What beers have you tried recently...

We are approaching the third week of my Wellesley College Wintersession course, The Beer Necessities. The only homework assignment is for students to go out and try a new beer and to review it. Here is a place to share some of those reviews and to start some discussion about them. Feel free to just tell me what you tried and whether you liked it or not, or give us a couple of lines about it. So, what beers have you tried recently...

Samuel Smith's Organic Apple Cider...

I am generally not a fan of hard cider. I had a friend that worked for Woodchuck a while back and it was pretty good, but I couldn't drink it too often. It always tasted too sweet to me. Obviously beer is my thing and just about always my drink of choice.

Well I made a recent visit to one of my favorite places, King Eider's Pub in Damariscotta, ME. Jed does a great job with the beer selection--there is always something interesting on tap and the small bottle selection is very good too. I had the amazing crab cakes for dinner and paired them up with a couple of super smooth Ayinger Oktoberfest drafts.

So back to my point, cider. Jed insisted that I try the Samuel Smith's Organic Apple Cider. Since everything Samuel Smith's produces is fantastic I was sure the cider was good, but cider really isn't my thing. Jed comped me on a pint just to get me to try it...any I am so glad he did. It has an amazing fresh apple aroma, but it isn't overwhelmingly sweet. This is the best cider I have ever tried--it has a crisp dryness that would pair amazingly well with Thanksgiving dinner (I just might try to find some for this year). I also like the carbonation that is effervescent without being overwhelming and it finishes with a slightly spicy, tartness. Thanks Jed, this is really good stuff.

Ding, dong, the Zima's dead, the Zima's dead, the Zima's dead, ding dong, the wicked Zima's dead...

I rarely rejoice in anything dying, but MillerCoors has announced that Zima will no longer be produced. I am pretty sure that Zima was the first malternative to hit the big time market. I so remember making fun of anyone in college drinking this stuff. It was schilled as a clear, light, and refreshing alternative to beer. In reality it was an alcoholic soda pop. I remember trying it once, admittedly after my tastebuds were well shot from some kind of awful keg dispensed American lager and thinking this tastes like Sprite. Unfortunately it has been replaced by the likes of the Smirnoff Ice and Raw Tea, which are pretty much identical to Zima (they contain no vodka - they are just branded with the Smirnoff name).

I completely understand if you don't like beer, but there has to be an alternative to the malternative. Oh well, at least Zima is gone. Maybe Coors Light will go next...it really is a malternative for those that don't like the taste of beer.

Pumpkin beer, not just for dessert anymore...

I have never really been a huge fan of pumpkin beers. I spend most of my fall absorbing as many Oktoberfests beers and autumn ales as possible. I love the rich malty smoothness of Oktoberfest beers...Hacker Pschorr, Sam Adams, Brooklyn, Geary's Autumn Ale and of course der Konig of them all, Ayinger Oktoberfest.

However, over the last couple of years I have dabbled in pumpkin ales and I have to say I am a convert. I don't really go for those super-sweet, over-spiced, run of the mill pumpkins, but I have found a couple of outrageously good ones. Southern Tier Imperial Pumking is truly amazing. I bought one early last fall and it converted me like Saul being struck from his horse with a flying pumpkin. It is a whopping 9% of early fall warming greatness and smells like a fresh pumpkin muffin. I couldn't drink more than one of these 22oz bad boys, but it is extremely enjoyable as a dessert beer. It is much more complex and certainly more drinkable than I had imagined.

On the other hand, Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale might just be the only sessionable pumpkin beer I have ever tried. It is not over spiced and has a remarkable earthy kind of raw pumpkin flavor with a super smooth maltiness and a nice touch of hops to boot. This beer looks like autumn too--it pours a beautiful orangish color with a thin white head. Simply put, this beer smells amazing too. I just paired one up with a fresh batch of Trader Joe's pumpkin bread (and I threw in some semi-sweet chocolate chips for good measure--into the bread that is). I am so tempted to go double up on both right now.

Drop a comment and let me know some of your favorite pumpkin beers, I am interested in finding some additional good options. Enjoy the fall weather and cheers.

Raise a glass to Darryl Goss

I am posting this important press release for a great cause. Please attend or just send a check.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Doug Fleming

friendsofdarryl@gmail.com

206.571.2243

RAISE A GLASS TO DARRYL GOSS

A FUNDRAISER TO CELEBRATE GOOD MUSIC,

GOOD BEER, AND DARRYL!

Fact: ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, has no boundaries‑anyone can get it.

Fact: Life expectancy is typically two to five years from time of diagnosis.

Fact: There is currently no cure.

Boston, MA -- Live music, cold beer, delicious food, and a good game of 9-ball…. Sound like the perfect Thursday night? Well, on August 14, 2008, it may also be your way to help someone in need! Flat Top Johnny’s, 1 Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will host Raise a Glass to Darryl Goss, a benefit in appreciation of Boston's legendary brewer, Darryl Goss.

Darryl was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in February 2006. ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the body’s motor neurons and results in the inability to initiate and control muscle movement. Symptoms include loss of speech, inability to swallow or breathe on one’s own, and ultimately, in the later stages of the disease, total paralysis. There's no known cure. Darryl is in the fight of his life and needs your help.

The event Raise a Glass to Darryl Goss was created to celebrate Darryl's passions while we raise awareness of ALS and funds for Darryl’s considerable medical needs and care. The native New Englander was head brewer at Cambridge Brewing Company for seven years and master brewer at SkyView Café and Brewery in New Hampshire for two years. He brought art to craft brewing and made a huge impact by bringing a taste for traditional European beers to New England. His beer impressed local beer aficionados and won him medals at the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado. He's a legend in the community and could often be seen on his '65 Harley or enjoying live music just about anywhere in Boston.

