Grand Junction, CO – Two for One Post

Sep19

What a nice change of environment, three plus days out of the Houston heat and humidity. The only drawback – I wasn’t able to share this trip with my wife. I know sooner or later the benefits of a mostly empty nest will be evident. What does mostly empty mean? Our oldest son has finished all of his on campus requirements for graduation from LSU’s Construction Management Program – one remaining class that can be completed via distance learning. It is cheaper to have him in Houston with us until all of the boxes for graduation are checked off and the job search begins.

The second night of the stay my workmate and I visited the Rockslide Brewery & Restaurant. Side note; the state of Texas has taken a giant step forward with recent legislation easing some of the restrictive regulations for small brewers and brew pubs but still lags far behind Colorado, California and others. The next night we drove about 15 minutes out of town to the little village of Palisade. The drive took us through some of the vineyards and orchards that cover the Colorado River Valley in this more temperate part of Colorado. There is a mall brewery in Palisade, Palisade Brewing Company.

Let’s talk about Rockslide Brewery and Restaurant. Located on Main St. in the old downtown section of town that has been nicely remade. The road has been shrunk to two lanes that meander around small plaza like areas sprinkled with benches and pleasant landscaping. It definitely slows traffic but adds a nice quaint old town feel. The restaurant is bright, clean and was hosting a party celebration of some sort in the back half of the upstairs seating area. The waiter had decent knowledge of the beer offerings and I have to admit, the food menu was broad enough to satisfy most visitors. My travel mate tried the Widow Maker Wheat – “pleasant and easy to drink” were his comments. Me, I went with the four beer flight, Rabbit Ears Amber, Cold Shivers Pale Ale. Kokopelli Cream Ale and the Horse Thief IPA. They were all very good beers, the IPA was my favorite but that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. The food fare – my work mate had the fish and chips with a twist. The twist was – the fish was battered salmon rather than cod. He said it was surprisingly good. I had the steak salad, medium rare and it was perfect with their house Balsamic dressing.

http://www.rockslidebrewpub.com/

Rockslide flight of beers

Rockslide Beer list.

Palisade, small village as I mentioned before, and the journey to the brewery is only for those that know where they are going, have been there before or you are paying close attention the GPS. We had a driver, one of the client reps that attended the training session, who also happens to like good beers. He was a bit tentative but eventually we turned down the right street and pulled up at the brewery adjacent to the railroad tracks. We had the good fortune of live music out on the patio on a perfect evening for dining and sipping al fresco. The seating was ample but all three of us noticed an odd split in the seating designations. At least 75% of the seating is designated for SMOKING! That is right, only 25% labeled for the non-smokers. If it hadn’t been for the three of us occupying 3 of the 20 plus seats on the no-smoking side it would have been empty. The smoking side was packed! Another observation, I felt like I had been transported back to the 60”s. The crowd was very reminiscent of SFO’s Haight Ashbury in the heyday of the 60’s hippy movement. I wonder if the 2012 ballot initiative that passed in Colorado had any influence on the seating arrangement and attendees. More about being transported back in time later in this post.

Food was typical pub food with lots of Jalapenos available for every dish if you so desired. James, my workmate, had a huge appetizer portion of Nachos with the Blonde Ale offering. Our client driver, Rob, hmmmm, I forget what he ate but we both ordered a flight of beers, 6 beers served in 4 ounce Mason jelly jars. High marks to the brewery. Not a bad or even average beer in the bunch. I gave high marks to all 6 beers sampled. Rob enjoyed the High Desert Red, James the Laid Back Blonde Ale and me, the IPA, so well in fact, that I followed up with a pint of that nice IPA……Rob was driving! The “Off Belay IPA” was really, really good in my estimation……that is why I sampled it twice in order to confirm my first impression.

http://www.palisadebrewingcompany.com/

Palisade Brewery flight of beers in jelly jars

Uber healthy brisket, cheddar and Jalapeno sandwich. I paired it with a cucumber salad to solidify the healthy aspect!

