• What the Ladies Had to Say About Chick Beer

    November 9, 2011 Author: Scott
    2 Comments

    I’m blown away by the polarizing response Chick Beer has created.  While it seems a vast majority of those leaving comments feel negatively against the beer, there are a few who don’t mind, and even a few who praise it.

    Ultimately it is the choice of the woman, not the man, that matters in this case, as the product is marketed solely, and unquestionably, to women.  Men’s voices have no consequence in these matters.

    Knowing it’s the woman’s choice, what did the women have to say?  While there may be more women who commented, here are the 4 comments that I could find on the aritcle from those who identified themselves as a woman.  For the record, as of this writing, there were 6 comments on this site, 107 comments on reddit.com, and 6 comments on beernews.org.

    “qotsa73” from reddit.com says:

    I’m a woman. I don’t drink macro brews, so i never feel like the beers i’m drinking are being marketed to me or not. They don’t really do any advertising (that I’ve seen) and their labeling is neutral. I’ve never had anything deter me from drinking a Cascade or Russian River or Jolly Pumpkin beer. I seek these beers out because I like good beer. Not because of the way they are marketed.

     

    Women who love beer are not deterred or attracted to the beers they choose due to marketing. Thus, I’m not offended by this beer as a woman.

    “Eesa” from reddit.com says:

    In my opinion this is not “empowerment” for women, but a step back. I like my craft beer, thank-you. No Chick beer for this lady.

    Erin from IndyBeers.com says:

    I’m a chick. I make beer. I drink beer. The reason women don’t drink beer is because they’ve been handed some pisswater light lager and told it’s beer. Every female friend I’ve introduced to real, craft beer in the last 5 years has gone from “I hate beer” to “I hate beers that taste like bud, miller, etc.” Also, this beer compares itself to mass-produced american light lagers but it’s twice the price. The $9-10 range, even in NYC where I live, puts you in craft territory, and for that money you could buy a sixer of Brooklyn, Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, etc.

     

    The beer I make is for people with tastebuds. I could give a crap what’s in your pants.

    Melissa from IndyBeers.com says:

    “I invite anyone out there who wants to make an Imperial IPA for women to give that business model a try.”

     

    Why would anyone make an Imperial IPA, or any beer for that matter, for women? We don’t have a different set of taste buds – when I make dinner of an evening, I don’t make two meals because I need to eat something different from the bloke opposite me, so why on earth do I need a different beer?

     

    This ‘silver bullet’ approach to beer marketing is what’s got the whole category into a mess in the first place, because the focus was solely on getting the majority male market, whilst wilfully excluding 51% of potential consumers.

     

    Macho-marketing, sexist ad campaigns and a steady dumbing-down of flavours within the mass-market is exactly why the craft beer market is seeing such a meteoric rise, because it is the total antithesis, it places an emphasis on flavour and quality, not on how pretty things look.

     

    Sadly, all this product is doing is taking that approach and flipping it to exclude 49% of its potential market instead.

     

    I completely agree with Erin about her experiences, when I do tastings with women who have previously been beer rejectors, I sit and ask them what they normally like to drink, what they eat, what the like and dislike about beers they’ve tried and then match a brew accordingly.

     

    And whilst I’ll certainly agree that a lot of the time I hear issues around presentation, it’s more about ugly glassware and large volume measures than it ever is about not having enough pink on the bottles.

     

    Also in concert with Erin, I have found the major problem to be that people expect women to go from a high-alcohol, complex product – like wine or spirits – to ‘something easy drinking’ or ‘fruity’.

     

    You wouldn’t tell an artisan cheese lover that they should be eating a Kraft slice, so why on earth would you apply that logic to beer? It’s kind of the beer equivalent of the boss patting you on the arse in the office and telling you not to worry your pretty little head about things.

     

    I’m sure the creators of Chick Beer don’t have some sort of anti-feminist agenda, I think they’re just very misguided. And whilst I applaud that they are looking to support a charitable cause, that doesn’t make it all better I’m afraid

    I’m also curious what reddit.com user “retrospects” wife had to say.

    Lastly, we picked up a new like over at Facebook from Jeri Leigh Siss.  Can someone tell me what an “On Premise Specialist” does?

    Source: Original interview with Chick Beer

  • Interview – Chick Brewing Company

    November 8, 2011 Author: Scott
    8 Comments

    After we finished our review of Chick Beer I was able to catch up with the owners of Chick Beer and ask them a few questions as part of our ongoing interview series.  I included some of the responses from the community in the series of questions.  Thanks to all who posted their comments which helped contribute to this article.

    On reddit.com “hopster” says, “This retarded gimmick is an insult to the millions of women who enjoy craft beer.”  Has your product overly simplified and stereotyped women?  Do you feel this negativity is based on the fact that the beer is marketed to women, or would response have been the same if you painted the male beer drinker with a similar broad brush stroke?

    Wow, is someone really using the word “retarded” to tell us how insensitive we are?  Really?

