#northern hop lager

[dailyrickastley]

[ardentguilt]

((Beer good.

There are however different varieties of beer so if you’re wanting to try beer just because you don’t like one variety doesn’t mean you’ll hate all beer.

There’s really two main flavour components to beer and that’s:

Hops: this is responsible for a lot of the bitter aspect of beer.

Malt: gives a cereal/grains flavour.

If you’re not a fan of the bitterness I’d reccomend you steer clear of varieties such as IPA, NEIPA and XPA. These varieties generally have a lot of bitterness to them. For me personally I favour these varieties for drinking over winter in the colder months. Other varieties that tend to be a bit bitter are things like Golden Ale and Amber Ale. Really if it’s an Ale chances are it will have some bitterness to it.

Lager is something of a middleground. It has a level of bitterness to it but nowhere near as much as the varieties mentioned above. I would say for a first beer a Lager is a good choice simply because it’s around that midpoint between bitterness and malts.

Draught beer I find is a step closer to the malt side of things than Lager. I like Miller for this variety.

Again stepping closer to the malty side of things is Cerveza. So that’s things like Corona, Sol, Calavera etc. usually you’d drink these with a wedge of either lemon or lime put into the bottle. They’re great for warmer weather.

Closest to the malty side of things I would say is Wheatbeer. I personally can’t detect much if any bitterness in a wheatbeer and this is a variety that it’s not uncommon to add a bit of fruit syrup to if it’s unflavoured though you can buy already flavoured ones. Raspberry wheatbeer seems fairly commonly available.

Then you’ve got things like sours. A craft beer that adds a sour aspect. Some are more sour than others and as someone who likes sourness this is one of my favourite varieties. The sours you can get from Hope Estate here are definitely the sourest ones I’ve tried. These will be in fruity flavours. Again raspberry is a common flavour to find these in as is mango and sometimes passionfruit.

There’s also Australian Lager. These tend to be crisper than a standard lager and are very suited to drinking on a hot day. Some examples are Great Northern, Iron Jack and Bluey.

Another niche variety is Gose. This is a style of beer that’s brewed incorporating salt water. It gives a subtle saltiness to the beer which is actually pretty enjoyable but it’s certainly unique. I’d definitely reccomend giving it a try at least once.

Aside from that you have varieties like Port and Stout. These are ‘dark beers’ that are a deeper brown color and incorporate more chocolatey flavours. Murray’s Brewery Coco-Hops is a have of mine in this style that incorporates chocolate and coconut flavours.

Also there’s some beers that you just shouldn’t drink because they’re dogshit. This includes Tooheys and VB 👎))

[beerselfie]

#Repost @htownbeerguys @equalpartsbrewing has a new lager so you know we had to try it - an ideal #fridayclinks! The said lager is called La Grande - a French Canadian lager made with Quebec grown malt, French grown hops and a native northern yeast strain. The result is *chef's kiss* delicious (or French kiss?? 😂) - drinkable to a fault. High Life should relinquish the champagne of beers mantra in reverence to this beer. Now that's a great start to the weekend, eh? https://www.instagram.com/p/CntClBNLu7h/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nwbeerguide]

Saugatuck Brewing Company celebrates the release of Rainbow Rodeo IPA, by also including it in their "A Trip to the Art Coast" variety pack.

Press Release

Saugatuck, MI – Saugatuck Brewing Company (SBC) is doubling down on its tasty new product releases this year aimed at meeting the growing demands of its customers and the craft beer market. With the Rainbow Rodeo IPA, SBC has cast a line of citrus, tropical and piney notes with enough body to make a splash, yet maintain an easy drinking, great bucking IPA. This IPA follows the release earlier this year of Lake Street Lager, a light bodied crisp and clean American lager for any occasion that is making its way to everyone's cooler for spring.

“We adapted techniques from brewing traditional Midwest IPAs and modern IPAs to create Rainbow Rodeo which embraces the best characteristics of each,” said Head Brewer Matt Alderink. “It is classic Midwest malt backbone with modern juicy mouthfeel and bitterness.”

Rainbow Rodeo IPA pays homage to its home state of Michigan’s reputation as a fly-fishing mecca for rainbow trout and rich heritage of farming. SBC’s brew masters baited Rainbow Rodeo IPA with malts of Two Row, Caramel 60, White Wheat and Flaked Oats coupled with Centennial, Simcoe, Cascade and Columbus hops. It weighs in at 7.0% ABV and 60 IBUs.

“Our Rainbow Rodeo IPA is produced to be a bright and easy-drinking American IPA, with a creative can that hooks you when you see it on the shelf. This new staple has been added to our mainstay lineup and our new variety pack, A Trip to the Art Coast, that includes other must-have styles. We see the Rainbow Rodeo artwork as a portal into a wild world of hops, where cowgirls wrangle in large rainbow trout, upending the idea that only men enjoy fishing and beer. You have to admit, she’s pretty badass, and so is what’s inside the can,” said Sara VanSplinter, Director of Marketing.

SBC’s new A Trip to the Art Coast Variety Pack includes the two new releases, Rainbow Rodeo IPA and Lake Street Lager, along with the Bonfire Brown and Vienna Lager. Vienna Lager is currently only available in the Variety Pack. The Variety Pack is available in 12-packs, with three 12 oz cans of each style.

SBC is planning a series of release parties for the Rainbow Rodeo IPA at their three locations, complete with a featured smoked trout dip special, custom playing cards to play a little Go Fish, live music and more. One of the highlights will be at the Douglas Pub and Barrel Room on Saturday, April 29 where Northern Michigan female fly-fishing guide, Ash Agler, will be on hand from 1:00pm – 2:30pm for fly casting demos and Q & A.

Be sure to buy raffle tickets for a chance to win a half-day walk in trip with Ash. All proceeds go to the Kalamazoo River Alliance. Details on the three Rainbow Rodeo IPA release parties are as follows:

Saugatuck Brewing Company – Douglas Pub & Barrel Room

Saturday, April 29

2948 Blue Star Highway, Douglas, MI 49406

Brew Tour Noon – 1:00 pm

Special guest Ash Agler, Fly Fishing Guide 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm with casting demo, Q & A

Live Bluegrass Music 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

$5 pints, $8 6 packs and $16 12 packs

Custom playing cards for a good game of Go Fish at tables

Raffle: Half-day walk in trip with Ash Agler with proceeds going to Kalamazoo River Alliance

Smoked trout fish dip special

Hours: Noon – 9:00 pm

...

Saugatuck Brewing Company – Kalamazoo Pub & Brew House

Thursday, April 27

200 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49007

$5 pints, $8 6 packs and $16 12 packs

Custom playing cards for a good game of Go Fish at tables

Smoked trout fish dip special

Hours: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Saugatuck Brewing Company - Creston

Thursday, May 4

Creston Brewery

1504 Plainfield Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505

Brew Tour 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Live Music 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm

$5 pints, $8 6 packs and $16 12 packs

Custom playing cards for a good game of Go Fish at tables

Smoked trout fish dip special

Hours 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm

For information about distribution and locations, email info@sbrewing.com or call 269-857-7222.

