And after drinking a few of those nine percenters, I’m sure going to be ready to cool my heels with the low gravity Table Saison, if I can keep my hands off of that Cucumber Saison. Cucumber Saison…maybe I should start with that.

Wait a minute, I’m already five beers deep, and I haven’t even gotten to the Dirac/Bohr (both Imperial Stouts) Blend Aged in Palm Ridge Whiskey barrels or the Marshal Zhukov's. These are must-have’s.

Oh, and my quest for truly delicious low ABV beer will require trying the El Lector a 4% English Dark Mild Ale, the Minaret an English-style Extra Special Bitter, and the Hotter Than Helles both at 5% ABV.

It is clear to me by now that this event will require cunning and strategy. Let’s hope we’re all up for it.

Special Bulletin…

Midnight Sun Brewing Company from Anchorage, Alaska is sending beer to NYC. First Stop? The Blind Tiger!

We are anxiously awaiting the shipment which we are hoping arrives sometime this weekend, and we absolutely can not wait, so we are going to have the kick-off event at the earliest possible moment.

So, with Ozzy’s permission we are having a Monday Midnight Sun Event. We will be tapping the kegs at 5PM.

The highly regarded Midnight Sun Brewing Company fired up its brew kettle in 1995, and has become a serious yet creative force on the American brewing front. From concept to glass, Midnight Sun relies on an "art marries science" approach, mixing tradition with innovation, to design and craft bold, distinctive beers.

You can take a look at them here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OC8YXQYc1M

As I said, we are hoping to have this event on Monday the 30^th, but there’s a chance the beer won’t arrive on time, so we may have to push it to Tuesday. I guess that’s how it is when you get beer from Alaska. So, set your calendar for Monday the 30^th, but check Facebook or just check in with us directly for any changes. This should be a fun one too!

The Lists:

Cigar City

Cigar City Jai Alai IPA   

Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale

Cigar City Table Saison        

Cigar City Cucumber Saison                                                                                

Cigar City Dos Costas Oeste aged on Spanish Cedar

Cigar City Dos Costas Oeste aged on Grapefruit Wood                                                                                                                   

Cigar City Dos Costas Oeste aged on Lemon Wood

Cigar City Jose Marti

Cigar City Dirac/Bohr Blend aged in a Palm Ridge Whiskey Barrel

Cigar City Hotter Than Helles

Cigar City Marshal Zhukov's

Cigar City El Lector    

Cigar City Minaret

Cigar City Improv Oatmeal Rye

Cigar City E & J's Smokeout Stout                                          

Cigar City Church on a Hill          

Midnight Sun  

Sockeye Red – 5.7% Red IPA with Centennial, Cascade & Simcoe

Panty Peeler - 8.5% Belgian Triple with coriander & Curacao

Mammoth Extra Stout -7.8%  

Treat Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter -7.8%

Cohoho Imperial IPA -8% IMP IPA with Centennial, Cascade & Simcoe

Bottles: Monk’s Mistress Belgian Dark Ale -11.5% Belgian Strong Dark Ale

A Collaborative Dinner
October 17th, 2011

5 courses, paired with beer.  $95 per person, call Perilla for reservations - 212 929 6868


Cheddar Beer Soup with toasted pumpernickel & sunflower seed praline

Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, Wheat Pale Ale, Petaluma, CA (7.5% ABV)

Chef de Cuisine Garrett McMahon used an IPA in this dish, along with some aged cheddar, which brings a sharp acidity balanced by both fruit and nut flavors. So we need a beer that has some bitterness to go with the IPA and the sharpness of the cheese, some fruit character, and some biscuity malt to go with the nuttiness. Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ has all three. The wheat malt provides a dry crispness to help balance the richness of the soup, the hops provide some sharpness, while also bringing a burst of citrus flavors, and the barley malt delivers a nutty undertone. I think this beer, one of my personal favorites because it’s so well balanced, makes this soup even more enjoyable than it would be on its own. 

