Sonnett's Beer Blog

Evolving Taste and a look back at Brooklyn Brown

2012-01-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

Have you found that you tastes for beer are ever changing and evolving? Recently, I have found that there are certain beers and styles that I just don't like anymore. For example, last night, I had a Brooklyn Brown Ale, a beer that I hadn't sipped on in 2+ years. From what I can remember, I loved that beer. It was one of my original "Go To" beers when I started expanding my palette.

I wrote about Brown Ale back in 2008 and had good things to say about it.

Brooklyn Brown Ale. One of my original favorites right after college. Very smooth taste because of it being a brown ale. It is obviously closer to an amber flavored beer, which helps with it being less bitter than that of a pale ale. Easy to recommend this beer to anyone.

Who: Luke, Cathy, Angie
Where: The Comet
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

I can't say that I'd rank it 4 out of 5 today.

Maybe I can notice different flavors better now that I have been tasting and writing for 4+ years and I knew that my tastes had changed, but I guess I didn't think it was that radical of a difference. Last night I didn't think it was overly smooth and would add that there was a slight bitterness from chocolate or cocoa.

I would still rcommend this beer to anyone, but I would recommend every beer for everyone. It's all a taste preference, mine is no better than yours or the next guy. Last spring, my friend Trevor and I, did a beer tasting / tournament for some co-workers. We did the tasting around the NCAA tournament so we did 8 different styles and had one on one tastings with a vote and the round "winner" would move on towards the champion of beers! The beer that ended up winning was a beer style that I don't like at all, but I kept making the point that taste preference was personal. I guess the only difference is that I have tried more, so I know a little more easily what I like and dislike.

Happy Drinking!

What kind of alcohol do American's prefer?

2012-01-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

Cool infographic via Good.is – linky goodness

Cincinnati Bloggers Conference

2012-01-06T07:31:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to register for the 5B: Blogging Conference in conjunction with Cincinnati Beer Fest, February 11, 2012. Check out this link at Hoperatives for more info!

The 5B: Believers in Better Beer, Bites and Blogging Conference is just over a month away. To be held Saturday, February 11, 2012, 5B is a one-day blogging conference featuring sessions on beer blogging, food blogging and blogging in general and is hosted by Hoperatives in conjunction with Cincy Winter Beerfest.

Happy Drinking!

The illustrated benefits of beer

2011-12-29T06:28:00.000-08:00

Via the Beer Runner (via Belancio)

Dogfish Head Chicory Stout

2011-12-28T13:17:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas break, Cathy and I were able to sneak away to the Winking Lizard and grab a beer in between last minute shopping, eating, and family time. I was able to finally get a chance to drink the Winter seasonal from Dogfish Head, Chicory Stout.

This stout was very strong on the coffee flavor and the addition of the roasted chicory was a very nice touch. I do enjoy chicory brewed in my iced coffee and this very much reminds me of that. It pours a seriously dark chocolate color with a nice tan head. Smells were roasty, if that is even a word, and overwhelmingly like coffee (which is good in my book). The only thing that bothers me about this beer was the black licorice/anise. That is probably one of my least favorite flavors and when I get a taste of it, it takes over my taste buds.

I'm glad I got a chance to finally have a taste of this beer. Dogfish does a great job experimenting with flavors and isn't scared to take a chance. Since stouts aren't really my favorite style to begin with, I'll probably pass the next time I see this one.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy
Where: Winking Lizard
Price: $$$
Score: 3 / 5

Hemingway loved whiskey...

2011-12-28T10:57:00.000-08:00

Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.
– Ernest Hemingway

Craft Beer Heaven: the Borzone III

2011-12-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

The Borzone Flag

With the holiday season in full force, I thought I'd give a little shout out to one of my homes, away from home. My brother-in-law has one of the greatest home bars around and when we head back to Cleveland I always pop in to watch some sports on the big screen(s) and have a beer or 2.

Craft Beer!

Joe is a regular visitor to the blog checking in to see what beers I have tried and trying to find a few that I haven't to have stocked when I visit. One of our yearly traditions is the day after Thanksgiving. While most are out shopping for Black Friday deals, Joe and I sit at the bar and enjoy ourselves a long day of football and early season college hoops.

