The Brewer`s Bugle - Underground Brewers of Connecticut

The Brewer’s Bugle
Newsletter of the Underground Brewers Club of Connecticut
Y.A.H.O.O.S. (Yankee Association of Homebrewers Objecting to Organized Societies)
September 2005
(Ain’t no mean-spirited people here)
Volume 18, No. 9
September Meeting
Wheat Beers or Whatever
Wednesday, September 21, 7:30 pm
Chickenman’s Chicken Ranch
43 Stoddard Pl, Beacon Falls CT, 888-4591
Directions
From points South of Derby: Route 8 North. Get off at Exit 22 (not exit 21) Bank St. Left off ramp and then left again onto
Route 67 North/West. Go past light at Stop and Shop then right at next light onto Old Drive. Bear right up steep hill onto
Rimmon Road. Proceed to top of hill then turn Right onto Jane St. Left or right onto Stoddard Place. Go around the circle and
park near 43 Stoddard.
From Southbury or points West on 84: 84 East to Exit 15 - Route 67 South. At light at end of exit turn right onto 67 South/East.
Follow through Oxford. Turn left at Tommy K's video onto West St. Follow West St through one stop sign to the end. Right
onto Rimmon Hill Rd. Next Left onto Jane St. Left or right onto Stoddard Place. Go around the circle and park near 43
Stoddard.
From Waterbury and points North: Route 8 South. Exit 22 in Seymour. Right at exit light onto Rt 67 North/West. Follow directions above.
Exaltations Emeritii
TIME FOR NEW LEADERSHIP
The primary reason that Your Exalted Ruler, Etc., Emeritus left the YAHOOS and moved to Nolackashaggin Atoll was distress at
the lack of intellectual involvement and leadership development among the members. EREE’s superb leadership may have
excused others from greater participation, but more likely pure laziness was the cause of lack of general inolvement. It was hoped
that the intellectual vacuum created by EREE’s departure would encourage others to step forward to fill the void, even if inevitably
inadequate. Such has not been the case.
EREE was distressed to see that the August issue of the BUGLE consisted only of photos and the July meeting notes - no
Rackings, no Ramblings, no Undertakings. The pictures were good - thank goodness that the Count did not lose the photos, for a
change.
We can expect decreased participation from Darvon as he fades into senile superannuity, which is already showing in his Rackings.
But in August, there was nothing.
The Naughty Nurse, acknowledging his age, has recently cut his work week, increasing his free time by 6.6%. However, he has
doubled his commitments, leaving him busier than ever, despite his recognized need to slow down. Now he misses more YAHOOS
meetings and events than he makes, and he has not brewed a real beer in years. At least he usually produces a Ramblings, even
though most are not up to the standards of past contributions. But in August, there was nothing.
Hero has become so involved in being the International Man of Mysterious Beers that he seems to have no time to write for the
BUGLE. Granted, most of his columns have been mere re-hashings of things published elsewhere, but they do save us the trouble of reading the publications that pay him really big bucks for his contributions. But in August, there was nothing.
It is time for new leadership to step forward with new ideas. Perhaps a recipe of the month column, starting with Hazel’s nonrecipe for Berliner Weiss. Perhaps club junkets to breweries or brew pubs. Perhaps poetry or photo competitions. Something.
Anything. It is time for a new beginning and new ideas.
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Darvon’s Rackings
MS. NEATNESS
While everyone else at the picnic was eating and drinking to excess and tempting death through drowning, Danica was busy, trash
bag in hand, cleaning up the debris and detritus that otherwise would have become knee deep. On top of that, when I got home I
found my carrier filled with the correct (amazing!) food containers - all of them spotlessly clean. This sort of thing is absolutely
contrary to YAHOOS By Laws and cannot be permitted. Danica and Sean have been warned in the past about excessive hosting,
and now they are guilty of excessive neatness. Continued violations may result in expulsion from the YAHOOS - or condemnation to host all club events.