Crispy Rock Shrimp Salad with chicken liver mousse, speck ham, mizuna, piquillo peppers & violet mustard

Hill Farmstead Edward, American Pale Ale, Greensboro Bend, Vermont (5.2% ABV)

Normally shrimp would go with something lighter, like a Saison, but with the chicken liver mouse, speck ham, and particularly the spicy peppers and mustard, we need a beer with brighter flavors. The Edward, a hoppy American Pale Ale from a tiny farmhouse brewery in northern Vermont, is a good choice. Shaun Hill is known for producing bright, citrusy beers (the citrus flavors come from the hops, not actual fruit) that work well when layering complex flavors on top of delicate foods like seafood.

Roasted Cod with pomegranate, brussels sprouts, almonds & kabocha squash sauce

Allagash Victor, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Portland, Maine (9% ABV)
 
The obvious choice would be Germany’s Schneider Weisse, probably the best wheat beer in the world. Instead, we decided to go with something very different: the Victor from Allagash. The brewer's at Allagash, a Belgian-style brewery, wanted to fuse the worlds of beer and wine in honor of Bacchus, so they crushed a hundred pounds of Cabernet Franc grapes and added them directly to the mash. The result is a beer that’s slightly tart with hints of wine, flavors that go well with the dark fruit of the pomegranate and the earthy quality of the brussels sprouts and squash sauce.

Ginger-Sassafras Braised Short Ribs with celery root, honey crisp apples & braised lacinato kale

Stone Sublimely Self Righteous, Black IPA, Escondido, California (8.7% ABV)

Again, the usual choice with braised short ribs would be the dark fruit flavors of a Belgian Dubbel, but we think that can sometimes be too complimentary, and that the richness of this dish needs some contrast. Our choice, the Sublimely Self-Righteous, brings the dark malt to compliment the heavy roasted flavors of the meat, but with a nice hop finish that cuts through the ribs, while at the same time standing up to the spicy flavors of the ginger and sassafras. 

Malted Carrot Cake with raisin coulis, “snap” caramel & walnut ice cream

North Coast Old Stock Ale ’11, Old Ale, Fort Bragg, California (11.7% ABV)

Beer with dessert? Most definitely. There are plenty of beers that are perfect for people who like to finish their meal with something sweet. The North Coast Old Stock is a perfect example: on the palate you get lots of molasses, hazelnut, and toffee, along with burnt sugar, dark raisin, and caramel, all of which compliment the flavors of Garrett’s carrot cake. And the hops in the finish help cut some of the sweetness of the cake, while the sweetness of the cake helps balance the hops.


Great Pumpkinfest!
Wednesday, October 5th @ 3pm

“Often released as a fall seasonal, Pumpkin Ales are quite varied. Some brewers opt to add hand-cut pumpkins and drop them in the mash, while others use puree or pumpkin flavoring. These beers also tend to be spiced with pumpkin pie spices, like: ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. Pumpkin Ales are typically mild, with little to no bitterness, a malty backbone, with some spice often taking the lead. Many will contain a starchy, slightly thick-ish, mouthfeel too. In our opinion, best versions use real pumpkin, while roasting the pumpkin can also add tremendous depth of character for even better results, though both methods are time-consuming and tend to drive brewmasters insane.” - Beer Advocate

The list of Pumpkins we have is likely to drive us all insane. It includes a hoppy Pumpkin (Smuttynose Pumpkin) and a wet-hopped Pumpkin (Sixpoint Autumnation) in direct contrast to the style as described above. It also includes a Mexican themed Pumpkin with cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, chilies, and roasted pumpkin seeds (The Elysian Coche de Medianoche).

Speaking of Elysian, how can you think of Pumpkin beer without thinking of Elysian? The fine folks at Elysian always bring their A game. First they bowl us over with the perennial favorites (Dark of the Moon, Great Pumpkin) and then they compel us to stretch our limits of acceptance…Pumpkin Malt Liquor?!? (PK-47)

Don’t worry, we have the classics too: Brooklyn Post Road, Dogfish Head Punkin, a rare gravity keg of Southern Tier PumpKing, and the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin.

The following list is the sort that can make Pumpkin lovers swoon with joy, and even win over the skeptics. It’s the perfect welcome for the crisp fall weather. Give ‘em a try. You’ll be glad you did, and you’ll have plenty to talk about.

