CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 18 Made in America: Part III

W W W. C R A F T BY U M H . C O M WE S TERN REGIONALS Alpine, WY Your IPA Melvin Brewing I’ve had a brewer crush on Dave Chichura since he was a guest on Under My Host many, many moons ago. When he left Oskar Blues it was a pretty big ado, but I think it’s fair to say Melvin is a greener pasture and Your IPA exemplifies that. This citrusy, fruit-forward IPA, made with lupin cryopowder, is tasty indeed, but what makes it ultra-special is Melvin’s commitment to contribute two-percent of its prof- its to RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit that provides Americans with medical debt relief. Now, that’s good drinking! Well done, Melvin and Uncle Dave, well done. BY CORI PAIGE Burlington, WA The Garden Paths Led to Flowered Garden Path Fermentation We spent 2017 tracking the progress of Garden Path Fermentation with found- ers Amber Watts and Ron Extract in their four-part series “Our Journey Down the Garden Path: Adventures in Brewery Startup”, so I was pretty excited to receive one of their first full production beers! This blend of barrel-aged beer and an open fermented blonde ale is delicate and floral with the understated funk I’d expect from an ale produced by Amber Watts and Ron Extract and their Skagit Valley microbial lodgers. Totally refined. Totally Amber and Ron. Keeping it local: made with Pacific Northwest hops, wheat and malt from Skagit Valley Malting, and naturally conditioned with Skagit blackberry honey from The Valley’s Buzz. Gilbert, AZ Sangio Cerveza Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. Salem, OR Rhubard Som Shandy Gilgamesh Brewing This shrub-spiked lager is one of the tastiest shandies I’ve ever had. Part of Gilgamesh Brewing’s Chef Series, Rhu- bard Som Shandy is a limited release, but I wouldn’t be mad if Gilgamesh collaborates with Andy Ricker to create additional shandies with any or all Som flavors or surprised if others nick this concept and run with it. This crossbreed (49-percent wine/51-percent ale), made with wild ale hopped with Arizona Wilderness’ own aged hops and wine crafted with two tons of Arizona-grown Sangiovese grapes from Dos Cabezas Wine Works in Sonoi- ta, is fermented and matured for eight months in a French oak foeder. The end result is a funky farmhouse rosé spritzer. Very nice! Golden, CO Riva Stout Holidaily Brewing Company After a bout with serious illnesses that left her intolerant to gluten, Holidaily Brewing founder, Karen Hertz, left her position at big beer behind and set out to build a brewery of her own, one that’s 100-percent gluten-free. Whether gluten is or isn’t an issue for you, all you need to know is that this is one delicious stout. I think that’s the highest compliment I can give to my first gluten-free beer. Riva’s robust mocha-anise profile is accompanied by an almost gluten-full mouthfeel. The grains used to produce Holidaily beers—primarily buckwheat and millet— are grown nearby in Wellington, CO. Albuquerque, NM Oktoberfest Lager La Cumbre Brewing Company La Cumbre remains true to this Marzen-style’s roots. Made with Bavarian toasted malts, Bavarian lager yeast, and German noble hops means that this crisp, spicy lager doesn’t technically highlight any regional ingredients … unless I’m allowed New Mexican water? Whatever. It’s an enjoyable brew, and my first from New Mexico! San Diego, CA Barrel-Aged Old Numbskull AleSmith Brewing Company Paso Tobles, CA Bretta Tangerine Firestone Walker Brewing Company It’s not an autumn roundup without a barleywine, is it? After spending time in bourbon barrels Old Numbskull stumbles out of the oak super scrumptious and smack- ing of German chocolate cake. A dessert perfect for sharing, no forks necessary. Zest from one thousand pounds worth of Murcott tangerines grown at Friend’s Ranches in Ojai was added to barrels of Bretta Weisse where they coferment for two funk-propagating months. The upshot? Mouthwatering, o-o-o-o-facing tangy tangerine. © Hundred-to-One LLC 2018. All rights reserved.

CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 18 Made in America: Part III - Page 130