CONTENT
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YOUR GLASS 3 KNOW Learn about the enigmatic Teku glass. Where did it come from? What is a teku?
5 311 The band talks about growing up in the area, and their partnership with a local brewey.
SPOTLIGHT 7 BREWER Meet Upstream head brewer Dallas Archer. TIME STATE OF MIND 9 LAKE Clear Lake, Iowa is the proud home of another great destination brewery.
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15
21
25
13 WANDERLUST Highlighting breweries in the Western half of South
SEASONAL 27 SOMETHING Drown the summer heat with some of these
CRAFTY NEIGHBORS 15 Kros Strain and Pint Nine have forged a
COOKING WITH CRAFT BEER 29 Impress your friends at the next cookout with
Dakota in part two of our trek across the state.
unique craft beer relationship.
HAVEN 21 BEER 1867 Bar in downtown Lincoln is a charming venue dedicated to local entertainment and local beer.
ART INSIDE AND OUT 25 IT’S Sometimes the label art on your bottle or can
refreshing seasonal selections.
this simple spiced porter pork belly recipe.
Contributors
Annie Ellis Brandon Fowler Casey Welsch Erin Miles Jay Ferguson Megan Rice
can be just as outstanding as the beer itself.
Editor
Annie Bohling
Photography Mitch West
Design
Fidel Matos Dustin Rutledge
Perfect Pour Magazine is produced in Lincoln, NE Want to submit a story for Perfect Pour? Looking to advertise with us? email us at
perfectpourmagazine@gmail.com
visit our website
perfectpourmagazine.com
KNOW your
GLASS by Jay Ferguson | photography by Mitch West
S
ince I’ve been stocking my cabinets with all the great beer glasses I can find, I couldn’t resist buying the enigmatic and enchanting Teku. “What is this ‘weird’ looking glass?” I asked myself. “Why am I drawn to it? Why does it entice me so?”
Teku
Essentially an oversized wine glass with seriously sexy curves, the Teku glass is a statement piece. I absolutely love the look of it. From its delicacy to its dominating size compared to a traditional tulip (thanks to an elongated stem), the Teku glass demands attention. I’ve always been a little rough on the glasses, so I was hesitant to purchase one at first. To my surprise, in the hand, the Teku feels a bit more durable than its appearance suggests. I still doubt the glass would hold up to a fall from the counter though. Teo Musso is the founder of Baladin Brewery in Italy. He collaborated with Italian sensory analysis expert Lorenzo “Kuaska” Dabove to create the Teku glass (the name Teku is an amalgamation of the names
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‘Teo’ and ‘Kuaska’). Musso’s goal in creating the Teku was to come up with an industry standard glass that could be used for the sensory analysis of all kinds of beer. He was inspired by the ISO glass, which is the glass that is used to conduct the sensory evaluation of wine. Musso made a range of prototypes and had Kuaska evaluate them all. The resulting glass is both elegant and functional and is carried in many Italian specialty beer bars and brewpubs. I think my idea that the Teku would function like a tulip glass wasn’t too far off, although they do offer distinct experiences. Its long stem helps keep your hand from indirectly warming the beer. Its slanted wall get narrower toward the top where the lip slightly curves out. This is to help ensnare any foam head and helps enhance the flavor and aromatics of hoppy and malty brews. If you are a fan of sours, Teku is the glass that should top any wish list you make. Ultimately, the Teku is one of the most attractive beer glasses one can own, and it could be the perfect present for yourself or that beer lover in your life.
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interview by Mitch West | photography provided by 311
Y
ou can’t get more of a success story in Nebraskan music
and it was incredible. They taught me everything I know. They
crowds all over the world for more than 20 years. What
me that I didn’t even know existed. Drastic Plastic is still just
than 311. The group has been performing for huge
had ambers, pales, stouts and browns usually. It hit a spot in
began as a band in Omaha, soon turned from local to regional, to
unbelievable and was my absolute go-to source for T-shirt wear.
record titled “MOSAIC.” We got to talk to 311’s own P-Nut and
Style-wise, what do you like best in beer?
national, to international. June 23 marked the rock band’s 14th SA Martinez about Nebraska, music and, of course, beer.
P-NUT – “BEER PEOPLE ARE GOOD PEOPLE.” What’s the story with the partnership with Nebraska Brewing Company?
We’re an “entertainment brand” now. We can fill in some holes with some cool things and beer can definitely fill one of those holes. We started searching around to different breweries. (We) talked to Nebraska Brewing Company about doing it and they were head over heels about it and wanted to make it really personal, which is exactly what we wanted.
( Nebraska Brewing Company and 311 partnered up to brew “311 Amber Ale” which clocks in at 5.5% Abv and 25 IBUs. )
Are there any places that stand out from your past in Nebraska? When I grew up, there was a brewery right on Jones Street called “Jones Street Brewery.” It was probably there for five or six years
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I’m so excited about just stronger, modern, more West Coast styles, even in the San Diego-specific double and triple IPAs with just tons of alcohol and tons of flavor.
On the West Coast, what breweries are you excited for?
I love Stone and there’s Golden Road as well. Golden Road is still doing great stuff. I love just sitting in their taproom and watching
the people that work there. Breweries and bars and pubs are an equalizer where anywhere in the world you’ll hear a great story and have a great time.
What do you have in your fridge right now?
I have some Archer IPA in the silver can which is an awesome beer. I bought it at Target which blows my mind. They actually had a
great selection and I knew I wasn’t going to go home sad. I also have some Golden Road Wolf Among Weeds IPA sitting in my fridge.
Considering how much you guys have traveled, is there a place overseas that sticks out?
I found a place called BrewDog (based in Ellon, Scotland) and they
specifically make West Coast style beers. It was great. It was incredible.
As much as we travel, we just need to keep playing everywhere.
Any place that sticks out to you or that you like to visit when you come back home?
been really special for us because that’s where the relationships
campus. I spent so much time in the library there, too. It was
What’s next for 311?
It’s really fun to get back to places that we know. Lincoln has really took place and things happened.
Any new artists you’re getting excited for?
I’m listening to what Apple tells me to listen too. They are
With Lincoln, campus was a part of my life, man. I loved UNL my place of escape you know? When we’re touring all over the
country, I love to go to bookstores and pick up something to read. I’m a book and record guy through and through.
incredibly right. It’s so real that the Friday mixes I get, I just play
What new artists are you listening to or getting excited for?
and won’t hear again. There’s a guy named Charley Cunningham.
this record called ‘July Flame.’ That’s a great beer-sipping
‘em. I’m blown away all the time with stuff I’ve never heard before
Great driving-through-the-fields music….with a beer. The new Thundercat album is incredible.
Is there any one person you would love to collaborate with?
I would love to work with Kendrick Lamar. I don’t know why we would click, but I just do.
SA MARTINEZ – “I REALLY LOVE NEBRASKA MAN. ANYONE THAT BADMOUTHS NEBRASKA GETS IT FROM ME.” When you travel, are a lot of the same stereotypes true around the U.S.?
They’re just different. When you spend some time in the Northeast, you know you’re in the Northeast, ya know? Crowds seem to be the best in the Midwest and the Southeast.
Are you much of a craft beer lover?
