Philly Beer Scene - December / January 2011-2012 by Philly Beer Scene

Issue 16 | December 2011/january 2012 | www.phillybeerscene.com

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bARREL bREWS Oak Aged From Dark to Sour

2011 Holiday Gift Guide Our selection of unique beer gifts

Second Chances Otter Creek’s New Success

Light Beer | Holiday Cheeses | New Beers Resolutions

december 2011/january 2012

Free! Take One 1

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Contents December 2011/January 2012

64 sections 8

On the Scene Beer events in Philly’s beer scene.

10 The Variety Pack Mat Falco, Joe Gunn, Neil Harner, Andrew Loder, Brittanie Sterner & Two Guys On Beer

16 Woman on the Scene New Beers Resolutions By Carolyn Smagalski

31 Brewmasters

Brian Strumke of Stillwater By Mat Falco

32 Beer Travel Vermont By Mat Falco

34 le fromage Holiday Pairings By Paul Lawler

18 Fun With Beer

36 From the Cellar

Beer Can Lights By Neil Harner

Panil Barriquée By Phillip Pittore III

20 homebrewer’s corner Two Brothers Ale

38 Beer Law D & E Licenses By Senator Chuck McIlhinney

21 hop culture

60 Bar & Restaurant Reviews

Cascade Hops By Joseph Bair

22 Cooking With Beer Dogfish Head Clams & Sausage

24 Tunes & Brews

Unique beer destinations for a pint and a meal in and out of the city. By Bobby Clark & Mat Falco

64 the Tasting Room 12 Beers reviewed by our panel with special guest: Brendan Hartranft

Derek Dorsey By G. W. Miller III

27 Tapping Into Technology The Bräuler By Zeke Diaz

68 Directory Find craft beer near you!

74 Beer Events

28 discovering craft beer

Local happenings in the Philly beer scene.

First Craft Beer Memories By Tyler Flynn

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54 features

barrel aging A 2,000 year-old tradition resurges. By Ben Potts

3rd annual gift guide Gifts and stocking stuffers for your favorite beer geek.

otter creek sustains The re-birth of Vermont’s prized brewery. By Mat Falco

Best Beer Selection on South Street

3rd & South

Street •

Take Out 6

Ph o

great food great beer• 20 drafts outside dining est.1978

Pack ne: 21 s & 5-59 Gr 2-13 o w 90 ler

Holiday Cocktail Hours & Catering Happy Hour from 5-7 Quizzo: Wednesday @ 7:00 Holiday Gift 6 packs available

Text “jonsbeerclub” to 72727 for keg release parties & specials! december 2011/january 2012

meet the founders Mat >> mat@beerscenemag.com Favorite Beer of Late: There are so many great porters out right now. Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald is the first to come to mind. Bar You Are Most Likely To Be At: Anything that recently opened. There have been a lot of bars opening lately; it has been hard to visit them all. Item From the Holiday Gift Guide on Your List: Those custom iron bottle openers are pretty awesome. Best GABF Experience: Bumping into multiple people from Philly. It’s awesome to see how well-represented we are out there. Beer You’ve Wanted To Try But Can’t Get Your Hands On: Thanks to some great new friends, Dan and Kathy, I finally got to try the infamous Westy 12 & 9. Thanks to George and Nancy of Home Sweet Homebrew as well for sharing a Blond with me. The beer I want to try most is a pilsner that gets its due respect and has beer geeks lining up CBS-style for! New Year’s Beer Resolution: Spend more time in the suburbs. Maybe I’ll run into that Jack Curtin character.

founders

Mat Falco & Neil Harner Art Director

Melissa Cherepanya Executive Editor

Alicia Eichelman Director of photography

Gina Aquaro Staff Photographer

Neil >> neil@beerscenemag.com Favorite Beer of Late: Williamsburg Alewerks Bourbon Barrel Porter. That is a fantastic barrel-aged beer. Bar You Are Most Likely To Be At: I’ve been spending some time at The Dog & Bull on Route 13. I’m totally digging the vibe and there’s always good music. Item From the Holiday Gift Guide On Your List: I think I may be stealing the bird feeder and hanging it in my garden come spring. Best GABF Experience: Meeting Zane Lamprey. I’ve seen way too many episodes of Three Sheets. Beer You’ve Wanted To Try But Can’t Get Your Hands On: Dogfish Head Faithfull Ale. My mom and I are huge Pearl Jam fans and I’ve had difficulty tracking the bottle down. I am glad to hear there’s another release coming out shortly. New Year’s Beer Resolution: Opposite of Mat; spend more time in the city.

Alison Dunlap Contributing Editors

Joseph Bair, Chef David Leo Banks, Johnny Bilotta, Bobby Clark, Mike Corrigan, Zeke Diaz, Tyler Flynn, Joe Gunn, Paul Lawler, Dave Martorana, Senator Chuck McIlhinney, G.W. Miller III, Phillip Pittore III, Ben Potts, Carolyn Smagalski & Brittanie Sterner Contributing Artist

Andrew Loder Contributing photographers

Bill Carpenter, Charles D. Cook & Shannon Manley Web Designer

Amanda Mitchell graphic designers

Sarah Coale, Nick Less & Lisa Martinicchio

Philly Beer Scene is an eco-friendly publication which is printed with soy based inks.

Philly Beer Scene is Designed & Printed in the USA. Philly Beer Scene is a BrewStudio Marketing & Advertising Publication. Copyright © 2011-2012 BrewStudio Marketing & Advertising, LLC. Philly Beer Scene is published bi-monthly by BrewStudio Marketing & Advertising, LLC. 4432 Bristol Road, Suite 1B, Oakford, PA 19053 Phone: 215-478-6586 For subscription inquiries please visit us on the web at www.phillybeerscene.com

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Letter from the Founder It seems every time it comes around for me to write this, it revolves around a new year. Last time, it was the beginning of year three of the magazine, a feat that seemed to come incredibly quick. This time around, we’re finishing out 2011 and making plans for 2012; anticipating the mystery of what it has in store. I have to say, 2011 was quite the year. Philadelphia, as a whole, finally seemed to put itself on the map in regards to getting the respect it rightfully deserves. Accolades were given to this great city in a vast array of national magazines, including being named the most cultural city in America by Travel + Leisure. That title was especially awesome, as our craft beer culture was highly touted in that article. It goes to show the positive effect beer can have on a society. It also makes you wonder how this rapidly growing recognition and appreciation for craft beer will affect the industry in the coming year. 2012 could truly become a Mecca-type year for the craft beer movement. Bringing a close to 2011, we’ve once again brought you our annual gift guide. The end of the year means the holidays are here and whether it’s for Christmas, Chanukah, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, presents are in order. (Thanks to a holiday inspired “I on Beer” column by our own Joe Gunn, we learn, in his own special way, the differences among these and that apparently, Kwanzaa only allows homemade gifts.) Hopefully, our gift guide will help ease your holiday shopping pains. No matter how much help we provide, chances are those pains are inevitable though, and nothing helps more than a strong, complex barrel-aged beer. Dogfish Head Brewer Ben Potts is here to help out with that as well, as he provides a detailed look into the world of barrel-aging and how the wood really affects our favorite beverage. Once the holidays are over, it’s time to start a new year. New Year’s brings a sense of re-birth to many. It’s an opportunity to start over and have a new chance at life. That concept made us think of the brewing industry and how a lot of breweries have undergone some major changes and had an opportunity to start anew. One such brewery that received a “second chance” was Otter Creek, whose story we thought was a fitting way to fill out our last/first issue of the year. Here is to another holiday season and to the beginning of a New Year! Cheers, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year’s...and we look forward to sharing some beers with you in 2012. Cheers, Mat Falco Founder, Philly Beer Scene

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On the Scene

1 4

Philly Beer Scene’s Candid Photos from the Fun and Exciting World of Craft Beer 1. The Gretz crew on stage accepting their 2011 Craft Beer Distributor Recognition award at the GABF.

2. Sam Adams’ founder Jim Koch explaining some of their new limited edition bottle releases. 3. A couple of the hundreds of volunteers pouring samples at the GABF in Denver, CO. 4. After losing yet another bet, Steve Mashington of Yards had to pull Hulmeville Inn owner Jeff Lavin around on a rickshaw for a Northern Liberties/Fishtown pub crawl. 5. Just a few of the many familiar faces wandering the streets of Denver at GABF. You couldn’t go anywhere without seeing someone from Philly, including the newly opened Denver Beer Company.

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6. Center City Brews For Boobies’ pub crawlers taking a quick photo break outside of Misconduct Tavern.

1/31/12

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The Variety Pack

L’chaim! Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah by Shmaltz Brewing Co.’s Jeremy Cowan. By Neil Harner

I approached this book suspecting that I was walking into a novelization of a Mel Brooks’ film. For anyone familiar with Shmaltz, the brands and stories behind the brands are always clever, entertaining, and generally containing a little bit of Jewish shtick that would make Brooks himself proud to sit back with a bottle in hand. And, I couldn’t be happier to say that my expectations were pretty well set. Even with a constant sense of lightheartedness, Cowan, founder of Shmaltz, paints a detailed portrait of his path to creating a successful brewery, including his many struggles and challenges. The book covers a good deal of Cowan’s life before the brewery but always touches on his ties to beer, even at a way too-young, fake-ID slinging age. Even then, hints of the young man’s future were beginning to take place with origins of the HE’BREW and Shmaltz name being explained. In starting

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his business, Cowan explains many of the early challenges from managing money to squeezing pomegranates, and self-delivering his beers from the back of his grandmother’s Volvo. The story always maintains Cowan’s humorous voice but it’s clear as time progresses, a certain maturity and sophistication in his business and learning develops as Shmaltz grew from the mid-90s through the 2000s and became increasingly successful. Even then, new challenges arise and Cowan steps up with the determination to continue with his passionate success of a brewery. Overall, Craft Beer Bar Mitvah is a new found favorite. Since the book is heavily entrenched in the many common struggles with starting a new business, it speaks to entrepreneurs without having the stuffy overtones of a book found in an MBA class. Cowan’s experiences and anecdotes are not only entertaining; they are inspiring for anyone with passionate and meaningful goals in life. As a final thought, be sure to jump to the appendix before you start your new read for a complete beer pairing list which matches up everything from Coors Light to Lost Abbey Judgment Day with each chapter. Enjoy!

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rare find:

Rockyard Buddha Nuvo

A collaboration brewed at Rockyard Brewing Co., featuring 12 brewers from around Colorado. Starting with a pumpkin saison, the beer is then blended with an immense number of exotic ingredients and aged in chardonnay barrels.

The Variety Pack

Rogue Rebel The anonymous revolutionary. by Brittanie Sterner A rogue is, by definition, a scamp on the fringe. A scoundrel, a playfully mischievous rascal, or an organism that varies from the standard. And so, the origins of Rogue branding are curious and surprisingly logical. President Brett Joyce’s father founded the brewery in 1988, having previously worked at Nike. Brett himself worked at Adidas for ten years. “They really look at things differently,” Brett says of the commercial giant. Rogue Ales is, by definition, anti bigbureaucracy. In fact it’s in their creed to “Be like good friends and remember it’s what’s inside that counts.” But the outside still matters, even for a rogue product. And Rogue Ale labels are some of the most successfully thematic and flexible images in the craft bottle market. Longtime Rogue label designer Penny Muire, describes the distinct, blocky type look as industrial and strong; flooded with ink and easily identifiable. The not-quite-everyman figure on nearly all of the bottles is in two colors, raising a revelatory fist in support of the Rogue revolution. He started out strictly as a Renaissance guy. Now, he is dressed up to connect to each beer’s character; he gets a cowboy hat, a red shirt and a chipotle; a saint’s robe and a handheld halo; vintage skiing equipment; sometimes he takes the shape of an old woman in a sweatshirt (Mom Hefeweizen) or a young girl who has “just discovered she’s a rogue” (Somer Orange Honey Ale). And sometimes he’s replaced with the likeness of real-life “Roguesters” who inspire a brew, like Sebbie Buhler honored on the Chocolate Stout, or John Maier draped in hops for the Maierfest Lager. The figure changes constantly, but he always raises a fist. As a visual staple, he’s recognizable and reliable; not predictable. John Maier, Rogue’s brewmaster of 22 years, has a saying; “Open a Rogue and see who happens.” So the Rogue Guy may be anyone, no one, or everyone. “Only the person knows if [he or she] is a rogue,” Brett says. “A lot of people say they are, but to be one…

D-LITE

only the individual can decide that for himself. A guy who drives a Rolls-Royce and plays polo might be a rogue.” Rogues can’t be called. And so the label takes many forms. Above everything, the labels seem to spell out two things about the brewery: playful mischief and quality. It’s evident in the design, like the purposefully misspelled series, Chatoe Rogue, and on the back label of every bottle. Each label includes an informative rundown of the beer’s ingredients and tasting notes, a dedication, food pairing symbols and brewing specs. The “more than a pretty bottle” concept provides a background and history to each beer; a description of quality on the outside for a beer that, on all levels, varies from the standard.

By Andrew Loder

Man, I really Had a good time at that holiday party last night. Yeah, not the best beer selection, though.

Good thing I found that jug of sour beer tucked in the back of the fridge, though.

