Special) Concoctions Round 2 Finish

Happy New Year!

I bet you forgot about those concoctions I made back at the end of June. Concoctions Round 2

I nearly did. I just remembered the 28th, and lo and behold, that's exactly six months later.

In examining the bottles everything seemed generally fine with them. The liquids had changed colors and then upon opening the first, I realized the blue of the glass threw off my perceptions. I started with #4 Bing Cherries and Christian Brother's Brandy. The cherries appeared almost ghostly through the glass.

Ghost Cherries? 

#4 Bing cherries and Christian Brother's Brandy) I pulled a cherry out and the color had been sucked out of it. It reminded me more of a split olive than a cherry. The actual taste of the brandy hadn't been changed much by the cherries, and after putting the concoction alongside some fresh Christian Brother's Brandy, I can say that it hasn't been improved. The resulting cherry brandy liquor gained faint cherry touches that only muddled the crispness of the brandy. Still good, just not an improvement on the original product.

Just looks like an olive

#6 Dragonfruit and Cut Spike Vodka + #7 Dragonfruit and Suzume Shochu)

Next I got into the two Dragon's Fruit mixtures. Or rather I cracked them open and proceed to recover from the smell. I did eventually end up tasting them, but much to my regret, both of these failed. I should have opened them a lot earlier. Decay or mold or something had set into the fruit matter and each smelled like someone's potted plant had been rendered six feet under someone's armpits.

Looks can be deceiving. These dragon fruits never hatched.

I might try and do some short interval experiments with dragon's fruit in the future, but six months was too long.

#3 Coconut and Blackheart Rum 

Floaties from the coconut. 

First of all, the odd floaties forming a raft on top of the rum worried me, but the aroma had the right punch to it. Isolating some of the raft, I determined the bits were coconut oil that had congealed. Thankfully nothing threatening and something that actually tasted yummy.

The coconut sucked the color out of the Blackheart

The coconut gave a sweet and robust fresh coconut flavor to the backdrop that didn't compete with the cherry like aspects of the blackheart rum. However, the coconut pieces absorbed the color from the rum leaving it to appear almost clear in comparison to the heavy caramel of the original.

Ignoring the coloring reduction, I call this one a success.

#1 Coconut (light) and Cut Spike Rum + #2 Coconut (heavy) and Cut Spike Rum)

Left to Right: Heavy Coconut and Light Coconut

Having done this already before (Umeshu-inspired Concoctions), I have to say that it turned out the same. Despite one having nearly double the coconut in it, I think I wouldn't be able to discern which was which in a blind taste test. This confuses me since one should have been more potent than the other. However, I can load as much coconut into the mixture as a I want because my guess is that time acts as an equalizer in conjunction with the limitations of the absorption of the alcohol.

Here's the brief rundown of these six:

#1 Coconut (light) and Cut Spike Rum) Good ☆☆☆

#2 Coconut (heavy) and Cut Spike Rum) Also good ☆☆☆

#3 Coconut and Blackheart Rum) Super enjoy ☆☆☆☆

#4 Bing cherries and Christian Brother's Brandy) Okay ☆☆

#6 Dragonfruit and Cut Spike Vodka) Unsurvivable ☆

#7 Dragonfruit and Suzume Shochu) For my enemies ☆

Thanks for reading, and I hope your New Year is wonderful!

Special) Concoctions Round 2 Checkpoint

We're only about two months into my concoctions resting process. After doing some research, I learned that I should probably be opening the softer fruit-based concoctions within three months instead of waiting my usual six-months. So, I went ahead and opened these two:

10) Cactus paddles and Suzume Shochu

As you can tell, the cactus paddle pieces changed in color. What was once green is now a very non-life-like beige. Upon opening the jar, the aroma assaulted me. My immediate reaction was that I either waited too long or this one was just not meant to be. Have you ever been in a forest in summer right after it rained for days? This smelled just like what I imagine that much decaying green matter would.

Faced with a liqueur that breathes out a plant graveyard, I'm the guy who will try it. That first sip was really hard to take. It continued to smell atrocious, and as I had predicted, the viscosity of the drink had been enhanced by the cactus ooze. I say "enhanced" to euphemize the reality. It had the consistency of spit. Flavor-wise the initial and middle carried touches of the fresh cactus paddles, but the linger tasted somewhat like the aroma.

After convincing a friend to try it, he proceeded to reach into his cabinet. After my not so rave-review, I will not tell you which liquor it is, but there is a liquor out there with the exact aroma as my cactus paddle concoction. The liquor tastes a lot better than it smells though. ☆☆

 

5) Longan berries and Cut Spike Vodka

After that terrible experience, I had to open one more. So, I chose the half batch of longan berries and Cut Spike Vodka. The longan fruits are pretty soft so age might not have treated them well either. That and I just needed to get the other taste out of my mouth.

The aroma was a bit like musty butterscotch. I know that is hard to imagine, but think of an evening on a humid summer day. The muggy heat off the asphalt oppresses you and you seek alleviation by sucking on a caramel candy. The smell was pretty close to that. Not exactly the most inviting aroma, but I kinda liked it.

The taste was unusual. A little of the mustiness remained on the finish, but the middle had a pleasant almost hazelnut nuttiness. I shouldn't have added sugar though, because the sweetness from the liqueur pretty much dominated the initial rendering it little more than sugary. ☆☆☆

In summary:
I am keeping around the cactus paddle one for pranks. I'm not sure how exactly I am going to be using it, but I will not be drinking it. Beware. The other I will experiment a little more with, but mostly it will be shelved for a long time as well. I would not consider these two a success but learning experiences.

