Category: Brewery Tour

A concise brewery bio

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June Micro-Maltster Tour # 3

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Colorado Malting Co. is our final malting stop. (Yes, it took awhile to get here, thanks for being patient)  They grow all of their own malt and because their is extra time left in day, malt it too.

They offer the following products to the brewing industry:

Colorado Base Pale
Colorado Pilsner
Colorado Malted White & Red Wheats
Roasted Malts and Barley

They are also planning a barley party (Gerste Gemutlichkeit)! “This is an opportunity to personally witness barley being harvested in the field, cleaned, steeped, malted, kilned and brewed into great beer. Bring a camper and enjoy an evening of beer, food, music, and friends right on the field.”

That is my kind of camping!

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Heartland Brewery # 1 – Prairie Artisan Ales

Our first stop is in Oklahoma and Prairie Artisan Ales.  I start here because their beers have made their way out to L.A. (though I have yet to buy one of yet).

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It is run by the Healey brothers, Chase and Colin.  And their focus is on the wonderful Saison style.  They have multiple versions to try but here are the ones that strike me off the bat….

Prairie Standard (and it’s super cool comics label)
Prairie Standard is our everyday beer. Its a light, crisp saison with a hoppy finish. This beer is dry hopped 1lb per bbl with Motueka hops. A lovely New Zealand hop with a spicy lime like flavor and aroma.

Prairie Hop
Prairie Hop is our hop driven saison. This beer is packed with Simcoe and Citra hops. Notes of peach, mango, and tangerine can be found in the flavor and aroma of this beer. The beer finishes dry which helps the hops jump out of the glass flavor wise.

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June Micro-Maltster Tour # 2

As you can see from the post title, this was to run in June along with the other Micro-Maltster “tours”, I now attempt to fill in what I missed in the 2nd half of June…

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Valley Malt of New England is located in the farming town of Hadley.  You can get Organic Rye Malt, Chocolate malt, Hard Red Winter wheat amongst other offerings.

They appear to be tight with local CSA’s and are expanding to get grain from a much bigger plot of land. But as with Rebel Malting their primary goal is, “To provide the Northeastern craft and home brewer with artisanal malt from locally grown grains.”

You can tell the difference when it is fresh ingredients.  Just try it with Farmer’s Market fruits or your own vegetables.

 

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June Micro-Maltster Tour # 1

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Rebel Malting of Reno is part of a new sub-culture within the sub-culture that is craft beer.  I love the combination of keeping it local and using what is given to you.  I mean, if you are in Reno, use the sun!  It makes perfect sense.  And of course you will try to use less water, cause it is Nevada…well.  I will let the website do the talking.  Less sarcasm that way.

“Rebel Malting Company is small, and produces malted products with local and niche grains ( Barley, Millet, Emmer Wheat, Buckwheat) for the brewing and distilling industries.

Micro malting operations are located in Reno, Nevada. Grain is primarily sourced from two locations: Fallon and Yerington, Nevada. Plus other locations if our farmers can not grow it here in Nevada.

The Rebel focus is to sow and grow grains within 100 miles of the malthouse and hand deliver (no ‘middle-man’) this product to local brewers and distillers near Reno, Nevada. An emphasis on customer service is achieved through order customization. Rebel utilizes advances in malting technology to lower water usage up to 30% (we are located in the ‘Rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada Mountains) and is constructing parabolic solar troughs (345 days of sunshine a year) to heat the building and first step in the kilning process. Rebel also supplies whole grain beer making and home malting kits, complete with detailed directions. Please see the About section for more details.”

 

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Brewery Tour – Urban Family

urban_family_2Our last stop in the Seattle area is Urban Family.  Oh and the swing is ironic.

And they also have fun with the names as well,  Tall, Dark and Anxious for a porter, a wit with the expletive laden name of Ain’t Nothin’ Ta F@*k Wit as well as an IPA named after the bully on The Simpsons.

And in 2013, I think part of their “about” page really rings true to me and what the beer industry is about..”creativity and flexibility of how to live and define a life characterizes what we do at Urban Family Brewing: If someone you met through a Craigslist roommate ad can become your brother then you can definitely put lavender in a witbier.”

Oh, and they have other beers on tap too!

 

 

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Brewing in the Works in Santa Monica

Los Angeles is a tough town to navigate if you want to build a brewery from scratch.  And to try to do it on the Westside would seem close to crazy considering the cost of a large amount of space would cost.

But according to the L.A. Eater, “someone” is trying to start one up in Santa Monica.  That would be big news and a large step forward for a brewery to open there.

When/If more news develops, you will here it here.

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Brewery Tour of Justice Brewing

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Our tour of Seattle begins with Justice Brewing. AKA, the “nanobrewery your mom warned you about”.  They (well, he) are based in Everett, a suburb of Seattle.

They still have some red tape to cut to get a tap room open but they are brewing Belgian style beers like my following choices:

White & Nerdy – Belgian White with an American Twist – Brewed with Pilsner Malt, Wheat, Sweet Orange Peel, Citra Hops, and Traditional Belgian Yeast. Hoppier than traditional Belgian Wit beers but keeping the traditional character intact.

13 Questions Pale Ale – Single Hop American Pale Ale – Traditional American Pale Ale, brewed with a rotating selection of hops. Premium 2-Row Pale Malt and Munich malt with a touch of Wheat followed by 40 IBUs of hops and finished in the fermenter with even more hops for aroma. We strive to make this a well balanced pale ale. Hop variety varies on availability. Currently brewed with Bravo Hops.

It may take some searching to find their beers but that is what craft beer geeks do, search high and low.

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Arizona Beer – SanTan Brewing

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The fastest growing brewery in Arizona?  According to some it is SanTan Brewing based in a historic bank building in Chandler.

Since 2007, they have been pairing craft beer with craft food and if you are a better talker than I, conversation too.

Their Brewmaster is Anthony Canecchia who releases “specialty seasonal beers, small batch specialty beers, a weekly Cask Conditioned Ale as well as guest beers from brewers both local and around the nation.”

And these beers caught my attention…..

Mr. Pineapple

“Winner of a silver medal at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival competition, Mr. Pineapple was originally conceived for SanTan Brewing Company’s annual Luau Day. Hazy straw gold in color, we add natural pineapple juice to a traditional wheat beer creating a refreshing tropical flavor. The pineapple is balanced with a firm malt character and a slightl hint of clove. Mr. Pineapple is the perfect way to beat the heat on a warm summer day!”

Railslide

“RailSlide Imperial Spiced Ale is based on a traditional English Strong Ale and brewed with Winter flavors, including fresh ginger, cinnamon and licorice that add an edge to this smoothly spiced ale. Deep Autumn Brown in color, SanTan celebrates the pioneering punk spirit of the American Craft Brewer with this delicious brew.”

Negro Nitron IPA

“Negro Nitron Black IPA Arizona’s first Nitrogenated Black I.P.A.!!! Midnight Wheat gives this beer its deep garnet black hue without the sharp burnt flavor of traditional roasted malts. Negro Nitron is a clean, crisp & hoppy Black IPA. Nitrogen gives this beer a soft velvety mouth feel & the bold American hops on center stage.”