Beer Wikis

I am a Wikipedia fanatic and I don't care who knows it. Yes, there is sometimes incorrect information inherent to a site that can be edited by literally anyone, especially when you don't even need to sign in to edit a page.

But there is a certain brilliance to collecting knowledge from all over the world and funneling it into one place. The site originally began as a project with well-known scholars adding articles in their fields of expertise -- known as Nupedia -- before the founders decided to let any ol' person add information. This makes perfect sense, since nearly everyone in the world is an expert on something.

The guys over at Hop Talk have been discovered that there are several beer "wikis" out there, any of which could ostensibly act as some sort of repository for beer lovers to add and edit information about beers --especially new ones -- in real time. (By the way, the term "wiki" generally refers to a site which anyone can edit as an open-source document. Am I stealing this idea from Hop Talk? Possibly. You make the call. Please go visit them at any rate.)

A couple problems arise, of course, when it comes to beer. You don't want to make a beer wiki site that only has reviews of beers. They already have great sites like that such as Ratebeer and BeerAdvocate. These two sites are pretty much the standard for English-speaking beer drinkers, so there's really no need for another review site.

Likewise, simply having information about each beer in question (style, alcohol by volume, ingredients) probably isn't flashy or "sexy" enough for most readers to get really excited about. In other words, the entire concept might be flawed to begin with.

Still, if we're gonna start this concept, let's do it the right way. So I looked at all the beer wikis I could get my hands on (including the ones that the Hop Talk guys reviewed) in the quest to find out which one is the one we should embrace. Once we pick one, folks, there's no going back!

Brewerpedia appears to intend to be a resource for homebrewers and those who make wine, mead, spirits and soft drinks. There are no actual "articles" that I could find, which means right now the site has little value other than being a start-up, but if enough people could be made aware of it, they might actually be able to get some information up there. The key to wikis is volume and breadth of information, and right now this site has none of either. The site has been up for weeks and has approximately 6 pages total. If some tech-savvy homebrewers could get wind of this site, it could be a remarkable tool, much like yours truly.



Beer @ Wikia seems like it would be the best bet for a beer wiki. Wikia is a project set up by Jimbo Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, that hosts wikis of different interests. It hosts sites such as Wookieepedia and the absurdly brilliant Uncyclopedia. Unlike Wikipedia, Wikia sites contain advertisements, which help fund the project. This particulara wiki is actually much more developed than many of the other specialty wikis out there, although the information at this point could be considered bare-bones. Right now it doesn't have all that much, although its philosophy of being the one go-to stop for all beer-related matters is encouraging. It needs a lot more content, but has its heart in the right place.



BeerOpedia at this point appears to be almost a file directory of as many beers as can possibly be added. There is not really any content on any of the pages, but rather links to commercial sites. There isn't a lot of insight, and it doesn't appear to be very discriminating (look at the site for the category of American Beer). Acts as a categorization site and not much more. Interestingly, it seems to make a point of adding YouTube clips of beer commercials from around the world. Allllll right then.



BeerIpedia looks like a free-for-all of anything remotely to do with beer. It's another upstart, although I wasn't really that encouraged when I saw that the beer trivia article on this site ended with "LOL PWNED." This looks like more of a bulletin board than any kind of real resource. [Update: This site has actually improved dramatically in the last few weeks. It now has a "most wanted articles" page, which is the best way to get new articles put up, in my opinion. Don't count out this little wiki that could just yet. Our writer Willie Moe will be happy to know that this site does have a semi-comprehesive article on Tsingtao Brewery.]



BeerWiki at n9jing.com just started and has almost no information on it, but the brother who started it has the smarts to set up a PayPal account so you can buy him a beer. I'll reserve my donation until it's got a little more to work with here. The header says that this site "aim[s] to become the biggest database of beers on the planet." It's going to have to get one single post up. Several clicks on "Random Page" brought up the Main Page every time; not a good sign. Looks like this site hasn't moved for several weeks, and is just a ploy for some guy to get internet friends to buy him a beer via PayPal.

Real Good Beer Wiki is another upstart that doesn't seem to really have much actual content yet. It appears that someone decided to just start a wiki and hasn't gotten much feedback yet. Pity. Brewiki suffers from the same ailments.

The Uncyclopedia article on Beer could use a little touchup, if any of our intrepid readers are brave enough.

I'm not 100% sure that the world needs a beer wiki, but if I had to pick one, I'd probably go with the Wikia site (beer.wikia.com). It seems to have the most potential and at least has formed a philosophy. If that site became the wiki of choice, and all net savvy beer enthusiasts added only their local content, it could become a huge reservoir of information, but I'm still not convinced it wouldn't be a BeerAdvocate.com clone.

It may benefit from a variety of perspectives, such as disparate reviews of the same beer, or differing thoughts on styles (such as the difference between stouts and porters). As such, it will need to have a lot more information than Wikipedia provides on the subject of beer (and Wikipedia has a lot); and it should be beer-centric above all else. Informative, but also not afraid to delve into minutiae.

Perhaps the greatest use for a beer wiki would be as a catalogue of vital stats for a beer. For example: calories, what kinds of hops were used (which could likewise be linked to other beers with the same hops), when they were first brewed, whether it's stylistically very similar to another beer. A beer wiki, like all wikis, should be about connections from one to another. Wikis' lifeblood is based on links, which is why linking is so much easier than HTML, and they should highlight those beers that have a common thread. Can this be accomplished? I'm not sure. But I do know that a Wiki is virtually useless unless all the sources of articles agree on one unified forum.

What do you think?

UPDATE: Big thanks to the commenter who gave the tip of the Homebrewing Wiki. This page is up and running and has tons of info for the homebrewer. It's a logical extension of the Homebrew Talk message boards and essentially serves as a one-stop site for all the elements of homebrewing. If you want to know about malt, they've got it. Interested in hops or hop varieties? Look no further. In fact, I learned more about hops from this site than any other I've been on. The Homebrewing Wiki isn't just for homebrewers; it's for anyone who wants to learn more about beer from the ground up.

National Toast to Michael Jackson

A nationwide toast to the late Michael Jackson (aka "The Beer Hunter") has been set for Sunday, September 30th.



It will not only commemorate the passing of the quintessential beer and alcohol writer of our time, but also will be used to help raise money for Parkinson's disease, the ailment that afflicted Jackson for the last decade. More details can be found at Michael's Beer Hunter Blog on how you can get involved.

"At 9:00 pm EST on Sunday, September 30, beer drinkers across the continent will raise a glass to the memory of the man who did more than anyone to further the cause of good beer, the one and only Beer Hunter, Michael Jackson. And your establishment can play a part!"

If you happen to be out that night, or even home watching the game, take a few moments at 9PM Eastern/6PM Pacific to raise a glass (and make it a glass of something good!) to Michael and donate if you can.

The address to send donations is:
National Parkinson Foundation
Attn: Kay Houghton
1501 N.W. 9th Avenue / Bob Hope Road,
Miami, Florida 33136-1494.