Special) Concoctions Round 2 Start

Here we go again. After my last fairly successful attempt at making liqueurs, I've made some more umeshu-inspired concoctions, and I'll admit I got a little crazy with it this time.

I amassed these ingredients and a list of the planned concoctions. As you can tell by the two lines that are struck out, I abandoned two of them. I will get to the reasons shortly.

1) Coconut (light) and Cut Spike Rum

2) Coconut (heavy) and Cut Spike Rum

3) Coconut and Blackheart Rum

4) Bing cherries and Christian Brother's Brandy

5) Longan berries and Cut Spike Vodka

6) Dragonfruit and Cut Spike Vodka

7) Dragonfruit and Suzume Shochu

8) Soursop and Cut Spike Vodka

9) Soursop and Suzume Shochu

10) Cactus paddles and Suzume Shochu

After my last experience, I learned a couple things. The first is that I don't really want to use sugar cubes again. I didn't want to use them in the first place, but I couldn't find any Rock Sugar (or 氷砂糖). I've had six months to look and found some.

Why exactly the sugar has a yellow-brown color to it, is something I don't understand. Also, there's a bit of a sharp smell coming from them. It reminds me of ginseng. I can't taste it in the sugar so I don't think it will affect the concoctions. And not that it matters that much, I could only find rock sugar that was made in China.

1) Coconut (light) and Cut Spike Rum
2) Coconut (heavy) and Cut Spike Rum
3) Coconut and Blackheart Rum

The first three are just upgraded versions of the coconut and Cut Spike Rum concoction I made last time. This time though, I am adding an excessive amount of coconut to one and adding a light amount to another. Thirdly, I wanted to see what would happen to already spiced rum if coconut were added, so I pulled out my bottle of Blackheart Rum.

The process began with the usual coconut prep. I drained the coconut and cracked it open using my bag and smash technique. And just like last time, I found out that the first coconut I opened had already gone bad. I've decided to leave the pictures out because not only was the coconut water yellowish, the inside was full of a greenish mold. Ick.

After that, I went out and got two more coconuts because I didn't want to keep making trips to the grocery store. I was immediately glad for that foresight because the first one I opened had something wrong with it. The coconut meat had a weird fermented smell was soft and squishy instead of fresh and firm. I have spared you the pictures on this one mostly because visually nothing looks amiss.

The third coconut which is the one you see in the pictures, however did something I had never seen before. It popped out just as you see in the above shot. The coconut meat was firm and came out as one beautiful egg-shaped piece. This made my life a whole lot easier.

I cut it into slices and added varying amounts to each jar. For the light one, I only added four pieces. For the heavy one, I lost count at ten pieces, but I think they're might be twelve pieces in it. Going moderate, the Blackheart Rum got only seven pieces.

Then I added a chunk of rock sugar, poured in the alcohol, and sealed them up. The first two, as aforementioned, had Cut Spike Rum added to them. I rather like the mouth feel and the whiskey-like touches that their rum has so this should make for a robust coconut rum just like last time. Blackheart Rum, on the other hand, is a spiced rum that somehow ends up tasting like cherries which may or may not be a good fit for the coconut. We'll see.

4) Bing cherries and Christian Brother's Brandy

Revisiting berries and brandy, I chose bing cherries for the mixture this time around.

Cherries thankfully, aren't complicated. Using a knife, I sliced around them and popped out their seeds. I thought of throwing the whole fruit into the brandy, but I decided there was always the possibility that the cherry pit could contribute some bad flavors. The cutting process amused me because the cherries gave the paper towel the appearance of scattered lipstick kisses. I'll have to remember that for some sort of future prank.

I tossed in about half as much cherries as brandy and added only a small piece of sugar. Brandy's pretty sweet already, so I think it won't need the help. I sealed it up, and Voila! #4 was complete.

5) Longan berries and Cut Spike Vodka

Longan berries. Do you even know what Longan berries are? I really didn't until this project. I was trying to get lychee, a red on the outside but white on the inside fruit, but I couldn't find any. I did find these though, and since they are a relative of the lychees I thought it would work.

First of all, they do not taste the same, but they are just as hard to peel. The outer shell is just that, a shell. It cracks and sheds only with a pretty hefty amount of effort. I'd place the opening difficulty of a longan berry right in between a walnut and a kiwi. One requires a special tool, the other doesn't, but this one sorta just takes elbow grease.

The most important thing to remember though with this family of fruits (Lychee, Longan berry, etc) is that the seed pits taste horrible. In fact, it's one of those things people like me just have to actually try. Bad idea. If you're like me, you'll stick one in your mouth and bite it anyway. You'll regret it. The black pit casts an entrapment spell of bitterness on your tongue and just won't go away. Water doesn't save you. Sweet fruits don't chase it away - they just taste nasty because of the effect. I resorted to beer and that sort of worked, but the effect of the bitter ick made the beer nearly un-enjoyable until the end of the bottle.

That said, it is too bad the seeds aren't palatable because they are a pain to extract. Initially, I used the knife to try and get the squishy fruit off the seed. Then I got frustrated with that and feared that I would slice myself if I slipped. Surprisingly, the seeds come out easier if you don't use a knife. You ended up losing a bit of the fruit on each one, but the pit peels out nicely with just your fingers.

