Prepare Thyself For a Beer Festival

Posted on February 21, 2011 by

In four and half days I will be at my personal Daytona Super World Series Cup of beer festivals. I speak of Brewvival. I was at the inaugural festival last year, and it was the most exceptional collection of rare beer that I’ve had the pleasure of sampling.

Needless to say, I’m excited about this Saturday. This year should be even better. The weather forecast looks good and the beer list already has me buzzed. It’s going to be a fantastic day.

Aside from all the rare treats that I’ll get to sample, one of the most exciting aspects of going to this year’s festival is that one of my longtime friends, The Beave, and his wife Meredith will be coming with us. This is their first-ever beer festival. I remember my first beer festival… barely…

What a first-time. This is the beer equivalent to loosing your virginity to Brooklyn Decker. I’m not sure any other festivals will ever measure up for them.

So, it got me thinking, what advice would I give first time beer festival goers? There are four key things to keep in mind in preparing to attend a festival:

1. Hydration is key, bring a hydration pack if you have one

Brewvival is a six-hour affair. These are big beers. You will get hammered much faster than you think, especially as you get caught up in the festivities. You need to make sure you’re paced and hydrated enough to make it all six hours. Don’t be that guy passed out face-down in a field.

Many of the smaller, outdoor festivals will allow you to bring in your own water bottles or hydration packs. Having plenty of water easily accessible is crucial, especially if there aren’t a lot of water stations around the festival area.

I always recommend drinking a swallow or two of water between samples. Not only does it help keep you hydrated, but it cleanses the palate, getting you ready for your next beer. Obviously, check the festival’s website or FAQ and see if there are any restrictions about what you’re allowed to bring in.

2. Pretzel necklaces are the crown jewels of beer festivals

We all know what happens when you drink beer on an empty stomach. Well, imagine drinking for six hours on an empty stomach. Bad things.

Since the dawn of agriculture and domesticated grains, man has known of the alcohol-absorbing power of bread. I don’t want to be the asshole carrying around a loaf of bread at a beer festival. Instead, wear a band of pretzels around your neck! It’s the coolest and will supply you with a steady stream of spongy carbs to keep you going all afternoon.

Pretzel necklaces are the perfect accessory for the beer connoisseur.

3. Know the lay of the land

Do a little homework before the festival. If it’s posted, check out the beer list, or at least the list of breweries that will be there. Mark the beers you want to be certain you try. Often, the rare or one-time beers will be in limited supply. You want to hit those first so you don’t miss out.

Other things to remember:

  1. Determine if food is provided or available for purchase. Pretzels only go so far. Bring some cash for a substantial meal or snack if food is not complimentary.
  2. If the festival is outside, wear sunscreen. Hungover and sunburned is not a badge of honor, it’s dumb.
  3. Wear an abnormal hat. It will make your day more fun.

4. Arrange transportation before the festival

Trust me, you’re going to be more hammered than you think. Even with small, four-ounce samples, if you try 25 beers, which is not too difficult in six hours, that’s the equivalent of eight beers. I don’t know about you, but that’s a lot for me.

It’s best to have your transportation arranged before the festival, when you are at least somewhat coherent. Do not trust yourself post-festival. Coherence will be a scarce commodity. Make sure you make it back to tell your friends about all the crazy stuff you did at the festival.

These guys didn't arrange a ride home.

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

The Beer Exchange Comes to Greenville

Posted on January 31, 2011 by

That's my bike.

In November 2008, Scott Shor and Rich Carley opened the Charleston Beer Exchange. It was the first of its kind in South Carolina, a retailer totally dedicated to craft beer. Two years later, the store is ranked as the #2 beer retailer in the world for 2011 according to Ratebeer.com.

That is an amazing accomplishment. Greenville shall now reap the benefits of their expertise.

On December 31, 2010, the Greenville Beer Exchange opened its doors, a mere seven hours before the dawn of 2011. “It took us longer than we thought, but we were bound and determined to open in 2010,” Rich told me while working the Greenville store earlier this month on the Monday night of the Great Snowstorm of ’011, while most of the city was shut down. “We can’t afford not to be open.”

