STORY CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

A French Beer Cocktail
Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 11:18 PM

Picon, left, and Grimbergen Blonde.

Earlier on Sunday, we took a tram to the Strasbourg Cathedral and then a boat ride tour thru the canals. Hey, it can’t ALL be about bière, can it? Well…

After the boat ride, we stop at the Cafe Monmartre for a light lunch. Grimbergen Blonde is on tap (a pression), a seldom found opportunity in the States. So we have one. Also order a draught Picon, which I’ve seen signs advertising around town.

An orange-hued brew, it is very fruity — additively so — and somewhat herbaceous; wouldn’t exactly call it tasty. A little Googling reveals that Picon is the name of a popular (at least in northern and eastern France) orange bitters that is drunk alone, or mixed in a light-bodied lager. It is also the name of a beer pre-mixed with the bitters, which is what we were served. Glad I tried it but…i didn’t need 50cl of it. Leave it to the French to come up with their own beer cocktail!

Mondial de la Bière part 5
Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 10:50 PM

The new Italian-American collaboration coming soon.

And that’s not all: Leonardo went outside to fetch a special beer not yet released: My Antonia, a continuously hopped imperial pilsner that is a collaboration with… Dogfish Head! According to Leonardo, he will brew the beer for European distribution while paisano Sam Calagione will brew it at Dogfish for the US market. Wonderfully dry-hopped it was too.

And while I’m still on Italian beers (don’t worry, this is the last post on them), I mentioned to Leonardo, as well as to Baladin’a Teo and Chico and others, about the Italian Craft Beer Dinner I am helping Gabriel Gordon of Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach put together for early December. They expressed interest in attending if scheduling permits. Stay tuned on this one; it should be pretty amazing…

Mondial De la Bière part 3
Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 6:14 AM

Birra del Borgo brewmaestro Leonardo Di Vincenzo.

Back to the Italian Pavillion on my second day at the fest. Other Italian beers that impressed me were Birrificio Bruton’s Lilith, a well-balanced pale ale, and 10, a US-style hoppy barleywine; Rodersch, a Kölsch style from Birra Bi-Du, based in Roder in Como province, hence the appelation; and Bastarda rossa, a reddish ale made from Bastarda chestnuts from Birra Amiata in Tuscany (according to brewmaster Claudio Cerullo, they also do a stronger version, called Doppio Bastarda — or Double Bastard! Attention, Stone Brewing).

Most amazing were the beers of Birra del Borgo, outside of Rome. Brewmaster Leonardo Di Vincenzo had over a dozen beers represented, each one a unique brew. Among them were ReAle. A US-style IPA, and ReAle Extra, an imperial version; Genziana, made with a bittering radish of the same name indigenous to the region; Duchessa, a saison made with spelt, and Duchessic, the Duchessa blended with a 1-year-old lambic from Cantillon, and Enkir, basically the same as Duchessa except made with the ancient wheat instead of spelt, giving off a citrusy flavor.

Mondial de la Bière, part 2
Sun, Oct 18, 2009 at 11:46 PM

Winning brewmaestro Allessio Selvaggio from Croce Di Malto and his Platinum Award and 1st place beer.

…funny you should ask. Croce Di Malto, a one-year-old (wait for it) Italian brewery from the Piedmont region snagged the 1st prize Platinum medal for its TripleXXX. According to winning brewmaestro Allessio Selvaggio, it’s his own take on the style. Made with barley, wheat and oat malts (hence the 3 Xs), this 7.8% brew was definitely related to the Belgian Tripel style, only with a more complex malt profile.

Croce Di Malto was also pouringthe 5.9% Acerbus, a “powerful bitter,” and the 7% Magnus, a take on a Belgian Strong Dark Ale that tasted a wee bit off to me.

Back to the awards for a moment. As in the original Montreal Mondial de la Bière, there is one Platinum 1st place, and 10 ties for Gold/2nd. So technically, birra Baladin shared its award with 9 other beers, among them Ontario, Canada’s hoppy and dry seasonal Beau’s All Natural Festivale, Montreal’s Dieu du Ciel’s Rigor Mortis Abt, France’s Brasserie L’Abreuvoir’s Bière de Nöel, and the lone US medalist, Rogue Chocolate Stout.

A smattering of US craft breweries were represented at the Etat-Unis Pavilion booth, overseen by Tony Forder, the editor/publisher of Ale Street News outta Northern New Jersey. ASN’s Beer Sensei columnist Warren Montiero was also on hand. Aside from Rogue, also included were Weyerbacher, Blue Point, Dogfish Head, Brooklyn Brewery, Goose Island, Magic Hat, Sam Adams, Harpoon and the sole California representative, North Coast.

As previously mentioned, I spent most of my time at the Italie Pavilion.
More to come on those beers…

Mondial de la Bière, Part 1
Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 11:58 PM

Birra Baladin’s Teo Musso, left, and Chico Farinelli celebrate their 2nd place win for Nöel at Mondial de la Bière.

Spend the day at Mondial de la Bière. Not all that crowded for a Saturday, the second day of the festival. But with our press passes allowing for unlimited pours, it was easy to do some damage.

An aficionado of The Italian craft beer scene, I was delighted to see almost a dozen birrificios represented, only 1 (Baladin) I was familiar with. And they had a couple beers I hadn’t tried yet: Super Baladin Sour Edition (a tart take on their flagship which tasted of sour cherries, but included no fruit in the brewing process) and Mama Kriek (which obviously did, but had its own peculiar Baladin spin, using their own developed yeast.

