It’s actually Day 11. I’m on a plane heading back to the City of Brotherly Love and Beer, experiencing turbulence, wearing my Great Divide Hops Disciples t-shirt, sipping a Coke with too much ice. I’m listening to Death Cab for Cutie’s Plans album and trying not to rock out too hard. So it goes.

Day 5
On Sunday following GABF, Ray and I decided to take it easy. We had both sworn off alcohol until dinner, that is, until Ray ordered his first Bloody Mary from Olivéa, which has the No.1 Bloody Mary in town (good enough excuse), with breakfast. We took the day to tour the Denver Zoo, bummed that the sea otters weren’t cute-ing it up, but pleased to see the mama tiger and 4 cubs playing.

Following the zoo, we headed over to the Highlands area for dinner at Root Down, a restaurant that sources at least 80% of its produce, meat and dairy locally, serves reverse osmosis water, and is just generally hip. We made a meal of small plates, thrilled with the organic carrot and red Thai soup and the carrot gnocchi with wild mushrooms and baby zucchini. I enjoyed one of the beer specials, which was Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A (Rye IPA) from He’Brew (a brand from Shmaltz). It was my only non-local beer the entire trip (aside from GABF) and was rather good. Ray enjoyed Odell’s IPA.

Day 6
Off to Boulder! Our first stop was the Pearl Street Mall as we waited for Mountain Sun Pub to open for lunch. We poked in and out of shops, but we were mainly there for Mountain Sun. 11:30 hit and we headed in for an early lunch: I enjoyed a Resinous Rye, while Ray had the Illusion Dweller IPA. To get to the restrooms, you walk by the brewery. I highly recommend breathing in deeply on the way to the loo … it’s heavenly.

Then, it was over to Redstone Meadery, also on Pearl Street, but on the opposite end, away from the “main street” hustle and bustle. Nestled between an auto body repair shop and an oil change joint, Redstone Meadery is a gem. We just missed the noon tour, but had the chance to sample 4 Nectars, Black Raspberry, Bosenberry, Sunshine (Apricots) and Nectar of the Hops (dry hopped with Amarillo and Centennial); 6 Mountain Honey Wines, Traditional, Juniper, White Pyment, Pinot Pyment, Blueberry and Plum;  and for a nominal fee, we purchased 1 oz tastes of Redstone’s reserves, 2005 Black Raspberry, 2004 Cyser and 2003 Boysenberry, all of which were phenomenal.

As we mulled over our samples of the Reserve selections, Ray and I played a rather un-cutthroat game of Scrabble, where French, Spanish, slang and abbreviations ran wild (we also didn’t bother to keep score). 3:00 came and it was time for another meadery tour; this one we didn’t miss. It was interesting to hear about the process, and see how the owner was able to use a variety of brewing and winemaking equipment for his meads. After listening to his entire talk, we decided to skip buying the Sunshine Nectar (which we had fallen in love with at GABF and again at the tasting room) and instead purchase a bottle of the Traditional mead.

Day 7
We originally decided to stick around town on Tuesday, opting for yet another mind-blowing breakfast at WaterCourse Foods. But then, instead of exploring more of Denver proper, we decided to head out to Golden to hike Triceratops Trail (basically a trial run before our Thursday hike to see if my knee and healing ACL was up for it) and check out the town.

The trail was a bit hidden, but definitely an interesting 1.5 mile hike. I enjoyed geeking out over dinosaur tracks, raindrop and frond imprints, and the various flora and fauna we came across. After working up an appetite, we headed into town, and upon a suggestion from one of my fellow Ladies of Craft Beer Micki, we made a beeline for Woody’s Woodfired Pizza in Golden. We shared an excellent Whiskey King pizza, and I enjoyed Dale’s Pale Ale straight from the can (my dad always said ladies drink from a glass, but he wasn’t there, so straight from the can it was!), while Ray had yet another Odell’s winner, 5 Barrel Pale Ale.

Possibly the best thing about Woody’s was the local honey they brought to the table for the crust. We were BLOWN AWAY! I wanted to make a mead with this honey, stat! I kidded with Ray about stashing the bottle in my purse; little did we know how lucky we were going to get.

While Ray was in the restroom, the general manager came over to ask me how the pizza was (it was a new addition to the menu) and compliment me on my beer selection. I told him how much I enjoyed Oskar Blues beers and how it was hard to find them on the East Coast. I also complimented him on the honey, and that’s when I found out that not only was it local, but Woody’s had invested in the beekeeper’s business in order to generate the amount of honey the restaurant would need. Awesome! Small business helping out a small business, Love it.

