Rise of the Beer Baron Pt 5: A Homebrewer Is You!

It's been a while since I blogged about the beginnings of my love for craft beer.  So when we last left off I had just gotten my first homebrew kit.

 







This was my introduction to how beer was made.  Even with the first batch I learned A LOT about the mechanics of brewing.  Here is a quick list of lessons that I learned:

1. Brewing the beer is easy, it's the pre-cleaning, post-cleaning, and bottling is hard.
2. You will learn to clean EVERYTHING.
3. Repeat step 2 in case you missed it.
4. No really, read step 2 again, it's important.
5. Having and empty plastic jug on hand for water is a nice to have
6. Don't even bother with the plastic bottles that comes with the kits.  Move right into glass
7. If you start with Mr. Beer and love it, you will quickly want to invest in a more mature kit
8. You will want to watch your beer every day, note, I didn't say need to.  You will just want to to make sure it is okay.
9. In the end, you're entire job is to make yeast cells happy.

In the end I was very happy with my first beer.  It was a style I had never had at this point (a Vienna style ale), well carbonated, and wasn't too bad.  But I know I could do better.  I quickly moved to the next step kit from Midwest Homebrew Supplies.

I did a lot of beers with honey during this phase.  I even got creative with a batch of beer, using my Mr. Beer kit to experiment.  Here is the recipe that I used:

2 Cans of Stickey Wicket Stout (from Mr. Beer)

2 Packets of Brewers Yeast

1 pouch of booster

14 oz of coconut in the fermentor

3oz. of chai tea per 22oz bottle during bottling.

Yeah.  I know it sounds a little strange, but it was one of the best beers I ever brewed.  Not enough beers utilize coconut....

So now the fire was lit.  I was beginning to understand the basics of brewing, beer styles, and proper beer handling.  It was time to see how the big boys play, it was time to start meeting the great brewers of Minnesota!

Road Trippin' to the Twin Ports Brewfest

(Twin Ports Brewfest in Action)

Last month, My friend Chris and I made the ridiculously icy trek from Saint Paul to Duluth for the Twin Ports Brewfest at the Black Bear Casino. It was cold and the roads sucked, but once we got there and the beer started flowing we had a blast!

One thing that struck me was the fairly small brewery turn out. I have been to a lot of beer events and this one had the least amount of breweries. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty. And actually I am not sure this was a bad thing.

The smaller amount of breweries, while it limited variety a little bit, made it possible to actually hit every booth to sample every brewery. With most events having 30-70 breweries, this is impossible. Sometimes that leads to missing out on some pretty good beers. This time I was able to hit every booth and sample a beer from every brewery there.... although I didn’t hit up the wineries and of course skipped the Coors Light booth and the booth that had the Hard Mike’s and Hard Teas. What were those last two even doing there?!?!

It was nice to be out of town and trying some local breweries I haven’t tried before. Different area, different local breweries, right? One that stuck out, and actually was my favorite of the day, was Thirsty Pagan out of Superior, WI. They had one of only a few “special beers”, a sour! I love sours, and this one was good. Tart, a tiny bit funky, and not covered up with fruit. I like fruit sours, but I love a sour that can just stand on it’s own. This was my favorite of the event.

 

(Thirsty Pagan)

Chris’ favorite was the Apricot Wheat by Fitgers. Chris is somewhat new to the craft beer scene. It’s awesome when someone somewhat new to craft beer finds a beer that they say they could drink all day. This beer was a little malty, kind of fruity from the apricot, and really smooth. I swear he hit up that Fitgers stand so many times he was probably close to being on a first name basis with them by the end of the day!

 

(Fitgers)

There was a bit of a downer during the concert portion of the event. There was a small break where they got rid of all the brewery booths for the concert. The Dropkick Murphy’s totally rocked the house! But when we decided we wanted a beer, all they had for sale were a few national brands.

