Madison Beer Review

A Review of Craft Beer Numbers

2010-03-12T05:30:00.001-06:00

Sorry, even more diversions from Big Beer Week(s). I know. But bear with me for a bit and we'll get back to that. The most recent Industry numbers were released and I wanted to go over them with you.

In 2009 the US added 57 new breweries, all of which are considered "craft breweries" by the Brewer's Association. We won't really get into what the BA considers to be a "craft" brewery, that is a horse that has been flogged long after it was dead.

In an absolutely dreadful economy, craft beer still managed to produce 7.2% more beer and 10.3% more dollars than 2008. This is despite an overall decline in the general beer market of 2.2% and a decline in imports by 9.8%. Craft beer now represents 4.3% of the volume share for beer, and 6.9% of the beer dollars.

I'd be interested to see those numbers broken out by region. I suspect that we here in the Midwest drink far more than 4.3% of the volume of our beer in craft beer. Here in Wisconsin I'd think that number would be even higher, possibly well over 10%. That's just based on empirical evidence, I have no numbers to back me up. But, consider the success of Spotted Cow here in Wisconsin. If you are in the rest of the Midwest consider the ubiquity of breweries such as Great Lakes, Bells, Goose Island, and Summit. These are all craft breweries. You'd be hard pressed to find a bar anywhere in the Midwest that doesn't have at least one tap, let alone bottles, dedicated to one of those.

But we can do better. And we should be doing better. I spoke with Kirby Nelson, Brewmaster at Capital Brewery, and he related a tale of visiting Point Brewery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He went into a local bar and noticed that there was no Point on-tap. How can a bar in Stevens Point, Wisconsin not serve Point Beer on tap? How can a bar in Spring Green not carry Furthermore? How can a bar in La Crosse not carry Pearl Street? And on down the line.

One tap is not enough. Because that tap is going to be Spotted Cow. That's a given. But craft needs two or three or four or five taps. And, no, Miller Beer's Leinenkugel brand doesn't count. You'd be hard-pressed to find a corner of this state that does not have a true craft brewery in it. We all have local breweries. Support them. They employ your neighbors and put tax dollars in to your schools.

MBR and CheeseUnderground Literacy Network Tasting

2010-03-08T05:30:00.001-06:00

I've mentioned this before, and I promise tomorrow we'll get back to Big Beer Week(s), but I wanted to give it one last shout-out before the event tomorrow.

Madison Beer Review (me) and CheeseUnderground (Jeanne Carptenter) are getting together to present a beer and cheese tasting. The event is free of charge. It is at The Malt House starting at 6pm.

You read that correctly. Beer and Cheese Tasting. Free.

Yeah. That's how we roll around here. Jeanne has very generously offered to donate the cheese and The Malt House is donating the beer.

Jeanne is going to give a brief talk about artisnal cheese and what makes artisnal cheese just so damned ... artisnal. You'll get to taste some damned mighty fine cheeses, as well (menu below). Then I'll talk about beer styles. I will try to be brief. But, anyone who's heard me speak will probably attest to my rather long-windedness. But I will try to keep it brief. Then we'll taste some beer and some cheese.

Why are we doing this you ask? Nobody just hands out free beer and cheese right? Well, this event is part of a series of events to raise awareness about the Literacy Network.

Literacy Network serves primarily low income adults and families in need of literacy services by offering programs specifically tailored to the needs, goals, and different learning styles of the individual students: One-to-one Tutoring for ESL and Basic Literacy; Small ESL classes; Community Literacy; Family Literacy and English in the Schools; Integrated English and Civics Education; Workplace Literacy.

All programs are free of charge.

Since their programs are free of charge, so is ours. Of course, a $5-10 donation per person to Literacy Network might be a nice thank you.

What can you expect?

Saxon Creamery Saxony
Uplands Creamery Pleasant Ridge Reserve
Marieke Aged Gouda
Marieke Foenegreek Gouda

Tyranena Bitter Woman
Central Waters' Peruvian Morning Coffee Stout
O'So Dominator Dopplebock
Furthermore Knot Stock

Big Beer Week(s) - Pearl Street Brewery Dankenstein

2010-03-04T05:30:00.001-06:00

Dank, from Urban Dictionary:

1. sticky, hairy, stinky, and highly potent marijuana.
2. Adjective meaning good.

Could you use that in a sentence please?
1. I got an oz of dank nugs for 280.
2. That burrito was dank as fuck.

-enstein: of or related to Frankenstein; a monster

Pearl Street Brewery Dankenstein
BeerAdvocate (). RateBeer().
Appearance: served at 47.9 degrees, a little cooler than I generally prefer IIPAs, but we'll see how it goes and it'll probably warm up towards the end of this review; whisky-soaked coloration and crystal clear; a fine, stiff, thick head that leaves a white sticky lace on the side of your glass (man, that sounds dirty)
Aroma: loads of hop complexity, not much malt in the aroma, though there is some in the back if you're looking for it; the hop aroma is mostly pine-y and resin-y, a bit of pepper and spiciness in there, with a lot of orange
Flavor: bitter is the first noticeable thing; malt comes through in the body, and there is a pretty strong alcohol burn in the back; the hops are sticky and flavorful with all of the aromas coming through in the flavor - citrus, pine, resin, pepper
Body: strong and syrupy, with a long, alcoholic finish
Drinkability: I'd say you can't drink more than one in a sitting, but I've done it, more than once; and, yes, I was worse for the wear the next day
Summary: this is a big beer that won't be for everyone; it is sticky and highly potent, with big hop flavors that are slightly out of balance with the malt-iness; this reminds me, probably more than the Ale Asylum, of the Dogfish 90 in its syrupy hoppiness; where the Satisfaction Jacksin is a good IIPA even for those who don't typically like big, hoppy beers, this is a great beer, but is a slightly more "advanced" hop-head beer

There is this dichotomy in the IPA/IIPA universe. There's a balance theory where the big hops are proportionately balanced by big malt bills for an all-around flavorful beer that happens to be really big. Satisfaction Jacksin, and the Titletown HopMonster are both good, Wisconsin, examples of this. Two Brothers' Hop Juice, Bells' Hopslam, and Great Lakes' Lake Erin Monster are all in this vein.

There is another side of IPA/IIPAs where any idea of balance is thrown out the window, the malts take a backseat and it's all about hops and alcohol, and as much of both as you can get. Dankenstein is one of the few Wisconsin IIPAs to attempt this; we are not a people that traditionally embrace unbalance. Three Floyds Alpha King/Alpha Kong, Dogfish Head 90/120, and Stone IPA/Ruination are all in this vein. In my own personal universe, I can respect balance and I really like balanced beers; but these big, unbalanced hop bombs are some of my favorite beers made in the world.

So, try a few different IIPAs and see if you like them and what you like about them. You will quickly find that people have pretty strong preferences and phrases like "best ever" and "undrinkable" get thrown around a lot. Make up your own mind, each of them has their proponents and opponents so don't feel bad taking a side and putting down a flag. And, best of all, enjoy the ride.

Hey Barkeep! What Is A Beer Dinner, Exactly?

2010-03-02T05:30:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since we've run "Hey Barkeep!" here, but this was a great question and rather than respond in the comments, I thought I'd promote it to a full post.

What is a beer dinner exactly? I just moved here recently from Iowa. Are they expensive? What can we expect at them?

Well, I'll take the questions in order:
- A Beer Dinner is a generally a 4-5 course prix fixe menu hand crafted by a chef to pair with specific beers.
- You can expect to pay anywhere from $40-$75 per person, depending on venue and brewery.
- What can you expect? Well, I'll just go through the last Old Fashioned/Harvest/Titletown Beer Dinner that I went to, as it is fairly typical, cost was $45.

Salt Cod Croquettas and Aoli; Titletown's St. Norbert Pilsner

A tender croquette of ground salted cod, breaded and pan fried (I think? Maybe baked or lightly broiled?); the aoli was a classic garlic dipping sauce and it was accompanied by micro greens; it paired very well with a nice, light classic pilsner; neither over-powered the other, but both were light, yet full-flavored

Marinated Pork Skewers; Titletown's HopMonster

A big hoppy, full bodied, full flavored IIPA, paired with bite-sized pork skewers that had been marinated in rich, but not hot, spices; this was a full-flavored bomb of a plate with rich, decadent Indian spices, like cardamom, and cumin, but not hot spices; the beer competed nicely by providing plenty of malt body to go with a giant, citrus, American hop IIPA

Braised Beef With Prunes And Potatoes; Titletown's Railyard Ale

Amazingly tender braised beef was served with figs, and prunes, and small potatoes to emphasize the earthy fruits and strong flavors in the beef; the beer, a nice caramel-y, sweet Alt, is a rare style that holds up well to strong flavors, yet won't make you full

Dunbarton Blue Roelli Cheese, Shullsburg, Wisconsin; Titletown's Procrastinator Dopplebock

A cheese rarity - the cheddar/blue hybrid, provide a great creaminess and strong, but not overpowering, tart bleu-cheese flavor that really showcased the creamy texture and dark roastiness of a well-crafted, full-bodied dopplebock.

