Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
SUMMER
BEER TRAVEL
Berlin • Brazil • Boston
Trending Now
THE NEW IPA Summer Sips
Fresh Taste SESSION IPAS
HERB GARDEN SAISONS
BEERS FRUIT GOSES
+
What’s Next
SAVORY
SOURS
…NOW GOES ANYWHERE
LIFE TAKES YOU
Presenting a portable version of the rich and
velvety Nitro Vanilla Porter draft experience.
NVP’s innovative packaging is nitrogen charged,
producing a silky smooth cascading head right
inside the can.
No Glass? No Problem.
Enjoy NVP from the can or a glass.
#NitroOnTheGo | BreckBrew.com
» IT’S THE
REINHEITSGEBOT THAT FUELS
OUR CREATIVITY.«
The Brewmasters of the Radeberger Gruppe
The way to the heart of Germany is through the palate:
there’s nothing more German than German Beer
and German Beer is good by law. The Reinheitsgebot
from 1516 decrees that only malt, hops, water, and
yeast may be used for brewing. That’s all our brew-
masters need. For the past 500 years, the boundaries
set by the law have challenged them to be innovative
and inspired them to be creative. Today, the country
with the strictest brewing law boasts the greatest
regional beer variety in the world. For every drop is
brewed by a select few who live for what they do.
www.DeutschesBier.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Erika Ann Rietz
ART DIRECTOR
Kevin M. Robie
BEER EDITOR
Kate Bernot
BEER EDITOR
Zach Fowle
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Cristina Carrasco
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Joe Stange
PHOTO EDITOR
Jess Suworoff
COPY EDITOR
Cynthia Puleo
CONTRIBUTORS
Paul Body, Jeff Cioletti, Jackie Dodd, Matt Furman, Stormy Ingram,
Andrew Jenner, Erin Kincheloe, Lily Padula, Kristen Pope, Ed Rudolph,
Brian Yaeger
CEO
Clancy Woods
PRESIDENT
Trevor Cravens
PUBLISHER
Evan M. Hughes
V.P. SALES
Erik Laudenschlager
SALES EXECUTIVE
Bryce McDonald
WEB DEVELOPER
Jonathan Surratt
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Lori Day
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
888.806.4677, ext. 2, sales@draftmag.com
draftmag.com
DRAFT Magazine (001-330) is published bimonthly by Draft Publishing, LLC,
P.O. Box 15769, Phoenix, Arizona, 85060; Phone, 888.806.4677; Fax, 602.391.2677.
July / August 2016, Volume 11, Issue 4.
Postage paid at Phoenix, Ariz. and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Draft Publishing, P.O. Box 8512, Big Sandy, TX
75755-8512. Contents copyright © 2016 Draft Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No part
of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means
without prior written permission from the publisher. All items submitted to DRAFT Magazine
become the sole property of Draft Publishing. Opinions expressed in DRAFT Magazine are not
necessarily those of the publisher. DRAFT does not assume responsibility
for claims by its advertisers or contributors.
76 NONSTOP BERLIN 30 THE SAVORY SIDE OF SOUR 45 TRENDING: THE NEW IPA
There’s beer for anyone, Taste what chocolate and coffee Welcome the fresh face of IPAs:
anytime in the German capital can bring to tart wild ales hazy, aromatic, delicious
61
THE 100 BEST
BEER BARS IN
AMERICA
TERI CARR
YOUR CELLAR
V
VOCAB LESSON
Ever heard of txotx? It’s a Spanish term for tapping a
Basque cider barrel, offering a taste of liquid straight
from the wood. The new Black Twig restaurant and
cider bar in Durham, North Carolina is one of the
few places where guests can sip pours in the txotx
tradition (which, FYI, is pronounced “choach”).
HERB
SIXER
V
GARDEN
Prior to A.D. 1000, when
residents of northwest
Germany began to cultivate
hops, brewers seasoned
their beers with an herbal
mixture called gruit. Now
that humanity has figured
out hop farming (high five!),
herbs are still a part of beer,
but play a more subtle role
in contemporary styles.
DOUBLE FISTING
V
Slashies
For many breweries,
beer is just one aspect
of the business plan.
GREAT GETAWAY
V
Road Trip:
Boston to
Coastal Maine
Consider I-95 your stairway
to beer and seafood heaven.
Tag-team the driving
duties—it takes two hands
to eat a proper lobster roll.
Day One
X Put on your best open-road playlist
and head about an hour north on I-95 to
Q Smuttynose Brewing Co. in Hampton,
New Hampshire. Even if you’ve been to
the brewery before, you likely haven’t
played on its months-old, nine-hole
disc golf course; it’s free, and although
there’s no beer allowed on the course,
your score card earns you a $2 pint at
the brewery’s restaurant, Hayseed. From
there, veer slightly west off 95 to check out
W Stoneface Brewing Co., a name that
references the Old Man of the Mountain,
the state’s iconic geological feature. Try
a pint of the India Red Rye Ale at the tap-
room; if you like it, grab a bottle to take
home to friends. By now, you’re hungry,
right? Fortunately, you’re just 15 min-
utes from E The Black Birch in Kittery,
Maine, a convivial and rustic little restau-
rant serving super-seasonal shared plates.
The vast majority of the 24 draft lines are
dedicated to Maine or New Hampshire
brews, with pours from hometown favor-
ite Tributary Brewing and Maine brewer-
ies Rising Tide and Banded Horn. After
dinner, another 45 minutes’ drive gets you
to Kennebunkport, full of stately B&Bs
(this is Kennedyland, after all).
Day Two
XBy now, most of your friends expect you 15 minutes from Y Bissell Brothers’ new of the eight beers on draft at the taproom
to share photos of the awesome seafood location at the Thompson’s Point devel- that day, including selections from the Hop
you’re eating on the coast, right? Pick up an opment, a larger space in which to soak Program series and pilot brewing system.
early seafood snack at R The Ocean Roll, up the brewery’s coveted, hop-forward Make an outdoorsy side trip to nearby O
perhaps the East Coast’s most retro food beers. Next, veer east five miles for a late Wolfe’s Neck Farm, where you can tour the
truck, which (during warm months) dishes lunch at U Little Tap House, whose 14 barnyard and gardens or hike through the
up clam cakes, swordfish sandwiches, lob- taps pour mostly Maine drafts—look for forest; you can even camp oceanside over-
ster rolls, a daily rotating chowder and more Foundation Brewing, Gneiss Brewing and night or rent daytime kayaks during warm-
from the back of a vintage truck parked at Marshall Wharf Brewing—that synch with er months. Loop south and you’re heading
the corner of Ross Road and Route 1. Then the kitchen’s seasonal pub menu (we’d go back to Boston. P Oxbow Brewing Co.’s
head north to your first brewery destina- for the Beer for Breakfast Sandwich during Portland taproom marks the final stop of
tion of the day: the venerable T Allagash weekend brunch: two fried eggs, bacon the trip; although the space’s city vibe is
Brewing Co., which has been turning out and beer cheese fondue on a grilled bun quite different than what you’d find at the
Belgian-style ales in Portland, Maine, for for just $10.) Next up: I Maine Beer Co., brewery’s rustic digs in Newcastle, Maine,
more than 20 years. Stop by the retail shop a 30-ish minute jaunt north along I-295 the Portland space also offers farmhouse
for a free flight of four, 3-ounce pours, or to Freeport. You won’t be able to tour the beers and is the site of Oxbow’s sour blend-
LILY PADULA
book a free tour (which also includes a tast- brewery, but large windows offer a glimpse ing and bottling operation. Try some beers
ing) through the website if you want to see of the brewing process while you work your there or pick up a few bottles to help you
the behind-the-scenes magic. You’re just way through the “all in,” 5-ounce pours remember the trip.
©2016 Blue Point Brewing Company, Toasted Lager ®, Patchogue, NY and Baldwinsville, NY | Enjoy responsibly.
*World Beer Cup 2006 Gold Award for American Amber Lager.
T O A S T E D L A G E R. A M E R I C A N S T Y L E A M B E R L A G E R .
B R E W E D W I T H A B L E N D O F S I X S P E C I A LT Y M A LT S F O R A
F L AVO R A S R I C H A N D U N I Q U E A S T H E T O W N I T ’ S F R O M .
BlUePoInTbReWiNg.CoM
ONTAP
PAIRING
V
HOT TABLES
The best seats in
beer right now.
Q
After years in planning, Chicago’s
first cider focused-restaurant,
The Northman, finally opened
in March from the owners of
beer bar Fountainhead. The
restaurant offers 18 draft ciders
plus 80 more in cans and bottles
alongside a European-influenced
bistro menu.
