DrFermento.Net

Thank you to everyone who showed up last Saturday night (2/23) for my little 50^th birthday soiree at Café Amsterdam.  It was an impromptu surprise party of sorts and I was genuinely pleased that I still had friends.  You know how it gets when you get old, they put you out to pasture and forget about you.  That’s never the case with beer buddies through; they remain stalwart through and through. 

Someone had to explain the concept to Ms. Fermento once.  It was Dave Snow, formerly of Arctic Brewing Supply.  Ms. Fermento was talking about my friends when Dave gently corrected her:  “He doesn’t have friends, he has drinking buddies.”  How poignant is THAT?  But I digress.

The next day I preloaded at Platinum Jaxx and Humpy’s and then did the run with the reindeer thingie.  I had no idea that reindeer could move that fast. I thought the gig would be more along the lines with “mingle with the reindeer,” but these particular reindeer are fueled with our local breweries’ spent grain, and that must be what gives them the pep.

My sudsy travels are over for the year, although there may be an impromptu trip outside here and there, but of much less intensity, duration or beer focus.  Sounds improbable, I know, but that’s the shakes. 

So, what’s going on around here in beer these days?

After a brief hiatus and distributor change, Flying Dog Brewing Company products are back in town.  Look for the likes of Doggie Style Pale Ale, Old Scratch Amber, In Heat Hefeweizen, Snake Dog IPA, Horn Dog Barley Wine, Gonzo Imperial Porter and Double Dog Pale Ale on the shelves of all but the lame liquor stores.  If you can’t decide which one to try, go for the mix pack and try them all.  My personal favorite is the In Heat Wheat. 

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout is in on draught and their Hairy Eyeball baits you with a wink, at least at the Brown Jug Warehouse where I saw it the other day and at the Brown Jug location on 88^th and Old Seward. 

Over at the little gem of a pub/eatery, the Tap Root Café, look for Midnight Sun’s Sockey Red IPA, Oosik Amber,  and Kodiak Nut Brown.  The Sleeping Lady Brewing Company’s Frozen Kriek Chocolate Wheat is on tap and from down south, look for Homer Brewing Company’s Broken Birch Bitter and Ring of Fire Meadery’s  Pear Cyser and Raspberry-Pomegranite Cyser.  From down California-way, sample North Coast Brewing Company’s La Merle and from across the pond, you can jazz your sweetie with some Leifman’s Frambozen. 

It’s not too late to sign up for the Monday, March 03 Sour Beer Tasting at the Tap Root.  The beer selections have been rounded out, so expect Panil Barriquee sour Red ale, Leifman’s Frambozen, Verhaeghe’s Duchess de Bourgogne and the incredible Boon Marriage Parfait.  As usual, there will be appetizers and a top secret specialty beer that you’ll have to guess what it is.  They call that the Brown Bag Special at these events.  When I grew up the Brown Bag Special was a big 4-0 Mickey’s or Schlitz in a brown paper bag that we gunned back for effect at the drive in theater in my mom’s borrowed 1970

If you’re not so sure about sour ales, muster up the courage and pucker up.  You cannot fully understand the broad diversity of beer in the world without experiencing and understanding sour ale. 

Of crucial and paramount importance is the National Homebrew Competition Judging at the Snow Goose Restaurant and Sleeping Lady Brewing Company on April 12^th and 13^th. There are a number of reasons that that as beer lovers, we pull this gig off without a hitch. 

First of all, it will give

Second, it proves a point.  The executive committee initially fought the proposal to host the judging in

Homebrewer (and ex-Great Northern Brewers Homebrew Club President Steve Schmitt did the grunt work of convincing these clowns that it is viable and cost effective to host the gig up here and sent a lot of numbers to prove it.  Eventually, the collective mind was changed and the gig is on. 

Here’s the rub.  Rather than the 100+ entries in our bigger competitions in

And, if you just can’t help out that way, remember, empty six-pack holders are desperately needed to sort and catalog the beer as it comes in.  Drop them off at

I’ve long heralded the Gold Hill Liquor Store in Ester,

I’ll be the first to vouch that finding more than primarily “mainstream” (if there is such a thing) craft and imported beers in Fairbanks isn’t as easy as it is here in Los Anchorage.  If you have good taste and something special in mind and are driving north, Gold Hill is a good inbound stop.  For those of you that have visited before years ago and recall a somewhat unkempt, dingy establishment with a gas station in front, that’s all changed.  Owner Susan Osborne poured a ton of jack into the place and it’s as shiny as a new penny now.  Her organizational prowess has brought beer to the forefront and the store is an absolute joy to visit.  And, as a bonus, if your car is thirsty and it’s Friday, enjoy 10 cents off a gallon of gas. 

For real entertainment, check out their website at www.goldhillalaska.com.  At least at the time of this post, the bottom-most featured video is of a local Alaskan mushing a team of dogs to the liquor store for his favorite brand of grog.  All of you lower-48’rs should take note:  this is how REAL men get beer! 

