The Maniac Collector's Inbox Sherlocking at the Circle Brewery “You beer should be excellent if it is as good as your geese” BLUE Sometimes Sherlockian things happen when you least expect it and this past weekend was a perfect example. Joyce and I decided impulsively to head down to Austin to attend the opening of Circle Brewery. We packed up the family car and headed south. With the Open House scheduled from two to six on Saturday afternoon and given our early start, there was not a mad rush for us to get there. Circle Brewery is the brainchild of Ben Sabel and Jud Mulherin. Ben and Jud grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. They attended the same school as Joyce’s sons and they were best friends. After graduating from college, Ben and Jud looked for the best place in the United States to start a brewery and Austin scored highly as a beer lover’s city. For the past three years, they have been experimenting and perfecting different receipts. Now they have settled on four different beers. A description of each one is at the end of this article. They have slowly made it into more than a dozen restaurants and bars around Austin. The Grand Opening featured three of their beers. Admission was free and this allowed for three small glasses of beer. The gatekeeper presented each entrant with three tickets that you turn in with every refill. For the most prudent beer drinking, the 20 oz. Grand Opening Commemorative glass was available for a mere $10. These glass were used to e replace the small cups and were allowed to be refilled three times. The crowd of nearly five hundred thoroughly enjoyed the beer and their surroundings. Also for sale were T-shirts for the brewery and this brings me to the Sherlockian part of this story. One of the shirts I bought was very Sherlockian indeed. Of course, it is simply a Red Circle, a shirt every Sherlockian would look good wearing. Check them out and buy a shirt at http://www.circlebrewing.com. Happy Collecting and Beer Drinking!!
Me in my Circle Brewery T-Shirt at Wiggins Road near Austin
Jud and Ben at their Open House.
Kegs ready to be shipped.
Envy is the perfect balance between malt and hops. Not too dry or too sweet, it is a full-bodied and complex beer without being overly heavy. The dried fruit notes that characterize the ale’s yeast profile conjure flavors reminiscent of a lighter version of an old-style English Extra Special Bitter.
Blur is a perfect warm weather brew for Austin’s hottest summer months. This Texas twist on the old German wheat beer brings with it a hint of caramel to a crisp and refreshing style. The hint of citrus plays off the light and creamy body to create a beer that has no rival whether you enjoy it in the sun or in the shade.
Alibi is a daring splice between the old-world German style Mai Bock and the crisp, clean brews one expects from Bavarian and American Lagers. Borrowing from its Bock lineage, the complex malt characteristics really come to the surface, delicately harmonizing with lightly hopped German Pearle. A beer for all occasions, you won’t want to be the last one without an Alibi.
Nightlight is a full-flavored beer that expertly balances that richness with lightness in body to create a different type of Stout. This Dry Irish Stout may look intimidating, but after one sip, you notice the difference. Representing a wide spectrum of roasted and oaky flavors, this not-too-bitter brew engages all the right senses, but leaves you with the stomach for a second.
|
Past 2011 Columns January 2, 2011 January 9, 2011 January 16, 2011 January 23, 2011 January 30, 2011 February 2, 2011 February 13, 2011 February 20 2011 February 27, 2011 |
