BetterBeerBlog

Somewhat of a short post this time around. Sammy and I are going to a Belgian Beer Dinner Friday night at the Lafayette Park Hotel. The dinner is at the Duck Club Restaurant and was developed in tandem by Chef Chuck Courtney and Cicerone Nicole Erny, who you may recognize from the Trappist.

I was able to interview Nicole about the event. She goes into some depth regarding the Cicerone program, putting the dinner together and pairing beer with food. I wrote this for Beer Connoisseur magazine so head on over there to read it in its entirety.

Click here to read A Chat with a Cicerone at Beer Connoisseur.

I’ve been diligently working on several SF Beer Week 2010 events for the south bay, the biggest of which is the Meat the Brewers beerfest. This event is a collaboration between myself, the Tied House and Firehouse Brewery. Just about all the details for this event, and the other events I am working on, are finished with the exception of a couple of items which should be resolved by “Go!” time.

Here are the details for the Meat the Brewers beerfest:

Who: Tied House, Firehouse Brewery & BetterBeerBlog
What: Meat the Brewers Beerfest
Where: Tied House Production Facility, 1627 S. 7th Street, San Jose, CA map
When: Saturday, February 13, 2009 @ 1pm - 5pm
Why: Why not? It’s beer. It’s meat. It’s all good.
Cost: $35/person (beer & food) / $20 (food only). Tickets are limited, purchase yours before the event sells out. You can purchase tickets in advance from Firehouse Brewery in Sunnyvale or the Tied House in Mountain View.

You can view a complete list of participating breweries and food vendors here.

You may think that $20 for non-drinkers is a lot but I’d want you all to keep in mind that there will be quite a bit of food at this beerfest. The BBQ plate alone, from Emergency BBQ, is almost worth the price of admission. Trust me when I say this beerfest is one of the best values for your hard-earned dollars!

Volunteers

Have you ever wondered what it takes to run a beerfest? Well, wonder no more. We are currently soliciting volunteers to help us run the Meat the Brewers Beerfest. If you’re interested, here are the details:

There is a really fun event coming up and we need volunteer help! By volunteering, you get in FREE to the event. So have fun either before or after your shifts!!!

Come and help with the First Annual “Meat the Brewers” on Saturday February 13th.

South Bay and Santa Cruz brewers will present their finest wares, only to be enhanced by a cornucopia of meat selections. From BBQ, to bacon, to pizza, we will have everything a craft beer lover needs to pair with their frothy mugs of goodness. Brought to you by Tied House and FireHouse Breweries, and BetterBeerBlog.

Please see below for the description of the shifts, and the click the link below to sign up for the shift you would like.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFVTNktpYkNGcVctTEdGUkFXM2I4YVE6MA

Hurry and RSVP to get the slot you want!

1. Registration
Welcome guests, check them in, check ID and take money/make appropriate change.
12:30pm-3:00pm or 3:00pm-5:30pm
6 each (2 id check, 2 wristband, 2 money)

2. Security
Keep and eye on guests and make sure everything is going smoothly
12:30pm-3:00pm or 3:00pm-5:30pm
2 at door at all times, 2 roaming (4 total)

3. Parking
Direct cars to appropriate spots
12:30pm-3:00pm or 3:00pm-5:30pm
4 volunteers needed for each shift

4. Beer Pouring
Pour beers from each of the 11 breweries (must be 21 or over)
12:30pm-3:00pm or 3:00pm-5:30pm
11 volunteers needed for each shift

The BJCP stands for Beer Judge Certification Program. The purpose of the BJCP is to:

1. promote beer literacy
2. promote the appreciation of real beer, and
3. recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills

BJCP Grandmaster-level judge John Watson has organized another BJCP prep class. I’ve taken John’s prep class in the past, twice actually. As a craft beer lover, it was the best thing I ever decided to do. Not only did I learn a lot about craft beer in general, I learned a lot about the various styles in the BJCP style guideline. I had no idea there were over 70 recognized styles!