There’s a couple beers I dig. I have my go-tos and just stick with
those, like Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, which I can’t put down. I’ve
There’s one singer/songwriter Laura Veirs and she put out
record. Back when I was in college, there was a band called ‘Miracle Legion.’ I remember seeing a sign outside a bar they were playing but I had no money. I just figured I’d see them
the next time around but the band sort of dissolved. They
eventually reunited recently and I got to finally see them. I love this band.
Who do you want to collaborate or tour with in the future?
If you would of asked me that question when we were starting
out, there would of been a group of people. There is still a lot of people I’ve never even seen play. I can’t say there’s a band that I’m
wanting to hook up with and play with. That all doesn’t sound right I know, haha.
Grab a copy of 311’s new album, “MOSAIC,” and catch them on their 2017 summer tour along with New Politics! The beloved
Nebraska gem played a homecoming show on the streets of Lincoln on June 30 at the Lincoln on the Streets Concert Series at Centennial Mall and M Street.
tried some of their other crafts but that one, man, is just my jam.
Tell us a little about 311’s beer “311 Amber Ale.”
Man, I love our beer. I actually have a 12-pack in the garage I’m saving for the next time I have company over. For an amber ale, it’s not that
light but more in the medium range. I thought it was super buddy, you
know -- lots of flavor, lots of kushiness. Man, it’s just a really good beer.
What types of beer do you dig?
I’ll have a stout now and then. I’m not looking for a meal when I drink. I am more of a crisp and clean drinker, you know what I mean? I work my ass off. I have my go-to beers and really stick with them.
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BREWER SPOTLIGHT Dallas Archer
Head Brewer - Upstream Brewing Co. by Megan Rice | photography by Mitch West
D
allas Archer, head brewer of Upstream Brewing Company, values collaboration, learning from others
and fresh perspectives that lend to the brewery’s
creative recipes and endless seasonal beers.
“I really appreciate being able to understand other people’s
perspectives,’’ Archer said. “Especially if it is one that I lack. I get that a lot with beer. Whether it’s the process, the style, the attitude towards the market, the business plan...It’s an opportunity to learn.”
Archer believes the strongest leadership is executed
through cohesive team effort. Having a team whose opinions and strategies differ from his own provides him the opportunity to expand and develop as a brewer.
“I really like giving people creative control and letting them
learn,” he said. “That can be risky sometimes, but I want to give
people that freedom because I am looking to learn from them, too. I believe we can learn from each other equally. I want it to be symbiotic in that way.’’
hopped sour saison and their Czech Yourself Bohemian Pilsner.
the past four years. Archer works closely with fellow Upstream
take the reins.
The brewery has averaged 45 full-batch seasonals annually
brewers Mark Tourek and Mike Freeman and additional team
“Teamwork, variety and expanding our processes are what’s
members to imagine innovative recipes and brewing techniques
important to me,’’ he said. “Doing that many seasonals is one
“I generally try and focus on our seasonals to add that
Archer became head brewer of Upstream Brewing
that keep guests coming back.
good way to allow your team more opportunity.”
variety,” Archer said. “I would like to lead our industry. I want to
Company in 2012 after brewing full-time for four years. His
Famous for their Ebenezer Old Ale style brew, some of
at the brewery in Omaha’s Old Market. He was immediately
know I am helping push the envelope.”
Archer’s favorite seasonal batches are their coconut porter, dry-
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Endless seasonal brews allows Archer’s team many chances to
journey with Upstream began in 2007 when he took a job serving fascinated with the brewing process.
‘’I saw the result, I saw what the product was, but as I
“I really do appreciate the individual relationships that are
began to learn more I saw that there was a mechanical food
inspired and driven by the craft,” he said. “Brewing is just one
“The science in combination with the mechanics and the
individuals and the community as a whole is very rewarding and
process that was really treated like a chemistry lab,” he said.
part of the job. The overall impact that you’re able to have on
artistic part of it, the combination of those three things, I
I really value those opportunities.”
found really interesting.”
He made his way into the brew house after Upstream
Archer is a board member of the Nebraska Hop Growers
Association, an active member of the Craft Brewers Guild
staff spent a day volunteering for Habitat for Humanity
and an advocate for home brewers, who he says, are the lifeline
Heims, spent eight hours sitting in a house as they talked all
Upstream is Omaha’s longest standing brewery and a
in Omaha. Archer and the head brewer at the time, Chris
to the industry.
things beer. For Archer, this further opened the doors to the
statewide leader of the craft, producing 2,400 barrels annually
“All we talked about was beer,” Archer remembers. “I asked
to three times each week and limited release, specialty 750ml
me and said they had some part time hours in the brewery if I
“Getting to tag along with Bryan and his crazy ride is
world of brewing.
and offering six house beers on tap, a cask ale that switches two
him a million questions and at the end of the day, he came up to
bottles throughout the year.
wanted to come and learn more.”
an honor,” Archer said of president and owner Bryan Magee.
assistant’s assistant, Archer, who had moved into bartending, left
of the team. He values people and it’s had an impact on me.
Legacy location. There, he worked under then-head brewer James
it. It’s already fairly easy but when you have a leader like that,
He began homebrewing in his free time, reading books
Magee opened the brewery in Omaha’s Old Market in
After apprenticing for one year, jokingly referred to as the
“I have a lot of respect for him and I am happy to be a part
his position for a full-time job as assistant brewer of Upstream’s
It has made it easy to do my job better and be committed to
( Jimi) Watson and Archer’s love of brewing skyrocketed.
it makes it even easier.”
and online forums about brewing and went through the
1996 and the Legacy brewery, located in west Omaha, in 2004.
development and even had created some that were on tap his
operations at Old Market that will allow for barrel-aged beers
Beer Judge Certification Program. Archer worked on recipe
Legacy closed in May 2017 with sights set to expand brewing
first year as assistant brewer.
and additional fermentation tanks. In the meantime, Archer
At various craft beer events in the state, Archer can be
found mingling with fellow brewers and beer drinkers or
says it’s all about the journey.
“Part of what makes an adventure great is not knowing
handing out specially made Upstream Brewery Company
where it leads you,” Archer said. “So when asked what I will be
shirt. Archer’s esteem for his community and the craft beer
But that’s what makes it great.”
kazoos while wearing a “SUPPORT LOCAL BEER”
doing in this industry when I’m 60, the answer is, I have no idea.
industry is evident.
“You will hear this from a lot of brewers at this time: ‘I
want a career that I am passionate about. It’s not just a job to
take home a paycheck, it’s something I am happy to be a part of,’’’ Archer said. “I really like my community and I like to have an impact on it as well.’’
Archer went on to express his appreciation for the evolution
craft beer is experiencing, commenting that he invites the challenge and opportunity to learn. More importantly, Archer loves the relationships he is able to build with customers, industry
workers and even strangers by simply talking about beer. This is
KNOW A BREWER? Know of a brewer you think we should feature? Head brewer or home brewer, size doesn’t matter. We want to celebrate the people that make the beer we love. So send us your suggestions at perfectpourmagazine@gmail.com
evident by his involvement with aligned industries.
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I’M IN A
LAKE TIME STATE OF MIND by Casey Welsch | photography by Dustin Rutledge
In north central Iowa there is a big, clear lake called Clear Lake. Alongside Clear Lake there is a town called Clear Lake. And in Clear Lake there is a brewery called Lake Time. Surely you can sense a pattern.
