Questions of Note: Bill Weier

It is only fitting that the first QoN with someone from the wine world is with Bill Weier.  What, you don't know him?  Bill is one of the owners of the restaurant Rustica in downtown Kalamazoo.  Rustica features European rustic food focused around European wines. 

Bill is no stranger to wine.  Just in the time I have known him he has been the GM for the Epic Bistro (back when it was a wine bar) and also a sales manager for Imperial Beverage when they were wine focused.  As the owner operator of Rustica he has found a home; a place to share the wines he enjoys with others.

1.         What was the turning point, where you knew you wanted to spend your life in the wine industry? 

 

Two moments come to mind.  The first was as a waiter when I was 23 or so.  I had just served a large table and they ordered several very expensive bottles of wine.  When I received the tip...it was huge...because the wine was so expensive.  I decided then and there to learn as much as I could about wine so I could maximize my tip potential by selling more wine.  The second moment was when I moved to Hawaii to wait tables just a year later.  I got incredibly lucky and landed in the oldest French restaurant in Hawaii.  The French woman that was running the restaurant opened a bottle of Chablis Grand Cru "Les Clos" from Bouchard and it literally blew my mind.  The combination of subtlety, and complexity was like nothing I had ever tasted...I was hooked.

 

2.         If you could have any beverage in your hand right now, what would it be? 

 

 French white from Burgundy, Rhone, or Alsace.  Most people think the top of the mountain is big heavy dry reds.  I found the summit to be sublime whites with both power and finesse.  If a rose Champagne from a small grower ended up in my hand I would be perfectly happy with that as well!

 

3.         Can you describe your beverage life in a song lyric/title?  If so what would you choose? 

 

 Bob Marley...Is This Love..."I wanna love ya...and treat you right...I wanna love ya...every day and every night"

 

4.         Do you have a steady beer or wine, or do you like to "play the field?" 

 

Besides the aforementioned wines, I love skunky beer after work (Pilsner Urquell or Grolsh), Stouts and Porters when it's cold out,  and Belgian Farmhouse Saison anytime.  I love to play the field at Hop Cat in Grand Rapids and other quality beer-centric bars.

 

5.         Crowded smoky bar or back porch watching the clouds float across the sky? 

 

Back porch hands down...moon, stars or clouds...thunderstorms preferred.

And the lame one…

 

Who put the bomp in the bomp-sha bomp-sha bomp? 

 

Michelle Bachmann

 

Time for a pint...

 

Brewing: Heather Agave Mead Bottled

The war is won.  There is quite a bit of brewing that makes the job worth it.  And then there is bottling.  If anything could turn someone off of home brewing, bottling can be it.  The work involved can be quite a bit of drudgery, although the rewards at the end are very worth the work (and of course a kegerator makes it even better). 

Tonight I bottled the Heather Agave Mead.  Meads and ciders are drinks that for me are meant to be bottled.  It does mean spending about 2 or more hours of your day cleaning and sanitizing.  For this batch I split a bit of the work between 2 days even.  Yesterday I cleaned the labels off the bottles (collecting bottles is an easy way to reduce the cost of bottling).  Today the work of sanitization and filling was done. 

 

Bottles draining in preparation.

Mead ready to transfer to the bottling bucket with bottles ready to be filled.

 

Transferring

 Bottle fill set up.  The key is to have as much as possible within easy reach.  Off camera I had a milk crate table set up with easy access to corks. 

Although the initial cost of a floor corker is a bit much, the ease of use makes up for it in the long run.  With this corker I can do the corking operation with one hand, freeing the other one to work the bottle filler. 

 

 

The mead as it is right now is quite tasty.  I make most of my meads on the dry side and this one is no exception.  Though it is a lighter bodied mead the flavor is full with strong tequila notes.  This one should age nicely in the bottle. 

 



Time for a pint...

Signs of the Season



Around here there are a few signs that warn you of the approaching holidays. Just before Thanksgiving is the first; the Kalamazoo Holiday Parade. This year was a great parade thought a bit different. The usual balloons were not floaters as has been the norm for many years. Instead they passed the spectators on floats.  

