Next up on the BJCP Beer Styles is German Pilsner (Pils) 2A. This is a drier, crisper version of the Bohemian Pilsner that the German breweries adapted. The first German Pilsner has been credited to Aktienbrauerei Zum Bierkeller of Radeberg in 1872. An interesting factoid, France became an important export market for the German Pilsner. Pilsner accounts for two thirds of all the beer sold in Germany. There is noticeable variations between North and South German Pilsners. The Northern variation is zesty, citrusy with up front hop bitterness, while the Southern variation is mellower and emphasizes the hop aroma.
Aroma: Light grainy Pils malt character with distinctive flowery or spicy noble hops. Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl. May have hints of sulfury aroma through out.
Appearance: Straw to light gold, brilliant to very clear, with a creamy long lasting head.
Flavor: Crisp and bitter with a dry to medium dry finish. Moderate to Moderately low maltiness, although some graininess and Pilsner malt sweetness are acceptable. Hop bitterness dominates taste and lingers into the aftertaste. Hop flavor can range from low to high but only should be of German noble hops. Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl.
Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied, medium to high carbonation.
Comments: Crisp, clean, refreshing beer that prominently features noble German hops bitterness accentuated by sulfates in the water. Modern examples of German Pilsner tend to become paler in color, drier in finish, and more bitter as you move from South to North in Germany.
Numbers: IBUs (bitterness) 25-45, SRM (color) 2-5, OG (potential) 1.044- 1.050, FG (finish) 1.008- 1.013, ABV 4.4-5.2%
Examples: Victory Prima Pils, Bitburger, Warsteiner, Konig Pilsner, Left Hand Polestar Pilsner, Spaten Pils
Pilsner malt, German hop varieties ( noble varieties such as Hallertauer, Tettnanger, and Spalt for flavor and Aroma), medium sulfate water, and German lager yeast make up this beer. Victory Prima Pils is considered to be the best example of this style of beer brewed in the US, the good thing is this beer is available throughout a majority of the US. Also if you can find a good German version grab it, just be wary of the green bottled ones, they can be skunky if improperly stored.
QC Beerguy
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Upcoming Events in the QC
I wanted to give everyone a heads up on a few upcoming events.
Friday, November 4th, "First Friday" at Mississippi River Distilling they will be premiering their Iowa Coffee Company Liqueur along with food samples. This is a fun evening in Le Claire, IA and my wife and I look forward to going again this coming month.
Also Friday November 4th, the Rock Island, IL Hy-Vee is hosting a 2011 Wine and Spirits Holiday tasting. They are featuring over 50 beverages (including wine, beer and spirits) as well as a four table spread of items from their catering menu. It is $20 per person; registration is suggested but not necessary. Register at the Rock Island Hy-Vee customer service.
Friday, November 18th, is the Annual Fall Wine Tasting at the Davenport Hy-Vee at Eastern and Kimberly, from 6 to 8:30pm. It is $15 per person. All proceeds will be donated to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). They are featuring over 140 different wines, beers and liqueurs, as well as party trays and other items for the holiday parties.
Thursday, November 10th, Blue Cat Brew Pub is having their November Dinner. It is $50 per person with beer and $40 per person without beer, but why go if you are not going to enjoy the beer? More information or reservation can be made by calling Blue Cat at 309-788-8247. Sounds like this one may be interesting since Dan the Brewer will be explaining how each beer goes with each course. So be sure to reserve early!
Those are the events I am aware of happening within the next few weeks. So go give one or all of them a try.
QC Beerguy
Friday, November 4th, "First Friday" at Mississippi River Distilling they will be premiering their Iowa Coffee Company Liqueur along with food samples. This is a fun evening in Le Claire, IA and my wife and I look forward to going again this coming month.
Also Friday November 4th, the Rock Island, IL Hy-Vee is hosting a 2011 Wine and Spirits Holiday tasting. They are featuring over 50 beverages (including wine, beer and spirits) as well as a four table spread of items from their catering menu. It is $20 per person; registration is suggested but not necessary. Register at the Rock Island Hy-Vee customer service.