If you write a check just include "Tribute to Michael Jackson" in the memo line. It's a worthy tribute.

Hop Talk Guest Blogging

Brief note:

Ron and Al at Hop Talk were kind enough to offer their site out to guest bloggers this week. I submitted a brief piece to them and they were nice enough to post it for me. Not sure what I gave them is all that great, but at least 60% of it is true. Anyway, go ahead and give it a quick look, if for nothing else than to get a glance at Hop Talk.

Hop Talk is one of our favorite beer sites, so please frequent it. Ron and Al do some terrific work, one of my recent favorites being their take on Consumer Reports rating light beers. They are right on point, as usual.

Beer O' the Moment: Lagunitas Kill Ugly Radio

"You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer." - Frank Zappa

The arrival in the Capital Region of the deliciously hoppy West Coast style beers from Stone and Lagunitas a year or so ago was one of the highlights of the beer year in these parts. Sure, Stone is from sunny Southern Cali, and Lagunitas hails from the Bay Area, but we tend to think of them in a somewhat similar vein. In addition to mighty fine beers, both breweries also feature some pretty unique marketing approaches. Other than zealous use of hops as an ingredient, Stone is probably best known for their silk screen painted bottles featuring gargoyle artwork. That and the over the top haughtiness of their flagship Arrogant Bastard Ale packaging (helpful hint: you're not worthy).

Lagunitas is slightly less in your face - both with the hops and the attitude - but they do feature some pretty out there stuff. Witness either Undercover Investigation or Censored Ale if you need proof (helpful hint: one is named after an attempted government drug sting at the brewery, the other formerly had a name eerily similar to a popular Dr. Dre album from the early 90's). Lagunitas founder Tony Magee also happens to be a big fan of Frank Zappa. A big enough fan that the brewery is planning on releasing a commemorative beer for the 40th anniversary of each of the his many albums. Slightly ironic considering that this is in memory of a guy who said, "I don't give a [expletive deleted] if they remember me at all." Still, kinda cool, eh?

Last year's tasty Freak Out Ale (an IPA) was first, commemorating the - you guessed it - Freak Out! album from 1966. Tasty beer, yes, but not really all that memorable. The second in the series, Kill Ugly Radio, actually honors the 1967 Absolutely Free album, but word is that name couldn't make it past the ol' government regulators. The really good news is that, according to our highly scientific calculations, Lagunitas is due to put out at least two Zappa tribute beers in each of the next four years!

Back to our beer o' the moment. Kill Ugly Radio is a fairly light pale gold, especially for a Double IPA (that's Beer Advocate's classification, anyway). It has a wonderfully fresh, hoppy nose and a refreshing, crisp mouthfeel. The taste is slightly grassy citrus hops - a sassy blend of Summit, Horizon and Cascade - and it goes down mighty smooth with a pleasingly bitter finish. Not a lot in the malt department, and the hops aren't overwhelming. Not that that's a bad thing - this recipe definitely works. Really well done. At a reasonable $3.49 for a 22 oz. bottle, and a not too unreasonable 7.8% abv, this beer could be a regular staple of our fall line-up.

Lagunitas, you've done it again! We're looking forward to the remainder of the series. Here's hoping there will be a beer for each of the two dozen or so albums. We're becoming bigger Zappa fans already.

Quick Take: Rogue JLS #23 Black Brutal 2007

Every once in a while, Rogue Brewery will put out one of their John Locker's Stock (or JLS) which is a special batch or limited edition. Kelly Coles Improper in Syracuse was serving #23 in the series, known as Black Brutal, a spin-off of their outstanding Brutal Bitter, which is available in bottles. I'll tell you a little about it.

The Look: It looks like dark brown chocolate milk. Has a light brownish head. It's incredibly thick-looking, like a suped-up brown ale or a slightly lighter porter.

The Aroma: I expected the burnt malt smell, but not the very powerful woody hop scent covering it up. Both smells, which wouldn't seem to really go together that well, compliment each other nicely. It's bitter but also a bit chocolatey sweet.

The Flavor: In addition to the burnt, roasted malt flavor that the smell foretold, there is a major chocolate accent in the taste. There is also a heavy, pungent molasses flavor that I didn't see coming. And some black licorice? It's both sweet and bitter. The hops are there too, but strictly as an accent to all the dark, roasted business going on. The malts are bitter and strong. You can almost taste the barley, as well as the alcohol. Yikes. Very good but not for the weak.

The Feel: It's really thick, one you have to sip, not gulp down. It feels like a brown ale, but tastes more like a strong ale. This doesn't mean it's hard to drink, it's just meant to be savored. No thin porter action going on here.

The Verdict: Think Rogue Dead Guy meets Saranac Caramel Porter. With a top layer of hops to boot. Technically, we are in September, and since football season has started, I'd say it's okay to start delving into porters and darker fare now. This one is a doozy; thick and challenging but also comforting like a warm glass of hot cocoa. Or a tight bear hug from your largest college buddy: sure it hurts a little for a second, but it's so comforting.

The Session #7: Brew Zoo

It has come to be that time once again. A new month is upon us and therefore a new "Session" as well. I was honored when the Chief Executive Blogger tapped me, of all people, to pound out the September "Session" for Beerjanglin. The topic at hand is the "Brew Zoo". You may wonder what in the heck that means, perhaps even furrowing your brow a bit upon reading it. Well rather than explain this myself, I will simply have the guys over at "Appelation Beer: Beer From a Good Home" do the honors:

"Have you ever noticed how many animals show up on beer labels? We have lions and tigers and bears, plus various birds, reptiles, fish, assorted domesticated and wild animals, plus a few mythical creatures. For whatever reason brewers have a tradition of branding their beers using everything from pets to predators. The Brew Zoo will celebrate these lagers and ales."

Well, to kind of narrow things down a little bit, I will mainly focusing on beers that are readily available to myself up in the Northeastern United States. But enough Golden Monkey-ing around let's get down to business. I am going to explore several of the more popular beer animals.

[And big thanks to Rick Lyke at Lyke 2 Drink for hosting the festivities this month! You can read the four updated Session collections here, here, here and here, as well as Lyke's own entry here. Please visit all these sites and leave comments.]

DOG-GONE GOOD TIME!
Ah yes, the canis lupus familiaris, or dog, could, I said could be, the most popular animal to grace beer labels world wide. Now if you are expecting to find Red Dog in this post (other than here), than you have taken the wrong exit on the information superhighway. Feel free to turn around at your earliest convenience, and proceed back to the Macro Crap exit. Anyway back to the canine, man's best friend. Dogs are ever-present in the world of brewing, and why shouldn't they be? Go on, tell me. Nothing? Alright then. You see, while the dog is said to be man's best friend, beer has certainly given the canines of the world a pretty good run for their money. I mean, I love both, but dogs don't assault your taste buds or refresh you like a good beer will. But in a dog's defense, beer doesn't fetch or sniff your crotch, so, it's sort of a toss-up. It seems only natural that man's two best friends be joined in beautiful harmony. I think we've all needed a little "hair of the dog" at one point or another. One place that has really gone to the dogs is Flying Dog Brewery in Colorado.

