MaltBlog

Chocolate Covered Bananas

The blogosphere really is an amazing place. I found another fan of Belgian beers named Chunky Munky; she lives in London - about 300 kilometers due east on the M4 from the Swansea brewerey that researched the 24 beer saints.

Chunky Munky is a self-described "frustrated misanthrope" who writes a diary called Chocolate Covered Bananas, penning (mostly hateful) letters to the people, things, and situations that aggravate her. I got a kick out of most of them - she reminds me a bit of two other misanthropes I know.

While we're on the subjects of beer and religion

Did you know that a brewery in Wales has discovered that no less than twenty-four Catholic saints were best known for beer-related feats, miracles, and acts of faith?

Here's but a small sample:

They've turned water into beer, conjured tankards of beer from the ether, and multiplied drops of beer into barrels and one barrel into hundreds.

They have also wielded their pints as weapons of the Lord to end plagues, quench eternal flames and fires, and slake the thirst of Christian soldiers.

Beer was an important component of the secular and ecclesiastical diet, especially for monks fasting for their holy orders.

Almost every monastery from Mexico to Timbuktu brewed its own beer and more than a few still do.

Most of the 24 "beer saints" were initially monks and nuns, who many centuries ago brewed beer to purify water and ensure that the malnourished and the weary had safe and healthy ale to drink.

Celtic Saint Brigid (457-525) was said to have kept 18 churches in beer from just one barrel,and as an act of compassion turned the bath water of lepers into cool, refreshing ale.

The article makes for a very interesting read and for a reminder that beer has served as a valuable social and religious beverage and a guardian of health for over 1500 years.

Yet another interesting blog

Today, Geoff Robinson linked to Maltblog from his blog, Faith, Beer, and other things that interest Geoff. Now it's fair to say that I am not a person of faith (beyond faith in science and the people in my life), and it's also fair to say that I can be skeptical about it. But Geoff sure does like good beer. Who knows - maybe I'll learn something from him! Besides, anyone who has the Darth Vader cake pan that was made when The Empire Strikes Back, well.... you can draw your own conclusions about that!

More Beer Blogs

I've been surfing around at BlogShares, looking for other beer-related blogs. I found several that are updated pretty frequently and looked interesting. Give them a peek if you get the time:

A Good Beer Blog
Hail the Ale!
The Brew Site
The Beer Church - Blog
The Empty Bottle
The Accidental Hedonist

Thanks!

Galeville Grocery

I had a chance to get to Galeville Grocery today. The place is on Old Liverpool Road in Liverpool, less than ten minutes from downtown Syracuse and easily accessible from the Thruway. It's a country store atmosphere - they still have a full-service butcher shop and all kinds of food and sundry items, plus LOTS of beer.

I thought I was prepared after talking with Alan of A Good Beer Blog. I wasn't! The place had a really great selection with good prices. I saw beers there from:

Middle Ages Rogue Smuttynose Unibroue Southern Tier Brooklyn

Ithaca Ommegang Cooperstown Long Trail Magic Hat Pete's

Sackett's Harbor Stone North Coast Sierra Nevada Samuel Smith's Saranac

Anchor Abita Allagash Davidson Brothers

Plus many national brands and imports. The selection of unusual international beers was limited to a few English and German beers.

The gentleman who checked out my order was VERY friendly and helpful, commenting that he had noticed I was taking pictures and wondering if he could be of more assistance. I said I took the photos to remember what they had in stock and that I was going to write about his store for my web site. He promptly gave me a flyer about the store and another flyer describing their commitment to beer.

At the risk of turning this into an ad, I can't recommend them highly enough if you're going to be in the area. The store has been operating continuously as a store since at least 1888 and the selection and service were worth the trip. Their contact information is:

Galeville Grocery
412 Old Liverpool Road
Liverpool, NY 13088
315-457-2020

They don't have a web site, but the guy I spoke with (I assume he is the owner) mentioned his son's site, www.kegworks.com. I checked it out and they have some nice beer-related products.

