On Draught Beer

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I’ve been an advocate of clean beer lines for some time now, but I haven’t talked much about it here. Why? Well, it’s a touchy subject. You see, most bar owners assume their beer lines are clean because they have them serviced by the distributors that provide the beer. Sometimes that’s not a bad assumption. That said, the vast majority of bar owners I’ve come across have next to no actual ownership of their taps. By this I mean, they let the line cleaner in and sign the papers when the job is done.

I’ve actually watched a few line cleaners on the job, while sitting at the bar enjoying a beer. What I’ve seen didn’t reassure me. What’s worse, I know of several “craft beer” bars that buy kegs through channels that don’t clean beer lines. The issue with this is that line cleaners sent out by the distributor will only clean the beer lines that have the distributor’s beer in them – so it’s possible a portion of the lines in the bar are neglected altogether for extended periods of time. Finally, this is a complaint of several brewers I know, basic line cleaning services neglect completely the couplers & faucets.

Bar Owners, it’s not the responsibility of the distributors to clean your beer lines. It’s a service they provide – sometimes. It’s OK to take ownership of your bar (thanks, truly, to those that already do) – it’s OK to monitor your line cleaners, to insist that your faucets & couplers be cleaned on a quarterly basis (at minimum). You’re not going to make anyone sick with dirty beer lines, but if you’re about highlighting the world’s best beer – by all means, treat it like it’s the world’s best friggin’ beer!

If you’re a bar owner and you don’t really grasp the ins-and-outs of line cleaning, there are many resources online to help you out. If you’re a bar owner that just doesn’t give a shit about this, maybe it’s too much of a hassle or you really don’t think your paying customers know the difference, well, I’ve included a lovely little video below for your viewing pleasure.

Beer Geeks – you may recall a few years back Dr. Charles Bamforth of UC Davis said that bottled beer is better than draught beer. Remember that? Oh, we were all bent out of shape on that one – clearly draught beer is best! Well, no. It’s not. Draught beer on clean beer lines is a thing of beauty. This is what he was actually referring to. You have an assurance of quality in bottled/canned products that we simply don’t have in draught beer. Hopefully that’ll change soon as beer consumers become increasingly more educated about the drink we love.

 

Tip of the Hat to Mr. Papazian – his little Facebook feed finally got this post out of me. 

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Beer Cocktails

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Beer Cocktails – yeah, they’re all the rage. We’ve read about them on various blogs, Facebook, in print and hell, there’s even a website devoted to them: they must be popular. For all the talk, however, I think there’s more confusion for readers and imbibers than there is when brewers talk mash techniques to a casual beer fan. For many, beer cocktails are modified ‘beer and a shot’ concoctions – pints of beer with an ounce or so of booze. Sure, I can appreciate the shot of Bourbon in an IPA, but it is a mess on the palate. Others take their beer cocktails more seriously, or at least seem to, and create intriguing elixirs that are more fun than good. Finally, there are a handful of folks that put the serious work into their cocktails and actually understand the balance required to make it good – evening out the booze, acids and sugars to create an inviting and festive drink that can be enjoyed time and time again.

Sadly I feel that lost in all this craze is the fact that we (Americans) are only rediscovering the greatness of beer and cocktails. The 90s were a fucking train wreck for craft beer and the cocktail worlds – craft brewers started putting out shit beer (not all, obviously) and cocktails were co-opted by Sex In The City viewers that demanded their drinks obnoxiously sweet and boozy. It has only been in the last eight years or so that authors, bartenders and editors began to question the cocktail world – and we all know that craft beer has had to redefine itself in that same time frame.

So here we are, newbies at a strange intersection where craft cocktails and craft beers meet. There are plenty of train wrecks, plenty of oddities and much confusion. That said, there are also a handful of great creations worth exploring.

To begin, let’s talk about the crappy stuff and get it out of the way. If you look online for any amount of time you’ll find some pretty terrible recipes for beer cocktails. It’s easy to see why, too. Beer geeks have taken their favorite drinks and combined them in appalling ways. I believe this is done by well-meaning folks that perhaps don’t understand the liquids they’re playing with (and if you read some of the instructions for building a cocktail, it becomes obvious they’re in over their head).

For an example, take a look at this recipe for “Tower Glen” – a mix of Glenlivet (Highland Single Malt) and Tower 10 (American IPA). The description talks of how the “peat cuts right through that hop aroma”, which is interesting given how little peat the Scotch has. Now, if it were an Islay Single Malt I could follow that statement, but still wouldn’t dream of the mix. This, in my view, is a sloppy drink created with little understanding of the liquids. Examples like this are plenty and I don’t mean to berate the creators too much, but these thrown together drinks are a far cry from excellence.