At Flying Dog they work doggedly at making their delicious brews year round, all aptly named to reference the canine. From the In-Heat Wheat to the Doggie Style IPA to the Tire Bite, they offer quite an array of refreshing and delicious brews. Most of the dogs on the labels are crudely drawn cartoons, so it is difficult to see exactly what kind of dogs they are. But if I had to guess, I would say, "friendly and playful". Several different dogs actually grace the labels, not just the flying dog itself.

Now most of the regular offerings don't have that much "bite", topping out just under 6% ABV, with several staying more in the 4-5% ABV range. But if you don't want to be left lapping up their regular offerings, you may want to try and find their annual Wild Dog Series release. The current one is the Wild Dog Barrel-Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter which is 9.0% ABV. Yep, not something to just go wagging your tail at. Interestingly enough, this concoction does not have a dog on the label? Go figure, more alcohol, less dog?

Now, unlike Flying Dog, The Sea Dog Brewing Company in Maine relies on just one dog to appear on it's labels, a dog by the name of Barney.

"Barney was the Sea Dog Brewing Company's apprentice brewmaster and figurehead. Sadly he is no longer with us, but his spirit lives on. A Great Pyrenees, which were originally bred for their dauntless protection of mountain flocks and as official guard dogs for the French court in the 17th century, Barney continued this age old tradition by posting guard over the brew kettle as it boiled. Although, the Great Pyrenees breed usually dislikes the water, Barney loved it and dove right in whenever he got the chance. As a boating "enthusiast" he began sailing at three months and thus acquired his nickname of "Sea Dog". Barney was just as at home on deck as on land."

Oddly enough, much like the pack at Flying Dog, the Sea Dog line is not heavy on the alcohol content, offerering only 4 brews above 5.0% ABV. We're not saying they're dogging it, but I find it interesting that beers with dogs on them do not offer that much bite? Although looking at Barney, you realize that such a nice, sweet dog would not bite you unless provoked. I mean how intimidating is a shaggy dog in a rain slicker, really? Sea Dog seems to offer more in the way of fruity flavor like in their Raspberry, Apricot or Blueberry Wheats. They may not have much bite, but I wouldn't mind taking these dogs for a walk anyday, if ya catch my drift.

Now just because a brewery doesn't have a dog name, doesn't mean they can't put one on the label, does it? No it does not. Take a "Beerjanglin" fan favorite; Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale, for example. This Brown Ale features, in case you couldn't guess, an old brown dog on the label. At 5.7% this brown ale could quickly become your best friend. But what's really interesting here, is that Smuttynose logo actually features a smuttynosed seal-like creature that is, quite possibly, an actual seal. But it only appears on the upper labels of their bottles and never anywhere else. Sounds a bit.....

FISHY TO ME
Ah yes, the wonderful world of sea creatures. I would say sea life is about as well-represented in the beer community as the dog. Don't believe me? Think I'm baiting you? Well, I'm not, my friends, I speaketh the truth. So read on, drink on, whatever floats your boat, and take a look at these offerings that you are sure to fall for hook, line and sinker.

The Smuttynose Brewing Co. is one of the better breweries to use a sea creature on it's bottles and logo. The Old Brown Dog Ale is an award winning brew and pretty much everything they offer is delicious and does that smutty-nosed fella on their bottles proud. Just pick one and drink it, you'll sea what I mean. I'm telling you it does not matter, which one you choose, pick randomly. It'll be good. Of course some are better than others, sure.The Big A IPA, the Smuttynose IPA and Smuttynose Robust Porter are among their top offerings, and you'd be wise to make any one of them your "catch of the day."

But really, why settle for just a dog or just a fish?At Dogfish Head Brewing they've found the common denominator, and trust me it does not get much fishier than the brewing at Dogfish Head. There brews tend to be both "experimental" and "extreme". By "extreme", I mean, they have a tad bit more alcohol in them than your average brew. You know like 18-20% or so, no big deal. Perhaps best known, at least to this drinker, for their I.P.A.s. There's a 60 Minute, 90 Minute and for the ever daring, the 120 Minute I.P.A. Some other more experimantal brews include the Aprihop, Chicory Stout and Fetsina Peche. Some of these "experiments" should, perhaps sleep with the fishes. But say what you will about Dogfish Head, they are not afraid to try new things, they'll do something just for the halibut.

Meanwhile, at Rooster Fish Brewing, located slightly more than a stone's throw away from us here in Syracuse, down in Watkins Glen, NY, is the cock of the walk baby. Okay, sure, I've never had anything from this particular brew station, but it looks like a great place. For the hop heads there's a Hop Warrior Imperial IPA, that has my mouth watering just typing about it. But of course there's more, sillies. It looks like they have about six brews on tap, and I'm sure they are all well above mediocre, and are just begging to be reeled in. And besides you know what they say, "Beer with fish on the labels is brain food", or something like that? Or perhaps that's just a......

BIRD OF ANOTHER FEATHER
If your talkin' birds and brew, then you must be talkin' Mendocino Brewing Company, right? The Mendocino family of brews features a bird, mostly hawks, on every label, and delicious beer in every bottle. Now, trust me when I tell you, these brews are not for the birds. Each beer named for a bird is representative of said birds characteristics:

"We are proud to have a range of impressive imagery on all our labels. The Raptors that represent our ales possess all the qualities that our beers have. For example, the Red Tail Hawk, native to Northern California, combines a subtle strength with an amber allure that is reflected perfectly in the ale that bears its name. Eye of the Hawk, features a magnificent head of a Hawk - its piercing eyes giving it an aura of power and presence. So also, our Select Ale that pays tribute to this Hawk. The Black Hawk that our stout portrays, is a singularly elegant raptor that has a maturity born of confidence - so too our Stout."

That just about says it all, don't it? Myself, I'm partial to the White Hawk IPA and the Eye of the Hawk, but I don't think you'll be disappointed with any of their offerings. These brews are great on tap or out of the bottle back at the nest. Trust me, when it comes to making beer, the gang at Mendocino doesn't lay an egg. So take flight (after you're done reading this post of course) to your local grocer or beer store and see if they stock it!

Another notable bird favorite is Middle Ages' Swallow Wit. Brewed in the style of a Belgian wit bier, it has a fruity taste created by orange peel. One of my personal favs, this is a light and refreshing brew that is very drinkable and a delight to have on a warm summer's day. I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say you'd have to be some sort of bird-brain to not enjoy this. Seriously, I mean it. It's delicious. Maybe not the best Middle Ages has to offer, but it's definitely worth a few pecks. Now don't worry, this brew doesn't fly south for the winter, you can find it year round. Down at Middle Ages they take there brewing seriously and are not about......

