My First Beer--T&A Brewing Company

            On July 29, 2016, Andrew Wright had his first beer.

            No, he didn’t just turn 21. 

            No, he didn’t suddenly decide to drink.

            He literally had his first beer. 

            It was a process that started almost two years before.  Andrew and his wife Tea, high school sweethearts and parents of two teenage girls, opened T&A Brewing, a tap room with the motto “No crap on tap!”  This might not seem like a big deal, but Tea and Andrew spent the first year convincing patrons to drink beer other than Bud Light. 

            Andrew had been home brewing as a hobby for about four years.  Then he got sent out of town to work for eight weeks.  This job did not just send him to the community down the road, but all the way to Arizona, with no options to come home on weekends.  This was just too much for a family man like him.  It was the final straw that pushed him and Tea toward brewing on a larger scale and owning their own business. 

            The couple purchased a historic building on Main Street of their home town, Newcastle.  Though the Wrights have heard this structure was originally a hardware store, most locals referred to it as the Bronco Bar, the business it held for decades.  They then gutted the space from front to back, exposing original stucco and brickwork and making room for the brewery. 

 

 

            As Andrew and Tea jumped through the numerous federal, state, and local hoops to receive all the required licenses, time quickly passed.  Financial hurdles also acted as obstacles to the brewing timeline, but each time a complication occurred, Andrew found a solution.  Though Tea and Andrew did not have any business partners or financial backers, they did have a lot of friends and family supporting them at every one of these twists and turns.

            This leads back to Andrew’s first beer:  T&A’s 747 Amber—the first in a series of beers Andrew is going to name after those who helped him and Tea make this dream a reality.  The beer’s namesake has a long history with Andrew.  Garrett Borton and Andrew go back a long time…way back.  Andrew and Garrett moved in together as seventeen-year-old seniors, both longing for their own freedom and space away from home. 

            Fast forward nearly fifteen years, and Garrett was one who helped gut the historic building.  He spent hours sandblasting the stucco and brick walls.  He loaned tools, vehicles, and trailers for the moving of the brew equipment.  He may even be a valued customer at T&A now and again…wink, wink.  This helpful energy Garrett has given to Andrew and Tea’s business is shown in Garrett’s time of birth—7:47—proving Garrett’s high-octane, jet-fueled personality, a personality reflected in the amber ale.

            Andrew chose an amber—Garrett’s favorite style—as the inaugural brew because it fits many palates.  It is more serious than a light beer, yet can still be good for non-craft beer drinkers.  Keeping with the high-octane motif that Garrett’s character provides, the ale is nearly seven and a half percent alcohol…yes, basically 7.47 percent. The 747 is “light on the palate for a dark beer with light caramel maltiness and a clean finish.”

            Need any more proof that this initial brew is truly something exceptional?  Keep in mind the entire brew process took nearly six weeks—four weeks in the fermentation tank, one week in the brite tank, and one week in the kegs (carbonating).  That is six weeks of work to create a quality product...that sold out in just half that time. 

 

 

 

Yes, in a mere three weeks after the release, the 747 was gone.  Sold out.  Done.  Drank.  Enjoyed by Black Hills beer enthusiasts.   Enthusiasts that just can’t wait for Andrew’s second beer.

 

 

More Sweet Than Bitter--Bitter Esters Brewery

            Yesterday, on a beautiful Black Hills fall afternoon, my family and I entered Bitter Esters Brewhouse in Custer, South Dakota and found a bustling crowd filling the quaint and comfy brewpub.  I realized that like myself, many in the area had been hearing about the quality beer and food Landon Swanson was producing at Bitter Esters and stopped to find out firsthand.  None of us were disappointed.

            Bitter Esters opened on Main Street Custer almost four years ago.  Swanson, who has a master’s degree in biology and was a wildlife biologist in his life before beer, started on his quest to be a brewer by working at the Wild Sage Grille, a restaurant in Sioux Falls, SD.  The owner of Wild Sage also ran the Sage Creek Grille in Custer, and Landon traveled to Custer to operate the restaurant for several seasons.  Over three years ago, the team from Wild Sage and Sage Creek opened Bitter Esters.  The brewery was only opened seasonally in the beginning as its popularity grew.  It is now opened all year, with limited hours and days in the off-season. 

