Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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A Visit To Three Floyds

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Today, of course, is the annual Dark Lord Day at Three Floyds Brewery in Munster, Indiana. Since many people will not have a golden ticket and be waiting in line to buy this year’s Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout, here’s a little tour of the brewery I took the Sunday after CBC a couple of weeks ago. Three Floyds’ sales manager Lincoln Anderson was kind enough to drive Sean Paxton and me from our hotel in Chicago (and then dropped us off at the airport, thanks Lincoln) after we spent a thoroughly enjoyable few hours n Munster drinking and eating. I knew the beer would be good, I’d had plenty of it before, but I was blown away with how good the food was. Even the frites were top notch (look for a frites review soon) but everything else on the diverse menu we tried was spectacular. The walls were decorated with beer labels and cool original graffiti art. For a lazy Sunday afternoon, the brewpub filled up quickly with tourists, young couples and even families obviously just come from church.

We also had a chance to walk around in the brewery. It was fun to see the Lagunitas fermenters again that Tthree Floyds had bought from them, especially Kaboom. I also shot a short video tour of the brewery, which is below. Happy Dark Lord Day.

While we were there, preparations for Dark Lord Day were well under way, and Lincoln explained to us what else would be added, just for the day’s activities. One hiccup was that during a CBC tour it appears someone stole a bottle of Dark Lord 2010 and had put it up on eBay. Rawmar2 from Spring Grove, Illinois sold it for $12,800, though I suspect that was a false bid so no one could buy it. Even though an eBay win is a contract, it couldn’t be enforced if the goods being sold were stolen.

Three Floyds Entrance
At the entrance to the brewery.

Dark Lord Day banner from 2009
A Dark Lord Banner from 2009 hangs in the brewery.

Below is a slideshow of the Three Floyds Brewery. This Flickr gallery is best viewed in full screen. To view it that way, after clicking on the arrow in the center to start the slideshow, click on the button on the bottom right with the four arrows pointing outward on it, to see the photos in glorious full screen. Once in full screen slideshow mode, click on “Show Info” to identify each photo.

A here’s a short video of me walking through the brewery.

Boobquake Monday

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This is slightly off topic, except that I learned about it from British beer writer Melissa Cole. Perhaps you saw the news report where Iranian cleric Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi is blaming earthquakes on women. Well, not all women, just the ones with the temerity to show a little skin. Sedighi is quoted as follows. “Many women who do not dress modestly … lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes.” Crazy, right? Maybe, but let’s make sure first.

Purdue senior Jen McCreight has a plan to test Sedighi’s theory. She wrote an offhand blog post at her Blag Hag entitled In the Name of Science, I Offer My Boobs. She’s asking all women everywhere this Monday, April 26, to wear their most revealing outfit, whether it’s cleavage enhancing, shoulder baring or ankle-showing. The idea is to see if all that immodest dressing (or lack of it) will “significantly increase the number or severity of earthquakes.” It may have started as a little joke, but nearly 90,000 people have signed up to participate on the Facebook Event Page for Boobquake so the event is taking on a life of its own. She’s even written some additional clarifications in case the idea raises your feminine hackles.

Here’s her entreaty to participate:

On Monday, April 26th, I will wear the most cleavage-showing shirt I own. Yes, the one usually reserved for a night on the town. I encourage other female skeptics to join me and embrace the supposed supernatural power of their breasts. Or short shorts, if that’s your preferred form of immodesty. With the power of our scandalous bodies combined, we should surely produce an earthquake. If not, I’m sure Sedighi can come up with a rational explanation for why the ground didn’t rumble. And if we really get through to him, maybe it’ll be one involving plate tectonics.

According to the Facebook Fan Page, the story’s now been featured on CNN and will be covered on BBC News shortly. I know Melissa Cole will be playing along, how about you? Can the immodesty of bare skin produce an earthquake? Let’s find out this Monday. If you decide to participate and tweet about it, the hashtag is #boobquake.

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British actress/model Jennifer Ellison doing her part a few years early, at a 2008 Axe the Tax Rally.

Toronado Belgian Blunch 2010

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This past Sunday I attended the annual Belgian Beer Lunch, which I’ve taken to calling a blunch, at the Toronado in San Francisco. The meal was again designed and created by Sean Paxton, the Homebrew Chef. The blunch was twelve courses, include 16 beers and lasted just over five hours.

The Toronado ready for a beer dinner
The Toronado decked out for a beer dinner.

Arlene Paxton, Dave Keene and Sean Paxton
Arlene and Sean Paxton, with Dave Keene, owner of the Toronado, in the middle.

Below is a slideshow of the 2010 Toronado Blunch beer dinner. This Flickr gallery is best viewed in full screen. To view it that way, after clicking on the arrow in the center to start the slideshow, click on the button on the bottom right with the four arrows pointing outward on it, to see the photos in glorious full screen. Once in full screen slideshow mode, click on “Show Info” to identify each photo.

Toby Day Day This Sunday

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I heard the sad news while I was in Chicago for CBC. On April 5, Toby Day, who owned NW Craft Brands and worked for Anderson Valley Brewing, passed away suddenly. Apparently he’d been battling a serious health issue for many years but kept that information from all but a select few friends. Although Toby lived in Eugene, Oregon, he was a fixture at many beer events throughout the west coast and our paths crossed frequently over the years. He always had a smile on his face and seemed to truly enjoy his work promoting craft beer. The world is a poorer place without Toby in it.

