All About Beer Magazine

Which Beer To Have With A Cold?

Posted March 7, 2010 by daniel 0 Comments | Post a Comment

I have a cold, and I’m looking into my fridge. So, pairing geeks! What beer goes best with a cold? I’m not talking medicinal beers here. Guinness built that rep a century ago. No I’m talking about comfort as Duke and UNC face off.

Given that my nose is pretty much out of commission and, along with it, all those taste buds, my first thoughts tend towards malt and alcohol. I can’t imagine grasping any of the subtleties of hops with this congestion. And do I want astringency with this sore throat? I’m thinking something thick to coat the throat and keep the coughing down and also something pretty heavy to sooth the fevered brow.

Of course, there is that bottle of Black Butte XXI hiding in the back of my fridge. Was all this analysis led by that awareness? Did the existence of the bottle predetermine the perspective?

Interestingly enough, on my Facebook page most are talking about a big hoppy beer, like Moylan’s Hopsickle Triple IPA. One comment suggested a big, malty beer could be an unnecessary “expectorant?” Of course, there was the suggestion of a “big freaking bottle of Samichlaus.” I’ve got some 1993 hiding out somewhere around here. Still, the hops recommendations kept coming. Hell, Judy Ashworth simply wrote “Let the hops rule.”

So, I did. I had to pick up my daughter, who is a hostess at Tyler’s Taproom. I went early and ordered a Seeing Double IPA from Foothills Brewery. I could feel the hops, the bite, the texture; but not the nuance—the aroma and spiciness. Like listening to a great rhythm section, but no lead.

Loss of a Friend

Posted January 14, 2010 by daniel 1 Comment | Post a Comment

We lost a good one last Friday.  After 4 years of fighting colon cancer, Jeff Becker, President of the Beer Institute passed away.  We grieve for the loss of a good friend, a wonderful person and a passionate industry advocate.

Jeff was one of the more interesting members of our industry. Consider being an unflappable optimist while working in Washington DC? Neat trick, yet Jeff always believed things would work out for the best, and his track record suggested that belief was well founded. He labored for years protecting our right to enjoy beer with a minimum of aggravation and expense. Anheuser-Busch/Inbev recognized his contribution by having Duke, a Clydesdale, honor Jeff by standing guard during the service.

Industry people gathered at the office of the National Beer Wholesalers Association the day before the service during which many a toast was offered recognizing how much Jeff meant to all of us. People reflected on his challenges with sensitivity training, his particular version of off-color humor, and other character-defining attributes.

However, all shared a common sense of having enjoyed the company of a rare and great man. He could orchestrate an effective campaign to head off and tax hike while giving comfort as the vicissitudes of life caused personal disruptions. He schooled me in the strategies and tactics of being an association executive during my tenure at the Brewers’ Association of America. He provided inclusive leadership as the craftbrewers began taking seats at the big table.

The service, and reception following, had between 750 and 1,000 guests. The testaments from podium and pulpit alike filled out the life of an industry giant. Family and friends talked about a family man, a cook, a lifelong friend, and someone who gave life and love to all he met.

I’m not going to even discuss his legendary golf game.  Apparently he shot in the low 30s on nine holes the week before he died.  Amazing.  Then there’s the tequila, but that’s another story.

We’ll all miss him for a very long time.  Our heart goes out to his wife, son and daughter.

My 15 Minutes

Posted by daniel 0 Comments | Post a Comment

I think I might have just had my 15 minutes of fame. Folio Magazine, the trade publication for the magazine industry, asked if I would be on their cover and anchor a story on niche publications. Given their reputation for staid business shots, I was both surprised and flattered. When the photographer wanted to take the shot among brewing equipment, I was even more impressed. Folio was stepping out here! Not bad. Then the result hit our desks and I even more surprised. Nice shot. Nice article. Great attention to the small guys.

The publishing industry shares many attributes with the beer industry. The big guys are struggling and the little guys are charging ahead. For years I’ve showered Folio people with queries about covering small guys. For example a recent headline bemoaned the dramatic fall in ad pages and ad revenue last year. However, all the small publishers, particularly niche publishers, saw significant growth, maybe not 2008 numbers, but significant.

Furthermore, companies like ours succeed by focusing on the people. Our supporters aren’t statistics. They’re readers and advertisers. We can easily find out if we’re doing the best job we can. What this means for the staff is they have to be particularly agile and involved. Like the better craftbrewers, our people are deep into the beer community, working to fulfill our role. (Ironically, we haven’t put a list of the gang up on the website, which we will do soon. You should get to know them. They’re really great colleagues.)