In a twist of fate, I didn't actually like the taste of Longan berries, so instead of making a whole batch, I only made a half batch. They just don't have the same sweetness of a lychee. I'm hoping that the Cut Spike Vodka has the sense to only extract flavors that I like.

6) Dragonfruit and Cut Spike Vodka
7) Dragonfruit and Suzume Shochu

Dragonfruit is a fruit that is more impressive in name and externally than in taste or internally. The outside is bright and vivid, but the inside is gray scale. The fruit itself has a texture not unlike kiwi, but the taste is much milder and even leaves you questioning whether it is a tropical fruit at all. However, I rather like it precisely because of its mild sweetness.

Getting into one is easy. If it is ripe, the skin peels off a bit like a banana peel. I like to start it by cutting off the end and then pulling on the edges. You end up with a nice large fruit with barely a mess at all. Now if mangoes could take a lesson from this fruit, I'd probably eat more of them.

I cubed the fruit, added a couple chunks of sugar and added the alcohols. I decided to go with both Cut Spike Vodka and Suzume Shochu so that I could compare later.

8) Soursop and Cut Spike Vodka
9) Soursop and Suzume Shochu

In short, after cutting the soursop open, I hesitated. Then I tried it. It was really fleshy and sour with a distinct taste that reminded me of a lemon left on the sidewalk too long. Somehow, even though I was still a touch curious what kind of liqueur it would make, I couldn't convince myself to waste the alcohol. Too bad too. Soursops are expensive at about eight dollars a pound.

10) Cactus paddles and Suzume Shochu

This one just seemed like a bad idea, but then again, nothing ventured nothing gained. After removing about a half a dozen little cactus spikes from my hands, I kinda wished I hadn't ventured. The process for cleaning a cactus paddle is something I haven't perfected yet. Using a long knife and a glove, I somehow got ones tines all removed.

This is when something hit me or rather stuck to my hand. The paddles had a clear ooze coming from the points where I'd cut it. I suspect that will increase the viscosity of the mixture, but that didn't concern me near as much as the taste and smell. All I can describe it as is "green plant matter." Whatever the result is, my guess is that it is going to be like drinking a fresh mowed yard.

Again, because I'm leery of the end results, I only made a half batch of this one. I thought of going with Vodka on this one, but I then I decided the lightness of the Suzume shochu would make for a more interesting combination. Its breathy grain-born smoothness should offset the strange viscous goo from the paddles.

Here are some pictures of the end results.

Left to right, top to bottom, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,and 10

1) Coconut (light) and Cut Spike Rum

2) Coconut (heavy) and Cut Spike Rum

3) Coconut and Blackheart Rum

4) Bing cherries and Christian Brother's Brandy

5) Longan berries and Cut Spike Vodka

6) Dragonfruit and Cut Spike Vodka

7) Dragonfruit and Suzume Shochu

10) Cactus paddles and Suzume Shochu

See you in 2-3 months for some of these, and not until December for the others!

Special) Umeshu Inspired Concoctions (Part 2)

I really had looked forward to getting this post up earlier, but life happened and other projects took the forefront. Also, in the mean time, I learned that, technically, because I had added sugar to all of these, the most accurate term is liqueurs. I may still call them concoctions for now because a liqueur is a type of concoction.

Back on June 21st, Father's day, I reopened my concoctions that I had made and closed in December last year. Of course, with proper regard to the holiday, I shared samples of them with my dad. 

1-5 in order left to right

1) Coconut and Cut Spike Rum

2) Lemon, Ginger and Cut Spike Vodka

3) Cranberries and Cut Spike Vodka

4) ) Kiwis and Cut Spike Vodka

5) Cranberries and Christian Brother's Brandy

Coconut and Cut Spike Rum

1) Cut Spike Rum and Coconut pieces went into this mix. The level to which the coconut became part of the rum caught me off guard. I could smell it before I'd even gotten it into my shot glass. The flavors of the rum are mostly coconut, but the finish has become a bit harsh. Also, the sweetness of the rum and the added sugar cubes merged rather well. 

I am rather satisfied with this one. It really tastes like fresh coconut meat. 

Fresh lemon, ginger, and Cut Spike Vodka

2) Cut Spike Vodka, fresh lemon slices, and fresh ground ginger made up this concoction. This one did not turn out as I had expected. The initial was not the fresh lemonade like lemon I had intended. The initial became mildly reminiscent of the artificial acridness of lemon scented dusting spray. The mid picked up with something really close to tasting like lemon but was a bit on the zesty side of the lemon peel. I couldn't detect the ginger in the flavors at all, but the finish and linger clearly had a burn caused by something other than the alcohol.

I'm not entirely happy with this one. I had wanted a mixture that I could substitute for lemon juice and ginger in the way of a traditional Japanese cold remedy. Who doesn't love a spiked cold remedy after all? In order to achieve that goal, I'm going to have to tweak the lemon to ginger ratio. Perhaps even, I should try and use only the lemon fruit or lemon peel. It just had too much lemon and not enough ginger for what I wanted. Alternatively though, I could add far more lemon and shoot for something limonchello-esque because I already nearly ended up with something pretty close. I really can't complain about mild limonchello as a result though.

