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Saturday, September 18, 2010

Too Much To Write...

....but not enough time.

 So, instead I will share some pictures from Friday and Saturday in Denver.












Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Meeting More Heroes

Just returned from the Wynkoop Brewery which held a reception for the GABF Brewers.  Very cool place.  Everything was free--open bar (beer), lots of food.

I tried all three of their cask-conditioned ales.  Then tried a few others.  Here's their beer list:



My favorite of the bunch was also their flagship beer, the RailYard Ale.

Then I ventured outside and sat with a couple from the Turtle Mountain Brewing Company in Rio Rancho, New Mexico--just outside of Albuquerque. 

We chatted for a while--very nice folks.

Let's get to the hero part. 

One of the coolest things about brewing (and there are MANY) is that many of the people about whom you read or hear tales are readily accessible.

There has been a surge in beer and food pairings over the last few years.  Brewmaster's Dinners happen frequently now.  In fact, we've had one of our own in St. Francis last Spring and are having another next month.  More on that in a future post.

The Brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery literally wrote the book on beer and food pairings.  His name is Garrett Oliver.  I own his book, "The Brewmaster's Table" and use if often in planning our own pairings at the Brewpub.






Sure enough, sitting two tables away from me was Garrett.  I took the opportunity to introduce myself and compliment him on his book.


Garrett Oliver

Here's proof:


You gotta love that hat!

First Beer=First Denver Mistake

I caught the hotel shuttle to the convention center to pick up my registration passes.  I thought I would be there for a while and then I would check out some of the local watering holes.

Registration took about five minutes and I walked out of there with four bigs bags of swag!  Brewers are treated very well there.  I felt bad with the thought of calling the shuttle service just after he dropped me off, so I decided to walk back to the hotel to drop off my stuff. 

The walk was just under two miles. 

I stopped off at a convenience store right by the hotel to pick up some refreshment.  I was excited to see they had this:

Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale

So I get back to the room, drop my bags, grab a glass and crack open one of these beauties.  I tried this for the first time at The Bomb Shelter in Milwaukee and it was wonderful.

As soon as it touched my lips, I realized something was wrong.  Was it old?  It didn't taste old.  I had remembered it being more full-bodied than this.  I took a closer look at the label, and nearly shrieked in horror:

Oh good Lord!

Some quick online research told me that Colorado convenience stores cannot sell high octane brew.  I shelled out over nine bucks for a six pack which, by Wisconsin standards, is more like a three pack.

Live and learn....

After grabbing some free dinner at the hotel, I'm headed to a Brewer's reception at the Wynkoop Brewery tonight.  I will rest assured that the beer will be much better tonight.


The ALE-gle Has Landed!

All right.  That was lame.

Flight in to Denver was uneventful.  The weather is absolutely perfect. 

I shared a shuttle with a well-pierced couple, Fraggle and Rebecca, from the San Francisco Bay area who own "Beer Revolution"--a Bottle Shop and Tasting Room.  They venture out here annually to find odd/interesting beers to add to their line up.  They gave me some must-see ideas which I'll try to check out.

Just checked in to my hotel and am "strategerizing" the week.  There's a buzz about the city.  I think it knows what it's in for...

Once I escape the room, I'll head downtown and check out some hot spots, and hopefully get some photos up here.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Headin' to Denver

I'll be venturing westward to attend my first Great American Beer Festival on Wednesday.  I'm not quite sure what to expect, but I'm sure it will be a good time.

This is the largest beer festival in the country, and one of the largest in the world.  There will be just under 500 breweries serving over 2,200 different beers, including five from the St. Francis Brewery.

I'll catch up with some old friends and make many new ones.  Throughout the week, I'll update this blog and you can follow my exploits.

Until then....

Friday, September 10, 2010

Oktoberfest!

Who doesn't enjoy great mugs?

We'll be serving up plenty of them at our First Annual Oktoberfest celebration.

On Saturday, September 25 the St. Francis Brewery will ring in Oktoberfest. 

We will have erected a huge tent in our west parking lot.  The 'flaps' open at 11:00 am and I will have the ceremonial "Tapping of the Keg" at high noon.  I will tap the cask-conditioned version of our Oktoberfest, open the tap and let the beer flow until the keg has emptied.  Those of you lucky enough to be there right at noon can line up for a free glass of this orange-hued lager.

Immediately following the tapping, you will be entertained by the polka stylings of Milwaukee's own Squeezettes, featuring a trio of accordion-squeezing ladies, along with a drummer and tuba player.  Chef Ron has prepared a full menu of Bavarian delights and dirndl-clad ladies will help keep your cups full.

The Squeezettes will be on hand from noon to three.  The Jeff Winard band will take the stage at 5:00 pm for three more hours of polka-fueled fun.

Can't be there at noon?  Not to worry.  I have brewed up plenty of this Seasonal beer. 

This event is open to the public, so spread the word.  Food and beer tickets can be purchased inside the brewpub.

Prosit!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

New Toy

Is it not every boy's dream to receive their first Firkin??



This brand-new 10.8 gallon beauty arrived yesterday, which will allow me to start my foray into cask-conditioned beers.

Eventually, the Firkin will sit behind the bar.  Until we build in a beer engine, I'll use gravity to dispense the beer.  On that end, I threw together a "stillage"--a keg stand that raises the back end for dispensing:



This Firkin will make its debut at our Oktoberfest celebration where you can sample a cask-conditioned version of our annual lager.