It’s been a long couple of weeks without my trusty blog to share my feelings through. Without a lot of gory detail, I had friends and relatives in town, back to back and it turned out to be a mixed bag of experiences. My great friend Lynbo from Phoenix graced my life and slowed me down enough for a week of intense photography in all of the splendor of this magnificent state we live in, and hoards of great beer in between. This was followed by a visit from my brother, a non-drinker, and his sixteen year old son and his son’s friend. My brother is great, although we have very little in common. His son and son’s friend turned out to be the quintessential, spoiled rotten California rich kids that took everything for granted and actually abused the privilege of experiencing this great state of ours and especially my inter sanctities of Hope where I live on the weekends. Without going into gory detail, I was disrespected, endured these two young adults’ rampant disrespect for my brother and their huge disregard for other people’s property. Oh, and despite the fact that I have no embarrassment of my professional drinking career around drinkers and non-drinkers alike, I was a little thirstier than I expected to be in the end. Thanks for your patience with my absence from the blog and thanks for being here reading me now.
My buddy Lynbo is a true beer drinking compatriot. Not to bore you with life details, but I met the man years and years ago, as early as 1992 or 1994 when I was presiding over Great Northern Brewers, Alaska’s premier homebrewing club. I was in the Air Force back then and when Elmendorf was commissioning the then new F-15E striker/bombers, I was sent to Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix to learn the armament system on this cutting-edge aircraft. Our training schedule was not intense, and I’d taken the time to research a couple of local watering holes, but as importantly, the local homebrew club in that area. I’d called the club and expressed interest in meeting with any of their members, but cautioned the club President that I didn’t have transportation and would need a ride if we were to hook up. As I’ve expressed in thousands and thousands of words before, homebrewers are a unique and hugely accommodating breed. We’re all like kin.
I didn’t have anything special to offer, but I did bait the deal with local craft beer including the original Bird Creek Brewery’s Old 55 and Alaskan Brewing Company’s Smoked Porter. With or without the beer, I was invited to attend an upcoming Brewmeister’s Anonymous 
homebrew club meeting. Because Lynbo was more proximal than other members to the Air Force Base I was staying at, he was dispatched to pick me up. We’ve been life-long friends ever since.
At the homebrew club meeting, I was coerced into an impromptu presentation on the polar differences in making beer in the “killer cold” of Alaska and the “killer heat” of Phoenix. I knew precious little about brewing in warmer climates because I didn’t start brewing until coming to Alaska, but wowed the crowd with stories of being able to easily lager beer on a garage floor in the winter, brewing with the garage door open, the steam billowing out and residential moose ambling by, and complications surrounding keeping the finished product from freezing on winter outings rather than keeping it drinkably chilled in the desert. The beer I brought was an obvious and instant hit. I probably converted more drinkers in one venue to smoked porter and hoppy Alaskan-style ale than I’ve ever wood similar crowds here in Alaska.
The point is that our mutual love for great beer (and photography) isn’t the cement in our relationship, but rather a defining point. It sure was fun hauling him around to newer venues in town. It’d been a couple of years since he’d visited and the likes of Café Amsterdam, Celestial Meads, La Bodega and the Brown Jug liquor store on 88th and Old Seward, all gems, were a joyous discovery to him. I was like a proud parent showing off defining venues that continue to shape our drinking enjoyment in Alaska.
I got back to the grind of a 9-to-5 and when you’re one deep in a position, it’s not like someone’s going to sachet in and do your work in your absence. Despite checking in remotely, dealing with messages and downloading email when I was home, I got back to mayhem and I’ve been digging ever since. It sure makes for thirsty work.
I got a special treat on Thursday, September 4th, when I got to spend time with Dave Snow, the founder of Arctic Brewing Supply. Dave established the small shop years ago when homebrewing supplies were at a premium in Alaska and most of us were engaging in collective mail-orders to obtain scarce and expensive supplies outside. Alaska Mill Feed and Garden Supply stocked homebrew supplies for a while, but variety was lacking for Alaska brewers that wanted to stay on the cutting edge of the art and wanted unique ingredients that just couldn’t be found up here. And, it’s no surprise that even despite shipping, it was often cheaper to obtain the supplies from outside. That was all until Dave came along.
Dave had a vision. He wanted to build a store that focused exclusively on homebrew and the homebrewing art, not some mix of pesticides, fertilizer, dog toys and live animals with a section in a forlorn corner for beermaking supplies. I was running Great Northern Brewers back then and Dave gave me a call and invited me down to his then empty store space. I had nothing to do with the conception, design or implementation 
of Dave’s homebrew shop dream, but over the coming days, spent a lot of time sitting on boxes or on the floor, eating pizza, pounding nails and drinking a lot of good beer.
