Americus Beer

Imagine yourself after a long, hard ride back in the wild west days. You are in desperate need of a good beer. Then out of nowhere appears this sign - Bolo Beer Co. You tie up your horse and make your way up to the bar. "Bartender, something cold and refreshing", you bellow out. From behind the bar, the barkeeper brings you an Aquifer Ale. Your response, "That is a mighty fine beer, don't stray to far. I might need another..." Then to your right is none other than Americus and the Liberator two of the finest IPAs west of the Mississippi. You now know that the ride to Valentine, Nebraska was well worth it!

Fast forward to today where Valentine is known as a resort town with canoeing and tubing on the beautiful Niobrara river. Hiking and biking along the Cowboy Trail and taking in other scenic places like Smith Falls. Rolling sand hills covered with pine trees along the river is an amazing site even for a native Nebraskan. Two brothers grew up believing in their town and wanting to make a place where people could come and enjoy each others company.

Kyle and Kurt Arganbright felt that there was something missing in their community. Craft beer choices were very limited around the restaurants, stores, and bars in town. There was a need for something local, something people could enjoy in their town. So in 2014, the decision was made to open a brewery but one thing was missing - a brewmaster. Kyle told me that he placed an advertisement on the internet describing the opportunity. It wasn't too long before Chris Hernstrom from Bend, Oregon responded to the ad. Kyle ended up meeting Chris in Denver for the Great American Beer Fest. Chris was very intrigued for the opportunity to continue to grow his brewing skills so he left Boneyard Beer and packed his bags for Valentine. Did I mention Chris did this without ever going to check out Valentine!

The taproom has so many cool repurposed items like the barn wood on the wall

The new tap handles that are in the works wood came from an old livestock corral

What an incredible selection of beers!

Canoeing on the Niobrara is a big attraction for the area and having the canoes hanging from the ceiling adds to the charm of the taproom

If you were to think about an opening day what better day than Valentine's Day! In 2016, Bolo Beer Co opened its doors in a location very close to the current one. The original space was great to get started with but it didn't take long to outgrow it. Kyle said they found the current building which was an old diesel shop. The building had plenty of space for the brewing equipment and a nice taproom area. Also the property had plenty of room for a great patio! There were a lot hours of hard work that went into the renovation of the building. Kyle said the main focus was to emphasize the local area and to find items that could be repurposed to put into the brewery. There are so many items that you have to see it for yourself to get a great appreciation from the old barn wood and lights to the newspapers that cover the bar top.  Canoes hanging from the ceiling and a 70+ year old popcorn machine from a local establishment that still works!

Perky Blonde - coffee blonde ale

I had to ask Kyle what sets Bolo Beer Co apart from other craft beers. Kyle responded, "Our goal is to have well balanced, drinkable beers. It all starts with the water. Having the Ogallala Aquifer water helps tremendously." As we continued to discuss this, Kyle went on to say that the other key is having a brewer who is knowledgeable and creative. Being able to experiment with small batches and see how the community responds to the beer is critical in coming up with new brews. As a consumer, I have to say I personally like this model. Variety for me is key. Yes every brewery needs their core beers but there is always the intrigue of wondering what will the new beer will be when you walk into the brewery.

Besides the beer itself, Kyle described wanting a place for the community to be able to come together. The brewery was designed to be family and dog friendly. When I walked into the brewery that night, there was a lot of great conversations going on. Immediately you could tell that this was a place where people come to hang out and enjoy each others company. As I sat at the bar, I met a couple that had travelled from California to ride bikes from Norfolk to Valentine on the Cowboy Trail. They talked about their search for small breweries across the country and said Bolo Beer Co was a fun part of their trip to Nebraska. People having a good time is what it is all about. Kyle said they have open mic nights for area bands to come in and play music. This has been quite the hit at the brewery. One night, three bands came to the brewery and everyone enjoyed the show!

This Valentine sign hangs from the ceiling in the brewery

Bolo Beer Co is all about supporting local and the community. Kyle described to me using local hops whenever they can. They have also used such things as:

• Wild Plums in a Gose

• Pears in a Saison

• Peaches in an IPA

• Coffee in a Blonde Ale

This is really cool to see local items being used in the beers that they produce. Kyle also went on to say they enjoy working with local charities and supporting them. As you can see the heart hanging from the ceiling in the brewery really shows the love Bolo Beer Co has for their community!

Always a bunch of good stories when you visit a brewery. This one is definitely a favorite of mine! Americus Liberator might just be the most famous resident of Valentine. This retired cowboy made news across the nation in 1968 when he decide to run for president. Americus had an interesting platform including wanting to see horses grazing on the White House lawn. I can picture Americus riding a horse in Washington, D.C. Even though Americus never got many votes, he was recognized around the country. He was interviewed by the Boston Globe and the people of the country loved sending Americus mail. He went on to run for president again in 1972, 1976, and 1980. You have to check out the rest of the story from History Nebraska on the Curious Candidacy of Americus Liberator.

Oh before I saddle back up ... ok get ready to leave in my Jeep. I need to finish one more thing I learned. A big part of cowboys back in the day was to wear a Bolo tie. A Bolo tie is one that is made up of a piece of cord or braided leather with decorative metal tips and clasp.  A great name for a brewery! Really ties back to the history of the area.  

I know if you make your way to Valentine that you will have a great time. Enjoy this incredible town and all it has to offer. Have a pint or two and raise your glass to Americus!

For more information on Bolo Beer Co check out their website.

Cheers!

Brewtiful Day

In the front Charles (Charlie) Yin - owner of 5168 Brewing. In the back from left to right Tim - brewmaster at Boiler Brewing, Dean - brewer at Boiler Brewing and Brian - brewmaster at 5168 Brewing

It's a Beautiful Day, the song from U2, for some reason sticks in my mind as I think about the Saturday morning in April that I got to spend brewing. Brian, the brewmaster from 5168 Brewing was doing a collaboration beer with Tim and Dean from Boiler Brewing. As you can tell from the picture above, it was so much fun to get to learn about the brewing process from these two amazing breweries out of Lincoln, Nebraska. I think you are going to enjoy learning a little bit about the process!

Great view looking into the brewery.

A rainy, cool morning and the Nebraska spring football game was all the buzz in Lincoln. Little did the 90,000 fans know that there was something pretty exciting brewing on the south side of Lincoln at 5168 Brewing.  Near 57th and Pine you will find the 5168 Brewery along with a Local, Beer, Patio, and Kitchen and also Hiro 88. Just happens that Charlie owns all of these wonderful establishments. If you are not familiar with the Local, it is one of the premier craft beer establishments in Omaha and Lincoln serving upwards of 50 local Nebraska brews always on tap. What a great place to go try out locally brewed beers! Hiro 88 is one of the best sushi restaurants in Omaha and Lincoln that also has incredible Pan-Asian cuisine. It gets even better, now there are the amazing 5168 beers to pair with the food. A wonderful setup and now more about the Brewtiful Day!

Bags of malts ready to be milled.

So this was my wife's first trip with me and I was so glad she came to experience what a brew day is like and to grab some great photos. We arrived at 8:00 am and the guys were just getting the malt ready to be milled - all 410 lbs of it. 

So this being my first time to see the process I hope I captured the key details. Please remember I am a newby as I describe this! So I learned that the first step in the process is to mill the barley malt which is really crushing the grain. The purpose is to expose the starches so that they can later turn into sugars then finally alcohol. 

There are so many types of malts that used in the different styles of beer. I learned this past winter about the whole process of taking barley and turning into malt which is fascinating. This is a whole story on its own! Malts can be roasted for longer periods of time and that that is how you get you different flavor and colors into the beers. For the lighter ones, you will get some honey, caramel, and sweeter notes. On the other side of the spectrum such as Chocolate malts, you will get more roasty, nutty, and coffee types of flavor.

The milled malt now goes into the mash tun. Kind of looks like a big bowl of oatmeal.

The milled malt now goes into the mash tun where hot water is added slowly and the mixture is stirred. The mixture, better known as the "wort", is where the starches are broken down into sugars. I learned that water temperature during this phase is quite important. Cooler water temperatures, for example say around 145 degrees, will make crisper, dryer beers. Take that temperature up just 10 degrees and you will have fewer sugars being produced which will give you richer and somewhat sweet beers. The wort stays in the mash tun for about an hour and goes through a process called vorlauf (or recirculation).  This step is valuable for preparing the grain bed for sparging which from what I understand is done to get as much of the sugar out of the mash as you possibly can. Vorlauf is also important in helping to clarify the wort.

Dean checks on the gravity of the beer using a refractometer

Tim is preparing to check the yeast to make sure there are enough active cells that are ready to be used for this beer

During the brewing process, there is a lot of science being used. For instance, Dean checks on the gravity of the wort to make sure that the level will turn into the ABV (alcohol level) desired for the beer. The pH level is another key item checked. You can think of pH as the acidity level of the mixture. The sweet spot to try to land in is between 5.2 to 5.5. The pH level can affect various characteristics of the beer and ultimately the flavor. Last but not least, checking to make sure there are enough active yeast cells is important for the fermentation process. Tim sets up a sample to be reviewed under the microscope. The same yeast can be harvested and used multiple times as long as there enough active cells. 

Brew day has the brewmaster constantly scrambling getting everything for the next step of the process

Brian checking on the mash tun to make sure everything looks good

A brewmaster is a very busy person on a brew day. I couldn't believe all of the setup time required just to get started. Lots of cleaning and preparing the equipment. You have to be pretty mechanically inclined to figure out how to get all the connectors and hoses in place for the various pieces of equipment. Now back to the brewing!

The filtered, clear wort is entering the brew kettle. What a beautiful sight!

What once looked like a big bowl of oatmeal now has had the the sugar liquid extracted and brought over to the brew kettle to begin the boil process. Why is boiling important? I didn't realize that this step is done to first of all sterilize the wort. Later during the fermentation process, the only living microorganism you want to have is the yeast to do its job on the wort. Boiling also extracts the bitterness from the hops to help balance the sweet wort. There are so many types of hops and this is where the brewmaster can be very creative with the flavor that comes from them. Lastly the boil helps bring the remaining malt proteins together so that the can be removed with the hops after the boil has completed.

Time to add the hops into the boil

Represents Good Fortune to You along with Passion, Pride, and Excellence in every beer

Great Beer, Great Service, Great Space.

There are still several more steps in the brewing process before we get to enjoy this awesome, collaboration beer. In another post I will take you through them. This however concludes the Brewtiful Day I had with the Brian, Tim, and Dean. I thank you guys for sharing all of the great information and getting to know more about both of the breweries. 

For more information on 5168 Brewing, check them out on their website. You will be glad to know that you can have one of their great brews at the taproom in Omaha, any Local, Beer, Patio, and Kitchen and also Hiro 88 restaurants. Matter of fact, I went next door to the Local after brewing and had lunch which included a delicious Hawaiian Porter.

It you haven't been to the Boiler Brewing taproom, it is a must. It is incredible to see how they turned an old boiler room into one of the coolest taprooms in all of the state. You will always find an amazing variety of beers there. Brewing small batches with incredible flavors is where their passion lies. I had an incredible Russian Imperial Stout called Monte Grande the last time I was there. For more information on Boiler Brewing check out their website.

I feel like I am forgetting something... Yes, the beer wow that would have been embarrassing to forget. Directly from Brian:

Reinheitsgebot be Damned! At least a little. We brewed a classic-style German pils. German pilsner and Munich malt for a sweet, bready grain base. Rather than settling for traditional noble style hops we decided anything worth doing is worth overdoing with new world German Mandarina Bavaria hops. Lending a firm yet soft bitterness merging into floral orange blossom and citrus mandarin hop flavors and aromatics.

Cheers!

Pouring the Perfect Pint

Pouring this beautiful refreshing Grapefruit IPA was fun!

I can't think of a better place than Pint Nine Brewing Company to be able to learn what it takes to be a craft beer server! Tammy Hynek, who is the marketing and events coordinator for Pint Nine, was nice enough to offer to spend a couple of hours to run me through a training session. I am not sure Tammy knew how much of a challenge I would be, but we will get to that later!