I told him how much we loved the honey and found out that its a blend of 2 hives in the area. Then I found out we could buy it and I was overjoyed. We didn’t buy enough to make a mead, BUT we got a bottle for ourselves and a bottle for our foodies friends who would appreciate the local gift.

What could be better than local, delicious honey? Local, delicious BEER. A short drive took us to what looked like a house—it wasn’t. It was Golden City Brewing, proudly hailed as the “Second Largest Brewery in Golden” (the first is Coors. Yuck). We sampled tastes of everything on tap, missing out on the Evolution IPA and Mad Molly’s Brown Ale that had been cleared out by GABF, and selected a pint of Legendary Red for Ray—their most popular—and a snifter of Cuvee #1, a bourbon barrel stout.

We grabbed the travel edition of Sorry!, pulled up a table in the shade of the patio and settled into our beers. We were wowed by what we had in front of us, and after a lot of back and forth, I finally kicked Ray’s butt in Sorry! GCB was a real gem, and it was nice to see that even on a Tuesday afternoon between 2:30 and 5, the place could draw a crowd with pints and pitchers, and even a few well-behaved dogs.

Finishing our beers, it was back to Denver to rest and hit Euclid Hall for a late night supper. I was excited to visit, reviewing their menu online and considering the options. Unfortunately, it didn’t do it for us. Euclid Hall is not only a pub, but a rather well-known building. According to the website, Euclid Hall was built in 1883 as a house for Dr. Byron Albertus Wheeler, Euclid Hall has been home to the Masons, the Colorado Women’s Relief Corps, The Cootie Club, Maudie’s Flea Market and is even rumored to have once been the very fancy headquarters of a brothel catering to government officials, law enforcement and members of the media. The decor is cool, but the big screen TVs boasting a variety of sporting events and the schizo music selection were major turn offs.

The prices on their list of “special” beer bottles was outlandish, and their regular bottle list had a pretty hefty markup. We stuck with drafts to keep our wallets a little less squeezed; I opted for Ska Brewing’s Buster Nut Brown and Ray has Boulevard Brewing’s Tank #7, a farmhouse ale. We tried poutine for the first time, which was pretty good, and noshed on sandwiches. While the service was good and the food was perfectly fine, we found ourselves disappointed. It was as if Euclid Hall wanted to be both Tria and The Dive Bar at the same time, but it just didn’t work for us. That said, we definitely want to give Euclid Hall a second chance the next time we’re in Denver.

Breweries, Brewpubs, Craft Beer, Denver 2010, Pubs, Restaurants 2 Comments »

I’m sure you’ve been dying to know what I was drinking the entire time in Denver, so here I provide you with a bit of photographic evidence to start off your Monday morning. (Note: Most of these beers are the ones I ordered … I don’t necessarily have pictures of everything Ray drank, so use your imagination). I also avoided showing duplicates.

King Tut's Gold, "Imperial Egyptian Ale" from Wynkoop

London Calling IPA from Wynkoop

Silverback Porter from Wynkoop

8 wonderful samples from Great Divide: Top row (l-r) Yeti Imperial Stout; Claymore Scotch Ale, Rumble Oak Aged IPA, Denver Pale Ale; Bottom row (l-r) Smoked Baltic Porter, Hercules DIPA, Hoss Rye Lager, Samurai Rice Ale

1554, "An Enlightened Black Ale" from New Belgium

Ellie's Brown Ale from Avery

Modus Hoperandi from Ska Brewing

U-Boat Hefeweizen from Dry Dock Brewing

Steel Toe Stout from Ska Brewing

Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A from He'Brew (Shmaltz Brewing)

Resinous Rye from Mountain Sun Pub

Dale's Pale Ale from Oskar Blues

Cuvee #1 (stout aged in bourbon barrel) and Legendary Red from Golden City Brewing

Buster Nut Brown from Ska Brewing and Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale from Boulevard Brewing

Odell's Classic Sampler: (l-r) Easy Street Wheat, Levity Amber Ale, 5 Barrel Pale Ale, 90 Schilling Ale, IPA, Cutthroat Porter

Odell's Pilot Sampler Part 1 (l-r): Snowriders Ale, Curry Wheat, Hast la Muerte

Odell's Pilot Sampler Part 2 (l-r): Isolation Ale, Nitro Cutthroat Porter, The Wanderer

Boubon Barrel Stout from Odell Brewing

Ranger IPA from New Belgium

Hoptober from New Belgium

Mothership Wit from New Belgium

Oskar Blue Sampler. Top (l-r): ODB Barleywine; Velvet Elvis; Some High Grade Smoke; Columbian Supreme; Ten Fidy. Bottom (l-r) Priscilla Wheat; Hoppy Seconds; Redbeard's Love; Gubna Imperial IPA; S-bus Imperial Brown

Wild Raspberry from Great Divide

Denver Pale Ale from Great Divide

Mojo IPA from Boulder

What isn’t pictured above: Rogues Double Chocolate Stout (I had that Friday night at Freshcraft and was too busy talking to remember to snap a photo) and all 90+ beers from GABF. Cheers!

