Twisted X Brewing: Upstream of the Herd

All Roads Lead to Twisted X...

Always Drink Upstream of the Herd

All roads lead to Twisted X  Brewing,
Dripping Springs, TX

Words of inarguable wisdom, true enough.  And for the gentlemen at Twisted X Brewing Company, in Dripping Springs, Texas (just outside of Austin), these are words to live and brew by. Jim Sampson and Shane Bordeau founded the brewery in 2009 to explore an interesting new frontier: Mexican style beers brewed in Texas by Texans. Tex-Mex beers are mostly lagers, with an ale here and there, and I sampled some great stuff on a recent visit, including:

Twisted X Tex Mex Premium Lager

The flagship beer uses local yellow corn from Richardson Farms.  It’s balanced, smooth, and crisp.  You can actually pick out hints of corn flavor.

Fuego Tex Mex Pilsner

Probably the best jalapeno-flavored beer I’ve had.  The reason? A solid lager beer base.  A bit fuller on the palate, with slightly more alcohol than the flagship, it finishes strong with subtle jalapeno heat.

Black Lager being racked into oak...
soon to be Senor Viejo?

Senor Viejo 

Full disclosure: this is my favorite. It starts life as a fantastic Imperial Black Lager, but then, just to up the ante, it’s aged in whisky and tequila oak barrels. You’ll notice hints of vanilla sweetness in the aroma and agave sweetness on the palate.  High alcohol content (8.2 % ABV), so this is a session beer.  Sadly, I was disappointed but not surprised, to learn that Senor Viejo was out of stock when we visited. Just another reason to return.

"The Other Aggies": Russ Heissner & Brian Bush,
U.C. Davis, Class of 1986

At Twisted X, owners Jim and Shane were joined by Ted Stewart in 2012 to balance out the team and build out the new brewery in Dripping Springs.  Earlier this year, they hired UC Davis (“The Other Aggies”) grad Brian Bush.  Brian brings Anheuser Busch and craft brewing experience with him to Twisted X and he is well poised to help Twisted X with their impressive growth. 




The brewery is located about half hour outside of Austin on Howard Ranch, a property being developed by former NFL All-Pro Erik Howard of the NY Giants. And since you asked, yes, Erik’s brother is also a U.C. Davis (“The Other Aggies”) grad, and both went to my HS Alma Mater: Bellarmine in San Jose, CA...just had to work that in somehow...:)

Erik Howard, Shane Bordeau,
& yours truly

Stay Thirsty. Drink Upstream of the Herd.

The British Are Coming!

No longer cause for alarm around Boston (after 250+ years, the memory fades), I am happy to announce the arrival of a new Brit: Lee Cooper.

Lee has opened Hopsters Brew & Boards in nearby Newton Centre, introducing the glory of British pub culture along with DIY (“do-it-yourself “) brewing, to a very appreciative crowd.

Hopsters opened in 2013 and Lee hopes to do multiple stores throughout the U.S.  In a nutshell: Hopsters supplies malt, hops, yeast, brewing, and bottling equipment;  you make and own the beer.  You’ll get 7.5 gallons per batch, about 3 cases. If you are a new to brewing, an on-site staff of brewing professionals are there to help. 

While DIY brewing has been done before, Hopsters feels more like the new nano-brew distribution model used with much success by local breweries in San Diego, Portland, and Seattle.  At Hopsters, the home-brewer comes to make beer, discover “something more”, and does not want to leave… ever.

The “something more” is where pub culture and nano-brewing comes into the picture. Hopsters serves an impressive selection of draft beer from local breweries and distilleries.  A simple “basic” menu of deliciously local food takes the word basic to another level. Amazing flatbread pizzas, sandwiches, and meat and cheese boards.  Great stuff. Beers of note are many, but my short list includes:

·         Death Imperial Stout with Chipotle Pepper, Backlash Brewing, Holyoke, MA. Dark, full-bodied, and big, chocolate malt flavor.  Balanced and drinkable.  Notes of chipotle heat that finish late and lingers in the best possible way. 

·         Mayflower Rye IPA, Mayflower Brewing Company, Plymouth, MA.  Well-hopped, red colored beer, with pronounced rye malt and Columbus hop notes.  A good "session" beer.

·         Smoke & Dagger, Jack's Abby, Framingham, MA.  Balanced, medium-bodied semi-sweet stout, with very subtle smoky notes.  Outstanding, and if you brew you’ll appreciate how difficult it is to make a smoked beer without overdoing the smoke.  Relatively low alcohol content–much like Guinness.

Hopster's Brew & Board is located at 292 Centre St, Newton, MA. If you haven’t gone, get there…be forewarned, you may not want to leave.

The passing of a craft brewery pioneer

We've lost a pioneering spirit this week.