I have always been amazed at how much attention to detail goes into a craft beer from coming up with the recipes to getting a pint into the customer's hands. Having the opportunity to talk with Denny Hynek, who is one of the owners and brewers, and his wife Tammy was amazing!

So where  to start ... I wanted to know a little bit more about how this young brewery got started. I spoke with Denny and he described how his partner James (Jim) Watson and him met. Jim was working at Empyrean Brewing in Lincoln and Denny was at Upstream Brewing in Omaha. They became good friends and then ended up brewing together at Upstream. These two very creative guys with a passion for making craft beer soon got the itch to have their own brewery. Four years in the making, Pint Nine opened in the summer of 2017.

What an immaculate space for brewing beer! Great layout with room to expand.

Denny said one of the main challenges was finding the space they needed to be able to grow.  Warehouse and strip mall space in the Omaha market over the last few years has been in high demand. After a long search, they found their home on 104th and Portal Road in Papillion. The location has many benefits including lots of potential customers travelling between Papillion and Omaha, great parking, wonderful neighborhoods all around, and another brewery - Kros Strain who is a next door neighbor. Having the two breweries so close together, makes this even more of a destination when going for a night out with friends to enjoy some craft beer. Overall being part of the Exit 442 community with Kros Strain, Nebraska Brewing, Infusion Brewing, Lucky Bucket, and Patriarch Distillery has been great and the events like the Groundhog Day Barrel Aged beer release really helps to get the word out about Pint Nine.

In walking through the brewery area, you can tell Jim and Denny put a lot of thought into the space they have. The layout has plenty of space to get to the brewing equipment and room for a canning line some day. I hope soon because the Grapefruit IPA would be a great beer on a warm summer's day while I am out fishing! So many great beers being brewed here that I would get the chance to pour.

A tulip glass not only enhances the presentation of the beer but also the aroma for beers like IPAs

A full 16.9 glass works great for this Session Red.

I wanted to understand all the details I could on what it takes to be a good craft beer server. The first thing I asked Tammy about is how do you determine what glassware to use with each beer? Tammy enlightened me on the process of the key elements of choosing glassware. ABV is important because beers that are on the lower end of the scale can go into larger glasses whereas higher alcohol beers typically will go into a smaller glass like a snifter. A snifter also enhances the aroma of the beer with the wider top. I can completely understand that. For stouts, especially the imperial ones, I now understand why I enjoy them out of a snifter. Tammy went on to say that visual appearance is important also in the selection of the glassware. Take for instance how a tulip glass grabs your eye when you have the color like that of the Pint Nine IPA in it. I don't think it is just a guy thing, but I almost tear up see such a gorgeous beer! 

So you have the glassware lineup, so the next question I had to ask is how do you keep the glassware clean and ready to go? Tammy took me through the process of cleaning, rinsing, and sanitizing several glasses. I now know how important it is to make sure that every glass is clean and that the final step of a quick rinse before pouring any beer into the glass is essential in order to remove any remaining residue. 

Keep those kegs coming - it is great to be able to get a Pint Nine beer around town!

I had a few more questions before I could feel comfortable going behind the bar. My next question was about optimal beer temperature. Denny took this question saying that for them, 35 - 37 degrees was best for tap flow and flavor of most of their beers. I remember a couple of summers ago making the mistake of not icing down my kegs early enough for a party. I now know that the beer wasn't cold enough because it was a painful first hour pouring foam!  

Ok, so temperature is important to help eliminate too much foam, what other tips would Tammy have for me? Tammy told me to hold the glass at a 45 degree angle while pouring. That seemed easy enough to remember. 

So when the next order came in, Tammy told be to go ahead and pour this one. This was getting pretty exciting for me! I wanted to see if I could pour a perfect pint on my first try. A swing and a miss! I stopped the pour too soon when the foam started to build up a little. I just hate to see any beer go to waste. Tammy told me to pour until the glass had just about a half inch of head at the top and the rest filled with beer.

Talk about having a saint of an instructor... Tammy had the patience of an elementary teach when dealing with me! After a few more tries, I finally got a great pour. I wanted to get this one to the customer in a hurry, but wait! There is one more step that can't be overlooked. I had to take the squirt bottle and rinse off the side of the glass where some foam ran down. It wouldn't be very professional or nice to hand someone a sticky glass now would it?  

Lot's of nines, but Pint Nine is a 10 in my opinion.

Besides just pouring pints, I got to learn also how to fill a crowler. A crowler is a 32 ounce can and there is an awesome machine that you use in order to seal the top of the can. I really love it when a brewery has crowlers. Many times you might want to take one of your favorites and have it later on like when you are barbecuing on the weekend.

What an experience! I had so much fun. I hope that I get a chance to do this again if Pint Nine would let me. I am slowing working towards becoming a certified Cicerone Beer Server and   still have a lot to learn.  

Make your way out to Portal Road in Papillion and visit Pint Nine Brewing. I know you will enjoy the incredible atmosphere and great beer!  For more information on Pint Nine, check out their website - https://pintninebrewing.com/ or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Pint9Brewery/  

Cheers!

Your Nebraska Craft Beer Journey Awaits You!

From the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild

It has been a year since I have started my craft beer journey across our great state of Nebraska. In a year's time, I have met so many incredible people and got to know the stories behind how they got their breweries started. Getting out on the road, I have gained a better appreciation from all of the cool places around our state.

For instance, last summer, I spent time on the Loup River in a cabin at Riverview Cabin Retreat. My family had a great time canoeing on the Loup River and visiting Scratchtown Brewing Company. 

Ord is a great small town and on a warm spring or summer day, Scratchtown's patio is amazing!

On a weekend trip last fall, a friend of mine and I got to enjoy the opening of Lost Way Brewery. On that same trip we were able to in at First Street Brewing in Hastings and Thunderhead Brewing in Axtel. In a short drive, three wonderful breweries!

Lost Way Brewery in Holdrege

First Street Brewing Co. in Hastings

Thunderhead Brewing in Kearney, Axtel, and Omaha

Exploring our state can be so much fun! I have plans to check out the Cowboy Trail in Valentine. While I am there, I will be looking forward to stopping in and visiting Bolo Beer Co. These are just a few examples of places our state has to offer. In Omaha and Lincoln, there are events every weekend and I never have a problem sitting down to a good beer and meeting others that enjoy craft beer. It is always fun to hear about the kinds of beer that people enjoy!

Nebraska Craft Beer is a community of so many fun, dedicated people who work hard each day so that us craft beer enthusiasts get to enjoy great beer.  The Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild is a big part of helping to grow the industry. This year they have started an amazing program called the Nebraska Beer Alliance for craft beer supporters. 

Membership Benefits:

• Price: $50 per year

• Members only Nebraska Beer Alliance stainless steel travel pint

• Downloadable/printable membership card

• Discounts at 34 breweries and craft beer retailers across the state

• Nebraska Beer Alliance membership sticker

• Membership is effective for one calendar year from date of sign up!

For me personally, the $50 membership is a bargain with the discounts the breweries and retail outlets are offering. More important though, the membership encourages me to get out and explore new places around our great state of Nebraska. I know I will enjoy each and every experience with a great craft beer. Please check out this program today!

For more information and get get you membership - click on this link Nebraska Beer Alliance

I hope to see you somewhere along your Nebraska Craft Beer journey! Joe loves to meet new people.  Cheers!

If you are a brewery or retail outlet that would like to find out how you can participate in the program please visit the Contact link on the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild Site.

Dark Beer, Chocolate, & Joe

Flight of 4 dark beers and the 4 chocolates

Adam did a wonderful job putting the Joe Java-Stout logo on a delicious piece of white chocolate

What could be better on a cold winter's night than some dark beers, chocolate, and Joe. I have to say that I have been at several taproom events over the past year but this is the first one I actually was part of!  The event was held at the Thunderhead Brewing Taproom in Omaha.  For the event, 125 tickets were sold which included: a flight of 4 beers, the 4 chocolates, a Thunderhead Brewing Pint Glass, and a fill of the beer of your choice in that glass.

So onto the main event! The Thunderhead dark beers that were featured included:

• Nut Brown Ale

English Brown Ale that is smooth and nutty with a hint of coffee notes.

• Cornstalker Dark Wheat

A Dark American Wheat that is roasty and malty. This beer is super easy drinking and is brewed with malted Nebraska corn.

• Calico Espresso Stout

Heavy on the espresso for an amazing bold coffee flavor. This one will wake you up. The espresso comes from the Calico Coffee Company in Kearney, Nebraska.

• Your Argument is Invalid

A Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout.  This stout is brewed then aged 12 months in fresh wet whiskey barrels. Rich, complex with noticeable floral and fruity notes. Served on nitrogen. This one is also available in 750 ml bottles.

The plates of chocolates at the event

If you would like to contact Adam, here is his business card.

Adam Hurt is the chocolatier that provided the amazing chocolates for the event. Adam is currently a pastry chef in Lincoln, Nebraska in addition to making chocolates.  So the following are the chocolate pairings with the beers from above.

• Blue Cheese

A dark chocolate shell filled with a gorgonzola white chocolate ganache.  Paired with Nut Brown Ale.

• Poached Pear

Chocolates by Adam's signature award winning flavor! Based on the classic French dessert, a dark chocolate shell encasing with a white wine and cinnamon pear filling.  Paired with Cornstalker Dark Wheat.

• Eggnog

Obviously a seasonal favorite. White chocolate shell with a creamy eggnog ganache. Paired with Calico Espresso Stout.

• Caliente Cacao

A white chocolate shell, filled with a spicy dark chocolate ganache and cocoa nibs.

This was the table I had. So cool to have a barrel in the picture!

I had a great time at the event. It is always fun to meet new people and also acquaintances that you never knew enjoyed craft beer! With this event, my son came up with a great idea for an ice breaker.  I was able to go around to each table and visit with everyone individually. After asking questions about a person's Drinking Style, Type of Beer, and Social Tendencies, I would then guess the kind of beer they liked the best. I would say I was right about 70% of the time.

Each table had a fun beer story as to whether it was a favorite beer of theirs or a place that they had visited. There were also a lot of people new to craft beer. So we chatted about what they liked about the dark beers they got to try on this cold winter's night. Oh yes before I forget, I met a very nice young couple and I hope the pictures I took outside with the snow coming down that night turned out ok!

Thanks to all who came out! Cheers!

The Thunderhead taproom in Omaha in 2017 had so many great events including a Jazz Festival, barbecues, and so many more. With the addition of their new event space, you can have wonderful parties and events. I know of a few people who have already held birthday parties, business meetings, etc.  Jake Heiliger is the manager and will help make sure you have an incredible event.  You can reach Jake via the blue link above or at the taproom:

13304 W Center Rd
Omaha, Nebraska 68144
402-802-1600
 

Joe's 2017 Top Coffee Stouts

I always look forward to trying a new Coffee Stout! I am sure my taste in coffee stouts might not match those of others since I truly love a good cup of bold coffee.  The scale I came up with for rankings is called the Holy Grail Scale It is located at the bottom of every page and is as follows:

10. Bold rich coffee flavor with smooth creamy stout
9.  Rich coffee flavor with smooth creamy stout
8.  Rich coffee flavor with somewhat creamy stout
7.  Bold rich coffee flavor with a good rugged stout flavor
6.  Rich coffee flavor with a good rugged stout flavor
5.  Rich coffee flavor and a solid stout
4.  Good stout flavor with medium coffee flavor
3.  Solid Stout just not enough coffee flavor for me
2.  Weak coffee flavor
1.  No coffee flavor

I decided to break down my top 2 local to Nebraska and top 2 across the United States.

Top 2 Local Coffee Stouts

Lazy Horse Canyon Coffee Breakfast Stout

Thunderhead Calico Espresso Stout

From the two top picks that I chose, one has been around for several years and the other is a newcomer. The Thunderhead Calico Espresso Stout was the first World Beer Cup Gold Medal winner for Thunderhead brewing. This is not a seasonal beer for me, matter of fact it is my go to when I visit the Thunderhead Brewing taproom in Omaha, Nebraska. The espresso flavor is top notch. A true coffee lover's beer!  

The newcomer in the field of Coffee Stouts was a home run for Lazy Horse Brewing. The Canyon Coffee Breakfast Stout had the strongest coffee aroma out of any of the stouts I had in 2017. The other unique part of this one is the creamy head and finish. I was completed stunned when Jim Stutzman, owner and head brewer from Lazy Horse Brewing, told me it wasn't a milk stout. I am anxious to see how this one will rate in competitions!