So, how do we create a good beer cocktail? Well, for starters, drop the word “beer” from the moniker – cocktails (and let’s not talk about the historical meaning of the word) are an intentional blend of ingredients that create a drink of balance. They should not have any one ingredient that completely dominates, nor should they unsettle the palate with confusion (starting one way, then finishing another – or not finishing at all).  The best cocktail makers look at ingredients and see how they will complement or contrast the flavors, aromas and texture of the base ingredient (usually a spirit). This thought process doesn’t just happen – the creator must have a working knowledge of flavors and available ingredients.

A quick detour (hey, it’s a blog, I can do this without pissing off an editor). 

If you want to be creative in the bar or kitchen, there’s a great resource that will make you look good – The Flavor Bible. This book is great for recipe development in that it is not in itself a cook book, but rather a list of ingredients and what other ingredients they will go great with. Quickly, let me just look at the “Ginger” section with you. Among the long list of food that go well with ginger you’ll see Apricots, Basil, Pears, Vanilla Lemon and Tea. Based on this, if you have a working knowledge of old-school drinks, you’ll remember the classic cocktail – The Horse’s Neck (a wonderful blend of whiskey, ginger & lemon). In the next section you’ll see “Flavor Affinities”, one of which includes “Ginger+Lemon+Mint”. There ya go, you have yourself a great jumping off point for a cocktail – you just have to find the best delivery mechanism for the flavors listed.

OK, back to the beer cocktails…

So, you want to create a cocktail that involves beer. Great. Please, please, please understand that beer is but a part of the drink and not the show, itself. Next, understand that ‘beer’ is like saying ‘fruit’ in that it really says nothing about the flavor, texture or aroma of the actual ingredient. To be more concise requires a base knowledge of beer styles – which ones offer roasted qualities and which offers citrus, spice, pear notes, toffee, caramel (and yes, there is a difference), banana… you get the idea. It isn’t enough to say ‘dark beer’, either – that can be toasty like a porter, roasted like a stout or fruity like a doppelbock or dubbel. I’m of the opinion that beer should be the last ingredient added to a cocktail, too. Build the drink to intentionally be lacking that flavor/aroma/texture you want the beer to add. Then, find the right beer for the job.

On building your drinks, it won’t take but a moment to realize that you should not shake your beer in a Boston Shaker – the carbonation will just blow the top off or cause a mess when opened (yeah, I know this from trial and error). If using fruits or egg whites, best to shake the mostly-built cocktail ahead of time, then either stir in the beer or float it.

Finally, you don’t have to use finished beer to make a beer cocktail, do you? If you have access to wort, you may find that adds an impressive layer to your creation – it’s a fun substitute for simple syrup. Again though, you must have a base knowledge on flavors. Pilsner malt wort will taste and look quite a bit different than porter or stout wort. Wort is actually a beautiful cocktail ingredient, in case you were wondering.

Sadly, this post barely scratches the surface of cocktails and beer and how the two can be happily married. To properly do that, one would have to write a book – and I haven’t been asked to do that yet. Just know this – among the bad and underwhelming ‘beer cocktails’ are some truly amazing creations. The key is the author/bartender and his/her knowledge of ingredients and how they work with each other.

For those that believe it’s blasphemy to use a great beer in the creation of a cocktail – get over yourself. Bartenders are expected to use the best and freshest ingredients possible in the creation of their drinks. Why would we, as general consumers, not want them to have the truly great ingredient beer can be in their arsenal?

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The Fancy Beer Dilemma

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A recent post on AskMen.com that has made its Social Media rounds seems to call out craft beer – deeming it “fancy beer” and bemoaning the increasing complexity that is today’s beer scene. It’s an easy piece for craft beer enthusiasts to rip apart, an easy knee-jerk reaction would be to proclaim the virtues of craft beer over industrial brands – and that would not be entirely inappropriate. That said, the piece calls out some realities that craft beer bars (and bars that pepper in craft brands) have failed to deal with.

Let’s look at this fictional exchange – which really isn’t that fictional, if you’ve been paying attention.

“Bartender, what’s on tap?”
“There’s the list, next to you.”
“This one?”
“No, that’s the phone book. The big one there, next to it.”
“Ah. Yes. Hmm, I’ll have … uh …”
“Hey, pal. You gonna order a beer or you gonna read?”

This comical look at a bar exchange is pretty typical for those that work around craft beer. Yes, we beer enthusiasts have it made – we can be given a lengthy list of craft brands and – if it’s properly formatted – can quickly spot the beer we want (assuming the list is broken up by malty / hoppy / ale / lager / dark / pale / sour / wheat / whatever categories). That said, imagine you’ve been brought up on an Industrial beverage – what are you to do when presented with ten, fifteen or twenty ‘foreign’ brands? Sadly, most American craft beer bartenders have little patience to walk consumers through the list to find the most appropriate beer – and those with patience often have other customers to deal with. The end result is a crap shoot for customers and an immediate sense of insecurity in their order. So, if the beer comes without explanation, it can be overwhelming and – frankly – confusing. The end result is a justified frustration with the current state of beer. I get that.