Cranberries and Cut Spike Vodka

3) Cut Spike Vodka and hard cranberries mixed into this one. The cranberries hide in this one. I couldn't smell them at all. The initial weaved the sugar and the vodka together nicely. Then the taste of cranberries sneaked up on me. The cranberry flavors floated as smoke over sugary fire water, and it was delightful. Instead of bringing forward memories of fresh bog-picked cranberries, the flavors are more like the aftertaste you get from cranberry sauce. 

The result was unexpected on this one. I'm not sure how to use it, whether I want to drink it, or if I'm satisfied with it as a sipping drink. I essentially have "cranberry sauce vodka" now. Win? Maybe.

Kiwis and Cut Spike Vodka

4) Cut Spike Vodka and under-ripe kiwis were put into this one. I debated and debated opening this one after three months because of the use of soft fruits, but I held off and maintained my six-month plan. I'm rather regret not checking on it. This one did not turn out well. I can't smell kiwi or taste it. Instead there's an odd flavor on the finish that I've never encountered before. It's not unpleasant, sour, or funky, but it is not friendly.  

Next time, I will open up a kiwi-based mix earlier. I need to know if it would have benefited from less time. However, I do think it just plain needed more kiwi. The impact was too subtle.

Cranberries and Christian Brother's Brandy

5) Christian Brother's Brandy and cranberries were put in this one. Time smoothed out the brandy's already subdued bite. The sweetness masked the cranberries, but they added a nice touch of flair into the backdrop leaving you with just their memory on the linger. 

I'm rather satisfied with this one. Like some of the others, I'm not sure of its exact application, but the results are good. 

In conclusion, I think that the order I would place them is this:

☆☆☆☆☆) Rum and coconut - Way better than expected. 

☆☆☆☆) Brandy and cranberries - Smoothed out the brandy and added cranberry touches.

☆☆☆☆) Vodka, lemon, and ginger - Near limonchello with an extra burn.

☆☆☆) Vodka and cranberries - The cranberries are a bit too light.

☆☆) Vodka and kiwi - Just so odd, perhaps even rancid.

In another observation, I have found a place here that sells 氷砂糖 or literally "ice" sugar. Imagine something like large chunks of rock candy. I have this hunch that using sugar cubes is not as good for the mouth feel so I want to return to what is used in Umeshu, and ice sugar is just that. Although, I did have a discussion with an old lady in Japan that said you could add the sugar whenever, even post-infusion. I'm still not so sure about that. Our discussions focused on sugar as a sweetener and not necessarily as a way to alter the mouth feel, which I think it does.

A few weeks after cracking open this batch, I whipped up some more concoctions. I grabbed some really bizarre fruits this time, and I mixed a couple batches with varying degrees of coconut so I can find the right balance. Look forward to that post soon!

Special) Grimm's Maiden's Kiss

This lager was a VIP-tent only beer at Omaha Beer Fest. I wanted to look into it more so I snagged another bottle...

Maibock - Wait- Helles Bock Lager?

Take a look at the two bottles in the picture. At first glance, they don't look much different, but then you apply your Sesame Street skills (one of these things is...). Clearly, the beer types are not the same, right?

Actually, a Maibock and a Helles bock don't differ much except in name.

The Maibock, or May bock, is perceived as a May beer, as in meant to be drank in that month only. It's not. You can drink them whenever. A Helles Bock, or light bock, is perceived to have a longer season, one that spans about half year. Both beers are light. Both are easy to drink, and both are made for the brighter time of the year.

I think I don't need to explain why the name change helps Grimms Brewhouse to expand their market and sell more. I certainly won't complain. I am placing this beer alongside my Master Thief bottles and plan to keep at least one around at all times.

Now since my beers are actually a year apart, on to a brief discussion of their aged attributes.

Maibock and then Helles Bock. Essentially the same.

Maiden's Kiss - Maibock Lager) First of all, this is the older bottle of the two, even though I can't find a date on it. The pour is very amber with enough fizz to satisfy but not assault. The aroma is spicy and contrasts dramatically with the flavors. I taste a bit ginger with a lot of caramel. ☆☆☆☆

Maiden's Kiss - Helles Bock Lager) Funny... even though the bottles have about a year difference between them, there's only one point on which they taste different. I just get some light fruit esters on this one though. Maybe over time they become the more toffee-like flavors in the older bottle. They both are still very effervescent.  ☆☆☆☆

Event) Omaha Beer Fest 2015 (Saturday)

Saturday, the main day of the Omaha Beer Fest, arrived. A small line of the few hundred VIPers lined up outside the gate. When noon hit, they entered the park an hour earlier than the general admission crowd.

So, you might ask, what are the advantages to paying more for that status?

1) In short, you get time. You get in an hour early which means you get to dodge the crowds for a bit, have only yourself to blame for not sampling some of the rarer stuff, and get some one-on-one time with the reps.

2) There's a VIP tent. You get some special beers, food, and cover. Considering the sun during Saturday afternoon, I appreciated the hideaway.

3) You get a chance to sign up for the hourly events before anyone else does. This is huge because of how fast the sheets filled up. I'm pretty sure the cupcake pairing event was half-filled with VIPs.

4) You get a special glass, and this year, apparently a lanyard. Okay, the lanyard is mostly an "eh," but it allows the volunteers to quickly and easily identify that you are a VIP. The glass, on the other hand, is very cool, and for the geekier of us beer drinkers, considered an essential. You can swirl your beer easier, and the rounded shape traps the aroma so you get an added sensory dimension.

