A Whale A Week: The Manhattan Project

Now in my second year, A Whale A Week is my challenge to try (with an array of beer loving friends) a rare beer for every week of the year.  Last year I had a great time with this and have continued it for 2016.  Not every beer will be a truly "white whale" beer, but all are hard to find and a treat to try!  This week we try something different.  Tired of just trying out one beer (and lets be honest how can I really shrink my cellar at this rate) each week, we're going to break out a bunch of them!

This week we're doing something different!  I discovered that I had two beers in my cellar that were based on the Manhattan cocktail flavor profile and thought it would be fun to combine the two into one tasting.  But of course we would have to mix up an actual Manhattan to compare with right?  I contacted Gina Holman, one of the owners of our local Waconia distillery J. Carver, who is our resident expert on mixology to come help us out!  The other cast of characters fell promptly into place as well.  We had myself and my lovely wife Sarajo as always.  We also had Dan Herman--homebrewer with the Primary Fermenters and sometime bartender.  Heather McNabnay--who mixed up the first Manhattan I had ever tried.  And last but not least we had over local beer/food/spirits blogger Paige Latham and her husband Rick Didora.  With this highly skilled and educated crowd we dug into our work!

Paige wrote up her (and Rick's) impressions of this event for her fantastic blog Alcohol By Volume, so check it out HERE as well!

Cascade Brewing's Manhattan NW 2011

For those who don't know Cascade Brewing out of Portland, Oregon--you need to try their beers!  They focus on mainly barrel aged sour beers and are putting out some of the best in the country.  Sarajo and I visited the Cascade Barrel House a few years back and stuffed our suitcase with corked and caged bottles of this liquid manna--including today's special vintage.  Most of their sours are lactic, setting them apart from many others.  It was with great excitement that two weeks ago I discovered Cascade on shelves here in Minnesota.  They aren't cheap, but worth it if you like sour beers!   This particular beer is aged in whiskey barrels with pie cherries and apricot noyeax (an almond flavored creme liqueur made from apricot kernels).  Unlike many sours, this one is high-test and clocks in at 11.5% ABV! 

Aroma:

Eric: Strong lactic sourness up front.  I do sense some malt sweetness under there as well.  Slight funky barnyard brettanomyces character.  Cherry present and tart but pretty subtle.  Mouth starts salivating at the sourness in the aroma!

Gina: Muted nose, not getting fruit, but sour yes.  Getting more funk.

Heather (or Penelope as her "bar name"): Granny Smith apple.  Star fruit. Amaretto.  

Dan: Bretty and a little almond.  Little to no cherry.

Appearance:

Eric: Slightly hazy, gold to amber color.  Fine white head that fades to edge of glass quickly.

Gina: Golden, amber, medium, hazy.

Heather: Bit cloudy, amber.

Dan: Amberish, clear, little to no head.

Flavor:

Eric: Sweet on the front end--fades to a tart cherry and cherry pit flavor at the end.  Strong lactic acid sourness with a hint of pedio and certainly some funky brett.  Sweet and sour candy-like.  I do get almond or cherry pit strongly.  Body is medium with a creamy mouthfeel--unusual for sours.  Carbonation is high.  Very much stays with you after the sip is done.  4.5

Gina: Acid, lemon zest, cherry pit, skin, tart, nutty, funk, raw honey.  Lingering finish with a balance of acid.  Nice body.  Like an amaretto sour.  4

Heather: Lemon rind.  Amaretto.  Better than an IPA!  3

Dan: Highly effervescent, yet somehow still slick.  Acid.  Cherry is there, but way behind the acid.  Citrus peel on the finish.  4

Sarajo: Amaretto sour all the way!  4.75

Overall Score: 4.05

Town Hall Manhattan Reserve 2016

Town Hall Brewery in Minneapolis has been one of my favorite breweries for years.  They remain a bit under the radar compared to a lot of the newer flashier brewery taprooms, but under the skilled hand of head brewer Mike Hoops, they've been putting out stellar beers for almost 20 years.  Dan and I are Pint Club members, getting access to free/discounted beers.  Their barrel program was one of the first in Minnesota and this beer is the culmination (for me at least) of that experience.  Sarajo and I first tried a version of this beer at Winterfest several years back and it has remained one of the best beers either of us has tried.  With the fairly recent Town Hall Barrel Aged Week events we got to try it again at the brewery, and our friends Randy and Andrea managed to get a couple mini growlers of it for us.  Thanks guys!  The beer is a strong golden ale (Grand Cru) aged in whiskey barrels with tart cherries.