I would highly recommend this BJCP prep class to homebrewers and to anyone who is interested in craft beer. Even if you decide to never take the BJCP exam, you will get more out of this class than you expect. Here are the details:

Who: BJCP Grandmaster-level judge John Watson
What: BJCP Prep class
Where: More Beer homebrew shop, 991 N. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022 map
When: First class is on Thursday, January 28, 2010, 6:30pm - 10pm
Why: Because it’s cool to be a beer geek
Cost: $135 ($20 deposit at the shop) for an 11 week course

UPDATE: The Beer & Chocolate Dinner at Firehouse has been CANCELLED. We apologize for any inconvenience this cancellation may have caused. There are many tough lessons taken away from this experience but at the end of the day, if we can’t put on an event we can be proud of, we’re not going to do it.

I must admit, I was a little worried about this event. SF Beer Week is less than two weeks away and the menu wasn’t set just yet. At least it wasn’t set until this past Sunday. We were able to do a dry run of the menu plus beer and I can say the pairings are solid as well as tasty!

We’ve been working hard to bring an event like this back to the south bay while keeping prices reasonable. I hope to see many of you there!

Here are the details:

Who: Firehouse Brewery
What: Beer & Chocolate Dinner
Where: 111 S Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 map
When: Friday, February 12, 2010 @ 7pm
Why: Because chocolate is good; beer is good! Together they’re great!
Cost: $55 (pay when making your reservation)

Event Description: Chocolate? Beer? But of course! Join Firehouse Brewery as they host their 2nd Annual Beer & Chocolate Dinner. This will be a 4-course affair pairing the beers of Firehouse Brewmaster Steve Donohue with savory dishes featuring chocolate in ways you may not expect. Dessert will feature truffles from Xocolata Confections.

Menu

First Course
Dish: Sweet Potato Soup with White Chocolate Creme Fraische
Beer: Hefeweizen

Second Course
Dish: Sweet & Bitter Greens with Chocolate Vinaigrette
Beer: Pale Ale

Third Course
Dish: Cocoa Espresso Short Ribs, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
Beer: One Tun Imperial Stout

Fourth Course
Dish: Assorted Truffles from Xocolata Confections
Beer: Scotch Ale/Barleywine

Seating is limited so please call 408-773-9500 to make your reservations today. Your credit card information will be necessary to secure your reservations.

Update: It looks like we’ve fulfilled our need for volunteers for this event. Thank you all for your interest in volunteering and I look forward to seeing you at the event.

Hopefully this is just late news for you all but the Beer & Cheese Event at Firehouse Brewery is a go! This event has been on the SF Beer Week website for a couple of days now but I was at the brewery tonight putting together the final details of the events and I can say that this is going to be one, fun event.

Here are the event details:

Who: Firehouse Brewery & Milk Pail Market
What: Beer & Cheese Event
Where: 111 S Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 map
When: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 @ 7pm
Why: It’s SF Beer Week and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Red Cross.
Cost: $25 (pay at the door)

Event Description: SF Beer Week comes to Sunnyvale! Join Firehouse brewmaster Steve Donohue and the Milk Pail’s Steve Rasmussen as they pair Firehouse beers, and some of Steve Donohue’s favorite Belgian ales, with local and imported artisanal cheeses.

Volunteers: We are looking for 8-10 volunteers to help staff this event. Should you decide to volunteer you will receive free entry into the event. There will be two shifts: 7:00pm - 8:30pm & 8:30pm - 10pm. If you are interested, please email me your name and contact number and someone will get back to you.

Here are some shots of a few different cheeses I expect to see at the event.

This cheese is called Gjetost (yay-toast) and it’s from Noway. Made from whey, this cheese gets it caramel like coloring from the caramelization the milk sugars undergo during production. This cheese even tastes like caramel.

This cheese is an extra mature English Cheddar called Tickler. I found this cheese to be rich, full-flavored without being overpowering and full of those protein crystals I love so much.

Caciotta Capra Fieno, if my notes are correct. The outer casing of this particular cheese is herbed as well as embedded with straw from the very fields the cows eat from. Talk about a farmhouse product!

Capra Ubriaco al Tramhen (I think). This is a goat cheese that was washed with red wine and has red wine grapes embedded into its crust as well.

I was told this cheese is called Sudtirol. It’s an Italian cheese (we think) that is slightly pungent with a nutty flavor.