Who doesn't dream of ginger bread men and candy for the holidays. 



The weather held out for the parade.  Probably a good reason for the clowns to be happy. 

The crowd from our vantage point in front of Bronson hospital; near the start of the parade.

Western Michigan University Marching Band









The portion of Galesburg-Augusta High School Band Featuring my youngest daughter. 

And of course a holiday parade is not finished until the jolly guy shows up.  Mind you after close to an hour and a half it was great finally seeing Santa.  








Our next stop happened earlier tonight (at least for us).  Although we skipped the night time holiday parade in Battle Creek, we still make the trip out to down town to check out the light displays.  On a crisp fall evening you may be looking for a nice fire and some hot chocolate afterward but it is still a good walk. 

 

 

We only took a few shots of the lights (like I said it was a bit cold).  In hindsight we also were wishing we would have brought the video camera with us.  As part of the display there is usually a light show of some sort.  This year included lights through out one of the parks and the surrounding area dancing to Christmas music playing over a loud speaker. 

 

Currently we still haven't had enough snow to stick.  Because of this we have yet to make it out to Kalamazoo for Candy Cane Lane (in Bronson Park) and other holiday sights.  Those just look better when the white stuff has arrived. 

 

Time for a pint... 

Brewing:Experiment Ale A and B Finished

Not too long ago I began a couple of experimental beers for Hop Head Farms, using their Colombus hops.  The experiment involves looking for differences within the brewing process and finished product based on how the hops were processed.  The controls for the experiment included the exact same ingredients and the exact same brewing process, the only real difference between the two batches of beer came from the hops themselves. 

Based on what I have observed, the hops perform a bit differently in the boil.  But this does not overly affect the finished beer.  The beer on the left is A, and the one on the right is B.  B was carbed today, which accounts for the slight haziness it currently has (this will go away in a few days).  The flavors present in each beer is almost exactly the same.  The minor differences that might exist are so slight they have no effect on the flavor profiles. 


The biggest difference between the beers can be seen in the brewing process.  Batch A had a cleaner boil.  There was less hop detritus overall.  Where as batch B had continued evidence of hop particulate throughout the boil.  The following video shows each addition for both batches. 

Time for a pint...

Video: Maple-Soy Glazed Cod with Thai Noodles

Here we are, escaping Thanksgiving.  This week we are looking at something a bit lighter, a reprieve from the hard core eats of the holiday.  As always with foods like this it is fairly simple to turn it into a vegetarian or even vegan dish.  For the most part with this one, the only animal product comes from the cod. 

 

 

Noodles Recipe:

 

1 package of Udon noodles (cooked)

1 Thai pepper (or red pepper flakes)

1/2 cup snow peas cut into bite size pieces

3 green onion

1 clove garlic

5 mushrooms (about 1/2 cup sliced)

2 stalks bok choy (leaf and stem)

1 inch ginger (chopped fine)

Method:
Start with the green onion, garlic, ginger, and Thai pepper, then add in the rest of the veggies one group at a time till all is cooked through.  If it looks a little dry add a dash or two of water (it will help steam the veggies a bit as well).  When the veggies are ready add in the noodles and toss with a little water to help the flavors spread around.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cod:
Cod
flour
Salt
1Tablespoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon Soy sauce

Method:
Season the cod with salt then dredge through the flour, knocking off excess.  Sear each side of the cod till slightly golden.  Remove and place on pan (or cook on saute pan if oven safe).  Using a brush paint the cod with the soy sauce and maple mix.  Finish in oven (depending on the thickness of the pieces it might go really fast)  If the pieces are thin you might want to turn the oven off when you place the cod inside. 


Time for a pint...

Books: Tasting Beer

If you are planning to do Cicerone ceritfication and possibly even work on the BJCP certification there are a few good books out there to help you on your way.  In my last book tour we talked about Beer for Dummies.  Continuing along the same line, the next book to pick up for study is from Randy Mosher, Tasting Beer.  The information contained in this one is huge.  Even if you only have a passing interest in beer learning, this book is a god send (you can show off all kinds of geeky knowledge gleaned from the pages in this one). 