T
he town had an improbable 7,777 people living in it during the 2010 census, though the residents say that
population at least doubles in the summer as lake lovers
from bigger cities like Minneapolis and Des Moines flock to
town for long weekend stays. This suits Lake Time Brewery owner Bob Rolling just fine.
“It’s hot,” he says, standing next to four massive new tanks
in his pristine facility on the outskirts of the town. “Business
pretty much doubles all summer long. Hopefully this’ll help steady that out a little bit.”
Rolling references the new brewing system, only
recently installed from Lincoln’s own American Beer Equipment. Everything in the brewing facility has the bright
clean sheen of being new, including Lake Time’s new head brewer, Brandon Nelson. An Omaha native, he’s been with Lake Time about two months.
“It was great coming into a brand new facility,” Nelson
said. “Nothing had been brewed on yet. So we kinda learned the system together. We had to get all the tanks prepped.”
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AWASH IN AMBITION Rolling began home brewing as a hobby several years ago, and
got more into it when he was a stay-at-home dad for a year after he stopped working selling surgical equipment.
“That’s why I always tease -- I was a stay at home dad, and I
brewed a lot, and I drank a lot when I stayed at home,” he said. “Just to make it through. I went through a lot of recipes then. As far as getting into Clear Lake, if I didn’t do it somebody else was gonna.”
He founded Lake Time in late 2012 as a small-batch
operation in what is now the brewery’s popular and expanding
taproom. Since then, Lake Time’s operation has grown into its
current brewing operation, distributing kegs to 23 counties in the northern tier of Iowa, from Algona to Des Moines.
Rolling plans to expand even further, both in volume and
area covered, so he decided he needed a brewer, and Nelson fell out of the sky. Members of Bob’s family knew members of Brandon’s family and the stars aligned.
“I found Bob on Facebook through my cousin and it just
happened to work out,” Nelson said.
THE FLEET Lake Time carries eight varieties of beer full-time: Sandy Bottoms
An American wheat with an IBU of 19.8 and an ABV of 5.4 Bobber Down
A pale ale with an IBU of 55 and an ABV of 4.7 Chasing Sunsets
An amber ale with an IBU of 54 and an ABV of 6.2 Rusty Rudder
A brown ale with an IBU of 26.6 and an ABV of 6.2 Park Bench
A porter with an IBU of 58.3 and an ABV of 6.1 Anchors Aweigh
An imperial stout with an IBU of 59.5 and an ABV of 9.1 Nelson has a scientific understanding of the beer
making process. His fascination with brewing made him
forgo a Vegas marketing career to attend a university brewing program in Washington, followed by work at No-Li Brewhouse in Spokane, Washington.
“I went to University of Nebraska for my undergrad, then
moved to Vegas and worked marketing for a casino for six years,”
Wheat Sucks
A gluten reduced ale with an IBU of 67.8 and an ABV of 5.3 Then there’s perhaps Lake Time’s most interesting offer, its
Propeller series of India pale ales. Though always an IPA, neither the drinker nor the brewer ever knows quite what they’re going to get as the Propeller spins ‘round.
he said. “As I was doing that, I was home brewing and doing the
Vegas Homebrewers Club. One of my buddies was a chef at the
Four Seasons and so we started doing beer pairing dinner things. So I just fell in love with it.”
He started attending night classes in Vegas for chemistry
and microbiology. He then enrolled at Central Washington
University in Ellensburg, learning the science of the beer at
the school’s young, beer-specific Craft Brewing Program, founded in 2009.
“Then after graduation, a kid who graduated ahead of
me, Ryan, had a job already in Spokane at a brewery,” Nelson said. “He offered me a job right away. I did that, starting as just packaging and washing kegs and working my way up to assistant head brewer. Then this opportunity came along.”
The whole journey took about two-and-a-half years.
“I wanted to design my own recipes,” Nelson said. “That’s
really why I got into brewing.”
A Lake Time flight on display.
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“Propeller IPA rotates every batch I do,” Rolling said.
Nelson supports this notion, but added that he would like
“Never the same batch twice. Just one barrel.
to focus a little on the art of barrel-aging beer.
we’re on like version 85.”
however. Lake Time has a number of seasonal and
black to white, doubles and sessions, East Coast and West.
its membership program, the Captains Club, which meets
“We’d go through that at least every other weekend. So Propeller’s been every conceivable style of IPA from
Rolling said he’ll stop the rotation when he finds the Holy Grail IPA he’s been searching for.
“How am I going to stop this?” he wonders. “Oh, our
standard won’t be Propeller anymore. It’s going to be Broken Prop.
So when we find a recipe we absolutely love, it’ll be Broken Prop.” Lake Time doesn’t want to shoehorn itself into any
particular style of beer. Rolling said he learned coming up that once people get into trying different styles of craft beer, they don’t want to be stuck with just one kind.
Head brewer Brandon Nelson (left) and owner Bob Rolling (right).
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There will still be plenty of opportunity to experiment,
specialty offerings, as well as special tapping events for monthly at the taproom.
While touring the brewing facility, Rolling and Nelson
mentioned a peanut butter porter and an anniversary IPA as currently fermenting future offerings. Sometimes Bob just lets Brandon do whatever he wants.
“Literally, one morning I texted him and was like, ‘Hey,
there’s a five-barrel fermenter open,’” Nelson said. “What do you want me to brew in it?
“He’s like ‘Whatever you want. How about an IPA?’
And I was like OK, so I brewed an On The Fly IPA, which
we tapped last night for the Captains Club, which was like a northwest style IPA, 40 percent or 50 percent Munich, so it’s really carmelly, and then it’s got Cascade, Centennial and
Northern Brewer hops so it’s a pretty piney, resiny, pretty dank IPA.
“I literally grabbed a notebook and scratched some stuff
real quick. Scratched that out, did it again. Something’ll work. We’ll find out.”
And it did work out. At 6.8 percent ABV with good IBUs,
the variety of hop flavors danced on the tongue in the taproom. Not bad for a scratch-paper recipe.
When asked whether Nelson had worked out so far for
Rolling and Lake Time, Nelson replied, “I haven’t been fired yet.” Bob just laughed.
HIGH TIDES Over the last five years, Lake Time has become a treasured feature of Clear Lake. The little vacation town -- primarily
known for its Clear Lake and being the home of the Surf Ballroom, the legendary venue where Buddy Holly played his last show before dying in a plane crash on “The Day the Music Died” -- seems to have been aching for a brewery such as Lake Time. But some of the townsfolk had to warm up to the idea.
“They like us now,” Rolling said. “They weren’t sure a
brewery was going to go over in Clear Lake.
“It was one guy. He was an ego. Still is an ego. But now he’s
my best friend. And I have to put up with him.”
As the Lake Time taproom opens on Thursday afternoon,
regulars and first-time visitors immediately begin filling the
homey interior. Within an hour, business is booming and the atmosphere is lively. And it’s Thursday, which means big business in Clear Lake.
“(The town has) an event called Thursdays on Main,”
Rolling said. It’s a weekly event in the summer with food trucks, vendors, performances, activities, fun for the whole family.