Big Screen behind bar

Joe has a great setup and can show multiple games at once. He has a huge HD screen behind the bar, a giant projection on the wall and a PC to show online games at espn3.com/BigTenNetwork/etc. He also is a collector of "mini" helmets and has the full NFL set as well as 99% of FBS college football schools. Each week he sets up the helmets based on the weekly match-ups! If you look close you can see the 2011-12 bowl match-ups.

2011-2012 bowl season

If you aren't into sports, you can walk around and check out all of the "Air Band" instruments or the home made bar top, constructed of old CD boxes from the 80's and 90's. There is even a tv in the bathroom so you don't miss a single play!

Air Band guitars

Bar top

TV in bathroom!

You can follow along with the Borzone on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/theborzone

Cheers and Happy Drinking!

Sonnett Beers Best of 2011

2011-12-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

A list of my beer highlights - 2011.

Going to the Oregon Brewers Fest in Portland
Checking out Deschutes and Full Sail Brewpubs
Laurelwood Organic Pale Ale
Deschutes Iversion IPA
21st Amendment Allies Win the War!
Firestone Walker Union Jack
The Market Garden Brewery
Home brewing
Queen City Underground Tour
Untappd

Allies Win the War!

2011-12-19T13:33:00.000-08:00

Currently in craft beer, there is nobody who can compete with the packaging of 21st Amendment Brewery. They absolutely understand how to design beautiful packaging and brew great tasting beer. So, take 2 of my passions and combine them and you get a great combination and currently one of my favorite brewers on the planet.

21st Amendment collaborated for the first time ever with Ninkasi to give us a fine English Strong Ale.

In a surprising turn of events, rival superpowers have joined forces to bring a beer of might to the world. According to top-secret documents, recently unclassified, brewmasters for 21st Amendment in California and Ninkasi in Oregon began their brewing careers together many years ago. The two leaders reunited recently at a secret camp in the Sierras to devise their master plan. “We are more alike than we are different,” said 21st Amendment’s Shaun O’Sullivan. “We must unite in our common cause,” added Ninkasi’s Jamie Floyd. The resulting collaboration, an ale brewed with California dates, an aggressive arsenal of all-Northwest hops and an unmistakable aroma of victory, deals a unified blow to unoriginal beers everywhere.

With the attitude of "us against the world" and playing off of their "rivalry" they came up with a killer concept for branding this beer. I love the 4 pack box that feels like a newspaper from the WW2 era and even changes the faces off of a famous photograph of the Allies: Churchill, FDR and Stalin to those of the brewers.

This is definitely an original ale and one I'm glad I was able to get my hands on. Do yourself a favor and pick up a 4 pack next time you are out. Pours a very nice red brew with a slight warm creamy head. There was a pretty strong hoppy flavor but is well balanced with the sweetness of the dates.

Happy Drinking!

Who: --
Where: Sonnett House
Price: $$$
Score: 4 / 5

Brewery Roadtrip: Market Garden Brewery - Cleveland, OH

2011-11-28T10:36:00.001-08:00

Beer Sign in the Market Garden Brewery

Over the Thanksgiving holiday I was able to sneak away with my brother-in-law Joe and head up to the Market Garden Brewery in the Ohio City neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio. The brew pub opened earlier this year (2011), right next to the West Side Market and also near the Great Lakes Brewery. It is worth the trip to downtown Cleveland for a few tasty beers and a really cool atmosphere. I think they brew some pretty distinct beers and are in good hands...

Brewmaster, Andy Tveekrem, has been a professional brewer for 20 years and prior to this venture has been the Brewmaster at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Delaware (2004-2009), Frederick Brewing Company in Maryland (2000-2004), and Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland (1991-2000) (Source: Market Garden Brewery)

Taps at the Market Garden Brewery

I was able to sample the Viking Pale Ale and the Festivus Ale (paying homage to the Costanza non-Christmas holiday in Seinfeld), "It's a Festivus, for the rest of us!". Both were pretty good choices on my part and I would love to stop back and tick off a few more for my beer list. My only concern about the beers is the number of beers on tap. While having a choice is a great thing, my worry is that with so many beers to attend to, does the quality suffer? I can't answer that question now because I've only had the 2 to think about, but it is a question that I will bring back with me on my next visit.

