Cider Works

Not Exactly Neglected

2010-07-01T09:31:00.002-04:00

I haven't forgotten about you. Oh, Ciderworks blog: I still love you. We can have crazy chats about beer, wine, and cocktails at clecraftbartenders.wordpress.com. We can rekindle our passion when the first apples ripen and cidermaking is afoot. See you then, mi amor.

How It Used to Be Done

2010-05-18T15:20:00.001-04:00

Surely most basements in Little Italy look like this:

This was recently uncovered while rebuilding a front porch. Neat-o!!

Neighborhood Negroni

2010-05-18T10:07:00.000-04:00

Neighborhood Negroni

Watching The Detectives, Truth In Beer Part 2

2010-04-26T20:38:00.009-04:00

If you're sick-a-sick'n'tired
of being sick and tired
if you're sick of all the bullshit
and you're sick of all the lies
it's better late than never
to set-a-set it straight
you know the lie is dead
so give your self a break
get it through your head
get if off your chest
get it out your arm
because it's time to start fresh

"Fight Like A Brave" Red Hot Chili Peppers, September 29th, 1987.

Truth comes in a lot of different forms. There is truth in logic and mathematics. Follow the logic to an end and you may find truth. Two plus two faithfully equals four every time I add them together. Truth can also be found through conformity. If we all agree that something is the way we say it is, then it must be true. Right? It seems that we have to decide which reality we want to hold our truths.

I have recently had to spend quite a bit of energy to figure out what was real and what was generated purely from the dark crotches of my mind. I had to describe certain situations to people to verify that what I had experienced really happened. I wasn't able to differentiate between what I experienced through my senses and what blanks my mind randomly filled-in for me. It took me a long time to figure out why my life was falling apart and why I consistently made the wrong decisions. I had reacted crazily to easy, everyday situations. I couldn't deal with the consequences of everyday decisions - the simple stuff baffled me. Simply looking at certain people scared the shit out of me, and when I would relate that reaction to an impartial observer, they would look at me as if they could never understand how deeply irrational I was. I was out of accord with reality.

Thankfully, I have had tremendous help from friends, family, and learned professionals. I feel that I am finally able to trust my senses as the front line of reality that they are supposed to be. I feel like my senses can connect me again with the concrete world. I can KNOW that something is real. I can then verify that reality with another observer. We can have consensus. We can agree with each others' observations. Let's not get into things existing in themselves or this might confuse my evaluations. Let's assume that reality requires one other person's observations. If nothing else, we can live in and judge things in our own two-person reality.

So, we can establish a basis for reality and a benchmark from which to judge items verifiable by two people's experiences gained through their senses.

"A judgement is said to be true if it conforms to external reality." - Thomas Aquinas.

This is purposefully simplified so that we can move on to the beverage portion of the article. I certainly don't want to dismiss the philosophical work done on this subject from Socrates to Kant. It's just time to talk about beer!

I want to use Ithaca's Flower Power IPA as my first example. I love this beer. I'm going to favorably review this beer every time. I will gush about it. Brag about knowing about it. And proclaim its beer-y goodness from the rooftops. I will compare it to well-known and well-received beers of the same style.

Shaquille O'Neill is tall. We know this. I can verify this very easily. Flower Power is a hop-driven beer. It is designated as an IPA (India Pale Ale). It wouldn't take much to find someone to agree with me. At that point, the reality of this beer is known. But the question here is: what makes this beer "true beer?"

The answer to that question is self-evident. This is an American-style India Pale Ale that not only exemplifies the standards by which IPAs are judged, but exceeds them. It's is perfectly balanced. Drinks easily and lends itself to a second helping. It would certainly please any hop enthusiast, but is a stand-alone beer. There's enough going on in the malt to make any beer drinker happy. This is True Beer.

Next Week: Part 3: The Reinheitsgebot

What the F??? Get to Know These F-words.

2010-04-26T14:05:00.009-04:00

In an attempt to buy myself some time before I release the next installment of the Truth in Beer series, I am highlighting a cocktail phenomenon that has seen some resurgence outside and now in Cleveland. I also want to bring to my readers' attention two people who labor in anonymity to make the Cleveland cocktail world better.

Firstly, there are the F-bombs I want to throw around: Fee Brothers and Falernum. The Fee family is an American dynasty that dates back four generations in the manufacture of cocktail mixers, bitters, and other beverage flavorings. According to a quick Wiki search, Stephen Colbert is a direct descendent of the original Fee brothers. They produce an extensive line of bitters products including Aromatic Old Fashioned, West Indies Orange, Peach, Lemon, Grapefruit, Mint, Cherry, Aztec Chocolate, and Rhubarb.

The Fee Brothers Bitters line is an opportunity for bartenders to truly get creative with their cocktails. Bitters is an essential ingredient in making classic cocktails, throw-back concoctions, and getting into all that pre-prohibition nonsense. It's a definite departure from the standard Angostura aromatic type of bitters. Angostura is in practically every bar in the country and most bars in Cleveland have a dusty bottle somewhere in their liquor stock. Some simple Angostura uses begin with a rocks glass filled with ice, about five or six shakes of bitters onto the ice, then pour soda water, ginger ale, Sprite on top. The is very refreshing and simple and quick. The earliest definition of "cocktail" was in the May 13, 1806, edition of the Balance and Columbian Repository, a publication in Hudson, New York, in which an answer was provided to the question, "What is a cocktail?". It replied: “Cocktail is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters . . ." This is also a very simple beverage and is quite nice if thoughtfully prepared. Try to put together a 1806 "cocktail" using Bourbon, ice, a sugar cube, and Angostura bitters. It's a pretty damned good drink. Try drinking a Manhattan without bitters. Or, take the bitters out of an Old-Fashioned - not so tasty. Bitters are an essential, fundmental flavoring ingredient in countless cocktails and deserves the resurgence of interest in it it's getting.

The next F-bomb is Falernum. The flavors of almond, ginger, and lime combine in a syrup to make Falernum the basis of many tropical cocktails as well as the driving force behind such Tiki bar favorites as the Zombie and Mai Tai.

Tiki culture and Tiki cocktails have a long and fascinating history which include great drinks and interesting people. The Velvet Tango Room has a Falernum drink on its special drink menu. Check it out. Fee Brothers makes the non-alcoholic version of Falernum available from kegworks.com.

First is David Willhite. He is the bar manager at Dragonfly Lounge on West 25th street in Cleveland. He is a founding member of the Northeast Ohio US Bartenders'
Guild as well as one of the best traditional classic cocktail craftsmen. He is a tremendously active force in the burgeoning Cleveland cocktail scene the great host of West 25th's Dragonfly Lounge.

Second is Michael Gulley. Out East at the Cedar-Fairmount Wine Bar is Michael's oasis of cocktail culture. This twenty-something cocktail devotee has gone the extra mile to bring classic cocktail culture to Cleveland. A six month stint in New York "Speak Easy" bars has informed the work he brings to the Cleveland Heights location. If you find yourself in that neighborhood, stop by and sample one of these homages to REAL cocktails.

The Simple Pleasures: Coca-Cola

2010-04-23T16:21:00.002-04:00

This beverage's story and history are well known. I think I've seen the History Channel's version of it ten times. I like beverages. It's an obsession. I like Coca-Cola a little too much. There is simply nothing like it: out of a bottle or a can only, definitely with pizza or a burger. The pure cane sugar version is also the best. This can be found under a special label or at Kosher grocery stores.
There is also a very special delivery device. It's the coffee mug. Get an old, dirty coffee mug. Fill it with ice. Pour Coke over the ice. Let it chill the mug down for a minute. Enjoy. It even says it on the can!

I'm Over My Head, But It Sure Feels Nice. Truth In Beer, Part 1.