Randy Mosher HB (HB is self titled Home Brewer) has three beer books to his name.  The first two (the Home Brewer's Companion and Radical Brewing) are geared strongly toward home brewers.  But this aside the history and information on brewing and beer in Radical Brewing alone is quite a bit to build your knowledge on beer and brewing.  Now this brings us to Tasting Beer (2009).  This one was a slight departure from brewing into pure appreciation. 

 

With the growth of the brewing industry more information helps to understand what is now available.  Mind you, beer is still enjoyable at the most simple levels but understanding why a beer tastes the way it does will help.  This knowledge can save you from throwing out a Oud Bruin thinking it has gone bad because it does not taste like a Northern English Brown.  Making distinctions like this can turn a bad experience into something a bit closer to trancendental. 

 

One of my favorite parts of Mr. Mosher's books is the forms he has in them.  Two that stand out for me: the flavor wheel and a tasting record.  The flavor wheel is not something you fill out but when you are sampling it is quite handy for building a vocabulary to define the experience.  If you spend any time around wine tastings you will already be familiar with this item.  Tasting records are also nothing new.  There are journals you can already buy designed specifically for wine tasting records.  But then these may not be quite what you want when it comes to beer tasting.  The page offered in the book is designed with the beer taster in mind. 

 

Surprisingly, my personal copy of the book is still in pretty good shape.  This is a reference book that you will return to again and again, gleaning a new bit of insight into the beer world each time. 

 

Time for a pint... 



Happy Thanksgiving

This is basically a quick note because even with all that is happening I need to write at least a bit today.  Today is my 20th wedding anniversary and tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  So I am off for a day or two to do a bit of familyish time (it's almost like vacation). 

I want to wish everyone out there happy Thanksgiving (if you are into that kinda thing) tomorrow.  I look forward to spending time with you again on Friday when we will be getting back to a semi normalish schedule.


Time for a pint...

Brewery Tasting: New Holland Brewing Co.

Earlier this year Serafino's in Richland Michigan held a tasting for Mt. Pleasant Brewing Co.  It was great to spend a bit of time with a representative of the brewery and taste some new beers.  They have hosted a few more tasting events with other breweries and wineries there since that time (though I have not been able to make it to all of them).  When I found out there latest one would be with New Holland Brewing Co., I new I couldn't miss this one.  At the very least this was a chance to get a taste of the Beer Barrel Bourbon. 

New Holland's Event Captain, Adam Dickerson was on hand to answer questions about not only the bourbon but also Hopquila and the beers on hand as well.   This tasting was on an early Friday evening. The timing was perfect for catching people stopping in on their way home from work, so the shop was steadily busy when I stopped in.

Of course, the highlites on hand that day included not only the bourbon but also Dragon's Milk and Charkoota Rye.  Their Beer Barrel Bourbon is aged in the barrels that are used to age Dragon's Milk which originally came from bourbon distilleries.  It is a fun round robin that ends up with a very drinkable bourbon.  The Charkoota Rye, was made with pairing in mind.  It is a smoked rye beer that pairs perfectly with charcuterie (sausages and pates). 





Time for a pint...



Video: Corned Beef and Cabbage

I know, we are approaching Thanksgiving.  And yes, St. Paddy's day is in March.  Does this mean we must focus every thought on entertaining for the upcoming event?  I say no.  We march by the beat of our own drummers.  We will have our corned beef and cabbage not because some arbitrary holiday tells us it is right and proper; we will have it because this is what we want right now.  And by golly we deserve it. 

 

 

 

This is one we won't be going with exacting ingredients for.  Instead we will look at what was used to make the meal.

 

Corned Beef

Garlic

Potatoes

Carrots

Onion

Cabbage

Beer (tradition would call for a Guinness or a Smithwicks but its always great with a good beer you have on hand)

 

 

Method

 

large dice the veggies.  Sear the brisket to develop a hard sear (a nice crust).  Remove the brisket from the pan and saute the carrots, onion, and garlic till the onion begins to turn translucent.  Deglaze with the beer then add the brisket, potatoes, and cabbage to the pan.  Add water till it comes up at least 75% of the brisket (more is ok).   Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours.

