Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Gourmet Gaul, Fermented France

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Usually the beer dinners that the Beer Chef, Bruce Paton, puts on involve one or two specific brewers. But this next one will feature the beers of a single country, and one that you don’t ordinarily think of — France. But while largely unknown, there are some very good beers there made by some very small brewers. Here’s a chance to try some of them, and have some great food to boot. It will be a four-course dinner and well worth the $80 price of admission. It will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel on Saturday, September 21, 2007, beginning with a reception at 6:30 p.m. Call 415.674.3406 for reservations by September 13.

 

The Menu:

 

Reception: 6:30 PM

Beer Chef’s Hors D’Oeuvre
Beer: Thiriez Extra and Jenlain St. Droun

Dinner: 7:30 PM

First Course

Sea Scallops in Fennel Nage

Beer: Thiriez Blonde

Second Course:

Composed Salad of Wild Mushrooms, Summer Vegetables, Duck Ham and Watercress

Beer: La Choulette Le Sans Cullottes

Third Course:

Loin of Rabbit with Bone Marrow Ravioli and Onion Apple Gratin

Beer: Ambree

Fourth Course:

Poached Pear with Flan of Fromage Explorateur

Beer: St. Sylvstre Gavroche

Les Sans Culottes from Brasserie Les Choulette, is one the beers that will be served. It’s a Biere de Garde style beer and the label is a detail from the iconic Eugene Delacroix painting Liberty Leading the People that hangs in the Louvre. Late last year, the State of Maine tried to ban it because they thought the label might offend the delicate sensibilities of its citizens.

 
9.21

Dinner with the Brewmaster: The Beers of France

Cathedral Hill Hotel, 1101 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California
415.674.3406 [ website ]
 

Raise A Glass To Michael Jackson September 30

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A national toast is being planned for Michael Jackson, and as a fund raiser for the National Parkinson Foundation. It is tentatively set to take place on September 30. Details will be listed at the new Beer Hunter website. The old Beer Hunter site has been archived at a new location. Apparently, “participants will be able to register their site and download a poster, and drinkers will find a list of toast sites.” Personally I’d like to see 100% participation from the online beer community. There isn’t one of us that doesn’t owe Michael, at some level, a debt of gratitude.

 

Oregon To Host Fresh Hop “Tastivals”

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Fresh Hop or Wet Hop beers have been an exciting development over the last ten years, ever since Sierra Nevada created the first one with their Harvest Ale around 1996. The number of breweries making these beers has grown exponentially since that time and the limited nature of these beers make them something beer lovers eagerly anticipate each fall. This year, the Oregon Brewers Guild has paired up with Oregon Bounty, part of the state’s official tourism organization, “to produce a series of “Tastivals” to celebrate the release of Oregon’s fresh hop beers.”

From the press release:

These much anticipated seasonal beers are brewed only once a year during hop harvest, which typically takes place in late August and early September. Beers created using fresh hops instead of traditional dried hops are given unique flavors that simply aren’t available the rest of the year. Similar to a beer festival, each of the four “Tastivals” will offer visitors the opportunity to sample some of the more than 30 beers from across the state crafted using fresh-off-the-vine hops.

“Fresh hops are extremely fragile and need to be dried or used in a brew within 24 hours of picking — so this type of beer is uniquely suited to Oregon where we have the largest amount of aroma and flavor hops grown locally,” says Brian Butenschoen, Executive Director of the Oregon Brewers Guild. “Nowhere else in the United States are so many breweries located so close to the hop fields. The tastivals will give hop enthusiasts an opportunity to celebrate harvest by tasting the enormous variety of fresh hops grown in Oregon and made into beers by Oregon’s craft brewers.”

Fresh Hop “Tastivals” will be held every Saturday during the month of October with scheduled locations including:

 

  • October 6: Hood River Hops, Hood River
  • October 13: McMenamins Edgefield, Troutdale
  • October 20: Ninkasi Brewing Company, Eugene
  • October 27: Deschutes Brewery, Bend

 

Admission to the Tastivals is free of charge. Souvenir tasting glasses are required to sample beers and are available for $5. Beer samples are $1 each. Food will also be available for purchase.

