Beerploma's Interview with Summit's Eric Harper, Brewer of Hop Silo Double IPA

Summit Brewing Company's 18th Unchained Series, Hop Silo, has been available a little over a week now.  It has met with a myriad of positive reviews.  Hop Silo is a Double IPA that has the hop punch to satisfy even the biggest hop-head while remaining incredibly drinkable and smooth.  I sat down with the man behind  Hop Silo, Eric Harper, who had the responsibility of brewing up this fantastic brew.  The atmosphere of the Summit beer hall complete with open windows and delicious beer acted as the perfect backdrop for this interview.  Our chat was both informative and enjoyable as Eric is a very knowledgeable and down to earth brewer who likes to talk beer.

Eric has been with Summit for 6 years and New Glarus before that, so he has a great pedigree when it comes to brewing.  Hop Silo is Eric's third Unchained beer; the previous Unchained brews were Series #4 a Belgian Style Golden Ale and Series #11 Old 152, a Kentucky Common Ale.  The seven brewers at Summit rotate who gets to brew the Unchained beers.  Eric said that being able to have 100% control over the development of a beer that Summit makes is incredibly cool.  He loves the fact that he gets the trust of the Brewmaster and Head Brewer to do something that he feels incredibly passionate about.  Summit has never brewed a Double IPA before, but when Eric was out in the Yakima Hop valley, he discovered some hops that he felt he absolutely had to use and that was what put the wheels in motion.  

Eric used Azacca, Zeus, Lemondrop and Cascade hops as well as a Beta Aroma Hop Extract.  All these things work together to give Hop Silo a decent hop presence, but not to the point where it will overwhelm the palate.  He wanted to maintain a balance between aroma and bitterness and I think that he does that because there is enough malt in this beer.  When you drink Hop Silo, it doesn't taste like it is 8.3% ABV, and that is why it is so drinkable.  One reason why I am always a little wary of a Double IPA is that it can be so strong and so astringent, that it is hard to enjoy more than one without totally destroying my palate.  Hop Silo did not destroy my palate and I even enjoyed another!  The only negative about this beer is that it is a somewhat limited quantity.  It released about 10 days ago and people are responding positively to Hop Silo.  Summit brewed roughly 900 barrels of this beer (a barrel is 31.5 gallons) and is available in 16 oz. cans as well as on tap at many of the places in the Twin Cities.  

As a local craft beer fan, I am so happy that Summit puts such trust in the capable hands of their brewers.  Eric is incredibly passionate about beer and in talking to him, the pride that he has in this beer comes across genuinely and unabashed.  His ear to ear grin about how happy he is that Hop Silo turned out so well speak volumes about what this opportunity means to him.  Not many other breweries in this market do a series like this where they give over total control to every brewer to create something unique that may or may not be in their regular portfolio.  Get out and try this wonderful beer while you can.  

A Beerploma Taproom Tour: Fair State Brewing Cooperative

There are plenty of places in the city to and get a beer.  However, in the last five years, the focus has turned from places to get a beer to places where you really want to go to get a beer.  The drinking options in the midst of the Twin Cities taproom explosion have increased in a staggering way.  As places continue to open, it becomes more and more about providing drinkers with great beer to drink, but also an atmosphere that is conducive to enjoying the company of others as they drink craft beer.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative has been open for just about six months and provides craft beer drinkers with unique and delicious beers.  Fair State also fosters a wonderful craft beer drinking community with a co-op membership that is over 600 strong and growing.

