Brussels Beer Weekend #14

Every year for the last 13 years the Grand Place at the centre of Brussels has hosted the Brussels Beer Weekend, the biggest celebration of Belgian beer anywhere in the country, and I'll bet in the world. 51 breweries showed up for edition #14, presenting more than 350 different Belgian beers from Lambic, Stout, Trappist, Wit and Oud Brune to Golden, Saison, IPA, Abbey and beyond, they are all here! There is no admission fee, one just lines up for beer tokens (bottle caps actually) at 15 caps for 15 Euros and the obligatory 2 Euro glass token. Every Belgian beer has its own designated glass that it is served in, so you leave the token and get it back when you finish your glass so you can move on to the next beer. This is a real challenge in the shoulder to shoulder international crowds that descend on the Grand Place in happy delirium. 

This year, however, there were other options. Just a long block away from the madness was Beer Street, a 50 meter long bar with 46 taps set up at the back end of the Stock Exchange building. A smaller selection was available here, but it was less crowded and there were no worries about proper glass etiquette, all beers served in generic festival glasses. You still had to line up, as there seemed to be only 2 kiosks selling tokens, but then we discovered the Beer &  Food part of the festival while looking for Kiosk #3. Inside the beautifully restored Stock Exchange building a Belgian Beer Cafe had been set up, offering tasting trays of 3 different beers paired with gourmet appetizers. What a marvelous idea! Not only that, but the delicious selections changed every hour throughout the day!

We tried the Malheur (6%, golden, subtly hopped honey beer) with prosciutto wrapped capers & cream cheese, Buffalo Bitter (8.5%, sharp, tart, hoppy) accompanied by a blue Gorgonzola style cheese and finally, a Stella Artois (generic 5% lager) paired with some chocolate mousse. Right away the chocolate made the beer taste better, but with hints of wood, as if the beer had been aged in oak. Wow! We did come back for different selections throughout our weekend's activities.

Another match up: Hoegaarden Rose (3%, light, sweet, fruity) was offered against a beet, feta & couscous salad balancing them both, then Chimay Bleu (9%, beautiful dark auburn, complex & smooth) with a mysterious blue cheese, soft rind enhancing them both, and finally a Double Eighen, an abbey style dubbel (8%, deep amber, full malt) enlightened the chocolate mousse with candied sprinkles, underlying the contrast between sweet and piquant that swings both ways between beverage and tasty tapas.

My goodness, we flowed back to the sea of people in the Grand Place a few times over the weekend, and that's one of the beauties of this festival - you can come and go as you please! We slipped out for food (a wonderfully spicy Ethiopian meal at Kokob), cafe time on other streets ((Poechenellekelder andBier Circus) and visited museums (Magritte, Old Masters, The Royal Palace), but always returning to where there were still many untried beers to be had. We sampled Silly Saison (5% amber, dry & fruity) and Silly Pilsner (5% golden, malt balanced), barked at Blanche de Namur Wit (4.5%, cloudy, spicy, tart) and whistled at Vanderghiste Oud Brune (5.5% blended with lambic, oak aged) on Beer Street, we sipped Kwaremount (6.5% soft, rich) and puckered Petrus Double Brune (6.5% deep brown, full bodied) at the Bavik tent, we tippled Sint Gummarus Triple (8% golden, fruity, some hop) and threw back Pax Pils (crisp, clean, tasty) from the taps at Sint Josef and finally shared Keyte Grand Kriek (strong, big cherry, giant killer) at Strubbe. I'm sure there were more, but documentation gets spotty. All amazing beers in their own ways, running the spectrum of Belgian beer styles, all making me want more, to stay longer, try

something new and different again and again! But, alas, all good things come to and end and soon it was Sunday. Surrealism was born in Belgium and is somehow fused into many aspects of Belgian life and society, and certainly the Belgian beer world can seem downright surreal at times, especially on those late nights when you wander from beer bar to cafe, well beyond a decent bed time, until you find yourself, once again, back at the Delirium Cafe wondering what comes next.

Further Adventures in the Beer-o-Sphere

After my last visit to Europe (http://fezzbeertrek2010.blogspot.com), I was hoping to make attending the Brussels Beer Weekend an annual event. Held on the first weekend in September every year, this is what I consider one of the best beer festivals in the world. Right in the centre of Brussels, in the historical Grand Place, more than 50 tents dispense as many as 350 wonderful brews from many of Belgium’s finest breweries. Starting on Friday evening at 5 pm, an international crowd gathers to taste, talk and tackle some of the most interesting and flavourful beers this amazing country has to offer. Joining me on this odyssey was Donna Dupuis, long time friend, but first time Belgian beer novice – and it sure was to be an eye opener for her, whose only knowledge of Belgian beer came from Stella Artois ads.

