Past Newsletters
Vol. 3 No. 11
| Brewery | Beers Featured |
| Snake River Brewing Company | Zonker Stout |
| Snake River Brewing Company | Snake River Pale Ale |
| Sudwerk Privatbrauerei Hubsch | Hubsch Hefe Weizen |
Snake River Brewing Company
In March of 1994 the Snake River Brewing Co., a.k.a., the Jackson Hole Pub and Brewery, opened its doors and became the first licensed brewpub in the state of Wyoming. The brewery is the brainchild of Al Upsher, a former Wall Street broker, and his wife Joni who had once taught school and worked in public relations. A converted warehouse, the airy pub combines the industrial design of a brewery with the richness of mahogany wood finishes while offering a casual atmosphere and fantastic views of the town ski area. The focal point of the kitchen is a massive wood-burning oven which has never been turned off since the opening of the brewpub. Fueled by applewood imported from Washington, it is used not only for pizza, but also for smoking meats and vegetables for pasta dishes.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (307) 739-2337.
Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 15.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 45.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.7%
As you are enjoying this exceptional product, consider that you're drinking the second-best stout currently made in America. That was the judgment conveyed at the Great American Beer Festival this year, where more than 1,200 beers from around the country competed in more than 30 categories. Zonker took the silver in the 1994 Dry Stout Category. Brewmaster, Chip Holland uses Seven, count 'em, Seven different malts and three different hop varieties to produce the beer before you. Chip uses 77% pale 2-row malt, a 15% combination of 3 different caramelized malts, 5% roasted barley malt, 1.5% black malt, and 1.5% chocolate malts when brewing Zonker. Thirty percent WA Chinook hops are added 30 minutes into the 2 hour boil, 40% WA Willamette hops are added at three separate points, and lastly, 30% English Kent Golding hops are added twice, near the end, and at the end of the boil. A 'zonker', by the by, is a large underwater fishing fly.
Notes From the Panel:
We really like this stout. Look for a very deep, dark hue, creamy head, a nice roasted nose and a rich, full flavor. This full-bodied, well-balanced stout is slightly sweet with a powerful roasted and extremely clean finish. It's not too hoppy and the use of roasted barley, black malt and/or chocolate malt is evident. Overall, a well-deserved medal winner at the GABF.
Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 12.5° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 40.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.5%
Here Chip uses 87% 2-row pale malt, 9% Munich malt, and 4% caramel malt. Snake River's Pale Ale is well hopped with 32% WA Chinook hops both at 30 min. into, and at the end of the 2 hr. boil. Sixty-eight percent Cascade hops are added 1 hr. 45 min. into, and at the end of the boil. Additionally, the beer is dry hopped with Cascade hops. Immediately note a strong floral, spicy and hoppy nose. This medium-bodied beer is very flavorful all around. Look for a pale maltiness up front with a medium-to-high hop bitterness profile which seems to be predominately cascade. Overall, a well-balanced, extremely enjoyable beer.
Sudwerk Privatbrauerei Hubsch
Sudwerk, established in April 1990, is one of the few brewpubs in the country producing authentic lager beers in true German tradition. Employing an 18- hectoliter Caspary-Schultz brewhouse manufactured in Bamberg, Germany, a yeast culture originating from Weihenstephan near Munich, hops from the finest hop growing regions of Bavaria and the highest quality malts, Sudwerk produces award winning, world-class Hubsch Lagers. The brewpub features both German and American styled food, the opportunity to get an up and close look at the brewhouse which is built into a circular bar in the center of the restaurant-bar, and a view of open fermentation vessels which are visible behind glass. 'Sudwerk' translates into 'Heart of the Brewery'.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (916) 756-2739.
Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 12.5° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 25.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.5%
Brewmaster Dave Sipes uses 55% malted wheat and 45% 2-row pale malts to create what many have described as one of the most authentic Bavarian-styled Hefe Weizens produced in North America. The unfiltered product is hopped with 65 % Hallertauer Hersbrucker hops in four separate additions during the 75 min. boil. The remaining 35 % are Tettnanger hops which are added near the end of the boil and in the whirlpool.
Notes From the Panel:
Notice a cloudy appearance without too much yeast sediment. This deep golden colored beer has a fantastic creamy white head with exceptional retention. A true characteristic Hefe Weizen nose: fruity (banana) as well as spicy and yeasty. This medium-bodied beer smells Bavarian! The flavor is a perfect balance of fruity and spicy characteristics. Some hop bitterness is evident in the finish. Well carbonated as appropriate. Just the right amount of yeastiness. Smooth and refreshing. Overall, one of the best, authentic hefeweizens in the U.S.
Food For Thought...
