News: Mike Schwartz Interviews Eric Wallace of Left Hand Brewing

This post is a bit overdue, but with all the Belgian beers, I've barely been able to keep up. A few months ago, the local craft beer purveyor/homebrew store, Belmont Party Supply, expanded, building out an adjacent storefront strictly for homebrewing and cheese making supplies. Belmont and Miami Valley BrewTensils, as the new space is called, have been stepping up their web presence as well, with a Twitter feed, a relaunched and easier to use website, and now what one hopes is the first of many brewer interviews. Below is the Vimeo feed from Mike's interview with Eric Wallace, of Left Hand Brewing. And if you are in Dayton, be sure to check out the store fronts. Even before the move, Belmont had one of the best beer selections I've ever seen--and now, with the homebrew equipment in its own space, there's plenty of room to expand even further.

Belmont Party Supply Interview with Eric Wallace from Schwartzbeer on Vimeo.

Technorati Tags: Belmont Party Supply, Left Hand Brewing, Schwartzbeer, Eric Wallace, Miami Valley BrewTensils, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

News: Beer Wars Movie Gets Digital Distribution

Exciting news from the intersection of independent film and craft beer. Anat Baron's full-length documentary, Beer Wars, which chronicles the plight of two independent beer companies' struggles to make it big (including great footage of Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head fame), is now available for on-demand or digital download.

I waited eagerly to see the movie when it made its one-night, one-showing stop here in Dayton. The film is accessible for non-beer geeks and yet still engaging, enlightening, and entertaining for those of us who have stashes of rare beers aging in boxes under the cellar stairs. Anat does a excellent job demonstrating the trails for getting a beer to consumers in a market dominated by giants, a message that resonates with any entrepreneur vying for survival.

Check it out for yourself: I've included the trailer, some clips, as well as the text of the press release. I'll also host a banner ad, so you can download your own copy.






From the press release:

I’m thrilled to announce that starting Monday, February 1st Beer Wars will be available to a mainstream audience. If you have a TV or a computer (or even a gaming console), you will be able to rent or buy the movie from the comfort of your home or office!

How did this happen? Well this David (me) made a deal with Goliath – Warner Bros. – to distribute the film. You should know that very few independent films, let alone documentaries, ever get this far, especially without a big name like Michael Moore or major festival buzz. I am humbled and elated that this movie will be available to tens of millions of people.

But I still need your help. Just because it’s available doesn’t mean that people know anything about it. Without word-of-mouth it could just sit there without any takers. So please, tell everyone you know by forwarding this email, or posting on Facebook and/or tweeting on Twitter. We even have web banners should you want to display them on your site or blog. You’ll not only be helping this indie filmmaker, but you’ll help convince studios like Warner Bros. to continue supporting these kind of films.

And here are the details:

In the U.S., Beer Wars is available to rent on demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Cablevision, Charter, Insight, Bresnan, Verizon FiOS, AT & T U-Verse, Dish Network and DirecTV. It is also available for download on iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, Xbox 360 and PS3.

In Canada, the film is available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Rogers Cable, Cogeco, Videotron, Sasktel and Shaw.

The film will also be available through Netflix either through streaming or DVD. And you’ll be able to buy the DVD from Amazon. As well as the movie’s website.

Technorati Tags: Beer Wars, Anat Baron, independent film, Dogfish Head, digital download, Sam Calagione, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

Belgian Beer Review 7: De Dolle Stille Nacht

I have always loved the label art for the De Dolle beers, dating back to my early years, working at the now-defunct One Stop Carry-Out in Athens, Ohio. Bill kept a few of them on stock, and although I barely remember trying them, the artwork stuck with me.

When I made my run this week to restock the sampling supply, I found this one on the discount rack, likely because it had 2008 stamped on the cap. This seasonal Christmas beer is huge (12%) and I knew that as such, it they should age well, so I took my chances. As an aged beer, this was a positive experience, although from reading through the Beer Advocate reviews, it sounds like I should also try a fresh version of this ale.

Brewery: Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers
Brewery Location: Belgium
Beer: Stille Nacht
BJCP Style: 16E. Belgian Speciality Ale
Serving: Bottle

Appearance: tawny, like a barleywine; I stupidly disturbed the sediment on the pour, so I had to let the bits of yeast swirling with carbonation settle before drinking. As you can see in the photo, a beautifully fluffy off-white head, three fingers thick.

