USA 2012-2013: the friendly ghost

Casper, the friendly ghost. The friendliest ghost you know. Uh, not quite. This is Casper's Cherokee in Eagan, Minnesota. It certainly is friendly, and it's something that grown-ups do not look at in fright. A warm and cozy bar with huge television screens makes eating and drinking here a treat, and the staff are really glad to meetcha.

Casper the friendly ghost

I, too, was glad to meet my mate Jon Bacon. A worldly bartender that had a day off from work to meet up with me. It was also intended just so we could drink and eat at his workplace; Casper's. A chance to catchup and discuss all things in general. Our main aim, though, was to sink a few beers, something I didn't mind doing at all.

Lagunitas 6.2%

So, first up was a Lagunitas IPA. Now, I've had this before but that was back in 2010 on my previous World Beer Tour. I thought it best to try this one again. Why? Well, I recalled this not being as good as everyone said it to be. I wanted to prove them right, and myself wrong.

I was indeed proven wrong. It was a wonderful IPA full of that hoppy goodness that every IPA fan loves. A bit of Cascade, a bit of Centennial has this beer high on my list of IPA's. The lacing on this beer was phenomenal as each sip taken left a ring similar to determining the age of a tree.

Sierra Nevada 6.7%

But enough of that sap, the next beer in my lineup was a Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hop Ale. For those uninitiated beer drinkers out there, wet hop essentially means the hops were used in the beer immediately after they had been picked. A quick turnaround means that the hops stay as fresh as possible.

Funny thing is that during my Western Sydney Brewer's catchup earlier this year I had the opportunity to try the Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale. That means I can count myself as the very few who have tried both hemisphere beers. Both equally great, but my gut tells me the northern hemisphere brew won.

Lonely Blonde 4.8%

But the true winner was me. I had yet another beer to wash down my gullet. This time it was a  Fulton's Lonely Blonde. A fascinating beer that is very drinkable. Light in both body and aroma it is a delicious version of a blonde beer. I imagined myself drinking this on a hot summer's day back home in Sydney. I guess all I need was a lonely blonde (girl) in the physical form with big boobs to accompany me with the beer!

But with each beer I drank the more hungry I became. So, as midday passed the idea of ordering some food was definitely on the cards. But what to choose? So many things to choose from and only one stomach to fit the food in. Thankfully, I spotted a burger that gave me goosebumps all over.

South of the River burger $9

The "South of the River Burger" was made with homemade guacamole that included Pepper Jack and fresh jalapenos served with lettuce and tomato. As a side dish there was the most magnificent addition, at a $3 extra cost; Au Gratin. Baked potato in a dish with cheese topping that is to die for. All this for $12, which is simply fantastic.

Fireside Chat Winter Spiced Ale 7.9%

The next fantastic beer in my midst was the 21st Amendment Fireside Chat Winter Spiced Ale at 7.9% abv. What a beauty of a beer this was. Definitely a winter warmer! A delicious raisin-like spicy character beer that had malt similar to that of Special B. It brought tremendous value to this craft beer session.

Pumpkin Ale 5.2%

Even better value was my final beer. The New Holland Ichabod Ale Pumpkin Ale at 5.2% abv. From my perspective, a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg and that pumpkin flavour in a smooth beer combined with a malty finish made this an exquisite finale to my experience at Casper's.....the friendliest staff I knew, that were glad meetme.

dannbrew@gmail.com
The Journey continues.....

USA 2012-2013: football, guns and beer

You're at a bar. You order an IPA. You watch the NFL highlights on the big screen. You hear a very detailed fifteen minute conversation about guns. You know when you're in Minnesota when you hear that. I guess it's very typical of the psyche of normal citizens here in the United States of America.

But it isn't normal to me. What is normal is craft beer, not that mega swill rubbish they sell in bucket loads here. Thanks to Jenny, it was with great anticipation that I continued my beer journey with Old Chicago's World Beer Tour.  It took me a few minutes to calm myself down and look at the menu.