 

(Dropkick Murphys Rockin' Out)

It was the casino that was handling the beer and alcohol sales at this point. But seriously, this was a craft beer event! You have a huge room full of craft beer drinkers! After spending the day drinking awesome craft beers all you can offer me is a Bud or a Miller Lite? Ugh! We had mixed drinks instead.

 

(Crap Beer... C'mon Man!)

All in all this was a pretty fun event. A couple small tweaks and maybe another couple breweries and this event will be top notch. I’m always up for a road trip, so I am sure I will be back!

http://thirstypaganbrewing.com/
http://fitgersbrewhouse.com/
www.twinportsbrewfest.com
 

Confessions of a Sober Cab

You’ve got your phone, wallet, and I.D. – everything needed for a great night out drinking beer. Whether it’s at a taproom, beer event, or bar, you’re set to have an awesome night out with friends, new and old. Hopefully you’ve also thought about your way home for the night (or early morning as it usually happens in my situation). Of course I’m talking about a sober cab!

Sober cabs, or designated drivers, serve an important role in every drinking situation. The main goal of a sober cab is of course to get everyone home safe and free of shackles. Believe me, nothing kills a good craft beer buzz faster than seeing red and blue lights in the rearview mirror. If that doesn’t sober you up, spending a night with a stranger in a cell will clear your head right up. Did you know that those things don’t have any privacy? None at all! Have you ever had to use a toilet in front of what is essentially a room full of strangers? I guess it would be the quickest way to break down any barriers between you and your new roommate. Nothing says “Hey roomie, nice to meet you!” more efficiently than taking care of business in front of your new friend. Although it’s best to get that hurdle out of the way since you’re probably sharing the scratchiest blanket on Earth for the rest of the night. Hmmm….are you a little spoon or a big spoon?

But I digress. We’re all adults here and know the importance of sober cabs and the consequences of drunk driving. The purpose of this series – Confessions of a Sober Cab – isn’t to preach to you or reprimand anyone for their actions. I’m neither your mom nor Officer Friendly. Instead I want to help you enjoy your nights (days?) out and encourage you to be the best sober cab or peanut gallery member that you can be. And let’s not forget the fun parts that come along with the end of the night. Some of my best nights out haven’t ended at the bar. They’ve ended in laughter in a cab ride home, or with the occasional house after party. Just because you’re heading home for the night doesn’t mean your night is over. Unless of course you’re the peanut snoring in the back seat. Then it’s probably best that your night end soon with a soft blanket and private toilet facility.

In this series I’ll share my tales from the driver’s seat and the peanut gallery with you. This friends, is where the confessions come in. I love a good story and am happy to share my hijinks with you. We’ll look at the unspoken rules sober cabs and peanut gallery members should abide by. We’ll also look at options for sober cabs and ways to get safely home. And while I may touch on serious points at times, I intend to get down to the funny side of drinking life and expose what happens when the lights go off downtown.  So hop in. My name is Vicky and I’ll be your driver. See you soon!

Beer Style Guide: Bocks

Spring is just around the corner…

I say this as we are currently looking down the throat of a Winter Storm Warning.  But still the 40°F days we had this week was a welcome break to the -20°F we have had since early December.  While I am looking forward to Spring, I am also looking forward to the beer season that is represented by some of my favorite styles; Kölsch styles, Cream Ales, and Bocks.  Today we are going to talk about Bocks, an often overlooked member of the Lager family.  Bock style is actually a super style that encompasses many sub styles like Maibock, Dopplebock, Dunkel Bock, and the oft overlooked Eisbock.

First let’s take a look at the history of Bock Beers:

Bocks are a strong beer originating from Einbeck, Germany.  In general true bocks are above 6.5% ABV.  There are reports that Bock beer was being brewed prior to 1578 (Oliver, 2012).  Bock beer is actually a superfamily of beers and the family includes Maibocks, Dopplebocks, Dunkle Bock, and Eisbock.  Here are the general characteristics of each:

Maibock:  Maibocks are generally around 6.5% - 8% ABV.  They are rich and creamy, malty, with a slight bitter aftertaste (Mosher, 2009).