TOP 2 UNITED States Coffee Stouts

I have to say, I have so many more Coffee Stouts to try out in 2018. Please keep the suggestions coming and I won't turn down any that might appear at my doorstep.

Epic Brewing Company - Son of a Baptist

Bell's Brewery Arabicadabra

Bell's Brewery Arabicadabra is a fine milk stout in its own right. Add a great robust blend of Nicaraguan and Sumatra coffee beans to this stout and it becomes something really special. This was one I told many close friends about and they got the same smiling face that I got after the first sip.

Epic Brewing Company Son of a Baptist is brewing masterpiece. The attention to detail for the coffee selected for this beer is top notch! The silky stout and hint of chocolate round out a coffee stout that is hard to forget. An excellent recommendation from a coworker who I thank for introducing me to this beer.

There you have it for the 2017 Coffee Stouts.  I would love to get your opinion and suggestions on others.  Please add a comment or send me the information through the Contact section of the site.  

Cheers!

In Today's Lineup....

The bottle equipment comes from American Beer Equipment (ABE) out of Lincoln, Nebraska

Three words I have longed to hear for years, "In Today's Lineup". You might think I am talking about being part of a professional sports lineup, no I am talking about something much bigger. I made the bottling lineup at Kros Strain Brewing! For a storyteller and craft beer enthusiast, this is a dream come true. Having the opportunity to be part of the line that gets beer out to the public is so cool! I will take you through my experience of a being a first time bottler in one of the most impressive bottling lines I have ever seen.

Case boxes prepped and ready

Upon arrival at Kros Strain, the brewers Bobby Kros and Scott Strain were busy getting the bottling equipment all setup and ready. Scott's mom Twila greeted the group of helpers and showed us the first thing that needed to be accomplished which was putting the case boxes together. Next was to put the six pack containers together and put them in each case box.Twila had already been very busy that morning as there were several pallets stacked with the boxes.  Now onto our next assignment!

The first beer to be bottled on this fine day was the Dark Paradise. This amber ale is not your typical amber. It is going to give you a little extra flavor with some chocolate and coffee notes. The label spools have been threaded into place. The ones shown here come in spools of about 1,000 labels.

The first critical person on the line is the one taking the bottles from the pallet and getting them into place so that they can go through and get a label put on them. Just a side note the designs used on the Kros Strain beer labels are incredible don't you think! Once the bottles have been labeled they are now ready to be filled.

Getting the bottles ready to go through the first step of the process which is getting the label put on

Here is where is all happens... bottles get rinsed, filled, and capped

Here is the heart and soul of the bottling line. The ABE GlassPak66 automates the process of:

• Rinsing the bottles
• Purging oxygen and replacing with CO2
• Filling the bottles with beer
• Capping the bottles

All of this can be done at a top speed of around 70 bottles per minute which is very impressive!  To see a demonstration check out this video - GlassPak66

I don't know if there are any "Gold Rush" fans out there, but for those that have watched the show, you have an appreciation of what the wash plant is capable of doing. You also quickly learn how much care it takes to keep it running. The same goes for the bottling equipment. I watched that day as Scott Strain adjusted and monitored how the machine was performing. I would have never thought that a brewer would need to be so knowledgeable in the bottling equipment! The machine can run into a few issues here and there. For example, a bottle cap got stuck. It definitely takes some decent mechanic skills to be able to fix things on the fly an get the machine back up in running. 

Through the dryer and down the conveyor belt comes the finished bottles waiting to be packaged. Also in the background you can see bottle caps that are taken up to a collection point to be used by the capping equipment.

So here comes part that I got to do which was taking the bottles from the conveyor belt and putting them into the boxes. When working with Twila bottling, she said that the bottling can be a lot like an episode of "I Love Lucy". In that episode, if you substitute chocolate for beer that is what it feels like sometimes on the line as the bottles are coming at you rather quickly. You really have to be on your toes and be able to get a good rhythm going. Twila provided a great tip on grabbing 4 bottles at one time. That definitely seemed to be the most efficient way to do it. As quickly as the boxes were filled, they were taken, taped up, and put onto the pallet. Just think in about a minute, you can box up 3 cases of beer! 

Pallets are stacked securely and ready to be shipped

It is amazing how fast a pallet can fill up! I can definitely say it was a good workout keeping up with the pace that bottles come at you. That day we bottled 277 cases. For people who enjoy numbers that is 6,648 bottles and 79,776 ounces of beer.

You truly get a great appreciation for the amount of work that goes into each craft beer that you get to enjoy. Bobby Kros and Scott Strain work very hard at producing a quality product. This begins in the formulation of the recipes of each of the types of beers they produce and continue all of the way to point of consumption.

The quality definitely shows in all of the beers. I am so impressed with all of the different IPAs and hop variations being used at Kros Strain. You know that Bobby and Scott have spent many hours getting the beers just the way they want them. Take for instance the Fairy Nectar IPA. In a short period of time, it has become a huge favorite of craft beer drinkers in Nebraska. This IPA has great aroma and hop flavor without any hop bitterness. I have been to the taproom more than once with friends who claim they don't like "hoppy" beers.  After I have them try a Fairy Nectar, they are so impressed with the flavor and how easy drinking it is. It is really fun getting to see people expand their craft beer horizons!  Sorry went on a tangent but it is easy to when you are talking about such great brews.

Throughout the day I was able to see a well planned out brewery down to the smallest details. You can tell a big investment was made in the brewery equipment including the quality testing equipment. The picture below shows a piece of equipment that is a combined oxygen and CO2 meter. It is used to make sure the right level of oxygen and carbonation are going into the bottles. Without this testing, you could have batches that might turn out to be flat or go off like a geyser. Yes I have had a couple of experiences where over carbonated beer has shot out of the bottle!

Quality testing equipment

Photo from Kros Strain Twitter posting

The day ended with a celebrity visiting the brewery. Cousin Eddy from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation stopped in to help finish up the packaging and cleanup. Okay, so it really wasn't Cousin Eddy it was Scott's dad Tom. This was an awesome picture from the Christmas party the weekend before. It is great to see how much fun the Kros and Strain families have in helping out at the brewery!

I enjoyed the bottling experience and would definitely do it again. If you haven't been to Kros Strain, I highly recommend stopping in and trying out some of their wonderful beers. The taproom has amazing decor and a great view of the brewing equipment. For a closer look at the brewing equipment and to see how the beer is created, you need to take one of their tours.  For more information about Kros Strain Brewery check out their website:  https://krosstrainbrewing.com

Cheers!

Community

When you hear the word "Community" what comes to mind? I first think about the small town of Manley, Nebraska where I grew up. For the longest time living in a small community to me was about helping each other out. As a young boy, I enjoyed helping out the older folks in town by mowing their yards or painting their houses. I also remember coming together for such events as cleaning up the town each spring. It felt good to be part of something!

As an adult, I have a lot of those same feelings wanting to get together with others who have a passion for the same things I do. Being a technology guy, I enjoy the opportunity to get to go to conferences to meet people and learn more about what they are doing. There is always something I can take back to the office and apply what I have learned.

Picture with my friend Jeff from a road trip to Scratchtown this spring.

This is my first year getting to spend a good amount of time out in the Nebraska Craft Beer community. I have had a blast getting to meet so many people that have welcomed and provided me with the chance to tell their story. Everyone in this community have been so nice! I have great respect for their passion and desire to help each other out. I never knew before starting my blog of all of the relationships that exist in this community between the brewers, hops producers, and other local ingredient producers. I have to admit, I get excited when I hear about local hops, honey, or popcorn being used in beers. Popcorn you say?  Popcorn Daze from Scratchtown is a great example of how communities in Nebraska support one another.

I really wasn't aware of just how far Nebraska has come in terms of growing hops until I met Bruce and Annette Wiles from Midwest Hop Producers and Katie Kreuser who is the Nebraska Extension Hop Program Coordinator from UNL this summer at the Great Nebraska Beer Fest. I think it is fantastic to see local hops being grown! I know that there has a been a huge investment in money, time, and research to get this up an off the ground. The fact that people in our state are helping to address the need for hops is amazing! The craft beer explosion has had a big impact on the demand for hops. In 2009, there were roughly 1,500 craft beer breweries around the United States. Now there are well over 5,000 craft beer breweries.  If you add to these numbers, the fact that IPA style beers have risen in popularity, the demand is higher than ever for hops!

Photo from Tweet from Tom Wilmouth Co-founder of Zipline Brewing.  In the picture are Katie Kreuser Nebraska Extension Hop Program Coordinator and Marcus Powers Co-founder of Zipline Brewing.

Nebraska is blessed to have a couple of great organizations providing support for the community.  They are the Nebraska Hop Growers Association and the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild.  Together with the Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) and Midwest Hop Producers are putting on the Second Annual Nebraska Grower and Brewer Conference & Trade Show.  The conference will take place on Thursday, January 18th and Friday, January 19th, 2018.  This conference is a great opportunity for learning and networking.  One other key highlight of the conference for many attendees is getting to participate in panel discussions.

From the 2017 Grower and Brewer Conference.  Pictured from left to right - Caleb Pollard - Scratchtown, Dallas Archer - Upstream,  Zac Triemert - Brickway, and Marcus Powers - Zipline

Let's take a closer look at some of the topics to be presented. There are two tracks for the conference - brewer and grower.

Brewer Track

From Infusion Brewing - Patiently Brewing Some of the Best Craft Beer in the Midwest blog

The brewer track this year has tons of amazing sessions that cover the topic areas listed below.  This is just a sample of some of the sessions for each topic area.

• Business 
  • From Start-Up to Sale: Legal Planning for Each Phase of Your Business, Jonathan Wegner, Partner, Baird Holm LLP 
  • Digital Marketing, Scott Papek, Founder, The Hop Artist & Photographer, Papek Gallery
  • Crafting Your Beer Brand: Good Design is Good Business, Drew Davies, Owner & Designer, Oxide Design Co. 
  • Sustainability & Craft Brewing – A Perfect Pair, Richard Yoder, Chief Sustainability Officer, University of Nebraska Omaha’s College of Business Administration, John Stier, Sustainability Mentor, Brewers Association
• Brewing
  • Introduction to Malting for Brewers, Brian Podwinski, President and Co-Founder, Blue Blood Brewing Company
  • Steven Pauwels, Brewmaster, Boulevard Brewing Company
  • Over-Attenuation in Dry-Hopped Beer, Marcus Powers, Co-Founder and Chief of Operations, Zipline Brewing Company
  • Brewer Discussion Panel, Marcus Powers, Zipline Brewing Company, Zac Triemert, Brickway Brewery & Distillery, Nathan Hoeft, First Street Brewing Company, Brian Podwinski, Blue Blood Brewing Company, Kim Kavulak, Nebraska Brewing Company
• Science & Technology
  • Fermentation Science, David Peitz, Professor and Chair, Wayne State College
  • Technology and the Future of Draft Beer Systems… the Robots are Coming, Joe English, Owner and Operator, Sculpture Hospitality, Steve Anaka, Vice President, Bevchek
  • Micro Testing During the Brewing Process, Jane Caldwell, Assistant Technical Director, Midwest Laboratories

Midwest Hop Producers - from a visit this summer to their hop yard.

Grower Track

The grower track this year has an incredible mix of sessions that cover topic areas listed below along with a sample of some of the sessions for each.

• Business 
  • The Real Cost of Hop Production, Rob Sirrine, Senior Educator, Michigan State University Extension
  • Whole Farm Revenue Protection Insurance, John Schreiter, Crop Insurance Solutions
  • Gleanings from the Nebraska Hops Quality and Productivity Evaluation Study, Stacy Adams, Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Growing 
  • Trellis System and Hop Yard Design, Dan Wiesen, Custom Farming & Installation Director, Empire Hops
  • Hop Diseases and Management, Kyle Broderick, Coordinator, Plant and Pest Diagnostics Extension Educator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
  • Weed Management, Dan Wiesen, Custom Farming & Installation Director, Empire Hops
  • Small Scale Post-Harvest Processing, James Altwies, President, CEO & CTO, Gorst Valley Hops
• Science
  • Updates from the UNL Hop Breeding Program, Keenan Amundsen, Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • A Biological Approach to Quality Hop Production, Christopher Kniffen, Research and Development, Soil Works LLC
  • Soil Fertility and Hop Analysis Testing, Joe Sisco, Field Consultant, Midwest Laboratories

What People are Saying About the 2018 Grower And Brewer Conference

When asked what are you looking forward to the most for the 2018 conference, here were some of the responses.

