DrFermento.Net

Dear Esteemed Beer Lovers~

Who’s got plans for the rip-off 4^th of July holiday? And, who in their right mind would schedule a country’s independence in the middle of the week? Oh, wait, that’s the calendar’s fault, not the fault of our Founding Fathers. Okay, I still get to be pissed at someone, so let’s make it our employers. We should be getting a minimum four day weekend out of the deal, especially in these trying times for our country. So, maybe it should be said “Don’t ask what your country can do for you, ask what your employer can.” I’m not getting very far with this, am I? Oh, and I forgot the rules. You are not allowed to email me back and tell me you get a four day weekend because it could cause me to quit my job.

Speaking of our Founding Fathers, did you know that most of them brewed beer, or had beer brewed for them privately? Ol’ George was a big fan of pumpkin porter. Most of our country’s legislation was formulated in roadhouses and inns over big frothy mugs of ale. That’s where the term “Public House” came from. Typically the pubs and inns were the only places big enough to hold gatherings of people and beer was the perfect social lubricant to get like minds thinking alike.

With that in mind, Samuel Adams is re-releasing their four-pack of ales formulated from historic recipes. Within this reasonably priced box you’ll find recreations of alcoholic Ginger Honey Ale, Root Beer, Porter and dark wheat. It’s very interesting stuff and probably not what you’d expect. I’d never had a REAL ginger ALE or an alcoholic root beer until this stuff was first released last year at about this time. I wrote about it in a Press article after taking the beer to camp in Hope and springing it on some unsuspecting drinkers that included a mix of craft beer lovers and some true swill-drinking neophytes. THEIR favorite turned out to be the James Madison Dark Wheat whereas I enjoyed the George Washington Porter. You can check it out yourself because it’s available at La Bodega, and if you’re going to get some, do it today or tomorrow because L-B is closed on Independence Day. I’m sure Pamela Hatzis needs a day off for some well-deserved beer research too!

If you feel like being Alaskiodic (that’s my sniglet for being patriotic to your state) you can help out by judging homebrew for the Alaska State Fair Homebrew Competition or the E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition in Fairbanks. Yes, they DO have good beer in Fairbanks with Silver Gulch Brewing Company being just outside of town in Fox and sponsoring this event. Square-Banks is is a kick-ass drive up the Parks Highway and a great destination if you want to help out. Even if you’re not an experienced judge, you’ll be paired up with someone who is and you can learn a lot about your favorite bevvie but learning how to evaluate it. The judging is on July 14^th at Silver Gulch, and the best way to figure out how to get there and what to do is contact the event organizer, Scott Stihler at stihlerunits@mosquitobytes.com or call him up at (907) 474-2137.

As for the State Fair, if you’re interested in judging that gig, email me back and I’ll point you in the right direction. Right now, Great Northern Brewer’s, Anchorage’s homebrew club (GNBC) and the driving force behind the event is mid-pint in a power struggle with the State Fair constabulary concerning where the judging should take place. Since 95 percent of the club is in Anchorage, it makes sense to have entries and judging here and then haul the beer out to the State Fair Grounds for display. The State Fair folks are pretty dug in on their blatant NO position on the issue. Does it make sense for 30 or so people to make their way out to the Valley and judge (read: drink) beer all day and drive back to Anchorage, or does it make or sense to have the competition right here in town where spouses and friends can easily play designated driver and enhance the safety of the event? The bottom line is that both events need your help so step up to the bar and volunteer.

There are three new meads out at Celestial Meads in Anchorage. “Starry Night” is a semi-sweet sourwood methlegen with coriander and star anise. “Hot & Pink” is a sweet basswood melomel with handpicked Alaskan red currants. Finally, “Miel Noir” (black honey) is a melomel with tupelo honey and handpicked Alaskan currents. If you don’t speak the mystic language of mead (melomel, methlegin, pyment, cyser and more) just conjure up an image of fermented honey with lots of flavor and a wicked alcoholic kick and you’ll get the picture. A better way is to contact the brewery at (907) 250-8362 and find out when mead-master Mike Kiker will be there, get directions and head down for a lesson.

If Midnight Sun Brewing Company beers are your dope, stoke up quick because they’re closed on the 4^th as well. I attended the Greed Pre-Release Party at the SubZero Microlounge and enjoyed the beer but erroneously told my readers that the gig started at 5 PM, not 7 PM. What a buffoon. Well, being reduced to sitting in Humpy’s and drinking beer for two hours wasn’t such a bad thing. If you’ve been following the Seven Deadly Sins series of beers, you probably already know that Greed is the last beer to be released this summer and the rest will pick up in the fall, starting with Sin in September. Oh, the long-awaited series T-Shirts are available at the brewery.