Breweries, Brewpubs, Craft Beer, Denver 2010 Comments Off

After a 4-hour hike with Ray, I found myself cruising my social media hotspots and nearly choked when I read Iron Hill Brewery’s Chris LaPierre’s blog post about Clark’s Ale House in Syracuse NY:

A little part of my (beer) childhood has died. Or will die very soon that is.  Clark’s Ale House in Syracuse, NY will close its doors this Saturday with no immediate plans to reopen. When I first read about it on Jack [Curtin]’s Facebook page, I thought “bummer, always sad when a craft beer bar closes”. I’m a Syracuse alum, so I know Clark’s pretty well. But then I really started thinking about it. Not only was it a craft beer bar, but it was my first craft beer bar.

I startled Ray as I let out a mournful noise reading this. How could this be? Like Chris, I can point to Clark’s as my first craft beer bar as well. And even before hitting the legal drinking age, I remember accompanying my dad and his boss to the pub’s upstairs for sandwiches—possibly THE BEST roast beef sandwich on the planet.

When you go to Clark’s website, similar information is posted, giving tribute to the loyal patrons of 18 years, and a slightly vague comment (at least to me, I haven’t been back to Syracuse since February): We apologize for the short notice but circumstances related to the expansion of the Landmark Theatre were beyond our control.

Finding another link in LaPierre’s blog took me to the Syracuse.com website, which shed some additional light on the situation:

A note to customers from owner Ray Clark apologizes for the abrupt closing, and says it’s due to the need for the Landmark Theatre, which houses the bar at 122 W. Jefferson St., to begin work on its planned expansion project.

Clark’s had nearly two years remaining on its lease, and Ray Clark had previously said he would continue to operate at that location through the end of the lease while seeking new quarters for his bar. The Landmark Theatre bought out the remainder of Clark’s lease.

“I and my crew would love to keep serving Syracuse ‘til the end of Clark’s legitimate legal lease — 8-22-12 — but I must do the right thing and not fight the troubled Landmark Theatre and let them go ahead with their massive expansion, as it should be good for Syracuse.”

For those who never knew Clark’s Ale House, you may be thinking, “Big deal … bars close all the time.” But Clark’s was definitely more than a bar to me. It was classier than any of the rowdy sports bars lining the streets of Armory Square—Clark’s has no TVs, no music. Instead it has some boardgames, dartboards, and one of the most beloved things to me: Wednesday Night Trivia.

See that chalkboard? That's where the scores for each round of Trivia Night were recorded. Team Beer Goggles might have been made up of a pretty smart group of SUNY Bport kids, but we were no match for The Librarians.

This is where I spent my Wednesdays the summer of 2003—planted in a chair on the “patio” sidewalk with the rest of Team Beer Goggles, going round for round in the weekly trivia competition. I don’t remember ever winning, but it was what made the week. I would squirrel my way out of Wednesday night shifts at Carousel Mall, just so I could meet up with friends, wrench my brain, and enjoy a pint of Lindeman’s Framboise or Woodchuck Raspberry Cider on draft.

True, these aren’t your typical craft beers, but for me, it was one step closer to where I am now. My friend Eric, whose brother works for Middle Ages Brewing Co., would almost always have one of their brews in hand, and I would always try it, from Wailing Wench to Druid Fluid (“Such funny names!”). And it was at Clark’s Ale House that I got to try Swallow Wit from Middle Ages during a release party. I remember trying my sample and thinking, “Huh…so this is beer? It tastes pretty good!” Then there was the night I won a Middle Ages raffle, with my prize being a 6-pack of their SPA (Syracuse Pale Ale). It was great to win something, but I had no clue about the beer (and how delicious it is!) so I passed it along to Eric. I know he drank it well.

Then, after learning about craft beer from Ray 3+ years later, I was even more excited to bring him home and take him to Clark’s. He reveled in the tidy, quiet British-pub-like atmosphere, the excellent tap selections, and the roast beef sandwich? He possibly died and went to heaven. This would become a place that was a must-visit anytime we came to see my folks.

Best. Sandwich. EVER. Clark's Beef & Cheddar Sandwich on warm onion roll with horseradish, spicy mustard and red onions.

