For women who love craft beer
$4.98
INSIDE: New Belgium Brewery
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6. Learn.
What glassware do you use for certain types of beers?
8. Discover. 10. Feature. 18. Taste.
Can you drink beer and be green?
New Belgium Brewery
Beer infused soup to keep you warm.
20. Create.
What can you do with your recycled bottles?
10.
22. Reviews.
Perfect porters to enjoy this holiday season.
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Shaun Berns
My boyfriend, and best friend who always keeps me inspired. He has instilled in me, my love and appreciation for beer, and has helped me with this magazine from start to finish, being my hardest critic. I Love You babe.
Kim & Rudy Abiera
My parents, who have always been my biggest cheerleaders, and number one fans. Thank you for the opportunity to pursue my dreams, while always being on the sidelines cheering me on without a doubt in your minds. I love you.
Mike & Debbie Zwolski
My family, who too, believes in and encourages me all the time, and thinks of me as one of your own.Thank you for all the late nights tasting and enjoying all sorts of different beers.
Inspired
www.treehugger.com www.draftmag.com www.beeradvocate.com www.newbelgium.com www.craftbeer.com www.brewersassociation.org www.homebrewersassociation.org www.beerinstitute.org www.sierranevada.com www.newglarusbrewing.com www.piecechicago.com www.revbrew.com www.samueladams.com www.twobrosbrew.com www.dogfish.com www.pinkbootssociety.org www.ratebeer.com www.realbeer.com www.allaboutbeer.com www.livestrong.com www.huffingtonpost.com www.latimes.com www.venuszine.com www.womenenjoyingbeer.com www.beveragebusiness.com www.thecravecompany.com www.theatlantic.com www.issuu.com www.macemeadworks.com www.edibleperspective.com www.homecooking.about.com www.food.com www.losu.org www.onlineclasses.org www.earth911.com www.beerwestmag.com www.realsimple.com www.computerarts.co.uk www.boneshakermag.com www.byo.com www.beerconnoisseur.com www.ambrew.com www.celebrator.com www.phillybeerscene.com www.belgiumbeermagazine.com www.thebeersessions.com www.imbibe.com www.craftpittsburgh.com
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Editor’s Note. I
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t’s here. The winter season is here and everyone’s mood changes, holiday cheer tends to make everyone a little bit nicer. It seems like lighting a fire and sitting snuggled by a fire with a loved one is a main interest on these cold wintery nights. I know my nights consist of separating myself from the crazy chaos of every day life, shutting the door to keep out the snowy, winter horror-land, throwng on a pair of my favorite sweatpants and a hoody, pouring two beers in a glass, and snuggling up on the couch next to my boyfriend, and taking a deep breath... finally enjoying a minute where stress is not an influence. Nothing could get better than this moment. This issue of Sparge is ment to add to your relaxing moment at home, check out the Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA beer cheese soup, it is the perfect addition to your warm, cozy night with your special someone. Hope you enjoy!
Cheers!
iera Brittany Ab
Learn.
Glassware
Mastering the use of
A glass is just a glass isn’t it? Wrong. Drinking beer out of the right glass will ensure you are enjoying it to its full potential. Here are six glasses that are essential to your collection.
6 SP
RGE
Pint
Pilsner
Your standard 16-ounce tapered bar glass is an allpurpose vessel for nearly every beer style on the planet, and it’s the perfect vehicle for beers that don’t require a lot of fuss. But this glass is also ideal for hoppy pale ales and IPAs, as those styles continuously exude hop aromas—the smells don’t need to be trapped.
Slim and tapered, pilsner glasses show off extreme carbonation and clear, almost shiny colors. The vessel’s ample top half keeps heads sturdy all the way to the bottom of the pour. Pilsner glasses are used for many types of light beers including pale lagers, pilsners, bock beers, vienna lagers, and many more.
Use with: Mellow styles like blonde ales, cream ales, amber ales and steam beers, plus pale ales and IPAs.
Use with: Pilsners, but also steam beers, light lagers, bock beers, viana lagers, Munich helles and schwarzbiers.
Weizen
Snifter
Soft curves and thin walls separate the weizen glass from its pilsner cousin. The height makes room for giant, fluffy heads; the voluptuous shape traps those citrusy banana smells. Use with: Wheat beers— hefeweizens, kristalweizens, weizenbocks, gose, american wheat ales dark and light, dunkelweizens—and ryes, too.
