BetterBeerBlog

Last Friday night, I had the pleasure of attending the Beer vs. Wine Dinner featuring Stone Brewing Company and Joel Gott Winery, respectively, held at the Duck Club Restaurant. I have never been to an event like this. I support all things craft beer, I’m a craft beer guy, this is what I do. I have never been to a wine pairing dinner before, nor do I present myself as being knowledgeable about wines. I like the occasional glass of vino every so often but then it comes to my liquor, it’s all about craft beer.

Part of being a proponent of craft beer, at least for me, is the interplay that occurs between craft beer and food. Sometimes it’s fine dining, sometimes it’s not. The range of flavors that craft beer has is wide, much wider than wine. It is because of this versatility that I think craft beer has it’s place on the dinner table, and not just as an accompaniment of burgers, hot dogs or pizza.

So, as soon as I learned that this dinner was going down, I immediately made plans to attend. Part of me was curious to see how wine would stack up to food, especially the challenging menu that Duck Club Executive Chef Chuck Courtney put together. A bigger part of me though, was interested in seeing craft beer put the beat down on wine. This was my chance to have all of my culinary beliefs vindicated… or not.

Normally when planning a pairing dinner, wine or beer (or anything really), the culinary staff will do their best to really dial in their dishes with either the beer or wine. After all, you want to put your best foot forward. Also, once they’re done, they’re done - there is no additional tweaking of the beer or wine - so the food is fine tuned.

That being said, there was no “fine-tuning” of the dishes. Chef Courtney basically said this is what we’re making, go back and choose wisely. Neither Stone Brewing or Joel Gott had any feedback into the dishes whatsoever. In addition, the beers and wine to be chosen were limited to products each company produced. While this may sound obvious, they’ve opened up these dinners to the “world of craft beer” or “world of wine” in the past, and if I’m not mistaken, this is the first time this limitation has been put into place. To say this was “exciting” to me would be an understatement.

In the past I would painstakingly review both the food and the beer and relay everything back to this blog. My notes from this dinner are decent, regarding beer and food, but they are downright novice for wine. As knowledgeable as I (like to think I) am about beer, I am inversely so with wine. That being said, I’ll just list my tasting notes regarding the food, my vote on which went “better” with the dish and why, and how the crowd voted (as I was provided with the statistical breakdown). With the stage set, here we go.

Oh, did I mention Greg Koch, CEO and Co-motherf*cking-Founder of Stone Brewing, was in the house? I didn’t? WELL HE WUZ, oh snap!

Appetizers

Food: Chef’s Selection of “Spice Route” Appetizers
Beverage: Stone Pale Ale vs. Joel Gott (JG) Sauvignon Blanc, (California 2009)

Tasting Notes: There were several appetizers out and about. I tried this miniature baked potato as well as a breaded eggplant appetizer but missed out on the bit-sized sandwich. There was no real “winner” for appetizers; some things went better with the wine (sandwich, I hear) and others with the beer (baked potato) while others were a draw (eggplant).

First Course

Food: Crispy Striped Bass and Fresh Scallops, Scallion and Ginger Sauce, Shaanxi Province, China
Beverage: Stone Cali-Belgique vs. JG Riesling (Colombia Valley, Washington, 2009)

Tasting Notes: There is a light bitterness from the greens on the dish that is balanced with the slightly sweet soy sauce-based sauce. Ginger and green onion flavors are prominent without being overbearing. The fish “nuggets” were moist and flavorful although slightly “fishy” while the rice had a neutral character.

• Peter’s Vote: I gave this course to Cali-Belgique all the way. The Cali-Belgique’s yeast-driven flavors echoed many of the flavors in the dish, like the ginger, while the hop bitterness kept the sweetness of the sauce in check. The wine paired well - more complimentary in my opinion - but I felt everything worked better with the beer.
• Crowd Vote: 32-22, overwhelmingly in favor of… the wine! I didn’t see that coming but I can see how a complimentary pairing would add more depth and complexity to the overall experience of the dish.

Second Course

Food: Paneer Samosa, Spiced Cheese and Potato Turnover, Mint-Cilantro Chutney, Northern India
Beverage: Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale vs. JG Chardonnay (Monterey, 2008)

Tasting Notes: Despite the prominent Indian-spice character in the aroma they were well balanced in the flavor. The chutney had a decidedly tart flavor that brightened up the dish. The turnovers themselves were buttery, starchy while the herbed cheese provided another subtle layer of flavor.

