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Craft Beer Blast
September, 2013 |
| From Larry... | |
It's still pretty hot here in South Florida, but that doesn't stop some fall beers from appearing on store shelves. The summer beers are going away and the seasonal changes will be upon us sooner than you think. As the weather cools we look for hearty, tasty foods and beers that go with them. Many fall beers reflect the colors of the season; red, brown and some orange. Red and brown ales all go with the season; some with a seasonal twist. The favorite seasonal beer is Pumpkin ale with most breweries making one. Many are now available and each is unique. Last year I counted over twenty Pumpkin ales at one bottle shop. Enjoy the seasonal brews, as you know they are fresh and will disappear by late October or November.
Wynwood Brewing is getting close to opening. The official launch is September 23rd at Gramps a local Wynwood bar. MIA Brewing has hired a brewmaster and should open in Doral this fall. Florida Keys Brewing Company is in the planning stages, opening in 2014.
In this month's Florida Brewery Corner, Hourglass Brewery celebrated their 1st anniversary August 17th. I visited and enjoyed many different beers, great food, good live music and a fun crowd.
The "Style of the Month" for September is Belgian Dubbel, a Belgian style that was "reinvented" in the 1920's. Dubbels are now brewed by many brewers worldwide.
The Brewery of the Month for September is Green Flash Brewing Company of San Diego, CA. Green Flash is brewing assertive and distinctive brews that are blazing their own trail. Brewing for just over 10 years, Green Flash beers are available almost nationwide. Construction has already begun on a second brewery in Virginia Beach, VA.
Beer Blast Archives. Remember something you saw in a prior issue of The Blast? Are you reading for the first time? All back issues of The Blast are available on our Media / Archive page. Go there to reference past issues and articles. Over the next few months the Blast will be getting a new look and feel to improve the presentation and experience.
Cheers,
Larry
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Style of the Month
Belgian Dubbel
Belgians have been brewing brown beers for centuries. The Trappist Brewery Westmalle was recovering form the effects of WW1 and the beer wasn't reliably good. In 1926 they brought in brewer Henrik Verlinden to work with the monastery to improve the beer. They came up with "Dubbel Bruin", a stronger russet brown beer. It was widely copied and is now brewed in Belgium and beyond. Dubbels get their color from highly caramelized candi sugar. Candi sugar gives an aroma of burnt sugar and raisins. Belgian yeasts give them herbal, fruit and phenol notes. The better examples are bottle conditioned. ABV ranges from 6.5% to 8.0% with the alcoholic strength not evident on the palate. |
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Beer Life
Belgian Beer Festival
 On September 13 - 14, Beer Advocate and Allagash Brewing present the Boston Belgian Beer Festival. The festival sounds like a great event; I have heard about it for several years. This year I will be there along with my good beer drinking friends. Belgian beers are some of the most intriguing and tasty beers around. There will be many beers I haven't had before. I look forward to enjoying the festival, meeting like - minded people and tweeting a few pictures out. See BA's website for more festival details. Of course, the festival is only one day of a ten day trip, so craft beers will be enjoyed all around the region. Portland, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Western Mass. are all on the agenda.
Chinese Beer Festival
Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the scale, there was a huge beer festival that ran for over two weeks in China. To the best of my knowledge it was a big party with mainly industrial lagers for the beer. (Budweiser, Corona, Heineken etc.) Read more about it at this website. There is a small craft beer movement in China; see the video of an American who moved there three years ago and promotes craft beer. |
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Brewery of the Month
Green Flash Brewing Co.
In 2002, former pub owners Mike and Lisa Hinkley took their interest in craft beer to a new level. They started brewing and opened Green Flash Brewing Co. In 2004, they brought in Chuck Silva as brewmaster. They began brewing cutting edge, premium beers with a modern twist on traditional styles. The brewery started to get a loyal following and has grown to the point that Green Flash beers are available throughout the US. The West Coast IPA has wide acceptance and practically defines the category. Green Flash is the latest west coast brewery to build a second brewery on the east coast. In April 2013 they announced the expansion to Virginia Beach, VA. In August they announced the development and construction team. As with the other new breweries, Green Flash will have a positive impact on the area. The beers are excellent; I have enjoyed them for years in North Carolina. I would bring a few back and have to wait for the next trip to get more. In the last year Green Flash added Florida to the list of states they have a presence in. Locally, Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza features some of the Green Flash line - up. Look for the latest seasonal from Green Flash: Green Bullet a triple IPA made with New Zealand hops. For more about all the brews, see GreenFlashBrew.com |
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Locally...
Dubbel Troublea ale, a Belgian Dubbel style ale, Blind Pig pilsner and Big Ol' Belgian IPA are currently on. Several different guest beers are now available. Stop by to see what's pouring.
Grovetoberfest: Save the date: October 19, 2013. That's when the third edition of Miami's Beer festival is scheduled. There are several different ticket levels available and free beer tastings leading up to the festival. See the FB page for announcements about the beer tastings, ticket specials and be sure to sign up for the newsletter for quicker notification of limited offers. |
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New Breweries
Wynwood Brewery The brewing equipment is installed and working. A distributor has been signed so the beer can be sold all around South Florida. The official launch is September 23rd at Gramps in Wynwood. See FB page for the calendar of events.
MIA Brewing Co.
Brewer Michael Demetrus has been hired as head of brewing operations. He has an extensive background in craft beer. Read more about him in the New Times Blog. MIA's equipment is set up and they should be brewing sometime this fall.
Cervetech Everyday IPA gallery.There's not much info on these guys yet but it looks like another Miami homebrewer is moving up in the beer world! |
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Florida Brewery Corner
The Hourglass Brewery celebrated their first anniversary in style, with over 20 beers. 3 food trucks and several bands, it was a great time. Longwood, FL is a small town northeast of Orlando. The brewery has been a huge local hit and is looking to expand. I visited before and was impressed. Now there are more beers and a large crowd was on hand to celebrate the first year. The beers are all good with many unique, original interpretations available. The brewery will soon be bottling in bomber bottles. It is going to be fun to follow and enjoy their growth. I have some pictures on the GBL FB page and even uploaded a short video on YouTube |
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© Larry Goeser
Miami, Florida Good Beer Larry |
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