A Great Kansas City Weekend

Saturday morning golf at Blue River's sweet par 3 course.

Breakfast at Winstead's.

A noon tour of the Boulevard Brewery (including tasting a dry-hopped saison and their pilsner).

Lunch after the tour at La Fonda El Taquito.

Mizzou trouncing Nebraska in the evening.

Sunday morning flyfishing at James A. Reed, where I had Bodarc Lake entirely to myself.

I love this city.

99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog - Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

I've been wanting to try this beer for months - it's a beer-lover's beer. It was the favorite beer of homebrewers in a recent poll, and I've never been disappointed by a Dogfish Head beer. So, when Sam came home for the Bruce Springsteen concert, I asked him to bring a couple bottles. It was $11.00 for a twelve ounce bottle. Tonight, I popped one open.

This is a BIG beer. It tips the scales at 20% ABV - that's 40 proof. The brewers boil it for 120 minutes, and add hops every single minute. Then, after it finishes fermenting, they add more hops to the fermenter every day for a month. 450 calories. Extreme brewing, indeed.

It pours out cloudy and orange, hazy with hoppy complexity and malt sweetness. The first sip was truly surprising - almost lemony and sweet. The lemon comes from the citrusy American hops, and the sweetness is more alcohol than malt. The hop bitterness is not at all overwhelming; in fact, I'd say that Samuel Adams Hallertauer Imperial Pilsner is actually a wilder ride on the hop train.

The mouthfeel of this beer is velvety rich. Its head is thin, but lasts through the entire glass - there's a lot of malt protein to support a head, but plenty of alcohol to thin it out.

This is definitely a sipping beer - at 20% ABV, it's nothing you would want to chug after mowing the lawn. In fact, it is probably something to be shared with a friend, but I'm home alone this evening, so I'll have to make do.

Dogfish Head Brewery makes great, interesting beers. Whenever you see something from them, give it a try - you'll be tasting the leading edge of American brewing. They started out with a ten gallon system - not much different from my own - and they, more than any other commercial brewery, retain the excitement and experimental spirit of homebrewing. They make historical brews based on Egyptian recipes, they make freaky Belgian stuff, and they make one amazing Imperial IPA.

Despite its critical acclaim, this is not my favorite beer ever. It's a hell of a beer, mind you, and it sets an outer limit for what an IPA can be. This is serious beer to be enjoyed by those who are looking for a truly different experience - at a little less than a buck a fluid ounce.

Another Serving of Humble Pie

Yesterday morning, I admitted I was wrong in failing to recognize Margaret Donnelly's strength as a candidate for Attorney General. I'm almost never mistaken on political matters, so it represented a kick to the self-esteem. The kick turned into a full-fledged stomping, though, at the Record Bar's weekly trivia contest last night.

I had no idea who the back-up quarterback for Tampa Bay is.

I forgot that Rosalind Shays fell to her death down an elevator shaft.

I was completely worthless in the "Director Cameos" category.

And, sadly, my team wasn't much better than I was. By midway through the first round, the other teams realized it was sound strategy to shift any reasonably challenging question to us, and garner the points when we failed to answer.

Despite the humiliating exposure of gaping holes in my intellectual data bank, I got to sit around with friends, drinking good beer (it was my first sighting of Bob's 47 this year!), and laughing a lot.

I never realized that the trivia world has its own circuit, but I ran into a friend there who says he plays several times a week at different bars.

Yet another thing I didn't know . . .

Despite the blows to my self-esteem, though, at least I get to feel a lot smarter than a dozen other Kansas Citians who voted yesterday for an unconstitutional ban on regularly giving advice to elected officials. That was really dumb.

The Winner of the First Annual 75th Street Brewery Homebrewing Contest is . . .

Me.

There were 17 beers in the competition - most of them were really, really good. I particularly enjoyed an Orange Honey Wheat, which I think the Brewery ought to consider adding to its summer line-up, a Scottish Wee Heavy, a wonderful Schwarzbier, a great Saison and a pretty darned good Weissbier.

Everyone in the bar got to judge all the beers, and vote for only one favorite. The samples were served in 3 flights, apparently divided by strength. The first flight was lighter bodied, but it was probably the best flight in terms of serving up a bunch of very good, drinkable beers. As the intensity of the flights increased, so did the margin between the great beers and the ones that, in the words of one of the volunteer judges, tasted "more like an attempt on my life".

All but a couple of the beers, though, were excellent. Judges got to taste a whole lot of styles of beer, which is unusual for a homebrew contest, where you normally taste flights composed entirely of one type of beer. Some of the judges seemed to really take the process seriously, carefully sniffing and swirling and holding samples up to the light, while others knocked back the beers and chose the one they enjoyed the most.