• Peter’s Vote: I felt this dish went a lot better with the wine. When consumed all together, the turnover, chutney and wine, seemed to be a better mix of flavors. I would not have thought to pair this dish with a Black IPA but the chutney, with it’s bright acidity, made for a good compliment with the light burnt malt and deep roasty character of the beer. Still, that was just a singular aspect. Mrs. BetterBeerBlog disagreed with me and voted beer.
• Crowd Vote: 26-27 in favor of… beer! Once again, did not see that coming. I’m just zigging while everyone else is zagging. This proved to be the most contested dish of the evening, though not by much.

Third Course

Food: Izgara Kofte, Grilled Lamb Kebabs, Tomato Curry, Istanbul, Turkey
Beverage: Stone Arrogant Bastard vs. JG Zinfandel (Mohr Fry Ranches, Lodi, 2006)

Tasting Notes: The lamb was moist and flavorful, full of intermingled herb and spice flavors while the tomato curry showed a lot of finesse in how it was prepared. From what Chef Courtney told us, the ingredient list for this dish was quite expansive yet nothing is overpowering or dominant; it’s all in balance. The grains seemed to have a neutral character to them that I felt helped balance out the richness of the lamb. It’s interesting for me to note that as the kofte cooled down, it’s “weight” became more apparent and its mouthfeel seemed to thicken up.

• Peter’s Vote: I gave this dish, by the slimmest of margins, to the wine. I really spend a lot of time going back and forth with this dish eating in different combinations. Sip beer first then food. Eat first, sip beer. Sip beer and immediately eat food. Eat food, immediately drink beer. Same thing for wine. At the end, I felt the wine’s acidity, tannic bitterness and higher alcohol helped to ease the richness of the lamb much better than the carbonation and hop bitterness of the beer. Mrs. BetterBeerBlog voted wine as well.
• Crowd Vote: 40-13 in favor of… wine! Apparently the crowd didn’t feel this was as contentious as I did.

Fourth Course

Food: Green Tea Gelato, Pistachio Biscotti, Venice Italy
Beverage: Stone Russian Imperial Stout vs. Terra d’Oro Moscato (Amador County, 2009)

Tasting Notes: The green tea gelato had a lot of green tea flavor (Duh!) without any green tea tannic bitterness; it was also very nutty from the pistachios it was also made with. The pistachio flavors were also carried through in the biscotti as you could see bits of them within while have a bittersweet, dark chocolate component on one side. Both were mildly sweet and, when eaten together, ended up being a layered and complex mix of complimentary flavors and contrasting textures.

• Peter’s Vote: I felt the Russian Imperial Stout was a better pairing with this dish. I had my doubts though as I felt the RIS would’ve been too big, too bold for the mild green tea but I was wrong. I though the RIS provided just enough roasty punch to compliment the green tea and pistachios while echoing the chocolate aspect of the dish. As sweet and syrupy as the Moscato was, I thought it cancelled out the green tea but faded against the chocolate and pistachio flavors of the biscotti. Mrs. BetterBeerBlog also chose beer.
• Crowd Vote: 24-26 in favor of… beer! I was pleasantly surprised by this result.

It’s a tie! Or is it?

I would’ve been happy to have walked a way from this dinner with beer and wine coming to a draw. Even though this dinner was a far cry from the “wine smackdown” I had initially anticipated, it was a lot of fun to have participated and proved to be one of the more memorable dinners I’ve ever been to. In many ways, my feelings about craft beer and food were vindicated; beer’s wide variety of flavors and intensity allow it to be a versatile component in any culinarian’s toolbox.

I learned a lot about wine by going to this dinner as well. I still can’t tell you what the difference between a zinfandel and a pinot noir is but I know that wine’s acidity and tannic bitterness plays a big part in actually cooking with it. Especially the acidity, beer can’t compete on that level, and the beers that do have any measure of acidity must be used wisely as the other flavor components in sour/tart ales are complex and can pose a dilemma when trying to pair or cook with. This dinner almost makes me want to go to a wine pairing dinner. Almost.

But at the end of the day, there must be a winner and a not-so-winner. Seeing as how each beverage tied, each winning 2 courses apiece, the powers that be used total votes counted as the tie-breaker and wine goes home with it’s hand raised high.

Odds and Ends

This section is a bit of “catch all”. Just things I noticed throughout the evening that don’t really fit in anywhere else in the post.

Greg vs. Chris

So I mentioned earlier that Greg Koch of Stone was in the house. I fully expected Dave Hopwood, the green-bearded Stone rep for the greater SF Bay Area, to be representing Stone at this event. Apparently this dinner was just one of several dinners featuring beer vs. wine (wine currently has the edge) and Greg’s been involved in all of them. In case you didn’t already know, Greg is very comfortable with a microphone in hand and I found him to be a witty and charming speaker #NoHomo. Chris (I forgot his hard to pronounce last name) represented Joel Gott Winery. By comparison, Chris looked he could manhandle Greg in a fist fight, clearly outweighing him by at least 30 pounds of grape-crushing muscle #NoHomo. Despite this, he wasn’t nearly as quick as Greg on the microphone. If it makes Greg feel a little better, I give him the inaugural Chael Sonnen Award for smack talk. In all honesty, there was a lot of friendly banter back and forth that helped to set the tone for the evening and helped make a dinner into an event.