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This Sunday, April 25, an event has been set up — Toby Day Day — to honor Toby’s memory and also raise money to help out his family. An Event Facebook Page has been set up, and here are the particulars:

On April 5th, Anderson Valley Brewing Company lost a dear friend and co-worker. Toby Day passed after battling a variety of ailments. Toby was a consummate ambassador of beer and a champion for AVBC since he started working with us in February of 2005.

“Our industry, the beer community, Toby’s family and friends have just lost a very special individual. I lost a friend.” Said AVBC Sales Director Ron Ziomek.

AVBC’s General Manager John Kuhry remembers Toby as “one of the nicest guys you will ever meet with an incredible passion and knowledge of beer. I am glad to have known him.”

On Sunday, April 25, craft beer establishments from Santa Cruz to Seattle will be honoring the life of Toby Day. Many accounts will have special beers on tap in his honor. The proceeds from this “Toby Day Day” are earmarked specifically for Toby’s family to help them pay for outstanding medical and funeral expenses, and to assist with the education of his daughter Lilly and son Tristan, 12 and 9, respectively.

Well wishers can leave their thoughts on his Facebook Page.

Please join us Sunday in raising a glass to a true friend of world-class beer and a world-class guy himself: Toby Day.

I’ll try to get a list of “official” places hosting events and also a way donations can be made directly to the family, if possible. If you can, please help out and honor a terrific guy who made great contributions to the craft beer community.

Eugene:
Sam Bonds Garage
The Bier Stein
Cornucopia (2 locations)

Portland:
The Moon & Sixpence
Concordia Ale House
Roots Organic
The Horse Brass Pub

Seattle:
Uber Tavern
Brouwer’s Cafe

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UPDATE:
An account has been set up where donations can be made directly to Toby’s family, should you wish to help out his two children. Donations may be made at any U.S. Bank location across the country. Here are the details:

Account Name: Toby Day Foundation Trust
Account: 153662428728
Tax Donation EIN For Donations: 61-1615294

Women In Brewing Festival This Saturday In Sacramento

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This Saturday, April 24, another festival will be taking place in Sacramento. If yo happen to be up that way — or live nearby, of course — check out the 4th annual Women in Brewing Festival at Rubicon.

Here’s the info, from Rubicon’s blog:

In 2007 the Rubicon Brewing Company established the Women in Brewing celebration. This is an event that digs up the history of women in brewing while spotlighting the talent of those brewers in our industry today. The 4th Annual Women in Brewing Festival will take place at the Rubicon Brewing Company at 2004 Capitol Avenue starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 24th and will go until the beer is gone. Many talented female brewers have been invited to showcase their special recipes and hard to find brews. Some of these ladies will make the journey to the Rubicon Brewing Company to chat with event goers while enjoying a day in the sun with their fellow brewster’s and a pint. This event is not a competition nor is it a “brewfest.” It is a typical day at the Rubicon where we will highlight the fabulous “brewed by women” beer on tap for tasting in sample, goblet or pint along with food specials and, as always, great friends. A silent auction will be held with great prizes donated by local businesses. While honoring and bringing recognition to our women in the brewing industry, the Rubicon Brewing Company is dedicated to raising money and awareness for WEAVE. The event raises more than $4,000 to support crisis intervention services for victims of sexual assault. WEAVE is the primary provider of crisis intervention services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Sacramento County.

Denise Jones, the head brewer at Moylan’s will be on hand, and probably additional brewsters, too. Stop by and help support a worthy cause. When I first met my wife, she was heavily involved in volunteering for a similar organization in the South Bay, Next Door, so it’s an issue near and dear to me and my family.

The beers below will be served Saturday, and each one was brewed by a female brewer:

  • Auburn Alehouse: Scarlet Red
  • Blue Frog: Ginger & Meyer Ann
  • Lost Coast: Scotch Ale
  • Moylans: Hell’s Lager
  • Rubicon: Bull of the Woods, Stardancer, 80 Grit
  • Santa Cruz: Witches Wit
  • Sierra Nevada: Summerfest, Scotch Ale
  • Urthel Al: Hop It, Samarath

Bay Area Firkin Fest This Weekend

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This Saturday, April 24, the 7th annual Bay Area Firkin Fest will be held at Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley. Doors will open at 11:00 a.m. and tickets are $20. Admission includes a commemorative logo glass and six 4-oz. pours. Additional samples may be purchased for $2 each (or 3 for $5). This is one of the most fun festivals of the season, especially if you love cask beer. See you there.

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The World’s Biggest Beer Dinner

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Saturday night, the last night of the Craft Brewers Conference in Chicago — it being a World Beer Cup year — there was an awards banquet where the medals are handed out to a packed crowd of brewers and beer industry people. This year’s banquet, with 2,000 people, is believed to be the biggest beer dinner ever done — somebody call Guinness. At five courses, that’s 10,000 plates. The amount of food used reads like those lists you see for Oktoberfest. The dinner used 600 gallons of beer to pair with the courses, 200 gallons of beer to cook with, 400 pounds of butter, 300 loaves of bread, 500 pounds of onions, 600 pounds of pork belly, 160 pounds of mushrooms, 275 dozen eggs, 160 pounds of malt and 6 gallons of honey. The meal was created by Sean Paxton and Randy Mosher, with the recipes and cooking by Sean Paxton, a.k.a. the Homebrew Chef. It was impossible to capture the whole banquet space with a photo, so below is a short video of the beer dinner’s setting, shot shortly before it began.

