Bierwerks, We Would Love To See More Of You In Colorado Springs

Over the weekend a couple friends from the Boulder area came down to Colorado Springs and I served as the designated driver, taking them to a bunch of beer destinations in the central region of Colorado Springs. Our northernmost stop was Trinity, then we went to Bristol/Black Fox, Phantom Canyon, Brewer's Republic, and Rocky Mountain. We ran out of time but Rock Bottom was next. One of the two people I was with that day is Jennifer Morrison, also known as Ales For All, and I met her at the Beer Bloggers Conference last year. She's starting up a beer pub in Longmont and was curious what good things are happening in Colorado Springs that she might be able to have at her pub on occasion. We stopped at Brewer's Republic because they are a new pub, so it was good for her to see a new successful place in action.

We talked briefly about heading to Woodland Park to try out Bierwerks, but in the end decided it was too far away, and we didn't really have time to do it anyway. Bierwerks is a brewery just far enough away that it's inconvenient (for me) to head out there and drink beer. They specialize in German style beers and won five awards for their beer at the FoamFest last year. I've only heard really good things about the brewery from a couple friends who have been there, and Eli from the Craft Beer Examiner has sung praises to Bierwerks a number of times since they opened last year. I feel bad for not having visited yet, especially since Alt is one of my favoritist of styles and I have not had an Alt made in Colorado yet, but ultimately it's just far enough away that I find myself not going there. They do have an upcoming Winter Bierfest on Feb. 12th, but I will be out of town that weekend and will once again miss an opportunity to drink there.

So, with this post I am sending a call to Bierwerks to distribute just a keg or two to Colorado Springs. German styles are not something that we get enough of in Colorado, and when we get it, it's not always brewed to style. I welcome a brewery that does it right, and I believe Bierwerks will gain a much bigger fan base if they could get their beer into town here. I would like to see them distribute to Brewer's Republic, Trinity, and A Second Cup, and I would really like to see their beer in the German Restaurants in town as well. How cool would it be to have the server at the German Restaurant recommend a local German Brewery instead of the imported beer they currently serve. If they could pull it off, I'd say they could easily have five or six accounts here in town at a bare minimum. But I just want to see a keg or two for now.

I'm sure Bierwerks has thought of this. I imagine the reason we haven't seen their beer in town is because they are a small brewery. Carol from the Beer Drinkers Guide to Colorado told me that she's inquired about this and believes it's because they can barely catch up with the demand at their own place, let alone trying to fill orders in another town. That is very exciting news, but it doesn't change my mind that I want to see them in town. Their contribution already is helping turn this region into a more known beer destination, but if they can distribute outside of Woodland Park it will only multiply the growing interest in beer made south of Denver. People outside of the region would come here more often and Bierwerks would be a brewery that they talk about when they get back home. Either way, Bierwerks I am sorry I haven't visited yet and I will make a point to do so in the near future.

How One Beer Changed My Life Essay Contest

Draft Magazine, one of the leading beer magazines is hosting an essay contest that, to me, seems like a pretty cool idea. In 900 words or less can you tell the story of a beer that changed your life? Visit Draft for full details, including complete contest rules.

FROM DRAFT:
Has a single pint changed your life? Did one bottle rock your world? Share your story in DRAFT’s first annual BeerMe Essay Contest! The winner will see their essay published in DRAFT, and receive a $100 Visa gift card. To enter, send your essay describing how one beer changed your life to essays@draftmag.com between Jan. 26, 2011 and Mar. 31, 2011. See below for guidelines and complete contest rules.

ENTRIES:
Essays should be typed and double-spaced (preferably in a Microsoft Word document) and should total 900 words or less. Entries exceeding 900 words will not be considered. Entries must include the author’s name, address, phone number and email address within the entry email and on the essay attachment. DRAFT will not consider anonymous entries, or works that have been previously published. Entries will not be returned.

SUBMISSION:
Entries must be submitted via email to essays@draftmag.com with the subject line “2011 ESSAY CONTEST.” Your email submission will receive a return message verifying that your entry was received. Do not attach photos or supporting materials; judging will be based on creativity, language and use of theme only.

