Denver: Day 3

Day 3 was a day of brewpubs and awesome treatment. After our trip to Pete's Kitchen we hit the road to check out Boulder. Last year we checked out Mountain Sun in downtown Boulder. This year we opted to see their second brewpub, Southern Sun. But when we showed up in Southern Boulder, they weren't open for business yet.

So we cruised on over to Boulder Beer Co. which has been around for years.


We got a chance to have Hazed and Infused from the source. I also enjoyed their Mojo IPA made with Amarillo and Centennial hops. It reminded me of our X-IPA and was very nice. I had no idea that BBC was as large as they are. They have a 50bbl system with 100 and 200bbl fermenters and brite tanks.





By the time we finished out beers it was time to see if Southern Sun was rockin' and rollin' yet. Southern Sun turned out to be about the coolest thing we did the whole trip because we ended up getting the royal treatment from the staff.



When we sat down the GM asked us if we were brewers and we introduced ourselves. He told us all the beers were on him and told us we could try whatever we wanted on tap. They had a very large list of beers on tap.



The Hummingbird Ale was a type of Braggott (a type of mead or honey and malt based beverage) that was very tasty and ended up winning bronze in the specialty honey category. While we were sitting and enjoying the beers, the kitchen came out with a delicious quesadilla that was mistakenly ordered or something and was offered to us. We gladly accepted.



This was one of the owners, bussing glasses, cleaning, and generally hustling around during a busy lunch rush to make sure things still go smoothly. Cheers to that!

The late afternoon held the Alpha King Challenge at the Falling Rock. Last year Jeff Bagby won when he was still with Oggis' Pizza. This year he snagged 3rd and 2nd.


First this year was Washington's own Boundry Bay Imperial IPA. Finally someone won who isn't from California.

After that we had a little reception back at Wynkoop for hop selection from Brewer's Supply Group. They had different lots of their hops out for sampling for those of us that contract certain amounts of hops through them.



I dove in and sniffed a few different lots but all of that resin and alpha acid messed up my sinuses pretty bad. I had to recover with a few beers.

The night session was really busy at the fest and was announced as a sellout.




End of Day 3.

Coming soon: Day 4: Awards Ceremony

Denver: Day 2

Day 2 was a day of seeing things we haven't seen before on GABF trips. This year we opted to drive up through the Rockies to see the mountains and breathe the crisp high-altitude air. To start the day we ate at Pete's Kitchen, A Denver landmark since 1942.



Pete's was so good that we ate there not once, not twice, but three different mornings on this trip.
Off the the mountains. On the way to Rocky Mountain State Park we stopped at the spot that marks the Continental Divide. At that point water on the left flows to the Pacific, and water on the right flows to the Mississippi and Atlantic.




Us Midwesterners were so excited to see snow in September that Matt had to juggle. It's what he does when he gets excited.

P.S. You back country skiers need to be careful.




We made it to the National Park and drove up on Trail Ridge Road.





The mountains were a really nice change of pace from your typical rolling nothing of Illinois. When we got back from our mini roadtrip we hit up the first night of tasting at the fest and checked out RockBottom Denver's Rocktoberfest.



End Day 2

Denver: Day 1

So it turns out that if you win Small Brewpub of the year, when you come back, there is still the same amount of work to do around the brewery. I seem to remember this being the case last year when we won three bronze medals, but somewhere along the line I forgot about that point. AND, since I was busy with doing regular work, moving into a new apartment with the girlfriend, and catching up on work at Mickey Finn's nothing much has changed here on the blog. So without further ado, Denver Day 1.

The day of getting in usually entails getting settled into wherever you are staying, hitting up Wynkoop for the Brewer's Reception, and then making your way over to the mad house that is Falling Rock. This year was no exception.

However, this year after we got unloded at the place we were staying, the Chicago Fire were just about to kick off the final game of the U.S. Open Cup, in Chicago, at new Toyota Park, and I wasn't there to see it. Instead I went to the British Bulldog, a soccerish pub in Denver and watched the Fire destory the L.A. Galaxy 3-1 to capture our 4th U.S. Open Cup. The Fire is the most winningist team in the history of the tournament which dates back to 1914.

