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Brews
LOCALLY LOVED A LOOK INTO NEW GLARUS
BREWING COMPANY
CRAFT BEER 101: A BEGINNER’S
GUIDE
the art of homebrewing october 2015 $4.95 U.S
celebrating the best of beer
Life’s a Beach.
Drink On One.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
R
eader, from brewing’s pioneering entrepreneurial start-ups to the days of the early ’90s to the bursting beer bubble of the late ’90s, craft brewing has had its ups and downs. Growth in the 21st century has been more positive and predictable, as the demand for locally made, small-batch beer continues to drive the market, giving us new brewery openings almost daily, as the United States closes in on almost 3,500 breweries. the next 20 years of beers and cheers are sure to be interesting, and I’m so excited that our staff will keep you informed and inspired to seek out and appreciate the new beers to come. we’re looking forward to the many beer stories yet to be written. Thanks for your support!
CHEERS!
LINDSEY BEARD, EIC
TABLE OF CONTENTS How Well Do You Know Your Craft Beer?...... 7 a look into new glarus brewing company..... 8 beer 101................................... 16 the art of homebrewing..................... 20
Highly Priced Product Ad
49 COUNTRIES IT’S BREWED.
150 COUNTRIES IT’S SOLD.
10 MILLION
GLASSES DRANK DAILY.
TRADITION. SINCE 1770.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW CRAFT BEER?
What us city is known as “Beervana” because of all the microbreweries? Portland, OR SanFrancisco, CA Boston, MA Philadelphia, PA
What state has the most craft breweries? New York Colorado California Pennsylvania
What country has the most individual beer brands?
A crystal clear beer is an indication of what?
Germany Croatia United States Belgium
IT’S FLAT It’s water It’s gluten free It’s foreign
How many styles of beer are recognized by the Brewer’s Association?
What is Cenosillicaphobia?
152 123 97 54
THE FIRST BREWERY fear of an empty glass
How many different version of Guinness are there? 1 19 21 3
About how many years was the length of Prohibition? 3 13 10 81
WHAT GIVES CRAFT BEER IT’S BITTER TASTE? HOPS GARLIC YEAST FLOUR
PORTLAND, CALIFORNIA, 19, BELGIUM, IT’S WATER, 13, 152, FEAR OF AN EMPTY GLASS, HOPS
7
New Glarus Brewing Company
A
DREAM CAME TO LIFE IN A little, nestled BREWERY on the outskirts of New Glarus, Wisconsin. WHERE THE BEER FLOWS, THIS brewery is run by an enthusiastic couple, Daniel & Deb Carey, who have successfully combined business management and brewing professionalism. THEIR philosophy is based on individuality, cooperation and the employment of 100% natural ingredients to produce world-class, handcrafted beers for our friends in Wisconsin.
9
A LOOK INSIDE NEW GLARUS
A shot from the side of new glarus shows the unique architecture used
I
n 1993, when Deb and Dan began brewing in the Green County village of New Glarus, wisconsin, they made about 3,000 barrels of beer. (A barrel is about 31 gallons.) 22 years later, after the building of their new $21 million brewing facility built in 2008, output is expected to top 100,000 barrels, making New Glarus one of the largest microbreweries in the region. However, the Careys make a point of saying they don't want New Glarus to be a truly regional brewery. Why? They only sell their beer in Wisconsin. And that's the way they like it.
when designing the building
DEB AND DAN CAREY, OWNERS 11
“He who works with who works with his craftsman. He who w head and his heart
the “stairway to heaven” takes tour guests to the main production area of the facility.
spotted rate whil
his hands is a laborer. He hands and his head is a works with his hands, his is an artist.� -St.Francis of Assisi
cow, new glarus’ most popular brew, is being prodcuced at a fast le numerous ng employees watch to ensure everything goes smoothly.
11
Picturesque
V I E W S
New Glarus Brewing Company offers some of the most spectacular views beer of choice during your visit. With a courtyard modeled after Euro ral limestone and plenty of seating will make your visit worthwhile w beer and take in the views of the rolling valley, which is beautiful
to pair with your opean ruins, natuwhile you enjoy your during all seasons.
13
“… There is only one game at the heart of America and that is baseball, and only one beverage to be found sloshing at the depths of our national soul and that is beer.” -Peter Richmond
PIZZA.
It’s better with your best friend.
BEER 101:
A beginner’s guide to 6 dif
American lager
pale ale
Color: Pale straw to
Color: Pale gold to
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.2 to 5.3
ABV: 4.5 to 6.2 per-
medium yellow.
deep amber with an off-white head.
percent.
cent.
Taste: Low-level
Taste: moderate to
grainy or corn-like sweetness. Ranges from slightly malty to slightly bitter.
popular: Budweiser, Coors, Miller, Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Hefeweizen
Color: Pale yellow
to dark gold with a foamy head. These beers are hazier than most light-colored beers since they are unfiltered.
high hop bitterness that can show some citrus flavors. The body of the beer can have a bread- or biscuit-like flavor that is intended to compliment the hops.
ABV: 4 to 7 percent.
popular :SIERRA NE-
popular: new glarus
VADA PALE ALE, NEW GLARUS MOON MAN
Taste: hint of banana or citrus flavor and very low bitterness. They are sometimes served with a lemon or orange garnish in the United States. dancing man wheat
fferent types of craft beer
stout
amber ale
Color: Deep brown to
Color: Amber to coppery
ABV: 4 to 12 percent.
ABV: 4.5 to 6.2 percent.