That sounds like it will be a fun time at any one of those events.

More about Oregon Bounty:

Each October and November, Oregon’s winemakers, cheese makers, brewmasters, chefs, growers and producers come together for a celebration of Oregon Bounty. In addition to intimate food and wine events, visitors can purchase special packages that offer them one-on-one time with Oregon’s culinary talent. Visitors can spend the day making wine with an Oregon vintner, making suds with a craft brewmaster, foraging for chanterelles in Mt. Hood’s foothills-even cruising a farmers’ market with a local chef in search of ingredients for a private cooking class. It’s all part of the annual Oregon Bounty Celebration.

Brookston Beer Bulletin Fantasy Football Season 2007

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NFL Football is pretty much the only major sport I pay much attention to these days. Of the arguably four major sports (baseball, football, basketball and ice hockey) it’s the only one I think that goes well with craft beer. Hear me out. I know you can get decent beer at most sporting events if you’re willing to pay a premium price and do some extensive searching around the park, stadium or whatever. But baseball is played in the summer months and both basketball and hockey are indoor sports so all three tend to favor warm weather light beers, the kind made in vats the size of Montana. Football, on the other hand, is usually played outdoors in the dead of fall or winter, in rain, sleet or snow, with the wind whipping through the frozen tundra turning everyone into human Popsicles. That’s the perfect time for a nice warming barleywine, doppelbock or Belgian tripel. Or perhaps a thick Imperial Russian Stout, an über hoppy Double IPA or even a nice Wee Heavy. Now those are football beers. Yum.

Despite having grown up in Pennsylvania, I’ve been a Green Bay fan my entire life. But after the Lombardi years, the Packers went through a twenty year drought that made my enthusiasm for the game pretty hard to sustain. It’s hard to keep rooting for a team that never wins, especially when all your friends are 49ers fans, it’s the Montana/Young era and they rub it in your face at every opportunity. But finally in the early nineties, Brett Favre joined the team and they finally started winning again. And ever since it’s been fun again to follow football.

So I’ve set up two free Yahoo fantasy football games, one a simple pick ’em game and the other a survival pool, and you’re invited to play along. Up to 50 people can play each game, so if you’re a regular Bulletin reader feel free to sign up. It’s free to play, all you need is a Yahoo ID, which is also free. Below is a description of each game and the details on how to play.

Pro Football Pick’em

In this Pick’em game, just pick the winner for every game each week, with no spread, and let’s see who gets the most correct throughout the season. All that’s at stake is bragging rights, but it’s fun.

In order to join the group, just go to Pro Football Pick’em, click the “Sign Up” button (or “Create or Join Group” if you are a returning user). From there, follow the path to join an existing private group and when prompted, enter the following information…

Group ID#: 32392
Password: bulletin

Survival Football

If picking all sixteen football game every week seems like too much, then Survival Football is for you. In Survival Football, you only have to pick one game each week. The only catch is you can’t pick the same team to win more than once all season. And you better be sure about each game you pick because if you’re wrong, you’re out for the season. Last man standing wins.

In order to join the group, just go to Survival Football, click the “Sign Up” button and choose to “Join an Existing Group”, then “Join a Private Group”. Then, when prompted, enter the following information…

Group ID#: 10094
Password: bulletin

 

Collaborating With the Collaborators

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Without diminishing all of the great beer dinners I’ve attended this year, I think I’m anticipating this one more keenly than any dinner all year. I’ll have returned home the following day from “Hop School” and will be fairly itching for hoppy beers. How could I do better than this? Beer Chef Bruce Paton’s next beer dinner will feature both Adam Avery, from Avery Brewing in Boulder, Colorado, and Vinnie Cilurzo, from Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, California.

It will be a four-course dinner and well worth the $85 price of admission. It will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel on Friday, August 31, 2007, beginning with a reception at 6:30 p.m. Call 415.674.3406 for reservations by August 23, though sooner will increase your odds of getting a seat at the table.

