The Beer Road

Last summer, I wrote a blog post about a beer topic that is, and always will be, very near and dear to my heart.  I had wanted to write about this particular subject for some time, knowing that I had to ‘get it right’ – the words, the examples I used, the punctuation – in order to convey just my message with just the right amount of both fact and feel.  On a day in early June, something inspired me to do just that, and I admit being pretty happy with the results.  Never before had the words flowed so easily, as if they were travelling on a direct line from my soul.  I had finally found a way to properly write about…the shower beer.

I was pleasantly surprised then to hear that one of Virginia’s own breweries was making not just any good shower beer – but the shower beer.  First off, I keep asking myself why another brewery didn’t jump on this first.  A quick look on BeerAdvocate shows no such other beer exists.  But since I’m a pretty big fan of Charlottesville’s own Champion Brewing, I didn’t look much further.  Whether you want to admit it or not, there are plenty of folks out there who enjoy shower beers, so give much credit to Champion for actually making one.

On Friday, June 12th, Champion released their Shower Beer Pilsner – in cans, no less.  (It is being released at the brewery in Charlottesville first, but will be distributed throughout their normal footprint.)  So I thought I’d re-post last summer’s write up, an ode to one of the best beers out there, or rather, one of the best situations in which to enjoy a beer, while celebrating the Shower Beer itself:  a beer custom made for such a ‘situation’, as well as many others I’m sure.  Cheers, and plenty of suds to ya.

“Just In Time For Summer:  A Clean Look At The Shower Beer“, originally posted 6/23/14:

It’s funny how one of life’s most practical routines – taking a shower – can become immensely more enjoyable under the right conditions.  Getting ready for work?  Unremarkable.  Just finished mowing the lawn in sweltering, eighty degree heat?  Nearly celebratory.  Preparing for bed?  Just a step in the process.   Coming back inside from a long day spent on the beach?  A perfect way to end a glorious summer day in the sun.  A shower with your better half?  Well, that’s a different blog topic altogether, for a different kind of blog I would think.

However, there is one particular “condition”, or in this case, specific activity, that can be added to most any shower (and which I can write about here) that can instantly take bathing from the banal to the blissful – the shower beer.  To this day, I can still remember my first experience.  It was a sweet addition to one of those very times listed above – a long, relaxing day on the beach – and though I can’t tell you exactly what beer I had, I do remember how purely satisfying it was.  Yes, I’m sure part of it was the fact that I was on summer vacation.  And true, there is nothing quite like washing off the remnants from the salt air after a wonderfully relaxing day on the sand.  So yes, it was a combination of all of the above.  But I’ll also I assure you, that to this day, that beer was one of the best I’ve ever had.  (Whatever it was.)

While I don’t recall from where, or from whom, I first heard of the “shower beer”, I do remember thinking some time later – incorrectly, I’ll add – that the idea seemed like one that might be restricted to a select few.  As if the shower beer was some urban myth quietly come to life, a closely guarded secret passed along only by rumor, and I was somehow one of the lucky ones who had somehow heard of it.  Little did I know just how many people do enjoy a shower beer from time to time until I ran across one particular Facebook post from Dogfish Head.  It merely said something along the lines of “who enjoys a good shower beer?”.  Figuring the thread would go on for maybe a couple dozen responses, it instead lasted a couple days.  It seems I was not alone in my suds upon suds enjoyment.

Several shower beers later, I now consider myself a bit of an expert on the topic.  Not that this is an area which requires much expertise.  There are, or course, a couple pieces of common sense which are obvious right away – it is a shower, there is soap, it can be slippery anyhow, and those enjoying shower beers are most likely naked…so no glass should be present…and things such as that.  (Yep, aren’t cans amazing?)  But consider that shower beers can actually be educational as well.  For example, I tend to pick beers for the shower that I usually allow to warm a bit anyway – pales, IPAs, for example – and the shower is a great way to expedite the process of warming up a beer.  After all, the beer is in there with you, so it will warm, unless taking ice cold showers are your thing.