Our adventure began months ago as I started to plan our two week pilgrimage. Landing in Brussels for the weekend festival, then moving on to Brugge, Amsterdam, Maastrict and what other places we could fit in between. Transportation and hotels booked, we left Vancouver bright and early one Wednesday morning for our cross Canada jaunt to Toronto, where, to our surprise, we stumble upon a Mill Street pub (http://yyz.millstreetbrewpub.ca/). Open since March 2012, they serve the same selection of great beers as their Distillery District location and even had a tasty seasonal 7% bière de garde on tap called Ambre de Chaudière, pale straw in colour, cloudy, but quite fresh, with an understated hint of spiciness, a smooth middle, light palate and long, sweetish, drying finish. It went lovely with lunch!

Then it was onto Frankfurt on the intercontinental red eye, finally arriving in Brussels early Thursday morning. We ended up having a very tight turnaround in Frankfurt, made easier by excellent Luftansa agents, who whisked us through the very busy airport, security and passport control to make our connection to Brussels. Alas, our luggage was not so lucky (though they did arrive the next morning, delivered right to our hotel!). So, sans baggage, dazed and sleepy, we take the train downtown and soon find ourselves on the historic cobblestone streets of the capital of Europe. We stash our few things at the front desk of our hotel (check in is not until 3 pm), a short walk from the Gare Centraal and just steps away from the Grand Place, and stumble out into the sunshine of the new day.

We cross the Grand Place where white tents are going up, trucks are unloading kegs and bottles while many people are setting up for the 14th Annual Brussels Beer Weekend. We go to Blanche ou Tonneau au Brasseur at rue de Brasseurs et rue des Chapeliers, whose outdoor tables spill around its corner location. They open a bit earlier here, so we settle into a freshly tapped Lindeman Kriek and a tall frothy Leffe Bruin. We watch the street sweepers, the early tourists and the local shop keepers beginning their daily routines, all with the step and verve of a new summer day. Joined in conversation by a friendly Swiss gentleman, we talk about beer, life, the cities we were all from and Brussels itself. Bidding us adieu he goes on his way, as do we, wandering the winding streets, checking out the Manneken Pis, the chocolate shops and visiting a small open church, taking in its history and marveling at the details of the modern and ancient art works inside.

We eventually find our way to one of my favourite beer cafes, Chez Moeder Lambic. Listed on their outdoor chalk board were some very interesting brews from Scotland, Italy, Switzerland and some unique offerings from local Lambic makers as well, all brought in by the pioneer proprietor Jean especially for the big festival. He went over his list with us and recommended other special beers as well. Sitting in the outdoor terrace on the Place Fontainas, we contemplated the rest of our day with two beautiful beers. Being a fan of the sour beers of Flanders, I opt for an oud bruin from Brouwers Verzet, while Donna enjoys a Witkap Stimulo. The oud bruin is a blend of an old, oak-aged and a younger brown beer, it is a hazy, auburn brown with a fruity, earthy nose, a green apple sour bite, but is well balanced, complex and refreshing, checking in at 6%. Also at 6% the Stimulo is a blonde ale with panache. Pale yellow, tight frothy head, warm herbal nose, fruity palate, complex flavours floating underneath each other creating a beautifully balanced and drinkable brew. http://www.moederlambic.com

We move on to have some lunch at A La Becasse, a wonderfully woody hole in the wall featuring the beers of Timmermans. I jump into a sour, bottle conditioned Gueuze Lambicus while Donna enjoys the Kriek Lambicus on tap. We order a cheese and sausage plate, which comes with pickled onions and sweet pickles, and enjoy the relaxed ambiance of this curious little cafe. The Kriek is deep red with a pink head, a bit sour, but balances towards to the sweet tartness of the cherries, while my Gueuze is definitely a classic blend of young and old lambics, displaying an oak aged smoothness amid a complex balance of sour and sweet. By now we are feeling the vast distances we have covered and decide to check in and have a wee nap, there is, after all, the evening is still ahead of us. http://www.alabecasse.com

 Revitalized, we visit A La Mort Subite for a pre-dinner beverage. Still on a lambic kick, I choose their Mort Subite Faro (candi sugar sweetness challenges the lambic sourness, complexity rules) on tap and a goblet of Special Palm (smooth, golden amber, malt balanced) for Donna. Run by the Vossen family for four generations, this is the proverbial classic Belgium cafe, deep and narrow, complete with Art Deco overtones, small street-side tables and a nice selection of beer, their own and others. http://alamortsubite.com/

Kitty corner to this venerable institution is Arcadi Cafe, far enough from the tourists to still draw locals into its warm and cozy atmosphere or onto the terrace spilling around the corner and into Les Galleries Royales St. Hubert. Fresh daily selections, wonderful service, the place is packed, but we find a tiny table in the back from which to people watch and enjoy our classic Brussels mussels with a white asparagus and salmon salad, yummy! Jupiler and Chimay Blue were the appropriate accompaniments here.

