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July 2010
Because it’s Friday
And because any day is a good one to show you a picture of a bear drinking beer.
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Swanson Vineyards wine dinner at Mirabelle Tuesday
And winemaker Chris Phelps (that’s him in the picture) and national sales manager Shelly Eichner are going to be there. Clarke Swanson started the Napa Valley enterprise with 100 acres in 1985. And yes, he is a Swanson of the Swanson TV dinner empire. They’re best known for making lively merlots that appeal to cab lovers, but the whole package below looks awfully impressive — and it’s a small winery; Swanson wines aren’t always easy to find. So here’s a chance to sample six wines, learn and enjoy more of Michael Vilim’s cheffery. Contact Mirabelle to make a reservation. It’s $65 per person, tax and tip included.
Le menu:
Swanson Vineyards Wine Dinner Winemaker Chris Phelps Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 7pm
Reception Eggplant-Mozzarella Roll-Ups with Prosciutto, Epazote, and Citrus Oil 2008 Napa Valley Pinot Grigio
Menu Slow roasted Monkfish with Piccalli Relish Ham and Pumpkin Pirlau 2009 Oakville Chardonnay
Quail Stuffed with Corn Bread and Fresh Figs And Balsamic Vinaigrette 2006 Oakville Merlot Napa
Lamb Chops with Herbed Crust, Garlic flan. Cannellini Salad and a Merlot Sauce 2001”Alexis” Napa Valley Red Wine 2006 “Alexis”Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
Dessert Chocolate Cajeta Nut Tart 2007 Arsene, a fortified Petite Sirah
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Put down that Corona now
Finally. Liquid Austin has found a way into the Wikileaks story, and this one has everything: beer, international intrigue and a murder plot. According to this fascinating story in the Christian Science Monitor, an American geologist advising the Afghan government found his home in Kabul burgled.
The bad guy or guys took money but left behind a bottle of Mexican Old Milwaukee, which the geologist, James Yeager, did not drink because, according to the piece, “Corona is one of his least favorite beers.”
When he did open it, at a going-away party, he found the cap loose and the beer smelling like sulfuric acid, which it apparently was. Somebody was trying to poison the dude!
Told you Corona was bad for you.
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Another brewery?
Apparently. It’s called Wicked Beaver, which is pretty awesome. Anybody know anything? Their Facebook says it started in spring 2009 and is in West Texas. (Thanks for the tip, Frank!) UPDATE: If only I’d read the FB description more carefully, I’d have seen “Spring” referred to the season, not the city.
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$25 wine tasting at Mirabelle tonight
Details in the release below:
With such short notice on the New Classics Wine Tasting, our tasting class is only half full, so Michael is going to offer the class for everyone @ only $25 ($10 less) so maybe we can gather up enough folks to pour a round of all the wines. There are a number of real classics here: the 2007 Affinity is probably the best Cab we’ve tasted all year & at 96 points Parker, with blended mountain fruit from Howell Mtn. The 2004 Pio Cesare Barolo was a 2009 Wine Spectator Top 10 Selection and the most approachable of the major Barolos. The 2007 Nido Clio is perhaps the premier example of the New World style of Spanish wines, while the Va Piano Caberent Sauvignon is likely to be the next big name in Washington (and Mirabelle can blow her horn and say we spotted Leonetti, Quilceda Creek and Andrew Will long before they tripled in price.) Not least, Anam Cara, an under the radar Oregon single vineyard pinot noir and, Le Compte, the best Champagne value in the marketplace. With great appetizers as well, we don’t think there is a better after work interlude than the New Classics Wine Tasting. And, as par course, Michael’s likely to pull another bottle or two to illustrate some obscure oenological point that he finds terribly important.
New Classics Big Red Wine Tasting, Wed. July 28th, 6:30pm. $25 (inclusive) With Appetizers. Limited Seating. Short notice on a great wine tasting. Michael has been trying to get a new classics wine tasting together for a bit of time, mostly so that he can taste through the wines for the Mirabelle list. But it simply is not cost effective (even if he can convince a companion to aid him in this endeavor) for him to try and taste all the wines. He suspects that the wines are drinking beautifully right now but, frankly, the only way to know for sure is to start popping corks. They are some familiar names in the selection of wines, and then not so familiar, but all are a terrific example of a New Class Wine.
