The Preamble

The push toward Prohibition actually began in the nineteenth century, soon after the American Revolution. This period saw the rise of the Temperance movement, which saw the drinking of alcohol as the root of much of society’s evils; particularly various crimes and even murder. These Temperance organizations effectively used the arguments that Prohibition would stop husbands from throwing away the family’s money on alcohol and would reduce the number and severity of industrial accidents caused by hangovers and “2-martini lunches”.

The Act

By the beginning of the 20^th century, there were Temperance organizations in nearly every state and by 1916 nearly half of the states had passed laws prohibiting alcohol. In 1919 the 18^th Amendment to the Constitution was passed, which prohibited the “manufacture, transport and sale” of alcohol. The new law went into effect on January 16, 1920. Since this new Constitutional Amendment by itself did not have enough “teeth” to actually do what it was intended, the Volstead Act was passed soon after, which granted authority to government agencies to enforce the new law and set forth penalties for its violation.

Let the Good Times Roll

Like most laws, the newly christened 18^th Amendment and the Volstead Act had some pretty significant loopholes. For one thing, these new laws did NOT make it illegal to actually drink alcohol and they allowed for alcohol to be prescribed by doctors for “medical purposes”. As you can imagine, being inherently creative, these loopholes allowed your average drinker with some spare change to buy and stockpile quantities of alcoholic beverages before Prohibition went into effect and the number of alcohol prescriptions written by doctors rose dramatically. In spite of the prohibitions of the new laws, nasty characters like Al Capone and other organized crime elements saw an opportunity to turn a tidy profit. Private social/drinking clubs, sometimes called “speakeasys”, sprang up in many areas around the country which served “bootlegged” liquor of various types; rum brought in from the Caribbean (by “rum runners”), whiskey from Canada, “moonshine” and the proverbial “bathtub gin”. As you can see, Prohibition was far from the effective prevention of the consumption of alcohol that had been anticipated by supportive law makers and the Temperance folks and I think that there is a very good reason why that time period is sometimes called “The Roaring 20′s”.

The Repeal

Almost immediately after the 18^th Amendment went into effect there were several attempts to repeal it. While these were not successful, the anti-Prohibition movement continued to gain strength during the 1920′s. As the nation moved into the Great Depression and jobs disappeared, the repeal of Prohibition was viewed as a way to create many new jobs across the country and create new tax revenues for the struggling government. On December 5, 1933 the 21^st Amendment was passed, repealing the 18^th Amendment and effectively ending Prohibition. The 18^th Amendment is the only Constitutional Amendment to ever be repealed.

New Beer’s Eve and National Beer Day

Well, I guess that was a good history lesson, but we still have not answered the question of where New Beer’s Eve and National Beer Day came from. Before the 21^st Amendment was passed in 1933 and as Prohibition began to lose its support, Congress passed the Cullen-Harrison Act in March of 1933, which allowed the sale of 3.2% (4% ABV) beer in those states that did not have their own laws prohibiting it. This first shot across the Prohibition bow went into effect at midnight on April 7, 1933. On the evening of April 6^th that year, people lined up in front of breweries and taverns waiting for midnight, when they would be able to legally purchase beer for the first time in over 13 years. Henceforth, April 6^th is traditionally celebrated as “New Beer’s Eve” and April 7^th is celebrated as “National Beer Day” in remembrance of this event.

The judges for this event are all brewers and beer connoisseurs, from all over the US, which meet during the tournament to grade each IPA pairing. These judges are organized in panels of 3 and are served the pair of beers to be judged without knowing what the beers are (blind tasting). Within the 3-member panel, the majority vote determines which of the beers in the judged pair wins. I don’t have any idea who you have to know (or?) to get to be one of these judges, but as a professed and acknowledged hop head, I would want/need/love to be a part of the judging for this event (hint, hint)!

The Brewing News has run this IPA tournament since 2008, when it was only a competition among 32 IPA “teams”. Previous year’s winners include:

• In 2008, after four rounds of pairings, Green Flash Brewing’s Green Flash IPA was declared the winner in this first ever NIPAC final challenge against Bell’s Brewing Two Hearted Ale.
• In 2009 they doubled the number of competing beers to 64 IPA teams and the final winner was Big Sky Brewing’s Big Sky IPA in a competition against Laurelwood Brewing’s Workhorse IPA
• In 2010 they, again, doubled the number of IPA teams to 128. The final winner last year was Fat Head Brewing’s Head Hunter IPA in a final battle against Firestone Walker’s Union Jack IPA.