Dave quickly established a great reputation for providing world class, personalized customer service and a hands-on approach to product delivery. Dave’s idea of service extended beyond unwrapping something so a customer could mull it over. Dave was fond of keeping the finished product in the back room and there were many times I’d stop by and share a pint of Dave’s latest.
I’ve never been an entrepreneur or a risk taker, but I learned a ton from Dave as the store breathed in and out in size and stock over the years. In the end, Dave sold the store to accommodate moving out of state so his wife Suzy could attend dental school.
We hooked up Café Amsterdam. It was great to see Dave. We both conceded that neither of us had changed much. Dave’s always called me “Drinking Buddy.” The moniker came after he’d called Ms. Fermento one evening looking for me. She told him I was out with my friends. Dave promptly and firmly explained to her that I didn’t have friends, I had “Drinking Buddies.” We made a pair in out days, constantly under the often scornful scrutiny of our significant others. Getting into drunken trouble always had more appeal than calm and orderly socializing, and when Dave and I drank, we didn’t feel like we had to accommodate anyone else and seldom did. We just fired for effect.
So, it was a good visit. While there, I enjoyed my share of Kodiak Island Brewing Company’s Baranov Imperial Stout. If you’re an imperial stout fan, you might find this selection a little different. Expect the same rampant complexity and deep, dark, frothy richness you’d 
expect in any classic example, but expect a thinner, drier finish. This isn’t necessarily a defect, although it might bruise your ego if you had other expectations. Some people enjoy a thinner bodied, albeit bigger stout and not everything has to be drippingly Americanized with over the top fruitiness, hops and boldness. Overall Baranov is well balanced, a bit subtler and easy to drink. I hope it lasts until you get your sample.
I also took the new Ommegang Rouge, a Flanders red ale, for a spin. This is an incredibly special beer. Aged 18 months in French oak barrels, this is both a beauty in the glass and across the gullet. This beer was brewed in collaboration with Brouwerij Blocker in Belgium. The beer was actually produced in Belgium and sent back over here for our enjoyment. What I appreciate is the authentic production of this beer. I cop wood when I find out that the beer was run across a traditional coolship and open fermented.
The deep, clear, dark ruby red, dusty, barnyard smelling beer pours under a fleeting white head and gives off a wonderful, authentic Belgian-esque aroma with hints of the underlying brettanomyces. I thoroughly appreciated that the beer wasn’t a big brett-bomb and was well balanced and entirely drinkable. I’m puckering right now, recounting the taste sensation and the ample, defining slightly lactic tartness in the beer. This is a winner and I’d suggest you get over there because by all accounts, it’s moving quick and I’m going back.
I wasn’t as enamored of the Left Hand Brewing Company Oktoberfest as I thought I was going to be, but I’m not to proud to admit that my palate could have been off. It just didn’t seem to have the zest I was looking for that night, and being in a hugely celebratory mood, that could have been the problem. It was clean, well balanced and very decent, but it just wasn’t doing the trick for me.
I was going to have more beer (and recalled an errant pint or two), but discretion is the better part of valor when Dave and I mix it up, so I called it an early night and headed on.
Just for the record, Arctic Brewing Supply is still in existence and still is the state’s biggest and best perveoyer of homebrewing supplies. Located at 5915 D. Lake Otis Parkway (907 561-5771), Arctic Brewing can easily get you started in the fermented arts, or enhance your collection of beer techno goods to the point where you’ll be the envy of all of your brewing peers.
Heads up, homebrewers and beer judges. Alaskan Brewing Company will be accepting homebrew entries for the Southeast Alaska Autumn Pour Homebrew Competition between now and Tuesday, October 14th. Entry feels are $5 for the first entry and $3 for each additional entry. Fess up two bottles of each style you want to enter and make sure you have the accompanying BJCP recipe and entry for completed with your submission. Chase that stuff down at www.BJCP.org. Alaskan’s graciously accepted the toilsome responsibility of accepting the entries at the brewery during their normal operating hours. And, if you happen to be in Juneau on business (or just chasing good suds) there’s no doubt that the AHA sanctioned event organizers would appreciate any judging or stewarding help they can get. For more entry information call (907) 780-5866.