Wines to be tasted: (NV) Champagne, Le Compte Brut 90 points Wine Spectator 2008 Grgich Dry Fume Blanc Napa 90 Cellartracker 2008 Pahlmeyer “Jayson” Chardonnay Napa 89 Tanzer/Parker 2006 Anam Cara Nicholas Estate Pinot Noir Chehalem Mtns., Oregon 91 Robert Parker 2004 Barolo, Pio Cesare Piedmont, Italy 94 Wine Spectator (#6 Wine of the Year-2009) 2007 Robert Craig “Affinity” Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 96 Robert Parker 2006 Va Piano Vyds Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Vly./Walla Walla 90 Cellartracker 2007 Chateauneuf du Papes Cuvee Tradition, Bosqauet des Papes 92 Robert Parker 2007 Boedgas Nido Clio Jumillo 92 Wine Spectator Broadbent Malmsey 10 Years Old Madeira 90 Cellartracker
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St. Arnold Dinner at Jack Allen’s Kitchen: Le Menu
This is a heckuva deal for $45 all-inclusive. Press release below; go here for more info on the place or to call for a reservation:
Join Chef Jack Gilmore and Master Brewer Brock Wagner from Saint Arnold (Texas’ Oldest Craft Brewery) as they serve up perfectly paired world class brews and Jack’s robust cuisine. Bring on the heat!
Tuesday, August 10th, 7p.m. at Jack Allen’s Kitchen. Interactive with Brock & Jack in the private dining room Seating is limited
First Blue Corn Crusted Quail with a Jalapeno Remoulade Fancy Lawnmower
Second Texas Jumbo Grilled Shrimp and Grits Lemon Thyme Aioli Texas Wheat
Third Fried Green Tomatoes with a Spicy Chicken and Goat Cheese Fondue Elissa IPA
Fourth Cocoa Crusted Wood Fired Beef Tenderloin with Shaved Cowboy Corn Brown Ale
Fifth Saint Arnold’s Root Beer Float with Amy’s Mexican Vanilla and Caramelized Cacao Nibs
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Bill Norris leaving Fino
And they’re sending off the man who may be Austin’s most-decorated bartender in grand style. Here’s what he has to say, via e-mail:
“This dinner is about spending one last night with the guests who have made FINO my second home over the last five years and introducing them to Josh who will keep the cocktail program flying high when I’ve moved on. I love his drinks and I’m sure you’ll find me sitting at his bar enjoying them in the future.”
And here’s the press release on the Aug. 11 cocktail dinner:
Austin, TX— August’s chef’s table celebrates the start of the new regime behind the FINO Bar. Award-winning bartender Bill Norris is passing the torch to Wine Director and soon to be Bar Manager Josh Loving. Bill will make a farewell cocktail and then sit down with guests to enjoy Josh’s debut. Special pairings from Chef Jason Donoho & Chef de Cuisine Andrew MacArthur ($75 per person).To make a reservation call FINO: 512-474-2905. Passing of the Torch Menu:
Oysters on the half shell, lemon & FINO “Tabasco” Crispy chorizo & Fireman’s 4 mustard Mussels & papas fritas with Dolin Blanc & fresh bay Fried Dewberry Hills Farm chicken, roasted corn, house smoked bacon, Oak Hill Farms tomatoes & arugula Fried peach pie & vanilla- cinnamon helado
Cocktails to be paired:
The Waldorf: Laird’s Apple Brandy, Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur and celery bitters Campari Swizzle - Campari, lime, aged rum (TBD), Falernum, Antica GSL&M - London Dry (TBD), Strega, lemon, maraschino & egg white (a nod to the Last Word & Aviation) Indian Paintbrush - Siembra Azul Reposado, Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur, mint agave & Peychaud’s Brotherly Love - Old Tom, Canton, St. Germain, Cocchi Americano & orange bitters About Josh Loving The only ‘True’ Texan of the bunch, Josh Loving was born in Houston & grew up in Corpus Christi. In 1999, Josh moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts, majoring in History and minoring in Business. In 2002, Josh turned down an opportunity to attend culinary school in Lyon, France deciding instead to finish his degree at UT. His interest in the food & cooking started at an early age and continues to grow. While in college, he worked in the kitchens of some of Austin’s finest restaurants. Working with chefs & servers in a fine dining environment piqued his interest in wine & it’s relationship with food.
After moving from the kitchen to the dining room, Josh’s interest in wine & spirits grew more. He began studying wine through the subjects that interested him in college, history & geography. He became the wine director for FINO in 2006 & for ASTI in 2008. In 2008, Josh completed the Certified Sommelier course from the Court of Master Sommeliers. In 2009, he traveled to France & Italy to visit many of the estates & appellations of the wines he had come to love and purchase for his wine lists.
About FINO’s Chef’s Table Series
FINO’s Chef’s Table Series will begin with a cocktail reception at 6:30 PM followed by a 4-course dinner at the 16-seat chef’s table. Guests may buy the whole table or reserve seats individually. The price for the series will range anywhere from $50 to $125 depending on the selections for that week.
FINO Restaurant Patio & Bar
2905 San Gabriel Street
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 474-2905
www.finoaustin.com
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Texas Spirits Luncheon at Tales of the Cocktail
While a large part of the Tales of the Cocktail Festival was a celebration of New Orleans history and cocktails, Central Texans showed their mixology and spirits prowess during the fest as well. The Texas Spirits Luncheon on Friday featured a number of local spirits and spirited locals mixing up some seriously delicious cocktails.
