Craft Beer

Sipping your Chocolate

February 8, 2013 By Brian Petro Leave a Comment

Valentine’s Day is a day of hearts, flowers, wines, romance, and boxes and boxes of chocolates. Chocolates are among the most popular gifts to give on Valentine’s Day, making local favorites like Esther Price, Winans and Signature Confections very happy. We like our chocolates as truffles, bars, bons bons, dips, and any number of creative ways. The people that discovered chocolate, the early Mayans and Aztecs, would be completely baffled by how we use chocolate. Xocolatl, or “bitter water” in Nahuatl (Aztec), was fermented and drank, usually by the upper classes. They would also thicken up the drink on occasion with corn and chilies, turning it into porridge. The Spanish were the first to add milk and sugar to it to sweeten it and turn it into the chocolate that we know and love. They were still drinking it until the 17^th century, when the chocolate candy craze hit Paris. For a thousand years, chocolate was a beverage. And in this modern era of craft beers, flavored spirits, and experimentation, you can make it a drink for your Valentine’s Day celebration.

WINE

Pairing wine and chocolate is something that people have built whole festivals around. Godiva has even wisely added a page to their website to help you start off, and give you tips on what to look for when you pair it yourself. Putting the two together into one drink is something that is fairly new to the drinking scene. ChocoVine came out of the gate strong in 2009 with high ratings, and it has maintained them since. The people I know that have tried it have had nothing but good things to say about this blend of red wine (they use Cabernet grapes) and Dutch chocolate. In the same category is ChocolatRouge, another blend of chocolate and red wine, this time using California red wines. These are fairly inexpensive bottles, and their richness great to use as a dessert or treat. Their websites also suggest you can use them in cocktails.

BEER

The craft beer movement has encouraged experimentation with a full range of flavors, from savory to sweet, fruity to earthy. The chocolate end of the spectrum is full with delicious porters and stouts, using the already deep flavor of a well-roasted malt to enhance the chocolate added to the brew. The first one, and still one of the better ones, is Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. Southern Tier makes and utterly delightful stout, Choklat, that is a must taste for the chocolate lover. Stouts are a great winter warmer, which has the Brooklyn Brewing company bringing out their Black Chocolate Stout at this time of year. One of the richer chocolate beers is Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout, which has a very strong and smooth chocolate taste. In 2001 Rouge Ales released their Chocolate Stout around Valentine’s Day and have not looked back. They followed up this award winning beer with a Double Chocolate Stout, which ramped up the chocolate flavor to satisfy the sweetest tooth. This is a very small sampling of some amazing chocolate beers in the area.

LIQUOR

For a very long time, if you wanted to add chocolate to a cocktail, you were reaching for the crème de cacao. It comes in two varieties, white and dark, and is base liquor infused with chocolate, sometimes a hint of vanilla. It is not something that is the star of the show in a cocktail, more of a supporting actor to the other flavor that is going on. It was not until the explosion of the craft cocktail movement that the options for how to add that chocolate flavor grew.

Godiva Chocolate Liqueur is the most popular of the new wave of chocolate liqueurs. Creamy and thick, it is more reminiscent of Irish cream and holds a great deal of flavor. It comes in White Chocolate and Original Chocolate, depending on what you are in the mood for. One (very appropriate) cocktail you can make with the liqueur:

Aphrodisiac

2 oz. vodka (chocolate, if you prefer)
1 oz. espresso
1 oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1 oz. coffee liqueur

Chill a martini glass. Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice, and shake it until it is foamy. Strain the ingredients into the chilled cocktail glass. You can add chocolate syrup inside of the glass as a decorative element, or rim the glass with cocoa powder.

While you are looking for good chocolate liquor to use, you may want to take a look in the vodka aisle. Since Absolut kicked off the flavored vodka party in 1986, there has been an explosion of flavored vodka. That explosion had not fully made it to chocolate, as there are very few pure chocolate vodkas on the market. Pinnacle has a Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Whip Cream flavors, but they are not true chocolate. For true chocolate, you have three options. If you are someone who is very particular about your vodka and the environment it comes from, 360 offers a Double Chocolate flavor. Three Olives makes some innovative flavors, but kept it simple and sweet for their chocolate vodka. Three Olives will also be the one that is easiest to find. It is a great brand. Van Gogh, while their Rich Dark Chocolate vodka has some great flavors and a darker color, it is harder to find in the stores. It is also the most expensive of the three. That chocolate martini you are making will benefit from any of these fine vodka selections, and either kick off or end the night in fine fashion.

Boxes of sweets are not the only way to being chocolate into the holiday. Beer, wine and cocktail lovers can also drink in some chocolaty goodness to celebrate being with a loved one. Belmont Party Supply can help you select a few beers to enjoy the evening with, and Arrow Wine has the full selection of chocolate infused liquors mentioned. They also have Piece of Cake’s Chocolate Cake liqueur, and chocolate infused whip cream for a garnish to your drinks. If you are looking to try chocolate in the way the ancient Mayans and Aztecs enjoyed it, Dogfish Head has it taken care of. Using flavors taken from samples discovered in 1200 year old pottery, Theobroma has a unique chocolate and chili flavor to it. It is very difficult to find, but if you can, it is a treat. There are plenty of great Valentine’s Day festivities for you to enjoy in the Dayton area, and a wide variety of ways to get your chocolate fix at any of them. Enjoy the day…and your chocolate!

2nd Annual MSD Brew Ha-Ha – Drink beer at school!

January 12, 2013 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

Remember when you were in grade school and the teacher would get all mad at you for cracking open a delicious IPA in the middle of class? And you’re all like “You don’t understand. This was only bottled 5 days ago!”. I can’t be the only one, can I? Well now is your chance to get back at your teacher and support the Montessori School of Dayton at the same time. The 2nd Annual MSD Brew Ha-Ha is happening on January 26, and this year is going to be great. Take that, Mrs. Virginia!

All joking aside, this is not an event that you’ll want to miss. There will be some beers available that are tough to find anywhere else – trust me when I say that. There will also be a bunch of your favorite beers from all of those Midwest breweries that make people on the coasts jealous.

