No Reservations about the Ozarks - Anthony Bourdain asks where your head's at.

“Basically, you have to have your head pretty far up your own ass to not have good time in the Ozarks. Or hate beer”

So says No Reservations host Anthony Bourdain in his blog post “The Mummy’s Tomb… And Ozark Noir.” The traveling food writer for the Travel Channel recently visited the Ozarks to sample our food and came away impressed, even after a gigging accident nearly killed one of his idols, Winter’s Bone author Daniel Woodrell. Along the way, he hunted raccoon and duck and had a barbecue with local musicians Ha Ha Tonka.

Some more quotes from the blog relating to the visit:

“From the early settlers to Civil War proto-guerilla fighters to famous outlaws, authors, musicians, Missouri is indeed a cultural touchstone. Dumb-ass hillbilly jokes ? That’s NOT the Ozarks I saw.”

“Bullshit is not something to be found (or tolerated) in abundance in Springfield, West Plains, Joplin or environs.”

“Everybody seems to cook–at least enough to look after themselves if need be, and there’s a respect for nature that comes from actually being close to it.”

It’s nice to read about someone visiting the Ozarks and challenging their pre-conceived notions about everyone here being ignorant back-woods hillbillies.

Be sure to tune in Monday night at 8 PM local time to see the Ozarks episode aired. If you want a sneak peek at some of the things you may or may not see in the actual episode, check them out here.

Mr. Wizard's World - Interview with Springfield Brewing Company's Ashton Lewis

In all of the buzz surrounding Mother's Brewing Company coming to town, it's easy for Springfield to temporarily ignore that we already have a brewery in town.  To refresh your memory, it's called Springfield Brewing Company, and it's been in business since 1997. 

Many people wonder why SBC (Springfield Brewing Company) hasn't grown exponentially in the beer vaccuum that has been Springfield for the past 15 years.  I spoke with the Master Brewer behind the oldest operating brewing company in Springfield, Ashton Lewis, on how he got started brewing, how he landed here, and why the Springfield Brewing Company hasn't grown beyond its front doors.

Gluten-Free Brewing Experiment - Notes On the First Batch

Sorry for the delay, folks, but I do have some notes on that first batch of gluten-free pale ale. 

The beer was well received by both celiacs and non-celiacs alike, which means it must have been pretty a pretty decent beer, regardless of its lack of gluten.  That's important to me, as I wanted to make a gluten free beer that didn't taste unusual due to its nature.

Grain after toasting for a bit.  I should have
let it go longer for more color.

The beer itself is crystal clear and light in color, despite the toasted grain.  I probably didn't let it toast enough to get a significant color contribution, but it was my first time trying to toast grains, so I'm not overly disappointed.  Besides, color is just cosmetic, anyway.

In the end, I used East Kent Golding hops and an early hopping schedule, which differs from the original recipe somewhat.  I altered my recipe on brew day because I was concerned the American hops would not blend well with the bready, spicy flavor I expected to get from the sorghum syrup and toasted grains.  When I reviewed the finished product, however, I decided my original recipe would have been the way to go, with the possible addition of a little bit more syrup or maybe some sugar to dry out the beer a bit.  Overall, the original recipe would be a great session beer.

First, I'd like to note that toasting your own grains is kind of fun, but very labor intensive.  I couldn't locate Amaranth in my local health food store, so I substituted millet.  I then mixed all the grain together, rinsed it all off, and toasted it while it was still wet.  I used a 250 degree oven and toasted it for an hour before raising the temp to 300 and toasting for another 45 minutes.  Please note that your results will probably vary, and if you decide to use toasted grains, make sure to check on them often for the appropriate level of toasting for your needs.  Next time, I'll toast them a bit longer and use a higher temp, maybe 350 F for the second stage.  I'd like to see a bit more color.

Using the syrup is really very simple.  It's just like using any other malt extract, as the malted sorghum ferments very similarly.  Remember to go by your hydrometer when determining whether fermentation is complete, though.  I made the mistake of thinking it had to wait longer in the fermenter and probably left it in the fermenter for a week or two longer than I needed to.

