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.

*Barrel Aged Beer Alert*

So, some of you may have heard that Brown Heaven is currently being served for $6 a snifter. Some of you are right, it is being served. We kicked off our Barrel Aged Beers a little earlier than planned. When one runs out, we will put on another. When that one runs out, we will put on the next one. When will they run out and when will we cycle through them? We certainly don't know. It pretty much depends on how fast you drink it. I can tell you that after Brown Heaven we will put on Young Sarge, and possibly after that Ella's Reserve, but those are not guarantees.

We have a good amount of barrel aged beer to serve. Come drink it.


(These are the kinds of beers we are serving)

Tap List Update 11/29/06

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.

House Beers----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zephyr Golden Ale
Our lightest beer, the Zephyr is a light and refreshing golden blond ale in the style of premium American beer. Brewed with three varieties of hops and a touch of rice, this light golden ale provides a smooth introduction to the distinctive flavors of our premium quality handcrafted beers.
Gandy Dancer Honey Rye Ale
With a blend of aromatic rye and a whisper of Orange Blossom honey, our Gandy Dancer is light and sparkling, yet full of flavor. The addition of three varieties of hops guarantees an inviting and complex taste, proving that lighter beers can have character.
Station Master Wheat Ale
A golden, flavorful, and crisp light ale brewed with 46% wheat malt, our Station Master Wheat is distinguished by a hoppy yet smooth taste with a malty body and a subtly spicy aroma.
Chessie Cherry Wheat Ale and Roundhouse Raspberry
Fruit beers originated in Belgium and we at The Station are proud to offer our version of these continental classics. Our light-bodied Chessie Cherry Wheat is a blend of red cherries and wheat ale, which yields a slightly sweet, yet agreeably tart, fruit ale.
Panama Limited Red Ale
Our Panama Limited Red is a hoppy, robust yet smooth amber ale brewed with nine different malts and four types of hops. With its deep amber color and rich malty body, our Panama Limited Red will smoothly transport you into the wonderful world of complex and flavorful handcrafted beers.
Pullman Brown Ale
This robust, dark brown ale gets its rich flavor from seven different malts and three types of hops. The addition of hand-toasted oats and a generous portion of molasses give Pullman Brown Ale an incredible smoothness and quaffability.

Ahoy! Thar' be beer on the horizon!

Coming up: Tuesday, November 28th, Man Skirt Wee Heavy
Flossmoor hasn't had a wee heavy since Todd took off, in fact it was the last beer he made at Flossmoor before going to Titletown. Man skirt is a big (re: 8.3% abv) beer that's perfect to warm you up in these upcoming cold months. Dark, Carmely, a little peaty smoke, and plenty to enjoy.


December 4th (at 4:20 dude! (not really))
We've been slacking in the Hops department here at Flossmoor for a while. Vishnu's ran out a while ago, and I know you have been hurting for the green stuff. As you may have read earlier on this blog, Mountain Sun/Southern Sun in Boulder Co. makes a beer called Colorado Kind that is full of hops. They also make a bigger, crazier version called Superkind. In a nod to them, this most recent I.P.A. we have concocted has a boatload of Amarillo, Centennial, and Summit Hops. And as a bonus we also threw in some wheatgrass, lemon grass, and hemp seeds. So come the first week of December, look for Kind Ale I.P.A., a 8.5% I.P.A. that should cure what you're jonesing for.

Awards recap for 2006

(matt holding the award for driving the biggest P.O.S Toyta Previa in the U.S. awarded by your neighboorhood hacksaw dealer)

It's been a pretty decent year for Matt and I at Flossmoor Station. That may seem to be putting it a little lightly, considering all the stuff that we have walked away with this year at the World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Fest, ICBG Barrel Aged Fest, etc, but as Matt has said before, it's not all about awards.

It's great to win, anything, but even if at the end of the day you walk away with nothing more than what you came in with, your brewery doesn't go out of business, they don't take your beer off the shelves, and bars don't shun you away when you come calling.

That being said, winning awards is awesome and makes you feel like all of your time and energy hasn't been wasted on "merely making beer." So lets look back at a year that I won't soon forget.

Smarch 4th, Night of the Living Ales (Popular Vote)
Champion Real Ale of Chicagoland - X-I.P.A.

April 14th, World Beer Cup
Category: 10 Specialty Beer - 17 Entries
Gold: Pullman Brown Ale
Category: 43 Belgian-Style Sour Ale - 22 Entries
Silver: De Wilde Zuidentrein

May 22nd, Radical Beer Open
CATEGORY 4 - WILD
Bronze - De Wilde Zuidentrein

September 30th, Great American Beer Festival

Pullman Brown Ale

Silver

Specialty Beer

Angry Mike's Stoudt Creek

Silver

Experimental Beer

Black Wolf Schwarzbier

Gold

German-Style Schwarzbier

Wooden Hell

Bronze

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

Small Brewpub Company and Small Brewpub Company Brewer of the Year

November 4th, ICBG Festival of Wood and Barrel-aged Beers
Category 1: Classic Porters & Stouts
Silver - Brown Heaven
Category 3: Barleywines
Gold - Wooden Hell
Category 4/5: Classic Styles, Strong/Double/Imperial Pale Beers
Gold - Ol' Woody
Silver - Ella's Reserve

Runner-Up Best in Show:Ol' Woody

November 11th, Chicago Beer Society Fall Tasting (Blind tasting & popular vote)
Imperial Mocha Stout - 1st place favorite beer

Next year we aren't going to win anything, or make good beer so make sure to get it while you can.


(Don't ever let Matt into a malt house and give him a tour)

Brewers who blog

Jay Brooks, at Brookston Beer Bulletin, (a great blog that covers craft beer, media's coverage of craft beer, and a litany of other beer related topics) recently mentioned us in a post about brewers who among other things, blog. Go check out his writing (about us) and the other beer stuffs.

FIRKIN FIRKIN FIRKIN

We'll be tapping into a firkin of Iron Horse Stout on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 5PM. Stop by for a pint of cask conditioned ale anytime that evening. Cheers!

Imperial Mocha Stout takes first at CBS Fall Tasting

On November 11, 2006, CBS celebrated its 30th Anniversary fall tasting and dinner at Marcello's in Chicago. 111 people sampled 16 extraordinary beers in a blind tasting and voted Flossmoor Station Imperial Mocha Stout as the top beer of the event. Placing second was Goose Island Imperial IPA, while Okocim Porter (from Stawski Imports) took third. The other fantastic beers were: Blue Cat Count Magnus (Belgian strong dark), Brockway Chophouse Sydney's Pale Ale (APA), Emmett's Victory Pale Ale (APA), Jever Pilsner (Raven Import Company), Lakefront Brewery Rendezvous (Bière de Garde), Mickey Finn's Düsseldorf Brown (altbier), New Belgium Saison, The Onion Pub & Brewery Mayzie (traditional bock), Rock Bottom Chicago Imperial Pils, Rogue Brewer Ale (American strong ale), Sprecher Dopple Bock, Three Floyds Gumballhead (hoppy American wheat ale), and Two Brothers Philosophers Stone (Belgian-style specialty, saison).