The Beer Road

Thanks, Shooting Creek.

•May 14, 2011 • Leave a Comment

Most craft beer fans in this area have already heard the news. It seemed to spread the way any loss does, quickly, by word of mouth, but somewhat quietly in the words used. Conversations usually began with a typical introduction, “Did you hear…?” and finished with a “…what a shame” ending, with a due sound of disappointment in the speaker’s voice. It is disappointing, and yes, certainly a shame, that we’ve lost a fine craft brewery in our own area, here in Virginia. A couple of months ago of course, the word began spreading that Shooting Creek Brewery, located in nearby Floyd County, would be shutting its doors.

When the brewery began, it was surrounded by plenty of press coverage and fanfare. Sadly enough, it wasn’t for its beers. I suppose now one can look back on the battle the brewery had with locals over a proposed tasting room with a laugh, in that nostalgic sort of way that even tough events in life, when they’re long, long over, seem to earn a tender spot in one’s memory. This is always true, of course, of events neither won nor lost, but of ones you simply survive through. But the would be makers of Rebel Ale, arguably the brewery’s “flagship” beer, would indeed survive, and soldier on. Soon, the news did become all about the beer. Eventually, Rebel Ale would begin showing up on tap in the Roanoke area here and there. Their Buffalo Brown Ale would soon enjoy similar success. Finding bottles of their beer didn’t take a run to Floyd or Blacksburg, you could find it in grocery stores, specialty stores, and even the corner Seven Eleven had it. There were others that rounded out the brewery’s offerings, the Snapping Turtle IPA, the Altbier Red Tractor, a “Capsicum” Stout, their delicious Farmhouse Stout, and more recently, their Blue Ridge Bitter. Not to mention the annual re-emergence of their wonderful Pumpkin Ale, which many of us waited on patiently only to watch it fly off of shelves every fall. Almost all of the beers featured at least one ingredient found on the brewery’s associated farm, a fact that seemed to, at least for me, hammer home a sense of pride that the brewery was so close by. It was a product of our area.

I first met Head Brewer Brett Nichols at a tasting of Shooting Creek’s beers here in Roanoke. It was a little more than a year ago, and having recently started the blog, I was eager to give area breweries their due attention. Although I was already familiar with the brewery’s beers, I’m sure I tasted what was being promoted, and the meeting was brief. I know we talked about the brewery and their beers, but specifics of the conversation I cannot recall. What I do recall was the easy going friendliness and the quiet yet present enthusiasm for the brewery, the beers, and the chance to talk beer with people, punctuated by an ever constant smile. He also was genuinely interested in the blog, which meant quite a bit to me of course. It was something that did not fade after that first meeting. Since then, Brett stayed in regular touch, offering brewery news and answering numerous questions my newly beer curious mind came up with. I ran into him again at last year’s Brew Do in Blacksburg, and he seemed genuinely appreciative, if not somewhat surprised, that Red Tractor had long ago become a beer staple in my refrigerator.

I snatched up a couple of six packs of just that a week ago, knowing that it won’t be long until I can’t find it again. The brewery’s beers seemed to reflect Brett’s enthusiasm, as many of them were very good, and certainly worthy of our pride that such a brewery existed in our area. I understand Brett is doing well, though won’t be creating any more Red Tractor. I admit a selfish streak that hopes he returns to brewing, sometime in the future. Regardless, we were lucky to have Shooting Creek with us while it lasted, another one of those periods in life that personally I’m already feeling somewhat nostalgic about, the way you look back on things you’ve lived to enjoy. This one, though, was not just survival – it’ll always produce a smile, remembering how good the beer was, knowing it was a product of our area. Today, I’m lifting one of my Red Tractors in toast to Shooting Creek. You’ll be missed.

Cheers.

Posted in Brewpubs, Breweries & Craft Beer Stores.

