Hop Amigo

A blog for all things beer! My 2-cents on the beer world and its connections to the real world. I am a Prud'Homme Beer Sommelier with deep interest in the world of beer! Comments are my own. Quirkiness and all!

[hopamigo]

Beer and Cheese pairing

Before we begin, these are just guidelines! 

This is one of those things like dessert and beer pairings that you have to try for yourself as I cannot tell your taste buds how to taste! This is a personal experience designed to enlighten and no specific beer names or cheese brands will be included in this post. Rather I provide you the best pairing categories I have personally experienced and that I highly encourage you to try:

Some recommendations for pairings below: 1C 2A 3D 4E and 4J 5A 6G 7B and 7F 8H 9I and 9J 10 and A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J (you get my drift ... try them all!)

Why not play a little game? Take 10 little pieces of paper and label 1 to 10. Then take 10 more little pieces of paper and label them A to J. Pick two random pieces from each pile and match them to the beer style and cheese styles above. Then prepare your taste buds to a wonderful experience.

Carbonation of beer is perfect to cut though the creaminess of cheese and bitterness of hops serves to cleanse some of the stronger cheese styles (let’s see wine do that!). You would be surprised how some beer sweetness and fruit profiles contrast against the saltiness of some cheeses to create a wonderful experience.

I am no cheese expert so I had to find a little help on the interwebs to describe cheese flavors. You can find some good notes at www.cheesenotes.com. 

Stay Crafty!

[hopamigo]

Hungry Brew Hops

What a wonderful place! Tucked away on Main Street in Newmarket, Ontario Hungry Brew Hops, a precious gem for craft beer drinkers, was under my nose all along.

The back of the restaurant showcases a big black wall with big maple tree branches drawn in white chalk. The idea of this design is to show the Ale, Lager and Hybrid beer "family tree". I am still debating whether Hybrid is a good word to categorize beer styles that do not fit the Ale or Lager category. So it immediately became a topic of conversation while we enjoyed the place. 

A very curious restaurant decoration includes a bank vault door which is close to the kitchen in an isolated part of the restaurant. Excellent idea and design! Adds a flare of mystery to this area and would be perfect to host a small beer dinner. I wonder if the restaurant would accommodate a special beer dinner of my design? I would love to host one in this little nook! The wooden door you see on the right side leads straight into the kitchen and the area can be close off by curtains to keep the illusion alive.

Beer menu was very well designed. At the top their signature craft beer (local of course) followed by many other local and international draft choices in 33 separate taps!

They also had a great bottle selection to choose from with nice and simple descriptions of their profile which made it very easy to follow. There is also a section for wine lovers at the bottom, although the beer selection is more than adequate to convert a few non-beer-livers to a new world.

The restaurant was quite full on quiet Sunday afternoon which was surprising. The design was elegant and well lit up. The front had a bar area where people could enjoy a nice hockey game while having their favourite craft brew. 

With started our lunch with a couple of German Dunkels which were beautifully poured.

To finish off my lunch I had an all time favourite of mine: Beau’s Lug Tread. What do I like most about it you ask? definitely its white bread taste profile and how easy it goes down. Cheers!

As I mentioned, they have 21 rotating taps and additional taps for the signature beers. All nice and neat and well labelled. I wonder what their fridge looks like?

Overall, I love it! All around beer theme without losing its elegant touch. A great selection of beer and plenty of dishes to pair with your brew of choice.

Stay crafty!

[hopamigo]

A New Look - Bogota Beer Company

Perhaps I may have been a bit harsh on Bogota Beer Company (BBC) based on my latest post about them. But I had good reason to point out some of their minuscule flaws and I am glad a company like this actually takes proactive steps to correct and listen to their consumers. 

One of the biggest changes was their labeling back in October 2014 as it effectively changed their marketing campaigns and directed them to educate consumers more about beer culture. They kept their design clean and simple removing the excessive wording they once had. 

Their new brewery shows examples of how they new bottles look. 

As for my less-than-kind comment about harvesting stats to put awards on labels, I am glad they removed in the end. I think this is better conveyed on their website and BBC is proud of this by dedicating its own page to it (and they should be). Personally, I always thought it was misleading to consumers as there is plenty of competition out there with great beers.

Last but not least I am giving them the Hop Amigo seal of approval (not yet patented) for the great performance of their seasonal beer Bacata Blanca, a Belgian Weizen with a sweet citric nose (like mandarin) and creamy white head followed by a refreshing and subtle citric taste like an orange peel and a short lasting bitterness similar to that of biting the orange peel. This particular day I had the privilege of having a pitcher of their draught which was as fresh as it could be. The lacing was just gorgeous, see for yourself!

Stay Crafty!

[hopamigo]

Trip to Colombia - Part 4/4

For my last bit of the 4 part series of posts of my Colombia trip I thought I would keep it simple and give a well deserved honorable mention to a great local beer brand I had the chance to taste: Apostol

I did not ever imagine Belgian tradition would translate so well in a country like Colombia. As you can see I had the chance to taste their Weizen, Marzen, Dubbel and Bock styles with very pleasant results. One thing I am going to pick at from this brand is the excessive amount of carbonation in their beers which at times was overwhelmingly prickly even after letting the beer warm up a bit in my hands. 

I understand Weizen is one of those styles that will contain a fair bit of carbonation and explode in your mouth so I am not going to pick at it. However, the other styles of this particular brand I would recommend you serve in a glass to release some of the built up carbonation.

I really hope styles like this stick around for a while in Colombia.

Stay Crafty! 

