Past Newsletters
Vol. 3 No. 9
| Brewery | Beers Featured |
| Carmel Brewing Company | Cypress Amber Ale |
| Sun Valley Brewing Company | Sun Valley Gold Lager |
| Sun Valley Brewing Company | White Cloud Ale |
Carmel Brewing Company
The first and only microbrewery located on California's Monterey Peninsula, The Carmel Brewing Company began operations only month';s ago. Their brand new 30-barrel Brew House and (2) 60-barrel fermentation tanks give Carmel an annual capacity of 3000 barrels. Two additional tanks will be installed before the end of the year, effectively doubling the brewery's capacity. Carmel opened with two different ales, Mission Wheat Ale, a light-bodied German Hefeweissen, and Cypress Amber Ale, an American amber ale. Both beers were formulated by Bob Weisskirchen, former brewmaster at Blitz Wienhard and best known for his formulation of Henry's Dark, Light and Weinhard's ale. The brewery's president, Paul Tarantino, plans to develop a number of different seasonal ales as well and is currently fine-tuning a Christmas ale to be available later this year. Tarantino, of no relation to the accoladed film director whom brought us Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, rejected proposals to name any future products either 'Jungle Boogie Ale' or 'Bring-Out-the-Gimp Stout.'
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (408) 771-0651.
Serving Temperature: 37-42° F
Original Gravity: 13.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 25.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.5%
We are pleased to assist in the debut of this refreshing American amber ale by providing you with beer bottled from one of the brewery's first batches. Cypress is brewed with 60 % 6-row pale malts, 20% Munich, 15% Caramel, and lastly 5% Carapils malts. Cluster and Willamette hops are added for bittering at the beginning of the 90 minute boil while Cascade and Willamette hops are added 5 minutes before the end of the boil for their aromatic contributions. Bob uses a German Lager yeast strain that ferments in warmer temperatures as an ale does to create this unusual style of beer referred to as a California Common. The Great American Beer Festival defines the style as an American Lager/Ale.
Look for a deep copper color in this filtered, medium-bodied beer. Notice a very nice complex fruity and caramely nose in which floral hoppiness is also evident. This smooth beer's flavor has a strong, fruity malt character and a medium hop bitter finish. It is slightly maltier than the traditional definition of this style. Also note a slight hint of roasted notes in this beer's flavor. Overall, an American Amber Lager/Ale.
Sun Valley Brewing Company
Founded in 1985, The Sun Valley Brewing Co. is Idaho's largest brewery at a capacity of only 4000 barrels per year. Nestled in the Wood River Valley in Hailey Idaho, south of the nation's oldest ski area, the brewery also hosts a pub and restaurant. Founder and brewmaster Gordon Gammell and partner Michael Kraynick brew an average of five seasonal and 3 flagship beers per year with their in-house designed 40-barrel brewing system. In addition to the two beers that we are sending you this month, Sun Valleyalso produces a Blonde Ale, ESB, Marzen, Honey Weizen, Porter, Octoberfest and Holiday Ale. Sun Valley's track record of six different medals at the Great American Beer Festival exemplifies their exceptional product line.
The brewery currently employs 3 full-time assistant brewers and 3 full-time pub employees, all of whom make a concerted effort to hit the slopes on the non-brewing powder days! Tours of the brewery are held January through May on Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m. and on Saturdays at 11:00 am and 5:00 p.m.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (208) 788-5777.
Serving Temperature: 42-47° F
Original Gravity: 12.2° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 15.7
Alcohol by Volume: 5.25%
A two-time Silver Medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) and numerous additional accolades at varied judged events, Sun Valley Gold has proven to be one of the best American interpretations of a German style lager being produced in the U.S. today. Brewmaster Gordon Gammell uses 80% pale malts with the majority of the remaining malts a combination of Carapils and Munich in this Munchner (accent with two dots above the 'u' in Munchner) Helles German style lager. A small percentage of malted wheat is also used to add body and head retention to White Cloud. Cascade and Tettnanger hops are added during the boil for bittering and Liberty and Tettnanger hops are poured into the whirlpool for aroma. Gordon also uses a hybrid ale/lager yeast strain developed and fine-tuned at the brewery over the last ten years. White Cloud is lagered for 30 days before being bottled.
Notice a golden pale, clear appearance and good head retention as well as a pleasant malty-sweet and hop-floral nose in this medium-bodied lager. A very flavorful beer with both a nice pale maltiness and hop-bitterness evident and nicely balanced. Overall, an excellent American lager deserving of its many awards.
