A Beerlover's Dream!

After winning the Beerdrinker of the Year competition back in February, the event host and organizer, Marty Jones, told me that he and some friends get together a couple of times each year for some beers.  And after reading about my basement brewery & pub in my beer resume, he wanted the gang to visit my basement.  He went on to tell me whom this group included.  It was a list of who’s who in Colorado’s beer society.  Marty’s group included Buddy Schmalz (head brewer at Dostal Alley Brewpub in Central City), Lou Cady (among other accomplishments, the man that originated the BDOTY competition), Dave Thomas (former scientist at Coors), Matt McAleer (marketing and sales at the Wynkoop), Dick Kreck (author & beer writer), and none other than Charlie Papazian (no introduction needed).   I couldn’t believe it.  A chance to have such an elite group, including the legend Charlie Papazian, in my basement!  Well, it took us several months to coordinate, but last Saturday it finally all came together.

When this group gets together, their plans are not random – and this day they had three stops scheduled.  They started at our house at 10 am.  It sounds early, but the atmosphere in our basement was electric.  In addition to the gang, I also invited about a dozen of my friends over.  So there were lots of introductions, many samples consumed of the four beers I had on tap, and cameras going off like crazy.  We hung out and discussed all things beer while drinking a couple of our own.  And it was great to get feedback from these experts on my homebrew.  All the reviews of my beer were favorable, and people raved about the Pilsner.  “The best Pilsner I’ve ever had,” was the comment of one in the group – whose name I’ll leave out.  You can imagine how proud I felt hearing that, and it was just wonderful having all of these people enjoy the fruits of my labor.

And in addition to what I had to offer, we also got to sample a gem brewed by Charlie Papazian.  He brought along a bomber of a Rauchbier that he had brewed using a new applewood smoked malt.  I know Rauchbier can be “love it or hate it”, but this masterpiece was well balanced and delicious!  I guess nobody should expect any less from the father of modern day home brewing – and a person that still brews regularly.  “You can’t use an overly attenuative yeast – a smoked beer needs a solid malt backbone,” Charlie said.

It was a wonderful reunion for the beer gang, and a great meet & greet for my friends, Joycelyn and I.  And a couple of us took the opportunity to have Charlie to sign our wort-stained homebrew books.  Charlie did not hesitate to sign the “Complete Joy of Home Brewing” book that Chris Cross and I purchased in 1990 when we both started brewing up at Montana State.  “Cody, relax, don’t worry, have a homebrew” he wrote!  I’ve enclosed a good photo of Charlie doing the honors.  I was somewhat surprised that the beer gang was taking more pictures than my friends and I.  They were loving it too.  (I’ve attached a great picture of Charlie, my wife Joycelyn, and I.)

At noon it was time for the gang to migrate to their second appointment.  To my surprise they invited me to accompany them – an offer which I quickly accepted.  The next stop was a private tour at the Golden City Brewery.  Owner and brewers Charlie Sturdavant and Jeff Griffith gave us a private tour of their surprisingly large brewing facility in a garage-looking building behind their carriage house tasting room and beer garden.   The 30 and 40 barrel Unitanks were imposing, and I was especially impressed by the old-school brick jacketed boiling kettle.  Every corner of the machine shop was packed with brewing equipment, including their hot liquor tank and a horizontal lagering vessel elevated on steel I-beams high above the brewery entry.  Just the way a snug craft brewery should be.

It is worth noting that when one travels with Charlie Papazian to any beer related outing, they are treated like royalty!  We were very well catered to and received excellent treatment by the Golden City Brewery.  Every question to Charlie Sturdavant and/or Jeff was answered in detail, and both of them dug into their private stockpile to provide us with samples of seasonal ales still in fermentation, experimental beers, and other gems in their stash.  In addition to traditional beer, they also offered a couple of sour beers and two bottles of mead.  Thanks guys!

It was tough to leave the GCB, but we had an appointment at Coors.  Through a connection in the group, we were privileged to have a private tour of Coors’ pilot brewery by one of the brewers there.  (The pilot is now also serving as the AC Golden Brewery.)  Coors’ Golden facility is the world’s single largest brewery, and it was fascinating to tour their pilot brewery – a scaled down setup that sits above and overlooks the main, massive Coors brew house. With that said, we all promised we would not provide any other information about this visit. (Though no classified information was provided to us.)  So I will leave it at that.

