This Month's Featured Beers

Brewery	Beers Featured
Pennsylvania Brewing Company	Penn Weizen
Pennsylvania Brewing Company	Penn Dark
Lang Creek Brewery	Tri Motor Amber
Lang Creek Brewery	Huckleberry 'n Honey

 

Pennsylvania Brewing Company

“I wanted to see the world, so I joined the army.” You may recall an uncle or maybe your Grandfather uttering this phrase during family gatherings over the years. When they said it that way, it sounded like calling the Army was like calling your local travel agent and asking for an elaborate global excursion package. Well, we’ve grown up and we understand it’s not exactly that glamorous or carefree; however, that’s not to say that cultural exposure cannot be found during overseas tours of duty. Many Americans haven’t really had the experience of tasting what beer was really intended to be (let’s just say that Budweiser, Coors, Michelob and Pabst Blue Ribbon are definitely NOT what the beer Gods had in mind when they handed down the secrets of beer brewing!) Luckily, The Beer of the Month Club is here to serve and educate. If you know someone who you think would benefit from getting their hands on some true, real, definitely non-imitation, genuine, authentic, legitimate, actual, honest-to-goodness beer, consider giving them a gift that expands their cultural horizons – a subscription to our Beer of the Month Club! Visit our website at www.monthly-clubs.com to get a gift subscription started today and play your part in spreading one of the most enjoyable cultural mores to your fellow man (and woman).

NOTE: if you don’t agree that drinking beer and learning about the multitudes of styles and varieties of malty brew out there is an example of a cultural experience, then be warned that you should put this newsletter down before it grows hands and slaps you in your blasphemous mouth!

One American we really admire came to know great beer during his overseas service in the Army. Tom Pastorius, a Pittsburgh native of German descent, discovered beer while stationed in Germany, a country that considers its “bier” as much a staple as bread. Once his service days ended, Tom returned to the states and earned his master of business administration degree at Penn State University. He later returned to Germany for some time, residing there during the 1970’s and living as the locals do by incorporating beer as a regular part of his diet. But upon moving back to the states in 1981, he began longing for good German beer. “Beer tastes better over there,” he said. “I just missed the beer.”

Dissatisfied with commercially available beverage choices, and in need of a job, Pastorius decided to start his own brewery. In 1986, he started a real estate venture to purchase a nearly 150-year-old abandoned brick and stone brewery for $225,000. A three-year, labor-intensive $4 million restoration followed, and thus, the first microbrewery in Pennsylvania was born. Talk about going to great lengths to get great beer! Tom’s goal to brew authentic German beers quickly became a reality, and these days he is considered a pioneer in the microbrewery renaissance.

The brewery, beer hall and German-themed brewpub are located in Pittsburgh. No detail was overlooked from its solid copper brewhouse imported from Germany, to its authentic German-made fermentation and aging tanks, filtration equipment, kegging and bottling equipment. Another unique facet to Pennsylvania Brewing Company’s success is that the brewery imports all of its ingredients, uses German recipes, brewing methods and even has a German brew-master! In keeping with this dedication to authenticity, all beers are made in strict accordance to the German beer purity law known as the “Rheinheitsgebot.” This means that only the four classic ingredients are used in their beer: malted barley and/or wheat, hops, yeast and of course water. It is strictly prohibited to use such common adjuncts as corn and rice. You won't find the words “preservatives” or “stabilizers” in the vocabu-lary of Penn's brewmaster. The results are certainly a treat: completely authentic, honest, all natural beer made the way it's made in the world’s brewing heartland of Germany. As Tom puts it himself, “We're trying to bring real beer back to this market. The beer you get in the kettle is the beer you get in the glass.”

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call Mary Beth at 412-237-9400 or check out their web site at www.pennbrew.com.

The Penn Weizen is one of the Pennsylvania Brewing Company’s most savored brews. It’s also garnered quite a few accolades, taking home the Silver Medal in 1997 and the Gold Medal at the 2000 Great American Beer Festival. Brewed in the Southern German tradition, Penn Weizen is a top-fermented, cask-conditioned and unfiltered beauty. Expect a big hit of tangy cloves with proportionally less fruity esters, particularly banana, on the nose. Look for the inverse in the flavor profile, with banana flavors more prominent and clove sweetness taking a back seat. This Bavarian Style Wheat Beer is, like all good wheat beers, a great summertime thirst quencher. We sug-gest having a barbeque with some friends, grilling up some bratwurst and relaxing with a couple of these satisfying wheat beers.

