Boulevard’s Rye on Rye is a specialty grain ale brewed with 2 kinds of malted rye which gives way to a spicy sweetness with notes of caramel and vanilla.  At 11%, this tawny ale is definitely a sipper, and believe me, you’ll want to savor every drink!

If the description isn’t enough to entice you in to coming down this Thursday, how about the chance to win a trip to Kansas City to brew for a day at Boulevard?!  This prize package includes your hotel stay, a day at the brewery to brew with one of the brewers, AND a night out in the Power and Light District!  Entry is easy…just walk through the door this Thursday!  Everyone who comes down between 5 and 7 will be given 2 tickets, one to be redeemed for a free sample, and the other to win a chance to go to Kansas City!

Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity!  Stop down for a sample of this year’s Boulevard and Templeton collaboration ale, meet Boulevard brewer Josh Keithly, and for your chance to be a Boulevard brewer for a day!

So here’s the challenge:  Come up with a design that is as eccentric as we are.  I know, that’s quite a feat.  I mean come on, who else has a wall dedicated to classic wrestlers, taxidermied animals, a shower, AND over 200 American mircobrews?  Challenging, I know, but I think it can be done!

The rules: You have until March 31st to submit entries.  You can enter no more than 2 designs.  All entries must be emailed to contest@elbaitshop.com.  Your design can be computer generated or hand drawn, just send a clear picture via email.  We will be deciding the first week in April who the winner is!

The prize: One of each of our existing Bait Shop shirts, and the winning design, of course!  A Full Court Press gift card will also be thrown in there for you! And of course, bragging rights for having y0ur design up on our wall!

Get those creative juices flowing, and if you need a little help, you know where to go!  Happy designing!

This is how you look, right?

As some of you know I’m going to be out of commission at the end of the month (no it’s nothing very serious), so trivia isn’t going to happen for a while. I figure that this makes for a great time to change things up a little. But how? Once again, I need your help. What is it that you, the extremely attractive and discerning person on the street want from your social media based trivia contest? I figure that if enough of you give me some input, we’ll come up with a much better version of our little game.

Because what could go wrong with mob rule?

Should we change the time? Cut back? Do it more often? Do you miss the video questions? Should I just go ahead and make myself look as stupid as possible? (I know, the answer to that is always yes) I’ll take any input you’ve got. The only condition is that the game must remain on Twitter. Other than that, it’s wide open. You can reach us at info@elbaitshop.com, in the comments section below, and right there on the Twitter thingy I was talking about @highlifelounge or @elbaitshop. Heck, send me a candygram if you want.

Nothing says I think you're an idiot like chocolate.

Just send me something. You guys know I’m not good at this whole thinking thing.

Yep, I recycled the picture. We'll have better next year.

My friends, after a long and arduous process, the judges have made a decision. We want to thank you all for your entries. It was a lot of fun to read all of them. Your creativity and wit were amazing to see displayed. However, there can be only one winner. Only one Groundhog. (Yep, it’s like Highlander, but with less clean up afterward) It is my honor to introduce you to this year’s Groundhog, Courtney.

Artist's depiction.

Courtney is a 32 year old musician, born on a Civil War battlefield in Virginia. She enjoys Chilean food and Norwegian drum circles.

Awwww

She’s more of a summertime person, so don’t be shocked if we see an early end to winter predicted. Of course, as a fan of our little establishment, she enjoys a good pot pie, but not as much as a good Tangermeister. (I can’t blame her)

She actually seems to be a fan of the whole company. According to my information, her favorite breakfast place is Mullet’s. Unsurprisingly, her favorite holiday, other than Groundhog Day, is Oktoberfest.

Also understandable.

We’ll keep the rest quiet for now. If you want to know more, about Courtney, you’ll just have to ask. The only way to do that is to get down here Thursday morning. The doors open at 6AM, and the free High Life starts flowing then. Courtney, or as we must now call her, Paula, will look for her shadow around 7:30. New this year, the Woodchuck fun ride will be leaving from the High Life Lounge after Paula does her thing, bouncing from bar to bar, and heading out to our new sister bar, the Library Cafe.

Breakfast will be served all morning, so even if you can’t make it in in time for the free stuff, I promise, it’s worth stopping in. I’ll be here with the camera, sticking the lens in your face and generally being annoying. We’ll see you then.

P.S. Some things above are made up. I mean honestly, whose favorite holiday is Oktoberfest?

Mmmmm

Look at it. Just look. Thirsty yet? I know I am.

Oh, that slightly sweet, golden, hoppy deliciousness. I crave this stuff. Unfortunately, Bell’s likes to torture us all by making it an annual limited release. Every year, about this time, we all start to think about it. Imagining what that first magical sip will taste like. Thinking about who we’re going to share it with. If anybody.

Me, I’m selfish. It kills me tell you when we’re getting it. If it were up to me, I’d just let you figure it out for yourselves. Then I’d only have to share it with the staff and the very observant for the first week. Especially since Bell’s doesn’t have a set release date for the stuff, but does it on a market by market basis.

Of course, part of the magic of this brew is the fact that you can only get it for a short time. It’s no good trying to hoard it. It doesn’t cellar well. I made that mistake once. The hoppiness goes right out of it. You end up with a glass of slightly bitter honey. Not the worst thing I’ve ever put in my mouth, but definitely not Hopslam.

Even when it’s way out of season, and there’s no chance, the one question I get most often, both on Twitter and when I’m behind the bar at El Bait Shop is some variation on, “When are you guys getting Hopslam back?”

After many long months of waiting, I finally have an answer for you.

You ready?

You sure?

Have I dragged it out long enough?

Would you like to throw something at me?

All right, now that I’ve almost managed to annoy myself, I’m proud to announce that El Bait Shop will release Hopslam on Friday, January 20, starting at 5 PM. We’ll have absolutely no special guests, (unless you count the staff that will start drinking as soon as they get off work) and no special prices whatsoever. Who needs ‘em? What we will have is this:

At first, it’ll only be on tap, so I’m afraid you can only get it here. Bottles should be coming in a couple of weeks later.

You excited yet? Yeah, me too. See you then.

Polk County Paula has been the Groundhog of the Des Moines area for years now, and she gets a unique view of the festivities. She predicts the change of the season. She interacts with the revelers. She basically gets to totally party down.

Example, one partying rodent

There’s just one problem. Paula went and got herself knocked up. That’s right, the wonderful lady who usually plays Paula is expecting a child right around the second, so she can’t do it this year. We wish her and the baby all the best.

What to do? I know, this year, the part of the Groundhog will be played by… you.

There’s only one way to decide which one of you gets to participate in Groundhog Day like few ever have. We’re having a contest. Tell us why you want to be the Groundhog. What’s your groundhog name? What kind of Groundhog will you be? How many times can you use the word groundhog in the same paragraph?

How much experience do you have in lineups?

As always, we are big fans of creativity, so that will be factored in to the judging. Express yourself in whatever medium you choose. If you’re most comfortable writing us a letter, do that. If you want to take still photos that demonstrate your inner groundhog, that’s probably the way to go. If you’re feeling interpretive dance, you’re probably going to have to shoot a video. Remember, we’re looking for energy, excitement, and general groundhogness. Pretty much anything goes, just make your case. Please do keep it clean, though. We’re going to have to put this online.

Send your entries (or a link to your entry) to info@thehighlifelounge.com. The top three entries as decided by our judges will be featured somewhere in our social media, depending on the nature of the entry. You must be at least 21 to win. Decisions of the judges (and by judges I mean Ashley and myself) are final. In order to be eligible to win, entry must be received by 5 PM, Sunday, January 22.

The winner, of course gets to play the Groundhog at the High Life’s annual party. Winner must be available to play the role at least from 6 AM to noon, Thursday, February 2nd. Breakfast will be provided for the winner, along with costume for the day and one of this year’s Groundhog Day t-shirts and one $25 gift card good at all Full Court Press establishments. Second place wins one $15 gift card. Third gets one $10 card. Please send any questions to info@thehighlifelounge.com

So come on, show us what you’ve got. It’s going to be a really good time. We look forward to seeing what you have to say.

By the way, yes, I know this should be on the High Life site. Unfortunately, right now, the blog section isn’t accessable from the front page, and I didn’t want to confuse anybody. Hope to hear from you soon.

Last week, I introduced you all to Stabby, the Christmas Swordfish.

Our friend Stabby has shown up in two blog posts lately and I assure you that you will be seeing a great deal more of him as we progress through the holiday season. His festive spirit (made obvious by the jaunty wreath he’s sporting) sums up all that is good and right with this season of peace and joy. Plus, if he sticks you with the end of that thing on his nose, it’ll totally mess you up. There’s just one problem. He’s not a swordfish.

Now that’s a swordfish.

The customer suggested that it seemed to him that the well decorated creature up there is probably a marlin. This did not make me happy. All of a sudden Stabby seemed like a really dumb name. I mean, honestly, Stabby the Christmas Marlin? Just doesn’t have the same ring to it. However, it turns out that our wall mounted friend isn’t a marlin either.

See, the thingy on the marlin’s back is less pronounced than the one on Stabby’s. No, friends, what we’re looking at here is a sailfish.

I’m pretty sure Stabby’s from the warm waters of he mid-Atlantic ocean. The sailfish above was caught off of Mazatlan, which is on the Pacific, but according to my research, (which was definitely not just looking at Wikipedia) the sails on the Atlantic version are even bigger and more pronounced. Just like Stabby’s.

So, all is right with the world. Stabby the Christmas Sailfish is a perfectly acceptable name, as far as I’m concerned. Despite his sudden change of species, (which would be disturbing for anybody) he’s ready to go back to work. Our hero will continue to spread his yuletide message of beer, joy, and extreme nose-related violence to all. Whether you want him to or not.

]]> http://elbaitshop.com/stabby-the-christmas-swordfish/feed 0 http://elbaitshop.com/gift-ideas-for-the-beer-lover http://elbaitshop.com/gift-ideas-for-the-beer-lover#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:36:58 +0000 Sean http://elbaitshop.com/?p=2705 Continue reading →]]> Gift giving is hard. I still don’t know what to get for half the people on my list. It’s not like I’m getting a lot of input from them this year. I’m looking at you Mom. Love you and all, but get on it.

In that spirit, we here at El Bait Shop offer some helpful hints for the beer lover in your life. Come get some.

1. Beer

Duh. As you all know, We’ve got the largest selection of American Craft Beer in the world. We’ve got growlers ranging from $9 to $20, and 12 oz bottles for even less. Yes, we have to charge you bar price for it, but we do have a carry license, and you know you’re going to be here drinking anyway. You might as well pick up a couple of presents while you’re at it. It’s called multitasking.