###

About Saugatuck Brewing Company:

Saugatuck Brewing Company (SBC) first opened its doors on June 23, 2005 as a small, intimate, start-up brewery in Douglas, Michigan. In 2008, SBC moved the entire operation to the 25,000 square foot facility that serves as the headquarters, brewery, warehouse, and Pub and Brew House. In 2019, SBC opened the second taproom in Kalamazoo, Michigan and in 2021 SBC acquired Creston Brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In June 2022, SBC made the decision to close the Kalamazoo Westnedge location in order to invest in a new location in downtown Kalamazoo that opened April 10, 2023. SBC is distributed in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee, Kansas and Colorado and five foreign countries.

[desperately0seeking]

9.08.2022

BY ANTWERPEN CENTRAAL STATION I SAT DOWN AND WEPT

Fed up standing in airport queues and flying with our cumbersome luggage, we decided to take a morning train and an afternoon train to Paris, prolonging the travel time but allowing for a beer in Antwerp. After getting ushered out of the first class carriage for not having the right ticket (this was true) we cumbered out of economy onto the platform of Antwerp Central around midday. 

The station, by the way, is probably the grandest station I’ve ever trodden through. A torrent of glass and iron forms a ceiling that cascades down to the platforms. A sequence of escalators take you upwards out of the bowles and towards the entrance hall. In the foreground of this view stands an opulent structure made up of viaduct-like archway and parapet that is split in twain by an ornate clock. Behind this looms a vast semi circle window which forms the northern side of the building, redolent of a cathedral’s rose window. In this light the clock structure brood alter-like, with minutes, arrivals, and departures preaching to the converted below (I was not surprised to learn the station is known colloquially as the spoorwegkathedraal (railroad cathedral)). We piously moved through the concourse and out into Antwerp. Very much was I excited by the antipodean novelty of stopping to have smoko in one country before going to the next, however upon exiting the station and being drenched in the mid summer Belgian sun I was saddened to not be spending more time there. Moving through the energetic streets like sherpas with our ugly and overweight luggage on back, our Antwerpen escapade made it as far as Bier Central, an estaminet about 100 metres from Antwerpen Centraal Station. 

The cafe gloats a selection of over 300 beers which were all documented assiduously within the many pages of the menu, each with a description and bespoke glass. I chose a pint of Cuvée des Trolls, half because of it’s description as a full yet refreshing lager, and half because of the little cheeky troll with a hop for a hat and red face that is drawn on the glass. The beer was served by a buoyant fella who was proud to see the various selection of local beers we’d chosen. My beer was mmmmmm my beer was crisp and invigorating and fucked my dusty throat. Promptly the tulip’s opalescent content was absorbed and I called for another. I wanted to stay there all afternoon, I wanted to drink ten of these tonics, I wanted to turn into the machiavellian troll on my glass and run amok. Alas, our train to Paris was suddenly half an hour away and we slouched back to church. 

[brookstonalmanac]

Beer Events 6.30

Events

At the India Queen Tavern a compromise was worked out that allowed the US Constitution to be created (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 1787)

Max Henius patented Brew House Apparatus Equipment (1903)

Adolph Schneider patented a Barrel Tap (1903)

Jacob Wittemann patented a beer Filter (1903)

Pure Food & Drug Act passed by Congress (1906)

Prohibition began in Canada (1915)

Beer became legal in Maine after Prohibition (1933)

40-Hour Work Week approved by Congress (1936)

Crown Cork & Seal patented a Filling System (1959)

Doran's Northern Breweries bought Kakabeka Falls Brewing and shut it down (Ontario, Canada; 1962)

Beer Ale Lager Lovers Society founded (1994)

Paul Serres patented a Hop Vine Transfer System (1998)

Scottish & Newcastle's Fountainbridge brewery closed (Scotland; 2005)

Coors closed the Bass Museum in Burton-on-Trent (2008)

Brewery Openings

Allagash Brewing (Maine 1995)

Barrel House Brewing (Ohio; 1995)

Elephant Butte Pizzeria & Brewery (New Mexico; 1995)

[brews-and-pubs]

The Grumpy Troll Brew Pub, Mount Horeb WI

5 July 2023

I should have taken a photo of the outside because in spite of its location right on a street corner, it was a terribly unassuming place! Mount Horeb seems to have a troll thing going on so that's where the name of this brewpub came from, and I love the name. There's nothing grumpy about me after eating here, however.

These two photos only show a very small portion of their space but within not too long after my arrival, this space -- and all the rest of the building -- was FULL. I got there just in time and I'm happy I grabbed a spot at the end of the bar where I had plenty of room for my book next to me.

The Troll serves a flight of any number up to all 12 of their beers; I selected six and loved them all. I'll share their descriptions of each beer from left-to-right, top-to-bottom, but I'm not going to add commentary other than to say that their brewmaster really knows his or her craft! Everything is true to style but in a refined and elegant, not in an "in your face," way.

Dragon Ship Wit (5.2%, 11 IBU) - A traditional Belgian "white ale" made with a mix of wheat, barley, Styrian hops, spices, Coriander and orange peel.

Liberty Pole (5.5%, 30 IBU) - This pale ale is brewed with the finest barley malt and ample additions of Cascade hops.

Sunflower (4.9%, 14 IBU) - A Farmhouse Ale powered by the sun. Rich local honey from a local farm is added at the finish.

Hopsburger (4.8%, 30 IBU) - Golden Pilsner that's clean and crisp with floral hop notes built upon a bready maltiness.

Hoppa Loppa (6.5%, 48 IBU) - Brewed with the finest barley and generously hopped with Cascade, Columbus, Northern Brewer, and Centennial hops.

Norwegian Wood (7.0%, 60 IBU) - The first IPA ever brewed at the Grumpy Troll featuring Maris Otter barley and East Kent Holdings and Fuggle hops.

The kitchen was super busy but the food did finally come out before I'd finished the flight (but not by much). Today's choice was a Reuben and Tots and both were mouth-watering delicious.

In the background of the picture is a pint of:

Summer Golden Bock (6.2%, 22 IBU) - Brewed for the long summer days. A malty and stronger lager brewed with fine Bavarian Barke Malt, Hallertau, and Tettnang hops.

I was a little hesitant about ordering this beer because often when a brewer says "malty" they mean MALTY. Not this one -- it was so well balanced that it became #7 of 7 on the list of my most favorite beers from this visit.

Now I was in a quandary because I wanted another pint to finish up, but what would it be? Should I take a chance on something else, or revisit one of the seven? And which one?

I mentally flipped a many-sided coin and it landed on Hopsburger, perhaps the best Pilsner I've ever tasted.

The Grumpy Troll is absolutely going on my list of my all-time favorite brewpubs and places to revisit someday.