I talked to the staff during the contest, and it sounds like, next year, they may change the way they do things. They talked about having the 75th Street brewers and staff taste all the submissions, and decide on a panel of 5 or so finalists for everyone to taste and vote on. That sounds like a good idea to me - they would get more submissions if every brewer did not need to submit a half case of beer just to get into the game. That way, we could just submit a couple or three bottles to start, and then submit the rest if we made it into the finals. Also, a group of 5 or so brewers would get the honor of being named finalists, instead of just one brewer getting all the honors. Finally, perhaps those of us who keg could simply bring up a keg of the finalist beer, rather than hassling with bottles and bottling equipment.

I'm not sure when, but sometime in the relatively near future, you'll be able to buy a pint of my beer at my favorite brewery in Kansas City. Cheers!

Free Beer Tomorrow!!

I talked to the people at 75th Street Brewery a little while ago, and they say the homebrew contest will run from 12:00 until 4:00 tomorrow, and they'll announce the winner at 6. Better yet, they say they won't be charging people to "judge", so that means free beer.

Come on out and taste the beers brewed by local amateurs - I'm sure there'll be some tasty, creative, and impressive beers. If you happen to like the German Wheat or the Honey Beer, so much the better, but even if you don't - come out and see what the homebrewers have come up with.

The winner wins the honor of having the 75th Street Brewery brew up an entire batch of his or her recipe, and then having it sold on tap. In other words, 75th Street gets a new recipe of a beer that it already knows its customers like, without having to pay for Research and Development. Sounds like a win/win to me.

Homebrew Contest on Saturday - Make me a Winner!

On Saturday afternoon, from 3 until 5, the 75th Street Brewery is conducting a homebrew contest. I've submitted a German Wheat beer and a Belgian Honey Tripel. For the beer geeks out there, yes, you're absolutely right that there is no such style as "Honey Tripel", but the key to Belgian ales is creativity, not slavish dedication to BJCP Style Guidelines. Besides, this one is going to be decided by popularity, not by certified beer judges, so maybe a very strong ale with the taste of honey will win some fans. Who knows?

I'm not sure how the contest is going to work, but it appears that somehow, if you're at 75th Street Brewery late on Saturday afternoon (3-5 p.m.), you'll have the opportunity to judge a homebrew contest! I doubt they're charging for the privilege (I don't claim to be an expert in beverage law, but I somehow doubt they can get away with selling beer produced by unlicensed brewers). If you're interested in learning more, check back here later today, or call the brewery. I'll call the brewery and see if I can post more details later today.

Blogger (and Commenter and Lurker) Meet-up

This evening a couple dozen bloggers and friends will be getting their drink on at the Flying Saucer, slamming TIF-subsidized beers and dressing like proper white people. Commenters and readers are most definitely welcome to join in the fun, so long as they dress the way that the Cordish Company thinks they should.

In the spirit of lazy blogging, I'll just cut and paste My Spyderweb's version of the notice:

This is it! Put the word out!!!
Flying Saucer
13th & Walnut
Kansas City, Mo

Monday 6/23, 5pm, because Monday is pint night and all drafts cost $2.75.

The KC Power & Light district parking is within the same building complex and is only $2 with validation...or lately you have to pay $2 to a dude right when you go into the garage. The lot across the street is a flat $5 if you park there after 5PM.

Growing Bitter

The world is suffering through a hop shortage of staggering magnitude. The causes are varied - market forces caused a reduction in acreage devoted to hop vines, hail damage and drought destroyed much of the European crop, and a warehouse fire burnt a large portion of the North American crop. As a result, those of us who homebrew are scrounging to find hops to put into our beer.

Coincidentally, I started growing hops last year, just to see how they would grow. The pictures in this post are from my backyard, where four hop plants are helping me do my little part to bring bitterness to this world.

The portion of the hop plant used in the brewing process is the cone. After the plant reaches maturity, the cones are stripped from the plant and dehydrated. Soemtimes, they are processed further into pellets or even extracts. I generally prefer to use the cones, or flowers as they are sometimes called. I normally buy them by the ounce in vacuum packed bags from the local homebrew shop, Bacchus and Barleycorn. They used to be about $1.25 an ounce - they now run $3.50 an ounce. Depending on the type of hop and type of beer, a batch might require anywhere from 5 to 10 ounces.