Breckenridge Brewery’s Tongue In Cheek, “Truth In Beervertising” Ads

•May 11, 2011 • Leave a Comment

I don’t often get into the craft beer versus “big beer” discussion here on the blog. Among friends, that’s occasionally another story. But if what you’re curious about, or already into, is craft beer, then great. And if what you care for is your Coors Light, then fine, I’m not going to try to twist anyone’s arm into something you’re not interested in to begin with. The fact remains that it’s difficult to walk in craft beer circles and not hear the conversations, opinions, and out-right disagreements when it comes to the differences between smaller craft breweries and the (much) bigger American “megabreweries” that are, in those circles, often referred to as simply “BMC” (Bud, Miller, Coors). Without getting into exactly what’s at the core of those discussions, for the most part, they stay pretty civil most of the time. Occasionally, however, someone on one side of the brewery scene will take a jab at the other, and it’s always worth noting, especially if it’s done with well. One of the fine Colorado based craft breweries, Breckenridge, has taken a fun, tongue in cheek shot at the big boys, and I couldn’t help but notice – oh, and put it on the blog too. Thanks to beernews.org for the story! Hope you enjoy.

Ad campaign by Cultivator Advertising & Design, Denver CO

Posted in Random Thoughts.

Mother Earth Brewing. Hops, Gardening, and Rock and Roll.

•May 4, 2011 • Leave a Comment

So many big decisions throughout time have occurred over the quaffing of beer. The inception of one of North Carolina’s growing, and quite good, craft breweries occurred over organic tomato juice. Technically, it was over a red-eye, a mix of both, so there was beer present. The red eye was courtesy of Stephen Hill, an organic gardener and one time home brewer, and served to his son in law, Trent Mooring. According to the brewery’s website, when Trent tasted the combination of good craft beer with delicious home grown organic tomato juice, “that was it”. Trent soon began home brewing as well and the two men began to imagine a brewery. As it turns out, the mix of homegrown cultivation and beer didn’t end with the red eye. Truly, it only began there. It would become the foundation of a brewery that would come to be named, appropriately, Mother Earth. The two men, determined to base the brewery in their hometown of Kinston, NC, turned an abandoned downtown building into a beer producing model of eco friendliness. Solar panels dot the roof, recycled denim lines the inside of the walls, and carpet made from renewable resources is used on the floors. With all this dedication to their hometown and to running an earth friendly business, the name of the brewery seems, in a word, natural, right? But the men didn’t come upon their brewery’s namesake, at least directly, from their green mission statement. We owe that part of the story, somehow appropriately enough, to classic rock.

Before much of the planning for the building or brewery was underway, the two sat down to listen to bunch of favorite tunes. Eventually, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Mother Earth” made it to the playlist, and it seemed to echo the values the men held important, and ones the brewery would be based around. From the building to the brewing, green was on the mind of the founders. Those solar panels on the roof completely power the brewery’s taproom. “Blue jean insulation”, which according to the website is an entirely recyclable product, lines the walls. Soy based insulation lines the ceilings. A water heater heats on demand, instead of all the time, and like many eco conscious breweries, spent grain from the brewing process is sent to local farmers for cattle feed. The brewery recently posted a message on their website noting that two cisterns were soon to be put into use to catch rainwater, in turn used to water plants and for toilet water at the brewery. The brewery’s smaller ecological footprint also reaches the beer itself, as the six pack carriers are made from 100% recycled material and the tap handles are even made from bamboo.

“Mother Earth”, then, would seem fitting as the name going on each bottle. Perhaps this is even more fitting for a brewery than other kinds of businesses, one might contend, since beer truly is a beverage of the earth – grain, water, yeast, hops. The brewery’s green mission certainly would be worthy of anyone’s interest on its own. But add to the mix that the beer Mother Earth produces is pretty darn exceptional, and the whole story starts to really come full circle. From their German Dunkel lager “Dark Cloud” to their summer day in a bottle Kolsch “Endless River”, from their American stout “Silent Night” to their Belgian Tripel “Tripel Overhead”, overwhelmingly positive reviews of several Mother Earth brews are the norm from the editors of beeradvocate.com. The final word from the BA guys can be summed up with this quote, from their review of the brewery’s Dunkel lager Dark Cloud: “N.C. craft brewing flexing its muscles here.” On a recent trip to North Carolina, I was lucky enough to try several of their beers, which in turn prompted a stop before leaving to bring several bottles back home. Personally, their India Pale Ale “Sisters Of The Moon” became an instant favorite. Most IPAs, of course, do feature some sort of citrus flavor, with red grapefruit as a common, almost stereotypical flavor, as is sometimes pineapple. I can only describe Sisters as a sublime mix of these and other tropical like fruits, with just enough malt sweetness and moderate bitterness. It is very good, without being in your face with any one particular characteristic. Often, when you have beers that you can say this about, they are solid but not very memorable. This is definitely an exception to the rule.

