Philly Beer Scene October/November 2011 by Philly Beer Scene

Issue 15 | october/november 2011 | www.phillybeerscene.com

™

Cider’s Roots Beer’s Other Fermented Friend

Prostbusters II Paranormal Activity In Philly Bars

Cantillon to Mikkeller Shelton Brothers Importers

Italian Brewmaster | Craig LaBan | Craft Promiscuity

october/november 2011

Free! Take One 1

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october/november 2011

Contents October/November 2011

56 sections 8

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

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

18 Woman on the Scene Craft Promiscuity By Carolyn Smagalski

Washington, D.C. By Mat Falco

33 Not Beer Beer Jelly By Alicia Eichelman

35 From the Cellar 14 Years of BigFoot By Steve Hawk

20 Fun With Beer

36 Beer Law

Spent Grain Dog Treats By Mat Falco

Supermarket Sales By Senator Chuck McIlhinney

21 homebrewer’s corner Big Beet Beer

22 Cooking With Beer Flying Fish & Chips

54 Bar & Restaurant Reviews Unique beer destinations for a pint and a meal in and out of the city. By Mat Falco

56 the Tasting Room

24 Tunes & Brews

12 Beers reviewed by our panel with special guest: Craig LaBan

Mariachi el Bronx By Bobby Clark

26 Tapping Into Technology Traveling Beer Bags By Zeke Diaz

30 Beer Travel

60 Directory 66 Beer Events

Local happenings in the Philly beer scene.

28 Brewmasters Iacopo Lenci By Mat Falco

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october/november 2011

48 features

Know Your roots From apples to pint glasses. By Bobby Clark

shelton brothers Part III of our Impoters Series. By Mat Falco

prostbusters II Paranormal Family and Paranormal 215 visit Philly’s haunted bars. By Mat Falco

OUTDOOR SEATING OPEN

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

WEATHER PERMITTING

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

Phillies Postseason Games - Yards Drink Specials & Rally Towels Sat. October 29th, 3pm- Pumpkin Fest Sat. November 12th, Noon- Bella Vista beer bash & Craft Beer Express Thurs. November 24th, Thanksgiving - Open at 7pm, 2010 Southern Tier Pumking Thurs. December 1st, 7pm- Annual Fireplace Lighting Party - Smoked & Wood Aged Beers

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

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KNOW!

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october/november 2011

meet the founders Mat >> mat@beerscenemag.com

Favorite Beer of Late: Dock Street Kölsch. Just an awesome, clean, crisp, refreshing beer. Bar You Are Most Likely To Be At: Always trying to go somewhere new, so I don’t have much of a regular spot. Pumpkin Beer or Oktoberfests: Neither are big favorites of mine, but I’d have to go Oktoberfest. Most pumpkins are too spicy and not beery enough, if that makes sense. What You’re Looking Forward To: It’s football season, so looking forward to drinking good beers at the bar and watching the games every Sunday. Oh, and Barcade Philly finally opening. Person In the Industry You Would Like To Meet: Well, Jack Curtin wrote about meeting me, but I still haven’t met him, so I guess he will have to remain atop my list. Beer You’ve Wanted To Try But Can’t Get Your Hands On: Still haven’t gotten a hold of the infamous Westy 12; hopefully over the next couple months. Brewery You Would Most Like To Visit In The US: I’d have to go with Founders. They always have some unique stuff at the brewery and from what I’ve tried, it seems to be pretty awesome.

Neil >> neil@beerscenemag.com

Favorite Beer of Late: Wild Onion Pumpkin Ale Bar You Are Most Likely To Be At: Newportville Inn; it’s Oktoberfest time! Pumpkin Beer or Oktoberfests: Tough question. I am very picky about pumpkin beers. There are a lot of good ones and a lot of bad ones. But, I enjoy Oktoberfests; I’ll take them all! What You’re Looking Forward To: Getting back into homebrewing now that I’ll have the space! One Person in the Industry You Would Like To Meet: Charlie Papazian (Author & Founder of the Association of Brewers and the Great American Beer Festival). The man’s a genius. Beer You’ve Wanted To Try But Can’t Get Your Hands On: Falco got to try the Cock Ale (Issue #13)... I am still quite bitter he didn’t bring me a growler. Brewery You Would Most Like To Visit In The US: Rogue

founders

Mat Falco & Neil Harner Art Director

Melissa Levenduski Executive Editor

Alicia Eichelman Director of photography

Gina Aquaro Staff Photographer

Alison Dunlap Contributing Editors

Johnny Bilotta, Bobby Clark, Zeke Diaz, Joe Gunn, Steve Hawk, Dave Martorana, Senator Chuck McIlhinney, Jason Ranck, Carolyn Smagalski & Brittanie Sterner Contributing Artist

Andrew Loder Contributing photographers

Artistic Imagery, Inc., Jonathan Clark & Michael Ryan Lawrence Web Designer

Amanda Mitchell graphic designer

Sarah Coale

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 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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october/november 2011

Letter from the Founder Ladies and gentlemen, beer fans throughout the scene, let me introduce my wife – Lindsay Harner! Some of you may have noticed my absence from the scene the last few months as Lindsay and I prepared for our marital celebration at Victory Brewing Co. Planning a wedding is definitely hard work, but it was well worth it. I have to thank Victory for throwing us an incredible bash! The beer was flowing from the taps all night, dinner was filled with awesome BBQ, the service was incredible (no one had an empty glass), and they even took the time to bake a 3-tier beer-made wedding cake appropriately decorated with hops. We couldn’t have asked for a better venue! But, now that it’s all over, I am excited to get back out there and it couldn’t be a better season, my favorite one in fact – autumn. Autumn is a time for rich and flavorful beers like Pumpkins, Oktoberfests, and Rauch beers. It also allows for some awesome festivities– a costume party for Halloween or a big Thanksgiving feast! Autumn is also a time for apples, whether it’s enjoying apple picking in the orchard with your kids, baking a homemade apple pie, or kicking back with a nice, smooth hard cider. This somewhat unappreciated craft beverage is often the subject of mockery for those that don’t drink beer. We decided that it’s time hard ciders get the love they deserve and show you what they’re really made of (apples)! Appropriate for the season, we decided to throw back on our Prostbusters costumes and explore some more of the scene’s haunts. Last year, we took a look at three bars in the ‘burbs but this year, we decided to jump right into the heart of Philly and see if we could wake the dead for a pint. And finally, we explore Shelton Brothers Importers based out of Massachusetts in our third part of our exploration of the scene’s most influential importers. So, kick back with a delicious libation, whether it’s a traditional Oktoberfest or clean, crisp hard cider, and enjoy everything this season has to offer! Cheers, Neil Harner Founder, Philly Beer Scene

october/november 2011

On the Scene

1 4

Philly Beer Sceneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Candid Photos from the Fun and Exciting World of Craft Beer 1. Yards guys Doug and Stevo along with Lyla, celebrating 20 great years at the London Grill.

2. Guests trying the variety of beers at Brews, Blues & Barbecue. 3. Philly Tap Finder founders Jared and Kristy taking in some Mikkeller and Evil Twin beers at the Sibling Rivalry event at the Sidecar. 4. Rembrandts Chef Robert Legget grilling up some of his prize winning tri-tip. He took home 6 awards including Peoples Choice at this years Brews, Blues and Barbecue. 5. New owners of Barrys Homebrew, Jimmy and Nick, showing off the new sign and explaining the ins and outs of home brewing. 6. Short lines, great beers, and awesome BBQ at the Electric Factory for Brews, Blues and Barbecue.

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october/november 2011

7. Reverend Kirk Berlenbach of St. Timonthyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and the Church Basement Brewery gives words of confidence to the guys.

The beerutiful colors of fall

Have a pint of Oktoberfest and Shoo-Fly Porter now, and Winter Warmer in early November Join us for these Sampling Events Earth Bread + Brewery • Thurs. 10/20 Craft Beer Outlet • Fri. 10/21 • 5-7p Big Top Beverage Market • Fri. 11/18 • 4-6p Brewers Outlet, Mt. Airy • 11/19 • 1-3p

Eagles Games 1/2 Priced Wings & $2.50 Yuengling Specials Monday Night Football 1/2 Priced Apps & $2.50 Selected Domestic Drafts Chances to win prizes at halftime

Karaoke Night Fridays 9pm-1am $3.50 Craft Beer Specials Become a Singing Star! Ask About Brady’s FREE Beer Club Card to Earn Prizes!

Join us at the Brewery for

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October! 302 North Plum Street • Lancaster, PA 17602 • 717.391.6258 LancasterBrewing.com •

@lancasterbrew

Join us on Facebook

30 Beers on Tap, 60+ in Bottles Happy Hour Monday - Friday 5-7pm 1/2 Price Apps and $1 off Domestic Drafts and House Wines Open Mic Night Thursdays 8pm-Midnight $3.50 Beer SpecialsEnjoy All Different Styles of Music

4700 Street Road • Trevose, PA 19053 215-364-2000 For Upcoming Events, Beer Promos and Specials, Please Visit our Website

BRADYS-PUB.COM october/november 2011

The Variety Pack

Corked & Forked A delicious series of seasonal recipes and libations to pair. By Neil Harner

Most cookbooks are the type that sit on a shelf and collect dust until a recipe you once skimmed over when you first got the book comes to mind, and you quickly pull it down for that one meal. When the evening is over, the book goes back on the shelf for months or years before you pull it out once again. Corked and Forked, by Philadelphia’s Wine School Founder & Director and Drexel University Professor, Keith Wallace, is anything but one of these traditional cookbooks. Keith offers up a selection of awesome, unintimidating recipes that anyone can make, using common ingredients found in your own pantry or your local grocery store. He then divides them up into different seasons, because you know that no one is grilling outdoors in the winter. Most impressively though (yet unsurprising given his background), Keith pairs much of

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the cuisine with a diverse range of libations including cocktails, red & white wines, and of course, beer. This makes for a wonderful guide to pairings because even if you aren’t the best of cooks, you can at least take guidance in some of the suggested pairings, which you can relate in your own kitchen or if you’re dining out. And, all of Keith’s suggestions come without the slightest hint of snobbery. Reading some of his notes is like getting casual cooking advice from your neighbor: “Why use sea salt, when table salt will do?” Some highlights from the autumn section include a Warm Salad of Spinach and Pan-Roasted Mushrooms, which may seem complex by its name, but in fact, is only comprised of 9 ingredients (one of which is bacon, making the dish a no-brainer) and takes under 15 minutes to prepare. If salad isn’t your thing, maybe dessert is. Imagine a Spicy Chocolate and Gingersnap Tart made with crushed gingersnap cookies, a ton of chocolate, and a unique blend of black pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper to add a little heat, perfectly cooled down with a pint of an American-styled stout. These are the kinds of delicious recipes and pairings one can expect from Corked and Forked. What this book brings to the table is a comprehensive view of a perfect at-home dining experience, whether you’re cooking for yourself or friends and family.

october/november 2011

rare find:

‘96 DuPont Pome Cider

This vintage, rare cider is an extremely special blend. It is a blend of Dupont’s unfermented apple juice and their one year old Calvados. In 1996, it was emptied into 5 year old Calvados casks and aged for 10 years. This cider is truly like no cider you’ve tasted before.

The Variety Pack

V is for Vibrant The Victory family portrait. By Brittanie Sterner “We’re not shy about creating a visual personality for the beers,” says Bill Covaleski, creative director and co-founder, along with Ron Barchet, of Victory Brewing Co. in Downingtown. And, it’s clear that the color-popping characters on the labels of each beer are, successfully, never introverts. The HopDevil is a grinning hop with horns, punched out by a lustrous, purple background. The Golden Monkey label hosts a composite of the proverbial Three Mystic Apes, a bright gold and blue Hindu-looking character. Horace the Hop Wallop is a bearded, robust and goofy madman, and the Storm King Stout is a foreboding owl in black and deep blue. Even the labels that feature scenic images, like Festbier, Weizenbock and Sunrise Weissbier, use valiant colors that help to place an immediate faith in the strength and quality of the beer. It reminds us that brand art can share similarities with aesthetics used for rallying a cause – a war, for a large-scale instance. Images used during war time have always had strong and personified messages that large populations can connect with; like Rosie the Riveter (who is, entirely coincidentally, the same royal blue and gold as Victory’s Golden Monkey).“Victory lends itself to something that’s very driven and forceful; the clean lines (in the images) are evident of that kind of gut sense,”Covaleski explains, attributing part of his visual inspiration to the human dynamics art of the 20s, 30s and 40s, and those Works Progress Administration posters now housed in the Library of Congress. Even the brewing company’s name adds to a sense of an inclusive cause, which graphic designer Paula Anderson points out as the victory over Prohibition. Anderson came on board with Victory around a year ago. She studied the older labels, like St. Boisterous, finding they were“soft watercolor characters that looked huggable;”perhaps not as intrepid and menacing as the current family of characters. They’ve evolved

D-LITE

over the years, blossomed into a gaggle of inimitable and bold personalities. That family, though, has been called disparate – looking as if they don’t belong in the same“family portrait.” While he recognizes it as a problem, Covaleski is conscious of not streamlining them into cookie-cutter characters:“There’s a tipping point where you go from being unique and sought after to being a mass commodity,” he explains. So, what’s the shelf life of a Victory label? How does an artist retain personality for each beer, without making the label too exclusive or aggressive? That’s up to Covaleski and the team to foster an evolutionary branding – one that can transform flexibly. One that continues to say: this is a victorious beer.