Hola Arepa’s
Fried Chicken & Cachapas W
Opened this spring just outside
of Atlanta, Ba Bellies brings the
BEST BREAKFASTS
V owners’ fine-dining experience
(chef Mike Yang cooked at NYC’s
E
HOLA AREPA NIGHTHAWKS BURCH STEAK & PIZZA BAR Firestone Walker Brewing Co.’s
X The modern food truck-to- X What if your favorite diner X Burch reinvented the steakhouse long-awaited Venice location
mortar success story of Hola made everything from scratch? when it opened its doors, offering finally opened in April. Much like
Arepa hinges on the humble Named for the Edward Hopper offbeat beef cuts, plenty of the brewery’s satellite Barrelworks
arepa, a griddled cornmeal cake painting, Nighthawks’ menu vegetarian options and a sleek location in Buellton, the new
and the best of what can be looks approachable (breakfast basement pizza bar. Its brunch is Propagator campus houses
a barrel-aging cellar, a tasting
stuffed inside it: chorizo and egg sandwiches are diner standbys), equally inspired, with a menu that
room,and a restaurant featuring
done classically or Benedict-style, and even their breads are made runs the gamut from rice pudding
bites from brisket to banh mi.
with hollandaise plus guava for in-house. Counter stools give to a lobster-gruyere croque
a bright twist. You can’t go wrong you front-row seats to the action, madame. Everything is executed R
with any dish on the menu, but where the flat top sizzles straight with simple, earthy goodness, but A real-deal beer garden on the
you might find a favorite in the through dinner service. You’ll have some of the best dishes lie in the a Las Vegas Strip, Beerhaus now
Silver Dollar Cachapas, mini a hard time choosing between la carte section: potato cakes are provides reprieve from the mass-
sweet corn pancakes layered with the fluffy plate-sized chorizo, cheffy stand-ins for McDonald’s produced lagers on the casino
smoke and spice thanks to bacon cheddar and corn pancakes and hash browns, zucchini fritters floor. Local breweries Joseph
James, Big Dog’s and Crafthaus
and jalapeño. The spot is vibrant Minneapolis’ favorite squishy make a case for vegetables before
make regular appearances on 26
and playful, with a standout double cheeseburger, but it noon, and fried taleggio skins with
taps and wash down grub like the
cocktail list and a sunny patio to won’t be difficult leaving totally, chimichurri are puffed hangover- hop-infused Beerhaus Brat.
sip them on. happily, stuffed. curing delights.
3501 Nicollet Ave., 3753 Nicollet Ave. S., 1933 Colfax Ave. S., T
holaarepa.com nighthawksmpls.com burchrestaurant.com Dressed-up Southern and Creole
fare are the focus at Houston’s
The Durham House, but beer
believers will appreciate this new
LATE-NIGHT
spot’s selection of more than
Masu Sushi & Robata: Serving cold sake and hot ramen to hungry bar crawlers until mid- 100 cellared bottles separated
BITE:
night, this lively corner izakaya also features sushi and grilled meat and veggie skewers. Snack thoughtfully by style and serving
on steamed bao buns filled with pork belly and bacon-wrapped quail eggs between rounds at the temperature (42 and 53 degrees),
MATT LIEN
gleaming wall of pachinko machines. 330 E. Hennepin Ave., masusushiandrobata.com with vintage beers from as far
back as 2011.
THE SPEAKER
V
The superdurable, waterproof
FUGOO Sport Speaker can
easily withstand splashing, but
don’t risk drowning out your
tunes; stick it in the FUGOO
Go-Float and let your in-pool
THE SHADES
V
Pandora set the mood for up
to 40 hours of continuous play. The Hook Sunglasses don’t just
$199.99 for speaker and shield your eyes from rays: The
jacket, $19.99 for FUGOO aersospace-grade titanium arms are built to
Go-Float; fugoo.com last. Plus, thanks to their unique hook design,
they pull double duty as a bottle opener.
GEAR
V $145, williampainter.com
Pool Party
Crack open some beers, grill
up some burgers and dive right
in: We’ve got the gear for your
best summer pool party ever.
V
THE DRINK HOLDER
Finally, a pink flamingo that’s useful: Inflatable
Flamingo Coasters are floating cup (or can!) holders.
prices vary, amazon.com V
THE FLOAT
Grab a friend for chilled-out drifting on
this 6-foot-long Pizza Slice Pool Float;
it’s outfitted with cup holders for two.
$48, urbanoutfitters.com
V
THE BALM
Citrus-flavored Bell’s
Oberon Lip Balm
packs SPF 15 and is
the next best thing
to putting the beer to
V
V your lips. $1.25,
THE TOWEL THE GAME bellsbeer.com/store
Dry off and drink up: The cotton
You can tie down this PORTOPONG floating beer pong table
terry 60-inch Summer Ale Beach
or take your chances with the waves; either way, your favorite
Towel from Brooklyn Brewery
outdoor beer game is definitely better when everyone’s
sports a bright blue can of its
getting wetter. $49.99, portopong.com
seasonal British pale ale.
$26, store.brooklynbrewery.com
HOP t
We pu
ONTAP
WE’RE OBSESSED
V
Sixfold NYC
Two-Bottle Tote
XAn incredible bottle of beer or cider
calls for a carrier that’s just as tasteful
and well made. Exhibit A: Vegetable-dyed
leather and American walnut wood
come together with minimal processing
(no glue or flimsy stitching) in this du-
rable, timeless package. We also love that
Sixfold designs, laser-cuts and hand-as-
sembles it in the river town of Newburgh,
in New York’s Hudson Valley. Sure, you
could slip your bottle into a paper bag,
but really, doesn’t it deserve better?
$140 (also available in black), sixfold.nyc
attain
enlightenment
Celebrate the launch of Brewery Ommegang’s first Double IPA.
Featuring notes of citrus and pine with a silky, hoppy finish.
ONTAP
National Park
Breweries
As the National Park Service celebrates its
centennial this year, nature lovers are flocking
to breweries in and around national parks.
Check out these five favorites and plan your
summer of adventure.
BY KRISTEN POPE
SUPERIOR BATHHOUSE BREWERY fine Big Bend National Park. It’s a best-kept secret: Only park’s iconic lakes while helping fund the Jenny Lake
Hot Springs National Park about 300,000 people journey to the park each year to Restoration Project.
Arkansas soak up the local culture, see cacti and sneak peeks The two-story brewery and restaurant in Jackson,
XAt this park, visitors can tour historic bathhouses, of black bears, mountain lions, coyotes and javelinas Wyoming, is often packed with locals and visitors enjoy-
bathe in hot springs or imbibe the creations of Superior (hopefully while avoiding the park’s several indigenous ing the indoor brewpub ambience or soaking up the pa-
Bathhouse Brewery, the only brewery actually located species of rattlesnake.) tio’s summer sun after a day taking in views of the Teton
inside a national park. Using soft water directly from the Big Bend Brewing Co. is located in Alpine, Texas, Range and spotting grizzly and black bears, bison, elk,
park’s 47 hot springs—piped in at approximately 143 just over an hour away (but virtually next door in the vast wolves and other critters in the park.
degrees Fahrenheit—the brewery creates Chaudfontaine Lone Star State), and has a rustic ambience enhanced This summer’s offerings include Freedom Pilsner,
Noire (dark strong ale), Chaudfontaine Trente-Trois (tri- by the taproom and porch’s mountain views. Visitors sip Hoback Hefeweizen and Blank Czech Pilsner, in addi-
pel), Barn Burner (smoky wild yeast saison), Superior Tejas Lager, Terlingua Gold and La Frontera IPA along tion to mainstays like Pako’s EYE-Pand Zonker Stout,
Pale Ale (British-style pale ale) and more. with this summer’s new additions Tejas Negra amber ale along with several barrel-aged releases.•
And the ambiance? “It has this kind of bathhouse- and Tejas Clara. “The beers are specifically brewed to
chic atmosphere to it,” says owner Rose Schweikhart, honor the biculturalism of this border region,” says Vice
noting the bathhouse was built in 1916 and features President of Operations Mahala Guevara.
hexagonal subway tiles on the floor and marble wain-
scoting on the walls; the bar was even constructed from JUNE LAKE BREWING
the bathhouse’s original check-in desk. Yosemite National Park
California
ESTES PARK BREWERY XKnown for its stunning waterfalls as well as iconic rock
Rocky Mountain National Park formations such as Half Dome and El Capitan, the 1,200
Colorado square miles of Yosemite National Park are packed
XLocated just 3.6 miles from Rocky Mountain National with glorious meadows, great expanses of wilderness,
Park, Estes Park Brewery is an easy stop for the 4 million ancient giant sequoias, the high country of Tuolumne
visitors who hike the park’s 300-plus miles of trails, drive Meadows and beyond.
scenic Trail Ridge Road, fish the many lakes and spy on Head through Tioga Pass at the eastern entrance
wildlife like elk and bighorn sheep. and pop into June Lake Brewing, located just 20 min-
TOP: JENNIFER BOOMER. BOTTOM: SCOTT WOOD
Situated next to a go-kart track and a giant slide, utes away. June Lake’s four mainstays—Alpers Trout
the laid-back, family-friendly restaurant and brewery Pale Ale, Deer Beer Brown Ale, SmoKin Porter and
features a deck, pool tables, a sample bar and an open Hutte Double IPA—and this summer’s specialty, Silver
floor plan where visitors can survey the scene below. Lake Saison, all have one secret ingredient in common:
This summer, it’ll have a pineapple passion fruit wheat “Eastern Sierra Nevada water,” says co-owner Sarah
beer on tap as well as favorites Bear Lake Blueberry Walsh. “Everything comes from underground springs
Wheat, The Shining Pale Ale and the 10% ABV Estes and that’s what makes our beer exceptional.”
