Dayton On Tap

Just got this email from our friends at Spinoza’s, and it seemed like useful info to share with you all, especially since I’m on vacation and to lazy to write anything original 🙂

1. You should always store bottled beer upright, not on its side. This minimizes oxidation and contamination from the cap.
2. Bottled beer is pasteurized. Keg beer is not. That’s why it’s critical for kegs to stay cold (38°F). As the temperature rises, CO2 expands (causing foamy beer) and dormant bacteria may become active and ruin the keg
3. The type of water used for brewing makes a difference. The best ales are produced with hard water (with more natural salts like calcium) while soft water is better for lagers.
4. Before the 1400s ales were flavored with herbs like rosemary and thyme. Hops were first introduced to preserve beer but are now a desirable flavor.
5. Dogfish Head’s Midas Touch Golden Elixir is made from a 2,700-year-old beer recipe that was found in a royal tomb in Turkey. The tomb is believed to be the burial place of the legendary King Midas.
6. In 1814 a brewery tank containing 3,500 barrels of beer ruptured in London causing a beer tidal wave that flooded the streets, demolished two houses and claimed the lives of 9 people.
7. Pabst Brewery produced the first six-pack of beer in the 1940s. The brewery conducted numerous studies, which found six cans were the ideal weight for the average housewife to carry home from the store.
8. Anheuser-Busch uses rice in its formula and the company alone consumes about 15% of the entire U.S. rice crop.
9. Belgium wins the “country with the most individual beer brands” award with more than 400 brands and counting.
10. The familiar Bass symbol, a red triangle, was registered in 1876 and is the world’s oldest trademark.
11. Hops contain an herbal form of estrogen that is rumored to make men chesty (a syndrome known as “Brewer’s Droop”) and lead to erectile dysfunction.
12. The ’33’ on Rolling Rock bottles was originally a printer’s error. It refers to the 33 words in the original slogan. It has generated enough mystery over the years that the company decided to keep it.
13. Guinness sells an average of 7 million glasses a day.

source: Kegworks.com

New On-Tap This Week at Spinoza’s:

Avery Brewing “Maharaja”
Boulder, CO      Style: American Double/Imperial IPA        10.30% ABV
Maharaja is derived from the sanskrit words mahat, – “great” and rajan – “king”. Much like its namesake, this imperial IPA is regal, intense and mighty.

21st Amendment Brewing  Co.  “Hell or High Watermelon Wheat”
San Fransico, CA      Style: Fruit Beer     5.5% ABV
Unfiltered, American-style wheat beer. Brewed with 400 pounds of fresh watermelons.

…plus 10 other craft brews on tap!

This Sat from 1-5pm 200 beer lovers will have the chance to experience the largest selection of cask ales ever assembled in Ohio!  Cask conditioned ale is beer that is brewed from traditional ingredients and matured in the cask from which it is served. This means that it is fresh and unfiltered and therefore has a unique flavour.  Cask ale is naturally conditioned as a by-product of the secondary fermentation that takes place inside the cask, It is then served directly, without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide or chemical treatments of any sort.

What you’ll taste  is a live product, full of flavour and character: beer in its natural state.

Casks expected to be tapped include:

Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout & Porter
Founders Centennial IPA
Goose Island Dry Hopped Citra IPA & TBA
Great Lakes Dry Hopped Commodore Perry IPA
Greene King English IPA
Morland Old Speckled Hen English Pale Ale
Heavy Seas/Clipper City Below Decks Barleywine,
Little DIPA-2nd Runnings Double IPA, & Tripel
Left Hand 400 lb. Monkey English IPA
Thirsty Dog Belgian IPA
Tröegs Javahead Stout

Chappys Tap Room & Grille
2733 West Alex-Bell Road, Dayton, OH

Available for $40 & limited to 200 beer fans at Chappys.
Call (937) 299-RIBS (7427).