Dirty Hippy T-shirt from Palisade Brewery

Upon return to the hotel I realized why it felt like I had been transported back to the 60’s. Parked out front was Emmett “Doc” Brown’s “Back to the Future” 1981 DeLorean, flux capacitor and all! I peaked inside and sure enough the dials were set to 1969! Not really, I am stretching the truth a little. Look at the photos and I think that you will agree that it is a remarkable replica of the movie vehicle. Why was the car there? I’ll tell you. http://www.fireballrun.com/teams/182

Doc’s car and a companion car, a fairly stock DeLorean, are participating in the Longmont, Colorado to Riverside, California Fireball Run. The Fireball Run is a 2000 mile long scavenger hunt designed to create awareness for missing children and obviously raise funds. Check out the info online and the Facebook page to read about the successes they have had finding missing children. I made my donation to Doc and Team # 15. It is “small world after all”. Team #15 is driven by Paul “Doc” Nigh, a 4^th year participant and from my home town of Bakersfield, California. He is a bit younger having graduated from North High in 1974 but sure enough, we had a few mutual acquaintances!

https://www.facebook.com/fireballrun

Look close – set to 1969 – Not really but could have been!

BTF car and sister DeLorean in the background

Oh by the way, if your beverage of choice is wine, the area is dotted with small wineries with growing reputations. If you are on Interstate 70, make the decision to slow down and visit Grand Junction, Palisade and Fruita!

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

Kannah Creek Brewing Co.

Sep18

Grand Junction, Colorado is my stopping point for the week. Colorado in general is synonymous with good craft beers. Grand Junction is blessed with 3 local breweries and a couple more in nearby towns.

Kannah Creek brewery was my first stop for lunch on my first day. I ordered the beer sampler expecting to provide some input for the choices. They offer 10 brewed in-house brews. I expected 5 small glasses of beer. I was partially correct. The beers were small, about 4 ounces. The beer count was 10, one of every offering! A man has got to do what man has got to do! (any English majors cringing right now?) Seven everyday brews and 3 seasonals. I worked my way through this daunting task.

The Seasonal pilsner was just ok. Good lace easy to drink beer

ESB Extra Special Bitter It was pleasant with good lace and not overly bitter.

Indian Creek Brown ale like a mellow Newcastle
Island Mesa Blonde was a nice and easy to drink best suited for my wife who likes Blonde Ales.

High Side Hefeweizen is very nice, it puts Bluemoon to shame! Well made beer! Kathy, you would definitely like this one!

Lands End Amber very drinkable beer, feels and tastes more like a session beer with body but not exceptional.

Broken Oar IPA The dry hopping is evident in both the nose and on the tongue! It was one of my two top choices.

Standing Wave Pale The ale was smooth in the mouth, had a nice aroma and was a pretty tasty IPA.

Pigasus Porter I like it. Not over to top with the heavy roasted flavors- subtle flavors of roasted malt and chocolate. I would like another pint of this one!

Black’s Bridge Stout- It was the last beer i sampled. The warming of the beer while I worked my way to it was perfect. Velvety feel in the mouth and the flavors are subtle but distinct. The nitrogen head on this beer lingered well.

Katrina was my waitress and beer guide. Awesome beer knowledge and definitely the free spirit – just back from working the summer in Alaska. Interesting young lady!

Now off to Rockslide Brewery to sample their offerings. I have heard good things about the Ale House so I may have to flip a coin!

The 50 Best Beers and the 25 Best Brewers –

Jul23

In my recent copy of Zymurgy’ there was an article touting the 50 best beers in America as voted by members of the American Homebrewer’s Association. My first thought when I saw the tag line on the cover was……..”How many have I sampled?”….So, how did I do? Lets go down in rank order. I have enjoyed at least one of the following beers.

