New Beer Friday, Road Trip to Ludington Edition (June 27)

Steve with Jamesport's head brewer,
Tom Buchanan

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

Last Saturday Barb and I visited Jamesport Brewing Company in downtown Ludington with friends Pat and Marcie MacAuley.

Jamesport’s head brewer Tom Buchanan has been quietly producing a stellar lineup of traditional ales and lagers on the brewpub’s three-barrel system for over ten years now. Before relocating to the Ludington area, Tom and his wife Patty lived a few miles from Siciliano’s and were long time craft beer and home brewing customers. In fact it was Tom who convinced me that I should carry brewing supplies.

It was good to see my old friend again. I enjoyed an excellent Kolsch and then an equally excellent German Hefe while we sat in Jamesport’s comfortable pub and talked about how much craft beer and the hobby of homebrewing have grown and evolved over the past twenty years. Tom joined us later for a few pints at the Mitten Bar and he introduced me to a young man who hopes to have a nanno brewery open in the area this fall.

Sounds like a good reason for another road trip to Ludington.

New and Returning Beer

• New Belgium La Folie, $15.99/22oz (limit one) - "La Folie, French for ‘the folly’, is a beer steeped in New Belgium brewing tradition. This wood-aged, sour brown spends one to three years in big, oak barrels, known as foeders. And when the beer finally hits the glass, La Folie is sharp and sour, full of green apple, cherry, and plum-skin notes. Pouring a deep mahogany, the mouthfeel will get you puckering while the smooth finish will get you smiling. Not a beer for the timid, La Folie is a sour delight that will turn your tongue on its head" (source).
• New Belgium & 3 Floyds Gratzer, $9.19/22oz (limit one) - "It's not dead, but Gratzer is definitely a long-buried style from Poland. And together with 3Floyds we have unearthed the best of beer zombies. Full of bold flavors from oak-smoked wheat, and along with Midnight Wheat, this beer presents a pure black pour. A subtle, spicy note from the Polish Lublin hops hides in the aroma, just below the dark and smoky surface. Despite all appearances, the Gratzer is very drinkable at 4.5% ABV, and walks itself with a nice, light body. Cheers to drinking smoky, undead beers" (source).
• Founders Double Trouble, $3.09/12oz (limit one 4-pack) - "An imperial IPA that was brewed to turn your world upside down. Hops will get you coming and going. Pungent aromatics up front pair with a malt-balanced backbone and a smooth, bitter finish" (source).
• Dogfish Head Namaste, $1.99/12oz - "A witbier bursting with good karma. Made with dried organic orange slices, fresh-cut lemongrass and a bit of coriander, this Belgian-style white beer is a great thirst quencher" (source).
• Dogfish Head Sixty-One, $2.59/12oz - "
• The name Sixty-One is a reminder that this beer is Dogfish Head’s best-selling 60 Minute IPA plus one new ingredient: syrah grape must from California. The label, painted by Sam, is a twist on a typical watercolor. Rather than using water, Sam mixed the green pigment with beer and the red pigment with wine. And because Sixty-One pairs so well with chocolate, he painted the browns on the label with melted chocolate" (source).
• Stiegl Radler, $2.59/16oz - "Real fruit juice gives the new Stiegl Radler a distinct, tart aroma and natural cloudiness" (source).

Siciliano's Official Recommendation of the Week

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Cheers!