This past weekend signals the countdown to spring.  Every year on the 4th Saturday of February, Capital brewery holds its annual Bockfest to launch their very popular Blonde Dopplebock.  The brewery in Middleton, WI sets up an outdoor event with music, food and of course beer.  This year I got to enjoy the festivities with 2500 other festivalgoers on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

As we enter the month of March it would be a great time to give you some great beers that are out for the Spring.  Spring beers signal (hopefully) the beginning of spring.  There are a number of great spring beers to try and here is a quick check list of beers that you may want to check out.

Leinenkugel 1888 Bock

Blue Moon Spring Ale

Sam Adams Noble Pils-New seasonal beer for Sam Adams

Sierra Glisade Bock-Golden bock-new seasonal for this California brewery

Point Brewery Einbock

Capital Brewery Maibock and Blonde Dopplebock-

Great Lakes Conways Irish ale- great beer from this Ohio based brewery

Lakefront Snake Chaser- Very good irish stout from this growning Milwaukee brewery

Tyranena Down n Dirty Oatmeal Stout-New seasonal from this Lake Mills based brewery.

This along with some seasonal entries from Sprecher, New Glarus, New Belgium make for some interesting choices for you as you are at your favorite restaurant or bar or are looking to buy beer to have at home.  As always please let me know some of your favorites and I will pass on in a upcoming blog.

With the fire this week at Pizza Man in Milwaukee there have been a huge number of memories flooding in.  That gave me an idea.  Have readers send me their favorite Wisconsin beer destinations.  This can be your favorite spot to get a beer, favorite brewery tour or favorite festival.  In the comments please give me your favorites and I will compile and list on a later post.

Now is the time for some great spring seasonal beers to be hitting the shelves soon including Leinenkugels 1888 Bock, Sam Adams Noble Pils, and Sierra Nevada's Golden Bock.

I know Spring seems a long ways away but hopefully these beers can make it seem like it is right around the corner.

Just wanted to put a reminder out there for everyone with the Holidays approaching to take a minute and review some items to remember when drinking or hosting parties.

1. Know you limits and be in control of your surroundings-Spacing drinks or alternating between non alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, recognizing that it is not impolite to turn down a drink if it means staying within your personal limits.

2.Cultivate taste and appreciate quality rather than quantity-If hosting try and pair foods that complement beer and wine choices.

3. If Hosting- plan out plenty of finger foods, snacks and non-alcoholic beverage choices to go with your beer and drink choices. 

4. Plan ahead for designated drivers and taxi service ahead of time will make things easier the night of the party.

4. if planning to be out for New Years- there is the Miller Lite Free Rides program.  Free bus transportation will be provided through Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.  Route and schedule info is available by calling 1-800-FREE RIDES or visit www.millerlitefreerides.com.

5. Other areas will be having shuttle and taxi service availible-plan ahead and look at all travel possibilities.

A lot of common sense ideas but all that should be considered during this busy time of year so everyone has a safe and happy holiday season

Cheers

Dave

As you are planning out your shopping for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, try to plan on some food/beer pairings for your friends and relatives.  As we await fall and winter take a look for some of the great Winter seasonals that are hitting store shelves and any fall beers that may remain.  Here are some beer choices that will pair well with whatever is on your menu.

Seasonal beers:

Lakefront Pumpkin-A great beer where the name speaks for itself.

Leinenkugel Fireside Nut Brown-Great beer that pairs well with the dark meat from the turkey

Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale-One of the original pumpkin beers

Sam Adams Winter Lager-A  hearty beer that pairs well with stuffing and turkey.

Please pass on any recepies that you would like to share that pair beer with food or even made with food.

Last week in Madison the state assembly began hearings regarding Assembly Bill 287.  This bill would raise the tax on all beer produced in Wisconsin.  Wisconsin is a wonderfull location for new breweries and brewpubs to open.  The reason is the taxes on beer is lower than some other states.  This is one of the rare examples where Wisconsin is a lower tax state.  Wisconsin is also one of the top brewing states with the number of breweries and brewpubs.

Please contact your local representative and let them know this is a bad idea and to pursue other ideas for tax increases.  The sponsers of this bill are trying to leverage that increased taxes would go toward drunk driving initiatives.  The cause may be right but the use of taxes is not.  They also have left out the fact the Wisconsin ranks in the top 5 in the country with total tax impact of +40% of the cost of beer going to one tax or another.

Please note that this tax increase would be bad for the price of beer in this economy and all brewers and distributors are already paying more than their share on products in the market.  Again I encourage everyone to contact their representative for the assembly and say no to another tax increase on beer for the state of Wisconsin.

