Past Newsletters

Vol. 5 No. 3

Brewery	Beers Featured
Frederick Brewing Company	Hopfest Brown Ale
Sweetwater Brewing Company	Sweetwater Ale
Pony Express Brewing Company	75th Street Possum Trot Brown Ale

Frederick Brewing Company

In 1997, Frederick came out with the first beer in America -- the Hempen Ale -- to be brewed with hemp seeds. In the fall of that year Frederick also brewed a second beer brewed with hemp -- the Hempen Gold, which is a lighter cream ale. Frederick Brewing is one of the fastest-growing craft breweries in America. Housed in one of only two purpose-built craft breweries on the East Coast, Frederick has a capacity of 20,000 barrels. The Brewery is the Mid-Atlantic's largest craft brewery. Most notably it was included in Food & Wine Magazine's 1998 editor's choice of America's top breweries. In selecting the winners, the editors of the magazine said they relied upon the "informed opinions of bartenders, beer writers and editors and industry analysts." The editors also researched the results of ten years' worth of beer festival contests to see which breweries performed the most consistently.

Every Fall, in celebration of the hop harvest, Frederick brews the Hopfest. As the name implies, the beer has an uncommonly high hop content. It is brewed with three times as much hops per barrel as an average beer, Nordahl said. Each year, a different hop is used exclusively throughout the brewing of the Hopfest -- this year it is a hop called Ahtanum -- and the hop is used 12 times in the brewing! "We try to capture every essence of that hop in liquid form," Nordahl said. "We accentuate the hop aroma so that you can actually taste the hop. That's what makes the Hopfest Ale so unique."

When the workers at Frederick Brewing Co. realized they were running out of Hopfest Brown Ale last fall, they took 16 kegs and squirreled them away, securing them for their private consumption. "It's a fabulous beer," said Steve Nordahl, a Vice President at Frederick Brewing who happily helped his staff drain the secret kegs. "Whenever people ask me what [food] the Hopfest goes with, I say, 'Another Hopfest, followed by another and another and another.' We love it."

Hopfest Brown Ale

Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 13.0° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 54.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.8%

Hopfest has developed quite a following over the last four years. According to Andrea Keller, marketing director for Frederick, "The beer geeks clamor for it. They call us, they e-mail us, they buy up the Hopfest in a week. We are making 2,000 cases of it and it will sell out quickly." Hopfest is an unfiltered brown ale with natural carbonation. If you detect a hint of chocolate, you’re right; chocolate malted barley is used in the recipe. The other four malts include 2-row Pale, Caramel l40, Munich 20 and Carapil. Look for a big floral hop nose which perfectly complements the kind of sweet maltiness you’d expect in a brown ale. Hopfest finishes on a sweet, dry, bitter note with a lingering roasted character. Overall, a very complex and flavorful malt profile coupled with a heap of hop flavor throughout.

Sweetwater Brewing Company

The Sweetwater Brewing Company’s Co-owner, Matt Patterson, along with his two partners, all cut their teeth in the industry working for varied Colorado micros. We like them already. Empowered with the vision to found their own brewery, they packed up the truck and moved to Atlanta. That’s right, Atlanta! "The Southeast," Patterson said, "is the last frontier for microbreweries to hit and succeed in." Not long after opening their doors for business in 1997, the brewery began to build a strong reputation by taking its first Gold Medal. The judges at the World Beer Cup -- the most competitive beer contest featuring brews from 68 countries -- gave the Gold to Sweetwater Ale this year. And now you’re going to have the opportunity to sample it and see for yourself what it takes to bring home the big daddy trophy.

The Sweetwater Brewing Co., which was named after a local creek, makes three other beers including: 420 Extra Pale Ale, Exodus Porter and Sweetwater Blue Ale . Overall, it was the second most award-winning brewery at the 1998 World Beer Cup. It was also voted the Best Brewery in Atlanta by listeners of radio station 99X, as well as by the readers and writers of Creative Loafing. "It's the first brewery we've owned," Patterson said, "and I can tell you it's a lot more fun owning your own."

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (404) 691-ALES or check out their web site at www.sweetwaterbrew.com.

Sweetwater Ale

Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 13.5° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 43.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.6%

Sweetwater Ale, an English-style bitter (ESB), is brewed with seven, count ‘em, 7 malts and four hops. As you might suspect look for a complex malt profile in this amber colored, medium-bodied, ale. Note an exceptionally smooth malty character dominating the body and a slightly dry, hoppy finish. Overall, a complex, very full flavored and well balanced interpretation of an ESB. When we asked Matt to provide us with some potential food pairings, we’d liked his answer more than if he’d actually answered the question: "I hate matching beer with food. Beer is beer. You can drink any beer with any food."