Festivus Ale

The brew pub is a re-purposed grocery store and poultry shop and the marriage between new and vintage is done right. It's pretty easy to see how this place could have been a hopping place to grab a beer back in Cleveland's heyday but yet still feels new and in the right place. I love that this is right across the street fro McNulty's Bier Markt and down the street from GLBC. I'm hopeful for another beer stop to make Ohio City a destination for craft beer (if it isn't already). Ohio City seems to be going through a Renaissance, much like Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati. What is old is new again.

Cheers and Happy Drinking.

Queen City Underground Tour

2011-11-16T17:07:00.001-08:00

Kauffman Lager Tunnels - Under Vine Street.

Last week I was invited to take the Queen City Underground Tour, from American Legacy Tours . This tour is full of Cincinnati beer history, and a definate must see for anyone interested in Cincinnati and or beer history. There was plenty of other information and history given on the tour, but I'll stick to the beer parts.

From 1870-1920, our Queen City was known as the Paris of the West. Full of entertainment, commerce, and of course beer. The Germans who came to Cincinnati settled north of the canal, now Central Parkway, and the neighborhood was dubbed Over-the-Rhine. 48,000 people packed into OTR (2.5 mile area) with 75% of the population German. Of course they wanted to bring a little bit of home with them to America, so they built saloons and breweries. There were 136 saloons from the Ohio River to McMicken which allowed for the citizens of Cincinnati to drink 2.5 times the national average -- close to 40 gallons a person (Man, Woman and Child!).

Pipes which carried cold water through them to keep the tunnels cool.

The greatest part of beer history in Cincinnati is that there are miles and miles of underground Lager tunnels underneath the city. The Germans brought there Lager beer with them from home, which has a sweeter taste and had a wider spread appeal and changed the landscape of beer in America forever.

As you may, or may not know, Lager needs to ferment at a much cooler temperature, and under the city the tunnels are a cool 55 degrees. If the temperature were to rise, they would pack ice and run cool water through the pipes to keep it cool.

Ramps to send kegs up or down to tunnels

Ramps and hydro lifts made it easier to bring the beer up and down from these tunnels. The downfall of the Cincinnati breweries started as nation moved towards prohibition. New laws made the business of beer that much tougher: Sin tax on beer and another laws made it illegal to brew and bottle in the same facility. These underground tunnels allowed the brewers to move there barrels underground and out of site of the law. Prohibition all but killed the beer business in Cincinnati and started the downfall of Over-the-Rhine. Not only were the brewers affected, but the barrel makers, the boats that shipped the bee. Most of those folks lived and worked in the neighborhood. Once the jobs disappeared, those folks had to move to be closer to the work.

Luckily for us, OTR is in the middle of a revitalization, with new people, rehabbed buildings and even breweries moving back to our brewing capital. Sam Adams home is OTR, Christian Moerlein plans to open a brewing facility soon and I can't wait to see what comes next for one of the great beer cities in the USA.

Happy Drinking!

Flying Dog: Snake Dog IPA

2011-11-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

There is something about the Flying Dog illustrations that make the beer desirable to me. That "Gonzo" attitude doesn't hurt either.

Snake Dog IPA part of the "pack" of year round beers served up by Maryland's Flying Dog Brewery. It's the hop heavy hitter of the bunch, but doesn't pack the wallop that her friend "Raging Bitch" does, but its heavy on citrus and hop flavor non the less.

Pours a light amber color, more on the yellow grapefruit side than orange. Slight very white head with some loose lacing down the side. Sweet Fruity / grapefruit combo aroma. High on the ABV (7.1%) but not noticeable in flavor. There is a fairly good balance between the malt sweetness and the bitter hop flavors. One of the smoother American IPA's out there, when comparing it to GLBC Burning River (one of my all-time favorites), it really goes down quite easy.

I feel that I should be drinking more from Flying Dog, but this past spring I got into a bit of a "fight" with the "Raging Bitch" and didn't realize she was 9-10% ABV and might have had a small (HUGE) headache in the morning.

Happy Drinking!

Who: The Crew
Where: Sonnett House
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Carlsberg Marketing Video

2011-10-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

Awesome advertisement.