Glen Brailey’s pizza parlor a the Mall of Fairfield Commons  is building a reputation for hosting phenominal beer dinners.  Spinoza’s will be doing it again Tuesday, May 25th  at 7:00 pm.  Lindsey Shafer from Goose Island Brewing Company, a craft  brewer located in Chicago,  will be on hand to talk about the unique Goose Island beers featured at this special event. For just $24.95 per person plus tax & gratuity, you’ll enjoy a five course dinner complimented with six brews from Goose Island.  Seating is by reservation only. Previous beer dinners have sold out quickly so you’ll want to call 937-426-7799 for reservations quickly to reserve your seats.
Goose Island Event Menu:
“Summertime” German-Syle Kolsch paired with House-made Soft Pretzel and Roasted Garlic Aioli

“312” Urban Wheat Ale paired with Bruschetta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Yellow Pepper-Cilantro Pesto
“Sofie” Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale paired with a salad of Mache Lettuce, Chilled Wild-Caught Sea Scallops, Honey Roasted Pecans, and Lemon Caper Vinaigrette

“Matilda” Belgian Style Pale Ale paired with Hearth Baked Pizza with Pesto, Lump Crab, Pine Nuts, Goat Cheese, and Roasted Chilies

“Pere Jacues” Belgian Style Abbey Ale paired with Strawberry Cheesecake with Belgian Chocolate Sauce
“Night Stalker” Imperial Stout- A heavily-hopped imperial stout, Night Stalker is a heavyweight of a beer. It delivers a formidable punch of hops and rich roasted malt notes to the nose in a silky body that’s as dark as night.

Rogue Ales is an craft brewery in Oregon known for fun, full flavored beers.  The brewmaster at Rogue believes “variety is the spice of life,” so they brew over 60 different ales from all natural ingredients.  This special keg release part at Chappy’s Tap Room and Grille in Moraine on Wed, March 3rd at 6pm is for a very special Rogue Dead Guy Ale-in the style of a German Maibock, using Rogue’s proprietary Pacman ale yeast. Deep honey in color with a malty aroma and a rich hearty flavor.

From the Rogue site:

“In a collaboration of crafts, Rogue Brewmaster John Maier and Rogue Spirits Master Distiller John Couchot have joined forces to create a distinct, innovative series of brews called John John Ales. The series will take Rogue Ales legends and age them in Rogue Spirits barrels. A 3,100 gallon batch of John John Ale produces 1357 cases of beer. The first of the John John series is John John Dead Guy Ale, Rogue’s award winning Dead Guy Ale matured in Rogue’s award winning Dead Guy Whiskey barrels.”

Having never tried beer aged in a whiskey barrel I looked for advice from the net and here’s what I found out from my friend Michelle at Drink of the Week:

“Since Dead Guy Ale is brewed in the German Maibock-style–a lighter version of traditional bock–the beer flavor does not overpower the whiskey notes, they just go together like beans and rice. The whiskey is definitely present with its warm smoke, but the ale offers a nice brightness that makes this pairing very smooth and drinkable.”

I say let’s go check it out oursevles, so see you at Chappy’s!

This gourmet pizza parlor may be located in a mall, but don’t let that stop you from checking it out. Proprietor Glen Brailey is creating a suburban mecca for fans of California style pizza’s,  artisan salads, live music and craft beers.  With 120 seats, additional patio seating (eventually spring will be here and you’ll appreciate this), and an outside entrance so you don’t have to go into the mall, it’s the kinda place that could easily become a great date destination. Checkout the upcoming live music schedule.

Spinoza’s next beer dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 7:00 pm. Beer expert Lee Hill from Sierra Nevada Brewery (Chico, California) will be on hand to talk about craft brewing and the unique Sierra Nevada beers featured that evening. This is a reservation-only event. Their first beer dinner last month sold out quickly so reserve early if you want to go! Call 937-426-7799 or email reservations. Cost is $24.95 per person plus tax & gratuity. Four-course dinner and six (6) different Sierra Nevada beers are included. Vegetarian options will be available.

Follow this link to REGISTER ON LINE

MENU:
Welcome Beer
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen
Served with fresh, house-made Soft Pretzel and
Mustard/Garlic Aioli Dip

Appetizer
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (draft)
Cheddar Cheese & Pale Ale Soup with Romano Croutons

Salad
Sierra Nevada Glissade (draft)
Organic, locally grown Arugula Lettuce, Cluster Tomatoes, Toasted Nevada Pine Nuts, and Parmesan/Asiago Shavings

Intermezzo
25th Year Bigfoot Barleywine Ale

Entreé
Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA
Spinoza’s Hearth-baked Italian Meat & Cheese or Roasted Veggie Stromboli with Creamy Italian Gorgonzola Sauce

Dessert
Sierra Nevada Porter
Italian Tiramisu Parfait

Spinoza’s is located  at the corner of North Fairfield Rd and Pentagon Parkway- at The Mall at Fairfield Commons.  Head to entrance B near Sears.

