Barleywine Weekend VI

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

What if I told you that you could:

  • Stay three nights in a 5 bedroom mountain home with a guest house
  • Sample 60+ beers over those three days
  • Dine on gourmet dishes, including a 9-course all-day beer/food pairing

It was a personal beer festival. How much would you pay for such an adventure? Over MLK weekend, 9 friends and I spent about $230/person to pull this off. All it takes is some creativity, a fearless sense to push the envelope of pleasure, sprinkled a little bit of work and preparation. I thought it was a deal. Hell, Savor in DC is over $100/ticket, and you’re only there for three hours.

Sausage pizza with pappadeaux peppers and basil

Friday night we started off with homemade pizzas on the grill. We had three different varieties: Margherita, homemade sausage with pappadeaux peppers, and the Figgy Piggy (figs, bacon, caramelized onions and arugula), all cooked over a charcoal grill. The homemade sausage was spectacular and won the night.

Our beer theme for Friday was saisons. We ended up sampling about 16 saisons while we ate pizza. My personal favorites were Foret and Odonata.

As with many weekend reunions with friends (think weddings, getting together with college buddies, or going to Las Vegas), I feel like I shot myself out of a cannon Friday night. I may have had a little too much of Matt’s homebrew before beginning the saison tasting, but Saturday started a little rough.

However, this was Barleywine Weekend, dammit, and I had 9 beer and food pairings to crush on Saturday. Four cups of French pressed coffee and a gatorade later I was back on my horse!

Such an excursion of culinary brilliance can only be explained through photographs:

Course 1 by Bobby Congdon

Sierra Nevada Porter pancakes with candied pecans, coffee whip creme & framboise reduction. Paired with Great Divide Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti.

Course 2 by Brian and Nicole Cendrowski

Scratch-made biscuit with goat sausage, a poached farm-fresh egg, and homemade goat cheese. Paired with Anchorage Brewing Love Buzz Saison.

Course 3 by Matt Schaefer

Country Captain chicken and waffles. Paired with Rodenbach Grand Cru.

Course 4 by Ed Westbrook

Red curry with chicken, basil, Water Chestnut III, onion and jasmine rice. Paired with Westbrook White Thai.

Course 5 by Bobby Congdon

Potato gratin. Paired with Stone Arrogant Bastard.

Course 6 by Bryan K. Smith

Caribbean beans and rice with fried plantains. Paired with Mad River Jamaica Red Ale.

Course 7 by Cristina Schaefer

Dan dan noodles (pork sauteed in bacon fat, ginger, green onion, peanuts, szechuan peppercorns). Paired with Victory Prima Pils.

Course 8 by Nicole Cendrowski

Chocolate bacon tart topped with toasted cocoa nibs and more bacon. Paired with Nøgne Ø Sunturnbrew.

Course 9 by Morgan Westbrook

Unfortunately, not pictured: Scottish sticky toffee pudding paired with a variety of beers and mead.

While every dish pairing was awesome (I’m not just saying that, they all really were delicious, no duds), I have to nominate the Porter Pancakes and the Chocolate Bacon Tart as my favorite pairings.

The Porter Pancakes had a lot going on, between the coffee whip cream, candied pecans and framboise reduction syrup, but all those flavors bounced off each other like kids in a mosh pit during 311′s Happy Slamdance Song (Do You Right) in 1996. The bouncer that restored order was the Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti. It was an intense delight to behold.

Then, toward the end of the night, when all palates were shot and you didn’t think you’d be able to taste a block of pure high-fructose corn syrup, in rode the Chocolate Bacon Tart on its horse with two Sunturnbrew six-shooters by its side. Holy smoke. A graham cracker crust with bacon crumbled into it, chocolate tart filling made with Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips, then topped with toasted cocoa nibs and more bacon crumbles.

The Sunturnbrew is a smoked barleywine from Norway, but not overly intense on the smokey side. The smokey-sweet intensity of the beer was a perfect pairing with the chocolate and bacon. It may have been the best pairing ever, and I give credit to Camron Read at the Greenville Beer Exchange for the Sunturnbrew idea. Home run, my friend.

After the saison cannon Friday night and eating food the entire day, Saturday night was a bit more tamed. I think lights were out in the house around 11 pm. It was a good night for rest and recuperation, for we knew what was ahead: Strong Ale Sunday.

The Duck and Strong Ale Sunday

This is an authentic Oregon duck. This was not the duck we ate.

I have long had an affinity for duck. Ever since I had my first dish of roasted duck with steamed buns at P.F. Chang’s many years ago, I have been drawn to this majestic amphibious avian.

Now, whenever I see duck on the menu when I’m out to eat, I must order the dish. It’s bordering on an obsession. So, it had to be that I would find a way to serve duck this weekend.

Me and my smoked duck.

