Brewers Association adds historical styles to 2013 guidelines

Every year the Brewers Association (BA) updates and releases its guide to beer styles that sets the bar for brewers across the nation. This year’s version, the 2013 Beer Style Guide was released Monday, March 4 with a few new styles and several modifications to existing styles. The BA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting craft breweries in the United States through educational programs and advocacy.

In this year’s edition, the number of recognized styles has grown from 140 to 142. The two additional styles are Adambier and Grätzer. Both brews are historic brews that have been appearing more and more in American breweries. Adambier is a German beer that was popular around Dortmund, while Grätzer is native to Poland.

Adambier, also called Dortmunder Adambier or Dortmunder Alt, is a potent, smoky beer often weighing in above 10% ABV. Traditionally the beer was strong, dark, and sour with high hopping rates and, in historic batches, a significant amount of wheat. The beer was typically barrel-aged for at least a year and often much longer.  The new style guidelines according to the BA are:

“Light brown to very dark in color. It may or may not use wheat in its formulation. Original styles of this beer may have a low or medium low degree of smokiness. Smoke character may be absent in contemporary versions of this beer. Astringency of highly roasted malt should be absent. Toast and caramel-like malt characters may be evident. Low to medium hop bitterness are perceived. Low hop flavor and aroma are perceived. It is originally a style from Dortmund. Adambier is a strong, dark, hoppy, sour ale extensively aged in wood barrels. Extensive aging and the acidification of this beer can mask malt and hop character to varying degrees. Traditional and non-hybrid varieties of European hops were traditionally used. A Kölsch-like ale fermentation is typical Aging in barrels may contribute some level of Brettanomyces and lactic character. The end result is a medium to full bodied complex beer in hop, malt, Brett and acidic balance.*”

The second new addition, Grätzer, gets its name from the town where it originated, Gratz in what used to be Prussia. The town is now called Grodzisk and is located in the province of Wielkopolski in western Poland. The region has a well-established brewing history as evidenced by the output of the port city of Gdansk. In the 15^th century, the city on the Baltic Sea managed to produce well over 6 million gallons of beer at over 300 breweries. The Grätzer style of history is that of a smoked, white wheat beer. Traditionally the wheat malt was smoke with oak or birch wood. The guidelines for the style set out by the Brewers Association state:

“Grätzer is a Polish-Germanic pre-Reinheitsgebot style of golden to copper colored ale. The distinctive character comes from at least 50% oak wood smoked wheat malt with a percentage of barley malt optional. The overall balance is a balanced and sessionably low to medium assertively oak-smoky malt emphasized beer. It has a low to medium low hop bitterness; none or very low European noble hop flavor and aroma. A Kölsch-like ale fermentation and aging process lends a low degree of crisp and ester fruitiness Low to medium low body. Neither diacetyl nor sweet corn-like DMS (dimethylsulfide) should be perceived.*”

It is important to note that the style guidelines set forth by the BA are used as the basis for judging beers at the Great American Beer Festival held every year in Denver, Colo. and at the World Beer Cup. These style may differ slightly from style guides produced by other beer judging organizations, but are by far considered the Gospel by many brewers both hobbyist and professional.

The addition of historical styles as well as popular style indicates that craft brewing is coming into its own. Interest in traditional styles is on the rise allowing for new generations of beer enthusiasts to experience the delights inherent in each. As new historical styles are discovered and rise in popularity, they too will no doubt find their place in future Brewers Association guidelines.

*2013 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines used with permission of Brewers Association.

 

Pele’s Wood Fire to host Cigar City beer dinner

Pele’s Wood Fire has established itself as a restaurant that takes craft beer seriously. Not only do they have an excellent selection of 50 brews on tap, but they also have had a tradition of pairing those brews with Chef Micah’s brilliant culinary creations. Coming up on January 22 Pele’s will present a beer pairing dinner featuring Chef Micah’s creations paired with Cigar City brews.

Cigar City Brewing has made a name for themselves as producers of excellent craft beer. This was never more evident than at last year’s Great American Beer Festival where the CCB booth had line scores deep. Attending the dinner at Pele’s will be Travis Kruger, who runs the CCB tasting room at the brewery in Tampa.

The beer and food pairings are:

Reception beer: Hotter Than Helles German-style Helles lager.

