-DRAGONMEAD
-HARBOR
CITY
-FREE STATE
-BLOOMINGTON-LENNIE'S
-NORTH COAST
-BLIND TIGER
-LITTLE APPLE
-HIGH NOON SALOON
-RIVER CITY
-PONY EXPRESS
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DRAGONMEAD
by Douglas George
* DRAGONMEAD is unique. The medieval décor includes
dragons, gargoyles, swords, stained glass windows and a suit of
armour. It is the only Microbrewery in existence that can brew 15
different beer styles in the same day. Their goal is to have each
of the 93 known styles on tap all the time and serve mead as a seasonal
beverage. Currently, Dragonmead crafts over 50 beers with at least
30 on tap. * Dragonmead imports authentic grains, yeast, and hops
from the country that the particular style of beer is brewed. Because
of their unique brew equipment, the malt and method is adjusted
for English style, German Style, American style or any other countries
style. The precision of Dragonmead and their commitment to brew
excellent beer won them the Peoples Choice Award as
well as the Judges Choice Award in the 2000 and
2001 World Beer Expo. * The owners of Dragonmead
are on a mission to change the way people perceive beer. For 40
years Earl Scherbarth was a metal model maker and
manager for Ford Motor Company. Larry Channell was
a Process manager for Chrysler . Bill Wrobel develops
the recipes for Dragonmead and is in the Marketing
department at Chrysler. Larry, Bill and Earl designed
their own brewing equipment and had it custom made. No one else
on earth has the same equipment. Their unique set-up allows production
of a variety of world-class ales and lagers every day without sacrificing
quality. * One of Dragonmead’s unique customs
is to have an annual “Blessing of the Hops”
to benefit the Haydom Hospital in Tanzania,
Africa. Bishop Robert Rimbo and Reverend
Fredrick Harms from the Evangelical Lutheran Church
of America in Grosse Pointe presided over the first ceremony
to bless the beer ingredients and equipment at Dragonmead. * Another
uniquely Dragonmead custom is a menu without food. Their menu is
freshness dated, changed every week, but only lists beer. However,
the Dragonmead staff is happy to lend a phone and menus from local
restaurants. * Like more and more micros & brewpubs, Dragonmead
brews pop on premises. Dragonroot Beer, Orange Creamsicle,
Cream soda, and Ginger Soda are Dragonmead’s
current flavors. * To savor Great Beer of any style, stop
at DRAGONMEAD, 14600 E. 11 Mile Rd. in Warren, Michigan
(810) 776.9428 www.dragonmead.com. Open Tuesday, Wednesday
& Thursday from 4:00 to 10:00; Friday 4:00 to 11:00; Saturday
12:00 to 11:00.
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LENNIE'S - BLOOMINGTON BREWING COMPANY
For 12 years, Lennie’s
and her sister company, the Bloomington Brewing Co.
, have been quietly winning friends and influencing beer lovers
from all over the world. Opened in 1989, with the addition of the
Bloomington Brewing Co. in 1995, the brewpub became
the first in southern Indiana. The original brewer of the Bloomington
Brewing Company went on to help found Upland Brewing,
another local favorite. The two brewpubs, both outstanding, along
with 2 local wineries make Bloomington a “must stop”
destination for those of us with a love of spirits fresh, local
and superior.
The menu at Lennie’s is difficult to
package neatly. Part pub-grub, part pizzeria, part bistro might
describe the eclectic menu. The menu is served in both the cozy,
chestnut and cherry appointed dining room as well as in the over-21
“pub” next door. The pub was clearly designed for conversation,
with no video screens in sight. It features a 600 pound, 4 inch
thick limestone bar top, quarried just a few miles away and smoothed
by the bottom of thousands of pints lovingly pulled across it’s
surface.
Ah yes, the pints! Lennie’s serves
five standards from the BBC, the easy-to-drink FreeStone
Blonde, reminiscent of a crisp Canadian ale; the Ruby
Bloom Amber, smooth, fuller bodied with a beautiful crimson
hue; the brewery’s flagship “Quarrymen”
Pale Ale and finally the BigStone Stout,
a big bodied stout with a delicious roast finish. Head Brewer Floyd
Rosenbaum has been guiding the little brewery forward for
nearly 5 years, squeezing better than 1,000 bbl per year out of
the tiny 700 square ft. space. Though the glass-encased brewery
is small, it doesn’t cramp Floyds creativity. The bar offers
2 of its beers on a nitrogen tap and two more on its hand-pulls.