On August 14, Flat Top Johnny's is hosting the live acts The Men, Autumn Circle, and Bunzey Park. A 9–ball tournament and silent auction will provide additional entertainment and the chance to win fabulous prizes. To be a part of this special night, we suggest a donation of $15 at the door. All of the proceeds will be donated to Darryl Goss, a man whose courage and passion for life inspires us all.

If you are unable to make this special event and you would like to help Darryl live with ALS, send check or money order to FBO Darryl Goss, c/o Robbins, 14 Connecticut Avenue, 2nd Fl., Somerville, MA 02145.

If you want to contribute to finding a cure for ALS, please donate to Team Darryl (www.active.com/donate/trek2008/08TeamDarryl), whose members will ride the Tri State Trek in July‑270 miles from Boston to New York‑to raise awareness for ALS and to benefit ALS Therapy Development Institute (www.als.net). With your help, Team Darryl can raise enough money to help ALS TDI continue its research into therapies that slow the process down and ultimately to find a cure!

So Raise a Glass to Darryl! Together we can help him to live well with ALS.

American Craft Beer Fest...

Did you get to the American Craft Beer Fest at the World Trade Center in Boston last weekend? I was pretty impressed with the size of the crowd and the well-planned logistics of getting everyone in the building. I was less impressed with the huge set-up given to "Michelob Brewing Company" and Here's to Beer as you entered the festival. Why not throw up a huge neon sign that said Anheuser Busch sponsored this event. But then again I have a hang up with AB, to each their own...I guess you have to pay the bills and if people really want to drink that stuff with all the other amazing options available to them, let them, it only makes the other lines shorter. Speaking of that, the lines were significantly longer than those at the Cyclorama, especially for the great breweries, but I didn't mind too much...it really was kind of awesome to see so many people drinking great beer.

The list was pretty impressive--0ver 300 beers and 75 brewers. There were so many great options and the hall was so large I barely made my way through the whole place in three hours...in the past, I would loop around the cyclorama several times. Just curious, did anyone figure out the IBUs on Garrett Oliver's shirt...that thing was badass, I loved it.

Bottomline I had a great time, but I have two major complaints. The food was awful. I needed my Belgian waffle fix and I was so upset to discover I would not be getting one. Moreover, the Sunset Grill catering at previous festivals provided much better options and quality, the food available this time was less than desirable. It was also a bit concerning that you had to stand in line for water, at least I didn't notice water stations elsewhere. I gather the World Trade Center would not allow outside catering, but I would rather have the Sunset Grill at the Cyclorama than crappy concession food at a nicer venue. Did I mention I wanted my Belgian waffle, I was Jonesing for that waffle by the end of the night.

The second complaint is the portopotties...are you kidding me...wtf! The event was at the World Trade Center. I could not believe I was forced to piss in a johnny on the spot while indoors. After two previous sessions, the whole area reeked of urine and I pretty much had to avoid the right side of the hall after 8pm. The lines had diminished a bit and I was talking to Tod Mott at the Portsmouth booth, but I just could not stand the smell.

Ok I am done bitching, overall the event was fantastic, choices, choices, and more choices. The most exciting part was discovering a few breweries I had never heard of.

Jack Daniel Plainview's Vanilla Porter Milkshake...

Ok, so you would have to have seen There Will Be Blood to understand why we called our last homebrew such a mouthful of a name. Well, it really isn't a homebrew, we created it at Barleycorn's Craftbrew On Premises facility. For all you Massachusetts locals, Barleycorn's is in Natick and you really have to make a visit--Dan Eng has a great facility and really knows his stuff. I go with my buddies from work...for those who don't homebrew, it is a great night out and perfect for a birthday or special occasion. You brew the beer there, leave it to ferment, and then come back to bottle it...without having to worry about cleaning up the mess. This is the seventh beer we created at Barleycorn's and they just seem to be getting better and better each time.

Let me explain the name. Daniel Plainview, a cut throat oil man, is the main character in the film and he tells another character that he "drinks his milkshake," that is he steals the oil on his property with a well adjacent to his land. I think the rest of the name is pretty self explanatory.

We wanted to make an imperial porter with oak and vanilla notes. We were inspired by Daryl, one of Dan's assistants, who let us taste his version of a juiced-up porter during our last bottling. I admit we made several shortcuts in creating it, but the end result was really very good. Rather than purchasing an oak barrel, we bought a bag of Jack Daniels Oak BBQ chips (actual JD barrels chopped up into pieces). We took several handfuls of the chips and popped them into a tupperware container and marinated them in about 8 shots of Jack Daniels for about 2 weeks. I shook up the container every night to really get the chips saturated all over. I then purchased a bottle of Trader Joes Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract and put that in with the JD and the chips for an additional week. We added lots of malt extract and a couple of pounds of pure cane sugar to give the yeast a little extra something to munch on. We added the saturated oak chips during the last couple of weeks of a five week fermentation to let the flavors infuse into the beer.

In the end, we ended up with a yield of twelve 22oz bombers (the name of my fantasy baseball team by the way) at a cost of about $2.90 per bottle. Not bad considering the cost of beer these days and that this one weighed in at a robust 8.0% abv. This beer pours the color of oil with a massive head and has pleasant whiskey, oak, and vanilla notes and a silky smooth mouthfeel. It is excessively drinkable for the alcohol level and works out well as a slow sipper throughout the night.

"I want the beer...I will not backslide."