Friday, November 18th, is the Annual Fall Wine Tasting at the Davenport Hy-Vee at Eastern and Kimberly, from 6 to 8:30pm. It is $15 per person. All proceeds will be donated to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). They are featuring over 140 different wines, beers and liqueurs, as well as party trays and other items for the holiday parties.
Thursday, November 10th, Blue Cat Brew Pub is having their November Dinner. It is $50 per person with beer and $40 per person without beer, but why go if you are not going to enjoy the beer? More information or reservation can be made by calling Blue Cat at 309-788-8247. Sounds like this one may be interesting since Dan the Brewer will be explaining how each beer goes with each course. So be sure to reserve early!
Those are the events I am aware of happening within the next few weeks. So go give one or all of them a try.
QC Beerguy
Monday, October 24, 2011
Dortmunder Export 1E
Yes Jim I am back to my beer styles and trying to give you something new to read. Thank you for being a constant reader!
So I will going over the BJCP style guideline of 1E Dortmunder Export. This style was originated in the German City of Dortmund, an industrial city looking to quench it's thirst so the local brewers came up with this style of a lager.
Aroma: Low to Moderate Noble hop aroma. Moderate Pils malt ( light sulfur); can be grainy to sweet. No diacetyl.
Appearance: Light gold to deep gold, clear with a persistent white head.
Flavor: Neither Pils malt nor noble hops dominate, but both are in good balance with a touch of malty sweetness, providing a smooth yet crisply refreshing beer. Balance continues through the finish and the hop bitterness lingers in aftertaste. Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl. Some mineral character might be noted from the water.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation.
Comments: Brewed to a slightly higher starting gravity than other light lagers, providing a firm malty body and underlying maltiness to complement the sulfate-accentuated hop bitterness. The term “Export” is a beer strength category under German beer tax law, and is not strictly synonymous with the “Dortmunder” style. Beer from other cities or regions can be brewed to Export strength, and labeled as such. Dortmunder Export is the most recognizable example in the US.
Numbers: IBUs (bitterness) 23-30, SRM (color) 4-6, OG (potential) 1.048-1.056, FG (finish) 1.010-1.015, ABV 4.8-6.0%
Examples: DAB Export, Ayinger Jahrhundert, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold, Bell's Lager.
Minerally water with high levels of sulfates, carbonates and chlorides, German or Czech noble hops, Pilsner malt, German lager yeast. This is to many of us the original export beer. DAB and Great Lakes are the all star brewers of this style. The Great Lakes beer is almost as good as the German original, so if you can only find the Great Lakes version no worries it is a great beer. This is a better "lawnmower beer" than some that have been discussed previously. If you can find it give it a shot! Even though it is in the lawnmower beer category it is a beer worth drinking year round.
QC Beerguy
So I will going over the BJCP style guideline of 1E Dortmunder Export. This style was originated in the German City of Dortmund, an industrial city looking to quench it's thirst so the local brewers came up with this style of a lager.
Aroma: Low to Moderate Noble hop aroma. Moderate Pils malt ( light sulfur); can be grainy to sweet. No diacetyl.
Appearance: Light gold to deep gold, clear with a persistent white head.
Flavor: Neither Pils malt nor noble hops dominate, but both are in good balance with a touch of malty sweetness, providing a smooth yet crisply refreshing beer. Balance continues through the finish and the hop bitterness lingers in aftertaste. Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl. Some mineral character might be noted from the water.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation.
Comments: Brewed to a slightly higher starting gravity than other light lagers, providing a firm malty body and underlying maltiness to complement the sulfate-accentuated hop bitterness. The term “Export” is a beer strength category under German beer tax law, and is not strictly synonymous with the “Dortmunder” style. Beer from other cities or regions can be brewed to Export strength, and labeled as such. Dortmunder Export is the most recognizable example in the US.
Numbers: IBUs (bitterness) 23-30, SRM (color) 4-6, OG (potential) 1.048-1.056, FG (finish) 1.010-1.015, ABV 4.8-6.0%
Examples: DAB Export, Ayinger Jahrhundert, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold, Bell's Lager.
