Jaden James Brewery: The Little Brewery That Does

In my ongoing series of posts exploring Grand Rapids area breweries I have tried to discover each brewery's unique attributes. Jaden James microbrewery has been one of my more surprising finds. At first blush, one would not even recognize this "urban winery," microbrewery, tasting room, and home vintner/brewing supplies retailer for what it is. Located in a commercial/industrial park, it is non-descript save some white lettering that reads, "Cascade Winery," on the front of the suite facing a four-lane, divided highway near the Gerald R. Ford Airport. In the smallish tasting room, patrons stand around a U-shaped bar or sit at a few adjacent tables. Award winning wines, glassware, decor, and accessories are also available for sale in this area. A bookable party room with many more tables and another room with home vintner and brewing supplies is located off the main tasting room. Wines are poured at the bar and beer is served from taps in a kitchen behind the main bar. Decor is somewhat spartan, but includes wine-related signs and a hand-painted mural of various grape varietals.

Though I cannot fully vouch for their wine (not my area, but what I've had, including a chocolate and jalapeno wine, yes, that's right jalapeno wine, was tasty), their beer is quite good. For it's size, Jaden James brewery makes some of the best ales and lagers I have tried in the greater GR area. I introduced myself to one of the owners, Bob, who aspires to "have the smallest brewery in Michigan." Jaden James' beer is only available at the brewery, served in glasses, howlers, or growlers. Rose, another owner, manages the bar and is great to chat with. There is also Roger, who makes wine and cider, runs marathons, and does some of the brewing. There is also a brewer who does most of the brewing (I believe), but I have not met him. From what I've gathered on several visits, they have a 2-barrel brewhouse and have genuine lagering capabilities (the Oktoberfest and Black Lager are both very nice). Regular offerings include a Gluten-free beer, Cream Ale, one or two lagers, an India Pale Ale (90 IBUs and as good as I've had in these parts), four flavors of hard cider, and a root beer. Rotating and seasonal offerings I've enjoyed include a Rye IPA, India Brown Ale, Little Full Lotta Sap (a tree beer brewed with a pine branch; sounds strange, but pretty good), and a Russian Stout (their most popular beer and very good).

I see Jaden James/Cascade Winery as a great place to go if you are a beginner to the world of craft beer, or to take friends who like wine or cider but aren't sure about beer. This place has it all, and it's all good. When I have been in attendance, I've seen several parties of Groupon-ers come and go. So, because it's a small place and infrequently crowded, it can be fun to listen to what people are saying about what they are drinking. Unlike other places I've been in the city, there is a very low (or non-existent) snob factor to tarnish the drinking experience. Jaden James has Happy Hour on Thursdays 4-8 with $1 off 12 oz. and 16 oz. beers. Rose frequently offers free pretzels to snack on, but chips, crackers, cheese, and salsa are also available for sale. Tuesdays are $2 off growler fills, which I've taken advantage of once so far. I have a lot of my own beer at home to drink though, so I doubt I'll be indulging much in the near future. Overall, Jaden James seems to be my kind of place. Great beer, cider, and wine; a bright, cheery atmosphere; friendly owners, employees, and patrons; and, a convenient location and prices that keep me coming back. Here's some pics of some of their beer and cider in action.