Swirl rich, robust beers in a snifter; the stem and wide bowl lend to proper, tidy agitation. The tapered mouth detains potent scents, making for a pleasurable beer experience. Use with: Heavy styles, and anything with a nose so thick you can taste it: American barleywines, strong Scotch ales and imperial styles.
Tulip
Mug
An exaggerated top lip gives this glass its floral name; it’s also responsible for supporting huge heads and promoting big smells. Scotch Ales are often served in a “thistle glass,“ which is a modified tulip glass
Mugs are less about science and more about convenience: Made for holding profuse amounts of beer, mugs bear that classic handle, made for lifting large loads and clinking other glasses.
Use with: Scotch ales, bière de gardes, fruit beers, English barleywines, strong ales, and any beer with a substantial head or strong nose.
Use with: Any beer drank in bulk: Oktoberfests, light lagers, pale ales, english brown ales, Irish red ales, Black & Tan, cream ales and witbiers.
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Discover.
4Ways to DRINK
BEER & BE
GREEN
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eer isn’t just the poster beverage for college parties, your after-work wind down, and lazy Sunday afternoons everywhere--no, beer is also a key player in a multi-billion dollar industry that reaches into the far corners of the world. Everyone loves beer--even environmentalists--and that might be why there’s been a recent boom in green, organic spirits, sustainable and renewable energy-powered breweries, and environmentally conscious, discerning drinkers.
8 SP
RGE
Support green companies
Keep an eye out for beer companies that are going the extra mile to achieve environmental responsibility--some companies are truly making a noble effort towards sustainability, from the beer to the packaging.The purveyors of the well known Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada, which powers its brewery with solar power. Another solar powered, sustainability proponent is Anderson Brewery in Chico, which may be the first truly 100 percent sustainable brewery.
Use a glass
The keg-inclined out there among us have reason to celebrate, greenly-drinking the draught is greener than bottles. It only takes some simple visualization to understand why: the kegs you'd buy for your college parties, and those that sit underneath the counter at your favorite bar--how many beers does each hold? Depending on the size, it could be hundreds. That's hundreds of saved cans or bottles, provided you're reusing your cup. Due to the resource savings from the packaging differences, draught beer has been found to have a 68 percent lower impact than bottled beer.
Use a Growler
Support your local breweries, and help cut emissions caused by the expansive shipping of imported beers. Ideally, frequent the bar that's in walking distance, to prevent both generating emissions from your own car, and the temptation to drive back from the bar. Riding your bike can also make for a faster commute, as well as cutting out emmisions as well. Even breweries want you to walk or ride to the pub. Also, consider bringing a growler to your local brewery and filling it up with fresh draught beer to cut out bottle waste and recycling hassles--it may be the greenest way to drink at home.
Recycle
If you’ve just finished off a 12 pack of beer make sure to get those cans into the recycling bin--an aluminum can will likely be recycled and back on the shelves within 60 days . Aluminum is a sustainable metal and can be recycled. If it’s bottles you’ve got, make sure those get recycled too-most curbside programs will take both. However, the bottle caps are not easily recyclable as they have a coating on them that most recycling places cannot cure.
BEER BY THE
NUMBERS 25,000,000 Organic beer sales in U.S. dollars in 2007
95
Percentage of ingredients that need to be certified organic to earn the beer an organic certification by the USDA.
2
4
The number of solar powered breweries in the U.S
Number of organic beers made by Anheuser Busch, the biggest beer company in the U.S.
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Saving the World .
The front of NBB
Beer, bikes, and a healthy planet. Female owned (Kim Jordan) New Belgium Brewery officially came about in 1991 when Jeff Lebesch (Kim’s Husband) took a bike ride (that had fat tires, thus the name for their beer, Fat Tire) in Belgium during 1988 and had was inspired. Today, it ranks as the third-largest craft brewery in the United States, as well as being the number 3 most sustainable brewery in the nation. Not only does New Belgium strive to produce great beer, but also, the company as a whole, is passionate about the environment. Its priorities as a brewery remain in reducing the effects their business has on the environment.