As you can see from the meals advertised in the comments, there are a lot of these that occur throughout the winter at various restaurants around Madison, indeed around all of Wisconsin. Indeed, Brasserie V holds them on almost any special, and most non-special, occasion. There are a lot of talented chefs in Wisconsin and there are a lot of talented breweries, so it is great to see them pairing up to show off their abilities and make a case for beer as a sophisticated, food-quality beverage.

In my opinion, the prices on these things can be a little stiff to attend too many of them. So, it would be nice to see restaurants work beer pairings more into their menus by way of suggestion and knowledgeable staff, and by regularly stocking these beers that match so well.

Quasi-Press Release Friday: Upcoming Beer Dinners At The Old Fashioned

2010-02-26T05:30:00.001-06:00

So, normally, I don't publish this kind of material without an "official" press release. I don't really see my job as a PR flack for companies too cheap to hire their own PR flack. But, sometimes events are too awesome to wait around for someone send me a press release about it, and I feel like I just need to tell you about it so that you can plan your week around attending it.

The Old Fashioned, in conjunction with Harvest, is doing two more dinners over the next couple of weeks that you are going to want to attend. I went to the one this past week with Titletown, and it was phenomenal. Unlike other beer dinners that I've been to, you definitely don't leave hungry and you definitely aren't getting taster-glasses of beer. It is a full dining experience.

Harvest's chef, and the folks at the Old Fashioned, did a fantastic job of pulling together food that thoughtfully complimented each of the beers - from a simple pilsner to a big, hoppy IIPA to a dopplebock, to an Alt.

Next week is a beer dinner for Potosi Brewing Company. And the following week is Red Eye Brewing Company. So, give Old Fashioned a call and pray to God that they have openings, because these dinners promise to be worth every dime you'll shell out.

Press Release Thursday - Small-Scale Hop Production Workshop

2010-02-25T05:30:00.000-06:00

This program just keeps growing. From meeting in coffee shops with three dudes that thought hops was code for "pot", they're now showing people how to grow pot, er, hops, at the Monona Terrace. It's great to see so many Wisconsinites are interested in growing hops. It doesn't require a ton of land, they can be a little finnicky, but prices are good, it's a great use of open land, and it stabilizes our own prices and access to a key ingredient in the production of beer. Plus, sometimes you might get free beer out of the deal. How sweet is that?
----------------START PRESS RELEASE----------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Introduction to Small Scale Hop Production workshops have filled up despite added space and dates to accommodate overflow attendance. Interest is still growing as over 250 currently registered.

The two workshops will be held at the Monona Terrace in Madison, WI on February 27 and March 6, 2010. A Hops Production Technical Workshop will be offered April 24 for attendees of the first class.

MAZOMANIE, WI (February 22, 2010) – Gorst Valley Hops of Mazomanie, WI has closed out registration for the two upcoming Introduction to Small Scale Hop Production workshops despite the addition of the second workshop and a change of venue to the Monona Terrace to increase class capacity.

“We are absolutely delighted by the interest in our courses.” stated Gregg Baimel, Gorst Valley Hops Director of Business Development. “Since the publicity we received in January, we’ve been fielding 5 to 10 contacts a day asking for additional information on growing or to register for the workshops. We love the enthusiasm and are doing everything we can to educate those interested in growing hops. For that reason we added the second course, increased the capacity and are looking at future dates for additional courses. We are also planning to roll out a web-based course in the near future.”

In addition to the workshops offered in Wisconsin, primary instructors James Altwies and Daniel Dettmers have just completed a second session in Michigan and will be leading a course on March 20th hosted by Cornell University and the Northeast Hops Alliance at the Saranac Brewery in Utica, NY. Much like the effort started in the Midwest, New England is working to restart a hop production industry to support their craft brewing market.

Daniel Dettmers, GVH’s engineer says, “The energy and enthusiasm at these courses is fantastic. The first courses were filled with brewing enthusiasts, homebrewers and those dreaming to put an acre or two to profitable use. They were not necessarily people from the mainstream agricultural community. Now our workshops are filled with farmers who have decades of experience growing corn, mint, tobacco, soybeans and other crops that are more common to the upper Midwest. The shift in the audience shows us that the prospect of growing hops in this region as more than a niche crop is gaining acceptance.”

To help speed the flow of information, the Gorst Valley Hops website (www.gorstvalleyhops.com) is in the process of a major redesign. The new website will offer access to a vast array of information from the history and chemistry of hops to growing and drying processes. The website will also continue to offer back copies of the GVH newsletter, All Hopped Up, and be a resource for those curious about hop production as well as seasoned growers. GVH Director James Altwies further explains, “To meet the rising need for education and training, we will be offering a web-based adaptation of the introductory workshop. Participants will be able to log into our website at their convenience and receive a self-directed version of our popular Introduction to Small Scale Commercial Hop Production course. ”

In addition to the introductory workshops, GVH is planning an intermediate level course, Hops Production Technical Workshop, for April 24th at the Monona Terrace. To attend, participants should have participated in one of the introductory workshops or have extensive knowledge and some experience with hop production. Registration information will be on the GVH website soon.
GVH will also be speaking at the American Homebrewer’s Association’s 32nd annual National Homebrewers Conference June 17-19, 2010 in Minneapolis.

Gorst Valley Hops is committed to providing high quality pelletized and leaf hops to everyone from craft brewers to home brewers while maximizing environmental stewardship through sustainable growth and processing of our product and that of other hop growers throughout the upper Midwest. Gorst Valley Hops can be contacted at:

Gorst Valley Hops
608-334-8012
www.gorstvalleyhops.com
info at gorstvalleyhops.com

Big Beer Week(s) - Capital US Pale Ale version 2.0

2010-02-24T05:30:00.000-06:00

A little birdy whispered into my ear that Capital might be changing the recipe on the US Pale Ale. Really? That sounds interesting. A General Beverage rep was quoted as saying that the hops in the recipe have gone up "on a 1 to 10 scale, from a 3 to a 6 or 7." What? Not 11?

I sent my best buddy Kirby Nelson, Brewmaster of Capital Brewery, an email asking what was up and he was kind enough to respond.

Those rumors are true and yet that has been the case since this beer’s beginnings. Understand we don’t pilot brew per se, any ideas we come up with we produce in our brewhouse (except for the occasional Dane brew) and 1,200 pounds is the minimum amount of grain we can use. So we will end up with about 40 ½ bbls on the average of any trial we do.

I find this to be relatively fascinating. No pilot batches. New recipes are all or ... well ... all. Minimum batch size: 40.5 bbls. And it better make it into a bottle.

We have always prided ourselves on selling every “trial” we have done. So whenever I formulate something I tend to approach the first brew on the conservative side, knowing the flavor profile we are after and tweaking/evolving the brew as we feel it needs it. And to be honest at the risk of sounding arrogant (which I am) the majority of the brews we do are usually pretty much as I want them out of the chute. You do something long enough you better know how to hit what you are targeting without a whole lot of fucking around.

And, not to poke a sleeping liger, but "Capital Experimental"? Nailed that one, eh.

With U.S., we did a brew basically for the hell of it and served it at our retailer appreciation party. And all of the attendees seemed to really enjoy it. So we decided to release it. The first brews got the majority of their hop character from dry hopping, which I am not a fan of (although I am very proud of the Hop Bazooka I invented to disperse the hops in a horizontal tank). So over time I replaced the dry hopping with post boil additions.

I found this pretty interesting at first blush. Not a fan of dry-hopping. I didn't really think it was something you could be a "fan" of. I mean, it's a technique for deriving aroma from hops without isomerization of the alpha acids and causing increased bitterness. But, it turns out, dry-hopping is a mess and steeping, or whirlpooling the hops, is equally effective at deriving the desired aroma and flavor without increasing bitterness or causing such a damned mess.

I was very happy where that was heading (even though I recall some fuck [ed note: I think he's referring to me] saying after reading Robin’s review in the Isthmus [ed note: Robin Shepherd, beer writer for The Isthmus] that the approach I took towards this product made for really boring beer).

