I am here in Omaha tonight and wanted to go to someplace some what familiar so I wound up at Upstream Brewing Company http://www.upstreambrewing.com/. They have good beer and good food. Plus it is in the ever cool Old Market area in Downtown Omaha. The area has become an entertainment district for the city, home of restaurants and eclectic shopping.
The brewery is in a restored building so there is lots of exposed brick and wood. If I remember correctly this is a restored fire house, but I could also be mistaken. In the bar area there is a large rectangular bar and many high top tables. The restaurant are has ample seating with the upstairs being the billiards area. Outside in good weather there is seating along the sidewalk which makes for great people watching. The brewhouse is just off the main eating area behind a wall of glass.
They have six regular beers on tap O! Gold, Raspberry Lager, Capital Pale Ale, Firehouse Red, Flagship IPA and Dundee Scotch Ale. I did not partake in any of these this evening, but they could be part of a sampler if you want. They also have a root beer named after the Nebraska football team "Bugeater". They always have a cask ale and some seasonal taps as well. The seasonal included American Wheat, Gam Gam's Munich Helles, Justa Porter, Leroy Jenkins Imperial Indian Brown Ale and Gianduja Imperial Rye Brown Ale.
I did try four of the seasonal beers either in tasters or pints. Those four were Gam Gam's Munich Helles, probably my overall favorite, both browns the IIBA was quite hoppy and the Rye Brown was malty but yet peppery, lastly the Justa Porter, my least favorite.
Besides the beer they have a very good food menu. Ranging from steaks to pizza to sandwiches to salads. I decided upon the Shrimp White Pizza. It was tasty.
A nice touch was that the glassware varied with the beer. The shaker pint was saved for water and bloody Marys. Another cool thing was the staff during their work shift were able to try a small sample of the beer so they could better explain the beer to their customers.
All in all this is a good place to hit if you are in Omaha and want to try some good beer at a brewpub.
QC Beerguy
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Depot Deli Shenandoah, IA
So I found myself with my wife in far southwestern Iowa and after a day of visiting the graves of her relatives we were hungry and thirsty. So before we made our 5 hour trek back across Iowa to home, we decided to give the Depot Deli a try http://www.depotdeli.com/. You may say we were crazy to give a brewpub in the middle of small town Iowa a try, but we were surprised.
As you may have guessed it is located in the old train depot in downtown Shenandoah. As we walked in we were struck by the jumbled mismatched look of the interior, but the more a person looks at it the more you realize this is done to give the place a homey feel. The place is far from fancy and still has some reminders of its previous life as a train depot. Such as the cash register is located at the ticket window, fitting I think.
The place was fairly busy, most tables full or needing to be bused, but we did find a booth to sit at. After a couple minutes the only waitress on duty came over and gave us menus and to take our drink order. We both ordered a beer from the five they had on tap. The tap list was wheat, pale ale, IPA, Bock and Imperial Stout.
My wife ordered the bock and I started with the IPA. Both beers were clean and very drinkable, but not necessarily to style. The Bock was medium brown with an off white head and had a nice malty flavor, but soon a smokiness becomes apparent. So we surmised that they used some smoked malt in the making of the Bock. The IPA had a definite piney hop aroma and a sweet caramel presence, but it just did not seem to be quite an IPA, probably it is more of an American pale ale than IPA. My second beer was the Imperial Stout again good but not quite true to style. It was black with a good firm tan head. The aroma was of roast, alcohol, chocolate and yet again smoke. Upon taste it was confirmed that there was smoke in this beer as well, so we again believe that they used smoke malt in the beer. We did not try the other two beers on the list not out of fear that they were bad but because we still had that 5 hour drive across Iowa.
As far as food they had the usual you would expect for a diner in the middle of small town Iowa. Sandwiches, entrees and some Mexican items. All the food looked good and what we had we in fact was good, so do not be afraid of the food either.
Overall I can say we were pleasantly surprised with the Depot Deli. As I stated above the beer is good but perhaps not quite to style, so if you are a member of the style police you may not like the beer here. So as Charlie P has so eloquently said " Relax and have a homebrew.", that is what I am reminded of with this beer. They make clean, good tasting beer but seemingly take some creative license with their brewing process and the resulting beers.
If you find yourself in Shenandoah, IA for some reason do not be afraid to give this place a shot. By the time you leave the place you may be like we were and wishing this little brewpub was somewhere closer than Southwestern Iowa. We found it to be a good diversion and would go there again if we wind up in Shenandoah again.
QC Beerguy
As you may have guessed it is located in the old train depot in downtown Shenandoah. As we walked in we were struck by the jumbled mismatched look of the interior, but the more a person looks at it the more you realize this is done to give the place a homey feel. The place is far from fancy and still has some reminders of its previous life as a train depot. Such as the cash register is located at the ticket window, fitting I think.
The place was fairly busy, most tables full or needing to be bused, but we did find a booth to sit at. After a couple minutes the only waitress on duty came over and gave us menus and to take our drink order. We both ordered a beer from the five they had on tap. The tap list was wheat, pale ale, IPA, Bock and Imperial Stout.
My wife ordered the bock and I started with the IPA. Both beers were clean and very drinkable, but not necessarily to style. The Bock was medium brown with an off white head and had a nice malty flavor, but soon a smokiness becomes apparent. So we surmised that they used some smoked malt in the making of the Bock. The IPA had a definite piney hop aroma and a sweet caramel presence, but it just did not seem to be quite an IPA, probably it is more of an American pale ale than IPA. My second beer was the Imperial Stout again good but not quite true to style. It was black with a good firm tan head. The aroma was of roast, alcohol, chocolate and yet again smoke. Upon taste it was confirmed that there was smoke in this beer as well, so we again believe that they used smoke malt in the beer. We did not try the other two beers on the list not out of fear that they were bad but because we still had that 5 hour drive across Iowa.
As far as food they had the usual you would expect for a diner in the middle of small town Iowa. Sandwiches, entrees and some Mexican items. All the food looked good and what we had we in fact was good, so do not be afraid of the food either.
Overall I can say we were pleasantly surprised with the Depot Deli. As I stated above the beer is good but perhaps not quite to style, so if you are a member of the style police you may not like the beer here. So as Charlie P has so eloquently said " Relax and have a homebrew.", that is what I am reminded of with this beer. They make clean, good tasting beer but seemingly take some creative license with their brewing process and the resulting beers.
If you find yourself in Shenandoah, IA for some reason do not be afraid to give this place a shot. By the time you leave the place you may be like we were and wishing this little brewpub was somewhere closer than Southwestern Iowa. We found it to be a good diversion and would go there again if we wind up in Shenandoah again.
QC Beerguy
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Great River and Blue Cat
Last evening we joined some friends down at Great River for a couple of beers and then went over to Blue Cat for dinner. It was a nice relaxing night. At Great River both my wife and I had a couple of the Hydra Ales. This time it seemed that the Pils malt was really shinning through. So maybe this beer is like a hydra and has seven heads to show each time a person has the beer. Hopefully it will last long enough for me to have it seven times and experience each head.
After a couple at Great River we proceeded across the river to Rock Island and the Blue Cat. Just a short wait and we were seated in the corner booth in the main dining area, first time I ever sat there and it was cool watching the people go by. They were busy and the service was quick despite the activity. I decide to try the RI Rye. It was a light brown in color and had a white head. The beer did not seem to have much spiciness like I would expect from a rye beer. Maybe it is more of an American roggenbier, where it is a mixture of rye and wheat malt to attain the desired beer. Guess I will have to find out from the brewer what he was shooting for on this beer.
