Happy National Beer Day! Let's make that Beer Weekend...

Hey Howdy Hey,

So over the last couple days I've heard through Twitter chatter that today is Nation Beer Day. Happy National Beer Day to you! This marks the 78th anniversary of the Cullen-Harrison Act of 1933 which ended prohibition. Of course, craft beer did not emerge as a renown alternative to large breweries and pre-prohibition styles of beer until the 1980s, but without beer, where would we be? That said, I invite you to kick back and relax this weekend with a pint in your hand. Beer Day will hopefully become Beer Weekend for many of us out there!

Remember when I brought up a couple new ideas to bring into my blog? Well, things are looking promising! I'm slowly but surely improving my site here and I'm getting more active on Twitter and YouTube. Getting a younger crowd interested in craft beer is one of my goals, and I think it's time to bring that to the forefront while using beer in California as a focal point/standard. That said, I'm conducting a survey as to what young people's beer preferences are. Will they favor IPA or Hefeweizen? Or will more people answer that they don't drink beer, or nothing outside of Budweiser or Keystone Light? From there, I will examine the socio-cultural context surrounding this and shine some new light on the slowly fermenting craft beer culture of the US and California. Looking forward to this. Cheers!

You Stay Hoppy California,

Pink

Skands: a Danish Craft Brewery

Brew Brethren,

Come gather 'round, for I have a story to tell! I figure now would be an appropriate time to take a break from my beer reviewing and focus a little more on beer experience. With that, I take you back to Fall, 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

Denmark, exporter of Carlsberg and several other well-known beers around the world, is home to a craft brewery scene that, on a smaller scale, mirrors what we have going on in the United States. Small but strong organizations are allaying together to preserve Denmark's reputation as a beer consumer and fuel the innovation that beer has seen elsewhere (particularly in the States). That's my nugget of an intro.

Skands, a small brewery in the Copenhagen outskirts, is one of these breweries that draws on the successes of Denmark's beers and additionally strives to produce some fun, clever varieties. The co-founder, Birthe (pronounced a little like "Beer-duh") Skands, worked for many years at Carlsberg, so she already brings a lot to the table. I had the fortune of visiting this brewery, which volume-wise is about the size of a barn. You have a couple small vats and, as I recall, a bottling line, plus a couple nice tasting tables, and that's about it. I'm not sure if they do any public tours, as like many Danes they prefer to keep their appearances modest. 

I visited this little gem of a brewery with my international marketing class, which at the time was taught by a Danish gentleman who had worked for Royal, another fairly large Danish brewery, and Pepsi out in New York (he was basically the younger Danish version of Michael Cane both in looks and demeanor!). So this could not have come together any better.

In this class I was to create a detailed marketing report as to how Skands could enter an international market. They [Skands] were pretty set in their Danish confines but were working out a deal with a Japanese airline company, thinking it would be good to take an emerging beer market and present to them a tasty standard to hold and appreciate. Skands had already seen their sales increase as well as their audience; at this point, they were distributing their beer to the Whole Foods equivalent, Irma. In addition, Skands was also creating customized brews, for which I'm sure they would charge a pretty penny (it's expensive over there!). Now where have you seen something like this before? Sam Adams Utopias? 55% abv "beer" that comes in taxidermied animals? This is something that, even if on a smaller scale, definitely happens overseas as well.

With Denmark, there is no distinct popular style of craft beer. The Danish pilsner might be the closest guess. It's not spicy like a Czech pilsner and can vary from moderately malty, such as the popular Tuborg, to lightly hoppy. Skands' Danish pilsner, called Hymlefryd (something like "Hoom-leh-fru"), is, to my recollection, more on the hoppy side of a pilsner. I don't remember liking it at the time, but I'm sure I would upon second taste. Danes are also known to import the British and American IPAs as well as produce rye ales. If you look at a previous review, you'll see I found this style of beer out in California. Furthermore, Denmark thrives on "Julebryg," or "Christmas Beer," during the months of November and December. That's a rich story in its own!

Looking at this diverse beer portfolio, we go back to Skands, which incorporates styles from all over the world. From their Danish pilsner, to their English pub ale, to their Christmas beer and dark Czech lager, Skands has just about something for everyone. All you have to do is cough up a couple dozen kroners (Danish currency) at Irma and you will enter a familiar, but unique world of Danish craft beer. I had sampled Hymlefryd, Elmegade IPA, New Stout (Czech dark lager) and a couple others and overall enjoyed them to the point at which I sought them out in my remaining weeks abroad. I even drank a bottle of Elmegade IPA on my 21st birthday over there, and even though I was in my freezing studio in my sweats and had no one with which to consume, I will always remember it as a happy time. Hmm, it seems as if Danish humor has rubbed off on me as well!