Deschutes Iversion IPA

2011-10-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

Deschutes Iversion IPA from Bend, Oregon based brewer Deschutes, one of Oregon's finest craft breweries.

This was the first brewpub that we stopped at on our west coast tour. The pub didn't disappoint. We were able to sample a few beers each and had a pretty good meal as well. We choose this over scalping Timbers FC tickets, which was going to cost us close to $200!

Deschutes loves this beer, as you can tell from their description:

Paradise is stumbling upon our whole flower hop room and inhaling. Inversion IPA is as close as you can get without knowing somebody.

Enter, if you will, all the glorious aromatic complexity of the hop. This big, bold IPA's intense multi-hop kick gets a subtle dose of restraint from select Crystal and Carastan malts. For discriminating hop heads.

This was probably the hoppiest beer I had out west, as I wrote before, there American Pale Ale's tend to be a littler more like English Pale Ale's (sweeter and not bitter at all). The color was a pretty dark amber and had a nice creamy head that laced well all the way down the glass.

What sticks out the most with this beer was how smooth it was. It has some serious hop/citrus bitterness but the caramel malt pairing is a perfect partnership. Usually my favorite IPA's tend to be overly citrus and bitter but this one seemed to find that "paradise" that we are all looking for. Absolutely loved this beer, and recommend it to any and all beer drinkers (IPA lover or not!)

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy
Where: Deschutes Brewery, Portland Public House
Price: $$
Score: 5 / 5

Beer Infographic: How to survive Oktoberfest with your liver intact

2011-10-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

Check out this awesome beer infographic via: Accredited Online Colleges

Cincinnati Craft Beer Interview: Frank Coyne Home Brewer

2011-10-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

In this second interviews involving Cincinnati craft beer folks, I got a hold of Frank Coyne. Frank is a new home brewer (7months!) and has been a pretty good resource of information for me when I started brewing myself.

Name: Frank Coyne
Neighborhood: Anderson Twp
Number of home brews you've made/attempted: 4
How long have you been brewing: 7 months
Favorite beer to brew: Too soon to tell
Favorite craft beer: Too soon to tell, there are so many I haven’t tried yet. :-)
Untappd Handle/Name: Frank Coyne/fcoy2

What got you interested in home brewing?

Always seemed like fun, but ultimately it was because my wife was having a hard time coming up with a Christmas gift, so I suggested a gift certificate to the local home brew shop, Paradise Brewing

What was the first beer you tried to brew? Was it a pre-packaged kit? Or did you experiment?

First was a kit of Flat tire Ale, a clone of Fat Tire out of Colorado

How did it taste?

Very good, pleasantly surprised for my first batch

What are the resources you use for beer/brewing?

Paradise Brewing – the guys are very helpful there, and they have all the supplies and information you need. They also do live demonstrations on Saturday mornings of the brewing process, which are very helpful as well. Listermann Brewing Supplies – wider variety of supplies and kits Books
- The Complete Joy of Home Brewing (3rd Edition) by Charlie Papazian
- Homebrewing for Dummies Podcasts
- Beersmith Home Brewing
- Basic Brewing Radio

Have you experimented with any new flavors/hops/malts etc.?

Not yet. My plan was to do the first 3-4 batches through kits, then move on to clone recipes and modifications of recipes

Any funny brewing stories?

My one real mistake came during a brown ale recipe brewing. I had all the supplies laid out on the dining room table, and was doing the brewing in the garage. I had just added the malt extract and was getting ready to add the hops when I heard on of our digs start getting sick in the house. I ran in to get him off the carpet and outside (only made it to the kitchen before, well, you know). After cleaning up the mess and resuming brewing, didn’t realize until the next ingredient addition that I had forgotten to ad the hops. I tried to put them in and extend the brewing time a little to try to get some of the flavor in. The beer came out “OK” but not as good as my other batches. I actually found myself wondering later if it was worth some dog puke on the carpet to get the beer right if it ever happened again.

I’m still trying to find other “high hop” beers to mix this batch with when I drink it, but I refuse to throw it out. It’s not that bad.

Do you think you will continue to brew?

Yep, there is a great satisfaction from making your own.

Any tips for first time home brewers?

Be VERY patient, especially with fermenting. This is not a hobby for the impatient.

Here's is Frank's setup.