“The whole main street gets shut down. Starts at 5. By 6
there’ll be, well, like most towns this size on the Fourth of July, (but) we have that every Thursday. It’s crazy. It’s packed.”
The taproom, just a block or so off Clear Lake’s Main
Avenue, vends crowlers and growlers to the Thursdays on Main
crowd, for whom there are no pesky open container laws to worry about. And they drink it up.
Between the actual Clear Lake and Thursdays on Main,
Lake Time serves up a lot of lake time. It’s exactly the kind of vibe they try to capture and emulate.
Back at the brewery, a sign sits in the entryway to the
facility that says “WELCOME TO MY ‘LITTLE HOBBY’”. It’s a quote from the prior-mentioned “ego” Rolling had to
convince to let him start the brewery, at first trying to belittle his aspirations. Since then, “it’s not been a problem,” Rolling said with a laugh.
It’s fair to say Lake Time has become the go-to hobby
for a lot of the town. And now with a bigger facility, a planned canning line in the works and a new head brewer
on the loose, it’s likely to become a much bigger hobby for a Lake Time gets the last laugh with the dismissive quote at the
whole lot more people.
entrance to the brewery.
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by Erin Miles
T
wo issues ago ( January 2017 issue), Perfect Pour explored South Dakota breweries located on the eastern side of the state; however, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Western South Dakota is home to 11 other breweries and helps illuminate the growth of South Dakota’s craft beer industry. All of the western breweries are located within a 108-mile radius of each other, most of them clustered close together, making for a great beer road trip. Not only will you get to sample some great brews, you’ll do so while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Black Hills and exploring some of the state’s history. While there isn’t enough room to touch upon all eleven breweries, we hope the five highlighted below pique your interest enough to go check them all out for yourself. (If you missed the Eastern South Dakota Wanderlust, you can find it in the issue archives on our website, perfectpourmagazine.com)
MINER BREWING - Hill City, SD: Matt Keck and Sandi Vojta opened Miner Brewing in 2013 and set out to make beers that are “traditional in nature yet uniquely and truly ‘South Dakota.’” The brewery name pays tribute to settlers and miners of the Black Hills in the 1800s when the Black Hills Gold Rush was in full swing and local beer was a staple of the time. Sandi, the brewmaster, comes from a family with five generations of beverage crafting experience and has 15 years of winemaking experience under her belt (Prairie Berry Winery). Through the past four years, she has brewed 76 different beers, mostly traditional European styles brewed with regional and seasonal ingredients. The styles touch on all ends of the beer spectrum from ales to goses and sours to farmhouse saisons and ciders. There is plenty to sample from the 15 rotating taps, but make sure to try a Dr. Valentine Imperial Red IPA, their most popular year round offering, or their popular summer seasonal the Mango Crème Ale. Check out their website for a list of their outdoor summer concerts and other events. www.minerbrewing.com
LOST CABIN BEER COMPANY - Rapid City, SD: Named in honor of some of the best hiking and biking trails in the Black Hills, Lost Cabin Beer Company focuses on quality, creativity and community. Founders Tom Silbernagel and Jesse Scheitler opened Lost Cabin in May of 2016 and it has become a place for locals and visitors to enjoy smallbatch ales and lagers brewed with locally sourced ingredients when possible. The comfortably rustic taproom reflects their appreciation for family, friends and the great outdoors and it recently expanded to foster their growing barrel program. They always have 12 beers on tap and some of the local favorites to try are the Lord Grizzly Scotch Ale, the Dakota Common which is brewed with South Dakota grown hops, and the Smoke Wagon Coffee Stout, a collaboration with a local coffee shop (The Pure Bean). With food trucks available six days a week, Lost Cabin makes for a great place to enjoy quality beer, food and company. Events and current tap listings are available on their website and Facebook page. www.lostcabin.beer
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CROW PEAK BREWING - Spearfish, SD: Named after the Black Hills peak visible from the brewery, Crow Peak opened in 2007 and is one of South Dakota’s larger and better known breweries. Founders Jeff Drumm and his wife, Carolyn, set out with a focus to help instill a richer craft beer culture in South Dakota and have done a great job. In 2009, they partnered up with Josh Fritz and built their current brewery and taproom, a beautiful log cabin-esque building with a big porch and live music space. The 12 taproom handles boast their large batch beer, such as the Pile O’ Dirt Porter and their flagship 11th Hour IPA, as well as small batch specialty beers which are only available at the taproom. They are open seven days a week, so stop by to enjoy a tasty brew or two and take in the lovely Black Hills scenery. Check their website and Facebook for events. www.crowpeakbrewing.com FIREHOUSE BREWING -Rapid City, SD: This “proudly micro” brewery opened in 1991, making it South Dakota’s first brewpub since the Dakota Brewing Company closed its doors in 1942. The taproom and brewery are located in the original Rapid City Firehouse, which was built in 1915 and recognized on the historical register. The taproom is adorned with firefighter memorabilia, including some of the original structures from the firehouse. Beer isn’t all you can find here; Firehouse is also home to a winery, restaurant and bar, patio, bandshell, theater and mercantile. They have nine rotating tap handles featuring their beers, though they brew about 40 unique brews each year, so there is always a new reason to keep coming back. The current tap list is always available on their website, along with event listings and other news. www.firehousebrewing.com HAY CAMP BREWING - Rapid City, SD: Hay Camp Brewing Company, named after the 1870s encampment that eventually became Rapid City, opened in 2014. At the time, owners and brewers Karl Koth and Sam Papendick had full-time jobs so brewing was confined to the weekends and the taproom was only open on Fridays. They have since made the move into being full time brewery owners and this year they acquired and renovated an old auto dealership in downtown Rapid City to expand their operation. The new location, known as The Mothership, is also home to a coffee roaster, a hand crafted wood furniture gallery and a place for local artists to display their work. With 10 tap handles, you can try an array of the small-batch, hand-crafted ales, such as their flagship Victory Stout, the Centennial IPA and the American-style Better Brown Ale. Check out their website for current tap listings and events. www.haycampbrewing.com DAKOTA SHIVERS BREWING - Lead, SD: A mere five minutes from Deadwood, Dakota Shivers is a small brewery opened by Steve and Linda Shivers in 2015. Beer has been an integral part of the Shivers’ lives; Steve has more than 30 years of home brewing experience but it is Linda, who started brewing five years ago, who does all their brewing and creates most of the recipes. Eight tap handles feature rotating seasonal brews and their year round Fabulous Four (5280 House Pale, Dark Matter RyePA, Whistle Blowin’ Stout and rotating IPAs Switch Vertical Mile or Hop Calamity). Their beers are available only at their taproom, but you can take it with you as they have a Crowler system and are happy to fill up any growler. For a current list of what is on tap, check out their website or Facebook page. www.dakotashiversbrewing.com
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CRAFTY NEIGHBORS KROS STRAIN AND PINT NINE HAVE FORGED A UNIQUE CRAFT BEER RELATIONSHIP. by Erin Miles | photography by Mitch West
Two new breweries, Kros Strain and Pint Nine, opened their doors this summer joining the ranks of of Nebraska’s blossoming craft beer industry.
B
oth located in La Vista, Nebraska, the two breweries
share a lot more than just location. To say they are close is an understatement in more ways than one.
an arrangement. However, the breweries embrace their unique differences and see only good things to come.