Katie Kreuser - UNL. I’m approaching this conference a little differently this year, as I’m behind the scenes planning it. While I hope to learn more about what challenges are being faced by each aspect of the industry and how I can help to address those through my work, I’m also hoping to establish more connections with our growers. Our hop growers are spread out over the state of Nebraska, and visiting each farm hasn’t been quite feasible. I also look forward to some great talks to help me expand my knowledge so that I can do my job better and help continue the growth of hop production in the state.

Gabby Ayala - Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild.  This will be my first Grower and Brewer Conference and I'm just excited for all the awesome networking opportunities and idea sharing that will be happening. The idea of having so many passionate Nebraska growers and brewers together in one space is very exciting!  We'll have lots of industry experts coming in from all over the nation as well and that will be a great opportunity for our Nebraska brewers.  It'll be great not only for the brewers attending, but also for those coming to present from out of state.  The presenters will get to see how passionate, creative and innovative Nebraska brewers truly are!

Dustin Rutledge - Homestead Hops, Perfect Pour Magazine. It’s always a benefit for people from various parts of the industry to be in one place. We are looking forward to hearing from presenters and discussion panels that are experts in their fields, being able to talk to and learn from other growers and brewers, as well as enjoying the Omaha area.

Brian Podwinski - Blue Blood Brewing Company. I think the best part of the conference is two fold. First, there are new topics to learn about and gain experience from others. Second, getting brewers and growers together in the same room to meet, plan, and grow together!

Ryan Heine - 6th Meridian Hops. Its hard to quantify the 'most'... Obviously we are really excited to be a part of the growers panel and that our neighbors, Soil Works, will be there and presenting on the organic nutrition program that they are developing on our farm. Although, there are two tracks, I will spend my time split between them as we love brewing and attending some brewer tracks help us understand our customers better.  I'm excited to talk to David Peitz about Wayne State's new fermentation program and hear about the latest developments at UNL in brewing, hops, and malts.  And of course, I want to catch up with many of the other growers and brewers as well as meet the new ones!

Steve Bauman - Bauman's Hop Farm. Even though I been growing hops for ten years, I know I will end up learning something new and useful for me. I enjoy seeing old acquaintances an meeting new ones.

Jacob Robison - Dirty Dog Hopyard. The agenda is really outstanding and looking forward to both days, but as a grower I am really interested in talking with brewers about what varieties they like to use, what they are experimenting with and what they see on the horizon so we (all Nebraska Hop Growers) can meet their needs.

Marcus Powers - Zipline Brewing. When brewers gather, I find that some of the best ideas and knowledge are exchanged in the hallways between scheduled speakers. I learn an immense amount from each session, but it's usually matched by what I learn from casual conversations with brewers (new and old) throughout the conference. The synergy and ideas from these 'hallways sessions' are a value-added component of every great industry conference

This is a great opportunity to come get to learn and be part of the Growers and Brewers community of Nebraska. Whether you are currently grow hops or are thinking about it, you won't find a better place to get the information you need. Want a forum to ask the questions you have been dying to ask, then this is the conference for you! From a brewer's perspective, the knowledge sharing and networking over so many topics that impact your business every day is going to be fantastic! Both growers and brewers having the chance to guide the future of the Nebraska Craft Beer community, it doesn't get any better than that!

Cheers!

When Stars Align...

Lost Way Brewery sign has great significance. In the words of Mark Kraus "We were all lost, wandering the world before coming here, the compass is broken now, because we don't plan on going anywhere. This is home"

Whether you believe in fate or not, it seems that in life there is a greater force guiding us to be where should be. I am not saying that each of us personally don't work hard at making our own destiny, but there is that moment when the stars align and everything seems right in the universe.  

For two couples, never in their wildest dreams would they have ever thought that they would end up being the owners of a craft beer brewery in Holdrege, Nebraska. Jason and Kimberly (Kim) Hines grew up in Michigan. Kim in Clarkston and Jason in Bay City. Even though the cities are about 2 hours apart, friends of theirs brought them together during their college years. Mark and Jessica Kraus met while Mark was in the Marines and stationed in Camp Pendleton. When Mark was back from his second deployment, it was time for recruiting duty back in Michigan. Mark told me, "My Battery Gunnery Sergeant had told me in Afghanistan if I didn't ask Jessica to marry me I wasn't very smart and you always listen to your senior enlisted as a young officer." Mark is a smart man and followed through on the advice he was given! Oh and before I forget, Kim is Mark's sister. Kind of important information don't you think?

Jason Hines giving a tour showing the brewing setup at Lost Way

So the couples have met, but we still have more stars to fall into place. I think one of the hardest things in life is finding a career that you can truly be passionate about and of course make a living at. It is difficult coming out of high school knowing what you truly want to be. Each of us has strengths that help guide us to what we are good at. 

For example, Jessica has great communication and marketing skills. Talking with Jessica you can see how energized she gets with meeting with the customers in the brewery. Also Jessica has a great eye for design. She has done a wonderful job with the beer glasses, t-shirts, and other logo products. The logo looks great on the beer glasses! I am not the only one that thinks this because hundreds of the glasses have already been procured by people in the community.

Kim has a degree in Accounting. As we chatted that evening, it was evident that Kim really understands the business side and making sure everything is setup for the opening. From the Point-of-Sale (POS) system to all the financials, Kim has it covered. Oh and the last thing I learned about Kim is her love of Quick Books!

Jason's passion lies in creating things that are of exceptional quality.  When talking with Jason, I can understand how he got into engineering. You can also see this in the brewing system that was chosen from Colorado Brewing Systems. A well thought out system indeed!

Even though I didn't get to spend a lot of time with Mark, you can tell his leadership and vision are some of his strengths. Also I hear that maybe he has a beer glass collection that could challenge mine!  Mark just between you and me, our wives are looking for ways to reduce our stash. We need to keep a close watch.

Four people with strengths that complement each other.  Each working jobs that utilized those strengths well before ever thinking about opening a brewery.  Let's continue on!

I really love the saying "The is no such thing as failure, only learning".  In 2012, Mark decided that it might be fun to get into wine making. Mark quickly learned that this wasn't something for him. The store where Mark bought his wine making products also had craft beer kits. Mark tried a couple of extract kits and quickly became interested in home brewing. It wouldn't be long before he would have his good friend Jason joining him in this hobby. Michigan is a great state for craft beer, so I can understand how Mark and Jason got into brewing by enjoying beers from such places as Bells, Shorts Brewing, and Founders.

In 2014, Jason got an opportunity to come work as a Quality Engineer at BD in Holdrege. Jason and Kim fell in love with the small Nebraska community and the lifestyle it provided. Mark and Jessica were still in Southern California but wanting to make a move. Mark applied for and was offered a job as an assistant brewer at Bell's Brewery in Michigan. 

So things were happening for both couples but not exactly getting them together. Then prior to having to make a decision about Bell's,  Kim and Jason let Mark know about an opportunity at BD in Holdrege.  Mark and Jessica believed it was a better fit for starting a family, so they were on their way to Nebraska. The community now was truly beginning to feel like their new home. 

Good friends brewing good beer and having a great time. Mark and Jason expanded their craft beer brewing hobby well beyond kits at this point. They had purchased some equipment and had a nice home brewing setup in which they could come up with recipes to experiment with.  In the back of their minds, the desire to have a craft beer brewery was there. It wasn't until Mark and Jessica saw a building for sale downtown that really raised the possibility of owning a craft beer brewery. Jessica pushed Mark to call and eventually he did look at the building. Not the one they ended up with, but it got the ball rolling. That night, Mark and Jessica approached Kim and Jason about the idea. The couples stayed up a good chunk of the night in their basement drinking home brew and brainstorming.  Wow this is getting so exciting!

The decision was made to open a brewery but where and how do we come up with financing?  A whirlwind of activity ensued in order to make Lost Way Brewery a reality. Phelps County Development Corporation was a big help in getting leads on buildings and gap-financing. Great Western Bank helped facilitate the rest of the financing needs. It is great to see how a small community came together to be so instrumental in getting the project off the ground!

Sunglow Dairy - photo provided by Nebraska Prairie Museum in Holdrege

Finding a building in the rustic downtown area was top priority. The old brick streets and buildings in the area have great appeal.  The former Sunglow Dairy building at 614 Third Ave had 4,000 sq feet of space which would work well for a brewery. Jason told me that the other thing that was appealing about the building was no basement and that it had all cement and tile floors. This helps in terms of the logistics of the brewing equipment. So while the building overall had good bones, it needed a lot of work in order to turn it into a place that you could brew beer and have a taproom.  Lots of sweat equity went into the building along with help from DTC out of Kearney who was the contractor for the renovation.  Things moved quickly as the building was purchased in February of this year. DTC began the renovation in June and completed in a matter of months.

Walking up to the brewery I had a great appreciation of the building's charm

The transformation of the building is incredible! The taproom is very comfortable. Definitely a place where you can go have a great conversation over a couple of pints.  The windows grab your attention right away as drive by and then walk up to the building.  Inside the building, you will see a lot of its original charm. The rustic wood and stainless steal bar is very cool. There are pictures from when the building was a dairy and a print shop that provide a glimpse of the history of the area which I also enjoy.

The Nebraska shaped flight holders are made by Mark's dad.

Six taps serving up a good variety of rotating beers

Things are looking good, but yet the last star had to fall in to place... The beer needed to be brewed and of course named. The ones for opening night include:

• Boatface Blonde

• Corn Husking Red

• Tres Corazones IPA

• Snow Calf Porter

• Lost Creek Wheat

• P.O.S IPA

You can tell the couples had a lot of fun naming these. I don't want to spoil the fun, so you need to stop in find out for yourself! I enjoyed all of the beers. Such great variety that will guarantee there is something for everyone!

When Stars Align, good things happen to good people. Lost Way Brewery is a great example of this. Jessica, Kim, Mark, and Jason here's to many great years of success.  Cheers!

For more information see the Lost Way website or Facebook.

Pike Place Market Breweries

Pike Brewing in the Pike Market Place in Seattle

My trip to the Pacific Northwest was for the Nebraska vs Oregon football game, not just searching out craft beer breweries to visit. The trip had us in Seattle for 2 days before the game, so I knew I could find a few good places to try!  I have to thank my family, especially my wife for spending time searching out the places I will be talking about. I only scratched the surface when it comes to Seattle breweries. I am sure you could spend a week or more visiting all of the wonderful breweries!

The day we arrived in Seattle, there was ash in the air from all of the local wild fires.  After walking around Pike Place Market, my son and I discovered the Old Stove Brewing Co taproom which had a nice view of Elliot Bay. On that particular afternoon, the ash really limited the visibility of the bay. Never having any of the Old Stove beers before, it seemed like a good idea to grab of flight of 4 beers to try. I choose 3 IPAs and their amber ale called Amber Waves. All of the them were really good. My favorite one was the Piston Hondo DIPA. This beer has great citrus aroma and flavor. The caramel malt smooths out this 87 IBU IPA. As you can see from the picture, this beer is a beauty and the flight glass is also pretty cool! I would recommend stopping in here especially if you are looking for a relaxing place where you can enjoy the fresh air and the incredible view of the bay.

Old Stove Brewing Taproom in the Pike Market Place in Seattle with a great view of Elliot Bay

A hidden gem just north and west of Pike Place Market

In this taproom, you are close to all of the action ...

I almost never found Cloudburst Brewing. Google Maps had me going in circles. My wife thought I was completely crazy. I asked a couple of local people and they got us closer to the taproom. What should have been a 5 minute walk from our hotel took us nearly 30 minutes to find the taproom. Cloudburst has an interesting atmosphere. The opening into the brewery is a garage door. You walk into a narrow passageway of tables that leads you to the place you can order your beer. As you are doing so, you can also see the beer being brewed which is awesome! No flights which is a bummer for someone that is from out of town like me.