Obviously the burner is pretty standard fare. For a workspace, I used a metal and pressboard shelving unit, and used countertop laminate on the top shelf to give it some moisture protection. I attached two steel slotted angles to the back side, then a piece of pegboard and a shelf to the board. Pegboard hooks give me storage for utensils, and the small top shelf is ideal for cleaning materials. The workbench gives me plenty of room for storage underneath, working space up top, and is high enough to use when siphoning beer from one container to another.

I also added velcro around the workbench, to help keep light out when fermenting. It also helps to keep heat in (provided by a small lightbulb) during winter batches, when the basement gets too cool to maintain the proper temperature. I did my first batch in the winter, and had to try several different things before I found the best way to regulate heat

Thank you Frank and good luck with your brewing.

Happy Drinking!

Official Christmas Ale Release at Zip's Cafe

2011-10-03T10:23:00.001-07:00

Date: November 1, 2011
Time: 6:00 pm -
Zip's Cafe
1036 Delta Ave
Cincinnati , OH 45208
Phone 513-871-9876
Venue Website
http://www.zipscafe.com/index.html
it's not too early to talk about our favorite holiday brew is it?!

it may be warm out, but Santa will be packing up his sleigh with presents and making his annual appearance at Zip's!!! He and his favorite elf will be tapping the first keg of CHRISTMAS ALE at 6:00 sharp!

We'll be pouring other favorite brews to: Blackout Stout, Burning River & Dortmunder. Something for everyone!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Even the President home brews

2011-09-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

For his Wednesday evening beer summit with Medal of Honor winner Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer, President Obama served up some of the White House’s own homebrewed Honey Ale.

Full article here.

My First Home Brew - Rolling Pin Pale Ale

2011-09-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, Cathy bought me a home brewers kit. Since I love beer, she thought it was a great idea, and I agree. My first attempt at brewing my own beer started way back in July. The first thing that I learned in the whole beer brewing process is that you have to be patient. All of these steps take time, and there really is no rush to get to the next step. You really just need to let all of the science happen.

My first beer is a kit of American IPA from Listerman Brewing Co.

Step 1: Make Tea
Basically, you make a 2 gallon batch of tea. Fill a bag with grains, etc. and steep at 150-160 degrees for 30mins.

Step 2: Add Malt and Hops
Bring to boil, remove from heat, add malt syrup bring back to boil add hops.

Step 3: Boil add more hops
'nuff said.

Step 4: Almost beer...cool the "wort" (wert), add yeast, seal
Cool your wort (65-75 degrees), in a water bath. Then add yeast. Seal your brew.

Step 5: Wait for the yeast to do its job
Yeast turns the sugars into alcohol.

Step 6: Bottle your beer, wait some more
Wait 3 weeks, then bottle your beer. Wait three more weeks.

Step 7: Drink your beer
Yay!

So, now to the review...

Rolling Pin Pale Ale and American IPA.
It's definetly tough to review your own beer. But, I'm going to be honest with you, it's not that great. It pours a very nice amber/deep orange color and has a nice thick creamy head. I can smell the citrus and it's overwhelmingly malty and bready. While it has a nice flavor with some sweet undertones, it was supposed to be more bitter and an actual IPA. It tastes a lot like Bass or English style Pale Ale. I'm not sure where I went wrong in the brewing process, but I know something isn't quite right. I still enjoy my "bad" beer more than an American Lager, but it needs improvement.

Yesterday, I brewed a second batch of beer and hopefully it turns out better. I was way more careful with temperatures and paid more attention to all of the little details that I may have missed out on this first time around.

I did keep notes of both brews, so I can look back and see how it turns out and compare there.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Myself
Where: Home
Price: --
Score: 2 / 5

Big Band & Bigger Beer Tasting

2011-08-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

We just bought our tickets for this event. I don't know what beers are going to be available, but I know that Dutch's has a huge selection. So if they are providing, I'm sure there will be some great beers to choose from.