Park Barley Wine.
SNAKE RIVER BREWING
BIG BEND BREWING CO. Grand Teton National Park
Big Bend National Park Wyoming
Texas XSnake River Brewing, located about 10 miles from
XVast expanses of desert, deep canyons, the forest- Grand Teton National Park, is named for the famed river
ed Chisos Mountains, glorious isolation and the Rio that winds through the 480-square-mile reserve. The
Grande—which separates the U.S. from Mexico—de- brewery’s Jenny Lake Lager pays homage to one of the
SOUR BEANS
NEXT LEVEL
V
hued American sours: R oasty,
raisiny malt flavors harmonize
with similar characteristics in the
coffee. “Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee
specifically has a lot of funky, dark
Coffee and chocolate berry notes,” says New Belgium
seem like flavors that don’t Brewing Co.’s wood cellar blender,
belong in a tart wild Lauren Salazar. “When we were
talking about that varietal at the
ale—until you try it. brewery, it sounded like we were
BY ZACH FOWLE describing Oscar, our dark sour.”
SIX TO TRY:
New Belgium Wicked Weed Silencio Newburgh C.A.F.E. Sour Greenpoint Enduro 8-Bit Ryan’s Urban Artifact Abacus
Oscar-Worthy Coffee Bourbon barrel-aging The “cafe” in this Berliner Duromina coffee beans Temporary Insanity “For us, dark flavors and
Oscar, New Belgium’s dark rounds out the edges of weisse’s name is actually from—guess where?— Video game-themed roast don’t go well with
sour ale, picks up bracing both the aroma and flavor an acronym—Coffee Ethiopia accentuates the 8-Bit Aleworks crafted sourness,” says Bret Baker,
acidity and lively funk of this ebony-hued sour Acquired From Ethiopia— bright lactic character this cocoa-flavored gose brewer at Urban Artifact in
during the several months ale, providing a smooth which alludes to the of this 3.5%-ABV at its Avondale, Arizona, Cincinnati. With Abacus,
it spends fermenting in vanilla note (enhanced by Yirgacheffe beans with Berliner weisse made brewpub last winter with he kept things on the
giant, bacteria-packed wood actual vanilla beans) that which it is flavored. The in collaboration with the malt sugars left over sweeter side by spiking the
vats called foeders. A few bridges the divide between connection to the African Lofted Coffee Roasters after brewing Mayan gose post-fermentation
days of “dry-beaning” with hazelnut-heavy coffee nation, however, goes in Brooklyn. A dose of Chocolossus, a 12% ABV with vanilla beans and
whole Yirgacheffe coffee and cherrylike tartness. deeper: Brewmaster milk sugar adds even spiced imperial stout. a pound per gallon of
beans gives it a powerfully Originally released as part Christopher Basso crafted more intrigue to Enduro’s Kettle-soured with wild raspberries and fruity/
earthy, espresso aroma. “The of the Asheville, North the brew with gesho lemon-tart and woody yeast and infused with floral cocoa nibs. While the
JESS SUWOROFF
coffee’s totally unexpected, Carolina-based brewery’s leaves and a grain called flavor. Savor the brew if you vanilla and chocolate, beer has the same pH as a
and yet it’s this amazing experimental Canvas teff to mimic tella, an ale happen to find it on draft: the brew maintains the glass of grapefruit juice,
complement,” Salazar says. Series, Silencio returns commonly brewed among Greenpoint releases just light body of a gose while the nibs and fruit provide
“You can’t tell where the sour as a flagship sour in Ethiopian tribes. five barrels each year. slathering the tongue with enough sweetness to deftly
starts and the beans end.” early July. baker’s cocoa and salt. balance the sip.
Recipes for disaster in 2012, brewmaster Dan Carey couldn’t make the brewery’s beloved
Wisconsin Belgian Red. Luckily the apple and cranberry crops fared well,
so Carey combined them with the cherries he could gather and placed
When calamity strikes, brewers turn adversity into opportunity. the beer in oak. The cranberry juice cocktail- and mulled apple cider-
BY ZACH FOWLE flavored “happy accident fruit ale” is now a year-round release.
Oskar Blues Deviant Dale’s Saint Arnold Boiler Room The Bruery
This aggressive imperial IPA was born when several In 2014, 2,500 pounds of malt spilled on the Black Tuesday
mislabeled bags of extra-dark, extra-sweet crystal malt ground instead of into the upcoming batch of Fancy The Tuesday morning
were added to what should’ve been a batch of Dale’s Lawnmower. Brewers didn’t give up; when combined this 19% imperial stout
Pale Ale. Rather than dump the liquid, brewers dry- with a lambic and left in a hot boiler room to sour was made went like this:
hopped the bejesus out of it; the resulting brew won (hence the name), the half-strength wort evolved First, a leaky pump; then,
silver at the Great American Beer Festival in 2011. into a lovely little Berliner Weisse. an overflowing mash tun;
next, a stuck sparge; and
Fat Head’s Semper FiPA Innis & Gunn Original finally, a spill that sent
2015’s hop shortage meant that Mike Hunsaker, brew- When Dougal Sharp, hot liquid and 170-degree
master at Fat Head’s in Portland, Oregon, didn’t have then-head brewer at water flying all over the
enough Simcoe or Citra to make the brewery’s flagship Caledonian Brewery in brewery. As punishment,
Head Hunter IPA, so he crafted a recipe with completely Edinburgh, Scotland, first brewers condemned the
different hops. It worked. “Not only did it pull us out of brewed this Scottish ale ale to bourbon barrels for
the fire, it’s part of the rotation now,” Hunsaker says. Lagunitas Sucks for the whiskey maker more than a year and gave
Lagunitas’ brown sugar- William Grant & Sons in it an appropriate name:
He’Brew Port City spiked strong ale, Brown 2002, he did so thinking Black Tuesday.
Funky Jewbelation Derecho Common Shugga’, takes a long time it would only be used to
The 2008 edition of On June 29, 2012, to make—so long that season the distillery’s Right Brain
Jewbelation Ale was a Port City’s head brewer, in 2011, brewers nixed barrels and then be sent Dead Kettle
catastrophe: The yeast, Jonathan Reeves, it because they couldn’t down the drain. Distillery When the kettle that was
expected to finish experienced a “derecho”: spare the fermenter space. workers, however, loved warming the first batch of
fermenting after the beer a giant windstorm that As a peace offering, they the beer so much that this IPA croaked, nothing
reached 15% ABV, gave up can cause tornadoes, instead brewed the humbly they would sneak it home could bring it back to
around 11%, leaving the thunderstorms and flash named Sucks, whose in bottles and empty life. Russ Springsteen,
entire batch undrinkably floods. The storm knocked tropical, grassy hop flavors buckets. Sensing he’d Right Brain’s owner, had a
sweet. To save it, brewers out power, causing a won over fans and became inadvertently crafted a solution: Extend the beer’s
blended in a variety of tank of lager to ferment a year-rounder. winner, Sharp founded whirlpool and stuff it full
beers they had resting in at much hotter temps, Innis & Gunn, which still of hops while it ferments.
barrels. A rebrewed batch morphing the beer into makes the original oak- The beer’s boiled all the
won silver at the 2014 a California Common. aged ale today. way now, but still gets a
World Beer Cup; the 2016 Reeves still brews fat dry-hop addition. It
vintage combines eight Derecho Common the premiered in cans for the
He’Brew beers aged in same way—intentionally, first time in April.
bourbon and rye whiskey now—and releases it
casks for a riotous flavor yearly on the anniversary
of tart cherries, blackberry of the storm.
jam, coffee beans and
oak-aged cola.
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE
CHANCES OF WINNING. PURCHASE OF ALCOHOL BEVERAGE IS NOT REQUIRED. Sapporo Mystery Trip Giveaway
is open to legal residents of the 50 US/DC age 21+. Entries will be randomly assigned to separate drawing
for either: (a) Beach Trip, (b) City Trip, or (c) Snow Trip (ARV $4,995 ea). Each trip destination will be within
the 48 contiguous US/DC; exact destinations to be disclosed to winners at time of winner notification.