Elysian Dark of the Moon
Elysian Great Pumpkin
Elysian Kurbitinas Pumpkin Hefe
Elysian Coche de Medianoche
Elysian Hansel and Gretel Pumpkin Pils
Elysian PK-47 Pumpkin Malt Liquor
Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin
Dogfish Head Punkin
Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela
Smuttynose Pumpkin
Sixpoint Autumnation
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin
 
River Horse Hipp-O-Lantern - Cask
Southern Tier PumpKing - Pin
 
Katherine

In anticipation of the September 22nd, Brewer’s Choice, we spoke with co-host (and Blind Tiger champion), Dave Brodrick, about his relationship with beer and how the second annual event will be even better than than the first!

Jimmy invited me to Brewer’s Choice last year as part of the Beer Sessions Radio team, and I thought it was the best event of NYC Beer Week. It was the combination of having the brewers and owners pouring their own beers, all paired up with great foods, and in a really nice venue. And it wasn’t too crowded, so we could meet a lot of brewers.

Have you had any experience in previous Craft Beer Weeks?

Yes, the Blind Tiger has been part of every NYC Craft Beer Week since it began, and I’ve been down to Philly Beer Week as well.

Blind Tiger is one of the early adopters of craft beer in NYC. How has the Craft Beer scene changed in the past 15 years?

When we first started back in ‘96, everyone was doing the same thing: pale ales, ambers, and an IPA—maybe a wheat beer. In truth, that was about all our customers could handle. Whenever we brought in something esoteric, my staff and I would wind up drinking a lot of it! However, it was a fun time, too. Sam Calagione and Rob Tod were just starting out, and we would try to come up with crazy ideas for events, like serving Dogfish Punkin’ Ale in gourds, which turned into the world’s biggest food fight. By 2000, people’s palates really began to change, and their knowledge increased, so we could sell more obscure stuff. Now, it’s the exact opposite: Ambers and pale ales are a tougher sell. All people want are the small one-offs: barrel-aged beers, sours, exotic hops, etc.

What qualities do you bring to this year’s Brewers Choice?

Lots of enthusiasm! Brewer’s Choice has the ingredients to be one of the great beer events in the country; a lot of the brewers have already said it’s one of their favorites, and we’re still working out the kinks. I think the marriage of artisanal beer with artisanal food is the biggest thing since micro-beers first came on the scene, which is why we’re so psyched to have Garrett Oliver as our keynote speaker this year. He’s the dean of putting great beer with great food.

What is one of your favorite beer events hosted by Blind Tiger?

I spend a lot of time on my farm in Vermont, so I have a serious soft spot for our Vermont Beer & Cheese Festival every spring. Right now, the Green Mountain State has some of the best young brewers in the world (hopefully we’ll get them for next year’s Brewer’s Choice—I’m already working on them). And Vermont has always had the best cheese. You put the two together and you get something special. I love celebrating the passion of artisanal producers.

How did you meet Jimmy and what was the first beer you remember drinking either with him or at Jimmy’s No. 43?

I’m probably not the first person to say this, but I feel like I’ve known Jimmy forever. I don’t even remember when we met, and I’ve had quite a few beers with him. Whatever the first one was, Jimmy has kept me pretty busy ever since. Not as busy as Jimmy, though. Nobody’s as busy as Jimmy.

Anything else you want to say about 2011’s Craft Beer Week?

Like everything else about craft beer, NYC Beer Week keeps getting better and better. It’s our chance to show people how far New York has come as a craft beer town.

Come to The Blind Tiger on Sunday the 14th for some very exciting beers from Harpoon…

The Uncle Fester is a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Octoberfest aged on Brettanomyces wild yeast and other funky cultures. A super rare American Wild.

The Saison Various is a blend of 5 different Saisons made by five different brewers with different recipes. One had lemongrass, one was a rye beer, some were spiced, and some were hoppy. The blend was put into a Cabernet barrel and aged for 1 month. The finished brew has a complex spiciness with some bright, rich fruit, and a dry finish with some gentle tannins from the barrel.

The list is rounded out with these outstanding beers:

Leviathan Imperial IPA

Leviathan Imperial Rye

Rich and Dan’s Rye IPA

Belgian Pale Ale

Munich Dark

Cask: IPA dry hopped with Fuggles

I can’t wait to pair the Uncle Fester with Chef Tommy Harder’s Beer Battered Pancakes and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup. Hope to see you tomorrow!

