craft beer Archives - Craft Beer Nation

Posted on May 29, 2015 Posted by Charles Dunkley

Friday Night Hangout – Saison

Friday, May 29, 2015 we are drinking and celebrating the Saison / Farmhouse Ale.

Saison or Farmhouse Ale gets its name from its origins in the French speaking southern Belgian region of Wallonia. Brewed in the colder months to be stored away till the Summer, the Saison was brewed for the seasonal farmhands who works the fields.

Saison is known for its bottle conditioning and for a nice dry tartness. Fruits and spices can also be found in some more modern Saisons. And while the traditional malt bill brings a hazy golden hue, experiments with various darker malts have expanded the style in recent years.

Saison Dupont is considered the standard bearer of the style and has helped to bring the Saison from nearly forgotten to its current renaissance as a style growing in popularity.

Many American Breweries have added their own great brews to this style.

Some examples:

Hennepin – Brewery Ommegang

Hennepin – Brewery Ommegang – photo by Charles Dunkley

Tank 7 – Boulevard Brewing

Tank 7 – Boulevard Brewing – photo by Charles Dunkley

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer

Crooked Stave Saison Ales – photo by Charles Dunkley

And for the Game Of Thrones Fans the newest beer from Brewery Ommegang is their Three Eyed Raven Dark Saison

Three Eyed Raven – Brewery Ommegang – photo by Charles Dunkley

If you haven’t explored this corner of the craft beer world now is a great time to head to your local craft beer shop and take a few home.

If you have a favorite or an opinion on the style drop us a comment below or join us Friday, May 29, 2015 at 10:00PM Eastern for our live Hangout On Air, hosted on our Google+ Event Page and on our YouTube Page. Drop us a note here or G+ or YouTube letting us know your thoughts on the SAISON. Do you have a favorite? Or do you walk right past them on the shelves? We will be keeping an eye there to share comments live on air.

We want to hear from you.

#FNHBeer style: Saison / Farmhouse

Posted on April 20, 2015 Posted by Charles Dunkley

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Measurements: The Pints and Quarts Wrap Up | Boulevard Brewing

Jeremy Danner started at Boulevard back in 2008 as a full time brewer and spent a few years being the brewing face of the brewery, developing the skills that developed into his current role, since 2013 as Boulevard’s Ambassador Brewer.

So just what is an Ambassador Brewer? According to Jeremy:

“I do our social media. I also am kind of involved with recipe formulation, and cuz of all of the travel I get to see what’s happening in a lot of different beer scenes around the country and try to bring back that information to kind of help us be informed on what’s happening, what sorts of beers we should make and what’s going on.”

As our host Matthew Miller jokingly summed up: “So, you’re a spy. Your Ambassador duties include spying.”

Having never homebrewed Jeremy made his first batch of beer professionally in 2006 in a neighborhood brew pub where he bartended. He brewed 7 barrels and hasn’t looked back since.

For our full conversation with Jeremy Danner, Boulevard’s Ambassador Brewer watch here

TOPICS COVERED

-Jeremy Danner’s road to Ambassador Brewer

-Ommegang Nirvana IPA brewed at Boulevard

-On Boulevard Being purchased by Duvel

-Imperial Stout X Series

-The Calling IPA – Boulevard’s new super hopped IPA or, as Jeremy says: “The Beer of Destiny”

-Boulevard’s Sour process

-Boulevard Pilot Brewhouse

-Output and Expansion

-Brewery Tour

-Boulevard craft beer at the Royals Stadium

-Boulevard distribution expansion

Craft Beverage Job of the Week:
Karl Strauss Brewing – Brewer
http://www.craftbeveragejobs.com/jobs/view/brewer-2/

The Spring issue from our friends over at Under My Host is out:
CRAFT by Under My Host® No.4: Water

http://issuu.com/craftbyundermyhost/docs/issue_4002/18

NEWS

Dick Cantwell Resigns from Anheuser-Busch and Elysian
http://www.washingtonbeerblog.com/dick-cantwell-resigns-from-anheuserbusch-elysian/

NEW RELEASES

Bell’s

(Kalamazoo, MI)

Pumpkin Peach Ale

– Brewed the Easy Way? only 48 bottle It’s a “screw” you to AB – next week 20 a bottle that will go to Kalamazoo River Valley Trail.