[hopamigo]

Gentleman's Expo 2014

The Gentleman’s Expo was hosted this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday November 14 to 16 in the Metro Toronto Convention Center. This years event had increased attendance and wider variety of stands that increased the overall time a person would spend in the event compared to last year.

There were not as many freebies out there for the $30 entry fee and the 6 "free" drink tokens were not a deal at all as this year some stands were asking for 2 or 3 for a mere sample (FYI 1 token = $1). One token should be one drink sample. Adjust your sample size and not your prize per sample! A lot of people felt cheated.

The Hop Amigo focus is on the beer side of the event so I have shared a few pictures for your viewing pleasure. The definite winner this year was Samuel Adams who showcased their Fat Jack pumpkin ale. What a delicious treat!

An overview of some of the breweries that showed up as follows: Samuel Adams Double Trouble Brewing Innis & Gunn Melvills Rickard's Dos Equis Steam Whistle Nickelbrook Brewery Kronengbourg Mill Street Brewery

And more ...

Overall, the event was highly entertaining and I personally enjoyed the 4 hours spent there. The variety of stands and topics kept me coming for more every time. One thing I would pick at is the poor choice of costumes chosen for models of a certain stand (that will remain unnamed). It completely cheapened the atmosphere of the event. It is a "gentleman's" event and not a porn convention.

Stay crafty!

[hopamigo]

Trip to Colombia - Part 3 / 4

Getting back to my blog posting self, I thought I would share with you the remaining set of photos that have been stuck in my "drafts" for a long time. This post in honour of the Colombia beer market which I found to be somewhat evolved from 10+ years ago.

I took close attention to beer brands and styles available nowadays with a very interesting mix of local, macro brews, craft brews as well as some well established imports.

From the picture below we see Poker brewed by Cerveceria Bavaria (now owned by SAB Miller) which I consider a generic macro brewery pale lager; Club Colombia also brewed by Cerveceria Bavaria and considered an export quality line with its surprisingly well brewed pale lager and schwarzbier. In this picture also the well known Italian brand Peroni and the Belgian Stella Artois.

Then I moved on to the import with some interesting picks. Mind you this was a supermarket not a liquor store of any sort. We start at the top with Paulaner a German hefe-wiesbeir, Royal Dutch a Dutch pale lager, Bitburger a German premium pilsner, Miller Genuine Draft a North American pale lager, Köstritzer a German schwarzbier, Corona Extra a Mexican pale lager, Liefsmans Fruitesse a Belgian fruit beer, Paulaner non-alcoholic a German hefe-wiesbeir, Bud Light an American light lager, St. Paul Blonde a Belgian Ale, Budweiser an American lager and Presidente a pale lager.

So far lagers seem to be dominating the market with only a few interesting choices: a hefe-weisbier, fruit beer and a schwarzbier.

As you can see the beer, wines and liquor sections are cleverly intertwined into one big liquor section. I wish I had taken a full picture of this section as beer is only 10% of the whole aisle.

Let's proceed to the macro breweries section with brands such as Aguila a pale lager that dominates the beer market. Followed by a small yet growing craft beer section at the bottom. By far one the pictures that best represents the Colombian market right now.

And there we have it, the Colombian craft beer section! Very small, but powerful with brands such Bogota Beer Company that brews 11 different styles including ones of the tastiest porters I have tasted, 3 Cordilleras that brews 5 styles of craft beer and Apostol that brews about 7 styles. These 3 main craft brewers represent less than 1% of craft breweries in Colombia but this number grows every day.

So there you have it, a brief breakdown of a what a typical beer section in Colombia looks like.

Still a lager dominated market but starting to expand its beer palate.

Stay Crafty!

[hopamigo]

Craft Beer in Colombia - The Journey Begins! (Part 2/2)