My inspiration came when Bobby told me he was going to bring his smoker and was planning on doing barbeque pork Sunday for dinner. After learning that they sold frozen whole ducks at the Asian grocery on Wade Hampton (for only $15), I knew I had to bring it. We needed a smoked duck.

I grabbed the first recipe I found when I Googled “whole smoked duck.” The marinade included fresh orange zest, sesame oil, white pepper, grated ginger and salt. After sitting with the marinade overnight, the duck spent three hours on the smoker, getting up to about 160 degrees.

The sauce that went with the duck drew rave reviews. A hoisin base was combined with chili-garlic sauce (I used Sriracha, the best hot sauce ever), fresh cilantro and basil (basil was my addition to the recipe) and grated ginger. It was awesome.

To top it off, Nicole prepared a large bowl of Asian slaw with Ramen. (Unfortunately, the slaw is not pictured.) While not a pairing with beer, the slaw and duck was amazing, if I do say so myself. (Thanks also go out to Matt, who also brought his smoker, upon which my duck rested.) Duck, while already high in my esteem, has risen even further. I hereby dub it the official Fowl of Barleywine Weekend.

The beers of Strong Ale Sunday were so numerous that it’s hard for me to even recall what was had. Some of my favorites that I do recall: 2009 North Coast Old Stock, the flight of Westbrook barrel-aged tripels (four varieties aged in different types of wine barrels), 2011 AleSmith Old Numbskull, 2010 Untamed Barleywine, and the 2008 Dogfish Head Immort Ale.

I will admit, I only made it to number 17 of the 27 total beers sampled that night. The good news? I wasn’t hung over. At 35, any time I can avoid a hangover and still enjoy good beer, I consider that a win.

The Combatants of Barleywine Weekend VI gather around the beer bottle graveyard.

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A Beer Drinker’s Diet

Posted on January 3, 2012 by

I like beer. A lot. I brew it. I (sometimes) write about it. I drink it.

One of the questions I’ve gotten more than once is, “How do you stay so thin and drink so much beer?” Before this post turns into one big humblebrag, I admit that yes, I am a thin man. Glad we got that out of the way.

What I am not is a genetic marvel (I was a chubby kid and never made an organized sports team I had to try out for). I do not have monk-like discipline (I will have the occasional hamburger and piece of cake). I am not an obsessed fitness maniac (I have never completed an Ironman).

Shortly after graduating college, I weighed 183 pounds and couldn’t run a mile. I wasn’t in terrible shape, I lifted weights and played pickup basketball. However, I just didn’t feel very good about where I was. I felt soft.

Before - January 1998

I made the decision that I was going to change my lifestyle and become more active and eat healthier. I didn’t use any specific diet program, I just tried to take a common sense approach to improve my life. Over the course of the next year, my weight dropped to about 160 pounds, I ran my first half-marathon and could bench press 260 pounds. (At the same time, I was 24, lived in downtown Columbia and probably drank more than I did in college.)

After - July 2009 (As a bonus, I have amazing tan lines)

Over the next 10 years, I’ve been able to maintain what I had attained. I weighed in this morning at 155 pounds. At 34, I ran a PR in the 10-K Cooper River Bridge Run this past April, finishing in 45:13. A few weeks ago, I had a fitness assessment and came in at 10% body fat and could do 43 pushups. I’m not super-human, but I think I’m doing well for myself and I’m enjoying a lot of good beer in the process. As the saying goes, if I can do it, anyone can do it.

Since this is the time for New Year’s resolutions, I thought I’d share some of my habits and philosophies that I’ve used to stay healthy, feel good, and yes, enjoy my fair share of beer. My hope is that at least one thing will stick with you and help you feel even better physically and mentally this coming year.

Below, I have identified five key ideas that have helped me maintain my weight for more than 10 years while still being a beer “appreciator.” Notice that I’ll often use words such as limit, avoid, and in moderation… That’s because I’m not going to say you should totally eliminate something, or always do this and never do that. I believe most people fail in their changes because they don’t allow themselves any room for error. Don’t give up because  you had a piece of cake at the office birthday party.

Cut yourself some slack!

1. Calories matter, make them count

I’m a male, 35 years old, 6’0″ tall, 155 pounds. Roughly, my resting metabolic rate is about  1,700 calories per day. Figure I burn about 400 calories in an average 30-45 minute workout and other activities throughout the day. I estimate I’m working with about 2,100 calories per day.

I figure that I drink, on average, about 2.5 beers a day. I usually have two on weeknights when I get home from work, and about three or four a day on weekends (sometimes more if it’s a brew day). That comes out to around 300-400 calories per day from beer. If math isn’t your thing, that leaves me with 1,700 calories for food and everything else.

Think of calories like money in a bank account. I have a certain amount money to spend, so if I’m smart, I’ll spend my disposable income on things I really enjoy or that have special meaning, rather than waste it on frivolous things I don’t care about.