The same rings true with coffee drinkers that just want ‘a damned cup of coffee’, unaware of the world’s coffee growing region’s and the differences in roasts that change the appearance, aroma and flavor of their cup of joe. Cheese, bread and even the meat counter have all become a place of confusion for the casual consumer. We are creatures of comfort, and we are increasingly being forced into deeper and more complex waters.

So, what is the answer? I suppose we could just say ‘fuck ‘em’ and move on. I mean, if people lack the curiosity and passion for what they consume, that’s their problem. Others will say we need more education – perhaps another new podcast or beer blog – that makes information accessible for all. Then there is the group that just says we push the consumers into deep water, that they’ll learn quickly that craft beer is inherently better beer and the world will magically right itself. All of these thoughts, I believe, have led us to where we are today – with a slightly larger base of beer enthusiasts, but with a greater percentage of anti-craft beer drinkers.

So, what to do…

Change the culture! Oh, shit, that’s easy! Right? Wait, what the hell does that mean?

For starters, ditch the beer bibles. Well, let’s step back… let’s reformat our beer bibles. If you have a tap house or restaurant with a load of beers available, go beyond the broad categories and list four or five ‘recommendations’ – staff picks, if you will. List a lager, a pale ale, amber ale, stout and wheat beer – the biggest and broadest buckets that may trigger a comfortable response from a consumer.

Second, learn to talk with the uninitiated. When a customer comes into a better beer establishment, they may (or may not) understand that Bud, Coors and Miller won’t be on tap. However, they won’t (likely) understand that Blue Moon, Shock Top and Stella won’t be available – I mean, to many people, those are ‘better beer’ options (fancy beers, if you will). Add to that list brands like Heineken, Newcastle, Corona (yes, seriously), Guinness and whatever beer you’ve stopped enjoying years ago. So, when someone walks in and asks for a Blue Moon, don’t shun them or hit them over the head for their ignorance – guide them positively to a similar product – without the attitude (“it’s like Blue Moon, only better” or “I used to like Guinness, before I found a real stout”). We beer geeks are comfortable saying “trust your palate”, but only when talking about one craft brand over another.

Finally, relax a little bit. We’re all in this together and when we’re going out to drink at a bar or tavern, we really just want a good drink (subjective) and a spot to unwind. I believe we’ll get a lot further in our promotion of craft beer if we are indeed promoters of craft beer – and promoters don’t diminish the tastes or likes of others, they are a positive face and message for that which they promote. This isn’t a war with craft beer drinkers fighting other beer drinkers. If anything, we’re all about supporting a craft product – embracing good liquid over clever marketing, substance over shine. With this attitude, the worst thing that’ll happen is we’ll all enjoy a glass of beer, without creating conflict with others looking to do the same damned thing.

 

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Brewers Showcase & Capital Beerfest

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Written by Jeff Barber

If you are into beer and live in Sacramento, I’m sure you realize that Sacramento Beer Week has now kicked off in a big way. On Saturday February 25, I had the opportunity to attend the Sacramento Brewer’s Showcase and the Capital Beerfest , both of which were outstanding. Congratulations go to Rick Sellers, a fellow PBN’er, for organizing and running a great show.

Nineteen breweries from the Sacramento area alone were at the showcase, which is a great demonstration of what the Sacramento beer scene is becoming. The showcase allowed those attending a chance to taste some great beers by veterans like Rubicon, Auburn Alehouse, and Western Pacific, while also enjoying the efforts of new guys in the area like Roseville Brewing, ol Republic, Loomis Basin, and American River. Other breweries attending were Berryessa, Track 7, Knee Deep, River City, Sierra Nevada, Fox Barrel, Sutter Buttes, Lockdown, Ruhstaller, Two Rivers, and Old Hangtown. Special congratulations go to Roseville Brewing, who as of Saturday had been open all of one day, and ol’ Republic , who as of show time had been open all of 8 days. Welcome to the area!

The showcase did get a little crowded and especially long lines were seen at Old Hangtown, Sierra Nevada, and Ruhstaller. It was a little difficult to talk to some of the brewers due to the crowd but I did get a chance to try a lot of good beers and have some great discussions with some of the brewers who are almost always willing to talk about their beers and how they are made.