Minerally water with high levels of sulfates, carbonates and chlorides, German or Czech noble hops, Pilsner malt, German lager yeast. This is to many of us the original export beer. DAB and Great Lakes are the all star brewers of this style. The Great Lakes beer is almost as good as the German original, so if you can only find the Great Lakes version no worries it is a great beer. This is a better "lawnmower beer" than some that have been discussed previously. If you can find it give it a shot! Even though it is in the lawnmower beer category it is a beer worth drinking year round.
QC Beerguy
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Green Bay Day Three
Day three was game day so we hopped onto the free bus shuttle in front of our hotel and traveled over to Lambeau Field. Once we arrived we headed over to the Tundra Zone a permanent tent that houses a stage and bar for pre game tailgating. Beer wise nothing overly special, Leinekugel's was about as good as it was in the tent, as well they had mixed drinks and food items. After a bit of time we decided to try and find a friend of a sister of one of our group.
We made it to the tailgating area and we were presented with some Sam Adams Beer, which the friend bought specifically for us since she knew we liked craft beer. We all felt touched that she did that for us. After a beer we decide to head into the stadium, since the warning was to get into the stadium early. They "wand" everyone that enters the stadium, making sure no one has any weapons. We all made it through with no problem.
We made it to our seats and once we settled in it was time for a beer. Surprisingly the beer selection is decent and not too awfully priced. Beer selection includes Leinekugel's, Point, and many imports including Guinness, Stella and Fosters. They also had 16 ounce glasses of Lite and Genuine Draft for $7 and from what I saw that the most expensive beer. The craft and imports were between $5 and $6 for 12 ounce and Guinness was $6.50 for a 14.9 ounce bottle. So compared to other venues they are reasonable on beer prices.
The game was fun and pretty much over by half time. In the second half the Packers did not score, but we still had a great time. The jet flyover was breath taking. All of a sudden we saw the jets but did not hear them until they were over and past us. Then it was a loud roar of the jets. Very Cool! I did enjoy myself at the game and being a Bears fan I cannot say enough about the experience. I wish Soldier Field had the same ambiance.
After the game we walked over to a sports bar called Stadium View with a few hundred of our friends from the game. Again beer was a bit limited, but we were able to find Leinekugel's as well as PBR. You may say I am crazy, but PBR is a very good American Lager with noticeable taste and aroma. After a watching some of the late game and meeting another of our group’s family members, we headed over to the shuttle stop for the ride back to the hotel.
Once back at the hotel we walked to Titletown for dinner and some beers. This is the brewpub to go to in Green Bay, great beer, great food and great service. A couple of beers that I had that night were Hopasaurus Rex and Expect the Wurst. Hopasaurus Rex is a well balanced IPA, enough hops for the hop head in me, balanced by a strong malt backbone. A really good beer, I would recommend this beer to anyone that loves hops. Expect the Wurst, is a gimmick beer, it is an amber ale spiced like a brat. Yeah it is intriguing but not a beer for most beer lovers. So if you feel adventuresome give it a try.
As we were following the hostess to our table a couple of friends from the QC area walked in the door and they wound up sitting at the table next to us. Yes it is a small world. We finished our dinner and walked back to the hotel. We sat around and enjoyed a night cap and discussed our weekend and of course watched The BEARS!! All agreed it was a great weekend. On Monday we drove back to the QC, so we could go back to work on Tuesday, bummer.
QC Beerguy
We made it to the tailgating area and we were presented with some Sam Adams Beer, which the friend bought specifically for us since she knew we liked craft beer. We all felt touched that she did that for us. After a beer we decide to head into the stadium, since the warning was to get into the stadium early. They "wand" everyone that enters the stadium, making sure no one has any weapons. We all made it through with no problem.
We made it to our seats and once we settled in it was time for a beer. Surprisingly the beer selection is decent and not too awfully priced. Beer selection includes Leinekugel's, Point, and many imports including Guinness, Stella and Fosters. They also had 16 ounce glasses of Lite and Genuine Draft for $7 and from what I saw that the most expensive beer. The craft and imports were between $5 and $6 for 12 ounce and Guinness was $6.50 for a 14.9 ounce bottle. So compared to other venues they are reasonable on beer prices.