Time has a funny way of catching up to you, especially when jet-lagged, it can go either way. That, I think, is how we found ourselves at the infamous Delerium Cafe, probably the best beer bar/street in Brussels. It is an entire alley, as a matter of fact, they call it Delerium Village. The Monastarium serves 100 Trappist & Abbey beers,  plus 400 vodkas, next door it's 500 tequila's & mezcals, across the alley is the absynthe bar. But we came for the three story main event: Hop Attic above, Delerium Tap House on the mid floor and the whirling dervish of a room, the Delerium Tremens downstairs, featuring a beer menu of over 2000. We descend upon 'jam night', the atmosphere a smoky blues/jazz vibe, the place is buzzing, the beer flowing, the bands are cooking...  
Of course we start with Delerium Tremens (8.5% big golden ale, huge malt character, scary smooth), then La Rulles Estivalle (5.2%, hazy, sparkling golden ale, hints of honey & flowers), followed by Buffalo Stout (6.5%, deep roasted/coffee character, brown sugar/malty notes), a La Rulles Brune (6.5%)... somewhere in there was the absynthe...
it sure was a fun night!

Calgary's Best and Wurst

The Wild Rose
I had an opportunity recently to revisit Calgary, a city I lived in for many years. The beer scene has grown and changed there, but all for the better it seems. Some brewpubs have closed, but great new beer bars have risen in their place. Whilst involved in the Stampede for those 10 wild days, I managed to visit with old friends and drop by a few new places of note and an old fave.

The one true independent brewery/pub left in Calgary is still my favourite place, the Wild Rose Brewery with its taproom on the old army barracks land just off of Crowchild Trail. A forerunner of great craft beer, in business over 20 years now, they bottle 6 different regular beers, many seasonals in specilaty bottles, offer up an unique cask ale every Friday, have a Brewers Special cask series going on right now too. The Wild Rose is also home to the Cowtown Yeast Wranglers, a beer/homebrew club with a large growing membership, who meet here once a month to sample, talk, taste, pair and learn all about beer in its many aspects. The Brewery and the club sponsor a home brew competition every winter and get entries from right across Canada.

This night found three of us hungry, thirsty, done work early and not far from the Taproom, and hearing about the excellent Hoodoo Heff on tap, well, we just had to make the trip. This is a wonderful hefeweizen, silky smooth, aromatic, cloudy as all get out and delicious! There are some spicy notes whirling around in the citric tartness, all understated and alluring. This beer went down easy with a long, subtle finish leaving the drinker to want more. And so we did!

Also available that night was Wild Rose's new seasonal, an unique twist on a Belgian IPA, which seems to be a style sweeping the West Coast, so many micros starting to produce them now. Head Smashed In is a big beer, with a huge nose of hop florals to start. It is unfiltered, amber in colour with a strong malty backbone to hold up the bitter assertiveness of Vanguard, East Kent Goldings and Cascade hops. Evident is the Belgian yeast strain, imparting a complex dance of flavours that defines this style on the palate. Fruity and intriguing, with a long, slow finish. Wow!

There was also a Brewer's Cask on, a supped up version of their flagship IPA, but a little stronger and aged in a bourbon barrel. This gave the brew quite a distinctive flavour, bold but not overpowering, with pronounced hints of whiskey, wood, vanilla, dark malt in the nose and on the palate. All I could think of was the poor selection at our hotel bar, and how I'd likely not get back here this trip. Sure glad to have the one night anyway!
http://www.wildrosebrewery.com/

Wurst
A few days later, I was able to meet my son and some friends at one of Calgary's newer places, Wurst, a German style pub-restaurant on the premises of the former Wildwood Brewpub, once a mainstay of the Calgary beer scene. The street level upstairs features a more casual, upscale dining experience, lovely trees filling the spaces between tables. Downstairs, however, is your more traditional German beer hall, long, shared tables, large steins and big plates of food.

Wurst features 18 beers on tap, many authentic German lagers, pilsners, wheat beers (Ayinger, Erdinger, Krombacher, Konig Lugwig) and a number of German styles produced by local breweries (Mt. Begbie's Kolsch, Franzl's Roggen Ale, Okanagan Springs 1516) to name a few.

The Hacker-Pschorr Edel-hell was particularly refreshing, light, clean, crisp and the Aying Brau Weiss lead us to a number of wheat beers. All draft comes in 1/2 liter, full liter or ridiculous 2 liter steins. I think we call those pitchers in Canada, don't we?

