Pumpkin Beer: An Exposé

 

As many of you may have noticed, pumpkin beers have begun invading store shelves even earlier this year. Many breweries have made negative statements about this fact, stating that some breweries are using last year’s pumpkin crop or canned pumpkins in their beers to meet the early release date. I have no opinion on that matter; I am a huge fan of many pumpkin beer offerings and, of course, some are better than others, but putting all that aside, what is a pumpkin beer?

Pumpkins are in the squash family of vegetables, a family of vegetables not really known for their huge flavor. So why are pumpkin beers so damn flavorful? Well, the answer is that what many of us refer to as “pumpkin beers” are in fact spiced beers and many of these pumpkin beers do not even contain pumpkin – gasp! Now, of course, many breweries still use pumpkins as well, and there is ongoing dispute whether pumpkins truly add flavor to the beer or not. However, the main spices that are used in pumpkin beers are cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger, with variations of these and others added for unique experiences.

Pumpkin beers have been brewed in the United States for hundreds of years, dating back to the original settlers. The main reason that pumpkins were used was not due to the unbelievable flavor, but because of the vast availability of the gourds. One of the main ingredients required to make beer is malt, and the settlers did not have as much good malt available as they did pumpkins, so a natural substitute was found, as pumpkins have naturally fermentable sugars needed to make beer. Trust me, though; their pumpkin beer was not one that we would enjoy drinking in large quantities today!

So how did we end up with the heavily spiced pumpkin beers that we know and love today? Well, pumpkin beers remained popular in the U.S., and over time, the idea of having a “pumpkin in a glass” developed into “pumpkin pie in a glass.” There is no one real sticking point to hang this change on, though. However, there is one brewery that is credited with reviving this style of beer, and that is Buffalo Bill’s Brewery. Buffalo Bill’s have been brewing their pumpkin ale since the mid-‘80s and have attracted a very loyal fan base for the beer using a recipe based upon one by an avid homebrewer named George Washington; he was also president at one time as well.

The style has continued to grow in popularity year after year, hence the earlier and earlier release dates. We now have great pumpkin offerings from breweries such as Dogfish Head, Smuttynose, Long Trail, and Elysian Brewing Company, with many more breweries releasing pumpkin beers every year. Pumpkin beers are also branching out from simple ales into porters, stouts, and imperial versions.

The term “pumpkin beer” can be very divisive among beer aficionados, with many not wanting to recognize the style or writing it off more as a marketing gimmick than a beer. I am certainly not in that camp, and I believe that pumpkin beers are a fantastic way to bring in the fall season, even if it is still summer.

Living in Northeastern Pennsylvania also gives many of us opportunities to have fantastic pumpkin beers brewed right in our backyard. Whether it is 3 Guys and a Beer’d with their Soul Patch Pumpkin Ale, Breaker Brewing Company’s Potbelly Pumpkin Ale, Stegmaier’s Pumpkin Ale, or Nimble Hill’s Jack Be Nimble Pumpkin Ale – all of these beers are fantastic and brewed right here in NEPA. Not to mention other great pumpkin beers brewed in Pa., such as Weyerbacher’s Imperial Pumpkin, a personal favorite, or the ever-so-popular Pumking by Southern Tier, brewed right over the border in N.Y. We are certainly living in the perfect area to drink amazing pumpkin beers.

While it may be a bit too early in the season for some of us to dive into pumpkin beers, there is never a season to not have good beers. So take advantage of the area’s overabundance of great pumpkin beers and try them all while you still can because, after all, they are seasonal, and before you know it, the winter frost will be upon us and all of the pumpkin beers will disappear with Linus and the Great Pumpkin.


Article originally published: http://www.theweekender.com/news/WK_Food/785541/Pumpkin-beer:-an-expos

Keep Calm and Keep Drinking

Brewer: 21st Amendment Brewery

Beer: Hop Crisis

Style: American Double/Imperial IPA

ABV: 9.7%

Why hop crisis? A few years ago, the hop market experienced a shortage and the prices of hops skyrocketed, causing many breweries to either change the hops they used in beers or cut back on the hoppiness. In response to this “crisis,” the 21st Amendment went the opposite route and created the biggest and hoppiest beer in their lineup, and we are all better off because of this decision!

Description: Hop Crisis pours a slightly hazy golden straw color with a creamy off-white head that lingers long leaving a thick lacing on the glass. The aroma is dominated by what you would imagine with an imperial IPA: hops, hops, and more hops. The hop bouquet on display here is ruled by citrus backed with floral, and resin along with hints of breadiness from the malt and a bit of vanilla sweetness from the oak. The taste is surprisingly sweet, which some may complain about, but I love it. On the palate up front, the taste of biscuits and caramel from the malt coat the palate before being assaulted by grapefruit and lemon notes from the hops before washing away leaving a long dry finish. This beer is super crisp with a medium body and great carbonation – everything you would want from a great beer and even better since it is in a can.