PICNIC-RELATED TRAGEDY
As required by aeronautical regulations, I informed the FAA that I might be removing my shirt at the picnic. This permitted excess
glare warnings to be broadcast to all pilots east of the Mississippi. Unfortunately, on the day of the picnic there occurred a rare
optical inversion, which channeled the Darvon glare through the upper atmosphere all the way to Greece, which resulted in the
crash of a jet flying from Cyrus, killing 121 people. The pilot was seen slumped over the plane’s controls, leading to the initial
assumption that some noxious agent in the craft had caused him to lose consciousness. In reality, he was bending over to hide
from glare. Officials are now aware of the real cause of the disaster, but are withholding the information out of embarrassment
that they had not provided the pilot with adequate warning.
JUNE MEETING
Nice pictures from the June meeting. I liked the one of Clone snorting the Heroin Beer. Of course, everyone was caught off-guard,
looking less than their best, except for Homer, looking handsome, as he always does in BUGLE photos. Apparently, there is nothing he can do about it.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE A HAT TO LOAN?
There is a slight beer connection. On the recent trip to Idaho I made the annual pilgrimage to Marcellar’s to see if there are any
new brews in the West worth bringing back to the YAHOOS. The lady proprietor emerged from the back with my favorite hat,
which I had left there last year. I was delighted, but this did not keep me from leaving that hat - plus the two I had brought with
me - at the houses of siblings. Go ahead and laugh, but the same sort of thing will happen to all the rest of you - if you live long
enough.
Ramblings of the Naughty Nurse
DANIKA AND SHORN'S PICNIC LEFT WANTING
Oh don’t act surprised by the title, you know what I’m talking about. Well let’s look on the positive side first shall we? The food
was fabulous - the highlight being the veggy burgers, of course. As for beer, I believe that the kegs outnumbered the bottles. Of
course, some people are never satisfied ... you can’t COUNT on everyone being happy but one YAHOO (I won’t embarrass him
by naming him) still had room to whine about being hop-deprived.
The conversation was, as always, vibrant and intellectual. However, as the sun set the mood changed a little and some darkness
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fell over the conversations. Are we all getting so old that we are interested in ill health? Of course, being a medical professional
I love all the blood and gore and self-mutilation stuff. That's not what was talked about though. You know what, most of us don’t
care about erectile dysfunction? Personally I find it hard to even conceive of the condition. And then there was all the chatter in
high voices about menopause. Personally, I regret the letters M-E-N even being in the word. Perhaps it refers to women pausing
to break into an unannounced and unprepared for sweat in front of men.
Some of the YAHOOS took the cover of darkness to admire the trees out back. I think they might even have gone for a long walk
because they were mighty hungry when they returned.
And so we come to Mister Greedy-Boy. Yet again unnamed. Most of us are proud to have even one spouse or close female friend.
One of us prefers to flaunt his pheromone-soaked libido by having a selection of ladies in the wings. It’s all very complicated and
I think it takes someone like Dee Bair to understand it. Was it her I saw under the tree with the dagger in her hand?
But as with any event, there was some sadness. Poor Pizzaman was clearly upset and weeping at one point. I spied him sitting in
the shadows with his Girl Friday acting most upset. He had his head in her lap sniffing back the tears. At least I think that’s what
he was doing. Being a gentleman, I shouted, “Can I help you, Pizzaman?” “No!” he said rather stoically.
And so we come to the disappointment with the picnic. With everything so beautifully in place all we were short of were fireworks. So that’s what happened. There was a bunch of YAHOOS sitting quietly waiting for Shorn’s firework display. Nothing.
Just a lot of beer and water-soaked bodies soaking up the joys of the Housatonic (and gin and tonic).
So, Danika and Shorn, next year if you want us to allow you to host this most prestigious of picnics, you need to organize some
pyrotechnics. Someone once said that a pyromaniac is someone who sets fire to his ex-wife. Let’s have none of that.