2. A whole crapload of beer

22 ounces or .750 mL not enough to quench the thirst of your favorite brew guzzler? Here you go. This 5 liter (1.32 gallon) mini keg is the way to go. It’s a steal for only $36. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, Yellow Snow is a pretty hoppy IPA, so this one isn’t for the Bud Light Drinker in your life. Then again, you probably weren’t looking for gifts for that guy on here in the first place.

Of course, if you don’t feel like hauling the thing around, you can always grab a few friends and split one while you’re here. It holds about 10 pints, and works out to being a buck and a quarter cheaper per pint. So when you’re with hop-head friends, this is something to think about. Besides, the thing is just cool looking. Move quickly with these, we only have a few.

3. Awesome T-shirts

The fish is my favorite, but we’ve got El Bait Shop shirts for all occasions. We’ve got blue ones. We’ve got green ones. We’ve got one with a car. We’ve got one with Rosie. We’ve got some for the guys, and we’ve got some for the ladies. Heck, we’ve even got sweatshirts. Show your less discerning friends where you get your craft beer, and mock them mercilessly for making the insane decision to go anywhere else.

Other than next door. Or the Mile, that’s okay. Or Hessen, Fongs, Mullet’s, Sbrocco, Shorty’s, the Red Monk, the Library, Buzzard Billy’s or, you know what? I’m stopping now. The shirts are awesome. Buy some.

4. The gift that keeps on giving

Yes, that’s right, it’s extra time with me.

Oh, sure, I suppose the recipient could use it to get any of the stuff above too. That stuff’s pretty good.

Even better, when you buy a gift card from us, you get a little something for yourself. All holiday season, every time you buy a $100 card, (or several smaller ones that add up to $100, we’re not picky) we’ll give you a $20 card for free. Too rich for your blood? Fine. If you buy $50 worth of gift cards, we’ll give you one for $10. Pretty sweet, right?

There you go, boys and girls. I’ve proved once again that El Bait Shop is your one stop shop for all the cool beer related stuff you could possibly want. See you soon.

Click on the share button. I mean it.

]]> http://elbaitshop.com/gift-ideas-for-the-beer-lover/feed 1 http://elbaitshop.com/a-very-anchor-christmas-party http://elbaitshop.com/a-very-anchor-christmas-party#comments Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:44:32 +0000 Sean http://elbaitshop.com/?p=2656 Continue reading →]]> Hey, everybody, I know it’s been a while. Apologies. I’ll do better. And this time I mean it. In an attempt to keep this one short (yeah, right), let’s jump straight in, shall we?

This Thursday, we’re having our first ever Anchor Christmas party. Starting at 5 PM, we’ll be so freakin’ jolly, it’ll hurt. Of course, we’ll have specials on this year’s Anchor Christmas and Happy New Year, and some on our other Anchor offerings. The fine people from Maytag Dairy will be on hand, with samples of some of their amazing cheeses including their white cheddar, their world famous blue cheese, and their seven year aged cheddar. They’ll also be giving away a two pound wheel of the blue cheese with a pecan and bourbon topping to one lucky customer. Crap, now I’m hungry.

Other fun activities will include a decorate your own stocking station, and we’re going to ask you to help us write our letter to Santa. We’ve been very good this year. Sort of.

There’s also a chance that the big guy himself might show up with some goodies to give away. Of course there’s also a chance that it might just be some dork in a hat with some stuff to give away. Gee, I wonder who we know that might get stuck with that job. Maybe a big guy with a beard? But, you know, free stuff! Either way, it’s going to be a lot of fun. Hope to see you there.

Help me make the boss happy, use the share button.

]]> http://elbaitshop.com/a-very-anchor-christmas-party/feed 0 http://elbaitshop.com/fall-for-cider http://elbaitshop.com/fall-for-cider#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:42:48 +0000 Ashley http://elbaitshop.com/?p=2617 Continue reading →]]> With craft beer sales on the rise and new and exciting styles coming into existence, it’s only fitting that cider is getting exciting too.  Crispin Cider Company is one of those companies doing unique, delicious things with apples.  Experimentation with various yeasts and adjuncts have the most ardent ale drinkers falling for cider!

This Friday, you can find out if you’re one of them!  Sample 5 different Crispin ciders and 5 Crispin mixes!

Planning on going to the Court Avenue Halloween party?  Come down early and possibly win a prize from Crispin and Doll Distributing!  Bob for apples while you drink on one of the unique offerings such as Fox Barrel Pear, or the Sauvignon Blanc barrel aged Joan of Arc.  If you’re planning on going as Kate and William, we have just the cider for you!  The Union was made in honor of the royal wedding and is a delicious “marriage of equal amounts of pure apple & pear juices using authentic French champagne yeast, chapelized with organic honey and kissed with a touch of rose water.”

I hope you Fall for Cider Friday, October 28th from 6-9 with Crispin Cider Company!

That's right. Still winning.

Surely we can do better, Des Moines. We want to see your most interesting, most creative, most original costumes Friday the 28th at the Court District Halloween Party! As we’ve done in years past, many of the bars and restaurants in the area will be offering live music and drink specials, and we’ve made this year’s costume contest bigger and better than ever. Here at El Bait Shop, we will again have live music, this year from a new band to our stage, Limbs. They’ll hit the stage around 9 and will rock you with their hip hop/jazz-tronica stylings until it’s not the same day anymore. There will be a $5 cover for Bait Shop that night, which I know is unusual. However, keep in mind that that $5 wrist band gets you $3 Miller Lite 16oz aluminum bottles, and entry into all the other Court District bars that will have music that night, including Court Avenue Brewing Company, Liar’s Club, People’s, and Dos Rios, among others.

Most of the other Court District bars will be participating in our mug specials. For $5, you will get your very own Court District mug, which will get you specials at most area establishments, including Fong’s, Hessen Haus, Johnny’s Hall of Fame, the Royal Mile, and right next door at High Life. Places with only the mug specials will not require the $5 wristband to get in, they just want to see your smiling faces. Or your horrifically deformed ones. I guess it all depends on the costume.

Mmmm, drink specials. And brains.

Of course, Halloween just isn’t right without a costume contest. This year we’re doing things a little differently. In years past, everyone has gone to Court Avenue Brewing Company, the fine people from Juice have taken their picture, and the whole thing has gone on the Metromix website for an online poll. While all of that is going to happen, we’re adding a level. As the pictures are taken, a panel of judges, possibly including myself, (and yes I can be bribed, but I’m not cheap) will place each entrant into one of several, to be determined categories. At the end of the preliminary round, which runs from 9 to 11, we’ll determine three finalists in each category. After you’ve been judged, go explore the Court District, and by that, I mean get your stunningly attired self down here.

Then, at midnight, we move the whole operation over to People’s where you get to determine the winners in each category by applause. You must be present at People’s to win one of our fabulous prize packages, which will consist of gift cards or certificates to various Court District bars and restaurants. ($100 value)  Remember, the more friends you bring to People’s, the more likely you are to win. Unless, of course your costume it so amazing that people will cheer for you even when they don’t know you. I bet some of them are.

Don’t worry, though, we’re not taking the online poll away. The three finalists in each category will be entered in the online version. From these finalists, voting on the Metromix website will determine the three overall winners. Prizes are $500 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third.

While all of this is going on, we’ll have our friends the Des Moines Derby Dames and the Crash Test Dolls working the door, and a great event with Crispin Cider. I’ll let Ashley give you the details on that one soon. If anyone has any questions, please comment below, or you can reach us at info@elbaitshop.com. I’ll be happy to fill you in with any details I have.

If that sounds appetizing, we have just the thing for you.  We paired up with The Cheese Shop of Des Moines to bring you a casual exploration of seasonal beers and complementing cheeses on Monday, October 24th.  Try a creamy fresh quark paired with the Sam Adams Pumpkin ale, or a hickory smoked blue cheese with the Empyrean Smoked Pepper Porter and let your senses take over.  Learn a bit more about the cheese selections from our resident cheesemonger, C.J. Bienert, and why he chose these specific selections.  Price is only $12 for a flight of 6 beers and complementing cheeses.

Anyone interested is welcome at el Bait Shop from 4-7pm on Monday.  Stop down for a few beers, some dinner, or just the cheese flight, it’s up to you!  Be sure to tell your server you want the cheese flight, and they’ll add it to your tab.

Our first annual Jamtoberfest is set for October 7-9th with 4 bands and 5 Oktoberfest beers specials!  Start it out with el Bait Shop’s own, Charles Johnson and his band Fruition, from 8:30-10 on Friday.  We keep the music going with Mr. Baber’s Neighbors from 10-1! A big thank you to our great sponsors for the weekend starting with Peace Tree and Boulevard!  Try some free samples of Peace Tree Cornucopia and Boulevard Bob’s 47  and get $3 pints all night!

Have you ever wanted to sing on stage but never had the chance…or too nervous?  Drink up some liquid courage from Back Pocket and Summit and rock out with the ultimate karaoke band, Party! Party!  from 9-midnight.  Get pints of their Oktoberfest’s for $3!

What better way to finish off your week than with a little Brother Trucker from 8-11?  That, with Goose Island Harvest and 312 on special for $3, and that’s one hell of a Jamtoberfest!

From dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

That means we’re truly into the fall. No way around it sun worshipers, the days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, and the beer is getting maltier. It’s time for the fall seasonals.

A couple of posts ago, Ashley told you about the history of Oktoberfest, and about downtown Des Moines’ own Oktoberfest celebration, coming up this weekend. I’m not going to rehash that whole thing, but you really should check it out here if you haven’t seen it.

What we haven’t talked about are our own Oktoberfest style offerings and the other good stuff that comes out this time of year. There’s nothing I’d love more than to sit here and tell you all about each one of the autumn beers we carry, but as there are almost twenty of them in the building right now, with the possibility of more to come, I’m pretty sure you’d get sick of me by the time I get done. Perhaps a general discussion of the primary styles and a list is the better way to go.

The most common fall seasonal, especially early in the season is the Oktoberfest or Märzen. Traditionally brewed in March, (yep that’s what Märzen means) these lagers were brewed at a higher gravity, so they’d keep. What that means for you is a copper color and a full bodied, malty mouthful. Usually. As with most styles, American brewers like to play around with this one, creating often lighter, fruitier versions of the German Classic. Most American Oktoberfests range from 5% to 6.5% ABV. Right now, we carry the following Märzens on tap: Boulevard Bob’s 47, Schell Octoberfest, Point Oktoberfest, Sam Adams Octoberfest, Bell’s Octoberfest, and Summit Oktoberfest. In bottles we’re carrying Emperyan’s Aries, and in the can we’ve got Great River’s Oktoberfest.