Left to Right: Tasting glass, VIP tasting glass, VIP lanyard

Aside from places to get more samples of beer, there were food trucks from local restaurants, a place selling spent grain doggy treats, and even some games, like Hammerschlagen.

Spirit World showed up to mix it up a little for us. If you brought over a beer, they'd add a bitters to it so you could try the same beer a slightly different way.

Here's one that I did:

Oskar Blues Brewery - Old Chub + Creole Bitters) The aroma changed dramatically and the flavors got a little overwhelmed. I imagine the result would go great with curry and rice though. ☆☆☆

Each hour starting at 1:00, special beers were available in the VIP tent. I made sure to stop in for each.:

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse​ - Maiden’s Kiss) I could sip this one all day. It's a light, refreshing easy drinking beer that I can best describe as somewhere in between a pilsner and a lager. The finish is clean and easy without a hop bite. ☆☆☆☆

Ploughshare Brewing Co - Bouton d’Or) or "Golden Flower" is usually used to refer to "buttercup" in English, but this beer was made with dandelions. To me it tasted like fresh roots and had a lot of very earthy plant-like tastes. ☆☆

Brickway Brewery & Distillery​ - Oak-Aged Imperial IPA) This IPA was oak aged and then dry-hopped post aging to assure it has that proper hoppy punch. If you like hops, you'll love this. ☆☆☆

Deschutes Brewery​ - Pinedrops IPA) The name is lovely match for the beer. Pine resin is the main attribute of this bitter bomb. I even enjoyed it. ☆☆☆☆

Kinkaider Brewing Company​ - Smoked Alt) I do love my smoked beers. I thought this one was lighter and more balanced than many I've had. It didn't just try and smoke me out. ☆☆☆☆

Sprecher Brewery - Beyond Braggot) I'm still not sure how to describe this one. It's like it's a mead, but not. Yet it's not quite a beer either. Regardless of what it is, the result is very sweet, but not thick like syrup. ☆☆☆☆
​

Rogue Ales​ - XS I^2 PA) This one was fun. Instead of a severe blast of IBUs, this beer is full of malty flavors with a variety of aromatic hops working in the background. ☆☆☆☆

Zipline Brewing Co - Rum Barrel Aged Black IPA) Take Zipline's Black IPA and add a dash of spiced rum. On second thought, don't actually do that. The result wouldn't be as smooth. ☆☆☆☆

First pairing at 12 o'clock, second at three, etc.

At three, I attended the Beef Jerky and Brickway pairing. First we had their Hefe with some normal jerky which was good to so-so. The second pairing though was eye opening. Spicy beef jerky goes surprisingly well with their Oatmeal Cream Stout even though the combination contrasted like fire and ice. The third pairing set cayenne jerky alongside an IPL. Pale ales go well with spicy food so it didn't surprise me that a pale lager set up a together well.

The last pairing had a Jim Bean bourbon smokey jerky that was amazing! And they paired it with a dash of Borgata's own whiskey. The bite of the whiskey and the tender smokiness of the jerky made me want more.

And, here are my favorites beers I sampled:

Firetrucker Brewery - Cat in a Tree) This one was likely my most memorable drink from the event. This ginger beer is startlingly clear, and the perfect remedy for a hot summer day. ☆☆☆☆☆

Confluence Brewing Co - Barrel aged Oatmeal Stout) Confluence showed up with only two growlers of this one and the next beer as well. The oakey backdrop the aging added and the creaminess of the oatmeal stout merged quite well in this beauty. ☆☆☆☆

Confluence Brewing Co - Dubbel) In my experience thus far, a brewery rarely gets the right mouth feel on a Belgian style beer. They nailed it on this one making for a very good experience. ☆☆☆☆

Here's the rest of the list:

Farnamhouse Brewing Co - Grisette) The aroma reminds me a bit of cornflakes, and this light saison has just the right touch of citrus to be very sessionable. ☆☆☆☆

Storz Brewing Co - Triumph) I tend to prefer my beers rich and malty, but even though this is the opposite, it's rather enjoyable. ☆☆☆

Blind Tiger Brewing Co - By the Tail) This IPA is strong as the name implies. And although it got me by the tongue nerfing my tastebuds for a bit, I thought it was quite smooth and appropriately hopped up. ☆☆☆☆

Firetrucker Brewery - Under Lager IPL) IPLs are so hard to do right. They did. ☆☆☆☆

Firetrucker Brewery - Pumper Truck Porter) I only remember this one being a bit watery. Although that could be a subliminal thought planted by the name of the beer. ☆☆☆

Exile Brewing Co - Beatnik Sour) I jumped into this one thinking it was a sour beer like an oud bruin or the like, but it was a berliner weisse. Pretty representative of the style with a slightly stronger than usual tartness. ☆☆☆

Exile Brewing Co - Hannah) A wheat beer that made my day. The main thing I would say about it is that it was rich, and the wheat was well presented without being over fresh. ☆☆☆☆

Zipline Brewing Co - Golden Strong) Good initially, but it didn't quite grow on me. The mouth feel also wasn't quite there though it was closer than some. ☆☆☆

Upstream Brewing Co - In Bloom) Figs? Yes indeed. The flavors just rebound on you with this one. The linger and the finish were both highlights on this one. ☆☆☆☆


I'll leave you'll with one more thing. Pretzel necklaces are meant to be eaten, not left behind. I hope the wildlife found these and didn't let them go to waste. However, abandoned hanging pretzels certainly make for a cool picture though. Cheers!

The last vestige...