I love you all, y’all --- NNN
Heroic Undertakings
THE KARL STRAUSS AWARD
The Museum of Beer & Brewing in Milwaukee presented an award to veteran brewer Karl Strauss last June. Strauss has a record
of outstanding achievements in the beer and brewing industry including 44 years with Pabst Brewing. As a consultant after retiring, he helped with the start-ups of over 50 craft breweries. He is the namesake of his cousin's Karl Strauss Breweries in
California, which include six brewpubs and one microbrewery. Strauss is the senior member of the Weihenstephan Alumni
Association, an organization of 1500 graduates of the Munich-based brewing school, a past president of the Master Brewers
Association (and the only person ever to receive the Award of Merit and Award of Honor from this organization) and a founding
member of the Museum of Beer & Brewing. Strauss is the first recipient of what will be known as the "Karl Strauss Award," to
be given annually.
BEER COMES IN SECOND PLACE TO WINE
A Gallup poll has found that wine is more popular than beer as the alcoholic beverage adult drinkers say they drink most often.
This is the first time beer hasn't been number one. Today, 39 percent of drinkers in the United States say they drink wine most
often, while 36 percent say they usually drink beer. In Gallup's annual Consumption Habits poll, conducted July 7-10, 2005, 63
percent of Americans say they drink alcohol, which is consistent with the rate of drinking recorded for most of the six decades
Gallup has asked this question. The major exception is the period from 1976 through 1981, when 69-71 percent said they drank
alcohol.
The latest change for a preference of wine over beer sees wine gaining six points from 33 percent in 2004. This is the first significant shift in wine preferences recorded in the last eight years.
At the same time, figures from Adams Beverage Group show that total per capita volume of beer consumed in the U.S. for 2004
was 30.7 gallons, compared to 3.1 gallons of wine and 1.9 gallons of spirits.
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CHINESE FORMALDEHYDE BEER TO SOUTH KOREA GETS AOK
South Korean authorities have given the all-clear to Chinese beer containing formaldehyde. Tests on 13 brands of imported
Chinese beer found that the average level of formaldehyde (a preservative) was 0.132 mg per million. The World Health
Organization has set a maximum level of 0.9 mg per million for formaldehyde in food products.
According to British brewer Nick Ricketts: "In the past formaldehyde was added to the mash by some lager brewers because it
reduced the levels of anthocyanogens (a compound formed during the mashing process) in the wort by over 80 percent, which in
turn improved the colloidal stability of the beer, i.e. it took much longer to become hazy once bottled."
BEERS ON THE TOP 100 LIST OF WORLDWIDE BRANDS
In the annual ranking of the top 100 brands in the world conducted by Business Week and Interbrand, only two beers made the
list. Budweiser came in at #26 and Heineken was #100. The ranking positions were determined by the percentage of a company's
revenue that can be credited to its brand and incorporates market
leadership, stability and global reach. Brands which do not earn
at least a third of their earnings from outside their domestic market were not included in the survey.
NUTRITION INFO FOR BEER
Diageo, the biggest international alcoholic drinks company in the
world and owner of Guinness, Harp and Red Stripe, has rolled out
a global consumer information policy which will provide consumers with nutrition information and a responsible drinking
reminder across its range of spirits, wines and beers. The information will be delivered through labels and secondary packaging,
a global website and consumer care-lines. Depending on the market, information will be provided on nutrition, allergens and alcohol content per serving size.
ARTOIS BOCK
It might be some time before we see it in the U.S., but Interbrew UK is bringing back a long-dead beer, Artois Bock. Last brewed
in the 1950s and with a heritage going back 113 years, Artois Bock is a 6.2% abv lager.
SWIMMING IN BEER
At the Starkenber Beer Myth resort located at the medieval castle
of Starkenberger in Austria's Tyrol region, guests can swim in
beer. The resort has filled seven 13-foot long pools with beer,
each containing 42,000 pints. Apparently, according to the resort
owners, bathing in beer can heal certain skin diseases.
NICOTINE BEER
NicoShot is a new beer from German company Nautilus GmbH
Laboratoriumsbedarf. The beer is billed as the "world's first
smoking-cessation beer containing a shot of natural nicotine."
