Past Newsletters

Vol. 9 No. 8

Brewery	Beers Featured
Flying Dog Brewing Company	Doggie Style Ale
Flying Dog Brewing Company	Snake Dog IPA
Saxer Brewing Company	JackFrost Winter Doppelbock
Saxer Brewing Company	Saxer Bock

Flying Dog Brewing Company

Let's hope that the Valentine's Gift you forgot to send throws you in the doghouse this month, as you will savor the selections we have in store for you! [Incidently, if you did forget, we can help! See page 4] February's lineup brings you two tasty breweries from hearty regions that are generally known for their award winning brewing skills. For your first sampling, our panel was gracious enough to toss you a few satiating brews bred from an award winning brewery. The Flying Dog Brewpub has been serving its handcrafted ales in the heart of historic downtown Aspen, Colorado since 1990. The brewery currently has the ability to brew over 35,000 barrels of beer per year… Now that's something to bark about!

In 2000, Broadway Brewing closed and The Flying Dog Brewery & Pub took over, opening its newly renovated pad thus ensuring its ability to service a slew of thirsty patrons. The new location allowed Flying Dog a 50% expansion over the course of three years. Chief brewmaster Dennis Miller (no, not that one, although he may be looking for a job after his less than warm reception on Monday Night Football!) alternates more than 20 styles of beer brewed from a 7-barrel mash system. A big hat's off to Ralph Steadman who adds his whimsical touch to each bottle.

Some of the tasty treats that are regularly featured at the brewpub include: Hair of the Dog, a medium-bodied porter, Ol Yeller, a refreshing Golden Ale, and Rin Tin Tan, a full-bodied brown Ale. Let's not forget the most recent additions to the litter: Old Scratch, a medium-bodied lager with the snappy slogan, "For the itch that ales you", and In Heat Wheat, an American Wheat Ale. Our sophisticated panel of beer hounds selected two pure breds that we know you'll howl at the moon over.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (303) 292-2555 or check out their web site at www.flyingdogales.com.

Doggie Style Ale

Serving Temperature: 47-52° F
Original Gravity: 13.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.9° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: N/A
Alcohol by Volume: 4.8%

Doggie Style Ale took best of breed at the 10th Annual Great American Beer Festival, taking the Gold Medal in the Classic Pale Ale category. It's an American interpretation of a classic British pale ale that blends approximately 12% caramel malts with 88% two-row pale malts. The dog is hopped once at the initial boil with Chinook hops and also dry hopped in lesser proportions with cascade hops, providing the beer's spicy hop aroma. Notice the subtle pale to amber color with good clarity and head retention. A tasty ale combining caramel malt, floral, spicy hop, and slightly fruity aromas in the nose. That'd be the nose of the beer friends' the nose of the beer. Look for a nice caramel maltiness up front; sophisticated hop flavor, and a medium hop finish in this clean beer. Bone Appetit!

Snake Dog IPA

Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 14.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 3.2° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: N/A
Alcohol by Volume: 5.6%

Zowie! Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, you should hang onto your hats campers; the hops in this ale will blow your mind. One of the newer pups at Flying Dog, Snake Dog is a traditional IPA, brewed with imported English Marris Otter pale malt and Golding Hops. With the combination of dry hopped, Chinook & Golding hops, you'll find a fruity-floral hop aroma characteristic to this IPA. We found it an ideal brew for those who like it hoppy. If you're hoppy and you know it clap your hands' oh never mind. Look for a trace amount of caramel-like presence that lingers throughout. One should sense a hint of fruitiness that stems from the hops. Note the overall dry sensation in the presence of malt sweetness that finishes smooth. A well-rounded taste celebration to say the least! I sense a parade in the workings.

Saxer Brewing Company

Pull up a brew, its time for a little nostalgia gang. Henry Saxer established the first brewery in the Pacific Northwest in 1852. Good ol' Henry set up camp in Portland, Oregon where appreciative beer drinkers immediately gave him a parade and nominated him for Territorial Governor.

