The Colorado Brewer

Fort Collins Brewers Collaborate for Craft Beer Week

2011-05-17T09:18:00.000-06:00

Looks like these guys had a good time! The result of their efforts is now on tap at each of their breweries. Get some now during American Craft Beer Week as this beer surely won't last long.

Glenwood Canyon Brewpub Celebrates its Anniversary on March 15

2011-03-15T12:16:00.000-06:00

Fifteen Years: Glenwood Canyon Brewpub Celebrates its Anniversary on March 15

A landmark brewery and restaurant in historic Glenwood Springs, Colorado, the award-winning Glenwood Canyon Brewpub celebrates a milestone anniversary for serving handcrafted beer, hearty food, and great memories to visitors and residents alike.

No one can say for certain who made the first beer, but archeologists have determined that brewing was well established at least 6,000 years ago in Babylon. Beer was also popular in ancient Egypt where it was brewed commercially. The familiar golden brew continues to make history in downtown Glenwood Springs, Colorado, at Glenwood Canyon Brewpub, a popular establishment in the historic Hotel Denver. Since opening on March 15, 1996, the Brewpub has served almost 14,000 barrels of handcrafted ales and lagers to an appreciative local and visiting clientele. Their award-winning brews are enjoyed with a variety of pub fare favorites, including fish & chips, burgers, enchiladas, steaks and their signature smoked chicken pizza.

Affectionately known by locals as the Brewpub, they have earned a multitude of awards for food, atmosphere and of course, beer. As recently as last December, they were chosen by CBS Denver as one of the top five brewpubs for dining in Colorado. They have also won seven medals at the prestigious global World Beer Cup competition and nine at the Great American Beer Festival. Four of their beers are Gold Medal winners.

Glenwood Canyon Brewpub was founded by Steve and April Carver, owners of the Hotel Denver since 1991, and Jim and Bill Carver from Durango. When Steve and April were visiting Durango in September, 1996, they had breakfast with the Carver brothers and soon after formed a partnership to convert an existing facility on the first floor of the Hotel Denver into a brewpub. The Glenwood Canyon Brewpub was modeled after the Carver Brewing Co. in Durango, which was founded in 1988. Construction on the project began on January 1, 1996 and Glenwood Canyon Brewpub served its first beer a fast 74 days later. Though the two Carver families are not related, they share a love of finely crafted microbrews.

Brewery Manager Ken Jones was hired from Carver Brewing Co. and has worked at Glenwood Canyon Brewpub since it was founded. Kitchen Manager Tim Mason has been with the company for more than fourteen years as well. Both are also partners in the Brewpub. Front of the House Manager Trudy Fleming has worked at the Brewpub for nearly nine years.

The most popular beers at the Brewpub are: Hanging Lake Honey Ale, Grizzly Creek Raspberry Wheat, St. James Irish Red, No Name Nut Brown Ale, Vapor Cave India Pale Ale, and Old Depot Porter. They also maintain a rotating selection of seasonal favorites, including Strawberry Daze Ale, Barrel Rolls Oktoberfest and Hot Pot Barley Wine to name a few.

The popularity of these standard and specialty beers is validated by the 150,000 growlers of beer sold since the brewpub's inception, or about 10,000 annually. A growler is a sealed half-gallon glass jug, which is refilled and reused indefinitely, making it an efficient and environmentally friendly way to purchase and store beer. Every growler sold keeps five bottles or cans out of the waste stream.

Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company gratefully extends a celebratory toast to all of the visitors and residents who have supported them for 15 years. With great pride, they look forward to serving their hometown of Glenwood Springs for many years to come.

About Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company

Established in 1996, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company serves handcrafted beer, lunch and dinner seven days a week. A Glenwood Springs landmark, the Brewpub is located downtown in the resort town of Glenwood Springs, in the historic Hotel Denver, directly across from the Amtrak train depot. The Brewpub seats 150 and can accommodate groups of 40 for meals, or up to 70 for parties. They also cater events at other meeting spaces within the Hotel Denver, which can accommodate up to 100 people at a time. Open Sunday through Thursday, 11:00 am to 11:00 pm, Friday and Saturday, 11:00 am to midnight. 402 Seventh Street, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601, 970-945-1276, http://www.glenwoodcanyon.com

2011-02-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

I always find it amusing to see someone's reaction when they are first introduced to the complexities of the brewing process. Too many people never give beer a second thought. To them, beer is just a refreshing, fizzy beverage consumed to wash down their favorite snacks while watching the game. Take a look at this video segment, where the CBS morning crew gets introduced to the sensory analysis of beer when they visit New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado.

2,550-Year-Old Celtic Beer Recipe Resurrected | Wired Science | Wired.com

2011-01-19T17:19:00.002-07:00

2,550-Year-Old Celtic Beer Recipe Resurrected | Wired Science | Wired.com

"Early Celtic rulers of a community in what’s now southwestern Germany liked to party, staging elaborate feasts in a ceremonial center. The business side of their revelries was located in a nearby brewery capable of turning out large quantities of a beer with a dark, smoky, slightly sour taste, new evidence suggests." Click the link to read the whole story.

Heavy Drinkers Outlive Abstainers | Brookston Beer Bulletin

2010-09-01T12:07:00.001-06:00

Ah, just as I suspected. Avoiding alcohol is bad for your health. Study shows moderate, and even heavy drinkers have lower mortality rates than non-drinkers. Click the link for the full story.

Cheers,
Michael

Heavy Drinkers Outlive Abstainers | Brookston Beer Bulletin

Vom beten und Bier brauen! Kloster Saint Remy de Rochefort

2010-08-11T12:32:00.000-06:00

Very interesting film about the Monastery and brewery at Rochefort - even if you don't speak French or German!

Flying Dog is back in Denver

2010-05-18T13:09:00.000-06:00

Flying Dog is back in Denver

Click link for story.

Colorado Breweries Celebrate American Craft Beer Week

2010-05-18T10:49:00.000-06:00

Did you know that this is American Craft Beer Week? This national, week long celebration features craft brewers showing off some of their best special releases, hosting beer dinners, festivals and more. For a nationwide listing of events visit http://www.americancraftbeerweek.org/

Here's what's happening at some of Colorado's breweries this week:

Dry Dock Brewing
Aurora, CO
www.drydockbrewing.com
303-400-5606

Description: Sunday May 16th - Chili Cook-off competition Monday, May 17th - Pilsner tapping Tuesday, May 18th - Cream Ale tapping Wednesday, May 19th - Tripel Firkin Thursday, May 20th - Dukelweiss Tapping Friday, May 21st - Wasabi Rice tapping (homebrewed by Kevin and Bill on May 1 for Big Brew Day)

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
Aurora, CO
www.bjsrestaurants.com
303-366-3550

Description: 7 Beers for 7 Days. Pick Your Day, Pick Your Beer, Pick Your Perfect Meal! Join us in celebration of craft beer with one of our Daily Featured Handcrafted Beer & Food Pairings for $14.95. Monday, 5/17 - BJ's Brewhouse Blonde® + Fish 'N Chips; Tuesday, 5/18 - Harvest Hefeweizen® + Balsamic Glazed Chicken; Wednesday, 5/19 - Piranha® Pale Ale + Cajun Pasta; Thursday, 5/20 - BJ's Jeremiah Red® + Small Pepperoni & Mushroom Pizza; Friday, 5/21 - Nutty Brewnette® + Grilled Chicken Pasta; Saturday, 5/22 - BJ's P.M. Porter® + Texas-Style Chicken Fried Steak; Sunday, 5/23 - Tatonka® Stout + Small Sweet Pig® Pizza. Promotional pricing available where permitted by law. Oregon customers please visit your local BJ’s to find out what specials might be available in your area.

Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, CO
www.averybrewing.com
303-440-4324

Description: Avery Brewing Company has a whole week of exciting events planned to celebrate Craft beer week. The Avery Tap Room will be pouring 22 (!) Avery beers all week long, ranging from our new "Tests Pils"--a light golden yet assertively hoppy Premium American Pilsner to our ever popular hand-drawn cask ales all the way up to our intense and unique Demons of Ale series of brews. Stop in anytime between 12PM and 8PM all week long! Special events are as follows: The World According to Avery Brewing Company: A Thorough Introduction to the Craft Tuesday, May 18th from 6-8PM at the Avery Tap Room Are you a budding beer-geek? Or maybe just a person that always grabs for a craft beer when out for dinner or drinks, but have never had the time to really get into what craft beer is all about? Sign up for this 1.5 hour long tasting/education/brewery tour event and we'll show you the time of your life! This event is designed to introduce the novice beer drinker to traditional styles, ingredients, flavors and brewing, all in one evening. We'll also be venturing into our Barrel-Aging Cellars to take a look at the new frontiers of American brewing. Cost is $15.00 and includes a comprehensive brewery tour, seminar, beer tasting and commemorative tour pint glass. Those interested should RSVP to C.V. to reserve and pay for their spots in advance.

Upslope Brewing Company
Boulder, CO
www.upslopebrewing.com
303-960-8494

Description: On Wednesday, May 19th we will donate a dollar from every pint sale from our Tap Room to a local charity (which we do every Wednesday). Upslope's Tap Room also offers Dubbin's Sandwiches and for the ACBW we will partner with Dubbin's chef to create a plate which will pair with our Single Batch Series brew. Also - look out for Upslope's 13.5% abv Belgian Quadruple.

Twisted Pine Brewing Company
Boulder, CO
www.twistedpinebrewing.com
303-786-9270

Description: Monday - "Independence Ale" tapping, $2 pints all night Tuesday - Beer Trivia and t-shirt giveaways Wednesday - Keep the pint night Friday - Happy hour all night long Saturday - 1/2 off sampler trays 12-4pm Sunday - Brewery Olympics Benefit - Events include blind keg tapping, frozen t-shirt contest, ridiculous relay race, beer trivia and chug off. $15 entry fee per team(2-6 people) Winners get free gear, gift certificates and bragging rights. Entry fee and 30% of sales will be donated to a charity tbd.

Boulder Beer Company
Boulder, CO
www.boulderbeer.com
303-444-8448

Description: For American Craft Beer Week, Boulder Beer Co. will be focusing on our specialty "Brewer's Choice" beers that are only found in our pub. All Brewer's Choice experimental brews, as well as cask and nitro beers, will be on Happy Hour pricing Monday, May 17th - Friday, May 21st, from 3-Close. We will have more than usual specialty beers on tap that week, so get them while you can! Our public tours are Monday - Friday at 2pm, but we are also offering a Working Stiff's Tour for ACBW on Wed., May 19th at 5:30pm. No reservations required.

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
Boulder, CO
www.bjsrestaurants.com
303-402-9294

Description: 7 Beers for 7 Days. Pick Your Day, Pick Your Beer, Pick Your Perfect Meal! Join us in celebration of craft beer with one of our Daily Featured Handcrafted Beer & Food Pairings for $14.95. Monday, 5/17 - BJ's Brewhouse Blonde® + Chicken Fettucini Alfredo; Tuesday, 5/18 - Harvest Hefeweizen + Sesame Chicken Salad; Wednesday, 5/19 - Piranha® Pale Ale + Santa Fe Salad; Thursday, 5/20 - BJ's Jeremiah Red® + Small Pepperoni & Mushroom Pizza; Friday, 5/21 - Nutty Brewnette® + Grilled Chicken Pasta; Saturday, 5/22 - BJ's P.M. Porter® + Chicken Teriyaki; Sunday, 5/23 - Tatonka® Stout + Small Sweet Pig® Pizza. Promotional pricing available where permitted by law. Oregon customers please visit your local BJ’s to find out what specials might be available in your area.

Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, CO
www.averybrewing.com
303-440-4324

Description: To kickoff American Craft Beer Week we've enlisted the help of three stellar Pearl Street restaurants: The West End Tavern, Salt Bistro and Centro Latin Kitchen. Each establishment will feature an Avery beer paired with a cheese of their choice, available on the menu all day on Sunday, May 16th. Do the tour and taste all three! Salt Bistro - Ellie's Brown Ale paired with Haystack Mountain Queso de Mano. Special is available ALL WEEK for Craft Beer Week! West End Tavern - Burninator (limited edition Elmer T. Lee Bourbon Barrel-Aged Smoked Doppelbock) paired with cheese smoked by WET. Centro Latin Kitchen - Avery IPA paired with cheese TBD. Please contact cv@averybrewing.com with any questions. Where: Pearl Street in Boulder (9th-11th blocks) When: Sunday, May 16th, all day Pairing prices change by establishment

Rockyard Brewing Company
Castle Rock, CO
www.rockyard.com
303-814-9273

Description: BEER DINNER - a scrumptuous 4 course meal prepared and served with BEER. Wednesday May 19. BEER & CHEESE TASTING - Taste a variety of cheeses and match (or not) them with your favorite beer. Thursday May 20 SPECIAL TAPPING - Tapping our first One-off. A limited special beer brewed on Big Brew Day. Friday May 21 BEER SCHOOL - A tour and tasting hosted by the brewery staff Friday May 21

Rock Bottom Brewery
Colorado Springs, CO
www.rockbottom.com
719-550-3586

Description: Daily food and beer pairings menu will be availabel soon. May 23rd brew dogs of colorado book signing with dog related businesses in attendance. Bring your dog and hang out on our patio with a pint of Lumpy Dog Best Bitter.

Great Divide Brewing Co.
Denver, CO
www.greatdivide.com
303-296-9460

Description: Drink specials, special release beers on draft, tours and tastings.

Strange Brewing Company
Denver, CO
www.StrangeBrewingCo.com
720-985-2337

Description: Strange will be celebrating our Grand Opening during American Craft Beer Week. Each night we will tap a new brew in our Tasting Room. So come check out Denver's newest and smallest microbrewery! Cheers!

Rock Bottom Brewery
Downtown Denver, CO
www.rockbottom.com
303-534-7616

Description: We will be featuring four different beers aged on wood. Two of them on a medium toasted Oak. Our House I.P.A. which we call Falcon on Trees. Another Oak Aged will be our Oak Bomb. We also have the Dirty Bird, our Falcon Pale aged for 6 months in a Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel. And finally Aged for 18 months in a Woodford Reserve we have Blitzen a Scottish Ale

Ska Brewing
Durango , CO
www.skabrewing.com
970-247-5792

Description: Fri., May 21 5 – 8 p.m. – “She’s Crafty…” the Craft Beer Week Blowout Party featuring: Special Ska Taps: Expand your craft beer horizons with these special, limited release Ska beers on tap: Black Trippel, American Amber, Imperial Brown, Flanders Red & Merlo Stout! Live Ska Music from “The Casual Fridays”, with “Shadow Hills Trio” opening. One free pint for all the crafty, craft-beer lovin’ women who come out! Final chance to sign the Beer Declaration of Independence Cover? Nope. Just bring some canned goods for the Durango Food Bank!

