The Art of Beer kicks off California Craft Beer Month

The second annual Art of Beer brought together great craft brews and art at the Fusion International Arts Center on Friday night. The event highlighted the more artistic aspects of beer – the fermentation tanks, the wort and simply the love of beer.

This year 24 breweries were present, some of them serving up to five types of beer to the 500 guests present. Absolutely delicious bites were everywhere – as long as you came early. Tuli Bistro and Roxie Deli, in particular, were very nearly attacked each time a plate of sandwiches, apps or pizza was set out.

 

  Image by: Ron Nabity

  The art on display ranged from crystal clear pictures of the brewing process by Rawi Nanakul to a piece by Eli Trujillo illustrating the undeniable draw of Pliny the Elder. Supporters of the event – both sponsors and attendees – helped Ales for Autism and Stanford Youth Solutions, both tremendous organizations that certainly know who to put first. Ales for Autism has another big event coming up Feb. 15, the Black & White Beer Ball in Santa Rosa, Calif. The next big thing for Stanford Youth Solutions is Vintage 2013 on April 25.

 

@theend by Eli Trujillo (Image by: Art of Beer) 

The Barrelworks Lounge, occupied by Firestone Walker, was a great spot off to the side to grab a table and chat with friends – new or old. Nearby, 21st Amendment Brewery had its own lounge. The area was handsomely arranged and festooned in 1930s décor. An exhibit illustrating the creative process for the brewery’s distinctive labels and boxes adorned the wall. While most mingled the evening away, the unique lounges provided a place to sit for a minute out of the path of the crowd of buzzing attendees.

Near the front stage where a silent auction took place for much of the night, Sierra Nevada was serving up the newly introduced Ovila Abbey Quad with Plums, a top pick of the evening.

North Coast Brewing Co. always brings their best for dark beer lovers. They poured Brother Thelonious and Old Rasputin. Anderson Valley was another essential stop. They were pouring Brother David’s Triple. They also have something new on their beer list, a Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout. Mad River Brewing Co. had great taps as well.

For the cider lovers out there, Two Rivers Cider Co. had two on tap, a Dry Macintosh Cider and a Blood Orange cider. The latter had a pink tinge that brought a little extra excitement to the glassware circulating the room.

Cypress Grove Chevre had cheese on hand for tasting, and the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and The Pasta Queen had lines all night and the supplies to keep the people snacking. The porcini and truffle egg ravioli, topped with blue cheese fredo sauce and roasted hazelnuts was enough to warrant a virtual shopping trip to their site. They paired the dish with Berryessa Brewing Co.’s Belgo Dark – just imagine.

To really make the most of the night, it was best to alternate beers and chatting up brewers with talks with the artists in the room. Shannon Jane Morgan of Girl Glass Studio, paired with Track 7, had plans for an Art of Beer Glass class. Participants will be making their own beer glass and later, Morgan will buy them their first beer.

Track 7 paired up with Knee Deep Brewing Co. and created a fresh, citrusy double IPA for beer week that attendees got a chance to taste. At 100 IBUs and 9.7 percent ABV, this one’s going to be sought after during beer week. Another stop for IPA lovers was Rubicon, where they were pouring Hopsauce.

 

  Track 7 had a great double IPA on tap. (Image by: Ron Nabity)

 
Sustainability was a key word at The Art of Beer this year. Almanac Beer Co. poured “Farm to Bottle Beer” and Sierra Nevada handed out pamphlets highlighting their sustainable practices in all areas.
Magnolia Pub and Brewery, which has five casks on tap and makes a commitment to the slow food movement, seems like a great place to stop during San Francisco Beer Week, coming up next week.

 

Sustainability has become a buzzword among regional breweries. (Image by: Ron Nabity)
 
Sacramento’s Digital Town Square Forum was present for the event as well. You can replay the evening’s discussion, “The Art of Beer… and ZOMBIES!” online.