The beer that I tried was a dry hopped IPA called Pretty Little Liar. This IPA had a very nice hop profile of Simcoe, Mosaic, Citra and Hop 438. I like the name of the beer but didn't have time to find out the story on how it was named.  This was a solid IPA with a nice citrus flavor. The menu that day had several other IPAs that looked very interesting including a Red IPA but there was still one more place to go on this National Beer Lover's Day. Come to find out, I wasn't the only one trying some of the Seattle breweries on National Beer Lover's Day, so was @kellyfromtexas. More to come on this...

Pike Brewing Co was my favorite Pike Place Market brewery.  The atmosphere in the tap room was incredible! They had multiple flight choices which I really like. The one I choose was the "The Next 6 Sampler".  This is a great flight because it has 3 local guest tap selections and 3 Pike Brewing beers that are next up on tap.  The three guest taps were:

• Pacific 1897 Pale Lager

• Wet Coast Brewing Sneak Thief Milk Stout

• Scuttlebutt Brewing Amber Ale

Out of the guest taps, my favorite was the Wet Coast Brewing Sneak Thief Milk Stout.  Now onto the 3 from The Pike...

• Pike Space Needle

• Pike Hive Five

• Pike Harlot's Harvest

All of Pike Brewing's logo designs are so awesome - I had to get a t-shirt before leaving...

Flight at The Pike Brewing Co

From the Pike Brewing Beer Menu...

Pike Space Needle - Golden IPA. Unique golden India Pale Ale with assertive hop character and floral notes; brewed with four varieties of aroma and flavoring hops from the Yakima Valley.

Pike Hive Five - Honey Ale. A delicious collaboration brew from Pike made with superb honey from Salish Lodge & Spa's apiary. A biscuity golden ale hopped with Yakima Valley Hops.

Pike Harlot's Harvest - Spiced Pumpkin Ale. Big, bold, voluptuous; burst of caramel & molasses with a smooth sweetness and the boldness of a monastic style double ale. 

My favorite was the Pike Harlot's Harvest. This Pumpkin Ale has so much flavor! I really loved the generous amount of spice in this ale. Some Pumpkin beers come up flat on taste, not this one!

Oh so you are wondering what happened with @kellyfromtexas... We tweeted back and forth all afternoon. I looked up from across the bar and there Kelly was with Michael. When I realized it was them, I jumped up from my bar stool and headed over. We quickly introduced ourselves as my wife came up thinking we had known each other for years. It was so much fun getting to meet Kelly! This was the first time I ever met a Twitter friend in another city. National Beer Lover's Day was a great way to meet a new friend!

I really enjoyed my couple of days in Seattle. Great sight seeing, seafood, and craft beer. If you make it out to Seattle, I hope you get a chance to check out these Pike Place Market breweries.  

Cheers!

Resurrecting a Brewing Tradition

The word resurrect has so many meanings that apply to what Vis Major is accomplishing. Revive, restore, regenerate, revitalize, breathe new life into, bring back to life, reinvigorate, rejuvenate, stimulate, reestablish ... It is an amazing story of what the owners Tom and Lindsey Clements have been doing. 

Even though it is slightly north of what is considered to be South Omaha by many, Vis Major is resurrecting the brewery industry that has a long history in South O.  I would like to take you back in time to get a sense of how essential the beer industry was to the growth of the community.

Jetter Brewing Company was created in 1887.  Balthas Jetter was a German immigrant who came to Omaha wanting to brew beer for the thirsty packing house workers. He initially partnered with an man named Mr. Young. The Jetter and Young Brewery was then soon built at 30th & "Y" street. By 1890, Jetter bought out his partner was producing 10,000 barrels of beer each year. From my understanding one barrel is approximately 31 gallons of beer, so we are talking about 310,000 gallons of beer. The packing industry was booming and so were the Jetter brews including their flagship named "Gold Top" which later was renamed to "Old Age".  By 1902 production increased to  30,000 barrels and continued to grow all the way to 100,000 barrels before Prohibition began. August 10th, 1933 was the date when it became legal to produce beer again in Nebraska. Even though Balthas Jetter had passed away, the brewery under new ownership was poised to become the largest in the region. Jetter Brewing Company had a relaunch party and tasting at Krug Park in late August of 1933. Things were looking up but only for a short time as the "Great Depression" would be the demise of this brewery.

Please take the time to read the complete story from the link above highlighted in blue. I think you will find something in it that you can relate to. For me it is the fact the brewery was 10 blocks west of where my grandparent's house use to be. My grandfather worked at Wilson's in the meat packing industry for many years so I can relate to how important the breweries were to this industry and the community.

Photo from the Omaha World Herald. The Krug Brewing Company June 22, 1920 From Wikipedia: The Fred Krug Brewery was located at 2435 Deer Park Boulevard in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1859, Krug Brewery was the first brewery in the city. Krug was one of the "Big 4" brewers located in Omaha, which also included the Storz, Willow Springs and Metz breweries. Later sold to Falstaff in 1936, the facility closed in 1987. Please read the complete story in the link - "Cheers for Beers"

There are more great stories about the "Big 4" breweries of South Omaha including Krug Brewing, Storz, Willow Springs, and Metz.  One of the best ones I found in the archives is from the Omaha World Herald - Cheers for Beers!  This article is so intriguing. So some of us will remember the name Falstaff from our parents or grandparents. Falstaff purchased Krug Brewing and continued to brew beer until the mid to late 1980's. A rich culture of community, food, and beer had come to an end.

It wouldn't be for another 30 years until someone would breathe new life into the beer brewing tradition of South Omaha. That someone is the Clements and Vis Major on 35th and Center is the place where it is all happening. 

Sometimes it takes a light to show you the way to what you are destined to be. For Lindsey and Tom, owning a brewery was never part of their master plan. Tom, an aircraft mechanic, and Lindsey who has a background in sales and marketing met each other while Tom was a personal trainer at a gym. The two hit it off and quickly found out that the shared a passion for craft beer.

The couple moved to Chicago where Tom would work at O'hare Airport and Lindsey in the interior design industry. Chicago has many craft breweries and bars to explore the various varieties of beer. Lindsey told me how trying different styles of beer really broadened her palate. Tom in the meantime had a coworker convince him to give home brewing a try. The first kit he go to brew was an IPA. A starting point for great things to follow!

Big cities like Chicago can be great until when the economy goes bad. Lindsey described to me the period of time where things become pretty stressful for her and Tom in Chicago. For starters, Lindsey was downsized out of her new position. Needing to find work in order to make apartment payments had Lindsey jumping between a couple of jobs including being a waitress and selling memberships for at gym. As a young married couple, you work hard together to get your life started. When things don't go as expected, you look to your heart to find where your passions lie.  

Reestablishing one's own identity can be a very scary proposition. Lindsey sat down with Tom and discussed taking some time to figure out what direction to take her career. We have all been there wondering what we were meant to do and it can be a difficult endeavor. Lindsey still hadn't lost her passion for craft beer. Matter of fact the opposite was occurring. The more Lindsey read craft beer journals and brewing books, the more intrigued she became about brewing beer. Tom and Lindsey loved to research different ingredients for beers and soon started to create a decent sized recipe book for the beers they would soon brew. I had to ask Lindsey what was one of her favorite beers from those days in Chicago and she said Founders Cerise Cherry Ale. Beautiful color in this beer.  Hang on to that thought... 

A rejuvenated Lindsey now was back looking for the right opportunity. An initial introduction to Arbella Distributing from Omaha didn't yield a job for Lindsey but proved to be a great contact. Soon Ryan Penke, owner of Arbella would have Lindsey on his staff. Lindsey described for me that this opportunity was a key step in learning about the craft beer industry and what it takes to be a brewery. Zipline Brewing was the first local craft beer brewery that Arbella distributed for. It is amazing to learn about all of the relationships in the craft beer industry in Nebraska. I think there is no other state where the breweries work together so well and welcome new ones.

Tom is in the Drink Divine shirt along with Max

For Lindsey, being involved in the craft beer industry continued to ignite the passion of wanting to be a bigger part of it. So it wasn't long before Lindsey and Tom announced, "We are going to open a brewery". These were the words of the Clements back in 2014 to some of their closest friends. Now that the goal was out there, it was time to make it happen! Lindsey said that a whirlwind of activity soon followed that decision. There was still so much to learn to be able to run a brewery. The recipes were there and the confidence that they could produce great beer but how do you get started? Lindsey said she remembers being at the Nebraska Beer Fest in 2014 where Caleb Pollard of Scratchtown Brewing was giving a talk about what it takes from going from a home brewer to having a brewery. Lindsey and Tom then asked if they could tour the Scratchtown brewery to learn more. Mike Klimek, who is the head brewer, walked through the process of getting the brewery up and running. Lindsey remembers a key thing that Mike said to them ... "It takes creativity to realize a dream.". Other people in the craft beer community were there also to provide advice to the Clements including Bill Baburek who is the owner of Infusion Brewing Co and the Crescent Moon bar.

There are so many things to starting a business. Creating your business plan can be such a daunting task. Lindsey said going into the process her and Tom knew they wanted to be a neighborhood craft beer brewery. The desire was to produce enough beer for the taproom. This was important especially when it came to financing and finding a location. The search for the location included sites on Park Avenue, 13th Street, 25th and Farnam before finding the right spot at 35th and Center. This location use to be Clanton Grocery from 1913 until the 1980s. Back when the building was sold in 1989, it was going to be frame shop but that never happened. The building stood idle until the Clements decided to bring it back to life.

Seek sanctuary and you will find it here...

Old buildings have so much character but can have many challenges bring them up to current building code. The ceiling had these amazing tiles but had to be taken down due to the fire code. Lindsey and Tom were able to keep some and put them on the wall so that the legacy of Clanton Grocery could live on. There were many other challenges, but in the end Lindsey has designed a peaceful sanctuary where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. The one thing I notice when I am there is how people are enjoying one another's company without the distraction of loud music or televisions. 

There are so many stories of craft beer breweries reviving neighborhoods and communities. Take for example Benson, which has seen tremendous growth after the opening of the Benson Brewery, Infusion, and the many bars serving craft beer. Another good example is what Prairie Pride and Kinkaider Brewing taprooms have done for the downtown area of Grand Island. Tom and Lindsey are doing just that for the Hanscom Park and Field Club neighborhoods. While revitalizing a community is important, the Clements priority was to make sure that the immediate neighbors would know that Vis Major was a family friendly place not a loud nightclub that would take away from the piece and quiet of the area.

So I had to ask Lindsey what this whole experience of starting a craft beer brewery has really been like. She told me it is kind of like becoming a parent for the first time where you imagine all of the beautiful moments like rocking the baby, the baby's first smile, etc. The reality is you tend to be up all night at times getting things ready for the next day, tending to ills of the brewing system, and wondering what you have gotten yourself into!

Lot's of hard work to goes into each batch of beer. Brewing 3 to 4 times a week on the 4 barrel system keeps you very busy. Then testing each batch making sure the beer has enough time to finish before being kegged.  All of this work in order to open your doors to the community for the first time.  But you are not done yet. You still have the final touches, getting staff hired, and so many other tasks before pouring that first beer. I asked Lindsey what her approach was to all of this and she had a great response. "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." If you look at the process as a whole, it can be overwhelming but if you break it down to smaller pieces (tasks) it becomes very achievable!

A beautiful logo embraces the glassware and growlers at Vis Major.

Remarkable color and flavor in every beer... On the left is the Elixir Citra and the right Thicket and Thorns.

All of the research, studying of the brewing process, and dreaming up some amazing recipes paid off for Tom and Lindsey. Vis Major has a great rotation of 11 beers always on tap from Blonde Ales to Stouts. If you like IPAs then you will find some of the best around in the Elixir Citra - Single Hop IPA, If This Be Treason - New England Style IPA, The Guardian - Centennial Hop IPA and others.  The Saisons are incredible also including the Thicket and Thorns Raspberry Saison.