If you’re a meadmaker, get ready to enter your elixirs in the September 27th Equinox Mead Competition at Celestial Meads here in Anchorage. Co-sponsored by Anchorage’s Great Northern Brewers homebrew club, the competition is soliciting entries from BJCP 
category 24: Traditional Mead and category 25: Other Mead. To enter, you’ll have to ferret two 14 – 16 ounce bottles of your precious stuff or one 750ml bottle for each category entered. You’ll also need to provide the standard AHA/BJCP recipe and entry form for each entry. You’ll have to deliver your entries to Celestial meads at 600 W. 58th Ave (just south of International, off of Arctic Blvd. The meadery has limited open hours so contact them at (907) 250-8362 before making the voyage down there. The event organizer is Breck Tostiven and he can be contgacted at (907 248-4062 or you can email him at keegan@gci.net for more information. Surf out to www.CelestialMeads.com for additional information.
The bonus is that the best of show winning mead will be produced by Celestial Meads for commercial sale if it’s both possible to brew it at the meadery and commercially viable. So, put on your Viking horns and get organized. Even if you don’t produce the stuff, but still understand and love it, why not help judge the competition? Judging will be held at Celestial Meads from 2:30 to 4:30 on Saturday, September 27th. Again, contact the organizer to volunteer.
Southside landlubbers and beer lovers can duck into The Tap Root Café to enjoy an almost all-Alaska tap lineup. Look for Midnight Sun’s Sockeye Red, Kodiak Brown, Oosik Amber and Old Whiskers Hefe. From the Sleeping Lady Brewery, look for Green Dragon Pale Ale, Braveheart Scottish Ale and the recent release of the formidable Hop Bomb, boasting 21 different varieties of hops. From the Peninsula, enjoy Kassik’s Kenai Brewstop’s Beavertail Blonde and Roughneck Stout and Ring of Fire Meadery’s Pear Agave Cyser. “Outside” offerings include Stone Brewing Company’s 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout and Ommegang Brewery’s Funkhouse, a Flemish-style ale. Finally, from Brewery Van Steenberge, how about some Cherish Raspberry Lambic? If someone in your group wants something sweeter and tarter, this would be a good choice. There’s always good suds, good food and good music happening at The Root.
In the tanks over at The Snow Goose Restaurant and Sleeping Lady Brewing Company, look for Harvest Rye Ale and the return of Espresso Bock. Both are emergent, so be patient, but vigilant. The Harvest Rye Ale is a drier interpretation of a German style beer that you’ll find a bit zestier that other mainstream offerings. The Goose’s interpretation is brewed with rye, rye flakes and rye malt (in addition to base malts) and is spiced up with black pepper, juniper berries, rose hips and a nice, balancing compliment of German and Slovenian hops. Gold/amber in the pour under a uniform head, this beer should quaff easily and might require exercising some restraint. 
The Espresso Bock uses a somewhat traditional German bock for the base. The beer is cold-conditioned for a couple of weeks. While still cold and conditioning, brewers Clay Brackley and Greg Mills infuse the beer with concentrated coffee pulld from fresh ground Kaladi Brothers Red Goat coffee. This little speedball will get your motor running and might make for a good lunch time snack.
There are other surprises in the work over at the Goose and the Brackley/Mills duo intend to release them in selected intervals to keep things interesting and keep our palates curious.
La Bodega keeps bringing in the goods. With the arrival of Left Hand Brewing Company’s beers, look for Haystack Wheat, Juju Giner, Sawtooth Ale and Milk Stout. Of course, this isn’t the only place you can find the beers, but it’s probably the best place. If you’re unsure of a style, brand or selection, you’ll find safety in being able to buy a single beer rather than forking over full-boat price for a six pack. This is a feature that truly sets this establishment apart from the others. Left Hand’s Imperial Stout is inbound, so repeat visits are in order.
Also on board at La Bodega are the new canned selections from The 21st Amendment Brewing Company of San Francisco. Alaska is the test market for these two selections. The brewers have been up here in attendance at our Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival and instantly realized that we’re just the crowd that could run the suds through the paces. We’re more outdoorsy than the average San Fransiscan and are more likely to rigorously test the product. I’m not just talking about the suds inside, but rather the wrappers. We’re more prone to haul these canned bevvies into the wilderness, toss them in a canoe, backpack, rucksack, bike bag, float plane pontoon or wherever else we take good beer with us. We’ll enjoy the better portability that cans afford and can crush them when we’re done and haul them back out with us.