So riding off the elation of my team winning another championship, I told Matt it really didn't matter if we won any awards in Denver this year or not. I headed over to Wynkoop just long enough to shake a few hands, stuff my face full of free food, and down two shots of Colorado Whiskey in celebration of the Fire.

Some Illinois people were already at the Falling Rock so we made our way down the street to check out what Denver's best beer bar had to offer for the evening.

Mike Rybinski from America's Brewpub in Aurora brought his own darts to try to show up the ever competitive Pete Crowly from Rock Bottom Chicago. Pete makes a pretty good stout over there. It picked up bronze in the American Style Stouts Category.

Mike is serious about darts.



That is Pete drinking some kind of German spirit that is either distilled from, or spiced with Hops. It was interesting to say the least.

End of Day 1

Time To Party! Celebration-fest October 21st

CELEBRATION FEST!
October 21, 2006, Beginning at 4pm

$3 All Pints

LIVE MUSIC

Outdoor Grilling
(Chicken, Burgers, Brats, Hot Dogs)

Winning isn't everything but celebrating winning sure is! Matt and I will be on hand to pour beers, chat, and have a good time. Come out and celebrate our small feat with us. We will have special commerative T-shirts made. You will like them.

2006 Small Brewpub Brewer and Small Brewpub of the year

Small brewpub of the year used the be the punchline to the joke that Matt and I would tell each other at work when something really frustrating would happen where you just want to walk off the job and go home for the day. Even after winning it seems just as unreal as those bad days at work. Walking off the stage and seeing all of your fellow Illinois brewers there waiting to congratulate you is a genuinley special feeling that I would be surprised to experience ever again.

You are only as good as the people that are around you. In our case we wouldn't have been able to win without our fellow brewers. The barrels we used for Wooden Hell, came from Pete Crowly at Rock Bottom Chicago. The yeast we used for Black Wolf came from Jim and Mike at Prairie Rock but started at Emmett's. Our bottling happened at America's Brewing Company @ Walter Payton's Roundhouse with Mike Rybinski as you may have read about already. And finally but equally as important, Goose Island packed up all of our beer and send it off on a refrigerated truck to Denver to be judged.

This next week we will be adding plenty of updates, tons of pictures, we had a great time in Denver this year and there is a lot to tell about.

Tap List 9/26/06

Terry's Fest Bier (Octoberfest) (6.5%abv)

Terry Richardson, our recently departed fellow brewer from Gov'nrs Pub is the namesake for this year's batch of Octoberfest. Malty, a little bready, and a touch of noble German hops on the nose make for a very drinkable fall fixture. Raise your glass in Terry's name and drink to a great man.

Black Wolf Schwarz (5.5% abv)

Named after Jim Wolfer from Prairie Rock who let us borrow his lager yeast, Black Wolf is brewed in the style of a German Black Lager or Schwarzbier (black beer). It has a small amount of dark and roasted malts added to the grain bill to give it a distinct, yet not overpowering roasty aroma and taste. At 5.5% it is easy drinking and has a pleasant crisp lager finish. Try this black beer and be surprised by a different kind of one of those "dark beers."

Imperial Mocha Java Stout (9.3% abv)

Summer is the perfect time for a huge stout that warms you up from the inside out. Well maybe not, but we have one anyway. Our Imperial Stout is loaded with dark roast espresso beans from The Great American Coffee Co. in Bourbonnais Il. We used bittersweet chocolate in the boil to add a certain creaminess, and loaded it up with alcohol. Because of the small batch size, and the fact that we will be barrel ageing a good portion of this brew, we will only be serving it in sinfters for $5 a glass.

Vishnu's Vice I.P.A. (8% a.b.v.)[Almost Gon]

It's been weeks since we had an I.P.A. on tap! Matt and I are both very sorry,...we swear. As penance, allow us to offer Vishnu's Vice. It's so good that not even The Great Preserver can resist. If he could drink four at a time he probably would. This I.P.A. is big at 8% a.b.v. and has enough body to stand up to the generous amounts of Amarillo, Simcoe, Cascade, and Summit hops. Enjoy it with a sample of our Anniversary Pale Ale and compare the different hops.