Seating

I don’t think this event sold out. With it’s high price point, that doesn’t surprise me. Mrs. BetterBeerBlog and I had to save up our pennies for this dinner, whoo! That being said, we’ve been to several dinners at the Duck Club and we’re starting to see some “regulars” we’re acquainted, if not outright friends, with. I should make it a point to see if we can all get seated at the same table next time.

Execution

I can’t say enough good things about the Duck Club staff. The wait staff was as attentive as ever, without hovering while wines and beers were served in close conjunction with their paired courses. Pouring sizes were appropriate and enough to satisfy.

Chef Courtney and his staff did an excellent job with the food. They had an idea, a concept, that they executed perfectly. Each course represented their countries of origin well yet I think I could see Chef’s influence on each dish as he made them his own. Because this dinner was beer vs. wine, let the best “suggeston” win, the food was allowed to stand on it’s own and was actually “belle of the ball” with two suitors vying for “her” attention. Many people, who I’ve seen at these dinners repeatedly, echoed this same sentiment and went even further to suggest this was some of the best dishes put out by Chef Courtney. Kudos to Chef and his staff!

Looking Forward to the Future

While I know that the Duck Club will be hosting more of these types of events, I wanted to note that Woodside Hotels, the group that owns the Lafayette Park Hotel and the Duck Club by extension, have started renovations at their Stanford Park Hotel location. In speaking with Josh, a Woodside Hotel executive, he says that once renovations are complete, they plan to bring these types of events to the Peninsula/South Bay. I am all over this and I can’t wait.

I have a growing appreciation for Chef Courtney, and everyone affiliated with the Duck Club and the Lafayette Park Hotel, but Lafayette is quite the drive for us. Having their Stanford Park Hotel location hosting these same type of events would help in further establishing a craft beer culture on the Peninsula/South Bay that I already support. Not only that, but Mrs. BetterBeerBlog and I wouldn’t have to leave work early in order to arrive on time for dinner. Josh, who happens to be a South Bay resident himself, agrees as well. As soon as I hear something, you’ll be hearing something. You never know, I just might have a hand in planning one of these things *HintHintWinkWinkNudgeNudge*

Below is a slideshow of some pictures we took that night. There’s no audio or musical score so don’t be surprised if you don’t hear anything. Also, I’d like to thank Mike C. for providing some of the photos featured in the slideshow and in the blog. You can definitely tell which shots are his: they’re super clear and crisp, unlike my camera phone.

All I can say about this is, about damned time. I’ve been hounding Firehouse Brewmaster Steve Donohue to create a cask version of his beers. I guess enough of us have bugged the hell out of him that he finally did it. This is also remarkable in that Steve hasn’t done a cask in years (at least for Firehouse) so it’s good to see him putting together a cask ale program. Nothing wrong with force carbonated beers but there’s no substitute for the real deal. Here are the details:

Who: Firehouse Brewery & Grill
What: Cask Ale Night, featuring Firehouse Pale Ale dry-hopped with Citra
Where: 111 South Murphy Avenue. Sunnyvale, CA 94086 map
When: Thursday, August 19, 2010 @ 4pm - cask is done.
Cost: Free to get in, just pay for your beers

Even though I’ve dedicated a post to promote Cask Ale Night at Firehouse, cask ale is not a new phenomenon here in the South Bay. Tied House in Mountain View holds their Firkin Fridays every 1st Friday of the month featuring their cask ale du jour, while Faultline Brewing Company has a cask ale on tap as part of their regular rotation of beers.

If you plan on going to Cask Ale Night, as I plan on going, you should be aware that this is the same night as their Wine & Beer Tasting Event. Strange as this may sound, these are two, separate events. Should make for an interesting night all around.

See you there!

The title says it all, beer vs. wine; Stone Brewing Company vs. Joel Gott Wines. If there’s one beer dinner that you simple must go to, it’s this one. A bit of hyperbole? Possibly, but you can’t deny the premise of the dinner is extraordinary. I have argued for some time now of beer’s rightful place at the dinner table. When compared to wine, beer is automatically the more complex of the two beverages because it take more ingredients to make beer. Beer also has a wider variety of flavors and intensities when compared to wine. In my humble opinion, beer is the superior beverage.