2010-04-17T19:21:00.002-04:00

There are a number of resources that have agreed upon specific characteristics that descibe spicific styles of beer. For example, the Beer Judge Certification Program has listed 107 different styles including ciders and perries and the like. They are very specific about what it takes to create the perfect California Common Beer, for example. They also include all of the optional characteristics in addition to the required elements to create that style beer. They do this so that beers can be quantified, measured for the sake of competition. Other organizations do this so that they can evaluate beer for various reasons.

The BJCP and others agree upon various characteristics of various styles so that discussions of beer can be held using the same vernacular. So that all of the words have the same meaning. When a judge says, "This is a 'Classic American Lager,'" we can all refer to the guidelines and understand what it is he's talking about. No confusion, no argument about what that beer is supposed to be. These descriptions are the benchmark upon which beers claiming to be that specific style are judged.

The question here is: Is fidelity truth? Is Truth In Beer an exercise in copying? So, Brewer X makes a perfect Classic American Lager. It wins all competitions and all of the learned judges agree that it's the perfect representation of its style. Would I want to drink it? Probably not. Perfection and Truth are not necessarily mutually exclusive or combine to make the beer good or bad. These are subjective judgements that have no relationship to the beer's adherence to style. The perfect Classic American Lager is not necessarily True Beer. The perfect IPA isn't either - even though I prefer the style.

When I go to a beverage store and see a brand that I have not tried before, I hope that the style written on the label is close to the agreed-upon characteristic of that style. So, that I get home with a bottle that says American IPA and actually tastes like one.

In this context, Fidelity is not necessarily Truth, but serves to make the beer world a little less confusing.

Part 2: Accord with Reality

These are not the droids you're looking for. Move along.

2010-04-15T13:01:00.005-04:00

If anyone says to you, "What you see is what you get," smack them. Or noogie. Or some other appropriate punishment for wasting your time and acting like an idiot. NOTHING is as what it seems to be. NOTHING!!! Seriously, people, stop thinking that objects, people, symbols, and situations are two-dimensional because they are not. There is no battle for Good and Evil. Every word typed on this page could be twisted and interpreted in many ways. Communication at its core is flawed. No single account of an incident will portray it properly. Evidence comes in many forms and can be corrupted.
The trick is to be ever vigilant about the truth. Scream it from every street corner. Wear it as a badge of righteousness. Call-out liars. Make people accountable for the little misrepresentations, exaggerations, embellishments, and the every-day frauds that we have to suffer. The problem is that people like the lies. They'd rather hear about the juicy lie than the boring truth. It's much easier to spread a lie than to spread a truth.
Ok. I'm going to step off the soap box and get back to the topic at hand: beverages. Truth in BEER.

I've gushed like a school girl about my beer crushes: Bell's Two-Hearted IPA, and Darkhorse's Crooked Tree IPA. Well truth exists in a few more beers. This is the new series TRUTH IN BEER.

This will be the theme of my writing about beer (until I get bored of it).

What is REAL BEER? What is truth in beer? Stay tuned to find out and get reviews about beer from this unique perspective.

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

2010-04-02T04:32:00.003-04:00

While we near the end of the Lenten season and Easter is upon us, my mind wanders back towards the decadent pastimes in which I tend to indulge: wine, beer, spirits, and "le produit de la cuisine."
First and foremost, upon a visit from my long-time friend Ronen and his beautiful family I was introduced to Kosher, Israeli wine. Wow.

Carmel Winery's, 2004 Kayoumi, Single Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Upper Galilee. This Cab poured a deep purple showing the extraction that belied the possibilities held in the first sip. Revealed at that point was a sort of alcohol heat that when it subsided gave way to Cabernet-appropriate flavors of plum, dark berries, cocoa, and new French oak. It was structured just right for a wine of its price and varietal. I went back to this wine repeatedly, exclaiming its virtues and wondering aloud, "so, this is Kosher wine!" It was great and got me curious about what else Israel has in store.

Cocktail Smackdown I: Curley versus Minnillo

2010-03-22T15:59:00.004-04:00

This one's been a long time in the making. Everest Curley, a long-time beverage nerd and cocktail purist will be battling with me, Chris Minnillo, a crazy mo-fo with cocktails on the brain. There will be three secret ingredients chosen randomly by an independent party. Those three ingredients will be kept secret until they are revealled one by one to the contestants. Three cocktails will be made: one for the two judges and one for the audience. The judges will make their decisions and the audience will be the potential tie-breaker.
So, get your asses up to the Duck Island Club to witness this momentous event in Cleveland cocktail history.

Wednesday, March 24th at 8pm.

The Mighty Kombucha, I mean, Boosh!!

2010-03-13T15:16:00.001-05:00

More Lent Stuff: Kombucha, Ferment For Health

2010-03-13T09:40:00.003-05:00

This blog entry touched on Kombucha, but that was 18 months ago. Here it is again: That fermented tea beverage that is probiotic, vitamin rich, and just damned tasty.

This is what you do:

Get a big Mason Jar or other glass container with a wide opening.

Buy an ounce of the citrus green tea from City Roast at the market.

Brew the tea in your mason jar with some sugar - a cup? whatever you want, but enough to feed your Kombucha mother.

Let it steep over night covered.

The next day, carefully apply your Kombucha mother (scoby) to your tea. If you don't have one, or know someone that does, you can buy one via many websites that sell them. Or, you can scavenge one from a commercially produced kombucha bottle available at health food stores, Whole Foods, or Nature's Bin in Lakewood. If you choose the scavenge method, you will likely have to wait a while 'til it grows to a size that can process your tea. This usually takes about a month. Otherwise, the scoby you apply to your tea will work for two weeks on your tea. You can bottle it then. I use sanitized flip-top beer bottles. A few days in the bottle at room temperature will create a small amount of carbonation and make this an even more fun beverage.

Get a scoby:

Ebay

AF Distribution

Is Your Beer Green? No, not St. Pat's Day style.

2010-03-05T15:14:00.002-05:00

Hey! You guys with the conspicuously rolled-up right pant leg!! Yeah you – you ride your bike everywhere, care about the environment, and love yourself a PBR!! Nostalgia beer: the evil, dominating oppressor of beer culture. It has set the craft beer movement back a bit by stealing away some of its target audience. But, are you negating all your hard, green work by drinking a PBR? I’ll find out as I research the carbon footprint of beers – especially those “nostalgia” beers that are so popular among the supposedly environmentally conscious youth of America. Stay tuned . . .

The Wowsers in Your Trowsers

2010-03-04T15:16:00.001-05:00

Check out this. The worlds strongest beer. Yowsers!

Hellooooooo Lent!

2010-02-25T13:23:00.005-05:00

Ok. I'm not the most Catholic of Catholics, but I believe in the self-discipline that comes from denying yourself your favorite Earthly pleasures. And, since this blog is about adult beverages, the next 30-some days will be about different kinds of adult beverages - the one's that don't have alcohol in them, silly. How about ginger beer? Yeah, the real stuff - we're not talking about that syrupy sweet crap with no flavor. We're talking about the REAL ginger beer, the stuff that puts hair on your chest (or more in my case). It's the bubbly concoction that's got real ginger flavor. You can make it yourself. Here's a recipe:

This one's from Alton Brown. There are a ton of other, older recipes, but they're all pretty much the same.

1 1/2 oz. fresh, finely grated ginger

7 1/2 cups filtered water

6 ounces sugar

1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place sugar, ginger, and a half cup of the water into a two quart saucepan and set over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove the heat, cover and allow to steep for one hour.

Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing down to get all the juice out of the mixture. Chill quickly by adding ice and placing into the fridge until it's at room temperature.

Pour the syrup into a clean 2-liter bottle, add yeast, and the remainder of the water. Place the cap on the bottle, shake gently, and leave the bottle to ferement at room temperature for 48 hours.

Some further reading on the subject of bottling by the great Sandor Katz.

