Where does the time go?

It's been pretty crazy since we got back from St. Louis the last time we checked in with you here at internet.com. We went to Austin for the Craft Brewer's Conference. We were at Alefest at the Arlington racetrack. We had a beer dinner at Galways Tribes, and I worked Dark Lord day at Three Floyds. It's been busy to say the least. So here are some updates.

Alefest went better than I anticipated. There were some hangups with the organizing of the event which led to a shortened advertising period but overall things went really well. The turnout was decent and I'm confident that if it happens again next year that there will be a lot more people than this year. Arlington Park is a great venue and everyone got a chance to sample almost all of the Replicales for this year.

The CBC in Austin was amazing. I had 8 bbq meals in 5 days and I wish I could have had one or two more. I have sold Texas bbq short in the past but it is a mighty force to be reckoned with. In addition to gorging ourselves on smoked meat, we learned a lot at the various seminars and talks that are offered each year. My two highlights were from two Anheuser-Bush folks who gave talks about hops and malting. Whether or not you enjoy drinking their beers they have some incredibly educated staff and I felt very fortunate to be able to sit in on those presentations. CBC pictures can be found here.

On April 24th we had a beer dinner at Galway Tribes in Frankfort which went swimmingly. Those that came got to sample De Zuidentrein Frambozenbier, Blanche DuBois, Young Sarge, Wooden Hell, Pullman Brown, and Hoppy Little Gnome, all hand paired with dishes by Galway's Chef.







The night before DLD we had a very good crowd of travelers come in from all over the US to check us out before the mayhem began the next day in Munster, IN. A heartfelt thanks goes out to those of you who came and if you continue to show up the night before Dark Lord Day, we will continue to make it worth your while.

I worked DLD for the Floyds guys and it was certainly a spectacle.






If you have never made the treck to Munster you by all means should, and if you think you know what a parking lot of crazy people looks like, you don't unless you've been to Dark Lord Day.

Updates are Coming

I promise....

Schlafly Weekender

So we went to St. Louis and froze our asses off.

Well, there was quite a bit more than that, but for about a full day it certainly seemed like that. We actually had a really great time, and the folks at Schlafly were amazing hosts. We got invited down to St. Louis to represent Chicagoland beer at their annual Repeal of Prohibition Festival. The drive down was quick, and you know that you are in a different town when you hit downtown on a Friday, at 5:30, and there is absolutely no traffic. It was a pleasant surprise.

Schlafly didn't let us pay for anything the whole weekend despite our best efforts. Once we unloaded our beers, they handed us a pint of theirs and gave us a tour of The Bottleworks, their newer brewpub/production facility.





We socialized with the staff, had a great dinner, and turned in for the night all praying that it might get a little bit warmer the next day. The next morning, it was still horrendously cold. But people still showed up! It was a great turn out. Everyone had great compliments for our Chicago beers, especially the Schlafly brewers, which always makes you feel good.




(Tap room head brewer, Stephen and his wife, Sarah enjoy warm food on a cold day)

After the fest, we swung by this little hole in the wall BBQ place called Smokin' Al's. In my experience, the worse a BBQ place looks on the outside, the better the food is on the inside. Smokin' Al's did not disappoint. They make one of the best burnt ends sandwiches I have ever had. If you are around St. Louis, and you love real BBQ it should not be missed.

We checked out the Taproom downtown, their original location, and got a very cool tour of the facilities there too. More good beer, more good food, more good times. From the Taproom we headed over to Square One, a newer brewpub in St. Louis that is celebrating its first anniversary. We unfortunately didn't have much time to spend there because it was already getting late, but the grand cru I had was tasting good. It's good to see more beer outlets popping up in St. Louis.

But the whole weekend was a very good time, and I hope that some of the Schlafly crew come up to Chicago sometime soon so that we can repay the gracious hospitality.

Tap List 4/11/07

Hoppy Little Gnome (10% a.b.v.)
A beautiful marriage between American and Belgian beer, Hoppy Little Gnome is our nod to Belgian brewers that are nodding right back at us. Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Trippel and Urthel's Hop It are two belgian beers that are big on American hops. Ours leans closer to Chouffe with it's abbey trippel style dry body but is full of Amarillo, Saaz, and Columbus hops. This is IPA Experiment #2 this year.

Blanche DuBois (5.5% abv)
A painfully delicious Belgian-style wit spiced with coriander and two types of orange peel. Citrusy, crisp, and very thirst quenching, this beer is slightly hazy and perfect for the beginning of spring.

X-IPA (8.0% abv)
You know it, you love it, you ask us for it every time we don't have it on. It's X-IPA, our 100% Amarillo hop bomb. It's not subtle, it's not weak, and if it's at all like our last IPA it won't be on tap for long.

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.

Social Lubricator Dopplebock (7.2% abv) [almost gone]
A malty, caramel colored German lager with a medium body and a crisp lager finish. Subtle roast and caramel malt aroma that remind you of fresh baked bread or toffee. Loosen up and get out of the cold with a tall glass of this special treat.

House Character Pt. Drei

Some more responses to post:

Stan Hieronymus said...

Shame on me. I came to this topic late, was slow to add a comment and now it is wrapped up.

I hope to see the discussion continued (here and elsewhere). It might be something to talk about as you introduce your beers.

I would argue that the issues of house character and how many beers you can brew well (which is a question I've heard European brewers ask) are different.

Why can't you have a house character and brew a bunch of different beers over the course of a year? You just wouldn't expect them all to show that character.

So you might choose to leave your brewing water unmodified (or less modified), use the same yeast, etc. for some beers. And if you wanted to emulate beer from a particular region then you'd mess with the water, change the yeast and so on.