That being said, this dinner is the perfect opportunity to see if everything I’ve been preaching is true, or at least close. To wet your whistles even further, this dinner will be a contest, literally pitting beer versus wine. Here’s an excerpt from the eBlast I received:

Stone Brewing Company and its co-founder Greg Koch will represent the beer side of the debate against Joel Gott of Joel Gott Winery, to determine which beverage pairs best with a specially prepared “Marco Polo Spice Route” menu.

During the four-course meal, each dish will be paired with a Joel Gott wine selection and a Greg Koch-chosen beer. Once the diners try both the beer and wine, they’ll fill out a scorecard, and results will be tabulated and announced at the end of the dinner.

Fun, fun, fun! Here are the details:

Who: The Duck Club Restaurant
What: Wine (Joel Gott Winery) vs. Beer (Stone Brewing Company) Dinner at the Duck Club Restaurant
Where: 3287 Mount Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette, CA 94549 map
When: Friday, August 27, 2010 @ 6:30pm (hors d’oeuvres), 7:00pm (dinner)
Cost: $99/person (exclusive of tax & gratuity). Call 925-283-7108 to make your reservations.

Menu - Marco Polo Spiced Route

Appetizers

Chef’s Selection of “Spice Route” Appetizers

First Course

Crispy Striped Bass and Fresh Scallops, Scallion and Ginger Sauce, Shaanxi Province, China

Second Course

Paneer Samosa, Spiced Cheese and Potato Turnover, Mint-Cilantro Chutney, Northern India

Third Course

Izgara Kofte, Grilled Lamb Kebabs, Tomato Curry, Istanbul, Turkey

Fourth Course

Green Tea Gelato, Pistachio Biscotti, Venice Italy

Cafe & Exotic Teas to round out the evening.

I am excited by the fact that this seems to be a “concept” menu. Chef Chuck Courtney seemed to have been inspired by the spice routes of antiquity and it’s always interesting to see how the execution compares to the idea. You’ll also notice that there are no listed beer or wine pairings, so everyone in attendance will have no preconceptions coming into the dinner about what will work and what won’t. Whooo… exciting!

Mrs. BetterBeerBlog and I will be making our reservations for this event soon and we hope that more people will be joining us as I think this will be a memorable event.

Firehouse Brewery & Grill is putting on a Wine and Beer Tasting at their Sunnyvale location. They will be pouring wine from over 10 different wineries as well as the beers from Firehouse. Details below:

Who:Firehouse Brewery & Grill
What: Wine and Beer Tasting
Where: 111 S. Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 map
When: Thursday, August 19, 2010 @ 7pm
Cost: $20/pp, unlimited tastings until they run out

Notes: There will also be food available in the form of various cheeses, breads and fruits paired chosen to pair well with the wine.

List of Wineries:

• Clos du Bois
• Estancia
• Franciscan
• Ruffino
• Wild Horse
• Diseno
• Paso Creek
• Ravenswood
• Night Harvest
• Mt. Veeder
• Hannah Nicole
• and more

Admittedly, this is going to be more of a wine event than a craft beer one but if you’re into wines at all, $20 is a great price point for “unlimited” tastings as well as light snacks.

Wine Affairs is having their End of Month Beerfest where they’re selling many of their bottled craft beers for up to 50% off on selected beers. Here’s the information:

Who: Wine Affairs
What: End of JuneBeerfest
Where: 1435 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126 map
When: Tuesday, June 29, 201- @ 5:30-8:30pm
Cost: No cover, just pay for the beers you order. Up to 50% off on Selected Beers.

List of Beers

• Augustiner Lager, Germany
• Ballast Pt Yellowtail Pale Ale, CA
• Bison Honey Basil, CA
• Delirium Tremens, Belgium
• Deschute Hop in the Dark IPA (CDA) 750ml
• Deschutes Jubel 2010, OR Lost Abbey 10 Commandments, OR
• Lost Abbey Gift of Magi (all 750ml)
• Dogfish Head Red & White, Delaware, 10% ABV, (750ml)
• Fuller Vintage Ale
• Glazen Toren Saison D’erpe Mere, Belgium (750ml)
• Lagunites Hop Stoopid, 22oz
• Lost Abbey, Angel’s Share, (375ml), ABV12%
• Lost Abbey, Judgment Day, (750ml), ABV10.5%
• Lost Abbey Red Barn Ale (750ml)
• Moyland Double IPA, CA (22 oz)
• Ommegang 3 Philosophers, NY, (750ml), 9.8% ABV
• Port Brewing Anniversary Ale, CA, 22oz, 10% ABV
• Port Brewing Hot Rocks Lager, CA, 22oz
• Port Brewing, Hop-15, CA (22 oz), 9.5% ABV
• Port Brewing Midnight Sessions Lager, CA
• Port Brewing, Wipe Out IPA, CA (22 oz)
• Schneider Aventinus Eisbock, Germany
• Shmaltz Coney Island Lager, CA, 22oz
• Unibroue, La Fin Du Monde, Quebec, Canada, 9% ABV
• Woodchuck Spring Cider, VT, 5% ABV

Hope to see some of you there!