As craft beer pioneers go, Chesapeake Bay Brewing Company ("Chesbay Brewing) is likely not a name as familiar to today's craft beer community as the likes of Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada, Red Hook, and Sam Adams.  But it had without a doubt, an enduring impact on the early introduction of craft beer to the East Coast in the mid-1980's.  Its flagship brand Dark Horse, introduced, and ultimately converted, many existing and new beer drinkers to the possibilities of what great beer should be.

Dark Horse, the Bock referred to below as bringing home the Gold at the GABF in 1987, was not only the best Bock beer I have ever had the pleasure of tasting, it is the best beer that I have ever had. 

I hold Dark Horse in my mind as the benchmark to which all craft beer should aspire.  It was dark & malty; it was a pleasantly hoppy concoction, with a thick foamy head, and a moderately viscous body that made it quite drinkable.  It was complex and balanced in a way that today's hopped up one-dimensional palates might have difficulty appreciating.  It was what we used to call a "session beer". 

It should be noted as well that Chesbay also provided a launching pad for the brewing careers of Brian Hollinger, Alan Young, and Wolfgang Roth who all have continued on the the craft beer business.  I worked there as well, all too briefly, in the early 90's, when a new management team made an attempt to resurrect the company from its early demise.  

May God Bless Dr. Kollar, and may his spirit live on.

In Memorial

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of Dr. James Kollar DMV on March the 14^th 2014.  Dr. Kollar was a Pioneer in the brewing industry when he started the Chesapeake Bay Brewing Company in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1984. The brands of Chesbay beer marked the first microbrewery to open in Virginia and the second microbrewery to open on the East Coast.  He was definitely a renaissance man by any standard. He set the brick that became the building of the Chesbay Brewery. He chose to brew lager beer; he sought out expertise from around the world to ensure he made the best beer possible. At the Great American Beer Festival in 1987, Chesbay brought home a gold medal for Bock beer. Although the brewery only lasted until 1988, many of the people Jim brought together have continued on in craft brewing.  Jim’s legacy in craft brewing will be his passion for beer, his big heart and spirit and the people he brought together.

In his youth, he played football and was Pennsylvania state champion in the discus. He played college football under Engle and Paterno at Penn State. He then secured his veterinary medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and moved with his wife, Marilou, to Virginia Beach to build what would become a successful practice in Princess Anne Veterinary Hospital.

Jim loved life and lived every moment to the fullest. He was incredibly creative in cooking, carpentry, architecture, gardening, repurposing, and being an all-around Renaissance man. With the help of family and friends, he built and has continued his labor of love in a beautiful second home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In the last 10 years of his retirement, Jim and Marilou have enjoyed world travel and re-connection with college friends.

His other defining trait was the intensity of his love of family and friends. His heart was as big as his spirit—which was immense. Jim is loved by his wife, Lou; his children, Jamie and Brian; his son and daughter-in-laws, Colin and Valarie; his two beautiful granddaughters, Evie and Madi; mother, Ann; brother, Frank among too many other family and friends to name. 

He will be missed by all but carried in our hearts every day. His legacy of love, loyalty, and commitment will follow him forever. In lieu of flowers, an endowment to the First Colonial High School track and field program will be established in his honor. A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 22, 2014 at All Saints’ Episcopal Church at 11am. Reception to follow

Brews Traveling Down Memory Lane with Brian Donovan

During my days in the craft brewing industry, there were a few friends with whom I’ve shared a some years of career overlap.  One of those friends is Brian Donovan.

Brian and I spent our early days together at the Harpoon Brewery and then in the 90s worked at a turnkey brewery systems supplier company called JVNW, Inc.  At JVNW, we designed and built many craft breweries and brewpubs throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, and Asia. 

Brian and I recently got together to talk at the Harpoon Brewery and started to compare notes on the various breweries we worked on together back in the 90’s.  Our list totaled over 20, but there is one brewery that really stands out: The Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse in Gaylord, MI.

The first Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse in Gaylord, MI is about a 5-hour drive north of Detroit, just off I-75.  It’s a natural stopping point for folks on their way Up North – as they say in Michigan.  For folks who have not been to that part of the world, go! It’s worth the trip, especially mid-summer when the days are warm and the sun doesn’t set until after 10:00 PM. In addition to great steaks and beers, The Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse also makes hand-crafted wines and distilled spirits.  All good!

At Big Buck, they still brew some of the original beers. Among my favorites is Doc's Extra Special Bitter, which was named in honor of a local doctor and one of the original company investors who passed away not long after Big Buck started operations. 

Big Buck JVNW Brewery
Gaylord, MI

During their expansion period in the mid-90’s, The “Big Buckers” ownership went on to build and operate 2 additional breweries in MI: Auburn Hills and Grand Rapids.  The Auburn Hills brewery was a favorite of mine: my wife Mary is from the Detroit area and the outdoor silo in the shape of a giant bottle of Big Buck Beer is a local landmark.  I often heard the beer bottle referred to on the I-75 traffic reports whenever I was driving in the area.