For Official Rules including odds & complete details, visit SapporoBeer.com/MysteryTrip. Begins 6/20/16
at 9:00:00 AM PT; ends 9/4/16 at 8:59:59 AM PT. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: SAPPORO U.S.A., INC.
PLEASE SHARE SAPPORO RESPONSIBLY. ©2016 SAPPORO U.S.A., INC., NEW YORK, NY SAPPOROBEER.COM
ONTAP
BREWERY TO WATCH
V
Accardi’s 3 to try
Transmitter Brewing
Complex, farmhouse-style beers from an W3
1,800-square-foot NYC garage X “It’s a wit we brew with
BY KATE BERNOT hibiscus, fresh orange peel and
coriander with a relatively high
ABV for the style, up in the
mid-6%. It’s a beer we think of
as not intended for guzzling in
the sun; it tends to be an early
summer beer. We ferment it
with saison yeast, so it ends up
being pretty dry with not a lot
of Belgian fruitiness. It leans a
little spicier, which I think lets
the background citrus and
coriander poke through.”
F4
X “This farmhouse beer uses three strains of
Brett and a light malt base. The major flavor
is super overripe fruit, really juicy with some
traditional hay and grassiness from the Brett.
It’s got a funkier nose than it does flavor; it
telegraphs funk, but then finishes as overripe
fruit. I think of the flavors as akin to a melon
or strawberry that’s just on that very last day
that you want to eat it.”
NY3
X “This saison uses all New York state
ingredients, including some malted corn.
I sometimes really like corn in a beer; the
maltster that we work with makes such a
great product. We also use three strains of
Brett, so it’s got funkiness and this underly-
ing grainy, subtle sweetness from the corn.
It’s very drinkable and just subtly hoppy.”
CSB
Transmitter Brewing The brewery also offers a CSB (community-
53-02 11th St. supported beer) program. A six-month share
Long Island City, New York costs $175 and buys you two bottles a month
transmitterbrewing.com for pick-up at the brewery, plus glassware
and discounts on other bottles.
X A HEMMED-IN FORMER AUTO garage few sticker-covered refrigerators and 30 or so 60 beers in its first two years, each iteration
seems an unlikely place to snag saisons, bières wine and spirits barrels currently aging beers. marked with a number so that the beers’
de garde and other farmhouse treasures, but The vibe is industrial, but the beers are names read like a Battleship move: B2, B3, F7.
here it is: two full-time owner-brewers and far from it. That begins with the yeast strains, With each release, Accardi zeros in on
a handful of part-time staff brewing 18 to 24 the majority of which are grown in-house. more of what he wants from a yeast strain
barrels a week of French- and Belgian-style “Some are purchased commercial strains, or ingredient: “Is that a flavor we like? Is that
country ales under the Pulaski Bridge. The some are derived from bottles that we ad- something we want to chase?” he asks. “What
Doppler whoosh of traffic overhead and the mire, and we get some of the funkier strains are people thinking about it? Is it a weird beer?
piercing beeps of reversing delivery trucks cast from yeast wranglers out in the world,” says Do they like it weird?”
the Long Island City brewhouse as a compara- Anthony Accardi, who opened the doors to Accardi developed his obsession with
tively quiet refuge. Transmitter in March 2014 with fellow home- process in his former career, when he owned
Transmitter bottles 75 percent of its beers brewer Rob Kolb. “As a homebrewer, I taught a lab that printed photos for fine artists and
in corked-and-caged 750 mLs, with the re- myself enough microbiology and yeast cultur- photographers. He sometimes made paper by
maining quarter kegged and bound for top ing to plate and isolate strains.” hand, incorporating both historical processes
Brooklyn bars like Covenhoven, Bar Great The brewers are yeast fanatics, but the and chemistry—not dissimilar to brewing.
Harry and Owl Farm. It has no draft lines in its farmhouse sensibility also extends to other “Whether it’s photography as craft or
10-by-12-foot retail area, just choices of bottles ingredients, like the all-New-York-state-grown beer as craft, it’s about paying attention to de-
for sale each weekend and three or four picnic hops and grains that make up Transmitter’s NY tails and taking notes and trying to understand
MATT FURMAN
tables wedged inside the brewery at which to series of beers. Other series include S (saison), the cause and effect of a process on a product,”
enjoy them. A “crowd” of 15 to 20 people feels F (farmhouse), W (wheat/wit), PH (sour) and he says. “We’re constantly honing the flavors
cramped here. The tables are within spitting B (black, like stouts and porters); no flagships we’re after. It’s not unlike working in a dark-
distance of the six-barrel brewing system, a here. Accardi estimates the brewery released room, always testing and perceiving.” •
34 DRAFTMAG.COM JULY / AUGUST 2016
the sour that
STARTED
THE WHOLE
SOUR
THING
RODENBACH. The Original Sour.
Around here, sour beer isn’t the next big thing. It’s the only thing.
We’ve been brewing and aging RODENBACH since 1821. Try the
Original Sour and discover how delicious sour beer can be.
Imported by Latis LLC, Ridgefield, CT Rodenbach ©2016 Latis, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
ONTAP
Music To My Beers
Brewers, beer fans and even
researchers find innovative ways
to make beer and music harmonize.
BY ZACH FOWLE
you’re tasting. “We call this ‘affective ventriloquism’—the idea that I’m transferring already vibrating at that frequency; we’re Rock or Bust
For those about to rock—and for Australian
what I think about one thing to something else,” Spence says. “If I like the music, just concentrating it.” The beer will be
released for the first time in bottles this rockers AC/DC—Karlsberg Brauerei in Germany
that makes me think better things about the beer, and if I really dislike the music,
August. makes this beer, a 5% Euro-style lager.
that’s going to bring my enjoyment of the beer a bit lower.”
X Region-specific music can enhance regional drinks. “We’ve known for years
that if I play French music, a wine might taste more authentically French to you,” Tasting Notes
he says. “We know that when we play the sounds of the sea, that can enhance the Boston-based Tony Porreca, Adam Mackie and Reese Hanson founded the
taste of seafood.” Tasting Notes podcast, where the hosts (now just Porreca and Mackie) pair
X You’ll drop more money for Mozart. “There are hotel restaurants who’ve run beer with tasty tunes and chat with brewers to discuss the music they love.
with research that says you spend more if you’re listening to classical music than Nerdy? “We nerd out pretty hard, I suppose.” But so do their brewer guests,
if you’re listening to the Top 40.” who’ve included Tim Gormley of Burial Beer Co., Ben Howe of Idle Hands Craft
X Faster music fills you up more quickly. “The higher the number of beats per Ales and Troy Casey of Casey Brewing & Blending (who, it turns out, is a huge
minute, the faster people tend to eat and drink.” fan of old-school hip-hop). Hear all the episodes at tastingnotespod.com.
A LA BEER
V
Grilled
Corn and
Pale Ale
Fritters
When the sun shines
and the grill comes out of
hibernation, there are few
simpler pleasures than
cooking outside with a
beer in hand.
RECIPE BY JACKIE DODD
Q&A
V
Country
and Brews
INTERVIEW BY KATE BERNOT
Check out
Cole Swindell’s
tour dates at
coleswindell
.com/tour
Talk about the relationship between your music and beer. can have some beers the night before, but you still gotta get up to the
I think beer always leads to a good time. I had a song on my last album gym in the morning. I see my buddies [in the band] going and I’m like
called “Brought To You By Beer” that I thought should have been in a ‘OK, I guess I’m going, too.’ I do some lifting, but a lot of it’s cardio, trying
commercial. It’s about all the crazy stuff we did in college. Beer’s even in to get my breathing right to put on a high-energy show. You’re running
my new song “You Should Be Here.” That one’s about how I remember around these big stages and you can’t sing if you can’t breathe.
sitting down and not getting crazy but sharing a beer with my dad. We
could have had the memory without it, but having a beer was a part of life. What do you snack on in the bus?
One of the bus favorites is SmartPop popcorn; it’s 94% fat free, so you can
What’s the thing you miss most about home when you’re on road? see we’re trying to do better. Now, I’m gonna tell on him, but my guitar
Probably my couch. When I got my new place, that’s the first piece of player, he has this thing where he puts M&M’s in the popcorn. We like to
furniture I got. I love that thing. do that and find something good on TV to watch. One of my favorite guilty
pleasures is Ben & Jerry’s; there’s one in the freezer right now.
What sorts of things do you carry in your bag on tour?
I have a bag and I think it’s made for golf stuff, but I carry everything in Is there any sentimental piece of home you take with you?
that: wallet, vitamins to keep healthy, my Costa del Mar sunglasses, my If you’ve seen my newest video, there’s a picture of me and my dad
MATT DOWNING
iPad. And gym clothes. from when I was a kid, and he’s playing his guitar and I’m looking up
at him. I have a photo of him with me, because all these years later, I’m
You actually make it to the gym while you’re on tour? doing what he always dreamed of doing. It gets lonely out here, and it’s
I’m better about going when I’m on the road than when I’m home. You cool to know that I’m making him proud.
