Past Newsletters
Vol. 3 No. 10
| Brewery | Beers Featured |
| Schirf Brewing Company | Premium Amber Ale |
| Schirf Brewing Company | Slickrock Lager |
| Schirf Brewing Company | Raspberry Wheat |
Schirf Brewing Company
Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 13.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 30.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.2%
Schirf's Premium Amber Ale is brewed with four different barley malts. The majority are 2-row pale malts, however, Brewmaster Mike Mankoschewski also combines crystal, Vienna, chocolate, and wheat malts to produce this extremely full-flavored dark amber ale. Chinook hops are used both as aroma and bittering hops, while Cascade hops are added primarily to enhance the beer's aroma. All of the Schirf Brewing Company's beers are brewed for 90 minutes and the finished, unpasteurized products are naturally carbonated providing better flavor and head retention.
Notes From the Panel:
Look for a beautiful brown color, an intense malty, chocolaty and slightly fruity nose, and excellent retention of this ale's creamy head. We found the flavor in this medium-bodied beer to be full roasted and malty with some moderate hop bitterness and a slightly sweet roasted finish. Overall, a very flavorful dark ale that could potentially be classified as an American Brown Ale and a damn good one! Utah's Best!
Serving Temperature: 35-40° F
Original Gravity: 13.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 33.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.2%
Here Mike uses again approximately 2/3 2-row pale malts with the remaining malts a combination of Munich, Vienna, and Caramel malts. Slickrock is hopped with both Chinook and Perle hops for bittering as well as with Willamette and a healthy dose of Czechoslovakian Saaz hops for aroma. This pale, crisp, clean lager is fermented with a German Lager yeast for 45 days before being bottled.
Notes From the Panel:
Immediately note a hoppy, floral and spicy nose with some malt characteristics underneath in this pale, clear lager. Slickrock is a medium-bodied lager with excellent head retention. Look for a sweet flavor up front with strong pale malt character. Also note that it is clean and smooth in the middle as well as the finish with a relatively pronounced hop bitter finish providing a perfect malt/hop balance. We found a pleasant lingering bitterness. Overall, a flavorful lager that does not compare to it's lighter, 3.2 sister version.
Serving Temperature: 35-40° F
Original Gravity: 10.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 27.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.0%
The Schirf Brewing Company brews this American style wheat beer with a subtle effervescence of raspberry with a combination of 2-row pale, wheat, crystal and carapils malts. Chinook hops are added at the beginning of the boil for bittering, while Tettnanger, Willamette and Perle hops are added later in the boil for their aromatic contributions. Real raspberry extract is added to create this unusual beer.
Notes From the Panel:
Notice a pale, slightly cloudy appearance without too much yeast sediment and good head retention. We found a mild raspberry nose that smells like the real thing, not an added artificial flavoring. Look for a sweet raspberry start which moves into the middle and finish as well in this mildly hopped beer. A dry tartness provides a nice balance to this medium-bodied wheat. Overall, an excellent choice for a summertime shipment as we found it to be very refreshing and not overpowering.
Ask Murl
Dear Murl,
Every time my owner cracks open a brew, my mouth starts to salivate. So to satisfy my slobbery condition, he indulges me by pouring some beer into his cupped palm for me to lap up. My question is this: Is beer OK for us canines?
Kono & Jim Harris
Denver, CO.
Dear Kono,
My gut reaction to your question is..."What are you kiddin' me bro? Does The Pope where a funny hat?! You bet it's OK for us!" But the legal suits we employ to sit around and tell us what we can't do have informed me that comments like that might be slightly negligible on my part, so I made a few prank calls to several of my favorite doggie docs. I got comments like, "I can't say that beer would be any better or any worse for dogs than it is for humans", "I would recommend alternative forms of stress relief such as feline chasing or rawhide chewies", and "Well, it is highly addictive and some canines have very delicate digestive systems." Draw your own conclusions, Kono, but I'd prefer to think that an occasional brew (consumed in moderate quantities of course...especially burrito dogs like Chihuahuas) would be acceptable for many dogs. I'm sure that there are a few pansies out there whose delicate digestive systems' might induce adverse reactions generating business for their local carpet cleaning service, but this Big Dog eats license plates for breakfast and needs a little Wasatch to wasatch it down with! Your best bet would be to consult your personal physician cause he knows your insides a lot better than I do... unless you were in that out of control party in the dog park last weekend.
Take Care, Kono
Woof!
Murl.
Food For Thought...
Slickrock Eggplant Pasta
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 medium eggplant, peeled & diced
- Salt and pepper
- 6 ounces smoked ham, cubed
- 1 cup Wasatch Slickrock Lager
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 lb. large tubular pasta such as penne
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Put in the eggplant, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 10 min., until it becomes soft. Stir in the ham, and fry 2 min. Add the lager and rosemary, and bring to a boil. Reduce the liquid by half. Put in the peas, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce, and cook for 30 seconds to heat through. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with plenty of Parmesan cheese, and serve. Serves 4-6.
Source: Real Beer and Good Eats; Bruce Aidells & Denis Kelly; Alfred A. Knoph, Inc., 1992.
Norm's Corner...
As spoken by Cheers' Norm
Norm: The best beer is one within reach.
True Brew Facts
CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS - Riverwalk Brewery and Grill owner Chris Stasinos is giving away his 12 barrel Ft. Lauderdale brewpub as the first place prize in an essay contest where the entrants must describe why they wish to own and operate the brewery in 250 or less words. The $100 entry fee must be mailed with 2 self-addressed stamped envelopes to Riverwalk Brewery Essay Contest, P.O. Box 810579, Boca Raton, FL. 33481-0579. Send a self-addressed envelope to the above address to request complete contest rules or e-mail winbrewery@aol.com. Entries are due Oct. 6, 1995 and the winner will be announced on the 22nd. Good Luck, you'll need it to top my entry!
Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club PACKAGING DESIGN DEPARTMENT - You can actually get your beer out of our seemingly adult-proof box without raising your blood pressure in the process! Try opening it from the bottom this time and pulling the beers out by the base of the bottle. Fear not, we have redesigned the box to make it much easier for you to get at your coveted shipment and you will see this change in your next shipment if not this one.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE - Another touchdown for Sweetness! Hall of fame running back Walter Payton hopes to renovate the 138-yr.-old Aurora Roundhouse in Aurora, IL and turn it into the Walter Payton Roundhouse Complex, a multi-use entertainment facility including a microbrewery. Among the planned products: Payton Pilsner.
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.