ELIGIBILITY:
The contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, age 21 or older at the time of entry.

COMPLETE CONTEST RULES:
Visit Draft Magazine.

Coaltrain Beer Dinner at Blue Star on Feb. 1

Duvel Moortgat Beer Dinner at The Blue Star
Please join us at The Blue Star on Tuesday, February 1st at 6:30pm for a fantastic beer dinner. This event will feature the beers of Duvel Moortgat. They represent Duvel, Brewery Ommegang, Brewery D'Achouffe, and Maredsous.

Menu

Reception
Assorted beer inspired snacks
Duvel Golden Ale

Duo
Broiled shrimp with green papaya slaw, red curry vinaigrette
Lobster corndog in hush puppy batter, remoulade, wasabi mayo
Ommegang Hennepin Saison
Houblon Chouffe

Duo
Roast pork belly on brined cabbage with horseradish jus
Roasted smoked brisket, potato & leek hash, Abbey Ale sauce
Ommegang Rare Vos
Ommegang Abbey Ale

Duo
Onyx cocoa molten cake, ovaltine ice cream, Earl Grey ganache
Vanilla malt chiffon cake, cherry currant topping,
creme fraiche ice cream, coffee caramel
Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence
Ommegang Three Philosophers Quadrupel

Cost and Tickets
$45 plus tax & gratuity per person
Reserve a seat at 719.632.1086 x 0
Feb 1st, 6:30pm at Blue Star

Busy Beer Week in Colorado Springs (Late Jan. 2011)

UPDATE!!!
-Rocky Mountain's Meet And Greet is now on Thursday
-The #cstweetup at Phantom Canyon is at 1pm on Saturday
*** Denotes Update

- - - - - - - - - -
There's enough great stuff happening this week that it deserves a post. If you find yourself out and about drinking craft beer, consider telling us what you're drinking by #cspringsbeer tag on Twitter and I will gladly repost it.

WED. JAN 26

6:30-9:30 (Colorado Springs)
Sisterhood of the Suds - Ladies, now that the Holidays are over and it's a new year it's time to get together and taste some new beers! Join us for a tasting, and a great time! The meetup will be at Rocky Mountain Brewing. RSVP on the Facebook Page.

THURS. JAN 27

***6:00-9:00 (Colorado Springs)

Rocky Mountain Brewing Mug Club Meet and Greet - This event is the one that sounds like a real blast to me. Alas, I will be in Denver. Rocky Mountain Brewing just released their mugs for their mug club. The artist who made the mugs (Stuurmans Ceramic Wares) will be hanging out for a Meet and Greet and will be selling his other ceramics. I'm not sure all the details on how much it costs to join, but if you know anything about mug clubs, generally speaking, for a reasonable price you usually get an awesome mug that everyone is jealous of, you pay a little less for your beer, and you get served a larger amount of beer. Not sure if this is how it will work at RMB, but details will come soon.

FRI. JAN 28

5:00-9:00 (Colorado Springs)

Trinity Brewing Releases Stop Making Sense - Stop Making Sense is an Eis Bock. In old German tradition, this style of Lager was developed by accident when aging a batch of Doppel Bock in barrels and in caves. The temperature of the caves dropped low enough to partially freeze some of the water contained in the beer, hence giving birth to a new style of beer. Eis bocks are the strongest German beer brewed today, thanks to the freezing of the beer. This process of freezing the beer also concentrates malts and hops, making those flavors even more intense! 11% ABV!

6:00-10:00 (Denver)

Winter Brew Fest - Focus on the Beer is heading to Winter Brew Fest in Denver to try a bunch of Winter Beers. I believe tickets are still available. VIP tickets are $40 in advance/$45 at door and includes exclusive limited admittance to early beer tasting and a cheese and beer special pouring. Regular tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at door. Check the link for more info.

SAT. JAN. 29

12:00-9:00 (Colorado Springs)

Bristol Brewing Cask Tapping - We've created a one of a kind IPA cask ale for your enjoyment.