Get your tickets today!

Join the Montessori School of Dayton for our 2nd annual Brew Ha-Ha craft beer event. It will be a great time to make a few new friends, enjoy a few laughs, taste a few amazing craft beers (and a few great soft drinks as well!) and enjoy some tasty food.

The Brew Ha-Ha (adults only) takes place January 26th from 6-10 pm. Tickets are $30 per person in advance and $35 the night of the event. Attendees receive 10 drink tickets along with a commemorative tasting pint glass. Additional tickets can be purchased at the door for $1 each. Also be sure to purchase raffle tickets to win prizes the night of the event. Proceeds benefit the MSD Capital Improvement fund for the purchase of a new gymnasium floor.

Like our first year, we will concentrate on Midwest craft breweries and offer an opportunity to learn about craft brewing and the wide variety of beer types and brewing styles. Come sample some of the midwest’s finest craft breweries — Brew Kettle, Rivertown, Hoppin’ Frog, Bell’s, New Holland, Troegs, Dark Horse, Founders, Two Brothers, Jolly Pumpkin and more!

We will also be offering on-site beer sales after the event on any opened cases. This will be a fun way to build your ideal six pack of craft beers from the evening.

Please feel free to invite your friends and families to join. Space is limited so get your tickets early!

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy: CAN you dig it?

October 22, 2012 By Max Spang 8 Comments

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

So, to my fellow Ohioans, remember when Yuengling came rolling into town? It was chaos. People went absolutely bonkers for that beer. There were villagers with pitchforks, fires in the streets, and I can recall at least three riots just in the tiny cul de sac I live in… which is weird because I don’t even think my neighbors drink beer. I think a few people died. We are used to seeing Yuengling at every bar and gas station around here now, but at first it was nuts. Whatever, the point is that Ohioans love new beer. This week, a little brewery by the name of Oskar Blues came rolling in like they owned the place (and they totally do). Unlike with Yuengling, which caters to a wider audience (nothing wrong with that, I might add!), this time it was time for the beer geeks to take to the streets and rejoice. “Can it be true?” we shouted while lighting our torches. “Is Oskar Blues finally on our shelves?”. Yes, yes indeed they are. And holy crap I’m excited. Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

If you aren’t familiar (or if you haven’t been to pretty much any other state), Oskar Blues made all those delicious craft beers in cans before it was cool to put craft beers in cans. I’m talking ten years ago! Among their canned beauties is the massive imperial stout Ten Fidy, which is probably the most famous and delicious imperial stouts found inside of aluminum. It’s right up there with greats like Plead the Fifth, Expedition Stout, BORIS, and Blackout Stout… Except it comes in a flippin’ can! You crack it open like Natty Light, except it pours like motor oil and tastes good.

Ten Fidy is named so because the alcohol content is 10.50% ABV. Just FYI, “ten fidy” is how the cool kids say “ten point five”. Keep that in mind next time you go shoe shopping. It’s 98 IBUs (International Bittering Units), which helps balance the huge malt flavor. I don’t know how they make it, but I assume that it’s made with a stupid amount of malt and unicorn blood for added tasty magic. Admittedly, it’s a tad pricey at $13-$15 for a 4-pack, but trust me when I tell you that it’s a small price to pay considering how delicious it is. Did I mention it’s delicious? It’s delicious.

A few months ago, I grabbed some of this beer from some website and filmed a review of it. I’m sipping this beer as I type this, and let me tell you it probably holds up to whatever the hell I said in this video (I can’t be bothered to actually re-watch it). So check it out. Or don’t. I don’t care, just go grab some Ten Fidy and thank me later.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwkfWSf7WJk’]

Also make sure you keep your eyes peeled for all the other fantastic Oskar Blues cans like Dale’s Pale Ale, G’knight, Old Chub, and pretty much anything else that has the words “Oskar” and “Blues” on the label.

Stone Enjoy By 11/09/12 IPA – The Countdown to Irrelevancy

October 11, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

This beer has gotta be enjoyed fresh! I know because the bottle told me so. So fresh, in fact, that this very review is going to be irrelevant in a matter of weeks. Not only does the freshness factor come into play, but the fact that this beer has a very limited distribution (this batch only made it to Ohio and Colorado in small numbers) makes this review nearly pointless. However, as the ever-vigilant beer drinker that I am, I figure why the heck not? I mean come on, this beer was only bottled six days ago! You can’t get much fresher than that unless you feel like swimming around in fermenters… which really doesn’t sound like that bad of an idea now that I mention it…

Anyhow, this beer is 9.4% alcohol by volume and was designed to be consumed FRESH. Like, ridiculously fresh (did I mention it was only bottled six days ago?). They threw a bunch of hops in late into the boil (a technique called “hop bursting”) which contributes more hop flavor and aroma rather than bitterness. Check out more information about this beer here. To you Daytonians, this beer has pretty much sold out at most stores already (and thus more irrelevancy), but if you see it on the shelf at your favorite bottle shop then by all means pick it up. Let’s get to reviewin’.

APPEARANCE

This is what those in the advertising business call “Sex Appeal”. This beer just looks good. Crystal clear, yellow-orange-amber in color, resting under a slightly off-white head… Yeah, this is the kind of beer that makes mouths water. I love the look of a good IPA, and this beer has got that look. If this beer was a female, I would try my best to “holla”. If this beer was a painting in an art gallery, I would stare at it intensely and occasionally nod my head so everyone around me knew how much I knew about art or whatever. If this beer was a Big Mac, it would be the one in the picture and not the one you get when you order it. If this beer was a… Ok, you get my point.

SMELL

There are definitely some New Zealand hops in the nose. Notes of grapes, flowers, mango, citrus, earthiness, and a smidge of everyone’s favorite “cat pee” fill my nostrils. There is a deep, dank smell that reminds me of a quaint but “lived-in” basement which adds a bit of charm without being unpleasant. There’s even a bit of hop spice aroma to even things out. There is a good amount of sweet malt, but there’s no mistaking that this beer is all about the hops.

