Sunday, March 23, 2014

New Castle Double-Brew!

NEW CASTLE, PA!

I have some wonderful news for you, for Youngstown, Ohio and for Pittsburgh and Meadville, PA.

Saturday, April 5th is a date you should save in your calendar. One of my favorite breweries in the region, Voodoo Brewing Company (98 on BA!) is pairing up with an incredible local coffee shop, Two Rivers Artisan Coffee to provide a unique, palate-challenging experience in the heart of downtown New Castle, PA.

I can't tell you how excited I am for this event. The guys down at Two Rivers have mastered just about everything there is to know about coffee. From pour-overs, to the aeropress, siphons and mixing drinks, they do it all: and they do it better than Starbucks or your favorite local coffee shop. For a few months now, they've been mixing craft brews with their coffees and perfecting this new, delicate balance of palate-challenging beverages.

   A few months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Hector, Cassie, and a few others from Two Rivers at the Hoyt Center’s “Let’s Tailgate Brewfest” on the north hill in New Castle back in November. At this event they first tried, to my knowledge, their hand at mixing hand-crafted coffees with "traditional" craft beers. I made the mistake of waiting 4-5 months before coming back in to contact with them until a special event at the Magic Tree in Boardman, Ohio, where they combined five of their coffees with five different beers offered at the wonderful bar in Boardman.
   To avoid confusion, this is not your standard coffee-infused craft beer. Plenty of craft breweries include local coffee in their stout, porter or doppelbock recipes to add a stronger flavor. However, these are finished beers mixed with freshly brewed coffee to create a desired flavor that delicately balances the unique aromas and tastes of both to please avid fans of either.

   Since that fateful night at Magic Tree, where I “rediscovered” the art of the “double-brew,” I've spent some time getting to know the baristas at Two Rivers and came across this unique event combining their caffeinated brews and Voodoo's world-beating beers. This event should make any craft beer or caffeine fan overjoyed. These brewers know their materials and are masters of their respective arts.

This should be an epic night and the proceeds benefit the New Castle Fireworks Festival on July 11-12. Remember, New Castle is the fireworks capital of the world and the festival always creates a big bang in the community. Beyond the delicious beer and delectable coffee, there will also be my third favorite vice: cigars. Yes, that's right. Some high quality cigars will certainly complement the rest of the night's palate-challenging drinks and hors d’oeuvres exquisitely.

You can buy tickets here.

I hope to see you there. Feel free to get a hold of me anyway you like (twitter, facebook, email) and we can discuss the event in further detail if you wish,


KevBot

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Welcome/Top 5

Hello and welcome to my first blog post here at Brews with the Bot. I'm Kevin and I'll keep you updated on bottle releases, brewpub and bar events and general information about breweries in the Western PA/Eastern Ohio region. I just recently surpassed my 1,000th distinct beer on Untappd and decided that I would share some of my passion for the industry with anyone interested.   Though I've certainly consumed more than 1,000 distinct craft beers since diving head-first into the craft beer world about 3 years ago, I only started keeping track thanks to Untappd. In fact, I can attribute a lot of my passion for craft beer and home-brewing to Untappd, with a special spot reserved for friends and acquaintances I've met all over the northeastern United States.
   The more I used Untappd, the more immersed I became in the ever-expanding and already immense world of craft beer. As I rated beers, I wanted to know more about how to properly do so, so I began reading how to do it. I researched beers and what types of hops, malts, and yeasts make distinct beer styles. Thus, my hobby became a passion.
   Over the next few blog posts, I’ll discuss my passion with you by discussing some of my favorite beers, the highest-rated beers I’ve personally consumed and my favorite brewpubs/breweries that I’ve visited. However, for this post I’m only going to discuss my five favorite unique beers.

Top 5:
   I ordered my top 5 in terms of the date that I first experienced them. They are not the highest-rated beers I’ve ever consumed and cicerones and experienced craft beer drinkers likely would not label them the best of their style. The five beers listed below are some of the my favorite beers, from small brewpubs/microbreweries that I’ve found most appealing to my palette.

1: Willoughby Brewing: Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter Willoughby, Ohio

   This beer was the first craft brew that I ever fell in love with. It smells of freshly roasted coffee and chocolate. It drinks the way it smells, but with the added delight of slight peanut butter flavors. If you're ever in the Eastern Ohio area and see this beer on tap, make sure you grab some. It's light abv allows the flavors to really rush forth from this beer.

2: Bullfrog Brewery: Segundo Plaga Williamsport, Pennsylvania
   A unique Saison/Farmhouse Ale aged in tequila barrels. Admittedly, I am not a fan of tequila, but the agave/tequila flavors in this beer made for splendid drinking. The scent is full of tequila/agave aromas and the flavor matches the nose. Bullfrog is excellent at making diverse Saisons with various fruit flavors and blends.

3: Zero Gravity Craft Brewery/American Flatbread: Gose the Destroyer Burlington, Vermont
   Perhaps this beer is the beneficiary of a fantastic experience, but I doubt it. This was my first introduction into the Gose style of beer. It is slightly sour, but more noticeable is the added English sea salt and coriander. I loved the beer when I had it and it has led to my new favorite style. I've never been to the Mediterranean Sea, but I imagine this is what the air tastes like out there.

4: Market Garden Brewery: ADHA 871 Cleveland, Ohio
   Named after the experimental ADHA 871 hop, this beer is bursting with minty, grassy, earthy and herbal tones. It is very resinous and the malt complements the hop profile very well. Drinking this beer reminds me of an early-morning tee time on a slightly foggy golf course, lightly covered in morning dew.

5: Nodding Head Brewery and Resturant: Lava Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
   To date, this is certainly the most unique beer I've ever tasted. An American Blonde Ale brewed with lavender and vanilla. Wow! The aroma is overwhelmingly lavender with slight hints of vanilla. It has one of the nicest noses of any beer I've ever had. The flavor assaults your palate with lavender flavors but its rescued by vanilla and balanced by light-to-moderate malts. I loved this beer and wrote a note for the brewer asking for some tips in creating something similar for my next home-brew project, but have not yet heard back.

Now for your thoughts: Have you had the opportunity to try any of these beers? What are some of the most uniquely delicious beers you've had the pleasure of drinking? Post below so we can discuss!

Cheers until next time,
KevBot