Brewed Awakening (A book review)

                                        

    In the attempt to accumulate as much knowledge as I can about my profession and craft beer, I have taken efforts to read more. I have had a few books that are more beer encyclopedias and very hard to read. There are several books available from different breweries chronicling their story and rise to power. I think reading these back to back would be painfully boring and repetitive, so I look for books like Brewed Awakening to mix things up.

    Brewed Awakening is by Joshua Bernstein, and it takes a look at the different avenues that make beer exploration fun. He has been to a lot of places and tried some typical and not so typical beers. I really enjoyed the section at the end where he mentioned a craft beer cans only bar that features a ski-ball league. I am very happy there is a bar that is taking the risk of forcing education on consumers, while offering a different type of entertainment. DO NOT BE SCARED OF BEER IN CANS! I'll take a bar like this in Richmond please! He also preaches support for home brewers and home brew clubs. This is a tough area to break into, but people who brew like to share. I have more confidence in going to the local home brew club and getting to know some people who make their own beer. There is a whole chemistry side to beer that your typical store bought consumer doesn't get, I need this knowledge.

    I appreciate the beers that Joshua highlighted that get unfairly shelved at most bottle shops. There are imported beers made in other countries that are truly craft beers, not imports. I have these beers added to my Untapped wish list soon to be explored. They are more expensive than their domestic cousins. Scotland's Brewdog, made the End of History beer that was packaged in a taxidermied rodent (pictured below), 55% alcohol by the way. Brasserie Dieu di Ciel, Canadian brewery that makes top notch beers, buried in the import section. Norway's Nogne o has proven that they can make craft beers in the American extreme style with much success. I'm not sure I would have ever picked up any of these beers if not for this book. I walk the aisles at total wine totally differently now.  

Diabolik (Mad Fox Brewing)

    Fall's Church Virginia, the little city, is really just the narrow section of route seven right before you get to seven corners. I have to hand in to you nova, you do a good job of hiding the projects, which I found while looking for parking. I have been to mad fox brewery three times since I have been working in the area. My first trip was purely out of curiosity and for a growler. I was without huge box truck and had to check things out. I was blown away how nice the restaurant was. The bar has twelve centrally located taps, and six cask pumps. I ave heard that the food is uber gourmet, but jam waiting to make that weekend trip with friends to eat there.

    I have been told to get the orange whip, which hasn't been available. I have had an English barley wine, and the Belgian strong ale. Both beers have had a high gravity and been a bit on the sweet side. I made the mistake of trying to drink the 64oz growler by myself. From now on I will keep the 32oz growlers in my truck, and they do fit in my lunch bag for travel. I prefer to try the higher gravity selections from this brewery, and eventually I'll get my hands on that orange whip. If you happen in Allstate church, take lots of money and stop by. Remember to bring me back a growler fill. They have a website www.madfoxbrewing.com

Sixty-One (Dogfish Head Brewing)

    To back track 12 years or so, my curiosity about niche beers began as a gimmick. Good beer tuesday began as a tradition where we would have friends over and share our six packs. Everyone brought a six pack of something they have never had before. Craft beer back then was abita, rogue, georgia brown, newcastle, even the occasional killians. I was bar tending back then and beer was more a novelty, something we drank when we had too much liquor. Well with some craft beers being as strong as 8% they just didn't make the cut. I want to credit Dogfish Head as the first, Non-local, craft beer that I perused. Legend brown, was the first to make regular rotation.
    Dogfish stood out as doing crazy beers, and from the exposure that Sam Calagione received  I loved it. He was crazy, and rebellious. He is responsible for bringing brewing to his state. He was an exciting brewer, and entrepreneur. It now appears that his business and brewing has snow balled at an uncontrollable rate. He has exploded his distribution, and grown his brewery several times in the past 10 years. He has had such a hard time keeping up with production of his IPA's I can tell you several times the Richmond market hasn't had a drop of 60 minute. He also had a national T.V. show, brewmasters, that thrust his brands into the main stream. Did I mention he has a chain of pubs/restaurants?
    Well recently he has collaborated with Sierra Nevada to craft rhizing bines, which is an experimentally hopped IPA. I have not had this beer but was interested until I heard a little info on the 75 minute that came out about the same time. If you go to a Dogfish head brew pub, this beer is a blend of 60 minute and 90 minute. I am guessing that is geared for extremest who just enjoy bitterness. Flavor hops become muddled when over blended, so this beer seemed a bit like a cop out. Then we get 61 minute about a month later, oh lord.
    61 minute, also named and created with little to no imagination, is another blend. As the story goes, one night while drinking with friends, Sam poured a 60 minute into the remainder of his favorite red wine. Will this gimmick provide a new core beer? The first new year round since 2007? It appears so, but I am not buying it. A style known for bitterness from floral hops, wrestled to the ground my grape must? It is confusing and in poor judgement in my opinion. The must is pungent like a mustard seed, and needs some sweetness to tone it into the background. I'm sorry Sam, but grape/wine flavor would probably work better in a darker style.
    For me Dogfish head will remain on the radar, but I will remain ever critical of the choices they make in new beers. If you want to check in and see what is new head on over to www.dogfish.com