A Bit of Britain in Denver, CO

This week we head back West to Denver, Colorado.  This city, located at the base of the Rocky Mountains, has had a long, proud history with fermentation.   Aside from the Coors brewing company, the Great American Beer Festival is held here every year, the American Homebrewers Association hold a national competition in nearby Boulder every year;  Basically I'm saying that there's a bit of history in and around Denver, and much of that history has to do with the brewing and the consumption of beer. 

My travels took me to the southern end of town and the Bull and Bush Brewpub.  The bar was modeled after the Bull and Bush located in England right down to the copper-topped bar.  It has a very authentic feel to it, but apparently it wasn't authentic enough for a British man I happened to meet while I was there.  He looked around and loudly announced that, "it wasn't a proper English pub.  The people here are happy and nobody's been stabbed yet."  He later went to the bathroom and announced when he came back that it wasn't a proper English pub because no one was doing coke in there.  Apparently, based on this information, England is a nation of depressed, violent sociopaths who's only joy in life is doing a bit of blow off the john. 
Although to be fair to the disaffected Brit, he came all the way to Denver to see a friend of his, and his friend took him to a British pub.  It's a bit like offering Gilligan a coconut if he ever got off the damn island. I would be slightly annoyed as well.

I enjoyed the place myself.  The staff was friendly, the food was good, it had a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere and, most importantly, it boasted some fantastic beers.  Keeping with the English theme, the bar specializes in English style ales and lagers.  Out of their core beers, the clear standouts were the ESB and the IPA.  The Tower ESB starts out quite sweet with a lot of caramel and roasted grain flavors and is well balanced with the bitter hops that linger a long time on the palate.  Strangely, their IPA, dubbed Man Beer, was an American-style IPA.  There was lots of citrus hops in the aroma and in the flavor balanced with a decent about of malt sweetness.  There may have been some English influence in this beer however, because it did finish with a lot of bitter floral hops.

The other point of interest about the Bush and Bull, aside from their amusing logo, is the fact that the brewer is obviously a man who, to put it mildly, is not at all afraid to try some weird things.  Among their seasonal offerings during my visit was the Turnip the Beets, a beer brewed with Turnips and Beets, fermented with champagne yeast, fermented in wine barrels and flavored with just a hint of wine.  The result was a cloudy, rose colored beer with a earthy, sour cherry nose.  The flavor had a lot of wine and berry flavors and a hint of something I couldn't identify.  I assumed it was the root vegetables.  I had a pint of it and I am still not sure whether or not I liked it, so I'm going to call it a win for novelty.
Also, among the seasonal offerings was the Captain Midnight.  This one, to me at least, smelled and tasted like black liquorice and band-aid.  Although I feel it's worth a mention because it was very unique and a lot of other people in the bar really liked this one.   One man went into quite a lot of detail about liquorice flavors mixed with peppercorn and other spices.  Me, I'm going to stick with liquorice and band-aid, but that's just me.

Finally, among the many highlights from this particular bar, was their Abt 12 quadruple.  It is not a real Abby-style ale because, as the waitress pointed out, there are no monks in the back working the fermenters, but it is still a fantastic beer.  It had a lot of malt, nut and banana in the aroma and the taste was similar with just an added hint of raisin.  By the end of the day, I think this was my favorite offering.

 That's all for this week.  I'll be staying in Denver for next week and talking about a beer bar in town that is truly worthy of a pilgrimage for all those who enjoy the art of fermentation.  Until then, cheers!

Exercising the 21st Amendment in Des Moines, Iowa.

When we last spoke, I was schlepping through the high deserts outside of Flagstaff looking for a bit of wine.  Today we are going 1,447 miles to the North and to the East, through the deserts, up over the mountains, and into the great plains of North America.  We cross the Missouri River (a little tricky at this point since the river is up over the freeway in some places) and drive through the endless expanses of corn fields and pig farms... yeah, that's what that smell is.   Today we are in Des Moines, Iowa.

I found myself on Court Ave., the local downtown pub and restaurant district.   As the name suggests, the area sits in the shadow of the old courthouse.  It's like a reminder to the drunken miscreants, who would undoubtedly use the warm summer night air as an excuse to come out to vomit and break things, of just what was waiting for them.  And the drunken miscreants largely paid little to no attention.  There was live music blaring from a couple of bars and a nearby park, a horde of bikers had descended on a local dive bar and all around there was the sound of a lot of people working hard to escape sobriety.