In my excitement, I forgot to write down the name of this cheese but I know it is a cheddar made with Irish Whisky. Encased in black wax, this looks like a giant hockey puck. While not a bad cheese, it was unremarkable when compared to some of the cheeses above. If this was the “worst” cheese, we are in for a real treat!

Beer Appreciation 101

Update: There have been a lot of phone calls to Wine Affairs asking about the event but when they find out it’s on Superbowl Sunday, they can’t commit. I totally understand. Superbowl Sunday is an American Institution. It’s practically a holiday.

So I’ve talked to Diane at Wine Affairs and I’m letting you know, “We hear you.” We’ve listened to your feedback and we’re pushing the event back a week. Hopefully reservations will pick up. The updated information is below, I hope to see you there!

Venue: Wine Affairs, 1435 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126 map

Date/Time: Sunday, February 7 14, 2010 @ 5pm - 7pm

Reservations: Call 408-977-0111 to reserve your spot today.

Cost: $25 per person

Description of the Event:

With the explosion of the popularity of American craft beers and imports, it can be confusing trying to make sense of it all. Dubbels, Imperial IPAs, Barrel-aged brown ales brewed with sour cherries? Where to start?

Join the BetterBeerBlog’s Peter Estaniel (that’s me!), BJCP judge, beer writer and homebrewer, as he tries to make sense of it all. Expect a general overview of the brewing process and how the basic ingredients used in brewing affect a beer’s flavor. Develop your beer vocabulary while tasting beers that exemplify certain characteristics of each basic ingredient.

Contact Wine Affairs at 408-977-0111 to make your reservation today!

With SF Beer Week 2010 just 18 days away, time is certainly starting to fly by very quickly. I am in the middle of planning many of the south bay SF Beer Week events and, let me tell you, it’s hectic! It takes me a about a month to plan one of my normal beer & food pairing events so you can only imagine how stressful it is trying to plan 4 events at the same time. Thankfully I’m not doing this alone and I’m getting a lot of help. In some instances, I’m the one doing the helping.

In any event, here are some updates regarding the events I’m planning/helping to plan:

• Beer & Cheese, featuring the Milk Pail - This event is officially on the board. The final details are being set in concrete this week. Looking forward to this one. If you’re looking to volunteer for this event, shoot me an email.
• Beer & Chocolate Dinner - I’m behind in planning this event and will be hitting it hard this week. Of all the events I’m working on, this one makes me the most nervous.
• The Swine, the Steer & the Beerfest Meat the Brewer - Planning for this event is going fantastic. I’ve always wanted to participate in putting on a Beer festival and it looks like I’m getting my wish. You can scope out all the details on the Tied House’s webpage. If you’re interested in volunteering for this event, please email Carolyn here.
• How to Taste Beer Session Beer Appreciation 101 - Planning is about 90% done for this event. I am looking to get this event officially on the board early this week. The only downside is that it’s on Super Bowl Sunday so the people who show up are a) really into beer and would like to learn more, b) have no idea what a Super Bowl is, or c) really, really love me and want to support all that I do.

Other South Bay events that I know of are:

• Brewery Night: Firehouse & Palo Alto Brewing Company - This event is on a Monday night and will be at the Rose & Crown in Palo Alto. Here’s a description of what’s going down:

Firehouse and Palo Alto Brewing Co. will be showcasing some one-off beers they have collaborated on, plus they’ll bring out some Imperial and Barrel-Aged Beers. Come by try the beers and meet the brewers.

• Brewery Night: Russian River Brewing Company - This event will be conflicting with the Beer & Cheese event I’m holding at Firehouse but I’m planning on hitting up Rose & Crown after my Beer & Cheese event to put back a couple pints of Pliny the Younger. Who’s with me?
• Vintage Beer Night - The Rose & Crown comes through again with this event. In their own words:

We will be bringing out vintage bottles and draught from our cellars. Barleywines, Belgians and more…

• Brewery Night: Drakes Brewing Company - Argh! Another conflict! This event will be on the same evening as the Beer & Chocolate dinner I’m planning. Same plan as before, do the Beer & Chocolate and then head up to Rose & Crown afterwards for pints featuring the beers from Drakes.