Brewery Vivant

I pulled up to Brewery Vivant a few weeks ago after visiting O'Connors Homebrew Supply Store for some acid malt. The brewery and pub occupies the historic former Metcalf Funeral Home in the trendy (and equally historic) East Hills neighborhood just east of downtown Grand Rapids. Largely unassuming, one fails to realize what activity lies behind the large, wooden "chapel" doors until broaching the threshold of a venue which, in years past, bore witness to eulogies and darkly-clad mourners. Only much later, after having got all caught up in the reverie of quaffing Belgian-style pale ale under stone arches and roughly hewn wooden trusses out of a glass illuminated by stained-glass windows, did I recognize the poetry of juxtaposing Brewery Vivant (French for "to be living") with an old funeral parlor. The pub does, indeed, live in the chapel, furnished with long, wooden tables and benches, and high-backed booths in the transepts. The bar, encased in marble, is a great, wooden, U-shaped elbow rest about where an altar might be positioned. Behind the bar, the bartender works tirelessly serving patrons as a minister might bless, break, and serve sacraments to parishioners of a Sunday morning communion service. Although I did not try any food during my visit, one can be assured that any of Brewery Vivant's artisanal, house-made offerings easily make the Body and Blood of Christ seem like the flat wafer and cheap juice that they are. The place appears to be frequented by a significant majority of hipster types (as one might guess), but the clientele also includes humorous businessman naive to craft beer, couples, groups of capri-wearing girlfriends in Crocs, curiously austere-looking retirees, and pacifists in Birkenstocks. It is the type of place that truly lives up to the dismissive explanation, "you had to be there." So, I encourage you to go "be" there. The beer is good, mainly Belgian in inspiration if you've got a yen for a nice saison or dubbel. Enjoy these pics.

The Hideout Brewing Company

Today, I had nothing to do for the rest of the day at my internship, so I left to run some errands before completing what would be a total of 3 walks (did I mention I didn't have much to do?). But before that I was able to find and visit a brewery I'd been wanting to go to since I first learned of it:  Hideout Brewing Company. What attracted me to this brewery (other than the name and the promise of flavorful craft beer) was the obviously eclectic brewing style they employed. This is not the type of brewery that has very many simple, straight-forward beers (though some may fall short of the expectations their names create). No, they create interesting, eye-catching, "you put WHAT in this beer?!" kinds of beers. While I was there, though my own homebrewing history is not what one might call "pedestrian," I attempted to stick to the less garish-sounding beers. Nevertheless, they were as follows:  Blueberry Maple Mild, Chocolate Raspberry Mild, Sour Weizen, Polish Potato Ale, 9am Hazelnut IPA, and Trigger Man IPA. See what I mean? My Yelp.com review may be viewed here, but I enjoyed my time at Hideout Brewing Company very much. I was the only customer the entire time I was there, and the bar was tended by the brewing scheduling and distribution manager, Mike. Nice guy, and quite knowledgeable about the product. I will definitely be back. May even join the Mug Club. If you are ever in the Grand Rapids area and have time for only one brewery, I definitely recommend this one. Here's a pic of the 9am Hazelnut IPA.

Beer Books I've Enjoyed

Here are some of my favorite books about beer, brewing, etc.

Charlie Bamforth:

"Beer is Proof that God Loves Us: Reaching for the Soul of Beer and Brewing"
   -A great look at beer and brewing from a titan in the brewing sciences community. A spiritual perspective on beer (in a good way). One of the best personal narratives on beer that I've read. Very enjoyable read.

"Beer:  Tap Into the Art and Science of Brewing"
   -An extremely informative and entertaining writer, Charlie Bamforth expounds upon his great wealth of brewing science. This book contains much of the same information as his other books, but is worthwhile in its own right if you've read other Charlie Bamforth works.

Charlie Papazian:

"The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, 3rd edition"
   -The first major publication from the Godfather of homebrewing, Charlie Papazian. A nuclear engineer turned homebrewing and craft beer evangelist, Mr. Papazian has introduced millions to the joy of homebrewing. Although there may be better primers available, The Complete Joy is arguably one of the most iconic. It has some excellent stories and black & white photos.

"Microbrewed Adventures: A Lupulin Filled Journey to the Heart and Flavor of the World's Great Craft Beers"

   -Microbrewed Adventures is not a How-to book, but more of a travel journal of Charlie Papazian's experiences traveling the world in search of what the world has to offer beer drinkers. It contains great stories about beer, travel, as well as recipes not found in other of Papazian's works. Pick this one up to gain insight into the heart and soul of The Godfather of homebrewing.

Dennis Fisher & Joe Fisher:

"The Homebrewer's Garden: How to Easily Grow, Prepare, and Use Your Own Hops, Malts, and Brewing Herbs"

   -The Homebrewer's Garden does just what the title implies: provides information on how to grow and use hops, cereal grains, and other plants for use in homebrewing. It contains useful diagrams of hop trellises, malting equipment you can easily build, and descriptive lists of little known brewing herbs. It also contains valuable gardening information regarding soil composition and how to make the most of your homebrewing garden.