By Andrew Loder

Two oktoberfests, please.

No oktoberfest anymore. We’ve got Christmas ale now.

It’s September.

www.phillyxdesign.com october/november 2011

The Variety Pack

I on Beer How to continue a healthy beer drinking habit as a new dad. By Joe Gunn

Life changes quite a bit when you have offspring, especially if you stick around to raise them. Less room for all of your cool stuff, less money for all of your cool secret stuff, and less time for all of your everything are all direct byproducts of sowing your seed. Many guys throw in the towel. Not me, I decided I wasn’t going to let some zero year old kid, who can’t even stand up on his own, boss me around. I never thought much of it until dads from all over the land would ask me how I get away with enjoying beverages as much as I do, having children. I decided to throw a couple pointers out there that should help all of you new dads and soon-to-be dads. 1. Buy into a bar. This may sound like jerk advice coming from a guy that had a bar entering parenthood, but that was coincidence. What you have to do is find a place that will allow you to invest a couple bucks, just to be allowed to say you’re an investor. Once you are in, you’ll obviously want to keep a close eye on operations on a day to day basis. You’ll end up with less actual power than anyone that actually works there, but remember, this is an investment in beer time, not money or ego. That money is dead to you. And for shit’s sake, please try to get away without disclosing how much you’re invested for to your mate. You’ll never be allowed to skip an infant’s dental check-up to keep an eye on your .00001% stake in the local beer bar.

Not Just A Beer Store,

A Beer Destination! SPECIALIZED 1/6 KEG SELECTION

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Mon-Thu 9-9 • Fri & Sat 9-10 • Sun 12-5 310 E. Lincoln Highway, Exton PA 19341 610-363-7020 www.extonbeverage.com

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2. Catch a game. Say it just like that. “Hey baby, I’m thinking about catching a game with Tom on Sunday, should be over around four, is that cool?” With the right delivery, that should go over rather smooth. What “baby” doesn’t realize is once you’re committed, you pretty much have to do what your host is doing, or you’re an ungrateful asshole. Point is, go to football games with guys who start tailgating around 8 in the morning. Also, the game will end closer to 4:15. By the time you get out of the stadium, back to the tailgate for one more quick one while traffic lets out, and then walk to the subway or a cab, you’ll probably roll in around 6. That gives you ten quality hours that she never saw coming. Please remember not to pick up or touch baby after this plan. 3. Drink at lunch. People often wonder what happened to the Martini Lunch? Well, I know exactly what happened. People got dumb with them. If you’re getting away with something incredible like chugging martinis in the middle of the day, whatever you do, don’t tell anybody. My guess is whenever the lucky ladies who got to stay home with the kids back in the day heard of this kind of behavior, it was over. What I want you to do is bring it back, secretly, with far less hard alcohol involved. Take your lunch budget to a friendly pub a couple of days a week and drink your lunch. 4. Hide it. *Quick tip for new mothers wanting to continue drinking like champions… Do whatever you want. If your boy toy even glances at magazines like this, you’ll never lose custody.

october/november 2011

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.

Beer Bar Taqueria Imagine Aztec goddess of alcohol, Mayahuel, and the Greek god of revelry, Dionysus reproducing. Now picture that baby frolicking through hills filled with beautiful women, margarita streams, and trees whose fruit are the world’s greatest nachos. The Phillies make the playoffs every year of his life. This is Jose Pistola’s.

Br unch with the

BIRDS Ever y Sunday 10:30am 11/12

All of the Unibroue bottles say, “Ale on Lees.” What does that mean? - Kristen P., Philadelphia, PA “Lees” is another word for “yeast” or yeast deposits, so the almost-literal translation is “Ale on Yeast.” The simple answer is- it’s a nod towards the fact that all of Unibroue’s ales are “bottle conditioned.” Yeast is added to the bottle before the ale is, and then sealed. The result is natural carbonation and a specific second (or third) fermentation in the sealed bottle. What is bottle conditioning? - Ed G., Philadelphia, PA As noted above, bottle conditioning is the addition of live yeast into the bottle during the bottling of beer. The yeast will continue to ferment in the bottle after it is sealed, which gives off carbon dioxide and alcohol. The result is natural carbonation of the beer (vs. forced carbonation which, like soda, has CO2 forced into it at high pressure), sometimes a notable jump in ABV, and most certainly the addition of flavors depending on the yeast used. Bottle conditioned beers are almost always”cloudy” because of the presence of yeast in the bottle. The bonus is that the presence of yeast in a bottle of beer can slow or counteract the breakdown of chemicals in beer that cause “skunking” – thus, increasing the beer’s shelf-life significantly. Should unpasteurized beers be handled differently? Does pasteurization affect the flavor? - Joey B., Yardley, PA Some unpasteurized beers are put through “sterile filtration” which has the same basic effect – removing microbes in liquid that can cause beer to spoil faster. That said, it’s rare to know which beers use this methodology, so it’s wise to store unpasteurized beers more carefully - in cool, dark conditions. However, pasteurization is just one in a number of factors in shelf-life - high ABV or bottle conditioned beers tend to have a longer shelf-life for other reasons. But, you better believe pasteurization changes the taste. The finished beer is literally cooked at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes, killing enzymes and destroying vitamins in the beer. Whether it tastes better or worse, however, is for you to decide.

CRAFT BEER

EXPRESS

FUNKY ASS SHIT!!!

Featuring funky cheese, funky live music & funky beers by Russian River, Boon and more.

11/20: 7PM

10 YARDS WITH TOM KEHOE III

Featuring our favorite 10 yards and our favorite tailgate foods

GO PHILLIES! 215.545.4101 • 263 S. 15th St www.josepistolas.com

october/november 2011

The Variety Pack

Meet the Scene: Jeff Lavin Meet Jeff Lavin, the owner of the “Best of ‘Burbs” winning Hulmeville Inn, located just miles away from Exit 37 off I-95 North. Interview By Steve Hawk Philly Beer Scene: What is the beer you credit with getting you into craft beer? Jeff Lavin: I think the first craft beer I had out was a Harpoon

Winter Warmer around ’93 at Jake and Oliver’s House of Brews in Old City. My buddy Brad Martin, from Isaac Newton’s, took me down there and I was hooked. I think back then they had 40 beers on tap. First, he gave me a Sierra Bigfoot which, back then, I compared to chewing on a wreath. PBS: How did you get into the industry? Jeff: I was working at Langhorne Ski Shop and we would go out

for a beer after work. The owner of the local bar we would go to offered me a job tending bar. Seeing as how I was already there most nights, it made sense. PBS: Of your many duties at the bar, what’s your favorite? Jeff: Tapping a new beer. It never gets old. PBS: If you could bring back one currently extinct beer, what would it be? Jeff: NITRO BRAWLER (Sorry Mash) from Yards. I had it first at

Sippin’ by the River in the late ‘90s. So smooth.

PBS: The Hulmeville Inn is known for some over-the-top beer events on its calendar. If you had to name just one, which is your personal favorite? Jeff: Kicking Yards Ass. They challenge us, we win. It’s actually

getting old. Kicking their firkin in 18 minutes was cool. Believe it or not, it wasn’t a chugging contest. Only about a dozen people got a second beer. Look for me getting pulled around Philly in a rickshaw by Yards manager Steve Mashington this fall. PBS: The Hulmeville Inn has been voted the “Best Bar of Burbs” by readers of Philly Beer Scene Magazine 2 years in a row. How do you think you continue to be a fan favorite? And do you think it has anything to do with free hot dogs and hamburgers? Jeff: We buy our votes and are proud of it. It’s cool to win. It’s a

reflection of our customers’ loyalty. In the ‘burbs you have awesome places like Isaac’s, TJ’s & Capone’s to compete against. We aren’t any better, we just have a bigger hot dog budget. PBS: The bar also sponsored the winner of the Philly Beer Geek competition 2 years in a row. How do you facilitate such a geeky atmosphere? And does everyone at the bar wear pocket protectors? Jeff: Some days it gets really nerdy. You can always tell when you

went over the edge by the looks you get from non beer drinkers. “Your Gueuze made me pucker,” may be acceptable in a home brew meeting, but even that is questionable.

PBS: You’re known for making a lot of homemade beer-centric toys for the bar, such as a beer bottle Christmas tree and beer themed water fountains, and also rumor has it you’re a skilled Photoshop vigilante and former jeans model. With all these hobbies, do you have any other business ambitions outside of the beer industry? Jeff: We have plans to open a brewery / brewpub upstairs at the

PBS: If you manage to get time away from the bar, where would we find you? Jeff: At home answering questions for you ass clowns.

Hulmeville. My friend Bruce and I make wine on the weekends. Maybe not so much of an ambition, rather a need for some sort of intervention.

PBS: Who are your biggest beer influences? Jeff: Steve Hawk. I’d answer someone else but Hawk would just edit it out.

phillybeerscene.com

october/november 2011

The Variety Pack

Triumph in a Bottle Triumph Brewing Co. begins experimenting with bottling. By Bobby Clark

Good food. Good friends. Good times. • 18 Beers on Tap • Daily Drink Specials • All Food Freshly Made on Premises

• Flat Screen HD TVs • Free WiFi • Outdoor Dining Patio

PUB FARE NEVER TASTED SO GOOD! DON’T MISS: Octoberfest at the Grille | Saturday, October 15 11am-1am Beck’s Oktoberfest and Warsteiner Oktoberfest on tap, plus great food, live music, games and fun! Tailgatin’ at the Grille | Sunday, October 16* 11am-? | Eagles vs. Redskins Bud Light specials, slow smoked food straight from the kettle drum grill, free giveaways, and more! Special appearance by the Bud Light Girls. *Rain date: October 30

24 E. Main St., Rear, Fleetwood, PA 19522 • 484-575-8555 www.simmeria.com

We Have What You Need To Make Your Own

Craft Beer & Estate Wine More than likely, you’ve spent an evening at one of the 3 Triumph Brewing Company locations and have seen the constantly-rotating taps which pour their many varieties of house-brewed beers. Did you know you can get select styles of Triumph’s beer not found on tap, but in 750 ml bottles? At the New Hope and Princeton locations, Triumph has been experimenting with different methods of bottling their beers and stowing away limited styles for aging, like their Kellerbier and a wonderful Belgian Dubbel, releasing select American and English ales, plus German Lagers, regularly. Some of the experiments involved filtered and unfiltered beer, using different sugars for bottle conditioning. With pride, each beer bottled is completely done by hand: there is no bottling line or machine assistance to get the beer in each 750 ml bottle. Every label is marked with each beers’ style, and then stored away to the brewer’s specified date. A very limited amount of the bottles available range back to 2006. The aim with these bottled beers is to have something you are able to pull out for a special occasion or to offer as a one-of-a-kind gift. However, there are no plans to ever distribute these beers; you must visit Triumph in person to obtain these classy bottles.

Large Inventory • Expert Advice • Fresh Ingredients • Equipment

10% off any beginners homebrewing equipment kit with this ad* *ad must be presented at time of purchase. Offer expires 12/31/11

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

october/november 2011

The Variety Pack

Growing Up In The Footsteps of a Legend Brian Grossman is blazing his own path in the beer industry. By Mat Falco “When my mom would take me to the brewery, it was a very positive thing because my dad was there. It was my playground; he would always stop what he was doing and throw me in a case of beer and ship me down the bottling line on the conveyors. I grew up climbing malt stacks.” Most probably thought climbing on Grimace and the Hamburglar at McDonaldland playgrounds was a childhood treat. Then again, most of us didn’t grow up with legendary beer pioneer Ken Grossman as our father. But, for Brian Grossman, that’s exactly what life was like as a kid. Growing up surrounded by beer, Brian surprisingly didn’t develop the urge to get into the industry and be heir to their craft beer throne. During his early teen years, a passion for bicycling took over until around the age of 15, when he started giving thought to following in his dad’s footsteps. “I convinced my dad to let me start working there [the brewery] and the first day, I showed up with a couple buckets and I had the idea that I would start brewing right away. My dad told me I didn’t need those buckets for brewing, because I was going to start by scrubbing the fermentors.” Not exactly what he had in mind, but after putting time in scrubbing the facility, Brian moved around the brewery learning different aspects of the operation. After high school, it was time for college and to focus on what he wanted to do with his life. He initially had a double major of business and chemical engineering with a mindset that both could be helpful in the brewery. After considering the idea of being a Sheriff and receiving a degree in Administrative Justice (with a job on hold for him at the Police Academy), Brian had a change of heart and went back to his dad who suggested he focus on the business route. It was back to pursing a career at Sierra Nevada and working with his dad. A career at the brewery was never something that was really even brought up as he grew up. “He never encouraged it, never discouraged it. It’s a lot of work, and you’re not gonna get it just because your last name is Grossman.

