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The KegWorks Blog

Archive for October, 2010

Get In on the Great Postcard Promotion for a Chance to Win!

Friday, October 15th, 2010

The postcard blob on our wall here at KegWorks is growing, because everyone wants a chance to win a $100 KegWorks gift card!

Postcard Promotion to Win a Kegworks Gift Card

Will your postcard be the next one to land on our wall?

You have until October 31st to get your postcards here! Check out the Postcard Promotion page for more details.

Cheers!

TAGS [ KEGWORKS | GIFT CARD | CONTEST ]

Disrupting the Re-Use of Philippine Beer Bottles

Friday, October 15th, 2010

San MiguelMaybe not the most environmentally friendly business tactic, but it seems strangely effective. Can’t have bottled beer without bottles, and making your competition pay to make new bottles rather than reuse existing ones is pretty clever, pretty low but clever none the less. [see article]

In many other countries beer bottles and beer bottle crates are collected, washed and reused, unlike here, in the US, where glass is recycled or… whatever happens to it after the homeless people take it out of my recycling bin.

What do you think of tactics like these? Underhanded? Pure genius? Somewhere in between?

Sound off!

TAGS [ BEER NEWS | PHILIPPINE BEER | BEER BOTTLES | SAN MIGUEL ]

New Bartenders and Mixologists: Don’t Forget to Take a Step Back

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

Tom sent me a link to an article by Gary Regan that really got me thinking about cocktail bartenders these days. The newest generation of bartenders and mixologists are so urgently focused on new creations that oftentimes they’re forgetting the classics that made cocktails what they are today.

Manhattan CocktailJust this past Friday, I was out to dinner with my friend Margaret at Empire Grill, to celebrate Local Restaurant Week in Buffalo NY. I started with a beer but as the meal was coming to a close, I knew what I really wanted; a Maker’s Manhattan, perfect, on the rocks.

Even though I knew that a Manhattan would be the ideal close to my meal, I hesitated. These days, I am hard pressed to find a bartender who knows how to make a Manhattan. Typically, bartenders bruise the bourbon with too much vermouth and more often than not, they don’t even know what bitters is. I’m not kidding. I’ve even gone so far as to ask bartenders over the last few years, "What type of bitters did you use in this?" knowing full well they hadn’t used any at all. Upon receiving the blank stare in response to my question, I strike yet another "swanky cocktail bar" off of my list and order up a double Maker’s neat, instead.

To my elated surprise however, the bartender at Empire Grill not only knew to use bitters in my Manhattan, but he even used just enough of the sweet and dry vermouths (thus making it perfect) so that my bourbon wasn’t bruised. Plus, there was not a drop of cherry juice or grenadine added (that’s right my friends, cherry juice does NOT belong in a Manhattan). I’ve happily added Empire Grill to my list, at least on Wednesday and Friday nights, as a place to get a good Manhattan here in Buffalo NY.

It seems to me that overall, bartenders are so concentrated on coming up with the next candy-coated concoction that they’ve never given themselves enough time to learn some of the classics. They’re so pressured to come up with the next ginger-reduction asian-fusion "martini" that they’ve lost sight of the idea of tasting ingredients and learning how cocktails came to fruition in the first place.

A drink isn’t amazing because of how many random, unique ingredients you can mix together, but instead, a drink is amazing because of how a few simple, classic ingredients can balance one another, creating a cocktail you’ll come back to time and time again.

There’s a reason the classics are classic. Bartenders and mixologists, don’t forget to take a step back sometimes and refresh yourselves on simplicity and balance.

And don’t forget the bitters, either.

TAGS [ COCKTAILS | CLASSIC COCKTAILS | BARTENDERS | MIXOLOGISTS | MANHATTAN COCKTAIL | BITTERS ]

Beer by Candlelight

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

Over the weekend I made another visit to Blue Monk for a nightcap. The place was beyond packed but my friends and I were lucky enough to snag a cozy little table in the back corner of the outside patio. Although we were in a popular part of the city, our little corner was darker than a pint of Dogfish Head’s World Wide Stout (yes, I’m being corny on purpose). They had thoughtfully put a candle in a pitcher for us and I was able to get some really cool pictures when I turned my flash off.