As the season changes, so do the beers. For example the Wayfare Jack - Pumpkin Pecan Ale will be coming out soon. I love the fact I can come to Vis Major and there will something new on tap to tantalize my taste buds!  Each beer has amazing flavor and wonderful color as seen in the picture to the left. I don't think this is by chance, I believe all of the years of researching craft beer can be seen in each of the Vis Major awesome brews!

In the end everything came together for Tom and Lindsey. I remember the grand opening day. I was first in line (I know that is probably not a shocker...) and got to chat with everyone else. There was great excitement in the air.  I sat down at the bar and enjoyed a flight and so did many others. I believe on the opening weekend there were almost 400 of these served. 

A well deserved opening for all of the hard work the Clements have put into Vis Major. The journey can sometimes be a long and hard road to travel. I think for Lindsey and Tom they are were they want to be and the community loves them for that!

Oh the name.... Many of you already know that Vis Major translates to "An Act of God". There are a couple of versions of how the name came to be. If you get a chance ask Tom about this and mention World of Warcraft and see if you get a smile!

I truly believe Tom and Lindsey are resurrecting the brewing industry in an area of Omaha that has had so much history. If my grandfather was still alive today, I know he would enjoy Vis Major. I can imagine sitting at a table listening to his stories of the days when he was a meat packer over a brew or two. 

Flights at Vis Major are a great way to sample 4 of their brews at a time...

"Drink Good Beer with Good Friends" is happening each and every day at Vis Major. Stop in grab a flight or a pint and enjoy a great conservation with an old or new friend.  Tell Lindsey and Tom, Joe says "Hi".   

Cheers!

For more information on Vis Major check out their website: https://www.vismajorbrewing.com/

A Friendly Surprise Awaits You in Ohiowa, Nebraska

The other day I was talking with some friends and we started to discuss some of the crazy town names that you might have never heard of in Nebraska. I few of my favorites are "Surprise" named in 1881 by George Miller who built a gristmill on the Big Blue River. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that so much water power was available so close to the river's headwaters, and this led him to name the mill "Surprise".  "Friend" was named for Charles E. Friend, who homesteaded the land and initially named the community Friendville. He operated a dry goods store and post office. In 1873, the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad named its new train station there - Friend.  Last but not least and one of the most unique names of a town in Nebraska - Ohiowa.  A majority of the early settlers being natives of the states of Ohio and Iowa which caused the name to be selected. The name of the village is unusual in that it contains the complete names of two states.  All city name information provided by Wikipedia.

Making a drive out to Ohiowa wasn't by chance. A few weeks back, I had met Jim and Julie Stutzman at a "Meet the Brewer" event at the Local Beer, Patio, and Kitchen in Millard. The event was such a great time! With over 30 craft beer enthusiasts, Jim had a captive audience waiting to hear all about Lazy Horse and the beers we were about to sample. 

Flight of Lazy Horse Brewing Beers from the "Meet the Brewer" event

The beers in the flight included:

1. Pils

2. Blueberry Shandy

3. Rode Hard Pale Ale

4. Rebel Horse IPA

5. Milk Stout

Rebel Horse IPA - Imperial IPA - Super smooth and robust in flavor

Jim took us through each of the beers explaining the the type of beer and asking the everyone for the flavor they were getting out each of the brews.  The Rebel Horse IPA and Milk Stout left quite the impression, so I knew I had to make it out to the brewery and winery to see all of the good things being created there!

My destination on a fine Saturday afternoon wasn't Ohiowa itself, but just a few miles outside of the town. I had my sights set on Lazy Horse Brewing and Winery. From Omaha, the drive was only about an hour and a half. As we got off of the interstate, the highways led us past Ohiowa and onto a country road leading up to the beautiful property. As you drive in you see horses, grapevines, and the tasting room. The country charm is everywhere and a relaxing feeling overcomes you as you pull up the drive and open your car door. The tasting room is amazing! As I opened the door and walked in, there were so many things that caught my eye including the windmill on the wooden wall. For me, I felt like I was at back home when I was growing up in the small town of Manley, NE that is a farming community and also at one time had a very large cattle feedlot. Jim told me that the windmill came from a friend's ranch near Hyannis, NE. A great display of the charm and history of the rural communities of Nebraska. Whether you are a cowboy on a ranch or a banker from the city, you will feel that this is the place for you.

You can tell a lot of thought and hard work went into creating the tasting room. The warmth you feel from the wall where the windmill is hung is from hours of hard work breaking down pallets. The wood from pallets that no longer were being used could easily have been tossed away. That never happened because Jim and Julie have great vision in turning raw materials into great things. That is why you see things like huge wire spools turned into tables.

On the other side of the wall is an incredible patio. The view from the patio is so relaxing as you see the grapevines, prairie, and crops growing across the countryside. One thing I noticed that Saturday, is that the group of people that I was with wasn't the only one taking in the atmosphere of Lazy Horse. Everyone there was having a great time talking, relaxing, and enjoying the wine and craft beer.

Jim is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. Getting to have a conversation with him over some of his wonderful brews was incredible! We talked about how Jim got into the wine and beer making business. Jim started out his career as a rancher. Jim did this for about 16 years before him and Julie decided to try something different. They came up with the idea of growing grapes to sell with the possibility of making wine. Jim then decided to take some fermenter classes in Wamego, KS. As the grape plants matured and Jim finished his classes, the beginnings of a winery started to take shape. One thing you have to appreciate about the wines made at Lazy Horse is that they are made with 100% Nebraska grown grapes! I don't know much about wine, but Lazy Horse has a great selection of white wines including: Brianna (sweet), Sweet Edelweiss (sweet), Trail Buds - (sweet white blend), Summer Girl (semi-sweet white blend), and Stoney's Blend (semi-dry). For red wines, they have a Frontenac which is a semi-dry wine.  

So now I was really curious how the craft beer came into play. Jim said that he noticed when some of the guys would come into the tasting room that they were not sipping the wine but shooting it. This observation led Jim to believe he needed other choices. Adding craft beer would give everyone something they could enjoy when they came out to visit. So Jim started to learn how to brew beer. Patriot Homebrew Supply in Elkhorn, NE helped Jim get started along with some of Nebraska's finest home brewers. The goal for the first year of brewing was just to produce enough to have in the tasting room. Jim was able to produce 35 kegs of beer thinking that would get him through the summer.  Within 3 weeks there were only 5 kegs left.  Wow that is a great testament to the beer Jim is producing! Well that quickly changed the game and got Jim back in brewing more beer to keep up with the demand. News travels quickly and places like the Local Beer, Patio, and Kitchen started the line of places that wanted to be able to provide Lazy Horse beers from their taps.

Jim Stutzman - owner & creator of all wines and craft beers

I completely understand the demand for the Lazy Horse brews. Though being honest, I was surprised that a winery was producing such incredible beer! Beer with so many wonderful flavors - that is one thing I never get tired of with craft beer. Lazy Horse brews are top notch and each one has an outstanding flavor profile. For example, at the "Meet the Brewer" event, I had several people around me say they weren't IPA fans. After tasting all of the beers in the flight, the favorite of many turned out to be the Rebel Horse IPA. This imperial IPA has rich flavor and a smooth finish not a bitter bite which you would expect from an IPA with over 100 IBUs! Each beer I tried that Saturday in the tasting room was amazing! So Jim gave us a sneak peek of the Octoberfest coming out soon pictured below. The beautiful copper color and perfect head grab your attention right away. The malt complex used in this beer is wonderful - so much flavor and just a great beer for the fall. Speaking all great things about the fall like campfires and s'mores. The beauty below pictured next to the Octoberfest will put our taste buds into a frenzy! The combination of graham cracker and vanilla in this Porter is so delicious. I told Jim that this is a beer I could enjoy throughout the fall and winter. Jim, I don't beg often, but please keep making more of this one!

Fall is in the air and this Octoberfest brew proves it...

S'mores Porter full of graham cracker and vanilla notes

One of the other things you will notice when you visit Lazy Horse is how friendly everyone is. From the moment we walked into the tasting room until the time we left, we were treated as though we were the only customers there. When we first arrived, Jim was tending to business, so Kim who as been at Lazy Horse since it had opened gave us a tour of the brewing operation. Kim did a wonderful job answering our questions about the facility, beers being made, etc. She showed us the canning operation and the cool designs of the Lazy Horse labels.

As the afternoon progressed, hunger started to set in a bit. At the tasting room there are several food choices on the menu. I had my youngest son with me who is a little bit of a pizza connoisseur (ok he eats a lot of pizza) and said we had to try one of the them. In the tasting room, the wood fire pizza oven is definitely an attention grabber. While we were there, I would say almost everyone was getting a pizza.  So we got the Chicken Alfredo pizza and it was the best pizza I can remember having in a long time. So pizza and beer, what more could you ask for.... Maybe a couple of cabins so I could stay the whole weekend - just a thought.

With the afternoon winding down, it was time to grab a crowler and a six-pack and head back to Omaha. Always good to plan in advance to have a designated driver if making a road trip.

It was a great day and I recommend that you get out to visit them soon.  It really was no surprise how great their craft beer is and I truly enjoyed the hospitality!  So sometimes it might be a unique name of a town that peaks our interest of checking out an area - but believe me there is a whole lot more just outside Ohiowa, NE.  Don't wait, plan your trip soon so that you too can experience all that Lazy Horse Brewing and Winery has to offer. 

Cheers!

Patiently Brewing Some of the Best Craft Beer in the Midwest

The Brewers of Infusion. From left to right - Tyler Pawelkop, Max Stewart, and Aaron Bush

I got a chance to sit down and chat with Aaron Bush, who is the head brewer at Infusion Brewing Company in Omaha, Nebraska. It was a late Friday afternoon and probably the hottest day so far this summer. Aaron came out from the brewing area, sweat covered, but a big smile one his face. As we shook hands, I knew this was going to be an interesting next hour or so.

My curiosity quickly got the best of me, so I had to ask Aaron how his brewing journey began. Aaron started out home brewing around 17 years ago. The very first beer he selected to brew was a Pilsner. With high expectations, Aaron anxiously awaited opening that first bottle to get a taste of what he had created. "It was terrible" said Aaron, "I remember telling my wife that I had put the rest of the bottles in a garbage bag". I can completely relate to this, because this was exactly my first but only experience brewing beer. Aaron then continued on with the story that he couldn't bring himself to getting rid of the first batch. Then one day his wife told him it was time to either drink the beer or dump it into the garbage. Aaron decided to put a couple of bottles into the fridge and try them out later that day while grilling. "Time" said Aaron. I asked him as to what he meant by that. Aaron continued on, "Time was all the beer needed to finish." Aaron then went on to say how this first experience taught him how important patience is in brewing.  Some of the steps especially during brewing days happen quickly with lots of action on those days.  But the key to a great beer is in the final steps of the process and allowing it the time it needs before pouring into a glass and enjoying that first sip.

Grains that are used to brew the beer

"Was there one specific type of beer that you wanted to focus on?", I asked. Aaron explained that for him, it wasn't about taking one recipe and tweaking it for months, it was more about exploring all kinds of beers. This made complete sense to me especially in your early brewing years when you want to delve into all of the possibilities. Also what better way to learn than to try different things. I followed up that question with "What was your most important thing that you wanted to get out of each batch?" I found the answer to be very intriguing. Aaron discussed how he wanted there to be a specific characteristic that people would taste and remember in the beer. I have to say that is probably the main reason why I like craft beer so much. I can remember having my very first pint of the Dominican Brown Ale from Infusion. There was chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, and coconut notes that make this beer so special to me. A special taste that brings me back for more!

So many questions started coming into my head that I wanted to explore with Aaron. My next one was, "How did you learn to make all of the different styles of beer?" Aaron told me it was a lot of research time. Books were a good starting point. Hours of listening to craft beer podcasts by some of the greats like James Spencer - Basic Brewing Radio helped also. Spending time in the home brew supply stores provide a place to ask questions about different hops, malts, etc. "What about the internet?", I asked. Aaron with a smile on his face said "You can't believe everything you read on the internet".  Aaron then went on to say that the internet did help with finding some places where he could purchase malts, hops, etc. for brewing that he couldn't find locally. But in the end, practice is what makes the most difference. "Just keep brewing" said Aaron.