Auburn Hills, MI

One of my favorite stories from The Big Buck Brewery is that it is the Auburn Hills location is where Brian met his wife Lori. It’s also where brewer Eric Briggeman got his start.  Eric is currently President of the MI Brewers Guild and Head Brewer at the Rochester Mills Beer Company in Rochester Hills, MI.  Eric is a really creative brewer, and Rochester Mills is worth a visit…I am way overdue myself.

Grapevine, TX

The Big Buck ownership and management team was ambitious and planned to affiliate their business with Bass Pro Shops across the country.  Construction of a brewery began in Grapevine, TX before they had to scale back.  The Grapevine, TX brewery is still in operation, but under ownership called Uncle Buck's Brewery and Steakhouse  I haven’t been there, but I intend visit next time I am in the Dallas area.

Brian Donovan, Russ Heissner
Harpoon Brewery
November 2013

Hope you've enjoyed our trip.

Cheers!

For anyone interested, here is a partial list of breweries that Brian and I have connections to.  I for one am looking forward to re-connecting with, and writing about, all of them soon.

Frederick (Flying Dog), Frederick, MD http://flyingdogales.com/

Lancaster Malt Brewing, Lancaster, PA http://www.lancasterbrewing.com/

Boston Beer Works, Boston, MA (Canal St. near the Garden) http://www.beerworks.net/

DuClaw Brewing, Bel Air, MD http://www.duclaw.com/

Coast Brewing (Beau Rivage, Biloxi, MS)

Independence Brewing Company, Philadelphia, PA

Owen O’Leary’s Southboro, MA http://www.owenolearys.com/

Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, Monterrey, MX

Erie Brewing - Erie, PA http://www.eriebrewingco.com/

Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. OH http://thirstydog.com/

Magic Hat in Burlington, VT http://www.magichat.net/

Hereford and Hops – Escanaba MI http://www.herefordandhops.com/

Birmingham Brewing Company, AL

Grand River Brewery Co. – Jackson MI http://www.grandrivermarketplace.com/brewery/

New Holland Brewing Co. Holland, MI http://newhollandbrew.com/

Westchester Brewing Co. – NY

Lake Placid Brewing Company, NY http://www.ubuale.com/

Saratoga Springs Brewing Company, NY http://www.oldesaratogabrew.com/home.html

Harvest Moon Brewery, NJ http://www.harvestmoonbrewery.com/

River Horse Brewery, PA http://www.riverhorse.com/

Brew Moon, Boston, MA

The Jack Daniels Brewery, TN

Goose Island Chicago, IL http://www.gooseisland.com/

Vietnam Brewery, Vietnam (the original Harpoon Brewery Brewhouse is still making beer!)

Macau Brewing Co. LTD. - Macau

South China Brewing Co., Ltd. – Hong Kong

Cerveceria Rio Bravo, in Tecate Mexico

Celtic Brew LLC. in Enfield, Co. Meath, Ireland

San Miguel Brewing Group – Metro Manila, Philippines

Tobu Machi, - Japan
Komagane – Japan

Old School Social Networking

Somewhere south of Boston, there exists what I can only describe as my version of a man-cave (OK: woman-cave too).  It is a finished basement featuring stacks of wine crates full of amazing wines; wall-to-wall temperature controlled racks; and one of the best whiskey collections I'll never be able to afford.

Out of respect of his privacy and the value of his treasure trove of wine and whiskey, I agreed to not disclose the location or the man who owns this basement of potable wonders.  Let's just refer to him as "Mr. Good Spirit".

Mary and I've just recently made Mr. Good Spirit's acquaintance, and every now and then he invites us and friends over to "assist with his inventory problem". We are always happy to oblige.

Just last week he had me and good friends over for just such an occasion.  Upon arrival we were greeted with wine flutes filled with Harpoon Winter Warmer, and a table prepared with cheeses and other savory treats.  He also had opened some very special wines: a 1985 Bordeaux Mouton Rothschild; a 1991 Napa Valley Dominus (in the Bordeaux style); and a 1994 Dominus.  We concluded the evening with a “wee dram” of Springbank Scotch Whisky.  

Nice. 

It was all fantastic, and we had lots of great conversation about the beer, wine and whisky, comparing notes on each of our interpretations of them. The crafts men and women who make our favorite potent potables work very hard at combining ingredients and process to provide a unique flavor experience, and its sort of fun to "geek-out" every now and then about how they might have approached making their offerings.