From wind, solar, and water treatment, New Belgium operates on 100% renewable energy resources; they like to call themselves “Alternatively Empowered.” Not everyday do you find a company whose employees vote to give up some of their bonus money to contribute to the energy initiatives. In addition to energy initiatives, they also try to get around the low amounts of amber glass (that’s the brown-colored beer bottles) being recycled for their bottles. They gather some themselves from local bars and restaurants. Who does this? Rob, who they call “the bicycling machine,” goes around on bike to
retrieve the recycled bottles. While New Belgium Brewery is buisy incorporating sustainability into their lives, in an interview with Kim Jordan, she has hopes for the whole craft beer industry as well. “Wouldn’t it be great if the craft brewing industry became one if the leaders not only in sustainable practices, but also the business end of things as well?” said Kim Jordan. This craft brewery is not a straightlaced, mundane brewery, but one that is more lax and fun-spirited, and places an emphasis on having fun. “I have the best job in the world, I have ‘pinch-me moments’ regularly in my job. My coworkers just make me gushingly
...
Photos / NBB Brewery
proud of them, with their sense of fun and spontaneity and I am a very lucky woman,” said Jordan. New Belgium doesn’t just work all day to produce beer, they also have many outlets where they get in touch with their community and consumers to promote sustainable efforts. They have events such as the Tour de Fat, which is a bike festival that promotes riding a bike instead of driving a car. “We take pride in doing something that people never thought of doing before, it sort of keeps us connected to one another, and we incorporate that into our events as an important mindset,” said Jordan.
Words / Brittany Abiera
Kim Jordan CEO
NEW BELGIUM BEERS
Brewhouse Jeff Lebesch Co-founder
Sunshine Wheat Fat Tire 1554 Blue Paddle Trippel Ranger IPA Belgo IPA Abbey Mothership Wit Hoptober Snow Day Somersault Le Terrior Abbey Grand Cru Super Cru Kick Sahti Ale La Folie La Fleur Misseur Dunkelweiss Clutch Fresh Hop Trippel IPA Trip III Trip IV Trip II Trip V
..O .
Kegging
One Beer at a Time
..O . ne Event at a NEW BELGIUM
Events
Tour de Fat
Tour de Fat
Tour de Fat Urban Assault Ride NBB Sponsored events Clips of Faith Scavenger Hunt Team Wonderbike
Time
Tour de Fat
Urban Assult Ride
Urban Assult Ride
Tour de Fat
Tour de Fat
Tour de Fat
..O . ne Footprint a Recycling Center
Aerobic waste water basin Congenerator
at a Time Methane Bubble
NEW BELGIUM
GREEN FACTS
New Belgium Brewery has encorporated reducing their carbon footprint, as a main staple in the way they run things. They like to consider themselves “Alternatively Empowered.” NBB takes pride in using alternative forms of energy, some of which include: power from waste water, solar power, wind power, and natural gas for thermal energy. In addition to energy, they have taken “being green“ to the next level by having a brown bottle recycling program (BBRP). They collect, by bike, brown bottles from local bars and restaurants with an amber glass bin.
Solar Panels
Taste.
Recipes Beer infused
Garlic cheddar & Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA Soup
18 SP
RGE
Directions: 1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, wisk together 1/3 cup canola oil and 1/3 cup all-purpose flour. Continuously stir until a paste forms and mixture begins to bubble and turns golden brown. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped onions, and cook until golden roux is formed. 2. Slowly add 3 cups vegetable stock by the half cupful. Then pour in 10oz Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA, and 1 cup cream, whisking constantly. Whisk in 1/2 cup roasted garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 ground white pepper, and 1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika. Reduce heat to low and bring to a simmer. 3. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in 2 1/2 pounds white cheddar cheese, about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking after each addition until smooth. If soup seems too thick, thin with a bit of warmed ale to reach desired consistency. Top with chopped chives or green onions for presentation, and serve Immediately. Makes 6 to 8 servings
What you need: 1/3 cup canola oil 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onions 1/2 cup roasted and mashed garlic (3 bulbs garlic, coated in oil, wrapped in foil, and baked at 325 1/2 cup minced garlic 2 teaspoons kosher or finely ground sea salt 3 cups vegetable stock 10 ounces Sierra Nevada Torpedo India Pale Ale, at room temperature 1 cup heavy cream, warmed 1 1/2 teaspoons ground white pepper 1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika 2 1/2 pounds white cheddar cheese, grated at room temperature
SP RGE 19
Create.
Clever things to do with
Recycled bottles
Though glass containers are 100 percent recyclable, their recycling rate hovers around a low 28 percent nationally, according to 2008 Municipal Solid Waste data from the EPA. Recycling rates are higher in some areas, most notably in states with glass bottle redemption values. But some crafty individuals are taking recycling into their own hands and turning their old beer bottles into useful and interesting products.