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Randy Mosher and Sean Paxton.

Here, Sean and Randy explain the beer dinner we’re about to enjoy.

The five courses are detailed below in the slideshow. Despite the size of the dinner, the service was surprisingly swift and before we knew it, it was time for the World Beer Cup award ceremony to begin.

After the dinner; Matt Brynildson, Nancy Johnson and Sean Paxton
After the dinner; Matt Brynildson, Nancy Johnson and Sean Paxton.

Below is a slideshow of the World Beer Cup dinner. This Flickr gallery is best viewed in full screen. To view it that way, after clicking on the arrow in the center to start the slideshow, click on the button on the bottom right with the four arrows pointing outward on it, to see the photos in glorious full screen. Once in full screen slideshow mode, click on “Show Info” to identify each photo.

World Beer Cup Awards 2010

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Tonight a record crowd of 2,000 people attended the awards dinner for the World Beer Cup. It is believed to have been the world’s largest beer dinner, and the five course meal was created and prepared by Randy Mosher and Sean Paxton, the Homebrew Chef.

This year, 642 breweries from 44 countries and 47 U.S. states vied for awards with 3,351 beers entered in 90 beer style categories. The entries in each category were eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards. Judges presented a total of 268 awards.

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Individual Beer Awards

Category 1: American-Style Cream Ale or Lager, 17 entries
Gold: Red Dog, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Silver: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Bronze: Lone Star, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL

Category 2: American-Style Wheat Beer, 16 entries
Gold: Shredders Wheat, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Silver: Rockfish Wheat, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
Bronze: DD Blonde, Hop Valley Brewing Co., Springfield, OR

Category 3: American-Style Wheat Beer with Yeast, 24 entries
Gold: Point Horizon Wheat, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI
Silver: UFO Hefeweizen, Harpoon Brewery, Boston, MA
Bronze: Whitetail Wheat, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT

Category 4: Rye Beer, 22 entries
Gold: Harvest Moon Rye, Rock Bottom Brewery – Arlington, Arlington, VA
Silver: Rye Bob, The Grumpy Troll Brewery, Restaurant& Pizzeria, Mount Horeb, WI
Bronze: Hoss Rye Lager, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Category 5: Fruit Beer or Field Beer, 86 entries
Gold: Da’ Yoopers, Rocky Mountain Brewery, Colorado Springs, CO
Silver: Lolita, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Bronze: Ephémère Apple, Unibroue, Chambly, Canada

Category 6: Herb and Spice Beer or Chocolate Beer, 109 entries
Gold: Coco Jones Porter, Black Raven Brewing Co., Redmond, WA
Silver: Lemon Grass Wheat Ale, Outer Banks Brewing Station, Kill Devil Hills, NC
Bronze: Black Licorice Lager, Short’s Brewing Co., Bellaire, MI

Category 7: Coffee Flavored Beer, 47 entries
Gold: Dude! Where’s My Vespa?, Rock Bottom Brewery – Arlington, Arlington, VA
Silver: Addiction, Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery, Boulder, CO
Bronze: Morning Bear, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA

Category 8: Specialty Beer, 27 entries
Gold: Country Girl Kabocha Ale, Baird Brewing Co., Numazu, Japan
Silver: COEDO Beniaka, Coedobrewery Kyodoshoji Corp. Ltd., Kawagoe, Japan
Bronze: Maple Tripple, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Warren, VT

Category 9: Specialty Honey Beer, 27 entries
Gold: Tauras Alus su medumi, UAB “Kalnapilio – Tauro grupė”, Panevezys, Lithuania
Silver: Bracia, Thornbridge Brewery, Bakewell, United Kingdom
Bronze: Cable Car Amber Ale, World Brews, Novato, CA

Category 10: Session Beer, 28 entries
Gold: Polygamy Porter, Utah Brewers Co-Op, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: Firestone Extra Pale Ale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Guppie Pale Ale, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery – Chandler, Huntington Beach, CA

Category 11: Other Strong Beer, 44 entries
Gold: Imperial Jack, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA
Silver: Green Flash Stout, Green Flash Brewing Co., Vista, CA
Bronze: Doug’s Very Noddy 40th Birthday Lager, Buckbean Brewing Co., Reno, NV

Category 12: Experimental Beer, 51 entries
Gold: 100% Brett Autumn Maple, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Silver: Harvest, Snipes Mountain Brewing Co., Sunnyside, WA
Bronze: Red & White, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE

Category 13: Out of Category – Traditionally Brewed Beer, 47 entries
Gold: Fathom IPL, Ballast Point Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Hot Rocks Lager, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA
Bronze: State Pen Porter, Santa Fe Brewing Co., Santa Fe, NM