phillybeerscene.com

You’re going to have to work for it and earn it,” as Ken would tell him. “I didn’t get it then, and I still don’t quite understand what that means. I’m still learning it day by day. Having Ken Grossman as your dad is good and bad; you have the best teacher in the world but expectations are also set pretty high.” Today, Brian is the head of operations at Sierra Nevada and still works toward understanding what it means to be the son of Ken Grossman. He’s in a good place to get things figured out. Living in the middle of nowhere off a dirt road outside Chico, CA, Brian’s life is out of the spotlight. The idea of being a celebrity or rock star of the beer industry is not something that seems to have hit Brian or Ken. Sierra Nevada is their job, a job they love and work hard on

october/november 2011

every day and then go back to their personal lives. Even with Vinnie Cilurzo of nearby Russian River Brewing as his best friend, it’s still just everyday life. During the day, it’s all about Pale Ale and then, all about hunting, fishing, riding his cars and bikes through the woods and winding down playing games of rummy to 10,000 with his girlfriend at home. It’s fitting for a brewery like Sierra Nevada. At Sierra, it’s about the classics and doing everything to keep their “simple” Pale Ale the forefront. They’re not a flashy brewery and like the Grossmans, it’s all about the simple things in life. It’s something they love and as Brian says, “I always say I’m so happy that my dad didn’t make dog food or cat food because I probably wouldn’t have fallen into that.”

october/november 2011

Woman on the Scene

Does

Craft Beer

Passion Lead to

Promiscuity? What’s a girl to do during the late autumn and winter warmer season? By Carolyn Smagalski

phillybeerscene.com

october/november 2011

I seem to fall in love as late autumn rolls into winter … not that I find anything terribly romantic about Pilgrims. No, no. In actuality, it must be that last crunch of leaves under-foot, a crisp chill in the air as the seasons wind down, smelling of dampened earth and ripening apples. I’m a bit promiscuous at this time of the year. How could a girl possibly be loyal to one, with so many wildly vibrant beasts awaiting discovery each night? Standing amidst all those strong figures with coppery bronze bodies or gleaming black middles, I find it hard to choose without exploring every nuance. I want to indulge in them all, each one making my lips tingle, brimming with spice. Some call themselves Seasonals, and others, Winter Warmers, but each one heats-up with a unique style. I want them all. Women who love craft beer are like that. These seasonal release beers are really the culmination of ideas from the brewers’ secret vault, a cornucopia of brews unleashed late in the year, waiting for a special occasion. Thanksgiving, St. Nicholas Day, Chanukah, Christmas – all are ideal occasions for these hefty mouth-pleasers. Disguised in the form of Pumpkin ales, Imperial stouts, spice-infused warmers, or beers dressed in spruce, they capture the imagination and stimulate the palate. Just in time for Thanksgiving, Victory Brewing of Downingtown releases 2011 Dark Intrigue on November 23rd, a limited edition offering for those who love the sweet tingle of bourbon. Starting with their signature Storm King Stout as a base, Victory aged this dark beast in 150 cellared barrels from Jim Beam and Heaven Hill Distilleries; then, blended and decanted them into 750 ml bottles with cork and cage. The resulting elixir has 9.2% ABV, and is dripping with vanilla, dried cherry, caramel, brown sugar and earth, the perfect partner with currant pie or as an after-dinner digestif. Another big, brawny temptation for the tongue is Dock Street Bourbon Barrel Aged Prince Myshkin Russian Imperial Stout, an infinite reflective onyx with sticky, mocha-mousse head. Crafted with toasted and chocolate malts, this bad boy drips with flavors of dark berries drizzled with chocolate, black bread, vanilla and earth. Refermented in 750 ml bottles, the Prince is primed for release on November 22nd. Pumpkin adds another dimension to beer for late autumn. These may come in the form of ales, stouts or chocolate beers, emerging full-flavored with the traditional bouquet of spices. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery of Delaware presents Punkin Ale at 7% ABV, intoxicating with flavors of real pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Iron Hill Brewery, with eight locations across Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, released The Great Imperial Pumpkin Ale as a new addition to their Bottled Reserve Series this fall, brewed with 200 pounds of Crookneck pumpkins from local PA farms, autumn spices, molasses and Belgian candi sugar. Pumpkin beers marry particularly well with Holiday fare: turkey, cranberry dressing, yams, and candied sweets, as well as warm pecan pie and oatmeal cookies. They vary in alcohol intensity, and may be brewed with hand-cut or roasted pumpkin, puree, or just a hint of pumpkin flavoring. All use spice-blends, but these spices may arrive as a subtle touch or an in-your-face explosion. They are hot on the scene

from October until December. I’m an enthusiastic fan of Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale at 8% ABV, with its deep-russet body and clinging lace. Aromas of pumpkin pie give way to less sweetness on the tongue, adding complexity to a style that can initially appear to have less depth. But my palate also likes the spice-infused echo of The Great Pumpkin at 8% ABV and The Greater Pumpkin at 9% ABV, both Heavy Seas Beers from Clipper City Brewing in nearby Baltimore, MD. Fegley’s Brew Works in Allentown, PA spills over into the Imperial Pumpkin world with Devious, a 9% heft of suds, light-bodied, clean, earthy, and rich in cinnamon and nutmeg. This lady is getting lightheaded just thinking of the choices! With so many luscious brews, how is a girl to keep her figure in check throughout this Holiday season? Yards of Philadelphia offers a reprieve from the deluge of pumpkin spices with Poor Richard’s Tavern Spruce Ale. Although sold as a year-round brew, Tavern Spruce takes a front-seat among winter ales. Crafted with freshly-cut spruce tips from a local PA farm, the piney subtleties, along with molasses, pepper, ginger and a firm, bready foundation rope the celebrator into jovial festivity. Classic Olde Ales are warming to the mouth, and consequently, to the spirit. Bill Moore at Lancaster Brewing crafts his Winter Warmer as this multi-layered style, with 2-row barley, caramel and chocolate malts, drenched in Cascade and Goldings hops. A Fino-sherry profile paints the tongue, undressing with complexity that cuts the winter chill. Victory’s Yakima Glory comes to the spotlight again this year, a Black IPA and the fastest selling seasonal Victory has ever released. The tannic dryness, a result of the blending of 4 whole-flower varieties of hops, blended with dark malts, makes a luscious and lustrous brew with a bright citrus-and-grapefruit front and cherry-pit spiced-cake in the depths. Belgians hold center stage during the early winter, before giving way to Barley Wine styles. Tröegs Mad Elf Ale is a Belgian Strong

Dark Ale, as assertive as many Holiday wines at 11% ABV. This ruby red classic has flavors of honey, chocolate covered cherries, rum-drenched fruitcake, and spices, to seduce you into winter hibernation. Weyerbacher’s Quad, an Abbey Style Quadruple, is even more head-tugging at 11.9% ABV and lingers, warm in the throat. Stoudt’s Belgian Triple conquers the Holiday table with two-row and wheat malts, bittered with Perle and Warrior hops; then softly perfumes it with Hallertau and Saaz for a gentle floral profile. Flying Fish of Cherry Hill, NJ unrolls Grand Cru Winter Reserve, with its golden-tangerine body and frothy cream head. Drenched in melon, lemon, and hints of rock candy, this Belgian Strong Pale Ale gathers followers with its seductive aromas of clove, bubblegum, florals and yeast. Dock Street’s Prisoner of Hell, at 8% ABV, is a devilish seduction with spiced tropical flavors that finish with black, white, and green peppered heat. In the winter cellar, I reserved a few bottles of Life & Limb Two, the collaboration between Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head. Released for the first round in November 2009, the pair combined forces for a second release in August 2011, for “those who risk life and limb to shape the vibrant craft-brewing community.” With barley from the Chico, California farm of Grossman’s family estate, and Maple Syrup from the Calagione family farm in Massachusetts, this brew came together at the Sierra Nevada brewing facility in Cali. After blending house yeasts from Sierra and Dogfish for a primary fermentation, they revived a second fermentation in the bottle with birch syrup, a product of the Alaskan frontier. Strong, measured at 10% ABV, and dark as the Alaskan winter, this sipping sweetheart can be served as a gently mulled drink as the nights get longer. A different one each night, and I didn’t even touch on the Barley Wines. Is this promiscuity, or just love of the craft?

october/november 2011

Fun With Beer

Spent Grain Dog Treats Getting man’s best friend involved in homebrewing. By Mat Falco Homebrewing is an awesome hobby and a great way to try and put your own creative twists into making beer. But, when you’re done, you’re stuck with a whole bunch of leftover spent grain. The spent grain is awesome for feeding cows and other barnyard animals, but the small amount you’re going to have probably isn’t worth driving out to a farm and definitely isn’t going to warrant a farmer driving out to pick it up. No need to waste it though, as chances are you either have a dog or know someone that does, and they seem to love spent grain just as much as cows. It only requires a few more steps, as they prefer it in the dog treat form. So, the next time you brew a batch of beer, here are a few easy steps you can follow to make some dog treats to share your love of making beer with your favorite canine companion (without getting them drunk).

what you need

how to do it Step 1: In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients. Step 2: Spread the mixture onto a large cookie sheet and press down to make the mixture as dense as possible.

4 Cups of Spent Grain 4 Cups of Flour

Step 3: Score the spread out mixture into your favorite dog treat shape. We recommend shaping them like beer bottles rather than the typical bone.

1 Cup of Peanut Butter 1 Egg

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Step 4: Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.

october/november 2011

Step 5: Remove from oven and loosen them from the cookie sheet. Break the pieces apart and then place back on the cookie sheet, evenly spread out. Step 6: Place the treats back in the oven and bake for 8-10 hours at 225°F. The extra length of time ensures that they are extra-dry and reduces any risk of mold growth. Step 7: Share with your dog as you enjoy the beer that was made with those spent grains.

Homebrewer’s Corner

King Bo’s Big Beet Beer All grain recipe for this unique homebrew. By Jason Ranck Bowie is my unusually big cat, who has to inspect everything new in the house. He is always nearby when I brew. This beer, although not big in ABV or OG, is big in its unapologetic personality - just like my cat. I had been dreaming about making a beet beer for a long time. I wanted to create something crisp and refreshing, but with the unmistakable flavor and

style that would showcase both the

earthy beet flavor and a crisp, dry finish.

vibrant color of beets. The simple grain

intense fuchsia color and the subtle flavor

This beer complements a variety of foods,

bill and hop schedule of this beer are

of the beet. The result is an enticing

such as chevre and arugula salad,

similar to that of a Kölsch. I wanted a

brew with a complex, fruity aroma, an

mashed sweet potatoes, or rare steak.

Ingredients and Directions 80% efficiency assumed for final volume of 5.5 gallons Original Gravity: 1.047 Final Gravity: 1.004 26 IBUs Malt:

The Procedure:

Step 1: Prepare a simple yeast starter 24 hours before brewing. Step 2: Perform single infusion mash at 150°F for 80 minutes.

7 ¾ lbs. German Pilsner Malt 1 ¼ lbs. Vienna Malt

Step 3: Batch-sparge with 170°F water.

Hops:

Step 4: Collect wort, bring to a rolling boil and add 1 oz. Spaltz hops for 60 minutes.

Scrub beets and cut off the greens, leaving about ¾” of the tops and all of the roots in-tact.

Step 5: After 45 minutes, add ½ oz. Hallertauer hops and Whirlfloc tablet or Irish Moss.

Steam for 10 minutes, quarter and remove skins with a paper towel. Chop off the tops and roots and dice the beets finely into ¼” cubes. Return to the kettle with the beet stock and boil for 10 minutes to sanitize. Cool beet slurry in an ice bath until the temp is below 80°F. Pour into glass carboy using a sanitized funnel and rack the beer on top. Since there are fermentable sugars in the beets, fermentation will speed up again, so it’s good to have a blow-off hose handy during this stage. After fermentation is complete, prime and bottle, wait 2 weeks and enjoy!

1 oz. Spaltz pellet hops (5% AA) – 60 min. ½ oz. Hallertauer pellet hops (4% AA) – 15 min. ½ oz. Hallertauer pellet hops (4% AA) – 5 min. Yeast:

White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast Miscellaneous:

1 Whirlfloc Tablet 5 lbs. Red Beets (in secondary)

Step 6: 5 minutes before the end of the boil, add ½ oz. Hallertauer hops. Step 7: Cool wort below 80°F and siphon into your primary fermentor, aerating well. Step 8: Pitch yeast and ferment at 66°F for about 5 days or so, until rapid fermentation has stopped.

How to Prepare the Beets

october/november 2011

Cooking With Beer

Flying Fish & Chips Beer battered Tilapia, hand cut Mediterranean potato chips, pickled cucumber aioli. Executive Chef Darryl Harmon: The Water Works Restaurant & Lounge

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

Ingredients: (Serving Size: 4)

Directions:

(4) 6 oz. boneless fresh Tilapia filets

• Cut Tilapia width-wise into small strips. • To make the batter, combine all batter ingredients above and whisk together until smooth. • Have a cast iron skillet ready with hot Canola oil at recommended temperature of 375ºF. • Dip fish in the batter until coated and place fish in the hot oil until golden brown and an internal temperature of 155ºF. • Remove fish from oil and sit aside. • For the chips, have another hot cast iron skillet ready with hot Canola oil. • Remove sliced potatoes from water, then pat them dry. • Place potatoes in the skillet and cook until golden brown or until potatoes are crispy. • To make the aioli, combine all of the pickled aioli ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.

For the Batter

Chef Darryl Harmon’s love for fine foods and cooking began at a young age in his native South Jersey community, where his mother was a cooking superstar & his father owned and operated a dairy farm. That love for cooking helped him establish a career in various Atlantic City casino restaurants, including Bally’s and Taj Mahal. Darryl is currently the award-winning Executive Chef at the Water Works Restaurant & Lounge in Philadelphia. “I chose The Flying Fish OktoberFish Beer for this recipe because it provides the perfect flavor to my dish. It’s a malty beer that integrates nicely and is a key ingredient.”