    Beer has been around for thousands of years.  Women have been around for even longer.  So how is a beer for women a gimmick?  Is beer a gimmick?  Are women?  Can we agree that the major light beers are marketed directly to men, what with all of the women in their commercials being bimbos and the charges that the drinkers are “unmanly”?  Market segmentation is clearly not concept invented by us.

    Chick Beer is a choice.  We’re not telling anyone that they have to drink our beer.  If someone wants to drink Chick Beer because they like the sexy packaging, or its positive statement about women, because they love the taste, or because we donate 5% of our profits to women’s charities, then they have that choice.  If they don’t value those things, then they should drink something else.

    In the comments below our Chick Beer review, Jon says, “There are plenty of women who drink craft beer, write about craft beer, and brew craft beer. It’s clear this beer was created by someone more concerned with business and appearances…”  Do you feel that is the case?  Were you more concerned with business and appearances than creating a beer just for the love of brewing?

    Chick Beer has never been about making a brewing statement.  Chick Beer is making a cultural statement.  The fact is that – whether you like it or not – light American lager is by far the most popular style of beer in America. Chick Beer is merely acknowledging that women aren’t a niche market.  At 25% of the market, they are more like a Grand Canyon.  Women choose to drink Chick Beer because it is a brand that is for them.

    That being said, we’ll blind-taste Chick Beer against any light lager.  At 97 calories and 3.5 carbs, you simply cannot beat us.

    I invite anyone out there who wants to make an Imperial IPA for women to give that business model a try.  About 5% of beer sold is craft beer.  That means that the female craft beer market is perhaps 1% of the total beer market.  You simply cannot build a business on a base that small.

    Jon goes on to state, “It’s what is inside the bottle that matters, not the labeling, appeal, or advertising. Hence, this beer totally misses the mark.”  Do you see a lot of this reaction to the name?  How do you market a beer to the craft beer community when the beer may be perceived as a gimmick?

    If Jon is right, then the best-selling beers in the U.S.- Bud Light, Budweiser, Coors Light and Miller Lite – are also the best-tasting, best-made, highest-quality beers out there, right?  The success of ANY product is based upon a combination of marketing and production.  If “totally missing the mark” means being commercially successful, then we’ll take that.

    We are not marketing Chick Beer to the craft community.  We are marketing it to the beer drinking community, 95% of whom are NOT craft beer drinkers.

    Where have you seen the greatest positive response for your beer so far?

    From virtually any woman that we talk to.  Women love this brand.  No, not every single woman, but certainly the vast majority of them.  We’ve also seen broad support from beer distributors around the country, which is why you will see impressive expansion from Chick in the coming months.

    Are the responses consistent among men and women, or does one group like the beer, or the idea of the beer, more than the other?

    Women are more receptive to the brand, but that was pretty much the idea to start with.  Men are typically neutral about the brand, but some men seem to be threatened by it.  We’re not psychologists, so we aren’t sure why.

    It was mentioned in the comments of the review, and from the people I’ve talked to about the beer, price seems to be a sticking point.  We paid $9.80 ($8.99 before tax) for our six pack used in the review, which is similar to many other craft beers, but yours is unique in that it is a light beer.  Do you feel that $8.99 is an optimal price point for Chick Beer?

    We don’t control, or even have much influence, over retail prices. $8.99 is certainly at the higher end of where we’d like to see Chick Beer priced at retail.  We are a craft-brewed light lager, which means that we should be priced between the majors and craft brews, which is typically where we are priced. As competition does its job, we think that you’re generally going to see us priced under $8.00 at retail.

    While you’re based out of Maryland, it’s brewed and bottled in Monroe,WI.  How did you find Minhas Craft Brewery to brew the beer for you?  Why them over someone who may have been able to brew it closer to home?

    We have always envisioned Chick Beer as a national brand, and not as a regional craft brew.  So the key for us was finding the place that could brew the best beer, regardless of its proximity to Maryland.  We began our distribution in Maryland because that’s where we live.  We wanted to learn our early lessons in our own backyard.  Minhas is the second-oldest brewery in the country.  The folks there are terrific brewers.  We couldn’t be happier.

    Do you own the recipe to the beer, and if so, are you allowed to have it brewed elsewhere if you needed?

    We don’t release details about the recipe, and Minhas will be able to handle our needs for the foreseeable future.

    Did you use Minhas’ existing Maryland distribution channels to get into the market, or did you develop your own?

    Minhas brews primarily for the mid-West and Canadian markets.  We love their beers, but sadly, they aren’t available in Maryland.   So we’ve developed our own distribution networks, utilizing Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors and independent distributors.  If we go into Canada, we’ll probably ask Minhas to show us the way.

    What are the current hurdles involved in widening the distribution to other states?

    The main hurdle is cutting through the fog of the hundreds of brands out there.  Every distributor is bombarded with requests to carry new craft beers.  But Chick is unique in that it is the only brand that is targeted to the 25% of the drinking public that is female.  We are extremely pleased with the reception that we’ve received from distributors.

    As a new beer company, how much beer are you brewing per week?

