The other day, at Whole Foods in Walnut Creek, I picked up a bottle of one of two 30th Anniversary beers on hand from Sierra Nevada.  The bottle I selected was an Imperial Helles Bock brewed by Charlie Papazian, Fred Eckhard, and Ken Grossman called, appropriately, “Charlie, Fred, and Ken’s Bock”.  (The other one was “Fritz and Ken’s Ale”, from Ken Grossman and Fritz Maytag).

As it says on the label,

“Charlie Papazian and Fred Eckhard are two of the country’s most esteemed homebrewers and writers.  … Charlie and Fred agreed to work with us on this very special brew in honor of our 30th Anniversary.  This Imperial Helles Bock is a testament to the ever-evolving brewer’s art. …”

The beer itself is, not unexpectedly, very nice.  Smooth-drinking, with a nice head that isn’t too thick but does hang around a bit.  It feels rich but not chewy in the mouth, and the hops are assertive but not overpowering.  I mean they’re definitely there, right up front, but don’t leave that bitter sucker punch after swallowing that some beers can.  The label described the hop flavors as “floral”, and while I’m not sure about that precisely, I would agree that they tend more in  that direction  than toward fruitiness (e.g. I definitely didn’t detect any citrus or banana).

Overall, I like it.  A lot.

I wish I had bought two, but at nearly 10 bucks a pop, I’m probably OK with just one at a time.

Brew Name: Charlie, Fred, and Ken’s Bock
Style: Imperial Helles Bock
ABV: 8.3%
Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Serving Type: 1 pt 9.4 oz longneck

- Juan

Link to the park information & map: www.ebparks.org/parks/briones.  Look for the Newt Hollow picnic area near the Bear Creek entrance on the park’s Southwest side.

This meeting was planned to provide an opportunity to meet some fellow brewers in close local clubs.  There is no official agenda other than sharing some good homebrew and discussing all things brewing.

As with all of our meetings, please bring some homebrew to share and be prepared to keep it cold or serve in your own cooler or equipment.  We are planning a potluck for food, so if you can bring a covered dish, a snack to share, or something to put on the grill we’ll throw it in the mix.

Specifics:

• Facilities: Eleven 10-foot tables, one 6-foot table, two double BBQs, seven single BBQs.  If you plan to BBQ, bring your own charcoal, tools, etc.  Bring your own grill if you can because space on grills will be limited (100+ people is possible)
• GADGET SHOW - bring your favorite homemade or commercial brewing gadgets to show off to your fellow brewers (even if you’ve presented them previously at DOZE meetings there will be lots of new folks to share ideas).
• The site has many trees and should be shaded, though easy-ups will guarantee shade
• Bring your own chairs & table if you have them (for gadgets, food & seating)
• Bring food items to share in a “pot luck” style (dont worry about feeding 100+ people, just bring enough to share with your own serving utensils)
• Bring water, sunscreen, hats/umbrellas to deal with any direct sun and heat
• Bring your homebrew to share
• Cups, plasticware utensils, plates, and napkins will be provided by the organizers

Please let Erik know if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

A chance to hang out with some old friends and support a good cause! The Lindsay Museum is teaming up with Ale Industries (and Lagunitas) to host a beer dinner on Friday, Aug 13 @ 6pm. Tickets are $85 and are available for purchase on the Museum Website

Proceeds will go to fund educational and wildlife programs.

Morgan & James Koskiniemi — former MoreBeer employee and caterer for our holiday party out in Pittsburg if I remember right — will be presenting a 5 course pairing menu:

Hot & Cold Appetizers with beer from Lagunitas
Seared Ahi Tuna with Poached Local Beets, Crispy Maui Onions, Ginger Vinaigrette
Chilled Gazpacho
Liberty Duck Confit with Stone Fruit Reduction, Armenian Couscous, Haricot Verts
Baked Chevre and Summer Truffle with pancetta, rocket, 20 year aged Balsamic Vinaigrette
Marscapone Stuffed Locally Grown Strawberry Grand Marnier Ganache, White Chocolate Foam

In the BBC’s Christina: A Medieval Life there is a brief discussion of brewing and ale distribution in Medieval England.

\”Christina: A Medieval Life\”

Follow the link, hit Play, and head to minute 23.

Special instructions:

“Please e-mail stesq [@] juno.com when you drop off an entry so I’ll have an idea how many are waiting for me.  Thanks.”

Bus schedule is as follows:
Depart Dublin Pleasanton BART station: 9:45 AM
Arrive at Russian River: 11:00 AM
Depart Russian River: 1:00 PM
Arrive at Lagunitas: 1:30 PM
Depart Lagunitas: 3:30 PM
Arrive at the Trappist: 4:30 PM
Depart Trappist: 5:30 PM (some may choose to stay longer, and depart on BART as needed).
Arrive Dublin / Pleasanton BART: 6:30 PM