Big Band & Bigger Beer
Ault Park, Sept. 1, 2011
Back again and better than ever! The amazing & talented 17-piece Jump n' Jive Show Band takes the stage at 7 p.m. Beer tasting (21 and over) is $20 per person in advance ($25 at the event if available) and includes 20 tastings from a selection of 75 different beers from 25 brewers.
Tickets can be purchased at http://www.aultparkac.org.
Additional food and drinks available for purchase, listening to the awesome music in the beautiful Ault Park -- free! Proceeds from this event benefit the care and maintenance of Ault Park as well as the Cincinnati Music Foundation.
WHAT: LIVE MUSIC & BEER TASTING

17 piece Jump n' Jive Show Band (music and fun is free!)

Beer Tasting - Tickets are limited and include 20 tastings from a selection of 75 different beers from 25 brewers. Tickets are available for purchase at www.aultparkpac.org and are $20 in advance or $25 at the door if still available.

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011, 6:30 to 10 p.m. (rain or shine!)
WHERE: Ault Park Pavilion
Special thanks to Dutch's Bar & Bottle Shop, Cavalier Distributing, Premium Beverage Supply, Avalanche Ice, and Aranzamendez Design for sponsoring this event. To purchase tickets, look at a full list of all APAC sponsored events and a list of "100 Things to Do in Ault Park," go to www.aultparkac.org.

Happy drinking! And I hope to see you there.

Maple Bacon Porter?

2011-08-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

News out of Portland, Oregon.
Rouge to team with Voodoo Doughnuts to produce a Maple Bacon Porter. Cathy said, "sounds gross". I think that it sounds pretty tasty, I could probably split one with someone. I usually don't get excited for gimmick beers, but since I've tasted this doughnut from Voodoo, I'm intrigued.

10 ingredients
Great Western 2 Row, Chocolate, Black, Biscuit
Maple syrup, apple smoked bacon, vanilla beans, vanilla extract
Pacman yeast, Free range coastal water.

Availability: 750ml bottles
5.6% ABV (13 plato / 2.5)

Original Article from Beer Street Journal

Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde Summer Brew

2011-08-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde Summer Brew from Portland based brewer Widmer Brothers, one of Portland's first craft breweries.

When we were up in the NorthWest, I was trying as many different beers that I could, since most of my choices aren't available back in Ohio. Widmer Brothers offers a 12 pack sampler with 4 different beers to try, so that makes buying at the beer store much easier (and cheaper!).

This was very similar to Bell's Oberon. Slight cloudy appearance with some off white lace. Smells of citrus (duh!), grainy/grassy, you can very much smell that this is a smooth light summer beer.

Very smooth, crisp, citrusy and session-able. Not much bitterness though, which was a surprise because of the overwhelming citrus smell. Completely what I was looking for on a nice warm summer evening. By this time I was sick of pale ale's and this thing really hit the spot.

Now, every time I sit down to write or think about our amazing vacation, I get a little bit sad that I can't experience some of these great beers all year round. But, I think it makes me appreciate them that much more. We will be back to the great state of Oregon someday, but until then, I can hope that some of these beers will find there way into Ohio.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy
Where: Lake Quinault, WA (home to the Roosevelt Elk!)
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Cincinnati Craft Beer Interview: Lindsey Bonadonna the CraftBeerMaven

2011-08-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

In my first of a series of interviews involving Cincinnati craft beer folks, I was able to score an interview with Eastern Region Vintage Ale Market Manager for Goose Island, Lindsey Bonadonna, aka the CraftBeerMaven. You may recognize her from one of the many craft beer events she puts on in our region especially in Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati. Check out her facebook fan page to see where she'll be next!

Name: Lindsey Bonadonna
Neighborhood: East Side Cincinnati (Amelia)
Job Title: Eastern Region Vintage Ale Market Manager
Years in Beer Industry: 4
Untappd Handle/Name: CraftBeerMaven
Beer Blog/Website: craftbeermaven.tumblr.com (going live soon!)
Facebook Group: Goose Island Fans in Ohio/Goose Island Fans in Kentucky
Twitter: @craftbeermaven

What got you interested in craft beer?

I totally fell into it! I managed a bar in Findlay, Ohio (Nino's) & was incredibly intrigued by the Goose Island Kilgubbin Ale label (honestly, I thought the Goose was cute) & cracked it open one night - I was blown away that beer could taste like that! My second craft beer was Sierra Celebration Ale, Sierra Bigfoot & Houblon Choufe.