In continuation of my previous post about craft beer in Colombia I would like to finalize a few of my thoughts with the help of a very interesting article found online. A very comprehensive and well-written account of the "Colombian Beer History" by Ricardo Plano Danais is summarize below. The original article is in Spanish, so if you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me. By no means is this a complete account so I encourage you to help Ricardo build upon his publication if you come across any helpful information. I do not intend to take credit for Ricardo's or anyone's work. My intention is only to show that Colombia has a not-so-brief and rich beer history. From 1820's to 1895: The earliest account of beer in Colombia begins in the 1820's with the arrival of European immigrants. * 1820's - J. Meyer - opens brewing operations in Bogota until assassinated in 1931. * 1840's 1841 - Brewery founded by Mr. Francisco Stevenel 1845 - Brewery founded by Samuel Sayer * 1860's 1868 - "Fabrica de Cervezas Cuervo" is founded by Angel Cuervo. Later in 1871 famous linguist and philologist Rufino Jose Cuervo formally joins the brewery. The brewery exchanges owners a couple of times ending with the name "Cerveceria Rey Gambrinus" and eventually closes in 1914. 1869 - "Cerveceria de Jose Delfino Labole" is founded * 1970's 1878 - "Ceverceria Otalora" is founded 1875 - "Cerveceria Colon" is founded by Gonzalo Velez Restrepo 1875 - "Cerveceria Aguila" is founded by Julio Fernando Flores 1876 - "Cerveceria Restrepo y Arango" is founded by Julio Restrepo 1876 - "Cerveceria de Pablo y Eduardo Nichols" is built by Vicente and Pastor Restrepo for the Nicholls brothers - brewing license obtained from English brewery Lockwood Brewery * 1980's 1881 - "Cerverceria de Vicente Pastor Restrepo" is founded by Vicente Pastor Restrepo - brewing license obtained from English brewery Lockwood Brewery 1881 - "Cerveceria Cuervo" is founded by Julio Fernando Flores 1882 - "Cerveceria de Restrepo y Villa" is founded 1882 - "Fabrica de Cervezas Murillo" is founded by Colombian pianist, flutist, composer of Colombian Nationalism Emilio Murillo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHmpSX7qWrk) who produced a beer called "Maizola" made out of corn (most likely as an adjunct). The brewery was later closed in 1916. 1885-1889 - "Cerveceria Alemana Kopp y Cia." founded by Emile Kopp (brother of Leo Kopp) which in 1891 becomes "Cerveceria Escallon, Hurtado, Uribe y Cia" after Emile Kopp sells its interest in the company and moves to Bogota. 1885 - "Compañia Productora de Bogota" is founded with its name later changed to "Cerveceria Inglesa". In 1895, the brewery is bought by Leo Kopp (first brewery purchased by Bavaria) and called "Tivoli Kopp's Bogota" which later closed in 1914. 1887 - "Cerveceria la Esperanza" is founded by Christian Peter Clausen From 1895 to 1930: We start to see the effects of the industrial revolution over industrial processes and technologies in Colombia which naturally transferred to the beer industry like many other countries in the world. It is around this time various breweries are built and which later become important in the development of Bavaria, one of the oldest and most influential breweries in Colombia. * 1890's 1890 - "Cerveceria de Eduardo Nicholls" is founded by Eduardo Nicholls - brewing license obtained from English brewery Lockwood Brewery 1890 - "Cerveceria la Colombiana" is founded by Julio Fernando Flores 1890 - "Bavaria Kopp's Deutsche Brauerei" which roughly translates Bavaria Brewery of German Beer is founded by Leo Kopp, Jacob Kopp, and Ludving Kopp. This brewery later becomes one of the oldest and most influential breweries in Colombia at some point owning barley crops and a coal mine to reduce costs of production. It is at this point the war against the fermented beverages like 'Chicha' and 'Guarapo' begins. 1892-1895 - "Cerveceria Tamayo" is founded by Jose Antonio Tamayo which later closed in 1957. This brewery could be considered the first instance of a modern brewery in Colombia. 1893 - "Cerveceria La Violeta" is founded by Juan Jose Valderrama. This brewery held the title of oldest brewery still in production in Colombia until 2001 when it closed its door. 1895 - "Cerverceria de Velez Hermanos" is founded. 1896 - within this decade a number of other breweries opened"  -"Lino Casas" - "Fabrica de Cervezas la Camelia Blanca" - "Gran Fabrica de Cervezas la Mirla Blanca" - "Granada" - "Burton on Trent" - "Landines" - "Baquero y la Torre" - "Cerveceria de Manuel Maria Narvaez" - "Cerveceria de Pacho Ortega" - "Cerveceria de Jose Ramirez" - "Quijano" - "La Legitimidad" - "La Bogotana" * 1900's 1904 - "Cerveceria El Toro" is founded by Francisco Luis Velasquez. It was later closed in 1968. 1905 - "Cerveceria Boliviar" aka " The Walters Brewing and Ice Making Co." of english origin is founded and later acquired by Luis Enrique Pochet 1906 - "Germania Fabrica de Cervezas Alemana de Rudolf Kohn & Cia" is founded by Bavaria's brewmaster Rudolf Kohn who left Bavaria after having various misunderstandings with the Leo Koop. It soon becomes one of the strongest competitors of Bavaria. Rudolf passed away on 1935 and Bavaria later acquired ownership from its heirs. 1912 - "Cerveceria Santander de Cucuta" is founded by Marcelo Acuña, Rene Tronconis and Gregorio Rodriguez. 1913 - "Cerverceria Barranquilla" is founded and released a beer called "El Aguila" which later becomes the largest selling beer in the country. * 1920's 1922 - "Cerveceria Libertad" is founded and quickly ended in 1925. 1925 - various breweries began operations: "Cerveceria Nacional" is founded and later closed in 1935. "Cerveceria Alemana" is founded by Federico Stake "Cerveceria Baviera" is founded by Jose Stangl 1926-1928 - "La Colombiana de Cervezas" is founded and released a beer called "Poker" which is still sold to this date by Bavaria. 1927 - "Sociedad Cerveceria de Honda S.A" is founded 1928 - "Cerveceria de Magdalena" is founded by Pedro Manuel Davilla and Pedro Maria Hernadez. From 1930 to 1959 At this point in time we begin to see the consolidation of smaller breweries due the fierce competition. We also begin to see the demise of smaller operations due to various changes in the economy and changes in political climates throughout the world (i.e. World War 2). As soon as Holand was invaded by Nazi Germany, the United States demanded of Colombia 100% national ownership of major industries as Colombia's proximity to the Panama Canal could spell trouble to the war effort. At this pivotal point in time major breweries become 100% national industries. * 1930's 1930 - "Consorcio de Cervecerias Bavaria S.A" is formed through the amalgamation of the following: 1) "Cerveceria Alemana Los Andes" (1922) founded by Hernando Caicedo 2) "Cerveceria Colombia" (1925) founded by Teodoro Gathman and Agustino Thulesius. 3) "Cerveceria Continental de Medellin" which was composed of a group of breweries "Cerveceria de Bogota", "Cerveceria de Pereira" and "Cerveceria de Barranquilla" 4) "Bavaria Bogota" whose majority shareholder was a dutch company "Handel en Industrie Maatschppij" with headquarters in Amsterdam. The first and second breweries combined to facilitate the purchase and acquisition of the conglomerate initially created by the third and fourth breweries to become the most important company of the country with factories in 7 different cities. 1930 - "Cerveceria Union S.A (Cervounion)" is formed though the amalgamation of "Cerveceria Antioqueña Consolidada de Itagui" and "Cerveceria Libertad" which shares a piece of the market with the powerful conglomerate. 1930 - "Cerveceria Nueva de Cucuta" is founded in 1931 and was amalgamated with "Cerveceria Santander" creating " Cerveceria Nueva de Cucuta S.A." 1933 - "Cerveceria de Bolivar" and "Cerveceria de Barranquilla" are in a dire economic situation and are sold to Mario Santo Domingo who acquires all land, buildings and rights forming "Cervecerias Barranquilla y Bolivar S.A" who manufacture a beer called "Aguila" and which later becomes the best selling beer in Colombia. 1939 - "Industrias Apolo" is founded by Luis Arturo Rojas. It was later closed to 1964. * 1940's 1945 - "Cerveceria Andina S.A" is founded by David and Ernesto Puyana. This brewery becomes the second largest brewery and competitor of Bavaria. * 1950's 1957 - "Cerveceria Colombo-Alemana" is founded by Ernesto Wersin with the help of German brewery Weiget-Brau. 1959 - The Bavaria conglomerate is officially named "Bavaria S.A" From 1960's through to 1990's Bavaria continues its acquisition of other smaller breweries in Colombia effectively becoming the largest conglomerate of breweries in the country with no rivals. To successfully achieve its 100% dominance it allowed many small brewing operations to operate independently to prevent anti-monopoly laws from kicking-in and maintain brand loyalty. Additionally, the Bavaria conglomerate actively invested in other markets such as USA in which it tried to introduce 3 different import quality beer brands (did not work out) as well as investing in a well known hop extract company in the Yakima valley (Hops Extract Corporation of America). It also invested in breweries in Ecuador and Portugal. All investments at this time were an effort to modernize and improve the logistical aspects of the company. From 1990's to present - Bavaria 1992 - "Cerveceria Leona S.A" is founded by Ardila Lule, owner of the second largest company in Colombia (Postobon) leader of the soft-drink market. Due to high costs of raw materials (in dollars) Ardila Lule agreed to sell 44% ownership of Cerveceria Leona in 2000 to Bavaria. 2001-2004 - Bavaria closes many of it operations in order to consolidate its costs and eliminate duplication of its processes. By 2004 GEB (Grupo Empresarial Bavaria) is the main brewery in Colombia (99.99%), Ecuador (90%+), Panama (90%+) and Peru (40%+), the second largest brewery in South America and the 10th biggest in the world. 2005 - SAB-Miller group acquires 100% ownership in Bavaria and completely revamps the company's image and processes. Among its many changes, the SAB-Miller group introduced a red ale which had never existed in Colombia before, marketing was modernized and gave access to Bavaria to an international market. 1994-to present - the rise of nano and micro breweries in Colombia The following is a list of known nano and micro breweries listed from smallest to biggest in terms of annual hectoliter production:

Cerveceria Don Isauro (2011 - ???) - 3 HL Uno Entre Mil (2010 - ???) - 4 HL Cerveceria Chela (2011 - ???) 4 HL Cervecerai Yggdrassil (2009 - ???) - 6 HL Cerveceria Nottingham (2010 - ???) - 6 HL Cerveceria Otraparte (1995 - 2010) - 10 HL Cerveza Artesanal Nilo (2011 - ???) - 10 HL Cerveceria San Bernardo S.A.S (2013 - ???) - 10 HL Cerveza Artesanal Montañera (2012 - ???) - 15 HL D'ancestros (2012 - ???) - 20 HL Equipos Insumos Cerveceros (2011 - ???) - 25 HL Cerveceria Artesanal San Carlos (2012 - ???) - 25 HL Casa Suarez (2008 - ???) - 30 HL Cerveceria Artesana S.A.S (2011 - ???) - 30 HL Cavanso (2007 - 2010) - 48 HL Dixon Brewery (2002 - 2005) - 50 HL Valla Verde Cerveza Artesanal (2009 - ???) - 50 HL Cerveceria Bremen (2013 - ???) - 50 HL Cerveza Andina (2008 - ???) - 52 HL Cerveceria La Sabana (2008 - ???) - 60 HL Alexander Brewing Co. (2012 - ???) - 60 HL Cerveceria Artesanal Sabaneta S.A.S (2010 - ???) - 72 HL Fomeque Compañia Cervecera (2011 - ???) 85 HL Cerveceria Artesanal Holy Water Ale (2011 - ???) - 96 HL Buitrago Beer (2012 - ???) - 96 HL Beer Lab Brewery (2007 - ???) - 100 HL Mr. Coqui Restaurante Bar / Beer Factory (2008 - ???) - 100 HL Cerveceria Moonshine (2013 - ???) - 100 HL Cerveceria Estatua Roja (2013 - ???) - 120 HL Beer and Meat Pub House (2013 - ???) - 140 HL Cerveceria Gose Pagano (2011 - ???) - 180 HL Restaurante Pub La Pinta (2012 - ???) - 180 HL Cerveceria Bruvet (2013 - ???) - 216 HL La Casa de la Cerveza (1995 - 2010) - 240 HL Pitia Beer Pub (2004 - 2011) - 240 HL Cercveza de Barril (2009 - ???) - 240 HL Bier Krug (2009 - ???) - 250 HL Ales & Lagers (2009 - ???) - 250 HL Cerveceria Artesanal de los Andes (2010 - ???) - 250 HL Licorera Española (2010 - ???) - 250 HL Bodegas Santa Lucia (2010 - ???) - 250 HL Cerveza Artesanal Premium Magnus (2012 - ???) - 250 HL Cerveza Artesanal Demao's (2010 - ???) - 300 HL Cerveceria La Caleruna S.A.S (2012 - ???) - 300 HL 1516 Brewing Company S.A.S - (2010 - ???) - 310 HL Zanguelis Cerveceria (2009 - ???) - 350 HL Chicamocha Premium Beer (2010 - ???) - 360 HL Cerveceria Artesanal Juana Morena Ltda. (2005 - 2011) - 480 HL Cerveza Artesanal Grupo Brumar S.A.S (2009 - ???) - 500 HL Triangulo Empresarial S.A.S (2010 - ???) - 500 HL Colombian Beers Ltd. (2008 - ???) - 720 HL Chelarte Casa Cervecera (2012 - ???) - 720 HL Restaurante Cerveceria Edelweiss (2007) - 800 HL Cervecera Pijao S.A.S (2010 - ???) - 800 HL Empresa de Licores de Boyaca S.A. (2011 - ???) - 1,000 HL Cerveceria Nuevo Mundo (2010 - ???) - 1,200 HL Cerveceria Ciudad Blanca (2009 - 2011) - 1,300 HL Indeutco S.A.S Cerveceria Artesanal (2010 - ???) - 1,600 HL Cerveceria Artesanal de Colombia S.A.S (2010 - ???) - 2,500 HL Artesana Beer Company (2008) - 3,800 HL Industrial de Cervezas y Bebidas S.A. (2009 - ???) - 3,800 HL Cerveceria Colon S.A. (1997 - 2004) - 4,000 HL Cerveceria BBC S.A. (2002 - ???) - 40,000 HL