My stance on this hasn't really changed. I still contend that the biggest problem that I had with the first incarnation was that the body was too thin. A thin body, combined with less-than-aggressive hopping, makes for a boring beer. Not that that is a bad thing. Kirby and I have talked about this - not every beer needs to be a flavor monster that leaves the kids moaning in perpetual orgasm. But, it's also not really worthy of spilling bytes of data writing about, either. But, even still, I thought the body was a little thin for what he was going for.

Then last years Cascade crop was a bit of an anomaly in that the alpha acids were about 30 some per cent higher than normal. So to keep the same bittering the amount of post boil hopping had to decrease, moderating the hop flavor.

In other words, the hops became more bitter, so he had to decrease the amount he used. Good for the pocket-book, but makes recipe consistency difficult. But, this is where the light-bulb comes on.

Although this beer sells okay, it is far from being one of our best sellers. And with the audience for Pale Ales really enjoying elevated hopping levels we decided to continue the evolution. The OG has been boosted and a bit more specialty malts added to the grain bill. The bittering has been elevated via post boil additions and the dry hopping rate is being increased.

So, basically, they kept the increased-bitterness hops, but went back to the original hopping schedule. The "specialty grains" he's referring to are caramel grains to add a bit of complexity and robust sweetness. And the body was increased to support the increased hoppiness. This man is speaking my language.

And to make things more interesting in a couple months we will be into the ’09 crop of Cascade (the only hop used) which has the alpha acid level back to the low 5’s, giving me the ability to jack the post boil amounts but if we are happy with where it is before then I will probably not take advantage of this opportunity.

So, it's an evolving process that could have the hop profile even more up-front, depending on where the balance for this beer levels out. Kirby and Carl invited me out to the brewery to try a bit of the new recipe (and the new Hopbock) before it went out to the canning facility. And while what I had was relatively young and straight out of the fermenter, it is much more in-line with what I like about Pale Ales.

To me, Pale Ales are about balance and flavor. One component shouldn't shine more than another, but each should be present and accounted for. In this case, you have a nice malty body that is noticeable and flavorful, and a Cascade hoppiness that provides a citrus nose and slightly pine-y flavor. The bitterness is fairly moderated, but the hop flavor is more present here, which is more pleasing than just plain bitterness.

The other thing we, Kirby and I, talked about was the point. That is to say, what's the point? This beer is not about being showy; it's a work-day beer. A beer you buy by the six or twelve pack and just keep around. I've been talking about this a lot lately, with Dave's BrewFarm Select in particular. To me it is far more difficult to make a beer that has the flavor and complexity to hold up to scrutiny, but that is subtle enough, is moderated enough, that it can be ignored. Stone cannot be, will not be, ignored. Even Sierra Nevada Pale is big enough to warrant attention. Imperial Pale Ales, if you will. Hopalicious is, to me, a slightly more moderated version of Stone's Pale with a slightly hoppy balance that is quenching and enjoyable. The US Pale is more malt-forward and overall balanced.

Is it a Pale Ale? An IPA? Fuckin’ swill? I’ll leave that to the great beer rating minds of our times to tell me……………

Indeed.

Big Beer Week(s) - Ale Asylum Satisfaction Jacksin

2010-02-22T05:30:00.002-06:00

This week and part of next week we'll be looking at some "big" beers. 4 of the 5 are "Imperial" beers and the 5th is a sneak peek at the new, re-designed, Capital US Pale Ale. So, for the next two weeks, we'll contemplate the meaning of "imperial" and what it means to be a "big" beer.

The Imperial India Pale Ale, along with the Imperial Stout, are two stalwarts, The Who and The Beatles of the beer world. If you look at the lists of the Top 100 beers in the world, by far the two largest genres of beer are Imperial IPAs and Imperial Stouts. For example, of the Top 10 of BeerAdvocate's Top Beers on Planet Earth, eight are Imperial Stouts or Imperial IPAs. Indeed, number one, Pliny the Younger, is an Imperial IPA. Then, six of the next nine are Imperial Stouts. You can do the same analysis with RateBeer's Top 50: 8 of the top 10 are Imperial Stouts; 15 of the top 20 are either Imperial IPAs or Imperial Stouts.

So, clearly these are the royalty of the beer universe. But, why?

That's a good question, really. Maybe you have a better answer than I do. But, I have a theory and it's a rather cynical theory, but bear with me. My theory is this: the vast majority of people have no idea what they're talking about. But, if you get enough people who have no idea what they're talking about together and ask them a collective question, such as to rank things, the collective group will often, unwittingly stumble on the right answer. This is called "collective intelligence" and we see it all over the animal kingdom from bacteria to beer geeks.

In this case, I'd argue that the answer is "mostly right" as it is pretty hard to argue that any of the beers in the Top 20 of any of these lists are unworthy of the title "great" or "amazing" or "phenomenal" or even "one of the best in the world." Of course, to call a particular beer #1 is only a label, the reality is that any of those top 20 could easily be #1.

But, there's also a pretty noticeable lack of subtlety in either list. If you look at the Top 20 of either list you'll find that the only non-Imperial, beers with "Imperial" in their style definitions fall in to one of two categories: Westvleyteran, and sour. In the case of BeerAdvocate's list there is one English Barleywine, though at 13.5% ABV, one would be hard pressed to make a case for subtlety there. And, in the case of RateBeer's list there is Kuhnhenn's Raspberry Eisbock, which is also above 10% ABV, and not exactly subtle.

Where are delicate Belgian blondes, complex porters, velvety dopplebocks, quenching helles lagers, or the perfect dunkelweizen? Well, I would argue, nuances of texture, body, and light complexity are simply too difficult to make a case for. Put another way: these lists are the collective thoughts of non-expert, mostly mid-20s, mostly male inputs. So, what these lists should really be are "The Top 100 Beers For Mid-20s Males." If you were to poll a similar collection but reversed the male/female percentages, or a collection of "experts", or a collection of 50-year-olds, I assure you the lists would be very, very different. I put "experts" in quotes because I do believe that some people are far more experienced than others; some people, through their experience and/or superior senses, are simply better tasters than you or I.

A few years ago I would have been tempted to rail about availability. But, it seems as if availability (or even lack of availability) is hardly a pre-requisite. Many of these beers are only available in particular regions of the US. But a not-insignificant number have pretty general, national, availability.

So, what do you think? Why are these things so dominant in the Top 100 lists?

Ale Asylum Satisfaction Jacksin - Imperial IPA
BeerAdvocate(B+). RateBeer(89).
Appearance: crystal clear burnished copper with a foamy, pale head; one interesting thing about IPAs is that they can sometimes be cloudy because the filters don't capture all of the hoppy floaty bits before they get into a bottle; that is definitely not the case here; a gorgeous looking beer served at 56.4 degrees
Aroma: citrus and floral hoppiness with a strong malty, sweet presence that is very promising
Flavor: hoppy; very, very hoppy; not overly, intensely bitter - this is not a Ruination clone by any stretch of the imagination - but it has great bitterness and strong hoppy flavor; the malt is present, but the hops are really the star here
Body: piney and resiny, the body itself is somewhat medium, but the finish is long and lip-smacking; if you let the beer dry on your lips and then lick it off it's like a treat that you've saved for later, reminiscent of hard candy or something
Drinkability: Rather than an amped up Hopalicious or even Ballistic, this beer reminds me most of New Glarus' Hop Hearty, with its strong hoppiness, but great all-around drinkability
Summary: The marketing copy on the neck of the bottle calls this "slightly punishing" but if this is punishing, I must be a masochist because I really like this punishment. It also says that this is "unfiltered" which, given its sterling clarity, I find to be a stunning statement, next time I see Dean or Otto I'll have to ask them how they get such amazing clarity without a filter; for a so-called "big" or "over the top" style, this beer is surprisingly approachable, it has a fine balance of hops and malt; yet, I wonder how this beer would fare in a "Top 100" list because it isn't a brash, showy beer; which is another reason to question the mob-mentality of these Top 100 lists.

Celebration of American Distilling

2010-02-17T05:30:00.000-06:00

First, some disclosure: for the second year in a row I've been given tickets to this event from the fine folks at the Madison Malt Society. In exchange, I print some press releases and generally help them to raise awareness for the event and for fermented and distilled malt beverages. While this piece is certainly, in some ways, an advertisement for the event (occurring tomorrow, Thursday, February 18th at 7pm at the Edgewater Hotel), its genesis was more in my own curiosity surrounding these beverages; this disclaimer was more of an afterthought than an attempt to sit down and right an advertising piece for them. So, with that said, thank you to Madison Malt Society and I hope you, the fine reader, learn a thing or two.