I was offered a position with the local Anheuser-Busch distributor as their Import, Craft & Specialty Rep & I really credit them with assisting me in discovering my passion for craft beer - they sent me to ALOT of classes, breweries, etc & needless to say, I was hooked!

How did you land with Goose?

I was with my wholesaler for a total of 2 years & after my 1st year we started distributing Goose Island - I was THRILLED! I built a relationship with the Eastern Regional Director & even though I LOVED working on the wholesale side, I told him "hey, if anything ever opens up, let me know". And eventually, it did. I started off as a Brewery Rep for Ohio/Kentucky & have recently been promoted to a Regional Vintage Ale Market Manager covering Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana.

What are you favorite parts of the beer industry?

The passion, comraderie, innovation, creativity & excitement & of course, the beer : )

What are the resources you use for beer/brewing?

Everyone around me! I am blessed to have any incredible group of beer people in my life that I am always harassing for knowledge & insights. I am also studying to prepare in taking the 2nd level Cicerone exam in the Winter.

I've recently started homebrewing & am absolutely loving that entire process. I wish I had the time to do it more! I've also been trying to spend more time at Rivertown Brewery to learn the more of the production side of the business.

Favorite craft beer?

That is like asking a parent who their favorite kid is! It truly depends on the occasion. Lately, i've been ALL about Belgian Sours & exploring all I can in that style. My current faves are Drie Fonteinen Schaerbeeske Kriek, Goose Island Juliet & anything Cantillon.

Any funny beer stories?

Too many to count! I think one of my favorites is when I had someone rudely question if I even liked beer because I'm a female & "looked like a wine drinker". Needless to say, that was met with quite a bit of laughter!

Any tips for new craft beer drinkers?

Try everything you can get your hands on! There are so many styles, tastes & flavors available right now that there is truly a beer for everyone. If you don't like one, try another!

Favorite Brewery (other than Goose!)?

There are SO many…I'll do my top 6 that are currently on my obsession list (in no particular order):

Founders
Goose Island (duh! I wouldn't work for them if I didn't love them)
Rivertown Brewery
Pretty Things
The Bruery
Rockmill Brewery

Anything else to add?

We are in the middle of such an EXCITING time in craft beer, educate yourself, explore, share & TRY NEW THINGS! Continue to discover new beers, beer & food pairings, beer & cheese pairings & even try cooking with beer if you haven't before. What makes us unique as individuals does not make us better than the next person, just different. – Take this approach with beer and do not limit yourself to one category & keep an open mind. To me, it is not a matter of who does what "better", but that what they do is done well.

A big thank you to Lindsey for taking time out of her busy schedule for this interview.

Happy Drinking!

BridgePort Blue Heron Pale Ale

2011-08-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

Blue Heron Pale Ale from Portland based brewer BridgePort

Our heritage beer, Blue Heron, was first brewed in 1987 as a special release for the Audubon Society, and named after Portland’s official city bird. The taste reflects its Northwest roots, drawing on indigenous ingredients from the hop fields of the Willamette Valley and the barley fields of the high Northwest desert.

I picked this beer out because when I was looking at cycling shirts when we were in Portland, I didn't feel that I could wear the shirt if I hadn't tried the beer!

This very much represents the NorthWest, style, taste and color that you get in these regional American Pale Ale brews. Light copper color and very clear, can see through the glass easily. Slight white lacing. Super malt/bread smell and the taste coincides with the aroma. Very easy and light flavor of malt, earthy with some slight citrus (bitterness is almost completely non-existent).

Honestly, it took me a few different APA beers to figure out this NW style, the local ingredients are very different than those from the Midwest American Pales that I am used to.

All in all this was a pretty good beer and easy to drink. I would love to be able to bring this one home and use it as a gateway beer for my non craft beer drinking friends. Lots of flavor, not filling, not bitter! Great for a newbie! I don't give out many 5 / 5's but I think this one deserves it based on being the beer that finally made me "get" the NW style.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy
Where: Seaside, OR
Price: $$
Score: 5 / 5

The great Northwest: Oregon, Washington and Beervana

2011-08-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

Mt. Hood - Oregon

Cathy and I just returned from a 10 day trip to Portland, OR and Seattle, WA (and everywhere in between!). What a great trip filled with a lifetime full of memories, beers, people and beautiful scenery. We landed in Portland, Oregon late Friday night and made it to the hotel around 12am (or 3am our time), so we hit the sack and headed out early Saturday to experience all that Beervana had to offer.