Here's my favorite Ginger, Tina Louise:

Electric Ladyland

2010-02-16T11:12:00.004-05:00

The Northeastern Ohio Bartenders' Guild is currently forming. Check out the facebook page and the national page. What we need is a petition-type of showing of interested parties: bartenders, bars, suppliers (wine, beer, spirits distributors/producers). We take this show of interest to the national organization and Cleveland gets a chapter!!! It's that simple at this point. Ultimately, this is a valuable resource for everyone in the business. Everyone can benefit from membership in the Guild. So, join the Facebook group, send via Facebook your information and we'll forward it along with everyone else's to the national organization.

Back to the booze. Dave Wilhite of Dragonfly on 25th St. and I popped over to the ABC after enjoying the hospitality of The Old Angle with Eddie Ryan of the Bier Markt. I was overjoyed to learn that Darkhorse Crooked Tree IPA was back on tap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes: lots of exclamation points for this!!!!

This beer was GLOWING. I swear to GOD!! It was so intensely cloudy that it looked like it was glowing in the light of the bar. This seemed to change the texture of the beer a bit. I thought that I was drinking a creamier beer, but it could be attributed only to the fact that it was cloudy. Who knows? Anyhow, upon receipt of my second beer, Eddie pointed-out a floating piece of a hop bud. Could this be possible? The beer was obviously not filtered, but could hop chunks end up in my glass? I'd prefer to not think it was a booger or something worse, so I'm going with the hop theory. Somehow, the ABC does it again. Thank you, ABC. I love you. Smooches!

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T21:33:00.001-05:00

Gonna take my special lady out for Valentine's - Ms. Hearted. Let you know how it goes.

My True Valentine

2010-02-12T13:56:00.004-05:00

Dear Two Hearted Ale,

You are sooooo hot. I'm, like, totally in love with you. I really enjoyed the time we spent together last night. It was really special. When you look into my eyes, I get weak in the knees. When I gaze into yours, I can see the sincerity, the truth, and the pure refreshment. You are loyal and have never let me down. Every time we're together, I have fun. This is why you are my true Valentine. I look forward to many more years with you.

Love always,

Chris

Hop Bowl I - In Overtime

2010-02-09T12:10:00.003-05:00

Other Hoppy Beers (that I love):

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid - Thanks to the mention from Ryan, I'm going to wax poetic about Hop Stoopid. This beer is the bees' knees. I can appreciate it for a beer that is strictly a hop flavor delivery system. Shoot that hoppiness directly into my palate!! Why bother with malty complexity? It just gets in the way. I've often thought that the prize in the cereal box would be a lot more fun if they just did away with the cereal. Catch my drift?

New Holland Brewing Mad Hatter IPA - A brewery that can make Dragon's Milk better be able to crush an IPA. Ya know? And they do crush it. This is a very fine example of a standard American IPA. It's not racy and astringent like some others I like, but it's more balanced and drinkable with some substantial body. One really feels like one is drinking a BEER! It's a fine food beer as well as I have tested it against ABC the Tavern's cuisine (they have it in the bottle). Why Mad Hatter over any of the others? No reason, just drink it.

Southern Tier Unearthly Imperial IPA - "To underestimate Unearthly is to trifle with the mysteries of the Universe, so please consume wisely." Uhhhhh, yeah. No doubt. I believe the first time I tried this beautifully crafted beer, it kicked my ass up and down the street. It can drink like a standard IPA, but there's no doubt of it's power to sneak-up on you and render you fine motor capacity useless. Oh yeah, and it tastes good.

So, I've got to get out there and do some more research. The next installment will be Hop Bowl I - Home Teams. A little bit of the local.

Hop Bowl I - Special Teams

2010-02-08T12:47:00.005-05:00

The "Other" category of hoppy beers (that I love):

Lagunitas Brewing Company A Little Sumpin' Extra! Ale - Not an IPA, or a wheat as the website might suggest, but certainly a hop-driven beer with a creamy malt background that is actually really interesting. I kept on going back to it. I just wanted to believe what my palate was telling me. The malt flavors are very interesting and focussed me back into the beer at every sip. Give this one a try.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale - This is MY kind of winter beer. It's an Amber-colored, dry-hopped, IPA-in-disguise. Out of the bottle, it's a nice, well-balanced, refreshing beer. On draft, it's a bit more intense - more hop zingy-ness, a bit more sweet malt. Not sure what this was when I first encountered it at the grocery store. It looked like it could be another spicy holiday beer, but instead I brought home a relatively inexpensive hoppy rascal!! Very nice beer.

Dogfishhead Burton Baton - "Holy shit." That's what one expects to hear from someone's first taste of this monstrous blend of English Strong Ale and 90 Minute IPA. These two beers are blended and then aged in oak barrels. The hops seem to exist only as a foil for the very complex malt and oak flavors that drive this beer. It's a 10% ABV beer, so watch it, kid.

Harvest Beers - Another reason to love the fall: the Harvest beers are released. Check out Southern Tier, Sierra Nevada. They are lots of fun as they are "wet-hopped" which means that the brewer uses freshly picked, not dried hops in his beer. This ensures that all of the hop flavor is present at the addition. The result is a vibrantly hoppy beer. Yay!!!

There are some other beautifully hoppy beer that defy a strict definition, and I'll get to them soon. Maybe in an overtime edition!

Hop Bowl I - the second half

2010-02-07T22:55:00.003-05:00

Double IPAs (that I love):

Founder's Double Trouble - 86 IBUs of pure hoppiness. The malts tructure of this beer is not exactly worth writing home about. However, the hop aroma is tingly, grapefruit, earthy, and pithy bitterness. On the palate, lightly roasty malt gives play to the hop flavors that persist and persist and persist. Too many of these and . . . well, I don't remember what happens.

Dogfishhead 90 Minute - My least favorite of the group probably because I am so well-acquainted with it. It's a very malty, roasty beer with some pretty well integrated bitterness, but nothing I go wild about. A nice beer that when I think of double IPAs, I'm not thinking about nice beers. I'm expecting to get bowled-over.

Arcadia Hopmouth - Talk about getting bowled-over!! This is a the more well-balanced of the two most hop-driven of Arcadia's beers. The other, Hop Rocket is just freakin' ridiculous. Hopmouth, on the other hand, is more malt driven and in such a way that allows for a very nicely integrated expression of hop flavors. I think a four-pack of this beer goes down a little too quickly. At 8.1%, it's fun, but not crazy. I like it as a friend, but not a friend friend.

Stoudts Double IPA - Weighing-in at 90 IBU and a solid 10% ABV, Stoudts Double has been a contender for me for years. I truly enjoyed this beer when it was on tap at The Flying Fig a while back. It's a food Double, somehow. At least, I equate it with food in relation to the Flying Fig. It's got a very nice texture and body. Some slightly sweet maltiness and tons of citrus hop character define this beer. I have been a fan of this beer for a while, but it has taken a back seat as sooooo much beer has entered the Ohio market.

The next installment, "Special Teams."

Hop Bowl I

2010-02-07T18:29:00.004-05:00

Standard IPAs (that I love):

Dark Horse Brewing's Crooked Tree IPA - see last blog entry.

Ithaca Brewing's Flower Power IPA - Ok, this is my all-around favorite. It's similar in style to Crooked Tree. A little hazy, crisp, floral, a touch of citrus sitting atop a light malt delivery system. I would drink this out of an old shoe.

Bell's Two Hearted Ale - it actually says "IPA" on the bottle, so don't let the name fool you. This beer is a phenomenon. It's the most perfectly balanced beer I have ever had. Hop bitterness and malt sweetness combine perfectly to make this Swiss Army knife type of beer. It's a session beer, an IPA, a BBQ beer, an Asian food beer, a hot summer day beer, and a cold winter night beer. I would like to hug this beer.

Bear Republic Racer 5 - If all else fails and the previous three beers are not available, Racer 5 does the trick. This IPA is lighter in color and body and pours more clearly than the others. This lends itself to a beer that is less a study in hops than a refreshing chugger. I like this beer when I want a little hop bitterness and citrus to pop off just above the malt flavors.

There are others like Dogfishhead's 60 Minute IPA and Founder's Centennial IPA that certainly make the cut, but I want to move onto the other team - the doubles!! Stay tuned...