------------END DISCLOSURE-------------------

Just some of the beverages made from malted grains:
- bourbon (corn)
- whiskey (any grain)
- scotch (barley)
- rye (rye)
- vodka (grain-neutral)
- gin (grain-neutral)
- akavit (aka "aquavit", grain-neutral)
- absinthe (grain-neutral)

Obviously, we can split these into two main categories: whiskey/whisky and grain-neutral. In the case of whiskey, it is distilled to 80-90% alcohol in order to retain some flavor of the base grain. Grain-neutral spirits are distilled between 90-95.6% alcohol, then, often flavor is added through any number of processes. As a side note: above 95.6% ethanol and water are an azeotrope.

Whiskey is a general term used to describe any grain-based distilled product that is not not grain-neutral (yes, technically, vodka/gin/absinthe/etc are not entirely grain-neutral, but for these purposes we'll throw them together as "non-whiskey" and cross that bridge when we get to it). This means that the whiskey retains some flavor of the base grain. Bourbon for example, has a grain-mix of at least 51% corn. Rye, at least the American version, is at least 51% rye.

In fact, we can break "whiskey" down into "single-malt" and "everthing else". Single-malt whiskeys are whiskeys that have only one type of malt in their grain profile. While not uncommon, they are the exception to the rule, particularly in the United States. But, within "Single-malt" we do find the occasional rye whiskey, but more usually it is Scotch. So, what is Scotch? The Scotch Whiskey Order of 1990 spells it out:
1. whisky
2. produced at a distillery in Scotland
3. from water or malted barley (no adjuncts)
4. processed at that distillery into a mash and fermented by only adding yeast
5. less than 94.8% ABV
6. Matured in oak casks smaller than 700 litres (approx. 184 gallons or 6 bbls) for not less than 3 years
7. No substance other than water or "spirit caramel" (a coloring additive) has been added

So, what is a product that meets all of those requirements except #2 (made in Scotland)? Whiskey. Indeed, many of the whiskey types have very strict rules. Indeed Federal Regulations, 27 CFR 5.22, set out the specifics for a variety of distilled spirits.

Neutral-grain spirits, such as vodka and gin, are made using grain-based mashes but are distilled to the point where all, or most, of the flavor has been removed. It is then cut with water to the desired alcohol level. These can then be flavored in any number of ways. For example, neutral-grain flavored with juniper and other botanicals is "gin". If spices such as caraway, or anise, or cardamom or fennel are used it can be "akavit". Though many American producers still just call it "vodka" because consumers know what "vodka" is, and have never heard of "akavit" or "aquavit".

It is interesting to note, or maybe specifically point out, that in all of these cases, there is very little difference between a grain mash that gets fermented and turned into beer and a grain mash that gets fermented and distilled into spirits. Thus, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that more and more breweries are starting to take on some interesting side-projects. Rogue Brewery in Oregon makes a fantastic whiskey, New Holland Brewing in Michigan makes an excellent gin, Dogfish Head in Delaware makes an amazing chocolate vodka (and I don't like chocolate or vodka).

So, given that the only difference between beer and vodka is distilling, how does distilling work? The answer is more complex and scientific than I could even begin to explain in any amount of detail. But the gist of it is this:
- pot distillation: also called "batch distillation": a large onion-shaped kettle is fired causing the liquid (basically, beer), called "wash", to boil; the vapor produced from the boiling contains a higher-concentration of alcohol, and is routed through coils to cool to form a low-alcohol liquid (about 25% ABV or so). This first-distillation is then boiled again to create a high-alcohol liquid. At this point, if it is above 90% ABV, it would be filtered and called "vodka", if below 90% it is aged in oak barrels, where it gets its dark color, and called "whiskey"
- column distillation: also called "continuous distillation" consists of two vertical columns. The first column has a series of steps where liquid, wash, can condense; this condensed liquid is recirculated through the second column until the proper alcohol percentage is reached. The condensation at the highest point of the column is highest in alcohol concentration.

Lew Bryson had a fantastic article in Ale Street News about microdistilling that is a must-read for anyone interested in getting into these beverages. One, ummm..., brewing controversy is the use of pot stills v column stills. The big-guys almost universally use column-stills, the little guys almost universally use pot-stills. Lew does a great job of unpacking that discrepancy. There's also some controversy over using pre-made grain-neutral spirits and simply adding your own aging or flavoring additives.

Here in Wisconsin, breweries can't also be distilleries. However, Capital Brewery, in Middleton, does make the mash for many of the Wisconsin-based distilleries. So, head on over to the "Celebration of American Distilling", try some samples, talk to some of the master distillers and find out what these drinks are all about.

Audience Participation: What The Heck Does "Specialty Grain" Mean?

2010-02-15T05:30:00.002-06:00

So, as you're probably already aware by now, I drink and discuss beer quite a bit with my brother who lives back in Cleveland. In fact, many of these conversations turn into blog posts. Normally, I write it up a little differently because I take some time to do some research and to make it more "article-like". But, I thought this was an interesting conversation as it is, and I wanted to invite you in on the conversation. So, rather than CC everyone on the emails, just post some comments.

hey - I was at La Cave last night and had a New Holland Charkoota Rye, which is a Smoked Rye Dopplebock. Meaning, it could realistically be classified as a: 1) rauchbier, 2) specialty grain, or 3) dopplebock.

RateBeer classifies it as a specialty grain. I guess by their definition the moment it has rye in it, it becomes a specialty grain, whereas I would've thought the same would hold true for having smoked malt and being immediately called a rauchbier. But at the same time, the basic recipe is that of a dopplebock. So really it could go either way.

It's funny how some beers are supposed to be great examples of specific styles (which I'm starting to appreciate much more than these other beers that are usually all over the place and so much less focused), but in America as the melting pot of world beer continues, and the unspoken contest to make the biggest, boldest and weirdest beers ever goes on, fewer and fewer beers are remotely classifiable into any single category.

It's an interesting issue. But it's crazy how well I predicted the smoke and rye trend. I'm telling you now, the next trend will be ESBs. There's a brewery here making a rye ESB that's fantastically drinkable. [ed note: Red Eye's RyeESB] As for "style", it's ridiculous. I'm actually giving a talk in March where I'm going to discuss this exact issue and I'm going to trace beer style in Wisconsin (which mimics beer styles in the US) from the 1850s to today. You started out with a very monochromatic marketplace: ale, lager, and porter. [ed note: technically tri-choromatic, I guess] Ales were, pretty much, ESBs or simply pale ales (although, I got in this discussion with another beer history geek, "pale" would have been closer to our "amber" because they hadn't perfected malting processes; nonetheless they would not have been hoppy at all). Lagers were pale lagers, but not pilsners; a similar issue with "pale", think along the lines of an Export or non-Export Dortmunder. And porter would have been closer to our modern day "stout", but more "burnt" and less "roasty". Through the late-1800s and early-1900s we gradually introduced more styles - bock, pilsner, IPAs (I have an ad from the 1880s for an IPA made in Janesville!), dark, stout, - and then in the mid-1900s they all went away again and we were left with pilsners and stout. Starting with the craft revolution in the 1980s we started seeing more styles emerge again - dopplebocks, "American IPA/American Amber", etc. And, of course, now we have these beers that aren't styles at all - a smoked rye dopplebock - there is no basis in the dopplebock style for smoke, let alone smoked rye, so it's not a "dopplebock"; it's more like an "Imperial Dark" or something.

And trying to shoehorn style on RateBeer/BeerAdvocate is silly. "Specialty Grain"? Really? If you were searching for this beer by style, would you really look under "Specialty Grain" first? No. You'd look under "Dopplebock".

I can't say I prefer one form (strict style) over another (free form style), but I will say that a brewery like New Glarus that does both very well is extraordinarily rare. The problem in the first case is that if you "miss" the style, it's held against you. The problem in the latter case is that it is really easy to make shitty beer and just cop-out with "oh, we don't brew to style" or the age-old "you can't say it's bad, you just don't prefer it."

Hey would you mind if I posted your email (edited) and my response to MBR?

You surely can post it if you'd like. One thing to clarify ... it definitely had a backbone of a dopplebock. Very sweet and clearly a lager. The rye was less noticeable. I have to admit I laughed out loud when I read that part you wrote about the "specialty grain". It's such a stupid classification for beer. Not to mention it's silly in the first place to categorize the stuff they make now. They should classify anything that is really specific to a style as that style, but outside of that, everything should just be "strong/dark/amber/pale lager/ale", etc.
One thing that really has interested me lately is the so-far rather unnoticed difference in beer circles in a beer that's big and done well as opposed to a beer that's just big. There's nothing inherently great about brewing a beer that's 100 IBU or is 16% ABV or tastes like liquid chocolate. Everyone has these now. But there are great beers like this due to their balance and complexity. These are the types of beers I've been searching for more lately.