Beer Photo at blue Monk in Buffalo

My chalice of Chimay White looked so enchanting with its dancing backlight that I just had to share.

(Also, my friends were relentlessly making fun of me for taking pictures of my beer and I felt compelled to make them eat their unkind words. Jerks!)

TAGS [ CRAFT BEER | BEER PHOTOS | BEER PHOTOGRAPHY | BLUE MONK ]

Top 5 Dubbels

Monday, October 11th, 2010

I’ve realized that many call it the Red Burgundy of beer, and rightfully so. Going from my last writing about one of my least favorite styles (American IPA), I’m going to talk about one of my absolute favorites, and one of the beers that galvanized me into the world of craft beer over 15 years ago: Dubbel. That rich, sweet, chewy, fruity Belgian specialty that’s true heaven and satisfaction in a goblet. Not as potent as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, or as delicate as a Saison, Dubbel to me is one of those beers that I reach for when the world just isn’t right.

History of Belgian Dubbel

Although Belgian Dubbel originated at monasteries in the Middle Ages, we have the Trappist Abbey of Westmalle to thank for providing it to the masses. 1856 was the year it was in its infant stage, when the abbey had been brewing a sweeter, lower alcohol Witbier that served the purpose as a table beer for the monks since 1836. Dubbel was designed as a stronger version of a brown ale, with the first official sale of the beer taking place in 1861, and in 1926 it was "reformulated" again to be even more potent. Like many other Belgian styles, the beer’s popularity ramped up post World War II, and was given the name "Dubbel" by many breweries for commercial purposes. Westmalle being the innovator, the beer was copied by numerous other breweries in the region, gaining more and more popularity as the years went by, and by the time of this writing, there are multiple fantastic examples both domestic and European available.

Belgian Dubbel Characteristics

Dubbel has a rich, complex, malty, sweet nose, with whiffs of chocolate, caramel, toffee and toast, but never roasty or burnt. Fruity, estery notes will swirl around in your tulip glass, and that will include raisins, figs, cherries, plums, currants, and even some banana and apple. Look for some spicy clove or peppery undertones and a bit of alcohol heat. Very little hops will be here. The appearance of Dubbel is a dark amber, with a gorgeous ruby depth of color, clear with a large, dense, creamy off-white head. The flavor of the beer is very similar to the aroma; that robust, fruit basket medley with balanced, sweet malty tones, and no bitterness. Expect a medium to full bodied beer, much akin to a hefty red wine, with medium to high carbonation and low alcohol warmth. Lastly, be sure to enjoy Dubbel at its proper serving temperature (45-55 degrees) and in a chalice, tulip, snifter or goblet. Grab a red wine glass if you don’t have any of those. To me, serving this beer in anything else would be a major crime.
Ommegang Abbey Ale

Belgian Dubbel and Food Pairing

What types of food go well with a Dubbel? Well, a big, complex, and intensely rich beer should pair with similar foods. Game, slow roasted pork, and full-flavored sausages are total winners here. Any kind of barbecue is ideal, meat stews, or even a good steak – I have a marinade that I use frequently that incorporates Dubbel. If you’re thinking cheese, a washed-rind abbey type (many made by the same great Trappist breweries that produce the beer ) is ideal, or possibly a French Morbier or Havarti, Brie, or Gouda. Desserts? Anything chocolate, doesn’t matter what it is.

Deron’s Top 5 Belgian Dubbels

As you might have suspected, and as always, picking out a Top 5 for one of my favorite styles was no picnic this time around. Many, many fine commercial examples of Dubbel exist, and I am extremely picky about what I drink in this category. Admittedly, there is definitely some "predictability" to my list, but what can I say…they’re all on there for very good reason. Please try to obtain one of the ones I have listed – they all represent one of the reasons we drink good beer. Cheers!