Autumn is also the time for pumpkins, and pumpkin ales are the second most numerous fall seasonal that we have. Pumpkin ales can be quite different from one another in flavor. Some brewers use fresh pumpkin, while others prefer the sweetness of pumpkin flavoring. Generally, you’ll experience pumpkin pie spices as well, like allspice, nutmeg, clove and cinnamon. Often these spices will be the focus of the flavor, but pumpkin ales in general are malty, with the only bitterness coming from the spices, and pretty mild in both flavor and texture. At the moment we’ve got Great River’s Pumpkin Ale, Blue Moon’s Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale, and Sam Adams’ Harvest Pumpkin Ale on tap. We’ve also got Stephen’s Point Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale, Tommyknocker Small Patch Pumpkin Ale, and Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale in the bottle. And then there’s Kick. Kick, a collaboration between New Belgium and Elysian, is a pumpkin and cranberry wood aged sour. Yeah, I might have to write a whole separate post on this one.

Of course, Kick can’t be the only one that doesn’t fit into my little boxes. On draft, we’ve got the New Belgium Hoptober, which despite the name, isn’t particularly hoppy, and isn’t a traditional Oktoberfest. (it’s an American Blonde Ale) There’s also the Sierra Nevada Tumbler Brown, a smooth malty Brown Ale, and the Goose Island Harvest Ale, a rich delicious ESB. And in the bottle, we’ve got Breckenridge’s Autumn Ale, which Beer Advocate calls a brown, Breckenridge calls an Old Ale, but either way has a dark roasted malt presence combined with a bit of spice from the hops.

Whew. See why I didn’t describe all of them? And not so much as a picture to break it up since the very beginning. You’re right. Here:

Willem Siers / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I know, adorable, right? I think I just gagged a little. Anyway, if you’d like some more info about any of the above beers that we didn’t have time to talk about specifically, let me know. I’ll throw something together for you. Or, you can always check out the extremely informative Beer Advocate and Ratebeer. They’ll tell you more than I know, and you can get reviews from all over.

Remember, friends, use those buttons below. They make the boss happy. See you soon. Happy tippling!

One of the most frequently asked questions I get behind the bar (other than the ever popular, “So, what’s your favorite?”, and the always hilarious, “What do you guys have on tap?”) is “When are you guys going to get Peace Tree’s double IPA back?” I can at long last answer that question, in a way that makes us all happy. Right now. Renamed Hop Sutra, this awesome DIPA is going into regular production so we get to enjoy it’s magical hopdeliciousness all year long. Hop Sutra has 2.5 times the hops, and 1.5 times the malt of their Hop Wrangler IPA, and comes in at 9% ABV so it’s got quite the kick to it. Take it easy with this one. Check out Megan’s blog post on peacetreebrewing.com for some interesting info about the naming of the brew, as well as other cool stuff. I’m telling you, if you missed it last winter, and you’re a hops person, you owe it to yourself to get some of this beer. Now.

I’ve also been hearing from fans of Saisons lately. Where’s the Cornucopia, already? Other places have it. Well, now so do we. Cornucopia is a lovely little Farmhouse Ale, brewed with sweet corn and corn stalks from Dan-D Farms, south of Knoxville, home of Peace Tree. Originally, Cornucopia was brewed to appeal to those in the Knoxville area who weren’t familiar with much in the way of craft beer. As such it’s light in texture, golden in color, and very drinkable. I find that it makes for an excellent transitional beer, but an American Light Lager it most definitely is not. While maintaining its drinkability, Cornucopia manages to be very complex, with earthy, slightly spicy overtones, just a hint of fruit and a bit of Belgian yeasty funk. The corn is definitely noticeable, and the high sugar content of the stalks creates a lot of sweetness. My information has the ABV at 6.8%, so it can sneak up on you, if you let it. Here’s some more from Megan.

And, just because I found it interesting, here’s the about page from peacetreebrewing.com. I always wondered what a Peace Tree was. Now I know.

We’ll try to get some information about fall seasonals and Oktoberfests out in the next couple of days, just in time for Des Moines’ own Oktoberfest party. See Ashley’s last post for more info on that.

And don’t forget to click on one, or all of the buttons below if you enjoy our posts. The more you like, the more we’ll write. Happy tippling.

What better way to welcome autumn than to raise a pint at one of downtown’s best traditions, Oktoberfest!  Celebrating its eighth year, this 2-day event held outside the Hessen Haus on 4th Street, just south of Court, commemorates the world’s largest fair, held in Bavaria.

Today’s incarnation of the Munich Oktoberfest sees more than 6.5 million people through their gates from all over the world, although it didn’t always used to.  This German custom began in 1810 as a parade celebrating the wedding of Prince Ludwig to Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, thus initiating what would become the most famous of all beer festivals on the planet.

Though Des Moines doesn’t quite match Munich in their 7 million litres of beer sold, we have many pints of malty deliciousness to whet your palate! Leinenkugel, along with Hacker-Pschorr and Paulaner will be available outside during the festivities, not to mention the impressive selection of imported German beers inside the Hessen Haus.

But Oktoberfest isn’t just about the beer, it’s about the German tradition.  Kick off this year’s event on Thursday with a Taste of Oktoberfest inside Capital Square.  The first 100 people get a free lunch of bratwurst and chips.  Wash it down with a free sample of Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest while you watch a polka demonstration by the Polka Club of Iowa.  Do you have some German in you?  Trace your German roots with help from the German American Heritage Society!

All that and the party hasn’t even started yet!  Friday and Saturday, watch the officiators Tap the Golden Keg, learn how to polka, win the Bier Maiden or Wet Bier Gut contest, or try some of the delicious German-inspired food offerings.  All of that mixed in with a lineup of bands to keep your feet tapping and your partner spinning rounds out what we like to call, Oktoberfest!

Hope to see you there! Prost!

from www.newclairevaux.org

Now, one of the things that characterizes Cistercian monks (and nuns, by the way, there are both) is that they work for a living. They feel that it’s important to support themselves through manual labor, and so they make all kinds of things. For example, the New Melleray Abbey, just south of Dubuque, they make some of the finest burial caskets and urns in the world. In New York, the brothers of the Abbey of the Genesee are bakers. At the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Georgia, they grow, prune and sell bonsai, and teach others how to care for them.

In 2000, the Abbey of New Clairvaux planted grapes, and in 2005 they began to market their first vintage of wines. However, as most of you know, there is an even longer tradition in the Trappist community of brewing. Some of the most highly regarded beers in the world, including Orval, Chimay, and de Rochefort are brewed either within the walls of a Trappist abbey, or under the control of Trappist monks. In order to help fund the reconstruction of the 12th Century Ovila chapter house at the New Clairvaux Abbey, the monks have partnered with Sierra Nevada to brew three Belgian style beers.

From www.sacredstones.org

The chapter house was constructed beginning in 1190, and was the home to Cistercian monks for nearly 800 years. In 1931, after the monastery had become partly ruinous, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst discovered it, and saw it as the core of a castle for his family to be built in northern California. He had the monastery taken apart stone by stone and shipped to San Francisco. After some time, Hearst decided that his project wasn’t going to happen, and donated the stones to the city. And there they sat, in Golden Gate Park, for decades. Some were stolen, some damaged by fire, some of them were vandalized. (darn kids) But in 1994, the New Clairvaux monks acquired the rights to the stones, and began to reconstruct the chapter house.

www.sacredstones.org

Of course, that kind of work isn’t cheap. Tons of stone had to be shipped up from San Francisco, and are now being reassembled and restored with painstaking care. The three beers that the monks, and the guys at Sierra Nevada have brewed to help pay for the reconstruction are called the Ovila Abbey Ales.

In March, they released their Dubbel, a dark orange-red colored brew, rich with caramel sugars and dark fruity flavors. You’ll also likely find a little pepper spice, and a touch of clove. Right now, it seems to be a little light in texture as compared to some of the Belgian Dubbels I’ve had, but that’s not always a bad thing. This one’s 7.5% ABV, so it’s got a bit of a kick, but probably won’t put you under the table without some real dedication on your part, being as rich as it is. We have had, and will again have, this one on tap, and we’ve got a couple of cases of 750mL bottles, suitable for cellaring.

June brought us the release of their Saison. This farmhouse style ale is also a bit lighter than others of the style, but all the more drinkable for it. I get a bit of white pepper in the nose, along with the expected citrus and banana, and a bit of green apple in the mouth, along with a touch of a nice, herbal hop flavor at the end. It’s very easy to drink, and, as such, at 7% ABV, very easy to get into trouble with. Right now, we’ve only got bottles, but Charles tells me that we will see this on tap as well.

In November, we should start seeing the Quad. Of course, we don’t know what it’s going to taste like yet, but I hear it’s going to be as rich and warming as one expects from the style, and it’s going to be a very hefty 10.4% ABV. Definitely going to be a sipper. I can’t wait, I love a good Quad in the winter.

From NOAA News Online

Makes me thirsty already. And cold.

For more information, check out the Ovila webpage, the Abbey of New Clairvaux’s page, and the Sacred Stones Project’s page.

Happy tippling. We’ll see you soon.

Tweet

Who’s excited? I know I am.

My excitement stems mainly from the beer that we get to talk about this week.

A collaborative effort between Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head breweries (making it the only Dogfish Head you can buy in Iowa) Life and Limb is “a 10% ABV strong, dark beer that defies style characteristics,” as the Dogfish Head website puts it.

Reviewers of this one sometimes describe it as overly malty and sweet, and there’s no doubt in my mind that I want this for desert, but I felt that the sweetness was exactly what I expected of something brewed with both maple and birch syrups. The maple is actually from the Calagione family farm in Massachusetts, and the estate barley they use comes from the Sierra Nevada brewery’s land, which I like. They also use a blend of the two breweries house yeast strains, and when we start selling the bombers, you’ll find that they’re bottle conditioned, and you just might want to think about taking a bottle home to cellar. I’m going to.

All in all, I find this to be an excellent after dinner sipper, and worth the try, if only to see what these two exceptional brewers come up with when they put their heads together. Remember, this is extremely limited edition stuff. They’ve only brewed it once before, in 2009, and we don’t expect this year’s batch to last long. We’re only serving it on draught right now, but when that’s gone we’ve got multiple cases of bottles that we’ll break out of storage.

For further information, check out these websites: the official Life and Limb site, Dogfish Head’s Life and Limb page, BA’s Life and Limb review page, and Ratebeer’s Life and Limb page.

Also just a note, Charles wanted me to let you know that we just got in a couple of kegs of the hard to come by Sierra Nevada Ovila Dubbel to go with the Ovila Saison we’ve got in bottles. There’s an interesting story behind these beers that I thought I’d already told you, but as it turns out, I never finished that blog post, and it’s almost my bedtime. Guess we all know what the next one of these is going to be about. Until next time, happy tippling.

