Stewart's Big Blowout Festival is tomorrow - so here's a fun look back

Here on the eve of the 20th Anniversary Festival at Stewart's Brewing Company in Bear, Del. my tunneling around the archives of The Brew Lounge uncovered these goodies that will help get you in the proper state of mind for the party.

First up, circa 2008, an interview with Ric Hoffman - brewer of roughly 15 years at Stewart's - one of the self-determined better interviews that I did over the years. Maybe not; but you be the judge.

Then, let's take a short musical interlude courtesy, once again, of Mr. Hoffman. Trust me, this doesn't disappoint.

Lastly, let's check back a mere five years ago to see how Stewart's celebrated the big 1-5.

---

---

Stewart's Brewing Company at 15: Big Beers, Small State

I know--I've heard you. You want to know all about Ommegang's 7th Annual Belgium Comes to Cooperstown event. I've seen your emails, I've seen the website visits coming from Google searches on things like "BCTC 2010 pictures", "BCTC 2010", "Ommegang BCTC", "BCTC recap", "bands playing at belgian comes to cooperstown 2010" etc. I'll get to it, I promise. (No excuses for passers-by in the parking lot not to know) But, first I have some material from last week that I thing you will enjoy as well. And it comes with color pictures for your added enjoyment! (If you'd like a fun look back into The Brew Lounge Archives, check out an interview I did with Ric Hoffman two years ago.) (An impressive-looking Dinner Menu awaited the 60 eager customers)Stewart's Brewing Company in Bear, DE last week celebrated its 15th anniversary with a dinner for 60 appreciating customers. It was a dinner that I didn't commit to until just 6 hours prior, but one that I am so glad we made the decision to attend. (A gathering of 60 watching the "team" be introduced after the dessert course)Many of you have heard of Stewart's before. Some of you personally know Ric Hoffman, the head brewer. You may have seen him around Philly or the occasional beer festival. Thing is, when learning of his decision to not attend this year's Belgium Comes to Cooperstown event at Ommegang, I decided to give this dinner a little extra priority. (Happy 15th Anniversary smiles and toasts from the Stewarts Brewing Company Crew, from left to right: Al Stewart-owner; Wyatt Cresswell-sous chef; Dan Dogan-executive chef; Ric Hoffman-head brewer; Eric Boice-assistant brewer)Seeing Ric and all of his brewing friends at BCTC each year is always a treat and they all bring a little something special for campsite drinking festivities. Even if you don't know Ric personally, you may still know that his beers run the gamut of beer styles and have won multiple awards at the national level, including most recently Gold for Wind Blown Blonde at both the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival in '08. His big year, award-wise, was in '07 when he brought home three bronze medals for the Dunkel Rico, Smoked Porter, and Stumblin' Monk (the first two at GABF and the latter at WBC). (Fillin' 'em up for the thirsty customers)In addition to all of the wonderful beers I knew I'd be drinking during the evening, the special food side of the dinner looked equally impressive. This is due in large part to the introduction of a chef, Dan Dogan, recently off a stint at the Pine Hill Golf Club in New Jersey. With Dan recently being brought on board, Stewart's is looking to expand the dining menu just a bit by infusing some new and interesting menu selections...while at the same time not alienating long-time customers who have grown to appreciate the menu over the years. (A lineup of the dinner's six beers, enough to satisfy almost any palate)On this particular night, we marveled at how calmly the kitchen apparently was handling 60 people dining off the anniversary menu, while a bar and restaurant full of "normal" paying customers were conducting business as usual on the other side of the wall. The dinner went smoothly under Chef Dogan's command. (Fried Golden Roma Tomato topped with Broccoli Rabe, Lump Crab and Melted Provolone Cheese)Shortly after 6:30pm, we were started off with introductions and thank-yous from Shawn Snyder (longest-tenured employee) and Ric Hoffman who took us into the first course of Czech Pilsner and Fried Roma Tomatoes...dressed with Broccoli Rabe, Lump Crab Meat, and Melted Provolone. The beer went very nicely with the fried crunch of the tomato and the pleasant bitterness of the Rabe. The beer impressed so much, that it became my growler of choice to take to BCTC this past weekend. Sure, I could've stuck with the B-theme in BCTC and taken something like the Monk's Revenge, but I figured a nice and solid Pilsner would do the trick in breaking up the Sours, the Trappists, the big ABVs, etc that typically dominate the annual festival at Ommegang. (Ric Hoffman, head brewer, introducing his German Pilsner)And do the trick, it did. Passing the growler around "Brewer's Alley"© (gonna follow in Jack Curtin's steps here and copyright that for future use) and talking about Ric's absence, the conversation went from "damn, wish Ric was here...Nat and Sage, too" to "damn, that's a really good beer!" More on BCTC to come, that was just a taste...now back to Stewart's. (Arborio-Encrusted Sea Scallops with Julienned Poblano Chilies and a Honey Citrus Glaze)The second course included a light summer