Past Newsletters
Vol. 12 No. 4
Bringing You The Best Domestic Microbrews for 12Years Now!!
Brewery
|
Beers Featured
|
| Lost Coast Brewery | Indica IPA |
| Olde Towne Brewing Company | Olde Towne Amber Ale |
| Lost Coast Brewery | Downtown Brown |
| Olde Towne Brewing Company | Olde Towne Pale Ale |
| Pivovar Zlatý Bažant (Slovak Republic) | Golden Pheasant |
| Cervejaria Sul Brasileira (Brazil) | XINGU Black Beer |
Lost Coast Brewery
This marks the Lost Coast Brewery’s first appearance in our club’s roster of fine fermented beverages and we’re very excited to have made their acquaintance. In fact, not only did we sample their fine brews through the mail, we dispatched one of our own newsletter writers/beer panel members all the way up to Eureka, CA so that he could experience their famed brewpub and brewery fresh beers first hand (lucky stiff!) We saw the pictures (gorgeous country up there), heard his traveling tales (he actually drove through a California Redwood tree), read his rave beer & pub reviews, and all agree that if you’re ever in the northern CA area, you ought to head on up to Eureka and pay these fine folks a visit. The drive through Northern CA along the 101 freeway is breathtaking, the brewpub atmosphere is unique and inviting, the food is top notch, and the beer is expertly crafted and makes for some great drinking. Plus, they’ve got at least 10 beers on tap, with plenty of variety and something for everyone (including apricot- and tangerine-flavored wheat beers and a raspberry brown ale).
The roots of the Lost Coast Brewery go back to 1986 when a couple of sharp young women decided to quit their 9 to 5 jobs and start brewing and selling their own beer. The history of their brewpub location goes back much farther, however, to the end of the 1800’s when the building was first built. Wendy Pound and Barbara Groom purchased the property from its original owners, The Fraternal Order of The Knights of Pythias, a secret order we know nothing about but suspect might appear in Dan Brown’s sequel to The Da Vinci Code. The Fraternal Order was replaced by this brewing pair (A ‘Sorority Sect’ you might call them), and the rest is brewing history.
The brewpub décor is a mixture of art nouveau and classic gold rush age Saloon and is quite a hit with locals and thirsty travelers alike. After 10 years in business, a second bottling and production site was added down the road in order to keep up with demand. While the gold rush may have died out, Wendy and Barbara ensure that Eureka will always be rich with great beer. Thanks ladies!
For more information about the brewery, brewpub and/or scheduled tours, call (707) 445-4484 or check out their web site at www.lostcoast.com.
2003 saw this brew rated as “One of
the World’s Must Taste Beers” in
All About Beer Magazine. Considering their proximity to the hop haven that
is Oregon and Washington state, one expects a radically hoppy IPA, but this
version is a fantastic blend of traditional British IPA with a moderate Pacific
Northwest hop kick. Expect firm, edgy and earthy hops to fill the nose with
their characteristically citric zing, but these big hops are restrained compared
to many IPAs out there. A healthy dose of malts gives this beer a firm, mouth-filling
body and support as the hop bitterness takes firm hold of the tongue and lasts
literally for minutes in the aftertaste. Quite nice with lemon-soaked whitefish.
Serving Temperature: 45-52° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 57
Alcohol by Volume: 6.5%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Tulip Glass
Malts: Pale, Caramel (2 varieties)
Hops: Cascade, Centennial, Columbus
Winner of the 1996 and 1997 Silver and Gold Medals (respectively) at the World Beer Championships, this brown ale is a great mix of deep malty flavors with light hop floral tones and nicely balanced hop bitterness in the finish. Caramel and toffee malt flavors dominate the flavor profile with nuances of nuts and molasses peaking through a firmly bitter hop character that rapidly sets in to balance these sweeter elements. Finishes clean with a nice balance coming from the hoppy finish. Good with vegetarian chili.