Smell: alcohol, strawberry, and leather, with some sharp notes and hints of pipe tobacco. Low hops and malty, much like an aged barleywine

Taste: A confluence of dark, rich flavors--a mix of alcohol, plums, raisins, faded spices, and a pleasant sherry-like oxidation. A complex beer, with deep hints of pit fruits, leather, cherry cough syrup, tobacco, and malty notes of cocoa and caramel. The oxidation has given way to some slight medicinal phenolics and licorice, but those flavors are not yet over-bearing. It reminds me of aged Old ale or a 10 year old Barleywine, differentiated with an effervenscent Belgian yeast character.

Mouthfeel: big carbonation upfront, malty with a clean finish

Drinkability: A delicious beer, a blend of hauntingly rich and shadowy flavors. Very powerful (as my headache this morning will attest), so go lightly. The oxidation is just on the edge of being too powerful, so if you are sitting on a 2008 now, it'd be good to open them now. And, as I noted, this sounds so different from the fresh version that next winter, I'll have to seek one out.

Technorati Tags: De Dolle, Stille Nacht, Belgian Specialty Ale, seasonal beer, Belgian beer, Belgian brewers, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

Belgian Beer Review 6: Duvel

Duvel--a return to another old favorite. This bottle was actually the fourth in a Duvel beer/glassware package that my wife and kids gave me at Christmas (prompted by me teaching my 3 yr old to say, "Duvel glasses at the beer store" whenever he was asked what to get Daddy for Christmas). The other three bottles didn't make it to see 2009, but I set one aside for this project.

According to popular lore, Duvel (pronounced "Doov'l" or "DOO-vulh" in Belgium and "Du-velle" in most of the US) has been brewed by the Moortgat family since the early 20th century, originally brewed as a Victory Ale to commemorate the end of WWI. However, when one local shoemaker remarked that it was a true Devil ("nen echten duvel"), the name stuck. Quite the contrast from the heavenly Trappist ales.

Brewery: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat
Brewery Location: Belgium
Beer: Duvel
BJCP Style: 18D. Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Serving: Bottle

Appearance: As you can see from the photo, an enormous white, bulbous head. The shape of the glass actually contributes, as does the etched "D" at the glass's bottom. The beer itself is golden straw, clear, with tiny carbonation bubbles gliding up the sides of the glass.

Smell: sweet, exotic nose produced from the phenolics given off by the quirky Belgian yeast. Hints of spring and early summer fruits--apples and pears, with some spiciness adding an extra kick. Surprisingly low alcohol in the nose, given the 8.5% abv.

Taste: I've always had trouble nailing down the taste of certain Belgian beers, other than to say, "It tastes like a Belgian." There is a spice character and some of the same fruit characters described in the nose, although I can't isolate a single specific fruit or spice. It's a suggestion that never actually resolves itself into an exemplar of a specific taste. Consulting the BJCP guidelines, which talk of fruits, spice, and alcohol, but again, merely as suggestions of such flavors, I realize I'm not the only one having trouble describing this unique flavor.

Also worth noting some oxidation, with the tell-tale hint of cardboard, in the finish. Although this beer is capable of aging beautifully, this bottle might have been better fresher.

Mouthfeel: Abundant carbonation, as suggested by the huge fluffy cloud of bubbles in the photo. The glassware itself, with the etched "D" inscribed in the bottom the the glass, helps to release the carbonation, heightening the effect.

Drinkability: Duvel has long been a favorite of mine--strong, assertive, yet easy to drink. An attractive beer and the first of the Belgian Golden Strong Ale style. Complex enough for jaded reviewers like myself, yet accessible for the first-timer.

Additionally, Duvel accompanies food very well. I paired it with ham, sweet potatoes and stuffed mushrooms for this tasting, but my favorite pairing actually involves a Duvel-mustard marinade (thanks for Andreea at the Belgian Beers blog for the recipe).

Technorati Tags: Belgians, review, beer review, Duvel, Belgian Golden Strong Ale, Moortgat, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

Belgian Beer Review 5: Gueuze Girardin 1882

I didn't want to get more than a month into my Belgian exploration before I picked up something truly funky. When I saw this at Whole Foods a couple of weeks ago, I knew instantly that this beer would fit the bill, from the old style label to the dregs of yeast visibly clinging to the cork. After trying the Foret that I bought on the same trip, I was concerned that this green bottle beer would also be skunked. Luckily, my fears were allayed.