            Landon Swanson is almost a one man show—with background help in the kitchen.  He greeted us, took our orders, delivered our drinks, and brought our food.  Thankfully, he has wonderful chefs in the kitchen making the unique pub fare, or Landon would really have been busy!  The food menu is unique pub-style food.  The usual suspects, like grilled burgers and pulled pork sandwiches, are available to order, but there are also some distinctive options that aren’t found in your average bar.  The baked potato nachos with kettle cooked potato chips, sour cream, bacon bits, and chives were delightful.  Even better—and more original in a pub—were the Drunken Mussels made with the house ale, served with bread for dipping.  So, so good!

Good food in a great environment.

          Swanson considers Bitter Esters an ale house, as he produces more English style ales than anything else.  However, the number of beers available spans from stouts to ales to India pale ales.  At any time, there is up to seven original Bitter Esters brews on tap.  Landon likes to always have one guest tap option and up to 38 beers from other brewers for purchase.  In the summer, when the tourist population really keeps Bitter Esters busy, there may only be three original brews available.  However, in the winter months, when tourist traffic is much slower, there are more Bitter Esters beers from which to choose.  This is because Bitter Esters is just a two barrel brew house, and for now, Landon likes this size and thinks it will stay this way.   

The seven Bitter Esters brews on tap.

Empty!

Build your own beer flight...have one of each.

            The Red Medicine Brown Ale (“malty brown ale with hints of cocoa”) and the Grace Anne Stout (“dark and delicious”) are always on the menu.  The other taps rotate between a larger number of beer recipes Swanson produces.  Since it is a beautiful fall, the Autumn Spice Saison is a natural fit as a seasonal option on the menu.  Other beers included the Padfoot Hula Farmhouse Ale (the “sendoff to summer…a Hawaiian dance in a glass”), the It’s All Mine!!! All Day Every Day Ale (“roasty British themed Amerbish Ale"), and the Ne’er Do Well Coffee Ale (“surprisingly light”).  My hubby got his favorite style, the Testy Tourist Imperial IPA (with four times the hops of the pale ale).  Landon also has plans for some distinctive beers this spring.  He has several brews aging in whiskey and wine barrels that will be ready after this long Black Hills winter. 

Many original qualities in this brew house, from the food to the growers...

...to the sense of humor of Swanson and staff!  Myspace...haha!

            Bitter Esters was definitely a sweet stop to make on an absolutely fabulous fall day.  The number of people in the brew house on a late afternoon in the off-season is proof of the quality food, drink, and reputation Landon Swanson has built in the nearly four years Bitter Esters has been opened.  Stop in for a bite and a sip as soon as you can, no matter what the weather!

At Its Peak--Crow Peak Brewing

I did it once more.  I cheated.  I am here to confess my transgressions.  I cheated on wine…with beer…yet again…

Frankly, I blame the fascinating microbrew community for making me do it.  It’s not my fault.  I just couldn’t help myself.  There were too many temptations for me.  I should not be held responsible for my actions!

Today it was Crow Peak Brewing.  I was instantly attracted to the exterior looks.  It is one great looking facility!  Tall, dark, and handsome.  Two stories with an outdoor, upper deck—who wouldn’t be attracted to that?

Crow Peak looks good!

The inside is just as striking.  The large, open seating area lures drinkers in…even wine drinkers like me.  The unique fire place was practically calling my name as it winked at me and said, “How you doin’?”

Unique and inviting on the inside too.

I took the bait.  I sat down at the bar and let the beer talk to me.  I was in trouble.  They were all so seductive. 

First, it was the three beers Crow Peak produces and distributes all year around:  Pile O’ Dirt Porter, Canyon Cream Ale, and 11^th Hour IPA.  These three show the range of styles Crow Peak spans, and they are impressive.  From the dark porter, to the hoppy IPA, to the light ale, all show the quality original owner Jeff Drumm was reaching for when he started brewing on a large scale in 2007.

Next, I was attracted to the seasonal options, some distributed in the Midwest and areas surrounding Spearfish, some only available on tap at the brewery. 

The 5.2 Imperial Decade IPA, brewed by Jeff for himself on his fifty-second birthday, is a masculine beer filled with hoppy bitterness (100 IBUs to be exact!). 