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Greg Furgason
I don't think having a house flavor is as important as having a reputation for producing well crafted beers, which the two of you obviously have; and rightfully should have. There definitely is a different culture in Europe surrounding beer, ie how it is priced, what is available at which pub, etc. I enjoy a great deal of European beers, but I have the luxury of having the variety of choice at a good liquor store. For a brewery I would say maybe it would be better to not have a house character but a flagship beer. Something that is available all the time that is recognized as a great brew, like the Pullman has been recently. In the past I would say the Iron Horse was the most popular.
Personally I would like to see more specials rotated through. Right now is great because you have 4 on tap. When there are only 2 available it gets tough to choose which beer I want. If you were to analyze sales of the house beers and see which ones were not as popular, I would not be offended to see one or two of them disappear or become specials in favor of a larger rotation of the special/seasonal brews.
Regardless, you both do an excellent job and give me plenty of reason to stop in for a pint and bite to eat.
Cheers!
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I agree with Rich's posting. I think the House Character of Flossmoor Station Brewery is having your 6 or 7 wonderful standards and two or three others to try. It is a bit like Christmas each time we come in and see what is new on the board. We try a sample of each one and decide what we want. When we find something we're nuts about it is a challenge to see how many times we can come back and have another pint or two before it is gone. But when it is gone there are always a couple wonderful new choices from which to choose. There is something for every taste. We've never left disappointed. Keep up the good work!
- Jen
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So in conslusion, there is no conclusion. I heard about a place in St. Louis that uses Kölsch yeast for all for all of their beers. I don't know who the brewery is or why they chose to do that, but that would certainly be a distinct house character. I like doing a little bit of everything and I think we do it pretty well. And we have a few medals that say we do a pretty good job too. If more comments or opinions trickle in, I'll be happy to post them.

House Character pt 2

Okay so I have received some responses from you faithful readers. I'm still holding out for more but here is what we have so far.

Just a couple of comments on your "House Character" question.

I tend to agree with you that a wide variety of styles is better. I can't imagine that the brewers at Orval continue to find their profession exciting. They only do one beer. They certainly have perfected that recipe and made a great brew, but my God, how boring it must be to do that every day! A brewery like Three Floyds has their regular lineup that they do all the time, but what makes them interesting for me is the small batch experiments that they do for the pub. Just looking at the variety that they had on tap last week, you had your pick of a coffee stout, an ESB and some kind of weird belgian pale ale experiment. They may never brew those beers again, but that's why I keep going back there. That is also why I keep going back to Flossmoor. Your regular brews are all great, but I've had them all so many times that they've lost my interest. It's the seasonals and the one-offs that draw me in.

Personally I haven't noticed a particular quality that runs throughout all of your beers, which I think is good. I think the only times when a house character is noticeable is when it's not all that pleasant. There is a small brewery here in Indiana that I think has a problem with that. It just makes all the beers taste too similar, and not in a good way.

Just my 2 cents.

Jeff

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Anonymous
Both sides of the debate have valid points I think. In older countries the people would identify more with tradition whereas in the U.S. this is all new. Better to challenge beer drinkers since they come to your brewpub looking to taste new creations. There's always a sad macrobrew that can be spectacularly countered by a far more intense style of craft beer. In Europe the beer drinking culture never collapsed as it did in the late 20th century here in the U.S. until by the force of entropy craft brewing arose.

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Andrew & Matt, Isn't the problem of a brewery developing a house flavor more like crating your own boring little flavor world? Maybe if you are catering to a small market. But we here in America love diversity. Where would Starbucks be without it? Keep on brewing the fantastic beers you're making now. They're great. Stop worrying and go have a beer.
Jerry S.

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I like it when you have three to four special beers along with your standards. I always like to try the new ones. When I’m with people who may not be as daring or who don’t appreciate other styles of beers, they like your standards.

Rich

I'm still not sure that I have the answer I'm looking for but I appreciate the comments and I will continue to post whatever else comes in. My personal conviction is that while I certainly appreciate house character, I seek it out when I can in the right context, I have experienced it in Belgium, Germany, and other countries, I lean heavily towards diversity when it's up to me to make beer. Unless your house character is "making totally awesome beers," in which case I'm all for that.

I'm just about out the door to St. Louis as I type this. We are serving up our wares from Mickey Finn's, Piece, and Flossmoor down at Schlafly this weekend at their repeal of prohibition festival. I just hope we stay warm.....


Keep the comments coming and maybe I can reach a satisfying conclusion.

Jenlain Beer Supper at HopLeaf / Do American Breweries Need a "House Character"

This Sunday I got a cool chance to meet and talk to a French brewer named Jean-Jacques Giard, of Brasserie Duyck. My girlfriend and I had responded to a message sent out from Shelton Bros. distributor, Ron Extract, inviting us to sup' with Jean-Jacques, (and whomever else answered the invitation), and drink three of the very enjoyable beers that his small Northern French brewery produces. The venue was the Hopleaf, in the Northside's Andersonville neighborhood, long known as one of the best beer bars in Chicago.


(sorry about the darkness of the photos, the French are afraid of flash photography as a people)

Jean-Jacques spoke a little about his family owned, 4th generation brewery, and a little about the beers, two biere-de-gardes, an amber and a blonde, and an abbey ale known as St. Druon French Abbey Ale. They were all solid beers and we certainly enjoyed more than the $20 entrance fee we paid.



When I quizzed Jean-Jacques about why he was in the States, he said that it wasn't really to promote his beer, although the dinner did serve that function to some degree, it was more to try to understand the current American beer culture, especially craft beer culture. I was rather surprised because it seemed like a very ambitious goal, and I'm not sure how long he plans on traveling for.

While we drinking and discussing the large diversity of American beers, Ron brought up that one of his pet peeves, or complaints, or wishes, or something to that effect, is that most American brewers, (re: craft brewers), try to do a little of everything rather than focus on a few different beers and really make them specific to the region or the establishment. In Europe where one brewery might have been brewing for hundreds of years their beers tend to be very specific and have either a local flavor or a very specific house flavor. Bamberg, Germany is known for having "Rauch" or smoked beers. Schlenkerla is on of my favorites and in fact they make a helles that has no rauch malt in it but still has a house flavor of smoke. Ron's example of an American brewery that makes an effort to have a house character was Jolly Pumpkin in Michigan. (They are also the only American brewery that Shelton Brothers distributes.) Pretty much all of their beers are sour beers and the reuse of their wooden barrels and wild belgian yeasts lend to a very specific character.