Enjoy the Folio article. For those of you who know me personally you can only guess at how much of the interview hit the cutting room floor, but it was a shot for attention to the world of niche publishing.

Thanks for being along for the ride.

Daniel

Speaking of Holidays and Beer

Posted January 6, 2010 by daniel 1 Comment | Post a Comment

I’m not such a fan of the New Year’s Eve schtick. I’ve watched the ball descend in Times Square and the acorn in Moore Square in Raleigh. I’ve toasted that last tick of the year with various champagnes. All in all I’m not so impressed with the rituals.

As the end of the last day of 2009 approached, I realized I had once again managed to avoid any plans or commitments. I gleefully swung by my local bottle shop and snagged four 22 bombers of things I didn’t remember having tasted which were either into the double digits of alcohol content or dangerously close.

Snug as a bug in my toasty kitchen (hey, we’re in an historic cold snap here in bucolic North Carolina), I began to work my way through my recent acquisitions.

First opened was a 15th Anniversary beer, Auld Asheville Vintage Ale, from Highland Brewery. It poured copper with a brownish hue and smell of caramel and dried fruits. A little on the medium body side, it tasted robust with a slight alcohol burn and a Sterling hop spiciness.

Speaking of 15th anniversaries, next up was Great Divide’s 15th, a wood-aged Double IPA.  The beer showed an orangey, mahogany color and a sweet, boozy nose.  Even before the first sip I was getting the “big” message. Given that it is tagged a double IPA, and comes from one of my favorite hophead breweries, I was a bit taken aback by the restrained use of the hops.  Even though it weighs in at 10%, with such a rich nose, it didn’t have that hot taste and, actually, seemed comfortably restrained and balanced.

Random choice next set up Imperial Porter from Shipyard another favorite brewery from my sort of hometown of Portland, ME. I had conflicting expectations around the notion of imperializing a style best known for deft touch.  The color pushed the notion of porter a bit, more black than brown, more opaque than highlights.  A lot of chocolate in the nose and in the flavor, some coffee and dark fruits in the finish, with really seductive creamy texture.  I think I get the imperial bit — richer, but still in the family.

And finally a second beer from my almost hometown, Allagash Interlude 2008 was a serendipitous finish to this random flight.  While I had inadvertently been stepping up the scope with each beer, I saved the a complete departure for the last.  The Interlude poured bright copper with a fine tight head and a funky, musty nose. The flavor is all about fruit — apples and, maybe, pears — that sidle into something vinous; no doubt from the oak wine barrel aging.

Of course, having climbed this exciting ladder of 15s and Portlands in my kitchen, I thought to see what was up downtown on New Year’s Eve.  And then changed my mind.  Happy New Year, I mean, Beer.

Holidays Are for Beer

Posted January 5, 2010 by daniel 0 Comments | Post a Comment

Holidays can be tough for a good beer lover.

So much of the fantastic offerings are serious, take no prisoner beers. Given the occasions seem to split among quiet, contemplative, romantic evenings at home; celebratory bar escapes with staff, professional types, and acquaintances; and afternoons/evenings at a friend’s houses executing conversations requiring serious start up efforts; beer choice can be extremely critical if not fraught with danger.

What I search for are the intriguing beers that you can enjoy for hours on end, like Anchor’s Christmas Ale. Every year I go buy several cases of the magnums to share with friends. At parties around this time of year early vintages of these bottles will show up at my book group meeting or other social situations. I have to say the 2006 seems to be drinking quite well, although throwing a bit of sediment.

What is it with Harpoon’s Winter Warmer? Anyone know? I usually try whatever is new on draft at any of my local watering holes and a few weeks back this beer showed up. Next thing I knew I was hooked, and looking down the bar, so were a few others. The presentation, a modified tulip glass with a stem base, really helps with the appreciation.

The gig is this; Winter Warmer is simply a wonderful beer. At 5.9% it’s not going to send you over the edge, but the caramel and pale malts provide enough body, some slight toasted sweetness to give you a satisfied mouthfeel. Finish off with a delicate balance of cinnamon and nutmeg, with some bittering hops for balance, and you’ve got a beautiful winter beer when more than one is required for an evening.