Hmmm, I don’t remember seeing sour beer. there was a jug of milk that had expired 8 months ago, though. I think it was one of the kids’ science project.

www.phillyxdesign.com december 2011/january 2012

The Variety Pack

I on Beer Joe Gunn gets into the holiday spirit. By Joe Gunn

Beer List & Events Listed at www.FWOT.com 107 W. Ridge Pike • Conshohocken, PA

610-828-6191

Rotating

Craft Drafts 14 Beers on Tap And don’t forget to check our

AWARD WINNING

Chicken Fingers & Wings

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208 Sanhican Drive (RT.29) Trenton, NJ 08618 www.solarhomebrew.com joe@solarhomebrew.com

(609) 252-1800 12

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I love Christmas. I love Christmas for all of the things most people who don’t love Christmas, hate. I love getting stuff. I love getting stuff so much. I still get the same amount of stuff from my Aunt Patty as I did when I was ten. I make a wish list at her dinner table on Thanksgiving and everything. Of course, my kids are starting to move in on that action, but we’ll save that for another column. My other favorite thing about Christmas is the beer. Every year, I go overboard crazy on it and am sick of it by about December 10th, but that’s only because it’s all released way too early. One day my Jewish friend, who gave me this column, asked me what I was going to write about in this issue. Because I only have about two months to come up with a topic, I had no idea and said something about Christmastime and beer. A couple seconds later, I thought to myself, “That’s not fair, Jewish people might not even call it Christmastime.” Maybe, now that I am a celebrated writer, father, and gym club member, I should take time to try to understand how other religions celebrate Jesus’ birth. I’m only allotted so many words for this, so I focused in on what I always considered the four most popular versions of Christmas. I went with Christmas itself, Hanukkah, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa. Not knowing much about the traditions, I thought I’d investigate what makes their version of Christmas different than the others, and the beers that are released especially for them. Christmas History and Tradition: This one is pretty simple; shepherds, wise men, virgin mothers, blah blah blah. Basically, your typical manger birth story with a splash of myrrh. Everyone knows this version. Most are sick of looking at this type of stuff before schools let out for Thanksgiving. According to my research, this is best of the lot for getting presents. (Thanks again, God.)

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Beer: Beers are great, especially the really Belgian ones. Even if you’re at a point in your life where you’re a little Belgian beeredout, drink these for a month. The good ones taste like a warm snuggle on Christmas morning in your jammies with new toys. Hanukkah and Chanukah History and Tradition: Turns out these two are pretty similar. Surprisingly though, neither one focuses much on the birth of Christ. All in all, I don’t think these two are very Christmassy. Bottom line is Han & Chan (sic) last eight days and you get stuff every night, but from what my chosen friends tell me, the quality of gifts seem to range from lame to decent. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are where you really clean up, but they’re a one shot deal. Beer: Not surprisingly, it turns out that there aren’t many Hanukkah or Chanukah beers brewed for Christmas. He’Brew Brewery has a couple that sound a little Christmas-like, but I get the feeling they might just be poking fun at the gentiles. Kwanzaa History and Tradition: Turns out, Kwanzaa has nothing to do with Christmas; it kind of started as an anti-Christmas. You actually do get gifts on the eighth and final day, but they tend to be homemade. Unless my family starts figuring out how to build Game Boys and shit, I’m not doing this holiday. It originated in 1966. Kwanzaa is nine years older than me. Beer: Not much Kwanzaa beer out there, folks.

The Variety Pack

Ask Two Guys On Beer Have a question about craft beer you need an answer to? E-mail tgob@beerscenemag.com to get your questions answered. To learn more about Two Guys On Beer, visit www.twoguysonbeer.com.

Trenton Road Take Out 1024 Trenton Road • Fallsington, PA 19054 • 215-736-1389

“King of Craft Beers” Select from over 700 Foreign, Domestic & Craft Beers

Visit our Loose Singles Section Buy 1 or mix a 6pk no up charge in price

Visit Us On The Web At www.TrentonRoadTakeOut.com Monday - Thursday 7am to 12 midnight Friday & Saturday 7am to 1am Sunday 11am to 12 midnight

Can you please tell me how to stop a foamy keg? - Jarod P., South Jersey Ahh, yes! The common problem of large house parties and inexperienced keg tappers. The cause of it all is poor tapping. Most kegs should be tapped with one swift motion so as to not let a lot of air into the keg. After it is tapped, DO NOT REMOVE THE TAP AND DO IT AGAIN. Unless you totally screwed up and need to start over. You will always have a little foam and high pressure to start off with and this will not continue if, when pouring a beer, you open up the thumb valve or tap handle all the way. This is important! Most people will try and hold the valve open just a little thinking that if they apply less pressure the beer will stop foaming. This is wrong, what is really happening is that they are aerating the beer through a smaller opening than it would be if it was open all the way. To get rid of the foam, you should pour beers with the tap valve all the way OPEN. Although you may have some foam in the first few beers, we promise if you keep the valve wide OPEN for every beer, you will be rid of your suds in no time! What, exactly, is a “steam” beer? - Bryce F., Philadelphia, PA During the California gold rush, breweries were set-up somewhat hastily, and refrigeration was scare at best. So, instead of making ever-popular lagers, brewers made ales with lager yeasts at higher temperatures. Where the “steam” name comes from is still a mystery - some attribute it to steam released during higher pressure parts of the brewing process, others to the way Anchor Steam used to cool its beer by putting it in open vats on the roof of the brewery and allowing the cool Pacific Ocean breeze to pass over it. There are two things to note, though: Anchor Steam now has a trademark on the word “steam” in beer production and only they can produce “steam” beer now. Everyone else calls the style California Common. Also, until recently steam beer was considered sub-par, blue-collar, and was quite inexpensive.

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The Variety Pack

Meet the Scene: Cameron Saunders Meet Cameron, Shangy’s Philly beer rep, who traded his daughter’s identity for cases of beer. Interview By Mat Falco Philly Beer Scene: How did you get involved in the beer industry? Cameron Saunders: Shangy’s is my first job in the industry and I

have my friend Mike Burke to thank. He’s the owner of Quotations in Media, which is a fantastic beer bar. He’s a good friend of my boss and he introduced us and helped me get the job. It wasn’t an easy process by any means. I met my boss in October of one year and didn’t get hired until February of the next year. I kept on him though, and here I am. PBS: Adam Ritter (owner of Sidecar & Kraftwork) said in a previous interview that he believes that [Shangy’s owner] Nima Hadian is the single most important person to the beer industry in Eastern PA. What’s your take on this and who else would you put on that list? Cameron: I think that’s 100% true! While everyone else was trying

to cram awful beer down people’s throats, Nima was acquiring the rights to sell some of the world’s best beers. He is responsible for bringing so many great brands into PA and making other wholesalers pay attention to what they were selling. Eddie Friedland is another guy who helped out significantly with bringing world class beer to PA.

PBS: Working at Shangy’s, you represent some of the great breweries from around the world. Aside from Fegley’s Brew Works, you don’t represent any local breweries. What is your take on the local beer scene and the importance it has on our market? Who do you think is leading the way? Cameron: The local beer scene anywhere is all about supporting

your neighbor, drinking the freshest possible beer, and reducing your carbon footprint. With that said, it’s not always about drinking the best beer available. There are tons of amazing beers made all over the world that in any given circumstance would be better than the local beer. As far as who is leading the way, I would say Yards has the best presence in Philly, but I think Victory and Brew Works are making some of the best beers around the area.

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PBS: What has been your best beer-related experience so far? Cameron: Going on a twelve day European adventure with Artisanal

Imports! Visiting St. Feuillien, Bosteels, Bockor, Sunner, Urthel, and La Trappe. The absolute best was staying at the monastery of La Trappe for a night. At 4:30 in the morning we all woke up and went to the first mass with the monks. The experience was amazing! The monks chanted during the entire service and it was just incredible to hear that and connect it all with the beer!

PBS: Spending a lot of time setting up events at bars, what do you think is the ideal beer event? Cameron: The ideal event for me is having an owner or head

brewer show up and the brewery bringing something incredible people can’t drink often. The format (beer dinners, meet and greets, or tap takeovers) doesn’t matter as much as the beers that will be there or who is representing the brewery. If I do a Bell’s event with everyday beers, I always get a nice turnout. But, if Larry Bell shows up, it’s a zoo. Vice versa – if no one from the brewery shows up but you have a firkin of Hop Slam, then you will also have a shit show. People really just want to talk to someone who directly has their hands involved with the brewing process or drink top notch beer. Period.

PBS: You recently had your first daughter and were forced to name her after one of the brands you represent. How did you decide which brand to choose? Is Larry mad you didn’t name her Bell? Cameron: (Laughs) Yeah, we did name her Avery but there was no

arm twisting going on. It was brewery inspired but not necessarily because of them. I love their beers but I also just love that name. We thought of a million beer related names and that’s the only one that seemed to work for us. Plus, Adam [Avery] said he would give me a case of sours every year. Wink, wink Adam...

The Variety Pack

Congratulations to the Scene’s 2011 GABF Winners The Philadelphia Beer Scene takes home twelve awards. By Neil Harner

Each year, with more and more breweries opening and the continuous rise in popularity of craft beer, the competition at the Great American Beer Festival gets heavier with every new brewer looking to showcase their beers and bring home an award. And although the number of entries in each of the eighty-three categories increased, totaling over 3,930 unique beers from around the country, our region still managed to take home eleven medals; one more than 2010. Congratulations to all of the winners!

10 rotating taps featuring locals & seasonals!

80+ Bottles & Cans Free-Wi-Fi | Smoking Bar

Gold Medal Winners Tröegs Brewing Co. Troegenator, Bock Weyerbacher Brewing Co. Sixteen, Specialty Honey Beer

Always a Weekly Beer Special on Tap Happy Hour- Mon-Fri, 5-7 Everyday-$2 Bloody Marys & Mimosas (11am-3pm) Monday- Free Pool (open-close) Tuesday-Karaoke, 9-2 Wednesday-Quizzo, 7:30-9:00 Italian Market Happy Hour: 12/9 (6pm-9pm)

Silver Medal Winners Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Chateau Jiahu, Specialty Beer Iron Hill Brewery Russian Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout Rock Bottom Brewery Nevermore Lager, German-Style Schwarzbier Tröegs Brewing Co. Sunshine Pils, German-Style Pilsner

Christmas Party: 12/18 New Years Eve Party: 12/31 (9pm-2am)

PAYG, Music, champagne toast, noise makers! Art Openings on the First Friday of Every Month *Ticket outlet for the Philly Roller Girls

831 Christian St, Philadelphia, Pa 19147 (215) 238-0379 www.12stepsdown.com *Proud member of the 9th St. Business Assoc.

16 CRAFT BEERS ON DRAFT Bronze Medal Winners Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Midas Touch, Specialty Honey Beer Fegley’s Brew Works Arctic Alchemy, Old Ale or Strong Ale Iron Hill Brewery Vienna Red Lager, Vienna-Style Lager Iron Hill Brewery Grand Inquisitor, Wood & Barrel-Aged Strong Ale Stewart’s Brewing Co. Maibock, Bock

In Addition… Gretz Beer Company Based in Norristown, PA, the Gretz Beer Company was awarded the 2011 Craft Beer Distributor Recognition Award by the National Beer Wholesalers Association for their increasing success in introducing new craft beer brands and innovative styles throughout the suburban Philadelphia area.

Chef Julio Rivera serving fresh food with a southwest flair

www.facebook.com/ Interstatedrafthouse Open Tuesday thru Sunday 4pm to 2am Kitchen open till 12am Sun-Thurs 1am Fri & Sat

1235 E Palmer St Philadelphia, Pa 19125 Phone: 267-455-0045

december 2011/january 2012

Woman on the Scene

2012

New Beers

Resolutions This ain’t no ball & chain, baby! By Carolyn Smagalski

Philadelphia’s stunning light-show embraces the sky along the Schuylkill Expressway at night. Despite the moaning and groaning traffic delays, my breath is always momentarily halted by the sight of Boat House Row, the Art Museum, and Philly’s skyscrapers - from the Comcast Center and Liberty Place to the ever-changing Cira Centre and the granite twins of Commerce Square. I can hear you jeering, Philly-style, at my opening comment, but my rose-colored glasses have been steamed and fogged this winter. With an early October snow, we rolled right into the Christmas buying-season just before Halloween, laying out the welcome mat for a robust shopping spree with time to spare. It’s never too early to make a list of New Year’s Resolutions, so this year I’ve added a

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twist. Let’s call them my 2012 New Beers Resolutions. No…no ball-and-chain in my world! I’m chuffed to bits over my themebased declarations this year. My list focuses on beer, and not self-denial or the shattering of vices. I happen to think a little vice in life adds spice. In keeping with the latest stats, my 2012 New Beers Resolutions are tailor-made in five luscious “flavors” that anyone can swallow:

1.Get Healthy My interpretation of this one is, “Drink More Beer.” Beer is a social lubricant. It decreases stress and opens the mind to unconventional ideas such as the Pastafarian Flying Spaghetti Monster and Pirates as absolute divine beings. “Talk like a pirate! Aarrggh, Matey!”

december 2011/january 2012

Beer promotes physical health. Studies at both the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute in Europe and at SUNY College of Medicine in New York, confirmed evidence of a positive increase of HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol, in moderate beer drinkers. This translates into clearer arteries and a lower risk of heart attack. Beer is rich in B vitamins and, when used in spa therapies, has a toning effect on the skin. Along with getting healthy, I believe in sharing good health, so beer in a champagne bottle with a cork and cage makes a superior housewarming gift. Think Bottled Reserve Series beers like The Cannibal from Iron Hill Restaurant & Brewery or Isabelle Proximus from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Delaware.

