Memphis Beer Club

For this month’s Memphis Beer Club we are going with an animal theme, Doggie Style Beers. It was a little difficult to find all of the Flying Dog beers here in Memphis so we had to reach deep and try some others. We tried a main stream beer that was big in the early 90’s, one from one of the best craft breweries in the country, two from the Flying Dog Brewery and one from a local Nashville brewery.

Food was catered by our local favorite taco place, Swanky’s. They do a great job providing everything for an event including all the fixen’s. They meat has lots of flavors different they the typical Mexican place. They have a great tequila selection and they have most of the Mexican beers. If you have a chance stop by and get the fish tacos or a burrito as big as your head.

Now let’s talk about the first beer of the night, Red Dog. This retro beer is still brewed by Miller but is marketed through their Ice House Plank Road Brewery. This was one of the most popular domestic beers in the late to mid 1990’s. Red Dog had faded into near obscurity around the turn of the century. In 2005 it was moved into the Plank Road Brewery Family along with Icehouse and South Paw Light. South Paw light is a light version of Red dog with only 110 calories.

The Plank Road brewery is sponsoring Maxim’s Hometown Hotties Contest. Inside each package of Icehouse is an activation code that could win the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize includes a 4 person trip to South Beach for the first ever Hometown Hotties Party. As you can see there is not that much to write about another crappy beer from Miller.

The next beer is a Kölsch style beer from Flying Dog Brewery out of Denver Colorado, Tire Bite Golden Ale. Kölsch is a local beer specialty, brewed in Cologne, Germany. It is a clear beer with a bright straw yellow hue, and it has a prominent, but not extreme, hoppiness. The term Kölsch was officially used for the first time in 1918 to describe the type of beer that had been brewed by the Sünner brewery since 1906. This type of beer developed from the similar, but cloudier variant Wiess. It never became particularly popular in the first half of the twentieth century, when the most popular beer was bottom-fermented, just as in the rest of Germany. Before World War II, there were over 40 breweries in Cologne, but in the aftermath of the devastation wrought by the war, that number was reduced to two.

The Flying Dog Brewery open up in 1990 and was the first brewery inAspen in over 100 years. Four years later the demand grew for their beers that they open up a much larger facility in downtown Denver in 1994. The Tire Bite is the lightest of the Flying Dog beers with a nice hint of hoppiness at the end. It is brewed using exclusive imported German hops and has about 17 IBU’s.

The Raison D Etre from Dogfish Head was the strongest beer of the night, an 8.0% Belgium Ale. As all of the other “extreme” beers from Dogfish head, Raison Etre is right on par. Dogfish Head uses thousands of green raisins to give this beer an earthy flavor unlike another beer. With the high alcohol content this earthiness helps smooth out the beer. This isn’t a beer I would drink all the time but it well worth a try.

Dos Perros is a Altbeir brewed by Linus Hall of Yazoo Brewery.I had a chance to meet Linus Hall the brewer/owner of Yazoo Brewery at a tasting here at the Fresh Market in Germantown, TN. After discussing his beer in great detail I realized that I had made a mistake in rating his beer on RateBeer.com. I tried the Yazoo Flight at the Flying Saucer in Nashville and tried to compare his Pale Ale to other American Pale Ales. Linus was eager to point out that most of the American Pale Ales use Cascade hops vs. Amarillo which gives it a different hoppiness. I have since tried quite a few Yazoo Pale Ales and would agree although it is different than other Pale Ales it is still a dame good beer.

Yazoo Brewery owners Lila and Linus Hall are both from Mississippi, and moved to Nashville in 1996. Linus has been brewing for over ten years, and has a craftbrewing degree from the American Brewers Guild in California, with an internship at the Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, New York. Since they opened their doors in October of 2003 Yazoo brews have become popular beers, favorites of local Nashvillians and sought out by craft brewing loyalists all over the world. At the 2004 American Brewers Festival in Colorado, Yazoo won the Gold Medal for their Hefeweizen. Brewmaster Linus Hall continues to adhere to the "4 pint principle" and believes in pairing carefully crafted beer with fine foods. Each Yazoo beer is hand-crafted to ensure the first sip is as satisfying as the last.

The Yazoo Brewery is located in what was once the Marathon Motor Works building. From 1910 to 1914, Marathon Motor Works made the first automobiles ever to be produced in the South. About 5,000 cars were made in those five years, earning Nashville the nickname "Detroit of the South". Despite their popularity, the hand-crafted cars were expensive and soon lost the market to the mass-produced cars of Ford and others.

The last beer of the evening was the flagship beer form Flying Dog, Doggie Style Pale Ale. The birth of the American Pale Ale is very interesting. By the late 1970s and early 1980s virtually no true top-fermented ales were being produced in the United States, and America's oldest brewing tradition was in imminent danger of disappearing entirely.

The new tradition arose in California. Anchor Brewing Co. began tinkering with a real ale in 1975 (which eventually emerged as Liberty Ale), and New Albion (perhaps the first true microbrewery) introduced an ale a year later. Within a few years homebrewers Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi launched Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., also in Northern California, and the craft-brewing industry began to take its first, faltering steps. No one at the time had any idea of how much would change, of course, or how quickly.

In many ways Sierra Nevada's ale can be taken as the prototype of the new American pale It is an all-malt beer, and the malts are very American (two-row pale, caramel, and dextrin). And significantly, the hop flavor is unabashedly American. In fact they are primarily the signature Cascade hops, citrusy and floral. Of all the American hops, Cascade and her sister varieties are the most obvious stamp of American pale ale, unmistakable in their assault on the palate.

The Memphis Beer Club is going to focus on one my favority cites in the US, Chicago. We are going to sample some of the local Chicago brew from Goose Island and some staple Chicago foods.

