New Glarus Brewing Update

July 28, 2013July 28, 2013Leave a comment

Now, don’t get too exited. There are no plans for New Glarus to extend into Eastern Iowa, but with the beers right across the Mississippi from Dubuque, I thought I would pass along the following. If you are into sours and wild ales, you have to believe that Dan Carey is going to be bringing some of the best styles of those beers to the table with what he has done as a brewer. They have also just release Strawberry Rubuarb and wild sour ale. The following news is courtesy of http://www.beerpulse.com.

Later this summer, an expansion to the brewery where Carey and his wife, Deb, founded New Glarus Brewing Co. 20 years ago will begin. When it’s done, large-scale production work can begin on a series of sour beers that so far have been released only in tiny, closely held batches.

Here’s their release on the Strawberry Rubarb:

Teased from the loam by the kiss of the Sun. Mom’s Strawberry Rhubarb delights are the happy memories of childhood. Diploma Master Brewer Dan employed juicy sweet Strawberries to tame the barbaric wild tart fermentation of rhubarb. Escaped from the far corners of neighboring yards, local rhubarb was incorporated into the wild sour fermentation to create this drinkable dream. Bright sour and effervescent. Toast chilled cold to Bright skies, fireflies, bare feet and rhubarb pies!

And here’s their release on their Wild Sour:

Naturally soured by farm valley winds blowing wild yeast into our oak casks. Finally, after a year and a half of patient coaxing Wisconsin dark malts whirl in a kaleidoscope of cedar, caramel and tart green plum exuberance. Available to the exclusive few who travel off the beaten paths, this is authentic Wisconsin sour brown ale. Truly unique this Sour Ale is brewed for those who live on the wild side and is suitable for laying down or consuming immediately, serve at 40 – 45 °F.

Once again for Eastern Iowans, right across the river from Dubuque, IA, you have almost all of New Glarus products available at random gas stations and liquor stores. Very excited about this news and if you haven’t visited the brewery yet, it’s a must visit destination. Fantastic stuff!

Beer Review #107: Goose Island Sofie Paradisi

July 2, 2013Leave a comment

When AB-InBev bought Goose Island a few years back, I vowed to stay away from their beers solely on the basis of any trying to support craft breweries. It hasn’t been all that difficult to do, except for the occasional Bourbon County Stout, Matilda, or Sofie. But now, after trying Sofie Paradisi, the task may prove to be more daunting than originally thought.

I know many of you will scoff at the idea of not drinking Goose Island just because InBev owns it now, and that’s fine, to each his own. But when a beer gets this much pub and chatter about it, you just have to get your hands on it. Well, I wasn’t able to find this beer anywhere in Iowa, but on a recent trip up north to Madison my wife and I stopped and ate at the Craftsman Table and Tap (http://www.craftsmantableandtap.com/) in Middleton, WI. A really great beer menu to go along with some fantastic food (I recommend the pulled brisket sandwich and a side order of cheese curds) my eyes darted right to where the listing for Sofie Paradisi was. YES! Finally!

The difference between Goose Island Sofie and Goose Island Sofie Paradisi uses grapefruit instead of orange peel. The grapefruit is definitely in the nose along with the earthiness that accompanies a saison style brew. Along with grapefruit rind you get yeast, grassiness, and a little hop bitterness. Overall, a highly drinkable beer. More from the brewery:

60% Ale Aged in barrels with grapefruit rind and juice, 40% Ale (Base Sofie)

Now the question is…which one is better? If you’ve had both feel free to cast your vote below. I’m still up in the air, I would love to have Paradisi a few more times before giving my final verdict.

REVIEW

Style: Fruit Beer/Saison

ABV: 6.7%

Purchased at: Craftsman Table and Tap; Middleton, WI

Pour: Golden pour with a thick pillowy head.

Aroma: Yeast, grapefruit, earthiness

Flavor: A bit of oak, grapefruit, yeast, a bit peppery

Ratebeer.com rating: 97

Beeradvocate rating: 95

Overall: A-

My recommendation: A perfect summer beer. Really would love to get my hands on a few bottles of this. Terrific brew!

Beer Trip: New Glarus, WI; New Glarus Brewery

April 22, 20134 Comments

This past weekend my wife and I were childless for a couple of days and she suggested that we should finally take a trip to New Glarus, WI to visit the brewery (www.newglarus.com). We’ve talked about this trip quite often while we drive to Madison but it finally came to fruition this weekend. The drive is very simple, a right off of 151 and 16 miles later you are in the historical town of New Glarus. As we where driving in we noticed the old brewery off to the left coming into town. It was relatively small, and this but a mental image of the new one in or around the same size. Well, I couldn’t be more wrong. As you are going out-of-town you see a sign for the new brewery and as you turn into the winding drive you are taken to a hilltop were New Glarus Brewery rests. The scene is really quite beautiful. Old stone stairs, historical swiss architecture with a modern design, and the massive layout, made it look more like a quaint hotel than an awesome brewery.

My wife and I entered through gift shop and browsed a bit before deciding to hit the tasting room. At the tasting room you have the option of buying a full 12 oz glass with a draw of beer for $6 or a tasting glass and a small draw for $3. Both great deals as you get to keep the glasses. To make things even better they were pushing their Blacktop IPA because it has recently been added to their year-round lineup. I decided going with the black top and my wife went with the Two-Women lager. After a few rounds we decided to head back through the gift shop and going through the self-guided tour of the brewery. The place is absolutely pristine. Brand new looking, very clean, clean enough to eat (or drink) off the floor. The amount of piping and amount of equipment was very impressive.

Back in the gift shop I bought another beer glass and a sweet Moon Man pale ale t-shirt. So many cool items that would a great addition for any beer lover. After we made our purchases I had to stop downstairs to buy some brew. I was scared that there wouldn’t be anything left of their Double IPA but luckily there was enough left where my decision wasn’t how many four packs but how many cases to buy. Love that stuff. Got a case of IIPA, mixed and match of the Coffee stout, Cabin Fever, and Dancing Man Wheat, a few Serendipitys, 2 4 packs of Winter Warmer and some Moon Man. A nice little haul, not all for me, sharing with the Beer Counselor.

I asked the guys working where a good place to grab a quick bite would be and they both said to try out the Glarner Stube (www.glarnerstube.com). Driving into downtown New Glarus definitely feels like you are in Switzerland. The historic layout makes this place an excellent experience and as you walk into the Glarner Stube not only get the visual appeal you get to taste it as well. Glarner Stube means “Living Room of New Glarus” and it is that cozy. All old New Glarus brewing bottles line across the top of the bar and that is the only brewery available on tap, the only problem is deciding which one to order. A went with Moon Man and my wife suggested going with some Cheese Fondue to start. A great idea! Wonderful swiss cheese with cubed, crusted bread, that paired great with the pale ale. We also split a prime rib sandwich with horseradish sauce and a side of cooked sauerkraut with an onion cream sauce. The food was great but the people working there are so pleasant it makes everything that much better.

A great trip to New Glarus. I’m hoping to makes this a destination to hit a few times a year. Highly recommend making this trek, an easy 3 hour drive to beerdom.