My wife had the Coriander and Orange, which is one of their light summer beers. She said the orange really comes through, while on the couple sips I had the coriander was more pronounced to me. So it is probably a combination of our two thoughts. Any way it is a good beer to have on a warm summer evening, which was not last night as it was still a bit cool.
The food was good as usual. They do take the word brewpub seriously. They do try to present a good beer and good food to their patrons. So all in all a good night.
To the members of MUGZ have a great meeting to day and see you all next month.
QC Beerguy
After a couple at Great River we proceeded across the river to Rock Island and the Blue Cat. Just a short wait and we were seated in the corner booth in the main dining area, first time I ever sat there and it was cool watching the people go by. They were busy and the service was quick despite the activity. I decide to try the RI Rye. It was a light brown in color and had a white head. The beer did not seem to have much spiciness like I would expect from a rye beer. Maybe it is more of an American roggenbier, where it is a mixture of rye and wheat malt to attain the desired beer. Guess I will have to find out from the brewer what he was shooting for on this beer.
My wife had the Coriander and Orange, which is one of their light summer beers. She said the orange really comes through, while on the couple sips I had the coriander was more pronounced to me. So it is probably a combination of our two thoughts. Any way it is a good beer to have on a warm summer evening, which was not last night as it was still a bit cool.
The food was good as usual. They do take the word brewpub seriously. They do try to present a good beer and good food to their patrons. So all in all a good night.
To the members of MUGZ have a great meeting to day and see you all next month.
QC Beerguy
Friday, May 27, 2011
Hydra Ale Tapping at Great River
If you have been following along on my blog you would of read that I was involved in brewing a special beer on Big Brew Day May 7th. To let everyone be on the same footing here is the back story. The brewers/owners at Great River Brewing gave a special opportunity to the homebrew club I belong to MUGZ. Seven of the members would brew a 10 barrel batch of a beer of our choice on their brewhouse and then the beer would be sold at their tasting room. Once they recouped the expenses the rest of the profits would go to MUGZ. So the gang of seven decided on making a Blonde/Kolsch beer, naming it "Hydra Ale". Last night was the tapping party.
My wife and I arrived shortly before 5pm, the official time of the tapping, and there was all ready a good amount of people there for the beer. I do not believe that there was much accomplished in the QC after 4PM by beer fans, because they were all at Great River. The crowd continued to grow as the evening went on.
I am very happy to say that the beer did not suck. It was a pleasant medium straw color with a white head, crystal clear from filtering. There was a noticeable amount of graininess, probably from the wheat and Munich malts. Also a light citrus from the hops and the distinct aroma of Pilsner malt. Taste was a delight as well clean, smooth, with a slight graininess and a light amount of citrus on the tongue. The beer came out as we had planned it when we decided what we wanted to brew and planned the grist bill.
More than once I heard that this is the perfect gateway beer for those people that are the Bud, Miller and Coors drinkers. Light enough not to scare them away and enough flavor for them to realize that beer is supposed to have taste. This beer is currently on tap until it runs out so hurry down to Great River and drink it up. Please, either let them know at the brewery or let me know how you like it, because we are interested in receiving feedback about the beer.
A big Thank You to the crew at Great River for the opportunity to brew the beer and making a few hobbyist feel like "pro" brewers for a few hours!
QC Beerguy
My wife and I arrived shortly before 5pm, the official time of the tapping, and there was all ready a good amount of people there for the beer. I do not believe that there was much accomplished in the QC after 4PM by beer fans, because they were all at Great River. The crowd continued to grow as the evening went on.
I am very happy to say that the beer did not suck. It was a pleasant medium straw color with a white head, crystal clear from filtering. There was a noticeable amount of graininess, probably from the wheat and Munich malts. Also a light citrus from the hops and the distinct aroma of Pilsner malt. Taste was a delight as well clean, smooth, with a slight graininess and a light amount of citrus on the tongue. The beer came out as we had planned it when we decided what we wanted to brew and planned the grist bill.
More than once I heard that this is the perfect gateway beer for those people that are the Bud, Miller and Coors drinkers. Light enough not to scare them away and enough flavor for them to realize that beer is supposed to have taste. This beer is currently on tap until it runs out so hurry down to Great River and drink it up. Please, either let them know at the brewery or let me know how you like it, because we are interested in receiving feedback about the beer.
A big Thank You to the crew at Great River for the opportunity to brew the beer and making a few hobbyist feel like "pro" brewers for a few hours!
QC Beerguy
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Less than 24
It is now less than 24 hours until the special tapping of the Hydra Ale! I am a wee bit excited and hope that the beer will not suck. Hope that everyone who can will make it down to Great River at 5pm, if you can not be there at 5pm come when you can. It will be an eventful evening and fun will be had by all! See you there!
QC Beerguy
QC Beerguy
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
El Bait Shop and a couple new beers
Last night I was in Des Moines and decided to go to some place familiar, so I went to El Bait Shop http://elbaitshop.com/. As I walk in and head towards the bar to take a seat I am greeted by the bartender saying " Long time no see." That made me feel pretty good that I was missed. So I sat at the bar and asked what new beers they had. He listed of several and I looked over at the taps and saw a different looking tap from Peace Tree. So I asked if there was anything new from Peace Tree and he mentioned their Blonde Fatale http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/21818/60168 which turned out to be a really nice Belgian style pale ale. It was a hazy light yellow with noticeable citrus and Belgian character. It was good as everything else made by Peace Tree.
It seems that Peace Tree has been doing everything correct to create a good name for theirselves. While another Iowa brewery, Madhouse, that started about the same time seems to be doing everything wrong to create a negative name for theirselves. It is shows that not every brewery's plans go correctly to create success.
My next new beer was Breckenridge's 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout. Which surprised me a bit since it was more than good, since I am not a big fan of Breckenridge's beers. It pours black with a tan head, flavors of chocolate and roast predominate and it is just an all around easy drinking beer.
I had another good night at El Bait Shop, it is definitely worth a visit when you are in Des Moines.
The count down continues less than 48 hours until the Hydra tapping at Great River, 5pm Thursday.
QC Beerguy
It seems that Peace Tree has been doing everything correct to create a good name for theirselves. While another Iowa brewery, Madhouse, that started about the same time seems to be doing everything wrong to create a negative name for theirselves. It is shows that not every brewery's plans go correctly to create success.
My next new beer was Breckenridge's 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout. Which surprised me a bit since it was more than good, since I am not a big fan of Breckenridge's beers. It pours black with a tan head, flavors of chocolate and roast predominate and it is just an all around easy drinking beer.
I had another good night at El Bait Shop, it is definitely worth a visit when you are in Des Moines.
The count down continues less than 48 hours until the Hydra tapping at Great River, 5pm Thursday.
QC Beerguy
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Update on the Ladies beer and GRBC tapping
Friday night three of the four ladies that brewed their first beer together on Big Brew Day got together at our house to split the batch and add blueberries to half. My wife and I are keepers of the beer, but the ladies are doing all of the work. After some socializing and burgers from the grill they went to work. They heated up the blueberries from frozen to warm enough to kill bacteria and wild yeast. Then they went down and created some magic by splitting the 5 gallon batch into half and adding blueberries to one half. So now the beer is again sitting undisturbed in our basement aging and when ready it will be kegged.
They seem to be having a great time doing this and for the most part pleased with their beer. A couple of small things are slightly detracting from their pleasure, the beer is darker than planned and it has a slight butter like taste to it. Hopefully the yeast will do its job and reabsorb the butter like taste. Overall though they are doing great for the first time brewing together.
