Grimm Artisanal Ale

Interview with Joe & Lauren Grimm (Flash version)
  Non-Flash podcast 

Grimm Artisanal Ales is a husband and wife brewing company that approaches the art of brewing as... well, an art! They are brewers without a brewery -- nomadic brewers, gypsy brewers, however you term it. And they are among a growing young breed of modern brewers who put creativity before commerce, and variety before conformity. Rather than be tied down by the crushing financial obligations and limitations of owning bricks and stainless steel, they simply create a recipe, order the raw materials and brew their creations at other breweries that have surplus capacity.

 B.R., Bob, Lauren, Joe (Photo: Gillian Charlotte.)

Mikkeller, Evil Twin, Stillwater, Pretty Things, 8 Wired, Yeastie Boys, and now Grimm -- the list of these unfettered, unanchored, unrestricted craft brewers continues to grow. Some gypsy brewers simply contract with a brewery, giving them the specs, recipe, label artwork, etc., and then buy the end product from the brewery at wholesale cost, which they then sell to distributors. Others, like Grimm, see the process through from start to finish, hands on, at the brewery.

Photo: Gillian Charlotte.

Grimm recently released their third beer, a rye abbey ale called Going Awry. It's very similar to their 2nd beer, the Bees in the Trappe, though without the honey, and using Danko rye malt, a rare northern European rye that has a less spicy and more bread-like character than traditional rye malt. They used the same Belgian yeast strain for both beers. We got to talk to brewers Lauren and Joe Grimm at The Sampler, a fantastic new growler/bottle shop and bar in Bushwick which hosted the release party for the beer.

 

The couple has been homebrewing since 2005. but prior to that started experimenting with other fermentables, such as kimchi, sauerkraut, mead, kvas. It didn't occur to them to get into fermenting beer until discovering the vast varieties of Belgian beer styles. They say that they still brew at home constantly, as they experiment, research and plan for future commercial batches. They've brewed all three of their initial beers on the 20bbl system at Paper City, located in Massachusetts, which is where Pretty Things brewed for many years. Currently about 75% of the beer is sold in keg, with the balance going into 22oz bottles.

Made with 300lbs of NY State wildflower honey.

Like fellow upstart brewers Big Alice in Long Island City, Grimm brews a different batch each time, and doesn't plan on ever repeating a recipe. They liken their project to record label, with the brewers being the songwriters and musicians and the brewery as the recording studio. That's an apt analogy, since Joe has performed in a slew of indie rock bands over time. Loren and illustrator Gretta Johnson collaborate on the artwork for the labels. Grimm plans on brewing a new batch of unique beer every six weeks.

The first offering from Grimm.

Photo: Gillian Charlotte.

Photo: Gillian Charlotte.

 From their website:

GRIMM ARTISANAL ALES BATCH #3: GOING AWRY 
STYLE: RYE ABBEY ALE
ABV: 8% SRM: 15
IBU’S: 25

Brewed for the autumn season, our GOING AWRY abbey ale pours a rich orange-amber color topped with a sticky, lacy white head. We brewed it with an organic, heirloom rye grown at Thor Oechsner Farm in Newfield, NY, and malted by Andrea Stanley at Valley Malt — the East Coast’s only artisanal micro-malthouse! This exceptional rye contributes a rustic, spicy element that complements the phenolic flavors of our favorite Trappist ale yeast. A touch of caramelized Belgian beet sugar adds a subtle range of dried cherry and toffee flavors dancing in the background, while boosting the ABV and maintaining dryness and drinkability.

Best served in a tulip glass between 45 and 50 degrees, GOING AWRY pairs well with stewed and braised meats, roasted root vegetables, caramelized onions, mushrooms risotto, aged gouda and washed-rind abbey cheeses, as well as apple pie and tiramisu.

Photo: Gillian Charlotte.

Brooklyn Brewery's Dark & Twisted

Interview with Justin Rick (Flash version)
  Non-Flash podcast

Justin Rick is the latest Brooklyn Brewery brewer to participate in the Worshipful Company of Brewers program, in which Brewmaster Garrett Oliver gives his staff an opportunity to devise their own recipe and brew a batch -- no matter what the style, no matter what the ingredients. It's a great perk for the staff, a wonderful treat for the patrons, and is also one of the many reasons that the Brewery continues as an exciting, interesting player in the craft beer scene.
 
The concept for his first ever recipe was to make a beer that mirrored the characteristics of a chocolate covered pretzel. So, naturally, that means chocolate, bread and... salt! Just how he achieved creating a beer that had that kind of profile, and in an incredibly delicious, strikingly unique and brilliantly balanced, is explained by Justin himself in this installment of the podcast.

Justin, who is from Colorado and studied at the Univ. of Colorado, did his post-graduate work in the UC Davis Master Brewers program, studying under Dr. Michael Lewis and Dr. Charles Bamforth. After UC Davis, Justin interned at Stone Brewing, became an assistant brewer there, and eventually ran their the lab before leaving for a brewing job at Leinenkugel, where he worked for three years. In April of 2012 Justin joined the Brooklyn Brewery.