MONKEYING AROUND
Possibly my favorite member of the animal kingdom, I find the monkey to be rather underrepresented in the world of beer. But hey, maybe I'm not looking hard enough, who knows?

Victory's Golden Monkey is, well, the "gold standard" in monkey-labeled beers. With a 9.5% ABV, it will only take a few of these to make you go bananas. One of Victory's biggest, um, victories, Golden Monkey continues to be a fan-favorite in the beer community. I know, without question, it's the best monkey beer I've ever had. Sure, it's the only one I've ever had, but don't let that detract away from my statement, because it's still top-notch! Nope, no monkey business here, Golden Monkey is the real deal!

Well that about wraps it up folks. Talk about animal magnetism, right? So, heyI'd love it if you left a comment to let me no what you think (please keep it clean and constructive), good, bad or indifferent. Thanks for stopping by, come back soon, and until then...."Bottoms Up!"

Goose Island Revisited

Does familiarity breed contempt? That's the question we here in the midwestern bureau of Beer Jangling have been asking ourselves. It seems that for two or three years now we have been turning our noses up at the mere mention of Goose Island Beer, and more and more it seems like it's a contempt bred from over exposure and local opinion more than any hard and fast evidence.

But lately after noticing that 6-packs of the Goose Island Summer Ale seemed to keep appearing on the shelf in our refrigerator, and noticing the stellar scores the Summer Ale, and Goose Island's newest special offering Matilda got in All About Beer magazine, it seems that maybe we have been judging Goose Island a little too harshly.

The question of course is "Why?"

The answer lies not in the quality of the beer itself, but rather in the image we have created for it in our heads. The blurry outline of the image begins when we grew tired of seeing the same Honkers ale tap in every Chicago bar right next to the Miller Lite tap, and the image begins to take notice when we can't help but notice the same basic six-packs of Honkers and Seasonals in the grocery store shelves of Jewel and Dominick's, Chicago's 2 major chains, as well as the dust covered shelves of every mom and pop corner store and liquor store in the City. Many is the night we have stopped at the store on the way to a BYO restaurant excited for the opportunity for a new beer and a new meal and instead found ourselves grudgingly blowing the dust off the 8.99 six pack of 312.

But it's when we visit the brew pub that the image truly takes focus. To be sure, part of it is a "grass is always greener" mentality that we have long suffered from and that certainly has us convinced that no brew pub within a 40-minute train ride can possibly match up to the brewery in Michigan, Indiana or S. Illinois that we have not yet discovered. But that belief in the magic of Brew Pubs in far away places has some merit when compared to experience one has when visiting Goose Island.

One of the great things about visiting Brew Pubs in smaller cities like Kalamazoo or Davenport is the opportunity to walk in on a Saturday afternoon and spend a quiet hour or two enjoying the atmosphere with the few locals who have wandered in to that point; invariably one of them is sitting at the bar nursing a beer and a cigarette and reading the local sports page. Anyone else in the bar is probably a friend of the bartender.

It's that hominess that is missing from the Goose Island experience. Wander in there on a
Saturday afternoon and its you and 200 other patrons. Take a seat at the bar and try getting the bartenders attention for some info on the beer and you'll be lucky if they hand you the
menu. And frankly it's just not as much fun when your sampling the same basic beers you can
buy anytime you go the grocery store.

So yeah, we will continue to sully the shelves of our fridge with the 6-packs of Goose
Island Summer while it is available, but know full well that with each one we pull back out
of the fridge we will be longing for October and the arrival of the two brothers wet-hopped
IPAs and of course our next road trip when even the tamest of light ales proves more exciting and adventurous than any of goose islands offerings.

##########
Quick Hits (Where we channel our inner Peter King):

Last month we wandered down to Flossmoor Station, where once again we were disappointed to learn that the famous IPA was not on tap. That makes us 0-2 in our visits to Flossmoor.
However, hops lovers will be happy to learn that the Panama Red Ale and the Pullman Nut
Brown Ale did not disappoint.

August proved to be a very fruitful month for us in new tasting experiences. We traveled
east for weddings in both Buffalo and Syracuse, and while out on the road we were able to
check the Pearl Street Brewery. Excellent India Brown Ale. Great bartender. Good experience
all around. The Trainwreck German Alt is also worth mentioning.

We also got to spend few minutes sampling the wares at out our "home Brewery" Middle Ages in Syracuse. As always there was nothing on tap that could disappoint. The Wailing Wench was
easily our favorite. But the highlight was the few minutes we spent chatting with the
brewmaster. He was excited to learn we were from Chicago and primarily wanted to talk about
the great beers from Goose Island.

But the highlight of the month was an evening at Clark's Ale House in Armory Square. Good
food, good friends and great beer in an atmosphere conducive to enjoying all three. Anyone
want to make a lot of money? Figure out a way to transport Clark's to Chicago and make it
work. You'll get 20% of my paycheck for life.

Beer o' the Moment: Mendocino Black Eye Ale

We've mentioned the wonders of the Mendocino East/Olde Saratoga Brewing Company on a few occasions. Their Mendocino Black Eye Ale is an interesting take on a traditional bottled Black & Tan. Rather than blending a stout with a lager like the Yeungling or Saranac bottled versions -- or even with a lighter ale, as in the famous Guinness/Bass pairing -- this one blends Mendocino Black Hawk Stout with Eye of the Hawk, an 8% abv American Strong Ale. Hence the name Black Eye. Get it?

Black Hawk is a fairly run-of-the-mill stout, but mixed with the tasty (and strong) Eye of the Hawk, it makes for a pretty interesting brew with a bit more depth than many others of the style. It clocks in at a relatively high 6.5% abv, and there are some definite hot alcohol notes at the start, courtesy of the strong ale, but it is surprisingly thin and a bit watery feeling in the mouth. It is slightly sweet, with an almost dark chocolatey bitterness at the finish. Almost. Not a perfect beer, but plenty interesting.

Due to our close proximity, this is a beer that we have enjoyed almost exclusively on a brewery fresh basis. It is available as a blend when both the Black Hawk and Eye of the Hawk are on draught in the tasting room, and in 22 oz. bombers from their cooler or in stores nation wide. The best experience we've had with this beer was the incredible Jack Daniels barrel aged version that seems to make periodic appearances in the Saratoga Springs tasting room. Given Mendocino's broad availability, Black Eye may be on store shelves in many locales on a slightly more aged basis. It is usually sold at popular prices, and is certainly worth a try should you happen across it.

Quick Takes: Brooklyn Blast

Well, Brooklyn Brewery's brewer extraordinaire, Garrett Oliver, has done it again. He's created a new series of beers called "Brewmaster's Special Reserve" - limited edition beers that are brewed in small amounts and are being released to select establishments.

One of these "Brewmaster's Special Reserve" beers that we've seen in the Capital Region is Brooklyn Blast, described on the Brooklyn website as a "San Diego Strong Pale Ale," made with malts from Scotland and Germany and a variety of hops (most notably, from Yakima Valley in Washington state and from the Kent Valley of England).

