Sierra Nevada Summerfest

Sierra Nevada Summerfest
Sierra Nevada Summerfest

I just had a chance to taste the new seasonal from Sierra Nevada, Summerfest.

Although I don’t normally like pilsners, it was a nice version of one. It was very crisp and had a nice malt flavor with a bit of spicy and floral hops tat finished nice and clean.  The label states it is for “enjoyment on warm summer days”.

It was a good pilsner, and I look forward to enjoying more this summer.

Have you tried Summerfest?  What did you think?

Breweries Going Green

You Live Here
You Live Here

Today, for Earth Day, let’s talk about some of the breweries that are green and are using renewable energy.

One of the more well-known green powered breweries is New Belgium in Fort Collins Colorado, who has been wind-powering their brewery since 1998.  Since then, they have expanded their green profile by recycling bottles, and even allows a nearby company to use their waste water for creating fish food.  Quite the small footprint for the brewery known for loving bikes.

Sierra Nevada in Chico California uses fuel cells for its brewery power and heat.  They also recycle glass and aluminum, along with the majority of its carbon dioxide from fermentation.  Each year, they continue to become more green.

The Kona Brewing Company in Hawaii powers their brewery with solar panels.  They stated that by installing the panels, they reduced their carbon output by over 7,000 tons.

Going green isn’t just for the craft brewers.  Anheuser-Busch has even started going green by installing alternative energy sources over the past few years.  By installing the sources, they reduced their energy independence by 15%.

What are you doing to be green?

A Beer Drinker’s Las Vegas Experience

Vegas Baby!
Vegas Baby!

My friends and I recently went to Las Vegas for a bachelor party.  Las Vegas is known for clubs, bright lights, and mixed drinks, but not really beer.  In actuality, Las Vegas does have a few beer experiences that don’t break the bank.  Since our hotel was on the south side of the strip, and didn’t have a car or didn’t feel like taking cab rides, our selection was limited.

The first place we tried was the Burger Bar, located in Mandalay Place.  They had a large selection of beers from common selections, such as Spaten Optimator to more exotic selections, such as Life & Limb, a collaboration between Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head.  The prices ranged from around $6 to upwards of over $100 for rare selections.  The atmosphere was nice, but the prices tended to be on the high side.

The next day, we stopped by Sin City Brewing, located in the Flamingo hotel and casino.  We tried the Amber, Stout, and Seasonal, which was an IPA.  All were quality beers, but at $6 each, again, we wouldn’t be able to purchase many pints.

While we were sitting at the bar, another patron mentioned that O’Sheas, the casino next door, had all-day happy hour, which included $1 Guinness drafts and $3 Black and Tans (Guinness stout layered on Harp lager).  We were excited to find such a great deal.  At the casino, a couple of my friends entered into a beer-pong tournament, and made it into the second round.  We enjoyed O’Sheas  so much, we went back the next day.

A couple days later, we heard of another place, just off the strip, called Ellis Island Casino and Brewery.  The casino had karaoke 7-days a week from 9 pm until 3 am, and had a brewery on-site.  We tried the brewery’s Amber, Wheat, and Stout (which mas more like a brown ale).  When it came time to buy the round, we found out each glass was only $1.50.  We sang all night, drinking $1.50 craft brews.

The next day, to finish our weekend, we went to Pour 24, a 24-hour, 24-tap bar located on the mezzanine level of the New York New York Hotel and Casino.  They had several craft brews not available in Iowa, including several Stone Brewing Co. options, such as Arrogant Bastard and Ruination.  On the pricey side at $7.25, we only had a couple of pints (in plastic glasses), but it was a nice way to end the trip.

Next time we go to Las Vegas, we have several great, inexpensive places to enjoy some beer.  What kinds of places have you found in Las Vegas?

Beer of the Day: Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Torpedo Extra IPA

Today I bring you the Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA (7.2% ABV), brewed & bottled by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico California. The beer has an Amber body that reveals little carbonation. When properly poured, a 2 inch white foamy head appears, exactly how an IPA should look.

The Torpedo opens with a piney hop bite that slowly dissipates, replaced by an orange-y sweet sourness with nice full malt overtones. The alcohol content makes it quite a “warming” beer. Toward the end of the taste, there is a sense of brown sugar, and the rich hoppiness appears again towards the end that slowly fades into an easy finish that creates a lingering citrus bitterness.

All-in-all, the Torpedo Extra IPA is another pretty enjoyable beer.

Have you tried Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo?

Pale Ales vs India Pale Ales

When I first started to learn about beer and beer styles, two styles always confused me: the Pale Ale, sometimes called American Pale Ale (abbreviated APA), and an India Pale Ale (IPA).

I shied away from these two types because I had been bitter-bitten before: beer bitterness appears to be an acquired taste, and if you step into an IPA before you’re ready, you may not try one again for a while.

First, let’s begin with a little history.  Both pale ales and IPA’s started out in Europe, mainly in England.  For pale ales, many English breweries from Burton on Trent became famous, most notably the Bass Brewery.  These breweries became famous because the city’s water supply had many dissolved salts from the surrounding mountains, and allowed a higher proportion of hops to be added.  Since hops are a natural preservative, this allowed the beer to stay fresh longer and it could be shipped further.  This, combined with a type of malted barley called “pale malt” gave the beer its name and character.

Around the 18th century, a man by the name of George Hodgson, owner of Bow Brewery (also in the Burton on Trent area) created the world’s first India Pale Ale.  The story is that the soldiers fighting in India wanted to quench their thirst with beer, but most beer couldn’t make the journey from England to India without spoiling.  To preserve the beer, the brewery increased the amount of hops and alcohol.  Because of this, there were very few spoilage organisms that could grow in such a harsh environment.  The East India Trading Company delivered the beer to India, and the troops were “hoppy”.

Until the rise of porter in England, these beers were very popular.

Fast forward a few centuries to the growth of the U.S. craft beer revolution.  In 1980, Ken Grossman founded the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California. One of his first recipes was an American Pale Ale using hops grown in the Pacific Northwest, known to have a strong citrus character.  To this day, this recipe has made Sierra Nevada world renowned, and the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale continues to be one of the most popular APA’s available.

In terms of IPA’s, imagine an APA only stronger and more hoppy.  Most IPA’s have more body, alcohol, and hop flavor and aroma than an APA.  When creating IPA’s, most brewers tend to use high-strength hops for a lot of bitterness and strong hop flavor.  One great example of an IPA is Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo IPA, but, currently, there are many IPA’s available.

Also, not to be outdone, several U.S. brewers continue to push the envelope and many have created Double IPA’s, with much more hops, body, and alcohol.

So which type is right for you?  If you are just starting, you may want to ease into a nice Pale Ale.  If you’ve tried a pale ale, and want even more hops, go ahead and try an IPA.  Before you know it, you may end up being a person who enjoys highly-hopped beer, or a “hop head”.