Lets start with the look of the taproom.  The exposed brick and long, beautiful bar give the taproom a very comfortable feel.  The bar was made of the reclaimed wood from the original building.  The uniqueness and high quality of the bar allow for plenty of seating, as it stretches far down at least half the length of the taproom.  The layout is perfect for meeting people and having great conversation.  There are windows that allow you to see into the brewhouse.  The bathroom is down a hallway and on the wall of that corridor the words, "Drink like you own the place" are painted.  That statement speaks volumes about the experience that the founders of the brewery want their patrons to have.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative was founded by three college friends, Evan Sallee, Niko Tonks and Matthew Hauck, who all have shared an interest in beer dating back to 2002 when they met in college.  The cooperative nature of the business stems from a desire to connect good people with good beer.  The state of MN has a very high number of cooperative businesses ranging from farm shares to places to shop for groceries, so a cooperative brewery seemed like something that would work well.  As of 2-19-15, Fair State had over 600 members, a number that has far exceeded what they initially projected.  The membership benefits include, but are not limited to voting on different beer styles every couple of months.  Members also enjoy Happy Hour prices ($1.00 off pints and $.50 off half-pints) all day on Monday and Wednesday-Friday from 4-7pm.  Recently, a Fair State Brewing Cooperative-themed Members Only jacket became a perk for signing up!

Fair State's beers are the deft and nuanced concoctions of Head Brewer, Nico Tonks.  Nico started at Jester King Brewing and Live Oak Brewing in Austin, TX, where he learned the art of brewing continental lagers and wheat beers.  The availability of local ingredients often dictates what is brewed.  Although, Pilsner is the favorite style of the taproom and their version is on-point.  In addition to lagers, they also brew ales and will usually have a nice selection of each on tap.  One of the things I was especially impressed with was their sour beer, Lactobac 1.  Their barrel aging program is expanding and in the future, there will be more and more delicious barrel aged selections to enjoy.

Groucho Marx once said, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member."  Fair State Brewing Cooperative's passion for beer combined with the amazing community being fostered there might cause him to rethink his prolific statement.  The options for drinking good beer in the Twin Cities and beyond are great, but finding a place with this type of inviting atmosphere is not as easy.  Fair State has hit all the marks, so get there and try the amazing drinking experience for yourself.  Prost!

How to Talk Like a Beer Geek: We Aren't in India Anymore!

Did you know ‘India’ Pale Ales aren’t even from INDIA?! Uhhhh... What?!?! Yep, they were actually made for British Soldiers. The astringent nature of the extra hops made it possible for the beer to survive travel to faraway places... Like India!

Nowadays it is getting increasingly hard to find just an IPA without a word or two before ‘IPA’ on the label. A style of a style if you will. Confusing, yes. But, I got your back! This isn’t necessarily meant to be an actual style guide per se, but more of guide to help you understand and decode those qualifier words.


First English IPAs. These are the first. The original. The real deal! English IPAs were basically Pale Ales that were hopped up, a bit maltier, and a bit bigger on the ABV percentage. Again, made so that they would survive the long voyage to the British troops in India.

Next up, American IPAs! USA! USA! USA! American IPAs are a bit more robust in the ol’ flavor area than an English IPA. Typically more hopped up and usually with hops from this side of the pond. Now, this is where things get interesting! Much like the rappers of the rap battles of the 90s, American IPAs are often either West Coast or East Coast.

West Coast IPAs are the hoptastic flavor blasts that are pretty popular. Hopped usually with exclusively west coast hops, these beers don’t try to hide the floral citrusy hoppiness. Balance? Screw balance!

East Coast IPAs on the other hand tries to save your palate a bit from the hop overload. East Coast IPAs are still hoppy, but they tend to be balanced out better with a bit more of a malt profile. East Coast IPAs are basically West Coast IPAs’ more conservative brother.

For the last one, let’s hop back over to the other side of the pond; Belgian IPAs. Belgian IPAs are IPAs that have been made using Belgian yeast strains. Think of crossing a Belgian beer with an American IPA. You get the hoppiness of an IPA and you get the flavors from the Belgian yeast like you would in a dubbel or tripel. To me, this one is the most complex of the IPAs.

There we go! IPAs are not just IPAs anymore. Next time you want to pound a couple of these hoppy tasty beers you will be able to better decide what style of this... ummm... style you wish to get in your beer hole!