Chandeliers Make an interesting hanging chandelier with beer bottles. Leave the labels on or remove them to suit your tastes. Use heavy but bendable wire to form collars around the neck and middle of the bottles. Leave a long tail on the wire. Turn the bottles upside down and wire the tails into a suitable suspension device or frame. Install a functioning light bulb in the center of the beer bottle “crystals.� A decorative peice like this could be used to spruce up any typr of room you’d like such as, a game room, dining room, or even a living room. It can highlight a love for beer, as well as creating a sophisticated look at the same time. Using different colored bottles is very appealing to the eye, and will bring a nice pop of color to a room.
20 SP
RGE
Stepping stones An unusual and attractive path may be made from discarded beer bottles. Beer bottles in different sizes, colors, and shapes are particularly attractive. To make the path, simply dig holes deep enough for the bottles to be fully inserted into the ground. Invert the bottles in the soil, leaving only the bottoms flush with the ground. These are surprisingly durable and can be replaced easily if accidentally broken. You can choose to place the bottles in perfect rows for a more pristine, even look, or you can choose to place them more sporadically for a rustic look. Switching between green, brown, and clear bottles make for a pleasing look as well.
Drinking glasses Cut the tapered neck off a beer bottle with a glass cutter and turn it into a functional drinking glass. Use a glass emery pad to polish the cut edge until it is smooth. At the Mack Glass Studio in Bloomington, Illinois, the artists make drinking glasses for guests at their art shows and studio parties by re-purposing beer bottles. They do not wash the dirty glasses; they just throw them into the kiln and make more “fresh� glasses as needed.
Candle holders Break the mold of the ordinary candle holder, and use your recycled beer bottles as a conversation peice at the next party you host. Weather you decide to use a glass cutter to cut the bottle down, or you simply choose to use the whole bottle, either way will create a unique decorative peice for your home.
Shelving Around your house, you may have an ample amount of beer bottles that you would like to recycle, but you dont know how to. Why not incorporate them into the decor of your home storage by constructing beer bottle shelving. This can work well with either standard size beer bottles, or barleywine bottles, depending on the size of space you want in between both shelves. This can make for a beer-centered, sophisticated decor for your home.
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Perfect porters
Reviews.
for the holiday season We found these porters and thought they were worthy to share with our loyal readers, these beers are based on our scale of :
= good
= better
Atwater Block BreweryVanilla Java Porter
Southern Tier Brewing Company Inc.- Porter
Rating:
Rating:
1.5 / 3
Look: Atwater’s porter pours deep mahogany-brown with a bashful russet head. Aroma: Rich with dark roasted coffee, the aroma floats into sweet vanilla extract overtones. Taste: A pleasant, flavorful mixture of soft roasted barley and fresh roasted nuts. Sierra NevadaPorter Rating:
= best
3/3
2/3
Look: This brew pours hazy, dark brown with reddish highlights and a latte-color head. Aroma: The bouquet is soft, marked by gentle wafts of toasted nuts and cocoa powder. Taste: While the flavor is light overall, the beer’s dark roasted malts do make a statement, and caramel sweetness comes in late, lasting into the aftertaste. Narragansett- Porter Rating:
Look: This beer pours a mahogany color and a silky tan head. Aroma: This porter tenders very noticeable hops in both its flavor and aroma, as well as coffee notes. Taste: Sierra Nevada’s version is a bit hoppier than other porters, we’d expect nothing less from this hop-friendly brewery.
2/3
Look: This beer pours dark brown with a good sized tan head. Aroma: The smell is sweet malts a little roasty and hints of chocolate. Taste: The flavor follows suit it’s chocolatey smooth and delicious with a touch of hops Maui Brewing CompanyCoconut Porter Rating:
Butte Creek Brewing CompanyOrganic Porter Rating:
2.5 / 3
Look: This beer pours a deep chocolate and red color, followed by a 2-3 finger head that dissolves into the beer as you enjoy it, while keeping nice lacing. Aroma: The aroma of these organic malts comes through so clean, the rich notes of mocha and sweet coffee have nothing to hide behind Taste: The experience continues into the flavor, where the solid malt backbone and roasted coffee notes are softly touched by hints of toffee.
3/3
Look: It pours a brown chocolate color with dark ruby red on the edges. Aroma: This beer smells similar to the well-known favorite candy, Almond Joy. Taste: The flavor is chocolatey smooth. It is a very creamy beer with hints of chocolate, coconut, and vanilla flavors. and delicious with a touch of hops.
SP RGE 23