The Brooklyn Blast is more realistically a double IPA - it's an incredibly hoppy beer that measures in at 8.2% alcohol by volume. And, my god, it is good.

The Blast smells wonderful - a great rush of hops, complimented with a tinge of citrus. It's got solid hop bitterness, but with a faint yet deft touch of fruit and sugar sweetness that separates this from other Imperial/Double IPA-type beers. It's hit or miss - if you're big into the hoppiness of the beer, you might get distracted by the sweetness. I enjoyed this; I'm not as much of a hop purist and liked the complexity added by the additional flavoring.

A tip of the hat to the Brooklyn folks for a job well done.

[The other beers in this initial run of "Brewmaster's Special Reserve" series are the Blanche du Brooklyn (a Belgian-style witbier), Brooklyn Abbey Singel (a Trappist style ale), and Antwerpen Ale (a Belgian style pale ale). In the Capital Region, we have seen most of these beers on tap at Mahar's and the Lionheart Tavern, as well as available in growler fills from Glenville Beverage. As for the Blast - it's currently on in all three places, including - intriguingly - on a nitrous pour at Mahar's. ]

I've Made A Huge Mistake: Miller Chill

Welcome to "I've Made A Huge Mistake," a (hopefully recurring) segment here on Beerjanglin' where we present a beer of somewhat questionable lineage to Nick Dunford, my younger, non-discriminatory brother, and record his thoughts for posterity.

Today's "I've Made A Huge Mistake" - Miller Chill.

This was Nick's fourth beer of the day. Prior to this, he'd slugged down a couple of Budweisers.

Nick, what does it smell like?
"It smells like old socks and lime. It just don't smell good."

Take a sip, tell me what it tastes like.
(Nick took a small sip. He then crinkled his face with one eye closed, possibly for dramatic effect. He then studied bottle and let out a genuine cough.) "Ah, I got nothin'"

(After awhile) "It tastes like Miller Lite with limes. If there's a more pointless combination, I can't think of one."

Try taking a big gulp. Let's make that your next challenge.
"What's the challenge - is it trying to keep it down?"
(He obliges) "Ugh. I think my throat's burning."
(After considering the bottle again)"It's one of the worst ideas in the history of the beer industry. Right up there with Michelob Ultra."

How many of these do you think you'd have to drink to get drunk?
(studies bottle) - "38."

Why 38?
"Well, it's light beer."

(Much later, in describing the beer on the phone to our Editor in Chief)
"It tastes like Mexican tears."

Nick will continue to drink the terrible beers and hold court on them so that you won't have to.

Michael Jackson, RIP

It is with a heavy heart that we here at Beerjanglin' acknowledge the passing of Michael Jackson.

One of the first writers to write seriously about beer, Mr. Jackson worked pretty hard to spread the gospel of beer - publishing his first book on the topic 30 years ago, when most people's knowledge and understanding of beer was limited to macro-brewed lagers. The world is a different place these days - a quick visit to any reputable tavern will prove that. You can thank Mr. Jackson for that.

Mr. Jackson's last column is currently up at All About Beer. It's a must read, and discusses his battle with Parkinson's Disease with an unparalleled frankness and humor.

Rest in peace, sir.

[A Note from Bill: Michael Jackson wasn't just a beer critic, he was a writer first who happened to write about beer. He was self-effacing, passionate, and most of all, entertaining.

Please read an article from BeerHunter.com about Beer vs. Wine to get a great example of Jackson's unmatched style. Those of us who write about beer for fun can't possibly compare, but we owe him anyway.]

Saying Goodbye

Saying goodbye, why is it sad?
Makes us remember the good times we've had
Much more to say, foolish to try
It's time for saying goodbye

Don't want to leave, but we both know
Sometimes its better to go
Somehow I know, we'll meet again
Not sure quite where and I don't know just when

Sorry, didn't mean to get all emotional on you. Sometimes the Muppets just get to a man. It's like this. We lived in the Capital Region of New York for well over two years before ever making an actual visit to Olde Saratoga Brewing Company. We'd tried a few of their bottled beers from local stores, and read about the place, but had somehow failed to visit. Last summer, on one of our first visits to their exquisitely wonderful and fantabulous tasting room, they happened to have a "re-release" of their Mendocino 2005-06 Winter Ale, an Imperial IPA, on draught.

To make a long and ( heartbreakingly beautiful) story short, it was love at first sip. This was a fantastic beer. Hoppy as hell -- it was loaded Cascade, Amarillo and Simcoe hops, whatever that meant -- but with a strong base of malt to balance the taste and hide most of the 9% abv. Anyway, the stuff was delish, and we picked up a couple of cases from the brewery for only $25 apiece about a year ago. We'd enjoy a bottle or two now and again with friends, and the supply slowly dwindled...

The 2006-07 Winter release was an Oatmeal Stout. It was solidly enjoyable, a really good beer to be fair, but we lamented the demise of our beloved Impy IPA as our stash shrunk into the low single digits. Tonight marked the cracking of the last bottle. To put it bluntly, it wasn't great. The hops had softened plenty in other bottles over the past months, but this one tasted a little like cardboard, as if it had begun to oxidize [Note to self: vegetable crisper is not ideal for cellaring beer]. It should have been a pretty depressing occasion, but there was no rending of clothing or gnashing of teeth. Why?

We learned on a recent trip to the tasting room that Mendocino/Olde Saratoga is graduating from mere winter and summer seasonals to producing a limited release beer for every season. The fall release is a smooth and malty Oktoberfest. Oh, it's nice enough, and plenty of reason to visit the tasting room in its' own right, but the big news is the (very likely - at least according to the regular bartender) return of the Imperial IPA as Mendocino 2007-08 Winter Ale! We've got quite a bit going on just about now, but this still ranks as some of the most exciting news since who flung the chunk.

Why don't you people seem excited? Just trust us on this one. It may not get all the buzz, but this is a seriously good Imperial India Pale Ale. It's undoubtedly best brewery fresh, but Mendocino seasonals will be produced in both the Saratoga Springs, NY and Ukiah, CA breweries, and should be available across most of the country. Give it a try. You'll be glad you did.

Craft Beer at the Great New York State Fair

We must have beer festivals on the brain lately, or perhaps said fests are just in a New York state of mind. Over the past month or so...

The Empire State Brewing and Music Festival hit Syracuse on July 20...
Belgium came to Cooperstown on July 21...
Rochester's 11th annual Flour City Brewers Festival took place on July 29...
We recently mentioned Saratoga's (admittedly small time) 10th Annual Battle of the Brews, held on August 24...
As well as the inaugural (and very promising) Ithaca Brewfest, scheduled for September 8...
August 26 marked the 6th annual Buffalo Brewfest...

Pretty impressive run, no? It's been hectic enough that we probably missed an event or two in there, but you get the point; it has been quite a summer. Anyway, now comes word, courtesy of Rick Lyke, that the New York State Brewer's Association will have a booth at the State Fair in Syracuse. The stated goal is to "showcase the 59 breweries in the state and educate the public on the economic importance of brewing."

