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Fieldwork Brewing has a new beer series coming for California and Oregon residents, called Way Back perhaps in a nod to the cartoon time machine. The focus will be on big and burly Imperial beers. But without a laundry list of added ingredients and in bottles.
Warm Flannel is the latest in the Scottish Wee Heavy style. Looking forward to a bit of a walk through of slightly forgotten styles that should be on menus more often, if I had my way.
Not for the first time, I am pointing out a choco-hop combo. Tcho with Fieldwork Brewing have put Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops into 68% dark chocolate.
Called Hoppy Hour, “This classic West Coast IPA hop blend cuts through the cacao with intense grapefruit, spice, and piney notes. We then dialed it to eleven by adding some pop rocks for a fun and effervescent backend.”
Fieldwork Brewing has a really good design sense. Which is bad, in a way, because now I expect more from them and a new label exceeds even that (with a cool beer name helping as well).
I like the old-timey quality of the map as well as the splashes of green and blue and the stripe of yellow. It is a design that practically forces you to look more closely. A feat many labels cannot achieve. And despite that aged look, we all know from using Google maps what that grid pattern means.
I was so taken by Canopy Pale Ale from Fieldwork that came in my Summit Experience package from the California Craft Brewers Association that I went to their website and saw that they had better shipping options than some of my locals, so I picked up two divergent styles.
Next up is a hazy, Trend Vampire…
Super low ABV. Love the name and all the DDH, hazy, low-cal descriptors. Has that scrappy tongue feel. More OG hazy, less the current fruity bombs. A bit minty. Certainly doesn’t taste low ABV
I was so taken by Canopy Pale Ale from Fieldwork that came in my Summit Experience package from the California Craft Brewers Association that I went to their website and saw that they had better shipping options than some of my locals, so I picked up two divergent styles.
First up use the dark lager…
Catching a slight Dr. Pepper without the sweetness vibe. Slight smoky roast character. Lovely grain character. Has a good heft to it. Silky mouthfeel.
In the Undoing Project, Michael Lewis relates the story of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, two Israeli psychologists who asked the question, “How does the mind work?” But they looked at the question from the point of view of decision making.
By pushing together various fields into psychology this unlikely duo was able to come up with some extremely contrary, at the time, findings about how we humans choose.
I usually find no fault in a Lewis book. Moneyball was a fascinating look at the person and the process at the same time. The Big Short took a complicated economic problem and made it so relatable that a movie was made from it.
Undoing though starts with a really long ramble about an NBA general manager that, to me, only tangentially connects to the two people in the book and from that point on, Lewis seems to be split between focusing on the theory or the people behind it. The two halves just don’t fit together even though the pair’s working relationship is fascinating and their work is too.
To pair with this book, you need to travel to the places in America where they did work. Eugene, Oregon, Michigan and the Bay Area….
Ninkasi Believer Double Red Ale – “Multiple kinds of caramel malts are used to create caramel, toffee, date, fig, subtle chocolate, and a hint of roasted malt complexity. The hops lend to an earthy and floral hoppiness to balance the malt. The balance of the two aspects with the alcohol content make for an incredibly drinkable and full-flavored beer.”
Founders Palm Reader – “A tribute to our beautiful state, this refreshing ale is made with Michigan-grown Crystal and Zuper-Saazer hops. Derived from Saaz, a traditional noble hop hailing from the Czech Republic, these Zuper-Saazer hops, grown locally at Hophead Farms, impart intense and fruity aromas. Combined with the citrus notes of the Crystal hops and the simple malt bill, this beer is crisp, bright and delicious.”
or you could get a Berkeley beer from Fieldwork. A nod to conducting trials outside the lab. Maybe one of their Field Trial beers or their Golden Ruel DIPA.
Over two days and in between summit and festival, I visited four breweries in Sacramento. One I visited twice.
Fieldwork gets my nod because of multiple reasons. I tried four different beers. All were excellent. Shower Beer being my favorite. But the Taproom offshoot of the Berkeley based brewery had style. From the logo design to the detailed menu to the taster tray, to the beer names, even the sign out front.
Toss in a super opinionated brewer who may in equal parts make you agree or disagree with him over the course of one sentence and you have the makings of a cult favorite. Plus, you can get half pours if you ask nice.
No, you don’t have to order the NE inspired beers. They have other beers with hops to occupy yourself with.