Henry graciously declined the nomination, and pursued his mission to bring quality beer to a thirsty frontier. Can you imagine? What a stroke of luck that allows these beautiful treats to exist in your home …err castle today?

The new Saxer Brewing Company was established nearly 140 years later in nearby Lake Oswego to carry on Henry's name. Saxer is a subsidiary of the infamous Portland Brewing Company. The brewery's brand name, The Finger Jack is the name of a mountain range in Central Oregon and also the name of a notorious robber and murderer who was captured by State Rangers in Tucson, AZ and hanged in 1853. You've gotta love a brewery with a bit of history to its name!

Through unique blending of roasted malts, Saxer's lagering process guarantees the extinction of a lingering aftertaste. Examples of this successful process are Henry Saxer Public Lager and Dark Lager. Saxer is also the producer of the Nor'Wester line. Nor'Wester is best known for its Oregon Pale Ale (OPA), which is exclusively brewed for Oregonians. Some folks have all the luck!

The brewery utilizes 30-barrel kettles, 23 lagering tanks and employs 21 employees. Brewmaster, Tony Gomes, hails from Doemen's Brewing Academy in Munich, Germany. In addition to Dead Armadillo Ale, the brewery also brews a refreshing Lemon Lager, Marzen, Roasted Red Hefedunkel, and a Stout. Our panel enjoyed the line from Saxer across the board and that's why you'll have the opportunity to sample two of its beers.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (503) 699-9524 or check out their web site at www.saxerbeer.com.

JackFrost Winter Doppelbock

Serving Temperature: 48-53° F
Original Gravity: 18.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 4.5° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 17.5
Alcohol by Volume: 8.0%

Their Winter Seasonal, JackFrost is an authentic Doppel (double) Bock beer. This is a Gold Medal example of the style originally developed by the Bavarian monks of St. Francis Paula in the 18th century. You might consider this a religious experience. Brewed with imported malts, this dark, full-bodied beer is deliciously rich and malty tasting. Cold-conditioned for a full two months.

Although these Bocks are stronger than traditional Bocks, they are not twice the strength. They were originally made by monks that wanted a full-bodied, strong "liquid bread" to drink during lent. Wait, I thought you 'gave up' something at lent hmm. In Bavaria, any beer ending in -ator is a Doppel Bock. Doppelbocks tend to be full bodied and deep amber to dark brown in color. Astringency from roast malts is absent. Alcoholic strength is high, and hop rates increase with gravity. It is not advised you take this with you to outer space although several consumed in short period of time may take YOU there! Hop bitterness and flavor should be low while hop aroma is absent. Fruity elements are commonly perceived but at low to moderate levels.

Note the slight roasty aroma and rich sweet malty taste. Look for a coffee like flavor that dovetails well with high alcohol content. A hearty fuller bodied, lager beer. The color is reddish brown with a plethora of sediment floating throughout the beer. Hop bitterness remains low allowing the malt to dominate the rich flavor. An intense drink to cap off the day with! Saxer is the only microbrewery in the United States to have won three consecutive gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival. Go on, have another-You deserve it 'champ'!

Saxer Bock

Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 16.0° Plato
Final Gravity: 4.5° Plato
Int'l Bittering Units: 24.0
Alcohol by Volume: 6.2%

Their flagship beer and one can taste why! Saxer Bock is a golden crisply hopped Helles style brewed in the centuries-old tradition of this classic lager. Brewed with Vienna and Carapils specialty malts, Saxer Bock delivers a delicious malty sweetness beautifully proportioned with its rich, creamy body.

This style of lager means different things to different people. In Germany it is classified as a strong lager, with at least 6.25% alcohol by volume. In America the name "bock" has been traditionally applied to dark lagers. An old wives' tale exists that bock beer is dark because it is made in the spring when the brewery cleans the dregs out of the brew kettles. There is absolutely no truth in this whatsoever. Thank the powers that be because that would be some nasty fluid!

