"Aha" Moments

What are you passionate about?  Chances are, whatever it is, you had a defining moment that was the catalyst for appreciating it.  I call it your “Aha moment.”  You could have a love of history, language, motorcycles, cigars, and certainly beer.  Something influenced you on a deeper level and opened your eyes to how much more there was to experience.  Aficionados of every art form can usually point to that moment with nostalgia and amazing clarity.  A film buff may talk about Star Wars with its timeless story and ground breaking effects for the time.  An art lover may recall the moment he first recognized a Renoir simply by the brush strokes.  A fromager could point to the moment he first tried Brie with its soft creamy texture and elegant flavor. 

I remember my Aha beer.  It was the moment I started feeling sorry for those people who are stuck drinking macro brewed light lagers the rest of their lives.  I was into the typical novice beer portfolio.  I’d have the occasional Pale Ales at a party when other options had run low.  Nut browns were adventurous and generally only when I wanted to look sophisticated on a night out.  I knew what IPA stood for but would sometimes have to be reminded.  Stouts simply scared me.  However, I was really starting to enjoy bourbons.  So one night, when I spotted Odell’s Bourbon Barrel Stout on tap at Barley’s Brewhaus, everything changed.  It was one of those life-changing moments, like taking the road less traveled.  I’m still surprised I ordered it, but I had an emancipating beer experience.  It was a liquid revelation that started me down a new path of exploration and a serious appreciation of beer.  I came back the next day for more and even brought a buddy with me to try it.  I started trying all kinds of new styles and I’ve never looked back.  So what was your Aha beer?

 

"Don't Hassle the Hops" - David Hasselhopp                   

A Rogue State of Mind

Here's what's hitting taps and shelves this summer. From Father's Day to the 4th of July & from a year round product to a 100% Oregon, 100% Rogue Spirit. These offerings will be on tap at Barley's

Celebrate Freedom of Choice with  American Amber The right size for any occasion American Amber Ale from Rogue is perfect for every summer holiday, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Made in America  with no chemicals, additives or preservatives, American Amber is available in 22oz bottles, 6 packs, 64oz growlers and on draft. This traditional Amber Ale is dedicated to the Patriotic Rogue in each of us.

Happy Father's Day Dad's Little Helper Black IPA Skip the black socks and tie and celebrate Dads everywhere with Rogue Dad's Little Helper Black IPA. The perfect Father's Day gift, this Black IPA was created specifically with Dads in mind and boasts a deep mahogany color with roasted malt and hop aromas. Available for a limited time only in 22oz bottles and draft.

Bees to Bottle Rogue Farms Honey Kolsch Just in time for summer, Rogue Ales is releasing Rogue Farms Honey Kolsch made with honey grown and harvested at the Rogue Farms Hopyard in Independence, Oregon. Appearing in yellow 750mL bottles only, Rogue Farms Honey Kolsch will be available this summer for a short time.  We Grow Bees.

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar Available Year Round Born in Oregon, the hazelnut capital of the world. This nutty twist to the traditional European Brown Ale not only boasts a rich flavor and smooth malty finish, but back-to-back GABF Gold Medals (2011 & 2012) as well. Available year round in 22oz bottles, 6 packs and on draft. FACT: 99% of US Hazelnuts are grown in Oregon.

XS Dead Guy An evolution of Dead Guy Ale Part of Rogue's XS Series, XS Dead Guy Ale is an evolution of Dead Guy Ale, the award winning maibock that has won over 20 awards for product and packaging since its introduction in 1993. Available for a limited time on draft and 750mL black ceramic bottles.

Oregon Single Malt Whiskey Available Year Round From Ground to Glass, Oregon Single Malt Whiskey is 100% Oregon and 100% Rogue. It is brewed and distilled using Rogue's proprietary Risk Malt grown on the Rogue Barley Farm in Oregon's Tygh Valley Appellation. Oregon Single Malt Whiskey was most recently awarded Gold at the 2013 International Review of Spirits.

Would You Tap That?