***1:00pm (Colorado Springs)

Phantom Canyon #cstweetup - It looks like there's a #cstweetup happening at Phantom Canyon Brewing. I'm checking on Twitter, and it looks like it's at 1pm. If you stick around for happy hour, from 3-6pm Phantom Canyon will have $2.50 Pints, $3.00 House Wines, & $9.00 Pitchers AND it looks like they've got 11 beers on tap currently. If I'm back from Denver, I think this sounds like a really nice.

Pikes Peak Brewing Co. Coming Soon: Part 1

Yesterday we headed just north of town, up to Monument, Colorado to check in on Chris Wright and the construction of Pikes Peak Brewing Co. Chris was working away with his daughter and stopped to give us a little conceptual tour of the space. None of the brewing system or the bar is in place yet, but it's all set and scheduled to arrive in the next month and a half. The tentative opening date will be in April, so things will start coming together pretty quickly here.

Pikes Peak Brewing tap handle made of Beetle-Kill Pine *

 First, let me tell you a little about Chris. He's been a homebrewer for thirteen years. The last five years he's been dreaming about starting a brewery and the last two years has committed to making it a reality. In 2007 he self-published The Beer Journal, which is an informational booklet that tells you all about style guidelines of beers and helps lead you through the cataloging of the beers you drink so that you can remember them later. This was picked up by a publisher and re-released in October 2010.

The 2,200 square foot space is now ready for construction. *

The space is a 2,200 foot space that will be divided between a tasting room bar and a 10 barrel brew house. The ceilings and crossbeams are a really beautiful wood that will contribute a warm, reddish ambiance to the space. The bar itself will have nice sized

Favorite Recent Posts from the Beer Blogosphere

As promised, here are a few interesting blog posts and articles about beer from around the globe. These are some of the best reads over the past couple weeks. Stay tuned for more in a few weeks:

Brewpublic - Merger with Gordon Biersch Could Prove Bad Outcome for Rock Bottom Craft Brewers - and after this was published, the brewer from Rock Bottom Portland, Van Havig, was asked to leave.

Women Enjoying Beer - Women and Beer: Herstory Coming to Portland - I would like to see something like this happening here in Colorado Springs. I wonder if we can make this happen.

The Independent (UK) - Did a Thirst for Beer Spark Civilization? Well, some people believe it did, and provide some research on it too.

Beervana - You Say "Rocket Fuel, I say "Session" - A brief anecdote from an ongoing discussion about how "session beers" are perceived differently in the USA and UK.

I Might Have A Glass of Beer - Masters of Brown Session Beer - A look at some of Brewdog's latest moves in the beer world, and a general agreement that they are maturing as a brewery.

Discovery News - What Did Iron Age Beer Taste Like? - Barley grains are providing some insight into ancient Celtic brewing and malting techniques in present day Germany.

New School Beer Blog - A Common Challenge - About California Common Ales and how one beer basically defines the style.

New School Beer Blog - The Ever-Changing Beer Style Guidelines - Some information on the newest changes in beer style guidelines, including a well-needed new category.

Crooked Stave - I like this blog in general and it started very recently. They're a sour beer brewery contracting out of Funkwerks Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. The brewer is Chad Yakobson, the creator of the Brettanomyces Project and he was a brewer at Odell Brewing.

Three Local Beer Events in Next Two Days

THURSDAY JAN 20

4PM - SHAMROCK BREWING RELEASES THIRD STREET (COFFEE) STOUT
Please join us for a special tapping of our newest beer, Third Street Stout. This Coffee Stout features locally grown and malted barley from Colorado Malting Company in Alamosa. The addition of crystal malt, oats, chocolate malt, and roasted barley adds rich chocolate and caramel flavors to the beer. Once the beer is fermented, coarse ground Bolivia Dark Roast coffee beans from Solar Roast Coffee are added. The coffee flavors accentuate the caramel and chocolate flavors very well and combine to make the perfect winter beer. 6.0% ABV. Mike and Dave from Solar Roast will be joining us to serve up the first pints of this tasty brew. Shamrock is located at 108 W. Third Street in Pueblo, CO.

More information about this tasty sounding beer over at Eli's page.

7PM - BREWER'S REPUBLIC HOSTS BIG LEBWOSKI NIGHT
Bust out your favorite bath robe or khaki shorts/vest combo and head down to the Republic to enjoy $2.75 pints of Ska's Pinstripe Red Ale. Great beer at a great price with a great theme! Brewer's is located at 112 N. Nevada in Colorado Springs.

