The Residency #2

It’s a lively evening at Workers Tap, and I’m sipping on a Wild Herd Kolsch from Goose Island. I was lucky to find a table to write at-I wonder if I asked for a permanent seat to drink at on Fridays if that would help….just like, from 7-9 or something.

It’s a nice dream, anyway.

Goose Island used to be one of those names in craft brewing, right? Then they sold out to the man and I figure now would be a good chance to see if they still got it.

I’m very uncertain about this kolsch. It’s a little lifeless-the nose isn’t very strong at all. It has a sweet, bready quality that isn’t exactly awesome and I have to reach for it. The beer itself just doesn’t have the kind of emphasis on grains than I would like. There’s just no depth there, I am just having a sweeter version of the style than I personally prefer.

Especially since I’ve had some damn fine kolsch beers in my life. This just isn’t standing well next to them.

It’s been a bit of a scattershot week. The therapist told me to get a ‘self-love journal’ and I have to say, 25 year old me immediately recoiled from the idea. “It sounds,” I can hear him saying “like some bullshit.”

In the meantime, I am still aware that there are very serious wars happening, what can only be called a genocide that my gov’t seems to be willing to stand idly by and let happen-

And as an aside, I would think that of ALL PEOPLE in the world, Americans would have a real sense of separation between the powers and activities of the government, and the people who are living under said government and would really, really like things to be not as shit as they are.

Or put more simply: Washington DC does not equal Americans, we all know that. Seems like we ought to be able to apply that principle elsewhere.

But it has been noted-maybe even by myself-that subtlety is dead. We don’t have the bandwidth for nuances when white nationalists and election deniers have a mouth at the social megaphone.

(Extra aside: Fuck you, Rep Mike Johnson. You’re a cruel, scummy human.)

-that there is still a pandemic on, an abhorrent level of gun violence that we shouldn’t have to live with, yet our leaders are “somehow” powerless to fix….

And on and on. “Get a self-love journal.” Jesus. SO fucking trite.

Yet, I am in therapy for a reason. You don’t go to a doctor when you’re hurt to just ignore what you’re told.

Well. I’m hurt. I can keep on walking with this hurt or I can try what the professional is saying might help. Worst case I’m out $10. I can afford it. If it’s silly and that’s the worst of it?

Well shit. We could all use a little more silly.

Downstairs, people are meeting and planning, they have decided that collectively they can do and be more-around work, against injustice, against genocide. Just around the corner, I can hear a couple making a plan, something that sounds an awful lot like a date. Or a pre-date. They’re going to get sushi and get high.

As first dates go, I wish I had the audacity to propose such a thing.

It’s all…it could all be banal. But this is why I’m here. To people again, and I’m glad you’re coming along with me.

Bat Attack Amber (2023)

This beer, named by my friend Kim, was done with her (she did most of the work, I supervised) for the second year in a row for her annual Halloween party!

We sat down after the party to evaluate the beer (which was received well at the party, pleased to say.)

There’s a little caramel in the nose, the head is faint, but it is persistent. Only two weeks passed between brewing and imbibing, so I’m thinking another week might’ve added a little more carbonation.

Sweeter than expected, but no unpleasantly so. For me, the final notes are of graham cracker,

Kim: definitely picks up the grains. There’s a buttery quality too. It’s not offputting at all though. It’s more of a sensation, less a flavor.

There’s a nice density to this beer-it’s not too light and it finished really well.

She’s thrilled with it, I’m thinking that a potential diacetyl rest might be worth doing next year. This beer was brewed and bottled quickly. But I’m not mad about this beer: it’s very good.

The freshness of this amber definitely contributes to its positive qualities. It just pops in a way that it might not have, if it had been left for too long.

So we’re both very pleased with this amber: it’s ABV level gives you something to chew on, but it’s not going to wreck your palate, or cause you to leave the party early. We’re already looking forward to next year!

Brew Date: 10/1/23

Steeping Grains
7 lb Metolius Munich
1.5lb Crystal 15
.5lb Special Roast

Fermentables: 3 lb liquid pilsner malt

Hop additions
@60, 1oz Kent Golding, .5 oz Hallertau Mittelfruh

@5 .5 oz Kent Golding, 1/5 oz Hallertau Mittlefruh

1 Tsp Irish Moss for clarity

Yeast: Imperial‘s Flagship

Original gravity: 1.05

Final Gravity: 1.012

Bottled: 10/8

ABV: 5.1%

Summer Amber

The nose is very solid: the 2 row is getting to take center stage, but there’s still room for caramel. I dig.

But I think one of the things I’m enjoying the most about this beer is the mouthfeel. There’s a pleasant heft to it but it isn’t oily or heavy. It allows for a a coffee flavor to appear that might not have time to develop, if the beer was something to chug.