Every new beer establishment is plagued with one monumental question.  It can make or break.  It sets a tone for your identity.  It challenges your philosophy and attacks the resolve of even the most stalwart of bar owners.  Partnerships dissolve.  Fights erupt.  Mayhem and dissent ensue.  Of course that question is, “Should we put Bud Light on tap?”

Every single inch of tap line in a bar known for beer is a precious resource.  No matter how many lines you have, it never seems to be enough.  Are we basically forced to waste a roster spot with such a pedestrian beer due to its immense popularity?  On one hand, you could be making room for a delicious handcrafted specialty beer your bar geeks will adore.  The counter argument is that you alienate the masses who keep this beer in production with its best selling prowess.  While I completely agree that every beer has its place, one must ask if it should be on the wall of a beer forward establishment.  I typically reserve my imbibing of the American light beers for a river float trip (plastic bottles of course) or after a hot day of lawn mowing.  Although, strangely, water seems to quench just as well.  Yet, even the finest of taverns in Chicago and New York can be seen with this tap displayed.  Oh they try to minimize it, using tired excuses for its placement.  It is scoffed and looked down upon by the beer elite.  It even finds itself the butt of jokes on menus and by the restaurant staff.  But still, there it remains.  You can almost hear the tap’s snide laughter every time it’s ordered.  It seems to be saying, “I’m irreplaceable and you’ll never be rid of me.” 

So what is a new establishment to do?  I’d love to hear opinions on this "oh so critical" topic.  Maybe it is time to graduate from our easy drinking, macro produced beer selections.  Then again, perhaps we’re just not ready.  State your case!

"Don't Hassle the Hops" - David Hasselhopp

Boulevard Saison Brett

You want it!!  We've got it!!

The limited release and highly sought after Saison-Brett by Boulevard is a tweak of the already wildly popular Tank 7.  They add dry hopping and wild yeast strains, including Brettanomyces, to produce a distinctly Earthy flavor.  This is cellar quality beer for the discriminating palate.

Barley's in Overland Park has this beer actually on tap right now.  It will be gone soon so you'll need to hurry if you want to try some.

Barley's in Shawnee currently has this in bottles only, but if you miss the tap offering at Barley's in OP, you will have a second chance.  Barley's Shawnee will be tapping their keg next week.

"Don't Hassle the Hops" - David Hasselhopp

Backyard BBQ and Beer Dinner at Barleys OP

Need a gift for Dad this Father's Day?  Put down the played out necktie, the strangely pungent Old Spice, and the always awkward tighty whities.  How about getting him something he will really love.  Barley's in Overland Park is having a Beer Dinner.  Four courses of great food with a Backyard BBQ theme along with some specialty beers sure to please.  Tickets are on sale now and this event will sell out.  Let us know which course your most looking forward to.

"Don't Hassle the Hops" - David Hasselhopp

Tickets are just $45 per person - $40 for Mug Club members - and must be purchased in advance, so stop by Barley's for a pint or call us at (913) 663-4099 to make your reservations today. Cheers!

Farm to Table trend strikes again

Did you miss it?  75th Street Brewery held their Farm to Table beer dinner to celebrate American Craft Beer Week.  The 5 course sold out event featured some great food and special release beers with all local ingredients and Midwest beers.  Among the beer highlights, I thoroughly enjoyed Nebraska Brewing Company's Apricot Au Poivre Saison.  This Belgian style ale was bold yet smooth, with enticing notes of ripe apricot and fresh cracked pepper.  It was expertly paired with a roasted Olathe corn and grilled heirloom tomato salad.  I didn't need pepper for the salad because it was in the beer.  All the food was delicious, and I rarely say this.  But, I have to give props to the dessert as my favorite course.  A royal berry shortcake made from River Market berries.  It featured a fresh berry mousse and Chantilly cream.  Simply divine.  I've posted a few photos from the event below.  If you were not able to attend this time, they announced an upcoming event at Barley's Brewhaus on 119th street in Overland Park.  The theme is a backyard BBQ, but with a twist of well crafted cooking and fine beers.  Looks to be a big hit as well.  I can't wait to try the Cuban style whole roast pig.

