Au Brasseur - Strasbourg France

I have crossed into enemy territory.  That's right, yesterday, for the first time ever, I crossed the German border and went into France.  Albeit Alsace, "the least French of French regions," according to my guide book.  This is a beautiful territory to the west of the Rhine river across the valley from the Schwarzwald - the Black Forest.  Joycelyn and I will spend the next couple of days touring Alsace, but we started in Strasbourg.  Strasbourg is one of the three capitals of the European Union.  Don't bother going to the EU section of town, stick to the Old Town area.  Old Town is an island formed by a fork in the Ill river, and is  a quaint area dominated by the old Cathedral, and with numerous half timbered houses (Fachwerk), canals, locks and bridges.

Alsace is know for its wine, but I was able to find one micro (artisan) brewery in town - the Au Brasseur.  It is located at 22 Rue des Veaux, about three blocks west of the Cathedral in a quiet, fairly non-touristy section of Old Town.  They offered four beers of their own; La Blonde, Ambree, La Brune, and La Blanche.   First I tried the Blanche.  I was not sure what to expect with this wheat beer, but after the first taste I could tell it was of the Wit style.  It was pale, cloudy and very tart with some definite sourness.  A very good representation of the style.  My second beer was the Brune.  This beer was made with a touch of chocolate malt, and was a clear dark amber, fairly clean tasting, but also with a very slight tartness.  I'm not sure if the two beers shared a common yeast strain or not.

School doesn't get much older than the brew house.  It was in a very small sunken area surrounded by the bar.  Crammed in that area was a well used two vessel system.  The pumps looked ancient, but the tuns were well kept.  I'm not sure how old it was, but it did not look modern by any means.  The mash and lauter tuns were fairly small, probably a 10 barrel system.  Malt rakes and shovels hung behind the bartender.  They also employed what looks to be an open fermentation system.  I did not research the history of this brewery, and our bartender did not speak much English, so I can't give much for details.  I've inserted a couple of pictures for you.

The place reminded me of some Belgian brown pubs I've visited, though with less flair when it came to their beer presentation.  (For example, naming their beers simply Blonde, Ambree, Brune and Blanche.)  But a very nice, though tight, atmosphere.  They served pitchers of beer, which I don't ever recall seeing in Europe.  And lots of them.  The Au Brasseur was definitely popular with the locals.  The ancient cellar downstair was converted into a tight beer hall, with numerous picnic tables, and a stage for jazz and blues bands at the far end.  We had just arrived from America, and were pretty tired, so we retired to our room instead of staying for the music, but it felt like the atmosphere would be buzzing in a couple of hours.

If you get a chance to visit Strasbourg, I recommend hitting the Au Brasseur.  And if you do please let me know what you think of the music and their Blonde and Ambree that I did not get a chance to try.

Great American Beer Festival

This is just a quick post to remind you all that GABF tickets are on sale and going fast.    The Friday night and Saturday member's only sessions are already sold out.  You can still get tickets for the Thursday and Saturday night sessions - but hurry because those will soon be gone too!   You can get more information at http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/.  BTW, I will be attending on Thursday evening.

Also, I will be leaving for Europe next Thursday.  Joycelyn and I will be visiting France (Alsace region), Germany, Austria and Switzerland.  I'll try to get some posts in during my vacation.  The day after I return I go straight to the Wynkoop for a tapping ceremony for the Pro-Am German Dunkles lager that we brewed last June.  If you are in the area, please come by for the tapping - Tuesday, September 22nd at 5 pm MT.

