Farpoint 2010 Libations

This year's Farpoint saw the same impressive libation list as last year. At our traditional Saturday night dinner, I took the chance to tray a few things I didn't get to last time around.

• Klingon Disruptor: Jim Beam, Patron Tequila, cinnamon schnapps - The table speculated that based on the drink's name, it might be a massive person in full Klingon garb with a keen interest in sudden proctology. For my sake, this turned out not to be the case. This ended up being a good mix of flavors, but slightly disappointing - the cinnamon schapps clearly dominated the flavor profile, with the tequila being notable beneath, and any bourbon contribution being lost in the shuffle. It's not something I'd immediately come back to.

• Vulcan Mind Meld: 1 part ouzo, 1 part rum (151 proof) - This is a brilliant mix, and obviously not for the unwary. While it packs the alcoholic punch you'd expect, the flavors are very strong and enjoyable. The anise predominates, and oddly competing citrus and rum notes fighting it out in the background. Highly recommended.

I meant to end with the Talos IV Coffee (3 parts Grand Marnier, 1 part coffee), although a "mixing incident" resulted in about 20 parts coffee instead of one. The vaguely orange-tasting caffeine held promise, however. I'll get you next time, Talos IV...

Beer Hunter: The Movie - trailer

Writer Michael Jackson was perhaps the single most important figure in the history of craft brewing. Beer Hunter, a documentary about his life and work, is set to be released later this year. From the official site:

Beer Hunter: The Movie features never-before-seen footage of Michael Jackson hunting some of the great beers of Europe and the United States. Woven into the footage from interviews with leading brewers and beer enthusiasts, is the remarkable story of Michael's life, from his days as a television journalist, to his remarkable achievements and contributions to the world of craft beer and whisky, and through his secret struggle with Parkinson's Disease.

Set to release in September of 2010 in conjunction with the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, proceeds from the film will benefit the National Parkinson's Foundation.

More information about Michael and this charitable film can be found here, and the latest trailer is below:

Beer Hunter Movie Trailer from John Richards on Vimeo.

Heavy Seas Oyster Fest - Rescheduled

Due to the impressive weekend snow, Clipper City has rescheduled the Heavy Seas Oyster Fest from today to next Saturday, February 13, from 12-4. They point out that this may result in ticket availability, so check out their informational post if you don't have tickets and want to attend. While this brings it into conflict with my obligations at Farpoint, and means I won't be able to make it, I highly recommend the event - Clipper City gatherings at their brewery are excellent, and not to be missed!

Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week

Apparently, 'tis the season for restaurant weeks, as the Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week starts today. From the site:

The most delicious week of the winter is back, as Baltimore’s restaurants offer special three-course menus for Restaurant Week. At select restaurants, enjoy a variety of three-course dinners, in just about any cuisine that strikes your fancy, for only $35.10! Or try three-course lunches at select restaurants for just $20.10.

It's running through February 7 (again, I ponder the mystery of how 14 days can be marketed as a week... sorry, poor fortnight, but someday the public will remember your terminologic awesomeness), and a full list of restaurants and other details can be found here, and are calendared below.

Howard County Restaurant Weeks

Starting this Monday, Howard County is having their awkwardly-named "winter restaurant weeks" (next time, people, go with "restaurant fortnight"). From their site:

January 18 to January 31, 2010
Menus range from $10.10 to $40.10

This winter, Howard County's top chef's are serving up savings and local dining experiences with an international twist. With 25+ participating restaurants, it will be easy to visit your favorite restaurants and try new ones too, all at great prices!

Indulge in the best French, Italian, Latin, Asian, Eclectic, Continental and English pub fare at fabulous prix fixe chef’s menus from $10.10 to $40.10.

The participating restaurant list is impressive, and can be found here. I'm particularly impressed that they've included a compilation of farms and other local food and beverage resources to support.