Food pairing: As with most IPA’s, Hop Crisis pairs perfectly with many Mexican dishes, especially those with bright citric notes. However, the sweetness of this beer make is perfect with Thai food. Thai is known for its perfect blend of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy dishes, and Hop Crisis is truly in its element with these dishes, especially those with coconut, highlighting the sweetness of the dish and the beer. Another great final summer dish to have with this beer is a nice grilled salmon drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon and black pepper. The citrus of the fish and beer are a perfect combination, and the oil from the salmon is picked up and taken away from the beer, making it a true summer treat.

Is it worth trying? Do you like beer? If you read this far I will assume yes, in which case, TRY THIS BEER! It is a tough beer to find, though, because it is a rotating beer for 21st Amendment, meaning it is not available year round, and when it is released, it goes very fast and with good reason – it’s delicious! Summer is typically seen as IPA season, and since summer is winding down, I felt the best way to end it was by reviewing one of my favorite IPA’s. If you cannot find Hop Crisis, though, certainly try 21st Amendment’s Brew Free or Die IPA, another fantastic IPA! The other fantastic feature of this beer is that it is great for hopheads and still very approachable for newbies to craft beer, a tough balancing act to achieve!

Rating: W W W W V

Where can I get it? Get your cans at Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer in Wilkes-Barre, the only establishment with this beautiful beer in stock. But get there fast – these never last!

Original article appeared on the Weekender website: http://www.theweekender.com/news/WK_Food/785544/ID-TAP-THAT:-Keep-calm-and-keep-drinking

All for one and beer for all

 

 

Collaborations have long been a part of popular culture, whether in music when Anthrax and Public Enemy collaborated to produce the song “Bring the Noise” and thus create a new genre of music; when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak collaborated to create Apple; or with the advent of Wikipedia where we all collaborate to create a mass of information. (Just don’t use it as a reference for any term papers in college.)

The results can be mixed at times, but the general consensus is still that two heads are better than one. So, in a craft beer market that currently holds 2,538 breweries, it should be no surprise that many collaborate with one another rather than simply try to compete for market share.

You may have noticed some great collaboration beers on the shelves at your favorite craft beer supplier or bar. Many are just what you would think: beers that were created by two or more breweries, typically owners and/or head brewers, exchanging ideas and coming together to agree on a solid recipe for a beer. There are many examples of these on the market. There’s the fabulous IPA created by Smuttynose Brewing and Stone Brewing called Cluster’s Last Stand; only 1,044 bottles were produced, so if you find this gem grab a bottle.

There is also Rhizing Bines, which was the result of a wonderful collaboration between Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada. Rhizing Bines is an imperial IPA that undertook two different hopping methods. The collaboration also led to the development of the IPA glass. There are endless examples of these types of collaborations, whether it’s Russian River and Avery Brewing, New Belgium Brewing and Elysian, or Allagash and Bell’s Brewing.

Another popular collaboration is between breweries and homebrewers. Many of your favorite breweries have produced beers based upon recipes from award winning homebrewers. Examples of this are found in Stone Brewing’s Dayman Coffee IPA, which was released this past spring. An even more widely available example of this is with Sam Adams. Every year the Boston Brewing Company holds its longshot competition where homebrewers can submit beers and the winners of the contest get to produce their beer using the equipment at the brewery and have their beer bottled in 6-packs and shipped throughout the country. This year’s winning 6-packs featured a splendid imperial IPA called Magnificent Seven, along with a strawberry lager and wheat beer.

There is a new style of collaboration that has begun to hit the markets now though, those between Hollywood and breweries. The first big example we saw of such collaboration was with the Game of Thrones beer entitled Golden Throne, released by Brewery Ommegang this past spring. A new one named Take the Black Stout is set to be released this fall. Also under this category is Stone’s Woot Stout, a collaboration with everyone’s favorite nerd Wil Wheaton.

Collaborations can create something wonderful that ultimately leads to something not so great: see Anthrax/Public Enemy lead to Limp Bizkit. However, among the craft beer family collaborations are created to innovate and make great beer better, a win-win situation.


Original article published at: http://www.theweekender.com/news/WK_Food/748663/All-for-one-and-beer-for-all

W00t w00t Indeed!

 

Beer: Stone / Farking / Wheaton w00tstout

Brewer: Stone Brewing Company

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 13.0%

What’s with the name? w00tstout is a collaboration beer between Greg Koch, from Stone Brewing Company; Drew Curtis, the creator of Fark.com; and Wil Wheaton, popular geek and star of such films as “Stand by Me” and “Toy Soldiers.” The beer is a stout brewed with rye, wheat malt and pecans and partially aged in bourbon whiskey barrels. The name is also a nod to wOOtstock, a popular geek festival put on by Wheaton every year in San Diego.

