Marketing Tricks of the Trade-- Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

 

April 2, 2021 Way of the Cross led by Pope Francis

Cape Cod Ginger-- Ginger Original Beer/Ale, Served Cold or Hot...

 

Real Ginger "Ale", or "Beer", Organic, fresh, non ethanol-- all around great new beverage in 5 actual fruit flavors-- you can see an interview with the Massachusetts owner and developer who built the bottle line himself, like a volcano surfing one man show:

See Video:

https://vimeo.com/435160535

In contrast to, say Reed's Ginger Beer, which will blow your face off with the heat of the ginger, this is akin to the Canadian version, mellowed down for polite company-- a kind of new improved "Canada Dry" or old Schweep's was it, which are super sweet, mild.. soda-ish-- and tame by contrast to both Reed's, Jamaica's Award winning Dg Brand Ginger Soda, and this new Cape Cod Ginger, making it a welcome addition to what's on the shelves in the US.

Of course, there's always the Homebrewing for you DYIers-- naturally fermented-- high in natural probiotic version you can try out for yourself, which is as easy as this:

Get fresh Ginger-- peel half of the skin off, but leave some skin.  

Blend it in your Nutrabullet or whatever.  

Save some peel which has the good yeast that will feed on the sugar you'll add to ferment the beverage, man--- Now add to make a mixture of organic cane sugar in a container (Mason jar) with an open lid-- with paper towel or coffee filter over top (to stop insects) and leave it overnight, maybe a few days-- that's called a "Ginger Bug" which will begin the fermenting the Ginger and Sugar mixture.  When you see bubbles, transfer it to a Mason Jar with a lid and seal it. 

It will naturally carbonate.  You'll gave natural "soda" with probiotics, started from the good bacteria from the ginger peel.   

If you add enough sugar or Dextrose (corn sugar), you could generate a beverage with ethanol-- making an actual Ginger Beer beer that could go way beyond feeding your gut microbe with probiotics to getting you bombed on the ethanol... but let's not get crazy for now, okay?

It's kind of ironic to be sampling this great new, if mild take on "Ginger Beer", as I finish a book on the "golden age" of Piracy, 200 years ago, featuring the strong connection between early shipping companies and individuals in Massachusetts who ventured down to the Caribbean's Pirate Republics, defectors who started out as "Privateers" with permission from the British crown to steal and plunder Spanish ships only to be outlawed and left to fend for themselves with a particular set of skills, taking ships and cargo, such as Ginger from where it was grown... by slaves. 

I can envision a Pirate like Captain Morgan, or say, Jonny Depp fresh out of rehab-- clean and sober on the label in a new slick bottle, or can-- like RedBull-- with a tie in to another Pirate movie.  Hell, I may write the owner to put Taurine in it and make a Ginger Energy Drink and White Label it with my own pirate. Hell, I might dress up as the pirate to be on the label!  Wouldn't that be cool?  

Source Brewing, Colt's Neck NJ-- Thought Virus IPA

After last night's Home Brewed Porter Cider, and some Home made wine, and other wines from Napa, we rocked over to Source Brewing in Colt's Neck NJ for liquid lunch that included just snack foods-- you have to bring your own actual food there. 

Nevertheless, pressed for time, we had just one-- I ordered him a Spring Saison, which was light and mild, frothy and a bit clouded but delightful.  He didn't like it-- strickly a pils guy, but I did. 

I also like the Dark humorously named "Thought Virus" IPA they brewed to light up the scenery as you can see in the photos.  Although-- their rap from the website betrays no irony about using the word "Virus" in naming a beer.  On the contrary, there is some narrative about learned helplessness and the principles of brainwashing, all of which went right over and around my head. 

But it was a nice beer-- a bit thin, but smelly and bitter in a great hoppy way.  And the Wit bier looking head on both beers were inspirational.  

According to their website, Thought Virus is brewed with "flaked oats and wheat and double dry hopped with Cashmere, Azacca, and Simcoe.".  

I did not get all or any of the flavor notes they mention on the web-- fruits and pines.  I got a thin mouth feel, floral hops.  I nice Wheat IPA cross training style. 

I wanted to try the Nitro stout and he wanted a lager, but the outdoor service was slow, we were pressed for time, and he had a headache from the Beasty Boys blasting out the back in the yard. 

Source is a great spot with clean equipment (I love to see that) and friendly folks pouring the pours.  Plenty of places to bring food, including the produce heavy supermarket next door with a big deli counter.  

Home Brew Review-- Hopped Porter Cider or "Graf" (Oh bother).

Last night after a long drive to see a close friend who's wife went to a vineyard for a night with her friends, we opened one of my home brewed Hopped Porter Cider bombs (yes, I know, it's what some beer-Sci-Fi-Horror geekanoids are calling "Graf" on the internet (see the link footnote) based on a Stephen King's "Dark Tower", but I like names that include the beer style being mixed with cider to make ghoulish "Graf", that like, literally describe the beverage... here... man). 

Please do volunteer for that conversation after trying to ordering "Graf" at your local Craft Brewery that's blasting heavy metal with the staff that appears to be working for beer rations.  Be sure to explain the part about Dark Tower by Stephen King.*

Nevertheless, this was a "Graf" batch that I made in October after boiling out a 5 gallon pot of malted porter style barley I had laying around for the purpose, and adding several rounds of hops, and dry hopping the whole thing with what I had left with hops I also had lying around for years-- in ziplocks in the fridge. 

