Category Archives: Local Breweries

It is a Difficult Job Being Me

A beer on the beach yesterday and now I have to sit at a little corner table in the Santa Barbara Brewing Co. My poor lot in life! I am enjoying their IPA while watching a wide slice of life drifting by the window! Beautiful day here in SB.



The brewer, Rick, generously shared the recipe for the IPA. My challenge is to scale back the 1200 lbs. of two row to brew in my 10 gallon mash tun. I have a PDF of the brewer recipe and the Brewers hand written notes in the margin. Sorry, just private for me! 



There is Rick just finishing up…clean up duties are so important. He is a former home brewer gone pro over twenty years back! Ah, dream big Bishop! I don’t think 64 is too old to branch out, do you agree? 

I’ll be back! 10 points for the first person to comment on that famous movie line! I need to add to my list of beers! What next, hmmmmmm, scratching chin and pondering! 



Ok scratch off the India Pale Ale, next the Double IPA. The proir was nicely bitter with great aroma- I’ll give part of the recipe away, Cascade hops! The Double is less bitter but I like how the malt comes through! Oh gosh, I yearn to become a professional beer drinker. Lord knows that I have had practice – albeit some of the prior experience was a lot less structured! 

Drink Local and Drink Redponsibly

Bishop

If you follow my blog and enjoy my sometimes incoherent ramblings, invite a few friends to follow! Maybe I can become semi-professional at something beer related! 

A Little Help at Tax Time

i am sorting through my receipts, invoices, travel expenses and miscellaneous stuff. I am raising my hand to vote for a flat tax! I am certain that it would eliminate most of my headaches! The CPAs’ may hate it but oh well- Too durned bad! 

To aid in the process I am sipping on a new beer, at least for me it’s new.  It is a Sierra Nevada “Beer Camp” Hoppy Lager. Mighty fine! Nicely hoppy at 55 IBU! It is 7% ABV so it is a sipping beer. A six pack would probably result in significant errors! I now have another  favorite for my list. Seems as though my favorites list is getting pretty full!’

Read more about Sierra Nevada’s Beer camp here;

http://www.sierranevada.com/beer/seasonal/beer-camp-hoppy-lager

I took a bottle for a trip to the beach today- I think we both enjoyed the afternoon.



Santa Barbara Channel in the background.

Nearby is Island Brewing in Carpenteria. I have a growler ready to be filled. My wife likes the Island Blonde! Don’t tell her but I’m also kind of partial to blondes! I like their Island Pale Ale and the Paradise Pale Ale and the Blackbird Porter and the Starry Night Stout. Oh – the Avocado Honey Wheat is very tasty too! On our recent visit we were treated to some live music! It was a nice laid back Friday night in the off season. Just locals and a few semi locals, like me and my bride. 

http://www.islandbrewingcompany.com/seasonal-beers.php

I think we will also check out Anacapa Brewey in Ventura on Thursday. I am looking forward to their Pierpoint IPA. 

http://anacapabrewing.com

So many beers and maybe only another 20 + years to work my way through the world’s remaining beers! 

Note: I had my phone battery die down on the beach as I was typing the post.  Apparently the draft was posted! Hopefully I pulled it before it was out there too long! At 64 years young, I am still working my way through new technology challenges! 

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop



A New One for my Favorite’s List

i quizzed a new waiter at the same old place, Williston Brewing Company, about anything new, like beer. He recommended a new a offering from Fargo brewing, Stone’s Throw, a Scottish Ale. He took my order and returned empty handed. The keg blew and that was the last one on hand. 

I told him that a hoppy bottled beer would be fine. He suggested Hopslam by Bell’s Brewing Company. Well, I loved it! Hoppy for sure but balanced. I do think I picked up a hint of honey as well as citrusy hops. Hmmmmm 10% ABV makes you want to be careful. This is the newest addition to my favorite’s  list. 







Beautiful color, nice lace and is served my palate well! 

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

Wasatch Ghostrider White IPA

It is that time of the month, hmmmmm. Let me start over.

My twice per month client, a small independent oil company in North Dakota, has me enjoying a quiet snowfall on these crazy roads up in Williston. The evenings are mine, the day’s belong to the client.

I am back at the Williston Brewing Company this afternoon to  see what is new on their list. They do have an extensive list but due the frequency of my visits I have nearly exhausted my choices.