Chicago Style Hot Dogs
The style, once known as a "Depression sandwich," is generally acknowledged as having originated at Fluky's, a well-known Maxwell Street stand, in 1929. Chicago-style hot dogs are boiled or steamed to a temperature above 170 degrees Fahrenheit (~77 degrees Celsius) before adding the toppings. They can also be grilled, though these are referred to as "chardogs" in Chicagoland. The natural casing of the hot dogs gives them their distinctive "snap." The most common dog weighs 1/8 lb. and is made with Vienna Beef.

For this months Memphis Beer club we are going with one of the great "craft" breweries in the United States, Boston Brewery. I'm sure everyone has heard the story about Jim Koch raise to fame brewing his Great-Great father's beer recipe. Boston Lager was introduced on Patriot's Day in 1985. Patriot’s Day was traditionally observed on April 19, in honor of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. However, like everything else, in 1969 the government moved it to the third Monday in April to provide a 3 day long-weekend. Three months later Sam Adams Boston Lager was named the best beer in the United States at the Great American Beer Festival.

This award was right about the time the "Craft Brewing" was making a come back and by 1995 there were over 600 craft brewers. That number of has increased every year and is closer to 2,400. In 2006 the Boston Beer Company produced 10 varieties of beer year-round: Boston Lager*, Sam Adams Light, Boston Ale, Pale Ale, Cherry Wheat, Cream Stout, Brown Ale, Hefeweizen, Scotch Ale, Black Lager* and Utopias. It also brews five seasonal beers: Double Bock (Jan - Mar), White Ale (Jan - Mar), Summer Ale (Apr - Aug), Oktoberfest (Aug - Nov) and Winter Lager* (Nov - Jan). In addition Samuel Adams also produces a winter pack that includes Old Fezziwig Ale*, Holiday Porter* and Cranberry Lambic*. (* beers tasted this month). The winner of the 2006 Beer Lover's Choice award is the Honey Porter and will be available in the Brewmaster's Collection in 2007.

In the summer of 2006 Sam Adams releases a Brewer Patriot collection that included four beers that 'Honor the Fine Tradition of American Brewing of our Founding Fathers' which include the Traditional Ginger Honey Ale, James Madison Dark Wheat Ale, George Washington Porter and 1790 Root Beer. I bought three of these Patriot Packs over the holiday and I'm looking forward for the right night for a small tasting.

Now let’s talk about the beer. We had all had some of these beers from Sam Adams, but never as part of a tasting. Of course we started with the Flagship beer, Sam Adams Boston Lager. The original beer was named after Jim Koch’s Great-Great Grandfather Louis Koch. Jim stated that “I renamed my beer after the patriot Samuel Adams, who helped lead the American Revolution and was a brewer by trade. (All pub owners were breweries back in the 1700’s)I thought the name was assertively American”

As always this beer delivered on taste. Is has a very full bodied and complex malt flavor and a deep golden amber color. The malt flavor is slightly on the sweet side, but the Nobel dried hops give it a rich floral and piney aroma. The beer poured smoothly with a nice lasting 2” head. I had forgotten how much I like this beer and it’s no wonder why this beer is everywhere and should be enjoyed more often.

Next we sampled the Sam Adams Winter Lager. As all winter Lager these is a rich warm malty beer. By increasing the malts per liter brewer’s pushed up the potency of this brew to warm up a beer drinker’s soul. Winter Lager is a Weizenbock that was invented in Germany and brewed for religious holidays. Bocks were primary brewed by Germen monks to provide essential nutrients for the long fasting period during lent.

Sam Adams Winter Lager was the company’s first seasonal offering as it still one of its best sellers. Because it is a Weizenbock it is brewed using generous quantities of malted wheat. This gives it a crisp finish that is different from traditional bocks. Like the Boston lager it has a rich malty flavor and beep brown to amber color. The hint of orange peel paired with the roasty sweetness of the malts makes this a beer that is well balanced and warms up your insides on a cold night, or day.

The Samuel Adams Black Lager is a great example of a Schwarzbier. We first had a ‘Black Lager’ almost a year ago at the South of the Border tasting with Xingu. Xingu stated that the oldest reference to a ‘Black Lager’ dated to the Amazon region in the 1550’s. However there are references to a “Brunswick Mum” in the 1390’s in Germany. Even thought most of these beers are extremely dark in color they are a distant cousin of Porters and Stouts.

Porters and Stouts are highly hopped ales that were invented in Britain, Schwarzbier is lightly hopped and is fermented using a bottom fermenting lager yeast. The roasting of several malts is what gives this smooth malty beer its deep black color. Sam Adams Black lager uses this bottom fermenting traditional method to produces is Schwarzbier. I’m only able to pick up the Black Lager in the Brewmaster’s 6 pack, but it is worth it for this beer. This beer is a deep ruby black with a sweet malty flavor. Due to the limited amount of hops this dark beer has a nice dry finish.

We have tried a lot of different beers the last few months and this is the worst beer we have tried hands down. I thought Steel Reserve would win the title, but the Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic is the Grand Champion. I know Sam Adams states that it’s not a Belgium style lambic, but why make such a bad beer instead. The tag line from Same Adams is “Tart and sweet, with complex fruit and vanilla notes.” It should be “Another fruity beer that taste like ass”

This style of beer is named for the Lambic region in Belgium where it was originally developed. Lambics are wheat beers that are traditionally brewed using native fruits and an open fermentation, a process where the unfermented wort is left in an open vessel in the brewhouse and is fermented by the wild yeast in the air - this process lends the beer its uniquely fruity fermentation character. That night was going so well until this beer.

The Sam Adams Holiday Porter is a good example of a British Style porter. They use a combination of five malted barley in the brewing process. The use of Carafa malts gives this porter a smooth roasted malty character. Like the traditional British style a generous portion of English hops, East Kent & Fuggles, gives this beer a great hop aroma and finish.