New to Ohio, sort of.

2010-02-06T11:55:00.007-05:00

On a trip to Detroit several years ago I was introduced to this little gem of a beer: Dark Horse Brewing Co.'s Crooked Tree IPA. I came racing back to Ohio to find out I had to go back to Michigan to have another one. Shit!! So, I cried a little. Then found an Ohio retailer that knew of the beer and requested it. I didn't know that Crooked Tree wasn't being sold in Ohio, so my request was a shot in the dark. The retailer responded, after a while, with a NEGATIVE. More light sobbing ensued and I was forced to travel to Michigan to buy this beer, again.

Crooked Tree is Dark Horse's India Pale Ale. It's a luminescent, cloudy sunset color. The nose is very much in the citrus realm, but very light toasty notes persist. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, crisp with a citrus-y hop tang. The desciption from the website claims that it is "inspired by West Coast IPAs, but brewed with Michigan style." Not exactly sure what that means, but this IPA is well-balanced malt sweetness with hop bitterness, refreshing, crisp, and begs for another. I didn't want the flavor to dissipate from my palate!!

My second beer related trip to Michigan revealed to me the magic of Crooked Tree's bigger brother, Double Crooked Tree!! Holy freaking crap, Batman! A super-sized version of Crooked Tree, this beer is a "true double," according to Dark Horse's website. They doubled every ingredient except for the water. It's sold in the four-pack with a wax-finished top. Also, the label's pretty sweet.

[To be a bit more clear, ABC and Melt have (or had) the regular Crooked Tree IPA on draft.]

ABC the Tavern had this beer on draft for a few days, and I was in heaven!! Melt also has it on draft, if you prefer. ABC's got it in the bottle now and it's fine, but not nearly as vibrant and lively a beer as the creature on draft. My thanks to the visionary distributor that brought this fine product to Ohio.

Ti-iii-ii-iime is on my side, yes it is. . .

2010-02-01T18:29:00.005-05:00

It's funny how the coin flips and we still find it a shocking surprise. That's what happened to me. I was so damned busy with work and trying to make something of my less than stellar life when - bammo! The bottom dropped out of my capacity to function properly. I suppose that one can say that I was sort of always teetering on the brink of something crazy at any given point in my life. I was forced to quit my job, put my career on hold, and got heavily medicated. So much so that the idea of me returning to work put a rather concerned face on my doctor.

So, I have time. Lots of it. This blog has seen much regrettable neglect and I'm here to change that. I swear!!!

The first order of business is, of course, cider. Unfortunately, I have only made very small batches of cider this year. One of them, however, is the beet/apple combo that proved so successful three years ago. I can't wait until that one is ready (minimum six months in bottle). I'd like to make larger batches and more often, but space and money continue to hold me back. If anybody would like to discuss helping to get this project off the ground, I'm all ears and ready to get to work!! In the meantime, there's lots of other stuff to spill.

The USBG, the United States Bartenders' Guild, is organizing as we speak in Northeast Ohio!! This is great news for EVERYONE. We can all benefit from the collective knowledge and experience of the USBG members from all over. The local bartenders improve at all levels, have an opportunity to share info, the bars can get involved in many ways, and all of us cocktail enthusiasts can finally get a good Negroni or Manhattan or whatever!! This is a tough town to get a good drink in, so I'm excited to see this guild get off the ground.

Some new bars/restaurants have popped-up since my last post. ABC the Tavern on 25th in Ohio City, ran by Dave Hridel, has made a strong showing of its food, beer selection, and a few very decent cocktails. IT's been a gangbusters, 5-deep affair on the weekend, but during the week, the locals can't resist the burger and the excellent draft selection. Also new in Tremont is the fabulously chic Dante. Another Dave man's the bar and is kicking-out very well-balanced drinks, cool beers, and some thoughtfully picked wines. I haven't tried the food yet, but the menu had my phasers set on drool. I'll get to Chinato, Zack Bruell's place, soon. Just need to bring back up the cash reserves.

Eric Anderson of Buckeye Brewing and the Greenhouse Tavern have collaborated on a Greenhouse exclusive beer. It's a Saison-style beer and fits perfectly with the GHT's adventurous beverage program and French-inspired menu. IT's the most true expression of supporting local companies. Check it out!!

I'll have some more info on cocktails, beer, wine, and restaurants/bars very soon. Check back this week to see my article from Ohio Authority.

GLOGG GLOGG GLOGG GLOGG!!!!

2009-12-13T17:13:00.002-05:00

What's the winter answer to Summer's Sangria? Glogg!!! It's warm, spiced wine served with honey, raisins, and almonds. It's Scandinavian. It's tasty. And warms the cockles - among other things. I have recently deferred to our local expert on Glogg, Scott Ackerman. His long stint in Sweden informed the magic he performs upon regular ol' wine. We add a bit of Barenjager for the honey flavor, and BLAMMO! What you got there is Glogg. It's been noticed by some fellow bloggers as well. All things Swedish may as well be things Cleveland. Right? Stop by the Greenhouse Tavern and try one.

Spoiled Rotten

2009-10-03T13:23:00.002-04:00

To the few and proud readers of this blog, it is well known that I get my jollies from watching micro-organisms get-it-on. I started fermenting stuff in college as told in this blog from last year. Since then, I have fermented lots of different stuff with varying degrees of success. Some things smell and taste like rotten garbage. Some things smell like an angel's armpit and taste like honeyed berries. Ya never know. It's fun to do the experiments because I feel like a kid in science class.
To that end, I'm going to ferment some very odd things and document their progress and the final results. If you, dear reader, have any suggestions, I'd be glad to entertain them. The more bizarre, the better.

Old Man Drinks Old Man Drinks.

2009-09-29T11:10:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure at what point this happened, but my palette and interests have shifted towards the flavors my grandfather and his cronies favored. How about pulling my pants way up, donning a flat-cap, lighting a cheap cigar, and quickly mixing a new round of Rusty Nails for my bocce teammates in between turns.
Yes. That's what it feels like. With the swift turn of the seasons comes a swift turn into Bourbon, Rye, Irish, and Scotch. Their friends, Campari, bitters, Drambuie, and Benedictine, are never too far behind them. I say, "Good day" to Vodka until the crocus flower pops out through the early spring snow. I say, "Hello" to the Velvet Tango Room's amazing Manhattan.
Submit your favorite old man drink in comments and revel in their old, saggy glory!

Me Make Humpy on Chartreuse!

2009-09-24T10:16:00.005-04:00

Did I just type that title? Yes. Yes, I did. I'm not ashamed of my love for this green concoction, though. I haven't shouted it from the rooftops, but I try to work it into every conversation I have and every drink I make at work. How about a splash of Chartreuse in your wine? Fortunately, the words don't actually spill out as hopelessly as they sound in my head. I get enough odd looks from people.

Buy this stuff. Chill it down. Sip and savor.

Or, use it place of Vermouth in a Gin Martini.

Lemon vodka on the rocks with a splash of Chartreuse is nice, too.

Another reason to love the French, Monks, French Monks, and the French (again).

Sheesh!

2009-05-31T14:57:00.002-04:00

Ok, so it's been a while since my last post, but I'm back. Lot's of stuff has happened since February: major back injury, trip to Spain, and a move into a new house.

Cider will be fermented again this year! I will not likely stop as last year's disappointing experiment tastes fantastic - to my surprise. I've got a case or two bottled if you want to try some!

Stay tuned as more talk of cocktails, wines, beers, and (of course) ciders resumes.

Yay Internet!

Does This Cocktail Make Me Look Old?

2009-02-12T12:06:00.003-05:00

I LOVE them. Every time I order one, I have a moment of reflection in which my age and drinking habits come into question. Why did I chose this drink? Why did the words to order it tumble out of my mouth before I could truly measure the implications? Why do I always worry that its construction will be shoddy? Should I have just ordered a beer? What if they don't have bitters? Did the bartender just blow a layer of dust off of that sweet vermouth bottle? It may be a source of anxiety in my life, but I love a good cocktail!