The game was fun and pretty much over by half time. In the second half the Packers did not score, but we still had a great time. The jet flyover was breath taking. All of a sudden we saw the jets but did not hear them until they were over and past us. Then it was a loud roar of the jets. Very Cool! I did enjoy myself at the game and being a Bears fan I cannot say enough about the experience. I wish Soldier Field had the same ambiance.
After the game we walked over to a sports bar called Stadium View with a few hundred of our friends from the game. Again beer was a bit limited, but we were able to find Leinekugel's as well as PBR. You may say I am crazy, but PBR is a very good American Lager with noticeable taste and aroma. After a watching some of the late game and meeting another of our group’s family members, we headed over to the shuttle stop for the ride back to the hotel.
Once back at the hotel we walked to Titletown for dinner and some beers. This is the brewpub to go to in Green Bay, great beer, great food and great service. A couple of beers that I had that night were Hopasaurus Rex and Expect the Wurst. Hopasaurus Rex is a well balanced IPA, enough hops for the hop head in me, balanced by a strong malt backbone. A really good beer, I would recommend this beer to anyone that loves hops. Expect the Wurst, is a gimmick beer, it is an amber ale spiced like a brat. Yeah it is intriguing but not a beer for most beer lovers. So if you feel adventuresome give it a try.
As we were following the hostess to our table a couple of friends from the QC area walked in the door and they wound up sitting at the table next to us. Yes it is a small world. We finished our dinner and walked back to the hotel. We sat around and enjoyed a night cap and discussed our weekend and of course watched The BEARS!! All agreed it was a great weekend. On Monday we drove back to the QC, so we could go back to work on Tuesday, bummer.
QC Beerguy
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Green Bay Day Two
On day two my wife and I got ready and walked down to the Farmer's Market in Downtown Green Bay. Since we really did not know where we were going we wound up taking a less than direct route. Once we did make it to the Market it was a cool little one, it only took about a half hour to walk the whole thing. Then we went and made our purchases. We checked in with our friends and they were checking into our hotel so we walked over and checked in.
After checking in we decided were to have lunch and we decided upon Curly's Pub at Lambeau Field. http://www.packers.com/lambeau-field/curlys-pub.html After a bit of a wait for a table we were seated in a banquet room that is normally not used unless the restaurant is busy. Actually it was great for us since we wound up having a decent sized group, including a baby that is in the process of learning how to walk so he had plenty of room to explore. The food sounded really good, but actually was a bit disappointing. They did have a couple decent beers on tap. The first was Curly's Ale, brewed by Leinekugel's specifically for the pub. This is a decent pale ale that probably was the best regular beer they had. Also they had Leinekugel's Oktoberfest, which is again a decent beer, some malty notes and low hop notes. After lunch we headed back to our hotel, since the rest of the night we would be walking. As an aside for all of you Packers Fans – some of our group met Bart Starr while at Lambeau Field that day. It made their whole weekend!
I had previously checked the Hinterland Brewery website, http://www.hinterlandbeer.com/ to make sure of the hours of operation, on Saturday it stated they opened at 4PM. So we left the hotel about ten till 4 so we would be there right at opening. We walked in the door and were rather indignantly told by what we later figured out to be the General Manager that on Packer weekends they do not open until 4:30 PM and that the upstairs lounge is not open at all, only the dining room. My wife and I as well as our friends were determined to actually make it inside and sample their beers, since none of us had ever been it the place. This was my wife and I’s third attempt. So we had to go kill a half hour and found a local bar named Kegger's.
This is a typical northern Wisconsin bar. Small, wood filled and just a place where the locals hang out. We walked in and there was a bartender and one customer besides the six of us. They had a typical beer selection, Bud, Miller and Coors, but also had a couple craft beers. We all had one beer each and felt welcomed to be in Kegger's, the bartender was a nice lady and understood our frustrations with Hinterland.