In addition, several seasonals are available throughout the yea:
a delicious summery Hefe-weizen comes on in April,
and the renowned Java Porter, brewed with 10 lbs
of Sumatra Blue Lingtong from local specialty Roaster
Partridge and Quigley, makes it’s appearance in the
fall just as Indiana University students are settling
in for their first semester and dreaming of turning 21. Floyd will
usually fit in another two “brewer’s choice” seasonals
as time permits throughout the year. Floyd brews using a 15 bbl
gas fired brewhouse from Specific-Mechanical. Perhaps
most remarkable, the beers of the BBC are unfiltered, and entirely
unfined and as a result literally bursting with flavor, yet clear
as a bell.
Bloomington’s reputation as a mecca
for individuality, free thought and higher learning attracts people
from all corners of the globe. On any night, you might find any
conceivable mix of people at this quaint little watering hole: Business
moguls, construction workers, Tibetan monks, hippies, congressmen,
archaeologists, professors and students of every ilk imaginable.
If your travels take you anywhere near to Bloomington, plan time
for a stop at Lennie’s. You won’t be disappointed.
Lennie’s Restaurant
The Bloomington Brewing Co. 1795 E. 10th St., Bloomington, IN 47408
812-323-2112
www.bloomington.com
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NORTH COAST BREWING CO.
The North Coast Brewing Co.,
a real pioneer in the microbrewery movement, opened in 1988. Having
won more than fifty national and international awards over the last
twelve years, North Coast Brewing was recently
included in the Beverage Testing Institute’s “Top
Ten Breweries of the World” list. The Brewery occupies
a 17,000 sq. ft. facility with a capacity of 22,000 bbls., and operates
the adjacent Taproom and Grill, one of Northern
California’s favorite restaurants. It is a certified organic
brewery which produces the well-known brands Red Seal Ale
and Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout among
others.
Mark Ruedrich, Founding Brewmaster and President, is a
New York native raised in North Carolina. He was educated at North
Carolina State (back when that fine institution was a national
basketball power) and earned a degree in Zoology.
He became interested in “real beer” when he moved to
England in the mid 1970’s. There he and his wife, Merle,
were swept up in the Campaign for Real Ale, and
Mark started brewing beer at home. In 1979, they moved back to the
U.S., settling on Northern California’s Mendocino Coast. Mark
continued to hone his skills while working restoring historic Victorians.
Since the opening of North Coast Brewing in 1988, Mark and his brewers
have earned an international reputation for developing and producing
superior beers.
Office Manager Sheila Martins and Warehouse Manager Al McClintock
are the tandem that keep the beer moving out of the brewery
to distributors in over thirty states, as well as to Japan and Sweden.
Filler operator Chris Gray anchors the bottling
line for 180 bottles a minute of fun, fun, fun.
National Sales Manager Doug Moody heads up contact
with all our distributor organizations, and spends a lot of his
time these days working with the many new specialty beer wholesalers
coming on line to meet the demand for North Coast Brewing’s
beers around the globe. In his off hours Doug spins the platters
of both Jazz and Blues at local radio station KMFB.
We have nine fermentation tanks, each holding from 3100
gallons to 6200 gallons of our fine beers. If you drank a pint a
day it would take 136 years to drain one of these big guys. We feel
it would be well worth your effort.
Founding Partner and Marketing Director Tom Allen is
the architect of North Coast’s long run of successful brand
introductions over the last twelve years. Tom has an extensive background
in the advertising industry, having spent 22 years with agencies
in both New York and San Francisco. North Coast’s three original
brands, Red Seal Ale, Scimshaw Pilsner Beer, and
Old No. 38 Stout, remain favorites in markets across
the country. They’ve been joined by Blue Star Wheat
Beer, PranQster Belgian Style Ale, and Old Rasputin
Russian Imperial Stout. Most recently Tom has engineered
the successful reintroduction after 40 years of the Acme
label with the release of the three Acme brands,
Acme Pale Ale, Acme Brown Ale, and Acme IPA. The
Acme brand had it’s roots in San Francisco ca. 1861,
and grew into the largest selling brand in the west by the end of
WWII.
Human resources director, Carolyn Lindsay, aka Night Owl,
wears many hats and wears them all with panache.
Head Brewer/Production Manager, Fred Hahn, has
been working with North Coast Brewing since 1989.
There is no one at North Coast Brewing with more
unbridled enthusiasm for our beers and the people who make them
than Fred. Join him as he hosts one of our afternoon tours, weekdays
at 1:00, and we’re sure you’ll agree.
North Coast Brewing chooses the cream of the crop
from each years hop harvest in the Yakima Valley.
Head Brewer/Plant engineer, Chuck Martins, is responsible
for nothing less than keeping the brewery working. The year 2000
production will be close to 16,000 barrels, up from 12,000 in 1999.