In 1802, a writer named John Feltham wrote a version of the history of porter that has been repeated hundreds of times since. Unfortunately, very little of Feltham's story is backed up by contemporary evidence. His account is based upon a letter written by Obadiah Poundage (who had worked for decades in the London brewing trade) in the 1760´s. Unfortunately, Feltham badly misinterpreted parts of the text, mainly due to his unfamiliarity with 18th century brewing terminology. Feltham claimed that in 18th century London a popular beverage called "three threads" was made consisting of a third of a pint each of ale, beer and two penny . About 1730, Feltham said, a brewer called Harwood made a single beer called Entire which recreated the flavor of "three threads", and which became known as "porter". It took its name from its popularity with the thousands of street and river porters (but not market porters) of London, who drank it to refresh themselves as they carried goods and parcels off and on ships in the Thames and around the streets of England's capital.

Sam Adams Holiday Porter deep rubbish black porter that was first introduced in the Sam Adams Classic Winter pack in 2204. This Holiday Porter is a smooth porter which combines a roasted malty start with a nice dry hop finish.

The last beer of the evening was the Old Fezziwig Ale, a spiced winter beer. This is another rich malty beer from Sam Adams’s Winter Pack with a big spice finish. Sam Adams state that this is the “Big Christmas Cookie” of beers, but I disagree. I was not looking forward to this beer after reading that is has a spiced flavor of cinnamon, ginger and orange peel, but once again I was pleasantly surprised.

Due to the Holiday's and most of the people traveling for Thanksgiving we did not have a November 2006 Memphis Beer Club. I can tell you that this will never happen again.

Thanks for a great 2006 and I look forward to seeing everyone in December.

It is time again to celebrate the joys of beer, food and friends. Lot’s of US brewers are now making Oktoberfest beers, but we decided to go with traditional Germany beers we can get here in Memphis. Oktoberfest is a two-week festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany during late September and early October. It is one of the most famous events in the city and the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year.


The event usually takes place during the 16 days up to and including the first Sunday in October, but if this day is the 1st or 2nd then the festival will go on until the October 3rd (German Unity Day). Thus, the festival is 17 days when the 1st Sunday is October 2nd and 18 days when it is October 1st. The festival is held on an area named the Theresienwiese (Field [or meadow] of Therese), often called “d’ Wiesn” for short. Beer plays a central role in the fair, with every festival beginning with a keg of beer tapped by the Mayor of Munich who declares “O'zapft is!” (Bavarian: “It’s tapped!”). A special Oktoberfest beer is brewed for the occasion, which is slightly darker and stronger, in both taste and alcohol. It is served in a one-liter-tankard called Maß. The first mass is served to the Bavarian Minister-President. Only local Munich breweries are allowed to serve this beer in a Bierzelt, a beer tent which is large enough for thousands.

Visitors also consume large quantities of food, most of it traditional hearty fare such as sausage, hendl (chicken), käsespätzle (cheese noodles), and sauerkraut, along with such Bavarian delicacies as roast ox tails. In the year 1880, the city government approved the sale of beer. The electric light illuminated over 400 booths and tents. In 1881, booths selling bratwursts opened. In 1892, beer was first served in glass mugs. There are many problems every year with young people, who overestimate their ability to handle large amounts of alcohol. Many pass out due to drunkenness. These especially drunk patrons are often called "Bierleichen" (German for "beercorpses").The six Oktoberfest breweries, (Spaten, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu) sold 6 million mugs of beer in 2005 (5.5 million in 2004).

One of my fondest drinking memories was deciding to spend my last five dollars at the Germaina Oktoberfest on just ONE more mug of Warsteiner rather than eating a currywurst. Looking back of should of had the currywurst. Warsteiner Premium Verum is an example of a Classic German Pilsner brewed by Warsteiner Brauerei of Arnsberger Forestpark, Germany. The Warsteiner Brewery lies deep in the heart of the Arnsberger Forestpark (Arnesberg Forest Nature Park) outside of Warstein, Germany in the north central section of the country. The Cramer family has been brewing beer since 1753 with Warsteiner Premium Verum begin the #1 selling beer in Germany.

The invention of modern refrigeration by Carl von Linde removed the need for caves in which to store the beer, however even until recently the Pilsner Urquell brewery still fermented their beer using open barrels in the cellars underneath their brewery. This technology was changed in 1993 since large cylindrical tanks are used, however small samples are still brewed in a traditional way for the comparison of the taste. They also have the unique claim to being "the world's first golden beer."

A modern pilsener has a very light, clear color from pale to golden yellow, and a distinct hop aroma and flavor. Czech pilseners tend toward a lighter flavor with good examples being Pilsner Urquell and Staropramen, while those in a German style can be more bitter (particularly in the north, e.g. Jever) or even "earthy" in flavor. Distinctive examples of German pilseners are Flensburger, Beck's, Konig, Radeberger, Veltins, Fürstenberg and Wernesgrüner.

Next we will be drinking a beer brewed by Paulaner Brauerei brewery in Munich Germany, Paulaner Hefeweissbier. Paulaner is a German brewery, established in the early 1600s in Munich by the monks of the Neudeck ob der Au monastery. The monastic order and the brewery are named after Saint Paul.

Belgian witbieren (“white beers") are based on the best-known example, Hoegaarden Wit. Such beers get their name from the suspended wheat proteins which give it a whitish color. Belgian white beers often have spices such as coriander or bitter orange peel added, giving them a slightly fruity flavor. They are also often made with raw unmalted wheat, as opposed to the malted wheat used in other varieties.