We finished up and headed back to Hinterland and this time we were able to get in. We sat at the downstairs bar and ordered a beer a piece. All of us felt our presence was less than welcome from the time we walked back into Hinterland. The waitstaff was still in chaos and they had more important things on their mind than six people stopping in for some beers, I over heard the bartender complaining that there were people at the bar, Also for some reason we did not understand the upstairs lounge area was actually open for customers. Needless to say we only stayed for one beer each and will not go back to Hinterland. I am sorry that we tried so hard to make it to Hinterland. Also from talking to more locals over the weekend our experience was more of a common happening. So please avoid Hinterland when in Green Bay!
The beer we had was average at best! Amongst our group we had the Pale Ale, thin and watery, the IPA, again thin and watery, the Oktoberfest, a slightly above average version and the best beer we had was the Bourbon Barrel Stout. It was a nice balance between roast, chocolate and the bourbon, but could use more body. Overall a very good beer, but it cannot make up for the quality of the other beers and the lack of courtesy from the employees. Again do yourself a favor and do not go to Hinterland.
We left Hinterland and walked across the street to Titletown Brewing Company http://www.titletownbrewing.com/ and into a different world. Good beer, good food and a staff that seemed to be happy to have customers. We had a 45 minute wait for a table so we went upstairs for a beer or two while we waited. They had at least 10 beers on tap so there are lots of choices. My first beer was the Wild Train Rye'd a really good ryePA that checks in at 7.5% ABV. It had a good spicy rye malt backbone complimented by American hop aroma and flavors. Also I had a Nuptuale, which they describe as a marriage between an American and European amber ale. I did not find to be a great beer but did enjoy it nonetheless.
Our table was ready early into my second beer, so went to the table with the beer. The food menu is extensive and we had no problem finding our meals. They have burgers, wraps, pizzas and other entree meals, so there is something for everyone. When we finished up with our meals we headed back to our hotel. Thus ended day two and up next the game and Titletown revisted.
QC Beerguy
After checking in we decided were to have lunch and we decided upon Curly's Pub at Lambeau Field. http://www.packers.com/lambeau-field/curlys-pub.html After a bit of a wait for a table we were seated in a banquet room that is normally not used unless the restaurant is busy. Actually it was great for us since we wound up having a decent sized group, including a baby that is in the process of learning how to walk so he had plenty of room to explore. The food sounded really good, but actually was a bit disappointing. They did have a couple decent beers on tap. The first was Curly's Ale, brewed by Leinekugel's specifically for the pub. This is a decent pale ale that probably was the best regular beer they had. Also they had Leinekugel's Oktoberfest, which is again a decent beer, some malty notes and low hop notes. After lunch we headed back to our hotel, since the rest of the night we would be walking. As an aside for all of you Packers Fans – some of our group met Bart Starr while at Lambeau Field that day. It made their whole weekend!
I had previously checked the Hinterland Brewery website, http://www.hinterlandbeer.com/ to make sure of the hours of operation, on Saturday it stated they opened at 4PM. So we left the hotel about ten till 4 so we would be there right at opening. We walked in the door and were rather indignantly told by what we later figured out to be the General Manager that on Packer weekends they do not open until 4:30 PM and that the upstairs lounge is not open at all, only the dining room. My wife and I as well as our friends were determined to actually make it inside and sample their beers, since none of us had ever been it the place. This was my wife and I’s third attempt. So we had to go kill a half hour and found a local bar named Kegger's.
This is a typical northern Wisconsin bar. Small, wood filled and just a place where the locals hang out. We walked in and there was a bartender and one customer besides the six of us. They had a typical beer selection, Bud, Miller and Coors, but also had a couple craft beers. We all had one beer each and felt welcomed to be in Kegger's, the bartender was a nice lady and understood our frustrations with Hinterland.
We finished up and headed back to Hinterland and this time we were able to get in. We sat at the downstairs bar and ordered a beer a piece. All of us felt our presence was less than welcome from the time we walked back into Hinterland. The waitstaff was still in chaos and they had more important things on their mind than six people stopping in for some beers, I over heard the bartender complaining that there were people at the bar, Also for some reason we did not understand the upstairs lounge area was actually open for customers. Needless to say we only stayed for one beer each and will not go back to Hinterland. I am sorry that we tried so hard to make it to Hinterland. Also from talking to more locals over the weekend our experience was more of a common happening. So please avoid Hinterland when in Green Bay!
