Anderson Sant’anna De Lima's 508 Gastrobrewery

Anderson shows us his blueprint for success. Must visit.

The No-Drone Zone

Have you ever been in a beer bar where there's just an incessant drone of 100 people?

Good people, all--don't get me wrong--they're drinking great beers, right?

But there's something just downright sweet about a more settled, cozy atmosphere.

Lager,
T

Schlitz Original Recipe

S and I went out pre-Potter to the friendly Ice House Pub last night for a bite and to see what was on draught.

I wanted to try something new but alas almost everything on that looked interesting had been tried--I was hoping to try something different from Berwick Brewing but all they had was their Hondo Keller bier. A fine beer in it's own right, but still not something untried.

After taking another closer look at the draught list, I was drawn to something at the very top, a beer I hadn't tasted before, advertising itself as Original Recipe, the Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous, Schlitz Gusto. And at $2.50 a full pint how could I wrong?

This beer rose from the dead a few years ago and is now brewed by the Pabst Brewing Company.

A lively, easy drinking beer it be, it turned out to be a perfect accompaniment to a couple dozen Virginia littlenecks.

S opted for something that's becoming all too regular for her, a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy. A surprisingly, refreshing sessionable (there can be no argument on this) treat, lying somewhere east of the forgettable and unforgettable continuum.

Lager,
T

Phish and Beer

As readers of this blog may know, I'm a Phish fan--not a raging fan that follows them across the land--but a fan still.

Well they're on the road again this summer and they'll be playing seven sets at the Super Ball IX festival at Watkins Glen (yes at the racetrack), starting Friday July 1st through Sunday July 3rd.

Phish fans like beer, I tell you no lie. When we saw them in Hershey last summer there were great beers available for sale in the stadium as well as a boatload of great beers being quaffed (and confiscated by the po-po, [sigh]) in the parking lot.

In keeping with their solid dedication to wetting dry whistles, there will be a Beers of the World tent during the festival. Here's something I recently received from Phish.

Years of marketing research and focus groups have revealed that Phish fans, given a choice of a wide variety of beverage options, often choose a fermented concoction made from cereal grains. We created a tent at Festival 8 called Beers of the World where any fan, no matter what language they spoke, would find a pleasing option. BOTW will be back at Super Ball IX with over 50 different kinds of beer available. Of note is the return of Sierra Nevada's FOAM, a special pilsner brewed specifically for Phish. True fact: After Festival 8, FOAM went on to win the Gold Medal at the 2010 World Beer Championship as the world's best Pilsner. It sold out in a hurry at its debut. They're brewing a little extra this time.

Sadly, I won't be seeing them this summer as there's just too much going on with timberframing, landscaping, working on cars and whole lot of other stuff.

I'll be there in spirit though!

Lightstreet Porter float

Now, I'm not one for dessert but when I saw this on the menu over at Turkey Hill Brewing, well, it's now history.

Beer Gardens

I saw this nice article today in the Times (you haven't reached your browse limit yet have you?) about the resurgence of beer gardens in the city. There's now 54. Perhaps not all pure in the sense of the Bohemian, but still there seems to be more interest lately in getting outside with friends.

You know, we're getting a few of our own up in NEPA too. Both that I've been to (what others are there?) are really sweet: Berwick Brewing Co. has a nice covered beer garden behind the brewery (where else) with a stage on one end and The Backyard Ale House has one behind the bar proper (uncovered so watch those T-storms).

Gee, is this beer blog still active?

Well, it's been about as active the last few months as I've been in this heat today--stuck in my office with no AC, three computers, two phone systems, 8 phones, zero air circulation and no beer.

But, it's quittin' time now (aka The Best Part of Every Day™)

Welcome to the Memorial Day weekend everyone! Try to remember what this is about, be safe and have someone else drive if you've had too much.

YeeHaw! Turkey Hill Brewing Company Dances

When we heard about six months ago that the Turkey Hill Brewing Company was opening, we immediately expected great things since the Inn at Turkey Hill Inn is such a fantastic place to stay and enjoy imaginative five-star cuisine. After our first visit last week, we're here to say they've delivered on every expectation.

From the outside, the building looks like a barn that's been turned into something more--exactly what you can't be certain until you get closer, but the twin cupolas on the roof ensure there's no mistaking the original purpose of this structure. Approaching from the large parking area, the sidewalk passes by windows that let you know the focus of this place is beer. The entrance: a wonderful faux timber frame that beckons and hints at what's inside.