Chip Tate from Waco’s Balcones Distillery brought the unique Balcones Rumble, a spirit made from local wildflower honey, mission figs and turbinado sugar. Tate also brought samples of the recently released True Blue, which is a whiskey made with an older version of the same roasted Hopi blue corn whisky that goes into the Baby Blue, and released at cask-strength. He and local blogger/mixologist Lara Nixon of TheBlueRuin.com mixed up some interesting cocktails featuring Balcones spirits, such as the Balcones Fault:
Balcones Fault
Balcones Rumble
Paula’s Texas Orange
Juniper syrup
Grapefruit juice
Splash of club soda
Indian Paintbrush
1.5 oz Balcones Baby Blue
.5 oz Galliano
.5 oz lime juice
.5 simple syrup
Cherries
Austin-based spirit Paula’s Texas Orange was featured in most of the cocktail recipes featured during the luncheon. Paula’s is a premium orange liqueur that is highly favored among local bartenders and mixologists for it’s bright profile and excellent mixability. The spirit also shone in the original Paula’s Margarita, which also featured Corazon Reposado Tequila:
Paula’s Margarita
Paula’s Texas Orange
Corazon Reposado Tequila
Lime Juice
Agave Nectar
The Tito’s Vodka crew arrived with a slew of natural infusion samples ranging from cantaloupe to jalapeno-lemon and jalapeno-bacon. The company encourages consumer experimentation with natural infusions, as opposed to buying artificially flavored vodkas that are widespread in bars and liquor stores. Creating at-home natural infusions is a huge trend in the cocktail and mixology world at the moment — one that combines the farm to market trend’s focus on fresh natural ingredients with creative mixology. Natural infusions are something that you can play around with at home yourself quite easily. Here is a suggestion from Tito’s:
Tito’s Lemon and Jalapeno infusion
1 liter of Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Rind from one lemon.
Let sit for 3-5 days and taste. If the vodka tastes appealing to your palate, strain out the lemon peel. Add one jalapeno sliced into multiple discs. Let sit for an additional 12-24 for full flavor
(This time frame depends on the heat of the pepper itself. I overheard someone from Tito’s claim that the jalapeno used for the batch at the luncheon was only infused for 20 minutes because it was so extreme, so be cautious. The recipe above comes from the Tito’s Handmade Vodka website.)
Finally, representing the bright horizon of new Texas spirits soon to hit the shelves, Graham Wasilition of Tennyson Absinthe was on site, handing out some classy cocktails that incorporate his brand new absinthe, which will be released to the market in the fall. David Alan of TipsyTexan.com was on-hand to help mix and serve the specialty cocktails, one of which was the Ojen-Eyson:
Ojen-Eyson
1 oz. Tennyson
6 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
1 barspoon Paula’s Texas Orange
Scant 1/2 oz. Simple syrup.
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All kinds of news from St. Arnold
Belatedly just now seeing this e-mail from Frank:
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10 Jack Allen’s Kitchen, 7720 W Highway 71- Saint Arnold Beer Dinner! One of Austin’s most well known chefs, Jack Kilgore, will be preparing some special dishes made especially to pair with a selection of our tasty beers! Make your reservations now! http://www.jackallenskitchen.com/ 512.852.8558
MONDAY, AUGUST 16 Saint Arnold Weedwacker released!-As part of our Moveable Yeast program, we’ve got a few ‘special’ kegs of our regular beers, pitched with a different yeast, beginning with Weedwacker, which is the Fancy Lawnmower Beer pitched with Hefeweizen yeast. Read all about it here: http://is.gd/dALGA
SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 10:30am Bus Trip to the Saint Arnold Brewery! It has been a while since we’ve done this, but it is always a blast, and this time we will take you to our new brewery, located near downtown Houston. The bus will leave from the Flying Saucer at 10:30am sharp, and will arrive at the newery around 2pm. Included in this package will be the tour, lunch in the private iPub (investor’s lounge), a Saint Arnold pint glass, and plenty cold beer for your enjoyment and pleasure. We will leave the brewery at 5pm, and return to Austin around 8pm. Seating is limited, and you can purchase your tickets online here: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e2z48ppf3ed8c7ce
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They’re brewing today at Twisted X
There’s no days off for an upstart brewery. And more details about there progress, including beer descriptions, are here.
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You need this like you need a bottle opener
That’s me a couple of years ago near Phoenix. My niece had graduated from med school and, since we were under the care of a freshly minted health care professional, we gathered at this Mexican restaurant to celebrate and drink lots and lots of tequila.
These very friendly members of the greater Phoenix law enforcement community were just outside the front door offering — get this — free blood alcohol tests. Did somebody say “free?” I am so all over that.
Their purpose, of course, was to give people who were about to get in their cars after drinking inside an idea if that was a good idea or not. For me, driving would not have been a good idea because, according to the thing I blew into, I was already clinically dead.
