Off Tap.: February/March 2016

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016

WHAT’S BREWIN G P. 2

The New High land

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Drin k Like It’s Fe B R EWa r y

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St . Pat rick’s Day & B e e r

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Living t he Beer L if e

P.8

Sierra Nevada Otra Vez

Off Tap. is a bimonthly publication of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits.

Copyright 2016 ABC Liquors, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Meghan Guarino Editor Allie Smallwood Contributing Editor

Follow us on Twitter @abcbeercountry Email us at offtap@abcfws.com Our certified beer experts on Twitter: We have approximately 30 beer consultants on Twitter. To find the one nearest you, tweet us @abcbeercountry or email us at offtap@abcfws.com to be pointed in the right direction.

The NEW Highland M EG H AN G UA RI NO

If you haven’t already heard of Highland Brewing

“Highland hasn’t put out a new core beer in quite

Company, I advise you to grab a bottle of Gaelic

a long time; I want to say a little over a decade,”

Ale and sit back. This Asheville, North Carolina,

Stephenson explained. The first of the core beers was

brewery is bringing it in 2016.

introduced in January, Highland IPA, and is available

With the recent hire of head brewer Hollie Stephenson, Highland has an all-new strategy for their line-up of beers, and it doesn’t focus solely on one-offs and seasonals. No, instead Highland is set to introduce

in ABC stores across the state. “This definitely kind of steps out of the box in terms of the first foray into a style that is very uniquely American craft,” Stephenson said of the IPA. “That’s the main difference. It’s going

three new core beers to their lineup of traditional,

to be the highest—it’s not super high in alcohol,

routine brews, as well as three new seasonals and

it’s only 7%, but it’ll be the highest alcohol beer

several additions to their Warrior Series and Kinsman

in our core line-up. It’ll be—aside from the double

Project beers.

IPA I brewed earlier this summer—the highest IBU

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core beer that Highland has ever put out. It’ll be the

Highland IPA is available now, and a Pilsner Blanc

hoppiest beer that Highland has ever put out. So

and Mandarina IPA will be joining the core line by

as far as how it fits in the core, it doesn’t have a lot

July. Both the Pilsner Blanc and Mandarina IPA will

of similarities with anything else that we have in the

be sold in cans, another new feature from the brewery.

core line-up.”

Starting in February, the seasonals will begin to roll

Oscar Wong, founder

out, first Saw-Whet Saison, then a hoppy wheat beer and after that a Kölsch style brew. “I’m so stoked about that one,” Stephenson said of the

GAELIC ALE A deep amber-colored American ale, featuring a rich, malty body. Cascade and Willamette hops add a complex hop flavor and aroma.

This ale is exceptionally balanced between malty sweetness and delicate hop bitterness.

– Brewery notes

hoppy wheat seasonal. Early’s Hoppy Wheat is expected to hit shelves in April, just in time for spring weather.

Though this year is focused on bringing you a whole new line of brews from Asheville’s oldest and largest native brewery, the team is sticking Hops are the important element here. While Highland

to the level of quality they’ve developed over the

has made respectable brews in the past, they

years. Between the traditional ales and the newness

aren’t the highly-hopped beers of craft popularity.

that Hollie is expected to bring to the brand, Highland

With Hollie Stephenson’s background at arguably

is set to offer a beer for every type of craft drinker.

one of the best-known hop houses in the country, we’re sure to see more hoppy beers from Highland throughout the year. Of a potential consistent trait among her recipes she said, “I’m not sure about a common thread, necessarily, I mean, I think hops would be a natural one since I’m such a fan, but…

I think I’m just trying to bring newness and really what it boils down to is what I love most about craft beer. I want to make that beer that I want to drink.”

And based on what’s in store (no pun intended) over the next few months from this North Carolina brewery, what Hollie wants to drink is pretty

Quick-Fire Round with Hollie Stephenson, Head Brewer at Highland Brewing Company

Favorite part of the brewery? Cellar Best season for seasonals?

Can or bottle? Bottle

Flight or boot? Flights

Bottle cap or cork? Cap

Winter

nowadays

BLACK MOCHA STOUT Highland’s most robust beer, having a very malty body with a large, roasted chocolate flavor, all achieved solely through the use of special roasted barley grains. It is black in color with a very clean finish and moderate hop flavor.