The Pint Report: Surly Abrasive VS. Bell's Hopslam

Craft beer drinkers look forward to the release of Bell's Hopslam every year with a vigor matched only by someone who consumed 8 Fiber One bars on a road trip and is looking for a rest stop.  This beer is iconic and believed by many to be the standard to which all others should be measured.  Luckily, for Minnesotans, and more recently people in Chicago, Surly has a beer called Abrasive Ale, which is also a very uniquely uber-hopped Double IPA.

Surly Abrasive and Bell's Hopslam are now both available in our market.  These are probably two of the best representations of Double IPAs in this market and craft beer drinkers will naturally be having the debate about which of these beers is better.  Is it even fair to compare these two beers?  Maybe not, but I like to live on the edge and a comparison of these two fabulous beers cannot possibly be worse than my Fiber One Bar debacle on my way to Wichita. . .

Let's start with the local beer, Surly Abrasive Ale.  As of 2/15/15, it is ranked 51st on Beer Advocate's list of the top 250 beers.  It was released a little after mid-January and is widely available in the metro at bars, liquor stores and at the brewery.  It is an American Double IPA/Imperial IPA with an ABV of 9% and 120 IBUs.  It is brewed with Warrior and Citra hops and balanced out with malted oats and 2-row malt according to the Surly Brewing Company website.

Bell's Hopslam started showing up in MN around the 9th of February and is also an American Double IPA.  It ranks 66th out of 250 on Beer Advocate's list of the top 250 beers.  Hopslam has an ABV of 10% and 70 IBUs.  The Bell's website states only that is uses hop varietals from the Pacific Northwest and that it is dry-hopped with Simcoe hops.  According to their website, Bell's uses a "generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey" to balance out the hops.

Let's start with the things that these great beers have in common.  The rich hue of vibrant marmalade orange makes this a breathtaking sight in a nice goblet.  The ABV of the beers are also in the 9-10% range, so more of a sipper as opposed to something you would invite the frat boys down the street over to play beer pong with.  These beers are also incredibly sought after.  There might still be some available in your local craft beer liquor stores, but it might be easier to find these beers on tap.

Head of Bell's Hopslam

The differences that set these beers apart are also what makes them similarly great.  When I tasted them side by side, it was a very pleasant way to spend my time.  I will start with aroma and tell you that they are both extremely aromatic, but in two separately distinct ways.  The Hopslam has a very citrusy and sweet aroma.  Whereas the Abrasive is more piney and almost woody.  Both hop aromas are inviting to the nose and really stimulate the olfactory senses.

Hopslam has a little head retention where the Abrasive has almost none.  The mouthfeel of the Hopslam was slightly more effervescent and eventually smoothed out.  The resiny nature of the Abrasive lingers on the tongue and transitions to a pretty bitter bite in the aftertaste.  Hopslam is a lot more balanced because of the honey as opposed to the Abrasive that is pretty hoppy the whole way through.

Head of Surly Abrasive

Flavor-wise, these beers are both tremendous.  In the abrasive, amongst the piney and grapefruity intensity, there is also almost the bitterness of citrus pith.  Obviously, diehard hop-heads love Abrasive for this quality.  Hopslam is citrusy at first and then melds into a more grapefruit hop bite which is balanced out by the malt and honey, resulting in a much more balanced taste.

To say which one is better is tough.  Is it possible to say which animal print pattern of Zubaz go better with a fanny pack?  Can we possibly say that there is one distinct Kim Kardashian quote that proves her to be the queen of stupidity?  Can we truly look at the label of a Fiber One bar and think to ourselves that 35% of your daily fiber is more of an estimation than a scientific certainty?  I believe that it is not fair to say one is better than the other.  They are each superb representations of a style while being drastically different in hop character.  That is why they are sought after and rated highly.  There is not one person who considers themselves a fan of hoppy beer who would say that either of these beers are bad.

How to Talk Like a Beer Geek: Decoding Acronyms!

Acronyms are something that really get my goat on a daily basis at the ol’ day job. Someone calls looking for information pertaining to the A.C.H.R.G.P.C.... Uhhhh, what the hell does that mean!?! And why does this person think everyone they talk to would know what that means? I am an admin assistant answering a phone, not an A.C.H.R.G.P.C. specialist... if that even exists...