I have competed in all of these NIPAC events so far and I have to admit, like this year’s basketball tournament, I have not done very well in picking the final winner or even the winners of the many IPA pairings each year. The only excuse that I have, if you’ll allow that (Mulligan please), is that many/most of these beers are not available in Vermont and I have not (yet) had the pleasure to sample that many of them. That being said, my wife would tell you that I am the “worst” when it comes to “betting” of any kind of anyone that she has ever met… I am useless in a casino and she won’t even let me touch the lottery tickets, which we splurge on occasionally, for fear that I will “contaminate” them with my bad luck. I still have fun with NIPAC and, since it costs nothing to enter, the damage is inherently/fortunately limited in this particular case.

Participating in this year’s NIPAC competition was decidedly different for me. This year there was a Vermont brewer involved in the competition for the very first time… Lawson’s Finest Liquids had entered their Triple Play IPA… a truly excellent IPA, I might add. You have heard me speak before of Lawson’s, the 1-barrel brewer from tiny Warren, Vermont, as the “mouse that roared” at last year’s World Beer Cup, when Sean Lawson’s Maple Tripple won a bronze medal in the specialty beer category. Sean has steadily been building his skills and repertoire as a first-class brewer through his high showings in both national and international events like NIPAC and the WBC.

To make this story short and very sweet (for me), Lawson’s Triple Play IPA beat out the other 127 best IPAs in this year’s tournament and was declared the winner of the 2011 NIPAC challenge against Big Dog Brewing’s Dirty Dog IPA in the final round.

Like some of the smaller, “Cinderella” teams in the NCAA tournament, Lawson’s Finest Liquids continues to show the nation and the world that being small does not necessarily mean that you can’t compete at the same level as the better-funded and much larger brewers which enter these events. No brewer has ever repeated as a NIPAC winner… I am looking forward to 2012 and the chance to see Lawson’s Finest Liquids be the first to attain that lofty and very unique distinction!

Enough with the science lesson as the real question to be answered here today is whether or not full moons, not to mention the unusual full moon this month, can contribute to better beer? There is much folk lore about the supposed benefit and detriment of full moons; such as the benefit of planting or harvesting of crops or the supposed rise in crime or mental illness (lunacy?) that may occur during these events. Why not suppose that this lunar cycle can affect the beer as it is being brewed?

A quick search of the Internet and Ratebeer located a number of beers being brewed by various brewers which claim that brewing under the watchful eye of “The Man” has the decided effect of producing better or “different” beer than normal. Some examples of this type of beer are:

• A Japanese brewer, GBC Ltd., produces a beer called Full Moon Beer. According to the commercial description on their Web site, this beer “uses hand-selected premium raw materials, is brewed in dawn of each full moon night and slowly matured for a whole lunar cycle, with special yeast”.
• Wychwood makes a beer called King Goblin which is produced under a full moon. I actually have one of these in my beer larder and plan to drink it tomorrow night just to see if the double effect of producing and drinking with a full moon adds anything to the experience.
• Brasserie Caulier has produced a limited-release full moon brewed Belgian Strong Ale called Paix-Dieu of which only 12,000 bottles were produced.
• For you unimaginative or lazy shopper types, there is always Blue Moon Belgian White Ale. Coors Brewing Company (MillerCoors) makes no claims about it being produced during a full moon, but it is interesting to note that a “blue moon”, of the “once in a blue moon” fame, is actually the second full moon to occur in a calendar month. The lunar cycle runs about 28 days, so it isn’t hard to see that, with nearly all months having more days than that, a “blue moon” happens pretty often.  However, if you need one, it is still a good excuse to drink beer…

A search of Ratebeer turned up 27 beers with the phrase “full moon” in their names. Try something different for a change… find one of these beers today to drink under the “supermoon” tonight. If you do, look for me out under the stars; I’ll be the one howling at the moon!

The three previous articles in the series, in the order that they appeared, are:

• Made in Vermont – Burlington Region
• Made in Vermont – The Spine of the Green Mountains
• Made in Vermont – The Northeast Kingdom

I count myself as truly fortunate to live in a state that caters so heavily to the craft beer movement and I am exceptionally lucky that Vermont is such a small place that each of these breweries is but a short drive away. Several of Vermont’s breweries have won medals and awards in both national and international competitions. You need to understand, however, that Vermonters are not ones to rest on their laurels and the state’s beer industry is in constant flux. For example, I am aware of at least two new breweries in the development stages and there are several of the existing breweries that are in the process of expanding their operations; some of them significantly.