So in less than one day we toured the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd largest breweries in Golden, CO!  And I had the opportunity to meet some true beer legends.  It was really a wonderful and enjoyable group – each and every one of them.  Marty, Lou, Charlie, Dave, Buddy, Dick and Matt.  And it was a homebrewer and beer lover’s dream to meet Charlie Papazian.  He is the person that started everything that we, as beer lovers, now take for granted.  His 1984 book “The Complete Joy of Home Brewing” has sold almost one million copies and started a home brewing revolution.  A revolution that grew into the craft beer movement that flourishes today.  When he authored the first edition of his book there were less than 70 breweries in the U.S., now there are over 1500.  And as the founder of the Association of Brewers and the American Homebrewer’s Association, and the person that made home brewing simple, fun and good, we’ll all owe him a lot of gratitude.  Thanks for everything Charlie, and it was a pleasure sharing a couple of beers with you.

Beer in Houston

I just returned from a business trip to Houston where I attended an IPv6 conference. I don’t know the town very well since I’ve only been there once before, but on that first trip I did manage to find some great beer culture in the Lone Star state. I had the pleasure of visiting the famous “Ginger Man” pub in Houston’s Rice Village near Rice University. It was one of Michael Jackson’s recommendations, and a couple of coworkers and I got the chance to check it out. It did not disappoint. It is a cozy pub with a beer selection much bigger than its humble structure. The Ginger Man was definitely worth another visit, but my schedule on this visit didn’t allow me to make it back.

Unfortunately I didn’t get back to the Ginger Man, but I did find another gem. I was staying in downtown Houston at the Magnolia Hotel, and right around the corner was a pub called the Flying Saucer. (On the corner of Capital and Main Street – more information can be found on their web site: http://www.beerknurd.com/stores/houston.) “Flying Saucer” doesn’t really scream beer, but a local claimed it was a must visit for beer lovers. So a few of us from the conference thought we’d check it out. The inside of the Flying Saucer has a very open, yet a quaint and comfortable pub feel adorned with lots of beer paraphernalia. There is also a small beer “garden” out front. Their hook appears to be a mix of a nice beer-centric atmosphere, cute waitresses wearing short skirts, about 100 great beers on tap, and even more classics in the bottle. So if you’re in to those sorts of things, you’ll probably like Houston’s Flying Saucer! In addition to great beers, they also have the best selection of meads, ciders and perry that I’ve ever seen. There is a little something for everyone and any taste.

We arrived at 6 pm during happy hour and the place was packed with an electric atmosphere. After unsuccessfully searching inside for a seat, we spotted a young man sitting alone outside who was nice enough to let the four of us invade his table. We all had several beers as well as dinner. (Basic pub food – I had a French dip served with Guinness au jus and pub fries) Four hours of drinking along with our meals only cost $130. So the prices are surprisingly reasonable too. At 7 pm they offered a special in which they were selling half liters of Schneider’s Edelweiss. In addition to the wonderful Hefeweizen it contained, you got to keep the custom Edelweiss Sahm Krug it was served in. Luckily TSA did not give me any grief in the airport getting this souvenir back home. It will make a nice addition to my Stein collection.

I have to say my favorite part of the Saucer’s offerings were their beer tasting flights. They offer German, Belgian, and Texas flights, as well as a “build your own.” They will pour any five of their tap beers for a custom sampling. Very nice! I worked up one of these custom flights for Tim (Pilsner Urquell, Fuller’s ESB, Franziskaner Hefeweizen, Paulaner Salvator, and an IPA - the name of which I forget), and I had, among other beers, the Texas flight. I knew this before, but it was nice to reaffirm that Texans know how to brew beer! I was pleased by all five offerings, but I was particularly impressed with Live Oak Brewing Company’s Hefeweizen. (Austin, TX) A very good U.S. representation of the Bavarian specialty.

