Drinkfly: Beer and Alcohol Delivered to Your Home!

I was recently contacted by the folks from Drinkfly, a new online service that promises to deliver beer, wine and liquor right to your door within 60 minutes.  Moving with the times and using people's smart phones and computers, the company aims to make getting your beverages quicker and easier.  Intrigued, I talked online with one of the the guys involved, Alex Cullen.

1) JABlog:  So give me a little background.  How does Drinkfly work?

Alex: Drinkfly is a free to download app and website that allows thirsty consumers the ability to order beer, wine, and liquor and get it delivered to their door in 60 minutes or less.  Consumers start off by inputting their delivery address, selecting a store, browsing the store's inventory (most stores have well over 1,000 items on the app) that includes pictures, prices, and descriptions, adding items to their cart, and then checking out.  Customers can pay with cash or with credit card.  There are no price markups, no delivery fees, or fees of any kind.  After the order is placed, it will arrive within 60 minutes (delivery time depends on how busy the store, delivery location proximity, and traffic).  

Website: http://drinkfly.com/

iPhone app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/drinkfly/id736062904?mt=8

2) JABlog: You guys have been up and running in New York and Chicago, why bring this service to Minnesota?

Alex:  We were looking for another Midwest city that would be a good fit, and landed on the Twin Cities.  There are also a good number of liquor stores in the Twin Cities that already deliver, so that makes it easier for us to find partner stores as well.  

3) JABlog:  What areas in the Twin Cities do you currently cover?

Alex:  The photo below is mostly up to date; however the current coverage area is even better as we have since signed up additional stores.  We have a total of 8 partner stores currently and are adding another two next week, one of which will cover all of downtown Minneapolis.  

4) JABlog:  This one ties in with the previous question.  I've only ever seen a similar service in Duluth with delivery of Fitgers Brewhouse growlers around town.  This is obviously a much more ambitious project.  I live out in the Western Suburbs (Waconia) and am out of your delivery range or I'd try you out and blog about it.  Do you have plans to expand your coverage to the suburbs of the Cities?

Alex: Yes!  We are constantly getting requests to extend our service to the suburbs around Minneapolis and St. Paul.  We will continue adding partner stores over the next month which will increase our delivery radius, allowing more people to use our service.  

5) JABlog: Are there any other thoughts you would like to discuss with my readers?

Alex:  We are looking to spread the word about our service because we truly think that it's pretty amazing.  I mean who wouldn't want to be able to order some delicious wine or craft beer while sitting on their coach while watching Netflix?  We also service a number of corporate clients here in Chicago.  These are companies (often tech companies) that do happy hours at the office and use our service to supply the party.  We would love to add some corporate orders in the Twin Cities as well!  

We would also like to offer a discount to JABlog readers!.  For a limited time you can use promo code JABlog for $10 off your first order! (as if free delivery weren't good enough, but hey, we're still in the Christmas spirit).

JABlog:  I'm very interested in the service and can imagine plenty of times where I'm not wanting to venture out into the cold for a beer!  More so I'm shocked that there are no hidden fees for this.  Since I'm outside the current delivery zone for Drinkfly, I'm counting on my readers to try this out and report back to me!  Use the coupon code and give it a shot.  

Let's finish up with a promotional video from my old home of Chicago...

30 Words: Science!

Tiny Molecules

Make Up

Everything

Within Us

Without Us

Space Dust to Earth's Crust

The Magic of Science

Attempts to Decipher

The Method and Manner

of the Heavens and Terra

The premise of 30 Words Thursdays is simple...

Take an image (preferably one you shot, or have permission to use).

Write 30 Words about it. No more. No less.

Post it each Thursday on the Treasures Found Blog.

Enjoy seeing the verse and vision others have captured by visiting them and leaving a comment.

This week's picture was taken at The Walker a few weeks ago.  I was struck by the molecular design and the strange overlapping shadows upon the walls and knew I had to do something with it!  Since everything was grey I easily changed this to true black & white.