 

21 Years Of Mugs

  Interview with Eddie of Mugs (Flash version)
  Non-Flash podcast

Mugs Alehouse is a true pioneer of the craft beer scene in New York City. Owner and founder Eddie Berestecki spoke to us about the then and now in Williamsburg on the 21st anniversary of his wonderful neighborhood bistro, which also happens to be one of the oldest fixtures of the modern NYC craft beer scene.

L-R: Bill Coleman of MBAS, Eddie, Warren Becker of MBAS.

As B.R. notes in the podcast, Mugs is a great neighborhood bar -- which also happens to have a great beer list. That's one of the things that sets Mugs apart from the newer breed of beer bars. The place has that warm, authentic feel of the, sadly, vanishing local pub. You can get a solid and reasonably priced meal, excellent and friendly service, along with a great selection of craft beers at a fair price. How many places in NYC, let alone trendy Williamsburg, can you say that about?

Bob, Eddie and B.R. enjoy some Beer Geek Mus.

Eddie has been a staunch supporter and patron of the local beer beer scene as well, hosting the Malted Barley Appreciation Society since its founding, giving up his entire backroom dining area to the club every 2nd Wednesday of each month. He's helped establish and has been host to numerous beer events that bring the beer community together, from the annual Split Thy Skull fest to the yearly Belgium 2 Brooklyn event, and scores of others.

Photo credit: Kristopher Medina of pinballnyc.com.

We congratulate Eddie and Mugs on reaching the age of majority, and we look forward to many more years of friendship and beers!

Victory Brewing's Co-Founder Bill Covaleski At Blind Tiger

Interview with Victory's Bill Covaleski (Flash version)

Non-Flash podcast

We ran into Victory Brewing's co-founder Bill Covaleski at a well curated tap take-over at the Blind Tiger recently. It served as the New York City debut for their Dirtwolf Double IPA, the beer that's replacing Hop Wallop, which is being retired. There were about 14 Victory beers on tap, including some interesting brews which we've never tried before.

The busy staff of Blind Tiger.

One of Bill's college pals, Tony Limuaco, was there as well. Tony also ferments things for a living, but the object of his work is kimchee. His Kimcheelicious is seeking to merge the famed fermented Korean cabbage into the American gastronomical world.

Tony of Kimcheelicious, B.R., Bill of Victory, Bob.

In addition to their common experiences at college at Otis Parsons School of Design and their shared loved of fermetation, albeit of different things, Tony has also been involved in Victory, in a very visual context. Tony has designed a number of prominent Victory labels: Golden Monkey, Hop Wallop, Hop Devil, and the newest brew, Dirtwolf.

Labels that Tony designed.

You can hear all about it on this installment of Beer Hear! And if you're unfamiliar with the history of how Bill and his brewery partner, Ron Barchet, ended up forming a brewery -- a brewery that has an annual output of almost 100,000 barrels of fine beer -- the story starts in 1973 on a school bus when the two were in 5th grade. Find out the rest of the story at Victory Brewing's website!

Click on the image for a larger, better resolution.
Click on the image for a larger, better resolution. White Monkey. Squeaky Wheel.

Click on the image for a larger, better resolution.

Prairie Artisan Ales

  Podcast: Prairie Artisan Ales at the Festival (Flash)

Non-Flash podcast

After spending time working for other breweries, Chase Healey felt that it was time to strike out on his own path. He founded his family run Prairie Artisan Ales in Sept. of 2012, and a half year later he brought a handful of beers into the marketplace. Their first offerings were two different sour beers and two different Saisons -- all four "farmhouse" ales. In no time everyone was seeking out the intriguing offerings from the small upstart Oklahoma brewery.

Mom, Chase and artist brother Colin at The Festival.

Like many new brewers, they began leasing brewing time at an already existing brewery -- Krebs Brewing (Choc Beer Company), but had their sights set on a facility of their own. They took a huge leap towards that goal with a Kickstarter campaign that brought in about $24k, financing a big part of the new brewhouse, to be situated in Tulsa.

Prairie ales are characterized by a refreshing dryness, creative use of hops and the utilization of wild yeast. They're big on barrel aging (rum and bourbon barrels), aren't afraid of incorporating lactobacillus in the process, and are keen on the use of non-standard ingredients in some brews, such as coffee, chili peppers, and vanilla. The spirit of the beer is mirrored in the individualistic, singular character of the people behind it, putting creativity, quality and integrity before all else.

The division of labor at the operation is simple: Chase makes the beer, his brother Colin creates the label artwork, and their mom is their relentless promotional force! Chase says that he makes beer styles that he would want to drink, himself. Apparently, as evidenced by the popularity of his creations, he's far from being alone in that category!

Expect to start seeing Prairie's exciting beers on the East Coast in 750ml and 12oz bottles in the fall of 2013!