At about 2:30, all the guests were ushered out so the area could be cleared. At 3, those paying for both events were let back in along with those just paying for the bigger beerfest. The building where the events were held at CalExpo was a great venue, as it was large enough to allow for the breweries to be split into 3 sections spread out across the floor. This spread out the crowd quite a bit and made it easy to get a beer at most tables (except for Russian River which pretty much had a long line from start to finish. Imagine that).

Now for the tasting notes. First of all, I did taste all the beers below but in order to keep from truly saturating my liver, and to keep me able to continue taking notes and have them make sense, I emptied out a lot of beer. When I wasn’t able to get the pourers to pour a smaller than normal, I took a few tastes of the beer and emptied  the rest. I know, it’s alcohol abuse on a large scale but I had no choice.

In order to better evaluate the beers I decided to split them into lighter tasting/lower alcohol beers and bigger beers, so here it goes.

1)      American River Brown – I had heard a lot of buzz about this beer and I have to say it’s all true. This is a great example of a brown ale. Roasty malt up front with very little hop but a slight bite in the finish. A great beer for people who think they don’t like “dark” beers.

2)      Berryessa Waters Pale Ale – Citrusy hop aroma with a nice little hop bite that lingers a little. Tastes a little hoppier than 44 IBU but a very nice pale ale.

3)      Sierra Nevada Sloughhouse – An English session beer brewed for Beerweek, this beer was very clean and simple up front with a slight hop finish to it.  Noticeable hops but not prominent. Would be great on a summer day.

4)      Track 7 Daylight Amber – Slightly fruity aroma. A little hoppier than most ambers but the malt is noticeable too. Really an enjoyable beer but not a true amber. Who cares? Very good.

5)      Ol’ Republic Export Stout – Very nice, some notes of chocolate and coffee, even slightly tart.

6)      Roseville Brewing Blackberry Wheat – Noticeable aroma of berry in the aroma and in finish but not too sweet. Very low hopped, as it should be, with nice heard retention. I heard several people talk about how much they liked this. I did as well.

7)      Oakland Brewing Co Rosy Cheeks Amber – Clean with some malt in the beginning. Slight hop bite in the finish. Good but unremarkable.

8)      Ol Republic California Common –This was a great example of the style. Noticeable malt up front followed by prominent hop bite in finish, almost pilsner like. Very, very good. This would score high, judging to style.

9)      Western Pacific Stout – Pretty damn good. Nice full body (from the oatmeal that was added according to the brewer Andy Klein). A little mild in flavor but noticeable roastiness. Enjoyable.

Out of the nine “lighter” beers, I would have to pick the ol Republic California Common as my favorite, followed by the Roseville Brewing Blackberry Wheat tied with the American River Brown, and the Track 7 Amber in third.

Now, onto the bigger beers. These are typically more the types of beer I prefer and there were some great ones. These are not necessarily in the order they were tasted.

1)      North Coast Barrel Aged Old Rasputin – How do you take a beer that is all ready great and improve it? How about aging it in oak whisky barrels for a year or so? I’m a little at a loss for words to describe how good this beer was. Strong dark fruit and chocolate in the aroma. The alcohol was noticeable but not over the top. Hops and coffee up front followed by chocolate especially as it warmed ( I had a little more of this one). I enjoyed talking to the brewer, Ken Kelley, about how he made this and how the beer was often different out of each barrel. He nailed it with his suggestion of a chocolate raspberry torte to go with this. Wow!

2)      Sutter Buttes Imperial Oatmeal Stout – Very full body. Hints of alcohol. Definite notes of coffee. Good beer. Once of my favorite styles.

3)      Rubicon Wheat Wine – Caramelly sweet up front but pretty well balanced by big dose of hops in finish. 9.2% abv and tastes like it. Very enjoyable.

4)      Sierra Nevada 2×4 – This is a blend of a dubble and a quad aged in bourbon barrels. Big aroma of dark fruit up front. Tastes of vanilla and bourbon and some citrus. Noticeable alcoholic warmth at 11.1% ABV. This as a truly great beer.

5)      Knee Deep Simtra 3X IPA – This one is a hop extravaganza. Lots of citrus in both the aroma and taste, very grapefruity. Amazingly well balanced for such a big beer. Well done.

6)      Roseville Brewing IPA -  The first beer brewed on their new system, this is a very solid IPA. Noticeable fruitiness in the aroma, some hops up front but stronger in the finish. Hops don’t linger too long either. Great head retention too even on a small pour. Looking forward to seeing this beer develop into the double IPA they are planning.

7)      Western Pacific Single Malt Scotch Ale – 9.1% ABV and with an aroma to prove it. A scotch flavor was noticeable from the use of peat malt. Very well balanced as it finishes very smooth and nothing really lingers other than the alcoholic warmth. Great job.