Taste: notes of cof-
Taste: strong malt fla-
jet black, with a tanto brown-colored head.
fee or chocolate and very low levels of bitterness.
popular: goose island bourbon county brand stout
brown with a large offwhite head.
vors, sometimes followed by some caramel notes. They can be fairly hoppy but are not as bitter as IPAs.
india pale ale
Color: Medium gold to
medium reddish-copper.
ABV: 5 to 10 percent. Taste: medium to high bitterness from the hops. Can have citrus or piny aromas.
popular: lagunita’s india pale ale
popular: New Belgium
Brewing Fat Tire Amber Ale 17
Probably the best beer in the world.
Probably a banana.
Crisp. Fruity. Better in groups.
THE ART O
OF HOMEBREWING NEED A SIX PACK? JUST HIT THE BASEMENT. Story and photos by Lindsey Beard 21
Ryan Larson’s home brewery is no ordinary brewery. On a chilly November morning, the brewery doors were open to allow ventilation but the brewery itself was warm; the gas burner below the 30-gallon brew tank was cranking at near full power. Mr. Larson was already a good 90 minutes into his brew day; the grain was milled and the hops were measured and waiting on a nearby table. It was just the moment for his wife to emerge from the house and ask if he and his guests would like a fresh cup of coffee. Larson, 48, is just a home brewer, not a professional; his main job is an architect. But with the extravagant set-up he has built and installed in his Iowa room (there is a big cask for holding mash and an $1,800 fermentation tank, in addition to the 30-gallon kettle), he could easily be mistaken for much more than an amateur.
Larson and his family moved into their new home in August of 2011, shortly after Ryan passed his boards to be a certified architect. In luau of his accomplishments, Ryan and wife Angie decided to build their own home, exactly the way they wanted it. “When we built the house, we knew we wanted to add a room for home brewing. When the house was done and we walked into the said room, we both knew this is where the brewery would be,” said Angie, who occasionally brews with her husband. Ryan said he and his wife tend to favor light American lagers and some German lagers. The basement of the house stores his finished product in a refrigerated room next to the brewery; that cooling room feeds directly to five taps in the wall of his basement bar. The brewery is just one of many caverns in his man cave, which also includes a game room, a home theater and a wet bar. “You can go downstairs, and you can pretty much stay there,” Ryan said.
“Only thing it doesn’t have is a bed.” Larson rolled his eyes and laughed when asked how much he has spent on brewing over the years. “A lot,” he said. “It is definitely not a cheap hobby.” Ryan and Angie decided to go on an all-Paleo diet back in 2013. Most friends of the family raised concerns that beer is not necessarily considered a “paleo” item, and wondered what the future of Ryan’s home brewing would be. The couple decided they would continue to brew beer. “In reality, beer is much healthier than other spirits out there. Not only is real ale low in carbohydrates, it is made from natural and fresh ingredients—hops, wheat, and barley—which all include vitamin B, riboflavin, niacin, and zinc.” Home brewing, which was actually determined illegal by Prohibition and not legalized again until 1979, is enjoying it’s resurrection. The American Homebrewers Association, based in Boulder, Colo., had just 11,724 members in 2006; that has since more than doubled, to 26,000. This increased interest, in turn, has fostered a mini-boom in brewing equipment. ryan knew he wanted to get into the brewing business when he was a student studying his undergrad at drake university in des moines, iowa. “going downtown and going to the local breweries really sparked my interest in starting my own. the uniqueness and taste of each brewery really shows that it’s all about what you want. it’s your shot to make something uniquely your own.”
“You can go downstairs, and you can pretty much stay there. Only thing it doesn’t have is a bed.” 23
So… What’s the story Home brewing, which was actually determined illegal by Prohibition and not legalized again until 1979, is enjoying it’s resurrection. The American Homebrewers Association, based in Boulder, Colo., had just 11,724 members in 2006; that has since more than doubled, to 26,000. This increased interest, in turn, has fostered a mini-boom in brewing equipment. “Some people argue that beer may be older than bread. After all, both use yeast. One cooks and one ferments. Fermentation could very well have been possible before fire had been utilized in cooking. Others claim that beer came from bread that had sat out too long and began to ferment.” Ryan said. “Beer and brewing have been around longer than we think”. “Prohibition caused many Americans in the 1920s to start brewing their own alcohol. Cans of malt syrup would be sold with “warnings” not to boil in water with hops and then add yeast (instructions for making beer). When prohibition ended, the making of wine at home was legalized, but beer was overlooked in that act and home brewing of beer was not federally legalized until 1979. Since states can regulate their own alcohol laws, home brewing has been slow to be legalized in all 50 states.”
behind home brewing? Both Alabama and Mississippi are working on laws to legalize home brewing, which would mean that all states allow brewing to some extent. Individual states have their own laws on brewing limits, where the beverage can be consumed, and whether or not it can be sold. Since states can regulate their own alcohol laws, home brewing has been slow to be legalized in all 50 states. Both Alabama and Mississippi are working on laws to legalize home brewing, which would mean that all states allow brewing to some extent. Individual states have their own laws on brewing limits, where the beverage can be consumed, and whether or not it can be sold. In 2010, it was discovered that Oregon’s law did not allow for home brewed alcoholic beverages to be consumed outside the home. This meant that the home brew competitions that had been at state fairs for over 20 years had to stop. Home brewer’s clubs were limited in what they could serve at meetings. With an onslaught of media attention, legislators quickly addressed the issue and by March 2011, the law was changed, and state fair competitions reinstated. Regardless of legality, brewing has been a popular hobby throughout the history of society, and will most likely continue to grow. In modern America, craft brews are gaining popularity. Most of these brews started off as home brews and became commercial down the road. it’s a great day to be a beer drinker! 25