Dominican Brown Ale bottling

So from home brewer to brewing for Infusion had to be a big step. I was very curious to get Aaron's take on this. Aaron explained that for him, he now knew that every step of the process had to be repeatable. With a lot of great experience from home brewing, it was time to take that knowledge and see what it could be at a larger scale.  Aaron then went on to say that right away he noticed that good beers even got better due to making sure that each step of the process was being done the same way. I started to think that this had to be a part of why Infusion has become so successful. I needed to learn more!

I then asked Aaron if he could take me back in time and walk me through the early days of Infusion. Aaron talked about getting the brewery and taproom up in running in Benson in 2013. For those who haven't been to Infusion in Benson, I highly recommend taking the tour. The brewery is in the building that once was Olsen's Meat Market. Sorry back to the story...  Aaron went on to explain that the goal was to produce enough beer to keep the tap room supplied. For a new brewery that seems like a very reasonable goal. "So what were some of the first beers you offered?", I asked. Aaron listed off several in which these are some of them:

• Maiden Voyage American Stout

• Anything Goes Blonde

• Butcher Block Brown Ale

• Radial IPA

• Second Base Pale Ale

• Pulley Man Pale Ale

• Sand Stone Wheat

• Joel Porter

• Dean's Red Sled

• Bedford Park Black IPA

• Camaraderie Blood Orange IPA

I love the names and the stories behind them such as Joel Porter. This beer was named for the metal craftsman who did everything around the bars including the handrails and taps at the brewery.  He is the wizard of stainless steel!  Joel even created a 5 liter steel keg mail box for the Benson location.

Pulley Man Pale Ale named after Doug Deshazer.  Doug was instrumental in the construction work to turn Olsen's Meat Market into the Infusion Brewery and tap room in Benson. Doug has an amazing collection of barn pulleys.  Doug has captured the history of pulleys in a museum in Crofton, Nebraska.  Check out this great article written by the Omaha World Herald.

Dean's Red Sled was named after Dean Dobmeier who was a brewer from Jobber's Canyon. Dean gave the recipe of the Winter Red Ale to Infusion. Dean has been more than a great friend to Infusion, he has also been an instrumental mentor on how to run a brewery. 

Camaraderie Blood Orange IPA was named after the collaboration with Odell Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado. This IPA is part of an annual trio of IPAs that also includes a Red IPA and the South Pacific Pineapple IPA. Some great names I know I will never forget!

From the Southwest Tap Room

So I remember visiting Infusion in Benson in 2015 for the first time as part of a tour for Omaha Beer Week. There was a lot of buzz about the popularity of the beer. "So Aaron what was the main catalyst for the explosion of Infusion beers in bars and restaurants in Nebraska?"  Aaron said "Believe it or not it was a small batch of Anything Goes Blonde with some Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans in it". This beer is what all of us now have come to know as Vanilla Bean Blonde. I told Aaron I think I understand the attraction of this beer. For many who are use to light beers, Vanilla Bean Blonde gives them a chance to try a craft beer similar in color. Once they enjoy a pint of the wonderful flavor, they can throw out their light beers.  Aaron then went on to say that 12 Infusion tap handles in Omaha quickly grew into 400 over the state of Nebraska. Wow that is insane growth! Quickly Infusion outgrew the brewing capacity of the Benson location and opened a second location in Southwest Omaha. The second location is in a warehouse (as seen in the picture above) with room to build out the needed capacity to try to keep up with the demand for their brews. 

One of my favorite questions to ask a brewer is - "So what are some of the craziest ingredients that you have put into a beer? Being an extremely creative guy, Aaron had a pretty good list that included:

• Skittles in an IPA

• Gummy worms in a Belgium brew

• Slow Pokes

• Other various candy used in darker beers

I really love the fact that Infusion over the years has done several different things to promote new brew ideas. The Ice Box Series was a favorite of mine to get to try some new beers in small batches. Danger Stout came out recently as a small bottled batch that was crazy popular. Last but not least is the Summer Bean Fest where not 1 but 8 different Vanilla Bean beers are available for a day. I told Aaron I thought it was really cool to get to see, hear about, and taste the creations from Infusion.

Time was running short so the last question for Aaron was, "So what has it meant for you to be a part of Infusion from its inception?" Aaron replied, "It meant a lot to be part of something from the very start. It is like being on a construction crew starting at the ground floor and building a skyscraper."  Aaron went on to describe that he gets to use his passion of brewing beer and learning everyday. Aaron then said "Infusion has been a great place to be at because of the people. Everyone works hard to deliver quality beers in a very fast paced time of the craft beer industry. As a group we get to spend time together to come of with new and exciting ideas for that next beer."

I can say that I personally enjoy getting to meet everyone that works at the brewery. I volunteered for the Summer Bean Fest and you get to see first hand how much work and effort goes into an event like that. But this is work that is going on behind the scenes each and everyday that as consumers we don't get to see. I now have a better sense of a day in the life of a brewer. I also now understand even more why the beers at Infusion are top notch!

Aaron, "Is there anything else you would like to add?" Aaron's smiled and said "I am a lucky man most of all because I have a wife who understands."  What a great way to wrap up our conversation! 

Find some time and stop in Infusion at their Benson or Southwest Omaha location. I know you will enjoy the people there as well as a pint or two of some of the best craft beer in the Midwest!

Cheers!

Beer Fest Rookie

One little innocent glass that gets handed to you and then you are off to each of the tents where the craft beer is flowing. Sounds great doesn't it! Well I have to admit this is my rookie season and I attended the Benson Beer Fest earlier this summer. I keep asking myself as to why I waited so long to try out this wonderful adventure. I have to say the experience was amazing and wanted to tell you this story through the eyes of a newbie to Beer Fests.

Rooftop photo from the 1912, Benson NE

So the amazing part to me was the fact that there were breweries represented from coast to coast across the United States. I looked up and down the street and saw so many local favorites like Scratchtown, Thunderhead Brewing, and a newcomer to Nebraska - Prairie Pride Brewing - out of Grand Island. Then quickly saw favorites from the northwest like Deschutes, Elysian, and Rogue breweries.  Down another street Colorado well represented with New Belgium, Odell, and Avery Brewing. Wait, I can't forget the incredible breweries from Michigan - Bells, Founders, and Saugatuck brewing. My oh my, I was like a kid in a candy story.  Which ones to try first? So many to try, so little time!

Beer Fests are a great socializing event

Favorite Brewery Swag

The breweries come prepared with lots of free items to promote their products and as well as some items for sale.  For example, I purchased a very cool hat from Peace Tree Brewing in Iowa.

• Favorite sticker comes from Avery Brewing (CO)

• Favorite coaster from Deschutes Brewery (OR)

• Favorite tattoo from Rogue (OR)

• Favorite free beer token from Scratchtown Brewing (NE)

When first arriving I wasn't sure as to what to expect. I met a friend for the event and we headed to get in line. I had already purchased my ticket, but my friend Jeff hadn't. Let me tell you, my first tip is to get your ticket ahead of time to avoid the long lines to purchase one. Once into the event, I hadn't really thought too much about a game plan. The one thing I did know is that I would have to pace myself. The worst thing to do would be to over indulge in the first hour and miss out on the rest of the event. The second tip I have is to find where the water is at and make sure to stay hydrated during the event. This is especially important for summer beer fests when it is hot outside. The other thing this will do for you is to space out the time between beer samples keeping yourself on a good beer consumption rate.

The third tip that I have for you is make sure to go with a friend or a group of friends. First of all, it is great to have someone to share the experience with and secondly someone that will make sure you are not having too much fun!  Jeff is a fellow craft beer enthusiast and enjoys meeting new people, so we both had a great time meeting the people of the breweries and getting to sample their beers. Also we chatted with lots of people that day getting to hear what type of beers they were enjoying at the event. There is nothing like getting a second opinion on a beer from someone else's taste buds. Maybe a little tough to see in this picture, but Jeff has a pretty healthy pour from the sample he got from New Belgium brewing. Most of the time the pours are probably only a couple of ounces in your 7 oz glass. That is a good amount for being able to get a good idea of the aroma of the brew and enough for your palette to determine if it is something you like. On to another favorite part of the beer fest, the swag.

I have to admit I had the time of my life talking with all of the breweries and learning more about all of the types of beer.  Here are some of the highlights from the beer tasting:

• Overall Favorite Beer: Founders Sumatra Mountain Brown. What a robust coffee flavor in an imperial brown ale.

• Favorite New Local Brew: Prairie Pride Islander Porter. This toasted coconut infused porter was an incredibly smooth and malty treat.

• Favorite New Type of Beer: Rogue's Cold Brew IPA. I was intrigued by the coffee aroma and loved the back end hop finish. Definitely a beer I wouldn't have thought I would like before trying this one!

• Favorite Beer Tent: Scratchtown Brewing. I always love getting a chance to talk with Mike, the head brewer and Shay, assistant brewer. These guys turn out fantastic brews like their Black Eye Imperial Porter. Ever have a question about craft beer, Mike and Shay can answer it. If you ever make it to Ord, NE stop in, say hi, and enjoy the Sandhill's finest on tap.

I think that is about a wrap. Even though I am a rookie, I had an incredible time and plan on at least attending one or two more beer fests this year. I have so much to learn about craft beer, but these events definitely help. I hope to see you at the next one and would love to meet you!  I am sure I will be the only guy walking around in a Joe Java-Stout t-shirt.

Cheers!

The Art of a Creating a Great Taproom

The Thunderhead Brewing taproom has incredible service. So I am sure the question you are thinking as you are reading this is "So what do you mean by that?"  Service is the little things that make me feel important as a customer. For example, when I am curious about a new beer on the menu, the bartender is quick to provide me a sample and explain more about the beer. I can tell Jake spends a lot of time keeping up with all of the nuances of the beers Thunderhead Brewing provides and other breweries also. You can ask Jake any question about a beer and he gives you an honest opinion of what he thinks. For me, this is important because I enjoy learning about different beers through someone else's palette. Another subtle but important point is that most taprooms are designed so that the customers come up to the bar and order their beer. I have been to many taprooms that didn't take into consideration as to a place that standouts out where I should go to order a beer. Beau didn't miss a beat on this one.  The straight shaped bar has an area that is clearly lower than the rest which is a great visual indication. Then as you get closer to order, you notice the very cool natural tree cut piece of wood that is different than that rest of the bar top. When the taproom is busy, this really helps versus for example meandering around a horseshoe shape bar hoping that one of the bartenders will see you and take your order.

As I started to talk to Jake more about other things about the taproom, I asked him, do you allow events to take place in the taproom? Jake's response was "absolutely". The Thunderhead Brewing taproom welcomes special events like the Siberian Huskies & Alaskan Malamutes rescue event shown to the right. They have also had wedding rehearsal parties, birthday parties, college alumni reunions, and team building events.  Wait the team building events might have been me thinking to myself about how great would it be to bring my team here for an afternoon! Beau told me they are in the works of acquiring additional space so that the can accommodate even larger events like wedding receptions. His vision for the additional space is incredible and even brings with it the possibility of having live music events!

So when it is comes to a having a great taproom, having a good variety of beers is a must for me. Granted my first love is coffee stouts and porters, but I like different beers throughout the year. When you come to Thunderhead Brewing Taproom you will find 10 year around beers and 5 or more seasonal beers.  Wow what a selection! Beyond that, there are additional 5+ guess taps rotated frequently with beers that you might not normally get your hands on in Omaha. Jake does a great job of searching out the various beers that are on the guess tap list. I have to admit that I have had only one from the list, because frankly I enjoy the Thunderhead Brewing brews very much.

I started to think about all of the taprooms I have been to and why certain ones seem to draw me to frequent one more than another. There are so many new ones that keep popping up with the explosion of the craft beer industry (which is a good thing) that makes me wonder is it by chance that the establishment becomes great or is there more to it? I would like to take you through what I believe makes a taproom "great".

I recently had the pleasure to sit down with the owner Beau Starkel and manager Jake Heiliger from the Thunderhead Brewing Company taproom in Omaha, Nebraska. I had a great time learning about how they got there taproom started and their philosophy about taprooms. Beau stated that the key to making a taproom successful is service and atmosphere.  I couldn't agree more with that.

