How would you like to have one of these in your garage?

Although I graduated from UC Davis with an engineering degree I have always wished that I had studied the art and science of beer and wine making.  I recently came across this video on the Davis Patch Web Site and thought it would be worth sharing.  How much fun would it be to have a set up like this in the garage or basement?  Especially since our local "brew it yourself" Brew It Up closed down.  Every year in late March or April UC Davis and the town of Davis hosts Picnic Day.  The campus is open to the public and there are a multitude of science and art exhibits.  My favorite (since I turned 21) has always been the brewing department's exhibit.  If  you have the chance to visit Davis on Picnic Day I recommend stopping by the brewing department and attending one of their lectures on beer making.  You will not be dissatisfied!

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University of California at Davis: Pilot Brewery John B. Carnett

For more information please check out the reference article about Davis' Brew Lab.  Happy Brewing.

"PU 240" from Auburn Ale House

With Thanksgiving past us I have heard that the "autumn beers" are about to give way to the Christmas beers (4 weeks ago I had no idea that beers changed with the seasons).  As I understand it the Christmas beers have more of a lean towards maltiness and sweetness.  If that theory holds true I am glad that I had a chance to sample this 100+ IBU creation from the Auburn Ale House before switching to the "holiday beers". 

The Auburn Ale house puts out some seriously flavourful brews to match their tasty food offerings.  The PU 240 is no exception to this rule. 

"Named after the isotope essential for nuclear grade weapons, this
“Weapons Grade Ale” is the hop bomb you didn’t see coming!
At 100 bittering units, PU240 captures the explosive hop flavor and aroma necessary to achieve a critical mass that you won’t find in other high-hop ales. A classified and combustible amount of Summit and Galena hops along with a double Dry-hop bombardment of Simcoe, Columbus and Nugget contribute to PU240’s high rate of spontaneous hop fusion."

If you enjoyed "Pliny the Elder"and the beers profiled in Day 12, Day 21 and Day 23 then you will love PU 240.  Word of warning, this is nuclear grade stuff so be careful with it.  You can find this wonderment at the Ale House located in Old Town Auburn or in Old Town Folsom at Samuel Hornes.

"Guiness Stout" at Plainfield Station

Well of course Guinness needs no introduction as it is probably one of the most recognizable beers in the world.  When you have been making beer for over 200 years you certainly know how to do it well.  But in case you haven't taken the leap of faith and tried a Guinness it is about time that you give it a taste.  As my sister stated today "That's pretty good for a beer of that color".

I enjoyed my Guinness at one of my favorite watering holes, Plainfield Station.  Plainfield Station is an old gas station on Road 98 between Davis, Woodland and Winters, Ca.  It is a place were a group of hunters in their orange hats can sit next to two nurses in scrubs who are sitting next a pair of burly looking bikers in black leather.  At the table across the room a young couple (with their newborn asleep in the car seat on top of the table) dined on half pound burgers while I along with 7 other family members enjoyed a large plate of nachos.  This hole in the wall bar has a substantial selection of beers on tap which ranges from Pabst to Guinness and from Widmer Heff to Boont Amber Ale.  And of course they have all the old standby beers like Coors and the line of Buds.

Plainfield has a very large back yard with picnic tables, a horseshoe pit and a stage for small concerts.  The food is great and the menu boasts everything from jalapeno poppers to teriyaki chicken sandwiches but for my money the Tacos are the best around. If you are ever in the area you must stop in a grab your favorite libation and game of pool.  Everyone is welcome and the staff (at least these days) is very helpful and friendly.  The beer is always cold and the people watching is second to none.

Photos by Shoop's Photography

"Alaskan IPA" from Alaskan Brewing company.

Surfing in Alaska???  You bet.  The inspiration for this beer is comes from Alaska's own surf mecca Yakutat.  The label features a surfer riding a wave while Mount Saint Elias looms at an impressive elevation of 18,000 feet in the background.  Who would have thought to go surfing in Alaska?  Probably the same adventuresome folks that will enjoy this bold and tasty brew.  I normally stick to the Alaskan Amber but had to try the IPA since I had never seen it on tap before.

