Happy International Women's Day!

What better way to celebrate than to crack open a beer made by a female brewer or a woman-owned brewery? This is by no means a complete list, but what I was able to compile while waiting for a flight home from North Carolina:

Name	Role	Brewery
Eileen Martin	Brewer	Upland Brewing*
Barbara Groom	Brewmaster & Owner	Lost Coast Brewing
Leslie Hdnerson	Brewmaster & Owner	Lazy Magnolia*
Melanie Oxley-Marrero	Founder & Owner	Maui Brewing Company*
Denise Jones	Brewmaster	Moylans
Hildegard Van Ostaden	Brewmaster & Owner	Urthel Brewery
Molly Browning	Brewer	New Holland Brewing Company
Deborah Clarke	Brewer	Abita Brewing
Maryanne French	Brewer	Bridgeport Brewing
Jennifer Henckle	Brewer	Pyramid Brewery
Judi Keene	Brewer	Smuttynose Brewing*
Whitney Thompson	Brewer	Victory Brewing*
Kim Jordan	Owner	New Belgium Brewing
Isabelle Charbonneau	Co-Owner	Brasserie Dieu du Ciel
Rose Ann Finkel	Owner	Pike Brewing Company*
Gina Marsaglia	Owner	Port Brewing/Lost Abbey*
Kim Kavulak	Owner	Nebraska Brewing Company*
Marcy Larson	Owner	Alaskan Brewing Company*
Carol Stoudt	Owner & Former Brewmaster	Stoudt's*
Laurie Jeffries	Owner	Jolly Pumpkin
Tami Norgrove	Owner & Partner	Bear Republic
Rachel Rue	Owner	The Bruery*

*Yeah, I know you can't get this beer in KC, but it's worth mentioning anyway due to the popularity/scale of the brewery.

Prost!

Part 4: Leipzig

It was a several-hour drive to Leipzig, quite possibly because there was major freeway construction going on that led us to follow detour signs which disappeared after about 20 minutes of driving down country roads. (you try reading construction signs in Czech!) We had a GPS unit, but it kept trying to take us back to the (completely closed) freeway. So, we decided to follow the car in front of us since it had been following all the detour signs … that was working so well (for about 45 minutes!), until it stopped for gas. Thankfully, we started seeing road signs for Dresden, so I knew we had to be getting close.

For reference, here's a map showing our trip to this point (Frankfurt, Bamberg, Plzen, Prague) and through to Leipzig:

We arrived in Leipzig just in time for lunch, but stopped to check in at our hotel and drop off our stuff and the car. Then – Gose time! The only other time I’d had Gose was when I picked up a small bottle of Bayerischer Bahnhof Gose at Lukas Liquor. And there we were in Leipzig, just a few miles away from the Bahnhof itself.

The brewery is one of the only Gose breweries in the world (yes, I know many US craft breweries make Gose, but that’s far from their specialty) and is housed in the old main train station that served eastern Germany and Bavaria, and on south through Italy – hence, Bayerischer Bahnhof (Bavarian train station).

Gose is an old German style that was originally brewed in Goslar but has since been adopted by Leipzig. It nearly became extinct after WWII as a result of brewery nationalization, but experienced a revival in the 50s, near-extinction in the 60s, and second revival in the 80s. Despite its roller-coaster history, the style is likely to stick around for a while now that US craft breweries have picked it up.

The style is traditionally packaged in bottles that are round at the base with a long, slim neck at the top, which we don't really see here in the states (although I did see one at a natural foods shop in Jacksonville). Since Gose's traditionally bottle-conditioned, yeast from the secondary fermentation would rise up in the neck and create a yeast plug. I suppose breweries saved on bottle capping equipment that way...

Traditional Gose bottle

Of course, we started with glasses of straight Gose (so hardcore, I know). It had a prominent citrusy lemon flavor with a tart finish from lactic acid that was only lightly puckering. The lemon paired well with the pils malt grainy flavor and the softness of the wheat. It had medium-high carbonation with medium body & fullness, but the acidity kept it light & refreshing. Absolutely delicious, and perfect after our three-and-a-half mile walk.

Gose, served in its traditional footed glass

Gose is brewed with salt and coriander, but it’s not salty and the coriander is much more subtle than that of a wit. The tartness is quite refreshing, and makes the beer all too easy to drink. That being said, it is commonly served with a shot of syrup in it, much like Berliner Weisse. After having it “pur”, I naïvely ordered a glass with a shot of woodruff. Think liquid Ricola. With a straw.