Serving Temperature: 45-55° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 21
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Mug (clear)
Malts: Pale, Chocolate and Caramel (2 varieties)
Hops: Chinook and Cascade
Olde Towne Brewing Company
The Olde Towne Brewing Company was established just last year (2004). They make their home in historic downtown Huntsville, Alabama and their “very micro” brewery is proud to be Madison County’s first brewery in over 100 years (yes, the south has been slow to “heal” from the effects of prohibition). Their proudly stated goal is “to being beer drinkers the freshest and tastiest ales and lagers made right here at home”. We’re happy to be featuring two of their tasty ales as we welcome them to our family of fine featured selections. We’re sure we’ll be revisiting their brews again for future appearances in the club.
Special Note: We all know that Hurricane Katrina dealt a devastating blow to citizens of the Gulf Coast, and we at the club are committed to donating as much financial relief as we possibly can. Turns out that the Olde Towne Brewing Company, located in Huntsville, Alabama, was damaged during this catastrophic storm, but they, unlike many others out there, were able to continue brewing. We certainly don’t mean to make light of the terrible situation left in the wake of this tragic natural disaster when we say that we hope you will help support the surviving and rebuilding breweries out there that were affected. Those of us who love microbrewed beer and want to turn that love into a good deed can do so by taking the initiative to support these businesses by seeking out their beers and buying what we can to help these folks get back on their feet.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (256) 564-7404 or check out their web site at www.oldetownbeer.com (under construction at time of newsletter printing, but should be up and running in October 2005).
This amber ale showcases a malty nose with striking notes of
hazelnuts and caramel. Expect the flavor to closely parallel the nose, but
with an added
note of baked apples and a light hop bitterness in the finish. Try with a sharp
cheddar melted over pumpernickel. Need a great sharp cheddar or other fine
gourmet cheese? Yeah, we’ve got that too. Visit www.cheesemonthclub.com
for more info.
Serving Temperature: 42-50° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 15
Alcohol by Volume: 4.6%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass, Tumbler or Mug (clear)
Malts: Simpson’s Marris Otter and Weyerman
Hops: Willamette
Expect the nose on this brew to greet you with notes of fresh bread, light hop pepperiness and assertive amounts of pine and lemony citrus zest. There’s an unexpected note of bubblegum, like one would expect in a traditional German Hefeweizen, but we dug this twist on tradition and gave it points for creativity. The finish is well-bittered, favoring the hop flavors and aromas. Great with grilled Caesar chicken salad or Chinese noodle-based dishes.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 40.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Mug (clear)
Malts: Simpson’s Marris Otter and Weyerman
Hops: East Kent Goldings and Fuggles
Golden Pheasant Brewery (Pivovar Zlatý Bažant)—Hurbanovo, Slovak Republic (Southern Slovak Republic)
Located near the southernmost tip of Slovakia, near the northern border of Hungary, in the small town of Hurbanovo, you’ll find Pivovar Zlatý Bažant. Now, as a beer lover and member of the club, you’re likely familiar with great brewing heritage of the Czech Republic. You might already be aware that a town known as Pilzen, in Bohemia, was the place where in 1842 the most consumed style of beer the world over was invented (Pilsner beer). And you might also know of the Czech’s reputation as being the nation boasting the highest per capita beer consumption figures. This latter distinction was earned when Slovakia split from Czechoslovakia, forming the two separate republics. The reason that a united Czechoslovakia did not hold the title of beer drinking nation of the world was due to the Slovak’s preference for wine.
But don’t be discouraged by this point, for the brewing heritage of the Slovak Republic is actually quite esteemed; the geography and history of the land mean that brewers in this region have unrestricted access to all things brew: the best hops, grains, yeast strains and the softest water in the world. Pivovar (or brewery in English) Zlatý Bažant was started in 1968 as a state-owned enterprise to supply beer to Western Slovakia. As a part of the massive European beer market consolidation, the brewery was purchased in 1995 by Heineken in what was the first investment by a major brewing corporation in this region since the fall of Communism. However, beer connoisseurs may rest assured that this beer has not been spoiled by the massive enterprise that is Heineken. It is made in the same facility according to the original recipe. One sip and you’ll understand that this beer is not the silhouette of a true Pilsner that passes for mass-market U.S. beers. It is an authentic, rich, aromatic and delicious Pilsner to be praised with the best of them.