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6 oz. all purpose flour 3 oz. Flying Fish Oktoberfish Beer .5oz seltzer water 1 tsp. baking powder

For the Chips (3) all purpose baking potatoes – thinly sliced & soaked in water 16 oz. Canola oil (for frying)

Pickled Cucumber Aioli 4 oz. mayonnaise 2 oz. cucumber – small diced & pickled in vinegar, sugar, water, & pickling spice 1 tsp. capers (minced) 1 tsp. fresh dill (finely chopped) 1 tsp. fresh parsley (finely chopped) 1 tsp. garlic (minced) 1 tbsp. lemon zest Salt & pepper to taste

october/november 2011

WEEKLY SPECIALS: MONDAY: $2 Rock 16oz Cans $3 Becks 16oz Cans Half Price Cheesesteaks TUESDAY: $3.50 Victory Pints $5 Burgers Trivia at 8 WEDNESDAY: Half Price Blackboard Specials

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380 N Main Street Doylestown, Pa 18901 215-345-9373

FRIDAY: $3 Becks 16oz Cans ALL PHILLY SPORTS GAMES: $2 Bud Light and Budweiser Pints

LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY & SATURDAY EVENINGS

MONDAY: SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT $5 Bud Light personal pitchers, $8.95 AUCE Wings, $5 for 2 dozen clams M-F | 5-7pm | TOWER POWER HAPPY HOUR $3 pints of our newest drafts (Hoegaarden, Bass, Stella, Victory Fest, Warsteiner Octoberfest) OCTOBERFEST: WEDNESDAY 10/21 | 5:30pm German food, special on Octoberfest beers on draft or in bottle, music by Dr. Squeezebox & Bavarian Wanderers, plus the GTV Edelweiss Dancers

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october/november 2011

Tunes & Brews

Matt Caughthran of Mariachi el Bronx Everybody wants to be alone; until they are alone. By Bobby Clark

Photo by: The Fun Star

Being in a successful band is hard enough, but what about being in two? What about when your band doubles as another, with a whole different style? You may or may not have heard of hardcore punkers The Bronx, but with the success and exposure their alter egos, Mariachi el Bronx, are getting direct support from the Foo Fighters this autumn, it is sure to increase their already raving fan base into the multi-millions. There isn’t much of a correlation between aggressive, thrashing music and soothing, festive mariachi music...or is there? Not too long ago, Philly Beer Scene had a chance to catch up with Matt Caughthran, singer of Mariachi el Bronx, to talk about their new album released this summer (Mariachi el Bronx II), songwriting and his favorite beer. When asked about how the songwriting for this album went, Matt said, “Our new record kind of has the bewilderment the first record had, just a lot more involved musically. We really know what we’re doing now, and know how to go after a bigger and better sound. It’s still rooted in creativity with us trying to do new things.” Also adding, “I’m very keen to the slower songs on this album, while there are also great up-tempo songs; I love them all. One that sounds really cool is a song called ‘Bodies of Christ.’” For such an animated and lively guy, Matt mentioned he forces himself into a sort of self- isolation and loneliness, which he proclaims touring around the world can be in itself, for the sake of writing songs. “I’m very caught up in the writing of the record. You’re usually by yourself when you’re writing, and you really don’t realize it until the body of work is finished, but you’re projecting this certain vibe, this loneliness, and you get very caught up as it is happening.” Also

adding, “When you write, a lot of times you don’t want to emulate the music you love. You can get stuck in this zone, but I really got into Arthur Lee and The Love, they’ve got this record called Forever Changes. The record was a huge inspiration to me; it’s simply amazing.” Mariachi el Bronx has given Matt and the rest of his band members new confidence in both writing music and playing live. Also, it has allowed them to open up for artists they’ve been friends with for a while, but to a crowd, The Bronx would not necessarily jive with, “sonically.” Specifically, Mariachi el Bronx have not only played live with, but have also recorded songs with The Killers. In 2011, they played with Dave Matthews and the Foo Fighters. Matt describes the opportunities as, “The Bronx... we got signed with The Killers to Def Jam at the same time, and we became great friends. However, we don’t want to tour as The Bronx with them, because we’d have to do the acoustic singer/ songwriter route, and that’s lame, it’s been done thousands of times before; that’s not The Bronx - The Bronx should never be quiet.” Then adding, “We wanted to do something creative. We tapped into something else, and it has really taken off; the mariachi thing started, and really took off. We just want to do what we do, and it’s to spread the disease, so to speak. The mariachi gig is almost like wearing a mask to get into places and to play with people we couldn’t play with otherwise.” Out of all of the places in the whole world to play and party, Matt cites Tijuana as one of the most amazing places to go. In the same vein, when asked of his favorite beer and style, Matt replied with, “I’m sure this isn’t the answer someone who loves craft beer is trying to hear, but I really love Mexican lagers. Seriously! Though I can appreciate all the fantastic craft beers I’ve tried, I could drink Tecate all day.” Check out anything Mariachi el Bronx has released, particularly their latest record Mariachi el Bronx II, to be surprised at how such a small idea becomes something large and amazing, musically.

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october/november 2011

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october/november 2011

Largest selection of German Beer in Philadelphia with 20 rotating taps!

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A brew on premises home brewing shop that offers brew lessons

october/november 2011

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Tapping into Technology

Packing It In Innovations to keep your beers (or wine) safe when traveling. By Zeke Diaz

If you’re traveling with beer (doesn’t everyone carry some craft beer home?), here are some alternatives to the bubble wrap/smelly sock and plastic bag systems currently in vogue: The Jetbag™ (www.thejetbag.com) $15.00 for three. A twist on a padded envelope. This is a simple, drop-in-thebottle bag. It has a Ziploc closure at the top and a diaper type insert that protects the contents and absorbs the liquid in the event the bottle breaks. Packing a bottle takes about 3 seconds. One handy tip for you – use some masking tape around the wire cage on the corked and caged bottles. It keeps the cage from snagging on the padding when taking the bottle out. The pack is reusable, although the plastic feels a little thin. WineSkin® (www.wineskin.net) Under $10.00 for three. This is a thick, plastic bottle-shaped sleeve with a bubble pack insert that cushions the contents. It’s easy to use and reasonably priced. The bubble insert tends to slide out when the bottle is removed. It’s a minor annoyance but since the Wineskin is designed to be used one time, its really not much of a problem. The bag is sealed with a bottom flap and tape strip on the bottom of the bag. I think this could easily be made into a reusable bag by replacing the tape strip with some Velcro. VinniBag (www.vinnibag.com) $28.00 each. The VinniBag is an inflatable plastic bag that encases the contents in an air cushion and provides protection against leaks if the contents are damaged. It took me less than 10 seconds to blow it up, roll it up and buckle it up. The design is pretty clever, the bag has four chambers that center the contents and customize the fit for odd shaped items. The air cushion increases the overall diameter, making it somewhat bulky when it is fully inflated. If you’re environmentally aware, see the company website for information on recycling any damaged or worn bags. The company will turn them into garden hoses. WineHug™ (www.winehug.com) not pictured $19.95 for the Sport Version. In my humble opinion, this should be called the BeerHug. The WineHug is made of a Cordura® rip-stop nylon skin with a high-density foam core. As the name implies, the bottle is placed in the center of the self-inflating pack. I found it difficult to get the bag completely uninflated. It took my feet and both hands to make it deflate. The edges secure with a hook and loop strip running down the center and the ends fasten to create an adjustable carrying handle. If you want to purchase any of these bags, please visit the the respective websites or online retailers like Amazon.com. Wishing you safe travels during the upcoming holidays!

october/november 2011

Brewmasters

Brewing Beer in Wine Country Italian Rock Star Iacopo Lenci, is doing his part to bring craft beer to Italy. By Mat Falco

Fine wine and sumptuous food are the norm overseas in Italy. Wine, essentially the country’s national beverage, is the expected dinner drink. However, over the past decade, there has been an emergence of another fine adult beverage: beer. One of the handfuls of people in Italy growing this demographic of drinkers by sharing their love for artisanal beer is Iacopo Lensi. For the past fifteen years, Iacopo lived with a family that loved their wines and made a living off of it at their locally owned winery. Wine was a common industry to get involved in; Iacopo though, discovered craft beer at a young age and fell in love immediately. At 16, he became an avid homebrewer, sneaking around to make and consume his beers, as he was not yet old enough to drink. His love for beer never wavered, and wine didn’t fill that desire for him, so in 2006, he started Birrificio Bruton. With a reputation for being somewhat of a rebel and unique person by the way he acts and dresses, getting into brewing was only fitting. “Brewers are considered something different, something uncommon. They’re considered strange,” states Iacopo. He might not be too strange by our standards, but his punk rock trademark is very unique and an uncommon look by Italian standards. “Italians are very conservative. I am not very conservative.” His beer however, is taking off and the brewery has quickly reached maximum capacity. Brewing on a 265 batch system with only two fermentors to start, it was no surprise that upgrades were needed quickly. Today, he has doubled capacity, allowing him to have a bit more freedom to make some unique beers. A big fan of many American favorites, Iacopo is excited to start brewing some sours and barrel-aged beers. He’s even started collaborating and filling barrels from his father’s winery with his barleywine, in what should definitely help bring the two worlds together. Although, getting into weird flavors

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and unusual ingredients is not something he typically believes in: “I don’t want to add nothing. I’m not even a huge fan of spices. I use spices in some of my beers but I don’t think they need to be in the foreground. They need to be in the background and add something to the beer. If you can recognize which spice I used, I used too much. Beer is all about balance. I want balanced beers.” Despite the rapid growth at Bruton and in the Italian beer scene in general, craft beer still has a ways to go. Beer prices in Italy remain considerably higher than most countries due to importation and taxation fees. Italy is not home to any beer ingredients, so everything must be imported and the state taxes beer more than any other beverage, especially compared to wine which is not taxed at all. On top of that, the need to use fancier wine-

october/november 2011

like bottles to appeal to the locals, only drags prices up even higher. Iacopo says how it’s cheaper to buy Belgian beers in Italy than it is to buy the locals. High prices aside though, people are still catching on and starting to try new things. Even some of the nicer restaurants are starting to carry craft beers. Brewing beer has nothing to do with living up to the expectations he faced growing up or getting involved in the family business to Iacopo. He just wants to do what he knows and loves. He loves good beer and is happy making quality beers. It’s not about coming up with big gimmicky beers: “It’s not what I want to do. I don’t give a fuck about pointing a flag. I don’t want to make the most psychotic blond or the bitterest beer. Why do I need to make a 40% beer?” Maybe Iacopo is a little more of a conservative Italian than he lets on.

october/november 2011

Beer Travel

More Than History and Politics Beer is quickly becoming another reason to be a tourist in DC. By Mat Falco

In an area filled with politics, history, and one tourist attraction after another, great beer and quality bars may not be something that comes to mind. As big as craft beer culture has become, it’s still hard to picture a bunch of Senators meeting and discussing the future of our country while enjoying a round of local IPAs; but that might not be so accurate anymore. Thanks to a few exceptional bars and a new brewery,Washington, DC is turning into a bit of a beer destination. Though there are a number of quality beer bars in DC, there are three spots that really stand out, and the first actually isn’t a bar, but a brewery. DC Brau Brewing Company is the first new brewery to open in DC in 60 years. In a market that was extremely lacking in local, hometown beers, DC Brau seems to have quickly taken over the scene since opening this past April. In just a little more than 6 months of operation, they are already over capacity and have more tanks on the way. When they open on Saturdays for brewery tours and sales, people show up in hoards. They have mostly drafts except for their flagship brew Publication, which is canned and available only at the brewery and bars. A trip to DC is no longer complete without trying some of their great brews. And, a look into their barrel room even shows signs of a variety of sours and a couple bourbon beers that will eventually be making an appearance. The other noteworthy destinations in DC are two very different bars. The first of which is two places in one: Birch and Barley & ChurchKey. Probably the most well-known bar in DC, it is popular for good reason. Open for about two years, no expense was spared developing this place. Downstairs is Birch and Barley, the more restaurant end of the two spots. Adorned in beautiful woodwork and tables made out of a whole imported oak tree, Birch and Barley is an impressive sight. They do nightly beer pairing menus and the staff is well trained and knowledgeable to make sure you get the right beer you’re craving. They also share a beer list with ChurchKey upstairs, so everything you can get there, you can also get downstairs. ChurchKey is the more laid back bar area, featuring over 555 beers. 50 of those are on tap, 5 on casks, and the other 500 plus are made up of bottles. Their bottle list is home to an extremely impressive and vast vintage/rare bottle section. Having much more relaxed beer laws in DC also allows them to carry beers that aren’t in the market, so you are sure to find many beers that you can’t get anywhere else. Last, is Meridian Pint. More of a corner bar located in a residential area of the city, Meridian Pint is serving up an awesome selection of beer and food. They have an extensive draft list that always features a variety of options from the local DC Brau, as they’re the “home bar” for the brewery. One of those DC Brau beers is almost always found on the table tap systems they have set up in the basement bar. The table consists of two taps so you never have to leave, you can sit back and pour your own beers at your own pace. They also have a temperature controlled closet where they age all of their rare

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october/november 2011

kegs and bottles. They even have a few bottles of Sam Adams Utopias available if you’re willing to pay the price. As far as food goes, the menu is full of delicious fare, but during events you’re likely to find some incredible beer pairings with special dishes. DC is definitely stepping up when it comes to good beer. Plus, on top of the great options above, there are plenty of other bars with extensive selections and even a couple restaurants run by the alumni of Top Chef to keep the foodies more than happy.