    As a privately-held beer company, that is not information that we release.

    What local women’s charities do 5% of your profits go to?

    We’ve been on the market for less than three months, so it’s safe to assume that we haven’t generated a ton of profits yet.  We are investing heavily in building the brand.  However, we’re already involved in raising funds locally for a number of women’s charities, including Susan G. Komen For the Cure, Women in Film & Video, and the Soroptimists.  We have seated an independent board of directors to oversee our Chick Cares program.  This board will direct our charitable giving, and will issue reports on our website.

    Are there plans for other beers, or is Chick Brewing Company only going to produce its flagship product?

    As a company that has been selling beer for three months, our focus at this point is getting Chick Beer to all of the women out there who are asking for it.  We certainly have some ideas for additional products, but at this point we’re not ready to discuss them.

    If you are planning on producing any additional beers, can you offer any thoughts on what they might be?

    We could, but we won’t.

    Currently what is the primary means of marketing the product?  Word of mouth?  Advertising?  Or perhaps customers just seeing it in the store?

    We are primarily marketing Chick Beer through Facebook ads, which are by far the most efficient way to reach our core customers, who are women aged 21-34.  Those ads are generally targeted in the areas where we sell Chick Beer.

    Is your beer available on draft anywhere, or is it bottle only?

    No, we have no current plans for draft.

    Are there any upcoming events where your beer can be found?

    You will find Chick Beer at charity events, beer festivals and all kinds of venues.  As with any new product, it’s going to take awhile before we get to every event.

    On the website you state it took ” two years of effort” to get the beer made, how big do you see the Chick Beer brand in another two years?

    We generally don’t play the projection game.  It’s a hollow exercise.  However, we can say that we plan to expand aggressively into new markets. Chicks are everywhere!

    When you’re not drinking your beer, what beer do you prefer to drink?

    We have been on the retail side of the business, where we’ve sold (and tasted) hundreds of beers.  We believe that every beer has a corresponding occasion, whether that is cutting the grass, watching a football game, or a tasting session.  We generally take a mixed six-pack so that we can keep up with all of the great beers out there.

    What was the first beer you remember truly enjoying to drink?

    We were drinking very warm Guinness Stout back in the early 1980s, before people realized that serving it warm meant European cellar temperature, not 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  But it was so different than the mass-produced American beers that dominated in those days, we drank it anyway.

  • Review – Chick Brewing Company Chick Beer

    November 3, 2011 Author: Scott
    3 Comments

     **We are in the process of conducting an interview with Chick Brewing Company and it should be posted Friday or Monday.

    Today Chris and I are reviewing Chick Brewing Company’s Chick Beer.  We first found out about Chick Beer while doing a ghost tour in Ellicott City, MD.  We were intrigued by a beer marketed directly towards women, so we sought out a place to buy the beer.  We picked up our six pack for $9.80 with tax.

    In our ongoing review series we’ll be covering the following 5 items:

    • Appearance
    • Aroma
    • Mouthfeel
    • Flavor
    • Aftertaste

    Here is a quick guide for the beginner http://indybeers.com/beer-tasting-guide/.

    About Chick Brewing Company:

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ChickBrewing

    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chick-Beer/134861446534117

    Based out of Easton, MD, Chick Brewing is a new comer to the craft beer scene.  The beer is brewed by Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe, WI.  It has just 97 calories, 3.5 carbs, and 4.2% ABV.  From their website:

    One day, we were in our local store looking for an interesting beer to take home, and thought “Isn’t it strange that out of hundreds of beers, none are designed to appeal directly to women?  In fact, most are clearly marketed to men.”

     

    We went home and did some research, and found that women drink 25% of all the beer consumed in the U.S. That’s over 700 MILLION cases every year!”

     

    The idea to create a brand of beer specifically for women kept stirring in us.  We thought about it night and day, and decided that we were going to give women a female-centric choice that reflected their tastes.

    I was able to find an interview with the founder, Shazz Lewis where she says the following about getting the beer brewed:

    I knew I needed it not to be a gimmick. The beer had to be good. I looked at who was drinking most of the beer and the target market is really 21- to 35-year-old women. The ones who were out at night partying and getting together with friends. What they were drinking was American light lagers. We looked for brewers and tasted lots of beer and went with Minhas in Wisconsin. The beer they brew for us has 97 calories and 3.5 carbs but also a very mellow beer flavor. It has a very rounded, full flavor. People say, “I can’t believe this is a light beer.” So then all those things started going together and we got it brewed in June and launched in Maryland.

    In reference to the packaging she had the following to say:

    I knew I wanted to make it stand out. There was no sense of going halfway. I wanted to use pink and black and do something extremely iconic [by depicting it using an image of] a purse and a little black dress. I wanted it to be fun and sexy and I wanted people to have a good time with it. Beer’s about fun. And because I think globally, I knew right away that I wanted to be able donate some money from the sales to charities that empower women.