Imagine it like dueling pianos; the stage is set with two
Housed in a business plaza just two doors down from each other,
pianos side by side and two pianists with their own unique
It may catch some off guard to see two breweries so close in
but all know the two are better together, playing off one another,
the breweries are set up to make something great even better.
proximity and many might wonder about the feasibility of such
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playing styles and persona. Some may prefer one over the other, collaborating and pushing each other to the liking of the crowd.
GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE
“I was working at the pub (Nebraska Brewing Company’s
The founders/brewers of both establishments have known each
pub in Papillion) and Scott would randomly come down and we
How the duos came to open their own breweries are stories
we started our own brewery?’” Kros said.
breweries’ beginnings are ones to note.
wants their own place.”
as home brewers before they started working for Nebraska Brewing
opening his own brewery and had already put a lot of thought
mulling around the dream of one day opening a brewery of their own.
Kros Strain. So when the two left NBC in 2015 to pursue their
other through home brewing and the industry for several years.
would drink beers at the brewers’ table and talk about ‘What if
of their own, but the parallels in their backgrounds and the
“Like every brewer does,” Strain added, “every brewer
Bobby Kros and Scott Strain of Kros Strain Brewing began
Company (NBC) in 2013. It wasn’t long after that the two started
Prior to working for NBC, Strain had seriously considered
into the idea before he and Kros conjured up the concept for
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dream, they had a solid business plan in place. The next step was
to recruit investors and get the legalities underway, all of which took about a year.
As for Jimi Watson and Denny Hynek of Pint Nine
Brewing, their journey also began with home brewing. Once Watson felt he had learned all he could from home brewing, he went on to attend the Master Brewers Program at the University
of California-Davis and sat for the International Brewers and Distillers Exam out of London in 2009.
Afterward, Watson started working for Upstream at their west
location for two years, moved on to join the Empyrean Brewing
team in Lincoln for three before going back to work for Upstream
at their downtown location. This is where he met Denny, who was a
brewer at Upstream five years prior to leaving early this past spring. Here, Watson proposed the idea of opening a brewery to Hynek.
“I liked who I worked for, but it seemed like I was giving
my intellectual property away for a wage,” Watson said. “We (brewers) are kind of between an artist and a chef, so you almost have to try and do your own thing when it is your art.”
Watson left Upstream after a couple of years to focus on
creating a business plan while Hynek continued working at Upstream. A little over a year later, Watson had the ball rolling and Hynek knew it was time to make the jump.
Once the brewer duos had their business plans laid down
and made the leap into pursuing their brewing endeavors, it was
time to find a location. Unbeknownst to each other, they set their sights on the exact same location, a newly constructed business
Bobby Kros (top) and Scott Strain (bottom) of Kros Strain.
“I wasn’t surprised to find out that someone else was
plaza in La Vista.
interested in the space for the same purpose,” Strain said.
coincidental,” Strain said. “We had spent a lot time looking for
and one week later, Kros Strain signed the lease on theirs.
“As far as being right next to each other, it was pretty
locations but couldn’t really find something that fit our needs.
They had originally looked at locations in Western Omaha
where they felt there was a lack of breweries, but differences in codes and regulations along with space availability and cost kept bringing their attention back to La Vista.
“I thought it was really cool that another brewery was
opening up just a couple doors down,” Hynek said. “We are all
friends from back in our home brewing days and I think it is a great thing for craft beer.”
From the start, the guys have found there are many
“This space suited our needs; it has tall ceilings, big production
advantages to being neighbors. Their projected opening dates
“The location is right on a fairly busy road with ton of parking
contractors and, of course, making the same product. So having
space and the ability to have a small taproom,” Hynek explained. and not tucked away in some industrial park,” Strain added.
Toss in the perks of the neighboring residential area and
the West Papio pedestrian and biking trail, which runs right behind the brewery, the location was exactly what both breweries were looking for.
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Pint Nine signed the lease for their space in August of 2016
were right on par with each other; they were using the same each other nearby to ask questions or rely on for a helping hand proved to be beneficial and appreciated.
“We ask each other questions all the time,” Hynek said.
“We have a lot of the same equipment such as our glycol
chiller, mills and ager,” Kros explained, “so having a brewery next
CONTRAST However, as close as they are in proximity and time line, the two
breweries have an individuality of their own from their business model to their beers to the ambiance of their taprooms.
“It’s big and small things that set us apart,” Watson said, “I
love what those guys (Kros Strain) are doing, but there are some things that make us drastically different.”
One of these differences is their business model. Kros
Strain plans on packaging and distributing right out of the gate, which will require their production to be at a much grander scale.
“We are really focused on production and growth,” Kros said.
“Per capita, we (Nebraska) have a fair number of breweries,
but not that many that are packaging,” Strain said. “That’s why we
felt there was a lot of room in the market on the packaging side.” Pint Nine, on the other hand, looks at the venture from a
smaller-scale perspective and are taking things at a slower pace.
“We will have a canning line, but we didn’t want to start
with it,” Watson said. “We only have three employees; it is just
Denny and I in back and Tammy (Denny’s wife) up front, so we don’t want to overextend ourselves.”
Different business models aside, they are in the same
business, the business of brewing beer. But even in that regard they maintain their own distinct style. Denny Hynek (top) and Jimi Watson (bottom) of Pint Nine.
door that is working on the same stuff in the same time frame has just been really helpful.”
The similarities in their time frames are almost uncanny.
Their coolers got installed on the same day and their brew houses were delivered on the same day.
“Your brew house truck is blocking my brew house truck,”
the guys said as they laughed at the memory of the day.
“I am sure we are going to make similar beers,” Strain said.
“It isn’t like Pint Nine is Belgian only and Kros Strain is IPA only.” “Sure, we will make similar styles of beer,” Watson said,
“But we (Pint Nine) don’t even filter our beer. We are more like
an old English brewery to a certain extent but we make a lot of new American brews.”
The differences in their beers are a result of preference,
production demands and brewing systems.
Kros Strain’s brew system, from Alpha Brewing Operations
out of Lincoln, consists of a 15-barrel, three-vessel brew house, five 30-barrel fermenters and two five-barrel fermenters. Their
“It is more about synergy than direct competition. I think there are a lot of things we can actually get from each other and our differences are what make it great.
system is larger overall to help accommodate their production needs for distribution.
“The point of the small five-barrel fermenters is to do some
specialty one-offs,” Kros explained.
“When we are brewing our flagships, we can pull some beer
off the big 30 barrel fermenters, put them in our small five-barrel
ones and add different things to make them unique,” Strain said. “Those will go on draft, giving us more tap handles and allowing us to get some unique kegs out there to key accounts.”
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Kros Strain also plans on making non-alcoholic beverages,
such as flavored sparkling waters, cold brew coffee and root beer. Pint Nine procured their brewing system through Criveller
out of Canada. They have the same size brew house, but due to their smaller scale production needs, only acquired two 30-barrel and two 15-barrel fermenters.
“We wanted something a little different than some of
the other breweries around town,” Hynek said. “We went to Ploughshare in Lincoln who have a similar system and really liked the way it’s operated and so far is has been a great little system.”