8)      Knee Deep White IPA – Lots of citrus and pine in the aroma. Citrusy hop taste with noticeable hop finish. Very good IPA but I didn’t really notice any coriander or orange as implied by the name.

9)      North Coast Grand Cru – Poured from a bottle. Fruity aroma with notes of apple and cider in the taste. Very tart and saison-like but much more than that. An excellent beer.

10)   Caldera Toasted Coconut Porter – I’m not a big fan of coconut normally but in this beer, it was delicious. It’s very noticeable in both the aroma and the flavor but not over the top. Some notes of chocolate and roastiness in the flavor. Slight bitterness in the finish. Yummm!

11)   Triple Voodoo Kaleidoscope – After having the Inception from this brewer at a friend’s house and loving it, I was looking forward to trying more from this brewery. This is a black IPA with smoke added. Pretty complex flavors. Toasted malt flavors up front with slight notes of pepper and hops in the finish. Didn’t really get the smoke. Good but not as good as the Inception.

12)   Auburn Alehouse ZZ Hop – A triple IPA, brewed in honor of good friend and fellow PBN’er, The Hophunter, Mike Sober, this is another great beer. Big in every way, this beer is packed with western hop flavor and aroma. Not for the faint of heart, it’s on cask at the Alehouse on 2/29. Be there for a real taste treat.

At this point, I quit taking notes and decided to just go back and enjoy some of the beers I had again. I ended up trying a few more too; the High River Porter being the most notable.

Of the bigger beers I tried, my favorite was the Barrel Aged Old Rasputin which was almost god-like it was so good. Following closely were the Western Pacific Single Malt Scotch Ale and the Sierra Nevada 2×4. In third, I’d have to choose the Auburn Alehouse ZZ Hop and the Knee Deep 3X IPA.

Saturday was a great day that truly demonstrated how the beer scene in Sacramento has grown. A big welcome goes out to Roseville Brewing/Iron Triangle, ol’ Republic, American River, Berryessa, and Track 7. Judging by their beers at the Brewfest, they are all off to great starts. Old veterans like Rubicon, River City, Old Hangtown, Fox Barrel, Two Rivers and Auburn Alehouse continue to brew great beers and ciders while newer (but not quite brand new) breweries like Loomis Basin, Western Sierra, Sutter Buttes, Ruhstaller, Knee Deep, and Lockdown continue to impress. Add to that all the breweries in surrounding areas and it’s really true. There’s no reason to drink bad beer in Sacramento!

 

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For What It’s Worth

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I snapped this picture on my phone this morning on the California Senate Floor. It’s a fairly un-interesting picture, really, unless you’re a fan of California Craft Beer. You see, that 26-0 score is the Senate vote on a declaration making February (not just 2012) “California Craft Brewers Month” (SCR66). I wrote some time ago my thoughts on this idea, it is more than a little satisfying to see it happen.

For those that believe the Senate has bigger fish to fry, I agree. However, let us not take away from the substantial economic impact our craft breweries have in our state (to see stats, click the link above).

It was great to be on the floor today, it was truly impressive to see the Senate give a standing ovation to California Craft Beer. Afterward, we were greeted by Senators eager to tell us about the great brewers in their respective districts – the guy from San Diego was particularly proud (as he should be).

So, Cheers to California Craft Brewers Month! While there’s only a week left this year to celebrate, we can all make plans now for Beer MONTH 2013!

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Sacramento Beer Scene – Bigger than Beer Week

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It’s remarkable to me to continually write about the boom our region is in right now, in terms of the region’s robust beer scene. If you haven’t seen it already, I’ve got a piece in the current issue of Celebrator about our new breweries, but there’s actually quite a bit more going on than most hard-core beer geeks don’t yet know. First, give me a few moments to praise our region’s already-great craft beer bars.

If you’ve been a fan of the suds for a few years, these are the names you associate with better beer: Rubicon, The Shack, Dad’s Kitchen, Pangaea, Davis Beer Shoppe, Samuel Horne’s Tavern and Auburn’s World Pub. While these hopped-up destinations vary in history, the fact remains these are spots we know will have a good beer on tap served by people that know a thing or two about the product. But, have you noticed something else, something hidden just below the surface of Sacramento’s established beer culture? Reputable and newly-minted businesses are expanding their craft beer options – and this isn’t just a one week makeover.

Leading off, have you checked out the Cordova Casino (Rancho Cordova)? Ever heard of it? I hadn’t either until a few trusted customers told me it was worth checking out. A few things, right up front. Yes, I said “casino”, but that doesn’t quite tell the story. Yes, they have card tables, but there is no smoking, no noisy fucking slot machines and is completely devoid of that “Vegas” vibe I loathe so much. What they do have is a handful of solid craft beer taps (including offerings from American River, Deschutes, Firestone Walker and others) and a pretty vast selection of craft beer in bottles (more than 80). No, this is not the first bar that comes to mind when you think “craft beer”, but if you happen to live in the Rancho Cordova area, you should find it comforting in some way that good beer is not far away. With some additional staff training and more time finding their craft beer legs, this place could be a great beer bar. I think they’re taking a big step with their heavy involvement in Beer Week.