But now it looks like our visit in February was our last. I remember we got to Armory Square early on a weekday, and headed straight to Clark’s. Ray’s beer was the first pint of the day, so it was on the house. We both ordered the roast beef and cheddar sandwiches and chortled with glee over the juicy meat and flavorful onion rolls. But it will be our last.

Clark’s, I raise a pint to you. You were ranked as one of the best bars in the country and effectively made Armory Square a better place to drink for 18 years. I can only hope that owner Ray Clark can find it in himself to relocate his red British telephone box (yes he had one in the pub), his taps and amazing sandwich to another location. If he doesn’t, Syracuse will forever be at a loss.

Such delight

Pubs 2 Comments »

The Great American Beer Festival: 3 days, 450 breweries, 2,000 beers. And when it came to beers that were judged, we’re talking about 3 medal types,  79 categories, 519 competing breweries, 133 judges from across the globe and 3,601 beers judged. Hot damn!

We attended the Saturday afternoon members-only session, which gave us the opportunity to mingle with fellow AHA members for 4 hours. You do no consume 2,000 beers in 4 hours; this is why many people buy multiple session tickets, but we felt one was enough.

Below is a list of beers Ray and I tried (alpha by brewery name); some breweries wowed us enough to try all their offerings, but usually we managed 2 per brewery visited. And we skipped any beer we have had previously.

