Past Newsletters
Vol. 7 No. 11
| Brewery | Beers Featured |
| Brimstone Brewing Company | Irish Wake Stout |
| Frederick Brewing Company | Blue Ridge ESB |
| Sierra Blanca Brewing Company | Sierra Blanca Nut Brown Ale |
| Sierra Blanca Brewing Company | Sierra Blanca Pilsner |
Brimstone Brewing Company
March Tewey, the owner of Brimstone, began brewing when he was a student at Loyola College, a Jesuit school in Baltimore. Too young to legally buy beer, Tewey and his college roommates bought some homebrewing books and a basic homebrewing kit to begin making their own beer. Their first batches were brewed in their dormitory at Loyola (evidently fertile ground for budding brewers since Tewey's former roommate, Dave Benfield, is now the owner of DuClaw Brewing Company in Bel Air, Maryland). After graduating from college with a degree in political science, he began looking for a way to go into business for himself. Like many young brewers he was passionate about brewing and had no shortage of recipe ideas, but the barriers to starting his own brewery seemed too large to overcome. He eventually figured out how to do it.
Tewey discovered that instead of running a brewery, he could hire an existing brewery to do the brewing for him, while he concentrated on the marketing. Financially, it made a lot more sense to start off this way since it required a comparatively small investment. Doing things this way allowed him to get some cash flow while he slowly entered the market. It also allowed him some time to hone his brewing skills. "I realized that I still had an awful lot to learn," says Tewey. He enrolled in brewing courses at the Siebel Institute in Chicago to fill the gaps in his brewing knowledge.
In the meantime, Tewey's amber beer was brewed by contract at the Frankenmuth Brewery (Frankenmuth, Michigan) beginning in late 1993, with later help from the Lion Brewery (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) as sales increased and shipping costs became more of an issue. This first beer was called Brimstone Amber in honor of Tewey's dormitory drinking days. Tewey laughs as he tells how he and his friends would often joke that the Jesuits down the hall were probably thinking of fire and brimstone, not malt and hops. The name stuck, and further inspired not only the name of the eventual brewery, but also Tewey's stone beer. The money that he made from contract brewing, meanwhile, was immediately put to work establishing his own brewery. Many contract brewers through the years have publicly proclaimed their dedication to brewing locally while continuing to contract with distant breweries, but Tewey put his money where his mouth was.
Site selection and business plan development for his own brewery began almost as soon as the first cases of Brimstone Amber were loaded onto distributors' trucks. Within six months of the time Brimstone Amber went on sale, Tewey was breaking ground -- or rather, breaking down brick -- on what would become the Brimstone Brewing Company. The rest, as they say, is history.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (301) 694-7899
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 15.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 4.5° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 30.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.7%
Our panel really liked Brimstone’s Irish Stout. March brews it with a combination of two row pale and crystal malts as well as flaked and toasted barley. It’s hopped with both Horizon and East Kent Golding hops play their part of adding a dryness to the ale. We found this beer to be full and robust as the brewery boasts. It is in fact brewed true to style, not too bitter, yet still on the dry side. The nose is roasted and rich with flavor. We found it packed with roasted malt flavors. Very complex. Look for a pleasant silky, creamy and somewhat dry finish. You’ll want another! Overall, a great representation of a timeless style.
Frederick Brewing Company
Founded by Kevin Brannon, a home-brewing former lawyer, and Marjorie McGinnis, a beer-loving psychology student, the Frederick Brewing Company has been pumping out quality beers for years. After deciding to go ahead with their plan to open a brewery, Kevin and Marjorie brought in Brewmaster Steve Nordahl and Brewery Representative “Frenchy” Tluszcz to complete the team. While Blue Ridge has won awards for many of the styles they produce, we chose the ESB, which was recently rated “Highly Recommended” by the Beverage Testing Institute.
The national drink of England is an ale called “Bitter”, designated as “Ordinary”, “Best”, and “Extra Special Bitter”, or ESB, depending on its strength and body. Since World War II, American soldiers returned Stateside knowing bitters to be the most popularly called for drink in the realm of British beer drinkers. Most bitters fans believe the special flavor is so successful it overcame the name. The word itself is only a reference to the hoppy dryness of bitters versus that of milder brews. Bitters always have a signature hoppy dryness, but also can contain a suggestion of soft-fruit. Bitters aren’t necessarily bitter at all. They can be sweet, although they will most certainly possess a hop emphasis. The color of bitters isn’t standard but they do share one trait: Bitters are almost always translucent in color. The color varies from one brewer to another, and can run the gamut from rich copper red to old gold to pale bronze.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (301) 694-7899
Serving Temperature: 43-48° F
Original Gravity: 14.5° Plato
Final Gravity: 4.5° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 35.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.4%
Now you’re going to have a chance to try an award winning ESB from Blue Ridge which took the Silver at the 1995 World Beer Championships. When bitters are vibrantly red colored, they are sometimes compared to the red wines of Bordeaux. Blue Ridge ESB is just such a coppery red color, distinguishing it from the pack. Blue Ridge’s ESB is brewed with a combination of two-row pale, Munich, Crystal, Carapils, and Victory malts. It’s hopped with Horizon, EK Golding and Cascade 3 times during the boil and once during the whirlpool. Look for a predominantly sweet malty nose with some traces of biscuity pale malt and hop spiciness evident. This medium-bodied filtered ale starts slightly malty, and quickly moves into a spicy, floral hoppiness. We found the finish a bit dry and bitter leaving you wanting more! Overall, a very full tasting, flavorful ESB.
