Happy New Beers!

I hope everyone's holidays have passed peacefully enough. I got to go home to Kansas City for a few days over Christmas to spend time with my family. My dad and I even got the chance to homebrew a batch of Sticke Altbier, which is traditional brew from Dusseldorf. It is a stronger version of the town's signature ale, Altbier, which is a copper to brown colored ale brewed to around 5% ABV and significantly hopped. The Sticke version (German for 'Secret') is usually put on tap unannounced and without signage or advertisement, so that only those 'in the know' will order the 'Sticke' beer. It was fun to get to homebrew again, something I hadn't done since our National Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day event here on November 1st.

Anyway, things are back in action at MBC. We now have BrightSide Belgian White on tap and HOPtimal Munition APA and possibly Homeward Brown will join it on Friday. I'll get a batch of Cardinal Direction Abbey Dubbel in tank tomorrow and some 1984 Golden Ale (Classic American Cream Ale) in tank early next week.

In the mean time, look for HürterBrau Hefeweizen and HürterBrau Dusseldorf Altbier in the near future and Billy Pilgrim's Imperial Pilsner in March.

Current Draught List:

Boulevard Bully! Porter, Boulevard Dry Stout, Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat, Schlafly Dry Hopped APA, North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner, O'Dell 5 Barrel Pale Ale and MBC BrightSide Belgian White and MBC 90 Schilling.

Cheers and Beers,

Drew

So Close I Can Taste It

So, I haven't posted in the last couple weeks...sorry. I've been busy, though (that's a good thing). Busy making beer, big batches of beer! Well, not really big, but bigger than the Peek-a-Brew batches.

I now have a tank full of BrightSide Belgian White, Homeward Brown and HOPtimal Munition APA. Monday and Tuesday are Schlafly days for me (we're bottling Grand Cru!) but Wednesday I'll be back in action brewing up the 1984 Golden Ale (the Pre-prohibition Cream Ale from last week's Peek).

Those will be the first four to hit the taps, with Black Sky Stout Porter and Cardinal Direction Abbey Dubbel in the weeks to follow, then some seasonal beers will kick in.

This Wednesday, 12/24, I'll tap a cask of Double Dry Hopped HOPtimal Munition APA and put on two little kegs of Black Sky Stout Porter.

Next Wednesday, 12/31, the first production batch of BrightSide Belgian White will debut along with small batches of Hurterbrau Hefeweizen and 90 Schilling, and, of course, a cask of Double Dry Hopped HOPtimal Munition APA to see 2008 out in style.

Peek a Brew #2 Tomorrow

Last week's event was a great success. Despite my foaming issues on the first keg, we still poured all of it in a hour and the second keg in less than two!

This week we will see the launch of our Brown Ale and a super hoppy cask of American IPA. The Brown draws influence from the new breed of malty and hoppy American Brown Ales, but is brewed to the gravity of an English Dark Mild, it is a true session beer.

In addition to the Belgian Golden Ale on December 10th, with another cask of American IPA, look for these beers to follow.

December 17th: 1984 Classic American Cream Ale on draft and 90 Schilling on cask.

December 24th: Black Sky Stout Porter on draft and HOPtimal Munition APA double dry hopped on cask (as in dry hopped in the fermenter, then again, in the cask).

December 31st: 90 Schilling on draft and another cask of Double Dry Hopped HOPtimal Munition APA...plus some other surprises...possibly big ones!

Peek a Brew begins Tomorrow

Beer will finally be flowing from our own cellar this Wednesday. A Belgian style Witbier is slated for the first release.

Brewed with freshly ground coriander, candied ginger and dried orange zest, locally grown unmalted wheat and fermented with our house Belgian yeast culture, it is a bright, refreshing beverage, pale yellow golden in color with a fluffy white, persistant head. And weighs in at 4.7% Alcohol by Volume with 14 IBUs.

Next week will see the unveiling of our Brown Ale. This deep brown ale is brewed with Pale Ale, Munich, Caramel, Brown and German Chocolate Malts, Oatmeal, Raw Cane Sugar, Magnum, Ahtanum and Kent Goldings hops with our house ale yeast for a toasty, chocolatey, toffee tinged treat. The domestic and imported hops shine a citrusy note against the sturdy malt. Brewed in the tradition of English Dark Mild Ales, but with American attitude, this is our kind of Brown Ale. 4% Alcohol by Volume with 30 IBUs.

We will also serve a cask of American IPA this week and the following week. It is a hop bomb of an American IPA. Brewed with Pale Ale, Honey and Vienna Malts and hopped with Magnum, Sterling, Summit and Ahtanum hops to 80 IBUs and 6.5% Alcohol by Volume. The first cask is dry hopped with Ahtanum and Mt. Hood, while the second with Summit and Ahtanum.

December 10th we will serve up some Wealth and Taste, a Belgian Golden Ale. Not quite an Abbey Single, but not quite a Belgian Golden Strong, either. A pale dubbel? Perhaps, but not quite. A spicy and fruity golden ale resulting from Pilsner, Vienna, Wheat and Honey malts with Magnum, Ahtanum and Styrian Golding hops and a farmhouse ale yeast is a rare winter time treat. 6.6% Alcohol by Volume with 20 IBUs.

In the coming weeks we will serve a Pre prohibition style Cream Ale, Stout Porter, American Pale Ale, 90 Schilling and an Imperial Pilsner.

Cheers and beers!