So why don't most American craft brewers have this kind of house character? I personally think there are a lot of reasons. I also think that here at Flossmoor we do have a house character in our house beers. We use the same yeast strain that we have used since day one for all of our house beers, but we don't really have the facilities to store the yeast in house and use generation after generation of it like some breweries. It's a commercially available yeast strain that any brewer could buy and use so it doesn't really make us that unique.

But, 1) having a specific house character is a bit of a risk. If people don't like it they tend to group all of your beers together into a category of "beers they aren't interested in drinking."

2) We have only been around for 11 years. Most breweries that have distinguished flavors that Ron is looking for have been around for decades or centuries.

3) It's boring to always make the same beers the same ways or to have a handful of beers that all taste similar. Right now on tap we have a belgian wit, an american double IPA, a Baltic Porter, a German Dopplebock, a milk-stout, and all of our house beers. Variety is the spice of life. (I also think that we do a pretty good job with these styles whereas I think some might argue that a lot of brewpubs try to do a little of everything and get nothing right. Jack of all trades master of none kind of thing)

So what does everyone else out there think? I'll be happy to post some of your responses if you e-mail them to us using the "E-mail the brewstaff" link on the right side. I'm interested to hear what yous peoples out there think.

The Galway Tribes Beer Dinner....

FEATURING FLOSSMOOR STATION BREWING COMPANY'S FINE HANDCRAFTED ALES.

TUESDAY APRIL 24th

6:30PM

5 COURSE DINNER PAIRED WITH 5-7 BEERS

$45 +TAX/TIP

CALL 815-464-9881 or go to www.thegalwaytribes.com to make reservations.

The Galway Tribes

9680 Lincoln Way Lane

Frankfort, IL

I'll post the dinner menu as soon as I can. Don't worry, it's gonna be great!! And it may sell out-so hurry and make reservations!

Tap List 3/27/07

Blanche DuBois (5.5% abv)
A painfully delicious Belgian-style wit spiced with coriander and two types of orange peel. Citrusy, crisp, and very thirst quenching, this beer is slightly hazy and perfect for the beginning of spring.

X-IPA (8.0% abv)

You know it, you love it, you ask us for it every time we don't have it on. It's X-IPA, our 100% Amarillo hop bomb. It's not subtle, it's not weak, and if it's at all like our last IPA it won't be on tap for long.

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.

Social Lubricator Dopplebock (7.2% abv)
A malty, caramel colored German lager with a medium body and a crisp lager finish. Subtle roast and caramel malt aroma that remind you of fresh baked bread or toffee. Loosen up and get out of the cold with a tall glass of this special treat.

1st Annual Chicago AleFest

We'll be there along with other Chicagoland breweries and some distributors who will be pouring things like Dogfish Head, Founders, New Holland, Allagash, Westmalle, Youngs, and Many more!

Saturday April 14th 1PM-6PM

Arlington Park RaceTrack

Music, food, raffles, silent auction.

$15 gets you in plus six samples. $5 for every three samples beyond that.

We are selling tickets. Stop by to get yours.

Come Celebrate Brew Year's Eve

On April 7th, 1933 President Roosevelt signed the legislation for the repeal of the Volstead Act which ended prohibition(at least for beer up to 3.2% by weight-spirits and wine came in December). Because of this, we can enjoy fresh brewed pints of our favorite drink-BEER! So, come and join us on Saturday April 7th as we celebrate this very important event in American History. We'll have:

*$3.00 pints of beer all day

*Great special menu

*Live Music starting at 9:30 PM

*A possible showing of the documentary produced by Ken Burns and Roger Sherman called “The American Brew: The Rich and Surprising History of Beer in America”

See you there!

Cut Up the Barrel Polka

Yesterday while Matt and I were hauling out two used bourbon barrels, two of the hoops came off of one of them on it's trip upstairs. My interest was piqued and I decided to tear it apart to see what they look like on the inside. Here are the results.









I kept a few staves with the intention of chipping them up later this year and using for woodchips in our smoker.

First Day of Spring (Con't)

I just got back from Germany and Italy. It was a fantastic trip. Nothing was bad. I even saw John Mayer walking down the street in Venice. I've decided to post a link to my vacation photos rather than throw a ton of them up here on the blog. Flickr Set




The wit we made is coming along nicely and should marry well with the upcoming warmer weather. Our Hoppy Little Gnomish beer we made is also maturing well and should be a very interesting Experiment #2 for the year. It's looking like a 10% belgiany hoppy I.P.A. Trippelish kind of thing.

April is coming up fast and should be a blast with the amount of things we having going on.

Tap List 3/20/07 First Day of Spring

Milky Way Stout (5.5% abv)

A milk stout that we have brought back from almost two years ago. Creamy, chocolaty, and a little sweetness makes for a very drinkable sweet stout.

X-IPA (8.0% abv)

You know it, you love it, you ask us for it every time we don't have it on. It's X-IPA, our 100% Amarillo hop bomb. It's not subtle, it's not weak, and if it's at all like our last IPA it won't be on tap for long.

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.

Social Lubricator Dopplebock (7.2% abv)
A malty, caramel colored German lager with a medium body and a crisp lager finish. Subtle roast and caramel malt aroma that remind you of fresh baked bread or toffee. Loosen up and get out of the cold with a tall glass of this special treat.

Replicale Saison (6.3% abv)[Almost Gone]
This year's installment of the Illinois Craft Brewer's Guild's Replicale project is a belgian-style farmhouse saison. Ours ended up very fruity and spicy from the saison yeast that we let go wild. Look for a pale to yellow beer that has a complex, tart, and refreshing flavor to it.