A Whale A Week: Surly Five

It is time again for my continuing series titled A Whale A Week!  Last week I shared our tasting of Surly Four.  This week we take another trip to the sour side with Surly Brewing.  Those who are following this series will soon realize that my collection of rare beers are mostly sours, Russian Imperial stouts, or barleywines.  These styles tend to be the most cellar friendly, as well as being more difficult to brew resulting in smaller production runs.

Surly Five

This week we discuss the Quasi-Whale that is Surly Five.  I know I'm going to get some comments (and I welcome them) that the Surly anniversary beers are not rare enough to count as Whales.  If you are in that camp, think about this: each year Surly releases their anniversary beers to much fanfare and excitement from us Minnesotans.  Local liquor stores usually get one to two cases each of these wax-dipped bomber bottles.  They sell out in about a day, with a few exceptions.  One can find the beer on tap occasionally over the next month if you frequent the right places. And then it is gone.  Some of us will race around the Twin Cities buying our one or two allowed bottles per place until we have enough to add to our dragon's hoard.  Others scoff at the marketing and high cost of these beers, labeling us "Surly Fan-Boys".  Think about the limited availability here for those who stalk these beers.  Now think about someone in California or NYC lusting after these rare beers.  I think we tend to undervalue what is available to us...for instance craving Russian River's Pliny the Elder when we can get the equally tasty Surly Abrasive (available now) fairly easily here in Minnesota.

The Surly Anniversary beers have been quite a mixed bag over the years, but I appreciate the Todd Haug stretching his brewing chops to try new things.  One was a Quad/Doppelbock concoction that I never got to try.  I assume it was good.  Two was a cranberry milk stout that I first tried at a charity benefit--very tasty and tart.  That one made it to a small bottling run, but I've never actually seen one in person.  Three was a braggot, made with half honey and half grain.  I didn't like that one fresh, but a year later it was much more balanced and mellow.  I'd love to try this again now!  Four was the first of these that I loved from the get-go.  That one was a thick and creamy Imperial porter/stout with espresso and you can check out last week's review of it HERE.  If any of my friends and readers have a Two they want to share for this series please contact me!

9 out of 10 Chaos wolf soldiers love Surly Five!

Which brings us to Five.  Five was the first Surly sour ale to be bottled.  The beer is a fairly strong 7.5% ABV, dark-colored ale fermented with 100% brettanomyces yeast.  The beer was aged in red wine barrels to add wine and oak character.  Prior to the official release in 2011, I was able to try some of the unblended single barrel offerings of the beer at a Happy Gnome beer dinner and at Winterfest and really liked them.  When I first tried Five from the bottle I was actually a bit underwhelmed, as I was expecting a bit more sourness and funk from the beer.  It was more mellow than the unblended batches I had tried previously.  I had one bottle of Five last year and was impressed by how much the beer had changed since that initial tasting.  The beer currently has a Beer Advocate Rating of 91 out of 100, and a 99 on RateBeer.  Since the release of Five, Surly has now expanded and fine tuned the production methods to make the yearly release of Pentagram.  But this is how it all started!

The bottle cap is dipped in green wax with a very Metal (insert obligatory Dio hand gesture or air guitar here) goat head, pentagram and mash-paddle motif in green and white ink.  The art was from a collaboration between brewer and metal guitarist Todd Haug and local Aesthetic Apparatus.  I poured this into my Surly Darkness snifter glass to get as appropriate as could get.  Too many trips to Belgium with matching glassware has ruined me!

This week I was happy to have fellow Jack Of All Brews members Mike Lebben and Steven Mathistad over to help me out with the tasting.  Since organizing beer tastings is like herding cats (and with three of those I know all about that) we tasted ahead and did our Surly Syx entry for next week as well.  So sue me!  My wife Sj had to work late that day, but we saved her some of each so she could put in her two cents.  And let's be honest, most of these bottles were ones she ventured off in search of when they first released. We spent some time discussing the beer together and here are the highlights!

Aroma:
Eric: Very tart with hint of vinegar sourness.  Earthy notes.  I a get a little roast to this, but not acrid.  There is distinct dark cherry or possible red grape skin.  As it warms I actually pick up a little pineapple.
Mike: Musty.  Also rose-like floral aroma.
Steven: Mustiness, and almost a metallic note.

