Thanks to everyone that came out and thanks especially to Jay and Laura who have been great supporters of our beer.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Flossmoor Night at Maproom a success!
Thanks to everyone that came out and thanks especially to Jay and Laura who have been great supporters of our beer.
Checking Out
If the updates are sparse in the next two weeks, it's because I'm not at work. I'll be at Siebel Institute of Technology catching up on some well overdue secondary education.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Morning Mess
Normally if you walked into work in the morning and you had a mess like this one to clean up first think you might be a little mad. On the contrary, I was thrilled to see the brewhouse floor covered in krauesen and other various yeasty messes. It means that yesterday's batch of Sheol (barleywine) is fermenting away vigorously and is hopefully well on it's way to boozy goodness.
Maproom Reminder
Tonight, around 7ish, Matt, Tom, and I will be at Maproom to hang out and celebrate our Gold medal at GABF.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Tap List 10/22/07
Zwickel 500 (5% a.b.v.)
Our 500th batch of beer! Instead of making a huge wild fermented double I.P.A. blended Imperial Stout, we made a lesser known style of German lager. Zwickel 500 is an unfiltered German Pils that will challenge you to learn about a unique style of beer that you may not know about.
Meg's Bride-Ale (4.0% a.b.v.)
Andrew got married! To celebrate, have a glass of Meg's Bride-ale, a light and crisp belgian-style wit. Spiced with corriander, and flavored with blood orange juice, this is a very light wit beer that is dry, fruity, and easy to drink.
Hoppy Little O (10% a.b.v.)
Last time we made a Chouffe houblon dobbelen IPA triple cone it was Hoppy Little Gnome. This time our marriage of an American Double IPA and a Beglian Tripel was made with all organic pale ale malts (hence the O) and a slightly different hopping schedule. It comes in at 10% so watch out!
Oktoberfest (6.3% a.b.v.) [Almost Gone!]
The malty German lager that you love to drink this time of the year. Really good this time around! This is one of the best Oktoberfests that we have ever made!
Black Wolf Schwarz bier (5.0% a.b.v.)
The best schwarz bier in the U.S. according to the 2006 Great American Beer Festival. Lager body and finish with a touch of roasty aroma and body. A distinct but not overpowering black beer that just may change your idea about what a "dark beer" is.
Black Moon Rye-sin (5.5% abv) [Almost Gone!]
An American Stout with the addition of Rye. Roasty and chocolaty aroma with a slightly hoppy background. It's a full bodied stout that has coffee and roast flavors in all the right places with a lingering bitter finish from the hops.
ZikadeWeiss (4.5% abv) [Almost Gone!]
No Cicadas were harmed in the making of this beer, but we did have to fight them off while brewing this. Crisp, light, citrusy, and very refreshing. Except for pulling cicadas out of your lady's hair, nothing says summer like a Hefeweizen.
Our 500th batch of beer! Instead of making a huge wild fermented double I.P.A. blended Imperial Stout, we made a lesser known style of German lager. Zwickel 500 is an unfiltered German Pils that will challenge you to learn about a unique style of beer that you may not know about.
Meg's Bride-Ale (4.0% a.b.v.)
Andrew got married! To celebrate, have a glass of Meg's Bride-ale, a light and crisp belgian-style wit. Spiced with corriander, and flavored with blood orange juice, this is a very light wit beer that is dry, fruity, and easy to drink.
Hoppy Little O (10% a.b.v.)
Last time we made a Chouffe houblon dobbelen IPA triple cone it was Hoppy Little Gnome. This time our marriage of an American Double IPA and a Beglian Tripel was made with all organic pale ale malts (hence the O) and a slightly different hopping schedule. It comes in at 10% so watch out!
The malty German lager that you love to drink this time of the year. Really good this time around! This is one of the best Oktoberfests that we have ever made!
The best schwarz bier in the U.S. according to the 2006 Great American Beer Festival. Lager body and finish with a touch of roasty aroma and body. A distinct but not overpowering black beer that just may change your idea about what a "dark beer" is.
Black Moon Rye-sin (5.5% abv) [Almost Gone!]