I think this is a great point and evidence of just how quickly the craft beer world is changing. Two years ago I could count on one hand the number of breweries that used rye in their in their mashes; it would have been considered "unusual" or "creative" to use rye in a dopplebock. Today, that's a very different situation, and while it's still far from the norm, the "shock and awe" of such juxtapositions has been eliminated.

So, how would you respond? Do breweries get credit just for trying? Is creativity worth anything anymore? If a smoked rye doppelbock is passe, what do breweries have to do to capture the attention of craft beer drinkers? How do you even begin to classify these things? Is classification necessary and what's the point? If the smoked rye doppelbock were entered into competition where would it be entered? How could you even judge it, what would be your basis of comparison?

MBR and Cheese Underground Present ...

2010-02-11T16:00:00.000-06:00

... A night of beer and cheese pairings. Jeanne Carpenter of Cheese Underground and I are teaming up on March 9th, 2010 at 6:00pm at The Malt House to present a program on cheese and beer. We'll be featuring Wisconsin cheese and beer as we trace the history of local production. We'll feature craft beer and styles from a number of decades that represent a wide range of Wisconsin beer.

This event is free of charge, though it is part of The Literacy Network's Literacy 24/7 series of events, so donations are very welcome.

Hope to see you there. Sorry for the lack of posts, I promise to catch up one of these days soon!

Madison Beer Review Presents Beer Talk Today - Surly Brewing Co.

2010-02-05T12:00:00.000-06:00

On Part Two of this weeks podcast, we continue our discussion with Surly Head Brewer Todd Haug, as he shares his thoughts about what inspired Surly's core beers and the ups and downs of internet buzz.

Here's the mp3

Cheers!

Madison Beer Review Presents Beer Talk Today - Surly Brewing Co.

2010-02-02T05:30:00.000-06:00

On the first part of this weeks podcast we talk with Todd Haug, Head Brewer of Brooklyn Center Minnesota's Surly Brewing Company. In this clip we discuss his origins as a brewer, the overall ideas behind Surly and why cans are better for some things and bottles are better for others.

Here's the mp3

Volume Caps At Risk?

2010-02-01T08:00:00.006-06:00

What the hell does "Volume Caps At Risk" mean? Is that the sort of thing that makes sense to anyone? It's not even industry jargon. But I guess I'm not sure what else to call it. But let's define what I mean at the top here, and maybe some of our industry readers can tell us a better way to say it.

Volume Cap: a form of legislation that creates different rules for different sectors of the beverage industry based on the barrelage of output. For example, a rule that says brewpubs can't make more than 10,000 barrels of beer. Or, a rule that says that any brewery under 50,000 barrels only pays 50% of the excise tax. Those are volume caps.

Well, the First Circuit Court of the United States has ruled that such caps may violate the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. A Massachusetts law said that any winery producing less than 30,000 gallons of wine could sell direct to consumers and to wholesalers, while wineries over 30,000 gallons could sell direct to consumer or to wholesalers, but not both. Not surprisingly, according to the court "All of Massachusetts's wineries are 'small' wineries."

The Court held that "... § 19F violates the Commerce Clause because the effect of its particular gallonage cap is to change the competitive balance between in-state and out-of-state wineries in a way that benefits Massachusetts's wineries and significantly burdens out-of-state competitors."

According to the court, since Mass. wineries were only small wineries, all of them could choose to either sell direct to consumers or to sell to wholesalers at their choice. While only out-of-state wineries had to choose between the two options. In other words, "Massachusetts has used its 30,000 gallon grape wine cap to expand the distribution options available to 'small' wineries, including all Massachusetts wineries, but not to similarly situated 'large' wineries, all of which are outside Massachusetts. The advantages afforded to 'small' wineries by these expanded distribution options bear little relation to the market challenges caused by the relative sizes of the wineries. Section 19F's statutory context, legislative history, and other factors also yield the unavoidable conclusion that this discrimination was purposeful. Nor does § 19F serve any legitimate local purpose that cannot be furthered by a non-discriminatory alternative. ... The discriminatory effect is because § 19F's definition of 'large' wineries encompasses the wineries which produce 98 percent of all wine in the United States, all of which are located out-of-state and all of which are deprived of the benefits of combining distribution methods."

It is not entirely clear what the decision would have been if even one Mass. winery was over 30,000 gallons.

So, what does this mean for WI breweries? Do we have any laws that impose volume caps? Off the top of my head I can think of two: the 10K barrel limit for brewpubs, and the 50K/300K barrel limit for excise tax reduction.

Let's take the latter first because I think it is most similar to the Massachusetts law. The tax reduction in Wisconsin says that all breweries pay $2 per barrel of beer sold in the state. A reduction is available if your brewery produces less than 300,000 barrels; that reduction allows the brewery to only pay $1 on the first 50,000 barrels. With Miller's headquarters officially moving to Chicago, that leaves zero in-state breweries producing more than 300,000 barrels (yes, I know the physical brewing facility is still here, but I'm going to ignore that and we can argue over those implications in the comments). Thus, no in-state brewery is subject to the full tax, while all breweries subject to the full tax are out-of-state. Under the logic of the First Circuit this is an undue burden on interstate commerce and violates the Constitution. Thus, the cap must be removed or everyone must get the 50K barrels at the reduced tax. Which do you think is more likely to happen?

The Brewpub law is a bit trickier. In this case it seems to unduly burden in-state breweries. In this case, in-state brewpubs cannot produce more than 10,000 barrels. Yet, out-of-state brewpubs can produce more than 10,000 barrels and distribute into Wisconsin. Thus, it's a bit backwards, but if we simplify the language a little it make some sense. Let's call brewpubs under 10K barrels "small" brewpubs and everything else "big" brewpubs. In-state and Out-of-State "small" brewpubs can distribute here in Wisconsin. But only out-of-state "big" brewpubs can distribute here. This clearly discriminates against in-state brewpubs. One option might be to re-write the law to allow only 10,000 barrels to be used for restaurant purposes, but otherwise the brewpub can brew, and distribute (through the three-tier system of course), as much as it likes.

Some tricky stuff. You can read another interesting take on it here.

BrewFarm Select

2010-01-29T05:30:00.002-06:00

Despite being accused, and probably guilty, of - let me make sure I get this right - having a "burned-out tongue" and being a "stuck-up hophead", I do like pale, easy-drinking beer. Whether it is an ale in the form of New Glarus' Spotted Cow or a lager in the form of Capital's Special Pils. When I'm playing poker with the guys, or even just want to sit down and drink a beer without thinking about it too much, I like to grab a pale, simple-tasting beer.

But there's a trick to these beers. Too little flavor and you end up with a macro-clone. Too much flavor and you defeat the purpose. Despite recent accusations of snobbery, I'm not an adjunct-hater. But, again, the balance is necessary. Spotted Cow gets dangerously close to too much corn. Supper Club tips the scale. But, at least give them some credit for making the effort; many other breweries simply refuse to make these beers because they don't want to be associated with pale, fizzy, beer.

But, it's a huge part of the industry - in fact, it is, hands down, the biggest part of the industry. As "the Cow" has shown, having a pale, fizzy, adjunct beer can be your ... ahem ... cash cow (sorry). You can go into almost any bar in this state and, even if they only have three tap-lines, Spotted Cow will be on tap. This is a huge boon to a brewery. It can also be a, literal, headache as these bars tend to suffer from less-than-stellar cleaning habits which infects beer with diacetyl, making the corn taste like popcorn and giving the drinker a headache before the first glass is finished.

I don't know what the numbers are, but I suspect that this "off flavor" and "headache inducing" aspect to beer drinking prevents, or impedes, the development of beer drinkers. This is often the first, and sometimes only, interaction that a prospective drinker will have with a brand. Think, for a moment, about a place like Platteville, WI. A small college town with a strip of bars that attract local college kids as they are coming of age. One of these folks goes into the bar for the first time, sees "Spotted Cow" on tap, but the tap is infected. With such an unpleasant experience ("dude, I have a killer headache. f- that Cow man, just give me a Jack and Coke"), it's no wonder that younger generations are increasingly turning to spirits.

So, that gets a long way off-topic. But, the fact remains that pale, fizzy beers with flavor can be a brewery's savior even in the craft industry. Spotted Cow, Oberon, 312, Dortmunder Gold - all flavorful, easy drinking, pale, fizzy beer.

Into this market steps Dave's BrewFarm Select, the first full-release for the BrewFarm we've been talking about here for quite some time. Brewed and packaged in cans (cans!) at Stevens Point under the direction of brewer David Anderson, the Select is a pale lager in the vein of Dortmunder Gold. It aims to be a beer that you can drink anywhere; equally at home out of a can as at a fancy restaurant in a fluted pilsner, a beer that you can ignore, but also a beer that you has some taste and complexity that if you really take the time to notice is quite complex. These are all the things that the Dortmunder Gold is, let's see if it holds up to these considerable expectations, shall we?