Passing through the doors leads to a reception area where you'll find wood and lots of it. Benches for waiting patrons are arrayed around the room--their seats made of rustic slabs of timber. Wood paneling; and a well executed custom wood staircase ascends to the second floor. To the right in the reception area are windows looking directly into the brewery that is at the same level.

The staircase up places you in a room that on one side has a windowed gallery overlooking the brewery and on the other side a doorway opens into the main space of the second floor which contains a bar and dining room. Simple wooden stools and a narrow bar rail along the gallery windows will be a nice place to watch the brewery in action. Alas on this night not to be: it's time to celebrate boys!

Passing through the opening into the main space, there's a bar straight ahead and dining room to the left. Magnificent and authentic barn framing soars overhead. Well done fellows! The cupola admitting early evening light enhances the framing.

The beer menu strikes a nice balance: there are a couple or three of approachable beers reminiscent of earlier times, an intriguing Belgian Dubbel, and a few nice American-style craft beers where the brewmaster Donny Abraczinskas really displays his deft touch. A six-flight sampler was $8.50, delivered in a carpenter's wooden toolbox and well worth the few bucks. The only beer on the menu not yet ready when we visited was the NewWhirrld Vienna Lager.

The Barn Dance Blonde Ale is a German style Kölsch beer (not my favorite style) and comes in at a light 4.5% ABV. This is a beer to session over; there can be no argument on this can there? This hybrid style can be cloying to us but this one is perfectly suited to bringing to a barn dance. You can not go wrong choosing this beer even if you're more of a Bud Lite drinker.

The Belgian Blonde Ale Bamboozled in Bruges reminded me of Blanche de Bruges (RIP) and was nice and easy drinking. This beer is made for summer and is on the light side for the style at a Witbier-like 5.3% ABV. Doonie's Dubbel is a Belgian Strong Ale--darker and stronger than the Blonde, similar in character and just as easy drinkin'. This dubbel brings it, so watch out.

What impressed me the most was the Epiphany American Pale Ale. Beautiful color, enticing aroma, just the right amount of hop flavor (not overwhelming at all) and lingering lacing on the glass. This beauty squirms into that space just below an American IPA. By that we mean it's a perfect beer for someone wanting to step up to more flavor or when you needs a breather from a string of hop bombs. This one's a keeper.

The Journeyman IPA is a revelation! Crystal clear amber, a delicate yet direct sharp jab in the nose from the hops--guessin' there's C-hops in here. The taste is a bit spicy (Cilantro?) and citrusy. You won't find something like Berwick Brewing Company's Atomic Punk IPA in this beer and it's really not aiming for that. Super good.

The Lightstreet Porter is named after Lightstreet which is a small community just on the other side of I-80 from the brewery. (We haven't been through there in years since PA-487 was modernized oh, 20 years ago, to bypass the town proper. Didn't the store in town have Ma's Root Beer?). This example is served on nitrogen. It's appearance is beguiling its lightness which at 4.9% it truly is a good drinking brew.

Each and every beer was perfect in clarity.

There were a few empty tables when we arrived about 6:30, these quickly filled and there was a wait when we departed. The wait-staff was pleasant and knowledgable of the beer and quick to engage our thoughts on each of the beers. Kudos on that as it shows a real concern. The meals were very good, served quickly.

We didn't get a good look at the bar, other than to see the edge of a very handsome bar rail. We'll have to get back soon for a closer look.

Gee, they've really gotten in right here. Wonderful timber framing reminiscent of the barns I grew up in with innards like the bar and dining room booths hewn from reclaimed building materials. Locally sourced foodstuffs. Beers that are out of this world.

Congratulations to everyone involved! D: I hope you brewed plenty of beer!

Beer Surpasses Water, Tea, and Coffee as Beverage of Choice

Beer: it’s not just for watching football games anymore.

The American Beverage Association has just released the results of a survey that suggests that beer has recently surpassed bottled waters, teas, soft-drinks, and juices in popularity in the United States. When contacted for more information, an ABA spokesman declined any lengthy comments on the matter only offering that the industry was “pursuing new products incorporating beer” in order to profit from the nation’s newfound interest in “tubby beverages”.

We wanted to understand how this wave of popularity is being felt closer to home so we spoke with a Wilkes-Barre PA brewer who informed us that his business has never been better. “As you’d expect we’re supplying lots of kegs to bars and restaurants, but also to ordinary citizens for events like baby and wedding showers, bar and bat mitzvahs and even to some nursing homes. And we recently had contact from a local pet hotel operator who inquired as to the suitability of our beers for small pets.” The brewer continued, “I have noticed a disturbing side-effect though, that many people arriving at the brewery for their kegs, have to be assisted out of their cars due to their oversize midsections.”