As I wrote, I could see the glasses up and down the bar. It also started showing up at holiday parties, making it easier for this beer loving guest to enjoy the canapés. The beer’s personality even holds up out of the bottle, not an easy feat. I did find it more intriguing slightly warmer, another great use for a pair of hands and a modern tulip glass.

Beer Roadie Part Two

Posted November 2, 2009 by daniel 0 Comments | Post a Comment

By Owen Ogletree

Day Three – October 28, Richmond

Our group of liver-weary beer travelers awakens on Wednesday to sunny morning skies and heads toward downtown Durham to meet Daniel from Tyler’s for breakfast. While enjoying our coffee and eggs, we hit a bit of serendipity and run into Daniel Bradford (who cooks up the idea of this beer roadie blog).

Clear skies, dry roads and colorful fall foliage highlight the drive from Durham to Richmond, and I suggest quick stops at two Richmond brewpubs before checking into our hotel. Legends Brewing’s Rick Uhler provides some beer samples and a quick tour of his compact brewing facilities, after which our group makes its way to Richbau in downtown Richmond for a beer sampler tray and lunch.

Like a good roadie, my eye stays on the clock as I coax Dustin, Chris and The Beer Wench toward our hotel and the setup for our next beer dinner at Richmond’s Mekong Vietnamese restaurant. Hey, I know what you’re thinking—who’s bizarre idea was it to have a craft beer dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant? I think the same thing as we walk into this unassuming Asian eatery located in a drab, suburban strip mall across from a neon-lit adult novelty store.

Trust me; Mekong was the perfect choice for this Terrapin/Left Hand collaborative event. Mekong’s owner An is a maniac for craft beer (especially Belgian ales) and jumped all over the opportunity to host this dinner at his establishment. With draft beer stations set up all around the dining room, almost ten spicy and flavorful Vietnamese dishes served alongside a Terrapin or Left Hand beer, and a free Halloween costume party with live music after dinner, this proved the most unique and eclectic beer dinner in my recent experience.

Colorful food items with names I cannot begin to pronounce appear at a rapid-fire pace while patrons spin their table’s Lazy Susans to share each dish family-style and discuss each food and beer pairing. An runs around the event with a huge grin as he discusses each special dish. As the noise level quickly goes from loud to boisterous, Dustin and Chris find it quite a challenge to keep the audience’s attention while discussing their beers. These patrons are here tonight to party down!

When Dustin begins to buy Chris shots at the bar around midnight, I realize it’s time to pry everyone out of Mekong’s blur of flowing beer taps, saucy Halloween costumes and live classic rock to walk down the street to our hotel beds. We must get an early start in the morning toward Philadelphia and our last beer dinner of the journey.

Day Four – October 29, Philadelphia

Our Terrapin/Left Hand crew hits the road for Philly around 8:00 AM. Not surprisingly, we hit traffic while trying to maneuver through D.C., and everyone’s bladders begin to scream while we are sitting on the highway. In an act of pure desperation, I exit toward Ronald Reagan airport, and the gang jumps out at the passenger-loading zone to run inside for the restrooms. Upon his return, Chris proudly announces, “Wow, I’ve never peed at Reagan airport before.”

We clear D.C. traffic about an hour later with the goal of lunch and beer samplers with our buddy Brian Finn, head brewer at Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware. Brian’s malty Oktoberfest, cask IPA and sour blueberry lambic do wonders in firming up our constitution for the final push into Philly.

Upon parking our SUV and checking into our hotel in the city of brotherly love, I attempt to motivate the group toward a quick warm-up beer. They’re not having it; a quick nap seems their only motivation at this point. The Beer Wench and I leave the sleepy pair and enjoy our first beer in Philly at Schmidt Brauhaus – a new German tavern near our hotel.

After rousing Dustin and Chris and gathering our beer dinner materials and giveaways, we walk to the classic Monk’s Café around 5:00 PM for the 6:00 PM beer dinner. Monk’s owners Tom and Fergie quickly let know that the entire restaurant was sold out last week for this Terrapin/Left Hand event, but the impending World Series game that night forced about half the attendees to cancel. Tom and Fergie don’t usually allow cancellations for their popular beer dinners, but hey, we are taking about the Phillies in the World Series here. Tonight’s dinner consists of about 20 die-hard beer aficionados seated in Monk’s back bar.