Cloudy, hugely flavorful and a lot less bitter, the new breed
of IPA is earning high scores and high praise from fans.
BY ZACH FOWLE
X ON A SUNNY JANUARY MORNING, shortly after Great Notion Brewing opened the doors to its Portland, Oregon,
taproom for the first time, it had a visitor. He was an employee from a brewery a few miles away who had come to
sample the newcomer’s wares, and he chose a pint of RIPE, a 7% American IPA. But when Great Notion co-founder
and brewer James Dugan set the beer before him, the visitor seemed incredulous. He lifted the glass high in the air,
squinting at it. “I just want you to know,” the man told Dugan, “This style of beer is not going to fly in Portland.” He went
on to tell Dugan that Great Notion needed to work on its filtration or no one would be willing to buy its ales.
The problem? The IPA Dugan poured for him was cloudy.
Now, cloudiness absolutely can be a sign of a low-quality beer. If there are issues with yeast and its fermen-
ED RUDOLPH
tation, certain adjuncts or, yes, filtration, tiny particles remain suspended in a beer, murking it up and contribut-
ing off-putting flavors. But, Dugan says, that’s not what had happened here. RIPE, along with most of the IPAs
he produces at Great Notion, is an example of a new permutation of the most popular style in the country—one
with less bitterness and (gasp!) a hazy glow—that’s poised to become IPA’s new ideal.
Grammy; this insanely popular, Zealand provide a garlicky, everywhere in the aroma, of onion, dried mango slices and
intensely resinous imperial IPA sesame seed-speckled filling out notes of freshly honeysuckle. Delicate strawlike
brewed in Vermont has a hop bouquet. Ginger, scallions mown grass. A smoothielike and sweet tropical hop flavors
character that blends liquefied marijuana and fresh broccoli initiate the sip, flavor leads with more orange and lead each sip; dried orange peel
and grass blades with sugar-dusted fading to soft, herbal bitterness— wheatgrass, while soft marmalade emerges and relinquishes to a faintly
orange slices atop a crackery malt base. lemongrass, sweet basil—that lingers and onion jam slide into pulpy bitter, remarkably even finish.
Consistently ranked among the top beers long after the sugar cookie finish. tanginess at the swallow.
in the world, it’s considered by many the
beer that forecasted the cloudy IPA trend.
Slows Bar BQ
Jolly Pumpkin 420 Peterboro St., X Batch Brewing Co. This ivy-covered, brick-
thepeterboro.com When it opened in laden deli has 100-plus
The kitchen is open Interiors don’t get much grandtrunkpub.com Blonde Ale are created,
till 1 a.m. Friday and X Townhouse more visually impressive while a spiffed-up accents.
Saturday, so make a late- Come for the lively than the early 20th Rivertown kitchen turns out pub
night run for this retro Sunday brunch party century former Grand food like white bean
diner-style eatery’s fare in this spot’s stunning Trunk Railway ticketing XAtwater Brewery chicken chili and
like The Juicy, a cheddar 2,400-square-foot station, which retains Biergarten and Taphouse fish tacos.
cheese-stuffed burger. atrium, and don’t miss its 25-foot vaulted Detroit’s largest 237 Joseph Campau
Sixteen taps always in- the namesake burger: a ceilings and brass brewery debuted a Ave., atwaterbeer.com
Scratch constantly brews with foraged mattered to Scratch’s process. support chaga mushrooms, a clingy fungus
ingredients; it’s pretty much the brewery’s “We wanted to put together a beer that that attaches to the trees’ bark; that revelation
calling card. Herbs, pawpaw fruit, ginger and tastes like all that maple can give you: a won- led to a beer brewed with both birch bark and
chanterelle mushrooms have all been a part derful maple syrup quality, dark sugars and chaga mushrooms.
“We’re just working toward creating a the concept that the process is as important to
beer that’s completely unique to our area the beer as raw materials.”
and tastes like here,” Kleidon says. Now that The result of his kuurna research is Ale
Scratch has begun bottling its beers, that Apothecary’s Sahati beer, a resinous, peppery
sense of “here” can travel. and citrus-tart creation that evokes the Finnish
3 style, but with Oregon ingredients. Finns likely
wo time zones west, in Bend, Oregon, used alder trees to create kuurnas and chose
ing her severed head aloft. our daily life—to create a Brazilian beer identity.”
Though less than a decade old, Anner (now a brand of An obvious place for Brazilian brewers to begin is with
Caon’s current brewing company, Cervejaria AN2) is the natural abundance for which their country is famous.
among the old guard of Brazilian microbreweries. Caon’s “We have such richness all around us, and we tend
hometown of Porto Alegre, for example, has a micro- to underestimate it,” says Tiago Genehr, who runs a
brew district where nine breweries now operate within nanobrewery, Cerveja Sideral, in the southern city of
heritage in Brazil’s extremely diverse society, cafuza beers with the yeasts gleaned from the woods. Pair with: red meats like southern Brazilian
refers to a person of African and indigenous de- 12-hour roast beef; a traditional Brazilian
scent. With that idea mind, Moreno used American Despite the bureaucracy, despite the simple eco- feijoada served with collards, fried cassava
hops and dark malts to brew an imperial India black nomic challenges of staying afloat—particularly flour and oranges
ale reflecting his country’s diversity. with Brazil mired in deep recession—the scene is
Cervejaria Colorado Appia Weiss
Cafuza started some years ago as a homebrew buzzing now. The future is wide open. Who knows
With a golden yellow color and medium-sized
that Moreno distributed among friends. After it gen- what will happen?
head, Appia has a strong, sweet aroma of
erated considerable buzz among Brazilian beer fans, “We’re at the beginning of a process,” says honey. This highly drinkable wheat ale is
Moreno gave it wider commercial release through Micael Eckert, founder of Coruja, another well- perfect for Brazil’s tropical climate.
Cervejaria Dogma, a brewery he co-founded. established and respected brewery in Porto Alegre. Pair with: poultry and seafood
“Beer doesn’t just have to be about the reci- “There’s no Niemeyer of Brazilian beer.”
pe,” says Moreno. “The [Cafuza] recipe is a typical He’s referring to Oscar Niemeyer, a trailblazing Way Beer Amburana Lager
American one, but everything behind that beer giant of 20th-century architecture whose iconic de- Named for the wood barrels in which it is
is Brazilian. The name, the concept, it’s all very signs include the striking government buildings in aged, Amburana Lager has an attractive dark
ruby color and an intense aroma of wood,
Brazilian.” Brasília. Of course, Niemeyer himself was also once
cachaca liquor, dark fruits and vanilla. Its
at the fledgling stage.
complexity and high alcohol content make this
Given that Brazil has a population of more than And so, in Brazil, a massive country with an a beer best enjoyed slowly.
200 million and a land area larger than the contigu- exploding taste for craft beer, ideas are fermenting. Pair with: ham hocks (Einsbein) prepared in
ous U.S., it may be impossible to talk about any one Brewers are playing with fruits and woods you’ve the classic German-South American style
Brazilian style. And not all Brazilian craft brewers never heard of. They’re mashing up styles in ways
who concern themselves with the matter agree on that reflect society around them. They’re combing Cerveja Coruja Strix India Pale Lager
the means to their end. Caon, for example, dismisses the woods for yet-unknown, microscopic fungi This almond-colored beer exhibits a sub-
brewing with little-known Brazilian fruits or aging in that might put an entirely new spin on beer as we stantial head and has a hoppy, lightly smoky
aroma. Strix IPL combines the smoothness
exotic woods as variations on well-established tech- now know it.
of a Vienna lager with the personality of an
niques from abroad. “We almost have a responsibility to offer some-
IPA—a good example of a Brazilian-brewed
In his mind, grounding his brewery and beers thing to Europe and the U.S.,” says Genehr, sitting in beer with both local personality and clear
like Maria Degolada in Brazilian narratives is a small his quiet tasting room before a Friday evening crowd North American influence.
first step; not enough to constitute a stand-alone wanders in. “Maybe someday these styles will be Pair with: pork chops and smoked sausages;
Brazilian identity. To truly make a mark on the global brewed up in the Northern Hemisphere.” • mature cheeses
memorable, but more than that, you’ll never forget where you drank it.
NORTHEAST
K
Covenhoven
Brooklyn, New York
covenhovennyc.com
X Truly a mom-and-pop shop—its husband and wife
owners live above the storefront—the two-plus-year-
old bottle shop and bar is part neighborhood gathering
spot, part beer destination. Sixteen drafts pour mostly
New York brews from buzzy breweries Other Half,
Greenpoint and Transmitter, while more than 150
cans and bottles cast a wider geographic net. Order a
draft or open your bottle on site, then make a beeline
for the grassy backyard (lawns being such a rarity in
NYC that on weekends, the 30-seat yard often fills up
15 minutes after the bar’s opening).
