The Friday Question
March 4th, 2011
By now you should see some of the latest seasonals (“18″/Hot Monkey Love batch #3/Channel Crossing Series Vol.#3) out and about at the likes of Max’s, T-Bonz, Judge’s Bench, Mahaffeys, RFD, ChurchKey, Meridian Pint, The Wharf Rat, Baltimore Taphouse etc. Check their respective draft lists. Joining them next week will be Strongman pale ale single hop Sorachi Ace version, which, in my humble opinion, kicks ass! I only filled 3 casks which will be destined for ChurchKey & Meridian Pint in D.C. and locally to Judge’s Bench, where we’ll be tapping it on Friday March 25th at 5pm … come join me for a pint or two. Speaking of Strongman I’ve just tapped the last cask of the U.S. hop version (dry hopped with Mounthood) …it’s on the beer engine at The Ale House now, come get some. I’ve already sent a few casks of Biere de Garde out, some of you may have tried it already at Bertha’s during the weekend of Max’s Belgian Beer festival and the draft will be distributed shortly. It’ll be the featured cask at Metropolitan on Thursday March 24th. The second brew for Meridian Pint is on the schedule later this month. It will be a variation of the first but with a Belgian slant courtesy of the Brewer’s Art Resurrection yeast and Belgian Dark Candi Syrup. Look out for it’s release at Meridian Pint in mid April as part of a joint tap takeover with Stillwater & Brewer’s Art! Channel Crossing series Vol. #4 is on the schedule for mid April, this time it’s an E.S.B. (that’s Extra Special Belgian!)
So, last week’s Friday Question asked in what order I drank the BrewDog “IPA is Dead” single hop series? There could only be one start point for me … Bramling Cross … I love that hop and, as expected, the beer was phenomenal! Next up I went for Sorachi Ace for no other reason than I’ve just used it but hadn’t tasted my beer yet so I was keen to see what BrewDog made of it. Again, a wonderful beer. Next up, Nelson Sauvin. I’ve only had one brush with this hop before, the Mikkeller single hop version, which I hated. Got to say, I was equally unimpressed with the BrewDog version, there’s just something about this hop I don’t like … sort of tastes like drinking a great beer through someone’s used socks! Before I get outraged comments, yes, I know other’s love it! That’s the great thing about beer … it’s an individual experience! Finally Citra … another good, solid beer. So, by my reckoning that makes Nick the winner, well played sir!
This week I offer a growler of any Oliver Ale and a bottle of something to the individual who can tell me how many owner operated brewpubs were still operating in Great Britain at the end of 1972? Have at it and good luck. As usual enter your answer via the comment option.
Here’s a gratuitous picture of a pint of cask ale fireside at Ye Olde Mitre Inn in Barnet, London because, that’s where I wish I were right now!
In search of the Great British Pub
March 3rd, 2011
I have seen much on the internet in recent years regarding the decline of the British Public House. Pubs have been closing in record numbers apparently. On the occasion of my first return to England since April 2007 I was keen to find what I consider to be a classic English Pub, which, in my mind, has a lot to do with the availability of good cask ale. I say”good” cask ale because it is all to easy to find “bad” cask ale. Cask conditioned ale is far removed from keg beer … a trained monkey can change a keg but serving a good cask conditioned ale takes care and attention. As an example I present Yates’ in Tamworth. Now Yates’ is definitely not a “Great British Pub” … it’s a chain bar which by day presents a reasonable venue for some decent food and a pint (see picture below) at very reasonable prices, but at night is a different beast altogether … yes, you can buy a pitcher of Jagermeister & Redbull for 9 pounds and 45 pence! Or maybe you’d prefer a “Squashed Frog” or “Slippery Nipple”?
The cask choices at Yates'
We had a nice lunch and I had a good pint of Bombardier but my Dad was served a pint of Pedigree that would have been best served on his chips, such was the vinegar taint in it! A great beer but a bad pint!
My chances to “get down the pub” were few and far between as we were only there for 6 days. After a day out in London with Kelly and the boys and my best friend Dave and his family we returned to Barnet on the Northern outskirts of London, passed the kids off to our families for babysitting duty and planned to meet at a pub on Barnet High Street. But which pub? Dave hadn’t lived in the area for a long time and wasn’t sure where would be best so I asked my sister if there was a good pub nearby. My sister, although she doesn’t really go to pubs, apparently knows me well and suggested the Mitre as it was “an Old Man’s Pub”! Ker-ching … sounds good to me. And it was …soooo good! Ye Olde Mitre Inn was established in 1636 and was originally a coach house and now represented itself as “Barnet’s Premier Ale House”.