On Saturday we did make it down to Great River for their special tapping of their Copper Ale. As promised it was a good drinkable summer beer. Which to me is a bit surprise since I would not think that of a copper colored ale. To me a beer that color should be a bit more robust and not a summer thirst quencher, but it succeeds in its goal.
Also I was able to have a taste of the next beer being tapped on May 26th the Hydra Ale, which I was involved in brewing on big brew day. I am pleased with the beer so far and can not wait to taste it on draft Thursday night! The beer is light crisp, slightly grainy and has a slight citrus taste. I think we nailed what we were trying to accomplish with the beer. I hope everyone that can will come on down Thursday night for the tapping and hopefully the beer will be well received.
See you Thursday night!
QC Beerguy
They seem to be having a great time doing this and for the most part pleased with their beer. A couple of small things are slightly detracting from their pleasure, the beer is darker than planned and it has a slight butter like taste to it. Hopefully the yeast will do its job and reabsorb the butter like taste. Overall though they are doing great for the first time brewing together.
On Saturday we did make it down to Great River for their special tapping of their Copper Ale. As promised it was a good drinkable summer beer. Which to me is a bit surprise since I would not think that of a copper colored ale. To me a beer that color should be a bit more robust and not a summer thirst quencher, but it succeeds in its goal.
Also I was able to have a taste of the next beer being tapped on May 26th the Hydra Ale, which I was involved in brewing on big brew day. I am pleased with the beer so far and can not wait to taste it on draft Thursday night! The beer is light crisp, slightly grainy and has a slight citrus taste. I think we nailed what we were trying to accomplish with the beer. I hope everyone that can will come on down Thursday night for the tapping and hopefully the beer will be well received.
See you Thursday night!
QC Beerguy
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Sioux City, IA Buffalo Alice
Last night I was in Sioux City, IA and needing a good beer place to eat, so after some research I decided on Buffalo Alice http://www.buffaloalice.com/ a bar/ restaurant in the historic 4th St. district. Since I had about 4 blocks between my hotel and Buffalo Alice I decided to walk, which proved to be interesting.
I arrived at the bar with no trouble and went in and found a seat at the bar. The inside is interesting they have a mural of famous musicians and also attached above the bar album covers, including DIO! Rock on J & L, However most were of the disco era. The floor was a very creaky hardwood floor that any time someone walked you felt your chair move.
They have between 20 and 30 taps and over 100 bottles of beer and a food menu of pizza, spaghetti and a few bar type appetizers. So if you are looking for something else food wise this is not the place for you. As far as the beer overall it is pretty pedestrian collection of macro, craft and import beers. There was not one beer making me go wow that they have.
I broke my self imposed boycott of Goose because those were the hoppiest beers on tap, I had a Honkers Ale and an IPA. So far they taste fine, AB INBev have not destroyed them yet! Food wise I had a small pizza with Canadian bacon, pepperoni and ground buffalo on it. The pizza was delicious and I understand why they are known for it.
When I sat down I had my beer order taken and then had a paper boat of popcorn dropped off with my beer. Overall this place is worth a visit or two when you are in Sioux City. So next time when I am in town I will give it another shot.
Well now onto the trip back to the hotel. As I was walking back I saw this really cool water fountain and started checking it out. It was a four sided fountain that had bull heads shooting out water. I walked up on it from the east side and the plaza was just flat pavers and as I continued to admire the fountain and walk on I came across my problem. The west side has a step down because the pavers slant down toward the entrance to the movie theater and you probably know what happened next. That's right QCBG goes down and skins his knee and bangs up his right arm and shoulder enough so I am sore and have limited use of the right arm. So that is why no post last night, my apologizes.
Just a reminder about the special tappings coming up at Great River. May 21st is the Copper Ale and May 26th the tapping of the "Hydra Ale" brewed on Big Brew Day. Looking forward to tasting both of these beers.
QC Beerguy
I arrived at the bar with no trouble and went in and found a seat at the bar. The inside is interesting they have a mural of famous musicians and also attached above the bar album covers, including DIO! Rock on J & L, However most were of the disco era. The floor was a very creaky hardwood floor that any time someone walked you felt your chair move.
They have between 20 and 30 taps and over 100 bottles of beer and a food menu of pizza, spaghetti and a few bar type appetizers. So if you are looking for something else food wise this is not the place for you. As far as the beer overall it is pretty pedestrian collection of macro, craft and import beers. There was not one beer making me go wow that they have.
I broke my self imposed boycott of Goose because those were the hoppiest beers on tap, I had a Honkers Ale and an IPA. So far they taste fine, AB INBev have not destroyed them yet! Food wise I had a small pizza with Canadian bacon, pepperoni and ground buffalo on it. The pizza was delicious and I understand why they are known for it.
When I sat down I had my beer order taken and then had a paper boat of popcorn dropped off with my beer. Overall this place is worth a visit or two when you are in Sioux City. So next time when I am in town I will give it another shot.
Well now onto the trip back to the hotel. As I was walking back I saw this really cool water fountain and started checking it out. It was a four sided fountain that had bull heads shooting out water. I walked up on it from the east side and the plaza was just flat pavers and as I continued to admire the fountain and walk on I came across my problem. The west side has a step down because the pavers slant down toward the entrance to the movie theater and you probably know what happened next. That's right QCBG goes down and skins his knee and bangs up his right arm and shoulder enough so I am sore and have limited use of the right arm. So that is why no post last night, my apologizes.
Just a reminder about the special tappings coming up at Great River. May 21st is the Copper Ale and May 26th the tapping of the "Hydra Ale" brewed on Big Brew Day. Looking forward to tasting both of these beers.
QC Beerguy
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Lazlo's Lincoln, NE
Tonight I was able to go to a place that gave me an epiphany in beer. I revisited Lazlo's in the Haymarket District in downtown Lincoln and it seemed to be as good as I remember. Actually it has grown since the last time I was there, they have taken over the building next door and converted it into restaurant space. Overall the restaurant is what you would expect from a reclaimed warehouse building, wood and lots of brick. I sat at the bar per usual and was treated to a granite bar top and a couple big screen TV's.
When it comes to the Haymarket District the problem is finding parking. Since I was there on a Tuesday night, I would hate to see a weekend night or even worse when the Huskers are having a home game in the fall. There is parking but not overly convenient. So plan to do a bit of walking if you drive down to Lazlo's.
Lazlo's http://www.lazlosbreweryandgrill.com/index.html is where I found Empyrean's Vanilla Porter a gate way beer for me. It is wonderfully rich with a strong vanilla flavor that offsets the roasty character of the underlining beer. If I remember correctly I still have a couple of bottles in my cellar somewhere.
Tonight I started with their Collapsar Oatmeal Stout which they serve on nitrogen. It is a really nice beer but not a great beer. It is smooth and slightly roasty but lacks the depth of character of a stout. I could probably drink a couple of these and not be unhappy, but I want more! I also was able to try a couple of beers as tasters, a black pepper porter, that for some reason I could not pick out the black pepper, and also I tasted my favorite the vanilla porter, still as good as I remember. The last beer I had was Better World Wheat, a Belgian style Wit. It is a good beer but again not a great beer. It is light and refreshing but not up to what I expect from a great Belgian Wit.
The food menu is a variety of various items. I wound up going safe and having a bacon cheese burger and it was very good. Since I was in cattle country I would expect nothing less. They also have an extensive amount of steaks.
No matter why you find yourself in Lincoln, NE Lazlo's is a must stop. They have a great selection of beers and great food. The beer is called Empyrean but the restaurant is Lazlo's they are tied together in some way but I am unsure how. This is a worthy stop on the great Midwest beer tour.
