Beer is deep and wide and tall.

The Conde Nast-owned website Epicurious has been posting a series of videos in which it challenges a food or beverage 'expert' to correctly identify the more expensive of two choices (implying that choice to be of higher quality) in blind taste-tests.

A recent episode was a beer challenge given to the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery. Gently entertaining; gently educational.

• "I'm Garrett Oliver and I'm a beer expert," he said, as he tasted two unidentified samples each of Pilsner, Belgian White, IPA, Munich Dark Lager, Barrel-Aged Beer, and Fruit Sour.


• "Boom!" "Zap!" Mr. Oliver exclaimed, like the Batman of Beer.


• Delivering a history mini-lecture, Mr. Oliver said: "Now, when brewers mention barrel-aged beers, a lot of people will say to us, 'Oh, you've gotten some wonderful ideas from the wine people.' Well, actually, we've putting beer in barrels for about two thousand years now. The stainless steel keg only showed up in the 50s or 60s. But until then, it was wood."


• "Beer is deep and wide and tall," Mr. Oliver summarized.

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Drink a beer and save a rabbit.

Maureen O'Prey is the author of Brewing in Baltimore, a history of that Maryland city's brewing heritage. She's now hard at work writing a history of brewing in the entire state of Maryland.

She, of course, likes beer. She also likes bunnies. Who doesn't like bunnies?

Ms. O'Prey asked me to spread the word on a fundraiser for Friends of Rabbits, a non-profit 501c3 rabbit rescue, education, and re-homing organization, based in the Washington D.C./Baltimore, Maryland, greater metropolitan area.

The event is this Saturday, 9 April 2016, in Manassas, Virginia, at BadWolf ... a brewery.

Beer and bunnies. Who wouldn't like that?

BadWolf Brewing in Manassas, Virginia, is hosting a fundraiser for Friends of Rabbits, from 5-10 pm, on Saturday, 9 April 2016.

There will be raffles to win beer prizes (like gift certificates), as well as a silent auction and an old fashioned cake walk (with all kinds of cakes— including some that are vegan-friendly). There are quite a few things for the silent auction— non-rabbit related — so there is something for everyone. Owner/brewer Jeremy Meyers has created two very special beers for the event:

• Witty Bunny —a sour raspberry wit
• Jesse's Girl —a spiced, carrot-cake-inspired cask ale

And, of course, there will be rescued rabbits in attendance for people to meet and greet and learn about.

The Frenchman food truck is providing food, including vegan fare. For more information, go to BadWolf's Facebook page: here.

Don't eat bunnies. Drink beer ... and help save the quadrupeds!

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• For more on Brewing in Baltimore (and Maryland) (and bunnies), follow Ms. O'Prey:
  • Facebook: here.
  • Twitter: @brewbalt.
• For more on Friends of Rabbits:
  • Facebook: here.
  • Twitter: @Friends_Rabbits.


• BadWolf Brewing —Manassas, Virginia's first ever 'craft' brewery— opened its first location, a small-scale 'nanobrewery,' in late June 2013. YFGF visited in early 2014. Since then BadWolf has opened a second location, a production facility focused on producing for distribution, with a larger brewery and much more seating. And that's where the fundraiser will be.


• For more from YFGF:
  • Follow on Twitter: @Cizauskas.
  • Like on Facebook: YoursForGoodFermentables.
  • Follow on Flickr: Cizauskas.
  • Follow on Instagram: @tcizauskas.

Pic(k) of the Week: Beer, Hand, and Questions.

Five years ago, when someone said 'Washington, D.C. beer', what they meant —with only a few exceptions— was beer enjoyed in the city brought into it from elsewhere.

On an October evening in 2011, local beer reporter, Tammy Tuck invited several area brewers, publicans, and writers to a local pub, The Bier Baron, to discuss that situation, the state of the Brewnion, the local beer scene in the city. Pictured above are her hand, her beer, and her questions and notes for the evening.

At the time, the D.C. 'beer scene' was already vibrant but the local, home-grown options remained few. Brewery restaurant District Chophouse, of the national Rock Bottom group, had opened in dowtown D.C. in 1997. Gordon Biersch, another national chain of brewpubs, was open and brewing in the city. And there was a brand-new production-only brewery in Washington, D.C. DC Brau had shipped its first kegs of beer in April 2011, becoming the first production-only brewery to operate in the nation's capital since 1956.

The venue itself was unique in Washington, D.C. beer history. Until 2010, it had been known as the Brickskeller, which for over fifty years had been nationally renowned as a good beer destination (its beer menu included over one-thousand choices), and a beer tasting venue with national and international brewmasters, when for years there had been few to host such.

In the five years following that conference, eight more breweries have opened in Washington, D.C., making for eleven in all, five of which are production-only breweries.

• 3 Stars Brewing (production-only brewery)
• Atlas Brew Works (production-only brewery)
• Bardo Brewpub (brewery/restaurant)
• Bluejacket (brewery/restaurant)
• DC Brau (production-only brewery)
• District ChopHouse (brewery/restaurant)
• Gordon Biersch downtown (brewery/restaurant)
• Gordon Biersch Navy Yard (brewery/restaurant)
• Hellbender Brewing Company (production-only brewery)
• The Public Option (brewery/restaurant)
• Right Proper Brewery (brewery/restaurant)
• Right Proper Brewery (production-only brewery)

None of the 'pundits' gathered that night in October 2011 knew that all of this was to be, but we were bullish. I was one of Ms. Tuck's invitees. I drank, I talked, and I took this photo.