Up next, Owl Club (Roseville) – my old watering hole! This old-school beer bar is adding six new taps with a fairly impressive commitment to craft beer with their big ‘reveal’ night happening the day before Beer Week officially kicks off. Owner Mark Vespoli is showing some pretty impressive initiative to overhaul such an established bar – I believe his investment will pay off well.

Not to be outdone, the boys at DeVere’s Irish Pub has quietly unveiled six rotating American craft taps at each location (Midtown and Davis). DeVere’s has always had a few good craft options, but this shows the owner’s commitment to satiate the local’s penchant for local, or small-batch offerings from breweries like Firestone, Bruery, American River and more. Oh, these six taps are all ‘rotating’, too – which is impressive in its own right. In addition, DeVere’s (like the above-mentioned watering holes) has quite an impressive lineup for Sacramento Beer Week.

Yes, it is indeed an exciting time for Sacramento-area craft beer fans – more local brewers making more great beer AND there are more great places to find said beer. Keep it up, business owners and bar managers. May your investment and belief better beer be repaid.

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Roseville Brewing: First Look

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I stopped in this afternoon to the soon-to-be-open brewery, Roseville Brewing Company, and met up with the President and owner, Kelly Rue. I’ve known Kelly for a while now, along with his business partner and brewer Brett Ratcliff, and have been following their journey since it was posted that they were to open (the official ABC posting is dated 4/20/11 – these things take time). Rue is eager and anxious, as all new business owners should be, but in my view the hardest part is over.

Roseville Brewing is slotted to open its tasting room on February 24th – the opening day of Sacramento Beer Week – and the crew there is putting the finishing touches on things to make sure it goes off without a hitch (well, likely without too many hitches – given the nature of things that exist in the real world). When they open they’ll have six beers for patrons to explore – pale ale, wheat beer, IPA, stout, blackberry stout and a cinnamon/coffee stout.

The brewhouse itself is a new seven-barrel system with a couple of 15-barrel tanks. They also have a small pilot brewery (a beautiful B3 system) that will make small batches of experimental ales. While the team at Roseville Brewing ‘thinks’ the flagship beers will be the Pale Ale, Double IPA and Wheat Beer, Rue is realistic enough to know that these things truly are up to the customers – if they demand something different, they’ll be more than happy to accommodate.

As with every new brewery opening, I expect the first batches of beer won’t last very long and that recipes and things will change along the way. If you’re an early-bird type of person, understand that new operations like this may take a few weeks to really find their footing – and your patience will be rewarded. While the crew is green in the professional brewing world (this will be their fist commercial brewing operation), they bring a passion and palate to the table that will certainly find a way to satiate the strongest thirst for great, local beer. And, by the way, I’ve had several of Ratcliff’s home-brewed beers before and know without a doubt the man can brew. I expect his is a face the local beer geeks will get to know in a hurry.

Additional Info

Also In Roseville

While I don’t have all the info needed for a full post, I did learn that the once-shuttered “Greenhouse” brewery in Roseville will once again make its own beer under the name “Sports Page Bar and Grill”. I stopped in just long enough to get a picture of the system and confirm with the bartender that house-brewed beers are in the works. According to her, the first beer will be an IPA. Go figure. I’ve had beers made on this system by Kevin Pratt (currently brewing at Santa Barbara Brewing) and know it is capable of great things. I’ll report further as I learn more. As far as the place goes, it’s pretty much the same in appearance as Greenhouse with several good beers on tap served by your typical Roseville barkeep – young female without any obvious training on how to pour a beer. That, to me, doesn’t bode well for the business, but at least I hope the beer will be good.

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Book Review: Bitters

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It’s not often I review books – and that’s for a variety of reasons. However, I have been using a book for a few months now that I think it may interest a few cocktail-savvy booze hounds – as well as passionate homebrewers. Bitters – A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All – by Brad Thomas Parsons was released in late 2011 (published by Ten Speed Press). No, I’m not the first to review this book.

Bitters begins with a bit of a history lesson on the subject and is thoughtfully laid out. That said, there is little in the way of revelation for those passionate about cocktails and the history of iconic concoctions. It seems, too, that Parsons befriended knowledgeable barkeeps for much of his work – and that is no slight, he cobbled together some great stories that shared a personal connection, making the accounts more substantial.