The beer we had was average at best! Amongst our group we had the Pale Ale, thin and watery, the IPA, again thin and watery, the Oktoberfest, a slightly above average version and the best beer we had was the Bourbon Barrel Stout. It was a nice balance between roast, chocolate and the bourbon, but could use more body. Overall a very good beer, but it cannot make up for the quality of the other beers and the lack of courtesy from the employees. Again do yourself a favor and do not go to Hinterland.
We left Hinterland and walked across the street to Titletown Brewing Company http://www.titletownbrewing.com/ and into a different world. Good beer, good food and a staff that seemed to be happy to have customers. We had a 45 minute wait for a table so we went upstairs for a beer or two while we waited. They had at least 10 beers on tap so there are lots of choices. My first beer was the Wild Train Rye'd a really good ryePA that checks in at 7.5% ABV. It had a good spicy rye malt backbone complimented by American hop aroma and flavors. Also I had a Nuptuale, which they describe as a marriage between an American and European amber ale. I did not find to be a great beer but did enjoy it nonetheless.
Our table was ready early into my second beer, so went to the table with the beer. The food menu is extensive and we had no problem finding our meals. They have burgers, wraps, pizzas and other entree meals, so there is something for everyone. When we finished up with our meals we headed back to our hotel. Thus ended day two and up next the game and Titletown revisted.
QC Beerguy
A Pilgramage to and from Green Bay Day One
My wife and I headed up Friday to a great weekend in Green Bay, WI, and that is hard for a die hard Bears fan to say. We headed out Friday morning with another couple on the way to our ultimate goal of Green Bay, but made a couple of stops along the way. First Stop was Vintage Brewing in Madison, WI http://vintagebrewingcompany.com/. This is a brewery that resurrected the former building that housed JT Whitney's Brewery. Thankfully Vintage is much better with their beer as well as their food! Per our usual, my wife and I ordered a sampler, but they only serve samplers in the amount of 5 and they had 10 beers on tap. Needless to say we ordered 5 different beers. The ones that stood out to me were Sister Golden Kolsch, Pumpkin Disorderly, Dedication and Better Off Red.
The Kolsch was clean, clear and delicious, not much else can be said other than this was a great drinkable beer. The Pumpkin Disorderly was a new idea to me for a pumpkin beer; it was an Abbey Ale brewed with pumpkin and pumpkin spices. It was a nice Belgian abbey beer with a noticeable hint of pumpkin pie. It’s a new idea for me because I have never considered an abbey ale as the backbone for a pumpkin beer, but I will try it in the future. Dedication is a dubbel ale and was very tasty! It was malty, spicy and everything you would expect from a Dubbel. The Better Off Red is a hoppy American Red Ale, which is my favorite beer that they produce. It has the hop charge of an American IPA, but has a noticeable malt that offsets the hops of the beer. I guess the reason I love this beer is that it is basically an IPA, but with the amber malt profile. When you are in Madison go to Vintage as well as Great Dane and Ale Asylum. These are my favorite breweries in Mad Town.
Next stop was Stone Cellar Brewpub in Appleton, WI http://stonecellarbrewpub.com/; cool location with some good beers. My wife and I ordered the usual sampler, which were nine beers on tap with a root beer. The root beer was noticeable because it was a golden root beer, so it did not look like root beer but tasted like one. Interesting give it a try. The beers that stood out were as follows: Marquette Pilsner, English Six Grain Ale, Stone Cellar Stout and Vanishing Vanilla Stout. The Pilsner was clean, crisp and thirst quenching. The English Six grain ale, as it name states had six grains used in it the grist for the beer and it makes a very drinkable beer. Both Stouts are very easy to drink and are nearly the same in character, the only difference is that the Vanilla has pure vanilla added to it. So if you are in Appleton stop by for a beer or two.
We finally made it to Green Bay and went with our friends to eat at St Brendan's Inn http://www.saintbrendansinn.com/. The first floor is a restaurant and bar with the second and third floors as guest rooms. Luckily our friend's sister and husband had made reservations so we were able to go almost instantly to our table. A couple things I noticed right away were that the tables were spaced a ways apart, leading to long wait times for the tables and that the room was very noisy, due to the wood ceiling. We ordered our drinks and food; they had a decent variety of beers imports, craft and domestics. Unfortunately the one I chose had been replaced but the beer list had not been updated. They did have a good alternative. Upon talking with our friends afterwards they had the same concerns about the place as well they were not overly excited about the food quality.