QC Beerguy
When it comes to the Haymarket District the problem is finding parking. Since I was there on a Tuesday night, I would hate to see a weekend night or even worse when the Huskers are having a home game in the fall. There is parking but not overly convenient. So plan to do a bit of walking if you drive down to Lazlo's.
Lazlo's http://www.lazlosbreweryandgrill.com/index.html is where I found Empyrean's Vanilla Porter a gate way beer for me. It is wonderfully rich with a strong vanilla flavor that offsets the roasty character of the underlining beer. If I remember correctly I still have a couple of bottles in my cellar somewhere.
Tonight I started with their Collapsar Oatmeal Stout which they serve on nitrogen. It is a really nice beer but not a great beer. It is smooth and slightly roasty but lacks the depth of character of a stout. I could probably drink a couple of these and not be unhappy, but I want more! I also was able to try a couple of beers as tasters, a black pepper porter, that for some reason I could not pick out the black pepper, and also I tasted my favorite the vanilla porter, still as good as I remember. The last beer I had was Better World Wheat, a Belgian style Wit. It is a good beer but again not a great beer. It is light and refreshing but not up to what I expect from a great Belgian Wit.
The food menu is a variety of various items. I wound up going safe and having a bacon cheese burger and it was very good. Since I was in cattle country I would expect nothing less. They also have an extensive amount of steaks.
No matter why you find yourself in Lincoln, NE Lazlo's is a must stop. They have a great selection of beers and great food. The beer is called Empyrean but the restaurant is Lazlo's they are tied together in some way but I am unsure how. This is a worthy stop on the great Midwest beer tour.
QC Beerguy
Monday, May 16, 2011
Omaha, NE
Through a series of events I find myself in Omaha, NE, lucky for me my sister-in-law and her husband live here. So we met up for dinner at a place called Cantina Laredo http://www.cantinalaredo.com/restaurant_location.php?st=NE a bit foo-foo for us but worth a try. The cool thing is were we went to have a beer at afterwards.
They mentioned a place called Crescent Moon Ale House http://www.beercornerusa.com/indexmoon.html, which is a part of a complex of good beer. Beside the multiple taps and bottles at Crescent there is Max and Joes, a Belgian bar, Huber Haus, a German bar and Beertopia a beer store. This will involve more study, so in three weeks I will be exploring more at the corner know as " Beer Corner USA".
They have at least seven Nebraska beers on tap so I ordered a Spilker Ales Hopluia Ale http://hopluia.com/#, very caramelly with noticeable hops in aroma and taste. As it warmed it became more complex but still seemed to be lacking at the end and overall a bit thin. Maybe if it is was served at cellar temperature it would be better. My sister-in -law had an Infinite Wit from Nebraska Brewing Company http://www.nebraskabrewingco.com/brews.asp, which she said she liked very much and would have it again. She said it was very refreshing and was nicely spiced with orange and coriander.
So needless to say I am looking forward to coming back to Omaha to do more research at the Beer Corner.
QC Beerguy
They mentioned a place called Crescent Moon Ale House http://www.beercornerusa.com/indexmoon.html, which is a part of a complex of good beer. Beside the multiple taps and bottles at Crescent there is Max and Joes, a Belgian bar, Huber Haus, a German bar and Beertopia a beer store. This will involve more study, so in three weeks I will be exploring more at the corner know as " Beer Corner USA".
They have at least seven Nebraska beers on tap so I ordered a Spilker Ales Hopluia Ale http://hopluia.com/#, very caramelly with noticeable hops in aroma and taste. As it warmed it became more complex but still seemed to be lacking at the end and overall a bit thin. Maybe if it is was served at cellar temperature it would be better. My sister-in -law had an Infinite Wit from Nebraska Brewing Company http://www.nebraskabrewingco.com/brews.asp, which she said she liked very much and would have it again. She said it was very refreshing and was nicely spiced with orange and coriander.
So needless to say I am looking forward to coming back to Omaha to do more research at the Beer Corner.
QC Beerguy
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Beer Mags and Papers
As many of you know there are a number of beer magazines and newspapers and probably a few of you subscribe to or pick up and read various ones. I myself subscribe to All About Beer, Brew Your Own, Beer Connoisseur and Zymurgy, which I receive as part of my membership to AHA. I also pick up some of the papers that usually are laid out at some of the beer bars and brewpubs I frequent, included in those are Great Lakes Brewing News, Ale Street News and the occasional Celebrator.
If a person types in beer magazines in Google they receive a number of possibilities including some I have not named; Draft, Beer, Beer Advocate and a few others. A decent but not all encompassing website is http://www.beerinfo.com/index.php/pages/beermagazines.html which lists many of those that I have mentioned as well as some others. Some are more serious to their beer news than others, some are just a step above FHM, you know the Men's magazine that shows barely clad women.
The ones I receive or pick up are some of the more serious beer news magazines and papers. That is the reason I read these is to find out what is on going in the beer industry and around the Midwest. As well a couple of the magazines I subscribe to are homebrew based and provide much information to me in regards to my favorite hobby.
If you are looking for a magazine of paper to provide information, entertainment or education just look at some that I have mentioned or do your own search and find the right one for you. More than likely there is a magazine or paper for you, you just have to find it.
If a person types in beer magazines in Google they receive a number of possibilities including some I have not named; Draft, Beer, Beer Advocate and a few others. A decent but not all encompassing website is http://www.beerinfo.com/index.php/pages/beermagazines.html which lists many of those that I have mentioned as well as some others. Some are more serious to their beer news than others, some are just a step above FHM, you know the Men's magazine that shows barely clad women.
The ones I receive or pick up are some of the more serious beer news magazines and papers. That is the reason I read these is to find out what is on going in the beer industry and around the Midwest. As well a couple of the magazines I subscribe to are homebrew based and provide much information to me in regards to my favorite hobby.
If you are looking for a magazine of paper to provide information, entertainment or education just look at some that I have mentioned or do your own search and find the right one for you. More than likely there is a magazine or paper for you, you just have to find it.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Upcoming tappings at Great River Brewery
Great River Brewery in Davenport will have two more special tappings this month. First they will have a tapping of their Copper Ale on Saturday May 21st, of course they pick the busiest day I have of the year so far for a tapping. Unfortunately I probably will not be able to make it, so every one go "Ah shoot!" Thank you. :) They are calling it a great summer beer, my wife will be the judge of that!
The next special tapping is the "hydra" ale that was brewed on Big Brew Day, May 7th, a Blonde/Klosch Ale, on May 26th. That was brewed by seven members of MUGZ on the Great River Brewery's system. I am looking forward to tasting this one since I was one of the seven. Come on out and meet the brewers and let us know if it is worth a damn or not. I sure hope it sells well, but the public will have the last vote.
As those who have been to a special tapping at Great River it is a special event where they open their doors and allow anyone a behind the scenes look at the brewery and a chance to meet the brewery staff. It is a fun and entertaining event for every one and I do mean every one, no one is shut out from the enjoyment. I know I always look forward to their tappings. I have to say I truly have something riding on the tapping on May 26th.
So come out for both or chose one to come to. If you can not make it to one or both, it's all good do not sweat it the beer will be there when you can make it!
QC Beerguy
The next special tapping is the "hydra" ale that was brewed on Big Brew Day, May 7th, a Blonde/Klosch Ale, on May 26th. That was brewed by seven members of MUGZ on the Great River Brewery's system. I am looking forward to tasting this one since I was one of the seven. Come on out and meet the brewers and let us know if it is worth a damn or not. I sure hope it sells well, but the public will have the last vote.
