I owe a big apology. It seems that more or less on schedule, I manage to write Celestial Meads where I should write Ring of Fire Meadery. I’m hugely bad and embarrassed about this, but it’s gone to the point where it’s even been published in the Anchorage Press, The Celebrator Beer News and this very blog. Worse yet, the error’s been pointed out at least once before. There is a distinct difference between the two mead-making entities and that difference is not just geographical. So, I’d like to apologize publically and encourage my readers to make the distinction, but at the same time, support both of these steadfast frontunners in the fermented arts community.
Celestial Meads (yes, Celestial Meads) is celebrating their second anniversary on October 4th from noon – 5 pm. As usual, expect free mead samples and snacks. Catering will be by Café Amsterdam. The event’s free, and all of the meadery’s meads will be for sale on site.
If you’re down on the Peninsula, specifically in Homer, the home of Ring of Fire Meadery, be sure and stop in for a visit. The meadery is located at 178 E. Bunnell Ave in the old town section of Homer. The tasting room is open from noon – 6 pm seven days a week until winter 
hours kick in. I called down to verify and got the answering machine, so you may want to call ahead before visiting at (907) 235-2656. Note that Ring of Fire focuses on using fresh Alaska fruit whenever possible in the production of flavored meads and all meads are 100 percent sulfite and preservative free.
Are you looking for a rewarding career in the beer industry? Do you want to make more than casual use of your astute mastery of beer styles and global knowledge of all things fermented? Here’s a rare opportunity for you. Specialty Imports, Alaska’s premier purveyor of some of the finest suds in the universe, is looking for a beer salesman. I don’t have a whole keg o’ details on the offering, but was asked by resident beer geek Rob Weller of Specialty to get the word out. I’ve seen what Rob’s done in the beer salesman capacity and find it enviable. If you’re just kicking tires, don’t bother applying; filling Rob’s shoes is a formidable undertaking. In order to deliver the service he’s delivered until now takes a special person. Again, I don’t know what the requirements are or what goes with the job, so all I can say is contact Rob at rob@specialtyimports.com or call him at (907) 563-9100 to get more information.
Good things are on the horizon at The Snow Goose Restaurant and Sleeping Lady Brewing Company. With the tourist season winding down to a dull roar (actually just a squeak at this point) brewers Clay Brackley and Greg Mills have more time to do what they do best: experiment. This means good things for us locals hankering for something new and interesting. Without blowing my Anchorage Press wad and stealing the thunder from an upcoming column, I visited the brewery last eve (Wednesday, September 17th) and discovered perhaps the most interesting beer I’ve sampled in years and years. We all know of the Goose brewing duo’s ability to produce fascinating beers, but they’ve finally done something so over-the-top that it almost defies description. Right now, you’re probably sitting there smacking your lips in anticipation of my description of rich, alluring, swirling, tantalizing flavors in some heretofore unknown combination. Stop that right now; you’re getting your keyboard sticky. What the brewery’s new Harvest Rye Beer has to offer transcends flavor. Sure, every beer lover can grasp a mental interpretation of a rye beer, so there’s really nothing special about that. What defines this beer is mouthfeel. Yup, you heard me right. Singularly, this is the THICKEST beer I’ve ever sampled. It’s thicker than any barley wine, imperial stout or any other brooding 
beer I’ve ever had. It’s so thick that the carbonation has a very tough time making it to the surface of the beer. This isn’t a beer for the neophyte. This is a case study. What’s simply amazing about the beer is the sensation it creates when you first taste it. Your internal paradigm, given the beer’s incredible viscosity, is that the profile that follows will be a syrupy, overly-sweet, under-attenuated beer that’s sappy and hard to swallow. Magically, amazingly, defiantly, the beer thins out and finishes drier than a popcorn fart. It’s unbelievable. And, not to discount the flavor, the rye’s dry tartness is accented by rose hips and pepper. Yum. See for yourself; the beer should be out by Friday, September 19th at both the Goose and at The Tap Root Café, but no guarantees, so if you’re chasing it, it might behoove you to call ahead and find out if it made it on line.
Cafe Amsterdam continues to capture our livers with the best of the best in town. Here’s the line up for this week (as of Wednesday, September 17):
Chimay Cinq Cents, Grotten Brown, Spaten O’fest, Sierra Nevada Celebration, Kodiak Island Wing Nut, Magner’s Irish Cider, Unibroue Ephemere Apple, Unibroue Chambly , Unibroue Noire, Kenai River Summer Ale, Paulaner O’fest, Pilsner Urquell, Pike Brewing XXXXX, Avery 15, and Left Hand JuJu Ginger.
But that’s not all. Stashed away somewhere are kegs that will follow as we drink through the above including: Bridgeport Beer Town Brown, Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere, Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale, Sierra Nevada ESB, Pike Brewing Tandem, Smithwick’s Irish Red Ale, Full Sail Prodegal Son , Deschutes Dissident, and Unibroue Blanche de Chambly.