Court Ave. Brewing Company proved to be a sanctuary from all of this.  The bar built into an old stone building off of Court Ave.   Right inside the front door is a nice restaurant section.  The bar is dimly lit and is set off to the side.  The first thing I noticed was the massive collection of membership beer mugs in the joint.  The bar had very dim lighting which made it difficult to snap a picture of them.  So you're just going to have to take my word that there were about 300 to 500 of them hanging from the celing.    

I started by ordering a taster's rack here.  I promptly realized that I would probably be ending with it as well.  Their sample pours were very generous at probably one-third to one-half a pint each and they give you a little bit of pretty much everything they have on tap.   It will set you back $15, but they give you a sample of their seasonal and premium brews as well. 

Their core beers were a light lager, a Belgian white ale, an IPA, a brown ale and a stout.  Out of those, I liked the Belgian White the best.  It was a bit surprising given that I don't normally like the Belgian yeasts that the use in this beer.  It was well balanced, though, with a lot of citrus and fruit flavors that made for a refreshing summer beer.  Their seasonal offering, the La Fou, was similar.   It was a little lighter on the color and had more citrus to it, but it was still really good.

The clear standout for this bar, however, was their 21st Amendment APA (American Pale Ale).   It's label as an American pale ale is a bit of a misnomer given that the beer is a deep copper, almost rust colored and it doesn't have the strong hops profile of a American pale.  It's more of an Amber ale or a Rye beer, given the addition of rye malt.  However you want to classify it, though,  it is really good.  It has an aroma of light fruits combined with slight caramel.   The taste has a lot of sweet fruit off the top, followed by a rich caramel flavor that melts away for a nice bitter hop back.  A wonderful beer and, best of all, it has a big brother.  The bartender was kind enough to slip a taste of the Boersma's Best Rye Barley Wine.  This is the 21st amendment with twice the alcohol and aged in bourbon barrels.  The aroma is very similar to the 21st Amendment, but the taste has a distinct bourbon flavor in the middle.

I'm in Denver next week.  Until then, cheers!

Blood into Wine: Arizona Wine Country.

While driving into Phoenix, I got a chance to talk briefly over the phone with the head of the Arizona wine growers association.  She gave me a little lay of the land, where to go to find the wineries, information, etc.  Then she said, "Did you know, the lead singer of Tool has a winery out in Jerome?"  

I did not know that.  Then again, I haven't kept up with Tool for the last few years... or ever for that matter.  The woman continued:

"Oh yes.  He moved out here a few years ago and he's been doing a lot for Arizona wines!"

I've said it before and I will say it again, you find weird stuff in the desert.

Since I opened with Maynard James Kennan, I'm going to come right out and confess that I was not able to make it out to his winery in Jerome.   I'll have to save that for my next visit.  His partner in crime, Eric Glomski, is the wine maker out at Page Springs and I was able to stop there.  While I was working my way through their 'Big Red' wine list I happened to see the movie poster for  the documentary, Blood Into Wine.  The film stars Kennan and Glomski and talks about Arizona wines, the wine industry in general, Kennan's transition from a rock star to wine grower in the high desert and the rag-tag group's fight to prove they can produce wine that's just as good as that produced by the Evil Empire of Napa Valley, (Complete with evil music!)   I watched the film when I got back from Phoenix and it is pretty excellent.  It's available on Netflix and I found it on several Internet sites, and it's well worth checking out.   On a side note, if someone has access to a welder, they need to give me a call.  Apparently those brass knuckles / corkscrew that Kennan is wearing in that poster don't actually exist.  We could make a fortune. 

Page Springs Cellars

I think this was my favorite of the three wineries I made it out to.  That's saying something because Arizona's primary wine styles are all heavy, dry red wines.  Those that know me, will also know that I am a fan of the Merlots, Syrahs and similar styles.  At Page Springs, the clear stand out was a red table wine called Vino De La Familia.     It had some slight pepper flavor balanced with some dark fruit.     A close second was their Vino del Barrio which was a blend of... well everything as near as I can figure.   I also had the chance to taste one of Kennan's creations, the Cupacabra.  It's a blend of several different varieties like the Vino del Barrio.  It was good, but I didn't like it as much as the other two.

Oak Creek Winery

In stark contrast to their neighbor, Oak Creek does very little blending in their wines.  The only blend I tried was their 'Fire' and their other offerings were much better.  Their stand out was their Syrah, a full bodied wine with a slightly spicy, smoky flavor that made me want to go out and barbecue some ribs.   They also had a port that I really enjoyed.  It was lighter than most ports and didn't have that thick, syrupy consistency that many others have.   They have a cream sherry that I didn't get to try myself but another group that had come in before me were describing it as damn near a sexual experience, so it might be worth a taste next time.