As those who have been to a special tapping at Great River it is a special event where they open their doors and allow anyone a behind the scenes look at the brewery and a chance to meet the brewery staff. It is a fun and entertaining event for every one and I do mean every one, no one is shut out from the enjoyment. I know I always look forward to their tappings. I have to say I truly have something riding on the tapping on May 26th.
So come out for both or chose one to come to. If you can not make it to one or both, it's all good do not sweat it the beer will be there when you can make it!
QC Beerguy
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Whistle Binkie's in Rochester
As I have said previously this is the beer bar in Rochester, MN,http://www.whistlebinkiespub.com/index.shtml if they don't have it can not be found. So tonight I was able to have a couple new beers to me. Yeah!
First up Myrcenary by Odell Brewing http://odellbrewing.com/beers/myrcenary a nice double IPA. It reminds me some of Hopslam by Bell's. The aroma is of citrus hops and good malty sweet backbone. Taste was strong malt nicely offset by the northwest hops. This is a nice beer that I would definitely have again. The kicker is it is 9.30% ABV so this is no session beer.
My second new beer was Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-down Ale http://www.lagunitas.com/beers/undercover.html , an American Strong Ale. It checks in at 9.7% ABV so this is a sipper not a session ale. Aroma is of the usual Northwestern variety of hops pine, citrus, etc. and also a strong brown malt character. The taste is even better than the smell. The hop charge is very assertive but the malt comes through to offset the hops. This is a wonderful beer that I am very glad I just purchased a six pack of.
Besides the Lagunitas beer I also purchased Brooklyn Local 1 and 2 as well as an Abrasive Ale four pack from Surly. The cool thing is I basically was able to get the Surly for a couple of bucks since I have a frequent buyers card with Apollo Liquors in Rochester. Always take advantage of the liquor store's frequent buyer programs it pays off well.
QC Beerguy
First up Myrcenary by Odell Brewing http://odellbrewing.com/beers/myrcenary a nice double IPA. It reminds me some of Hopslam by Bell's. The aroma is of citrus hops and good malty sweet backbone. Taste was strong malt nicely offset by the northwest hops. This is a nice beer that I would definitely have again. The kicker is it is 9.30% ABV so this is no session beer.
My second new beer was Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-down Ale http://www.lagunitas.com/beers/undercover.html , an American Strong Ale. It checks in at 9.7% ABV so this is a sipper not a session ale. Aroma is of the usual Northwestern variety of hops pine, citrus, etc. and also a strong brown malt character. The taste is even better than the smell. The hop charge is very assertive but the malt comes through to offset the hops. This is a wonderful beer that I am very glad I just purchased a six pack of.
Besides the Lagunitas beer I also purchased Brooklyn Local 1 and 2 as well as an Abrasive Ale four pack from Surly. The cool thing is I basically was able to get the Surly for a couple of bucks since I have a frequent buyers card with Apollo Liquors in Rochester. Always take advantage of the liquor store's frequent buyer programs it pays off well.
QC Beerguy
Monday, May 9, 2011
American Craft Beer Week
Today I received an email about the upcoming American Craft Beer Week to be held on May 16th - 22nd with events being held in every state of the Union. Follow the link to the website http://www.craftbeer.com/pages/news-and-events/news/show?title=american-craft-beer-week-participation-at-all-time-high. On the website you can follow a link to the calendar for the week, it even lets you find out what is happening in your state during that week.
Many craft breweries will be holding their own special events during the week. Also it looks like the Old Chicago Restaurant chain will be doing a Craft Beer Mini Tour, in which you drink 8 craft beers and receive a t-shirt for the event.They are being generous with their definition of Craft Beer since they have included Blue Moon and Widmer beers.
The state of Iowa's only other event is at Toppling Goliath in Decorah. Illinois has a few more events than Iowa, but most are in the Chicago area. So if you want to attend an event go to the web site and check out what is close to you.
QC Beerguy
Many craft breweries will be holding their own special events during the week. Also it looks like the Old Chicago Restaurant chain will be doing a Craft Beer Mini Tour, in which you drink 8 craft beers and receive a t-shirt for the event.They are being generous with their definition of Craft Beer since they have included Blue Moon and Widmer beers.
The state of Iowa's only other event is at Toppling Goliath in Decorah. Illinois has a few more events than Iowa, but most are in the Chicago area. So if you want to attend an event go to the web site and check out what is close to you.
QC Beerguy
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Big Brew Day 2011
Yesterday was Big Brew Day, a national day for homebrewers to gather together in a common place and celebrate the art of homebrewing by brewing. The American Homebrewers Association has designated the first Saturday of May as Big Brew Day. As a club the membership of MUGZ was welcomed to Great River Brewery, they have graciously hosted for the last several years. They have embraced our club and its membership. A big Thank You goes out to Paul, Scott, Cal and the rest of the crew for hosting us again this year.
We had at least 8 batches of homebrew brewed yesterday, it may be more because I was busy and was not able to get a full count. From what I remembering seeing we had brewers brewing extract with grain beer to all grain beers, no snobbery here everyone was welcome. We even had a group made up of only women that brewed a blonde ale and as well at least one mead. They had their one person security force and assistant made up of one woman's husband.
Probably as you may remeber from my earlier blogs I had an opportunity to play, I mean brew, along with six other members of MUGZ on Great River's brew system. They gave us an opportunity to brew a beer of our own choosing and then this will be a seasonal beer that they will sell through their tasting room. Tentatively the beer will be ready right around Memorial Day and they will have a special tapping of the beer! I believe the seven of us can not wait to have the opportunity to see the reaction of the public to our creation.
We brewed a Blonde/ Kolsch, kind of a hybrid of the two beers. Some may say there is not much difference between the two so how can it be a hybrid, but it really does not matter. Base malt was split between 2 row pale and pils malt, with a bit of wheat and munich malt to round out the grain bill. Hops we used included Sorachi Ace, Cascade and Santium. The yeast we used was California Ale yeast.
They allowed us to do the whole brewing process including harvest the yeast, the mash, transferring to the boil kettle, cleaning the fermentation vessel, and most importantly the proper sanitation to hopefully make a good clean beer. Scott was there to guide us through the brew day and make sure we did not burn down or blow up the brewery. I know I had a great day and hope this can be something that can continue in the future with other members having the opportunity to brew on the system.
Overall I believe every one had a great day. There was an opportunity to commune with many friends and enjoy the glorious day. Again thank you to the gang at Great River for hosting us and providing the opportunity to get together.
QC Beerguy
We had at least 8 batches of homebrew brewed yesterday, it may be more because I was busy and was not able to get a full count. From what I remembering seeing we had brewers brewing extract with grain beer to all grain beers, no snobbery here everyone was welcome. We even had a group made up of only women that brewed a blonde ale and as well at least one mead. They had their one person security force and assistant made up of one woman's husband.
Probably as you may remeber from my earlier blogs I had an opportunity to play, I mean brew, along with six other members of MUGZ on Great River's brew system. They gave us an opportunity to brew a beer of our own choosing and then this will be a seasonal beer that they will sell through their tasting room. Tentatively the beer will be ready right around Memorial Day and they will have a special tapping of the beer! I believe the seven of us can not wait to have the opportunity to see the reaction of the public to our creation.
We brewed a Blonde/ Kolsch, kind of a hybrid of the two beers. Some may say there is not much difference between the two so how can it be a hybrid, but it really does not matter. Base malt was split between 2 row pale and pils malt, with a bit of wheat and munich malt to round out the grain bill. Hops we used included Sorachi Ace, Cascade and Santium. The yeast we used was California Ale yeast.
