GABF Trip 08 - The Recap

I know I said I was finished, but a few (well, 10) things I'd like to note:

1) We had a lot of beer last week, and when you have a lot of beer, most of it all blurs together.
2) There is more beer than you could possibly want at GABF. There is also more horrible beer at GABF than you might expect. We spent one day drinking anything that sounded interesting. That seemed like a good idea at the time...
3) We missed a lot of great beer at GABF. But that's just how things work - they don't announce winners until the early Saturday session, and running around trying to try all those winners would be pretty futile.
4) Despite not winning the sour category, I still like Brugge's Diamond Kings as much as any other sour I tried. I didn't try the category winners, though..

Lambic or Sour Ale
GOLD: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - Media, DE - Lambic de Hill
SILVER: Upstream Brewing Co., NE - Upstream Gueuze-Lambic
BRONZE: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant - Newark, DE - Cassis de Hill

5) We were definitely right about Hays, Kansas' Liquid Bread - they took home two medals:

Oatmeal Stout
GOLD: Gella's Diner and Lb. Brewing Co. - Oatmeal Stout
BRONZE: Gella's Diner and Lb. Brewing Co. - American Wheat

6) Best brewery tour? Easily New Belgium. Then again, they kept giving us really great beer. Best brewpub? Easily Oskar Blues. Our server was awesome, and the place does comfortable dumpy chic perfectly. I mean that as a compliment.
7) Best beer I had at GABF? After having a bit of everything everywhere, we finally made our way to the constantly long Lost Abbey line after they ran out of most of their beer. What was left on the table? The 2006 Angel's Share. Thick, syrupy, sweet, and tasty. Highly recommended.
8) Can someone send me some New Glarus Belgian Red? Or Raspberry Tart? Those are pretty nice, too.
9) A funny moment: Gina and I was watching a beer pairing session hosted by Sam Adams' Jim Koch. Jim is comparing beer to wine, and says "I always look at it this way: With wine, you spit. Beer swallows." I don't think we'll be hearing that in any Sam Adams commercials.
10) Was it worth going? Yes. It really is a great time. The crowds are large but bearable. The beer is abundant and all over the map. Would I go again next year? No - devoting a whole week (or even three straight days) to drinking isn't something I'd recommend making a yearly tradition. But ask me again in a month...

GABF winners from Indiana

Just a quick update about some medals from GABF:

2 Indiana breweries swept the Wood and Barrel Aged Ale category. Out of 25 entries, Ram took Gold and Silver for Old Jack and Buffalo Bock respectively and Barley Island took the Bronze for the Beastie Barrel Stout.

Also, Three Floyds won bronze for their Munsterfest in the German-Style Märzen category.

You can see a list of all the winners here.

See you all back in Indiana!

The Main Event - GABF Trip 08

So we've arrived in Denver for Great American Beer Festival, and while you might expect that there's a lot to say, really, there isn't. GABF is everything you'd expect it to be: A giant hall, every brewery you can think of (though Founders and Schlafly aren't here..), lines for the better known rarities (Russian River, Lost Abbey, and New Glarus always had long lines), people jumping out of the way of Gina's wheelchair (an unending point of entertainment), and us ending up way drunker than we really needed to be (thanks in no part to Ted Miller and the Brugge folks).

Could I tell you what I drank yesterday? New Glarus Cherry and Raspberry Tart both stand out, as do the multiple pours of Brugge's Diamond Kings 08. Let's see if I can come up with a list of what else...