"Don't Hassle the Hops" - David Hasselhopp

    

American Craft Beer Week - May 13 - 19, 2013

It's like the Super Bowl for craft brewers! American Craft Beer Week is easily the biggest and best celebration for microbreweries and home brewers of this great country. Running from Monday, May 13th to Sunday, May 19th, this event has really expanded since it began in 2006. Starting with just 124 breweries, it has grown to include over 1,500 officially posted national events from all 50 states. With beer tastings, brewmaster's dinners, festivals, contests, brewery tours, pairing parties and so much more, it's exciting to see how this year's celebration will eclipse the last. Join 75th Street Brewery all week long for daily events featuring drink specials, live music, canned craft beers, Bloody Mary bar on Sunday and a delicious Farm to Table beer dinner on Tuesday. Plus we'll be tapping special kegs from the brewery's cellar all week long. On the Kansas side, its all about exciting specialty beers - both Barley's locations will be serving up the best of what craft beer can be. We'll post the full line-up of events soon, but first check out some of the beers we'll be pouring next week:

75th Street Brewery

- 'Hops to You' Good Hope IPA firkin loaded with fresh Cascade hops

- Waldo Wallace Hopped Scotch Ale

- Up All Nitro Java Porter

- Broke 'da Mouth Coconut Brown

- Blueberry Wheat

- Cowtown Wheat

Barley's Overland Park

- Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

- Avery Mephistopheles Imperial Stout

- Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine

- Green Flash Palate Wrecker Imperial IPA

- Green Flash Green Bullet Triple IPA

- Left Hand Beer Week Sauce Coffee Porter

- North Coast Old Rasputin XIV Imperial Stout

- Odell Tree Shaker Peach Imperial IPA

- Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine

Barley's Shawnee

- Schlafly Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout

- Tallgrass Ethos Imperial IPA

- Empyrean Dark Side Porter frirkin with cherries & chocolate

- Avery Maharaja Imperial IPA

- Avery The Czar Imperial Stout

- Ommegang Gnomegang Belgian-style Strong Ale

- Rogue Roguenbier Rye Ale

Happy Cinco de Mayo from Beer Forward KC

By now, everyone knows that Cinco de Mayo is really an American holiday.  It’s evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage within the US rather than the original intent of the true minor Mexican holiday.  Much like St. Patrick’s Day, we Americans enjoy a good excuse to party (even if we don’t know why we are celebrating). 

To honor this display of displaced revelry, I thought a brief discussion on Mexican beers would be appropriate.  Mexico is the top exporter of beer in the world, by the way.  I know there are some nice microbreweries in Mexico, but for this discussion I thought it best to list the beers that we can actually try without a trip south of the border.  Almost everywhere has Corona, which is Mexico’s best selling beer.  But as we know in the US, best selling rarely means best quality or best taste.  Dos Equis has really made a splash of late with their “Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign.  It almost feels sophisticated to be ordering it.  Others that quickly come to mind are Pacifico, Sol, Carta Blanca, and Tecate.  All have that distinctly drinkable quality making them great for warmer, beach-like conditions.  When I think about pairing a beer at a nicer Mexican restaurant, I’m usually drawn to Modelo and Bohemia.  They tend to be richer and fuller than their counterparts and stand up better to food. 

Let's hear from you. Which Mexican beer will you be drinking this holiday weekend? Will you stick to the tried and true, revisit an old friend, or venture out into the unknown? What advice would you give to the beer explorer on May 5th?