By the time Sammy and I pulled into our parking space, it is 15 minutes past the time Mayfield Brewing Company opened their doors. A select few of us had been invited to Mayfield to be one of the very first people to sample their 2008 vintage of beers from their Iconoclast series. It may seem odd that I’m using the word vintage to describe a line up of beers but that’s exactly what they are.

Unlike the vast majority of breweries, the Iconoclast series of beers from Mayfield Brewing Company (MBC) are all barrel aged beers. In a time when the sight of stainless steel fermentors and mashtuns are the industry standard, barrel aging a beer is a return to traditional brewing techniques. It’s easy to forget that brewing, the vast majority of alcohol production really, got its humble start within the confines of a barrel. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to find that a brewery is barrel aging a beer or two but the three Iconoclasts beers that make up the entire portfolio of MBC’s products are all barrel aged, in wine barrels no less. So yes, vintage is an appropriate term.

I have long lamented the wine industry’s lack of consistency in their product. I have always disliked the fact that certain vintages of wine were worth much more than others. Yes, yes, I am aware that certain years will yield a much better crop of grapes than another but it seems insulting that I should be charged a premium for good weather. Consistency is one of the reasons I am a beer guy. I feel confident enough to walk into any reputable bottle shop and pick up a sixer of Sierra Nevada tomorrow and know that it will pretty much taste just like the sixer I’ll pick up 5 months from now, which will taste just like the sixer I will taste 8 months from then. Consistency is comforting.

You can throw consistency out the window when it comes to barrel aging a beer. As if brewing a beer wasn’t complicated enough with having to juggle at least four key ingredients, a fifth is introduced when you add the flavor you get from wood; in this case, the barrel. I could even argue that it’s an ingredient and a half when the brewer chooses to use a second use barrel, or a barrel that once used to house something else such as a distilled spirit or wine. To barrel age a beer and come out with something palatable is a success unto itself. To barrel age a beer and have the resulting beers taste phenomenal, well that’s a testament to the brewer’s skill.

I first tried the 2007 vintage of MBC beers at the Boonville Beerfest earlier this year. Thanks to fellow beer blogger Mario from Brewed for Thought for the initial introduction. I can tell you this, the new line up of 2008 Iconoclast beers have addressed some of the issues the 2007 vintage had.

Iconoclast Aurora, Chardonnay barrels, American Oak

The Aurora is brewed as an altbier. The issue I had with the 2007 Aurora was that I felt it was a little lackluster. It wasn’t a bad beer, it just wasn’t memorable. The 2008 Aurora is a much better iteration of this beer with more noticeable wood and fruit character, Chardonnay flavors, floral notes, a hint of tartness and acidity, with a moderate sweet finish. What was once my least favorite of the trio is now a much more interesting beer.

Iconoclast Eclat, Zinfandel/Cabernet, American Oak

Brewed as an IPA, the 2007 Eclat was an interesting beer with it’s noticeable oaky flavor and malt sweetness but once I knew it was an IPA, my impression of the beer was lowered because a key flavor was missing: hops! The 2008 vintage has remedied this issue for me. The beer has a malty, caramel-ish nose with subtle fruit notes and noticeable hop aroma. The flavor has a similar profile with caramel flavors hitting my tastebuds up front, a slight tartness in the middle and a moderate hop bitterness in the finish. If you’re a hop head, you’re not going to be confusing this beer with any of the aggressive West Coast hop bombs we’re used to drinking. Hops change drastically when barrel aged and it’s good to see a noticeable hop character in this vintage.

Iconoclast Nocturna, Zinfandel/Port, French Oak

As the name would imply, this is a stout dark as night. I was a big fan of the 2007 Nocturna as the beer had an unexpected tartness in the finish that I found to be both interesting and tasty. The 2008 version we tried, uncarbonated, had all the flavors you would expect from a stout: deep roasted, nearly burnt malt character, enough hop flavor and bitterness to balance, with coffee and chocolate notes thrown in for good measure. Someone in the tasting room that day even noticed hints of tobacco flavors. This was a sweet beer. In talking with the brewer and others in the tasting room, all agreed that it was a good tasting beer but would end up being much better once it was carbonated with the carbonation balancing out the sweetness. Gone was the tartness I found so appealing with the last batch but MBC brewer John Alderete assured me that additional aging will bring those flavors back in.

Vintage. I will freely admit that I am still torn by the concept. Still, here I am eschewing its virtues in the craft beer world. If I step out of my own ego and ignorance for a moment, I’d be able to recognize the many things the wine industry is doing right that craft breweries can apply to their own businesses. While MBC is not the first company to be barrel aging their beers, they are the only brewery I know of that is doing so with all of their beers.