It's a fine drink with a respectable heritage and origin. It's spicy, sweet, earthy. I like it with bourbon, specifically Maker's Mark, but have been known to engage in CC, Chivas, and Jack Daniel's versions. This time of year, it's a must-drink cocktail. It warms the soul and provides a martini-equivalent buzz. If you haven't figured it out by now, it's the Manhattan.

It was invented at the "Manhattan Club" for a party thrown by Winston Churchill's mother, Lady Randolph Churchill. It's usually served up, but I like mine on the rocks. This drink is simple: Whiskey (bourbon, Tennessee), sweet vermouth, bitters (Angostura - as the other stuff is just not right). Strain this through ice into a martini glass or stir onto ice in a rocks glass. Add a cherry and you're laughing.

Sip Italy.

2009-01-26T21:27:00.006-05:00

An aperitivo (aperitif) is the most important drink in the meal. Aperitivi open up and awaken the taste buds as well as stir up one's appetite. My favorite is Campari. I can't seem to get enough - to my demise. For those of you that don't know, it's this red concoction that falls into the "bitter" category and contains such ingredients as quinine, rhubarb, ginseng, orange peels and aromatic herbs. These are combined and macerated in a blend of distilled water and alcohol for a couple of weeks. That's mot exactly the whole story as the distiller holds the recipe secret. It's lightly bitter and sweet and is best served with a splash of soda. Garnish with an orange slice and you're off! The Campari advertising company really knows what's up, too:

Now, imagine the elegance of a culture that draws from an extremely wide variety of sources to simply provide a drink that follows your coffee after a meal. Amari, Italian bitters, are just such drinks. I love them. They don't always love me back, but that usually depends on how many glasses of wine precede them. Monks or pharmacists are usually behind these concoctions - as they are usually behind so many other good things. They made them from countless different herbs, barks, roots, flowers, and other such snake oil type ingredients. They were at one time prescribed for various illnesses, too. They come in a variety of styles, but Ohio seems to be carry only a few. We tend to get what are known as medium Amari. These are the sweet ones. Think Jagermeister. Ok, you can stop now. Instead of freezing them to death and force-feeding them to douch-y frat boys, a medium Amaro can be elevated by a few ice cubes or a spritz of soda. I've had Averna and Luxardo. These two are sweet and strong. There's so much going on in the glass with these drinks, I'll have to address them again soon. Very soon. I'm going to throw Punch Abruzzo into this mix as it is very similar in style. I don't know why it isn't called an Amaro, but it sure tastes and feels like one. It's also very herbal, sweet, with a touch of citrus and something sort of earthy on the finish. Drink with a couple of ice cubes.

I'm not sure what is available in Ohio for Amari, but I'd love to try more of the less sweet ones. If anyone knows, drop me a line.

Drink Japan.

2009-01-22T16:40:00.007-05:00

I'll quickly apologize for the lengthy absence: Sorry. I've been busy obsessing about the Jonas Brothers, trying to stay warm, and experimenting with new beverages (more about this later). Christmas and New Years were fine for me and I hope all y'alls was fine as well. Now that we're into the thick of winter and the most dismal, gloomy, cloudy and bitter cold part of Cleveland's most trying part of the year, I like to distract myself with new things. Lately, I've been drinking all things Japan.
Japan seems to me to be an exotic land of extremes: high-tech mixed with ancient culture and all that jazz. They make some cool ancient spirits using a mix of ancient and modern methods, too. For instance, I've been interested in Shochu. Shochu is the generic term for distilled spirits with this specific heritage. Shochu is derived from the distillation of several different sources: fermented barley (like whisky), rice, buckwheat, sweet potatoes, and wheat. The barley shochu (aka Mugi - pictured here) is available here in Ohio. The brand available here is called Yokaichi. This spirit is hard to describe using what I know of spirits widely available as a referrence. It's fairly low in alcohol at 25% compared to most western spirits and it doesn't seem to have any barrel aging. So, it's a bit like soft whiskey. One other notable thing about shochu is Koji. Koji is a mold used in the process of saccharization (turning starches into fermentable sugar). There are three types: black, yellow, and white. Koji also produces citric acid and other flavors that influence the final product. The yellow type is also used in the production of sake.

Speaking of sake, here's a shout-out to my favorite sake, Suigei "The Drunken Whale." It conjures a funny image in my mind whenever I drink it. Here's a pic:
I've got to watch my intake of this next product or I'll be a drunken whale: Hitachino Nest White Ale. Not exactly the most amazing white ale I've ever had, but it's good, has a cool label, and is available at some local beer-oriented joints. It's modeled after the Belgian White Ale style and is brewed with coriander and all that fun stuff.
Next up: Italian Spirits, cordials, etc. Send me suggestions your favorites.

Over A Barrel

2008-12-02T20:27:00.004-05:00

I've been noticing lately a lot more barrel aged beers being sold in our fair state. I've tried only a few, but they seem to be falling out of the sky. I've tried these so far:

Stone's Oaked Arrogant Bastard

Great Divide's Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

I know there's a ton more, but my memory sucks and by the time I decide to have one of these, taking notes is not a priority. Ya know?

Got any more to add? I'd like to try them all. List them here.

Part One: The Official Drink of Humanity

2008-11-29T15:10:00.006-05:00

I started to write about how awesome fermentation is in this post (thusly freely admitting a deeply-seeded and undeniable nerdness that resides entrenched in my heart. The shame of which is only bearable because I have another compelling need to share it with anyone that will listen). I want to continue that thought by telling my dear reader that I'm certainly not the first to think this and very likely not the last.

Research states that most civilizations got the memo by at least 3000 BCE; while some pioneered the saucy arts as early as 9000 BCE. Some reports put the earliest winemaking at the sites of modern day Rep. of Georgia and Armenia. It quickly travelled to Persia where it became an extremely important part of courtly business:

Herodotus tells us that the Persians were very fond of wine (Old Persoan batu) and that they made important decisions in the following manner. First they became drunk, since they believed that only when you are drunk do you tell the truth. Then, the next day when they were sober they reconsidered the matter.[6] Pliny states that wine was also used with drugs for collecting information. The type of drug used with wine was called Achaemenis which had the following effect: "when it is drunk in wine, criminals confess to everything." [7] [6] Herdotous, I. 135. [7] Pliny, Natural History, 23.17

A stretch down the road in Sumeria and Egypt, wine grapes became domesticated and cultivated. Winemaking scenes were found on Egyptian tomb walls. This was the beginning of the wine industry. Wine was traded and made its way around the civilized world.

Well before the Greeks worshipped Dionysis, the Sumerians had Ninkasi. She was the Sumerian goddess of fermentation. She was a matron god - in charge of and watching over fermentation. She wasn't a super-prominent character in the mythos, but important nonetheless. From my perspective, she's important to fermentation because of the way the Sumerians tended to ferment their beverages. It was more like leaving garbage out to rot, according to some sources. A benevolent goddess sounds like a good thing to have on your side even in a modern winery or brewhouse.

Her name's been referrenced by Anchor Brewing Company and the Homebrewers Association: The Ninkasi Award is the prize given by

American Homebrewers Association for the brewer who gains the most points in the second round of the National Homebrew Competition judged at the National Homebrewers Conference. The winner of the Ninkasi Award is widely considered the best homebrewer of the year. There's also a brewery in Oregon that goes by her name.

There are so many aspects of ancient wine and beer-making that I'll highlight here in the future.

Proof That I Was There

2008-11-20T15:16:00.004-05:00

This is a referrence to this post. Please be careful while travelling in my fair neighborhood. You never know what will happen!

Jake was not enjoying this venture.

Not Too Many Things Are As Cool As. . .

2008-11-18T16:25:00.007-05:00

. . . Italian wine.

The following are stellar examples. Go somewhere like Primo Vino and drink them.

Sorry about the crap pictures.