Armsby Abbey
Worcester, Massachusetts
armsbyabbey.com
XIt’s the only place in The Bay State
to score Hill Farmstead, but the
classic wood-and-brick pub has also
recently added more local favorites
to its draft list. Get ready to tick
Honest Weight and Medusa brews
in addition to Trillium and Oxbow
drafts. Feeling peckish? Pair those
drafts with an impressive roster of
New England farmhouse cheeses.
SOUTHK
Holy Grale
Louisville, Kentucky
holygralelouisville.com
X “It’s quality of service and the
quality of the products they sell.
They have an incredible beer list,
and to cap it all off it’s a neat place.
The proprietors were instrumental
in the maturity of the beer market
here. They were the first on the
scene to open a beer-centric place
of that caliber. Ultimately, they set
The Birch the stage for my company to open,
Norfolk, Virginia, thebirchbar.com and for this new wave of breweries
S Long known for its exquisitely curated, Eurocentric selection of 21 draft beers, The Birch recently installed five to open up.” - Sam Cruz, Against
more taps just for ciders and meads. But fear not, staunch beer fans—brews still reign supreme at the bar’s regular the Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
“43 Hours Of” festivals, where a single beer style takes over the taps for an entire week. Look for goodies from beer
importer B. United in July and an assortment of sours in September. Hops + Crafts
Nashville, Tennessee
hopscrafts.com
XIf you’re from out of state, you’d
Banger’s Sausage House Busy Bee Cafe first drop of beer flows. Left your be hard-pressed to find a single
& Beer Garden Raleigh, North Carolina growler at home? Just pick one out beer you recognize among the 36
Austin, Texas busybeeraleigh.com from the on-site selection, purport- rotating handles here (ever heard
bangersaustin.com X If this buzzing (get it?) craft beer edly the largest in the world. of Little Harpeth Chicken Scratch,
XAside from the occasional cast-iron hive hadn’t already earned its way Jackalope Bearwalker or Mayday
pot or taxidermic pig head, you won’t onto this list through its innovative Craft Brewed Evil Octopus?). The industrial-style
find many frills at this picnic table- barrel program in which the bar Nashville, Tennessee stools facing the taps and the TV
decked downtown beer hall. The donates casks to local breweries craftbrewednashville.com are the place to be on Tennessee
focus is on 30 housemade sausages so they can age their beer and sell X “They have a great patio outside, Tuesdays, when all beers made in
(which include exotic links like duck, it back to the Bee exclusively, the and they’re always pouring lots the Volunteer State are half off, but
antelope, rabbit and wild boar) and Belgian-only restaurant and bar of great drafts from my brewer weekends are when you’ll want to
104 rotating drafts. Feel daring? Let a opened on the second-floor in friends. The atmosphere is just park it on the patio and scope the
bartender pluck out a random draft January, Mash & Lauter, would’ve awesome. Plus, I’m a big fan of Gulch neighborhood nightlife.
using the metal Bingo roller packed sealed the deal. Nashville hot chicken, and there’s
with 104 numbered balls. a hot chicken place right down Kickbacks Gastropub/
Closed for Business the street that makes stuff that Goozlepipe & Guttyworks
Beer Run Charleston, South Carolina they let you bring into the bar. Any Jacksonville, Florida
Charlottesville, Virginia closed4business.com time I can have craft beer and hot kickbacksgastropub.com
beerrun.com X We can’t decide which seat is chicken, that’s a good day for me.” X Who needs wallpaper? Pennies—
X Fifty percent bar, 50 percent bot- the best here: one of the well- - Brandon Jones, Yazoo Brewing Co. more than a million of them, each
tle shop and 50 percent restaurant, worn leather chairs next to the hand-adhered over a 10-month
Beer Run is the place to go when faux fireplace that draws warmth Craft Conundrum period—act as the paneling for the
you need to make a … well, you and character from the rest of the Charleston, South Carolina steampunk half of this multifaceted
know. Rarities can almost always kitschy, lodgelike interior, or the craftconundrum.com beer compound. Aboveground, 180
be found among the 700-ish bottles bathroom’s single, private porce- X You will never experience a draft different beers flow from standard
on the location’s retail side, and the lain throne, where beer-focused beer like one you’ll get at Craft draft towers and reimagined cop-
pub half’s 17 taps regularly feature articles and reviews act as wallpa- Conundrum. That’s because owner per stills; below, another 24 taps
locals like South Street, Starr Hill per. Choosing from the selection of Richard Easterby holds the patent feature exclusively Belgian brews
and Blue Mountain. If the small 42 Carolina-leaning drafts—almost on the mad-genius draft system he while thousands of bottles and kegs
spot’s full (it usually is), head two all of which can be purchased in developed seven years ago, which slumber in temperature-controlled
miles down the road to Kardinal 10-ounce, 16-ounce and 1-liter matches the pressure of each of the catacombs. Nearly 200 lockers,
Hall, a 200-seat beer garden Beer pours—is a much simpler prospect. 100-plus available kegs and shoots rentable for merely $1 a day, allow
Run’s owners opened inside an old hot water through the draft lines at beer fans to add their own bottles
Coca-Cola plant last October. Craft and Growler the completion of every pour. Every to the collection.
Dallas, Texas glass you enjoy while you sink into
Brick Store Pub craftandgrowler.com the bar’s cushy leather couches and Mahogany Bar
Decatur, Georgia X Most bars allow you the option eye the hundreds of bottles lining Hattiesburg, Mississippi
brickstorepub.com of filling a growler for take-home its grocery storelike shelves is like mahoganybar.net
X Bring a pair of reading glasses to drinking; none are as committed the first pull off a fresh keg through X “The Hog” could refer to this
this nearly two-decade-old Decatur to beer-to-go as this filling station. a just-cleaned line. place’s nickname among locals
institution; the bar’s Bible-sized Founded in November 2012 by just as easily as it could reference
bottle list requires intense study. a pair of patent attorneys, C&G Craft Pride the massive boar’s head that hangs
You could, of course, simply select features 42 draft lines, every single Austin, Texas above the doors. It keeps a watch-
from one of the upstairs bar’s eight one of which is equipped with a craftprideaustin.com ful eye on the bar’s squadron of
Belgian-only taps or the 21 mostly specially designed beer gun (the X With 54 taps, Craft Pride doesn’t Cicerone Certified Beer Servers
American drafts available at floor same device used for packaging at have the largest selection of draft as they move about the dimly lit,
level, but wouldn’t you rather find many breweries) that injects growl- beer in the city (thanks to the 100 mahogany-laden space to dole
out what kinds of special-release ers of Deep Ellum Numb Comfort faucets at Banger’s down the road, out pints of Chandeleur, Slow
rarities are aging in the under- or Dogfish Head Choc Lobster full it doesn’t even have the largest Boat, Lazy Magnolia and Southern
ground bank vault? of flavor-saving CO2 before the selection on Rainey Street). But it Prohibition from 45 stellar taps.
Flying Saucer
beerknurd.com
There are a lot of stellar beer
bars in the south, but from North
Carolina to Texas, Flying Saucer
has set the standard since 1995.
There are now 16 locations and
one big reason to keep coming
back: Drinkers can swipe their
U.F.O. club cards to track what
they’ve tried, and if they get to
200 beers their names go on the
wall’s Ring of Honor.
DRAFTMAG.COM 67
BEST BEER BARS
MIDWEST
K
The Koelschip
Indianapolis, Indiana
(317) 414-9539
W The team behind Indy’s Central State Brewing noticed a lot of great bars
in town serving standard beer styles, but felt the city lacked a bar dedicated
to interesting imports and “weirder” domestic beers. So this winter they
opened Koelschip, a 12-tap, minimalist bar with permanent handles for
four Central State beers and Ritterguts gose, plus seven rotating options
that span hoppy, malty, dark and funky brews from the likes of Jolly
Pumpkin and 18th Street. Pint glasses are only for water; all other beers
are served in 16-, 12- or 10-ounce tulips.
Romans’ Pub
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
romanspub.com
XYou’ll still find Mike Romans
behind the bar of his tavern, 38
years after he purchased it. (When
Romans decided to kick the home-
town brewery off his tap handles,
he was told he’d never make it in
Milwaukee without Miller. That
was 20 years ago.) The payoff of
such longevity: vintage barrels
from the bar’s cellar, which date
back to 2009 and occasionally show
up on the 33 draft lines. Grab a cigar
from the bar’s humidor, if that’s
your thing, and retire to the rear
beer garden.