We visited a local beer bar for a chance to speak with a few patrons to get their thoughts. We found two who were enjoying some beers from the draught list over lunch. Both declined to identify themselves as they were there on their lunch hour and didn’t want their bosses to know where they were. “It’s an addiction,” one said. “I keep a notebook at home with every beer I’ve ever tasted and it’s up over 1,000 now. And I’ve only been doing this for two years.” During our conversation, the other patron in the bar was furiously swyping the keyboard on his phone so we asked what he was so engaged in. “I’m tweeting about this awesome Trappist ale from Chimay.” When we asked, “What’s a Trappist?”, he responded, “Oh, they’re the high priests of beer from somewhere in Europe. No really. They’re priests that make beer.”

It seems the overwhelming interest in beer has an interesting economic side effect too. We visited a Mr. Z’s grocery store and found the soft-drink manager sadly looking at an aisle and two end-caps brimming with soda. When we approached to get his opinion on the lack of interest in these drinks he intoned that “My pay depends on me moving product and no one’s buying this sugary crap anymore.” But he did get a gleam in his eyes when he concluded, “I can’t wait `til the governor lets us sell beer in here though, I‘m gonna be rich.”

With bottle shops and beer bars catering to a wide array of tastes, blogs and #beer tweets proselytizing about beer, and beer menus, brewery tasting rooms, beer and food pairing dinners, cooking with beer, brewpubs, gastropubs, micro and macro breweries, nano-breweries, pico-breweries, beer of the month clubs, Cicerones, shows about beer on television, radio, and internet, and who knows what else proliferating like dandelions, it’s no surprise that beer has become as American as apple pie and a fat gut.

Propane used during recent #Homebrew Session

@platypotamus asked how much propane and propane accessories (ok, sans the accessories) are used for brewing a batch of #Homebrew outdoors. I replied $1 to $2 which was based on the current price of propane where I live ($.4975/pound) and a gut-feel for how long a 20 pound tank lasted this winter.

Thinking about it some more, and how lacking in data or context my response, I decided to take some simple measurements during my last brew session on Saturday.

The methodology I used here, was to heat the entire volume of water (strike and sparge) to strike temperature, then drain off the amount needed for mashing. The sparge water remained in the HLT and then was heated to sparge temperature about 15 minutes before the end of mashing. The flame was adjusted to what I would call medium-high--not rocket strength mind you, but not simmering either. (I suppose I should have timed how long it took to raise the temperature at the various points to give an idea of how high the flame was.)

Burner	Blichmann Toptier Floor Standing
Weather	Temperature: 42 degrees Winds: light
Starting Propane Weight	37.25 pounds (including cylinder)
Starting Water Volume	8.5 gallons
Strike Water Temperature Profile (starting/ending)	52/164 degrees Fahrenheit
Sparge Water Volume	4.25 gallons
Sparge Water Temperature Profile	140/185 degrees Fahrenheit
Wort Volume	6.85 gallons
Boil Water Temperature Profile	140/212 degrees Fahrenheit
Boil	60 minutes
Ending Propane Weight	33 pounds (including cylinder)
Propane Used	4.25 pounds
Cost	$2.11

N.B. I overshot my strike water temperature target by two degrees, wasting some energy. The starting temperature for the boil may be off a little from stated 140.

I think the cost can be decreased easily by continuing to heat the strike water through to sparge temperature, then shutting off the burner and storing the water in an insulated HLT. Another easy area for improvement would be to keep the initial water at indoor temperatures for as long as possible before moving outside for heating.

Still, two bucks is not much!

Any other easy improvements?

German Beer Culture in Decline?

Is the Reinheitsgebot holding German beer back or just plain `ol tradition?

I think it's just tradition. You can do an awful lot with just the four basic ingredients.

Good article over at Slate.

Bowled Over by the Brooklyn Brewery

And for the gambling, beer drinking fools we are, we wagered the last bit of our MetroCards on a trip out to Williamsburg (take the L to Bedford Ave. station in Brooklyn) for a chance to finally get in and visit the Brooklyn Brewery.

A visit often attempted, finally achieved.

Brooklyn Brewery is located just a few blocks away from the Bedford Ave. station. It's an easy five to ten minute walk. If you stroll down Beforde Avenue to 11th St, you'll get a little feeling for the downtown area of Williamsburg which is only a few blocks long and wide and is an urban delight containing an assortment of eclectic shops, bars, clubs, eateries, and such. 11th St. has a few bars but it's mostly residential and light industrial/artistic. (Hey, I wouldn't mind living there!)