Dinner 1st Course
Lambs lettuce, Radishes and Carrots Wheat Beer Bagna Cauda
Beer pairing: Florida Cracker Belgian-style Witbier

2nd Course
Mozzarella Arancini Sicilian fried risotto stuffed with hand-made mozzarella and orange basil mayonaise
Beer pairing: Roarin’ Lion Calypso IPA

3rd Course
Beer Cheese “Cappuccino” Soup Malt milk crackers, tomato, sweet onion, and cream
Beer pairing: Minaret ESB English-style Extra Special Bitter

4th Course
Prime Rib Braciole Rosemary potatoes, Rapini, and wood fired dopplebock marinara
Beer pairing: Resonator Dopplebock German-style Dopplebock

5th Course Tobacco smoked chocolate ice cream cone, spun with liquid Nitrogen, set on an Italian pizzelle waffle cookie cone
Beer pairing: Maduro Brown Ale

Reception begins at 6:00 p.m. and the first course will be served at 6:30 p.m. The price of the dinner is $65 and includes tax and tip. You can reservations for the dinner by calling Pele’s Wood Fire at (904)232-8545.

Keep up to date on all the beer happenings and news going on in town at the ALL NEW www.JaxBeerGuy.com.

 

Wynkoop Brewing makes a ballsy move with new beer release

Beer come in many forms and flavors. For those who like things a bit on the spicy side, there are chili beers. For those who like fruit flavors there are lambics and fruit-flavored ales. And for those who have an unreasonable desire for bull testicles, there is now a beer to quench their thirst. Wynkoop Brewing Company of Denver, Colo. made good on an April Fool’s Day joke they played last year by producing a limited run of Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout in time for the Great American Beer Festival in October. The response was so good, the ballsy company decided to produce, can, and sell the brew through BeerJobber.com.

The whole idea arose from a joke perpetrated by the brewery in the form of a viral video released to the Internet April 1^st of last year. Just before last year’s GABF Wynkoop released a statement on their website:

“Yes, the beer was inspired by our April Fools spoof video this spring, in which we claimed to have released a beer made with bull testicles.

Why actually make such a meaty treat? Months after doing the video (the idea for which hit me while sampling Odell Brewing’s recent and very delicious oyster stout for Jax restaurants), we and our fans are still laughing. Very important, that laughing.

We’ve also met folks around the country who saw the spoof and loved it. (Hello Hawaii!)

Plus, when we sent out the press release and the video link last April, we heard from brewers and beer writers who thought the beer was for real and loved the idea. They wanted samples. So did many patrons who came to the pub to try the beer.

So we’ve turned our joke into a reality.”

The brew is made with 25 lbs of roasted bull testicles to draw attention to a local delicacy in Colorado known as Rocky Mountain Oysters. The delicacy is often prepared by being peeled, coated in flour, pepper and salt, and sometimes pounded flat. They are then pounded flat and deep fried. Most often served at fairs and other gatherings, it is most definitely not a table staple.

But what does it taste like? According to the video, “”the results of our efforts is a luscious, creamy stout that delivers loads of flavor — everything from roasted barely and coffee, to chocolate and nuts.” Of course, that description was a joke, but the Wynkoop website says:

“Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout is an assertive foreign-style stout, slightly viscous, with a deep brown color. It has equally deep flavors of chocolate syrup, Kahlua, and espresso, along with a palpable level of alcohol and a savory umami-like note. It finishes dry and roasted with a fast-fading hop bite.”

The site goes on to say that the beer is 7% ABV and has 3 BPBs. That’s balls per barrel.

Related articles

• Bull Testicle Beer Coming Soon (foxnews.com)

 

New Albion Ale to hit store shelves next month after 30 year hibernation

Thirty-five years ago there was little choice in the beer aisle of your local liquor store other than brews from the major national brands. But, if you were fortunate enough to live in Northern California in the late 1970s, you may have heard of a tiny brewery known as New Albion Brewing Company. Started by Jack McAuliffe in 1976, New Albion was doing something only home brewers were doing – making great-tasting ales instead of watered-down, mass-produced lagers.

The story begins long before the opening of New Albion Brewing Company, though. McAuliffe was born in Caracas, Venezuela to an FBI agent stationed at the American embassy during World War II. As is common in families such as his, he moved to new cities regularly. But, after a stint in the United States Navy, McAuliffe got an engineering degree and, while helping a friend build his home, settled in Sonoma, Calif.

It was during his career in the Navy that McAuliffe discovered his love for well-crafted beer. After training at Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay, he was transferred to the U.S.S. Simon Lake. As part of its duty cycle, the ship went to Scotland in the late 1960s to service the submarines in Squadron 14. There McAuliffe became fascinated by the diversity of beer available and the processes by which it was produced.

Upon his return to the states, McAuliffe began to learn the skills needed to brew beer by producing small batches of home brew in his garage in Sonoma. After he completed the building of his friend’s home, he turned to designing a small commercial brewer. He began rummaging through scrap yards seeking anything he might use to build brewing equipment. Old dairy equipment was particularly useful, but most of his equipment McAuliffe built by hand. During this time, he lived in a warehouse loft above the brewery he was assembling.

