On Tuesday night, I visited The Firetap Alehouse to experience the release of the newest signature beer for the restaurant, Red Hot Mama, a red ale brewed exclusively for Firetap by Glacier Brewhouse. Firetap remains dedicated to serving almost exclusively locally brewed beer at the Southside venue to be paired with excellent food across a broad spectrum that affords for infinite pairings of good grog and good grub at the patron’s will. I am excited that exclusive beers are being brewed by local brewers to support local venues. I made it a point to attend this soft release.
The beer wasn’t even featured on the menu at Firetap, yet our server, who self-admittedly doesn’t even drink beer, was able to adequately describe. “It’s a malty beer that’s full of caramel and chocolate notes,” she said. This was good enough for me, because I was teasingly testing her; she had no idea I had a firm background not only in beer, but both the venue and the producing brewery.
Knowing Glacier Brewhouse, I had expectations. They were surpassed. I found this more amber-ish beer with delightful 
ruby highlights indeed malt forward. My initial sample told me the beer might be a bit hop-edgy, but this was quickly replaced with a delightful, very balanced beer where the hop presence wasn’t bittering, yet entirely balancing. Hop flavor and bitterness took the back seat to a beer that I found to be perfectly complementing to all of the great fare at Firetap. It paired perfectly with the Mediterranean Salad. The salami and great dressing across the salad matched up perfectly with the maltiness and sweetness in the beer. Ms. Fermento’s baked Mozzarella appetizer found favor with the beer. My Sicilian pizza was toned down and fond perfect favor with the beer as well.
Brewer Kevin Burton showed up and sat down with me to share and discuss the beer. I learned that the zesty hops I experience above the malt are primarily Chinooks. The lovely maltiness comes from not only the suspected caramel, chocolate and crystal malts, but a unique blend of Caramuinich and aromatic Carapils malts Burton artfully dosed the beer with. The beer is rich in flavor, and the “Exactly 5.89 percent alcohol” is evident, but mostly masked in the beer’s otherwise rich flavor. I especially enjoyed the slightly elevated carbonation in the beer that floated the fully medium mouthfeel in a beer that should seem heavier than it comes across the palate.
I found favor in the tap handle that was custom designed by Burton himself. Look for the tall, busty redhead standing proud amongst the remaining 34 tap handles on the line up at the bar. It’s easy to identify, but you’ll be amused to know that Burton fabricated the handle himself, painting the blonde to a redhead using model paints that he “Shopped exclusively for at Fred Meyer’s.” I’ll leave it up to you to discern just how much detail Burton threw into the project.
Alaskan Brewing Company will be hosting a beer tasting at Firetap on November 22 at 6 pm. The tasting will include five beers paired with five courses set into balance by Firetap’s Executive Chef Naoki. This tasting’s theme, according to Firetap’s Diane Thompson is a “southwestern theme.” $50 reserves your seat (per person) at this event that will sell out quickly. Expect the venerable Alaskan Baltic Porter (2009 version) to show up with the dessert and Alaskan Winter Ale right up front with the entrée. What you will appreciate a lot about this and every tasting at Firetap is the choreography. To me, this means that enough forethought and preparation goes into the tasting that all five parings happen quickly, and for a Sunday night, the pace is quick enough that you’re not headed home late at night and hoping you had enough before having to get to work on a Sunday morning. Call for reservations at (907) 561-2337. Leave the kiddos with a sitter; this is a 21 and over event.
My experiences at Firetap continue to convince me that the venue will be a great addition to the Alaska beer scene. I caught our server at another table explaining to some obvious neophytes that “Everything here is local except for the bottom of the list. Pick from the top,” she recommended. This is noteworthy coming from a non-beer drinker that obviously knows her stuff!
Yeah, the rumor is true. Head brewer Clay Brackley is leaving the Sleeping Lady Brewing Company for a shot at brewing for Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Part of his decision is personal and part is professional, but no matter what, his legendary creativity, vast improvement of the beer at the Sleeping Lady and his encyclopedic knowledge of both brewing and brewing history will leave a gap in Alaska. For a detailed exposé, wait for next Thursday’s (11/19) article in the Anchorage Press on the subject of his departure and the legacy he’s leaving behind. He’s turning the paddle over to the more-than-capable Greg Mills who’s excited about getting to run the brewery himself. These two guys have co-authored a lot of killer beers during their collective tenure and I don’t get the sense that anything will be diminished through Brackley’s departure other than that we will collectively miss him as he migrates east for a bigger brewing venue.
If you get this in time, there’s a little going away gig for Brackley at the upstairs pup at the Goose on Friday 11/13 starting at 5:00. If you get a chance swing on by for a pint and wish him well. I’ll see you there.