Dammit, just as I was getting back into the groove of eating at home more for the new year... I guess that can wait until February. ;)

Dogfish Head 2010 Beer Releases

Dogfish Head has put up their scheduled beer releases for 2010:

Year Round Beers

• 90 Minute IPA
• 60 Minute IPA
• Raison D'Etre
• Indian Brown Ale
• Palo Santo Marron
• Midas Touch Golden Elixir

Seasonal Beers

• Spring:Aprihop (available in March & April)
• Summer:Festina Peche (available in June & July)
• Autumn:Punkin' Ale (available in September & October)
• Winter:Chicory Stout (available in November & December)

Occasional Rarities (limited quantites, while supplies last)

• 120 Minute IPA (released in May, August & December)
• Burton Baton (released in March, July & November)
• Red & White (released in February)
• Black & Blue (released in March)
• Squall IPA (released in March & September)
• Immort Ale (released in April)
• My Antonia (released in April & November)
• Sah'tea (released in June)
• Theobroma (released in July)
• Chateau Jiahu (released in August)
• Pangaea (released in September)
• Olde School Barleywine (released in October)
• World Wide Stout (released in November)
• Fort (released in December)

The above is also available as a full color pdf calendar. It's clear that their recent brewery expansion is paying off in terms of capacity, as they have an impressive roster of their "occasional rarities" that they intend to keep producing. While I'm mildly disappointed that the Raison D'Extra continues to be on production hiatus, the fact that the excellent Palo Santon Marron has a place on their year-round list more than makes up for that.

The one new offering this year is the My Antonia, which is a continually-hopped Imperial Pilsner with an ABV of 7.5%. A bit of history from their site:

Sam brewed My Antonia at Birra del Borgo (hope you can read Italian) outside Rome, Italy with owner/brewer Leonardo DiVencenzo in October of 2008.

My Antonia (named after the Willa Cather read), is a continually-hopped imperial pilsner. This beer was brewed and distributed by Birra del Borgo. A small quantity was sent over to the United States.

In June of 2009, Leonardo came over to Delaware and brewed our Namaste beer with us at our Rehoboth Beach brewpub. What goes around, comes around.

And... for 2010, we plan to brew and package My Anotonia for the U.S. market! The beer will be released in both April and November.

Dogfish has released several iterations of the Imperial Pilsner style over the last few years, including the (unfortunately named) Golden Shower, Golden Revolution, and Golden Era. Having sampled both the Shower and the Era in the past, I know they can nail this style well. At least there's just "a few" other quality beers to tide me over until April...

Dogfish Head Sah'tea, and a specifically raised glass

I cracked this open tonight in order to raise a glass, in spirit, with Tee.

*raises glass*

Vitals:

• Name: Dogfish Head Sah'Tea
  

• Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales
  

• Style: Specialty Beer (Sahti) (Category 23, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

• Alcohol: 9%

• Serving: 25.4-ounce bottle, chilled, served in a freezer-stored Harpoon IPA pint glass
  

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

• Appearance: 5 - A deep, hazy golden body, with a sudsy white head that fades to a thin lace.

• Nose: 8 - Quite complex, with fruity juniper components, a mix of spices (predominantly chai related, & ginger seemed particularly apparent), and a honey-sugary sweetness.
  

• Taste: 8 - Very similar to the scent profile. Honey and sugar notes predominate upfront, with a mixed spicy and juniper-fruity kick through the middle to the finish, which has a hint of clove. The alcohol is well-concealed.
  

• Mouthfeel: 7 - Moderate body with low to medium level of carbonation that works very well. Sweetly cloying, leading to a slight sticky aftertaste.
  

• Holistic: 8 - Very smooth and drinkable for its ABV, and an incredibly interesting mix of flavors. The aftertaste and strong flavor profile do limit how much I'd be interested in enjoying in one sitting.
  

Overall: 36 - Tee recently mentioned that this was his new favorite Dogfish Head beer, and while it doesn't eclipse my ridiculous fandom of the as-yet-unreviewed 120 Minute IPA, it comes close. I've never had a brew in the Sahti style before, and Dogfish's take on it is certainly makes it unique. I'll be definitely seeking this out as a beer for special occasions, working best with a fruit-based dessert pairing or alone. For more on the Sahti style and Dogfish's take on it, I refer you to the following:

toasting the new year with other nog creations

Happy New Year!

*raises glass*

With some nog remaining from my Irish Christmas Piracy, I decided to try the beer/eggnog combination with something suitably seasonal on the brew end. I chose Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale for this, and went with the following proportions:

• 1 part egg nog
• 3 parts beer

Although it generated a lovely layering effect with a careful pour, mixing was necessary to get the full blended taste. Unsurprisingly, it was rather good, striking me primarily as a pumpkin-spiced milkshake with mild alcohol notes. That said, the true flavor nuances of the Ale were ruined by the egg nog, making this a wasteful thing to do with a wonderfully crafted brew, and not worth repeating in the future. Using a less flavorful (and cheaper) beer, like a Guinness Stout, would likely give a similarly tasty drink and possible improve the beer involved.

