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

Mug Club 1st Exclusive Tapping

Thursday, July 6th at 6pm we will be tapping our 1906 Anniversary Ale for mug club members only. 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. Mug club t-shirts and membership cards should be available. Come chat with the brewers and celebrate our 10th birthday together.
It's not too late to join the Mug club but space is limited. Stop in and ask for more information, anyone should be able to point you in the right direction.

Curds and Ale

This past weekend I went to one of the coolest events I have ever been to. CBS put on Curds and Ale, a beer and cheese pairing event that was hosted at Rock Bottom Chicago. There was an incredible amount cheeses that were well worth the $30 entry fee. Even if there were no beers here, it would have been a deal. Check out this list.

America's Brewpub Barley Wine with Gore Dawn Zola, a very intense Gorgonzola style American artisanal cheese.
Blue Cat Tripel, with Brigid’s Abbey Trappist style cheese
Brass Hefeweizen, with Burrata, a fresh mozzarella stuffed with curds and cream
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, with Golden Ridge Blue
Flossmoor Station Pullman Brown, with ColoRouge Camembert
Emmett's Dunkel Lager with Fair Oaks Farms Sweet Swiss
Goose Island (Pub) Maibock with Fair Oaks Farms Triple Cream Butter Käse
Goose Island (Fulton) Matilda, with Haystack, a ripened goat cheese
Goose Island (Fulton) Père Jacques, with Green Hill Sweet Grass Triple Crème
Lindemans Framboise with Redwood Hills Fresh Chèvre
Mickey Finn's Kölsch with Butter Käse
Okocim Polone, a very lightly smoked schwarzbier, with Roth Kase Vintage Van Gogh, a Gouda aged 18 months or more
Onion Doppelbock, with Jasper Hills Bayley Hazen Blue
Prairie Rock Smoked Porter with Fair Oaks Farms aged gouda
Rock Bottom (Warrenville) ESB with Roth Kase Knight’s Vail, a delicate rinded semi-soft cheese
Rock Bottom (Chicago) Hoppy Robust Porter with Lack’s 9-Year Cheddar, a small Wisconsin producer
Rock Bottom (Chicago) Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with Winchester Farms Boer Kaas, an intense, dry-aged Gouda
Rogue Ales: Chocolate Stout with Rogue Creamery's Chocolate Stout Cheddar, a mature Cheddar infused with Rogue Ale
Rogue Ales: Shakespeare Stout (and/or Black Soba, or Chipotle Ale) with Rogue Creamery's Smokey Blue, a blue cheese that's cold smoked for 16 hours over hazlenut shells
Samuel Smith’s IPA with Neal’s Yard Westcombe Cheddar, a mix of Stilton and Cheddar
Stockholms Dunkelweiss, with Redwood Hills Goat Milk Camembert
Three Floyds Dark Tripel, with St. George, a dry, artisanal aged cows milk cheese
Two Brothers Dog Days Dortmunder, with Canasta Pardo, a sheep cheese with a very delicate dusting of cinnamon

Here are some pictures from the afternoon.


Will Turner corraling his oldest.

Greg Browne patiently listening to someone

Matt trying to decide what cheese comes next

MUG CLUB!

Sign-ups start today!!!!!

www.flossmoorstationmugclub.blogspot.com

Next Stop.... Your Mouth Current Tap List 06/06/06

This past Thanksgiving day holiday we spend a week and a half in Germany, visiting with my brother who is currently in Iraq. Rather than come all the way back home to the states, we went around Bavaria and drank some great beers. While in München we rode the street car to our hostel that was across the street from Augusteiner Brewery, we always heard "Nexte Haltestelle" over the speaker of the s-bahn. The name for this summer's Hefe offering is dedicated to that trip.
-andrew

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.

Zon Jager Wit Beer
It's spring time damnit! It's time to drink a beer that makes you think about warm weather. Zon Jager is a hazy Belgian-style Wit with a pale orange complextion. It's spiced with lemon and orange peel as well as coriander and secret spices. It finishes clean and refreshing with just a hint of bitterness and clocks in at 5% abv.

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!