Continuing our discussion of fresh hop ales, I popped open a bottle of Great Northern Brewing Co.’s 2010 Frog Hop Fresh Hopped Pale Ale, one of Western Montana’s versions of these brews featuring freshly picked – and not dried – hops. The hops for this brew come from the Purple Frog Gardens outside Whitefish, MT…
Sure, the fall season brings us great rich, malty brews in the form of oktoberfests, bocks and the like, but fresh hop ales are staking a claim to the most anticipated fall releases. Unlike most beer styles, for which the “seasons” have blurred so much that you can find nearly anything at any time, fresh…
Over in Spokane a couple of weeks ago, we stumbled upon Hale’s O’Brien’s Harvest Ale brewed by Hale’s Ales of Seattle. It pours a hazy, unfiltered orangish, auburnish, brownish color with a whitish head. That’s a lot of “ishes,” but that’s the way it goes sometimes. For flavor, it has an American pale ale base…
I had a little time on my hands last Saturday afternoon and found myself within a short walk to the Rhino in Missoula. I know, I know. Lucky me. Someone needs to see what’s new on tap. This time, it was two brews from the Lost Coast Brewery of Eureka, CA. First up was Lost…
I’ve been waiting to find this new Pilot Series brew from Alaskan Brewing Company since I first saw the news release back in July. It is one of the reasons I stopped in at Bottles in Millwood, WA on our way over to Spokane last weekend. I had not yet seen it in the Missoula…
Run Wild Missoula’s new monthly beer run is proving to be quite popular. More than 35 runners turned out on an unusually hot September evening for a four mile run and the great rewards that awaited. Chancellor of Libations Pat Cross led us on a circuitous route along the riverfront trail, through the university and…
If you’re a regular reader of Growler Fills (and hey, why wouldn’t you be?) you know I’m a big fan of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, one of the pioneers of American craft brewing. For their 30th Anniversary, Sierra brought together a collection of other craft brewing pioneers to brew a series of four special release…
Would I let Oktoberfest go by without a nod to a great German classic? Of course not. And no, I’m not jumping the gun, either, given that the traditional Oktoberfest begins in September and runs through the first Sunday in October. There are quite a number of excellent Oktoberfest/Marzen beers brewed both locally in Montana…
As a malt-head, I’m much more in tune with the wonderful variety of flavors a brewer can create from the infinite combinations of base malts and specialty grains. From biscuit and grain to caramel, toffee, coffee and nutty flavors, the world of malt awaits. When it comes to hops, it took me a while to…
It’s Sierra Nevada, so you know it’s going to be good. Yet, when Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. announced it would be brewing a series of special beers to celebrate its 30th Anniversary in a collaborative effort with some of the legends of American craft brewing, both the bar and the expectations were raised to great…