At first glance the menu seems expensive, entres priced between $24 and $38, but we opted for a series of appetizers (between $10 and $15) and were delighted they were all 'German' portions! The Bavarian Chicken wings for example, there were 3 on the plate, but they were huge, de-boned, stuffed with sausage and breaded in pretzls. Delicious! Brad ordered the Smoked Cast Iron Ribs, which came stacked high and smothered in a beer BBQ sauce. Wunderbar! The rest of our meal was just as tasty and generous: Maultaschen (duck sausage), Octopus Salad, Venison Merguez Corndogs. We were a happy and well-stuffed lot after this meal. Capping off the night with a fresh Celebrator Dopplebock on tap was a no brainer.
http://wurst.ca/

Beer Revolution
One more night out in summertime Cowtown was spent at Beer Revolution, a separate and recent addition to the west side of Brewsters at 8th Str. & 11 Ave. SW. They have 24 taps, but can have as many 70 drafts listed on their Airport Departures-type board, many to be tapped as others are emptied. It's a very comfortable and pleasant room, except for the insistence of loud music. The place was maybe half full the night we were there, and we still had to shout to hear each other. Still, the selection was superb. From Paddock Wood Loki Double IPA to Amber's Zombie Apocalypse to

Dieu du Ciel's Dernière Volonté Blond Abbey, there certainly is something for everyone. The food is fairly decent as well, the wings and the pizzas being excellent accompaniments to the array of beers we sampled, from fruity & malty to hoppy & strong. They also offer a Rotisserie Feast (prime rib, chicken or porchetta), a raw bar, an interesting selection of appetizers, burgers and sandwiches too.

 The only downfall of this place is the poorly trained staff. Our waitress seemed to care less about the beer, complaining it was impossible to memorize details about all of the beers. She made no effort at all to answer questions and appeared more concerned with flirting with and spending time at the younger tables. With knowledgeable staff, this could be an excellent beer bar.
http://beerrevolution.ca/

A Week of Beer

VCBW 2012

Well, I can't say I'm really reporting on this year's festival, as I didn't get out to as many events as I would have liked. Hoppapalooza III was sold out (again this year) before I could buy tickets, as were a number of other things. Work got in the way of some things and a beautiful long weekend on Quadra Island, which took me out of town for the VCBW first few days, could not be beat.
That said, I returned to the city on Monday with tickets for the Russell Brewery cask event at Doolins. I must admit to having never been in Doolins before this, though a landmark on Granville at Nelson, yet I did know they were not considered to be a 'good beer bar'. Nonetheless, posse in tow, we showed up at the stated time, proceeded to the back of the room (the dance floor?) where the 3 casks were set up. After checking in, we got our first glass and all went for the VCBW 2012 Official Beer, the collaboration brew, a Cascadian Dark IPA. Quite aromatic, it pours dark brown with a light tan, with quickly dissipating head. Delicious and rich, with a wonderful complexity of malts and hops, sweetness contained by bitterness, smooth with hints of chocolate, hops starting in the nose, torpedoing right through to a dry finish. Truly a full bodied west coast inspired style. Russell was the host for the collaborative effort this year, so this was an exclusive cask.
Next up was Doolins Ale, a light ale brewed for Doolins by Russell, but added to the cask was a full bottle of 10 year old Talisker single malt whiskey. Surprisingly subtle, the palate is not overwhelmed by whiskey, instead a delicate play of flavours are on display. There is a hint of smokiness in the aroma that sneaks all the way into the finish, no real hop presence, but no malt sweetness either, a dry finish. Quite lovely and smooth.
Last but not least is Rick August's Russian Imperial Stout. Rick won the Grand Prize for Best in Show in the 2011 Vanbrewers Golden Stag Homebrewing Awards. Part of his prize was to have Russell Brewing duplicate his recipe on a larger scale. This is a wonderfully massive brew! Deep, dark and delicious yes, but with such a malty complexity! Oil black, full bodied, velvety, with notes and hints of caramel, chocolate, licorice, dark malt, dried fruit, warming alcohol and at the Czar-ish strength of 10% abv. This beer won not just our hearts this night, but our souls as well.
Though the beers were stellar, not much else was. 'Beautifully presented canapés' were promised - we might of each got three small crackers, that were tasty, but not enough to actually enjoy with the beers. It didn't seem long before this sports bar switched back to hockey mode, loud blaring music chasing beer geeks out the door. And we only got one glass of each of the casks for our $25 ticket. We were asked to pay $7 for another glass of our fave brew, but after buying tickets for this from the burly, surly and rude bartender, we decided to finish the night a Subeez's a few blocks away, enjoying Crannog Insurrection IPA, some lovely mussels and good conversation.