Thanks to Alan for the tip and to the owners and staff at the Galeville Grocery!

American Micro-Distilleries

I was doing some cleanup on this blog and saw that the link for Notch Whiskey from Triple Eight Distillery (at Nantucket's Cisco Brewers) had disappeared as they revamp their web site. That got me thinking about what else is out there in the way of Micro-Distilleries in the US. I found a good thread by "Lex" on a site called Celtic Malts; he linked to the following distilleries:

• Anchor / Old Potrero http://www.anchorbrewing.com
• St George http://www.stgeorgespirits.com
• Clear Creek / McCarthys http://www.clearcreekdistillery.com
• St James / Peregrine Rock http://www.saintjamesspirits.com
• Edgefield / Hogshead http://www.mcmenamins.com/Edge/
• Charbay http://www.charbay.com
• Triple Eight / Notch http://www.ciscobrewers.com/

There was a link for a brewpub called Local Color that apparently made its own whiskey and other spirits for consumption only on the premises of that pub. It seems that place may now be closed.

I also found this dated (2001) article form USA Today on American micro-distillers: http://www.usatoday.com/life/travel/leisure/2001/2001-05-04-distillers.htm.

I'm planning to do a little more investigation and hopefully land a bottle or two to try. Hey, my birthday is coming up, maybe I can convince my wife to get me one of these bottles!

Are Brewpubs Dead?

Just some thoughts for late on a Thursday....

Back in 1996, when I moved to the town I live in now - the brewpub fad was still happening, even if it was slowing down. And I thought then how great it would be to open a place of my own. Hey, I have brewed beer, and I love good food and the camaraderie of a pub atmosphere! I had done plenty of "Market Research" in hoisting pints from the "big island" of Scotland to the Big Island of Hawaii!

Through the eight-plus years I've lived here, that dream of starting a restaurant with good food, a cool atmosphere, and (most of all) great beer, has resurfaced from time to time. I know it's a pipe dream - one of many crazy schemes that zing through my skull every day. I don't know anything about the restaurant business, I don't have that kind of cash, and I simply don't have time!

But as I blog about beer, particularly here in Central New York, and as I write about the Cazenovia Area for the Cazenovia Pilot and Syracuse.com (especially Cazenovia's restaurant scene), I can't help thinking that there is an opportunity here.

So am I crazy? Does anyone open brewpubs any more? Do brewpubs actually make money if they're run well? Is anyone besides me still drinking beer in this Atkins-crazed world? I know this idea isn't going away, and I'd hate to be thinking about it for another 20 years and regret never having done it!

Syracuse Beer Scene

Well, I write about beer and finding a good one in Syracuse. I was asked by Alan from A Good Beer Blog to give a synopsis of the scene for a tourist. So I sent him a message and realized that I ought to just post it here. Please bear in mind that I don't get out like I used to - between my own responsibilities (read: child!) and the responsibilities of my drinking buddies (more children!), it's hard to find a good time to get together just for fun. So if you have a correction, addition, or complaint, send me email!

The article follows:

If you have ever been to Syracuse or talked with the locals, you know there are two places that are must-stops for any beer lover, The Blue Tusk and Clark's Ale House. The Tusk is a little more upscale, with probably 50 beers on tap if not more, including one or two hand-pulled ales at any given time. Clark's is a short walk away and is a more straightforward place - just about 20 draughts and a very knowledgeable staff, much quieter, no TV's, and a no-nonsense adult crowd. Both bars are located in the Armory Square neighborhood - a gentrified part of the city that was formerly a warehouse district centered around a state military armory (now a science museum).

Syracuse has a proud brewing history; Clark's pays homage to it with many photos and articles of the old breweries, long since closed. The new kid in town is Middle Ages, a craft brewery located a few blocks from downtown that makes absolutely incredible - and varied - beers. They make everything from "White Knight", a light beer, to "Druid Fluid", a brash barleywine with a very funny name. Middle Ages does tastings and you can take home growlers of whatever you like. They also are the ones who make the cask-conditioned ales that you find at the Tusk and at Clark's. We are truly fortunate to have such a world-class brewer right here in town.