You Stay Hoppy California,

Pink

PS: I've got more to come, so stay tuned!

Check out Skands!

My Twitter

Gnarlywine: Only in California

Only in California will you find the use of "gnarly" so inviting that a brewery will incorporate such a word into a beer. Often considered a winter warmer, a barleywine is something I find very appropriate for the coming of spring as well. Barleywines, first conceived by the British, are known for deep complexity, a good dose of hops, plenty of aging and, consequently, a high alcohol percentage. It's those strong beers that are supposed to get us through the long, cold winters. But this is beer in California, so we don't have much of that around here. Why not take this brew to the West Coast and add a little Northern California signature to it? 

That's exactly what Laguintas in Petaluma, CA have done with their Olde Gnarlywine, a 10.6% abv barleywine that is pleasant from start to finish. Gnarly is a beautiful sight to behold with its deep amber-red hue, something that deviates a little from the norm. The yeast does not accumulate too much foam but retains a notable layer that catalyzes the tasting experience (I like that word, catalyze!). When you take in the Gnarly aroma, you'll get something that is a hybrid of a fresh hop ale and a barrel aged brew. Citrus and a plethora of flora will Eskimo kiss your nose with gusto. A spice somewhere between coriander and clove will make its way through your nostrils as will a woody-like aroma — possibly cedar. I'd also like to note that while you get a representation of West Coast hops, you don't pull in the piny sensations that West Coast brewers are so loyal  to; this is refreshing to me. I'll give aroma a spot-on 5/5.

When you sip this brew, you'll get a little more maltiness than expected — after all, you've inhaled something deceivingly hoppy — thus staying true to its English roots. It's a little difficult to capture the specific flavors since a rush of alcohol scoots across your palette and gives you a bit of a tingle in your gulliver. But its rich, malty taste driven by its citric hops and aging comes together in a smooth, syrup-like libation. It would have been interesting had Lagunitas dry-hopped this; maybe they did and did not post it on their website. I would have liked to see the balance come full circle, but I think with a barleywine that might be asking too much.

The great thing about a Barleywine is that the flavor will evolve over time, often for the better. According to Lagunitas you'll pick up more toffee and caramel notes if you age this beer. So perhaps I procured a young Gnarly in its first or second life stage. I would be wise to purchase one of these up and store it somewhere for next year or the year after. An excellent beer.

4/5 an excellent beer, an innovative West Coast take on a barleywine.

You Stay Hoppy California,

Pink

Lagunitas online!

My Twitter

Kicking Around Some Ideas

Hey Guys,

So I've decided to kick around some ideas on how I can make Calibrew more interesting. 

I think one important attribute that I bring to the table is my youth. Not all too many people at 23 are into craft beer (especially to the degree that I am). What would strengthen my ability to channel the positive qualities of craft beer is contextualizing craft beer a little more. I could talk about craft beer's current role in Californian, American and international beer culture. I could breed a new generation of brew disciples and do so as one of them.

The essence of Calibrew is capturing the craft beer scene in California, particularly in Northern California. That's a lot of beer country to cover, so perhaps I'll confine my segment to the Bay Area and perhaps a little beyond. You've got fantastic breweries from Anchor, to Drake, Russian River and a large homebrewing culture. But even so, I'm not sure how much more light I would be shining down for that scene. Taking beer trips is a great way to gain exposure to beer and the stories around it. Too bad I'm short on money, a definite downside of being 23 years old.

Another idea would for me to accompany my reviews and commentary with more of my stories around craft beer. I have some great stories indeed, such as my microbrewery project in Copenhagen to my nights at the Map Room in Chicago. There's much more to beer besides tasting the beer, so perhaps it's time for me to capture this a little better.

If you have any ideas for me, please feel free to share them here. I always welcome outside feedback!

You Stay Hoppy California,
Pink

Ninkasi Re-newal Irish Style Red Ale Review

Happy Saturday to all of you out there,

Here's a review of the Irish Style Red Ale from Eugene, OR brewery Ninkasi. It's a unique Irish red inthat it's actually a little more balanced. Irish reds are conventionally all-malt beers that take on a moderate-full body. They're a little bit of a step down from a stout in body and frequently use roasted malt and sometimes a touch of chocolate malt. You'll usually find one of these beers to be of a moderate alcohol level.

