Home Brew Keg Party!!

Last month I was invited to a keg party hosted by my buddy Chuck, who is an avid home brewer and a previous bartender at The Sugarbowl.  While working at the Bowl, we would often talk about the process of making beer and hear about Chucks adventures in home brewing.  Everyone knew Chuck liked his beer, but nobody had ever tasted his product....until now.

A few months ago Chuck started renting a heated garage and set up his micro-micro brewery, even going so far as to buying an old fridge and turning it into a 2x20L keg fridge with the two spouts coming out the side.  Sitting on two batches of beer just for himself can take a while to work through, and the longer it takes to cycle through a batch the longer it takes before he can play and experiment with new brews.  To combat this problem Chuck decided he would hold a monthly keg party, invite all of his friends to the garage and charge a minimum $5 donation to help pay for the cost of the product and a little left over to keep things going.  Well the idea was genius, and the parties are a huge success!

The Brewmaster
enthusiastically explaining the brewing process

The first kegger featured a delicious IPA, and a mind blowing Pumpkin Ale.  The IPA was crisp, fruity, and balanced extremely well.  From what I remember, Chuck calculated an IBU rating of 120 or something...if that was the case, it didn't show in the final product.  It was bitter, but a fine malt finish helped keep the extreme pucker at bay.  On the nose it was unlike any IPA I've ever experienced, smelling heavily of peach juice and other stone fruits.  An absolute delightful drink, along the same lines as the Raasted Grilløl....sharing similar flavor profiles.  The Pumpkin Ale, on the other hand, was out of this world.  Brewed with the pulp from a whole roasted fresh pumpkin and an appropriate amount of spices to warm it up, this beer was fantastic.  The pumpkin flavors were right upfront, without becoming too sweet or overpowering.  I've had a couple of other pumpkin ales that tasted almost synthetic, this was absolutely real.  The spices gave it a delightful pumpkin pie burst, ginger being a noticeable but savvy addition to the brew.  It was a clear golden amber color, quite viscous with a full flavor and decent hop aroma. Compared to any of the other Pumpkin Ales I've tried over the last couple of years, this one wins gold in my books.

Big ol'sack of two row malt

Yesterday was kegger #2, featuring an Irish Red Cream Ale and an imaginative Peated Malt Baltic Porter.  The porter was definitely the star of the evening, with the 20L keg drained in little over two hours. A round and rich roasted malt base and subtle hop profile, the smoke from the peated malt was barely present but still noticeable.  It added a unique flavor to the beer, leaving you wanting more.  I could have done with more smoke flavor, I'm pretty sure Chuck was looking for more smoke as well but played it safe with the first batch of this experimental brew.  Drinkability was dangerously high, and an 8% ABV made this fantastic beer a hit with everyone at the garage.  The Irish Red poured a rosy red hue, with a delicate frothy head.  Very smooth and a creamy texture brought on by using a small percentage of rice in the mash.  This beer was delicious and enjoyable, details at this point are fuzzy at best.  After a few of each, its hard not to feel pretty happy and carefree.  The great thing about these parties is the amount of people totally into beer and what goes into the beer.  Having like minded individuals, with equal if not greater love for the brew, to completely geek out with and not feel like a super nerd is such a fantastic atmosphere to be in.  I look forward to future keggers with Chuck and the gang, and I'll do my best to spread the word. Cheers!

Corporation Brewpub.

Last night ended with a quick stop at Edmonton's one and only brewpub, Brewsters. It feels like your typical Alberta corporate restaurant only this restaurant has a gorgeous brewery built in the middle of it. I was accompanied by my friend Karl who used to serve, manage and even spent some time as the Brewmasters assistant at this particular location (Oliver Square).

Edmonton boasts a whopping five Brewsters locations, thirteen in total, the others being in Calgary and Regina, Saskatchewan (Regina being the birthplace). The Oliver location is actually the only Edmonton restaurant with an actual brewery, which apparently brews and shares a smaller amount of beer with the other locations. The rest of the beer being brewed in a large facility in Calgary and shipped around the province. They have an impressive amount of brews for such a small space, all available fresh from the tanks. Hand crafted by a talented German brewmaster. From what Karl tells me, this gent is the "creative brain" behind the Brewsters seasonal beers, and the most consistent brewer in the Alberta sector of Brewsters.

The restaurant itself is a cliche Alberta corporate eatery (this being a large building run by fresh faced post-teens, multiple dinning areas, two bars, Flat screen TV's everywhere, loud obnoxious pop music, and uninspired North American style bar food). But the beer....is actually decent.

I had the Brewsters sample platter consisting of five 5oz draft pours of my choice. I decided on: Czech Pilsner, Flying Frog Lager, Rig Pig Pale Ale, Lanigan's Irish Ale, and The Shaughnessy Stout. My seemingly 17 year old barkeep poured my platter, and I dove in. I brought a notebook with me to write stuff down, but between my conversation with Karl about beer and our current lives, I soon realized that my investigatory journalism skills are lacking and I was more into the drinking than the drink. Although, the beers that did stand out in my platter were 1) The Rig Pig Pale Ale. It had a potent hops punch right off the bat with a delightful full flavor and floral nose. Pale Amber in color, and a finish that decided to stick around for a while so you didn't lose interest in coming back for more. 2)The Shaughnessy Stout. Now, this stout isn't amazing, but its a smooth drink. A beginners stout if you will. Medium body with a nice mouth feel, not to complex. Creamy, dry and finishes fast and clean. The hops barely make an appearance. She's easy.

There are plenty more beers to try at Brewsters in the future. Next time I'l try to be more focus on the beer, but this trip was all about the good company. The sample platters are great when you want to try everything they have quickly, but the tiny glasses don't let the beers show their true colors. Its nearly impossible to agitate any life out of the brew, so getting a good deep breath of the aroma is tough. And they get warm fast, so if you want a crisp fresh drink at number 4 or 5 you must act fast.

Overall, since it's Edmonton's only brewpub you take what you can get. Try to block out the annoying kids and tv's in the background and admire the beautiful copper fermenting tanks behind the glass. The beer is fresh and extremely drinkable. They have a large patio in the summer so bring a friend and enjoy!