ale brewed with honey from a West Grove Bee Farm, lemongrass, ginger, and curaçao orange peel. This very refreshing beer was served with perfectly-done sea scallops with an arborio rice crispy crunch that no one around the table could stop raving about. (Cedar Plank-Roasted Salmon with Smoked Salmon Casino Topping, Cherrywood-Smoked Bacon and Lemon Hollandaise)Then next course had a beer with a pleasant touch of smoke that complimented the salmon and its cherrywood-smoked bacon accompaniment ever so nicely. (Butter Lettuce Cups filled with Grilled Pears, Shaved Prosciutto, Julienned Salami and Cranberry Compote with an Abbey Tripel Cranberry Spritz)Prosciutto and Salami on a dish together? With cranberries and pears? And served with the Monk's Revenge Tripel? How good did this sound? I'll tell you how good. It tasted just as great as it sounded off the paper. Though, the presentation of the meat in a somewhat tightly mounded lump of meat I was a little surprised by, since I typically expect thinly-sliced prosciutto to be served either loosely draped around the plate, or distributed flat around the plate, or perhaps wrapped around a piece of fruit like a slice of pear or melon. No worries, though, using the fork and a finger I was able to pull the tasty meat apart and enjoy it as I would have liked it to be. (Roasted Crisp-Skin Duck Breast with Wild Mushroom and Cabbage Bread Pudding and Munich Dunkel Duck Jus)The next course was an incredible piece of tender duck breast with a crispy piece of skin lining the edge. At this point, we were beginning to fill up (as each course was a generous offering plate of food) and it was a good thing that the last 3 courses of the dinner had a bit of extra time between each of them. The award-winning, dark roasted Dunkel Rico did an admirable job of pairing well with the duck meat and the earthy wild mushrooms. (Enough 2005 Vintage Barleywine, you think?)And...drum roll please...now to the dessert course. It's funny how I eat very little dessert-y type of foods at home and rarely do when we go out to a "regular" dinner. But, a beer dinner? Well, when it's typically comprised of chocolate, fruit, and a strong beer like a barleywine, imperial stout, or even sometimes a strong IPA (yes...thinking carrot cake) it becomes extremely difficult for me to say no. As a matter-of-fact, it often becomes the most highly-anticipated part of my beer dinner. (Dark Chocolate Ganache topped with Roquefort Brulée in a Sweet Buttered Tart Shell with Chocolate Stout Crème Anglaise)So what was it you ask? How about a 5-year-old vintage barleywine with a dark chocolate ganache and a dollop of Roquefort brulée on top and placed inside of a crust shell? I'm guessing I don't need to finish with any other descriptions. Yes, it was that good. (Al Stewart leading one last thank-you toast to all who have supported his restaurant and brewery over the years)After dragging out our goodbyes by at least 30 more minutes or so, we knew it was finally time to make it back across the state line before it was too late. Our table full of new friends that we met made it difficult to leave. Hanging at the bar for that one last T.U.D. made it difficult to leave. Ric asking us to taste something extra because it would be rude to do otherwise made it difficult to leave. This was only my third visit (or fourth?) to Stewart's. My impression is that it's a casual kind of brewpub. It's a place where macro beer drinkers can drink alongside of craft beer drinkers and eventually see "the light". But, it's never struck me that anyone's doing any pretentious beer geek armtwisting or bullying to accomplish this. With a brewer like Ric, who's been there for 12 of the 15 years, maybe some of his Jerry Garcia-like cool rubs off on the customers. Maybe it's a Delaware thing. With a new chef in the kitchen adding some new flair to the menu, it's the kind of place that I wish more could call their local on their own home turf. For me, it's typically TJs. If I lived about 20-30 miles closer, it would likely be Stewart's. Happy Anniversary to the guys and ladies that have made Stewart's successful for 15 years. (Ric Hoffman's wife, Natalie Moravek and her longtime friend, Stacy Ditze)
First Course -Pilsner (Czech-style pilsner, 5.5% ABV); Fried Golden Roma Tomato topped with Broccoli Rabe, Lump Crab and Melted Provolone Cheese
Second Course -Honey Summer Ale; (refreshing ale with locally-produced honey, brown rice, lemongrass, ginger, & curaçao orange peel, 5.6% ABV); Arborio-Encrusted Sea Scallops with Julienned Poblano Chilies and a Honey Citrus Glaze
Third Course -A Dark & Smokey Weiss (German-style dark wheat brewed with cherrywood-smoked malt, 6.5% ABV); Cedar Plank-Roasted Salmon with Smoked Salmon Casino Topping, Cherrywood-Smoked Bacon and Lemon Hollandaise
Fourth Course -Monk’s Revenge (Belgian abbey-style tripel, 10.0% ABV); Butter Lettuce Cups filled with Grilled Pears, Shaved Prosciutto, Julienned Salami and Cranberry Compote with an Abbey Tripel Cranberry Spritz
Fifth Course -Dunkel Rico (Bavarian-style dark lager, 5.8% ABV); Roasted Crisp-Skin Duck Breast with Wild Mushroom and Cabbage Bread Pudding and Munich Dunkel Duck Jus
Sixth Course -2005 Vintage Barleywine (English-style barleywine, 11.5% ABV); Dark Chocolate Ganache topped with Roquefort Brulée in a Sweet Buttered Tart Shell with Chocolate Stout Crème Anglaise