Oregon Comes to Vancouver

 A new beer bar opened on Main Street during the 2012 Vancouver Craft Beer Week. Portland Craft, specializing in the beers of Oregon, and even a few other states too. The room seems to be unchanged from its previous incarnation as the Copper Tank, which features a nice big open space, long wood tables and lots of light. What has changed, however, is what is on tap. Portland Craft features 16 taps and a few specialty bottles all from south of the border. With line ups out the door and up the street on opening night, they hit the ground running during VCBW. On night two, we watched waves of patrons come and go, enjoying the selection (half of them IPAs) and the tasty items on the food menu. Our party sampled tasty clams, spicy wings, good burgers, as well as half the taps.
The Gigantic Saison (7.7%) was a surprise, being a dark version, inserting a dark, nutty maltiness where you might expect a spicy dryness. Deschutes Inversion IPA (6.8%) was well liked by the hopheads in our group at 80 IBUs, as was the Gigantic IPA (7.3%) at 85 IBUs, the Hopworks Urban Brwery IPA (6.6%) at 75 IBU, Alameda El Toreo IPA (5.5%) at 70 IBUs and our IPA favourite of the night: Alameda Yellow Wolf IPA (8.2%) at a puckering 103 IBUs.
There was also the lovely Two Beers Trailhead ISA (India Session Ale) 4.8%,  an light, session IPA you might say, Lagunitas Lucky 13 (8.3%) a hoppy little number from California, a full bodied Elysian Dragonstooth Stout (7.45%) an imperial oatmeal version, and the uniquely spicy Rogue Chipotle Ale. 

Marie-Helene enjoys a Lucky 13

The staff seem to be learning about about the beers as the customers are, but the service is good and friendly, so I am sure it won't take long. Also, prices are reasonable from small appy plates to entres and the beers too. Being that Portland Craft is actually one of my locals, I can see myself visiting this great new addition to Main Street with regularity, just to see how the taps rotate.
http://portlandcraft.com/

The Real Festival Floor

 After all of the tastings and pairings, the sipping and slurping, pub-hopping and session searching it comes down to this: 47 tables representing more than 56 breweries serving hundreds of beers from BC, the US and Europe all presented in the historical Salt Building in the Olympic Village. Built around 1930 to refine salt on False Creek, it became a paper cycling plant in the 1980's before being redone completely for the 2010 Olympic Games. This heritage  building is now a great rental hall for a variety of events, and perfect for this festival. There really was an overwhelming choice available for beer geeks and novices alike. Just about any style you could think of, you could find plus a number of unique creations and several cask conditioned ales as well. But where to start?

Two rough rules of thumb. I always look for new breweries or new brews from fave breweries to start, then go for whatever looks interesting on cask. You cannot beat unfiltered, cask conditioned fresh ale in my book!

Spinnaker's of Victoria was actually serving only cask ales,  one being their East Kent Goldings laced IPA, one of my favourites - aromatic, full flavoured and perhaps a little strong, as my tasting partner Scott seemed to detect hints if tequila! The Cannery Brewery also had an interesting cask on: their Naramata Nut Brown infused with espresso and molasses: big, wonderfully warm & bitter coffee hit right out the gate, but smooth in the middle, leaving an understated sweetness floating through your palate.

A number of new breweries were in attendance, some brand new, and few others still fairly new to the festival. East Vancouver's newest brewery, Parallel 49, just opened for business during the week of the festival. They presented 4 of their beers, the hoppy Hoparazzi IPA and the Gypsy Tears Ruby Ale were both tasty and inviting. Townsite Brewing Co. from Powell River had some interesting brews on hand, the most impressive being their Belgian Triple, a hefty beautiful blonde brew of considerable gravity, but smooth, seductive and at 8.6%, very warming. There were lots of hoppy beers: Oregon's Ninkasi Brewery with Total Domination IPA, 'balanced perfection'; San Diego's Green Flash Brewing served up a very grapefruit dominated West Coast IPA, a stunning Imperial IPA (9.2%) and the seriously delicious Le Freak, a Belgian tripel meets IPA, a style many are now trying to emulate. Nasty Habits Pale Ale from Revelstoke's Mt. Begbie Brewery was Scott's fave go-to hoppy brew of the afternoon, but also good was Victoria's new kid on the block, Hoyne Brewing Co. with their Down Easy Pale Ale, hoppy, but with enough fruitiness to make this a smooth session brew. Their Devil's Dream IPA was also distinctive, with a good hop-malt balance and a lingering give-me-more-ness, as was Dark Matter, a malty brown brew.
There were a number of great Europeans brews on hand as well. The German participants, including Maisel Weisse serving their dunkel & hefe, and Hacker Pschorr were the wheat beer kings. The Belgians were very evident, Delerium Tremens being one of our group's faves, a classic pale & strong Belgian ale. Big names like Duvel, Liefman's, L'Achouffe, Chimay, and Dupont poured their classic brews too. The you-either-love-it-or-not Duchesse de Bourgogne  from Brouwerij Verhaegheis is a superlative sour Flanders Red, not for the light of palate. It displays a profound sour fruitiness and complex character that that one on an historical journey. Chapleau represented the Lambic region with a tangy Apricot and a Kriek, Satan poured their Ambree and Gold, both 8%.
Fuller's from the UK served their delicious London Porter and St. Peter's had a lovely IPA and the questionable Honey Porter, a sickly sweet and cloying entry that no one seemed to like.