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Pic(k) of the week: Cask & draught

A pretty pair: a glass of cask-conditioned double IPA ^* on the left, and, on the right, a glass of draught pilsner.

William Jeffrey's Tavern
Arlington, Virginia.
10 September 2015.

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Pic(k) of the Week: Dancing a firkin jig

It's a first for Pic(k) of the Week! Not a static photo such as above, but a short video clip, below.

Sara Sorola —representative for Oliver Brewing (of Baltimore, Maryland)— tapped a firkin, and then danced a celebratory jig, at Rhodeside Grill, a tavern and restaurant in the Court House neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia.

11 March 2015.



The beer in the firkin was Draft Punk IPA:

An Englishman’s interpretation of an American IPA, maybe not as over-the-top as some of it’s “true” American counterparts but with more hops than we’re used to using!

7% alcohol-by-volume, and 'dry-hopped' with American Cascade and Centennial hops, two of the classic and quintessential American "C" hops, with aromas and flavors of grapefruit and gooseberry.

Dry-hopping is the process whereby

hops are inserted in the primary ferment, the secondary ferment, or in the cask directly after filling. The purpose of dry hops is to add additional aromatic properties to the beer.

—The Encyclopedia of Beer (1995)

A 'firkin' is the British term for a cask containing 9 Imperial gallons, which in U.S. measurement is 10.8 gallons, or 86.4 U.S. pints (one pint = 16 U.S. fluid ounces).

But, a firkin rarely yields the full 86.4 pints. The beer inside contains yeast which has naturally carbonated the beer, and which —if the cask has been properly cared for— has fallen beneath the tap. So no sediment in the drinker's glass ... but you wouldn't want to pour those last few pints.

A gentleman at the bar remarked that cask ale is flat. "Then, where did those bubbles in your glass come from," I (gently) prodded him. "I meant it's less carbonated than draft," he answered.

So true, except that I prefer to say that it's cask ale that has been properly carbonated. Draft beer is gassy.

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Max's UK Invasion

I don't often post adverts for a beer event, but (sounding like a certain beer commercial) when I do, it's because it's quite intriguing.

Max's UK Invasion, over the next few days, is quite a large lineup of British beers —cask, draft, and bottle— several not before seen on this side of the Atlantic, presented over several days, at Max's Taphouse, in the Fells Point neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Kudos to the pub's cellarmaster Casey Hard, who celebrates his birthday tomorrow (in grand fashion, I might add).

I drool looking at this list: only a few beers with extraneous cocoa puffs and dingleberries. Most: just good beers. I sigh, knowing I can't be there.

No entry fee. Pay as you drink.

UK INVASION

We will be celebrating some world class UK Casks, drafts and bottles. Many of these breweries are first timers in the United States.

THURSDAY DEC 4 @5pm

CASKS

Moor Envy (Golden Ale)

Moor So’Hop (Golden Ale w/ New Zealand Hops)

Ridgeway Barley Bad Elf (Bitter)

Ridgeway Criminally Bad Elf (Barleywine)

Ridgeway Lump of Coal (Chocolate Stout)

ON DRAFT

Adnams Tally Ho (Barleywine)

Brew By Numbers 04/02 (Double Berliner Weisse)

Burning Sky Saison a la Provision (Saison w/ Lacto & Brett)

Buxton Ace Edge (IPA w/ Sorachi Ace)

Buxton Tsar (Imperial Stout)

Conniston Oatmeal Stout (Oatmeal Stout)

Magic Rock Human Cannonball (Imperial IPA)

Magic Rock/Kissmeyer Salty Kiss (Gose w/ Gooseberries)

Pressure Drop Wu Gang Chops the Tree (Hefeweizen w/ herbs)

Ridgeway Bitter (Bitter)

Siren/Hill Farmstead/Mikkeller Lemoncello (Sour Mash IPA w/ Lemon Peel)

Siren/Prairie Ratchet (Saison aged in Chardonnay barrels)

Siren/to Ol Tickle Monster (Triple IPA aged on cedar wood)

Weird Beard Black Perle (Milk Stout w/ coffee)

Weird Beard Something Something Darkside (Imperial Stout/Imperial IPA Blend)

FRIDAY - SUNDAY DEC 5-7

Friday 5pm  &  Sat/Sun 11am

DRAFTS

Burning Sky Arise (Session IPA)

Buxton Nth Cloud (Double IPA)

Coniston Bluebird Bitter (Bitter)

Fyne Sandra Blonde (Blonde IPA)

Magic Rock/Evil Twin Pogonophobia (Sour Red/Bruin)

Moor Revival (Bitter w/ American hops)

Pressure Drop Bosko (IPA)

Ridgeway Reindeer Droppings (Winter Ale)

Wadworth 6X (Bitter)

Weird Beard Decadence Stout (Stout)

Weird Beard Holly Hoppin Hell Batch 5 (Imperial IPA)

Weird Beard K*Ntisch Town Beard (Hoppy Wheat)