Hops serve three purposes in beer - they add bitterness, flavor or aroma, depending on when they are added during the boiling process used in brewing. If they are added at the beginning of the boil (typically 60 or 90 minutes), they will add very little flavor or aroma, but they will add bitterness to the beer, to balance the sweetness of the malt. Try Roadtrip Brewing Sinister Rabbit Ale brewed by the local Flying Monkey Brewery if you want to experience hop bitterness without much hop flavor or aroma.

If hops are added between 30 to 10 minutes before the end of the boil, they will add a hop flavor to the beer - pop open a Boulevard Pale Ale for a nice hop flavor, nuanced with grapefruity notes. Finally, hops added right near the end of the boil, or even after the beer has fermented (a process called dry-hopping) add that great hop aroma that makes hopheads swoon. Pop open an Anchor Steam Ale to catch a whiff of that wonderful hop perfume.

There are dozens of varieties of hops. Some are very, very bitter, while others carry very little bitterness at all. Some have a citrus odor, some smell peppery, and some are even noted as smelling like "cat-piss". Some styles almost demand certain varieties - a Pilsner ought to have Saaz hops, and Northern Brewer hops are expected in California Common beer. But, as a homebrewer more focused on making beers that I like, I feel free to mix and match, unless I'm trying to match a particular style.

The hops in the picture are Sterling hops, an American hybrid resembling Saaz hops, but easier to grow. It is a versatile hop, and I look forward to producing some wonderful Oktoberfest and Belgians with it. Stay tuned.

(PS: If you want to see hop vines, and are too bashful to email and come over for a brew day, there are some vines just outside the backdoor at the 75th Street Brewery.)

99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog - Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen Weisse

Serious American beer drinkers have a justifiable lack of enthusiasm for wheat beers. American wheat beers tend to be lightly hopped, bland, and often a little sweet. They function as an "entry level" craft beer - a step up from Bud-Miller-Coors, but still very approachable. On a hot summer day, they can be refreshing, especially with a wedge of lemon.

One bottle of Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen Weisse changes all that.

The result of a collaboration between the brewmasters from Schneider Weissbier Brewery and The Brooklyn Brewery, this beer marries the snappy hop tendencies of American brewers with the traditional yeasty banana and clove esters of the great Bavarian brewers.

Bavarian wheat beers are an entirely different beast from American-style wheat beers. The special yeast used in brewing them creates flavors of banana, cloves and citrus, without adding any of those actual ingredients. The result is a refreshing, effervescent, generally light beer. A Bavarian wheat beer is cloudy and has a fluffy, white head.

Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen Weisse brings all that, and more. The flavors explode on your tongue - you get the full dose of banana and clove flavor, and the citrus flavor is enhanced by a completely non-Bavarian dose of post-fermentation hops. Where Bavarian wheat beer is generally light in alcohol, this one packs an 8.2 percent wallop.

This beer is a treat - I wouldn't want to drink it very often, and it probably is not a great introduction to the Bavarian wheat beer style, since it's so hoppy and big. But if you want to get jolted out of your Boulevard Wheat complacency, hunt up a bottle of Schneider & Brooklyner Hopfen Weisse and go to town on it. After that, expand your understanding of what wheat can accomplish in beer by picking up a Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, or maybe a König Ludwig Weiss.

It's summer - time for the hefeweizens to brighten the picnic tables pub tables of beer drinkers.

Awesome Beer and Food, and Blogging Awkwardness

Last night, to console ourselves for the end of our daughter's spring break trip home, we attended a Brewmaster's Dinner at 75th Street Brewery. Here's what was on the menu:

Pre-App
Smoked Trout in Phyllo Cups

Appetizer
Savory Chevre Crostinis
Roasted mushrooms and shallots atop griddled boxty, finished with melted goat cheese

Paired w/75th Street Brewery's Fountain City Irish Red

Soup
Scotch Broth
Traditional Irish lamb soup served with rye bread bowl

Paired w/75th Street Brewery's Belgian Double

Salad
Roasted Roots and Greens
Glazed baby carrots, parsnips, onions, sweet potatoes and leeks tossed with Mustard Greens and a Rosemary-Honey Vinaigrette

Paired w/75th Street Brewery's Saxy Golden Ale

Entrée
Braised Oxtail
Slow-roasted, red-wine-braised oxtail served with rutabaga-tripe oatcakes and apple mash

Paired w/75th Street Brewery's Muddy Mo Dry Irish Stout

Dessert
Lemon Posset
A chilled creamy lemon parfait

Paired w/Boulevard Brewing Company's Smokestack Series Saison

If you're thinking "Hey, that doesn't look like a proper meal for someone trying to do Weightwatchers . . .", yeah, you have a good point there, but it was worth the exercise and canned soup I'll be facing for the rest of the weak. The meal was fantastic, and featured brief explanations about the food and the beer. At $40/person, including tax and tip ($35 for Mug Club members), it was a bargain for that many courses paired with that many drinks. 75th Street will be doing these monthly, so get on their mailing list and check out the future menus.