So if you are ever in Houston I recommend a visit to the Saucer. They have 13 other locations, all of which are in the south. (Maybe why I had never heard of them.) I can’t vouch for all of them, but if they are anything like the one in Houston, they are worth a visit. And don’t forget the Ginger Man too. Michael Jackson’s recommendations never disappoint. (You can find more information about the Ginger Man at http://houston.gingermanpub.com.) Houston may not be known for its beer, but I’ve never had a problem finding great beer culture down there. Do you have any other suggestions for that area? If so please add a comment. Hopefully I’ll make it down there again some time soon.

Breakfast Beer

It is not often that I wake up and head straight for a beer, but MSU homecoming is one of those select times of the year.

I just returned from a frigid trip to Montana. MSU homecoming took place last weekend, an event I’ve only missed once since graduating in ’91. I flew into Billing on Thursday night to spend some time with my family, and on Friday my father and I hit the road to Bozeman.

Homecoming weekend is always a health shocker. Bad food, no sleep, and great beer lead to a rough couple of days. My Fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha (Pikes), always puts on a full schedule of events over the weekend to keep everyone busy. Numerous brothers return from across the country and the furthest reaches of Montana, which leads to a great reunion weekend. The problem is that after a long Friday night reminiscing about the “good old days” over several beers and the occasional single malt, and getting back to the hotel at 2 am, it can be challenging to wake up at 8 am on Saturday to socialize before the morning parade. But I always seem to find a way to persevere.

I am not a fan of red beers, nor do I drink coffee or the caffeine/energy drinks that are so popular nowadays, so finding the proper breakfast beer is key to starting off a long day. In my opinion, the best breakfast beer in the world is an authentic German Hefeweizen. It is what the Bavarians drink in the morning, and for good reason. The unfiltered beer contains vitamin B rich yeast, which are great for one’s health, complexion, and spirit. And the Flüssiges Brot makes a great wheat substitute for my normal breakfast toast. In the absence of an authentic Hefeweizen, my second choice to kick off the day is a nice Guinness draft. Guinness is a low alcohol, low calorie drink and another great option to ease one’s way into the morning.

Well, good Hefeweizens are hard to find in our normal Saturday morning haunts, so in the years past I have started the day off with my second favorite breakfast beer, draft Guinness, at the Rocking R Bar. But the R-Bar, and a number of other surrounding buildings, were destroyed in a gas main explosion last March. (Very tragically Tara Reistad Bowman lost her life that morning as she arrived for work at the Montana Trails Gallery.) This explosion was felt around Montana, and it especially rattled the tight community of Bozeman. There is still a big hole in the ground where buildings once stood in the historic district of downtown Bozeman.

So this year, in the absence of a German Hefeweizen or Guinness, I chose a local stout for breakfast – Big Sky Brewing Co.’s Slow Elk Oatmeal Stout. Oatmeal sounds suitable for breakfast, right? Like Guinness, Slow Elk is a stout, but packs much more of a punch than its Irish counterpart. But nonetheless a great way to start off the day. (“Slow Elk” is a Montana hunting term for a cow… Don’t ask.) So a couple of these helped me take the edge off. (Unfortunately, no sooner was I taking it off than I started adding it back on.) The parade lasted about an hour, and after its conclusion, we packed up and headed to the football stadium parking lot for the Pike tailgate, which including more food and beverages. I brought an ice filled cooler of Slow Elk along with some of Bayern Brewing’s (Missoula) Oktoberfest. (When in Montana I always pick up a couple six packs of local beer.) Bayern’s Oktoberfest is a great autumn seasonal, albeit fairly dark and a touch too rich for the style. It does boast a huge Munich-malty backbone. I would place it squarely in the German Dunkles category. Aber macht nichts, it is nevertheless a great beer. And it is nice to see wonderful dark lagers being made in Montana. Their head brewer, Jürgen Knöller, has his master brewer’s diploma from Weihenstephan, and it shows in the quality of Bayern’s beers.