Co-owner Rich Carley explains how awesome this beer is to a couple customers in the "far-out beer wing." Only one of the customers is visible, but there were two. The other one was a lot smaller than the nearer guy.

That night Nicole and I stopped in after having dinner at Barley’s, which is adjacent to the GBX, a very convenient pairing for beer aficionados. We picked up 2007 and 2008 vintages of Rodenbach Oak Aged Flanders Red. Yes, they were both amazing.

Cameron fills a growler of Ommegang Zuur for me from among the 16 taps.

It’s those type of rarities that the guys at the Beer Exchange bring to the table. In addition to the extraordinary variety of bottles, they have 16 taps to fill growlers. You heard me. Sixteen.

Scott and Rich took all that they learned opening the Charleston store and put it into the Greenville location. It’s a bigger store and has more taps than Charleston. And while they aren’t doing any events yet, they do have plans to do beer tastings and rare beer events as they do in Charleston.

Rich is working the store for the next few weeks while they get everything settled. After that, they are turning the store over to Cameron Read, the general manager, and Zach Shollenberger.

While Cameron and Zach have big shoes to fill, I think they’ll be ok. After all, Cameron recommended the Rodenbach and that was a hit. He’s off to a good start in my book.

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Barleywine Weekend V

Posted on January 23, 2011 by

The view from the back deck of this year's Barleywine Weekend mountain house

I love hanging around “beer people.” Not only are beer people generally laid back, friendly and helpful, they rarely settle for the status quo. Whether it’s pushing the envelope while brewing or searching for their next favorite beer, they are never content to let things get stagnant.

There is also a point in time when beer people realize that beer is not only great on it’s own, it is even better with food. I’m not talking about beer and pizza. I’m talking about a Flanders Red with a goat cheese omelet. Crazy stuff that pushes the imagination and the palette to new heights and experiences.

That brings me to Barleywine Weekend V. Over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, Nicole and I were honored to be invited to attend a long weekend with beer-loving friends in the mountains. The tradition started five years ago when a small group of hard-core beer geeks wanted to have a weekend centered around an under-appreciated style of beer; they chose barleywine.

The general format of the weekend is this: Friday night is beer theme night (this year’s is canned beer), Saturday is food and beer pairing, and Sunday is nothing but barleywine.

I've got 99 problems, and a ditch ain't one.

The weekend started off with a dramatic flare. The owner of the house somehow forgot to let the property manager know that we were coming, so the quarter-mile long uphill driveway on the top of a mountain was not plowed and was still covered with snow and ice.

None of our cars could make it very far up the hill, so we parked at the bottom of the drive. However, after getting in touch with the property manager, he was going to come out and get some things touched up for us. So, we needed to move our cars so he could get his truck up.

Well, I had a small mishap while backing up my car, and while looking over my left shoulder to prevent sliding down a 15-foot hill, I got too close to the other side and the car slid down into a two-foot ditch.

Luckily, LeRoy, the property manager showed up about 15 minutes later and happened to have a truckload of firewood. A 65-year veteran of the mountain, he immediately set us to chopping wood, clearing the snow in front of the car, and built a small ramp for me to drive my car out of the ditch. The car only suffered some minor scratches. I am eternally grateful to LeRoy, could have been a disaster…

Once we finally got settled in, we began our canned beer tasting. 24 beers were sampled, and PBR and Natty Light were not in the mix. As a matter of fact, there was only one Oskar Blues beer in the spread, Dale’s Pale Ale.

Plating the frisee duck salad

Saturday was an incredible display of culinary ability. It was like an amateur version of Top Chef with beer pairings. Everyone brought there A-game, as there were 11 dishes in all. We started at 1 pm and finished around 11. There is nothing like eating for 10 straight hours.

With the smaller portions of each dish, I somehow managed to avoid getting full until around the 7th or 8th round. However, each dish was amazing, and I had to try each. It was a struggle toward the end, but I persevered and made it. (It took about five days for my digestive system and my weight to return to their pre-BBW status.)