For what it's worth, Beer Advocate has a list of their beers; as far as I know, all of them are in production though some are seasonal.

Another place to go when you're in town in Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Dinosaur is a local institution, making amazing barbecue chicken, ribs, and beef, all done on the premises. They have a decent bar too, with "Ape Hanger Ale" (also made by Middle Ages) on tap. This place doubles as a biker bar, with the patrons and staff to prove it. Don't expect a yuppie hangout, that's for sure. Dinosaur has another location in Rochester, and just opened a third in Manhattan.

There's just one brewpub in town, Syracuse Suds Factory. Their beers get wildly divergent reviews from people I know. I fall on the disapproving side. While they have a nice facility and it's a good generic pub, their beers are average at best and don't have the balance or nuance of the beers you'd find in a higher quality brewery.

Awful Al's is the place to go for whiskeys and bottled beers. They have a very good selection and a hip atmosphere and clientele. It's a bit of a meat market, so be warned - it will be crowded and is filled with the yuppies that you didn't find at Clark's or Dinosaur. One of the reviews on PubCrawler.com called Al's "the best place in Syracuse to vomit." But if you are looking for a dram of Balvenie PortWood or a Laphroaig, this is your place. It's also the only place I know of in Syracuse that have a waiver from the smoking ban in bars and restaurants - it's very smoky as a result.

Kitty Hoyne's Irish Pub is the place for Irish music, pints of Guinness and Murphy's, or a dram of Power's or Black Bush. It's a gorgeous place with live music on weekends and a pretty good restaurant too. Once I was there with friends and the local pipe & drum corps stopped by and played a few standards to a packed house - unannounced. It was a lot of fun, as you can imagine.

The Suds Factory, Awful Al's, and Kitty Hoyne's are all in Armory Square, too.

Away from downtown there are a couple of places to find good beer. Shifty's is east of downtown on Burnet Avenue, not far from the Teall Street exit of I-690. Shifty's has great wings, cheaper draughts than most places, and solid selection of about a dozen beers on tap. They also are home to a good music scene, including an open mic night at least once a week. They also have a decent jukebox, and one of my all-time favorite Frank Zappa posters on the wall.

On the Syracuse University Hill is Faegan's, a fairly large place that's perfect for a pint before a Syracuse football or basketball game (if you can get in). It's on Crouse Avenue in the "M Street" area ("M" stands for "Marshall", which ends right at Faegan's). They have a solid menu of good food - more than just pub food, for sure - at their restaurant, and about 20 beers of very good quality on tap, from local brews to Guinness to Lindeman's Framboise. Faegan's is special to me as it's the first place I had a meal (and a beer) after my daughter was born, as the hospital is adjacent to it.

There is one more part of Syracuse that deserves mention. On the west side of the city is Tipperary Hill, otherwise known as "Tipp Hill". Tipp Hill is home to Coleman's Irish Pub and many, many other Irish bars and businesses. I've heard that Syracuse is supposedly the second-most Irish city (by percentage of people who claim Irish ancestry) in the United States, behind only Boston. The neighborhood is proudly Irish: the streets are named for Irish authors, there are small streetcorner parks everywhere, and there is a traffic light with the green on TOP - supposedly the only such light in the United States. I don't get over to Tipp Hill much, so I will leave it to someone else to describe and rate the bars.

The only decent place I know of to actually buy beer to take home is The Party Source on Erie Boulevard East in Syracuse/Dewitt. They stock a few very good beers, including beers from Middle Ages, Ommegang, , Cooperstown Brewing Company, Smuttynose, Rogue, Unibroue, and Stone.

It turns out that I have been woefully underinformed. Galeville Grocery in Liverpool apparently has a great selection and significantly lower prices than Party Source. I'm planning to check it out this weekend and I'll report back on what I find!

So there you have it. I hope this has been entertaining and useful. Happy Beer Hunting!