1. Pliny the Elder by Russian River….hard to find but oh so worth the effort
3. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
7. Arrogant Bastard Ale
8. Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA
T9. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
T9. Stone Ruination
T12. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra
15. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
T17. Firestone Walker Double Jack
20. Firestone Walker Wookey Jack
T21. Bear Republic Racer 5
T27. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
T27. Green Flash West Coast IPA
30. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
36. Lagunitas IPA
37. Stone IPA
38. Odell IPA
T42. Russian River Blind Pig IPA
45. Firestone Walker Parabola
T48. Green Flash Palate Wrecker
T48. Lagunitas Brown Shugga’

I will add my 2 cents – The Firestone Walker Parabola is the most amazing beer I have ever sampled, a barrel aged Imperial Stout…it has very limited distribution and limited production. I am certain that it would have garnered far more votes if sampled by more folks…. My wife surprised me last week with a bottle of the 2011 Parabola found in a specialty beer and wine shop in Bakersfield California – Imbibe is the store name. It will be a special occasion in the future when I crack the top! I grabbed the last available bottle of the 2011 and took a 2013 to mature in my Houston beer cellar ( converted freezer currently set ay 54 degrees F)

I have under my belt – literally and figuratively, 21 of the top 50 beers voted on by members of the American Homebrewer’s Association and published in the July/August 2013 issue of Zymurgy.

They also asked members to rank the Commercial Craft Breweries across the US…..I am either a lush or ???? I have sampled the offerings of many of these breweries. By member’s vote listed below are those in my experience base;

1. Stone Brewing Company
2. Russian River Brewing Company
3. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
4. Dogfish Head Brewery
6. Firestone Walker Brewing Company
8. Lagunitas Brewing Company
9. New Belgium Brewing Company
10. Deschutes Brewery
11 Odell Brewing Company
15. Green Flash Brewing Company
16. The Boston Beer Company
17. Boulevard Brewing Company
18. Goose Island Beer Company

I have 13 of the top 25….I need to do some beer swapping to complete my list! .This should be a doable challenge….

Three Superb Beers

This trip has included several brewery visits – Island Brewing in Carpenteria, 3 times and another tonight with my granddaughter – yes she is of legal age to drink in California, the Santa Barbara Brewery, several visits to Lengthwise Brewery in Bakersfield and I hope to sample something at Anacapa Brewery in Ventura around lunch time. I was close to both San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles but there are only so many days available on this trip and heard the Sirens’ call from the breweries in these two towns. (dangerous and beautiful creatures these Sirens be)

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

Drinking Beer in Carpenteria

Jul16

Travel and work – it certainly can have a negative impact on my beer drinking! It is not all bad, I am in California for work and I have my weekends free. I was in Carpenteria last weekend, a nice beach town between Ventura and Santa Barbara. I am not much for laying on the beach and picking up the color of a well boiled lobster so my daughter Lisa and I walked down to the Island Brewing Company. It is a nice little brewery and tap room next to the tracks and near the Amtrak station.
This isn’t my first rodeo nor my first visit to this brewery. They have a very nice selection of beers, a casual and comfortable taproom and an outside seating area. Oh yes, the prices are very reasonable!!!! They also bottle the beers as well as sell growlers.
The timing was right and the brewery was hosting a tour of the back brewing area. The owner’s daughter was giving the tour. She is very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. While in the taproom I enjoyed the Paradise Ale, a pint of the cask ale – a raspberry wheat beer – a bit sweet but still very tasty and the Jubilee Ale! Not a bad beer in the bunch. Lisa tried the Blonde, the Paradise and a Shandy – half Tropical Lager and Lemonade.

I have sampled their Blackbird Porter in the past….a very tasty beer but better suited for the last beer of the evening while sitting at home! It is a wonderful beer!

Lisa says – head this way to find fresh beer.

Here is the tap room…..

The taps and yummy board!

On the walk back to the beach I had to make a pit stop. The picture is a little blurry….iPhones aren’t bad but you have to look close at this one to see the details.

Down near the beach I stepped into the State park lavatory . While standing there killing time I looked up and saw a frustrated sea gull – lost opportunity to bomb me!

I hope to have time to visit Anacapa Brewing in Ventura, or Firestone in Paso Robles and if time permits San Luis Brewing in San Luis Obispo. Bakersfield even has beer, yes I know that might surprise you….Lengthwise is my favorite pub and brewery in town. I hope to share a little more over the next week on my California adventures.

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly,

Bishop

Old Sacramento

Jul9

I have been delinquent in my efforts as of late. Rest assured though, I am still enjoying my beers! Last night I added to my beers sampled list!

I am working for a few days up in the Sacramento area. Sunday night I had a familiar beer, Bear Republic Racer 5 – a good beer but one I have sampled before…….the menu was limited. Last night we went downtown to Old Sacramento for dinner.