I try to approach food in much the the same way. I only have a certain amount I can consume.  The goal is to maximize the enjoyment & health benefit per calorie. I want food and drink that is high quality or high health. That means minimizing empty calories, so out goes the soda, candy, chips, mayo, fried anything, the artificial and preserved. I deserve better.

If I’m going out to eat, I try to pick the most interesting and unique dishes available. If nothing stands out on the menu, I’ll get a salad and save the calories for when something better comes along. Choose your battles wisely.

A few other tricks that I’ve found very effective when eating out:

  • Pick fun, new and/or expensive restaurants. Make eating out a special event, not just any old meal. (Goodbye, Applebees!)
  • Consider ordering an appetizer instead of an entree. They’re smaller portions and often more creative dishes.
  • If getting an entree, immediately draw a line down the middle of  the dish and only eat half. Take the rest home or let it go.
  • Spend the extra $2 and upgrade to a side salad instead of fries.
  • Ask to have the dressing or mayo on the side of salads and sandwiches.

2. Eat fresh

No, not Subway sandwiches. I mean load up on fruits and vegetables. You can eat them in nearly unlimited quantities. Throw in some whole grains, low-fat dairy (a little fat in your diet is actually a good thing), beans, fish and occasional lean meat.

My goal is to eat two pieces of fruit a day, either with breakfast on my cereal, as a morning snack or as “dessert” for lunch. I also try to make sure I have a salad at least once a day, either for lunch or dinner. Take larger portions of vegetables at dinner and smaller portions of everything else.

Over the past few years, Nicole and I have cut out a lot of meat from our diet. We’re not vegetarian, but we’re much more moderate. I’ve found that vegetarian dishes and recipes are often tastier than those that use meat. Many recipes use meat as a crutch to provide flavor, whereas vegetarian recipes have to be more creative, introducing a variety of ingredients, herbs and spices.

Eating fresh also means cutting out as much processed carbohydrates (including enriched flour, which is basically sugar) as possible. Limit pasta, white rice and white potatoes. Instead, try sweet potatoes, wild rice and beans. Lots of beans!

Now, I know some of you are going to say, “But I have an incurable sweet tooth! I can’t say no to sweets!” (Or fill in your vice…) Treat your sweet tooth like a heroin addiction. Go cold turkey for three months. Eat fruit instead of sweets. I guarantee you that at the end of your sabbatical, you’ll eat a candy bar or a bag of chips and it will be so sweet and heavy that you’ll feel like ass.

3. Drink a lot of water

Around the time I began my dietary revolution, I also made it a point to drink as much water as I possibly could. It’s gotten to the point where my friend Andy calls my water bottle my woobie. I can’t go anywhere without it.

The benefits of proper hydration are tremendous. Water is vital for proper body function. Among a plethora of benefits, it will improve your mental clarity, increase your energy level, and it will help you regulate your appetite.

What’s hard to believe is that most people don’t even know what it feels like to be properly hydrated. Most sources say you should drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. It’s also really difficult to drink too much water, so don’t worry about that.

These days, I basically drink three things: coffee, water and beer. (I enjoy milk, wine and gin from time to time.) I have my coffee in the morning, chug water throughout the day, then wrap it up with a beer or two in the evening.

4. Stay active

Everyone knows that exercise is important. I say it has to be a priority.

My goal is to work out six days a week. I alternate between strength training and running. It took me a couple years of starting and stopping to finally develop an exercise habit, but I cannot express how much better I feel physically and mentally because of it.

My workouts really aren’t all that intense. My weight and strength training workouts are about 30 to 45 minutes. If I’m not training for a race, I average 12 to 15 miles per week running.

I won’t pretend that I spring out of bed every morning ready to crush some weights or hit the pavement, but I always feel better when I’m done than when I started. Knowing the payoff keeps me going.

The key is to stay active, every day.

5. Listen to your body

A few months ago, I read the book The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. It’s a life-changing book, and I highly recommend it to anyone.

One of the central themes of the book is that we all have an “upper limit” of how successful we allow ourselves to be and how good we allow ourselves to feel. When we hit our limit, whether it’s feeling good in a relationship, being in good physical shape, or having some money in the bank, something happens to sabotage that good feeling or success. We get in a fight with our spouse, we break down and order dessert at Cheesecake Factory, or our car breaks down and eats all of our savings.

Our ceiling is determined by our self-image, the programming we received from our parents and all the other messages we’ve heard as we go throughout our lives. (Money doesn’t grow on trees… No one in our family is athletic… Just get a good job…)

It was after reading this book that a lightbulb went off in my head. Any time I eat too much or eat the wrong thing and I feel like there’s a brick in my stomach the rest of the afternoon, that’s my way of sabotaging my good feeling for that day. I deserve to feel good and I should treat my body accordingly.

Since then, I’ve started to pay close attention to how I feel after I eat certain foods, what time of day I eat, and how I feel when I have “just one more bite.” If I feel bad afterwards, that’s my body’s way of screaming, “STOP IT!”