Ninkasi's rendition of the Irish red almost comes off as a session beer at 5.2% abv, and with a warming mouthfeel that does not distort you with maltiness, you finish the beer with the impression of consuming another one. The roasted malt is the main characteristic of the tasting experience, and in a way it subdues the malty complexion. Head retention is good, and as with other Irish reds, you get a pleasant rubybrown hye. I was hoping to get some of the chocolate malt in this beer, and I wish the finish pulled along the roasted malt a little more. Of course this is characteristic of the beer anyway. I'm not too keen on Irish reds, but I find Ninkasi's Re-newel a welcoming addition to the beers I've had. If you find a cool spot in your April (it's already getting warm in Northern California), then I recommend you pick this brew up.The glass is half empty - a 3/5 beer recommended by yours truly.

By the way, see my video review and some other cool coverage of craft beer right here at My YouTube Channel. And be also sure to follow me on Twitter at CaliBrew Twitter. 

You Stay Hoppy California,

Pink

Anheuser-Busch to Acquire Goose Island Chicago

Have You Heard The News?

So as you may have heard earlier today, Anheuser Busch has announced that it will acquire Goose Island, a renown craft brewery based in Chicago. AB will acquire 58% of Goose Island's stock. 

Many of you out there were probably dissatisfied with Goose Island's "selling out." So was I for that matter. I lived in Chicago for five months and experienced how this brewery had a firm but warm grip on an emerging Midwest beer culture. They make some quality brews, and I think what I'm getting at in their reviews is that we, the consumers, might benefit from this. At least for us on the West Coast, we'll be able to enjoy a mild winter with a Goose Island Winter or a hot summer with a 312 urban wheat ale fresh off the draft. Think about it: craft beer has made enough noise to which a large brewing titan has had to earn a majority share. Anheuser Busch was partially responsible for Goose Island's success anyway; they've been GI's distributor for several years. Let's also not forget that Goose Island was part of the Craft Brewer's Alliance, a group of four high-capacity craft breweries including Widmer Bros., Redhook and Kona, and that Anheuser Busch was a minority share holder of the CBA. 

In short, expect to see more mergers, acquisitions and collab-brew-ations from larger breweries and international locales. We've already seen this with European breweries, both among each other and with American resources, and now we're seeing the community grow from the top-down. Anheuser Busch is obviously trying to get a piece of the pie, and this is clearly a great outlet. But, as stated in their press release, AB doesn't want to ruin what has been a formula for success.  Do Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams change their formula when increasing capacity? Does Kona Pipeline Porter or Longboard lager automatically suck when it's allied with poser breweries like Redhook? Barkeep...toss a Fire Rock (pale ale) my way!

And don't tell me you won't drink at a social gathering just because there's no craft beer. Drinking beer is part of our lives. Sure, I don't like Budweiser or Bud Light, but I won't say no to a 'dog and a Bud at a baseball game or friend's barbeque.  If only crappy beer was better too!

So for more on this controversial decision, head over to the guys who do it right in Boston, my friend Chris Furnari and Brewbound.com. Chris was my editor when I wrote for the sports section of our university newspaper. They've got great news and content on that site And to listen to a little more about my thoughts on the matter, head over to my YouTube channel.

You Stay Hoppy California,

Pink

For more craft beer news, follow me on Twitter

Firestone Walker: Walker's Reserve Review

Firestone Walker, based out of Paso Robles, CA, is a popular microbrewery in the state of California and, interestingly enough, is situated in an area that runs like a small-scale Napa/Sonoma county. You probably know Firestone for their Double Barrel Ale, Union Jack British IPA and CPA 31 (a California pale ale that inspired my latest adventure in homebrewing). But Firestone often releases more exclusive beers of several ale varieties, such as their newest Walker's Reserve. This is a roasted porter that has a somewhat chewy, but not overwhelming makeup. You can attribute this to the roasted barely and oatmeal flakes, as called out on FW's site. Overall, this is an excellent rendition of a porter. Yes California, it's a malty beer but one that finishes with satisfying roasted character. You won't find the chocolate malt presence nor will you find yourself fatigued after a couple sips. I'm digging this porter and recommend it!