Similar to the North American market there has been a craft beer boom still in its infancy in Colombia and Ricardo's findings summarized above prove there is a huge unexplored market that has just recently taken the interest of entrepreneurs.

As I had stated before, education will become key for sustainable growth and it should become synonym to increased moderation and quality in the beer industry from the start.

Stay Crafty!

[hopamigo]

Hopamigo turned 1 today!

Yay!

Stay crafty!

[hopamigo]

Trip to Colombia - Part 2 / 4

In my February 12, 2014 posting you may have noticed a few pictures of a small brewing operation in Colombia so I thought it would be a great continuation for this series of posts on the Colombia craft beer scene.

In my travels I was recommended a fascinating little German nook in Cajica about an hour away from Bogota called: Edelweiss Cajica. The name Edelweiss (Edelweiß) relates to a flower which is a symbol for alpinism and which represents rugged beauty and purity associated with the Alps and that literally translates to "noble-white". As the legend goes, such a flower was offered to ask for a woman's hand in marriage in Bavaria (southern Germany).

Given the symbolism attached to this flower and its ties with the Alps it became a well known symbol with hunters and lumberjacks who established traditions rooted in comradery and gatherings. Every sixth or seventh day they would begin their gatherings with a loud cheer "ein, zweis, gsuffa"

What an aptly named place!

The first few steps into the brew-restaurant reveals a gorgeous garden and beer patio with the restaurant's name displayed in a big olive green sign. This was part of the restaurant was an expansion that had been done about 6 years ago since the restaurant used to be no more than a small farm house.

Our server immediately and cheerfully welcomed us into the restaurant in his traditional German lederhosen. The attention to detail to this little German nook impressed me a lot and we had not even entered the restaurant yet!

We asked for a small tour of the not-so-small restaurant and brewery which was given by our server and the cook! They showed us a beer tank specifically designed for big events labelled with the restaurants name. In many of the beer festivals I have been I have never seen such a tank so this was surprise!

I had a chance to snap a brief picture of the brewery which I have already presented to you in my February 12, 2014 posting. But I was so mesmerized at the beauty of this room I forgot to snatch a few more pictures.

As soon as you come into the restaurant you stumble upon this curious little platypus-looking little monster encased in plexi glass. I have no idea what the deal is with this but I found it amusing! Its name is the Woibbadinga and its probably related to German folklore so any comments on what it means would be greatly appreciated (there's websites out there that talk about it, but they are in German)

First pint of the afternoon, a Dunkelweizen style beer.

I used to envy all those people that have gone to Germany for beer tasting trips or for Oktoberfest in Germany because I have never had a chance to do that myself. But I have nothing to envy anymore! People always told me German beer was different somehow; smoother, mellow, yet full of character. I never understood until this beauty hit my lips!

The beer was a deep mahogany brown color with a long-lasting 2 finger eggshell brown head. Aroma had slightly sweet bready character mixed with some bananas. Hop aroma was flowery and extremely well balanced with the ever-so-light sweetness of the malt. The taste followed the nose with a refreshing medium to full mouthfeel. This beer fit in this style category perfectly!

Since this is Colombia we decided to pair this beer with Merengon dessert offered on the menu. Merengon is a common dessert in Colombia comprised of hardened merengue and cream. Edelweiss twist on this dessert option was the addition of beer ice cream, gooseberries, strawberries and papaya which complemented the beers sweetness quite nicely. Sometimes the sweetness of this dessert can be overwhelming but the beer carbonation really helped cut through it. The strawberries acidity worked wonderfully to contrast with the sweetness of the beer.

Next up on my beer list, a Vienna Lagger!