2. Become Better Educated About beer, of course. Armed with Lew Bryson’s book, Pennsylvania Breweries, road trips to nearby breweries and brewpubs are within easy reach. Out-of-town visitors perk-up with the prospect of visiting a small brewery and drinking beer fresh out of the tanks. Providing them with background stories about beer styles raises awareness about the evolution of man. Even master beer drinkers stumble upon knowledge-gaps while telling an anecdote, which opens the door to further study of beer. Garrett Oliver’s Oxford Companion to Beer answers all those beer geek questions, without the need to read a series of books or sit through classes about beer chemistry that make your eyes glaze over. At my leisure, I can browse through a mini-topic or one with hefty guts. As the winter season rolls along, festivals featuring Belgians and Barleywines are popping up all over the map. These provide great opportunities to taste and learn about characteristics that make beer the beverage of kings. Speaking of characteristics in beer, I vow to spend more time in spice shops and the fruit aisle at my local farmers’ market. Concentrating on each of the smells equips me with a large vocabulary when describing nuances in beer. Remember the theme: “Drink more beer.”

3. Avoid Fast Food Knowing that beer adds flavor and a crisp edge to cookies encourages further exploration for beer in hand crafted foods. It can be used as an ingredient in mussels, beef stew, and vinaigrette dressings, or paired with appetizers and ice cream floats. Living in Philadelphia, the Best Beer Drinking City in America, the selection of beer styles is huge. AHA Big Brew, a national day that celebrates homebrewing, is scheduled for May 5, 2012. Amidst the aroma of early spring, there’s nothing as sweet as learning a new skill. Ancient Mesopotamia worshiped Lady Pu-Abi, a royal brewer who took her drinking straw into the afterlife. A few hours of dedicated brew time is little to ask in exchange for a

prominent place in history. Cook with beer, brew beer, and drink more beer.

4. Take a Trip Beer resolutions are easy to keep, so this one almost makes me feel like I’m cheating. I don’t have to go far for it to be considered a trip. Taking a “trip” is a relative term, but I’m not talking Magic Mushrooms here. By exploring six beers from Belgium one week, six from Germany the next week and six more from Scandinavia the third week, I can take a virtual trip throughout Europe without leaving my recliner. Philly’s beer scene can take me there too: Monk’s, Eulogy, The Belgian Café, Brauhaus Schmitz and Farmers’ Cabinet are only the opening act to world-class beer. The Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Beer Passion Weekend in Antwerp, The Great British Beer Festival in London, Mondial de la Bière in Montreal and Strasbourg, and Oktoberfest in Munich are but a few of the many delights on any beer lover’s bucket list. And keep the bubble wrap, plastic bags, and duck tape handy when transporting distinctive beer in the check-in baggage. It’s all about the theme: “Drink more beer.”

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5. Volunteer to Help Others Each year, my focus centers upon providing time and service for the good of the community via beer. Whether presenting beer tastings to benefit Environmental Education on the Hudson or writing a work that will provide an income stream for the Parkinson Foundation, this is a yearly commitment that is easy to fulfill. Buying a ticket to a beer event may serve Pints for Prostates, Brews for Boobies, Shelters for Women, or the National Diabetic Foundation. Special-release beers often allocate a percentage of sales to a local charity, so “Drink more beer.” You may notice that my 2012 New Beers Resolutions consist of flavors you have already achieved, but achievement is measured by persistence, too. Resolutions are, after all, a compendium of continuous action. Make a list worth keeping. Happy New Beer!

Celebrating 20 Years! 2801 Fairmount Avenue Philadelphia

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december 2011/january 2012

Fun With Beer

Light Beer Creating canned holiday lights. By Neil Harner

I wish I could take credit for this idea. Falco and I saw these hanging in a pretty cool beer bar in Denver, CO, and I thought it would be a perfect fit for our holiday issue. If you have an old strand of lights with those obnoxiously large bulbs, this is an ideal way to give them new life. Hang these on the mantle for the holidays and come January, put them behind your bar or in your at-home beer hangout. If you happened to give our “Can Plants” a shot in the April/May issue (page 18), you’ll notice that the process and supplies are very similar. If you successfully did this in the spring, this project should be a breeze.

how to do it

what you need

Step 1: Wash cans thoroughly.

Step 8: Remove tab from top of can.

Step 2: Drink a beer. It’s going to take a while.

Step 9: Starting with one end of the string of lights, unscrew light bulb (or lightbulb cover) from socket.

Step 3: Use an X-ACTO knife to put a small slit at the bottom of a can, just before the base.

Strand of colored holiday lights with large bulbs Number of empty beer cans equal to light bulbs A few extra full cans to help the tedium of cutting cans pass by easier Tin snips or sharp scissors X-ACTO knife or box cutter Electrical tape

Step 4: Use tin snips to cut and remove bottom of the can. Step 5: Discard bottom of the can. Be aware, metal edges from can will be sharp. Step 6: Make 4 small, ¼ inch cuts downward from bottom of can, equal distance around. Step 7: Fold edges of can inward and smooth out carefully with fingers to prevent future injury from sharp edges.

Step 10: Wedge light socket into mouth of the can. If it feels too loose, wrap a bit of electrical tape around socket in order to stabilize socket in the mouth. Step 11: From bottom of can’s opening, screw in light bulb. This will ensure the bulb and sockets remain attached to the can. Step 12: Repeat steps through 2-11 until all light bulbs have cans attached. Step 13: Hang your new beer can holiday lights for all of your festivities.

Tips Find canned beers with coordinating colors for the holidays. Like this example: Oskar Blues Gubna (red) and Caldera Ashland Amber (green), which is perfect for Christmas. Most holiday lights come in strands of 25 lights. Be sure to have some friends help you empty those cans.

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december 2011/january 2012

Come See Westgate Pubs New Take Out with Over 120 Craft and Import 6 Packs to Go Featuring Craft Beers from: Anchor Brewing Ithaca Long Trail Magic Hat Rogue Troegs Victory

Imported Beers from: Bass Beck’s Boddington Fullers Hoegaarden Konig Ludwig Stella Warsteiner

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december 2011/january 2012

Homebrewer’s Corner

Ingredients and Directions Makes 12 gallons, in mash Malt:

#15 Belgian Pilsen malt #15 Pale ale malt #4 Pale wheat malt #2 Cara Munich 40 #2 Cara Vienna 12oz. Belgian Special B Hops:

UK Fuggle 4% - 4 oz., 90 min. from the end Czech Saaz 3.5% - 1.5 oz., 30 min. from the end Czech Saaz 3.5 % - 1.5 oz., 5 min. from the end Yeast:

Wyeast 1762 – Belgian Abbey, or culture from a bottle of Rochefort Miscellaneous:

#3 Dextrose #2 Dark candy syrup (D1)

The Procedure:

Step 1: Mash in with 12 gallons at 163°F for a rest temperature of 148°F. Rest for 90 minutes. Step 2: While resting, heat 10 gallons of water to 170°F for sparging.

Two Brothers Ale A Belgian Dark Strong Ale brewed between brothers. By Mike Corrigan

I have been home brewing for four years and my favorite styles are high gravity ales, especially Belgian styles, but I also enjoy making sour beers and West Coast Style IPAs. I brew on a 15-gallon single tier system of converted kegs, mostly doing full mash recipes. I fell in love with dark strong ales during my various trips to Belgium. I make this particular recipe every year with my brother on New Year’s Eve, and it is absolutely perfect by the next New Year’s. Cheers!

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december 2011/january 2012

Step 3: After 90 minutes, start sparge and collect 14 gallons. Step 4: Boil for 90 minutes, adding 4oz. of Fuggles at 90 minutes, 1.5 oz. of Saaz at 30 minutes from end and finally, 1oz. of Saaz at 5 minutes from end. Step 5: Add sugars in the last 10 minutes of boil to avoid burning. Step 6: Chill to 65°F and pitch yeast. It will be ready in 6 –8 weeks.

Hop Culture

Cascades America’s first legal hop. By Joseph Bair Cascades were the first USDA released hop in 1972. Since the Alpha and Beta acids average 5% - it makes the perfect all-purpose hop. It was derived from a Fuggles seedling and Russian Serebrianka, and most people would say it has a lemony smell and taste to it. It was originally denigrated by others as very catty, and typically overused by those wild colonials. Another toast to those in the U.S. heartland who made the amber waves of grain, to Scotsman Peter Ballantine for the most influential “beer pitching” yeast, and the precious herb called Cascade hops. These ingredients made the signature taste of the iconic Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Magnum and Perle hops are also used). Cascade implies a modifier and that’s what it is; the imagery of everything pure and precious in the Mountains of the Pacific Northwest, crystal clear water flowing down over waterfalls of the Sierra Nevada’s, cleaning your head and body. Cascade Hops have become the game-changer for the American Beer Revolution and is still a popular hop grown in the USA; it should never be out of stock in homebrew stores and is usually the least expensive as well.

december 2011/january 2012

Cooking With Beer

Pan Roasted Clams & Sausage Little neck clams and chipotle & cheddar sausage cooked up with Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. Corporate Executive Chef David Leo Banks

Weeknights on The Comcast Network at 5pm and on NBC Philadelphia Nonstop weeknights at 6pm and 8:30pm

Chef Banks is the Corporate Executive Chef of Harry’s Hospitality Group, comprised of Harry’s Savoy Grill & Ballroom, Harry’s Seafood Grill, Harry’s Fish Market + Grill and Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House & Saloon. The restaurants have been a

For this dish, the Dogfish Head IPA and the addition of the sausage make for a full-flavored and hearty appetizer. The sausage specified is really delicious. If it is unavailable, or you can’t find it, you can substitute a sausage of your choice. However, I recommend some type of cheese in the sausage, as it complements the beer.

mainstay of the Wilmington area and surrounding cities since 1988. In 2010, the popular Trolley Square area restaurant Kid Shelleen’s, was added to Harry’s Hospitality Group. Inspiration for this recipe comes from their fresh approach of farm-to-table cuisine, using local farmers, products and brewers, which enhance the brand of quality

Ingredients:

12 little neck clams 3-4 oz. chipotle & cheddar sausage (diced) 8 oz. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA 1 Tbsp. shallots (chopped) 1 tsp. garlic (chopped) Garnish with diced ripe plum tomato and sliced green onion (scallions)

and freshness.

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december 2011/january 2012

Directions:

• Wash the clams thoroughly to remove any sand. • Cook the sausage at a low temperature so as not to render too much of the fat and then it will retain its moisture. This can be done ahead of time. • In a medium sauté pan, add clams, shallots and garlic. Allow them to cook for a minute; add the sausage. Let that sizzle and cook for a minute. • Add the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. • Cover and cook until clams open. Garnish with the tomato and green onion and serve with good bread.

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Tunes & Brews

The Talent Finder on Two Wheels The music promoter and weekend bartender at The Fire found his calling after a beer with his hero. By G.W. Miller III

Derek Dorsey was standing by the keg, backstage at a concert on Penn’s Landing, when Lance Armstrong approached him. “Hey, man,” Dorsey said to Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner. “You want a beer?”As he poured him a cup of Yuengling, Dorsey spoke of his love of cycling and about his then recent diagnosis of dystonia, a neurological disorder that sends him into spasms at unpredictable moments. “He said to keep riding and never stop,” Dorsey remembers, more than six years later.

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From that point on, Dorsey, 38, the talent buyer, artist development rep, promotions coordinator and Friday night bartender at The Fire in Northern Liberties, took cycling seriously. He began training five hours per day, cycling up and down the hills of East Falls, Manayunk and Roxborough. He did that every day for a year, up to 700 miles per week, and then began competing in events across the country. “It’s the biggest escape from this disorder,” he says. “Specifically climbing a mountain.” Some of the inclines

december 2011/january 2012

last eight to ten miles, an increase of up to 3,000 feet in elevation. “With every step, every pedal, you accomplish something,” says Dorsey, who now competes in a half-dozen races and a few time trials every year. While he’s never won a race, he’s also never had any spastic episodes while riding. “My doctors tell me to keep biking,” he says with a laugh. When he’s not on the road, Dorsey is at The Fire, the popular neighborhood bar that brings in the top music talent from the region as well as major touring acts. He helped establish the reverential relationship the 11-year-old club has with musicians. “It was a new experience - bringing live, original music to Girard Avenue,” says club owner Dan McShane, who opened the venue in 2000 and hired Dorsey in 2002. “Derek had a lot of connections and really knew the scene.” A West Philly native who grew up five blocks from Will Smith, Dorsey has been working in the music industry since the mid-1990s after graduating from Penn State University. He’s managed bands, run festivals and developed a solid reputation for recognizing talent. He gave stage time at The Fire to a young John Legend, then a University of Pennsylvania student known by his family name, John Stephens. The Fire, thanks to Dorsey and McShane, has fostered such talents as Dr. Dog, Santigold and Toy Soldiers, the rambunctious and soulful Americana band that is their latest triumph. The loyalty they’ve established is represented by the fact that the bands that got their start at The Fire often return. They’ll play before a crowd of 150 people when they could easily sell out the TLA. “It’s all because of what Dan created,” Dorsey defers. “To this day, The Fire is still my favorite place to see a show.” In a perfect world, though, Dorsey would be on two wheels, climbing a hill. “Biking is about commitment,” he says. “How well you climb a mountain pass says a lot about a person.”