Alaskan Smoked Porter

Budweiser American Ale

Augusta (St. Louis) Tripel

Avery Ale to the Chief

Avery 15th Anniversary

Barley Island Beastie Barrel Stout

Bluegrass Brewing Kick in the Baltic Porter

Brugge Diamond Kings 08

Brugge Googoboom Helles

Brugge Black

Clipper City Marzhon

Clipper City Winter Storm

Deschutes Abyss

Deschutes Black Butte XX

Duck-Rabbit Brown

Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout

Flossmoor Station Organic Woody

Flossmoor Collaborative

Goose Island Matilda

Goose Island Juliet

Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imp Stout

Great Divide Coffee Oak Aged Yeti

Left Hand Terra-Rye'zd

Maui Brewing CoCoNut PorTer

New Belgium Eric's Ale

New Glarus Belgian Red

New Glarus Raspberry Tart

Pizza Port Carlsbad Ruby Black

Pizza Port Carlsbad Cow Stout

Rogue Double Dead Guy

Rogue Old Crustacean

Shmaltz Hebrew 12

Coney Island Sword Swallower

Coney Island Albino Python

Sierra Nevada Chico Estate Harvest Ale

Sierra Nevada Chico IPA

Ska Buster Nut Brown Ale

Stone Vertical Epic 08.08.08

Stone 12th Anniversary

Three Floyds Moloko Milk Stout

Track Town Oak Aged Imperial Red

Track Town Triple Jump

Turoni's Pumpkin Ale

We also had a few Chili beers, but I can't remember whose they were. One of them tasted pretty much exactly like the nachos you'd buy at a baseball game. Interesting.

A few surprises, I guess - BBC didn't have any of their regular (great) stuff - no Bourbon Barrel Stout, none of their awesome brown. Liquid Bread is here, but they also had no brown. Three Floyds hasn't brought out anything too wacky.

But there's plenty to drink, obviously. Is it worth the trip? Yes. The whole trip has been amazing.

This concludes our coverage - I'm going to really enjoy the next couple days.

Fort Collins Gems - GABF Trip 08

We were going to reserve a spot for a tour at New Belgium, then go check out a couple shops, but as it turns out, there was beer to drink.

We arrived at the beautiful New Belgium facilities and took a seat at the near empty bar. We were greeted by the bartender and asked if we wanted tickets for the tour and if we wanted to sample some of their beer. Yes and yes.


Not only is the tour free, but so are the samples. You can pick 4 beers that you would like to try from their selection of about 10 and you have to answer a question that the bartender comes up with to get them. We had to pick new Olympic events, mine was roller derby (duh!) and Mike's was the 100 meter crutch run - an homage to my hobbly-ness.


Our samples included:

• Fat Tire
  
• Old Cherry - an ale brewed with cherry juice
  
• Ben's Saison - the product of an employee contest called Loose Lips. A mix of three New Belgium brews are combined together and the employees have an opportunity to guess which beers and what percentage are in the combination. The winner gets to work with the Brewmaster to brew a beer of their choice.
  
• Giddy Up - an Espresso Ale.
  
• Mighty Arrow - A pale ale

We were enjoying the samples and the company of some locals when the bartender casually mentioned that there were some special brews we could try if we wanted. Um, yes please. Mike chose La Folie - a highly regarded sour ale and I selected Eric's Ale - another well-received beer aged on oak with peach juice. Both of these were truly amazing and worth the attention they received.


Right before the tour started, the bar was pretty full, and it seemed like a pretty good mix of local folks and visitors from all over. Here are some photos from the tour, which is pretty cool. You should go.



















Obviously all those free samples at New Belgium just aren't enough beer. So after lunch at Good Times (not so much) Burgers and Frozen Custard, and a couple bike shop visits we headed to slightly smaller yet friendly confines: Fort Collins Brewery.


We reached the tasting room with just an hour left in their day, and each ordered their eight sample flight. The standouts from the samples were their Z Lager and Billy the Kidd Schwarzbier - both of which featured heavily smoked malt character that would have made any smoke beer fan happy.


After rushing through our flights (as the driver, I left plenty on the table) we bought a few bombers and a t-shirt and were given a free pint glass and some stickers (just a few things they had lying around as giveaways to the GABF crowd).


We then headed down the road in hopes of visiting Odell Brewing (New Belgium, Fort Collins, and Odell are less than roughly a mile apart), but they closed at six pm. So if you're ever in town, plan accordingly.

As for us? We're ready to move to Fort Collins. Bikes and beer everywhere? Sounds good to me.

Next up: A day off from drinking? We'll see what happens when we visit Boulder on the way to Denver.

On the Left Hand - GABF Trip 08

After a wonderful visit to Oskar Blues, we headed over to Longmont and the Left Hand Brewing Company tasting room. Upon entering, we were met with an overwhelming and quite lovely orange aroma. We didn't think too much about it and both ordered a Milk Stout. This is a beer that we've enjoyed since we first started drinking better beer so it seemed like a natural choice.