Serving Temperature: 48-54° F
Original Gravity: 12.2° Plato
Final Gravity: 2.2° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 18.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%
Malts: 2-row Pilsner; Summer Wheat
Hops: Imported Hallertau, Perle,
Hallertau Tradition

A gold medal winner at the 1999 Great American Beer Festival, the 2000 World Beer Cup, and the 2001 World Beer Champ-ionships, this fine microbrew is a beer lover’s gem. Note an amber to dark brown hue and good head retention in this complex lager. 100% imported Hallertau hops contribute lightly to the aroma and stick around rightto the finish in this beer, but the most prominent feature on the nose is this beer’s sweet malty aroma. This full flavored lager blends a rich malty coffee, toasted espresso, and nut-like flavor into a bread style finish that could easily double as both drink and meal. Look for a dry finish with overtones of hop bitterness and a bold flavor stemming from the Munich and black malts used to brew it. Overall, a delicately crafted lager that will compel you to quickly pop open another one!

 

 

Serving Temperature: 50° F
Original Gravity: 12.8° Plato
Final Gravity: 2.8° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 24.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.2%
Malts: 2-row Pilsner; Munich; Black
Hops: Imported Hallertau, Perle,
Hallertau Tradition

Lang Creek Brewery

The Lang Creek Brewery, located in Marion, Montana, has earned the distinction of being called “America’s most remote brewery,” according to New Brewer Magazine. For those of you with access to a plane, or perhaps those who are reading this mid-flight with enough pull to persuade your pilot to make a beer run pit stop might want to know the following info: Lang Creek Brewery is perhaps the only brewery with an airstrip located on site. The strip can be found on the Great Falls sectional under "Campbell Ranch" at approximately 48 N by 115 W. The strip conveniently lands you right next to the source of some of the best microbrewed beer in America. So, get your planes fueled up and out on the tarmac and fly on over there.

Disclaimer: The Beer of the Month Club DOES NOT advocate drinking and flying. Please land at the Lang Creek Brewery airstrip before you start drinking and throw back a few with the plane safely parked near the grain silos. And be smart, have a designated flyer.

Lang Ales are produced primarily with English style malts produced in the USA. Brewmaster and owner John Campbell has chosen these malts for the unique flavor characteristics that only English style malts can provide. Hops are another important flavor contributor, and you may notice that they are not stingy with their use of hops. Hop-lover Campbell is exceptionally passionate about two things in life: beer and aviation (though, not in conjunction mind you–our lawyers have advised us to direct your attention once again to the disclaimer above). As Campbell puts it himself, “I am a beer lover first, brewer second–it is my dream to produce world class beers for everybody to enjoy!”

Another great quote from Campbell sums up the union of his two passions: “If I was a hog farmer, I might name my favorite ale “Old Swine Swill” or something like that. But I'm not a hog farmer. I’m a pilot… aviation is my passion. Therefore, I have chosen aviation as a theme for the names of our ales. The Ford Tri-Motor, pictured in our logo, was a principle workhorse of early Montana aviation. With this in mind, I dedicate Lang Ale names to the pilots and airplanes of Montana aviation. Besides, what better theme for a beer brewed in a converted aircraft hangar?”

John is a big fan of Euro-pean style beer, with a particular penchant for traditional British Ales. Therefore, look for the English influence in most of the styles produced by Lang Creek Brewery today and enjoy Old World style beer with a modern American twist.

For more information about the brewery– and permission to land, call 406-858-2200

Lang Creek Tri-Motor won medals three years in a row at the American Association of Brewers Competition in Idaho Falls – bringing home the Gold, Silver and Bronze. This traditional example of an English Amber Ale presents as an attractive deep red amber. Our panel found it to be a full bodied, rich tasting amber ale. According to brewmaster and owner John Campbell, this brew was the favorite of respected brew aficionado Michael Jackson when he visited the brewery in 1996. This amber has a nice caramel malt sweet-ness perceived on the nose and a creamy head with a slightly nutty malt character. Expect minor notes of cedar with a subdued hop bitterness and moderate dryness. It is a very satisfying drink that is excellent with various foods, especially pizza and Mexican dishes.

 

Serving Temperature: 55-60° F
Original Gravity: 13.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.2° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 23.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.1%
Malts: 2-row Pale; Crystal; Carastan
& Chocolate
Hops: Centennial; Cascade and English Fuggles

A departure from their typical naming scheme, this beer is not only unlike the other Lang Creek brews, it is probably unlike most beers you’ve ever tried. An unconventional use of Montana’s trademark berry yields huckle-berry notes abounding in the aroma. Expect the same in the flavor with a mingling of sweet honey and just a touch of hop bite to balance the sweetness. Note how the hop bit-terness has a different character than the more prominent fruit-like bitterness that pre-dominates the finish. Some on our panel said this beer reminded them of champagne in terms of body while others reported that the bitterness that comes through in the finish was reminiscent of a tart Belgian lambic. All in all, this is another summer treat that is likely to go down best with grilled fare, especially flame-grilled citrus chicken, or perhaps a Chinese mandarin salad.

Serving Temperature: 55° F
Original Gravity: 8.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 1.8° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 8.0
Alcohol by Volume: 3.2%
Malts: 2-row Pale; Wheat (malted)
Hops: Perle; Mt. Hood

 

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