Bad idea

Because I apparently don't learn a lesson very well, I also ordered a "Regenschirm" (umbrella), which is Gose with a shot of Kümmel (caraway) liqueur - also a regional specialty. Not that it was bad, but the delicate nature of the Gose is completely overwhelmed by any additives. I suppose that’s the point if you’re not a fan of the sour nature of the beer (but then, why drink it?).

Cue more walking. Mildly buzzed and enjoying the sights, we noticed a small wine & liquor store that specialized in scotch. Figuring we’d check it out, we walked in & talked to the proprietor for a little while – and walked out with a bottle of the only Bavarian whisky he had. Note to readers:  Germans don’t make great whisky.

Just around the corner from our hotel (yes, this was intentional) was the famous Ohne Bedenken. This is the destination for Gose in Germany – and, most probably, the world. The owner has worked for decades to promote Leipzig’s distinctive sour beer, and he’s done quite well.  The place was quaint and we settled in to a table off to the side of the restaurant with a couple half-liters of Bahnhof Gose.

Gose = happy

Gorby (and a small pic of Putin on the right)

The owner came by and commented on us drinking it without syrup - "so sour", he said, but followed that with a comment that he gets a lot of Americans coming in & drinking it that way. This guy was a trip. He was highly charismatic and chatty, and very enthusiastic about the history of the pub and Gose. There were pictures of Putin and Gorbachev inside the pub, and the owner made a point to tell us about how Putin would bring his officers there to drink Gose between 1986-88 and 1991-93.

After our Bahnhofs, we ordered Döllnitzer Ritterguts Gose and were nearly knocked out of our chairs. It was darker than the Bahnhof version and much more sour & lemony with less wheat character.  The mouthfeel was a bit lighter and we both enjoyed this quite a bit more than the Bahnhof one. We ended up buying several bottles to bring back to the states with us to share with others.

Owner of the Ohne Bedenkend

You can get some of the Bahnhof Gose around the KC area; Royal carries it, as does Lukas in Martin City. The bottles are small & on the bottom shelf, so you have to actively look for it. I haven't seen it on the KS side, but if you have please note such in the comments. The Döllnitzer Gose isn't distributed in the states as far as I can tell.

For more information on the style of Gose and its history, check out these posts/articles:

• Overview of Gose by Stan Hieronymous
• Very detailed history & description of Gose by Ron Pattinson, whose website I relied on heavily for building our trip itinerary
• Michael Jackson's writing on the style

Part 3b: Prague

We spent our second (and last) day in Prague walking several miles around the city and, of course, drinking beer. As an aside, despite all the beer we drank and the food we ate, I ended up losing over 2 pounds on this 10-day trip due to all the walking we did. I think I may have found the perfect diet. Now to find a way to afford it…

Budvar bar

Our afternoon kicked off at U Medvídků, another famous brewery/restaurant in the city, and the only one in Prague with a hotel. We grabbed two seats at their fancy copper Budvar bar (click on the picture to make it larger); I ordered a plum ale, a specialty of the house, and John got a dark lager. 

Plum Ale

It was interesting to note how prevalent dark lager was in Bohemia, as it’s not really a style we see much of here. Say “Czech lager” and most people think of Pilsner Urquell (or spicy, bitter, pale lager in general). It’s a shame, as the dark lagers are well-balanced, interesting, and not at all heavy. 

U Medvidku dark lager

Both are full of pils malt breadiness and noble hop flavor & bitterness, but the dark lager has that extra layer of complexity from the roasted malt. A little chocolate, a little roast dryness, and a touch more sweetness to balance the roast. Not much, though – these are still dry Bohemian lagers that are refreshing and bitter. As I mentioned in my last post, we can get Bernard amber lager here, and I recommend checking it out. I know that MDL on 95th Antioch carries it in the fridge case; you can probably find it in other liquor stores with a good import section.

To continue this tangent, if you haven’t had any Czech lager other than Pilsner Urquell, you owe it to yourself to try something else. I can’t recommend Czechvar enough and prefer it to Urquell (draught, not bottle). It has a wonderful spicy & floral hop aroma & flavor, and the finish has a moderate, lasting bitterness that is clean and balanced with the pils malt sweetness. You can get it on tap at Grunauer and, often, at Swagger. Alternately, you can sometimes get Rebel lager at Waldo Pizza in a brown bottle. I ordered this once on a whim and was very pleased with it. It had a slightly fuller mouthfeel than the aforementioned lagers, and a prominent spicy hop flavor with moderate bitterness.

Can you tell I’m a fan of Bohemian pilsners?