The beer was a deep golden colour with a large white head that remained throughout. Aroma had a gentle toasty quality with very subtle flowery hops. Taste was slightly more balanced towards the sweet malt base with no significant hop bitterness. The beer was crisp but not prickly remaining extremely refreshing throughout. I totally hit the jackpot that day!

By this pint our other dishes had arrived to the table. What better way to pair this beer than with a Kartoffelpuffen (potato croquettes with apple puré) and 2 kinds of German sausage prepared on-site: Thuringer (pork sausage with herbs) and Weisswurst (calf). You can just imagine the amazing contrast between the croquettes and apple sauce with the beer!

The wonderful food and drink was pleasantly accompanied by a musician who played German classics as well as adaptations of Colombian classics. The atmosphere here was full of warmth, good vibrations and conversation!

The restaurant is wonderfully decorated in a traditional German style with 2 floors and plenty of light.

And no Colombo-German restaurant would go without shining its colours (both German and Colombian)

Strangely enough the owners decided they never wanted to commercialize their beers by bottling and selling outside the restaurant. Their goal was to bring a piece of Germany to Colombia and they have pulled this off wonderfully!

I have absolutely no doubt their beers are brewed under the purity law of 1516 (a.k.a. Reinheitsgebot) and you immediately get a sense of the craftmanship and quality that went into designing their beers.

Thank you Werner, Francina y Álvaro Wagner for this piece of German heaven in Colombia!

Stay Crafty!

[hopamigo]

Trip to Colombia - Part 1 / 4

Some of you may have noticed a delay in my blog postings, but there is a good reason for it. I had to leave my posting plans half baked and I just hate that! So in the next few weeks I'll be playing the catch-up game (in particular my off-flavours comprehensive guide and Beer Style Guide!)

Since the beginning of the month I went back to the homeland (Bogota, Colombia) for a quick visit and just got back about a week ago. My trip was mostly due to family reasons with definite second intentions to experience the craft beer scene first hand. Boy was I pleasantly surprised!

Some of you may have read my February 12, 2014 posting where I give you a very general overview of the Colombian market. So my goal for this series of posts is to present my personal findings and comments to you!

My first visit for craft beer in Colombia: Bogota Beer Company. This particular location was in front a Centro Comercial Andino in one of Bogota's hot spots for tourism and party scenes. This particular day was a Friday night which may not have been the best time to truly enjoy their beers so I'll try to be gentle on my findings.

As you can see from the menu, there were many style offerings available on draught, including a Kolsch, a Honey Ale, a Red Ale, a Porter, a Witbier, an IPA, an Abbey single (Belgian ale) and a Strong Ale.

There were other style offerings such as a stout and an abbey single (Belgian Ale) offered in bottle.

When presented with so many choices, of course I am going to want to try them all! so we asked our trusty server to bring us some samples. I was immediately disappointed when the samples came in plastic cups only filed half way through (approximately 2 oz or less).

I don't think the concept of a sampler has reached Colombia yet. I would have been totally fine paying for six glasses filed with 6oz. of each beer style available. The plastics cups did nothing for the head retention or to properly showcase the beer styles aromas and taste. After tasting I would have gladly paid for a couple more pints of the ones I liked the most. Missed opportunity anyone?

To be fair it was a busy night and I was grateful to find seats for a group of 7+ inside the pub within 20 minutes. We sat down and I immediately noticed a sign reading "Breathe freely, this is a space free of tobacco smoke". I call shananigans on this!

The patio was crowded and filed with smokers which is fine. But leaving the pub door open for the smoke to get in made the inside of the pub feel stuffy and totally ruined the atmosphere. To me it felt just like the local watering hole and not an established craft beer giant. Oh well I had to make the best of it!

Since I was the beer geekiest, it was my responsibility to choose what we were drinking that night so I chose a 3 liter giraffe of Monserrate Roja (English Pale Ale as they call it). The server did a good job at serving the beer; good clean serves all around so a tip of the hat to you sir! But as you can see they have the horrible habit of stacking glasses which just damages the glasses and can harvest bacteria.

We ended our night early with only one pint each under our belt. For shame! I was ready for many more pints but clearly this was not our night.

The waiters/waitresses knowledge of the beer offerings was decent but could improve! They might have been new so I'm not about to lose my patience over beer. What kind of pissed me off was various servers completely ignoring my requests 5 times! I was recommended their seasonal Zipaquira Abadia (Belgian Ale) which was not available in draught so they suggested the bottle. After the 5th try of asking for the bottle I somehow ended with a lager style beer bottle which they charged as a full pint. A pint is not a bottle! (unless its a big bottle).

Again, Friday might not have been a good day to visit the one brew-pub I really wanted to have a good impression of. I guess I shall try again!

My only consolation at this point was to go out and buy the BBC beers myself to taste. So the next day I picked 4 of the most popular ones available in supermarket chains. My brief tasting notes as follows:

Candelaria Clasica (Kolsch) 8 / 10 Pale golden colour with low head retention. Light fruity aroma mixed with a slight bready sweetness. Taste had a slight citrusy undertone with low bitterness. This beer definitely stayed true to its style which is very hard to accomplish nowadays. Cajica Honey Ale (Honey Ale) 6/10 Light golden colour with low head retention. A definite honey like aroma is present from the start mixed in with bready malts.The taste is only slightly sweeter than the nose promises. It was an interesting beer but the taste was weak and somehow artificial to me. Monserrate Roja (Red Ale) 6/10 Light copper colour with a good 2 finger head that lingered for a bit. Some citrusy hops balanced by a caramel malt base like bread crust. It had a particular earthy character to me, a subtle bark-like or mushrooms taste. An interesting beer mixing American hops with an English malt character. Chapinero Porter (English Porter) 9/10 Dark brown colour with a good 2 finger that laced nicely. Evident aromas of coffee and dark chocolate. Bitterness came mostly from the strong roasted malt base leaving a lasting aftertaste. This was definitely the winner for me. A precious gem found in Colombia!