Pony Express Brewing Company

"When we first opened the brewpub," said Ed Nelson, owner of 75th Street Brewery, "all the girls that worked here would drink light beer. Within a month, they were all lined up at the bar drinking the Brown Ale." A common reaction to tasting the beer for the first time, Nelson said, is that since it looks so strong and dark, people are surprised by its sweetness and mildness.

The brown ale's nickname -- Possum Trot -- is a name originally bestowed upon Kansas City in the 1700s. Back then, Kansas City was a notoriously bawdy gathering spot for the trappers who worked in solitude for much of the year. They convened at K.C. to trade their furs, dance the Possum Trot, and perhaps most significantly, drink until the daylight hours. Suffice to say that most were simply too embarrassed to engage in a dance called the Possum Trot without being slightly intoxicated.

Pony Express has received numerous accolades for its brews. Its Tornado Ale won the Silver Medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 1997 for the Amber Ale category. And in 1996, it took the Bronze for its raspberry ale in the fruit category. We know you’re gonna feel like doing a bit of Possum Trottin’ yourself after you taste this nectar! Enjoy!

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (816) 898-4675 or check out their web site at www.ponygold.com.

75th Street Possum Trot Brown Ale

Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 14.3° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 25.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.4%

Winner of the Gold in the Brown Ale category of the 1997 Great American Beer Festival, Possum Trot, according to Owner Ed Nelson, is a cross between a brown ale and a porter. Brewed with seven malts including Chocolate, Aromatic and Carapil, and three hops: Cluster, Cascade and Willamette, this unusual treat is naturally carbonated and loose filtered. Look for a smooth, malty sweet flavor in this full-bodied, dark and fairly heavy ale. The finish is crisp, sweet and slightly roasted. Overall, it may not fit neatly into any specific style category, but it tastes REAL GOOD! Consider pairing it with a hearty Chicken, Steak or Pasta dish.

Ask Murl

Dear Murl,

The last time I tried a wheat beer, some kind of sedimentary residue build up plopped on in my glass at the end of the pour. What up with that, Home-dog?

Robert Alan Rohrer - "Lefty"

Yo Bobby-Ro,

First off, let me rule out a few potentially embarrassing possibilities. Were you by chance eating any mashed potatoes, rice or banana nut muffins while simultaneously enjoying your suds? And, if so, do you drink directly from the bottle? Do you avoid flossing like a Yeti avoids a shower? If you answered "No" to the above questions, I’m quite confident that I can solve your dilemma. What you were looking at was a traditional wheat beer that has had a secondary fermentation in the bottle. That bottom of the fish bowl build up that you were most likely suspiciously eye-balling was the yeast that has settled to the bottom of the bottle of your unfiltered brew. It’s nothing to be scared of. Won’t hurt ya. Adds lots of flavor to your brew and is well worth the slight inconvenience of pouring your beer more slowly. Try not to be so eager to quaff next time with a slower pour, let the brew settle a bit if you stirred it up and you’ll be able to keep that yeast out of your glass.

Woof!
Murl.

Food For Thought...

Possum Trot Beer-Becued Pork Ribs

We had Murl test drive this recipe before running with it and feedback was that this thick, fruity sauce based on plums, tomatoes, beer, and spices not only has genuine sinus-clearing qualities, but also beats the hell outta Kibbles and Bits or rawhide chewies. We’d suggest not eating the bones though. The well-balanced full flavor of this sauce complements pork so perfectly that it’s hard to imagine eating ribs without it. Bone Appetite!

• ¼ Cup butter, olive, or other vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced and mashed with 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pitted plums, fresh or canned, or whole cranberry sauce
• 12 ounces tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes in puree
• 12 ounces Possum Trot Brown Ale
• 2 large or 4 small beef or chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon bottled liquid smoke
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon each ginger, cayenne, crushed coriander seed, black pepper, cumin seed, and mustard seed
• 5-8 lbs. pork ribs, country-style, back or baby back freshly ground black pepper and allspice

In a small skillet melt butter and sauté onion on medium-low until limp and translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onion is limp, set aside. In a blender or food processor, puree plums and tomato sauce until smooth. In a 3-quart pan heat beer to medium simmer and add bouillon cubes, stirring until dissolved. Add vinegar, liquid smoke, brown sugar, spices, sautéed onion, and plum-tomato mixture. Bring to a slow simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, 45 min. to 1 hr. Wipe ribs to remove fat and bone particles and keep whole to retain moisture. Sprinkle liberally with pepper and allspice. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Heat coals very hot and set grill close to them. Quickly sear ribs. Remove, raise grill to highest position, and place lightly oiled heavy-duty foil on grill. Puncture for ventilation. Place meat on greased foil, brush liberally with sauce, close lid, and cook until through and tender from 45-75 mins.