Having a tiny bit of nog left, I then tried it mixed with Dogfish Head Chocolate Vodka as follows:

• 1 part egg nog
• 3 parts chocolate vodka

This make for a tasty drink, although the lack of smokey notes from a bourbon or the spice character of a rum did not elevate it to a "must try again" holiday status. In other words, when it comes to nog-based holiday drink...

The Irish Christmas Pirate wins. As well it should.

more gustatory libation in 2010

As 2009 is about to end in less than 12 hours, it is only fitting to look ahead to some upcoming venues for acquiring tasty victuals and excellent libations in the coming year. In addition to the Heavy Seas Oyster Fest as previously noted, the following larger scale food and beveraging events have been announced by the Trigger Agency for 2010. Although many of the below events will be touring to several sites in Maryland, DC, Virginia, and North Carolina, I'm listing the stops local to Baltimore here. More details can be found at their respective sites (which have not been completely updated for the new year quite yet):

• The Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival will be hitting the Timonium Fairgrounds in Timonium, MD on April 9 and 10.
  

• The Great Grapes! Wine, Art, and Food Festival will be taking place at Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville, MD on June 12 and 13.
  

• The Maryland Brewers' Oktoberfest will be happening at the Timonium Fairgrounds in Timonium, MD on October 9.
  

• The Chesapeake Oyster and Beer Festival will go down at the Timonium 4-H Building in Timonium, MD on November 20.

I look forward to stopping by at least some of these in the coming year (fingers crossed). To better keep track of these upcoming festivals, I've started an events calendar at the bottom of this site. Please feel free to let me know of any Baltimore-local events worthy of being added.

Clipper City washed under the Heavy Seas?

Thanks to Geistbear, I was turned on to the brewing (hah) story that Clipper City Brewery may be changing their name as part of a rebranding effort for the new year. This will lead them to officially become "Heavy Seas," which is currently the name of their line of higher-ABV beers. While there hasn't been an official press release from them at this point, their use of a new logo (above) and referring to themselves as "Heavy Seas brewers" in recent announcements seems to be consistent with this.

While not terribly newsworthy, the idea of a well-established and successful brewery completely changing it's name for a purely marketing reason is an interesting decision. I've long felt that Clipper City's overall brand has suffered somewhat for having several lines of beer that are graphically and nominally different than each other - namely, the Heavy Seas line, the Clipper City series (with includes the further branded outliers of the Balto MarzHon and McHenry), and the Oxford Ales line. Yes, brand uniqueness can be important, both for building name recognition for specific brews and maintaining historical tradition (the Oxford series exists as a distinct entity because Clipper City took over the Oxford Brewing Company in 1998, for example). That noted, it is not immediately obvious to the casual observer that beers from each of these lines are, in fact, made by the same brewery.

I take no particular issue with the Heavy Seas name, as it is awesome. However, the traditionalist in me wishes they would have stuck with Clipper City, and reorganizing the brands around that. Head brewer Hugh Sisson originally chose the name in 1995 due to Baltimore being the first US port to develop and build the clipper ship, as a nod to the history of the area. From their site:

The Clipper ship is the symbol for a strong nautical and maritime heritage with a commitment to craftsmanship of the highest caliber. It captures both the hardy nature of our working class history and the romance of what lies on the seas ahead. Why be normal when you can be EXTRAARGHdinary? We believe in bringing beer drinkers the quality and flavor of a handcrafted beer while supporting the local communities we serve.

In any case, this is a tiny gripe in what will hopefully be a successful marketing move for a local company that excels at the brewing craft. Hopefully, this will bring a larger audience to some their more niche beers in the Clipper City and Oxford lines. More details on how the rebranded beer series will look can be found at BeerInBaltimore.

Although they've remained officially silent on the naming issue, today Clipper City announced its beer line-up for the coming year:

Winter 2010

HOLY SHEET - Über Abbey Ale 9% ABV - A Belgian Abbey style that is both aromatic and full bodied. It will benefit with aging up to two years.
Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz and draft – limited release. January.