 

 

Time for a pint... 



Questions of Note: Lew Bryson

The interview this week is with someone who is practically a landmark in the beer world.  For starters, Lew Bryson has been writing about beer since 1995.  Add to that, since 1996 he has been the managing editor of Whisky Advocate.  He has four books to his name and three blogs (Seen Through a Glass, The Session Beer Project, and Why the PLCB Should be Abolished). He has been the main drive for Session Beer Day.  And then the pilot for his show American Beer Blogger won an Emmy in Pennsylvania.  These are just a few of the highlights.  Check out his bio, its been a great journey so far. 

This is the shortened version of the pilot episode to American Beer Blogger (a little warm up before we get to the interview).  











And now before I delay too much longer...

1.         What was the beer moment, when you knew you wanted to become involved with the craft beer renaissance?

There was the first non-mainstream beer, in 1981, when I knew I wanted to drink more of these different beers. There was the moment in 1986 when I bought Papazian’s Complete Joy, when I thought I wanted to brew beer (and I did, but hell, it was too much work!). But I knew I wanted to be involved the night of my first ever brewpub visit in 1987 — Front Street Pub in Santa Cruz — when after my first beer I pulled out a notebook and started writing. I never stopped.

 

2.         If you could have any beer in your hand right now, what would it be?

Augustiner Edelstoff; for choice, in the brewery’s Munich beer garden, under a chestnut tree.

 

3.         Can you describe your beer life in a song lyric/title?  If so what would you choose?

Crosby, Stills and Nash: “Love the One You’re With”

 

4.         Do you have a steady beer, or do you like to "play the field?"

Inveterate and unashamed field player. Though if I find a beer I really like at a brewpub or beer bar, I often stick with it for the session…and the next day I’m on the prowl again.

 

5.         Crowded smoky bar or back porch watching the clouds float across the sky?

How about the back porch of a bar, watching clouds float across the sky with a bunch of other folks? I like to talk when I drink, but I like to do it without shouting.

 

And the lame one…

 

Who put the bomp in the bomp-sha bomp-sha bomp?

I believe that was Old Man Monkeydick.

Books: Beer For Dummies

At the risk of sounding like I think a bit much of myself, you would think that I don't need to read a book like Beer for Dummies.  But here's the thing, you never really know where you might get that next bit of knowledge, that next morsel that unlocks a bit of your brain.  Even then one of the most important things to learning anything is repetition.  (Do we need this disclaimer?  Not really but I am throwing it out there anyway.)

So here we go.  The book is Beer for Dummies, written by Marty Nachel with Steve Ettlinger.  Marty Nachel is a certified beer judge (BJCP certified) as well as an award winning home brewer.  The book itself is much of what you would expect from any book in the Dummies series.  In and of itself the concept alone is pretty solid.  When you get into the subject at hand, you are looking at a pretty large field to cover.  So the question becomes do you create a 10 book resource or perchance cover everything but a bit more succinctly.  The book isn't all that big when you look at it from that perspective. 

The copy I have is an older copy so some of the info is dated.  Glaring examples of this are any of the internet references.  (I just did a flip through and found a reference to America Online.)  These are only minor issues that really don't affect anything that is really important; more something to keep in mind if you go to find a resource and find it no longer exists.  (This may not be as much of an issue in the more recent printing of the book). 

For me one of the more interesting sections has been the section for beer touring.  With the explosive growth of craft breweries we are experiencing now, it is good to have a base line reference with guidelines for exploring not only overseas but also in the US.  The beer world is open to us and there really is quite a bit to explore. 

Another aspect to consider when looking at books similar to this, if you seek to expand your geekitude in a major way by either BJCP certification or Cicerone certification, you need study guides.  The Cicerone program is similar to the Sommlier program for wine.  It is a benchmark to say you really know some stuff.

Time for a pint...

One Future, Two Views

In a recent interview with Jim Koch of Sam Adams (Boston Beer Co.) fame, he was quoted in reference to a craft beer bubble that is soon to burst.  His view that we are currently in a bubble that will soon burst reminded me of another interview I read recently from another big name in the beer world.

