Brew Community

The full name of Dave Anderson’s new farm/brewing venture in Wilson, Wisconsin is “Dave’s BrewFarm Brewery on Little Wolf Farmstead.” In part, that’s because he’s also planning to grow hops on the farm, too. But he’s also planning on making his own power using wind technology. If you’d like to help (or just watch, I suppose) here are the details.

Please join us for the raising of what will be the start of Wisconsin’s Wind-Brewed Beer on Dave’s BrewFarm, a sustainably-based craft brewery in Wilson, WI. On February 3, 2009, at approximately 9:00 a.m., we’ll be putting up a Jacobs 31-20, a 20kW wind generator on a 120-foot tower to harvest the bountiful winds on the northern ridge of Wilson. The generator is projected to provide up to 50% of the needed electricity for the brewery/residence.

The wind generator is but one component of the sustainable aspect of the BrewFarm project, with geothermal heating/cooling and solar thermal rounding out the renewable energy mix. Greywater recycling will handle the brewery’s wastewater, which will be used in the hopyard and orchards of Little Wolf Farmstead, the agricultural component of the project.

The BrewFarm is an innovative demonstration project showcasing the latest in renewable and sustainable business practices, and rural development. Our hope is that through “leading by example” other businesses will adopt these (and other) sustainable strategies, realizing that every effort helps the planet – and the bottom line.

Be sure to dress warm, as this is an outdoor event – and may take some time given the variable conditions of the day. It “usually” takes about a half hour for the crane to lift the tower – the crane is scheduled to arrive at 8:30 a.m. and will take a half hour (+/-) to get set-up.

Sounds like it should be educational as well as entertaining.

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Beer loyalists can celebrate a victory in the world of pairing food and beverage as Arne Johnson, Brewmaster at Marin Brewing took home top honors on January 20th, 2009 at the 3rd Annual Three on Five event in San Francisco. The brain child of Emily Wines, master sommelier at the Michelin rated Fifth Floor restaurant, in San Francisco, CA, Three on Five pits a sommelier against a beer professional and an expert in an alternative alcohol beverage category in a tantalizing competition to see who can pair his or her beverage of choice best with the pre-selected five course menu. Each menu item is paired with a wine, beer and mixed concoction and the diners in attendance rate each pairing on a 1-5 scale. The 2009 Three on Five contributors included two-time champion Emily Wines, Brewmaster Arne Johnson and in a new-this-year beverage category, sake guru Beau Timken, owner of the True Sake store and author of Sake: A Modern Guide.

Arne Johnson took top pairing honors in 3 out of the 5 courses. Emily Wines took top honors in one course, as did Mr. Timken. The first course was Aligot, consisting of fresh dug potato soup, truffled brie, celery and truffle, with which participating diners preferred the Orval Trappist Ale from Belgium. Second course was Crevettes, a wonderful combination of black tiger shrimp with chermoula vinaigrette, crystal lettuce, spinach and pine nut pistou, with which the favored pairing was with the Bon Muroke Nama Genshu, sake from the Fukui Prefecture. The third course was Loup de Mer, consisting of pan seared wild striped bass with scallops, kalamata olives, baby artichokes and caper berries with lemon mousseline, with which Russian River Brewing Company’s’ Temptation Ale was named the favorite.

Marin Brewing Company’s gold medal winning Pt. Reyes Porter was the favored selection for the main course consisting of wild boar “pot pie,” wild mushrooms and celeriac remoulade. Rounding out the evening was a Poire et Citron created with sable breton, caramelized pears, citrus gelée poire william-caramel sauce and huckleberry sorbet, and participants chose Ms. Wines selection of a 2003 Doisy Vedrines Sauternes as the favorite.

Mr. Johnson’s overwhelming victory supports the growing trend of pairing beer with food. It is clear; beer is no longer just for BBQ’s and ball games. For more information about events like Three on Five, Arne Johnson or his beers visit www.marinbrewing.com

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This was my first attempted K&K. Mixed
it up with the kit yeast, 1/2 kg of
dextrose, 1/2 kg LDME, 1/4 teaspoon of
yeast nutrient. Bottled after 9 days at
about 22-24 C. 1Wk yeasty smell but nice
and clear and light, also tasted a bit
yeasty (almost no head). 2Wk slight
improvement from before less smell and
less yeasty flavour also had some head
this time. looking forward to trying in
a couple of weeks again. 3/5 i have
another kit in the cupboard ready to
make up but this time i will use 1kg of
dextrose only as it does not need the
malt. – Rating:3/5