It was great to see so many breweries, artists and restaurants come together with local establishments like Brew Ferment Distill (BFD), Hook & Ladder Manufacturing Co. and Sacramento365, among many others, to put on such an enjoyable and worthwhile event.

This year, The Art of Beer served as the kickoff for the first ever California Craft Beer Month. Judging by the enormous crowd, we should continue to expect more from this event for our annual fix of art, music, discussion, goodwill and beer. With so much creativity on their side, it’s clear that this event will just keep getting better.

 

  Old Hangtown's Ale Camino (Image by: Ron Nabity)

Originally published at http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/79180/The_Art_of_Beer_kicks_off_California_Craft_Beer_Month on February 3, 2013.

The finest of beer proprietors

 

The Davis Beer Shoppe
(Image by: Anthony Caer)

 

Friday evening, Feb. 1, the Art of Beer marked the start of what might be called beer season in the Sacramento area, and where better to get warmed up for the season than the bottle shops and tap rooms in the area. Taylor Ramos of The Davis Beer Shoppe and Capitol Beer and Tap Room’s Ken Hotchkiss weighed in on the beer scene and Sacramento Beer Week, coming up Feb. 22 through March 3.

Before it all gets started, it might be advantageous to take a look at the last few years, and notice and appreciate how far the beer scene has come and just how richly it has developed. To name a few, New Helvetia Brewing Co., Ruhstaller, Track 7, Berryessa Brewing Co., Black Dragon Brewing Company, Loomis Basin Brewing Company and Roseville Brewing Company have all been established in the last two years, as well as the two aforementioned beer shops. Pangaea Two Brews Café is just slightly older, and even still, their bottle shop is just 18 months old.

In the last few years, we’ve seen cans take craft brewing by storm, and we’ve seen the word, “imperial,” come back into style big time. IPAs - India Pale Ales - went from specialty to loved by all, thanks to breweries such as Lagunitas and Sierra Nevada, and now there’s no limit to what an IPA can be – black, Belgian, wheat, white, double, triple or imperial. Thank goodness we have mentors like Hotchkiss and Ramos to lead us on.

Bottle shops that double as tasting rooms – or better yet, cozy bars – are a tremendous way to get to know an almost unlimited number of beers. This is great for both seasoned craft beer aficionados and those new to the scene.

 

  The Davis Beer Shoppe, bottle cap art by Dan Boland (Image by: Anthony Caer)
 
The problem for some, though, is getting started. Both men had some advice to offer.

“If people don’t like beer, there are a lot of odd-style beers,” began Ramos. He said that many people who are new to craft beer find a path in through one of the more unique styles – especially if they are wine or cider drinkers. Sour beers are becoming more and more popular, and in addition, wheat beers, American wheats and Belgian wits are all good places to start, he explained.

For those who aren’t new to the scene, Ramos spoke of a few favorites, one of which was Berryessa Brewing Co.’s Imperial IPA – a local brew that is 10.5 percent ABV, super fruity and balanced. Most unfortunately, the keg of this particular gem that was tapped Monday at the Beer Shoppe is already out, so it could be a challenge to find more.

 

  The Davis Beer Shoppe (Image by: Anthony Caer)
 
Hotchkiss himself admitted to being a hophead, although he also stated that he liked about everything. He was very hesitant to give names, perhaps saddened at the thought of letting anything fall by the wayside.
Both shops do their best to work with local and regional brewers. Berryessa Brewing Co., Sutter Buttes Brewing, Hoppy Brewing and Auburn Alehouse, among others, have all seen time on the taps.

“We do try to support all those local guys,” Hotchkiss said. The Capitol Beer and Tap Room has only been open for six months, but it seems that Hotchkiss has put in his time getting to know others in the field. Track 7, Knee Deep Brewing Co. and a new regional beer publication on the scene, Hops to Table, were mentioned frequently during the interview.

Another new development in the craft beer industry is that beers are now being purchased like quality wines - packaged similarly in larger bottles for sharing and priced into the double digits.