German wheat beers are a well-known variant throughout the southern part of the country, the name changing from Weizen in the western (Swabian) regions to Weißbier or Weiße in Bavaria. Hefeweizen (German for "yeast wheat") is a variety in which the yeast is not filtered out, though Kristallweizen (filtered), Dunkelweizen (dark) and Weizenbock (higher alcohol content) varieties are also available. The filtration which takes the yeast out of Kristallweizen also strips the wheat proteins which make Hefeweizen cloudy. Bavarian weizen beers are fermented with a special strain of top-fermenting yeast, Torulaspora delbrueckii, which is largely responsible for the distinctive flavor. This is the Paulaner brewery's number one best seller. It's natural taste as well as the many vitamins, minerals and micro elements remain, due to the unfiltered method of brewing.

The next beer is Spaten Premium Lager, brewed by Spaten-Lowenbrau (InBev) in Munich, Germany. The first time the Munich tax registry lists a brewery in the building is in 1397. It was first opened by Hans Weiser and changed many times until 1522. The Stamberger family ran the brewery from 1522 to 1622 until the Spaten family purchased it in 1622. The Spaten family only ran the business for about 70 years until the Siessmayr family purchased it in 1704.
In 1807 Gabriel Sedlmayr the Younger, the master brewer to the royal court of Bavaria at the time, purchased the smallest brewery at that time. The modern method of producing lagers was pioneered by Gabriel, who perfected the dark brown lagers that made Spaten famous. After the death of their father, Gabriel, sons Gabriel and Joseph take charge of the brewery until 1842. In 1842 Joseph leaves Spaten to purchase the Leist Brewery and buys out the Franziskaner brewery in 1861.

In 1867 Spaten is now the largest brewery in Munich and is the only German brewery to receive a gold medal at the Paris World Exhibition. That is followed by creation of the first Oktoberfest beer in 1872. Johann, Carl and Anton assume control of the brewery in 1874 and work with the artist Otto Hupp to design the logo that is still used today. In 1922 The Spaten and Franziskaner-Leist breweries merge. Thus bring to gather the two Sedlmayr families.

We will be breaking away from the German beers to try a Spice/Herb/Vegetable beer from the Dogfish Head Brewery, Punkin Ale. Dogfish Head's signature product is its line of India Pale Ales (IPAs), which are offered in three varieties: 60 Minute, 90 Minute, and 120 Minute IPA. Their names refer to the length of the boil time of the wort in which the hops are continuously added. The 60 Minute is described by the company as "A session IPA brewed with Warrior, Amarillo and Mystery Hop X." To further enhance the hop flavor of their 90 Minute IPA and 120 Minute IPA, Dogfish Head introduced a device in 2003 jokingly called Randall the Enamel Animal, an "organoleptic hop transducer module" which "Randallizes" either Dogfish Head 90 Minute or Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA by passing the beer through a large plastic tube filled with raw Cascade hops. The alcohol in the beer lifts oils off the raw hops and imparts even more hop flavor to beers that were already hoppy to begin with.

Fruits have been used as a beer adjunct or flavoring for centuries, especially with Belgian lambic styles. Cherry, raspberry, and peach are a common addition to this style of beer. Modern breweries may add only flavored extracts to the finished product, rather than actually fermenting the fruit. New Glarus Brewing Company of Wisconsin produces Raspberry Tart, a framboise made with raspberries, wheat and year old Hallertau hops, and fermented in large oak vats. Pumpkin flavored beers are brewed seasonally in the autumn in North America. An example is produced by Coors Brewing Company's Blue Moon brand. .Dogfish Head Punkin Ale is a full-bodied brown ale brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon & nutmeg."


Now back to the Oktoberfest. Warsteiner Dunkel brewed by Warsteiner Brauerei of Arnsberger Forestpark, Germany. Dunkel, along with helles, is a traditional style brewed in Munich and popular throughout Bavaria. With alcohol concentrations of 4.5% to 6% by volume, dunkels are less strong than doppelbocks, another traditional dark Bavarian lager. Friends of Warsteiner are welcomed to tour the brewery at Waldpark and see for themselves the high technical standards throughout the production process. From quality control on arrival of the raw materials, to the brewing process in the brew-house, the fermentation cellar, and during bottling on highly advanced bottling lines. No tour is complete without a beer tasting in the cozy, rustic atmosphere of our Waldfrieden guest house, where guests can treat themselves to a freshly drawn Warsteiner ­ served in a elegant glass mug, a present to visitors as a souvenir after an entertaining and instructive day devoted to beer

Warsteiner Premium Dunkel, "German for Dark" offers beer lovers incomparable taste satisfaction with its subtle spiciness, delicate aroma, and balance. What makes premium Dunkel distinctive among dark beers is its thirst quenching, refreshingly drinkable flavor. Warsteiner Premium Dunkel is a traditional German dark brown lager. In Germany, they would refer to this style of beer as, "Dunkel". Warsteiner Premium Dunkel is described as being neither sweet nor roastily dry, with a slight spicy maltiness and a clean round finish. It has a reddish-black color which is almost opaque.

The last beer of the night is the Paulaner Salvator, a Doppelbock. The name of the Paulaner brewery refers back order of monks of San Francesco di Paola, who resided in Neuhauser Straße in Munich. The monks had brewed beer for their own use since 1634. The beer that was permitted to be sold on holidays was a Bock style which gained local fame. Franz Xaver Zacherl, the brewer, purchased the former cloister brewery and continued the "Starkbier" tradition with the product Salvator, which is Latin for "Saviour". In 1861 the "Salvatorkeller" (Salvator cellar) was opened upon Nockherberg. In 1928 the brewery merged with the Gebrüder Thomas brewery creating Paulaner Salvator Thomas Bräu. 1994 saw the acquisition into the Kulmbacher brewery group with the affiliated producers Plauen and Chemnitz.