For any shower beer newbies out there, I guess I might say that partaking in one is a bit like that age old idea of having a glass of wine while taking a bath, but for real people.  I mean, who does that?  Plus, it requires a lot less preparation than the imagined wine and bath experience, yet with all the relaxing, non-imaginary benefits that one might expect.  Simply put, there’s something that’s fun and wonderfully off key about the occasional beer in the shower.  In the end, it’s just a beer that when combined with the showers you look forward to the most – post lawn mowing, perhaps after a bad day at work – often becomes, regardless of style or the name on the label, one of the best beers you’ve ever tasted.

Cheers.

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There’s something missing from my beer, and it’s not that great snap of fresh, citrusy hops.

It’s some common sense and decency.

For those who keep up with brewery releases of highly sought after beers, you are already well aware of what I’m talking about.  Or maybe you’re part of the reason I’m writing this, and it’s all lost on you.  And for those fortunate souls who aren’t in the know about what some folks will do to score some of the most highly acclaimed beers out there, possibly all you need to do is take a look at how some breweries are handling their release events for such beer.

Consider, for example, that some breweries are adding so many rules to their beer release events­­ in an effort to make them fair to everyone, they seem end up sounding like a statistical problem the folks at NASA couldn’t even begin to figure out.  And while it seems to be nearly impossible to please everyone who comes out for the beer, such changes seem to be aimed at those folks who drive hours in from other areas, other states, mostly to acquire as much of the beer in question as they can, only to often trade it away for other highly, similarly sought after beer, or even sell it to the highest bidder.

It isn’t that these kinds of beers don’t deserve seeking out.  There’s no problem in that.  But in my opinion, there is a problem in the behaviors some exhibit to acquire them.  Should you, for example, find yourself in one of those typically lengthy lines at a beer release, get ready to move back.  Simple line jumping is so commonly discussed in online beer forums during and post events that it is a given.  But that’s child’s play next to other tactics.  Hiring a small group of others (who might care less about the beer) to line up and help you acquire the largest quantity possible to haul back home is yet another commonality.  Some of the crazier stories involve the photocopying of admittance wrist bands, for example.

And heaven forbid should those who typically plan to hoard up as much of a particular beer as possible somehow not end up with it, or as much as they would’ve liked.  Recently, a certain South Carolina based brewery held the annual release of their much loved and highly traded Imperial Stout – but did it silently.  Without warning.  Without fanfare.  And without notice.  What would seem like an attempt to give as many of the locals a shot at buying some brought out, of course, the worst in others.  The ranting that ensued on the brewery’s Facebook page from those who would’ve otherwise planned an invasion of the brewery on release day from more distant locales – likely with car trunks emptied and ready to load up – went on and on for close to two hundred comments.  (In all fairness, some of those comments were in defense of the brewery’s silent release.  But it’s important to note these folks often characterized the latter group with photos of crying babies within the thread – an accurate visual description that anyone with a sense of reason at all would have to agree with, I think.)

True, it would seem that the breweries themselves don’t often seem to be experts at handling large crowds of whale seeking zombies, and have to learn on the fly from one event to the next.  And yes, it seems to be nearly impossible to please everyone who comes out for well attended beer releases. I also plainly realize that these are just a portion of the beer crazed folks out there, and plenty – the majority – of people are out there enjoying the beer for the often well crafted, incredibly interesting beverage that it is.  But the fact remains that there is plenty of poor consideration of others and immature behavior in the form of a wildly out of bounds sense of entitlement out there among some craft beer geeks.  And no matter how far I try to stay away from such things, it still has a way of simply taking some of the fun out of craft beer.  I simply wonder sometimes if we’re truly savoring it all – the beer, the scene, the experience of trying something new – any longer, at least for the right reasons.