Dustin and Chris encounter no trouble in mingling and discussing their beers with the intimate crowd tonight. An imaginative range of menu items from grilled baby octopus to smoked seafood & bleu cheese tarts is followed up by a creamy cappuccino caramel flan paired with the star of the beer dinner tour – the Terrapin/Left Hand Depth Charge stout. As always, everyone seems quite impressed and pleased with the warm atmosphere and experience at Monk’s.

After splitting a vintage bottle of Cantillon lambic following the Monk’s dinner, our group departs for Nodding Head brewpub to enjoy the house ales and catch the final minutes of the World Series. Alas, game two does not go well for the Phillies, but the optimistic crowd still dreams of a win in a couple of nights on their home turf.

The Beer Wench and I plan to drive to Victory Brewing tomorrow, while Dustin and Chris fly back to Georgia and Colorado. We bid our fond farewells while we reminisce on the challenges and joys of four fantastic beer dinners in four states over four days. Dustin and Chris, always the consummate “idea-men,” run through notions of making this an expanded, annual event. Sell tickets and bring a group on a bus? Do a beer dinner crawl with appetizer and each course and beer pairing at a different pub in a city? We’ll have to wait and see what next year brings.

One thing seems certain: This spirit of cooperation and collaboration between two personable craft breweries sets the standard for demonstrating how small, artisanal businesses can allow creativity and a love for their products to drive fun, unique marketing strategies. Proud to fill my role as “beer roadie,” I know that I’ll be back for more next time with Terrapin and Left Hand.

Guest blogger

Posted October 30, 2009 by daniel 1 Comment | Post a Comment

A good friend, Owen Ogletree, is on the road with some beer dudes with four days of beer dinners across the southeast.  We asked Owen to take you along for the ride.  I’m posting it here because we haven’t completed the transformation of our website.

Enjoy, Daniel

Beer Roadie Blog: By Owen Ogletree

Four beer dinners in four states in four days? Are these guys nuts? This basically sums up my thoughts on the day that Dustin Watts of Terrapin Beer Company in Athens, GA, and Chris Lennert from Left Hand Brewery in Longmont, CO, asked me to tag along as official press “beer roadie” on their monumental east coast collaborative beer dinner tour in celebration of their newest collaborative ale.

Three years ago, around midnight in some forgotten beer bar, Dustin and Chris cooked up the idea of an annual, collaborative Terrapin/Left Hand brew. This year’s “Midnight Project” brewing series beer, produced last summer at Terrapin’s facility in Athens, is called Depth Charge Espresso Milk Stout. An impressive black ale loaded with creamy, roasted, coffee aromas, Depth Charge serves as the focus and impetus of each of our beer dinners. Our epicurean beer adventures take place October 26-29, 2009 and happen in Atlanta, Durham (NC), Richmond (VA) and Philadelphia.

Day 1—October 26, Atlanta

Dustin, Chris, my “Beer Wench” wife and I begin by making our way from Athens to Atlanta for dinner number one at Taco Mac Lindbergh near downtown. Oh, the life of a beer roadie is not all glamour. Upon arriving at Taco Mac, our time before the dinner was spent placing promotional materials at tables, setting up a DVD of photos from the collaborative brewing process on the dining room televisions and arranging the raffle items.

The fun begins at Taco Mac as the excited crowd of beer lovers begins to arrive. With the noise level rising to the official decibel level of “rowdy” before the end of the reception courses and beers, Dustin and Chris realize quickly that this could be a challenging evening to carry on beer discussion and promotion. But our pair of brewery heroes carries on with superb bravado—rotating through the room between courses speaking to each interested beer lover willing to listen. Because of the personal interaction with our brewery personalities, each dinner attendee truly feels special during this entertaining and educational evening.

Taco Mac’s Chef Matt provides scrumptious food items during a beer tasting reception, four courses and dessert. Each culinary creation is paired with a Left Hand or Terrapin beer, with the chocolate/peanut butter dessert accompanying the rich, sweet Depth Charge. Overall, the evening proves a remarkable success.

Day 2—October 27, Durham

After an early morning of being a dutiful roadie helping load t-shirts, pint glasses and boxes of Terrapin and Left Hand stickers into our SUV, we enjoy a cup of espresso and take off up I-85 northward toward our next collaborative beer dinner to be held this evening at Tyler’s Restaurant & Taproom in Durham, North Carolina.