20 Drafts Unique Belgian Collection Big Bottle Selection Happy Hours 5pm- 7pm

Friday & Saturday 10pm European Dance Party

voted

best homebrew shop by PhillyBeerScene!

Home of George Hummel, author of “The Complete Homebrew Beer Book” Fermenting Philly’s Beer Renaissance Since 1986! 2008 Sansom Street | Philadelphia (215) 569-9469 www.homesweethomebrew.com

Every Thursday: Boogie Nights!

Celebrating 20 Years! 2801 Fairmount Avenue Philadelphia

215.978.4545 londongrill.com

Your Favorites from the 80s & 90s Complementary glass of champagne or Campari drink from 10 - 11pm

Party goes until 2am! VIP Room Available Every Weekend Banquet Room Available For Any Event

Open Daily From 5pm- 2am 146 BUSTLETON PIKE, FEASTERVILLE, PA 19053

267 288 5040

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2160 York Road • Jamison, PA 18929 www.jamisonpourhouse.com • 267-483-5185

Not Beer

Artisanal Beer Jellies Handcrafted with the same passion & appreciation as your favorite craft beer. By Alicia Eichelman

The great Yogi Berra once said, “When you meet a fork in the road, take it.” For Bucks County native Bill Hock, that fork represented jellies – wine and beer jellies to be exact. With over 15 years of experience in the spirits and beer industry, Bill found his true calling in artisanal jellies. This calling, Bill says, came to him as a “harmonious hum, repeating the chorus line, ‘Wine Jellies.’ Backed by his mother’s produce store and bakery, Main Street Produce in Littleton, NC, where she had been canning jellies, jams, preserves, salsas and “just about anything that could be pickled”all of her life, Bill established The Fermented Gourmet. He immediately began scouring the internet for potential competitors, and while he did come across wine jellies, he found nothing substantial with these offerings. His idea paralleled a restaurant wine list, using particular and distinguished varieties of wines in his jelly. His passion for wine jellies then transcended into a need to think locally; in particular, local beer. Embracing the local craft beer cultural of his current residence in North Carolina, Bill began making beer jellies using breweries in the Raleigh area. Some jellies were more straightforward, simply using beer, while others would be crafted with a slight complexity, playing flavors off one another, such as Natty Greene’s Old Town Brown Ale, where he added chipotles for a spicy, hot, sweet flavor. While his beer jellies began in and are localized to North Carolina, they now encompass other parts of the East Coast and have even gone transatlantic, using brews from New Orleans (Abita Turbodog Brown Jelly Ale) to Belgium (Affligem Belgian Blonde Ale Jelly). But, what line of beer jellies would be complete without including the best beer drinking city in the country? Bill’s beer jellies have

recently expanded to some of our most beloved local breweries and brews including: Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre, Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, Victory Storm King Stout and Flying Fish Abbey Dubbel. And, with the ever-growing craft beer scene across the nation, the possibilities for future jelly palate pleasure are as endless as our favorite libations. The Fermented Gourmet’s beer (and wine) jellies are available for individual and wholesale purchase and can be ordered online at thefermentedgourmetshop.com, or through their Facebookfacebook.com/mainstreetproducenc.

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INTRODUCING... A LAGER LIKE NO OTHER INTRODUCING GUINNESS® BLACK LAGER The surprisingly refreshing taste with the unmistakable character of GUINNESS®. You’ve got to taste it to believe it. Available in 6-packs September 2011

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From the Cellar

Evolution of BigFoot Seldom seen, almost mythical and downright awesome. By Steve Hawk

I’m not talking about tracking down Sasquatch (or spotting Beer Scene’s Mat Falco). I’m referring to vertically tasting 14 consecutive years of one of the best American strong ales, Sierra Nevada’s BigFoot. BigFoot is a barley-wine style ale, usually released in January and February. Barley-wines are one of the strongest ales, ranging from 8% to 12% ABV or more. A brew of this strength and complexity can be a challenge to the novice palate. They are usually very sweet and have fruit-like flavors due to an overpowering maltiness, especially the American styles, which tend to be even more extreme in both malt complexity and hop character. They are also one of the few styles of beer that respond positively to aging, given the proper conditions.

BigFoot has been brewed for over 25 years. It’s made with two types of malt and three varieties of hops, and weighs in at a hefty 9.6% ABV. It boasts a dense, fruity bouquet, an extremely rich and bittersweet palate, and a dark reddish-brown color. It won its first medals at the Great American Beer Festival in 1987, a full 11 years before the oldest bottle in our tasting. The collection we were sampling was amassed by super collector and beer trader James Robinson. He started this collection over 2 years ago, when he tried the beer for the first time and instantly fell in love with it. He subsequently begged and bartered his way through countless beer websites and message boards to acquire this epic assortment, dating from 1998-2011. Here are the results of the tasting: Design Changes There are only a few major changes in design that took place over the past 14 years: the label design changed three times, and most importantly, in 2007, they switched from twist top bottles to pop tops. This change clearly affected carbonation levels of the older beers. The head retention from the newer pop top bottles was much stronger and fuller than from their older counterparts. Taste and Age Comparison Although all of these beers were created from essentially the same recipe, there was a discernible difference in flavor depending on the beer’s age. The hop presence was strongest in the younger beers, but it mellowed out in almost a steady progression in each of the older samples. As the hops slowly thinned over time, the fruit and malt flavor continued to gain complexity and blended nicely together. Thus, the earlier vintages seemed to have developed a very pronounced fig flavor. Other Variables The fact that the recipe hasn’t changed much over the past 14 years really created a great testing environment. However, there are other extraneous factors, such as storage and shipping methods, that may also have contributed to the final product. Therefore, some of the standouts may be attributed to how they were handled, in addition to simply how they aged. Outcome The consensus in the room was that the standouts in our session were the ‘02, ‘04 and ‘07. These years seemed to be at the peak of their blend progression and yielded the greatest balance of the complex flavors than any other vintage. Of course, any taste test depends on the particular individual’s likes and dislikes. All in all, this was an amazing experience. It’s certainly gratifying to know that BigFoot does exist and “he” actually improves with age. My thanks go to James Robinson for capturing the “great beast” for us and to my comrades who joined me in this adventure.

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Beer Law

Supermarket Beer Sales Beer sales in supermarkets would hurt small breweries, reduce consumer options. by

What’s your opinion on supermarket beer sales? Share in the debate! Send your response to beerlaw@beerscenemag.com.

Senator Chuck McIlhinney (R-Bucks and Montgomery)

Pennsylvania’s alcohol sales laws have come under fire in recent years from large supermarkets and chain stores who would like to sell beer in their stores. While this significant change would likely generate more sales for these corporations and provide added convenience for consumers who only drink beer from the largest producers such as Miller or Coors, allowing supermarket beer sales under the state’s current threetiered system would have an adverse effect on local microbrewers, family-owned distributors and consumers who enjoy a variety of different beers. It is not difficult to envision the challenges that small breweries would face if supermarket chains are allowed to own multiple licenses to sell alcohol. Large brewers would have a far greater ability to leverage the volume of their operations when selling their product to wholesale distributors. For example, if Anheuser-Busch wanted to sell a million cases of their product with half of those cases designated for sale in Pennsylvania, they could offer a lower price for the cases sold in the Commonwealth and a higher price for cases sold in other states. The lower

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price incentives would essentially force wholesale distributors to offer fewer choices to retailers, giving large brewing operations most or all of the shelf space in supermarkets and chain stores. The profit for both the large brewer and the national retail chain would be the same. However, the impact on Pennsylvania customers and businesses would be dramatic. Likewise, allowing grocery chains that market thousands of different products to also sell beer creates a serious disadvantage for retailers who sell beer by the case. Because grocery stores make a profit on many other products they sell, they could sell beer at (or even below) cost to make it harder for local retailers to do business. This practice would also victimize small breweries that depend on retailers for reliable access to shelf space. I touched on this fact in the last issue of Philly Beer Scene, but the point bears repeating – in nearly all supermarkets that have beer sales, large brewers such as Miller, Coors and Anheuser-Busch, enjoyed a virtual monopoly on shelf space. Allowing beer sales in supermarkets will hurt our

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small breweries as well as our existing retailers who carry a wider variety of beers. Small producers cannot compete with Coors in terms of volume, so they must make up for this disadvantage in terms of quality. If we allow beer sales in supermarkets, we take away their ability to compete on a level playing field with established distributors and retailers. Allowing beer sales in supermarkets may be good for Wegmans, Sheetz and AnheuserBusch, but it is very bad for the many small brewers and wholesale distributors that provide thousands of jobs and millions in economic activity for our communities, while offering consumers greater choices. This is why we need to take great care when changing our existing beer laws. In my next article, I will examine one idea that may provide us greater choices in packaging size, while at the same time not upsetting the whole system we have here in Pennsylvania. Senator McIlhinney represents the 10th Senatorial District, which includes parts of Bucks and Montgomery Counties, in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

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Green Parrot

October 29 – 9pm Karaoke Costume Party

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501 South State Street

240 N. Sycamore Street

October 30 Fall Family Fun Day: benefiting the Lower Makefield Township Police

Temperance House 5 South State Street

October 28th Halloween Party Costume Contest-Live Music Tarot Reader starting at 8:30pm

Saturday, October 29th: Trick A More Treat Rain or Shine, Live Musical Entertainment 45 Street Vendors, Great Kids Activities Food and Beverage, Street Party All Day

Blackhorse Tavern 101 South State Street

October 29th: Halloween Costume Party and Costume Contest

A portion of the sales of Magic Hat at all of these locations will be contributed towards the National Breast Cancer Foundation through Brews For Boobies.

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october/november 2011

Know your Roots

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From apples to pint glasses, cider is a beverage rich with history.

By Bobby Clark Photography by Gina Aquaro

Pennsylvania is said to get the best of all four seasons, particularly with the hue of leaves morphing from rich shades of green to crimson, burnt orange, gold and brown - the same colors you’ll find of apples as autumn comes upon us. The nights get cooler and longer, hoodies become mandatory, märzens and pumpkin beers flow freely, and we toast our friends and loved ones at holiday dinners. What better a beverage to do so with than a crisp, refreshing cider? Especially during this time of year, local farms and supermarkets in our area are swamped with the very familiar, very sweet, non-alcoholic apple ciders. However, as with beer, history has shown that the original way a beverage was created is sometimes best left alone. Cider is supposed to be alcoholic, but most of us grew up drinking the sugary stuff, particularly during this time of year. You or one of your relatives may add some brandy, rum or whiskey to a sweet cider to create a Hot Toddy, after coming in from the brisk winds and dark evenings of fall. The reason why we have sweet, non-alcoholic ciders has to do with temperance and Prohibition; you know, that awful era where speakeasies and moonshine reigned in the United States. Once again as with beer, the turn of the Twentieth Century and the eventual onslaught of Prohibition changed the face of ciders, seemingly forever. Though American palates began to crave lighter beers prior to Prohibition, the era itself pushed drinkers permanently towards much sweeter beverages, like soda pops and juices, with great beer and traditionally made ciders being left with one foot in the grave for almost six decades. These days, ciders are seeing a surge in popularity like never before. Starting in 1991, when Woodchuck Cider was launched,

American interest in ciders was reinvigorated and the attention has been nothing but beneficial, with substantial growth for the whole cider industry. The fizzy, lightly carbonated beverage you see in bars and bottleshops alongside your favorite craft beer has quite an extensive history prior to its resurgence. Cider looks to have an extraordinarily bright future with cider production and consumption increasing over the last two decades, similar to the growth in popularity of craft beer. Like beer, cider pairs very well with many dishes, ranging from BBQ to the most elegant of cheeses. You would want to pair a sweet cider with a blue or Gorgonzola cheese. A dry cider would pair well with a creamy, buttery cheese like Brie as the carbonation and astringency refreshes the palate while cutting the creaminess of the cheese. Any cider’s acidity will highlight the varied and complex, layered flavors in any cheese. Before going further, it’s relevant to highlight what cider is: cider is pretty much fermented apple juice. Ciders, typically, are inexpensive to produce and when finished, usually have an average ABV range of 4.0% to 7.0%, with the capability to go much higher than that. There are different kinds of ciders, including the well-known sweet variety, the classic dry type, some spiced versions, some Lambic infused ciders and a watered-down version of cider called ciderkin. Though not too common due to a greater risk of the cider turning to vinegar, there are even ciders brewed with wild yeasts, akin to the Lambic infused ciders and wild ales of Europe. You’ve also probably enjoyed ciders made with pears, too; they’re actually called Perry.

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iders brewed in different countries and regions are very distinguishable from one to another. English ciders are known for their tartness and dryness. French ciders are sweeter, smoother and wine-like, while the typical American cider is known for being very sweet, though very refreshing. Many other countries also produce cider; particularly Australia, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, but England (home of Aspall Organic Cyder) and France (where ciders such as Clos Normand and Cidre Bouché Brut are made) are the most notorious for their contributions to the history of cider. While the precise origin of cider consumption has yet to be pinpointed, the apple tree, as is agreed upon by most historians, was growing alongside and around the Nile River Delta as early as 1300 B.C. However, there is no supporting evidence of cider being produced and consumed during this era. Though farther East, today’s modern apple trees have been traced to have one common ancestor, Malus sieversii, which still grows in Asia today, via the studying of the genetic structure of thousands of apple varieties. As is most recently documented, there are well over 7,500 varieties of apples, all across the globe.