The interior was just what I’d hoped for … exposed brick and wood beams, an open fire, an impressive selection of cask ales. The walls were adorned with cask ale paraphenalia and the all important “Cask Marque” guarantee.
The pub offered 5 cask ales and a cask cider with a further ale being offered on Friday and Saturday. Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and Adnam’s Bitter were the house ales with the others rotating through a guest beer programme . During my visits we also had Holts “Two Hoots”, “Old Speckled Hen”, Woodforde’s “Wherry”, Brains’ “Bread Of Heaven” and Hop Back “Summer Lightning”.
All of the beers were in excellent condition, crisp and clean and beautifully bright, as you’d expect in a pub featured in the current CAMRA “Good beer Guide“ .
It doesn't get much better than this!
We found a table by the window in the bar area and enjoyed one of the most relaxing evenings that I can remember … good company and good beer in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. I don’t recall seeing a TV (although I suspect that there was one somewhere), in fact, I don’t recall even hearing any music playing. The pub was busy on this Wednesday evening with groups of people enjoying eachothers company and conversation, exactly what I had hoped for. My sister was correct, I guess, in her assumption that it was an “old man’s pub” for there was not one single baseball capped teenager in sight and I suspect that Kelly was the youngest peson there! I was truly relieved that the “Great British Pub” is still alive and well!
The evening slipped away and before we knew it time was being called and we merrily exited into the night, a perfect day behind us.
The Friday Question (UK Edition)
February 25th, 2011
Gotcha! I said that as soon as I walked out of the brewery on Monday my vacation started and asked what would be my first beer of the vacation … you honestly think I was going to be able to travel a few thousand miles before I had a beer? Not likely! Under normal circumstances Graham would have been correct as traditionally I have a Fuller’s London Pride or two on the plane (which indeed I did) but, prior to that, we stopped for dinner at DuClaw’s BWI location and I enjoyed a “Euphoria”, my first beer of the vacation, so no winner’s this time though I’ll buy Graham a consolation pint for being close! As it happens, my first pint in a pub was a Brains “Bread Of Heaven”.
As you may have seen elsewhere, I’ve been enjoying a few of the BrewDog “IPA is Dead” single hop IPAs, pictured
So, 4 different single hop IPAs …what I want you to tell me is, in what order did I drink them? If you guess correctly you could win a set of these (as long as they survive the journey back in my suitcase)! If there are multiple correct answers then they will be entered into a random draw. Please enter via the comment section, only one guess each please. Good luck!
The Friday Question
February 18th, 2011
Channel Crossing #3 in oak at Max's today!
… and it’s not just any Friday … it’s the first day of the legendary Belgian Beer Festival at Max’s Taphouse, without doubt one of the most amazing beer festivals I’ve been to … have you seen the beer list … it’s incredible?! This year I have the privilege of not just being an eager attendee but, by virtue of my collaborative relationship with Stillwater Ales, having a beer pouring there … awesome, I feel like a proud Father again! Brian & myself debut Channel Crossing #3 today, an “Anglo-Belge Barleywine” … in an oak barrel … on the beer engine!!!! It doesn’t get much better than this! I’ve just cleaned the lines and tapped the draft at the Ale House and I have to say, I’m a happy man. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do! The Oliver Ales anniversary ale, “18″, also debuts at the Ale House today. It’s a smoked porter brewed with 18 lbs each of smoked malt, chocolate malt, flaked barley, dark crystal malt and malted wheat on a base of Optic pale ale malt. It’s got a subtle, slightly sweet smokiness and I’ve got to say, I’m lovin’ it (but not in a McDonalds way!) If you happen to be in Fells Point at Max’s today, take the time to stop in at Bertha’s across the street where there will be a pre-release cask of Biere de Garde on gravity pour today. As usual it’s fermented with Brewer’s Art Resurrection yeast but this year sees a different recipe (as I had a lot of different Franco-Belge malts available as a consequence of my recent brews with Stillwater) …it’s deep amber in color, 6.8% abv … haven’t had a chance to sample it myself yet though!