As for the awkwardness, I happened to be seated next to an elected Johnson County Republican. When I introduced myself, he replied "I've heard of you somewhere . . .", and I could see him running through his mental rolodex. Fortunately, he didn't connect the dots, and we had a fine time enjoying food, beer, and apolitical discussion . . .

99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog - Bell's Consecrator Doppelbock

Way back in the dark days of beer, when a fancy import was a Heineken and a well-crafted American beer was a Michelob, the story spread that doppelbock beer was simply the dregs from the barrels of "normal beers", as if it was dark sludge that somehow sank like mud to the bottom of a pond.

Slander! Quite the opposite, a doppelbock beer at its best is a clean, carefully brewed lager, high in alcohol and rich in malt flavor. Brewed as "liquid bread" by German monks to sustain themselves through Lenten days of fasting, when the ban on solid food was made merciful by the flowing of an extra-strong, chewy lager.

Bell's Consecrator Doppelbock is a great example of the style. Released on Fat Tuesday, it carries on a great tradition of "-ator" named doppelbocks, in homage to the original Salvator Doppelbock.

Originally brewed by the Paulaner monks in the mid-1600s, Salvator Doppelbock was viewed as such a wonderful indulgence that some of the more worry-prone monks thought it wise to gain papal approval for drinking this liquid bread during Lent. So, they sent a barrel of it to the Vatican, for the Pope to sample. Sanitation and refrigeration in the 17th century were non-existent, and, when the Pope finally tasted the soured, nasty beer, he deemed it an appropriate drink for those doing penance during Lent, and, thus, the monks of Paulaner were given specific Papal approval to brew and drink Salvator during a season when everyone else was suffering.

Bell's Celebrator pours a wonderfully clear dark golden brown with a reddish tinge - almost a copper color. It offers up a rich head, but that dissipates relatively quickly, as is common in high-alcohol beers. At 8% alcohol, this is no chugging beer. The alcohol adds a warm spiciness to a solidly malty beer. Just enough bittering hops to keep the beer from being overly sweet, but little to no hop flavor. Malt is the star of this show, and the mouthfeel is chewy. The malt tastes a bit like toffee, and the spiciness comes across with a flavor I would describe as almost cinnamony - the flavor comes across a bit in the aroma, as well.

There may be better doppelbocks out there - indeed, you can purchase a bottle of the original in most decent liquor stores. But Bell's ranks way up there with any of them, and the fact that it was so recently released means that you can count on a fresh example of a fine beer when you pop open the bottle. And your doppelbock will be a far better experience than the Pope's was.

Weekend Forecast - Beer?

Right now, the long-range forecast is looking pretty darned attractive for a brew day this weekend. If it holds, I think I'll fire up the kettle on Sunday and brew ten gallons of something wonderful.

Any suggestions on what to brew?

Anybody want a hands-on lesson in homebrewing? Email me.

99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog - Sinister Rabbit

A while back, I wrote a fair but scathing review of Mac's Beer, brewed by the folks over at Flying Monkey Brewery. 6 weeks or so ago, I found a beer tasting station at Lukas Liquors, and they were pouring a different Flying Monkey effort, and I gave it "Roadtrip Brewing Sinister Rabbit Ale" a try. Tonight, with the snow and sleet flying, I popped the top off of one and it's still a pretty darned respectable beer.

The key to this beer is hop bitterness. It's a porter (though I think the sample dude told me it was a stout). The aroma is coffee, with a touch of maltiness. The color is dark brown, almost black, topped with a classic tan head of an all-malt porter. From the aroma, you'd expect something rich and sweet like St. Bridget's Robust Porter.

And then the hop bitterness hits. The maltiness is still there, but the sharpness of hops transforms it into something different and distinctive.

Hops can do three different things in a beer. They can add aroma, they can add flavor, and they can add bitterness. In this one, it's all about the bitterness. If you want aroma and flavor and bitterness, try Sam Adams Hallertauer Imperial Pilsner, but Sinister Rabbit has little hop aroma, not much hop flavor, and a healthy dose of hop bitterness.

Bitter doesn't sound that good, I suppose, but it's not set-your-teeth-on-edge bitterness, it's sharp and interesting bitter. It's like how a sharp cheddar is better than Velveeta. It's like how dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate. This is a great beer that will stand up to and enhance rich foods, and cut through sauces.