The whole concept of sports is interesting to me. It’s an excuse to sit around and drink beer while I watch sweaty guys take jabs at each other or run around in pseudo-combat attitude and be competitive. I don’t do sports as a rule because fully 99 percent of the sports require me to put my beer down to participate. There are two sports, however, that virtually require beer. One is bowling (more on that some other time) and the other is golf. I do not golf. In fact, I hate golf. The idea of whacking a little white ball then chasing it down and whacking it again doesn’t do anything for me, not to minimize the sport in general. I do, however, participate in golf by driving beer carts. My annual tribute to American sports is when I drive the golf cart for the Great Northern Brewers/Humpy’s Golf Tournament. That’s on August 4^th this year. This year, Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse and GNBC have teamed up for this event that benefits Access Alaska. The objective is to take the proceeds for the event and buy another handicap golf cart. There’s only one in town and it’s planted up at O’Malley’s. It’s an old gas rig and rumor has it that it’s cantankerous and not a lot of fun to drive. If you participate in the tournament (individually or with a team of four) not only are you helping with a worthy cause, the fermented treats abound in this shotgun start (7:00 AM) tournament. There will be four beer carts running around dispensing local suds. The cost is $350.00 for a four person team and includes the greens fees, the beers and the BBQ at the end, along with prizes. Details can be found on the GNBC web page at www.greatnorthernbrewers.org.

This upcoming weekend is the Gird-weird Forest Faire (my name, not theirs). This artsy-crafty family-oriented gig is redeeming because beer is served and is predominantly local there. Oh, it’s free too. I know Midnight Sun’s on board. Check out their website at www.girdwoodforestfair.com for more detail.

Cave-Aged Ommegang, a Belgian-style Abbey Ale brewed at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown New York is showing up on shelves around town. Does being aged in a cave sound like a lot of hype to you? What’s the difference between aging in a cold, dark cave and a cold dark refrigerator? According to the Duvel guy (Duvel owns Ommegang) who attended the Monday, June 25 tasting at Café Amsterdam where this stuff (and others) was served, I guess it’s harder to open a cave than a refrigerator door and because the left over ham and baked beans aren’t stored in the cave, the stuff gets left alone at perfectly consistent, unwavering temperature, humidity and inky darkness through it’s conditioning time and there’s the difference. Does it make a difference? I’m probably not the best judge but I can tell you this. The stuff is simply fabulous, and the next time I’m wandering around the Howe Caverns in upstate New York, I’m breaking in under the guise of hunger and looking for leftovers. As always, La Bodega, the Brown Jug store on 88^th and Old Seward and eventually the Brown Jug Warehouse are good bets. It’s also in bottles at the finer swillin’ establishments around town.

Here’s what’s on tap at Humpy’s today: Don’t miss the Deschutes 19^th Anniversary or the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. Fabulous stuff.

Wheats / Fruits

Moose’s Tooth Hard Apple Ale

Moose’s Tooth Wild Country Raspberry Wheat

Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat

Pyramid Apricot Ale

Pyramid Hefeweizen

Lindemans Framboise ###

Golden Ales/ Pilseners / California Common

Alaskan Summer Kolsch

Great Bear Golden Ale

Silver Gulchg Cold Foot Pilsner Lager

Kona Longboard Lager

Sierra Nevada Summerfest

Amstel Light

Pale Ales / E.S.B.’s (medium hop bitterness)

Alaskan Pale Ale

Kassik’s Brew Stop Pale Moon Pale Ale

Moose’s Tooth Polar Pale Ale

Silver Gulch Old Bird 55 Pale Ale

Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

India Pale Ales (med - high hop bitterness)

Alaskan Icy Bay I.P.A.

Humpy’s Sockeye Red by Midnight Sun

Moose’s Tooth Fairweather I.P.A.

Avery I.P.A.

Deschutes Inversion I.P.A.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute I.P.A. # (9%)

Fish Tale Organic I.P.A.

Stone I.P.A.

Specialties

Rogue Dad’s Little Helper Malt Liquor # (8%)

Belgian Ales

Midnight Sun Greed a Belgian Single #

Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale ##

Strong Belgian Ales (Alcohol by Volume over 7.5%)

Bosteels Triple Karmeliet ### (8%)

Chimay Cing Cents Triple ### (8%)

Delirium Tremens ### (8.5%)

Deschutes 19th Anniversary Belgian Golden #(8.7%)

Gouden Carolus Classic ### (8%)

Liefmans Goudenband Brown ### (8%)

Unibroue Maudite ## (8%)

Amber Ales / Bocks /Dopplebocks/Scottish
Alaskan Amber Ale

Midnight Sun Oosik Amber Ale

Sleeping Lady Bravehart Scottish Ale

MacTarnahan’s Scottish Ale

Pike St. Kiltlifter Scottish Ale

Brown Ales

Midnight Sun Kodiak Nut Brown Ale

Bridgeport Beertown Brown

Barleywines

Fish Tale Leviathan Barley Wine # (8%)

Porters / Stouts

Deschutes Black Butte Porter

Full Sail top Sail Porter

Meantime London Porter ####

Alaskan Oatmeal Stout

Sleeping Lady Oatmeal Stout * (Cask Conditioned

Deschutes Obsidian Stout

Guinness Stout *

Okay foam fans, this may be it for the week; we’ll see. If I get a chance to blast out of town, you won’t see my ass back in Los Anchorage until Sunday night.

BNC Fermento

This entry was posted on Monday, July 2nd, 2007 at 1:05 am and is filed under Beer News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.