Today’s choice is a bottle of the Wasatch Ghostrider Ale. It is a nice Pale Ale brewed with a bit of coriander, not as much as a Belgian Wit Bier, but  just enough to be refreshing. Hops are not overwhelming and just enough of a citrus aroma. The label’s recommended food pairing is “squirrel over an open flame”. The PETA folks must have got to the management and squirrel is no longer on the menu. The Spinach Steak Salad is on the menu and does pair nicely with this beer. I really would liked the squirrel!

With the snow drifting down outside, a Utah brewed beer seems to be appropriate. The Ghostrider image on the bottle fits well with the “Wild West” atmosphere in these parts. Boots, jeans and mud are abundant.

Time to bundle up and walk three miles through the snow……. not really but the iPhone map indicated I might have to! The area is growing so fast many of the roads don’t show up. Case in point, I am a guest at a man camp just outside of town. The iPhone map located the address but the end point was a field and Joyce, the voice on my phone, told me to park and walk the rest of the way. Not!

I found a gravel road that brought me to the destination but the map showed me off-roading! Rooms are primitive but at least I have indoor plumbing and don’t have to share the shower!!!! I have television with a decent selection of channels and of course wifi!

More later.

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly

Bishop

Never Fear – I Still Love Beer

Travel. travel and more travel! I had a two week stint in Williston and checked a few more brews off of the great beer list at the Williston Brewing Company.

This last week last I was back home in Houston. I enjoyed a pint or two of my my homebrews. So very good! I also enjoyed a nice surprise at one of our local eateries, Three B’s Grill in Kingwood. It was St. Armold’s Divine Reserve No. 15, a Russian Imperial Stout. Very, very good! If you can find it, buy it! It will age and mellow over time. My home brewed Russian Imperial Stouts get better and better the longer they sit. I have one bottle that is four years old and last one was sampled 6 months ago, it was simply amazing!

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Great rich flavor and warms as it goes down.

Drink Local and Drink Local
Bishop

Yes Dear Raspberry Wheat Ale is Primed!

I have been a bit slow priming and kegging/bottling this brew. It could be written off to laziness but I would like to say it was due to the multiple and diverse tugs on my scattered brain. 1. There has been a number of football games needing viewing,; 2. We keep the house cool in the winter – 60 F so sitting near the fire in the fireplace feels so good; 3. My son’s dog, a very sweet recue dog loves my attention and walks in the woods; 4. weeds, damn weeds in the garden; 5. Words with Friends is like Crack!; 6. Thoughts of working out – succumbed to the thoughts a couple of times; 7. Sourdough bread experimentation – another yeast related activity – I think will just stop there…

I carved out the time today to prepare. Most of the batch was going into two 6 Liter mini kegs, Iap-a-Draft to be exact and the remainder into 12 ounce bottles. As I usually do, I pulled a sample for checking the final gravity….I had no doubt that it was finished but….just checking. Damn – the hydrometer nearly floated out of the cylinder…..can’t be! How can it become more dense? It can’t – I pulled the hydrometer and the little foam pad was stuck to the bottom. Mystery solved. The chilled sample, 37 F, was 1.011 – plenty good to know that it was done fermenting. Final count, 2 – 6L bottles and 14- 12 ounce bottles.

The taste test from the gravity sample was very nice…..I shared a sip with Mrs. Yes Dear and she agreed. Looks to be a success. Now I need to be patient and let it condition….10 to 14 days ought to be sufficient. Normally, it is required to drink a homebrew while working on a batch, I failed to indulge. I have had a Bomber of Karbach Black Hopadillo IPA in the fridge for months now, just begging for my attention, so . Damn good! that is second use of the word Damn….I’m feeling a bit like Clark Gable!!!!!

What is the next project? My son Ben is wanting a “session IPA”, lower in ABV but still retaining great hops bitterness and aromas. There are some decent commercial offerings that he enjoys. The simple approach would be to find a clone recipe but I think not….I think I may be able to improve on the clone!!!!! Stay tuned…more coming.

The transfer is on...Sourdough starter in the left background.

The transfer is on…Sourdough starter in the left background. I love the carboy carrier straps…makes it easier and less likely to drop it.

My bottled beer and the two 6L Tap-a-Draft bottles.

