Tomme | August 11, 2010

As we’re not a “real” abbey, we don’t have large stone walls surrounding our monastery. We most certainly do not have a front gate being guarded over by a man of the cloth either.

But like most abbeys, we open our doors on a regular basis for those in need.

Some have smallish needs (like a cold glass of Lost and Found). Others have much larger needs (like cases of Red Poppy).

Yet, one constant remains. Our doors are opened to Sinners and Saints alike on the simple premise that all come to The Lost Abbey seeking something.

Ultimately, this means we’re all in the same boat together. It matters not whether you are a certified Saint or a problematic Sinner, the end is most assuredly going to arrive at some point. And on that day, we’ll huddle together wondering what is left for us as we leave this place.

Most likely we’ll be lined up together seeking some measure of Deliverance. If we’re lucky, we’ll all catch the train headed towards heavens’ front gate. Others will not be so lucky. I suppose, it will be an epic struggle as the Angel’s of Mercy clash mightily with the Demons of Hell.

Just thinking about a Battle Royale for all these souls gets me thirsty.

So today, we’re bottling Deliverance, and let me tell you, it’s one HEAVY beer.

What is Deliverance and how does one bottle it? Well, it’s a blend of Bourbon Barrel Aged Serpent’s Stout and Brandy Barrel Aged Angel’s Share. You see in Bourbon Barrel Aged Serpent’s Stout we have captured the essence of one very evil beer (the Devil’s brew if you will). Blacker than the strongest plague and hotter than Hades itself, there’s fire in this beer- a veritable cauldron of Bourbon infused beer. Left to its own devices, this would be one sinister liquid.

Yet, we have tempered this odious darkness with heaven sent Saintly created Angel’s Share. And together, these two beers will work in harmony to deliver us on that day.

Sean Dominguez worked overtime on the painting for this label. It is perhaps one of the darkest and most disturbing things he has painted for us. So demented in fact his wife Paige expelled it from their home the moment it was completed.

Thankfully, it joins Judgment Day, Inferno and Witch’s Wit in exploring the darker side of life’s struggles and The Lost Abbey role in finding Deliverance for souls — banished or otherwise.

A couple of weeks from now, we’ll be having another release at the Lost Abbey and I fully expect it to be an glorious day. More souls than ever before will find their way through the Abbey’s open doors.

And it will come to no one’s surprise as Saint and Sinners alike approach the alter and utter the phrase – “I’ve come seeking Deliverance.”

For that, I am thankful we have found a way to put Deliverance in a bottle.

Category: Brewer's Blog | 2 Comments »
Tags: Agenl's Share, barrel-aged, Deliverance, Serpent's Stout

Tomme | May 12, 2010

This past weekend we celebrated our 4th Anniversary of doing business as Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey. It was a great party and a welcome change of pace from last year when we turned 3 and celebrated all day with 700 or so of our closest friends. This past weekend, we changed things up a bit and went with ticketed split sessions allowing us to control the ebb and flow that was impossible to do last year. In doing things this way, we created a much more intimate setting as we only had 350 people at each of our sessions which is WAY more manageable.

Of course it was not all roses. We had some long waits for the Pizza that were serving. And others complained Vince was supposed to be cooking. Hopefully these minor issues didn’t keep most from enjoying themselves.

I’d also like to take a moment to thank Rich from Dr. Pepper and Amy from Republic of Tea for sponsoring our designated driver hydration needs. Both of them kicked down ample non alcoholic products for the day. The Volunteer pool for this party also went above the board helping us direct traffic, move stuff and generally lay out the facilities. It was awesome to work with such a group of people. When we were finished on Saturday, I couldn’t help but think how lucky we were to have them assisting us.

Many of the attendees on Saturday walked out of here with a special 4th Anniversary t-shirt commemorating our previously detailed woes. You’ll know they were at the party when you see a beer enthusiast walking by with a giant blue and white A on the back of their tshirts. Our employees got a kick out of their new work shirts as well. The whole health department saga came to end last week on Thursday with the published article in the North County Times.

On Wednesday, I was interviewed by a miss Morgan Cook about the tasting room incident. On Thursday I took Sydney to school. On the way to school, we stopped to play a game “Let’s find daddy’s picture in the newspaper today.” It didn’t take her long as daddy’s mean mug ( I couldn’t smile for the camera man) was on the front page of the paper (above the fold no less). She smiled and I giggled about how funny I looked. She kept saying “Daddy where’s Duck Duck Gooze?” (Which by the way is her favorite artwork we have).

So we’re back to work this week at the brewery with normal business operations. Four batches of Hop 15, two Judgment Day, three Mongos and a batch of Red Barn all will hit the tanks this week. We’re also sampling Older Viscosity for blending next week. I have a pretty light schedule for the rest of the week. But this weekend, it’s back to party mode. You see, we’re celebrating Syd the kids 4th birthday this weekend on Saturday. I know Maureen never forgets it but sometimes I do. We launched a family and a brewery 10 days apart 4 years ago. So I get to celebrate two of the best things in the world each May. This Saturday, there won’t be much beer in the park. However, there will be Margaritas back at the house when it’s over. They will taste so very good.

