1001 Nights: Ayad Asha of the Brooklyn Brewery

 Interview with Ayad Asha of the Brooklyn Brewery 

 Non-Flash version of the podcast

Iraqi-born Ayad Asha came to New York in 2013, leaving behind Baghdad's "car bombs, militias fighting, and dead bodies in the street." He spoke no English when he arrived. After a time working in computer networking and IT, he landed a job on the packaging line at the Brooklyn Brewery. And after two years spent working hard and learning much, as well as earning the friendship and respect of his brewery co-workers, he was given the opportunity to brew a beer of his own creation, as part of the Worshipful Company of Brewers program. Thus was born 1001 Nights. 

B.R., Ayad, and Bob.

The beer, named for the famed collection of Arabic and Persian stories from the Islamic Golden Age, is a 5.7% ABV Saison style beer, enhanced by some Middle Eastern influences. Alluring Cardamom evokes a camphorous aroma and flavor, transporting one back into to enchanted stories of Sinbad, genies, and the like. Dark dried lemon contributes a sultry, smoky, citrus tinged quality, made all the more tantalizing by the use of raw honey in the brew. These three unique additions make this beer soar like a flying carpet, perfectly complimenting the ale's backbone of 2-row American malt, Perle and Styrian Golding hops, and Brooklyn's Belgian house yeast.

Ayad and Cellarman Eric Brown.

Ayad said that he drew inspiration for the recipe from cooking, notably the use of Cardamom with rice, and the dried lemon from making tea. He thought that the spice and citrus could work well in a wheat beer. Brooklyn Head Brewer Al Duvall agreed, as he praised Ayad's creation, saying that he had never experienced Cardamom in a beer like this before.

Ayad surrounded by Iraqi friends. 

Master Brewer Garrett Oliver heaped praise on to Ayad for not only his matchless work ethic and loyal character, but his creative, inspired recipe, which led to this unique, delicious, Most Worshipful worthy brew. This beer is in limited supply, served only at the Brewery tasting room (we believe), and you'll want to get to the brewery before it's gone. Because unlike the genie in the story of The Fisherman and the Jinni, once the beer is out of the keg, there will be no three wishes to make more of it!

Bob, beer colleague Seth, and B.R.

1001 Pints.

Ayad, brewery co-founder Steve Hindy, and an old friend from Iraq.

Brooklyn Brewery Sun Don't Shine

 

Garrett Oliver & Mike Steinschneider: Sun Don't Shine (Flash version)
Non-Flash podcast

For part 9 of the Worshipful Company of Brewers program, in which members of the Brooklyn Brewery brewhouse staff are given carte blanche to brew a batch of their own making, Michael Steinschneider decided to lighten up a winter beer by darkening up a summer beer. Labeling his "Sun Don't Shine" a Strong Mild, he's basically taken the Brooklyn Summer Ale and tweaked it with some dark carafa malt and dry-hopped it with some hops known for producing a tropical character, including Motueka.

The result is a 4.9% ale that drinks like a hearty winter beer, but is actually light enough to drink two at a time, as Mike demonstrated when addressing the crowd assembled to congratulate and celebrate with him. The subtle chocolate notes and fruity/flowery hops also add intrigue to a very drinkable, satisfying beer.

Justin encourages the single fisted double quaff.

For when you're drinking more than one... at a time.

Sun Don't Shine will be available exclusively at the brewery's tasting room until supplies run out, so be sure to visit on a Friday night or weekend afternoon soon!

Always some tasty cheese at the WCofB releases.

The Illustrious Potentate of the WCofB.

Or is it the Most Worshipful Grand Mashter?

Mr. Sunshine addresses the crowd

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.

 

Brooklyn Brewery: I Wanna Rye It

Brooklyn Brewery's I Wanna Rye It! podcast
How the hops were selected for I Wanna Rye It! podcast

On July 26, 2013 the Brooklyn Brewery released the seventh beer in the Worshipful Company of Brewers series, an Amber Rye Ale designed and brewed by Brooklyn's Production Manager Jimmy Valm.

I Wanna Rye It!

The 7.4% ABV ale pours out clear as glass and has an enticing deep mahogany/garnet hue beneath its ample frothy head. The aroma is subtle, with a touch of spiciness under the dry malty nose. Brewer Jimmy said that he wanted his beer to be more focused on the rye rather than the hops, and he clearly achieved his goal with all of the rye character that this ale exhibits. The hearty body is rich and chewy. As far as taste goes, the dry, peppery rye malt flavor dominates, along with a mild roasty note, but is balanced out by a healthy dose hop bitterness, courtesy of Chinook hops.

Born in Brooklyn but having grown up in Seattle, Jimmy had been pining for a return to Kings County for a long while. But before he'd return he would earn a brewing degree at the reputed International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. He then worked at Heineken's U.K. operation, brewing Fosters on an industrial scale before learning of an opening at the Brooklyn Brewery and applying for the job. After working at Brooklyn for less than a year he got his chance to design and brew his own creation as part of the on-going Worshipful Company of Brewers program. The program gives Brewmaster Garrett Oliver's staff an opportunity to make one batch of a beer of their own design for limited release at the brewery's tasting room.

Jimmy chose the challenging rye beer style, and made a little history with Brooklyn Brewery's first rye malt ale. Hear about the details in the two-part podcast about I Wanna Rye It!

The Brewmaster.

Jimmy Valm.

Jimmy's parents and wife.

  [I Wanna Rye It! podcast]




  [Hop Selection For I Wanna Rye It! podcast]

Brooklyn Brewery's Scorcher #366

  [link to podcast page]
Brooklyn Brewery's Scorcher #366 podcast

The most recent Brewmaster's Reserve release, which was launched on Monday May 13, 2013, is a rarity -- a repeat recipe! Well, not exactly a total repeat. Garrett and company have brought back the sessionable pale ale known as Scorcher, which was originally released in 2004. But this time around, he's using an entirely new hop strain which has been under development for some time.

Garrett, Brewmaster.

"HBC 366” is a new variety cultivated by Jason Perrault of Perrault Farms in collaboration with Gene Probasco. Beginning in 2001, he crossed some Warrior hops with a “wild” hop. According to the hop-master, “The brilliant coloration of the leaves combined with a nice growth habit and exceptionally formed cones with abundant lupulin (the repository of all those aromatic oils), resulted in a strikingly beautiful plant.” And one that adds very distinct citrus/pine aroma and flavor to the Scorcher.
 

Full house.

At 4.5% a.b.v., Scorcher is designed for a scorcher of a summer day. It's got the color of a Helles, the hop character of an I.P.A., but, with is lower a.b.v. it's gentle on your mind, so to say. There's plenty of malt character, with the use of Pale Ale Malt and Crystal Malt, to balance it's unique hop qualities. There's a nice crispness to this beer, with a tangy note in the middle, finishing with a distinctive hop bitterness from the use of Willamette hops in the boil.

Eddie of Mugs with B.R.

The Scorcher #366 is the first commercially released beer to use this new hop, which you can expect to see more of in the near future, but hopefully with a less clinical, science-project-like name! Maybe "Wild Warrior"? Or better yet, Hopsquatch!

Scorcher #366.