I'll probably be doing another batch soon, and will follow the original recipe I posted back in December.  I'd like to see how the beer works out with some nice citrusy hops in it.  I don't know for sure that I will elect to toast more grain, though.  I would if I thought it had made a significant flavor difference, but I'm not sure that it did.  Instead, I'll make a batch without and see if I notice a huge difference in the malt's flavor profile. 

If you decide to brew the recipe at home, let me know how it goes.  If you make changes to the recipe and they work for you, post them in the comments or email them to me, and I'll post more information about gluten-free brewing in the future. 

Mother's Brewing - Update - May 14th Details REVEALED!

I spoke with Jeremy Wicks from Mother’s Brewing Company today and managed to glean more details about the event they will host on May 14th. The event will be held every year around this time, so that makes the event’s name appropriate. You can’t name an event the “First Ever Mother’s Day Festival” unless it’s held around Mother’s Day and you plan to have it every year.

In this year’s case, the Mother’s Day Festival will be held the weekend following the less-alcohol-related holiday of “Mother’s Day,” which falls on May 8th. I guess the Mother’s boys are being considerate of the Mothers of Springfield by not giving them a hangover on their very special day.

Let’s talk a bit about what you’ll find in the Mother’s Brewing Company Backyard on May 14th. Yes, I said “Yard.” I’ve seen where this is held, and it’s an appropriate description. It’s not some asphalt-covered, tar-smelling parking lot. It’s a nice green space covered with grass and a few trees. They’ve even planted some new trees to provide more shade for future events.

The theme of the festival (besides mothers) is “local, local, local.” They’re stressing local beer, local brewery, local music, local food, and local art. I get the impression that Mother’s Brewing Company really wants to be a part of the community, don’t you?

The festival runs from 2 pm to 8 pm, and the live music starts at 2:45. Performing at the event will be Big Smith, Honkey Suckle, and Speakeasy. The cover is $5 for anyone 16 and up, but it is a family-friendly event and anyone 15 and under gets in free.

The tasting room will be open, and a beer truck will be serving beer outside (of course, there will also be soda and water for those under 21).

They will be selling their three flagship beers, and will also be using the festival as an excuse to launch their summer seasonal. (I’ll try and get more information about this beer as we get a little closer. Right now, they’re pretty tight-lipped except to say it’s not your typical summer seasonal).

In addition to live music and local beer, there will be local artists showcasing and selling art.

If you get hungry (and you will), there will be some great food available. They’ll have authentic wood-fired pizzas being made-to-order, and they’ll have handmade sausages cooked to complement each of the brewery’s offerings. Try pairing the sausage with the beer for which it was made to really bring out some good flavors. Or, just eat and drink some of everything.

Before you go, you’ll also be able to browse through some Mother’s brewing schwag, according to Jeremy. T-shirts and pint glasses will probably be the big sellers, of course, but I can’t wait to get my hands on a growler. Especially if it’s full.

The event will be held rain or shine, as they will have a large tent available to keep everyone dry. In Jeremy’s words, though, “Let’s be honest. There’s zero chance of rain for an event this bad-ass.”

Rain or shine, though, feel free to bring your family and some lawn chairs or a blanket. The brewery staff would love for you and your family to make a day of it.

Mother's Brewing - Update - Don't make plans for May 14th.

You heard me. You already HAVE plans for May 14th, 2011, because that’s the day of the release party for Mother’s Brewing Company’s summer seasonal. Before you ask, no, I don’t know what kind of beer it is yet. But as soon as I know, so will you.

I do know the following:

Local music – some great local bands will be performing live.
Local food – some will even be prepared using Mother’s beers as a major ingredient.
Local art – they’ve invited several local artists to show and sell.
Local beer – the entire mother’s lineup (4 beers, including their summer seasonal) will all be present to slake your thirst.

The entire event will take place at the brewery, in what they are calling their “backyard.” It will be a daytime event and will take place rain or shine (don’t worry, they’ll pitch a tent if it looks like rain). There will be a small cover, but the event will be family friendly and open to the public. Keep checking back here for more information, as I’ll be providing updates as I can needle more info from your Mother’s.