1. Mo’TCHO Risin (21st Amendment)
2. Back in Black (21st Amendment)
3. Volksbier (Bear Republic Brewing Co.)
4. Cuvee de Bubba (Bear Republic Brewing Co.)
5. Le Contrebassiste (Bell’s Brewery)
6. Bison Organic Chocolate Stout (Bison Brewing Co.)
7. Bison Organic IPA (Bison Brewing Co.)
8. Bad Knees (Cambridge Brewing Co.)
9. CaCow! (Cambridge Brewing Co.) This was my first beer of the fest and it completely blew me away with it’s amazing chocolatey goodness. A strong rival to the pint of Rogue’s Double Chocolate Stout that I had Friday evening.
10. Arquebus (Cambridge Brewing Co.)
11. The Colonel (Cambridge Brewing Co.)
12. 1919 choc Beer (Choc Beer Co.)
13. Signature Dubbel (Choc Beer Co.)
14. Signature Quad (Choc Beer Co.)
15. Shillelagh Stout (Cooper Canyon Brewery)
16. Tamarillo (Dogfish Head)
17. GraintoGlass (Dogfish Head)
18. Canadian Breakfast Stout (Founders Brewing Co.) Woo-hoo whiskey!
19. Devil Dancer (Founders Brewing Co.)
20. Ad Astra Ale (Free State Brewing Co.)
21. Stormwatch Ale (Free State Brewing Co.)
22. Matilda (Goose Island Beer Co.)
23. Bourbon Country Brand Coffee Stout (Goose Island Beer Co.) BRONZE MEDAL
24. Colette (Great Divide Brewing Co.) SILVER MEDAL
25. Hades (Great Divide Brewing Co.)
26. Belgica (Great Divide Brewing Co.)
27. Aged Hibernation (Great Divide Brewing Co.)
28. Glockenspiel (Great Lakes Brewing Co.) A tasty weizenbock
29. Rye of the Tiger (Great Lakes Brewing Co.) A rye IPA, possibly my new favorite style.
30. Bourbon Barrel Stout (Green Flash Brewing Co.)
31. Le Freak (Green Flash Brewing Co.)
32. Maggie (Grumpy Troll Brewery, Restaurant & Pizzeria) Okay, so I had to try a beer that has the same name as my parents’ rambunctious yellow lab. Maggie is a double ESB that impressed both of us.
33. Iroquois Wheat Beer (Horseheads Brewing)
34. Horseheads IPA (Horseheads Brewing)
35. Hot-Jala-Heim Beer (Horseheads Brewing) I picked this beer up, but after finding the flavor to be too peppery for my tastes, I passed it along to Ray, who LOVED it. He found there to be a lot of chile aroma in the nose and a nice slow burn.
36. Blanche de Hill (Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant)
37. The Cannibal (Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant)
38. LeBleu (Ithaca Beer Co.)
39. Super Friends (Ithaca Beer Co.) Collaboration beer with Brewery Ommegang, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Flying Fish Brewing Co., Southampton Publick House and Valley Brewing Co., producing an American IPA fermented solely with Brett.
40. Wee Heavy (Mad Fox Brewing Co.)
41. Rauch E. Balboa (Manayunk Brewing Co.)
42. Tritessa (McKenzie Brew House)
43. La Folie Sour Brown Ale (New Belgium Brewing Co.)
44. Imperial Berliner-Style Ale (New Belgium Brewing Co.)
45. Garden State Stout (New Jersey Beer Co.) Ray was pleasantly surprised by this beer from North Jersey, his old stomping grounds.
46. Tread Lightly Ale (New Planet Beer Co.)
47. 3R Raspberry Ale (New Planet Beer Co.) BRONZE MEDAL
48. Green Menace IPA (North by Northwest Restaurant & Brewery)
49. Espresso Imperial Stout (North by Northwest Restaurant & Brewery)
50. Bourbon Barrel Stout (Odell Brewing Co.)
51. Friek (Odell Brewing Co.)
52. Woodcut #4 (Odell Brewing Co.)
53. Deconstruction (Odell Brewing Co.)
54. Coconut Porter (Pagosa Brewing Co.) The coconut comes out immediately in the nose, and better yet, it follows through for the entire time it’s in your mouth. It also tastes like real, fresh coconut, not some plasticky extract. Ray and I were both pleasantly surprised. This would make an excellent stout float. SILVER MEDAL
55. Soaker’s Stout (Pagosa Brewing Co.)
56. Poor Richard’s Ale (Pagosa Brewing Co.)
57. Milk Stout (Portsmouth Brewery)
58. Rye Not (Portsmouth Brewery)
59. Whipper Snapper (Portsmouth Brewery)
60. Gose (Portsmouth Brewery)
61. Bitto Honey IPA (Prism Brewing Co.)
62. Tea Party Pale Ale (Prism Brewing Co.) Ray tried to joke with the volunteer about the unfortunate name of this beer (brewed with tea), but got the surly response of “Not my beer” in return. Oh well.
63. Ugly Pug (Rahr & Sons Brewery)
64. Superfly Dunkel Rye (Ram Restaurant & Brewery)
65. Sunshine Nectar (Redstone Meadery) A lovely session mead made with apricots. Bright and smooth.
66. Nectar of Hops (Redstone Meadery) Yes that’s right, this is a session mead made with hops. The flavor is mellow and slightly sweet, and the hop flavor shines.
67. Black Raspberry Nectar (Redstone Meadery) Lovely purpley-pink and slightly tart.
68. Simcoe IPA (Rock Bottom Breweries)
69. XXXX IPA (Shipyard Brewing Co.)
70. Smashed Pumpkin Ale (Shipyard Brewing Co.) My first pumpkin of the fest … really knocked it out of the park with the nose and flavor.
71. Cherry Bomb (Strange Brewing Co.)
72. Cherry Kriek (Strange Brewing Co.)
73. Buffalo Sweat (Tall Grass Brewing Co.)
74. Oasis (Tall Grass Brewing Co.)
75. Munsterfest (Three Floyds Brewing Co.) BRONZE MEDAL
76. Bin ich schwarz genug fur dich? (Three Floyds Brewing Co.) This takes the cake for funkiest name. A decent Schwarzbier.
77. Butthead Bock (Tommyknocker Brewery)
78. Maple Nut Brown Ale (Tommyknocker Brewery)
79. TPS Report (Trinity Brewing Co).
80. The Flavor (Trinity Brewing Co.)
81. Old Growth (Trinity Brewing Co.)
82. Stop Making Sense (Trinity Brewing Co.)
83. Jewish Rye Beer (Triumph Brewing Co. of Princeton) Possibly the BEST rye we’ve ever had. It tasted like someone put a fresh-baked slice of rye bread in the glass. SO GOOD.
84. Flying Mouflan (Troegs Brewery) GOLD MEDAL
85. Northstar Imperial Porter (Twisted Pine Brewing Co.)
86. Big Shot Espresso Stout (Twisted Pine Brewing Co.) BRONZE MEDAL
87. Fifteen (Weyerbacher Brewing Co.)
88. Lima (Weyerbacher Brewing Co.)
89. Jormungandr’s Revenge (Pro-Am competition entry between Dogfish Head and homebrewers Kyle Kernozek and Michelle Dickey)
90. Red Velvet (Pro-Am competition entry between Eagle Rock Brewery and homebrewer Donny Hummel) GOLD MEDAL
91. Ryed Hard and Put Away Wet (Pro-Am competition entry between Rockyeard Brewing Co. and homebrewer Adam Glasser) SILVER MEDAL

This list doesn’t include the 2 beers we had from the Colorado Guild table (not listed in the program), but still, 90+ beers in 4 hours time. Wow. And a lot were medal winners (medals were announced starting at 1:30, so as winners were announced, suddenly those kegs were sucked dry).