Westmalle Dubbel

Ommegang Abbey

Chimay Red

Lost Abbey Lost And Found

St. Bernardus Prior 8

TAGS [ BEER REVIEWS | BELGIAN DUBBEL | ABBEY ALE | DUBBELS | DUBBEL HISTORY | DUBBEL CHARACTERISTICS | DUBBEL FOOD PAIRINGS ]

Toilet Paper. Not Just for Hygiene.

Friday, October 8th, 2010

You see it all of the time in the news, some kid has been shot by a fellow student, or a bully has pushed a kid to commit suicide. Too much violence in this world and too much hatred escalated into permanent solutions. What happened? The innocence is gone. There’s really no need for anger to intensify with as much fury to result in death. Looking back to simpler times with less permanent solutions might be a helpful solution.

Enter pranks. We all knew some that went on when we were younger. Some more daring individuals may have even participated in them. Sometimes damage was done, which was unfortunate, but when the culprit was found, parents who actually knew their neighbors took their kids down the street to apologize and pick up or pay for the damage done. Things didn’t get bottled up and continue to rise up to a point of violence. Sometimes there is a crabby old man across the fence that would get fed up with balls constantly going into his yard. So you toilet paper his tree! No one gets hurt, one of your neighbors saw you do it, so you had to clean it up.

Toilet Papering a Tree

The kid feels like he got even, and even if he didn’t, it cooled his heels. The old man feels like he punished the kid. End of problem.

I’m not advocating trashing your neighborhood indiscriminately, I’m just suggesting to open a type of dialogue between two opposing forces that obviously can’t see eye to eye and don’t have equal footing in the game of life. Toilet paper a tree instead. It might save a life.

TAGS [ TP | PRANKS | TOILET PAPER | HALLOWEEN ]

Dock Street Rye IPA in Philly’s Jet Rock Airport Bar

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

Dock Street Rye IPA

This past Tuesday I was on my way home to Buffalo from a business trip to Chesapeake Bay, via the Philadelphia airport. The airline had switched my flight time from Baltimore to Philly to two hours earlier, and then once I got to Philly my next flight was delayed for another two or so hours.

Needless to say, I had some time to spare.

Luckily for me, I was in Philly Airport’s Terminal B, where there just so happens to be a Jet Rock Bar. Not just any Jet Rock Bar, mind you, but the best one in the whole place; 48 taps, fresh food (I drank my lunch, but whatever), tons of football coverage and surprisingly fast and friendly service.

Since I didn’t have a chance to pick up some local craft beer while I was on my trip (bad Hannah) I decided I simply had to treat myself to some PA beer while I was sitting around for hours, waiting for my flight.

Enter Dock Street Rye IPA, freshly brewed and on tap at Jet Rock. Just what I was looking for.

Appearance: Deep amber with a chilled haziness and a finger of cream-colored head.

Aroma: Citrus hops with a sweet malt backbone; caramel, I’d say. Rye spiciness also present here (go figure!).

Taste: I was surprised to read that many people on BeerAdvocate.com said they didn’t notice much flavor from the rye – I had a very different experience! On the front of the palate was pine and citrusy hops, followed by that sweet caramel malt I noticed in the aroma, and finishing with a lovely peppery spice that I truly attribute to the rye. Quite delicious. Another thing to note is that the 7.2% ABV was extremely well hidden. I didn’t notice any heavy alcohol flavor at all.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, almost to the point of chewy (in a delightful way – don’t be put off by this) with a fair amount of carbonation to keep it drinkable.

Overall: I was quite pleased with this little rye gem at Jet Rock. Thanks to Philly for making my travels that much more enjoyable! I’ll have to make sure I have connecting flights through there more often.

TAGS [ BEER REVIEWS | RYE IPA | RYE BEER | DOCK STREET | JET ROCK | PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT ]

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