Aroma:

Eric: Cherry is strong in this one!  Mixture of tart and sweeter Bing cherry.  Rye whiskey sweetness.  Tannin from oak mixed with a hint of cherry pit.  Malt present, but more honey-like.  Lots of complexity here.  Some mild Belgian esters.  

Gina: Inviting.  Jolly Rancher sour cherry!  

Heather: Cherries.

Dan: Bright estery Belgian.  A little alcohol burn but not much of a whiskey richness.  Nail polish.

Appearance: 

Eric: Excellent clarity.  Deep red to orange in color.  Very minimal head.  

Gina: Amber, clear, healthy.

Heather: Gorgeous color--like a Manhattan should be!

Dan: Deep amber. Same color as true whiskey.  Tight white bubbles dissipate and cling to glass.

Flavor:

Eric: Mild sweetness up front.  Middle is cherry pit, raisin, maraschino cherry.  Mild vanilla.  Oak tannin or sherry notes.  Whiskey very mild in this.  Slight Belgian esters peaking through.  Medium mouthfeel--slick?  End is off-dry.  Warming all the way down the esophagus.  4.75

Gina: Cherry fruit, chocolate cherry, wood, tannin, char, cocoa!  Bitter and inviting.  Lingering finish.  Light effervescence.  Creaminess.  Softer mouthfeel.  Crisp. 4.75

Heather: Caramel, young maple syrup.  Holds up after a real Manhattan!  4.9

Dan: Cherry and Belgiany sweet stone fruit.  Vanilla in the middle.  A little nail polish solventy alcohol--in a good way.  Sweet finish.  4.75

Sarajo: Still just delicious.  I love Mike Hoops!  4.75

Overall Score: 4.78

Gina mixing us up some magic!

J. Carver Rye Manhattan

To top off our tasting of these two amazing cocktail based beers, we had Gina mix us up an actual Manhattan! Using J. Carver's 3rd batch of Rye Whiskey as a base, along with Fee Brothers Aromatic bitters, Luxardo cherries, and sweet vermouth, she served us up a great cocktail.  By this time our ability to write things up was failing, but I still jotted down a few notes.  In the aroma I got spicy sweet rye, some oakiness and hint of cherry.  In flavor I tasted sweetness up front, followed by a spicy rye malt finish and a bit of dryness from the Italian "sweet" vermouth.  Mild cherry flavor, but adds complexity.  Hint of cinnamon and clove.  Heather and I both picked up a little smoky flavor as well.  A wonderful caboose to our beer tasting!  

Gina also let us try the newly released J. Carver Bourbon alone and mixed up in my other favorite drink--the Old Fashioned.  I was frankly impressed with both the Bourbon and Rye, both having more complexity and flavor than some others I've tried.  

This was a fantastic evening filled with good friends and great drinks! Thanks to everyone for showing up and making this a stellar event!

Town Hall Lanes Review

With my classic haunt of Town Hall Brewery shut down this winter for much needed renovations and increased fermenter space, I have been pining away for some of my favorite beer in the state.  I got a taste of several wonderful TH beers at Winterfest, but that only whetted my appetite and made me want a whole glass of something!    Fortunately, my old friend Marty just hit the big 40 that week and his girlfriend prodded his posse of high-school friends to meet up for some bowling.  Perfect!  Good drink, good friends, bowling: time to try the new Town Hall Lanes. 

Following the model pioneered by Fitger's Brewhouse in Duluth, Town Hall opened The Town Hall Tap a few years ago in prime hipster territory in Minneapolis.  They serve beers brewed at the main TH location as well as several rotating guest taps and have a different food menu.  This past summer they expanded again with a combination pub and bowling alley called the Town Hall Lanes.  I'm sad to say that it took me this long to get out there! 