After fighting relentless, heavy rain on the interstate highway, we stop for lunch at our favorite beer spot in southern South Carolina. Our dear friend Josh Beeby, owner of Barley’s Pizzeria in Greenville, SC, welcomes our beer tour group with open arms, delicious craft beer samples and amazing pizza.

After a little over an hour with Josh, we pull ourselves out of Barley’s and resume our northbound trek toward Durham. The rain has not eased. After hours of torrential precipitation and long, painful delays through two major accidents on I-85 (one involving several HazMat teams), a drive that should have taken us a little over five hours turns into an almost ten hour, torturous crawl into Durham.

Just outside Durham, our two beer celebrities, over one hour late to the Durham dinner, begin to brainstorm ways to “make it up” to the crowd. They decide to burn through their entire stash of pint glasses and give everyone at the Tyler’s dinner a Terrapin glass and Left Hand bottle opener. Gifts and bribes sometimes can be useful.

Luckily, Jason Ingram from Left Hand decides at the last minute to fly to Durham for the dinner. Jason beats us to Tyler’s and “wears two hats” as he discusses both the Terrapin and Left Hand beers for the first and second courses. Good job, Jason! The dinner crowd erupts into thunderous applause when our rain-soaked and exhausted group of beer trekkers enters the room.

Our two beer celebs rise to the occasion as they address the crowd, apologize for our tardiness and quickly transition into a focus on the beers. The Tyler’s event features a reception nibble and Left Hand ale followed in turn by five exquisite courses. The two cornerstone personalities of Tyler’s, Tyler and Daniel, could not be more pleased with the outcome.

After the dinner we enjoy a few pints of craft beer with Tyler and Daniel, discuss plans for future events and reminiscence on the evening. One of the main duties of any good beer trip roadie is to keep your beer superstars from going over the edge and ending up in trouble, so around midnight I coax our group out of Tyler’s and to our hotel for a well deserved night’s sleep. We keep our fingers crossed for a dry “day three” of our beer adventure tomorrow. May the beer gods smile upon us…

When Tricky Beers Work Well

Posted October 16, 2009 by daniel 3 Comments | Post a Comment

I got a great invite from Ryan, the local New Belgium guy, to preview Fall Wild Ale, a new release from Colorado’s New Belgium Brewery. He was debuting this beer at an unheralded beer bar, Broad St. Cafe, here in Durham.

I went expecting something interesting, exciting, edgy — like so many of the specialty beers from NBB. I came away with a deeper understanding of my new favorite subject, balance.

You see, the promotional material described a tricked-out beer, which I’m beginning to shy away from as a rule. Fall Wild Ale uses Trappist yeast, a touch of Brett and a rare berry called Schisandra. When I encounter this level of complexity, I’m reminded of a local restaurant that always adds just one too many ingredients to its dishes, becoming a recurring family joke.

However, I should have had more faith in Peter Bouckaert and the beer’s designer, Alex Dwoinen.

First, this is a truly mahogany beer, which is a wonderful beginning to meeting a new beer. Although it was served in a stock bar glass, and not one of NBB’s signature glasses, the beer looked gorgeous. It threw off a particularly herbal nose, with a lot of unnamed spices. However, the flavor drove the portrait of the beer. The Trappist yeast funk was dialed back, as was the sourness of the Brett. Instead, out came complex spiciness that didn’t hit one singular note: no cinnamon, no clove, nothing that dominates this holiday season.

I’m at a loss to come up with a list of nouns for you. With every sip I became more attracted to the balance of flavors, this co-mingling of different sour, herbal, spicy notes, not to mention the hint of alcohol burn and the toasted malt needed to get it up to 8.5%.

As for the schisandra berry, that’s supposed to deliver five flavors at once, which may be the key to the balance. I kept wondering about umami, this new flavor description that Randy Mosher writes about. From my flimsy grasp on the concept — and Ryan and I checked it out on Wikepedia with my Blackberry — Fall Wild Ale could express that sensation along with many others. I held on to my pint, taking my time, to see what changes in temperature would do to the balance, and it held up extremely well.

This beer really expresses the phrase “brewers’ art.” I’m just sorry my language doesn’t fill in the blanks for you. The beer fills your mouth: rich, complex, and without any bumps, edges, or I-wish-that-wasn’t-theres. I may go back with my NBB stemware and have another shot at the Fall Wild Ale in appropriate glassware. I’ll bet I think it tastes better that way — emphasis on “think.”