They allowed us to do the whole brewing process including harvest the yeast, the mash, transferring to the boil kettle, cleaning the fermentation vessel, and most importantly the proper sanitation to hopefully make a good clean beer. Scott was there to guide us through the brew day and make sure we did not burn down or blow up the brewery. I know I had a great day and hope this can be something that can continue in the future with other members having the opportunity to brew on the system.
Overall I believe every one had a great day. There was an opportunity to commune with many friends and enjoy the glorious day. Again thank you to the gang at Great River for hosting us and providing the opportunity to get together.
QC Beerguy
Friday, May 6, 2011
Ruffled Feathers
Back home tonight and kicking back and relaxing before the big day tomorrow. What big day? Big Brew Day of course, tomorrow I will be one of seven people having an opportunity to brew a beer on Great River's system. I am totally looking forward to it.
My post yesterday ruffled at least on person's feathers, I was accused of being a beer snob. Which I totally embrace, I am a Beer Snob and always will be one. What I wrote about that was so heinous was the way I saw a couple people try and order a Chimay. Well I still believe if you are going to order a beer you should know how to pronounce it. Or do like I do if I can't pronounce it correctly I just point at the beer I want and if there is a word or two I know I can say correctly I say those to help out the bartender I am ordering from. Of course not everyone will do this, some people will be like the guy in Chicago my friend 1T and I heard say it rather pompously like he knew better than everyone else. Or like the guy last night that may have innocently said it incorrectly but ignorance is no defense.
To that point my friend 1T found this wonderful website that provides the pronunciations of Belgium beers http://www.belgianstyle.com/mmguide/pronounce/speak.html. So if you want to brush up on your Belgian beers here is the website for you. I am unsure if there are any other websites that offer pronunciations for other countries around the world, but I would suggest you just go hunt for the country's beers you are interested in.
Hope to see those who can make it down at Great River tomorrow for Big Brew Day. Besides the seven of us on Great River's system there will be several members of MUGZ brewing as well. There will be a range of systems there as well as extract to all grain brewers. So if you can come for only a few minutes come on down and ask all the questions you want.
QC Beerguy
My post yesterday ruffled at least on person's feathers, I was accused of being a beer snob. Which I totally embrace, I am a Beer Snob and always will be one. What I wrote about that was so heinous was the way I saw a couple people try and order a Chimay. Well I still believe if you are going to order a beer you should know how to pronounce it. Or do like I do if I can't pronounce it correctly I just point at the beer I want and if there is a word or two I know I can say correctly I say those to help out the bartender I am ordering from. Of course not everyone will do this, some people will be like the guy in Chicago my friend 1T and I heard say it rather pompously like he knew better than everyone else. Or like the guy last night that may have innocently said it incorrectly but ignorance is no defense.
To that point my friend 1T found this wonderful website that provides the pronunciations of Belgium beers http://www.belgianstyle.com/mmguide/pronounce/speak.html. So if you want to brush up on your Belgian beers here is the website for you. I am unsure if there are any other websites that offer pronunciations for other countries around the world, but I would suggest you just go hunt for the country's beers you are interested in.
Hope to see those who can make it down at Great River tomorrow for Big Brew Day. Besides the seven of us on Great River's system there will be several members of MUGZ brewing as well. There will be a range of systems there as well as extract to all grain brewers. So if you can come for only a few minutes come on down and ask all the questions you want.
QC Beerguy
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Royal Mile - Des Moines, IA
Back in Des Moines this evening and I wanted to go somewhere that I would not have to put up with the amateurs out for Cinco De Mayo, so I am deciding between Royal Mile and Hessen House. I chose to go to Royal Mile http://royalmilebar.com/ and leave the Hessen House for some other night. The Royal Mile is a English Pub style bar. Once you walk inside it is floor to ceiling wood and English beer signs. As my usual I sat at the bar and was attended to fairly quickly by the bartender asking me what I wanted to drink, unsure I ask for a beer list. They have over 20 taps and over 100 bottled beers as well as a wall of scotch over 80 different scotches. Once I perused the beer list I went with a Fuller's London Pride. For those who may not know this is a classic English Pale Ale. I have had it from the bottle but the bottle pales in comparison as a beer from the tap.
Next as you would figure the food menu is themed towards English food, so the typical bangers and mash, fish and chips, shepard's pie and more of the like. I went with the Eubank a burger with white cheddar, stilton and bacon on it. Delicious! During dinner I order another beer Fuller's London Porter. This is a little bit reminiscent of the Old English Porter from New Glarus I had last night. Fuller's version is no where near as sour as the New Glarus version, but it is more roasty than New Glarus' version.
All in all this is a cool English Pub in Downtown Des Moines and worth a trip when you are in Des Moines. As an aside upstairs is the Red Monk which is the only Belgian Bar in Central Iowa, so when you tire of English beers there is all the Belgians you might want just up a flight of stairs.
In the I can't believe this happened twice to me department. I was in the Map Room in Chicago with a friend and some moron ordered a Chimay by saying Chi- may instead of the proper Shi-may. Tonight in Royal Mile another moron asked the bartender what is the difference between the Chi-may red and blue. The bartender did a good job explaining the difference between the two. My point is if you can not say the beer correctly you do not need to be ordering the beer!
QC Beerguy
Next as you would figure the food menu is themed towards English food, so the typical bangers and mash, fish and chips, shepard's pie and more of the like. I went with the Eubank a burger with white cheddar, stilton and bacon on it. Delicious! During dinner I order another beer Fuller's London Porter. This is a little bit reminiscent of the Old English Porter from New Glarus I had last night. Fuller's version is no where near as sour as the New Glarus version, but it is more roasty than New Glarus' version.
All in all this is a cool English Pub in Downtown Des Moines and worth a trip when you are in Des Moines. As an aside upstairs is the Red Monk which is the only Belgian Bar in Central Iowa, so when you tire of English beers there is all the Belgians you might want just up a flight of stairs.
In the I can't believe this happened twice to me department. I was in the Map Room in Chicago with a friend and some moron ordered a Chimay by saying Chi- may instead of the proper Shi-may. Tonight in Royal Mile another moron asked the bartender what is the difference between the Chi-may red and blue. The bartender did a good job explaining the difference between the two. My point is if you can not say the beer correctly you do not need to be ordering the beer!
QC Beerguy
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
New Glarus Snowshoe Ale and Old English Porter
Another quite night at home so just having a couple beers this evening. I decided to continue my you can't buy that in the Quad Cities series by drinking and writing about a couple of beers from New Glarus Brewing Company http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/. This is another brewery that does not distribute beyond it's home state's border, because they have all the customers they need in Wisconsin and those of us that are lucky enough to travel into Wisconsin.
First up Snowshoe Ale, they call it a Red Ale. On pouring it it is an medium amber color with a off white head. The aroma is a rich mixture of caramel and toasted bread with little or no hop aroma. Flavor wise it does have some fruity esters mixed with a bready slightly caramel taste. It is a medium bodied beer that finishes crisp with a slight hop bitterness snap. As the beer warms it becomes rich as the caramel flavor becomes more pronounced. Checking it at 5.4% ABV it is a fitting winter seasonal as they meant for it to be. Another fine beer from New Glarus.
Next up Old English Porter, pretty much you can figure out from the name what it is. A little bit of a background on this beer it is in their "Unplugged" series, in which they make beers outside of their normal realm and just have fun creating it. This beer is a recreation of the brown porter that a porter in 1870s London would of drank. This beer was intentionally soured and aged on wood, oak to be exact. So this is not your average brown porter of today's vintage. If you enjoy sour and wood aged beers this is a beer for you.
