I don’t like making lists. Someone inevitably gets left off and then pissed off at me. But, I know some of you really like lists, so I’m going to round out the top local beers of 2008. I may or may not get around to doing my favorite beers anywhere list, so enjoy this one.

In no particular order:

Big Sky Brewing Co. Biere de Noel: I grabbed three or four bottles of this year’s Biere de Noel to take home for the holidays. It was a huge hit last year, so I figured I’d make everyone happy once more. Huge aroma of vanilla, spice, dark chocolate and dried fruit. This beer is so amazingly complex it offers something new an almost every sip. Once warmed, Biere de Noel explodes into rich red wine territory with hints of tobacco, leather and black fruit on the nose and intense vanilla vodka on the palate. With a mouthfeel like warmed brandy, Biere de Noel consumed slowly over the course of a long winter’s evening, can increase the size of a Grinch’s heart three sizes.

Bitter Root Brewing Co. Saison:

Watching many Montana brewers put out batches of this famous French farmhouse ale, I thought it would be fun to compare one against the others. But, being the hardened professionals they are, our brewers outdid themselves in their own right. Not much to compare here, just several great takes on this classic brew. I grabbed a growler of  Bitter Root Brewing’s saison to taste at home on a warm August day. The earthiness of the beer comes right off the nose, as does a pleasant grassy smell. It’s not fresh-cut lawn exactly but like when you walk out into a meadow after the sun has warmed the dew. The bready yeastiness of this beer was so good with Asian food and even lighter fare like salads.

Flathead Lake Brewing Co. ROY’S Imperial India Pale Ale:

This is imperial IPA the way imperial IPA should be. Big, over-the-top hops and alcohol meeting in a malty medium of balanced goodness. Fig, dark berries, dried peach and green herbs are evident in the nose, and the mouthfeel is of a serious nature given the high gravity of this beer.

Kettlehouse Brewing Co. Sports Recovery Beer:

The reason I’m picking this beer had to do with the fact that the brewers took time out to consider what kind of beer might fit well with the lifestyle here in Missoula. A light, caffeinated beer with hints of ginseng is a perfect idea for the outdoor-minded community that inhabits this fair valley. Nothing is overdone on this beer, and one feels they can drink a pint shortly after a run, hike or bike without the side-splitting affects of consuming a heavier beer. Kudos to the Kettlehouse crew for pushing the boundaries and keeping beer fun.

Great Northern Brewing Co. Highlander:

While not even closely resembling its noble ancestor, Highlander beer has returned to Western Montana in the form of a scotch-style ale brewed by Great Northern Brewing Co. in Whitefish. This malty dog with hints of smoke and a velvet mouthfeel has become a popular talking point for the folks who still remember when the fabled red and white cans still were available in Missoula and the college crowds alike.

Glacier Brewing Co. Autumn Ale:

I don’t like smoked beers. Might have something to do with ordering a pint of Rogue Ales smoked porter several years ago to find the beer tasted just like smoked salmon. Makes me gag just to think about it. But in the last few years I’ve grown to appreciate the fact that brewers have toned down the smoke for better balance. And so I’ve resumed tasting them. A big one still can take me back to Newport Bay, but a great one can be some of the best food beer on the planet. Glacier’s version has the intense flavor of smoked peat, but the smokiness has a woodsy characteristic more like a Laphroaig scotch. The malt dances on your tongue with the smokiness from spotfires of roasted grains spread out with a silky smooth mouthfeel.

Tamarack Brewing Co. Old Stache Porter:

I didn’t try this beer. But everything I’ve heard about it has led me to add it to this year’s top list. Apparently, this popular whisky barrel aged porter was a hit with skiers and boarders returning from Blacktail Mountain as well as locals and tourists alike. Which is why I didn’t get to try any. Craig, you better save some for me this year.

Happy New Year,

GG

Still hard for me to get used to saying up the Root, but I understand why we do it. Nonetheless, here’s a list of current beers and upcoming specials at Bitterroot Brewing Co. that I stole from their newsletter, along with a rather funny version of Do, Re, Mi by noneother than Homer J. Simpson.

Belgian Amber (5.57% ABV), Our Winter Seasonal Amber: Spicy and malty with a dry finish.  Brewed with Belgian Candi sugar and a Belgian yeast strain.

Smoked Hefeweizen (4.54% ABV),  an unfiltered German wheat beer brewed with all imported grains and traditional yeast

Saison (5.41% ABV), a traditional Belgian/French ale… Spicy, tart and dry with a slightly sour finish

Winter Ale (7.99% ABV), A classic English Old Ale spiced with juniper berries and aged on Oak.  Sweet with an Oak flavored, spicy finish..Like a fine Gin!