A Good Beer Blog

I ran across a great beer blog called, appropriately enough, "A Good Beer Blog". They have writers from around the world and it's updated with excellent articles and photos all the time. I wrote to Alan, the principal blogger, who promptly wrote back. We swapped messages about finding good beer in Syracuse - it turns out he's from Ontario and comes this way frequently. Alan, thanks for the conversation and the encouragement! Everyone else - check out A Good Beer Blog!

Syracuse Beer Happenings

The Post-Standard apparently has a beer columnist, Don Cazentre. Why didn't I know about this column before? Well, it's time for me to get out and explore some more.

According to the most recent column:

• Aldi's stocks a cheap German lager called Wernesgruener
• The new Kilt Tilter is out from Middle Ages Brewing, a nice gentle 8.5% alcohol wonder. Tim Butler from Middle Ages says 22oz bottles of Kilt Tilter will be available soon, and they'll start producing the beer year-round.
• Magic Hat Heart of Darkness is getting wider bottle and tap distribution
• Southern Tier Brewing's Oatmeal Stout is debuting on tap locally. Southern Tier also has new beers in a 12-pack, including a tripel and a "hoppy beer that goes by the name Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale"
• The Tap New York brew festival will be held April 23 and 24 at Hunter Mountain.
• The Empire State Brewing Festival will be held July 8 from 5-10 PM in Syracuse's Clinton Square.

Great stuff - many thanks to the Post-Standard and to Don Cazentre!!

Syracuse Brewerania

I was Googling around this evening and found this interesting site about Syracuse brewery advertising and collectibles. It has photos of items from the Haberle brewery. According to the website of the Congress Chapter of the Brewery Collectibles Club of America, Haberle was located at the intersection of Butternut and McBride streets in Syracuse from the mid 1800's until 1962.

Brew Cruise to New England and Canada

This looks like a very fun event, a Brew Cruise that starts and ends in Boston, with stops in Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. This is one of my favorite parts of the planet, and combining the natural coastal beauty with beer tastings and seminars is a spectacular idea.

Ommegang Brewer Among Those "Knighted"

Allaboutbeer.com has tons of great features, including a news section in which I found the following tidbit:

Belgium Brewers Guild Honors Americans
Four Americans were knighted by the Knighthood of Brewers in Belgium last autumn. The four were recognized for their contributions to the art of Belgian brewing and for creating an interest in Belgian beer in the U.S. Honored at the ceremony were Randy Thiel of Brewery Ommegang, Tom Peters, co-owner of Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia, Eddie Friedland, owner of Edward I. Friedland distributorship in North Philadelphia and Joe Lipa of Merchant du Vin Importers.

Commenting on his Knighthood, Sir Joe remarked: "I sampled my first Belgian beer in 1979 and knew this country was producing something special. Over the years I have had the honor to work with Belgium's most respected brewers like Orval, Westmalle, Lindemans and Huyghe. I also have had the honor to work with some great Belgian beer bars like Monk's Cafe, Sharp Edge and Lucky Baldwin's, who also were knighted for their efforts. It has taken many years for the Belgian beer scene to happen, but it's here now big-time."

Ommegang deserves all the accolades it gets for creating a world-class product and facility right here in upstate New York.

More on Guinness

A little surfing this morning about the magical properties of Guinness (brilliant!), and I found some interesting links to add to my previous entry about Guinness' relatively healthy properties.

• Do bubbles in Guinness really go down? The answer (explained here) is yes, thanks to circulation in the glass.
• Guinness is intentionally "soured" using Lactobacillus. I can't immediately locate a link to prove this, but there is a Brewing Techniques article that describes the souring process used during brewing.

Well, live cultures or not, I'm planning to enjoy a Guinness at some point today.

Slainte!

Beers of the World!

I had the pleasure of traveling to Rochester with my daughter yesterday for a visit to the amazing Strong Museum. If you have kids in grade school or younger, this is an amazing place to go. They WILL like it (as long as you can get past the idea of all those germs in one place!).