TASTE

Follows the nose very closely. Once again, the first thing I notice is the deep, dank, resiny hop character. There is a bit more pine on the tongue than on the nose, which at first I feared would be the dominating character. As I sip, however, more of the citrus and tropical fruit comes out. The New Zealand hops make another appearance and bring some earthy grape notes with them. As far as bitterness goes, this beer is on the medium side. Sure, it’s bitter, but it’s not a tongue splitter (I rhymed!). There is almost no alcohol flavor whatsoever. This beer has a ridiculous amount of hop character, and there is a slight muddling of flavors which is a tad disappointing. Overall, this beer is pretty tasty but nothing I’ll be craving.

MOUTHFEEL

The mouthfeel really is one of the highlights of this beer. The carbonation and body are both medium, and considering the ABV this beer is not a struggle to drink. The beer coats the mouth with hop resin – the kind that kind of makes you smack your tongue for no explicable reason.

OVERALL

You may have noticed that a word I didn’t use in this review was “bright”. Many IPAs have a bright, refreshing crispness that fellas like me go nuts over. This beer, however, has a somewhat muddled flavor that makes me feel like it’s more of an English IPA than an American IPA, which is crazy talk considering all the American hop flavors. That’s not to say this beer is bad, because it’s not at all! It’s really an excellently balanced IPA, and it drinks more like 6% than 9.4% ABV. That being said, I’m drinking this beer as fresh as possible and it still has a layer of “meh”. Is it worth buying? Yes, absolutely! Is it the IPA to end all IPAs? Not this time. Don’t feel too bad if you missed out on this one (or if you drank it on 11.10.12 or something).

Cheers!

SCORE: ★★★ 3/5

Gourd-geous Beers: Pumpkin Brews

September 20, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

I love Autumn. I think most people from this part of the country really appreciate this part of the year. I mean, what’s not to love? Everything turns beautiful, the air smells better, you get to wear comfortable clothes combinations (sweatshirt and shorts, anyone?), and perhaps most importantly you get to drink all the amazing seasonal beers that hit the shelves. One of the most flavorful, intriguing, and often misunderstood styles that pops up this time of year is the Pumpkin Ale. To some, the idea of a pumpkin-flavored beer is a complete turn off. To others (like me), we mark our calendars for pumpkin beer season.

A Brief History

At first, it may sound like a pretty odd concept; of all the ingredients out there, why are so many beers made with pumpkin? Believe it or not, pumpkin in beer in America has a very long history. Back in “the day”, it was hard to find malted barley which is generally the most common grain used in today’s beer. Pumpkin, on the other hand, was in abundance and pretty easy to grow. They found out that they could swap out a lot of the barley with things like pumpkin, molasses, sweet potatoes, and squash to produce the sugars needed to make beer. Let’s face it, beers made with crazy ingredients is better than no beer at all – especially considering beer was actually safer to drink than the water at the time. These beers were designed to extract sugar (and therefore alcohol) from pumpkin rather than flavor, so as time went on and malted barley was easier to come by pumpkin was used less and less. Today’s pumpkin beers bear very little resemblance to the more rustic colonial pumpkin beers in that they focus more on pumpkin pie and spice flavors. Many of today’s pumpkin ales are described as “pumpkin pie in a glass”. Mmmm, thirsty yet?

Commercial Examples

There’s a lot of pumpkin beers out there right now. In fact, it seems like every craft brewer out there has a seasonal pumpkin ale nowadays. To be perfectly frank, most pumpkin beers are somewhere between “blech” and “meh”, so how do you know a good one from a bad one? Here’s a few recommendations I have for a starting point to the world of pumpkin beers:

Southern Tier – Pumking

Very few beers have a reputation like Pumking. Some love it, some hate it. It is, however, one of the top rated pumpkin beers according to both Beer Advocate and Rate Beer. This beer is a unique experience from the moment you pop off the cap as it fills the room with the aroma of freshly baked pumpkin pie. The taste is the closest thing you will find outside of NASA to being able to drink pumpkin pie – right down to the crust and whipped cream topping. It’s completely over-the-top and unapologetic in it’s huge flavor. Keep an open mind when trying this beer (don’t think beer, think pumpkin pie), and you will be rewarded with a truly unique experience. At 8.6% ABV, you might want to split this beer with two or three friends. Fans of this beer, keep your eyes peeled for the Oak Aged version.

Rivertown Brewing – Pumpkin Ale

This beer only clocks in at 5% ABV, but it feels like a big dessert beer. The thing that separates this beer from other pumpkin ales is the huge amount of sweet vanilla, molasses, cinnamon, and nutmeg flavors and aromas. Even with all of this complexity, this beer drinks very easily. Plus, it’s brewed right here in Ohio!

Dogfish Head – Punkin’

This beer may be one of the most popular pumpkin ales on the market, and for good reason. While other pumpkin beers are sometimes on the extreme side of things, Punkin’ actually tastes like beer. A full-bodied beer with a lot of spice character, but beer nonetheless. Nutmeg and brown sugar shine through, yet the beer is remarkably far from being too sweet.

The brewery recommends pairing this beer with turkey, roasted duck, lamb, stuffing, dessert dumplings, and sharp cheddar – in other words, grab a 4-pack while you can (it sells out fast!) and save it until Thanksgiving. You’ll be rewarded with a beer that drinks well during dinner and dessert.

The Bruery – Autumn Maple

Ok, so this beer isn’t technically a pumpkin beer since the brewery uses yams instead of pumpkin, but bear with me here! This beer is extremely complex, and at 10.5% it’s the biggest beer in this list. This beer is great for those who enjoy Belgian-style ales. The beer has notes of dark fruits, spices, buttered yams, pecans, and oddly enough pumpkin! The beer features cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, and maple syrup. The Belgian yeast strain adds notes of clove and coriander (neither of which are actually in the beer). A word of caution – this beer almost demands to be shared. Even as tasty as it is, it can be a daunting challenge to finish a bottle to yourself.

