What beer to bring from California to Wisconsin?

A few years ago, ferrying beer from one side of the country to the other was no big deal.  I’d just bring the case onboard as my carry-on item, explain to other curious/jealous/incredulous passengers, “Yes, this really is beer. Yes, I’m really bringing it to Wisconsin.”  A few hours in the overhead compartment, then I carefully removed it (items may have shifted during the flight) and carried it through the airport.  Since I was handling everything personally, it was easy ensure the safety of the beer, and bring it out to my dad in Milwaukee.

Fast forward a few years, and along with my civil liberties and dignity, TSA and the airlines have made it nearly impossible to easily bring a hoppy care package to the midwest.  No liquids allowed through security, extra charges from the airlines for second checked bags, and strict weight limits on bags made for a precarious journey.  Clearly no one has bothered to tell TSA that the Koran strictly forbids the consumption of alcohol.  Me traveling with a few bottles of brew increases security if anything, since it indicates this Jew far more interested pursuing IBUs than martyrdom. 

In spite of all of this, I persevered. 

After visiting City Beer i got my care package of brew home and carefully packed it (and repacked it) into my luggage.  The leg of each pair of jeans got a Pilsner, and my jackets were carefully wrapped around extreme IPAs. 

So just what kind of beer does one bring from California to Brewtown, Wisconsin? 

 

I tried to accomplish a few goals with my selections: to play to my dad’s taste in beers, and to show off some west coast innovations. I also wanted to bring something from Humbolt, per special request from my brother who is going to school there.  Finally, I wanted to show off some beers that were special, and not readily available in the midwest. 

Russian River Pliny the Elder, Blind Pig - Russian River’s new bottling line had made some of their great hoppy beers available for transport, and it seemed a shame not to jump at the chance.  Vinnie (Russian River’s brewmaster & owner) implores you on his new bottles “Drink fresh, do not age! Pliny is for savoring, not for saving!” all along the perimeter of the label.  It’s good advice – these strong IPAs are loaded with hoppy goodness, and aging them (unlike some of Russian River’s other fine offerings, see below) will loose their fresh edge with age.  Pliny backs up it’s intense hoppy flavor with sweet malt, and higher alcohol.  This careful high wire of “more is more” pays off, and it is an amazing beer – the balance is impeccable.  Blind Pig is also chock full of IPA hops, but dials back the aggressiveness a bit, and is a bit more in line with my dad’s session beer tastes. 

Russian River’s Damnation – In contrast, Russian River’s Belgium style ales will just get better with time in the cellar. Their Damnation Golden Ale has an amazing full mouthfeel that for me is on the great things about a great Belgium style ale.  A touch of sourness is balanced with a creamy texture and golden malt to create an amazing beer that every time I pop a cork (which is carefully inscribed with directions to pour it into a tulip glass for maximum pleasure) ensures a great pint. 

Trumer Pils - My dad loves a classic Czech Pilsner, and Berkeley is home to Trumer, which produces an amazingly true to type beer.  Rather than experiment with aggressive west coast hops, they have carefully created classic Pils that makes me think of the cobblestone streets Prague. 

He’Brew Rejewvenator, Year of the Fig - Every time I hear “oh, I don’t like beer!” I can’t but help take it as a challenge. To me, that just indicates they haven’t had the right beer, and were likely weaned on american pilsners, diluted to the point of being alcohol tinged water.  Fruit beers are a great introduction for these non-belivers, especially if they are wine drinkers.  He’Brew’s seasonal Rejewvenator is a great introduction to experimental fruit beers.  Combining Belgium Ale and German Dobblebock yeasts, and lightly sweetened with Figs, this complicated beer is surprisingly easy to drink.  The fig is clearly present, without overpowering some of the unique flavors from the yeast. I’m thinking it’d be a natural pairing for a dessert – perhaps a summer fruit tart?   

Mad River Brewing Steelhead Double IPA - Special request from my brother was to bring a local brew from his new home in Humbolt California.  I picked up a Steelhead Double IPA.  I haven’t tried it yet, but it comes highly recommended by Craig at City Beer. I’ll report back when my dad pops it open. 

A few thousand miles later, all of the beer made it to Milwaukee unscathed. Unpacking in front of my father, my luggage was like a clown-car of beer, with bottles hiding in every sleeve and pant leg, seeming to be a never ending collection of California beers.  My dad seemed to like them, but it remains to be seen how he thinks they taste. 

Plus, with my suitcase now empty, I had space to sneak a few New Glarus Cherry Beers back into San Francisco.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 11th, 2008 at 2:02 am and is filed under Stories, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.