Ska Brewing
Durango , CO
www.skabrewing.com
970-247-5792

Description: Monday, May 17, 5 p.m. – “A Community Toast” is an informal event at Ska Brewing’s World Headquarters in Bodo Park. Beginning at 5 p.m., the craft-beer loving public is invited to join Durango’s Mayor Michael Rendon to toast the important role that craft beer and craft beer brewers play in our community. A special tour of Ska’s World Headquarters brewing facility will be led by one of the Ska Brewing founders. Complimentary appetizers from Zia Taqueria. - All Week: Canned Food Drive to Benefit Durango Food Bank - All Week: Community members are encouraged to sign the Beer Declaration of Independence - 5 – 7 p.m. – Craft Beer Week Kick-Off Party, featuring $2 pints (all taps) from 5 - 7 p.m. - Two special beers on tap all week: True Blonde on Nitrogen, and Special ESB on cask and dry-hopped with Fuggles Hops … plus 5 more special beers to be tapped on Friday!

Ska Brewing
Durango, CO
www.skabrewing.com
970-247-5792

Description: Wednesday, May 18 - 5 p.m. – Scheduled Brewery Tour - 5 – 8 p.m. – Bike Night / Canned Food Drive: Ride your bike to Ska and $1 for every beer you buy will go to the Durango Food Bank. Throw some canned goods in your pack, and if you drive, bring even more! - $3 Pinstripes & ESB’s – Sample 2 of Ska’s flagship beers, each for 1/3 of the cost of a downtown parking ticket.

Ska Brewing
Durango, CO
www.skabrewing.com
970-247-5792

Description: Thursday, May 20 4 p.m. - Craft Beer & Cheese Pairing & Canned Food Drive at Ska Brewing’s Tasting Room. Bring some canned goods down to support Durango Food Bank and for every beer you purchase you’ll receive a complimentary, specially selected cheese from Guido’s to pair with it. A small menu will explain which cheese is paired with each beer, and why. - 5 – 7 p.m. Live music from “The Assortment”. Local beers, local music, tasty cheeses. Don’t miss!

Rock Bottom South Denver
Englewood, CO
www.rockbottom.com
303.792.9090

Description: Tuesday, May 18th - 7pm - Chef & Brewer's Dinner featuring beer-inspired food (all food made w/ beer, too!) Thursday, May 20th - 3pm - Patio Brew Day! Brew with Rick on a homebrew set and get hands-on experience Starting May 31st w/ feature beers: Mon/Vanilla Brown, Tues/Black IPA, Wed/Hair of the Tongue IPA, Thurs/Black Bull Bock, Fri/Naughty Scot

New Belgium Brewing Company
Fort Collins, CO
www.newbelgium.com
970-221-0524

Description: A weeklong celebration? Yes, please. We will be toasting to Craft Brewer-ness with extra special beers. Folly ensues with random giveaways, discounts, and general glee.

Odell Brewing Company
Fort Collins, CO
www.odellbrewing.com
970-498-9070

Description: Odell Brewing Company will celebrate American Craft Beer Week with weeklong events, tastings, and fun. Each day a different pilot, cask, or limited release brew will be featured including the debut of Woodcut No. 4. We will also offer beer/food education, live music, and chocolate and cheese pairings. Stay tuned for specific dates and times.

Odell Brewing Co
Fort Collins, CO
www.odellbrewing.com
970-498-9070

Description: Monday 5.17 @ 7 pm @ Star Bar 2137 Larimer St. Denver. Saboteur Sampling. Wednesday 5.19 @ 3 pm @ Watercourse Foods 837 E 17th Ave. Denver. St. Lupulin, Cutthroat Porter, Saboteur, and Woodcut No. 4 (Marzen style lager aged 6 months in American Oak) Samplings. Friday 5.21 @ 4 pm @ Mayfair Liquor @ 1385 Krameria St. Denver. Woodcut No. 4, St. Lupulin, IPA, and Saboteur Sampling & giveaways.

Left Hand Brewing Company
Longmont, CO
www.lefthandbrewing.com
303-772-0258

Description: Left Hand will be rockin out during Craft Beer Week with special beers, live music, and fundraisers all week. Tuesday: the return of our Warrior Colorado Wet Hopped IPA on tap Wednesday: 400# Monkey IPA on cask Thursday: the return of our Fade to Black Export Stout on tap Friday: fundraiser for Avon Breast Cancer with live music Saturday: fundraiser for the Longmont Youth Symphony with live music by Andy Eppler

Oskar Blues Brewery
Longmont, CO
www.oskarblues.com
303-776-1914

Description: Join Oskar Blues Brewery for American Craft Beer Week!!! We’ll have a variety of events and specialty brews throughout the week at all different locations. Select Oskar Blues locations will have the famous Short Bus Imperial Brown Ale and Barrel-Aged Selections as well as our usual Tasty Tuesday and Firkin Friday. Take a peek at what’s on tap for the week!! www.oskarblues.com/blog/oskar-blues-celebrates-american-craft-beer-week-may-17th-to-23rd

Rock Bottom Centerra
Loveland, CO
www.rockbottom.com
970 622 2077

Description: Featuring a different beer each day. Monday 17th American Wheat Tuesday 18th American Amber Wednesday 19th IPA Thursday 20th Milk Stout Friday 21st American Premium Lager Saturday 22nd American Pale Sunday 23rd Molly's Brown Ale

Pagosa Brewing Co
Pagosa Springs, CO
www.PagosaBrewing.com
970-731-2739

Description: Kicking off American Craft Beer Week, our town of Pagosa Springs will be hosting a Classic Car show May 14-16. We're brewing a special Classic American Pils to commemorate the event! We don't do many lagers, so we encourage you to stop by that weekend for a true American Event. We'll be featuring Classic American Chili Burgers and Chili Dog too!

Silverton Brewery
Silverton, CO
www.silvertonbrewing.com
970-387-5033

Description: Monday:Tapping of Award Winning Seasonal Brew Brian’s Wit Tuesday: Extended Happy hour 4-7pm Wednesday: Beer & Chesse hour 4-6pm Thursday:Drink with a brewer night 4-7pm Friday: Our intern brewer will be giving a home brew demonstration Saturday:Extended Happy hour 4-7pm Sunday:Beer & Chesse hour 4-6pm

Rock Bottom Brewery @ the Orchards
Wesminster, CO
www.rockbottom.com
303-255-1625

Description: Monday May 17th Dopple Bock, Tuesday May 18th Sub 0 winter lager, Wednesday May 19th 2nd Anniversary Ale, Thursday May 20th El Chango Loco, Fiday May 21st Flatbed Wheat, Saturday May 22nd Hop Bomb IPA, Sunday May 23rd Terminal Stout

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
Westminster, CO
www.bjsrestaurants.com
303-389-6444

Description: 7 Beers for 7 Days. Pick Your Day, Pick Your Beer, Pick Your Perfect Meal! Join us in celebration of craft beer with one of our Daily Featured Handcrafted Beer & Food Pairings for $14.95. Monday, 5/17 - BJ's Brewhouse Blonde® + Fish 'N Chips; Tuesday, 5/18 - Harvest Hefeweizen® + Balsamic Glazed Chicken; Wednesday, 5/19 - Piranha® Pale Ale + Cajun Pasta; Thursday, 5/20 - BJ's Jeremiah Red® + Small Pepperoni & Mushroom Pizza; Friday, 5/21 - Nutty Brewnette® + Grilled Chicken Pasta; Saturday, 5/22 - BJ's P.M. Porter® + Texas-Style Chicken Fried Steak; Sunday, 5/23 - Tatonka® Stout + Small Sweet Pig® Pizza. Promotional pricing available where permitted by law. Oregon customers please visit your local BJ’s to find out what specials might be available in your area.

