Interview with Green Flash head brewer Chuck Silva

By Angelo De Ieso II

On a recent trip to Southern California, I had the great privilege to sample some great beers in the San Diego area--Port/Lost Abbey, Stone, AleSmith, Ballast Point, and Coronado to name a few. Green Flash Brewing in Vista, California was one of the best, producing some palate-jolting brands that have been garnering acclaim all over the world of late. The company's West Coast IPA has become an industry standard and has placed the San Diego style IPA on the map. Winning several awards while finding new and exciting uses for the precious hop, Green Flash head brewer Chuck Silva showed me around the brewery and let me taste some amazing beers. He also was so kind as to shed some light on himself, the brewery, and the whole hop craze. If you are ever in the area, make sure to stop by the brewery and taste some of their wonderful offerings.



Angelo De Ieso II: When did the Green Flash company get its start?

Chuck Silva: The company’s been going on for over five years. I came on after the first two years, so I’ve been with the company for the last three-and-a-half years.

AD: What sparked your interest in beer?

CS: Oh, that goes back…beer itself, of course…the flavor of good beer as opposed to domestic, well, swill, I guess (laughs). But, I’ve always liked good beer, even when I was a teenager. I definitely had my share of Budweiser, but I’ve always leaned toward what imports were available, whether it was Heinekin or Lowenbrau or flavors that were richer and more interesting. I’ve always leaned toward flavors that were more interesting. Later on, there was a nice surge in homebrewing, and I became involved with homebrewing in ’94 and after about four years of homebrewing, decided to quit my day job and get an education in brewing sciences. It’s been ten years of commercial brewing since.



AD: Where did you study brewing?

CS: The American Brewers Guild, started by Dr. Lewis at UC Davis. It was in Woodland at the time. It was a nice facility that had a working brewery so you could brew and filter, and it had a lab and classroom all in the same facility.

AD: Where did the name “Green Flash” come from, and how is that representative of the beer?

CS: Green Flash got the name from the owner and some of the shareholders. In the beginning, they had their pads and pencils out trying to figure out what the name of this brewing company was going to be, and everybody had put down “Green Flash” on their pads, but nobody had it as their first choice. So, at sunset, they were on somebody’s deck and walked out to look for the green flash, and I think at that point, everyone turned to each other and said “Well, why not ‘Green Flash’?” So, it was spawned and accepted at that point. The green flash is something that occurs at sunset and at sunrise, too, if you can catch it. It’s when the light refracts like a prism. There are also blue flashes and red flashed, but a green flash is more commonly viewed at sunset for maybe a couple seconds in the right conditions at the right time. We feel like it is representative of our coastal origin, being on the West Coast in Southern California, but it’s also common in Hawaii. Aviators often get to see it, especially aviators looking over the ocean where they have a good angle for viewing…hence the Green Flash name.



AD: You’ve won some prestigious awards recently, including first place at the first annual NAIPAC (North American IPA Competition) with the West Coast IPA. This is perhaps the most popular IPAs around. You also won a medal for the Hop Head Red in the World Beer Cup this year. What has this been like, and what are some of your proudest moments as a brewer?

CS: The IPA is definitely a really nice feather in the cap, although it’s not at the level of World Beer Cup competition, which we actually did just win the gold in the American red and amber ale category for the Hop Head Red. Previously, just in September, we won the silver at the GABF (Great American Beer Festival). We also won the silver for the Tripel—a modern Belgian style. We also won a bronze. That was an amazing moment for us—to win three medals in one major competition. It was really amazing. It’s not all about just winning awards. It’s real nice to get that kind of recognition. When I created Le Freak—a beer that wasn’t an existing beer style, that was a special moment for me. It’s a convergence of styles and an emerging style. It’s our Imperial IPA meets Belgian Trippel. For that to come out as savory and flavorful as it did, to me, is a crowning achievement and special moment to have that creativity come out in a beer. It wows me still.



AD: Does the Le Freak draw any influence from the Houblon Chouffe?