Colorado Rockies Baseball

In years past when I ask people if they want to go to a Rockies ballgame it was not uncommon for me to hear, “their not doing well, and I don’t like the management, so I don’t want to go to the game.”  I always reply to such statements with, “baseball is not a sport, it is a pastime.   It isn’t about the team or the game as much as it is about getting out to the park, with the grass, the field, the evergreens beyond centerfield, and about having a beer in such a beautiful setting.”  And of course nowadays it even easier to round people up for a game since the Rockies are in playoff contention.  So last Thursday I gathered a group of co-workers and we headed downtown to watch the home team take on the Pittsburgh Pirates

One thing I love about Coors Field is that it has a brewery in the stadium.  If you get a chance to go to a home Rockies game, head out to the right field area of the main concourse level and you’ll find the Blue Moon Brewing Company.  This brewery used to be called the Sandlot, but Coors, who owns the brewery, decided to change the name a couple of years ago.  (Though you can still see a “Sandlot” sign inside the brewery.)  It is my understanding that Coors uses this brewery to pilot new beers for the Blue Moon brand.

Think what you want about Coors, but the team at the Sandlot can brew.  I find all of their beers to be excellent, and their Hefeweizen is the best Weißbier I’ve had on this side of the Atlantic.  I love big clove flavored, phenolic Hefeweizens like Munich’s Franziskaner, and most American wheat beers, though good, lean more to the banana ester side of the flavor spectrum.  The Sandlot’s offering is a terrific example of a big, clovey Hefeweizen.  It is my favorite in the States, but it can be hard to find.  They don’t carry it regularly, and when I was in last Thursday, the bartender said they have been out of it for the past two weeks.  So it can be hit or miss.  A couple of years ago they even had a Weizenbock that was basically a scaled up version of the original.  It was a strong, yet pale, example with a huge, complex Weißbier aroma and flavor.  The Sandlot used to call their Hefeweizen “Wild Pitch Wheat,” though I think that moniker was dropped long ago.  So now you have to ask for their “banana and clove flavor German style wheat beer” to avoid being served a Blue Moon Belgian White with an orange slice in it.  If you’re lucky, they’ll have their Hefeweizen gem on tap when you visit.

I do have a few knocks about the brewery.  At times it doesn’t seem like their heart is really into craft beer.  They seldom advertise or promote their beer, and the only way to get one is if you have a ticket to the game.  The brewery has always been closed in the winter, but in the mid 90’s when Coors Field opened, people could go to the Sandlot and eat & drink when the Rockies were out of town.  Now the front door is bolted shut, and the only entrance is from inside the park.  In addition, some of the bartenders don’t seem to know much about their own beers, nor do they seem to take in interest in their specialties when you have questions or want to talk.  They are busy making mixed drinks and passing out Coors products to the people inside that are not taking advantage of fresh beer brewed on premise.  But I try to put these issues aside, and take it for what it is – one of the best breweries in the city in one of the best ballparks in the country.

When I was there on Thursday they had four craft beers on tap – their flagship Belgian White, a Stout, a Red Ale, and a delicious German Dunkles.  I stuck to the crisp and malty Dunkles during the hot afternoon game.  It was truly a delight to walk around the beautiful park and take in the sights and sounds while drinking a beer that was brewed right there in the stadium.  If you ever get a chance to visit Denver in the summer, make sure and take in a Rockies game and visit the Sandlot – now called the Blue Moon Brewing Company.   And by the way, the Rockies beat the Pirates 10-1, but that isn’t what the afternoon was about.

GABF Pro-AM With The Wynkoop

I recently had the distinct privilege to brew one of my homebrew recipes at the Wynkoop for this year's Great American Brewer's Festival (GABF) Pro-Am competition.  The GABF is the world's largest beer festival and takes place every fall in Denver, CO - this year between September 24-26th.  (http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/)  A couple of years ago the GABF added a new "Pro-Am" competition.  This competition allows homebrewers to partner with a craft brewery to scale up one of their BJCP certified competition award-winning beers.  Last year one of my German lagers won an award at the American Homebrewer's Association's (AHA) national competition.  I had talked to the Wynkoop about partnering for the Pro-Am for several months, and we finally received the entry information from the Association of Brewers, applied, and got to work.  In most cases the Pro-Am brewery simply brews the recipe for the competition, but the Wynkoop was nice enough to let me come in for the day and help.