My initial impressions of the place were a bit mixed, and most of that stemmed from unfamiliarity.  I'm hoping that this little treatise will help others to have a better and more educated experience on their first visit.  The building itself has two entrances.  We poked our heads into the first and were quickly told to go to the other entrance if we wanted to bowl.  We put back on our gloves and trudged back out into the 5 degree winter chill, entering through the other door as directed.  At that entrance the first thing you see is the men and women's bathrooms with a shared sink area, followed by a set of swinging double doors into the lanes proper.  Not the most glamorous entrance I've seen, but hey, this is a bowling alley.  After rolling through the doors like a gunfighter in the 1860's you can see the lanes straight ahead with a small separate bar and shoe rental area.  To the left is the main restaurant and bar, all connected inside and not requiring (in my opinion) a separate entrance.  We were pleasantly surprised to run into Dan and Hilary from the Primary Fermenters, celebrating a birthday as well. 

We waited in a line (that was amorphous and not well labeled) to put our name in for a lane, with at least one group magically getting in line ahead of us.  Matt, the previous manager from the original Town Hall was running that area, looking harried and very busy.  It was nice to see him again, but he was running the whole time we were there and I didn't really get to talk to him.  Once our name was in we were directed back to other side of the restaurant to wait for seats, but info on how long the wait might be and how we would be contacted was not well disseminated.  Despite being very busy, they were able to find us a large booth fairly quickly without a need to wait outside in the cold.  Our party of 6 quickly turned into 8 as two spouses were able to make it without their husbands warning us.  But the servers were able to move us to a different booth and adjacent 4 top table without much fuss.  Sorry for that THL! 

The main restaurant is a large, very high ceilinged room with many booths and tables spread out over two slightly different elevations.  The bar itself is an old (I think) 1950's era ornate aged oak masterpiece that really brings some character to the space.  Old metal and neon brewery signs for 1950's brews like Blatz and Fitgers line the walls.  A huge chandelier dangles precariously from the tin ceiling in the center of the room.  Overall, a nice feel, but pretty loud and crowded (this was the Saturday evening of Superbowl weekend!) 

Once settled we ordered beers and some food for the bunch, not really having any idea how long our wait might be, but taking the risk.  I first tried the Java Porter on nitro which was very mellow and dark, easy to drink and better than Guinness by far.  I was overjoyed to see one of my favorite Town Hall beers on tap: the Twisted Trace!  This is their Twisted Reality barleywine aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels and is a wonder to ingest.  When I asked my server for one, he gazed at me in confusion and dismay, not even realizing that it was a beer much less one of theirs.  I had to explain to him that I was trying to order one of the Town Hall beers and what it was.  He was also a bit scattered on bringing us waters and condiments, needing much reminding.  I also had to ask for my beer again after about 15 minutes.  I try to take into account general crowd and business when I judge service, but this was certainly not the best service I've ever had.  Once we had split into 2 tables, our other group apparently had excellent service by another server.  For food I had some pretty good chicken strips and Sj had some Brunswick stew that was not up to her Southern sensibilities, but still decent.  We shared some fried green tomatoes with our vegetarians and they were tasty but a bit greasy.  Our server did finally clarify for us that our name was really in for lanes, and eventually we were escorted over to the lanes for our bowling.  I didn't so much mind the time, but would have liked a ball-park estimate of how many hours we might wait...

The lanes themselves are in very good condition (from someone who goes to Bryant Lake Bowl a fair amount) with a fun retro vibe to the designs and murals on the walls.  The console for keeping score was pretty swanky with the ability to input up to 12 bowlers and even take silly pictures of everyone to be shown on the overhead screens.  The space we were crowded into was a bit small, but we did have an extra two bowlers that we hadn't been prepared for, so that was partially our fault.  The bench we had was big enough for 3 people, so we were all crowded a bit, but we were able to talk in small groups and tried to stay out of the way of other bowlers.  A server did stop by a few times to take drink orders, but perhaps could have come by slightly more often.  He at least knew what the beers were and seemed to know what he was doing. 