Description: w00tstout pours a tar black color with a creamy beige head that remained for some time, but eventually dispersed, leaving a beautiful thick lacing on the glass. The aroma is absolutely breathtaking with notes of coffee, cocoa, bourbon, vanilla, oak, and ever so subtle hints of pecans. The taste is equally amazing and complex with coffee and cocoa up front, quickly followed by bourbon hints blended with vanilla and oak before the bitter hops cut through and just an ever so slight hint of alcohol heat. As this beer warms, a slight nuttiness begins to come through, along with more hints of bourbon, which is reminiscent of almonds. The body of this beer is thick and hearty but also smooth and creamy; this is definitely a sipping beer. After all, it is 13 percent ABV. This beer has raised the bar for what imperial stouts can and should be for craft beer makers.




Food Pairing: As stated, this is certainly a sipping beer if you are looking to enjoy this beer on its own. However, if you are looking for a fantastic meal, w00tstout is also the perfect accompaniment. As with any stout, this one is perfect with desserts such as German chocolate cake, brownies, coconut cream pie, or bourbon pumpkin cheesecake. A dream match for this beer is a coffee-rubbed porterhouse steak, something covered in previous articles; the two are a dream with the coffee blending seamlessly into the beer and the caramelized portions within the meat accentuating the roasted characters of the beer.

Is it worth trying? Stop reading and BUY THIS BEER! This is one of the most complex, unique, enjoyable, and drinkable beers I have had in quite some time. The only negative thing to say is that it is a beer that is in high demand, so finding yourself a bottle could be difficult, but well worth it! However, I heard about this beer pretty far in advance and, being a bit of a geek myself, I have been a fan of Wheaton for some time as well, so the idea of Wheaton and Stone collaborating intrigued me to no end and I have to say that I was not disappointed at all. The extremely varied ingredients created something so unique that words cannot describe, so get out there, find a bottle, and use every one of your senses to enjoy this fantastic beer!

Rating: W W W W W

Where can I get it? Currently available in bottles at: Krugel’s Georgetown Deli, Wilkes-Barre, and Exit 190 Beer Deli, Dickson City As I said, this is a tough one to find right now, but call around to your favorite craft beer shops and check on it.

 Articles appeared in this weeks Weekender and Sunday Dispatch, orginial article can be found here:

http://psdispatch.com/news/WK_Food/748670/ID-TAP-THAT:-W00t-w00t-indeed

Ayinger Oktober Fest is coming!!

I was so happy to receive this notification in my e-mail today about Ayinger Oktober Fest. one of my favorite Oktober Fest beers!

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen Arrives!

August 7,  2013

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen, one of the most highly-respected Märzens available in the world is arriving soon at a store,  bar or restaurant near you. 

Ayinger Brewery, founded in 1878 and located in the Bavarian village of Aying - about 30 minutes from Munich -  has earned a reputation for beer of the highest quality.   Ayinger always represents a commitment to excellence, which shows up at the World Beer Championships (where Ayinger often takes first place in every category entered), or on beer websites, or in the delightful Ayinger beer quaffed at your local pub, or even in a discussion between other German brewers.

Oktober Fest-Märzen is an honest Märzen - full-bodied, rich lager with a malty bouquet and richness that stops short of sweetness.   Color is deep amber-gold and the flavor is a perfect balance: malt backbone with depth & richness; complemented by perfect conditioning from long maturation; and alcohol of 5.8% by volume.  Fest-Märzen is spiced with enough hops to make it snappy and thirst-quenching, but in the classic Bavarian style it's not highly bitter. 

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen shows big bold flavors and clean purity while still maintaining perfect balance: we’ve never tasted any fall beer that can surpass it in comparison.    But don’t just take our word for it - try some yourself.  Just remember,  Oktober Fest-Märzen is seasonal . . .  so get it while you can, or you may have to wait until next year.

Great Coasters!

I thought that a great accompanying post to my article on beer books this week would be a feature on a great coaster set sold by Out of Print 

This coaster set is fully waterproof and has covers from my favorite books Brave New World, 1984, and On the Road(!) along with others pictured above and come in a nice looking "book" case so that when all are stored it resembles a small book.

So definitely pick these up to set your beer on while you read from the great list in the Weekender this week!

Book Coasters

Books and Beer

This is an article I have been wanting to write for quite some time, but time never permitted.  I have put together a short list of great beer related books to check out, if you have not read all of these please do yourself a favor and check them all out!

Books and Beer