The level of nicotine is roughly equal to that in two regular filtered cigarettes. NicoShot is brewed to the German Purity Law of
1516 and contains three milligrams of naturally derived nicotine
alkaloids, 63 calories and 4.5 carbohydrates, with 6.3% alcohol
by volume per 250-ml shot can. After the beer is brewed, an
herbal extract of natural tobacco leaf (Nicotiana tabacum L.) of
the Solanaceae nightshade family is added. Three cans of
NicoShot are said to be comparable to an entire pack of conventional cigarettes, but without the tar or carbon monoxide.
NicoShot claims to be similar to nicotine gum, a nicotine replacement therapy that provides a steady, controlled release of nicotine.
STAR BOCK V. STARBUCKS
Legal wrangling continues in U.S. District court in Texas over the
name of a beer. Rex Bell, owner of the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe
in Galveston, is fighting coffee giant Starbucks over whether he
can continue to sell a beer named Star Bock (or StarBock, as a
single word.) Bell had 100 barrels of the beer contract brewed in
2002 at a now-defunct brewery. He's since run out of the beer, a
play on words not of the coffee chain but of Texas beer brands
Lone Star and Shiner Bock. If he wins his case, Bell plans to find
another brewery to make the beer for his bar.
FAREWELL TO FALSTAFF
Falstaff beer, once one of the biggest-selling beer brands in the
U.S., has been put to rest by the brand's owner, Pabst Brewing Co.
Falstaff sold only 1,468 barrels in 2004. The beer was first
brewed in 1903 by the William J. Lemp Brewing Co. of St. Louis.
In the late 1950s to early 1960s, Falstaff was the third-largest
brewer in the U.S.
September 2005
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I LOVE NY BEER
The New York State legislature is considering a bill that would create a New York beer trail, similar to wine trails in New York's
Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley and Long Island regions. The proposed Empire State Brewery Trails Program would create an "I
Love NY Beer" promotion, including a brewery trail, vacation itineraries and a "brewery passport" booklet filled with discounts
and information on surrounding attractions.
WARM BEER IN THE U.K.
Cask Marque is an independent British organization that makes unannounced, independent visits to pubs twice a year to check on
the quality of how cask ale is served. The results of Cask Marque's latest research of over 1,000 pubs throughout England (of
which 82 percent stocked traditional cask ale) are as follows:
a)
again.
The quality of the pint in the glass was so poor in 23% of the outlets that inspectors stated they would not buy the pint
b)
In 54% of the cases where inspectors stated they would not buy this pint again, too many brands on the bar were cited
as a contributory factor. Pubs with over five hand pulls saw a marked drop in mean scores.
c)
The other major cause of poor quality was failure to serve beer at the appropriate temperature (20% of all samples), but
this was often linked to overall impressions of poor quality pub management in these outlets.
d)
The worst performers with regard to beer quality were the independent free trade outlets, particularly in the south and
southwest of the country.
e)
outlets.
Poor quality was found in all types of pubs, without significant variance between food pubs, rural pubs or city centre
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PM PULLS A PINT
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin became a temporary bartender in the tiny Irish mountain village of Glencullen last summer
during a visit before the G8 meeting in Scotland. Martin headed back behind the bar at Johnnie Fox's to pour a few pints of
Guinness, receiving cheers and rave reviews from locals.
CALIFORNIA MICRO OFFENDS LAW STUDENT; BEER LABEL RECALLED
Brij Dhir, a San Francisco law student, filed a lawsuit against Lost Coast Brewery of Eureka, CA, for a "hate crime." Dhir claimed
that Lost Coast's label for Indica India Pale Ale, portraying the Hindu god Ganesh (a man with the head of an elephant) holding
Indica bottles in one of his four hands and his trunk, was offensive to Indians. In his lawsuit, Dhir asked for $25,000 for himself
and claimed that $1 billion would be appropriate compensation for Hindus worldwide because of the trauma created by the label.
Lost Coast has redesigned the label.