(15th Anniversary garb)

---

---

Stewart's Brewing Company, 15 years: They grow up so fast!

Holy, moly. I, too, thought I was in Stewart's inner circle of distribution lists when Ric Hoffman asked if I knew about their anniversary doings...which began this past Wednesday. NO, I did not! Although, an enterprising youngster like me should have stopped by their website to see if anything new and interesting was going on. So bad on me in that regard... ...and on to the point. Stewart's Brewing of Bear, DE is in the midst of celebrating its 15th anniversary of opening the mashtun door on 7/27/1995. And, here's what they've got cooking here 15 years later in 2010. Other than taking the show on the road, as they typically do, to Ommegang's BCTC event in Cooperstown, NY, back at the fort in Delaware, they've got a bunch of fun stuff going on for us all to enjoy in helping them to celebrate 15 years. Maybe I'll use one of these dates as an excuse to deliver on a long-promised visit.

---

Wednesday, July 21- Tapping Pilsner & Cask Manchester Friday, July 23- Tapping Honey Summer, Munich Dunkel & '06 Bourbon Barleywine; Cajun cuisine all night and lower case blues at 8:00pm Saturday, July 24- Cajun cuisine all night and Barrel House Blues at 8:00pm Sunday, July 25- Special Off-Season Game Day Trivia from 2:00ish until 7:00ish. Come get your geek on! Monday, July 26- Full moon tonight. (This isn't a band or anything. There just happens to be a full moon.) Tuesday, July 27- Irish fare all night and Chapel Street Junction at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 28- Brewer's Dinner (more info below) Thursday, July 29- Tapping Monk's Revenge Friday, July 30- Tapping Cask Smoked Porter; Irish fare all night Saturday, July 31- Irish fare all night and The Brigade (Irish band) at 8:00 p.m. Finally, we have a menu for the six-course Brewer's Dinner on Wednesday, July 28: -Pilsner; Fried Golden Roma Tomato topped with Broccoli Rabe, Lump Crab and Melted Provolone Cheese -Honey Summer Ale; Arborio-Encrusted Sea Scallops with Julienned Poblano Chilies and a Honey Citrus Glaze -Smoked Dunkelweizen; Cedar Plank-Roasted Salmon with Smoked Salmon Casino Topping, Cherrywood-Smoked Bacon and Lemon Hollandaise -Monk’s Revenge; Butter Lettuce Cups filled with Grilled Pears, Shaved Prosciutto, Julienned Salami and Cranberry Compote with an Abbey Tripel Cranberry Spritz -Dunkel Rico; Roasted Crisp-Skin Duck Breast with Wild Mushroom and Cabbage Bread Pudding and Munich Dunkel Duck Jus -2005 Barleywine; Dark Chocolate Ganache topped with Roquefort Brulée in a Sweet Buttered Tart Shell with Chocolate Stout Crème Anglaise There are still tickets available for $65/person, but seating is limited and by reservation only. Please stop in to purchase your tickets at the bar.