Feel free to contact me with your thoughts.

Prost!

Last week in Denver was the Great American Beer Festival.  It is held every September and brings over 450 brewers from all over the US to this 3 day festival.  Wisconsin was very well represented with MillerCoors, Lakefront, Capital, New Glarus,Dells Brewing Co.,Great Dane, Rock Bottom,Titletown and Water Street Brewery.    78 Different beer categories were judged and Gold, Silver and Bronze were awarded.  Beer selection ranged from the simple Pilsner to the obscure.  Wisconsin did bring home some awards: Miller, Capital,New Glarus,Rock Bottom,Titletown brewery.

The tone of the festival was obviously positive(how can it not be?  beer is involved), most brewers are seeing light at the end of the tunnel with the economy so re-investment will continue and the holidays will bring a lot of great beer choices.

An interesting article came across my desk today.  The article discusses the growth of the craft beer as the new cocktail since consumers are choosing craft beers over wine and spirits during this recession.  Numbers released yesterday by the Brewers Association show that craft beer grew by 5% in the first 6 months of 2009.  That is borderline amazing considering the beer industry is flat for 2009.

I believe this trend holds thru for the state of Wisconsin as well.  Local craft brewers in the state are showing good numbers for the year so far and are continuing to roll out new products for their consumers.  Lakefront, Leinenkugel's, Capital, Point, New Glarus,Tyranena and Ale Asylum have all introduced new products this year and are enjoying the fruits of their labors.

The question for this entry is "Are you trading off to craft beers from your normal drink order either at the bar or at the store?"

As always please let me know your thoughts and opinions

Cheers!

I am presently reading Red, White and Brew which is an interesting story of one man's journey to a number of craft breweries around the US.  This leads me to an idea that all readers should send in their best brewery tours that they have been on whether it is a local one, American one or perhaps an international tour.  I will compile a list and post the results on upcoming post.

There are some outstanding local tours and some great ones within a short driving distance.  Some of my personal ones are Lakefront brewery in Madison and the beer garden at Capital Brewery in Madison.

Some email me your favorites and the reasons why so we can put a travel vacation of brewery tours together for the rest of the summer.

Cheers

With the un-official beginning of summer being marked with the Memorial Day weekend, we can look forward to the warm days.  Of course with the weather we are having it is hard to tell if it is summer or fall.  Anyway here are some interesting choices for summer beers if you are looking to be summer like:

1. Leinenkugel Summer Shandy- A perfect summer beer

2. Blue Moon Honey Moon- A smooth ale for the hot days ahead

3. Sam Adams Summer Ale-made with Grains of paradise

4. Sierra Nevada Summerfest- A light tasting beer from Chico California.

5. Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss- A new beer availible year round from California that will be availible in the next 2 weeks.  A refreshing choice for Weiss drinkers.

6. Capital Wild Rice- Summer seasonal from this Middleton, WI brewery.

7. Point Nude Beach Summer Wheat- The name says it all.

8. Bell's Oberon Ale-A great beer from this Michigan brewery.

9. Tyranena Scurvy- A unique beer from Lake Mills, Wisconsin.

A few choices to enjoy.  As always let me know your favorites and I will put together a best of list.

Cheers!

Last month I had the opportunity to attend the National Craft Brewer's Conference in Boston.  It was a collection of brewers, beer wholesalers, brewery reps, beer writers beer product suppliers(wheat,hops,containers,yeast).  It was a great opportunity to be with other beer people to discuss the issues of the industry.

May 11-17 will be American Craft Beer Week, a national celebration highlighting the culture and contributions of craft beer.  Julia Herz ,spokesperson for the Brewers Association quotes:"Today, 97% of the more than 1,500 U.S. breweries are small and independent craft brewers.  American Craft Beer week is a time to celebrate everyting these breweries contribute to our country and culture, and to also celebrate the diversity of beer styles and brands availible today."

So go out and enjoy your favorite craft beer next week and let me know your list of your favorite craft beers.

Cheers

Hopefully Saturday's snow was the last of the winter season so that we can move on to Spring.  I want to mention a new beer from Leinenkugel's that was introduced in March.  It is their newest year round style-Classic Amber.  It is an all-malt amber lager.  It is brewed with Pale,Munich and firekilned Caramel 60 malts and balacned by a citrus hop complexity.  Some food pairings to try with this new beer are venison, veal tenderloin, a grilled porterhouse steak or a sharp cheddar cheeseburger.  I encourage you to try the new Classic Amber from Leinenkugel's and let me know what food pairings that you come up with for this beer.