Local brewers are making some great and unique brews too. Storm, long an innovator on Vancouver craft beer scene, had an amazing Imperial Flanders Red, sour and provocative, complex and silently strong. Even Yaletown is getting in on the sour beer craze, their Oud Bruin exhibiting enough Brettanomyces to pucker your palate. Oh, by the way, another stand out from Storm, their Basil IPA. This unique herbal brew would go great with any number of dishes, the basil leaf flavour dominating the hop component in a very seductive way.
Yes, there were some old favourites, to name a few: Tin Whistle ESB, rebranded again with a new label, but with the same balanced goodness; Driftwood's Fat Tug, a perennial go-to brew for Victoria hopheads; Big River ESB for the Richmond crowd; and Chilliwack's Old Yale Pale Ale, also rebranded but still carrying on. Central City from Surrey, Hopworks Urban Brwery & Upright from Oregon, Fernie, Lighthouse, Howe Sound, Phillips, Russell, all strongly represented and enjoyed by the sold out crowd. In fact, it was a very comfortable room, the event not being over-sold, there was lots of space for wandering and talking, tasting and comparing. What was missing, I thought though, was something more in the way of food. There was only one food stand, Beer Brats, selling tasty beer-infused sausage on the small patio. With all of the wonderful and strong brews available, you'd think there might be other vendors offering tid-bits of this or that, just help the beers go down and perhaps cleanse the palate for more adventurous brews.
Thanks to Adam from Raincity for the de Ranke & de Glazen Toren. All in all, a wonderful afternoon and a great ending to another fabulous week of beer!

Night Out in Denver

Denver, Colorado is a well known mecca in the beer universe, home to many great breweries, brewpubs and beer bars. As luck would have it, work brought me to Denver this Spring. My friend  Raj and I had a chance to sample a few local brews on offer at a number of places, all within walking distance of our downtown hotel. There is a free public bus that will take you the length of 16th Street, but there is much to see on the Mall itself for the adventurous who like to walk.

Our first stop is the Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafe is a great wood-lined pub/restaurant a few blocks from the 16th Street Mall.  They serve a large selection of 'old world' Belgian beers on tap, as well as well known US craft beers. I enjoyed a taster tray of American heavy hitters: Dog Fish Head Tweason Ale 6%, Avery Collaboration Not Litigation Ale 8.7%, Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine 12%, and Funkwerks Caspercot (apricot Saison). Raj enjoyed a quadruple sampling of some of the classic Belgian ales available: Affligem Blond 6.8%, LaTrappe Dubbel 7%, Chimay White 8% and LaTrappe Quadruple 10%.

The frites were excellent, especially Belgian served with a couple of different dipping sauces, as well as mayo. Our server was friendly and very knowledgeable, making great recommendations and telling us about other geat beer bars in the downtown area.
I also immensely enjoyed a big chalice of Russian River Sanctification (a Bretted golden ale), quite an exceptional brew, dry and funky, aromatic, hints of sweetness, ambrosia in a glass.
http://cheekymonk.boomtime.com

Next we shuttled back towards our hotel and headed to the Great Divide Brewery. It has a busy taproom pouring 16 different beers made on premises. And the premises are big, for beer making that is. It was standing room only as we arrived, happy hour just winding down, but we did manage to find a couple of stools overlooking the brewery itself. Raj tells me they used to serve great steaks at one time, but the brewery has expanded to swallow up that space. Instead, patrons are encourage to buy pizza from the mobile pizza van parked out on the street. There is also a small patio on the street.

 Raj ordered us up a Yeti Imperial Espresso Stout that was to die for. Delicious chocolatey/coffee aroma, it bursts upon your taste buds suggesting a mocha ice cream float in a giant shot of strong espresso! Amazingly full bodied, well balanced with roasted malt notes, chocolate cake finish. We also enjoyed their famous Denver Pale Ale and a nice and hoppy Titan IPA. Will have to come back for more. Passing on pizza, we decided to find something more substantial.
http://www.greatdivide.com/

So, we ended the night at Freshcraft, a lovely casual little beer bar/resto on Blake Street, a block off the main 16th Street strip. I went for the fish tacos, well Raj supped on a fine stew, the food was very good in this narrow, but deep diner.  I ordered an Oskar Blues G’night Imperial Red Ale 8.7%, a big, bossy brew, with malty highlights and a smooth finish. It went well with my late dinner and seemed an appropriate night cap. Raj went for the Left Hand Milk Stout 5.3%, rich and delicious, with a delicate sweetness.
http://freshcraft.com/

We, of course, barely scratched the surface of the Denver beer scene. I was especially disappointed we lost track of time and didn't make it to the Falling Rock Taphouse, just a few blocks the other way up Blake Street, boasting 75 beers on tap and over 130 different bottles. Next time. It's just so easy to find great places to drink the wonderful beers of Colorado and beyond. Cheers!
http://fallingrocktaphouse.com

Drinking Beer in L.A.