Villa Calcinaia, Riserva 2004, Chianti Classico

Italian wine lives in many worlds. Chianti Classico wines are no exception. They are a really fun date. They can be the subject of intense study and reflection or they can simply and beautifully compliment to food. Villa Calcinaia's Riserva 2004 is that wine.

Another world that Italian wine lives in is Sicily. Yeah, it's a different world. Sicily produces hot weather reds and cool weather whites (really). Sicilian Chardonnay is not a joke. Neither is this wine: Planeta, 2004 Santa Cicilia, IGT. This Nero d'Avola wine shows bright, complex fruit (like a bunch of integrated flavors) that is complemented by light tannin and a bit of acidity.

The real thinker of the group was Mauro Veglio, 1995 Barolo. It's hard to know exactly what to expect from a wine like this. So, I just dove in. It was one of the first I tasted - my palate untainted and ready to go. In the glass, it showed a bit of oxidation on the edges, but held a color more like good Burgundy than anything else. It was silky. Bottle aging has done its work well in creating that texture. Fruit was less inportant to this wine than the others. This one was more texture, mouthfeel, and the background flavors - darker, spicier things that were happening.

Finally, if you're still involved in this post, is my favorite: Monsanto, Riserva 2005, Chianti Classico. Wow. When I could get my jaw off the floor, I had a second sip. What a wine! This is one that has everything. Fruit is paired with meaty flavors. Tannin and acid work amazingly well to create a fine mouthfeel. It worked well with food.

You go, girl!!

2008-11-16T20:36:00.001-05:00

I'm Not A Real Microbiologist, I Just Play One On TV.

2008-11-10T19:26:00.005-05:00

Before six years ago, I had never (intentionally) fermented anything. Once, while in college, I found a long forgotten bottle of apple juice in my closet that with the lightest touch - BOOM - exploded its cap directly into my eye. I felt that one for a week. I had the faintest notion that what had occurred in that fateful bottle was fermentation, but I hadn't the foggiest as to how.

Many ill-spent, but fun, years went by until I had become obsessed with and then enslaved by my life-long lover, wine. My education was one by fire as I had to go out and sell the stuff that, at the time, I had no clue about. I learned quickly - very quickly. My desire to learn did not stop with how to sell it or with AOCs and DOCGs. I was determined to learn every aspect from production to service. And I did.

I am certainly not saying that I have in any way satisfied my interest in the fermented beverage. The reason for this posting is to explore and illustrate my current interests in this matter. And that is bugs and fungi. Shit, those little critters are making me crazy!

For starters, I have the glorious job of being yeast babysitter for a bunch of cider. Just as I would likely be a crappy babysitter for kids, I neglect my yeasty charges with the excuse of "letting nature take its course." I haven't gotten to the point of chaining them to a radiator with a bucket of fish heads within reach, but I'm close.

Seriously, though, they are pretty easy to maintain when they have a clean place to live, tons of good food, and comfy warmth. The challenge is the cat-herding that is keeping bacteria in line. Darn those crazy critters! It's sort of a teacher's pet situation: encouraging the good bacteria and keeping the bad ones at bay. There are all sorts of neat-o fermented beverages like Kombucha, fermented milk products like kefir and yogurt, and fermented corn (chicha), even fermented coca!

I've been having fun making Kombucha at home. It's easy to make and can be a really tasty drink if you add the right juices and sugars.

I suppose that what I'm driving at is that I find this stuff fascinating especially since so many products I enjoy are the product of fermentation of some sort. Next time you have a hearty mug of Kvass, think about all the critters that made it happen.

Dear Bachelor, Get Thee to the Market! Verily!

2008-11-06T10:19:00.009-05:00

I live in Ohio City. While it may be hip and totally awesome (Valspeak), it does have some drawbacks. For example, my kitchen may have lived a past life as a closet. It does contain the essentials: sink with water faucet, refrigerator unit, and stove/oven combo of the electric variety. However, there are no drawers. There is very little counter space. And, if another person attempts to enter while I'm cooking, they may get a wet spatula upside the head!

So, I'm sad to say, I don't cook much at home. Fortunately, I live one singular block from the West Side Market and from a truck load of really great restaurants. I don't starve.

I also can't eat at restaurants every night.

What's a boy to do? Get to the market. Get to Gary Thomas's newest contribution to the WSM, Sideshow! It's a stand across the way from Gary's Ohio City Pasta stand that sells beautifully and creatively prepared foods. Now, I can plate this great stuff on my little postage stamp countertop and feel as if I cooked!

Much LOVE for my homie Aventinus!

2008-10-29T23:24:00.006-04:00

Word.

Dark-ruby, almost black-colored and streaked with fine top-fermenting yeast, this beer has a compact and persistent head. This is a very intense wheat doppelbock with a complex spicy chocolate-like arome with a hint of banana and raisins. On the palate, you experience a soft touch and on the tongue it is very rich and complex, though fresh with a hint of caramel. It finishes in a rich soft and lightly bitter impression.

Dark-ruby colored, wheat doppelbock
Complex spicy chocolate aroma
Pure top-fermenting yeast
Original bottle fermentation
Created in 1907
Creator: Mathilde Schneider
Wheat doppelbock 8.2 % vol. alc. Original gravity 18.5%

These German fellas have been making beer since 1872 and are credited with saving wheat beer from falling out of style. Wheat beers were brewed in that spot since 1607!! That spot was bombed in 1944, but the family moved the main operation so that we can taste their long tradition of brewing today.

This is one of my favorite cold-weather/fall beers. It's the best of both worlds for me. It's got some roasty malt flavors, but isn't heavy like a stout or porter. It's got some different flavors, too: spicy, yeasty, a bit of funky banana.

Try one. Think about that brewery getting bombed. Think about YOU getting bombed - it's 8.2%!!

The Best Freaking Ohio Cider, Ever!!

2008-10-26T11:25:00.008-04:00

So, I have this penchant for overly dramatic headlines. You're reading the following text, right? Ha! Suckers!

I did, however, sample the BEST CIDER IN OHIO.

I was accomplanied by Commissioner Bubby. We drove to the first orchard, staying on West 25th/Pearl Rd./Route 3 pretty much the whole way! We enjoyed our completely unnecessary tours of Parma, Brunswick, and Medina because we were treated to the absolutely breathtaking scenery of what followed.

The landscape that I usually associate with rural Ohio is flat corn-ness. Because of the sheer flatness of Ohio's chest (perhaps a AA-cup), corn visibility is very high. My regular route from Cleveland to Columbus is shared by all that commute between the two cities - 71! This route can suck all that is holy and good from your soul through your teeth. It's mostly flat, lousy with corn, and dotted alternately with Adult Bookstores and Outlet Malls. Instead of torturing ourselves in the traditional manner (taking 71), we took the road much less travelled: which was driving south from Ohio City on West 25th street and all its incarnations until we reached our first destination.

Once we got past Medina and, eventually, Wooster, we started to see this less obvious part of Ohio that city-slickers like us never see. It's reminiscent of the rolling hills in parts of Tuscany or southern France. It's purely rural in the old-fashioned way that pleases and reinforces my image of rural Ohio. The Autumnal foliage was in full-effect. Fall weather provided us with dramatic skies that when we arrived at Windy Hill Apple Farm near Newark, Oh, we were literally blown away! They don't call it Windy Hill for nothing!