Hoffman

In the hub-bub of beer and pictures, I snapped the likenesses of a few lovebirds at Iron Hill's festival this past weekend but somehow missed Ric Hoffman (of Stewart's Brewing in Bear, DE...y'know right?) and his better half, Natalie. Odd, seeing as how we all chatted for quite a few minutes...with Sage's permission of course. So, I thought I'd make up for it, hardy har, by surfacing a link that I don't believe I've ever shared with you...it's from the T.U.D. at Fergie's on the last night of PBW2009 and since the song involves a wedding, it all seemed to make sense....at least to me. With only, like, 60 views it seems that many or all of you may not have seen this yet. Make the jump to YouTube and Enjoy...

The Best of the Philly Region on Cask at Iron Hill

As everyone talks about sour beer/funky beer being "the next big thing" or "the next frontier" for beer trends, I'd counter and say that cask beer really hasn't seen its heyday yet...at least here in the U.S. The East Coast has been doing casks every way 'til next Sunday for quite a few years now. The West Coast has caught on recently and places in between are discovering the real, the natural flavors of beer delivered through a cask system. Frankly, I'd like to see "newer" beer lovers discover the wonders of cask-conditioned beer before the off-the-wall flavors of native Belgian or Belgian-influenced funkhouse beers. Many of the mega beer festival (e.g. Philly, NY, SF Beer Weeks) feature cask events. Iron Hill in Newark, Delaware continues its annual real ale celebration in November. Details are forthcoming on their website; in the meantime, here's a sneak preview.

---

Event: 7th Annual Brewer’s Reserve Cask Event, featuring Black and Tan Beers (Dark Beers and Pale Ales). Date: Saturday, November 15th Time: Noon until 10 PM Place: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Newark, DE What: Our annual Real Ale celebration showcases casks from the Philadelphia regions’ breweries, all in one place. This year’s Black and Tan theme will feature a dark beer or pale ale offerings from local brewers. Drink them straight or blend them and black and tans, it's up to you. All of the local breweries have been invited to participate. There will be at least 15 casks available throughout the day. Breweries include 7 Iron Hill locations, and up to 14 local breweries. Current participants include; Stewart’s, Nodding Head, Yards, Earth Bread + Brewery, Victory, General Lafayette, Sly Fox. Come out and enjoy an afternoon of pints or tasters of these great local beers.

International Brewers Day- A Conversation with Ric Hoffman

Any excuse would be poor; I've known about 7/18 being tagged International Brewers Day by Jay Brooks since he announced it almost 2 months ago. But, I let it go...didn't even put up a banner for it until this week. Now, I'll attempt to make up for my tardiness.

This is a worthy way of recognizing brewers and the work that they do. So, to participate, I put together a list format of typical questions that could (hopefully) be answered by a willing brewer. I took all the brewer names I have in my address book, stuck 'em in a spreadsheet, and used a random number generator to select my profile.



Given only two days notice, I graciously thank well-accomplished and highly-regarded Ric Hoffman of Stewart's Brewing Company for agreeing to sit down and answer some questions about himself and his occupation. He went over and beyond in thoughtfully and completely answering my questions. Secretly, I was hoping that random number thingy chose Ric because in an industry full of great folks, he's near the top.

If you're not familiar with Ric's product, I've included an abbreviated list of products and full list of awards during his tenure at Stewart's Brewing Company in Bear, Delaware (and you thought Delaware only played host to that other crazy brewery...there's plenty of crazy to go around in Delaware!)

