New Glarus' Cherry Stout is Back in Town

Earlier this month, New Glarus Brewing brought back their much loved Cherry Stout and now you can get it in Oshkosh! It’s been brought out as part of their Unplugged series of limited release beers, so it’ll probably be around for just the next couple months.

It’s a great beer and one you ought to try. In 2005 and 2006 the beer won a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival in the Wood and Barrel Aged category. If you’re not a fan of barrel-aged beers, don’t let the medals put you off. The barrel aspect of this beer is slight. Mostly what comes across is ripe, tart Montmorency cherries bathed in dark-caramel malt sweetness. The stout part of it is a little misleading, too, as the beer is nearly devoid of the roastiness you’d expect in the style.

Whatever you call it, this is an excellent beer and it won’t be around for too long so you might want to give it a pour while you can. Four-packs are on the shelves at Festival Foods for $8.49 and at Pick 'n Save for $8.99 (where at North Side store it sits under a set of intense fluorescent lights that can't be doing the beer any favors).

Here, with much respect to Wörtwurst at A Roughneck's Take On Beer, is a little, lo-fi pouring.

Hops & Props & Beer & Food

The VIP pre-event at this year’s Hops & Props will be a “Beer School" and dinner put together by Becket’s Chef Mike Buckarma and Brian Van Zandbergan from Merchant du Vin. If you’ve been on the fence about this one, check out the menu below. It’ll get you moving.

Let the drooling begin.

Gathering beer: Samuel Smith Organic Lager

1st Course
Fresh greens and herb salad with shaved radish and jicama, tossed in a pomegranite vinaigrette with pistachios.
• Paired with: Ayinger Brau Weisse

2nd Course
Ale cheese soup with grilled sausage and pretzel bread.
• Paired with: Samuel Smith Pale Ale

3rd Course
Spicy seared tuna, served rare over curried rice pilaf.
• Paired with: Samuel Smith India Pale Ale

4th Course
Stout braised beef short ribs with glazed root vegetables.
• Paired with: Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout

5th Course
Triple chocolate cake & vanilla bean ice cream with raspberry sauce and white chocolate ganache
• Paired with: Lindeman's Framboise

Here’s some more on Brian Van Zandbergen.

For ticket information and details see the EAA’s Hops & Props site.

And HERE’S a short video about the event by the people at Next Age News.

That Good Old Lager Beer

Earlier this week we were sent an email giving us a hard time about the sort of beer we’ve been covering here. We were accused of being “beer snobs” and “wasting time talking about beer nobody even drinks.”

It’s easy enough to dismiss ignorance of this sort, but I think the person may have a point buried in there somewhere. It is true, after all, that ales such as Bourbon Barrel Stout, La Folie and Fox River Reserve are subculture brews aimed at a minority of beer drinkers. But if the impression we’ve given is that we’re only interested in high-octane, palate-pounders then we’ll correct that now. Let’s take a look at some of that good old lager beer that’s currently pouring around town.

Supper Club Lager on tap at Barley & Hops and Becket's Restaurant

Here's a classic American Lager that resulted from a collaboration between Capital Brewery’s Kirby Nelson and Rob LoBreglio of the Great Dane Pub. Nelson describes it as a beer, "Harking back to an era where Supper Clubs were in vogue and Wisconsin had numerous regional breweries." Sounds about right. The beer is crisp, malty and clean and probably not too far from the sort of lagers made by Peoples or Oshkosh Brewing back in the 50s. This would be a great beer to use when trying to ween a friend off of the prevailing fizzy, flavorless brews that all us "snobs" love to despise.

Wisconsin Amber on tap at Dublin's Irish Pub

Another fine Capital Brewery beer. Can’t say I’m a big fan of this one from a bottle, but I've really enjoyed it every time I’ve had it on tap. Call it an American style Vienna lager, the beer is smooth and malty with a hop bite that’s slightly more assertive than you’d expect. Still, it has a nice balance. Very drinkable.

Coney Island Lager on tap at O'Marro's Public House

Made by Shmaltz Brewing in San Francisco, here's another red/amber lager, but this one is a tad bigger than usual for the style. The malt comes across thick, almost honey-like. The hops are strictly west coast, bitter and heavy on the citrus notes. Not your typical lager by any means, but certainly worth checking out.

Lizard Lager on tap at Peabody's Ale House

Originating at the old Lizard Lounge, this is Peabody’s house beer. It’s made for them by Point Brewing and some will tell you it tastes suspiciously similar to Point Amber Classic. I don’t know about that, but I do know this could be the poster child for session beer. It’s light-bodied and smooth with enough caramel-like malt flavor and fruity esters to keep you interested.