Category 14: Gluten Free Beer, 10 entries
Gold: Celia Saison, The Alchemist, Waterbury, VT
Silver: O’Brien Brown Ale, O’Brien Brewing, Bakery Hill, Australia
Bronze: RedBridge, Anheuser-Busch InBev, St. Louis, MO

Category 15: American-Belgo-Style Ale, 46 entries
Silver: Ommegang Biere de Mars, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
Bronze: Hop God, Nebraska Brewing Co., Papillion, NE

Category 16: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer, 32 entries
Gold: Bourbon Barrel Aged Piper Down, Ballast Point Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Alltech’s Lexington Brewing Co., Lexington, KY
Bronze: Pullman’s Reserve, Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery, Flossmoor, IL

Category 17: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer, 113 entries
Gold: The Legend of the Liquid Brain Imperial, Bull & Bush Brewery, Denver, CO
Silver: Barrel Aged La Petite Mort, Black Raven Brewing Co., Redmond, WA
Bronze: Rudolf’s Bourbon Scotch Ale, Rock Bottom Brewery – Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

Category 18: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer, 39 entries
Gold: Creeper, SweetWater Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
Silver: Rodenbach Vintage, Palm Breweries N.V., Steenhuffel, Belgium
Bronze: White Woods, Cisco Brewers Inc., Nantucket, MA

Category 19: Aged Beer, 20 entries
Gold: Alaskan Smoked Porter 1998, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK
Silver: Gonzo Imperial Porter Vintage 2007, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD
Bronze: Saint Bob’s Imperial Stout ’06, Il Vicino Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Category 20: Kellerbier/Zwickelbier, 32 entries
Gold: Störtebeker Bio “1402”, Stralsunder Brauerei GmbH, Stralsund, Germany
Silver: VIAEMILIA, Birrificio del Ducato, Roncole Verdi, Italy
Bronze: Hell In Keller, Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que, Austin, TX

Category 21: Smoked Beer, 35 entries
Gold: Caldera Rauch Ur Bock, Caldera Brewing Co., Ashland, OR
Silver: Smoke Ale, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR
Bronze: Fujizakura Kogen Beer Rauch Bock, Fujikanko Kaihatsu Co. Ltd., Minamitsuru, Japan

Category 22: European-Style Low-Alcohol Lager/German-Style Leicht(bier), 16 entries
Gold: Falcon Extra Brew 3.5%, Carlsberg Sverige AB, Stockholm, Sweden
Silver: Distelhäuser Leichtes, Distelhäuser Brauerei, Tauberbischofshei, Germany
Bronze: Pripps Blå 3.5%, Carlsberg Sverige AB, Stockholm, Sweden

Category 23: German-Style Pilsener, 69 entries
Gold: Pilsner, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Silver: Trumer Pils, Trumer Brauerei, Berkeley, CA
Bronze: Grünten-Pils, Engelbräu Rettenberg, Rettenberg, Germany

Category 24: Bohemian-Style Pilsener, 43 entries
Gold: Golden Pilsner, Morgan Street Brewery, St. Louis, MO
Silver: Gambrinus Excelent, Plzeňský Prazdroj a.s., Plzeň, Czech Republic
Bronze: Velkopopovický KOZEL Premium, Plzeňský Prazdroj a.s., Plzeň, Czech Republic

Category 25: Münchner-Style Helles, 48 entries
Gold: Hoepfner Export, Privatbrauerei Hoepfner GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany
Silver: Zipfer Märzen, Brau Union Österreich AG, Linz, Austria
Bronze: Gordon Biersch Golden Export, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Chattanooga, TN

Category 26: Dortmunder/European-Style Export or German-Style Oktoberfest/Wiesen (Meadow), 42 entries
Gold: Schönramer Gold, Private Landbrauerei Schönram, Petting / Schönram, Germany
Silver: Spezialbier Edel, Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren AG, Kaufbeuren, Germany
Bronze: Weihnachtsbier, Alpirsbacher Klosterbräu Glauner GmbH & Co. KG, Alpirsbach, Germany

Category 27: Vienna-Style Lager, 28 entries
Gold: Schild Brau Amber, Millstream Brewing Co., Amana, IA
Silver: Vienna Lager, The Covey Restaurant & Brewery, Fort Worth, TX
Bronze: Heavy Seas Marzen, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD

Category 28: German-Style Märzen, 28 entries
Gold: Rocktoberfest, Rock Bottom Brewery – Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
Silver: Gordon Biersch Marzen, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Chattanooga, TN
Bronze: Festus, The SandLot, Denver, CO

Category 29: European-Style Dark/Münchner Dunkel, 33 entries
Gold: Chuckanut Dunkel, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Silver: Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel, Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg GmbH, Kelheim, Germany
Bronze: Munich Dunkles, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS

Category 30: German-Style Schwarzbier, 38 entries
Gold: Black Forest Schwarzbier, Squatters Pub Brewery, Salt Lake City, UT
Silver: TAPS Schwarzbier, TAPS Fish House & Brewery – Corona, Corona, CA
Bronze: Schwartz Bier, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA

Category 31: Traditional German-Style Bock, 25 entries
Gold: Troegenator, Troegs Brewery, Harrisburg, PA
Silver: Sidewinder Bock, Great American Restaurants, Centreville, VA
Bronze: Kollaborator, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA

Category 32: German-Style Heller Bock/Maibock, 26 entries
Gold: Distelhäuser Frühlingsbock, Distelhäuser Brauerei, Tauberbischofsheim, Germany
Silver: Kalnapilis 7.30, UAB “Kalnapilio – Tauro grupė”, Panevezys, Lithuania
Bronze: Kloster Starkbier, Alpirsbacher Klosterbräu Glauner GmbH & Co. KG, Alpirsbach, Germany

Category 33: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock, 43 entries
Gold: Broken Skeg, Breakwater Brewing Co., Oceanside, CA
Silver: Dunkles Bock, Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, WA
Bronze: Dominator Dopplebock, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN

Category 34: American-Style Lager, 75 entries
Gold: Olympia, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Silver: National Bohemian, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Bronze: Coors Light, Coors Brewing Company, Golden, CO

Category 35: American-Style Specialty Lager, 19 entries
Gold: Boulevard Pilsner, Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Silver: Mickey’s Malt Liquor, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Bronze: Colt 45, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL

Category 36: American-Style Amber Lager, 24 entries
Gold: Numazu Lager, Baird Brewing Co., Numazu, Japan
Silver: Upland Oktoberfest, Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington, IN
Bronze: Riverwest Stein, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI

Category 37: American-Style Dark Lager, 12 entries
Gold: Session Black, Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Silver: Durango Dark, Durango Brewing Co., Durango, CO
Bronze: Ben’s Brown, Golden Hills Brewing Co., Reardan, WA

Category 38: Australasian, Latin American or Tropical-Style Light Lager, 19 entries
Gold: Tiger Crystal, Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd., Singapore
Silver: Quilmes Cristal, Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes, Quilmes, Argentina
Bronze: Landshark, Anheuser-Busch InBev, St. Louis, MO

Category 39: International-Style Lager, 58 entries
Gold: Tiger Beer, Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd., Singapore
Silver: Gambrinus Svĕtlé, Plzeňský Prazdroj a.s., Plzeň, Czech Republic
Bronze: Egils Polar, Olgerdin Egill Skallagrímsson, Reykjavik, Iceland

Category 40: Baltic-Style Porter, 28 entries
Gold: Danzig, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA
Silver: 3 Dog Night, Chama River Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
Bronze: Token, Alpine Beer Co., Alpine, CA

Category 41: Belgian-Style Witbier, 47 entries
Gold: Allagash White, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME
Silver: Ommegang Witte Wheat Ale, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
Bronze: Whoop Ass Witbier, Great Basin Brewing Co., Reno, NV

Category 42: Belgian- and French-Style Ale, 57 entries
Gold: Saison Sayuri, Baird Brewing Co., Numazu, Japan
Silver: Saison du Bastone, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI
Bronze: Fluxus ‘09, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME

Category 43: Belgian-Style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale, 41 entries
Gold: Troubadour Blond, Brewery The Musketeers, Ursel, Belgium
Silver: Brugse Zot Blond, Brouwerij de Halve Maan, Brugge, Belgium
Bronze: Leffe Blonde, Anheuser-Busch InBev, St. Louis, MO

Category 44: Belgian-Style Sour Ale, 23 entries
Gold: Geuze Mariage Parfait, Brouwerij BOON N.V., Lembeek, Belgium
Silver: Oude Geuze Boon, Brouwerij BOON N.V., Lembeek, Belgium
Bronze: Lambic de Hill, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE

Category 45: Belgian-Style Flanders/Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale, 20 entries
Gold: Oude Tart, The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Silver: Red Poppy, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Bronze: Le Serpent, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY

Category 46: Belgian-Style Dubbel, 29 entries
Gold: Ommegang Abbey Ale Dubbel, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
Silver: Mad Monk Dubbel, Chicago Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Bronze: Abbey Dubbel, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE

Category 47: Belgian-Style Tripel, 53 entries
Gold: Daisy Chain Tripel, Chicago Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Silver: Samuel Adams New World Triple, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
Bronze: Merry Monks’ Ale, Weyerbacher Brewing Co., Easton, PA

Category 48: Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale, 33 entries
Gold: Omer. Traditional Blond, Bockor Brewery, Bellegem, Belgium
Silver: Revelations, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Fin du Monde, Unibroue, Chambly, Canada

Category 49: Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale, 46 entries
Gold: Witte Noire Imperial Amber Wheat Ale, De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi, Belgium
Silver: La Grivoise de Noel, Micro-Brasserie le Trou du Diable, Shawinigan, Canada
Bronze: Brooklyn Local 2, The Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY

Category 50: Other Belgian-Style Ale, 35 entries
Gold: New Norcia Abbey Ale, Malt Shovel Brewery, Camperdown, Australia
Silver: Frozen Kriek, Sleeping Lady Brewing Co., Anchorage, AK
Bronze: Signature Quadruple, Choc Beer Company, Krebs, OK

Category 51: English-Style Summer Ale, 24 entries
Gold: Leghorn, Roosters Brewing Co. Ltd., Knaresborough, United Kingdom
Silver: Y.P.A., Roosters Brewing Co. Ltd., Knaresborough, United Kingdom
Bronze: Helios Pale Ale, Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington, IN