One of the things that I learned in my final year at U.C. Davis when I took a course called “Sensory Evaluation of Wines” is that each person interprets flavor in their own unique way: the perception of flavor is not only dependent upon the actual wine presented, but also upon a person's senses, how that person interprets flavor in their brain, and finally, the influence of what is going on in the environment around them at the time.  A great wine can be made difficult to remember as so if there is a lot of external stimuli going on during the tasting, and a good wine will be remembered as great if it gets associated with a fun evening out with friends and family.  It all sounds sort of complex, but it doesn't have to be.

Folks new to wine might be intimidated when sharing and conversing about wine in this way, but there is a basic framework in the way to approach it.   Use all your senses: eyes, nose, taste, touch, and hearing.  They all contribute to the experience of flavor.

Eyes

When you look at the glass of wine, the hue, depth, and intensity of the color provide some clue as to not only what grapes were used, but also how old the wine might be.  Cabernets and Bordeaux styles tend to be deep red in color; Pinots less so.  Newer red wines tend to have bright red colors; older wines tend to have more “brick-red” colors, and sometimes browning at the edges of the surface of the wine.

Nose

When you swirl the wine in the glass it intensifies the aromas and fermentation bouquet in the headspace of the glass.  Take a deep sniff.  Among the things that you might detect in that sniff are different types of fruit, butter, vanilla, spice, black pepper, green pepper, etc.  That’s not the whole list, but those are some of the more common ones.

Taste and Touch

As you drink the wine, there is an interplay going on between your basic flavor senses (sweet, salt, bitter, sour); the way it feels in your mouth (thick, thin, puckering), and some additional aromatics that will creep up the back of your mouth into your nose as the wine warms in your mouth.

Hearing

This one is simple: listen to the words of what other people are using to describe the wine.  It will help to anchor your mind’s frame of reference for picking out the individual notes from the symphony of flavor that you will experience.

Share

Most importantly, share your experience with your family and friends.  It is how social networking was originally intended.

Pioneering Spirits: Bully Boy Distillers

 Pioneering Spirits

This past year I had the pleasure of meeting Dave and Will Willis of Bully Boy Distillers, Boston, MA.   Their pioneering spirit in bringing artisan distilling to Boston is not only remarkable, but reminds me of a couple of other pioneers I've had the pleasure of meeting.

Back in 1986 (pre-Harpoon days), my U.C. Davis brewing science teacher, Mike Lewis, set up a "field trip" to the fledgling Sierra Nevada Brewery.  Owners Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi proudly gave us a tour of the then 5 year-old brewery which was located in a Quonset hut next to the Chico airport.

I'll never forget how impressed I was that Ken and Paul had fabricated the brewing equipment from converted Campbell's Soup factory equipment. I watched with amazement as Ken provided a "dosage" (small amount of yeast and sugar) to each bottle of beer (and I am talking hundreds of bottles) in order to get just the right amount of "bottle conditioning" flavor and carbonation.

At the end of the tour, we sat down to beers (Big Foot Barley Wine was my favorite), while a local farmer loaded up his truck with freshly spent brewer's grains to use as feed for his pigs.

I was hooked.

And I am happy to say that the craft-focused, attention-to-details, built-from-the-ground-up tradition continues at Bully Boy Distillery.  Bully Boy Distillery produces vodka, white and dark rums, a white whiskey, and my favorite, an American Straight Whiskey.

Will Willis (left) Dave Willis (right), and me

Connect with Bully Boy Distillers. You’ll be hooked too. 

Welcome to Brews Traveler 


This blog is dedicated to all those hardworking craft brewers, artisan distillers, and winemakers that I've had the privilege to know, and yet to discover.

There is a great story about the people and the personalities behind every start-up...and the stories are even better when the backdrop is about beer, wine, whiskeys, or otherwise potent potables .  

My friends and I will be posting these stories on this blog...We hope you enjoy the personal accounts of our journeys, and the beverages, as much we do.

This first post is about where it all started for me: the Harpoon Brewery in Boston, MA.  Rich Doyle, Dan Kenary, and George Ligeti took a  chance on a newly minted UC Davis grad (me) to move to Boston from the West Coast, and help start what turned out to be a pioneering craft brewery success story.  

The opportunity to work there turned out to be an inflection point in my career as well as in my personal life.  I have been fortunate to be able to make a living by being associated with the production of ethanol through most of my career (for consumption as well as for transportation fuel), but more importantly, Harpoon is how I met my wife Mary...24 years (this week), 4 kids, 1 dog, 3 cats later, and happily settled in Hingham, MA.

But it would never have happened had it not been for those 3 friends who decided that making beer "Brewed in Boston" was a preferable career over more traditional paths.  

I was only there from 1986 to 1992.  Those first six years were really, really hard.  There weren't many of us working there, the hours were long, and there were times when we all wondered if we were going to survive as a business.  It did get better.  Truth be told, the beer got better (IPA!), and they started making money after I left.

I'd do it again without hesitation.

The Harpoon team today employs a very talented team of people who built the company into what it is today, a success story.

Cheers!