Site Updates and Changes

A cold has stopped me in my tracks, and I am unable to properly review beer and locations for the last few days.  However, I want to take a moment to tell you all what is happening and going to happen with the site.

First, thank you for reading.  Since going public I have had over 1,200 articles read.  Way more than I thought would happen and visits have been above average for food and drink blogs.  Most visits come from the U.S. but I did break out a map to see where Estonia and Mauritius are located.  Also, a pretty vibrant Japanese readership has developed.  Please leave comments.  I love reading what people think.

What is coming in the blog?

1. Turn it into a site.  The blog will remain the focus, but I will start building in resources for readers to dig deeper into some topics.
2. Re-tagging all beer posts to include style.  This will allow readers to see all beers in their chosen style with one click on the tag cloud.
3. Comprehensive list of all beer reviewed on the site on a dedicated page.
4. Location reviews.
5. Comprehensive list of all locations reviewed in the blog on a dedicated page.
6. Mission statement, biography, and contact information.
7. Anything people leave in comments that I think is doable.

I also got a few surprises up my sleeve, but not ready to make them public yet.  Please keep coming back.  I hope to continue the habit of daily updates and giving you a worthwhile read.  Thanks for reading!

Deconstruction Ale by Odell Brewing Co.

Deconstruction Ale is part of the Odell Brewing Co. Single Serve Series.  Odell brews a great deal with their pilot system in order to get feedback from consumers.  The beers in this series are a limited release in 750 ml bottles of the most popular pilot beers.  When I first drank this beer it was with one of the brewers on the patio of Odell Brewing Co, and decided it was worth bringing a bottle back for a fuller examination.

Typically when a beer is barrel aged it is done so in one type of barrel.  Deconstruction Ale is blend of 44% straight ale, 33% oak aged, 20% bourbon barrel aged and 3% wine barrel aged.  I must also say aging in old wine barrels is also outside the norm.  This beer comes in at 10.5% ABV, which is typical of barrel aged beer.  I poured this beer into a snifter forming a nice thick head that had some staying power.  Golden in color and a bit fizzy with a full mouthfeel.  Deconstruction started sweet and turned tart pinching your cheeks as you finish.  I am not typically a fan of Golden Ales, but I did enjoy this one.

Woodcut No. 4 by Odell Brewing Co.

The Woodcut series by Odell Brewing Co. is a series of beers based on barrel aging in a certain type of barrel.  Odell purchased new medium toasted American Oak barrels back in 2007 and this style of barrel has been used since.  The beers in this series are all brewed using Odell's pilot system before being chilled and placed in barrels.  While stainless steel tanks impart no flavor into beer, wood barrels do.  Often barrels are previously used to make whiskey or bourbon before sold to breweries to age beer.  This makes Odell's choice a bit unusual.  I have only been lucky enough to try No. 4, their latest release,  and I can say the barrels provided the right amount of flavor.  Besides we have enough bourbon barrel aged beers out there.

When I got off the plane from Denver my suitcase was dripping and I could smell beer.  I had bubble wrapped all the beer so my mind immediately jumped to the cork in this bottle.  Alas, it was safe.  In fact I had some difficulty getting the cork open.

 No. 4 is a Double Märzen-Style Lager.  I poured bottle #4796 into a pint glass revealing a copper hue and a medium, light head.  Aromatics of vanilla and almond waft up and a little cinnamon and nutmeg.  The beer had a slight carbonation with a full body and a bit of alcohol that gave way to the mellowness of oak tannins and warm flavors of fall.  At 11% ABV this does pack a bit of punch.  If you happen to get your hands on a bottle, I recommend a cool evening with a good friend and relaxing conversation for this beer.

St. Lupulin by Odell Brewing Co.

St. Lupulin is an Extra or American Pale Ale by Odell Brewing Co. in Fort Collins, Colorado.  St. Lupulin is not actually a saint, but rather a character the brewery made up.  Lupulin is in fact real.  This compound found in hops contains aromatic oils creating much of the aroma and a resiny consistency containing acids for bittering.