Now, I might get in trouble with my Bier professor (and BBC for that matter) for the following less-than-positive words, but this needs to be said.

The following are some of the awards proudly posted in the labels of each bottle tasted:

Candelaria Clasica World Beer Awards 2012 - World’s Best Pale Kolsch World Beer Awards 2012 - The America’s Best Pale Kolsch

Cajica Honey Ale World Beer Awards 2012 - The America’s Best Flavoured Honey Monde Selection 2013 - Gold Award

Monserrate Roja Monde Selection 2013 - Gold Award

Chapinero Porter Copa Cervezas de America 2012 Monde Selection 2013 - Gold Award (3x times)

After tasting the most popular styles sold in stores, I do not see how BBC has earned their current status as “The biggest small brewery in Bogota”. To me it seems like they are harvesting stats and awards to post in their labels because the superior quality I was expecting was just not there!

The beer labels are also an interesting choice. Somebody must really like typeface marketing! is this a new trend? Personally I would love to see some nice label designs reflecting the truly iconic names they have chosen to name their beers. Again, missed opportunity anyone?

In conclusion, I will have to go back (preferably during the day and with someone knowledgeable who can introduce the beers).

This was a great introduction to the craft beer market in Colombia but definitely not the best. Stay tuned for this series of post!

Stay crafty!

[hopamigo]

On November 25th 2013 Hansa Borg Bryggerier acquired a majority share in Nøgne Ø. Well, this is news to me! Nøgne Ø was founded in 2002, The brewery name, Nøgne Ø, is old Danish for "Naked Isle". It was selected from a well-known 19th century Norwegian poem called Terje Vigen by Henrik Ibsen, who worked for a time as an apprentice pharmacist in Grimstad. The beer style is a variation from a seasonal English sweet stout. It is usually less sweet and relies on oatmeal for body and complexity.

Beer review: Havre Stout

Beer Style: 13C. Oatmeal Stout Brewery: Nøgne Ø - Det Kompromissløse Bryggeri A/S Serving type: Bottle ABV:  4.50% Overall Style Category Rating:  8 / 10

Appearance: Black topped with an egg-shell brown head Aroma: Molasses with some sweet milk chocolate. Some definite roastiness mixed in with a hint of sweet vanilla. Taste: Begins with dry dark roast grains turning into a sweet milk chocolate mixed with a hint of vanilla but then turns into a bark-like roastiness Mouthfeel: full body beer with moderate carbonation; the roastiness at the end makes it feel a little harsh but remains drinkable throughout Finish: silky smooth and rather quick finish. Definitely leaning toward the malty sweet profile yet never cloying to the palate. The bitterness comes mostly from the malts (as opposed to hops)

Overall: Low alcohol makes this an excellent session stout but a little too pricey. There are plenty other choices out there at a lower price tag with a similar profile. A great brew! 

Stay crafty!

[hopamigo]

Last night we had a little bit of fun in our BJCP group tasting. Our topic for the night were style categories 1 (Light Lager) and 2 (Pilsner) from the BJCP guide.

It was very interesting to compare the sub-categories in each style and note the slight differences. I was very surprised how these styles were perceived in my taste buds specially after having monster brews from all around. At the end of the night, we played around with some blind tasting and off-flavor identification which was particularly rewarding. This post in honour of our first BJCP tasting night!

Warsteiner Premium Verum is brewed in the Arnsberg Forest Nature Park outside of Warstein, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. Warsteiner has been a product of the Cramer family since 1753 and Germany's largest privately owned brewery. As a German Pilsner, distinctive noble hops are immediately noticeable with a well attenuated maltiness.

Beer review: Warsteiner Brauerei

Beer Style: 2A. German Pilsner Brewery:  Warsteiner Brauerei Serving type: Bottle ABV:  4.80% Overall Style Category Rating:  9 / 10

Appearance: Light golden and translucent with creamy long-lasting head Aroma: clean with a cereal-like profile like cheerios. Initially slightly sweet but after a while a little more like straw. Do yourself a favour and compare German vs. American hops back to back and you will immediately notice how mellow German hops can be on the nose. Taste: slight malt sweetness with a definite grassy taste from hops (which is perfect because German pils should use noble hops) Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with medium to high carbonation. Definitely crisp and thirst quenching. Finish: Very refreshing with lingering gentle hops at the end.

  Overall: An excellent representation of a German Pils! I have had this many times in a can before and had lost some of the subtleties in taste due to carbonation. After pouring from a bottle to a glass this particular style was showcased to me beautifully! did I tell you the beer was cold? hmm-hmm

Stay crafty!

[hopamigo]

Beer and Brewing Deities

While browsing the interwebs I stumbled upon an interesting list of Beer Gods and Goddesses. I was aware of a few of these but to my surprise there are over 100+ out there, all related to beer in some way!

I also found a guide that lists Gods and Goddesses called Godchecker! Kind of interesting learning where a lot of beer names and brewery names come from.

I encourage you to read up on these. Some of them are interesting, some of them are fun and then there's the weird ones.