The Long Trail Brewery is located at the junction of Routes 4 and 100A in the tiny burgh of Bridgewater Corners. The brewery and the small store nearby represent nearly all of what this town has to offer. In spite of its relatively remote location, Long Trail is both one of the oldest and largest commercial breweries in Vermont. They recently purchased the Otter Creek/Wolvers brewery up in Middlebury to give them increased capacity and a better avenue for the distribution of all of their beer. Long Trail Ale was one of my first experiences with a non-macro beer and it was love at first drink for sure. I have a number of other favorites from this brewer. They relatively recently began producing a “Brewmaster Series” of beers and a couple of those have become some of my most sought after Vermont beers; the Centennial Red and the Coffee Stout in particular.

The other major brewery that calls southern Vermont its home would be the Harpoon Brewery. Although headquartered in Boston, where they have another brewery, the brewery in Vermont inhabits the former Catamount brewery facility in Windsor. I have talked frequently of the events that they hold at the Vermont location as well as of their significant contributions to Vermont communities, charities and social causes. For one event or another, I end up visiting this venue several times each year and I look forward to that each and every time that it happens. Harpoon’s IPA was an early favorite in my craft beer career and to this day you will find a can or two of this beer in my fridge awaiting my enjoyment. Like many brewers, Harpoon offers a“premium” line of beer, two of them in fact; the “100 Barrel Series” and the “Leviathan” series. I am a big fan of several of these Harpoon beers and like their IPA, you are apt to find at least one of these higher end brands either aging in my beer larder or being chilled in preparation for its final showing.

From there we move from beer production on a much smaller scale. Northshire Brewery is located in Bennington, at the very southwest tip of Vermont. Relatively new to the Vermont craft beer scene, I am starting to see their beer in more places, some of them farther north where I have easier access to them. Most of my experience to date with their beer has been as samples at the Vermont Brewers Festival, held every summer in Burlington. Having just visited their Web site, I can see that they have greatly expanded the number of places where their beer can be purchased. I definitely plan to catch-up with them at one of these new locations in the very near future.

Madison Brewing Company & Pub is also located in Bennington and right on Main Street in the downtown area. Madison offers a very nice location to both have some great food and to sample some of their fine beer. Like most brewpubs, they offer a regular selection of beers that are nearly always available and then seasonal or special offerings to fill in at different times of the year. I particularly enjoyed their Old 76 Strong Ale the last time that I was there, along with something called a “New England Bog Salad” for a light lunch.

Last on our list of breweries, but hardly least, we finally come to McNeill’s Brewery, which is located in Brattleboro. McNeill’s is another of Vermont’s breweries that have been around for a while and it has been producing high quality beers for as long as it has been around. One of my long-time favorites had been their Imperial Stout , which is no longer made. Some of Ray McNeill’s latest creations are coming on strong though; like his Warlord Imperial IPA, a hop head’s dream and one that I grab now and again just to satisfy my hop cravings.

Well that brings us to the end of our series on the current list of 21 Vermont breweries. Don’t you think for one moment that this is the last that you will hear of Vermont’s fine beers. Vermont can rightfully be called a craft beer-lover’s mecca and I think that it is high time that you finally planned a vacation (or beer quest) to a state that is just bursting with both scenic beauty and great beer, no matter where you are in the state. Although our winters are long here, which is a good thing for some of the best ski areas in the East, it is not cold and snowy all year long. The summers here are a perfect escape from the sweltering heat of the real deep south and the colors of our autumn can’t be matched anywhere. Come to Vermont and enjoy our people, enjoy our scenery and enjoy some of the best beer this side of anywhere!

Let’s start with just a few of the beers I found that have what I consider to be unusual names. At the top of this particular list would have to be Mikkeller’s Beer Geek Breakfast Pooh Coffee Cask Festival Edition. Now don’t get me wrong, Mikkeller (as many of you will attest) makes great beer. This one just happens to be made with the most expensive and unique coffee in the world; from kopi luwak beans. Why is that unusual, you might ask? For those of you that do not drink exotic coffee, kopi luwak coffee is unique because the beans have passed through the digestive tract of the luwak (Asian Palm Civet). Closely related to the mongoose and about the size of a house cat, this animal feasts on coffee cherries from the trees and leaves behind the indigestible coffee beans in its scat (pooh). These beans are happily collected by the Sumatran owners of the plantation and sent off to be produced into coffee (sans scat, hopefully). I found no fewer than 11 beers on RateBeer that claim to be made with this coffee and many of those come from top shelf brewers. I am sure that this person is long gone, but wouldn’t it be interesting to talk with whomever was the first person to make “scat coffee”… what were they thinking?