CS: Sure. That’s a Belgian beer inspired by what American brewers are doing with hops. In tern, I was inspired to do it my way—West Coast Style. I used a lot of all-American hops and two yeast strains—Belgian and American and I still used a little bit of American hops for a little bit of dry hopping. So, it’s richer and a little more over-the-top with the hop bitterness, super zesty. So, I was inspired by Belgians being inspired by us. It kind of goes back and forth. We weren’t the first to do it, for sure. The Urthel Hop-It is another beer that was inspired by American brewing that has a Belgian flavor to it. Maybe even DeRanke or a couple other beers that are kind of in the similar realm. The Le Freak is an American beer inspired by Belgian tradition.

AD: There’s been a lot of talk about the West Coast or San Diego Style of beer. In your opinion, what does that mean and how does that differ from a Northwest Style?

CS: I would include the Northwest. That’s a really good question. I think just West Coast, period, is strongly inspired by hops and the great Pacific Northwest hops and American varieties that have developed from other varieties whether it be British or German origin. We’ve developed some really, really savory and pungent hops that are citrusy, piny, and floral, and more extravagant than Old World varieties. Those used in craft beer in elevated levels really define what’s going on with West Coast brews. Not exclusively, but certainly a tilt there. If we are talking about IPA, for instance, what would define a San Diego IPA versus a West Coast IPA versus a Northwest IPA…I think what you’ll see (with the San Diego Style) is a paler color and a lighter body but still a full alcohol level, still probably 7 percent (ABV) beer for a West Coast IPA but with an extreme emphasis on hop extravagance—hops throughout the brew, multiple kettle additions. Some people do mash hopping. Some people do first work hopping. Some people use hop backs. Some people do all of that, as well as dry hopping and then even a second dry hopping. We just did the Symposium IPA for the CBC (Craft Brewers Conference) and we employed all of those techniques, taking input from the brewers around San Diego. It was a paler color with mash hops, first work hops, multiple kettle additions, whirlpool additions, hop back, and then dry hops. But still, with the focus on balance, even though it has this huge hop emphasis, you still need to finesse the beer and make it very drinkable. With that little bit of lighter color and that lighter body, it allows the alcohol and the hops as opposed to just a straight malt and hop balance, which maybe is a little more Northwest or East Coast. But then also, the yeast selection is important, too—a yeast that accentuated the hops instead of just a British yeast fruitiness. So, there’s a few differences to look at.



AD: Do you have a favorite hop variety?

CS: We could say Simcoe might be one of them with respect to IPA. But I love most of the hop varieties because you can’t make different beers without different hops. Otherwise they’ll be too similar to each other. I can’t make the Trippel with the Simcoe. I need Saaz and Syrian goldings. Each hop has its place.



AD: With so many flavorfully hopped-out beers in the San Diego area, how has Green Flash managed to set itself apart from the others such as AleSmith, Port, and Stone?

CS: Another very good question. Just purely by flavor. We don’t have a kitschy marketing program. We don’t have fancy names, with the exception of Le Freak. When you see Green Flash’s West Coast IPA, it’s almost more of a style than a specific name, although we set out to make thee West Coast IPA when we made that beer. Obviously, there were a lot of nice West Coast IPA’s before we came along, being that we are only five and a half years old. Two years into it is when we first introduced the West Coast IPA, but when you set out to be a benchmark beer, you need to be the most extravagant and the top of the category if you look at the specific parameters of the beer. So, hop extravagance is the way we set ourselves apart with the West Coast IPA. That was really the beer that was a turning point for Green Flash and set the stage for us to make more extravagant beers like the Barleywine, the Trippel, the Imperial IPA, the Double Stout, and new beers to come like the Le Freak and the Summer Saison. We’re showing some range—not just hoppy beers but hoppy beers is what put us on the map to begin with.




AD: Judging by all the medals, it appears you are doing a good job so far. For a while Green Flash was contract brewing the Reaper Ales line of beer. We haven’t seen those beers for some time. What became with that relationship?

CS: (Reaper Ales) were doing some contract brewing and needed to find a new contract brewer. At the time Green Flash had some capacity and struck a deal with them. They took on the brand and I came on about six months later. I helped retool some of the recipes as well. But then we hit our ceiling as far as capacity and the West Coast was on fire. So we needed to make more West Coast IPA so we basically had to give them notice that we were going to discontinue the Reaper brand. They didn’t find a new brewer right away. They were thinking about opening their own brewery but found it to be a daunting challenge. They’ve been seeking another contract relationship. I think they may have found another facility in the Sudwerk (Privatbrauerei Hubsch) in Davis (California).



