Past Newsletters
Vol. 12 No. 8
Bringing You The Best Domestic Microbrews for 12Years Now!!
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Brewery
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Beers Featured
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| Sweetwater Brewing Company | 420 Extra Pale Ale |
| Wild Goose Brewing Company | India Pale Ale |
| Sweetwater Brewing Company | Exodus Porter |
| Wild Goose Brewing Company | Nut Brown Ale |
| McAusian Brewing Company | St. Ambroise Pale Ale |
| McAusian Brewing Company | St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout |
Sweetwater Brewing Company
So you want to start a brewery… You know you’ve got the drive. You know you have the creativity to concoct and market your sweet brew. What else is there to consider? Well, plenty, but for starters: location, location, location. All breweries have to consider this critical issue, and when Frederick Bensch and Kevin McNerney started dreaming up their brewery plans, they quickly realized that their college stomping grounds in Colorado had plenty of beer on tap already. Since the early to mid 90s, Colorado has consistently ranked at the top of the U.S. market for microbrewed beers. So, what to do? Well, how about sell nearly everything they owned, pack up their few remaining worldly possessions and drive to a place with a little less competition; a state that until recently placed 48th in the nation in terms of beer production; a market as soft as a fresh Georgia peach: Georgia of course.
This cross country trek is exactly what Frederick and Kevin did in order to found the Sweetwater Brewing Company. Their ambition wasn’t simply driven by pie in the sky dreaming—these fellas worked at no less than 7 microbreweries in Northern California and Colordo—heartlands of microbrewed nectars—before making the journey.
The Sweetwater Brewing Company opened its doors on February 17th, 1997. Today a 25,000 barrel microbrewery, they were recognized in 2002 as Small Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival, and for 8 years in a row have been named “Best Local Brew/Brewery” by the readers of hometown publication Creative Loafing. Need more convincing? (Then you haven’t tried the beer yet!) They were the second most decorated brewery in the world at the 1998 World Beer Cup.
For those of you lucky enough to reside in or if you are planning to visit the sweet peach state, doors open at the Sweetwater Brewery on Monday afternoons at 4:20PM to the public. Yes, 4:20 on the dime… For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (404) 691-ALES or check out their web site at www.sweetwaterbrew.com.
420 Extra Pale Ale was first brewed on April 20th, 1997, hence the name… We’re not entirely sure that’s the real reason behind the name, but we can provide you with a tidbit of trivia to impress your friends: the brewery was named after a local creek. This particular beer is a West Coast Style Pale Ale with aggressive hop character in the aroma, flavor and finish. Look for piney, resinous, grapefruit notes, flourishes of sweet peach and a hint of hop spiciness. Solid malt backbone balances the hops, but gives them the final word with a crisp, bitter finish. A 2002 Silver Medal winner at the GABF, and great with lobster, mussels or clams.
Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 39
Alcohol by Volume: 5.8%
Suggested Glassware: Pint GlassMalts: 2 Row, 30/37, Munich
Hops: Cascade, Centennial
True to style, this porter is defined by chocolate malt, medium body, and a smooth mouthfeel. Expect a robust chocolaty aroma and flavor, with a note of coffee and a malty sweetness you might expect from a big-bodied brown ale. Look for a firmly bitter finish and just the slightest hint of citrusy hops. Winner of 5 medals between the GABF and World Beer Cup—most recently, the 2004 Gold Medal from the latter. Goes well with Thai beef salad, lightly spiced.
Serving Temperature: 50-55° F
Int’l Bittering Units: 43
Alcohol by Volume: 6.8%
Suggested Glassware: Mug (clear or opaque), ChaliceMalts: 2 Row, Munich, Chocolate, 13/17, 70/80
Hops: UK Golding, Centennial
Wild Goose Brewing Company
The U.S. microbrewery renaissance really picked up steam in the early to mid 1990s. For this reason, it’s not often we find microbrewed beers, particularly from the east coast, that were around in the 80s. The breweries that did kick things off were pioneers of sorts, laying the foundation for the tremendous selection of top notch microbrews we currently enjoy. One such brewery was the Wild Goose Brewing Company. As one of the first microbreweries on the East Coast, we owe them a debt of gratitude for being brave enough to challenge the mass produced macro-brewing Goliaths.
Since firing up their brewkettle back in 1989, their traditional British-style beers have been recognized as some of the finest east of the Rockies. Over the years, they have gained the praise of beer lovers nationwide, and there’s good reason behind their success—what with their original brewmaster having been under the tutelage of industry legend Alan Pugsley, and having learned his trade at Peter Austin. For anyone who doesn’t know Alan Pugsley, he has helped design and set up some of the best microbreweries in the United States including Shipyard, Geary’s, and Old Nutfield, just to name a few. His attention to detail and obvious knowledge of hops and malts is clearly apparent to beer lovers and beer judges alike.
Many of the original recipes created in those early days are still produced exactly the same way today, but they’re brewed by a new generation of microbrewing zealots; the entire Wild Goose beer line was ultimately acquired by a worthy successor: The Frederick Brewing Company in Frederick, MD. Named one of America’s Top 20 Breweries by Food & Wine magazine, they faithfully continue to brew the outstanding Wild Goose line in homage to the great beers that helped usher in a new era of beer drinking in the states.