Sam Adams – Fat Jack

This is the first year that Fat Jack has been released, and I would be more than happy to see this beer come around every year. Perhaps the least “pumpkiny” beer on this list, Fat Jack showcases deep flavors of roasty malt, brown sugar, caramel, light cinnamon and nutmeg, noble hops, and just a hint of smoke. This one is definitely on the sweet side of things, but it would also be a fine accompaniment to savory fall dishes like buttery squash. The large format bottle and higher alcohol content (8.6% ABV) make this beer a great candidate for sharing.

So there you have it, pumpkin beers! Pumpkin brews sort of have a cult following among beer geeks. They aren’t for everyone, but if you have never had a pumpkin beer then give them a shot. Remember, it’s not important that you like every beer you try. What’s most important is the willingness to try new beers.

Wild Blackberry Beer – Rivertown Ojos Negros

September 9, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

Yesterday was apparently Sour Beer Day, so I decided to get all reviewy with a sour that’s been sitting in my fridge for a few weeks. Rivertown‘s Ojos Negros is an American Wilde Ale aged with Blackberries in oak wine barrels. This beer is brewed a stone’s throw away in Cincinnati.

From their website:

AVAILABLE IN 750ML BOTTLE ONLY, RELEASED ONCE YEARLY IN JULY. A WILD FERMENTED BREW AGED IN OAK WINE BARRELS WITH OVER 140 POUNDS OF WHOLE BLACKBERRIES FOR ONE YEAR. 6.3% ABV, 8 SRM, 6 IBU

APPEARANCE

The beer pours a surprisingly clear reddish-brown color with absolutely zero head. There isn’t a lot of visible “bubbliness”, which is somewhat surprising. It actually looks very much like a slightly carbonated wine. It definitely gained a lot of color from the blackberries, let’s find out if it gained any aroma/flavor from them. [Read more…] about Wild Blackberry Beer – Rivertown Ojos Negros

Brew it yourself!

August 21, 2012 By Brian Petro Leave a Comment

Belmont Party Supply was the original home of BrewTensils.

How are you enjoying Dayton Beer Week so far? The wide variety of beers, beer dinners, and other special events should be heaven for any beer lover in the area. Some people are not satisfied with just going out and enjoying. Some people need to create it on their own. For those people, there is BrewTensils. They have been open for just a few years, but have a much longer history than that. Darren Link, the manager at BrewTensils, took some valuable time out of his schedule to answer a few questions for us here at Dayton Most Metro. He spoke a little about the growing Dayton craft beer scene, how he started home brewing, and how you can join the ranks of home brewers in the area.

How did you get into home brewing? How long have you been doing it?

I got into it the same way almost everybody else does, a friend said “Let’s make some beer.” And I had the typical reaction “You can do that?” We made a few awful batches, I ‘borrowed’ some of his equipment to do my own beers. I got the bug and have been doing it for 4 years now.

What is your favorite style of beer to brew?

I kind of jump around with the styles I brew, so I don’t think I have a favorite style to brew. I enjoy brewing IPA’s; you will never have a fresher IPA than one you brew yourself. I also enjoy brewing English styles, Belgian Sours, and recently finished my second lager a Munich Dunkel.

What made it a good time in Dayton to open a home brewing store?

We have sold homebrewing supplies for the past 25+ years. The supplies used to be in the back of the beer store next door, Belmont Party Supply. A small shelf and items were constantly out of stock. Both BrewTensils & Belmont Party Supply are owned by Mike Schwartz. He noticed the demand increasing in the area and after the dry cleaner went out of business that used to occupy this space, established the current BrewTensils roughly 3 years ago. We’ve been consistently growing ever since.

Brew all the grains! Photo courtesy of Mike Lang

How have you seen tastes in beers change?

There’s almost an evolution in craft beer drinkers tastes. They have one craft beer or a couple beers that change their prospective. They get curious about what else is out there; they typically get into IPA’s and the hoppier styles. Then higher gravity (higher alcohol) and finally start appreciating the styles that are difficult to brew. As far a craft in general, it’s up 14% this year when beer sales in general have declined.

Do you see home brewers influencing national trends, or vice versa?

I think it’s a two way street. Brewers like to see how close they can get to brewing their favorite commercial beers. There are literally millions of clone recipes on the internet; New Belgium Fat Tire, Bell’s Two Hearted, and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald being very popular ones. On the other side of it, homebrewers have helped to save some less popular beer styles. I feel that traditional Belgian Lambics have been an example. Almost going extinct in Belgium in the 60’s & 70’s, the popularity amongst homebrewers, professional brewers & beer connoisseurs have helped to keep them alive.

IPAs look like they are all the rage right now. What do you think the next beer trend is going to be?

I think IPA’s will always be the rage. I think session beers are increasing in popularity. A session beer being defined as a beer you can drink large quantities of without getting sloshed and typically has an alcohol percentage between 4 & 5.6 or lower. People want to try several different beers in one sitting, maybe even venturing outside of their comfort zone. On the other side of that there’s ‘extreme’ beers which can clock in at 10, 12 even 18 or 20 percent, which you can have one of and be rocked.

When does your next round of classes start? What do you like most about teaching them?

I don’t have dates set for those yet but I’m looking at having a round of classes before the holidays, so October/ November time frame. Our largest attended class is right after the holidays in January. The past 2 years we’ve had 70 people attend Brewing 101.

I like seeing their excitement of getting started, getting hooked and then bringing their first or second beer in for me to taste to see what I think of it. Kind of living vicariously through my customers reminding me of how excited I was when I started.

Would you buy a home brewing kit from this man? Photo courtesy of Mike Lang

What is the:

-best beer you have tasted brewed by one of your customers?

The one that’s in front of me. No seriously, I am always pleasantly surprised by the high quality of beers that my customers brew.

-the worst beer? (or a beer that people seem to have the hardest time brewing)

There’s an ancient beer style that used a whole uncooked chicken thrown into the fermenter. He soaked the entire chicken in white wine to ‘sanitize’ it, put it in the secondary for about 2 weeks, and loosely filtered it. I thought I was going to get salmonella from drinking it but the white wine added more character than the chicken.