That’s not all though, because there’s a lovely effervescence on the finish that creeps in from the sides of my tongue to the middle. This makes for a nice palate cleanser along with offering a little more thirst quenching sensation too.

If I had to do again, I might pull back a little on the coffee/roasted flavor. Maybe half a pound of Melanoidin? The flavor is strong enough that with a little less, I think the beer might be more enjoyable to drink, and it’s already pretty good.

Brew date: 7/22/23

Steeping grains
8 lb toasted 2 row
1 lb Melanoidin

Fermentables: 3 lb Liquid extra light

Hops
@60 75 oz Comet, .25 oz Nobility @60
@5 .25oz Comet, 1.75 oz Nobility

Yeast: Imperial House (3rd use)

OG: 1.058

FG: 1.01

Bottled 7/30

Ferment temps low 70s high 60s

ABV: 6.5%

The Residency #1

Kicking off the series with the Focus IPA from Ft. George. The head is immense; this beer has a muffin top, not a head. It’s got strong tropical fruit notes too; kiwi is the thing I pick up the most.

My first sip gives me a nose full of foam, so I’m going to withhold judgment until I can get a proper taste.

So: why here, why now? Well, most obviously, I like Workers Tap as an environment. But also: it’s been over three years since I deliberately sat at a single pub and wrote for the blog. That is a long time to detach from the community at large. Lastly, they have a sign on the door: Vax card required.

It’s old, and at this point they aren’t asking people when they come in anymore to show their cards. But that they took the pandemic seriously enough to ask people to demonstrate that they were vaccinated means to me; it’s worth getting beer here.

If I’m going to take the risk to have beer at an indoors space again, Workers Tap is the kind of environment that will offer me good stories and safe places. Or at least, as safe as I can reasonably ask for.

On my next check in with the Focus, there are more layers. The kiwi quality is still there, but near the finish I get some dankness too, an extra dimension that helps elevate the IPA. Plus, the finish isn’t scouring on the bitterness, which is a definite plus.

I was at a Halloween party last Saturday and part of my costume involved me growing a beard. I was a little apprehensive about that, because the last time I grew a beard, it was patchy and thin and just not a sustainable look. As much as I try to eschew vanity, I don’t want to look like a slob.

The beard grew in fine. I almost looked distinguished!

And it was then that I realized that it had been roughly twenty five years since I’d tried to grow a beard. Not just a goatee (that I have down) but an actual beard.

Which begged the question: what have I been holding onto that really isn’t true anymore? What have I been insisting is the case when a new reality has taken root-if I’m willing to see it?

The world changes and I have changed with it. Perhaps it’s worth checking in occasionally to see what is working and what isn’t anymore. What’s still true and what can be discarded. What values I should continue to hold, and what ones I should begin to champion.

Maybe I should do that a little more often than I do.

I have the luxury of being in a position where I can take risks, or explore ideas and not be punished for that.

I can be told “No, that’s a bad thing” but this isn’t the same thing as being punished. Certainly I don’t have to suffer in the way that I did as a young person, flailing away for anything that would accept me, railing against everything that wouldn’t.

And really, that’s true for a lot of people I know-we have a lot of support, but a lot of us end up holding onto notions of ourselves that just aren’t true. Ideas that are almost always suggesting that we aren’t worthy of the lives we are given.

Sometimes the things can be small: Hey, I can have a proper beard now, if I want it!

But small things always allow for bigger things: Hey, maybe I’m not plain and beneath notice anymore.

Maybe I was never that. Maybe you weren’t either.

Prohibition into the Drug War

I hadn’t really drawn a line between America’s Prohibition times and failures of policy and enforcement to the Drug War’s similar failures but I’m glad someone did!

Common Ales: Occidental-Festbier

The nose has a very interesting scent; it’s like toast, which isn’t something I expected. I’ve gotten sourdough and uncooked bready qualities before, but toast is a nice changeup.

Really beautiful amber color, too. So the first impressions are quite good.

There’s an interesting dryness that appears at the end of this beer. It isn’t quite like white wine, although I want to make the comparison. But there’s something between the hop character and the effervescence that really gives this beer a very clean finish overall that still tickles the white wine sense.

I feel like the fest beir could stand up to some very heavy dishes. It’s got a malt backbone you could build a house on, and a strong enough nose to whisk away any other strong flavors. A really good drink for a lot of different meals.

As this Festbier has warmed up, sweeter qualities have become more apparent. Nothing overwhelming but more of that malty warmth is appearing. Good stuff.