Be warned that MBC beers are not cheap. If you are nearby, I fully recommend visiting the brewery itself and picking up a bottle directly from them. It’ll set you back $30 per but it’s a savings from buying it retail where select Whole Foods sell it for $43 a bottle.

Short post this time. Wine Affairs in downtown San Jose is having a Back to School Beerfest. I’ve copied and pasted their email below, it’s complete with all the details:

Wine Affairs Back to School Beerfest
20+ Beers, up to 50% Off
Tue, 8/25/09, 6-9pm

Abita, TurboDog, LA
Buffalo Belgian Stout, Belgium (750ml)
Coney Island, Albino Python, NY (22 oz)
Cucapa Obscura, Mexico
Dogfish Head Aprihop IPA, Delaware
Dogfish Head Midas Touch, Delaware
Erdinger Hefe-Weizen, Germany
Green Flash Hop Red, San Diego CA
Hacker Pschorr Hefe-Weizen, Germany
He’Brew Origin Pomegranate Ale, NY (22 oz)
Hofbrau Munchen Original Lager, Germany
Hofbrau Dunkel-Weizen, Germany
Humboldt Hemp Ale, Arcata CA
Leinenkugl Sunset Wheat, WI
McAuslan Stout, Montreal, Canada
Paulaner Premium Pils, Germany
Rogue Shakespeare Stout, OR (22oz)
St Bernardus Witbier, Belgium
Stone Brewing IPA, San Diego, CA
Stone Brewing Ruination Imperial IPA, San Diego
Triple Karmeleit, Belgium (330ml)
Weihenstephaner Hefe-Weizen, Germany
Weihenstephaner Original Lager, Germany
and More

Stop by and say, “Hi” and I’ll have a surprise for you.

Interesting times at the Summer Tasting Fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure event at Rock Bottom last night. Turnout for the event was much better than anticipated, especially with the apparent lack of promotion. As with the Microbreweries Battling Breast Cancer Festival a few weeks back, ladies dressed in pink were out to show their support for the cause. I’m sure it helped that this was not a beer only fundraiser. In fact, there were dozens of wineries represented by proxy through their wines on the tables. Slightly disappointing was the breweries in attendance were also represented by proxy through their tap handles and by the people serving them.

The event had a really informal atmosphere to it. Rock Bottom’s patio served as the space the fundraiser used and it was far from fenced off to the rest of the world. The street in front of the patio was closed off for the live band that played. The kitchen of Rock Bottom provided appetizers the entire evening and we got to munch on salmon bruschetta, mini-sandwiches, ahi tuna bruschetta, fresh oysters amongst other things. Desserts were being served as I tried the baklava and carrot cake. Bucca di Beppo, also located in the Pruneyard, contributed a meatball appetizer. Good stuff.

Even though I lamented the fact that many of the brewers weren’t there, a few were. I’ve been meaning to talk to the brewing staff of Rock Bottom for a while and it was good to have caught Rock Bottom assistant brewery Larry there. Sammy and I first saw Larry at the Beer & Cheese Event held at Firehouse Brewery during SF Beer Week and again at Boonville. Look for a “Spotlight On:” featuring Rock Bottom in the coming weeks.

The other brewer in attendance was Jim of Sonoma Chicken Coop. After introducing myself to Jim and handing him my business card, things got a little… tense. Jim recognized me as the “guy who talked some shit”. I wrote some disparaging things about Sonoma Chicken Coop sometime ago. Much of what was written was based upon second-hand stories that I never bothered to verify. Unsurprisingly, what was written upset a few key people. After talking to Jim and clarifying a lot of things, I have to say that I was in the wrong.

I will address and clarify that Jim stepped up and took the reigns of the Chicken Coop brewery after the former brewer was dismissed. The plan had always been for Jim to step up and take over once Mike decided to move on to different things. Unfortunately things went down the way they did and that’s that. There was nothing shady about the whole thing, there was no undercutting of anyone’s salary. If there was anything shady about the whole thing, it was that original post of mine. It was written quickly and in ignorance.

It was good to have spoken to Jim and get the other side of things. Between Jim and myself, I’d like to think that we are squared off, back to zero. Even though Jim said I didn’t have to write about this experience as he was satisfied with getting the record straight between the two of us, I felt I owed it to not only him but the people who read this blog. I had already planned on returning to the Coop and checking out if there would be a noticeable difference between brewers but it’s a moot point, as I’ve learned. If you’ve enjoyed any of the Chicken Coop’s beers since January, you are enjoying Jim’s handiwork. Ever since he started working in January, he’s been brewing the beers. I am as guilty of this as anyone but the assistant brewers often don’t get the love and respect from the general public as they deserve. Often times they’re brewing as much, if not more, as the head brewer.

