On my vacation this summer, one of the things I hit up were tours I’d been meaning to take - including Lakefront Brewery. It’s close to home and I’ve heard from friends that it’s their favorite brewery tour, but I had just never made the time for it.
I rectified that.
Honestly, it’s a small tour, but a good one. The brewery is in a single building, with a gift shop, a large tasting room, a room overlooking the brewery floor, and the brewery floor itself.
You’re given tokens for four 6-oz beers, and your guide encourages you to fill up before the tour starts. Then they talk about the start of the brewery, and the basics of brewing (which you get on every tour of every brewery you visit) and then there’s a break to cash in more tokens for more beer. Then the tour moves down to the end of the bottling line where they talk about bottling and kegging and such.
When it’s all done, you can trade in your sample cup for a Lakefront Brewery pint glass.
The whole thing costs a mere $7.00.
What really makes the tour a step above the rest is that it’s relaxed, fun and funny. I think they pick their tour guides carefully, because I’ve heard the same from other people who’ve taken the tour, and I don’t think we’ve all had the same guides.
Most tours I’ve taken have been interesting, filled with information and led by people who are passionate about the history of the brewery or the crafting of good beer. My Lakefront tour guide was passionate about drinking, funny as hell, and had a sense of humor somewhere between a 12 year old and a college co-ed. Really, the guide made the tour great. It doesn’t hurt that I have yet to have a beer from Lakefront that isn’t good.
My suggestion - take the tour. Do it. You won’t regret it.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Milwaukee Brewfest 2013
Amanda and I went to our fourth Brewfest on Saturday, July 27. Since we’d tried buying VIP tickets after they’d sold out last season, Amanda bought them for me as my Christmas gift. It got us an extra hour, access to a few beers that weren’t available to everyone else, access to a roped off section where there were more port-o-potties and some picnic tables with dishes of pretzels. I know some people wouldn’t think it’s worth the extra money, but I’m glad we did it. Happy enough that I think we’ll probably do it again.
Yet again, it was impossible to try everything. I suppose that’s a sign that I should be willing to dump more beer, but I’d rather interpret it as the event doing a good job bringing a wide variety of beers for sampling. We hit the tables hard, and got through a good number of them, though, and there were only a couple beers that I wanted to try which ran out before I got to them. Cider Row was improved, which made Amanda (who’d not the most enthusiastic beer drinker) quite happy.
For the most part, I didn’t really have any beers that I didn’t like, and I tried beer from a lot of breweries in a lot of styles. I confirmed that I’m a fan of bourbon barrel aged beer, though, and that when you’re doing a scotch ale, sometimes less is more.
The one beer we tried that stood out was by Rogue which created a beer based on Portland, Oregon’s Voodoo Doughnuts “Memphis Mafia” doughnut. Chocolate, Banana and Peanut Butter. The Banana was pretty strong in this ale. Amanda liked it (which is a good sign, because she likes Bananas, but not fake banana flavoring), but I have my reservations. Unlike Amanda, I wouldn’t drink this by itself, but I think it would do well as a beer float.
All-in-all this was a great time, and the perfect Christmas gift.
Yet again, it was impossible to try everything. I suppose that’s a sign that I should be willing to dump more beer, but I’d rather interpret it as the event doing a good job bringing a wide variety of beers for sampling. We hit the tables hard, and got through a good number of them, though, and there were only a couple beers that I wanted to try which ran out before I got to them. Cider Row was improved, which made Amanda (who’d not the most enthusiastic beer drinker) quite happy.
It was a fantastic time and I ended up learned several important lessons:
- Pacing yourself is everything. You’d think this would be common sense, but some of us have to learn the hard way. This year I did a good job pacing myself, and made it from open to close.
- Pacing is easier if you have friends. We met up with a bunch of guys we knew from the Milwaukee Blitzdkrieg men’s roller derby team, and chatted with them between beer stops.
- If you have a friend, it’s better to let them hold your glass than to lose it. I ended up having to get a new one because my original glass walked off.
