DrFermento.Net

Thanks for the header this week, Ken!  When I left Café Amsterdam the other night Ken and Shauna Pajak were also leaving and although I don’t think Ken was referring to my lightweight drinking session that night, it was an awesome quote.  Oh, and before I forget to give credit where credit’s due, a couple of blogs ago, the header “Scarf It Down Like A Dumpster Chicken” was coined by the GNBC Newsletter Editor Debbie Grecco.  See below for more interesting quotes from the field.  Yours are always welcome, so fire them off to me.

While over at Café Amsterdam the other night, I had a great session, mostly sharing beery impressions with Ken Pajak who tag-teamed the taps with the illustrious Will.  I had my pick of the fourteen handles but chose Spaten Oktoberfest, followed by the “Big O,” or Spaten Optimator.  The Oktoberfest on draught was the freshest I’ve ever experienced it (considering I’ve never been to beer’s hinterland, Germany).  The conversation denigrated somewhat and I promised not to recount Will’s idea of putting this big rubber fist (he shops The Look) on one of the taps and naming it something un-namable in my blog.  I almost spit out my beer from laughter, and if you want inside the joke, attack Will. 

The Klosterbraueri Ettal Munich Helles was clean in the nose but very slightly oxidized in the flavor, but not enough for me to reject a tankard of the delicate stuff. Ring of Fire’s Raspberry Pomegranate Cyser is now on and provides a good compliment to Celestial Mead’s Razzery Cyser. 

I threw down the gauntlet recently and challenged our local establishments to participate in the National Toast to Michael Jackson that will be held on Sunday, September 30^th.  The idea was inspired by Brouwer’s Café in Seattle.  Proceeds from the sale of certain beers will be donated to the National Parkinson’s Foundation at a ceremony at this year’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver.  The first establishment to respond was Tap Root Café, but due to space, the torch was passed on to Café Amsterdam, and on Sunday, September 30^th, a very special toast will be held in honor of Mr. Jackson.  Midnight Sun Brewing Company is graciously donating a keg of Obliteration to the cause, and I hope other breweries weigh in as well.  It’s gracious of Café Amsterdam to hold a limited opening between 4-7 PM on that Sunday because they’re normally closed.  The proceeds will somehow be sent forth to the Great American Beer Festival to be given to the National Parkinson’s Foundation with all others. 

Café Amsterdam isn’t doing a formal O’Fest gig this year, but has some very special items on the menu to get you in the mood.  On September 13, 14 and 15, look for goat cheese stuffed chicken breast wrapped in Black Forest Proscuitto Ham and served with sautéed cabbage.  Between September 20 – 22, expect potato pancakes with applesauce, sour cream and Lingonberry jam.  Between September 27 – 29, an Alsatian Platter with baked ham, roast pork, German sausage and choucroute and potatoes will be offered.  Finally, between October 4-6, try the beef in spiced sour cream sauce with a tasty radish salad.  I can’t even pronounce half this stuff, but knowing Pajak, it’s as authentic as it gets.  I’ll just chase the O’fest beers on tap. 

Speaking of the Obliteration Series of beers by Midnight Sun Brewing Company, Obliteration I is gonzo, and Obliteration II is on deck, slated for release today (TaDa!).  This series is all about hops.  Obliteration I was a double IPA and so is Obliteration II, but with some notable differences.  The primary difference is the astounding 13 hop additions in O-II, including one in the mash tun.  This truly revolutionary technique points yet again to the Midnight Sun brewer’s grasp of the cutting edge.  Summit, Simcoe, Amarillo, Columbus and

Mike Kiker of Celestial Meads weighed in with this bit of news about the meadery and some interesting information on upcoming celestial events:  “With a name like ‘Celestial Meads’ you would expect at least some observation of important celestial events. So we will be having an Equinox Celebration on Saturday, September 22^nd from Noon – 5:00p. The Equinox actually occurs in Alaska at 1:51a on September 23^rd, but Saturday will have to do since I don’t plan on being awake at 1:51a.

For those who were born yesterday, ‘Equinox’ comes from the Latin meaning ‘Equal Night’. It happens in the fall (the Autumnal Equinox) and the spring (the Vernal Equinox) and marks the mid-point between the solstices and the time when the Sun is directly above the equator. The Autumnal Equinox has generally been celebrated as a ‘Harvest Festival’ as still goes on in the United Kingdom.

