Strangebird's new oak-aged Czech pale lager totally rules (and there are more to come)
Strangebird's new oak-aged Czech pale lager totally rules (and there are more to come)
The beer called, Cathedral Windows, is named after a quote from Charlie Bamforth, a famed brewing scientist
You’ll have to forgive me, but I’m still swooning over Strangebird’s newest dreamy lager.
Cathedral Windows is a barrel-lagered Czech-style pale lager named after a quote from Dr. Charlie Bamforth, a famed brewing scientist and one-time professor of Strangebird co-founder/head brewer Micah Krichinsky during his studies at UC Davis.
Bamforth conducted research about foam. (No joke, it’s important!) And I can confirm the beer, after each lovely gulp, leaves behind a pleasing array of lacing.
The hearty lager with the spicy hop bitterness spent four weeks in neutral oak barrels and is just the first planned beer in what Krichinsky hopes will become a full-fledged series. The next beer, a collaboration with Canandaigua’s Frequentem Brewing called Agree on Neon, will be released on Thursday, Dec. 21. It’s gonna be an oak-aged Czech amber lager. And it’ll be available on draft and in cans. The thought of two of the best breweries in this region collabing on a lager makes me giddy.
Just look at the care required to pour the beer on one of the brewery’s Czech-produced Lukr side-pour faucets. It takes a bit of extra care to get that perfect head of foam in the mug. Surely, Bamforth would be pleased.
“I just had the amazing experience of listening to Charlie Bamforth every day for a significant period of my life,” Krichinsky said. “It was just the greatest use of time I could ever imagine. He was a research scientist within the beer world and a professor. A lot of his research, for a period of time, centered on foam, foam stability. He would describe lacing, how the remnants of foam on the glass appear as cathedral windows.”
A beautiful thought straight from the Gospel of Bamforth.
The idea blossomed during a trip to the Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville this year. Krichinsky, Salazar, and the Strangebird team visited Barrique Brewing & Blending, a producer specializing in wood-aged lagering. “We were inspired,” Krichinsky said. “We had a great time there. Great vibes. It’s beautiful. All the oak in that taproom.”
“What they’re doing and thinking about was really inspirational,” Salazar added.
Noting that Strangebird only has four fermenters and limited capacity to tie them up for long-term lagering, Krichinsky and Salazar knew they could utilize some of the brewery’s barrels to increase lager production and put a fun Strangebird spin on it.
“We do have cooperage (barrels),” Krichinsky said.
“And a wood-aged beer specialist,” Salazar added with a hearty chuckle. (That’s the understatement of the century. Salazar, a wood-aging pioneer, spent over 20 years at New Belgium in Colorado, helping guide that brewery’s wild ale program. Translation: He’s a legend and he knows barrels. It’s still wild that he’s making beers in Rochester.)
“We definitely have Eric Salazar,” Krichinsky concluded. “So this is one first one we’ve released. It’s really hoppy. It comes in at about 40 IBUs.”
It’s meant to be hoppy, meant to be bitter. Krichinsky continued, “The malt bill is dominated by Czech malt. We do a temperature program in the mash to make sure we break down those starches like they do in the old country. And hop it with Czech Saaz hops, heavily hopped.”
The beer is then aged in “extremely neutral oak,” Salazar said. “…We’re hoping that the oak will add some softness and kind of bring its character into it, which I think it has.”
Drink it up!
Barrel Jam fest returns to 42N
One of the coolest (literally) festivals in WNY returns for its fourth edition next month. The exceedingly cool 42 North Brewing will host its Barrel Jam fest on Saturday, Jan. 27, at the brewery’s campus in East Aurora, Erie County.
The festival champions everything barrel-aged with beers, live music, winter activities (a rail jam ski/snowboarding event!), and camaraderie. (I added the camaraderie part, but it’s sure to be a feel-good, fun time.) This edition will feature over a dozen participants, including Brewery Ardennes, Jack’s Abbey, Eli Fish, K2 Brothers, and a host of others.
Details available here: https://42northbrewing.com/2022/01/04/barreljam42n/.
Dublin Corners hosts holiday pop-up market
If, like me, you haven’t done any of your holiday shopping yet, Livingston County’s original craft brewery, Dublin Corners Farm Brewery, is hosting a pop-up market from to 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at its farm location (1906 Main St. in Linwood).
The participants are too numerous to list here (some are noted in the graphic above). But it presents a prime opportunity to sip on a beer while shopping. And don’t worry, Santa will also be there (and available for pictures). The event is free. Carpooling is encouraged.