UTOPIAS BESTS SHERRY & PORT
Jim Koch of The Boston Beer Co. and David Burke, renowned chef and owner of New York's David Burke & Donatella restaurants, held a food and beer tasting at this year's Food & Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen, CO. Samuel Adams Utopias, the world's
strongest beer (25% abv), was unveiled during a blind tasting against Sandeman Royal Corregidor Rich Old Oloroso Sherry and
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 1994, two of the most highly-rated alcoholic beverages, similar in taste and complexity to Utopias.
F. Paul Pacult, executive editor of Spirit Journal, led the tasting where over 60 percent of all participants, including food and wine
critics, selected Utopias as the best tasting.
CULTURE BIÈRE A PARIS
Heineken has opened a beer concept store in Paris to boost their beer sales in the French capitol. The three-level store on the
Champs-Elysees, Culture Bière, includes a bar, beer lounge, restaurant and boutique.
ALUMINUM BOTTLES A HIT
Demand for Anheuser-Busch's aluminum bottles has been so strong that A-B has doubled its capacity for the aluminum bottles
and added Budweiser Select to the aluminum portfolio. The other A-B beers available in aluminum bottles are Bud Light,
Budweiser, Michelob Light, Michelob and Anheuser World Lager.
LADY OF THE BEER
Developers of a new housing development in Burton upon Trent, England, a city famous for brewing pale ales, such as Bass, erected a statue of the Egyptian goddess Isis in the Cameron Mews development. Known locally as the Lady of the Beer, Isis was an
earth goddess, also known as The Mother of all Goddesses and She of Ten Thousand Names. Cameron Mews sits on the site of
the former Heritage Brewery and Goat Maltings.
U.K. BAN ON HAPPY HOURS
The British Beer and Pub Association has issued new guidelines to its members outlawing a range of special offers and marketing techniques that contribute to alcohol abuse. Happy Hours are out, as well as "Women Drink Free" promotions, drinking games
and offers where customers can drink as much as they want for a flat fee. Happy Hour promotions aimed at attracting after-work
drinkers are claimed to encourage consumers to drink too much in a short space of time and have been blamed for increased bingedrinking. The association represents about half the U.K.'s 59,000 pubs and bars.
THE BLUE COLD ONE
Labatt Breweries in Canada claims its new high-tech can will keep beer cold up to twice as long. Initially used for the Labatt Blue
Cold One six-pack, the 473-ml "tall boy" can utilizes a wrap-around label, developed by Dupont, with a thin layer of polymer
insulation between two layers of Melinex film. The insulation fights the three main causes of warm beer - summer heat, condensation and the tight grip of a sweaty palm. The can is also supposed to feel softer in the hand.
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THE TIGER LIST OF U.S. CRAFT BREWERS
The Brewers Association has issued a list of the top 10 craft brewers ranked by a combination of size and 2004 growth percentage. The list is topped by Widmer Brothers (OR) and includes, in order:
Pyramid Breweries (WA), New Belgium Brewing (CO), Boulevard Brewing (MO), Deschutes Brewery (OR), Kalamazoo
Brewing (MI), Magic Hat Brewing (VT), Harpoon Brewery (MA), Rogue Ales (OR) and Kona Brewery (HI).
In 2004, the overall craft beer segment grew by 7.2 percent. The 10 breweries on the Tiger List averaged 115,000 barrels in sales
during 2004. The average growth rate for these brewers was 28 percent, with total volume growth of 21 percent in aggregate.
2005 INTERNATIONAL BEER COMPETITION: LONDON, ENGLAND
Rogue Ales (OR) made history by winning four out of 11 gold medals at the 2005 International Beer Competition. Rogue's Mocha
Porter also won the title of "Supreme Champion." Other American winners included Boston Beer Co. and Sierra Nevada Brewing.
GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL: LONDON - AUGUST 2-6, 2005
BEST BEER IN BRITAIN
Gold: Brewers Gold, Crouch Vale (Essex)
Silver: Rutland Panther, Grainstore (Rutland)
Bronze: Woodforde's Wherry, (Norfolk)
STONE IMPERIAL STOUT - 2005 EDITION
Stone Brewing (CA) has released the 2005 Edition of Stone Imperial (Russian) Stout. Self-proclaimed "purveyors of amazing,
aggressive and awe-inspiring beers," Stone describes Imperial (Russian) Stout as "a beer enthusiast's dream ... a dark, decadent,
and delicious dream." Released during the warm months rather than in the winter, as many might expect for a dark, heavy beer,
this year's Imperial (Russian) Stout must include the word "Russian" in parentheses. According to Marketing Coordinator Chris
Cochran: "Seems that the U.S. government felt by having the word "Russian" in the title it would confuse consumers that a beer
made by a small brewery in North San Diego County, CA, was actually made in Russia." In future years the parentheses can be
dropped. An appeal to the federal agency that decides on labelling requirements for beer was successful and next year "Russian"
returns free and clear. Stone's 2005 edition differs from those of past years in the addition of more roasted barley. The beer is said
to "pour like Siberian crude and taste even heavier." Available in 22-oz. bottles.
COOPERS 2004 VINTAGE ALE
Coopers 2004 Vintage Ale from Australia is brewed only every two years or so. The 2004 version includes barley and wheat malts
and Hersbrucker, Cascade and Pride of Ringwood hops. This bottle-conditioned ale (7.5% abv) is available in 375-ml bottles.
LION HEART STOUT
Lion Heart Stout from Big City Brewing, the only brewery in Jamaica owned and operated by Jamaicans, is available in the
U.S. The 7.6% abv stout is available in 12-oz. bottles.
SOUTHAMPTON DOUBLE WHITE ALE
New from The Southampton Publick House (NY) is Double White Ale, a "double strength" (7.2% abv) version of a classic Belgian
white ale, or witbier. This unfiltered wheat-based ale is brewed with Curaçao orange peel and ground coriander seed. Southampton
Publick House has also released Southampton IPA (6.5% abv), their version of the classic hoppy ale with an American twist: five
varieties of Pacific Northwest hops for a distinctively American character. The beers are part of the brewery's XXII Series of specialty brews. Both available in 22-oz. bottles & on draft.
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THE KAISER VINTAGE 2005
Avery Brewing (CO) has released The Kaiser Vintage 2005, an Imperial Oktoberfest Lager brewed with Magnum, Sterling,
Tettnang and Hersbrucker hops. This 8.9% abv beer is the second release in the "Dictator Series." Available in 22-oz. bottles.
FREEMINER ALES
Rogue Ale (OR) has begun importing two ales from the Freeminer Brewery in the U.K. Trafalgar IPA and Waterloo Red. This is
a symbiotic relationship, in that Freeminer imports Rogue beers to the U.K. Trafalgar IPA is 6% abv and Waterloo Red is a 4.5%
abv red ale. Both ales are bottle conditioned. Freeminer has won "Champion Beer of Britain" twice and one award at the annual
"Beauty of Hops." Available in 20-oz. bottles.
ROGUE FESTIVEALE
A new beer from Rogue Ales is FestiveAle, a Belgian-style saison (6.2% abv) brewed with Belgian yeast, pilsner malt, Belgian
malted wheat, Saaz hops, grains of paradise, ginger root, sweet gale and Curaçao orange. Available in 22-oz. bottles and on draft.
XSTREME CERAMICS FOR XSTREME ALES
Rogue Ales' (OR) World Champion XStreme XSperience XSpecial ales are now available in 750-ml ceramic swingtop bottles and
on draft. Imperial India Pale Ale (I2PA; 8.4% abv) is brewed with Pipkin pale malts and Saaz, Cascade and Northwest Golding
hops. Old Crustacean Barley Wine (10.5% abv) is an unfiltered and unfined barleywine, brewed with Great Western Harrington,
Klages, Hugh Baird Carastan and Munich Malts and Chinook and Centennial Hops. Imperial Stout (11.6% abv) is brewed with
Great Western Harrington, Klages, Hugh Baird Crystal, Black Munich and Chocolate Malts, rolled oats and Willamette, Cascade
and Chinook hops. There are also two secret ingredients.
