Thirsty Dog to production brew in Akron, OH

Thirsty Dog to production brew in Akron, OH Maybe this will quell some of my concerns and silence my questions of the past couple of years. Are they open or closed? Brewing their own or contract brewing? Still winning awards, though...plenty of them (can you say 15 awards in the past 7 years?) Should I stock up on the Siberian Night, because it may not be around forever? Well, it looks like with their own production facility in Akron, we should be enjoying more of their beers in the foreseeable future. What? You're saying you haven't had a beer from Thirsty Dog before? That's your homework for the weekend. Try an Old Leghumper (porter) or a Siberian Night (R.I.S.), which are probably the two of their easiest to find (Hoppus Maximus pops up occasionally too). You shouldn't be disappointed.

Sierra Nevada Stricklander at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA

There wasn't much information floating around about Sierra Nevada's latest concoction other than it is a Belgian-style golden ale. Belgian-style from Sierra Nevada? I had to check this out...So, last night was quite a treat to find this brew at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA. Apparently, they've received one of two kegs in the entire region. The other went to Monk's Cafe in Philly; hopefully we'll be able to sample it again on Tuesday before the Brooklyn dinner. I'm not going to get into a full review of the various aspects of the beer. Rather, I'll point out that it's a good bet and you should try it for yourself while you can. It's a smooth-drinking beer with a substantial weight to it. The Belgian candi sugar was real evident to me, especially in the finish. I picked up hints of coriander, though it was only after it was pointed out to me that the menu described coriander, so who knows! I ordered the beer and our speedy waitress was gone too quickly before I could ask for just a short glass of it. Instead, I got a full 16 ounce glass. My recommendation for this style is to ask for a smaller glass. This is not a reflection on the quality, but rather the style, flavor, alcohol level, and personal preference. Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about this beer is that it is from Sierra Nevada. I was talking with several others around the bar last night and this was the most common sentiment. Yes, it is a well done beer, but belgian-style, no cascade or centennial, and it's from Sierra Nevada is what makes it even more remarkable. You betchya. Definitely the most noteworthy aspect of this brew. Also, being served at The Drafting Room last night was the last two years of Bigfoot Barleywine and the IPA from Sierra Nevada. (Refer here for their full tap list as of 3/8/07.) Not knowing how much longer this will last, I will certainly be trying to get back there again soon for more Bigfoot on tap. I suggest you do as well.

Tap List at The Drafting Room in Exton, PA - 3/8/07

We've gone to some effort to publicize on a regular basis the usual quality taps at Flying Pig in Malvern, PA. They need a bit of publicity because they have no web presence and the tap handles are constantly changing.

However, The Drafting Room in Exton, PA has a decent web presence and quite a huge reputation proceeding them. But, their website occasionally falls behind with what's currently on tap. Of course we understand the nature of the bar business. Patrick and company do a great job of stocking great beer on tap and that's the most important part. It's to their credit it turns over as fast as it does.

In the meantime, we'll give it a try here to post on a semi-regular basis the current tap list.

What's on line as of 3/8/07? Funny you should ask.

Cantillon Lou Pepe (the last of it should be gone by this weekend)
Victory Old Horizontal
Heavy Seas (Clipper City) Below Decks
Brasserie d'Achouffe Brooklynette
Sierra Nevada Stricklander
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine 2006
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine 2007
Sierra Nevada IPA
Stoudts Double MaiBock
Spaten Optimator
Lindemans Pomme
Victory Hop Devil (Cask Conditioned)

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A Victory for Beer & Food

It's great to hear that Victory has opened up a section of their website dedicated to this topic of pairing food with beer. They'll be adding more content over time, but for now you will find recipes and some other good content on the topic. You know how we here at The Brew Lounge love beer and food.....and food with beer too! If nothing else, our trips to Monk's Cafe dinners demonstrate that. And, when The Brewmaster's Table book by Garrett Oliver occupies that top spot on the bookshelf and is a recurring reference point, that says something too. We know the folks from Victory are all over this topic, given their beer and cheese sessions at Wegmans, the beer dinners that they host at the brewery, and the session with Matt from Victory's kitchen cooking up mussels with Sunrise Weiss beer at the Philly Craft Beer Festival last weekend. This represents just another way in which the industry is getting the word out that beer can be just as sophisticated as any other beverage and does in fact go with food and is appropriate for more than just an afternoon softball game in the summertime. Is that a run-on sentence? Here are just a few more instances of better beer and food coming together. Ah, worlds colliding, a beautiful thing! Homebrew Chef (Sean Paxton) Brewers Association All About Beer Stan Hieronymous Beer Advocate Rate Beer Cooking Light Harpoon Brewery