Windy Hill Apple Farm had several long rows of trees bearing GoldRush apples available to pick. The Commisioner and I had tons of fun picking our 1/2 bushel of apples. The kids that were there were REALLY having fun! Laughing, screaming, and running amok like rascally goofballs in the orchard. This was our cue to get out of the orchard and find the owner, Charlie and to sample some of last year's hard cider. I was really excited about this moment and it was our main reason for stopping at this farm first! In the basement of his home, Charlie produces what he refers to as a real farmhouse style hard cider. This is exerpted directly from his website:

Hard cider is fermented Sweet Cider where most of the natural sugar has been converted to alcohol. It can be made and sold without a license so long as it is made from pure apple juice, has less than 7% alcohol, no preservation methods or materials have been used (not pasteurized or sulfited), and it is not artificially carbonated. The end result of these conditions is that it is a somewhat still and dry alcoholic beverage.
We make our Hard Cider from the Sweet Cider of our apples with the yeast naturally present in our orchard. These are multiple species of yeast that require a slow low temperature fermentation for a rich full flavor. Once the primary fermentation is finished, we rack the cider into stainless steel tanks for the secondary fermentation where the malic acid is converted to lactic acid yielding a smoother taste and slightly effervescent cider naturally carbonated by the malo-lactic fermentation. All of this requires at least six months and sometimes more. This process yields what is referred to as a farmhouse cider in that it uses what is naturally available at the farm and is slow and unhurried in the farmhouse cellar.
We make two different Hard Ciders. One is light and mellow with a slight effervescence as made from pure GoldRush juice. This is reminiscent of the ciders from Normandy France and thus we say this is in the French tradition. The second is made from a combination of GoldRush and Enterprise apple ciders. The Enterprise apples have more tannin in them which gives the blend a rounder flavor and a stronger finish.

Windy Hill's hard cider was a pleasure to sample. It had a toasy, light-brown color. It smelled of blurred spices and yeasts. The flavor was very pleasant and very slightly off-dry. There was a slight tinge of Brett, but was integrated with the full cider-wine flavor that lingered very long on the palate. I would say that Charlie's long, low-temp, wild yeast fermentation pays dividends about a year after primary fermentation starts. I can easily imagine this farmhouse style was the bounty of Johhny Appleseed's efforts back in the pioneer days. The 2008 batches were quietly bubbling away. Different species of wild yeasts were politely taking their turns consuming the sugars in Charlie's newest juice.

From Windy Hill, we got back on the road toward our next destination, Laurelville Fruit Farm in the beautiful Hocking Hills area. The town of Laurelville is apparently a well-known destination for its harvest products. There were roadside stands everywhere selling pumpkins, apples, cider and the like. The Laurelville Fruit Farm is a multiple award-wining producer of fresh cider. Enthusiasts can be seen loading their cars to the gills with the very freshest product of Bowers family's fruit. We grabbed two gallon jugs as they were freshly filled, promptly paid for them, and got the heck out of the way of the cider-thirsty hoardes that descended upon the cider mill.

We had one more important stop before our return trip to Cleveland. It was to eat! No doubt a very important part of any road trip. We had heard of a neat place in Columbus that we tried to find once before to no avail. This time I made reservations ahead of time and mapwuested the whole itinerary. The restaurant was Basi Italia. It was the perfect place for dinner on a cool, fall night. It's tiny, nestled in the thick of Victorian Village. Our server was friendly and helpful. We were treated to smiles, casual friendliness, and the smells of thoughtfully cared-for food. The wine list was small but dense with good choices that seemed the reflect the attitudes of the food menu. After wine, coffee, and desserts we felt like: And we still had to drive back to Cleveland!

We made it back - no problems. As I write this, I'm still full from it. We got our blast of Autumn, saw some beautiful parts of our fine state, and finished the day with delicious food and fine wine. Does it get any better than that?

Too Much Time On My Hands

2008-10-21T21:27:00.005-04:00

Two posts in one day - I know, it's a bit desperate, but . . .

. . . "No beer and no tv make Homer go crazy!"

Poor Jake - he got all comfortable on the couch.

Little did he know that I had invited the great Dr. Z, Tia, Dana, and the Bubstress over for a little brewing party. The idea was percolating from an investment I had made recently, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Papazian. Oh yeah, and also from the lush, rich scents of brewing I occasionally get this time of year from Great Lakes Brewing Company situated down the street from me. Sometimes, Ohio City ceases to smell of urine and crack, and the smell of cookie spices and ginger takes over. This can mean only one thing: those guys down the street are making Christmas Ale! A little inspiration from Charlie, a lot of help from Dr. Z, and a bunch of well-wishers partying in the other room made for a fun brewing party.

It's well known that it takes a lot of beer to make good beer. So, we embarked upon this project drinking some very fine brews:

La Chouffe, N'Ice Chouffe 2003

Shipyard Brewing, Pumpkinhead Ale

Bell's, Two-Hearted Ale

Clipper City Brewing, Loose Cannon

I had the idea of adapting a recipe from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing and to add a bunch of Christmas Ale style spices. Here's the recipe I heavily modified from the "Dithyrambic Roasted Brown Ale:"

7.5# Munton's light malt extract syrup

.5# roasted barley

.25# black patent malt

2 oz. Perle hops bittering

2 oz. Willamette hops finishing

1.5 whole nutmeg ground

a pinch or two of allspice

7 sticks of cinnamon

1.5 pounds Ohio Honey

Fresh ground ginger in the secondary

White Labs, East Coast Ale Yeast

We can call this beer "Jake's Frustration" or "Please! Let Sleeping Dogs Lay."

Anyhow, it stank the place up with yummy sweetness and spiciness. The apartment held that fragrance well into the next day. Alas, I had to clean the mess we made and good ol' Clorox Cleanup vanquished that beautiful stink. The next time I'll smell that gloriousness will be three weeks or so - when the stuff is ready to drink. I can't wait!

Wooo! Nice Rack!!

2008-10-21T15:23:00.007-04:00

Jake, above, picked me up the other day to take me to the space to "rack" the cider that completed primary fermentation and needed to start a secondary fermentation. The term "racking" is a term used by winemakers and brewers to describe any movement of liquids from one container to another. There are many reasons why one would rack. In this case, Jake and I wanted to combine three seperate five-gallon batches of juice into more manageable containers, seperate the fermented cider from the lees (Lees refers to deposits of dead yeast or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate, or are carried by the action of "fining", to the bottom of a vat of wine after fermentation and aging), and to inoculate the cider with malolactic bacteria.

Malolactic fermentation (or sometimes malolactic conversion) is a process of a change used in winemaking where tart-tasting malic acid, naturally present in grape must, is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid.

Before racking begins, we test the final gravity (Final gravity (FG), sometimes called Terminal Gravity, which is a measure of the specific gravity of the fermented beverage. (FG is the "sugar after fermentation" measurement.) Typically, FG is measured only once fermentation is completely finished - that is, all of the fermentable sugars have been turned into ethanol) with a hydrometer pictured below:

Then, we measure some of the less tangible data:

Oh yes. It was mighty tasty straight out of the fermenter!!!

Ohio City Streets Meaner Than Previously Thought

2008-10-17T11:30:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, Ohio City street - Chatham - attempted to devour an innocent Ford recreational vehicle. The Ford in question responded to the attempt initially by exclaiming, "Help! Get me out of this hole!" Then, as on-lookers and city officials simply gawked at it for hours, the RV noted aloud, "Hey you slack-jawed yokels! I'm in a giant sinkhole! Get me out of here!"

Police arrived on the scene hours later to apprehend the alleged RV eater, only to find that the perpetrator is actually a street. The surrounding area was cordoned off by police, but local residents still tried to drive down the street telling those that warned them, "we'll test our luck."

Tia Suplizio, 36, above, was quoted as saying, "Holy shit, man! I didn't know the streets of Ohio City were this mean!!"

All It Takes Is A Gentle Nudge. . .

2008-10-14T19:45:00.005-04:00

. . . to encourage me to write something.

Upon said nudging from Dan (see http://thecagefreetomato.blogspot.com/) I have hurried home to tell y'all that the first fifty gallons of "the good stuff" has completed primary fermentation!!

I'll wait until the applause has stopped. Thank you.

It seems that EC-1118, a fine yeast, does its thing in twelve days. I was prepared to wait a few more days and I'm happy that I chose today to stop by and check on it. The 1118 juice is rendered dry with some light apple-y sweetness and acidity. The flavors that I associate the most with fresh, un-fermented cider shine through this fermented stuff and at this moment it's quite pleasing. It will improve greatly when racked, bottled, and has seen some bottle time. It's this stuff - very secretly stashed away in these custom fermentation vessels:

The other batches are still bubbling-away. Five gallons are working under a lager yeast. Ten gallons are working with only what Nature has provided. I'll keep you informed as to how they turn out. In the meantime, enjoy this photo of our very near future.

