Past Newsletters
Vol. 6 No. 12
| Brewery | Beers Featured |
| Pony Express Brewing Company | Pony Express Honey Blond Ale |
| Pony Express Brewing Company | Pony Express Unfiltered Wheat |
| Firestone Walker Brewing Company | Double Barrel Ale |
| Firestone Walker Brewing Company | Windsor Pale Ale |
Pony Express Brewing Company
When you think Kansas, you tend to think about K.U. Basketball or maybe Dorothy and her cute little Dog too! You think about driving in a straight line for 8 hours with not much else to contemplate other than whether you're looking at corn or soybeans. Some people think about Bobby Dole and if he really has erectile dysfunction or did go so deep into dept during his run at the presidency that he'll promote whatever's paying best this week!
Whatever you currently think of, we're pretty confident that you'll be adding the Pony Express Brewing Company to the list after sampling this month's featured beers. Founded by Joe Effertz, Jr., the brewery opened for operation in May of 1995 in Olathe, Kansas. Originally a farmer with a degree in agriculture from the University of Missouri, Effertz decided that he had had enough of working on the company farm and wanted to try something new. After opening a retail liquor store, Effertz noticed a rise in popularity of micro-brewed beers. He studied craft brewing techniques and, staying within the spirit of the ingenious farmer, came up with a plan to launch his own microbrewery. He still uses the wheat grown on his family's farm in his beers and sells the by-product grains to cattle farmers to use as feed.
In 1994, Joe met Ed Nelson and the two joined forces to open up two restaurants and a brewery in the Overland Park area of Kansas. They purchased the Olathe building for the brewery and began working on what would become the highly successful Pony Express brand. Joe got the name for the brewery when he was on his way to the hospital in the back of an ambulance and someone said, "Drive fast like the Pony Express." He now adorns the walls of the brewery with photos of old Pony Express riders whom he sees as risk-takers. The packaging features a horse and rider - always in the same position, with a different scene behind them, which changes to portray all the different weather conditions and environments that the original riders rode through to deliver the mail.
The brewery started off with draft accounts, but within six months they realized that they were going to have to get into packaging the beer. Looking around North America for brewing equipment, Joe and Ed couldn't find anything they thought was quality equipment. They then decided to utilize their connections in Germany and made two trips there - the first time just to scout out equipment and to put down deposits, and the second time they came back with, literally, a suitcase full of tools and the equivalent of four truckloads full of equipment.
Once the equipment was purchased, it was time to find a brewmaster. After searching, the boys hired brewmaster Stacey Payne, a U.C. Davis alumnus that graduated at the top of his class. Payne had a lot of brewing experience from working at the Boulevard Brewing Company and was a perfect fit for the brewery. Together the team developed a wide variety of beers that reflect the spirit of the American farmlands.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (913) 782-6699 or check out their web site at www.Ponyex.com.
Serving Temperature: 42-47° F
Original Gravity: 12.8° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.2° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 20.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%
Pony Express Honey Blond Ale is brewed with a combination of two-row Pale, Vienna, & Caramel malts as well as malted wheat. Stacey hops it with Cascade up front for aroma and Hallertau towards the end of the boil for a slight balancing hop bitterness. If your nose is trained, you should pick up a hint of fresh coriander and honey with underlying citrus notes in the nose of this golden filtered ale. The body is medium and very well balanced. You'll taste the pale malt, some hop spiciness and perhaps a hint of orange peel. Look for a clean, crisp finish in this refreshing summer session beer. It would pair up nicely with just about any meal and just like a fine Chardonnay, it flourishes well on its own.
Serving Temperature: 42-47° F
Original Gravity: 12.2° Plato
Final Gravity: 2.4° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 18.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.2%
The Pony Express Unfiltered Wheat is brewed with a combination of two-row Pale, Vienna, Munich, & Caramel malts as well as malted wheat and unmalted, raw Soft Red Winter Wheat from the Effertz family farm. Stacey hops it up with Willamette for aroma and Hallertau again for a slightly spicy character. Look for some yeast and wheat coming through on the nose as well as a touch of floral hoppiness. The nose and flavor is clean and fresh and tends to remind you of freshly baked bread. We found this dark straw colored, non-filtered ale light-to-medium bodied with a pleasant, yet not overstated hop presence. Note a fairly dry finish. Overall, a fully satisfying wheat beer.
Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Tucked away in the lush vineyards of Los Olivos, California, is the Firestone Walker Brewing Company. Adam Firestone, the president of the Firestone Vineyard, and his brother-in-law, David Walker, teamed up to bring a literal "pipe-dream" into reality. Faced with a serious grape shortage that occurred on California's South Central Coast in 1995, Firestone and Walker put an idea into action, expanding the successful and well-known winery to include an age-old beer brewing process.
Adam Firestone says that his father was the first to experiment with brewing a high-quality non-alcoholic beer in 1987 amid a rise in popularity of that product. The elder Firestone purchased equipment and adapted winemaking vessels for beer fermentation and conditioning, but ultimately determined that sales of non-alcoholic beer did not justify continuing the operation, so it was abandoned in 1990. All efforts at the Firestone Vineyard returned to a concentration on providing quality wines to meet the demand of their discerning customers. It was not until the drastically small crop of grapes in 1995 that the thought of brewing beer once again moved into the spotlight.