We ate dinner on the Delta paddle wheeler in the Bar & Grill. Very nice food and a new beer for my taste buds. I had a Big Daddy IPA from Speakeasy Ales and Lagers in San Francisco. It was crisp and nicely hopped. I loved the hint of a floral nose and a very pleasant bitterness in the mouth. It had a great feel in the mouth! I will try it again!!!! It is a keeper!

Pardon the errors- submitted via my iPhone.
Drink local Nd drink responsibly!
Bishop

Homebrew – A Cure For A Rough Week

Jun29

Friday afternoon I received a call from my very goodest friend. Yes I know that the word “goodest” is substandard English….a former classmate and English major friend of mine is cringing as she reads my post!

My “goodest” friend was on his way home and was in need of an ear, good thing because I have two of those, and a good beer of more. I seem to always have beer on hand. I actually needed a break….I was trimming the crepe myrtle – not the annual “Rape of the Crepes” but the removal of those pesky branches that originate at the base. The T-shirt I was wearing was soaked as he pulled up into the drive way! Perfect timing as I needed a homebrew too…..but for different reasons.

I have two homebrews in the mini-kegs(Tap-a-Draft) 6 Liter bottles in the house fridge, my Father’s Day Ale ~ 6.2% ABV and a Session Summer Ale ~ 4 % ABV. The Session Ale is a tangy citrus like beer where as the Father’s Day Ale is more of a Pale Ale.

I poured us both a pint and put my listening ears on. The first pint slid down rather quickly so I poured another…..for both of us! The second pint was sliding down nicely and the week from hell was slipping into the past and plans for a better weekend were looking up. 45 minutes into our session we both had a smile and the warmth of friendship and good beer shared between the two of us.

It was time for me to finish my chores and my “goodest” friend went home and readied himself for a great evening…..We took our wives out to a movie, “The Heat”, laughed our asses off, had a late meal and all in all a great day and a great evening…….all starting with the “Cure” – a nice chilled homebrew!

http://99covers.com/funny-beer-2-facebook-covers/25061/

Yes I Got Beer! – go ahead and cringe again…..

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

Scientific Link Between Beer and Meat

Jun25

I really shouldn’t say scientific, it is more like years of observation that validates the statement above.

This past weekend at my humble abode I observed this link in hyperdrive…. I wanted to have a good homebrew and in response to my wife’s request I went to the store to grab something for dinner. I decided to grab a couple of whole chickens to skewer on the rotisserie ….. that wasn’t good enough. I decided to kill two birds with my homebrew and smoke a whole brisket….Why not, I had to be out there watching the chickens so lets get a brisket going.

I decided to use my homebrew Session Ale as part of the brisket seasoning process and as the liquid to provide moisture in the smoker. I sliced up some of my homegrown Elephant Garlic to add a little more flavor to the liquid and also to the smoke box. I used a local seasoning put together by the “locally famous” BBQ guy, Rick Alspaugh…. he also owns the local Ace Hardware store, involved in the community and a friend through the swimming community….an all around good guy.

The chickens were seasoned with the same rub and place on the rotisserie skewer and I added some wood smoke using apple! I got the beer out, the meats ready to go and it hit me that the link was evident…not just one meat but I was sucked into doubling up. Fortunately I had enough beer to make it all work! That’s the benefit of brewing your own!!!!

Ready to check on the brisket.

That yummy smoke is rolling out of the smoker!

About hour 2 of the many, many hour process.

Chickens just warming up.

The dead soldiers lined up along with some of the Elephant Garlic.

A platter full and ready to eat. The brisket was still being slooooow cooked!

A platter full of dismembered chicken and ready to eat. The brisket was still being slooooow cooked!

So, yes grilling, smoking or preparing meat does link to beer and the opposite holds true….good beer leads to cravings for meat. I see a three of four meat weekend somewhere in my future! What beer should I triple up or quadruple up with??? Hmmmmm. So many choices

Drink Local, Drink Responsibly – Enjoy Meat!

Bishop

It is Father’s Day!