St. Lupulin comes in at a slightly hefty 6.5% ABV.  When poured into your pint glass it gives off aromas of hops, citrus, orange and a slight bready malt note.  There is a delightful amber hue with a moderate light colored head. Medium carbonation gives way to a smooth body with hop and floral flavors.

I tried this out in Colorado, and bought a jacket.  It takes a bit to get me to buy clothes from a brewery, but St. Lupulin had what it takes.

#10 of 1001 Odell Brewing Co. IPA

Another in the Series based off of the book 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die (1001 (Universe)).

I stopped by Odell when I went out to Denver, and was successful in bringing a couple bottles of the IPA back.  The IPA has eight hop additions using a specially designed hop back.  A hop back is a tank acting like a strainer to assist in adding additional hop flavor.  The bottle explains that the beer is an Americanized version of of an English IPA.  Not sure if that matters.  Most beers in the U.S. are an Americanized version of some beer somewhere, but I digress.

Tasting Notes:
Poured a nice thick foamy head, with bubbles coming to the surface.  A fruity aroma.  Citrus on the tongue and very herbal in quality.  Finishes dry and lingers on your palate.

#9 of 1001 Odell Brewing Company Cutthroat Porter

Another in the Series based off of the book 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die (1001 (Universe)).

Cutthroat Porter was originally brewed at the request of a tavern in Fort Collins, Colorado and named after the state fish.  This was one of the first beers Odell started brewing, which made it convenient to take back home in the suitcase.  In all honesty, this is one of my most favorite porters of all time.  I seriously could drink this one all day, now if they would only sell it in Chicago.

Tasting Notes:
Pours a deep black with a thin tan head.  (Although the book calls it a rich tan head)  Smells of coffee and chocolate.  Has a light mouthfeel with a gentle smokiness.  Comes off a bit more hoppy than one expects.

Odell Brewing Co. Week Is Coming!

Starting Monday my posts for the week will cover Odell Brewing Co. of Fort Collins, Colorado.  Look for a review of the operation overall as well as several of their beers.  I was lucky enough to visit a short time ago, and decided I would create a virtual visit for all of you.  Stay tuned posts should be up each morning.

Hop Harvest

Just and FYI to you all a lot of the fresh harvested hop beers are out.  Go out and get some beer made with fresh whole hops.  It will be a few months before the harvest from the other hemisphere comes around.  Sorry for not having a longer post about it, but I am attempting to make a quick road trip with a brewery or two mixed in.

Guinness Stout vs. Lager

Black Lager

In Chicago and possibly a few other markets Guinness did a test run of a black lager under the Guinness name.  Guinness is an iconic brand and one that does not seem to have the negative connotations of Miller, Bud etc. in the craft brew community.  In fact, I think that many of us in a bar without a craft selection, would likely default to Guinness.  Guinness is so iconic you likely think only of the Irish Dry Stout, and probably forget the brewery name is St. James Gate.  I checked beeradvocate's list of beers bearing Guinness and found a Bitter Draft, and an Irish Red.  These are the only other times the Guinness name has been placed on a label that was not a stout.

Given that these are both dark beers and Guinness is on the label I thought it would be fun to compare stout to lager.  I know this is almost like apples and oranges, but they put the name on it.  Special thanks to Bro for helping compare the two.

Stout on Left Lager on Right

Beer Review: Brooklyn Brewery's Oktoberfest

Brooklyn is one of those breweries that consistently delivers quality beer, and the Oktoberfest exception.  Brewed in the traditional Oktoberfest style this beer is full of flavor.  The head disappeared rather quickly.  Brooklyn uses a specialty made malt from Bamberg, which I find impressive.  As expected the nose is all malt and some more malt.  As you sip you pick up on a toasted nuttiness with more hops than I expected for the style.  A solid mouthfeel with medium carbonation.

This was one of the beers I served at my Oktoberfest party and many guests as well as myself enjoyed it.  I know this got posted a bit late in the season for it, but maybe your reading this next year.