A different brewery will be featured daily, with 2 oz. samples from that brewery given to adults of legal age from 4 - 6 pm. Granted, it's a small step, but the New York State Fair does draw over a million visitors annually. In our experience, many of these folks are not opposed to free samples of just about anything.

It won't change the world (or even the state) over the course of a week and a half, but let's remember that craft beer is a segment of the market that currently owns about 5% of overall beer sales by dollar amount. Every little bit of exposure to the habitual Bud or Miller drinker counts for something. Seriously, this may prove to be a very good thing. Just one more reason to lament having been passed over a State Fair assignment at work again this year.

Ithaca Brew Fest '07

As long as we're on the subject of beer festivals, the inaugural Ithaca Brew Fest certainly deserves a mention. Scheduled for Saturday, September 8 from 4 - 8 pm at Ithaca's Stewart Park, this event promises "3 Live Bands & 30 Craft Breweries", which makes for a very promising base on which to build a brew fest. The event is co-sponsored in part by the Ithaca Beer Company, and looks to be a well planned event with a very nice roster of participating breweries.

For those not in the know, Ithaca is a pretty funky college town of some 30,000 or so residents located roughly an hour's drive southwest of Syracuse or northwest of Binghamton. As home to both Ithaca College and the Ivy League's Cornell University, it is the stereotypical example of the small, rural city whose culture is shaped almost entirely by the universities' presence. In other words, a beer festival sounds like a great idea for this town. Need more? Let us not forget that Ithaca is Gorges!

Breweries:

Avery Brewing - Boulder, CO
Brooklyn Brewery – Brooklyn, NY
Butternuts Beer And Ale - Garrattsville, NY
Chelsea Brewing Company New York, NY
Cooperstown Brewing – Milford, NY
Ellicottville Brewing Co. – Ellicottville, NY
Empire Brewing – Syracuse, NY
Flying Bison Brewing Company - Buffalo, NY
Harpoon Brewery – Boston, MA
High Falls Brewing – Rochester, NY
Ithaca Beer Company – Ithaca, NY
Keegan Ales – Hudson Valley, NY
Lagunitas Brewing Company – Petaluma, CA
Lake Placid Brewery - Lake Placid, NY
Magic Hat Brewing Company - South Burlington, VT
Market Street Brewing – Corning, NY
Middle Ages Brewing – Syracuse
Ommegang - Cooperstown, NY
Red Hook – Portsmouth, NH
Rohrbach Brewing Company - Rochester, NY
Roosterfish Brewing Co. - Watkins Glen, NY
Sackets Harbor Brewing Co. - Sackets Harbor, NY
Saranac/Matt Brewing Co. – Utica, NY
Smuttynose Brewing Company – Portsmouth, NH
Southern Tier Brewing – Lakewood, NY
Spanish Peaks Brewing Company - Polson, MT & Denver, CO

Excellent representation from New York State breweries, especially from Central and Western New York, as well as a smattering of others from the Northeast and a few nice West Coast entries. Tickets are $25 for advance purchase, $30 day of the event.

For a nice package deal including lodging, check this out:

Ramada Inn Ithaca Executive Conference Center
$139.00 + tax which will include a room, 2 tickets to the Brew Fest, a 6-pack of Ithaca Beer and Sunday Brunch for two.

Nothin' wrong with that.

Battle of the Brews at Saratoga

10th Annual Battle of the Brews
Saratoga Race Course
Friday, August 24, 2007
Noon - 4:30 pm

There is a tasting fee of $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Buy a commemorative glass for $5 in advance, $7 day of. Not sure exactly how the whole thing works, but any combination of brewfest and Saratoga Race Course can't be too bad. Proceeds benefit the Saratoga chapter of the Amerian Red Cross. Here's a link to a "postcard" of the event.

Late notice on this one, and there's not too much information out there. We can tell you that eleven breweries participated last year. You can probably expect a good number of entries from the following regional breweries:

Olde Saratoga/Mendocino
Cooper's Cave
Davidson Brother's
Adirondack Pub & Brewery
Lake Placid
Great Adirondack
Keegan Ales
Saranac
Cooperstown Brewing
Brewery Ommegang
Brown's Brewing
Albany Pump Station

Worth a look, especially if you're planning on attending the Travers on Saturday.

Craft Beer at the Local Grocery Store

We mentioned awhile back the upward trend of craft beer sales, particularly in supermarkets, which are stocking 20% more craft beer than a year ago, and increased craft sales by 18% in 2006. Judging by this article in the August issue of Progressive Grocer (What's that, you let your subscription lapse?), it looks like the grocery retailing industry is taking notice:

Craft beers have grown so much in popularity that just about any grocer could be missing a major opportunity by not exploiting the segment. They're the little powerhouses that can help the overall huge but nevertheless struggling beer business better compete with wine and spirits. For supermarket beer merchandisers, the question ought not to be whether to get involved, but to what degree.

How's that for a promising opening paragraph in a grocery industry trade mag? The piece also touches briefly on the history of beer in America, from the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, to Fritz Maytag's revival of Anchor Brewing and the current craft beer explosion. What may be most interesting, however, is this bit:

Over the 52 weeks ending June 9, 2007, 646 craft beer brands have sold at least 1,000 cases each in America's supermarkets. That's an 11 percent increase compared with 2005. By way of comparison, only 245 import brands have crossed the 1,000-case threshold in supermarkets over the same period. Import brand count has also increased over the past two years, up nearly 12 percent vs. 2005. As a result of all this brew brand proliferation, the shelves are growing crowded. Today the average American supermarket stocks over 23 different craft beer items. When balanced against the average number of items stocked for the entire beer/malt-based beverage category count of 195 items, craft beers appear to be a fairly small presence, yet they've increased their count by more than 33 percent over the past two years, exceeding the growth rate of import beers.

It's important to remember that those include national figures, both the craft beer hotbeds and macro-wastelands. Still, pretty encouraging numbers overall. We've noticed that the local grocery shelves have included more and more choices in recent months. Most are those tied to the big boys -- Miller's Lienenkugel, A-B's Redhook -- but regionals like Otter Creek and Long Trail and local stuff like Saratoga's Mendocino or Glens Falls' Davidson Brother's have become increasingly common.

Rochester based Wegmans grocery has a very impressive selection of beer, especially in some of their bigger stores. We used to buy single bottle's of Sam Smith's at Wegmans as far back as five years ago, and offerings now include plenty of 22 oz. bombers (including most of the line from Middle Ages) in Syracuse area stores we've visited. Wegmans is even leading the charge among supermarkets selling beer in Pennsylvania.

Obviously, there is still a long way to go. Wegmans is a pretty unique chain, and they are currently expanding to the southeast rather than in our direction. It looks like it will be some time before we're able to find more than a handful of legitimate beer choices with our weekly grocery shopping, but this grocery industry awareness of craft beer can only be a good sign.