This other interview with Charlie Papazian one of the pioneers of the craft brewing movement and president of the Brewer's Association also touched upon the craft bubble.  In his view there is no bubble at all. We are actually on a road to explosive growth. 

Who should we believe?  On one hand you have the largest craft brewer in the US talking of bleak and doom.  On the other a founding father of the whole movement sounds almost polyanna in his visions of the future.  In the US we are currently at a position of brewery growth that we have not seen in over 100 years.  Craft breweries are gaining ground in a market of extreme competition.  The major players, the brewing companies that survived Prohibition, the ones who have had established ground since before the late 70s, have been losing ground for a while now. 

In an era of bigger, better, faster, it seems to follow that the road to survival is to spread out as far and as fast as possible.  Mind you, we have seen the results of this through the mega breweries.  At some point you end up cannabalizing those around you in order to feed your ever expanding girth. 

In a distant past, the majority of breweries that existed were small, local, their patrons were the community.  There was no worry of gaining market share in Cleveland when you operated in Lansing (just an example).  Maybe I am a bit idyllic but hasn't that been what the craft movement has meant for many; support local, buy local, live local. 

We won't know what our future holds till we arrive.  But of course the fun of the trip is the journey.  We have much to explore and discovery on our way.


Time for a pint...

Finding Your Voice

I am the appointed go to when my kids need English papers edited and critiqued.  Usually for Chelsea's (the oldest) papers, it is a matter of catching grammar mistakes and showing her a spot or two that needs clarification.  But for the most part her writing is pretty clear and flows fairly well.  Now Maggie (the youngest) has started coming to me for help on her papers.  She started high school this year so she has to step up her game a little.  In both cases the writing is still a bit rough, a bit raw, it lacks refinement.  But you can see the difference in their ages when you look at the writing style each of them follow. 

I recently went over a paper for Maggie and it struck me dead on how much she still has to grow.  The sentences were there and followed proper form, but it was like digging a carrot out of your garden.  They were a bit rough and needed polish to shine as well as they could. 

Writing is craft.  It takes time and persistance to learn.  You have to work on the basics day after day to refine your skills.  It is only through this constant work that eventually your writing voice will appear.  This voice is distinctly you, no one else will ever exactly copy it.  It is possible to mimic it in some ways but just as your signature it is part of the individual that does the work.  With both of my girls I can see how they are at different stages of finding their writing voices. 

What does this have to do with beer and brewing (I know you're thinking it)?  The simple answer is everything.  Brewing, just like writing, is a craft.  It is a learnable skill.  A skill that requires attention and time.  You have to strive and stretch yourself, learning the basics over and over till they become second nature.  Only when you no longer have to think about the basics, that is when your voice will finally come free. 

A brewer's voice is shown in the beer.  No two brewer's beers are ever exactly the same.  There is subtle differences even with the same ingredients, the same process.  They may come close, sometimes even so close it is almost impossible to tell.  The differences will still be there. 

In commercial brewing where consistency is a major thing, it is still possible to protect the product through blending.  Instead of relying on the changes that can happen from batch to batch, brewer to brewer, different batches can be blended to ensure consistant products.  But I digress...

There was a time when the apprentice system was in place.  In this style of learning it was possible to learn a craft under the tutelage of a master.  In this system the novice learned everything the master had to teach.  It was a system where the student absorbed so much of the teacher that the students voice mimiced the masters almost perfectly.  Many times it would be impossible to tell the two apart.  it was only then that the student was allowed to move on, only then could the student begin to express their own voice. 

This does cause me to wonder.  In the system now, the student not only needs to learn and master the basics but at the same time they must find their own voice.  Is it possible that this has hindered our ability to properly master skills?  Is this a reason why factory made soul less "stuff" that was once made by artisans and built to last, is now "ok" but not really built to last? 

Time for a pint...

Video: Sausage with Roasted Root Vegetables

That title says it all.  This is such a straightforward dish that I almost feel like talking about it will make it more complicated than it should be.  I will say that this is great comfort food and really hits the spot when our weather is getting colder.