Where the books strengths seem to lie is the recipes for creating bitters at home. Included in the book are recipes for typical house-made bitters, pear, meyer lemon and many other bitters that each take around three weeks to properly create. I’ve played with several recipes repeatedly and have found that the tastes and aromas are spot on, but my personal palate longs for more actual bitterness. No worries, Parsons did a superb job before the recipe section of the book explaining what ingredients were needed to boost the bitterness levels. Yes, just like any cookbook, modifications are encouraged based on the creator’s personal preference.

Another strength in Bitters is found in the actual cocktail recipes, which covers old-school and current trendy elixirs. I’ve found the recipes for the drinks to be wonderfully balanced – great presence of sweetness, acidity and booze with layers of flavor and complexity appreciated by cocktail sippers.

Perhaps what I appreciated most in Parson’s writing was the complete lack of pretentiousness I’ve seen in far too many modern “mixologist” (a term I loathe, by the way). While Parson’s lays out a wonderful story and recipes for bitters and cocktails, he avoids the pitfall of appearing snooty or superior. He is not ashamed to give credit to others and seems incredibly comfortable sharing ‘secrets’ of the craft and trade that in this up-and-coming trend that is home bitters making – where to get incredients and who created the recipes.

For a small section of the book Parsons nears the realm of the high-and-mighty bartender, in his ‘tools’ section where he lays out the various tools needed (desired) for home bartenders. In general I find the home barkeep can get away with a lean and cheap setup – strainer, shaker, peeler, channel knife (for zesting) and muddler – all of which will set you back around $30 if you know where to find good deals. Beyond these tools, it’s all gravy. Really though, Parsons never states a home barkeep needs the other tools he lists, and for that I give him credit (though I still can’t fathom why the ad for a $700 tool bag was included – who the hell would buy such a contraption, and why?).

In all the book was one of the best I’ve read in recent years on the topic of booze and booze-related creations. It’s opened the door to my home bitters-making even further (yes, I was making bitters before the book, but I freely admit the bitters have vastly improved since reading this book – even when I deviate from the recipes). What’s more, it has me thinking more and more about what to do with my homebrewed beer options. In all honesty, it reminds me of a conversation I had with Sean Paxton in his garage a few year back, as he had me smelling wonderful spice creations he’d made to add to his beer. Yes, I see a place for some modified bitters recipes making their way into some Belgian-style dubbels or quads in the near future – I can’t help but think the pear blend I’ve got in a mason jar right now won’t work magically in these styles.

If you love making stuff at home – beer, roasted coffee, whatever – and enjoy the occasional cocktail, I believe Bitters will be a great addition to your library. If you’re “just” a homebrewer looking for inspiration for future beer recipes, I believe you’ll find some of this information more than a little useful as well (yes, I plan on making my own version of gruit someday, based on some of the bittering ideas put forth in Parsons recipes). Homebrew shop, bar and coffee shop owners might just want a copy for customers to gawk at – the photos in the book are all sorts of sexy.

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Addendum – Props to the before-mentioned Sean Paxton for recommending this book to me, before it was published. The guy is on top of things, I tell ya!
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ZZ Hop: Drink to be Sober

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Mike Sober is a memorable man. Folks across California will recognize him and his signature scruffy beard as he enters the bar or brewery in his never-ending quest for the next great hopped-up concoction. On the outside he has the appearance of a gruff individual, but spend two seconds talking with him on any subject and you’ll learn quickly that Mike is a gentle, intelligent man that is fairly passionate about his beer choice of beer. Some have made the mistake to assume he’s a one-trick-pony, that his tastes for beer are solely focused on IPAs and Double IPAs, this is far from true. While he tends to enjoy these brews more than others, it is very common to see him sipping away at a clean pilsner, or an aromatic hefeweizen. The thing Mr. Sober demands above all else when sipping a beer is quality.

It’s been this way for many years. Back when the first craft beer revolution hit the Nor Cal bar scene (in the 1990s) you could find Mike and his lovely bride, Terri, sidled up at the Owl Club in Roseville (which, to my knowledge, was the first ‘craft beer’ bar in the region) sipping whatever good beer was on tap. He also made regular appearances at the local brewery, Beermann’s – which was conveniently located next to Mike’s place of employment. I believe it’s safe to say, if you’ve been a fan of craft beer in the greater Sacramento area, you’ve at least seen the man we love so much (by the way, Mike is a regular contributor to PBN). It was at Beermann’s and the Owl Club that a growing group of beer enthusiasts met Mike and learned to like him more and more with each chance encounter. Today, a tight-nit group of friends still meets regularly, part of a group we fondly call “The SOBER group”. The man in the middle, the connection many of us have (beyond our love of beer) is our relationship with Mike.