AD: We’ve heard so much about the hop shortage as well as other ingredient shortages. Does this have a significant impact on Green Flash? What do you foresee in your future with this whole hop crisis going on?

CS: It’s a tough time for everybody I would say. We have a good contract for this year. I am still working on contracts just for the ’08 crop year for next year’s brewing in 2009. I am probably 80% contacted (for next year) and probably have another 10% coming, and I am still working on the rest. That being said, the prices from this year to next year have easily doubled and tripled for me. Our prices increased this year, which translates to the consumer to at least a $9.99 six-pack of West Coast IPA. It’s a terribly expensive beer to make because of the ingredients and because of the packaging. A six-pack is much more expensive (to package) than a 22-ounce bottle. But we’re still committed to the package. We really like it and the consumer still seems to really want that beer even at that higher price. We didn’t increase our prices just to make more money, it was an increase to cover our costs. The malt prices went up even more significantly—about 40 percent. Of course fuel costs are up, too, so it’s the whole economic situation. I do see some relief a couple of years out. There are more plantings of aroma and high alpha varieties (of hops) that are favored by the craft brewing community. There are more plantings that Ralph Olsen of Hop Union assured us at the Craft Brewers Conference. As long as the growing conditions are favorable there will hopefully be more relief. We are definitely keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for good weather and a bumper crop even for this growing season. It’s still tough and it will still be tough, I’d say, for the next few seasons.



Learn more about Green Flash Brewing at http://greenflashbrew.com

New Arrivals For Friday May 2, 2008

Mmm...Beer. The weather looks promising, and the coolers are full. We've got plenty of lighter summer offerings in stock, and if you feel like bucking the weather trend we've got a couple heavy-hitting dark beers for you to consider as well. Here's the newest offerings, roughly order from lightest to darkest.

NEW BEER!

Boulder - Sweaty Betty: Boulder's summer seasonal is often overlooked, but if you're a fan of Widmer (or Pyamid) Hefeweizen it's definitely worth a try. Light citrusy hop notes rise up and accentuate the hazy, smooth beer.

Cascade Lakes Pine Marten Pale: The Pine Marten isn't seasonal, but after changing distributors a few months ago we've finally got it back in PDX. It's chock full of piney hops riding a wave of bready, slightly toasty malt. Imagine walking the hills west of Redmond in the spring, while nibbling on a fresh baguette. Yeah. That sounds good.

Alesmith - IPA: This rare treat only makes a couple appearances per year in Portland, so it's always worth mentioning it when it comes in. I drank one last night and I remembered why I love it so much; the hops practically leaped out of the bottle before I could even pour the thing. Smooth and aromatic with a dry, clean finish, this is a great example of how San Diego does IPA. We only got a couple cases, so come and grab one before I drink it all.

Golden Valley - Geist Bock: Geist is German for ghost, and Golden Valley's tribute to the pale bock style is a deliciously unusual choice for a summer seasonal. It's strong like a doppelbock, but pale as a helles, and finishes clean and smooth like a lager should.

Deschutes - Hop Henge: Given the recent hop shortage, I'm glad to see Deschutes hasn't skimped on the hops, or scratched this recipe entirely. It's huge, but balanced. So balanced in fact that the only real complaints you'll see in theratings is that it doesn't taste "imperial enough", meaning it doesn't tear your palate apart with hops or fusel alcohol flavors. Any beer that's pushing 10% and manages to drink like it's 7% is OK in my book.

Brasserie Huyghe - Delirium Noel: I'm not sure what the hold up on this was, or why we didn't get any before Christmas, but better late than never. The Noel falls roughly in between the Delirium Tremens and Nocturnum. It pours dark amber with a big fluffy head, and is loaded with everything you love about Belgian Christmas beers; dark fruit, spices, and yeasty bread flavors wash over your tongue in an ever-changing medley of tastiness. This brew also cellars well, and it may not arrive in time for Christmas this year, so you may want to consider buying a couple to stash for a special holiday meal.

Hale's - Pikop Andropov Imperial Stout: At "only" 7.5% this is on the lighter end of the imperial stout spectrum, but that just means you can drink more of it. The dark (inky) black body releases dark fruit flavors and aromas of coffee and bitter chocolate. The finish lingers forever and leaves you with roasted coffee and hop bitterness. Pikop one today.