Weird Beard Little Things That Kill batch 9 (Session IPA)

Weird Beard Mariana Trench (Pale Ale)

Weird Beard/IMBC Hacienda (Imperial Black Saison)

IN BOTTLES

Buxton Kinder Stout (Stout)

Buxton Red raspberry Rye (Raspberry Rye Sour)

Buxton Tsar (Imperial Stout)

Buxton Tsar Bumba (Imp Stout w/ Slurry from 1978 Courage Imp Stout)

Buxton Wolfscote (Mild Black Sour)

Coniston Old Man (Old Ale)

Coniston XB (ESB)

Fyne Jarl (Hoppy Golden)

Fyne Sandra Black (Black IPA)

Salopian Entire Butt Porter (Porter)

Siren Odyssey 001 (Imp Stout barrel aged w/ Imp Red )

Siren/Prairie Ratchet (Saison aged in Chardonnay barrels)

Timothy Taylor Landlord (Bitter)

Wadworth Old Timer (Old Ale)

TUESDAY DEC 9 @6PM

TUESDAY BEER SOCIAL UK INVASION HOLIDAY PARTY

ON CASK

Dark Star Revelations

Ilkley The Mayan (Chipotle Chocolate Stout)

Hobson Manor Ale (Bitter)

Thornbridge Jaipur (IPA)

Wild Beer Bliss (Spices/Roasted Apricots/Wild Yeast)

Wild Beer Evolver IPA (IPA w/ Brett)

ON DRAFT

IIkley Mary Jane( IPA)

Hobson Postman Knock (Porter)

Signature Brew Black Tongue (Double Black IPA)

Ridgeway Criminally Bad Elf

Ridgeway InsanelyBbad Elf

Ridgeway Santa’s Butt

Thornbridge Wild Raven (Black IPA)

Thornbidge Bracia (Dark Ale w/ chestnut honey)

Thornbridge Halycon (IPA)

Thornbridge Medici (IPA/Brown Ale)

JW Lees Harvest Ale 25th Anniversary (Barleywine w/ champagne yeast)

Harviestoun Old Engine Oil (Old Ale)

IN BOTTLES

Signature Double Black IPA

Hobson manor Ale No1

Hobson Postman Knock No 3

Hobson Town Crier No 2

IIkley Siberia Rhubarb Saison

IIkey Mary Jane

IIkley The Mayan

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Pic(k) of the Week: By the light of a saison

A photo of a beer —and the folk, who, by enjoying it, were honoring a slain veteran of the Iraq and Afghan campaigns— that was tapped and served on Veterans Day, 11 November 2014, at William Jeffrey's Tavern, in Arlington, Virginia, in honor of slain Marine Lance Corporal Daniel R. Bennett. Some of the proceeds from each pint sold were donated to organizations that benefit injured veterans and families of slain military personnel. Read more about the program, at Honor Brewing.

The beer was Honor Saison, from Honor Brewing (of Chantilly, Virginia).

Aromatic flowers, lemon, noble hops and a dominate [sp] yeasty nose. Delicate pilsner malt flavors, grassy hops, tart hibiscus, lemon, herbs, and farmhouse yeast. Crisp mouthfeel with elevated carbonation that produces champagne like bubbles. Easy drinking.

Alcohol by volume: 4.9%
International bittering units: 25

About the photo, itself

I took the photo without a flash. Using photo editing software, I altered the original to leave only the beer in color (and the candle behind it), but the beer appears slightly out-of focus. In a second shot, I focused on the beer; now, the man at the table is in blurry motion.

Here is the original photo, unmanipulated, taken without a flash.

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To give thanks is a matter of joy. Should that be confined by excessive sobriety?

To give thanks is a matter of joy. Should that be confined by excessive sobriety?

That was how Michael Jackson commented upon American Thanksgiving, in A Twist on Tradition: The Right Beer, Dish by Dish, a 1983 Washington Post byline on choosing beer, not wine, for the Thanksgiving meal.

That would be the 'other' Michael Jackson, a British beer writer, the ungloved one, the Beer Hunter, who, in his long career, set a very high bar for modern beer writing, across all borders. That I feel it necessary to identify which Jackson I mean pushes me into 'kids-these-days' territory.

As quotidien as the idea of good-beer-with-good-food may appear today, three decades ago it was an epicurean epiphany, a "twist" against the style-makers. Jackson didn't personally conjoin these taste-companions, but he did certainly nurture them.

Tomorrow, with the Thanksgiving meal, I will open a bottle of cider, gueuze, or Trappist ale; maybe a barleywine with pie. I will attempt to avoid excessive sobriety.

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"From Grain to Growler": The state of 'craft' beer in the state of Virginia.

"From Grain to Growler" is a newly produced documentary ¹ on the history and recent growth of 'craft' beer and breweries in Virginia.

The film was publicly screened for the first time, on 9 August 2014, to a full house, at the Capital Ale House, in downtown Richmond, Virginia.

I watched it, sitting at table with Dave Gott (l) —Vice-President of Operations for Legend Brewing Company (of Richmond, Virginia)— and Brett Vassey (c) —President of the Virginia Manufacturers Association, the parent organization of the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild.



About forty-five minutes later, and after filmmakers Megan Troy and Aaron Stanley took their bows, a panel of five Virginia brewers discussed the film and the state of 'craft' beer in the state.



