hired on fulltime to help maintain the quality and consistency of the beer.
The funny thing is, when it comes to making recipes, Ty never thought it would get this scientific. When they got a request for a light IPA under 120 calories, he was pretty apprehensive. But since they were backed by a state-of-the-art LaBREWtory, they went with it. They picked a grain, then worked backwards to figure out the alcohol bitterness level. Then they balanced it out with the proper amount of sweetness. Desiree gushed “It’s absolutely delicious, if I do say so myself.” You can get a taste of their Light IPA yourself—the beer will be available at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits locations throughout the state beginning this October.
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Ty Weaver, head brewer, works directly with Desiree, but is the artistic side of the team. Even with his developed palate (more than 6 years’ experience tasting and crafting beer) he admits, “I don’t trust anything anymore except for Desiree.” She, with her small but highly elaborate lab, is the science side. One can’t exist without the other at 3 Daughters.
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“We only have two rules,” Desiree said, counting on her fingers. “Quality consistency and we’re never going to run out of beer.” And while those two rules aren’t unachievable together, quality consistency is a little harder to master. After all, beer is a combination of a living organism (yeast) and ever-changing ingredients. Plus the water in St. Pete is hard. “We make promises to our customers that our beer is going to be the best every time,” Desiree explained. And that’s why it’s imperative that the LaBREWtory test pH, acids for IBUs, color, yeast and of course calories.
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FOUNDERS DKML Words I never thought I’d write: You have to try this malt liquor. I know, I know. Malt liquor brings back memories of cheap, 40-ounce, gas station beers. But this one is different. And not “this one is different” like your buddy says of all his new girlfriends. This one is actually different. How? For one it’s made by Founders, one of the best in the Midwest. For two, it’s aged in bourbon barrels. DKML is the craft brewer’s take on the brushed aside category of malt liquor. It’s a chance to show what malt liquor can be if treated right. And Founders certainly treated this one right. Brewed with corn and lager yeast, DKML is dry-hopped and then aged in bourbon barrels to smooth its rough edges. Corn is heavy upfront, but the addition of floral hops and the smoothness of vanilla and wood from the barrels make this classic style something worthy of exploring once again. DKML is part of the brewery’s bourbon barrel aged series which includes heavy hitters like KBS and Doom. As such, DKML is certainly worth your time. And a glass. It’s surprisingly impressive and impressively smooth. Available now at select ABC Fine Wine & Spirits locations.
Imperial Malt Liquor Aged in Bourbon Barrels
ABV: 14.2%
Glassware: Snifter
Pairings: Hors d’oeuvres and chocolate