September 1999

[Greenblood]

Minutes of the August Meeting

Cleanup Crew: Rob

Treasurer's Report: No treasurer, no report.

Members in attendance: Dale, Chris, Ken, Rob, Xan, Barry, Andrew (and Kelvin), Derek, Jennifer, Jeff and new guests Bill and Troy

Old Business
Oktoberfest: Barry proposes new idea for Okoberfest party. Combine Halloween and Oktoberfest for a Shocktoberfest Party. The event would be similar to our annual Christmas parties, with everyone bringing homebrew and side dishes. The confirmed date is Sat., Oct. 30 at 7 p.m., at our usual meeting place. Being Halloween, it should be a costume party. Being Oktoberfest, people should bring German-style beer and food.

However, any combo of the two, or any good beer and good food, are also welcome. Members are encouraged to invite friends and family. Also suggested was an invite to area brew clubs in KC and Topeka. Motion was accepted. First subcommittee meeting will be held at the Free State on Monday, Aug.16, 7 p.m..

New Business
CO2 Tanks: Rob proposed that the club should have one source of CO2 for dispensing kegs at all meetings,and eliminate everyone having to bring one, or having kegs run flat. He volunteered to bring his tank for the next six meetings. He has a manifold that he needs help setting up if anyone can offer assistance. Keggers should bring a gas intake connector with their kegs to all meetings. Motion accepted.

Library Collection: A question from the floor asked whether the club subscribes to any brewing publications. It was suggested that the club has issues of Zymurgy and Brewing Techniques, but nobody has seen them. A call has been put out. If anyone has been recieving any magazines for the club (paid for with club funds) to deliver all issues to Joe asap, where they will become part of the club library collection. If we don't recieve any magazines, it was proposed that maybe we should start. An update on our current magazine collection will be discussed, as well as a vote taken for new mags at our next meeting.

Chris suggested the purchase of a new book, Beer Clones, by...??? for the library. Motion accepted

Library Donations: Rob proposed that any members who would want to donate books to the club library be able to deduct 30% of the cover price and use it as credit to membership dues. Motion from the floor proposed that it be voted on at September meeting. Motion accepted.

Homebrew Tastings: Rob (My, he was a busy boy this night) proposed that all future newsletters list all homebrew brought to every meeting and who brought it. Motion accepted.

Homebrew list for Thursday, Aug. 12, 1999
Barry: Belgan Lambic Ale; Dale: Bock; Rob: Brown ale from BrewFest demo; Derek & Jennifer: BarleyWine from Big Brew 98, Czek pils and samples from Weston Brewing Co.; Chris: English Mild. Thanks to all who brought beer to share!

Meeting Adjourned.


Commercial Tasting: Macro Lawnmower Beers
Can you identify the yellow beer?

Biermeister Andrew devised a new twist in the commercial tasting segment of the meeting . Not only did we taste macro brewery swill instead of micros or imports, but the tasting also was a blind tasting. Members first had to guess what they were drinking. Then they had to vote on which one they liked the best. It was also a test to see how bad of beer snobs we really are.

1. Bud Light (2 votes)
2. Pilsner Urquell (3 votes)
3. Michelob (3 votes)
4. Coors (3 votes)

The results were evenly split. It looks like people had a tough time picking out the lone import. Hmmm.

Ellen Jensen
Secretary


Bright Lights. Big City. Average Beers.
New York City Brewpub Report

Over spring break, I was in the Big Apple for a week and had the chance to sample a few brewpubs. While NYC has a lot to offer in many ways, I was not overly impressed with the beer tour.

In all fairness, it should be noted that I didn't search out many but went to the ones I happened to come across. Here is what I found:

Carnegie Hill Brewery:
Located on the Upper East Side. They had a Wheat, Pale, IPA, and Winter Wheat. Because I was staying just a couple of blocks away, I was there twice out of easy access. I didn't sample the Wheat but found the Winter Wheat to be rather sour despite its malty body. The Pale was average but, again, slightly sour despite a nice hop bitterness. The IPA (one of my favorite styles) was full and hoppy with an unusually dark color, but it seemed to have a slight diacetyl quality. The food was nothing to write home about either. At four bucks a pint, I was hoping for better.

Senor Swanky's:
Located on the Upper West Side, near The Dakotas (John Lennon's infamous apartment, for all of you Beatles fans). This place was actually a small Mexican restaurant as the name would suggest (although it was not swanky). It has sidewalk seating and is great for people watching. They have an amber brewed for them off-sight, called Swanky's Secret Brew. It's a secret that you don't want to be in on. It's thin, with little flavor to speak of. The food, however, was very good with generous portions at reasonable prices. A lunch special gave a choice of five entrees and a beer or margarita for $5.95.