From a renovated building in small Kinston, North Carolina, what began with a home grown red-eye now has grown into a quality craft brewery from which many top notch beers flow. Stephen and Trent continue to build upon their original intent, to create great, memorable beer with a constant eye on staying as earth friendly as possible. Recently, the brewery announced plans to add a canning line to the brewery, further lessening their ecological impact while giving us, the drinkers of their beer, a new way to buy their good brew. Two years ago, the brewery planted their own hops, and according to the brewery website, the first growing season yielded “unfathomable growth”. With the brewery’s constant dedication to staying green and putting out great beer, I suppose it was only natural that the real Mother Earth would give its own blessing to the brewery.

Please visit the Mother Earth Brewery website – where the whole story of its ecologically friendly mission can be found.

Posted in Brewpubs, Breweries & Craft Beer Stores., The (Beer) Road Less Traveled - Getting Into Better Beer.

Craft Beer Goodness…Brewing In North Carolina

•April 18, 2011 • Leave a Comment

Anyone attending the World Beer Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina earlier this month and unfamiliar with the status of craft beer in the “Tarheel” state might have noticed a little home field advantage. Out of close to a hundred breweries represented, at least fifteen were from the state perhaps better known for barbeque than beer. These breweries were also gathering the most attention, as just minutes into the festival’s first session, it was hard to tell where the lines around their tasting booths began and ended. These breweries also didn’t necessarily have the biggest selection of beers to try, or were giving away the most free promotion items either, although one girl at the Boone Brewing station didn’t seem to miss a single shoulder or back as she slapped logo stickers on every passer-by. And those that gathered quickly around the brewery’s booths might have only been simply familiar with them, making for perhaps a comfortable place to begin the afternoon’s tastings. Yes, the number of North Carolina breweries in attendance might have certainly given the festival a decidedly regional taste, but after tasting the beers from them, any home field advantage gained was no less deserved, and as it turns out, appropriate. With regards to the vast hop fields in the Pacific Northwest and craft beer centers of activity like California and Colorado, North Carolina is becoming a hub of craft beer excitement. Festivals held here, like the World Beer Festival, do tend to showcase the breweries at the center of it all. Home field advantage, of course, does have its perks.

Proof of all the buzz, however, is within the beers these breweries put out year round. Little matches the commotion surrounding the annual release of Winston Salem based Foothills Brewing’s chocolate stout, Sexual Chocolate. Their India Pale Ale, Hoppyum, seems to have achieved cult status in the state, and has been a mainstay on tap at a restaurant here in Roanoke for well over a year. Asheville’s Highland Brewing, features several good beers, and their amber Gaelic Ale was recently reviewed by the founders of beeradvocate.com in which they write “A beer like this makes North Carolina shine within the robust American craft beer scene”. “Dark Beer Specialists” Duck Rabbit Brewing make a stellar Brown Ale as well as others. The list of breweries continues, from fellow Asheville Green Man and Craggie Breweries to Raleigh based Big Boss and Roth Brewing. Newcomers such as Mother Earth, Roth, and Aviator Brewing companies begin to round out the list, but newly founded breweries are pretty much the norm here. Part of the excitement in the state is the fact that many of these have been started within the last decade.

My session at the festival plus a few stops in Raleigh bars that featured these breweries meant that I came away with not one or two, but many new favorites. Already familiar with some of the goodness that brews at Foothills and Duck Rabbit, Aviator’s Hot Rod Irish Red Ale and just about everything from Mother Earth topped my list, but I’m holding plenty of room for others to be added. Home field here means that if you’re into good, craft beer, you’re the one that’s winning. As it stands now, the state should be a tour destination for craft beer lovers on the east coast or otherwise, and I imagine more good beers, and perhaps breweries, are on the way – perhaps to soon become a poster child for the American craft beer industry, if not already. And by the way, in case you weren’t aware of the state of craft beer in North Carolina, a good amber ale or lager pairs well with your pork barbeque.