A tip that my sister taught me to help avoid overeating is called the Oprah Sigh. You know how when you’ve had most of your meal, you’re getting full, but there’s a few bites left on your plate? You put your fork down for a minute and let out a long, drawn-out sign. That sigh is a sign from your body that it’s had enough and you should stop eating.

Listen to your body. Listen to Oprah.

Posted in Motivation, Practical Beer Tips | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Sam Adams Utopias

Posted on October 17, 2011 by

There are certain beers within the beer geek community that get our hearts aflutter and motivate us to camp out in advance of their release, as if we were Duke students who would do anything to get tickets for the UNC game at Cameron Indoor. They are institutions such as The Dark Lord, Sexual Chocolate, Pliny the Elder.

Among this inner circle of beer is the granddaddy of them all, Sam Adams Utopias. (I can only hope to someday brew a beer that inspires a video like this.) It is a pioneer into the upper 20s of ABV, before the BrewDog/Schorschbräu ABV arms race started debates as to where beer ends and liquor begins.

At 27% ABV and over $100 per bottle, this beer has become as much myth as legend. Having given up all hope of tasting such an elusive nectar, my friend Jake Grove, a writer for the Upstate Be in Anderson, sent me a text message a couple months ago: “you want to try sam adams utopias?” Uh, yeah…

After months of wrangling schedules, we finally got together last night at the Velo Fellow to crack this baby open and take it for a spin. Or should I say, get taken for a spin?

First off, the packaging is flat out seductive. It’s a bottle that looks like a copper brew kettle, complete with a sliding window that reveals an etching of Samuel Adams himself. It’s beer porn. It should be illegal. (Well, in some states I’m sure it is…)

Interesting fact I did not know until last night: Utopias is not conditioned like beer usually is. It’s uncarbonated and meant to be served at room temperature. Makes sense, since there’s no way you’d want to drink all that in one setting. Unless, of course, your typical autumn Friday night consists of a backyard bonfire started with $20 bills for kindling.

The color of the beer is such a rich, ruby mahogany. I’d paint my study with it. When you get within a foot of the glass, the first thing that hits your senses is alcohol. I’d recommend it for clearing up allergies and sinus infections. It is hot.

Once you get past the vapors, the aroma really opens up and gives a hint of the complexity of the brew. Vanilla, brandy, maple syrup and spice cake all intermingle at different times throughout the experience.

The initial flavor is uber-sweet and it has a mouthfeel of brandy. However, it’s much smoother than the aroma would indicate. Not much burn going down, but I would only take a sip at a time. There’s an abundance of dark fruit: figs, raisins, prunes. The malt flavor is intense with toffee and caramel. This is easily one of the most complex beers I’ve ever tasted. The flavors and aromas just kept evolving as we went.

While the Velo Fellow provided a fitting backdrop of an old-world pub, I feel like Utopias is best enjoyed in a plush leather chair facing a roaring fire in a stone hearth with deer prancing in a snow-filled meadow outside of a massive bay window amid the Canadian Rockies on the horizon.

(Un)fortunately, Nicole was called away on business and wasn’t able to partake of the initial tasting. I’m hoping that means we’ll get a call to Anderson so she can try it before the Groves finish it. After all, a beer this complex needs much futher study, I am all about education.

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American Grocery and Stone Brewing farm-to-table dinner at Greenbrier Farms

Posted on October 15, 2011 by

When you mix the culinary innovation of American Grocery with the wizardry of Stone Brewing and place it in a majestic setting such as Greenbrier Farms, you know something magical is going to happen. That’s what we have coming to the upstate on November 19.

I had the pleasure of making my first trip to Greenbrier Farms in Easley, SC last weekend for the wedding of my friends Nathaniel and Eliza. It’s a beautiful place amid the rolling hills, just 20 minutes from downtown Greenville, but far enough out to feel like I was in the countryside. The venue is awesome for a huge party or an intimate dinner, and we were treated to a gorgeous sunset.

It only makes sense, then, to have a farm-to-table dinner at an actual farm. Can’t get much fresher than that. Chef Joe Clark from American Grocery (my favorite restaurant in Greenville) is coming out to cook up something good. Chef Joe brings the thunder with creative dishes and a menu that constantly changes, so there’s always a reason to go back.

To top it all off, Scott Sheridan and Greg Koch (yes, that Greg Koch) from Stone will be there. I’ve been told Greg is bringing with him some Stone creations that have not yet hit the shelves. (I hope this isn’t like the time I heard the rumor that Dave Matthews was playing a surprise show at Captain Harry’s in Charleston back when I was in college.)

Tickets are $75 each. I’ve purchased mine, happy birthday to me! Nicole and I will likely bring our tent and camp out by the pond. I don’t want to over-hype the event, but this can’t not be amazing.