There are well over 7,500 varieties of apples all across the globe. When it comes to making cider, the process is less involved than brewing, and all the ingredients are just as crucial as making an ale or lager. Yeast selection is very important, and its performance will make or break the quality of the final fermented product. Fermentation is the absolute most important aspect concerning cider making. However, it is said one of the most time consuming aspects of cider brewing is the brewer’s selection of the apples. Depending on the era, most ciders utilized what kind of apple was available locally. These days, a cidery is able to utilize various modes of transit to get apples shipped locally, domestically or internationally if they want, as most ciders are actually blends of different apple varieties, and not all apples grow in similar regions. Different species of apples have very different flavors and qualities; not all apples are the same, with specific, desired qualities attributed to different apple species. There are 4 main characteristics commonly sought after in apples to be used for cider: sweetness, acidity, astringency and aroma strength. Interestingly, the acidic component of an apple, when sought after for cider production, is used for the bittering quality of cider, much like how hops are used for the bittering of a beer. The earliest written record of cider enjoyment is actually attributed to Julius Ceasar, during the Roman invasion of England, around 55 B.C. After the Roman Empire fell, the Muslim Moors of Spain developed new apple varieties, and are speculated to have had a hand in the development of apples rich in tannin.

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Apples destined for cider are rich in malic acid and tannins. These contribute sharp flavor and astringency. Apples loaded with tannins are cited to be one of the key components to a great cider. Tannins specifically impart the dry, puckering sensation often attributed to apples, and they are most notably found in tea and beer, particularly sour ales and barrel aged brews. When the Normans invaded England, they discovered monks in monasteries were brewing vast amounts of cider, around 1066 A.D. Important to the future of cider making, the Normans had developed a plethora of apple varieties, and introduced them to England. Cider eventually became the second most popular drink behind ale. As early as 1640, cider was first bottled during a time when it was usually stored in barrels, and tapped when ready. The bottling assisted in the preservation of the cider, and actually increased the carbonation to enhance the experience of drinking cider across England. Around the same time, apple trees were sprouting up all around the colonies in North America to satisfy a need for quick food and beverage production where crops both thrived and failed. Apple trees seemingly grew anywhere. It’s common knowledge water was not often safe to drink in America at the time, leading to a preference for fermented beverages, particularly ciders, including ciderkins, which were mostly enjoyed by children. In fact, cider was the most popular drink during the colonial era, and was even used as a method of payment and a bartering tool. However, it’s very noteworthy to know the colonists were not the first to brew cider in North America. Native Americans had been brewing ciders using crab apples prior to the arrival of Europeans and European apple trees. Philadelphia knows our founding fathers were very fond of consuming and brewing beer. Cider was no exception; Thomas Jefferson grew a variety of apples, brewing a champagne-like cider of his own. In response to a lack of variety of domestically produced ciders, a few cider producing operations have been underway in and around the City of Brotherly Love in the last couple years.

Philadelphia knows our founding fathers were very fond of consuming and brewing beer. Cider was no exception; Thomas Jefferson grew a variety of apples, brewing a champagne-like cider of his own. october/november 2011

evolution Cider, launched in 2009 by brothers Gideon and Jonathan Gradman, began creating ciders based on recipes from the 1600s. Revolution Cider’s cider uses 9 varieties of apples, although, a majority of the apple varieties available during the colonial era have unfortunately gone extinct. However, extensive research in colonial books available at the New York Public Library has allowed Revolution Cider to work around that deficit to identify key characteristics of those apples, which are identifiable in today’s varieties. That same research also furnished important information on the yeast strains used at the time and the brewing methods utilized as well, giving Revolution Cider the framework to fulfill their dream of bringing yesterday’s ciders to today’s pint glasses. Another budding local operation is Desiato Hard Cider. Here is where any reserved beer geek is really going to want to branch out to drinking ciders. Desiato’s cider is brewed with champagne yeast, then fermented and aged in oak barrels which once housed Laird’s Applejack and apple brandy. During a limited run during the warmer months of 2011, Philadelphia Brewing Company brewed a cider, also. There’s speculation they’ll do another run, next year. In 1998, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board stipulated a 5.5% ABV cap on ciders which are kegged or bottled and sold through a beer distributor in the state of Pennsylvania. Otherwise, anything higher is to be labeled as a fruit wine and to be sold via state liquor stores. This year, opposition has been gaining to combat this law, as it appears it hasn’t been strictly enforced until recently. If you wanted to, you could easily make your own cider at home. In short, start with room temperature, fresh pressed apple

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october/november 2011

cider or apple juice; neither may contain any preservatives or your yeast will fail to do anything. Of course, you may take the graduated route and press your own apples, too. Pour this into to a sanitized fermentation vessel. Add brewer’s yeast and place an air-tight lid on top of the brewing container. Fermentation will start soon, typically in the next 2 - 3 days. After about 30 days, you can place the cider in secondary fermentation or, taste it and see if it is to your palate’s desire. Bottle and enjoy. Remember, it is always a good idea to utilize your local homebrew shop for the best, most up-to-date information and processes. Visit your local bottleshop to investigate the different ciders available, especially if you are or were of the mentality that ciders were simply too sweet. With quite the lineup in the Philadelphia area, there are plenty of ciders for you to choose from. No doubt you’ve had one or two of the different Woodchuck Ciders or the popular U.K. import fermented with champagne yeast, Strongbow. But there is very much a multitude of ciders to choose from, including: Original Sin Hard Cider, Samuel Smith’s Organic, J.K.’s Organic Scrumpy, Crispin Cider and a bevy of others for your sipping pleasure. Many craft beer drinkers are quick to promote and, if they have to, defend their favorite brand or style when they encounter someone who says: “I don’t like beer. It’s all the same.” Don’t be that someone when it comes to ciders. Sometimes ciders get lumped in with Malibu Bay Breezes, and no fermented beverage deserves that sort of snubbing. Remember, just as with great beer, cider in the United States was crippled by Prohibition. That said, we all know words aren’t always as convincing as a splash on the palate, so taste the varieties of cider to truly gain an appreciation of what the world has known for a few millennia, and almost lost by the acts of little more than a decade.

october/november 2011

The Struggle to Sell Good Beer How Dan Shelton changed the beer world, one opinion at a time. By Mat Falco

“

I have no doubt about it! Beer geeks always think it’s subjective and you’re always biased when you say something about a beer because you own the business and are just trying to sell it. It’s the hugest portfolio, we oughta have a few in it you would think.” Ask Dan Shelton his opinion on the quality of his beer portfolio and this is what he’ll say. Filled with passion and opinions, Dan has built what he honestly believes to be the greatest portfolio of beer in existence. With the likes of Cantillon and Mikkeller in it, it’s hard to argue the quality of such a portfolio, but sometimes you have to be willing to leave your foxhole and take some heat to prove what you truly believe to be yours. Is that hard to do? No, just get an importers license. Living in New York City back in 1994 and working as a part-time consultant at a law-firm, Daniel Shelton fell in love with what is now one of the most renowned beers in the world – Cantillon. His brother Joel, who was a professional musician, spent a lot of time traveling and would always follow the lead of the great Michael Jackson. Upon a trip to Brussels, he sought out Cantillon, where he became enamored with their lambics while making friends with then head brewer, Jean-Pierre Van Roy. It was this trip that resulted in the formation of Shelton Brothers, the importers. Bringing some bottles back to NYC to share with his brother [Dan], Dan realized what a great beer this was and wanted to find more. Searching all over Brooklyn with no luck, he did find one store that had received multiple requests for the beer but was told that it was unavailable in the states.

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Dan told the lady at the store about his brother who had formed a great relationship with Cantillon and that he could get the beer for her. She told him that he would have to import the beer. Realizing now, when she told him it was easy, she completely lied; but Dan went out and started Shelton Brothers. Having no clue how to go about starting an importer business, he sought out the help of Don Feinberg, who had already formed a successful importing business. Agreeing to sign a contract that made them an affiliate of Don’s, which allowed him to use his distribution network, Shelton Brothers was established in April of 1996. Before the paperwork was complete, Dan had to convince Jean-Pierre not to sign with another importer, as he was being courted by a competitor. Agreeing to hold out, Dan felt obligated to buy even more beer than he planned on. The first shipment of Shelton Brothers beer came in and contained 19 pallets of Cantillon, an excessive amount of beer for an unproven, hardly known brand. Those 19 pallets made up 2% of all Belgian imports at the time. “Nobody really knew Cantillon or really tasted it. It was more beer than we should have ordered. When I saw the 19 pallets, which we received in October of 1996, it was a thrill to see our name on a bottle. There was a mixed reaction though. It was a thrill but there was a real, serious sinking feeling to see 19 pallets of beer stacked 4-high and thinking, 'Oh Crap! What am I going to do with all this beer?' It’s certainly well past the point of us drinking it all,” said Dan.

“People kept telling me how

impractical what I was doing was. Everyone was thinking big dollars and I was thinking, ‘Wow, it’d be great if I could just break even.’ october/november 2011

ith a container full of Cantillon in his possession and an actual business backing him, Dan looked at other importers in slight disgust, and didn’t understand the way they were looking at things. “Most importers are business guys and care about moving boxes and talk about the liquids inside and the flavors. 'How many flavors do you have of that one?' I hated that way of talking and it was a cultural clash for me,” stated Dan. Not looking at the business aspect of it, breaking even was the only thing that mattered at the time. “People kept telling me how impractical what I was doing was. Everyone was thinking big dollars and I was thinking, 'Wow, it’d be great if I could just break even.' Everyone else was very practical and wouldn’t do stupid things like buy 19 pallets of a new beer.” Back in 1996 when the Cantillon arrived, the only thing the beer community knew of lambics was Lindemans, which was a sweet lambic, nothing like a Cantillon. “People were in love with Lindemans and thought this is what a lambic was supposed to be and thought I was completely wrong and was selling crap. I was just this big asshole out there,” quipped Dan. Moving the Cantillon took time as many self-proclaimed beer geeks would return the beer, arguing that it was bad and that it was not how beer was supposed to be. Finding accounts and distributors proved to be a challenge. One of the first experiences of sharing the shipment of Cantillon, Dan brought his then girlfriend to the roof of their apartment and cracked open a bottle of kriek. Having no idea of what lambics or guezes were, she went in with 46 46

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an unbiased opinion on beer. “How much of this do you have!?” She proclaimed, as she almost choked on what she thought to be an awful beer. “That’s when I really started worrying and not sleeping very well thinking, ‘Oh My God, all my money is in this.’” After this, he had a realization that he needed to become more vocal and let people know what he had wasn’t crap and that he was pouring a world class beer. “I became very vocal to get people to listen to me. Because of my personality, not because I was trying to market things, I became very outspoken in what I knew was true and I would just say it. Other importers would get along and just keep their heads down and stay in their foxholes, but I put my head out there and took shots because I knew I was right.” Slowly the Cantillon started to move and people started to catch on, and for two years Shelton Brothers carried on with Cantillon as their sole brand. “Literally, it became clear that if I didn’t find more beer so that we had more to sell, there was no way I could keep doing it with just the Cantillon. It takes a load of work to find distributors, especially good ones, to buy the beer. It was a full time job and I already had a job. Importing beer wasn’t making money. So, I had to make a decision; drop it or find more beer. For whatever reason, I guess because I didn’t want to fail, I started going over there [Europe] looking for beer on a shoestring [budget].” Unable to afford hotels, and spending many nights sleeping in his cheap rental cars and on friends’ floors, Dan traveled Europe using the help of different guidebooks and studied the whole field of Belgian beers. Any tip he could get he would take and travel to breweries and asked all that he liked if they had any interest in importing. Having no real business model, Dan just winged things and slowly learned the path of importing over the years. It was all just about the idea that he wanted to share good beer and have it shared in a way as close as possible to how it should be served as if you were drinking it overseas. Growing the business and finding breweries, Dan always did things his way. “We weren’t taking Michael Jackson’s word for it, though he was a really good friend and all that and I loved talking to him whenever I could, [but] we refused to take his word on what a world classic beer was. We weren’t looking for marketing points when we tasted a beer. If we found something that we thought was really great, it didn’t matter if they only made a few gallons of it, we wanted to have it. We wanted to share it. It wasn’t a good business model but over time, quality itself became a business model.”

Other breweries such as Cantillon overseas would help introduce him to new breweries. As strong friendships were formed and after 8 years of importing, Shelton Brothers finally came off the ground and established itself as a profitable business. Criticism had always been a constant issue though, as everyone would laugh as Dan stuck to his beliefs that he carried the best beers in the world. It even went as far as events being set-up called, “Shelton Brothers vs. the World,” and their beers would be lined up and compared to similar styles from other importers. They wouldn’t always win, but people were slowly catching on and around 2005, people finally seemed to realize that Dan really did have something special within his portfolio. Having turned down highly regarded beers such as Tripel Karmeliet because “it’s crappy beer,” and sticking to his beliefs of what is absolute quality, goes to show that Dan is passionate about truly carrying only what he thinks is a world class product. He doesn’t want to carry a product that the he doesn’t believe in just because it’ll make money. It’s this passion that has brought Shelton Brothers to the forefront of beer importing. Having one of the largest portfolios out there, Shelton Brothers is now sold in 45 states. They are now at the point in which they get to be picky and choose who they want to distribute their sought after beers to. The hardship of selling the beer has faded and now it’s people that are begging them to sell their beer. “We have a reputation for having the best stuff now, which is great. It’s not just me saying it now.” december 2010/january 2011 2011 october/november

I I s r e t s u tb l bars...

s ing strange in your loca Prreo 's someth The ? l l a c a n n o g who you at your

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couple of local bars claim that such occurrences have been happening for quite some time, even on a regular basis. McGillin’s Olde Ale House and The Institute are two very different bars in different parts of town, but paranormal experiences are something they have in common. The Institute, a relatively newer bar (open for less than 5 years) came to us with the most extreme stories. The chefs would complain of ghosts keeping a close eye on them as they prepared the food, while the bartenders would share stories of customers encountering odd things, like having their hair played with or feeling something brush against them as they sat on their bar stool. One customer even mentioned the feeling of being physically shoved as they attempted to climb the back steps to the second floor bar. With such experiences and a little history lesson from the owner, Heather, who filled us in on a scary past, (before the neighborhood turned for the better and The Institute took over the bricks) it only seemed to convey that there just might be something going on that we can’t see.