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Old Bawdy Barley Wine is Pike’s most extreme beer. With a high, starting gravity of 1.096 Old Bawdy has 10% alcohol by volume. The color, like a shiny new penny has amber highlights and a nose that is floral and sensual, like a bouquet of freshly picked flowers. Old Bawdy was brewed by Head Brewer Drew Cluley, second Brewer Dean Mochizuki and the Pike team of brewers and brewsters. The grist blend is made with enormous quantities of the finest biscuity malts. Pike Old Bawdy 2008 is sweet and earthy with the flavor of pale, crystal and wheat malts playing off of one another like sunshine on a field of barley. Balancing this liquid bread are incredible quantities of an herbal blend of Columbus, Magnum, Chinook and Centennial hops, all from the Yakima Valley. On the palate Old Bawdy is powerful, rich and complex with a smooth, full round mouth-feel and a fine balance of sweet and bitter, drinking as if it were much lighter in alcohol. The finish is long and satisfying with a slight essence of grapefruit.

Pike Old Bawdy, brewed only once a year, was first introduced in 1991. As the beer has been brewed through the years an evolution in taste has occurred as we strive to create a classic, particularly one that is a great accompaniment to food. Since The Pike Brewery was founded in the LaSalle Hotel one of Seattle’s most infamous bawdy houses (brothels), the Old Bawdy label features a red light bulb in reference to “Naughty Nellie,” the beautiful madam who converted an old seaman’s hotel into a luxurious home away from home for gentlemen visiting Seattle’s historic Pike Place Public Market, America’s oldest. Though strong beers called barley wines had been brewed in Great Britain for centuries, by the late 1970s most were no longer being produced. At the time that Old Bawdy was introduced under Head Brewer Fal Allen, it was among the first of a new breed of hand crafted American barley wines and was an immediate success. Pike Old Bawdy was brewed from 1991 through 1997 at which time Pike founders, Charles and Rose Ann Finkel, sold the brewery and the beer was discontinued. The Finkels re-acquired The Pike Brewing Company in 2006 and in restoring and re-organizing the brewery, unearthed a treasure trove of the elixir from earlier vintages in both kegs and bottles. Earlier vintages, like 1996 and 1997 had matured beautifully. The 2006 vintage was lovingly brewed and released in early 2007. By contrasting this vintage with significantly older ones, the potential for aging was evident and the decision was made to establish a library of each year’s beer. Customers look forward to experiencing each vintage.

2009 marks Pike’s 20th Anniversary. To celebrate, special events will be held throughout the year culminating in a week-long celebration leading up to our actual birthday, October 17, 2009. On Sunday, February 8, 2009 Pike’s Microbrewery Museum will be the venue for A Vertical Tasting of 1994, 1996, 1997, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Old Bawdy Barley Wines. This event will be limited to 100 people; we recommend reservations. If you live in the Seattle area and want to attend, here are the details:

Pike Brewing Vertical Old Bawdy Barley Wine Tasting
1994, 1996, 1997, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Vintages
Sunday, February 8, 2009
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
$18.00 per person
$15.00 with WABL (Washington Beer Lover’s) passport

Pike Microbrewery Museum
1415 1st Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
R.S.V.P. to Michael St. Clair mstclair@pikebrewing.com
(206) 812-6613

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Full Sail Brewing has announced the special release of Black Gold Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 2009. This
highly anticipated release from Full Sail’s vintage barrel series has been a Full Sail brewing tradition since 1998. Every year since, Full Sail’s talented team of brewers brew an Imperial style dark ale and fill roughly sixty oak bourbon barrel casks, then age them in their cellar for about a year.

“Wood and barrel aging is an art form that takes dedication, patience and care. We brew this special beer in small batches, that’s why it is available in very limited quantities. You should get some while you can,” explained Jamie Emmerson, Full Sail’s Brewmaster.

The beer will be released in early February. According to Emmerson, it was initially brewed in February 2008, and released as Full Sail Imperial Stout. A portion of the batch was reserved and aged for almost a year in Bourbon casks from Kentucky to create Black Gold. “This extended aging presents hints of vanilla and allows the Stout to pick up the flavors of the wood, bourbon and oak. The aging combined with the robust character of the Imperial Stout make for an extraordinary and wonderful taste experience. It has a strong roasted malt character and a full body. Chocolate and caramel nuances blend with the hops for a smooth Imperial Stout,” described Jamie. “It cellars well, if you store a few bottles in a dark, cool place and be patient – you will be rewarded for your effort and restraint,” To help the beer aficionados that have the self-discipline to cellar this beer, Full Sail marks the bottle label with the reserve year. Black Gold will be available in 22 oz bottles and on draught. (ABV 10.5%, IBU 65)

If you’re near the Mt. Hood, Oregon, area, Full Sail is planning a special event to celebrate the release of Black Gold. The brewery will be pouring three of their wood-aged beers including bourbon-barrel-aged 2002 and 2008 Top Sail Imperial Porter, and 2009 Black Gold Imperial Stout. The special tapping will take place at 5 p.m., Monday, February 2nd at Full Sail’s River place Brewery in Portland, Oregon and at 5 p.m., Thursday, February 5th at the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River. For more information call the Full Sail River place brewery at 503-222-5343 or the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub at 541-386-2247.