We interrupt your workday......Blind Tiger Ale House license approved!

http://www.babblebelt.com/bbb_classic/readpost.html?id=1173279952 A call to The Collins Bar reveals that tentative plans are to open by St. Patrick's Day. Beer and wine license; similar menu as is currently posted on their website. Let the celebration ensue! No burning of cars, please. Our review from September 2006

Beer Tasting: 21st Amendment Holiday Spiced Ale

The Beer: 21st Amendment Holiday Spice Ale
Style: Spiced Brown Ale
Reviews: Beer Advocate Rate Beer
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Packaging & Date Stamping: 22 oz. brown bottle; no date stamp

From where & how stored: Purchased from brewery in Dec. 2006, transported home by air, and stored at 42F since then

Pricing: $6.00 per bottle

Availability: Winter Seasonal

ABV, IBU, and Other Available Stats: 6.8% ABV
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Bryan's Notes
The Look:
- Medium-brown color
- Loose head quick to fade

The Aroma:
- clove
- bit of alcohol

The Taste:
- clove
- carrot cake sweetness
- medium carbonation
- hops not noticeable

The Verdict: An easy-drinking, pleasantly-spiced holiday seasonal beer. Though, my rememberances are of this being better on draft at the pub rather than from the bottle.

p.s. What do you think of 16F weather, an outdoor fire, burning the Christmas tree, and drinking the 21A Holiday Spice Ale. Is there something wrong here???

Drink Locally, Local 1 from Brooklyn Brewery

If you haven't been fortunate enough to try this new beer from Brooklyn Brewery, your time is coming. Local 1 is being released this week to the retail market in 750ml bottles first in New York and New England, then to the broader markets.

I've had the great pleasure of having this twice in the past month and it is, in my opinion, going to be a hit with the beer community. Hearing it described with terms like bottle-conditioned, tripel, saison, and "Methode Brooklynnaise" should peak your curiosity, no?

Read on below for an excerpt from their e-mail announcement. Here's to hoping it shows up on the Monk's/Brooklyn beer dinner menu scheduled for next week.
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INTRODUCING OUR NEW BEER: BROOKLYN LOCAL 1

The Brooklyn Brewery is proud to introduce Brooklyn Local 1, our first 100% bottle conditioned Belgian-inspired ale in a 750ml bottle. Brewmaster Garrett Oliver likens this beer to a Belgian tripel or a strong saison, but he says it really is a Brooklyn original, produced using the artisanal "Methode Brooklynnaise". Brooklyn Local 1 launches in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut this month, then moves to other Eastern states as supplies increase.

Come join us Friday, March 9th, 2007 during Happy Hour (6pm-11pm) as we introduce Brooklyn Local 1. For those of you who know, we sell tokens that are exchanged for beer. For the launch of Brooklyn Local 1, you are able to exchange three tokens for one pouring of Brooklyn Local 1 plus a souvenir 16 oz. gold rimmed glass that can be refilled for 2 tokens each refill. All other beers will be one token each in our regular plastic cups, as usual.

We are also selling bottles of Brooklyn Local 1 to go at the price of $10/ bottle. For $15 you can get one bottle of Brooklyn Local 1 and two Gold rimmed Brooklyn Brewery stemware glasses.

East End Brewing Company & Trip to Pittsburgh

I'll be in that neck of the woods soon and I'm planning to stop at East End Brewing Company on Thursday. As luck would have it I'll be able to make it for Growler Hours. Any suggestions on what to get my growler filled up with?

Beer Tasting: Hopback Entire Stout

The Beer: Hopback Entire Stout
Style: English Stout
Reviews: Beer Advocate Rate Beer
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Packaging & Date Stamping: 16.9 oz.; "10 10 9" stamp (does this indicate "best by"?)

From where & how stored: Purchased from Total Wine in Dec. '06 and stored at 50F since then

Pricing: $2.99 per bottle

Availability: Year-round

ABV, IBU, and Other Available Stats: 4.5% ABV; advertised as 100% vegan
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Bryan's Notes
The Look:
- off-white, slightly tan loose, fluffy head
- thins quickly, leaving some lacing behind
- deep, dark color

The Aroma:
- burnt roasted malt aroma

The Taste:
- lacking some of the depth of a "big stout"
- but yet a moderate body and mouthfeel
- dry roasted flavor with a bit of hop bitterness
- medium carbonation

The Verdict: A nice drinking beer that doesn't offend, but fails to impress. Just a decent session stout that I wouldn't turn away and could see using for introducing newbies to the world of stouts.