Next on the list of unusual beer names has to be Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale. For you city folk and for those of you that live in areas where moose are not found, this is one big, majestic, but ugly animal. This beer is not, of course, made from moose drool (fortunately) and I am sure that those that enjoy it… it is one of the most popular beers in Montana… would agree that it is a good beer. I have only been up close to one moose that had been shot by a hunter (about 1,000 lbs with a 40+” antler rack), but the idea of beer being made from something that smelled that bad sort of turns my stomach. Male moose have the disgusting habit of rolling in their urine to make themselves attractive to the females of their species. Moose hunting season and mating seasons are close together and I have to tell you that I would gladly drink gallons of “skunked” beer to keep from having to drink one tiny glass of beer that smelled like that moose!

Let’s move onto beer with unusual ingredients. The classic here has to be beer made with chili peppers. Sadly, most of these beers, both from the few that I have tried and from looking at the RateBeer ratings are not very good beer. Cave Creek Chili Beer was (perhaps) the first of these to be sold commercially in any quantity. I have tried a small amount of this beer and I was not a very big fan. Novelty aside, the pale lager base beer, the little amount of heat and the small amount of chili flavor just did not mix well together. Something that would be more to my liking would be a darker beer, an Imperial Stout, made with chili. There is a long acknowledged affinity between chocolate and chili pepper flavors. Sierra Nevada makes one called Sierra Nevada Hellraiser Chocolate Chili Imperial Stout that sounds interesting to me because of the chocolate connection. I found 75 beers on RateBeer that have “chili” in their name. If you find one that you like, let me know.

There are also other types of pepper used to make beer and, being the pepper lover that I am, I really enjoy some of these as well. Two of my favorites are Dieu du Ciel Route des Épices, made with black and green peppercorns, and Vermont’s- own Bobcat Café Unrepentant Stout, made with Pippali (Piper longum). The pepper influence makes both of these beers a perfect pairing for a hearty steak dinner or a Montreal smoked meat sandwich (Yum!).

We could not pass by unusual beer ingredients without mentioning watermelon. At last year’s American Craft Beer Festival held in Boston, there were a number of brewers offering beer samples with this ingredient. After having tried quite a few of these, I have to admit that, at least in my mind, there should be room in the beer world for watermelon beer, if it is done right. My favorite watermelon beer, to date, has to be Thomas Hooker Watermelon Ale. Its excellent watermelon aroma does not follow exactly to its taste, but a small slice of red, ripe watermelon plunked into the beer makes for a nice garnish and completes the experience for me.

Lastly, and to the beers that actually got me thinking on this topic, we come to beers that are being target marketed to a select group of people. The ones that caught my eye this week are brewed by Minerva, a small Mexican brewer. These “artisan honey ales”, called Salamandra and Purple Hand, are being produced and marketed toward the LGBT community. The name “Purple Hand” draws reference from the historic 1969 San Francisco protest by the Gay Liberation Front and the Society for Individual Rights at the San Francisco Examiner. These are supposedly the first beers targeted at this group of people and, if the reaction of the Internet media is any indication, this small brewer has hit upon something that other brewers may pay attention to. The initial 500 cases of this bottled beer that Minerva produced sold out quickly and they are, of course, making more. There is also talk of the brewery opening a “Purple Hand” bar in Mexico City and producing other alcoholic drinks targeted at this particular group of people. Being a businessman at heart, I say “bravo” for establishing a new niche market for their products.

Well, I could go on and on about other unusual beers, but I think that I will save some of those for a follow-up article on this same topic on another day. I am a really big fan of the Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods” show and like the host of that show, I strongly encourage a similar approach to drinking unusual beer as he has for unusual food… if it looks or sounds good, they only way to find out is to drink it!

Some of you might be shocked to hear that not all beer that has “chocolate” in its name actually has real chocolate as an ingredient, but there are certainly some very excellent exceptions to that, as you will see. Many of these beers, in fact, get that name from the flavor imparted by the darkly roasted malt actually called chocolate malt. Not as dark (starts at about 300ºL) as the darkest malts , like black patent, chocolate malt retains some of the nutty and/or mild coffee flavors that most beer drinkers associate with porters or stouts. In the proper proportions with other ingredients and with the right care and handling during the brewing process, this malt can definitely contribute to a quite distinct chocolate flavor in the beer that I really enjoy.