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Support Your Local Brewery has issued an E-Action Alert for Washington, to help legalize homebrewing.

There’s the news:

The American Homebrewers Association has been working with the Washington Homebrewers Association (WAHA) to modify Washington’s regulations (RCW 66.28.140), which currently prohibit transportation or sharing of homemade beer and wine outside of the house of production, with exceptions only for competitions or exhibitions at which only “judges” can sample the products. The largest volume that may be transported is 1 gallon. Thus serving homebrew at homebrew club meetings or even at the house of a friend or family member is currently prohibited.

Senate Bill 5060 would allow for serving homemade beer and wine in amounts up to 20 gallons for meetings, events, etc., is currently scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee on Tuesday, January 20th at 1:30 pm in Olympia (date is subject to change due to the Presidential Inauguration).

What is needed now is for people to contact the members of the Senate Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee to ask for them to support Washington’s brewing and winemaking communities by supporting Senate Bill 5060. Personal contacts with state legislators will go a long way in ensuring the success of this bill.

Senate Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee Members:

Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles: (360) 786-7670
kohl-welles.jeanne@leg.wa.gov

Senator Karen Keiser: (360) 786-7664
keiser.karen@leg.wa.gov

Senator Janea Holmquist: (360) 786-7624
holmquist.janea@leg.wa.gov

Senator Rosa Franklin: (360) 786-7656
franklin.rosa@leg.wa.gov

Senator Jim Honeyford: (360) 786-7684
honeyford.jim@leg.wa.gov

Senator Curtis King: (360) 786-7626
king.curtis@leg.wa.gov

Senator Adam Kline: (360) 786-7688
kline.adam@leg.wa.gov

All of the information you need, updates and background material for this effort can be found at www.wahomebrewers.org/legal.

Thanks so much for your support of Washington’s homebrewers!

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The Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center has announced sales results for the 2008 calendar year, and the numbers show that the brewer continues to perform well despite a shaky American economy and the rising prices in production costs.

Magic Hat enjoyed a 26% growth in sales in 2008, with December sales up 40% from the previous year. Debuts in several new territories, including Chicago, Milwaukee and Atlanta, as well as continued double-digit sales growth in mature markets, helped Magic Hat’s flagship beer, #9, enjoy a 14th consecutive year of double-digit growth. Sales for the not quite pale ale were up 33% in 2008.

Alan Newman, president of Magic Hat Brewing Company, commented, “Our 26% increase in depletions in 2008 is a testament to the growing demand for full-flavored craft beers, and the strength of the Magic Hat brand in this industry. We’ve gone from making kegs for a few Burlington bars to being the 12th largest brand in the country. People have really flocked to our beer, and become devoted when they do. It just goes to prove that if you put out a quality product, have fun doing it, and respect your customers as you go, the universe will deliver the rest.”

With Magic Hat’s brewery expansion nearly complete, the brewer expects to put out 165,000 barrels in 2009, a significant increase over the 127,586 barrels brewed in 2008.

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Full Sail Brewing Company recently released the first beer in their Brewmaster Reserve line-up for 2009, Slipknot Imperial
IPA. This annual favorite and gold medal winner at the 2008 World Beer Championship will be available January to mid March. “As the name implies, every aspect of this American style IPA is amplified – from the up-front hop aroma and bitterness to the big malt body,” said Full Sail’s Brewmaster, John Harris. (ABV: 7.8% IBUs: 80)

“Slipknot is part of our rotating selection of Brewmaster Reserve Beers. Every ten weeks we come out with a different beer that show cases the brewer’s art. We began the program back in 1998 as a way of celebrating our independence and creativity.” said Full Sail’s Founder and CEO, Irene Firmat.

Slipknot will be available in 22oz bottles and on draught in specialty beer stores and pubs throughout the Pacific Northwest. In March, Full Sail will follow-up Slipknot with Full Sail Imperial Porter. New beers in Full Sail’s 2009 Brewmaster Reserve line-up include Keelhauler Scottish Ale, due out in Mid-March, and Grandsun of Spot IPA, due out in June.