[5ft2sunflower]

Hip-Hop’s Breakout Stars Include Two Rappers in Their 70s

British duo Pete & Bas upend expectations. ‘Breaker breaker, Pete’s in the pub with a baked potato, pint in his hand and a Sunday paper.’

James Hookway Dec. 27, 2022 at 11:08 am ET

MANCHESTER, England—Basil Bellgrave, one half of British rap duo Pete & Bas, stalked the stage on a recent night here, riling up the crowd. “You need a lesson in being a man,” he spat. “Tuck in your shirt and pull up your pants, listen again if you don’t understand.”

Mr. Bowditch is 72. Mr. Bellgrave, 76.

At a time when younger people debate how old is too old to run for president or why so much wealth is in the hands of their parents or grandparents, Messrs. Bellgrave and Bowditch are upending expectations about what seniors can or should be doing—and building a few bridges along the way.

“I think they’re fantastic,” said Will Sullivan, a 20-year-old economics student, lining up to get a T-shirt after the show. “Pete and Bas have totally changed how I think about the older generation.”

“They’re legit artists,” said James Bayat, a disc jockey who interviewed the pair on Unity Radio here in Manchester, northern England. “They’re opening doors for everybody.”

Pete, with his south London drawl and soccer tattoos, and Bas, tall and lean with a silver ponytail trailing off the back of his balding head, have hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok and a clutch of gold discs. The Manchester show was the first night of a nationwide tour and they have performed with some of the biggest names in drill, one of the grittier genres of street music popular in Britain. Outside their shows, fans mob them, pleading for autographs and selfies and, sometimes, making sure they get a taxi safely home.

Exactly how a retired mailman and a notary public became the elder statesmen of the U.K.’s hip-hop scene requires some explanation.

Crowds turned out to see Pete & Bas perform on their recent tour. Above, the opening night in Manchester, England.Photo: James Hookway/The Wall Street Journal

They readily admit it started as a lark. Mr. Bowditch said he started getting into rap after his granddaughter Lily kept changing the presets on his car radio and he got tired of putting them back.

He later met Mr. Bellgrave, who was giving piano lessons in the backroom of a grocery store in southeast London, where managers were posting tongue-in-cheek songs to Instagram to promote a homemade health juice.

“Basil Juice,” as it was called, wasn’t a hit.

Messrs. Bowditch and Bellgrave formed a lasting friendship that soon saw them in videos, driving around south London bobbing their heads in time to drill beats and spraying cans of lager outside corner stores at passersby.

“We’ve been best friends ever since really,” said Mr. Bellgrave. The two have been making music since 2017.

Bloggers on YouTube and elsewhere have tried to find out if the Pete & Bas phenomenon is too good to be true and whether it really is them performing.

The music was recorded with help from their grandchildren and their grandchildren’s friends, chiefly a pair of producers who go by the handles Handsome Dexter and 91shots. The performances that Messrs. Bellgrave and Bowditch put in make clear they are taking the lead, even if they do get help keeping the slang and pop culture references up-to-date.

Other lines are distinctively them.

After the show, Messrs. Bowditch and Bellgrave posed for selfies and signed merchandise, often for fans in their teens or 20s.Photo: James Hookway/The Wall Street Journal

“Breaker breaker, Pete’s in the pub with a baked potato, pint in his hand and a Sunday paper,” Mr. Bowditch says in one track.

“You don’t wanna come round here you’ll get mashed,” Mr. Bellgrave snarls in another. “Run a man down in my sandals, I’m too hot to handle, you don’t wanna take this gamble.”

“The initial reaction was, hey look at these old guys rapping, that’s funny,” Mr. Bellgrave recalled, knocking back a beer in the dressing room before the show, a wide-brimmed fedora perched on his head. “But then they were like, hold on—this is good. How can it be funny and good? It doesn’t make sense. This is the whole thing with us.”

The duo has an expanding crew of collaborators who appear in their videos, some of whom were recruited from their local pub.

Two of them, Patrick Karneigh Jr. and Norman Pain, teamed up with their friend, who goes by Kev, as the Northern Boys. They opened for Pete & Bas on their tour.

“It’s nuts out there,” Mr. Karneigh said midway through their set. “They knew all the words and were doing them right back at me,” chants of “PKJ! PKJ!”— his initials and rap name—ringing around the venue.

Later, Mr. Karneigh, who is 75, whipped off his shirt as the Northern Boys returned to the stage to perform their breakout hit, “Party Time,” and its lines about having “a wife at home and she hates me. I sleep outside ‘coz she makes me.”

Pete & Bas have opened doors for other seniors, including the Northern Boys—Patrick Karneigh Jr., left, Norman Pain, center, and their back-up dancer, Kev.Photo: James Hookway/The Wall Street Journal

As Pete & Bas took the stage, a mosh pit formed as the crowd bounced up and down. In the front row, a young woman opened her shirt and motioned Messrs. Bellgrave and Bowditch to sign her chest as the venue’s medical staff looked on warily.

“I’m more worried about them than the audience—it’s usually the other way around,” one said.

By the time they returned for their encore, Mr. Bellgrave had discarded his overcoat and shirt and was wearing only his pants and suspenders. Mr. Bowditch wore a marijuana T-shirt, his trilby hat already lost in the crowd.

“That went all right, didn’t it?,” Mr. Bellgrave said as they made their way to sign T-shirts at the merchandise stall after the show. A crowd was already gathering, chanting “Pete and Bas! Pete and Bas!” as they got their marker pens ready.

“At our age we’re just buzzing that we can still go out and have these adventures,” Mr. Bowditch managed to say before their fans engulfed them.

[wineninja]

【ブログ更新しました！】ビール　ミッケラー/アストリーズ・ノーザンホップラガー http://bit.ly/2LEaDG6

[drinkacefahz]

In the Kingdom of Corona, they have bustling trade by sea and a distinct region to draw drink inspiration from. Sundrop Punch, a batched beverage i could imagine everywhere from The Snuggly Duckling, to  Old Corona, or to celebrate Rapunzel and Eugene’s wedding,  is a fortified beer & mead punch with inspirations centered on Northern and Central-Eastern Europe from the late Medieval to the early 1800s. It's a golden, long drink that's gentle and bright but certainly a little deeper than you expect. Suits the princess perfectly!  In time for the long, gentle drinks of spring and early summer, I present a recipe for Sundrop Punch, inspired by Tangled: The Series. 

