Awaiting

DuClaw Brewing is using their latest hazy IPA, Hopportunity Awaits, to shine a light on ten craft beer industry professionals to show that it takes all kinds of people to get beer into your glass. Along with Craft X Edu, cans of the IPA will feature these eclectic folks…

Kenny Gould, founder of Hop Culture Magazine

Barb Baker, Siren of Stout 

Leanne O’Neill, Sip & Saunter beer blogger 

Hannah Ferguson, professional brewer and owner of DOPE Cider House and Winery.

Aadam Soorma, award-winning beer writer

Em Sauter, cartoonist and founder of Pints and Panels

Stephanie Grant, savvy storyteller focusing on diversity and inclusion.

Ryan Cervantes, a packaging manager

Emily Wang, founder of Fermly craft beer lab in Denver, CO.

Rachel Breite, professional brewer

DuClaw and Who Else?

I wrote a piece for the January edition of Beer Paper LA about a distribution company called Guest Brewer that brings in beers from breweries for short bursts of product and time and it got me to thinking about what other breweries that I think this would work well for and also selfishly, the ones that I want to try.

So far parts of California have seen Surly from Minnesota, Ska from Colorado, Goodlife from Oregon, and DuClaw from Maryland. Captain Lawrence from New York, and Evil Genius from Pennsylvania will also make brief apperances. I haven’t seen any of these yet but they all would be welcome in my ‘fridge.

I would love to see a few Oregon breweries head our way like Upright and their Saisons and wild beers. Cloudburst from Seattle is on my list. Bierstadt Lagerhaus from Colorado and more Fonta Flora from the East Coast would be lovely too.

Either way, operations like Guest Brewer are filling a need that was really only available to traders up until now.

Maryland Brewery # 1 – DuClaw Brewing Company

duclaw2

We start our Maryland tour at DuClaw Brewing Company located in Baltimore.  Home of the Orioles and Ravens if you are a sports fan.

With founder Dave Benfield and brewmaster Jim Wagner, this brewery has outgrown their original brewery and is now in much better digs.  All the better to sample my picks for my initial taster tray from DuClaw….

Dirty Little Freak Coconut Caramel Chocolate Brown Ale, “first brewed in 2014, takes the traditional American Brown Ale and gives it a sensual new twist – Coconut! This medium-bodied, 5.8% abv brown ale is a feast for the senses from its dominant blend of warm, roasted malt, coconut, caramel, and chocolate flavors barely restrained by a gentle hop bite, to its tantalizingly satisfying finish. But if you submit to our Dirty Little Freak, be warned: there is no safe word.”

Colossus “is dark amber in color and full-bodied with a perceptively sweet flavor profile accented by notes of apple, and a surprisingly tame alcohol presence on the palate in light of its staggering 21.92% abv. This astounding alcohol content (the highest ever brewed in the state of Maryland and verified by the Siebel Institute) is achieved through fermentation alone; no alcohol is introduced at packaging nor it distilled. Multiple grains are used in conjunction with three different yeast strains to produce a beer that simply defies classification… and most laws of nature.”

Misery “is light amber in color with a thin, persistent, white head and enticing aroma of grains, fruits and candy. Like all Wheat Wines, Misery boasts a smooth, creamy mouthfeel and a strong 11.2% abv, well hidden by an agonizingly delicious mix of malt and fruit flavors.”

Seems like a fun brewery from the artwork style is quite bold and in your face.  I like it even though I am not into heavy metal music.

Dirty Little Freak Coconut Caramel Chocolate Brown Ale, first brewed in 2014, takes the traditional American Brown Ale and gives it a sensual new twist – Coconut! This medium-bodied, 5.8% abv brown ale is a feast for the senses from its dominant blend of warm, roasted malt, coconut, caramel, and chocolate flavors barely restrained by a gentle hop bite, to its tantalizingly satisfying finish. But if you submit to our Dirty Little Freak, be warned: there is no safe word. – See more at: http://www.duclaw.com/beer/dirty-little-freak/#sthash.BVH8avse.dpuf
Dirty Little Freak Coconut Caramel Chocolate Brown Ale, first brewed in 2014, takes the traditional American Brown Ale and gives it a sensual new twist – Coconut! This medium-bodied, 5.8% abv brown ale is a feast for the senses from its dominant blend of warm, roasted malt, coconut, caramel, and chocolate flavors barely restrained by a gentle hop bite, to its tantalizingly satisfying finish. But if you submit to our Dirty Little Freak, be warned: there is no safe word. – See more at: http://www.duclaw.com/beer/dirty-little-freak/#sthash.BVH8avse.dpuf
Dirty Little Freak Coconut Caramel Chocolate Brown Ale, first brewed in 2014, takes the traditional American Brown Ale and gives it a sensual new twist – Coconut! This medium-bodied, 5.8% abv brown ale is a feast for the senses from its dominant blend of warm, roasted malt, coconut, caramel, and chocolate flavors barely restrained by a gentle hop bite, to its tantalizingly satisfying finish. But if you submit to our Dirty Little Freak, be warned: there is no safe word. – See more at: http://www.duclaw.com/beer/dirty-little-freak/#sthash.BVH8avse.dpuf