Gordon Strong:

"Brewing Better Beer"

   -This book, written by 3-time Ninkasi Award winner, Gordon Strong, is not (necessarily) for the novice homebrewer. Lacking an introduction to homebrewing (widely available in other books in this list), Strong assumes that his audience already knows how to brew beer. His goal is to help them brew "better" beer. He approaches his topic from a philosophical perspective, and includes an introductory chapter that outlines his philosophy of Zen and the art of brewing. Including some very interesting stories, Strong schools the reader in all things "better," with an emphasis on Brewing for Competition. As the highest ranking judge and primary writer of the Beer Judging Certification Program (BJCP) style guidelines, he knows a think or two about competitions (if you're into that sort of thing). There's some genuinely good brewing advice, too.

John Palmer:

"How To Brew"

   -Although I don't own a copy of this book, I have read a lot of it. Much of it is available online. It is arguably within the top 2, if not THE foremost homebrewing how-to book available on the market today. In it, John Palmer guides the homebrewer through novice, intermediate, and advanced brewing techniques. He makes complex procedures and concepts accessible without dumbing them down. There are also unique sets of information not found in other homebrewing primers, including the metallurgy of brewing and black and white photos of a younger, thinner John Palmer among others (John Palmer was trained as a metallurgical engineer and, oddly enough, hails from Midland, Michigan). He also co-wrote Brewing Classic Styles with Jamil Zainasheff, and will soon be releasing a book on water chemistry with Colin Kaminski. 

Randy Mosher:

"Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink"

   -Also author of Radical Brewing, Randy Mosher is a graphic designer (clearly evident in this book) and beer evangelist, who also teaches courses at Chicago, Illinois' famed Siebel Institute. Tasting Beer shares stories and extensive knowledge on beer, beer tasting, and pairing beer with food. It does not provide detailed instruction on brewing, and does not purport to do so. Aside from Garrett Oliver's book (which, in fairness, I have not read), Mosher provides one of the most impassioned and accessible books on pairing beer with food, etc. Pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

Stan Hieronymus:

"For the Love of Hops:  The Practical Guide to Aroma, Bitterness, and the Culture of Hops"

   -This book is part of a series of books by Brewers Publications which presents a compendium on each of the four main ingredients in beer:  water, yeast, malt, and hops. I had intended to finish reading the book before publishing this post, but alas I have not. All I can say is that, so far, the book is well-written, detailed, and very interesting. It's intended audience is professional brewers and homebrewers alike. It includes such topics as hop breeding, cultivation, in addition to aroma, bitterness, etc. I may provide a more detailed review in the future, but that will have to wait for now. Nevertheless, pick it up. Some of you may reading it while sitting on the toilet as I write this post. Stan Hieronymus has written a number of other gems worth a look.

Michael Jackson:

The British beer writer/journalist, not the pederast. Michael Jackson (now deceased), was the authority on beer writing long before the advent of the American craft beer revolution. He has written a large bibliography of works on beer, scotch, and whiskey. He, along with a few others, helped to bring light to beer culture around the world. A force to be reckoned with in the pantheon of beer notables, any of his works will prove to be joyfully written, encyclopedic, beautifully illustrated, and artfully photographed. 

As you continue your quest of great beer, whether that be homebrew or other great beers, bring along a little light (or heavy) reading. Above all, be fermentive.