Paulaner Salvator was served by the monks as a replacement for food at Lent. Their most famous brewer was Brother Barnabas, who was the head of the Paulaner monastery brewery starting from 1773. Its original recipe is today almost the same as it was in Barnabas' time. In order to protect the original recipe, Paulaner had the trade mark "Salvator" patented in 1896.

This month’s Memphis Beer Club is featuring “Big” beers from Belgium. Belgian beer comprises the most varied and numerous collections of beers in the world. Belgian beer-brewing's origins go back to the Middle-Ages, when monasteries began producing beers. Unlike in other European countries, Belgian beer production remained alive due to the 1919 Belgian "Vandervelde Act", that prohibited the sale of spirits in pubs, inducing the market to produce beers with a higher level of alcohol. The Vandervelde Act was lifted as late as 1983.

Although beer production in Belgium is now dominated by Inbev (the world's largest brewer by volume) and British Scottish & New Castle, there remain 115 breweries in the country, producing about 500 standard beers. When special one-off beer styles are included, the total number of types of Belgian beer exceeds 1000. The yearly consumption per capita in Belgium is 26 gallons vs. the US consumption of 22 gallons (I think this group exceeds that by about 22 gallons).

It is also the only place in the world were you will find authentic Trappist beers brewed under strict conditions at one of the seven monasteries – Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren, Westmalle, Archel and La Trappe. This month we will try 7 Belgium beers, including one Trappist, and one specialty beer from Jim’s hometown in New York. Jim lived in Belgium for almost two years and listen to Michael Jackson (the beer hunter not the freak) about enjoying all beers that Belgium could offer. I have see Jim’s beer glass collection and he must of really enjoyed the beer

The first beer we will be sampling this month is Grimbergen Blond, a Belgian Ale brewe Alken-Maes, part of Scottish & New Castle, in Jumet, Belgium. Grimbergen is the name of ad by group of Belgian abbey beers first brewed in 1128 at the abbey that Saint Norbert of Xanten built for the Norbertine monks in Grimbergen.

They became famous for providing hospitality and their home-brewed beer to visitors, and handed down the recipe over the centuries. Grimbergen Blond has a slight hoppy aroma, which is less pronounced in the taste. It has quite sweet flavor with a strong hint of vanilla in the aftertaste.


Next will be another Belgian Ale brewed by the Orval Brewery (Brasserie d'Orval) is a Belgian Trappist brewery located within the walls of the Abbey Notre-Dame d'Orval monastery in Villers-Devant-Orval, Belgium. Orval brewery’s symbol of a trout with a ring it its month relates to the legend of Countess Matilda of Tuscany. She arrived in 1076 to visit a group of Italian monks who had settles in the area, after accidentally dropping her wedding ring in the well. She prayed for its return and immediately a trout appeared with a ring in its month. As on act of gratitude, she made a donation to the monks to enable them to build their first abbey, and proclaimed the site “Val d’Or” (golden valley). The Italian monks later moved on and were replaced in 1132 by a new religious community who became affiliated to the Cistercians, later joining the stricter Trappist branch of the order.

In 1637, at the height of the Thirty Years’ War, the monastery was pillaged. Although it recovered form this setback, it 1793 it sacked again and destroyed by French Revolutionary troops. It lay in ruins until 1931, employing lay people and intended to provide a source of funds for the monastery reconstruction. It was designed by Henry Vaes, who also designed the distinctive Orval beer glass. The first beer was shipped from the brewery on 7 May 1932, and was sold in barrels rather than the bottles of today. Orval was the first Trappist beer to be sold nationally around Belgium.


Orval has a potent herbal hop aroma and intensely dry flavor with a hint on tart berry flavor. Triple –fermentation and dry-hopped with Bavarian Hallertua and Styrian Goldings hops, it is primed with liquid candy sugar before bottling to promote continued fermentation.

The first Abbey Triple Style that we will be trying is Corsendonk Pater (Abbey Brown Ale) made by Du Bocq, same as Moine Triple. The brand name refers to the Priory of Corsendonk in Oud-Turnhout, which was founded in 1398 and, until it was closed in 1784, had a significant brewery and malt house. In 1982 the Corsendonk brand was introduced by the Keersmaekers firm in Oud-Turnhout, a former brewery which had become a retailer even though it continued to call itself a brewery. The beers are made elsewhere and are not unique for Corsendonk; the same beers are marketed by other brands as well.

The Duke of Brabant’s daughter Maria bequeathed here estate to the Augustine Order. The estate became Corsendonk Priory, and gained an nternational reputation for its scriptorium and library. The Priory had the only Greek Bible in the Low Countries, but a in the 1500’s the building were sacked during religious and political unrest. It was restored in the 1600’s, during which time it was known to have a brewery. It finally closed in 1784, but the Priory buildings were restored in 1969.

These beers are a creation of Jef Keersmaeker. He is from a long distinguished brewing family. As stated earlier the beer is brewed by Du Bocq. In the Begging, Du Bocq Brewery was just used in the winter, when the workers in the farm had less to do. After the World War I, the beer La Gauloise was first brewed and gained immediate success. All the farm activities and the door-to-door deliveries were stopped in 1960. Seven years later, it took over the Brasserie central from Marbaix-La-Tour.

The next Abbey Triple Style is brewed in Tilburg, Netherlands by Bierbrouwerji de Koningshoeven, La Trappe Triple, Koningshoeven Triple in the United States. De Koningshoeven Brewery (Brouwerij de Koningshoeven) is a Dutch Trappist brewery founded in 1884 within the walls of the abbey Onze Lieve Vrouw van Koningshoeven.