Some of my favorite chocolate beers would include:

• Rogue Chocolate Stout – This is one of my favorite and most readily available chocolate beers. This beer actually does contain small amounts of real chocolate and I believe that you can tell the difference that makes in the authentic chocolate flavor that comes through when sipping this beer.
• Youngs Double Chocolate Stout – I believe that this may have been my very first chocolate beer; given to me as a gift by a friend years ago. Made with both dark chocolate and chocolate essence, this beer has a very deep and complex chocolate flavor that any chocolate beer lover is sure to enjoy.
• Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock – No list or review of chocolate beers would be complete, in my opinion, without including my all-time favorite chocolate beer. Without any question, for me this is the king of chocolate beers. I was absolutely devastated to hear that Samuel Adams was no longer making the version of this beer that used to come in the 750ml bottle with the silver labeling (see the picture at the link above). Shame on this brewer for bending to mass appeal and mediocrity by significantly changing the recipe of this beer, just so that it could be sold in 12-packs and cases. They had a real winner here and they blew it! The original recipe of this beer used to be made with a special Scharffen Berger chocolate, made especially for this beer. The beer was actually aged on a bed of this dark chocolate and then at the very end a hint of vanilla was added. From my perspective, the result was pure heaven in a glass. I mourn its loss… and pray for its future return.

Sometimes it is fun to match up the beer that you are drinking with some type of food that “pairs” well with it. Now before you get your hopes up too far, my beer/food pairing capabilities are still in their early stages and pretty undeveloped, but I am learning, so bear with me.

• What could go better with a nice chocolate beer than more chocolate! Seriously, try matching your favorite chocolate beer with flavors you might find in other types of chocolate candies. Chocolates or truffles containing coffee, caramel, mint, nuts of various types or even just very dark chocolate all fit in well with any of the beers listed above.
• I also find that cheesecake, particularly raspberry cheesecake, seems to match up well with chocolate beer, just like the raspberries and chocolate used to make fancy desserts.
• Chocolate-dipped fruits (strawberries, apples, bananas and etc.), dipped by hand, half drowned under a chocolate fountain or even poked into a chocolate fondue… finally a use for the five fondue kits you got for your wedding!

There are too many types and brands of chocolate beer to possibly go into here and more ways to pair these beers with food than can be counted. Use your imagination and don’t lose out on a great opportunity to titillate your taste buds with an awesome chocolate beer and just one of the endless variety of foods that can further enhance that decadent experience. If you can’t find a chocolate beer before Valentine’s Day arrives, don’t panic; many brewers make these beers all year and you can enjoy one whenever the time and the mood suits you.

Oh, and by the way, for all of you “male-types’ that have that special “someone” in your lives, but don’t take Valentine’s Day seriously… take the word of a man who is married nearly 29 years… you had better do something fast, as Valentine’s Day is Monday!!

First of all I’d like to call to your attention the appearance of one of Vermont’s own brewers, the Hill Farmstead Brewery, on these these lists. Hill Farmstead is listed twice on Ratebeer’s Best; as the top new brewery in the world and also for his truly wonderful Edward Pale Ale. If you have followed some of my previous articles here, you know that Shaun Hill’s small brewery, located in the tiny town of Greensboro in north-central Vermont is one of several shining stars among the 21 breweries that can be currently found in this small state. The appearance of Hill Farmstead on these lists is but the latest in an already impressive accumulation of accolades and awards that this young brewer has earned over the last few years. At last year’s World Beer Cup, three of Shaun’s beers, created by Shaun when he was working for Danish brewer Nørrebro Bryghus, won medals (2 golds and a silver) at this lofty international competition. If you look through the Ratebeer ratings for Shaun’s beers you will quickly see that Vermonters are not the only ones that are in love with Shaun’s creations and I truly believe that many of his beers would stand up well against a goodly portion of the other beers on Ratebeer’s Best. For many of you, however, Hill Farmstead beers might be some of the best beers that you will have never tried, as Shaun currently only runs about a 7-barrel operation and, although I know that some of his beers have appeared in Philly and NYC, most of Shaun’s beers do not make it very far out of Vermont… and that is fine with me. Come to Vermont and find out why Hill Farmstead rightly deserves their spot among the other brewers on Ratebeer’s Best.

The second observation that I have and I am not the first to point this out (See the 2010 article by fellow HopPress writer K.M. Weaver), no less than 34 of the top 50 beers on the list are Stouts or Imperial Stouts. There is probably nobody that likes a good Impy better than I do, but one would think from looking at this list that there are no other great styles of beer other than stouts… and that is clearly just not the case. While the other 16 beers that make up this list are of other styles, although far too few in number (my opinion), I was gratified to see some IPAs and Sour beers appear on the list; two other styles of beer that I enjoy very much. I hope that the folks that put together this list and beer raters in general are a little more open minded in the future about what constitutes a great beer. Great beers can and do include stouts, but that designation of a beer’s greatness can and should encompass much more than that (Understand? ¿entiendes lo que quiero decir? Verstehen? Vous comprenez? Dong ma?).