– Brewery notes

One-off or year-round? One-off

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Stone Brewing, and her love for West Coast IPAs,

February/March 2016

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dang delicious.

OATMEAL PORTER A unique Highland creation, this robust beer is black in color, very malty with hints of chocolate-roasted flavor and a wellbalanced hop character.

– Brewery notes

Drink Like it’s

FeBREWary

AL L I E S M AL LWO O D

This year, the second month isn’t about groundhogs and cupid… it’s about fresh-crafted, complexly-flavored, hit-the-spot-delicious beer. You’ll want to drink like its FeBREWary this month, so here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy this glorious liquid. Look at the next 29 days as a gateway into the world of malts, hops and creative one-offs. Because anything with the word brew in it is always worth celebrating.

SIP A NEW BREW According to a recent craft beer study the gose style is the fastest growing; you’ll be seeing all the best breweries implementing gose in 2016. Sierra Nevada’s Otra Vez Gose-Style Ale is brewed with prickly pear cactus and grapefruit for a deeply layered adventure into the newest star of the craft beer world. Get more details on this beer on the back cover!

THROW A TASTING PARTY Pick a Saturday, set up some tables and stop by ABC for a spread of beers—you’ll be hosting a beer and food pairing party.

Start with green chili-stuffed portobello mushrooms and a schwarzbier or try creamy risotto paired with an American amber lager.

WILL YOU BEER MY VALENTINE? When your beer has better flavor and texture than V-Day treats, it’s probably wiser to go with the beer. From milk stouts to chocolate porters to decadent dessert beers, FeBREWary is best celebrated with Valentine’s brews.

Terrapin Liquid Bliss is peanut butter and chocolate heaven and Young’s Double Chocolate Stout mixed with a raspberry lambic is like chocolate-covered dark fruit.

COOK WITH BEER Using beer in your food is not only brilliant, it’s the new trend. The malty, richness of specific beers can elevate a dish from zero to hero in 45 minutes or less. Follow us on Pinterest or check out our blog (blog.abcfws.com) for brew-infused dishes and recipe ideas.

BREW YOUR OWN BEER Maybe there are some crazy beer flavors that you’ve always thought would be good, maybe you really love playing with chemistry, or perhaps you’re just super bored and looking for a new hobby… in any case you should definitely try brewing at home during FeBREWary.

Saint Patrick’s Day & Beer R ICK S WARTZ – BEER CONSULTANT @ ABC BE E RRIC K

There is a long history of brewing in Ireland, more than

Its ABV is in the 4% range and it has less calories than many

5,000 years by most accounts. Legend has it that Saint

mass-brewed, pilsner-style lagers.

Patrick even had his own brewer, a priest named Mescan (which is also the name of a current craft brewery making Belgian beers). Guinness, a name most associated with Saint Patrick’s Day, has been brewing in Ireland since 1756 and in the same location at Saint James’s Gate since 1759.

But don’t let the description of Guinness Draught’s mouthfeel fool you. This beer is surprisingly complex for such a lightbodied beer. Part of the reason for this is the bit of sourness you may have noticed in the aroma. Each batch of Guinness Draught is blended with a touch of soured beer from a

There are currently three main styles of Irish beers according

previous batch—think sour-mashed whiskey for those of you

to the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines. Most of us who are

who are Jack Daniel’s fans. This touch of sour beer adds a

“a little bit Irish”—even if it is just on Saint Patrick’s Day—are

quite unexpected layer of complexity and also makes it ideal

familiar with some of the flagship beers of one or more of

for quenching a thirst. Another interesting quality of Guinness

these styles: Irish red ale (Smithwick’s Irish Ale or Killian’s

Draught it its specific gravity. While the science of specific

Irish Red), Irish stout (Guinness Draught or Murphy’s Irish

gravities may not be very interesting, it does allow you to do

Stout) and Irish extra stout (Guinness Extra Stout, the U.S.

some fun things with Guinness when mixing drinks.

version). You can also find many versions of these styles from your favorite craft brewers.