In October on 1976, McAuliffe incorporated the New Albion Brewing Company and began producing English-style ale, porter, and stout. The name is a nod to the English explorer Sir Francis Drake who claimed the San Francisco Bay area for England in the 1500s and named it Nova Albion. But, as McAuliffe discovered, his was not the first brewery named New Albion in the area. In the 1800s, an Englishman started a brewery in Hunter’s Point area of San Francisco at the site of a spring. That brewery faded into the annals of history, but McAuliffe wanted to honor it and pushed forward with the name.

But, ultimately New Albion proved to be too much ahead of its time to survive. In 1982 the brewery was forced to close due to a lack of financing and expansion space. After only a little more than five years, one of the pioneers of the craft brewing industry closed up shop.

An impression had been made by the small brewery and its tenacious leader. During its short-lived existence, New Albion drew visitors such as Ken Grossman who later went on to found Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Another visitor was Michael Lewis, professor of brewing at the University of California Davis. At that time, Lewis educated students for careers at the large brewers of the day. But, as the craft movement gained momentum, UC –Davis has turned into a training ground for today’s craft beer gurus.

In fact, it was the discovery of the strain of yeast formerly used by New Albion in the UC-Davis storage facilities that inspired Boston Brewing Company founder and owner Jim Koch to resurrect one of New Albion’s landmark brews – New Albion Ale. Introduced at this year’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colo. by Koch, the beer sports a representation of Sir Francis Drake’s ship, the Golden Hinde, just as McAuliffe’s original bottle did. But, other than GABF, the brew was not available to the public. Next month that exclusivity comes to an end when Samuel Adams New Albion Ale is released for distribution to the nation.

At the brunch where Koch introduced the new batch of New Albion Ale, he praised McAuliffe as a pioneer and inspiration. In his typical fashion, the aging McAuliffe remained soft-spoken and humble. He does not consider himself a major figure in the history of the now booming craft beer market, nor does he dwell on the fall of his brewery. During his talk at the brunch he thanked Koch and his company for the recognition and urged everyone to continue in his footsteps to continually innovate and keep the craft beer movement’s forward momentum going.

According to Boston Beer’s Jim Koch, in a press release, New Albion Ale is brewed from the original pale ale recipe, with Koch and McAuliffe both taking part in the brewing:

“New Albion Ale is a deep, golden beer brewed with American Cascade hops and a 2-row malt blend.  The Cascade hops, sourced from the Pacific Northwest, create a moderate hop bitterness and lingering citrus and floral notes, balanced by the upfront cereal character and sweet finish from the malt.”

Look for New Albion Ale from Samuel Adams on your beer monger and grocery store shelves next month, January 2013.

Keep up to date on all the beer happenings and news going on in town at the ALL NEW www.JaxBeerGuy.com.

 

Devils Backbone Brewery experiences amazing growth

Rags to riches stories are rare in this day and age. With an economy that is anything but conducive to business expansion, many businesses are tightening their belts and preparing to ride out the storm in hopes of finding themselves as survivors when the financial clouds finally clear. But, for one brewery in Virginia, rags to riches is a fitting and appropriate way to characterize their rise within the industry.

At this year’s Great American Beer Festival, Devils Backbone Brewing found themselves squarely in the spotlight of the brewing industry. The little brewery that could garnered a stunning eight medals, the Small Brew Pub, and the Small Brew Pub Brewer of the Year awards. For a brewery that produced only 800 barrels of beer in 2011 from its system at its brew pub, those are astounding numbers.

Not surprisingly, the word is out about this brewery and a realization that more production capacity would be necessary came about. In march of this year, the brew pub decided to add a 15,000 square-foot production facility dubbed “The Outpost.” The new facility ramped up production of the brewery to 10,000 barrels in 2012 and provides the basis for hopes to more than double that number in 2013.

Among the breweries full-time offerings will be a dark beer based on the season, increased availability of their Trailblazers Limited Release Series, and a line of brewer’s reserve beers.

As suggested by the number of awards the brewery won this year and over the past years, the beers are fantastic. Tastings at GABF revealed well developed brews that are carefully and lovingly crafted. While they are limited in geographic availability, they are well worth seeking out if you are going to be in Virginia.

Keep up to date on all the beer happenings and news going on in town at the ALL NEW www.JaxBeerGuy.com.

Related articles

• Devils Backbone Brewing Company Takes National Title Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival (pr.com)
• GABF 2012 Session One: The Beginning (sprbrewcrew.wordpress.com)