As we continue our double-digit growth, having someone with Chuck’s
mechanical and organizational skills in charge of our expanding
facility, not to mention his encyclopedic knowledge of Mel
Brooks, Monty Python and Mark Twain, is
essential.
Head Brewer/Supervisor of Process & Quality Control, Patrick
Broderick, long time member of the North Coast
Brewing family has been welcomed back to the brewery after
spending a year as Brewmaster at the Moab Brewing Co. in
Utah. Having grown up in the North Coast system, Pat is perfectly
suited to maintain the high standards of quality which he helped
the brewery establish over the last 12 years. Pat and his wife Lisa
have returned to Fort Bragg with their two lovely daughters,
Gwendolyn and new baby Olivia.
Controller Shelly Pravda and Bookkeeper Noreen
Cady anchor the accounting department. Shelly has been
with the brewery since day One and having lived through the early
years brings his own unique perspective on the company’s growth
and current success. Brooklyn native and long time Mendocino County
resident, Shelly spends an impressive number of hours on his mountain
bike in the back country dodging the local bears and mountain lions.
Tap Room & Grill open Daily for Lunch and Dinner Starting
at 11:30 AM.
NORTH COAST BREWING COMPANY
444 North Main Street - Fort Bragg, CA 95437
(707) 964-3400
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HARBOR CITY BREWING COMPANY
Harbor City Brewing Company is
a family owned brewery established in 1996. Founder and Brewmaster,
Jim Schueller began his career in the brewing industry
working for his cousin, Jeff Lebesch at New
Belgium Brewing Company in Colorado. When New Belgium completed
building their new facility in 1995, Jim, his dad and brother bought
New Belgium’s original equipment, loaded it in Ryder trucks
and brought it back to Port Washington. Over the next few months,
they converted an old ice vending building into a quality conscious
brewing facility. The first batch of Mile Rock came out of the 20
barrel brewhouse in April of 1996 and hasn’t stopped flowing
since. This “hometown” brewery has continued to produce
high quality ales and grow steadily year after year.
In the Spring of 2000, the family brought Matt Thompson
on as their Brewery Sales Rep to work with the distribution network
and grow the brands. “We are currently distributed throughout
Southeastern Wisconsin, Madison, the Fox Valley, and Central Illinois”,
says Thompson. “We make some great beer ~ our challenge is
getting the Harbor City name out there and having people remember
us.” You can find retail locations in your area to purchase
Harbor City Products by accessing the beer locator on their website
at www.harborcitybrewing.com.
The Harbor City Brewing lineup currently includes (4) wonderful
selections:
Mile Rock Amber Ale has been the #1 seller and
claim to fame since its inception in 1996. This amber is nicely
balanced with a slightly assertive hop flavor. It is great with
almost any kind of food or just hangin’ around with your pals.
Full Tilt IPA launched October of 2003 and it quickly
became a strong #2 beer. Full Tilt’s assertive aroma and flavor
are derived from the generous use of fresh hops. The five different
specialty malts give it depth of flavor and a surprising mouth feel.
Its Bold, its Hopped, its Good ~ Its Full Tilt!
The Main Street Brown Ale is an English-style brown
ale. This classic ale is malty and smooth made with English hops
that add a level of complexity to the beer. The subdued hop character
blends nicely with the roasted finish to create a very full flavored
beer that is surprisingly light in body.
Raspberry Brown Ale, a popular Winter/Holiday seasonal,
is in stores now. Jim puts 400 lbs. of fresh raspberries into each
20 barrel batch to produce a crisp, refreshing beer with a subtle
raspberry aroma and a hint of raspberry sweetness.
As Spring rolls around, look for the launch a new beer from Harbor
City ~ a light bodied ale, perfect for summertime consumption.
“We are committed to producing high quality beers for your
taste buds and creating memorable experiences for your mind”,
says Thompson. “We are working on a number of great promotions
for 2004 including an upcoming beer dinner in March and a possible
association with the Madison Mallards. Watch for us around town
and check our website frequently to get the latest.”
Harbor City has tours and tasting on Saturday’s from Noon
until 4pm. Come talk with Jim the brewing guy and enjoy ample samples.
There is a small gift shop with Pint Glasses, T-Shirts, Hats and
more. Visit www.harborcitybrewing.com and sign up for the ‘A-List’
and receive special deals, get brewery news, and stay updated on
promotions and events planned throughout the year.