    Lastly, on gender specific alcohol products:

    I have daughters who are so powerful and so unconcerned that a labeling has anything to do with who they are or represent. That’s one reason why I used the word “chick.” That’s actually what men used to call subpar or light beer. I happen to think all things chick are terrific. I came up with a slogan that was a little in your face. It was empowering to turn it on its head. I’m not trying to be serious about it.

    Appearance

    Scott: Light, clear, golden color.

    Chris: Pours smooth with a golden color. There was a little head which dissipated quickly. Small bubbles continued to float to the top.

    Aroma

    Scott: Fruity with a slight hint of apple and/or pear.

    Chris: Clean and fruity.

    Mouthfeel

    Scott: A slight ting of bubbles that quickly dissipates.  Very much the consistency of drinking carbonated water.

    Chris: No curveball here, it feels as it looked, very smooth and light.

    Flavor

    Scott: No question this is a light beer.   It has a slight taste towards metallic that is mostly on the sides of the tongue.

    Chris: Light with hints of sweetness and salt.

    Aftertaste

    Scott: The metallic taste tends to stay around for a few minutes, but it’s nothing overpowering.

    Chris: Not much going on here after two minutes. A few minutes later a soft metallic tone appeared.

    Final Thoughts

    Scott: This is a great beer to drink as a replacement to Bud Light, Miller Lite, or Coors Light. The flavor (or lack thereof from the big 3) is comparable, and I doubt many would be able to tell the difference.

    Additional note, I’m now on my third (and last) beer, and I’m just now noticing the hint of a buzz.  We have been at this for just over an hour and these beers unquestionably go down easy.  If you drink Bud Light, Miller Lite, or Coors Light I would recommend the switch to this beer (if you can find it).  It’s better, and supports an independent brewery.

    Chris: The carbonation was abundant and the taste was smooth and crisp. This is exactly what I expected from a 97 calorie, 3.5 carb, Light American Lager. It’s easy to drink and no real buzz factor after two of them.

     

     

  • Halloween, Beer, and Candy.

    November 1, 2011 Author: Scott
    6 Comments



    Halloween this year was another great night of fun with kids and candy, and as always, the adults loved the beer.  I give away lots of candy every year with a slight twist.  There is a game I have all the kids play where they reach into a bag and pull out a poker chip.  Most of the chips are white (and I change the odds as needed), but if they pull out the black chip they win an entire sleeve of candy.  For those that are older, they know the game (I think I have done it for 10 years now), and for those that are younger, they are just learning, but they all love it!!!

     

    I had about 110 kids stop buy and went through most of the candy as well as about 30 beers.  This year I had the Samuel Adams variety pack, a case of Buffalo Bill’s pumpkin ale, and a few left over Dogfish Head Punkin ales.  It’s funny that there are some adults who go out of their way to come to my house just to get a beer.  I had two mothers that asked if they could have their pumpkin beers unopened as they wanted to have them after they put the kids to bed.  I was happy to help them out.  I also bring up my projector and put It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on my garage door.  I love to watch the younger kids get sucked in watching the show, and the parents who enjoy the beer don’t mind standing around with a pumpkin ale.

    What was your setup like this year?  Does anyone else give out beer or do prizes?

  • Flemings Doesn’t Know Craft Beer

    October 30, 2011 Author: Scott
    Comments Off

    image

    Since when is a product produced by a big beer company a “craft beer”?

  • Enjoying Flying Dog The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale

    October 29, 2011 Author: Scott
    Comments Off

    image

    Get them while you can, pumpkins won’t be here much longer.

  • Review – Real Beer Floats

    October 28, 2011 Author: Scott
    3 Comments

     

     

    Today Chris, Peter W,  and I are reviewing several different beers.

    This is based on the post we wrote a few days ago and the reception it got on this website and on reddit.com.  There were a few beers that were recommended on both sites, so we made a trip to one of our local craft beer suppliers and picked up a few of the mentioned beers.

    This review will be be done in 2 parts for each beer.  First, we’ll taste the beer without the ice cream, and then we’ll add the ice cream and drink it as a real beer float.  We’ll only be doing flavor and afterthoughts for the real beer float.  Keeping with the original post, I made a drive out to Hoffmans Ice Cream and picked up some fresh vanilla ice cream and pumpkin ice cream, a half gallon of each.  Also in keeping with the spirit of the day of the original post, we’ll be using my Duvel glasses for the regular beer tastings.

    In our ongoing review series we’ll be covering the following 5 items:

    • Appearance
    • Aroma
    • Mouthfeel
    • Flavor
    • Aftertaste

    Here is a quick guide for the beginner http://indybeers.com/beer-tasting-guide/.

    About the Various Brewing Companies:

    Young’s Beers
    Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/YoungsBeers
    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wellsandyoungs

    North Coast Brewing
    Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/NoCoastBrewCo
    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/northcoastbrewingcompany

    Oskar Blues Brewery
    Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/oskarblues
    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BrewedAndCannedByOskarBluesBrewery

    Dogfish Head Brewery
    Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/dogfishbeer
    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dogfishheadbeer

     

     Young’s Chocolate Stout

    Without Ice Cream

    Appearance

    Scott: Looks like Guinness to me, with a little more of a head to it.  As it sits, I’m seeing small bubbles falling through the head.
    Chris: My favorite, motor oil.
    Peter W: It’s appearance looks thick

    Aroma

    Scott: Smells like a chocolate stout. Hints of cereal and caramel.
    Chris    : I barely smell the chocolate.
    Peter:     I think it has a real chocolatey smell to it.