Of course I didn’t drive. (That made walking back to the restaurant the next morning at 4 a.m. in time to catch my flight a lot of fun.) But if you enjoy a pop or two and you drive, you — like me — have almost certainly operated a motorcar after a night of drinking and driven home…very carefully. And if you’re lucky, you’ve never got stopped for drunk driving.
So I was interested to play with the Alcohawk, which you can buy here. The one you can use lots and lots of times is about $45; the one for fewer uses is five bucks, which is a heckuva lot less dough than getting a DWI — not to mention avoiding the potential for killing or hurting yourself or somebody else.
It’s simple. You drink, wait 20 minutes, push the red button, wait for it to count down from 99 and blow. The other day, strictly in the interest of science, I drank four beers in 30 minutes, waited 20 and blew. I felt pleasantly relaxed but probably wouldn’t have hesitated to run back a few blocks to the store to get the three things I’d forgotten an hour before.
The thing said I was at .07, just shy of the legal limit. I was shocked. And it’s possible my BAC might have gone up a few minutes later as I metabolized the alcohol further.
Point is, or points are, these: Don’t drink and drive. If you’re going to even possibly drink too much to drive, get somebody pregnant so you have a designated driver. Barring that, get one of these and save yourself a whole lot of grief.
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Flying Saucer Beer Fest
The third one is Oct 16th from noon-10p.m., according to the Saucer, Beer Advocate, Beer Town Austin, etc. Save the date…
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Just in from the Dept. of Oh, Please
In case you can’t finish your beer, there’s this.
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Ambhar: The tequila with the Austin connection
You might have seen Ambhar (note: site has a LOT of Flash) at Jack Allen’s Kitchen, Maudie’s, Twin or elsewhere around town. After debuting in Nevada about a year ago, the Jalisco tequilas imported by Santo Spirits of Austin is here.
COO Edward Bradfield says the platinum, reposado and anejo are all distilled in small batches the old-fashioned way, with each bottle filled, numbered and labeled by hand. It’s distilled five times, and the agave is roasted to concentrate the sugars.
Like a lot of people, Bradfield associated tequila with harsh taste and punishing hangovers before a fact-finding trip to the Cancun area with business partner Sabino Diaz Galasso. They kept hearing about an elderly gentleman, Luis Montemayor, who lived on an agave farm and made small batches the old way — before, as he put it, tequila-making became more profit-oriented.
“He beieved the art of tequila was replaced by the business of tequila,” Bradfield said. “His tequilas were a return to the way tequila had always been made. And he agree to share his recipe and his process if we followed him.”
Sometimes the old ways are the best. Ambhar has already won awards, and it’s the only five-time distilled, 100 percent blue agave tequila on the market. Bradfield is partial to the anejo, which he sips with an ice cube. But they’re all pretty great.
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Abita SOS heading our way in August
John Fisher from Capitol Beverage forwarded this along from the folks at Abita:
To our valued distributor partners:
By now you have all heard of the devastating oil spill plaguing the gulf coast. This disaster has once again disrupted the lives of thousands of individuals who live and work in this region. In the spirit of true stewardship, Abita Brewing Company is, as we did with Restoration Pale Ale after Hurricane Katrina helping those in their time of need.
Abita S.O.S. -A Charitable Pilsner
This Abita brew is a message in a bottle: a distress signal for the troubled waters of our Gulf Coast. For every bottle sold Abita will donate .75 cents to the rescue and restoration of the environment, industry and individuals fighting to survive this disastrous oil spill.
This unfiltered Weizen Pils is made with Pilsner and Wheat malts. It is hopped and dry hopped with Sterling and German Perle hops. It has a brilliant gold color, sweet malts flavor, and a pleasant bitterness and aroma. It is 7% ABV and has 35 IBU.
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A roundup of gross beer names
Is here. Personal favorite: Kiltlifter.
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Real Ale to bottle its Oktoberfest
Beer News.org has the scoop on Real’s Bavarian-style lager.
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Is your vodka bottle too feminine?
Or not masculine enough. Careful what you tote to a party in San Antonio. It might lead to gunplay.
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Black Star social Saturday to feature Thirsty Planet
The cooperatively owned brew pub, set to open in the late summer according to today’s paper (but what does that guy know?), will feature two of brand-new brewery Thirsty Planet’s offerings: Their Bucket Head India Pale Ale and Armadillo Wheat. Both pretty outstanding in my opinion.
This social will also feature some of Black’s Star’s menu offerings, so bring extra cash if you want to eat.
Black Star founder Steven Yarak said construction on the pub should be wrapped up soon, so we won’t have to wait too much longer for still more beer brewed fresh in Austin. Yay.