On the stage, seated, left to right, were:

• Lee Graves, moderator —"The Beer Guy," beer columnist for Richmond Times-Dispatch;
  
• Sean-Thomas Pumphrey —brewer/owner, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery (Goochland);
  
• Dave Gott —Vice-President of Operations, Legend Brewing Company (Richmond);
  
• Patrick Murtaugh —owner/brewer, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery (Richmond);
  
• Mark Thompson —owner/brewer, Starr Hill Brewing (Crozet); Director, Virginia Craft Brewers Guild;
  
• Hunter Smith —owner/brewer, Champion Brewing Company (Charlottesville).

And, here's what they said:

In 2013, "a 52 percent annual growth in volume among Virginia craft breweries; a ranking of 15th in the nation in 2013 for the number of active breweries [82]; and the possibility to nearly double that number in the next three to five years. [...] At last year’s Great American Beer Festival, Virginia ranked fourth among all states in the number of medals won. [...] The total economic impact from craft brewing in Virginia comes to $623 million and 8,163 jobs, according to the Virginia Manufacturers Association. ²

"From Grain to Growler" affords Legend Brewing a prominent place in the film, properly, as this Richmond brewery is the oldest extant microbrewery, that is, 'craft' brewery, in Virginia. But the film leaves several other pioneers of Virginia beer —some that preceded and some that followed— unheralded. (I address some specifics: here.) That's a lack of historical context for a "documentary chronicling the rise of Virginia craft beer." Substantial footage wasn't required (or practical), but a simple mention or slide would have sufficed.

In addition, brewers needed to be better captioned for identification: not all viewers of the film will be familiar with all Virginia 'craft' beer, and ten or more years from now, some names of brewers and breweries, unfortunately, may be forgotten. Some brewers were pictured hurriedly, without audio and without ID.

But ... all in all, "From Grain to Growler" was well-produced, with good production values, and done so, lovingly. It's a snapshot of 'craft' beer as it is now, in Virginia. The audience received the film enthusiastically, and there was ample beer for all to drink.

Virginia 'craft' beer, of course.

On draft: Killer Kölsch, from Champion Brewing, of Charlottesville, Virginia.

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Some things come (Tuppers 25K), and some things go (Tuppers Hop Pocket).

For over thirty years, Bob and Ellie Tupper have observed, hosted, interviewed, and introduced the Washington, D.C.-area beer scene. During that time, the husband-and-wife duo has tasted over 24,000 beers from there —and nearly everywhere else— and recorded their observations in handwritten notebooks.

On Wednesday, 2 July, they will taste, and document, in public, their 25,000th beer.

With Lost Rhino Brewing, of Ashburn, Virginia, the Tuppers have collaborated in brewing a "big-hopped" Rye Pale Ale of 7.9% alcohol-by-volume (abv). Called, appropriately, Tuppers' 25K, the beer will be released that evening at the brewery's tap room, draught-only. The Tuppers will meet and greet at 6pm; they'll 'formally' taste the beer, their 25,000th brew, at 7:30. There's no admission charge; one pays as one drinks. But ... sales of souvenir glasses and a percentage of the beer sales will benefit The Reading Connection, an organization that provides books and tutoring for kids in shelters.

In today's parlance, Bob and Ellie —a schoolteacher and scientific editor, by trades, respectively— are 'gypsy' brewers.

In 1994, after already having tasted thousands of beers, they collaborated with Dominion Brewing —then in Ashburn, close to where Lost Rhino is today— to brew a beer as they wanted a beer to taste. The result, Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ale (and, later, joined by Tuppers' Hop Pocket Pils), was considered quite the hop 'bomb' of the day. Kenny Allen¹, then Dominion's head-brewer, brewed Hop Pocket with "extravagant" quantities of whole leaf hops, Mt. Hood predominant. Hop Pocket would go on to become Dominion's top-selling beer, but in 2007, production was halted after Dominion was sold and moved soon thereafter to Delaware. Three years later, in 2010, the beer would be revived at St. George Brewing, in Hampton, Virginia.

Sadly, Tuppers Hop Pocket Ale is, again, no longer in production (never say never?). Bob and Ellie will be tapping the very last keg of it, this Tuesday evening, 24 June, at Mia's Pizzas, in Bethesda, Maryland.

Of course, the following week, the two, quite un-wistfully, will be tapping their newest beer, Tuppers' 25K, at Lost Rhino Brewing.

We haven't had a chance to play 'gypsy' for a while, so it was really fun being back in a brewhouse again. Favio Garcia [brewmaster and co-owner at Lost Rhino, who had also once worked at Dominion Brewing] is a blast to work with. We were standing in the hop room saying, "There're some xxx hops. Let's use some of those." So, Favio tossed Mount Hood, Amarillo, Cascade, and Azacca [a new variety] in the kettle, adding a good dose of Mount Hood and Amarillo at knockout, and then a bunch of Crystal and Mount Hood in the hop-back. The rye was coming through very nicely when we had some out of the fermenter last week. Rye can be husky and edgy, but it seemed to oddly temper the big hops. We'll see what happens when fermentation's done.