FRIDAY JAN 21

12PM - 9PM - TRINITY BARLEY WINE TAPPING
All I know so far is that Trinity will be tapping a whole slew of Barley Wines from around the country. I'm not sure yet which beers they will have available, but this should be a whole lot of fun and good beer.

***Update***
Trinity just filled me in on what they'll be tapping - Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Boulevard's Harvest Dance Wheat Wine, Avery's Hog Heaven, Boulder Beer's Killer Penguin, and Great Divide's Old Ruffian. Should be killer.

Zymurgy Institute 3.0 at Bristol

To be a student at the Zymurgy Institute is one thing that I wish I got for Christmas! The series of classes on beer, brewing, and the history and science of beer are run at Bristol Brewing Co. and looks to be sponsored by CSUPueblo. The class starts in February and will run the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month until June. Here's more information on what the Zymurgy Institute 3.0 is all about. If you are interested, I believe there is still some space, so visit Bristol's page and fill out the form:

Zymurgy (zī'mûr'jē) -n. The branch of applied chemistry that deals with fermentation processes, as in brewing beer.

Gain refreshing knowledge on the scientific study of fermentation and production beer brewing with Colorado State University-Pueblo Continuing Education and Bristol Brewing Company in Colorado Springs. Join us every 2nd and 4th Monday at 7pm from February to June 2011 to learn from university scholars and industry experts on this fasci- nating topic. We'll teach you every- thing you ever wanted to know about the art and business of beer in the Bristol Brewing Company Tasting Room at 1647 South Tejon Street, Colorado Springs.

More info below...







Presentation Schedule
(2nd & 4th Mondays @ 7 p.m.)
February 14, 2011
February 28
March 14
March 28
April 11
April 25
March 9
March 23
June 13
June 27

Presentation Topics
(Tentative - Subject to Change)
Medical Physiology of Beer
Yeast & Fermentation
Barley & Malting
Lager Brewing
Brewing for “The Man”
Beer Styles & Tasting Basics
Home Draft Systems
Production Brewing Safety & Health
Food Pairings & Tastings

Firkin Rendezvous Coming Up at Bristol

I just wanted to put out a quick post about the annual Firkin Rendezvous. I've heard that this is one of the best beer events of the year, and there are only 200 tickets available total, so if you want to go to this, you better pick up your tickets asap!

I borrowed firkin tapping photo from John Foyston's Beer Here Column

What's a Firkin? I'm glad you asked. A firkin is a 10 gallon (approximately) cask where beer is fermented and then served straight from that container through the use of either gravity or a hand-pump. The firkin needs to be tapped as in the picture above. This is very different than the kegged beer that you get normally. Kegged beer uses gas to carbonate, but in a cask or firkin, the carbonation occurs naturally. Aditionally a beer will enter it's secondary fermentation in a firkin as well, whereas sometimes beer in kegs has not been allowed to enter secondary fermentation. These beers will taste smoother and rounder (an effect that nitro taps try to mimic but fail) and many of the subtler flavors will be pronounced. Also, I enjoy cask because I can differentiate hops much better. This is how beer in many parts of the world has traditionally been made up until the last 70 or so years, it is still very popular in Britain, and it is a lovely way to drink.

From Bristol:
The Seventh Annual Firkin Rendezvous will feature one-of-a-kind cask ales from some of Colorado's best microbreweries. Attendees will receive a commemorative glass, all you can (should?) taste, a chance to talk to your favorite brewers about your favorite beers, and complimentary food. Tickets go on sale January 4th in the Bristol Tasting Room and are $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Attendance is capped at 200 people, so don't miss out.

Info:
Feb. 19th, 1-5pm
At Bristol Brewing Co.
Tickets are available for $35 in advance at Bristol. I doubt there will be tickets available at the door.