-a beer you thought sounded awful but ended up tasting really good?

It didn’t sound awful; I was more intrigued by the idea of using homegrown garden herbs and spices in a beer. I have a couple of those I’ve done with great success. Honey basil ale is a really popular summer seasonal. Several customers have brewed it also with rave reviews. Another one that came out well is Thai basil & lemongrass wheat. But not all experimentation beers have turned out well, I’m still trying to perfect a baklava inspired beer with honey, pistachios, and philo dough.

Dayton Beer Company just opened, and Toxic Brew Company, Fifth Street Brewpub, Vitruvian Brew, Yellow Springs Brewery and Dayton History are poised to open breweries in the near future. Plenty of restaurants already have a wide selection of craft beers in the area, like Boston’s, South Park Tavern, Chappy’s, and a few others. Do you think Dayton is close to a saturation point on breweries and craft beer?

Not even close, we’ve only just begun. I had a theory before the new resurgence of breweries. I think Dayton was the largest craft thirsty market in the US that didn’t have an operating brewery. Look at the numbers Fifth Street Brewpub got for their charter member drive. Their original goal was 300 they got 830, in one month. I feel that Dayton and surrounding areas could support a double digit number of breweries. Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ashville, North Carolina split the Beer City USA title this year. Those aren’t huge markets but beer tourism drives some of that. Don’t be surprised to see some beer tourism in Dayton a couple years from now.

What is your advice to someone that wants to start brewing? What is a good “beginning style” to start with?

My advice for new brewers is to do some reading first. Read Jon Palmer’s “How to Brew”. Either pick up a copy or read it online at howtobrew.com. He writes it in a way so you can avoid mistakes and have a successful beer they will enjoy and be proud of the first time they brew. Other than that, start small, pick up a Brewer’s Best Deluxe Equipment Kit and a small bottle of Star San sanitizer. Cleaning and sanitization are very important and are two separate actions. The Brewer’s Best English Brown Ale is by far the best selling first time brewer recipe kit, it comes out like a Newcastle. The nice thing about the recipe kits is they only require a 2 ½ gallon boil so it can be done on the stove

Belmont Party Supply, BrewTensils, and Stacker’s Subs and Grub are all located on Smithville Road, near Watervliet Avenue. You can call BrewTensils at (937) 252-4724, and become their fan on Facebook. Cheers!

Troegs Java Head Stout – Video Review

June 20, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Es-_sJK7eA’]

This is the Snobby Beer review of Java Head Stout from Tröegs Brewing Co in Hershey, PA. This year-round beer features coffee that is added via the hopback vessel, where the hot wort passes through what is essentially a giant French Press on its way to fermentation. This is also one of the first stouts that got me into craft beer!

This beer is available year round in the Dayton area wherever quality beers are sold.

From the Troegs website:

“Alcohol by Volume: 7.5%
Hop Bitterness (IBUs): 60
Color (SRM): Black
Availability: Year Round
Malts: Pilsner, Crystal, Chocolate, Roast
JuJu: Oats, Blend of Coffee Beans
Hops: Cluster, Chinook, Cascade
Yeast: Unfiltered Ale

JavaHead Stout contains a blend of locally roasted espresso and Kenyan coffee beans by St. Thomas Roasters in Linglestown, PA.

JavaHead’s recipe is based off of our original oatmeal stout. After the boil, the hot wort passes through our hopback vessel on it’s way to fermentation. Packed full of whole leaf hops and a bed of ground coffee beans, the hopback vessel is similar to using a huge French press, intensifying the coffee nose and releasing subtle hints of coffee flavor. The result is a lush oatmeal mouthfeel balanced with cocoa, roasted barley and subtle coffee flavors.

FOOD COMPLIMENTS
Cheese (earthy; Camembert, Fontina) General (Chocolate, Dessert) Meat (Shellfish, Smoked Meat)

Serving Suggestions:
Temp: 50-55°F Glassware: Pint or Mug”

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know what you think! Grab a beer and leave a comment.

Insanity! A Beer Review

April 11, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5xwhn7Njg0′]

This is the Snobby Beer review of Insanity from Weyerbacher Brewing Company in Easton, Pennsylvania. This seasonal beer is a bourbon barrel aged version of their year-round English Barleywine, Blithering Idiot. Clocking in at a whopping 11.1% ABV, this beer is big and bold. You may have seen my text review of this beer, but this is a beer that I feel deserves a video review!

From the Weyerbacher website:

“Insanity is made by aging our perfectly balanced Blithering Idiot Barleywine in oak bourbon casks. This incredible combination creates a mélange of flavors from rich malts, raisons, and dates to oak, vanilla, and bourbon. Insanity will be yours this February!!!

Insanity is 11.1% ABV. It is best enjoyed in a brandy snifter and served at 45-55ºF.”

Here is the text review for this beer:

APPEARANCE

This beer is extremely murky. Reddish-brown with almost no light coming through. The head was about a finger and disappeared completely after a few moments. Admittedly it’s not the prettiest beer, but you can tell from the looks that it is good and hearty. It looks like a typical unfiltered barleywine.

SMELL

Lots of biscuit in the nose. The oak comes through, as do raisin and dark fruits such as plums and overly-ripe apricots. A very slight tinge of alcohol comes through, but not as much as one would expect from a 11.1% beer. As it warms, the alcohol becomes more pronounced yet it’s still fairly well hidden. There is a hint of spice such as cloves or nutmeg, albeit they are very mild.

TASTE

Ah – this is everything I like in a good barleywine. Tons and tons of dark fruits – dark overly-ripe cherries, plum, raisin, and apricot. I am reminded of cognac while I sip due to the wonderful fruit flavors. It’s very sweet, in fact it is almost syrupy which, in this case, is very pleasant.There’s a large amount of bread and biscuit flavors. The alcohol is extremely hidden in this beer, there’s only a slight taste of the alcohol after you swallow. The oak is sort of an afterthought, and I probably wouldn’t have noticed it if the smell didn’t come through. The aftertaste lasts and lasts, almost never quite leaving the mouth.

