Past Newsletters

Vol. 8 No. 10

Brewery	Beers Featured
Wild Goose Brewing Company	Wild Goose Nut Brown Ale
Wild Goose Brewing Company	Wild Goose Porter
Clipper City Brewing Company	Reserve India Pale Ale
Clipper City Brewing Company	McHenry Old Baltimore Style Beer

Wild Goose Brewing Company

The Frederick Brewing Company, founded in 1993 in Frederick, MD, currently owns and operates both the Wild Goose Brewery of Cambridge, MA and the Brimstone Brewing Co. located in Baltimore, MD. The three breweries combined have taken no less than 41 awards and accolades over the last decade, including 12 World Beer Championship honors and 4 medals at the Great American Beer Festival.

Frederick Brewing Company was named one of America's Top 20 Breweries by Food & Wine magazine. 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.

Founded just 9 years ago with it's flagship Blue Ridge collection of micros, the brewery is recognized as one of the fastest growing craft breweries in the country. By 1995 the demand for their products exceeded capacity, which prompted an expansion the following year when an entirely new 57,000 square foot brewery was constructed. Housed in one of only two purpose-built craft breweries on the East Coast, Frederick Brewing Co. now has an annual capacity of 80,000 barrels. The expansion was financed with an initial public offering.

Our panel enjoyed the Wild Goose line across the board and it was difficult selecting just 2 of their flavorful ales to feature…But…that's our job and as tough as it is, we sucked it up and sampled their entire line on more than one occasion and honed in on the Nut Brown Ale and Porter. Wild Goose also brews an IPA, Amber Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Spring Wheat Ale, and Winter Ale.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (888) 258-7434

Wild Goose Nut Brown Ale

Serving Temperature: 42-47° F
Original Gravity: 12.4° Plato
Final Gravity: 4.5° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 20.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.3%

An award winning classic London styled Nut Brown Ale, the goose brews this tasty treat with Carapils, Pale, Amber, and Chocolate malts. It's balanced out nicely with Northdown and East Kent Goldings hops, giving it a well rounded, smooth finish. Note a sweet floral hop nose and hints of roasted malts up front. The roasted malt aroma carries over pleasantly into the flavor to provide a full bodied, malty taste. Try this Nut Brown Ale with roast beef or Camarones a la Diabla!

Wild Goose Porter

Serving Temperature: 38-43° F
Original Gravity: 13.5° Plato
Final Gravity: 4.5° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 45.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.8%

The brewers at Wild Goose have fine tuned this porter's recipe to perfection. We found it to be an excellent interpretation of what a porter should be. Porters originated in England, but were not brewed as porters; having evolved by mixing a pale ale and a stout. A popular combination among train porters, a new beer style was born! This deep, ruby-red ale wafts a very inviting nose of roasted malts and caramel. It's a medium to full bodied brew boasting a serious roasted barley flavor with hints of chocolate. Overall, we loved it! True to style and packed with flavor. Consider pairing it with pork chops or a good hearty steak.

Clipper City Brewing Company

Clipper City owner Hugh Sisson is a true brewing pioneer. In 1983, as owner and founder of Sisson's, a restaurant and bar in Baltimore, he decided that he wanted to brew beer in his restaurant. Unfortunately, the laws in Maryland were not in his favor and his plan to open a brewpub was thwarted. A sufficient reason to relocate if you ask us. But not Hugh. In the true entrepreneurial spirit, he challenged the state to change the laws and anyone who's ever dealt with government agencies can tell you that this is no easy task. Go Hugh, Go! Perseverance prevailed in 1989 when Maryland changed their laws and Hugh opened the first brewpub in the state.

He stuck with it until 1994, when he had the itch to open a full-scale microbrewery. And guess who didn't want him to own both a brewery and brewpub? The State, you say? You got it. I'm trying to think of just what legal grounds were conjured up to prevent Hugh from doing both and can't come up with a thought on the matter. Regardless of why, Hugh got back on his horse, sharpened the sword and prepared to do battle with the State again. And wouldn't you know…he won again! In early 1996 Clipper City Brewing officially opened their doors and brewing commenced. Since that time, Clipper City, named after Baltimore's nickname, has gained a fantastic reputation throughout Maryland among beer lovers.

They are now Baltimore's largest brewing facility that produces hand crafted draught and bottled beers.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (410) 247-7822 or check out their web site at www.clippercitybeer.com.