Odell IPA 7%

What I eventually chose was an Odell IPA. At 7% abv this beer kicks butt. A thunderous beer at 60 IBU. Remember my "perceived bitterness" cautionary tale in my previous blog? Well, same goes for this beer. A great beer and an excellent way to start but I was sure I was going to have problems dissecting the hop profiles for each individual IPA. 

To a certain degree, I need not of worried about this next beer. It had a darker texture and a greater viscosity to it.  Fulton's Sweet Child of Vine has to rank as a favourite of mine. A much more maltier beer than most IPA beers out there, which had me in love. Indeed, it was an IPA I'd be happy to drink all night

Sweet Child of Vine 6.4%

In reality, the beers I had so far in the US were all very good. My main theme, apart from trying different beers, was to find that special beer, that outstanding, fresh brew that stood out like dogs balls. I wanted to find that uniquely sensational craft beer that would make you sell your gorgeous wife to a homeless person just for a sip of that amber goodness.

I knew this was going to be a challenge, and I knew at times there would moments of ambiguity in terms of referencing and trying to differentiate all these beers. By the same token, I knew by doing all this craft beer tasting I was going to hit the jackpot in beers. The trails and tribulations of a craft beer taster, right?

Surly Furious 6.5%

As the journey continues, the next beer in my list was was one I had already tried. However, it ranks as one of my favourite IPA's. The Surly Furious was a beer I tried for the first time back in 2010. Oh what a beer this is. A marvelous array of malts and hops that are so well balanced that it'd make a tightrope walker blush.

What made me blush was a beer I recall having in 2010 called; Odell's Original Gravity Black IPA. It was a limited edition release and I was lucky enough to have that as part of my World Beer Tour (WBT) at Old Chicago. Additionally, Pliny The Elder from Russian River Brewing made me blush as well. Another beer I'd love to try again.

Alaskan IPA 6.2%

But as beer journey's go I needed another unique beer. Well, I say unique in the sense that although I had the next beer back in 2010 it was fortuitous that it wasn't on my WBT card at the time. Luck was obviously on my side. The Alaskan IPA is a great beer. Fruity and citrus up front with a solid malt profile. Certainly a solid contribution in my continuation of my WBT. 

Indeed, my love affair for Old Chicago hasn't dwindled. In fact, it's gone to greater heights. The beers were great, the atmosphere was good and the service was first class. Now that is definitely the psyche of the United States of America I really like.

dannbrew@gmail.com
The Journey continues.....

USA 2012-2013: the experience

Loving craft beer, being an all grain brewer and me being an Australian holidaying in the US right now is just amazing. Part of the deal when I arrived in the US was to simply try as many craft beers (and non-craft beers) as possible. I had to, right? I'd do my beer brewing community a goddamn injustice if I hadn't.

So as Dawn and Jenny picked me up from Minneapolis/St Paul International Airport we head straight to the liquor store. Partly because we wanted to stock up, and partly so I could get my hands on a Surly Coffee Bender. How I love you Surly! It was also an opportunity for us to catch up and chat for a while. Of course, we headed off to our local haunt, Valley Lounge, first to visit our good friend Trish.

Over time, I've been accustomed to drinking Schell's Dark at the Valley. So it was to no great surprise that my first pint of this was gobbled down in a few seconds. I was certainly a thirsty boy!  Up next was a Schell's Snowstorm. That really did hit me like an out-of-control freight train. At 7.5% abv this jet-lagged puppy felt like a paralised Turkey heading straight for the oven. After a few beers, and less brain cells later, we say goodbye to Trish and head off home.

Who's drinking the tea?!

We hit home and start opening our liquor store bought beers. As I was on a mission, this was not a case of mission impossible. My aim was to drink as many different brews as possible during my 10 week US trip. Although I've already drank Surly's Coffee Bender before I just couldn't help myself drinking this first.