Referred to as the "Lady in White," it is very possible it may even be the spirit of former owner, old "Ma" McGillin, keeping a close eye over her bar. Over in the heart of Center City, on a little street called Drury Street, lies the oldest operating bar in the city – McGillin’s. With such a vibrant history, no stories were even needed to assume that something must be going on at this bar behind our backs. A lot happens in over 150 years, and being the fun-time bar that is McGillin’s, you can only imagine that a person or two is refusing to move on to the afterlife and is lingering in the shadows behind the bar. There are stories though, like those from long-time chef Patrick O’Connor, who claimed to have been exiting the attic when he looked down to see a lady that he knew was not really there. Aside from the typical, unexplainable sounds and shadows, a previous ghost hunting team even caught an image in a mirror of what seems to clearly be a lady. Referred to as the “Lady in White,” it is very possible it may even be the spirit of former owner, old “Ma” McGillin, keeping a close eye over her bar. McGillin’s is not the only beer-related haunt in our fine city, apparently there were still more bars among us that experience the effects of the spirit realm. A team of professionals were once again put together for “Prostbusters II” and we set out to figure out what was going on at these bars. Equipped with electromagnetic sensors, voice recorders, white noise recorders, an array of video equipment (some of which used night vision), a game of Scrabble, and the help of five experienced paranormal researchers from Paranormal Family & Paranormal 215, the hunt was on. (Unfortunately, Proton packs are not part of their arsenal.)

Our first stop was The Institute, which has a traumatic

history ridden past. The idea of this bar being haunted was well believed by the whole staff as they forewarned us that incidents would happen and we would probably even get freaked out. One of the bartenders wasn’t even comfortable to stay with us and insisted on going home. Odd, unexplainable behavior seemed to be a normal occurrence at this corner pub. With the teams in order, under the guidance of Chris Martin and Jim Cunningham, the investigations began. Splitting in half to cover more territory each time, the investigation began with an attempt to have a little chat with the ghost. The voice recorders were set up and video cameras were specifically placed in locations they felt most likely to pick up activity as EVP sessions were held in various parts of the building. The belief is that, even if you can’t hear the voice of the ghost with your own ears or see it with your own eyes, technology can still pick up such things. Thirty minute sessions were held with the ghosts as conversations were attempted by asking continuous questions such as, “Are you still living here?” “Did you die here?” “Do you want us to leave?” and “Do you have a message you would like us to share with anyone?” At the same time, constant shots with a simple point and shoot camera were taken in hopes of catching an image/shadow of the ghost or at least an “orb.” Orbs look almost like a glare and are usually perfectly round. They tend to show up on the photos after you view them full scale and as Jim puts it, they are “the most simple form of a spirit trying to manifest itself.” After four hours of research at The Institute, things may have seemed to be mostly quiet, but that was only to what our eyes and ears could pick up on their own. There was data to be evaluated. The data proved there to be a spiritual presence of some kind, as Chris put it, “I do believe there is a certain amount of spiritual energy in this building. But I can’t necessarily confirm the stories that were told to me by the staff members at the onset of the investigation.” There was a story of a long-ago suicide that only seemed more real after the investigation. “It was an intense and overwhelming sense of sadness and burden. I cannot stress enough how strong this feeling was.” Chris was not alone on this either as Jim and the other guys felt the same energy upon entering the area of the second floor that was the supposed home to this depressing incident. This specific area also caught video footage on the night vision camera of what seemed to be an orb floating across the screen. More footage shot just outside that area of the upstairs even caught what sounds to be a ghost saying “Come on,” as if it were enticing us to enter his area or possibly ask for help. There may not have been any pictures of actual ghosts, but their presence was made known. After a successful investigation at The Institute, it was time to see if our luck would strike twice and this time maybe even catch a glimpse of a ghostly figure in person. With McGillin’s operating continuously for over 150 years and its deeply rooted family history, there was almost no doubt that something creepy was going on after hours. Taking another glimpse of the picture of the “Lady in White” hanging in the stairwell as we waited for the bar to clear out,

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Jim quickly burst into many questions, trying to communicate with the ghost, as he was almost positive of its looming presence.

only reassured this thought. Just into the investigation, our suspicions proved true. To start things off, Jim led an EVP session in the very creepy and dark basement that houses the kitchen. About five minutes into the session, one of the electromagnetic sensors that was set up slowly started going off and beeping even though no one was near it or any movement occurred. Within seconds, the detector was at a maxed out energy reading and beeped at an extremely rapid rate for at least seven minutes. Jim, John and the rest of the crew lit up in excitement as this was one of the most impressive readings and exciting EVPs they had ever experienced. Jim quickly burst into many questions, trying to communicate with the ghost, as he was almost positive of its looming presence. Everyone else was snapping pictures as quickly as possible hoping to get a mere glimpse of our new-found paranormal friend. We didn’t get to actually see or hear

A few key tools and techniques to

hunting ghosts: EVP Session EVP sessions or Electronic Voice Phenomenon is any session of an investigation that involves audio equipment. Both standard digital recorders and “spirit boxes” are used to try and pick up recordings of the spirit life trying to communicate. In other words, it is an attempt to pick up a voice or sound that cannot be explained.

Voice Recorder Most ghosts, if not all, can’t speak at a decibel that can be heard by the human ear. A voice recorder however,

the ghost, but a ghostly presence was definitely more than known. There was such an extreme sense of its presence that changes in temperature were felt when nearing the sensors and the hairs on everyone’s arms were standing as straight up as possible. It seemed that good ol’ Ma McGillin might still be working her magic down in that kitchen, years after her death in 1937. Due to the excessive amount of noise caused by the coolers and other kitchen equipment, the recorders were unable to pick much up, and we’ll never know what the ghost was trying to share with us, but it was definitely down there. After starting things with the kitchen “happening,” everything else seemed to be quite a bit mellower. No sensors went off like wild and things may have seemed quiet, but unlike downstairs, the data taken showed results. A few orbs were caught upstairs

can pick up any decibel and then makes the noise able to be heard by the human ear. These are essential to an EVP session.

Digital Cameras Three versions of digital cameras are used in the investigation: night vision, full spectrum, and a standard digital. The standard camera is used to take snapshots throughout the investigation, as it is believed that they can capture images such as orbs that are invisible to the human eye. Night vision is used to gather video that is self-lit and glare-free so that it is easier to differentiate between glares and orbs. As for the full spectrum, this is a video camera with all the traditional filters removed so that it can pick up ultra violet and infrared images as well.

Spirit Box Spirit boxes are used to pick up “white noise.” It is basically a digital recorder with a built-in radio scanner. This allows it to scan the FM radio band in which it is believed that spirits can communicate.

EMF Meters A common tool in the electric engineering field, these are used to measure electromagnetic energy. Electromagnetic energy is believed to be given off by ghosts when they try to manifest and will detect their presence. Scrabble Board This is just a traditional Scrabble game set-up with all the tiles laid out in case the spirits want to communicate and leave a message.

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Meet the Team: Paranormal Family Jim Cunningham Raised in a family that had been open to paranormal research, Jim started Paranormal Family in 2002. He is what is called an “intuit,” in the industry as he often feels things others are unaware of and has a much higher sensitivity level than most people. John Cunningham Being Jim’s brother, John grew up under similar circumstances. With much lower sensitivity levels than his brother, John’s specialty is more on the technology end, where he is constantly working to improve the investigation by finding or designing new equipment.

Paranormal 215 Christopher Martin Chris is the lead investigator and founder

of Paranormal 215. Paranormal activity and the idea of ghosts is something that has been intriguing to him his whole life, and thus he started the group in 2008. Also with a higher sensitivity level than the average person, Chris can sense a great deal of paranormal activity. Christopher Martin, Jr. Chis Jr, is the son of lead investigator Chris. Growing up, Chris Jr. had a growing interest in paranormal research and has followed in his father’s footsteps, seeking to uncover some of the secrets of the spirit realm. Chris Jr. also helps to handle most of the technical aspects of the hunt. George Feinstein George is one of the original members of Paranormal 215. After a few paranormal experiences earlier in his life, George had a heightened interest in uncovering some answers and giving closure to his own experiences. George is an assistant investigator and helps out with the EVP sessions and handles a lot of the photography.

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"We were dealing with an intelligent haunting. These spirits are well aware of you being there and that you're attempting to find them. Like a child, they will sometimes 'hide' and make it quite difficult to gather evidence." and even a couple voices were picked up. One of the voices even seemed to be calling us by name saying, “Hey Jim.” Calling to us only seemed to show the intelligence of these ghosts. Chris even pointed this out in his report: “We were dealing with an intelligent haunting. These spirits are well aware of you being there and that you’re attempting to find them. Like a child, they will sometimes ‘hide’ and make it quite difficult to gather evidence.” With what might be about one hundred years experience, it would almost make sense that the ghosts have grown comfortable in their surroundings. The way the detectors were going off downstairs, it almost makes you think that the ghosts like messing with people. No ghosts were seen in their full being, but we did catch a few orbs which seemed like they were trying to manifest themselves to us and voices were definitely heard. There seems to be validity to this whole haunted bar thing. Maybe these bar patrons are right in having paranormal experiences on their bar stools, but in the end, chances are, they probably just had one too many drinks.

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october/november 2011

Bar & Restaurant Review 54

Burgers To Die For, Beer In Abundance Chelsea Tavern puts Wilmington on the beer map. By Mat Falco There is no question that the beer culture of Wilmington, DE is on the rise. Bars are popping up all over the city and everyone is starting to offer up at least a craft beer or two. The power of Philadelphia’s beer scene is definitely starting to rub off on our southern neighbor. In the heart of this scene, located right downtown, is one of the premier spots to grab a pint in Wilmington: The Chelsea Tavern. With a prime location directly across the street from the Grand Opera House and only a short two block walk from the new World Café Live at the Queen, The Chelsea Tavern is a great Wilmington destination. They also happen to have one of, if not the best beer selection in town. With 30 beers on tap, 1 handpump, and over 60 bottles, there are beer options for everyone. The draft list is always rotating and you can find all of the local favorites; it’s Delaware, so Dogfish is abundant on tap, as well as some great offerings from around the country, with even a few imports thrown in the mix. The house beer here is Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale, which is reason alone to go down to Delaware, as that beer rarely makes its way to Philly. Delaware is also home to Evolution Brewery which is making some great beers only a short distance from Dogfish Head in the southern part of the state. When it comes to food, Chelsea serves up an awesome menu of creative dishes. The standout reason to go is to try the burger. In a time when everyone is putting out great, over-the-top burgers to compete with one another, Chelsea has a burger that might top them all when it comes to outrageous. With a hand-packed burger patty that is beer battered and fried, then topped with smoked bacon, fried scrapple, a fried egg, red pepper mayo and finished off with American cheese, you may want to have 911 set to speed dial on your phone before you dive in, as the aptly named Dirty Burger is a heart-attack inducing sandwich (although definitely worth trying). No need to risk death

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eating here though, as they have a full menu of creative dishes. Look for a variety of entrees like pineapple-thyme seared scallops, a selection of wood-oven pizzas, and even some entrée sized salads to counteract the effects of the Dirty Burger. They also have a few different offerings of moulesfrites if you decide to grab a Belgian beer with dinner. With great food, a tremendous beer selection, and a prime location, The Chelsea Tavern is definitely one of the best options in Wilmington. The convenience of being able to have a great meal and a few beers before taking a short stroll over to the new World Café Live (which is an amazing venue and definitely worth checking out) to catch a show is hard to beat. A trip to Delaware sooner or later seems to be becoming more and more unavoidable. Chelsea Tavern is located at 821 North Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801.