I was quite surprised (amazed?) to see Lost Abbey’s Framboise de Amorosa on the list. Having grown up in a house here in Vermont that had a huge patch of raspberry bushes in the back yard, I really have a soft spot in my heart for anything that has raspberries in it and that applies to beer as well. I have not had a chance to try this beer, but you can bet that it will go on my “Want” list right after I finish this article.

The last thing that I was left thinking as I looked over these lists was just how long it was going to take me to find and sample all of these great beers on the lists. The fact is that some of these beers and even some of the brewers may not even exist by the time that I have an opportunity to get to them all. I am not too stressed about this, mind you, but it does give one pause to hear Joe Tucker talk about the more than 130,000 beers and 10,000 brewers *currently* found in the Ratebeer database; and I am certain those numbers are growing. The world of craft beer is a huge one these days and growing rapidly. That is, without any question, due to the hard-working people that make up this industry and it’s good to see more than a few of them receive the praise that they truly deserve from the likes of Ratebeer and others.

I have no realistic hope of sampling all of the different beers on this year’s Ratebeer’s Best list in the near future and I will probably only sample a tiny fraction of the total number of beers listed in the Ratebeer database in my entire lifetime (the Ratebeer top rater currently has just under 20,000 ratings, which is amazing in itself), but in spite of all of that, I know in my heart that there are still a large number of beers that I will drink in the future that will end up on the VTHopHead’s Best list and I will surely take the time to enjoy and savor all of those beers I try in between those that I think are “great”. Do yourself a favor, print out these lists (or download them to your phone) before you head out to your favorite bottle-shop the next time and see if you can locate just one beer on these lists of what many believe are Ratebeer’s Best Beers…. I doubt that you’ll be sorry if you find one!

Earlier this week I received a “Friend of Harpoon” newsletter, which is distributed by the folks at Harpoon Brewery.  “Friend of Harpoon” is a fan club of sorts for people who enjoy Harpoon’s fine selection of beers; which I definitely do. As a club member, you are entitled to the newsletter, of course, which contains a listing of upcoming Harpoon events and special news about just about everything else Harpoon-related. They even issue a membership card to their “Friends”, which can be used to collect member-only discounts at events and at the Harpoon company stores… but I digress. This particular edition of the newsletter also contained an announcement of the 35^th beer to be released in Harpoon’s “100 Barrel Series” of beers; a rebrew/reformulation of a previously released beer, called Catamount Maple Wheat, which was also #26 in the series.

My interest in this beer was not so much its imminent release (early February), though I did like it the first time they produced it, but it really got me to thinking about other brewers that have their own special series of beers that they distribute only seasonally, at odd times (when the whim strikes them) or on an annual schedule. As I poked around on Ratebeer, I first discovered that there are, in fact, quite a number of brewers that do this and, secondly, some the beers in these “brewer’s best” series of beers are some of my favorite beers from those brewers.

Harpoon is an excellent example of a brewer that plays this “game”.  Not only do they have their “100 Barrel Series” of special beers, they also offer a “Leviathan” series of big or higher ABV beers. As I mentioned above, the 100 Barrel Series is up to its 35^th beer. This series has seen a diverse selection of beer types and tastes over the years. Everything from barleywines to wet hops to Belgians and Saisons to real oyster stouts… a virtual smörgåsbord of many different beers that is sure to please any beer drinker at one time of another (or fairly constantly, like me). These are quite limited release beers that have been, at times, hard to find if you are not paying attention. I am sorry to say that I have not have the pleasure to taste all 35 of these beers, but the dozen or so that I have were all quite good.

Harpoon’s other “series” is called Leviathan and for good reason; these beers are all at least 9% ABV (topping out at about 12%) and all quite good. There are currently 8 beers in this series and I am happy to say that I have tried (and liked) all of them. Beer types in this series have ranged from barleywine to Belgian to wheat (Triticus)… not nearly as big a variety as the 100 Barrel Series, but every bit as good and worth seeking out when they are available.

I can’t possibly list all the brewers that I found that have these series of beer releases and, after my brief survey on Ratebeer, I am fairly certain that I only found a small fraction of the ones that do. Attempting to list even the ones that I found wouldn’t possibly do each of them justice in terms of the qualities and benefits that each of their beers bring to the craft beer marketplace. However, I have decided to list below a very small selection of some, just to give you a flavor of the variety of ways which brewers are participating in these “series”.