With regards to their beer, there is disparity in more than
the beer itself and the systems on which they are brewed. The way the two breweries approach the naming of their beers illuminates A pour of Pint Nine’s Session Red (top), one of the four initial offerings from their taproom (below).
a stark distinction in personality and approach.
Kros Strain’s flagship beers include Helles Creed German-
lager, Fairy Nectar IPA and Dark Paradise Amber Ale, all of which will be available in six-packs. Additionally they will have SupaJuice Double IPA available in bombers.
“There is no deep meaning or theme behind our naming
process, we just try to think of fun names,” Strain said. “Problem is, half of the names we come up with have already been taken.”
“These days, trying to name beers is probably one of
the hardest things to do with all the different breweries out there,” Kros added. “But when we poured Fairy Nectar at an event, we had people saying they didn’t even care what the beer was, they just wanted to try it. We knew then we had come up with a good name.”
With owners named Bobby Kros and Scott Strain, the
brewery name Kros Strain needs no explanation. And even though Watson Hynek Brewery has a nice ring to it, the guys
from Pint Nine got creative with a bit of beer nerd trivia when they came up with the name for their brewery. An official pint
glass is 16.9 ounces. Take that “point nine” and a fun little play
on words and voila! Pint Nine. As for the naming of their beers, however, they went a more simplistic route.
“We figured we would keep it simple, Pint Nine IPA, Pint
Nine Amber and so on,” Hynek said. “Initially we had some
names, but like Scott (Strain) said, more times than not, when you Google it someone has already taken it.”
The four beers Pint Nine will initially introduce to the
market will be their Pale Ale, IPA, Session Red and a rotating
seasonal. These will be available on draft at their location and various accounts around Nebraska.
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The contrast in the way the two breweries name their beers,
Sharing the large parking lot creates the perfect opportunity
with Kros Strain adding in a bit of fun flair and Pint Nine keeping it
to co-host events and the ideas are already flowing. They plan on
When you walk into Kros Strain’s taproom, you are
beer fests throughout the year and participating in the monthly
nice and simple, is also exemplified in the ambiance of their taprooms. greeted by a large, colorful and eye-catching mural that
rises up to the high ceiling. Done by local artist Norm4Eva, the mural is a mosaic of gems and geometric shapes with
images representing their different beers randomly imbedded
having Food Truck Fridays on a weekly basis, hosting various Pint-A-Gon Tap Room Bike Ride (see Facebook for details). Other events are already on their radar and with these four guys manning the idea wheelhouse, more great things are to come.
“Even though there are five other breweries within a mile of
throughout. Giant wooden wire spools Bobby Kros acquired
us, we have a unique opportunity because of our proximity that
converted into high top tables, hop light fixtures hang over
“I think it will be a great thing for both of us,” Hynek said.
from OPPD (Omaha Public Power District) have been the bar and a beautiful piece of blue patina copper adorns the
tap wall. All these elements combine to create a fun, creative and distinctive space that will definitely become a symbol of the brewery itself.
While Pint Nine’s taproom doesn’t boast a lot of flair, its
clean and simple design fosters a fresh and open feel. The wood-
lined walls and rustic touches create a welcoming atmosphere
with three different seating areas catering to groups of all sizes from long, butcher-block high-tops to smaller, low-top tables to a
other breweries don’t get,” Watson said.
Not only is it going to be a great thing for them, it is going
to be a great thing for everyone from craft beer fans to the Nebraska craft beer industry to the La Vista community.
So turn on the stage lights, cue the pianos and let the
fun begin!
Follow both Kros Strain and Pint Nine on Facebook or
check out their websites to stay apprised of events and other news.
nook with comfortable, leather chairs. The taproom motif might not be one that will stand out in memory, but the comfortable and inviting vibe of the space is one that will appeal to all and fit gatherings of all types. SYNERGY The various nuances between the two breweries beget great potential for a collaborative and beneficial relationship.
“It is more about synergy than direct competition,” Watson
said. “I think there are a lot of things we can actually get from
each other and our differences are what make it great. If we were the same thing that wouldn’t be special, people would just pick their favorite and stick with it.”
Being so close and having their own unique styles will cater
to a wider spectrum of people and also provide an opportunity for people to try something they might not have made the effort to before.
“Having two breweries in one place is huge. Think about
places like Benson, a bunch of craft beer places in one spot,” Strain said, “Here we are just two suites away from each other and people can hop back and forth.”
“We’ll do events together, brew beers together. Keep it fun!”
Kros added.
Local artist Norm4Eva painted the colorful geodesic mural that adorns an entire wall of Kros Strains taproom.
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BEER HAVEN 1867 Bar Lincoln, NE
by Annie Ellis | photography by Mitch West
N
ebraska celebrated its 150th birthday this year, and it came with plenty of support in the form of events and
programs; some that hope to cast a legacy. But before
the official party started, 1867 Bar opened up in the heart of the capital city, focusing on all things local: beer, liquor, music, art
and comedy. It is the brainchild of Lincoln native, Kelsey Graves, and its pulse hasn’t slowed since the doors opened.
Graves realized her dream of owning a bar of her very own
before she was even of legal drinking age. Having previously worked with mentally handicapped individuals through the
State of Nebraska, she started looking for a part-time job that
would help take her mind off the seriousness that went along
with such a responsibility. She initially applied to be a bartender at a local establishment, but they wouldn’t hire her since she didn’t have any experience.
“I figured working at a bar would be a blast, why not?,”
Grave said. “ I ended up getting hired as a cocktail waitress and I just fell in love with it.”
Graves had so much fun learning the ropes and meeting
1867 Bar owner Kelsey Graves.
people in the bar world, she started to pick up more hours
So he finally threw me to the wolves on a Friday night and I
working at the State with reduced hours to continue being
to, in order to learn.”
and landed a second job at another bar in town. She remained
with her clients. It wasn’t until she got her first taste of
loved it. I messed up a couple times, but I feel like you have With a growing love for slinging drinks and meeting
bartending that she ultimately knew she would leave her first
new and interesting people, this led Graves to discover
“I had been studying, and begging my boss every day,”
quickly became a reality when the bar space located on the
full-time job completely.
Graves said. “I was like, ‘I know how to make all these!’ And
every time I would go get a beer or a mixed drink, I’d always
ask the bartender, ‘How’d you make that? What’s all in this?’
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that she aspired to own her own establishment. This dream Northwest corner of 14th and O streets became available. The spot is most well-known to Lincolnites as once previously Woody’s Pub.
“I saw the opportunity and said, ‘You know what? I’m going
“I try to cater to everybody,” she said. “We have the nice
to kick myself if I don’t do it.’ And I did it,” Graves said.
beers, we have the domestic beers, we have the nice liquor, and
official opening occurred two short months later on July 15.
classy cocktail? I’ll make you that. You want a rum and Coke?
The purchase was final in late April of 2016, while the
Those two months did not feel short for Graves in the midst of the work that needed to be done. She wasn’t alone, though. Since
we have the well liquor. I can make you anything. You want a I’ll make you that.”