The abbey opened a brewery inside the monastery in 1884 in order to finance the monastery and contribute to charitable causes. Despite this goal, the brewery was run as a commercial enterprise. The abbey owned several bars in the area and produced lager under its own Trappist brand as well as several private labels. In 1969, the abbey licensed the brewing operations to Artois (now InBev). In 1980 the deal with Artois ended, and the monks went back to brewing themselves, this time a top fermented beer which had been made in limited quantities since the 1950's only. Over time the brewery introduced more varieties, first with the Dubbel and Tripel in 1987, then in 1992 they introduced their Blond. Between 1993 and 2000, the brewery also marketed a variety called Enkel. The brewery also produces the world's only Trappist witbier.

From 1980 until 1999, the brewery was largely run by the monks. Due to the difficulty of the aging monks continuing to operate the brewery, a limited liability company was setup as a subsidiary of the large commercial brewer, Bavaria. In 1999 the new company began to take over day to day operations, renting the buildings and equipment from the abbey. As a result of this agreement, a dispute arose with the International Trappist Association, the body that governs the labeling of goods as Trappist. They claimed that this new method of operation was against the regulations that permitted the beer to display the Authentic Trappist Product logo. Whilst the beer continued to be brewed within the abbey walls, the arrangement with Bavaria was felt to be too commercialized. As a result, the brewery withdrew their use of the logo on 1 December 1999; however the brewery continued to label the beer as Trappistenbier. After a lengthy study by all parties, and a review of the agreement between the abbey and brewery, the beers were granted the right to display the logo again as of September 9, 2005. As part of this settlement, the monks have taken a more active control of the brewery day to day operations, working several hours each day.

The La Trappe Triple is the strongest of the regular ales from the brewery and it has a fiercely bitter hop character, with spicy Goldings hops dominating the aroma. While the palate is a great balance between hop spiciness and the rich fruity malts (with a touch of orange and honey), the high alcohol content leads to a dry finish.

The next beer is from a small Micro-Brewery in Glen Falls, New York, Cooper’s Cave Blind Rock MaiBock. It is an un-pasteurized Bock beer produced by a family owned company. The started the brewery in 1997 when Ed’s job was eliminated when his company moved out of Glen Falls. In 1997 our son Adrian joined us and we found an old machine shop, which we since have purchased. We scrounged up old bulk dairy tanks, old Grundys, and other assorted stainless equipment.

A year and a half of rebuilding and refurbishing and we finally opened for business on St. Patrick's Day 1999. With no advertising and no sign, we immediately sold out of our small quantities and for the first eight months there was a 2 week waiting list to purchase a growler. We're now producing 14 barrels per week and have more than 50 tap handles in the Glens Falls area.The beer that we will be trying is their traditional Bock beer. Bock’s are deep copper to dark brown in color with a medium to full-bodied flavor. Hop flavor and aroma can be light to non-existent.

Next we will be trying a second beer from Grimbergen, Grimbergen Double. Grimbergen Double is an Abbey Double style ale which has the traditional Grimbergen Phoenix Logo. The logo was chosen based upon the abbey’s ability to de born-again out of the ashes. The Abbey was burnt to the ground in the 1700’s and was rebuilt in 1931. The Latin motto on the beer states “burned but not consumed,” on the other hand the beer is most certainly consumed.

The Grimbergen Double is a dark brown ale with a fruity male aroma. It has full –bodied malt flavor with sweet toffee, ripe dark fruit and roasted coffee notes. Even among all of the abbey beers, all of the Grimbergen beers tend to be on the sweet, liquorish side especially notable toward the finish.

The last style we will be sampling is Belgium Strong Ales. The first one is brewed by the Brouwerij Mootgat brewery in Breendonk-Purus, Belgium as Maredsous 8. It began as a community of Bavarian monks, on land donated by a Belgian ecclesiastical printer, and became an abbey in 1878. It commissioned the Mootgat brewery to produce its own label beers in 1963. There are three beers from Maredsous and are distinguished by a number that corresponds to their alcohol content.

Maredsous 8 has a deep tawny color and a body that is light for the strength of beer. It has a sweeter palate with hints of chocolate and coffee towards the finish.

The last beer of the night is Trios Pistoles, brewed by Unibroue. Unibroue is a brewery located in Chambly, Quebec, Canada, that was bought by Sleeman Breweries Ltd. in 2004. The company was incorporated in 1993, and has grown exponentially since then. They began exporting their beers to the United States (under the name "Unibrew") in 1994.

Unibroue makes a wide range of beers, although there is a focus on Belgian-style brews, such as their Maudite ("Damned"), La Fin du Monde ("The End of the World"), and Don de Dieu ("Gift of God"). Most of Unibroue's beers are bottled "on the lees", or containing yeast sediment. This practice provides additional fermentation after bottling, resulting in a beer which ages well if kept in the dark and unrefrigerated, and allowing it to be relatively cheaply shipped to international markets. The yeast gives Unibroue beers a striking cloudy appearance and provides a characteristic element to the taste.

It has been argued that Unibroue, until they were bought by the Ontario-based Sleeman's, made beers for a sovereigntist and nationalist audience, and that their labels invoked myths and stories (e.g. the chasse-galerie on the Maudite label) that appealed to a largely Francophone audience. To fill the void created when Unibroue was bought, a Quebec City-based group has entered into an agreement with the Québec City brewery, La Barberie, to produce a beer called "La Militante".

Trois Pistoles was launched in June of 1997. It contains 9% alcohol and is brewed with roasted malt. Its rich, smooth texture, and the presence of yeast used for in-bottle refermentation give it a very distinctive flavor. It also enhances the flavor of desserts like chocolate mousse and fruit salad, and can even replace coffee as an after dinner drink

This month we will trying an assorment of Summer Brews that range from a couple of American Wheat Beers, A Premium Lager, Golden/Blond ale and a Belgium Ale. Once again we will be sampleing a beers from the Boston Brewery Company, Anchor Brewery in San Fransico, Sierra Neveda in Chico California, Pete’s Wicked in Utica and New Beligum in Ft. Collions Colorado.