Sundrop Punch

~10% ABV | Yield: Roughly 1 Liter/32 fl oz | Historical, Pre-Cocktail, Punch, Long Drinks, Fandom Cocktails 

1 bottle [~15-16 ounces]Pilsner or similar lager (I used Grolsch) 

8 oz or 240ml semisweet mead (Linganore Semi-Sweet Medieval Mead)

4 oz or 120ml Aquavit (this is a Norwegian-style[aged]) 

1/2 oz or 15ml cinnamon syrup

1/2 oz or 15ml ginger syrup

1 oz or 30ml Oleo Saccrum (Lemon)

2 oz or 60ml fresh orange juice 

1 oz or 30ml fresh lemon juice 

Chill all spiritous ingredients beforehand and combine in pitcher larger than 1 liter, gently stirring. Allow it to sit for a little while in the fridge so the flavors meld and mellow out, but if you dont plan to serve it within an hour or two I recommend squeezing the orange juice last, mixing in shortly before serving, to avoid any bitter/metallic notes oxidizing. If you wish to serve it over ice, add ice to the individual serving glasses, not the pitcher itself. Pour servings into cups of your choice, garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and, if you would like it, orange zest. 

This is a punch sort of devised out of the general region and eras Tangled takes cues from. Norwegian aquavit-- a spirit noted for its strong notes of caraway and other botanicals -- also historically is aged in sherry casks on ships, appropriate for a port city. As we see a Tangled cameo in Frozen, I like to imagine sea-maturation Aquavit is a signature of Arendelle’s -- Elsa & Anna’s kingdom --main style of Aquavit. 

Pilsner as a light, hopped lager style arose in the mid 1800s, which is about the tail end of the eras drawn from as inspiration for the setting of Tangled. Mead has been around for forever but this stuff is not a bad approximation for young mead recipes("white" mead, historically) of the 18th century -- still, not carbonated, a bit sweeter over dry. (18th/19thc drinks trend sweet.) 

 Since the Kingdom of Corona is a port(though probably not a warm water one) fresh citrus seemed allowable and helps backsweeten against the hops in the beer, but I actually think unfiltered apple juice or cider would work too. But a punch does need citrus, so historically Oleosaccrum is standard(literally oil sugar -- macerate citrus peel, removing pith as much as possible, w caster sugar. I do equal weights and give it a good while, at least a few hours. Put it in a zip lock and squeeze it occasionally, then strain peels out.) This is lemon oleo, because I wanted the color to remain fairly golden(Sundrop. Duh). Any citrus can make oleo though. I loosely referred to How To Drink's DnD Tavern Punch(which is a very different Scotch Ale/Dansk Viking Blod Mead punch) for the backsweetening, but decided a split of cinnamon & sweet ginger syrups was more suited to a much lighter mead, a lighter but more bitter beer and the stronger hit in terms of proof and flavors in the aquavit. 

Syrups like these are easy to make -- I recommend referencing youtuber Anders Erickson, Smuggler’s Cove by Martin Cate, and Leandro from The Educated Barfly for comprehensive spice infusion syrups info, and sights like Punchdrink and Spruce Eats have good recipes. 

Lastly, punch is traditionally garnished with nutmeg.

So: Is this a cocktail? Well, no. Cocktails were very new in the 1800s and at the time definitionally contained bitters more like we know today-- super potent tinctures of bittering agents commonly featuring herbs like gentian. There are bitter notes in this drink, but they much more like seasoning here than to balance the structure of the drink. Now, you can always sweeten to taste since your mead of choice is giving the structure to the sweetening and that varies a lot. Though tempting to include elderflower liqueur because, you know, Sundrop flower, it's anachronistic -- though I have a modern cocktail to share that does use it.  Anyway, aside from the fantasyland regional/era specific inspirations, there's one more theme here, and that's the restorative powers of the Sundrop. "aqua vitae" is "water of life", & nectar as used in Greek myth may, I think, refer to a fermented honey drink- mead-like?  A drink of the gods. 

Fun fact: alcohol distillation is often credited to various alchemists throughout history beginning in 8thc, so with nearly a  we know at least one Tangled character almost certainly understands distillation! 

Whether I’d want Varian to mix the punch, tho... 

[baospodcast]

#5566 Henderson Stand Alone, Win Together (Ides of April 2020) (Canada) This beer is awesome because the artwork is done by Honest Ed’s artist Wayne Reuben, which is so Toronto, it hurts. The beer is dedicated to all the frontline workers keeping us fed and healthy during the pandemic with profits going to The Parkdale Community Food Bank. Love it. This is a 5% West Coast Lager, essentially a dry hopped lager and it’s great. It pours totally clear with a foamy head and an earthy nose, the body is super crisp and super bitter, it’s a touch piney and grassy, the Northern Brewer, Tettnanger and Mount Hood hops give it a ton of earthy vibes, it’s clean and smooth with a dusty finish. Really great stuff, and an even better message. (at Montreal, Quebec) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_bOIM0Dq-A/?igshid=1f32xa468qs9y

[mileheitcity-blog]

Three Days in Iceland

Pre-Trip

I had planned on hitting Iceland on my way to Europe for some time.  It was around 2012 that I first heard of the extended layover on Icelandair, but never really thought to look much into it, at least until I had a reason to.  Study abroad finally gave me that reason. Turns out you can stay up to seven days in Iceland on your way to wherever you want to go without incurring extra service fees.  Combine that with relatively cheap airfare and it seemed like the easiest way to beat jetlag and see somewhere new.  I figured a place like Iceland would be a little expensive, and not wanting to blow my entire wallet before I even hit Amsterdam, I decided on a three day layover.  It seemed like enough time to see some of Western Iceland and maybe get a feel for the place.  I made sure to pack for some outdoors: raincoat, hiking shoes, swimsuit, sweatshirts.  When researching places to stay, I found my hunch about price was correct: Iceland was more than a little expensive.  Staying in Reykjavik was out of the question, so instead I found a guesthouse in the village of Akranes, about 45 minutes up the road. After the quarter ended in early June, I flew to Denver to see my parents and tie up some important loose ends before my trip.  On June 17, I caught my first flight from Denver International Airport and tried to sleep on the seven hour flight to Keflavik.

Day 1

Our flight was a little late getting out of Denver, so we landed at around 9:30 local time in Iceland.  Running on about 3.5 hours of sleep, I got my rental car and headed straight for my 11:00 appointment at the Blue Lagoon.  I was running about an hour late, of course, but they didn’t seem to mind at all.  In fact, it was one of the best customer service experiences I’ve ever had.  If I went down the wrong hallway, they immediately pointed me in the right direction or let me through with my wristband anyway.  The sushi I had was nourishing after all that time in the air.  The water was nothing short of spectacular: milky white, warm and relaxing.  Two steam baths and a sauna were open and accessible in the corner and both were quite necessary.  One kiosk on the left hand side sold mud masks, like the Dead Sea, and offered a silica one for free.  Two rounds of the silica mask made the skin on my face feel as happy as it had been in years.  Another kiosk in the corner sold beer and drinks, so I got the Icelandic national brew: Gull.  Drinking and driving in Iceland is strictly forbidden, so I wanted to make sure to limit myself to only two drinks on my trip, this being one of them.  I’ll get to the other one later.  Gull isn’t too bad, but not too great.  Something of a standard macro lager, a few shades better than Rainier.  Enjoying my drink slowly allowed me to make friends with some folks around me from the Pacific Northwest, which definitely made the transition to a foreign land a little easier.  My only regret from a place like this is that eventually you’ll have to leave.  But I’ll be back...