Event) Buzzed for Bees 2015

Just behind beer corner USA on Friday, the Omaha Chapter of the American Association of Beekeepers put on a honey-sweet event. Infusion Brewing Co, Farnam House Brewery, and Moonstruck Meadery showed up with special beers to support our buzzing friends. There was food available and a raffle for various goodies, but I was there for the beers. Well, and the bees.

There was even a special glass for the event:

Beers are as follows from Left to Right. 

Infusion Brewing Co - Chocolate Honey Peanut Butter Blonde) My first taste told me this definitely had peanut butter as it filled the backdrop, but the experience finished smooth with a honeyed sweetness. Just don't take this blonde lightly. I assume the chocolate and the peanut butter are to blame, but as I finished my glass of this heavy beverage, I felt full.  ☆☆☆☆

Farnam House Brewery - Honey Grisette) In short, take Farnam House's normal Grisette and add honey. The mix was perfectly balanced with just enough honey.  ☆☆☆☆

Infusion Brewing Co - Honey Chipotle Brown Ale) So that word Chipotle? For a moment, I forgot that meant burn. Being on cask, this beer already started off a bit warm, and the finish ripped into my throat making me temporarily breathe fire. Usually though pepper beers finish me off. Something about the combination of honey though allowed me to do an about face to finish this one off. The sweetness was a bit eclipsed by the heat, but the smoky aspects to the background made my day. ☆☆☆☆

Moonstruck Meadery - Cherry Melomel) Melomel is a subcategory of mead that has fruit in it, and this one has cherry. The initial and mid are honey sweet with a syrupy mouth feel hiding just enough fresh cherry flavors. It's closer to cherry soda than to a cherry cordial.  ☆☆☆

Infusion Brewing Co - Mandarinquat Wheat) Unique. The Mandarinquat is actually a kumquat shaped fruit just large enough to be a baby orange. True to its name, the flavor profile is a merging of both fruits. Now add that to a beer, and you have this one. The orange dominated the aroma, but the kumquat breathed through on the finish. The baseline held true to a light wheat. Solid.  ☆☆☆☆

Event) Omaha Beer Fest (Friday Night)

On the East side of Stinson park, the sun beat down on those of us crazy enough to get in line early. People killed time by chatting with friends or shielding their heads from the heat with tickets, hats, and hands. However, once five o'clock hit we all moved smiling into the park.

Glass in one hand and map in the other, my first fill of the day was water from a yellow cooler. The sun had already set me heading into a hydration deficit, and with so many beers available, the battle against dehydration was looking uphill.

Omaha Beer Fest 2015 Glass

While I sipped my water and looked to rendezvous with friends, I checked out the lay of the land. Yes, there was a map, I know. I had already seen it on the website, and nothing beats actually looking around and seeing everything for oneself. I have a few things that I look for so that I can try the rare, fun, and un-promulgated stuff.

The first is large bombers, especially those with wax tops. Those usually have pretty rare beer and often will run out earliest as the fest progresses.

The second is the tap handles. If you've already scanned the projected list of available beers, you know that some places have TBA beers or ones vaguely identified as "seasonals." Anything that you didn't expect to be there or haven't heard of is worth asking about and probably trying on the spot.

The third thing is swag: Cool key chains, larger stickers, magnets, and coasters. If you have a brewery that you wouldn't mind having these sorts of things from, probably stop by there early. Such items tend to dwindle as the event progresses. Some of the nicer items though straight up vanish in the first hour.

I'm digressing though. My scouting attempt was successful. Brickway had a couple barrel-aged bottles along for the ride. Funkwerks had brought a limited quantity of Raspberry Provincial. And Spilker, the makers of Hopluia, showcased their Sonar, a beer that they plan on changing the hop recipe every couple months. Batches D40 and L15 were both already available.

However, as I knew even before showing up, the real place to be today was under the Homebrew tents. They wouldn't be there on Saturday so there needed to be a definite priority placed on enjoying their brews today. It might be your only chance ever to have some of them.

With my friends we tried a whole bunch. Here's the ones I have notes on:

Railroaders Brew Club - Peanut Butter Jelly Time!) A Black and Tan that indeed tasted like a peanut butter sandwich. I couldn't really detect a jelly-like flavor, but the result was good. ☆☆☆☆

Railroaders Brew Club - Ginger Wheat) I didn't really like too much. ☆☆

Railroaders Brew Club - Grapesaurus Rex Pyment Mead) It's Purple! And it's a mead that tasted like warm grape jelly. ☆☆

Euphoria Brewing - Pineapple Express) A hefeweizen with pineapple that is was refreshing and light on the wheat. ☆☆☆

Mash Hysteria Brewing - Vanilla Coffee Bean) The coffee hit me almost like a spicy pepper and had me asking if they had added capsaicin. They hadn't. ☆☆☆

Mash Hysteria Brewing - Coconut Saison) was crazy sweet, but the coconut tasted good. ☆☆☆

Seven Twisters Cider Co - Barrel Aged Agave) was more or less tequila in cider form. ☆☆☆☆

Seven Twisters Cider Co - Moostache) Chocolate and Cherry mix that was easy to drink, but not with the over-sweetness of a cherry cordial. ☆☆☆☆

Seven Twisters Cider Co - Double Vortex) Hop flows without that ever-present bitterness. ☆☆☆

Seven Twisters Cider Co - Mexican Tecate) Burnt pineapple makes for a weird aftertaste that is almost like a tropical rauchbier. ☆☆☆

