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 Guess what. It’s that time of year again. We’re staring down the barrel at Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas and the New Year. Each of these holidays carry with them a big and special meal, often complete with sweet, savory and flavorful dishes. Many families will gather ahead of dinner to watch the NFL games, catch some basketball or play cards around the table. It happens every year, right? It’s a festive time of year, but somehow we manage to find ways to stress about the details a bit more than we ought to. Case in point? The level of thought and preparation beer geeks are putting in to their holiday beer offerings.
Look, I’m a big proponent of pairing great beer with great food. I love a rare and powerful concoction as much as the next guy, too. Still, I don’t quite understand the fuss. I’m thinking about this today having just read a very agreeable point of view expressed by Eric Asimov in the current issue of Imbibe. Regarding “What to serve at Thanksgiving”, Asimov says:
I address this question every year… and my answer is always the same: Have red, have white- and have plenty of it.
To restate in beer terms: have porter, have pale, have IPA – and have a bunch of it…
Seriously, it’s OK to pull out a case of Sierra Nevada Pale while watching the game. It’s not a day to show off the beer cellar you’ve amassed over the years, no need to pull out the obscure brew collected on your trip to wherever, some years back. That is, unless you’re willing to just drink the damn beer without turning it into a ceremony of its own. Too often when we pull out those special beers with the expectation that we’ll be allowed to tell our story – the story of where the beer was made, who brewed it and what makes it special. There’s a time for this, of course, but I just don’t think it’s with all our friends and family trying to enjoy the company and the holiday.
Let’s face it. Most tables have a variety of flavors and textures that simply can’t be paired with one or two perfect beers. Sure, Saisons can handle most of what we have to throw at them, but even they’re not the magic bullet of the Thanksgiving table. Maybe it’s just best to have a beer you like, a beer that most people can share with and enjoy equally. It seems we should be able to put our beer-vangelical attitudes away for a few hours, right? We’re not going to convert everyone, (we shouldn’t, either) and to overstep our love of beer may just turn people away more than we attract. Just a thought.
So, what’s the point? Simple. Some days beer needs to take a back seat to the people around us. I absolutely believe that beer has a well-deserved place at the table, I am certain beer and conversation go hand-in-hand. That said, don’t over-think this. As Don Younger has said, “It’s not about the beer. It’s about the beer.”
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Drink well.
- RS
 Each year the fine folk at Rubicon Brewing Company, in Sacramento, put on an anniversary celebration that doubles as an IPA festival known as Hoptoberfest. This year represents the 22nd year in operation for the Capital’s longest-running brewery and comes on the heels of yet another major award in the country’s largest beer competition, the Great American Beer Festival. Hoptoberfest 2009 ran on Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 31 & Nov. 1) and featured 24 highly-hopped brews from all across the region, including two cask-conditioned ales. As is common with Rubicon, the kitchen staff teamed up with Morrant’s Old Fashioned Sausage Kitchen (a local favorite) to serve up traditional German grub, paired with sauerkraut made in Rubicon’s kitchen (a fantastic pairing!). Additionally, the kitchen staff was able to put out a handful of fresh pretzels made just outside the brewery – a labor of love, indeed. 
If you’re in the area, you’ll have a good chance of finding some of these hoppy concoctions in the days to come at Rubicon. Given the recent closure of Sacramento Brewing Company, it was more than great to see the seats and bar full of revelers sipping samples of ale, chatting it up with friends, or just watching the game on TV. We can’t wait till we do this again in 2010!
The Monster Pretzel
 Al Pulls a Pint of Rubicon Hopsauce (Double IPA Cask-Finished with Hops Grown on Site) 
Shawn & Scott Making Pretzels Out Back
The Beer Menu
Sampler of Beer
See All the Pictures on Flickr.
Long time readers know my love of all things HomeBrew Chef – the meals he puts on, his ability to pair dishes with obscure brews, the whole package that is Sean Paxton is very impressive. So it should come as no surprise that when it came to making our Thanksgiving turkey, I looked to him for advice. More specifically, I consulted his website.