Hi-Wire (Asheville, NC) Man Eater Imperial IPA – Brewed with Citra and Amarillo, 8.3% ABV – Tomorrow

New Belgium (Fort Collins, CO) Skinny Dip Blond Ale 4.2% ABV – April 13, 2015

Breckenridge (Denver, CO) Comic Con Hulk’s Mash Pale Ale – March 1st

Fegly’s Brew Works (Allentown,PA) Bethlehem 17th Anniversary Ale – April 16, 2015

Saint Arnold ( Houston, TX) Bishop’s Barrel No 9 – April 15, 2015

Avery (Boulder, CO) Tectum et Elix Barrel Aged Series N026 – April 19, 2015

Great Divide (Denver, CO) Rumble Oak Aged IPA – April 16, 2015

Saucony Creek (Kutztown, PA) Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – April 19

BOULEVARD SPRING 2015 NEW RELEASES

FESTIVALS

North Carolina Beer Month

Various Location , NC

April 1 to 30

Kansas City on TAP
Kansas City, MO
April 25

Parkville Microbrew Fest
Parkville, MO
April 25th

Boston Beer Summit
Boston, MA
April 17 – 18

Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America
Portland, OR
April 14 – 17

TAP New York
Hunter Mountain, NY
April 25th and 26th

North Texas Firkin Fest
Arlington, TX
April 14 – 17

Royal Oaks Beerfest
Royal Oaks, MI
April 25

Community Tap Fest
Greenville, SC
April 25

Thanks to Craft Beverage Jobs for being our sponsor. And a big Thank You to Jeremy Danner of Boulevard Brewing for spending some time with us.

And Craft Beer Nation will be at Savor this year. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Put the Hops in the Beer

Photo by Sheila Dee and Evo Terra – ShEvo from shevo.wtf

Most of us have to go to the “import” section of the bottle shop to get the more worldly beers, but instead, Evo Terra and Sheila Dee went to the beers.

Of course I’m sure that’s not the only reason this couple traveled to Europe, and will be going to Asia and Australia. There are probably museums, and natural landmarks, and what not, but I choose to focus on priorities. Beer is one of the highest priorities a human can value.

When I first emailed Evo in early February (when I was supposed to write this article), he wasn’t sure what to expect from Danish beers. He mentioned not being a fan of their well-known Carlsburg. However, my choice to ~~be lazy~~ strategically delay the publication of this post paid off. ShEvo found success in Copenhagen!

Per this February blog post, the duo “rounded out the list of ‘must drink at’ craft beer places” in the Danish capital. They went to Fermentoren and Lord Nelson, and in Evo’s estimation, they were both “quite excellent.” Evo gave a bonus point to Fermentoren for giving them a free bottle of beer—a Hip Hops Beats You – IPA from Ghost Brewing.

Lord Nelson’s website describes itself as “a small bar located in the heart of Copenhagen [specializing] in draught Danish microbrewery beers and ciders.” Once 3D beer printing is perfected, I’ll be able to give you more than my impressions of the pictures. Currently all I can really say is that the cider farmhouse looks pretty, and that I don’t know what pork scratchings are.

Sheila also had praise for the Danish’s beer making ability, saying they produced “a mighty fine beer.” Not Carlsburg, and more than just Mikkeller and To Øl. Specifically, she and Evo referred to Ølsnedkaren, where they were finally happy to pay 10 bucks for a beer. The website text is all in Danish, but the pictures show a nice place with people enjoying themselves. Of course, so do Bud commercials, so I guess we’ll have to take ShEvo’s word on it.

