Snowcave Camping 2011

It is that time of the year again. Last Saturday a number of friends and I made our annual (19 years now I think) pilgrimage up to 10,200 feet in the Rocky Mountains west of Ward Colorado for a weekend of snowcave camping. Building the caves amounts to a lot of work - digging for hours with clothes soaked inside and out. But in the end it is well worth the effort. After the cave is dug, firewood cut, and clothes changed; it is time to pull a half litre out of the snowpack “fridge” and crack it open.

While enjoying our first beer, we usually take a short hike away from our campsite over to the frozen Red Rock Lake. There is nothing better than drinking a well-deserved beer with the spectacular Indian Peaks and the continental divide in the background! In addition to the beauty, it is a quite tranquil atmosphere with little else around besides an occasional fox and “camp robbers” swooping in to steal food when the opportunity arises.

As far a beer drinking goes, this trip is often a good time for my “Doppelbock” challenge. But this year I changed up the selection a bit. I did bring one Doppelbock (Weltenburger Kloster Asam-Bock), but I included a couple of other styles too. I started with a nice crisp and refreshing Stiegl Pils, transitioned to the Asam-Bock, and for a nightcap I brought a 750 ml Cuvee Van Der Keizer Rood.

Stiegl Pils (Stieglbrauerei – Salzburg)

I’ve always been a huge fan of this beer - possibly because it reminds me of Salzburg, which is one of my favorite cities in Europe. Stiegl Pils is a clean, crisp and refreshing Pilsner style of beer. It is not a Czech Pils, rather more closely related to the Bavarian style Pils beers bedewed across the border. Austria sometimes gets forgotten about in the beer world that, in central Europe anyway, tends to focus on Bavaria. But some of my favorite breweries are in the Salzkammergut region. Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln in Salzburg brews a wonderful Märzen (their sole offering), and is home to one of the best beer halls and beer gardens in the world. Edelweiß Weißbier (Hofbräu Kaltenhausen) is also brewed in the towering mountains just outside of Salzburg. The Salzkammergut region borders Bavaria, and in this area Austrians and Bavarians have a lot in common – much more so than the Bavarians and the rest of Germany. So it should be no surprise that the Austrians know a thing are two about brewing.

Weltenburger Kloster Asam-Bock (Weltenburger Klosterbrauerei – Weltenburg Bavaria)

Remember when Doppelbock used to be a strong beer? Now in the days of extreme beers, 7.2% abv is not that big of a deal. But Doppelbocks are still strong, and Asam-Bock lends itself quite nicely to being a “warmer” while sitting around a campfire surrounded by snowdrifts and mountains. Weltenburger Klosterbrauerei’s Asam-Bock is a perfect example of a dark (Dunkler) Doppelbock with an intense malt aroma, rich flavor of decoction mashed Munich malt, and a very clean lager finish. There are beers now that are much stronger, but not many that are better when you want a clean and malty winter warmer.

Cuvee Van Der Keizer Rood (Brouwerij Het Anker – Mechelen Belgium)

This was the first time I have ever sampled the Rood. (Red) The Cuvee Van Der Keizer Blauw (Blue) is without a doubt one of the best beers in the world. I’ve written about Blauw in this blog before, and Zymurgy published my “You’ve Gotta Try This” write up on this Belgian beer two years ago. I love it. I very much enjoyed the Rood, but it is quite different than the Blauw. The former is 10% abv while the latter is 11% abv. One percent less, but still plenty strong enough to take the edge off. The pale Rood has a much different flavor profile than the dark cousin. It pours a cloudy honey color and has a subdued nose – especially compared to the blue which explodes with malt and dark fruit. Its flavor is spicy and well balanced, and it finishes with a mild “Belgian” character. I expected an extremely malty lighter version of the blue, but it was really a different beer all together. Probably in the Belgian Strong Pale Ale style. I would not rate it as high as its dark companion, but still very nice.

Don’t forget the Whisky

Of course the campers, myself included, also had to bring up our favorite campfire Whisky to sip on along with our beers - Laphroaig 10. “It doesn’t taste as smoky around a fire…” Laphroaig is definitely a wonderful blend of sweet, salt, road tar, and iodine. Probably not suited for the first time Whisky drinker, but once you get a taste for it is addicting. I’m not sure the if the term “nip and a half” exactly fits here, since we were not drinking Scotch Ale, but nonetheless it is nice to chase world class beers with a touch of Whisky.