We had a fun time bowling as a group.  I mean, how can you not have a great time bowling while sipping Twisted Trace and hanging out with friends you've had for over 25 years?  Oh and I rocked the house with my bowling skills!  I'm sorry to say that my initial experience at Town Hall Lanes was a bit mixed, between confusing sign-up, clueless server, and crowded loudness, my enjoyment was a bit tempered.  I'm still glad we did this and my overall experience was still good.  Town Hall is my favorite brewpub and I really respect and like the owners and brewers there, so I almost hesitated to do this review at all.  However, I feel that I need to be honest as a reviewer and there are things that could be done to streamline the Lanes and make it more enjoyable.  If I wasn't such a fan of the original TH and their beers and had this experience I probably wouldn't go back based on this visit alone.  My wife was frustrated as well, and a bit more vocal on the subject than I.  I'd like to give this place another shot, perhaps on a Tuesday night when the chaos might be a bit less rampant, and see how things go.  If I have a wonderful time, I may add an addendum to this post or change it completely.

Pumpkin Beer Roundup

I had planned on doing pumpkin reviews every few days through the fall months, but travel and work have interrupted my schedule of release.  So I'll take this time to catch up on a few more pumpkin beers I've tried over the past week.  As I taste these, I find that my descriptions are often pretty similar--mainly because most pumpkin beers have a limited flavor profile...so if you get bored with my ramblings you can just enjoy the pictures!

Alaskan Pumpkin Porter:  One of the Pilot smaller batch series, this beer touts 11 pounds of pumpkin per barrel, as well as brown sugar, spices and hint of alderwood smoked malt.

Aroma: Subtle cinnamon, and nutmeg in the aroma.  I get brown sugar or molasses sweetness as well.  A light roasty or coffee aroma as it swirls.
Appearance: Deep brown to nearly black in color.  Has a slight haze and is nearly opaque.  A dark tan to brown head that is fairly persistent.
Flavor:  Up front spices (nutmeg and cinnamon especially) followed by a molasses or treacle sweetness.  Some mild roast, but not much of it here, leaving this more malty.  I might pick up a hint of smoke, but very subtle.  I get an allspice burn at the finish that is warming and pleasant.  Medium bodied, but ends off-dry.  No astringency in this beer, but has some light earthy notes in the finish.
Overall: Well balanced porter with a well blended mix of spices, where none are overwhelming but all are apparent.  I could drink this all day.  4 of 5 for final grade!

Dangerous Man Imperial Pumpkin Ale:  Going local, Sj heard that Dangerous Man had an Imperial pumpkin on tap and prompted me to drive to Nordeast for a try.  She loves pumpkin beers even more than I do!  Twist my arm lady... I don't know many details on this beer, but here are my impressions during a very loud and busy visit to the brewery taproom.

Aroma: Nutmeg and allspice are strong, but not overwhelming.  A powerful malty sweetness to the aroma.  Also has a hint of alcohol/spice sting on the nose.
Appearance: The color is a very deep orange with a minimal haze.  A fine white head is present, that fades fairly soon after pouring. 
Flavor: Very intense maltiness without being cloying sweet.  Reminds me of a light colored bock or Imperial Octoberfest.  Nutmeg and cinnamon in the flavor, but second fiddle to the malt and grain.  Some alcohol warming, but does not detract from the beer. 
Overall:  A very good version of an Imperial spice beer.  I'm not sure if there is actually pumpkin in it, but I suspect there is based on the haziness.  It reminds me a lot of Pumpking from Southern Tier, but a bit less aromatic.  This is one for sipping from a snifter in front of a fireplace.  4 of 5 for me.

Town Hall Petunia's Pumpkin Ale:  I'm not going to lie, this has been one of my favorites in the past few years since discovering it, so I may be biased here.  But I try to take that into account with my reviews.  Last year's was very good, but a bit more hoppy than expected.  This beer sells out fast, and growlers sold out within 2 days of release.  We were lucky enough to find that they had filled a few more growlers on the day we visited (though they were not on the board and Sj had to shed to tears to get them for us).  They should really make more of this.  I have also had a version in the past that was aged on cocoa nibs and was heaven in a glass. 