I love the porter style and this is a good example, with its own unique personality. Lots of breweries make rich, sweet, malty porters, and I enjoy those as well. But Sinister Rabbit stretches the envelope toward the bitter side, and it's a welcome addition to the world of porter. On top of that, it's brewed locally, so it deserves your attention when you see it in the beer aisle.

99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog - St. Bridget's Robust Porter

It's a cold election evening in Kansas City, and I won't be heading out to the watch party, so it's a fine evening to try a new porter. This time it's Saint Bridget's Robust Porter, by the Great Divide Brewing Company of Denver.

God, I love a good porter, and this is a great one. Tell you what - stop reading this, go out, buy a six pack of this stuff, and come back and taste along with me.

On pouring, you see a rich, almost viscous dark brown. The aroma is chocolate and coffee. The body is full, but not syrupy. The flavor is a beer version of a great chocolate mocha malt. The aftertaste, though, is dry with a pleasant kiss of hop flavor.

Porters got their start in England in the 18th Century, and some believe that the name comes from the burly men who worked as porters in London and appreciated a rich, nourishing beer. Originally, porters were blended from brown ale and whatever else was on tap. Soon, though, the brewers began creating vast quantities of beer brewed with the smoky brown malt available at the time. In 1814, a vat of porter burst in London, killing 8 people and destroying several houses.

I hope to live a long time. But, when my time is up, I hope it's due to a burst vat of Saint Bridget's Robust Porter.

Homebrew for the Blog Party

I kegged 10 gallons of homebrew yesterday evening for the Blogger Party, and I thought I'd offer a preview for those wondering whether to pick up a six-pack on the way, in lieu of risking the free stuff.

It's a maibock, which means it's a sneaky big beer. If you're a fan of Bud Light or Corona, this could be a gateway beer for better things, but you might want to bring cab money for the ride home. My version comes in at about 6.4% ABV - kind of low for a maibock, but still enough to mess you up if you don't treat it with respect.

The aroma of the beer is pure grain - little to no hop aroma. There is a hint of DMS - a cooked corn aroma - but the overwhelming impression is sweet malted grain.

On the tongue, the beer is rich and complex. It wound up a little higher in finishing gravity than I was intending, so the mouthfeel is full and silky. It's sweet, but there's a solid hop bitterness to keep it from being too sweet. It's a warming beer, with the Hallertauer hops providing a peppery flavor, and the alcohol backing it up.

This is a very good beer - it would be better in a couple months, but we're not going to wait that long, are we?

99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog - Samuel Adams Hallertauer Imperial Pilsner

Just by looking at the name, you get the sense that Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner is going to be about the hops. The word "Hallertauer" refers to a variety of German hop - famous for its spicy, herbal flavor and great aroma. It is one of the four "Noble hops" (the others being Spalt, Tettnang and Saaz), grown in Germany and prized for their classical flavor.

Pop one of these bottles open ($9.99 for a 4-pack at Gomer's Midtown), and you'll earn your "hop head" stripes. You'll smell the hops as it pours, slightly hazy, with a golden straw color. By appearance, it's a pretty typical pilsner style lager, with nothing more than a slight haziness to tip you off that there's an explosion waiting in the glass.

Most great beers are balanced - this is not one of them. There's a decent amount of malt and body there, but it is overwhelmed by the hop bitterness and flavor. The bitterness lingers on the back of your tongue after you swallow, and burns on the way down your throat. Part of the burn may be the 8.8% alcohol - this is a warming beer fit for a winter evening, though it looks more like a lawnmower beer.

Note the glass in the picture - it's a special Samuel Adams glass the brewery sent me and other members of the American Homebrewers Association. It's designed to gather hop aroma in the swollen top section of the glass. Despite its growth into a size that can scarcely be called a craft brewery anymore, Samuel Adams deserves kudos for keeping in touch with its roots in the homebrewing arena.

The choice of Hallertauer hops for a pilsner is slightly nontraditional. Pilsners are famous for Saaz hops - Hallertauers usually go into German lagers. Regardless, the spicy flavor of the Hallertauer makes a great beer. It would be fascinating if they would make varieties of the beer with the other 3 noble hop varieties . . .

If you like hops, this is a beer you'll love. If you pefer a malty beer, or even a balanced beer, you'll want something much less aggressively hopped.

99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog - Mac's Beer

So far in this series, I've only reviewed beers that I've really enjoyed. I've hoped to turn readers on to a few of the many fantastic beers out there that they might not have tasted, and might not get around to tasting.

Tonight, though, I'm hoping to save you all from a bad experience. Mac's Beer, a new "American Style Beer" contract brewed by Flying Monkey for EME Squared Brewing, is one of the worst beers I've tasted in years. There are lots of bad beers in the world, but this one distinguishes itself with its awful taste.