Alesmith - Speedway Stout: There's really nothing I can say about Speedway that hasn't already been said. If the name is familiar to you, you know how incredible it is. If the name means nothing I'd suggest clicking the link and reading all the rave reviews (over 900 to date!) that are posted on ratebeer.

Alesmith - Decadence 2007 Imperial Porter: I'll have to let the fine reviewers at ratebeer describe this one because I ahven't had a chance to try it yet. We were only able to get 24 bottles, and we like to "spread the love", so we kindly ask that you limit yourself to one bottle per person, per visit.


I think that's it for today, and there's no event notices to mention, other than the grand opening of a new brewpub downtown, but I'm sure you've already heard about that. Have a good weekend, and enjoy the sunshine while you can!

Mac's Magic Pyramid #9

From BusinessWire.com:

SEATTLE & SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pyramid Breweries Inc. (NASDAQ: PMID) (“Pyramid”) and Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center, Inc. (“Magic Hat”) today announced the execution of a Letter of Intent (“Letter of Intent”), which contemplates a transaction by which Magic Hat will acquire Pyramid, through an agreed all-cash tender offer and subsequent merger, at $2.75 per share of Pyramid common stock on a fully-diluted basis.

The proposed transaction is subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive merger agreement. The merger agreement will provide for a first-step tender offer for outstanding Pyramid shares by an acquisition entity wholly owned by Magic Hat, to be conditioned upon the acquisition of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding shares of Pyramid. The tender offer, if consummated, will be followed by a merger of Magic Hat’s acquisition entity with and into Pyramid. The proposed transaction is also subject to the satisfactory completion of a due diligence review by Magic Hat of the business, financial and legal affairs of Pyramid, and receipt of necessary consents and approvals of regulatory agencies and third parties.

I never would have predicted this, but it makes perfect sense. Other than both breweries having "apricot wheat beers" in their portfolios, there's surprising little overlap, so they're both in a good position to expand into one another's territories without too much fear of cannibalizing shelf space or sales. More to come as the story develops...

New Arrivals and Event Notices

It's always a pleasant surprise when something arrives when we're told to expect it, so I was pretty darn pleased when the Laurelwood Green Elephant and Bridgeport's Stumptown Tart both rolled off the trucks this morning. Throw in a couple of new lagers and you've got a nice list of stuff to drink this weekend.

New Beers!

Laurelwood - Green Elephant: Mmmm....Green Elephant. Big, crisp, and chock full of citrusy, floral goodness. This is my second favorite IPA from the 'Wood, right behind the delicious Workhorse. As I mentioned yesterday, they only bottled a couple hundred cases, so snag some while you can.

Bridgeport - Stumptown Tart: Much has already been written about the Tart, so I'll let Angelo, Jeff, and John wax poetic about the brew. All I'd like to add is that I'm amazed how inexpensive it is. At 8%abv and loaded with marionberries, I didn't expect it to hit the shelf at less than $5 per 22oz bottle, but here it is. People keep asking me, "How long will it age?", and even though I'm sure it's got some staying power I'd wager that the good folks at Bridgeport would prefer you drink it fresh and soak up all the marionberry goodness.

Mt Shasta - Lemurian Lager: Given the recent trouble that Mt. Shasta has been having with the TTB, I just shook my head and grinned when their new Lemurian Lager came in this morning. Printed in 80pt block font on the front of the label is the word WEED, and on the back side there's a curious little story about the mythical creatures that inhabit the wilds of Mt. Shasta. Cap it all off with an enthusiastic recommendation to "Celebrate Weed!" and you begin to see why they've run afoul of our ever-protective government. In any case, the beer is brand-spanking new, so there's not much info to pass on until we have a chance to try one. Show the TTB what you think of their decision and go "Try LEGAL Weed!"

Lakefront - Cherry Lager: Light and smooth, the Lakefront Cherry Lager is loaded with essence of Door County Cherries for a nice tart balance. If it ever warms up around here, this will make a nice afternoon sipper while you sit on the porch. If current trends continue it'll make a nice beer to sip while you sit on the couch and wonder why your PGE bill is so high...