Oh, and since I’m mucking around in the rumor department, it’s indeed true that Christoff got the axe at Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse. Nope, I don’t know why and nope, I don’t really care why; it’s none of my business. But since everyone seems to be in the “Didja hear….” mode, I thought I’d toss the cards on the table. Regardless of the reason, from Fermento’s perspective, this is a loss for Humpy’s because Christoff did an awesome job of managing the beer for one, and was consistent in keeping me in the loop on Humpy’s events and provided me with the beer list each week, (for inclusion in this very blog) which turned out to be a service to you each week, dear reader. I have not been contacted by anyone at Humpy’s that will manage in his stead and hope that if that’s happened or is going to happen, they keep me hooked up with good information for you folks. So far, that remains to be seen.
Congratulations to Glacier Brewhouse for their win this year at the Seventh Annual Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer. The brewery’s signature Big Woody Barley Wine earned a bronze medal at this event in Chicago. The 
competition was steep. It’s amazing to think that 53 breweries from 18 different states entered 135 big beers this year. Glacier’s obviously won in the Barleywine Category, but bear in mind that other categories in this competition included Classic Stouts and Porters, Strong Stouts and Porters, Classic Styles, Strong Pale Beer, Strong Dark Beer, Experimental Beer and Wild Beer. Just for the record, Smuttynose Brewing Company too best of show with a farmhouse ale, a saison aged in a neutral oak barrel with brett.
And, the Brewhouse has announced the beers to be included in this year’s 12 Days of Barleywine celebration that runs between December 10th and December 21. This year, 29 beers will be offered up throughout the event, which is the most the brewery’s ever put on. Including this year, an astounding 208 different barley wines have been served through the history of this killer event. Here’s this year’s lineup:
THE 1ST DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 10, 2009
1. 2004 Big Woody Barleywine aged in steel. (10.75% abv)
2. 2006 Big Woody Barleywine - Triple Barrel. Aged 5 months in Jim Beam barrels, then 5 months in Ukrainian oak, and then 7 months in additional Jim Beam Barrels. (11.16% abv)
3. Cask conditioned selection.
THE 2nd DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 11, 2009
1. 2006 Big Woody Barleywine aged 1.5 years in American oak wine barrels from Silverado Winery. (11.16% abv)
2. 2007 Big Woody Barleywine aged in virgin French oak barrel 1 year. (9.85% abv)
3. Cherry XXXmas. (10.00% abv)
4. Cask conditioned selection.
THE 3rd DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 12, 2009
1. 2007 Big Woody Barleywine aged in Jim Beam barrel 1 year. (9.85% abv)
2. 2006 Raspberry XXX aged 3 years in Jim Beam barrels. (10.50% abv)
3. Cask conditioned selection.
THE 4th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 13, 2009
1. 2007 Big Woody Barleywine aged in steel. (9.85% abv)
2. 2007 Big Woody Barleywine - Double Barrel. Aged 8 months in Jim Beam barrels and then 2 years in American oak wine barrels from Silverado Winery that were re-toasted to our brewer’s specifications (9.85% abv)
3. Cask conditioned selection.
THE 5th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 14, 2009
1. 2007 Big Woody Barleywine aged 1.5 years in American Oak wine barrels from the J. Lohr Winery (9.85% abv)
2. 2007 Russian Imperial Stout aged 10 months in American oak wine barrels from the Silverado Winery. (9.20% abv)
3. Cask conditioned selection.
THE 6th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 15, 2009
1. 2008 Big Woody Barleywine aged in Jim Beam barrels for 10 months. (11.03% abv)
2. 2007 Russian Imperial Stout aged 2.67 years in American oak barrel. (9.20% abv)
3. Cask conditioned selection.
THE 7th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 16, 2009
1. 2008 Big Woody Barleywine aged 10 months in American oak wine barrels from Honig Winery. (11.03% abv)
2. 2007 Russian Imperial Stout aged 8 months in Ukrainian oak barrel. (9.20% abv)
3. Cask conditioned selection.
THE 8th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 17, 2009
1. 2008 Big Woody Barleywine aged 2 years in American oak wine barrels from Honig Winery. (11.03% abv)
2. 2007 Russian Imperial Stout aged 2.67 years in American oak wine barrel from Honig Winery. (9.20% abv)
3. Cask conditioned selection.
THE 9th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 18, 2009
1. 2009 Big Woody Barleywine aged in steel. (9.00% abv)
2. 2009 Big Woody Barleywine aged 10 months in Jim Beam barrels. (9.00% abv)
3. 2007 Russian Imperial Stout aged 2.67 years in Hungarian oak barrel. (9.20% abv)
4. Cask conditioned selection.
THE 10th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 19, 2009
1. 2009 Big Woody Barleywine aged 1.75 years in Jim Barrels. (9.00% abv)
2. 2010 Big Woody Barleywine aged in steel. (9.76%abv)
3. Cask conditioned selection.
THE 11th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 20, 2009
1. 2010 Big Woody Barleywine aged 6 months in American Oak wine barrels from Honig Winery. (9.76%abv)
2. 2009 Eisbock aged 9 months in American Oak barrels from Silverado Winery. (9.60%abv)
3. Cask conditioned selection.
THE 12th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 21, 2009
1. 2010 Big Woody Barleywine aged 6 months in Jim Beam barrels. (9.76%abv)
2. 2009 Eisbock aged 9 months in Ukrainian Oak barrels. (9.60%abv)
3. Cask conditioned selection.
CASK BARLEYWINE
Cask conditioned selections will be poured each day.