• Long Trail Brewery – Long Trail offers their “Brewmaster” series of beers. Currently there are five beers in this series of various types and styles.  Their site does not list a particular schedule for their release, so one could assume that they are released on a “whim”.
• Otter Creek Brewing – Otter Creek offers an “Imperial” series of beers; I believe that there are about five so far (a bit hard to identify from their names) and all quite enjoyable. Otter Creek also produces Wolavers Organic beers, which could (I guess) be called another “series” and there are 14 different types of this brand offered as well.
• Dogfish Head Brewery – Dogfish Head does not refer to their special beers as a “series”, but they do maintain a definite production schedule (as known as “Thee Schedule”) of when these beers are due to become available. These beers fall into categories… “Seasonals” (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter), “Strong Fruit”, “Agables” (barleywines, stouts and IPAs) and “Ancients”. Known for their big beers as well as for their use of unusual ingredients and recipes, I can’t imagine this long distribution list not containing something that would appeal to most beer drinkers.
• The Lost Abbey – This fine brewer runs two separate series of beers throughout the year; their “Seasonals” and their “Non-Denominationals”. Both series contain a variety of different beer either timed to release relative to a particular time of year or holiday (Seasonals) or on a loose schedule throughout the year (Non-Denominationals). I am truly hoping that beer from this brewer becomes available in Vermont soon!

That is just a very small sampling of the brewers that offer one or more special series of beers or schedule times for their releases during the year. I do have to admit that this type of an approach appeals to me. I follow a number of these scheduled beer releases from quite a few brewers and I definitely look forward to particular times of the year when some of my favorite beers are due to become available. I am sure that some (most?) of you must follow at least one brewer that produces a “series” and I think that you would be well-served to seek out more of them. In many cases these brewers are offering you a bit more than something different and special at a particular time of the year; they are very often offering you their brewer’s best.

My first article in this series – The Burlington Region – covered the seven breweries to be found in the northwestern portion of our state; those nearest our largest city, Burlington (pop. only 38,647 in 2009). The second article in the series – The Spine of the Green Mountains – focused on the north central portion of the state; in the region surrounding the capital city of Vermont, Montpelier, near where I live. In today’s article I will highlight the three breweries that can be found in the northeastern portion of the state; known to all Vermonters as “The Northeast Kingdom” or NEK. This “wild” and sparsely populated region of the state is not necessarily a “destination” for visitors coming in from out-of-state; unless you are a skier and are looking for the deep powder and long skiing season to be found at the Jay Peak ski area, which is located in the heart of the NEK.

Trout River Brewing – Located in tiny Lyndonville, VT and owned by Dan and Laura Gates, Trout River has been producing fine beer since 1996. Their beer is a common offering at many restaurants across the northern half of the state and a few of their beers are among my Vermont favorites. I am particularly fond of the two heavyweights in their lineup; Boneyard Barley Wine and Knight Slayer Imperial Stout.

The Vermont Beer Co. – Located in Bradford, VT and housed in The Perfect Pear Cafe, this is one of Vermont’s newest and definitely our smallest brewers. Beer here is produced in 10-gallon batches. I have been there twice, so far, but have only been able to sample their beer one of those times. Exhibiting some signs of an early startup operation, they offer only limited hours of operation (why I missed their beer the first time) and the brewer is also the head chef for the cafe, which leaves little time to try and keep all the “balls“ in the air at the same time. Food at the cafe was excellent, but I was only able to try their Devil’s Den Brown Porter because the tap for their IPA was not working that day. I was disappointed, since the hoppy beers tend to be my sweet spot and the porter was pretty good. I have heard rumors that the owner/chef/brewer has hired a chef to take over the kitchen, so that the brewing can be given its due. I look forward to returning soon to see the improvements that have been made since this last summer.

Jasper Murdocks Alehouse – Located in Norwich, VT and housed in The Norwich Inn, a historic property that traces its roots all the way back to 1797. This quaint establishment offers not only great beers, but also fine dining and excellent accommodations. Specializing in English-style ales, some of which are award winning recipes and only served on-site, I find that most of their beers to be quite “sessionable” and easy drinking. A particular favorite of mine, when I can get it, is their Old Slipperyskin IPA.  This establishment has become famous for offering events that combine some of the services that they offer. Most notable of these are their Brewers Weekends and Brewers Banquets. The Brewers Weekend, which I hope to participate in one day, offers two nights stay at the Inn, meals (including a Brewers Banquet) and an opportunity to get some hands-on instruction in beer making from their resident brewer. The Brewers Banquets are meals that highlight Jasper Murdock beers paired with specially prepared foods from their kitchen. Participation in one of these banquet events does not necessarily need to be in conjunction with a Brewers Weekend (less expensive that way) and are open to the paying public.