Feeling refreshed, relaxed, and sobered up from my one beer, I hopped in the car and went to Reykjavik.  It’s a fairly small city: you can see much of the main areas in a day.  The main landmark in the city is Halgrimskirkja: the cathedral of the Church of Iceland.  It’s fairly impressive, with a really cool looking pipe organ and a statue of Leif Erikson in front.  I had forgotten he was of Iceland, that his father was Erik the Red.  Not far from Halgrimskirkja was the Laugevegur, the main restaurant and shopping district.  It was along this street that I knew where to find my second and final drink in Iceland.  Many of the hot spots along this street carried oddly American names: the Chuck Norris Grill, a pub called Boston that looked like it was taken directly out of Cheers. I finally came upon the one I wanted: Lebowskibar.  It was absolutely kitsch, sure, but I’m a sucker for anything to do with The Big Lebowski.  I had to have my White Russian, and a “hell of a Caucasian” it was.

About 3000 ISK later, I took a short walk to the Icelandic Punk Museum to sober up a bit, but it was nothing special.   The coolest thing there was a little joke at Hitler’s expense, which is never a bad thing. After the Punk Museum it was time to head on up to Akranes.  There was no one at the desk, but my key was waiting for me inside, with the sun still shining at around 10pm.  I took a walk down to the lighthouse at the end of town to catch the closest thing Iceland has to a summer sunset, and caught the midnight sun as I got back to the guesthouse for the night.  A solid day one.

Day 2

Got a late start after sleeping off the jetlag and went right for what I really came for: Hákarl.  I knew that fermented shark was pretty gnarly, but I wasn’t gonna miss it. The spot to go find shark is on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula at the  Bjarnarhöfn Shark Museum.  The museum is located pretty well out in the middle of nowhere, about two hours up the road from Akranes. I didn’t get on the road until almost noon, so I thought I was out of time.  I quickly grabbed a cup of coffee and a full tank of gas (around 250ISK per litre!) found my way.  I found out later I had quite a bit of sunlight to work with. The Shark Museum itself is a small house on a windswept headland on the northern side of the peninsula.  A spectacular view.  Undaunted, I paid my 1000 ISK to see the place.  The museum itself is a rather eclectic collection of maritime memorabilia and Icelandic antiques.  The collection seemed almost unorganized, but I wasn’t there for the collection, I was there for the shark.  The presentation was short, but interesting: a burly Icelander explains how the shark is poisonous when eaten fresh because it doesn’t process urine, so they have to basically let the thing rot in wooden tubs before letting it dry out back for a while, leading to its notorious smell.  The smell can best be described as a mix of ammonia and urine, which makes sense, and though it is indeed quite foul it’s not nearly as strong or permeating as I expected it to be.  It tasted much better than it smelled: like a slightly buttery fish, nothing too offensive.  After a short peek at the collection, the burly Icelander directs you to the drying house out back.  That’s where the magic happens, and the food gets its stinky reputation. Where the fish was pretty mild, the drying house is extremely pungent and stings your nose.  The visual appearance of the shark as its cured is no more appealing: brown, crusty, and oozing with liquid.  Overall though, the shark wasn’t too bad.  A man in need could almost make a meal out of the stuff, and definitely could make a side dish.

Next stop was Kirkjufell and the town of Grundarfjörður about 30 minutes further out along the peninsula.  Kirkjufell was featured on seasons six and seven of Game of Thrones, which was totally why I wanted to see it and not because it was a symbol of Iceland.  But that was a nice perk too.  I grabbed a hot dog in  Grundarfjörður and found a nice little cafe that was also a small library, a great find along the trail.  The mountain itself is impressive, and the nearby stream is fed by a sprawling waterfall across the highway. Very picturesque.  

My third and final stop was the Vatnshellir Cave on the far end of the peninsula, about another hour out.  I pull in at around 17:50, about ten minutes before they close for the day, and this place is remote.  I mean even the WiFi router I brought in the car with me, the one that worked for my entire Iceland trip, couldn’t find anything out there.  If there was an “end of the Earth”, this was it.  The cave itself is an experience onto itself.  They fit you with a helmet and a flashlight, and a friendly guide takes you down a long spiral metal staircase made slick by constant water dripping through the soil.  The cave was created by a volcanic explosion, like pretty much everything else on this island, and is layered with eons of nature’s bidding.  Afteer some time exploring the worn lava rock, you go down another staircase: this one even longer (about 40 meters) and slicker.  At the end of the cave tour, the guide has us all close our eyes and turn out our lights. When we open them, all language barriers between the tour group disappears with a loud “whoa!” in relative unison as we all process the complete lack of light.  Pitch black has new meaning there.  The darkness is absolute, whole, enveloping.  There really isn’t a way to describe just how dark it is with absolutely no sunlight whatsoever.  After a few meditative minutes we all climbed back up, glad we had made the trek down.  On the way out, I happened upon what looked like the keeper of the lighthouse at the end of the jetty lowering the Icelandic flag for the night.  Felt like the perfect symbol to cap off a truly Icelandic day.  

Day 3

My final day in Iceland I wanted to pack in anything else I missed before I took off to Amsterdam.  I got up and headed straight back too Reykjavik.  The Alþingi building is beautiful from the outside, and claims to be the oldest active parliament in the world, however, they had no tours for the day.  Undaunted, I stumbled to the Settlement Exhibition up the street, colloquially called 871+- 2, in reference to the probably year Iceland was first settled by Vikings, within a range of a year or two. The Settlement Museum is very interactive, and contains replica models of some of the houses the original settlers built.  The Settlement Exhibition is part of a museum network with two others, of which I only went to one: the oldest extant house in Reykjavik.  The house held a small photo exhibition of Icelandic life in 1918, and was fairly well curated.  

My second stop of the day was...shall we say a little different: the Icelandic Phallocalogical Museum.  This guy, for some reason, had a large curated collection of animal penises, and somehow found it within himself to mount and display them in a complete museum dedicated to his collection. There are large penises, like that of a blue whale, and small penises, like that of a hamster. He even has a couple of bronze casts of human penises.  The voice on the audio guide never explains why he has such a collection, and why he decided to display it on the wall for everyone to see, but boy does he go into detail about each penis.  Far more than I wanted to know, but still worth a chuckle.  

The Icelandic Rock and Roll Museum was only 30 more minutes down the road in Reykjanesbær , and contained a well curated mix of materials dating back to the early days and some bands I had never heard of. I mostly just went to geek on bunch of Björk and Sigur Rós and Of Monsters and Men.  The collection did not disappoint.  The museum was interactive, and even had a karaoke booth (that wasn’t soundproof, as I found out later).  I was able to get my fill of guitars and strange costumes and even a band made out of wood.  Fans of MoPop in Seattle (formerly known as the Experience Music Project) might be a little underwhelmed, but this was a fun tribute to the fascinating music history of such a tiny place. I may have spent a little too much time and energy in the karaoke room singing some of my favorites; the woman working at the desk barged in about halfway through song six (I think?) to tell me the room wasn’t soundproof. Oops.