Turkey and me get along pretty well, for years now I’ve made a bird that has impressed even me. That said, I knew it was time for me to get serious about cooking a Turkey-day creature with beer, preferably using a beer brine. Brines are nothing new to the cooking world, the blend of acids, sugar and salt have been used a long time to make meat more tender, more flavorful and in this case, more interesting. For turkey, there’s a few schools of thought on choosing the right beer for the brine – and believe me, I’m not saying this way is the only way. One school of thought believes that it’s a good thing to impart strong beer flavors on the bird, so use of porters and stouts, even hoppy ales are in order. Another believes that the soft caramelized malts of Munich are a better match, a play of subtle flavors that doesn’t overpower the turkey. I’ve had the porter and hoppy ale turkeys before, thanks to my good friend Mike, and those come out pretty damn good – I’ve experienced that first-hand over the years. Therefore, I opted to go the more subtle route and chose a locally brewed Octoberfest with a hit of German doppelbock.
The ingredients for this are fairly straight forward:
4 Quarts Beer – I strongly recommend locally brewed Octoberfest, Marzen or Bock of some sort.
4 Quarts Ice or Water
2 Cup Kosher Salt
1 Cup Sugar
4 Each Bay Leaves
3 BunchThyme, fresh
3 Each Yellow Onion, peeled and chopped
3 StocksCelery, sliced
3 Each Carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Each Lemon, quartered
4 Each Garlic Cloves, peeled and sliced
Homebrew Chef says you have the option of just blending ingredients cold, or heating them up in a large pot. Having planned this out in advance, I opted for heating the ingredients up a bit – and given the results see no need to ever try the cold brine method.
Once the brine had simmered and cooled, I placed the turkey, brine and ice in a bucket and let it soak for about 36 hours before rinsing it thoroughly and prepping it for cooking.
One deviation I made in the recipe was the stuffing of the turkey with apples, onions, carrots and celery. This was done primarily to ensure the bird wouldn’t dry out, but also allow the savory aromatics to absorb into the meat. This is a sometimes touchy subject among cooks, so do what you will here. Oh, I didn’t “stuff” the cavity either. I do know that the moist bread crumb mixtures used can slow the cooking process in the middle of the turkey, leading to dryer outer layers.
Another personal preference for me was to cook the turkey on the BBQ, covered with foil (shiny side in) and placed on a rack, inside a large pan, trying to maintain a temperature of 350 degrees. Beneath the rack we added more beer, admittedly the dregs of beers we were sipping on throughout the day. As the turkey cooks, you’ll likely want to feed the pan with more beer or water, encouraging steam in the process. Depending on your grill, the temperature maintenance may be more difficult than you like – you certainly don’t want to leave it unattended for very long.
For the full recipe and cooking instructions, be sure to check out Sean’s website – www.homebrewchef.com. I promise, if you follow the steps he lays out, you’ll have yourself one fantastic Thanksgiving Turkey that your family and friends will go nuts for – even the ones that don’t like beer.
Posted by Jeff Barber
And pigs are flying too!
Actually, it’s true. While at Chef’s Table for my usual Wednesday night visit, Chef David pulled a very interesting looking bottle of beer out of his refrigerator. Bottled and corked in the larger 750ML bottle, it was a Barley Wine from Cucapa Brewing in Baja, Mexico. Opened in 2002, this brewery was one of the first real microbreweries in Mexico and if this beer is a typical example, they are off to a great start. We poured it into red wine glasses and I let mine sit for about 10-15 minutes to let it warm up a little. A dark reddish-brown in color, it had lots of roasted malt aroma and noticeable molasses in the flavor. It was well balanced by the hops so that the sweetness didn’t overwhelm. Full bodied, sweet but balanced, and strong; this was a very good barley wine.
I couldn’t help but think how well this would have fit in with our other selections at the annual S.O.B.E.R Barleywine tasting event. But Chef was even sure who dropped it off for him and according to their website, the farthest north it’s sold in Califonia is Turlock.