Creative Pub Fare & A Brew With a View At Philly’s New Roost Overlooking the Avenue of the Arts

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248 Bustleton Pike • Feasterville, PA 19053 (215) 322-4780 • www.winebarleyandhops.com

Tapping into Technology

The Bräuler A new way to get your fill. By Zeke Diaz

Traditional glass growlers are available in a variety of styles and colors. They’re cheap, easy to clean, but fragile. I’ve broken a couple of them since I always have one rolling around in the car. Fortunately, they were empty; otherwise, I might have shed a tear in my (spilled) beer. I may have broken my last growler, though. There’s a new growler in town and it’s made out of 18/8 food grade stainless steel. I suspect that makes it strong enough to bounce off the pavement, unlike my first glass growler which chipped and cracked. The Bräuler was designed by three guys who share a love of beer: Harvey Claussen, an engineer; James Andrew, an Industrial Designer; and Christian DeBenedetti, a writer. They met at a bar and hashed out a new growler design while having some beers; quite a brainstorming session in my opinion. The Bräuler is a modular growler system designed to carry 64oz. of deliciously tasty beer and do it with style. It’s modular because it is designed to receive various cap accessories including handles, a traditional metal cap and a bail-top cap. The pièce de résistance for the system is a patent pending CO2 charged Tap Cap™ that will be available in the next three months. Imagine having your own portable little keg everywhere. What are the possibilities? Tailgates? Family picnics? Fishing docks? The Bräuler is not only lightweight but light-proof. The steel construction helps to eliminate those pesky isohumulones that lead to skunked beer. A 2½” wide mouth makes the growler easy to fill and clean. Gone are those little bottle brushes for the narrow necks of the traditional growler. Current MSRP is $40 - $50, which is a little on the steep side but will pay for itself when you drop it two or three times. Did I mention it has a lifetime guarantee? If you’re dying to get your hands on one of these growlers, check out Dogfish Head in Milton, DE. They are one of the breweries that are piloting The Bräuler. Not only does this give you a chance to take a small trip,

but you can geek out drinking a few good beers and pick up some new gear for your return trip. Future plans call for a double-walled version of The Bräuler (almost like a thermos for beer), laser etching, as well as custom colors and finishes. The caps will be available with removable custom inserts that are customizable, collectible and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) approved, and can be printed with QR codes if desired. Since the makers of The Bräuler are still working on establishing distribution channels, you can contact them via email (info@zythosproject.com) or go to thezythosproject.tumblr.com/brauler, to get on the waiting list.

december 2011/january 2012

Discovering Craft Beer

How I Discovered Craft Beer Reader Tyler Flynn describes his discovery of craft beer. If you have an interesting story about discovering craft beer, send it to us at discovery@beerscenemag.com. One hot summer Friday afternoon in the late 1990s, while visiting my uncle in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, he asked me if I wanted to go to “the brewery” to meet some friends of his for pizza and happy hour. This brewery turned out to be the Brooklyn Brewery and I soon had my first encounter with craft brew, beginning a journey that would lead to some unforeseen places. When I returned home to State College, Pennsylvania, to resume graduate studies in American History, I soon made an acquaintance with the products of similar breweries like Tröegs, Victory, Yards and Dogfish Head. Some of my friends were trying their hand at homebrewing and I learned that the experience of sitting down and drinking what they had made themselves was a singular, unforgettable type of hospitality: if walking into the Brooklyn Brewery on a Friday afternoon to drink their freshest brew was like being invited to the brewers’ private party, enjoying a glass of ale a friend had made himself was being invited to the brewer’s private party. This was about the time that the Lord of the Rings movies were hitting theaters and as I picked up J.R.R. Tolkien’s books to read for the first time, I had the opportunity to reflect more on this idea of hospitality. As Tolkien writes in The Fellowship of the Ring, Hobbits “delighted in parties, and in presents, which they gave away freely and eagerly accepted” (p. 11). This conviviality makes the hobbits especially appreciative when Tom Bombadil and the fair Goldberry offer their friendship to the weary travelers: “Before long, washed and refreshed, the hobbits were seated at the table [and soon were enjoying] a long and merry meal. Though the hobbits ate, as only famished

phillybeerscene.com

hobbits can eat, there was no lack. The drink in their drinking-bowls seemed to be clear cold water, yet it went to their hearts like wine and set free their voices. The guests became suddenly aware that they were singing merrily, as if it was easier and more natural than talking.” (p. 136) With this vision of undisturbed comfort in mind, completion of my studies in 2006 led me to a position teaching American History at a small college on the Main Line. George Hummel and Nancy Rigberg of Home Sweet Homebrew soon took me under their wing and instructed me on improving my fledgling fermentation skills, but also directed me to nearby establishments like McCloskey’s Tavern in Ardmore and Teresa’s Next Door and the Beeryard in Wayne. Since brewing my first batch of homebrew in April of 2009, I have produced over three dozen recipes and was delighted to even win “Best of Show” in the Second Annual Sierra Nevada-Radisson Homebrew Cup, during the 2011 Philly Beer Week festivities. It was my “Bourbon Oak Pumpkin Ale” that won this contest, a beer I brewed

december 2011/january 2012

in an effort to capture the experience of stumbling on a pumpkin patch on a lateautumn cold day, a scene reminiscent of a Robert Frost poem. It was fun to win my first homebrew competition, but I think the real joy is in sharing bottles with co-workers and family, and hosting homebrew-themed parties like “Pumpkin Porter Halloween” or “Irish Red Ale St. Patrick’s Day.” Having my own bottles to give out feels like the circle is complete, that I am finally giving back to—even hosting—all of the creative and ambitious restaurant owners, brewers, novelists, poets, film directors, musicians, painters, architects, philosophers, statesmen, and religious thinkers whose own contributions through history make our world today a richer, more inviting place to live in. It seems I had crossed the line from ale consumer to ale producer and, to quote Robert Frost, “that has made all the difference” (The Road Not Taken). Now, if I could only find a way to travel back in time to share a glass with J.R.R. Tolkien, that would be perfect. Hmmm, there has to be a way…

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OUTLET New Location 3 Blocks North of the Piazza at Schmidts! Full range of self-serve grains, wine kits, bottles and equipment. 1447 N. American St., Philadelphia, PA 19122 Tuesday - Friday 12pm-7pm Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm

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december 2011/january 2012

Brewmasters

Fulfilling Rock Star Dreams in the Brewing World Brian Strumke has taken Stillwater on a world tour of breweries. By Mat Falco

It’s only fitting for a completely untypical brewery to get off the ground in the most untypical of ways. In what is probably every homebrewers’ dream, is how things got started for Brian Strumke. Living in Baltimore, where he’d spent his whole life, Strumke was hanging out with friend and beer writer, Chuck Cook, at Max’s Taphouse. It was there that he was introduced through Cook to Brian Ewing. Ewing was new to the beer industry, having recently started his importing company, 12 Percent Imports. After getting to know each other, Ewing decided to take a trip to Strumke’s house and try some of his homebrews. After a few sips of what would become Stateside and Of Love and Regret, Stillwater started to see life. Stillwater was a concept that developed over time. It wasn’t always about beer for Strumke; his original passion in life was DJing. For about a decade, he toured the world trying to make a career with his music before he gave it up. He landed an IT job and tried to figure out what to do with his life when he got into homebrewing. The first beer he made was a pale ale kit he bought from the store. It was also the last kit he ever made. “I realized I just spent all day making a pale ale I could have bought at the store and it probably would have tasted better if I did buy it,” Brian says. His focus went towards making new, unique beers. He explains, “There is so much creativity in the brewing process, why isn’t there all kinds of crazy beers out there? Why do you have to just keep reinventing the wheel?” Brewing became the artistic endeavor that filled the void left from leaving the music industry. It became a new way to release creativity into the world. Strumke’s sense of creativity shown readily through his homebrews, as he started brewing a vast assortment of original beers. One homebrew, a dark Belgian strong ale with molasses and ginger, even won him a top

finish in a Sam Adams competition and a trip out to the GABF. Having growing success and realizing he loved brewing more than working the IT job, he figured out a way to brew on a larger scale. With no money, starting a brewery was out of the question. “I thought about this parallel between my music career days and what I would like to do with my life and the idea of brewing. I used different studios all around the world to make my music. It was still my music though. Why not apply the same concept to beer?” With a little help from his new friend Brian [Ewing], they started to plan on how he could travel Europe and brew his beers to be brought back to the states. Together, they started Stillwater Artisanal Ales. Before finalizing brewing plans for Europe, Strumke was introduced to the owner of Dog Brewing in Baltimore, who just happened to have some extra space in the tanks. In 2009, after convincing Ewing to buy a much bigger allotment of beer than planned, Stillwater came to life. Cellar Door was brewed for the first time and the domestic brewery quickly became the biggest brand in Ewing’s importing company. With Ewing’s help, Strumke eventually started traveling the globe, making beers all over Belgium and anywhere else in Europe he could get his hands on available tank space. “I’m like a recording artist or a band and Brian’s like

the record label. He’s getting my name out there and I’m making it.” Their friendship turned business partnership has revolved around this concept and given Strumke the opportunity to focus solely on making awesome beer. “We have a gentleman’s agreement that we want to keep this thing special,” Brian says. The way they work together and relate has brought the relationship to what Strumke now calls a family. “It’s hard for people to comprehend the whole model of what Stillwater is because it’s a very unconventional way of brewing,” Brian explains. This hasn’t stopped him from continuing to do things in his own unconventional way. “I brew with whatever I want. I just happen to be a big fan of saison yeast. I like dry beer. I love yeast; I like the character it gives. It allows me to get funky, use different spices, different ingredients. It’s a blank canvas. Some brewers start with their malt as their base or hops as the main focal point of their beers; I’m more of a yeast brewery. I start with the yeast strain and I build the recipe around it. It helps set me aside from the other brewers out there.” Between traveling the world brewing wherever he gets the opportunity and brewing vastly nontraditional, unique saison style beers, Strumke has truly set himself apart from the brewing world. “It’s not your average job but I love it. It’s what I want to do!”

december 2011/january 2012

Beer Travel

Brewing in Hippie Country Touring through the brewery-filled state of Vermont. By Mat Falco

Vermont has quite the impressive beer scene, in fact, it actually has the most breweries per capita in the country. Even little towns seem to have a local brewpub. But, in a land that puts a lot of pride into Ben and Jerry’s and maple syrup, there is nothing little about their presence in the beer world. The largest city in the state, Burlington (the population wouldn’t even fill every seat of Citizens Bank Park) is a great central location to cover some of the best that Vermont has to offer. Within 2 hours, you can hit just about every beer destination worth visiting. (Harpoon is the one brewery that is a bit further out.) Downtown, you have a vast selection of bars and breweries including the Vermont Pub & Brewery. Opened by Greg Noonan in 1988, it was the first brewery in the state and one of the first on the East Coast. Most Vermont breweries credit Greg for paving the way, making Vermont the beer state it is. Less than a block away from Vermont Pub & Brewery is the second location of local favorite, American Flatbread. American Flatbread is actually part of the influence for Earth Bread + Brewery, right here in Philly. Sharing a similar concept, this is a great place to try house brewed beers as well as a selection of local favorites on draft and in bottle. Another block from there is one of the better local pubs: The Farmhouse, serving up locally sourced food and a great selection of draft and bottled beers. And of course, you can’t leave Burlington without paying a visit to Magic Hat. Magic Hat was one of the cooler breweries to visit, as they go all out in decorating and have an impressive brew system surrounded by the remains of some really inspired and creative Magic Hat Mardi Gras floats. Vermont is also home to Long Trail (one of the biggest craft breweries in the country) and Otter Creek/Wolaver’s. They are on the must visit list if you’re up there. Both offer little brewpubs and helped establish Vermont craft brewing over the past 20 years. Outside of of Burlington, there are some additional trip-worthy destinations. Two of these are a mecca for the beer geeks of the world: Hill Farmstead and the Alchemist. Visiting the tiny shedlike structure that houses Hill Farmstead is very worthwhile. The brewery is as small as any, but the tasting room in the back is home to a variety of great beers and even a selection of bottles not in our market. On the way there or back you can even make a stop at another Vermont favorite: Rock Art Brewery. Though the Alchemist’s pub is temporarily shut down due to flood damage, they currently have a canning facility that offers up only a single beer. This lone beer however, is a favorite among many and is the only beer you’ll need. Heady Topper is their double IPA and is only available in tall-boy cans. You can get a 2oz. draft sample at the cannery, but that’s all the draft you’ll see.

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There is also a handful of great pubs including Blackback and Three Penny Taproom. Blackback (which also serves as a fly shop) has a great selection of beers from around the world and even a sushi chef that comes in for a few hours a night, adding an interesting take to a craft beer bar. Three Penny has what seems to be the best selection of craft beer in the state. A tiny little pub with an extensive draft list that was well chosen and the perfect atmosphere for being in the country. Some of the owners also hail from the Philadelphia area, so you’re sure to catch Philly sports on TV. Taking in some great craft beers on top of being surrounded by beautiful country land makes Vermont a great beer escape. You might have to drive a bit to get around, but everything else makes up for it. And who knows, you might even get to see a moose. Also, no trip to Vermont is complete without a visit to the Ben and Jerry’s factory for some fresh Chunky Monkey!

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The true Taste of A German Winter Taste the F lavor of Munich

december 2011/january 2012

Ultimate Holiday Cheese Plates Pairing the best local cheeses with your favorite local beers. By Paul Lawler

Clover Creek Cheddar Fair Food has partnered with cheesemakers David and Terry Rice at Clover Creek to bring their unique cheddar to the perfect cellar age, just for us. Of course, as with any quality farm cheese, it starts with the milk. David and Terry use the raw milk from their own herd, a motley crew of Heritage Breed dairy cows, whose milk only goes to the cheese room when the cows have been feasting on fresh grass seasonally. Pairing: A robust IPA like Victory Hop Wallop or Stoudt’s Double IPA would pair nicely.

