These are the folks you can thank for starting the "canned beer apocalypse". They also make a great buffalo burger. Nestled in the tiny mountain town of Lyons, Colorado, the original Oskar Blues (they just opened a new place in Longmont) is something of a biker bar/blues bar/local hangout/institution. I was there on a snowy October day (yes, snowy October) and it was pretty quiet without a can in sight but it was still awesome...wait, did I mention the video games?

snowy October day in Lyons, Colorado

behind the bar at Oskar Blues

 

nice little tap list...

20 classic video games such as...

  

 

a pint of Ten Fidy in a Gordon glass...perfection!

 

a satisfied customer

Oskar Blues cans the following:

Dale's Pale Ale

Old Chub Scottish Ale

Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

Gordon (sorta like an imperial amber/ipa)

Mama's Little Yella Pils

OSKAR BLUES

Labels: Breweries

New Belgium Brewing Company is located in Fort Collins, Colorado (straight north of Denver). The brewery is employee owned and wind powered. Its a rather popular place to go as I found out last Thursday afternoon. Some interesting things I learned while visiting the brewery:

• Fat Tire is the by far the most popular beer they brew and is available in both cans and bottles

• Their seasonal releases constitute their second most popular beer after Fat Tire.

• La Folie is awesome and super sour!

• Transatlantique Kriek is a partnership between Fat Tire and Boon in Belgium.

• After one year of employment you get your own New Belgium Cruiser. After 5 years you get to go to Belgium!

• The brewery is ultra modern and enormous in size but almost like a pop art museum at the same time.

• Every employee I met seemed extremely happy to be working there and that says a lot about an operation of that magnitude.

Below are some pics from my visit:

New Belgium Brewing Company

tap room, if you go ask for the good stuff

I wish I knew how many samples we had

the brewhouse

something is going on in here

mosaic around kettle

more mosaics

test batch system

so, its not beer?

after one year of employment you get one of these

employee bike racks

there are bikes everywhere

bicycle themed art

the brand that put New Belgium on the map

yes, I do

New Belgium sign signed by employees (this is the their old logo before it became the cruiser bike due to the popularity of the Fat Tire brand)

Labels: Breweries

If you think you've passed it keep driving. That's my advice when you go looking for Brewery Ommegang.

The iconic farmhouse-style brewery is located on a country road a few miles outside the baseball mecca of Cooperstown, New York. When you finally do pull into the driveway you'll be greeted warmly by that famous archway that has come to be one of the symbols for the brewery. It's an absolutely amazing place in a pristine location. Ommegang is a definite must when it comes to breweries to visit on the east coast. 

you actually drive through the archway to park in the back

 

a very welcoming sign

 

 

"brouwerszaal" is Flemish for brewer's room

 

tap handles I spied through the window of the tasting room

 

Brewery Ommegang's "back yard"

 

 

 

How are you on Smurfs? Ommegang can hook you up!

 

I had no idea there was Ommegang Maple Syrup

 

something being put into barrels, I never did find out what...

 

in the tasting room

 

BREWERY OMMEGANG

Labels: Breweries, Beer Porn

Flying Dog Brewery has a pretty...well...interesting video podcast available directly from their website here or via iTunes here. (If you want to watch them on-line you can see them on blip.tv here.) What is worth checking out is their 3 part series that covers all the aspects of the brewery and brewing process (although they also have footage of a drunken race around the brewery...)

These guys certainly like their job...and who can blame them.

The intro:

The three videos about the brewery and the company can be seen here:
Brewery Tour Part 1
Brewery Tour Part 2
Brewery Tour Part 3

Ever wondered why it's called Flying Dog? Now you'll know... 

Labels: Breweries, Beer Videos

This was an interesting find on YouTube, I'm not entirely sure of it's origins but it is well done. (I get the impression that it was actually produced by Chimay.) In just 10 minutes the video runs through the history of the Trappists as well as Scourmont Abbey and the brewing and bottling process.

The information regarding the brewery, and the beer, is given by none other than the Director of the Brewery - Father Thomas as well as other monks. Worth a watch!

 

Labels: Beer Videos, Belgian Beers, Breweries

The Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project Family c. 2009

If you live in New England, and love you some beer, you've probably heard of Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project. Pretty Things is the creation of brewer extraordinaire Dann Paquette and its creating quite a stir in the beer world.

Dann brewed at quite a few different places here in Massachusetts before heading over to England for a few years of brewing. Now that he is back Stateside he has been working hard to produce some unique offerings and his is a one man show. 

Dann not only comes up with the recipes, rents the brewing space, buys the ingredients, brews the beer, and bottles the beer but he also is the man behind the Pretty Things artwork. It truly is a labor of love.

Pictures above are the five Pretty Things releases thus far. All five are fantastic! If you have them chance give them all a try and support one hard working brewer!

From left to right (as they were released) they are:

Jack D'Or - Dann's first release, Jack D'Or is a spicy and hoppy "saison American"

Saint Botolph's Town - an English-style brown ale that is rich and toasty. St. Botolph's Town is the origin of the word Boston.

Baby Tree - a Belgian-style quad, a big, bold, malty, dark-fruit extravaganza

Confounded Mr. Sisyphus-  a limited release golden ale aged with Balaton cherries and malolactic bacteria

American Darling - this summer release was an "un-lawnmower beer", a strong lager hopped with Hallertau hops

Babayaga (not pictured) - Winter seasonal, Babayaga is an export stout fermented by battling Belgian and English yeast strains combined with smoke and firewood.

Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

Labels: Breweries

No trip to Brussels (or Belgium for that matter) would be complete without taking a tour of the Cantillon Brewery, which is also home to the Brussels Museum of Gueuze - actually they are the same thing.

It is an amazing place and completely open to the public, just show up, pay a small admission fee, get a brochure and you're welcome to walk around and poke into all the corners.

Twice a year they also have open brewing days where you can experience the process from start to finish (starting at 6:30AM). The next session will be held November 7th.

After your tour you're also given a tasting of two of Cantillon's beers (one lambic and one geuze), and are welcome to purchase more.

It's a very unique place, and it's amazing that it is actually located in the city itself. Once you've been there you get a whole new respect for the range of beers Cantillon makes, and you'll certainly think differently the next time you drink one.

Here are some photos from our last visit, highlighting the simplicity of the living museum...

You can't keep a brewery that uses spontaneous fermentation very clean.


The floor is about the only thing that is not ancient...

 
Someone's been doing some taste testing...


This is where the magic happens...


Since they don't brew in the summer, the vat was empty.


There are rows and rows of this type of thing...


Each one of the barrels is traditionally marked indicating it's contents.


Modern kegs for export. One of these will end up down the street at Akkurat.


Must be nice when you see the Cantillon-mobile coming to your pub.

Labels: Belgian Beers, Breweries, Beer Porn