Rod J BeerVentures

Just hanging out tonight and chilling to the musical sounds of "The Boombox," which is channel 846 on Directv if interested. A nice throwback station to the old sounds of hip hop and with it comes visions of some of the fun we used to have back in the day and of course some of the beers we used to drink. Of course back then, we were limited to what we had on hand versus the versatility of the beer scene nowadays. In fact, in hindsight, it feels like it was ultra limited as I sit hear laughing. The beers were a lot more watered down back then so it seemed we often would have to turn it up by getting malt liquor. Oh yeah, the old 40's that we used to enjoy at the park. Man, those were some days, and some bad beers, lots of laughs. Now this going back a ways, I mean that I am going back a ways to the late 80's and early 90's when I was able to start to buying beer. Technically, I wasn't legally able until 1991, but I had my ways before then {wink wink}.

Sitting in one of my buddies backyards we used to laugh and just tell stories while drinking Mickey's Big Mouths. There would be a group of us and we would just clown on each other while getting our buzz on at the time. These little wide mouth bottles that would hold 12 ounces of beer but carry an abv of 5.6%. They were like little grenades to us, small in size but packing a punch of power. We were never much Budweiser guys in high school, in fact, I am still not much of one, unless it is an only choice. I don't know why that is, but they just never caught on for me as a beer of a choice. Anyway, Mickey's was a favorite especially in those later high school years. Chug them and go, and you were in your groove! Oh yes, just seeing the bottle takes me back to some good times.

Now, later on came along Schlitz and their Red Bull series and back then we only knew one size it seemed, the forty ounce. Although, later we found out you could get them in 16 oz cans, but we were more like go big or go home. If you never had the Red Bull, I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but just like the adrenaline drink, it too gave you wings. This one bolstered an abv of 5.9%, so a little bit more than Mickey's, but really negligible. However, back in day on the pedestals of malt liquors, it tended to hold a higher respect. Not sure why that was, but hey, like fashion, sometimes it's just what is chosen at the time and we just went along with it. Funny, looking back at these beers now, as I wouldn't pick up either, but we had to start somewhere. And these were, just two that put me on beer road long ago. It is a winding road, and sometimes comes with circles depending on the path you chose and how inebriated that you may be. What about you?

What are some of the beers from your past that were your firsts to wet your whistle? Maybe like this, ones that you probably wouldn't go back to try but just became part of your experience. Let me know by leaving a few comments, if you like. I would love to hear some of the other stories out there.

Cheers!

***Malt Liquor is a North American term referring to a type of beer with high alcohol content. In legal statutes, the term often includes any alcoholic beverage with 5% or more alcohol by volume made with malted barley.

Brewery Tour and Review - Urban Artifact On Location

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Beer Review #52 Nowhere in Particular Hitting The Grit ( 9.2% ABV )

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Beer Review #51 Blue Moon First Peach Ale ( 5 6% ABV )

Beer Tasting at BrewRiver Gastropub

Last Sunday, I took some time to make a visit down to the BrewRiver Gastropub, here in Cincinnati, which is nice little spot to chill and grab some new beers to try. The great thing is that they have an awesome Happy Hour on Saturday from 3pm to 5pm where just about all pours are $2.95 per glass. It really is a hidden gem. Located at 2062 Riverside Drive, I think many may easily tend to miss it. For years, I know that I did as I would pass it on the way to my softball games at the ballpark. Wow, how many beers have I missed...too many. But, I digress.

The establishment is pretty peaceful and tranquil, especially when you can just relax and chill in the
open courtyard. It proves to be a great place to gather thoughts, read a book or just have some pleasant conversation. The pub itself was from is a converted home, which is another reason that it may be missed as you drive by. The view from the courtyard shoots across the street and down to the Ohio river which can also create a nice relaxing feeling as you fixate on the flow of the river. The ambiance tends to remind me of my visits to New Orleans without the great music.

But away from all of that are the beers that make this place so awesome. With a wide selection available, there is no doubt that anyone will be able to find something fitting for whatever their thirst desires. Porters, Pale Ales, Stouts (which are really a strong Porters), Pilseners, Sour Ales, Quads and many others will be on hand for your perusing and hopefully drinking. I definitely recommend that if you are a beer enthusiast in Cincinnati that you pay them a visit and check out their offerings. And if you decide to stay and eat, well, you will be pleased there too. Well cheers, and I hope you get a chance to visit. Oh, by the way, below are some of the beers that I was able to enjoy as well as Eight Ball's Mick Czech and Nowhere in Particular's Hitting the Grit which are not pictured.

Deschutes The Stoic

Rhinegeist T-Rex

Ballast Point Victory at Sea

I will also be uploading a review on one of the beers so stay tuned and for more beer reviews make sure to check out my YouTube channel as well: Rod J Beer Ventures!

On Tour at Urban Artifact

This past Saturday, I finally had a chance to get out and visit Urban Artifact which sits on the North Side community of Cincinnati. A spacious and currently being renovated old church is what is now this home for sour bases beers. The church was purchased last year and the brewery was able to open earlier this year. I was able to get a chance to tour the brewery and have a more reflective talk with Scott Hunter who is their Chief of Strategic Development and of course, finally get to taste their offerings.