Introducing Tallgrass Ethos IPA

Kansas's largest brewery, Tallgrass Brewing Company, has been making some serious strides in the advancement of canned beer's reputation. Packaged exclusively in 12 oz. and 16 oz. cans, as well as kegs, their Halcyon Wheat, 8-Bit Pale Ale, Velvet Rooster, Buffalo Sweat, Oasis ESB and classic formula Pub Ale have quickly become local favorites. Their newest offering, the yet-to-be-released Ethos double dry-hopped India Pale Ale, comes in at 6.8% ABV and a whopping 110 IBUs. Made with 6 different hop varieties, this big, bright and bold IPA "bestows upon you all the complexities of the hops' flavors without overpowering your senses." Through clever use of viral marketing campaigns, their Canifesto, and most importantly, making great beer, Tallgrass has made a name for itself in the myriad of new breweries, continuing to make the central Midwest a legitimate craft beer destination. We'll be joined by Tallgrass representative Kelly with Ethos on tap, along with some unique ingredients to randall it with, on Wednesday, May 15th at Barley's in Shawnee as part of the 2013 American Craft Beer Week. More details coming soon - cheers!

Sierra Nevada Beer School at Barley's - May 13, 2013

Coming up on Monday, May 13th at Barley's in Overland Park is the next edition of Beer School, this time featuring beers from Chico, California's Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Beginning at 6:00, we'll have representatives from the brewery on hand to discuss the ideas and creation process behind some of their world-class beers. We'll be tasting and talking about:

- Summerfest: with a nod toward the original Czech tradition, Summerfest is brewed to feature the best of the Bohemian nature. Crisp, golden, dry and incredibly drinkable, Summerfest has a delicate and complex malt flavor and spicy, floral hop character - the perfect warm weather beer; 5% ABV

- Pale Ale: beginning as a homebrewer's dream, Pale Ale grew into an icon and inspired countless brewers to follow a passion of their own. Its unique piney and grapefruit aromas from the use of whole-cone American hops have fascinated beer drinkers for decades and made this beer a classic, yet it remains new, complex and surprising to thousands of beer drinkers every day. It is - and always has been - all natural, bottle conditioned and refreshingly bold; 5.6% ABV

- Hoptimum: hopped, dry-hopped and torpedoed for incredible hop flavor and complexity, Hoptimum is the pinnacle of whole-cone hoppiness and the biggest imperial IPA Sierra Nevada has ever produced. It features resinous 'new school' hop varieties: Magnum, Chinook, Simcoe, Citra and a new experimental hop variety exclusive to Sierra Nevada. With intense hop flavors and aromas of grapefruit rind, pine, herbs and tropical fruit, Hoptimum is an aggressive drinking experience; 10.4% ABV

- Bigfoot 2013: Bigfoot is a beast of a beer, brimming with bold flavors of bittersweet malt and heaps of aggressive whole-cone Pacific Northwest hops. First introduced in the winter of 1983, Bigfoot is a cult-classic beer brewed in the barleywine style, meaning a strong, robust, bruiser of a beer with the refined intensity of a wine. Bigfoot is prized by beer collectors for its supreme cellarability. Under the proper conditions, it can age like a fine wine, developing new flavors and character as it matures in the bottle; 9% ABV

- Brux 2012: Brux is a 'domesticated wild ale', or ale fermented with Belgian yeast, finished by a secondary bottle fermentation with Brettanomyces bruxellensis. This one-off production was brewed at Sierra Nevada's Chico brewhouse in collaboration with Santa Rosa, California's Russian River Brewing Company and is very dry, earthy and spicy. Brewed in early 2012, bottle-conditioning for over a year should allow the brett characteristic to be more pronounced and even more funky; 8.3% ABV

- Torpedo: what began as a crazy idea scribbled in a pub eventually became Sierra Nevada's newest year-round hop bomb, Torpedo Extra IPA. The first beer to feature their 'Hop Torpedo' - a revolutionary dry-hopping device that controls how much hop aroma is imparted into beer without adding additional bitterness. Torpedo is an aggressive yet balanced beer with massive hop aromas of citrus, pine and tropical fruit; 7.2% ABV

We'll be serving Torpedo in the 19 oz. Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head & Spiegelau collaborative IPA glass that you get to keep! This glass is designed specifically for hop-forward beers to improve head retention, mouthfeel and appearance and is yours to take home after class. Tickets are only $15 and must be purchased in advance so come by or call us at (913) 663-4099; seating is very limited so make your reservations ASAP - cheers!