Despite illness, Evo managed to drag himself out into the Belgian craft beer world and get himself a Trappist Westvleteren 1 (Brouwerij De Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren.) Maybe it was cold medicine, but his take on it is that it’s either the best beer in the world or the best Belgian beer.

The next stop was England. They weren’t thrilled with the beer selection in general, but Sheila called the beer at Brew Dog “flavorful.” Evo was ecstatic to have hoppy beer again, as you can see from their video.

I’d asked Evo (you know, back when I was supposed to have published this) if what they say about the English is true…that they drink their beer warm. Back then he’d said that no one drinks warm beer, unless it’s a “Hot Scotchy.” I don’t know what that is. I’m not worldly like that. Evo had said that pilsners and lagers were typically served cold, so maybe I won’t have to bring my own mini fridge if I ever go back.

English pubbery definitely seemed like a mixed bag of goodness and alrightness. Sheila’s impression of the pub The Brewery Tap was “decent.” ShEvo had good things to say about The Bull’s Head in Mobberly, calling it a “lovely pub.” Sheila found an excellent beer selection at A Bar Called Pi (along with the pies, of course.) Generally, they noted that while they love “craft beer,” the “real ale” of England had yet to grab them.

Watch them during an 11-hour drinking stint at a pub (The Builders Arms) that looks like it came straight out of one those British murder mysteries I like. I looked, but I didn’t see Inspectors Lewis, Morse, Barnaby or Foyle.

All in all, since beginning their adventure, they’ve had 90 new beers. Notice in their latest podcast that Sheila didn’t say 90 good beers. Still, that’s a few notches on the ole’ Untappd belt!

Read about/listen to/watch ShEvo.

Support ShEvo (and get stuff).

Posted on March 1, 2015 Posted by Charles Dunkley

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Beauty In The Glass

Craft Beer drinkers love looking at beer just about as much as drinking it. We come home from a “beer haul” and – before putting all of our finds away to get cold for immediate consumption or to cellar away for a few years – we proudly lay all the bottles out on our counter top and snap a few photos to share on our favorite social media websites.

And sometimes, while in the midst of drinking we snap a few shots that capture the light shining through the beer, capturing that perfect glance of how gorgeous that beer looks, like snapping that perfect sunset. Or we get lucky and capture lacing at its finest. Social Media has, as a byproduct, turned us all into amateur photographers.

Have you visited our Craft Beer Nation Community on Google Plus? It’s a great place to peruse and share great craft beer pics.

Come visit!
http://goo.gl/p4g315

Posted on January 13, 2015 Posted by Lola Lariscy

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Girls’ Pint In

We had a great discussion last night regarding craft beer label art. Some of it is beautiful, some of it is effective, and some of it is baffling in its tone deaf offensiveness.

We weren’t able to crack the enigma of why some breweries think it wise to show blatantly pornographic images on their labels. In fact, most of us think that it hurts their image. Only the A-holish of the A-holes will gravitate towards that type of art, while most sensible people will stay clear of it.

We did talk about how it makes us feel, though, to see that. It’s obvious those breweries aren’t marketing to us. How do we react? Do we make a point to tell the breweries? Do we just not buy that beer?

We go over all of those options on this episode of Girls’ Pint In.

#craftbeer #labelart

Posted on January 9, 2015 Posted by Lola Lariscy

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Girls’ Pint In – Ep24 | Craft Beer Nation

Come back to this page on Monday at 9:30 PM Eastern! We’ll be discussing label art that some might see as offensive or just plain tone deaf towards women.

Is it ok that the art made it past the label approvers?

Should we just not buy the beer, or should we actively engage the brewery regarding the artwork?

What is some of the artwork that we find offensive?

Posted on October 2, 2014 Posted by Charles Dunkley

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Pints and Quarts Goes On Location

This gallery contains 6 photos.