Posted in Beer events | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Beer Tasting at Refresh Columbia

Posted on October 6, 2011 by

For those of you in the Columbia, SC area, I’m emceeing a beer tasting at Refresh Columbia on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 6 pm. I’ll be one of the speakers, along with Nick Wilson of Half & Half design and print making studio. Nick designed these giant beer prints for the Columbia Museum of Art. He obviously knows his way around a pint.

I’ll be serving five “well-designed” beers of various styles, from light to strong and dark. I haven’t selected the exact ones yet, but rest assured I’ll bring out the good stuff. The meeting is free to attend, but if you’d like to participate in the tasting, tickets are $12 to cover the cost of the beer and snacks.

Refresh is a community of designers and programmers who are passionate about the web. Even if you are not “in the business,” the meetings are open to anyone, especially if you have an appreciation for technology, design or art. The meeting on the 13th will certainly not be tech-heavy, so don’t be intimidated.

I hope to see some of you there!

Posted in Beer events, Untamedbeer news | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Designing the Next You

Posted on September 2, 2011 by

As I’m sure you could deduce by my lack of writing over the past few months, but I’ve developed a serious case of writer’s block. I’ve had this blog for over four years, and I’m finding it difficult to come up with original article ideas and interesting things to write solely about beer.

I decided that it’s my blog, and I should just write what I feel like writing about. Much of my life does revolve around beer, so that will still be the primary theme of the blog, but I’m taking a page from the Sports Guy, and I’m going to expand my topics. I hope you don’t mind.

I want to share a short excerpt from today’s e-newsletter (called the Spark Plug) from Joe Tye. Joe calls himself America’s Values coach, and I find him to be one of the most positive and inspirational, yet down to earth, speaker/writers I’ve come across. He’s helped me keep the dream alive and stay the course in my own life, and I always look forward to getting his weekly e-newsletter. I highly recommend subscribing.

I’ve been thinking a good bit lately about how many people are wallowing in “these tough economic times.” Rather than looking forward to the immense opportunity the future brings, many people are trying to “recapture the glory days.”

There’s a new normal out there, and only those that can adapt will thrive. I found Joe’s article today to be especially appropriate.

Designing the Next You

I used to love listening to music on vinyl records, except the hissing and popping and scratching was really annoying.

Then they invented the 8-track, and then the cassette deck. The hissing and popping and scratching was history – and I thought it doesn’t get any better than this.

But then they invented the compact disc that never got torn and tangled in the player – and I thought it doesn’t get any better than this.

But then they invented the MP3 player that actually fit inside a headphone and played music while I worked out – at least until it stopped working – and I thought it doesn’t get any better than this.

But then they invented the iPod that would fit in my shirt pocket and contain ten thousand symphonies, oldies, jazz classics, and audio books – and I thought it doesn’t get any better than this.

But then they invented Pandora. Tonight I’m working on Spark Plug and while I work Pandora is trying to guess what music I want to hear next and pulling it from the cloud (whatever that means). And I’m thinking that it doesn’t get any better than this.

Until it does. And it will. And probably quite soon.

It’s a pretty good metaphor for the world of work – and more broadly for the work of creating a wonderful life.

In the daily papers, we read about the loss of jobs in our economy and, quite honestly, many of those old jobs are never coming back – no matter who wins the next elections. But companies like Amazon are still aggressively hiring – but only people who have invented, or reinvented, themselves as the sort of workers that can thrive at a company like Amazon.

The world of doing the same job for the same company for forty years is in some cosmic museum next to the 8-track cassette player. But the opportunities for everyday people like you and me to be able to do exciting things have never been greater.

So that raises the question: what are you doing to invent the next version of you?

Are you asking yourself life-transforming questions like this: What would you do if every job paid the same and had the same social status?

And then answering those questions by taking action necessary to move you in the direction of those dreams: taking night school classes, replacing cable TV with library cards, replacing credit cards with progress reports, replacing toxic emotional negativity with a positive, optimistic, and cheerful attitude about life?

Because if you keep getting better, so does everything else in your world.

– Joe Tye, Spark Plug, September 2, 2011

Posted in Motivation, Non-beer | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Tuthilltown Spirits offers homebrew-sized whiskey barrels

Posted on July 23, 2011 by

8-gallon whiskey barrel from Tuthilltown Spirits. Gnome not included.

Looking for a whiskey barrel to age your homebrew, but don’t want to invest in a 50-gallon barrel? Upon the recommendation of a man whose name I can’t remember from a recent beer dinner at American Grocery, I came across Tuthilltown Spirits, a small distillery in Gardiner, New York.

Tuthilltown is a small micro-distillery started in 2001. Their tininess is to homebrewer’s benefit, as they resell 6, 7 and 8-gallon whiskey cured American white oak barrels. I’ve been on the lookout for small barrels to age homebrewed sour beer, and this is the best deal I’ve come across for used barrels. (Now, full disclosure, my research usually lasts for five minutes, so there may be better deals out there. Feel free to comment if you find any.)

