SAVOR Beer List Revealed

Beer menu for SAVOR has been added to the SAVOR website here. It looks amazing. Wish each brewery could bring more than two beers. So far I have decided that I have to hit Dogfish Head (My Antonia, Bitches Brew), Lost Abbey (Carnevale, Devotion), and Foothills (Sexual Chocolate) for sure. Also I plan on having a plan so I do not miss out on anything. Only a month away.

Devils Backbone on Brewing Network

Winner of 2010 World Beer Cup Small Brewpub Championship was on Brewing Network's Sunday Session, April 18th.

Click here to listen in on the interview with Jason Oliver. This can also be found on iTunes under podcasts.

World Beer Festival in Richmond, VA

Tickets have gone on sale for the World Beer Festival on Brown's Island in Richmond on the 12th of June. There are two sessions: an afternoon from 12pm - 4pm and an evening from 6pm - 1opm. The prices are $40 ($50 at the door if not sold out, which I see as unlikely) and $75 for VIP (which gets you a World Beer Festival commemorative glass, complimentary food and access to the VIP hospitality area, where selected beers are offered that are not otherwise available). No brewery list yet; will post it when I know. This is a week after SAVOR in DC; might need to make it back to back weekends of great beer.

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary - Fritz and Ken's Ale

Went out for a Magic Hat beer tasting at Vintage Cellar. As I made it through the door, I saw 3 cases of the first installment of SN's 30th Anniversary being delivered. A case and a half was already spoken for, but I was still able to snag 2 bottles along with the last six pack of Bell's Batch 9000 Then I proceeded over to Kroger for groceries, where they had cold bottles, so I figured "what the hell", I'll buy two more. So now I have two for cellaring and two for enjoying now. Tasting notes and images up soon for both beers.

SAVOR Sold Out

SAVOR (An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Washington DC, June 5th) sold out of tickets within minutes of them going on sale to the general public on February 24th. Last year was great so I purchased tickets again this year (luckily beforehand as I was a prior attendee). The tickets grant you a pass into the National Building Museum for an amazing display of beer and food. Each participating brewery bring two beers which are paired with a specific finger food that is located nearby. The brews do outnumber the food, which was a good thing as some of the food quality was not up to par with the beers. The two highlights for me were tasting Russian River's Consecration Ale and a table serving local, raw oysters (both with 20 to 30 minute lines). The other great thing about Savor is the salons, which are essentially private rooms (purchase of another ticket is required) where different people from the craft brew industry go over an array of topics. Many times this involves a tasting, food pairing or both. Last year I was too late buying my tickets to get into a salon but this year I bought tickets as soon as it was possible. The salon I am going to is described as follows : "Brewery Ommegang teams up with Bobby Flay-conquering chef Teddy Folkman for Savor 2010. Teddy is the well-known executive chef and co-owner of Granville Moore's Belgian Beers and Gastropub. Chef Teddy will prepare his special fare with one Ommegang ale and pair it with yet another. Sit back and enjoy as Ommegang and Chef Teddy infect the crowd with the tasty art of pairing of Belgian-style food and ales. Finally, Ommegang will cap the beer and food pairing with a special comparison tasting of a brand-new Ommegang exclusive beer; a beer unavailable anywhere except the brewery." The food and beer selection at Granville Moore's is some of the best in DC and Ommegang is the closest thing you can get to a true Belgian brewery in the States. Can't wait.
Photo: © 2009 Eddie Arrossi Photography

Aging my Rye Whisky from Copper Fox Distillery

Got this "age your own whisky" kit as a Christmas present. For me it will serve two purposes. The first is to enjoy rye whisky from Virginia. Second, I want to use the barrel later to age some of my homebrew. I'm thinking a Rye India Pale Ale would work well. I open the box and find that it contains two 750 mL bottles of Wasmund's Rye Whisky (cask strength = 124 proof) along with a 2-Liter charred American White Oak barrel. Decide to go right ahead and start the aging. After looking over the instructions and FAQ guide, I head to the kitchen. The process is pretty simple. Just fill the barrel up with water to make sure that their is a tight seal between the oak staves and the metal hoops. If you have a few leaks, which mine did, there is an easy solution. You simple spray the outside of the barrel with hot water; this makes the wood expand thereby fitting tighter with the hoops. I was now ready to fill my barrel. I poured in all the spirit except for a very small amount to taste. I would use this initial tasting as a starting point for future ones.