Cav’s Rittenhouse is one of the best spots in Center City for good beer and sports. By Mat Falco With football season upon us, it’s only fitting to look for some quality bars to catch the games. With sports on the brain, there are few craft-beer destinations that really go all-out for the games (a bunch of the bars don’t even have TVs). There are some good ones though: Misconduct Tavern, the Hulmeville Inn, Jamison Pour House, McGillin’s and the Iron Abbey, to name a few. Another good one worth a deeper look is Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse. Located in the Rittenhouse Square district of Center City, Cav’s Rittenhouse is one of the premier destinations in Philly to catch a game while enjoying quality food and good beers. Don’t be fooled by the name and mistake it for Cavanaugh’s River Deck, located on the waterfront, which has a much more party-like, college-centric atmosphere; this is a completely different type of place. With two floors, two large bars, and TVs from wall to wall, this is the ideal location to gear up for the Flyers’ season or watch the Eagles try to relive the season we witnessed last year. Beyond the TVs, Cav’s is impressive when it comes to food and beer. The beer program consists of a dozen rotating taps and about twenty bottles. Don’t look for Russian River and Lost Abbey here (though they may get it from time to time), but instead, look for some of your local favorites and more sessionable beers that are prefect for extended bar stays. As short-lived as it seems, Sunday football can be a pretty long day. And anyway, it makes a lot more sense to drink local while you’re supporting your favorite local team. As for food, they serve up a gastro-pub style menu but most importantly, give you the option of subbing out

your french fries for some cafeteria favorite tater-tots. The pub-style menu features all of your favorite bar snacks, but they’re made with quality ingredients and even a unique twist or two. Besides your typical wings and chicken-fingers, you can also order some homemade empanadas or teriyaki lettuce wraps to mix it up. They also try to put an emphasis on using local products, so you can expect some fresh produce in your dishes and as with any good gastro-pub, they even like to cook with beer once in a while, with items like a stout infused shortrib or the Flying Dog infused Sloppy Joe that graces a special menu from time to time. If you need even more reason to head to Rittenhouse, Cav’s is also home to great specials and beer events. Their monthly event, Philly Brew & Chew, is definitely one of the best deals in town – featuring a different brewery each month, you get two hours worth of their beers and appetizer pairings for a mere $20. Also, if you’re trying to save a few bucks, they have nightly specials which range from half priced bottles and $3 drafts to half priced burgers and cheesesteaks, not to mention a daily happy hour that saves you money on beer and food. Next time you’re looking for a place to catch a game or just go out with a group of friends where not everyone is a beer-geek, Cav’s Rittenhouse is definitely a great option. Let your buddy start off with his Miller Lite and then force him to drink something better. Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse is located at 1823 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA 19103.

Bar & Restaurant Review

Touchdowns, Taps and ‘Tots

october/november 2011

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 Craig LaBan is a legend in the Philadelphia food scene, using his now famous “Bell System.” A love for good beer has taken a greater role in his writing and he even holds his own local beer competition, “The Brew-vitational,” in honor of PBW. Craig also likes to keep his identity hidden, thus, why he is not actually pictured here.

An Average Beer

From The Scene

A Pretty Decent Beer Worth Drinking Anytime

Ryan Michaels is McKenzie’s brewmaster. Known for making world-class saisons & farmhouse ales, Ryan has been brewing at McKenzie’s since 2005. He brews and oversees the operations at both, soon to be all three, of their locations.

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

The Tasting Room this issue moved to one of our must unusual locations. In honor of our esteemed guest, we went to the home of fellow publication, The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Broad Street location of Philadelphia’s largest newspaper was the most fitting spot to host food critic and Inquire writer Craig LaBan, along with McKenzie’s brewmaster Ryan Michaels and our friend Carolyn Smagalski, who filled in for Neil.

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Fish Tale Organic Amber Ale

Erdinger Oktoberfest =

A Cascadian treasure, certified Organic Amber Ale

Made in the true, complex Bavarian tradition and

is a medium-bodied beer with an appealing deep

brewed using caramelized barley & wheat malts.

amber hue. A blend of malts lend to a sweet character

Like all Erdinger beers, this Oktoberfest-Weizen

as well as zesty flavor. ABV: 5.0%

was re-fermeted in the bottle and keg. ABV: 5.6%

Craig

Cloudy, malty, light amber – peppery, malty on the bottom. Got a nice sparkle to it, but 2-dimensional.

Unique, has a lot of character. A nice bridge between Craig 4.5 seasons.

Ryan 3.5 Very solid, clean, well-made drinker.

Ryan

Nice & subtle with touches of maltiness and bright fruits.

Mat 3.5 Well balanced and extremely refreshing. A beer you

Mat

More wheaty than festy. This isnt your typical marzen. A really refreshing take on the Oktoberfest style.

could have a few of.

Carol 3.5 Mel

Nice drinker, some sweet maltiness. Brought into balance by citrusy hops. Very clean. Great malty smell, not much flavor, but a nice organic beer, refreshing.

Carol 4 Mel

Baked bread wheatness, soft mouthfeel with peppery notes. Finish is fantastic. Nice wheat beer, color & heads, lots of body, but lacks the flavor of an Oktoberfest.

Brooklyn Oktoberfest

Wild Onion Pumpkin Ale

Brooklyn Oktoberfest was introduced in 2000. It is

Chicago’s Wild Onion Brewing Co. describes

true to the original German style, full-bodied and

their Pumpkin Ale as a “fall classic with crisp malt

malty, with a bready aroma and light, brisk hop

flavor and a hint of pumpkin spice.” ABV: 5.0%

bitterness. ABV: 5.5% Craig 4

Malty but toasty – like wood. Light start, but oomph! finish...me need bratwurst now!

Ryan 3.5 Nice toasty finish makes this beer; less heavy than a lot of fests.

Mat 2.5 Carol 4 Mel

Very light & one-dimensional up front but complex lingering aftertaste. Wish it had a fuller body. Wood/earthiness immediately hits the palate, then an extremely satiating bready sweetness in the finish. Light upfront, but almost too light., A little sour, nice woody finish.

Craig 2.5 Smells like pumpkin apple-butter. Spices are real dusty – it is a lightweight. Not a big statement.

Ryan

Interesting take on the style that underwhelms but doesn’t offend at all.

Mat 3.5 Great pumpkin spiced aroma. Spice isn’t overwhelming. Better than most pumpkins in my opinion.

Carol

Tastes like lightly baked pumpkin seeds. Not overly spiced. Light cinnamon in the finish. Sweet nose, sweet can design and a sweet pumpkin

Mel 3.5 flavor. Drinkable & approachable.

Cricket Hill Fall Festivus Ale

Guinness Black Lager

This unfiltered autumn brew falls somewhere between

Guinness Black Lager is cold-brewed with roasted

Cricket Hill’s popular “American Ale” and their

barley to deliver the refreshing taste of lager with

equally-popular “Hopnotic IPA” but takes on a taste

the unique character of Guinness. ABV: 4.5%

all its own. ABV: 4.8% Light & cloudy – very effervescent, piney, seriously Craig 1.5

Big bubbles upfront. Like finish of black licorice & Craig 2.5

Ryan 2.5 Kind of a strange pale ale to me.

Ryan

Watery roasty something or other. Not sure I care it is a lager.

Mat

Interesting smoky/ashy finish, but lacking much else.

hoppy. Unique, but not in a great way.

Mat

Very interesting. Great fresh hop aroma, but tastes stale and earthy.

Carol

West Coast hoppy pale ale. Roasted tobacco, pine needles & forest flavor with earthiness & leaves.

Mel 1.5

Piney, flavorful nose, lots of hops. The name is deceiving being a fest beer – too bitter.

black pepper.

Ash, tobacco, licorice. A bit harsh on the tongue. If I

Carol 1.5 were a cigar smoker, it might work.

Lighter than you’d expect from Guinness. Lacks nose,

Mel 2.5 but malty, roasty finish.

october/november 2011

Tröegs Perpetual IPA

Hoppin’Frog Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale

Tröegs’ Perpetual IPA utilizes their hopback and

This double pumpkin ale from Ohio’s Hoppin’ Frog

dry-hopping to engineer a bold IPA. Light in color

Brewery provides a complex brew for the pumpkin

and bittered with a gracious amount of citrus and

beer season. Spicy & sweet, it has a robust and

spicy hops. ABV: 7.5%

delicious pumpkin character. ABV: 8.4%

moussey foam. It’s not all about the hops; Craig 4.5 Fine, there’s richness & grainy malts. So well balanced.

Craig 3.5 Nice color, gorgeous smell, round & mellow. Great

Ryan 4.5 Mat

Carol 4.5

Great fresh hop character integrated throughout the beer, plenty of malt, but not too much; nice. Beautiful fresh hoppy aroma. Lots of depth, continually balancing itself. Another exceptional beer from Tröegs. It talks to me. Deep base of bread, supported by unleashed hoppiness. Fruit, lemon, grapefruit fresh fields. Fresh, hoppy nose, nice head, filled of large & small

Mel 3.5 bubbles –hoppy but smooth. Hops aren’t abrasive.

One of the more interesting spice/beer ratios for the style, tasty sipper.

Mat 3.5 Extremely pungent nose. Once you get past the

sweetness it is a nice complex beer for a pumpkin.

Carol

Flavors are embedded in a big beer. This is more of a sipping beer- late autumn- take it to the edge of winter.

Mel

Yummy pumpkin nose, ginger & spicy. A punch of flavor and sweetness, good dessert beer.

Straffe Hendrik Quad

Uinta Dubhe Imperial Black IPA

A rich and intense dark Belgian ale. It is brewed

Named after Utah’s Centennial Star, Dubhe is comprised

with a subtle blend of specialty malts, which give

of an astronomical amount of hops (5 varieties) and

the ale an extremely dark color and a chewy, malty

is brewed with hemp seeds resulting in a dark, but

complex character. ABV: 11.0%

very smooth Imperial Black IPA. ABV: 9.2%

Craig 3

Turbo-carbo. I wanna shave with this head. Good licorice, prunes?

Ryan 3.5

Solid beer but with dark fruits leading the way of an otherwise underwhelming beer.

Mat 3.5

Very little nose, lots of alcohol. Very sweet, lacking dimension.

Carol

Orange color, not as dark as a normal quad. Figs, raisins, prunes, very fruity. Roasty barley. Shaving cream? Malty nose, a little boozy, but it is

Mel 3.5 11%... I don’t mind. It is sweet and caramely.

Craig 2.5 Organic, dark aroma, bittersweet chocolate, like a liquid chocolate bar – hop & roast, dry & bitter, unbalanced.

Ryan 3.5

Not my style but well made. I like a bit more sweetness in a hoppy, strong, dark beer.

Mat 3.5 Very bitter. A mix of bitter hop and chocolate. Very roasty. Carol

Bittersweet, chocolate, coffee, total roastiness in this; ashy. Too bitter, too roasty. Has that coffee flavor, but it’s too

Mel 2.5 much for me.

Evil Twin Ashtray Heart

Lefebvre Hopus Ale

Surprisingly drinkable, this smoky offering from

This Belgian IPA from Lefebvre Brewery at Quenast

Evil Twin continues to solidify their name in the

provides a deeply rich and complex brew. With a hazy

craft beer world. A complex & earthy smoked stout.

pour and a smooth mouth-feel, Hopus Ale’s flavors

ABV: 8.9%

are incredibly balanced & flavorful. ABV: 8.5%

Craig

Smoky, not a punch in the nose. Rich, dark, a pipe bowl swirled in the mash tun. Can drink in small quantities.

Ryan 4.5 Very rich and delicious, but a bit much of a heavyweight to not just drink a bit.

with a creamy, custardy dessert.

Ryan

One of the best smoked stouts I’ve had. Rich & smoky, but not overwhelming. A good full body.

Mat

4.5

Carol

Smoke lays across the tongue; rich deep, dense love. Lots of charcoal. Good sipping by a fire beer.

Mel

Smoky nose, bittersweet but boozy finish.

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october/november 2011

Craig

Candied sugar with age, fruity wrapped in butterscotch. Wow, what a start! Another level.

Ryan

Great caramel, toffee and rustic intangibles.

Mat

Extremely complex nose, candied sugar, butterscotch flavors. Alcohol is well hidden.

Carol

Floral nose, candy cane, grape, toffee. Very complex beer, alcohol is hidden. Far different from the others. Grape nose, candy, a sweet flavor, but finishes clean.

Mel 4.5 Very complex in nose and flavor.

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 #15 Ghost Face Killah

picks for October/November.

Craig’s Final Pick: Lefebvre Hopus Ale. So much going on here and with so much grace...it is powerful, rich, sweet, fruity & spicy. Yet, dry & mysterious.

Ryan's Final Pick: Lefebvre Hopus Ale. Another level.

Mat’s Final Pick: Lefebvre Hopus Ale. Just so complex and unique. The level of complexity really puts this over the top.

Carolyn’s Final Pick: Lefebvre Hopus Ale. Deeply complex, with flavors that keep coming forth.

Melissa’s Final Pick: Hoppin’ Frog Pumpkin Ale. The perfect beer with dessert! I’m all in!

When your brewery has the word “twisted” in the name, it’s expected that you would have some strange and unique offerings. Twisted Pine Brewery out of Boulder, CO, doesn’t disappoint. They have taken a style growing in popularity and brought it to a new, twisted level. Most people have seen a chili beer by now, but most of those beers are “drinkable,” Twisted Pine’s version... well, this one might just burn like a mother f***er. Named after one of the great rappers of our generation, Ghost Face Killah is an American wheat beer with six types of peppers and it is likely just one of them would scare away most drinkers not obsessed with spice. The peppers used are Anaheim, Fesno, Serrano, Jalapeno, Habanero, and if none of those are hot enough for you, they also use the hottest pepper in the world: Bhut Jolokia, better known as the GHOST PEPPER. They brewed the beer to make Ghost Pepper the most dominant in the fragrance and flavor. In other words, this is one ridiculously hot beer. Like eating a dozen atomic, burn your ass, 911 whatever-you-want-to-call-them hot wings, this beer is gonna warm you up the whole way down and it’s probably not gonna let up anytime soon.

october/november 2011