Three US Craft Breweries that should be brought to Sweden

During the trip to California this summer a couple of breweries brought extra attention to us all. Off the many beers and breweries sampled I would like to see the following breweries making it over the ocean and land in some of the better beer bars in Stockholm (like for example “Oliver Twist”, hint hint). Maybe they have been here already, but regardless I definitely think they should come here more regularly.

1. The Bruery

Location: Placentia, California

Beers: Black Tuesday, White Oak Sap, Papier, Saison Rue, Sour in The Rye etc.

People: Patrick Rue - CEO / Founder, Michael Rue – President

Description: A newcomer (just celebrated their first year) to the quite limited brewery scene in the LA area. As the number of breweries around LA was very thin it was really a treat to find this brewery tucked away close to the border of anaheim. Patrick Rue (the founder) has Belgian relations in the family, and it seems that this has also affected his brewery influences. Most of the beers have some touch of Belgium beers and flavors all blended with different type of oak techniques (bourbon, brandy, white oak etc). The more standard beers like; Orcha White, Saison Rue, Trade Winds Triple are all good, but nothing extraordinary. But then when it comes to the more advanced and experimental beers it is a completely other story. We initially thought that the beers were ok but nothing really to talk about, then when we went for the special flight they had available we were completely knocked down bye all the flavors and aroma. I can simply say that the “Black Tuesday, a strong imperial stout (19.50% ABV!!) stored on bourbon barrels, the “White Oak” and Papier (Bourbon Barrel) were all one of the better beers I have ever tasted. Simply a amazing trio of beers that we just wanted to take with us. Unfortunately we were a bit too early and the beers are not yet available on bottle (info at the brewery told us late fall or similar).

As the brewery as many other craft breweries are being distributed by “Stone” and their distribution company I can see that it must be possibilities to get their beers in the next available container. The owner (Mr.. Rue) of the brewery is always keen on getting the beers out (even got their card to be able to set up the needed contacts), so therefore I hope we can see a “Black Tuesday”" on the other side of the Atlantic in a soon future, I will anyway be on the buying list.

2. Alpine Beer Company

Location: Alpine, California

Beers:  Duet IPA, Pure Hoppiness, Exponential Hoppiness, Nelson Rye etc.

People: Pat Mcilhenney (owner & brewer)

Description: Alpine brewery is located in the small city of Alpine outside San Diego. The brewery was started by a home brewer (Pat) as many other brewers. They actually started 1999 by sub-contracting with AleSmith Brewery in San Diego and the “McIlhenney’s Irish Red” beer. In 2002, they opened their own brewery in Alpine. They have also very recently set up the plan to build a small brewpub and a larger taste room. But when we visited they were still in the original location were everything is in the same building, including as small taste room (actually just a small bar table just in front of the brewery) were you could sample all the beers available.

I was really surprised by the overall quality of all the beers available. They have a large number of really tasty IPA, but also the lighter beers like the Irish Red and the Alpine Ale (an APA) were all really well balanced.Then of course the two high alpha IPAs in the form of “Pure Hopiness” and “Exponential Hoppiness” were two really classic west coast IPA. I think that we maybe have seen this brewery sometime in Sweden, but regardless I would like to some of these bottles could come over, at least the 2 high alpha IPAs would travel safely and will be a big hit on the shelves at “OT” or “Akkurat”.

3. Island Brewing Company (IBC)

Location: Carpinteria, California

Beers: Jubilee Ale, Nut Brown Ale, Big Island IPA, Paradise Pale Ale etc.

People: Paul Wright (Founder) (the nice gentleman below on the left side)

Description: Located in the city of Carpinteria and have been in operation since July  2000. It was started by Paul Wright, a former submarine captain, that as many other also started out as homebrewer (received a homebrew kit for Christmas in 91) and made quite quickly a brewery name in area. After working for breweries like Marin Brewing company he then started his own business in 2000.