    Mouthfeel

    Scott: Velvet-ly with a slight carbonation at the end.
    Chris    : Creamy on the tongue, buttery texture going down.
    Peter W:     Smooth and silky.

    Flavor

    Scott: Thick chocolate flavor evenly layering the taste buds.
    Chris    : Lightly sweet with hints of chocolate
    Peter W:      Chocolate with a hint of coffee

    Aftertaste

    Scott: Similar to the after taste from bitter chocolate, very pleasant.
    Chris    : Doesn’t have too much of an aftertaste…stouty
    Peter W:     It’s like the aftertaste of eating a handful of dark chocolate M&M’s

    Final Thoughts

    Scott: A great stout, I can see why it was recommended by several people.
    Chris    : This is an incredible stout and dangerously drinkable.
    Peter W:     Not being a huge fan of stouts, this is on my radar for future drinking.

    Young’s Chocolate Stout

    With Vanilla Ice Cream

    Flavor

    Scott: Wow, this is really good.  When you get the mix just right, POW!!
    Chris: This is like dessert.  (Chris finished his in about 1 minute)
    Peter W:     I’m not digging it with the ice cream. (Peter is not going to finish his)

     

    Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

    Without Ice Cream

    Appearance

    Scott: Thick head with big bubbly foam that after a few minutes completely disappeared.
    Chris: Opaque, A lot more carbonation than I expected to see.  Not really sticking to the glass.  Not very viscous.
    Peter W:     Dark and syrup–y looking

    Aroma

    Scott: Grainy, malty smell
    Chris    : I smell sweetness, more so than the Young’s, maybe a woody smell
    Peter:     Grainy

    Mouthfeel

    Scott: Lots of small bubbles tickling my tongue
    Chris    : Like a 9-volt battery all over your tongue with all the bubbles
    Peter W:     Lots of carbonation

    Flavor

    Scott: Like a dark chocolate coffee….
    Chris    : Slightly sweet and roasted coffee.
    Peter W:      Yuk.

    Aftertaste

    Scott: …with a long lingering after taste of darker coffee.
    Chris    : Somewhat bitter, perhaps too much.
    Peter W:     Too much.

    Final Thoughts

    Scott: Not too bad.  I’m looking forward to enjoying some ice cream with this one.
    Chris    : This was my first Old Rasputin Imperial Stout and won’t be my last. I’m excited to see how it works with the ice cream, as well.
    Peter W:     I would never choose to drink that again.

    Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

    With Vanilla Ice Cream


    Flavor

    Scott: All bitterness is gone, and this is really good.  I would consider serving this at a restaurant.
    Chris: The sweetness of the ice cream neutralizes the bitterness of the beer, bringing out a roasted taste, like roasted marshmallow. (finished in less than 2 minutes)
    Peter W:     It’s definitely more drinkable with the ice cream.  With the ice cream I would consider having another.


    Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

    Without Ice Cream

    Appearance

    Scott:  Darkest of the three.  A thick head that was gone in 60 seconds (great soundtrack).
    Chris: Very dark with carbonation that sticks to the glass and doesn’t float up.
    Peter W:     Peter tapped out on this one, as he is not much of a stout guy.

    Aroma

    Scott: Not much of a nose with a slight tilt towards grainy. 
    Chris    : I agree with Scott. Almost devoid of aroma. Perhaps a clean smell.

    Mouthfeel

    Scott: Syrup-y thickness with not a lot of carbonation, but enough to let you know it’s there.
    Chris    : Watery with almost all the carbonation gone from when it was originally poured. Very easy to drink.

    Flavor

    Scott: Really bitter compared to the others.  I’m feeling that by chance we went from light to heavy with our tasting.
    Chris    : Like the smell, it seems very average. Pushes between creamy and soapy. I really expected it to have more flavorful. 

    Aftertaste

    Scott: I’m thinking doing 3 stouts in 1 night with ice cream wasn’t the best decision, unless it really is that heavy.
    Chris    : Not all that good. Somewhat acidic.

    Final Thoughts

    Scott: I’ll give it a clean slate try another time (we have a few left), but my hopes aren’t too high.  If you love a HEAVY stout, this is for you.
    Chris    : As a stout lover, I found this to be disappointing.  I’ll give it another try because of all the stuff we have on our pallets.


    Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

    With Vanilla Ice Cream

    Flavor

    Scott: Even with ice cream the bitterness is difficult to overcome.
    Chris:  The ice cream didn’t spice this up much at all. Still disappointed.