Cheers!

While parades, corned beef and cabbage, and lucky four leafed clovers are what typically come to mind this time of year, St.  Patrick's Day celebrations would not be complete without delicious stout beer. 

That said, there are many stouts available that you may have not yet tried.  On or before Tuesday, the 17th is a great opportunity to broaden your horizons and try something new and unique.

But before I get into the details on some of the great stouts out there and an idea for hosting a stout-tasting party, let me explain a bit of the story behind stouts.

History of Stout
Stout is a relatively young style of beer.  It was first introduced to the in the 1700s, as an “extra stout” version of a porter beer.  The name “stout” referred to the fact that this beer was a little more assertive than the regular porter.  The foamy head characteristic of a stout is the result of the centuries old brewing process.  And, while the dark color might be deceiving, stouts are actually light in taste and texture and are often on the lighter side in alcohol content as well.

American Stouts
There are multitudes of stout styles; the most popular are Irish in origin, like Murphy’s Irish Stout, and boast a coffee-like, or ‘toasted’ flavor.  With a great deal of innovation and originality, American brewers have taken this style to a new level.  Whether it's adding coffee, chocolate or even oatmeal to compliment the roasted flavors, American stouts will not disappoint die-hard Irish stout enthusiasts.

With American stouts, the hop bitterness range is quite wide but most are balanced.  Beers with robust flavors like the creamy and malty Sierra Nevada Stout, the dark and rich Bell's Expedition Stout or the tart and slightly fruity Cherry Stout (also from Bell's) are great examples of American-made brews that have earned a solid standing with stout connoisseurs.  

Host a Stout Tasting
This St. Patrick’s Day, host a stout tasting.  Gather some friends and some different types of stouts.  With Lakefront's Snake Chaser; try to identify flavors of toffee and coffee aromas.  When tasting the Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout, look for the distinct flavors of chocolate, coffee, and, of course, oatmeal.  As expected, Bell's Java Stout will have a smooth, velvety coffee flavor.  Note the different aromas that are infused into these American brews, and maybe contrast their flavors with that of traditional Beamish Irish Stout, for example.  Take small sips and cleanse the palate in between tastes with crackers, or different types of fruit and sips of water.

And lastly, remember to drink responsibly wherever you end up this St. Patrick's Day

Another Valentine's Day will be upon us shortly.  But no matter what you're got planned – whether it’s an exciting night out or a delicious, intimate home-cooked meal – beer can play a part in your Valentine’s Day festivities.  Here are a few ideas.

Red Beer and Red Roses
You may already have plans to get your better half a boutique of long-stemmed, beautiful red roses for Valentine’s Day – but that doesn’t mean you should stop there.  Expand on the color theme of your gift by adding a six-pack or two of some great red beers.  Some of your options include Leinenkugel Red or George Killian's Irish Red

Beer and Chocolate – Obvious and Irresistible
Many of the natural complexities of full-bodied beers are echoed in rich, flavored chocolates and vice versa.  Much like how dark-roasted coffees and chocolates pair well, the roasted malt flavor of stouts and porters parallel the deep tones of dark chocolate, a known aphrodisiac.  For a great gift, combine a few varieties of Godiva or Ghirardelli chocolate in a basket with and a six-pack of Bell’s Java Stout.  Other options to pair with chocolate include Beamish Irish Stout and Negra Modelo.

Pairing Beer with Aphrodisiacs
We’ve covered chocolate, so the next obvious and available aphrodisiac to pair with beer would be oysters.  It’s best to fry the oysters, say experts.  That way, the beer’s carbonation and fizz will temper the oysters’ oily richness, for a unique, flavorful experience.  Oysters are great with porters or Stouts, so try them with a  Bell's Expedition Stout,Breckenridge Vanilla Porter or Tyranena Black Hawk Porter.

Get Them What They Love and More
If you’re lucky enough have plans with a beer-lover, take a little time, do a bit of research and you can come up with a gift with a different angle.  If your guy or gal has a favorite style or brand of beer, help them push the envelope and explore other, similar styles and types.  For example, if your sweetie’s favorite brew is a pilsner, like Miller Lite, make up a sampling package that includes other pilsners like Coors Light and Pilsner Urquell.  If he or she is into bocks or dopplebocks, open them up to other brands like Leinenkugel  1888 Bock, Lakefront Bock or Capital's seasonal Maibock..