Interlude, Oct ’23

This pint of Heinzelmann kolsch is quite good. The grains show up in the nose and on the finish, which is crisply finished off with the effervescence. This is what I’d call an excellent starter beer. That is: if you didn’t know much about craft beer and wanted to expand your horizons without being intimidated or having your palate blown away, the Heinzelmann would be a great place to start.

This intermission is taking place at Labyrinth Forge brewing, the day before their grand opening party. I can’t do all the things but if I could, I’d definitely come down here for that because it sounds like a good time.

This is the second week in a row where I have found myself without an agenda, and I have to admit, I’m not sure how I feel about it. Having a thing to do is pretty ingrained, why aren’t you doing something a cloud question that wants to rain on every parade.

It’s not like there isn’t something to talk about but the broad topics of the day are all trafficking in human misery right now. What am I going to say about the war in Gaza that smarter, more informed people aren’t?

I can’t help but think of this moment in Dr Who, where everyone is confronted with a simple truth: You’re going to die nasty (and stupid), if you aren’t willing to talk peaceably. And this isn’t about Gaza, this is about us, right? If we are going to let cruel people dictate things then we are going to reap cruelty.

Maybe this: I realize that it can feel like there’s no support for it, but I still think that most people will, if given the truth, do the right thing. Do the kind thing. I don’t believe most of us have an innate cruelty.

It is certainly a problem that so many of us have ceded our own authority to cruel men. That’s definitely something to talk about. I don’t know that I have a lot of answers to it, but I know there won’t be any answers if we don’t talk about it.

Common Ales: Buoy Double IPA

This has a great nose, with the Chinook and Idaho 7 hops coming out in a foresty but not dank manner.

In the middle the two row malts are holding up nicely, with a pleasant golden color and baseline sweetness, without offering any caramel flavors.

The finish is a liiiiiiittle harsh though: it’s not out of style, by any means. But it does impact the drinkability a little. I think you want some food with this one.

Summer Series 2023 #18

Gotta admit, I’m as surprised as you are. Last week I walked to Proper Pint with a slight drizzle over me, assured that autumn was on its way. Figured I might as well start making appropriate plans.

And then we get a week of 80 degree days and truly lovely evenings. I’d be a downright fool to lock myself indoors if I don’t have to-and while a fool I may be, downright is rarely ever applied to me.

Settling in at Chuckanut’s Portland location with a golden ale, I notice that the base malt for this is Maris Otter and I’ve used that malt before and liked it. But with professionals in charge, I feel like there’s a chance for the malt to be brought to the spotlight, so I can really figure out what I like about it.

The Golden Ale is bready in the nose, and then rushes to the bubbly parts a little quickly. I don’t get much in the middle but I also can’t complain about that. That’s because after the effervescence passes a strong grainy flavor lingers, a bit like Cheerios, proving that I’ve had a beer and not just the strong impression of one. The effect is a warming one, brightening my feelings about this beer more than if it hadn’t been there.

I like it.

I’ve often thought that adaptability is one of the greatest strengths of humans. We can change what we think and how we behave to improve the situation we find ourselves in. We don’t just warp the world around us to us, we can also shapeshift ourselves. It’s work, and the work is often slow-but changing is often better than becoming so brittle that your brain becomes like rock candy and shatters at the first sign of opposition.

Hence, I’m sitting outside in the (late) Summer Series, instead of starting The Residency. The brewpub has been kind enough to pipe some big band blues into the yard, and a few blocks away I can hear someone practicing their drums. I’m lucky enough to be in the shade and surprisingly, I’m by myself. It’s such a nice day, why aren’t YOU spending it outside lounging with a beer?

I’m not sure I’ve got much for you today. It’s the end of the series (maybe? What the heck is the weather going to do this week?) and I’m definitely in a mood to just enjoy the moments I got.

Soon it’ll be time to talk about That Fucking Guy and his hopeful prison sentence, the fact that the media is asking “eight people are holding up our government-how are they doing that” while ignoring that an entire party is playing along with these zealots and maybe we should insist that they stop that, and all the other nonsense that come with living at the struggling end of an empire.

But for now: breathe in like a lion, breathe out like a lamb.

Common Ales: Deschutes’ Mirror Pond (2023)

Here we go again! (Just because it’s always good to review a classic).

I’m noticing a bit of sweetness in the nose-the kind that comes off a fermenting beer; a little yeast, a little malt-mixed in with the hop character. Which I cannot pin down, but definitely gives me fresh cut grass memories.

The middle offers a nugget of caramel malt but nothing that wants to linger.

The finish is more effervescent than hoppy: the bubbly quality of this pale really clears the palate. That’s not entirely a positive though, since I don’t feel like the hops get much spotlight.

But all in all this is still a damn fine beer to settle into.