Upon pouring OEP you see that is is a medium brown in color and has an off white head. The aroma is predominately sour, almost vinegar like with a noticeable of roast and chocolate. The flavor is a glorious mixture of the aroma roast, chocolate and vinegar-like sourness, so it is yummy! It is a medium bodied beer with an interesting mouth puckering tartness in the back of the mouth. This beer is not your average introductory beer, this is for advanced palates! The beer checks in at 5.5% ABV and is surprisingly drinkable and refreshing even though it is such a sour beer. I can understand why the porters along the wharves of London drank a beer like this.
I find extreme pleasure in being able to find beers in my travels that I can not purchase here in the QC, with that said I greatly enjoy drinking them as well. When I have quite evenings like the last three I enjoy the opportunity to drink those beers and now I can share my enjoyment with other people by blogging about the beers.
A couple of notes for tomorrow night and Saturday. Tomorrow night I will be in Des Moines and finding a good beer place to eat at and write about. A reminder about Saturday, it is Big Brew Day and will be held at Great River Brewery staring some where between 9 and 10 AM. So if you brew or just want to see someone brew come on down for a visit.
QC Beerguy
First up Snowshoe Ale, they call it a Red Ale. On pouring it it is an medium amber color with a off white head. The aroma is a rich mixture of caramel and toasted bread with little or no hop aroma. Flavor wise it does have some fruity esters mixed with a bready slightly caramel taste. It is a medium bodied beer that finishes crisp with a slight hop bitterness snap. As the beer warms it becomes rich as the caramel flavor becomes more pronounced. Checking it at 5.4% ABV it is a fitting winter seasonal as they meant for it to be. Another fine beer from New Glarus.
Next up Old English Porter, pretty much you can figure out from the name what it is. A little bit of a background on this beer it is in their "Unplugged" series, in which they make beers outside of their normal realm and just have fun creating it. This beer is a recreation of the brown porter that a porter in 1870s London would of drank. This beer was intentionally soured and aged on wood, oak to be exact. So this is not your average brown porter of today's vintage. If you enjoy sour and wood aged beers this is a beer for you.
Upon pouring OEP you see that is is a medium brown in color and has an off white head. The aroma is predominately sour, almost vinegar like with a noticeable of roast and chocolate. The flavor is a glorious mixture of the aroma roast, chocolate and vinegar-like sourness, so it is yummy! It is a medium bodied beer with an interesting mouth puckering tartness in the back of the mouth. This beer is not your average introductory beer, this is for advanced palates! The beer checks in at 5.5% ABV and is surprisingly drinkable and refreshing even though it is such a sour beer. I can understand why the porters along the wharves of London drank a beer like this.
I find extreme pleasure in being able to find beers in my travels that I can not purchase here in the QC, with that said I greatly enjoy drinking them as well. When I have quite evenings like the last three I enjoy the opportunity to drink those beers and now I can share my enjoyment with other people by blogging about the beers.
A couple of notes for tomorrow night and Saturday. Tomorrow night I will be in Des Moines and finding a good beer place to eat at and write about. A reminder about Saturday, it is Big Brew Day and will be held at Great River Brewery staring some where between 9 and 10 AM. So if you brew or just want to see someone brew come on down for a visit.
QC Beerguy
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Surly Bender and Furious
Another quite evening at home, so just doing a couple beers this evening. So I am doing a couple of beers from one of my favorite breweries, Surly http://www.surlybrewing.com/. They also can their beers, but they use 16 ounce cans. unlike 21st Amendment which I had last night.
First up tonight is Bender, they call it an oatmeal brown ale. When poured into the glass it is a medium brown beer with a tan head. First aromas are of coffee, chocolate and caramel little to no noticeable hop aroma. Flavor for this beer is sweet malt caramel-like and a slight bitterness from the hops. As well there is an interesting amount of chocolate and an intriguing graininess, probably from the oats. This is a medium full bodied beer that finishes crisp and dry. Checking in at 5.5% ABV it is a nice drinkable beer that is a bit high for a session beer, but it does make you want to drink a few at one sitting.
Second beer is Furious, American IPA and one of my favorites from Surly and overall on of my favorite beers ranking up there with Stone's Arrogant Bastard. It pours a medium gold with an off white head. An assertive malt backbone is complemented by citrus and pine hop aromas. Caramel blends with the hops to make a truly drinkable beer that hop heads like myself absolutely love! This beer checks in at 6.5% ABV which is nicely hidden in this beer which can make you think you can have several at a sitting.
In little more than 5 years Surly Brewing has gained a reputation of brewing great beers. Along with some of ours friends we found Surly at the Great Taste of the Midwest almost 4 years ago. They have recently expanded their brewery and are in the process of trying to change Minnesota law to allow a brewery to have a restaurant in the same building. The only catch is they do not distribute beyond Minnesota, since they can not keep up with demand. At least though with my travels for work I can pick up a supply when I need it.
QC Beerguy
First up tonight is Bender, they call it an oatmeal brown ale. When poured into the glass it is a medium brown beer with a tan head. First aromas are of coffee, chocolate and caramel little to no noticeable hop aroma. Flavor for this beer is sweet malt caramel-like and a slight bitterness from the hops. As well there is an interesting amount of chocolate and an intriguing graininess, probably from the oats. This is a medium full bodied beer that finishes crisp and dry. Checking in at 5.5% ABV it is a nice drinkable beer that is a bit high for a session beer, but it does make you want to drink a few at one sitting.
Second beer is Furious, American IPA and one of my favorites from Surly and overall on of my favorite beers ranking up there with Stone's Arrogant Bastard. It pours a medium gold with an off white head. An assertive malt backbone is complemented by citrus and pine hop aromas. Caramel blends with the hops to make a truly drinkable beer that hop heads like myself absolutely love! This beer checks in at 6.5% ABV which is nicely hidden in this beer which can make you think you can have several at a sitting.
In little more than 5 years Surly Brewing has gained a reputation of brewing great beers. Along with some of ours friends we found Surly at the Great Taste of the Midwest almost 4 years ago. They have recently expanded their brewery and are in the process of trying to change Minnesota law to allow a brewery to have a restaurant in the same building. The only catch is they do not distribute beyond Minnesota, since they can not keep up with demand. At least though with my travels for work I can pick up a supply when I need it.
QC Beerguy
Monday, May 2, 2011
21st Amendment's Fire Side Chat and Back in Black
Tonight just a quite night at home so just kicking back and going to have a couple beers from 21 Amendment Brewery in San Francisco, CA http://www.21st-amendment.com/. You may wonder how I found these beers since I am in the Quad Cities and they are way out in California, well they have a contract brewery in Cold Springs, MN so they distribute in Minnesota. So that is where I pick them up.
First up Fireside Chat, which is a winter spiced ale, ok so what if winter is over with I still am going to drink it. It pours with a thick creamy tan head on top of a deep amber beer. The aroma that meets the nose is a blend of spices, which they do not disclose, but I believe include cinnamon, cloves, ginger and perhaps nutmeg. Also there is a touch of caramel notes coming from the malts. They say they use cocoa nibs, but I am not picking up much from them. The flavors first hitting me are pruny dark fruit and rich toffee, caramel flavors. It is a full bodied beer as well as a wee bit strong checking in at 7.9% ABV. It is a good beer but to me not a great beer, something I am glad I tried but would not go out of my way to get. For me it is just too many spices and they are too strong for my palate. Don't get me wrong I would not pass on this beer if some one gave me one, I just would not put it high on my must have beer list.