Amongst discussion of current trends, Ramos made a case for yet another development in the industry. He explained that people are now beginning to appreciate small beers, in other words, table beer that is low in alcohol.

“They don’t necessarily associate alcohol content with value,” Ramos said, explaining the change.
“There’s definitely a market emerging for consumers that don’t want to be drunk.”

Whether you prefer small beers or perhaps one large, strong, hoppy one, beer week will surely fulfill your needs. Both shops will be taking part in grand ways.

 

Capitol Beer and Tap Room (Image by: Patricia Willers)

 
The Capitol Beer and Tap Room will have events every night of the week, teaming up with Tokyo Fro’s for many of them. The events start Friday night with a Speakeasy night, followed by a night chock full of brews from Humboldt County. Sunday is when it really gets going. 21st Amendment will be the brewery of choice, but that’s not even the best part – they are hosting a homebrew competition complete with local brewers and beer experts as judges. The winner of the competition will brew their beer at the 21st Amendment Brewery facilities and eventually have it tapped at the Capitol Beer and Tap Room. Unfortunately, most of the participants have already been invited, though you may be able to squeak in if you have a strong enough case.

Beer week will continue at the Capitol Beer and Tap Room on Tuesday with Colorado Brewers' Day, featuring Flying Dog and Oskar Blues, a brewery which is always worth noting. Still to come on Wednesday and Thursday are Sierra Nevada and Firestone Walker, respectively. Firestone Walker night, in particular, might be worth putting on your calendar, since they have plans to tap a keg of their 16th Anniversary Ale. Knee Deep and Track 7 Takeover Night is March 1, and the pair will surely end beer week with a bang.
Hotchkiss is hopeful that this year’s beer week, their first, will bring them more visibility than they’ve had in the past. The bar and shop is located at Fair Oaks Boulevard and Howe Avenue next to Tokyo Fro’s. The tap room has twenty taps, one of them nitro, and an opportunity for great beer education – any four 5 oz. beers for $14.

The Davis Beer Shoppe plays a similar role just across the causeway. The establishment will have been open for two years in March, and with an unbelievable number of beers in the store in back and ever-changing taps in the front, their ideal location in downtown Davis keeps them packed to the brim day in, day out. They recently added six additional taps to their original eight and one nitro, with a cask option frequently featured. They, too, have a few things up their sleeve for Sacramento Beer Week, but they aren’t revealing details just yet. With that many beers in the shop, they are likely struggling to narrow down their options.

 

  Capitol Beer and Tap Room on Fair Oaks Boulevard and Howe Avenue (Image by: Patricia Willers)
 
Starting tomorrow, Sacramento area beer lovers should be gearing up for an enjoyable few months of beer, social gatherings in honor of beer and grand dinners paired with the perfect beer. The SBW calendar is expanding daily, so take a look. In addition, check back for a thorough piece on how to best handle SBW here on The Sacramento Press site. Drink water, get in shape and start planning.

 

Capitol Beer and Tap Room decor (Image by: Patricia Willers)

Originally published at http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/79041/The_finest_of_beer_proprietors on January 31, 2013.

Success at the 2011 California Brewers Festival

The 17th Annual California Brewers Festival took place this past Saturday at Discovery Park. Through the efforts of the Point West Rotary club, cheerful beer enthusiasts enjoyed an afternoon of cigars, beer and cider tasting, all while supporting a great cause. The Assistance League of Sacramento will receive the majority of event proceeds. Their successful Operation School Bell program provides school supplies for children in the Sacramento area.

“We sell booze for kids,” joked one friendly Rotary member who was donating his time to pour this past Saturday afternoon. Doug Weill and his wife Marcia poured at the Black Diamond Brewing Company station that afternoon.

Point West enjoys working with the Assistance League, Weill explained, because of the way they ensure that money and supplies get to the kids. The rotary club and its 150 members want to make sure that they really are making a difference in the lives of the children in this area. Over the years, the organization has raised over $250,000 for charitable causes.