My next two stops were a bit far away, and it was already 3pm, so I needed to hit the road. Only about nine more hours of sunlight.  Reykjadalur Hot Springs got some rave reviews on YouTube, and was only about 90 minutes up the road. Or so I thought.  The parking lot sits down at the bottom of a steep mountain pass near the town of Hveragerði.  A little coffee shop greets visitors, but it had shut down for the day.  It was pretty chili outside so I grabbed my sweatshirt for what I thought was a short walk to the river. Turns out the springs itself is a three kilometer walk up the hill.  And people swim in the river.  I immediately regretted forgetting both my hiking shoes and my swimsuit.  The hike up to the springs is stunning.  Sweeping valleys and steep canyons give way to open fields full of sheep.  So many sheep.  They graze in the valley, drink some of the colder water downstream, and even walk right up towards the trail for the freshest grass.  Off in the distance steam literally billows out of the earth.  The only time I’ve ever seen anything like it was at Yellowstone, but this was different. It was....quiet. Peaceful. The smell of sulfur carries with the wind.  Near the end of the hike, you walk right through one of those steam vents, which was somehow simultaneously refreshing and blinding.  The hot springs themselves are more like a spot in the river.  Something in the soil is volcanic, so the ground heats the water to some naturally balmy temperatures. The bathing area is nearly the opposite of the Blue Lagoon.  There are no amenities, there is no one bringing you a drink or offering you a mud mask.  There are no saunas or steam baths, or any real facilities of any kind for that matter. Not a roof in sight, not even a restroom.  Only a few privacy barriers indicated a potential spot to change out.    I wasn’t exactly prepared for a full swim, so I took my shoes off and soaked my aching feet a while.  The hot mineral water was quite soothing, really softened up the calluses.

The hike up and down created quite an appetite.  I saw a sign on the road back to the main highway for a pizza bar and geothermal brewery: Ölverk. Good enough for me. The place was a little fancier than I expected, but the food and service were both really delicious.  Got a pizza with dates, bacon, and blue cheese on it, and it’s probably the only pizza with fruit I’d do again.  I passed on the beer: around 2700 ISK for a taster flight of four, 4000 ISK for a draft pour. Makes the ballpark seem cheap. Turns out the geothermal thing was just how they generated their power anyway, which is kinda cool I suppose, but that’s how they generate much of their electricity there. That’s like saying a brewery in Seattle is hydroelectric powered.  It was getting late in the day at this point, but my friend recommended I hit a spot a little further up the road: Kerið Crater. It’s a sinkhole, but an impressive one.  The parking lot backs right up to the crater, and there’s a short hike around and a staircase to the bottom.  At the bottom is a pool of clean, cool groundwater. Like everywhere else in that country, it was created by volcanic activity.  Some kind of sinkhole type process. I took the staircase to the bottom, took a drink of the water (tasted great!), and had a lovely conversation with some folks from Russia.  A chat with some folks from the other side of the world seemed like a good way to transition to the next portion of my trip.  I took a windy route back through the southern portion of Þingvellir National Park, but it was around 10:30pm at that point so I knew I needed to drive the couple hours back to Akranes to make my flight.  The back roads were wide open and peaceful: for kilometers on end I might have been the only person.  There was also some gravel, but some experience living in the Colorado mountains served me well.  I cranked up the tunes and thought wistfully of the summer ahead of me.  Amsterdam, I’m ready.

Final Thoughts

Iceland is a place unto itself.  My only regret is that I didn’t allow myself one more day.  More than that though, oof.  It gets expensive.  Outside of Reykjavik is extremely rural and provincial, and Reykjavik is indeed lovely, but not exactly the most cosmopolitan or bustling city. I would go back, and would recommend it to almost everyone, but unless you plan on doing some hardcore expeditions you can see pretty much everything in three to four days.  For me, it served its purpose: I relaxed at the Blue Lagoon, ate Hákarl, slept off the jetlag, and adjusted to some of the differences of European culture.  Overall, a lovely experience. Oh, and be aware the tap water smells like sulfur.

[tittavs]

Goatboater ipa rainy daze

Our lightest brew light golden ale brewed with Cascade hops. 7% ABV / 80 IBUĭark amber color, well balanced, approachable. Pronounced citrus flavor and dominant grapefruit aroma brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops. Brewed with Simcoe and Northern Brewer hops. Dry hopped with mass quantities of Citra hops to bring out the tropical characteristics. 5.5% ABV / 12.2 IBUĪ well balanced fruit forward IPA. Features German Hallertauer and American Citra hops. The perfect beer to enjoy while doing your favorite outdoor activity. Traditional Weihenstephan style Hefeweizen. A culmination of everything we’ve learned so far about beer, barrels, chocolate, and coffee dedicated to you, our awesome fans. 5.0% ABV / 20 IBUĤ) Bainbridge 5th Anniversary Whiskey Barrel Aged Mocha Imperial Porterįive years! Can’t believe it… This year the Anniversary beer was aged in a mix of Kentucky Bourbon and Bainbridge Organic Distillers’ whiskey barrels, blended with cacao nibs roasted for us by Powell & Jones Fine Chocolates and cold brew coffee from Storyville Coffee. Hops: “Noble” Sterling gives it just a hint of hoppiness to balance the malt-forwardness. Malt: German Pilsner, Vienna, CaraHell and Sauermalz. Kommuter Kölsch is light, malty German-style ale, brewed like a lager for maximum clarity with a bright, clean, refreshing taste. Floral Sterling, grapefruity Amarillo, and tropical Mosaic hops shine in this crushable session beer! 4.7% ABV / 45 IBU 6% ABV / 60 IBUĪ limited seasonal release, IPK is a hybrid of Kolsch and IPA, creating a light and refreshingly hoppy beer perfect for the Summer. In this case, a 2016 Washington Beer Awards Silver Medal and 2017 Washington Beer Awards Bronze. Hops and Grapefruit: a winning combination. Stop by to find out this week’s flavor! 3.5% ABV Our radler features a blend of homemade fruit juices with our Classic Lite Lager, resulting in easy drinking refreshment. Further accentuated with fruity notes of strawberries, lychee and guava from the contribution of Taiheke hops. This double dry hopped IPA is an expression of the dank piney character of the Simcoe hop. This refreshingly sour wheat beer is brewed to style, which dates back to the Middle Ages and is often referred to as “The People’s Champagne.” The tartness of this beer will bring out hints of lemon, while the generous amount of wheat will round out the body lending a remarkable similarity to lemonade. 3.5% ABV / 22 IBUġ) Disco Lemonade With Strawberry (Berliner Weisse) 6% ABV / 45 IBUĪ refreshingly light lemon ale, perfect for a hot sunny day on the water. Malt forward amber style with just a note of pepper on the finish thanks to a touch of rye malt in the brewing process. 6% ABVĪ blonde beer produced with wild honey for a little extra kick. Learn more about Instacart pricing here.2017 Bremerton Summer BrewFest – Beer ListĪ kolsch style ale brewed with fresh pressed Skagit Valley apple cider. Pick up orders have no service fees, regardless of non-Instacart+ or Instacart+ membership. Instacart+ membership waives this like it would a delivery fee. Instacart pickup cost: - There may be a "pickup fee" (equivalent to a delivery fee for pickup orders) on your pick up order that is typically $1.99 for non-Instacart+ members. With an optional Instacart+ membership, you can get $0 delivery fee on every order over $35 and lower service fees too. 100% of your tip goes directly to the shopper who delivers your order. It's a great way to show your shopper appreciation and recognition for excellent service. Tipping is optional but encouraged for delivery orders. Orders containing alcohol have a separate service fee. Service fees vary and are subject to change based on factors like location and the number and types of items in your cart. Fees vary for one-hour deliveries, club store deliveries, and deliveries under $35. Here's a breakdown of Instacart delivery cost: - Delivery fees start at $3.99 for same-day orders over $35.