I’ve included photos and a description of a few of the dishes below if you’re interested in the pairings.

On Sunday we started the day a beautiful pre-lunch mini-hike down a snowy road below the house, where an offshoot lead to a natural bridge. Upon our return we were treated to a pairing of two of soups and grilled cheese.

Later that afternoon we broke into the barleywines. We started out with five or six homebrewed barleywines, which were just as good as the commercial versions we tried afterward. We had some talented brewers in our midst.

In total, we had 24 barleywines to taste, but once we got to about 15 or 16, it became obvious that we wouldn’t make it through them all. Barleywine is rich, malty and typically over 10% ABV.

So call us pansies, but in the interest of public safety and next-day headaches, we called it at 16. Like the end of a cigar, it just wasn’t tasting good any more.

We had so much good beer, good food and silliness, but three days is about all my 34-year old body can take. I wish I could stay in the mountains forever, but it was good to get back to clean livin’ with lots of water, exercise and vegetables.

However, I’ve already started brainstorming for BWW VI. I’m not a rookie anymore, and it’s time to bring the thunder.

The Beer & Food Pairings

Dish #1: Steamed Asparagus topped with a poached egg, lemon confit hollandaise sauce, Parmesan cheese, and crumbled bacon paired with Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss (Prepared by Matt Schaefer & Christina Gonzalez's thumb)

Dish #2: Fresh baked pita, feta & chickpea salad paired with Ommegang Hennepin (Prepared by Bobby & Shelly Congdon)

Dish #3: Rye sourdough toast topped with homemade pickled apple relish and huntsman cheese Welsh rarebit paired with Founders Red Rye (Prepared by Matt Schaefer & Christina Gonzalez)

Dish #4: Roast duck on frisee salad with spiced walnuts, apple chips, goat cheese and Rodenbach vinaigrette paired with 2007 Rodenbach Oak Aged Ale (Prepared by Brian & Nicole Cendrowski)

 

Dish #5: Blue cheese on melba toast paired with Oskar Blues Ten Fidy (Prepared by McCracken)

 

Dish #6: Homemade pasta and pesto paired with Rogue Dead Guy (Prepared by Bobby and Shelly Congdon)

 

Dish #7: Apple brie quesadilla with sauted onions, brown sugar, cinnamon and thyme paired with Tripel Karmeliet (Prepared by "Burger King" Smith)

 

Dish #8: Mojo marinated pork tenderloin on a bed of collard greens with mustard bbq sauce paired with Sweetwater IPA (Prepared by Matt Schaefer & Christina Gonzalez)

Dish #9: Spicy szechuan pork stew paired with Stoudt's Gold Lager (Prepared by Ed Westbrook and Morgan seBlonka)

 

Dish #10: Baked framboise soaked brie and porter reduction paired with Ommegang Three Philosophers (Prepared by Bobby and Shelly Congdon)

 

Dish #11: Creme brulee made with Bell's Java Stout reduction paired with Bell's Java Stout (Prepared by Matt Schaefer & Christina Gonzalez)

If I had to pick a favorite, I would have to go with the mojo marinated pork tenderloin on a bed of collards. The collards cooked in stock and a ham bone all afternoon. They were incredibly tender and succulent. The moderate hop flavor and bitterness from the Sweetwater IPA provided a spicy contrast to the savory pork and collards. Great job, Matt and Christina!

Compliments to all the other chefs, as well. Each pairing was amazing, and I’m not just saying that to be nice. Beer people know their food. They go hand in hand, and these beer geeks know their palate.

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Front Street Brewery in Wilmington, NC

Posted on January 8, 2011 by

Out front of Front Street Brewery

Over New Year’s weekend, I went on a family trip with my in-laws to Wilmington, NC, where we met up with some long-time family friends from Columbia. It was a fun three day excursion to welcome in 2011. We went for a walk on the beach, ate seafood at the Fish House Grill in Wrightsville Beach, watched bowl games. And drank. A lot. Of beer.