Summer ale is a category of extremely pale, golden-blonde ale, generally designed to be served cooler than "normal" ale. It is usually accepted that the style was invented in 1989 by John Gilbert, a former brewer at Watney in Mortlake, London, who had opened his own operation, the Hop Back Brewery, in Salisbury, England. His aim was to develop an ale that could be as refreshing as lager, which was quickly gaining popularity at that time. The result was a drier and hoppier pale ale he called "Summer Lightning", after a novel by PG Wodehouse; it won several awards and inspired numerous imitators.

A Summer ale may contain spices such as lemon peel or coriander, but only lightly and not to the extent of a spiced beer. British examples of the style are often made with American hops, which give a pronounced citrus flavour and aroma. Each of the beers we are going to be sampleing have a little different approach to their beers. This should be a great nite of refreashing beers that will show a wide range of flavor.

The first beer of the night is Anchor Summer Beer, an American Wheat, brewed by the Anchor Brewery of San Franciso, California. Anchor Summer is an all-malt beer, and over 50% of its malt comes from malted wheat. It is fermented with traditional top-fermenting "ale" yeast. This style best celebrates the refreshingly light flavor of malted wheat. You may notice that the head on this beer is unusually abundant, with a consistency similar to whipped egg whites. This is due to protein contributed by the wheat. Wheat malt contributes to an unusual lightness and dryness to the palate, and this—combined with the distinctive flavor of the wheat—makes for a perfect thirst-quenching beverage. It is the ideal drink for beer lovers who appreciate tradition and character in their beer, but also seek a lighter, refreshing style, perfect for warm weather.

The brewery was founded in 1896, and was purchased by its current owner, Frederick Louis Maytag III, in 1965. It moved to its current location in 1979. It is one of the last remaining breweries to produce California Common beer, also known as Steam Beer, a trademark owned by the company. Anchor Brewery is largely responsible for the growth of the microbrewery movement in the United States. After Prohibition ended in the U.S., many small, locally-operated breweries were able to re-open and recommence brewing (although many more, perhaps most, were not). The vast majority of these concerns served only the immediate vicinty of their sole plant, a radius of a few miles to perhaps 100 or so. Local breweries and beers were the source of local pride in many communities, especially those with large populations of German, Polish, or Czech extraction. Many of these thrived on through World War II and into the 1950s.

Most did not survive the 1950s, however, due to the influence of television advertising and the mass marketing tactics of major national breweries such as Anheuser-Busch, Schlitz, Pabst, and Miller. The whole idea of such beers and breweries was largely forgotten in the U.S. Maytag desired to establish such a small-scale brewery, with small-town quality and taste being the hallmarks of his beer. He was already a fan of Anchor Steam Beer when he learned that the brewery was about to close. In 1965, Maytag purchased 51 percent of the brewery for a few thousand dollars, and later purchased brewery outright.

Things began to change in the 1980s when Maytag's signature brew, Anchor Steam Beer, began to achieve national notice. Demand skyrocketed from only a few thousand cases a year that he had been making in the old tradition. His success prompted many imitators, which he welcomed, since he could not have produced Anchor Steam in the mass quantities of Budweiser or similar mass-marketed brands and made a product with which he and his consumers would have been satisifed.

In 1993, the company opened Anchor Distillery in the same location as the brewery, and began making a single malt rye whiskey, named Old Potrero after the hill. In 1997 the distillery began producing gin, called Junípero - Spanish for juniper, and an oblique reference to Junípero Serra, an important figure in California's history.

Next we will be sampleing the Sierra Nevada Summerfest, brewed by the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, California. Summerfest is a refreshing, pilsner-style lager. Its incredible smoothness comes from an extra-long lagering period. Lighter in body than our ales but just as complex in character, Summerfest quenches your thirst with big aroma and a tangy hop bite. GOLD MEDAL WINNER California State Fair

In 1989, after moving the brewery to its current location, they added The Sierra Nevada Taproom and Restaurant, which serves lunch and dinner. More recently the brewery opened "The Big Room", a live music venue located inside the brewery's facilities, and featuring world-class acts from country, bluegrass, folk, rock, blues and other musical genres. The facility is to be entirely fuel cell powered by 2007.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is the second best-selling craft beer brand in the United States, behind the Boston Beer Company, makers of Samuel Adams. Sierra Nevada has sponsored a professional bicycle racing team since 2001, now co-sponsored by Kodak EasyShare Gallery.

The key ingredient to a good summer is a GREAT brew! Born to play, Pete's Wicked Rally Cap Ale is crafted with a special blend of pale and wheat malts, Mt. Hood hops and a smack of natural lemon. Get in the game... Get Wicked!

Pete's Brewing Company was founded by homebrewer Pete Slosberg in 1986. Its major product line is Pete's Wicked Ale, an America Brown Ale that is 5.3% alcohol by volume. The company was acquired by The Gambrinus Company in 1998, a corporation that primarily imports beers such as Corona from Mexico and Moosehead from Canada. In 2004, Pete's Brewing Company was number 42 in America for sales by volume.

The entire product line is brewed under contract by Matt Brewing Company in Utica, New York. Now a little history about the Rally Cap. The Rally Cap is the act of turning a baseball cap inside out while trying to will your team into a rally late in the game. The Rally Cap is a superstition used in baseball. Players usually only do this at a young age, while fans do it at an older age while attending Major League Baseball games.

The possible start for the belief in the Rally cap may have been during the 1986 World Series when the New York Mets were playing the Boston Red Sox. The Mets were losing Game Six and already down 3 games to 2 in the series; it seemed almost certain that the Red Sox were going to be the 1986 World Series Champs. In the 7th Inning of that game, something amazing happened; the Mets all started wearing their caps inside out while sitting in the dugout. Catching on, the fans also started to sport their caps inside out and called it the "Rally Cap". After that, the Mets rallied back and went on to win Game Six in the Tenth Inning-forcing a Game Seven. Then, in Game Seven, the Mets found themselves falling behind again by a score of 3-0 and in need of a little more magic. Once again, the players and the fans put on their Rally Cap. The rest is Baseball History; the Mets rallied back to win Game Seven by a score of 8-5 and became the 1986 World Series Champs.