American Style Lagers are not easy to make. Because they are so light, there is no room for error. If you ferment a porter a few degrees too warm, or if your brown ale has a touch too much hop flavor, the sheer amount of other flavor will cover up the sin. With a beer that is aiming at delivering nothing but lightness and refreshment, though, every flaw is exposed.

I'm not one of those beer snobs who detests American lagers. There are times when a Budweiser hits the spot, and I have fond memories of the hop bitterness and tang of Schlitz. A good, crisp, cold American Lager can be a wonderful beer, though it won't have the depths of flavor and nuances of a Belgian ale.

Mac's is a bad American lager. It lacks the clean crispness of the good ones. Instead, it is heavy with a bready malt sweetness, and lacks the balance of hop bitterness that could rescue it from insipidness.

The aroma from the beer is cooked corn, indicating the presence of DMS (Dimethyl Sulfide). It's a common flaw in light beers, but can be avoided with cautious brewing and an open boil. The cooked corn shows up in the flavor, as well, weighing it down and converting what should be a delicate, light flavor into a heavy, vegetal one.

Many brewers consider American lager to be crap beer, and much of it is. Oddly enough, though, this least-favorite style requires more care and talent to make successfully than any other. Flying Monkey Brewery has made some pretty decent ales, but Mac's Beer shows that it is not ready to run with the big monkeys.

(Update, 8/28: If anybody wants the remainder of the 12 pack, email me at dan@gonemild.com.)

Do You REALLY Want to Know Beer?

Rumor has it that the Kansas City Bier Meisters homebrewing club is testing the waters for a special class on beer judging. The focus of the class will be preparation for the intensive Beer Judge Certification Program examination, but it will also serve as a world-class education about beer and all its variations.

It looks like the class will be divided into 5 sessions on Sunday afternoons, probably around I-35 and Lamar, and will cost $30 per session. While $150 will buy a whole bunch of Natty Light, I think I'm going to make the investment . . .

The exam will be a three hour, closed book exam divided into two portions (Written & Tasting):

Written Portion

- Ten essay questions, worth 70% of your total score

**One question on BJCP and basic brewing skills
**Four technical questions
**Five beer style questions

Tasting Portion

- Four exam beers, worth 30% of total score

**Judge beers as in competition, but no references
**Beers may be homebrew, commercial, blended, doctored, or mis-categorized.

Alright, who's in? Les? Jim?

If anyone is interested in being a certified beer snob, email me at dan@gonemild.com, and I'll get you in touch with the right people.

PS: Note the addition of the KC Beer Blog in the blogroll. It's definitely worth a visit!

99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog - Abita Turbodog

New Orleans' favorite brewery is located just across Lake Pontchartrain in Abita Springs, Louisianna. Like so much in Louisianna, Abita Brewery does its own thing without much regard for the ways of the rest of the world. Turbodog Ale is its version of a brown ale - one of the most ancient and traditional styles of ale, both in its original English version and in its hoppier American version. Turbodog is a flawed Engish Brown Ale, and a poor example of an American Brown Ale. That said, it does exactly what a brown ale from New Orleans ought to do - provide a great experience while telling the rest of the world to piss off.

Turbodog pours out with a rich mahogany color and a tan, mousse-like head. The aroma is caramel and roasted malt, with just a tiny hint of citrusy hops.

On the tongue, Turbodog strikes up the jazz band. It has a surprisingly firm base of hop bitterness that balances perfectly with the rich malt. Tangy is not a word I would normally use to describe a beer I like, but somehow the hops and malt come together with a zing that fits that can only be described that way. It's like the horns in a New Orleans jazz band - most jazz bands do just fine without them, but they sure do add a lot of joy to the music.

English Brown Ales are all about the malt, and American Brown Ales are all about the hops. Abita Turbodog is all about making them play together, in a way that makes them both surprising and fresh.

Because it is so rich, dark and flavorful, Turbodog is not necessarily the best beer to slam at a softball game or use as the next step up for your Bud Light drinking friends. It is, however, one of the best beers ever for serving with most foods. It has so much flavor going on that it complements darned near everything, from rich stews to grilled sandwiches.

Books and Free Beer - Next Wednesday

The Kansas City Public Library will be hosting Tom Schlafly, the scion of a St. Louis family who, like me, is a recovering lawyer and a brewer. Unlike me, though, he brews a whole lot more than 10 gallons at a time - he is the founder of Schlafly Brewing, and two brew pubs. I've been to both, and heartily recommend them, though I must caution you that the Irish whiskey at the Tap Room is a bad thing to drink after many pints of the beer.