Well, there it is, short and sweet, the third article in my series highlighting 3 more of Vermont’s 21 brewers. The fourth and last article in this series will focus on the brewers found in the southern part of the state. For those of you that have not had the chance to visit our beautiful state, I encourage you to make that plan now. Vermont offers unmatched scenery in all four seasons and, in spite of our small size, there is plenty to do and see here throughout the year. I promise to save you some beer for when you arrive!

Courtesy of Vermont Brewers Association

This year’s day will be just a little different than past years as we will have our grown children (Cindy and Jamie) with us for the entire day. For most of our married lives (coming up on 29 years) we have shared them on Christmas day with their father and his family. For us Christmas is all about family and it was always important to both Candy and I for them to share the day with all of their family that was around and available. This year they shared that time with their father on Christmas Eve, so we will get to spend the whole day together for the first time in many years.

That means of course that my son and l will be sharing some special beers throughout the day. The longer “session” available to me has prompted a longer list of beers than in year’s past. It is certainly the “cold and flu” season and all of us have had “something” to deal with over the last couple of weeks. The current state of Jamie’s health may alter our beer drinking plans for the day… or at least the “sharing” part of that… I feel fine and plan to enjoy some of the beer currently awaiting its fate in the fridge as we speak. I hope that does not sound too selfish on my part. I am hoping that he feels better later, so that he can enjoy the beers that I have planned for the day.

Last year we began what I hope is a tradition that we keep; enjoying one of Sean Lawson’s Finest Liquids beers on Christmas day. Last year we savored two of them… Fayston Maple Imperial Stout (Fayston is a small Vermont town) and Sean’s Maple Tripple. While both were excellent beers, the Maple Tripple, for me, was over the top. Sean won a Bronze Medal at the 2010 World Beer Cup for this beer in the “Specialty” category. Strictly as a “trippel” it has a few weaknesses, but simply as a beer to drink and enjoy it is one of my absolute favorites. Sean uses a variety of maple industry products (Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the US) to produce this beer and for those of us that were raised with maple in our blood, this beer really resonates with this Vermont heritage.

This year I was fortunate enough to score a special, unique and very “Vermontesque” version of the Sean’s Fayston Maple Imperial Stout… this one aged in Maple barrels! Sold only at Montpelier’s indoor winter Farmers Market a couple of weeks ago, the single batch of this “wonder beer” sold out in about a half hour to those of us fortunate to plan to get there early enough and make it through the line before it was gone. I plan to sample a bottle of this brew sometime during the day today. The rest of the bottles of this beer I got will be hidden away (from me) to age an appropriate amount of time before seeing the light of day again. I also was able to get a bottle of his Hopzilla Double IPA; another of Sean’s beers that I have not tried yet.  As only a one-barrel brewery, Sean’s beers are produced in such small quantities that it is hard to easily gain access to the entire variety of what he is producing. Luck plays a large part in obtaining any quantity or large variety of his beers over time. The Hopzilla, a beer of my favorite style, will likely take center stage during “football Sunday” this weekend.

The other beers that I have planned for today are from brewers that I have sampled and enjoyed other beers from previously. I have a bottle of Ommegang Adoration; their classic winter beer, which should fit into the day nicely. I have enjoyed other beers from Brouwerij Huyghe… Delirium Nocturnum, Delirium Tremens and etc… but I have a bottle of Delirium Noël, which I have been saving for nearly a year, that I hope to break into later today. The last beer I have planned is Dubuisson’s Bush de Noël (Scaldis Noel). We’ll plan on treading lightly with this one, if we get to it, due to its 13% ABV potency. This one could definitely/easily prompt a nap or early bedtime if not sipped and savored over some longer period of time.

For those of you looking for other holiday beer suggestions for today (if you already have bought it, obviously, since few stores will be open today) or for later as the holiday season progresses, I suggest that you check out the personal Web site of my fellow HopPress writer Jon Abernathy. His site, called the “The Brew Site” has an excellent Beer Advent Calendar, in which Jon highlights 24 holiday beers for 2010. This topic is an annual one for Jon, so bookmark it for next year!

The sound level upstairs is increasing and I am sure that breakfast is almost ready. I plan to grab another cup of coffee and settle into a day-long revelry of family time, perhaps my favorite pastime. We’ll open some presents, eat some great food and enjoy each other’s company throughout the day. We are generally a pretty “merry” group anyway, but the holiday festivities and fun are sure to make it a(nother) day for us to remember having spent together as a family. I hope that all of you are spending time with someone or a group of people special in your lives and that the day is a happy one for you.

From all of the Koenemann family to each of you… Have A Very Merry Christmas!!