I’m really digging the new Coney Island Lager series from Shmaltz Brewing.  Enough so that we’re featuring two of their beers at the SF Beer Week Beer Dinner. The Albino Python is being served alongside of local squid stuffed with house-made chorizo and squid in risotto, and then we’ll be featuring the new Human Blockhead with a special cheese course, and special guest performance (more on that in a moment). 

The Coney Island Lager series is a great style-bending label, with a consistently twisted theme applied to each release.  They are all extreme ales, reimagined with lager yeasts. The craft brewing industry has largely focused on ales until now, drawing inspiration from the traditions of Belgium and England, but I think there’s great tastes to be had in this new, extreme lager category that Coney Island is carving out for itself.  The Albino Python is a a heavily spiced wheat beer, but with a lager yeast.  The result is none of the phenolic flavors you’d expect, and instead a smoother, spicy brew that’s very food friendly. It’s the same with the Sword Swallower – it’s a big IPA, but without the fruity esters, the crisp hops play off the more prevalent malt finish. 

I got my hands on a bottle of the all new Human Blockhead this week, to taste and send to the chef for the dinner to work on the cheese pairing to go with it. I was immediately smitten with this new brew as soon as I tasted it.  It’s a barleywine, brewed instead as a lager. Again, the esters and fruity aromas disappear, and instead you have a crisp, malt forward brew, with the classic barleywine dried fruit and raisin flavors still prevalent.  The malt emerges in the finish, with a nice roasted carmel flavor. I tasted it alongside of a crumbly blue cheese, but I think it can stand up against an even more aggressive pairing – an aged goat cheese seems like a natural, pairing, especially given it’s dobblebock-like tendencies.

To promote their new release, the hard partying boys (and girls) of Shamltz brewing are bringing the namesake of their blockhead beer out to San Francisco for beer week.  Donny Vommit (as seen on the label, doing his thing) will be all over town, hammering nails into his head.  I’d highly recommend a taste of his beer beforehand (for both you, and him) to ease the pain.  As an added bonus, he’ll be at some of my favorite bars around town, including Benders at 19th and South Van Ness in the Mission. Be sure to try their burger, fried pickles, and if you go during happy hour, three dollar pints of Pliny the Elder.  

Donny will also be at the Beer & Nosh Dinner, to introduce you to his beer, and put a couple nails into his head before dessert.  But don’t worry – there will be generous pours of his 10% ABV lager for everyone first (and a cheese pairing to go along with it,) to make sure you’re properly prepared for a true Coney Island sideshow act. 

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 at 8:09 pm and is filed under Taste Test. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.