Thus ended day one of the Green Bay trip. More to come.
QC Beerguy
The Kolsch was clean, clear and delicious, not much else can be said other than this was a great drinkable beer. The Pumpkin Disorderly was a new idea to me for a pumpkin beer; it was an Abbey Ale brewed with pumpkin and pumpkin spices. It was a nice Belgian abbey beer with a noticeable hint of pumpkin pie. It’s a new idea for me because I have never considered an abbey ale as the backbone for a pumpkin beer, but I will try it in the future. Dedication is a dubbel ale and was very tasty! It was malty, spicy and everything you would expect from a Dubbel. The Better Off Red is a hoppy American Red Ale, which is my favorite beer that they produce. It has the hop charge of an American IPA, but has a noticeable malt that offsets the hops of the beer. I guess the reason I love this beer is that it is basically an IPA, but with the amber malt profile. When you are in Madison go to Vintage as well as Great Dane and Ale Asylum. These are my favorite breweries in Mad Town.
Next stop was Stone Cellar Brewpub in Appleton, WI http://stonecellarbrewpub.com/; cool location with some good beers. My wife and I ordered the usual sampler, which were nine beers on tap with a root beer. The root beer was noticeable because it was a golden root beer, so it did not look like root beer but tasted like one. Interesting give it a try. The beers that stood out were as follows: Marquette Pilsner, English Six Grain Ale, Stone Cellar Stout and Vanishing Vanilla Stout. The Pilsner was clean, crisp and thirst quenching. The English Six grain ale, as it name states had six grains used in it the grist for the beer and it makes a very drinkable beer. Both Stouts are very easy to drink and are nearly the same in character, the only difference is that the Vanilla has pure vanilla added to it. So if you are in Appleton stop by for a beer or two.
We finally made it to Green Bay and went with our friends to eat at St Brendan's Inn http://www.saintbrendansinn.com/. The first floor is a restaurant and bar with the second and third floors as guest rooms. Luckily our friend's sister and husband had made reservations so we were able to go almost instantly to our table. A couple things I noticed right away were that the tables were spaced a ways apart, leading to long wait times for the tables and that the room was very noisy, due to the wood ceiling. We ordered our drinks and food; they had a decent variety of beers imports, craft and domestics. Unfortunately the one I chose had been replaced but the beer list had not been updated. They did have a good alternative. Upon talking with our friends afterwards they had the same concerns about the place as well they were not overly excited about the food quality.
Thus ended day one of the Green Bay trip. More to come.
QC Beerguy
Sunday, October 9, 2011
First Friday in Le Claire, IA
Friday evening my wife and I went First Friday at the Mississippi River Distillery (MRD) http://www.mrdistilling.com/ in Le Claire, IA and had a great evening. First Friday is the brainstorm of the Burchett Brothers: Ryan and Garrett, the owners/distillers at MRD. They have and open house from 5:30-8pm every first Friday of the month, featuring their Spirits and food made with their spirits. This month since it was Apple Fest in Le Claire everything served involved apples in some way. The food recipes are done by "Spirited Chef" Stephanie Godke and are delicious, but also usually not overly difficult to make.
This month also some other Le Claire businesses provided some featured food as well. Kernel Cody's Popcorn Shoppe http://kernelcodyspopcorn.com/ provided samples of Carmel Apple Popcorn and Ocean's Escape Women's Center http://kernelcodyspopcorn.com/ provided samples of Apple Lemon Lavender Muffins. Both were very good.
Besides the featured food samples MRD has featured mixed drinks made with their spirits. The first one was an Apple Martini featuring their latest vodka River Pilot Vodka, a more traditional vodka than their original River Baron Vodka. The second drink was Autumn Embrace featuring River Rose Gin. I enjoyed trying both of the drinks, but preferred the Apple Martini. When you walk in the door you receive a card entitling you to two sample drinks. If you and the person or people you are with plan well enough you can try a sip of the featured drinks as well as the straight Spirits.