I was lucky enough recently to escape the the doldrums of a cool, late Spring by flying to L.A. on business. This of course lent itself immediately to the prospects of beer hunting in a city that has only recently embraced the craft beer revolution. The last five years has seen a huge growth in interest and quality, local craft breweries and many beer bars now dot the landscape for those on the prowl. We were staying in the grand Hotel Bonaventure, right in downtown L.A., background to a host of blockbuster movies over the years,

and still a majestic place to stay. On my first search, I came up with about a dozen places conceivably within walking distance of the hotel. 'Excellent!' I thought, as we arrived at the hotel, the sun setting and the clock ticking. The concierge informed me of a brewpub actually located in the hotel, up on the 4th level. But it was closed for a private event this Saturday evening. Also closed was the Weiland Brewery Restaurant, just steps from the hotel. So, with other enthusiasts in tow, we headed south on Flower Street in search of Bottlerock, a renowned restaurant/beer bar not far away. Instead, we first came upon a neon craft beer sign beckoning us. This was Public School 612, a cool little spot, self-serve sporty pub upstairs and a more relaxed dining area downstairs in the Daily Grill.

Public School 612 offers 10 great beers on tap, but also has a daily written list of 8 more rotating taps. All in all, quite a lovely variety of region and style. They also have 10 tall Belgian and other 'Study Groups' of specialties available in 650 ml and 750 ml bottles. No need to go downstairs, we found ourselves a table in front of the darts area, where we settled in, ordered tapas and watched the hockey game.

I started with Deviant Dale's IPA, an 8%, well hopped, copper coloured contender from Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, CO, served up in a Belgian style tulip glass. Very fresh aroma, the hops float over a solid malt base, well balanced and smooth, light lacing, dryish finish. Next from the Lost Abbey line from Port Brewing in San Diego, CA, Lost & Found Abbey Ale, a 7.5% Abbey dubbel made with raisins. Yummy! Chocolate notes abound, deep brown, complex, hints of dried fruit and bread. Darkly aromatic, foamy head with a long, pensive finish. The night cap of the evening was an Avery Maharaj 10% IPA, out of Boulder, CO. Big hop nose here, tight head, grapefruit splashed palate balanced against a warm maltiness, beautiful amber hue, big beer yet smooth and intriguing. Also enjoyed at our table was the 4.5% Golden Road Hefe Weizen from Glendale, CA., appropriately cloudy, tart with hints of clove and banana, big rocky head, refreshing, nourishing and coy.
By now the young, latino darts crowd had arrived and drifted into heated competition and loud conversation in front of us, also immensely enjoying the selection of beers. We slipped out into the very warm and quiet night and made our way back up the few blocks to our hotel. Drinking beer in L.A. Cool start. http://www.publicschool612.com

The next night, a Sunday night in the heart of downtown L.A, we found ourselves arriving late to the celebrations. The Staples Center had hosted two events that day, a Lakers/Mavericks basketball game in the afternoon, but also game 3 of the Kings/Canucks playoff series in the evening. The surrounding area, known as L.A. Live, is an entertainment district, and had been entertaining people all day. By the time we arrived, most places were closed or closing. But we were just in time for first Last Call at the Yard House. This is a high end beer operation, with loactions in other major markets, they offer 200 beers on tap, craft,
 
international ales and lagers, a staggeringly good selection, should be more than enough for anyone. I enjoyed a McChouffe from Belgium, as I took in the ambience of the dying evening, the still-loud-and-boistrous-but-the-kitchen's-closed crowd slowly drifting off into the night, the weekend done. We convinced our friendly and knowledgeable bartender to pour one more, so it was a Green Flash IPA from San Diego, CA. for me, a managerie of hops evident in this yummy, multi-dementional brew. I swear I floated right back to the hotel after this...
http://www.yardhouse.com

And right into the Bonaventure Brewing Co. pub at our hotel. No one left, and the staff deep into clean up mode, but they were friendly enough to offer us last call. They actually brew on premise, small batches of their specialities, but are also paired with a sister company, the Belmont Brewing Co. in Long Beach where larger batches can be produced. They were serving four of their own this night; Pale Ale (5.5%) well balanced dry & fruity; Blonde Ale (4.8%) crisp & clean; Strawberry Blonde (4.8%) fruity, sweetish and finally, a lovely & surprisingly light tasting Black IPA, roasted malts evident, but balanced against a fresh hoppiness on the palate and in the nose, smooth, nutty, easy to drink, hints of chocolate & coffee, a swirl of flavour. They also offer a number of rotating guest taps. While we were there they had: Smoked Porter (5.9%) from Stone, Racer 5 IPA (7%) from Bear Republic, Black Market Hefe-Weizen (5%), Ale Smith Nautical Nut Brown (4.8%) & Mermaid's Red (5.7%) from Coronado, a ruby brew infused with cocoa, lavender & dates.
Needless to say, this was the last stop every night we were in L.A. Friendly staff, decent selection of beers and an easy stumble to our rooms made this a tasty no brainer.                       http://www.bonaventurebrewing.com