In beer geek speak there are several acronyms. But fear not, I am going to decode a few of them for you so the next time they come up at your favorite watering hole you will know what the beer acronyms mean instead of wondering if it is a medical condition, or a type of accountant, or part of your car’s emission system.

The first one is A.B.V. I am sure many of you already know what A.B.V. is, but I have been pretty surprised by how many beer drinkers have no clue about this one. A.B.V. is Alcohol By Volume. Basically, it’s how strong alcohol wise the beer is. This is one of the most important things to pay attention to for your own safety and for your party’s longevity. Think about if you didn’t know what this meant and you were slammin’ down Bent Brewstillery’s Dark Fatha (11.7% A.B.V.) like it was Lucid Air (4.5% A.B.V). Every one Dark Fatha is like drinking two and a half Airs! If you don’t pace yourself with the higher A.B.V. beers, you could be in for a rough night and an even rougher morning!

Next Up; IBUs. Some mornings after having too much fun at a taproom the night before, "Ibu..." is all I can manage to mumble to my wife as I am holding my head praying for the sweet relief from a few ibuprofens. That is NOT what we are talkin about here.

IBU(s) stands for International Bittering Unit(s). This is the measure of bitterness of a beer from the alpha acids released by the hops in your beer. This can be used a bit as a rule of thumb for you to estimate how hoppy a beer is going to be, but remember there are other factors that can counteract this estimation. Like, how balanced the beer is with maltiness or other sugars like honey, etc. Theoretically you could have two beers with the exact same IBUs, but one could be SUPER HOPPY and one could be very well balanced and not too crazy hoppy. But, generally a higher number of IBUs = hoppier while a lower number would be less hoppy.  

The final one is SRM. This stands for Standard Reference Method. SRM determines color of a beer by measuring the amount of a specific wavelength of light that passes through the beer. I’ve always thought this one was a little silly. It’s kind of like a weather guy telling you it’s raining while you are outside wearing your goulashes in a steady downpour. I can see this stout is black... I can see this nut brown is brown... But then again, if you are just reading a beer review you would be able to understand a bit better the color of this beer if you understand this measurement. As well, you can’t see through cans at the beer store!

Low SRM = lighter colored beer; Higher SRM = Darker colored beer. For instance, a Pilsner may clock in at about 3 SRM, an English Brown Ale may clock in at about 15 SRM, and an Imperial Stout may clock in at about 40+.

Well, there you go. A few acronyms so you can keep up with those beer geeks that are living life way too fast to use whole words! Hit the taprooms and show em what you got!

Valentine's Day Lovin' - Get a Taproom!

Once again February has come around, and with it Valentine’s Day. And unfortunately, for some, this can cause a bit of distress. What should we do, where should we go to celebrate? Should we celebrate? What if I buy someone a gift and they don’t like it? What if my gift is totally inappropriate for what we have going on? Oh God, what do we have going on? Do we classify it, quantify it, or just have a little fun? Should I have gotten reservations? I can’t make reservations because everyone booked a table last year! How was I supposed to know I’d meet someone and actually have a dinner companion? I can’t predict that! I’m used to eating alone damn it! And what would we do after dinner? Oh God, if there’s an after. I’ve probably already blown it and won’t even be able to get a date for coffee! Slow down lover pants, and let me help you out for 2015. I did a little bit of research again this year and I’ve got a few suggestions for a great day or night out for you and a special friend (or friends, I don’t judge). It doesn’t involve reservations, messy foods, or rude overworked waiters. Take it easy, take some notes, and let me show you how you can impress your love with some local chocolates and a trip out to some great twin cities tap rooms.

If beer pairings aren’t new to you, you already know how well chocolates and beers can go together. If you are new to beer pairings, you probably think I’ve lost it. Yes, everyone knows that you can make a chocolate stout cake, and that’s great. But chocolate, like beer, comes in such great variety that you really should take a chance and explore pairing your sweets with your beers, especially chocolate. Play around with the flavors and in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, do some experimenting. Surprise yourselves a little and step outside your box. The worst that can happen is you find something you won’t want to try again. The best thing that could happen? You’ll enjoy something new with your partner. Besides, experimenting is fun, isn’t it?