Is this okay? Or just plain wrong?

Proverbs 22:6. (KJV) Yep, I just quoted the Bible. I can’t believe it myself.

I follow blogs. Lots of blogs. Once a week or so, I open up Google Reader and slog through them in an attempt to find something to talk about with you fine people. I’m really not that bright, so a little idea mining is necessary from time to time.  This week, I came across this.

For those of you who don’t feel like clicking on a link to another blog, the gist of the post is a conversation between two West Coast beer bloggers on the appropriateness, or lack thereof, of children in bars, specifically beer bars. Now, we’re not talking about late nights here. You’ll find very few people that would advocate for allowing young kids in a place that serves alcohol after 9 PM or so. We’re also not talking about sitting there getting blitzed while the kid runs around unsupervised. I think we can all agree that that’s not okay. We’re talking about coming in around dinnertime or before, and having a beer or two, whether with a meal or not, while your kid or kids sits at the table with you.

I’m not going to rehash the whole post, but both bloggers make some excellent points both in favor of allowing the munchkins to be around and against.

As for us, we like to have families around. We’re probably not going to have a kids menu anytime soon, but we’re happy to provide booster seats and high chairs, and we genuinely welcome children at El Bait Shop. It’s true that we’re a bar, but before 9 PM we are equally a casual restaurant, and it’s perfectly appropriate to bring your kid in to say hi.

Having stated the official position, my personal opinion, after many years in this business, is not that different. To paraphrase Mario from Brewed for Thought, basically treat your child like you would a friend who has had one beer too many. A little extra noise is okay, but don’t let them get too loud, and definitely, don’t let them get up and start running into people. If that happens, just like with your tipsy friend, it’s time to take the kid outside. As long as your kids behave, and I’m sure they will, with such fine examples as yourselves, I say bring ‘em down. We’ll hook them up with a lovely Millstream Root Beer.

At least that’s what we think. But we’re really more interested in what you think. Is it appropriate to bring your children when you’re going to have a beer? Is this a practical decision, or a moral one? If you’re in a bar, even at 6 or 7 PM, would you rather not have kids around? Should we be more kid friendly? Less? Talk to me people.

Photo by RL Bennett

At 9 AM Sunday, an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 riders will descend on our fair city, travelling from checkpoint to checkpoint, powering through, um, creative obstacles, in search of undying bicycle scavenger hunt glory. Do you have what it takes to be one of them? (sixty bucks and a friend with the same, or a hundred and twenty and a friend with a body)

I’ll bet you do. So get yourself to the website and get yourself registered. Friday is the last day for online registration, and the quiz for bonus time has already been released, so you should probably do it now.  No, really. Do it now. I’ll wait.

Still here?

All right. I could tell you how much fun it’s going to be, but other people have done that much better than I can, so check out Jess Knight’s article on the Register’s site here. I can sit here and tell you that 2010 in Des Moines was the biggest first year UAR ever, and that this year’s is going to be twice as big. I can tell you that last year we drank more beer than any other city did, and we have to defend our title. I can tell you that the after party at Mullet’s is going to be a blast, with Mr. Baber’s Neighbors. But I’m not going to do that. I’m just going to point you to BIKEIOWA’s event page, Urban Assault Ride’s Facebook page, and their website, for more info. Or, watch the video below for a taste of what UAR is all about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZf8pdx9wP0

See? Awesome, right? Here’s that registration link again. Or, you can wait until the last minute (that’s so like you) and come see us. Packet pick-up and the very last chance to register is Saturday, the 27th between 11 AM and 3 PM. There is absolutely no registration the day of the event.

I’ll be out and around with the camera, so dress pretty and smile big. See you Sunday!

From the Brew Bros

I love hops. Hoppity, hop, hop, hops. From Admiral to Zeus, from bittering to aromatic, each one has a distinct aroma and flavor. I’m the guy who has to have each one of Samuel Adams deconstructed Latitude 48 offerings. I crave Bell’s Hopslam, especially when I can’t get it. When we got Sierra Nevada’s Hoptimum I couldn’t stop smiling for two days.

Now, as we all know, you’ll find hops in every style of beer. They’re one of the four traditional ingredients. (the other three being yeast, malt, and water) You’ll find them in just about every beer on the market. However, they’re especially identified with pale ales, and especially the India Pale Ale.

India Pale Ales are a variant of the early pale ales of the 17th century. While not necessarily stronger in terms of alcohol than other ales of the day, a larger percentage of the wort was generally well fermented leaving behind fewer residual sugars, and it was fairly aggressively hopped, making it better suited to the trip from Britain to India.

In America, in large part due to the use of hops like Cascade and Simcoe that have a very strong flavor and aroma, the IPA developed into a style distinct from its milder, earthier, British cousin. American IPAs tent to be more bitter, and have a very strong citrus or botanical flavor. Being Americans, we went a step further, creating the real hop bombs, Double IPAs, Imperial IPAs, and the like. Over the last few years, many brewers have been coming out with Black IPA’s, using dark roasted malts, but keeping the aggressive hoppiness of an American IPA.

According to the Eventbrite page “International #IPADay is a grassroots movement created to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers, and brewers worldwide, using social media as the common arena for connecting the conversation together.” (http://ipaday.eventbrite.com/) Whether you prefer the earthy, malty, goodness of a Samuel Smith IPA, or the straight up, rip your face off, citrus and herbal explosion of the Rogue I2PA, Thursday, August 4 is our day to celebrate. Where better to do it that at El Bait Shop? We’ll have rotating specials on IPAs all night, and a toast at 8:00 PM. Our commercial craft beer representative that night will feature an IPA, and hopefully our Jimmy Carter Happy Hour brewer will too. Plus I’ll be behind the bar to regale you with my usual nonsense, and occasionally pass out a beer. See you there!

One of Larry Bell's many eccentric costumes

Bell’s decided to pack up their crazy party and take it on the road!  Every year, Bell’s official tasting room, the Eccentric Cafe, has what they call Eccentric Days. Basically Halloween in December, everyone is in crazy costumes and drinking some of the tastiest beer around.  In honor of a special someone’s birthday, Bell’s decided to bring the party to el Bait Shop!

From 4-8, el Bait Shop will be transformed into a wacky wonderland full of fun and games with a few surprises! Catch one of the painted ladies from 5-7 looking like Two Hearted, Oberon or Hopslam!  Watch some professional hula hoopers or listen to some Brazilian carnival music while playing Pin the Pint on the Jester!  All entry donations go to the Food Bank of Iowa, so it’s for a great cause!

The painted ladies all done up for an event

There will be tons of prizes to win, including a Bell’s bike jersey to the person with the best bike-animal costume, tee shirts and hats for games and wackiest get-up, and even mini-kegs of Oberon in the keg walk!

Bell’s is also shipping us 5 fantastic specialty beers which we will release every hour!  The beers include Oracle, Golden Rye, Le Contrebassiste, Raspberry Ale and Hell Hath No Fury.  Oberon and Two Hearted will be tapped constantly for your drinking pleasure, and if that weren’t enough, we will be releasing our own special stock of Hopslam, after the circus, inside at el Bait Shop!

With all this and so much more, why wouldn’t you stop down, enjoy an adult sno cone and a few beers, dunk your favorite bartender in the dunk tank, and have some good, old fashioned carnival fun…Bell’s style.

Beer Schedule:

4-8pm – Two Hearted and Oberon Ale

4pm – Oracle

5pm – Le Contrebassiste

5-7 – Painted Ladies

5:30pm – Golden Rye

6pm – Hell Hath No Fury

7pm – Raspberry Ale

Food provided by Ezequiel Robles.  This is the same food cart that sets up on the Royal Mile patio during Farmer’s Market and also outside Court Center for late night consumption…yummy tacos and burritos.

When you get sick of talking to us, as for some reason people seem to do, experts from many of the breweries will be pouring those tasty samples, and are happy to share their knowledge of their beers, as well as discussing upcoming releases. Plus, despite the fact that this year’s Brewfest is bigger than ever, having expanded to the upper concourse for the first time, with the Beer Genius mobile app from our friends at Fresk, everything is easier to find. Safe Rides will even be available to get you home if you’ve sampled a tad too much and can’t bring your own designated driver.

Parking is free at the ballpark. Food will be available from the concession stands. A portion of the proceeds go to the Kiwanis Miracle League of Iowa. You really don’t have a good excuse not to go.

I recommend getting you tickets now. Sure you can get them at the door for $28, but why would you when you can get them ahead of time for five bucks less? You can pick up your tickets at the customer service counter in any Des Moines area Hy-Vee, or at the Iowa Cubs box office. You can also do it right now, online through our new friends at local ticketing service Tikly. Here’s the link: http://tikly.co/dsm/index.php/event/festivals/cityviews-brewfest.html

Are you still here? Are you really not sure yet? OK. Head over to the official Brewfest website for a list of the beers you’ll find, more pictures of last year’s event, and more information than you can shake a stick at. Here’s the link for that: http://brewfestdsm.com/

Of course, if you find yourself with a need for more beer after 7, or you really can’t make it to the ballpark, (I’m sure there’s a really good reason) we’d love to have you stop in and have one with us. Our selection is pushing 300 beers itself, including a few that you can’t even get at Beerfest. Either way, I look forward to seeing you soon. Cheers!

www.ratebeer.com

It’s been a while, and I’ve missed you all. There’s all kinds of new stuff going on right now, and I’ll try to tell you about as much of it as I can. Right now, though, let’s talk about a fantastic new brew that just went on tap today. I admit, I wasn’t quite sure what to think about this one when it was described to me, and I found the flavor to be quite surprising.

John’s Locker Stock beers are Rogue’s way of playing around. They’re brewed on a very limited  basis, and only available at a few places across the U.S. and Japan. This particular brew was created by head brewer John Maier and his wife, and was originally served at their wedding in April of 2005.

Like just about everything Rogue produces, Love and Hoppiness is chock full of hops. No surprise there. What I did find surprising, and what I did not know until I looked it up, is the fact that this is intended to be a German Pilsener. On further reflection, it makes a lot of sense, given the dry biscuty malt that sits under the hops. I went in expecting more body, but after the first sip or two, I really became a fan of the drinkability of this beer. ABV is 5.83% and it goes down very smoothly. Love and Hoppiness is a very nice, crisp sessionable brew. Stop in and check it out.