To Venice Beach & Back

Now comes the real fun part, two days off in L.A. What a treat! Good friend Bubba insisted we take the express bus to Santa Monica and go from there to Venice Beach. We were on the Santa Monica pier by noon, did a quick, touristy walkabout on the main shopping street, then headed south vaguely wanting lunch, beer, entertainment. Half way to the beach we come across a no name Caribbean hut/restaurant with excellent island fare, from jerk to tostada to plantains to their own delicious ginger beer. No license, but you can BYOB, if you know in advance!
Sated after our journey to get there, we now hit the beach, rented bicycles and proceeded to the fabled beach strip. A pourporri of shops from trendy to tourist, a slew of bars and restaurants and a beach that seems to go on forever. The bike path runs in and out of parks, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, out door weight training facilities, and the commerce eventually gives way to residential, and much interesting architecture, the path ending at the water and across the bay is Marina del Rey.

Along the way we found the Venice Ale House, beach side with a wonderful little patio outside in the warm sun, a few tall tables and bar seating inside overlooking the 18 regular and 18 rotating guest taps, an impressive array, the chalk board must change every day. Here we found Oscar Blues Dales Pale Ale, Hi Hop XPA, Golden Road Hefe-Weizen and my Green Flash Le Freak Belgian IPA (9.2%). Few breweries make this Belgian/IPA style of beer, some are exceptional, this is one of them. Long and dry, with a Belgian yeast prominent, a parade of hops on displays, big & virile, not for the light-hearted, but rewarding, a good malt base, seductive floral aromatics, full marks.
Refreshed, we enjoyed the beach trail and some side adventures into the local neighbourhood to view the varied historical and modern unique houses and architectural statements. Fascinating and cool.
http://venicealehouse.com

In several Top Ten lists I viewed on line for the L.A. beer scene, The Daily Pint was always at or near the top. That's where we hiked to next, slightly uphill, about 20 blocks. Could have taken the 207 Pico bus, but it was a lovely day to walk the side streets amongst the palms and other indigenous  flora. Once on the main street, one could easily miss the front door, mistaking it for some sort of dive, but once inside there is no mistake. 34 beers on tap when we were there, all written neatly on the chalk board, rewritten as the beers change. I bought the first round: 2 Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ales (4.6%), a Bruery Humulus Lager (7.4%) and a Dogfish Head Festiva Peche (4.5%) for myself. On tap this neo-Berliner Weisse is positively refreshing, especially with the peachy sourness spiraling through it, fresh and effervescent, a perfect tonic for the walk up here. They also had a cask on: Firestone's Velvet Merlin Bourbon Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout (5.5%). Hard to resist such a mouthful. Deliciously decadent, tones of dark chocolate & rich espresso, creamy with only a fleeting touch of wood & whiskey, but full bodied and smooth, with enough hops to dry out a long wonderfully sensuous finish.

Bubba was beside himself when he ordered The Vixen, a chocolate chili bock beer from Sam Adams. I stepped up to the plate and helped him out though, for this was a big beer to finish on.
This 8.5% brew pours black, hues of brown & a touch of ruby, has a subtle nose of roasted malts, nuts & oats. The chili remains in the background on the palate, mingling with the chocolate, just above the hops, this is a smooth, well balanced brew, heady, malty and to the point.
http://thedailypint.net

We had just enough time to catch the last express bus back into Downtown L.A. As fate would have it, we were dropped off right near the Staples Center at L.A. Live, and as we headed instinctively for Flower Street we found Bottlerock, the aforementioned beer bar, a perfect place for rest and refreshment. This funky eatery is modern open concept, with their walls being shelves full of the wine and beer they sell. You can buy it to go, or stay in and enjoy the wide variety on the menu. They have 22 beers on tap, at least 20 in various sized bottles and a huge wine list. There was a special event going on in one end of the restaurant, people were shopping in the other and we were eating in between. The food was quite good, modern Italian, from lasagna to seafood, very tasty.
We ordered North Coast Scrimshaw American Pilsner (4.4%) and Hangar 24 Alt Bier (6%). The former is pale straw, crisp and clean pilsner, with subtle hop and a dry finish. The latter is a deeper amber, displays copper hues & caramel notes, with a malty edge and a long smooth finish.
Bottlerock has a delectable cheese list too, so I opted for a trio to go with the Russian River Sanctification (6.75%) I just had to have. This refreshing sour golden ale, humming with subtle Brettanomyces, aged in corked champagne bottles, went very well with the piquant St. Peter's Gorgonzola (Wisconsin), the sharp Cabot Clothbound Cheddar (Vermont) and the gooey goat Capriago (Bohemia). What a great way to close out a great day!
Stay tuned folks, for Day 2... after, of course, a night cap at the Bonaventure !
http://bottlerock.net