Times Square Brewery:
Located right in the heart of the chaos. The bar is on the ground floor, but the restaurant is on the second floor and offers a great view of Times Square. I had the beer sampler of Pilsner, Pale, Bock and Irish Ale. All were very good. Balanced and rich. They stated that the Pilsner and Bock were lagers instead of an ale version which is unusual for a brewpub to do. The food was above average too. It was a bit pricey, but considering the great window show, it was worth it. The best beers of the bunch.

There are a few others I hope to get to on my next trip. The Typhoon, which is a brewpub that specializes in Thai food. Heartland Brewing (funny name for an East Coast place), which has two locations in Manhattan; and McSorley's Ale House, which is an original 1800s pub known for its sawdust floors and dive-bar atmosphere. They also bottle their stuff, and it's available in the Northeast. I've sampled a few bottled styles and found it to be fairly average. I'm hoping it's better in person. Plus, you gotta love a place that has sawdust on the floor.

On an unrelated subject: Hotels are quite costly in Manhattan. We found a property rental place that has studio and bedroom apartments for rent all over town. We stayed in a large one-bedroom apartment with full kitchen, just three blocks from Central Park for $135 per night. I highly recommend calling The Hospitality Company if you plan on going to New York.

Barry Fitzgerald


Cooking With Beer
Beer Marinated Shrimp

This recipe came from the Great American Beer Cookbook by Candy Schermerhorn. It is available from Brewers Publications.

Makes 4 Servings

2 lbs. large shrimp
1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup German Pilsner (I used Spaten Premium Lager, not a Pilsner, but it was good.)
3 Tbs. lemon juice
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup finely chopped scallion
2 Tbs. fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried
Dash or two of Lousiana hot pepper sauce
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour

Shell and clean shrimp, rinse and pat dry. Mix oil, Pilsner, lemon juice, garlic, basil, scallion and hot pepper sauce. Add shrimp and coat thoroughly. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours. I like to marinate meat in a plastic bag.

Spear shrimp on soaked skewers and place in refrigerator until ready to cook. Barbecue or broil until the shrimp turn pink.

Pete Clouston


Shocktoberfest Update
An update on the Shocktoberfest: A first prize of a $20 gift certificate will be given out to the best costume of the evening, as voted by party guests in attendance. Start planning your costume now.
Saturday, Oct. 30
7 p.m.
Ecumenical Christian Ministries
Wear costumes
Bring German-style (preferably) beer and food


LBG Polos
Several LBG polo shirts are still available for $25 in navy (2 L, 2 XL) and hunter green (1 XL). If you're interested contact Xan. She would be more than happy to sell you a shirt and help you support the brew club.


More Brewing Than Chewing Closes Business
In case you missed it, here's a story about the Brown Bear's demise from the Lawrence Journal-World

By Peter Hancock Journal-World Writer

Just two years after it opened, the Brown Bear Brewing Co. could be forced from business this week because of a city zoning regulation. Lawrence city officials last week declined to renew a drinking establishment license for the Brown Bear, 729 Mass., because it failed to meet the requirement of earning at least 55% of its gross receipts from the sale of food.

The Brown Bear's old license expired on Friday, meaning the business has been closed since Saturday while the owners appeal to Lawrence city commissioners in hopes of getting some sort of leniency. City officials say it represents the first real test of a 1994 ordinance that established the 55% food requirement in an effort to halt the proliferation of "pure bars" downtown.

Commissioners will hear an appeal from the Brown Bear ... in city hall, Sixth and Massachusetts.

"I just hope there's some compassion," said Shawn Schlegel, a co-owner of the company. "I live in this town and I've got bills just like everybody else. ... This is devastating to close."

City Clerk Ray Hummert said the requirement was meant to draw a distinction between "pure bars" and restaurants that also serve alcohol.


Derby Homebrew Competition
The Derby Brew Club, 1997 AHA Club of the Year, is proud to annouce the upcoming AHA/BJCP-sanctioned 6th Annual Homebrew Competition to be held in Wichita, KS, on October 16, 1999. Last year's competition was very successful, drawing 140 entries from Kansas and ten other states in the United States.

There were entries in nearly all of the AHA categories of beer and mead. Consider the challenges of competition, experience the fun of brewing and gain an insight into the world of beers at the Derby Brew Club 6th Annual Homebrew Competition.

For more information, see our Web Site.

or contact:

Kip Innes
DBC Competition Director
(316)-788-4787 home
(316)-523-6894 work
kbinnes@aol.com


Discount Days at Bacchus & Barleycorn
LBG members receive a 10% discount from Bacchus & Barleycorn, September 6-11. Please show membership card or bring newsletter. Bacchus & Barleycorn is located at 6633 Nieman Rd. in Shawnee (913-962-2501).