Rock Bottom Brewery
Westminster, CO
www.rockbottom.com
720-566-0198

Description: Come join us on Wednesday, May 19th for "Firkin Wednesday" where brewer Phil Phifer elects one of our lucky guests to hand tap a Firkin. Phil will be on hand to share his knowledge of "Cask Conditioned Ale". On Thursady, May 20th our brewers will be available for brewery tours and attendees will get to sample all 7 of our "featured" beers as our brewers talk about each one in detail. May 17th Rockvar Pilsner, May 18th Liquid Sun Wit, May 19th Cask Conditioned Ale, May 20th Hop Bomb IPA, May 21st Velvet Rye Porter, May 22nd Red Rocks Red Ale, May 23rd Gila Pale Ale

Craft beer industry growing in Fort Collins | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

2010-05-10T13:16:00.000-06:00

Check out this link to a great story about the growing Fort Collins beer scene. Is Fort Collins becoming the "Napa Valley of beer?"

Craft beer industry growing in Fort Collins | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

UPS and FedEx Favor Wine and Reject Beer

2010-03-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Some stories in the news recently have brought to light the difficulties that brewers have when trying to ship beer. UPS and FedEx appear to welcome wine shipments, but prohibit beer shipments even though the two products are, for all practical purposes, very similar. Why the discrepancy? I don't know, but I can tell you that I have personally experienced difficulty when trying to ship beer to a competition.

I once had to go to two different FedEx locations to ship my entries. The counter person at the first location seemed thoroughly confused and needlessly apprehensive. After consulting with her supervisor, she informed me that I would have to go to the main hub/warehouse to ship my "yeast samples." Long story short - when I got to the hub, the agent gladly accepted my package for shipment. My mind screamed - WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE! - as I smiled and swiped my debit card. Ultimately, it was worth my time and aggravation, for the beer in that box earned two medals when they reached their destination.

For more information on the perils of shipping beer and what you might do to help improve the situation, please check out the linked story.

UPS and FedEx Favor Wine and Reject Beer When It Comes to Businesses Shipping to Consumers

Troopers raid popular bars for unlicensed beers | Philadelphia Daily News | 03/08/2010

2010-03-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

Not a Colorado story, but an interesting one none the less. Some of these "unlicensed" beers are widely available brands. Can you say neo-prohibitionist?

Troopers raid popular bars for unlicensed beers | Philadelphia Daily News | 03/08/2010

Beer Quote

2010-03-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

Beer drinkers have been duped by mass marketing into the belief that it makes sense to drink only one brand of beer. In truth, brand loyalty in beer makes no more sense than 'vegetable loyalty' in food. Can you imagine it? "No thanks, I'll pass on the mashed potatoes, carrots, bread and roast beef. Me, I'm strictly a broccoli man."
— Stephen Beaumont

Tour of Ska Brewing

2010-03-03T17:34:00.002-07:00

Ska Brewing Co. is located in Durango CO. Here is a video tour of their facility.

Part two of the tour:

Beer consumption could strengthen bones

2010-02-12T10:26:00.001-07:00

A recent study conducted at UC Davis, linked beer consumption to stronger bones. Apparently, the stronger the beer, the more silica it contains. Silica has bone strengthening qualities. Of course one must be careful when consuming strong beers, because no matter how strong your bones are, if you fall down you might just break something!
You can search the web to find more details about the study. Here is an article to get you started:

Beer and Bone Study a Boon for Microbrews? - DailyFinance

Colorado Breweries Make RateBeer Top 100 List

2010-01-29T11:36:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to the following Colorado Breweries who were awarded the designation of top 100 brewers in the world for 2010 by ratebeer.com. Well deserved! Keep brewin' that world class beer!

#93 Odell Brewing Company
#80 Left Hand Brewing Company
#42 Oscar Blues Grill and Brew
#23 New Belgium Brewing Company
#20 Avery Brewing Company
#08 Great Divide Brewing Company

For the complete list, visit the rate beer site here.

A Limerick

2010-01-27T15:30:00.003-07:00

Limericks are a fun, clever, sometimes bawdy form of poetry. They follow a very specific, well defined form. A limerick has five lines. The first, second and fifth lines rhyme with each other, as do the third and fourth. The form looks like this: a-a-b-b-a. The rhythm is defined also, with three stresses on lines 1, 2 & 5 and two stresses on lines 3 & 4. Due to their musicality, limericks are best spoken aloud!

Here is a limerick for today, written by yours truly:

Mother thought gin was just dandy,
But father was fond of his brandy.
Tho' barley and hops,
In my book are tops!
Together they’re better than candy!

Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines 2010 (Day 2)

2010-01-19T13:04:00.003-07:00

Here are some pictures and commentary from Day 2 (Saturday, Jan. 9) of the 2010 BBB festival in Vail CO. I highly recommend this festival. There are seminars, beer dinners, a homebrew contest and a commercial tasting session of over 200 different beers!

(you can click on the pictures for larger views)

The morning started at 10:00 AM with a seminar called "Brewing Outside the Box: Brewers Gone Wild!" The panelists spoke about their experience and experiments with unusual/extreme styles.

Panelists included: Kevin DeLange - Dry Dock Brewing, Sam Calagione - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, John Mallett - Bell's Brewing Co., Steven Pauwels - Boulevard Brewing Co., David Edgar - White Labs Yeast Co.

Here I am, listening intently, at 10:00 AM, with 7 beer samples in front of me. This brewing business is hard work!

The next seminar was called "Brewing With The Trappists" and featured Lodewijk & Gijs Swinkels from LaTrappe at Bierbrouwerij Koningshoeven in The Netherlands. They talked about what it's like to brew at a Trappist Monastery and the brewing climate in The Netherlands and Europe.

Lodewijk Swinkels

Dan Bradford - publisher, All About Beer Magazine

The next brewmaster's seminar was called "La Folie: Wood Aged Sour Beers." It featured Peter Bouckaert of New Belgium Brewing Co. He explained the brewing process for various sour beer styles. His two sons helped with visual aids.

Peter Bouckaert and sons.

And now, the commercial tasting with over 200 different strong beers from around the U.S. and abroad!

Congratulations to Nick Callaway, who won three medals in the homebrew competition!

Chad and John-Michael of Michelob Brewing Co.

Grand Teton Brewing Co.

Here's to good friends!

Nick, Luke, Me.

Sam Calagione, meet Luke Moore.

Sam Calagione and Adam Avery.

Rob Todd of Allagash Brewing Co.

Me with Ray Daniels and Nick Callaway.

Here's a link to photos from day 1

Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines 2010 (Day 1)

2010-01-19T10:47:00.007-07:00

Here are some pictures and commentary from Day 1 (Friday, Jan. 8) of the 2010 BBB festival in Vail CO. I highly recommend this festival. There are seminars, beer dinners, a homebrew contest and a grand tasting session of over 200 different beers!