But these beers are in touch with their feminine sides as well.  Take the Ancient Mariner for instance.  It uses a saison yeast brewed with Chai tea for that sugar and spice and everything nice factor.

This season’s Easy Livin’ Summer Ale is the perfect date for a hot summer day with its light hop and slightly sweet flavor.  (And it just smells so good!)

Spearbeer, the first Crow Peak beer Jeff brewed, shows there is no fear of commitment here.  It is a beer with staying power.

And to keep the excitement alive, Mjollnir is an ale with a secret…a secret ingredient.  Mjollnir, meaning Thor’s hammer, uses Black Hills spruce tips in the recipe to spice things up!  Unfortunately, Mjollnir also likes to play hard to get as it is a winter seasonal beer, not available for purchase at this time. 

Mjollnir is secretive, seductive, and spicey.



As if all of these beer selections weren’t enough to cause even the best wine drinkers to stray, Crow Peak carries eight beers on tap and has a rotation of over forty beer recipes that could show up on the menu at any time. 

With so many options fighting for my attention, it is no wonder my eyes wandered away from wine and to the many beers Jeff and crew (Josh, Matt, and Adam) brew.  There are just too many temptations for someone to be faithful all the time.  Though wine is my first—and true—love, my attentions may be pulled to the booming craft beer movement in the Black Hills more often.  And let’s face it:  every once in a while, a girl just needs a beer!  Forgive me, please. 

Josh, Jeff, and Matt tempting wine drinkers one beer at a time.

Unfaithful

I admit freely, have admitted it freely for years, I am a wino.  (I often like to spell it wineaux…it makes me feel better.)  I enjoy a glass of wine multiple nights a week with dinner.  I love new and different wines when I find them.  I love experiencing the culture of wine, learning about wine, and teaching about wine.  But lately…lately…I have been neglecting my lover wine and spending a bit more time with beer…and as a friend pointed out, it is as if I am cheating on wine!  The first weekend in May I led a Brinery Tour through the Black Hills, enjoying both wine and beer (see blog post below).  This past weekend, a group of friends and I went to Fort Collins, known as the Napa of Beer, to attend a private beer tasting there with Lauren Hoff, founder of the blog with the same name—Napa of Beer.  Lauren, knowing I was a wineaux, focused the very unique tasting on “Beer for Wine Lovers.”  Then we tried some truly one-of-a-kind beers. 

Beer One:  Funwerks Saison—This beer was produced right in Fort Collins, though I have not visited Funwerks yet.  Saison beers were originally brewed for farm hands to drink in the French speaking areas of Belgium.  Special yeasts were used that made this beer sweet and smooth with “funky” flavors.  It had a light straw color, and at 30 IBUs (International Bitterness Units) was considered not overly bitter.  This was my friend, and fellow beer taster, Jody’s favorite beer of the six. 

Though not sipping the Saison, Jody and Michelle enjoying the tasting.

 



Beer Two:  NoLi Born and Raised IPA—India Pale Ales like this beer are known for their bitterness from the hops used during production, and the NoLi was no exception.  Its score of 80 on the IBU scale shows the “hoppiness” in the drink.  However, people--like my hubby--who love IPAs, love the hoppy bitterness.  This second beer was his favorite in the tasting.  The brew master who makes NoLi beers got his start in Fort Collins, then took his talents to Washington to start his own brewery.  It was made in Spokane, and all the materials used came from within 200 miles of the brewery.    

NoLi Born and Raised IPA.

 



Beer Three:  Midas Touch Clone—When King Midas’s tomb was discovered, beer was found buried with him.  Scientists and beer enthusiasts have broken down the ingredients in the beers found, and this mix of beer, mead, and grapes was a clone of the ancient beer.  (Many ancient beers have been scientifically mapped and then recreated in modern breweries.  Who knew?!)  The hobbiest brewmaster who brewed this beer, Matthew Burton, was on hand for our tasting.  He brews in his garage in his spare time; this particular beer he aged for four years, mostly in bottle.  I enjoyed the mix of the wine and beer world in this taster; the mead (honey wine) was evident on the palette.  This brew was my favorite.  I drank another glass later in the tasting and found I liked it even more when it had warmed up a few degrees.  (This is usually the exact opposite of how I feel about beer:  I want it colder than cold can get.)