From thebeerfriends.com

The Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee recently approved a measure that would change the way that state handles beer distribution. Among several other things, the bill would change the licensing procedure for distribution from a municipally issued licence with a maximum cost of $25 a pop to a state issued license with a $2,500 maximum. It would create a new brewer permit, which would allow breweries with a capacity of less than 300,000 barrels annually (that’s just about everybody) to self distribute without a separate license, as well as sell at one off premises location owned by the brewery. In the current situation, breweries in Wisconsin can hold a brewing permit, a retail permit, and a wholesaler’s permit. This allows them to sell, on their own premises, as well as at brewery owned restaurants and bars (up to 2) not only their own product, but other beer and liquor as they choose and to distribute not only their own product, but that of other brewers. Under the proposed bill, no brewery, or person who owns a brewery may hold a separate distributor’s license, nor hold a separate retail permit. Here’s a draft copy of the motion:http://www.tyranena.com/Motion414.pdf

Supporters of the bill, which include the Wisconsin Grocers Association, the Wisconsin Beer Distributors Association, the Tavern League of Wisconsin, and MillerCoors, LLC, claim this measure, which would become law as an add on to the state budget, is necessary to prevent large brewers, and specifically Anheuser-Busch from buying up wholesale distributors in the state and creating “brewery branches”.  These supporters say that fifteen states are facing the threat of brewery branches, and that Louisiana, Nebraska, and Illinois have already passed similar laws.

While it is generally accepted that the bill would prevent A-B from gaining a footing in the distribution market, many small breweries in Wisconsin claim that it would also do great harm to their businesses. According to the Pearl Street Brewing Facebook site, http://www.facebook.com/notes/pearl-street-brewery/budget-bill-to-damage-wisconsins-small-brewers/218339011518888

“Every small brewer uses their wholesale license today to sell to a few customers. Many brewers sell (with their wholesale license) to special events/festivals with permission from the wholesaler that has the assigned territory from the brewer because the wholesaler does not want to haul beer out to weekend festivals etc. This proposal requires 25 or more customers, making start up of self-distribution nearly impossible. It would also not be possible for small brewery to get started by selling to a small local grocery store chain with 5-6 stores. This is often the only way to get started.

Small brewers often look to wholesalers as a source of capital. Many times wholesalers have funds to invest, and a local brewery can be a good place to do so. Many small breweries see this investment as a way to gain market share with the wholesaler. Today, Wisconsin wholesalers can and do invest in both in-state and out-of-state small breweries. This proposal unfairly discriminates against WI small breweries by eliminating this potential source of capital while allowing wholesalers to invest in out-of-state breweries whose brands they carry.

Small brewers can currently own two restaurants, and some small Wisconsin breweries do. This proposal eliminates the ability to own a restaurant with a liquor license.”

Jeff Hamilton, President of Sprecher Brewing Company, and the Wisconsin Brewers Guild told the Milwaukee Business Journal, ” It’s hedging against future competition,” and goes on to say that “It’s limiting our business model…the current system is working just fine.”  http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2011/06/02/bill-preventing-brewers-from-owning.html

Mr. Hamilton and the Guild tell us that it is far more efficient to distribute through a separate wholesaler, but as the number of distributors in the state has declined, largely through consolidation, it has been increasingly difficult to find shelf space for small brewers. In order to counter that trend, several smaller brewers in Wisconsin had considered opening their own distribution company. Under the proposed measure, that would be illegal.

Supporters counter with statements to the effect that problems for smaller brewers were not the intent of the legislation. Indeed, Nehl Horton, government affairs officer for MillerCoors said “I don’t know of anyone that has bent over backwards as much as we have to laud the work of craft brewers.”

However, Mr. Horton also said that the intent of the measure is to protect the three-tier system, and that brewers in Wisconsin need to decide whether they want to be brewers, or brewers, wholesalers and retailers. It seems to me that, given the uproar from many of the craft brewers that I’ve seen, they’ve chosen the second option. Here’s a link to WAOW TV in Central Wisconsin’s story about the issue: http://www.waow.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5909999&at1=News&h1=Brewers guild angry over Walker’s budget&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Brewers Association

I admit, after doing quite a bit of research on this issue, I’m not really sure where I fall on this. I can certainly see the benefits of preventing any big brewer’s attempts to take over a market by dominating the distribution process. That being said, the little guys seem to have a point. Is it really fair to completely alter the conditions under which they have done business, and expected to be able to continue to do business, without so much as a consultation? Is MillerCoors really acting to head off competition from the craft beer brewers in the future? After all, the biggest growth in American beer sales right now seems to be from the craft sector. Then again, is it such a huge blow to craft brewing? The conditions that would exist under the new proposal don’t seem all that different from those under which our own Iowa brewers are operating now. I’m interested to know what you think. Please, share your thoughts in the comment section.

As I said, I’ve done quite a bit of reading on this issue, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the sites and blogs that were of great help in the writing of this post. I did cite some of them above, but they’re worth another mention. Thanks to: the Wisconsin Positive Business Alliance http://positivebusiness.co/news/stop-millercoors-tapping-out-local-breweries, the (Milwaukee) Business Journal http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2011/06/02/bill-preventing-brewers-from-owning.html, Beverage World http://www.beverageworld.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39259:bill-to-limit-brewers-ownership-of-distributors-stirs-worries&catid=3:daily-headlines&Itemid=173, The Brookston Beer Bulletin http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/wisconsin-legislature-attacks-craft-brewers/, WAOW.com http://www.waow.com/story/14824191/brewers-guild-angry-over-walkers-budget-and-affect-on-micro-breweries, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel http://www.jsonline.mobi/more/business/122991428.htm, and the always invaluable Beer Advocate http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/3813001.

That’s great, but that’s old news. You want to hear about the new stuff.

Summertime Kölsch isn’t brand new, but I haven’t talked about it yet. For those of you who might not be aware, Kölsch is a light, very slightly fruity, style native to Cologne, Germany. ABV is 4.7%, so go ahead and have another one. Summertime pairs well with our fish or shrimp tacos, or a nice salad. Crisp and clean, it’s a great beer on a hot day, without the big citrus notes you tend to find in a lot of summer ales. Summertime won a silver medal in the Kölsch category at the 2011 World Beer Championships, so you know it’s not just me blowing smoke here.

Dominique is a Belgian style sour that has been aged in Bourbon County Stout barrels. I find this one to be very complex. At 8.5% ABV, this is the strongest ale we’re talking about today. It’s a fairly light amber in color, and the sour seems to dominate the nose, but I also get just a touch of the bourbon caramel. Strangely, this is almost reversed in the mouth. I only get a hint of the sour, mainly on the back end, still just a hint of the bourbon, but quite a lot of the oak from the barrel. Plus, there are all kinds of subtle hints going on as well. I’m not sure my description does it justice. It’s one of those that you just have to try.

One of my new personal favorite new beers is Goose’s Pepe Nero. Technically it’s a Belgian style Farmhouse Ale, but most of those tend to be much lighter in color. As mad as it seems to those of us who are still learning about beer, Pepe is a Rye Saison, brewed with black peppercorns. ABV for this one is a still sessionable 6%. It’s a rich brown color, with what seems like a nutty odor. A sip, however turns my world upside down with it’s fairly sweet beginning, quickly blending into a earthy, dark roasted back end. While it’s never overpowering, the black pepper is just apparent enough to give it a little kick, which goes very nicely with the hint of that Belgian yeasty sourness at the very end. Like I said, I really like this beer, and I’m not the only one. Pepe Nero won a gold medal at this year’s World Beer Championships.

One of the most interesting brews I’ve ever had has got to be Goose Island’s Fleur. It’s a Belgian style pale blended with hibiscus and kombucha tea. At 5.2% ABV, it’s not going to knock you over on the first one, which I enjoy. I’m not really sure how to describe this one. It’s color is a copper-red, and the flower infusion definitely comes through in the nose. It starts fruity sweet, but the Belgian sourness comes through strongly at the end. I’d have to say this is another that in order to be fully understood, you’re just going to have to come in to try it. Once again, Goose comes away from the World Beer Championships with a gold medal for this one.

Doubtless, many of you will be looking for more information. Other than the always informative http://www.ratebeer.com/ and http://beeradvocate.com/, here’s Goose Island’s home page, from which I plundered much information: http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/home/56.php. Some of you may be wondering what exactly is up with the World Beer Competition, and why they seem to really like Goose Island. Here’s some good info on them: http://www.tastings.com/2011_World_Beer_Championships.html

I’ll be back soon, with more new stuff, and almost certainly a different brewer. Happy tippling.

However, the big winner is Todd Lincoln for his name “The Tacklebox”. Yes, I know tackle box is supposed to be two words. I like it as one, so there. We’re too laid back to be concerned with grammar. Todd, if you could email us at info@elbaitshop.com, we’ll get together and discuss how to get you your prize.

Patty Guevara and Matt Hollinger also came up with suggestions very close to the winning one. While Todd was first, we feel that you deserve some recognition as well. Please shoot us an email, and we’ll discuss your Honorable Mention prizes.

I’ve already set up a Foursquare venue for the Tacklebox, so go ahead and start checking in. If I see enough interest, we’ll probably set up a special just for out there.

Once again, thanks for playing!

Let’s start with running.  I’m personally not a fan though I envy those who can run miles upon miles and still be able to walk the next day.  Maybe I’m just an adrenaline junkie who prefers climbing large rocks with only a rope saving me from death.  But enough about me, how ’bout those runners?  Well, for all you lovers of accelerated bipedalism and New Belgium Fat Tire we now have Fat Tire Fun Runs for your enjoyment!  The IMT Des Moines Marathon Running Club teamed up with New Belgium and yours truly for a series of 3-5 mile runs the last Tuesday of every month, through October, beginning and ending at el Bait Shop.  Break up your normal running routine with these noncompetitive runs with like-minded people.  Bring your running shoes to the kickoff party on May 31st at 6pm!

Now for the bikers.  May is Bike Month and we’ve had quite a few bikers passing through in honor of it (or maybe it’s just the beautiful weather…).  Friday the 20th is the Handlebar Happy Hour, el Bait Shop style, with Boulevard beer specials celebrating American Craft Beer Week.  Ride on down after work for a pint of some delicious brews, and if you have time, stop at the Kirkwood at 4th and Walnut to check out the ARTCRANK poster show open from 5-10pm!

Fat Tire Fun Rides are going strong, with the next ride scheduled for noon, this Saturday the 21st, to Saints Pub and Patio.  Don’t forget to register when you get here for your chance to win this year’s Fat Tire Cruiser!

The Bell’s Circus is coming up July 16th and I’m getting super excited for this beer event! We now have the painted ladies being done up in various Bell’s logo’s walking around during the event, renaissance actors performing at random, specialty Bell’s beers Iowa will probably never see again, carnival games, killer prizes and THE Larry Bell as the ringmaster of the party!  Live animals would have completed the show, but unfortunately, petting zoos run $1000/hour, so that’s definitely a no-go.  New idea: be as creative as you can and decorate your bike as a circus animal and get the chance to win a Bell’s bike jersey!  I’m envisioning tiger legs attached to pedals that look like they’re running as you are pedaling…doesn’t that sound cool?  I thought so!  Get those creative juices flowing!