Category 52: Classic English-Style Pale Ale, 29 entries
Gold: Summit Extra Pale Ale, Summit Brewing Co., Saint Paul, MN
Silver: Michelob Pale Ale, Michelob Brewing Co., St. Louis, MO
Bronze: Heavy Seas Pale Ale, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD

Category 53: English-Style India Pale Ale, 32 entries
Gold: India Pale Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Silver: Brewer’s Alley India Pale Ale, Brewer’s Alley Restaurant and Brewery, Frederick, MD
Bronze: Russell IP’eh!, Russell Brewing Co., Surrey, Canada

Category 54: Ordinary Bitter, 12 entries
Gold: Drop Top, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR
Silver: Redoak Bitter, Redoak, Sydney, Australia
Bronze: Cutthroat Pale Ale, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT

Category 55: Special Bitter or Best Bitter, 30 entries
Gold: Bachelor Bitter, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
Silver: Lumberyard Red, Beaver St. Brewery, Flagstaff, AZ
Bronze: Spitfire, Shepherd Neame Ltd., Faversham, United Kingdom

Category 56: Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter, 24 entries
Gold: Steep Trail Amber Ale, Black Diamond Brewing Co., Concord, CA
Silver: Organic Velvet ESB, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland, OR
Bronze: Extra Special Ale, Yards Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA

Category 57: Scottish-Style Ale, 29 entries
Gold: Highland Courage, Rock Bottom Brewery – Bethesda, Bethesda, MD
Silver: MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Bronze: Russell Wee Angry Scotch Ale, Russell Brewing Co., Surrey, Canada

Category 58: English-Style Mild Ale, 23 entries
Gold: Minerva Pale Ale, Cerveceria Minerva SA de CV, Zapopan, Mexico
Silver: London Tavern Ale, Valley Brewing Co., Stockton, CA
Bronze: Whistler Black Tusk Ale, Whistler Brewing Co., Vancouver, Canada

Category 59: English-Style Brown Ale, 46 entries
Gold: Red Hydrant Ale, Big Dog’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Silver: Longboard Brown, Rock Bottom Brewery – La Jolla, La Jolla, CA
Bronze: Mudslinger Ale, Redhook Ales Woodinville, Woodinville, WA

Category 60: Brown Porter, 37 entries
Gold: Tamerlane Brown Porter, Black Raven Brewing Co., Redmond, WA
Silver: Caldera Pilot Rock Porter, Caldera Brewing Co., Ashland, OR
Bronze: Industrial Porter, Crown Brewing Co., Crown Point, IN

Category 61: Robust Porter, 64 entries
Gold: Pier Rat Porter, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA
Silver: Founders Porter, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: Russian River Porter, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA

Category 62: Sweet Stout, 25 entries
Gold: Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout, The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery Inc., Farmville, NC
Silver: Cream Stout, Redwood Brewing Co., Flint, MI
Bronze: Udder Goodness, Rock Bottom Brewery – Desert Ridge, Phoenix, AZ

Category 63: Oatmeal Stout, 34 entries
Gold: Oatmeal Stout, Gella’s Diner and LB Brewing Co., Hays, KS
Silver: Velvet Merkin, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, CA

Category 64: Scotch Ale, 38 entries
Gold: AleSmith Wee Heavy, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Three Heavy, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO
Bronze: Reed’s Wee Heavy, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Category 65: British-Style Imperial Stout, 24 entries
Gold: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE
Silver: Crazy Ivan, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE
Bronze: Jay Walker, Walking Man Brewing, Stevenson, WA

Category 66: Old Ale, 15 entries
Gold: Fourth Dementia Olde Ale, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., Warren, MI
Silver: Irish Walker, Olde Hickory Brewery, Hickory, NC
Bronze: Subzero, Rock Bottom Brewery – Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN

Category 67: Strong Ale, 26 entries
Gold: Outback X, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR
Silver: Dirty Bastard, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: Cabin Fever, Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, WA

Category 68: Barley Wine-Style Ale, 58 entries
Gold: Little Korkny Ale Niepoort Barrel, Nørrebro Bryghus, Copenhagen N., Denmark
Silver: Thor’s Hammer, Central City Brewing Co., Surrey, Canada
Bronze: Alaskan Barleywine 2009, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK

Category 69: German-Style Kӧlsch/Kӧln-Style Kӧlsch, 23 entries
Gold: Schlafly Kolsch Ale, The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc., St. Louis, MO
Silver: Fox Light, Fox River Brewing Company, Oshkosh, WI
Bronze: Chaser Pale, Blackstone Brewing Co., Nashville, TN

Category 70: German-Style Brown Ale/Düsseldorf, 26 entries
Gold: Lands End Amber, Kannah Creek Brewing Co., Grand Junction, CO
Silver: The Detroit Dwarf, The Detroit Beer Co., Detroit, MI
Bronze: ALT, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR

Category 71: German-Style Sour Ale, 9 entries
Gold: Berliner Weisse, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Silver: Ich Bin Ein Berliner Weisse, Nodding Head Brewery and Restaurant, Philadelphia, PA
Bronze: Gose, Upright Brewing Co., Portland, OR

