by whit on January 4, 2012
When I was home for the holidays, I got to enjoy many of Kentucky’s finest beverages. There was bourbon, duh. There was also beer. Beer brewed in my hometown of Lexington, no less! One night I opened up the fridge before tucking into a few slices of pizza and this is what I found.
Kentucky Ale has been around since 2000. They make 3 beers, that’s it. This ale is a combination of an “English Pale Ale and Irish Red Ale” in style. It’s the perfect balance of a slightly richer, malty flavor hanging out in a lighter texture. Good chilly weather beer without the heaviness.
On their website, the Kentucky Ale folks write that the “unique body and character of Kentucky Ale is heavily influenced by the water, drawn from aquifers in the limestone rock underlying the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky.” Okay then. Sounds good to me!
There’s ANOTHER brewery set to open any day now in Lexington too! It’s called West 6th Brewing and I can’t wait to check them out when I’m back home. So proud of my peoples!
by whit on December 13, 2011
I never told you how my friend Corey’s inaugural beer making adventure ended up! Well, let’s do that now, shall we? Back in June, he finally got to work on the “Everyday IPA” kit from Brooklyn Brew Shop that I got him for Christmas.
He tucked into a tall glass of his suds finally after waiting a month for it to get good and fermented- “one month of painful waiting.”
Was he pleased with the results of his hard work and patient waiting??
“It was on the lighter side compared to other IPA’s I’d tried. Not as hoppy. It definitely had a kick to it though. Three sips in and I could feel my face warming up. It had fruity notes- apple being the most dominant. Perfect for the colder months…[it] turned out to be a little flat…tasted great, but was lacking its fizzyness.”
OK- so it wasn’t GREAT, but a pretty good first effort it seems. He says, “I’m planning to give it another go very soon and everybody is invited to try it. PARTY!” You guys, I think we should DEFINITELY take him up on the offer and show up at his house. I’ll send out an Evite in the coming months.
PS- the name of this first beer? “Gyrator Creator IPA.” Quite right.
by whit on December 7, 2011
This is how the love affair began, on a blind date one rainy Sunday afternoon…
Then we met again. It felt like it had been an eternity. 
Twitter was abuzz with “What’s wild ale?”and “Tell me more about this wild ale you speak of!” OK…it was 2 people. But still, I’m here to answer you folks!
My “gateway drug” into this world of wild and crazy sour suds was, as tweeted, Pasadena’s Craftsman Brewing and their Angelino Weisse. Since then, I can’t get enough! Officially OBSESSED. Mohawk Bend in Echo Park has it on tap, at least they have for the past few weeks. My waitress said they usually try to have some kind of wild ale on the list at all times. So, what in the heck is American Wild Ale? The one I had was incredibly refreshing, tart, and a little effervescent. I can tell you that much for sure. And it was served in a tulip shaped glass not unlike the one pictured below.
(Photo source)
I took a look at my handy dandy reference material on all things beer, The Naked Pint, and this is what Hallie and Christina have to say about AWA:
“This beer’s for you if you like: Riding American hogs on the open highway. Innovation. Experimentation. A renegade spirit. Rare beers. Limited quantities and numbered bottles.”
Indeed! Indeed. They go on to say that these ales are made using any kind of wild fermentation (saccharomyces, brettanomyces, lactobacillus, pediococcus and other wild yeast and bacteria) and also “barrel-aging and other advanced souring techniques.” These beers are “definitely influenced by Belgian ales and can be similar in style to any sour beer. But because sour beer styles like Lambics, Gueuze and Berliner Weisse traditionally carry the style name that reflects their region of origin and specific ingredients, many American-made sour beers are grouped into a vaguely defined category called Amercian Wild Ales.” They also have limited releases and are made in small quantities. Thusly, my obsession grows.
They won’t always be as light and lovely as the Craftsman Angelino Weisse. AWA’s can most definitely venture into darker, funkier territory and I can’t wait to explore! If you too are eager to explore, here’s a freaking FANTASTIC list of almost every one out there.
Have I mentioned I am in a bit of a beer phase? Well, I am. I don’t know what’s gotten into me! But, I don’t really care. I am quite pleased with this current fascination. I’m reading The Naked Pint, walking down to Beer Bar more often than I should and sort of neglecting my wine cellar (sorry guys)(but not for long!). When I decided to fire up my grill for the first time, I went down to Silverlake Wine to pick up some beers for a little tasting of sorts. Because, really, what else could make a perfect sunny day with grilled meats any more perfect?
The Bruery‘s Saison Rue. Brewed with rye and…brettanomyces. Brett! On purpose! Wine lovers everywhere gasp. It was delicious. Not my favorite Bruery bottling I’ve ever had, but everything they make is pretty freaking great. Would be interesting to see how this beer is in another year or so. Never thought about cellaring a beer before, but The Bruery encourages it for this particular beer.
Koshihikari Echigo beer. Kind of like Kirin. It’s made with Koshihikari rice and malt from Niigata’s first microbrewery. It’s a “gulp it on a hot day without thinking about it” kind of beer. Nothing mind-blowing here.
I’ve heard about Moose Drool (I mean, how can you not pay attention to such a name?) and always wanted to give it a try. I’m not much of a brown ale kind of gal. And I’m still not. Big ups to Missoula though! And the people with the balls to name their beer after an animal’s saliva.
As the sun was setting, we got down to some eating with the Saison Rue as our beer of choice. Hot dogs, grilled corn, sweet potato fries. Summer- I’m ready for you. I’ve prepared. I’m certainly getting this whole beer drinking thing down.
