Posted on

A Good Fresh Roar

Off Color Brewing
Apex Predator
Farmhouse Ale
Malts: Pils, Flaked Wheat, and Honey Malt
Hops: Crystal, Sterling
Secret Techniques: Free-Rise Fermentation, Prey Selection
6.5% ABV
Chicago, IL
Brewers and founders: John Laffler & David Bleitner

Golden with green hints with lots of active bubbles and frothy foam. Apple sweetness greeting my nose, along with pineapple, lemon hints, and a teeny tiny funk after a bit. It’s a crisp, dry and delightful sip of apple, tangerine and others from the citrus bowl, lemongrassiness, and mellow lemon fizz that is not tart with malt.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: NO NO NO NO NO! Gives a metallic taste…bleah

This majestic beast has a gentle side that you can kick back with but enough of a roar to knock down the spiciest of dishes. Would also be awesome with shishito peppers to cool that one in ten surprise, or even better yet Carolina Reaper Ribs. I can already feel the sweat down my neck.

@BeerBoutiqueNYC @offcolorbrewing @ocmousetrap @twelve.percent.beer.project @twelve.percent.nyc.metro @hkarlphoto @cheezits #beer #ale #farmhouseale #ビール #啤酒 #wine #winestagram #instawine #cheezit @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #craftbeer #beerstagram #beersofinstagram #beerlife #chicago #IL

Posted on

A Graceful Collaboration of All Parts

Public Access (in collaboration with Root + Branch)
Grandeza
Gose style ale w/pineapple + dragonfruit
8% ABV
North Haven, CT
Brewers: Ramón Manrique Hung, Anthony Sorice, and Ryan Mauban

Looks like a watermelon/grapefruit cocktail with a small light pink head. Beautiful scents of pineapple, dragonfruit, grapefruit, and spring flowers. This just smells delightful! Now on to the taste and there’s a salty mix of pineapple, dragonfruit, papaya, mango, and watermelon jolly rancher at the end. This is perfect for a sunny day and would be great for slow cooking pork!

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: doesn’t change a thing

Public Access and Root + Branch are currently both nomadic beer projects, but Root + Branch is working on building their own space in Copiague, NY. Public’s Ramón Manrique Hung has a true American Dream story. From Venezuela, he knew he wanted more and made his way to the US, worked his way from the bottom up in the beer/bar world, and is now a US citizen and a Certified Cicerone® (beer sommelier). It is true as cheesy as it sounds, that if you have a dream and determination you can make it happen. As for the guys from Root, Anthony Sorice went from home brewing to full on professional through stints with Three’s Brewing, Coney Island Brewing, and most recently head brewer at Long Island City Beer Project. And to think he went to college for European History…hmmm. Not to forget is his partner Ryan Mauban who is also a Certified Cicerone® who has worked for Michelin Star chefs, and in 2017’s Wine Enthusiast Magazine, he was one of the only beer professionals picked for their Top 40 Tastemakers Under 40. All three of these guys deserve accolades for how far they have come and how fab their creations are. Also have to give a nod Public Access’ graceful label art by Gizem Karatas (you can see more of her designs on their site). I’ve been trying to find a her site/portfolio, so if anyone can point me to it, I would love to view it. If the rest of it is anything like these labels, it’s going to be beautiful.

@BeerBoutiqueNYC @publicaccessliquids @rootandbranchbrewing @gzmkaratas @twelve.percent.beer.project @twelve.percent.nyc.metro @hkarlphoto @cheezits #beer #wine #winestagram #instawine #cheezit @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits  #craftbeer #beerstagram #beersofinstagram #beerlife #northhaven #ct #gose #ale

Posted on

Gifting Part of Your Heart

Marlowe Artisanal Ales
Eager To Share
American Pale Ale
Citra and Mosaic hops
5.4% ABV
New Haven, CT
Brewer: Zac Ross

Hazy yellow/light gold pour with a white head. Crack and bam there’s those hops, citrus, tangerine, orange zest, grapefruit, and good light funk. Sipping all that citrus…tangerine, orange zest, grapefruit, lemon, and then also pineapple/pears which is a nice smooth combo. There’s also something like a slightly over baked croissant, and a little bitter end but that’s what makes it so good. This is an overall graceful pale ale, much like those seagulls haunting the label.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Bleh ick no

Marlowe Artisanal Ales is affectionately named in honor of Zac’s grandfather. I wish I knew more about his family story. From what I’ve found, their logo is his grandfather’s signature from a musical piece he made especially for Zac’s parents’ wedding. What a beautiful intimate present, composing for loved ones, it’s like gifting a part of your heart that will last forever. Also want to point out Kat Manning’s beautiful label. I know a lot of you are not always enamored with seagulls, but these float and dance effortlessly along with bits of citrus. Kat’s hand on this design is so elegant. Love it so much I just picked up one of her shirts. You can also check her out on IG @katmanning Cheers!