SHAMROCK STOUT

Sorry all you St. Paddy's day revelers. Flossmoor Station will NOT have green beer on Saturday. We will however have plenty of corned beef and cabbage and a keg of Shamrock stout(starting Friday at 5PM). This is our Iron Horse Stout aged on fresh mint leaves. (Hey McDonalds can do it to ice cream-why not beer?)

Join us for live music and great food and few pints o' gold!

Night of the Living Ales

Congrats to Three Floyds, this year's winner of NOTLA. They won first place with their Admiral Lord Nelson.
We were lucky enough to eeek out a second place vote for X-IPA, last year's winner, over Bear Republic's Racer X. Bear Republic is the reigning 2006 Small Brewery of the year from GABF.

Updated Calender of Events

March 10th: Mug Club Morning Breakfast Stout Tapping, @ the Station 10am
Don't miss the chance to have your breakfast and drink it too. $10.95 gets you a mug of Milky Way and a full breakfast buffet.

April 7th: Repeal of Prohibition Fest, Schlafly Brewing St. Louis Mo. 1:00-6:00 p.m.
We have been invited along with Piece and Mickey Finn's to represent Chicago at this annual celebration of the best piece of legislation congress has ever passed. ROADTRIP!

April 14th: Alefest @ Arlington Park, Arlington Heights Il
Alefest has been put on in Dayton OH for many years and is now coming to Chicagoland. More details to follow.

April 18th-21st: Craft Brewer's Conference, Austin Tx.
BBQ, music, and beer learning. Last year it was in Seattle, this year we head south to Texas.

April 24th: Beer dinner @ Galway Tribes in Frankfort Il 6pm-10pm
We haven't had a beer dinner in a while but look forward to this one at one of our favorite Irish Pubs.

April 27th: Night Before Dark Lord Day, Flossmoor Station
Those guys across the border that make those "not normal" beers are releasing 2007's Dark Lord upon the masses the next day. If you're going to drive all the way in from Florida, Kentucky, Arizona, Connecticut, Arkansas, Texas, and God knows where else; then why not come down the road a bit and say "Hi" to us? We'll make it worth your while. We are the Best Small Brewpub in the U.S.

The Session

I felt like I should jump on the beer blogging bandwagon and join in the first installment of The Session. Here was the original idea from Appelation Beer:
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Time for a beer blogging day

All the best ideas end up with beer.

Food bloggers have their own cooking day once a month. Wine bloggers have Wine Blogging Wednesday.

It seems that beer bloggers around the world should have something similar. So let’s start one, an event that will occur on the first Friday of every month. It doesn’t have to have a name (yet) or a logo (like wine), just participants who want to have a little fun and don’t mind learning a little along the way.

Appellation Beer will host the first tasting March 2 (giving us time to get out the word), and the theme will be “Not your father’s Irish stout.”

There aren’t many rules. Simply pour yourself a stout (or stouts) and post on the topic March 2, looking ahead to St. Patrick’s Day or not and writing about any stout that isn’t Guinness, Murphy’s or Beamish (the Irish old guard - good beers but we’re writing about others). Should you worry about style? About getting the opinion of friends, about writing an official tasting note, about food? About the history of the beer or how its made? All optional.

After we do this a couple of months different bloggers will likely find different approaches we are comfortable with.

If you think you might participate please leave a comment or drop me an e-mail. Then invite a friend to participate too. After you post on March 2 send me the URL and I’ll write a wrap up with links to all the posts.

Alan McLeod of A Good Beer Blog will host the April gathering, announcing the theme shortly after March 2. If you have an idea for a monthly tasting, and particularly if you want to volunteer to be a host, send me an e-mail.

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So Flossmoor's is going to be dedicated to our Milk Stout, debuting Saturday, March 10th at 10 in the a.m. in conjuction with a breakfast buffet. Mug Clubber's will be able to pay $10.95 for the food and a mug of our new stout.

Milky Way is a sweet stout or milk stout, made with lactose (milk sugar), which is unfermentable to yeast. Consequently the beer has a creamy and sweet flavor that is a fine contrast to the roasty stout body. It also means that if you are lactose intolerant, you might consider staying away or bringing your Lactaid® with you. It's a stout that is easy to drink, lighter on the alcohol that our other current seasonals, and a beer that reminds you of coffee, chocolate, and candy. I will be in Germany for the tapping, so please make sure that there is some left for me when I get back.

p.s. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this Sunday is Goose Island Stoutfest.

Goose Island StoutFest 2007 to Benefit ICBG

So Night of the Living Ales wasn't enough for you? Then join us at Goose Island Clybourn (1800 N. Clybourn Ave., Chicago) for StoutFest 2007 and enjoy more than 30 different stouts from 20 local breweries! Doors open to Goose Island MBA members at noon and to the general public at 1:00 p.m. Tickets (limited quantities!) are $30 and are available by calling Goose Island Clybourn at 312-915-0071. Proceeds benefit the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild.

Tap List 2/27/07

X-IPA (8.0% abv)

You know it, you love it, you ask us for it every time we don't have it on. It's X-IPA, our 100% Amarillo hop bomb. It's not subtle, it's not weak, and if it's at all like our last IPA it won't be on tap for long.

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.

Social Lubricator Dopplebock (7.2% abv)
A malty, caramel colored German lager with a medium body and a crisp lager finish. Subtle roast and caramel malt aroma that remind you of fresh baked bread or toffee. Loosen up and get out of the cold with a tall glass of this special treat.

Replicale Saison (6.3% abv)[Almost Gone]
This year's installment of the Illinois Craft Brewer's Guild's Replicale project is a belgian-style farmhouse saison. Ours ended up very fruity and spicy from the saison yeast that we let go wild. Look for a pale to yellow beer that has a complex, tart, and refreshing flavor to it.

A Good Beer Blog

Alan over at A Good Beer Blog asked me to write a little something for his site after I thanked him for mentioning our blog in the latest issue of Great Lakes Brewing News.

Go read it and thank him for extending the internet emprire of Flossmoor Station.

Beautiful Weather.