Dopplebock:  Roughly the same ABV.  The flavor is a big burst of Carmel that finishes with a roasty finish.  A lot of Dopplebocks have names that end in “-ator” (Mosher, 2009).

Dunkle Bock:    Dunkle being the German word for dark, this is one of the darker offerings from the bock family.  It has a creamy malt taste with a soft bitter finish, with a hint of cocoa (Mosher, 2009).

Eisbock:  This is a very strong version of one of the previous types of Bocks.  Usually the beer passes the 7% ABV mark.  It is a Bock that undergoes a process called freeze distilling.  This separates the water from the rest of product.  What is left is a stronger version of the beer that is more intense.

We have a lot of German Immigrants here in Minnesota.  As many of you know, New Ulm is home to a large population of German Americans.  August Schell’s Brewery from New Ulm specializes in traditional German style beers including Bocks.  In fact hey host an annual Bock Fest to celebrate this awesome beer.  If you are reading this before March 1^st, 2014 check out the link to find out about details on Bockfest!  Many places offer bus service to this big outdoor party including our friends at the Herkimer!

Here are examples of Minnesota Bocks:

• Schell’s Bock
• Summit Maibock (Seasonal)
• Schell’s Maifest (Seasonal)
• Harriet Brewing Sol Bock

Here are examples of other famous Bocks:

• Hinterland Maple Bock (Green Bay, WI)
• New Glarus Cabin Fever (New Glarus, WI) (Seasonal)
• Shiner Bock (TX)

Works Cited

Mosher, T. (2009). Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide To The World's Greatest Drink. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing.

Oliver, G. (2012). The Oxford Companion to Beer. New York: Oxford University Press.

Chocolate and Beer – A Love Story

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, you may feel overwhelmed by red and white decorations, flower ads, and expectations of how you should demonstrate your love. It can be hard to navigate through the landscape of pink hearts and fluffy bears, but here at Beerploma we’ve done the hard work for you. This year we’re helping you break out of the box of chocolates! Instead, check out an underrated pairing – chocolate and beer! Wine and chocolate are out for 2014, but beer and chocolate? Now that’s a love story! Along with my husband, I’ve crossed the Twin Cities for samplings from local chocolate shops and great liquor stores to bring you some pairings you’ll want to try yourself. We invited a couple friends along for a tasting and I’m sure we’ll inspire you to track down some special treats for your love as well!

We started the night out with a Berlin Style Weisse from local Joseph Wolf Brewing, Co. and champagne truffles from Candyland in Stillwater, MN. While we were familiar with some of the local breweries in the area, we weren’t as sure where to find a great craft beer in the local liquor stores. Doing a little research we found Stillwater Liquor. I was intrigued by what I saw on their website – locally owned, operated, and giving to charity? All great things I could support. Although the craft beer selection was a little small, the customer service was great and they seemed eager to grow in the craft beer area. We selected the sour wheat ale by the Stillwater brewery and headed over to Candyland in downtown Stillwater. With their homemade truffles, fresh popcorn, and old fashioned candies, this shop (with 3 Twin Cities locations) is a favorite of many locals and for good reason.

 

If you’re looking for a pairing to match closely to traditional bubbly, this is the pairing for you. The sour wheat ale brings to mind the effervescence of champagne as it tickles the back of your throat. The brewery is currently being operated by the great granddaughters of original proprietor Joseph Wolf in collaboration with Dubrue of Duluth, MN.  The label states that they are working on a series of artisanal beers and I for one can’t wait to see what else they have to bring to the table. The beer brought out the sweetness of the champagne in the chocolate, with the chocolate in turn mellowing the sourness of the beer. The flavors complimented each other and left a sweet bubbly feel on your palate. This pairing ended up being the favorite of our friend Elise and was a bargain at under $15. (Alternate Pairing: add raspberry syrup to this beer and pair it with a raspberry truffle.)