- A pretzel necklace will increase your stamina considerably. A pretzel necklace with beef jerky is even better. A pretzel and jerky necklace with Wint-O-Green Lifesavers will let you end the event with fresh breath.
- And my most important lesson: I don’t like barley wine. Not at all. No apologies, but after trying it both last year and this year, I can say for certain it’s just not for me. I’m sure there’ll be people who are appalled to hear that I’m such a philistine, but I’d rather spend my trying beers I’m likely to enjoy than trying to convince myself I need to acquire a taste for barley wine.
For the most part, I didn’t really have any beers that I didn’t like, and I tried beer from a lot of breweries in a lot of styles. I confirmed that I’m a fan of bourbon barrel aged beer, though, and that when you’re doing a scotch ale, sometimes less is more.
The one beer we tried that stood out was by Rogue which created a beer based on Portland, Oregon’s Voodoo Doughnuts “Memphis Mafia” doughnut. Chocolate, Banana and Peanut Butter. The Banana was pretty strong in this ale. Amanda liked it (which is a good sign, because she likes Bananas, but not fake banana flavoring), but I have my reservations. Unlike Amanda, I wouldn’t drink this by itself, but I think it would do well as a beer float.
All-in-all this was a great time, and the perfect Christmas gift.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
One Thing Off The Bucket List
I’ve wanted to check out the Delafield Brewhaus, and I finally made it there for lunch the other day. I haven’t gone so far because their location is a little inconvenient for me. But I had the day off and made the most of it.
The decor is an odd mix of German beer hall, brew pub and random brewerania. Having old brewerania hanging on the walls is pretty common in brew pubs, but it’s a little of an odd mix with the German beer hall elements. They make it work, though. I ordered their Das Laker (fried Walleye sandwich), which was quite good, and a beer sampler.
The sampler included:
It’s not surprising that their amber is their biggest seller. I’ve heard it said that every state seems to have a style that is the staple of most brew pubs and micro-breweries. If that’s true, then it’s the amber in Wisconsin. But their amber wasn’t at the top of my list. In fact, they all ranked about the same in my book - drinkable but not particularly noteworthy. The Leisure Beer is their lightest - I’d consider it a lawnmower beer - and I thought it was their best. For me that’s a pretty clear mark that I won’t go out of my way to visit again.
If they were more conveniently located for me, the food is good enough that I’d go back for their food and get a beer, but I think brew pubs need to be better than just okay. It makes me wonder about the awards their beers won, though. The taste of their beers has likely shifted since they won the awards - it happens in all craft breweries - but was the shift that big? Or do I have different criteria for judging a good beer than beer judges? I’d like to learn more about picking out different flavors in beer, but I think the most important test is the one that any beer drinker can do. “Do I like this? Would I come back for this?” If the answer is no to either question, then it’s time to move on.
The decor is an odd mix of German beer hall, brew pub and random brewerania. Having old brewerania hanging on the walls is pretty common in brew pubs, but it’s a little of an odd mix with the German beer hall elements. They make it work, though. I ordered their Das Laker (fried Walleye sandwich), which was quite good, and a beer sampler.
The sampler included:
- Leisure Beer, a light-bodied lager which won a 2012 World Beer Championship Bronze
- Summerzeit Hefe Weizen which won the 2002 World Beer Championship Silver
- Delafield Amber, their biggest seller and winner of the 2002 World Beer Championship Bronze
- Pewaukee Porter, which won the 2011 World Beer Championship Silver
- Fruhlingzeit Maibock
- Nagawicked Pale Ale
It’s not surprising that their amber is their biggest seller. I’ve heard it said that every state seems to have a style that is the staple of most brew pubs and micro-breweries. If that’s true, then it’s the amber in Wisconsin. But their amber wasn’t at the top of my list. In fact, they all ranked about the same in my book - drinkable but not particularly noteworthy. The Leisure Beer is their lightest - I’d consider it a lawnmower beer - and I thought it was their best. For me that’s a pretty clear mark that I won’t go out of my way to visit again.