O.K., onto the Friday Question. Last week I asked how Porter can be detrimental to your health and one of you hit the nail on the head, though Bryan F. provided scant details, he wins with his observation that “A tank of porter burst and drowned some english folks a long while back.” Indeed, on 17th October 1814 a disaster occurred at the Meux Brewery when a 20, 000 gallon vat of Porter burst sweeping away tenements and killing 8 people “by drowning, injury, poisoning by fumes and by drunkeness’! Congratulations Bryan. This week, as you may know I’m taking a break from the brewery and returning to Dear Old Blighty. As soon as I walk out of here on Monday morning, my first vacation for almost 4 years begins … what will be the first beer that I drink on vacation? As a prize I will bring back a bottle of something from my trip that isn’t available over here. As usual, answer via the comment option below, good luck.
The Friday Question
February 12th, 2011
OK, I know, I’m a day late (again) but it was a busy day yesterday and I couldn’t find the time! I’m almost at the end of my brew marathon. Porter today, Ironman Monday and maybe a Red Tuesday and then no brewing for 2 weeks. Lots of processing/kegging of course next week but I am looking forward to not digging out a mash tun, that’s for sure. We’ve got some cool events going on in the next week as well. Monday is, of course, Valentine’s day so sees the release of Hot Monkey Love batch #3, a 10% abv strong ale brewed with 17lbs/barrel of honey. So, for all of you gentlemen who’ve been procrastinating and bashfully lurking outside Victoria’s Secret, get it done, make her happy and then come along to The Pratt Street Ale House and get some Hot Monkey Love! Ladies, don’t feel left out, I encourage you to come partake in some Monkey lovin’ also! I’ve been trying to decide whether I should tap a cask of “My Monkey’s Got Wood” (American Oak) or a cask of “My Minkey’s Got wood” (French Oak) for the release and then it dawned on me … it’s a no-brainer … French is the language of love, so My Minkey’s Got Wood it must be! On Wednesday I’ll be at the Columbia Firehouse in Alexandria for a very special cask event (see previous post for details). Friday sees the release of our 3rd Channel Crossing collaboration with Stillwater Ales. It will debut in oak cask at Max’s Belgian Beer Festival and will be on draft at The Ale House. Also on Friday, Bertha’s in Fells Point will have a pre-release cask of the new Biere de Garde (6.8% abv, fermented with Brewer’s Art Resurrection yeast) on gravity pour, take a breather from Max’s and grab a pint! As I’m sure you realise, we brewers like nothing better than releasing new beers so I’m very excited to announce a triple release for the D.C. market at ChurchKey on sunday 20th at 4pm. Brian of Stillwater Ales and myself will be there to welcome Channel Crossing #3, Hot Monkey Love & Stillwater’s “25 to 0ne” to D.C. Each will be available on draft and cask and, in the case of Channel Crossing, it is an exclusive cask with roasted, caramelised cocoa nibs and vanilla beans! Hope you’ll be able to join us.
Got wood? Our Monkey does .... come get some lovin' on Valentine's Day!
So, onto the business in hand, The Friday Question. There are two correct answers to last week’s question …. sort of …. my book of trivia states that “S.S. Egholm is sunk by a mine on passage from Leith to London with a full cargo of Wm. Younger’s beer” (on this day in 1945) which makes Dave Abernathy a winner (despite getting the ship’s name slightly wrong). However, when I researched the vessel it is commonly reported that it was sunk by a torpedo from U-2322 which makes Platypotamus a winner also. Congratulations gentlemen, you both get a growler of Oliver Ales and a bottle of something from the brewery fridge. I have to say, I loved all of the less serious answers … it was my intention to award a prize to my favorite but I simply can not choose between them so it would be my pleasure to buy all other participants a beer … stop by the Ale House or catch me at one of our events. For this weeks question I return to my book of bizarre beer related facts … HERE GOES … I’m partial to a pint of Porter but it can be detrimental to your health … how so? As usual, please answer via the comment section and if you haven’t got a clue, make me laugh and there could be a beer in it for you. Good luck, a growler of Oliver Ale is up for grabs.
Cask at the Columbia Firehouse, Alexandria
February 9th, 2011
Next Wednesday I’ll be hosting what is being billed as a “Cask Ale Masterclass” at the Columbia Firehouse in Alexandria. Details lifted from Mr. Cizauskas’ web page are below:
Cask-conditioned ale will be the topic on Wednesday evening, 16 February, 5:30 – 9pm, at Columbia Firehouse, in Alexandria, Virginia.