Well, I will cut this one off before I start adding chapters.  More event updates coming soon!

Apparently, we’re not alone in this. Ever since Flying Dog moved it’s operation from Denver to Frederick, Maryland a few years ago, they’ve been concentrating heavily on the East Coast market. According to my sources, Flying Dog is pulling out of several states, more than one of them in the Midwest. It seems that their sales, and the sales of craft beer in general are much more robust on the coast. Understandable with the much higher population density, but kind of crappy for us.

The big question, of course, is what does this mean for you? Sadly, we’re not going to have any Flying Dog products, and that’s going to happen in the very near future, but not quite yet. We’ve still got several Flying Dog beers on tap. Those beers we couldn’t get backup kegs of, we’ve got in the bottle. You probably don’t want to miss your last chance at them.

There’s one big positive, of course. Taking beers off of our wall leaves space for new beers. We’ve added to our Goose Island collection by putting on Dominque, Fleur, and Pepe Nero. (Pepe is my favorite) We’ve also brought on several new beers from Capital Brewing, their Dark (a Munchener-Dunkel) their Maibock, and their Island Wheat. If you haven’t had a chance to try these yet, I think you’ll find something you’ll like. I’ll have more on these exciting new brews in the next couple of weeks. Or here’s Capital’s website : http://www.capital-brewery.com/home, and here’s Goose Island : http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/home/56.php

I suppose I have to accept the fact that we’re going to lose a brewer from time to time. Just like the end of any relationship, it’s going to hurt for a while. After some time, we come to see that now we’re free to meet that beer that’s better for us after all. For now, it’s time to try new things, and move on. Try to remember the good times, and stick with me guys, we’ll get through this together.

We’ve got our own nod to the greatest beer week of the year at el Bait Shop with a different brewery’s beer on special every day and select events throughout the week.
Kick it off with a visit from Scott Ziller and Joe Kesteloot from Peace Tree Brewing Company Monday at 7pm for the Iowa Brewers Union meeting at 7pm.  All Peace Tree draws on special!

Tuesday el Bait Shop is featuring Sierra Nevada draws…all on special all night long.  Other Tuesday events include a Mug Club Party at Court Avenue Brewing Company (with the special release of a certain collaborator barleywine and smoked wheat ale) and a Brewer and Chef’s Dinner at Rock Bottom.

Wednesday we’re rockin the 312unes with the Uniphonics from 8-11 and Goose Island draws on special all day and all night!  Can’t make the music? Stop on down for a happy hour pint with Sam Adams from 4-7pm.

Thursday is always a great day for beer around el Bait Shop and

we are making it even better with beers on special from Summit Brewing Company!  Stop on down and drink some delicious Gold Sovereign Ale or a nice Extra Pale Ale along with some great homebrews from Steve Breman!  Other happenings around town include a beer dinner at Court Avenue Brewing Company, and the tapping of the Stand Up Ale kegat Rock Bottom.

Thank goodness it’s Firkin Friday!  Get some cask conditioned ales from Rock Bottom,Rogue and others at The Royal Mile starting at 4pm!  If you’re in the mood for some Boulevard, they’re special at el Bait Shop.

Saturday brings fun in the sun (with any luck) with the Fat Tire Fun Ride and New Belgium beer specials!  We are also taking a little field trip to Rock Bottom Brewing for our Hop Head U Cation (email elbaitshop@yahoo.com for more details) from 2-4pm.  Gain some knowledge about the craft brewing industry and how it came to be what it is today from brewmaster Eric Sorensen.  If you’re still up for more, the first annual Iowa Craft Beer Fest will be held outside Raccoon River Brewing Company with a Suds in the Street afterparty!

While Sunday is typically the day of rest, we will be enjoying specials from Bell’s and a beer brunch on the patio, weather permitting.  

Raise a pint, or seven, to the greatest beer week in America, and we hope to see you at El Bait Shop, where we are always here for your beer consuming needs!  Oh, and just because I want to add another logo to this picto-blog…CHEERS!!

And here, are some photos of them on the track:

These ladies skate like the wind, and lay down hits that a linebacker would be proud of. In short, they’re a lot of fun to watch. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see them in action yet, do yourself a favor and get there. Here’s when to do it: dmderbydames.com/schedule.html

Tomorrow night starting at 7, the High Life gets to host their Fan Appreciation Night Party. The’ye picking up the tab on some appetizers for fans who wear their Dames or Dolls gear, and the guys at PBR are hooking us up with a keg. Haven’t gotten around to buying that D3 shirt yet? I’d bet you’ll be able to do so tomorrow night, and I know for sure they’ll have discounted tickets for sale for their next bout, May 14. Doubleheader. For $10. You can’t beat that. Besides, these are fun people to hang out with. Turns out, derby girls can party.

Go figure.

Here’s the Facebook event page for more info, or to RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120306804716706

]]> http://elbaitshop.com/get-down-with-the-derby-dames/feed 2 http://elbaitshop.com/yep-im-finally-going-to-talk-about-new-beer-again http://elbaitshop.com/yep-im-finally-going-to-talk-about-new-beer-again#comments Sat, 30 Apr 2011 01:04:50 +0000 Sean http://elbaitshop.com/?p=1825 Continue reading →]]> I know, I’ve been failing in my duty to keep you updated about what’s new here at Ye Olde El Bait Shop. That ends now. Over the weeks to come we’ll get you caught up on all the new, exciting brews we’re bringing in all the time. We’ve had all of the following stuff for at least a week, but I think they’re cool looking, so let’s talk about them.

From Ska Brewing Company in Durango, Colorado, come these two niftily packaged brews. True Blonde and Pinstripe Red. True Blonde comes in at 5.3% ABV, and is, according to the Ska website, “A crisp blonde ale, golden in color, medium in body – She’s brewed with the help and the honey of Durango’s Honeyville bees.”

Pinstripe Red, (named for one of the villians in the interesting comic bookish backstory the brewery has created) is their flagship. It registers 5.15% ABV, and since I love their descriptions, I’m going to be lazy and quote them again. “Waterfalls of Pinstripe Red Ale. Brewed with caramel malts and Liberty hops, it has a slight, fruity finish and will dance with your taste buds till last call, then take them home and not get weird about it the next day.”

It takes a minute to load, but check out their website. It’s got a lot going on, a great backstory, and is just freakin’ cool. http://www.skabrewing.com/

One of my new favorites, and not just because it comes in a reseal-able 750 mL ceramic bottle, is the Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner. With 100% French Pilsner malts, and 100% Sterling hops, this is a simple brew, at least when you look at the list of ingredients. I find it to have more hoppy bitterness than one usually expects from a pilsner. This is a 74 IBU beer, but then again, this is a Rogue, so what do you expect? Besides, that’s just the way I like it. There’s enough malty strength to it that it’s still noticable, but the hops definitely dominate. One reviewer on BA described this as an IPA with German ingredients. Remember, this is an imperial, with 8.8% ABV, so no screwing around. If you’re going to knock a whole bottle back, I recommend eating first, and definitely don’t decide on this one after you’re two or three in. For further information, here’s Rogue’s page for Morimoto Imperial Pilsner: http://www.rogue.com/beers/morimoto-pilsner.php

Last today, but definitely not least, from our good friends down in Knoxville, we have the Peace Tree Blonde Fatale. This lady gives me a bit of clove, a bit of coriander, and a nice bready malt. For a Belgian blonde, the fruit esters are very subtle, but I get a touch of banana with a little lemon zest toward the end. It’s just a little fizzy in the mouth. A very drinkable blonde, but watch yourself. The Peace Tree people described her to me as “deceptively 8.5%” ABV. This one will sneak up on you. I can attest to that from experience. I believe the bottles came out this week, but we’ve got it on tap for a while yet. Why would you want it any other way? Besides, I am assured that we are the only place in Des Moines that got one of the tap handles with hair. That makes everything taste better.

There’s not a whole lot of information about this beer, specifically, but the Peace Tree website is always worth a look. They do a lot of fun stuff around Iowa, so to keep up, here’s the link: http://www.peacetreebrewing.com/

That’s only scraping the surface of our mass of new beer for late spring and for summer, I’m afraid. As I can’t expect you to read my nonsense all day, let’s cut it off here. I’ll be back soon with more new beer, more high quality pictures from my cell phone, and more rambling commentary. Until then, you’ll just have to come in and ask me personally. See you soon.

It’s true. According to this press release (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/limited-in-time-not-in-flavor-newcastle-brown-ale-releases-four-limited-edition-ales-120692814.html) “Newcastle celebrates authenticity with release of limited edition brews crafted by longstanding partner Caledonian.”

Seems an odd way to celebrate authenticity, if you ask me, but strangely enough, they didn’t. Apparently, they’ve been doing this for a couple of years, now. I’m just not comfortable with the big boys trying to make craft beer. Remember, both Newcastle and Caledonian are owned by Heineken International. Who knows, maybe the British and the Dutch are better at this than their American counterparts have been.

Remember Budweiser American Ale? Michelob Hefeweizen? Coors Red Light? There are exceptions, I grant you, but for the most part Big American Beer has done a poor job trying to make beer for the craft drinker. They tend to be much more concerned with cost than a craft brewer would be, are willing to cut corners, and allow quality to suffer for the sake of mass production.

Still, I’m fairly easy. (Not cheap. I don’t know how that rumor got started) I’ll probably give at least a couple of these a shot. Assuming the Mile carries them. Maybe these are great beers. Newcastle is a classic, and I have enjoyed some of Caledonian’s offerings in the past. Golden Promise springs to mind. Only time, and the taste buds will tell. I’ll let you know.

By the way thanks to David Jensen at beer47.com for pointing this press release out. I’d never find all these interesting tidbits if it weren’t for beer bloggers.

I bring this up not only to let you know that we’re going to be missing out on some fine potables, (I’m really going to miss Fade to Black and the Milk Stout) but to illustrate a recent trend in the craft beer industry. The scenario seems to run something like this: A brewery becomes successful enough to expand. They expand into new territory. They become successful in the new territory. They expand again. While all this expanding is going on, they’ve become even more popular back at home. Even though they’re selling their beer in the new places, they’re selling a lot more at home. They can’t keep up with demand at home. It’s a simple financial decision. Since there’s more money to be made at home, the newest territories, the ones that sell the least product (because the brand is still growing) have to be dropped.

Never to be seen again

That’s what happened here. That’s why Dogfish Head pulled out of Wisconsin and why Avery pulled out of Nebraska. From the brewery’s perspective, it’s a great problem to have. For those of us who get hooked, just to lose great beer, it kind of stinks. I understand why it had to happen. I appreciate that you dance with the one that brought you, and that quality could suffer if expansion happens too fast, but it still kind of stinks.