The first time walking from the parking lot, down the stairs, and into the Thunderhead Brewing taproom, I got this vibe that this would be a great place to hang out with friends to have a couple of beers. Taproom location and design is not by chance. It takes a lot of time and consideration picking the right building and location. Beau described to me the process he went through and how important it was to find a space that had the key things he was looking for. For example, the Thunderhead Brewing taproom has an awesome patio with a good variety of seating choices from tables to cool cushioned tree stumps. The thing that makes the patio so nice is that it has the right amount of sun, and is between buildings to where you can have a casual conversation with someone without yelling. I have been to places where the street noise makes it almost impossible to have a good conversation, not at the Thunderhead Taproom, it is perfect!

Photo from Jake Heiliger

You probably have been thinking when is this guy going to talk about the beer?  Had to save the best for last!  I was introduced to the Thunderhead Brewing beers last fall and I love the character of each and every one of these beers. Trevor Schaben and his wife Jenny open a very small taproom on Railroad Street in Kearney, Nebraska in 1999.  The 3 barrel system they started with back then has grown to a 30 barrel system that now resides outside of Kearney in Axtell. The business has grown due to Trevor's great passion for brewing quality craft beer and also the unique twist he develops for some of the seasonal and small batches.  One of my favorites... ok my favorite is the Calico Espresso Stout which won the brewery it's first gold medal at the World Beer Cup competition.  Other incredible beers that are on tap everyday are listed on the left. I have been making my way through the list and find that the Cornstalker is one of the most unique wheat beers I have ever had. It has chocolate and caramel notes and brewed with a very special ingredient.  You are thinking "love" aren't you. Well that is true, but the ingredient I am talking about is malted Nebraska corn! Hopluia is a recent addition and is now being brewed by Thunderhead Brewing after Spilker Ales in Cortland, Nebraska closed their brewery earlier this spring. I don't know if you can find a better staple of year around beers than the ones from Thunderhead Brewing!

I hope some of the tips in the article help you find the great taprooms that are out there.  Special thanks to the Thunderhead Brewing taproom for all of the insight in to the making of their great establishment. If you are ever in Omaha, Nebraska, make sure you stop in at Thunderhead Brewing to enjoy a great beer, conversation, and maybe even pick up something to go. Cheers!

A Hidden Oasis in the Sandhills...

After passing this sign, I just wanted to jump out of my jeep and start taking photos of the beautiful property, but I had to focus. Yes there is great craft beer waiting just moments away.  Bootleg Brewers was many years in the making.  Ron Worm back in 1978 had his first craft beer brewing session with his father-in-law Charlie. After one session Ron was hooked and his passion for brewing continued throughout the years as a hobby and a great way to meet people.  News traveled and people started showing up at the ranch to get a pint. Ron's wife Dodie enjoyed meeting everyone who stopped by. It was inevitable that the two would someday run their own brewery and that day came in the fall of 2015.  The story is incredible and I highly recommend checking out the rest of it on Bootleg Brewers website.

If you can imagine driving mile after mile seeing only the rolling Sandhills of Nebraska and an occasional cow then this sign is a mighty welcomed sight. Bootleg Brewers is a hidden gem located outside of Taylor, Nebraska. I had been planning this trip for 6 months. The excitement was building when we entered the property, so much that I didn't pay close enough attention to the fact there was 3 more miles until I would be able to have my first Bootleg Brewers beer! There are more signs along the way to let you know that you are heading in the right direction.

Where was I ... oh yes we had arrived.   The brewery nestled in the hills and trees was a welcomed sight.   I parked the jeep and made my way into the taproom.   Once up at the bar, I got the chance to talk with Stephanie who is Ron and Dodie's daughter. Stephanie talked about her dad's passion for brewing and mom's love of designing the building.  It is a great setup with the bar, kitchen, and a special area upstairs for bands to come play music.  Ron and Dodie continue to love meeting new people and keeping the beer flowing!  Stephanie manages the daily operations and explained many of challenges to overcome to get the brewery up and running.  In order to make this a true destination, Stephanie explained that the cabins needed to be ready at the same time that the brewery opened.  Also equally as important was to have a kitchen to serve food so that people could enjoy the brews without having to worry about traveling back to town to get something to eat.

Now to the Bootleg Brewers brews! I started out with a sampler and the first thing I noticed was how smooth and refreshing each of the beers are.  I had the Hoppy Homesteader IPA which is a great summer IPA coming in at 63 IBUs. Next the Horned Hereford Red Ale which is a very tasty session amber ale.  The Muddy Duck was next up for the tasting.   This English Brown Ale is an easy drinking ale with nice chocolate notes.  Last but not least is the Naked Orange Stinger. This is my new favorite summer beer!

The Naked Orange Stinger is a crisp, citrusy beer with just a hint of sweetness from the honey. This beer can bring sunshine to you on a cloudy day! I liked the Naked Orange Stinger so much that I brought some home in this cool growler!

What an amazing day! I plan on getting myself a cabin the next time I come out which I hope is this fall.  Please check out Bootleg Brewers, it is definitely worth the drive. Thanks again to Stephanie and everyone for the hospitality. Hope to see you soon!

Support Local - Drink Local

Support Local is more than just words for most craft beer breweries.   I had a wonderful time again last weekend getting reminded of this. Infusion Brewing established itself as one of the significant staples in revitalizing Benson. The brewery is located in a great historical old building that began as Olson's Meat Market. I remember getting to take my first tour of the brewery and how Infusion Brewing kept so much of the history of the butcher shop in it.  Infusion also has a second tap room that is new but still harnesses the atmosphere of the one in Benson.

During that tour, the owner Bill Baburek described the brewing process and the grains that are used to make the beer.   Bill went on to say that the spent grain makes excellent feed for livestock.   Infusion Brewing partnered with a local pork producer in Ft. Calhoun Nebraska that uses the spent grain as feed.  As a token of appreciation, Deer, Goose & Kid's Farms donates a hog (or two) each year to Infusion for their hog roast event. What a great way for two local businesses to support each other! While standing in line that night for some of the wonderful smoked pork,  I got to meet Nick and his family. He said they receive a significant amount of spent grain each week.  This spent grain gets put back into the food chain instead of becoming landfill material which is a good thing.  You could tell how appreciative Nick is of the spent grain he gets from Infusion Brewing.  The grain provides a healthy, natural means for his livestock to grow. Nick is a great guy trying to keep his farm like those of 100 years ago. He doesn't use chemicals or medicines. The closest thing they have to medicine is apple cider vinegar. Keeping the farm as a nice open space is high priority on this farm.  The chickens and goats are allowed to roam freely just like they would of a century ago on most farms. 

Chocolate Pistachio Milk Porter

It was a great time chatting with Nick.  He is very nice person who is very passionate about his farm and providing quality meats to Eastern Nebraska.  I really loved the story about how the farm was named.  The name is based on his last name and his wife's maiden name.   Nick's wife's maiden name is Hersh which in German means deer.   You might see a deer near the farm but their are none for sale.  Goose came from Nick's last name of Gosling.  Last but not least Kid came from Nick's daughter.   A great local farm in hills outside of Omaha.   Give Deer, Goose, & Kid's Farms a call at 402-699-6425 if you are ever in need of some good beef or pork!

The picture is hiding a great quote - "Brewed Here ... Loved Here" which is very true and why I support local breweries.  There is a lot of pride and hard work that goes into a good craft beer and Infusion Brewing has both going for them.   I love to meet new people and when talking to a couple of regular customers, Jim and Kerri they felt the same way.   In order to come to this event, you had to be a "Secret Society of Malt & Hops" member.   The membership has many great perks and is required to get into the hog roast event. Jim was a member and Kerri decided it was well worth the membership fee to be able to attend the event. I am glad both were there because we had an awesome time talking about craft beer local and around the country!

Craft beer enthusiasts really make up a great community of people who love to drink local beers. Now after some brewery tours and events, I really understand how the breweries are making a significant impact to the communities they are in.  

Cheers to #SupportLocal / #DrinkLocal! 

Sandhills' Finest

One of Nebraska's gems is located in the Sandhills and about a 3 hour drive from Omaha.   Ord, Nebraska, population 2,061 might not seem like a destination city but it is definitely one of my favorites!   Why do you ask?   Great small town vibe, beautiful scenic hills, and best of all - home of Scratchtown Brewing! 

On the Road...

I love a good road trip and the "Keys to the Asylum Release" at Scratchtown gave me a good reason to get out on the road.   That Saturday, my son Noah, best friend Jeff, and I hit the road in my Jeep.  We had some great conversation and took in the scenery as we drove the country highways out to Ord.  Nebaska has so many cool small towns like North Loup.   Many refer to North Loup as the popcorn capital of the country. Each year the town hosts a Popcorn Days Fair and this year it is August 25 - 27th.  

Destination

We made our way into Ord and there was the landmark we had our sights on - Scratchtown Brewing!   Scratchtown is a very small brewery in terms of brewing space but some of the best craft beer in Nebraska comes straight out of this facility. The brewery is owned by 4 couples and the nicest people you could ever meet.   I got the chance to chat with Caleb Pollard about all things going on in the brewery.  I was fascinated to hear about the hops that he grows just outside Ord that goes into some of their beers.   Also how the quality of water makes a big difference in the beer.  Scratchtown has access to the Ogallala Aquifer for the purest water in Nebraska!

Brewmaster

Mike Klimek is the brewmaster and in my opinion one of the best if not the best in Nebraska.   Mike last summer gave a group of my friends and me an amazing tour of the brewery.   It is so fun to talk to Mike because of his great passion for producing amazing beers and a good variety of them.   If you get the chance to meet Mike, you have to ask him about some of the craziest ingredients that he has put into his beers like popcorn and donuts.  There is always something  that I get to learn about craft beer when I visit Scratchtown.   On this trip, I learned how important the temperature of the beer is when serving it.   For example, if you over chill the Barrel Aged OL' 59 Smoked Porter you will not get as much of the smoked malt flavor.  Luckily for us novice craft beer drinkers they also put the recommended serving temperature on the bottle which for this incredible beer is 50 degrees.

Brews

What a day it was to sit outside and enjoy some of the beers of Scratchtown.   My favorite of the day was the Vanilla Normal.   This breakfast stout has a smooth milky finish with a hint of vanilla and coffee flavor.   What a wonderful beer to enjoy on the patio! My friend Jeff, enjoyed the Big Joe Pilsner.   He said this was by far the best Pilsner beer he has ever had. We also got some of the Imperial Beers from the "Keys to the Asylum Release" to bring back with us. What a treat to have some of the best imperials in your hands!

All Good Things Must Come to an End...

Well it was time to pack things in and call it a day.   Thanks Scratchtown Brewing for your hospitality!  Last year 300,000 visitors made their way through Ord and I hope they got some time to stop in visit Scratchtown.  Truly a great experience I would recommend to anyone!

The map above has some of the other breweries and attractions in the Sandhills of Nebraska. Make sure you find your way out to some of the best brews and scenery in Nebraska!

Pint Night

Pint Night

There is nothing like a good pint night at a local tap room.   So, for those who might be new to the concept, a pint night is where you can purchase a decorative beer glass for a price and then typically get refills at a discounted price.  I have been to a few (ok several) over the past few years and to me there are a few things that make a great pint night.

The most obvious is the glass if you are a collector like me.   I know I enjoy seeing the different creative designs that breweries come up with.   Hey graphic artist out there, I bet it is a fun time getting a chance to work with breweries on logo designs!  I remember the very first glass I got which was El Mastodon from Lucky Bucket Brewing Company.  The glass is very cool and I was excited to get it.  The other thing that made my night was getting introduced to a new beer.

Boy was that a treat that night getting to try a barley wine.   Pint nights are a great opportunity to try out a new beer.   Most of the time the pint night themes are around a seasonal beer that the brewery is promoting.   It is a great way for craft beer fans to look forward to a new porter or stout in the winter months and a nice crisp IPA in spring or summer months.   I am always up for trying something new, but there is no shame in filling up your pint glass with one of your favorites from that brewery. 

Last but not least, pint nights offer you the chance to catch up with your friends.   I love the social aspect of the pint night!   Many times I will share out the event on social media hoping to catch up with other friends who enjoy craft beer.   Great conversations usually follow as each person talks about the beer of the evening.  It is fun to see what others think about the pint night beer!

I hope you find a great pint night in your near future.

Cheers!