Tom has written a book - A New Religion in Mecca: Memoir of a Renegade Brewery in St. Louis - about his experiences in the world of barley, hops and yeast. He'll be speaking about the book, and offering up some of his brewery's products as free (!) samples on Wednesday, June 27th. The sampling's at 6, and the presentation is at 7, both at Central Library downtown. Go here to make your free reservations. He'll be introduced by local beer hero, John McDonald.

JP Wine Bar

As the dust swirls around downtown and orange barrels and barricades disrupt traffic patterns, a series of wonderful spaces is gaining traction just south of the loop. It's getting easier to imagine a bustling section of town just beyond the super-high-rents and corporate chain restaurants of the Power and Light District. The tourists and suburbanites who wander across the highway will be rewarded with local flavor and creativity.

One of those great places is JP Wine Bar. I've been there 3 or 4 times now, most recently yesterday after work for a catch-up conversation and wine with a friend. The first thing you notice about JP Wine Bar is the atmosphere. Tables and chairs on the sidewalk, soft, comfy chairs at the entrance, elegant, high-backed bar chairs at the bar. The lighting is good, the art on the brick walls is attractive - somebody paid a lot of attention and dollars when they designed this place!

So far I've only had coffee and wine there. People have gushed to me about the food, though. Their grilled cheese, for example, is described as "fresh goat cheese, French Mobier, Parmesan Regiano, pepperoncini, on toasted sour dough." Personally, I can enjoy Velveeta grilled on white bread, but this sounds worth the trip.

Another thing I'm looking forward to is their cheese flights. How does this sound for an accompaniment to whatever you're drinking?

Chimay Trappiste “Ala Bierre”
cow’s milk > semi-soft

Just north of the French border lies Chimay, a town in the Belgian forest of Mont du Secours. The monks started making cheese from milk produced at the dairy. This Chimay is a variation of their original recipe but the rind is washed with their famous Chimay beer rather than ordinary spring water, making this a semi-soft cheese with a nutty well-finished flavor with just a hint of hops and malt. While its aroma is quite strong, the taste of the cheese itself is somewhat mild but not at all bland.

Wynendale
cow’s milk > soft

Hard to find in the United States, this pleasantly spicy jewel of
West Flanders is elaborated with full-cream cow’s milk following an ncient tradition of Bourgogne. The name Wynendale is undeniably linked to the Burgundian history of medieval times. Wynendale Castle, amid the mysterious woods and the green pastures of Flanders, was the most loved “castle of delight” for the Burgundian Dukes. A delicacy, this cheese is ideal as a dessert or a quick bite.

Extra Aged Farmer Gouda
cow’s milk > hard
Easy to distinguish from ordinary Dutch cheese, EAFG is the dairy world’s equivalent of a Rembrandt or Van Gogh. This edible masterpiece was matured for 18 months, allowing its body to develop a muted caramel color, matched by a uniquely intense yet sweet flavor.

Unfortunately, though, the kitchen closed on Monday, and won't reopen until July 9. The good news, though, is that the temporary closure is caused by an expansion, so that soon the menu will be expanded, as will the space.

So far, I've only had the coffee and wine there. The coffee was excellent, served in large cups that the attentive staff kept full and hot. If you're looking for a smoke-free, classy coffee bar with ambiance, JP is the top of the heap in Kansas City.

If you're looking for over-21 drinks, JP's most notable feature is its wine flights. My friend thought the bright, sunny day called for white wine, and had the Northern Lights flight, while I showed solidarity with my FIFA-scorned friends to the south and tried the South American Sojourn. The most outstanding thing about these wine flights, though, was what I did not taste. Oxidation is the bane of wine flights - when bottles are poured out in 2 ounce measures, it's awfully common for them to develop a sherry-like, unpleasant flavor that ruins the bottle. At JP, though, they must take extra care with their storage, because each of my samples was bottle-fresh and wonderful.

As a fan of great beer, I have to point out that JP Wine Bar has a small but incredibly intelligent beer selection. 11 bottled beers cover the spectrum from the crisp Blue Moon Belgian White to the deep, dark Rogue Shakespeare Stout. Whoever composed their beer list knows beer, and didn't settle for the ususl suspects.

JP Wine Bar is a great addition to the area between the Crossroads and downtown. I look forward to the reopening of their kitchen, but, in the meantime, I'll get by on their beer, wine and coffee.

(Update: I got an email from the owner, and he reports that the kitchen will open on June 24. The whole place will be shut the first week of July, but will reopen on July 9, freshly expanded.)