1906 Anniversary Ale (American Pale Ale)

July 2006 is the 100th Anniversary of the building, and the 10th anniversary of Flossmoor Station Restaraunt and Brewpub. To celebrate, Matt and I have made an American Pale Ale that is heavy on the hops, but easy enough to drink and enjoy. 1906 is made with 5 different American hops, Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Summit dwarf hops. Enjoy our celebration of 10 years with a pint of 1906!

Avante-Garde Biere de Garde (7% abv)

Avante Garde is a deep coppery red that begins with sweet malty aroma. Flavors of dark fruit are balanced against a toasted, bready malt body. This style is tradionally a Northern France/Belgian farmhouse style that was set down to age over the warm months. ("de Garde" means "To guard" or "store" similarly to "lagern" the German version of storing beer.) Avante Garde has a slightly musty cellar character with very little hop presense. But at 7% watch out for a beer that will warm you up a bit if you aren't careful. Look for ours served in a 12oz Goblet for $4.25

What are we taking?

I done forgot to tell ya'll what we are taking to GABF.

On the Floor:
Specialty Beer- Pullman Brown
Coffee Beer- Imperial Mocha Java Stout
German Schwarzbier- Black Wolf Schwarz
Pale Barrel Aged Beer- Ol' Woody APA
Stong Barrel Aged Beer- Wooden Hell Barley Wine

Judge Only Beers:
Belgian Fruit Lambic: De Wilde Zuidentrein Frambozen Bier
Experimental: Angry Mike's Stoudt Creek

We'll see if we can get any updates done while we are there but I'm not making any promises. This is vacation for me damnit.

Wagons West!

Tuesday is going to be a day filled with getting tons of work done, but Wednesday Matt and I will head west to Denver. We have lots of stuff beyond GABF planned so updates should come mid next week when I get a chance to reflect, move into my new apartment, and get everything uploaded. I can only promise lots of pictures; more than last year. Hopefully following the beer trail nothing bad will happen. I'm only bringing a few sets of clothes and I don't want to trade with that Indian guide unless I really have to. I'm looking forward to some time off, good beers, and scenic country side.

If you happen to not understand the premise of this post at all, check out a fond memory from my child hood. The Oregon trail on an AppleII just like in gradeschool.

FIRKIN FRIDAY AT FLOSSMOOR STATION

This just in......we've uncovered some cask conditioned ale in the cellar. On Friday, September 22nd at 6PM, we will tap into a firkin of Vishnu's Vice IPA . Come help us drain this rarity at Flossmoor Station.

Feedback and Updates

I know you guys are out there, either close to the brewery or far away in the depths of the internet. We want some feedback from you readers out there. If you like what we do here, let us know and if you don't let us know why. The internet is a magical place. Just ask Senator Ted Stevens.

"They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the Internet. And again, the Internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck. It's a series of tubes. And if you don't understand that those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and it's going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material..."-Sen Ted Stevens

Think about that.



Our Octoberfest party is coming up at Flossmoor this Saturday.

OKTOBERFEST
September 23, 2006 4pm-10pm.

Activities include: Live music, kids activities/face painting,
traditional German food, and great beer specials!

We will be tapping our Octoberfest that day so be ready. This year's edition of Octoberfest is dedicated to Terry Richardson, the recently departed brewer at Govnor's Pub in Lake-in-the-Hills IL. I didn't know Terry very well at all, we may have met at a beer fest or two but if the long line of people paying their respects at his wake can be any judge of the man's life, he was well respected and very well liked. He was a homebrewer turned professional and it always hurts to lose one of your own. Naming our Octoberfest after him is only a token gesture but one that we hope he would have appreciated.

Denver and GABF 25!
Last year in Denver we hobbled away with three shameful bronze medals. This year at the 25th annual Great American Beer Festival we are sending seven beers and hope that we won't embarrass ourselves too badly when we walk home empty handed. Matt and I head out on the 27th and return on the 1st so wish us luck!

Don't forget, we want to hear back on how we are doing with our beers, and with this blog. We were recently mentioned on Realbeer.com's Beer Therapy. A great beer blog that everyone should check out when they get the chance. (I think they are Peewee fans too!)

I see...A BASEMENT!