Hours Of Operation:
Mon – Thurs: 11:30 am – 9 pm
Fri – Sat: 11:30 am – 10 pm
Sun: Noon – 7 pm

Oakwood’s Dorothy Lane Market will host their monthly tasting on Wed, Nov 18 from 5:30 to 8:30pm with special guest John Bisson of North Coast Brewing Company. This California brewer is a pioneer in the craft beer movement, started in 1988 as a local brewpub in the historic town of Fort Bragg, located on California’s Mendocino Coast.

Featured beers will include Old #38 Stout, Blue Star Wheat, Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, Old Stock, PranQster Belgian Style Ale, Red Seal Ale, and Scrimshaw Pilsner.

No reservations necessary, a nominal tasting fee will be charged.

UNIBROUE BEER TASTING @ The Caroline @ 7pm
5 south market street  .  troy, ohio 45373
$15 includes tasting & light appetizers
advance reservations call 552-7676 OR email  STEVE

Known for their Belgian sytled beers, Unibroue is a very unusual beer company.  First of all, they are not located in Belgium, but instead in the very French influenced city of Montreal. This brewery has been making Belgian style beers for nearly two decades, and they are most famous for their exceptional Belgian strong pale ale,  brewed using an old fashioned in-bottle refermentation.  Unibroue beers keep all their protein and part of the yeast, producing a genuine upscale beer. This method gives a very particular taste to the beer and provides a natural source of vitamin B. Given that the beers contain no chemical additives or preservatives, they require strict quality control. This all-natural brewing process also makes Unibroue beers  higher in alcohol content and can provide a rich flavour without the bitter aftertaste of conventional beers. Due to this process Unibroue beers are slightly more expensive than industrially produced beers in order to cover the cost of production

On the Tasting Menu at The Caroline:

RAFTMAN-Pouring a bright amber in color with a creamy white head, the nose of this beer teems with bright fruit and smoke. That smoke, from the whisky malt, becomes more pronounced upon tasting, complemented by some caramel.

Wed’s tasting will include:
LA FIN DU MONDE – a brilliant golden color with vigorously effervescent foam. It is midly yeasty with a complex palate of malt, fruit and spice notes followed by a smooth, dry finish.

TERRIBLE – pours a dark, nearly black color, with an effervescent head that tests your patience as it settles. As it hits your tongue, you can taste a little anise, a bit of caramel, and some fig like notes.

MAUDITE-a deep amber-red color with a rocky foam head and an appealing aroma of wild spices and floral hop notes.
It is spicy, vinous, and deliciously complex with a crisp hop finish.

EMPHEMERE – Éphémère apple has an alluring pale golden color, effervescent foam, and a mouth-watering bouquet of Granny Smith apples and spices. It is slightly sweet, slightly tart and refreshingly thirst-quenching.

BLANCHE DE CHAMBLY – has an alluring pale golden color, effervescent foam, and a subtle bouquet of spice and citrus notes. It’s mildly malty, slighty sweet and refreshingly thirst quenching.

If you’ve never been to The Caroline, this is a great excuse to go!  Their beer tastings are set up around a big table, appetizers are served family style and the
last tasting I attended, the crowd was very friendly and welcoming.

Unable to make Wed’s tasting in Troy?  Jungle Jim’s will host a Unibroue tasting on Fri, Nov 6th from 7-9pm for $25

Jay’s Seafood hosts a Beer Dinner featuring Bell’s Brewery Beers 225 E 6th Street in the Oregon District
call for reservations: 222-2892

Bell’s Brewery,  located in Michigan,  stands as the oldest
craft-brewer east of Boulder, Colorado and currently distributes in just 15 states.