The High Cost of Hops

An obsession with hops is something that seems to go hand in hand with the discovery of craft beer for many people. That tangy, bitter bite provided by the hops in a well done American style Pale Ale or IPA can be a real eye-opener for someone used to the typical watered down pilsners foisted on most of the population.

The US produces roughly a quarter of the world's hops, and nearly 75% of those come from the Yakima Valley in Washington state. Last fall, spontaneous combustion caused a massive warehouse fire that destroyed as much as 4% of the 2006 US hop crop. That incident, combined with last year's unusually poor growing season in Europe, has contributed to prices for some varieties of hops that are as much as 20% higher than a year ago. This has caused some brewers to tweak the hop varieties used in some recipes and delay the release of some beers. It has probably played a part in increased prices for some craft beers already, and some fear that the long term trend toward higher priced hops may even affect the big boys at Bud, Miller and Coors in future years - though obviously not nearly to the same degree.

The verdict is still out on the 2007 hop harvest in both the US and Europe, but here's hoping for a bumper crop. This Washington Post article by Greg Kitsock gives a nice account of what's hoppening (sorry, we're couldn't resist the urge any longer), as well as some interesting tidbits on the types of hops used in several beers and the qualities those hops impart. It even includes a throwaway global warming scare!

The 2 Minute Guide To The Midtown Tap And Tea Room

The Midtown Tap and Tea Room
289 New Scotland Avenue, Albany NY
(518) 435-0202
[Closed on Sunday]

Tap Selection: The tap selection, while not particularly outstanding, offers a variety of interesting beers. The weakest pint on the list is Coors Light; others offered include Tetley's, Blue Moon, Pironi, Sierra Nevada, Pilsener Urquell and Hoegaarden. There's nothing on tap that we can't get elsewhere in Albany; however, the selection generally avoids macro-brewed lagers in favor of more upper-crust brews. They offer no microbrews and, since their opening just over two and a half months ago, have not rotated their taps.

Food: This restaurant, as it is somewhat new, will probably become better-known for its food than its beer selection. The offerings range from gourmet sandwiches and salads to an evening tapas menu. We genuinely enjoyed their warm goat-cheese salad, which was served with a rich raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The chorizo platter was also really, really good. We've heard good things about the pan-seared sea bass, too. (We're not kidding. That sounds delicious.)

Ambience: Classy. This bar caters to an adult clientele, and it shows - it is impeccably decorated, with well-buffed hardwood floors, Persian-style rugs, and a grand piano in the center of the floor. A small balcony with limited seating overlooks Ontario Avenue. There are two bars; in all of the times that we've been, we've only seen the back bar truly busy. The front bar looks really nice, and is remiscent of a finer hotel bar.

Vicinity: While we don't know what this "Midtown" neighborhood is, the Tap and Tea Room is located on New Scotland Avenue, just to the south of the major student neighborhood, and is comfortably situated between the two major Albany hospitals (Albany Med and St. Peter's) and a brief walk from the Albany campus of Russell Sage College and Union University's Albany Law School; the neighborhood is a nice mix of graduate students and young professionals. The Tap and Tea Room shares a block with the more-popular sports bar Graney's and the Fountain Restaurant. It's a low-key but happening neighborhood.

Specials: There are no real specials here, per se. All draft beers are available in 12 oz, 16 oz, and 20 oz sizes. For a 20 oz, you'll pay between $3.75 (Coors Light) and $4.50 (Hoegaarden).

Extras: The tapas menu is really what stands out here, more than anything else.

Verdict: Nice for a date, and a good change-of-pace from your normal beer selection. That said, you can do better in terms of getting a better selection of beers in this town.

Sam Adams Beer Glass

A couple ago a friend of mine was about to drink a beer directly out of the bottle. The beer in question was not Labatt or Coors, but rather a meticulously-selected craft brew. I told this friend he should really pour the beer into a glass to drink it, because when you drink out of the bottle, you miss the aroma, and therefore miss out on all the scents that add to the flavor of the beer.

"[Cough]bullshit[Cough]," replied my ungrateful chum.

And while there are still skeptics, it's apparent to me that aroma is really half the enjoyment of beer, or at least a very high percentage. The way the nose prepares the taste buds for the beer is essential to fully realizing a beer's potential. Ironically, this is why it's probably better to drink macrobrews like Miller or Bud right out of the bottle, because it masks the weak ingredients they use and therefore actually spares the drinker all those aromas that make those beers so mediocre.

But if you thought that simply drinking out of a glass was all that there was to enjoying a beer fully, the folks at Sam Adams did some research to find the perfect beer glass. Sam Adams founder Jim Koch talked to European glassmakers and found out that almost no breweries were interested in function, he decided to come up with a way to design his own. (See a great article about it on RealBeer.com.)

The glass is shown here, and though it doesn't have a name yet, you can see in the picture that it is a hybrid of all the best of different glasses -- pint glasses, brandy snifters, tulip glasses, pilsner glasses, etc. (Click on the image to enlarge it in a new window.)

They say that this glass isn't going to transform any beer into a great beer, but rather make the beer taste more like the beer itself, or at least taste more like its style. As Koch says in the article noted above, "[Pabst Blue Ribbon] is not going to taste like Sam Adams in this glass. It was designed to make Sam Adams taste more like Sam Adams."

The glass performs several specific functions. For example, the thinner lower half of the glass is intended to expose less of the beer's liquid to the temperature of the drinker's hand, thereby keeping the beer at optimum temperature for longer.

The rounded top half of the glass, like a brandy snifter, is intended to capture and retain the strong aromas, mostly in strong ales or stronger beers. The tulip-like lip not only allows a healthy head to form -- and aid in the distribution of aromas -- but also puts the beer on the front of the tongue first to allow the drinker to experience the sweetness of the malt first, before it evolves into the bitterness of the hops. Most glasses don't allow for this progression naturally.

Whether this glass truly does enhance the flavor of beer (and perhaps lead to the evolution of the beer glass as we know it) remains to be seen. Still, it does look cool, and I would love to get my hands on a few of them.

Still, while I am impressed by the diligence and ingenuity with which the Sam Adams people created this glass, I am even more impressed with Koch's statement regarding the need for such advances in beer glasses: "We want to educate people that beer deserves the same respect wine does." Amen to that.

A Visit to Pittsfield Brew Works

Aside from its proximity, the factor that drew us most to the Pittsfield Brew Works was the discovery that the co-owners, Christine Bump and Bill Heaton, had met while working together at Victory Brewing in Downington, Pennsylvania. We made quite a pleasant visit to Victory last summer, and it had long been a favourite prior to that. They are probably best known for their flagship, Hop Devil IPA, but also make several other excellent beers that are widely available regionally: Prima Pils, Storm King Imperial Stout, Golden Monkey, et al.

The mere knowledge that there was a Victory connection this close to home that we had somehow neglected to visit for so long was enough to drive one to madness. Rather than giving in to the madness, we chose to investigate.