On the Nitro tap, Oatmeal Stout (5.56% ABV), a hoppy, American style stout with oats

On the Beer Engine, Unfiltered Porter

Coming VERY, VERY soon…. Barley Wine, Belgian Dubbel

DO RE MI DRINK
by Homer J. Simpson
DO… the stuff… that buys me beer…
RAY… the guy that sells me beer…
ME… the guy… who drinks the beer,
FAR… a long way to get beer…
SO… I’ll have another beer…
LA… I’ll have another beer…
TEA… no thanks, I’m drinking beer…
That will bring us back to… (Looks into an empty glass) D’OH!

Thanks Homer!

Prost,

GG

If you missed last year’s beer dinner at Blue Canyon, and I know you did, because I was there, you really need to check out this year’s dinner.

On (CORRECTION) Friday Jan. 23nd at 6:30 in Bison Room of Blue Canyon, chef Laurence Coffman and Big Sky head brewer Matt Long will take you on an epic culinary adventure themed around beer. What could be better? Chef Larry is skilled in the ways of marrying food and beer into rapturous moments of mouth joy. Just check out last year’s menu here.

And Matt Long brings years of passion and a helluva palate for craft beer to the table along with his amazing experience as a brewer who understands the most basic chemical principles of our beloved beverage.

Along his journey, Matt Long has picked up an affinity for trying interesting recipes and then blending one idea with another. Though he already makes a fantastic Belgian-style Tripel, Long decided to age some of it in wine barrels, both red and white. I don’t know if this will be served at the beer dinner, but you owe it to yourself to come and find out. Regardless of what they serve, it will be a unique and hard-to-find Big Sky beer or one of their fantastic and food-friendly staples.

The cost is $75, but you couldn’t buy a meal like this for less than $150, and you won’t be able to find most of this beer on area shelves.

This is expected to sell out fast, so call in and make reservations soon. 1(406) 541-BLUE (2583)

I’ll post the menu as soon as I get it.

Prost,

GG

The first meeting of the Missoula Beer Appreciation Society is tomorrow evening. The weather will be frightful, so what’s better to do than go somewhere and drink good beer with other people who like good beer.

Here’s what MBAS founder Mike Saxton has to say about it:

Come one come all, to the first meeting of the MBAS - Missoula Beer Appreciation Society, at BeerTrips Local #1’s new home base, Cafe Dolce, with its fine, and sure to be growing, beer list. We will gather informally to drink Chimay beer along with cheese and salami served in the style of a Belgian Cafe. Pay as you go, and discover this fine Trappist Ale from Belgium and meet other Missoula Beer appreciators.

Date: Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Cafe Dolce 500 Brooks St. Missoula, MT

Prost,

GG

One of the best beer stores anywhere.

Missoula has several great beer stores. In fact, you know you’re in a good beer store when you notice more than three shelves of cold beer and varieties that you’ve never seen before.

But the sheer awe of walking in to John’s Market in Portland, Oregon is overwhelming. I think I got a bit dizzy looking at aisle after aisle of beer.

Like a grocery store just for beer.

I walked by rows after row of Belgian beers, mostly stuff I’d never heard of.

There were Indian, German, Spanish, Italian, French, British, American and even Montanan beers.

Holiday beer selection at John's Market.

It’s truly a pleasure to be able to visit a place like John’s Market once in a while. It’s a bit of a Mecca for beer lovers, and it’s a great way to replace all those collection beers you’ve been sitting on.

We’ll get into what I picked up soon. For now, just enjoy the views.

Prost,

GG

While filming another story for the Missoulian, I ran into santa having a little fun at Blue Mountain. Turns out the big man drinks PBR Light when he can find it.

Prost,

GG

Since the last beer post was not beer related. This one will be.

Here are my three local picks for tonight’s Griz/Spider game.

The order does not represent importance, as each of these beer can hold their own against the others.

The Griz had a strong year. Their one loss to Weber State was avenged later in the year, and they put up phenomenal number against the rest of the league. And they topped it off by beating the number-one-ranked team in the country for a shot at the title game.

This calls for a strong beer.

So, I would have some Kettlehouse Brewing Co. Cold Smoke on hand tonight.

Because this is the final game of the year, and it’s on a Friday night, I’d stay with the strong beers and have a little Big Sky Brewing Co. Powder Hound around. Again, you’ve got an easy going beer that packs a bit of winter-warmer punch into the mix.

To round out the triple threat, I’d get myself a mini keg of Bayern Brewing’s Doppel Bock, the epitome of smooth.

Just like the Griz, these beers are smooth, tasteful and they pack a serious punch.

If you plan to drink the triple threat tonight, don’t plan on driving anywhere, especially not in this weather. Nothing can ruin a championship season like a DUI or worse.

Go Griz!

Prost,

GG

A warning: This post is not beer related.

Switching your allegiance in football, as in life, is not an easy thing. My father sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco as an immigrant fleeing persecution in Stalin’s Soviet Union.

Therefore, he is and always will be a San Francisco 49ers fan.

Had he sailed past Lady Liberty, we might be Jets fans today.

When I was 10, I picked the Dallas Cowboys to be my favorite team. I liked them because they beat the Redskins in a Thanksgiving game the year before.