Category 72: South German-Style Hefeweizen/Hefeweissbier, 66 entries
Gold: Hefeweizen, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Baltika N°8 Wheat, Baltika Breweries, St. Petersburg, Russia
Bronze: Top Heavy Hefeweizen, Piece Brewing Co., Chicago, IL

Category 73: German-Style Pale Wheat Ale, 13 entries
Gold: TAP 2 Mein Kristall, Schneider Weisse, Kelheim, Germany
Silver: Unertl Leichte Weisse, Weißbräu Unertl GmbH & Co. KG, Mühldorf, Germany
Bronze: Distelhäuser Kristallweizen, Distelhäuser Brauerei, Tauberbischofsheim, Germany

Category 74: German-Style Dark Wheat Ale, 22 entries
Gold: VùDù, Birrificio Italiano, Lurago Marinone, Italy
Silver: Unertl Mühldorfer Weisse, Weißbräu Unertl GmbH & Co. KG, Mühldorf, Germany
Bronze: Distelhäuser Dunkles Weizen, Distelhäuser Brauerei, Tauberbischofsheim, Germany

Category 75: South German-Style Weizenbock/Weissbock, 27 entries
Gold: Plank Heller Weizenbock, Brauerei Michael Plank, Laaber, Germany
Silver: Old Harbor Taina, Old Harbor Brewery, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bronze: AleSmith Decadence 2009, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category 76: Irish-Style Red Ale, 26 entries
Gold: Red Trolley Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Samuel Adams Irish Red, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA
Bronze: Ragtop Red, Rock Bottom Brewery – La Jolla, La Jolla, CA

Category 77: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout, 22 entries
Gold: McLuhr’s Irish Stout, Dillon DAM Brewery, Dillon, CO
Silver: Port Truck Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Porterhouse Plain Porter, The Porterhouse Brewing Co., Dublin, Ireland

Category 78: Foreign-Style Stout, 21 entries
Silver: Zonker Stout, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Bronze: Spetsnaz Stout, The Grumpy Troll Brewery, Restaurant & Pizzeria, Mount Horeb, WI

Category 79: Golden or Blonde Ale, 50 entries
Gold: Heavy Seas Gold Ale, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD
Silver: Sunlight Cream Ale, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Aud Blonde, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA

Category 80: American-Style Pale Ale, 77 entries
Gold: Pale 31, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Drakes 1500 Pale Ale, Drakes Brewing Co., San Leandro, CA
Bronze: Mission Street Pale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Category 81: American-Style Strong Pale Ale, 59 entries
Gold: O’Brien’s IPA, Alpine Beer Co., Alpine, CA
Silver: Hop Bomb IPA, Rock Bottom Brewery – Bellevue, Bellevue, WA
Bronze: Lumberyard IPA, Beaver St. Brewery, Flagstaff, AZ

Category 82: American-Style India Pale Ale, 104 entries
Gold: Norm’s Raggedy-Ass IPA, Big Rock Chop House & Brewery, Birmingham, MI
Silver: Centennial IPA, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI
Bronze: Duet, Alpine Beer Co., Alpine, CA

Category 83: Imperial India Pale Ale, 69 entries
Gold: Hardcore IPA, BrewDog, Fraserburgh, United Kingdom
Silver: Bonnie’s Raggedy-Ass Imperial IPA, Big Rock Chop House & Brewery, Birmingham, MI
Bronze: Imperial IPA, Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, WA

Category 84: American-Style Amber/Red Ale, 66 entries
Gold: Rudolph’s Red, Rock Bottom Brewery – La Jolla, La Jolla, CA
Silver: Red Rock, Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse, Berkeley, CA
Bronze: Odell Red Ale, Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO

Category 85: Imperial Red Ale, 32 entries
Gold: Behemoth, Three Floyds Brewing Co. LLC, Munster, IN
Silver: Lumberyard Imperial Red, Beaver St. Brewery, Flagstaff, AZ
Bronze: Shark Attack, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA

Category 86: American-Style Brown Ale, 40 entries
Gold: Nut Brown Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Silver: Hawai’i Nui Brewing Company Hapa, Hawai’i Nui Brewing Co., Hilo, HI
Bronze: Christmas Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL

Category 87: American-Style Sour Ale, 14 entries
Gold: Raspberry Torte, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE
Silver: Viking Oud Bruin, Nørrebro Bryghus, Copenhagen N., Denmark
Bronze: Wild Ale #4, Santa Fe Brewing Co., Santa Fe, NM

Category 88: American-Style Stout, 31 entries
Gold: Black Magic Stout, Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Co., San Clemente, CA
Silver: Sticky Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Terminal Stout, Rock Bottom Brewery – Chicago, Chicago, IL

Category 89: American-Style Imperial Stout, 37 entries
Gold: Seven Imperial Stout Niepoort Barrel, Nørrebro Bryghus, Copenhagen N., Denmark
Silver: Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout, Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, NC
Bronze: Imperial Stout, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI

Category 90: International Pale Ale, 28 entries
Gold: Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Co., San Diego, CA
Silver: Straits Pale, Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd., Singapore
Bronze: P.L. IPA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

wbc_logo

Champion Brewery and Brewer Awards

Large Brewing Company Category
Asia Pacific Breweries Limited, Singapore
APB Brewing Team

Mid-Size Brewing Company Category
Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, CA
Matthew Brynildson

Small Brewing Company Category
Ballast Point Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
Ballast Point Brewers

Large Brewpub Category
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Iron Hill Brewery Team

Small Brewpub Category
Devils Backbone Brewing Company, Roseland, VA
Jason Oliver

Brewing Achievement Awards 2010

By

ba
Yesterday at the opening session of the Craft Brewers Conference in Chicago, the awards were given to “three successful members of the brewing community … for their dedication and service to the industry.” The three awards were as follows.