 

The Menu:

 

Reception: 6:30 PM

Beer Chef’s Hors D’Oeuvre

Beer: Avery IPA and Blind Pig IPA

Dinner: 7:30 PM

First Course

Torchon of Foie Gras with Egg Nog Brioche Toast and Vanilla Poached Stone Fruit

Beer: Avery Salvation and Russian River Salvation

Second Course:

Pan Roasted Skate Filet with Ginger Butter and Spicy Cilantro Pesto

Beer: Avery The Majarajah and Russian River Pliny the Elder

Third Course:

Olive Oil Poached Breast of Duck with Confit “Shepherds Pie”, Corn Fig Relish and Orange Gastrique

Beer: Avery The Reverend and Russian River Damnation Batch 23

Fourth Course:

Chocolate Collaboration

Beer: Avery Fourteen and Russian River Toronado Anniversary Ale / Collaboration Toast

 

 
8.31

Dinner with the Brewmasters: Avery & Russian River

Cathedral Hill Hotel, 1101 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California
415.674.3406 [ website ]

 

Funk Sole Brewer

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If there’s any reason to pry yourself away from the Toronado’s 20th anniversary celebration this Saturday, this is it. Beer Chef Bruce Paton is hosting his next beer dinner, which will feature Shaun O’Sullivan and the beers of 21st Amendment Brewery. It will be a three-course dinner and well worth the $65 price of admission. It will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel on Saturday, August 11, 2007, beginning with a reception at 6:30 p.m. Call 415.674.3406 for reservations. Although not on the menu, the Watermelon Funk is rumored to be part of the dinner. The Funk is Shaun’s Watermelon Wheat sparked with Brettanomyces and aged on wood up at Russian River Brewing. And while there is no sole on the menu — the fish is salmon — perhaps Shaun will regale us with a little dance, maybe even to Fatboy Slim’s Funk Soul Brother.
 

The Menu:

 

Reception: 6:30 PM

Beer Chef’s Hors D’Oeuvre
21st Amendment IPA

Dinner: 7:30 PM

First Course

Smoked Salmon Tower with Heirloom Tomatoes and Cucumber Gelee and Scallion Crème Fraiche

Beer: Watermelon Wheat

Second Course:

Slow Roasted Berkshire Pork Tenderloin with Cambazola Flan and Ancho Jus

Beer: Double Trouble Imperial IPA

Third Course:

Chocolate Triple Threat

Beer: General Pippo’s Porter

 
8.11

Dinner with the Brewmaster: 21st Amendment

Cathedral Hill Hotel, 1101 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California
415.674.3406 [ website ]

Toronado 20th Anniversary Events

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Mark your calendars, and start training your livers for a marathon, because next month, beginning August 9, a three-day celebration for the Toronado‘s 20th anniversary will take place.

First up, on Thursday August 9,a special night of music and beer will be held at Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, California. Two bands, American Dog (from Dave Keene’s home state of Ohio) and Broken Teeth (out of Austin, Texas) will perform. On tap, in addition to the usual beers, will be a special anniversary ale created by Vinnie Cilurzo for the Toronado milestone. No word yet on what time the festivities will begin, but I’ll update that information as soon as I get it.

The following night, Friday, August 10, this time at Annie’s Social Club in San Francisco another special night of music is planned. Beginning at 9:00 p.m., Alcoholcaust and The Toronado will present the Toronado’s 20th Anniversary Party and Big Daddy Dave’s Birthday featuring Broken Teeth, American Dog and Infested. Annie’s Social Club is located at 917 Folsom Street at 5th in San Francisco. It’s a free show with no cover.

The big finale will take place Saturday night, August 11, starting at 5:00 p.m., at the Toronado. In addition to the Russian River Anniversary Ale, Tomme Arthur from the Lost Abbey as created a special blended beer for the Toronado anniversary called “Cable Car.” Only six kegs of this beer were made, one of which will be at the Toronado Saturday evening. The remaining five will be bottled as a special release. Also on tap that night will be a special cask version of Anchor’s Porter. It should be an amazing night of beer.