For the most part I will not be giving actual counts on the ingredients for this one.  This is essentially one that you change up as you feel necessary.  Although I will mention the amount of spices I used even though that too is more of an eyeball estimate.

Ingredients
rutabaga
turnip
potato
carrot
onion
mushroom
Sausage
garlic
1 12 oz can diced tomato
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Method
small to medium dice everything.  Mix with seasonings, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Cook at 350 for roughly 1.5 hours or till veggies are tender.  cook at 400 for 15 minutes to brown the top.


Time for a pint...

Questions of Note: Amy Sherman

Amy Sherman is another rising star in beertainment in Michigan.  She is the host of the series The Great American Brew Trail.  Although it is currently a local show, appearing Friday nights at 7:30 on WOTV 4, it is proving to be a great show educating the public about the great breweries around the state.  The show is currently in the middle of its 13 episode season. 

I could go on and on about the great work she is doing but instead I would rather call your attention to the promo video for the show. 

 

 

And now, the questions...

 

1.         What was the beer moment, when you knew you wanted to become involved with the craft beer renaissance?

It was probably before any idea of a “beer renaissance”.  It was back in college, way way back...when we had heard about Sam Adams, but hadn’t had it yet.  After I came back from a semester in California and knew what Sierra Nevada was...that was kind of the time.   I am truly dating myself... So early 1990’s (don’t tell anyone I’m that old!!!) we started homebrewing and running to Bell’s for cases.  Good times!  To go from Natty Light to Bell’s was a little crazy...

 

2.         If you could have any beer in your hand right now, what would it be?

I love porters and stouts, that’s what first got me into home brewing.  One of my first favorites was Bell’s Cherry Stout....it was also one of the first beers I tried to duplicate.  It’s nostaglic for me!

 

3.         Can you describe your beer life in a song lyric/title?  If so what would you choose?

“I wear black on the outside, cause black is how I feel on the inside”  Morrissey is a puss, but I love him.  And I love, love, love porter and stouts.  Once you go black.....

 

4.         Do you have a steady beer, or do you like to "play the field?"

I like every beer I drink, for different reasons.  I always say on the show that I’m a

“positive drinker”.  Meaning, there is something good about every beer!

 

5.             Crowded smoky bar or back porch watching the clouds float across the sky?

Smokey bar...go with what you know, right?  I used to work at the Intersection here in GR, so I KNOW smokey...

 

And the lame one…

 

Who put the bomp in the bomp-sha bomp-sha bomp?

Yeah, that’s pretty bad....but if there’s one brewer who’s putting the something in the bomp, it’s Joe Short...He’s the abnormal genious of Michigan brews.   I love the things he does with beer!

 

 

Time for a pint...

 



Session Beer Day and Michigan Beer Film

The official announcement has been made (and well in advance so we can get ready for this one).  Session Beer Day for 2013 will be on April 7th.  Not only is this a day to celebrate the greatness of session beers (beers packed with flavor but with 4.5% alcohol or less) but this also is the day Prohibition was repealed to allow 4% alcohol beers to be served. 

For the last Session Beer Day I brewed a hoppy bitters.  I may do the recipe again for the next one but as yet I am not sure (at least we have some time to plan out what we will be brewing).  I imagine around February or March I will begin to layout what I will be brewing this time around.

In other news...

I spent a few minutes at Rhino Media Productions in Kalamazoo earlier tonight.  They are diligently working on the Michigan Beer Film.  What is this you ask?  This is their foray into documentaries based on the rapidly growing Michigan beer industry. 

Kevin Romeo (Director/Producer) and I spent a couple quick minutes talking about the progress of the film.  They plan to premier the film in April of 2013 (maybe even just in time for Session Beer Day).  They also plan to have film premier parties at many of the breweries featured in the film. 


Time for a pint... 

Surrender

Surrender, this seems an odd thought just after the US presidential election.  But this thought has little to do with that.  It has more bearing on our egos and how they control our lives.  I can already feel you bristling at the thought (heck I am fighting it myself as I work through this). 