It’s not because the breweries aren’t growing. Those of us who love craft beer are incredibly happy to see that sales are always going up. According to a quote from Left Hand in Adam Nanson’s post on beernews.org, (http://beernews.org/2011/04/left-hand-brewing-updates-with-important-retraction/#comments) “We finished 2010 up 34.5%, and are up 59% so far this year. Good problems to have for sure. We’re ¾ through a $3.2 million dollar expansion, including the purchase of a 3.4 acre parcel/building across the street.”

Yet even with this wonderful growth, successful breweries are forced to pull out of territories in which I’m sure they would rather stay. Every brewer I’ve ever known wants everyone to try their beer. Come to a Jimmy Carter Happy Hour and stand near the jockey box. See how long it takes for that week’s homebrewer to try to get you to drink something.

Man, I'm going to miss this beer.

My question to you, loyal reader, is how can we prevent future pullouts? I’ll admit, I’m not sure. Are we better off if breweries that we would love to have here slow their expansion into new territories until they know it will be sustainable? Our own local breweries are getting more numerous, and better at what they do, all the time. Should we rely more heavily on them? Or, are we better off if everyone tries to come here, even if we lose some breweries after a year or two? What if they try that and the quality of the beer goes downhill? In short, is it better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all?

What do you think?

How times have changed. Now, the patio bar features actual bar stools, a full selection of liquor, several tap handles, a bike on the roof, and a much larger craft beer selection. It’s got everything you need for a good time on a beautiful day. Except a name.

Our staff has come up with a couple of nicknames for the patio bar over the years, but none of them have really stuck. Let’s see if you can do better. Starting right now, we want to hear what you think we should call it. We want to hear it so much, we’re going to give the creator of the name we choose not only the immortality involved with the naming rights to such a popular summer hangout, but also a $50 gift card, and a reserved seat on the first night the patio bar is open this year. (date to be determined)

To enter, just respond below. The only way to enter is to respond below. No Facebook posts, no tweets, and no e-mails will be considered for the prize. Please, keep it clean. We’ll be judging based on creativity, suitability of the name for the bar, and presentation. If there’s a reason you think it should be called something, let us know what it is. If you want to design a logo, it couldn’t hurt. If you want to make a short video to make your case and link to it in your response, that might not be a bad idea either. Any submission of a name, logo, image, or video implies the right of El Bait Shop to use it for anything we see fit, for as long as we want. (but seriously, it’s not like we’re going to do something offensive with it)

The winner will be announced on the first night the patio bar is officially open this year, both online, and in a very loud speaking voice. (maybe amplified by our own PA system) Probably by me. Possibly at the same time. Keep checking our blog for updates. Good luck, and thanks for playing.

Of course, one of our margaritas are always a great choice. Especially during happy hour (3-7) Monday through Friday when they’re $3. The only catch is the fact that we don’t have enough servers yet to provide table service yet. We will soon, but until then, I’m afraid we need you to pop into the bar and grab those frosty beauties yourself. For this view of downtown, it’s worth it.

Very soon we’re going to have another reason to enjoy our patio. Every Tuesday that there’s a home game during the Iowa Cubs season, starting April 19, we will be hosting Tailgate Tuesdays. Come down before the game, hang out on the patio, and grab a burger, or a hot dog fresh off the grill. We’ll be featuring a different beer each time, starting with Sierra Nevada. And there’s a pretty good chance we’ll break out some games and/or the free stuff, so you don’t want to miss out.

Don’t forget, we’ll be opening the patio bar soon too. Great for happy hour, pre- and post-game cocktails, or pulling up to on your bike, our patio bar also plays host to our home brewers for the Jimmy Carter Happy Hour, and is one of my favorite places to sling drinks. The patio bar has a full selection of liquor, several beers on tap, and a selection of bottles and tall boys for your tippling pleasure. We’ll be sure to keep you informed about when the patio bar and full patio service are going to be ready to go. For now, I’m afraid you’ll just have to content yourself with this picture, and dream.

See you outside soon!

Haha, just kidding! Mostly. El Bait Shop is teaming up with Bell’s Brewing Company for a beer event unlike any other; a day of one-of-a-kind brews, eccentric costumes, carnival games, beer, charity, general debauchery and even more beer! While lion tamers, trapeze artists and knife throwers would be fun to watch, they probably won’t be present due to the lack of circus performers in the area. That, and I don’t want someone to get knifed through the eye or eaten like this guy. However, if you know of anyone who has a petting zoo, dresses up as a clown, paints faces, can breathe fire or charm snakes tell ‘em to give me a call!

Everyone must be dressed up to enter, so come up with the most eccentric thing you can think of and add to the circus atmosphere!

And if you’re wondering if you saw the word charity earlier, yes, you did. Though they don’t know it yet, all entry fee’s will go to Fight Hunger along with all the can donations we can get.

I meant it when I said if you know any circus performers send them my way, but if not, I can deal with seeing all you beer lovers for some good eccentric fun!

Bottles:

Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee has been kind enough to share with us their Fuel Cafe Coffee Stout. Malty, dark roasted sweetness combines with the slight acidity of coffee from a Milwaukee fixture, Fuel Cafe. It has a good mouthfeel, and the coffee is clearly present, but not overpowering. You can still tell that you’re drinking a beer.

Red Hook’s spring seasonal is out and, unusually, this one is a brown ale they call Mudslinger. It contains six barley malts, and two hop varieties, which result in a well balanced, 30 IBU beer with hints of brown sugar and vanilla. Mudslinger won a bronze medal at last year’s World Beer Cup, (in the English-Style Brown Category) so you don’t have to take my word for it, this is good stuff. This is actually a rerelease of their old Nut Brown Ale. As they say on their blog, “just like Nut Brown was not made with nuts, Mudslinger is not made with mud.”http://blog.redhook.com/?p=682

Shiner’s newest offering at el Bait Shop is their 102 Double Wheat. Stronger than an American Wheat, but less intense than a Wheat Wine, 102 comes in at 6.2% ABV. The malt base is 50% Brundage wheat. It’s very lightly hopped. As it warms, pear and white grape flavors begin to be noticeable inside the wheat sweetness.

Jolly Pumpkin Maricaibo Especial is by their own description, “A rich brown ale inspired by the enigmatic monastic brews of Belgium, and the mysterious mist shrouded jungles of the tropics. Brewed with real cacao, and spiced with cinnamon and sweet orange peel for a sensual delight.” http://www.jollypumpkin.com/artisanales/beers.htm

I don’t know what, of much value, that I can add to that. This is a very complex beer, and every one of you is going to taste something different, but you should taste it. It’s 750 ml bottle, so you might want to split it with a friend or two when you’re feeling adventurous.

Buffalo Bill’s Orange Blossom is a very nice choice for a hot day on the patio. (those days are coming soon, I promise) There’s not a lot of subtlety here. It is what it says it is. There is a very strong orange flavor, both the pulp and the peel. A slightly creamy mouthfeel and a lot of sweetness make this one the closest thing to pop I’ve got in a bottle.

Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale comes from the family owned Van Steenberge brewery and is made especially for Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia. Medium light in texture, this sweet, then sour highly carbonated Flanders Oud Bruin remains very drinkable. I know the our friends over at the Red Monk have had some difficulty keeping this one in on a consistent basis in the past, so you might want to grab one while you can.

I got really excited when I saw this one. If you like Belgian styles, you really should check out the Ommegang/Brasserie D’Achouffe Gnomegang Blonde. Both of the breweries involved in the collaboration are members of the Duvel family, on different sides of the Atlantic. I’ll admit, I haven’t had a chance to try this one yet myself, and neither have many other people, judging from what I’ve seen on ratebeer.com and Beer Advocate. It’s a one time, never gonna happen again, release so you’d better get one while you can. We won’t have it long.

The spring seasonal from Flying Dog is a French style Biere de Garde. Biere de Garde was traditionally brewed in the March for drinking during the spring and summer months. Garde Dog is a bit maltier, and less fruity than some others of the type that I’ve had. It has a nice earthiness to it. You’ll find just a bit of spiciness, especially if you let it warm a bit.

Widmer Pitch Black IPA just went into wider release, and we’ve got it. This style is really starting to become popular over the last couple of years, and it seems like every craft brewery, especially out West, is making one now. This is a very good example of the genre. The hops present are a bit less noticeable than they would be in a traditional American IPA, and more of the roasted malt flavor is very obviously present. Widmer always makes solid brews, and this is no exception. I recommend it, especially as an introduction to the style.

Last but not least this week we have Brau Brothers Moo Joos Oatmeal Milk Stout. The Brau Brothers website tells us it is intended as a “tribute to Lucan’s farmers, particularly the town’s hardy group of dairy farmers.” http://www.braubrothersbrewing.com/MooJoos.aspx

I found it to be a bit more bitter than I usually expect from a sweet stout, especially on the back end, but enjoyed it a great deal for all of that. It is sweet, but not overly so. Fairly complex notes of coffee, cocoa, caramel and and a little bit of that roast malt, burnt toast, flavor were what I noticed most.

More new stuff next week, hopefully all on the same day this time. My popularity is truly a curse.

And for those of you I’m going to see tomorrow night, no, we don’t have any green beer. We sell good beer, we’re not putting food coloring in it.

On tap:

Samuel Adams Wee Heavy is the latest in their Imperial Series, and is patterned after traditional strong Scotch Ales. At 10% ABV, it’s got a bit of a kick to it, but the overwhelming flavor is the sweet roasted malts in here. It also contains a peated malt not to be found in classic Scottish Ales, but which gives it an earthy, smoky, Scotch whisky like flavor. You’ll only find it here.

Our good friends from Peace Tree have done it again. Their Imperial Stout is every bit as good as we’ve come to expect from Joe. This is another 10% ABV beer, but it definitely doesn’t come off as boozy. Dark roasted malts and coffee flavors are present, with a distinct fruitiness from the Belgian yeast. I get a touch of prune. As it warms, you might start to get some spiciness and maybe a touch of caramel. Definite bitter kick comes at the end. It’s creamy and smooth in the mouth. Actually, I feel like it’s still just a little green, but that just means it’s going to get better over time, and this is already an excellent beer.

Back by popular demand we have a couple of old favorites from Rogue. Both the Double Dead Guy and the Double Mocha Porter came back this week. Since neither of these are really new, and we’ve got them both in the bottle, I’m not going to go into detail here. If you want the goods on these guys, comment below, and I’ll write you a quick description.