 

Midas Touch King Clone.

Beer Four:  Blue Moon Impulse—The only beer we had that was not technically from a craft brewery (must be small and independently owned), Coors produced the Blue Moon Impulse.  It was a combination of wheat beer and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes as part of the Vintage Ale series combining beer and wine.  This beer was lighter, sweeter, and softer than any of the others.  To me it was reminiscent of church wine with some carbonation.  However, many liked the softer style that wasn’t beer-like or wine-like.  My sister enjoyed this one; it was her favorite. 

Beer Five:  Odell Amuste—Odell Brewery’s community room played host (with Lauren and Matthew) to our private tasting, and this fifth beer represented the host brewery well.  Amuste was an imperial porter aged for two years in oak barrels with Tempranillo grape juice sourced from the western slope of Colorado.  Beautifully brown in color, the porter showed hints of coffee and chocolate.  It was a very robust beer, and my Fort Collins friend Rhonda especially enjoyed this one.

 

O'Dell's Amuste porter.

Beer  Six:  Solera Old Ale—A second project from one of our tasting hosts Matthew, Solera started as a group barrel with multiple brew masters adding ingredients to create a sour ale.  From 2008 to 2011, ten gallons were removed from the barrel for consumption each year, and ten more gallons of new brew were added.  Our batch was pulled in 2011, and not long after, the entire barrel was emptied for use.  What that meant was we were truly drinking an exclusive beer.  Many thought this was too bitter for them, but it was actually my second favorite beer of the tasting.  This wine lover found I actually liked the beers MOST that tasted the LEAST like beer.  Go figure. 

 

With Lauren and Matthew--thank you both!

 

Though I don’t usually drink beer, I love the whole culture behind the microbrew and craft beer industry.  People are fun, friendly, and accessible, while the brewery tasting rooms are noisy, boisterous, and vibrant…all qualities I enjoy.  Lauren taught us how to taste beer, and though there are similarities to wine tasting, there were unique aspects just for beer.  Sometimes I think the wine world can be too stuffy and pretentious; the craft beer world takes this stuffiness and laughs in its face!  I don’t see myself ending my love affair with wine anytime soon; however, I truly enjoyed our beer tasting and learning even more about beer.  I may “cheat” on wine periodically to get my fill of the alternative, and entertaining, culture of beer! 

 

Our group enjoying our private tasting.

 

Please visit Lauren Hoff's Napa of Beer.

What the Heck is a Brinery? Black Hills Beer and Wine

And in addition to brinery, what the heck is a portmanteau?  Are these two of those complicated wine terms the average person has no clue about and no use for?  What do these words mean?!? 

Actually, a portmanteau is a word created by combining two words together into one—ginormous, Spanglish, Brangelina.  Lately, our culture is filled with them.  So I decided to create my own:  brinery!  A brinery is a mix of brewery and winery together, and this past Saturday I led a wonderful group on a Black Hills Brinery Tour, getting the best wines, beers, and scenery the Black Hills has to offer. 

Brinery Tour group outside of Crow Peak Brewing.

Stop one:  Naked Winery/Sick and Twisted Brewery Hill City

            Naked Winery is an interesting Black Hills story.  The wines are actually produced in Oregon, primarily from Washington and Oregon grapes.  South Dakota has two Naked Winery tasting rooms; the original in Custer, South Dakota just celebrated its second anniversary in March.  I have been privileged to witness the evolution of these tasting rooms from the very beginning, and what a fast evolution it has been!  The Hill City tasting room has expanded the number of wines it sells, doubled the size of its tasting room, and started brewing its own beer under the Sick and Twisted name.  There are six Sick and Twisted beers, all with some pretty risqué names, adding to the whole naughty, naughty theme of the Naked wines.  Though I regularly admit I am not a beer connoisseur, several in our group who are avid beer drinkers gave the Sick and Twisted beers thumbs up.  (I even remembered to bring the hubby’s growlers from home and filled a growler with the Panty Dropper Porter…I told you, naughty, naughty!)   The wines, as always, were a special treat!  In the past I have I enjoyed the flagship wine of Naked, the Merlot, and the 2009 vintage was no exception.  I also have a special affinity for Oregon Pinot Noirs, and Naked has two that are very nice!  Yes, Naked Winery/Sick and Twisted Brewery is a perfect example of my new word brinery!