Beervana - was a phrase coined in Oregon to describe the burgeoning craft beer movement that had taken hold here in the 1980s. And indeed, it's an apt description, as those who are actively involved in the beer community think of it a near-religious experience to make and enjoy well-made brew.
But Beervana also describes the transcendent union of climate and environment which makes Oregon the home to great hops growing and affords the brewmasters the highest quality water.
http://www.opb.org/programs/oregonexperiencearchive/beervana/

The day was filled with a self guided walking tour of Portland (museums, shops, nature, etc.) finally ending with an attempt to go to the 24th annual Oregon Brewer's Festival. Bad mistake... There were 85 beer vendors at the festival and each had a line 100+ deep to get a beer. WOW! So we decided to come back to the festival on Sunday afternoon, hoping for smaller crowds.

We decided to try Deschutes Brewery for a few beers and dinner, and on our walk to the Public House, we stopped along the way to have a beer or 2...

Oregon Beer is good...

at the Deschutes Brewery

The next afternoon we headed back to the Oregon Brew Fest and thankfully, the crowds were way smaller and we could enjoy the beers and the beautiful weather. Over the course of the afternoon we were able to try around 12 different beers each (don't worry, we only did 3-4oz tastings and not full beers...). Each beer that we tasted was something new to us and something we are not able to have back in Ohio, so needless to say, my Untappd account was busy.

My guess is that there was easily over 100,000 people who visited this festival over the 3+ days. It was so busy, that many of the brewers ran out of beer on Saturday afternoon and had to restock for the full day on Sunday! We had such a good time, that I might try to talk Cathy into going back again next year.

When our busy 2+ days in Portland were up, we picked up a rental car and headed east towards Mt. Hood and the Columbia River gorge -- good decision. Again, great scenery and great beer was enjoyed. We stopped at Full Sail for lunch and was able to get a few pub exclusive beers and a nice view of the Columbia River.

at Full Sail Brewery

After lunch we drove the "Fruit Loop" a 35 mile stretch of road that heads towards Mt. Hood and had over 10 different fruit farms for visitors to stop and take in scenic views of the mountain and buy fresh cherries, apples and ciders.

Our next destination was the Oregon coast. Small little tourist towns blanket the coastline and the drive between the Clatsop and Tillamook State Forests was pretty amazing.

Horsetail Falls

While there weren't the crazy amount of breweries on the coast as are in Portland, the beer culture is still very strong. I only remember seeing a few places with AB-InBev products to drink, most everywhere served local craft beers, which is awesome to see. I think that everywhere we stopped, we were able to try a new and different beer from the stop before. Now, it may seem like all we were doing was drinking beers (we sort of were) but in between we were hiking, biking, reading and eating our way from Portland to Seattle.

Our next stop took us to tiny Lake Quinault Resort for a few nights stay and a trip to the Hoh Rainforest (yeah, we have rainforests in NW USA!). We were able to meet some really fantastic folks who run the resort, as well as, another family visiting for the weekend. We were able to share dinner with them both nights we stayed, and Cathy even "traded" Facebook links with them! We toasted to #IPADay (quietly to ourselves), as our new friends were drinking Coors Light and Tecate! To each his own, I say!

Lake Quinault

A few relaxing days helped refresh us for the crazy tourist area and final destination: Seattle.

We filled our last few days away from home by checking out the Public Market, eating a lot of fish, hunting for ghosts and trying to explore all that Seattle had to offer us. Although, I think I would say that the best time we had in Seattle, was when we left Seattle... and ferried out to Bainbridge Island and caught a few beers on the patio at the local waterfront restaurant.

Market Ghost Tour

I would recommend Portland and the Northwest to any craft beer drinker. I think that they truly embrace the craft beer culture and it is rivaled by no other place at this time. We have been to Asheville, NC (the other beer-centric city) many times, but I have never experienced the full on culture and embrace of craft brewing like in Portland (it is definitely there in Asheville, I just think it is on a way smaller scale). It really is embedded into Portland and is part of what makes that city great.

Cheers and Happy Drinking.