MOUTHFEEL

This one’s a sipper. It’s very thick and syrupy with almost no carbonation. It’s slightly warming, but not as much as you’d think for having such a high ABV. It’s not easy drinking by any means, but rather the type of beer you sit and enjoy over the course of an hour (or longer!).

OVERALL

Excellent, excellent English style Barleywine. It’s got all of the delicious dark fruits and biscuit notes, and the oak adds a really nice bit of complexity that makes you crave more. This almost reminds me of Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA as far as the extreme fruit flavors. I don’t know how old my bottle was (couldn’t find a date anywhere), but I can tell this beer ages b-e-a-utifully. This is an awesome beer and is relatively easy to find (if you get Weyerbacher, that is) so I am definitely going to hold this beer in very high regards. Grab a few of these for the winter months, and enjoy in your favorite reading chair while snuggling up under some covers before bed.

Cheers.

SCORE: ★★★★ 4/5

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know what you think! Grab a beer and leave a comment.

This review is also available at Snobby Beer.

19 Beers and The Perfect Burger: One Eyed Jacks

March 29, 2012 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

The University Shopping Center across from Wright State’s Nutter Center is a unique place to eat. You have the normal options of Subway, McDonalds, Bob Evans, etc… but in the mix of the mediocre there are a few places like Jeet, The Flying Pizza, and Tiks Thai Express dishing out some really good food. But, my favorite is One Eyed Jacks. Founded April 14^thof 2008, Jacks has been serving up cold beer and hot burgers straight to the mouths of Wright State Students for years.

Busy behind the bar shot at One Eyed Jacks.

Friday night crowd keeping the bar busy on a Friday.

The brilliance of One Eyed Jacks lies in its mix of quality atmosphere, food, and drinks. During the day, Jacks is perfect for winding down with a cold beer and a burger, but on a weekend night the mood changes. As people roll in, the band sets up, and the group conversations all merge into a wall of sound and you find yourself in a pure party setting.
There is no musical prejudice at Jacks. The Rumpke Mountain Boys had several people trying their hand at a jig with others bumping, grinding, and yes hula-hooping to their wonderful bluegrass twang. Upcoming acts like Cappadonna from the Wu Tang Clan (Mach 30^th) will undoubtedly have a lot of people bouncing around the stage trying some new moves that maybe they shouldn’t. With smiles everywhere, band playing, the bar hostesses hard at work, and the kitchen buzzing, it is impossible to have a bad time at Jacks.

Egg, Burger, Bacon, Hashbrowns... That is all you need to know.

With all of that atmosphere, it would be a shame if there wasn’t substance to back it up. Jacks does not disappoint. The Veggie Zaffer (my regular choice) is the most amazing piece of late night satisfaction in Dayton. Two house sauces, siracha-kraut (a creative twist on kim-chi) and tatonka (a mildly spicy cream sauce) sit on a huge spicy black bean burger with cheese, onion, and swiss. It is spicy, rich, and if you think you need meat to have a good burger, this will prove you wrong. While the Zaffer is fantastic on its own, it is served with a mound of hot, perfectly greasy, seasoned, and battered french fries. There are few words outside of addictive that I would use to describe these flawless fries. While I am prone to ramble on about the $7.99 Zaffer basket and how every order should be placed with extra tatonka and blue cheese on the side their other options are something too.

Like the “2am” burger. For $7.99 you get a large beef patty sitting atop a hash brown and covered with cheddar, ketchup, bacon, and an egg. Or, if you’re just a little peckish share some pizza nuggets ($7.99) stuffed with cheese and pepperoni served up with marinara for dipping. The whole menu from pizza to wings, from burgers to salads is consistently good, packed with flavor, and reasonably priced all under $10.

The pickle spears are fantastically crunchy.

Open 11am-2:30am Monday through Saturday and 12pm-2:30am on Sunday, One Eyed Jacks is a fantastically assembled bar with great service, 19 beers on tap, fantastic food, and a variety of music that few rival. (Not to mention $3 shots of Jameson on the 14^thof every month.) Head to Jacks if you are down for a fun night with good people.

Sixpoint Bengali Tiger Video Review

March 21, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdS0CqRc3hs&’]

Brand new to Ohio! This is the Snobby Beer review of Bengali Tiger from Sixpoint Craft Ales in Brooklyn, New York. Sixpoint produces beers that are available in cans, and just recently became distributed in Ohio. The website claims that this beer is inspired by a homebrewed IPA.

From the Sixpoint website:

“What immortal hand or eye. Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
The Sixpoint homebrewed IPA interpretation. Blaze orange in color, with an abundance of citrus hop bitterness, and a full pine and grapefruit bouquet in the aroma.”

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know what you think! Grab a beer and leave a comment.

Beers of St. Patrick’s Day – Video Reviews

March 15, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

St. Patty’s day is just around the corner. As with most things having to do with Irish-Americans, this means a lot of alcohol consumption. I can attest to the validity of this statement due to my heritage, which is mostly Irish (though you’d never know that because of my German last name). While most people think of Guinness as the quintessential St. Patrick’s Day beer, there are other options out there – in fact, there are a TON of beers to satisfy your Celtic craving. I recently shot reviews of a few of these beers. Check out these videos

Murphy’s Irish Stout

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJOfKb75n4I’] This is the Snobby Beer review of Murphy’s Irish Stout from Cork, Ireland. Murphy’s is sort of known as the “other” Irish Dry Stout, and is available in cans and draught. The can features a nitrogen widget that produces smaller bubbles than carbon dioxide, which gives the impression of a smoother, creamier beer. This beer is only 4% Alcohol by Volume. Murphy’s was bought by Heineken in 1983.

Killian’s Irish Red

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkkk1_f1XMs’] This one is pretty much only “Irish” in name. Killian’s is an amber/red lager brewed by Coors Brewing Company, and is available year-round. According to the website, Killian’s started as a more traditional Irish Red Ale. George Killian supposedly wanted to share his beer so much that he brought it to America. Whether or not this story is true, nobody can deny the fact that this is one of the most widely available beers on the market in America today.