As everyone continues to face this brutal cold spell I thought I would give everyone some choices for beer selections this weekend for the continuation of the NFL playoffs.

1. Think Spring- Choices are starting to pop up that signal the beginning of spring.  Leinenkugel's 1888 Bock is now avaible and it is simply a great bock beer.  Full of flavor and gives us hope that Spring will soon be here.  Other spring beers that are beginning to appear are Sam Adams White Ale, Lakefront Big Easy( a celebration of Mardi Gras), and Blue Moon Spring Ale.

2. Team choices-Pick a beer that represents the character of each team:

Arizona: To fit with their warm weather, Corona or Corona Light to give you that escape from the cold.

Phildelphia- To fit with their history, Sam Adams beers to go with the Brewer/Patriot that signed the Decleration of Independence

Baltimore: This one is a stretch, but the birthplace of Edgar Allen Poe-stick with dark beers to fit with his writing, look for Stouts( Murphy's,Beamish, Bells Kalamazoo Stout)), Porters( Tyranena Black Hawk Porter) would fit the bill.

Pittsburgh- To pair with the gritiness of the area of Pennsylvania-Pabst Blue Ribbon-a classic blue collar beer perfect to pair with the Steelers.

3. Your favorites:

Pair your favorite beer choice with some great appetizers and snacks for the 2 games this weekend

Enjoy the games.

Cheers

With the holidays upon us(along with the snow), I know everyone is looking for unique gift ideas for their family and friends.

Gift packages:

There are some great variety 12 packs featuring a selection of 3-4 different beers from different brewers.  A perfect gift for all occasions.  Blue Moon, Leinenkugel, Sam Adams, Point Brewery, Tyranena and Capital to name a few.

Put together your own beer gift pack by combining beer and glassware for a "bar" gift. 

Cooking with Beer:

There are a number of great cooking with beer books that have become availible.  Lucy Sanders has a couple that are great stocking stuffers for the beer fan/cook on your gift list.

Seasonal beers:

This time of year is great for a number of Holiday beers.  Here are a couple to sample for yourself or to give as gifts.  Leinenkugel Fireside Nut Brown Lager, Blue Moon Full Moon Winter Ale, Sierra Celebration Ale, Capital Winter Skal, and Lakefront Holiday Spice are a few of the favorites at the stores and bars and restaurants this month.

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to all.

Please let me know of other  beer related gifts you plan on giving or have received recently.  I will compile a list of the unique items in a later blog.

Cheers

Here is an offbeat recepie that you may want to try out for the upcoming thanksgiving. 

  I’ve used this technique with chicken too, but cooking turkey this way gives Thanksgiving dinner a whole new flavor.  In case you’re not familiar with the technique, I’ll give you the rundown:

Take a can of beer, either cut the top off or use a skewer to add a few additional steam holes near the top, add seasonings, carefully place the upright can inside the turkey (so the bird is balanced as if its standing on its legs), cook and ENJOY!  That may be slightly simplified, but that’s the concept.  The beer steams and seasons the turkey from the inside and adds excellent flavor.

Here’s a recipe from www.cooksrecipes.com to try out.  If you’re not sure about trying it at Thanksgiving with the whole family, try it with a whole chicken at another time.

Beer Can Turkey
1 (9 to 10 pound) whole turkey, thawed or fresh
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
12 to 24 ounces beer (Miller Genuine Draft,

• Remove giblets, neck and any excess fat from turkey. Rinse with cold water; drain well.

• In a small bowl combine spices, herbs and seasonings.

• Meanwhile, preheat gas grill with all burners on high or build a charcoal fire. Reduce heat to Indirect Medium heat (about 350ºF) or position gray-ashed briquettes on either side of an aluminum drip pan. Pour beer inside turkey sitter and set aside.

• Blot turkey dry with paper towels. Rub interior of bird with 2-3 teaspoons of rub mixture. Brush turkey all over with oil and place drumstick-side down on sitter. Season turkey Place turkey/sitter directly on the grill rack cooking grate, carefully balancing the bird.

• Grill over Indirect Medium heat for about 2-3 hours until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer registers 185 degrees F in thigh and 170 degrees F in breast. Wearing barbecue mitts, carefully remove turkey from the grill, being careful not to spill the hot beer. Discard the beer.

• Let turkey rest at least 20 minutes before carving. Serve warm.

Makes 12 servings.

NOTE: On some grills, lid may not close completely. In this case, a small gap will still allow turkey to grill thoroughly. For added safety, place foil over turkey to avoid contact with grill lid.