Beer & Bigger Breasts

Let's get things off to a light-hearted start this week. This may be old news to some, but I stumbled across this only a few weeks ago. I'm not sure I can add much commentary to this. Other than, perhaps, "Would you sooner buy one of these beers for your dog or one of these beers for your wife?" Happy Monday...Now, drink your coffee and get going...

Podcast: Philly Craft Beer Festival - Brewers Round Table Audio

Well, Bryan survived the event :-) Here's an audio recording of that session. Thanks to Don for permitting us to record and post it. Philly Craft Beer Festival - Brewers Round Table (46 min - 44mb mp3) Don Russell of Joe Sixpack fame hosted The Brewers Round Table during the Philly Craft Beer Festival yesterday at the Navy Yard Cruise Terminal. The forum members are as follows:

• Tom Kehoe - Yards
• Bill Moore - Lancaster
• Gene Muller - Flying Fish
• Mark Edelson - Iron Hill
• Bill Covaleski - Victory

NOTE: I'm hoping it will show up in the RSS feed as an enclosure for any of you podcast consumers out there.

The Session #1 - Drink-A-Stout Friday

In keeping with The Session project that Stan kicked off this month, we're tasting stout-style beer today. If you've missed all the banter this week, here's a recap. Stan's Page Our initial posting A listing of some of our stouts on hand here at The Brew Lounge - So, what did we and all of our loyal readers indulge in? Here's a recap: Adam: Started with my very own Stoutenporter (kitchen sink homebrew) with some espresso, black strap molases and lotsa malt. This is one I can only have a wee bit of at a time. Next up Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout with my wife. Then we shared a Left Hand Milk Stout with Brian H. I finished the night off with a Victory Storm King. Soon I was sleeping on the couch. What a wonderful 6 hours. Good first session :-) Hmmm...stouts can vary soooo much from one style to another. Its like that deep dark color is an excuse to go into forbidden territory and gives the brewer permission to brew something creative. From a slightly sweet smooth milk stout to a big roasty chocolate malt bomb of an Russian imperial stout (RIPS) to a hoppy nosed and hoppy tasting high octane RIPS and then there's my kitchen sink brew that throws all the rules out the window. What is a stout anyway? I don't know, but, I like it ;-) Bryan: After whetting my whistle with a SNPA and a Stoudt's Tripel, I dove headfirst into Brooklyn Chocolate Stout, Hopback Entire Stout, and capped off the night with a North Coast Old Rasputin R.I.S. Gotta save some energy for the inaugural Philly Craft Beer Festival on Saturday! Nate: Well - a day late, but I did enjoy a stout last night, though as an impy stout not sure it counts as a 'session'. Anyway, it was Oskar Blues Ten FIDY on tap and my notes are here

Ready, Set, Drink-A-Stout - The Session

You didn't forget did you? Here's a reminder to break open a stout (or stouts) of your choice tonight and drop us a note. You can reply with a 'comment' to this one or any of the entries listed below, or drop us an e-mail at beerguys@brewlounge.com

Listen, we're not giving out literary awards here, so there's no excuse :) You can keep it as simple as you'd like ("hey, I had XXXXXXX beer tonight"), make it more wordy ("hey, I had XXXXXXX beer tonight; it was great!"), or a write a full review (appearance, aroma, taste, mouthfeel, drinkability, etc.)

Then, you can check up on what happened across the beer drinking world when Stan pulls it all together over at his site.