Event Notices:

Hair of the Dog Earth Day Sale: Twice a year Alan Sprints opens up his brewery to the public for a dock sale, and the Earth Day sale is always popular. He'll have a fresh batch of Blue Dot IPA, a couple hundred cases of Fred From the Wood, and probably an assortment of other vintage offerings (Doggie Claws, Rose Cassis?) as well. The official start time is 10am, but get there early or you'll be standing in line for a while. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m, Saturday April 26th at the brewery, 4509 S.E. 23rd Ave

Concordia Alehouse Beer Brawl: I'm going to pass this one off to Mr. Foyston again because he's already given a more in-depth description than I could have. Taste the best that Oregon and Washington have to offer, and vote on your favorites. Starts 11:30 a.m. Friday, runs through Sunday at the Concordia Ale House: 3276 NE Killingsworth St.; $10 per taster tray, $20 with a cool commemorative t-shirt.

New Arrivals For Tuesday April 22, 2008

This is perhaps the slowest time of year for new beers. Other than a trickle of summer seasonals from the bigger craft brewers, there's not much of interest being released. In the meantime I've been exploring the wonderful world of sake. Look for our selection (now hovering around 25 hand-selected varieties) to expand as we continue our never-ending quest to bring you the finest libations we can.

New Beers:

Malheur Brut Reserve - This strong golden ale undergoes "methode champenoise" to produce a high level of carbonation and a dense head of tiny bubbles. Aromas of citrus fruit, light floral notes, and nutty malt lead into a cleanly malty, effervescent body before coalescing in a long, dry finish.

Lagunitas Lucky 13 - Brewed to celebrate their 13th anniversary, the Lucky 13 is is hoppy, red, and delicious. C'mon, it's Lagunitas, what more do you need to know?

HeBrew Rejewvenator - HeBrew has declared this "The Year of the Fig", and to celebrate the occasion they've released the Rejewvenator, and dark malty brew loaded with fig juice.

Alaskan Summer - Alaskan Summer Ale balances a softly malted palate with the clean freshness of Hallertauer hops. In the tradition of the style, neither overpowers the other. Both hops and malt come together to refresh and renew the palate. The straw-gold color and easy drinkability are an enjoyable way to celebrate summer.


New Sakes:

Zen Tokubetsu Junmai - As the name implies, Zen is balanced. Clean and smooth with notes of peaches and rice milk. Just dry enough to encourage you to take another sip or two.

Itami Onigoroshi - This is about as dry as sake gets. Subtle fruit and floral notes linger on the palate for several minutes after each sip.

Yuri Masamune - This off-dry sake starts with aromas of alcohol and flowers. The fruity, off-dry flavors blend into a woodsy, earthy finish. Great value for the price.

Momokawa Sake Sampler - This is a great way to introduce yourself (or your friends) to the wonderful world of sake. One bottle each of Momokawa Silver (off-dry junmai), Momokawa Diamond (dry junmai), Momokawa Pearl (genshu nigori), and Moonstone Plum (fruit-infused sake) are included in the set. Grab some sashimi and expand your horizons with Japan's ancient beverage.

Not really new, but worth mentioning: The Greene King Abbott Ale and Wexford Cream Ale have finally returned. Many customers lamented the loss of these two pub cans when they disappeared from our shelves a few months ago, but they've finally found their way back into our coolers.

Upcoming releases to watch out for: Stumptown Tart, Bridgeport's first fruit beer, is a Belgian-style ale infused with tons (literally) of Oregon Marionberries. Look for it to hit the shelves late this week. The next 22oz special release from Laurelwood is also due in this Friday, and this is likely to be the fastest-selling one thus far because it's their incredibly delicious Green Elephant IPA. They're only bottling a couple hundred cases, so snag it while you can.

I think that's it for today, but don't forget about our toast to Vasili happening tomorrow night!

Vasili's Tasting Notes For Wednesday's Tasting

Vasili was kind enough to provide some insight into the beers we'll be pouring on Wednesday, April 24th. The following was slightly edited for readability, but otherwise everything is straight from the horse's mouth.

Redrum (7.2%abv, 25IBUs): This beer debuted at Portland’s Cheers To Belgian Beers 2008. Made with wort from the Jeremiah Red and fermented using the famed “La Chouffe” yeast strain. Nice and spicy with dark fruity flavors.