In fact, if you’re a hophead, I would recommend heading over to the Coop and trying their IPA. It is a tongue numbingly bitter beer. Have a designated driver on hand as well as the IPA weighs in at over 9.0% ABV. Expect a new “Spotlight On” featuring the Chicken Coop in the near future as well.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been using Monday nights as an opportunity to do my weekly beer reviews. It has been pretty good so far. The only down side is that reviewing multiple beers can get expensive. I wish more breweries would bottle more of their beers in 22oz bombers as well as 6-packs but it is what it is. I plan on doing my weekly Beer in Review this week but at a later day this week.

Instead, I invited a few of my friends over and we had a very, very nice seafood dinner. The whole event was impromptu and as a result, I didn’t have the time to properly pair any beer with the food. Despite the lack of proper pairings, we did manage to throw back a couple of beers as well as a botle of pulque and mead. The dinner was a potluck and most of our guests prepared everything themselves.

I found a recipe for Ahi Poke that is pretty simple. I modified it somewhat based upon my own tastes but it worked out fine. Here’s the recipe:

• 2 cups of tuna (we went to the Asian market by our house and they sell them in packages in the seafood area. They’re not frozen but very, very cold), diced/dubed
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 stalks (for lack of a better term) of green onion
• 3/4 cup soy sauce

• 3 tablespoons of sesame oil
• Sesame seeds for garnish
• 1 Thai pepper, chopped
• Salt
• Pepper

Cube the tuna and then place into a bowl. Dice the red onion, green onion, Thai pepper and mix with the tuna. Pour in the soy sauce, sesame oil and mix further. Salt and pepper to taste. I took some seaweed (conveniently placed right next to the tuna at the Asian market) and made a bed for the poke at the bottom of a bowl. I then plated the poke on top and added a few sesame seeds until I thought it looked right.

This dish was brought by our good friends Jason and Crystal. I requested this dish because, frankly, it’s damned good. Simply put, this is a steamed clam and mussel dish. He hasn’t divulged the broth he seamed the mussels in so the following ingredient list is purely speculation:

• Clams
• Mussels
• Kale
• Garlic
• White wine
• Bacon
• Blue cheese

As I said, this is purely speculation but it’s a mighty fine dish that keeps getting better as he refines his recipe.

This dish I kinda cheated on. The fish we picked up from the Asian market. What’s cool is that not only does the Asian market scale and clean your fish, they can fry it up for you as well. This practice just isn’t specific to this market, many Asian markets will do this. I did prepare the topping though and here’s the ingredients:

• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 head of garlic, minced

Heat up your fry pan over medium-high heat. Add in about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (we ran out of olive oil). Add onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are just starting to become transparent. Add the tomatoes and sweat until they are soft but not mushy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place over the fish or you can serve this on the side.

My good friend Joey brought this dish. It’s a seafood linguini made with, just speculating, salmon, clams mussels and garnished with parsley and lemon. This was a rich and cheesy pasta dish with good flavor to it. Had this for lunch the next day, actually.

Pulque, Full Circle Brewing, 8.0% ABV

Pulque was the main reason I decided to have friends over. I picked up a bottle of it from Full Circle Brewing Company located in Fresno. I did a “Spotlight On” sometime ago that you can view here. The pulque pours out a gold in color, slightly hazy with noticeable yeast suspended in solution. They don’t filter over at Full Circle which adds to the “homebrewer” feel of the place. Because the pulque is more of an agave wine, it is still. The pulque has a very aromatic, agave aroma, think tequila but without the alcohol smell. The flavor is more of the same tequila flavor, just mellow and with a honey sweetness. There’s also none of the alcohol burning or flavor associated with the distilled spirit. Pulque is medium in body with slight alcohol warmth and still.

At 8% ABV, it’s a bit of a weak wine but even then, no one chugged the pulque and we all sipped it. In fact, I think people were very surprised by the pulque’s flavor so they babysat what they had to make it last longer. One couple even remarked on how refreshing the pulque was. I served it chilled.

17, Unibroue, 10% ABV

Unibroue is a brewery located in Quebec, Canada. I remember their bottles in BevMo as I think they have some of the most interesting labels. As with many breweries, Unibroue brews up a special beer on their anniversary. In the past, they’ve brewed up a Strong Pale Ale for their anniversary but this year, they’ve changed up and brewed a Belgian Dark Strong Ale. I only have a picture of the bottle and not the beer as we drank all of it because I remember to take a picture.