Iowa Brewer's Union (IBU) - Templeton Rye Red IPA) The Templeton rye touch goes surprisingly well with the aromatic approach to this beer. ☆☆☆☆

Iowa Brewer's Union (IBU) - Apple Brandy Barrel-aged Oak) The name says it all. Yum! ☆☆☆☆

Iowa Brewer's Union (IBU) - Pom Pom Shaker (Flander's Red)) Solidly balanced. While perhaps not competition for the Duchess, it certainly on the same level as Monk's Cafe. ☆☆☆☆

In between checking out the homebrew fare, we focused our energies on beers or breweries not easily found locally. Does it look like a massive list? Yes, it should, but there's a trick to it. Do not be afraid to pour out a sample you don't like, even if you only disliked it a little. Every ounce of alcohol you put in your body limits your ability to try more. With about 300 options why would you do that?

So, here's some of what I got into:

Blind Tiger Brewing Company - Munich Dunkles) Very easy to drink, and a solid representation for the style. ☆☆☆

Blind Tiger Brewing Company - Cuvee de Renee) The pink color caught me off guard, but the flavors were pleasant. ☆☆☆☆

Blind Tiger Brewing Company - Sour Prarie Dog Brown) I still think Lucky Bucket's Oud Bruin is better, but I enjoyed the change to a sour. ☆☆☆☆

Brickway Brewery & Distillery - Oak-aged Barleywine) I got more oaky barrel overtones than sweet barleywine backdrops. Even I am not sure if that's a complaint or a compliment. ☆☆☆

Confluence Brewing Co - Des Moines IPA) Not a huge fan of IPAs, but I enjoyed this one. Probably because its bitterness wasn't strong, and it helped beat the heat. ☆☆☆

Confluence Brewing Co. - East Side Attitude Red Lager) The mouth feel was a bit weak, but the finish was nice. ☆☆☆

Crow Peak Brewing Co - 11th hour IPA) This beer was available Friday-only. It's a malty IPA that was okay. ☆☆☆

Crow Peak Brewing Co - Wobbling Wheel) This beer was available Friday-only. It's a scotch Ale that delivered not only a lovely aroma but a smooth finish. Solid despite the unsteady name. ☆☆☆☆

Funkwerks Inc. - Raspberry Provincial) Limited to two cases for the entire weekend. It's no Founder's Rubaeus, but the tartness goes well with the light raspberry background. ☆☆☆☆

Funkwerks Inc. - Saison) This saison made for a nice interlude and sounding board for me to figure out how dead my taste buds were getting. They weren't gone yet. Still good stuff. ☆☆☆☆

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse - Briar Rose) has not a lot of hops and makes for easy drinking. Perfect summer seasonal. ☆☆☆☆

High Hops Brewery - The Power of Zeus) Exemplary, but I usually prefer more of a floral touch to my pale ales. ☆☆☆

High Hops Brewery - The Honeyed One) The beer was a touch sweet but a decent red. ☆☆☆

Kinkaider Brewing Co - Dan the Wiser) Enjoyable, but lacked the peppery punch of a Kölsch. ☆☆☆

Kinkaider Brewing Co - Hiram's Bones) A very sessionable porter. ☆☆☆

Kinkaider Brewing Co - Devil's Gap Jalapeno Ale) I found this to be well balanced, and the burn nice. ☆☆☆☆

Loop Brewing Co - Loop's Brown Ale) Nothing to complain about. ☆☆☆

Loop Brewing Co - Loop's IPA) Not bad, but had flavors more like a pale ale than an IPA. ☆☆☆

Okoboji Brewing Co - Early Riser Coffee Porter) Somewhat tinny. I didn't enjoy. ☆☆

Okoboji Brewing Co - Veneration IPA) An IPA that I like should probably be a red flag for hopheads. ☆☆☆

Okoboji Brewing Co - Apricot wheat) The apricot was too subdued if not even present. ☆☆☆

Ploughshare Brewing Co - Tailgate Red) A bit straightforward and thin. ☆☆☆

Ploughshare Brewing Co - Pivo Bublina) This Helles bock was easy to drink at least. ☆☆☆

Ploughshare Brewing Co - Percheron) As an american IPA, it wasn't my thing. ☆☆☆

Renegade Brewing Co - 5:00 Afternoon Ale) A decent american blonde that is simply solid. ☆☆☆

Rogue Ales - Good Chit Pilsner) It wasn't great chit to me, but my friends seemed to like it.☆☆☆

Rogue Ales - Hazelnut Brown Nectar) Not bad. Definitely an interesting take on a brown. ☆☆☆

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co - Kölsch) A little hoppy, but otherwise easy drinking. ☆☆☆

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co - Nooner Pilsner) A bit more bitter than I wanted. ☆☆☆

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co - Hop Hunter IPA) A touch spicy and very aromatic. ☆☆☆

Ska Brewing Co - Decadent Imperial IPA) Is truly decadent. Would make a hophead happy. ☆☆☆

Spilker Ales - Sonar) Batches D40 and L15 were available. Both ☆☆☆☆

Stone Brewing Co - Stone Crime 2013 series Chile Beer) Really quite good, but a single sip preceded to render my taste buds useless for quite a while. The burn was extreme too. ☆☆☆☆

Special) Umeshu Inspired Concoctions

First of all, Happy New Year!