Source: The Great American Beer Cookbook, Candy Schermerhorn, Brewers Publications.

Norm's Corner...
As spoken by Cheers' Norm

Woody: Hey Mr. Peterson, Jack Frost nippin’ at your nose?
Norm: Yep, now let’s get Joe Beer nippin’ at my liver, huh?

True Brew Facts

ULTIMATE BOOK OF BEER TRIVIA - Egypt and the Middle East, particularly Sumerian and Mesopotamia are the two primary regions generally recognized as the birthplaces of beer. It is estimated that the first beers were brewed there as early as 3000 BC.

BARLEY CORN - Pete’s Wicked Red was just one of 55 beers at the 1994 Great American Beer Festival to use the word "red" in its name; 61 preferred the more traditional "amber" moniker. At 1993’s festival, however, amber-named beers outnumbered the reds by more than two to one.

BEER: THE MAGAZINE - The Guinness Import Company took advantage of a New York Times article stating that then-president-elect Bill Clinton enjoyed a Moosehead draft at the Nugget Bar & Grill in Santa Barbara, CA. In the ensuing advertisement in the Washington Post and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, it was pointed out that in this case, the president-elect didn’t avoid the draft.

SOUTHERN DRAFT BREW NEWS - Beer makes you smart! Researchers at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis have discovered that moderate drinking may improve memory and problem-solving abilities, according to a report in Health magazine.

Commander McBrew

Commander McBrew has devoted his very existence to the exploration of foreign cultures and their malt beverages. He has traveled in over 109 countries, single-handedly saved himself and entire civilizations in at least 73 documented occurrences, and has consumed no less than 4,450 gallons of 2,156 different beers. He offers The Brew Harvest Review a dimension of worldliness through his varied and slightly exaggerated beers tales from abroad.

Commander McBrew’s Travel Tips

There I was... pondering what might be the most coveted shred of information that I could share with you in my introductory column, when, not unlike my 1946 excavation into the Congo when I single-handedly pacified a raging village of Bantu Warriors by instructing them in the art of brewing, the solution presented itself to me as obvious.

Most travel guides force the weary explorer to forage through a barrage of useless and drab information pertaining to such subjects as plane, bus and train schedules, where to exchange money or how one might find a hotel prior to divulging that critical bit of data that is truly helpful. In my travels I have often made notes in my journals of useful or rather, "key" phrases and have recently compiled glossary of terms that should be safeguarded as though it were your passport. With this list, know that however desperate your situation, you will not perish from dehydration:

Language:	Word(s) for Beer:		Language:	Word(s) for Beer:
Afrikanns:	Oke		Korean:	Maekju
Albanian:	Birre		Latin:	Cervisia
Austrailian:	Stubby, Piss		Latvian:	Alu
Arabic:	Bira		Lithuanian:	Alus
Armenian:	Garejurz		Luxemburgois:	Be’ier
Basque:	Garagarnoa		Madagassian:	Labiera
Breton:	Bier		Malay:	Bir
Bulgarian:	Bira		Maltese:	Birra
Burmese:	Biya		Mandarin:	Pi Jui
Cantonese:	Be-Jau		Nepali:	Chang
Catalan:	Cervesa		Norwegian:	O/L
Croatian:	Pivo		Papiamentu:	Serbes
Czech:	Pivo		Persian :	Ab-e-jow
Danish:	O/L		Pidgin:	Bia
Dutch:	Bier		Polish:	Piwo
English:	Beer		Portuguese:	A cerveja
Esperanto:	Biero		Quechua:	Sirwisa
Estonian:	O-lu		Raeto-Romainian:	Bi’era
Finnish:	Olut, Kalja		Rumanian:	Bere
Flemish:	Het bier		Russian:	Pivo
Frisian:	Bier		Samoan:	Pia
German:	Das Bier		Scots Gaelic:	Beo’ir
Greek:	Mpi’ra		Serbian:	Pivo
Greenlandic:	Immiaarag		Singalese:	Bire
Hausa:	Fita		Slovakian:	Pivo
Hawaiian:	Pia, Bia		Spanish:	Cervesa, la birra
Hebrew:	Birah		Swahili:	Pombe
Hindi:	Biar		Tagalog:	Beer
Hokkien:	Bit Djiu		Tasmanian:	Beer
Hungarian:	So’r		Thai:	Bia
Icelandic:	Bjo’r		Tibetan:	Chang
Indonesian:	Bir		Turkish:	Bira
Irish:	Beoir		Ukranian:	Pivo
Italian:	La Birra		Welsh:	Cwrw
Japanese:	Biiru, Bieru		Yiddish:	Bier

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Through our Customer Appreciation Program

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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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