Madame Ruby
Cash only.
No cards, no checks.
You got cash? [PeeWee nods]
Let me take your jacket. [jerks away]
You want to wear a wet jacket,
it's all right with Madam Ruby.
For $20 I can tell you a lot of things.
For $30 I can tell you more.  
And for $50 I can tell you everything.
[drops crumpled bills on table]

Pee Wee 
Tell me why I'm here.

Madame Ruby
 You're here because you... 
...want something.
Let's see...
 ...what Madam Ruby sees. 
I see...
...a bicycle.

Pee Wee
Yes! Is it okay?
        
        Madame Ruby         
It's okay.

Pee Wee
Where is it?! Can you see it?
Where is it?!

Madame Ruby
    Where is it?         
It's somewhere else.
Somewhere far away.

Pee Wee
Where?!

Madame Ruby
The Alamo.

Pee Wee
The Alamo.

Madame Ruby
In the basement.

Pee Wee
I'll never forget you.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure is one of my favorite films of all time. When the clairvoyant Madame Ruby tells Pee Wee

his bike is in the basement of the Alamo, he rushes off cross country to track down his bike. Sure, so maybe there isn't a basement in the Alamo, but there is a basement in Flossmoor. And guess what it has it in? Barrel Aged Beers!

We have a lot of them. Last count shows us currently at 11 different barrels, all filled with one type of beer or another.

This winter we will be taking them out of their wooden homes and getting them
to the bar.  Those of you from non Flossmoor areas, fear not, we are working on
pouring one or more of our barrel aged beers within the city limits.  Stay Tuned!

Current Tap List 8/30/06

Black Wolf Schwarz (5.5% abv)
Named after Jim Wolfer from Prairie Rock who let us borrow his lager yeast, Black Wolf is brewed in the style of a German Black Lager or Schwarzbier (black beer). It has a small amount of dark and roasted malts added to the grain bill to give it a distinct, yet not overpowering roasty aroma and taste. At 5.5% it is easy drinking and has a pleasant crisp lager finish. Try this black beer and be surprised by a different kind of one of those "dark beers."

Imperial Mocha Java Stout (9.3% abv)
Summer is the perfect time for a huge stout that warms you up from the inside out. Well maybe not, but we have one anyway. Our Imperial Stout is loaded with dark roast espresso beans from The Great American Coffee Co. in Bourbonnais Il. We used bittersweet chocolate in the boil to add a certain creaminess, and loaded it up with alcohol. Because of the small batch size, and the fact that we will be barrel ageing a good portion of this brew, we will only be serving it in sinfters for $5 a glass.

Vishnu's Vice I.P.A. (8% a.b.v.)
It's been weeks since we had an I.P.A. on tap! Matt and I are both very sorry,...we swear. As penance, allow us to offer Vishnu's Vice. It's so good that not even The Great Preserver can resist. If he could drink four at a time he probably would. This I.P.A. is big at 8% a.b.v. and has enough body to stand up to the generous amounts of Amarillo, Simcoe, Cascade, and Summit hops. Enjoy it with a sample of our Anniversary Pale Ale and compare the different hops.

1906 Anniversary Ale (American Pale Ale) [Running Low!]
July 2006 is the 100th Anniversary of the building, and the 10th anniversary of Flossmoor Station Restaraunt and Brewpub. To celebrate, Matt and I have made an American Pale Ale that is heavy on the hops, but easy enough to drink and enjoy. 1906 is made with 5 different American hops, Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Summit dwarf hops. Enjoy our celebration of 10 years with a pint of 1906!

Nexte Haltestelle (Next Stop) Hefeweizen
Nexte Haltestelle is a pale and hazy german style Hefeweizen that pours with a large and fluffy head. The fruity aroma begins with a whiff of banana and citrus fruits. The body is lighty and a little dry with a fruity middle and a slightly spicy character that may make you think of cloves.