If you’re looking for a taproom with a little more of a romantic feel, I suggest hitting up Steel Toe Brewing. You’ll find that their tap room can be pretty romantic! Its lighting is on the low side, perfect for setting a close and personal mood. I like to sit at the bar on the back wall, and with my back to the rest of the room, create my own privacy to enjoy my company.  On your way stop off at The Drooling Moose and grab some of their Malted Milk Boulders. The Drooling Moose makes their version of malted milk balls in super-sized form. These are huge, roughly the size of a quarter, and covered in ¼ inch of sweet milk chocolate. Order yourselves a couple pints of Steel Toe’s Dissent and enjoy how the malty sweetness of the beer melts the malted center of the chocolates in your mouth. The milk chocolate in turn enhances the smooth, creamy mouth feel you’ll get from the beer. If there’s a downside to these chocolates it’s only that they’ll ruin whoppers for you forever. If you really enjoy yourselves, make sure to grab some growlers to go, and continue your party in an even more intimate setting.

I next headed over to Big Wood Brewery for a glass of the tried and true Morning Wood Coffee Stout. This stout has an incredible kick of coffee flavor with sweet chocolaty notes. My pick for a great compliment chocolate is one of my favorites, milk chocolate toffee. I stopped off in Arden Hills at a place new to me, Sweet Chocolat. You will absolutely love how their toffee breaks apart into crunchy, buttery chunks in your mouth. It pairs perfectly with the Morning Wood, the other enhancing the best parts of its companion. Isn’t that what is perfect about so many great relationships throughout time? We should all be so lucky to fine someone who bring out the best in us, yet still showcases just how awesome they are in their own right. The tap room at Big Wood works great for new and more established couples as well. There’s plenty of intimate seating off the sides of the room if you’re looking to spend some quieter time together. Not sure if you can handle that level of closeness? Enjoy your treats at the larger tables in the middle of the room, or at the centralized bar area. And if toffee isn’t your bag, check out the incredible selection of molded chocolate shapes Sweet Chocolat has to offer. Their Valentine’s Day selection blew me away, with everything from traditional hearts to anatomically correct hearts. One of my favorite offerings was the anatomical lungs packaged with the following – ‘You take my breath away’. How can you not love that sense of loving humor? Or for the more adventurous, try the chocolate hand cuffs on for size. See how much fun you can have with your Morning Wood and chocolate this Valentine’s Day.

But what if you’re feeling really adventurous? Then I suggest you and your date go get ‘funked up’ at Bent Brewstillery. Bent is quickly making a name for themselves with their funked up series of sour beers, each a little different, each an incredible way to try a new beer profile that you might not be familiar with. I myself love sour beers and I’m always curious to see what Bent has been up to with this series. Right now they have their Belgian Berlin Ur-Bock on tap and I highly recommend it. This is a beer reminiscent of a Berliner Weisse so if you like a slightly more wine like beer, give it a try. You might think that finding a chocolate pairing for this would be hard, but if you’ve had this style beer before you’ll know that it pairs quite well with fruity flavors. I actually found a great one for you to try at the nearby Roseville Mall in the Godiva store. Pick yourselves up a tin (or bag) of their Strawberry Cheesecake Truffles and prepare to have your mind blown away. The strawberry will help to pull the fruitiness out of the beer while the cheesecake layer tempers it with a slightly creaminess to counteract the sour in just the slightest way. Yes darling, opposites can and do attract and will make for some of the best experiences of your life. You’ll have a blast in their gorgeous tap room with plenty of seating to hide away in a corner. Or make sure to head over on a night when they have a local band playing and do some dancing! Their knowledgeable and friendly beertenders will make sure you have everything you need so you can concentrate on making sure your date has everything they need. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Also, they will be releasing a new beer on Valentine's Day at the taproom. Uber Lupin Shwarz IPA. You could experience something brand new with your date!