Katherine

Blind Tiger Style Event:  Pilsner

August 3rd @ 3pm

Pilsners came about at least in part as a reaction to sub-standard beer. The story goes that due to the undrinkability of beer in Plzen (or Pilsen) in what is now the Czech Republic, 36 barrels of beer were dumped in protest of the terrible quality of the beer in 1838. Something had to change. The town got together and invested in a brewery and hired a Bavarian brewmaster named  Josef Groll . He was an inspired fellow who gathered a few trends in brewing to create a whole new style of beer. First of all in Britain the use of lightly toasted malts had begun. Secondly the process of lagering (or storing) beer in cool caves was an accepted part of the brewing process in the region. Lastly there was this yeast (some say it was smuggled out of Bavaria by a Monk in great secrecy) that was bottom-fermenting and fermented slowly. The slow fermentation of the yeast was a perfect fit with the cave lagering. When Groll  added the light malts to this equation and made the first batch in 1842 he found magic. The soft water of Plzen was perfectly suited to this recipe. A beer that was clear, light in color, and pristine was born. Was it the novelty of being able to see through your beer (glass was just coming into usage)? Was it the crispness that assured the demanding masses of quality? Or was it simply the deliciousness of the aroma of the Noble hops combining with the light sweetness of the malt that won everyone over? I don’t know the answer to this, but I do know that today this style of beer often gets short shrift next to many of the heartier styles, which is slightly ironic given the challenge of brewing a delicious pilsner. As some have said, there’s nowhere to hide in a Pilsner. A slightly off note stands out against the delicate flavor profile.  It takes skill, time and dedication to brew a good Pilsner, which, thankfully the following breweries have used to give us this delicious list of weather appropriate brews. Open your mind (and your mouth) and enjoy.

Mikkeller Draft Bear

Christoffel Blonde

Kulmbacher Edelherb Pils

Strubbe Pils

Mikkeller Dream Pils

Mahr's Pilsner

Schlenkerla Helles

Einbecker Pils

Kulmbacher EKU Pils

Coney Island Mermaid Pils

Victory Braumeister Pils

Southern Tier Farmer Tan

-Katherine Kyle



Back in 1997, when we began doing beer events to drum up interest in craft beer and its breweries, we came up with the idea of saving barrels of holiday ales and putting them on in the middle of summer. When I say we came up with the idea for Christmas in July, I mean we actually borrowed the concept from Ray and Dennis over at dba. It was kind of hard not to copy a lot of the things they were up to over in the East Village: Ray and Dennis basically invented the New York City beer bar when they opened dba in 1994. Blind Tiger and Gingerman, both of which opened in early 1996, were simply our own variations on a theme they pioneered.

I bring this up because we had a memorial service for Ray Deter this past Wednesday, following his tragic death on July 3rd. He was only 53 years old, and seemed to be loving life more than ever, if that was possible. Ray was a true connoisseur, a person who enjoyed the finer things with incredible joy. Over the past year, I got to see that first hand when I joined Beer Sessions Radio as the roving reporter, which Ray and Jimmy Carbone co-hosted. I can’t think of a person more qualified to talk about good beer, and good stuff in general, than Raymond James Deter III.

Working with Ray was fun, but I especially enjoyed our dinners at Roberta’s after the show. Ignoring the brick oven pizza Roberta’s was famous for, Ray always ordered the dry aged steak for all of us. It came with a marrow bone and Ray liked to slather the stuff on his bread and munch it down until his lips were shiny. The perfect metaphor for a guy who sucked the essence out of everything that interested him, often with that infectious smile on his face. A smile that always made me think, “Man, I’ll have what he’s having...”

Here’s to you, Ray:
 
Jolly Pumpkin Noel
Slaapmutske Triple Nightcap
Geants Noel
Weissenhoe Monks Christmas
Serafin Christmas Angel
St. Bernardus Christmas
Scaldis Noel
Brooklyn Chocolate Stout ‘09
Weyerbacher Winter Ale
Troegs Mad Elf  ‘07
Smuttynose Winter
Vertical Jewbelation ‘08
Vertical Jewbelation ‘09
Vertical Jewbelation ‘10
Hitachino Commemerative (Cask)