  • The Brewers Association Recognition Award went to Larry Bell, Founder and Owner of Bell’s Brewery, Inc.
  • The Brewers Association presented the Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Brewing to Ken Grossman, CEO/President of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.
  • The Brewers Association presented the F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award to Steve Hindy, Chairman and President of The Brooklyn Brewery.

Dick Cantwell, from Elysian Brewery in Seattle presented the awards.

Dick Cantwell

The first award, from the press release:

The Brewers Association Recognition Award went to Larry Bell, Founder and Owner of Bell’s Brewery, Inc. Bell started the Kalamazoo Brewing Company and Bell’s Brewery, Inc. in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1985, the earliest craft brewery in the eastern half of the United States. Larry’s dedication to the industry includes serving as a former chair of the Brewers Association’s predecessor organization and acting as a driving force with current Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper for the creation of American Beer Month (which evolved into American Craft Beer Week).

Larry Bell

“Larry is a leader in our industry known for his innovative beers and the passion he brings to craft brewing,” said Brewers Association Board of Directors Chair Nick Matt, CEO of Matt Brewing Company. Mountain West Brewery Supply’s David Edgar noted in documents supporting Bell’s nomination that “Larry is continually pushing the envelope with experimenting with different grains, different yeast strains and plenty of hops.”

The second award, from the press release:

The Brewers Association presented the Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Brewing to Ken Grossman, CEO/President of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Grossman received this year’s award for his leadership in technical brewing science for craft brewers. He is still deeply involved in technical brewing projects at Sierra Nevada and has led numerous initiatives in the area of sustainability and beer quality.

“Ken Grossman founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Company 30 years ago based on one principle, to make the highest quality beer in America,” said Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Co. in a nominating document. “I think Ken’s never-ending quest in life is to make Sierra Nevada’s beers even better than they already are.”

Ken Grossman

The Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Brewing was first given in 1997 to honor Russell Schehrer, who died in 1996 at 38 years old, for his contributions to the brewing industry. Schehrer was a founding partner and original head brewer at Colorado’s first brewpub, Wynkoop Brewing Co. He was also one of the first brewers to produce mead, doppel alt, cream stout and chili beer.

The third award, from the press release:

The Brewers Association presented the F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award to Steve Hindy, Chairman and President of The Brooklyn Brewery. Hindy recently testified in a Congressional hearing to communicate how state franchise laws can hinder the ability for small brewers to grow their businesses and how self-distribution is important to many small brewers to develop their access to market.

Steve Hindy

“Steve’s work on behalf of the industry is almost too great to list,” says Brewers Association Past Chair Richard Doyle of Harpoon Brewery. “His involvement on the Beer Institute board established credibility for craft brewers there and reaffirmed our place at the table.”

The F.X. Matt Award is given in honor of a champion of small brewers, F.X. Matt (1933-2001), president of the F.X. Matt Brewing Co. in Utica, New York from 1980-1989 and chairman from 1989-2001.

The Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Beer Dinner At Anchor Brewery

By

sierra-nevada anchor-steam
Thursday night, April 1, I attended a five-course beer dinner at the Anchor Brewery in San Francisco celebrating Sierra Nevada Brewing‘s 30th anniversary and the release of their first collaboration of the year, Fritz & Ken’s Ale, which is a stout.

The evening began with Ken Grossman & Fritz Maytag

The evening was great fun with terrific company, food and, of course, beer. There was one feature of the evening I haven’t seen at a beer dinner before, but I fervently hope more will adopt. They served in-between-course beers so we had a new beer to sample while waiting for each course. That made the anticipation of each new course far more manageable. Also, between each course, both Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada, and Fritz Maytag, owner of Anchor Brewery, got up and told great stories from their early days. That may have been my favorite part of the night. Below is one round of tales, broken into two parts because of YouTube’s 10 minute max rule.

And here’s Part 2:

Having been at beer dinners and events at Anchor numerous times, they also made the space next to the brewhouse the most comfortable it’s ever been. They added sound-proof panels along the exterior wall, rented a carpet and hung banners of Anchor beer labels. It definitely worked.

Inside Anchor Brewery

But by far, this was my favorite story of the evening.

If you ever have an occasion to talk with Sam Calagione, ask him about a similar story where he had no trouble getting arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport with a brick of hops.

Ken Grossman, me and Fritz Maytag
Ken Grossman, me and Fritz Maytag and the end of the beer dinner.

Below is a slideshow of the Sierra Nevada beer dinner at Anchor. This Flickr gallery is best viewed in full screen. To view it that way, after clicking on the arrow in the center to start the slideshow, click on the button on the bottom right with the four arrows pointing outward on it, to see the photos in glorious full screen. Once in full screen slideshow mode, click on “Show Info” to identify each photo.