SIREN NOIRE - Chocolate Stout 8% ABV - English style imperial stout, fermented and flavored with imported Belgian chocolate nibs. Smooth and easy drinking. Named for the Sirens who lured seafarers off course and ultimately to their demise.
Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz and draft – limited release. February. NEW

Spring 2010

Big DIPA - Double IPA 10.6% ABV – Triple hopped during brewing, well balanced with an earthy hop aroma and flavor. Brewed with 5 pounds of hops per barrel!!!
Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz and draft – limited release. March.

LETTER OF MARQUE - Hop Rye Porter – Winners from our 2009 Letter of Marque Homebrew Competition will work along side our brewers to create this one time special release. Letter of Marque will feature a different beer every year selected from our national homebrew competition. Historically, a Letter of Marque was a document that made a Pyrate a legitimate professional. Hence, our Letter of Marque makes a home brewer a legitimate professional as well!
Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz and draft – limited release. April. NEW

RED SKY AT NIGHT - Belgian style Saison 7.5 % ABV - country farm house ale. A complex yet delicate ale, brewed with a unique Belgian yeast which develops a spicy, fruity flavor.
Pyrate Fleet – 12 oz and draft - available March thru May.

BELOW DECKS (BARREL AGED) – Barley Wine 10% ABV – Our award winning barley wine which has been aged two ways - in wooden bourbon barrels and cabernet barrels. It will benefit with aging. VINTAGE DATED
Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz and draft – VERY limited release. May. NEW

Summer 2010

SMOKE ON THE WATER – Smoked Imperial Porter - Details are Top Secret.
Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz. and draft – limited release. June. NEW

HANG TEN - Weizen Dopplebock 10% ABV – A classic German-style weizen bock, slightly cloudy and bursting with flavor. It will benefit with aging up to two years. VINTAGE DATED. Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz and draft – limited release. July.

SUMMER ALE - Details are Top Secret.
Clipper Fleet – 12 oz and draft -available June thru September. NEW

Fall 2010

PROSIT! - Imperial Oktoberfest Lager 8% ABV - Malt focused with five types of grain including Vienna and Munich malts - plus a secret extra malt that we use only in our Prosit! Balanced with 3 kinds of hops.
Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz and draft – limited release. August.

THE GREAT PUMPKIN - Imperial Pumpkin Ale 8.5% ABV - We add the pumpkin during the mash at precisely the right time to create just the perfect balance of malt, hops, pumpkin and spice.
Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz and draft – limited release. September.

THE GREATer PUMPKIN - Imperial Pumpkin Ale 9% ABV tbd - Our Great Pumpkin enhanced by aging in bourbon barrels.
Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz and draft – VERY limited release. September NEW

Early Winter 2010

WINTER STORM - Imperial ESB 7.5%ABV - Brewed with copious helpings of English malts plus US and English hops. Full malty flavors dancing with powerful hop aromas and a lingering, firm hop bitterness.
Pyrate Fleet – 12 oz and draft - available October thru December

BELOW DECKS - Barley Wine 10% ABV - Our English style barley wine - rich, malty, and opulent. Great at time of release but will benefit from bottle aging for many years to come. VINTAGE DATED.
Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz and draft – limited release. November

YULE TIDE - Belgian Tripel Ale 10% ABV - Slightly sweet with a complex malty flavor. The spicy flavor comes from our unique blend of Trappist yeast and Belgian candi sugar - making it both aromatic and flavorful. It will benefit with aging up to two years. VINTAGE DATED.
Mutiny Fleet – 22 oz and draft – limited release. November

They've also announced their next special event, the Heavy Seas Oyster Fest, taking place on Saturday, February 6, from 12 - 4pm at the brewery:

Thousands of Oysters - 12 Taps - Special Firkins
Live Music - Backstage Access to the Brewery

An All-You-Care-To-Taste fest of oysters and craft beer for the pyrate in all of us!
On tap will be Heavy Seas favorites and special cask ales. The fest also features 6 different kinds of oysters shipped in from around the world, plus several of the top local restaurants serving up their favorite oyster & seafood menu items. Live music and special behind scenes access to the brewery.

Tickets $49 and designated drivers are $35. Adult swim only (Must be 21+ to attend)

Tickets are now on sale here.

Clipper City may be setting sail for new and different waters, but I for one look forward to the treasure they will find there. (Oh, come on! How could I not?)