This is a very small family run brewery that is brewing a amazing line of hoppy and tasty brews. I especially like the Jubilee Ale, but also the Island Pale Ale. Same thing as with Alpine that I think I have seen this brewery in Stockholm (like at the Stockholm Beer Festival) once, but it is still such a great brewery that some more bottles could be consumed over here.

Yes I am still here!

If anyone is still reading this blog except myself I just need to inform that our New England Beer Trip 2008 will just start in a couple of hours.

Hopefully I will have access to some kind of network and hope to make at least some comments about the trip.

It will start tomorrow (actually in a couple or hours) with going over to Boston, MA and end on July 30th.

We will probably not finish everything as planned but here is at least the main plan and where you can check were we probably are on this little beer trail.

Tribute to my favorite pub; all categories

What should a great pub\bar be?

Many beers? From many countries? Quality beers? Friendly Staff? Good food? Great location? Large? Small? Modern? Old?

Well that is a tricky question. But at very few occurences you just feel that this is it, this is something I like in pub, and this is a place that I like to return to.

This little tribute is such a place.

Barcade located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York city started out as a car workshop that was bought by a couple of micro beers & arcade enthusiasts in 2005. The place opened up in September 2005 and has quite quickly developed as a beer heaven for US-micro beers on draught, also recently on cask that is being more and more popular in the state.

So what about the hype, lets start with the actual building.

When you first arrive to the place it is really not easy to understand that this is a pub and a place where you should actually get close to. It looks like something that should actually been teard down ages ago, but that is part of the charm.

It is a rought place that just with its little sign saying "Barcade" shows directly what the place is about.

A place where you primarly drink beer (no food is served except beer nuts and chips) and can enjoy it with others also liking the beers to be based on quality and love to the craft brewing industry.

When you enter the place you will notice the exposed brick walls and the 25-foot ceilings, on the

left side a row of arcade games from the 80s, on the right hand side a long bar that strechtes out from start to end of the place.

And this is also one of the key things with a great bar, meaning the bar, you should be able to sit at the bar and not just get the beers from it. For me beers should be consumed at the actual bar, through that you can really get the atmosphere of the place.

So to summarize so for, it needs to be rough, meaning a place with a built in athmosphere and soul that shows that the place is primarly for beers and not just a place that has been heavily designed to be cool and classy. Secondly we need a long bar, either on the side or placed at the end of the place.

Barcades primarily serves micro beers through out the country and almost always on draught. The beers are handled with care and served with a understanding of glassware and suitable amount of beers (bad example of that is an other great place but that has no understanding of amount and glassware, at Mugs Ale Hourse also in Williamsburg I was served a Weyerbacher Double Simcoe India Pale Ale in a English pint!, great bargain but without understanding that you can not drink a English pint of a beer with arround 10% without loosing your touch and the touch of the beer), so you get a double ipa or a imperial stout in snifter or tulip, a american pale ale in a american pint glass as it should be.

One of the strange things that I have noticed the last couple of years in NY is the trend to replace the glass from american pint to english pint, why?, you should keep the glass that it should be not try to copy the english tradition.

Becuase if so, you are missing one thing, english beers are often light beers with ABV between 3 and 4%, american micros are often stronger in taste and ABV, so it is not a good idea to serve a 6-7% ABV Pale Ale or IPA in a larger glass, you just get drunk people not enjoying your beers.

Other things you notice is the staff, who has the knowledge and love of beers. They know what they are serving and they can talk about what the beer is about. If you do not know what you want they can help you out, and they have that special ability just by asking a couple of question can get the beer you really like, or just by knowing your last beer can spot out the next you should have, just before you realize it yourself.

Amount and number of changing beers is on my list of a good place, but is not the most important thing you look for. But anyway here you have a large number of taps and that is constantly changing in line and a great collection of beers from both the east, west coast and the rocky areas.