Already available in parts of the state, BrewFarm Select should be available on shelves in Madison and Milwaukee soon, if it isn't already, through Beechwood Distributing.

[Ed Note: I'll get a review up sooner rather than later, but I wanted to make sure this got up before tomorrow's Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest, since this is one of the first Southern-Wisconsin Beer Fests that the BrewFarm is attending. If you make it over there, make sure to say hello to David and Pam]

BrewFarm Select
BA. (A-) RB. (NA)
Appearance: served as yellow, fizzy beer should, straight out of the fridge, though I couldn't bring myself to drink out of the can for review purposes; more golden that yellow, it is quite fizzy (carbonated) and has a small-ish white head
Aroma: the aroma is notable even as it pours out of the can; the aroma is all malt with a touch of hops to clean it up and lend some nice spiciness
Flavor: oh yeah, clean, crisp, refreshing; strong malt breadiness, with maybe some vienna or munich sweetness, biscuity; I don't pick any caramel, and the hops are pretty light in the flavor, almost no bitterness
Body: while this is light-ish bodied, the finish is surprisingly clean, even if a little long which lends a little added body to subsequent sips
Drinkability: this is a beer style that is all about sessionability and drinkability; do you want another one, and do you want another one right now? I'd take another four or five of these; right now
Summary: It's hard to get worked up over a pale lager, as there are so few that are of any quality; of course, Dortmunder Gold is the ... errr ... gold standard, but Capital Special Pils and Calumet's Pils are both right up there; for special releases I think New Glarus' Bohemian Lager was one of the best of the style to ever be produced. But I would instantly put this in the category of Capital and Calumet as contenders to Great Lakes Dortmunder. A worthy effort for the BrewFarm and a nice feather in Point's contract-brewing cap.

The Cooper's Tavern

2010-01-27T05:30:00.001-06:00

A new beer bar, I think the trendy phrase to use these days is "gastropub", on the Square here in Madison. The Coopers' Tavern has been open about two weeks. I'll keep this review relatively short because there really isn't much to say except: yes, yes, and yes. Or, in the phrasing of the continentals it seeks to mimic, "get thee to there in a most expedient manner." Or something like that. I doubt that they actually say such thing.

Big beer list. And, yes I tend to cynicism at times, I'm always a bit skeptical when I hear that a pick-a-European-country bar has a "good" taplist. Especially when said pick-a-European-country bar is be-decked in kitsch and faux-thenticity as all FoodFight restaurants are. Even worse, "Good European Beer" typically means Guinness, Bass and, maybe, Harp and sometimes, if you're lucky, Smithwicks. And that's it.

Oh no. Not here. Good European Beer. And by European I don't just mean Belgian. Look, I like an abbey as much as the next guy, but please, can we please just get some decent German lagers and English ales? What? They make beer in Spain? A real, live, German Kolsch? Old Speckled Hen on tap requiring a two-stage pour? I about creamed my pants. That was before I even saw the 100-bottle bottle list.

And, yeah, while I admit I'm a convert to the "Publick House" ideal of geezers sittin' around shootin' the shit about Margie and that cad down the alley, a tv or two with some football (and not that pansy-ass Brett-Favre-interception-throwin' kind - the real football) on will make my day.

So, while I actually went into it quite skeptical and a tad cynical I'll be the ornery geezer on the pub stool in the corner wearing my Gunners gear.

I Promise This Is The Last Time I'll Call It JT Whitneys

2010-01-25T05:30:00.003-06:00

As many of you know by now, JT Whitneys' space on the West Side of Madison at Odana and Whitney Way is now occupied by the owners of the Vintage. They have decided to call it Vintage Brewing Company. It opened maybe a week or two ago (?), and the brewery is currently inactive with nothing planned until March, at least. Thus, admittedly, this review may be a bit premature; however, since it is a bar in a place called "X Brewing Company" I think it's fair to get a feel for the place.

Before I get to the pub itself, I want to go off on a quick diversion because I think it really sucks that they've chosen to import a brewmaster from outside of Wisconsin to brew here. There are quite a few very talented brewers in the city of Madison and Wisconsin generally that are currently unemployed and looking for work. However, most of the breweries in the area are set for brewers and assistants, so jobs don't open up often. Thus, when one does open, I think it would behoove the owners of said facility to at least interview some of those unemployed brewers and try to support our local brewers rather than be nepotistic and hire a relative from out-of-state.

Anyway. With that out of my system, I was able to hit up the Vintage Brewing Company on Friday night and, unfortunately, I can't really recommend it. I'll get the worst of it out of the way first: the mac and cheese was awful. To quote Mrs. MBR: "I'd have rather had Roundy's Shells and Cheese". It was all of the worst things about bad macaroni and cheese: it had been cooked too hot, the cheese had separated, and any binding agents had caused it to be gritty; the shells were over-cooked and mushy. The $12 crab cake (note: not crab cakes) appetizer wasn't much better; though the top was finely crusted, the bottom was soft and mushy and the inside was cold; and the mango salsa was most generously described as "interesting." The pulled pork sandwich was fine. But for one crab cake ($12), a pulled pork sandwich ($9), and mac and cheese ($14), we spent $31 and one of us didn't hate our food. In all, I wouldn't recommend it for the food; though as a cook and eater of food, I tend to be a bit more forgiving since we all have off-nights.

So, OK, the food was less than stellar and moderately over-priced, but you aren't reading this site for the food. How was the beer?

Less than interesting, unfortunately. A (very) limited tap and bottle list that, to its credit, focused on local beer was wrong. A fellow diner ordered the "Sprecher Abbey Triple Alt" (sic; no such beer exists, by the way, though it was listed in exactly that way on the menu - presumably it was the Sprecher Abbey Tripel and the "Alt" was a typo) and was served a MadTown Nut Brown instead. He wasn't asked if this (not even remotely close) substitution was acceptable. And while taps are $4.50, Strongbow, listed with the rest of the "tap beers" was inexplicably $6, with nary a price to be seen anywhere on the drink menu in any event.

To me, though, the biggest disappointment was what seemed like a conspicuously strong and pointed disinterest in quality beer. What taps and bottles they had, which wasn't much (about 6 taps or so, and maybe 10 bottles) overlooked seasonal and special releases in favor of predictable, unadventerous, year-round releases. Of course, something can be said for offering something that the general public, typically unfamiliar with more exotic and bold beers, can readily approach. But does that really need to comprise the entire tap list? Morevoer, I'm not sure that bodes well for what could be coming from the brewery itself. If the restaurant and bar is this disinterested in craft beer when they have the entire universe of Wisconsin craft beer to pick from, what will they do in the infinitely more challenging arena of creating their own?

Combined with a less-than-stellar menu, it seems that Vintage Brewing Company isn't really interested in providing a craft experience. The goal here is not to present skilled art in a manner that might appeal to a general public. Rather, the goal here is to take advantage of a fad and try to get dollars out of people by presenting a superficial sheen and a facade over what is otherwise the same thing you can get at any of the chain restaurants down the street at the mall.

Look, I hate writing bad reviews and you'll probably call me a cynic. I choose to think that I have high standards, and see little reason to excuse, or give a free pass to, mediocrity. And, yes, I'm perhaps a bit more vehement than I might otherwise be, but it really irks me that the Vintage came into this space, bringing in outsiders in the process, jumping in line over many other groups. Groups that were actually interested in using the space to brew good beer and provide an experience that JT Whitneys wasn't in my time, but I am assured was in its glory days. It irks me that this space could be used for such great things, and they not only blew it, but did so in such a shallow, callow, poseur, manner.

Look, admittedly the place is new, and it's not yet brewing. I'll go back when the brewery is up and running, but frankly I see no reason to go here instead of The Great Dane, or even Granite City down the street.

Review - Lakefront Local Acre

2010-01-18T05:30:00.002-06:00

Last week we published the podcast of our roundtable discussing the Local Acre and the state of Wisconsin local agriculture and value-added agricultural production. Today is a simple review of the beer that has generated all of this interest. As the label says, this is a lager that weighs in at 7.5% ABV or so. It uses 100% Wisconsin hops, and 100% Wisconsin grains.