IPSWICH HARVEST ALE
New from Mercury Brewing (MA) is Ipswich Harvest Ale, a hoppy red ale. Available in 12-oz. bottles and on draft.
ROCHEFORT 8 & 10
Importer Merchant du Vin has added a third Belgian Trappist monastery brewery to its portfolio. Joining Orval and Westmalle are
Rochefort 8 and 10, brewed at the Abbey of St. Remy in Rochefort. The abbey, founded in 1280, began brewing ales in 1595.
Rochefort 8 (green cap) is a 9.2% abv beer and Rochefort 10 (blue cap) is a powerful 11.3% abv. Both are available in 11.2-oz.
bottles. Merchant du Vin launched these two ales at an event held at Philadelphia's Monk's Café, a mecca for Belgian beer lovers.
Merchant du Vin imports beers from many breweries, including Samuel Smith, Ayinger, Lindemans, Pinkus, Melbourne Bros. and
Traquair House.
KRUŠOVICE IMPERIAL & CERNÉ
Importer Binding Brauerei USA has added two Czech beers to its portfolio, Krušovice Imperial and Cerné, brewed by the
Královský Pivovar Krušovice, originally established in 1517. Imperial is a 5% abv pilsner and Cerné (black) is a 3.8% dunkel.
Binding Brauerei USA, a subsidiary of Radeberger Gruppe AG in Frankfurt, also imports Radeberger Premium Pilsner,
Clausthaler Classic and Amber Non-Alcoholic, DAB Original, DAB Low Carb Light and DAB Dark, Hansa and Henninger beers.
Krušovice Imperial and ?erné are available in 500-ml bottles and on draft.
September 2005
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SAMUEL ADAMS UTOPIAS
Boston Beer Co. has released only 8,000 bottles of their super-strong specialty, Samuel Adams Utopias, which weighs in at a
whopping 25% abv. The beer comes in a collectible brew-kettle shaped bottle reminiscent of the copper brewing kettles used by
brewmasters for hundreds of years. Utopias is recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "strongest beer in the
world."
For the 2005 edition, the brewers hand-selected some of the world's best single-use bourbon casks from the Buffalo Trace
Distillery. The oak barrels were used to age Samuel Adams Utopias, which provided the beer with a new flavor dimension and
more complexity than the 2003 release. The final recipe is a blend of casks up to eleven years old. Utopias is brewed with Spalt
Spalter, Hallertau Mittlefruh and Tettnang Tettnanger hops and crystal, Moravian and Bamberg smoked malts. Several different
types of yeast were used, including a variety normally reserved for champagne. The suggested retail price for Utopias is $100
per bottle.
OKOCIM PORTER
New from importer Stawski Imports is Okocim Porter, a dark Baltic-style porter. Stawski also imports other beers from
Okocim, as well as beers from Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia, Thailand, India, Holland and Lithuania. Available in 16.9-oz. bottles.
HAVILCEK & HOFBRAU
A new beer from importer Classic Beverages is Havilcek, a Czech pilsner from Budejovický Meštanský Pivovar, the oldest brewery (established in 1795) in the Czech city of ?eské Budejovice (Czech City of Budweis). Available in 16.9-oz, bottles. Havilcek
is a 10-degree pils, about 4.4% abv, the type of pils most often consumed in the Czech Republic. Classic Beverages is also now
importing several beers from Munich's famous Hofbrau Haus: Oktoberfest, Original Lager and Hefeweizenm in 12-oz. & 16.9oz. bottles and in kegs. Classic Beverages also imports the Czech Rebel and B.B. Budweiser Bürgerbräu brands.
THE BREWER’S BUGLE is a sometimes-monthly publication of the Underground Brewers Club of Connecticut. The contents herein are © 2005, except for the parts we stole. Editor: Hero; Contributors: Darvon, The Nurse. Photographers:
Everybody. For a subscription: send $10.00 to Robert “Nessie” Lachman, 5 Apple Tree Lane, Norwalk, CT 06850
Wheat Beers at the Chicken Ranch - September 21
Robert “Nessie” Lachman
5 Apple Tree Lane
Norwalk, CT 06850
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