You know what else is going to taste good? I think those new batches of Witch’s Wit and that Helles in our fermenter will taste pretty damn good this summer. There, I said it. We’re making a lager for easy drinking Saturdays at the brewery. And the Wit, well people have been waiting far too long for it to come back around. Things are always in a state of movement out here in San Marcos- thankfully so.

Category: Brewer's Blog | 2 Comments »
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Tomme | May 7, 2010

It’s been a while since I sat down and worked on a post for Blogging Day. Given that today’s topic is near and dear to my heart, I thought I would weigh in. Thanks to Mario over at Hop Press for hosting.

Last weekend, I attended the 20th Southern California Homebrewers Festival and gave a presentation on Collaborative Brewing as part of the festivities. As I was writing my presentation, I began to understand that there are, in my estimation, about 5 reasons why collaborative beers come to fruition. For the talk, I tried to key in on how each of these elements drives different beers and the partnerships that come out of them.

1) Marketing – All Collaborative beers have some form of marketability about them as you’re bringing two (or more brewers) together to create a newly imagined beer. As such, the new beer has the potential to reach two sets of craft beer fans. However, this is probably the biggest slippery slope of the 5 Collaborative reasons in my mind. Why is that? Well, I believe the entire Collaborative brewing process needs to have roots in sustainability. The more gimicky these projects get then the less interesting they become to the consumer. When Run DMC and Aerosmith collaborated on “Walk This Way,” it wasn’t the 15th time some rockers got with a rappers. Nope, it was fresh.

I was lucky enough last fall to have been part of a Marketing based Collaborative Brewing Project that was put together by the Wetherspoon Pub Group in the UK. I detailed my experiences in a previous blog post. Needless to say, I believe this approach to Collaborative Brewing is heavily rooted in marketability yet there is value for the brewers involved. I was lucky enough to travel to Kent and brew in England’s oldest brewery. That didn’t suck.

My fear is that Marketing-based Collaborative beers will fall into a black hole where things are no longer imagined but rather engineered by the guys sitting in strategic meetings with notebooks on what the public wants next.

Imagine if you will a large room with a conference call between two large formerly domestic brewers. One Executive “Yes, we think it’s crazy too. You take our Lime infused lager and combine it with your Tomato infused Malt Liquor and BLAMMO you have Cuban Street Juice-something totally new…”

Just Shoot me if this happens…

But I do fear the day when Collaborative beers are less about imagination and more about SKU’s and push pull scenarios. It will happen on some level. This much is true.

2) Opportunity – I counted all of the projects that I have worked on over the last 7 years and a bunch of them fall into this category. My first Collaborative beer (with Peter Brouckaert of New Belgium) was Mo Betta Bretta which we brewed at Pizza Port in Solana Beach. For Peter, it was an opportunity to leave the big brewhouse and get back to his small brewing roots. For Pizza Port, it was the chance to work with a very imaginative brewer on a whacky brewing project. We ultimately settled on brewing a 100% Brettanomyces fermented beer. It may have been the first commercially All Brett Beer ever produced and sold in this country. Score one for Opportunity and the launching of other all Brett Beers (In your Best NASA like Voice repeat after me “This is one Giant Leap for all Brettmankind…”) To this day, Mo Betta Bretta remains one of my favorite Collaborations. Peter was so giddy in my brewhouse that day- like a kid in candy store that day.

3) Friendship – If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that the bulk of Collaborative beers are made with this in mind. When friends sit down over pints of beer, stories flow and guards get let down. The funny thing about friendships and beer is how powerful they can be. If you look at the Stone Brewing Collaborations there seem to be an endless stream of possibilities. When Greg, Steve and Mitch sit down and list who they might want to work with, it’s a veritable who’s who of brewing.

In 2008, here at Port Brewing, we produced a batch of beer called Ne Goeien Saison. The recipe was written by Hiledgard van Ostaden who along with her husband Bas run the Urthel Brewery in Belgium.

It was over a couple of beers during a judging session at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival that I invited her to come brew with us at Port Brewing. I’ve been brewing for over 14 years now but I had never actually brewed with a Belgian trained brewmaster. Working with Hildegard presented exactly this type of opportunity.

4) Travel – Numerous Collaborative beers that I have been involved in have afforded me time to travel away from this brewery. And when I get away from the day to day grind that is brewing here at Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey, my imaginative powers start working in ways they just can’t around here. So, I like to look at Collaboration projects that involve travel. In 2007 I was afforded the opportunity to head to Belgium to work with Dirk Naudts at the De Proef Brewery on a new recipe for a beer called Signature Ale. Since the De Proef Brewery is essentially a contract brewing facility, they do not open their doors to most breweries and tourists. The possibility of getting to see one of the most technologically proficient small breweries in all of Europe presented itself, I jumped at the chance.

5) Technique – Last February we produced the very first batch of Hot Rocks Lager. The recipe was written by Tonya Cornett of the Bend Brewing Company. (See the photo gallery.)