For our second pairing of the evening we hopped over the river to Hudson, WI. For this stop we hit up historic Casanova Liquors and Knoke’s Chocolates, both located downtown. If you haven’t been to Casanova’s in a while, you might be surprised by their growing selection of craft beers. The back area if filled with craft brews to the point of almost being claustrophobic, and while their selection isn’t as big as some, it’s has more than enough offerings for any beer lover. They also fill growlers! Further into downtown Hudson you’ll find Knoke’s Chocolates and you’ll never want to leave. Knoke’s is known in the area for the quality of their chocolates and it’s easy to see why. Not only do these candies taste great, they are gorgeous. Your Valentine will be thrilled to receive a box of truffles from this downtown staple.

 

 

We decided on a bottle of Serendipity from New Glarus. The brewery created this fruit ale after a drought left them short on cherries for their cherry sour. Thinking outside of the box, the brewers gathered what cherries they could get and combined them with apples and cranberries to create this ale, and it’s been a hit ever since. We decided on dark chocolate merlot truffles to pair with this deep red ale. The result worked better than we could have imagined. The deep, dry merlot flavor of the truffle made the sweet fruit flavors in the beer pop. The fruit flavors came out crisp and clean and in turn tamed the bitterness of the dark chocolate. Coming in around $18 for 4 truffles and the bottle, this pairing did not disappoint my palate or wallet. It’s easy to see why this was our friend Mark’s favorite. (Alternate Pairing: try a milk chocolate option or the blueberry balsamic truffle from Knoke’s.)

Coming back across the river we headed out to Minneapolis for our third selection of the night. I love the selection and people at South Lyndale Liquors so that’s where we headed!  If you haven’t stepped into this south side staple you’re missing out. South Lyndale Liquors has a wide selection of craft beers at great prices, although I would like to see a greater offering of MN beers on their shelves. We decided on the Genghis Pecan from Clown Shoes of Ipswich, MA.  This 2013 pecan pie porter uses real brown sugar and roasted pecans in the brew – which would be perfect with a nut cluster! (Big thanks to Al at South Lyndale for this suggestion!) So off we headed to the Candy Jar, a Minneapolis candy and gift shop. At the Candy Jar you’ll find friendly staff and a great selection of treats and gifts sure to thrill any Valentine on your list. They even have a variety of sugar free chocolates in their case, so be sure to check them out if you have someone in your life that can’t have sugar, or is watching their intake. We selected 4 pecan clusters, which were a steal for a dollar!

 

 

I won’t lie to you – this pairing was spot on. The nuts and chocolate in the candy amplified the roasted pecan flavor in the beer and brought the brown sugar flavor to the forefront. My biggest regret of this pairing was that we didn’t buy more pecan clusters. I could have honestly spent all night enjoying this combo. This pairing would please anyone and everyone who is a nut fan. This was also our cheapest pick of the night coming in around $9 for the candy and beer. (Alternate Pairing: a turtle or any nut caramel cluster.)

Our final pairing of the evening was from St. Paul. We stopped first at Just Truffles on Grand to check out their offerings. If you haven’t stopped into this local shop you’re missing out. We were greeted right away and offered a sample – how can you not love that customer service!  These candies are free of waxes and preservatives so you’ll want to make sure to keep them refrigerated. I was surprised by the price of $4/truffle, but these are huge truffles! At any other candy shop this amount would make 2-3 standard size truffles easily, so the pricing really does balance out. We decided on café au lait truffles and went on our way to the Ale Jail where the friendly and knowledgeable staff was waiting to assist us in both the Ale Jail and the connected Wine Thief.  You won’t find your mass produced beers here – no Budweiser or Miller on these shelves. Instead you’ll find many local offerings and craft brews from around the country. Here we selected an Espresso Oak Aged Yeti from Great Divide Brewing Co. out of Denver Co.