As you can see, there will be quite a few SF Beer Week events here in the south bay. It’s a bummer that there’s going to be some conflicts but y’know, that’s a good problem to have. I’d rather I have to miss out on some great events than not to have any events at all. I’m hoping that the south bay brew scene gains more traction next year and that there are even more events to choose from.

Mario is hosting Hopinions this week and the topic of discussion is “Why Beer Matters”. On one level, the answer should be simple but upon further examination, is it really? Take a look at what we have to say on the subject.

Hopinions: Why Beer Matters.

Several sources have reported yesterday that Heineken is purchasing/has purchased Mexican brewery FEMSA (Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V.) for approximately $7.34B (as in Billion). This deal closely mimics similar deals such as Miller Brewing’s sale to South African Breweries for $3.6B and, more recently, last year’s sale of Anheuser-Busch to Belgian brewing company InBev for $52B.

This deal was less about acquiring “highly coveted” Mexican beer brands than it was about profitability and distribution. Latin America is one of the fastest growing regions in the world and this merger gives Heineken inroads to that market. Not to be given the short end of the stick FEMSA has acquired a 20% ownership stake in Heineken, instantly become one of their biggest shareholders.

If you want further details, you can check out this article from the N.Y. Times or straight from the horse’s mouth with this press release from FEMSA.

So the big question is: Does anyone care?

I have never been the biggest fan of Heineken. Their insistence to continue using green bottles has effectively ruined any chance that I’ll get to try any of their beers sans skunk. I’ve had a few canned versions that weren’t half bad but that’s about it.

FEMSA brands aren’t much better. Carta Blanca, Tecate, Dos Equis, Bohemia, Sol… the beers these breweries make are almost interchangeable.

It’s business as usual for the macro breweries. Increased profitability continues to underscore much of the publicized news of the macros. Is that so bad, really? At the end of the day, the business of brewing beer is still a business. Their employees are just like you and me with families to feed and mortgages to pay. Should we demonize the brewery that spills more beer in a week than our favorite craft breweries make all year?

It seems that macro breweries are merging on a yearly basis. At this rate, how much longer before “competition” is extinguished by the suffocating size of one, giant brewing zaibatsu? Will our favorite craft breweries be bought out of existence or priced out of the game as Macrosoft Brewing Company produces beer so cheaply craft breweries can’t compete? Even though many of our households are 100% craft beer, I keep forgetting that craft beer sales only make up 4% by volume (as of 12/08).

If you’re on this site, it’s because you’re a fan of craft beer. We enjoy beer with flavor, character and variety. It would not be a stretch to say that our promiscuous drinking habits encourage diversity in the craft beer industry.

That being said, help the “little guys” out. Buy beer from your local breweries or brew pubs. Buy craft beer. Click here for the SAB Miller portfolio of brands, or here for the Anheuser- Busch InBev portfolio. Some names may surprise you.

February 5th is an important day. Not only is it the start of SF Beer Week 2010, it is also the day Russian River Brewing Company will be releasing their infamous Pliny the Younger, a triple IPA. I look forward to February if only for this reason. Pliny the Younger has triple the hops of Russian River’s standard IPA and is dry-hopped four times. Here are some beer specs:

Style: Triple I.P.A., due to the HUGElarge amounts of malt and hops (way more than Pliny the Elder!)
Alcohol by Volume: 11%
Hops: CTZ, Simcoe, Amarillo, Summit, and Centennial (same hop bill as last year, but slightly more bitter)

Unfortunately this is a very limited edition beer that goes fast. If you happen to find yourself at their brewpub, you can enjoy Pliny the Younger one of two ways:

It will be poured in 10 oz. glasses for $4.50.  Growlers are available NEW for $42, and REFILLS for $36 with a maximum of 4 growlers per person.

That’s it. Unless you happen to find yourself at a bar that’s serving this liquid goodness, you will be out of luck… much like I foresee myself to be .

In addition to releasing Pliny the Younger, 350mL bottles of Supplication will also be on sale for $12/bottle. Unfamiliar with Supplication? Here’s how Russian River describes this heavenly beer:

Brown Ale aged in French oak Pinot Noir barrels with three strains of Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus and sour cherries .

I currently have to work that day but the more I think about it, the more I think I should just take the day off. What do you all think?

For more information about what I just wrote directly from the source, click here.