@marloweales @BeerBoutiqueInc @zacross @katmanning @twelve.percent.beer.project @twelve.percent.nyc.metro @hkarlphoto @cheezits #beer #wine #winestagram #instawine #cheezit @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits  #craftbeer #beerstagram #beersofinstagram #beerlife #newhaven #ct #Citra #Mosaic #hops #AmericanPaleAle #ale

Posted on

Fortitude + Determination + Family and Friendship = Resilience

Schilling Beer Co.
Resilience American ale project
Geppetto
Milk Stout brewed with coffee
6.3 % ABV
Littleton, NH
Co-founders: Dr. Bruce Cozzens, Jeffrey B. Cozzens, Stuart Cozzens, and John Lenzini

Black coffee pour with a caramel head. Dark coffee and chocolate float out first. Next there’s candy sprinkles like the ones on cupcakes (you know those cupcakes you eat in the dark while watching bad tv you’d never admit in public), brownie edge of pan corner goodness, and a bit of hoppity. Kicking back coffee, chocolate brownies again with more burnt ends, and a touch of vanilla marshmallowy cream. It’s not heavy or thick, very easy to drink, and sweet with a nice bitter bite at the end.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it a lot sweeter

A father, sons, and a best friend came together to make Schilling and Resilience a reality in Littleton. Their backgrounds vary from dad being a retired veterinarian, one son has research published on international security matters, another came from a mix of business and religion studies, and their friend was a chemistry teacher and coach. Other than beer, they also share a love of fishing/fly fishing and their community. Their epically long list of Schilling Beers are influenced from their experiences and flavors of Europe and the brews found there, but Geppetto (even though it’s an Italian name) is from their Resilience line which is dedicated to American ales, hoppiness, and is an expression of the struggles and successes of their making their way in the beer realm. From what I’m reading on the FB page, their resilience is paying off and they hope sometime this month to reopen their brewpub and kitchen for indoor dining. The tasting room and store is already open from 12-8 for beer and their delicious looking pizzas. They’re even looking forward to events from Oktoberfest, their anniversary, and the R.J Schilling Fly Fishing Festival’s charity event. Looks like life is on its way to getting brighter and brighter.

@resiliencebyschillingbeerco @schillingbeerco @BeerBoutiqueNYC @cheezits #beer #milkstout #stout #ale #Resilience #wine #winestagram #cheezit #instawine @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #craftbeer #beerstagram #beersofinstagram #beerlife #Littleton #NH #newhampshire #Geppetto

Posted on

From Biology to Brews

Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
Solstice d’Eté
Sour Berliner Weisse brewed with raspberries
Freestyle Series
5.9% ABV
St. Jerome, Quebec, Canada
Co-Founders: Jean-François Gravel and Stephane Ostiguy

A vibrant raspberry-rose pour with light bubbles, and the last pour shows just how unfiltered it is. Inhaling raspberries, strawberries, and a smooth candy. As it opens, more yeasty scents pop. On to that beautiful sip and it’s tingly and awakening. There’s those raspberries again but now sweeTart sour, and a delicious lemon-lime aftertaste. Quite a little fun character living in this bottle.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: yuck! Noooooooooo do not try

Dieu du Ciel! Had humble home brew origins with Jean-François tinkering alongside his studies in Applied Micro-Biology. Next came a research project that brought Stephane Ostiguy into the brewing plans. Time and other people have been in and out of the picture and a business/brewery was built by hand in Montreal. Eventually it came time to expand to the St. Jerome microbrewery. You can grab brews and chews at both spaces, but keep your eye on their site for hours due to well, the situation the world is in. Reading more on their site and am touched that they care about their workers. That is so incredibly important to listen, care, and all work together. Here it is in their own words, “Respect, communication, initiative, and passion are the essential ingredients of our business. Our employees are at the heart of our progress. Starting with our established recipes, it is through collaboration that we manage to constantly innovate and expand to new frontiers.” They even say their team is as unique as their beers, which if you look at their beer list, they must all be pretty darn cool.

@brasseriedieuduciel @BeerBoutiqueNYC @cheezits #beer #ale #sourale #sour #frambroise #wine #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #craftbeer #beerstagram #beersofinstagram #montreal #StJerome #Quebec #Canada #dieuduciel

Posted on

Pucker Up

Trve Brewing Co.
World’s Blood
High Plains Ale
Denver, CO
Golden ale fermented in oak with spontaneous microbes
5.7% abv
Acquired at Sugarburg

A fuzzy gold pour. Letting it air out a little and then there’s lemon, tangerine, hoppiness, something yeasty and should I say bretty. Time for the sip. Whoa, this baby is lemony tart, then celery, yeasty (yeah, I’m talking like what was sprinkled on the free popcorn from my college dive bar days), refreshing, and super early green tart apple. There’s some funk, but I embrace it. The more I drink, the tart levels out a bit, but it is still there. Also some fresh green and dried white pepper. Honestly, this wild ale feels like a sour. As Trve says on their site, “Our beers may or may not exactly adhere to any particular guidelines – we’re style blasphemers and category agnostics – but you can count on the fact that we’ll always brew damn good beer.”

Pairs with Cheez-its: tones back the acid tart

For a heavy metal brewery, this isn’t exactly pairing with a metal song for me, but it’s a sharp sour fun summer beer.  Since it’s not working with metal for me, let’s lean in to the industrial side: Revolting Cocks “da ya think I’m sexy”

@SugarburgNY @sugarburgbk @trvebrewing #beer #ale #sourale #sour #wildale #beerstagram @cheezits #cheezit @worldbyglass #needmorebeer #pairswithcheezits #denver #colorado #revoltingcocks