Reserve India Pale Ale

Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 12.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.0° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 22.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.8%

In the 19th Century, India Pale Ales (IPAs) were originally brewed to serve to the British troops while abroad in India. Because of the long ocean voyage from England to India, most beers could not survive the trip. They were, and still are, typically higher in alcohol content which helped keep them for the long voyage and the acidity that came as a result of aggressive hopping helped to preserve these ales further. Look for a floral, almost citrus, aroma along with the ever prevalent hop bitterness. In addition, the Clipper City Reserve IPA is bottle conditioned, meaning that there is a small amount of yeast remaining in the bottle. We found it a well balanced IPA that's balanced nicely with a good dose of maltiness. We'd suggest pairing it with your favorite spicy Asian dish.

McHenry Old Baltimore Style Beer

Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 11.2° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.0° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 18.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.4%

Great name. Great story. Great beer. The McHenry Old Baltimore style beer is brewed in the same style as the lagers that were produced in Baltimore just after prohibition laws were repealed . It is also named after Baltimore's famed Ft. McHenry and Irishman James McHenry - Secretary of Defense under George Washington. Clipper City calls this brew "The Best Defense Against Out Of Town Beer". Look for a spicy hop aroma up front. When this brew passes your lips, you will first notice a pale malt flavor followed by a slight hop bitterness. Overall, a clean, well-balanced session beer.

Ask Murl

Dear Murl,

Hello from the Pacific Northwest, home of the re-birth of the microbrewery! First, I would like to thank you for your beer of the month service. Thanks to you, we've been able to enjoy a lot of great brews from around the country. My question is this: What is meant by the term "lagering"? And if I can get two in for the price of one, what is the difference between beer and ale? You might be able to tell from my questions that I am fairly new at this hobby. I don't know much about 'em, but I sure do enjoy drinkin' them! Keep up the great work!

Happily Yours,
Harold Scott
Belfair, WA.

Yo Harry!

May I call you Harry? I mean, my friends call me hairy and sometimes I get ticked, not because I have ticks, mind you, but because I am hairy. Anyway, Harold, thanks for the kind words; it means a lot to a guy that is usually rewarded with rawhide chewies and Science Diet's interpretation of a "Scooby Snack". Lagering is a term that originated from the German word "Lagen" which means to lie, rest, or repose. The term refers to the storing of bottom-fermented beer in cold cellars at near freezing temperatures for periods ranging from a few weeks to several months and occasionally up to a year, during which time the slow process chemical reactions take place which mellow the beer, reducing any harsh or off flavors. Lagering generally creates a smoother, crisper, and cleaner product.

On beer and ale, it's really just a question of semantics. The word beer is used rather broadly to describe nearly all beverages made with malted barley except a couple of strange brews like zee inzamous Zima and zome other peculiar products. All beers fall into two primary categories or classifications, one of which is Ales, the other being Lagers. Furthermore, there are many different styles such as stouts, bocks, or hefeweizens that fall under each category. We've included several articles on the various beer styles in past editions of The Brew Harvest Review which can be viewed on our web site at www.beermonthclub.com in the Beer Style Guide Section. Hope that clears it up a bit for ya, Hairy.

Woof!
Murl.

Food For Thought...

India Pale Caribbean Chicken!

We uncovered this unique tropical recipe to salute those of you that still had to shovel a path for your UPS man in order to receive your shipment this month! The combination of cooling coconut milk, beer, toasted almonds, and fiery spices makes this chicken dish one of contrast and fascinating flavors.

• ½ cup blanched almonds
• 2 cups coconut milk
• ¼ cup peanut or canola oil
• 1 lg. onion, finely chopped
• 4 lg. cloves garlic, finely minced & mashed
• ¾-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled & lightly mashed
• 4 chicken breasts, skinned, split, & boned
• 1 ½ cups Clipper City IPA
• ½ cup flour mixed with ½ teaspoon each salt, pepper, and paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
• 15 small dried hot red Asian chilies
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ cup freshly chopped cilantro
• 4 lg. scallions, finely chopped

In a heavy skillet, toast almonds lightly to a pale gold color. Place in blender with coconut milk and blend until smooth. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium and sauté onion, garlic, and ginger until onion is wilted. Remove and set aside. Moisten chicken breasts with ½ cup ale. Coat lightly with seasoned flour. Turn up heat to medium-high, add about ¼ cup oil, and brown breasts lightly on both sides. Add coconut-almond mixture, cumin, salt, and chilies to chicken and bring to a slow simmer. Keep low or coconut milk with curdle. Simmer, uncovered, 35 minutes. Remove chicken and add lime juice, chopped cilantro, and scallions, stirring gently. Remove ginger and discard. Serve chicken and sauce over steamed rice. Serves 4 adults, 2 hungry wolves, or Dom DeLuise!

Source: The Great American Beer Cookbook; Candy Schermerhorn; Brewers Publications, 1993.

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

Woody: Would you like a beer, Mr. Peterson?
Norm: No Wood, I'd like a dead cat in a glass.

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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.

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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.