Weill was very happy with the year’s turnout. He explained that this was the first year they used an online presence to advertise and sell tickets for the festival. This new strategy helped the rotary club sell over 700 tickets.

Discovery Park hosted breweries from all over the region, country and world on the sunny Saturday afternoon. Primator had more than a few bottled imports for beer lovers to try, including both Czech and Polish brews. Strangford Lough Brewing Co., whose slogan is “Born in Ireland, matured in America,” provided an Irish style ale for festival attendees. On the other end of the spectrum, River City Brewing Company came from just across the river. The brewpub had an interesting big amber ale called Woodhead. The nearly imperial amber was hoppier than their usual brews, oak aged and 7.2% percent alcohol by volume (ABV). River City was showing off 5 liter mini kegs, their kind of growler, available for sale at the pub.

Regional favorites were in abundance and they all brought their best and brightest. Moylan Brewery & Restaurant of Novato, Calif. had a couple of great brews on tap including the delicious Hopsickle and their most popular beer, a scotch ale called Kilt Lifter. Bear Republic Brewing Company had Racer 5, their well known IPA, as well as Heritage, their new scotch ale. Anderson Valley Brewing Company also kept their line long throughout the day, pouring Hop Ottin’ IPA.

Old favorites Lagunitas, Stone and Sierra Nevada were also present. Lagunitas had both their Pils and their IPA on tap. Stone’s representative, while manning their booth, was tweeting to get more people at the event. Sierra Nevada, in their shady green tent, was stocked with representatives. They, in particular seemed to enjoy hobnobbing with visitors and explaining all that Sierra Nevada has to offer.

The more distant Alaskan Brewing Company had several tapped and bottled selections including their 2010 Barley Wine. Just the wooden coin’s worth of tasting made me excited for the upcoming barley wine season. This particular barley wine is 10.7% ABV and has been a bronze medal winner at the World Beer Cup.

The festival had many brews available, and many genres to choose from, starting with the previously mentioned Black Diamond Brewing Company. The delta area brewing company had an extremely likable Belgian blond on tap, Freestyle Belgian blonde.

In terms of ciders, Hornsby's may have maintained the longest line throughout the day. They had two types of cider available, their amber and a crisp apple. Their small Hornsby's towels also provided head coverage for many festival-goers. ACE Ciders had a substantial line as well, although mostly female.

In my modest opinion, Mammoth Brewing Company of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. took best brewery of show. The up and coming brewery was pouring four beers. Their IPA 395, a double IPA brewed with wild desert sage was a favorite for many. They also had their Double Nut Brown on tap, as well as Epic IPA, another delicious choice on a hot summer day.

I was able to speak at length with Sean Turner, the owner of Mammoth Brewing Company. Turner explained that Mammoth, known for brewing in cans as well as bottles, is the only microbrewery to have an independent standing contract with Yosemite National Park.

As I was listening to Turner describe their brewery and location, it made me yearn for a Yosemite vacation and I found myself drifting into a hoppily delightful daydream. A Double Nut Brown with pancakes and maple syrup in the morning outside my tent, then a can of Epic IPA in the sun after a long afternoon hike. Before a campfire, I’d share a bottle of their newest beer, IPA 395, while watching the sun set over Yosemite Valley.

Beer Valley Brewing Company of Ontario, Oregon was an afternoon delight as well. They had an American style imperial stout available that was rich and delicious and boasted a bitter hoppiness that was nicely balanced with the rich darkness the stout had to offer. The blend of flavors found in Black Flag Imperial Stout was something that I’ve never before found appropriate in a stout, but that they did well. Beer Valley also brews the notable Leafer Madness, an Imperial Pale Ale. We can likely expect many more delicious brews from this brewery in the future.