Schlitz on tap at Oblio's Lounge

Let the beer-snob groaning begin. I don’t care, I like it! It reminds me of the kind of beer I used to thieve when I was still too young to buy it for myself. Fizzy, light, pale, watery, hollow... whatever. I can’t be impartial when it comes to this one. And I swear I’ve actually tasted that "kiss of the hops" crap they like to yammer about. At Oblio's they serve it up in a beautiful pilsner glass. It's perfect for this beer; low-brow and high-falutin' all at once.

So there you have it. Lager Beer is alive and well in Oshkosh... and not just the fizzy kind, either.

Who's Pouring at Hops & Props?

Hops & Props, the annual beer tasting event at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, is March 6th and the roster of breweries and beers that will be on hand has begun to firm up.

Here’s the list showing who and what will be pouring. Please, keep in mind, this line-up remains subject to change. In addition to all that great beer, there’ll be music, food and the chance to meet a few brewers. And if you want to go all the way in, there will be a Beer School dinner put together by Becket’s Chef Mike Buckarma and Merchant du Vin’s Brian Van Zandbergan.

It’s just 10 days away! Ticket and all the vital info can be found at the EAA’s site.

The Best Pint of Guinness in the Entire State

Visiting Ireland and tasting Guinness Draught on its home turf left a black, liquid hex on Shawn O’Marro. He says, “Before I came back, I knew I wanted to have Guinness on tap in my house.” That wasn’t to be. Guinness doesn’t sell kegs to non-licensed consumers and finding a reliable source for bootleg kegs is next to impossible. There was just one thing to do. Shawn quit his job at Impromed and started a pub.

Five years later, O’Marro’s Irish Pub often pours more Guinness on any given month than any other tavern in Wisconsin. “We’re not always at the top,” Shawn says. “Sometimes we are. Sometimes we’re not. We’re almost always in the top five.” It’s fairly amazing any way you look at it. Considering the size of the market and the beers that have been historically dominate in Oshkosh, the prospects for a pitch-black ale would seem limited at best. At least until you try this one, at this pub.

At O’Marro’s Guinness is served at 48º. Not quite as warm as Shawn would like it, but close enough so that the uninitiated can belly up to a pint without thinking something has gone wrong with their beer. The multi-step pour is the difference maker. It may take a bit longer than an ordinary pint, but it’s worth waiting for. Shawn says, “We serve the best pint of Guinness in the entire state.”

He’s got a thirsty gang of advocates to back him up on that. Currently O’Marro’s has 1227 members in its Genius Club. Ten from this pack of Guinness lovers have drank their way into the elite 1759 Society, meaning they’ve downed at least 1,759 pints of Guinness at the pub. It’s a staggering number, but not an arbitrary one. 1759 was the year Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease on the abandoned brewery at St. James’s Gate, Dublin and started brewing his beer. Now here we are, 3,600 miles and 250 years away downing pint after pint of it. Arthur Guinness wouldn’t have dreamed it. Five years ago, Shawn O’Marro probably wouldn’t have, either.

Beer Man’s Wisconsin

As an overview of the Wisconsin beer scene, Beer Man’s Wisconsin is about the best thing currently going. Written by Todd Haefer, whose Beer Man column appears in the Post Crescent, the book touches on everything from homebrew to Miller. Haefer calls it, “a snapshot of the current brewing industry in the state.”

The meat of it, though, concerns Wisconsin craft beer. There’s a lot of handy information here on small Wisconsin breweries, brew pubs, homebrew clubs, and a nice overview of some of the better craft beers to be found around the state. Oshkosh and the Fox Valley are particularly well represented. Haefer was a member of the Society Of Oshkosh Brewers in the early 90s and his roots are clearly on display in the pieces he’s included on Stone Cellar, Fratellos and Appleton homebrewer Mike Fairservice.

The book is relatively brief at 74 pages and it looks great with full color pictures throughout. I like that Haefer avoids the beer snobbery that often dogs this kind of writing. His tone is conversational and inviting. The book would be particularly helpful to someone just getting into this stuff.

The cover proclaims this the First Edition. Does that mean there’ll be a second? We’ll see. The shelf life for books of this type is notoriously short as the velocity of change in the beer world dates them quickly. If you want to get a jump on the 2nd edition go to the section where Brian Allen is listed as the brewmaster at Fratellos. Cross that out and write in Kevin Bowen. You’ll be a step ahead.

If you’d like to pick up a copy of Beer Man’s Wisconsin you can get it online HERE. Or you might be able to find a copy at Festival Foods in Oshkosh or in Appleton at Woodman’s and Flanagan’s Liquor.