Aroma:  Subtle malt and grain aroma.  A hint of nutmeg, but not a lot of other spices to pick out. 
Appearance: Excellent clarity, perhaps the clearest I've seen yet.  Fine white head that fades quickly to the rim of the glass. 
Flavor: Like a crisp but malty Octoberfest.  Rounded flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger.  Ends smooth with a light sweet touch.  Has none of the astringency I've come to expect with this style. 
Overall:  While this is certainly not the most extreme or flavor-packed pumpkin beer I've had this season, it is the best balanced.  So far this is the best example of restrained spicing and a perfect base beer I've tried.  4.5 of 5 (I save 5 for things like Bourbon County Stout and Cantillon).  You must try this--even if you dislike pumpkin beers--it may change your mind.

Cisco Pumple Drumkin:  This is the first beer I have tried from Nantucket's Cisco Brewers (sorry Kyle, the name is already taken...).  I don't know much about the brewery and there isn't much info on their website--they seem to have snuck into our local beer market with minimal fanfare.

Aroma: Nutmeg and ginger are present along with an earthy almost rotting bark-like aroma.  Some maltiness present, but not a lot. No hop aroma.  Slight fruity esters as it warms.  Overall mild aroma for a spiced beer.
Appearance: Gold to light orange in color.  Has a fine but large white head.  Very good clarity.
Flavor: Initial malt flavor but lacking in sweetness.  Quickly turns to a bitter harshness.  Has a very thin body and ends with an astringent and metallic finish.  Not much spice is tasted beyond those off-putting flavors.
Overall:  This beer is not good.  To be honest it has the harsh and metallic flavors that I associate with old-style homebrew (before we really understood the need for fresh ingredients and sanitation...)  Sj and I had to pour this out after a couple sips.  Not a great start from this brewery, but I'd still try another of their beers before boycotting them.  Scores a 1 out of 5 for me.  Yech.

Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin:  This is Sam Adams' version of a pumpkin ale, and may actually be the first commercial example of this style that I ever tasted.  There is actually a lot of information on the website including a tasting video, tasting notes and good ingredient list.  Hopped with EKG and Fuggles, this beer's recipe looks like and English ale base with allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and actual pumpkin added.

Aroma: I get ginger, allspice and nutmeg in the aroma--all are distinct and I can pick them out at different times.  No hop aromas.  Has a light fruitiness--possibly yeast driven.  Malt sweetness is present.
Appearance: A reddish coppery hue with excellent clarity.  The beer has a thick white head and is quite pretty to look at.
Flavor: Malty up front, but not especially sweet.  Has a lighter body than expected but still has some malt going for it.  Cinnamon and allspice in the middle, but I don't get as much of the nutmeg that came out in the aroma.  Has a dry finish with a somewhat woodsy tang--but not overly astringent. 
Lingering notes of ginger after the sip is done. 
Overall: A well balanced beer, that has all the necessary ingredients and flavors needed for the style.  My only gripe is the light body.  This would improve with a bit more malt complexity and mouthfeel.  Like many of Sam Adams' beers this is a decent beer, but doesn't take any risks.  I will be trying the Fat Jack (their Imperial pumpkin ale) soon and it will be interesting to see how that one stacks up.  3.5 of 5.

Byggvir's Big Beer Cup Award Ceremony 2013

On Wednesday the 28th of August a plethora of local homebrewers from several different clubs converged upon an unsuspecting Town Hall Brewery for the 7th Annual Byggvir's Big Beer Cup Award Ceremony!  OK, I guess Town Hall expected us since the back room was roped off for us, but that intro sounded way cooler...  In my previous post I spent quite a bit of space describing the competition itself, and here is a shorter description of the award ceremony. 

Right after work on Wednesday, Sj, Steven and I rocketed out of Waconia on our way to Chaska to pick up Matt and Anna.  From there mistress leadfoot (Sj) got us heading up I35W in great time...until some sort of accident farther up-stream caused a huge car log-jam leaving us in stop and go traffic for the next 35 minutes.  Luckily Jerry and Mike L. had saved us a large table and even had drinks waiting for us upon our tardy arrival.  Thanks guys, that is a wonderful welcome! 