Lakefront Local Acre
BeerAdvocate (B). RateBeer (NA).
Appearance: pale golden and hazy, a light straw color maybe? More hazy than typical for a filtered lager [ed note: it is not filtered; my comment here merely was a reference to the fact that lagers of this type typically ARE filtered]; this may be intentional to give it a "rustic", "authentic" Wisconsin feel, or it may just be a result of the sheer amount of 6-row, husky grain in here; the head is about 2 fingers and dense in my imperial pint; it's a very pretty beer actually
Aroma: husk and malt with a light floral hoppiness; I'm guessing that these are not cascade hops, but maybe something like a Northern Brewer or Hersbrucker; the aroma is pleasant and the presentation alone makes this quite a beer [ed note: they are actually cascade hops; but as I've mentioned before, the Wisconsin variety of Cascade is somewhat muted; and it might account for the lemony citrus-iness that seemed otherwise unaccountable]
Flavor: soft, with more hop bitterness than one might otherwise expect given the muted aroma; the taste is all malt, with lemony brightness and clean finish; there is a faint bit of alcohol that comes through at the very end; not a strong huskiness in flavor that one might expect with 6-row malts; the lemony brightness almost gives it an ale flavor
Body: soft, but medium-light bodied (at least as compared against other light-colored lagers); the finish is quick and fairly clean
Drinkability: quite nice, though a bomber goes a long way; but I can easily see drinking a bomber by myself (as I'm ... ahem ... currently doing) and wanting more.
Summary: reminiscent of a mai bock without some of the syrupyness typical for that style, this has an interesting flavor that is unique unto itself; there is a sweetness, brightness, and hoppiness that is unusual for a typical American pale lager; it would make an EXCELLENT festbier if Americans weren't so persnickety in demanding that Oktoberfests be amber styles and I can see this really taking off as a flagship for Lakefront; it's complexity is interesting, even though at the end of the day it IS a pale lager; I quite like it and wouldn't hesitate to spend the $6 for a bomber that's being asked, though perhaps as a Spotted Cow killer in keg and 12ozs it might be better-received (though I doubt there's the supply of raw materials to meet that kind of demand)

Lakefront Local Acre - Beer Talk Today, Pt 2

2010-01-15T05:30:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week we posted the first part of our roundtable focusing on local food. While the audio quality isn't fantastic (we were sitting in The Old Fashioned at 5:15 in the afternoon), we learned some stuff about local economies that I thought was pretty informative.

First, in order for our food chain to be localized, we need to decommodify it. No, I don't think "decommodify" is a word. But I do think the concept is important. Regardless of the food stuff, cheese, sausage, wine, beer, whatever, in order to have a local food supply, the local food can't get mixed with the non-local stuff.

And, why not commodify? It leads to lower prices, which is better for the consumer. Ah, yes. But it leads to at least two bad consequences: first, and probably least importantly, groups tend to the average. So, if you mix sub-par milk, with high quality milk and a lot of mediocre milk, you get mediocre milk. I don't know about you, but I'd rather drink (or make cheese from) high-quality milk. However, there are many, many more low and mid-quality producers (Deans) than there are high-quality producers (Blue Marble), so when standards are decided, the numbers win.

This leads to the more important point: this system is great for the sub-par and mediocre milk producers, not so great for the high-quality milk producers. Moreover, it is conventional wisdom (and common sense) that says that you can't make high-quality products without high-quality materials. Thus, the absence of high-quality milk on the market, makes it very difficult (and very expensive) to produce high-quality cheese and other milk-based products.

As a result, a "second", non-commodified, distribution system has started appearing. Those who are interested in producing high-quality, craft/artisnal, value-added products are specifically seeking out high-quality producers. As a result, a proliferation of co-ops is beginning to appear. Pockets of producers looking to pair with like-minded value-added producers, and vice versa. In some cases, the value-added producer (the cheesemaker, for example) is partnering directly the farm. For example, Blue Mont Dairy is working with one specific farm to use the milk from one herd on that farm to produce a triple-cream cows milk cheese.

Interestingly, these pockets of co-ops tend to be, through natural causes, to be geographically related. A good example is the Driftless area of Wisconsin. However, these co-ops are not forming in a European style. In Europe we see that a geographically similar group of value-added producers are all interested in producing similar product, thus the raw materials there become uniform (in type, not necessarily quality), as do the processes. However, craft agriculture in the United States has thus far resisted such lock-step uniformity. Which, of course, is not a bad thing. It just means that adoption of European systems of organizing (e.g., AOC, etc) may not be the best models to apply to US agriculture.

So, what does this mean for the beer industry? Well. We haven't gotten that far yet. Stay tuned.

On part two of this weeks podcast, we return with our panel to taste Lakefront's Local Acre, the first beer since prohibition produced with 100 percent Wisconsin ingredients. We then discuss the viability of "100 percent Wisconsin" as a style, and if Wisconsin beer has a recognizable style when it comes to craft beer. Thanks to all the panelists and The Old Fashioned for hosting us.

Here's the mp3

On Monday we'll have a review of the Local Acre.

Press Release Thursday - Celebration of American Distilling

2010-01-14T13:00:00.000-06:00

I attended this event last year and it was fantastic. Whether you know a lot about liquors and want to taste 30 yr oak aged bourbons, or you know nothing and want to learn what the hell aquavit is (answer: very, very, very tasty), you'll have a great time. It's a little pricey, but there is no other event like it and, frankly, it is worth every penny.

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On Thursday February 18th, 2010 from 7pm to 10pm the Madison Malt Society will hold the 2nd annual “Celebration of American Distilling” at the Edgewater Hotel. It is a spirits tasting event like no other.

Tickets are $55 or $65 for VIP tickets (very limited). VIP tickets allow entry to the event 45 minutes early to spend more one on one time with the distillers.
Tickets are available now at:
Star Liquor 608-255-8041 Barriques on Monroe 608-284-9463

The Malt House 608-204-6258 Barriques in Middleton 608-824-9463

In Milwaukee at Great Lakes Distillery 414-431-8683

In Chicago at North Shore Distillery 847-547-2499

Last year’s event was a huge success with both attendees and distillers. Guests got to sample the wares of 28 different distillers with product ranging from Absinthe to Bourbon to Vodka infused with Horseradish. This variety of products reinforced the belief that distilling is at the beginning of a boom time very much like the pioneers of craft brewing experienced in the mid 1980s. This year’s event will feature some new distilleries that have been growing for the last year and now feel they are ready to show off their wares to guests at the tasting. Small distillers like Tuthilltown Spirits from New York and Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey will join the more established distillers at this year’s event. Local distilleries were featured at the 2009 tasting and Wisconsin’s own are sure to impress again this year. Yahara Bay, Great Lakes, 45th Parallel and Death’s Door all have exciting new products to share with us.

Trying new products is only part of the appeal of an event like this. Guests are also afforded the opportunity to speak directly with the people who lovingly craft their spirits. So the next time they sit with a glass of artisinal spirits they can remember how passionately the distiller spoke of their product. At the 2009 event more than half the tables were manned by master distillers, distillers, or owners.

This year’s event is again sponsored by Union Cab who will offer discounted cab rides home for all who attend. Other sponsors include Isthmus and Lakeside Press. Free appetizers will also be served.

This is a charity event and this year’s beneficiary is WORT Listener Sponsored Community Radio.

For further info check out www.madisonmaltsociety.com or become our Facebook friend at www.facebook.com/madisonmaltsociety or call Adam Casey (608)255-8041

Madison Beer Review Presents Beer Talk Today

2010-01-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

On the first podcast of 2010 we've teamed up with Jeff at MBR to discuss an exciting new product, the first craft beer brewed with 100 percent Wisconsin grown ingredients, Lakefront Brewery's Local Acre. We've put together an all-star panel of local food and beverage enthusiasts, including folks from the Underground Food Collective, The Old Fashioned, Fromagination and Blue Mont Dairy, to discuss how beer fits into the local food movement and the broader landscape of Wisconsin produced food. Stay tuned for part two, where we actually get around to tasting the beer.

Here's the mp3

Cheers!

Not To Beat Up On Point Brewery

2010-01-06T05:30:00.000-06:00

Look, I like Point Brewery. I really do. Point Amber is my go-to all-weather neighborhood get-together beer. Personally I haven't really been sold on their new-ish craft lines (Cascade Pale and Oktoberfest excepted) and, honestly, I haven't had any of their "Whole Hog" lines. Part of it is just because they are relatively new, and I haven't gotten around to it.

Part of the reason for that is that I don't really see Point filling a "quality craft" niche. I could be surprised, you never know, but I just can't imagine that, say, the "Six Hop IPA" would really hold up well against Stone, Three Floyds, Surly, Ale Asylum, Tyranena or even New Glarus.