We were floored by Jewish Rye from Princeton's Triumph (NJ represent!)

We saw a lot of ryes out there, which were fantastic. The sours were out in full force, with someone asking me “Are sours the new thing?” I’ve been on the sour bus for a solid 3+ years now, but I do think they are uncharted territory for some.

However, I have to mention Trinity Brewing: Almost all of their beers tasted the of the same sourness. And not in a good way. I actually began feeling sick to my stomach, and we were only 30 minutes into the fest at that point. Ray and I feel that something let loose through that brewery, rendering the same off, highly-acetic flavor in their offerings. It was a shame. But in better news, Ithaca Beer’s Brute took gold for the American-style sour, which made me happy. They’re a great brewery.

Cambridge Brewing Co. wowed us, as well as their neighbor at the next table, Portsmouth Brewery. And Odells…nicely done with your offerings!

Ray declared GABF better than SAVOR 2010, and in some cases I have to agree with him. SAVOR did not bring its A-game this year, which definitely brings it down a notch. Also, the space was a bit tighter than GABF, and open space is always a good thing to have at a fest. Nevertheless, we had a great time and will be back for the GABF’s 30th anniversary in 2011.

Breweries, Brewfests, Brewpubs, Craft Beer, Denver 2010 8 Comments »

First off, if you’re in Denver and you see a guy exclaiming every few minutes “Holy shit I LOVE this place,” that’s Ray. I have lost count how many times he’s exclaimed this and other devotions of love to the Mile High City.

Our vacation continues to be amazing. Friday we toured the Capitol Hill neighborhood and had coffee at Illegal Grounds before hitching a bus to Freshcraft for the Beer for Boobs Brunch that the Ladies of Craft Beer were putting on. Half of the ticket sales went to a local breast cancer charity, as well as the sales of discounted pints. Freshcraft is just shy of being a month old, and the breakfast buffet was nicely put out. I grabbed a can of Ska Brewing’s Modus Hoperandi, a 6.8% American-style IPA that hit the spot nicely. Ray was able to snag a bomber of Ska’s Nefarious Ten Pin 8% imperial porter (for only $3!!!). We enjoyed the patio, but were missing out on what was happening inside (mainly talking, eating, drinking and raffling). We chatted with one of my fellow LadiesOCB Micki and Craige, an east coaster like ourselves whose husband is behind the film Beertuality.

After hanging out there, we grabbed our GABF tickets from Will Call at the Convention Center and then snagged the light rail south to Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Distillery. Now, Ray will find some time to geek out about Stranahan’s, but I have to say, it was one of THE best tours I’ve been on. Our tour guide Kristin (or Kristen?) was full of info, and while some of us (liked Ed Stoudt—yes, we were on the tour with Ed and Carol and Randy Mosher!) kept asking questions that would have led to proprietary information being divulged, she shared everything she could about this most fascinating process.

We love Creedence Clearwater Revival

The tour concluded with a tasting, and even I was able to enjoy the vanilla and spice flavors (and I’m sensitive to most spirits). We decided to bring home a bottle, of which Ray was allowed to select his own after reading the labels. This is where the distillers have a little fun—jotting down comments, sometimes about what they’re listening to or thinking or doing. When Ray saw that label, he knew we had to have it.

After the tour we stayed on at the Rackhouse Pub (basically attached to Stranahan’s) and had an early dinner. My bison burger blew my mind, and the side of mac and cheese was decadent and perfectly portioned in a metal measuring cup. We caught the free shuttle back to the Convention Center, saw the mayhem as the second night of GABF began to start, and headed over to the Tattered Cover, an indie bookstore with a lot of personality.

At the Tattered Cover, we snagged a comfy couch, beverages, and settled in for a little relaxation time. Then, bringing the evening full circle, we met up with friends Jesse and Lindsey at Freshcraft for a pint and to chat about what it’s like living in Denver; they’ve lived here for over 2 years now, and are apparently loving it.

Then Saturday, GABF day, we started off with breakfast at Water Course Foods, a vegetarian restaurant that made me swoon over their homemade raspberry jam and biscuits. The NYC scramble I had (with sundried tomatoes, spinach, onions, roasted garlic and brie) was out of this world and the sweet potato home fries: YUM. Ray also had a scramble with carrots and zucchini and sheep-milk feta, and he opted to have the homemade bread, which had a wonderful beery-quality to it.

Then it was off to the AHA members-only GABF session. And you know what? That’s worth it’s OWN post.

Craft Beer, Denver 2010, Pubs, Restaurants 4 Comments »

As Ray snores gently beside me in bed, I thought I’d check in from Denver. We touched down Wednesday a little after 10 AM MT, wrangled our rental car and headed into the city to our budget hotel. They let us check in early (bonus!) and the room is small and tidy, with a decent AC and good water pressure (good enough for me).