There were many success stories at this year’s California Brewers festival. Knee Deep Brewing Co. of Lincoln is one such example. Knee Deep had three beers on tap, an IPA, their newly tapped Citra and Tanilla. Their Citra had a fresh bite that went well with the summer sun and the relaxing Discovery Park atmosphere. It was brewed using only citra hops and had a huge, fresh flavor.

Brewmaster Jeremy Warren was available to talk to visitors throughout the day. Warren informed us that Knee Deep is about to open a big production facility in either Reno or Lincoln. The brewmaster was quite pleased with their progress. They recently expanded to add eight more states to their distribution area. They now distribute to 13 states and hope to eventually have nationwide distribution.

Speakeasy Ales and Lagers of San Francisco mentioned that they were in the process of opening a tasting room as well.

Overall, cans are hot was the catchphrase for this summer’s beer season. Besides Mammoth, Caldera Brewing Company packages their beer in cans, as does Boulder Beer Company, the makers of the well-liked Hazed & Infused.

Gold Country Brewers Association had a flock of homebrewers, family members and children in their tent. They had both taps and bottles, provided by numerous members of the association. As always, group members were extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

Jason Kelly, who provided several bottled selections for Saturday’s festival including a wit, a stout and a porter, spent more than a few minutes sharing his knowledge on brewing and beer styles, as well as valuable advice on growing your own hops.

It’s these guys who really make the events and help to build the local brewing and beer loving scene.
The California Brewers Festival at Discovery Park is an annual event that is not to be missed. The open lawn on which the event was held was a great location for beer tents and food tents of all kinds. Surrounding the clearing, the shaded areas were a great place for beer drinkers to mingle and rest before selecting their next sample. In another area of the park, a cigar dealer had a tent where beer drinkers could purchase one their many cigar varieties.

Food vendors for the day included barbeque, teriyaki, Mexican, hot dogs, restaurants G-Dubbs and Pete’s, and a stand selling Tyson hot wings. Music provided by J Ras, ZuhG and Wooster added to the day’s ambience.

Event sponsors included Tyson and their hot wings, American River Bank, Clark Pacific, Fuse 3 Communications, Wells Fargo, Brew Your Own Adventures, AquaPerfect, Cherry Creek Mortgage Company and Warren G. Bender Co.

In addition to their annual brewers festival, Point West Rotary hosts a wine festival each April. For additional information, contact a Rotary member or visit the Point West Rotary website.

Originally written for Sacramento Press

Oktoberfest in SactoBavaria 2011

Dirndls and lederhosen on men, women and children of all ages were abundant this Friday and Saturday at the Sacramento Turn Verein (STV). Friday evening and all day Saturday the organization, founded in 1854 as a gymnastics club, hosted its 44th annual Oktoberfest.

The Turn Verein is a place “where folks with German ancestry and people with an interest in German culture congregate.” From the atmosphere this weekend, the STV has made it easy for families in the Sacramento area to keep their German heritage alive and thriving.

Surrounded by Bavarian blue and white, nearly every moment was filled with great German food, entertainment and company. Differing from typical Oktoberfest celebrations, real German beer brought in from Munich and sausages piled high with sauerkraut were only the tip of the iceberg.

The Gruber Family Band was a great addition to the weekend’s events. The band played throughout, integrating various competitions for Oktoberfest participants, a women’s stein holding contest and a children’s yodeling contest included. Nearly all of the participants wore traditional German dress. One got the feeling that the parents of the young yodelers have been training them for years.

One tiny participant, still too young to officially compete as a yodeler, was 17 month old Riley. Her mother, Cyndi McCluskey, found Riley’s tiny dirndl online. When asked if this was a family tradition, McCluskey responded positively.

“Every year!” She said.

Perhaps Riley will be ready for next year’s yodeling contest.

Later on Saturday night, a supposed men’s stein holding contest was announced. Eager participants gathered only to find that they would actually be participating in a yodeling contest. The results were quite extraordinary, really; the final yodel-off involved some mighty fine yodeling.