Zonker Ice Cream
Don't discount this one until you've tried it! The well-roasted malt barley used to make stout beers imparts a rich flavor that is a perfect marriage with many desserts. In addition to ice cream, stout beers have traditionally been used to accentuate spice cakes, honey breads, and it was born to complement chocolate mousse!
- 8 eggs, separated
- 1 cup superfine sugar
- 1 cup Zonker Stout
- 1 ½ cups light cream whipped w/ 1 ½ cups heavy cream
Whisk yolks, sugar and Zonker together until thick and mixture forms ribbons when whisk is lifted. Fold in whipped creams. Whisk egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into mixture. Pour into container and freeze, or use ice-cream maker. Serves 8, and recipe may be doubled.
Norm's Corner...
As spoken by Cheers' Norm
Woody: Pour you a beer, Mr. Peterson?
Norm: Alright Wood, but stop me at one....make that one-thirty.
True Brew Facts
JOURNAL OF AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOC. - It has been established that 100,000 premature deaths occur each yr. as a direct result of alcohol abuse, but recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that 80,000 people would die annually if all Americans gave up drinking. This is because alcohol consumption increases the levels of an enzyme t-PA which breaks down blood clots, a major cause of heart attacks.
ALL ABOUT BEER - The Yebisu Beer Memorial Hall in Tokyo, Japan, now offers an adventure which allows users to take a virtual reality tour you won't want to miss! Wearing a new kind of 'Beer Goggles', the user appears to actually flow with the beer as it passes through different stages of the brewing process.
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.
A Primer on Beer Styles: Lagers
by Steve Johnson
Lager is a newer type of beer which developed in Germany in the early nineteenth century. Some of the breweries in southern Bavaria stored their beers in caves during the hotter months. The brewers noticed that besides keeping the beer, the cold conditioning also clarified it and blended and smoothed the flavors. In addition, they noticed that some of the yeast sank to the bottom of the beer, rather than float on the top.
They began culturing these yeasts and reused them in future batches of beer. Lagers are made with a yeast which sinks to the bottom of the beer and which works at colder temperatures than ales. The brewing process is longer for a lager because of the cold conditioning, or lagering, which takes place after the primary fermentation. Lagers tend to be smoother tasting and less aggressive than ales. Note that these are generalities. Regardless of the yeast used, a brewer can brew a very smooth ale or a very robust lager. Following are descriptions of the major lager styles:
Bock - This style means different things to different people. In Germany it means a strong lager, at least 6.25% alcohol by volume. In America the name "bock" has been traditionally applied to dark lagers. There is an old wives' tale that bock beer is dark because it is made in the spring when the brewery cleans the dregs out of the brew kettles. There is absolutely no truth in this whatsoever. There are many kinds of bocks, including pale bock; Doppelbock [also called double bock or dopplebock], a strong, malty version; Maibock; eisbock, an extra strong bock finished by freezing the beer and removing some of the water; and weizenbock, a dark, strong wheat beer.
Dortmunder - A pale lager, with more body than a Pilsner, and less dry as well. Sometimes called "export."
Dunkel - From the German for "dark." Any dark lager of average strength. Many bocks are dark, but are stronger than dunkels.
Helles - A pale lager. From the German for "pale." A helles tends to be maltier, less dry, and less hoppy than a Pilsner. Ice beer: A beer which is frozen just enough to form a few ice crystals, which are then removed. This has little, if any, effect on the taste of the beer.
Oktoberfest or Marzenbier - Originally, a beer brewed in Germany in March (hence, Marzenbier) and laid down for consumption during the summer and fall. Oktoberfest is amber in color, medium-to-strong in potency, and malty. Similar to Vienna, but more robust.
Pilsner (also spelled Pilsener and frequently referred to as Pils) - A dry, golden lager, originating in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. European-style Pilsners tend to be dry and crisp, highly hopped, and have a flowery aroma. Most American premium beers (i.e., from the big brewers) are technically in the Pilsner style, but, in character, are mere shadows of their European counterparts.
Vienna - A reddish-amber lager; usually malty and moderately hopped. The style originated in Vienna in the 19th Century.
The first question that should enter your mind when receiving a shipment from Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club is 'What style of beer is this'. As you develop an understanding and appreciation of the different styles, you will become 'beer educated', and able to make discriminating choices when selecting beers at a restaurant or liquor store. Just as a wine connoisseur may make a selection based on the style, so too, you will hunt for your favorite beer styles, be it a porter, a pale ale or a Pilsner. The more adventurous will seek out new styles in order to broaden their horizons. Enjoy!
About the Author: Steve has traveled more than 70,000 miles throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland and Belgium searching for good beer and researching several publications: On Tap: Guide to North American Brewpubs (2 separate guides dedicated to pubs both east and west of the Mississippi). In 1987, he began writing and publishing the World Beer Review, a bimonthly newsletter devoted to the pursuit of good beer.
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