 

 

Both Andy and I picked this pairing as our favorite of the evening. The Yeti is an imperial stout aged on oak chips with coffee added, which served as the perfect mate to our café au lait truffles. Both the beer and truffles worked together and enhanced the overall coffee flavor that they each brought. If you’re looking for the perfect end to a great Valentine’s Day dinner, this pairing is worth every penny. It was the best of everything an after dinner cocktail or dessert should be. Our St. Paul stop was the steepest cost of the evening at $29 but trust me, these two were worth the price. And if you really want to pull out the stops next Friday, this duo is sure to impress. (Alternative Pairing: we’ve got nothing! None of us had any reason to switch this team up!)

So next weekend, check out these local shops and see what pairings you’ll come up with. And let us know in the comments if you’ve checked out any of our suggestions, or have some of your own! Chocolate and beer…who knew they loved each other as much as you love your sweetheart!


http://www.stillwaterliquor.com/
http://www.candylandstore.com/
http://thenovaofhudson.com/
http://knokeschocolates.com/
http://www.southlyndale.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Candy-Jar/100294666696745
http://winethief.net/#/the-ale-jail
http://www.justtruffles.com/
 

Winterfest: Top Notch Minnesota Beers

 

(In the crowd at Winterfest) 

My wife and I were lucky enough to score a couple last minute tickets to The MN Brewers Guild’s Winterfest 2014 (thanks, Lynn!), what we didn’t know was that the tickets were actually to Beer Nirvana!

Winterfest 2014 was held at the newly renovated Union Depot in Down Town Saint Paul. The venue was beautiful and really added some class to a beer event. The price point of 75 bucks may seem a bit steep at first, but with the historic venue, catered food with carving stations, and phenomenal beer the cost seems fairly on point.  And although the crowd sometimes felt like it had outpaced capacity, it was still surprisingly easy to get around and get a beer.

 

(Winterfest 2014 at the Union Depot)

The beer was ridiculous! It really felt like the brewers, 41 in total, brought their A-games to this one. The specialty beers they brought were inventive and threw around some awesome flavors. There were way too many good beers to be able to list here, but I’ll touch on a few that stood out to us.

Bent Brewstillery’s Winterfest Sour was one that we really enjoyed. Lots of beer drinkers don’t enjoy sours, Vicky and I love em! I have been wanting to try this one for a while. It tasted great and lived up to what I hoped it would be.



(Getting some Winterfest Sour from Bent Brewstillery)

Brau Brothers had a cask conditioned Spiced Sheephead. This version of their Sheephead had just the right spiced taste to add some interesting, but not overpowering, flavors. They nailed what a lot of spice beers miss with this one. They also have a great sour you gotta try in the Bancreagie Sour 26!



(Having fun pouring myself a Bancreagie Sour 26 at the Brau Brother's Booth)

 



A one-off beer we wished would be around all the time was the peaches and cream version of Farm Girl Saison by Lift Bridge Brewing Co. Farm Girl is a beer Vicky and I have liked for a long time. For this version they added organic peaches and sweet milk sugar. It was sweet, fruity, smooth, and refreshing. I would love some of this in the summertime.

 

(Mmmmm... Beer....)

Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery (the Raspberry Coconut Jack Frost was delicious!) won Best Brewery of the fest, while Barley John’s Brew Pub won Best Beer for Rosie’s Old Ale, made with champagne yeast and coming in at a whooping alcohol content of 18%. Congrats to them! That is a big accomplishment with the stiff competition at this fest. Unfortunately with tons of beers to try, we never got around to try Rosie’s Old Ale.

For both of us though, the beer of the night was Snownami by Northbound Smokehouse and Brewpub. This beer, a double chocolate raspberry stout, was finished with Belgium dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, and raspberries. It was chocolaty from the scent all the way to the finish with raspberry flavor that waved in and out on your palate. Liquid greatness!



