Past Newsletters

Vol. 10 No. 7

Brewery	Beers Featured
Sonora Brewing Company	Burning Bird Pale Ale
Sonora Brewing Company	Desert Amber
Odell Brewing Company	Cutthroat Porter
Odell Brewing Company	Levity Golden Amber Ale

First and foremost: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

Our Suggestions for New Year's resolutions:

1. Drink more beer (make that more fine-crafted, microbrewed beer)
2. Get that Cigar of the Month membership youve been thinking about
3. Get that Wine of the Month membership youve been thinking about
4. Eat more cheese (getting a Cheese of the Month membership might help)
5. Have fresh cut flowers in the house at least once a month (hint, hint; weve got one of those too! Our Fresh Cut Flower of the Month Club)
6. Visit the fascinating and informative www.monthlyclubs.com website for info on these and even more of our fine monthly clubs.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled newsletter.

Sonora Brewing Company

The Sonora desert of Arizona is one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the USA. It spans thousands of square miles and runs from Phoenix, AZ to Palm Springs, CA and beyond. It is the hottest of the North American deserts, so if you plan on going in to the desert proper, you might want to consult our annotated survival guide, which you can read below. Despite being among the hottest regions on the continent, it receives, surprisingly, an abundant amount of rainfall and as a result, is home to a terrific degree of biological diversity. Naturalists, scientists, and tourists alike have flocked to this area for years, fascinated by the fantastic examples of plants and wildlife that flourish despite the temperature. The plants and animals of the region are the treasures of the area, and for nearly a decade, visitors and locals to the region of Arizona near the Sonora have been treated to the refreshing treasures offered by one of this month's featured breweries, the Sonora Brewing Company.

Some people may find it hard to believe that a brewery of this stature sprung up and flourished in this climate, while others recognize the similarity that the brewery holds in comparison to the wonders of the desert itself—how, from the harshness of the elements, such an oasis has developed is a characteristic common to the both of them. This fact was likely recognized by John and Margie Watt, the husband and wife owners of the brewery who borrowed the name of the adjacent desert back in 1996. The Sonora desert is a uniquely North American landscape, unduplicated elsewhere in the world, distinctly southwestern in nature. However, the Sonora Brewing Company, though locally influenced in terms of the colorful names given to their beers (e.g. Burning Bird Pale Ale, Desert Amber, or Old Saguaro Barley Wine Ale), is run in accordance with time-tested European traditions. From its inception, the Sonora Brewing Company has chosen to follow the strict guidelines of the German Beer Purity Law, also known as the Reinheitsgebot. As per the regulations of this law, Sonora uses only the finest malted barley, hops, water, and yeast. Add to that list a fine German brewer, Uwe Boer, and youve got yourself a brewery that crafts the freshest and tastiest beers that the Valley of the Sun has ever enjoyed.

John, Margie, and Uwe have been catering to the locals for eight years now and in that time have developed an impressive line up. One interesting member of this line up is actually non-alcoholic: a root beer made with local desert honey. If you can pay a visit to the Sonora Brewing Company Brewhouse Pub and Restaurant in Phoenix, you can have one of their famous root beer floats, made by mixing this root beer with vanilla vodka. That, along with their other fine beverages ought to inspire you to take a trip to the desert, so read our desert survival guide, and head on out to the great state of Arizona. When it comes to their beers, there's nothing better suited to slaking your thirst during the area's hot summer days and cool winter nights.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (602) 484-7775 or check out their web site at www.sonorabrew.com.

Burning Bird Pale Ale

Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 12.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.6° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 33.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.8%

Nothing like the smell of a Burning Bird, eh? That's what they're saying in Arizona anyway. Seriously, when you pour this beer you are going to find that an ample head develops and sits lastingly atop the golden-orange brew, with an aroma so pleasant you may have to force yourself to stop sniffing and start drinking. You'll certainly be pleased with the captivating, heavily hoppy, grapefruit aroma. Expect a medium body and note how the biscuity malt plays off the fruity, floral hop flavors while still finishing with solid bitterness. Wonderfully suited for a mandarin chicken dish or perhaps an Asian-style sweet and sour pork.