These past few days have been so nice outside I thought I would take a moment to reflect on the weather. For me, getting up early and heading to work is dramatically different when it's nice outside. It feels like a weight is off your chest and when bad things happen during the day, they seem less bad. Some people get "cabin fever" in the winter when they can't get out for long periods of time. It makes them crazy. Like Max Madsen crazy. We aren't mad or bad, but we do feel like celebrating so....
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SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY
GRAVE DIGGER
ROSEMONT HORIZON
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no wait, that's not it.

Flossmoor Station, it's just like a mini-mall


Ok, that's not it either.

Maybe we can SLASH PRICES! BARGAIN BASEMENT DEALS AT FLOSSMOOR STATION.




I guess we don't really do that either. How about instead we stick to what we know, beer. On Tuesday night we will tap X-IPA, our popular double IPA made with 100% Amarillo hops. It's 8% a.b.v., citrusy, and ready for this great weather that we are having.

Also, X-IPA, Killer Kowalski, and Social Lubricator are all getting shoved in their own respective bourbon barrels. X-IPA will beget Ol' Woody and we will be anxiously awaiting how the other two turn out.

over and out.

Tap List 2/20/07

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.

Social Lubricator Dopplebock (7.2% abv)
A malty, caramel colored German lager with a medium body and a crisp lager finish. Subtle roast and caramel malt aroma that remind you of fresh baked bread or toffee. Loosen up and get out of the cold with a tall glass of this special treat.

Replicale Saison (6.3% abv)[Almost Gone]
This year's installment of the Illinois Craft Brewer's Guild's Replicale project is a belgian-style farmhouse saison. Ours ended up very fruity and spicy from the saison yeast that we let go wild. Look for a pale to yellow beer that has a complex, tart, and refreshing flavor to it.

Killer Kowalski is coming!!!!

Check out our new beer to be tapped Tuesday night!

Tap List 2/14/07 Happy St. Valentine's Day

Social Lubricator Dopplebock (7.2% abv)
A malty, caramel colored German lager with a medium body and a crisp lager finish. Subtle roast and caramel malt aroma that remind you of fresh baked bread or toffee. Loosen up and get out of the cold with a tall glass of this special treat.

Dopplegänger I.P.A. (7.8 % abv)
A German IPA. We think the first of its kind. What would it be like if a German brewer made an American style I.P.A.? We used 100% German Pilsner malt. German grown Perle and Magnum hops for the bittering. Amarillo and Centennial for the aggressive dry hop addition. We used our house ale yeast but fermented it cool like a lager. A light colored I.P.A. with assertive floral and citrus aroma. Clean but bitter I.P.A. finish. First experiment of 2007.
Next I.P.A. will be on Feb 27th.

Man Skirt Wee Heavy (8.3% abv)
This year's winter warmer is a hearty scotch ale. Deep mahogany, malty, and a little peaty smoke thrown in too. Medium carameled body, with very little hop presence, and a warming alcohol finish, it's big but very enjoyable.

Replicale Saison (6.3% abv)[Almost Gone]
This year's installment of the Illinois Craft Brewer's Guild's Replicale project is a belgian-style farmhouse saison. Ours ended up very fruity and spicy from the saison yeast that we let go wild. Look for a pale to yellow beer that has a complex, tart, and refreshing flavor to it.

Lot's of stuff coming up

Often times the winter months are slow and uneventful in the beer business but this year is different. We have a lot of events coming up and we are hitting the road.

February 24th: Febfest Libertyville Il 6pm-11pm put on by Brewers on the Bluff

March 3rd: Night of the Living Ales III, Chicago Beer Society @ Goose Island Wrigleyville
The largest, (I think,) collection of real ales in one place at one time in the U.S. Real Ale Fest is probably never coming back, so if you want your cask conditioned ale jones fixed, make it to GI.

March 4th: Stoutfest, Goose Island Clybourn
Didn't get enough beer on the 3rd? Do you have a special place in your heart for dark and delicious stouts?

March 9th-18th: I'm going to be in Germany and Northern Italy. Not a beer event for you, but if you see me in Munich, I'll buy you a liter of beer. Pictures will be posted after I get back.

April 7th: Repeal of Prohibition Fest, Schlafly Brewing St. Louis Mo. 1:00-6:00 p.m.
We have been invited along with Piece and Mickey Finn's to represent Chicago at this annual celebration of the best piece of legislation congress has ever passed. ROADTRIP!

April 14th: Alefest @ Arlington Park, Arlington Heights Il
Alefest has been put on in Dayton OH for many years and is now coming to Chicagoland. More details to follow.

April 18th-21st: Craft Brewer's Conference, Austin Tx.
BBQ, music, and beer learning. Last year it was in Seattle, this year we head south to Texas.

April 27th: Night Before Dark Lord Day, Flossmoor Station
Those guys across the border that make those "not normal" beers are releasing 2007's Dark Lord upon the masses the next day. If you're going to drive all the way in from Florida, Kentucky, Arizona, Connecticut, Arkansas, Texas, and God knows where else; then why not come down the road a bit and say "Hi" to us? We'll make it worth your while. We are the Best Small Brewpub in the U.S.

Late April (date TBD): Beer dinner @ Galway Tribes in Frankfort Il
We haven't had a beer dinner in a while but look forward to this one at one of our favorite Irish Pubs.

Shootout Re-cap

The annual Chicago Beer Society Brewpub Shootout has come and gone again. It was cold, it was busy, and it was fun. Last year we brought chips and salsa paired with a chili beer. We didn't win anything. So after much though and research Matt came up with the idea of making Croque Monsieurs, a french take on the toasted ham and cheese sandwich. They were made with Black forest ham, gruyère, orange bechamel sauce, and lots of love. We paired it with our German-American I.P.A. Dopplegänger, hoping that the hops would cut through the richness of the butter and cheese, and that the citrusy Amarillos and Centennials would match well with the orange bechamel.