(Vicky enjoying some Snownami)

Some beer fests might seem like a bit more of a party. Some beer fests might be a lot bigger with more breweries. But with all the quality Minnesota breweries bringing so many top notch beers, Winterfest is definitely the top notch BEER fest.

Surviving A Beer Fest!

Hello Beerploma Nation!

For those tried and true Minnesotans you know that winter is all about hunkering down, and waiting for the spring thaw.  It brings on a state of mind called cabin feaver.  It can drive a person totally crazy.  Luckily the Craft Beer Industry is here to help!  There are several craft beer festivals to help you thaw out for a few moments and forget about the -26 F days (and for those non-Minnesotans out there, that is BEFORE the wind chill).  We recently had The Mankato Craft beer festival last week, and we have two more coming up that Beerploma will be attending (if you want to meet us, just post a message down below, we would love to meet some of our audience):

The St. Cloud Craft Beer Tour (January 18th):  For those of you up in the St. Cloud area this is a perfect time to sample beers you might not get elsewhere.  It's indoors so you will stay warm, and there is a great selection of breweries.

Beer Dabbler Winter Carnival Event (January 25th):  For the tried and true, or the just plain insane!  This festival is help outdoors at the State Fair Grounds.  So dress warm, and don't forget your mitts!  This is one of Minnesota's most popular beer fests.  This year people in attendance can help participate in a chance to set a world record for the worlds largest snowball fight!

 

 Red Wing Wings and Brew Fest (March 15th): If you can think of a better way to thaw yourself from a long winter then drinking some killers beers, and spicy chicken wings...well then you must be at the bacon/beer fest, because seriously, that's the only thing that can top this!

So pick one, or pick all of these great events, scrape the snow off your car and head out to for a great winter time!  So if this is your first fest here are a couple of survival tips:

1. Don't forget your ID:  They won't even let you in the door without a proper ID.  And if by some chance you forget yours, don't be mad at the staff.  They are just doing there job to make sure these events don't get shut down by letting a minor in.
2. Eat a big meal before hand:  Those beers add up fast, not to mention that you will be mixing several types and flavors which can wreak havoc on a stomach.  
3. Bring Pretzels:  Most beer fests let you bring pretzel necklaces in order to cleanse the pallet between beers.
4. Shed some pounds:  My first beer fest I brought a backpack with books and all sorts of other non-sense.  Leave them at home, you won't have time.
5. Bring a Journal:  If you keep a beer journal, like I do, go ahead and bring it.  Just you should come up with an abbreviated way to jot your notes down.  One of the earliest lessons I got from my bird watching days is that you don't want to spend all your time with your nose in a book.  A lot of beginners will take a glimpse at a bird then spend the rest of their time with their nose in the book trying to identify it.  Instead spend that time studying the bird until it flies out of sight.  Remember you are there to celebrate the beers, plenty of time for research later.
6. Do not boggart the line:  Get your beer and step off to the side.  There is a good chance there are about 20 to 50 people in line behind you waiting to taste it to.
7. Do talk to the people from the breweries:  Once you have your beer feel free to step aside and ask questions about what you are drinking!  It's a great learning opportunity, and they are there as a resource.  Again, just make sure you are not holding the line up, and don't expect them to stop working to make time for you.
8. Take in the shows.  A lot of these craft beer fests have a stage area set up where beer historians, beer experts, and brewers will put on presentations.  It's a great way to get off your feet for a few seconds, and learn what these great people have to say.
9. Meet some new friends:  Everyone who participates in these fests have one thing in common, the love of craft beer.  And isn't that the hardest part of getting to know people, finding that initial point of interest to spark a conversation.  Break out of your shell and say hello to someone new.  And the best part is that it gets easier after a few drinks!
10. Be safe and responsible:  Always drink responsibly and have a plan to get home, or get a hotel near the event.  Just be SAFE.

So if you happen to be at one of the above events, feel free to track us down and say hello!  We would love for a chance to meet you.