Pittsfield is a small city in Western Massachusettes, located about 35 miles east of Albany. Close enough that the latest issue of Metroland, the marvelously worthless, free weekly paper of the Capital Region, was stacked on a table just inside the door as we entered the Brew Works.

Despite the short distance, getting there was a bit of an adventure, as we had to negotiate throngs of yuppster hippies in Audis and Subaru Outbacks who clogged Route 7 (we can only assume they were headed for Tanglewood), but don't let that be a detractor. Once in downtown Pittsfield, we wandered just a bit, but managed to find our way to 34 Depot Street without much trouble (hint: it's near the train station). We parked in the spacious gravel parking lot under the row of windows along the side (back?) of the brewpub and headed for the main entrance under the distinctive 'black sheep' sign that serves as the brewpub's logo.

Once inside, we saw the aforementioned stacks of Metroland, surrounded by walls coloured yellow to match the background of the funky sheep logo. The dining room has a half dozen tables and roughly as many booths, with windows overlooking the brewing tanks. Pass through an arched doorway, and you're in the glassed-in bar area. Most of this room overlooks the parking lot and train station, but provides a decent view of what exists of downtown Pittsfield on the near end. The other end of the stretched, rectangular room features a large, three-sided booth with windows on two sides. During our visit, this booth was filled, curiously enough, mostly with gentlemen sporting matching Cats t-shirts.

The bar itself is dark wood, with room for perhaps 15 thirsty patrons along its length. Most of the beers on draught are listed on a large chalkboard above the expanse of the bar's back wall, with plenty of taps and some glassware occupying the foreground. There are televisions on either end of the bar tuned to one sporting event or another, but we were there mostly for the beer.

There were ten of their own on draught for our visit, along with a tasty-sounding Coffee Porter guest tap from nearby Berkshire Brewing Company. The sampler, which comes highly recommended, includes ample samples of all of the available house beers. On this occasion, these
included the following:

Dohoney's Gold
Rauchbier
Pitch Pilsner
Berkshire Weiss
ESB (on cask)
Geri Dog Stout
Legacy IPA
Warrior Pale
Summit Pale
Amarillo Pale

Cursedly, we did not take any notes, but rest assured that there was not a dud in the group. Predictably enough, the Gold and Pilsner were probably our least favourite, but still plenty drinkable. The stout was creamy smooth, and the IPA did nothing to betray its' Hop Devil heritage. It's always nice to see a brewpub with a cask offering. The cask ESB was good, but not quite as fine as we'd been led to believe. Perhaps most interesting, all of the P ales ( there is normally a fourth, Columbus, available as well) are made using the same recipe. The only difference is the type of hops used.

Distinguishing such nuances as one hop variety from another is an admitted shortcoming on our part. That said, this practice is simply fantastic. Each pale was sufficiently different from the rest that we did not realize the hops were the only difference until reading about it later. Perhaps the names should have been a dead giveaway. We may be alone in thinking this, but the varietal pales on their own merit another visit for further research.

Did we mention that the ten beer sampler only cost $6? As if that weren't enough, a follow-up pint of the pleasantly flowery Amarillo Pale only set us back $3.35. Why, again, had we never been to this place previously?

No brewpub would be complete without food, and the Brew Works did not disappoint in this department either. The menu is relatively inexpensive (we saw nothing over $15) and has plenty of appealing options. We stuck to the appetizers on this trip, and were not sorry. The Buffalo Chicken Tenders (6.95) were crispy and nicely spiced. A 1/2 order of Brew Pub Nachos (4.95) included tasty ground beef and pico de gallo, and were big enough that we worried that they'd given us a full order. Homemade Onion Rings (3.95) were beer battered and perfectly fried.

Pittsfield Brew Works proved to be quite a find; a really pleasant setting with solid pub food and great beers. All at very popular prices. It's worth a slight detour should you find yourself in the general area of Route 7 (or even I-90) in far Western Mass. We plan on going back on a fairly regular basis. Soon, Lord willin' and the creek don't rise.

Pittsfield Brew Works
34 Depot Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 997-3506

Closed Mondays

Middle-Morphosis

If you are a regular beer drinker in Syracuse, NY, the exclusive photos below should shock you.

Don't recognize them? You once knew them as the Middle Ages tasting room.



If you've ever been to Middle Ages, you know they had one of the more unusual sampling rooms of any brewery in the Northeast. Rather than the usual pub style, it closer resembled an office with a bar built around the desks and chairs. Imagine the office where you work. Now imagine that someone built a large bar right around the periphery of it. Yes, that's what it had been like since what seemed like the beginning of time (or at least the last XII years or so).



The top photo is from the vantage point of the restroom (the guys who work there were kind enough to let me utilize the facilities), and the bottom photo is from the entrance way. (In case you don't remember, an archived picture of what the tasting room once looked like can be found here courtesy of Lew Bryson's invaluable blog. Lew's full article from Winter 2004 can be read here.)

Currently, the brewers have opened up the large red external "garage door" familiar to regulars and have been serving directly out of the warehouse. The only downside is that they are temporarily limiting tastings to two samples instead of the usual seven for space considerations. But the beer is still the same and you can still pick up a six pack, 22 oz or growler at the same ultra-reasonable prices.

So it appears that Middle Ages is ready to step up their tasting room. We never had any problem with the set up as it was, but we are looking forward to a new ambiance that will remind us more of IPAs and less of TPS reports. We are very excited for the new change and hope it doesn't alter the charm of the tasting experience. It will likely open up more room for standing and allowing others to sidle up to the bar, but that remains to be seen.

Quick Take: Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale

Earlier today, following a hard day at the office, Mr. Bojangles and I decided to visit Albany's finest beer bar, Mahar's, for a couple of hard-earned beers. One of the nicer things about Mahar's is its rotating Rogue tap - lately, they've been offering a random selection from Oregon's finest brewery as part of their beer tour, and we've partaken in recent months of draft Chipotle Ale and 10,000.

Today, our beer tour lists read "Rogue Soba Buckwheat." Knowing nothing more than that, we both partook of a pint.

The verdict (on what we would later determine was Rogue's Morimoto Soba Ale)? In a word - meh.

The website describes the ale thusly: "Morimoto Soba Ale is brewed with Roasted Buckwheat, Pale malt, Munich Malt, 13-17 Carastan Malt, and Crystal Hops. The flavor is unique, toasty-nutty sensation with medium body and good hop bitterness."

The beer was, in many ways, remiscent of a Belgian Witbier, but with one notable difference - instead of a strong wheat taste and a strong citrus hint, it tasted a bit watered-down; while we like soba/buckwheat a great deal (a favorite Japanese dish of ours is a soba noodle salad with Thai peanut dressing and scallions), it didn't serve this beer tremendously well -it didn't have the lasting flavor of a Witbier, coming off as insubstantial in comparison.

In short, it wasn't a terrible beer. That said, we probably won't partake again.