Author: lmclean

Stammtisch

Posted on by lmclean

Stammtisch Table.

Everyone is welcome at the Hoops’ Stammtisch table.
Just in today, it’s our unofficial version of the usually exclusive seating area.  A tradition from Germany, a Stammtisch Table is a specially designated table in a bar, tavern or pub reserved for regular customers. We’re calling ours “unofficial”, because everyone is welcome to sit here. Our Engineering guy, Aaron re-finished this beauty – marked up and scarred with years of use from the old, now-abandoned and kinda scary Clover Valley High School up the North Shore. Seat yourself and Prost!

Raspberry Wheat Back On!

Posted on by lmclean

Just in time for the weekend!
Raspberry Wheat is back on tap and better than ever. For the fruit beer lovers among us – everyone else too. Crisp and fruity, this American Wheat Beer has been infused with raspberry puree. It pours a rich golden red hue, with a lacy white head. Sweet fruit aromas dominate and are carried through prominently in the flavor. It’s slightly tart, thirst quenching and, no doubt, a satisfying treat.

Style: wheat fruit ale • ABV: 5.0% • SRM (color): 3
• IBU: 18

Hops: Lemondrop, Willamette; Malt: 2-Row, White Wheat, Carapils, Caramel 10, Acidulated Malt

We love rolling out Fruit and Wheat beers all year long.

Check out our current and upcoming #42 Series one-offs:

Pineapple Pale, on now! On Deck: Chocolate Coconut Porter, and Cherry IPA.

We’re formulating the annual Hoops Cherry Ale now and  will be rolling that out in about a month, just in time for the December holiday season!

Cheers Friends!

Dave’s Fall Road Trip 2018 – Part 1

Posted on by lmclean

Greetings From The Road! I’m traveling out West this week.

My travels started in Denver. I finished up my 11th year of judging at this year’s 37th annual edition of the Great American Beer Festival in Denver and am now heading to Oregon then on to Yakima, WA for Hop Selection.

Every year at the end of summer I look forward to the GABF – the world’s biggest beer competition. The Fest takes place over 3 days, and this year, 62,000 people attended, over 4,000 total beers were being poured in the giant 500,000 square foot space at the Denver Convention Center in downtown Denver.

The GABF is truly a carnival of all things beer. Like many beer fests, Attendees get a small glass to wander the floor and try all types and styles of beer. There are also seminars, live radio and tv broadcasts, learn to brew exhibits, food of all types and other entertainment to explore.

The highlight of this festival is the awards ceremony – a seriously tough ticket to score. Awards include gold, silver, and bronze medals in each style category.  I like to call it the Academy Awards for brewers. This year 293 judges tasted and judged a total of 8,500 beers in the competition. There were 102 competition styles of beer judged and a total of 306 medals were awarded. The math on that says about 3.5% of all entries received medals.

I have had the honor of judging this competition for over a decade, and this year was the best, highest quality, and most fun yet. The average amount of beers entered in each style category this year was 86 with the largest category being nearly 400 entries. I judged that category and 15 more for a total of 179  beers judged this year. Each day we started the morning session at 8:30am, then a lunch and an afternoon session. Each session usually has 3 style categories to judge with an average beer count of about 12 or so entries per judge.

I was impressed this year with the high quality of the majority of the beers I tried. The judges are very committed and serious about their jobs, we taste all day, get there early and keep focus. Becoming a judge is a rigorous project that requires many steps and expertise. I was told the waiting list is currently 3 years long and the majority of the folks I worked with this year had 10-15 years under their belts, so new blood gets added slowly as the competition grows. I am truly honored to participate at this level.

I hoped you enjoyed Part 1.

I will report back for Part 2 covering the Hops Selections in Yakima, the hop growing center of the USA, where I’ll take part in hop selections not only for myself, but also other Midwestern breweries to be used in 2018-2019.

Cheers and see you down at the Beer Hall!

 

Dave Post – June and Finn’s Finest

Posted on by lmclean

It’s June now, and we are brewing a whole new round of lager beers including a Munich Lager, American Lager, Mexican Lager and of course more Keller Pils and Pilsener, we have 12 oak bourbon, cognac, and wine barrels full of various flavors.

We are excited to release the 16th edition of Finn’s Finest, on tap just this morning. Finn’s Finest is one of the two birthday beers we brew each year in honor of my kids, Daisy and Finn.

This is the first version brewed at Hoops with a newly formulated recipe featuring Denali, Cascade, Mandarina, HBC 522, Galaxy hops and Golden Promise, Pilsner, Wheat, 2 Row, Vienna malts. At 6.3% ABV, this very hoppy flavored —but not at all bitter—pale ale is a great birthday tipple.

Happy birthday to Finn Hoops, and drive safely with the new drivers’ license (passed this morning at 8am at the DMV).

 

Cheers,

Dave