2/27-Intro Posting

2/28-Choice of Stouts

Getting Started in Homebrewing - Gathering Information

Click here for an index of Getting Started in Homebrewing

Now that I've declared the beginning of My First Homebrew Experiment, it's time to figure out how to gather all of the information that I need to in order to make some well-informed decisions. What tools do I need? Where do I buy them? Do I take used equipment from fellow brewers (are they "fellow brewers" before I ever brew my first? probably not!) What style will be my first? How complicated is it? What are the things I need to keep in mind throughout the project? Questions, Questions, Questions. Fortunately, there is a wealth of information out there for newbies like me. You just need to know where to look. Plus, I have the benefit of several friends (and even all of you out there, too) that can provide first-hand experience and guidance to me. So, what have I done so far? Let's see, here's a quick list of resources that I've utilized thusfar, or plan to use as I get further into this. They are in no specific order, just a random list of resources I've come across. If you have more, please feel free to add to my list. Zymurgy magazine - Free copies from beer festivals - Subscription copies borrowed from Adam - Online website resources - Provides much written word on the subject of homebrewing Basic Brewing's - "Intro to Homebrewing" DVD - "Stepping into All-Grain" DVD - Helps to visually set expectations for what's going to (or should) happen during the process Professional & Shopping Websites - AHA (American Homebrewers Association) - Beer Beer & More Beer - Wyeast Labs - Brew Your Own magazine - White Labs - All About Beer - NorthernBrewer.com - Freshops.com Homebrewer websites & blogs - Ben, aka Bad Ben - A Good Beer Blog - BUZZ - Nate - Eli - Brew-Monkey - Jamil Zainasheff - And, perhaps most valuable, first-hand experience from two of my closest friends, Adam & Mark, who have combined homebrewing experience of over 20 years I've digested much of this already and will, of course, continue to research as I go along. But, for now, it's time to take all of this information and get some brewing equipment to do the job. That's next up in this wonderful journey called My First Homebrew Experiment.

Click here for an index of Getting Started in Homebrewing

Polling all Readers: Session vs. Extreme Beer

So we're curious. Would you rather drink a session beer or an extreme beer or something else? Some might say that the tide is turning toward session beers. We thought it might be fun to try a poll here at The Brew Lounge. So over there on the right you'll see it. Give it a shot. If you participate you get to see the results. We'll also post the final results after we close the poll in a few days. Get your vote in! As always let us know what you think by posting a comment.

Beer Dates in History: March Anniversaries

10 years Atwater Block Brutopia

My favorite beers of the past 3 months

As we conclude our journey through the long and dark winter months, here's a quick listing of what has tantalized my taste buds and fascination over the past three months. I can feel it now, spring is just around the corner. That must mean a cleanout is in order...who's ready?! Brooklyn Local 1 Bell's Hopslam East End Big Hop IPA Brouwerij Het Anker Gouden Carolus Noël Firestone Walker 10th Anniversary Castle Brewery Eggenberg Samichlaus Victory Old Horizontal 21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat (yeah, I know, a bit "out of season", whaddya gonna do?!)

Which Stout shall I drink? Which Stout will you drink?

From my current inventory, here's what I have to choose from for Drink A Stout Friday. I'll take your input and drink up to 3 of them. So, tell me what to drink, then go pick your stout....from your own stash! Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout Bell's Expedition Stout Bell's Java Stout Bell's Cherry Stout Brooklyn Brewing Co. Black Chocolate Stout Dogfish Head Brewing Co. World Wide Stout Goose Island Oatmeal Stout Hopback Entire Stout Iron Hill Russian Imperial Stout Mackeson's XXX Stout Marin San Quentin's Breakout Stout North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout Ridgeway Lump of Coal Stout Stoudt's Fat Dog Stout Stoudt's Fat Dog Stout Whisky Barrel Aged Thirsty Dog Siberian Night Yards Brewing Co. Love Stout

Tap List at Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA - 2/27/07

On an attempted regular basis, we'll post the tap list here to the Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA. We have no affiliation with the establishment other than living within 2 miles of it and appreciating the usual quality tap and bottle list. If you like this idea, please drop us a note and let us know.

On Draft as of 2/27/07
Bell's HopSlam
Hitachino Nest Ginger Beer
Lost Coast Indica IPA
Castle Brewery Eggenberg Samichlaus
Brooklyn Smoked Weissbock
Koningshoeven Quadrupel
Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted
Stoudts Fat Dog Stout
Weyerbacher Bourbon Aged Strong Ale (hmmm not sure which one)
Brooklyn Smoked Weissbock
Magic Hat Roxy Rolles

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Brewing Beer: What mistakes have you made?

This post is inspired by Eli's most recent post over at The Four Eyed Beer Geek. I for one appreciate his situation. It really captures how I have felt when homebrewing, uncertain, pensive, hesitant and just plain frustrated. Not to worry I think Eli's first batch will be just fine. Anybody have some advice for him? We all make mistakes, right? Charlie Papazian said it best, "Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew." That statement drives to the heart of what homebrewing is all about, having fun. Face it if we worried about every step and what could go wrong, we probably wouldn't start homebrewing in the first place. Hey homebrewers out there, what mistakes have you made? Click here and tell us all about it.