Quandary

I just got an invitation to a fundraiser for Jay Nixon at Boulevard Brewery. Hmmm. The state's least appealing democrat at the state's most appealing brewery.

I've stated my feelings about Nixon here, here and here.

I think I'll stay home and drink my homebrew.

Look Away, Vegetarians

Yesterday was the 47th birthday, celebrated by dinner at Jack's Stack on the Plaza. Yes, you can get good, authentic Kansas City barbecue on the Plaza these days, if you walk past the soul-less chain restaurants that infest it.

I'm ashamed of my gluttony, but let me tell you that the Three Rib Platter does not consist of a platter with three ribs. No, we're talking three different rib varieties, from three different animals. A lamb, a pig and a cow (sounds like the beginning of a clean joke) gave their lives for my feast last night, and the smokers at Jack's Stack made sure their sacrifice was honored with the incense of hickory.

Normally, I'd balk at $4.75 for a pint glass of beer, but not when they fill it with Grimbergen, one of the world's best Belgian ales. Every other place I've ordered this amazing beer, it's come in one of those little goblets that is the size of a wine glass. But when you order up a Grimbergen here, you get a tall glass full of world-class dubbel. While it will come to you way too cold to fully enjoy, take your time and let it warm up for one of the great beer bargains in Kansas City.

Great meal, great beer. Not bad for an old man . . .

Call me a cab . . .

Among the countless details I've learned about our two mayoral candidates, today's Star brings the innocuous but potentially upsetting detail that Alvin Brooks does his jogging at midnight.

I don't know about you, but, before today, if I were driving home at midnight and saw Alvin Brooks jogging, I'd pull over and call a cab to drive my drunk ass home.

75th Street Reopened - Return to "The Club"

The internets are a wonderful thing. Yesterday afternoon, a notice from the 75th Street Brewery announcing that it would reopen in a few hours appeared in my inbox. Throughout the afternoon, friends forwarded copies of the notice to me, knowing I would be pleased.

For those of you who didn't make it in to celebrate the first day of spring and the last day of clublessness, I'm pleased to report the old place is almost exactly as it used to be. They painted the walls, and they haven't yet put up TVs, but the bar, menus, tables and beer are unchanged. If you had a mug in the Mug Club, it's still there.

And the IPA they filled mine with was as perfect as ever.

Wait Until Friday for 75th Street!

According to today's Star, the current plan is for 75th Street to open on Friday, not tonight, as previously reported here. Sorry for any late change of plans required.

If you're looking for a good, locally-brewed beer, I'd recommend McCoy's in Westport, River Market Brewing downtown, or a 6 pack of Boulevard anywhere you want it.

BIG NEWS - 75TH STREET REOPENING TUESDAY, 3/20!!

You heard it here first - the long, painful wait is almost over. On Tuesday, March 20, the 75th Street Brewery will be reopening for business.

I look forward to sitting down with my personal mug full of great ale, and enjoying my membership in the only club that will have me.

Barred from "The Club" - For How Long?

Because my wife and I are members of the Mug Club at 75th Street Brewery, "The Club" has become family slang for the brewery. Heads turned at the Pembroke Hill mother-son luncheon when the quotation "Let's have lunch at the club" was identified as our family's quotation. One wealthy matron quizzed my wife - "I didn't know you belonged to a club. Which one is it?"

While our club does not have golf, tennis, swimming or a history of segregation and exclusion, it more than makes up for their absence with a great selection of handcrafted ales. Their Good Hope I.P.A. is a great splash of hops, and their Possom Trot Brown Ale is a good beer that achieves insanely wonderful heights when they serve it as their cask ale - a naturally carbonated, keg-conditioned version that they serve at "cellar temperature". Better yet are their seasonals - there's almost always something special to taste, from Fountain City Red to a rich Imperial Stout served in a snifter. For those who appreciate good beer, and who really appreciate astounding beer, "The Club" has been a source of joy since its opening in 1993. And yes, their food is good, too.

Unfortunately, the fire at Kennedy's has resulted in damage to 75th Street. Here's what their website has to say about the matter:

Friends, Guests, Loyal Patrons

Thank you for your inquiry about the status of the "Brewery." We know all of you are curious as to when the Brewery will re-open for business. Because of the fire we have sustained considerable smoke damage, and we are currently without utilities. There is a lot of work to do before we open for business and do appreciate your patience. We will continue to update this website on a weekly basis to keep you informed of our progress.

Our thanks and prayers go out to the injured firefighters and their families.

Sincerely,

Your Friends at the Brewery

It looks like I'll be looking for a new lunch place on Saturdays . . .