If they were more conveniently located for me, the food is good enough that I’d go back for their food and get a beer, but I think brew pubs need to be better than just okay. It makes me wonder about the awards their beers won, though. The taste of their beers has likely shifted since they won the awards - it happens in all craft breweries - but was the shift that big? Or do I have different criteria for judging a good beer than beer judges? I’d like to learn more about picking out different flavors in beer, but I think the most important test is the one that any beer drinker can do. “Do I like this? Would I come back for this?” If the answer is no to either question, then it’s time to move on.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
O’so Tasty!
I decided to celebrate this hop day that I picked up while out visiting my Mother-in-Law and my wife’s home town. Although I didn’t pick up anything local this time, I picked up something from a brewery I haven’t tried yet - O’so Brewing Co. (www.osobrewing.com) in Plover, WI - not far from the Point and Central Waters breweries.
I picked up their Hopdinger. The bottle advertises it as “Pungent - Hoppy - Crisp - Floral - Bitter - Piney - Resinous - Engaging.” It pours a thick tan head that looks like a butterscotch shake from the top. It has a nice, translucent, light reddish-orange color and it smells like peeling an orange in a pine forest after a rain. I have to admit - I love the way it smells! The taste is a nice balance of hops and malt, producing a flavor that reminded me of eating a fresh buttermilk biscuit with orange marmalade that’s just a little bitter from having a touch too much rind. The flavor shifts to something a bit piney in the aftertaste. Start to finish, it’s really good.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Helpful Hops
Although I’m drinking a much lighter, much more lightly hopped beer than normal tonight, I thought I’d touch on a few characteristics of our favorite little flower. Hops are flower clusters that are commonly referred to as the cone. They are also available to brewers in a processed pellet form, and I think I read somewhere that Miller uses a patented processed hop that increases shelf life/reduces chance of skunky beer. Don’t quote me on that, though. The aspect that most people notice is the bitterness, but hops can add a variety of flavors and smells to beer that are quite delightful. There are a number of hop varieties, and each brings its own unique characteristics to the beer they are added to. Hops are also added to beer at a variety of stages in the brewing process depending on what specific characteristic the brewer wants to foster. Many people I know love malty beer; but I’ll have mine with a side of hops, please.
Nevertheless, I’m taking it easy tonight with a nice light Helles. Schlafly Summer Lager, to be specific. It poured a pale, clear amber with a light fizzy head. It is fresh, crisp and light with a light toasted malt flavor backed by a little crisp hoppiness. Since it was a warm day, and I didn’t turn the air on, I think it’s perfect for an evening where I’m trying to cool the house down. Cheers!
Nevertheless, I’m taking it easy tonight with a nice light Helles. Schlafly Summer Lager, to be specific. It poured a pale, clear amber with a light fizzy head. It is fresh, crisp and light with a light toasted malt flavor backed by a little crisp hoppiness. Since it was a warm day, and I didn’t turn the air on, I think it’s perfect for an evening where I’m trying to cool the house down. Cheers!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Sumerian Sample
This weekend I went to a party thrown by my good friends in GSM Bristol, a group of late 16th century reenactors who work at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. This was a reunion, and I had a great time. In addition to sharing stories and laughs with friends old and new, I had the opportunity to sample a number of good beers. Some were commercial, some were home brews. A number of my friends brew, so they brought some beer and we passed the bottle getting some sips. I'm not going to take the time to rant and rave about how good some of them were. Instead, I want to focus on one interesting beer.
Ivan made a Sumerian beer. He malted his own grain and smoked some of it. The beer was to be made with wild yeast started with fermented dates. Since the recipe he was using indicated that the alcohol content would be fairly low, he boosted it with some champagne yeast.
The end result had a rich, full, interesting flavor. It was sour and acidic. It tasted like tomatoes, and the flavor from the smoked grain came through.
It was not a beer I would just sit and drink. But it is something that I think might pair well with a good meal. My friend Scott suggested that it might improve with age. Ivan said that the information he'd read about the beer didn't talk about it after much time, so he wasn't sure how it would turn out with time.