An American Stout with the addition of Rye. Roasty and chocolaty aroma with a slightly hoppy background. It's a full bodied stout that has coffee and roast flavors in all the right places with a lingering bitter finish from the hops.
ZikadeWeiss (4.5% abv) [Almost Gone!]
No Cicadas were harmed in the making of this beer, but we did have to fight them off while brewing this. Crisp, light, citrusy, and very refreshing. Except for pulling cicadas out of your lady's hair, nothing says summer like a Hefeweizen.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Trip to Left Hand
I had been to Left Hand once a few years ago on one of our GABF forays but this time we got a tour from one of the owners so I thought I would share the photos with you.
They have a very cool tasting room/bar attached to the front of the brewery and a lot of really good beer to go with it. My drink of choice while I was there was a Rauch Doppelbock called Smoked Goosinator. It was outstanding.
The ladies (my wife and Matt's) and I were going through a sampler tray as more and more people were trickling into the tasting room. I think during GABF week Longmont, Ft. Collins, and Boulder get a huge influx of traffic from the fest and all of the brewers in town. As the crown swelled there was an announcement that a tour was going to start. Yay! a Tour! I almost never say no to a brewery tour, no matter how many of them I've seen.
brewhouse
Proof that someone is doing work.
Old fermentation room (now small batch room)
It looked like they did all of their barrel aging in this Fermentation room (which was cold) and they also said they almost exclusively use wine barrels for their barrel aging.
Kegs!
Fermenters (of which they said they are going to add more, Left Hand is growing by leaps and bounds)
Their beers are available in IL now, so seek them out because they make some good ones. If you're near Longmont, stop by because it's worth the trip.
They have a very cool tasting room/bar attached to the front of the brewery and a lot of really good beer to go with it. My drink of choice while I was there was a Rauch Doppelbock called Smoked Goosinator. It was outstanding.
The ladies (my wife and Matt's) and I were going through a sampler tray as more and more people were trickling into the tasting room. I think during GABF week Longmont, Ft. Collins, and Boulder get a huge influx of traffic from the fest and all of the brewers in town. As the crown swelled there was an announcement that a tour was going to start. Yay! a Tour! I almost never say no to a brewery tour, no matter how many of them I've seen.
brewhouse
Proof that someone is doing work.
Old fermentation room (now small batch room)
It looked like they did all of their barrel aging in this Fermentation room (which was cold) and they also said they almost exclusively use wine barrels for their barrel aging.
Kegs!
Fermenters (of which they said they are going to add more, Left Hand is growing by leaps and bounds)
Their beers are available in IL now, so seek them out because they make some good ones. If you're near Longmont, stop by because it's worth the trip.
Friday, October 19, 2007
The "Joe Borter-I can't wait for the next seasonal" update
So one of the reasons that we started this blog about a year and a half ago was to do a better job at letting people know what our current taplist is AND generate some excitement about what is to come (Luckily, it has turned into something a little more exciting than that with photos and tales of our travels and a smattering of opinionated rants.) Quite some time ago (too lazy to find it and link here), one of those rants involved my pet peeve of putting on new seasonals and then get bombarded with the, "What's next?" question. Sure, I know, you love the seasonals so much, you want to get prepared for your next trip to the pub. And I did say that I wanted to keep you interested in what we are planning. so.. while it is a burr on my butt when I hear it, I will admit that we haven't done a good job of teasing our future.(but please excuse me, we are busy buying a bottling line and all the infrastructure that goes with that AND trying to open a several hundred brand craft beer store/homebrew supply store. Kinda busy!)
So, Joe and everyone else who cares, here's what's coming down the pipeline:
Zwickel 500-10/22/07-our 500th batch at FSBC. an unfiltered pilsner
Pumpkin 3.14-10/31/07-cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, maple syrup, vanilla-PIE!
Some kinda holiday beer thing-December. TBA
I have 9 different barrel aged beers waiting downstairs. we'll dedicate a tap to them from Nov-next year. Yummy!
Sheol Barleywine-making it this Tues. Due around Christmas time-ish
We were gonna make a small bier off of this, but as you can see we are kinda full. If you don't know what a small beer is, you should.