Appearance: 
Deep mahogany to garnet color.  Excellent clarity with a bit of red sparkle at edge of glass.  Fine tan head that fades quickly from view.

Flavor:
Eric: Strong acetic tartness up front but complex musty barnyard brettanomyces effect noted as well.  Roast malt seems to add some astringency to this beer, especially as it warms up.  Some tannin from the wood accentuates the astringency, but also adds complexity of flavor.  Some ripe plum and mild red wine flavors as I keep going back for more.  Very sour overall.  Body a bit thin.  Carbonation is medium.  Not surprisingly, no hop flavors.
Mike: Like a sour patch kid!  Makes the salivary glands go to town.  Vinegar flavors.
Steven: Sweet at first, but disappears quickly to a sourness.

Overall Impression: 
Eric: This is much more sour than I remember it being originally, but hasn't changed much since last year's try.  I'm thinking this is pretty much at its peak.  Despite being 100% brett fermented, there is distinct acetic acid (vinegar) character to this.  It strikes me more as a dark Flanders Red, somewhat like The Bruery's Tart of Darkness.  As it warms it seems more thin in body.  I like this beer a lot, as it is distinctly different from anything I've tried.  I have two bottles left and plan on cracking one every year until they are gone.  I initially gave it a 5, but after discussing with my cohorts, and letting it warm up, I dropped to a 4.5
Mike: Very sour.  4 (Prior to this year Mike didn't really like sours, but we've been working on him!)
Steven: Strong 4
Sj: "It's Sour!"  4.5


As luck would have it I ran across Surly Pentagram on tap at 3 Squares in Maple Grove while having lunch with my mom a few days after this tasting.  In comparison, the Pentagram had much more red wine character, as well as being less acetic and sour.  The color in Pentagram was much lighter and it lacked the bitter roast character.  They certainly share a lot of similar flavors, but the Pentagram was "easier" to drink and more mellow.  I'm curious to see if aging Pentagram will result in more of the sour character I found in the Five.

Freya gets in on the tasting action by doing her imitation of a face-hugger from Alien...

As usual I'm going to go ahead and post a free link-up below so if any other enterprising beer hoarders/reviewers want to "taste" along you can link to your own website or blog and we can get some different views.  Or feel free to just comment on the blog!

An InLinkz Link-up

Next week AWAW returns with…You guessed it Surly Syx!  Get ready to taste along and put in your two cents!


(Photo credit for the unaltered killer whale goes to Seaworld website.)

Brewery Review: Eastlake Brewery

Continuing the sordid tale of my recent mass brewery tour we move from LynLake Brewing at the edge of Uptown to Eastlake Brewery, further down Lake Street in the Midtown Global Market.  Just past Chicago Avenue, this area borders a bit on "hood", being the only place (after living in Chicago for 4 years) that I was ever almost mugged.  That was quite a while ago but I hold a grudge.  My favorite independent bookstore Uncle Hugo's/Uncle Edgar's is right there as well.

The Midtown Global Market is an interesting place.  Located in the long abandoned Sears Building right on East Lake Street, the market opened in 2006 as a place for small business owners of varying ethnicity to open businesses.  An indoor bazaar of crafts and items from Africa, South America, Scandinavia and more, the building also houses many small authentic eateries and ethnic markets.  Located in an area with a fair mix of cultures, this is a fantastic place for a hot-dish jaded Minnesotan to try something unique.  The Market is also walkable from Abbot Northwestern Hospital and is a popular spot for visitors who have family and friends staying in the hospital.  There is a parking ramp right next to the building with parking validated with purchase within the market for easy access.  My only caveat to encouraging people to visit is that after using my credit card there once someone tried to buy an expensive set of tires in Mexico with it...It was just one experience, but I make sure to use cash there now!