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Best. T-shirt. Ever
My girls got me this for my birthday yesterday. (I’m officially old enough to buy beer, thanks.) I first saw it at the Great Austin Beer Festival a few weeks back and the dude told me it was from Austin Homebrew Supply. OK, so I haven’t stopped in since they moved, haven’t brewed a batch since last winter — but how could I have missed this? It’s genius, as witty as anything the guys at Mondo Tees do for the Alamo Drafthouses.
If you don’t brew your own beer you might not have a clue what this is about so I’ll give you a hint. Start here.
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Ever been too drunk to vote?
This pretty member of parliament has.
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Charlie, Fred and Ken’s Bock is here
That’s the second of four collaborative beers that Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman is making with other American brewing pioneers.
It’s an imperial helles bock and, true to style, not quite the chest-thumper it’s predecessor, an imperial stout, was. It’s still pretty awesome, with a good, malty chew to it and a fair amount of piney hops for balances. It’s not too heavy for dead-of-summer drinking — I had one last night — but I’m buying a few more bottles and putting them up. At 8.3 percent alcohol, this one should age well.
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Bastille Day and more events at Mirabelle and StrEAT
Press release:
Bastille Day Wine Dinner, Weds, July 14th, @ 7pm. $65 (inclusive of tip/tax) 346-7900 We had such a great response to Michael raiding the cellar for the All American Wine Dinner, that he has been sent down again to find French wines for the celebration of Bastille Day. And what a set of wines: a terrific French 100% pinot noir sparkler, something old (2001 Puligny Montrachet) , something new (New World style Bordeaux), his favorite score from the acclaimed 2007 Rhone vintage, and a little Sauternes to send everyone home sweet. Michael obtained these wines over the years and on futures, so take advantage of his purchasing prowess and enjoy this Bastille wine dinner at half the price of its value.
Mirabelle Restaurant Bastille Day Wine Dinner Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 7:00pm
Reception Truffled Brie Gougeres (NV) Brut D’Argent Sparkling Rose
Menu Pan roasted Monkfish with Crispy Shallots Avruga Caviar-Chive Remoulade and Sauce Meuniere 2001 Puligny-Montrachet, Domaine Gerard Chavy
Butter Roasted Quail with Herb-Bread Stuffing Green Peppercorn Sauce 2006 Chateau GRAND DESTIEU Grand Cru (Saint-Émilion, 90 points Wine Spectator)
Boeuf Bourguignon ala Julia Child w/ Les Halles Frites 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, MAS DE BOISLAUZON (94 points. Robert Parker)
Dessert Brillat-Savarin Crème Brulee with Pear & Apple Compote 2006 Sauternes, Chateau Roumieu-Lacoste
Contemporary Wine Trends with Michael Vilim @ StrEAT Austin* Presented by The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas Thursday, July.15.2010 6:30pm $25 (inclusive tip/tax)
LOVE to follow wine but can’t keep up the pace of tasting everything new? Join us on Thursday, July 15th for a Foundation Academy class - Contemporary Wine Trends! Mirabelle & StrEAT owner/sommelier extraordinaire, Michael Vilim, will reveal today’s hottest wine trends. Sip on world sparklers, regional stars & new classics from around the globe (11 wines in all) as Michael reveals the cutting edge of what’s popular, affordable, all wines deliciously paired with Streat’s global menu. Come show Michael some love, taste his new global cuisine and his favorite regional wines. Special for Mirabelle email recipients: $25 tickets for everyone (a $10 savings), but you must call the Wine & Food Foundation office at 512.327.333 and identify yourself from this Mirabelle/StrEAT announcement. Limited seating.