We sat down at a table near the bar and enjoyed the creamy brew. As the bar cleared a bit, we moved over to it and noticed there were a few folks at the other end with a load of oranges. We asked the bartender what they were doing and learned that they were zesting oranges for use in this year's Snowbound Ale. I asked if we could help and were quickly put to work. We also found out that as long as you are helping zest oranges, your beer was free. Mike zested two oranges before he gouged his knuckle and decided that he's better off just drinking.


Before heading out, I ordered the cask version of their Black Jack Porter, an English Style beer that is full-bodied and malty. I finished it up along with the remaining oranges in my bag and picked up a few souvenirs before heading to the hotel. We need to rest up for our next beer adventure, New Belgium and Fort Collins Breweries.

Head for the Mountains of Oskar Blues - GABF Trip 08

We spent the early half of Monday driving through Rocky Mountain National Park in search of "The Mountains of Busch™", and found plenty of mountain views worthy of any ad campaign. But when we came out the other side of the park, instead of corporate beer monoliths, we found comfortable and unassuming Oskar Blues in Lyons, Co.


The beer is no longer brewed at the Lyons Grill and Brew, and in the case of the Ten Fidy Stout we were craving, it sounds like it may be a while before it's brewed again. Despite the initial disappointment of not finding what we were really after, our server's friendly and welcoming attitude quickly made up for it. We ordered an Old Chub Scottish Style Ale (reviewed KOTBR #45) and a Leroy (Brown) and settled in for a couple hours of local atmosphere, great food, and a beer surprise.


The unassuming nature of the place is what makes it so great. Despite rave reviews of their beers in media as big as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, this could be your local. In fact, it is a local for some Lyons residents, and despite the availability of amazing homegrown beer, Oskar Blues has Budweiser on tap to keep some of the regulars happy.


But we hadn't driven all that way for Bud. We noticed shortly after we arrived that a tap was being changed out - they had put on a beer they've titled "Whiskey D*ck" (our server noted "I work for seventh graders. And it's pretty great") - their Dale's Pale Ale aged in whiskey barrels. This was a special brew for the GABF crowd, and I suspect it won't be long before rave reviews start pouring in on sites like Beer Advocate.

Our palates appeased, we settled our tab and then walked over to the merch counter where Gina spent a bunch more money grabbing a shirt and cans of everything available. If we can sit on them long enough (and canned beer should last quite a while) they'll be perfect for an drinking at IMS next season. I suspect they won't last that long, though.

Next up: A stop in Longmont at Left Hand on our way to Fort Collins.

Outlet Malls and Craft Beer - GABF Trip 08

The next stop on our roundabout trip to this year's Great American Beer Festival in Denver was the Silverthorne/Dillon area, where we took in some outlet shopping and a bit of medal winning craft beer.



Dillon Dam Brewery is located just north of Interstate 70, just past a packed jumble of strip malls and gas stations. Dam Brewery wasn't originally on my agenda - we had stopped in Silverthorne for some shopping - but one of the great things about Colorado is that a quick look at the area on beermapping.com usually turns up something.

In this case we were in for a brewpub that had walls covered with awards. I chose the Sweet George's Brown - a Gold Medal World Beer Cup 2002. This beer was a brownish red brew that left light lacing on the glass. No discernible nose came out, but a smooth and balanced brown that finished a little fizzy or lively on the tongue was a nice reward.


Gina went with their McLuhr's Irish Stout, a deep brown/black beer with a tan head and light lacing. A roasty caramel/malt nose and flavor and medium mouthfeel was true to style and quite tasty.

A quick look at the balcony level of Dillon Dam revealed a brewery overlook with labeled brew tanks and a walk through self-guided tour that explained how each piece of equipment was used in the brewing process.


While they're not doing anything unusual at Dam Brewing, it's the sort of place that serves great beer to an audience that wants a better brew with a nice meal. We left happy and full, and ready for a night of rest before a scenic Monday drive through Rocky Mountain National Park and stops at Oskar Blues in Lyons and Left Hand Brewing in Longmont.

Beer Springs Eternal - GABF Trip 08

After leaving Hays, Kansas and heading into eastern Colorado, we made a 58 mile out-of-our-way wrong turn. If our wrong-way course hadn't crossed paths with a sign labeled Colorado Springs (turn right), you might now be reading about our visit to the western tip of Oklahoma.

Our course corrected, we arrived in Colorado Springs in need of beer. Our first stop was The Warehouse Restaurant. You'll notice from the photo that the building says "Restaurant Brewery Gallery"; We were told that they had stopped brewing some time ago. Nevertheless we settled down at the bar and each tried a combo of soup and beer.