I recently ordered an 8-gallon whiskey barrel that Bobby C and I plan to use to age a batch of sour homebrew. We plan to brew the beer on July 30, so I’ll keep you posted as to its progress. The cost of the barrel with shipping was $162. I had seen other “new” 15-gallon barrels for around $200+, but that was almost too big for what I wanted.

Tuthilltown had the “Goldilocks” offer. It was just right…

Posted in Homebrew | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

wear your craft

Posted on July 14, 2011 by

Joe Hall (left) and Tanner Fritz, founders of Batch Apparel

How many times have we been in a bar with friends drinking a few pints, and sometime in the conversation someone has an idea for a new business or a product that will revolutionize the world, and everyone is like, “You should totally do that!” Everyone’s excited and your imagination starts wandering to thoughts of world domination and piles of cash. But then you start going through all the logistics and details in your head and you totally psyche yourself out. Idea fizzles, nothing happens.

Well, Tanner Fritz and Joe Hall were grabbing a beer after work at Olde Mecklenburg’s tap room in Charlotte about four months ago, and the ideas were flowing like the Mecklenburger. They both love craft beer and witnessed the craft beer scene in Charlotte blow up over the past few years. “Charlotte’s craft beer scene is growing just like the rest of the Carolinas, and we both found ourselves in it saying, ‘We want to be more involved in this, how do we find a way to take our social lives and do more with it?’” Tanner explained after he introduced himself to me last week. “Neither of us were much of a homebrewer, we figured that out. But we thought there’s no greater way to identify yourself as a craft beer enthusiast than what you wear.”

Unlike most, this was one idea that did not die. About a month ago, Tanner and Joe took that initial vision and launched Batch Apparel, a line of custom designed t-shirts that center around craft beer culture. Most beer geeks have a collection of t-shirts from their favorite breweries, but no one had developed a line of apparel that could be a common symbol to unite those that love craft beer.

“From an apparel standpoint, similar to what Life is Good did for outdoor, hiking-types,” Tanner said. “We realized there really isn’t anything that is appealing to a beer fan apparel wise. We’re going after more like concepts, what it means to be a craft beer enthusiast or homebrewer, as opposed to specific breweries.”

The guys began by working with local designers, printers and brewers to create a product that was high-quality, unique and true to the craft beer spirit. Building on the premise of how each batch of crafted beer is unique in its own way, Tanner told how part of the inspiration behind Batch Apparel came to be, “We were at Olde Mecklenburg talking about this idea, and we went to order more beers, and they were out of Mecklenburger, and we were astounded they were out… We loved that concept, and if we did these shirts, it would be some sort of batch process, like a real craft beer, where you can only get it for so long and it’s kind of painful because you can’t get it anymore once it’s sold out.”

Batch #1

Just like there’s a story behind every brewery and every beer, they wanted to tell the story of how each design came about. If you check out their website, they have a page dedicated to the evolution of each design.

In addition to the line of t-shirts, Tanner and Joe also plan on drawing people in through events and activities to complete the lifestyle experience around the Batch Apparel brand. Around the time the website went live, they had their launch party at Growler’s Pourhouse. The response was great, and they had about 250 people come out to support them. “The thought is to do four to six events a year and make sure it’s pushing a brewery and it’s not just about some t-shirt,” Tanner said.

I feel as though a modeling contract is imminent.

After we chatted, Tanner sent me a “Share Your Craft” shirt. I requested a medium, and it turned out to be a good fit. Shapely, yet not too tight. It’s very comfortable, good choice of cut and material.

The inside label doesn’t tell what the fabric is, but it feels like those new-fangled half cotton/half polyester t-shirts that are super-soft and feel like they’ve already been broken in for five years when they’re straight off the rack. This shirt will become a regular in my rotation.

As I was finishing my chat with Tanner, he summed up the mission of Batch Apparel, “It’s been fun. We get to hang out with brewers and go to events. It’s been a good time.” Keep up the good fight, guys. Crank out some good designs on comfortable shirts, and good things will happen.

Oh, and if you’re reading this, go buy a shirt.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Colorado… what now?

Posted on June 26, 2011 by

The Hot Dog King comes to Ft. Collins

In 1983, my family moved from Cleveland to Denver. I was seven years old.

My parents both grew up in Cleveland. If I count correctly, at least three generations on either side preceded them in Northern Ohio, before you get back to the old country. Except for my Uncle Dave who was in the Air Force and now lives in Columbia, SC, all of my parents’ brothers and sisters still live in Ohio. Looking back, it took some guts for my parents to leave all they had known for 32 years to embark on a journey West, just the two of them and a couple young kids.

All I really remember of my first six years in Ohio was playing River Raid on the Atari with my friend Eric, getting popped on the chin by a see-saw in kindergarten, and my sister falling off our second story deck when she was two, yet somehow landing square on her back in a sandbox without getting hurt.

