Tag Archives: Samuel Adams

Musings On Incorporating Wine Into Beer

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I am not going to go as far as saying that combining wine and beer is a trend nor is it a terribly new idea. But, I have noticed in 2011 that such combinations have become more common and often with impressive results. Of course, the manner in which they are combined is extremely important. I have seen beers that directly used grapes in their recipe. More often, I have noticed brewers aging beers in wine barrels. The purposeful of specific use of wine yeasts in beers has also been done by many brewers to great effect. I have also noticed that beers brewed with grapes or aged in wine barrels tend to come from really high end brewers like Cantillon, Anchorage Brewing Company or Mikkeller. I believe this is due to several reasons such as the skill of the brewer, the brewery’s emphasis on innovation and experimentation as well as the price tag (I am sure used wine barrels are not cheap, plus the time and resources it takes to age such beers must add up quickly). Here are a few examples of the incorporation of wine in brewing that I noticed. I am sure I have missed many excellent examples and am genuinely curious, please feel free to and add your thoughts and experiences!

Cantillon St. Lamvinus- The St. Lamvinus was brewed with merlot and cabernet-franc grapes that were soaked in Bourdoux barrels that contained 2-3 year old lambics. I have one of these babies sitting in my cellar, but have not yet tried it. Considering Cantillon’s steller reputation and the uniqueness of this beer, I am extremely excited for the moment that I decide to open it.

He’Brew Rejewvenator (Year Of The Grape) 2010- This beer was brewed with concord grapes. I have not tried it but I regret that I missed my opportunity. Schmaltz has yet to let me down with their innovative and impressive beers.

Dogfish Head Midas Touch- Midas Touch was based on residue found in drinking vessels from King Midas’s tomb which included muscat grapes. Proving, this idea is by no means “new”.

Allagash Victoria Ale- According to their website, Allagash used over 200lbs of chardonnay grapes in brewing this beer/wine fusion.

Paeleman Brewery Druivenbier- I will be honest, I am not familiar with this beer but a quick Google search leads to a page from HomeBrewTalk about grape beers. This Belgian beer was apparently one of the first modern beer/wine fusions in 2005.

Saint Somewhere Cynthiana- This month’s Michael Jackson’s Rare Beer Club selection, Saint Somewhere Cynthiana is a Belgian style ale brewed with Cynthiana grapes. This is even more interesting because Cynthiana grapes tend to come from the less prestigeous wine producing states such as Missouri, Illinois, Florida and so on. So more power to Saint Somewhere for utilizing a unique member of the Vitis aestivalis (compared to Vitis vinifera or Vitis lambruska).

Samuel Adams even included a grape pale ale in its 2007 long shot six pack.

Probably the most common incarnation of beers that are combined with wine are those aged in used wine barrels. A few notorious examples of this are Mikkeller Nelson Sauvin Brut which was aged in sauvignon blanc barrels and used Champagne Yeast (amongst other yeasts). Stone Brewing Company’s 2007 Old Guardian barley wine was aged in red wine barrels. Anchorage Brewing Company’s Bitter Monk and Love Buzz were both aged in wine barrels. Mikkeller included a red wine barrel aged beer and a white wine barrel aged beer in his Black Hole series. Russian River Brewing Company aged their Temptation and Supplication in chardonnay and pinot noir barrels respectively. Even Springfield’s new brewery Mother’s Brewing Company aged a batch of Foggy Notion barley wine in sherry barrels. The list goes on and on. While these beers are not super common and do not have their own category in the ranking systems, they are interesting and worth trying out!

5 Unique And Awesome Beers To Consider This New Years Eve

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Happy New Years Eve! I am a Champagne or sparkling wine proponent for your NYE toast. With that said, I believe there are a few beers that are not only appropriate as an alternative to sparkling wines but excellent in their own right and should be considered either in stead of, or in conjunction with a sparkling wine.

1) Mikkeller: Mikkeller Nelson Sauvin Brut The Mikkeller Nelson Sauvin Brut is of My Favorite Beers of 2011. “This is the perfect beer to drink on New Years or anytime for that matter. It is truly fantastic, lots of funk, a little white wine and citrous, just fantastic. It is expensive for a beer, but $20 is still cheap compared to a good champagne.”