    Dogfish Head Punkin

    With Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

    (In light of the night, I’m skipping right to the ice cream as this beer is in my wheelhouse)

    Appearance

    Scott: Looks like a light colored Orange Julius with ice cream.
    Chris: Throwing in the towel, too much ice cream for the night.
    Peter W:     See Chris’ comment above

    Aroma

    Scott: Pumpkin smell is just smacking you in the face.

    Mouthfeel

    Scott: Well, when you have the ice cream mixed in, it’s the texture of a good pumpkin pie

    Flavor (I made Peter and Chris taste)

    Scott: If I could get pumpkin pie this good, I would eat it all day.
    Chris    : Mmmmm…(Chris won’t stop eating my drink)…”You might want to get your own”.
    Peter W:      Give me some whipped topping.

    Aftertaste

    Scott: The best part of a long night, satiation from a good meal.

    Final Thoughts

    Scott: Best of the four, without a doubt.

     

    Overall End Notes

    The whole process took 2.5 hours with 4 more afterwards to setup and finish writing the article.  I would say this worked really well, but doing this many beers in one night may have skewed the results.  To help keep things in perspective we were sticking our noses into a cup of coffee beans in-between a lot of the smelling and tasting.


    Scott    :  I would say it worked best when the ice cream was mushed a little and not one big scoop.  Getting the mix of ice cream and beer just right was the key.  For me I liked the Dogfish the best, with Young’s taking second, Old Rasputin grabbing third, and the Ten Fidy coming in last.  I have a feeling this weekend I’m going to have a few more of these.  I may even get my family in on the mix when they come over for Halloween.

    Chris: As a stout lover, the Young’s Double Chocolate and Old Rasputin Russian Imperial impressed both alone and with ice cream. I feel like the Oskar Blues Ten Fidy was a let down, but I would definitely give it another chance. After drinking the other two first and with ice cream, I feel like my taste buds were overworked. This was a fun experiment which I will have no problem partaking in again.

    Peter W:  A Stout would not be the first beer that I would pick, but the two that I reviewed were worth while.  The chocolate was a nice start, but the ice cream was lacking.  The other was not up my alley, but add the ice cream, it was really good.   The pumpkin was like pie without the whip topping, not that you needed it.  Really good.

  • Ice Cream and Beer, what could be better?

    October 26, 2011 Author: Scott
    6 Comments

    I’ve heard of a root beer float, but never just a beer float; however, an article I read this morning has me itching to try one.

    The fall is filled with craft beers brewed with cloves, nutmeg, brown sugar and other traditional flavors of the season. Combine one of these tasty brews with two or three scoops of premium vanilla ice cream – or better yet, one of the quality pumpkin ice creams that you can find in the freezer section of the grocery store this time of year – and you’ve got a beer float reminiscent of a pumpkin pie.

    I think I want to try a pumpkin ale with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream.  There is a homemade ice cream shop about 30 minutes from my house (http://www.hoffmansicecream.com/) that makes a really great pumpkin ice cream this time of year.  That with some Dogfish Head Punkin could be the perfect marriage of flavor.

    What flavors would you try, or better yet, have you already tried this experiment?

    Source: shelbystar.com

  • Miller, it’s Australian for Cheap Beer

    October 25, 2011 Author: Scott
    2 Comments


    So we all know the SABMiller may soon take over Foster’s, but it doesn’t seem like the shareholders were too happy:

    Foster’s executives were forced to defend the takeover before around 200 shareholders at what is likely to be the brewer’s last annual meeting, saying the deal offered the certainty of cash in a volatile global environment.

     

    “You are now presenting us with a bright future for Foster’s and you are turning around and getting rid of this company. It is disgraceful of the board,” said one small shareholder, Douglas Fleming, to widespread applause.

    I’m not one for sentimental value of a big company, especially one like Foster’s, but it seems like SABMiller could care less about the beer.  At least the recognize where the problem lies:

    The company has been struggling with declining volumes as demand for traditional beers falls, and its market share has fallen to 50 percent from 55 percent. But it said there has been some improvement in consumer confidence in recent months.

     

    “We believe that once Australia moves through this period of economic uncertainty, the beer category will return to the long-term trend of moderate growth,” Pollaers said.

    Of course, now Australian’s have to work that much harder to find a good craft beer:

    After SABMiller, the London-based brewer of Peroni, Miller Lite and Grolsch, takes control of Foster’s, about 90 percent of Australian brewing will be in offshore hands. The remaining 10 percent is mainly with small craft breweries.

    Here’s to hoping our mates down under can see to it to join the growing chorus that is the craft beer movement.

    [edited to correct inconsistent information regarding current ownership]

    Source: reuters.com

  • Interview with Brian Carl – Brewer for Burley Oaks Brewery

    October 24, 2011 Author: Scott
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    I met up with Bryan and his brew master, Brian Carl, from Burley Oak Brewery at the Oktoberfest in Berlin, MD for a couple of interviews. This is the interview with Brian Carl the brew master. This is the first part of the interview I did with owner Bryan Brushmiller, and this is the second part.