WINES & STREET FOOD TO BE TASTED 1. World Sparklers tickle our fancy unlike never before: Winegrower’s Cash Crop (NV) Carousel Sparking Wine (Loire) 2. California sparkling pioneers stalk Champagne: the Franco Sneer 2006 Iron Horse “Classic Vintage Brut” Russian River Valley: Italian Frico with Goat Cheese 3. The Ascendancy of Regional Wines: Better Wine than Ever 2008 Huber Gruner Veltliner Austria: Vietnamese Noodle Bowl 4. Power Riesling is Germany’s best Export - Noble Varietal 2007 Peter Lehman Dry Riesling Eden Valley Australia: Shrimp Yakitori 5. Un-oaked, Virgin chardonnay: born in Chablis & gone viral - Wine Born Flavors 2008 Tolosa Chardonnay Edna Valley: Petite Classic Panini 6. Petite Bordeaux Prices haven’t changed in 20 years: Under the Headlines 2006 Chateau Picque Caillou, Graves, Bordeaux: New Orleans styled Muffalatta 7. New Classics around the World: the New Order 2007 Catena Zapata Malbec Mendoza, Argentina : Beef Gaucho Sticks 8. Wash. St. multi-vintage,-varietal, &-vineyard blend: Make the Wine You Want (NV) Bookwalter Subplot 23 Columbia Vly., Wash. St: Beef Satay with Thai Peanut 9. Rhone Relocators: A Change in climate can do you good or Love the one your with 2008 Castillo de Almansa Garnacha: Egyptian Falafels with Tzaziki & Pita 10. Heritage Clones /Heritage Styles - a Postage Stamp of Flavor 2005 Masi Brolo de Campiofiorin, Veneto, Italy: Thin Crust Italian Sausage Pizza 11. The Dour English Sweetened the World: a Little Nip before Bed (NV) Yalumba Museum Reserve Muscat Barossa: Limoncella Tiramisu *StrEAT, 3211 Red River, Austin, TX. 628.0288 www.eatatstreat.com
July Calendar: 346.7900 for reservations. 11 - Sun, 9am. StrEAT - Brunch, Tour de France & World Cup Finals (1:30pm) 14- Weds. 6:30 pm Bastille Day Wine Dinner $65. (Inclusive tip/tax) 21 - Weds. 6:30pm. Folio Italian Wine Dinner with Partner Gina Della Delova. $50 (Inclusive tip/tax) August Calendar: 346.7900 for reservations. 3- Tues, 7pm. Swanson Wine Dinner w/ Winemaker Chris Phelps, $65 (Inclusive tip/tax) 18-Weds, 6:30pm Robert Talbott Wine Tasting with Winery VP Matt Viotto, $35 (Inclusive tip/tax)
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“Cocktails for a cause” at Roaring Fork
Yet another way to feel virtuous when you drink. Press release:
The Roaring Fork, downtown and at Stonelake Blvd, is teaming up with KGSR-FM for a special summer promotion entitled “Cocktails for a Cause.” The 3-month promotion will raise awareness and funds for three local charities June through August. Participating charities are: Capitol Area Food Bank in June, Lone Star Paralysis Foundation in July and Breast Cancer Resource Center in August.
Everyone who buys the designated cocktail for a cause will have the opportunity to enter a raffle for a grand prize given away at the end of each month. June’s cocktail is Hot Summer Nights - tequila, lime juice, raspberries, and red chile pepper. July features Ginger Melon Fresca - vodka, lime juice, watermelon, raspberries, and ginger ale. And the August cocktail is a Guava Strawberry Margarita - tequila, guava nectar, lime juice, and strawberries. Cocktail prices are $8 and $6 during the nightly 4-7 pm happy hour. The donation is part of the purchase and entitles recipients to one raffle entry — grand prizes include A VIP pass to Blues on the Green, concert tickets and a Roaring Fork gift card.
The Roaring Fork is located at 10850 Stonelake Blvd. open for lunch daily at 11 am, dinner daily at 4 pm, and brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm. Happy hour is nightly from 4 until 7 pm. The Congress Ave. location (7th & Congress) is open for lunch Monday through Friday at 11 am, happy hour from 4 until 7 pm, Tuesday through Saturday and 4 pm until close, Sunday and Monday. Dinner is served nightly beginning at 4 pm.
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Hey guess what another Austin brewery
This, according to my journalist’s math, makes 11 new breweries in various stages of development in our longneck of the woods. Scott Hovey’s Adelbert’s Brewery is alive and brewing on Facebook, nailing down a location in North Austin and looking to raise between $500,000 and $1 million.
Named for Hovey’s late brother, the upstart is looking to specialize in prestigious but “not too snooty” Belgian ales. Hovey, who spent 20 years in semiconductor sales and started brewing when his wife got him a kit about three years ago, hopes to be moving beer out the door sometime next year.
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Thirsty Planet Bucket Head IPA: The review
Tammy and Brian Smittle of Thirsty Planet Brewing Co. had a boy this spring and now they’ve got a bouncing baby beer: Bucket Head India Pale Ale, the new brewery’s first offering. Sometimes a married couple gets really busy.
If this is a statement of purpose, Austin-area beer lovers have reason to be encouraged. Brian promised his IPA would be a fairly big beer and it is: about 7.25 percent alcohol with 70 International Bittering Units. That’s 10 more IBUs than a Dogfish Head 60. For comparison, most of your American mass-market lagers have about 5-10 IBUs. That’s why they don’t taste like, um, anything.
I had my first Bucket Head Tuesday at the Flying Saucer for, you know, work. There wasn’t much of a head on the pour (Brian says he’s still waiting on a carbonation tester and subsequent batches will be more carbonated) but the color was an alluring amber, the nose citrus-y tart. Coniferous hops dominate, but there’s enough of a malt backbone that it doesn’t feel out of whack and the Cascade and Amarillo hops at the end invite you back for another sip. Still, if you’re like me and your palate has been effectively napalmed by Stone Ruination and the like, this one may strike you as a sessionable IPA.
That first 10-barrel batch, which as of this writing was available at the Saucer, Houndstooth Coffee, Black Sheep Lodge and the Draught House, is to be followed by a full 30-barrel batch Brian brewed about a week ago, which has “literally a ton plus 400 pounds of grain.”