Some kinda new IPA- December TBA
2008-Killer Kowalski Baltic Porter and Black Wolf Schwarzbier-lagerin' em up for World Beer Cup in the spring.
Beyond that, you'll just have to patiently wait on pins and needles.
Cheers!
So, Joe and everyone else who cares, here's what's coming down the pipeline:
Zwickel 500-10/22/07-our 500th batch at FSBC. an unfiltered pilsner
Pumpkin 3.14-10/31/07-cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, maple syrup, vanilla-PIE!
Some kinda holiday beer thing-December. TBA
I have 9 different barrel aged beers waiting downstairs. we'll dedicate a tap to them from Nov-next year. Yummy!
Sheol Barleywine-making it this Tues. Due around Christmas time-ish
We were gonna make a small bier off of this, but as you can see we are kinda full. If you don't know what a small beer is, you should.
Some kinda new IPA- December TBA
2008-Killer Kowalski Baltic Porter and Black Wolf Schwarzbier-lagerin' em up for World Beer Cup in the spring.
Beyond that, you'll just have to patiently wait on pins and needles.
Cheers!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
I need a vacation from my vacation: Reflections on GABF 2007
Wow! What a long, rewarding, educational, exciting, exhausting, and action packed week. As I sit and reflect on my journey to Denver(expect to see a little wrap up with pictures from Andrew later in the week) I can't help but be amazed at the wide range of emotions we went through this week.
First, relief that we had meticulously brewed AND bottled 8 of our beers as best we could, hoping that they would arrive in Denver safely. To say it is a large task for a small brewpub with no bottling system to successfully enter this competition is an understatement. It's a lot of work and effort.
Secondly, I was judging for the first time. I didn't tell anyone, but I was a little nervous. This was a big task and responsibility. What if I messed it up? Well, I knew at the very least it was going to be a great networking opportunity, and it was. I met a lot of great craft beer industry folk. I'm also happy to say that I did not mess it up. Every winner I helped choose was very deserving! I know-it sounds a little cocky, but it was fun to see myself picking the same beers as other judges with far more experience than me. Maybe I was more suited for this than I thought.
Next comes the hecticness. Everyone tries to pack as many events as they can into those few days. From special tappings at the Falling Rock (Denver's premier beer bar), to open house events at places like Great Divide and Sandlot, to trying to meet up with Illinois brewers, other brewer friends from across the country, and my friend Trevor who lives in Denver-it made for a busy week. Add into the mix the judging and the fact that my wife, Jenni, got to come out on Thursday night made it seem like I was always running, and certainly not sleeping.Well, we got through the evening GABF sessions, which were kinda weird because I didn't really feel like trying many beers the first two nights due to the rigorous judging schedule. I was all full up I guess. I made it a point to go by the booths that I didn't want to miss and the beers that were buzzing. Meanwhile I manned the booth a bit and it's a funny thing how a little fame makes a whole lot more people want to talk your ear off. I guess it comes with the territory.
Saturday afternoon was the awards ceremony. Nervousness was the understatement of the century here. Ask, my wife, I couldn't stand still. We cruised to the brewers breakfast at Breckenridge to get the base on. Great food and bloodies guys! Then we went to the Sports column to take in My Iowa Hawkeyes against the rival Fighting Illini. We won. Iowa's back. Bring on the Aloha Bowl! :) From there we headed to the fest and tried to stop thinking about the awards. As always I try to tell myself I will get shut out of the medals. Kind of like breaking the fall I suppose. As an aside, I really don't believe this because I know I have good beers and with the winning of last year, I just don't want to consider not being able to make a great beer. BUT the competion is huge and I really got a better perspective from judging this year. It takes a LOT to win even one award, let alone 8 that I have been fortunate enough to garner.Anyway, 8 beers-5 of which were in the first 18 categories. After some technical difficulties with the visuals, we were off:
Category 2-American Wheat Ales-Station Master-too cloudy I guess.
Category 4-Fruit beers-DeZuidentrein Frambozenbier-to tart I guess (Berry Weiss. WTF?)
Category 7-Specialty-Pullman-Ahhhhhh-we have consistency here, but no-I guess we were too complacent. Time to retool that beer.