But, to continue with Prague. We had a couple more beers at U Medviku and continued our wandering about the city. Several hours and miles later, we arrived at a bar we weren’t aware of until the prior day: Pivovarsky Klub. It’s owned by the Pivovarsky Dum owners, but is strictly a beer bar; there’s no brewing here. It has the largest beer selection in the Czech Republic and has fantastic food to boot. 

Pivovarsky Klub

On tap, they offer six beers by small, local brewers (often one-man shops) and each is named after a person or animal. They also have bottles to consume on premises, or to take away. 

Pivovarsky Klub's beer fridge. Includes an $8 bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Take-away bottle selection

The place was impressive – and we didn’t even go into the basement. If you’ve seen Anthony Bourdain’s episode on Prague, the pictures should be familiar.

We stayed for quite a while, sampling a handful of beers. I ordered a Bernard dark lager, which was sweet & roasty, somewhat reminiscent of a Baltic Porter without the high carbonation. John had a Herold black lager, which was more chocolately than the Bernard but quite good. 

Bernard dark lager

Demon, a "strong lager"... at 5.2%

We wrapped up our evening with a long, meandering walk back to our hotel that included one more stop at a place that sold unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell on tap (as did many bars in Prague). But, as with most bars in Prague, the place was filled with smoke and quickly became unbearable. We called it a night, went back to our hotel, and got ready to depart for Leipzig in the morning.

Part 3: Prague

At this rate, I'll have all my Germany thoughts done around the same time we leave for another vacation… I left off with us checking out a brewing museum in Kulmbach, heading east across the German border into the Czech Republic. I was getting low on gas but figured it'd be cheaper in the former eastern bloc and held out until we were out of Germany. Much to my surprise, gas was actually significantly more expensive. Instead of being about €1.30 per liter, it was €1.75. That's per liter, not gallon.


Another interesting note about crossing the border was the absolute lack of any formality in doing so. We simply drove across country lines – no checkpoints, no passport review, not even a sign stating "Welcome to the Czech Republic!" The only way to tell we were in another country was a sudden inability to pronounce the road signs.


We stopped in Plzen on our way in to get some lunch. Unfortunately, it was Sunday so most everything was closed. We tried to go to the Bernardus Inn, which features a bunch of Bernard beers. You can get a couple of those here in KC, notably the amber and dark lagers, and I recommend doing so (more on that in another post). They're not what you typically think of when someone says "Czech lager" and they're very good - balanced malt, light roast, and moderate noble hop bitterness.

Almost forgot to take
a picture!

We ate lunch at the Na Spilce restaurant on the grounds of the Pilsner Urquell brewery, starting off with the namesake, of course. I ordered head cheese & bread for lunch, and John got a flat sausage that was coated in red pepper & rolled up into sausage form. It wasn't pretty, but it sure tasted awesome. But as for the beer - it was bready, yeasty, almost slightly fruity in aroma. There was quite a bit of sulphur in the nose, indicating it wasn't lagered too awfully long before serving. The finish was balanced, with lingering hop bitterness and bready pils malt sweetness. I absolutely enjoyed it and wish we could get it that fresh here. Czechvar is a pretty good substitute, however (often on tap at Swagger, and usually available at Grunauer). We ordered a couple more beers and headed on our way to Prague.

Master 18, a sweet dark lager - essentially a Baltic Porter. Very caramelly with some dark chocolate bitterness. Heavy on the dried fruit (raisin, prune) with a sweet finish.

John's Dunkel

U Fleků

It took us another solid hour, plus a couple turns of swearing at the GPS unit, to get to our hotel in central Prague. Once we got there, we stashed our car in the parking lot for the duration of our stay and walked over to the famous U Fleků, which was founded in 1499. It's a big tourist attraction and, as a result, was very crowded; it took us a while to get a spot at a bench table. Unfortunately, it was so damn smoky in the place, we couldn't really enjoy or appreciate the beer. You could have told me it was a smoked dark lager and I would have believed you. There was enough sulphur in the aroma to get past the smoke, though, and also reminded me of a chocolate coffee candy. It actually had moderate body, something I wasn't expecting from what I figured would be a light, refreshing, but lightly roasty lager. We left after our one beer, though, narrowly escaping our demise by smoke suffocation. Interesting place, with a ton of history and opportunities for people-watching, but you can do that elsewhere in Prague without needing an oxygen tank. Yes, it really was that smoky.

U Fleků's dark lager, "Flekovsky Tmavy Lezák 13°"

Sampler tray at Pivovarsky Dum

After a bit of walking around and playing tourist, we headed over to Pivovarsky Dum, a brewery restaurant that makes a ton of different beers (not at all common), including a "beer champagne", aperitif, and even a Russian Imperial Stout! We both got samplers and took a bunch of notes. The sampler included the following beers: Light, Dark, Wheat, Saison, Banana, Sour Cherry, Nettle, and Coffee. My favorites were the dark lager & sour cherry, but the nettle was probably the most interesting. It was quite savory and reminded me of some sort of baked dish, like lasagna. The nettle added a good amount of bitterness, but made me feel like I was drinking wheatgrass. Points for novelty.