That’s it. No, seriously, there’s no more beer reviews. Were you expecting something else?

…Oh, what the heck, here’s the Guinness reviews I shot last year.

Guinness Draught

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upwI1ApnUnA’]Guinness Draught is made by Guinness Ltd, located in Dublin, Ireland. Guinness Draught is arguably the most famous stout on the planet. Unlike most stouts, which are generally on the heavier side, Guinness is actually lighter than some light beers! The perceived “heaviness” of Guinness comes from the nitrogen, which produces smaller bubbles.

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRUOysHCoNM’] Guinness Foreign Extra Stout is the hoppiest stout made by Guinness. Many people say that this is better than Guinness Draught – is it? We find out in this video!

These reviews can also be found at Snobby Beer.

Cincinnati Sour Beer – Rivertown Pestilence Review

March 5, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

Rivertown Brewing Company recently released their first beer of their Brewmaster Reserve Limited Release Series, and the beer is Pestilence. Pestilence is a sour brown ale brewed with 7 varieties of malted barley and wheat. The beer also has has Hibiscus flower, and has gone through the process of sour mashing. You may remember that Rivertown has dabbled in sour beers before.

Rivertown is from the great state of Ohio, and are located in Cincinnati.

From the Rivertown press release:

Rivertown Brewing Co.’s Brewmasters Reserve Limited Release Series is set to kick off next month.

We are pleased to announce the 2012 Brewmasters limited release series starting with the introduction of “Pestilence”. Pestilence is a sour brown ale brewed with 7 varieties of malted barley and wheat, organic whole Hibiscus flower pedals and spicy hops from the Hallertau growing region of Bavaria. The name Pestilence is derived from the ancient biblical term for infection or plague. Through a natural process called sour mashing, we expose the mash to airborne elements for a period of 48 hours allowing for a natural infection to arise causing the beer to sour. After this process is complete, we collect the sweet, sour runnings and introduce the spicy hops. We then boil it for a period of 1 hour and steep it with fresh hibiscus flower pedals. The end result is a wonderfully aromatic blend of fresh botanical herbs and mouth puckering sourness.

Pestilence will be the first of four brews released in 2012 centered around the ancient Mayan apocalypse of 2012 which signifies the world’s end on December 21^st. Pestilence holds significance as being one of the Four Horseman set loose upon the world acting as a harbinger of the last judgment charging through at worlds end carrying wheat and a fist full of barley.

Release Date: Early February 2012
Alcohol by Volume: 5.4%
Color: 20 SRM (Brown)
Style Guideline: Wild/American Sour Ale/Brown Ale
Availability: 12 oz bottles 24-loose case/ 1/6bbl keg
Malts Used: Pilsner, Pale, Carabelge, White Wheat, Chocolate, Dark crystal, Munich
Hops: Hallertau Perle
Specialty Ingredients: Organic Hibiscus Flower Pedals
Serving Temp: 55F

P.S.- Save one bottle to enjoy as a vertical on December 21^st 2012

APPEARANCE

The beer pours a Coca-Cola brown, with just the slightest amount of deep red light poking through. There was a tiny white head when first poured, but it went away fast and left nothing remaining. There was little visible carbonation. Overall, it looks somewhat like a clear Belgian dark – nice looking beer.

SMELL

There’s some interesting aroma coming from this beer. There is some nice dark fruits, such as plum and raisin. There is a bit of Greek yogurt, which is followed by a bit of stomach acid… Not exactly unpleasant, but definitely different. There’s a good amount of sweetness on the nose as well, bringing some nice maltiness and maybe a bit of caramel. The hop character is on the spicy side, bringing some floral and honey-like aromas. Overall, pretty complex but not the most pleasant smelling brew.

TASTE

The taste is fairly different than the aroma. There is a surprising amount of cocoa in this beer, which I was not expecting. There’s a big amount of nutty flavor that reminds me a lot of cashews, which was also unexpected. There is a decent sour twang to it, but it’s not a jaw-locking sourness. More like a pretty solid tartness throughout. The first few sips brought that stomach acid flavor, which reminded me of… well, puke. As it warms up, though, that flavor is replaced with more of a Greek yogurt flavor. There’s a lot of dark fruits in here, as well as some hop spice and floral flavors. This is a pretty complex beer on the tongue!

MOUTHFEEL

This has a bit more body than I had anticipated. There is a nice, dry finish and the tartness creates a crisp mouthfeel. There is a lingering oily feeling that reminds me of the leftover oil from a cashew. It’s pretty easy drinking, but the sort of wild flavors keep this from being a beer you can chug. Nice mouthfeel on this brew.

OVERALL

An unusual beer to say the least. It’s not a sour to end all sours, but it is a unique experience to drink this beer. There’s some interesting funky things going on that makes you want to keep drinking, but it’s not so wild that it’s off putting. Admittedly, the stomach acid aroma and taste frightened me at first, but it smoothed out as the beer warmed. I would definitely recommend trying this beer. It’s fairly cheap for a sour ale, so grab a few bottles and age’em until after the end of the world.

Cheers.

This review can also be found at Snobby Beer.

SCORE: ★★★ 3/5

What The Hell is Beer? Presentation at Pecha Kucha Dayton

February 28, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB6MIMSungI’]

On February 23, 2012, I was invited to present at Pecha Kucha Dayton Volume 10. Pecha Kucha ( also called PK Night ) is a series of presenters that are required to show 20 images each lasting 20 seconds long. This format allows for a rapid, fast-paced, and eclectic group of presentations.

For more information, please visit
http://www.pecha-kucha.org/
http://www.pecha-kucha.org/night/dayton/

This video can also be found at Snobby Beer.

Bell’s Black Note Stout Review

February 22, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

Black Note Stout from Bell’s Brewery, Inc. is a blend of their Expedition Stout and Double Cream stout. It is then aged in retired bourbon barrels for months. I was lucky enough to try this beer on tap at Chappy’s Taproom. This beer was recently released in bottles in extremely limited quantities for the first time.