[nwbeerguide]

Portland's Ecliptic Brewing and Seattle's Ravenna Brewing team up to release Juicy Lager. The latest in Ecliptic's Cosmic Collaboration series!

image courtesy Ravenna Brewing

Press Release

Portland, Oregon. Earth … Ecliptic Brewing has partnered with Ravenna Brewing Co. of Seattle for a Cosmic Collaboration beer release. The third release in the series for 2023, Ecliptic + Ravenna Juicy Lager will ship April 19th in 16-ounce cans and draft.

Says Ecliptic’s Owner and Brewmaster, John Harris, “I met Tommy, Audra and the rest of the Ravenna crew last year. We had a good time tasting beers and talking about current beer styles and trends. I like collaborating with a Seattle brewery every year, and Ravenna was the perfect choice for 2023.”

Ecliptic + Ravenna Juicy Lager starts with Pale and Pilsner Malts and is topped off with Enigma, Cashmere, and Mandarina Bavaria hops. Notes of white grape, red currant, and citrus flavors round out this juicy brew, clocking in at 5.5% ABV.

“In the planning process,” continues Harris, “we landed on Enigma hops and brewing something other than an IPA. Both breweries love lager beer, and the concept of bringing the newer hop varieties and their juicy, citrus and slight tropical flavors/aromas into a beer just made sense. Thus, we bring to the universe a juicy lager beer- lending aromas and flavors reminiscent of ones you see in the IPA style, but in a lower ABV lager.”

Says the Ravenna team, “We loved meeting John and the Ecliptic team at our Seattle taproom last summer. As we chatted while sampling beers from our respective breweries, we talked styles, techniques, and ingredients we are all excited about. Sharing ideas with exceptional brewers is undoubtedly one of the best aspects of the industry. When John invited us to collaborate on a beer, the answer was an immediate and enthusiastic 'yes!'. Some of us on the brew team have been enjoying John's creations and contributions to the craft beer world for nearly twenty years, and it’s a treat to be able to put our heads together with John and Phil as we work on creating a beer to share with the community.”

Ecliptic + Ravenna Juicy Lager will be released in 16-ounce cans and draft throughout Ecliptic Brewing’s distribution network on April 19th. A release party is planned on April 27th in Portland, as well as May 2nd in Seattle. Visit Ecliptic’s website for up-to-date details on this release and release events.                                                                     

Ecliptic + Ravenna Juicy Lager Brewed with our friends at Ravenna Brewing, this lager starts with a clean malt base, then opens up a multiverse of flavor with a juicy mix of modern hops, including Enigma and Cashmere. The adventurous will be rewarded with white grape, red currant, and lime-orange citrus flavors bursting all at once on the palette.

ABV: 5.5% IBU: 35

…

About Ecliptic Brewing Ecliptic Brewing is a venture from John Harris, an Oregon beer icon whose background is steeped in the state’s rich craft brewing history. The name Ecliptic unites Harris’ two passions: brewing and astronomy. Ecliptic Brewing’s Mothership location opened in October of 2013 in North Portland and its second location – the Moon Room –opened in November of 2021 in Southeast Portland.

Ecliptic celebrates the Earth’s yearly journey around the sun through both its beer and restaurant menus. Harris’ signature beers include Ecliptic Starburst IPA, Phaser Hazy IPA, Carina Peach Sour Ale, Capella Porter, Pyxis Pilsner and LIGO West Coast IPA.

Ecliptic beers are available at the mothership brewery (825 North Cook St), the Moon Room (930 SE Oak St), in grocery stores, bottle shops, and on-tap throughout the area. They are distributed by: Maletis Beverage (Portland, Salem, Vancouver WA), Bigfoot Beverage (Eugene, Bend, Coast), Fort George Distributing (Northern Oregon Coast, Southern Washington Coast), Hodgen Distributing (Eastern Oregon), Summit Distribution (Southern Oregon), NW Beverages (Seattle, Tacoma), Odom (Eastern Washington, Northern ID), Dickerson Distributing (Bellingham), Hayden Beverage (Idaho), Crooked Stave Artisans (Colorado), Freedom Distributors (North Carolina), Arizona Beer & Cider (Arizona), Beer Thirst (Canada) and Tread Water (Japan).

For more information, visit: eclipticbrewing.com.

###

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3GOEIRn

[brookstonalmanac]

Beer Events 6.30

Events

At the India Queen Tavern a compromise was worked out that allowed the US Constitution to be created (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 1787)

Max Henius patented Brew House Apparatus Equipment (1903)

Adolph Schneider patented a Barrel Tap (1903)

Jacob Wittemann patented a beer Filter (1903)

Pure Food & Drug Act passed by Congress (1906)

Prohibition began in Canada (1915)

Beer became legal in Maine after Prohibition (1933)

40-Hour Work Week approved by Congress (1936)

Crown Cork & Seal patented a Filling System (1959)

Doran's Northern Breweries bought Kakabeka Falls Brewing and shut it down (Ontario, Canada; 1962)

Beer Ale Lager Lovers Society founded (1994)

Paul Serres patented a Hop Vine Transfer System (1998)

Scottish & Newcastle's Fountainbridge brewery closed (Scotland; 2005)

Coors closed the Bass Museum in Burton-on-Trent (2008)

Brewery Openings

Allagash Brewing (Maine 1995)

Barrel House Brewing (Ohio; 1995)

Elephant Butte Pizzeria & Brewery (New Mexico; 1995)

[wineanddinosaur]

12 Things You Should Know About Great Lakes Brewing Company

Great Lakes Brewing Company is nestled in the heart of Cleveland, just a few miles from Lake Erie. The craft brewery was started in 1986 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway, who knew little about beer but were determined to create a lasting business in Cleveland’s struggling Ohio City.