He also reports it’s a messy recipe, with more time grinding the grain, getting it in and out of the tank, cleaning and the like. At the end the wort — the liquid that will become beer once the sugars ferment — is run through a hopback, a sealed thingy loaded with hops. The thinking behind using a hopback is that you don’t lose any of the aromatic complexity as you would in a boil. There are five different hops in this IPA: Magnum, Columbus, Simcoe and the aforementioned Amarillo and Cascade. “It’s a tough batch to brew but it’s worth it,” Brian says.
The hopheads at Beer Advocate would seem to agree. The two reviewers who’d posted their thoughts as of Wednesday morning gave it an A+ and a B+.
If the IPA is too stern a style for you, the brewery, located just off U.S. 290 W., has a wheat and an amber on the way. But with Bucket Head, Thirsty Planet is letting all the other Austin upstarts know they’re not fooling around.
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St. Arnold rolls out “Movable Yeast” series
Founder Brock Wagner hopes to draw attention to yeast, an ingredient that gets talked about much less than malt and hops. The name, of course is a nod to Hemingway. Press release:
HOUSTON, July 6, 2010 - Saint Arnold Brewing Company (www.saintarnold.com), the oldest craft brewery in Texas, today announced plans for a series of special brews that offer a twist on their year-round beer recipes. The first quarterly release in the so-called “Movable Yeast” series, will be Saint Arnold Weedwacker, a re-yeasted version of Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer, which has quietly become the brewery’s biggest seller.
The concept behind the Movable Yeast series is to focus on the flavor contribution of yeast. Each release will be created by brewing a regular batch of a Saint Arnold beer and then splitting the wort (unfermented beer) into two 60 bbl fermenters. One fermenter will be pitched with the yeast normally used in that beer and the second fermenter will be pitched with an alternative yeast and the beer given a different name.
Saint Arnold Weedwacker will be Fancy Lawnmower Beer fermented with Bavarian hefeweizen yeast. This yeast contributes esters to the beer resulting in clove and banana flavors. Like a hefeweizen, Weedwacker will not be filtered. It is scheduled for release to selected Texas restaurants and bars on Monday, August 16, 2010.
“People spend a lot of time talking about the malt and hops used in beers, but yeast is discussed little and probably understood even less. We thought this would be fun, tasty and educational,” said Saint Arnold Brewing’s founder and brewer Brock Wagner. “We’re hoping that bars and restaurants will offer both beers at the same time so that people can compare the flavor differences. I think it will be enlightening, plus both beers will be very tasty!”
Yeast is the engine behind fermentation, converting the sugars from the malt into alcohol. Yeast also produces the CO2 for carbonation as well as producing esters and other flavor and aroma compounds. In the world of beer, everything that brewers produce is beer; the two subgroups, ales and lagers, are differentiated by the type of yeast. In addition, there are many different strains of yeast within these two categories, each with its own specific characteristics and flavor profile.
Saint Arnold Weedwacker will be followed in mid-November by Saint Arnold Altared Amber, Amber Ale wort pitched with Belgian Trappist yeast. In mid-February 2011, Saint Arnold plans to release Saint Arnold Bitter Belgian, Saint Arnold Elissa IPA wort pitched with Belgiat Trappist yeast. In mid-May 2011, Saint Arnold Brown Bitte is due, which will be Saint Arnold Brown Ale wort pitched with Alt yeast.
A limited supply of 60 barrels (approximately 20,000 12-ounce servings) of each beer in the Movable Yeast Series will be available only on tap. Wagner expects each to remain available for two to three weeks after release.
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Real Ale-Freetail mini-festival July 17
The San Antonio brew pub and Blanco’s Real are teaming up to showcase beers sighted with less frequency than Bigfoot. Press release:
Freetail Brewing Co. is announcing that it will host a mini-beer festival on Saturday July 17 featuring rare, barrel aged beers from the local brewpub and Real Ale Brewing Co. from Blanco, TX.
Barrel aging has grown more common in recent years among American craft brewers, and beer enthusiasts actively seek out these offerings to examine the richness of flavors and complexity that prolonged exposure to the wooden casks provides.
“We not only find more drinkers interested in trying these rare beers, but as brewers we constantly push the traditional boundaries of where beer can go,” said Freetail founder and CEO Scott Metzger. “I even sometimes catch myself asking ‘Wow, this is beer?’”
For the day-long event, Freetail will feature their Barrel Aged versions of the highly-sought after imperial stout, La Muerta, and the winter warmer, Old Bat Rastard. Freetail will also tap Solera IV and V, the most recent pulls of their Wild Ale from a process usually used in the production of sherry and port. “With our Solera, we never completely empty a barrel. When we pull some out, we immediately replace it and the wild activity occurring in the barrel is constantly evolving,” explained Metzger.