Steve Jones, brewmaster for Oliver Brewery at Pratt Street AleHouse in Baltimore, Maryland, will present a master class on cask-conditioned Real Ale: how to brew it, how to serve it, AND how to enjoy it.
Steve will tap and serve from a unique glass-bottomed firkin of his IronMan Pale Ale (6.2% abv). Participants will be able to actually see the beer and hops WITHIN the cask, and then observe what happens as the beer is poured! There is no formal agenda; Steve will be on hand from 5 until 9pm to talk about the cask and answer questions.
The official tapping will be at 5:30. The evening will include fresh cask-conditioned IronMan Pale Ale, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and one souvenir glass per participant, while supply lasts. There is no admittance fee; simply pay for the beers you order. At the main bar, another of Steve’s cask beers —3 Lions Brown Ale (7.5% abv)— will be available, served handpulled through a traditional beer engine.
So, if you’ve ever wondered what the inside of a beer engine looks like or what the Hell a cask widge dispense is or, if you just want to enjoy a couple of pints of fresh cask conditioned ale, come along. I’ll be there between 5 and 9pm to discuss any and all aspects of cask conditioned ale and answer (if I can) any questions that you may have.
Cheers
The Friday Question
February 4th, 2011
Ah, Friday, here again so soon?! If you follow the brewery on facebook (oliver ales) you’ll already know that I’m on a bit of a brewing marathon at the moment. I’m taking a vacation in a few weeks and popping across the pond to Dear Old Blighty so I’m brewing like crazy to make sure that there’ll be plenty of beer flowing while I’m away! Among these brews there’ll be a couple of one-offs. Already in process is “eighteen”, a smoked porter, brewed to celebrate 18 years of Oliver Ales. I’ll be racking it tomorrow and it should be on tap in a couple of weeks. This week also saw the brew day for my Biere de Garde. This year sees a different recipe as I had some interesting Franco-Belge malts left over from the recent Channel Crossing brew. As was the case with last year’s brew though,it’s being fermented with Resurrection yeast, generously provided by our friends at The Brewer’s Art. I’ll be aging a few firkins on French oak. The Biere de Garde will be released in early March. Speaking of Channel Crossing, our collaboration with Stillwater Ales, #3, a barley wine style, fermented with Rochefort yeast and Ringwood yeast will debut at Max’s Belgian beer festival. It will be available on beer engine from a 10 gallon oak barrel and on draft. Tomorrow I’ll be brewing the Sorachi Ace single hop Strongman Pale Ale. I’m looking forward to seeing how those hops change the beer, I’ve never used the variety before.
See you at Max's Belgian Beer Fest!
Look out for the Pagan Porter on tap now at The Hamilton Tavern and Godgifu on tap soon at The Falls and The Tavern in St. Leonard. A firkin of Old Habit will be the featured cask at Metropolitan on Thursday 10th February. Next thursday’s cask at The Pug will be the Bishop’s Breakfast with coffee.
So, last week’s Friday Question marked the occasion of my Father’s 73rd birthday which makes Mr. Sandy Mitchell the winner. Congratulations Sandy, now you can stop complaining that you never win! This week I’m turning to my book of “facts, fables & folklore from the world of beer’. The question is this … in February of 1945 a shipment of Wm. Younger’s beer was lost … how? Now, unless you happen to own the same book (which, no doubt, someone does) chances are you might have a little trouble with this one so I urge you to be creative! I will be judging not only the correct answer but the most creative/amusing answer, so have at it! A growler of Oliver Ale is up for grabs as well as a bottle of “something”!
Cheers
The Friday Question
January 28th, 2011
Yesterday was the 18th Anniversary of the first Oliver’s brew day … long before my start here, but I figured it was an occasion well worth celebrating. To that end I had planned on brewing a one-off anniversary ale called, simply, “eighteen”. Unfortunately the weather had other plans for me and the treacherous road conditions on Smith Ave. in Mt. Washington, on which many abandoned cars sat forlornly, persuaded me to take my first ever snow day. So, a day late, but better late than never, today is the brew day for “eighteen” , a smoked porter. Not one to miss the chance of a gimmick, I let the occasiondetermine the recipe, so I put away the slide rule and abacus and didn’t bother with potential extract yields and grain ratios and instead selected Optic malt as the base pale malt and then used 18lbs of each of the speciality malts (smoked/chocolate/dark crystal and wheat malts and flaked barley) … simple. Now, I don’t want you to think that I’m numerically challenged or can only count backwards but in April I’ll be brewing “seventeen” as it’s the seventeenth anniversary of my start as a brewer(with the Firkin Brewery back in dear old Blighty). This of course means that next year I’ll be brewing “nineteen” and “eighteen”, “nineteen” being a new brew and “eighteen” being a repeat of the previous years “eighteen”(as long as it had proved popular, of course). Confused? Yeah me too but I’m sure it’ll all work out and hey, this way I get to recycle a tap handle for a year!
