North Peak Diabolical IPA at the Jolly Pumpkin Brewery

A surprise vacation brings me to Northern Michigan to spend time with my Dad and hunt for Petoskey stones..  On day one I had the pleasure of dining at the Jolly Pumpkin Brewery where they were pouring the Diabolical IPA as a guest tap.  The name alone was enough to convince me to try this American style India Pale Ale.  The Diabolical IPA is brewed by North Peak Brewing Company in Traverse City Michigan.  A good "everyday" IPA with 66.6 IBU and 6.6 ABV it's not too heavy and not too hoppy.  Cascade, Perle and Willamette hops provide scents of citrus and pine with a slightly bitter finish. 

I paired my Diabolical IPA with a fried whitefish sandwich and french fries(Michigan style health food) and it was amazing.  If you are ever in the area be sure to stop in and visit the good people at the Jolly Pumpkin.  If you have a chance to visit North Peak be sure to do it when you can sit outside and listen to live music.  Both locations provide menus full of delicious options for food and libation.

Tasty Greens IPA from Seabright Brewery in Santa Cruz

Our seemingly continual travels took us to Santa Cruz this past weekend for a photo shoot at Seabright Beach and tattoo at Lovedog Tattoo.  Amazingly, despite our hectic schedule we were able to squeeze in a visit to the local restaurant and watering hole Seabright Brewing.  This is where I found a beer that I had to try simply because of its name. 

The Tasty Greens IPA incorporates 110 Lbs of malted rye to create a hoppy IPA.  A large portion of Delta Hops is balanced by a small amount of Honey Malt.  This IPA is dry hopped with Cascade and Calypso hops which creates a floral nose finish.  The name Tasty Greens is presumably derived from large amount of hops used in brewing this beer. 

At 7.6% ABV the hopiness is well balanced by the alcohol content and the overall result is a smooth and slightly sweet IPA that actually reminds me more of a Fat Tire Ale than a traditional American IPA.  It paired well with my fish and chips (one of many excellent offerings) and would have been even better with one of the monstrous burgers on the menu.  (Side note the two burgers we got for the kids could have fed the whole family)

The next time you are in Santa Cruz be sure to stop by Seabright Brewery and grab a bite and a brew.  Sit on the patio and enjoy the tourists, surfers and locals walking, driving and biking by.  As with anything in Santa Cruz it can get a little busy on the weekends but we had no trouble getting a table for our party of 7.  Service was good considering how crowded the place was and our waitress never once showed up without a smile on her face.   

Sierra Nevada Old Chico Crystal Wheat

On the other end of the scale from my last post is the lightest offering from Sierra Nevada Brewing.  Old Chico Crystal Wheat is supposedly only available in and around Chico, CA.  That said, my first encounter with this wonderfully drinkable libation was in Vacaville's historic district at Merchant and Main Grill & Bar about 2 years ago.  I was dining with a client when he noticed Old Chico on the menu.  As a Chico State Alumni he was excited to have found the previously "Chico only" beer near his place of business.  That incident caused me to double check many a beer menu searching for this elusive brew.  As suspected I couldn't find it anywhere for the following 18 months.

As luck would have it my day job now takes me to the Sierra Nevada Brewery on a regular basis.  After every meeting I stop by the gift shop to purchase souvenirs. So far I have picked up T-shirts, dog collars, sweatshirts, iPhone covers and of course BEER.  I was delighted to find that Old Chico is now available in both bottles and cans.  As you can tell from most of my posts I prefer draft beer but the portability of this incredible beer earns Old Chico an exception.  Finally I can float the river without having to drink PBR (with all due respect to Pabst).

I have also noticed Old Chico bottled six packs showing up in grocery stores as far south as Santa Barbara.  I asked my contacts at the brewery about the expanded distribution footprint but they declined to confirm, deny or elaborate on how the beer is wandering outside the hallowed city limits of Chico.  However it is getting out we are all lucky that it is. If you come across a six pack in your local beer aisle do yourself a favor and grab it.

Now about the beer.  Although this is a wheat beer it is perfectly clear and not at all "gritty" like some wheat beers that you may be used to.  There is no clover or floral notes and it certainly wouldn't complement a slice of lemon or orange.  Sierra Nevada states that Old Chico is the lightest beer they make.  Light is apparently a relative term because this beer has plenty of flavor and body.  This is a great beer for a day at the beach or after mowing the lawn on a hot day.  As a matter of fact I have worked up quite a thirst writing this post so I think I will go grab one myself.

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.