I haven’t been to Gold Hill in a while, so you don’t have to take this on face value.  Scott Stilher, Faribanks’ most prolific homebrewer visited recently.  Before I share his excitement, realize that Scott provides incredibly valuable service to the locals up there in organizing the annual ET Barnette Homebrew Competition and has a killer website that chronicles all of

Anyway, thanks Scott for sharing your impression of Gold Hill Liquor with my readers:  Here goes:

“We’ve just been to Goldhill Liquor Store which on the

across from the Blue Loon. 

Some folks have told me that they had a good beer selection. Well, I mustsay that was a serious understatement. 

I was in…Beervana. 

It was the most incredible selection of beers I’ve seen in

They have beers I never believed I would ever see and certainly not in

It has been quite some time since I’ve been to Gold Hill but somethingtells I’ll be going there a lot more often for now on. Is it Friday yet? 

They have a nice webpage (http://www.goldhillalaskastore.com) andyou can even print out a coupon for 10% off import beer singles. 

I am just totally awestruck. Wow a great beer selection! I’m stillwiping drool off my beard. 

As if that weren’t enough, if there is a beer you want that they do notcarry they will try to order some for you if at all possible. 

That all for now. I have a wonderful beer waiting for me. 

Cheers, 

Scott”

Remember that every First Friday of the month, McGinley’s Pub hosts its First Taste event.  On March 7^th, a scant $6.00 will get you samples of Kassik’s Morning Wood IPA, Kenai River Brewing Company’s Skilak Scottish Ale,  and The Sleeping Lady Brewing Company’s Pale Ale.  If you complete tasting notes and enter them, you are entered in a chance to wint a $30.00 McGinley’s gift certificate.

If you’re looking for something exciting and beer related to do this spring, consider the Tall Sails and Ales Craft Beer Culinary Tour through British Columbia’s

Frequent shore excursions will further expose passengers to local beer around the area, but for me, just drinking beer under the creaking masts of the 92 foot schooner would be a real treat.  A special beer, Maple Leaf Bock is being brewed by the Canoe Brew Pub in

The six-night/seven-day tour costs $2550 (in Canadian money; don’t ask me what the exchange rate is) and includes all accommodations, meals, tastings, materials and use of stuff on board the schooner including kayaks for wildlife viewing and other amenities. 

If you’re interested in the trip or just want to check it out more, surf out to www.MapleLeafAdventures.com or contat the event organizer, Maureen Gordon at (250) 881-6143, or email her at maureen@MapleLeafAdventures.com.

Kassik’s Kenai Brew Stop continues to produce fine ales that increasingly abound here in Anchorage with recent distribution that guarantees their goods outside their homey little recluse in Nikiski on the

Enjoy Kassik’s beers at Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse (Roughneck Stout is currently on tap), Cafe Amsterdam , Platinum Jaxx,  and of course the Tap Root Café.  If you’re living down south and reading this drivel, hit up the Back Door Sports Bar, Kenai Landing, the Upper Deck at the Kenai airport (one of my favorite hang outs as I travel back and forth on business and wait for flights, 406 Family Sports Café, The Kenai Elks Lodge, and Don Jose’s in Kenai, and Hoolagain’s Saloon, Mykel’s Restaurant, The Crossing,  and Bucket’s Sports Grill in Soltodna.  Okay, if you’re just passing through, hit The Sunrise Inn in Cooper Landing for a pint of local goodness and be sure you tell the server you appreciate seeing local beer on tap. 

Full Sail Brewing Company’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter (9.85 percent alcohol) is in town and can be obtained at the Brown Jug location at 88^th and Old Seward.  Only 20 cases of this heady stuff arrived in

If your travel plans include

Dr Fermento Beer Calendar

02/29/08         

03/28/08         

03/04/08          Tap Root Café                                     Flemish/Sour Beer Tasting (Date Correction)                          5:30 PM      $30.00

03/07/08          McGinley’s Pub                                    First Taste                                                                                5:00 pm       $6.00

03/15/08          Brouwers Café (

03/18/08          Mykel’s Restaurant (Soldotna)              Kassik’s Kenai Brew Stop Server Training                               3:00 PM      Free

03/19/08          Snow Goose Restaurant                       Entries for 2008 Breakup Homebrew Competition Accepted            Noon               $$ Per Entry

03/22/08          Snow Goose Restaurant                       Breakup Homebrew Competition Judging                                 10:30 AM        Free

03/28/08         

05/03/08          Chena Pump Campground (Fbx)          Zymurgist Borealis Nat. Homebrew Day/Big Beer Celeb.            Noon               Free

04/01/08          Maple Leaf Adventures                        Tall Sails and Ales Brew Cruise Launches (04/01 – 04/08)                                $2,250 Per Person

04/12/08          Snow Goose Restaurant                       National Homebrew Competition Judging                                  10:00               Free

04/13/08          Snow Goose Restaurant                       National Homebrew Competition Judging                                  10:00               Free

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