17 pours out a dark brown, hazy, with a lasting, off-white head. The aroma is a tantalizing mixture of sweet, yet complex malt aromas comprised of some Munich malt aroma, raisiny, dates and figs. No noticeable hop aroma. The flavor is very much like the aroma. The malt flavor is sweet, complex and ripe with dark fruit flavors such as raisins, dates and figs. I can also make out dark candi sugar flavors and slight alcohol notes. Hop flavor and bitterness was low. The body was medium-high with good carbonation with slight alcohol warming.

People enjoyed this beer as well and noted how smooth and sweet it was. When done correctly, the Belgian Dark Strong Ales are considered “dangerous” because they are able to hide their alcohol well.

To wrap up dinner, we munched on ice cream sandwiches. You had your choice of neopolitan or rocky road. By the time everyone had left it was well past midnight and nearing 1am. Everyone had a great time and we were entertained by some interesting conversation. As good as the food and drinks were, it’s really the people that make an event or get together memorable. We’re hoping to host/attend more of these types of dinner parties.

I really enjoy this time of year. I like this time of the year because of the impending holiday season. Some people find being around family to be really stressful but I, generally, like my families (immediate and in-laws). It’s a chance to gather everyone around and just be ourselves.

What I also like about this time of the year are the winter seasonal beers that breweries are releasing. Some beers are only available during the holidays, marking their rarity. Most of the time, winter beers tend to be maltier and higher in alcohol. Today I had the opportunity to visit Wine Affairs in San Jose where I was able to try two winter beers.

Deschutes, Jubelale 2008, 6.7% ABV

You’ll have to forgive my photos. Stopping by Wine Affairs happened to be a last minute, chance decision. As a result, the images I have were taken by camera phone. Anyone know of a compact, yet quality point and shoot digital camera for under $300?

Jubelale pours a dark brown with caramel highlights and a beige head. Sweet malt aromas, like toasty bread crusts, are supported by hints of chocolate, toffee, nuts, dark, dried fruit esters and a subtle spice character. The flavor of Jubelale is of sweet malt not unlike slightly toasted bread crusts with chocolate undertones and slightly nutty finish. Even though they told me on the label this beer was brewed with “bountiful hops”, I found the hop bitterness to be medium/medium-high in character that stays past the finish but is not harsh. The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth with a medium level of carbonation combined with medium/medium-high body. I get a very slight astringency in the finish but nothing harsh.

Overall, I found Deschutes’ Jubelale to be a decent winter warmer with good flavor and balance but somewhat lacking in depth. I let the beer warm up some and I was able to pick up some of the tertiary flavors but I had to work for them a little bit. Still, I would recommend this beer.

Scaldis, Noël, 12% ABV

This beer kept giving me the “sexy eye” from behind the glass refrigerator door like so many of the “working girls” in Amsterdam. Decked out in shiny, blue and red foil with a starry night and a picturesque, sleepy winter town, I heeded it’s call. I would’ve never known about this beer had I not seen it behind the glass; it wasn’t printed on the menu yet. I took a chance and ordered it.

Scaldis Noël is a seasonal winter beer from Brasserie Dubuisson Freres sprl… whatever that means. The descripion on the bottle calls this an amber ale but it’s more Belgian Dark Strong ale. This beer pours a mostly clear, caramel/amber color with a beige head. Sweet, toasted bread-like malt characteristics make up some of the aroma. I can smell what I think is Munich malt. These primary aromas are supported by slight floral and alcohol notes. The flavor of this beer is rich and complex. I am tasting bready malt flavors, dried dark fruit notes like dates, a hint of red apple, candi sugar and toffee. This beer has almost no hop flavor and very low hop bitterness. Noël is full-bodied with medium carbonation that lends to a smooth mouthfeel. Despite being a 12% ABV beer, the alcohol is subtle on the palette.

I am really loving this beer, which is good considering I paid a whopping $12 for an 8 ounce bottle. Yes, I am aware that I probably could’ve picked this up cheaper at a good bottle shop but this is a pretty difficult beer to come by. Imagine how disappointed I would’ve been if this beer sucked but I found this to be a spectacular winter beer. Diane, the owner of Wine Affairs, asked me what I thought about this beer as she bought it sight unseen and untasted. In fact, I think I may have been the very first person to have bought a bottle.

I still think that Wine Affairs is still the best spot in San Jose to grab a good, craft ale. I wish they’d put in some taps but I realize that the sign says, “Wine Affairs” and not “Beer Affairs”. Sammy and I managed to talk to Diane for quite a bit. In addition to being a sommelier, she has an excellent palette and picks some really great beers to carry on bottle. She has a great knowledge of wines, as one would suspect, but she’s also very knowledgeable about beers. I’m not going to say she’s all in-depth with brewing process and things of that nature but by her very trade, she has sharp palette and knows flavors.

Stop by Wine Affairs where the atmosphere is casual, the people friendly and the beers are good.