There will be at least 8 meads to sample and plenty of snacks. As usual mead will be available for purchase. The event is open to the public and there is a $5.00 cover charge. Two new meads will make their debut at this event. ‘Belgique’ is a sweet methyglyn made with blended honey, coriander and bitter orange peel, and ‘Burning Sappho’ is a semi-sweet traditional mead made with 100% raw black locust (it’s a tree, sometimes called ‘false acacia’) honey.”  Celestial Meads is located just off  Arctic Blvd at  700 W. 41^st Ave, Unit H. For more details refer to our website at www.celestialmeads.com or call Mike at 250-8362.  

Occasionally beer lovers out there will come up with catchy beer sayings, phrases or even Haiku for me to digest along with my beer.  I remember when the Great Northern Brewers Club published quotes of members in some of their various states and publish them in the monthly GNBC newsletter. Some of those have become immortal.  Another recollection is of the “Harassment Hotline,” which was a telephone tree of sorts.  If a gathering of GNBC folks was at an event and someone was conspicuously missing from the group, the cell phone would come out and that member would be called, at any and all hours of the night and made feel bad for not being a part of the festivities.  I was the recipient of many of those classic calls and they’re always enjoyable. 

Here’s a little saying from from a friend of mine named Angus Walker.  He called the other night when I was at ORSO enjoying a pint of Glacier’s Oak-Aged Porter.  When I told him I was busy, he got off the line, but a text message immediately followed:

“Porter we order for the glee that is free”   

My only response is that I actually paid for that beer, Angus, but that’s okay; it’s the thought that counts.  Okay, I’m lying. 

This beer Haiku comes from Glacier Brewer Kevin Burton.  Burton and his crew enter the Anchorage Press’s Haiku contest every year and actually take some awards.  Anyone who thinks about beer to that level approaches beer demigod status in my book.  Anyway, this is a classic:

“Floating on a pink inflatable dinosaur.  Just me and my beer.”  Thanks Kevin, for the nifty mental cartoon. 

Keep sending that stuff along; I love it! 

Speaking of the Glacier Brewhouse  Oak Aged Porter, it’s on tap at Café Amsterdam.  This is another first. I believe this is the first Glacier keg on at the Café.  People are beginning to notice the “little café that could.”  Now you can go sample the stuff in a quiet, unfettered spot with miles and miles of free parking (compared to the cluster %*@& of trying to park downtown).  Check the Monday blog for details on the porter.

I goofed and didn’t make the Tap Root Café  Back to Basics Belgian Tasting on Monday evening, September 10^th.  I’m getting my ass kicked at work and I’m writing about beer so much I scarcely have time to run out and enjoy it.  I know, excuses, excuses.  My field correspondents report that it was quite the affair.  The mystery beer remains a mystery to me, but it was something from Browerij Het Anker in Belgium, but my confidants couldn’t remember which one.  The bottom line is that homebrewer Kurt Kried guessed the beer.  That’s good on ya, Kurt!  Don’t you think it’s time you stepped up to the plate, studied the BJCP and started helping out as a judge?  Congrats on your win, and congrats to Pamela and

I chatted with Steve McCasland down at Homer Brewing Company on Tuesday.  Now, here’s a brewery that literally gets slammed with tourists over the summer.  McCasland  was taking a breather between batches.  “We’re looking forward to things mellowing out a little be and a little more personal time for ourselves,” he said.  I understand this from talking to the brewers around the state on a more or less regular basis.  Our brewers work their asses off all summer long just trying to keep up with demand and breathe just a little in the winter months. “It was a good summer,” he said. “I have to get caught up with the Pale, Scottish and Porter.  I got what I got on tap and what just went into the cooler, and that’s about it,” he lamented. 

The other nice thing about our lengthening shadows and darker days is our brewers have more time to experiment.  “I’m just now starting to do a couple of specialties,” said McCasland.  He’s also looking forward to cranking out an Imperial stout soon and “other fun winter beers.”  I always look forward to the brewery’s Celestiale every year. 