(you can click on the pictures for larger views)

Sampling off-flavors in beer during the Cicerone workshop

Ray Daniels lecturing at the Cicerone workshop. Ray developed the Cicerone certification program to train sellers, servers and distributors of beer how to better care for, understand and present beer.
For more info, visit: http://www.cicerone.org/

Welcome reception on Friday after the Cicerone workshop. Lots of great food and special beers brewed exclusively for the 10th anniversary of the festival.

Dave Mentus of the Pumphouse Brewery in Longmont, CO

Below are some of the beers (but not all) I sampled at the welcome reception.

After the welcome reception, it was time for the judges to convene. 60 judges sampled, rated, critiqued, scored and ranked well over 100 entries from top notch homebrewers. Nick and I stayed to help out.

Room full O' judges!

My table.

Nick standing at his table.

Friends gather after the judging. (L to R) Dan Rabin of Celebrator Beer News, David Edgar of Mountain West Brewery Supply, John Carlson of Colorado Brewers Guild

Later in the evening it was time to head in to the gourmet beer dinner. 6 courses, each paired with beer from New Belgium and LaTrappe. Dinner was fantastic! Here is the menu:

We finished dinner at about midnight. What a day! Time to crash and get ready for day 2. Here's the link..

The Ratings Game

2009-11-24T10:41:00.001-07:00

Why Wine Ratings Are Badly Flawed - WSJ.com

I recently came across a good article about the imperfect science of rating wines. Click the link to see it. When reading however, you must keep an open mind. The author teaches and writes about randomness for a living. Perhaps his citations reflect his own personal agenda. My point is that humans are imperfect creatures. Our perceptions are a direct reflection of our own experiences. Beverage reviews and ratings are useful; they give the consumer a starting point of reference. My advice: try to taste without preconceived expectations. Then, drink what YOU like. This applies to all beverages, including my favorite, beer.

Psychographics: What Your Taste in Beer Says About You - Advertising Age - News

2009-11-02T10:34:00.001-07:00

Psychographics: What Your Taste in Beer Says About You - Advertising Age - News

As with all marketing research, take it with a grain of salt (not the Corona, the article). According to this story, I am more open-minded than most people, seek out interesting and varied experiences and am intellectually curious. Oh, and yes, I do drive a truck ;-)

Schlitz Is Back

2009-10-07T11:23:00.004-06:00

Schlitz, the brand that was once the number one selling beer in America saw a long decline in quality until it finally faded away. Now it's back. The brewmaster resurrected the original recipe and now, the brand is in limited release. I look forward to tasting this one. Read the full article at the link below.

Case Study | Schlitz Is Back - The Moment Blog - NYTimes.com

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Congratulations Colorado Brewers!

2009-09-28T12:50:00.010-06:00

Well, the GABF has come and gone once again. It's always great to attend the festival and related happenings around town. Denver is truly a beer geek's paradise during GABF week. Opportunities abound for brewers and beer lovers of all sorts to mingle, converse, share ideas and proudly showcase their beers to a multitude of sophisticated palates. This year, about 110 of those palates belonged to the judges, who sampled, evaluated, scored, deliberated and ranked the best of the 3,308 entries in this year's competition.

Colorado brewers did extremely well this year (as they always do), winning 45 medals. More awards than any other state!

Special congratulations go out to Dry Dock Brewing Co. and Coors Brewing Co. They received the Small Brewing Company of the Year and Large Brewing Company of the Year Awards, respectively!

For the complete winner's list, searchable by state, visit:

http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/medals/medalists.aspx

GABF Week at the Falling Rock Tap House

2009-09-19T11:56:00.011-06:00

Fellow beer lovers,

Here's a list of special tappings etc. at the Falling Rock Tap House, the unofficial headquarters of the GABF. Hope to see you there.

Monday September 21st:

5pm. 13th Annual GABF Kickoff Tapping Party. Every year we save kegs to tap at this event. We will be tapping 10-12 kegs at 5pm of harder to find specialty beers from breweries from all over, some sent in just for this event. Some of the breweries: Avery, Russian River, Lost Abbey, Port Brewing.

Wednesday September 23rd:

4pm Flying Dog 20th Anniversary Beer Tapping
5pm Pyramid Snowcap Unveiling
9pm Artisanal Imports Come try out some of their offerings including a new, limited offering, Koenigshoeven (La Trappe) Isid'or 125th Anniversary Beer
Marty Jones & the Great Unknowns with special Guests the Rolling Boil Blues Band

Thursday September 24th:

3pm Boulder Beer Stranahan's Aged Mojo
10pm Upstairs - Stone Brewing. The Folks over @ Stone sent us a few fun kegs to try out like this year's Vertical Epic & a couple others.
10pm Downstairs - Shelton Brother's. Dan Shelton imports some of the most distinctive beers from all over the world as well as running an Export program also. Come & sample some of the beers that Dan is exporting (like Jolly Pumpkin) as well as some of the interesting beers that Shelton Brothers imports. Cost $20
11pm Jewbilation Bar-Mitzvah Schmaltz Brewing is turning 13 so it's time to celebrate. We'll have Jewbilation and oak aged Lenny'y Rye IPA on tap.

Friday September 25th:

Noon Sierra Nevada Kill-A-Keg See if we can drain a keg in less than last year's 15 minutes 4 seconds.
12:30 Sierra Nevada Estate. Not only did Sierra Use Hops grown on their own Property, they grew the Barley as well. Try out this new, very limited edition Wet-Hopped Ale.
1pm Meet Chris Brouwaerts, Founder of Brasserie La Chouffe from Belgium.
2pm Left Hand/Terrapin Brewing Depth Charge Espresso Milk Stout Collaborative Brew on Cask
10 pm Downstairs All About Beer, Dogfish Head & Others "Up Your Reinheitsgebot - an Evening of Impure & Illicit Beers" Taste Exotic beers from Dogfish Head, Avery Allagash & New Belgium that definitely plead the 5th on the German Purity Law of 1517.

Saturday September 26th:

4pm Boulevard Brewing Smokestack Beers on tap. Try out some of Boulevard's Specialty Offerings.
10pm New Belgium Brewing Rarities with Special Guests Elysian Brewing Company. Come try out some of New Belgium's Harder-to-Find Beers on Tap. We'll have Love, La Folie, Transatlantic Kriek, La Fleur Misseur & Le Terroir. Also in the House will be Beers from Elysian Brewing.

Denver Beer Fest

2009-07-27T09:16:00.000-06:00

VISIT DENVER to Sponsor Denver Beer Fest in September
An Anticipated 60 Events to Celebrate All-things Beer at Locations Across the Mile High City

DENVER – (DRAFT, 2009) – To celebrate Denver’s claim as one of the world’s great beer cities, VISIT DENVER is presenting the first Denver Beer Fest (www.DenverBeerFest.com), which will take place September 18-27, 2009.

“The Denver-Boulder-Fort Collins urban area brews more beer than any other metropolitan area in the United States, giving the Mile High City claim to another moniker – ‘the Napa Valley of Beer,’” said Richard Scharf, president & CEO, VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The week-long celebration of beer-centric experiences will include beer tastings at restaurants, beer-paired dinners, “meet the brewer” nights, beer tappings, brewery tours and a variety of entertaining beer events.

Denver Beer Fest will be a celebration of all things beer leading up to America’s most prestigious beer festival and competition, the Brewers Association’s Great American Beer Festival (GABF). Denver Beer Fest is also sandwiched in between the two weekends of Denver’s Oktoberfest on Larimer Street.