 

The Homebrew Chef’s Latest Creation

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I got the good news over the weekend, the Homebrew Chef, Sean Paxton, has a new apprentice. On Thursday, July 12, at 6:28 a.m., his wife gave birth to a baby girl, their first. She was 8 lbs., 1 oz., and 22 in. Her name is Olivia Rose Paxton. Join me in wishing her and her parents all the best.

Olivia Rose. She already has good taste in beer.
 

Bravo for Bravo

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July 14, from Noon to 6:00 p.m., at Drake’s Brewing in San Leandro, California you’ll have another unique opportunity to taste at least twenty beers all made with the same hop, but with different malt, yeast and water. This year’s hop will be Bravo, a new variety that was “cultivated as a result of a cross in 2000 at Golden Gate Roza Hop Ranches in Prosser, Washington.” The new hop was only patented last year, and is distributed exclusively by S.S. Steiner, who donated the hops for the beers in the festival.

Drake’s Brewing Company 2nd Annual Beer Festival and Washoes Tournament will also feature music by The No Cover Band, The Shuffle Kings, and The Doormats. Your $35 admission price includes unlimited sampling, a commemorative glass, t-shirt and an entry into the Washoe tournament. This should be a lot of fun. Perhaps I’ll see you there.

From the press release:

Drake’s is about a 15-20 minute walk from the San Leandro BART station. Buses run up and down Davis Street. Cabs are available at the BART station. We are located at the loading dock area around the back of the Wal-Mart. Hope to see you here.

 

Some photos from last year’s inaugural festival:

Drake’s brewer Rodger Davis, Dave Keene from the Toronado, Melissa Myers (also from Drake’s), James Costa from E. J. Phair, along with beer enthusiast Motor.

The Washoes Tournament underway.
 
 

Breweries Attending & Brewing the Same Hop IPA
 

  • The Beach Chalet
  • Bear Republic
  • Bison
  • Blue Frog and Grog
  • Devil’s Canyon
  • Drake’s
  • E.J. Phair
  • El Toro
  • Firehouse Grill
  • Half Moon Bay
  • Magnolia
  • Marin
  • Rubicon
  • Russian River
  • Sacramento
  • Seabright
  • Sonoma Chicken Coop
  • Stone Brewing
  • Thirsty Bear
  • Triple Rock
  • 21st Amendment
  • Valley Brewing

 
 

7.14

Single Hop Festival & Washoe Tournament (2nd annual)
Drake’s Brewing, 1933 Davis Street #177, San Leandro, California
510.562.0866 [ website ] [ directions ]
 

Announcing The Brookston Beer Pix Photoblog

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It’s been a busy week. I just got back from almost a week in Colorado for my cousin’s wedding. Of course, I did a little sightseeing and was fortunate enough to sample the special edition of La Folie that New Belgium did for the Falling Rock’s 10th anniversary. Chris Black, along with New Belgium brewer, Eric Salazar, blended beer from 10 foders (four 60- and six 130-hectoliter wood tuns) into one pretty spectacular beer. I missed seeing Chris while I was there, which meant I didn’t get to hear his version of what will undoubtedly be come to be known as the Twisted Pine Debacle, which culminated in the wooden sign that hangs above the center booths being sawed in half diagonally. The second-hand story I was regaled with was pretty good but I can only imagine it coming from the horse’s mouth. More reports from Colorado will follow this week.

All of which has nothing to do with this post’s title, except by way of explanation of the two reasons there haven’t been as many posts or rants lately. The second reason is I’ve been working on something new. I’m pleased to announce the launch of The Brookston Beer Pix, a beer-themed photoblog. For no better reason than I thought it would be fun for me, each day I’ll post a new photo that I’ve taken over the years that has something to do with beer. To be sure there will be gleaming stainless steel and glowing copper along with lush green hops, but also some other fun and more unusual shots as well. The hope is to showcase beer, brewing and the brewing community in a more artistic way and feed my own creative side. Plus, it gives me something to do with all those photographs that I can’t sell. Who knows, perhaps it will make me a better photographer. Take a look and let me know which pictures you like and which you don’t, and, of course, why.