I was a little sad to leave my friends Eric and Jeff when my parents said we were moving to Colorado, but I think I was up for the adventure. When we flew into Colorado for the first time and I saw the mountains as we descended into Denver, I was immediately struck with awe. I was amazed at how big they were. I’d never seen anything so magnificent. Instinctively, I felt a primal fear of those jagged, snow-capped peaks, yet even at seven years old I was drawn to them.

Even though we only spent three years in Colorado, the experience had a profound effect on the rest of my life. I’m still a Broncos fan, I love going up to the mountains and I enjoy cold weather.

Turns out I have another connection to Colorado that didn’t surface until I was in my late 20s: beer. All I knew of Colorado beer as a kid was the one time we went on a tour of the Coors brewery in Golden. The only thing I recall of that tour was that it stunk to high hell in the brewery. I didn’t know what was going on, but it wasn’t natural. Maybe that’s why I ended up waiting until I was 21 to drink my first beer.

My, how Colorado beer and I have both grown.

As fortune would have it, a few weeks ago Nicole and I went on a pilgrimage to the Mecca of beer during Craft Beer Week. As our plane approached Denver, I looked over the port-side wing and felt the same nervous excitement when I saw the front range as I did when I was seven.

The plan was to spend a few days in Denver seeing the sights (read: breweries) with our good friends the Harrisons before heading out for a mountain get-away at the tail end trip. The Harrisons are beer appreciators themselves, and Alexandra was in between semesters and had ample time to serve as our beer sherpa. In fact, the first thing we did off the plane was head to a downtown King Soopers to pick up some Deschutes and Odell’s.

Being mid-May when we left South Carolina, it was in the high-80s with the ever-present humidity. As we cracked open a couple Deschutes Hop Henges and sat on the front porch at the Harrison’s near-downtown craftsman, the sun was shining and it couldn’t have been more than 70 degrees. It was a little slice of heaven.

However, after that sunny afternoon, it must have begun the rainiest week in the history of Colorado. It rained at least 6 of the next 7 days. It felt more like spring in Oregon. But we wouldn’t let it hold us down.

Nicole and Alexandra drape themselves along with the hop vines outside of Odell in Ft. Collins

We visited Great Divide, Oskar Blues, Left Hand, Avery, New Belgium and Odell over the course of four days. Each brewery and tasting room had its own character, from the tour-centric grandeur of New Belgium to the urban warehouse feel of Great Divide.

Oskar Blues tasting room, also known as the Tasty Weasel, had pinball, shuffleboard and four skeeball lanes with 200-barrel fermenters in the background. I continued my cornhole spiral at Left Hand, taking a beating at the hands of Alexandra and Emmett. Odell had a well-polished tasting bar, no doubt inspired by the friendly Ft. Collins beer arms race with New Belgium.

My favorite brewery to visit was Avery. Their tasting room has a mind-blowing 20 taps and a cask, including at least 8 beers that I had never tried. I ran the gamut on the rarities and one-offs that I could not find at home. My favorites were their sour and a bourbon barrel smoked beer. All-around it was outstanding. I always liked Avery, but after suckling on the teats of the brewery, my esteem has risen to new heights. Thank you, Adam Avery.

The wall of taps at Avery

On Wednesday of the week we loaded up a rental car and headed west on I-70. After surviving a snow-storm, we emerged on the other side of Vail in Edwards, the location of Crazy Mountain Brewing Co.

We stopped in around lunch time with a French bread loaf and salami, grabbed a couple pints of IPA and enjoyed the view of the Vail Valley. We also had the good fortune of meeting brewer and co-owner Kevin Selvey and Crazy Mountain’s agent, Jay. Jay also happens to be the inventor of the beer buckle. And yes, I will be wearing one at Brewgrass in September.

Me with Jay, the inventor of the beer buckle, at Crazy Mountain

Our final beer stop of the trip was at Revolution Brewing in Paonia. After driving through a couple of broken-down mining towns that bordered on creepy, we came into Paonia, a surprisingly quaint and active town of about 1,000 people. We learned that in town there’s a cool bar that has live music on weekends, an independent movie theater, a farm-to-table restaurant, and a brewery.

About 20 minutes from our final destination in Crawford, we rolled into Revolution weary from five hours in the car. It was about four in the afternoon and the tasting room bar, which is in an old church, was already full with about eight patrons locked in conversation. I totally expected one of those scenes where everyone goes silent and stares when the outsiders come in, but everyone kept on rolling. We were greeted with a smile from the woman behind the bar and were served a pint of Colorado Red and Miner’s Gold.

Nicole and me out in front of Revolution Brewing with brewmaster Mike.