In a counterpoint of sorts to all this, I thought I would throw out a list of four of the most memorable beers I’ve had to date, though defined not necessarily by the beer itself.  There have been plenty of others, but here are four right off the top of my head.  These beers include such rare and hard to find releases as Heavy Seas’ Loose Cannon and Wedge Brewing’s (Asheville) Pale Ale.  Not beers that are worth whale status, right – or even checking out?  Read on.

4. Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA, Blacksburg ‘Brewdo’ Festival, 2012. I had met the rep who was working the area for Heavy Seas a couple years before this festival, and he instantly came across as a completely genuine and friendly sort of guy. We exchanged a few emails occasionally, but then I ran across him at the smallish, mainly flagship based Brewdo festival in 2012. Over a couple of pours of Heavy Seas’ flagship IPA Loose Cannon, we had an unexpected but very welcome conversation about how each other’s lives were going, where they were heading, and even relationships, which was timely, at least for me. He lent an ear, when it was not expected. It was as if the talk was between two guys who saw each other weekly at the bar instead of two guys who really only saw each other at festivals, at best – a testament to not only how conversations can open up over good beer, but moreover, to this particular fellow’s easy going, disarmingly friendly nature. All in all, it might have only lasted twenty minutes or so, but I’ll never forget it. Thanks, man….and Cheers, as always.

3. Adroit Theory/Three Notch’d Bloody Roots Ale, 2014. Huddled tightly under a pop up to keep us out of an unwelcome rain storm, myself, my wife, and a couple friends had decided to camp out after a nearby beer festival that we had attended earlier in the day. Of course, not ones to let the spirit of the day die too quickly off, we also decided to have a mini bottle share that night at the campsite. By the light of the lone camping lantern sitting on the tiny table between us, we talked over some of the beer we had tasted at the festival, as we occasionally reached into our coolers throughout the evening to grab bottles we had to hold up to the light to truly see. The chilly air, the rain, the tight quarters – none of it could’ve mattered. It turned out to be one of those somewhat unexpected, great evenings with friends which was made more memorable by our deference to the dreary rain and the cool temps. Then it got even better. It was not lost on us that the fine folks from Adroit Theory, who had presented at the same festival we had attended, were, unbelievably, camping close by. And when they invited us over to sample their Bloody Roots collaboration beer late that night, a beer modeled after the drink of the same name – the night become even more memorable. How’s that for neighborly. Add in that the beer was a perfect solution to ward off that night’s chill to boot.

2. Wedge Brewing’s Paynes Pale Ale, January 20, 2015. Having never visited Wedge before, my wife and I didn’t quite know what to expect. On an unseasonably mild January day, however, we shared a couple flights while taking in what we immediately could tell was a local’s favorite of a brewery, even in a town of about a dozen choices. Gathered around the picnic tables just outside the taproom were group after group of friends who I assumed took the weather’s hint and escaped their more rigid responsibilities of the day to share beers and conversation in the hazy mid afternoon sunshine, all complete with a lazy dog lying underneath nearly every other table. The whole scene was welcoming, incomparably laid back, and even though there was a line for flights and pints, not a single one of the folks in it even twitched to jump anyone else.

1. The Bruery’s Tart of Darkness, October 12, 2012. Sometime during the surprise bottle share that my wife had planned for my 40th birthday – reason enough to include it in this post – I stood behind the kitchen bar in our apartment, at a moment when I suddenly found myself not engaged in tasting, or talking, or pouring. It was a sweet snapshot, and I’ll likely never forget it. Each of my good friends who came to help celebrate were on the other side of the bar, happily and thoroughly engaged in some sort of storytelling with the other next to them, with plenty of interspersed laughter. And the beer? Some of the bottles which inspired those stories were likely not that easy to get, while others were probably easily found on store shelves. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was the company.

For those who might miss the point, I’d imagine you’d say you’ve never had to chase down any of these beers, and might not even imagine having them to begin with. I’d say that I guess you’re missing out then, though it may be time to question what exactly you’re missing out on.