    Scott: Are you Brian?
    Brian: Yeah.
    Scott: Hey man, I’m Scott.
    Brian: Scott, ‘sup dude.
    Scott: So you’re the brewer for Burley Oaks Brewing?
    Brian: Yeah
    Scott: Cool.  So do you mind if I ask you a few questions?
    Brian: Who are you…whats the….
    Scott: Indybeers.com
    Brian: Oh nice.  That’s kinda scary actually.
    Scott: Whats that?  Whats scary?
    Brian: This.
    Scott: Oh, you being interviewed.
    Brian: Yeah (laughter)

    Scott: Yeah. So how long have you been brewing beer?
    Brian: 10 years
    Scott: Was it home brewed stuff for 10 years or were you actually working for other companies?
    Brian: No, I home brewed for a few years and then started doing some commercial stuff.
    Scott: And who did you work for prior to coming to Burley Oak?
    Brian: A couple of places.  San Diego, and then New York, Outerbanks and now I’m in  Maryland.
    Scott: What kind of beers do you typically find yourself brewing?  Is there a favorite or do you just…is there a swath of beers that you like to brew?
    Brian: I don’t know, I’d have to say my beers are kind of like a fingerprint.  They’re never the same.  I take a style and I tweak it to make it my style.
    Scott: And do you apply that to every beer that you brew?
    Brian: Yes.

    Scott: This is obviously the most recent beer that you’ve brewed. (holding up my glass)
    Brian: Yeah it’s Octoberfest.
    Scott: Whats the most consistent beer you’re brewing over there?  This is obviously a seasonal–
    Brian: I’ve brewed 12 batches since I’ve been there and no beers been the same and I’ve tried to find what people are looking for, what people are liking and tried to veer it towards that maybe in 1 or 2 batches, but I don’t see myself having 5 main beers on tap all the time.
    Scott: It could just change all the time.
    Brian:  Yeah.

    Scott: How did you and Bryan initially meet each other?
    Brian: He posted an ad on ProBrewer and I got up with him. And we took it from there.

    Scott: Are you guys in the same area?  Obviously you lived out here as well?
    Brian: No, I’ve been all over the country since high school, and now I’m in Maryland.
    Scott: Did you come to Maryland to expressly brew for him?
    Brian: Yup.
    Scott: What was it about him that brought you to Maryland to brew beer?
    Brian: Location.
    Scott: You wanted to come to Maryland.
    Brian: No. Location was, it was close to the ocean (laughter)..I could surf…
    Outside voice: I mean, he’s wearing a Quicksilver shirt man. He’s a surfer dude!  From San Diego!
    Brian: And Brian and I just kinda clicked.  He surfs, he’s super cool, and I’d worked for a bunch of dicks previous to this and…
    Scott: What do you think of the surfing scene here?
    Brian: East coast surfing is awesome when you can get it.
    Scott: So have you caught any of the hurricane action?
    Brian: Oh yeah.  But surfing on the east coast sucks.  You know, you get 2 days of good surf and then you wait for 3 months. (laughter)  So, its you know… it is what it is.  But I’m stoked, you know? Openin’ up a brewery makin’ some kick ass beers and everyone’s loving it.

    Scott: So what has been, so far, working for Burley Oaks, your most favorite moment in the whole process of being an employee and brewing the beers?  Whats been the “this is awesome!” moment?
    Brian: (Pause).  Its all kinda cool.  Its all very challenging.
    Scott: Right.
    Brian: There’s been no like, one instance where like wow, we’re kickin’ ass.  But…because there’s daily challenges that put you back on your heels and go “ok, what do I do now?  How do I improve this, What do i gotta do…”  You know, its intense.  So, every day, if I get a beer on tap, that’s a great improvement.  For the system  I’m working with, you know?
    Scott: Whats been the most positive experience in terms of feedback you’ve received from somebody drinking one of your beers so far?
    Brian: I wouldn’t say 1 person but I would say that I am running out of beer because people are drinking it.  I shut off growler sales because I can’t make that much beer.  We are running out of beer serving pints.
    Scott: Wow.
    Brian: Its stupid. So that’s not a bad thing.

    Scott: Have there been any negative experiences along the way?
    Brian: On the beer side, no.  No, there’s no negative its just good hard work and I’m loving it ’cause I get to just figure it out.  And its…dude working a brewery is intense anyway.  It’s just a lot of problem solving daily in this place.

    Scott: Just for the record I think Todd had just announced in the background that they’ve tapped the keg on the Burley Oak.
    Outside voice:  Its gone.  Awwww.
    Scott: Its all gone. You gotta go to the brewery. (laughter).
    Brian: And I gotta go to the brewery and fill kegs now (laughter).