First, before talking about the beers, I feel that I should describe the feel of the brewery as they have a lot of good things going on. Now, I am not one that usually goes to church, but this is the kind of mass that I can get into for sure. The church itself was built around 1873 and was active until 2008. I mentioned spacious earlier, and it is. There will be a floor that will act as a reception hall and is slated for completion for next year. And, they are currently in talks to have a restaurant on the premises. I mean this place is spacious.

As for the brewery, that is kept in separate building in the back and also bolsters a lot of room which is great for all the maneuvering done with the making of the beer. A good thing is that they are separated which helps for oversight as well as regulations. They also use a unique process for their sour mash which helps to balance out the acidity. They are careful to use all fresh hops and like to experiment with one off beers as well. While I was there, I was shown one planned for a Christmas release later this year, that was being aged in Bourbon barrels and will be a tart stout. I will be back for that one. Currently, there is no packaging for cans or bottles but that is in the works and in the tap room, one can get growlers to take home.

But getting to the tap room, that is located in the basement, you will have a variety of things to do as well. Drink beer, obviously, but you also have various board games available and as I mentioned a location for live acts to play on stage.One thing that patrons like is to create their own beer experiences by adding various flavorings to their beer. Essentially, you are given the choice of various flavored liquid that you can add to your beer to enhance the tartness or even cut it as a hops blend liquid is also a selection. It can be kind of fun as people can customize and experiment to make their beer their own. There was also various artwork that was on display for purchase by local artists which was neat, but a thing that stole my eye was one their recycling of many things including the copper pipes for the bar taps. But the bar itself was a neat feature, it was wood that was had what seemed to be metal glass burnt into the cracks where under the class was malt seeds. It really added some character, so if you go then make sure to check that out.

Another key thing that I didn't even notice until it was mentioned was the lack of televisions there, and it was kind of refreshing as people actually communicated. Imagine that, conversation being the focus. As far as food, they don't serve any currently but there are advertisements for places that will deliver and during some events they will also have some of the food trucks on hand. All in all a great place to chill and hang out and look forward to coming back to check out an act as well.

Oh yeah, the beers, that may be important, lol. Well, they had six on hand although one was on its way out to be replaced by a double IPA which was being released tonight on June 30th. And two of the beers do have a nitro option to enhance them and of course were the ones that I chose. But the list was as follows:

Finn (Nitro Version)
Kodiak (Nitro Version)
Harrow
Keypunch
Clothesline
Axl (This one was ending and I believe will be replaced by the Double IPA)

I will be adding a review for each of these but the Keypunch is a key lime Gose and surprisingly ended up barely being my favorite over the Kodiak which was a great sour ale infused with coffee flavors.

Thank you to Scott for the tour and time to talk, as well as to Emily and Chris who were there to provide the refreshments and did a great job of sharing details as well.

***As a footnote

Since the time of this writing, I have also learned that not all beers will have a sour component at Urban Artifact as previously thought. Some beers are actually brewed as wild beers that use wild yeast. These beers complement the tart ones and are the two styles featured.

The Art of Cellaring Beer

A good many beer enthusiasts get into the habit of cellaring beer, which can be a great way to learn how to smooth out flavors over time. But in doing so, a person has to know the right kid of beers to cellar. For instance, a common rule is to choose beers that are at least 8% ABV. But, that is only a baseline as it should also be the right kind of beer. For instance, hop heavy beers such as IPA's will lose some of their bitterness over time and although they will be drinkable, they won't most likely be the expected taste that is desired. But, cellaring more malty and lower IBU beers can create a more distinct taste as the flavors open up over time. For instance, here is one of the beers that I have cellared recently:

As indicated Voodoo Vator over time becomes much more smoother and in fact, the taste of the alcohol was lessened even more then when fresh. So what should you know about cellaring?

The beer should be a minimum of 8% ABV as a general rule. Although, I have done slightly lower and been okay. Only trying and tasting will let you know what to expect.
Make sure you choose a comfortable temperature. Usually, this may be the coolest place in the house and commonly this is the basement. But some will even use back-up refrigerators. I, myself, use a cool area in the basement.
Store the bottles in darkness and upright. There is no need to place bottles on their side, this is beer not wine. The ultimate goal is to keep them out of the light and sealed away to avoid oxidation. So if you buy a case, like I do, then leave them in the boxes. Get what you need and then close them back up.
Don't mess around and use brown. As I mentioned, you want to keep the light out, so it is best to use brown bottles. Often you see green, but they are not as good and can potentially skunk your beer.
Know how your beer tastes before cellaring. If you don't drink one fresh then how can you compare if the beer improves?
Understand there may be no change. There is no guarantee that the beers will get better with age, so know that going in and don't become frustrated. You may have some that stay the same, but you will be pleasantly pleased at some point as well.
It's only your opinion that counts.

These are just a few things to keep in mind and I hope you do decide to adventure out into the cellaring world. With some of the great things being done with craft beer, it is definitely worth giving it a try.

Cheers and Happy Drinking!