Jun22

It was Father’s Day….,about a week ago. This past week was a whirlwind working trip in California. two days in Bakersfield, two days in Oxnard/Santa Paula and a short night in LA at the airport.

In Bakersfield I arrived early and had some time to kill. Normally I can find family, both blood and in-laws but not this trip. I always try to find time to get to the Lengthwise Pub out on Calloway in the Rosedale area. Besides making great beers they always have an excellent assortment of guest beers on tap. I opted for a nearby local beer, General Sherman, from the Tioga-Sequoia brewery in Fresno. Fresno is known for???????hmmmmm??? raisins maybe but not beer. Oh yes, the Fresno State Bulldogs!!!!!

The General Sherman is a great IPA and a monster of a tree! I included a photo of the brewery coaster in the post below…,reminds me of the forest service patches!

I tried the “Indica” IPA by Lost Coast, good but the General Sherman was much, much better – just my opinion!

It is a – “small world after all”….. the young man sitting next to me was Kirk- not Curt, but Kirk. He is a Kern County fireman and knows, loves and consumes good beers! As we chatted I mentioned my Houston home and previous home in Bakersfield. He asks if I worked for Chevron and yes I did! Turns out his Father-in-law is one if my former co-workers! Too funny. Ok, put yourself on the Disney ride because I know the song is looping in your head.

Later in my trip I got to spend an evening with my daughter, son in-law, grand kids and great grand son! It doesn’t get much better than that! My great grandson is amazing! I could nibble on his cheeks all evening! My son in-law is a keeper, he had a six-pack of Stone IPA in the fridge for me!!!! It was a perfect evening.

Then off to LAX the next day and dinner in between at the Chart House near Malibu. While waiting in line for our car the valet pulled up with a sleek car with an amazing throaty exhaust sound, obviously many well coordinated cylinders ready to press the occupants back into the seat!!!!! A Maserati, yes, a sweet Maserati. The valet blipped the throttle for his enjoyment and yes, for mine too! I sent him after my rental car and reminded him to behave. We had a good laugh as we got into our Chevy Impala! Parked near us on the way out was something labeled “Bentley”, looked pricey but I am sure it doesn’t sound like a Maserati let alone a Chevy Impala.

Good week in California. Now, what next?

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly!
Bishop

Strange Noises at 3:30 In the Morning

Jun15

Friday night in the Decker house was very pleasant. Our youngest son, Joe had just graduated High School and was on a six day trip to Mexico with family friends. Joe is off to Texas A&M in the fall so we are having a peak at the “empty nest” that many of our acquaintances have told us about. I won’t go into any details but I think it will be very, very enjoyable. You can’t wipe the smile off of my face…”nuff said”.

Back to the strange noises! My son is allowing us to bond and baby sit his dog…..hmmmm. She really is a sweet dog! At 3:30 this morning, this normally very quiet dog starts barking loud and with purpose. So, out of bed I stumble and look out the window where she is focusing her barking efforts. I flip on the backyard light and nothing. I thought initially that it may have been a raccoon or some other critter. I didn’t see anything but she was glancing out the window and toward the garage. Seemed a little odd but dogs will be dogs and their hearing is so acute….who know what was stirring her up.

Kathy quizzed me about what was stirring Sierra up and I told her that I was clueless. She said. “I know that, but what was she barking at?” The comment almost went over my head but standing nearly 6’3″ it bounced off of my forehead and registered as a little slam! Being the forgiving type I let it go.

I attempted to fall asleep but my mind was racing now. I thought I heard some voices, quiet but insistent, coming from the backyard. I tried to focus a little harder and the words began to take shape. The words I heard were like, “Oh, it so cold in here. Please takes us out of this cold place!”

That didn’t make a lot of sense, maybe I was dreaming! Then it as like I was hearing, “take me in your hand and enjoy me!” I perked up a little at that point! Then I figured it out when I heard, “We are waiting for you. We are cold and ready to be sampled!”

I grinned, I knew that the fridge, not really the fridge but those cold beers so lovingly placed in there this past week were calling to me. Much like the Sirens luring the sailors in Greek mythology! I put some wax in my ears and vowed to wait!