With the embarrassment of edible riches around, a brewery tap room located right in the Market is a recipe for success.  The Eastlake taproom is fairly small but comfortable and open, seating 75 people at maximum capacity.  The 7 barrel electric brewery itself is equally tiny, visible through a door abutting the taproom.  I want one of those for my homebrewing! Long and narrow tables made of what looks like reclaimed bowling alley wood provide most of the seating.  The bar itself is lined with rustic wood and has wooden signs with the available beers easily visible above it.  They were doing a bustling business while we visited, and the servers were moving fast to keep up.  They carry a selection root beer, ginger ale, and kombucha available for the non-beer drinkers at the taproom, as well as a couple of snacks for the thirsty.  Unusual wall art, a few taxidermy animal busts, and an air-hockey table complete the very eclectic decor.

The owner and brewer is Ryan Pitman, who was kind enough to answer a couple of questions for me for this write-up.  Like many professional brewers, Pitman started as a homebrewer, frequenting the local homebrew shops and teaching himself the craft.  From what I hear, he was quite the industrious and enthusiastic homebrewer, really leaping into the hobby and brewing a lot of beers in a short time.  I'm always happy to see one of my homebrewing brethren take it to the next level and be able to share their brews with a larger audience.

The beers themselves are served in either 10 oz snifters or 16 oz pint glasses.  Between the three of us we were able to try three of the five beers on tap, but I would have liked a sampler so I could taste them all.  I know samplers are a pain to serve and cleaning those little glasses is time consuming, but I hate to miss tasting some of the beers.  What if the one I let slip by was the best one?  Gotta drink 'em all!  Our overall favorite was the oddly named L'Ogre De Turvueren a light Belgian pale ale.  The brewer did a good job of balancing the Belgian esters with a strong but not overwhelming hop bitterness that reminded me of some hoppier beers we tried in Belgium recently.  Our second favorite was the El Armatoste,  a brown ale with light coffee and cinnamon spicing.  Not a bad job for a spiced beer, as so many of those take it too far for enjoyment of the base beer.  The Slop City stout was our least favorite of the three, coming out a bit too astringent and ending very bitter.  Best name of the three though!

The brewery has been open just over a month, and seems to be quite popular already based on our visit.  I always hesitate to pass judgement on a brewery in the first few months, knowing that they have a lot of potential kinks to straighten out with the brewing process, fermentation control, water chemistry, and even logistics of serving the beers.  Overall these were good quality beers, and I look forward to seeing how things evolve in the coming months.  Ryan has plans to open a sidewalk seating area come spring and also hopes to host some special events now that the space is open.  I enjoyed our visit to the Eastlake taproom and will certainly go back the next time I go on a book buying spree at Uncle Hugo's!

Photo Challenge #8: If You Can Dodge a Wrench...

After playing along with Erin's 30 Word Thursday weekly challenge on her Treasures Found Blog for the past year I have finally taken the plunge and started taking photography more seriously.  Starting with my iPhone, I soon found that the limitations of that device were getting to me.  Upgrading to a Cannon Eos Digital Rebel SL1 camera, I've started experimenting more with technique.  I have also invested in Photoshop Elements 12 and most of my post-production on photos will be from that program.  As a way to force myself to try new things, I'm doing a weekly photo challenge--each week focusing on a different photography or editing technique.  Some of these may be simple and others more difficult.  I encourage any of my readers to take part in the challenge!  Without further ado and and in reference to the schlock-fest movie of Dodge Ball:

If You Can Dodge A Wrench...

For this challenge we will be trying out the classic photography method of Dodging.  In the old days of film, this technique was used during the developing process to lighten areas of the film selectively.  One would basically hold a semi-opaque sheet over the developing film--allowing less light to hit a specific area of the print and hence less exposure.  This resulted in a lighter or "dodged" area where you wanted it.  Now with photo editing programs one can imitate this effect with much less trial and error.  So this week take a picture--preferably one where the contrast isn't as great as you would like it--and use this technique to add more light to select areas of the photo.  Last week we focused on the flipside of this with Burning In.  For super extra credit I'd like to see both techniques used on one picture.  Check out last week's post HERE.