Translated to English, Zlatý Bažant means Golden Pheasant. Unlike
the major U.S. beer makers, who stretch out their barley with the addition
of cheaper corn and rice, Slovak producers use 100 percent barley, most of
it grown and processed in Slovakia. This makes nearly any Slovak-made beer
richer, with more body and depth of flavor, than any of the watery U.S. brand-name
beers. Expect spicy herbaceous hop aromas with toasty pale malt notes. Very
crisp malt flavors give way to lingering hop bitters and a distinct note akin
to dried autumn leaves. Winner of a Silver Medal at the World Beer Championships.
Geographically-speaking it might be an odd match, but Sushi or Indian Curried
dishes with Jasmine rice will work quite nicely with this beer.
Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%
Suggested Glassware: Flute Glass, Pilsner Glass, Mug (clear), or Stange (a slender
cylinder)
Brewery of Brazil (Cervejaria Sul Brasileira)— Parana D'Oeste, Brazil (Southwestern Brazil)
Our first featured beer this month comes to us from Brazil, a country where microbrewed beer is certainly not the first thing most people associate with this Portuguese-speaking land. But rest assured, after you taste the famed XINGU Black Beer (pronounced SHIN-goo) you’ll rethink Brazil’s reputation for great brew.
XINGU Black Beer was conceived in 1986 when Amazon, Inc. was founded in Vermont by five women who sought to prevent the extinction of some of the world’s rarest styles of beer. Like most of the great beers developed in the past 20 years, XINGU Black Beer was spawned from its creators’ dissatisfaction with the bland offerings from American brewers and a fairly flat import market. The company of Vermont beer-seekers hired beer historian Alan Eames to research and locate native prototypes of dark, rich beers from around the world.
While XINGU Black Beer as we know it was not released until February of 1988,
the earliest Western account of black beer brewed by the natives of the Amazon
region dates to 1557. Many Amazon Indian tribes placed great spiritual significance
on black beer as a beverage used in religious and social ceremonies. Thus,
it was only natural that the search for authentic Brazilian black beer would
begin in Brazil where Eames and his wife, Anne Latchis, President of Amazon,
Inc., were aware of the history of famed black beers, made by native female
brewsters who fermented roots and grains and used herbs as bittering agents.
Ingredients such as native dark roasted corn and exotic manioc root were mixed
and fermentation was initiated by wild, airborne yeast (which, incidentally,
is a similar fermentation scheme employed in some regions of Belgium).
The name XINGU is a tributary of the Amazon River which is home to the few
surviving cultures and species of native Amazonian life threatened by dam sites,
over-development and exploitation. It is also the name of the region that was
the homeland of the Amazon women who first brewed the original native black
beers. The distinct diamond-shaped XINGU Black Beer label was painted by artist
Eric Green depicting a map of the XINGU River region, bordered by anacondas,
with a Txucahamei warrior and a caiman (a tropical American reptile related
to the alligator). Thankfully, instead of having to risk life and limb trekking
through the tropics, you can simply enjoy the XINGU we dug up for you. True,
Donnie from the beer panel lost his left pinky toe battling a blood-thirsty
beetle-sized tic while trying to track this stuff down, but hey, as he says, “all
in a day’s work.” Don’t worry, we set him up with a case
of the stuff to speed his recovery.
XINGU Black Beer is a black lager beer brewed from barley, hops, water and
yeast—nothing else—which you might find surprising considering
the heavy notes of anise and treacle (which is like a heavy, almost medicinal
molasses) in this fine brew. Also look for flourishes of black currants and
vanilla beans. The opaque blackness is a result of using a variety of black-roast
malts from South American grown barley. Rated by the Beverage Tasting Institute
as “Outstanding” with a tremendous 91 points. As they put it, “in
two words: black silk.” Good with Latin American dark meat dishes, as
well as pumpernickel & pastrami sandwiches, served with a dill pickle.
Also a surefire winner with a dark, leathery, chocolate-laden maduro cigar.
And we’ve got plenty of them. In fact, each month, we feature at least
5 premium cigars in our Cigar of the Month Club—which, like our Beer
of the Month Clubs, run cigars of various different styles and flavors. A beer
in one hand and a fine stogie in the other—come on now, what could be
better? Check us out at www.cigarmonthclub.com and get a subscription for yourself
or a friend started today!