7 pm $55 including tax and tip
The four course menu will be:

Roasted Sesame Scallops with Red Coulis
Best Brown Ale and Winter White Ale

Blood Orange Salad with Feta
Third Coast Ale and Two Hearted Ale

Port Pomegranate Short Ribs with Fresh Vegetables
Bell’s Porter and Amber Ale

Double Dark Chocolate Flourless Cake topped with Cherry Stout Sauce
Double Cream Stout and Cherry Stout

The Trolley Stop hosts their first Wednesday of the month tasting party

from 7 – 8:45pm
520 E. Fifth Street in the Oregon District.
Call 461-1101 for more info

Hosted by Mike Schwartz from Belmont Party Supply.  $20 in advance gets you 9 decent samples, tasty snacks and beer knowhow (priceless- according to their website)

Many of you know my favorite beer joint is Chappys. I love the beer flights they have- sample four beers for just $6 and they change all the time. And the food- some of the best comfort food I’d had anywhere. And now they’d added a beer club!

It’s $10 to join, and you’ll get a free appetizer when you sign up. The goal is to sip your way through 100 beers! At the 25 mark-you get a Chappys Glass, at 50 the Chappys Baseball hat and at 75 a Chappys T-shirt. They also promise other specials just for beer club members! The big reward comes when you make it through all 100 beers- you’ll receive lifetime happy hour prices ($1 off draughts and $2 off most appetizers) anytime you visit Chappy’s along with your name added to the Chappys Beer Club Wall of Fame!

The 100 beers is a mix of draughts, bottles and your choice of their rotating selections.

For more info- ask the bartender over a beer at Chappys!

Oktoberfest triggers thoughts of steins of beer and feasts of sausages, hot potato salad, sauerkraut, sweet and sour cabbage and black forest cake. Many of you probably enjoyed some of these last weekend at the DAI’s festival. But for those of you who missed out or just couldn’t get enough- our great independent restaurateurs are making it possible for you to enjoy your own Oktoberfeast:

Amber Rose
1400 Valley Street, Dayton 228-2511
Featuring .10 beer special all month long your first draft is only ten cents. Choice of Beck’s Octoberfest, Amber Bock or Bud Light.

All pints are $2.00 till 7p.m. all month. Includes Hoegaarden, Hofbrau, Bud Light, Amber Bock and Beck’s Octoberfest.

German Specials each week including our everyday selections of German fare.

Look for Coupons in the Reach mag and DDN Go Section.

Coco’s Bistro
515 Wayne Ave, Dayton 228-COCO
Salad with a Gewurzstraminer vinaigrette, Wiener Schnitzel with a roasted garlic and herb spaetzle and braised red cabbage, housemade apple strudel, paired with a Sam Adams Oktober Ale or glass of Gewurzstraminer for $20.09! Spread the word! For non-drinkers, you should ask for our special house made ginger ale, it’s divine.

Rue Dumaine
1061 Miamisburg Centerville Rd, Washington Township 610-1061

Oktoberfest menu: Thursday, Oct 1st

Rinderrouladen served with potato puree and braised red cabbage – beef stuffed with a pickle spear, carrot stick, slice of ham and a smear of German mustard. It is seared then slow braised in beef stock. Served with Yukon potato puree and braised red cabbage seasoned with bacon, onion, red wine vinegar and sugar.

Steckerlfisch- grilled salmon broquette with a pickle-onion relish, served with Schupfnudeln (potato dumplings)

Gemischtes Würstchenteller (sausages) served over kraut (with juniper, caraway, apples, onions, bacon and beer), spaetzle and German mustard
–
Potato cake with applesauce
Obatzda –cheese-butter spread, served with handmade soft pretzels
Hot slaw
German potato salad
–
Apple strudel- phyllo wrapped, with raisins, walnuts, sugar and spice
Apple spice cake
Old German honey cookies
Plum tart

German Beer Tasting on Thurs, Oct 1st
ERDINGER HEFEWEISEN, AYINGER OKTOBER FEST-MÄRZEN
& ERDINGER DUNKEL WEIS $12

Early Bird specials for Sept 29th, 30th and Oct 1st 5-6pm:

Sauerkraut balls over German mustard crème
Hot slaw with apples and bacon
—
Pork schnitzel sandwich with pickles and potato wedges
Pan-seared cod with celery sauce and warm potato salad
—
Petite Black Forest cake
Apple cider sorbet with honey cookie

$22 for three courses, please select 1 item from each section