“Denver has so many beer attractions that it seemed natural to pull them all together under one umbrella the same week as the GABF and Oktoberfest,” Scharf said. He described how many of the breweries visiting Denver for the GABF have historically held special beer-tasting dinners and events, but there was no central place to look for information.

“The GABF had their events on their Web site, Oktoberfest had their information on their Web site, and brewers had information about their events posted on a variety of restaurant Web sites so someone would have to look at 15 resources to see everything that was going on,” said Scharf.

The Web site, www.DenverBeerFest.com, will be a one-stop shop for all things beer that week.” He explained that a similar beer extravaganza in Philadelphia, timed around their annual beer festival, created 60 beer events the first year, but swelled to 600 new beer events the second year.

Two landmark events bookend the 10-day Denver Beer Fest:

• Oktoberfest on Larimer Street: This 40-year Denver tradition will be held Sept. 18-20 and Sept. 25-27.
• The Brewers Association’s 28th Great American Beer Festival (GABF) at the Colorado Convention Center: The GABF, Sept. 24-26, has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as offering the largest number of beer’s tapped of any place on earth and attracts 46,000 beer lovers each year, as well as the nation’s top beer writers and critics. More than 400 breweries are expected to attend, offering more than 2,000 beers for tastings and medal competitions.

“VISIT DENVER started Denver Restaurant Week five years ago to increase awareness of Denver’s fine dining,” Scharf said. “In five years, we’ve seen Restaurant Week grow from 84 restaurants to 225 this past year, with nearly 300,000 special-priced meals being served. We are inspired by the success of restaurant week, and the business it drove for our local restaurants. We hope Denver Beer Fest will increase awareness, both locally and nationally, of Denver’s important role in the nation’s brewing industry and of how many fine beers are made and sold in Colorado.”

Some of the beer events VISIT DENVER is planning during Denver Beer Fest include:

• Former brew pub owner and current Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will tap the first keg and read a proclamation declaring Sept. 18-27 as Denver Beer Fest at Oktoberfest on Sept. 18 at 4 p.m.
• Rioja, Vesta Dipping Grill, Stubens, TAG, Elways, Wynkoop Brewing Company, Rialto Café, Oceanaire, the Tavern, Duo and many other restaurants will be offering beer-pairing dinners, many with the brewer present.
• Pints for Prostates will be hosting a beer tasting of twenty rare beers.
• “Beer and Burlesque, Tastings and Tassels,” an Avery Brewery tasting and “meet the brewer” night at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret, Sept. 21.
• The Golden Hotel will be promoting events featuring the rare Coor’s Barman beer.
• The Dusty Boot will have a bartending contest to benefit charity.

Information on Denver Beer Fest and a current of list of events can be found at: www.DenverBeerFest.com. People should check back frequently as more events are being added every day.

About VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau
Celebrating 100 years of promoting the Mile High City, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. Tourism is the second largest industry in Denver, generating $2.9 billion in annual spending in 2007, while supporting 65,000 jobs. For more information on Denver call 800-2-DENVER or visit Denver’s official Web site at VISITDENVER.com.
C * H * E * E * R * S

With press or photo inquiries, please contact:
Rich Grant: (303) 571-9450 or rgrant@visitdenver.com
Jen Elving: (303) 571-9451 jelving@visitdenver.com

Beer and red wine marinade may cut cancer risk from beef

2009-07-15T10:54:00.004-06:00

Beer and red wine marinade may cut cancer risk from beef

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That's right folks, cooking with beer is not only tasty, but may be beneficial to your health. Click on the link above to read the full article. After reading, pop open a beer, fire-up the grill and try out one of my favorite grilling recipes.

Michael's beer marinated grilled flank steak:

1 flank steak (about 1.5 lbs.)

8 oz. beer (nothing too bitter; Brown Ale, American Lager, or Amber work well)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all marinade ingredients in a 1 gal. size zip lock bag, add steak and squeeze-out excess air from bag before sealing. Marinate in refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Prepare a grill for direct high heat. When hot, oil grill grate with a paper towel dipped in oil. Grill steak for about 5 min on the first side, flip and cook 4 min on the second side for medium-rare. Grill temperatures will vary, times are approximate. Remove steak from grill and let rest 5-10 min before slicing.

After resting, thinly slice steak diagonally across the grain and serve. Try pairing the steak with the same beer you used in the marinade.

Serves 6

Notes:
Flank steak is a lean and flavorful cut of beef that is best cooked quickly and served rare to medium-rare to retain it's natural juices. I do not advise cooking flank steak past medium doneness (unless you are the sort of person who enjoys chewing on doggie toys).

US Open Beer Championship Winners Announced

2009-07-15T09:50:00.005-06:00

Congratulations to Avery Brewing, Fort Collins Brewery, Oskar Blues and Silverton Brewery, Colorado breweries that won medals in the 1st annual US Open Beer Competition.

The competition was open to professional brewers AND home brewers who competed side-by-side in 50 beer catagories. One home brewer took home a Gold.

For more information and the complete winner's list, visit: www.usopenbeer.com

Odell Brewing Company embarks on new expansion

2009-06-11T10:17:00.003-06:00

It was golden ales not golden shovels on June 9, 2009, as Odell Brewing Company officially broke ground on its new expansion. The project, which includes an expansion of the existing manufacturing, office, and tap room facilities, will help the brewery accommodate increased and enhanced brewing operations. “While we are expanding capacity, we are really viewing this as an investment in innovation in both style and process,” said brewery owner Wynne Odell. Not only will the brewery gain much needed space, but it will also improve its creative brewing processes with investments such as a single-serve packaging line and a new barrel aging cellar. Odell Brewing has partnered with local businesses RB+B Architects, BHA Designs, Northern Engineering, and Delta Construction for the project. The brewery has also incorporated multiple environmentally friendly installations and “green” considerations in its plans. “The design team made a concerted effort to create a facility that is both healthy and efficient,” said project manager Brendan McGivney. The brewery will work with Abound Solar on a roof mounted photovoltaic system. Abound’s solar panels, installed by Wirsol, will generate 50 KW of energy, which is approximately 1/3 of the brewery’s summer daily peak demand. Solar tubes in the brewery’s new warehouse will provide natural lighting, and a day-lighting system will actually turn off light fixtures when this natural light is sufficient. The brewery will also include a water recovery system in its bottling line that will capture clean rinse water and use it for landscape irrigation. In addition to the building, the brewery will include improvements to its parking, shipping, and overall landscaping. Drought-resistant plants will be used throughout the landscaping, and porous pavers will be used in the parking lot to minimize rain runoff. These porous pavers will be showcased by the city of Fort Collins as one of their Low Impact Development Pilot Projects. Odell Brewing expects to complete the expansion in early 2010.

New Posts Coming Soon

2009-06-04T15:45:00.002-06:00

My apologies for not posting anything recently on this blog. I have been away, dealing with family matters. Will start posting again soon.

Brewery Tour: Chimay

2009-04-17T15:12:00.002-06:00

Here is a glimpse into the world of the brewing monks at Abbey of Scourmont-Lez-Chimay with a brewery tour hosted by Father Thomas, Director of the Brewery.