Bourbon Barrel Binge: Part 2

Two weeks ago we posted this about the run on Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout that was taking place at Festival Foods in Oshkosh. So what’s happened since?

On Wednesday I talked with Tom at Festival. He said the first 7 cases of the beer sold out within 24 hours. Luckily, their distributor was able to locate an additional 5 cases the following week. Tom said the 12 cases that came to the Oshkosh store were the most any outlet in the state received.

This is all fairly amazing when you consider Oshkosh’s history as a hardcore lager town. That a beer as big and rich as Bourbon Barrel Stout has developed such an intense following in such a short time is a good example of the changing tastes of beer drinkers around here.

Postscript: Just checked in with Festival. There's a case and one 4-pack remaining. Get it while you can!

A Hoppy Guide to Oshkosh Tap Beer

We thought it might be best to follow yesterday’s post about growing hops with something about the ultimate purpose of those lively vines: Beer. So here’s a quick tour of some of the more hop forward beers you can find on tap in Oshkosh this weekend.

Abita’s Jockamo IPA at Becket’s

A good gateway beer for would-be hopheads. Not aggressively bitter, but it comes across with plenty of American hop aroma and spiciness.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA at Dublin’s

The people at Dogfish Head call this a “session beer for hardcore beer enthusiasts.” This beer is loaded with citrus-like American hop flavor. Juicy and bitter. A classic American IPA.

Lagunitas IPA at Oblio’s

Never shy of hyperbole, Lagunitas claims to use “43 different hops and 65 various malts.” Don’t let that fool you. Though this beer has plenty of piney hop bitterness, it’s balanced with enough bready malt to save you from involuntary puckering.

New Belgium Ranger IPA at O’Marro’s

A new entry on the hop scene and one you should check out. Almost a study in Simcoe, the American hop known for its distinctive citrus aroma and flavor. Plenty bitter, but not harsh. I think it comes across better on tap than it does from the bottle.

Pilsner Urquell at Oblio’s

These days when people talk about hoppy beers they tend to mean American hoppy beers. That’s understandable, but a beer like this shouldn't be forgotten. There isn’t a better example of the mellow, earthy flavors of European noble hops than Pilsner Urquell. Much more subtle than the flavors you’ll find in American hoppy beers. Go for the tap version. The bottled beer is often notoriously skunky.

Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale at O’Marro’s

I’m getting very thirsty. This is a beautiful beer, practically glowing with the aroma of Cascade hops. The firm hop bitterness and toasty, malty body go so well together. Order two and let the other warm a bit as you have your first. The second will be even better.

Can you guess what I'll be drinking tonight?

It's Time to Think About Growing Hops

Your yard is smothered by grungy February snow... which means it’s time to think about planting hops! Really, this is the season to decide upon the homegrown you’ll be brewing with next fall.

Homebrew Market in Appleton is now taking pre-orders for hop rhizomes, the gnarly little root that rapidly grows into a tenacious vine. All orders have to be placed by March 1st for shipping later that month. This year, Homebrew Market is offering 12 varieties of hop rhizomes, each priced at $5.99. It’s a great deal on high-quality, Hop Union rhizomes.

If you’ve ever had the urge to grow hops, you really ought to give it a shot. It’s so easy and there’s nothing like brewing your own beer with your own hop cones.

Although they’d prefer you stop in at their shop, Homebrew market will take orders by phone Monday through Thursday. You pay when your hops come in. Growing instructions will be included with your order.

I talked to Robert at Homebrew Market and he suggested you do a little research before putting your order in. The European hops tend to be less resilient so you’ll want to start with varieties that grow best in our area. I’ve had great success with Cascade and Nugget, but this year I’m going to branch out and try some Fuggle as well, though they’re not quite as hardy.

To get started, here’s a LINK to more information from Homebrew Market. This’ll give you a concise rundown of the rhizomes they’re offering and how the program works.

Hell, even if you don’t brew beer, hops are a cheap, impressive plant and a great addition to your landscape. If you like beer, you'll love walking into your own back yard and being greeted by the smell of fresh hops.

Dave Oldenburg of Titletown Brewing

Titletown Brewing in Green Bay has quietly become one of the great beer spots in Wisconsin. That you can get there from Oshkosh in under an hour makes it even better.

Over at Barleypopmaker's Beer Blog, they’ve just put up an exhaustive interview with Titletown brewmaster, Dave Oldenburg. Both a transcript and an MP3 of the interview are there for your consumption.

If you’re a homebrewer it’ll inspire you, if you’re a beer drinker it’ll make you crazy thirsty.

Here's a LINK to the interview.

Titletown Brewing Company