That smooth, rich coffee flavour permeates throughout this beer making it one of my favourites. It's so unique and so nice to have a beer with coffee in it....and here's me that doesn't like drinking coffee! Up next was a beer that caught me attention; Flying Dog Brewery's Snake Dog IPA.

It was my virgin IPA on this trip. It was nice, and at 60 IBU it went down smooth. My only concern was that since I am in the land of IPA's would I be able to tell the difference between a 60 IBU beer to that of a 90 IBU beer? That "perceived bitterness"? I say this as James Spencer from Basic Brewing had an IBU Ceiling Experiment that I listened to and it made me ponder. No, not Ponder from the Vikings. He throws bad!

Perceived bitterness aside, I had plenty of time to find out what was my best IPA here in the land of the USA. I knew that there would be plenty of opportunities. For example, I knew that at some point I'd be going to The Happy Gnome, Old Chicago, The Muddy Pig, Town Hall Brewery, Surly Brewing and others.

Next up was some sweat, Buffalo Sweat. Well, not actually sweat from a Buffalo but rather a beer named Buffalo Sweat Oatmeal Cream Stout from Tallgrass Brewing. Aren't I thankful there isn't a beer called Dog's Balls? Actually, I shouldn't jinx things like that so best that I keep on topic. 

This Buffalo Sweat was really nice. A very drinkable beer and I'd go as far as to say that you can have it as a session beer. It has enough character and flavour in it that it will interest you for a long time. But as beers go it was time for me to continue my beer tasting journey. 

The beer up next was from a brewing company close to my heart; Summit Brewing. Last time I was here in Minnesota I was lucky enough to do a brewery tour and try out their new Oatmeal Stout that was new at the time. It was a beauty of a beer. One of the better brews that I had the fortune in tasting. 

This time 'round I had the opportunity to try a Great Northern Porter. For me it was very typical of the style with coffee and chocolate notes. Again, a smooth beer that lent itself well to your average beer drinker who likes darker beers. It is certainly another session beer in my books.

Last on my books for the night was a beer I had tried back in 2010 at Old Chicago. The Vanilla Porter from Breckenridge Brewery in Colorado. Goddamn I love this beer. A fellow brewer and friend of mine, Kyle, had brewed a similar beer...and I was keen to try this again.

So keen in fact that for some reason I wanted to try this more than the others. Why? Not sure. All I can say is that the last time I had tried this it was just a beautiful blend of that typical chocolate and roasted flavour but with the added bonus of a pinch of vanilla. Seriously, this beer is a noticeable change from a normal Porter beer.

And so my first beer "experience" here in Minnesota was complete. A great way to introduce myself to all things beer., visit great friends and find the next true gem of craft beer.Thank God I did it, as it would have been a complete injustice had I of not.


dannbrew@gmail.com
The Journey continues.....

USA 2012-2013: snow is in the air

Leaving the warmth of Sydney in Spring for the cold Winter of Minnesota isn't necessarily on everyone's bucket list. But I guess knowing lots of friends and having an interest one day to live there is a requirement. Or maybe it is my weird sense of humor in wanting to freeze my nuts off?

V-Australia rival

Crown jewels aside, off I was via V-Australia flight VA1 to Los Angeles, then flying Delta to Minneapolis; the home of the Minnesota Vikings (football) and Minnesota Twins (baseball). Our captain flying this beautiful beast had invited us to enjoy our thirteen hours and four minutes flight where the weather in Los Angeles was akin to our departing city.

As we taxied onto the runway, the ever ready captain stated in a mature and calm voice "Cabin crew, please prepare for landing....err, takeoff". Giggles could be heard from the passengers like little kids being caught farting. With that minor "glitch" out of the way we gracefully elevated into the sky and began our US journey.

That's (V) entertainment!

Saying goodbye to Sydney was hard but saying hello to the US was an even better feeling. I will admit, however, that the in-flight entertainment wasn't as interesting as I had hoped for. Lots of popular music, family movies, teen entertainment and other "in things" relating to all things hip, but it just wasn't my thing.