Odell Brewing Set To Release Woodcut #2

2009-04-16T10:08:00.004-06:00

Woodcut #2 will be released this Monday, April 20th at 2:00 pm in the tap room at Odell's in Fort Collins. Woodcut #2 is a strong golden ale aged in virgin oak barrels. This 11% ABV limited edition beer will be available in hand signed and numbered 750 mL bottles. I can't wait to try this beer! Woodcut #1 sold out very quickly so be advised, if you want to get your hands on some #2, don't delay. For more info visit: www.odellbrewing.com

Sour Beers May Be Catching On

2009-04-08T12:01:00.002-06:00

Last night, I attended a meeting of the Brewnion Colony Homebrewers club. There were many fine beer, mead and cider samples passed around for all to enjoy, including two Belgian-inspired sour beers. Today, I came across an article in the Chicago Tribune that explores this unique style and how It's gaining favor with American craft brewers. Here is a quote from the article:

"In the beer geek population, sour beers are the Holy Grail," said Lauren Salazar, New Belgium's sensory specialist. "They're difficult to produce. They're impossible to control. But in the end, you end up falling in love with them."

Here's a link to the full story.

Colorado Beer Events 2009

2009-04-06T15:22:00.000-06:00

Spring is here! It's time to put on your festival hats and get out and about! I have put together a list of events (festivals, beer dinners etc...) of interest to Colorado brewers and beer lovers. This document contains links that you can follow for complete information about each event. I will update the list and add new events periodically, so check back for updates. If you would like your event listed, just let me know! See the list here.

"Beer Wars" One Night Only

2009-04-06T15:10:00.003-06:00

April 16, 2009 - "Beer Wars - Brewed in America" will be showing at a theater near you. This special screening will feature a live panel discussion after the film with Ben Stein. Ben will be joined by several of the country's leading independent brewers and industry experts, including Sam Calagione - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery founder, Rhonda Kallman - founder of New Century Brewing Company and co-founder of Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams), Greg Koch - founder of Stone Brewing Company, Charlie Papazian - Brewers Association president, Maureen Ogle - historian and author of Ambitious Brew and Todd Alstrom, Beer Advocate founder. For more info visit: www.beerwarsmovie.com

Beer Tasting and Evaluation by Joe Schiraldi

2009-04-02T16:43:00.006-06:00

The following article appeared in the most recent email newsletter from Left Hand Brewing Company in the "Brewer's Corner" section. I enjoyed reading it, and thought you might also. The author has graciously granted me permission to post it here. Thanks Joe.

You may or may not be aware of the existence of the Beer Judge Certification Program. Its purpose is to promote beer literacy, promote the appreciation of real beer and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills. Founded in 1985, the program has administered exams to 5000 judges worldwide, has judged 500,000 or so beers and sanctioned almost 4000 competitions. This August, Left Hand Brewing Company will sponsor an exam in our tasting room. If you haven’t been aware of this then I’m sorry but the chances for you to be able to take the exam are very slim. We are four spots away from reaching our 25 examinee limit. On alternate Mondays we have been conducting study sessions here at the brewery as well. Every two weeks we will be discussing technical aspects of brewing, the frailties and challenges of beer judging using human beings as the testing medium and of course tasting many different styles of beer through the whole gambit of beer diversity. The exam consists of 70% written material and 30% tasting. The scope of knowledge required to score high enough for National ranking as a beer judge through the BJCP is daunting to say the least. We have our work cut out for us.

Like many simple things in life, beer tasting and evaluation is easy until you allow human beings to get involved. Suddenly, all bets are off. When tasting beer we are hopelessly constrained by the fact that we are offering an opinion of what we taste. Depending on what philosophical schools of thought you cater too it can be said that anything that involves the senses is to be regarded only as opinion. There are many variables involved in how a beer tastes. Even when drinking bottles from the same six- pack there can be differences. A high oxygen content, bacterial infection or storage conditions can radically change the way two bottles from the same batch taste. These defects however are the easier elements to evaluate when tasting beer. Determining whether a beer exemplifies a particular style or, the degree to which it exemplifies that style when compared to other beers is another matter altogether. Accepting your personal variability is the first step to becoming an effective beer judge.

First, lose the ego. Admit that you are a human being subject to the frailties and weaknesses of the human condition. Remember that your pallet is just that, your pallet. What you do to it before tasting beer affects its performance more than anything else. That is why one judge does not a judging panel make.

There is a difference between casually enjoying and tasting beer and sitting in a controlled environment with controlled administering of beer samples for the purpose of evaluating which is the better example of an American IPA. These two environments should never be confused with one another. The first difference is distraction. With recreational beer drinking we are most certainly distracted from the taste of our beer either by conversation, a strikingly beautiful member of the opposite sex or the cologne the gentleman next to you is wearing. In a controlled tasting environment these outside distractions should be eliminated. So how do we have fun fooling our pallets?

One of my favorites is to put two samples of the same beer in a tasting flight say of Pale Ales or whatever. If the tasters do not know that two of the samples are the same beer, I guarantee you will get two different evaluations of the same beer. Why is this? For one thing ask a person a question and they are compelled to answer. If you ask me what the difference is then there certainly must be one and my ego takes over. I must give you an answer. If I fail to give you the difference you’re asking for, then I’m just not an intelligent and educated person. My mind’s defense systems take over and there is suddenly perceived difference. Secondly, fatigue certainly comes into play. Drinking a lot of beer makes the samples at the end of the tasting have less taste. The more flavorful and robust the beer the bigger the fatigue factor will be. Consider that next time you judge 14 IPAs for style conformity. This is much like that first bite of spicy food. It is the hottest. You build a resistance to the heat with subsequent bites. The same holds true for beer. What are some more fun tasting games for those just wanting to get an understanding of the madness?

We can look outside of the taster to affect the taste of beer. Temperature has a major influence on how a beer tastes. Try drinking beer from the same bottle but served at different temperatures. You are drinking two different beers.

There has been a resurgence lately of food and beer pairing. Why is this? The answer is simple; food affects the way a beer tastes. Proof positive once again that it is easy to change the beer taster pallet, that objective (Not!) tool of evaluation. Try tasting beer with different foods. Soon you will be much more concerned with your choice of beer at a meal.

The serving vessel has a huge influence on how beer tastes. There are many kinds of beer glasses out there designed…nay engineered to bring out the best of the beer that they serve. Try drinking the same beer out of different glasses and see how much of a difference it makes in taste as well as presentation. Belgian breweries devote a lot of time and energy developing glasses specifically designed to serve their beer.

These are some of the basics to hopefully turn you on to the fun and exciting world of evaluating beer. The scope of this discussion far exceeds the space allotted here. There are some important things to remember. As human beings, we really stink at evaluating anything objectively. Machines do a much better job at this. One person’s opinion is like putting all your money into mortgage backed securities. Diversification is much better. Be sure to invite lots of friends.

Joe Schiraldi
VP Brewing Ops
Left Hand Brewing Company

Video: 1930's German Brewery

2009-03-31T11:19:00.003-06:00

Brewers, check out this excellent video that shows the workings of a German brewery in the 1930's, including decoction mashing and the use of a coolship.

RMMS 2009 - Part 1

2009-03-02T15:18:00.018-07:00

The 14th annual Rocky Mountain Microbrewing Symposium Was held February 20, 2009. Once again, the event was hosted by the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. The Symposium was founded by Dr. James Mattoon of the UCCS Center for Biotechnology & Bioinformatics. Dr. Mattoon helped host the event, and along with Jeff Biegert of New Belgium Brewing, introduced many of this year's outstanding presenters.