The Alpentänzer Schuhplattler, a traditional German folk dancing group, performed numerous times throughout the event. Their dances included a grand march, German hat dance, wooden pole dance and a maypole dance, among others.

Friday evening, the 2011 Turn Verein Oktoberfest maxed out at around a thousand people. This doesn’t usually happen on Friday evening, explained Heinz Ludke, Recording & Financial Secretary of the STV, though they usually reach maximum capacity sometime Saturday evening each year. Already at 4:00 on Saturday, the crowds were larger than usual. The Main Festhalle was full already at 4:30 and only got more packed as the night went on.

A lively rendition of “The Beer Barrel Waltz” really got things going Saturday night. Along with the lulling winding and unwinding of the maypole led by the Alpentänzer Schuhplattler, this perfect Oktoberfest only got better as the night went on.

There were German sing-a-longs and American sing-a-longs, the chicken dance and then the young folk dancers were up again. The dance floor cleared and the strapping young lads remained. There was dancing and box jumping, followed by a go at the Bavarian Hat Dance that broke out into a mock fight between two shirtless lads in lederhosen.

At times, if you found a spot on the dance floor you were lucky; a seat was a near impossibility.

In the upstairs hall, the mood was a bit more modern, with AKAlive rocking the room.

For a quiet escape, you could visit the Kaffeehaus for a cup of Jo(han) and a piece of cake.

Joann Schuler, a member of the Turner Harmonie, the choir that performed several times this weekend, helped man the Kaffeehaus. She seemed delighted to be a part of the event and was perfectly willing to discuss German culture, family stories, and best of all – she offered tips on the best German desserts at the Kaffeehaus.

The fruit basket dessert came highly recommended, as did the Black Forest cake, of course, and the Bienenstich, which Schuler described as containing, “almond and honey and creamy yumminess.”

One of the best parts of the event was the family feeling that filled the air. Everywhere you looked there were children, and large families congregating, usually three generations strong.

“Last time I was forced to wear lederhosen at the age of seven,” said Jordan Hess of Sacramento, “and now at the age of 27, I get to enjoy the beer!”

Hess’s parents were married at the Turn Verein and his grandfather participated in the STV soccer league in the 70’s. Saturday night it was just him and his younger sister Aubrey, who recently returned from a lengthy study abroad in Bremen.

Outside, both sides of the hall were flanked by a beer garden. While the white plastic chairs in the Turn Verein Biergarten were less charming than the wooden picnic tables in Bavarian beer gardens, everything else about the event certainly held its own.

I’ve been to the Hofbräuhaus, to a beer hall in southern Bavaria and a biergarten in Munich’s city park, but I never imagined that I would find such an enjoyable event right here in the middle of Sacramento.

“Durst ist schlimmer als Heimweh!” reads a sign in the main Festhalle.

“Thirst is worse than homesickness.”

There are many Oktoberfests that excel in celebrating drinking delicious German beer a liter at a time, but the Sacramento Turn Verein does much more than that - although there was plenty of good beer to go around. They show off the marvelous methods of celebration in Bavaria, bringing out German American families and friends for a night of celebrating what they are and what they have, a shared German heritage.

Late Saturday evening, while the rest of The Gruber Family Band took a break, Michael Gruber played “Amazing Grace” on what can only be described as a super-length beer bong. I had been there for almost six hours and I wanted to go home so badly. At the same time, I knew that if I went home, this magical German world would disappear.

Until next year.

 

Image by: Ed Fogle The next event at the Sacramento Turn Verein will be their annual Christkindlmarkt. The Christmas market will include a unique holiday shopping experience, glühwein (spiced wine) and their usual abundance of delicious German baked goods. Admission is free for the whole family with the donation of a children’s coat.

Besides numerous annual events like the Oktoberfest and its spring counterpart, the STV Bockbierfest, the Turn Verein offers German language classes, athletic clubs and various other social activities.

Originally written for the Sacramento Press