It worked: Great Lakes Brewing Co. was born, and with it, a new leaf was turned in Cleveland’s dying brewing industry. Today, Great Lakes is a beloved spot in the city. Its Ohio City location houses the company’s craft brewery production facility and an attached brewpub. The brewery aims to pour that love back into its city by pursuing community partnerships, sustainability efforts, and — of course — by making good beer.

Here are 12 things you should know about Great Lakes Brewing Co.

BREWERIES WERE DEAD IN CLEVELAND. THEN GREAT LAKES CAME ALONG.

When Great Lakes Brewing Co. opened in 1988, Ohio City breweries had virtually gone extinct. The city’s last remaining brewery shut down in 1984 as the industry fell victim to consolidation. Patrick and Daniel Conway were determined to make their concept work, though, and recruited a master brewer and engineer to help build the company.

The rest was history. Great Lakes’ business took off, bringing brewing back to the city. Now, Great Lakes still leads the charge in the Cleveland brewing business, and laid a path for several other microbreweries that have found success in the city, too.

ONE OF ITS BREWS SHOWS PROHIBITION WHO’S BOSS.

What’s in a name? For Great Lakes’ Eliot Ness Amber Lager, one of its year-round brews, there’s a famed Cleveland Prohibition officer behind it all. Back in the days when local haunts were patrolled with fervor to make sure no illicit alcoholic beverage sales occurred, Eliot Ness frequently stopped by one Cleveland tavern. Today, the space is home to Great Lakes’ Brewpub. If the irony of it all wasn’t enough for the Conway brothers to name the brew after Officer Ness, their mother also once worked for Ness as a stenographer. We’ll raise a glass of Eliot Ness Amber Lager to that.

GREAT LAKES HAS A HEISMAN.

When the Conway brothers began creating their first beers in the heart of Cleveland, they decided to name some of their brews as odes to the city they loved. Inspired by European brews, they brewed up a German style Dortmunder lager. When it came time to name the beer, they settled on “the Heisman,” a nod to Cleveland-born intercollegiate football star John Heisman. The beer was eventually renamed “Dortmunder Gold Lager.”

THEIR FIRST BEER IS FANS’ MOST LOVED.

The Dortmunder Gold Lager was the first brew dreamed up by the Conways and master brewer Thaine Johnson. It debuted when the brewery opened to the public and is still the most popular today. The Dortmunder Gold Lager is one of seven year-round brews sold by the company, and is available in the widest variety of formats of any of their beers. Dortmunder Gold Lager is available in a variety of bottles and cans (cans and bottles are sold in 12- and 16-ounce portions and 6-, 12-, and 15-packs) or on draft.

GOOD BEER AND SUSTAINABILITY GO HAND IN HAND.

Sustainability has been at the forefront of Great Lakes’ mission from their very first days. When setting up shop in Cleveland, the Conways bought all used restaurant equipment and renovated old buildings to create their space, rather than building or buying new. Ever since, they have worked to expand their sustainability efforts, from sourcing their brewpub food from local farms to minimizing water usage in the brewing process to repurposing every last drop of beer byproducts into soups, soap, and soil amendments, among other things.

GREAT LAKES’ ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP EXTENDS TO THE CITY THEY LOVE.

Great Lakes is involved in numerous efforts to improve Cleveland’s economic and sustainability efforts. One successful effort has been to support an urban farm. The Ohio City Farm, one of the largest contiguous urban farms in the U.S., is supported by four organizations, including Great Lakes. The six-acre farm provides food system education, helps boost the city’s food economy, and provides opportunities for underserved residents to grow and consume fresh, local food.

THEY’VE HOPPED ON THE HARD SELTZER BANDWAGON.

In September 2021, Great Lakes announced its creation of an Agave Twist Ranch Water Hard Seltzer, set to launch in Northern Ohio in October. The brewery’s first hard seltzer endeavor comes in the form of 12-ounce cans, each containing 100 calories and 4.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). Agave Twist is available in variety 12-packs and in four different flavors: Black Cherry, Lemon Lime, Blackberry, and Pineapple. Great Lakes also announced plans to expand the seltzer’s distribution outside Ohio in 2022.

THE BREWERY BUILDING HAS HISTORY IN ITS WALLS.

Great Lakes’ location is historic for several reasons. The building is constructed of three Victorian-era Cleveland buildings that were merged together to create a bigger space for the brewery. The bar is believed to be the oldest working one in the city. There’s also a story behind the apparent bullet holes in the walls. The holes are attributed to none other than Eliot Ness (although there’s some debate as to whether he ever carried a gun), the Prohibition officer Great Lakes has a beer named after.

EVERY YEAR, GREAT LAKES BRINGS THE LIQUID TO CLEVELAND’S BURNING RIVER FEST.

Since Cleveland’s Burning River Fest began in 2001, Great Lakes has provided the brews. The festival, which features live music, food, and drinks, exists to raise money for and awareness of Cleveland’s freshwater resources. Great Lakes’ involvement, again, demonstrates the brewery’s keen interest in sustainability and environmental stewardship. In fact, the brewery “tank farm” (the area where the brewery’s fermentation tanks are housed) hosted the first Fest before the annual event eventually set up a location on the Cleveland waterfront.

YOU CAN DRINK GREAT LAKES WITH YOUR PEANUTS AND CRACKER JACKS.

In 2019, Great Lakes announced a partnership with the Cleveland Indians Major League Baseball team as “the official craft beer of the Cleveland Indians.” Fans of baseball and beer can find an array of classic Great Lakes brews at Progressive Field, along with seasonal rotations and even brewpub pretzels. After a difficult 2021 season in light of Covid, the Cleveland Indians’ Christmas Ale in July at the Ballpark game featured Great Lakes’ beloved Christmas Ale on tap in the stadium.

EMPLOYEES GET A SHARE.

In 2018, as part of Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s 30th anniversary celebration, owners Pat and Dan Conway revealed an employee stock ownership plan. The plan offers every employee — regardless of title, wages, or tenure — the opportunity to have employee-ownership and be a shareholder of the company. As to how they shared the news with employees? With a commemorative beer, of course. The Extra Special Opportunity Pils lager was served up to Great Lakes’ over 250 employees in honor of the announcement.

THE GREAT LAKES CALENDAR IS AN ORGANIZED BEER-LOVER’S DREAM.

Move over, advent calendars: Fans won’t miss a single brew with Great Lakes Brewings’ annual beer release calendar in hand. Every year, the brewery releases must-know information about the beer names it will be serving up, how long its seasonal brews will be on the market, and what new packaging or new products consumers should have their eyes on. It’s all compacted down into a handy, colorful, one-pager. Eager to see it for yourself? You can find the 2021 lineup here.

The article 12 Things You Should Know About Great Lakes Brewing Company appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/ntk-great-lakes-brewing-company-guide/