From the Bell’s website:

One of the most sought-after stouts in Bell’s history, Black Note Stout blends the complex aromatics of Expedition Stout with the velvety smooth texture of Double Cream Stout and ages the combination in freshly retired oak bourbon barrels for months. The resulting harmony of flavors captures the finest features of all three components: malty notes of dark chocolate, espresso & dried fruits, all buoyed by the warmth and fragrance of the bourbon barrel. Aimed squarely at the stout and bourbon aficionados, Black Note makes a grand statement about the art of the dark.

Alcohol by Volume: 11.5%
Original Gravity: 1.112
Shelf Life: N/A

APPEARANCE

Well, what do you expect? It’s black as night, and sat under a mocha-colored head that dissipated quickly. There was no lacing, but the beer had some pretty apparent alcohol legs. There wasn’t any light coming through on this one. With a name like Black Note, would you expect anything else?

SMELL

This is heavy on the bourbon in the nose, which brings notes of vanilla and toasted coconut. There is a lot of nice complexity that ranges from sweet to slightly boozy. A hefty amount of chocolate and licorice comes through, and brings a bit of coffee and roasted malt with it. This is the type of beer that you get full from by just smelling – there is a LOT going on!

TASTE

First off, this beer is remarkably smooth. The bourbon is not as strong as it was on the nose, but it is definitely present. With it, the bourbon brings notes of vanilla, licorice, and toasted coconut come out. Surprisingly, the alcohol is very well hidden. The beer starts off milky sweet, with smooth caramel and toffee characteristics, then finishes with a nice hoppy bitterness. The bourbon lasts a long time after the swallow, making this beer have an absolutely amazing after taste.

MOUTHFEEL

This beer drinks like a pillow – it’s smooth! It has a velvet-creamy mouthfeel, sort of like melted chocolate. There isn’t much carbonation, which adds to the creaminess. The beer has a nice big body which makes it a sipper. The intense aftertaste lingers for an extremely long time.

OVERALL

This beer is incredible. It can hang with the big boy bourbon barrel aged brews and hold its ground. It’s a special beer from a brewery that is arguably one of the best brewers of stouts. I wouldn’t say that this is the barrel-aged stout to end all barrel-aged stouts, but it is absolutely incredible and worth seeking out.

Cheers.

SCORE: ★★★★ 4/5

This review can also be found at Snobby Beer.

Craft Beer Goes Gluten Free – Dogfish Head Tweason’ale Review

February 15, 2012 By Max Spang 1 Comment

Tweason’ale from Dogfish Head is a gluten free, sorghum based beer brewed with strawberries and honey. This is the first 4 pack in the Dogfish Head lineup in 5 years. Dogfish Head certainly isn’t the first brewery to make gluten free beer, but this is arguably the biggest release of a beer of this type.

From the Dogfish Head website:

The No. 1 thing Dogfish lovers ask for at our pub, in our brewery and on our website is a gluten-free beer. But not just any gluten-free beer — they want gluten-free with gusto.

“It seems as if lots of folks who have gluten-tolerance issues are pining for an interesting beer,” says Dogfish founder and president Sam Calagione. “While there are a few well-made examples that mirror traditional beer styles, there arent any off-centered offerings.”

Enter Tweason’ale.

For our first new 12-ounce 4-packs in nearly half a decade, we replaced the classic barley foundation of beer with a mild sorghum base. The hints of molasses and pit-fruit are balanced by vibrant strawberry notes and a unique complexity that comes with the addition of a malty buckwheat honey.

We believe health-conscious beer drinkers and the millions of Americans who suffer from Celiac disease can cut back on gluten while relishing the distinction and drinkability of this very special brew.

Tweasonale is a seasonal for between the seasons. It will first hit shelves in late January 2012 and will be released four times a year through our national network of distributors.

This beer was pretty labor-intensive to make, but it was a beautiful process. We invited our artist friends Jamie and Kevin to come document our brew with their ultra-cool Cinemagraph process. Check out the process here.

Original Release Date:

07/2011

Food Pairing Recommendations:

Fatty fish, dried fruit, salted nuts

Wine Comparable:

Rose

Here is my review for this beer.

APPEARANCE

Beautiful stuff – it’s a crystal clear honey-blonde color. The head was small and didn’t stick around for very long, but there was some nice visible carbonation in the glass sort of like champagne. In fact, this beer looks a lot like champagne due to its clarity. I must say it makes me thirsty just looking at it!

SMELL

The strawberry comes through and creates a nice, refreshing aroma. It’s on the border between smelling like fresh fruit and artificial fruit, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in this case. It’s followed by an unusual earthy aroma, and perhaps grassy notes and baker’s yeast. The honey is subtle, but present. Overall, this a nice smelling fruit beer.

TASTE

This beer has some interesting flavors! The strawberry comes out, bringing some nice sweetness and slight tartness. There’s sort of a spicey character, not quite like Belgian yeast notes (clove, banana, etc) but more like fresh or candied ginger. There’s some slight earthiness in there, but not as much as the nose. A yeast flavor comes through as it warms. It almost reminds me of sparkling grape juice in terms of flavor.

MOUTHFEEL

This is a really light beverage. There isn’t much body to it, which makes it extremely easy drinking. It’s nice and effervescent, and it doesn’t really feel like beer. It feels more like champagne or even soda due to the dryness and the high carbonation.

OVERALL

Not a bad brew in the least bit! I grabbed a whole 4 pack, and I’m glad that I did. It’s got some really nice flavors and is super easy to drink, so this is a beverage for both people who like beer as well as people who don’t. It’s nice to see a fairly large craft brewery like Dogfish Head produce a gluten-free beer that people with or without gluten allergies can appreciate. The lack of body makes the brew a little under-satisfying, but the complex flavors make up for it.

Cheers.

SCORE: ★★★ 3/5

This review can also be found at Snobby Beer.