Yesterday we parked the car in an affordable lot (almost unheard of in Philly) and headed straight to Wynkoop for lunch and a few pints. We sat at the bar and enjoyed salads: I had a smoked chicken salad with mango and hearts of palm, while Ray dined on a Buffalo taco salad in a crisp and non-greasy taco bowl. The food was excellent, as always at Wynkoop, and we had some phenomenal beers.

I started with Tut’s Royal Gold, an “Imperial Egyptian Ale” that is unfiltered, made with pale malts, honey, and a blend on ancient Egyptian grains and spices, like chamomile. The flavor was outstanding, and the beer was in honor of the visiting King Tut exhibit. Ray started with the Harvest Ale and loved it, but was further blown away by the Orville Belgian-style ale. He described it as plummy and a tad sour … it really knocked it out of the park for him. I had the London Calling IPA next, and then we shared a pint of the Silverback Porter on handpump (25% of all sales of Silverback goes toward gorilla preservation).

We wandered the 16th Street mall a bit, then headed over to the mecca that is Great Divide. We shared a table with a Ph.D. student (I think her name was Claire) and talked about homebrewing and living in Denver. 8 samples, 4 pints and one food-truck wood-grilled pizza later, it was time to go back to the hotel and pass out, of course, not without watching the first half of The Fifth Element first.

Thursday was welcomed with an outstanding breakfast at Snooze, best breakfast joint in town. They have an excellent system for doing 1/2 orders, so I had a 1/2 order of the Backyard BBQ Benny, which was housemade corn bread topped with slow-cooked Niman Ranch BBQ beef, poached egg, smoked cheddar hollandaise and diced pickles, and a single Machu Picchu pancake: quinoa and cornmeal with fresh blueberries, sunflower seeds, agave nectar drizzle and whipped butter. De-lish.

Ray dined on the Bella Benny, containing thin slices of prosciutto, brie cheese, and perfectly poached eggs on a house made English muffin, topped with cream cheese hollandaise, balsamic glaze and arugula, and ordered 1 pancake of the day, which was in honor of GABF. The pancake was wheat based, and had a Tripel syrup infused with orange. You could really taste the beer in the syrup, bravo!

We then walked all over the Cheesman Park neighborhood, took a nap in the park, swung on swings, made note of various apartment buildings, made friends with a baby squirrel, and basically had a great time during such a beautiful day. We came back, showered, then had an amazing meal at Jonesy’s Eat Bar, a few more beers, toured the North Capitol Hill neighborhood, then came back to the hotel with the full intention of going out to meet some fellow beer bloggers at Uptown Brothers, but that didn’t happen, and that’s okay.

Breweries, Brewpubs, Craft Beer, Denver 2010, Restaurants 2 Comments »

Ray received an email from Jake, one of the minds behind the very amusing graphic you see above. Jake explained that the graphic was created out of Colorado state pride and to commemorate the upcoming Great American Beer Festival, and would be honored if we shared it. So why the heck not?

Today we get on a plane for the Mile-High City and have a semi-busy schedule for the first few days leading up to the AHA members-only session of GABF that we’ll be attending on Saturday afternoon. We’re looking forward to visiting Great Divide’s tap room again, where this time we’ll be able to enjoy some food from Appaloosa Grill that uses some of GD’s amazing beers in the dish. Reading the menu makes my mouth water.

There are a ton of events throughout the entire city that I’m sure we’ll trip upon, but Friday morning is reserved for a very special event. Ray and I will be attending the Ladies of Craft Beer Beer for Boobs Brunch at newly opened Freshcraft. I’m excited to meet some of my fellow LadiesOCB face-to-face, and am even happier to see 50% of each ticket go toward breast cancer awareness. Aside from a stellar buffet, deals on pints and a great crowd, the sold-out brunch will feature special guest Sebbie Buehler—the face of Rogue’s Chocolate Stout. She will be presenting as an exclusive keg of Double Chocolate Stout to be tapped. Excitement!

Then after GABF, Ray and I have an entire week to play in Denver and the surrounding areas. We plan on going back to Boulder, possibly making it up to Fort Collins, and basically checking out all of Denver’s nooks and crannies (Thomas English Muffin style!), as we discover more about the city that wowed us on our honeymoon last year and convinced us it should be our new home.

Breweries, Brewfests, Brewpubs, Craft Beer, Denver 2010 2 Comments »

On Saturday afternoon I poured the heck out of Sly Fox’s brews at Geraghty’s Fall Beer and Food Fest, with proceeds benefiting the Burlington City Recreational Activities, giving kids the opportunity to be kids and play and keep them out of trouble.