There are a host of bocks in existence, including pale bock; Doppelbock, a strong, malty version; Maibock; eisbock, an extra strong bock completed by freezing the beer and removing some of the water; and weizenbock, a dark, strong wheat beer. Not to mention our favorite 'can I have another-bock'? Note the rich and complex maltiness without the hop flavor. The rich malt aroma is complemented with a hint of sweetness and the flavor of toasted grain. The warming alcohol and slight hop bitterness help to balance. This bug beer is a well-crafted elixir that is well…simply packed with malt. Enjoy, with the knowledge that this Bock has taken the gold, silver and bronze at the Great American Beer Festival. Is there anything this bock can't do? Oh yeah drink itself -now hop to it!

Ask Murl

Dear Murl,

Not that I'm a profound fan of the stuff, but I'm kind of curious as to how Budweiser got its name. A buddy of mine told me that it's German in origin and I've got a bone to pick with that as I am of German decent and therefore take it as a personal slam! So I figured I'd ask for some divine canine intervention to settle the score as we now have a case of real beer on the line. So what's up homedog? Am I flyin' or buyin'? By the way, love your column babe. Good stuff. And Woof! to you!

Oliver Albret
San Rafael, CA

Yo Ollie,

The word, 'Budweiser' needs to be broken down a bit in order to better understand its true meaning. 'Bud' was actually an ancient Mesopotamian slang term used for the description of beer itself while 'weiser' is a derivative of the German verb Weizant defined as: to stink or smell. Skunky. So, I guess you could say that Budweiser either had no idea what so ever what they were up to when naming their premier product or they knew exactly what they were doing and assumed it would remain an inside joke indefinitely. Kind of an ironic translation in the face of their recent campaign slamming micros as producers of contaminated brew that couldn't possibly compare to their fresh, 'born on dated' beers. They may be fresh, but so's the oil spill in my garage and you won't see me drinkin' that either!

Okay. Okay. Enough Bud-bashing for the next 10 ... well at least the next 3 minutes. Actually, during the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the important Czech brewing city of Ceske Budojovice was known by the German name of Budweis, and beer from that city was known as Budweiser. Today Budweiser beer (locally called Budvar) is still brewed in Ceske Budojovice, but it has nothing to do with the beer of the same name brewed in the United States. So for the sake of your bet, one could argue in either direction, however, in light of your kind words towards my column, I am inclined to take the posture that the fact that the beer and city are in fact Czechoslovakian takes precedence of the mere German words used to describe them. (In italyics. Editorial note: Just send my 12 pack to the warehouse to my attention). Auf Wiedersehen Herr Oliver!

Woof!
Murl.

Food For Thought...

Clam Chili with Saxer Bock Beer

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ cups celery, sliced
• 1 ½ cups red onion, peeled and diced
• 1 ½ cups red bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 ½ cups green bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 3 tablespoons garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 cup Saxer Bock beer
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 5 lbs. canned diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 1 large can clam juice
• Tabasco and cayenne pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 6 cups cooked red beans
• 6 cups chopped clams
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, stemmed and minced

Sauté the vegetables in olive oil, set in a large stockpot over medium heat, stirring often for 5 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté three minutes. Add Saxer bock beer, tomato products, clam juice, beans with the juices from the can, and seasonings. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, taste and adjust seasonings and add chopped clams. Stir well to blend. Let the clams cook through, but do not boil (this will make them turn rubbery). If the mixture seems too thick, thin to the desired consistency with tomato juice or more Bock beer to taste. In the chili gang, not in your stomach! Serve in big soup crocks, garnished with minced parsley, plenty of tortilla chips and Bock beer on the side.

Serves: 12

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

Coach: What's up, Norm?
Norm: Everything that's suppose to be.

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