I suppose that is enough about the snowcave camping trip. Next weekend some friends and I will be taking a guided, all-day brewery tour to Ft. Collins and back. I’m looking forward to that experience, and I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

Pagosa Brewing Company

Pagosa Springs, CO
118 N. Pagosa Boulevard
http://www.pagosabrewing.com

Last fall my wife and I decided to head south to Pagosa Springs to enjoy a relaxing weekend before I was to start a new job. This trip had been on our schedule for years. Pagosa Springs is a beautiful little town sandwiched in the mountains and surrounded by the San Juan National Forest. It is home to a spring much celebrated for its therapeutic powers - one of the largest and hottest natural springs in the world. It is also home to the Pagosa Brewing Company. (PBC)

The brewery and pub are what you think of when you think of the rural west. On one side there is a small, cozy restaurant offering a simple menu (the salmon fish & chips are highly recommended), and right around the corner is the bar for those that want to belly up with a view of the brewhouse. A mobile home parked on the premises serves as the kitchen since the main building is not large enough to house both that and the brewery. The fit staff has to shuttle food and plates back and forth. PBC’s courtyard is much bigger than the brewing building itself. It offers a pleasant outdoors atmosphere - well sheltered by mature, towering pine trees. There are several fireplaces outside to take the chill off on cool days/nights. The entire place has a very mountain community western feel to it. Locals flock there, kids and all.

Pagosa Brewing Company features a relatively small five-barrel system. They have seven of their own beers on tap as well as two guest taps – one from Dry Dock in Aurora, CO, and the other from Ska Brewing down the road in Durango. A sample tray gave me a good feel for all of their excellent offerings.

Favorite Beer

My favorite PBC beer was their “Poor Richard’s Ale.” This beer originated as a recipe challenge five years ago to develop an authentic beer for Benjamin Franklin’s 300th birthday celebration. Head brewer, Tony Simmons, researched the Colonial era in his quest for a suitable beer recipe fit for Benjamin Franklin. He discovered that brewers of that time most likely used creative ingredients in their beers due to shortages of imported hops and malted barley. Along those lines, Tony’s recipe included ingredients available to brewers of the time such as corn and molasses.

Tony must have done his homework well, because his recipe for Poor Richard’s Ale was awarded the most authentic Colonial Ale. In recognition of the honor, his recipe was brewed by over 100 breweries for the big birthday party. Tony was even flown out to Philadelphia, Franklin’s hometown, to brew his own recipe at one of the local breweries.

Poor Richard’s Ale is now a regular offering at PBC. I would classify it as an Old Ale. It was dark red with a nice thick head. There was malt and a slight molasses note on the nose. The body was thinner than expected - probably due to corn being included in the mash. The flavor was dominated by malt and a strong dark sugar flavor, and it finished with dark crystal malt and a slight roasted note. This beer very much reminded me of a beer I’ve brewed for years called “Old Rabbit.” I call it Old Rabbit because it is an Old Ale brewed with Brer Rabbit molasses. (added to the boiler) My Old Rabbit may be a touch fuller-bodied than Poor Richard’s Ale, but other than that, very similar. I serve the Old Rabbit out of my Angram Handpump in my basement. PBC has a rotating cask offering, and their Poor Richard’s would be a great candidate to be served “warm and flat” out of their Beer Engine.

Worth Noting

One thing that really impressed me about PBC was a commitment to educate their patrons about beer and brewing. I just missed it, but they hosted a four-year vertical tasting of their Nipple Mountain Barley Wine. It takes forethought and patients (and discipline) to save beer for events like this. But when done right, such tastings can be very educational and display how strong beers mature over time. Nice job guys!

While in Town

If you get to visit Pagosa Springs, make sure and take time to relax and enjoy the springs at the resort. You can also take the beautiful one-hour drive west to Durango and visit their wonderful breweries - Carver, Ska, Steamworks, and Durango Brewing. And don’t forget to visit the PBC and have a Poor Richard’s Ale in the courtyard around a fire.

Phil Farrell – 2011 Beerdrinker of the Year

He finally did it. On his fourth trip to the National Finals, Phil Farrell of Cumming, Georgia took the title of Beerdrinker of the Year at Saturday’s competition held in the Mercantile Room of the Wynkoop Brewery. All three finalists (the other two being James Clark of Springfield, Virginia and Mike Dixon of Wake Forest, North Carolina) proved that they were more than worthy to be on the national stage with their deep knowledge of all things related to beer. But in the end Phil emerged putting in a strong and consistent showing from his opening statement to the finish. He nosed ahead during the “nasty round” of questions, as well as the sensory perception segment.

This was possibly one of the most entertaining finals in years, with each of the three having the standing-room-only crowd in tears laughing at times. Mike played his southern accent to the delight of the audience, and James’ start to finish theme of Kama Sutra and beer was one of the more creative things the competition has ever seen.

Phil is a commercial pilot, homebrewer, and BJCP certified judge. In 2010 he advanced to Grand Master Beer Judge Level II – an accomplishment only 15 people have ever attained in the 25-year history of the BJCP. He has tasted beer in every country in Europe, all 50 states, and every US territory. His basement beer pub features six taps, three refrigerators and a 15-gallon brewing system. In 2010 alone he visited 32 states and 18 countries in search of beer, and logged 11,000 miles on his family’s RV.

As the winner Phil will receive, among other things, $250 to spend at his home pub (Five Seasons North in Alpharetta, Georgia), a beer brewed in his honor by the Wynkoop for next year’s competition, free beer for life at the Wynkoop Brewery, and worldwide recognition. It is always tough to not win, but Mike and James should be very proud of their performance too. I am sure both will be back in the finals in the future.

