DRAFT Magazine

The whirlwind continues. Yesterday I awoke a little before eight after five hours sleep, after a late night at Denver’s Falling Rock where I made the smart decision to call it a night at 2:30. After a very quick and uninspiring breakfast I met up with some California brewers and DRAFT’s Graphic Designer for a quick trip to Fort Collins, 60 miles out of town. The first stop was Odell Brewing where we were greeted by the founder Doug Odell. Doug was a gracious host showing us what has to be one of the most efficient breweries in the country. Odell is estimating brewing 46,000 barrels of beer this year, but to look at the brewery it is hard to gauge, but with smart special planning they make it happen. On the tour we saw their pilot brewery, new oak and bourbon barrels used in projects like the Woodcut series, cold storage and the typical brewery tour stops (bottling line, brew deck, lab, etc.). The tour ended as all good brewery tours should, the six of us sitting at the bar in the tasting room sipping glasses of Woodcut No. 01 that Doug was kind enough to share with us. What an amazing stop.

Lunch was needed after our time at Odell and we quickly made our way to The Spicy Pickle in downtown Fort Collins for some great grub, and shockingly spicy pickles. We had grand plans of stopping for lunch and an additional brewery tour at Coopersmith, but time was becoming an issue and it was decided to skip this stop and get to New Belgium.

At New Belgium we were treated to a VIP experience, something set up for the brewers and industry folks who were coming to Denver for the festival. It started with samples of pub-only brews like Jessica’s Porter, Giddy Up (a coffee beer) and La Folie. Then it was off for the all access brewery tour led by the brewery’s head of media relations, Bryan Simpson. If you haven’t been on a tour of New Belgium you really ought to make the time if you’re ever in the region. It starts off with a look at the first little brew house operations used when the company was little more than a homebrew setup. Next you see the large brew system, Brew House One, that got them through a period of good growth. Then they take you upstairs to see Brew House Two, the massive brewery that is in used today. This brew house has two noteworthy pieces of equipment: the Merlin Kettle and the wet-grain mill.

The Merlin Kettle differs from traditional kettles that heat the wort from the outside in. Instead, there is a large heating element at the top of the kettle that the wort is pushed over, in a very thin layer. By doing this the layer of wort is super-heated in a much more energy efficient manner, New Belgium estimates about a 40-45% energy reduction in their brewing.

The wet grain mill is equally elusive in the United States. Brewers most commonly mill (crush) their grain while it is dry and the mill house is almost always covered in a fine layer of grain dust. With a system like New Belgium has (also found at Sierra Nevada) the grains are moistened to allow the grains endosperm to be pushed out when it is crushed. It is quite the system to see in action, and we were lucky to see it in use as they were doughing in their grain for mashing. Oh, the world smelled of sweet wort while this was going on.

The tour concluded with a brief stop in the wood room where New Belgium stores the large wooden vats to age beers like La Folie. Seeing these vats is like being transported to another time where brewing was less scientific and more artful. We walked into the wood room just as a tasting panel was concluding. On a table sat samples from each barrel with tasting notes and vital statistics – it was something that made you dream a little.

There is so much more to see in Fort Collins and I could have easily stayed for the rest of the day to hit up places like Fort Collins Brewery and Coopersmith. Sadly we all needed to rush back to Denver to get some work done.

3:30 PM

After arriving in quick time from our Fort Collins excursion I had to rush up to the GABF floor for an interview with Steve Grossman of Sierra Nevada. The interview was on video the whole experience was surreal, humbling. Here I was on camera, asking Grossman questions about a brewery I have so much admiration for. With set-up, prep and everything the whole ordeal took over an hour to get through, but in the end I walked away further impressed with the personalities found in the beer industry – Steve is a class act.

5:00 PM

The VIP party was held at a local loft in Denver and was a joint effort of DRAFT and Steamworks. This was a much needed break from the pace of the day. Here people casually engaged in conversation while sipping some great Steamworks beers and eating some fantastic finger foods. I had a great time talking with some importers and distributors about the business and the impact of consolidation around the country. It seems as though the general consensus was there’d be more consolidation in the years to come and that with each consolidation is added headache for importers especially.

7:00 PM

I arrived at the GABF donned in slacks and a slick button-down shirt, by far the best-dressed I’ve been for a beer festival. I could go on and on about the beers here, and I suspect I will soon enough, but this night was spectacular for me as I was able to share some great beers with my dad, uncle and grandfather. It drove home for me some clichés we have about beer and community, specifically how amazing it is to just gather with friends and family over a beer, talking about life and taking a moment here and there to really evaluate the beer in hand. Doing this made me long for more such interaction and I have to say that I am really looking forward to the holiday gatherings that will soon be upon us, as it is a time for me to sit with those closest to me over a beer and just enjoy life for what it is. After all, I think that is what beer’s greatest strength is, that casual and friendly drink you can share over a good meal, or just with those you love.

I would be remiss to finish the post without a few words about the beers that stuck out. First there was Arcadia Brewing Company and their high-octane beer with a name you can’t forget: Big Dick. Once I got over the boyish humor in my mind I realized this beer was outstanding, full-bodied and bursting with flavor. Next was the surprise beer of the day, shared by Jay Brooks, Blue Moon’s Peanut Butter beer. I was shocked when I first sampled this, it really tastes like peanut butter! It won’t be a beer I’ll have a pint of, but I certainly would get another sample.

For a change of pace and an escape from the ABV bombs that were everywhere, I stopped at the Hoppers Grill and Brewing Co. booth for their Lil’ Pip’s Mile Ale. I know that a lot of beer fans like to equate quality with strength, but this beer is a testament to how good a low-alcohol beer can be. The toasted malts throughout the taste were so easy to enjoy, and with a super-low ABV it is a beer you can enjoy all day long. Seriously good stuff by these guys out of Salt Lake City.

Other beers of note: Full Sails imperial porter; HUB’s lager; Russian River Consecration; The Bruery Orchard White; Bull and Bush Royal Oil.

The Afterparty

Yes, after the event I made my way to Falling Rock with several DRAFT coworkers. This is an event in itself, with two Cantillon beers on tap, a tasting of Hansen’s Oude Kriek, Blind Pig and some well-aged barleywine. Of course the crowd here was unbeatable, with names like Keene, Younger, Koch, Daldorf and so many others – the night was unbelievable. In fact I tried to leave a few times in hope of getting a few extra hours of sleep, but with more friendly faces showing up as the night moved on, it wasn’t long before the place was closed and the clock read 2:00 AM. A quick cab ride home, a few hours sleep and today seems to be moving along with the same pace. I arrived at the Convention Center early for an interview with Sam Calgione and am 20 minutes from judging this year’s Alpha King Challenge. Life is good.