Tasting at Naked Winery/Sick and Twisted Brewing, Hill City.

 Stop two:  Prairie Berry Winery

            I have also written about Prairie Berry Winery before, as it was the winery that broke ground for the other tasting rooms and wineries that now call the Black Hills home.  Prairie Berry has also evolved into a premier winery, whether in the Black Hills or elsewhere.  Originally, Prairie Berry produced more (and became famous for) fruit wines from rhubarb, pumpkin, and buffalo berries.  However, as this establishment has attracted more palettes, it has also evolved.  It now produces more dry reds and some very quality dry reds at that!  I happen to enjoy Phatt Hogg Red (a blend in the Pinot Noir class), Rimrock (a Zinfandel), and Sand Creek (a Cabernet Sauvignon blend).  The fruit wines are still incredibly fun and popular, and in honor of the Cinco de Mayo weekend, one could order a Red Ass-arita, a margarita made from Red Ass Rhubarb wine.  We also ate our lunch at this stop.  Though I can rave about how far PBW has come with its wine production, I don’t have the words to talk about the food that can be experienced here!  We had gourmet Paninis and pizzas since we were just breezing through, but the lunches and special dinners here are absolutely amazing!  I am hungry just thinking about the mouth-watering treats served from the kitchen created by specialty chefs Maija and Heidi.

Tastes and lunch at Prairie Berry Winery.



Stop three:  Belle Joli

            Though the Black Hills still has a very small number of wineries and tasting rooms, I love that each one is so unique when compared to the last.  Belle Joli is different still from the last two stops.  Enologist and vintner Matthew Jackson went to CSU Fresno, and then came back to Belle Fourche, South Dakota to grow grapes.  There is the facility and vines in Belle Fourche, but now there is also a small tasting room in Deadwood, South Dakota and more vines between Belle Fourche and Sturgis, SD.  Also, expansion plans include a larger tasting facility outside of Sturgis, hopefully breaking ground this summer.  Jackson grows the majority of his grapes and outsources for some of the fruit used in his dessert wines—cherry, peach, and pear.  The new peach and pear dessert wines I tried this weekend have similar residual sugars to ice wine, and the wonderful smooth flavor showed this.  Belle Joli is still a true family affair, with Matthew’s wife, Choi, and parents taking active roles in the wine production.  I look forward to seeing the continued progress of Belle Joli and its truly South Dakota product.

Purchasing at Belle Joli in Deadwood.

Stop four:  Crow Peak Brewing

            The final stop on our Brinery Tour took us to yet another unique aspect of the growing wine and beer industry:  Crow Peak Brewing in Spearfish, South Dakota.  The brewery started on a small scale in 2007, and then moved to a gorgeous, wood-sided facility in 2009.  (The mantel made of rocks that is in the shape of a beer jug is my favorite part of the décor.)  Many seasonal beers are brewed here, but some of the selections are canned throughout the year for distribution around the multi-state area:  Pile O’ Dirt Porter and 11^th Hour IPA.  Again, I’m not a beer drinker (wine only, thank you!), but I love the ambiance, culture, and environment of microbreweries.  They are just fun places to be!  Crow Peak was no exception.  Our large group split into smaller groups and received tours of the beer production areas from Josh, one of the owners.  We also sipped on many different types of beer, from a lighter cream ale to a hoppy, hoppy IPA.  I was again prepared with the growler that I filled with the hoppiest of the beers for my hubby, since those are his favorites. 

The sommelier had a beer...at Crow Peak Brewing in Spearfish.

            After four stops enjoying Black Hills brinery experiences, the bus ride home was not boring.  (What happens between Sundance and Upton, stays between Sundance and Upton.  Hahaha!)  I truly enjoyed both the wine and beer of the brineries in the Black Hills.  Just like portmanteaus evolve with our culture and society (who would have imagined a word like “sexting” even ten years ago), the wineries and breweries of the Black Hills are evolving into world-class establishments.  My hope is that as these industries boom in all regions of the country, our little corner of the Midwest will also continue to see the expansion of these industries.  Next year’s Brinery Tour can’t get here soon enough!