Grand Cru 2008 (10%abv): A spiced tripel, modeled after our champion Belgian strong ale from 2002. This batch fermented faster than any beer I’ve ever brewed, but without the “higher alcohols” known for causing headaches.

Enfant Terrible (~7.8%abv): This brew began life as the unblended base beer from our 2007 OBF entry which was racked into clean whiskey barrels and fermented with a lambic yeast/bacteria blend. It’s well attenuated and has become quite funky over the last year.

IPA (~7%abv): I like to make drastically different IPA’s every chance I get, and this is the most recent experiment. A classic northwest-style IPA, loaded with local hops. I made this for my wife who loves red, bitter beers.

Comet (9%abv): Crafted using a one year old pale barleywine as the base, this beer was “built” with additions from our Jeremiah Red, IPA, and just a touch of Chocolate Stout. This hoppy winter warmer debuted at the 2007 Holiday Ale Festival.

Chocolate Stout (5.5%abv): A delicious stout made with a couple additions of organic dark cocoa nibs. It’s silky and smooth, with dark chocolate aromas and a great body.

For what it's worth, we put the IPA on tap yesterday, and it's been getting great reviews so far. We encourage everyone to stop down, toast Vasili, and wish him well in his new position at Rock Bottom.

Speaking of Rock Bottom, brewpub chains aren't typically known for pushing the envelope, but Van Havig has been quietly crafting some great "under the radar" beers for the last couple years now. With Vasili joining him I expect more great beer (Ned Flanders, PLEASE!?!) to come rolling out of this under-rated brewery in the near future.

FredFest 2008

The formal press release went out last night, so I don't have to keep quiet any longer. If you were in attendance last year you know this is Portland's best little beer fest. If you weren't there last year this is your chance to sample some incredible beers in the company of 200 of the biggest beer geeks and industry folk in Portland. Tickets are extremely limited, and if the beer list shapes up like last years' (Full Sail Black Gold, cask-conditioned HOTD Fred, Raccoon Lodge Sour Raspberry...) it'll assuredly sell out before the day of the event. Here's the official word:

FredFest 2008 Honors Memory of Michael Jackson

PORTLAND, Ore. — What started as a surprise 80th birthday party for world-renowned beer writer Fred Eckhardt is coming back around in its third year as a fundraiser in the memory of fellow beer scribe, Michael Jackson, also known as the Beer Hunter.

More than 15 rare and unique beers created by some of Oregon's most celebrated breweries will be on tap at FredFest 2008. The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 -- the actual date of Eckhardt's 82nd birthday -- at Hair of the Dog Brewing, 4509 SE 23rd Avenue in Portland.

The beer menu is still being firmed up, but brewers are promising to pony up something special for the event. The number of beers for FredFest will increase from last year, according to co-organizer and chief beer wrangler Preston Weesner. Some of the breweries that already have committed to the event include: Hair of the Dog (with a special keg of Jim 07), BridgePort, Deschutes, Widmer, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Rogue and Firestone Walker.

Attendees will be treated not only to a rare assortment of hand-selected beers, but also light fare including pastrami cured with Hair of the Dog Fred ale and a birthday cake -- complete with a round of "Happy Birthday" -- for Eckhardt. Cheeses, chocolate, candy and even cereal will be offered in abundance so attendees can experience some of Eckhardt's famed beer-and-food pairings.

Cost for the event is $50 in advance and includes a souvenir glass, free ticket for a raffle of bottled specialty beers and four hours' of sampling, sipping and story-telling with Eckhardt. Admission is limited to 200 attendees. Judging from previous years, the event is expected to sell out quickly. Tickets are available through Pay-Pal. E-mail fredfest@comcast.net to purchase tickets.

Additionally, this year, a silent auction featuring bottles of rare beers running in conjunction with FredFest, allowing Fred fans across the country to be a part of Eckhardt's birthday and the FredFest celebration and fundraiser.

As always, proceeds from FredFest and the related online auction will go to a charity of Eckhardt's choice. This year, Eckhardt named Parkinson's Resources of Oregon, the local affiliate chapter of the National Parkinson Foundation, as the featured charity in memory of his longtime friend and fellow beer writer Michael Jackson, who died in 2007 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Apologies in advance for any wierd formatting issues, blogger is acting strangely today...