My bottled beer and the two 6L Tap-a-Draft bottles.

The very nice Karbach Hoppadillo Black IPA. Nice way to end my task!

The very nice Karbach Hoppadillo Black IPA. Nice way to end my task!

Drink Local and Drink Responsible

Bishop

Back to Williston

I have been behaving myself here in Williston, ND this week. My consulting work keeps me indoors but when it 18 degrees below ZERO and that’s without windchill, just scraping the windows after starting the vehicle is a challenge for this Houston boy! As you breath through your nose you can feel the hairs inside freeze!

Let’s talk beer now. The day I arrived I had lunch at the Williston Brewing Company, no, they don’t make beer, but they do sell it. I enjoyed Summit Brewing’s Saga IPA with my lunch. It is a very good IPA, nice bitterness and really good aroma. Centennial, Amarillo, Citra and Rakau hops are used to bring out the flavors. I may try to clone this very pleasant beer.

On a subsequent visit I indulged my taste buds with an offering from Fargo Brewing Company, their Wood Chipper India Pale Ale. Oh my, it was a surprisingly good beer. They use Horizon hops for the bittering and then hopback and dry hop with Chinook, Cascade, Simcoe and Centennial hops for a great aroma. I guess North Dakota can make some very good beer!

I went back for a third visit. You may be wondering if this is the only establishment in Williston. It’s not, but they have a great selection and I like the atmosphere. On this visit I tried the Goose Island 10 Hills pale ale. My opinion, just an ordinary beer. It didn’t do anything to capture my attention.

You know what, I’ll probably go back tomorrow and see if I can select something new and different. I am scheduled to be in Williston for two weekly trips per month until May. I won’t drink every beer on their list. Why? They have Bud, Bud Light, Bud Select, Coors, Coors Light and, well, you get the picture. I’ll stick with the craft beer side of the list.

Stay tuned for more from the Frozen North!

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly
Bishop

Southern Star Brewery – Plan C, A Better Plan

Saturday was supposed to be a morning trip to NRG Stadium here in Houston for the RV and Boat Show. The return trip was in the trip advisor as a stop at Karbach Brewing Company for beers and a tour. As they sometimes do, plans change and options must be assessed. The participants on this field trip were good friend John, son Benjamin and his fishing buddy David. Benjamin and David decided to check out the Boat Show on Friday evening.  Both of the boys were interested in a seminar on winter fishing for Speckled trout. That lead to the first change. Even though storms were forecast for Saturday morning, the 25/26 year old fishing fools took the boat down to Trinity Bay on the recommendation of the seminar speaker. They got very wet but did catch a few fish.

Two participants had now bailed on me. The storm did materialize and it hammered our house with wind, rain and some hail from near 4;30 AM, when the boys left, until 6:30 AM! My son’s dog hates lightning and thunder so I was trying to get her settled down, I will chat with him later. John realized on Friday evening when I sent him the remindern that he had scheduled the Direct TV installer for Saturday AM.  Due to the stormm the installer was late and he was begging off. So, what’s a guy to do?

I called daughter Lisa at 11:30ish and sought out her company….bag the Boat Show and head to Karbach Brewing Company. I needed to salvage part of the day’s plan. She agreed and off we started. It was now near 12:45 before we got on the road. Just for grins and because of the storm, I asked her to check with Karbach and make sure they were open. Oops…….Karbach hours on Saturday are 12:00 to 3:00 – Mmmmm, just a bit too short. Plan C now. Let’s check on Southern Star Brewing Company in Conroe. Good news, on Saturday they are open from 1-5 PM. We could be there by 2:00 if we were quick. So, turn the Suburban around and head North Westish in the direction of Conroe, Texas.

Lisa snapped a shot of the speedometer of the Suburban as we dashed off toward Southern Star Brewing Company. We made good time!

Lisa snapped a shot of the speedometer of the Suburban as we dashed off toward Southern Star Brewing Company. We made good time!

Here is the “Paul Harvey” – The rest of the story twist. The electronics in the dash are messed up. While parked the speedometer reads 80 mph…..so, I am not a menace on the highways, but it sure makes a fun image.