Avante-Garde Biere de Garde (7% abv)
Avante Garde is a deep coppery red that begins with sweet malty aroma. Flavors of dark fruit are balanced against a toasted, bready malt body. This style is tradionally a Northern France/Belgian farmhouse style that was set down to age over the warm months. ("de Garde" means "To guard" or "store" similarly to "lagern" the German version of storing beer.) Avante Garde has a slightly musty cellar character with very little hop presense. But at 7% watch out for a beer that will warm you up a bit if you aren't careful. Look for ours served in a 12oz Goblet for $4.25

Bottling at America's

With the Great American Beer Festival rapidly approaching the horizon we found ourselves petitioning the use of our favorite 4-head meheen filler at America's Brewpub at Walter Payton's Roundhouse. Brewmaster Mike Rybinski, graciously allows us to use his bottling line, which allows us to sleep well at night knowing that our beers going to Denver are bottled in one of the best ways possible. Our three GABF medals from last year and one of our World Beer Cup awards were beers that we bottled with Mike's bottling line. Thanks Mike!







Matt wearing very stylish PPE.




This is the stone cage that Mike uses to make his Hemp Stoned Ale. During the boil the stone in the cage is heated to 1000 degrees and dipped four times into the wert. Roaster hemp seeds are added to the mash to create a nice nutty flavor in the beer. If you find yourself out in Aurora it is definitly worth a try.


Todd Ashman Announcement



Todd Ashman Announcement

Todd Will be back and brewing soon, not will Flossmoor or Titletown in Green Bay but in Truckee California.

From Probrewer.com
"The new Truckee Craft Brewing Co., located at 6000 feet in Truckee, California near Lake Tahoe, should be up and running by late this year or early next.

Most remember Ashman for his innovative (and award-winning) beers at Illinois brewpub Flossmoor Station. He also brewed at Titletown Brewing in Green Bay before going to work for Rahr Malting/Brewers Supply Group, which sells ingredients to craft breweries.

Ashman officially starts in Truckee at the beginning of December. He says that capacity constraints will limit him to keeping five or six beers on tap, 'maybe more once we get things in rotation.' "

Current Tap List 8/16/06

Imperial Mocha Java Stout (9.3% abv)
Summer is the perfect time for a huge stout that warms you up from the inside out. Well maybe not, but we haave one anyway. Our Imperial Stout is loaded with dark roast espresso beans from The Great American Coffee Co. in Bourbonnais Il. We used bittersweet chocolate in the boil to add a certain creaminess, and loaded it up with alcohol. Because of the small batch size, and the fact that we will be barrel ageing a good portion of this brew, we will only be serving it in sinfters for $5 a glass.

Vishnu's Vice I.P.A. (8% a.b.v.)
It's been weeks since we had an I.P.A. on tap! Matt and I are both very sorry,...we swear. As penance, allow us to offer Vishnu's Vice. It's so good that not even The Great Preserver can resist. If he could drink four at a time he probably would. This I.P.A. is big at 8% a.b.v. and has enough body to stand up to the generous amounts of Amarillo, Simcoe, Cascade, and Summit hops. Enjoy it with a sample of our Anniversary Pale Ale and compare the different hops.

1906 Anniversary Ale (American Pale Ale)
July 2006 is the 100th Anniversary of the building, and the 10th anniversary of Flossmoor Station Restaraunt and Brewpub. To celebrate, Matt and I have made an American Pale Ale that is heavy on the hops, but easy enough to drink and enjoy. 1906 is made with 5 different American hops, Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Summit dwarf hops. Enjoy our celebration of 10 years with a pint of 1906!

Nexte Haltestelle (Next Stop) Hefeweizen
Nexte Haltestelle is a pale and hazy german style Hefeweizen that pours with a large and fluffy head. The fruity aroma begins with a whiff of banana and citrus fruits. The body is lighty and a little dry with a fruity middle and a slightly spicy character that may make you think of cloves.

Avante-Garde Biere de Garde (7% abv)
Avante Garde is a deep coppery red that begins with sweet malty aroma. Flavors of dark fruit are balanced against a toasted, bready malt body. This style is tradionally a Northern France/Belgian farmhouse style that was set down to age over the warm months. ("de Garde" means "To guard" or "store" similarly to "lagern" the German version of storing beer.) Avante Garde has a slightly musty cellar character with very little hop presense. But at 7% watch out for a beer that will warm you up a bit if you aren't careful. Look for ours served in a 12oz Goblet for $4.25

Madison Recap

Well another 2nd Saturday of August, another Great Taste of the Midwest gone by. It was a perfect day filled with tons of great beers. We poured out of everything that we brought and had long lines at our booth all day, to which we took as being a good sign. Here are some photos from the weekend.