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Alcohol by Volume: 4.7%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass, Stein or Oversized Wine Glass
ASK MURL
Hey Murl,
Yo Dude—so psyched to be writing to the Original Malty Dog—hope you get to answer my question. I’ve been digging great microbrews for years now and am so stoked that more and more people are also discovering what “Real Beer” is supposed to taste like (as opposed to the sweat-sock flavored swill the majority of poor souls out there think is beer). But I was wondering, is there some benefit (health wise) to drinking top-notch, craft-brewed beer? I mean, sure, drinking a 12 pack a day is bad, no matter what kind of beer it is, but are there maybe some health benefits to drinking the good stuff? Hope so, because that would mean that I’m going to live a long, healthy and happy life my friend. Here’s to good beer!
Kyle Matthews
Willits, CA
Yo Kyle,
Happy to answer a question from a craft brew fanatic like yourself. Common sense man, that’s pretty much all you need. All things in moderation (unless it’s a fine female pooch, in which case, the whole moderation thang flies out the window quicker than my favorite Frisbee, ya dig). Don’t drink more—drink better. A slogan of many craft brewers out there. Many clinical studies have shown the benefits of drinking 1-3 beers per day on the cardiovascular system and on keepin’ the ol’ noggin’ sharp. But sometimes with craft beers you have to consider that they can run higher in alcohol than other cheap domestic brews and thus, with certain beers in the say 8-12+% ABV range, you might do better to cap it at one per day. Then again, many craft brewed beers contain a high amount of yeast right there in the bottle, which is very high in B-vitamins—which as you might recall from taking yer old Flintstones vitamins is a good thing. However, while looking in to your question, I came across the story below—which supports the idea that certain beers can actually be good for that trusty liver of yours!
Turns out that a beer launched in southern India claims to be vitamin enriched and protects the liver from harmful effects of alcohol. “Ladybird Bio Beer” contains aloe-vera extracts as well as the normal ingredients of barley malt and hops, said inventor B. Srinivas Amarnath, whose product has attracted world-wide interest. Amarnath said research showed that it did not harm the liver or cause ulcers and gastric illness. “The results of human clinical trials have shown aloe vera increases the bioavailability of vitamins like B1, B6, B12, C and E,” said CB Jagannatha Rao, senior vice president of Khoday group of industries. Years of research have also proved that with the long-term use of the beverage, there was no ulceration, gastric trouble or other harmful effects from drinking it, Amarnath said. It protects the liver by improving its function, he said, claiming that it reduces the blood cholesterol and also maintains the bilirubin levels to normal levels.”
Yeah, so, bilirubin, vitamins, no ulcers and aloe vera… Sounds good to me! Might even be good to rub on after a bad sun burn (ok, maybe that’s pushin’ it). Just be smart about how often and how much you throw at that liver and you’ll be fine—perhaps even better off!
All this typin’ and research has got me thirsty… I’m gonna go enrich my liver right now.
Woof!
Murl
Norm’s Corner
Woody: How’s it going Mr. Peterson?
Norm: It’s a dog eat dog world, Woody, and I’m
wearing Milk-bone underwear!
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.
Members can re-order their favorite
beers |
|||
FEATURED BEER |
Club |
12 Bottles |
24 Bottles |
| Indica IPA | Dom/Dom & Intl |
$24.95 |
$49.95 |
| Olde Towne Amber Ale | Dom/Dom & Intl |
$24.95 |
$49.95 |
| Downtown Brown | Dom |
$24.95 |
$49.95 |
| Olde Towne Pale Ale | Dom |
$24.95 |
$49.95 |
| Golden Pheasant | Intl/Dom & Intl |
$31.50 |
$58.50 |
| XINGU Black Beer | Intl/Dom & Intl |
$33.50 |
$61.50 |
All prices include shipping and handling. Mixed assortments
are available upon
request. CA customers please add 7.75% sales tax. |
|||
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 for an alternative payment
method, and will also attempt two more times to process the charges. If we
cannot secure
payment and have not been contacted by you, the order will be temporarily suspended.
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.