It is distributed widely in the LA area so if you are there and see this beer, grab one. You won’t regret it.
I’ve heard from a few people in person and online that there’s a hollow spot in the week where Trivia Night used to be – now that Sacramento Brewing is closed. Well, good news for those of you interested, the master of Trivia Night (Chris himself) will be hosting Trivia Night in the same format you’re used to Monday’s at De Vere’s Irish Pub on 15th and L Street in midtown. While there, please check out the still-local brewed De Vere’s Lager – I’m certain it’ll help with those difficult questions.
This is a hard story to write, it’s too close to home. Workers and patrons at Sacramento Brewing Company discovered today that Sacramento Brewing Company has officially closed. For us at PBN we’ve come to truly appreciate the beers put out from this location over the past couple of years, under the watchful eye of brewmaster Peter Hoey. The closure comes just a few weeks after Hoey won another GABF medal for the brewery, a true testament of the quality of beer made at SBC.
Sacramento Brewing has been a much celebrated local joint for more than a decade, but when the founder and ‘eternal brewer’ Sam Peterson fell ill the brewery suffered from a lack of leadership and a decline in quality. Sam passed away a few years back and shortly thereafter it looked as though things had turned around with Hoey making recipe changes that resulted in World Beer Cup, California State Fair and Great American Beer Festival awards. In fact, in 2009 SBC was selling more beer in house than ever – in part, due to the expanded tap selection that included 24 guest beers. Sadly, the economic realities hit the restaurant side of the business in a way that beer sales couldn’t compensate for.
For beer lovers in the region this is a major blow. SBC joins Beermann’s and Elk Grove Brewing, and SBC’s satellite location The Oasis in local breweries that have shut down recently.
EDIT
I do want to take a moment to say Thank You to George and Sarah Irwin, owners of SBC. Since buying SacBrew some years back they’ve been nothing but hospitable to us at PBN. I know they poured a lot into making SBC work, but it just didn’t happen. We wish you the best. Don’t be strangers – would be good to see you at local watering holes in the near future.
Prohibition. The word for most beer enthusiasts causes one of two reactions. The first is a sort of horrific dream we had, the kind where we almost think it really happened. The second is a roll of the eyes and a sentiment that says, basically, “that’ll never happen”. Well, I don’t think we’ll ever see a nationwide prohibition on alcohol, and I don’t believe the public will ever endorse such a ban anytime soon, but there is a trend I’m worried about – and at this point, it’s not even a trend really. What is it you ask? “Pilot Programs” or “tests”.
This week in California a new law was signed by our governor to approve a pilot program for ignition locks to be placed on all vehicles owned by people with a DUI. This isn’t a state-wide measure, but does effect very large population centers. I’m torn on this, personally, but mainly feel this is a stupid idea that won’t solve our state’s drunken driving issues, but will make those who install these devices a pretty penny. On top of that, I just don’t see how this will be enforced with any greater success than our current drinking laws. But, this is for another day. The bottom line is there’s a “pilot” program out there that is aimed at those who’ve had run-ins with alcohol and driving.
This comes just over a year after Pacific Beach in San Diego implemented a “test” of their own, one that banned all alcohol consumption on the city beaches. This program I have a much bigger problem with. Programs like this (and we’ve seen similar programs on riversides in Sacramento) are nearly laughable in that they are the pinnacle of arrogance that says “not in my back yard” – or maybe people really believe the drinking has magically stopped because it’s been prohibited in one place and not the other.
I’m just thinking here, something bloggers are good at (that’s just to say there’s not a lot of research here), but what I’m thinking is a bit alarming. How many programs are out there like this? How many cities, counties and public areas are implementing a no-alcohol zone under the guise of a “program” or “test”?
Then I thought of this crazy, “it’ll never happen” idea…
What if a progressive city in the US created another “pilot” program? What if a community of people were willing to test a crazy idea out, one that supporters are certain can work, but detractors see as doom and gloom? I’m talking about the Legal Drinking Age Limit.