4/5- The glass is just about empty.

Coming up next...Irish Red Ale from Ninkasi in Eugene, OR

You Stay Hoppy California,

Pink

Walker's Reserve

My Twitter

Homebrewing: Third Time's a Charm! And About My YouTube Channel

What's up gang,

Several weeks removed from another homebrewing fiasco, I decided to pick up the pieces and give homebrewing another go. This time I stuck to the book, swallowed my pride and buckled down in my friend Greg's kitchen. We went to More Beer in Mountian View and got set up with a solid California Pale Ale kit, or as More Beer calls it, Left Coast Pale Ale. It's going to be a slightly citric, but not too herbal brew with Amarillo hops. I figured it's a great way to bring in the essence of spring once the Northern California storms subside. 

I'm also revamping my account on YouTube slowly but surely. I'm hoping to have more video reviews, homebrewing snapshots and possibly coverage of any events I attend. Obviously, I'd like to do what I can to get out into the craft beer scene a little more. So head on over to my Youtube page, check it out and subscribe if you'd like! And to keep up to date with the beer scene in Caifornia even more, head on over to my Twitter.

I've got a Firestone Walker: Walker's Reserve beer review to post on here very soon, and I will soon be featuring another beer review for an Irish Red Ale. Stay tuned lads and ladies.

You Stay Hoppy California,

Pink

Boston; Craft Beer Capital of North America!

Hey Gang,

This past weekend I had the fortune of spending a weekend in Boston, MA. I was here for a business trip but I definitely had ample time to get out and check on the beer scene. It's no surprise that Boston is the craft beer hub of the western hemisphere. Many of the bars feature local craft brews, and all of them have at least Boston lager and a Sam Adams seasonal on draft (for March it's Noble Pils, a German/Bomhemian hop-infused lager).

In fact, I was here the same weekend as the Extreme Beer Festival so it's sad to say I missed out on all of the action. However, my buddy from college, Chris, and his gang at Brewbound were there covering the event and even spending time with the likes of Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head) and other craft brew icons. 

In addition, I also came across a small chain of brewery-restaurants called Boston beer works. You can get some pretty good pub grub and have a bevy of ales to sample. BBWorks even has seasonals on tap. I was looking for a black IPA, or as they called it, "India porter," but they were out of it for the time being. Oh well, I enjoy one of their Irish Stouts very much. 

hen there was my actual business trip. That went very well! And I also got to see my best friend who lives here. I totally surprised the guy as he no idea I was coming over. Wonderful trip indeed. I'm going to miss this place after four days, so I plan on saving up some dough and getting out here again for some brew, best friend, baseball, and chowda. That's wicked pissah pal. 

You Stay Hoppy California,
Pink

Beer and Lent: When World Collide

A welcomed Ash Wednesday to those of you who partake in the Christian holiday period between now and Easter. I am not a Christian by faith, but I am a believer in that we, regardless of faith, cultural background, etc., can embrace this period of the year as a time to reflect on how we live our lives and how we would like to improve the way we live. Plenty of us out there have fulfilling lives in one way or another, and that's great. But maybe we want to make a difference in how we present ourselves to others, or maybe we would like to spend more time developing our interests outside of the workplace; I for one am on board with the latter! Perhaps we should think of lent outside of giving something up for a concentrated period of time; it's a way for us to add something else in and to do so long-term or permanently. 

Now when it comes to the "giving up" part of lent, I have a simple suggestion. Give up crappy beer, beer that holds us back from enjoying the effort, craftsmanship and TLC that goes into our favorite beers. Toss out the last of your fizzy, yellow-y Keystone Light or Natty 30-rack and put the bottle opener on your key set to work! By now I hope you've learned that craft beer is something that exceeds the initial investment you make. In all honesty, can you remember your last experience that involved drinking a Budweiser? Even if you can, you're probably remembering everything about the experience apart from the beer itself. Everything going on around you enhances your experience with the beer, and therefore the beer is dependent upon the experience. 

With quality craft beer, it's the opposite. The beer is the catalyst, enhancing the consumer's experience of everything around him/her. For example, you could be watching TV on a Wednesday night — pretty regular night and all. But crack open a micro and you'll start to feel like even a common moment in your life has a special place in time. What about if your're at a baseball game and your team is losing? It will take many Miller Lites to chase away your sorrows. But if you sip on an Anchor Steam or Sierra Nevada (served at Northern California MLB stadiums), you'll start to appreciate the people you're at the game with and the reasons that bring people together for America's pastime. You see, craft beer gives us purpose in that it can make any activity or any setting enjoyable, enriching and longer lasting for our memory. 