Second up is Back in Black, a Black IPA, ok no rant tonight. This is a dark almost black beer with tan long lasting head that is not as creamy as the Fireside Chat. Aroma is of the ubiquitous Northwest American hops with a subtle dark roast. As far as taste this is almost unique amongst BIPAs it is well balanced between the hops and the dark roast. This is a BIPA I could actually have a couple three of and still not be overwhelmed with. It checks in at 6.8% ABV which is far from a session beer but makes it more drinkable than Fireside Chat.
Overall 21st Amendment makes some really good beers, but they are not in my top level of great breweries. Maybe a visit to their brewpub would change that, nothing is better than drinking fresh beer from the breweries' own taps. I look forward to some day making it out to San Francisco area to try some of these breweries that are mere legend to me here in the Midwest. So if any one wants to kick in some dollars just let me know and I will guide you on how to send it to me. :)
QC Beerguy
First up Fireside Chat, which is a winter spiced ale, ok so what if winter is over with I still am going to drink it. It pours with a thick creamy tan head on top of a deep amber beer. The aroma that meets the nose is a blend of spices, which they do not disclose, but I believe include cinnamon, cloves, ginger and perhaps nutmeg. Also there is a touch of caramel notes coming from the malts. They say they use cocoa nibs, but I am not picking up much from them. The flavors first hitting me are pruny dark fruit and rich toffee, caramel flavors. It is a full bodied beer as well as a wee bit strong checking in at 7.9% ABV. It is a good beer but to me not a great beer, something I am glad I tried but would not go out of my way to get. For me it is just too many spices and they are too strong for my palate. Don't get me wrong I would not pass on this beer if some one gave me one, I just would not put it high on my must have beer list.
Second up is Back in Black, a Black IPA, ok no rant tonight. This is a dark almost black beer with tan long lasting head that is not as creamy as the Fireside Chat. Aroma is of the ubiquitous Northwest American hops with a subtle dark roast. As far as taste this is almost unique amongst BIPAs it is well balanced between the hops and the dark roast. This is a BIPA I could actually have a couple three of and still not be overwhelmed with. It checks in at 6.8% ABV which is far from a session beer but makes it more drinkable than Fireside Chat.
Overall 21st Amendment makes some really good beers, but they are not in my top level of great breweries. Maybe a visit to their brewpub would change that, nothing is better than drinking fresh beer from the breweries' own taps. I look forward to some day making it out to San Francisco area to try some of these breweries that are mere legend to me here in the Midwest. So if any one wants to kick in some dollars just let me know and I will guide you on how to send it to me. :)
QC Beerguy
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Peoria International Beer Fest
Yesterday we attended the Peoria International Beer Fest http://www.peoriajaycees.org/events/international-beer-fest/ and had a good time overall. The fest was held at the Expo Gardens in Peoria and went from 1-9pm. MUGZ along with 5 other homebrew clubs were in attendance along with beer from multiple breweries big and small. There was more than enough beer for everyone.
The day started as usual a little rough, the process that the volunteers go through each year needs to be sped up and simplified. Also the ramp up to the opening the fest was more anti-climatic than in years past. The county health inspector must sign off on the certificate before the event can start and so the event starts at least 10 minutes later than stated. Usually they make an announcement that the fest received the certificate and then they do a count down to the opening, this year neither of those things were done. A person from the Jaycees just walked around after people started filtering in telling us that the event was open. After the rough start the event went well.
The member of MUGZ brought seven beers: an oyster stout, a black IPA, an orange IPA, an apricot IPA, a lemon wheat, a honey Kolsch and a heather ale. Needles to say we brought it for the most part light and fruity. Amongst the other homebrew clubs was a wide spread collection of beers, so many, that there was not enough time to try them all. Our beers seemed to be quite well received and we were able to wrap up shortly after 6 pm with our beer gone.
I digress back to the event. Since we had more than enough people to staff the booth pouring beer, my wife and I and another couple went out and explored for good beer. First on my list of notables was a Rye beer from Flossmoor Station...very good. Next one was my overall favorite, a triple hopped Duvel, smooth and delicious but not overly hoppy. I also had a wonderful beer from Barley Island http://www.barleyisland.com/about.php?location=noblesville from Noblesville, IN, a 80 Schilling Scotch Ale wonderfully smokey. My wife and I had a nice talk with the owner Jeff. Also a couple other notables a kriek from St.Louis (the Belgium brewery not the US city) and Rochefort 10. Some of the beers I was underwhelmed by were from Mikkeller most notably disappointing was the special tapping of the 1000 IBU an Imperial IPA. It was no where near as hoppy as advertised. Also their beer 10, an American IPA was disappointing as well. Said best by our friend we were with, "Mikkeller just went on the list - with Brew Dog - of breweries you try to like but just can't because their beer is not as good as advertised."
As I said we had more than enough people willing to serve, so my wife and I were only able to serve for short time increments. It is always fun serving beer and interacting with the fest goers.
Since I took a heather ale I decided to dress in my kilt and gained a bit of fame at the fest or at least I was easily recognized. I even had a couple decide that they wanted to have their pictures taken with me. So it was kind of fun.
Truly overall it was a very fun day and I believed everyone from MUGZ enjoyed themselves. So if you have an opportunity to go I would suggest you give it a try .
QC Beerguy
The day started as usual a little rough, the process that the volunteers go through each year needs to be sped up and simplified. Also the ramp up to the opening the fest was more anti-climatic than in years past. The county health inspector must sign off on the certificate before the event can start and so the event starts at least 10 minutes later than stated. Usually they make an announcement that the fest received the certificate and then they do a count down to the opening, this year neither of those things were done. A person from the Jaycees just walked around after people started filtering in telling us that the event was open. After the rough start the event went well.
The member of MUGZ brought seven beers: an oyster stout, a black IPA, an orange IPA, an apricot IPA, a lemon wheat, a honey Kolsch and a heather ale. Needles to say we brought it for the most part light and fruity. Amongst the other homebrew clubs was a wide spread collection of beers, so many, that there was not enough time to try them all. Our beers seemed to be quite well received and we were able to wrap up shortly after 6 pm with our beer gone.
I digress back to the event. Since we had more than enough people to staff the booth pouring beer, my wife and I and another couple went out and explored for good beer. First on my list of notables was a Rye beer from Flossmoor Station...very good. Next one was my overall favorite, a triple hopped Duvel, smooth and delicious but not overly hoppy. I also had a wonderful beer from Barley Island http://www.barleyisland.com/about.php?location=noblesville from Noblesville, IN, a 80 Schilling Scotch Ale wonderfully smokey. My wife and I had a nice talk with the owner Jeff. Also a couple other notables a kriek from St.Louis (the Belgium brewery not the US city) and Rochefort 10. Some of the beers I was underwhelmed by were from Mikkeller most notably disappointing was the special tapping of the 1000 IBU an Imperial IPA. It was no where near as hoppy as advertised. Also their beer 10, an American IPA was disappointing as well. Said best by our friend we were with, "Mikkeller just went on the list - with Brew Dog - of breweries you try to like but just can't because their beer is not as good as advertised."
As I said we had more than enough people willing to serve, so my wife and I were only able to serve for short time increments. It is always fun serving beer and interacting with the fest goers.
Since I took a heather ale I decided to dress in my kilt and gained a bit of fame at the fest or at least I was easily recognized. I even had a couple decide that they wanted to have their pictures taken with me. So it was kind of fun.
Truly overall it was a very fun day and I believed everyone from MUGZ enjoyed themselves. So if you have an opportunity to go I would suggest you give it a try .
QC Beerguy
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