Meet Bryan Foster of Brewer's Republic

Right about the time I moved to Colorado Springs, a small drinking establishment with a big heart opened up just blocks from my house. I rode by there a few times and finally decided to look them up online because their name was Brewer's Republic. I saw that they served some good beer so I finally decided to drop in. Now I've been there a number of times and I do my best to get in there as often as possible. See, Brewers Republic has 12 Colorado beers on draft at all times, and these drafts aren't the most common ones you'll see around town either. Yes, Trinity has a lot of good beer on tap too, but Brewers Republic sometimes has things that Trinity doesn't (and vice-versa), and they are much much closer, which is always good when drinking. It's a cozy little place, it's friendly, the beers are priced well, and they're doing a great job. I decided that I would introduce you to Bryan Foster, one of the co-founders of the place.

Jason (L), Bryan (R), Dave's not pictured (Sorry Dave!!!!!)

Upcoming Winter Brew Fest in Denver

Focus on the Beer will be making a field trip to the Winter Brew Fest in Denver on January 28th. Look for updates on the blog and by following @cspringsbeer on twitter. I've sent out emails to a number of breweries to see what beers they will be bringing. I haven't heard back from too many, but here's a couple beers that I'll be looking forward to.

- Avery Brewing - New World Porter - This is kind of like a Black IPA. It's a 6.7% Porter, sitting at 45 IBU's and is dry hopped.
- Twisted Pine Brewing - Big Shot Espresso Stout - this beer has won 2 medals at GABF recently
- Odell Brewing - Avant Peche - An imperial porter aged in oak barrels with peach

Information for the Winter Brew Fest:
General Admission: 7-10pm
Mile High Station
2027 West Lower Colfax Ave
Denver Colorado 80204

VIP Tickets - $40 advance / $45 at door
Exclusive limited admittance to early beer tasting and a cheese and beer special pouring

Regular Tickets - $30 advance / $35 at door

Vail's Big Beers Fest: Day 2

After the first day of the Big Beers Fest, I knew day two would be something special. So I scraped myself out of bed to catch an early bus to the conference. I had to get a tall coffee and some breakfast because I knew that starting at 10am, we would be drinking a good amount of beer.

Sean Knoll led us through four stages of making sour beers

The event that ended up being my favorite of the whole weekend was the 10am seminar "Brewing Outside the Box: Brewers Gone Wild" centering on the topic of sour beers. I felt bad that many people were turned down at the door because there wasn't enough room. We heard from Sean Knoll of Artisinal Imports, Adam Avery of Avery Brewing, and Tomme Arthur of Lost Abbey Brewing. Sean Knoll brought us four very special beers. The first three were various stages of Lambic, the first beer being totally fresh and hoppy. I've never seen a lambic at this stage so it was really a treat to try this. The next beer was a 50/50 blend of that lambic with an 18-month aged version of it. This beer was beautifully sour, the hop presence was not evident to me, but it was still sweet due to the presence of the fresh beer. The third beer was a 100% aged version, which was very sour and uncarbonated but still really tasty. Finally we tried the Cuvee de Jacobins commercial version, which is the 100% aged beer but with some malt extract added for body and carbonation. The beer was fantastic and this portion of the workshop was one of the more memorable beer experiences I've ever had.

Adam Avery brought us some rare treats and told us about how the beers were made. Both beers were produced in a batch of less than 100 cases. First was the Sui Generis, a blended sour that was acidic but quite malty with some subtle oak (I can't stand over-the-top oak flavors) and fruit flavors. Next was the Quinquepartina, which I've lost my notes on but remember that it was aged in some first run wine barrels and was my favorite out of the two. The wine flavor I remember being very subtle.

Vail's Big Beers Festival: Day 1

***Update - recap of Day 2 can be found here.***

The day started with a nice tall cup of coffee. I headed to Vail with my wife and Isaac Grindeland for the famous Big Beers Fest. This is a great fest because not only do you get to taste beer from around the world, but both national and international brewers that lead the industry are giving talks. The majority of the activity, and the majority of the beer drinking is happening tomorrow (I wrote the majority of this yesterday, on Friday), but today Isaac is judging homebrews in the Imperial Stout category. He's taking it really slow, I'd imagine that's one tough category to get through. This is the Big Beers Fest afterall, every beer that I will get to try will be over 5%, but looking at the list of beers available, it looks like most of the beers I am selecting will be at least 8% and many are over 10%. Should be exciting! One of my favorite things is trying to enjoy beer, drink lots of it, and take notes at the same time.