My favourite ones (in no discernible order):

Sumerian Ninkasi: Sumerian Goddess of Brewing Siduri: Sumerian Goddess of Brewing Dumuzi: Sumerian God of Brewing

Egyptian Hathor: Egyptian God of Drunkenness Nephthys: Egyptian Goddess of Beer Tenenit: Egyptian Goddess of Beer Hapi: Egyptian Goddess of Barley Neper: Egyptian God of Grain

Mayan Acan: Mayan God of Alcohol

Colombian Huitaca: Chibcha (Colombian) Goddess of Drinking, Dancing and Merry-Making

Aztec Centzon-Totochtin: The Aztec Four Hundred Drunken Rabbit Gods Mayahuel: Goddess of Alcohol, Mother of the 400 Drunken Rabbit Gods. Patecatl: God of healing and fertility, Father of the 400 Drunken Rabbit Gods. Ometotchtli: Aztec King of the Centzon-Totochtin; a.k.a. “Two Rabbit” Macuilxochitl: Aztec God of Alcoholic Beverages; a.k.a. “Five Rabbit” Tequechmecauiani: Aztec God of Drinking Tezcatzontecatl: Aztec Beer God

Irish / Celtic Cluricaune: Irish Spirit or Elf. A.k.a Leprechaun The Green Man: Celtic God or Spirit of Nature

Greek Dionysus: Greek God of Intoxication

Belgium Gambrinus: Flemish King of Beer

Babylonian Marduk: Babylonian Beer-Brewing God

Slavic/Baltic Ragutiene: Slavic/Baltic Goddess of Beer Ragutis: Slavic/Baltic God of Beer Raugupatis: Slavic/Baltic God of Fermentation

Stay Crafty!

[hopamigo]

Forgot my mouthfeel!

worbolworbol replied to your post:Beer Reviews - Simplify and Standardize!

Is finish intended to include the same information that would be included in the “mouthfeel” section of a standard BJCP score sheet?

aaaa! I forgot my mouthfeel! Good catch sir!

To further expand on terms I want to use to simplify my reviews, the following are the most common terms that people would understand:

Appearance:

Straw, Gold, Amber, Copper, Red, Brown, Black

Clear, Opaque, Hazy, Clody

No head, Dimishing head, Lasting head, Fizzy head, Creamy head

Aroma & Taste:

Toast, Biscuit, Caramel, Toffee, Chocolate, Coffee, Roasty, Woody, Nutty, Smokey

Floral, Herbal, Grassy, Hay, Piney, Earthy, Citrusy, Peppery

Cloves, Spices, Berries, Sweet fruit, Dark fruit, Barnyard, Cardammon, Cillantro 

Moutfeel:

Creamy, Syrupy, Mouth-coating, Smooth, Silky, Velvety

Light body, Medium body, Full body, No carbonation

Finish:

Dry, Wet, Boozy/Alcohol warmth, Wine-like, Spritzy/Champagne, Puckering, Astringent

Quick finish, Long finish, Lingering finish

Balance -> Malty/sweet, Hoppy/bitter, Sour, Fruity, Complex

Stay crafty!

[hopamigo]

Beer Reviews - Simplify and Standardize!

Been looking at past beer reviews and noticed some inconsistencies in the way I review beers. So I will standardize and simplify my review methods going forward.

Since last thing a want to do is alienate my followers (or any reader for that matter) I will keep my reviews sweet, short and entertaining yet I will use key words used to describe beer (i.e. as little BS as possible).

Often I find huge 1-page beer reviews that I am forced to skim over and that could be cut down to a few lines. Words hurts my head.

My template will be as follows:

------------- Intro: (History and back-ground info for my review with some nice pictures to accompany the post)

Beer review: (name of beer)

Beer Style: (very important - based on BJCP guidelines) Brewery: Serving type: (bottle for the most part) ABV: Overall Rating:  / 10 (very important - rating is based on the particular style - a particular beer may be great BUT sometimes it may not fit the style it is marketed for - so I will qualify based on style guidelines)

Appearance: Aroma: Taste: Finish:

  Overall: (my closing remarks)

  Stay crafty!

[hopamigo]

German Ingenuity at its Best! I will take this opportunity to provide my humble review of Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier. Somehow one of the first beers that opened me up to the world of beer was missing a review! Unacceptable!

Nowadays there are so many exciting beers choices out there that we forget about the traditionally well-made beers that captured our palate with a single sip. Having a newly found appreciation for beer, this is a welcomed addition to my beer fridge, specially now that summer is around the corner. 

Beer review: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier

Beer Style: Hefeweizen (wheat beer) Brewery: Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan Serving type: Bottle ABV: 5.40% Overall Rating: 9 / 10 

Appearance: cloudy light golden with significant carbonation. Beautiful eggshell white fluffly head. Aroma: bananas mixed with an ever-so-pleasant bready profile. Very delicate and enjoyable to the nose. Some grassy / floral aromas like lemon grass and lavender. Taste: mellow banana transforming into its bready profile. Mouthfeel: significant carbonation that explodes in your mouth,  light and refreshing and keeps you coming for more. Finish: No significant bitterness from hops, yet the floral quality remains. The beer finishes into its bready profile with a very refreshing finish.

  Overall: German brewers have definitely mastered this style! Unlike its American counterparts whose focus has been on hops, the Germans have achieved a wonderful balance between the floral hops and the sweet malt. Highly recommended in this style category!

  Stay crafty!

[eaglerisingbrewery]

What I Wish I'd Know Before Starting a Brewery: 61 Brewers Speak Out

[hopamigo]

Brewers talking from experience!