We will rotate through the following three different cask barleywines.
1. 2010 Big Woody Barleywine steel aged. (9.76% abv)
2. 2010 Big Woody Barleywine aged 6 months in Jim Beam barrels. (9.76%abv)
3. 2010 Big Woody Barleywine aged 6 months in American Oak wine barrels from Honig Winery. (9.76%abv)
I was thumbing through the October/November 2009 edition of the Northwest Brewing News (NBN) magazine that’s available around town in paper form. I got my copy where I always do, at La Bodega because that store always tosses out a couple of bundles for free, along with the Celebrator Beer News (CBN) when the editions are current and as long as they last. The NBN has a section on the Alaska Brewing scene, just like the CBN does. Kevin Tubbs, a long time beer advocate and former owner of both Yukon Spirits (now La Bodega) and the Yukon Yacht Club (now closed). Tubbs covers the Alaska beer scene for the NBN and I cover it for CBN. This sounds like a couple of anchors on TV stations, but it’s far from it.
Anyway, the NBN is a great publication that features beer news from across our great Pacific Northwest including California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and of course, Alaska. It makes for a good, quick, easy read and keeps me tuned up with specific information about beer within my reach. I always enjoy their coverage of new seasonal releases and tasting panel notes along with banter from local writers from their specific locales.
The rag also features a section that lists all the breweries, beer bars and restaurants, homebrew shops, beer stores and brew on premise operations segmented into the specific areas. The NBN’s consistently listed the Chinook’s Waterfront Pub as a brewpub in Alaska. I believe this is in error. I’ve made numerous attempts to contact the owner. I don’t get return calls, but that’s okay. I’ve also been in touch with the original intended brewer and although he’s off to other things, he indicates that the brewing facility isn’t open and hasn’t been open, despite being listed (not only in the NBN) as an operating brewpub for years. I’ve actually been by the building, years ago, and despite what looks like a brewery set up, there’s no suds coming out of any tanks that I can tell.
This is no indictment on the part of the NBN or any other publication that lists the brewery as operational; how would they know for one, and without information to the contrary, the information remains status quo.
When I wrote a section of the Good Beer Guide to the Western United States, a CAMRA publication, I listed the establishment as possibly opening in the future.
I don’t have too many beerespondents from the Seward area (zero, actually), so short of driving down there again and mucking around in someone else’s business, I’m beerless and in the dark. So, if you know anything about the current state of affairs at Chinook’s, let me know.
Midnight Sun Brewing Company is having a beer sale. Can you imagine? Actually, it’s more of a beer special than a beer sale, depending on how you want to twist the words. How about this? Get down there and buy five 22 ounce 
bombers of any of their choice suds and get the sixth one for free. You can’t beat that with a stick! Look at it this way; if you buy a case of MSBC goods, two of those fermented babies will be free. This offer is only good through November 25th, so jump on it. Right now there are 26 different MSBC beers available in bombers at the brewery. Impressive, eh?
On Friday, November 27th, the brewery will release Son of Berserker, a draft only version, at the upstairs Loft at the brewery. Then, on December 5th, Bathtub Gin Tripel (with botanicals) will be released. This is the next beer in this year’s ongoing Crew Brew Series of Beer. On December 18th, Brewtality Espresso Black Bier, a long standing Fermento Favorite, returns. The next Crew Brew beer to be released will be Because, a double with ancho chilies aged in oak. Get it on the calendar!
A beerespondent in Juneau highlighted that although Alaskan Brewing Company has discontinued regular production of their noteworthy ESB, it’s still being made on a limited basis in the local market. Apparently, with the main production of the beer gone, the brewers are playing with the beer a bit more these days. “A bunch of fresh hops were flown in and the beer is now closer to an IPA than anything else, but really nicely balanced,” he says. Well, this is certainly good news. I’ve always enjoyed the ESB, but declining sales called for pulling the beer from the mainstream line a while back. It’s good to hear it’s not gone for good, although Alaskan has made no proclamation about the beer’s current presence or future.