Sugar Maple
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
mysugarmaple.com
Bier Station XA great bar has a lived-in vibe
Kansas City, Missouri, bierstation.com that’s well beyond its years. Sugar
S The three-and-a-half-year-old bar and retail shop was already a go-to spot for beer in K.C. (a real-time list show- Maple offers not only a “best of”
ing what’s on the 28 drafts might inspire an impulsive lunch-hour beer run), but it has upped its game further lineup of Midwest and national
this summer. Having recently purchased its building, Bier Station added a front patio, complete with retractable breweries on its 60-deep draft list,
canopy and dog-friendly leash ties. It’s also one of the first bars to debut the Maegan app, which means guests who but a friendly, been-here-forever
download it can order from their tables instead of fighting their way to the often-busy bar. presence that belies its mere eight
years in the Bay View neighbor-
hood. Eclectic events include
everything from live music to
Krug Park Map Room off and barrel-aged rarities. (We’re monthly Sunday-night Brewery
Omaha, Nebraska Chicago, Illinois also smitten by the draft cocktails Series classes.
krugpark.com maproom.com and fernet on tap.)
XA mounted, impressively XIt has a travelers’ theme, but The Happy Gnome
antlered caribou head and Edison the corner bar’s stools are full of Palm Tavern St. Paul, Minnesota
bulbs set the mood at the Benson regulars. They come not in search Milwaukee, Wisconsin thehappygnome.com
neighborhood bar. An eclectic of food (nothing but pretzel rods (414) 744-0393 XYou’ll know you’ve arrived at
crowd decides among more here, but you can order in) or XTwenty-five well-priced drafts the venerable neighborhood bar
than 60 draft beers, which often flashy decor (book shelves and and 100-plus bottles are made even when you glance around its wood-
includes rare drafts from Nebraska flags are the only adornments), sweeter by the intimate environs. decked walls and notice a trove
and farther-flung breweries. The but for the 26 drafts and one cask Here, beer fans actually discuss what of gnome figurines. That, and the
bar’s Beer Society—a $20 one- that span venerable classics like they’re drinking and share recom- extensive (while still thoughtful)
time fee that snags members Allagash White and St. Bernardus mendations, though you could draft list, helpfully divided into
10 percent off draft beer and 12 12 to well-chosen pours from hardly find a dud on the lineup if you broad categories like sessionable
percent off bottled beer for life—is Central State Brewing, Three tried. A bonus for spirits fans, the bar brews, sour and funky, and “double
a compelling incentive for return Floyds and Surly. Locals also know also has an extensive selection of hoppy” that represent a mix of local
visits (as are the 13 Bloody Mary it’s an under-the-radar spot to interesting bottles, and hosts regular and national breweries. Choose
choices). grab a cup of Intelligentsia coffee classes on topics ranging from herbal from the 89 drafts, which your
beginning at 6:30 a.m. liqueurs to cask-strength bourbons. server can help you pair with dishes
Local Option from the seasonal, beer-friendly
Chicago, Illinois Maria’s Packaged Goods Republic food menu.
localoptionbier.com & Community Bar Minneapolis, Minnesota
X Its skull logo and punk aesthetic Chicago, Illinois republicmn.com The Mitten Bar
(“Employees must carve Slayer into community-bar.com XThroughout its five years in busi- Ludington, Michigan
forearms before returning to work” XThe concept of a packaged beer ness, Republic has consistently mittenbar.com
reads a sticker in the bathroom) store that’s also a bar finds its proven itself ahead of the curve. XIf you want to know what’s new
are a bit out of step with its yuppie best expression at Maria’s, which One hundred taps feature the latest and best in Michigan beer, you
Lincoln Park ‘hood, but that’s just has operated in the Bridgeport national breweries to hit the area check out The Mitten Bar. The five-
another quirk to love about this neighborhood since 1986. (recently, Cascade, Funkwerks and year-old bar’s all-in-state beer line-
serious beer bar (another is the Matriarch and namesake Maria Crooked Stave) and pour their choice up champions both the big players
solid Cajun-leaning food menu). handed the bar and bottle shop to of what’s best in the local market (Bells, Founders) as well as the best
Thirty-one drafts pour about a half her sons in 2010, who then upped (Steel Toe, for one, and literally of the new guard (Pigeon Hill, Austin
dozen of Local Option’s own beers, its quality beer focus and made it the only keg that non-distributing Brothers, Starving Artist) across the
but other breweries’ lust-worthy a destination for beer seekers in Modist Brewing let off their prem- dozen taps. Live music and tap take-
one-offs and specialties land here the know. This summer, Maria’s ises, for the bar’s anniversary party). overs with up-and-coming brewer-
with stunning regularity. The bar’s added a second bar, doubling its Sixteen dedicated cider lines are well ies are popular events, and some
annual events read like a rare beer draft beer lines to 41; more Belgian curated and change often, too. In a of the best ways to find out who’s
hunter’s Christmas list. offerings now round out the one- boon to travelers at Minneapolis’ going to be next on the scene.
N.W.I.P.A.
Portland, Oregon
nwipa.beer
X On any given night, 66 percent
of the draft lines at this FoPo focal
point will be pouring IPAs. That
may seem less impressive when
you learn that the place has just
six taps, but consider this: To earn
a spot on so-limited a list—in
Portland—a hop-forward beer
has to be one of the best in the
whole damn country. Not a fan of
IBU bombs? Rarely seen barrel-
aged stouts and wild ales make
regular appearances on the other
two taps, and the spread of 250-
ish refrigerated bottles includes
one of the better cider selections
in the city.
and roar regularly; stay for the Blind Lady Ale House
Belgian-leaning food (we like the San Diego, California
Stoofvlees, a beer-soaked beef stew blindlady.blogspot.com
served over fries) and reliably excel- X The locals may call it BLAH, but
lent 17-draft, 40-bottle beer list that this 7-year-old spot is the oppo-
features Belgian classics alongside site of boring; communal tables
beloved locals like Pelican, Upright fill quickly with cheerful folks
and Double Mountain. eager to sip on one of 26 drafts,
several of which are made on-site
Beer Bar by Automatic Brewing Co. The
Salt Lake City, Utah bar recently cut its weekday lunch
beerbarslc.com hours so it could open Mondays,
X The younger brother to next- giving patrons the chance to
door, cocktail-focused Bar X, Beer admire the vintage beer can and
Bar is as cool as its name is succinct. bottle collection seven days a week.
The 30 beers on draft adhere to
the Beehive State’s strict 4.2% ABV Brouwer’s Cafe
limit, but those looking for some- Seattle, Washington
thing more substantial will find the brouwerscafe.blogspot.com
100-plus bottle list—peppered with X A bar that takes beer quality seri-
rarities and high-gravity options ously will clean out its draft lines
from locals Epic and Squatters as every couple of weeks to remove
well as farther-flung breweries like any dirt or bacterial buildup. This
Hopworks Urban Brewery and Jolly dungeonlike beer hall from the
Pumpkin—plenty intoxicating. owners of renowned beer shop
Bottleworks ups the ante, replacing
Beer Revolution each of its 64 incredible draft lines
Oakland, California with a brand-spanking-new one
beer-revolution.com every time a keg is tapped.
XYou say you want a revolution?
Well, you know this low-key beer Churchill’s Pub & Grille
bar/bottle shop is the place to start San Marcos, California
The Trappist one. With 50 taps constantly rotating churchillspub.us
Oakland, California, thetrappist.com between Cali classics and sought- X Hunters of rare beer descend on
S Twenty-first-century Oakland, meet 19th-century Belgium. Housed in a after specialties on one side of the this authentic British public house
100-year-old Victorian, The Trappist recreates the classic pubs of Belgium bar, a flotilla of fridges stocked with for its annual Renaissance festival
with a quaint, brick-laden interior and 25 eclectic drafts that combine 100-plus take-home bottles on the held each March to sip on bottles
European classics with celebrated domestic newbies, 10 of which are in other, oak barrel tables in between of Churchill’s Finest hour—an 11%
a back bar reminiscent of a Brussels biercafe. Enjoy the back patio picnic and sustenance available at The barrel-aged imperial stout crafted
tables, then head a few miles north to the tavern’s Provisions, its well- Annex burger bar next door, all the for the pub by Port Brewing Co.—
stocked sister bottle shop that also offers 12 more taps. tools of beer-soaked rebellion are at and 50 special drafts. Winston
your disposal. would approve.
ExperienceGR.com
uncommon finds. A newly reno-
vated, hop bine-trimmed patio
provides the best venue to drink
such wonders in all of Choice City.
for character.
Produced in Sonoma County
Since 1993.
Nothing Beats an Ace! Colorado Springs – where Bristol Brewing Company hangs
their ski or trucker hat (depending on the time of year) and
brews flavorful, one-of-a-kind ales for visitors and locals
alike. And if you happen to stop by our new location in a
renovated elementary school, be sure to say hi. Our 360-
degree bar overlooks the brewhouse and fermentation
room, and we have a killer patio to soak
up the beautiful Colorado weather.
California Cider Company, Inc. | acecider.com /BristolBrewing Drink Beer With Character.
Willkommen
in Beerlin
What’s your poison?
The Hauptstadt accommodates all.