I figured I would take advantage of the opportunity to visit Beers of the World, a beverage center in a strip mall south of Rochester. This store doesn't have everything beer-related, but it's close. They have the national brands in bottles and cans, cases and kegs. But they also have a huge selection of microbrews and international selections - including many in kegs. The store is the size of a large neighborhood market and is arranged like one too, with aisle upon aisle of beers from around the world. The beers are grouped by their region and country of origin.

My nephew Don, who lives in Syracuse and is extremely beer-knowledgeable, asked me to check whether there were bottles of JW Lee's Harvest Ale from the eighties (i.e., the 1980's). It turns out Beers of the World stocks rare specialty bottles as well as the beers you might be able to get elsewhere. While I didn't find a 20-year-old bottle of Lee's (they did have Thomas Hardy's beer at that age - for $96 for a ten-ounce bottle), I did get a 1998 bottling.

I also was able to pick up a very wide selection of beers, including:

• A 1999 Belgian Geuze
• Two bottles of Russian beer - a porter and a lager
• A German Dopplebock (double-bock) with a cool label showing two buck deer locking antlers
• Rogue Honey Cream Ale (for my wife)
• Rogue Dead Guy
• Rogue Mocha Porter
• Delirium Tremens (again, for my wife)
• Stone Double Bastard
• Stone Vertical Epic
• Monty Python's Holy (Gr)ail Ale ("Tempered over burning witches"!)
• Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus (a Belgian lambic brewed with raspberries)
• St. Bernardus Prior 8, a Belgian abbey ale that I read about in Don's Beer-A-Day calendar

So I got quite a variety of stuff (and spent a couple of bucks) - most of these beers are simply unavailable in Syracuse, much less Cazenovia.

Besides beer, the store had a wide selection of homebrewing supplies and ingredients, beer paraphrenalia (openers, trays, glasses, tap handles, taps, and so on) plus novelty items like Simpsons barware, clocks, and brewers' marketing goodies.

I heartily recommend a stop at Beers of the World for anyone who loves beer - or for the beer-lover on your gift list.

Irish Pub coming to Hanover Square area

Bob Niedt's "Retail Notebook" column in today's Post-Standard describes plans for the former MacGregor's location near Hanover Square in Syracuse.

Hanover Square in downtown Syracuse is getting a little more Irish.

Taking over the former MacGregor's Grill and Tap Room at 253 E. Water St. are the folks behind Kelly Cole's Restaurant & Pub, outside of Liverpool.

MacGregor's, in Hanover Square since 1997, recently closed so the owners could concentrate on the three MacGregor's in the Rochester market.

Kelly Cole and her husband, Bob, said they are thrilled to be landing the downtown business.

"We're buying the building, closing hopefully on Thursday. Then we're going to do some renovations, some painting, then open April. April-ish," said Kelly.

They've had Kelly Cole's going for five years. It has a dinner menu. The downtown pub will concentrate on the lunch crowd, said Kelly.

"It's going to be the same sort of Irish pub theme that we have," said Kelly. "We'll keep all the beers on tap, starting with 50."

The timing is right.

"Hanover is just going great right now," said Kelly. "We're going in at a great time."

The line that caught my attention is "We'll keep all the beers on tap, starting with 50.". Hooray and thank you to Kelly Cole's!

Comment Spam

No, I haven't forgotten about MaltBlog. I just have been busy with my many other projects (foremost: my five year old daughter). I also have been discouraged by the problem of Comment Spam. I love blogging, especially the interactive part where readers can build on what's already been written. But this feature is abused by "spammers" - similar to email spam. Spammers flood blog comment areas with links to their own sites (probably promoting pornography, poker, or penis pills), trying to increase the "page ranking" of their own sites in Google and other search engines.

Comment spam wreaks havoc on blogs - causing them to be unreadable and making those portions that are still available look like flyers on a telephone pole in the seediest part of the Tenderloin.

So I'm looking for another solution - maybe WordPress software, which allows me to view and approve comments before they are actually available on the blog. My brother is using it now and raves about it.

I hope you will continue to check in and see what's happening in the Central New York beer and whisk(e)y scene!

Jim