This year's sold-out symposium was a great success. The presentations were informative, breakfast and lunch were tasty and fortifying, there were dozens of excellent beers to sample, and the camaraderie among attendees was second to none. When a group of 120 brewers and allied trade professionals get together in one room, knowledge is shared, ideas are born, friendships are strengthened, and a good time is had by all. Thank you Chris Stubbs, RMMS Coordinator and the event organizers for another great year.

The morning session got rolling with Andy Parker and Matt Thrall, the wood experts from Avery Brewing. They discussed how Avery Brewing Company approaches barrel-aging beer. During their talk, Matt and Andy shared what they have learned about barrel-aging, and discussed some of the successes and failures they've had along the way. They talked about different types of barrels for aging beer: wine, whiskey, port, etc., how to care for barrels, sources of equipment, blending aged beers, and different types of bacteria that can be found in (or added to) barrels.

Andy and Matt shared some aged beer samples with us. Among those samples was Avery's recently released Brabant. Brabant was aged for 8 months in zinfandel barrels, and inoculated with two strains of Brettanomyces. This beer is dark, slightly tart, and immensely complex. It weighs-in at 8.65% ABV.

The next session was on beer stabilization, presented by Mustafa Rehmanji of International Specialty Products. He discussed the importance of stabilization in the production of beer. He explained that drivers for beer stability include:

* Increased competition from imports
* Expanded brewery distribution range
* Consumer expectations for better quality and product consistency
* Need to reduce costs from returns of beer

Mustafa talked about the benefits of clarification of wort in the brew kettle, and how it can simplify and reduce the cost of downstream processing before filtration. He discussed some of the causes of haze in beer such as oxalates in malt, tannins and over sparging, and the importance of proper temperature control prior to and during filtration. He compared and contrasted the benefits of various beer stabilizers and presented research to support his discussion.

Doug Odell of Odell Brewing Company was up next with a talk on pilot brewing and recipe development. He talked about the 5 barrel pilot system at Odell Brewing. They use the pilot system for testing ingredients, developing new recipes and training employees. Odell Brewing connects with home brewers through the GABF Pro-Am Competition and a CSU brewing class gets to brew their own recipe on the system each semester. Also, the brewers at Odell's get to use the pilot system to express their brewing creativity and produce single batch brews for the tasting room. Having an ever-changing variety of beers available in the tap room helps keep customers coming back to discover "what's new."

Doug walked us through his new recipe development process. He explained how employees do a blind tasting of commercially available examples of the target style. From this tasting, they discuss the qualities of each brew and decide how the new Odell recipe will fill a niche within the style. After an initial pilot brew of the new recipe, all of the beers (including the new Odell beer) are blind tasted again, and recipe adjustments are made if needed. This level of refinement would be difficult and costly without a pilot brewing system.

Tour: New Belgium Brewery

2009-02-25T12:43:00.003-07:00

7th Annual Boulder Strong Ale Fest.

2009-02-25T09:21:00.002-07:00

I'd like to tell you about a great beer festival coming up this Friday and Saturday Feb. 27 & 28. The Boulder Strong Ale Festival. There will be some outstanding beers on tap at this event, but beware, they are all over 8% ABV. The following is from the Avery Brewing website:

Featuring 60+ of the finest high gravity draft beers from across America. Beers will be over 8% abv, with some created especially for this event. We have planned that ALL beers will be available at the start both sessions. $25 at the door gains you entry, a commemorative tasting glass, and sixteen, 2oz pour, tasting tickets. Additional sample tickets are two for $1. There are no advance ticket sales to this event. Proceeds will go to support The Colorado Brewers Guild.
The 2009 fest will be bigger than ever. We have a ton of new participants with exciting offerings!

Friday, February 27th: 4:00pm-10:00pm, Saturday February 28th: Noon-6:00pm

Featuring:
Avery (CO), Allagash (ME), Full Sail (OR), Shorts (MI), Stone (CA), Pizza Port (CA), Lagunitas (CA), Jolly Pumpkin (MI), Shorts (MI), Snake River (WY), Smuttynose (NH), Russian River (CA), Bear Republic (CA), Dogfish Head (DE), New Holland (MI), Moylans (CA), Flying Dog (MD), Left Hand (CO), Boulder Beer (CO), Golden City (CO), Pumphouse (CO), Mountain Sun (CO), Twisted Pine (CO), Oskar Blues (CO) Wild Mountain (CO) with still more to confirm!

Where: Harpos Sports Grill, 2860 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder 80303
www.harpossportsgrill.com
There will also be discount hotel rooms available at The Boulder Outlook Hotel and Boulder Inn, both walking distance form the fest.

If you have any questions regarding the Boulder Strong Ale Fest please contact peter@averybrewing.com.

Call To Action

2009-02-25T09:17:00.001-07:00

Preserve Your Right to enjoy Colorado Craft Beer

Go to www.votesmart.org to find your legislator's phone number and email address.

This information provided by the Colorado Brewers Guild

www.coloradobeer.org

• Colorado is home to 106 craft brewers spread across the state in local communities. Colorado craft brewers contribute financially and culturally to Colorado. These breweries flourish, in large part, due to a strong tier of independent retailers that provides vital access to market.

• Independent Colorado retailers promote our local economy, stock many craft beer brands, and offer vital access to market for Colorado craft brewers.

• Continued access to market is crucial for Colorado craft brewers and the state’s growing beer culture. Many Colorado craft brewers have limited distribution outside of Colorado. Some small, local craft brewers will disappear if access to market is limited.

• Colorado craft brewers and independent retailers in Colorado provide 67,000 jobs and inject $12 Billion annually into our economy and create beer tourism.

• Oppose upcoming legislation allowing chain grocery stores to sell full-strength beer. Large national chain stores make beer stocking decisions from out of state headquarters often without considering interest in local beer. Protect your freedom of beer choice and protect Colorado jobs!

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW TO OPPOSE UPCOMING LEGISLATION.

Contact your State Legislators NOW and let them know that you OPPOSE State Representative Buffie McFadyen ( D-Pueblo West ) and State Senator Jennifer Veiga's (D - Denver) bill HB1192 that would allow out-of-state owned chain grocery stores to sell full strength beer.

Go to www.votesmart.org to find your legislator's
phone number and email address.

Protect your freedom of beer choice and preserve
Colorado Craft Beer.

Information provided by the Colorado Brewers Guild Coloradobeer.org

Beer Books

2009-02-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered a great place to buy brewing related books. One of the best selections I've seen. Please use the link below. Your purchase will help support The Colorado Brewer.

Welcome!

2009-02-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings, and welcome to The Colorado Brewer. I will be bringing you news and views about the Colorado brewing scene. Did you know that Colorado produces more beer than any other state? Those of us fortunate enough to live here can experience one of the most vibrant and diverse beer cultures in the nation.

Friday, Feb. 20th, I will be traveling to Colorado Springs to attend The Rocky Mountain Microbrewing Symposium. This is an annual educational event which features presentations from some of the region's most successful brewing professionals. This year, the speakers include: Mike Bristol (Bristol Brewing), Mustafa Rehmanji (ISP), Dale Katechis (Oskar Blues), Brendan McGivney (Odell Brewing Co.), Joe Schiraldi (Left Hand), Nathan Venner (Altitutde Chophouse), Doug Odell (Odell Brewing), Dave Thomas (EcoLab), Andy Parker (Avery Brewing), Matt Thrall (Avery Brewing), Alan Stiles (Shamrock Brewing), and Jason Yester (Trinity Brewing).

Check back for my post-symposium report in The Colorado Brewer.