The lines were long from the start and our team needs to be commended for their hard work. Our GM, Sandi, Matt's Wife Jenni, Matt's friend Paul, and Matt himself stood behind the booth for most of the event doing their best to crank out fancy grilled cheese sandwiches. We were disappointed not to win anything for either the food or the food and beer pairing but we did win in a tie for 2nd place for favorite beer along with Three Floyd's and Behemoth Barley Wine.

My picks for best food would have to be either Goose Island's magnificent whole roasted hog or Three Floyd's lamb curry.


(The Floyds crew who won in favorite beer, food, and food and beer pairing.)

All in all it's nice to be recognized and I should probably mentioned that we poured through all of our beer AND served all of our food. Clearly the sandwiches had something going for them if we cranked through almost 300 servings.

Response and Comments

We are always interested in your feedback regarding this blog. Make sure to click on the link to the right that says "E-mail the brewstaff" if you want to get in touch with us, or leave a comment at the end of any post. Let us know if our drivel is boring or if you want more.

Tap List 1/16/07

Dopplegänger I.P.A. (7.8 % abv)
A German IPA. We think the first of its kind. What would it be like if a German brewer made an American style I.P.A.? We used 100% German Pilsner malt. German grown Perle and Magnum hops for the bittering. Amarillo and Centennial for the aggressive dry hop addition. We used our house ale yeast but fermented it cool like a lager. A light colored I.P.A. with assertive floral and citrus aroma. Clean but bitter I.P.A. finish. First experiment of 2007.

Man Skirt Wee Heavy (8.3% abv)This year's winter warmer is a hearty scotch ale. Deep mahogany, malty, and a little peaty smoke thrown in too. Medium carameled body, with very little hop presence, and a warming alcohol finish, it's big but very enjoyable.

Replicale Saison (6.3% abv)This year's installment of the Illinois Craft Brewer's Guild's Replicale project is a belgian-style farmhouse saison. Ours ended up very fruity and spicy from the saison yeast that we let go wild. Look for a pale to yellow beer that has a complex, tart, and refreshing flavor to it.

What's in a Name?

During a pre-shift with our servers, or a Beer School class where we educate our wait staff about up and coming beers, Matt and I always get a mixed bag of reactions when we tell them the name of a new seasonal. Usually it involves furrowed brows, rolled eyes, and heavy sighs. "Hauptbahnhof Hefeweizen? You expect me to pronounce that?" "Nexte Haltestille?" "De Zuidentrein Frambozenbier? Do you hate us? Why would you make us try to say that to a customer?"

Well, no, we don't hate them. Most of them at least. Naming a beer is one of the highlights of being a brewer. Assigning a name to the creation that you have poured blood, sweat, and tears into brings a beer to life and gives it an identity separate from others. When you pick up an Alpha King or a Two Hearted, a Pliny the Younger, or a La fin du Monde, you're getting more than "merely a beer." You're getting something with personality, tradition, and a little life of its own.

The ancient Sumerian's believed that giving something a name was to give it life itself. To go against what your name signified was to go against your own nature. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest recorded stories of any civilization, King Gilgamesh angers the gods by not acting like a king to his people. To make an Epic story short, Aruru, the goddess of creation, makes a wild man beast named Enkidu to be his equal. They fight, become friends, and go on lots of adventures. The point is that Gilgamesh was king, named so, and wasn't acting accordingly. Naming something was a very serious business.

Naming a beer can be a similarly serious process. Our barrel aged Imperial Stout is named after my brother Matthew. He served in Iraq for 16 months and the beer will age in a bourbon barrel for the same amount of time. January 22nd he will be done with the Army after nearly four years of service and when he bellies up to the bar he will be able to drink a glass of "Sarge" named after him. This past year we made Black Wolf Schwarz named after Jim Wolfer from Prairie Rock who gave us the yeast. In turn he and Mike made a Schwarz named after his "great great grandfather Andruw Von Wyk." We had a fellow brewer pass away this past year as well. Terry Richardson, formerly from Govnors Public House, got toasted to steins of Terry's Fest Bier this Oktoberfest. One of Terry's last beers got aged with Brettanomyces and oak and was aptly named Final Absolution.

Not all beer names we come up with are about people either. Currently we are pouring Man Skirt Wee Heavy. Many wee heavys, especially in the U.S., have a kilt theme in their names, weather it be Kilt Kicker, Kilt Lifter, Off Kilter, Kilt Sniffer, etc. We opted to call it like it is. A Man Skirt. Many of Flossmoor's beers have had a train theme. De Zuidentrein, Chessie Cherry, Roundhouse Raspberry, Zephyr, Pullman, Ironhorse, Express ESB, Hauptbahnhof, Panama Limited, Trainwreck of Flavor. Todd Ashman named his beloved witbeer after our owners beloved West Highland terrier. Le Chien Blanc. The white dog.


Inspiration for beer names comes from all aspects of life. I am often inspired by literature. My daily three hour commute affords me ample time to read. I generally read a book or two a week. When we set out in 2005 to make a big and complex barley wine I hoped to invoke images of Dante's Divine Comedy. Names like Malebolge, River of Blood, and Phlegethon all got vetoed. In our research Matt came across the name Sheol, a hebrew word, describing the "abode of the dead".
Sounded good to me. That's why our barrel aged version was named Wooden Hell. Other names that have been vetoed over time include Kierkegaard biere de garde, after the danish philosopher. Matt felt that it was too esoteric, despite the fact that I felt it was the ideal play on words.

Some brewers name beers after songs or music that they enjoy. At Piece, Jonathan Cutler has Amarillo Brillo. Amarillo is the american hop variety and being a Zappa fan, he named it after the song Camarillo Brillo. Cutler has also come up with some gems such as Bat out of Helles, Prescription Pils, and Dysfunctionale. His holiday beer this past year was Festivus.