We relaxed for a couple pints and filled a couple growlers to take on to our cabin in Crawford. After all, we couldn’t risk being snowed-in for a couple days without some local beer to stave off the cold. It was still only mid-May, after all! (We woke up Thursday morning to snow. It was May 20. Didn’t see that coming…)

After nine days in Colorado, drinking some of the best beer in the world, immersed in the most gorgeous mountain vistas, it was tempting not to get on the plane Sunday back to South Carolina. I dreaded the warm humidity hitting me like a wet blanket when I got off the plane. However, I boarded the flight, knowing there is unfinished business back home. I have debts to pay and beer to evangelize. My people are in Colorado, but I’m a missionary in South Carolina.

I now understand Grizzly Bear. I’ve been to the pinnacle and as much as I try to cling to it, it remains allusive. Yet how can I go anywhere else and be satisfied?

Colorado… what now?

The view from our cabin in Crawford. It was amazing.

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Beer Dinner at American Grocery, Featuring GBX

Posted on June 21, 2011 by

American Grocery is one of my favorite restaurants in Greenville. It’s locally owned, it’s small, and they use local ingredients to make up an ever-changing menu. When I become independently wealthy, Chef Joe is the first one I’m offering a job to as my personal chef. His favorite animal is the pig. That’s all I need to see on a resume.

The “Grocery List” as it is appropriately called, includes tomatoes from Iszy’s Heirlooms, dairy from the Happy Cow Creamery, pork from Brickhouse Farms, lamb from Red Fern Farms, flour from Adluh.

Amidst this delicious backdrop, American Grocery hosted their first beer pairing dinner on Monday evening. Chef Joe teamed up with one of Greenville’s heavy hitters in the beer world, Cameron Read from the Greenville Beer Exchange, to match the perfect beer with the perfect dishes.

Here’s what they came up with:

Course 1
mussel ceviche, smoked paprika, pickled mustard seeds
Lindeman’s Geuze Cuvee Rene

Course 2
crispy smoked pork, summer bean ragout, sauce gribiche
Aecht Schlenkeria Rauchbier Urbock

Course 3
local lamb, preserved lemon gnocchi, dinosaur kale, marinated tomatoes
Westmalle Trappist Tripel

Course 4
chocolate semifreddo, coconut caramel
Weyerbacher Heresy

So, um, yeah. It lived up to the hype.

We arrived at 6:30 and were allowed to choose our seat at one of three long tables, community-style. First, a word on community-style dinners at restaurants. This is totally the way to go. The food and beers were great, and I’ll get to that in a minute, but it was the good company that made the experience a memorable one. We met a half-dozen new people, some of whom were beer vets, others just wanted to try some new things. Everyone was open-minded and we had a great time discovering, telling stories and getting to know each other.

Sure, you might sit next to some weirdos on occasion, but you just don’t have to talk to them. Odds are you’ll meet really cool people and perhaps make a new friend or two. That’s what sharing a meal is really about. More restaurants should do this.

Enough philosophy, onto the goods.

For the first course, Chef Joe was gracious enough to substitute beets in for the mussels. (The thought of eating mussels makes me want to gag. Gah!) However, my involuntary reflex caused me to miss out on a fantastic pairing, as the acidity in the ceviche would have paired perfectly with the acidic tartness of the geuze. The salad was still good, and the smoked paprika was a neat twist on the finish. I loved the geuze, but that’s a given for me these days. It was light, tart and dry, much like champagne.

It probably comes as no surprise, but the smoked pork was my favorite dish and pairing of the night. The pork was tender as can be, and the crispy breading coated the pork and gave it a subtle crunchy texture that separated it from mere barbeque pork. The choice of the smoked, dark, malty rauchbier with the smoked pork may seem like a no-brainer, and with good reason. The pork and beer pairing took each other to new heights, as soul mates who, while leading separate lives, achieved a measure of worldly success, but when together have the potential for world domination.

Moving on to course three, I was prepared for a small let-down. After all, where do you go from there? There was no such disappointment. Not when you have tender, local lamb with preserved lemon gnocchi paired with a trappist tripel from Westmalle that practically invented the style. The lemony citrus from the gnocchi, along with the vinegar spice of the marinated tomatoes and the richness of the lamb was accentuated exceptionally well with the fruity spice and intense malt backbone of the tripel. Well done.

For dessert? In normal-guy language was a chocolate brownie topped with kind-of frozen chocolate custard, coconut caramel sauce and cocoa nibs, paired with a bourbon barrel imperial stout. The use of the coconut in the dessert was genius, it totally meshed with the vanilla-coconut character from the bourbon barrel aging in the beer. A slice of nirvana.

My only suggestion for next time is to pour slightly larger samples of each beer. (Of course the lush would suggest that…) While I do understand we don’t want a bunch of drunks hitting the street, the samples were a hair on the short side, which meant that I had to ration my sips to stretch my beer through each course. Who knows, maybe that’s actually a lesson I should take home!

Overall, it was a delicious meal with thoughtfully paired beers in a welcoming atmosphere. Nicole and I had a great time, and we hope that AGR will team up with GBX to do this again.

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