Also, Café is serving select beers by the glass, from the bottle including Midnight Sun Brewing Company’s Pluto, and Viking, and Hans Drinker’s Triple.
Hans Drinker Triple. Café remains my favorite midtown duck-in for a well-served, well deserved top-shelf beer.
There’s lots going on at Midnight Sun Brewing Company in the coming days. On Friday, September 19th, look for the release of our favorite winter wonder, CoHoHo Imperial IPA. This bigger brother to the boutique, signature Sockeye Red IPA boasts more hops but what I find to be a better balance. Maybe it’s the brown sugar, honey and juniper berries that add balance to the big hops in this sultry sipper that will be with us through March. A week later on September 26th, Humpback Jack Pumpkin Ale makes it’s annual seasonal return. This draft-only beer features copious amounts of pumpkin essence and plenty of pie-like spices to lend that out-of-the-oven toasty freshness to the beer. Look for it around town at your favorite haunts. A week after Humpback Jack rears its toothy head, line up for the long-anticipated return of Berserker Oak-aged Imperial Stout. The bottle-only release of this 12.7 percent wobbler will cause a mad scramble at the brewery for those that didn’t get enough of it last time and the vintage collectors like me that want to augment their stash. As if Berserker isn’t a tasty enough treat, on October 10th, the howling-ly delicious Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter makes a fleeing return. Recall that in previous years, this monster garnered rave reviews and sold out quickly, so don’t go home with an empty sack and ring MSBC’s doorbell early for your treat. Finally (well, there’s no such thing as “final” with MSBC) on October 31st (Halloween, for 
the date-challenged out there) MSBC’s next Planet Series beer Saturn debuts. This Belgian-style fresh hop IPA features freshly harvested Centennial and Cascade hops, and lots of them. If you’re collecting the series, Saturn’s available in bottles, and if you’re just a “beerstronomer,” look for it on tap at those venues dignified enough to carry it.
Surprise, surprise, but apparently not everyone’s happy with the recent InBev acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. According to the Associated Press, the action spurred a flurry of lawsuits around the globe. A recent lawsuit contends that the merger would create a monopoly over beer production in the United States. Really? Fortunately for us craft, micro and imported beer drinkers, this news scarcely elicits a yawn.
According to the World Beer Awards in London, Tripel Karmeliet from Brouwerij Bosteels (Buggenhout, Belgium) has been crowed “The World’s Best Ale.” Okay. I don’t recognize the World Beer Awards, but I haven’t been to London either and don’t know if the WBA is bigger than the WBC, etc., but just the same, this is a nice distinction for a sweet-ish, but delicious Belgian tripel that has a big following up here.
My information indicates that it went this way: First, the beer swept the “Gold/Blond Strong Pale – Abbey” category. From there, it moved into and swept the “World’s Best Strong Pale Ale” category. That moved it into the “World’s Best Strong Pale Ale” category where it was voted best and finally into the “World’s Best Ale” category where it won again. Tripel Karmeliet has taken gold at our own World Beer Cup, the World Beer Championships and the European Beer Star, so this comes with a great deal of credibility. I think I’ll pick up a bottle next time I’m at the liquor store. It’s been a while. I appreciate a drier tripel, but have always enjoyed Karmeliet.
On the domestic front, don’t forget that Full Sail Brewing is having a birthday party. I love Full Sail’s observation that “Yeah, we’re finally old enough to drink our own beer.” Instead of us sending Full Sail gifts, they’re sending us a special beer. Full Sail’s 21 is a bottle-only release of a celebratory dopplebock. We’re going to be getting our share at Anchorage venues including Brown Jug, La Bodega, Gold 
Rush, and Value liquor stores. The Grog Shop in Homer, the New Town Liquor and Kaptain’s Keg in Ketchikan, and the House of Liquors in Sitka. Look for 21 in the Mtn Market in Haines at at Thibodeaus in Juneau.
If you happen to be in the Hood River/Portland area in the coming weeks, consider attending one of the many events that celebrate this Oregon-pride brewery’s contribution to the state and most importantly, to our well-rounded enjoyment of beer. On September 25th, at the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub (Hood River), from 5:00 – 9:30 pm, there will be a birthday toast. What’ll make the toast boastful will be the tapping of a 15-year old keg of Full Sail Imperial Porter. Also on that evening, sign up for a four-course beer dinner than kicks off the annual Brewmaster Dinner program where 21 will be featured. On October 1st, at the Riverplace Brewery (Full Sail) in Portland, at 5 pm, another toast will feature another tapping of another keg of 15 year old Imperial Porter.