Toma Primavera What’s a cheese plate without boldness? This one has it in spades. Toma is a washed-rind, raw milk tomme from Cherry Grove, a biodiverse farmstead near Princeton. Let it sit out a good while and a whiff of almonds and cultured butter will hit the air. Taste it and get all that, plus a tang reminiscent at once of briny caper berries and blackberry. Pairing: Try something on the spicy side like River Horse Belgian Freeze or Philadelphia Brewing Co. Winter Wünder. Going in the opposite direction with a sour or tart beer, such as Weyerbacher Riserva, would work nicely as well.

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Wakefield Dairy Bouche Wakefield Dairy’s bouche is made from raw organic cow’s milk and aged two years. This artisan, European style, cave-ripened in the cheddar family is from Amish Cheesemaker Aaron Lapp at Wakefield Dairy in Lancaster. It possesses a winning browned butter superior flavor to the paste with a darker savory pepper and clove quality to the rind. Pairing: A nice, nutty brown like Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale.

Buttercup Brie A classically French-style Brie is a must have on any cheese plate; and this one is made right across the bridge in Lawrenceville, NJ, with heritage breed Shorthorn and Jersey Milk. Cherry Grove’s cheesemaker Kelly Harding takes a wonderfully fatty milk and crafts cheese that tastes like a gourmet mushroom butter stuffed between a rind. Any leftover? Make a killer grilled cheese with apple slices and apple pepper jam. Pairing: A full-bodied but dry stout such as Victory Donnybrook or Sly Fox O’Reilly’s Stout. Or, try a bottled alternative such as Lancaster Milk Stout or Weyerbacher Old Heathen.

Blue Suede Moo As millions of Britons have known for ages, the holidays can’t be complete without Stilton. Well this isn’t exactly Stilton, but it’s an idiosyncratic local take that came to central PA cheesemaker Mark Dietrich Cochran by way of a British cheesemaker a decade ago. Since then, Mark has been honing the recipe with Keswick Creameries own raw Jersey milk and the hijinks of wily blue mold. A craggily, natural rind crumbly cheese; the texture sits thick like buttermilk and the flavor presents a mole-like spectrum. Dark chocolate, paprika, cracked pepper, and sesame paste—it’s all there between the rind. Pairing: Try a barleywine like Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot or a dark coffee beer such as Tröeg’s Java Head Stout.

Noble Road A raw milk bloomy-rind style cheese that’s not afraid to bring the funk. Said funk varies wildly, ranging from ballpark peanuts to Asian pears to blanched asparagus; seemingly bound by a particular patch of grass the cows grazed on the day the milk was taken – but it is always consistently delicious. This rare delight is aged in cavelike conditions just to the legal age of sixty days before it comes to us. Emily Montgomery makes the cheese on her fifth generation Poconos farmstead, Calkins Creamery. Pairing: A spicy Belgian style beer such as Weyerbacher Verboten or Sly Fox Saison Vos is recommended.

Tomme De Ewe This is a new on-the-scene raw milk sheep cheese from Amish cheesemaker Amos Miller in Lancaster County. Aged four to six months, Tomme De Ewe has a beautiful look on the rind, aged as it is in an Italian-style basket mold. Flavors of browned butter and the scent of your wool sweater after an autumn hike in the woods dominate here. Pairing: A mellow, smooth porter such as Yards General Washington’s Porter would work great.

Puddle Duck Creek If you just choose one soft cheese for your cheese plate, make it this one. It looks like a little marshmallow puck, with a golden yellow interior. This petite gem is creamy for sure, with herbaceous notes and a feisty peppery rind, but holds its form nicely at room temperature. Puddle Duck Creek is from the Arrowsmith Family and Hillacres Pride’s rich Jersey cow milk, via Lancaster County. Pairing: Strong golden ales such as Yards Thomas Jefferson’s Tavern Ale, Victory Golden Monkey, or Dogfish Head Midas Touch will work nicely.

december 2011/january 2012

From the Cellar

An Italian Beer with a Belgian Soul Comparing a 2006 and 2010 Italian sour, Panil BarriquĂŠe. By Phillip Pittore III

With the seasons quickly changing and the festive spirits rapidly rising, the motivation to compare something fun and different seemed intriguing. The perfect style of beer to fit these parameters seemed to me, a sour; an Italian sour to be exact. If you are not familiar with the ever-expanding craft beer scene in Italy, now is the time to explore and enjoy what is becoming one of the hottest markets in the industry. For this column, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve chosen to compare and breakdown a 2006 Panil BarriquĂŠe with a 2010 version; a beer that has quickly become one of my favorite sour beers to date. Upon first glance, the 2006 Panil had decent carbonation for a five year old vintage sour. The 2010, on the other hand, was highly carbonated. The 2006 was brownish in color and quite cloudy, while the 2010 had a beautiful ruby/amber hue. The aromas of a typical sour overwhelmed the senses. Hints of wood, some vinegar and sour fruit were prevalent in the 2006. The 2010 Panil yielded the same sour fruit and vinegar qualities, but the detection of dark cherries distinguished it from its predecessor. The 2006 also had a slight red wine aroma. The pure enjoyment of this comparison was the overwhelming enlightenment on the palate upon first sip. The 2006 Panil was very acidic, yet somewhat creamy. It had a definitive mouth-coating effect. The 2010 was pure bliss in a bottle. Instantly, I could taste dark cherry and sour grapes, but there was a more discernable flavor, a flavor reminiscent of my childhood. It was the unmistakable flavor of Juicy Fruit gum. Both beers were well balanced and the flavor profiles became increasingly enhanced as time passed on. After approximately ten minutes at room temperature, both the 2006 and 2010 Panil yielded cherry and oak flavors. The 2006 was a bit more earthy and moldy compared to the 2010, which still carried a grape aroma and taste. An interesting note was the feint hint of banana on the back end. I was shocked to even think this was possible, but it was clearly present. The finish on both beers after fifteen minutes was quite dry and refreshing, and was still yielding new characteristics and complexities. At the thirty minute mark, the 2006 was extremely acerbic, while the 2010 had a strawberry aroma, and an earthy (mushrooms?) flavor. The dry finish is the only quality that remained consistent throughout the tasting. In retrospect, this was the most enjoyable comparison to date. The complexities of both the 2006 vintage and the 2010 Panil were extraordinary. Hints of cherries, grapes, oak and strawberry engulfed the palate from start to finish. Three months in cognac barrels followed by refermentation and bottle aging make this beer one of the best sours I have ever tasted. Panil truly knocks it out of the park!

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This Beer festival is dedicated to bringing the very best of all the big ass beers and barleywines for a small price. We have 50 or more brews ranging from imperial porters and stouts, double IPAs, barleywines and many more. $45 gets you in the door to sample all you want for the whole session.

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Saturday January 21st 2012

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11/17/2011 6:56:58 PM december 2011/january 2012

Beer Law

D & E Licenses

What’s your opinion on beer licensing laws?

Changes to beer licensing laws could

Join Senator McIlhinney for an open forum Thursday, January 12, 7pm at Yards Brewing Co.

benefit small brewers, retail distributors. by

Senator Chuck McIlhinney (R-Bucks and Montgomery)

In previous articles, I have addressed many of the dangers posed by allowing beer retail distributors to own multiple retail beer licenses. While this change could make beer purchases more convenient for consumers who only drink beers from the largest breweries, allowing entities such as supermarket chains and convenience stores to own multiple licenses could have a serious economic impact on smaller, locally owned breweries and reduce the variety of different beers available to consumers. However, there are other potential actions the state can take in regards to licensing laws that could provide added convenience for consumers while protecting our small breweries and family-owned retail beer distributors. Most retailers who sell beer in Pennsylvania own either a “D” or “E” license. D licenses regulate retail beer distributors, while E licenses pertain to eating establishments like a deli. D licenses are restricted to selling beer for off-site consumption in cases of at least 24 units or single containers of at least 128 ounces. This prohibits retail beer distributors

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from selling six packs and single bottles of alcohol. E licensees can sell up to 192 fluid ounces of beer for off-site consumption, and they may sell single containers of alcohol for consumption inside the establishment. The 192-ounce restriction for E licensees prohibits the sale of beer by the case in eating establishments. Current law prohibits a single entity from owning multiple licenses. This law prevents large supermarkets and convenience store chains from selling beer in their stores since they are prohibited from purchasing a license for each store location. However, the prohibition from owning multiple licenses also prevents D licensees from also purchasing an E license to allow the sale of six packs or individual bottles on the premises. There are several advantages to changing state law to allow retail beer distributors to purchase an additional E license for a single location. The change would benefit consumers by allowing patrons to sample a single bottle of beer before deciding whether to buy an entire case. This could also benefit small brewers by providing

december 2011/january 2012

another outlet for consumers to try new products. The effect of this change on other E licensees would likely be minimal. Retail distributors would need to comply with the same seating and dining requirements as other E licensees, so not all distributors will choose to purchase the additional license due to the added costs. Also, since retail distributors could not own a license at two different locations, they could not infringe on other E licensees by using the additional license to open another retail outlet in close proximity to their competitors. Beer licensing laws play an important role in providing a level playing field for brewers, distributors and retailers. The possibility of allowing retail distributors to purchase an eating establishment license to provide added convenience for consumers is worth considering.

Senator McIlhinney represents the 10th Senatorial District, which includes parts of Bucks and Montgomery Counties, in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

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By Ben Potts

Wood. The material that served as fuel for the first fires of early man, used to build what some believe was a vessel that saved all animals of the Earth, and purported by Virgil to have shaped the mighty “Wooden Horse,” that helped the Greeks defeat the Trojans around 1150 BC. Wood has been used for centuries upon centuries by modern day Man with countless uses, so it is no surprise that it has a long history in the production of one of Man’s favorite things - beer.

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Although the largely diminished role wood plays in beer making today is much different than it was 100 years ago, wood is once again gaining serious recognition from brewers, the beer geek community, and better-beer lovers everywhere. Originally used more for storage and transport, wood, oak in particular, is now being used to lend its character to some of the most highly revered elixirs being produced around the world. The invention of the barrel is dated to around 0 CE or just about 2,000 years ago, attributed to the various barbaric tribes people of Central and Northern Europe. It seems that by Roman times, barrels were in wide use in those areas. Wooden barrels were the storage vessel of choice for beer up until about the mid 20th Century. In an age where clean, light lagers began to dominate the market, shiny stainless steel became the preferred material, as opposed to wooden barrels, which were much more difficult to clean and maintain. Up until that time, in most cases, the barrels used for storage would be lined with pitch â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an organic resin or wax, which created a protective barrier inside the barrel. This layer served several purposes: to help prevent the beer from coming into direct contact with the microorganisms that make a home inside the pores of the material, to protect against oxidation, to keep the wood from imparting its own flavor to the beer, and finally to help make cleaning and maintenance a little easier on the brewers. The exceptions to the rule are the sour ales of Flanders and Payottenland, Belgium, which we will get into a bit later.

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These days, barrels are primarily used in the production of spirits and wine. There are a number of factors to take into account when deciding which barrel will be best for the type of beverage you want to age in it. Type of wood, how the barrel was made, size, and any previous use, all effects the final outcome of a liquid aged in a barrel. The barrels that are now preferred for use with beer are typically barrels that have already been used to age either spirits or wine. The flavors imparted by fresh barrels are way too strong and overpowering for the likes of beer. The wood used primarily for barrel making is oak. Oak is strong and durable, easier to use and maintain than other woods, and adds a preferred flavor and aroma. Oak barrels impart upwards of 200 chemical compounds to its contents, but three are most important to take into consideration when tasting a barrel aged beer. Vanillin is a compound that will lend a vanilla-like flavor, aroma, and sweetness. Yes, this is also the main component from the extract of the vanilla bean. Tannins add a dryness, slight astringency, and acidity - characteristics that are common of red wines. Finally, compounds known as methyl octalactones add unique spicy qualities, depending on origin and type of oak used. There are three varieties of oak that are now used for barrel production; most common for wine use is French Oak, otherwise known as Common Oak to arborists - either the European oak (Quercus sessiliflora), or English Oak (Quercus robur). French oak is highly porous in nature and is found near the great wine production regions, and is naturally used for the wine those regions produce. French oak tends to add more tannin, and the spice character lent can be distinctive of the forest the oak was harvested from. Some of these old growth forests have trees dating back to the times of Napoleon. When it comes to French oak wine barrels and their use in beer, think of wines and the flavors you might find in different types. A spicy Belgian style tripel or dry and herbal saison is perfectly complemented by the fruity acidity and light oak character of a Chardonnay barrel. Flemish reds, Lambic-esque beers, and American Wild ales are beautifully fused with the earthy tannic acidity of a

merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon barrel. Every now and then, a brewer will put some other type of beer in a wine-barrel, giving the beer new life and putting an interesting twist on a style that might otherwise be common and all too familiar. Supplication, Sanctification, and Temptation, of Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, CA, are some of the finest American examples of wine barrel aged beers. Smoke From The Oak Wine Barrel, from Captain Lawrence Brewing Company in Pleasantville, NY, is also a delicious example of how a wine barrel can transform a “normal” beer into something divine. The other main type of oak used for modern barrel production is North American White oak (Quercus alba). This type of oak adds high amounts of vanilla and a toasty character, suited best for spirits -

e wood used primarily for barrel making Th is oak. Oak is strong and durable, easier to use and maintain than other woods, and adds a preferred flavor and aroma. Bourbon, whiskey, brandy, and rum in particular. Bourbon producers are by law required to use fresh barrels. When the barrels are emptied, distillers unload them at a fraction of the original price, and brewers snatch them up and fill them with their precious potions in order to absorb that sublime Bourbon character. Similar to French oak, White oak adds a spiciness that is particular to the state or forest the oak was harvested from, but this character is wider varied according to location. The stronger flavor associated with North American oak may also be due, in part, to the fact that the staves used to construct the barrels are sawn, as opposed to split like French oak. When the oak is sawn, it creates a rougher edge and more surface area of wood that comes into contact with the barrel contents. French oak, on the other hand, is split, creating a smoother, tighter seal from stave to