Thankfully, the ability now to use an USB port and plug in your device of choice was a Godsend. I gleefully plugged in my iPhone and began listening to my favorite music, playing my favorite games and jotting down notes. I felt like a kid who had just got told he had free access to the candy store for a whole day.

Breakfast of Champions

Seeing I was in such a good mood I felt it appropriate that I celebrate. But how? As our dinner service approached I was offered an alcoholic beverage. I had the choice of a VB or Cascade Premium. I promptly chose the Cascade Premium. Surprisingly, this had been my first beer on a plane sine 1994.

It tasted good, rather good. Although I do not consider Cascade as one of those "mega swill" brews, I still was cautious about drinking it. But really, I need not of worried. Just like the Cascade the flight was smooth and palatable. As with most long haul flights the need to sleep increases as the (weary) hours progress.

But it wasn't only the hours that passed. I managed to pass a lot of gas. My farting was heroic. LIke a medal-laden State trooper I was farting with gusto (yes, two fart jokes in this blog!). That chicken dinner I had was the best....for farting. And as my childish humor continued on it made for an self entertaining flight that went quite quickly.

LAX weather

Arriving at LAX made me feel somewhat at home in terms of weather, but getting a connecting flight to Minneapolis was arduous. Like herding cattle to a slaughter house I stood in line until it was "my turn". Several security checks, and several hours, later my Delta flight was ready.

And so was I. Ready to begin my journey in Minnesota with friends and have a great time. Ready to see what Minnesota has to offer. Arriving at Minneapolis/St Paul International airport got me thinking: maybe I'm going to freeze my nuts off after all?   

dannbrew@gmail.com
The Journey continues.....

when you need a stray root.....

So much for attending Sydney Craft Beer Week. I waited so long for it to arrive, only for some money issues to rob me of my opportunities. Timing is everything, so it's lucky I'm not a comedian by trade. If bad luck with money was a disease I’d be a terminal case. Fortunately, there was one event that popped right into my lap. Perfect timing, perfect opportunity. I even had some spare cash. This was one beer event I wouldn’t miss for the world.

That beer event was at the Pumphouse Bar at Darling Harbour, Sydney on Friday 26th October. The occasion? Well, head brewer of St. Peter’s Brewery, Matt Donelan, had decided to run his own Sydney Craft Beer event. Rumour has it that he hadn’t been invited to any Sydney Craft Beer Week (SCBW) events. I guess this was an event that gave the rest of the SCBW organisers out there a raised middle finger in an otherwise clenched fist.

Entry level Hefeweizn

But that clenched fist opened with friendliness and warmth. His openness and chattiness to all patrons at the Pumphouse bar was excellent. When I managed to get to the bar the list of beers he had on tap made me drool. Being a huge fan of wheat beers I couldn't go past Matt's version of a Hefeweizen for my first beer. It was described as a "Bavarian style wheat beer slightly modified for the Aussie palate".

I felt it was a lighter, more sweeter beer than I would anticipate with normal German wheat beers. Unfortunately, soon after I finished the hefe I had to strangle the weasel. It just so happened that I bumped into Matt while I was exiting the male toilets. I asked what made his hefe different from the rest. Matt enthusiastically said "Eighty percent pale malt, twenty percent wheat with WB-06 fermented at thirteen degrees (Celsius)". I almost chocked on my next breath. "Thirteen degrees," I asked? "That's nearly lager temperatures!" Matt agreed it did cut it fine but he was pretty damn happy with the resulting beer. So was I.

I was so happy with my first beer that I was hanging for the next. Luckily for me there was a particular type of beer I had heard was going to be on tap, and it was one I desperately wanted to try. I needed a root, a Stray Root. No, not some 'no strings attached' sex with a cheap floozy, rather a beer made with Beetroot.  Actually, cheap sex with a floozy does interest me......but anyway, back to the Beetroot beer. The beer was smooth and sweet. It had very subtle overtones of Beetroot on the tongue. It's like the Beetroot sailed passively over your tongue giving you a quick wave as it floated by. 