The place was hopping, with most of the back dining room filled with eager homebrewers.  At least 10 JABbers were present, as well as some folks from MHBA, Primary Fermenters, and some of the other smaller clubs that I need to get better acquainted with.  Gera Exire Latour and Tim Roets had organized a few tables into first, second and third place prize piles before we arrived and set up a small microphone.  They were kind enough to wait until our carload of JAB arrived before starting the ceremony, but a lot of the folks had been there since about 5PM.  We promptly ordered food and got to work on our drinks.  I was pleased that there was plenty of Thunderstorm (a Belgian with lemongrass and orange blossom honey) to go around, though some of my less discerning friends (Mike and Jerry) who I won't name here are not fans.  They are incorrect!  The AC either wasn't working or couldn't keep up with the crowd and the 95 degree weather outside, so the place got pretty toasty as the evening went on.  That just reminded me of our Extreme Beer Judging at the Fest grounds, but minus the dust and turkey legs. 

Gera began the official proceedings with some background on the competition and about the special Historic beer category before launching into the winner list.  She would read off several categories and then take a break for Tim to read off some raffle winners (everyone present got a ticket.)  This was as nice way to extend the event a bit, giving us time to talk to winners, drink great Town Hall beers and eat our dinners!  Tim also came by a few times over the night with Beer Trivia for each table so we could win bottle openers and other cool prizes.  Tim and Gera did a great job on getting sponsors and swag this year so there was plenty to go around!  The Renfest medals had not arrived in time for the ceremony, but they had given us enough mugs that each first place winner received a large and colorful 2013 commemorative mug.  I was lucky enough to get several of my beers into the winner's circle and ended up with a large pile of prizes.  This more than paid back the cost of my entry fees to the competition.  A lot of my friends won medals as well including Jeff Malek, Kyle Sisco, Brett Glenna, Joe Lushine, Mark Glennon , Wayne Doucette, and more! 

Once all the categories had been announced, Mike Hoops came up to talk about Tim's Kolsch (the winner from last year's BOS round and currently on tap at the brewery,) and about the potential difficulty in getting into the GABF in the next few years.  He and Gera then announced the Best of Show winner that will be brewed at Town Hall for the coming year: Ben Adair's Colonial Ale!  This is the first time one of the historic beers has made it to BOS and I'm very excited that the beer will be brewed commercially.  I would have preferred if my stout or apricot beer had won, but hey maybe I have another shot next year!  Interestingly myself and Jeff both won medals in that category as well, but were apparently beat out by a pretty amazing beer.  I brewed a Gose beer with French grey sea salt and coriander specifically for this competition (mainly so I wouldn't have to judge the category for the fourth year straight!) and was pretty pleased with the result.  A perfect refreshing and tart beer for a crazy hot end of summer.

My rockin' swag!

Overall I had a great time at the award ceremony.  I loved hanging out at one of my favorite breweries with a bunch of my fellow homebrewers, and the event was a great excuse to get down there during the week.  Let's have a big "Huzzah!" for the 2013 Renaissance Festival and Byggvir!  Thanks to Town Hall, Mike Hoops, the MN Renfest and all of our other sponsors.

The official winner's list can be found HERE!

Guest Blog: Tim Roets Brews With Mike Hoops!

This installment is a Guest Blog by one of the winningest homebrewers I know: Tim Roets.  As grand prize for the 2012 Byggvir's Big Beer Cup,  he won a special brewday with Mike Hoops of Town Hall Brewery!  This is Tim's account of how the day went and should serve as inspiration for folks to enter the upcoming 2013 contest which features another chance to win this amazing opportunity!

--Eric

Town Hall at 6:30 AM

 With temps expected in the 90s on brewday, Mike Hoops had no problem convincing me to get to Town Hall early and get right to brewing our version of my 2012 RennFest BOS Kolsch that will be entered in the Pro-Am competition at the Great American Beer festival in Denver this October.

First thing for those who haven’t met him – Mike is an incredible guy who truly understood how much this brew meant to a homebrewer like myself, and made sure that it was an experience. With the opening of their new Town Hall Lanes this week, he had been running hard for weeks doing setup and said he was relieved to be able to spend a day at the brewery just brewing with me.