Now I know some beer enthusiasts claim that great microbrews are not intended to be iced down in a cooler. But on this day, my needs were a little bit different than normal. The low in Bozeman was predicted to be -4 deg F. (A hard, early October frost – even by Montana standards!) I needed some ice in the cooler to insulate the beer and keep it from freezing! The temperature did creep up in to the teens for the game, but drinking gloves were still required through out the day. Scott Countryman (coming down from Whitefish) always thinks ahead and had a propane heated 2x4 and tarp shelter for everyone to congregate under at the tailgate. So the tailgate was comfortable, but the frozen seats in Bobcat Stadium were not quite as nice. Anyway, it was still a great excuse to break out my lined Carhartts and the rest of my winter clothes. All in all it was another wonderful Homecoming weekend, spent with great friends and great drink – all kicked off by a new, local breakfast beer!

The Results

There are a couple of items I’d like to update you on before I head to Bozeman this weekend for MSU homecoming.  First, as you know, the Great American Beer Festival has already come and gone.  The week before the GABF was “Denver Beer Week,” which offered beer enthusiasts numerous events to get them fired up for the big finally.  One of those events was a tapping of the GABF Pro-Am beer that I brewed with the Wynkoop – a Dunkles or dark German lager.  (See my June 29th entry titled “GABF Pro-AM With The Wynkoop.”)  My wife and I returned from Europe on Monday, September 21st, and the next day after finishing up at work I tiredly made my way down to the Wynkoop to “tap” the Dunlkes with brewmaster Andy Brown.  It was surprisingly crowded for a Tuesday night, but the beer week activities and lure of a free pint didn’t hurt I’m sure.  The tapping went well, and the Dunkles has been a big hit ever since.  It is clean, rich and smooth with a nice, albeit barely perceptible, noble hop backbone.  Our beer did not place at the GABF Pro-Am, but I am not all disappointed.  People seem to love it!  And it was a complete thrill just to be involved in this homebrewer’s dream, and it is truly an honor to have one of your beers served at the GABF, and to be on tap at the Koop.  Last Friday there were still some of the 600 gallons left, so if you’re in the area stop by, try it out, and let me know what you think!

Second, I’d like to give you an update on the Rochefortesque beer I brewed back in April.  (See my April 23rd entry titled “Rochefort Question.”)  This beer turned out very well.  It is a rich red color with a sturdy head.  The nose is effervescent with notes of rich malt, dark fruit, and some alcohol.  (It finished at 9.03% abv.)  The flavor builds on the aroma with more of the above along with flavors of Munich & caramel malts and hints of caramelized dark candy sugar.  The Nachtrunk is long and warming with more dried fruit character.  After enjoying this beer for a couple of weeks I decided to ruin it by comparing it to a Rochefort 10.  (I hate doing this because I always end up disappointed.)  My beer actually stood up pretty well to Rochefort in flavor, but I noted that the Belgian classic had a better nose and finish than my beer.  The 10 is an almost perfect beer for its style, and I’m just not sure how to copy something like that.  It was also a touch darker and more highly carbonated than my prototype – a couple of items that I’ll touch up in the future.  It is definitely a beer I will brew again.  Next time I plan to slightly increase the Special B to contribute a bit more color and strengthen the malty-fruity complexity.  I may even try a bit of the coriander that I was asking you all about back in April.  With all of that said, this beer did take 1st place in its category at the Eastern Idaho State Fair – a BJCP certified event that happened to be conveniently timed.  (BJCP category 18E)  To tie this blog entry together, I’d like to take this BJCP award winning beer and do another GABF Pro-Am again next year.  Hopefully the Wynkoop will be open to another Pro-Am in 2010!

Kloster Mülln Pilgrimage

Salzburg is one of Europe's most beautiful cities, and always one of our favorite travel destinations.  And I never visit Salzburg with out a trip to Augustiner Bräu at Kloster Mülln.  This monestary is the location of Austria's largest Biergarten and beer hall, and whether you are inside or outside in the shade under the chestnut trees, it is one of Europe's greatest beer drinking experiences.  Located just west of the pedestrian area of the old town, one can get there via a narrow walkway around the steep cliffs (approx. 15 minutes), or, if you visit the Festung high above the town, you can stroll down through the Mönchberg park to the entrence (approx. 30 minutes).