(Note, working with the Koop on the Pro-Am has nothing to do with being Beerdrinker of the Year.  This is something any award-winning homebrewer has to opportunity to do with a willing brewery.)

The beer we brewed was a Dunkles - a dark German lager.  We used my recipe from the AHA National competition entry.  The Pro-Am rules allow for reasonable recipe modifications to accommodate the brewery's limitations, raw materials, processes, etc.  A couple of months ago I provided Wynkoop head brewer Andy Brown with my recipe sheet and brewing notes to review.  A week before brew day we met to discuss the details of the process, and to make modifications.  For example, my homebrew was decoction mashed and the Wynkoop is not able to perform this type of mash regiment, so we needed to modify the mash schedule to approximate the original.  We also needed to scale the recipe up, recalculate hop quantities given the alpha acid content of the Wynkoop hops, scale the amount of water treating salts that needed to be added, etc.  Andy had to order some additional malts for the brew, and we were pretty much set.  It was quite an experience getting to sit down with Andy, and award winning brewer, to (re)design this beer for a commercial system.

The brew day itself was very educational.  The Wynkoop has a 20 barrel system.  So instead of brewing six gallons like I do at home, we brewed 620 gallons - basically 100 times bigger!   Many aspects of the process were not too different than homebrewing.  Making beer is still making beer.  But the scale and the equipment was all new to me.  It was great learning the process on a large scale - things like using pumps to move liquid around instead of siphons, stirring 600 gallons of mash, cleaning 20 barrel vessels, shoveling and hauling spent grains (to a trailer out back for a local farmer), and doing everything in a steamy hot 90 degree brew house. What a truly unique experience!

As I type the primary fermentation has been completed, and the beer is aging (lagering) in the cellar below the brew house.  We have plenty of time to let this one mature to perfection before the GABF in late September.  The beer will be on tap at the Wynkoop and you can also sample it if you attend the GABF in the Pro-Am section.  I can't wait to see how it turns out and see how it compares to my original.   Hopefully it is ever better!

I want to extend a big thanks to the Wynkoop and to Andy Brown for giving me the opportunity to do the GABF Pro-Am with them, and for allowing me to help brew it.  It was a terrific experience working with Andy to brew the Dunkles in the brewery that has been my home pub since 1991.  Thanks guys!

Golden City Brewery

Golden Colorado boasts a number of gems, but one of my favorites is the Golden City Brewery.  (920 12th Street)  The brewery is located in a residential area of Golden, just a couple of blocks off Washington street - the main street in town.  Beer is brewed in the machine shop behind the owner’s home.  Their carriage house has become a small tasting room, and their back yard is the beer garden.   I’ve been going there for about nine years, and the popularity of the place has increased as the trees in the beer garden have matured.  It is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, or relax after a day’s work.  Since it is in a residential neighborhood, they stop selling beer promptly at 6:30 pm, and patrons are encouraged to leave by 7:00 pm.   If you’re lucky, one of the taproom tenders will sing a couple of songs in the garden as everyone finishes their last round.  My friend Matt Rubin captured one such occasion on his cell phone camera.  This night it was a song called “Mary Mac.”



Golden City Brewery touts itself as “the second largest brewery in Golden.”  I heard they once claimed to be the largest brewery in Golden since Coors is not inside the city limits, but I can’t verify that claim.  (please comment if you have any information on this)  Legend has it that Coors forced them to drop the claim, which led to their current marketing line.  Anyway, next time you're in Golden stop by for a copule pints and a relaxing atmosphere.

