Past Newsletters
Vol. 10 No. 1
| Brewery | Beers Featured |
| Smuttynose Brewing Company | Old Brown Dog Ale |
| Smuttynose Brewing Company | Shoal's Pale Ale |
| Uinta Brewing Company | King's Peak Porter |
| Uinta Brewing Company | Angler's Pale Ale |
Smuttynose Brewing Company
Peter Egelston is truly a beer hound after our own heart. Peter dons many a hat at the Smuttynose Brewing Company as he is both the founder and owner, and has already left quite a paw print on the New England brewing community. His masterful skills have aided in the achievement of win after win with the start of one of the original New England brewpubs, the instantaneous success of a second brewpub, a brewery, and one of the most well attended beer festivals in the Northeast. Phew! One might consider him “somewhat” passionate about beer.
The inevitable beer quest began in 1986 when Peter’s sister Janet and her boyfriend Mark convinced Peter to quit his teaching job in Brooklyn, New York and head out to Massachusetts to open a brewpub. A tough decision for some. Educating our country’s young minds or our country’s not so young taste buds! For us, the call was a no brainer, but then we are a bit jaded now, aren’t we? Peter sowed his wild hops in Massachusetts until 1991, at which time he opened New Hampshire’s first brewpub, and called it the Portsmouth Brewery. With good fortune and diligent work habits, Peter realized that it was time to hone in on his dream and open his first brewery.
The Smuttynose Brewing Co. is located on the New Hampshire coast in the historic city of Portsmouth and has a wealth of nostalgia surrounding it. The brewery, which opened in 1994, was built on the ruins of the Frank Jones Brewing Company, a brewery that opened in 1992 and promptly went out of business a year later. Good fortune for Peter. Not so good for Frank. Perhaps the cleaver name of the brewery had something to do with it.
Peter’s brewery is named after Smuttynose Island, one of the isles of Shoals - a small, rugged group of nine islands that lie less than ten miles off the coast of Maine and New Hampshire. Folklore lends itself to the belief that mariners in the 1600s named the island based on the dark seaweed-covered rock ledge that juts out from one end of the island. Rich in both, history and legend, the isles of Shoals have been home to poets, pirates, fishermen, and now a brewery.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (603) 436-4026 or check out their web site at www.smuttynose.com.
Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 15.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.7° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 15.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.7%
This Old dog’s got a trick for ya! You’re gonna love this beer as much as we dig its name! Old Brown Dog is crafted with a combination of 2-row domestic Pale, Munich, Chocolate, and Crystal malts. Smuttynose really hops it up with three unique hops including Willamette and Cascade, primarily used for their aromatic contributions and Galena, added for bittering. . Impress your friends and family with this bark of nostalgia, the dog pictured on this beer’s label is Peter’s 9-year-old half Weimaraner half Brittany Spaniel, Olive. You’ve gotta love having your own brewery. The polished tastes of our panel found it to be very well balanced while offering a clean Cascade hoppy finish. Note a malty nose with some fruity undertones in this filtered, medium-to-full-bodied dark amber ale. Look for a bigger hop character and more body than a traditional English Brown Ale. Overall we found this selection to be well deserving of its many accolades. In fact, we might go so far as to say…”It’s dawg-gone sensational!” Try pairing this one up with smoked fish or roast beef.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 12.3° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.0° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 30.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%
Shoal’s Pale Ale is a “live ale”, which means that it is unfiltered and therefore its appearance is slightly hazy as a result of the sediment of brewer’s yeast that is formed in the bottle. It’s brewed with a combination of Pale, Brewers Crystal 60, Carastan malts along with malted wheat, and is an American interpretation of classic English ale. Shoal’s Pale ale was awarded the silver at the 1998 World Beer Championships. Our panel was quite impressed with this rich copper-colored, unfiltered, medium-bodied ale. Note a complex hop profile comprised of Galena, Cascade, and Chinook hops. Look for a tangy fruitiness at the start, with an assertive hop crispness and a big malty mouth feel brimming throughout. Overall, a very complex, well balanced ale that is bursting with flavor. Its assertive hoppy character will complement rich, full-flavored foods nicely, yet its complex flavors are subtle enough to accompany lighter, more delicately flavored selections. The perfect companion for a summer evening with friends.
Uinta Brewing Company
The Uinta Brewing Company was established in 1993 with the charter of crafting full flavored, fresh and unique domestic ales in a state that could most likely really use them! Sounds like a winning game plan to us! The name of the brewery was derived from Utah's highest mountain range, the Uinta Mountains. The names of Uinta’s product line have been inspired largely by Utah's heritage and inspiring landscapes.
Uinta began bottling its award winning beers in 1996 in order to quell the massive requests they were receiving for bottled beers. They recently moved into a brand-new 26,000 square foot state of the art brewing facility and now feature the Brewhouse Tavern.
