Creative Loafing's "Brew U" Beer Fest is this weekend, and I realized it would be grossly irresponsible to simply unleash the masses amid such an unprecedented variety of excellent suds. Chaos would ensue. Therefore, it's my duty to provide a bit of direction. Get ready to take notes, 'cause these are my top ten picks for beers you must try at Brew U.
My first three nods go to brews that originate within the Bay Area, not just because I like to think globally/drink locally, but because these are some of the most unique beers at the event. Buncha hometown overachievers.
1. Dunedin Brewery Like mighty local legends, the good folks from Dunedin are coming correct with a couple funky Brewmaster's Reserves: a Tripel and a Barleywine dry hopped with Centennial hops. I will insert a pause for the beer geeks to collect themselves. Because these are reserves, you will probably never have another opportunity to enjoy them. Unless you happen to win the Dunedin Brewmaster for a Day or Private Tasting that is being given away during the Brew U VIP Experience.
2. Homebrews After 34 years in business, Beer and Wine Maker's Pantry is an institution in the local home-brewing community. If you ever want to get your hands dirty and lips wet, this place will set you up with all the necessities. Look for their artfully crafted Oktoberfest Märzen and India Pale Ale on draught. They'll also be running home-brewing demonstrations in the VIP area.
3. Saint Somewhere This Tarpon Springs brewery's Saison Athene is one of the finest farmhouse ales in the land. It has all the characteristics of a perfect saison: hazy body, earthy nose, biscuity backbone with abundant spices and a subtle tartness. Be sure to sample this local twist on one of my favorite beer styles, as well as the Belgian-inspired Lectio Divina, a tasty, strong pale ale. If that's not enough Belgian goodness, Saint Somewhere brewmaster Bob Sylvester will also host a Belgian Beer 101 Seminar (complete with samples) for VIP ticket-holders.
4. Brooklyn Brewery When I got word of Brooklyn's offerings, I nearly dropped my beer. Best of the bunch is the brewery's Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weiss. Fermented with a yeast strain from the German brewery Schneider-Weisse, this beer has all the fresh baked bread and buttery, banana essence of a German Hefeweizen. But it's also vigorously dry-hopped with Amarillo and Palisade varieties, resulting in a quintessential German Hefe/American IPA flavor party. For those of you who appreciate that tart, spontaneous tang, the Flemish Gold Brewmaster's Reserve on draught will be equally dazzling.
5. Unibroue This French-Canadian brewery has agreed to supply a large selection of their flagship products, along with a few limited release daddy beers. I am most interested in Unibroue La Terrible, a 10.5 percent ABV Belgian-style dark ale that balances a complex blend of clove, sweet malt and dark fruits in a way that makes it taste about 6 percent. The VIP area will also feature Unibroue 17 Limited Reserve, as a part of the strong beer tasting. Brewed to honor Unibroue's yearly anniversary, these limited brews cellar like nobody's business; if the 17 tickles your fancy you can put a few aside for a rainy day.
6. Affligem Belgian abbey brew Affligem Dubbel will also be included in the VIP strong beer tasting. This is a tremendous, bottle-conditioned ale with the perfect mix of sweet and savory qualities. The initial sugariness of raisins, caramel and molasses is balanced by a smoky spiciness that lingers on the palate.
7. Tucher I have always been fanatical about Tucher Kristall-Weizen, so I was thrilled when Tucher agreed to participate in Brew U. Kristalweizen-style beer is made by filtering standard wheat ale. The refinement process cuts down on the brew's density and brings out a crispness that's exceptionally refreshing. All the rich bread and citrus characteristics of hefeweizen are still present, but the ale's body becomes almost lager-like. I cannot golf without it.
8. Rogue Morimoto Soba was developed under a creative partnership between Rogue Brewery and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Made from crystal hops, four different malts and roasted soba, this toasty, nutty, light-bodied ale carries the unique flavor of traditional Japanese noodles through to the finish. Pairing Morimoto Soba with a heaping plate of sushi has been known to cause euphoric Japanese hallucinations.
9. Hacker-Pschorr It would be sacrilege to have a beer fest this time of year without Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Marzen, one of the original Munich fest beers. Do not miss out on this delicious blend of whole grain, toffee and graham-cracker magnificence.
10. Left Hand There is only one way to describe Left Hand Milk Stout: adult chocolate milk. This sweet and creamy lacto stout drinks like melted espresso ice cream with bitter chocolate sprinkled on top. You'll be looking around for a plate of cookies.
This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2008.