Archive for February, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North Coast Brewing Company has been named the Official Brewery of the 2007 Monterrey Jazz Festival, which just happens to be the 50th anniversary of the longest running jazz festival in the world.

It’s a good fit, as the brewery is a big supporter of jazz education. Their Brother Thelonius brew, named for jazz pianist Thelonius Monk, is a Belgian strong dark ale (ABV 9%). The beer is released in conjunction with the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz. For every Brother Thelonius item sold, North Coast Brewing Company makes a donation to the Institute. You can get your Brother Thelonius gear here.

We know so many of you love this beer for the bottle, but did you know you were doing something good as well?

North Coast is probably best known for Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout and its revitalization of the old San Fran ACME beer brand like the tasty ACMA IPA.

Source/Image: North Coast Brewing Co.

It’s pretty easy to find ways to cook with beer thanks to the “internets,” but it’s rare to find a specifically Belgian recipe. The Belgians are known to eat some of the healthiest foods in Europe and this hearty winter recipe uses not a generic beer, but recommends cooking with two of the tastiest of Belgians, the Trappists.

From About Beer:

Ingredients:

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have a nice selection of the French farmhouse style at Bruisin’ Ales (like Jenlain,Thiriez and Castelain) and have been hunting for a beer that shows more of the diversity French brewing has to offer. And, so, let us introduce Gavroche. (Gavroche, of course, is named for the little street urchin in Victor Hugo‘s epic novel about the French Revolution, Les Miserables.)

What a gem! Brewed by St. Sylvestre in the 3 Monts valley in Flanders, this tasty little red/amber strong ale gives a swift kick at 8.5% ABV. From the Shelton Brothers site:

“…a lovely reddish beer, strong and flavorful, and buoyed by a live yeast culture in the bottle—one of the few bottle-conditioned, re-fermented beers of France. … it’s lively as hell.”

Source/photo: St. Sylvestre / Shelton Brothers

Thanks to everyone who came out for the tasting last night. Great turnout! We had several out-of-state folks, too, including some new friends from Harrisburg, PA, who maintain the Pub Crawlin’ blog. We took them to the Bier Garden last night and talked about some of the best Philly cheesesteaks, small towns in Eastern PA, and of course, beer. They travel all over in search of beer and breweries and decided to head to WNC to check out our thriving beer scene.

It almost makes us forget the slap-in-the-face write-up in BeerAdvocate‘s February issue. “The Deep South: Tips On Drinking Your Way Through Dixie,” which neglects Asheville entirely in its multi-state directory. Seems the writer never made it west of Greensboro, NC, yet he did manage to hit three places just down the road in Greenville, SC. We have no problem with either of these “green” places, just think he missed out in fantastic fashion. Letter to the editor, anyone?

*NEW* this week for your tastebuds’ enjoyment:

ABITA Restoration Ale (Proceeds help rebuild from Katrina)
BROOKLYN BREWERY Pennant Ale (just in time for spring training)
LEINENKUGELS Sunset Wheat
LEINENKUGELS Apple Spice
LEFT HAND Imperial Stout
LEFT HAND Warrior IPA
SKA Nefarious Ten Pin Porter
SKA Decadent Imperial IPA
ST. SYLVESTRE Gavroche (French red ale)
ST. BERNARDUS Prior 8
SWEET WATER Happy Ending Imperial Stout
YOUNG’S Oatmeal Stout

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny that we finally get our beautiful glassware display together and we discover two writings about the beauty of the beer glass today.

Joe Sixpack writes about the new Sam Adams beer glass. He seems to think it does in fact serve a beer well, so we are going to have to get one at the Sam Adams e-store. Also, here’s a bit from a short write-up at articlexpose.com:

“Whether from a bottle or straight out of the beer taps, glassware is an important aspect of the beer drinking experience. For example, beer steins differ from a flute glass in forming a head as the beer is poured in, which makes a big difference in appearance and taste. A darker beer should have a wider brim in order to allow for more release of the volatiles found in the brew, thus enhancing the strong flavor and smell. A bottled beer is pasteurized and needs a taller, thinner pilsner glass for color and pourability. There are a lot of little different things like that that can make a big difference in your drinking experience.”

“…a true beer drinker knows that as the beer is poured in, something else is going on besides the nice looking logo on the side of the glass. The hue of the beer changes, the head forms at the top, and the anticipation of that first cool drink is more profound and complete. … With so many different kinds of beers, a variety of beer glasses are needed to produce the maximum desired effect of the beer drinking experience.”

New glasses are in-store at Bruisin’ Ales this week with more coming shortly. Also, new books!