stave. When it comes to American oak/Bourbon barrel aged beers, think of New Holland Brewing Dragon’s Milk with its silky smooth mouth-feel and smack of vanilla, or the rich, robust, tannic, and burnt espresso character of Port Brewing Older Viscosity. Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout skillfully marries the flavors of Bourbon and sweet mocha-like roastiness of Russian Imperial Stout. Finally, Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto) is now being used in oak barrel production as well. Hungarian oak imparts a unique and highly peppery spice character, along with notes of mocha and typical vanilla character. I’ve found that aging on Hungarian oak can also impart delightful notes of fruit, cotton candy, and coconut that superbly complement the more traditional spicy vanilla flavors. Another important factor in the amount of flavor a barrel will impart to a beer, wine, or spirit, is the level of toast or charring. During the cooperage process (a cooper is someone who builds barrels), the staves are set over a fire, heat is applied, and the surface is literally burnt, or charred. The more a barrel is charred, the more flavor the barrel will impart. Light to medium charred barrels are ideal for use with wine or lighter beers (think Belgian styles or sours). High or heavy toast will impart very strong flavors and aromas ideal for spirits, like whiskey, brandy, or rum. The rule of thumb for beer is strong and dark for barrels with a high toast. Russian Imperial Stouts and Barleywines are perfect. While oak barrels are just now becoming popular in craft brewing, a couple of special types of ale, and the brewers that make them, have been utilizing oak barrels for hundreds of years and those traditions last to this day. In Belgium, the brewers in Dutch-speaking Flanders, and the lambic makers around Brussels, both brew beers where the use of barrels is integral to the final character of their products. Both of these types of ale, while quite different, use microorganisms during fermentation to create a truly unique character, which cannot be achieved by brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) alone. Flemish red and brown ales are characterized by their sweet and sour flavor profile. To make these delicious and refreshingly acidic

december 2011/january 2012

ales, the beer undergoes normal fermentation in stainless steel tanks with a mixed culture of yeast and bacteria. Along with Saccharomyces, Flanders ales are also fermented with Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus, which are both lactic acid producing bacteria. Once the beer is done initial fermentation, it is transferred into giant oak barrels called Foudres, which can hold up to 10,000 gallons. During this extended aging, the beer undergoes further fermentation by the bacteria and yeast. These beers are aged anywhere from 12-18 months, where they gain deep complexity and typically an intense tartness. This aged beer will then be blended with “young” beer, which mellows and rounds out the old soured beer with the sugars that have not been fermented during secondary aging. Oak is important to this process, not because of the flavor the wood itself imparts - these barrels have been mostly stripped of any oak flavor after years of use, some barrels are over a hundred years old – but because of the microorganisms which have made their home in the porous wood. These microorganisms can penetrate roughly a quarter-inch into the wood, and when a sugar source (beer) is added to a barrel with microorganisms, they will come out to feast, and in doing so will impart the particular flavors and aromas that the brewer is trying to achieve in the beer. The porous nature of oak also allows the slow diffusion of oxygen into the beer being stored, which is beneficial for the microorganisms to continue to live and do their work. Rodenbach Grand Cru sets the standard for the style, but Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale, New Belgium La Folie, and Petrus Aged Pale are all great examples of the wonderful ales produced by this region and method. The lambic producers of Payottenland, Belgium (the area surrounding Brussels, Belgium), use oak for a similar reason to the Flemish brewers to their west, although the process differs slightly. Whereas Flemish brown and red ales tend to be associated with a “clean” acidity and flavor, lambics are known for their wild side. Lambic is brewed by producing an extremely protein rich wort (unfermented beer) that is then transferred to a cool ship after the

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boil, which is a long, flat container that exposes a large surface area of the liquid to the open environment while cooling overnight. The air around Brussels is known for its unique micro flora, a potpourri of saccharomyces, wild yeasts known as Brettanomyces, and various bacteria, which then settle onto the exposed wort. The wort will then be racked into oak barrels, where spontaneous fermentation takes place. Unlike Flemish sour ales, which start in stainless steel tanks, lambic will spend its entire life in oak barrels until it is packaged for sale. Lambic can be aged for years, and will often spend upwards of three years in a barrel. Over this time, the wild yeast and bacteria slowly do their work, bestowing the classic funky barnyard acidity that traditional lambic is well known for. While the cool ship and slow exposure to the natural environment is important for lambic production, it’s also important that barrels are used, for these barrels become home to the numerous microorganisms picked up in the air. Brettanomyces yeasts can actually feed on the natural sugars found in oak. Once introduced to the barrel, brettanomyces (and other bacteria) will forever be present and ferment any beverage it comes into contact with thereafter. For real insight into lambics, try some of the rustic sour ales from Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen, Boon, or Hanssens. They are truly eye opening. While lambic and Flemish sour ale harkens back to ancient brewing techniques, it is a matter of debate as to what craft brewery first released a barrel-aged product to the public; in Radical Brewing, beer writer Randy Mosher sites Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout as the first. Regardless of who did it first, barrel-aged beers are now the rage and gaining cult beer-geek status around the world. Currently, 20 of the top 50 beers on Beer Advocate are barrel-aged beers in one form or another. From the big and beefy Founders Canadian or Kentucky Breakfast Stouts, to the delightfully complex Supplication of Russian River, to the über rare Blueberry Blabaer Lambic by Cantillon, it’s clear that barrels have made their impact on modern beer culture. But will the trend last? If history is any indication, wood is here to stay.

december 2011/january 2012

the 2011 holiday

gift guide Beer lovers are easy to impress on holidays. And, while you can buy them a case of good beer, why take the expected route? Whether it’s a gift for the home in “Home is Where the Beer is” or one of the many hand-crafted gifts by talented artists, there are perfect beer-centric gifts for the beer lover on your list. Plus, with this easy shopping, you can hang on to that case and treat yourself, enjoying the holidays the way they were meant to be; with good beer and good company. Happy holidays! 46

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Homebrew shops throughout the area offer many supplies for the beer lover looking to dabble in brewing. In addition, most carry everything a beer lover could need including glasswear, kegerator kits, tap handles, tees, neons, and signage. Be sure to check out your local homebrew shop throughout your gift-finding adventures. (Photographed: Keystone Homebrew - Montgomeryville, PA)

december 2011/january 2012

215 DIY Papercrafts

How can you not smile every time you see the Kenzinger truck roll by or are sitting on a barstool at Memphis Taproom? Well, now you can sit at home and smile while building and staring at your very own models of these Philadelphia beer landmarks from local artist Grand Circus Paper & Toy. *Beer from either is not included. ($5- $15; etsy.com/shop/GrandCircus)

iPhone Bottle Opener

XL Pint Glass

Having one of those days where one beer won’t cut it and all you want to do is sit back on the couch and relax? Well the XL glass might just be the perfect thing for you. Holding just one beer shy of a six-pack, this 60 oz. glass will keep you from having to leave your seat for quite some time (multiple bathroom breaks excluded). It’s like ordering a pitcher and not having to share it with your friends. ($9.95; baronbob.com)

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Keychain bottle openers are cool, but let’s face it, they start to get bulky in your pocket. Why not just add a bottle opener to the phone you carry around all the time anyway? With the new iPhone bottle opener case, you’ll never be without a bottle opener when in need and you have one more reason to switch over and get that iPhone you’ve been contemplating about. Available for the 4/4S, in black or officially licensed major colleges. ($19.95; ibottleopener.com)

Bird Feeder

Not ready to let go of a cool looking bottle you just finished the beer out of? Give it to the birds to enjoy! It may not be proven, but like us, we think birds agree that everything is better that comes out of a beer bottle. This unique bird feeder will hold any 12 oz. bottle of your choice and automatically fills the little feeding tray as birds eat away. Note: not rinsing the bottle before filling may result in drunken birds and is highly discouraged. ($15.95; etsy. com/people/AllyBoosCreations)

Hop Art

Everyone puts bottles of their favorite beers on mantles and shelves. We say take your love for your favorite beer to the next level and hang a portrait of it on the wall. Have paintings of beer created with beer from master artist, Michael Schweitzer. Now, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how you show your respect for a great beer. (Price varies per request; hopartstudio.com)

Beer Label Coasters

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just place your beer on the table or on any regular old coaster, place it in style on a coaster portraying some of your favorite beers. Each coaster is made of either natural or slate tile and is adorned with beer labels from around the world, finished off with an eyecatching sheen. Custom tiles can also be made so you can have a coaster for every beer you drink. ($7 each; NaturallybyMarge.com)

home is where the beer is

december 2011/january 2012

Tap H

The p andles e a keg rfect gift migh erato t re r, b you m ay no ut under ally be stand so m t want uc a (or an h money to spend bly, on so quite yone me p Inste for th eo ad a for th , give the t matter). ple map eir ke iece gerat even of or if own they are , home ba art brew starti r, or er ng in all kinds y. Tap han up their dles so yo of sh co u a hand can get u pes and s me les fo izes nique r hom , cust for ev om eb e tapha ry beer ta rews, or one pped ndles . ($15 .com ) - $30 ;

Forged-Steel Bottle Opener

Hand-forged the old fashioned way, these bottle openers are almost like a piece of history. Whether it is forged from an old railroad spike or uniquely forged into the design of acorns or leaves, these openers are as artistic as they come. Heated in a coal forge and hand hammered on a 130 year old anvil, these made-to-order creations are sure to impress any beer lover. ($14.50 - $28.50; etsy.com/people/ jenniferannmurphy)

phillybeerscene.com

december 2011/january 2012

Flight Glasses

Who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t love flights? Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re perfect at the bar to sample a bunch of beers and even better for pairings. Why not entertain your friends with your own customized flights? Serve the ultimate cheese and beer plate over the holidays or just make it easier to share those bigger bottles of beers with friends. Design the paddle or caddy to your liking, and even put the logo for your future brewery on it, and top it off with your favorite style of flight glasses. Wine flights are also available. ($19.95 - $49.95; vinobrew.com)

Growler Collar

Nobody wants to fill a dirty growler and we all know it can be a pain to get them to dry properly; they’re a pretty awkward fit for a dish tray. Growler Collar™ is the answer. Just screw it to the top of your screw-top growler, flip it upside down, and let it air-dry naturally. It’ll leave your growler perfectly prepared for its next trip to the growler station. ($10; growlercollar.com)

can do ow you here’s n , ll e ries. T usly? W seys ycle very serio rite local brewey fit. Jerseys r e J e Bik ing your bic rt your favo eer and sta e out to the o rid db Take rid n and supp ke any s.com) ink goo shio an’t dr able and ma cyclingjersey c u o y it in fa il y 69; city are ava son wh no rea s to Sly Fox xperience. ($ d e r a from Y a more fitting ry e w e r b

Yesterbeer

There are some amazing beers being made today, but don’t forget about the beers that got everything started. Yesterbeer has you covered with awesome hoodies and t-shirts of the greatest brands of yesterday. There’s even a new DVD (pictured) with footage of all the vintage beer related TV commercials. Sadly, they’re all too old to feature Tom Kehoe’s (Yards) Budweiser commercial. ($15-$35; Yesterbeer.com)

Hopside-Down Beer Glass

Are you one of those people that, no matter how many beer geeks give you crap, you just want to drink your beer straight from the bottle? Well, how about the feeling of drinking it from a bottle but still getting the appearance and aromatics you get from a glass? Then, the Hopside Down beer glass is perfect for you: it’s a glass, it’s a bottle, it’s the perfect way to keep the beer nerds quiet and jealous at the same time. ($19.95; baronbob.com & worldwidefred.com)

december 2011/january 2012

Custom Beer Steins

Want to bring a home bar to the next level? Custom made beer steins from Romanick Pottery are the perfect gift. These handmade, sculptured drinking vessels can be crafted in a wide array of colors with any logo of your choosing. It’s like having your own mug club right at home. Plus, they also make some awesome, custom growlers. ($24 and up; romanickpottery.com)

happy hour monday - friday 5-7 pm 1/2 priced drafts & tapas menu

COME WARM BY OUR FIRE WITH A CRAFT BEER

brunch sat & sun 10:30am - 3pm 17 rotation craft beer drafts & 150 bottles!