Stray Root (Beetroot beer)

What didn't float by was my desire to sink another beer. Well, another craft beer brewed by Matt. So, another pint came across my lips and I knew it was going to be interesting. This time it was an IPA. Ironically, while the beer menu was clearly visible I didn't even bother reading the description of it. All I saw was "Gangooly's IPA" and that was enough for me to order one. While I bring back the beer to my seat I sit back and try to dissect the malt, hops and yeast of this creative brew. Unfortunately, I didn't get as far as dissecting anything apart from the hops because I was yet again going to the toilet. I think I had what they call a "Japanese bladder".

Call it coincidence, but as I exit the toilet after choking the one-eyed monster yet again I somehow managed to bump into Matt. This time I asked whether I was tasting Fuggles or East Kent Goldings hops in the IPA. I felt very proud when he said they were "EKG" (East Kent Goldings). Stupid me then asked why there was no real hit of aroma on the nose. Matt simply stated "Well, this is an English IPA". Oops. With my head down in embarrassment I hop to the bar and order another beer wondering to myself why I even asked that stupid question. I then picked up a beer menu and read the description of the IPA. Huh. It was an English IPA after all. Oops number two. 

English IPA with EKG

Thankfully, no more words of the same ilk as oops ever left my mouth for the rest of the night. For my next beer I made an effort to read the description: "Absinth Friends: Try this one for size. A total "one off" using the famous "green fairy" to spice up our dry pilz style lager blended with a finish of fresh lime, to enhance the liquor character, 5.9% (approx)". It's been twenty years since I last had a drink with absinthe in it, but I knew this was going to be an interesting experience nonetheless.

Apart from the spelling error on the menu (it should be spelled as "Absinthe"), why did I know the Absinth Friends brew was going to be an interesting experience? Well, I've actually known Matt for many years and have tried his beers at special monthly events over at The Nag's Head in Glebe. He no longer does those events, but I know on many occasions he'd come up with some extraordinary (and not so extraordinary) brews. I had a sneaking suspicion that this was going to be one of those beers that would be either out of this world or a flop.

Absinthe. Yikes!

It was certainly not a flop, but it didn't blow my mind either. It certainly had a very liquor-like flavour that came across strongly. Not enough to throw you off the beer, but by the same token enough for you to know it was a friendly companion ever so slightly hugging the beer. Overall, this was great and the mindset in trying to conjure up a beer of this nature gets full marks from yours truly. In fact, Matt mentioned to me later in the night that this was actually the peoples' favourite. I was surprised. It wasn't to my taste buds, but it certainly was with others. To me that rates as a successful brew.

And from one successful brew to another, up came the one I had been waiting for since my Stray Root (and it wasn't with the cheap floozy). The "Trew Chilli Beer" had a "range of chilli varieties added to "spice up" your night. Surprising drinkability with a looooong finish. 4.6%". Well, with that amount of O's in the word "long" it surely has to be a pretty long finish. Even more reason to try it. I am also a fan of chilli beer, and done correctly it can be a fascinating and wonderful experience.

Chilli beer. Yum.

Trust me when I say that this was indeed a fascinating and wonderful experience. I absolutely loved this chilli beer. It had enough bite for you to notice it yet it was not too strong to call in the fire brigade and extinguish the burning flames in your mouth. The long finish was very much evident. It was so long a finish that the chilli taste stayed around in your mouth longer than a Giraffe's neck....and you can't get much longer than that.

After grabbing a couple more Stray Root's it was, sadly, time for me to leave and go home. The Pumphouse bar and Matt Donelan put on a great event and everyone seemed to have enjoyed the night. The beers on tap were amazing and the feedback Matt got was sure to have pleased him to no end. I, too, gave Matt some feedback as I left for the night. But honestly, at the end of the day craft beer won. An outstanding array of craft beer, new creations and wonderful experiments. If he holds this again next year, this is one beer event I wouldn’t miss for the world.