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Millstream Brewing

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Since 1985, Millstream Brewing has been serving beer to Iowa.
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The beer that got my attention was an Oatmeal stout. Here is what the brewers say about it…”Colony Oatmeal Stout Colony Oatmeal Stout used to be just a winter seasonal brew when it first was introduced back in 1996. But since then popular demand has made it into an all year affair. The ‘oatmeal’ in the name is due the 10% oatmeal in the the grist of this brew. Oats give beer a real thick mouthfeel, something definitely desirable in a stout! But the real secret is in our lager yeast. Most stouts are made using ale yeast, but we wanted ours to be a smooth as our lagers! Black malt and roasted barley give the beer its color, and coffee-like flavors. If you like thick full-bodied stout, this beer is for you! We now only make the Stout in the colder months, because that is when it is the most popular. In the winter, you’ll find it in stores in its own ‘stout’ packaging.”

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Craft Beer clothing

Do you need a cool beer t-shirt to go with the great craft beer in your hand?

Then check out the craft beer clothing website to see some imaginative designs.

Oh and here is what they say about themselves…
“This website was created to sell clothing just for craft beer enthusiasts. Craft beer is about flavor, color, complexity – it is an art to the thousands of brewers in the world. So, we decided to design a clothing line worthy of the craft beer industry’s passion for good beer. We will have new designs once these sell out, so tell your friends and help us spread the word!”

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Abrasive

Not my posts (hopefully), no this is another Surly beer added to their line-up of canned beer. I have yet to mark Minnesota off my list and cans are lighter than bottles. Hint, hint. Nudge, nudge.
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from the new Surly website… “Pale in color, this over-hopped, under-brewed Double IPA has almost twice the amount of hops & malt crammed in the can.”

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Beer Revolution

No, it isn’t an armed revolt against the dreaded BMC. It is a new beer store in Oakland! (Side note. No, we cannot have enough beer stores.)
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Beer Revolution will open around the same time as the SF Beer Week. As if you needed something else to do.

They are located at: 464 3rd Street in Oakland

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Open! Open!

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Change that “coming soon” to opening Monday, February 8th. The Surly Goat will have the following…
You’re likely to find beers like Deschutes The Abyss, Hair of the Dog Fred, Lagunitas Brown Shugga, Bear Republic Heritage Ale, Celebrator Doppelbock, The Bruery Sour on Rye, Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin, New Belgium Tart Lychee, New Belgium La Folie, Victory Kolsch and Craftsman Cabernale. Two breweries have even stepped up to make beers specifically for The Surly Goat, including Eaglegoat Bock from Eagle Rock Brewery and Speakeasy Public Enemy Pils, a pre-Prohibition Pilsner.

Ballast Point is supplying the opening cask. It will either be Sea Monster Stout aged in rum barrels or barrel-aged Victory at Sea.

They are located at 7929 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood.
Reach them at 323-650-4628.

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If that wasn’t enough, Eagle Rock Brewery has this news…
“For the time being, we’ll be having regular taproom hours on Fridays and Saturdays from 4p-10p and Sundays from 12p-6p”

ERB is at 3056 Roswell Street in Los Angeles. Reach them at 323-257-7866.

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Hops not Hoops

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Attention Bracketologists! Get ready to hop it up on the way to IPA Final Four. If you love IPA’s like I do then this is a fun diversion to check on inbetween college basketball games. Check out the rules and how you can play along HERE

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Session # 36 – Cask Ale

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“I’d like to return to essays on a beer style, or more precisely, a beer procedure: Cask-conditioned ale.”

I am not an expert on the intricacies of cask-conditioned ales by any stretch of the imagination, not due to a lack of desire to sample but rather because the choices available on the carbon dioxide side of the fence are just so much greater.

And that, to me, is the core of the issue. Cask conditioned is not yet at the tipping point. It is an embraced novelty. And until it becomes ubiquitous that is where it will stay.   Two of the excellent beer bars that I frequent have exactly ONE tap for casks.  Playing the percentages means that the cask ale will not get selected.

So the cask converted can sing the praises until their vocal cords collapse but will only succeed in pushing themselves into the lunatic fringe alongside the high alcohol, barrel aged double imperial stout crowd and the fruit beer haters.

So here is my own modest proposal: What needs to happen is actual head to head, Coke vs Pepsi style tastings.  The same beer from the same brewer.  One crafted for the regular tap and one for a cask.  No need to blindfold the participants. This isn’t about guessing which is which. It is about discerning what style hits all the right spots on your individual palate.  I had the opportunity recently to try a Blonde Ale then a slightly different version of the same beer from a cask. The difference was night and day and not just because one had extra hops added. I can now explain how one was fizzy while the other had a creamy mouthfeel and I can explain why I liked it more.

Because in the end, a movement will start only if enough people can clearly communicate why they love cask ale not only with words but with examples. Refreshing liquid examples.

Check all the responses to the cask ale conundrum HERE

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Clock Tower Ales

It looks like Hood River is getting some competition in the craft beer market from their neighbor down the road, The Dalles.
“Clock Tower Ales specializes in the sale of craft beers, wine and non alcoholic craft soda. We are located in the second historic Wasco County Court House 311 Union Street The Dalles Oregon. With a relaxed and community focused atmosphere we provide beverages and light food to our patrons.”

My Oregon beer scout and nephew Anakin alerted me to this new establishment and sent in these photos….
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The scheduled opening date is TODAY!, February 4th, 2010 at 2pm.
More information can be found HERE.

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news from Deschutes

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From the Deshchutes team…
This ‘Super Jubel’ was discovered by accident two decades ago when a clumsy burglar didn’t realize the weight of his stolen keg of Jubelale. He dropped it outside to freeze in the season’s sub-zero temperatures – only to be discovered the next morning by Gary Fish, Deschutes Brewery owner. More than half the liquid in the keg had frozen and the remaining beer was a very cold, highly concentrated ‘Jubelale on steroids.’ It was so good that the brewers set about recreating it, coming up with an annual ‘Super Jubel’ that is aged in oak barrels. A limited amount has been available on tap every year, 2010 will be only the second time that the brewery has bottled up this brew for sale. The first time it was available by bottle was a special millennium edition in 2000.”