Great news on arrival, the first pint is “on the Brewery”….Yee haw cowboy! We did behave since I was driving but Lisa did go after a few of the bigger beers, the Valkyrie Double IPA was her first and she finished with one of my favorites, the Buried Hatchet Stout. I experimented and tried the Waloon, a grisette style beer that is not broadly brewed. I liked it but it would more appeal to my wife. I also sampled the Old Potentate, it has a nice maltiness and is hopped very nicely. I finished up with a Pine Belt Ale. My favorite of the day.

We took the brewery tour. It was a high speed, energetic yet informative tour….The teaser for  is the description of the future plans for capacity  expansion and an increase in the amenities that will set it apart from many of the local breweries. There will be a nice outdoor grounds, and Old House on the location will most likely house the taproom. The brewery expansion will be significant. Look for news of the opening in late 2015!

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The Tourmeister…..very entertaining and knowledgeable. Loves his beer and is passionate about brewing.

Lance at the bar ordering hos next Libation.

Lance at the bar ordering his next libation.

Lisa. not my daughter Lisa, but Lisa from College Station - she knows her beer too! She was working her way through the sampler.

Lisa. not my daughter Lisa, but Lisa from College Station – she knows her beer too! She was working her way through the sampler. Lance is still trying to decide.

Empty cans waiting to be filled with the liquid gold! The blue cans are the Bombshell Blonde, the number on seller and the Buried Hatchet Stout the brown cans.

Empty cans waiting to be filled with the liquid gold! The blue cans are the Bombshell Blonde, the number on seller, the Buried Hatchet Stout the brown cans and the center pallets are the Pine Belt Pale Ale cans.

The brewery is a very casual and a great atmosphere for meeting people. Granted the cool weather and the Holiday season may have kept the crowd down. We wound up making some new acquaintances, got to know a few by first name and if you are there…….you are a lover of beer!

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly!

Bishop

 

Baywood Park Ale House

Surprise discovery for me! I picked up my mother’s car from the shop in Los Osos and drove over to Baywood while she napped. It is a fun place and if I had stayed longer than one beer I could have made 6 or 8 good friends! As it was I made two and was working on a third! They had a great selection of local beers and Central Coast Brewery in San Luis Obispo was well represented!

I had time for one beer as mom napped. I chose the CCB Terrace Double IPA. Very, very nice aroma and great balance of hops- my opinion!
http://www.centralcoastbrewing.com

The West Coast is well represented amongst the 16 beers they have on tap. North Coast Brewing, Hermitage, Drakes, Tap It, Santa Cruz, Black Diamond up in Concord, CA. Then they throw beer from Wisconsin. Minnesota and Utah and you have a great mix…. Gotta come back with my bride!

 

 

Quaint place just off the main drag on Santa Maria and 3rd in Baywood, CA!

Quaint little house and a great little place to drink beers.

Quaint little house and a great little place to drink beers.

Some of the 16 taps and beer menu board behind them.

Some of the 16 taps and beer menu board behind them.

Locals have their own mug hanging from the ceiling.

Locals have their own mug hanging from the ceiling.

I just had to laugh!!!!

I just had to laugh!!!!

Drink Local and Drink Responsibly
Bishop

Back Again

My wife and daughter accompanied me on another trip to the Galveston area this week. We were joining our friends Bev and John on Tiki Island as part of their week long 60th birthday celebration. Our hotel was about a 7 minute drive from the Tiki Island house and it was another 6 or 7 to the Galveston Island Brewery. How convenient.

We arrived about noon at the party house, watched a little college football and snacked on all kinds of munchies. Beer was also featured. My buddy John has great taste in beer. Just like my tastes! We had several varieties of Karbach offerings(local Houston brewery and is a favorite) as well as some Shiners, another good Texas brewery!

I made an excuse to leave and check in at the hotel. My real motive was a brief return trip to the local Galveston Island Brewery. I tapped my daughter Lisa on the shoulder and she read my mind so off we went.

Not much of a crowd at the brewery but understood as strong storm was on its way. Lisa ordered the IPA, not a surprise, she has her father’s good tastes in beer! I went with the Oktoberfest, un sampled from my previous visit. We also bought two 64 oz growlers. Tip- if you are going to be late returning to the party, bring full growlers. Instead of being late you are known as the bearers of elixir and not as the late arrival.

There are a few more local breweries on the Island awaiting my exploration. The Galveston Island Brewing Co is worth repeat visits.

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Drink Local and Drink Responsibly
Bishop