The last of its kind.

Several months ago Goose Island announced the end of Nut Brown.  I used to buy Nut Brown as my solid choice to pair with food, in particular, steak.  Until a year or two ago, brown ales were hard to find  in the Chicago market.  I always enjoyed this one.  I put my last bottle in the back of the fridge to let it age a few months just to see what would happen.  From what I could tell nothing really changed in it.  Kinda funny when you drink a beer for the last time makes you think of all the memories.

Goose apparently wanted this beer out of their lineup in order to focus more on Belgian beers.  I think this was short sighted, but then again no one asks me before they make business decisions.  Look for it to make an appearance at the brewpub from time to time, but I doubt it will be the same.

#8 of 1001 Dale's Pale Ale

Another in the Series based off of 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die (1001 (Universe))

Oskar Blues Makes Canned Goodness

Dale's Pale Ale by Oskar Blues is quite possibly one of my most favorite beers.  When Beer Bitch took me to Colorado, she had me guess where we were going.  My answer- "Let's go see Dale and drink his Pale Ale."  Oskar Blues is a true pioneer in craft brewing.  Why? They CAN, stupid, and they were the first to can craft beer.  Oskar Blues was the pioneer in the can movement and backs that up with a superb line of beer.  Dale's Pale Ale won the World Beer Cup 2010 Gold along with a host of other awards.  I only regret they do not distribute here in Illinois.  (Hey Mr. Katechis Chicago is a big juicy sales market.)  However, a six pack made it back in my suitcase. I now only open a can with the greatest reverence as I do not want to let one go.




Tasting Notes:  Copper in color with a foam head, and very decent lacing.  You can definitely smell the citrus and bready notes.  The beer tastes like nectar of the gods.  Ok, Ok, maybe I have a man crush on this beer.  Seriously it is almost fruit juice in quality, with a bitterness you feel in your cheeks.  A dryer finish that leaves you craving more.


If this beer is available in your market go buy it.

Why do so many breweries make soda?

Simply put: excess capacity.

Goose Island Vanilla Cream

Production breweries require three main components: brewhouse, fermentation, and packaging.   On many occasions a production facility fills the fermentation tanks to capacity.  The beer is not ready to bottle, and there is no place to store newly brewed beer.  Therefore, bottling and brewing equipment as well as employees sit idle.  Many breweries fill this gap by producing craft sodas.

These sodas are often made with unusual ingredients, like real fruit juice and ginger or unusual techniques, like gas-fired kettles. Non-traditional flavors like orange cream, grape and true ginger are produced, but of course root beer is a popular option.  Additionally, many of the sodas are all natural and use cane sugar versus the standard high fructose corn syrup.  Sprecher makes their Cherry Cola with Wisconsin cherries and brews it in a gas-fired kettle.  Goose Island makes all their sodas caffeine free and most are all-natural.  Appalachian Brewing even makes the unusual Birch beer.  Obviously not your run of the mill products.

Sprecher Cherry Cola

The breweries get a few benefits from making soda.  First, they do not have idle hands and equipment thus increasing their profitability.  Secondly, I think it adds a touch of family.  For one, Beer Bitch has something to drink.  While I do not have kids, I wonder what going to a brewery, ordering a sampler and trying to convince a five-year-old he doesn't want any of it is like.  More than once I have seen parents ask for a couple empty sampler glasses and pour the kids samples of soda.  This creates the opportunity to fill brewpubs during the day with families that may shy away from the bar atmosphere at night.  In fact Sprecher's brewery tour offers the option to taste soda instead of beer and Lakefront gives non-beer drinkers their Golden Maple Root beer.

In the end the innovation to make soda has more than likely lead to a bigger impact to micro-brewing than one imagines.  If nothing else it at least shows people that there is yet another type of food that can come from something besides a multinational corporation.

When Did We Stop Aging Beer?