Personally, I think that it's quite drinkable now, but it needs something to complement the flavor. I'm thinking that maybe a steak withh a rice pilaf and maye some kind of fresh vegetable relish/salad with a vinegar base would be really good.
More so than any other beer that I've tried, it makes me want to learn more about beer and food paring so that you can maximize the enjoyment of both.
Maybe I need to find the time to start working on that...
Ivan made a Sumerian beer. He malted his own grain and smoked some of it. The beer was to be made with wild yeast started with fermented dates. Since the recipe he was using indicated that the alcohol content would be fairly low, he boosted it with some champagne yeast.
The end result had a rich, full, interesting flavor. It was sour and acidic. It tasted like tomatoes, and the flavor from the smoked grain came through.
It was not a beer I would just sit and drink. But it is something that I think might pair well with a good meal. My friend Scott suggested that it might improve with age. Ivan said that the information he'd read about the beer didn't talk about it after much time, so he wasn't sure how it would turn out with time.
Personally, I think that it's quite drinkable now, but it needs something to complement the flavor. I'm thinking that maybe a steak withh a rice pilaf and maye some kind of fresh vegetable relish/salad with a vinegar base would be really good.
More so than any other beer that I've tried, it makes me want to learn more about beer and food paring so that you can maximize the enjoyment of both.
Maybe I need to find the time to start working on that...
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Old Fashioned, Not Outdated
Tonight I’m drinking Samuel Smith’s India Ale, and when I decided to pick up this beer, I decided to check out their website - http://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk/
It’s not a fancy site, but the info about the brewery makes me wish I could visit North Yorkshire, England. The Old Brewery is Yorkshire’s oldest brewery, and they still employ a cooper! In case you don’t know, coopers make barrels and it’s a profession that’s fascinated me for years. That right there makes me like Samuel Smith all that much more. So far I’ve had their porter and their organic raspberry - both of which I love. Now I find out that they are AWESOME as well as a brewer of good beer?
But it gets better - there are pubs in the area that stock only Samuel Smith’s beers. The brewery has an area manager who looks after Samuel Smith’s pubs and recruits live-in management couples to run a pub and live above it. They also provide a pub atmosphere focused on the beer and on conversation - no music or TVs. Maybe that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it sounds fantastic to me.
Okay, enough about my new-found puppy love with this brewer. I might as well devote a couple of sentences to what I’m drinking:
It poured a clear orangey-amber with no carbonation or head. The scent wasn’t strong. It was fruity like, apples and pears and sparkling white grape juice. The hops played a large role in the flavor, but I would describe it as predominantly malty. It is not what I would consider a bitter beer, although there was definitely a bitter finish. Instead of being a force to be reckoned with (like I’m known to seek out in beers) the hops provided a bitterness that added character and balance to the malt as well as a hint of fruitiness which reminded me of cider. This was very good.
It’s not a fancy site, but the info about the brewery makes me wish I could visit North Yorkshire, England. The Old Brewery is Yorkshire’s oldest brewery, and they still employ a cooper! In case you don’t know, coopers make barrels and it’s a profession that’s fascinated me for years. That right there makes me like Samuel Smith all that much more. So far I’ve had their porter and their organic raspberry - both of which I love. Now I find out that they are AWESOME as well as a brewer of good beer?
But it gets better - there are pubs in the area that stock only Samuel Smith’s beers. The brewery has an area manager who looks after Samuel Smith’s pubs and recruits live-in management couples to run a pub and live above it. They also provide a pub atmosphere focused on the beer and on conversation - no music or TVs. Maybe that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it sounds fantastic to me.Okay, enough about my new-found puppy love with this brewer. I might as well devote a couple of sentences to what I’m drinking:
It poured a clear orangey-amber with no carbonation or head. The scent wasn’t strong. It was fruity like, apples and pears and sparkling white grape juice. The hops played a large role in the flavor, but I would describe it as predominantly malty. It is not what I would consider a bitter beer, although there was definitely a bitter finish. Instead of being a force to be reckoned with (like I’m known to seek out in beers) the hops provided a bitterness that added character and balance to the malt as well as a hint of fruitiness which reminded me of cider. This was very good.
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