Colorado Brewer's Festival

This is just a quick note after returning from the 20th annual Colorado Brewer's Festival (CBF) in Fort Collins. Every year a group of friends and I make the one hour journey north from Denver to the CBF. I have not missed one since 1992. It is always a great time with good food, fun bands, interesting people watching, and of course great Colorado beer! The organizers marketed this year's event with "Brewfest XX" posters that resembled Dos Equis labels. Despite the symbolism, only Colorado beers are allowed. There were over 50 beers on tap split between three serving tent areas at the end of what is basically a large cross (Linden and Walnut Streets) in the blocked-off old town Fort Collins. The remaining end of the cross is the center of old town where local bands perform through out the day.

Each year the crowd seems to grow, and this year was no exception. The CBF takes place on the Saturday and Sunday of the last full weekend of June each year from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Already at noon long lines had formed to enter the event. (ID check and token purchase) Beer lines are pretty reasonable until the final two hours where they can grow to 15 minutes or so. It has helped that the event doubled tent space by using both sides of the beer cooling semis, and they no longer allow half pours, but with more and more people attending each year, it can still get crowded. A couple years ago the CBF started allowing breweries to offer two beers (previously just one was allowed), and most breweries now do offer two. Most serve a summer beer as their primary (Pils, Weissbier, Golden Ale, etc.), but the second offering allows them to offer a flagship, or something unique and/or darker.

The CBF is definitely a daytime event, but we always book a couple rooms and make a day out of it. The streets of downtown Fort Collins are always alive on this weekend, and there are plenty of bars to chill at after a long hot day, and plenty of dance clubs to visit if that is what one likes. After the bars close, and before the one mile walk back to our hotel, we usually hit the Gyros vendor on the corner of Mountain and College for a snack to enjoy on the much needed walk.

If you live in Colorado, I'd say visiting the CBF is a must! If you live out of the state I'd recommend a late June visit to take it in. It is a well organized event, and always a great time!

I've included just a couple of pictures. One is of Les and his custom Montana made "Stetson" Miller Lite cowboy hat. Next year he says he'll bring a stack of them to sell to the 50 or so people that wanted to buy one off of him!

You've Gotta Drink This

For those of you that are American Homebrewer's Association (AHA) members and read Zymurgy, you are aware of their "You've Gotta Drink This" section.  (If you are not an AHA member, consider joining.  Even if you are not a home brewer, membership has great benefits like the pub discount program.  You can get more information at http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/membership.html)  There is a beer that I have fallen in love with called Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer, so I submitted the entry below to Jill Redding, editor in chief of Zymurgy.  I'm not sure if/when Jill will post my entry, but I thought I would share this will you all.  Below is my submission.

Brewery: Brouwerij Het Anker (Mechelen Belgium)
Beer: Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer
Style: Belgian Strong Ale

This beer is a must try, especially for Rochefort 8/10 fans.  Its color is dark amber, and it pours with a sticky, long-lasting, off-white head.   The aroma is huge and dominated by rich dried fruit flavors from the malt and the yeast.  It is definitely a "Belgian" nose, though not phenolic or banana-ish like some Belgian yeast strains.  Probably the most effervescent aroma I've experience in a non-hop accentuated beer. The flavor coincides with the aroma and is malty sweet with dark fruit undertones.  There is no perceptible hop flavor or aroma.  Aggressive carbonation keeps the beer from becoming too sticky in the mouth.  Its finish is long and warming with more fruit and malt.  Overall this beer offers a wonderful balance of yeast, malt and alcohol, and it is a must try for fans of Belgian Dubbels and darker Belgian Strong Ales!

Side notes:  On the beer shelf the bottle wasn't something that jumped out at me.  But there was a small marketing sign below it stating "99 Ratebeer.com".  I'm usually not swayed by this sort of thing, but I thought I'd give it a shot.  I was blown away!  Also, this beer is brewed once per year on February 24th.  (Charles the Fifth's birthday) And different vintages are slightly different.  The 2007 was 10%, and the 2008 was 11%.  Despite the alcohol variation, the flavor is very similar.  I doubt they are trying to make a different beer.