Often times, other staff want to come up with names. This is usually laughably terrible. Never, and I mean never, let someone other than the brewer come up with the name for a beer, or chances are you will regret it. When we put our Pumpkin beer on tap in '05 as Peter Pumpkinhead, named after an XTC song, our waitstaff poo-pooed it and in a moment of weakness Matt offered them the opportunity to come up with a name of their own. They were all terrible. In another instance the suggestion for a dopplebock name came up. Tradionally bock beers have names that end in "ator." Salvator, Optimator, etc. The name "Discombobulator" came up and was promptly shot down. I don't want to drink a beer called discombobulator. It isn't witty, funny, or creative. Instead, this February, you will have the oppourtunity to drink Flossmoor Station's Social Lubricator.

Also coming up will be our baltic porter, christened Killer Kowalski. It will be a big beer, larger than life, some would say, just like Kowalski was in the squared circle.


So what is in a name? Everything and nothing. You can have a great beer and not name it anything more than Blankity Blank's I.P.A. Some places aren't into assigning specific character to their beers. Plenty of brewpubs and breweries are happy to simply call the beer by its style. On the other side of the token, even if you have the best name in the world, and the beer is a complete turd, it doesn't really matter because the proof will always be in the glass. But don't forget what those Ancient Sumerians believed. Your name defines your very nature. If they put that much stock into a name, then maybe it isn't such a terrible thing that we do too.

Doppelgänger

it's coming.....

Tap List 1/02/07

It's Gone! New I.P.A. coming mid January.
Kind Ale I.P.A. (8.5% abv)
A hazy, orange double I.P.A. with a subtle hop nose, subtle hop body, and subtle hop finish. Subtle additions of Amarillo, Cascade, and Summit hops balance out against the subtle alcohol body.

Man Skirt Wee Heavy (8.3% abv)This year's winter warmer is a hearty scotch ale. Deep mahogany, malty, and a little peaty smoke thrown in too. Medium carameled body, with very little hop presence, and a warming alcohol finish, it's big but very enjoyable.

Replicale Saison (6.3% abv)This year's installment of the Illinois Craft Brewer's Guild's Replicale project is a belgian-style farmhouse saison. Ours ended up very fruity and spicy from the saison yeast that we let go wild. Look for a pale to yellow beer that has a complex, tart, and refreshing flavor to it.

New Year, New Updates

Hope all of your New Year celebrations went well. I know mine did. I have the pictures to prove it. The holidays are a busy time of year for most people, brewers included and you may have noticed a lack of substantive posts from us for that reason. But fear not, we have good things planned for 2007. Well, we hope they are good at least. The Kind Ale is gone so we know you thought that was good.

First up, is a new, experimental I.P.A. After Denver last year Matt said, "Okay, you have to come up with something new and exceptional that no one has ever done before." No pressure right? Well, the first experiment of 2007 is a German-American creation. It's what I think a German brewer might come up with if they tried to make an American Style Double I.P.A. We used 100% Pilsner Malt for the base, (In our normal I.P.A. we like to use English Pale Ale Malt.) German Hops for bittering (Gr. Magnum and Gr Perle.) Our house ale yeast, fermented cool like you would a lager. And finally aggressively dry hopped with big American varieties, Amarillo and Centennial. We weren't interested in making an Imperial Pilsner, which is not altogether dissimilar, but something with a Flossmoor twist. Look for it in Mid January. Our own Deutscher I.P.A. (pronounced A.Pay.Ahh)


It's been a hot minute since we had a Dopplebock as well. Quietly lagering away in the depths of the Station will arise Social Lubricator. Dark brown, malty, complex, and with a crisp lager finish, Social Lubricator is a traditional german-style dopplebock. Look for it in February.


Also to come will be a Baltic Porter. For those of you unfamiliar with the style, Baltic Porters are kind of a hybrid beer that originated in England for export to, you guessed it, Eastern Europe. It's like a dark porter that is made with a lager yeast, with dark fruit or roast characters. Like the dopplebock it is a very malty style, higher in alcohol that most beers, and one that you will love to drink.

Continuing on through January will be our rotating Barrel Aged beers. Currently serving is 10, a blend of 10 different beers that we have been aging for over a year and a half. Next will be Wooden Hell, our 2006 GABF strong barrel aged beer bronze medal winning barley wine. That's a mouthful. It won't last long so don't put off coming in.

Happy New Year!!

Best Wishes for a fantastic 2007! We hope this year brings you as much great craft beer as last.
We'll be posting an updated draft list later today with the current Barrel Aged offering plus a look at the next three seasonals. Cheers!

Close enough (the sequel).....

...for Gary Gonterman. Once again, nobody guessed the exact spices used in 12 Days of Christmas #3, Ginger and Dried Cranberries. Only one person (winner#2 Heidi K.) detected the cranberries (lucky guess Heidi!). Of all the people whe guessed one ingredient correct, Gary was pulled from the hat to recieve a free growler of his choice. Congratulations Gary. Come on in and pick it up.
Thanks for playing, everyone.

Close enough........

....for Heidi Krystofiak. Nobody was able to get both spices right on 12 Days of Christmas #2 (admittedly very hard). So we drew out of a hat all entries that guessed clove. That was the first and easiest to pick out. The second was.........Rose hips. Yes, the strange berry from a rose plant. Todd has included into beers like Le Chein Blanc (Wit), and rather than make jam out of this fruit with high concentrations of Vitamin C, I stuck it in the beer. Cloves and rose hips.
Good Luck on number Three. Clue...follow the pattern created from the first two kegs.

Heidi, stop by for your growler sometime.

Congratulations Danny....

Mateja, for being the only one to correctly guess the secret spices in the 12 Days of Christmas Keg #1. It was cinnamon and orange peel. I have a feeling he might of been in earshot when I was talking about it or, he just has an incredible palette?? Regardless, he wins a growler of choice. Don't forget #2 is pouring now.
Sorry for the subtlety in Keg #1. I took it off the spices before serving and I think the citrus character became subdued. Most people nailed the cinnamon but missed the orange peel.