The technique I'm using in these pictures is not quite the pre-programmed Dodge settings on Photoshop Elements, but approximates the effect pretty well and is easy to do.  First take the picture you want and move it to the Editor using the Expert tab.  Now use the very far right upper corner arrow down menu and from there choose New Layer.  Move down to Overlay and click the little box right below that drop-down to make it use a gray base.  Next choose the paintbrush tool off to the left side of the screen with medium soft brush at about 30% opacity to start.  Choose the size based on what areas you are going to alter.  Next click D on the keypad and this will change the foreground color (click between Black and White by using X) you want White as your Dodge foreground.  Hint: Burning In works the same way exactly, but you use Black as the foreground color.  Next you simply use the paintbrush to scrub over the areas you want lighter.

This picture was taken at The Walker a few weeks ago.  The place has crazy angles and just seems…off.  This particular hallway really accentuates the oddity.  Ok, so the effect is subtle here.  I took the first photo, in which the walls and the hanging crystals were just a bit too dark, and lightened them up by dodging enough to get more texture and POP.

That is all I have time for this week, but I also used the effect in one of last week's entries.

An InLinkz Link-up

For next week's Photo Challenge #9 we are going to make use of our frigid winters.  I want to see some snow or ice!  If you live in an area without seasons, then go ahead and just take some pictures outside to make us jealous.

A Whale A Week: Surly Four

Well folks, time again for A Whale A Week!

The Surly Anniversary beers have been quite a mixed bag over the years, but I appreciate the brewers stretching their brewing chops to try new things.  One was a Quad/Doppelbock concoction that I never got to try.  I assume it was good.  Two was a cranberry milk stout that I first tried at a charity benefit--very tasty and tart.  That one made it to a small bottling run, but I've never actually seen one in person.  If anyone has one they want to share, I can make it worth your while!  Three was a braggot, made with half honey and half grain.  I did not like that one fresh, but a year later it was much more balanced and mellow.  I'd love to try this again now!

Elsa helps to eis our bottle of Surly Four...

Surly Four

Surly Four was the first of the anniversary beers that I loved from the get-go.  It was released in 2010, making this one a classic here in 2015!  I remember it as a thick and creamy Imperial porter/stout with espresso.   I know that they added dark roast coffee to the end of the boil process, resulting in a more burnt/roasted character than is seen in their "dry coffee" technique used for Surly Coffee Bender.  I believe that while talking to Omar about this beer, he mentioned actually eising it slightly, which increased the mouthfeel and concentrated a lot of the flavors.  For those who put stock in ratings, the beer currently has a rating of 96 on BeerAdvocate and 100 on RateBeer.  The beer clocks in at about 10% ABV.

This particular precious bottle was raided from the cellar of fellow Jack Of All Brews member Bryce Ehrman.  Dipped in blue wax, the bottle hosts wonderful artwork from fantastic and friendly local artist Adam Turman, known for his work with Surly as well as murals at Butcher & The Boar and 612 Brewery.  Bryce and my wife Sj joined me in the basement bar for the tasting this past Wednesday night after work.  I served these into Surly Darkness snifters for that added bit of appropriateness.  I've broken our comments up where we differed a bit.  Sj was verbose in her descriptions as usual.

Aroma:
Eric: Sweet maltiness with a milk chocolate character.  No hop aroma.  Some dark roast espresso as swirled.  Reminds me of the wonderful chocolate gelato from Paciugo in the Mall of America.  Slight vegetal zip as it warms.  This just smells rich and decadent overall.
Bryce:  Almost smells like it is barrel aged--vanilla and tannin.  Rich cacao and roast.

Appearance:
Eric:  Opaque and nearly black.  Large dark tan head with medium sized bubbles that persist for ages.  Some legs on the edge of the snifter.
Bryce: Deep brown mahogany with medium tan head.

Flavor:
Eric:  Sweet maltiness and almost caramel notes at first hits you with near cloying sweetness.  At the middle of the taste I get a strong smokiness that trails into a semi-burnt espresso bitterness.  That finish is strong and almost like coffee grounds, leaving you with a astringent and dry finish.  Thick and coating mouthfeel.  Balance to the sweet side, but the finish actually saves this from being cloying.  Some alcohol warming, but not burning by any means.  No hop flavors discerned.  I get some cacao/bitter chocolate as it warms.
Bryce:  Excessively sweet tasting like sugar and toffee.  More to the caramel side of sweet than to the chocolate.  Medium to heavy body and slick mouthfeel.  Slight alcohol warmth on back end.  No oxidation at all.

