Beer-making as reality TV?As strange is it may sound, that’s the premise behind the Discovery Channel’s new series, “Brew Masters,” which debuted November 21. The show tracks Dogfish Head Brewery founder Sam Calagione as he travels the globe searching for unusual ingredients (Egyptian spices, anyone?) and learning about age-old beer making techniques –- all in the name of crafting the perfect pint.
On Tuesday, December 7, Datz resident Beer Geek Mike McGhee will host a special tasting and discussions of Bitches Brew from 6:30p-8p at the Chefs’ Kitchen. Until then, enjoy this interview with Calagione from the Discovery Channel blog. How did you get into the beer business? I started as a homebrewery – making 5 gallon batches in my cramped apartment in NYC. It was basically a hobby that went out of control and took over my life. From there I apprenticed at a small brewery in Maine, wrote a business plan, and raised the money to open our original location (and still our pub and R&D brewery), Dogfish Head Brewing and Eats in downtown Rehoboth, Delaware. We opened as the smallest brewery in the country, making ten-gallon batches. Today we are among the fastest-growing breweries in the country, making over 7,000 cases of off-centered ales per day out of our Milton, Delaware production facility. We host beer lovers for tours of both our pub and our brewery — folks can sign up at dogfish.com. Where did the name of your brewery come from? I always forget how goofy the name of our company sounds to most people. I grew up in New England. Dogfish Head is a head or jut of land off of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. I wanted to take a little rustic New England with me when I moved to Delaware to open the brewery, and this name allowed me to make that happen. My wife Mariah, who runs Dogfish with me, is from coastal Delaware, so that’s how we ended up here. What’s your favorite kind of beer? The kind that’s in front of me. Seriously, I drink all kinds of beer, not just Dogfish. There are so many amazing breweries out there around the world. But I mostly drink the beer from fellow small, indie craft breweries. What are some of the more unusual ingredients you’ve made beer with? Lavender buds, licorice root, juniper, tea leaves, human saliva, arctic cloudberries, chili peppers, tree seeds, gourds, saffron, coffee, maple syrup… Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Have you learned anything surprising about beer from working on Brew Masters? I never cease to be surprised by how good my coworkers here at Dogfish are at our job. I’m sure the exotic travel and ingredients will be highlights of the show, but I’m also looking forward to viewers getting to know the off-centered creative, funny, and dedicated people I work with here every day. Who would you most like to have a beer with? Living: Mark Arm of the band Mudhoney. Dead: Andy Warhol or David Foster Wallace. Anything else you’d like to share? I’ve had a blast working with the folks from ZPZ production and Discovery Channel on this series. As obsessed with quality and authenticity as we are at Dogfish Head, these guys are within their respective industries. I always look forward to seeing them and hoisting a pint together after long days of productive work. |
Hop to it Datz: Name Our New BeerIt’s no secret we love beer at Datz and want to that passion with you! Whether it’s the smooth, unfiltered Blanche de Bruxelles, hoppy Stone Ruination IPA, Victory Storm King Russian imperial stout or limited releases like Bell’s Hopslam and Dogfish Head 120, Datz rotates 28 taps of incredible beer. Still, we’ve been left wondering… what’s missing? Is there something more we can possibly do? The answer, it turns out, was right in front of us at our weekly homebrew class – brewing our own beer!!! So we’ve paired up with Tampa’s best – Cigar City Brewing – to create Datz Pumpernickel Rye. Datz beeroisseurs and Cigar City brewer Joey Redner are crafting the recipe and brewing will start soon, but guess what? We don’t have a name!