So when you’re making plans for Valentine’s Day remember to think outside the standard chocolate boxes and wine that every store is offering. Hit up your local tap rooms and chocolate shops for some new and fun ideas to show your date. Experiment a little bit and try some new things this year. Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be stressful, especially when you have so many great options to choose from! Your date with love it, and if you’re lucky and buy enough chocolate they’ll probably love you before the night is over. Send them home with their own growler, you just might get a proposal out of the deal.


www.steeltoebrewing.com
www.droolinmoose.com
www.bigwoodbrewery.com
www.mysweetchocolat.com
www.bentbrewstillery.com
www.godiva.com

The Pint Report: Northgate's Red Headed Piper

In a day in age when beer collaborations are all the rage, a collaboration between a craft brewery and a bar is something that is pretty unique.  However, Northgate's Irish Red Ale, Red Headed Piper, is something special and delicious that can only be found at Northgate Brewing's taproom in Northeast Minneapolis and Merlins Rest in South Minneapolis.

The story of how Red Headed Piper came to be is a testament to both the quality of Northgate's beer and Merlins Rest's passion for showcasing great British style ales made locally.  As the story goes, Lee and Tracie of Merlins Rest were Northgate's first account when they put Wall's End on tap.  Wall's End, a sessionable English Style Brown Ale, sold incredibly well and Merlins approached Northgate about the possibility of Northgate brewing a special beer for them to have on tap.  Merlins got to choose the style and the name of the beer and Tuck Carruthers, the head brewer at Northgate, began to formulate a recipe.  What Tuck came up with is the perfect marriage between flavor and sessionability.  

I first tried Red Headed Piper one night at Merlins when I was there for trivia on a Sunday night.  I will say, without too much shame, that back in the day, I drank enough Killian's Irish Red to turn me into a Leprechaun.  Killian's was one of my gateway beers.  Since then, my palate has evolved and I have been looking for better and more flavorful Irish Red Ales to enjoy.  If you have been to trivia at Merlins before, you know that the questions are tough and you need to have your wits about you.  That being the case, I saw that the Red Headed Piper was 4.5% ABV and so I made that my selection.  When the beer arrived, my first sip was akin to running into an old friend that you haven't seen for a long time.  Since the Killian's days, I have had a tough time finding an Irish Red Ale that I really liked.  Well, I guess my search is over because the flavors present in this beer are everything that I love about Irish Red Ales and I am hooked.  Several of my friends were also enjoying pints of Red Headed Piper and could not believe how much flavor was in a beer that was so light in ABV.  The server explained that Red Headed Piper is brewed exclusively for Merlins, but is also available in the taproom at Northgate.  I walked out of Merlins that night with my sides aching from laughter, my brain hurting from trivia and my palate intrigued by this amazing new beer I discovered.  

Not even a week later, I was at the Northgate taproom imbibing the Red Headed Piper and really trying my best to savor and dissect the flavors and aromas of the beer.  The Red Headed Piper is 4.5% ABV and has 25 IBUs.  The color of the beer is a rich, dark copper color.  The aroma has hints of roasted malt and is incredibly enticing.  The flavor of this beer is what impresses me greatly.  The richness of the malt character is complex.  There are caramel, biscuit and toasted malt flavors that compliment each other.  The malt flavor is balanced nicely by a perfect amount of bitterness from the roasted malt and while keeping the biscuity nature of Maris Otter malt.  This beer's harmonious flavor profile really is a testament to Tuck, who clearly understands the necessary nuances of brewing a great beer.  This sessionable beer is smooth and perfect for sitting down with some friends to share some laughs.  

While this beer is only available at two locations at present, they are both great locations to relax and have a pint.  I strongly urge that you round up a few folks and head out to Merlins Rest for a pint, I am partial to Sunday night trivia because I am a glutton for intellectual punishment.  If you want to experience a great taproom with a pub vibe, then get over to Northgate for some pints.  Either way, by trying the Red Headed Piper you will honestly be impressed how Northgate can pack so much flavor and depth into a sessionable ale.  Prost!