Overall:
Eric:  Most coffee beers I've aged have quickly lost their coffee mojo, but this one is amazingly strong despite being over four years old!  I think the astringency in this is a combination of too much dark roast malt and the coffee being added to the boil.  The smokiness is a surprise, and this almost reminds me of a milder aged Alaskan Smoked porter.  The beer improves as it warms for sure.  Overall this reminds me of chewing on a dark chocolate dipped espresso bean.  I give it…appropriately a 4!
Bryce: This beer has one of the most unique differences between the aroma and the flavor that I have come across.  This seems almost like a barrel aged Russian Imperial stout.  I also give it a 4.
Sj: "I like it!" 4

This week I'm starting to use a free link tool on each week's entry to encourage any other budding beer reviewers or bloggers to play along with me.  Just hit the button below and add a link to your page/blog and it will post in the area below.  I'll leave the link open all week so if you decide to dig one of these beers out of your cellar and try it out you can still post here.  I welcome folks to try that or even just comment here on the blog to tell me what you think of the beer!

An InLinkz Link-up

Next week we will continue our Surly run on A Whale A Week with Surly Five!  I plan to work my way through all the Surly Anniversary beers before moving on to some other bottles I have stored away in the cellar.  Stay tuned!

Oh, and here is a quick easter egg outtake from our tasting...

Brewery Review: LynLake Brewing

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to get out of the house and visit some of the glut of new breweries that have opened in Minnesota over the past year.  Once upon a time even the rumor of a new brewery would get me all exited and riled up.  Now, I can't even keep some of these newcomers straight in my head.  Am I getting lazy, old and crotchety?  Perhaps.  But I will also say that like a fine barleywine, I like to let a new brewery mature and mellow a bit before I try it out.  My oldest friend Bryan was in town recently and we took the opportunity to visit three breweries in one day.  Our first stop was the recently opened LynLake Brewery, just at the edge of Uptown and literally right next door to The Herkimer.

The brewery itself is in the Historic LynLake Theater, and makes good use of the wide-open space.  Stepping into the building from the bitter Minnesota cold, I was hit by a blast of blessed heat and the roar of an agitated crowd of NDSU fans watching a game on the big-screen TV.  Those who know me well know I'm the opposite of a sports guy, so sports bars are not my bag.  I was a little concerned about the noise at first, but at an empty high-top table near the rear of the taproom we discovered a lee in the storm of raised voices.

The bar is central to the brewery, forming a large rectangle.  Above the bar are hanging light fixtures dangling from old bike tires at several different levels, forming a large found-art mobile effect.  The staff seemed very friendly at the bar.  Between Bryan, my wife Sj, and myself, we split two samplers so we could try most of the beers and took them back to our table.  I really like the solid copper tubing sampler trays--they are unlike anything I've seen before!

While we started working our way through the beers, I took stock of the rest of the brewery.  Behind us, at the back of the space was the stainless steel brewhouse and rows of conical fermenters, cordoned off with appropriate red theater ropes.  A few walls were tagged with a kaleidoscope of riotous colors and patterns in spray paint, bringing a bit of "street" into the place.

The beers were an interesting mix of styles from the obligatory but well crafted PonyBoy Gold to the oaty Rubbish amber.  I didn't really love the Take 6 IPA due to its harsh astringency--like someone mixed lemon cleanser into the fermenter with the dry-hops.  Other than the IPA, I felt that all the beers we had were respectable examples of the styles they were going for with minimal off flavors.  The only one that really got me going though was the Peach Treat.  That was a peach flavored smoked beer that should have been so wrong, but turned out so right!  All three of us fought like hungry dogs over that tiny sampler glass.

Overall, I had a good time hanging out at LynLake with my peeps.  I do think that they are making credible beers here now, but until I got to the Peach Treat would not have strongly recommended the place over several other local breweries.  The vibe is nice, and the space is a cool one.  I'm interested to see what these guys do over the coming year and will certainly stop in next time I'm in Uptown.

Already a weird mural, but I pointilizied it just because I could...