Serving Temperature: 48-53° F
Original Gravity: 12.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 23.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.75%
When you're sampling this traditional English top-fermented ale, consider that it was deemed to be the second best of that style brewed in America at the GABF. White Cloud also took the Gold this year at the California Beer Festival. White Cloud is brewed with 60% two-row pale malts with the remaining 40% a combination of Caramel, Carapil, and Munich malts. This alt-bier style ale is bittered primarily with Cascade hops which are added both at the beginning and midway through the 90 minute boil. Hallertau hops are also added in the whirlpool for both their aromatic and bittering contributions. White Cloud is partially tank conditioned as it is roughly 65 % naturally carbonated.
Immediately note a very hoppy, floral and fruity nose in this golden colored, slightly cloudy beer. White Cloud is medium-bodied ale with excellent head retention. Look for a very flavorful, hoppy taste with just enough maltiness to perfectly balance the hop flavor and bitterness. Note a smooth, clean finish. Overall, a flavorful ale that has a very unique flavor profile.
Food For Thought...
White Cloud Smoky Salmon
Salmon lightly brined in beer, salt, and sugar before smoking is a delicacy well worth the extra time and effort. Be sure to keep the meow mix bowl full or dry the salmon in a secure place out of kitty's reach.
- 2 lbs. salmon fillets with skin, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups White Cloud Ale
- ½ cup coarse or kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 3 lightly cracked black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
Heat water and beer to boiling, add salt, dill, sugar, peppercorns, and bay leaf, stirring until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Simmer 25 minutes. Allow brine to cool to room temperature. Pour over salmon and weigh fish down with a saucer. The fish should be completely immersed in brine. Refrigerate 4-6 hours. With cold water, lightly rinse brine from fish but do not remove all of it. To dry, thread a loop of dental floss through one end of the fillet and hang in a well-ventilated area or lay on a cooling rack elevated on 4 cans placed in front of a fan for 4 to 8 hours. The fish will acquire a glossy veneer (called pelz) that is dry to the touch. Heat smoker to low and add wood chips. Smoke the fish slowly, checking occasionally. For moist fish with a hint of smokiness, the time will be relatively short. If you like dry and smoky, allow a longer smoking time. Serves 4.
Source: The Great American Beer Cookbook; Candy Schermerhorn; Brewers Publications, 1993.
Norm's Corner...
As spoken by Cheers' Norm
Coach: What's going down, Normie?
Norm: My butt cheeks on that bar stool.
True Brew Facts
BARLEY CORN - Denise Jones, a former U.S. postal worker, recently became the first woman to graduate from the American Brewer's Guild. "I never got to the 'Disgruntled Postal Worker' level, but I certainly hated my job," said Jones who now works as a brewer. The Guild offers diploma courses of varying lengths and focuses, including courses pertaining to the business side of brewing, science and engineering, and quality assurance. Call 800-636-1331 for more information.
THE SOUTHWEST BREWING NEWS - Japan's Suiso beer, made by the Asaka Beer Corporation, has such a high hydrogen content that Karaoke singers have been reported as using the beer to help them reach soprano notes in their performances. Some singers also use a cigarette lighter to blow flames from their mouth after downing a snort of Suiso if they think that they aren't getting enough attention.
Chemical Evidence for Ancient Beer
By Rudoph H. Michel & Patrick E. McGovern
Lower Mesopotamia was home to one of the oldest literate civilizations in the world, that of the early Sumerian city-states dating back to the Late Uruk Period (late fourth millennium BC). Irrigation agriculture of domesticated cereals included barley, from which beer is made. Beer was the preferred fermented beverage of the ancient Sumerians. Godin Tepe, an excavated site in the Zagros mountains of Iran which has strong Lower Mesopotamian influences, has yielded the earliest chemical evidence for beer. We have discovered a characteristic organic residue inside a pottery vessel which was evidently used for beer fermentati on or storage. Carbonized six-row barley was very common at the site and could have been converted to beer there. We have observed criss-cross groves covering the interior below the shoulder of a Late Uruk jar from Godin Tepe. If the jar served as a beer vessel, the grooves may have been designed to retain beer sediments.
The early Sumerian sign for beer shows a jar with similar linear markings. Together, archeological and textural evidence strongly suggest that this vessel was a beer container. Some of the grooves contained a pale yellowish residue which gave a positive test for oxalate ion. Calcium oxalate, which is soluble in water only with difficulty, is the principal component of beerstone and settles out on the surfaces of fermentation and storage tanks of barley beer. The chemical evidence for the earliest beer at Godin Tepe complements the finding of the earliest grape wine there, also dating to the last half of the fourth millennium. Analysis of storage and processing containers from earlier periods and from a wider geographical area are needed to determine the ultimate origins and significance of beer production.
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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.
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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.