In true Zokan fashion, when we rolled into town on Friday around 1:00, the first thing we did was stop at Front Street Brewery for lunch. This brewpub has a special place in Zokan family lore. My father-in-law had a good bit of business in Wilmington back in the day, so he frequented the brewpub often. (Rumor has it that Nicole may have accompanied him on a couple of these trips and had a beer or two when she may or may not have been of age…)

The brewpub’s facade is unassuming among the historic storefronts on Front Street, however the fermenters and brewhouse immediately greet you on the left upon entering, reassuring you that you’re in the right place.

While waiting for a table, we had our first round at the bar, which had seating for a dozen. I began with The James Brown, a seasonal brown ale. I’m not sure the Godfather of Soul would have enjoyed this one. I found myself slightly disappointed, as it was a little too bitter, lacked enough body and had a dusty character. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great. It reminded me of a rye brown I once brewed that I wasn’t too fond of.

However, my faith was restored when I tasted Nicole’s IPA. This IPA achieved legendary proportions according to my father-in-law, so there was a lot of hype surrounding this beer. I must say, it lived up to the billing as a solid choice. Nice malt backbone with a gripping bitter finish. Not spectacular, but I was impressed.

We had lunch upstairs, which was a cozy, compact area with a low ceiling. The food menu wasn’t cutting-edge, but featured a lot of Irish bar-style classics. I chose the Brew-BQ burger, which included Scottish Ale BBQ sauce.

Of course, I had to get the Dram Tree Scottish Ale to go with my BBQ burger. The Scottish was miles above The James Brown. It had a big, sweet toffee malt flavor with a substantial body and lingering finish. I enjoyed it immensely with my burger.

On Sunday afternoon, the entire group of us, 12 deep, commandeered the front corner of the downstairs dining area to watch some NFL football. The Zokans were on pins and needles as the Packers were fighting for their playoff hopes against the Bears, and I was watching the one spec of hope I have as a Broncos fan, as Tim Tebow went up against the Chargers.

The Hot Dog King holding The James Brown

I started out my afternoon with the Coastal Kolsch. This was a tasty golden Kolsch with a bready malt flavor and clean finish. If I may be so bold, I would say it reminded me of the Kolsch I brewed last summer, so that made me feel pretty good.

Next it was onto the American Amber, which like The James Brown, didn’t seem to achieve a good hop/malt balance. I didn’t care for that one. I tried a sip of someone else’s Tiny Tim’s Christmas Ale, an Imperial Java Porter, a 9.2% coffee-malt bomb. Tasty, but so intense it would probably take me two hours to drink a pint.

I ended up coming full-circle and going back to the IPA to finish up the session. My palate was shot by this point and I needed a can’t miss closer to continue cheering on Tebow and his comeback of futility. Luckily, the Broncos came up just short and secured the number two pick in next year’s draft.

Even though Front Street Brewery had a few misses, there were more than enough hits that it did not come up short. It’s a great place to hang out, eat dinner, watch football, whatever you fancy. It has a solid lineup of beers, good food, a cool atmosphere, and waitresses in short jumpsuit skirts, which make it a place where I could become a regular, if I didn’t live 5 1/2 hours away.

Posted in Beer spots, Breweries | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Untamed Beer reviewed on the Bearded Brewer

Posted on December 7, 2010 by

Perhaps the greatest beer label of all-time, courtesy of The Bearded Brewer

My homebrewing pen pal in Minnesota, The Bearded Brewer, posted a review of several beers I sent him this fall. He was very complimentary, and I’m honored to receive such praise.

I am really looking forward to receiving his shipment in the coming weeks. Not only does he make good and imaginative beer, his beer names and labels are awesome. You must check out his label gallery.

Posted in Homebrew, Untamedbeer news | Tagged , | 3 Comments

results of the open fermented tripel

Posted on November 30, 2010 by

I’m back! Did you miss me? In case you were wondering, I’m not dead, I’m not pregnant and I haven’t stopped drinking beer. I felt like I needed a break to recharge the creative batteries. After a two month hiatus, I’ve decided to resurface in the blogosphere.