Javelina Leap Winery

This was my final stop on my trip.   The flagship wine here was their zinfandel, a word that congers up images of a sweet, pink wine that is a favorite of my fiance mostly because of it's two primary characteristics, being both sweet and pink.  Here it's a completely different animal.  It was still fairly sweet to a point, but had a lot more body, a little spice and some dryness to help its balance.  They had a Merlot that was pretty good as well, but the zinfandel was a clear stand-out.

That's all from the state of Arizona for now.  But I would like to end today's post with a thought.  Most of you know when I lived in Idaho I was a fan of the local wineries.  But, much like the wineries in Arizona, they were known only by a select few.  But if Arizona taught me anything it's that they need to find an Idaho celebrity to start making wine.  Me, I vote for Bruce Willis.   For one, I don't think he is doing anything at the moment.  Secondly, seriously, who is going to turn their nose up at the Yipee ki-chardonnay (mother fucker)?  I'll leave you with that thought.  

Cheers!

 

A Few Beers in the Valley of the Sun

Hello and welcome all.  Pull up a bar stool and pour yourself a glass of fine brew.  We are hitting the road and finding the best craft beer, wine and spirits this country has to offer.  Feel free to add any comments, questions, etc.  
  For the first post, we are starting in the Southwest in Phoenix, AZ.... well not Phoenix exactly.  Just down a bit.... down a little more... okay now just a bit to your right... a bit more... there you are.
We start in Chandler and Tempe, AZ.

 One of the things I want to accomplish with this blog is to introduce friends to great craft beers in places that they never would imagine.  In that way it's somewhat fitting that I start this project in Phoenix, Arizona.   A year ago, I was looking for some craft beer in the area.  Long story short, after searching for quite a while, I ended with the address of a brewery that either never existed, or had closed down long ago.  Flash forward to today it took me a few minutes looking in the right place to discover that I had several microbreweries just a few blocks from where I was staying.  My point is, there are great beers out there.  It might take a little searching, but they are there.
I stopped by two breweries during my trip, SanTan in Chandler, AZ and Four Peaks in Tempe.

SanTan Brewing Co.

 SanTan Brewing is located in the restaurant and bar district of downtown Chandler, AZ.  Nice location if you happen to be in the Southeast Phoenix area near Tempe and Scottsdale.   If your more towards downtown Phoenix, than this is probably a bit of a drive to get to.   But if you do make it down, stop in.  There are some fine beers on tap at this location.

I stopped by during the last game of the NBA finals, and so had everyone else in the greater Phoenix area.  On a related note, it sounds like Dallas has a lot of supporters in the Phoenix area.  Either that, or Miami has some detractors here.  
It took a bit of effort to find myself a seat at the bar and a little bit of patience to finally get a beer.   Given the conditions, I probably can't fault them for taking a while.   When I finally did get the bartender's attention he was nice enough to spend a little time talking about the beers they had on tap, so they get points there.  Once the game was over and the place quieted down a little, it became a nice place to hang out.  They have a really nice outdoor seating area where you can still belly-up to the bar.  It's a nice place to sit on a warm evening in Southern Arizona with a cool pint.  This also strikes me as a place that takes the art of craft brew seriously.  All their beer comes in that rounded glass shape made famous by the Sam Adams brewery.  They also have three taps especially for their cask-aged beers.  If you haven't had a cask-aged beer, try them.   They are delicious.

They have a good selection of beers.  I had a taste of most of them.  Among them they have a niro-stout named the Gordo Stout.  It was good, like a Guiness with more roasted grain.  They also have a couple of Hefeweizen beers that they brew using that Belgian wheat beer yeast that brewers insist adds a 'bannana flavor' to the beer.  I have had a banana or two and I have had those beers.  I don't know what that flavor is, but it sure as hell ain't banana.  Some folks like it, I find it horrific.  It wasn't as bad at this particular brewery, but I still am not a fan, so I will leave that to those that enjoy it.   There were a couple of really good stand outs:

Epicenter Amber

This is SanTan's flagship American Amber ale.  It's available on tap at the brewery and also in cans around Arizona.  Sun Tan describes this beer thusly, "Deep garnet amber hue with a firm toasted malt character, lightly sweet with a crisp, dry finish."
 Fair enough, this beer is pretty much as advertised.  There are some light malts in the aroma.  The taste is slightly malty off the top and it ends with just a touch of bitterness.   All in all a nice, balanced amber ale.  