Thurs. December 1st, 7pm- Annual Fireplace Lighting Party - Smoked & Wood Aged Beers Sun. December 18th, 7pm- Chanukah vs. Christmas with Shmaltz Brewing & Don Russell Wed. December 21st, 7pm- Bell’s Darkest Day Sun. December 25th, Open 7pm- Mad Elf 2010 & Mad Elf 2011 Tapping Sun. January 1st- New Year’s Day with Yards Brewing Company

For Upcoming Events & Specials www.devilsdenphilly.com www.facebook.com/devilsdenphiladelphia Please Visit our Website

215-339-0855

1148 - 1150 South 11th street - Philadelphia, Pa 19147 52

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december 2011/january 2012

Mash Paddles

Brewing craft beer is like an expression of oneself: you brew stuff you like that you want to drink. So, when brewing, why not use equipment that represents you? These hand-crafted, made-to-order mash paddles are perfect for any batch up to 10 gallons and add an extra personalized flair to your all-grain brew. ($60; etsy.com/people/ZymurgyBrewing)

Hopz™ Cigars

lts balance out at as the smoked ma gre are g ers be ed Smok not take that pairin various hops. Why the th wi lly an tifu nic au be are Domi Well HOPZ™ Cigars to a different level? nnial Hops nte Ce 0% 10 th wi oned Republic cigars seas th every puff. wi ss of hoppy goodne t hin e nic a u yo giving your favorite IPA. perfect pairing with the ke ma o als ey Th rs.com) ($8 and up; tedsciga

Find a Great Selection of Long Trail Ales at:

longtrail_decjan_half.indd 1

AUDUBON BEVERAGE Audubon

FRANK SMITH Pottstown

N. PENN BEVERAGE INC Souderton

BREWERS OUTLET Woodlyn

FROSTY CAPS Roslyn

SUPER VALUE Warminster

BREWERS OUTLET 202 Chaddsford

LIMERICK BEVERAGE Limerick

SWARTHMORE BEVERAGE Swarthmore

COUNTY BEVERAGE Media

MANOA BEVERAGE Havertown

TRAPPE BEER & SODA Trappe

E-Z BEVERAGE Folsom

NORTH END BEVERAGE Pottstown

11/17/2011 1:33:18 PM december 2011/january 2012

A New

Lease

on Life

Otter Creek is brewing better beer the second time around. By Mat Falco

Craft beer is a tough business. There are so

many great breweries out there that it’s easy to get lost in the fray. Sometimes you’re on top, but in trying to stay there, things get rushed, growth comes too quick and the business end gets the best of you. Unfortunately, the business aspect of craft beer is as important as any. It would be ideal to imagine craft beer being solely about making great beer and then everything running itself, but sadly it’s not. Good beer will sell itself, but that’s a wave you can only ride for so long before you need a legitimate plan of attack. There are times however, where things don’t always work out for the best and you start on a sad, downward spiral of events that lead to your potential demise. Thankfully, it doesn’t always have to be New Year’s Day to start over. Sometimes it can be out of nowhere and unexpected at 8:30 in the evening on January 8th; a day like any other. Just over twenty years ago, in March of 1991, in the little town of Middlebury, Vermont, Otter Creek Brewery was started by Lawrence Miller. Having the most breweries per capita in the country, Vermont was very open to the brewing industry and grabbed on quick to what was coming out of the tanks at Otter Creek. Less than four years after starting, relocation was necessary, as they had outgrown their facility. They stayed in Middlebury, moving just down the road to a much bigger, state-of-the-art facility (at the time). After moving, things didn’t slow down and there seemed to be a constant rise in supply and demand. With their altbier Otter Creek Copper Ale, leading the way, the brewery was sweeping the Northeast and gaining a following in more and more states. In 1997, they even started producing a second line of beers. Wolaver’s was created as the desire for organic beers increased, and was the first certified organic brewery in the country.

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december 2011/january 2012

Together with both lines, Otter Creek and Wolaver’s continued growing and expanding. The consistent growth and expansion became problematic though, and the beers showed quite noticeable lows in quality. Bad, out-ofdate beer was hitting further markets and the consistency was not there. The glory days of Otter Creek had begun to dissipate and a void was left in the hearts of those who had loved their beers. The brewery grew to the point where they were in twenty-one states around the country and they were even shipping beer to Japan. The growth was impressive, but it wasn’t supported on the business end and things were starting to collapse. Cash concerns began to take their toll and the beers weren’t being created

with consistent ingredients. Sub-par products were subbed in and out to make due, but beer is something that needs consistency and shouldn’t be tweaked in such ways. Drinkers took notice and Otter Creek seemed to be nearing the end of the road. In October of 2009, seeing the struggles they were going through, neighboring brewery Long Trail, under the lead of President Brian Walsh, stepped in to offer assistance. “We knew what the Vermont brand stood for,” Brian says. This was one of the major reasons, along with knowing the quality of the beer that had come out of the brewery in the past, behind taking the risk of financially backing Otter Creek. The payroll was funded and Long Trail took over managing the brewery. The recent acquisition of their new brewmaster Mike Gerhart, also served as a glimmer of light and was more of a reason to take a chance. About four months later, Long Trail officially took over the brewery. On January 8th 2010, at 8:30PM in downtown Burlington, VT, the purchase became official and Otter Creek received its much need second chance.

“...brewing is like grandma’s baking; you don’t mess with the recipe!..” december 2011/january 2012

“I say brewing is like grandma’s baking; you don’t mess with the recipe! If it says a pinch of salt, than you use a pinch of salt. They couldn’t do that, but now we’re back to doing that.” With this mindset, Brian quickly invested into the brewery. Shockingly, there was still a group of Vermont natives who were hesitant about the buyout, meaning there would need to be changes on multiple levels. As Brain says, “There were two things — we had to change the culture and the people to buy into this new culture and we had to take the long-term approach. We said, ‘don’t just listen to what we say, see what we do.’” Showing what they do, Brian invested over $1.5 million into the brewery to fix consistency issues. Improvements were made in everything from water filtration to the bottling line. The ingredients were key changes as well, and they invested in making sure higher quality ingredients were used at all times. With everything in place to make the beer they wanted, they had to make sure it was fresh when it was served. Getting beer across the country (and to Japan especially) isn’t easy if you take pride in freshness. So, Brian pulled Otter Creek out of Japan and seven states, bringing them down to a much more manageable fourteen states. All of this would be pointless though, if there wasn’t someone to entrust the new brew house to, someone who could run the day-to-day operations and knew how to make a good, consistent beer.

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That is where Mike Gerhart came in. Mike was probably the most important component in the changing of hands. With Mike, they had a proven brewer with experience at all levels and types of brewing. Most notably, Mike spent four years down in Rehoboth Beach, brewing under Sam Calagione at the renowned Dogfish Head Brewery. One would think going from Dogfish Head to Otter Creek would be a drastic change, but not to Mike. “It didn’t seem like a big thing to me. Before my four years at Dogfish, I was at Coors,” he states. Mike has run the gamut in brewing, spending years working on mass-produced beers at the Coors brewing plant and even getting two masters degrees in brewing over the years. He started brewing at the age of eighteen, giving him sixteen years of experience in the industry. Between it all, Otter Creek and Brian were more than comfortable with his technical skills and ability to brew all kinds of styles. Going to school in Vermont, Mike had been around in the days when Otter Creek was producing quality beers. Leaving Dogfish Head and without a job, he moved back to Vermont. “It’s the state with the most breweries per capita. It’s the state I wanted to live in! It’s not what it was when I left Vermont,” Mike says. But remembering the possibilities, Mike took a job at Otter Creek shortly before Long Trail took over. Upon his arrival at Otter Creek, Mike spent weeks working at

each position in the brewery in an attempt to learn everything and know the ins and outs of the whole operation. Now, under his helm, Otter Creek has already taken giant strides. “We’re working towards hitting perfection every day,” he proclaims. Mike is constantly reworking the recipes, getting them back to improved versions of what they once were and even introducing new ones from time to time. And, having all new packaging also helps give way to the redevelopement of the brand. It has become a whole new beer now from the hop to the label. “We’re continuing to improve. Continuing to innovate and try to stay ahead. We’re always thinking about what equipment we can upgrade, where we can get better efficiencies, where we can improve the quality,” Mike states. Production has also hit a huge jump as the brewery went from a four times a week, four brews a day schedule to brewing around the clock six days out of the week. They only shut down the brewery for one hour a day for maintenance needs. Along with improving the beer itself, Long Trail, has bestowed their eco friendly ways upon Otter Creek as well. As one of the leaders of the eco friendly brewery movement, Long Trail has ensured every change made to Otter Creek was made in ways that would go along with the “green” initiatives. All efforts were made to conserve water, save energy, condense shipping and leave as little

Mike has run the gamut in brewing...even getting two masters degrees in brewing over the years.

december 2011/january 2012

of a carbon footprint as possible. Being able to ship Long Trail along with Otter Creek and Wolaver’s has allowed them to never leave the state with anything less than a full container load, cutting back significantly on their footprint. This passion for conserving the environment has also led them to put a greater focus on the Wolaver’s line. Being the first 100% Certified Organic brewery in the country (as well as claiming to soon be the only one with the upcoming change in organic regulations) is something they take great pride in. Extra precautions were made to ensure that high quality organic products were readily available, to the point where they have contracts worked out with farmers to specially grow things for them over the next few years. Being able to work together has also proven beneficial for everyone, as they can now share a mutual, central storage facility and lean on each other. With Otter Creek being a smaller facility, sharing a facility leaves the brewery room to operate at a higher level. Recent months have led to record production of 50,000+ cases. “[Those are] Big numbers for this brewery and from where we came from. We’ve built that much inventory, but with how our growth is, we are running on fumes by the end of the month. We’re running on full tilt,” mentions Mike. This growth has come as no surprise to Mike either, as the staff along with himself is dedicated 100% to

phillybeerscene.com

december 2011/january 2012

building the company. The business motto of the company is to promote everyone from within and not hire any higher up positions from the outside, giving a sense of pride and added motivation to the staff. Mike also instructed the staff from day one: “You’re going to be expected to perform in the next year in a half what takes most breweries five or seven years to figure out. If you’re up for that, we need you. If it’s not something you’re willing to put 150% into, maybe we can put in some phone calls and get you in at another brewery.” Everyone at Otter Creek is on board for the long-run and takes great pride in what they do, which in the end, helps produce better, more consistent beer. With classics like Copper Ale seeing a whole new life and new brews like Alpine Black IPA, Otter Creek is taking full advantage of its second chance in the brewing world. Going from near closure to having capacity issues and needing to expand in the first year and half, Otter Creek seems to be moving in the right direction under the leadership of Mike Gerhart and the support of Long Trail. Timing was perfect as well, as you’d hate to see a brewery go down a year shy of such a monumental anniversary as twenty years. If the past year and a half was any indication, they are well on their way to celebrating another twenty even more successful years.

D A I LY C R A F T B E E R & FOOD SPECIALS

ROTATING CRAFT BEERS

INNOVATIVE

PUB FARE

OVER

BOTTLES

Give the gift of

homebrew! Home of George Hummel, author of “The Complete Homebrew Beer Book”

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310 E. Lincoln Highway, Exton PA 19341 610-363-7020 www.extonbeverage.com

december 2011/january 2012

Bar & Restaurant Review 60

Station Taproom Sean McGettigan’s junction of great beer and amazing food. By Bobby Clark On a corner directly across the street from the Downingtown train station, the menu, tap and bottle list of Station Taproom are just as strong as the exterior’s brick facade. Stepping inside, the bar reveals itself right away. For-sale paintings and stunning, framed photography punctuate the wall space’s warm colors. A bricked archway exposes the kitchen, reminiscent of a family restaurant, maybe your favorite pizzeria. The inviting atmosphere is alive with a hospitable, knowledgeable staff ready to make your visit memorable. Most importantly, Station Taproom, which opened in April 2010, was imagined to be a place where anyone who wasn’t up to snuff on craft beer could cut their teeth on a diversified tap and bottle list. Born and raised in Downingtown, owner Sean McGettigan spent years working with both beer and food, eventually wanting to apply everything he had learned to his own business model. Sean knew before he opened up shop that he was looking to “pull together beer and foods complementary to beer.” Being one of the few places this year to receive the creme de la creme of Dogfish Head Brewing Company’s IPA line-up, 120 Minute IPA, Station Taproom is a craft beer bar worthy of beer aficionados’ affection. Selecting both popular brews such as Victory HopDevil (available on cask) and not-so-often seen selections like North Coast Red Seal Ale and Blanche de Bruxelles, Station Taproom’s rotating tap list highlights Sean’s love of craft beer. The handpicked bottle list was adorned with necessities like Franziskaner Hefeweizen and Russian River’s Sanctification, Damnation and Redemption. Sean says he loves all beer styles equally, but reserves a special spot in his heart for sours/wild ales and IPAs. He tries to reflect that in Station Taproom’s beer list. An almost overwhelming of the senses occurs when pondering the straightforward menu, which showcases quite a few dishes and puts your eyes and salivary glands in competition for decision making. On the small plates list,

phillybeerscene.com

december 2011/january 2012

mussels simmered in a tantalizing broth of hard cider, bleu cheese and bacon are a prime example of Sean’s dedication to bringing creativity into the throes of loving and hosting craft beverages in an easy to find spot. A very seasonable pumpkin risotto brought colors of autumn and flavors of succulence to the menu, while the minted lamb burger and accompanying fries entertain the palate with amazing freshness and a desire to leave no morsel left behind. Whether you’re a townie or a visitor passing through, Station Taproom is tiered with Victory Brewing Company as one of Downingtown’s magnificent places to grab a pint, bite and unwind. If you haven’t been, you absolutely must treat yourself, no matter where you’re coming from. Station Taproom is located at 207 West Lancaster Ave., Downingtown, PA 19335.

december 2011/january 2012

phillybeerscene.com

december 2011/january 2012

Where cooking with the beer is almost as important as drinking. By Mat Falco With the help of a new chef turned partner, Rembrandt’s in Philadelphia has redefined itself over the last eighteen months. A bar and restaurant that was seemingly forgotten with time, has turned itself around and begun to form a new identity. With Chef Robert Legget, formerly of Cuba Libre in Old City, now at the helm, the beer and food programs alike have reached new levels. With a dozen constantly rotating taps all pouring great American craft beers, with a random European beer thrown in from time-to-time, you can always find something to your liking. You probably won’t find Russian River Supplication or Founders CBS, but this isn’t the bar for that. It is the bar to find fantastic, quality beers to go with delicious food. You’re always going to see great lagers and pilsners on tap (a rarity in today’s beer world, where one-offs and high ABVs are all the rage) as well as a handful of low-alcohol session beers, so you can enjoy a few pints each visit. No need to worry though, there is also a double IPA or Imperial stout or two on tap for those looking to dive into something a bit stronger. They also have a rotating selection of twenty or so craft bottles and cans to add to your beermaking decision. Despite having the beer selection it has, the real standout at Rembrandt’s is the food. This is where new head chef Robert really shines. Cooking with beer and cooking pork are passions for him, and it shows

throughout the menu. Many of the items like the smoked bacon wrapped scallops in a cheddar lager sauce and the steak frites that use an organic steak topped with a barley-wine demi glace and a fried egg, showcase the different beers available at the bar. Despite some items not listing specific beers used on the menu, over 70% of the menu is prepared using the beers availabale at the moment. There is even a new version of a lamb ragout he made with Sly Fox Gang Aft Agley Scotch Ale that stole the show at this year’s Brewer’s Plate Festival. Stealing the show at Brewer’s Plate wasn’t his only feat, as he is consistently a standout at the Summer Ale Fest at the Philadelphia Zoo; he took home multiple awards at this year’s Brews, Blues and Barbeque; and, his turkey burger was named best alternative burger in the city, thanks to the most recent “Best of Philly” awards. Needless to say, Rembrandt’s serves up some damn good food. Located in the heart of Fairmount, Rembrandt’s gives you one more excellent reason to make the trip there to check out some of the classic Philadelphia bars. London Grill and Bridgid’s have been beer landmarks for years and with the help of Bishop’s Collar and The Belgian Café (among others), there is no better time to visit this established Philly neighborhood. No trip is complete though, without grabbing a pint and a bite to eat at the newly revived Rembrandt’s. Rembrandt’s is located at 741 N. 23rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19130.