You see, there is no national drinking limit in the United States, but any state that has a drinking age under 21 does not qualify for Federal highway funding – and that’s a lot of money. Is it possible to run a “pilot” program while still ensuring a state can receive their Federal funding? Again, blogging here, not researching – I really don’t know. But, I can’t help but think it’s possible. Here’s my thoughts, and you’ll find they’re very much in line with those touted by Choose Responsibility and the The Amethyst Initiative (related).
First, I’d never suggest just lowering the drinking age alone – not right now, anyway. For decades kids have been robbed of the important educational aspect of responsible drinking – you know, beyond the scary TV ads and horrific lessons of extreme abuse. That understood, adults (you know, those who are 18 and can drive, vote, fight fires and wars – those adults) under the age of 21 must complete an alcohol education course similar to that required to get a drivers license. This will be a mix of common sense, street rules, bio-chemistry and social responsibility (or, the shit we have to learn on our own as is).
Second, yes, I’m all for a drinking permit required for adults under the age of 21. Make it a special designation on a driver’s license or state ID, not its own card.
Third, if a driver under the age of 21 has an alcohol related infraction behind the wheel, all drinking privileges are removed for a set period of time. I haven’t thought this one out too much, sorry – a year maybe? Think of it as having your license suspended. I would suggest a stiffer penalty (much stiffer) for anyone with a drinking permit caught distributing alcohol to anyone under 21 who does not have a drinking permit, and all under that age of 18. Same with alcohol on campus – if caught with booze at school, there’ll be hell to pay.
So, that’s just me thinking about pilot programs and the “it’ll never happen” way we live. Seeing more and more 100% bans on alcohol in public areas makes me think that just maybe something equally offensive and promising could be tested out. Who knows, it might just work…
Last Sunday, in unplanned fashion as usual, another meeting of some of the S.O.B.E.R participants occurred at my house where some great food (thanks to Jose) and great beer was shared. Planned around tasting the Allagash Hugh Malone and my Belgian Pale Ale homebrew, the day evolved into much more than that. Attending this outstanding session were Jose, Grant (now of Sac Bee fame due to his Owl Club picture), Mark and myself.
Our first beer of the day was the Maredsous 6, a Belgian Blond Ale. Mark and I were familiar with the Maredsous beers but had never had the 6. It had a great creamy body (maybe a little creamier than most typical blonds), had slightly fruity taste with a dry finish. It also was a little more orange/dark in color than most blonds. At only 6% ABV, you could a have few of these pretty easily. This was a great starting beer for the afternoon.
Next up was my Hoppy Monk, a homebrewed Belgian Pale Ale, that I made using fresh Cascade hops from PBN friend Bob Silva’s back yard. Brewed as a Belgian IPA with 3 hop additions in the boil and one in the fermenter, the Cascade hops came out very well in the aroma and taste but the bitterness was too low for an IPA. Next time, a more traditional bittering hop will be used early in the boil. There was a definite fruitiness/juiciness and grapefruit from the hop, great aroma, and good body and head retention (Mark’s comments, not mine).
After this, we moved on to the Allagash Hugh Malone, a true Belgian IPA. Brewed with Warrior and Simcoe hops, the bitterness was noticeable but not lingering and it had a slight sweetness up front. According to Allagash, the sweetness was due to the British 2- row and Crystal pale malts. Our own Beer Geek, Mark, however thought honey was used. We also noted that it had a very light body for 8.5% ABV. This was very good beer which we would have liked to taste head to head with another one of our favorite Belgian IPAs, Le Freak from Green Flash Brewing.
At this point, we were enjoying the nice weather and began discussing what else Jose and I had in our “cellars” for tasting. Typically, this is what happens at S.O.B.E.R meetings and out afternoon only improved from there.