What was great about working on this project was opening Tonya’s eyes to a process that she has now taken back to her brewery. Our use of the historical stein beer methodology (albeit an updated one) showcased flavors don’t always have to come from the four traditional brewing ingredients. At Bend Brewing Company the patrons now get to drink Roxie each year as she has brought the Stein Beer process back to her patrons.

For me, these are the 5 driving forces behind all Collaborative Beers. I also happen to think that the best Collaborative Beer I ever worked on nailed these 5 elements to a “T.” Isabelle Proximus may go down as one of the most ambitious Collaborative projects imagined. You see, it’s the sort of beer that ties all 5 of these reasons together.

First it had amazing marketability – The five guys known as the Brett Pack getting together on one jam session. We mixed in a bit of opportunity in that we wanted to created a lasting story – a legacy piece if you will commemorating our epic trip to Belgium in 2006. The trip was rooted in our friendship and a desire to see old world Lambic producers and strike up friendships based on respect and admiration.

Isabelle Proximus was born out of our travels to Belgium and the bonds of 5 American Brewers sharing a like minded approach to brewing. Perhaps the biggest achievement, for me, is how Isabelle transcended brewing borders. Isabelle Proximus is a ridiculously rewarding sour beer experience. Most assuredly it is an American Invention. Yet, the spirit of the beer is purely Burgundian.

I am very proud of all the Collaborative projects I have been a part of. Yet, when they ask me which one I love the most, I don’t give a canned answer. I wax on philosophically about our baby Isabelle. She turns 4 this year and each year she keeps on evolving. Reminds me another 4 year old I know too.

I’m looking forward to more great Collaborative Brewing Projects. I know of one that especially interests me and a couple of my California Brewing friends. It’s something we’re code naming Small, Medium and Large at this point. If all goes well, it will happen in the next year or so.

Category: Blogging Day | No Comments »
Tags: #session, beer blogging friday, collaborations

Tomme | May 4, 2010

It was September 17th 2008 and I was sitting on my couch watching my Chargers play the Denver Broncos. Jay Cutler dropped back to pass on the 6 yard line. My heart skipped a beat. A flashing Charger’s lightning bolt came out of nowhere and delivered a fumble from the heavens. We jumped up and down elated by the sack and fumble.

Then came those famous last words by Ed Hochuli:

“Upon further review the ruling on the field has been changed…”

And with that, the Denver Broncos were awarded the ball on the one yard line as the ruling was changed from a fumble to an incomplete forward pass.

The Broncos of course went on to score and win the game. Dejection of the highest order due mostly to human error as Ed Hochuli had blown the play dead and nothing could save the game.

“Fucking Zebras!” I mumbled at the TV leading Sydney to ask me what the Zebras we’re doing at a football game. “Just doing their job honey. Just doing their job…”

Fast forward to yesterday when Vince received a phone call from one of the Department of Health workers who wanted to let him know they had determined the incidents of last week (Cease and Desist notices and Facilities Upgrades) were all for not.

Apparently the powers that be got together and had a meeting of the minds relative to brewery tasting rooms and decided (wait for it) “you currently are regulated by the state for your tasting rooms and as such, do not fall under our jurisdiction for retail sales.”

I’m pretty sure that’s what I told the inspectors last week. WHO KNEW?

I suppose if you ask around, this is exactly the premise we were all operating on. And by us, I mean those of us operating tasting rooms in production breweries here in San Diego. Today, I feel no sense of vindication nor any righteousness. Mostly, I just feel relieved and am much happier (as you can well imagine)! Yesterday was a crazy day. I spent the morning trying to work on the Plan Check side of things to submit to the Health Department and I spent some time trying to flush out the details for our Anniversary Party- including a change in venue for this weekend. This was in the early morning before the great news came down.

Now, I am sitting at my desk with the rest of the week in front of me knowing that our Anniversary Party is going to take place inside our building and that everyone will be free to enjoy themselves with samples of beer in hand as we had always hoped.

This past week has taught me a ton about dealing with local agencies. They have a tremendous amount of power and sometimes this power comes with very gray areas in the language of code enforcement. Of course, we want to run a compliant business and certainly felt we were doing so all along. But the fact is, running an alcohol-based business is challenging and comes with a ton of permits and regulatory compliance. It can make your head spin.

I’d like to thank the Health Department for figuring it out yesterday. We’re a small business and change costs money. I’d also like to thank all of the well wishers one last time for their efforts. It would appear that someone (or a bunch of someones) really bent the ears of the Health Department Supervisors here in San Diego.

This is not a victory for us. Rather, it is an affirmation that our business practices are legitimate and above the board. The thing about being human, is that we all make mistakes. The beauty of instant replay is that it allows for reversals and getting it right.

While I was pissed that night my Charger’s lost, I can tell you without fail, I am happy today for the news we received yesterday. We don’t have to do any additional work to bring our tasting room up to code which makes me very pleased. Mostly because I think it’s kick ass already. Just like the kick ass beers that will be flowing over the bar later this week and into Saturday.

Thank you for your ongoing and continued support.

See you on Saturday.

Category: Brewer's Blog | 5 Comments »
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