2) Weihenstephan & Doemens: 1809 Berliner Style Weisse This authentic interpretation of the Berliner Weisse style is simply delicious. This tart wheat hods a special significance to me, as I recently earned a masters degree in history and predominantly focused on modern Germany. The Berliner Weisse beer was toasted by Napoleon’s Army after their Prussian victory in 1809. The historical significance alone makes this beer an excellent choice for New Years Eve but, as I mentioned earlier, this beer is very tasty in its own right.

3) Samuel Adams: Infinium The inclusion of the Infinium, on this list, should surprise no one. After all, the Infinium was specifically brewed to be a champagne like beer. It is also pretty good. The Infinium is highly carbonated, fairly sweet and yeasty with some fruitiness.

4) Any Gueuze This variation of a lambic is one of my favorite styles for any occasion. It is especially pertinent on New Years Eve. These dry, musty, cidery, complex sours are often considered the beer equivalent to champagne. Some good and readily available gueuzes to try are St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition, Hanssens Oude Gueuze, Oud Beersel Oude Geuze and Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze. If you can find anything from Cantillon, that would also be a stellar choice!

5) Lagunitas: Lagunitas Sucks Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Leftovers This is Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale in a different package. You have probably seen me write a lot about this beer. That is simply because it is good. The Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Leftovers is perfect for anyone’s New Years Eve festivities!

Ten American Craft Beers to Drink While Playing Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3

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A friend of mine, who will remain nameless, recently bragged to me about drinking a bunch of Coors Light while playing Call of Duty. That conversation, inspired me to highlight a few themed craft choices for the game. Most of these focus on the patriotic theme in one way or another.

10) Pabst Blue Ribbon: Not all gamers have a lot of money. In this case, PBR may be the most viable American option. Goes great with saving the world.
9) Brooklyn Pennant Ale: This English Pale Ale (ironic isn’t it?) is sessionable and has a baseball is on the label.
8 ) Stoudts American Pale Ale: The label contains a flag and the contents contain a solid American pale ale.
7) Samuel Adams Boston Lager: The beer is highly drinkable, with the picture of a founding father on its label (as to all Samuel Adams products) and one of America’s most celebrated cities in the name. That is pretty American.
6) Schlafly Coffee Stout: Because, if you fall asleep while playing Modern Warfare, the terrorists win.
5) 21st Amendment Bitter American: Great name, even better can design (a monkey in a space suit). Pretty much anything from 21st Amendment Brewery can qualify for this list such as Fireside Chat, Brew Free or Die IPA and The Allies Win the War.
4) Rogue American Amber Ale: Stars and Stripes behind the traditional Rogue image. This is also delicious and drinkable beer.
3) Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale: If that does not scream “American” I don’t know what does. I suppose Canada might be able to make an argument for this as well, but it was brewed in the USA, so we win.
2) Oscar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale: One of the best pale ales out there and in a bright red and blue can.
1) Anchor Liberty Ale: Because isn’t that what you are fighting for in the first place?

Liquor Alternative
Three Olives Dude Vodka, mix with some real Mountain Dew and a little Sprite and you have a a dangerous alcoholic Mountain Dew.

Samuel Adams Cherry Chocolate Bock (Review)

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I had this on draft at Patton Ally Pub in Springfield, Missouri last night. It is only $3 for a 10oz pour, during happy hour. Generally, I am anything but a fan of Samuel Adams. However, I admit that they can make some pretty good stuff when they want to. I have never tried their Utopias and I did not get around to purchasing an Infinium last year, but enjoyed the triple bock, think the Oktoberfest is pretty tasty and like the Noble Pilsner as well. I would also like to try their imperial pumpkin ale and their Bonfire rauchbier. After thinking about it, I think Samuel Adams is actually improving as a craft brewer.

As to the Cherry Chocolate Stout, I thought it actually good. I tried it after a big glass of Founder’s Breakfast Stout, so that may have had something to do with my impression. Anyway, the nose is pretty strong on the Maraschino cherries. Taste wise, Samuel Adams Cherry Chocolate Bock is dark brown, very smooth, dominated by the cherries and chocolate with a significant amount of sweetness to hold everything together. In other words, exactly what I hoped for. The bock flavors do not really come out in the beer, but it helps the overall construction. Ultimately, I enjoyed it, alot, but I do not want to drink very many Samuel Adams Cherry Chocolate Bocks at once. Still, it is an interesting beer to try this season. On the Tim’s Tasty Scale I give it an 87. The only other beer, I have seen around Missouri that is similar is the O’Fallon Cherry Chocolate Ale, which is interesting but tastes very much like a bunch of melted down tootsie pops.