Town Hall brews on a 10-BBL system that is visible from the back dining room, and has several 10 and 20-BBL fermenters in that space – 20-BBL batches are brewed in a double brew. Downstairs are more fermenters and brite tanks, barrels, grain/hop storage, a cooler and a small lab, where Mike keeps the meticulous records needed to be a commercial brewer.

Tim gives us a gun show!

 Keeping track of each step of the process on a clipboard, we worked steadily in the small but surprisingly spacious brew area. He let me work at every step – wielding the mash paddle, loading grain in the auger, adding the chemicals and the hops, scrubbing down the fermenter and removing 8 garbage cans of spent grain from the mash tun with a well-used garden hoe on the way to being Grade A pig slop.

The dirty work!  And a sweet shirt...

 We even toyed with the recipe and added a bit more of the nice, mild Hersbrucker hops he had on hand at the end. During the breaks in the action, we chatted over coffee, discussed water chemistry and surprising details (The Germans say Kolsch should have a pH of 5.6-5.8!)

Tim hopped up on brewing

 Cool stuff in the barrels, too, a “Manhattan” (up-North cherry-juice style, we both agreed) Cherry Grand Cru aged in Bourbon barrels and a dark one with Kumquats and chocolate! He was also excited about the challenge brewing a American-Style Lager for the bowling alley to replace the PBR, and had some sweet old-school logoed bowling-alley pilsner glasses arrive as we were speaking.

Hoops doing something scientific in the lab!

 We had some lunch over a nice season Calypso Pale Ale, finished up, then hung out in the bar sampling and hanging out with the staff until almost 5pm! It was an incredible opportunity, and one of the best reasons to enter homebrew contests. Thanks to Mike Hoops, Gera and Eric (for pulling off the amazing prize!) and all the friends and JABers who attended the Byggvir awards ceremony last year, and I hope to see all of you at Town Hall when we tap it in about 6 weeks!

Then on to Denver….

--Tim Roets

Town Hall 15 Year Anniversary Beer Dinner

Back in the USA and I realize that one does not need to go to Belgium to find amazing beers, (but still do so!) It is time for Town Hall Brewery's 15 year anniversary week.  They are doing a whole bunch of special events for the week, including special beer releases, scotch tastings, pint-club-lympics and more.  Most importantly to me, they had their second annual beer dinner on 10/23/12.  Sj and I went last year and had a great time and were happy we could get in to this again.

Just a quick shout-out to Town Hall for getting a Bronze medal at the GABF for their Pro-Am beer made in conjunction with our friend Kyle Cisco from the Primary Fermenters!  Next year they will win another medal with Tim Roets' Kolsch...I can sense it!

For this year's dinner they had roped off a section of the back dining area and even had white table cloths for us.  For our intro beer we had our choice of anything on tap, I chose the Citra pale ale which was dry and fruity.  For an appetizer they had a huge brick sized serving of Spanikopita (spinach pie) that was made from Pete Rifakes' family recipe.  It was the best I've ever had, including many Greek restaurants'.  We sat with Randy and Andrea, whom we met at last year's dinner and seem to run into at nearly every beer event since!  Another couple who are members of the MHBA sat with us as well, and we all had a great time.  I love the social nature of beer dinners, and getting to tell and hear beer stories with folks that are interested.  Before each course Mike Hoops, the head brewer, and his chef gave a quick talk about the beer and food.  All of the beers were served in new 15 year anniversary stem-ware.  Mr. Hoops commented that last year beer had been wasted due to pours of strong ales that were too big, so this year they were going to cut it down.  We still had a hard time drinking all that beer!

Our second course was a sweet butternut squash and leek bisque.  I had forgotten that these dinners also have a cheese paired with each beer course, and the first was our favorite of the night: a stinky Swiss Gruyere.  The beer served with this course was the Grand Cru, a 9.1% ABV smooth Belgian monster that hid its alcohol dangerously well.  This was brewed many months ago and has not been served yet this year at Town Hall.  I liked it much better than last year's batch and would actively seek it out now.  The pairing with the cheese was out of this world.