When I lived in Japan, I delighted in making umeshu (梅酒), also known as "plum wine." The name in English is a bit of a misnomer since the process is less of a fermentation process and more of an infusion process. Essentially, you leave fruit alone to add fun flavors to a basic alcohol.

I have not been able to find ume, or Japanese plums, in America to continue my little tradition, so in lieu of actual ume, I have opted to experiment. Thus, I give you the first stage in some umeshu-inspired concoctions.

The Ingredients with excess stuff

 I did a lot of brainstorming and settled on these mixtures:

1) Rum and Coconut

2) Vodka and Lemon Ginger

3) Vodka and Kiwi

4) Vodka and Cranberries

5) Brandy and Cranberries|

1) Rum and Coconut

Extracting Coconut Water

Of these concoctions, this one is the most complicated since I chose to use fresh coconut. I have however often bought fresh coconut over the years and have already learned a few tricks to expedite the process.

First, when choosing a coconut, it is important for it to make sloshing sounds. Otherwise it has dried out. Usually that means it has been sitting around for far too long or that it has a hole in it. Neither are desirable.

When you get it home, you puncture two of the three "eyes" on the fruit. One of them will always be too hard to pierce with normal kitchen equipment. I use a metal skewer, but a clean screwdriver or thick knife will work. Just don't cut yourself.

Then you flip it upside down and drain out the coconut water. The presence of two holes in the coconut should make this take little time, but you can shake it up and down to speed up the dripping. I had no plans to use the coconut water in the concoction so I set it aside to enjoy later. Fresh coconut water tastes great.

Bag and Smash

The technical method I use for opening the coconut is "bag and smash." I cover the now drained nut with at least four plastic grocery bags. Then I step outside and slam it repeatedly on the ground. Be sure to swing holding on to the bag handles. Use the arc of the swing, gravity, and the hard pavement to do the smashing for you. Also, grinning insanely, while satisfying, is not recommended.

The end result is a fully opened coconut in less than five minutes. See?

Opened Coconu

It's hard to see in the picture, but my first coconut had mold inside it. You can tell by the presence of a strong sharp smell and patches of fuzzy material between the hard outer shell and the coconut meat. At this point, I was so glad that I had set aside the coconut water to drink later. The only thing to do with a bad coconut is take it back and exchange it for another. So, that is what I did.

Here's the result when everything goes well with a good coconut.

Good coconut meat

Taking the good coconut meat, I rinsed it in water. Then I cut a section of it into nice little pieces. The rest I placed in the refrigerator to enjoy later.

Cute little slices

After filling up about a third of the jar, I set is aside. The plan though is to use Cut Spike Rum in this one for a local Omaha touch.

Coconut and Rum

2) Vodka and Lemon Ginger

Lemon slices (Above), Ginger slices (Below)

In Japan, a common hot herbal remedy is a lemon ginger drink sweetened with honey. I decided to it give it a unique spin by adding vodka, local Cut Spike Vodka.

I took the lemon, washed it, and dried it thoroughly. It is very important that excess water is not added to the mix. I did the same to the ginger. With the lemon, I decided the end product could be improved by the presence of the peel, but I removed the outer edges from the ginger before slicing it.

Then I alternated the two into layers to fill about a healthy third of the jar.

Alternating slices

3) Vodka and Kiwi

Squarish Kiwi Bits

The process for this one is simple. The only thing that might be unexpected is that I intentionally selected hard, unripe kiwis. Harder fruits haven't fully ripened yet, but they'll have plenty of time to do that after I've stored the concoction away.

Otherwise, I simply rinsed, peeled, and sliced the kiwis. Then I place cubes into a jar until it about a third full.

This concoction is the one that poses the highest risk. Kiwis have a lot of excess water, and that can end up forming mold. Here's hoping that it works out.


4) Vodka and Cranberries and 5) Brandy and Cranberries

Sorting Cranberries

 I took the cranberries and washed them thoroughly. You want the fruits as clean and as dry as you can get them before adding them to the mix. While drying them, I sorted them into two piles. One got the harder fruits, and the other one was the softer fruits.

I gave the softer, squishier pile to my brother to make cranberry sauce. I feared that the excess water in them, might cause the concoction to go bad, but I didn't want them to go to waste either.

The pile of harder fruits was used to fill the two jars a third full. The theory is that since one uses hard unripened plums in making umeshu, it is probably better to use harder fruits in general.

1/3 full of cranberries

Finally) I took the five jars and added a single layer of sugar cubes to each one. The logic is that the sugar will help the flavors mellow out over time, but the fear is that you'll add too much. Sugar can always be added later to a drink so I went light for now.

Sugar cube layers

I had wanted to add honey to the ginger lemon concoction, but I have friends and relatives who are allergic to honey so I refrained from using it.

After adding a layer of sugar cubes, I poured in the Rum, Vodka, or Brandy as appropriate. 

After pouring in the liquids

Much to my surprise, I had made an amusing discovery; cranberries float. That could be good or bad for the process. I will know eventually.

Now, with these five concoctions that was the easy part. The hard part is to follow. It is called waiting. I have placed these five jars into a cool, dark place where the evil sunlight can't get at it. UV light will cause an unnecessary breakdown of the alcohol and increase the potential for nasty molds. After about three months, I will check on their progress. If there is any mold, I will have to pitch the concoction. Otherwise I will wait another three months, so that they will have had about six months to properly infuse.

Tagged, sealed, and soon to be stored.

See you in six months!