Bob reports that Tuppers' 25K is but the prototype for an even 'bigger' beer. Come this fall, he and Ellie will again be collaborating with the brewery, but on "Mother Tupper's Back of the Cupboard Imperial Rye PA" (say that 5 times quickly!), "a 9.4% abv, 94 IBUs liverbreaker," named and 'spec'd' for Bob's 94 year old mother. A 50-barrel batch, it will be packaged in draught and in 22-ounce bottles.

Some things come, and some things go. Farewell, Hop Pocket; greetings, Tuppers' 25K and Mother Tupper's. But a question remains: when will the Tuppers ever get around to publishing the tasting notes for those twenty-five thousand beers?

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Pic(k) of the Week: The Perfect Bite 2014

These whimsical morsels are Perpetual Goatstoppers: seedless red grapes wrapped with chèvre (soft goat cheese), studded with candied ginger, and encrusted with ... Post Cereal Burstin' Berry Poppin' Pebbles (!), a breakfast version of Pop Rocks, a CO2-infused fruit-flavored candy that 'pops' in your mouth.

They were created by Perry Soulos —cheesemonger at Arrowine, a wine, beer, and cheese shop in Arlington, Virginia— as a "perfect bite" for his first place finish at the 1st West Coast Cheesemonger Invitational Championship, held in San Francisco, California, in January 2014.

In one of eight rounds of the competition, contestants had sixty minutes in which to put together a dish, from one pre-determined cheese. Soulos' was goat cheese; he named his confection, 'Goatstoppers,' in a nod to the fictional Everlasting Gobstoppers of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: candies that change colors and flavors, and can never be finished.

Several months after the competition, Soulos recreated his goat-cheese 'truffles' at an 'after-hours' beer-and-cheese tasting at his Arlington, Virginia, shop. And, one could taste why he had won. As crazy as Perpetual Goatstoppers might have sounded, they weren't. Soulos had successfully mashed-up the tang of goat cheese with contrasting textures (soft cheese, popping candy), shots of gingered sweet and spice, and a frisson shot of grape juice.

As the evening began, folk tasted three 'unadorned' sheep's milk cheeses and six beers: a Belgian sour gueuze, an English oak-aged barleywine, a German hefe-weizen, a Trappist tripel, a Trappist-brewed brettanomyces beer, and a Spanish 'craft' beer.

I mentioned the affinity of cheese for beer. How serving a California Cabernet Sauvignon with a cheese is like pouring jam on the cheese. How, at the very least, beer is a wash with cheese; it doesn't fight it. How, at its best, beer shares with cheese the flavors of kitchen, field, and 'funky' fermentation.

It was Soulos, however, who had the best line of the evening. "With cheese, wine is an a**hole. Beer is a friend."

The 'stunner' of the evening was the 'craft' beer from Spain, La Socarrada —a Valencian ale brewed and infused with rosemary and rosemary honey. Tried with the goat-cheesed Goatstoppers, flavors of sweet and savory popped in the mouth as if one had bitten into a pod of cardamom.

And, you too can make Perpetual Goatstoppers at home. Soulos has graciously shared his recipe. Serve the beers. Amaze your friends!

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz Chèvre Goat Cheese
• 2 oz candied ginger, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 cups Burstin' Berry Poppin' Pebbles (or Pop Rocks)
• 1 bunch red seedless grapes

INSTRUCTIONS

• Wash and de-stem red grapes.
• In large zip-lock bag, combine 2 oz. of crushed candied ginger and the cereal. Lightly crush into small pieces.
• Pinch off a small amount of chevre, and slightly flatten out to make a small indentation for the grape.
• Place grape in center of goat cheese, and work the cheese completely around the grape, to create a small cheese ball. Repeat.
• Roll cheese balls in ginger and cereal mixture until evenly coated.

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Pic(k) of the Week: Grand stout theater

In grand fashion, the gentleman filled a 'tulip' glass with the dark liquid contents of a bottle of stout.

And, then, we drank.

The stout ale was from Malka, a brewery on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, in Israel. The 'pourer' was Austin Clar, of Sublime Imports, Malka's U.S. importer. The location was Lyon Hall, a European-styled brasserie, found in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia (itself a close-in suburb of Washington, D.C.).

30 May 2014.

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Pic(k) of the Week: Full Tilt first sip

She's about to take a first sip of beer after work, while he appears to be contemplating higher things (or the television set above). The anticipation of that first sip of beer of the day is always a lovely thing. I think it shows on her face (even in profile).

William Jeffrey's Tavern
Arlington, Virginia.
30 January 2014.

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Evening Star's 7th Annual Thanksgiving Eve Cask Tapping of Heavy Seas Loose Cannon

The holiday tradition at the Evening Star continues! We'll be pouring from a wooden cask of Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA, which has been additionally spiked with soft maple wood chips and Northern Brewer hops.

For a beautiful comparison, we will also pour regular Loose Cannon on draft, and some deliciously fresh kegs of Heavy Seas Winter Storm Imperial ESB!

The firkin taps at 6pm. Live music from the Joe Chiocca Band starts at 8pm. Come celebrate and give thanks a little early with Evening Star!

Seven years ago, on Thanksgiving Eve 2007, a cask of Loose Cannon would be the first cask-conditioned beer ever served at the Evening Star, a cozy pub and restaurant in the quaint Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia. There have been many cask ales served since, but every Thanksgiving Eve, it's still a cask of Loose Cannon.