Saint Patrick’s Day brings with it beer cocktails, some of which have become classics. Among those standards are

Since Guinness reigns as king on Paddy’s Day, it might

the Black & Tan (half Guinness Draught and half traditional

be warranted to explain a little about Guinness Draught to

pale ale), the Snakebite (part Guinness and part cider) and

anyone who might not have experienced it before. First off,

the Black Velvet (served in a large stemmed glass, this drink

a “proper pint” of Guinness always benefits from a two-part

is 3 ounces sparkling wine with the remainder of the glass

pour. At a pub, this involves pouring the beer into a clean

filled with Guinness).

glass at a 45-degree angle until three-quarters full. Then you

are pouring your Guinness out of a can at home, it is usually much faster. Pour from the can into a large, clean glass in one smooth motion.

quickly lengthens to include the Irish Car Bomb (combine 1 ounce Irish whiskey, 1 ounce triple sec and 2 ounces sour mix in a glass, then fill with Guinness Blonde), the Belfast Car Bomb (in a shot glass, combine ¾ ounce of coffee liqueur topped off with 1 teaspoon Irish cream and 1 teaspoon Irish whiskey. Drop this shot glass into ⅔ pint of Guinness)

This is a process that, when done correctly according to the folks at Guinness, takes exactly 119.5 seconds.

and the Irish Margarita (combine 1 ounce Irish whiskey, 1 ounce triple sec and 2 ounces sour mix in a glass and fill with Guinness Blonde). But if you’re a bit of a skeptic and none of these drinks suit you, there is still a Saint Patrick’s Day

Regardless of whether your pint is from a pub or your home, the beer in your glass should look the same. It will appear a deep ruby color, almost black, but not quite, with a silky, tan head. The aroma should remind you of unsweetened

cocktail for you. Build the Skeptic in a highball glass with 1 ounce blue curacao, 1 ounce coffee liqueur, 1 ounce vodka, 3 ounces lemonade and float Guinness Draught on top to fill the glass.

chocolate and roast with an almost imperceptible tinge of sourness in the background. Despite its bold, dark color,

No matter your drink of choice, have fun with it and may the

Guinness Draught has a very thin and light mouthfeel. For

luck of the Irish be with you!

what many people think is a strong, heavy beer, it really isn’t.

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folks at Guinness, takes exactly 119.5 seconds. But if you

cocktails. Once spirits and cordials are included, the list

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is a process that, when done correctly according to the

And this is just the beginning of the Saint Patrick’s Day beer

February/March 2016

pause pouring and wait for the “surge” of nitrogen bubbles to settle. Then you continue filling the glass to the top. This

Living the Beer Life MAK EN Z IE L ADD, B EER CONSULTANT @ABC BE E RMAK E N Z I E

Over recent years the phrase “Craft is a way

the one who had a bad beer from a brewery

excited about everything craft beer. That

of life” has become the mantra chanted by

and now refuses to sully their reputation

sticker from the brewery that they’ve never

an innumerable and exponentially growing

with another try, and they’re the person who

drank any beer from? Has to have it. That

crowd of beer lovers. At first snubbed as a

becomes fanatical if their beer is served in

ill-fitting jacket with the horribly stitched

fad in the beer market, craft beer has enjoyed

anything but a chalice.

decal claiming loyalty to the brewery they just visited? Has to have it. That accident

a massive explosion of popularity. Gone are the days when bars displayed tap handles for

THE LOCAL ENFORCER:

of a beer that happens even to the best of

three styles and their light brothers, here now

Often heard statements include, “I only

breweries? Has to rate it 100 and suggest it

are the days that proud craft beer bars set up

drink <insert your state or region> beers,”

to all of your friends. This person is caught

50+ handles for everyday proceedings and

and “Our brewery is known for <insert

up in the magic of craft beer, but never

saunter out with expensive bottles for special

certain beer style or ingredient>.” This Beer

fear: This stage doesn’t last long! If one of

occasions with all the formality granted to

Lover takes extreme pride in their state or

your friends is The Newbie, their rocketing

expensive restaurants. How consumers view

brewery’s ability to produce craft beer. This

enthusiasm will either die off as a new

craft beer all of a sudden has become a

place, they insist, has the ability to produce

obsession is picked up, or they’ll level out

direct reflection of how they view themselves.

the best beer/style/collaboration of all time.

as their thirst for “the new” is quenched by

Drinking something from a craft brewery on

good old information.