The last few weeks I have been using Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink as a reference book.  Tired of flipping to pertinent passages as needed I made time to sit down and really begin reading the book cover to cover.  One fact stood out in the first hour.  In the early 1700s people began to prefer aged beer.   In fact people of wealth would buy beer to age it and refused to drink the fresh stuff.


It is really ironic that today I am explaining the benefits of aging almost weekly .  At a beer store in Chicago I recently stumbled upon a beer from 2006.   The staff was surprised I wanted it when they saw the dates, and even tried to talk me out of it.  Heck they couldn't figure out how it was on their shelf.  The beer was a Drie Fonteinen Oude Kriek.   It should be aged.  Also, they are no longer in production so if you see it buy it.

Simply put: it is amazing at how much Big Beer with Born on Dates etc. have changed perceptions on beer.  Some beers are only better with age (Bourbon County Stout).  This twisted notion denies an entire segment of consumers the chance to try some truly amazing beers.

Beer Review: Tumbler by Sierra Nevada

Tumbler, an Autumn Brown Ale, comes to us from Sierra Nevada, and has a solid malty presence.  Tumbler does not come off very hoppy, yet it has the same IBUs as Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale (37 IBUs).  I noticed a earthy, caramel aroma with some nuttiness on the first sip.  The flavor profile reflects the aroma, but with added notes of burnt sugar and a bit of smoke.

The beer is medium bodied.  I normally consider browns to be a decent summer beer, but this one is too heavy for the summer heat.  As an Autumn seasonal, that is not a problem.  Drink before the snow falls Tumbler is a bit too light for a snowy winter day.

I bought a case of this after trying a six pack.  If friends consider you a "connoisseur" , you are often expected to show up at parties and tailgates with a decent beer. Tumbler is a affordable option to take to fall festivities.  Overall, this is a nice addition to Sierra Nevada's lineup, and I look forward to sharing it with my friends.

Unconventional Pairing

When pairing food and beer occasionally you have to think outside the norm.  I have been pairing my Oktoberfests with German sausages, vinegar laced pickles and pretzels for years.  Recently, I came across a food and beer pairing chart from the Brewers Association.  (Get it here)  To my surprise, it made the suggestion of pairing Oktoberfest beers with Mexican food.

Ok, this caught me off guard because it was so far out off what I normally think of when drinking German beers.  I began thinking of why this would be.  As a kid who loved Western Civilization, I know there was an influx of Germans in the first half of the 1800's to modern day Texas and Mexico.  Modern day Mexican food also seems to originate in the same area.  In fact Mexico City even has a rather large Oktoberfest celebration.

I have prepared a few dishes such as nachos and quesadillas, and I have been pleasantly surprised at the match.  Additionally, it should be noted that the truer the beer holds to the style the better the pairing.  Spiciness seems to hold up to Oktolberfests and the beer provides the requisite cooling.  The spice cumin seems to play really nice with the maltiness of Oktoberfests as well.

So when thinking of beer and food, think beyond the obvious, and you never know what you may find.  If you have a good pairing suggestion please leave a comment.  I am always looking for something new to try.  

Cooking With Beer: Frying Pan Brats

Unfortunately grilling brats is not an option for me at my current residence.  However, I do enjoy brats especially in the fall for football season.  Here is my recipe for brats in a frying pan:


1 Package Johnsonville Brats
1 Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen


Place the brats in a frying pan and pour in half the beer.  The other half is yours to drink as you cook.  Cover the pan and wait.  It will come to a boil keep on a medium high until the brats start to loose their pink. You should turn once during this process.  Remove the lid and allow the beer to start boiling off.

Once the beer begins to form a caramelized coating on the pan its time to start browning.  I like to turn the brats onto three of the sides to brown and get bits of caramelized goodness.  Do not try to brown the inside U of the brats that only breaks the casing and makes a mess.

I prefer to serve the brats on whole wheat sesame seed buns with spicy honey mustard.  Also, a hard pretzel or two and some refrigerator pickles are a nice touch.  Finally, a big frothy mug of beer to wash it all down.