While waiting for your order to be perfected by one of
the beginning, her significant other Matt (Matty) Sanders, and
the four full-time bartenders, the refurbished bar top is fun to
“Matty, Ben and I were here every single day from
layer of clear epoxy lies a variety of old Nebraska license plates.
his brother, Ben Sanders, have been by her side.
basically 8 a.m. til 4 p.m, just busting away, really cleaning
everything … trying to figure out where to put tables and chairs,” Graves said. “And Knickerbocker’s had just closed
observe: on top of the original wooden bar and under a smooth
Graves spent three days raiding local antique stores for her collection. Her oldest one dates 1931.
From the entrance into the back end of the bar area is a door
down, so that’s where all of our tables came from, our shot
that leads to the venue room, that houses the many concerts and
Cleaning was only the beginning of what the bar
Concerts are consistently held here every Friday and Saturday
glasses, the venue doors, the shelving outside…”
needed, and Graves maintained her then full-time job as a
bar manager, working from 4:30 p.m. til 2 a.m. each day until 1867 opened. Much of the behind-the-scenes work before the grand opening was done solely by Graves, her crew of
stand-up comedians that come through for 1867’s many events. night, with the occasional show on Thursdays and Sundays. And
when the bar is just a bar, over 300 hours of all local music might be playing for entertainment.
Another event Graves enjoys hosting is Paws & Draws
two and whatever help they could gather from their friends.
on the first Sunday of each month. Man’s best friend is
restored the original bar top by ripping up three layers of
events bring in a few additional perks for pups. $1 from
They repainted the entire joint gray with brick red accents, black epoxy, and molded it into everything she dreamed her own bar would be.
“We ripped up the floor out of the beer garden, ya know,
within the first two days – we did a lot of work,” Graves said. “I had a lot of friends come in and help me, too. I think the hardest thing was the painting. We painted every room. That was a good week and a half out of our time.”
The entrance is located on the west side, facing N. 14th
Street, and serves as the beer garden, where bar patrons can play
welcome at 1867 every day of the week, but these special
every draw purchase goes toward a local animal shelter and/ or cause. The most recent of donations are going to Lincoln
Animal Ambassadors. Bar-going dogs get doggy beer, treats made from spent grains from local breweries, and shirts, all from the Midwestern-owned company, Beer Paws. It isn’t
uncommon that Graves’ yellow Labrador, Dolly Parton, makes an appearance at the bar on any given day, as well as other dogs who are regulars right along with their owners.
Let’s not forget about our local comedians – 1867’s
darts, bean bag toss and giant Jenga. Walking in from the beer
Pints and Punchlines is another regular affair that must be
immediate right is a comfortable couch placed in front of two
some local and other non-local comedians come in hoping
garden leads you to the bar and surrounding seating area. On your
flat-screen TVs, complete with original Nintendo game consoles for playing leisurely, or to take part in one of their occasional video game tournaments.
Ordering at the bar extends 14 different Nebraska beer
selections on tap, eight of which were added as a part of the remodel.
mentioned. Each month, a local brewery is featured, while to make the audience spray beer out of their mouths from
laughing so hard. For $10, one gets a pint of the featured brewery’s beer, a souvenir pint glass, and entry into the comedy show in the venue.
One other notable event that will be picking up in
The bar boasts 98 percent local beer choices, including a full cooler
frequency going forward includes Clean Up for Kegs; a lake and
visiting, Graves knows how to make any kind of cocktail that you
good of the community and then satisfy their thirst by drinking
of bottles and beers. If a cold beer isn’t what you’re feeling while might want, even if you’re not sure what that might be yet.
park clean-up project that brings people together to work for the off a keg of local beer.
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Since the bar name is attributed to the year that
Nebraska became the 37th state in the Union, it wouldn’t
have been the same if she didn’t throw a party for our great state’s 150th birthday, which appropriately took place on March 1st, 2017. All Nebraska trivia kicked off the night with
prizes coming from Ohiowa’s own Lazy Horse Vineyard and
Brewing, with a concert following it up. The show featured three different genres: hip-hop, rock and country.
Graves, being the only female bar-and-venue owner in
the state, took it to another level when she agreed to brew a beer with Lazy Horse called 1867 Brown Ale, special for
Nebraska’s sesquicentennial. Graves was given freedom to choose what style of beer she wanted based on what she
liked to drink herself, and they made sure it was distributed to other bars, including a couple in Omaha.
When asked what the future looked like for Graves and
1867, it is no surprise to find out that their time and proceeds would be used to serve the surrounding community and its animal rescue efforts.
“I’ve talked about, once I pay off my loan in five years,
it’d be nice to buy some property outside of town and turn
that into a dog kennel, a place to train animals and be a rescue site. That’d be something that I’d like to do. We’ve
done so much work with animal rescue organizations and I absolutely love what they’re doing and there’s just many animals out there that need help, and homes, and I definitely want to be a part of that.”
It’s clear that Graves is proud of her Nebraska roots
by the way she actively promotes and gives back to the
community. By providing a space for gathering people together to share all things local, she brings a positive light
to the definition of the word ‘community,’ as well as our well beloved beer community.
1867 Bar can be found on Facebook, at www.facebook.
com/1867Bar/ where they list a complete calendar of their upcoming events and shows.
The taps frequently rotate between various beers from breweries
state-wide (top). One of the many forms of entertainment available within the bar includes giant Jenga (bottom).
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by Jay Ferguson
B
ehind the frosted glass at your local bottle store stands an unorthodox display of modern art. You’ve slugged back its muse for years, popped its logoed caps to get at what’s considered the star of the show: the beer inside. But chances are you’ve never turned your passion to the vast exhibition standing in neat, chilled rows — the labels and designs on the cans and bottles themselves. At their worst, craft beer labels can be confusing, thoughtlessly attention-grabbing, colorful collages splayed onto a bottle with amateur skill. But at their best, they’re thoughtful and thought-provoking, catchy and beautiful — eloquent and imaginative translations of the complex liquids inside the can or bottle. And as craft beer becomes more paradigm than upstart, beer labeling and design has morphed into one of the main sources of its inspiration and creativity. Just like the craft beer business, labeling art and design have experienced massive changes in the past several years. Empty, one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure, washed out and stored on the mantle with pride. That’s another wonderful part of craft beer design and artistry: its divisiveness is only heightened by its subjectivity. Design has more effect on the end product than most drinkers realize; more and more, the design side of craft beer is influencing brewers and breweries, leading the beer’s style and intent at an early stage rather than the other way around. And canvass your friends: how much do their favorite beers correspond to their favorite labeling? (Answer: a lot.)
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Being an artist myself I have more than once bought a beer simply because the label caught my eye. This may seem like a bit of a gamble and it is, as sometimes the brew inside has me going yay or nay. But we picked a few masterpieces’ to share with you today.
Catch 23 – Gigantic Brewing Gigantic came swinging out of the gate in 2012 in Portland, Oregon, quickly becoming a favorite in a crowded market thanks to its inventive saisons, new takes on IPA, and early collabs with some of the nation’s best brewers. But the brewery is also storied for its teamups with artists, selecting a new designer for each of its labels. As such, you might score a Ginormous Imperial IPA sporting a robot that might look at home among anime toys, or a Still of the Night with a terror creature straight from Rob Zombie’s fever dreams. From lucid dreamscapes to a three-way brawl between a bear, bald eagle and great white shark, it’s the kind of beer art you’ll wish you could hang on the wall.