Real Ale’s barrel aging program dubbed “Mysterium Verum” will also be heavily represented with beers never before seen in the San Antonio market. Representatives from Blanco will be on hand as Empire (barrel aged Lost Gold IPA), Highlander (barrel aged Real Heavy Scotch ale) and The Devil’s Share (barrel aged Devil’s Backbone Belgian-style tripel) are all tapped in addition to a handful of Real Ale’s non-barrel aged offerings.
Metzger said that a few more surprises may be in store for visitors that day. “We’ve been stockpiling a thing or two, and it’s never beyond us to have twenty of our beers on tap. I’m not saying that is what we are going to do, but I’m not saying that’s not what we’re going to do.”
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Beer thief arrested 153 times
Wondering if real life is better than fiction. Check this out.
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Thirsty Planet’s Buckethead IPA now available
Brian and Tammy Smittle have their first offering available in a few spots around town as of Wednesday. Hearty backslaps to Thirsty Planet. Tammy says:
Buckethead IPA is at Houndstooth Coffee and Black Sheep Lodge. Brian is delivering the IPA to Flying Saucer and the Draught House on Friday. You have GOT to go try it. I really believe Brian did us proud, it is a BIG BEER! Oh, so tasty. We are both very excited about that beer. It is such a hit that Brian is doing an emergency brew tomorrow morning to replenish what people already have purchased. Such a great problem.
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Rahr tops Zymurgy readers survey: a follow-up
See the post below for the background on Ft. Worth’s Rahr & Sons slaughtering the competition in Zymurgy magazine’s poll for best beers available in America. The news lit up the blogosphere Wednesday. Per my request for comment, Zymurgy editor Jill Redding, who also wrote the piece, sent this along. My questions are in italics:
Was this an e-mail survey?
Yes, this was an email survey. We asked Zymurgy readers (in the magazine, on TechTalk and on the AHA Forum) to submit a list of their 20 favorite beers, via email. It can be any beer that is commercially available in the United States. This is the 8th year of the Best Beers survey (started by Ray Daniels in 2003) and we’ve always done it that way. However, in 2011 we will be doing online voting. We had already made that decision before the 2010 poll was published.
Are you aware of any organized campaign by Rahr or its fans to get out the vote?
I am not aware of any organized campaign and do not want to speculate about it. Rahr consistently does well in the poll (they finished in the top 20 in 2009) so their fans are aware of the poll in some capacity.
Barring the possibility of that, are you aware of receiving a greater-than-expected number of votes from readers in Texas, specifically North Texas?
Readers were asked to submit their city and state along with their votes. Some did, some didn’t. I didn’t keep track of every city and state. Yes, there were a lot of votes from Texas, but also a lot of votes from other states. I did go through and see how many states were represented, and there were 30 states represented in the poll as far as I could tell from those who did submit that information.
Did any other Texas breweries come close to cracking the top 50?
Yes, Saint Arnold in Houston consistently does well in the poll, and they were definitely in the top 50 (the poll only lists the top 25 breweries).
In previous years, has there ever been anything close to this “landslide?”
As I mentioned, Ray Daniels started the poll when he was Zymurgy editor in 2003. I took over the poll when I became editor-in-chief in 2006. I think this is the largest margin of victory in the brewery rankings from when I took over the poll. I don’t have Ray’s notes from previous polls so I don’t know the exact numbers.
There’s mention of the not quite 1,200 votes being a record. What’s the previous record?
We actually received 2,867 votes this year (for 1,192 different beers). The previous record was 2,612 votes for 1,034 different beers in 2009. The poll has been getting bigger every year. We are anticipating a significantly larger turnout in 2011 with the convenience of online voting.
Jamie Brunner, Rahr’s creative director, also responded to a request for comment essentially chalking the win up to the brewery’s vast and zealous supporters, some of whom helped keep the place alive working as volunteers a few years back. When you’ve manned the bottling line for a brewery you love, pushing “send” on a computer keyboard probably doesn’t seem like all that much work. He says, in part:
“The best thing we can do is show you - in person - our supporters. We would like to invite you to the brewery when we reopen (please don’t ask me for an exact date because I’ve become a jinx to the brewery when it comes to opening dates - but we’re expecting it to happen in the next couple of weeks)…We have a lot of love and support for our fellow Texas breweries and we feel with each award or each piece of recognition given to one of us the state as a whole - and all the breweries in it - benefit. We would like to think we’re doing our part to make Texans proud.”
air enough, and I appreciate the invitation and hope to take them up on it soon enough. But still the thought remains that some of Rahr’s well-meaning but crazy overzealous supporters, by so overwhelming stuff the ballot box with votes for — so far as I can tell — every single one of the brewery’s beers, they’ve done a disservice to Zymurgy and set up their beloved brewery to disappoint the elevated expectations of beer drinkers across the fruited plain when and if they get their hands on any Rahr product. Nobody is that good.
