Colorado Brewery Tour # 2 – Monolith Brewing

Our second stop in GABF Colorado this October is Monolith Brewing. I noticed them because they have great beer names and also because they donate 1% of their revenue to the Brew Like a Girl Scholarship Fund

Let’s taste some beers then…

Czech it Out – “Ahroy! Come walk down the prlank of a broat, alrighty, maybe more kryak than broat, with Captains Kat and Stephen (of Monolith Brewing) for the delightful Czech Pilsner collab. RootShoot Pilsner malt + Saaz hops = looks ok to me!”

Bavarian Contrarian – ” A traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen for those who choose to defy conventionalism”

Baguette About It – “A Collaboration with Body by Beer Podcast and Dry Storage, this beer is brewed with 100% Rouge de Bordeaux wheat, and fermented with 3lbs/bbl of Sweet Cherries and Apricots”

Tau Neutrino – “Crafted with a stellar blend of hops, this hazy IPA delivers a juicy burst of 1 lb/bbl of Amarillo and 4 lbs/bbl of Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado. Experience a tropical supernova of citrus, mango, and stone fruit, all swirling together in a nebulous cloud of hop-induced bliss.”

Colorado Brewery Tour # 1 – Very Nice Brewing Co.

So nice that they have two locations now. The Very Nice Brewing Company is based in Nederland, Colorado with a second location in Gilpin now.

Let’s get tasting, starting with….

Calmer Than You Are IPA – “Light bodied and light on alcohol. Generous late additions of Citra and Mosaic Hops and then dry hopped with Motueka, Mosaic, and Citra make for a huge hop forward character in a very easy drinker. Lots of citrus in the form of grapefruit and orange followed up with tones of mango, passion fruit and kiwi.”

Logical Fallacy Black Ale – “This beer challenges the Logical Fallacy that says if a beer is a stout, it can’t be hoppy. With 4 generous hop additions of Summit and Northern Brewer, this beer has a technical IBU (International Bittering Unit) of almost 70. However, this hops bill is challenged with the deep smokiness of black patent malt, coffee tones of chocolate malt, and the sweetness of 4lbs/BBL of wild Colorado honey.This is a unique stout that will make you look deep into this beer, and lose yourself in the intricate taste of its oil like blackness.”

Monk’s Phunk – “Strong ale named after a strong woman! Our brewer’s dear mother! This recipe is crafted as a tribute to the tradition the Monk’s started in Belgium over a thousand years ago. It includes lots of Munich and dark crystal malt with a shot of chocolate malt, giving it a deep burgundy color and a heavenly rich caramel taste that literally would bring people to God, or at least to his cathedrals in Europe. It has enlightening fruity esters from the Belgian yeast as well as divine sweetness from 4lbs/BBL of wild Colorado honey.”

Pennsylvania Brewery Tour # 3 – New Trail Brewing

Our last Pennsylvania stop in our Seen Through a Glass podcast tour is New Trail Brewing Co. in Williamsport.

Let’s get a taster flight going….

Crisp Lager – “Crisp Lager is handmade for easy drinking using only 4 craft ingredients. We only use the finest malts, American Noble hops, Pennsylvania mountain water, and lager yeast in perfect balance for a brilliant golden beer that’s full-flavored, refreshing, and above all, Crisp Lager.”

Lazy River Dry-Hopped Pils – “Lazy River Pils is brewed as a traditional German Pilsner, then dry-hopped with hand-selected Citra hops from the Pacific Northwest. We started with German Pilsner and German Munich malts for a highly crisp and refreshing, light and flavorful Pilsner. Our Citra then adds bright orange citrus aroma that will be essential to your adventures.”

S.O.B. Hill IPA – “S.O.B. Hill is named in honor of The Hyner View Trail Challenge. We’ve been sponsoring this 50 kilometer trail race since we opened, and the course culminates with the final rise – S.O.B. Hill. This American IPA is clear, floral, fruity and slightly bitter.”

Double Broken Heels DIPA – “Double Broken Heels is our Hazy IPA, Broken Heels, with more malt and hops to make it a Hazy Double IPA. Brewed with oats and hopped with a mix of our favorite American hops including Citra & Mosaic.”

Pennsylvania Brewery Tour # 2 – Yorkholo Brewing

The second PA stop is one that Lew Bryson talked about on his podcast Seen Through a Glass when he was covering the town of Mansfield. It is Yorkholo Brewing.

Here are three beers that have been done in the past to give you an idea of their beer range…

Honey Lemon Saison – “Brewed with floor malted German pilsen, oats & spelt. Mildly hopped with cluster & cascade in the kettle with some bittering orange peel”

Mosaic Hopped IPL – “Brewed with a blend of German floor malted pilsen, vienna, flaked corn & rye. Kettle hopped with mosaic. Dry hopped during primary & secondary with mosaic. layered for 6 weeks. Incredibly crisp & refreshing with notes of citrus, lime, tropical fruit, pine & fresh cut grass.”