Bar & Restaurant Review

The Revival of Rembrandt’s

december 2011/january 2012

The Tasting Room How Philly Beer Scene Reviews Beer Every issue Mat, Neil & Melissa, from Philly Beer Scene, get together with a notable guest and a member of the scene for a small, private, tasting session called the “The Tasting Room.” Approximately a dozen beers are chosen that are new, seasonal or just interesting. Rather than presenting an overly-detailed single perspective review, “The Tasting Room” serves to be a brief written account of key points made between the tasters. Each taster designates a rating from zero to five stars, justifying it in their own way. The scores are then averaged and always rounded to the nearest half star for a final rating.

Star Gazing Stay Away From This Beer A Drinkable Beer But Not Worth Seeking Out

Our notable guest Over the past few years, Brendan (along with Leigh), has made quite a name for himself. Opening three highly acclaimed bars over three years, he has grown a loyal following. Whether it’s Memphis Taproom, Resurrection Ale House, or Local 44, you’re sure to see his passion for great beer shining through the beer menus.

An Average Beer

From The Scene

A Pretty Decent Beer Worth Drinking Anytime

Jean Broillet IV is in the process of opening up his new brewery, Tired Hands in Ambler, PA, a project he has been passionately developing for many years. Jean has also collaborated on some phenomenal beers with breweries such as ‘t Gaverhopke and Hill Farmstead.

If You See This Beer, Order It You Better Go Out And Find This Beer Now

This Tasting Room was hosted by Resurrection Ale House in the Grays Ferry section of Philadelphia, one of the triumvirate of bars owned by husband and wife/partners, Brendan Hartranft and Leigh Maida. This little corner bar has become a premier destination for not only great beer but also for a fantastic kitchen. They have a finely chosen draft list to go along with an impressive bottle selection and some of the best fried chicken in the city.

phillybeerscene.com

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Red Hook Long Hammer IPA

Sly Fox Dunkel =

Medium bodied and crisp in finish, Red Hook adds

A traditional Bavarian style Dunkel, this offering

a generous amount of hops during & at the end of

from Sly Fox is made with Munich, Pils and German

fermentation (dry-hopping) for one of America’s

Roast malts and a variety of Bavarian hops.

most drinkable and best-selling IPAs. ABV: 6.5%

ABV: 5.3%

Bren

Tremendous aroma. Light bodied. Well hopped? Balanced; ton of big time Clementine flavor.

Bren

Amazing aroma. Big time malt aroma with hops coming through, smooth mouth-feel, great session beer.

Jean

Candied tangerine in nose. Balanced bitterness. Kudos for not muddling this IPA with caramel malts.

Jean

Warm, toasty nose, slight caramel/toffee/floral/earthy hop balance- low/soft bitterness.

Mat 3.5 Very drinkable- light, simple, and refreshing.

Hoppiness is mild and simple. Good for a few pints.

Mat 3.5

Lower on carbonation but gives more traditional cask characteristics. My favorite Sly Fox canned offering. Clean and sweet, nice body for autumn rolling into winter.

Neil

Citrus and brown sugar on nose, sweet, smooth, bitterly hopped.

Neil

Mel

A mild hoppiness- tastes like a light beer- with a 6.5% ABV. Not Bad.

Mel 3.5 Smooth and malty. Approachable.

Ithaca Cold Front

Bourgogne des Flandres

Belgian-style Amber Ale brewed with European

A sour ale/wild ale offering from Itterbeek,

Malts and hops and fermented with legendary

Belgium. This brew was matured in oak barrels

Belgian “Farmhouse” yeast for rich, spicy flavors

for a sweet-sour taste. ABV: 5.0%

accented by slight, herbal hoppiness. ABV: 7.2% Bren 2.5 Great aroma, dry tobacco, high phenols, not a ton of Jean

balance, interesting finish.

Bren

Nice grain bill; bit too sweet.

Upfront phenolic clove backed by banana and tobacco. Chocolate/caramel notes peek through.

Jean

Toffee, cardamom in nose. Nice balance of sweet/ sour. Big cola profile flanked by red fruit on palate.

Not what you would expect from an amber.

Mat

Not as sweet as most Flemish reds. Kind of reminds me of strawberry preserves.

Complex aroma- nice body, malty, heavy tobacco notes.

Neil 2.5 Like candy.

Lots in the nose and a lot of prominent flavors: clove, tobacco, spice, and a little sourness. Interesting.

Mel

Mat 2.5 Strong, almost overwhelming Belgian characteristics. Neil

Mel 3.5

Fruity Pebbles, light and juicy, not too sweet. Very drinkable.

Manayunk Hop Phanatic

Pretty Things Babayaga

This Imperial Red Ale is heavily dosed with Cascade,

Inspired by Eastern European folklore; an autumn

Centennial and Columbus hops, providing a solid, yet

seasonal that includes some smoked malt with

balanced bitterness and a sticky finish on the tongue.

rosemary, as well as other embellishments to create

ABV: 8.2%

the biggest beer they have ever done. ABV: 7.0%

Bren

Massive hop aroma, well done beer, dry finish, ultra clean, bittersweet chocolate finish. Good food beer.

Bren

Very round beer. All in all, well done.

Jean

Up front roast, chocolate, and grapes. Slight woodiness. Soft, low bitterness, quite fruity on the palate.

Great pineapple-tropical nose. Sweetness up front that dissipates quick, leaving a clean, dry finish.

Mat

Really good, full- bodied, fruity stout. Great dessert beer.

Smooth, sweet, beautiful red hue, great mouth-feel, clean finish.

Neil

Awesome chocolate head- coasty- nice body, tons of dark fruits.

Fruity pineapple nose, a little sweetness that quickly dissipates, finishes clean with a slight hop flavor.

Mel

Smoke nose, but not overbearing. A sweet and smoky flavor.

Jean 4.5 HUGE Pineapple, passion fruit, pine bark, and red candied apples in nose. Very nice beer.

Mat

Neil 4.5 Mel

december 2011/january 2012

Allagash Black Ale

Victory Otto Ale

A Belgian style stout, brewed with German 2 row

Otto came about after a trip to Germany, when the

barley, Torrified wheat and oats, balanced by a large

brewmasters wondered what smoked malt might

addition of Belgian dark candi to give the Black a

add to a Belgian-style dubbel ale. The result was the

full, classic chocolate silky mouth-feel. ABV: 7.5%

special bottle conditioned seasonal. ABV: 8.1%

5+! Nice roasted aroma, complex malt flavor, malted milk flavor, nice dry finish. Perfect beer.

Bren

Jean

Chocolate, licorice, dark berries, and a touch of alcohol in the nose. Touch of alcohol in finish.

Jean 3.5 Excellent balance of sweet candy sugar, caramel,

Very sweet but nice texture and mouth-feel. A bit stronger than ABV lets on.

Mat

Ideal level of smokiness. A little sweet from the Belgian yeast. Couldn’t do more than one, but enjoyed it.

Mat 3.5

smoke, with a slightly understated plum presence.

Neil

Such a beautiful blend of Belgian body with a stout’s roastiness and chocolaty.

Neil

Very sweet- think it could mellow- nice smoke, not overwhelming- nice. Drink with bacon.

Mel

Creamy nose, coffee flavor, it’s smooth but I can definitely taste the high ABV.

Mel

Pungent nose when first poured. I like that it’s not overwhelming, a sweet touch.

Rodenbach Vintage 2009

Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout

This exceptional Flemish Red Brown beer of mixed

Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout has a rich, flavorful, deep

fermentation owes its unique character to maturation

chocolate color, with a scented and roasted barley nose.

in hand-made oak casks, some of which are more

It also holds a complexity of malt, hops, alcohol and

than 150 years old. ABV: 7.0%

yeast. ABV: 7.0% Winey aroma, acidic, alcohol is well masked, earthy, hoppy finish. Well made.

Smaller acid then years before, fruity, lactic. A bit too Bren 4.5

Bren

Jean 3.5 Tart cherry, leather, touch of toffee in nose. Spritzy,

Jean 3.5 Bakers chocolate, overripe red fruit, figs on nose.

scaled back for my liking. One dimensional.

slightly sweet. Lots of cherry on palate.

Mat 3.5

Medium body, slightly acidic finish.

Much smoother than I would have wanted. Very different from past vintages. Missing that tart fruitiness.

Mat 3.5

Strong, abundant dark red fruit flavors. Very drinkable. If it had a fuller body, then it would be excellent.

Neil

Phenomenal sour- complex wood notes.

Neil

Mel

Wow! It’s drinkable, but with a tartness. A sweet and sour nose.

Mel 3.5 characteristics, but not too sweet.

Sweet- lots of dry fruit and chocolate- hops on the tail. I like it... but it’s a little dry for my taste. It has fruity

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

Hof ten Dormaal Winter 11

Classic saison; dry, hoppy unfiltered golden farm-

Winter 11, from Belgium’s Hof ten Dormaal Brewery

house ale, but featuring the rare Sorachi Ace hops.

is a Saison/Farmhouse Ale; this brew possesses a

Fermented with Brooklyn’s special Belgian ale

slightly yeasty and spicy flavor with a medium body

strain. ABV: 6.5%

for your drinking pleasure. ABV: 6.5%

Bren 2.5 Huge tropical oil aroma, kills any spice aroma, big

Bren

Moist aroma. Soft melon flavors; complex and delicious.

Jean 2.5 Huge coconut with background notes of black pepper

Jean

Grassy, earthy, underlying woody notes. Ripe melon rind note on palate.

banana flavor kills the beer.

and banana. More body than I’d expect from a saison.

Mat

Really love Sorachi hops and you have to in order to enjoy this. Tons of lime/coconut flavors.

Mat 4.5

Neil

I’m a sucker for Sorachi ace. Awesome aroma and flavor, heavily carbonated, buttery coconut.

Neil

Mel 3.5 Creamy coconut, citrus, sweet notes, and a crisp finish.

Sweet and fruity aroma, great balanced flavor considering the smoked malt. Requires food.

Bren

phillybeerscene.com

december 2011/january 2012

Fantastic. Perfect farmhouse style winter beer. Tons of depth and characteristics. Worthy of buying a case. Really earthy nose, tons of lacing, spicy and sticky, dominates the palate.

Mel 3.5 Grassy, woody nose, full body, and sweet.

The Final Picks After some long discussion and debate over the twelve craft beers that were sampled, our panel is ready to reveal each of their favorite

Weird Beer #16 Popcorn Pilsner

picks for December/January.

Brendan’s Final Pick: Allagash Black Ale. Perfect Beer. Brewed by someone who appreciates all aspects of beer and passes it on to the end user.

Jean's Final Pick: : Hof ten Dormaal Winter 11. Beautifully composed. This is a true embodiment of the “farmhouse” style.

Mat’s Final Pick: Hof ten Dormaal Winter 11. It just stood out as the most complete beer. Once again, Hof ten Dormaal really impressed me.

Neil’s Final Pick: Manayunk Hop Phanatic. Awesome all around. Great beer- sweet and bold.

Melissa’s Final Pick: Victory Otto Ale. I love the light, smoky flavor. I can enjoy this with my husband in front of a warm fire.

Wanting to use more local Indiana ingredients in their beers, Sun King Brewery of Indianapolis turned to one of the state’s most renowned exports. Known as the popcorn capital of the world, it only made sense that they would make a popcorn beer. As such a light and delicate food, a beer with similar characteristics was needed, one that wouldn’t hide any flavors. Thus, a pilsner style lager was chosen. Because of the delicacy of the pilsner, the popcorn was popped oil-free. Air poppers were brought to the brewery and the whole staff chipped in as they popped over 300lbs. of popcorn for a single batch of pils. They used a Rainbow Delight blend of popcorn from a local gourmet popcorn farmer, Riehle’s Select Popping Corn. The popping process actually set up the starches in the popcorn kernels perfectly for conversion when thrown into the mash. The result was a silver medal at the 2011 GABF in the American-Style or International Pilsner category. Winning a silver medal in such a pure-style category is quite impressive and almost makes you question whether it’s such a weird beer after all. Either way, this would make one hell of beer to sneak into the movie theater.

december 2011/january 2012