Yes. That was my car.

Some Ciders for consideration

2008-10-08T12:37:00.005-04:00

The following is a list of some interesting cider products that I've enjoyed recently and their associated descriptions:

Domaine Dupont

Cidre Organique 2006

Full Label
The apples and the process used are compliant with the USDA National Organic Program. This cider does not have any sulfites added.
Soil: Sandy
Picking up: October 2006.
Variety of apples: Bisquet, Joly Rouge, Douce Coet et Binet Rouge.
Pressing density: 1054 (i.e. 112g sugar / litre).
Fermentation: Inox tank, native yeasts
Bottling density: 1026 (percentage of alcohol in the bottle after the sparkling process: 4.5%)
Bottling: May 2007.
Shelf life: Bottles upright temperature between 8 and 12°. It can be kept until the end of 2009 if stored in good conditions. Mouth will ripen.
Appearance: After serving the cider, the foam dissappears, but an intense carbonation remains. Copper color, slightly hazy. A sedimentation can appear in the bottom of the bottle.
Nose: Powerfull and complex. Nice balance between bitterness and acidity. Aromas of acidic apples, pineapple and dried fruits.
Taste: Intense and complex. Aromas of apples pineapple and honey. Lingering after taste.
Serving suggestions: The Cidre Organique Etienne Dupont can be served as an aperitif, but also during the meal as an accompaniment with poultry or fish cooked with cream.It can also be served as an accompaniment to cheese (made with cow milk: Camembert, Pont-l'Evêque, Livarot), apple desserts. Cider is also an excellent and a very traditionnal drink with salty and sweet pancakes.

Aspall Organic Cyder

Aspall Organic Suffolk Cyder is an homage to our founder Clement. This cyder has a higher bittersweet content than all our others, so is much closer in style to his cyder of the 1700’s.
Organic has an attractive golden colour; a marked fruity aroma of traditional bittersweet cyder apple, with floral and spicy overtones. The palate is rich, initially full and slightly sweet, with good balancing acidity and a pronounced astringency followed by a very long dry finish.
This is a superb cyder which we are sure Clement would be proud of.
Goes well with strong cheddars, Blue Stilton and pungent, ripe French cheeses.
ABV 7%

Original Sin

Original Sin was born out of the NYC experience. The founder, an NYCer, came to see the need for a superior cider, a cider that was clean and complex with a noticeable bite. The quest to create the perfect recipe encompassed both day and night. Day was spent upstate in a winery, tasting, testing and mixing. Night was spent in NYC bars, getting feedback from bar owners and patrons. The result, Original Sin Hard Cider was released to immediate acclaim from sources as diverse as The New York Times, Paper Magazine and Market Watch.Original Sin is made from the best apples and contains no artificial flavors or colors. Light with a clean and crisp apple taste.

There are lots of these products on the market at the moment. These three are just a taste. I love Domaine Dupont's products for their very French nature - an expression of terroir, a reflection of the French countryside, and an unmistakable fermentation style that produces a yeasty, funky aroma and flavor. This cider is the essence of Autumn.

Aspall's ciders are certainly more refined than Dupont's. They are more uptown elegance as they are generally lighter, more effervescent, and finish very dry and crisp. This style, in juxtaposition with Original Sin, is something to study while drinking. Whereas the American product is decidedly American: easy drinking, immediately satisfying, and quite light - allowing for additional sampling (if you catch my drift).

Stay tuned for more additions to this list as I run across them.

It's on like Donkey Kong.

2008-10-04T08:53:00.006-04:00

I'll spare everyone the nerdy details.

Just bask in the high glamour of fermentation.

Waiting for the bubbling to start.

"The Bitch is Back"

2008-10-01T13:45:00.008-04:00

Never mind the Elton John referrence, here's the real Bitch:

. . . Doktor Bitch, that is. So named by various members of the Rovers SC in Detroit three or so years ago.

This 1961 Vespa VBB was in pieces for two very long years. I have been carelessly, recklessly riding other people's bikes since I took it apart so long ago. The bike itself is a 1961 VBB frame with a 70's or 80's P200 motor, GS front fork and fender. When I got the Bitch, it was extremely rough - a great rat bike, for sure.

It ran well, but the maiden voyage was scary as hell. Gary, Larry, and I went on a quick Flats tour halfway through which I found out that I was riding with a transmission empty of gear oil. I cursed the person that proffered the bike as a runner, filled the thing with gear oil and hadn't a problem since. The wiring harness was held together with electrician-style caps - not good for a vehicle of any sort. But everything else was fine for everyday kicking-around. I brought it to a half dozen rallies, rode it drunk as a punk skunk, ran it into trees and campfires - had my way with the Bitch.

Then, I got a wild hair to make her a bit more presentable. I found the best painter in town, bought the finest paint available http://www.houseofkolor.com/, and took the crazy thing apart. The day before I was to bring the parts down to the painter, he injured himself in his own driveway - tore achilles heel (ouch). This and one other personal tragedy befell this great painter and it was over a year before I got a finished (sorta) product. In the meantime, I had to respond to constant questions of the whereabouts of the Bitch. It was like I was the boyfriend who just happened to be dating the REAL cool person. "Hey Scraps, where's Doktor Bitch?" Sheesh, what about lil' ol' me? She was well liked in those days.

She got back to me early Spring. Dr. Z took on the reassembly project. He is a great home brewer and an excellent two-stroke tuner. He even has a Buckeye Brewing Co. beer named after him. http://www.ratebeer.com/ratings/beer/buckeye-zatek/90619/

Here's a pic of Z and the Bitch from last night's finishing touches session:

Note beer in hand was either Southern Tier Pumking or 3 Floyds Dreadnaught - it takes a lot of beer to make vintage scooters!

By now, one could see why I'm excited about this. Two years in the making:

Inaugural Post: why cider?

2008-09-29T13:12:00.000-04:00

What the hell is that crazy guy yammering about?

O.k., so I get really excited about a few things: wine, craft beers, vintage motorcycles, music, and dogs, primarily. What I am currently bending everyone's ear about right now is my ongoing project to craft sparkling cider. I'm in the process of forming a company to produce a sparkling cider made from locally grown Ohio apples. My mission is to produce a premium quality cider made to echo the formality and elegance of grower/producer Champagne and to have the drinkability of a pub cider while promoting the amazing product of Ohio orchards. Go see them for yourself: http://www.ohioapples.org/

Ohio is one of the best places in the country to taste what REAL apples taste like. Go to any of the farmers' markets around the Cleveland area this fall, and you will find a wide variety of apples from all over Ohio. The list of available varieties is long and one can find the right taste for the right purpose. I tend to like Courtlands and Macs at the moment. These farmers also blend apple juices to produce their own signature ciders. Last year's Ohio cider competition award winners:

Gold Medal – Grobe Fruit Farm Ltd., Elyria, Ohio (440) 322-8312

Silver Medal – Brant Apple Orchard, Ashtabula, Ohio (440) 224-0639

Bronze Medal – Moreland Fruit Farm, Wooster, Ohio (330) 264-8735

Be sure to check out this year's competition:

The Ohio Apple Marketing Program (OAMP) is pleased to announce the details for the 2008 apple cider contest. This years’ judging will be held at the Fabulous Food Show on November 14, 2008. The Fabulous Food Show is the premier food event held in the Cleveland area at the International Exposition Center from November 14-16.
This year an incredible panel of judges has been assembled to pick the best of the best from Ohio’s cider producers. Judges will include Celebrity Chefs, Nutritionists and members of the media. The event will be held on the Market Place Stage at the Food Show.

The ball gets rolling this week, so check back for updates to this record of my adventures in cider making.