Brew Free! Or Die – 21st Amendment Brewery In this comic depiction of Mount Rushmore, Abe Lincoln breaks the mold with a smirk and a triumphant raised fist. Riffing on the 21st Amendment, they visually represent their motto to “celebrate the right to be original” by infusing iconic Americana imagery with humor and playful, bold design.
Ginga’ Ninja – Black Hog Brewing Connecticut-based Black Hog Brewing’s label is an ecstatic celebration of femininity (and redheads in particular) – and given that it was designed for a Red India Pale with fresh “ginger,” it couldn’t be more appropriate. We like the label design’s unlikely mashup of psychedelic poster art and American magazine illustrations from the 1960s. We also like the beer…a lot.
Cursed – TRVE Brewing When choosing a name for his heavy metal-inspired, Denver-based brewing company, proprietor Nick Nunns chose TRVE (pronounced “true”), an inside joke in the metal-community poking fun at people who take themselves too seriously. The label design for this mixed culture pale ale is based off of the iconic guitar pedal that arguably spawned an entire subgenre of heavy metal.
St. Lupulin – Odell Odell’s labels are all pretty impressive what with their allegorical and subtlety retro hand printed style. Their ode to the mythical wanderer St. Lupulin is a great example of their approach, but truthfully you could produce a book of great label artwork from this brewery. The beer itself is a May through September seasonal. This is just a small handful of the amazing art found on beer bottles and cans on shelves all over the world. It was hard to pick just a few here. Next time you’re out shopping for new beers, take a moment to bask in the glory of a worldclass art exhibit that anyone can afford.
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Something Seasonal by Annie Ellis | photography by Mitch West
A
nother season is upon us, and there is no lack of conversation about the same observations like, “Where did the time go?” or “Can you believe how hot it is out
there?” For those of us who live in a climate that changes every few
months, we get used to these cycles and know what to expect. Even so, there is always some unpredictability within every changing season; such is life. We can expect to see a pattern of beer styles within each
season as well, but it is enlightening to know that innovation within
our craft breweries aren’t anywhere close to dying. How can one ever bore of these options? This time around, I immersed my taste buds into the hottest and most humid of days to test the refreshment level of these brews, along with some of my regular weekend activities.
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#MERICA! BEER!, Surly – Minneapolis, MN It’s lunch time on this increasingly overcast Saturday, and the
humidity will not let up. Time for something even lighter and less complex to re-energize. Though the gimmick seems more appealing than the flavor, the ease of how this fair-colored
pre-Prohibition American Lager slides down the throat will delight beer drinkers everywhere this summer. Our ‘Nice’ state
of Nebraska might also be familiar with the flaked corn flavor profile used in place of a barley malt as well. The Warrior and
Willamette hops used, make an appearance throughout, helping achieve a level of brisk that keeps your summer weekend warrior status at a 10. Available, like, everywhere.
Splish Splash, Infusion – Omaha, NE
Radler, T.W. Pitchers’ – San Francisco, CA
It’s inevitable, the classic song this beer is named after gets
It’d be a lie if this hybrid shandy beverage was made out to be a
are uttered. It won’t matter while drinking this crisp brew
(sorry, not sorry). It can’t be helped that it was simply the best after
stuck like an earworm in the brain the moment the words
though. The temperature is a deceiving 76 degrees along with a face-melting 78 percent humidity. The Saturday morning
workout is complete and the realization has been reached that cooling off won’t come quickly… daydreams of swimming in
this wheat beer feels so real. A whiff provides genuine tart
cherries, seemingly straight from a backyard of a local farm. Weighing in at 5.4 percent ABV, it needs to stay cold for ultimate drinking pleasure, even when a 7 mph breeze fans the face. Go visit the brewery in the Benson ‘hood for this one
summer beer only – it’s available year-round where distributed mowing the lawn in an increased temperature of 78 degrees. The
humidity has come down to a still-miserable 70 percent, but the grass isn’t going to cut itself! The labor is well worth it when the top
is popped on this Lager that includes grapefruit juice and a hint of
blood orange. Instead of dropping like a biting fly after Saturday
afternoon chores, open one of these cans quickly to allow the citrus
to awaken the nostrils for a smooth transition into the evening hours. Brombeere Blackberry Gose, Odell – Fort Collins, CO
if the opportunity arises!
Late afternoon and early evening hours in the summer call for a
Caught Lookin’, Black Tooth – Sheridan, NY
and-salty style drinks best as the heat of the day starts tapering off
It’s the last day of the work week and the clock just struck happy hour. Before the night commences, take a breather to
relish in this beautiful blonde brew, even if the temperature
remains 94 degrees at 6 p.m. in the evening. At first pour, the nice bubbly froth accents the medium gold liquid. The concrete starts to burn bare legs that rests on it, yet each
wrap-around porch and a rocking chair, if so obtainable. This sweetinto the slowly-approaching night sky. Tartness hits the tongue like
a freshly picked berry off the vine, while the ego is filled with all that was accomplished in one weekend day. Coming in at 4.8 percent
ABV, this chilled treat would also make an excellent dessert beer, post grilled steak and veggies. Mountain critters welcome.
sip gets easier. The beads of sweat are starting to rise to
the surface of the skin even after a few minutes in the
setting sun. Light-bodied, the malt and hop profiles come through as the 4.8 percent-brew starts to taste somewhat
creamy. Let yourself get distracted with those mild hop flavors that seem to keep creeping in nonchalantly. Just don’t get caught droolin’.
American Kolsch, Boulevard – Kansas City, MO Come Sunday, there may not be a better way than to simultaneously rest and celebrate time off than with the
levity of a Kolsch-style brew. With a creamy foam covering
the golden ale like a morning cloud cover about to burn off, the aroma is a bit bread-like. The humidity has been tamed significantly, so the temperature of 83 degrees does not
necessitate cracking this can of Kolsch open as fast as possible for thirst-quenching relief. In fact, moving slow like honey fits
right in with the malt sweetness that hits the palate initially, leaving a crisper, slightly hoppy flavor on the finish. This would be the perfect beer to jump in a hammock with, and sway away any residual worries.
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COOKING with
by
CRAFT BEER recipe by Brandon Fowler | photo by Fidel Matos
SPICED PORTER PORK BELLY – 5 lb pork belly
1. Remove stems and seeds from dried chilies, and steep in hot water for 30 minutes.
– 2 ancho chilies
3. Rub belly in paste and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
– 3 tbsp salt
– 2 chipotle chilies
4. Put belly into a disposable roasting pan, and pour in beer to cover the belly
– 2 guajillo chilies
three-fourths of the way up.
– 1 tbsp coriander
6. Smoke belly until it’s tender, about 4 hours, topping with beer as needed.
– 1 tsp black pepper – 1 tbsp cumin
– 1 medium onion – 3 garlic cloves
– 1 lime zested & juiced
– 24 oz of a robust porter
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2. Purée chilies, spices, and onion/garlic to a paste.
5. Preheat smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit 7. Remove belly from beer and chill.
8. Slice belly into 1/4 inch thick slices, and skewer with bamboo skewers.
9. Heat a charcoal grill to high heat and sear each side. Keep grill covered to minimize flair ups.
10. Serve with slider buns, slaw and BBQ sauce!