Tasting notes come from the http://www.alaskanbeer.com/ website; "Alaskan IPA is honey gold in color with a fruity, citrus aroma. An enticing blend of hops and our dry hopping process, in which hops are added directly to tanks during fermentation, give this brew a very intense, complex aromatic character with a refreshing hop finish."

I enjoyed my Alaskan IPA at Plainfield Station where we braved the cold(but sunny) weather to enjoy the back yard/picnic area.  The kids played football and others played horseshoes while I sat back enjoyed the late afternoon sun and sipped my Alaskan IPA. 

Alaska has a long history of brewing and beer drinkers from the explores in the 1700s through the miner's gold rush there was plenty of local beer to be had.  Of course prohibition put a damper on most of the local production.  In 1986 Marcy and Geoff Larson opened the first brewing company in Juneau since prohibition and the Alaskan Brewing Company has flourished ever since.

"Purple Haze" by Abita

A recent trip to LA provided me with several hours of "nothing to do" so I pulled up a bar stool at Dillon's Irish Pub at the corner of Hollywood and Vine.  I counted 37 beers on tap and they were all just $3 a pint.  Since I had already tried many of the beers I decided to try something new.

The Purple Haze by Abita look interesting.  Abita's description of this beer reads; "Purple Haze is a crisp, American style wheat beer with raspberry puree added after filtration. Therefore, you may see raspberry pulp in the beer. The raspberries provide the lager with a subtle purple coloration and haze, a fruity aroma, and a tartly sweet taste."

It was definitely worth trying and I would suggested to anyone that likes fruit in their beer.  For me I will stick to a lime in my Corona if I want fruit in my beer.  Luckily there were 36 other choices for my second pint.

Santa Barbara Edition - Island Brewing's Weiss

Our family vacation brings us to Santa Barbara and more specifically Carpinteria.  Carpinteria, so named by the Spanish for the “carpentry shop” located on on of the few south facing beaches in California. Established by local Chumash tribe  the “carpentry shop” was used for building canoes and other sea-going vessels.  The site was chosen because of naturally-occurring surface tar which was used to seal the boats.  Less than half a mile from what is now known as the popular surf spot "Tar Pits" you will find Island Brewing . This spot is as laid back as it gets.  I could easily imagine myself wasting an entire afternoon sipping each and every one of their brews while sitting in the sun on the ample patio.

For today's post I sample the Island Weiss.  With the phrase "The Weiss is Nice" printed on the lable I had to give it a try.  This unfiltered Bavarian-Style Hefeweizen is bewed from 50% German Pilsner Malt and 50% Canadian Wheat, the result is a refreshing wheat beer with hints of vanilla ,citrus, bananas and clover.   The perfect beer to enjoy while sitting on the patio of the brewery enjoying the sunshine.  The next time you are in the area I high recommend stopping the brewery and sampling their spectatular offerings.

Ukiah Brewing Orr Springs IPA

A recent Photography Gig allowed us to spend some time in the wonderfully diverse town of Ukiah, CA.  Ukiah is full of organic taco stands, vegan lifestyle stores, quaint coffee shops and the Ukiah Brewing Company.  The UBC is a rustic place on the main street of downtown Ukiah that appears to be a great concert venue.  Although there were several Veggie and Vegan items on the menu they also offer some real (and tasty) food.  We split a sweet potato and coconut soup and fish and chips and Cajun fries and to wash it all down I chose their Orr Springs IPA. The Orr Springs IPS is a Light-bodied, heavily-hopped India pale ale featuring Rakau hops. This is big strong IPA with an ABV of 7.0%. 

 

The Beer is named for the Orr Hot Springs which is something I will definitely be checking out the next time I am in town.  

As a side note my lovely wife chose the Willits Wit which I actually liked better than the IPA on a hot summer day.

The next time you are venturing through this little hippy enclave I suggest taking a break at the corner of School and N. State Street.  Grab a beer or three and take in some tremendous people watching.  

  To learn more about the UBC click the link to Urbanspoon.