With the weather changing over to fall, there is no better time to enjoy the fall festivals than with beer.  October is a great month with a great selection of Octoberfest beers and other autumn beers.  This month you will also start to see the winter beers begin to appear.( Trust me I am in no rush for the snow and cold).  One great beer that you have to try for yourself is the Leinenkugel Fireside Nut Brown.  I had a chance to sample this beer before it's release and it is a great beer.  As you taste you will get hints of chocolate,caramel,maple and hazelnut.  This is one you have to sample for yourself and try and figure out what other flavors you pick up.  This beer will be a comfort when the weather turns cold.  Let me know your opinions of this new beer. 

Cheers

I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day holiday.  I know I enjoyed all the events that were in Waukesha over the weekend and seeing Bruce Springsteen play a marathon show on Saturday night. 

As we all recover from the roar of the Harleys, warm weather and the end of a very quick summer, I have to inform you that "Fall is Here".  I will try and keep that quiet.  With the flip of the calender to September it also indicates the beginning of the Octoberfest season for beer.  The Octoberfest traditon dates back to the original Octoberfest in Munich Germany in 1810 celebrating the marriage of Prince Ludwig.  That festival continues to be held in Munich every year and the guests on average consume 5.5 million liters of beer every year.

For us in Wisconsin, it is a celebration of the arrival of fall.  There are a lot of fall festivals that will be beginning shortly all across Southeast Wisconsin.  Here is a quick list of some of the great seasonal beers that have arrived or due to arrive shortly.

Leinenkugel Octoberfest

Blue Moon Pumpkin

Hacker Pschorr Octoberfest (Munich Germany)

Paulaner Octoberfest (Munich Germany)

Hofbrau Octoberfest (Munich Germany)

Sam Adams Octoberfest

Capital Brewery Octoberfest (Middleton Wisconsin)

Point Octoberfest (Stevens Point Wisconsin)

Lakefront Octoberfest (Milwaukee)

Bells Octoberfest (Michigan)

Tyranena Octoberfest (Lake Mills)

Great Lakes Octoberfest (Ohio)

Enjoy some of these great beers and let me know your favorite "fall" beer.

Cheers,

Dave

It is an intresting time for beer this summer.  Miller and Coors have combined to form Miller-Coors in the United States and announced the headquarters will be in Chicago.  The Miller brewery here in Milwaukee will be growing to be able to brew for all the increased volume.

InBev and Budweiser came to an agreement to have InBev take over and rename the company.  That is expected to happen by the end of the year so the largest American brewery will become Belgian owned.

Craft Beers continue to grow despite the state of the economy.  The Brewers association stating that thru June, sales were growing at 11% nationwide.

Schlitz has been reborn here in the greater Milwaukee area with the re-introduction of the original 60's "Gusto" receipe.  The demand continues to be high throughout the marketplace as customers are intrested in trying and sampling this new beer.

 What does this all mean?

It is a great time to enjoy beer with the changing landscape of beer.  Breweries are ranging in global in scale to new brew pubs and breweries entering the area.  Breweries are continuing to innovate with new products and packaging.  Great beer is continually being produced, new beer receipes are continuing to pop up from Beer and Ice cream to soups to marinades. 

By suggestion is to keep your eyes peeled for some of the intresting summer seasonals to try as summer is in full swing and to get ready for the number of great Octoberfest and fall beer styles that will be coming out very shortly.  Some of my personal favorites this August are

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy, Bells Oberon, Schlitz, Blue Moon Honey Moon Summer Ale, Pacifico, Ale Asylum Porter and Capital Brewery's new Rustic Ale.

Drop me a line to give me your favorites this month and I will compile the August favorites.

Cheers

With Memorial Day fast approaching,it's time to dust off your picnic baskets and coolers for the long weekend.  As with all holidays, beer can be a big part of the celebration whether it is pairing one with a favorite recepie or raising a pint with your buddies. 

Give this question some thought but e-mail me back with your list of your favorite beers(Limit to a top 10 list).  I will compile a readers list in a later blog.

Here is a quick list of some great seasonal beers that are just hitting the shelves:

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy

Blue Moon Honey Moon Summer Ale

Sam Adams Summer Ale

Point Nude Beach Summer Wheat(yes, that is the name)

Bells Oberon Ale

Lakefront Symphony- proceeds go to the Waukesha Symphony

Sierra Nevada Summerfest

and one new year round beer that has become my dad's new favorite beer:

Sam Adams Irish Red.

Enjoy the holiday and I look forward to your lists.

Cheers