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After an historic election, St. Pauli Girl beer, the No. 2 German beer in the U.S., has officially named model Katarina Van Derham as the new St. Pauli Girl spokesmodel for the 2009 calendar year. Van Derham will bring the German barmaid brand icon to life, and will appear on the 2009 St. Pauli Girl poster, travel across the country on the St. Pauli Girl media tour and be featured on the St. Pauli Girl website and promotional materials.

Breaking new ground this year, Van Derham is the first St. Pauli Girl chosen through an online vote, beating out three other finalists on Maxim. Van Derham, a native of Slovakia who speaks five languages, won over online voters and the St. Pauli Girl brand team with her resemblance to the traditional St. Pauli Girl icon and vivacious personality. Selecting a spokesmodel to represent the beer is a decades-long tradition for St. Pauli Girl, and Van Derham marks the 26th spokesmodel selected in the brand’s history.

“Being named the 2009 St. Pauli Girl means the world to me,” said Van Derham. “I am very honored and look forward to meeting St. Pauli Girl fans all over the country.”

Van Derham grew up in a small village in the woods of Slovakia, a communist country at the time. She moved to the United States at the age of 22, without any intention of becoming a model. While working as a waitress in Los Angeles, she was often told to pursue modeling, and at age 26 finally decided to give it a shot. Van Derham was immediately booked for several modeling jobs, and in a short time her career has skyrocketed.

Van Derham can be seen in advertising campaigns for AT&T, Dodge, Rockstar Energy Drinks, Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier. On television she has had roles on shows including “Monk” and “CSI,” and has also appeared in the films “Cellular” and “15 Minutes.” Van Derham has graced the cover of dozens of magazines both in the U.S. and internationally including Iron Man, Max Muscle, Muscle & Fitness, Best Body, Double XL, British Maxim and more.

Van Derham became a U.S. citizen last year, and was very appreciative to vote in her first ever election in November 2008. In addition to her modeling work, Van Derham also works in web design for an architectural graphic design firm.

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“Tit-for-tat clashes in Gaza may escalate into the next quagmire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Thus was the dire prediction of Time Magazine on Monday, March 3, 2008. And a scarce 10 months later, on Tuesday, December 30, 2008, Time unfortunately had to publish another headline: “Attacking Gaza: The Fog and Rain of War.” This unfortunately is an all too familiar story from the endless conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Violence appears to be the new normal in the Middle East, with neither side able to find common ground for peaceful coexistence. The diplomats have tried and failed, as have the soldiers!

Professionals devoted to hops and malt instead of vitriol and weapons, on the other hand, seem to have a knack for bridging gaps that political leaders may find insurmountable. A perfect example is an article in The Jerusalem Post of December 11, 2008, which — barely three weeks before the outbreak of yet another round of war — quotes an Israeli talking about “the divine Palestinian brew Taybeh.” The man quoted as calling the Palestinian brew “divine” is Gad Divri, a brewer and the General Manager of Beer-D, a Tel-Aviv brewing supply company. Taybeh is made by Nadim Khoury, the owner-brewer of the Taybeh Brewing Company. Taybeh is the only brewery in Palestine. It is situated in the small village of Taybeh outside the Palestinian West Bank capital of Ramallah. Fittingly, Taybeh means “delicious” in Arabic.

Nadim obviously reciprocates the esteem accorded him by his Israeli colleague, as was evident at the 10th annual post-BRAU-Beviale Bavarian Party at the Weyermann Malting Company, on November 15, 2008. What the diplomats and the generals have not been able to accomplish in decades, happened over pints of Barley Wine, Rauchbier, English Bitter and Pumpkin Ale — all made in the Weyermann Pilot Brewery in Bamberg: A Palestinian and an Israeli brewer sitting peacefully side by side, smiling, exchanging ideas, and enjoying each other’s company!

As happens every year, Weyermann had invited friends and business partners from all over the world to the annual bash on the Company grounds … and almost 300 people from 35 countries came — from Russia to France to Australia to the United States.

In a world divided by so much strife, the unity of people involved in beer takes on a poignant significance: Wherever people make hot wort and cold beer instead of hot and cold war, it seems, the brew can still bring people from all cultures and all walks of life together … even Palestinians and Israelis!

A Pint for Peace: back row, from left to right: Lior Balmas (Beer-D Brewing Supply), Nadim Khouri (Taybeh Brewing Co.), Yochai Kudler (Hanegev Brewery). Front row, left to right: Yariv Zwigenbom (Barik homebrewery), Omri Zilbermann (Beer-D Brewing Supply) at the Weyermann Bavarian Party 2008 in Bamberg.

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