Sierra Nevada Hoptimum 2012

On November 15, 1980,  Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. produced a beer that would change the face of the American beer culture. Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale launched a cultural revolution that has spread across the country and inspired brewers from Chico to my home town of Davis(Sudwerks) to San Diego (Stone and many others) and eastward throughout the country. 

Recently I have had the good fortune to bring on Sierra Nevada as one of my customers.  After my most recent visit I stopped into the gift shop to pick up a gift or two for friends and family. When I noticed the 4-packs of Hotimum in the cooler I decided to grab myself a gift as well.

I have sampled the Hoptimum before at my favorite local pub Samuel Horne's Tavern and I was anxious to see how the bottle version compared to draft.  In one word "WOW".  This is a hop bomb and delicious to the last sip.  I would compare it to a fine wine or single malt scotch in terms of drinking pleasure.   

ACME IPA at the Heyday Cafe in Placerville.

While visiting family in Fort Bragg last week I had the chance to grab lunch at the North Coast Brewery.  Unfortunately I had a 4 hour drive ahead of me so I stuck to the food and skipped the beer.  Not an easy feat for someone who loves to try out new beers.   As luck would have it I popped into the Heyday Café on Main ST. in Placerville yesterday to find that they were pouring ACME IPA.  I took this chance to redeem myself from last week’s bout of abstinence. 

In North Coast’s words: “Acme IPA is profoundly hoppy, finished with over a pound of fresh whole hops per barrel. The result of this generous hopping is a beer that is deliciously dry, and eminently drinkable in spite of its apparent strength.”  In my words this is a smooth and refreshing beer with a bit of a bite and a mellow finish.  It paired perfectly with my Mediterranean veggie wrap and roasted red pepper soup.

The Acme Beer Brand has a long and entertaining history.  I suggest you visit the online museum for more info; ACME Beer Museum 

If you have the chance I highly recommend trying out both the Heyday Café and Acme IPA.

Vitals:

Style: India Pale Ale
Color: Pale Amber
ABV: 6.9%
Bitterness: 55 IBUs

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.