Heavy Seas Brewery (then known as Clipper City Brewing) is located just 45 miles north, on the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland.

This is one of those beer events, not big and splashy, that I look forward to every year. Close to home, it has fresh beer, good food, fun music, bonhomie ... and hand-turkeys!

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Oogy Wawa! Heavy Seas to raise funds for Mick Kipp (UPDATED)

Oogy Wawa! (and if you don't know what that means, read on). Here's news of a special event passed along to me by my friends at Heavy Seas Brewing, and it concerns a special friend of many in the Baltimore, Maryland, beer world.

Many of you know that funny face above. It is Mick Kipp (aka Mick T. Pirate) from the Whiskey Island Spice Company. Mick was a staple at most of our Heavy Seas events, creating his delicious Cajun inspired dishes for everyone to enjoy. As you may know, Mick passed away earlier this year. This unexpected tragedy left him with some unfinished business - a promise to send his daughter Matoaka to college. So we'd like to help...

And, so can you

UPDATE: Originally we had planned a singular event on September 19th, International Talk Like a Pirate Day, to raise money for an education fund for Mick's daughter, Matoaka.

As with any nautical excursion, sometimes there is a change of course. We have decided not to do a special event on September 19th, but rather to celebrate his life by donating 10% of the net proceeds from our Beer & Bacon Fest and our next 3 festivals to Matoaka's education fund.

Heavy Seas Beer
4615 Hollins Ferry Rd.
Baltimore, Maryland 21227
410-247-7822

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Pic(k) of the week: Allagash allemande!

A server seems to dance, while presenting eight small pours of draught beers from Allagash Brewery, of Portland, Maine. All told, fourteen Allagash draught beers were available to patrons during an Allagash 'tap takeover' that evening, at Pizzeria Paradiso.

Alexandria (Old Town), Virginia.
1 March 2013.

See the register of all fourteen beers: here.

********************

Pic(k) of the Week: one in a weekly series of personal photos, often posted on Saturdays, and often, but not always, with a good fermentable as a subject. Camera used: Olympus Pen E-PL1. Commercial reproduction requires explicit permission, as per Creative Commons.

Caveat lector: As a representative for Select Wines, Inc. —a wine and beer wholesaler in northern Virginia— I sell the beers of Allagash.

Thoughts on DC's Winter Holidaze Extravaganzee

In 1988, Washington, D.C.'s venerable beer pub, the Brickskeller, held its first ever Christmas Beer Tasting. Back then, there were only four 'local' breweries in Virginia and Maryland (and none in D.C.): G. Heileman Brewing Company, in Halethorpe, Maryland, Anheuser-Busch, in Williamsburg, Virginia, and upstart 'micro-breweries' Chesbay, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and British Brewing Company, in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Schoolteacher and beer raconteur Bob Tupper, the host, would have to round out the evening's tasting with beers from breweries elsewhere.

The final winter beer tasting at the Brickskeller was held in December of 2010. Proprietors Dave and Diane Alexander would sell the restaurant/pub/hotel later that month. But the tradition of the Winter Holidaze Extravaganzee has continued at their other restaurant: D.A.'s R.F.D. (The "DA" stands for Dave (and Diane) Alexander; the "RFD" for "regional food and drink").

It was held this year on 19 December 2012, for the 25th time, and, this time, with 16 local breweries represented. Many, many more local breweries could have been invited: there are five breweries in Washington, D.C. proper, forty from Virginia, and twenty in Maryland. Four in 1988; sixty-five in 2012. What a difference a quarter century has made.

I did find the list of the missing to be somewhat peculiar. There was no Capitol City Brewing, Washington D.C.'s first brewpub since Prohibition (although now brewing in northern Virginia). There was a reason for this, however, which I learned of a few days later. Although D.C.'s 3 Stars Brewing was present, where was DC Brau, the first production brewery in the the District of Columbia since 1956? And, where was Flying Dog, Maryland's largest brewery, and the 23rd largest regional brewery in the U.S.?

As it stood, however, even sixteen were too many for the evening, which began around 7 pm and continued past 11:30 pm. Inviting four more breweries but splitting the event over two nights would have been logistically better. Here's the evening's roster:

• 3 Stars (Washington, DC): Winter Madness Barleywine
• Brewers Alley (Frederick, MD): Riot Rye Pale Ale
• Devils Backbone (Roseland, VA): 16 Point IPA
• District Chophouse (Washington, DC): Solidarity Saison
• Dog Brewing (Westminster, MD): Oatmeal Stout
• DuClaw Brewing (Bowie, MD): Pumpkin Retribution
• Gordon Biersch (Rockville, MD): Winter Bock
• Heavy Seas (Baltimore, MD): Winter Storm Imperial ESB
• Lost Rhino (Ashburn, VA): Triple IPA
• Mad Fox Brewing (Falls Church, VA): Crazy Ivan Russian Imperial Stout
• Port City (Alexandria, VA): Tidings Spiced Imperial Wit
• Red Brick Station (White Marsh, MD): Winter Solstice
• Rock Bottom (Ballston, Arlington, VA): Fallen Angel Boubon-aged Tripel
• Sweetwater Tavern (Centreville, Merrifield, Sterling, VA): St Nick's Weizenbock
• Union Craft (Baltimore, MD): Pregame English Mild
• Vintage 50 (Leesburg, VA): The Longest Night Solstice spiced ale.

