December 22, 2009

Happy Holidays!

Join us at the Foundry Christmas night for our first annual Ugly Sweater party! Just ask for manager Candice - if your sweater's uglier than hers she'll buy a pint of McCoy's craft beer!

Things continue on New Year's Eve with DJ Charlie Burt at the Foundry & Buckoff live on stage at McCoy's. $5 gets you access to McCoy's, the Foundry & one80 and includes complimentary champagne toast at midnight. We're also giving away a $100 bar tab to the most glamorous person of the night!

December 21, 2009

January Brewmaster's Dinner

Apologies for the late notice on this, but we wanted to remind everyone that there will be a Brewmaster's tasting in January. The dinner, like all other Brewmaster's dinners, will take place the first Tuesday of the month - January 5th in this case - but will be a smaller, lower-key affair. For only $25 we're featuring 4 strong ales accompanied with 4 small plates in the old cigar room at McCoy's, in between McCoy's & the Foundry . Here's a quick run down of the menu:

Pumpkin-walnut bread, P'tit Basque cheese and roasted butternut squash with Boulevard's Harvest Dance Wheat Wine - 9.1% ABV.

Smoked duck confit in pastry with sherry soaked raisins and Arcadia Cereal Killer Barleywine-style ale - 9% ABV.

Bourbon-braised pork over white cheddar cheese grits with McCoy's 10 year Anniversary Ale (3 year old "triple IPA"!) - 13% ABV.

Raspberry "beer-a-missou" paired with Avery's Mephistopheles Imperial Stout - 15.1% ABV.

Further apologies are in order as the dinner is already at capacity - we actually sold out the night of December's Brewmaster Dinner! Sorry for the taunt if you don't already have reservations... We'll be back in full swing for February and tickets will be on sale January 6th.

December 09, 2009

Now on Tap - Wee Willy Scotch Ale


Scotch ales are strong ales, also known as "Wee Heavy." In the 19th century Scotland, they'd also be known as 160/-, a nomenclature based on the now obsolete shilling currency. Scotch ales traditionally go through a long boil in the kettle for a caramelization of the wort. This produces a deep copper to brown colored brew. Compared to Scottish ales, they'll be sweeter and fuller-bodied, and of course higher in alcohol, with a much more pronounced malty caramel and roasted malt flavor.

Our Wee Willy Scotch Ale uses Peated Malt in the mash. A “peaty” malt flavor is the result – kind of smokey and sea-salty. Hopping is low but malt flavor and body is pronounced. Beer lovers (or Scotch lovers!) will really enjoy this robust & smoky strong ale!


Brewers’ specs:

55% Pale malt
15% Carapils malt
10%Vienna malt
5% Munich malt
5% Biscuit malt
5% Wheat malt
3.5% Peated malt
1.5% Roasted malt

Hops are a blend of English Goldings and Fuggle, American Willamette and German Spalt

Fermented with McCoy's house ale yeast; cellared 2 months

OG: 20.2 Plato
8.3% ABV

December 08, 2009

Now on Tap - Winter Warmer

These malty sweet offerings tend to be a favorite winter seasonal. Big malt presence, both in flavor and body. The color ranges from brownish-reds to nearly pitch black. Hop bitterness is generally low, leveled and balanced, but hop character can be pronounced. Alcohol warmth is not uncommon. Many English versions contain no spices, though some brewers of spiced winter seasonal ales will slap "Winter Warmer" on the label. Those that are spiced, tend to follow the "wassail" tradition of blending robust ales with mixed spices, before hops became the chief "spice" in beer. American varieties may have a larger presence of hops both in bitterness and flavor.

Ours is loosely based on the Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale. Big malt and low hopping. Big alcohol yet restrained alcoholic warmth. This year, 40 pounds of Italian Plum was added during the boil which added fermentable sugar and carried some flavor through, perceived as citrus sweetness.
We are serving it in a snifter to keep in all the yummy flavor and aroma. This beer was not filtered and has a slight haze at cold temperatures. If let to warm up a bit the haze fades and all the juicy malt aroma comes to the front.

Brewers specs:

Malt:
75% Pale malt
10% Vienna malt
10% Carapils
5% Malted wheat

Hops:
English East Kent Goldings
German Spalt

Fermented with McCoy's Ale yeast for 2 weeks at 18.5 C

OG: 23.5 Plato
9.6% ABV

Strong, semi-sweet flavor with malt & background fruit accents and a tawny color. Cheers!

December 07, 2009

"WHAT'S ON TAP:"

Just to the right, you'll notice a list of handcrafted beers we currently have on tap. This can be your "go to" resource for knowing exactly what we have on tap at any given moment. Be sure to check back often to see if anything's changed. Recently we put the Belgian Dubbel & California Uncommon back on (and Ursa Major's gone...for now) - which doesn't really warrant a full post, but a quick glance to the right and you'll know what's on tap!

Cheers!

December 02, 2009

Pics - Christmas Ale Dinner

Yet another incredible evening of food and beer! Last night's Brewmaster's Dinner featured holiday-inspired dishes carefully paired with 'winter warmer' style beers, holiday ales and even a little wassail. Many thanks to those of you who made it out, for those that didn't, here's what you missed:

People crowded around the Foundry bar before dinner began.

The reception course: warm Brie phyllo cup with cranberry-ginger chutney & toasted almonds paired with Delirium Noel - 10% ABV.

Owner James Westphal (left) & McCoy's Brewmaster Keith Thompson welcomed the guests as they took their seats.

Mr. Pauwels donned his fanciest outfit for the night.

Chestnut soup with Porcini mushrooms, maple glazed onions & sage croutons with Boulevard's extra-hopped "Nutsack" ale - ? ABV. Looks like a pretty happy bowl of soup...

Diners filled the Foundry for our largest Brewmaster's Dinner yet - 64 people!

Cornish game hen, spiced apple prune stuffing, maple-pecan Brussels sprouts with McCoy's Winter Warmer - 9.8% ABV.

Keith preaching the gospel of beer.

Beef Wellington with Mushroom Duxelles served with St. Bernardus ABT 12 - 10.5% ABV.

James going over January's Dinner menu - 4 strong ales paired with 4 small plates for only $25! More info very soon.

Christmas plum pudding with eggnog whipped cream & Samichlaus Bier - 14% ABV.

The first rule of Ugly Sweater Night: you do not ask about Ugly Sweater Night.

Here we go a-wassailing!

White chocolate pretzel bark with McCoy's homemade wassail: our Winter Warmer simmered with spices, port wine & cider ale. I'll be posting the recipe soon...this stuff was incredible!

Happy holidays!