After we got checked into our hotel, we (Matt, his wife Jenni, and myself) headed over to the Great Dane to meet up with some fellow brewers.



The Dane had a nice dark mild that was on tap and very sessionable.


Jim and Mike from Prairie Rock hustled us in pool until our friends from Brewer's Supply Group showed up and got hustled instead.

After the Dane, Matt and Jenni and I decided to check out Ale Aslyum on the other side of town since it just recently opened. The former brewer from Angelic in downtown Madison left to open his own place and we got to take a small tour of the new facilities.



It was really a brewer's brewhouse. Everything looked like it was put in place for a reason and there was lots of room to move around and work. I was envious of their setup.



Saturday morning we hit Mickie's Dairy bar, the best place to eat breakfast in Madison and had Scramblers.




It's always important to lay down a solid base before a beer fest.




My parents, Terry and Patti, came up to help us pour.



And like I said, we had long lines and poured all of our beer. It was a great time, and I'm looking forward to next year.

Great Taste of the Midwest Madison

Hope you have your tickets..... Here is a preview of what we will be bringing this year.

Vishnu's Vice I.P.A.
Our big 8% I.P.A. with Amarillo, Simcoe, Cascade, and Summit hops.

Avante Garde Biere de Garde
7% Abv, Spicy, Belgiany, biere de gardey.

Pullman Brown
You know it, you love it, it won a Gold at the world beer cup this year.

Ol' Woody Barrel Aged I.P.A
Ol' Woody is X-I.P.A. aged in a Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrel and then dry hopped with Amarillo hops.

Wooden Hell
Wooden Hell is what you get when you barrel age our Barleywine, Sheol. It's good.

TrainWreck of Flavor
Todd Ashman used to make this here once upon a time. 50% Sheol, 50% Pullman, 100% barrel aged.

Ella's Reserve
Our GABF winning Belgian Golden Strong that sat itself down in a bourbon barrel to mellow and get some added character.

Hope you have a good time, because I know we will. Pictures will follow next week.

Cheers to Cameron Begg

Tuesday we brewed Pullman, and since we knew it was going to be an oppressively hot day, we started far earlier than normal and headed out in the early afternoon before we both fell over from heat exhaustion. On the way home I decided to swing by Piece, since I hadn't been there in a while and I had heard Jonathan had some interesting seasonals on. Never one to disappoint, the reigning World Beer Cup small brewpub brewer of the year, had on a Bier De Garde called "Surrender," and a big hoppy beer called "Quintet," celebrating Piece's 5th anniversary. Both were needless to say, very good.

While I was waiting to see if Jonathan was around, a gentleman asked if he could take the seat next to me at the bar. I could tell from his accent that he was from the UK, and although I am usually wary of talking to strangers at bars, I was interested when he asked the bartender for an I.P.A or something hoppy. Some friendly bar small talk let to him mentioning his homebrewing and that once upon a time he worked at a brewery in Edinburgh. He introduced himself as Cameron and said that he was in town for a conference about advanced microscopes and was looking for some good beer and something good to eat. Piece, naturally was an obvious choice.

We chatted about all manner of things, drank beers, and even shared a pizza. It was probably one of my favorite bar experiences to date. I very rarely meet a complete stranger at a bar who is interesting to talk to, loves good beer, and is a genuinely nice person. So, in honor of chance encounters and being a cool guy, Cheers to you Cameron Begg!

p.s. Cameron has a totally awesome webpage

Current Tap List 7/26/06

Current Tap List 7/26/06

Vishnu's Vice I.P.A. (8% a.b.v.)
It's been weeks since we had an I.P.A. on tap! Matt and I are both very sorry,...we swear. As penance, allow us to offer Vishnu's Vice. It's so good that not even The Great Preserver can resist. If he could drink four at a time he probably would. This I.P.A. is big at 8% a.b.v. and has enough body to stand up to the generous amounts of Amarillo, Simcoe, Cascade, and Summit hops. Enjoy it with a sample of our Anniversary Pale Ale and compare the different hops.

