Local Craft Beer Blast

October, 2012

Now that fall is officially here, the beers of autumn are upon us. Locally, the temperatures are slightly lower, so it is in the 80s.We will get our two weeks of fall in late October or early November. The flavors of these beers are perfect with the hearty warming foods of the season. Stock up on your favorites as the more popular beers sell out. Locally, there are a few seasonal beers planned; regionally, there are many already on the shelves.

The Friday Night Craft Beer classes with Good Beer Larry continue every Friday night through December 7th. Mix and match the classes as you want. Come to a fun beer class with a tasting to start your Friday night. After class, students can take a 'field trip' to a local craft beer bar and enjoy the new beers they learned about in the class. I am also the head marketing person for the classes. Posters are up all over town! View the class poster I made for it.

The "Style of the Month" for October is Pumpkin Ale. A favorite fall seasonal beer, many craft breweries make one. Every brewer makes it differently. This ale can vary from a mild pumpkin and spice taste to a robust beer that tastes like pumpkin pie. They usually come out in September and last through late October. Pumpkin ales are great with Thanksgiving foods, so stash a few away for the occasion as they will be gone from the stores in early November. 

I am introducing a new feature column this month; Brewery of the Month. The featured brewery will be one that I have visited and have written about on my review pages. This short feature will have a link to the full, longer article. Breweries are always fun to visit; try one on your next vacation! This month's brewery is Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.; I recently visited the original brewery in Chico Calif. and have been to the site of their new brewery in western NC. There aren't many people that have been to both in the same year.

The 2nd annual Grovetoberfest is October 13th in Peacock Park, Coconut Grove. The final free tasting leading up to the festival is at the Barracuda Bar in the Grove on October 2nd. It will feature fall seasonal beers and live music. See their Facebook page for more details.

The Treasure Coast Beer Festival is scheduled for Saturday October 27th. This is the third annual and my beer - loving friends who went last year call it "The best beer festival held in a parking garage!" It sounds like fun and is the perfect short weekend getaway to historic downtown Fort Pierce. See their website for all the details.

Don't forget to Drink Locally and support local breweries wherever you are.

Cheers,

Larry

 Friday Night Craft Beer Class

My Craft beer classes at Miami Culinary Institute are on Fridays from 6 to 8 PM. Start your Friday night off with a beer class at MCI. Each class has a separate subject about craft beer and a beer tasting. There are a total of six classes. The tastings will have beers related to the subject and small snacks to go along with them. The course description for the beer classes at MCI: Learn all about craft beers: how they are made, their history, the many varied styles available and taste a few along the way. Explore the various styles of beers and how to have your own beer tasting. The classes consist of 2 hour sessions, each dedicated to something different about the craft beer movement now taking hold worldwide.More details and registration on the Class Homepage. View Class Poster (PDF) 

       Style of the Month 

Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin ales are usually released as fall seasonals. They are one of the more highly anticipated releases each year. Some breweries are releasing them in August due to the demand. The pumpkin is usually added to the mash; either cut up pieces or as a puree. The beer can be spiced with pumpkin related spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves or ginger. Pumpkin ales are usually mild with no hop bitterness, with malts and spices prevalent. Food pairings include hearty fall flavors; look for foods that balance the pumpkin spices, not overwhelm them. A perfect match could be the traditional Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, sweet potato with apple crisp topped with ice cream for dessert. The Imperial versions (higher alc %) tend to be pumpkin pie like with all the spices.  

     Grovetoberfest 2012

On October 13, 2012, join beer enthusiasts in Coconut Grove's Peacock Park for the second annual Grovetoberfest. With hundreds of beers, brewing demonstrations, beer and food pairing instruction, this is Miami's largest and most comprehensive beer festival. Participants will have a chance to vote on their top three brews, and beer cards will be at each booth to help you keep track of the beers. Added bonus: Free ride home in case you taste too many! More at the Website. There are still discounted tickets available; e-mail me for locations.

     Brewery of the Month

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Brewers of  fine ales and lagers using the traditional methods of brewing. Sierra Nevada has it's place in modern beer history. Starting in 1980 with cobbled together brewing equipment, they are now the second largest craft brewer in the US. SN is expanding east to western NC; I visited the site earlier this year. The original brewery is in Chico, CA, which I also visited. The brewery is a great stop on any trip; read more on my 2012 reviews page.