For example in this particular moment I could have enjoyed the following beers (unfortunately you can not be in NY every weekend, :-);

Allagash Four, Avery Karma, Blue Point Oatmeal Stout (cask), Middle Ages Kilt Lifter, Rogue Shakespeare Stout (Nitro), Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale, Sly Fox Saison Vos, Southampton IPA, Victory Prima Pils etc etc.

So this place is on my number one spot, it can not be any better, only pity is that NY is so far away. So I have to enjoy most of my beers locally. But at least everytime I am in NY Barcade is the number of spot.

Thanks to the folks at Barcade, thanks for giving me the ultimate beer experience.

New Beer: How about some "Imperial Mild"

So what do you think about the continued struggle by US breweries to do everything Imperial?

I thought I had seen everything, but what about this one that we sampled at our latest trip to New York, an "Imperial Mild". Yes a Mild coming with a stunning flavor and around 11% ABV!.

Well I guess it mostly a joke and a try to describe the beer, compared to really trying to be a mild. But at least we found it quite amusing.

And yes if you are wondering, I know, I have been very lazy and have not found the time to add anything new at my little blog for a very long time. But now I am hopefully back again, and during the time I have been having quite a few beer experience that I will try to come back to; like our beer trip to NY and the 1st Manhattan Craft Beer Festival, a "little" beer festival on long island, great new Swedish real ales from Sundsvall, great new draught US-beers at Oliver Twist (Avery is the king), getting closer to the beer mayhem at OT in May, just started to plan for the New England Beer trip during the summer, great new beers from Dugges and Ocean, new favorite beer bars in NY etc etc etc.

Link to the beer at beeradvocate; http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1635/41832 (Seems so new that is has still no rating, but is according to them a american barley wine, seems more approriate than a mild)

What about a beer festival in 08?

UPDATED 08013

We have no fixed plans for a beer festival in the US next year. This year we visited the extreme beer fest in Boston and the GABF over at Denver. But next year is still blank.

So I have tried to find a bunch of festivals that sound OK and fits suitable days (spring or the fall). So far I have also created a shortlist.

But what do you think out there?
Am I missing something?
Do you recommend a certain festival?
Or is something definitely no idea to attend?

What we are looking for is a good local festival with a large amount of US-craft beers (does not mean huge like GABF) in a calm and civilized arrangement. Last year the extreme beer festival was definitely something we enjoyed and the type of festival we are looking for. So something that is different from for example the extreme big festivals as for example GABF represents. It is also a plus if it is located in a area where you can have some additional days to explore; meaning with breweries, pubs and other beer related activities.

So what do you think? What should it be?

Top 4:

1. The Spring Craft Beer Festival, Uniondale, Ny; March 29 (*****) + a short stop over at the 1st Manhattan Cask Ale Festival@Chelsea Brew Co.

2. Beer Summit April 2008, Boston; April 18 & 19 (***)

3. Philly Craft BeerFestival, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; march 1 (*)

5. NY Brewfest, New York; September (**)

(*) Means what the current status looks like.


Outside the list:

5. American Beer Fest, Boston; June 15, 16 (*)

6. TAP newyork08 New Yorks Craft Brew Festival, Hunter, NY; April 26,27

7. 25th Annual San Francisco International Beer Festival, Fort Mason, San Francisco ; April 26

8. Great International Spring Beer Festival, Providence, RI; May 5

9. Brooklyn Pigfest; May 12
.

My top 5 US-breweries all categories

Just for fun, here is my official top 5 US micro breweries overall.
Meaning best of everything and five 5 breweries I could stick with forever, if you talk about US-beers.

1.	Russian River Brewing Company (Santa Rosa, CA)
2.	Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
3.	Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)
4.	Green Flash Brewing, (Vixta, CA)
5.	Bell's Brewery, Inc (Kalamazoo, MI)

UPDATED: August 12, 2009

(Almost on the list; Alpine Beer Company (a new favorite from SD) & Great Divide)