The Warehouse really seemed more wine bar than beer bar, but they still had a nice selection of beers from Colorado Springs' own Bristol Brewing Company to chose from. After looking at the tap handles for choices, I recognized the Mass Transit Ale label and picked it. Gina went with the Red Rocket Pale Ale, and we each ordered a soup.


The Mass Transit: A clear copper brew with a fruity nose that first reminded me of Runts candies. As I got deeper into the beer I picked up hints of grassy malt, and as the pint emptied big flavors of apple and apricot came through. A nice beer worth revisiting.

Gina's Red Rocket Pale Ale had a hoppy/candy nose (similar to what I picked up from the Mass Transit), had a hint of soap yet was easy to drink, and finished watery but smooth and agreeable.

Despite the disappointment of finding out that The Warehouse no longer brewed their own, the local beer hit the spot and was a nice intro to drinking in Colorado. After spending the evening in Colorado Springs we set our course for a scenic loop of Pikes Peak, Leadville, and eventually Dillon/Silverthorne, where we'll be drinking in our next update.

Kansas or Bust - GABF Trip 08

I've been to Colorado before - my previous adventure involved an overnight blitzkrieg through Kansas on an adventure with some friends from my high school days - so I knew what to expect; Miles upon miles of endless plains, a repeating pattern of field, fence, gigantic skies, and state police cruisers. Prior to this trip, when asked about Kansas, I would simply reply "F*ck Kansas".

But this time was different. We were rewarded with beautiful clear skies and terrain more varied than I recalled from my last adventure. We also had a taste of the cheapest gas I've seen in forever.


But that wasn't the only taste of something good. We cut Kansas in half, spending a night in Hays, and paying a trip to Liquid Bread Brewing Co. for an experience that was one of the bigger surprises in my life.


There in old downtown Hays we found a brewpub with a decor that outclassed any in Indianapolis - a contemporary mix of industrial and rustic elements - and a crowd of well-dressed Kansans with a ratio of women to men that might have been 2 to 1.


But the best part of the evening was the beer. Gina had their No. 06 Oatmeal Stout, a balanced and tasty Oatmeal Stout that stood up to any we've had before. I had their No. 04 Downtown American Brown, a beer that was the best example of that style that I've ever had. It's a beer I'll be attempting to find an equal for for quite some time, I'm sure.


And so, a lesson learned. Kansas can reward you, if you know where to look. If you're ever through, I can't recommend Liquid Bread enough.

On the Lam(bic) - GABF Trip 08

Gina and I are currently using the last of our vacation days on the way to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival. While we really wish we could have brought everyone along, that wasn't in our budget this year, so we'll do our best to bring you with us through the magic of photos and words. There are few things as boring as someone else's vacation photos, so I'll keep the focus on the beer - of which we'll have plenty.



Our first stop on the way to Denver isn't really on the way to Denver at all. Last week we got a call from Upland in Bloomington letting us know that our previously reserved lambics were ready for picking up. So we took a slight detour and stopped in to the Upland tap room on a nice Thursday afternoon.


I have no IU ties and wasn't raised in Indiana, so my trips to Bloomington are few and far between - really the only reason I have to visit is that there's a nice bicycling route that leads from near my house to Miller-Showers Park. As a result, I'm a bit ashamed to say that this was my first trip to Upland.



We settled in at the bar on a slow Thursday afternoon. Gina ordered their Bad Penny Imperial IPA and I ordered a Preservation Pilsner for myself. The pilsner was nice and balanced, and worked well against my cup of buffalo chili (also recommended). Gina's Bad Penny was big but balanced, and would be very easy to over-indulge if it weren't for the limit (the beer is 10%, so you're only allowed two). This brew has an interesting story, being that it is a guest brew from homebrewer Ken (I didn't get his last name, hopefully one of you did).



We were informed that the lambics are not served on tap at the brewpub, but that if you'd like to purchase a bottle and drink it there, they'll gladly pour for you. For an in-depth guide to all the varieties of those lambics, I highly recommend the article at Indiana Beer.

Our palates teased, but with a drive ahead, we took our box of lambic and headed to the car. Next up, a pit stop in Illinois (with no beer) and then a trip to Hays, Kansas.