When I turned 11, I picked the Miami Dolphins, because I was infatuated with dolphins at the time. No, I wasn’t a hippie dreamer wearing crystal dolphin necklaces. I was genuinely interested in the fact that dolphins could kill sharks with their distinctive bottle noses.

See a pattern here? I picked heroes, I picked the favorites to win, I picked the good guys.

So on Jan. 20, 1985, I sat down with my father to watch Super Bowl XIX. I would root for the Dolphins because they were favored to win, and because I couldn’t root for my father’s team. I was on the cusp of teenage life. It wouldn’t be cool to root for my father’s team.

The by-then-established quarterback Joe Montana picked the hapless Dolphins apart with his gunslinger accuracy and with the new 49er weapon  Roger Craig who could run and catch.

I had never seen such a display of skill and perseverance as I saw in the 49ers that day. And my father, to his credit, never said a word. He sat there and, if he enjoyed my anguish, he didn’t show it.

I came back to my family team shortly after that, and I’ve been a 49er fan ever since, through the good times and the bad times.

I am also a Duck. I attended the University of Oregon’s Journalism School, and I watched Joey Harrington’s senior season at Autzen Stadium. He had classes at the business school, which was right next to the J school, so I walked to class behind his entourage almost every day.

I am a Duck because I spent my formative years in Oregon, I attended the university and I have deeply established ties with the community, the players and the team.

I have lived in Missoula, Montana for two football seasons. Seasons in which the University of Montana Grizzlies dominated their league.

But it’s not an instant love affair with Griz football for me. And some of my friends just don’t understand this.

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the Griz play each Saturday for the past two seasons. Tonight, I will host my second Griz football party. My coworkers will come to my house, and we will eat food and drink drinks and watch the football team from the school most of them attended demolish the Richmond Spiders.

But this, in and of itself, does not make me a rabid, dyed-in-the-wool griz fan. I don’t have the deep connections many in this community have, yet.

It takes time and emotional connections besides the physical connections of living in a place or attending school there to become a super fan.

In Oregon, there is a big division between Beaver fans and Duck fans. But my brother attended OSU years before I went to U of O, and so we have always rooted for the other’s team, unless they are playing each other in Civil War. Then, he bleeds orange and I green.

It’s that way with many in that state. When it comes to sports, there are only three things to celebrate in Oregon. The Trailblazers, the Ducks and the Beavers are Oregon sports.

Most football allegiences are established at an early age. I see lil’ Griz fans bedecked in maroon and silver as tiny infants. It’s likeley they’ll be Griz fans when they grow up.

My children are Duck fans. They are more rabid about the team than I am. When they win, they whoop and hollar. When they lose, I have to console their broken hearts.

After a year-and-a-half here, I can say I’m a fan of the Griz, and I’ve supported them all the way to Chattanooga. But I’m not a Griz, and unless I attend the university or establish deep ties to the team over years of association, I won’t be for some time. For now, I’m a Duck living in Montana enjoying Griz Nation.

Does that make sense?

Prost,

GG

Big Sky Brewing Co. released it’s newest beer recently. It’s a saison, and besides having a lot of history behind it, this beer has a great flavor profile, an uncanny pairability with food and an easy going disposition.

Here’s a few words from head brewer Matt Long about Big Sky’s new saison:

Our new brewer, David Malcolm, wanted to brew one, (a saison) so he came up with the recipe. We exclusively used Castle pilsner malt from Belgium. That contributes a nice light body and grainy flavor that really comes through on the palate. That light body is offset by the fact that the beer is unfiltered. We hopped it with a very low profile Glacier hop and you get a bit of that hop flavor in the finish. The yeast was the DeDolle strain. DeDolle is a brewery that we all love (Dulle Teve, Mad Bitch, Oerbier, etc.), and I think that Dupont strain that is often used throws off too much bubble gum flavor for my tastes if you don’t use spice in the recipe. We didn’t spice this one.

So, in essence, to brew it well, you need to start with authentic ingredients including the yeast.

The other key is to get a complete fermentation so the beer is not too sweet. This is something that is often overlooked and starts with having the right parameters in the brewhouse. We pay close attention to this with all of our beers, especially the big ones. This saison started at a 14 Plato and finished at a 1.7 for 6.5% ABV. Complete attenuation is the key to just about any good beer. Even at 6.5%, this beer seems very sessionable and we drained a keg the first day that it was in the taproom (yesterday). 22 kegs to go, so we should have it throughout the month of January.

Prost,

GG

The social networking of beer.

My friend Mike Saxton, adventurer and founder of BeerTrips.Com, has started the Missoula Beer Appreciation Society. The goal, and I’m just guessing here, because Mike and I haven’t sat down for a beer in a while, is to provide a forum for the appreciation and enjoyment of beer in and around Missoula.

In fact, I know that’s what it’s all about.

For now, you can, if you have a Facebook account, become a fan of this page and learn more about the first scheduled meeting of the society, which Mike hints at on Facebook.

Chimay at Cafe Dolce could be a very cool first meeting.

Prost,

GG