Desert Amber

Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 12.5° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.3° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 27.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.2%

This particular beauty won the Bronze Medal in the 1997 World Beer Championships. Expect a medium golden amber color and a long-lasting head. You'll experience a distinctly malty note due to the 2-row and crystal malts used. There's an interesting spiciness bearing a slight resemblance to cinnamon and yielding similarly spicy notes according to some on our tasting panel. Finishes very dry, clean, and smooth. Pairs very nicely with almost any food, particularly hamburgers and barbeque dishes.

Odell Brewing Company

In the mad rush of the early 90's to start one's own microbrewery, hundreds of people ended up in the business of the brew. However, if one has a look at the lifespan of a microbrewery started in the early 90's, well, the results could be a bit dismaying. A great many have seen their taps run dry and their brew tanks gone empty. Then there are the success stories, the railblazers that started very early on in the microbrew revolution and are still pleasing customers today. The Odell Brewing Company is one of these companies. Founded way back in 1989, rather early considering the age of most microbreweries in the country today is less than ten years of age, they're currently enjoying their second decade of success in the industry. Family-founded and owned, the company was only the second microbrewery to be opened in the state of Colorado.

So, what's their secret? Well, it really comes down to the beer, and these guys craft some great ones. Take a look at this abbreviated list of their commonly used malts and see if you don't start to salivate: Chocolate, Amber, Munich, Roasted Barley, Crystal, and Honey Malt. Owners Doug Odell, wife Wynne and sister Corkie have their good family name on every product, which certainly helps ensure that what they deliver is top notch. Combine this element of family pride with the finest and freshest ingredients, throw in equal parts adherence to English-style ale-making tradition and American microbrew ingenuity, and youve got a true recipe for success.

Much like our first featured brewery, inventive and catchy monikers can aid the success of the trade. 90 Shilling, Easy Street Wheat, and, of course, Levity Golden Amber Ale and Cutthroat Porter are a few examples of Odell brews. We're proud to offer you two of their finest selections: Cutthroat Porter and Levity Golden Amber Ale. Very different styles with one thing in common, great taste. Perhaps theyll inspire you to want to run out and start your own microbrewery. Just remember, these guys have been at it for a while now, so if your early homebrews aren't up to par, well then, don't be surprised, it takes years to get beers this good. If you do manage to concoct something that even comes close to the flavor and body of their Porter, however, get to work starting that microbrewery (and send us a few bottles while you're at it!)

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (970) 498-9070 or check out their web site at www.odellbrewing.com.

Cutthroat Porter

Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 13.5° Plato
Final Gravity: 4.0° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 44.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.7%

Aye Matey, this brew was originally formulated in 1993 as a house beer for a local tavern and named by the fisherman (or perhaps, pirate) proprietor. This is a smooth, robust creamy dark ale in the classic London porter tradition. In 1996 this porter won the Silver medal in the Colorado State Fair. This beer has a flavor profile that falls somewhere between a standard porter and a stout. Note the excellent sweet chocolate nose, also present as the main body of the flavor, along with some toasted coffee notes. Expect a velvety-smooth mouthfeel that most porter makers would kill for. Anchored by a mildly hoppy, slightly dry finish. We agree with the Odell's that this is indeed perfect as an after dinner sipping beer.

Levity Golden Amber Ale

Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 13.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.0° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 25.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.1%

Renamed from its original title of Festivale, it was obviously recognized early on that this ale has a lighter feel to it. Look for a citrus-accented hoppy nose laced with floral undertones. It presents with a thin head that will fade with a moderate quickness, lacing nicely along the glass. Expect a slight hop bitterness at the finish, impeccably balanced with the fruity notes and hints of toasted caramel. As with many citrus-heavy ales, this beer gets even better as it warms slightly. Balanced and very easy going, hence the apt name. Another product that exemplifies Odell's brewing prowess.