Brewery: Brouwerij Girardin
Brewery Location: Belgium
Beer: Gueuze Girardin 1882 (black label)
BJCP Style: 17E. Gueuze
Serving: Bottle
Appearance: bright copper in color, like a penny was recently soaked in ketchup; cloudy

Smell: funky, straw and barnyard with some dried apple; no hops, no malt and sour even in the nose

Taste: Sour, but not overtly. Overall, refreshing with some sweetness and tanginess upfront--Brett and sour balance nicely, with a tart sweetness like eating a granny smith apple; clean finish, with some tiny hints of cardboard way deep in the swallow.

Mouthfeel: thin, but not weak, but instead delicate, with carbonation like a club soda

Drinkability: This beer was incredible--the most interesting Belgian that I've tried this year. I expected it to be more challenging and was surprised at how refreshing and approachable it was. Not for everyone (my wife cringed at the aroma and refused to go anywhere near the glass), but for drinkers interested in exploring sour ales, this one would be at the top of my recommendation list.

Technorati Tags: Gueuze Girardin 1882, Girardin, Gueuze, Belgians, sour beer, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

Belgian Beer Review 4: Chimay Premiere (Red)

I had been sitting on this bottle of Chimay for a couple of weeks, originally intending to drink it at the cabin. It didn't get opened there, so I brought it to our friends' house for pairing with a kielbasa stew. Although Chimay Premiere (or Chimay Red, as we always called it) was one of my first Belgian beers, and certainly my first Trappist, it had been a really long time since I had returned to it and figured I was long overdue.

Brewery: Bières de Chimay (Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont)
Brewery Location: Belgium
Beer: Chimay Première (Red)
BJCP Style: 18B. Dubbel
Serving: Bottle

Appearance: dark and dense, like an unpasteurized cider; thin cinnamon-hued head

Smell: traces of spice--clove and nutmeg--from the yeast; malty with very low to non-existent hops

Taste: caramel and malt, with little to no hop presence; some hints of spice and pit fruit tucked just below obvious perception, with a slight metallic tang

Mouthfeel: medium bodied with full carbonation

Drinkability: As noted above, it had been a long time since I had tried this Chimay iteration. It was less complex than I recalled, but certainly not lacking in character. Probably the perfect beer to have started with years ago because although it promises hints of the complexity shared by its more complicated and sometimes difficult Belgian cousins, nothing in this beer is in your face. Refreshing, and a welcome beer to revisit from time to time.

Technorati Tags: Belgians, Chimay, Chimay Red, Chimay Premiere, Dubbel, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

News: BrewAdvice.com Launches to Aid Homebrewers

Over the weekend, I received a press release from Jon at JustBeerNews.com about the launch of BrewAdvice.com. I've posted the text of the release below and added a link to the resources section of this site. Although the content begs for wider adoption, I can see how this site could quickly become as invaluable a resource as my usual staples: Homebrew Digest, BeerTools, or the myriad brewing books crammed into my dining room bookshelf (nudging out the cookbooks for space). Check it out for yourself and use the comments section here to let me know what you think.

BrewAdvice.com, a community-driven site focused on answering all questions related to beer, officially launched today. Unlike forums, message boards, Facebook, or Twitter, BrewAdvice.com is specifically set up as a simple question and answer knowledge base. Ask a question, get a number of answers, select the best one, and get on with brewing. The site was quietly opened to the public a little over a week ago, and the response was overwhelmingly successful. To date, there are already over 50 users asking and answering almost 40 beer related questions.

Questions range from basic homebrewing process questions, like “How do you choose a yeast”, to more theoretical brewing questions, such as “What does ‘Imperial’ mean with regards to style?” to the more advanced side of the craft, for example the effects of aging on Alpha and Beta acids in hops. There are also questions that aren’t strictly for the homebrewer, such as a question about pairing beer with mussels, and general beer storage advice.

Users on the site gain reputation through activity. The more active a user, the more power he or she has on the site. One gains reputation by asking good questions and leaving good answers. As users participate more, they gain access to commenting, voting, and moderation tools. “It’s a site run by the community,” says co-founder PJ Hoberman.

“It’s kind of ridiculous how much I have already learned from this site,” says budding homebrewer Jordan Rounds. “BrewAdvice is now a daily stop in my internet travels.” Frequent visitors to the site range from aspiring homebrewers to aspiring brewery owners, beer bloggers to beer judges, and everyone in between.

BrewAdvice.com is built on the Stack Exchange framework, made famous by the tech Q&A site StackOverflow.com. The site is currently maintained by two administrators, Taylor Beseda and PJ Hoberman, both web developers and homebrewers in Denver, Colorado.