Which isn't to say that Point shouldn't try, but as a business person I prefer to see businesses who understand themselves. It is not the usual case that a 153 year-old company redefines themselves. And Point has never been a "quality craft". Point serves a great area of the market - mass-market style beer that actually has taste and appeals to its consumers sense of locality. There is a huge market selling beer in quantity to people who want something better than Bud, Miller or Coors, but aren't interested in $10 six-packs and like to support local beer. Yuengling has made a killing in this market and Point could easily be another Yuengling.

So, when I see a CEO/owner commit in print to a direction that doesn't seem to recognize the company's core competency, I get worried. Joe Martino, interviewed by the Wausau Daily Herald:

I would say it would be to anticipate trends and try to get to the front of the line of what is going to be popular in the future. Evaluate and anticipate trends. Introduce brands that would be the next thing, and not be second or third in the marketplace. ... We can't wait until the wheat beer phenomenon comes around and then we have one.

Stevens Point is not a "trend leader". We can argue this until you are blue in the face, but to insist on it is to show a sorely misplaced understanding of the craft beer market and Point's place in that market. As if to emphasize that misunderstanding Mr. Marino hopes that the "wheat beer phenomenon" comes soon - a comment which shows Mr. Marino's market research to be about 2 years behind the curve and completely usurps any credibility in the first part of that statement about wanting to be a trend setter.

Iin the craft beer industry, if you're looking at trends you're already behind it. The trend leaders are not out looking to set trends, they set out to experiment with beer and the trends find them. Indeed, one brewery is rarely always a trend setter - consumers find a brewery or beer that they like and that becomes the trend - breweries do not, indeed cannot, set the trend. [As a side note, if you want to understand this phenomenon, look into the concept of Brand Hijacking] And Point, as much as Mr. Marino protests, is not an experimental brewery. I'm not saying they can't be, I'm just saying that they aren't.

All of which isn't to say there can't be money in lagging on trends. Great Lakes does it very well. But if that's the game Point wants to play they need to compete with not only Great Lakes, but Bells, Summit, New Glarus, Goose Island and Sierra Nevada just to name a couple of big obstacles. And, while I can appreciate the aspiration I'm not sure Point is there yet. But neither is Yuengling, or Saranac and they seem to do alright for themselves.

Press Release Tuesday - Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest

2010-01-05T12:00:00.000-06:00

Beer and cheese seem to be getting partnered up quite a bit these days. A nice, local, quiet day of beer and cheese in the intimate setting of the Alliant Energy Center.

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www.thedailypage.com

Isthmus Beer & Cheese Fest – Tickets on sale now
MADISON, Wis. – Get your tickets today for the Isthmus Beer & Cheese Fest on Saturday, January 30 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Alliant Energy Center.

Join us between the lakes in frosty Madison for a wintertime celebration of Wisconsin’s finest beer and artisanal cheeses. Meet and mingle with brewers and cheesemakers from all over the great state of Wisconsin, as you sample their delicious and often hard-to-find products.

At the fest, you can listen and learn from experts about what beers go best with what cheeses, chocolates and everyday foods. You’ll also be able to dance to great live music from the Cork n’ Bottle String Band and mix and mingle in the bier garden.

For an ever-growing list of the Fest’s brewers and cheesemakers, please visit TheDailyPage.com/beercheese. Tickets are limited. Advance tickets are $40 and can be purchased at TheDailyPage.com/beercheese. Buy two for that special someone on your holiday list!

The 2010 Isthmus Beer & Cheese Fest is sponsored by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, TRICOR
Insurance and Star Liquor.

That Review I Promised - O'So Dank

2010-01-04T05:30:00.000-06:00

Sorry, but I'm a bit under the weather this past weekend. Let's just say $3 bloody marys are not always as good of an idea as they seem.

O'So Dank
BeerAdvocate(A-). RateBeer(65).

Appearance: hazy copper with a persistent tan head; a gorgeous beer served at 50 degrees
Aroma: big, bright floral and citrus hops me want to drink instead of write these damned notes; alcohol, biscuit and tiny bit of caramel sneak in, too
Flavor: alcohol and hops; solid malt balance; tastes like a big British (bread and biscuit) as opposed to American (caramel) red; the comes all the way through, but the complexity is tantalizing
Body: medium bodied with a surprising (given all the malt in here) dry, but long finish
Drinkability: the medium body and amazing malt complexity kept me drinking; the hops made me want a second, the alcohol made me re-think a third
Summary: Awesome. Period. Imperial Red. Strong Ale. Imperial Scotch. Old Ale. Call it whatever you want, I loved it. This beer will hold up really well for aging and it will be a great one to revisit year after year. An instant classic.

2009: Awards

2009-12-31T05:30:00.003-06:00

Today is the last day of ~~2008~~ 2009. A year that has seen much for the brewing industry. The big got bigger, and the small got ... well ... bigger. This could be one of those years that a few years in the future we look back and can point to things that happened and say "this was a turning point". The AB-InBev merger changed the American and global landscape in ways that we can't really imagine right now. Some Wisconsin breweries took industry-leading steps in producing, brewing and marketing beer that will be the future of global microbrewing. History has been revealed within the construct of modern trends in ways that could re-define a style. On the other hand, it could all just be an insignificant point on the timeline of the universe without any real consequence at all.

In any event, at least we got some good beer, right?

Best Experimental Beer: Brewed in 2008, but released in 2009, Furthermore's Thermo Refur was a hodgepodge of style, technique and ingredient that worked (or didn't work) really, really well. It was the first in a theme repeated throughout the year about temperature and taste. This beer really likes warmer temperatures - treat it with respect and you just might like it. But, then again, you might not.

Best New Release: O'So Dank. OK, I haven't published my review of it yet, but trust me, if you think I slobber on the knob of Furthermore and New Glarus you'll accuse me of taking it bending over from O'So next year. I'm sorry. Was that too graphic? The leaps and bounds that O'So has made this year has vaulted Marc and company into the top of the Wisconsin brew chain. The improvement is obvious to anyone who has been to a beer festival lately; the lines for these guys rival the lines for some of the best in the region. And the adoration is well-deserved - they're making some really unique, challenging, and fun beer. This beer reminds me of a really hoppy Bridge Burner. Technically a "special release" since it's the first anniversary beer, I put it here in the hopes that they will make this every so often just for me.

Best Seasonal: Ale Asylum Ballistic. OK. Technically a "new release" but it will be a seasonal for them, so there. My favorite quote from my interview with Otto regarding the likelihood of an imperial IPA: "Probably not. Our take on the style would have to be so brutally hopped it wouldn’t tickle the taste buds so much as beat them into submission." Not more than 6 months later Satisfaction Jacksin is on the shelves beating our taste buds into submission.

Best Special Release: Tyranena Dirty Old Man. Rye? Check. Whiskey? Check. Porter? Check. Practically everything I love combined into one beer? To quote myself: "I'm all over that like a fly on shit." I can be so poetic.

Best Year-Round Release: New Glarus Hop Hearty IPA. New Glarus now lists this under "Beers we have known and loved" which leads me to think that it will not be brewed next year. That makes me very, very sad. So, a "new release" that's technically a "special release", a "seasonal" that's technically a "new release" and a "year-round" that isn't going to be made any more. Should I just stop labeling the awards and call it "Beer I Liked This Year Award #X"?

Best Beer 2009: New Glarus Old English Porter. Sorry everyone. You either love it or hate it. And, well, I loved it. It made me re-examine the very nature of a whole style of beer. It caused me to write seemingly endless words about porters, what porters are (and are not); it caused numerous comments both for and against. Poured at 55 degrees, its complex interaction of sour, roast and smoke make this not just one of the most unique beers in Wisconsin or the United States, but truly one of the best beers in the world.

Best Brewery 2009: Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI. All year Lakefront has impressed. The Imperial Maibock tasted fresh and inspired, the IPA was a fantastic summer thirst-quencher, the Holiday Spice was pretty darn tasty. And the Local Acre. We haven't actually talked about the Local Acre yet, but we will very, very soon and we will be talking about it in a lot of detail. In fact, so much detail you'll probably be posting here to stop talking about it. And, I won't stop talking about it. It is the future of the brewing industry. And not to minimize the work of others (like Dave Anderson at BrewFarm and Paul Graham at Central Waters and Bo Belanger at South Shore and Kirby Nelson at Capital who also have put in a lot of work that we will talk about in nauseating detail), but Russ Klisch deserves to be recognized for his dedication to this project and his environmental and local-centric ideals.

Best Porter 2009: O'So Nighttrain. The readers (who may have been directed here by someone up in Plover, not to point fingers ;) voted for O'So and I can't say that they are wrong. The Nighttrain is a fantastic, full-bodied, chocolate and espresso punch.

Best Brewpub 2009: vote in the poll on your right in the coming days and results will be tabulated in March.