Also from Oregon, Deschutes Brewing’s Jubelale is slated for release in October. Widely recognized as America’s most popular winter seasonal ale, the festive brew is heavily anticipated every year, especially here in Alaska where Deschutes remains the #1 craft beer brand and Jubelale commands an increasingly loyal following. Because the beer has incredible staying power, I have friends that warehouse the stuff and have mini-linear tastings of previous years during the holiday season. I don’t know how many years in a row I’ve been pulled aside by Jube-fanatic Jason Ditsworth at the Great Northern Brewers Homebrew Club Christmas Party to toss back four or five years’ of versions. I’m a spotty collector and have a hodge-podge of years amassed in my under-house fortress, but my collection pales in comparison to others.
This year’s label is more abstract than I recall in previous years. Artist Pam Jersey Bird of Sister,s Oregon created the image. The milky-way looking thingie that runs through the top of the label represents the Deschutes River and the other spots represent snowflakes and ice crystals. 
No matter the label, I know that what’s inside easily transcends the wrapper. Jube uses a whole bunch of dark crystal malt and local hops in the manufacture of this 6.7 percent alcohol 60 IBU malty winter wonder.
There have been years where other seasonal ales have trumped my pick, but it’s rare indeed. Another of my favorite games is to have someone blind serve me samples of all of the winter ales I can find to determine if I can pick out which is which. I do okay, but have never aced the bunch. No matter, the arrival of Jubelale really does herald a change in season, and I welcome the beer with an open liver.
I’ve got something you don’t! Yup! We get Dogfish Head beers in Alaska, but so far, I haven’t seen their Punkin Ale up here. I’m a happy recipient because Ms. Fermento travels back and forth between Denver and here and it was available down there. Given Dogfish Head’s extreme beer proclivities, Punkin Ale is one of the more balanced beers in the eclectic bunch. Obvious pumpkin essence wafts off the top of the clear, deep amber beer with a thin, racy white head. Flavor-wise, I appreciate the light pumpkin essence that defines the beer, but more so appreciate the clean, lager-ish finish in a beer that I find to be an easy sipper. At 7 percent alcohol, its borderline dangerous. Ample hops prop up the malt base in a vegetable beer that I thought would be more way-over-the-top than it is. Wow. I find this beer a departure from Dogfish Head’s lineup. If you’re surfing emergent seasonal pumpkin ales, this is a good pick….if we got it up here. Maybe it will show up.
The views expressed on the Dr. Fermento blog site are not necessarily those of the drunks he associates with, but rather the exclusive byproduct of his self-inflicted liver degradation and delusional inebriate lifestyle
Dr Fermento Beer Calendar
09/19/08 Midnight Sun Brewing Company CoHoHo Imperial IPA release at the brewery 6:00 pm Free
09/20/08 Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest Chena Pump Campground (Fairbanks) Noon - ?? BYO/Potluck
09/06/08 Widmer Brewing (Portland) Fourth Annual Widmer Octoberfest 3 – 11:30 pm
09/20/08 Kenai Elks Club Oktoberfest Featuring Kassik’s Kenai Brew Stop Beer 7:00 pm $12.00 pp
09/26/08 Carlson Center (Fairbanks) 1st Annual Farthest North Import and Craft Beer Fest TBA $25.00
09/26/08 Celestial Meads Entries accepted for Equinox Mead Competition 5:00 -7:00 pm Free
09/26/08 Midnight Sun Brewing Company Humpback Jack Pumpkin Ale release at the brewery 6:00 pm Free
09/27/08 Celestial Meads Equinox Mead Competition Judging 2:30- 4:30 pm Free
10/03/08 Midnight Sun Brewing Company Berserker Oak-Aged Imperial Stout release at the brewery 6:00 pm Free
10/04/08 Alaska Railroad Glacier Brewhouse Oktoberfest Train 4:00 pm $149.00 pp
10/04/08 Celestial Meads 2nd Anniversary Celebration Noon – 5 pm Pay As You Go
10/10/08 Midnight Sun Brewing Company Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter release at the brewery 6:00 pm Free
10/14/08 Alaskan Brewing Company Judging for S.E Alaska Autumn Pour Homebrew Comp. 5:00 pm $3 per entry
10/04/08 Kenai Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest featuring Kassik’s Kenai Brew Stop beer 6:30 pm $50.00
10/12/08 Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse Oktoberfest Celebration 6:00 pm TBD
10/17/08 Lyon’s Club Eagle River Eagle River Brew Festival TBA Pay As You Go
10/18/08 Mykel’s Restaurant Soldotna Kassiks’ Kenai Brew Stop Beer Tasting 6:30 pm TBA
10/18/08 Juneau Arts and Culture Center 5th Annual Autumn Festival (think BEER GARDEN) TBA TBA
10/19/08 Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse Oktoberfest Celebration 6:00 pm TBD
10/31/08 Midnight Sun Brewing Company Planet Series beer Saturn release at the brewery 6:00 pm Free
11/09/08 Café Amsterdam BJCP Program Begins Noon – 3 pm TBD
02/22/09 Café Amsterdam BJCP Exam 10:00 TBD
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