Keg #2 only pours until Thursday at 2PM. Stop by and take a guess. One of the spices might be easy and the other is near impossible. Hint: Some guy named Todd Ashman has used this in beers before. Sorry if you've guessed and know it now.....but that's life ;)

Cheers!

Holiday Beer Update

If you've come in this month to see the merry-go-round of beers, here's a quick update:

Ol' Woody is the barrel aged beer du jour. This is our American IPA aged in a Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrel. It was further dry hopped in the keg.
Next up is Trainwreck of Flavor, which is Sheol Barleywine blended with Pullman Brown in a Woodford Reserve Bourbon Barrel.

We started serving the 12 Days of Christmas on Wednesday. This is a series of three kegs, each served for 4 days. Each keg has a different pair of holiday spices. Guess the spices, win a growler. See the bartender for details.
Keg #1 pours through Sunday Afternoon. Get it before it is gone!

Finally, we'll tap into a limited quantity of Grandma's Chocolate Mint Stout on Sunday December 17th at 4pm. It will be on during our annual Christmas at the Brewery celebration. Bring the kids to see Santa and have a glass.We only have 6 gallons.

Happy Holidays! Matt and Andrew

Eh, Just because

Tap List 12/7/06 Pearl Harbor Day The Tap List That Shall Live in Infamy

Kind Ale I.P.A. (8.5% abv)
A hazy, orange double I.P.A. with a subtle hop nose, subtle hop body, and subtle hop finish. Subtle additions of Amarillo, Cascade, and Summit hops balance out against the subtle alcohol body.

Man Skirt Wee Heavy (8.3% abv)This year's winter warmer is a hearty scotch ale. Deep mahogany, malty, and a little peaty smoke thrown in too. Medium carameled body, with very little hop presence, and a warming alcohol finish, it's big but very enjoyable.

Replicale Saison (6.3% abv)This year's installment of the Illinois Craft Brewer's Guild's Replicale project is a belgian-style farmhouse saison. Ours ended up very fruity and spicy from the saison yeast that we let go wild. Look for a pale to yellow beer that has a complex, tart, and refreshing flavor to it.

CHEEEESSSSEEEE!!!!!!!!

BEER is the perfect match for cheese. The varied textures, flavors and aromas are a great pairing. Not to mention the scrubbing power of the carbonation just lifts the mouth coating cheese off of your palate, so.....

come in for our Free Beer and Cheese Pairing Open House. Thursday December 14th at 7pm.

we'll have six different beers paired with six different cheeses. Stop on by and sample them all.

'Tis the Season..........

Ahhhhhh... the holidays!! So much to do and so little time. The shopping, the decorationg, the traffic at the mall. The snow and ice and the bitter cold. How can we handle it all??
Perhaps with a beer from Flossmoor Station!

This time of year everyone is asking what is going on at the brewery and what is your Christmas beer? Well, here's a list of events and special beers coming up this month that may just entice you to drop on by after a long day of shopping/working/driving/lying on the couch.

Winter-type Beers(just right for a cold blustery December day-we do have others available):
Man Skirt Wee Heavy
At 8.3% this dark and complex malty brew wil warm ya.

Barrel Aged Beer Du Jour
Check out our Tap of Rotating Barrel Aged Beers. We gots lots!

Grandma's Mint Chocolate Stout
Grandma could always make a mean dessert. Come see what fresh mint grown at my house does to our Iron Horse Stout(think peppermint patty). Tapped only on Sunday December 17th during Christmas at the Brewery-keep reading

The 12 Days of Christmas Ale
To scratch your itch for those Holiday spices. Beginning Wednesday, Dec 13th we will put on the first of three kegs of a big Red ale. each of the three kegs will be spiced differently. Can you guess what I used??
1st keg-Dec 13th-Dec 16th
2nd keg-Dec 17th-Dec 20th
3rd keg-Dec 21st-Dec 24th
Get it? twelve days. Yeah......
Mug Clubbers, there will be no special tapping but please come in and fill up your mug.
RateBeerians, sorry, this one's gonna be tough to log. Whatyagonna do?

Upcoming dates to stick in that Blackberry.
Tuesday Dec. 5th-KindAle IPA is tapped
Wednesday Dec. 13th- 1st keg of 12 Days of Christmas comes on. Noonish.
Thursday Dec. 14th-Beer and Cheese pairing. 7PM. Watch for more details. Free!
Sunday Dec. 17th 4PM-8PM-Our annual Christmas at the Brewery. Santa Claus arrives! Grandma's Mint Chocolate Stout is unveiled. I only have two keggys of it. Can you fight through the Christmas at the Brewery crowd to get to the bar??
Sunday Dec. 17th-2nd keg of 12 days of Christmas comes on tap.
Thursday Dec. 21st-3rd keg of 12 Days of Christmas goes on tap.

Monday Dec. 25th-Christmas!!! (Did you get your growlers filled last night??)

Well, that should help keep you (and us) busy this month. Cheers, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hannakuh, and God Bless you and your family.

*Editors Note* Matt and I would also like to wish you a Happy Kwanzaa, Festivus, Winter Solstice, or Boxing Day. They don't have those holidays in Iowa, but that's why I'm here.

Matt and Andrew

BARREL AGED BEER: YOUNG SARGE IS TAPPED!

As of Saturday December 2nd, the barrel aged beer that is pouring is Young Sarge. This is our Imperial Mocha Stout aged for a couple of months in a Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrel. It was made with Bittersweet Chocolate and aged on espresso beans. This particular beer has LESS coffee character than what was originally served as Imperial Mocha Stout. This beer was named in honor of Andrew's brother, Sergeant Mason, who will be returning home from Iraq any day now.

*Editor's Note*
He's back and safe in Alaska. Jan 22nd he will be back in the continental U.S.

While the keg of Brown Heaven is gone, we do have more in the barrel. Be patient.
Next beer up is Ella's Reserve. This is a Belgian Golden Strong Ale aged over a year in a Woodford Reserve Bourbon Barrel. It recently garnered 2nd place in the 2006 Festival of Barrel Aged Beer.