My friend John came by about an hour ago and I told him the story about the sounds emanating from my fridge. What a great friend! I had promised to leave the fridge alone at my daughter’s request but he stepped up to intervene and investigate for me. Thanks John.

The voices were real and while he was here we liberated a few of those crying out for our attention.

A suite of the liberated posing before some of Elephant Garlic I picked today.

A Greek Tragedy….the beers were packed tightly into the fridge. As I tried to liberate one next to this one….it bolted, landed on its head and leaked profusely. I was able to save a good portion of the contents! Insert smiley face here!

Those of you that drink good beers, don’t bash me too harshly. In my younger days I drank a lot of Coors before I knew better. It was cheap and easy to get! I remember a trip where Mike Rossi and I loaded up a couple of cases of Coors, $ 5.25 per case and drove south to pick-up Steve Murphy, one of our good buds that had moved to Palos Verdes Peninsula near Torrance Beach. I wonder if they both still remember the panic when that guy in the Gorilla costume tried to get into the car with us….or at least that’s how I remember the incident.

Last but not least…..Ashleigh and Ben, please forgive us for we have sinned and opened the fridge before the appointed time. (John did it!) Give me my penance! They really needed our intercession!

Heading towards a great Father’s Day!

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly,

Bishop

Proofreading and Editing provided by Lisa Decker

Father’s Day Friend – This Why we Have True Friends

Jun14

If you have been following my last two beer blog posts you know that I am facing a dilemma concerning my restricted bounty, likely some good IPA’s, hidden in my fridge out in the garage. As my friend John, also a hop-head, says….I am conflicted! In fact, as good friends always do for their “Buds”( commonly translated as “Mates” in other English speaking countries) who are in trouble, he has offered up what I think is a reasonable solution….Here is what John thinks, amazing words of wisdom!;

“Dear Bishop,

I sense you are conflicted about this scheduling issue/restriction and as a loyal friend want to offer a proposal, just to help out my bud. We all have different perspectives and perceive our challenges in different ways. In this case I see the note on the paper plate and question how it should really be interpreted…..I question if the note truly applies to everyone or just you? Consider this….what if you “sensed” there were a technical problem with the compressor or the condenser coil and you expressed concern about the internal temperature… If you had any such concern, certainly if Ashleigh were available she would ignore the “do not open” sign if she needed to check the inside, or Kathy would have permission to take a look.

Perhaps for a small sampling of the loot I could help out and open the mini fridge “for you” to check and make sure that everything is OK….. Or perhaps, as the prior owner, I could be missing a special brew that perhaps had been left in said mini fridge before you acquired it !!! ( which by the way I thought was for Joe ???)

Just a thought….. Oh and I can offer said services and would be available this afternoon or tomorrow during the day if you are really worried about that thermostat.

Just being a concerned friend,

John “

You know, many times gut feelings are amazingly accurate! I “sense” that the integrity of the gift in my little fridge are at risk of succumbing to this brutal heat wave engulfing my external fridge tucked away in a non-air conditioned garage. I have John’s number and I will not spare any expense to ensure the safety of the cargo my daughter Ashleigh and her co-conspirator, eldest son Ben, have placed in what they felt was a safe environment. I will place a service call with John and post our findings later…. Yes I am willing to offer remuneration ( I learn something every day, this word, remuneration has always been used by me in speech as renumeration!, an indication of why I took bone-head English my first quarter at UCLA) – sorry Ash, had to err on the safe side of the issue.

My friend John, a true hop-head and an even truer friend! He isn’t the hop-head with the hop-head hat. John is the hop-head without the hop-head hat!

PS – John truly is the prior owner of the mini-fridge in question, es la verdad! Joe will probably use it in his dorm in the fall. Which means that I may need to “upsize” hmmmmmm! Sounds good to me.

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop's Beer Blog

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Category Archives: Ale

Grand Junction, CO – Two for One Post

Kannah Creek Brewing Co.

The 50 Best Beers and the 25 Best Brewers –

Drinking Beer in Carpenteria

Old Sacramento

Homebrew – A Cure For A Rough Week

Scientific Link Between Beer and Meat

It is Father’s Day!

Strange Noises at 3:30 In the Morning

Father’s Day Friend – This Why we Have True Friends