Café Amsterdam is considering doing a beer tasting (not a dinner) that would include about 18 beers in small quantities. Tentatively being billed as the Somewhat Extreme Beer Tasting, will feature “Some big, some burly some smoked, some wood aged beers, some Christmas some ‘What The Hell is This’ styles,” according to publican Ken Pajak. Food will be available during the tasting.
The beers will be served in flights and here’s the tentative lineup:
6-7 pm: 6 beers (TBD)
7-8 pm: 6 different beers (TBD)
8-9 pm: 6 different beers (TBD)
Ummmmm….that’s pretty creative, Ken! Actually, Ken’s working through the beer list and will provide it to me later and in turn, of course, you’ll find it right here.
Anyway, this will be a very limited engagement of 40 people or so, and it’s not even officially announced let. The date is November 30th, and the cost is $50 per person. No sense in waiting though, here are some delectables already on tap at Café. Here’s what’s on at Café Amsterdam. Note that some of the “On Deck” beers may have made stand up handles by the time of this publication.
21st Amendment Back in Black IPA
Uerige Sticke Alt Bier
Celestial Meads Afterglow
Deschutes The Dissident
Alaskan White 
Alaskan Smoked Porter
Alaskan Oatmeal Stout
Midnight Sun’s Obliteration VI
Pilsner Urquell
Midnight Sun Artic Rhino Coffee Porter
Delirium Tremens
Winter Coat Double Hop (bottle)
By the Glass - Reinhart Flemish Wild Ale
On Deck:
MSBC Obliteration VI
Alaskan Baltic Porter
Sleeping Lady Bride of Hop Bomb
La Trappe Isodor 125th Anniversary
Outside Beers
I’ve never been a fan of Pyramid’s Hefeweizen, which has now been renamed Haywire, but because it’s been 
consistently available at Costco in case form, Ms. Fermento picked me up a case, not knowing any better. For a point of reference, I contend that no beer is really bad, there are just sometimes better beers out there.
Haywire is probably the most ubiquitous hefeweizen in the United States. It’s an American style, which means that absent are the rich, flavorful phenol and ester characters associated with the true Bavarian style. Does that make this a bad beer? Not according to the market. When I visit a bar and ask what they have on tap, I often get a terse rundown of beers that might include, for example, “Oh, we have Alaskan Amber, Bud, Bud Lite, Miller, Miller Lite, Molson and Hefe.” I just can’t help myself, but every time, I ask “Hefe? Who makes it?” I usually get that deer-in-the-headlights look as if there is no other, and of course, I know the answer before I ask the question.
My point is that if I can get over my unerring preference for a true Bavarian style, unfiltered wheat beer, Haywire remains an easy drinking session beer that’s far and above many of the other choices on draught lines in bars. I defiantly put it above the BudMillOors group of beers and if nothing else is on tap, I’ll reach for it.
But, with Costco selling other noteworthy beers, some from Alaskan Brewing Company and others including my favorite non-local bottled IPA, Bridgeport IPA, I’ve reminded Ms. Fermento to advise me of her picks before the purchase.
More winter warmers are coming in from around the globe. From Lazy Boy Brewing of Washington, expect Mistletoe Bliss to show up next week to add to their fine line of beers that we started getting this year. This one weighs in at a hefty, but drinkable 7.8 percent and pours somewhat mahogany in the glass with some rich, red highlights when held to the light. The head is initially full, but it fades to lace the glass throughout the sample.
The aroma is zesty with a good combination of dark beer character that’s on the sweetish side with hints of caramel, toffee, coffee, light chocolate and plenty of dark fruit character. This follows through adequately in the flavor that’s not quite as robust as the aroma, but no less enriching. Those caramel and chocolate notes come forward along with some adequate hop flavor and sufficient bitterness, and of course, plenty of fruitiness and even tartness that seems almost cherry-like. Fresh, this is a good, well-rounded winter warmer that should augment your arsenal of seasonal beers to get you into and through the holidays.
Another holiday entrant this year is Full Sail Brewing Company’s Wreck the Halls. Wreck the Halls is sort of a cross between a big American style IPA and a winter warmer. So, expect some rich caramel notes doing their best to support 
copious amounts of Centennial hops and a dry hopping schedule that will keep the nose happy on those cold winter days. In years past, I’ve seen this up here both on draught and in 22 ounce bombers at my favorite grog shops.
Another Full Sail beer headed our way is Old Boardhead Reserve ’09. This 9 percent knee-knocker is a big rich American style with plenty of hops in terms of aroma, bitterness (91 IBU) and flavor, and plenty of malt backbone to mix it all up. Lots of toasted malt elements lighten the beer up a bit which I find makes it more drinkable. Look for plenty of dark fruit and candy-like elements in the beer that boasts a full mouthfeel and almost dry finish. I know we’ll be getting bombers, but hope it shows up on tap as well.
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