At first, Firestone and Walker tried using some empty Chardonnay barrels for fermentation. The wine makers soon discovered that too much oxidation and contamination would require a fresh approach to create the brew they desired. They then hired brewmaster Jeffers Richardson, who suggested that they try using an old British brewing method called the Burton Union system, which is rarely used today. Connecting a series of new, cleaner American oak barrels in a closed system, Firestone and Walker were able to adapt the process to create the Firestone Union. The 60-gallon barrel typically used in winemaking proved to be unexpectedly advantageous, as the smaller volume-to-surface area helped maintain a constant temperature. Historically, brewers using the union systems complained that differing ambient temperatures produced inconsistent flavors.
Firestone Walker begins fermentation in a large primary fermenter, which, at peak yeast growth, transfers a percentage to the Firestone Union where fermentation and cleansing occur. All of the beer is then blended in the conditioning tank. There, the flavors from the oak barrel fermentation marry with the beer from the primary fermenter. Additional fining and oak aging help clarify and stabilize each brew. This unique "double barrel" process produces Firestone Walker's truly satisfying Double Barrel and Windsor Pale ales. For more information about the brewery and tours, call 805-688-3940.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (805) 688-3940 or check out their web site at www.firestonewalker.com.
Serving Temperature: 42-47° F
Original Gravity: 13.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.2° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 34.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%
Double Barrel Ale is a double vessel fermented, British Style Ale brewed with a combination of two-row Pale, Munich, Caramel, Dark Caramel, and Floor malted Maris Otter British pale malts. The brewery uses East Kent Golding (England), Styrian Golding (Slovenia) and Magnum (Yakima Valley) hops as one way to balance this beers malty profile. An English Ale Yeast strain is used with Carranza Mesa Groundwater. Immediately note a dark maltiness and fruitiness in the nose. Look for great head retention in this filtered, very amber, medium-bodied beer. Double Barrel Ale starts with dark caramel flavors which carry through to a more roasted and bitter finish. Also note the slight oaky flavor in the background of the finish. Overall, an exceptionally clean, well-balanced and unique interpretation of a British Ale.
Serving Temperature: 42-47° F
Original Gravity: 12.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.0° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 30.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.6%
Windsor Pale Ale is brewed with a combination of two-row Pale, Maris Otter, Caramel, Caramalt malts using the same oak barrel fermentation system used to brew Double Barrel Ale. Jeffers hops this bright golden ale with Horizon, Challenger and Liberty hops. Immediately note a complex nose hinting of orange, vanilla, and a soft smokiness from the oak. You'll find this medium-bodied ale mild well balanced with a subtle hop bitterness complementing a sweet malt profile nicely. Look for it to finish with light toffee notes, a hint of nuts, and a clean brisk bitterness. Overall, very complex, quite refined and truly unusual. We really liked it!
Ask Murl
Dear Murl,
I'm writing to ride you jokers a bit for sending me that damn Mother's Day Promotion email 15 times over the course of a couple hours last month!!! What's up with that you pesky pooch? Okay, so my mother does drink beer and she loves wine too, but one reminder notice would have been plenty.
Lovin' ya but still just slightly agitated,
James Frank
Portland, OR
Yo Jimmy!
I'm thinkin' we should start a Cheese of the Month Club so you can have something to pair up with that nice Whine you got going on! You only got it 15 times? We had some that got it 25 or more! Seriously, James, we owe you and any one else that was on the receiving side of that little episode a big Ole apology and maybe even one of my favorite chewy sticks!
On the heels of the "I love you" virus and in an age where we all receive heaps of unwanted crap pumping anything from a better nose hair trimmer to a facial toning exercise system (no kidding…I just got it today with the subject line posing the question: IS YOUR FACE ALL THAT IT COULD BE?), it would be somewhat understated to say that we really pissed some of our favorite people off in one svelte maneuver.
I can speak for, and often do, the entire gang at Corporate here, when I tell you that we are truly sorry for the screw up. In a nutshell, there was some kind of screw up with our ISP in sending the note. Granted, our marketing guys can be pretty dense at times, but not so thick as to think it a good idea to send the same message repeatedly in a short period of time until we drove our most valued asset (our customers) to the point of writing some downright nasty emails! We hope you accept our apology and once again think warm thoughts of brew and liver treats when you think of us in the future! Gotta Trot! I need to read up on a new and improved hair removal system that was emailed to me last night!
Woof!
Murl.
Food For Thought...
Pony Express Gorgonzola Ale Soup
- 2 lb peeled red potatoes
- ¾ lb peeled and diced yellow onions
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 pt Pony Express Unfiltered Wheat Ale
- ¾ lb Gorgonzola cheese
- 1 pt heavy cream
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp ground white pepper
- 4 tsp cornstarch
Boil the potatoes and onions in water until the potatoes become slightly mushy and then drain, Saving the water. Puree the potatoes and onions, adding potato water as necessary until the Mixture becomes smooth. In the meantime, bring the chicken stock and beer to a boil in a large Pot, reduce the heat and gradually add the Gorgonzola cheese, whipping with a whisk to make. The mixture smooth. Next, add the cream and, gradually, the potato mixture, again whipping to make the mixture smooth. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer before adding the salt and pepper. Dissolve the cornstarch in a little water and slowly add it to the soup, whisking gently. Simmer for at least 10 minutes prior to serving. Serves 8-10 persons or 4 Irish Sheep Herders.
Norm's Corner...
As spoken by Cheers' Norm
Coach: Beer, Normie?
Norm: Uh, Coach, I dunno, I had one this week. Eh, why not,
I'm still young.
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.