1906 Anniversary Ale (American Pale Ale)
July 2006 is the 100th Anniversary of the building, and the 10th anniversary of Flossmoor Station Restaraunt and Brewpub. To celebrate, Matt and I have made an American Pale Ale that is heavy on the hops, but easy enough to drink and enjoy. 1906 is made with 5 different American hops, Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Summit dwarf hops. Enjoy our celebration of 10 years with a pint of 1906!

Nexte Haltestelle (Next Stop) Hefeweizen
Nexte Haltestelle is a pale and hazy german style Hefeweizen that pours with a large and fluffy head. The fruity aroma begins with a whiff of banana and citrus fruits. The body is lighty and a little dry with a fruity middle and a slightly spicy character that may make you think of cloves.

Avante-Garde Biere de Garde (7% abv)
Avante Garde is a deep coppery red that begins with sweet malty aroma. Flavors of dark fruit are balanced against a toasted, bready malt body. This style is tradionally a Northern France/Belgian farmhouse style that was set down to age over the warm months. ("de Garde" means "To guard" or "store" similarly to "lagern" the German version of storing beer.) Avante Garde has a slightly musty cellar character with very little hop presense. But at 7% watch out for a beer that will warm you up a bit if you aren't careful. Look for ours served in a 12oz Goblet for $4.25

Leftorium Flanders Style Sour Brown (5% abv)
A brown ale with shades of red and auburn, Leftorium has been brewed in the style of a Flemish sour brown then laid down in a French Oak white wine barrel to gain added complexity. Notes of sour fruit should dance around on the pallet as you enjoy the slightly malty body, offset by a unique sour and tart finish. Served in a tulip glass for $4.25.


Brilliant! Dry Irish Stout
It's that time of year again. When the south siders parade about, when they dye the river green, and when your friends think it's cool to pretend they are Irish. To commerate we are offering Brilliant!, a opaque and creamy stout with a silky mouthfeel. It's served on nitrogen so watch for cascades, and erin go bleargh!

Bum Ankles and Updates a.k.a "So What's Coming Up Next?"

It may be an innocent enough question, but there are few more annoying things to hear than, "So what's next?" or, "What beers coming up?" Just enjoy the ones we have on right now, and if you don't enjoy them, then ask us "What's next, because I don't like these 10 or 12 you have on right now." So here's whats next. Your long awaited update.

So recently, while leaving work, trying to make the train at the last second, I slipped on some wet concrete and sprained my ankle real good. If you feel like you want to look at a picture of a gross bruised foot, you can click here and see how awesome I have felt for the last week.

So you might be thinking to yourself: "Hmm, with a sprained ankle, Andrew should have tons of updates ready for this blog." right?

Wrong!

I don't have the means to take off work (re: no health insurance, no car, and no savings) so I have been just as busy as always. Just more painfully busy. In fact, Matt has had to pick up a good deal of my slack (And he has a bad back) because it's pretty hard for me to walk up stairs, let alone hump bags of grain like Huck Finn up to the brewhouse. But while we are on the subject of brewing, here is what is in store for your gullets in the coming months.

A Big I.P.A.

July 25th our newest big I.P.A. will be on tap. As is the new custom, Mug Club members get first dibs before all you regular folk. This I.P.A. will hopefully satiate you hopheads out there for a few months at least. The alcohol is hefty and may make you do a double take when place side by side with our 1906 Anniversary Ale.

Spaceballs the Beer!

Ok, so it's not made by Yoghurt but it is a Schwartz. It's a Schwartzbier. A dark lager. I know that might blow some of your minds but believe it! It's darker than...than....something really dark, but there is very little roasted malt character. It is a lager after all. You will drink it, and you will like it. You might even be able to drink the Schwartz and the Imperial Stout at the same time and impress your friends that one is dark and heavy and one is dark and light and very drinkable. They will be shocked and awed.

Oktoberfest
You know it's coming. This Thursday Matt and I will attempt to whip up another batch to lay down for the summer, just like they used to do before refrigeration!


Oktoberfest used to be stored in caves like the one pictured above before modern times.


And don't forget, The Great Taste of the Midwest is rapidly approaching. There will be many different types of barrel aged and special beers that we will be featuring on this glorious day. I hope you have tickets and a hotel room already because it's going to be a great festival.