My wife and I did plan well so we were able to compare the River Baron side by side with the River Pilot. Both are very good vodkas but equally different from each other. The River Baron is more flavorful spirit with hints of spicy, pepper and a light nuttiness from wheat, besides the sweet, smoothness of corn. The River Pilot is more neutral in taste, so it would be a good vodka for mixed drinks. Both do stand up well by themselves as well, so do not hesitate to purchase either one.
MRD currently has in their stable River Baron Vodka, River Pilot Vodka, River Rose Gin and Wide River Wheat, a seasonal spirit. The key with the Wide River Wheat is that it is a seasonal spirit; so that means once it is gone it is all gone. We picked up a bottle for us last night, with under 300 bottles left it will not last long. As well they have more spirits coming down the pipe, including seasonal #2 Iowa Coffee Company Liqueur and what my wife and I are looking forward to Cody Road Bourbon. The Coffee Liqueur will be featured at the November First Friday and the Bourbon will be featured at the December First Friday. We are looking forward to the next couple of First Fridays.
MRD is ever expanding and they are soon to be in Missouri and looking to expanding further North and South. They also are receiving national attention in the press and national vodka events. A bottle of River Baron Vodka was in the room at the Blackhawk Hotel waiting when The President of the United States stayed overnight this summer. Hopefully the bottle found a good home at the White House!
The First Friday Event is a fun evening to see the distillery, try some special food as well as the special locally produced spirits. So remember that the next First Friday will be on November 4th, I'm sure the folks at MRD will go out of their way to make you feel welcomed. Come on out, it is a fun time!
QC Beerguy
This month also some other Le Claire businesses provided some featured food as well. Kernel Cody's Popcorn Shoppe http://kernelcodyspopcorn.com/ provided samples of Carmel Apple Popcorn and Ocean's Escape Women's Center http://kernelcodyspopcorn.com/ provided samples of Apple Lemon Lavender Muffins. Both were very good.
Besides the featured food samples MRD has featured mixed drinks made with their spirits. The first one was an Apple Martini featuring their latest vodka River Pilot Vodka, a more traditional vodka than their original River Baron Vodka. The second drink was Autumn Embrace featuring River Rose Gin. I enjoyed trying both of the drinks, but preferred the Apple Martini. When you walk in the door you receive a card entitling you to two sample drinks. If you and the person or people you are with plan well enough you can try a sip of the featured drinks as well as the straight Spirits.
My wife and I did plan well so we were able to compare the River Baron side by side with the River Pilot. Both are very good vodkas but equally different from each other. The River Baron is more flavorful spirit with hints of spicy, pepper and a light nuttiness from wheat, besides the sweet, smoothness of corn. The River Pilot is more neutral in taste, so it would be a good vodka for mixed drinks. Both do stand up well by themselves as well, so do not hesitate to purchase either one.
MRD currently has in their stable River Baron Vodka, River Pilot Vodka, River Rose Gin and Wide River Wheat, a seasonal spirit. The key with the Wide River Wheat is that it is a seasonal spirit; so that means once it is gone it is all gone. We picked up a bottle for us last night, with under 300 bottles left it will not last long. As well they have more spirits coming down the pipe, including seasonal #2 Iowa Coffee Company Liqueur and what my wife and I are looking forward to Cody Road Bourbon. The Coffee Liqueur will be featured at the November First Friday and the Bourbon will be featured at the December First Friday. We are looking forward to the next couple of First Fridays.
MRD is ever expanding and they are soon to be in Missouri and looking to expanding further North and South. They also are receiving national attention in the press and national vodka events. A bottle of River Baron Vodka was in the room at the Blackhawk Hotel waiting when The President of the United States stayed overnight this summer. Hopefully the bottle found a good home at the White House!
The First Friday Event is a fun evening to see the distillery, try some special food as well as the special locally produced spirits. So remember that the next First Friday will be on November 4th, I'm sure the folks at MRD will go out of their way to make you feel welcomed. Come on out, it is a fun time!
QC Beerguy
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