In the 90 seconds Phil had for his closing statement, he pulled out his harmonica and sang a parody of Bill Joel’s “Piano Man” renamed “Chicken Man.” For those that know Phil, they understand the chicken reference. I’ve posted Phil’s lyrics below.

Congratulations Phil, and welcome to this elite club!



Chicken Man

by Phil Farrell, with apologies to Billy Joel

Its four o'clock on a Saturday,
The Beer Judges all shuffle in,
There's a rubber chicken sitting next to me,
Asking "Phil when are you going to win?"

He says Phil will you brew me that Barleywine?
I'm not really sure how it goes,
But it was big and bold before you got so old
Back when I wore feathers for clothes.

la di da diddy da......etc

Brew me a beer you're the Chicken Man,
Pour me a beer tonight,
'Cause we're all at the bar in the Wynkoop,
And beer gets us feeling all right.

2011 Beerdrinker of the Year Festivities

This coming weekend is the National Finals for the 2011 Beerdrinker of the Year competition. If you are in the Denver area, or have the means to travel, don’t miss this event – it is the most prestigious title in the country for beer aficionados. This year’s three finalists are James Clark of Springfield VA, Mike Dixon of Wake Forest NC, and Phil Farrell of Cumming GA. Being involved in the selection process, and having reviewed numerous resumes, I can guarantee you that these three are on a different level when it comes to beer knowledge and appreciation. (more about James, Mike and Phil below)

The competition will be held in the Wynkoop Mercantile Room on Saturday, February 26th starting at 2 pm MT. Get there early to nab a seat and have time to enjoy happy-hour priced beers, including the Strong Scotch Ale brewed to honor last year’s champion Bill Howell.

Also this year, for the first time, there will be Beerdrinker of the Year Beer Dinner on Friday night, February 25th. The Friday night before the competition is always reserved as a meet and greet for the judges and the three finalists – an opportunity to let everyone settle in, relax, and get to know each other. But this year Wynkoop marketing and idea man Marty Jones decided to open up the event to the public. There will be a special four-course dinner hosted by the three finalists (since they don’t have enough to worry about already) and the 2010 champion Bill Howell.

Salad - Scottish Bangers, malted vinegar slaw and apples served with Ska ESB

Soup - Lamb stew in a sourdough bread bowl with Wynkoop's Beerdrinker of the Year Scottish Strong Ale

Entree - Grilled Tri-tip steak, twice baked potato, roasted garlic and thyme butter and succotash served with Avery Dugan imperial IPA

Dessert - Flourlesss chocolate habanero cake and creme anglaise served with Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti and Wynkoop's The Coupler imperial barrel-aged milk stout.

This is a great opportunity to mingle with the finalists, judges and other beer lovers, and enjoy a wonderful dinner. More information about the Friday and Saturday events can be found at:

http://wynkoop.com/happenings/upcoming-events

After the dinner get a good night’s sleep, because Saturday’s competition promises to be superb with three great beer minds going at it. Here is some additional information about the finalists.

James Clark, a Springfield, Virginia homebrewer, beer traveler and beer ambassador. In 2010 he visited 17 breweries, attended over a dozen beer festivals and held beer events at his home that welcomed as many as 160 people. In 2010 he visited 15 establishments in 4 countries on All About Beer magazine’s "125 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die" list.

His philosophy of beer drinking: "Live life to the brim! I was a late arrival to beer drinking but I caught up quickly. I didn't have my first beer until I was 31, but it was a German Pilsener in Germany. In the last 16 years I've been going full throttle; drinking, brewing, studying and visiting my way to the top of the beer expert's pyramid."

His home beer bar: RiRa's Irish Pub, Arlington, Virginia

Mike Dixon, a Wake Forest, North Carolina beer lover, certified national beer judge and beer organizer. Dixon has tasted beers from 44 states and 39 countries and visited over 600 beer establishments in the US and Belgium. His extensive volunteer beer work includes working to change his state’s beer laws and promoting North Carolina’s homebrewing culture. He is a four-time semifinalist, this will be his first time in the Beerdrinker finals.

His beer philosophy: "A well crafted beer is the perfect accompaniment to any meal or event. Life is too short to be wasted on beer without flavor and every glass of beer should be a new adventure. Every day I am working to improve my beer knowledge and beer experience."

His home beer bar: Horniblows Tavern, Raleigh, NC

Phil Farrell, a Cumming, Georgia commercial pilot, homebrewer, grand master beer judge and four-time Beerdrinker finalist. He has tasted beer in every country in Europe, all 50 states, every US territory, as well as 1000s of the world’s pubs, breweries and brewpubs. His basement beer pub features six taps, three refrigerators, and a 15-gallon brewing system. In 2010 he visited 32 states and 18 countries in search of beer and logged 11,000 miles on his family’s RV.

His philosophy about beer: "Fear no beer. All of my "beeroes" (beer heroes) were fearless. In my short beer lifetime, a wasteland has been turned into a paradise…and I live in the best beer country in the history of the planet. Beer helps connect people. Beer is the greatest gift ever given to the human race and is meant to be shared with others.

His home beer bar: Five Seasons North in Alpharetta, GA.