As you read through this, think about the last time you thanked your brewer for the work they do to provide you with the beverage you love so much. Send Big Cheers and Thanks today to all brewers around the world!

Awards
Dunkel Rico (GABF 2006 Bronze)
Stewart’s Barleywine (GABF 2003 Gold)
Stewart’s Irish Red Ale (WBC 2000 Bronze)
Stewart’s Oktoberfest (GABF 2007 Silver; GABF 2003 Bronze)
Stewart’s Smoked Porter (GABF 2006 Bronze; GABF 2001 Bronze)
Stumblin’ Monk Abbey Trippel (WBC 2006 Bronze; WBC 2002 Silver)
Windblown Blonde Kölsch (WBC 2008 Gold)

A few other Beers to list
Abbey Hoffman (Abbey Dubbel)
Lockjaw Double IPA
Pacific Coast Porter
Gudneitzenbock (Weizenbock)
Blue Rocks Pilsner
Mcbride's Strong Ale
Saison de l'Ours

---

Q&A with Ric Hoffman

TBL: How did you get interested and started in brewing?
RH: I was living in Tucson in 1996, working a phone sales job (read: minimum wage), and was really poor. I loved good beer, but my budget only included one 12 pack of Weinhard's per week. Obviously that wouldn't do, so I thought about making my own.

The first thing I did was actually wine: I had a pomegranate tree in my backyard, and you can only eat so many pomegranates... so I made 10 litres of pomegranate / apple wine. Not bad, but you couldn't really drink it day to day.

So, I walked into the local homebrew shop (Rillito Creek Homebrew supply, if they're still out there) and told them I liked Sierra and Anchor.... what could they do for me? I walked out with the basic 2 bucket kit and some extract and malt.

A year later, a friend of mine was running a brewery in North Carolina, knew I was homebrewing, and offered me a $5.00/hr job if I could be there in a week. I was a day late.


TBL: What was your first batch?
RH:
1) Amateur: (see above) California Common, fermented Tucson-style (80 degrees)
2) Professional: (my first pro recipe) English Brown


TBL: Was there anything memorable about it?
RH:
1) Amateur: So memorable. It was actually an OK beer, but the most amazing thing was opening that first bottle, hearing the carbonation, pouring the beer, seeing the foam form, and most amazing of all... IT TASTED LIKE BEER! IT'S ACTUALLY BEER! Like an epiphany.
2) Professional: Not so memorable (the English Brown). Pretty pedestrian, if not downright bad.


TBL: Do you still homebrew?
RH: I don't really homebrew anymore, if just for the fact that if I want to do 5 or 10 gallons, it's much easier to do it at work where I have more resources available to me. The last true homebrew I did was brewed was a 10 gallon batch in 2004 with my wife Natalie, a Double Chocolate Imperial Stout (the Double Lovin' Spoonful) for our wedding favors, in nip bottles. And we still brewed that out back of the restaurant. And, it must be said that she pretty much brewed most of that by herself, as I was actually brewing at the pub that day too (it's still drinking OK, believe it or not... some bottles are falling off a little, but some are surprisingly robust).


TBL: Favorite book (or other resource) related to brewing
RH: Randy Mosher's Brewing Companion; I still use it.


TBL: Role model in brewing; Role model in life
RH: There are a lot of brewers I look up to, I'm just not sure I want to be like them or make beers like they do. I guess the same is true in life.


TBL: Worst advice ever given regarding brewing:
RH: I can't really think of any.... The standard answer you give an aspiring brewer is 'don't bother, you can't take it', and then you see if they come back the next day. I had the good fortune of not knowing any professional brewers until it was too late.


TBL: Do you attempt to follow market trends when deciding upon the next new brew, or do you follow your own preferences...hoping the market follows you?
RH: We're the restaurant that started an all-you-can-eat pasta night at the height of the Atkins trend, are you kidding? So no, not really. The one concession I made was 'Double IPA'. I thought it was the dumbest thing I ever heard of at first, and I resisted for two years or so, but I went ahead and did it eventually... and now it's one of my favorite beers; go figure.