Sierra Blanca Brewing Company
Suzanne and Rich Weber have proven that you can put a brewery anywhere and if the beer is good, you’ll be successful. Located in Carrizozo, New Mexico, Sierra Blanca is surrounded by desert to the southwest, prairie to the east and the 12,000-foot Sierra Blanca mountains to the north. Sun, skiing, and great beer all within a stone’s throw! Carrizozo is the kind of town you might expect to see in a spaghetti western flick or in a documentary about UFOs. With more than one chainsaw sculptor, a number of high-end quaint art galleries as well as tourist targeted shops selling anything from Native American Indian drums to Jackalopes; you could say the town has a bit of Southwestern Flair!
Originally from New Jersey, the Webers got sick of the daily grind and moved west. Rich, who had been an electro-mechanical engineer at Allied Signal, had the perfect skills for brewing operations. Suzanne, a savvy businesswoman, had all the skills necessary for putting together a staff and selling the product.
In just over four years, Sierra Blanca is now the largest microbrewery in New Mexico with a goal of brewing just under 15,000 barrels this year. They have also begun contract brewing for a restaurant in Alamogordo and opened Pub 48, a pub associated with the brewery.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (505) 648-6606 or check out their web site at www.sierrablancabrewery.com.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 11.7° Plato
Final Gravity: 2.5° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 20.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.5%
Sierra Blanca’s Nut Brown Ale is brewed with a relatively straightforward malt profile comprised of two row pale, caramel and chocolate malts. Rich hops this tasty treat up with English Fuggles and only English Fuggles. But the hop character is really not what stands out in this dark brown ale. We found it medium-bodied and very drinkable. Look for hints of chocolate in the nose. The flavor is slightly sweet and roasted. Almost a hybrid of a porter and a brown ale. Look for a smooth roasted malt finish. Overall, atypical interpretation of the style that works! Enjoy!
Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 125.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 2.0° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 35.0
Alcohol by Volume: 5.2%
Sierra Blanca’s Pilsner is brewed with two row pale and carapils malts. Here, Rich makes use of Hallertau hops exclusively to give this lager its characteristically bitter tones. We found it an attractive golden color (not a wimpy-looking Pilsner) with both hops and malt prevalent in the nose which hints at a rich pale malt character. Look for a dry and clean maltiness up front with a moderately strong hop finish. This flavorful, medium-bodied, German-style Pilsner is rich in flavor and delicately balances its hop/malt profile. Very nicely done.
Ask Murl
Dear Murl,
Upon returning home with my take-out order from one of Denver’s finer dining establishments, The Big Kahuna, I was most pleasantly surprised to find your beer shipment at my doorstep. I so wanted to wash down my burger with one of your beers, however, they weren’t yet chilled. Can you tell me the fastest way to chill a beer so that I can try your shipments as soon as I get them?
Randy Hall
Denver, CO.
Yo Randal!
Unless you’ve got access to a cryogenic research lab or a steady
supply source for dry ice, I’d say you’ll be forced to
the use of more traditional and attainable components of the Periodic
Table of Elements. Lucky for you that I spent some time as a waiter
at the Ritz Carton until I was dismissed for mistaking a customer’s
hairpiece for a small rodent. If it wasn’t already dead, you
can rest assured that it is now, but hey, that’s a whole other
story!
I have a solution for you. Fill a bucket with plenty of ice, water and then the secret ingredient, salt (a small pawful should do). Hold your beer by the neck between your paws and move them back and forth, spinning the beer in your ice bucket. If I can do it without thumbs, I’m sure you’ll manage nicely. Anyway, that’s what we used to do when we had to chill a bottle of wine rapidly. Should take only 5 minutes or so. Your other option is to just set your beers in the ice water and read about the beers for 10-15 minutes before trying them!
Woof!
Murl.
Food For Thought...
Sierra Blanca Trout
Whether grilled, broiled, steamed or fried, whitefish is a natural match for crisp, clean lagers of either the Bohemian or German variety. The crispness of the beer, combined with whatever delicacies each individual beer may offer, will provide the perfect complement to the delicate, melt-in-your-mouth qualities of a beautifully cooked fish. Although you should use a lager in the recipe itself, consider serving the meal with a Pilsner, an ale, or this month’s featured Pilsner.
- 3 fresh trout
- 1 cup Sierra Blanca Pilsner
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ cup vinegar
- 1 lemon, half in slices
Wash and clean trout, place in saucepan. Mix beer, wine, vinegar and pour over fish in saucepan. Heat mixture to boil, turn down heat and simmer 10-15 minutes, turning fish over. Remove fish, squeeze lemon over fish, garnish with lemon slices and parsley. Serves 3 adults, 1 catamite and 3 cats, or 1 pederast.
Source: Great Cooking with Beer, Jack Erickson, Red Brick Press, 1989.
Norm's Corner...
As spoken by Cheers' Norm
Woody: What’s going on, Mr. Peterson?
Norm: A flashing sign in my gut that says, “Insert beer
here.”
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