Next up was a contribution from Jose, the 3 Philosophers from Ommegang. This beer, 98% Belgian Quad and 2% Kriek Cherry Lambic blend, has been around for awhile and is well-known by most Belgian beer lovers. Using wild yeast, this beer had enough hops to balance any malty sweetness and had definite notes of fig/plum, other dark fruits. The cherry was noticed more in the aroma than the flavor. This beer got several Wows and only motivated us to move on to more great beers. 3 Philosophers is 9.8% ABV.
After the 3 Philosophers, we moved on to another Belgian Quad brewed with cherries, the Rorie’s Ale from a new brewer, Odonata Brewing in Sacramento. A combined adventure between PBN’s own Rick Sellers and master brewer, Peter Hoey from Sacramento Brewing, this beer is unique and truly one of a kind. When I tried my first one at Chef’s Table in Rocklin earlier in the week, my first thoughts were OMFG (oh my freaking god) this is good. This beer has been almost 2 years in the making and has been aged in oak barrels for a year with sour cherries. Our tasting panel notice rich caramel malt and burnt sugar flavors and noticeable oak and cherry in the aroma. I loved the slightly sour flavor from the cherries. The good folks at Odonata suggest cellaring this beer for 6-12 months longer but Mark and I wonder if it would lose some of that wonderful tartness if we did. 10.2% ABV, this would have been excellent with some dark chocolate.
Just for the hell of it, before moving on to our last beer, we decided to taste the Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock. We did this to 1) cleanse our palates slightly and 2) because it was there. With a toasty bread aroma and biscuit flavors, this beer was missing the often typical “skunk” that is often present in imported beers. It also had a slightly spicy flavor probably from noble hops, and was very smooth.
Finally, we made it on to our final beer, the Maredsous 10, a Belgian tripel. One of the great examples of the triple style, this had spent some number of months in Jose’s cellar.
A 10% ABV beer, it was very creamy, and had noticeable hops and tartness. There was some discussion around a “spicy” bite the beer had when cold and it was decided it was from the carbonation which seemed higher than usual. As it warmed, it took on a more fruity character and demonstrated why beers like this are meant not to serve ice cold.
All in all, it was great afternoon. Tasting the beers with the marinated chicken, sausages, and cheese and bread Jose provided only added to the experience. Another successful chapter in the growing chain of S.O.B.E.R meetings!
Jesse, you’ll have to pardon me for not going in depth on this – I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Luckily, I have some pictures I can share to give a glimpse into Notoberfest, a food and beer orgy held at Mars Bar in San Francisco, put on by Beer and Nosh and featuring amazing meats from 4505 Meats, delectable ice cream pleasures from Humphrey Slocombe and crowd pleasing beers from Valley Brewing. This was a fairly casual affair, with different stations for folks to find their beer and ice cream, volunteers willing to bring finger foods out for the hungry mass and an overall sense of that Bay Area mellow. It was a unique event to say the least, and I seriously hope we’ve only just seen the first annual – of many to come, for years to come. If you missed out, well, better luck next time.
 Special 3-liter bottle from Steve’s collection.
 You have every right to wear that cheesy smile, Jesse – you put on a great show!
 A special pouring by Steve.
 Oh, yeah, the meat was fantastic!
 Jesse finds his Nosh.
 Ryan Farr slicing his creation.
 Hungry?
 Liver sausages – loaded with herbs – so good.
 Ryan at 4505 Meats traveled back in time to kill a Brontosaurus
 Ryan and Jesse thanking the volunteers.
 The beast is cooking over an open fire. Wow!
 To see more pictures from the event, check out our Flickr page.
We beer geeks have discussed beer’s rapid ascent (or slow, depending on what year you started keeping score) in today’s culture. We’ve often longed for beer to be on the table with fine wines, at celebrations like Champagne… well, I think that time has arrived. Check out this photo in the locker room of the LA Dodgers following their series sweep in the MLB playoffs.
photo from SportsIllustrated.com
Beer has arrived – in cans, nonetheless! What, not what you were asking for?
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