Here are some other 'takeaways' from the evening ...

Most humorous moment #1:
Host Bob Tupper —he, in his 60s, looking like Santa Claus— says of the smooth alcohol-masked flavor of 3 Stars Brewing's (Washington, D.C.) Winter Madness: "I wish they had had beers like this when I was dating in college." (Rest of thought left unsaid!) Brewer/owner Dave Coleman holds up his hand, showing wedding band. "I wouldn't know, Bob. I'm 5 years happily married." Tupper retorts: "I've got 30 years on you, Dave."

10.6% alcohol-by-volume 'Winter Warmer,' brewed with Vienna, 2 Row, Crystal, Special Roast, Biscuit, & Chocolate malts, and rolled oats, and hopped with Centennial and Cascade.

Best beard trio:
See above! Left to right: 3 Stars brewer/co-owner Mike McGarvey; brewer/co-owner Dave Coleman; RFD host Bob Tupper.

Most humorous moment #2:
Host Bob Tupper lets out a guffaw at something Jason Oliver, brewer for Devils Backbone (of Roseland, Virginia), has said. Unfortunately, my notes don't indicate what was said.

For the evening, Oliver brought his 16 Point Ale, the newest entrant in his line of 'buck beers:' a 9.1% alcohol-by-volume 'Imperial' India Pale Ale, hopped with Columbus, Centennial, and Simcoe.

Best fail:
A couple of minutes into talking with George Humbert —owner of DOG Brewing (of Westminster, Maryland— about his Chocolate Porter 6.9% abv), host Bob Tupper —in his best school teacher manner, which is, after all what he does when not talking about beer— picked up his plastic glass, and asked the staff: "Is THIS the Chocolate Porter?" It wasn't. The crew had inadvertently served the spiced Longest Night Solstice Ale (7.4% abv) from Vintage 50 (of Leesburg, Virginia). After a few minutes, Humbert's beer was served, and both Kristi Griner —brewer at Vintage 50— and Humbert were seated on the dais. "I knew immediately it wasn't mine, but I didn't want to embarrass anyone, and it was good," said Humbert.

Most embarrassing moment:
Lost Rhino Brewing (of Ashburn, Virginia) 'collaborated' with Westover Market (an independent supermarket in Arlington, Virginia, with a year-round outdoor beer garden) to produce HopStar Triple IPA. The recipe was created, and small-batch tested, by Steve Marler (in the center of the photo), an award-winning home-brewer and a long-time member and officer of Brewers United for Real Potables (BURP), the Washington, D.C.'s area's largest and longest-running homebrew club. And the result, brewed by John Peters (on the right) at Lost Rhino Brewing —HopStar Triple IPA— was indeed a marvelously hoppy and bitter beer. The recipe included mango puree, which may have added to a citrus fruit aroma and flavor.

The embarrassing moment occurred when Devin Hicks, the General Manager of Westover (on the left in the photo) —who was the impetus for making the beer— told the audience that the beer was just like Bells Brewing HopSlam but hoppier, and "everyone likes HopSlam, don't they?" The response from the audience was silence.

Best posse:
Mad Fox Brewing (Falls Church, Virginia) brought four brewers to the dais. There weren't enough chairs. In the photo, left to right: assistant brewers Brad Hulewicz (standing) and Brian Murphy; head brewer Charlie Buettner; brewmaster/owner Bill Madden; host Bob Tupper (wearing Santa hat).

The beer they brought was one of the stars of the evening: Crazy Ivan, a 10% alcohol-by-volume 'Russian Imperial Stout,' aged 8 months in Evan Williams whiskey oak barrels.

Best personal moment:
As I was writing down my tasting notes, an attractive brewer patted my back: "You're so organized," she said. Little did she (or I) know, that I would misplace my notebook, and have to recreate those notes from memory. So much for organization!

Best beers:
Purely subjective, and purely my choices. The audience was not polled.

Kevin Blodger —brewer and co-owner of Union Craft Brewery (Baltimore, Maryland)— brought Pregame, an 'English-style' Dark Mild: Deep brown/black, with some red highlights, with a strong coffee and baker's chocolate aroma and flavor. Only 4.4% alcohol-by-volume, yet packed with character. In fact, Pregame tasted fresher and more flavor-defined than a couple of the other beers (of much higher alcohol) that evening (to remain nameless).



Dave Warwick, brewer at Rock Bottom (Ballston, Arlington, VA), brought Fallen Angel,a blended Belgian-style Tripel: 50% of the mix was from a batch brewed in 2008 by then-brewer Chris Rafferty, and aged since then in a Woodford Reserve bourbon oak barrel; the other half was freshly fermented Tripel, brewed by Warwick, to provide carbonation and soften the wood and bourbon character. It didn't taste like a Tripel, but rather a strong golden ale with spicy notes, high-toned fruity aromatics, and a depth of bourbon heat and finish.

And, finally: What is a winter beer?:
That evening, we were served a saison —a Belgian-style spiced wheat beer. Is that a Christmas/winter beer? I believe the answer to be a simple one. A winter beer is a beer brewed, or drunk, or both, during the winter months. A merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good beer.