How fitting is it then to see a beer made and named after him? That’s exactly what happened when Brian Ford at Auburn Alehouse created a hop monster (triple IPA) and named it ZZ Hop, with the tag line “Drink to be Sober”. The beer is more than a tongue in cheek reference to Mike’s long beard, it’s a ode to  a man that has influenced so many in the region – including, I believe, Mr. Brian Ford. You see, beyond his sipping Mike and Terri have regularly opened their home to host area beer geeks as we imbibe on some of the world’s best beer. Together the couple has traveled thousands of miles and collected growlers from just about every state in the western US. He’s been one of the region’s biggest advocates for better beer and has helped many brewers and bar owners with his free and good advice on a number of topics (a little talked about fact about Mike is his acute palate and ability to detect off-flavors in beer, even if he’s not sure what they are exactly). If ever there were a man in our region fitting of a beer named and modeled after him, it would be Mike Sober.

ZZ Hop debuts in February and will have a very limited run – only seven barrels worth (roughly 14 kegs). The official debut will fittingly be held at the Owl Club on February 9th. If you’ve ever seen the man, if you share a passion for Sacramento craft beer, do yourself a favor and find one of these insanely hopped-up beers. It’s pale, aggressively hopped in all ways (bitter, aromatic and flavorful) and will likely leave a mark on your palate.

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A Quick Diversion: Sacramento Cocktails

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I know, this is a blog all about beer, but sometimes I gotta get me a good cocktail. Case in point – this week I set out on the town to celebrate another journey around the sun whilst chasing down great whiskey-based creations in Sacramento.

Our first stop after a quick lunch at Tuli Bistro was the much-celebrated Shady Lady, a place I’ve mentioned in a piece published in Beer West this past summer. Shady has the know-how and ingredients necessary to create top-notch cocktails, but the quirky staff can be cold at times, ignoring bar-customers for long periods of time and opting to mix a patron’s drink in front of more familiar faces (a minor pet peeve of mine). What the barkeeps do best at Shady Lady is create an attractive elixir – each and every drink they served across the bar was eye-catching.

We ordered a small selection of drinks (three) and were most impressed with the Horse’s Neck, a whiskey-based creation accented with housemade ginger syrup and garnished with a thoughtfully over-sized lemon zest – an incredible drink, among the best I’ve had in the region, to be certain. The Old Fashioned was attractive enough, but was heavy-handed on the booze. The final drink of this stop was a rosemary-infused treat, which I neglected to get the name of. No matter, it was sexy to look at, but incredibly acidic. I’m certain had I mentioned this to the staff it could have been easily fixed, but as it were I knew the day was just getting started. So, upon paying our tab we wandered to our next stop.

De Vere’s Irish Pub is one of my absolute favorite stops when I’m in the mood for a great whiskey, it never disappoints when it comes to selection and a friendly atmosphere. I ordered up a Highland Park 15 and let the worries of the world fade away. We also ordered up a Basil Hayden Old Fashioned, which was good enough to imbibe. As far as mixologists go, De Vere’s is more about the neat drams than the pure cocktails – and this is not a dig on them at all. They play up to their strengths well and are incredibly knowledgeable about the vast library of whiskeys they boast in the back bar area. While I longed for a Pappy Van Winkle, I opted to settle up and get some fresh air with a quick walk through the Capitol Mall – just down the block.

Next up on the list was The Grange, one of my favorite food destinations in the region. Here I trusted the judgement of the barkeep and he impressed me immensely with his Grange Manhattan – a lovely blend of Woodford Reserve (a batch made just for the restaurant), sweet vermouth, house-made bitters and garnished with fresh pomegranate. This drink had it all! Lovely color, great body and oh-so-drinkable! I nursed this beauty for some time and made several mental notes to be sure to get back here for more. Yes, we also ordered an Old Fashioned here, which was quite lovely (despite the use of an orange wedge). For us, however, Grange’s go-to drink must be their house Manhattan.

To finish our cocktail tour of Sacramento we sidled up to the hard-to-find bar stools at The Waterboy. OK, to be clear, we stopped here for oysters and sweetbreads, but while at the bar you can’t help but imbibe on what the barkeep is creating. This understated bartender was easily the most efficient barkeep of the day, putting out drinks for 30+ diners and eight more at the bar, each with deliberate care and attention to detail. His Old Fashioned wasn’t the best in town, but it was great. Moreover, just watching him in his element instilled great confidence in me that the guy could create just about anything a customer threw his way – great use of syrups, bitters, fresh fruit juices and each drink went out with eye-catching appeal.

I know Sacramento’s a great place for beer, has been for some time, but it’s nice every now and then to be reminded of the other treats our fair city has to offer up. It’s hard to explain how far the city has come in the decade or so, but one day spend exploring the city’s better food and drink scene will surely not disappoint.

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