WHAT'S BREWING
Aces & Ales Taps Sierra Nevada Rarities
On December 1 Aces & Ales devoted 18 of its taps to Sierra Nevada, many of which are rare and hard to found. Some of the beers from the brewery sponsored beer camp were pouring, including Hopsichord and Snowed in Stout, both of which have a local connection. Local homebrewer Dave Forrest named and helped brew Hopsichord during his camp experience, and Aces & Ales co-owner Ryan Johnson collaborated with his fellow ‘campers’ to create the Snowed in Stout. Both Dave and Ryan were in attendance and were joined by Sierra Nevada’s Brewery Ambassador (that’s really his title!) Steve Grossman and SN reps Brian Dewey and Kellan Bartosch. Other rarities worth mentioning that I enjoyed were the Hellraiser Chocolate Chili Stout (infused with cocoa and dried ancho chilies, real chili flavor without the heat) and Bourbon Barrel Trippel (very big on the bourbon flavor, compliments of its being aged for 5-months in bourbon barrels).
Steve shared some interesting and exciting news about the brewery that his brother founded just over 30 years ago. Beginning January 1 the brewery will begin canning two of its best-selling beers, the Pale Ale and Torpedo, which happens to currently be the number one selling IPA in the US. The brewery is again expanding, with an additional brewing location somewhere to the east being sought out. Steve’s nephew, Brian Grossman (owner Ken’s son), is collaborating with Russian River brewer/owner Vinnie Cilurzo to make Brux, Sierra Nevada’s first ever beer made with a brettanomyces yeast strain, which will give the beer a distinctive Belgian character with a slight sourness. Steve also related that Brian is being groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps and has been working in all aspects of the brewery.
Las Vegas Winterfests
Aces & Ales will help us celebrate the winter season with two beery events. First up will be the “12 Days of Decadence with Deschutes” from Dec. 12-23, with multiple Deschutes rarities on tap, visits from reps, giveaways and the Abyss Vertical Tasting on the night of the 23rd. Next up will be the 2nd Annual Winter Beer Festival, January 20-22, with more than 40 hand-picked rare specialty beers from the best breweries in America and Europe. Each day at noon new beers will rotate into the line-up, so it’s worth showing up for more than one day.
Big Dog’s Brewing continues to host quarterly beerfests, with its Winterfest slated for Saturday, January 28 from 2-9 p.m. Admission is free, and after purchase of a commemorative pint glass for $5, tastes of more than 30 beers will run from $1-5 depending on the style and pour size. Debuting will be Big Dog’s still-to-be-named Black IPA, which is being brewed by the students in the 9th installment of its Brew School, convening on January 7. To sign up for the school, or for more info. on the fest, visit www.bigdogsbrews.com. The fest will be held at the Draft House location at Craig Rd. and Rancho Dr.
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What’s on Tap
Richard Lovelady at Gordon Biersch has released his annual Winterbock, an 8% abv dark, malty strong lager with elements of roast and caramel.
Matt Marino at Triple 7 Brewpub at Main Street Station has his annual Dunkel Lager, a smooth dark malty brew with lots of Munich and Honey Malt. He’s also tapping the Bourbon Klaas. Named after his good friend, he saved enough of last year’s Santa Klaas to fill up a bourbon barrel. This 8% abv Imperial Porter was brewed with cocoa nibs and peaberry coffee beans and the barrel aging will give it a whole new dimension. Klaas actually custom-made a tap handle for this beer that rings every time a glass is tapped! Last but not least, is another annual favorite, the Monique V 2.0 Belgian Quad. This year’s version checks in at 11% abv and Matt claims it’s even smoother than the previous version. He has a bourbon barrel version of Monique aging that will come out in about six months.
Beer Spotlight
This month the spotlight shines on Stone Brewing Company’s Cali-Belgique, a California-style IPA with a Belgian influence, indicated by the word “Belgique” (which is how Belgium’s French-speaking population says the word “Belgian”). This beer is Stone’s IPA fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. Weighing in at 6.9% abv and a hop presence of 77 IBUs, typical of almost all Stone brews, there’s a generous dose of hop flavor and bitterness. The aftertaste is what sets this IPA apart from its IPA twin, with a slight spiciness that’s derived from the yeast. Available in 22 oz. bottles, look for it at retail stores that carry a worthy craft beer selection
As always, great beer happens in Vegas!
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