The wort was mixed with fresh pressed Apple must from a NY State vineyard.

It was outstanding. It came out much better than I thought, everything about it was why one should take the time, effort and expense to home brew. It was thicker than any cider (and did not give me a headache like EVERY cider), it was just slightly malty, almost imperceptible in fact, it smelled fresh and great, and hoppy but sweet, not cheezy and sour.  It was lingering on the palate in a good way, sightly bitter after the gulp.  The head was clean and lovely.  

Love this stuff-- it's simple to make too.  Boil malted porter for 40 mins, add hops at lower heat for another 15 mins, let cool, add hops on top of the must, and mix in an organic apple cider, which can cool it down enough to reach the 90s... 90F which is when you can add Nottingham yeast as I did, or something similar-- Saison, or even EC1118, a white wine yeast that would not make me mad at you.   Wait 10 days and put in bottles (use PET plastic-- no BPA to keep it really simple, which I did not do-- I bottled mine with American flag caps and the very fancy label you can see in the photo here. 

I only got one photo, because me and my chum were talking, laughing and drinking this and a few wine-- including one I made last October too...  a great mix of 3 grapes I'll post about when I get some photos (he thought it was still too young and acidic).


*See also:

https://youtu.be/KLbRBl6p4Ec

Matthew's Brewing Lake Worth FL *****

Fun spot tucked away near junk yards and auto service centers that probably will not try to confiscate and impound your car if you refuse to get a $850 brake job in order to pass inspection (That's kind of a hiccup about bringing the car to the Sunshine cartel state).  But I digress.  Sorry, when auto mechanics shaked down your 89 year old father it tends to stick with you.  

Nevertheless,  you walk up on a give sunny day, the music is blasting and that lobster truck is on shark tank is sitting out front selling lobster sandwiches made out of The real McCoy-- none of those sea legs with miracle whip from the supermarket. 

The beer machine cask beer is called an "English Dark Mild Ale" today and it's not freezing but well below room temperature (thank you for doing it the American way) It's dark like Pepsi, but not malty, and balanced like production grade beer. Carmel, little chocolate riffs the whole way down.

The head was frothy giant bubbles that disability quickly to flattened mode. 

Aroma?  Nearly bready, but kind of whiskey wood.  ABV--  4.5%.   IBU, just 25, which is just enough to make it take on the stumilus for a liquid PICA rate of intake.  Again-- well done.  

Texture-- feels like my tongue is wearing a light cardigan sweater.   There's a Listerine after taste that I love-- as if after we go those times I wish I could drink Listerine, I finally have an excuse. 

Clearly, Matthews knows what they are doing.  Very clean, week capitalize back room-- tanks are split shine with spotlights on it, the stars of the show.  There is a funny, Pink Floyd The Wall themed mural, my other 4th favorite Floyd. 

I'd say this place is worth a trip from anywhere in Florida based on the beer machine alone.  Real Beer served here!

 

The Pick 4 for $11 are:

Black Mettallic Nitro-- beautiful, dry, frothy, roasted, nearly thick and creamy but cut in 2 by its Ethanol, with an pleasant after taste-- again, like inspiration for another liquid PICA problem. Something tells me these guys are chemists. 

Junk Yard Dog is completely odorless and undetectable as a Serbian Hitman. Brown, malty, NUTMEGish.  Also Beautiful. Marris Otter put to good use.  There's a bourbon finish. Not due how it why, chemistry or casks.  Carmel coated malty texture.  I love it as true to style.  Is like more malt, but grains are not free and it's a god damn pandemic, so, let's keep it 100%.  Thanks guys. 

"Florida Haze", is frightening!  I'm so excited I thought i was going to piss myself for fun. Aroma aroma aroma.  This must have been dry hopped with these 4 thug hops: Galaxy Amarillo, Warrior and Motueka?  Wtf-- in the pandemic?  These guys must own a hop farm in Oregon. I have not even tasted this beer yet and it's at 10 out of 10. 

Haze yellow, the head is as sustainable as organically farmed tilapia.  Taste-- bodyslam.  Hulk Hogan took his vitamins when they made this. Exactly as advertised. What a beer. FU. ABV 7.2%, so I'm done a 3 oz.  IBU?  59, Not lying.  What a beer.  Medicinal really, for the soul.  Bitter, fragrant, flawers and fruit, but taste like a Ritz-Carlton not a crappy gift basket from that company that sends out old carved edible fruit dipped in cheap chocolate.  

"Accelerate"-- another IPA, ABV 6.9%, IBU-- 69, a filthy number to contemplate. The nose is understated-- lurking like love sick stalker after hours outside a strip club. Not really "aromatic" per se, but close... Too close for comfort. Probably not dry hot. Clear unlike the hazy ipas they have on sale. Amber. Bitter as F. Love it. Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo and Centennial, or is I like to call them The four IPA horsemen. 

Bottom line-- this place gives Cigar City, a kick in their crotches. 

Could not agree more

 https://beerandbrewing.com/brew-it-dark-and-hoppy-the-balancing-act/