Kloster Mülln is a very traditional beer hall.  It is exclusively self service - so patrons select a half liter or full Maß (no glass, only Stein) from the rack, give it a thorough cleaning at the cold water rinse station, pay the attendant, and finally get their beer.  There is only one type of beer served - a Märzenbier.  And it is still brewed by the monks, and it is still served in front of you out of weathered wooden kegs.  Truly a treat, and truly a great, world-class beer.

I've only visited Salzburg in the summer, so I usually sit outside in the Biergarten, but this year it was dreary and rainy, so everyone was inside in one of the two main halls, which are masterpieces.  I sat in the the Stockhammersaal (hall), which was the inspiration for the design for my basement.  The color scheme, dark wood paneling, bench, table, wall painting, Steinkrug on the wall, etc. were all ideas inspired by this room.  But I must admit, my basement is not even worthy of a 1000:1 replica of this magnificent beer hall.   But I have to work with what I've got.

The Hirschgarten

Greetings from the world's largest Biergarten - the Hirschgarten! I'll have to update this latter, because I don't have the stats with me, but I believe the grounds seat around 8,000 beer lovers. Augustiner is the favorite beer of people from Munich - and here they serve it directly from the Holzfaß. (wood barrel) In the 1800's this park served as a place where deer (Hirsch) were raised to be released for the royalty to hunt. It is near the Nymphenburg castle, part time home of the Wittelsbach, and at the time in the countryside - outside of the city of Munich. Now this park is part of Munich proper, and the deer need not be too worried - they are fenced off to amuse the children while their parents drink Maß after Maß of Augustiner Bier.



We concluded our day here after hiking all morning and afternoon through the Bavarian Alps. Elfi and Stefan took us up to the Rotwand (near Spitzingsee) for a wonderful hike with spectacular scenery that was somewhat subdued, or possibly enhanced, by the thick fog. After two hours of hiking through land that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, we popped into an Alm with a large Gaststätte packed full hikers drinking beer and enjoying a lunch of bacon dumpling soup. That is one of the things I love about Germany, no matter where you go, and no matter how remote, you can always find a good meal and a great beer!

Biking Through Munich

We have spent the last weekend in Munich enjoying time with our German friends Elfi and Stefan, and their son Stefan.  They were nice enough to arrange for a couple of bicycles for Joycelyn and I, and on Friday afternoon they led us on a 30km tour of Munich and the Isar river.  We rode from their house near the Rotkreutzplatz across town and down the river to the Waldwirtschaft Biergarten in Großhesselohe.  Elfi and Stefan were married in one of the banquet halls here, so it holds a special place in their heart.  It is a beautiful setting nestled on the west bank of the Isar up above the river.  We had a couple beers there and ate a small lunch.  I think most Americans expect great beer from Bavarian Biergartens, but what many don't realize is that the food is also consistently excellent.  The proprietors take great pride in serving the freshest beer, and serving high quality, traditional dishes.  Our lunch was excellent.  The Waldwirtschaft is usually packed with a jazz band playing in the center, but this day the crowds were kept down due to the cloudy weather and a brief rain shower.  Our timing was perfect since we were under an awning enjoying our second beer during the shower.

On the way back to the Rotkreutzplatz, we saw several floats drifting down the Isar.  I've included a picture so you can get a feel for what they look like.  They are flat log rafts (that are broken down for their truck ride back up the river) with a couple of guides, Blasmusik (um pa pa bands) and of course plenty of beer on board.  Everyone appeared to be having a great time - and it is something I'd like to come back and do some day.


The Isar flows chalky-white through Munich north toward the Danube river.  It was interesting to get up and close to one of the beer world's most famous rivers!  Its highly carbonate water is perfectly suited for brewing the dark, malty and clean lagers that Munich is famous for.  I think this water is one of the secret ingredients that makes it impossible to brew copies of Munich's wonderful beers in other parts of the world.  There are many great Dunkles and Bock beers brewed in America, but none quite match the originals.

Munich is a very bicycle friendly city, and it is easy to find stores that rent them.  So if you get the chance, get off the beaten path of the old town and ride around a little.  And I recommend the trip south down to the Waldwirtschaft Biergarten in Großhesselohe - down the peaceful Isar bicycle route.  And we have to give a big thanks to Elfi and Stefan for being such great hosts and showing some new parts of Munich.