Desert Survival Guide

We were really quite enchanted by the natural beauty of the Sonora Desert while researching the area for this newsletter and so we started searching for more info. Now, if you type in the word Desert in a search engine, you're going to find the survival guides that give you tips on how to get by if you are so much as just driving through the desert or if you have fallen prey to more dire circumstances such as being lost and bitten by poisonous snakes. We couldn't help but read these morbid little strategy tips and soon realized that most desert survival guide pointers are, well, frightening. For example, check out this morbid little suggestion:

...when driving in the desert
Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.

Now really, what does this mean? Why would you need to do this? Well folks, you need to do this in the event that you get lost, i.e., you don't return, i.e. you're dying of dehydration in the desert. After checking out a few of these survival guides, we realized that most of these guidelines, no doubt in an effort to avoid scaring the reader, have omitted the critical concluding phrase "because you're probably going to die". Here at the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, we like to give it to you straight, so here's an annotated guide that includes our own revisions that tell it like it is (revisions printed in italics). Keep in mind, these are all taken from actual online desert survival guides.

Pointers for surviving in the desert:

• Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return because you're probably going to end up dead and missing.
• Stay with your vehicle and signal, to the animals and deadly insects that want to devour you, for help.
• If you must walk for help, wait until sunset and leave a note telling which way you went because you're probably going to die and someone will need to recover your sun-scorched bones.
• If you have water, drink it; don't ration it because no matter what you do, you're still probably going to die.
• Always adapt gradually, going into the heat for short periods at first (and avoid petting anything that rattles)
• Drink fluids frequently and eat small meals regularly. An excellent source of small meals which you can eat regularly while stranded in the desert is a magic utility belt, be sure to pack it before leaving home.
• Avoid alcohol (also in the magic utility belt), which decreases your ability to tolerate heat.
• Ignore previous point altogether since you are probably going to die and you might as well get your party on before you press on to the afterlife.

The desert is home to a host of dangerous animals that want to kill you and feast upon your corpse, so be careful to avoid any living creatures including the Bark Scorpion, the Black Widow Spider, the Brown Recluse Spider, any snakes, and of course, the Gila Monster (we would have just said, avoid everything, starting with the desert)

For Members Only

Give Your Friends FREE Beer, Wine, Cheese, Chocolate, Cigars & Flowers!
Through our Customer Appreciation Program

Your name has real value to your friends, co-workers, and family members! Every time a friend, family member, or anyone else you know joins any one of our clubs, [or gives a gift] for 3 months or longer, we'll give them 50% off of their first month, but only when they mention your name. And we'll also give you 50% off your next month too which can either be applied towards your current membership or you can try one of our other Clubs out! (We can add one more month to your order at 50% off for prepaid memberships!)

The Fine Print: Members giving gift memberships do not qualify for referral credits and you can't give yourself a gift to qualify! This Program is mutually exclusive of any other promotions.

Membership Q & A

Q: What can I do if I'm having difficulty receiving my shipment at home?
A: You should consider having our discrete box delivered to your work location or to a neighbor 21 yrs. of age that can receive it for you. As your shipment requires and adult signature to receive, it's always best to ship it to a location where someone will be there to receive it for you. The box is brown corrugated cardboard and doesn't say "Beer" on it anywhere.

Q: What should I do if I'm moving or want to extend my membership?
A: Please call us prior to the 5th of the month to make all account related information changes such as address changes, membership extensions & terminations, or gift accounts desiring to continue their memberships. Address changes made after that time may require a repackaging and re-shipping charge of $12.00. Additionally, if your box is re-routed by UPS from an address different than what was originally specified, you may incur a $5.00 re-routing charge.

Q: What happens if my shipment is damaged?
A: If your shipment arrives damaged, please call us immediately toll free at 1-800-625-8238 and report the incident for a prompt resolution.

Q: What happens if my credit card is declined?
A: We will send you a courtesy notice asking you for an alternative payment method and your order will be temporarily suspended until we hear from you.

Q: What happens if I join under a special incentive program and don't stay a member for the entire term committed?
A: Not a problem. Although we want to do everything we can to keep you as a member, we will allow you to cancel your subscription early; however, you will be responsible to pay for the item that was given to you as part of the promotion. If you received a discount based on a specific term, the amount discounted will be charged to your card.