Single-hop Columbus DPA

On our fourth batch of Double Pale Ale we used 100% Colombus hops from the Pacific Northwest for prominent citrusy hop aroma; it was also dry hopped for an additional resinous or grassy aroma. Some clean malty sweetness is found in the background, while fruitiness, from esters and hops, is also detected. Some alcohol can usually be noted, but this does not have a "hot" character. Color is golden amber to copper. An intensely hoppy, very strong pale ale without the big maltiness and/or deeper malt flavors of an American barleywine. Strongly hopped, but clean, lacking harshness, and a tribute to historical IPAs.

Brewer's Specs:

100% Colombus hops added at ten different times from start to finish

85% pale 2-row malt
10% Vienna malt
5% malted white wheat
50 pounds of local honey added to boil
105 minute boil

Fermented 7 days at 19 C with McCoy's house ale yeast

OG 23 Plato

90+ IBU

10% ABV

February Brewmaster's Dinner - 2.02.10

In honor of Valentine's Day, this month's Brewmaster's Dinner will feature 5 food courses carefully paired with 5 craft beers - including a total of 17 purported aphrodisiacs! This dinner has been a work in progress for weeks and wasn't finalized until today so there has been a LOT of thought and effort put in - and we get to reap the benefits. Tickets are only $50 including tax and gratuity and there are still seats available; please call us at 816-960-0866 to make your reservations today as this event will sell out. Check out the menu listed below:

-Smoked oyster & oyster mushroom baked in crescent puff pastry with McCoy’s California Uncommon infused with Horny Goat Weed - 10% ABV.

-Pair of sea scallops dusted with pink Hawaiian sea salt & flying fish roe served with carrot & basil oil over creamy marscapone-orzo risotto and Tripel Karmeliet - 8.4% ABV.

-Wood-grilled asparagus bundle with soft-poached egg, arugula, truffle vinaigrette & pickled pink onion with Bear Republic Red Rocket ale - 6.8% ABV.

-Black pepper-coffee braised beef short rib with fig-stout glaze & celery root-parsnip puree. Paired with Baltika No. 6 Porter - 7% ABV.

-Duo of warm flourless chocolate cake & frozen vanilla bean bavarian cream, served with almond tuille, fresh raspberries & Young’s Double Chocolate Stout sauce with St. Louis Framboise Lambic - 4.5% ABV.

Let's get freaky!

Hopslam!

This Thursday - Jan. 21 - we'll be tapping our first (and only?!) keg of Bell's Hopslam. Apparently there was a malfunction at the brewery and some 400 barrels had to be discarded, greatly increasing the demand of what is already one of the most sought after beers in the country. Ranked 5th in the "Double/Imperial IPA" category on BeerAdvocate.com, Hopslam is a winter seasonal release that only hangs around for a few weeks a year - and that time is now! We'll be tapping the keg precisely at 4:00 - just in time for the Foundry's new amped up happy hour, which includes half-priced "beer bites". Once the draft Hopslam is gone, we'll release our allotment of bottles.

In other Foundry news, we're working on clearing a couple draft lines before tapping kegs of Rogue's Morimoto Imperial Pilsner and Bell's Oarsman Ale - so we've got some drinking to do!

And back on the topic of Double IPAs, today I got to sample the next incarnation of the McCoy's DIPA - once again single hopped, this time using only Columbus hops - and it is going to be incredible! Plenty of floral, citrusy hop aroma, while staying remarkably crisp, clean and entirely too easy to drink. It should be available in the next week or so.

Cheers - see you Thursday!

Now on Tap - Westporter

Porter is said to have been popular with transportation workers of Central London, hence the name. Most traditional British brewing documentation from the 1700’s state that Porter was a blend of three different styles: an old ale (stale or soured), a new ale (brown or pale ale) and a weak one (mild ale), with various combinations of blending and staleness. The end result was also commonly known as "Entire Butt" or "Three Threads" and had a pleasing taste of neither new nor old. It was the first truly engineered beer, catering to the public's taste, playing a critical role in quenching the thirst of the UK’s Industrial Revolution and lending an arm in building the mega-breweries of today.

Porter saw a comeback during the homebrewing and micro-brewery revolution of the late 1970’s and early 80’s in the US. Modern-day Porters are typically brewed using a pale malt base with the addition of black malt, crystal, chocolate or smoked brown malt. The addition of roasted malt is uncommon, but used occasionally. Some brewers will also age their beers after inoculation with live bacteria to create an authentic taste. Hop bitterness is moderate on the whole and colour ranges from brown to black. Overall they remain very complex and interesting beer.

Brewer’s Specs:

Pale 2-row malt
Chocolate malt
Crystal malt
Carapils malt
Melanoidin malt

White Wheat

American Horizon, Bravo, English Fuggle and Goldings hops

Starting Gravity: 15 Plato

Fermented at 19 C with McCoy's house ale yeast
5.9% ABV

Now on Tap - Unkle Dunkleweizen

Similar to a Hefeweizen, these southern Germany wheat beers are brewed as darker versions (dunkel means "dark") with deliciously complex malts and a low balancing bitterness. Most are brown and murky from the yeast. The usual clove & fruity/banana characters will be present, some may even taste like banana bread.

Brewers specs:

40% pale malt
30% malted & unmalted wheat

Biscuit, Vienna, Munich and chocolate malts make up the rest of the grain bill.

American Bravo and German Spalt hops.

Fermented with a Bavarian Hefe-Weizen Ale yeast at 22 C

Starting Gravity: 12.5 Plato
5.6% ABV

Now on Tap - Rye of the Tiger

Rye of the Tiger Pale Ale - 5.8% ABV. Brewer's specs coming soon.

Pics - January Dinner

Yet another incredible evening of food, beer & friends. Last night's Brewmaster's Dinner featured 4 strong ales paired with 4 small plates. While it was a smaller offering than our usual 5 or 6 course meals, it's probably a good thing there were a few less rounds considering the high ABV of the beers. Josh at JJSinKCK wrote about his experience last night here - it's definitely worth reading. The food was incredible, as usual, and the beers were big, bold and not to be trifled with! Many thanks to those of who made it out, but for those that didn't, here's what you missed:

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

Smoked duck confit & pastry with sherry soaked raisins paired with Arcadia Cereal Killer Barleywine - 9% ABV.

Bourbon-braised pork with white cheddar cheese grits and McCoy's 10 year Anniversary Ale (3 year old "triple IPA"!) - 13% ABV. This stuff has pretty much aged into a barleywine and is delicious. It might still be on tap at the Foundry...

Mephistopheles. Appropriate name.

Raspberry "beer-a-missou" with Avery's Mephistopheles Russian Imperial Stout - 15.9% ABV.

Apparently I forgot to get my usual "cheers" close out picture...I am definitely blaming the beer! Information for February's dinner will be up soon and tickets are on sale now - 5 beers paired with aphrodisiac-inspired dishes. Should be interesting! Call us at 816-960-0866 to reserve your seat ASAP - you know it's going to sell out. Until next time,

Cheers!