BY JOE STANGE
THE PERFECT GROWLER
& PERSONAL KEG
ROYAL OIL
Specialty Wood-Aged Beer TOP SCORERS
V
ABV: 12.5% IBU: 23
The Bold &
After slumbering in oak
whiskey barrels for at least 18
the Beautiful
months, this dignified English Summertime
barleywine awakens with an needn’t be only
aroma that begs for a cigar about wheat
to harmonize with its quiet beers and
tobacco and fruity raisin; black
currant and maraschino cherry
shandies. There
overtones enrich the scent. A
are still plenty of
melange of sherry and maple big flavors and
syrup caresses the tongue serious ABVs that
before transforming into deserve attention
marshmallow, graham cracker no matter what
and toast. Brilliantly hidden
alcohol seals this special-
time of year.
release brew’s superiority; it
simply glows warmly in
the chest.
97 RATING
96
JULY / AUGUST 2016 DRAFTMAG.COM 87
REVIEWS
SESSION IPA
K
Session IPA Session IPA Session IPA
ABV: 4.5% IBU: 30 ABV: 4.2% IBU: 55 ABV: 4.5% IBU: UNKNOWN
To smell this Simcoe-, Citra- and When hop producers crush and Restrained, biscuity malts allow
Mosaic-hopped brew is to take a grind their harvest into pellets, hop aromas to pop off the pour:
stroll through a forest of wet pine, a small amount of waxy but first wet pine, then some grungy
tangerine and Walla Walla onion. powerfully aromatic residue is onion in a supporting role.
On the tongue, the sip is even- left behind; that hop “hash” gives Flavors are similarly expressive,
keeled; saltines and bread crust this ale a nose like a basket full of leading with robust pine needles
deftly balance pungent pine, tangerines and orange blossoms. and sweet onion; malts step
onion and lime zest. The body, Vibrant carbonation puffs up the out of the way, translating to a
almost too heavy for a session ale, brew’s light body and enhances relatively thin body and a hop
is nonetheless extremely soft in its bitterness, allowing dank, flavor showcase. Bitterness drags
the finish, which concludes with citrusy hop flavors and oyster its feet on the swallow, sticking
pillowy, doughy malts. cracker malts to linger for only around for a few beats.
moments before they’re wiped
away in a superclean finish.
96 95 93
Six different hops link to excite Earthy, wet forest floor and Dank, resinous hop aroma Dandelion flower scents
the nose with varying aromas pine needle scents dominate barrels over a current of sweet, contribute earthy nuance to
of dank cannabis, pine needles, the aroma, with a dash of dried white onion and light funk in the an aroma dominated by fresh,
mint and freshly picked oregano. orange peel and a whisper of nose. The sip is balanced; lightly piney hops. The body is a touch
On the sip, simple, slightly husky white onion slithering through. piney and sprucy hop flavors thin, but the hop character
grains provides a blank canvas Fresh-sliced onion becomes unfurl across a simple crackerlike shines nonetheless: Grassy lawn
for even more herbal hop notes. more prominent on the tongue, malt base. Zippy carbonation clippings dance with clover
The IBU level is high for the style, hanging evenly with crushed and reserved bitterness keep this flower and osmanthus green
but misleading—though packed pine needle flavors; a zingy chive straight-forward brew crushable. tea flavors over a husky grain
with hop flavor, this beer doesn’t note arrives midsip. Bitterness base. Barely-there bitterness
really bite you back, but instead is pronounced for a session, but contributes to this beer’s
has well-paced bitterness. dry, bready malts swing in toward drinkability; it’s a lawn mower
the beer’s close to cushion the beer for hop fans.
finish.
Alpine Beer Co. Bear Republic Brewing Co. Fat Head’s Brewery Alaskan Brewing Co.
Alpine, California Cloverdale, California Middleburg Heights, Ohio Juneau, Alaska
alpinebeerco.wordpress.com bearrepublic.com fatheadsbeer.com alaskanbeer.com
92 90 88 86
SAISON
K
Dry-hopped with New Zealand- Sweet and spicy aromatics The rocky white cap atop this
grown Motueka hops, Standard build layers of pink peppercorn, gently hazed, golden-hued ale
tells the story of saison from a cardamom and sweet ginger gives off a clean fragrance with
floral, grassy viewpoint. Pear and across each other. Those same an edge of pithy lemon and pear
ginger lift above crackery malts peppercorn flavors arrive early skin. On the tongue, melonlike
in the aroma; crisp bitterness on the tongue, then fade into hops accent honey and sliced
quickly yields to white pepper clean hay. Wheat adds a soft, pear notes; crackery malts are
and cardamom in the sip. While breadlike flavor as well as a firm, while earthy bitterness
certainly not a traditional take on pleasing, rounded body; the emerges at the dry finish. A
the style, the brew has a gentle wheat doughiness pleasantly touch of tartness embraces the
finish that fades slowly off the lingers a bit after the swallow. tongue a few beats after the
palate, making it as quaffable as conclusion.
any of the classics.
91 91 90
This naked (meaning unspiced) Harmonious chirps of lemon, A whiff of juicy orange and A dynamic nose offers
saison is nevertheless zesty; an mint and basil serenade the nose lemon pith introduces this up Belgian yeast notes of
assertive hop profile plugs pow- alongside more delicate floral farmhouse ale before more bubblegum and candied
erful lemony aromas between notes in this dry-hopped saison. traditional white pepper and oranges, flanked by lower levels
yeast-derived notes of pear and The sip beguiles with swirling graham crackerlike malt aromas of peppercorn, clove and herbal
Juicy Fruit gum. Barley, oats and rose water and clove before a arrive. Its carbonation is a little sage. The sip begins with big,
rye weave dry, husky graininess midpalate boost of doughy malts. overenthusiastic, so give it a few earthy notes of pepper and sage,
into the flavor to provide a base Rose hip astringency grips the swirls before sipping; then, enjoy transitioning to zesty lemon and
for gentle earthiness and a hay- sides of the tongue post-swallow, the brew’s biscuity malt base, a sweet orange toward the finish.
like, barnyard funk that hearkens but the flavor still seems to be pleasant foundation from which After the swallow, plenty of citrus
to the style’s roots. But a woody, a muted version of the aroma’s sugary lemon candy and black sweetness sticks to the lips while
minty hop finish and long-linger- bright song. peppercorns blossom. an amped-up ABV warms the
ing lemon pith place this saison throat.
firmly among the family of more
citrusy, Americanized versions.
Trinity Brewing Co. Tallgrass Brewing Co. Blackberry Farm Brewery River North Brewery
Colorado Springs, Colorado Manhattan, Kansas Walland, Tennessee Denver, Colorado
trinitybrew.com tallgrassbeer.com blackberryfarm.com/brewery rivernorthbrewery.com
89 84 82 82
FRUIT GOSE
K
ABV: 4.2% IBU: 12 ABV: 4.2% IBU: ~12 ABV: 4.5% IBU: 10
Definitely pour this peach- Many people swear by salt- This grapefruit-flavored gose
infused ale into a glass—it’s a speckled watermelon slices for is a good example of what the
pretty, brilliantly clear example summer snacking; in what better style has become in the hands
of the style. An aromatic swirl of beer to recreate those flavors of many American brewers:
sugary peach, sourdough bread than a sea salt-flavored gose? This big and bold. Funky notes of
and wet, just-shampooed hair brew’s rindlike aroma hints at the Greek yogurt and sulfur lead
rises pleasantly from the glass. fruit flavor within, though notes the aroma, while in the flavor,
On the tongue, salt and peach of coriander and nutty grain piquant grapefruit adds its
pits arrive in equal measure temper the sweetness. The sip natural tartness and bitter bite
before a concluding bite of delivers on the promise of salt- to the beer’s prominent salinity
cilantro and coriander. A fruity, accented fruit sugars, coating and extreme sourness. Be
semisweet finish tempers the the tongue with syrupy melon prepared—the fruit-tart combo
brew’s acidity. sweetness before a refreshing, is a lot for the tongue to handle.
cucumberlike finish.
95 86 81
SACRAMENTO, CA
A one-of-a-kind craft beer weekend & the largest
craft beer festival in California.
cacraftbeersummit.com
) Early bird prices end June 30, 2016
W f ~ @cacraftbrewers
•
STONE
BREWING
~e10 • DRAFT
MAGAZIN&i
BEERME
#draftgram
Your best beer shots.
For us, Instagram is about checking out
the awesome beer that people around
the world are drinking. Bottle shots,
proper glassware, gorgeous pours—that’s
what catches our eyes as we’re
scrolling. We asked you for your best beer
shots and received hundreds of unique
submissions; the cream of the crop are
below. Want to get in on the contest in
the future (and see what we’re drinking)?
Follow us on Instagram @draftmag
for more upcoming contests!
@beerfriends @jerryfatora3
Steve Walker, Vista, California Jerome Fatora III, Cincinnati, Ohio