Pints and Quarts | Craft Beer Nation (Ep.017) goes live on location at George Bowers Grocery in Staunton, Virginia on Thursday, October 2nd at 9:30PM Eastern. George Brewers Grocery is the best little sandwich and craft beer place in the Shenandoah Valley (and that is saying something). We will pair some sandwiches with beer, and talk about how […]

Posted on October 1, 2014 Posted by Randy Gardner, Jr

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Stone Brewing Hibiscusicity Review

Beer Name: Hibiscusicity
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Belgian-style ale
Hops: Magnum, Sterling
Special: Orange peel, Hibiscus flowers
Malts: Pale Malt, Wheat Malt
Availability: Nationwide
7.4% ABV
Glassware: Tulip

Appearance: Pours a bright amber with rich, pink overtones. More than likely from the Hibiscus flowers.

Aroma: Citrus, definitely citrus. They used orange peel and you get orange peel.

Taste: The orange peel and the Hibiscus play so well together! That said, this is not orange peel/citrus some people get from wheat beers, this is orange peel in it’s truest essence. The didn’t spare any here (sidenote: wonder what they did with that metric ton of leftover oranges they obviously used to get the peels). Although the oranges are present, the flowers definitely ain’t no pansies. They’re at the party and damn it they want you to know it. They deliver the taste equivalent of an aromatic punch to the snot box. This beer is well done.

Mouth feel: Very dry, but based on how this is drinking, it needed to be dry. Sweetness with all this aroma would have been a little overwhelming.

Overall Impression: This beer is VERY well done. I admit that I am a Stone fanboy, but normally that’s the case because I am a hop head. However, this beer is totally not a hop head’s delight. In fact, it is a welcomed departure from a ton of hops and in my opinion it definitely highlights brewing versatility in the Stone Brewery. Yep, going back to the store to get another bomber…or two.

Posted on September 27, 2014 Posted by Charles Dunkley

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#CBN31BeersOfOctober

October is nearly here and this year Craft Beer Nation is starting a new tradition we are calling #CBNOctoberChallenge

Our inaugural challenge is the #CBN31BeersOfOctober an October Beer Photo Challenge.

#CBN31BeersOfOctober

Over on Google Plus is our Event Page where we will be posting pics and comments on all of the Pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers. Every day in October Gil Melo and I will be drinking and posting our October Beer of the Day on the Event Page and tagging it with #CBN31BeersOfOctober

If you are on G+ come join the Event and share your #CBN31BeersOfOctober beers. Or play along on Twitter or Instagram

We are really looking forward to seeing all of the different Pumpkin and Oktoberfest Beers that everyone can find. And now I’m off to stare at my Pumpkin Beer collection to try and figure out which one will kick off the October for me.

Posted on September 17, 2014 Posted by Lola Lariscy

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Scotland Votes Yes or No by Way of Beer Orders

As the beer goes, so goes the country. At least that’s what the Scotland brewery Brewmeister is suggesting. We’ll find out tomorrow if Scotland’s citizens vote yes to becoming an independent country or no to leaving the United Kingdom. In the meantime, though, if you believe that less than a thousand Scottish craft beer drinkers represent the feelings of the entire country, then you already have tomorrow’s answer.

Want to be spoiled? The results were reported in this article,

Of course you could argue that craft beer drinkers are independent minded rapscallions by nature. Also, you could argue that no vote would be complete without the whiskey drinkers. It will be interesting to see if all of Scotland goes the way of Brewmeister’s customers.

(BTW it’s a little pleasure, but I love not having to put in my birth date for a Scottish beer site.)

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Tag: craft beer

Friday Night Hangout – Saison

Measurements: The Pints and Quarts Wrap Up | Boulevard Brewing

TOPICS COVERED

NEWS

NEW RELEASES

BOULEVARD SPRING 2015 NEW RELEASES

FESTIVALS

Related Links

Put the Hops in the Beer

Beauty In The Glass

Girls’ Pint In

Girls’ Pint In – Ep24 | Craft Beer Nation

Pints and Quarts Goes On Location

Stone Brewing Hibiscusicity Review

#CBN31BeersOfOctober

Scotland Votes Yes or No by Way of Beer Orders