One of my faviorate beers from one of the best Breweries in the country, Sam Adams Summer Ale. Samuel Adams Summer Ale is an American wheat ale. This summer seasonal uses malted wheat as well as lemon zest and grains of paradise, a rare pepper from Africa first used as a brewing spice in the 13th Century to create a crisp and spicy flavor and body. The ale fermentation imparts a background tropical fruit note reminiscent of mangos and peaches. All of these come together to create a quenching, clean finishing beer perfect for those warm Summer days.

As of 2006, the company produces ten varieties of beer year-round: Boston Lager, Sam Adams Light, Boston Ale, Pale Ale, Cherry Wheat, Cream Stout, Brown Ale, Hefeweizen, Scotch Ale, Black Lager, and Utopias (that in 2003 had a batch with 25.6% APV, beating the records that Samuel Adams Triple Bock and Samuel Adams Millennium had set before it). Additionally, the company brews five seasonal beers per year, as follows:

• Double Bock (January - March)
• White Ale (January - March)
• Summer Ale (April - August)
• Octoberfest (August - October)
• Winter Lager (October - February)

Samuel Adams also runs a "Winter Classics Mix Pack" near the Christmas Season, including Old Fezziwig Ale, a spiced ale introduced in 1995, Holiday porter, which is very dark but smooth, introduced in 2004, and Cranberry Lambic, which is redolent of its eponymous fruit.

New Belgium’s Skinny Dip is a full-bodied, figure-friendly beer perfect for the lightly attired summer months. Cascade hops frolic with kaffir lime and ample malt to create a bright, citrusy nose that’s as crisp as chilling in a mountain pond. Skinny Dip * a most revealing beverage.

The term Skinny Deep is commonly used with a neutral tone to describe swimming in unheated water, but is also used when referring to going naked in hot tubs and hot springs.
It has a more mischievous connotation when describing swimming excursions (often under cover of darkness) in swimming pools or at beaches where one would be expected to wear swimsuits. In this sense, skinny dipping in mixed company (i.e. both males and females) has an element of sexual rebelliousness to it, though sexual activity does not necessarily take place.

Skinny dipping was once very common in the western world too, especially for young boys and girls swimming in a secluded pond, swimming hole, or section of a river. Swimsuits were originally uncommon in these settings, as they were made out of materials such as wool that required extra care to deal with, and were of limited practical benefit. Although modern swimwear is more practical, skinny dipping remains a fairly common activity in rural areas, where an unwanted audience of outsiders is rather unlikely; yet it may be forbidden even there by law and/or parental authority if considered immoral.

I have been looking forward to this months' Memphis Beer Club for a long time. With the selection in Memphis for 'New' beer getting more and more difficult I made a road trip to KC to pick a few of my favorite beers, and I guess to visit my family. I have made a trip over to West Memphis to find a few of this month's beer locally but they seemed to sit on the self for a while (lots of dust) and they had a very limited selection. We will be sampling 7 beers this month with 4 from the Boulevard Brewing Company from Kansas City MO and 3 from the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins Colorado.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale had been my "If I could only have one brand of beer for the rest of my life" until I discovered Boulevard Pale Ale again. I drank a lot of Blvd beer when I was in living in KC until 1995 and never thought much of it while I was there. When I left KC it was all about quantity and not quality and then I was back in 2003 and had a Pale Ale on tap at Tanners on 87th street and everything changed. For the last 3 years I have had my parents, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, my wife and myself bring back enough Blvd Pale Ale to make sure I have some in the fridge at all times. Until this last trip was down to my last one and I was treating like it was the last beer on earth.

I'm sure you're thinking that why would a guy that started a beer club that has tried over 75 beers hold Blvd Pale Ale so high on his list of beers? It all goes back to the question about "If I could only have one brand of beer for the rest of my life!" Sure I love others beers just as much (Taddy Porter, Fat Tire, Liberty Ale .....) but Blvd Pale Ale has the perfect amount of hops and malts that can satisfy my taste buds every time. I'm not saying Blvd Pale Ale is the 'Best' beer I have ever had, just that it's my favorite beer. (Currently!)

When I was in Collage at Baker University the one beer I tried to get all the time was Fat Tire (when I could afford it). This was my "One Beer" at that time and is still one of my top everyday beers. In fact we searched all over KC to get a keg of Fat Tire for my wedding. One of the best times I have had in KC in the last few years is a Thanksgiving tradition with my brother and his friends playing pop-a-shot football at Tanners. This is where I tried to drink way to many Fat Tires and then had to go out to dinner with the family. There is something about Fat Tire that makes it so easy to drink that I seem to always have to many.

Enough about me lets talk about the beer. Founded in 1989, Boulevard Brewing Company has grown to become the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest. There mission is simple: to produce fresh, flavorful beers using the finest traditional ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques. Boulevard Brewing Company offer fours beers year-round: Pale Ale, Unfiltered Wheat Beer, Bully! Porter, and Dry Stout and some seasonal beers: Irish Ale in the spring, ZŌN in summer, Bob's 47 in the fall, and our winter holiday treat, Nutcracker Ale.

The Boulevard story begins in 1988, when founder John McDonald started construction of the brewery in a turn-of-the-century brick building on Kansas City's historic Southwest Boulevard. A vintage Bavarian brewhouse was installed, and the first batches of beer were produced in the fall of 1989. That November, the first keg of Boulevard Pale Ale was delivered