Kristen Klempert

Chad George of Demun Broadway Oyster bar gives his drinks a good shake during the signature ingredient round.

​Sunday April 17, St. Louis' best bartenders competed at Taste's new home in the Central West End in the St. Louis' Top Mixology Competition sponsored by DonQ Rum. Mixology masters competed in two categories for two coveted spots to represent the Lou in the Manhattan Cocktail Classic occurring in New York this May. The competition included one category for fruit-forward drinks and one for signature ingredients in which contestants developed their own ingredients like bitters, vermouths, cordials, or whatever their imaginative minds could conjure.

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Ian Froeb

​Local beer aficionados are all a-twitter (and a-Twitter) that Schlafly and O'Fallon have released beers -- the Helles-Style Summer Lager and Wheach, respectively -- in cans. Why cans? Dave Nelson explained on a post about the release of these two beers:

Cans are becoming much more common in the craft-beer world for three reasons:

1) They protect the beer from damage wrought by exposure to light.

2) They're lighter to ship.

3) They go places that bottles aren't allowed.

Also, they look so cute in those can cozies.

Here at Gut Check International Headquarters, we couldn't resist the chance to try both -- and pit them head-to-head in a little thing we like to call FIGHT CLUB SANDWICH.

The battle, after the jump:

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[Editor's note: Schlafly Beer debuted its smart-phone app last month, and we asked two Gut Check bloggers, Robin Wheeler and Andrew Veety, to take it for a spin. Below, their respective reviews.]

Robin Wheeler's take:

​Everyone loves a good shiny thing. Press a button and receive yummy tidbits of information and we're rat-happy. Who doesn't want a free iPhone app?

Combine a free app with local food and beer? Even better!

All it takes to make an app is a relatively inexpensive piece of software and a little tech knowhow. There's no reason chains like Chipotle and Starbucks should own the market on apps. Maybe Schlafly's entrance into the app world will inspire other St. Louis restaurants and food companies to follow suit. We've gotta start somewhere.

Like at the top of the application's main page, and what's not so hot about it.

The newsletter link goes to the Schlafly website, which isn't optimized to read on an iPhone. A dedicated iPhone version of the newsletter would work so much better.

And what's the point of the e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook links, which go to the user's e-mail, Twitter and Facebook accounts? Users already have access to those features built into their iPhone. If these links took you to Schlafly's Facebook page, where you might post on their wall, send a Tweet or directly e-mail the company, they'd be a lot more useful.

Now the good stuff...

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This past Friday O'Fallon Brewery released its newest beer, O'Fallon Hemp Hop Rye, in bottles. O'Fallon president Tony Caradonna describes it as "an amber ale brewed with both toasted hemp seeds and rye."

Head Brewer Brian Owens' recipe contains three kinds of malted barley, two types of rye, three varieties of hops and toasted hemp seed. Rye isn't traditionally a common brewing ingredient, but it has been gaining popularity with craft brewers for the unique spiciness it brings to beer.

Dave Nelson

​And what about the hemp?

"Hemp is a botanical cousin to hops and we use one that's grown organically," Owens explains. "It's extremely nutritious and adds a wonderful nutty flavor in the finish. It's a perfect complement to the rye and to the Cascade, Hallertauer and Summit hops in the beer."

Kudos to O'Fallon for not playing up the marijuana connection in its marketing for Hemp Hop Rye (like so many beers that make use of hemp seeds).

Gut Check grabbed a six-pack on release day and spent some quality time with it over the weekend.

Hemp Hop pours a decidedly hazy light amber color. It smells of caramel malt, with a bit of butterscotch and a touch of spiciness. It's pretty heavy-bodied, with plenty of toffee and toasty malt flavors. There's enough hop bitterness to keep it balanced, but it's not a particularly hoppy beer in either taste or aroma. The finish is plenty long, and would pair with food much as a traditional English pale ale would: fish and chips, shepherd's pie or other classic pub fare.

​As if Craft Beer Week and Microfest aren't enough for small-batch beer lovers this weekend, tomorrow (Saturday) is also National Homebrew Day.

The American Homebrewers Association dreamed up Big Brew, held on the first Saturday of May to commemorate the 1988 Congressional passage of National Homebrew Day. It's a time for celebrating the ultimate in small-batch brewing, as well as for the estimated 750,000 home brewers in the U.S. to show off their creations and introduce people to the art of the brew.

Locally, Dave's Homebrewing Supply (122 East Main Street, Belleville, Illinois) plans to celebrate Big Brew by publicly brewing in its quaint downtown shop from 10 a.m. till 1 p.m. Be there at noon to participate in the collective toast to homebrewers.

"We are doing a wheat beer, one of the themes of the Big Brew," says Allison Babcock, the shop's co-owner. The association offers several recipes through the website for this year's brewing, including American Craft Beer Wheat, Scottish Export 80 Shilling and Rocktoberfest.

The event's not just for seasoned brewers. All skill levels, or even people who haven't brewed, are welcome. "We will answer brewing questions and help people get started," says Babcock. "Our advice? Have your favorite beer while brewing. Don't sweat the small stuff and have a good time.

"It is a good time for new brewers and brewers of all levels."

The shop will also offer sales in their extensive selection of brewing supplies.