Ok, Zero for 3. Bad start. More good beers to come.
Category 15-Strong Barrel-Wooden Hell, last years bronze-too many great beers I guess (71)Category 18-Zwickel-new one for us. Lots o good comments on the floor. Buzzzzzz-loser. So an ale took silver and bronze in the Zwickle/Kellar category. Bummer.
Ok, zero for 5. Not a good start. We feel good about the next two.
Category 33-Schwarzbier- Last years Gold. What!? no Bronze awarded. You're kidding me?Ok, are we going to get skunked here. A pain rang out in the pit of my stomach. All that work for naught. Why did we bother? I give up. The pessimism swelled.
Category 36 Baltic Porter. We made this beer in January. It can't win. Bronze-not us Silver-not us Gold......when the "K" of Killer Kowalski cracked his lips Andrew and I let out a howl for we knew we hadn't been shut out.
I slapped him on the back and we nearly shoved the wall of people out of our way. Nope, we're not getting Small Brewpbub of the year this year, but we are going home with Hardware. And a gold no less! It almost (almost) felt better than last year.Finally Category 60-Belgian Sour-nope, not enough I guess.So that's it. One gold this year. Time to celebrate with my friends from Illinois. And we did great. 12 medals in all. Only California, Colorado, and Wisconsin had more. Brew on Illinois!
So, that's the quick, yet lengthy rundown of my week in Denver. Slogging home Sunday through the rain and cold (and the Denver Marathon and the busy airport, etc. etc.) was a mixed bag. You don't want it to end (b/c work awaits you Monday), but I hadn't seen my two kids since they groggily dropped me at the airport Tues. at 6 AM, waving at me the whole time the train departed for the city. It's funny that no matter how many medals I win, no matter how many colleagues I meet or made anew, no matter what I did wrong this weekend, Nick and Ella sprinted to me shouting "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy". I love that gold medal I won this weekend, but I'd surely trade it for that experience coming home Sunday afternoon. (I told you it was a roller coaster of emotions-now go ahead and cry, you big tough guy!)
First, relief that we had meticulously brewed AND bottled 8 of our beers as best we could, hoping that they would arrive in Denver safely. To say it is a large task for a small brewpub with no bottling system to successfully enter this competition is an understatement. It's a lot of work and effort.
Secondly, I was judging for the first time. I didn't tell anyone, but I was a little nervous. This was a big task and responsibility. What if I messed it up? Well, I knew at the very least it was going to be a great networking opportunity, and it was. I met a lot of great craft beer industry folk. I'm also happy to say that I did not mess it up. Every winner I helped choose was very deserving! I know-it sounds a little cocky, but it was fun to see myself picking the same beers as other judges with far more experience than me. Maybe I was more suited for this than I thought.
Next comes the hecticness. Everyone tries to pack as many events as they can into those few days. From special tappings at the Falling Rock (Denver's premier beer bar), to open house events at places like Great Divide and Sandlot, to trying to meet up with Illinois brewers, other brewer friends from across the country, and my friend Trevor who lives in Denver-it made for a busy week. Add into the mix the judging and the fact that my wife, Jenni, got to come out on Thursday night made it seem like I was always running, and certainly not sleeping.Well, we got through the evening GABF sessions, which were kinda weird because I didn't really feel like trying many beers the first two nights due to the rigorous judging schedule. I was all full up I guess. I made it a point to go by the booths that I didn't want to miss and the beers that were buzzing. Meanwhile I manned the booth a bit and it's a funny thing how a little fame makes a whole lot more people want to talk your ear off. I guess it comes with the territory.
Saturday afternoon was the awards ceremony. Nervousness was the understatement of the century here. Ask, my wife, I couldn't stand still. We cruised to the brewers breakfast at Breckenridge to get the base on. Great food and bloodies guys! Then we went to the Sports column to take in My Iowa Hawkeyes against the rival Fighting Illini. We won. Iowa's back. Bring on the Aloha Bowl! :) From there we headed to the fest and tried to stop thinking about the awards. As always I try to tell myself I will get shut out of the medals. Kind of like breaking the fall I suppose. As an aside, I really don't believe this because I know I have good beers and with the winning of last year, I just don't want to consider not being able to make a great beer. BUT the competion is huge and I really got a better perspective from judging this year. It takes a LOT to win even one award, let alone 8 that I have been fortunate enough to garner.Anyway, 8 beers-5 of which were in the first 18 categories. After some technical difficulties with the visuals, we were off:
Category 2-American Wheat Ales-Station Master-too cloudy I guess.