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The Brewers Association —a trade association for U.S. breweries of annual output of fewer than 6 million barrels— defines regional brewery as "A brewery with an annual beer production of between 15,000 and 6,000,000 barrels." A microbrewery, it defines as producing less than that.

By 11:15 pm, concerned about missing the Metro from downtown back to northern Virginia,  I left without tasting the 11.5% alcohol-by-volume Pumpkin Retribution from Jim Wagner and his crew at DuClaw. Thus, their beer didn't make my 'Best of' list, possibly undeservedly.

Photos of the brewers and descriptions of their beers can be seen on Flickr: here.

Pic(k) of the Week: Don't tell Mrs.Claus!

Don't tell Mrs. Claus!

Adjusting Santa's hat was Kristi Mathews Griner, brewster for Vintage 50, a brewpub in Leesburg, Virginia.

Santa Claus was Bob Tupper, host of the Winter Holidaze Extravaganzee. Brewers from sixteen breweries in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia brought their winter seasonal beers, and talked about them.

Held on 19 December 2012, at RFD, in Washington, D.C., the evening was the 25th annual occurrence of this winter beer tasting. For many years prior, the venue had been the Brickskeller; it was sold in 2010.

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More photos from the tasting: here.

Pic(k) of the Week: one in a weekly series of personal photos, posted on Saturdays, and often, but not always, with a good fermentable as a subject. Commercial use requires explicit permission,as per Creative Commons.

Allagash at Lyon Hall

Tap 'takeovers' seem to be all the rage these days: at one bar, as many beers as possible, from one brewery, on as many taps as possible. Sometimes too many is too many ... how many beers can one actually drink —responsibly— in one session? But it's fun, and, if small portion samples are provided, one can survey a brewery's breadth and depth.

Lyon Hall is a brasserie-styled restaurant in the 'hot' Clarendon district of Arlington, Virginia. Allagash Brewing is a Belgian-beer-inspired brewery in Portland, Maine. The two will team up for a tasting of four draft beers —a mini-tap takeover, if you will— on Wednesday, 5 December.

The 5th of December (1933) is an important date in the history of U.S. good fermentables. Here's how Lyon Hall put it, on its Facebook page:

Almost 80 years ago, Americans wised up and realized that we can't live without booze, thus repealing the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. So on Wednesday December 5th , we celebrate with a bounty of sweet, delicious beer! Join us at the bar for a special tapping of 4 unique Beers from American craft brewery Allagash! On tap for the evening will be Confluence, Smoke and Beards, Curieux, and Bourbon Black. Take home a glass, enjoy a special Allagash Beer Flight, and revel in the fact that none of us ever lived during Prohibition!

There is no entrance fee. Simply pay as you go. The 'official' tappings commence at 5 pm. Lyon Hall's bar manager, David McGregor, is the official host. Suzanne Woods, the local representative from Allagash Brewing, is the official guest.

• Bourbon Black
  A Belgian style stout brewed with 2-row barley, roasted torrified wheat and roasted oats, chocolate malt, and a generous portion of dark caramelized candi sugar. The silky mouth feel is a great balance to the roasted character, coffee and dark chocolate notes expressed throughout. Then ...aged in aged in Jim Beam Bourbon barrels. 7.5% abv.
  
  
• Confluence
  Dry Hopped Golden Ale created with a mixed fermentation; utilizing our house primary Belgian style yeast in combination with our proprietary Brettanomyces strain. The two yeast strains work in tandem creating a marriage between spice and fruit flavors that ultimately leave a lingering silky mouth feel. Confluence is brewed with a blend of both imported pilsner and domestic pale malts as well as a portion of caramel malt, resulting in a complex malty profile. Tettnang and East Kent Golding hops are added in the brew process to balance the intricate malty profile while adding a sweet and spicy citrus aroma. After fermentation, Confluence undergoes a lengthy aging process in stainless steel tanks to enhance the flavors. Dry hopped with Glacier hops, providing a pleasant balance of aromas. 7.5% abv.
  
  
• Curieux
  The brewery's first foray into barrel aging. Curieux is made by aging its Tripel Ale in Jim Beam bourbon barrels for eight weeks in cold cellars. The aged beer is then blended back with a portion of fresh Tripel. The resulting beer deep golden, soft with coconut and vanilla notes, with hints of bourbon. 11% abv.
  
  
• Smoke and Beards
  A 'collaboration' brew with Belgian brewery De Molen, Smoke and Beards is a smoked Tripel ale, brewed with a blend of 2-row and smoked malts, and then lightly hopped with Northern Brewer, Hallertau,and saaz hops. The beer is hazy and light golden in appearance, with an aroma of light smoke and spice. The flavor is smokey, with hints of dried fruit. The body, medium; the finish, dry. Menno Olivier, owner of Brouwerij De Molen, has a habit of naming beers with paired words. After meeting a few of the Allagash brewers, he knew he wanted one of the words for this beer's name to be "beards." 9.2% abv.

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UPDATE: Photos from the tasting: here.

Caveat lector: As a representative for Select Wines, Inc. —a wine and beer wholesaler in northern Virginia— I sell the beers of Allagash.