SanTan IWA and Hopshock IPA

 SanTan's seasonal addition during my visit was an Indian Wheat Ale.  I had their Hopshock IPA right after this beer and there wasn't a lot of difference.  The Hopshock had more malt flavor than this beer, but both were very approachable IPA style beers.  Perhaps I'm a bit spoiled on beers from the Pacific Northwest where the addition of Cascade hops is almost a competitive sport, but both of these surprised me.  Both had a lot of citrus hops in the aroma, but there was a lot of malt sweetness in the flavor.  If pressed, I am not sure I could tell the IWA and IPA apart, although I think the IWA had quite a bit less malt flavor.  Both good beers and very approachable.  Those who don't like those hop bombs that normally characterize an IPA may enjoy these.

 Sunspot Gold
On my trip, I spent some time listening to a podcast called 'Expert Drinking' with Steven and Dr. Bill.  One of them remarked that the skill of a brewer is not measured in their Imperial Stouts or Barleywines.  Instead  the mark of a great brewer lies in their ability to make a pilsner.  You can hide a lot of mistakes in the fullness of an imperial stout, but in a beer such as this you've got nowhere to hide.




Four Peaks Brewing Company

 Driving to the brewery I started looking suspiciously at my GPS device.  It apparently wanted me to turn off the main road and drive into, what looked like, a residential area.   Historically, my GPS has proven itself much smarter than myself so I heeded its advice.  Sure enough I soon found a line of parked cars by the side of the road that extended almost a quarter mile away from the brewery.
Again, the place was packed but it was a Saturday night afterall.  I found myself a spot to sit down and was greeted by Heather who was tending bar.  She immediately told me about their seasonal brew, a malt liquor.  In my mind the words 'malt liquor' are filed under the heading 'masochistic,' but we will get to that later.
The bar itself was pretty cool.  It was built into an old creamery at the edge of town, so they had plenty of space to work with.  The fermenters sit towards the back of the bar and apparently are subjected to the oppressive desert heat as the bar is temperature controlled with a swamp cooler alone.  I asked one of the other bartenders how hot it got in there and  if this had any effect on the beer in mid-summer.   He shrugged and said it gets in the upper 90's in the building, but as far as he knew, it didn't effect the beer at all.  
Nor did I taste any off flavors in the beer, so I figure we can go with that.  They had a good selection of some really wonderful beers, including the aforementioned malt liquor.  Most of the beers described to me as 'hoppy' really weren't.  Again this may be my experience with the hopheads in the Pacific Northwest.   Their flagship beer is a scottish ale they call the 'Kiltlifter.' It was a fantastic ale with hints of fruit and bourbon.  I didn't sit down and write a nice long review because I ended up talking to one of the locals sitting next to me.  But trust, me it's worth a taste.  Here are some other stand outs:
Four Peaks Malt Liquor

Like I said earlier, the term malt liquor usually reminds me of skunky tasting, urine colored swill that I ended up sucking down at college parties to stave of that retched, retched sobriety.   I also seem to recall a friend of mine at the University of Oregon claiming that he would rather be sodomized with a large, irregularly shaped vegetable than drink a 40 of Ol' English.  The Four Peaks Malt Liquor, on the other hand is surprisingly, even dangerously drinkable.  The aroma and taste are a nice combination of sweet malts and citrus hops.  The overall profile is very similar to an American pale ale.  Watch out, however; it does a good job of hiding it's 9% alcohol content and one could easily drink three or four of them before they realize that they have lost the ability to stand under their own power.

Raj IPA

This is a rare example of a true English style IPA.  I had a small taste of their Hop Knot American IPA right after this just to compare and contrast.  The difference is rather striking.  Whereas American IPAs are loaded down with citrus and floral hops for maximum hop flavor, this was much more subtle.   The English IPAs were brewed, not so much for the hop flavor, but to help the beer keep on the long trip to India.  It had a sweet, fruity nose of orange or maybe peach.  The taste had medium body with a mildly sweet start that finished with a dry bitterness you could feel in the back of your throat.  Probably not a beer for everyone, but I quite enjoyed it.



Sunbru Kolsch

  Traditional German style ale.  It's a very light ale with some light malty sweetness in the aroma.   It has a light body with mild carbonation.  The light malts and low hop bitterness make this an exceptionally drinkable beer.  Very refreshing in the desert heat.  




Well that's it for this week.  I'll try to get a post up once a week and see how it goes.  Next week I'll talk about my trip back through Arizona wine country.  This is the place to go if, like myself, you are a fan of dry red wines.  We will also talk about the lead singer of Tool, Maynard James Keenan and what, if anything, heavy metal alternative rock has to do with the art of wine making.


Cheers!