From Brewery Ommegang comes Chocolate Indulgence. We’ve had this one in the bottle a couple of times before, but this it the first time we’ve gotten a keg. I’m glad we did. It tastes just a touch sweeter to me on tap, but the chocolate flavor is still a darker, dryer chocolate than many of the chocolate stouts I’ve had. A bit of bitterness is present, with a little raspberry from the yeast.

Spring often brings us bocks, and this is year is no exception. The always delicious Bells Consecrator Doppelbock went on the wall the other day, and I’m loving it. Doppelbocks are, of course, really big lagers. This guy is 8% ABV, full bodied and smooth with a hint of molasses flavor. For centuries, doppelbocks were considered a meal in a glass, so much so that German monks would subsist on nothing else during Lent. They’re not the only ones. A brewer from here in Iowa is attempting to do the same thing. Check out his blog about his try here : http://diaryofaparttimemonk.wordpress.com/about/

For those of you who aren’t feeling the booze just now, we’ve switched our root beer to Peace Tree’s. I admit, I liked Millstream’s root beer better for root down purposes, since it was a little sweeter, but this stuff is good too. It’s even better on its own. Best of all it has the coolest tap handle ever. My little camera on the phone doesn’t really do it justice, but yep, that’s the torso of a 1980′s Battle Armor Skeletor toy. I had one of these when I was a kid. Loved that thing.

This is getting pretty long, so we’ll do new bottles in another post. Hopefully sometime tonight, more realistically, sometime tomorrow. Don’t want to turn this thing into a novel.

This Saturday the 12th, from noon to 6, we’re hosting the annual Cabin Fever Registration party. We’ll have specials on Fat Tire, and the fine people from Bike Iowa will be down. There will be info on the upcoming rides, and, if you’re very good, some cool free stuff. If the weather’s nice, I’d bet on a bike ride too. Here’s what Bike Iowa has to say about it: http://www.bikeiowa.com/asp/features/featuresdisplay.asp?ArticleID=1184

Plus you can register to win this year’s Fat Tire cruiser from the guys at New Belgium. The more times you register, the more chances you have to win. You only get to register once per event, so get down here and make sure you have the edge from the very beginning.

You know you want it.

While we’re on the subject, don’t forget about the Urban Assault Ride, August 28. We’ll have more info when we get closer, but here’s the link for now: http://www.urbanassaultride.com/desmoines

We’ve had it in bombers for a while, but we finally have Rogue’s John John Dead Guy back on tap. John John Dead Guy is the well known Dead Guy Maibock, the hoppiest maibock I’ve ever had, aged in their own whiskey barrels. The aging gives this brew a serious caramel flavor, with hints of vanilla and oak, but the traditional Rogue hoppiness still shines through. Here’s how it’s done:

http://www.rogue.com/images/misc/john-john-diagram-large.jpg

We’ve also had Boulevard’s Harvest Dance Wheat Wine in bombers for quite a while, but this one made it’s first appearance on the wall ‘o beer last night. We’ve all heard of a barley wine. Wheat wine is a similar style, with large amounts of wheat malt, which adds a soft mouth feel to what is otherwise a warming brew. The smell, to me is very much like a “regular” hefeweizen, but once I taste, I get, in addition to the expected bananna, a bit of apricot and a little bit of pepper. You can definitely tell this is a higher proof beer, but the booziness doesn’t seem excessive to me. Want more details? Here ya go.

http://www.boulevard.com/BoulevardBeers/harvest-dance-wheat-wine/

Then there’s the Madhouse Coffee Stout. Available only in bombers, this guy is not kidding about the coffee. While you will find some creaminess, a hint of mocha, and a little chocolate on the end, the overwhelming flavor is COFFEE. Unless you’re tasting really hard, it overpowers everything else. Even a bit of the astringency of coffee pops in. For those who are looking for a strongly coffee flavored stout, the Madhouse is for you. I’d link to their website, but this beer isn’t on there yet.

Last this week, but certainly not least, we have Goose Island’s Night Stalker. Night Stalker is the same base as the wildly popular Bourbon County Stout, but instead of barrel aging it, they dry hop it. I love this beer. The hoppiness manages to come through the rich malty flavor of the base, and I love the way the two balance. I feel that the bit of citrus and pine work very well with the chocolate and smoke. Not a beer for the faint of heart, this guy is jet black. We’ve only got it in bombers right now.

http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/night_stalker/94.php

While sitting in our latest weekly meeting, the boss man received an email that made him chuckle. “ReStore is advertising our toilets!” he laughs. Sure enough, the subject line of the latest ReStore newsletter reads, “ReStore Update – High Life Toilets.” The content gets even better.

“Enjoy High Life Lounge?
Here’s a great conversation piece for your home!
High Life donated their fleet of toilets so they can switch to commercial-style.

Elongated bowls,
tall height.
Kohler & Toto brands.
Great toilets, great story, great price: $65!”

Now that’s a shout out I never would have thought of! The Twitter world had a few things to say about it too. LeviRosol tweeted, “Can a toilet be a conversation piece?” Well, apparently it can, cuz I’m talking about it, and so did souIvy, who said, “Wait until they’re selling the ones from the Garden…” Oh, if toilets could talk.

So if you want your own conversation piece, support a good cause and head on down to ReStore, where you can get great toilets, a great story, at a great price!

Very soon, we’ll be treated to a taste of Gold Coin Helles. Light in color, Gold Coin has a full malt profile, with a hint of sweetness. You’ll get just the lightest touch of hops. When things warm up a bit, I have the feeling that I’m going to be drinking a lot of this one.

We’ll also have two other very true to type German style beers; the Slingshot Dunkel, and the Penny Whistle Wheat. (Hefeweizen) Both excellent examples of the style, the Hefe has the banana and clove hints you would expect, and the Dunkel is smooth, dark amber, and a little sweet.

Straying a bit from the German theme we’ll have their Wooden Nickel Scottish Lager. This beer is peated, giving it a smoky, almost scotch-like flavor. It’s light brown in color, and very easy to drink.

Lastly, we’ll be trying their German Pale Ale, a blend of German and American flavors. The hops are not nearly as aggressive as most craft brewed American Pales, but are definitely there. A hint of sweetness, almost fruitiness, is present throughout.

Craft brewing in the US seems to be dominated by British styles, (pales, stouts, etc.) and to find a brewery specializing in German styles right here in Iowa, especially one that does it this well, is a special treat. We look forward to working with Back Pocket for a long time to come. Now get down here and try some.

http://www.einfachbeer.com/Einfach.html

Yep, that’s their website. Don’t let the name change fool you. Fair warning, they’re a little behind on the updating. Between expanding, changing the name, running a brewpub, and brewing some really good beer, it’s not like they’ve been busy the last couple of months.

Here are the full results:

http://www.dmcityview.com/2011/02/24/features/

Special bonus prize to the first five people who mention @elbaitshop in a tweet about what TV show I’m referencing in the title to this post. An even more special prize to any of those five who can tell me the name of the character who says the line.

Of course, watching news pieces and demonstration videos (like the one embedded in Ashley’s last post) are no substitute for the real thing. You’ve simply got to experience Toby for yourself. Come down. Touch him. Love him. He won’t bite… hard.

Now, we have yet another knowledgeable resource to help out the indecisive.  Our beer genius, dubbed Toby, is the newest addition to the already eclectic Bait Shop décor.  This, of course, is way cooler and much more interactive than anything else we have on our walls.  Toby can tell you what’s going on this week with music, beer events and specials, but he can also help you pick out what beer to try while you’re here.  Search our database by brewery, style, color, you name it!

The coolest part, however, might just be that you can have your own Toby too!  All of you smartphone users have access to all of the same information that el Bait Shop users do, and all from the comfort of, well…anywhere!  Just type in menu.elbaitshop.com and get to learning.  You can even send a link to your phone from our Toby and compile a favorites list of all of the beers you’ve tried.  I think the only thing Toby can’t do is talk, and if it ever starts doing that, I might just be out of a job!

The BeerGenius from fresk on Vimeo.

Here’s how it’s going to work. Each week, we will tweet a link to our YouTube page. All it’s going to say is, “trivia question for such and such date” with the link after. The video in question will only be viewable by those with the link, so don’t bother trying to cheat. I’m watching you people.

When you get to YouTube you will be treated to what may be the best 30 seconds of your week as someone involved with El Bait Shop, (usually me) or someone who has something to do with the question will, wait for it…                ask you the question. Obviously, it’ll be best when it’s me, but even I have to take breaks once in a while, and a little variety never hurt anyone.

The first person to @ respond with the correct answer wins a fabulous prize. No, I’m not telling you what. It’ll be something different every time. Any disputes about who answered correctly first will be decided by me. Or Ashley. Or whoever’s running the thing that week. Or some guy at the bar.

They’ll be decided, OK?

The only way to find out when we’re starting is the same as the only way to play. Follow us on Twitter @elbaitshop. We’ll announce the date and time of the first question a couple of days before we start, so keep watching.

El Bait Shop is staying on top of things by embracing these new ways of connecting with deals on Facebook Places and Foursquare.  El Bait Shop’s Twitter account has been pretty active thanks to our in-house tweeter, Sean, and of course we just launched our new website, how exciting!  Did I mention that we are giving deals on Facebook and Foursquare?  I’m only reiterating this because I know there are many more fancy phone using, beer-centric people out there that HAVEN’T taken advantage, so I just want to make sure you know!

Do you see anything you want changed, or not seeing something you would like to?  We want to know what you’re thinking!  Shoot us an email, post a message on Facebook or Tweet about it and we will try to make it happen.

Thanks for your patronage and I’ll be talkin’ at you soon!

Also new on tap is Rogue’s Charlie 1981 American Strong Ale. Charlie is named for Charlie Papazian, founder of the American Homebrewer’s Association, and President of the Association of Brewers. John Maier, Rogue’s head brewer, made his first batch of beer using Papazian’s The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing in 1981. Being a Rogue beer, it has some serious hoppiness going on, at 75 IBU. Don’t get carried away, as good as it is, that 8.5% ABV can sneak up on you pretty fast.

It’s almost spring, so Summit Maibock is back. Maibocks are generally lighter than those of you who drink Shiner or (Michelob) Amber Bock are used to. They’re generally still pretty malty, a golden color, with a bit of spicy hop aroma and just a hint of bitterness.

Last of the drafts, but certainly not least, we’ve got the Irish Ale from Boulevard. Available for only a short time, this malty, toasty red ale is one of my favorite examples of the style. See, I do too drink stuff other than IPAs.

While we’re at it, we’ve got a couple of new bottles. New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series sends us another good one in their Dunkelweiss 30°. It’s dark and rich, and you’ll likely taste bananna and clove, with maybe a hint of pepper.

You’ve asked for it for months, and we’ve finally got it back. Grain Belt Nordeast. That’s all I’m going to say about that. All in all, a really good batch of new and returning beers this week.