Midnight Sun Brewing Company’s Planet Series Beer Pluto, a Belgian-style golden strong ale aged in oak with brettanomyces can also be found at La Bodega if you don’t stop by the brewery to get it at the tit. And, if there’s any left (unlikely) look for The Viking, a Belgian-style dark strong ale commemorating the passing of our good beer buddy Dave Yanoshek, to show up. This special one-time beer was brewed using pale two-row Special B, wheat, debittered black Belgian biscuit, and chocolate malts. It’s amped up with light doses of Simcoe and Amarillo hops and spiced with star anise. Dark raisins add a special touch to the beer. The 23 international bittering units are light in this big, 
dark malty beer and at 12 percent alcohol, this is the perfect beer to buy for immediate consumption, but would make a healthy addition to your cellar stock. This bottle-only beer will undoubtedly be a collector’s item and much will probably disappear at the brewery on Saturday, September 13th. The official release is on Friday the 12th, so if you’re worried about getting your share, opt for a Friday visit. The objective, according to brewer Gabe Fletcher, is to sell it all in one day if possible because proceeds from the sale of the beer will be donated to the surviving Yanoshek family.
It’s Oktoberfest season (or at least the season is on approach) so it’s time to mark your calendars for upcoming and often competing events. Oddly, this year, the first one I head about is happening down on the Peninsula. On September 20th, at the Kenai Elks Club, a special Oktoberfest celebration will take place featuring Kassik’s Kenai Brew Stop beer (among others). The rowdy, rambunctious Alaska Blaskapelle will be kicking things up with that “roll out the barrel” kind of funky polka music that just sounds so good when you’re hoisting pints. The gig starts at 7:00 pm and it’s $12.00 per person. The beer and brauts are pay as you go.
Then, on October 4th, if you’re down that way, plan on attending the Kenai Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest Celebration. Details are emergent on this one, but the gig starts at 6:30 pm and costs $50.00 per person. I’m not sure if this is beer/food inclusive, but I’ll provide more detail when I find out.
Oh, and before I forget it, for you Peninsula Dwellers, Kassik’s is hosting a beer tasting at Mykel’s in Soldotna. Again, details are sketchy, but I’ve learned that it’s on October 18th at 6:30 pm, but the price is TBD at this point.
Since O’fest is approaching look for the arrival of Elysian Brewing Company’s Night Owl Pumpkin Ale. Buffalo Bill’s (Hayward, California) Pumpkin Ale is already in town, and as mentioned before, Left Hand Brewing’s Oktoberfest is already flowing.
If you’re down that way, don’t hesitate to navigate your way to Nikiski and twist and turn your way through the woods to Kassiks, but bear in mind that new winter hours are in effect. The brewery is now closed on Monday. It’s always best to call ahead. The brewery number is (907) 776-4055.
Do you want to wreck your palate, brain and liver simultaneously and learn something at the same time? Consider taking the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Course and associated exam. I can’t heap enough accolades on this stellar learning experience that’s designed to enhance not only our overall knowledge about global suds, but your enjoyment of the beverage as well. Volumes can be written about the merits of “enduring” this focused study about beer, and my experience with it can’t be summed up succinctly. Suffice to say, taking the course was a life-changing experience for me. Since the course, I haven’t been able to face a beer without some degree of evaluative contemplation. Life was easier when I could just drink a beer for its hedonistic properties rather than dissecting it down to the cellular level, but armed with understanding and a finely tuned palate, I still relish in the experience.
Rote memorization skills go a long way in passing the grueling exam at the end, but memorization is not enough. Most of your study outside of the classroom environment will center around obtaining, sampling and orally dissecting as many beers within the 92 styles that you can find. There are worse ways to study, but don’t make light of the chore. Not only will you have to pass the written portion of the exam that includes everything from biology to chemistry as it relates to beer, but you’ll have to demonstrate that you’ve trained your palate to recognize both merit and defect in beer and provide ways to make improvements. I’ve got a Master’s Degree in Human Resources, but swear that the BJCP exam was tougher than my comps out of my degree program. My ability to write came from somewhere else; my ability to understand beer comes in large part from taking on this course.
The program is hosted by The Great Northern Brewer’s Club and graciously accommodated by Café Amsterdam, where the classes will be held starting at noon on (Sunday) November 9th. The course will wrap up with the exam on February 22nd, 2009. Instructors include certified beer analysts that are well versed in their areas of expertise. Registration details can be obtained by contacting the course organizer, Dennis Urban. Email him at dlurban@gci.net. You can also sign up at Café Amsterdam. Saddle up to the bar, toss back a couple of pints of liquid courage and sign 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
09/20/08 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
09/27/08 Celestial Meads Equinox Mead Competition Judging 2:30- 4:30 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
10/14/08 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
10/17/08 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
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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May 19th, 2009 at 2:03 am
beer bottle label…
That massive German beer pub Drei Kronen 1308, just up the street from Hooters, will finally hold its official opening , this Friday from 6 PM. I realize I have already plugged this place and its four floors , its rooftop garden, and its 100,000 liters…