When we arrived at the brewery, it had not yet opened so we passed the brewery (!) and stopped in at Brooklyn Bowl to check out the lanes and enjoy a quick beer before heading over to the brewery. (Brooklyn Bowl is attached to the side of the brewery and the entrance is on Wythe Avenue.)

If you haven't been to Brooklyn Bowl, imagine this:

Take one bowling alley, insert a large bar, swirl in some great LOCAL beers (natch), dash some super gastropub fare on the side, stuff some leather couches behind the lanes to set the mood for proper relaxed bowling, and jam live music almost every night of the week from a great stage out across a big dance-floor and at other times just play great rock music over an always-on sound system!

What a hoot! Does it really get any better than that?

We loved the bowling alley vibe so much we stayed for two or three beers. We definitely stayed local and enjoyed the hellaciously Deeeeeelicious! Brooklyn Blast! double IPA from the Brewer's Reserve series and a Kelso of Brooklyn India Pale Ale. Kelso of Brooklyn is a local brewery located out in Greenpoint that you might not have heard about, but their beer is dang good. Plus, they're as conscious about the environment as they are their beer, which is always a good thing in my book.

We even had the wherewithal to get an order of fries and smoked wings that were just plain awesome. This all enlivened our temperament and we even bowled a couple of games to boot!

After a few hours of hilarity rolling sub-75 games, we staggered out into the sunlight and headed back towards the subway station and voila! ran smack-dab into a Brooklyn Brewery tour which was, you guessed it: just starting.

Brooklyn has a long history in brewing due to the large population of German immigrants and at one time had nearly 50 breweries producing beer for city workers and citizens. Eventually the number dwindled to zero as a result of prohibition and the acceptance of mass-marketed beer from the Midwest. Brewing's rebirth in Brooklyn began in the 1996 with the opening of Brooklyn Brewery.

Inside on the tour you'll find some nice visuals arrayed around some fermentation tanks and a bottling station. A fellow from the brewery gives a little history about the brewery and tells a few stories. Did you know that their logo was designed by the same guy who did the I Heart NY logo? His fee: free beer for life! And another about what it took to do business in Brooklyn back in the day when the brewery was founded. Can you say, um, payoffs? The fellow also detailed an extensive brewery expansion that is underway.

It seems they can't keep up with demand.

And what a problem to have, no?

Unfortunately you're quite limited in where you're allowed to go on the tour, but afterwards you can ease the pain by purchasing some wooden tokens for four bucks with which you can trade for a beer back in the indoor beer garden. There isn't any food offered in there but order-ins are more than welcome.

The beer garden was crowded when we finally got in about 4 pm with perhaps 200 happy-go-luckies all there for the same reason. There was a lot of preaching to the choir goin' on, I'm here to tell you. J tells me it's always like that. The garden seats maybe 200 and there's standing room for lots more.

The brewery tour is free and they offer it on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Check the web-site for specifics before you trek out there.

(Sidebar 1: I met C who developed the Brooklyn Bowl concept at Mugs Ale House a few years back on our first Brooklyn pub crawl. My interest was piqued then by his passionate description of the venue which actually turned out far superior in fruition. Congratulations, C! Next time we're out, let's get back to Mugs for a couple.)

(Sidebar 2: Note to Self: Gee, we have to do another pub crawl again. Soon. Haven't crawled in Philly in a while. Hmm...)

Gift Card Bonanza (#homebrew)

Stumbled on a $50 Amazon gift card (sorry Amazon, I occasionally do clean up the coupons stuck to my refrigerator) and decided to expand my brewing library with the following titles:

"Brewing Up a Business: Adventures in Beer from the Founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Revised and Updated" by Sam Calagione.

"Designing Great Beers: The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles" by Ray Daniels.

"How to Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time" by John J. Palmer.

"Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation (Brewing Elements Series)" by Chris White.

There are some classics here I'm sure everyone has already.

The Yeast title is quite new and should be good. Yeast: How do you do what you do?

Nugget Nectar (#homebrew)

After our visit to Troegs yesterday, and a check of my brewing inventory today, I see I have all the ingredients to brew a clone of this beer.

Malts: Pilsner, Vienna, Munich
Hops: Nugget, Warrior, Tomahawk, Simcoe®, Palisade
Hopback Hops: Whole Leaf Nugget
Dry Hop: Nugget, Warrior

ABV: 7.5%
IBU: 93ish
Color: Straw/Orange

So much to brew, so little time.