New Belgium Set To Unveil Fat Tire Cans

From 9news.com:

DENVER (AP) - This summer, Colorado's New Belgium Brewing Co. plans to offer its flagship Fat Tire Amber Ale from something other than the tap or a glass bottle: an aluminum can.

It looks like outdoor enthusiasts will soon have one more option for tasty "river beer" in the not-to-distant future. There's no word as to when they'll be available, but my source told me it's unlikely that we'll see them in Oregon until later this year.

One other interesting tidbit from the article caught my eye:

The Fat Tire that comes in cans will be "can-conditioned" with live yeast, so its flavor should not be affected, he said. Despite popular perceptions about canned beer, the company's taste tests show the canned version tastes the same as the bottled brew.

With the recent surge in canned craft beers there's been discussion on the various beer geek sites regarding the feasibility of can-conditioning, and this seems to be a definitive answer to that question. I doubt this'll never happen, but the dreamer in me can't help but fantasize about floating down a river while sipping on cans of La Folie.

Mark my words, it's just a matter of time before someone comes out with a can-conditioned bourbon barrel aged imperial stout, and I look forward to that day. I think a certain brewery in Ashland could have some fun with that...

BridgePort Brewing Company to Release Its Inaugural Fruit Ale

By Angelo De Ieso II

On April 24, 2008, Oregon’s oldest craft brewery, BridgePort will release the Stumptown Tart—a Belgian ale aged in pinot noir barrels and blended with a healthy amount of fresh Oregon marion berries. BridgePort brewmaster Karl Ockert says of the Tart “I’ve never done a beer like this. Period.” The base beer for the Tart was a Belgian golden ale that finished at about 8% ABV. “We split off about a third of that and we went to Carlton Wine Studio and picked up 23 French oak casks.




On April 3rd, with the other two-thirds Ockert and company employed 2,000 pounds of Oregon marion berries and refermented with the fruit. They then blended the two with yeast and sugar for bottle fermentation. The beer was bottled on April 7th. The Stumptown Tart is a bold, extreme beer for which Ockert is realistic. “It’s an expensive beer to produce. We may never do this again.” He also recommends tasting the beer sooner than later. “It should age fairly well, but the fresh fruit character will be lost over time. It’s probably best to enjoy over the summertime and move on.” “We’re bottling up 1,800 cases (of 22-ouncers) and hoping to sell it throughout the summer” says Ockert. “I’m not sure if we’ll need any more or not.”






So what was the inspiration behind this innovative new brew? “I’ve always been impressed with a good friend of mine in New Glarus, Wisconsin named Dan Carey who makes something called the New Glarus Red” explains Ockert. “It’s a really great Belgian cherry red ale with a really delicious little tart, sour finish to it. So I wanted to do something like that. So, I emailed him to ask him how to do that. And he promptly emailed back and said, ‘I’ll tell you about anything else in the brewery, but I won’t tell you how I make New Glarus Belgian reds.’ So I kind of came up with this one on my own.”









BridgePort’s Stumptown Tart ale will be made available following it release party at the BridgePort brewpub and bakery at 1313 NW Marshall St. in Portland, Oregon on April 24, 2008 from 5pm-8pm. Bernie Dexter, the model who appears on the bottle’s label with also be present at the kickoff to sign labels. This is a free event.

Sam Adams Recall

From the Boston Herald:

The Boston Beer Co. issued the recall following what it called routine quality-control inspections that revealed defects in some bottles used at its Cincinnati brewery. The bottles, manufactured by an unnamed third-party supplier, “might cause small bits of glass to break off and possibly fall into the bottle.”

The Boston-based company said it so far has not received any reports of consumer injuries related to the bottles, which are embossed with the letter “N,” followed by the number “35” and the letters “OI”.

This is a rough situation for any company, but I'm glad to see them taking proactive measures to correct it. This is breaking news that hadn't even reached the distributor yet, but when I find out more I'll be sure to post it. In the meantime Boston Beer Company has urged consumers to call Boston Beer at 1-888-674-5159 for more information or access its recall Web site at http://consumerinfo.samadams.com

Photo Credit: Samadams.com