That’s where YOU come in. We’re asking you – our fellow beer geeks and foodies – to “Hop to It” and help name our brew! What’s in it for you? Well… The 1st place winner receives:
The 2nd place winner receives:
The 3rd place winner receives:
Official Hop to Datz: Name Our Beer Contest rules:
1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Participation in the Contest constitutes full and unconditional agreement and acceptance of these Contest Rules, which are final on all matters relating to the Contest. 2. Contest Period: The contest begins 8:00 a.m. ET, March 15, 2010 and ends 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 31, 2010. 3. Eligibility: The competition is open to everyone 21 years and older. Employees of Datz Restaurant Group, LLC or Cigar City Brewery (and their immediate families and those with whom they are domiciled) are not eligible to enter. 4. How To Enter: Email: Hoptoitdatz@datzdeli.com your best name for a pumpernickel rye porter by Cigar City Brewery. Place your suggestion in the subject line. One suggestion per email. 5. Receipt of Entries: To be eligible, entries must be received during the contest period. Entries which are incomplete or are illegible are null and void. Datz and Cigar City accept no responsibility for entries which are lost, misdirected or delayed for any reason. Nor is any responsibility assumed for incomplete entries, incorrect or inaccurate capture of e-mail. Entries received from persons under the age of 21 will be null and void and no prizes will be awarded. 6. Multiple Entries: Multiple entries are acceptable but no more than one entry can be included on a single email. 7. Judging: Entries will be judged on Thursday, April 2, 2010. The top 3 winners will be notified and moved on to the final round of voting to take place on April 3, 2010. The winners will then be judged by a panel of Datz judges (consisting of 50% of the vote) and on a web poll on posted on www.datz4foodies.com (consisting of 50% of the vote). Winners will be posted on Datz website and other social media outlets as well as press releases being sent to area news and t-shirts being produced using new beer name. In the event that two or more entrants provided identical entries that are judged to be the winning entry, the winner will be decided by a coin toss. The other winning entries will automatically become the runners-up unless there are more than two in which case the runners-up will be decided by a coin toss. 8. Decisions of the judging are final: By entering the contest, each entrant agrees to be bound by these rules and regulations and all decisions Datz, which decisions are final with respect to all matters relating to the Contest, including (without limitation) the selection of prize winners. No correspondence will be entered into other than notification of prize winners. 9. Use of Entries: Datz reserves the right to use any of the names submitted in any way whatsoever. Attribution may or may not be made. Datz retains the right not to use the winning entry, or any entry as the final product name. Datz also shall have the right to use the winners’ names and/or likenesses in any way it chooses in connection with this competition or with promoting the beer or Datz. 10. Evaluation Criteria: Entries will be judged on creativity, appropriateness in keeping with Datz’s style, context and characteristics of the brew. 11. Claiming Prizes: Winners will be required to show proof of identity and be subject to age verification. 12. Liability: By entering the Contest, entrants agree to hold harmless and indemnify Datz Restaurant Group and Cigar City Brewery against any and all liability, damages or causes of action (however named or described) with respect to or arising out of either: (i) entrant’s participation in the Contest; (ii) the receipt or use of the Prizes awarded herein; or (iii) the administration of the contest (including winner selection) and distribution of the prizes awarded herein. |
Nectar…Meet AmbrosiaSo Valentine’s Day may be over, but love is still in the air. That is… if you still have chocolate lying around, whipping your pheromones into an aphrodisiac frenzy. What’s chocolate got to do with beer, you ask? Who could possibly think of munching on Vosges chocolate while quaffing an ice-cold brew? By definition, chocolate is a preparation of the seeds of cacao tree, a small evergreen sterculiaceous tree (Theobroma Cacao – theobroma meaning “food of the gods”). These are grown primarily in tropical America, and are cultivated for their seeds which are the source of cocoa. The indigenous Indians used cocoa to make a pungent, bitter drink they called “chocolatl“. As it so happens, Dogfish Head Brewery has named one of its Ancient Ales, a pungent, bitter drink they called “Theobrama.” Coincidence?? Is it a coincidence that Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery in Milwaukee, WI is walking distance from the Ambrosia Chocolate Company?? Oh, ye of little faith.
Start with a nice wheat beer such as Blanche de Bruxelles and an almond milk chocolate bar. The citrus from the wheat beer will play nicely with the nutty sweetness of the chocolate. Next find a robust nut brown ale like Samuel Smith Nut Brown or Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar. Pair this with a simple milk chocolate or caramel chocolate. I prefer the simple milk chocolate because it allows the nut flavors in the beer to stand out. But if you love caramel these will pair well also. Following that we are going to spice it up a bit. Select a big, bold stout such as Bells Expedition or Hoppin’ Frog BORIS The Crusher. Next get a chili chocolate like Vosges’s Fire Bar. The big malty chocolate flavors in the beer get an extra kick with the spice from the chocolate. A truly amazing combination of sweet and spicy. Finally get a bottle of the Lindeman’s Framboise it is the best and find the darkest chocolate you can, preferably 70% cocoa. Framboise is brewed with over a ton of raspberries and the dark chocolate plays perfectly into the hands of the sweet and fruity brew. I hope this gives you a new idea to surprise your honey with during the sweetest month of the year. Until next time happy drinking and enjoy a craft brew. |
Chocolate and beer is perhaps the oldest, most natural pairing in history – one any aspiring Beer Geek should take the time to explore. The following pairings will blow your mind… or the socks off your significant other.