I realized that I never did follow-up with the results of the open-fermented tripel I brewed back in September. I’m sorry I left you hanging for two months.

It turned out very well. No infections or anything malicious. In fact, I thought it was one of my best beers.

The beer was very aromatic, with a malty sweet, banana, circus peanut flavor. It finished dry with a mild bitter, funky twist at the end.

While it was not overpowering, I do believe that the open fermentation contributed to enhancing the fruity ester character in the beer. I feel like it maintained a nice balance and was an exceptionally drinkable beer.

I would love to try this technique again, especially if I can get a fermenter that will provide a large surface area. I was using a bucket, which doesn’t provide the exposed surface area to make it an ideal fermenting vessel for an open fermentation. That may have inhibited the potential of the fermentation.

So if you feel like being risky, give it a shot. Don’t be scared!

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Brewgrass 2010

Posted on September 27, 2010 by

This year, I came prepared.

Brewgrass, held at Martin Luther King Park in Asheville, North Carolina, is one of the most anticipated festivals in the Southeast. Tickets go on sale in February and sell out within a week. The Brewgrass people know what they are doing. Scarcity creates buzz.

Brewgrass 2009 was my beer festival experience. I was like a kid in a candy store. Dozens of new beers to try, new breweries to explore and new friends to meet. It was an awesome time.

Now that I’m a grizzled veteran of seven beer festivals, (Wow, it was a busy year.) I wondered how my experience would be the second time around. Over the past year, I’ve spent a lot of time in North Carolina and have had the chance to sample the wares of most of the breweries in the region.

I wondered how that would affect my experience. Would the excitement and newness wear off? Would Brewgrass turn into another ho-hum festival with the same-old-same-old?

No caption could do this justice.

I’ve discovered that if you’ve made the effort to get to know people within the beer community, (It’s not that hard. Beer people are some of the friendliest, most accessible people you’ll meet.) festivals become family reunions. So even if you’re not too excited about the beer selection or the venue, you still come out to reconnect with friends and hopefully meet a few more.

That’s how Brewgrass 2010 was for me. I certainly wanted to get my hands on any new beers I could find, but it was more about hanging out and having fun.

To be truthful, I thought the beer selection in 2009 was better than it was in 2010. Last year, I remember sampling several barrel-aged brews, casks and other rare goodies. I didn’t feel like there were very many unique selections to be had this year. Then again, it’s possible with 40 breweries represented that I didn’t find the diamonds in the rough.

What delight would be worthy of the Pleasure Chest? Why that would be Yazoo's Hop Project, an IPA brewed with Sorachi Ace.

Here is the short list of my favorite noteworthy beers:

  • Olde Hickory Death By Hops – Gets my vote for best use of hops. And they used a lot of them.
  • Coast Brewing Event Horizon – A dark IPA or whatever you want to call it. Intense hops perfectly balanced by dark malt. Another winner. Then again, we’re all winners here.
  • Thomas Creek Up the Creek Extreme IPA – They ran it through a randal of Sorachi Ace hops. Crazy awesome blend of citrus flavors: grapefruit, lemon and orange all just smack you in the face.
  • New Belgium Eric’s Ale – The only sour I found at the festival. New Belgium has this sour thing down.

There are two things we take very seriously: beer and beards

I’m already looking forward to next year. Even though I’ve gained a lot of festival experience in the past year, there are still a couple things that I need to keep in mind for next year:

  • Half-pours are key, as 8 oz. sample pours add up in a hurry. We don’t need any heroes.
  • I shouldn’t attempt to finish the cask of Dopplebock at the Thomas Creek tent at the end of the festival. Hungry children wouldn’t get the dopplebock anyway.

Remember, boys and girls, it’s a seven-hour marathon, not a sprint.

I wish I could have used the scoreboard to track how many samples I had throughout the day.

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