I showed up, met Chris from Hunterdon and after listening to him rattle off a couple things I would need, I jumped right in. I iced my cooler coils and hauled the 2 kegs into a tub, icing them down as well. Everything was already connected, so I got a pitcher from the bar, cleared the lines and got my tap handles put on.

I was the very first table, with Yards to my right. Toby, Yards’ warehouse manager, was there with his girlfriend Maria. Toby manned the next tap handles down as a favor for Tröegs, while Maria poured for Yards. We poured ourselves samples to check the lines a little more thoroughly, and then settled in to wait for the brewfest patrons.

The turnout was pretty light—not what I’m typically used to. Lines were nonexistent, that is, unless someone took too long to make up his mind about which beer he wanted. I was prepared, informing fest goers about Pikeland Pils‘ GABF awards and its light, crisp taste (perfect for a day that was in the 80s and sunny) or of the new seasonal, Oktoberfest and its Vienna malts and amber hue.

There were a lot of Pikeland Pils fans (makes sense … it’s one of Sly Fox’s top sellers). One the slightly stranger moments of the day was when a woman leaned over the cooler and giddily whispered to me “This smells like pot!” I smiled, told her hops and marijuana are from the same family and sent her on her way. (I didn’t think the Pils smelled at all like pot, but then again, my senses are more refined in regard to beer aroma).

I had another woman come back to me for a total of 8-10 times, saying she didn’t like anything else there—that included Victory Hop Devil and Festbier; Southampton Publick House’s Pumpkin; Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin and Autumn Fest, and a lot of other great beers covering almost every category—literally something for everyone—but everyone’s tastes are different.

As a whole, the fest goers were 98% male, and the women who were attending typically made a beeline for my table and Pils. I had a lot of people look at the dark brown beer in my personal pint glass and say “What are YOU drinking?” I’d smile, point to Toby down at Tröegs and say “Java Head Stout.” I love that beer!

And so the afternoon went on. Ray stopped by and got to hang out—I even let him pour a few beers so I could check out what else was on tap. I had a great time, up until I went to get a taste of Southampton’s pumpkin. On my way there, a short, grizzled man stopped me, and informed me how disappointed he was in me and Sly Fox and how we didn’t bring our A-game. I pointed out this was a Fall fest, we brought appropriate beers. He wouldn’t listen, just kept complaining. I finally told him I was only a volunteer, a homebrewer, and I had no control over what was sent. That still wouldn’t shut him up. So I told him that if he didn’t like what I had to pour, he could just skip my table, because there were plenty of other tables to visit. Seeing that he couldn’t be reasoned with, I stepped around him, got my pour from Southampton, and went back to my taps. Man, there’s one in every crowd I guess.

While the crowd remained light throughout the afternoon, I had a fun time talking with Toby and Maria, as well as the fest goers. I even had one gentleman, a homebrewer with 23 years experience, say I sounded like I was part of the industry based on the discussion we were having about homebrewing and Stoudts and prices. I smiled at that. Maybe someday I will be part of the craft beer industry—I think that’d be pretty damn cool.

Brewfests, Craft Beer 3 Comments »

Man, Ladies of Craft Beer have kept me busy! I cracked open a year-old bottle of Stone Vertical Epic 09•09•09 with Ray the other night to see how No. 8 of this Vertical Epic Series held up to one year of aging.

The verdict: It did well. Read more about this Stone brew at LadiesOCB!

Craft Beer Comments Off

Tomorrow I will be representing Sly Fox at Geraghty’s Fall Beer and Food Festival in Burlington, NJ. How freakin’ awesome is that? Immensely awesome.

Beerlass and Sly Fox Beer Slinger Extraordinaire Suzanne Woods put out the call for help this morning and I jumped on it. The chance to pour at a fest? Excellent. For Sly Fox? Too cool. At a new pub that’s a 9-minute drive from my place? How could I NOT volunteer?

I’ll be pouring 2 of Sly Fox’s top notch brews (to be revealed later), and alongside me will be beers from the following breweries:

Allagash
Blue Point
Boulder
Cricket Hill
Erie
Flying Dog
Flying Fish
Hacker-Pschorr
Harpoon
Lagunitas
Lancaster
Long Trail
Magic Hat
New Jersey Brewery
Palm
Riverhorse
Smuttynose
Southampton
Spaten
Terrapin
Troegs
Weyerbacher
Victory
Yards

Brewfests, Brewpubs, Craft Beer, Miscellany 1 Comment »