For more information about the current site where the Wild Goose beers are brewed (Frederick Brewing Company) call (888) 258-7434 or check out their web site at www.wildgoosebeer.com.
Winning a Silver Medal at the 1996 World Beer Championships is not this beer’s only accolade. In 1997 it also took home that festival’s Gold Medal, and that same year was declared a festival “World Champion Ale”. These days, you might find this beer a bit tame if you’re used to the “hop-bombs” that currently are offered as IPAs. In the modern evolution of this style, particularly since being interpreted in the Pacific Northwest, hugely aromatic hops have come to redefine the style. Wild Goose’s IPA is a true to style IPA—often tough to find in the U.S.. Note the balance of grains to hops in the aroma, with slight peppery note and citrus background. Expect floral hops with a subtle creaminess in the aroma and flavor. Look for a chewy maltiness that leads beautifully into the dry, intensely bitter finish. Enjoy with sushi and plenty of Wasabe.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 50.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.91%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Stange (tall, slender cylinder)
Malts: Munich, Special Roast, Torrified Wheat, Cara-pils
Hops: Warrior, East Kent Goldings, Fuggle
An award winning classic London-styled Nut Brown Ale, this malty brew is balanced out nicely with Willamette and East Kent Goldings hops. Look for toffee, milk chocolate, notes of coffee, a bit of maple syrup, and a gentle hop spiciness on the nose. Caramel & toffee maltiness dominate the flavor profile, with nutty notes and an underlying smokiness that’s just barely perceptible. Finish begins with light bitterness and ends slightly sweet, with a walnut-like dryness. This extraordinarily well-balanced session beer will go well with roast beef or Camarones á la Diabla!
Serving Temperature: 45-53° F
Int'l Bittering Units: 20.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.25%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass
Malts: Munich, Chocolate, Special Roast, Cara-pils
Hops: Willamette, East Kent Goldings
McAuslan Brewing Company— Montréal, Québec, Canada (Southeastern Canada)
The McAuslan Brewing Company was established in 1988 after a Secretary General of Dawson College in Quebec, Canada decided that a major career change was in order. Peter McAuslan had been brewing his own beer for more than 25 years, but didn’t seriously consider getting into commercial brewing until the early 80s. Driven by the belief that he could brew a better beer and that Quebec consumers would provide a loyal following for it, in August of 1987, he left his position in academic administration and dedicated himself to turning his vision into reality (and turn it into reality he has! He’s since served as the President of the Quebec Microbrewery Association, and as a director of the Brewers Association of Canada and the Association of Brewers in the U.S.)
In August 1998 British brewmaster Alan Pugsley was hired to help set up the brewery and formulate their first beers (those readers who are members of our Domestic and International Beer of the Month Club will recall that Alan Pugsley also had a key role in founding the Wild Goose Brewing Company). The next year was spent consolidating funding, acquiring expertise and equipment, and gathering a team of people with the skills and temperament to make the venture a success. Along with Ellen Bounsall, a biologist who trained as a brewmaster (and also Peter McAuslan’s wife), the bunch set about the important task of establishing the brewery’s reputation for distinctive beers that have since been acknowledged by critics internationally as being among the world’s best.
In January of 1989, along the banks of the Lachine Canal in Montreal’s St. Henri district, the McAuslan Brewing Company officially began operations. Located at 4850 St. Ambroise Street (hence the beer names below), it has established itself as Quebec’s foremost microbrewery. Today, Ellen is the company’s Master Brewer and Vice President of Production, while Peter McAuslan is President and CEO. Together, this dynamic husband and wife team have blended their skill sets to give us some truly fantastic beer. Ain’t marriage grand?
For more information about the brewery, check out their website at www.mcauslan.com or call them at (514) 939-3060.
St-Ambroise Pale Ale is the brewery’s flagship beer. Introduced in February 1989, it’s a hoppy, reddish-amber, full-flavored ale. In 1994 & 1996 it earned the brewery Silver Medals at the World Beer Championship, and in 2004 it took the Gold Medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards. Expect bread-like caramel malts and a floral, citrus hop spiciness on the nose. Look for a distinct caramel maltiness that pairs well against the heavy-handed use of hops. The finish is bitter, with some lightly peppery hops and fresh grains in the aftertaste. Quite nice with a grilled chicken Caesar salad or spicy Jack cheese quesadillas.
Serving Temperature: 42-50° F
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0 %
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass, Pilsner Glass or Stein
We’re so jazzed to be offering you this beer, as it’s one of the world’s greats! At the World Beer Championship in 1994, St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout received the second highest rating of the over 200 beers in the competition and won one of only nine platinum medals awarded. That’s right—Platinum. This is a rare achievement indeed. Having won Platinum is pretty much the only way to make their 1996 follow up Gold seem slightly disappointing! This amazing stout has also been chosen by 10 European, American and English beer writers for inclusion in their list: “Top ten favorite beers in the world”. Brewed from 40% dark malts and roasted barley, this intensely black ale carries strong hints of espresso and chocolate in both aroma and flavor. The use of oatmeal contributes body and a long-lasting mocha-colored head to this well-hopped beer. Look for a touch of sweetness in the finish along with bitter hops and suggestions of espresso. A good beer to enjoy with desserts like chocolate cake or pudding.
Serving Temperature: 50-55° F
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%
Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Mug (clear or opaque)