Nettle beer

And now, some non-beer pictures of Prague.

"Dancing House" based on a design by
Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunic

Charles Bridge. And a lot of tourists.

St Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle

View of Prague from the top of the cathedral. It was unfortunately
hazy for all of our stay in Prague.

One of the cathedral spires

I don't know, either. 

Blowing off the dust....

Now that the 2011 Kansas City Bier Meisters Homebrew competition is over and behind us, it's time to get this thing back up & running. Combine organizing that competition with a new position I started last month, and you have a very busy me... and a very neglected blog.

So to get caught up... let's see here...

1. Our annual homebrew competition was a lot of work, but definitely fun. We had a lot of great judges & stewards this year and hope to do the same in 2012. If you're a homebrewer and looking for blind feedback on your beers (and meads & ciders), this is a great way to do it. Plus, we were treated to presentations/discussions by Paul Kavulak from Nebraska Brewing Co & Stephen Hale from Schlafly Taproom. Both very personable, interesting, and entertaining guys. It's every year in February, with different speakers each time; if you missed it this year, pay attention this fall when we start planning and posting information to the comp website.
2. Speaking of home brewing, Nationals is coming up quick. If you want to give it a shot at making it past the first round & into the finals, the deadline is late March. Get to brewing!
3. I spent a few days in Austin last week and was able to get out to a handful of places. I checked out Lovejoy's and Ginger Man on my own, but spent my third evening getting a tour of Austin from I Love Beer's Lee with the great company of his fellow beer writer (also a homebrewer), Debbie. He wrote a fun summary of our evening out in his blog (check it out!). Though I had a great time visiting several places, for me there were two specific highlights of the trip:
• Discovering a new brewery down there called Jester King. I only had two beers from them (a Rye IPA and a barrel-aged Dark Mild - appropriately named "Commercial Suicide"), but both were outstanding. If you get a chance to try anything from them, don't pass it up.
• Hanging out at the Whip-In. The place was like nothing else - convenience store meets craft beer bar meets Indian cafe ... and they're adding a brewery in the future. What I particularly liked about this place was that they had two sections of taps: one with craft brews (many of them local), and another smaller one with 'vintage' brews. Among others, they had a St Arnold Divine Reserve #6 on tap, a barleywine nearly 3 years old. Divine indeed.

There are more things of course, but I'll save those for later. Let the blogging resume!

Where Trader Joes' Beer Comes From

Seeing as we're getting a TJ's here in KC pretty soon, I thought this post that I stumbled upon today was particularly relevant. Trader Joe's, as I think most people know, repackages food made by brand-name producers (Annie's dressing, Stacy's pita chips, Hormel chili, etc). Including their beer.

Thanks to reddit, I came across a blog post that identified its beers. General impression is that we'll get their Firestone Walker made brewskies (especially since they'll soon distribute here), but I suppose we'll only know for sure when they open in the Ward Parkway shopping center later this year. Some examples of TJ beers & their producers:

- Trader Jose's Premium Lager:  Gordon Biersch
- Stockyard Oatmeal Stout:  Goose Island
- TJ's Vintage Ale:  Unibroue
- Mission St Pale Ale:  Firestone-Walker

Check out the full list at French Oak TV.

KC Bier Meisters 28th Annual Competition

We've been busy working on the KC Bier Meisters' 28th annual homebrew competition. I wrote about last year's event, and this year's is coming up in about a month. Our theme this year is "Amber Waves of Grain" with a focus on local, sustainable ingredients and brewing practices - reusing resources like barrels and making beer with local ingredients such as wheat.

Our banquet speaker is Stephen Hale, Chief Brewer at the Schlafly Taproom
Our morning speaker is Paul Kavulak, owner of (and brewer at) Nebraska Brewing Company

Homebrewers, time to get together some of those brews for entry!  Entries must be received by Saturday February 5, and judging will be held on February 18 and 19 at Holy Field Winery in Basehor, KS. The entry fee is $7 per entry and online entry and payment are available at the competition website below.

Awards will be given in the 28 BJCP beer, cider and mead categories. Additionally a special Best of Show award will be given to the best beer that uses wheat as a substantial ingredient. If you wish to volunteer as a judge or steward you can do so through the online entry system and your help is appreciated.

Check out our competition website for complete details. And see you there!