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It’s American Craft Beer Week, and one good party deserves another, especially when the latter is truly relevant to the beer being made around Roanoke.  While certainly well intended, ACBW can seem a little atmospheric – after all, at this point, do we really need an official reason to seek out and drink good beer?  But a few of the breweries in the Roanoke area are celebrating anniversaries at the tail ends of this week, and that’s definitely a reason to take notice.  At the least, it’s hard enough to start your own business much less keep it going, so such milestones are worth pointing out.  In addition, at least one of those breweries which are having birthdays are also expanding in one way or another, (check out Chaos Mountain’s plans to add additional brewing equipment in a post a couple weeks ago) which means that for folks like you and me a greater variety of beer is likely to come our way.  And that’s what keeps us interested these days.  (Whether or not that’s a good thing is another discussion for another day, right?)

Nevertheless, birthdays are always a good time to grab a beer, so I figured I’d recognize those which are enjoying them at the moment.

Last weekend, Sunken City celebrated their second anniversary at their location in Hardy.  The brewery has picked up the pace lately on offering some more limited run sorts of beers in bottles, including a Nachthexen, a Weizenbock (dark wheat ale) and Crooked Road, their (Imperial?) Cream Ale.  These join Tartan Tent (Scottish ale) and John Henry’s Hammer, which might be a good starting place if you’re seeking out some of the brewery’s non “flagship” beers.

Both Chaos Mountain and Soaring Ridge celebrate their one year anniversaries this coming Saturday, May 16^th.  There will be plenty of food at both, as Chaos Mountain will be having three food trucks on hand, while Soaring Ridge is hosting a pig pickin’ for their event.  There will be live music throughout both events, and Chaos Mountain is featuring a $10 beverage deal that gets each ticket holder four 8oz pours (or two pints), with additional beer tickets available for purchase.  Chaos Mountain’s Ultimate Warrior Imperial IPA, not often available anywhere other than the brewery, is a good place to start for some of this brewery’s non “flagship” beers.

Also of note:  although it looks like Saturday’s Roanoke Craft Beer Tour is sold out, Friday night’s may still have some spots.  So if you’d like to kick off the weekend while being shuttled to some of the area breweries, check them out at the link here.

Cheers to all the breweries!

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A couple of Roanoke area breweries, Chaos Mountain Brewing and Parkway Brewing Company, are currently undergoing growth spurts and adding additional brewing equipment.  The increased capacity will mean an ability to expand to newer markets, with plans also in the works to likely expand their ability to produce a greater number of limited release beers.

Chaos Mountain will soon be installing two new 30bbl fermentation tanks with still other, larger 60bbl tanks to come soon.  The brewery has also invested in a couple of smaller ones to aid in producing more one offs as well.  Chaos Mountain debuted in Richmond in the last couple weeks, and with the added growth, the brewery hopes to be above the 2000bbl mark by year’s end.  From the looks of things inside the taproom, the brewery is also planning additional barrel aged beers as well (see inset pic).

Salem’s Parkway Brewing is also adding additional fermentation and conditioning tanks, and hopes to expand beyond Virginia both northward and southward in the next year or so.  The brewery is also currently working on expanding their barrel aged offerings, having acquired bourbon barrels from West Virginia’s Smooth Ambler Distillery.  In the works are a new barrel aged version of their Ravens Roost Porter (“regular” pictured), a barleywine, and also a barrel aged IPA.

Also of note…

Eli’s Provisions in downtown Roanoke has added a four tap growler station and is currently offering pricing on both 32 and 64oz fills.  Please note that while I’m sure the beer and wine shop is looking to stock their own growlers in the future, they are currently only filling those you bring in.  The folks at Eli’s say they are committed to having predominantly local and regional beers, and of those, ones which are normally found slightly off the beaten path, such as a brewery only release.  For example, one of the first beers available at Eli’s is from Devils Backbone, yet it is hardly their Vienna Lager or Eight Point, but a Tripel instead.

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