The brewery’s new nesting grounds are fully equipped with the latest in brewing technology, including the highly regarded Krones bottling line, Utah's only Anton Paar Beer Analyzer, an instrument used to determine the exact alcohol content of a beverage, and a 40-barrel brewhouse that uses only customized stainless steel tanks in order to guarantee the quality of their beers.
Uinta’s brewery was designed specifically with conservation and efficiency in mind. As a reflection of the company's philosophy, the brewery is 100% wind powered. Say what? That’s right boys and girls. Pretty neat, huh? By enjoying Uinta beers, you’re playing a part in preventing the release of 357,120 pounds of carbon dioxide per year — the equivalent of planting 71 acres of trees, or not driving 348,400 miles per year. The new building reflects Uinta Brewing Company's efforts to be a leader in the brewing industry while remaining committed to conservation.
In addition to the two beers our panel favored and opted to share with you this month, Uinta also brews Cutthroat Pale Ale, Golden Spike Hefeweizen, Bristlecone Brown Ale, Uinta Club Pilsner, and an India Pale Ale.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (801) 467-0909 or check out their web site at www.uintabrewing.com.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 12.3° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 23.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.3%
King's Peak Porter has a deep mahogany hue that is serenaded by a full-bodied malty flavor and a dry, roasted body. Note hints of chocolate throughout. Topped with a thick tan creamy head, our beer panel concurred that this decadent porter has a more defined hop character than what is common for this style, yet it’s working for us! It’s no wonder that King’s Peak won the 1997 Gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in the German style Schwarzbier category and the 1999 Silver medal at the World Beer Cup in the German porter category. A dash of trivia for our geographic buffs. King's Peak, located in the Uinta Mountains, holds the honor of being the highest point in the state of Utah at 13,528 feet.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 12.3° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 23.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.3%
Anglers Pale Ale is a fine catch indeed! We found it to be a traditional pacific northwestern styled pale ale, offering a rich copper robe and clean, complex malt profile. Look for this medium bodied brew to deliver a big floral Cascade and Chinook hop nose, sure to please. Note a delicate balance of subtle maltiness and hop bitterness. We found the finish to be somewhat malty, offering a slightly lingering, hop bitterness. You’ll be back for more. Enjoy!
Ask Murl
Hey Murl,
I was wondering if there was any real significance to the ole lemon wedge served in a wheat beer or if it’s really just for looks. My boyfriend always teased me for putting “fruit” in my beer and tells me “Why not just put a cantaloupe in there and a foo foo umbrella for crying out loud”! I’m like, whatever dude. Drink your Bud Light and shut your cakehole already! Can you help me enlighten him?
Staci Johanus
Lakemoor, IL
Yo Lemon-girl!
So you’re man’s drinking carbonated ferret twinkle and giving you grief about enjoying a real beer. Is that it? I’m not sure enlightenment is in his near future, my dear. He may be a lost cause to be sure. It’s a good question though. I can remember my first trip down to Tijuana wondering why the heck they were putting those limes in my Tecate! After about 10 or 12, I didn’t much care and found that it was pretty fun to wedge those puppies into my eye sockets and pretend I was some kinda oversized bug or something. A few more and next thing you know you’re sitting on a street bench somewhere in your undies at 3 a.m. with a half eaten taco in your hand and hot sauce stains on your shirt. Man, those were the days…
So on to citrus garnishes then. My guess is that the acidity of the lime in the Tecate helps neutralize any bacterial forms of Montezuma’s revenge thus making the next day’s hangover as tolerable as it can possible be in a country where you don’t know the word for “pharmacy”! Many Hefeweizens and wheat beers are commonly served with a lemon slice to enhance the beer's naturally occurring estery flavor. And quite a few bars will tell ya that it’s all about presentation. Something about seeing that deep, straw colored, unfiltered ale in an oversized flute, garnished with a tangy-looking lemon slice that makes you want to order one for yourself! So you tell ole Bud-boy where to put his cantaloupe and enjoy your beer now! Ya hear?
Woof!
Murl.
Food For Thought...
Asian Porter Grilled Shrimp
- 12 oz. King’s Peak porter
- 1/3 cup dark toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon frozen lime juice concentrate
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon hot Chinese powdered ginger
- 1 teaspoon powdered cardamom
- 1 teaspoon (or more to taste) Chinese red chili paste
- 1 ½ pounds large, shell on shrimp (about 30)
- 10 bamboo skewers
Blend the porter, sesame oil, lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, cardamom, and chili paste and whisk well. Rinse shrimp in cold water, drain well, and place in a large non-reactive shallow dish. Pour marinade in, and stir so shrimp are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Prepare a grill for several minutes of medium heat. Thread shrimp on skewers, 3 pieces to each skewer. Grill just 40 to 60 seconds on each side or until shells just turn orangey pink. The shrimp will continue to cook when you remove them from the grill - so be careful not to overcook them. Place the shrimp on a platter, let cool for several minutes, and serve.
Serves: 6 people, two drunks, or your tapeworm
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