The third course was a crab cake with a caper and curry cream sauce, and was very good.  Cheese was a fairly bland smoked Gouda.  The beer for this pairing was the star.  This was the 15 year anniversary Double IPA, made with MN basswood honey and a ton of hops.  It has a character that reminds me of Hopslam, but dryer and less sweet.  YUM!  It was a treat getting to try this before it was released to the public, and I highly recommend getting out there to try it.

Fourth course was baby back ribs braised in Czar Jack RIS served with cous cous and wee heavy soaked cranberries.  The ribs were a wonder, falling off the bone and flavorful as can be.  The cheese was a mild Portuguese.  The beer paired with this was the Wee Heavy, and did a nice job of complementing the food.  I wish it had been Czar Jack though!

Fifth course was a roast tenderloin poutine topped with porter gravy.  The meat was a bit overdone, but the gravy was salty and delicious.  A Wales cheddar cheese was quite tasty.  This dish was served up with the Publican Porter, the first beer that Pete Rifakes really took a part in designing.  A very complex and drinkable brew.

Final course was desert, a Beer-a-misu made with espresso and Russian Roulette.  The beer was the Russian Roulette, the imperial stout aged on Belgian dark chocolate.  Sj and I had this beer at Winterfest this year and went back for it repeatedly.  A great way to finish the evening.

Town Hall is truly my favorite brewpub and I congratulate them on 15 years of success putting out good food and amazing beers.

Town Hall Pint Club

My favorite brewpub pretty much anywhere is Town Hall Brewery.  I know I've posted about it before and I'll surely post about it again!  Every year they open up a small number of Pint Club memberships, for somewhat exorbitant prices, but worth it to those who be able to take advantage if it.  You get a growler right away, and then 75 cents off regular pints forever.  Unfortunately it doesn't count on some seasonals and strong ales, but still pretty sweet.  Also every Saturday from 4-5PM you get free beers, with the same caveats as above.  I've had my membership for a few years now and still haven't quite paid it back yet, but I do live nearly an hour away from the place, and will certainly be showing up for years to come.

Yesterday my wife and I stopped over for Pint Club and stayed at the bar for quicker refills.  Talked to a very nice guy at the bar about local brewing events and beers while sipping a couple pints of Thunderstorm.  That is one of my favorite TH beers and usually comes out this time of year.  Made with honey and lemongrass it is sweet, tart and refreshing, just what you need for 90 degree days.  I now have two growlers of it to portion out over the next couple weeks at home.  I might be talked into sharing...if you are very nice!  They also had the Mango Mama and Twisted Reality barley wine on tap this visit, one of the better seasonal line ups I've seen in a while.  Get there soon!

Town Hall Brewery

With the incredible explosion of new commercial breweries in the area over the last 2 years, it can be easy to forget about the pioneers in the field.  Town Hall Brewery, a small brewpub in the 7 Corners area near the University, has been around since the 1990's and has been frequently winning medals at the GABF for its amazing beers.  Since my friend Dave turned me on to this place about 5-6 years ago, it has become my favorite local brew-joint.

The menu is fairly typical pub food, but the 7 Corners Burger is my favorite in the Twin Cities, loaded with bacon, stout BBQ sauce and cheese.  And yes, I do always order the same thing.  The venue is in an old building with tin ceilings and has a relaxed vibe.  Patio seating is very popular in the brief MN summer months.

The beers are brewed on premises by Mike Hoops and his assistant brewers and are quite varied.  They have a set of 6 beers that are always on tap, including the fantastic Hope & King Scottish ale.  There are usually 5-6 seasonals on tap and rotate very frequently, often including a fruit infusion.  If you are lucky they will have one of their Imperial Stouts or Barleywines on tap.  There are also usually 1-2 cask beers on, which was unheard of around these parts until the last few years.  Since I don't get down there as much as I would like, I often get the seasonal sampler to test out all the new brews at once.

Earlier this year the brewery had a garage sale to sell of some old merchandise and make room for more offices and equipment, and I was able to get my grubby paws on one of their old brewery signs that was up for silent auction.  It now holds a proud place in my garage brewing area, since it was way too big to hang in my basement bar.  On my way out of the brewery with the sign it was pretty hilarious listening to all the people outside freaking out that I was stealing the sign in broad daylight.  Ah, good times!