Category 4-Fruit beers-DeZuidentrein Frambozenbier-to tart I guess (Berry Weiss. WTF?)
Category 7-Specialty-Pullman-Ahhhhhh-we have consistency here, but no-I guess we were too complacent. Time to retool that beer.
Ok, Zero for 3. Bad start. More good beers to come.
Category 15-Strong Barrel-Wooden Hell, last years bronze-too many great beers I guess (71)Category 18-Zwickel-new one for us. Lots o good comments on the floor. Buzzzzzz-loser. So an ale took silver and bronze in the Zwickle/Kellar category. Bummer.
Ok, zero for 5. Not a good start. We feel good about the next two.
Category 33-Schwarzbier- Last years Gold. What!? no Bronze awarded. You're kidding me?Ok, are we going to get skunked here. A pain rang out in the pit of my stomach. All that work for naught. Why did we bother? I give up. The pessimism swelled.
Category 36 Baltic Porter. We made this beer in January. It can't win. Bronze-not us Silver-not us Gold......when the "K" of Killer Kowalski cracked his lips Andrew and I let out a howl for we knew we hadn't been shut out.
I slapped him on the back and we nearly shoved the wall of people out of our way. Nope, we're not getting Small Brewpbub of the year this year, but we are going home with Hardware. And a gold no less! It almost (almost) felt better than last year.Finally Category 60-Belgian Sour-nope, not enough I guess.So that's it. One gold this year. Time to celebrate with my friends from Illinois. And we did great. 12 medals in all. Only California, Colorado, and Wisconsin had more. Brew on Illinois!
So, that's the quick, yet lengthy rundown of my week in Denver. Slogging home Sunday through the rain and cold (and the Denver Marathon and the busy airport, etc. etc.) was a mixed bag. You don't want it to end (b/c work awaits you Monday), but I hadn't seen my two kids since they groggily dropped me at the airport Tues. at 6 AM, waving at me the whole time the train departed for the city. It's funny that no matter how many medals I win, no matter how many colleagues I meet or made anew, no matter what I did wrong this weekend, Nick and Ella sprinted to me shouting "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy". I love that gold medal I won this weekend, but I'd surely trade it for that experience coming home Sunday afternoon. (I told you it was a roller coaster of emotions-now go ahead and cry, you big tough guy!)
Monday, October 15, 2007
GABF 07.
We won a gold for Killer Kowalski. It was great. I said :
Clearly it was.
When we get a chance to digest what last week was like, we'll let you know. Right now, I have a lot of kegs to get clean.
Killer Kowalski Baltic Porter (8.3% abv)
Our deep, dark, full-bodied lager. A slightly bittersweet chocolate aroma with a malty body that hints at dark fruits. It's complex and very enjoyable with a touch of roast finish. This may be the best beer we make all year long.
Clearly it was.
When we get a chance to digest what last week was like, we'll let you know. Right now, I have a lot of kegs to get clean.
Matt Van Wyk: More entertaining than Mancow
Right before we went to Denver, Matt recorded an episode on Waukegan radio for "The Joan Hammel and Friends" show.
(Direct link to MP3)
Sept 28, 2007. We're Here for the Beer! Join Joan and her guests: Matt Van Wyk, Brewmaster at the Flossmoor Station Restaurant and Brewery, and on the phone from Denver Colorado, Julia Herz, Director of Craft Beer Marketing for the Brewers Association. They discuss the history of beer and the growth of the craft brewing industry and it's expanding future. Matt tells us of his journey from Teacher to award winning Brewmaster at the Flossmoor Station Restaurant and Brewery. Julia gives her take on the national scope of the craft brewing industry as well as those of home brewers. She also tells us about the upcoming Great American Beer Festival, to be held October 11-13 in Denver, Colorado. Check out the links to learn more about Matt and Flossmoor Station, the Great American Beer Festival, and the Illinois beer link for Chicagoland events.