Our next Stout

1230 lbs of malted barley. 20 lbs of hops. 16 lbs of melted semi-sweet and bittersweet dark chocolate. Loads of cracked espresso beans. Bourbon barrels yearning to be filled......Can't wait for our chocolate coffee Imperial Stout? Me either. We'll be brewing this big boy tomorrow and we're just resting our backs from humping all that grain out of the cellar. I thought I'd take a minute and tell you about it.
We've been rotating stouts here at Flossmoor Station for the last year and a half (don't worry Iron Horse fans-it's coming back next) with great success. Stout lovers (and everone else) have been imbibing our stout faster than usual. We've done a cream, a coffee, and a dry irish. Now we've decided to get the big boy out again. We'll be sure to barrel age as much as we can in used bourbon barrels, but don't look forward to this for 6 to 12 months at least. The rest will be ready in late August and should take you into the blustery fall evenings.
(Dreams of 10% abv mocha latte.....mmmmmmmmm...)

Current Tap List 7/06/06

1906 Anniversary Ale (American Pale Ale)
July 2006 is the 100th Anniversary of the building, and the 10th anniversary of Flossmoor Station Restaraunt and Brewpub. To celebrate, Matt and I have made an American Pale Ale that is heavy on the hops, but easy enough to drink and enjoy. 1906 is made with 5 different American hops, Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Summit dwarf hops. Enjoy our celebration of 10 years with a pint of 1906!

Nexte Haltestelle (Next Stop) Hefeweizen
Nexte Haltestelle is a pale and hazy german style Hefeweizen that pours with a large and fluffy head. The fruity aroma begins with a whiff of banana and citrus fruits. The body is lighty and a little dry with a fruity middle and a slightly spicy character that may make you think of cloves.

Avante-Garde Biere de Garde (7% abv)
Avante Garde is a deep coppery red that begins with sweet malty aroma. Flavors of dark fruit are balanced against a toasted, bready malt body. This style is tradionally a Northern France/Belgian farmhouse style that was set down to age over the warm months. ("de Garde" means "To guard" or "store" similarly to "lagern" the German version of storing beer.) Avante Garde has a slightly musty cellar character with very little hop presense. But at 7% watch out for a beer that will warm you up a bit if you aren't careful. Look for ours served in a 12oz Goblet for $4.25

Leftorium Flanders Style Sour Brown (5% abv)
A brown ale with shades of red and auburn, Leftorium has been brewed in the style of a Flemish sour brown then laid down in a French Oak white wine barrel to gain added complexity. Notes of sour fruit should dance around on the pallet as you enjoy the slightly malty body, offset by a unique sour and tart finish. Served in a tulip glass for $4.25.

Imperial Dwarf IPA (7% abv)
Since you hop heads can't seem to get enough, we are trying our best to keep an IPA of one kind or another on year round. This is out newest incarnation. As mentioned before, Imperial Dwarf is made with 100% Summit dwarf hops, a new variety from Brewer Supply Group. It's citrusy like many high alpha hops, but Summit tends towards the orange and tangerine spectrum rather than grapefruit like Amarillo does. There are a lot of hops, but plenty of body to balance them out.

Brilliant! Dry Irish Stout (Almost Gone!)
It's that time of year again. When the south siders parade about, when they dye the river green, and when your friends think it's cool to pretend they are Irish. To commerate we are offering Brilliant!, a opaque and creamy stout with a silky mouthfeel. It's served on nitrogen so watch for cascades, and erin go bleargh!

Pictures from first Mug Club Tapping

It's not too late to join the Mug Club. Our first tapping was successful and fun! Check out the Mug Club Blog for more details.

Flossmoor Station is celebrating it's 10th Anniversary

Come and Join the FUN!
10th Anniversary Celebration Saturday, July 8, 2006.
Outdoor grilling 12:30pm - 8pm
$5 Burgers / Grilled Chicken Sandwiches / Brats$2 Kids Hot Dogs. Sandwiches come with chips. $3 pints including 1906 Anniversary Ale

Live Music
12:30pm-3:30pm
Moca Magana (Nick Gonzalez)
5:00pm-8:00pm
The Pullers
9:30pm-12:30pm
Nic Jones

Clown beginning at 4pm