Pink Guava Fruit Smoothie IPA – the fourth version of a smoothie IPA, “The notes are incredibly interesting with flavors of starburst, strawberry & watermelon jolly rancher.”

Pennsylvania Brewery Tour # 1 – Pizza Boy Brewing

I am an avid listener to Lew Bryson’s Seen Through a Glass podcast and he has traveled to many a brewery in Pennsylvania. Enough to probably so three months or more of e-tours. We will curate it down to three for August though.

Starting in Enola with Pizza Boy Brewing which was super high on the listener requested list.

Normally, I would create a taster flight but as you can see from a recent tap list, that would be real hard….

If push came to shove, my first choices would be the Old Denim Cream Ale, the Sunny Side Up Bourbon barrel-aged coffee stout and the and the Frozen Eyelets Hazy with coconut.

In the Tap Lines for August 2024

There was a lot going on in July out in the wide world, August promises no respite for that. But in BSP World, there is a lot of fun, including….

~ e-visits to (3) new breweries in Pennsylvania from listening to Lew Bryson’s Seen Through a Glass podcast

~ special featured reviews of beers from Lagunitas, remember them?

~Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events

~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark

~ A Book & A Beer reads You Like it Darker by Stephen King

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to The Ringer-Verse for Deadpool and Wolverine

~ Sports & A Beer returns with Hard Knocks

~ New Beer Releases and Best Beers of the Month

~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

New Oregon Brewery # 3 – Spinning Wheels Brewing Project

Last stop of the month is in Hood River but you will have to look for it. It is Spinning Wheels Brewing Project which is operating in speakeasy mode beneath the restaurant.

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Zoiglhaus Brewing’s contract brewing operation in Portland. is where the beers are made such as Shredipede Pale Ale and Enter the Forest a West Coast IPA. Andrew Rosette the owner, has just 5 different beers that are being perfected each time done with Zoiglhaus and brewmaster Alan Taylor.

New Oregon Brewery # 2 – Coattails Brewing

Coattails is brand new brewery, all of 5 barrels, at the Etzel Farm / Sequitur Winery in Newberg, Oregon.

This is an appointment tasting room. They are “brewing many beer styles from old world German style lagers to hoppy (but balanced) IPA’s and everything in between.”

$50 gets you tastings of both the wine and beer “in a carefully curated approach”. Which sounds like a concept that should be mesh well with the Oregon wine country.

New Oregon Brewery # 1 – Commensal Fermentation

Since I will be in Oregon at the end of the month, I thought I would focus on some new NW breweries to check out starting on North Williams in Portland at Commensal Fermentation. According to their website, “the archaic meaning of Commensal is the people you bring to your table…”

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Forty Rules – “our west coast session ipa featuring Idaho 7 and Mosaic hops. Notes of tropical fruit, citrus, a little pine are present in this 4.2% beer.”

Row of Ducks – “our Kölsch-style ale with a gentle nod to tradition. Notes of red apple, cracker and honey are present in this 5.2% abv beer.”

Crazy World, Lotta Smells – “hazy double ipa, double dry hopped with Citra, Ekuanot, and HBC 638.”

Tatluhan – “our blond stout with coffee and toasted coconut, collaboration beer with Mosaic Taphouse and Kalesa coffee, in Portland, Oregon.”

Sister City Brewery # 2 – Strange Fellows Brewing

The next Sister City of Los Angeles is Vancouver, Canada and the brewery I chose is Strange Fellows Brewing.

Time to check out some more Canadian beer…

Beldame Old World Pilsner – “Crossing paths with a crone is believed unlucky by some. Stooped and toothless, she’s a frightful specter of mortality. Those who can meet her gaze and see wisdom there have nothing to fear, but beware to those who scorn or overlook her. As Mother of Creation, she can wield her power in wicked ways, by nightmare, illness or a failed harvest. So next time you happen upon an old woman, pour her a glass of this bright and refreshing beer, look her in the eye, and toast to her good health.”

Rei’s Dark Lager – “This dark Lager balances the use of roasted malts and premium German pilsner malt. It delivers a clean character of a lager and offers a complex grain bill that blends aromas of chocolate, roast and has a crisp and clean lager finish.  “

Blackmail Northwest Stout – “Originally advertised as a nutritional supplement for new mothers, milk stouts contain Lactose sugar which gives this beer a rich round and slightly sweet character. Blackmail is only 4.5%abv and has a soft roast and chocolate character.”