So for lent, I give you one way in which not only you will give something up, but also you will gain something very rewarding in return. 

You Stay Hoppy California,
Pink

Just passing through: a couple updates

Hey Everyone,

I thought I would take the time, the first time in almost two months, to give you an update as to what's going with beer in California and what I'm up to in my beer endeavors.

I recently joined a Silicon Valley/South Bay homebrewer's group known as the "Worts of Wisdom," or "worts" for short. It's an excellent group of a few dozen people who not only have a passion for homebrewing, but also a talent for homebrewing. Hopefully I'll gain a lot from the worts and learn how to put out some outstanding batches of my own. From crisp kölsch ales, to American IPAs, to chocolate and bourbon-inspired stouts, Worts of Wisdom members have dazzled me with their brews. You are more than likely to find their beers snatching up the awards at local and regional contests.

As for my homebrewing experiences, I have yet to turn out a solid beer in my two attempts. I found that in both batches I left the beer in te primary fermenter too long. I may also be using too much sanitizing solution, especially when it comes to filling the airlock. I think I'll use just boiled/distilled water for that next time. My second beer, a dunkelweizen, looked very promising at one point with a ruby brown color and phenolic/banana aromas. But then I left it sitting there for too long and now t tastes a little too soapy for anyone's liking. I'm definitely going to try brewing it again at some point this year.

As you may know, the SF Bay Area hosted a giant "beer week" in February, bringing in many breweries from up and down the state to showcase quality brew, food and more. Sacramento, a sometimes over-looked micro-hub in California, is in the middle of its beer week right now. These events around the state and in other parts of the US like Colorado and Boston (Extreme Beer Festival March 11-13). Speaking of Boston, I'll actually be in Bean-Town next weekend — unfortunately not for the beer, but for another trade show. I'm sure I'll still have time to sample some great local beer and whatnot. 

Lastly, I'm really enjoying the brews put out by Port Brewing / Lost Abbey out of San Marcos (north of San Diego). I really enjoyed their roasted, but not overly malted, Midnight Expression black lager.  

I'll give you more of an interesting entry when things get...more interesting! In the meantime, please head over to my Twitter where I post some interesting news/features about beer all over the world.

You stay hoppy California,

Pink

First Homebrew: A Preview

Hello World,

Another several weeks since my last post, and, like always, another bevy of beers to study and appreciate. My refrigerator has been a library of liquid libations for the last month or so, making it difficult to not only polish off these beauties, but also to select which one to drink next!

Aside from that, it is exciting for me to announce that I will begin my homebrewing endeavors this weekend in my converted garage of a living space. I've got my equipment, hops, yeast, and malt extract primed for bottled perfection. Here's a little insight regarding my homebrew:

I purchased my kit...excuse me. My dad actually purchased my kit as a Christmas gift, and it looks like he made a wise decision. This kit comes from Austin Brew Supply, one of the renown homebrew shops in Texas. It's a deluxe 5 gallon kit equipped with a couple handy tools you won't necessarily find in an intro kit such as a wort chiller and secondary fermenter. The kit's recipe itself is, I believe, for a brown ale brewed with amber extract, 0.875 lbs of malted grain for steeping, and 1 oz. of brewer's gold hops. However, I decided to spice things up a bit and added East Kent Goldings (EKGs: England) and Tetnang (Germany) hops to the recipe for added flavor and aroma, giving this beer a greater balance and a little more of a bite than a traditional English ale.  

We'll see just how this brew turns out. I've been reading John Palmer's "How to Brew" for a beyond-crash course guide to watching my passion unfold in front of my eyes (and drip into 12 oz. and 22 oz. brown bottles). I plan to have a writeup and some good pictures for you to check out. Perhaps this will inspire you to begin homebrewing or to develop your own recipe.

I've also started to get involved in the beer community through a local homebrewing group, whom I will talk about more as my involvement in the group grows, and sites such as BeerAdvocate and CraftBeer.com. These are great hubs for articles, enthusiasts, homebrewers and other resources. 

Lastly, I enjoyed a Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout last night and wrote a review about it on BeerAdvocate, giving it an A- overall; njpink1887 is my username. 

You Stay Hoppy California,

Pink