We have a problem.  Our first thought in any situation is fight (a matter of survival if you will).  When we can't fight we run and run far, from pain, from fear, from our own success.  That's right, we are our own worst enemies.  Many times it is our own egos, our own stubborn pride that keeps us from moving forward.  We proudly proclaim, "Never give up, Never surrender."  And by this very stance we staunchly refuse to give in to ourselves.  We refuse to surrender to our dreams. 

As crazy as it seems our biggest fight, our biggest challenge is against our very natures.  We easily come up with excuses (flight) and then when backed into a corner we stand our ground.  It matters little if we are right or wrong, what matters is the fight.  We are here to win.  But winning this battle loses the war everytime.  It rarely matters how right or wrong you are.  You will lose everytime because you chose to fight. 

The truth finds you when you surrender.  Yielding to the inner voice means facing the darkness, the unknown.  I know this may sound like I am contradicting myself, but there is a difference.  It is something you will only find when you honestly surrender.  When you truely surrender, there are no more excuses, no more ways "out." 

The story "Death of a Salesmen" mentions how most people live lives of quiet desperation.  This is the fight or flight response, desperately clinging out of fear.  This cuts at our souls, making us less than what we are capable of being. 

Instead fight against our nature, surrender to your hopes and dreams.  The fear will still be there.  The pain will still be there.  But it is the act of surrender that gives you purpose, a shield to protect your heart.  The path is not easy, nothing worthwhile ever is.  But the rewards, the rewards are beyond your wildest imaginings. 

Time for a pint...

Places: WK Kellogg Forest

Part of the craft beer lifestyle revolves around time spent outside (ya, it isn't all pubs and bars).  For some disc golf and craft beer go hand in hand.  I know around me there are a good number of shops that sell both craft beer and disc golf discs.  But if that were the only activity for craft beer, Michigan would still have enough to keep you busy year round. 

For my wife and I we tend to follow a bit more laid back approach to the great outdoors and craft beer. We like to explore different forest walks when we can get to em. One we use pretty much year round is at the WK Kellogg forest. This is a 716 acre experimental forest (currently owned by Michigan State University) just outside of Augusta Michigan.

 This bridge marks the start of the Lemmien Loop (roughly 2 to 2.5 miles).  The river flowing beneath it is Augusta Creek which feeds into the Kalamazoo River. 

Aside from the main trail, there are a number of off shoot trails criss crossing through the forest.  These trails are the forestry trails for maintaining the grounds with most being fairly easily accessible on foot. 

The trails are open year round.  When looking for outdoor adventures, hiking, jogging, and even horseback riding is possible on the trails here.  And of course for the really adventurous from October to January bow hunting is also available. 

 I had hoped to make it for fall leave pics but it seems like Fall has slipped past us quickly in preparation for winter.  Of course with the evergreens growing in the forest there is never a shortage of green. 

 When I was a kid the forest was a destination for school field trips to learn about nature and such.  Even now with MSU holding the reigns of the place it is still a place of learning. 

At the very least, the forest reminds us that Michigan is still pretty close to nature. 




Time for a pint... 

Video: Pork Po'Boy

This week is another Twitter Chopped installment.  Just as a for shadow, the chosen ingredients for this one were orange soda, green onions, bacon, and pork.  Kind of a crazy mix up, but eh, it's what's for dinner.

 

The listed ingredients said to me that sofrito could be an interesting set up.  I originally was thinking tacos with but it seemed more to the source to go with a po' boy.  Thinking pig two ways leads me in the direction of a Cuban sandwich so this just made the whole thing come together.

 

 

Sofrito Recipe:

 

1/4 cup orange soda

1/2 lime (juiced)

4 Green onion sliced

1/2 medium onion

1 clove garlic

1 jalapeno

1 ancho chili (rehydrated)

1 chili de arbol (rehydrated)

1 12 oz can tomato

1/4 cup cilantro

 

Method:

cook onion, peppers, green onion, and garlic till soft.  Add tomatoes and cook through.  Add soda and lime juice then allow to reduce.  Add cilantro and finish cooking (about 2 minutes)  Blend to desired consistency in a blender.