It was great to see Baladin’s superstar brewer Teo Musso and his top marketing guy Chico Faranelli again, and I give them a copy of the Celebrator article I did on them recently. They had not seen it! Attention, Celebrator mailing department!

Also gratifying to see that Baladin’s Nöel tied for second place (Gold medal) in the competition as results were announced midday, making Baladin’s booth even busier.

The first place winner? Stay tuned…

Finally get to Strasbourg
Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 5:57 PM

Bella Mirella and her Faro in its unique glass.

We crash upon finally reaching our room at the Strasbourg Hilton, a whole 24 hours after departing LA. This is the hotel for the participants and attendees of the Mondial de la Bière festival. I awaken after about 5 hours, but Danise is down for the count — and the night. I head down to the lobby where the Mondial de la Bière s having the “Discover North America” reception with select bottles of Canadian and US beers available for €3 each. Nice to see Dogfish Head 90 Minute, but I grab a Brune au Miel from Micro Brasserie du Lièvre from Quebec. Kinda Belgiany.

Strike up a conversation with a guy next to me at the bar, Jörgen from Sweden, who owns the Oliver Twist beer bar in Stockholm and heads up a Swedish import company, Great Brands. With him is his friend and employee Niklas. Soon, multi-lingual Canadian beer expert and occasional Celebrator contributor (whom I have never met) Mirella Amato shows up with two Italians from Birrificio Bruton in Lucca, Tuscany: Jacapo (owner) and Andréa (brewer).

And before I know it, the 6 of us are cabbing downtown to Strasbourg to visit the city’s only brewpub: Micro Brasserie de la Lanterne, a tiny space very crowded with young revelers, it being Friday night. The bar and brewhouse share the same space. Aside from French, German and Belgian guest beers, they have 4 of their own brews on tap:

Fender Blonde 5.6% (the hoppiest)
Strato Amber 5.2% (okay)
Anäelle Blanche 5.6% (served w/ lemon — faux pas!)
Boucaniére Rouge 5.8% (actually a rauchbier, best of the lot) I order a pint.

Next: Les Berthom. Strasbourg’s best beer bar, allegedly.otsa Belgian Beers, and all the proper glassware Have a few hard to get Belgians (Dubuisson’s Cuveé des Troll and Lindeman’s sweet and sour Faro, the latter the rarest beer there). We Finish off with a Goudon Carolus Cuveé van de Keizer to split with 2 more Italian beer guys who show up Nino and Andréa. Nino owns the Sherwood pub outside Milan

Close the place down at 2 am. Sometimes jetlag is your friend.

En Route Zurich -> Strasbourg
Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 11:45 PM

Our traveling partners.

Before catching our train to Strasbourg, I find this liquor store in the station called Drinks of the World. Lotsa Swiss, German, French and English beers for sale. I pick up a mixed six pack of the former, (plus a can or France’s 11.8% Belzebuth — in a can! — to take along to stock our hotel fridge.

En route. Danise and I enjoy a couple brews. First was the Appenzeller Hanfblüte, one of many Swiss hemp lagers I found and the one recommended by the clerk. At 9.2%, it packs a little punch with it’s spicy and cannabanoid nose (and mouth): reminiscent of a bag of dry, Mexican seeded pot! Much hempier than hemp ales I’ve had in the States. The light flavor profile of the lager really lets the hemp smell/taste dominate. From Brauerei Locher.

Next, we washed down our frommage et tomato baguette with a 5.6% pale monastery lager: Trseer Kloster-Urtrunk. Can’t discern much more info from its elaborately scripted label (in German). But it is a medium-bodied, pleasantly malty brew. Like an über-Helles, I guess. Other notes from the label: Ur-belassen, Irsee IM Allgäu. I drink German but don’t speak/read much of it… Prost!

Good morning from Zurich
Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 1:53 AM

Breakfast of Champions.

Awaiting our train to Strasbourg at Zurich Banhof. None of the cafes serve food till 11 am, so it’s beer and cappucino for us.

Halden Gut is a mediocre Swiss lager, with the additive notes of maize, brewed in Zurich, I’m told. The classic German Erdinger is better, but short on the esters normally found in a weissbier. The cappucino is great, however.

Guten tag!

Europa Beer Trip: Toronto Layover
Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 2:30 PM

Beer Trip Europa starts with a 4-hour layover in Toronto. eh?

Danise and I grab some lunch at an airport restaurant, Casey’s Grill. Molsen and Coors are prevalent, as expected. But we try something I haven’t heard of: Alexander Keith’s Indian Pale Ale.

CA$8.39 for a 22 oz beer in a hard plastic glass. Golden color. Malty nose? Turns out this beer is more of a medium-bodied, decent, lager from this New Bruswick brewery. Hopefully one of the most mediocre beers of this trip.

But i found another one, tho not as bland. Spot another bar — the Bacardi Rum Bar — that has another brew I never heard of: Rickard’s Red. I’m told it’s a Molsen product. Not bad considering. Caramelly orange color Malty, a litlle biscuity and melanoideny. But body is on the light side.

The bar takes US$, but with a 6% surcharge for non-Canook currency (I learn after the fact). This 22-oz sets me back $US11.28. Extra cash probably goes to fund their national health care…

Tomm Carroll is a feature writer and the L.A. correspondent for the Celebrator Beer News, the oldest beeriodical in the United States. He has also written about beer for the Ale Street News, Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Today, and is an experienced Beer Judge in homebrew and commercial competitions. An avid beer drinker, enthusiast, collector, writer and traveler, he drinks locally and globally. He can be reached at [email protected].