    After a quick break from checking on the keg situation, we started talking again…

    Scott: Are you working with a distributor?
    Brian: Do not sign up with a distributor.   Do not, do not, no. Wait ’til next year.   Wait ’til next year.  We’re not established yet.  We’re not big enough yet.  And he’s all getting these great offers…
    Scott: So do you think signing up for the distributorship has aided in making it difficult to produce enough beer, because your selling that much beer?
    Brian: No, because we’re not selling it to the distributor but, to sign up for all these festivals, yes.  I’ve had to put the brakes on.  If we sign up with a distributor and they said, “ok, we got you in 8 festivals, and we’re gonna need this much beer”,  and i said “No, I cannot…no.”  Where do you wanna be?  Do you wanna be in house or do you wanna be–
    Scott: Well if you’re not selling your beer through a distributor, where is your beer being sold that you’re running out of it?
    Brian: In house.  Like, right at our own bar.
    Scott: At your own bar?
    Brian: Yeah (laughter). Thats insane.
    Scott: Cheers.
    Brian: Selling pints, you know?  Like I can’t keep beer on tap ’cause we’re selling stupid pints.  Not even growlers.
    Scott: Not even growlers.
    Brian: Pints.  No growlers.  We’re out of beer.  I’m having to rush my beers.
    Scott: So what are you going to have to do to increase production?  Is it a matter of equipment?  Is it a matter of man hours?  Is it a matter of both?
    Brian: Its mostly storage.  And equipment.  I don’t want to say equipment, but storage.  Which means serving tanks, and/or kegs.  I like serving tanks better myself ’cause you put a whole batch in there and serve right to the bar.

    Scott: How many square feet is the current location?
    Brian: 6000.
    Scott: 6000. And how much of that is used for brewing?
    Brian: (Thinks). 5000.  Or 4500.
    Scott: If you were to take a guess as to how many barrels of beer you could produce on an annual basis what do you think you could do with that in the current location.
    Brian: No se.
    Scott: No se?
    Brian: No se.
    Scott: No se.  What are you currently producing?
    Brian: (Goes back to question from before). Because my beers….I don’t like to rush my beers.  I’m doing an ale and I like to lager an ale so that it comes out how it should be.  I don’t like to push my ales for 7 days to get it out there.  I like to give my beers an extra week, an extra 2 weeks, so that they’re that much better.

    Scott: How would you describe your own Octoberfest, if you were gonna talk about the taste.  How would you describe the taste of your Octoberfest?  The aroma?  The mouth feel?
    Brian: Fall time.
    Scott: Fall time.
    Brian: Very earthy.  It starts smooth but it finishes very…after you take a sip it finishes very earthy, very true.
    Scott: We were actually discussing earlier saying that we felt it had an earthy tone to it.
    Brian: Yeah. Thats what I was going for.  So, I’m glad you guys picked that up.  (laughter).  Shit yeah.
    Chris: I’m glad I got what you were aming for.
    Scott: You did. He was the one that said earthy.
    Brian: Yeah. Its real light, it goes down smooth, then you’re like wow, let me get another taste of that.  Thats the bomb.
    Scott: Right.
    Brian: Thats what I’m trying to do for my beers you know?  You give them that extra little bit of time.  Give it that extra week or 2 in cold and it just comes out like, bam.  You can’t deny it.

    Scott: If there was one beer so far that you’ve brewed for Burley Oak that has made you most proud as a brewer, what beer would that be?  The one that when you tapped it you were like, “ooh thats money.”?
    Brian: Nope. None.
    Scott: None. You’re equally as proud of all the beers.
    Brian: Yeah.  Absolutely.  However they’re all equally still in the works.  (laughter). They’ll always be evolving you know?
    Scott: Sure.
    Brian: They’ll all still gonna be evolving.  You know, I can put out a beer and not be stoked about it but everyone else is.  But to me I just kinda, I’m gonna throw in my 2 cents here and tweak it a little bit.  So, its a fun ride, you know?
    Chris: There’s always room for improvement?
    Brian: Always.  You know, you don’t get a recipe and say “Thats it”.  You get a recipe and say how can I improve this?  How can I tweak it?  How can I make this different?  Maybe I’ll try hopping, maybe i’ll a little of this in, a little of that in.  A handful of…you know?  Thats what brewing is, at a pub level.  You go to Evo…they make great beer.  They do.  They make kick ass beer.  Cask conditioned.  Barrel aging.  They are putting out some insane beers.  But, I’d say 90% of that brewing is factory stuff.  You know, they have to produce to supply the man.  Which is tough.  And on my end, I can brew a batch today, and not like it and brew that batch to begin next week and tweak it.

    Scott: When you lived in San Diego what was your favorite craft beer to drink that you weren’t involved in the process to drink of the brewing?
    Brian: I’d say Stone’s Arrogant Bastard.
    Scott: (laughter). Thats a great beer.
    Brian: They do a Double Arrogant Bastard, they do a…..but Arrogant Bastard wasn’t…I hate it, i drank it to get drunk to begin with.  And then I started brewing and learned what went into beers and figured out…and I couldn’t figure out how they produced such a,  such a huge beer, so nicely.  And thats what I’m trying to do here, is make big beers.  Just like, big heavy beers so good, you know?  My next 3 beers are over 8% and they’re gonna be the bomb. (laughter).  So sick.  I don’t know if everyone else is gonna like it but I’m gonna be stoked on them.