 

Pork:

 

Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and chipotle.  cook at 400 for about 20 minutes or till medium (140 degrees)

 

Black Beans and Rice recipe:

4 strips bacon chopped

1/2 medium onion diced

1/2 cup black beans (if from dry cook with ancho and chili de arbol)

1 clove garlic

1.5 cup rice

1/4 cup cilantro chopped

1/2 lime juiced

 

Method:

cook bacon, onion and garlic till onion is tender.  Add rice and cook for roughly 2 to 3 minutes stirring (looking for the rice to absorb the oils. it should have a mother of pearl sheen when ready)  Add about 2.5 cups water and let it come to a boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Finish the rice by adding the lime juice, cilantro, and black beans.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

 

 

This is great for left overs.  The sofrito goes great with pretty much most of what you might want to use for the sandwich (I even considered using some shrimp at one point).  For me personally, I like a bit more heat in mine so I also add a bit of chopped fresh jalapeno along with pickles and onions and mayo. 

 

 

time for a pint...

 

 

 



Questions of Note: Adam Stacey

Brewpubs tend to be a bit more hidden than breweries.  The main reason stems from distribution.  Brewpubs are generally only lisenced for on premise sales.  Their beers are not sitting on the shelf and in your face like a breweries beers would be. 

Bravo Restaurant in Kalamazoo, Michigan is an Italian bistro and brewpub.  Chef Adam Stacey is working the kettles and bringing great beers to the table to pair well with the plates.  With roughly 16 years brewing experience (12 as a home brewer and 4 at the restaurant), he has created some great year rounds as well as popular seasonals. 

Today Chef Adam takes some time and answers the Questions of Note.

1.                  What was the beer moment, when you knew you wanted to become involved with the craft beer renaissance?

 

When I started brewing good quality beer I knew I had to share with everybody.

 

2.         If you could have any beer in your hand right now, what would it be?

 

Bell's Two Hearted has always been my first love

3.         Can you describe your beer life in a song lyric/title?  If so what would you choose?

 

Foghat Slow Ride

4.         Do you have a steady beer, or do you like to "play the field?"

 

I have a Little Sumpin Sumpin in my frig most of the time but I like to play the field

 

5.         Crowded smoky bar or back porch watching the clouds float across the sky?

 Porch watching the stars

And the lame one…

Who put the bomp in the bomp-sha bomp-sha bomp?

Sha Na Na

Time for a pint...

Session 69

The Session this month is hosted by Jorge from Brew Beer and Drink it. 

Ever feel like there are many things in this world that are backwards, upside down, wrong… that just don’t make sense?
Like local craft beer not being considered ‘domestic’ in the menu of many restaurants in the US…
Or like having a beer that doesn’t taste very good have the largest market share…
… among other things…
… but, hey. This. World. Is. Not. Perfect!

what is something you would like to see change… something that will take us closer to the Perfect Beer World?
The topic is wide open… even if you think that what you want to change for the better is not important or ridiculous… share it!

The perfect beer world is a wide concept.  It means something different to every imbiber.  Not to mention the idea of perfection is elusive.  It is something you can never really attain.  Personally, I like to think in terms of attainable goals.  Sometimes you need to stretch to reach them but in the end it is their pursuit that leads us to a better place. 

Because of how Prohibition ended the US has very different laws throughout every state, sometimes county to county even.  One thing I would love to see happen is new liquor laws that make sense, universally enacted throughout the country. 

Some of these laws would include:

1. Home brewing legalized in all 50 states.  This would mean no more raids on businesses confiscating their sellable goods. 

2. Set guidelines for the TTB for label approval.  If the label is approved in one state it would be usable in all states.

3. The Three tier system of distrubution does have a purpose.  But this system works against the smaller breweries, wineries, and distilleries, making it harder for them to find their way to market.  Perhaps a self distribution clause in home markets for businesses under a certain size. 


The hardest part with just these simple ideas, getting the governments of all 50 states to agree on the rules.  We have been free of Prohibition now for roughly 80 years and the laws in each individual state can be as different as night and day.   Maybe one day...

Time for a pint...