So, on to The Friday Question. This one is a little trickier than it at first appears. the brew is going to be a single hop Sorachi Ace version but it has proven impossible to obtain whole leaf so no hop back for this brew, it’ll all be P90 pellets in the brew kettle which has its own limitations. The final weight I plan to use is 10lbs which makes Derrick this weeks winner as he hit the nail on the head, congratulations sir. I have yet to pick up something to add to the Hopslam but I’ll get it sorted soon.
This weeks prize will be a growler of the Oliver Ale of your choice and anything else I can come up (donations welcome!). Today is my wonderful father’s Birthday (Happy Birthday Dad) so whoever can guess how old this whisky loving Welshman is today gets it?
Me and the old man, Happy Birthday Dad!
Do you know what really gets my goat?
January 27th, 2011
Thanks to the Family Guy for inspiration!
I’m sure that you, like myself, were pretty excited to hear the news recently that Sierra Nevada were releasing a new Imperial IPA hopped with whole cone hops. Let’s face it, chances are that if someone’s going to do a good job with this beer style, it’s Sierra Nevada. I haven’t had the chance to try it yet but I’m looking forward to it, I hear it’s really good. But the name … groan … Hoptimum! Seriously, can we not get past the hop-pun type names by now? How many are there out there now … way too many I think! When the likes of Victory’s Hop Devil first came out it stood out, great name, great label. Now there are, what, a million of them? I’m not referring to the beer, there are some incredible brews (Hopslam anyone) but do we need more of these names … Hop Hound, Hop Stoopid, Hopocaplypse, Hop Trip, Frog Hop ad nauseam, and now Hoptimum!? I’ve joked about this before on the blog … the working title of the Strongman Pale Ale was Hoptimus Prime (you can see it, can’t you? The giant hop cone Transformer!). Of course my English Brewer’s resraint prevents me from happily shoveling hops into the brew kettle with happy abandon as is the want of some of my American counterparts and the Strongman is only about a paltry 60 ibus, next to nothing compared to some of these beers. I’d love to make “a Hopslam”, in anything but name, but I just can’t seem to do it! Hats off to local heroes Heavy Seas and Flying Dog who have avoided falling into this rut. “Loose Cannon” is a great name, strong brewery identity and suggestive of something a little bit “out there”. Flying Dog refer to their Imperial IPA with the single hop designation … simple /classic and let’s face it, for the marketing machine that is Flying Dog, maybe a little surprising. I hope that one day I will produce something with a big hop profile but I can guarantee that the word hop will not enter into it’s name. maybe I’ll just call it “Trevor”!
Oh, and by the way, I know that many of you love these names … it’s just my opinion and hey, I’ve got a snow day so i’ve got to occupy my time!
Hey Homebrewers, your Galaxy needs you! It’s The Clone Wars!
January 26th, 2011
Are you a homebrewer, then read on! If you’re not, read on anyway, get inspired and join a homebrew club! For the last couple of years we’ve had the pleasure of running a “Clone Wars” homebrew competition in conjunction with the fine folks at The Chesapeake Real Ale Brewers Society (CRABS). The premise is simple … I provide the recipe of one of my beers and all of the technical information and our house yeast strain for those who want it and you, the homebrewer, goes away and tries to clone it … extract or grain brews are equaly acceptable. Myself, Justin (co-owner of the Ale House) and whomever else we can drag into helping (I’m looking at you Mr. Brad Klipner) will judge all of the entries in a single sitting and select the top three that best represent my original brew. Simple, eh? We’ve got some cool prizes and further details can be found here. To get you in the mood, present the recipe and answer any questions that you may have we’ll be holding a 3 Lions Happy Hour on February 1st, 6-9pm at The Pratt Street Ale House … 3 Lions (cask and draft) will be, you guessed, it $3/pint for those entering the competition. You don’t have to be a member of one of the participating homebrew clubs to get involved, independent homebrewers are very welcome. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the Happy Hour, you can still compete … contact Brandon at CRABS (see the embedded link for details).