Still, the brewery had time to be community minded this year and did sort of an early O’Fest affair in Homer that was well attended and the proceeds of which benefited something that I didn’t catch in the conversation.  Good on you folks!  This is where the brewery’s Oktoberfest beer was born, and it was followed by a rye and the first Homer Dunkel.  German malts and hops were used in each of the beers. 

Homer doesn’t regularly distribute to Anchorage, but they’re gracious enough to haul a couple of corneys up with them when they visit town.  Red Knot Scottish, Broken Birch Bitter and others show up on occasion, typically at Humpy’s.  The Wings and Kings ESB used to throttle this way as well, so hopefully we’ll see more of that. 

At the Brown Jug Store on 88^th and Old Seward (in front of Wal Mart, toward Dimond) the Belgian gulten-free beers showed up including Green’s Endeavor Dubbel, Green’s Discovery Amber and Green’s Quest Tripel Blond.  More interesting yet is the recent arrival of Euro Blacksheep Monte Python’s Holy Grale.

Over at La Bodega in the University Mall, new products include Zatec Czech Lager, Lagunitas Undercover Shut Down Ale, Strongbow English Dry Cider, Beck’s Oktoberfest and, Rochefort 10 Trappist Ale is back once again.  Don’t forget that La Bodega’s celebrating its one-year anniversary and the top five selling beers are on sale for 15% off.  Which beers?  Hah.  Nice try. I’ll never tell. Go see for yourself.

If you happen to be in Fairbanks this weekend, plan on attending Silver Gulch Brewing Company’s Oktoberfest Celebration.  After years in the making, the pub, restaurant and brewery tasting room are now open and beerslueth Kerri Canepa reports that it’s upscale, the food is great and aside from the mostly full tapline of Gulch beers, the bottled Belgian selection rivals that of anything we have here in town. 

The Oktoberfest Brewmaster Dinner is set for Wednesday, September 19^th (I know, quirky day for building a pounder) and features a five-course, beer-paired and prepared meal.  The beers are TBA at this point, but it’s bound to be good.  If you want the menu, reply to the blog or email me and I’ll fax or scan it over to you.  Other festivities are planned for Friday and Saturday 9/21 and 9/22 including the rowdy, inciting tunes of the Alaska Blaskapelle Band.  Those hootin’, tootin’, horn blazing kraut-wannabes get everyone stomping and toasting all night long.  I’d call ahead (907-452-2739 to get some for-sure idea on the when and where), but if you happen to be up there, the Gluch’s bashes are no-miss affairs. 

Although it seems impossible, after 13 years, Cyndi Ramirez is leaving Humpy’s Great Alaska Alehouse.  Friday, September 14^th is Cyndi’s last day at Humpy’s.  Cyndi is one of the original employees, and other than the owners, I believe she’s the longest-standing one.  This will be a great loss for Humpy’s and all of the patrons that she’s helped make feel at home at the downtown pub.  She always chided me because in an Anchorage Press column years ago, I described her as the “Matriarch of Humpy’s,” which is befitting of her, but I think made her feel older than her young spirit portrays.  Rumor has it that she’s headed into a management position within the La Mex chain, but it remains to be seen.  Cyndi promises to be in touch, but if you get a chance to do some well-wishin’, I’m guessing Friday will be the day.  We’ll miss ya, Girly-Girl, and I do hope you come back once and awhile.  The next chicken dance is mine! 

The Humpy’s lineup always goes last because it’s sooooooooooooo extensive.  No complaints there.  My picks this week would include Leavenworth Whistling Pig Wheat, Alaskan Heritage Coffee Brown Ale, Great Bear Brewing Company’s Whistle Stop Oatmeal Stout, and Kassik’s Kenai Brew Stop’s Roughneck Stout because I consider these beers somewhat obscure, but with a good nod to the local flavor. 

Wheats / Fruits            Moose’s Tooth Wild Country Raspberry Wheat           Pyramid Apricot            Pyramid Hefeweizen           

           Leifmans Frambozenbier ###           Spire

           Golden Ales / Pilseners /

           Alaskan Summer Kolsch                       Midnight Sun Gold Strike Kolsch           Anchor Steam

           Harp Lager *           Oregon Honey by

This entry was posted on Friday, September 14th, 2007 at 4:49 pm and is filed under Beer News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.