I got here just in time to try a few beers during the meet and greet. I tasted a Breckenridge Barrel Aged ESB, which had way too much oak flavor to me, but a lot of people were enjoying it. I met a handful of guys from the Brew Brothers of Pikes Peak, which was really nice. I've been thinking about joining their group. Here are a few photos of the homebrew judging, using the BJCP guidelines.

Axe Brew from Brew Brothers

Dino Brew checking out color and clarity

The Making of Trinity Brewing's New Logo

A couple weeks ago Trinity Brewing threw a release party for their new logo. As someone interested in the arts I thought it would be cool to hear from Gordon Barnett, the guy who made the design, and hear a little about his decisions and his process:

Trinity's New Logo

Trinity's Old Logo

Why did Trinity want to change the old logo, what was it lacking, or how does their vision not quite tie into the old design? 

I don't believe Jason or TRiNiTY felt there was anything lacking in the original logo, rather they saw a need to evolve to a more "organic identity" - if you will. The brewery prides itself on growing their own (or using locally produced) ingredients. Jason Yester approached me back in early November, with the idea of "evolving" the logo. He wanted to retain the TRiNiTY Swirls but to take them to the next step. Also, Jason wanted to update the brewery tag line to "Artisanal Beer House & Eatery." 

What was their vision for the new one, what did they ask you to do differently, or did they give you complete control?

Jason and I enjoy not only a friendship on a personal level, but an incredible professional working relationship. There are times when Jason, who's a gifted artist in his own right, has a particular concept or direction he would like me to take. Other times, he'll simply say, "Man, I have no idea on this one... go for it!" One directive Jason did provide me was on the imagery, not only for the new logo but for all Trinity images moving forward (i.e. labels, tap handles, t-shirts), to have a more hand-drawn quality. Being a digital graphic designer, this does pose its challenges. But, I am "old school" having gone to art college back in the day before computers, I find it challenging and rejuvenating! One of the first beer labels I did for Jason was "Old Growth" (which my personal favorite TRiNiTY Beer), was done using brushes and water colors on stretched paper!

Peterson Air Force Base Homebrew Competition

  

Homebrew Competition

The Peterson Air Force Base (AFB) Homebrew competition is an AHA/BJCP sanctioned event.

Categories

All BJCP including mead and cider Categories may be combined/separated based on number of entries at the discretion of the organizer.

Entries and Fees

Entries will be accepted Jan 24– Feb 2, 2011.
Entry fee is $5 each and $20 for unlimited. You can only enter one beer per BJCP sub-category.

Drop your beer off (8am to 4pm) or ship to:
260 Glasgow Ave Building 1013 Peterson AFB, CO 80914

Each entry consists of two (2) bottles, entry fee and an entry/recipe form. Each bottle must have a bottle ID form attached with rubber bands. Bottles must have no labels, or other identifying markings (besides the bottle ID form). Entry/recipe and bottle ID forms can be downloaded here: BJCP Entry Recipe and BJCP Bottle ID

Alternate Drop-Off Sites: Hop to It! in Boulder, Stomp Them Grapes in Denver, Hops & Berries in Fort Collins, and The Brew Hut in Aurora.

Focus on the Beer Visits Oregon

For the last two weeks I have been in Oregon, visiting family and enjoying the holiday season. I did everything I could to check my email as little as possible and to not carry my phone everywhere. I did, however, visit a number of great beer destinations and so I used my phone (when I had it) and other people's phones to snap a couple photos.

Over Christmas I visited Bend, Oregon where I went snowboarding and hung out in a cabin most of the time. One day we headed to town and I headed over to Deschutes Brewery to see what was happening there. Deschutes makes the beer that originally converted me to being a craft-beer drinker - the Mirror Pond Pale Ale. It was the first beer that I was able to drink a whole pint of. They estimate that this year they will be making 200,000 barrels of beer. Apparently these brewing vessels came in one piece and they had to shut down the highways and have a police escort to bring them into town. They were set in place and the room was built around them. Then we got to see the giant room full of fermenters and their bottling line.