Dave's Homebrewing Supply
122 East Main Street
(in Allison's Common Scents)
Belleville, Illinois
618- 277-2550
www.daveshomebrewgourmet.com

Cheers! Drinkers celebrated 77 years of OK'ed imbibing on Saturday in Maplewood.

Schlafly's Repeal of Prohibition Festival, held Saturday at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue) provided 25 brews, from Schlafly and three Michigan based micro-breweries. $25 got beer-drinkers a festival glass with unlimited refills and a tasting guide.

The Michigan brewers at the event were all state-wide micro brewers, giving St. Louisans an opportunity to try flavors they may not taste otherwise. Mt. Pleasant Brewing Company, Short's Brewing Company and Kuhnhenn Brewing Company brought sixteen kinds of beer to the festival. The three breweries collaborate to get their goods to St. Louis. They rented a yellow Penske van and picked up the beer from each brewery.

Schlafly brought out twelve different beers, along with a very special brew that was made in combination with a German-based brewer. For more of that check out the photos below.


​Jilian Rappaport (left) and Edina Appelbaum, both Washington University students, enjoying themselves at the Repeal of Prohibition Festival. Their favorite beer was "White Devil" by Kuhnhenn Brewing Company.
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Gut Check closely monitors new releases of beer, wine and other booze, searching for things we (and, yeah, you) shouldn't miss. We then give a select few bottles a spin before you plunk down your hard-earned.

Dave Nelson

Bitter! Sweet?

​Just in is a limited offering from the always innovative Danish craft brewer Mikkeller, called 1000 IBU. IBU stands for "International Bittering Unit," and it measures how bitter a beer is. A "triple hops brewed" Miller Lite checks in at less than 10 IBU, whereas a very "hoppy" craft IPA will check in at 70-plus. Though it varies from person to person, the human tongue can probably detect bitterness as low as 10 IBU and as high as 100.

Some craft brewers have taken to touting the IBU of their beer the way truck manufacturers tout towing capacity -- the thinking being that bigger is better, even if it's way more than you'll ever need. Mikkeller is a brewery with a sense of humor, as well as a spirit of innovation. Ergo the theoretical 1,000 IBU -- theoretical because it's simply not physically possible for the beer to absorb all of the bitterness from the metric (it's from Denmark) crapton of hops that Mikeller adds to the beer.

The hops aren't added just for bitterness. They impart flavor and aroma, too.

Explains Thomas Schøn of Mikkeller (warning: there's a NSFW profanity moment):

But how'd it taste?

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image credit

Please, enjoy your growler responsibly.

​Everybody loves fresh draft beer. (Especially those of us who prefer to spell it draught beer. For some reason, it just looks more refreshing that way. Anyhoo.) Brewpubs realize that everyone loves fresh draft beer. Many brewpubs don't bottle, so how do they satisfy customers who would like to enjoy their beer at home? They sell growlers. Growlers allow the drinker to enjoy super-fresh draft beer without being tethered to the tap.

Years ago, when there was a bar on every corner and brewing was much more of a local thing, you could send your kid down the street to the tavern for a bucket of beer. This tradition died with Prohibition, living on in only the small, stained buckets diehards used to drink Busch out of during Bevo Days. But now, thanks to the Slow Beer/craft/microbrew revolution, yet another great idea has been resurrected. Today most breweries with pubs attached sell half-gallon (64-ounce) glass bottles of their draft beer.

But why should only brewpubs offer their draft beer to go? Wouldn't it be great if restaurants and bars with superior selections offered the same service, allowing us all to imbibe the best beer in St. Louis in the safety and comfort of our own homes?

Missouri Rep. Maria Chapelle-Nadal seems to thinks so.

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Local beer lover Wade Abernathy attended the February 25 Michelob Wheatup preview of Anheuser-Busch's new Ginger Wheat beer.

​Says he: "The Ginger Wheat is an interesting twist on wheat beers. The ginger is refreshing and really makes for a nice drinking beer. I look forward to being able to pick some up at the store!"

Wade's wait is over. The new brew's now available in the company's spring sampler pack of unfiltered wheat beers, along with Shock Top, Hop Hound and Dunkel Weisse.

"For Michelob Ginger Wheat, we took a Belgian-style wheat ale and looked to Asian cuisine for inspiration," says brewmaster Craig Heisner. "The beer has unmistakable ginger aromas on the nose and crisp and spicy flavors on the tongue, without overpowering the other citrus notes. The first sip implores your taste buds to pair the beer with a selection of sushi and the finish cleanses your palate, getting you ready for the next bite."

​With St. Patrick's Day imminent, it's time to prime yourself with some basic facts and amusing anecdotes about Ireland's most popular pint:

1. It's dark, so it must be heavy!
Guinness on draft contains less alcohol and has fewer calories and carbohydrates than Budweiser. Sure, it's got more flavor than the typical American lager, but it's far from intense. Guinness is a session beer -- one that you can consume over the course of an evening, or in the case of St. Patrick's, all day long.

Koolgiy

​2. What makes it black?
The dark color (Guinness officially claims it is very dark ruby, not black) comes from roasted barley. Unlike most of the barley used in making beer, roasted barley isn't malted. Still, this seemingly defining characteristic wasn't a feature of Guinness until the late 1920s or early 1930s -- well after the company had established itself as a brewing titan.

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