Like any group of people, those involved

the other coast? You probably shouldn’t be.

in the Beer Life are not always united in

They’re ready with an entire list of homespun

THE ANYTHING GUY (OR GAL):

their way of thinking. Bars don’t always

facts on why their state/brewery is the only

The Anything Guy will take whatever is on

have the pleasure of watching their patrons

one worth investing time and taste in, and

the menu. Whether it’s a pitch-black stout

unanimously lifting their glasses to toast their

they’re most likely decked out in state or

or an artisanal import, if it has the backing,

brethren in victory over the wine drinkers,

brewery gear. It’s not unlike them to drop

they’re going to throw it back. “What’s your

no—as with any philosophy, those involved in

thousands of dollars for that brewery’s beer

favorite style?” you may ask them, but you

the beer scene have splintered off from their

festival or to enroll in an expensive special

already know the answer: whatever’s available.

original beginnings into smaller subcultures

bottle club.

If you suggest a beer or hand them one a bottle from your coveted four pack that cost

whose identities have formed based on their approach to living a Beer Life. Below are

THE BEER GEEK:

you $20, you know they’re going to finish it. If

a few examples of Beer Lover stereotypes

The Beer Geek knows everything: the creator

you need a buddy for a festival, they excitedly

and their role in the beer scene.

of the brewery, the year they started

volunteer. A class on craft beer? They’re

brewing, the state the brewery is located

ready to go. As your beer wingman, they

THE BEER ELITIST:

in, their first beer, etc. The Beer Geek has

are ready at a moment’s notice to escort

After reading this description, you’ll

an alphabetically arranged mental list of

you into any craft beer situation.

probably recall having an encounter with

every beer made by whatever brewery you’ve

the Beer Elitist. They’re one of the most

just asked about. They’re loud, they’re

People are as unique as the beers they

easily recognizable Beer Lover categories

proud, and they don’t mind launching into

dream up, so don’t be surprised to find all

in the social forum and have the accidental

an hour-long speech containing every fact

kinds of different Beer Lover archetypes,

tendency to give Beer Lovers a snobby

they’ve gathered, much to the chagrin of

hybrids and philosophies out in the world.

reputation. At a bar, their go-to move is

their listeners. This Beer Lover, despite their

As the craft beer market changes with

looking up a beer’s rating online; if that

gushing informative tendencies, is one of

each new revolutionary idea, so do we, the

number isn’t 90 or above, they’ll never put

the best people to have on your team for

drinkers of beer; when we are exposed to

their lips to it. Beer Elitists make it well

beer trivia night.

new advertising, taste experimental styles and link up in beer communities we go

known how the beer in your hand is a poorly constructed golem of their world-class

THE NEWBIE:

through a metamorphosis of thought.

Belgium (that costs $15). Examples of Beer

All of us are new at some point, but to

Every new beer is a chance to become

Elitist tendencies: they’re the Beer Lover who

fall into the category of The Newbie, a

someone new.

only drinks IPAs brewed with certain hops,

person presents themselves as extremely

February/March 2016

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8 989 SOUT H OR ANGE AVE. OR LAND O, F LORID A 32824

Sierra Nevada Otra Vez

Gose-Style Ale

New to the year-round line-up of coast-to-coast

Otra Vez is a quintessential gose made with

brewery Sierra Nevada is Otra Vez Gose-Style

prickly pear cactus and grapefruit for a kick of

Ale. While this beer is currently brewed only at

refreshing tartness. With delicate balance and

Sierra Nevada’s Chico, California, location, the

just the right amount of complexity, Otra Vez

summer is ripe for expanding production to their Asheville, North Carolina, facility.

The gose style originated in Germany, where it was first made by spontaneous fermentation—a process, you probably recognize as the reason

allows the cactus and the grapefruit to shine alongside notes of coriander and a tiny touch of salt. Fruity, tangy and perfectly crisp, this gose is exactly the beer you’ll be craving for casual sipping on warm days.

behind those ultra-tart sours and lambics from Belgium. While many gose ales today are made

Pair this 4.5% ABV sessionable ale with Thai

with top-fermenting yeast, that characteristically

and Vietnamese cuisine or grilled fish.

tart profile is still very much a trait of this style.