For more information about HARBOR CITY BREWING CO.,
contact Matt Thompson (535 W. Grand Ave, Port Washington,
WI 53074 ~ 262-284-3118 or 414-333-4123)
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TAKE A TOUR OF KANSAS, THE WHEAT STATE
By WARREN CROUSE
When you think Kansas, you may not instinctively think of hand-crafted
beer that can be found at a microbrewery or brewpub. Well that couldn't
be farther from the truth. While Kansas has just a handful of locations
where you can find the kind of quality indicative of small-batch
brewing, they more than make up for quantity with quality. You may
need to drive a littler further, but the drive is more than worth
it.
FREE STATE
Free State Brewing, located in Lawrence, became
home to the first licensed brewery in the state in 108 years. Free
State opened in 1989, and has been brewing beer ever since. Owner
Chuck Magerl and Brewmaster Steve Bradt
keep 8 beers on 12 taps, with the flagship beers being Wheat
State Golden (2004 Bronze GABF winner), Copperhead
Pale Ale, Ad Astra Ale, and Oatmeal Stout.
Come in March and try out one of their many seasonals: Irish
Ale (Mar); John Brown Ale; Crimson
Berry Ale, and Wakarusa IPA lager, an
Indian name for a river in Lawrence
Stop in at the right time and maybe you will be lucky enough to
try the Barley Wine (2004 Bronze GABF winner),
or Owdmac Imperial, which is barrel-aged in McCormick barrels. The
catch? They only put those two on one keg at a time.
BLIND TIGER
Blind Tiger is Kansas's largest brewery, seating
450 people on eight levels. The Blind Tiger was named after the
Prohibition-era custom of displaying stuffed tigers to alert patrons
to speakeasies or the availability of alcohol. Brewmaster John
Dean keeps 12 to 15 beers on tap at anytime, helping them
move 1000 barrels last year. It isn't just the number of taps, or
the square footage that moves beer. It is a combination of solid
flagship beers and the 6 to 7 seasonals that are on tap at any time.
A couple of new beers are rotated in each month. Their flagships
are Raw Wheat (2002 Gold Medal), an American-style
non-malted wheat beer; County Seat Wheat, an American-style
filtered wheat; Raspberry Wheat, Holy Grail Pale Ale,
an American-style pale ale; Blind Tiger Amber,
an American-style amber ale; and Tiger Paw Porter.
The upcoming list of seasonals is astounding: Goldrush,
a California common beer; Blarney Irish Ale (Mar);
Grandma's Whiskey Stout, an Imperial Stout aged
in used bourbon barrels (Mar); Statehouse Stout,
an oatmeal stout; Liberty Pilsner, a German-style
pilsner (Mar), Razzamatazz, a raspberry lambic;
and Celebration Ale, a super-hopped Imperial IPA,
which they do every year.
LITTLE APPLE
In Manhattan, The Little Apple Brewing Company
pumped out 823 barrels from a 6 barrel system last year. The team
of Don Darfler, General Manager Russ Lour,
and Brewmaster John Briden keep the place rolling
with 5 flagship beers: an Oatmeal Stout; Prairie Pale Ale;
an American strong pale ale, which is a house favorite;
Wildcat Wheat, an American-style wheat, which is
the best seller; Amber; and Brown Porter,
which has hints of chocolate. They keep 2 to 3 seasonals
on tap, adding 2 a month. The upcoming beers are: Marzen
(mid-Mar), and the Nut Brown Ale (end-Mar). Little
Apple has a fun club going called the Beer Drinker's Hall
of Fame. Patrons submit resumes with the best beer story,
the best beer joke, obscure beer knowledge, or places visited, and
5 Hall of Famers are selected. From those five, one beer drinker
of the year is selected. The winner gets dinner and bragging rights
for the year.
HIGH NOON SALOON
Leavenworth, which housed the last brewery to close its doors after
state prohibition was enacted in 1881, is home to the High
Noon Saloon. The planked floors and the rough-hewed tables
give the place the feel of an old-style saloon. Owners R.
D. Johnson and Bruce Kidder keep 9 beers
on tap, with the following flagship beers: Lewis and Clark
Lager, Tonganoxie Honey-Wheat, Oregon Trail Raspberry Wheat
(1998 Gold GABF winner), Annie's Amber Ale, and
Stampede Stout.
RIVER CITY – WICHITA
Other places to visit are the River City Brewing
Company in Wichita, where Head Brewmaster Daniel
Norton serves up patrons with the Old Town Brown
Ale, Rattlesnake Ale, Emerald City Stout, Rock Island Red,
and Harvester Wheat Ale.
PONY EXPRESS
If you are a Pony Express fan, an old
favorite is back. Pony Express has
reopened under Jason Weiser. Stay tuned for more
informationon that and other upcoming information to help you in
your tour of Kansas.
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