And if we followed local market trends, we'd make lite beer. Now they drink Oktoberfest like Bavarian fishes. So no, definitely not local trends, and probably not so much industry ones either.


TBL: Favorite book, not beer
RH:The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever (I have to say something, right?)


TBL: Favorite beer movie
RH: If Strange Brew doesn't count, and I hope it doesn't, I'll have to say American Beer, if nothing else than for Dave Hoffmann's stellar performance.


TBL: Favorite movie, not beer
RH: Any and all Star Wars, Cool Hand Luke, Barfly


TBL: Music to brew by
RH: I like it quiet so I can hear the pumps, but I let Eric (assistant brewer Eric Boice) play his death metal when he needs to.


TBL: Music to party with
RH: Whatever Jam is happening at my house at the moment. Also the Grateful Dead, always and forever.


TBL: You're at the bar buying the next round and faced with only "non-craft" beers to choose from...which brand do you choose?
RH:Bourbon, Tequila.... I like wine a lot too. I guess if it was a beer that I had to choose, it would be Original Coors, just because the guy who trained me would only drink that if nothing else was around. But no, I'm going to say Bourbon or Tequila.


TBL: Least favorite style to brew
RH: Honestly, they all brew the same. Maybe you just care a little more if you know it's something you'll love to drink, but for the most part, the work is all the same.


TBL: Least favorite style to drink
RH: Golden Ale, Irish Red, boring malty beers. (Don't get me wrong, I like interesting malty beers.)


TBL: The perfect beer trip/vacation consists of...
RH: Drinking beers from tiny breweries I can't usually get, and seeing mega production sites that blow my mind.


TBL: Which accomplishments/awards are you most proud of....& why?
RH: Really, just being able to make anything on the piece of crap brewery (maybe a nice way to say it is 'on the limited equipment') I have to work with (Sorry Al, but you're due for an upgrade). We've won some awards, but they don't pay the bills, or my salary.

The cool thing is that in our area, we've opened a lot of peoples' eyes to real beer, people who never would have tried anything if we weren't the corner bar. I've got people who drink Coors all year until Stumblin' Monk comes on tap, and then they can't get enough of it.

That being said, the major awards are a nice affirmation. Especially for lager styles (or anything but a Ringwood traditional English Ale), which by all rights we shouldn't be able to brew, right?


TBL: What advice do you give a young aspiring brewer?
RH: If you're smart enough to do it, you can make a lot more money in another field. If you're tough enough to do it, go join a union, and make a lot more money. If you're still here tomorrow, here's a deck brush. Show me what you can do.

And on one last note, Here's a happy picture over at Stewart's website

---

---

Stewart's 13th Anniversary Party and Big Beer Friday

This coming Friday, I'll be celebrating International Brewers Day by sharing a profile of and conversation with Stewart's (Bear, DE) Ric Hoffman with you. Until then, I'll remind you of their upcoming blowout weekend scheduled for 7/25 & 7/26. Details below. Remember to check back again on Friday for more brewing fun.

---

13th Anniversary Party!!!!! They actually gave us all the permits we need! It's official!!!! For our Thirteenth Anniversary, Stewart's Brewing Company is venturing outside. On Saturday, July 26, we're having a great big party on the lawn across our parking lot! There will be great beer, great food, fun and games for kids young and old and music. What kind of music, you ask? 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The Earth Dogs (Featuring Robio and Alan RacerX!!!!) 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Todd Chappelle (Acoustic music from the "I'm from Delaware" guy!) 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Beyond the Pale (Traditional Irish and really, really cool!) Plan ahead now; bring the whole family for the whole day. It will be a grand time under the beer-garden style tent, listening to music from the stage, enjoying our hand-crafted beer (including Stumbling Monk) and eating freshly grilled meat. Since you don't have to be here until 11 a.m. Saturday, we're also planning Big Beer Friday the day before! On Friday, July 25, there won't be bands or tents, but there will be any number of the following (depending on how long they last): Bourbon Stout, Cherry Dubbel, Barleywine 2008, Vintage Barleywines of past years, Bourbon Barleywines of past years, Stumblin' Monk, Abbey Dubbel and Conundrum.