(Direct link to MP3)
Mark your calenders...
October 24th at the Maproom in Chicago: Flossmoor Night!
Featuring:
- Matt and Andrew talking to you, our fans
- Flossmoor Station beers!
- A special Cask of a very special beer
- Other cool things
More specifics to follow.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
We're huge in Denmark right now.
You don't even know.
We got a surprise visit from the Mikkeller boys today. They were in Munster yesterday working on a top secret project that I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about.
We found some time to try some beers, and showed them the progress on the store across the street. All of us are heading to denver tomorrow so I'll hopefully have some updates next week. Wish us luck.
We got a surprise visit from the Mikkeller boys today. They were in Munster yesterday working on a top secret project that I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about.
We found some time to try some beers, and showed them the progress on the store across the street. All of us are heading to denver tomorrow so I'll hopefully have some updates next week. Wish us luck.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Tap List 10/9/07
Meg's Bride-Ale (4.0% a.b.v.)
Andrew got married! To celebrate, have a glass of Meg's Bride-ale, a light and crisp belgian-style wit. Spiced with corriander, and flavored with blood orange juice, this is a very light wit beer that is dry, fruity, and easy to drink.
Hoppy Little O (10% a.b.v.)
Last time we made a Chouffe houblon dobbelen IPA triple cone it was Hoppy Little Gnome. This time our marriage of an American Double IPA and a Beglian Tripel was made with all organic pale ale malts (hence the O) and a slightly different hopping schedule. It comes in at 10% so watch out!
Oktoberfest (6.3% a.b.v.) [Almost Gone!]
The malty German lager that you love to drink this time of the year. Really good this time around! This is one of the best Oktoberfests that we have ever made!
Black Wolf Schwarz bier (5.0% a.b.v.)
The best schwarz bier in the U.S. according to the 2006 Great American Beer Festival. Lager body and finish with a touch of roasty aroma and body. A distinct but not overpowering black beer that just may change your idea about what a "dark beer" is.
Black Moon Rye-sin (5.5% abv)
An American Stout with the addition of Rye. Roasty and chocolaty aroma with a slightly hoppy background. It's a full bodied stout that has coffee and roast flavors in all the right places with a lingering bitter finish from the hops.
ZikadeWeiss (4.5% abv) [Almost Gone!]
No Cicadas were harmed in the making of this beer, but we did have to fight them off while brewing this. Crisp, light, citrusy, and very refreshing. Except for pulling cicadas out of your lady's hair, nothing says summer like a Hefeweizen.
Andrew got married! To celebrate, have a glass of Meg's Bride-ale, a light and crisp belgian-style wit. Spiced with corriander, and flavored with blood orange juice, this is a very light wit beer that is dry, fruity, and easy to drink.
Hoppy Little O (10% a.b.v.)
Last time we made a Chouffe houblon dobbelen IPA triple cone it was Hoppy Little Gnome. This time our marriage of an American Double IPA and a Beglian Tripel was made with all organic pale ale malts (hence the O) and a slightly different hopping schedule. It comes in at 10% so watch out!
Oktoberfest (6.3% a.b.v.) [Almost Gone!]
The malty German lager that you love to drink this time of the year. Really good this time around! This is one of the best Oktoberfests that we have ever made!
Black Wolf Schwarz bier (5.0% a.b.v.)
The best schwarz bier in the U.S. according to the 2006 Great American Beer Festival. Lager body and finish with a touch of roasty aroma and body. A distinct but not overpowering black beer that just may change your idea about what a "dark beer" is.
An American Stout with the addition of Rye. Roasty and chocolaty aroma with a slightly hoppy background. It's a full bodied stout that has coffee and roast flavors in all the right places with a lingering bitter finish from the hops.
ZikadeWeiss (4.5% abv) [Almost Gone!]
No Cicadas were harmed in the making of this beer, but we did have to fight them off while brewing this. Crisp, light, citrusy, and very refreshing. Except for pulling cicadas out of your lady's hair, nothing says summer like a Hefeweizen.
Friday, October 05, 2007
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