A Beer Without A Soul

When I set out to brew the epic partigyle batch described a few posts ago, I knew that the big beer--the barleywine--would require some special treatment. The White Labs WLP099 yeast I was planning to use to ferment this beer can tolerate up to 25% ABV and attenuate >80%. It is also a somewhat finicky yeast, requiring up to 4Xs the amount of yeast as a normal beer to chew through that much sugar. White Labs also recommends using multiple yeast nutrient additions, staggered additions of wort (I'm doing sugar additions), and regular aeration/oxygenation. I could manage yeast nutrient and aeration, but propagating that much yeast would be difficult. So, instead of stepping up a yeast starter multiple times or buying several vials of yeast (at $6.50/vial), I decided to ferment a starter beer (5 gallon batch), harvest and wash the resulting yeast cake, and use that in the barleywine. Such a strategy is often used when a homebrewer wants to pitch plenty of yeast in a high gravity beer.
Since the only purpose of this "starter" beer was to create massive numbers of viable yeast cells, it did not particularly matter what was in it. I decided to use up some bits of malt and old homegrown hops to make an English Pale Ale. As such, the beer did not really have a central theme or unifying principle. It was, essentially, soul-less, and it's flavor experience follows suit. Although my heart was not in this beer, that doesn't mean I missed out on a learning experience. I learned about using old hops, about a hop variety I haven't used before (Pacific Gem), and some of the characteristics of WLP099. The following is the beer's recipe and a tasting.

Recipe: Golem Pale Ale; 5 gallons; OG 1.060; ABV 7.2%

Grist:

10# US 2-Row Pale Malt  80%

1.5# Quick Grits  12%

1# Bairds Carastan Malt  8%

Hops:

1 oz. homegrown Nugget @ 90 min. (first wort hop)

1.75 oz homegrown Nugget @ 5 min.

.5 oz. homegrown Nugget (Dry Hop 7 days)

1 oz. Pacific Gem pellets (Dry Hop 7 days)

Other additions:

1 tsp. Irish Moss @ 15 min. boil

5g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) Mash 60 min. 

Yeast:

White Labs WLP099 Super High Gravity Ale yeast

Instructions:

Single infusion mash @ 152F for 60 min. Mash-out @ 168F for 10 min. Add Carastan malt after mashout and before Vorlauf/sparging. Boil down first gallon from mash tun by half (or more) for more color/flavor from grain. Add to last 5 min. of boil. Add 5 min. hop charge at flameout; simulate whirlpool by stirring hot wort for 20-30 min before further cooling 

Tasting:

A-Pours rather clear for a low flocculating yeast. A dark straw, pale orange, it looks a bit thin in the glass. Minimal head which lingers as a white ring around the edge of the glass. Small bubbles continue to stream endlessly upwards. A picture of lifeless, shallow beauty.

S-Muted berry and subtle oak. Some acetone and fusel alcohol underlies the fruit and oak. Smells reminiscent of berry jam.

M-medium bodied, carbonic sharpness, hint of hot-ness in the throat

T-grassy hops mixed with muted berry, carbonic bite, fruity yeast esters, acetone

Overall-I brewed it, so I will drink it. If I brewed this again, I would use fresh hops and a different yeast. Perhaps, if you decide to brew this or a similar beer, you can help it find a soul, but keep watch lest it ravage yours. Let me know how it goes. Many thanks. 

Cheers!

Until next time, BE FERMENTIVE!

Review: Flora Rustica, Upright Brewing

Flora Rustica (5.1% ABV): Northwest-style saison brewed with yarrow and calendula flowers.

I've had this beer in the fridge for awhile and decided to open it tonight. I thought it might be nice to share a review. From their website: "A historic saison-style beer made with calendula and homegrown yarrow flowers yielding a hugely aromatic brew that’s dry and bitter. It’s an excellent aperitif and always ready about a month and a half after the first spring yarrow flowers."

Tasted from a Bell's tulip glass.

A-The beer pours a hazy, burnished orange with yellow highlights. Copious foam aided by lasting head retention. Inviting quaffs leave beautiful lacing on the glass. 

S-Assertive noble hop aroma with verdant minty secondary quality. Flowers of the field. Earth.

T-The taste contains even more floral, perfume-y notes, with earthy, noble hops. More assertively bitter than one might expect from a saison; perhaps this is what is implied with the "northwest" moniker. Secondary mingling of honeyed apple and cucumber. Very fresh. Refreshing. 

M-Medium.light body. Drinkable. Pleasantly refreshing. Dry finish with lingering freshness.

Overall impression-I would drink this again. It is interesting enough to invite the next drink, but refreshing enough that the flavors do not wear out there welcome. I look forward to more offerings from this brewery.

Until next time, BE FERMENTIVE!