B is for Beer

I wish it were winter so we could freeze it into ice blocks
and skate on it and melt it in the spring time and drink it! 

Whisper in my ear, "brettanomyces" and I will get weak in the knees. Because of that hazard, I made Mark drive the family in horrid pre-winter snow storm to get to the Crooked Stave, a brewery in Denver with a wildly growing reputation for creating grade-A sour beers. I mean, the owner wrote his Master's thesis on brett, a non-spore forming yeast, so he clearly did his homework in prepping his business. For some light reading, read his thesis titled: The Brettanomyces Project. What a dude!

Loves of my life: seestor-in-law, big bro, hubby.

Some say it looks like rice, others may say it seems more sausage-y under the microscope. But however you describe it, the little bugger makes a damn fine pairing when making beer. First up, the Saison and Surrette were great starter beers, but the real fun began with their award winning L'Brett D'Or. Was it sour? Oh yes. Was it smooth? Definitely. Did it meet the Schlink Gold Standard of Cantillon's Gueze? Oh Myyyy. Wow. Gosh. Yum. And that would be my professional opinion. 

Deets practicing his retro-nasal.
Just kidding.

Oak barrels lent from various
breweries all over the U.S. and France.
Such a beautiful sight.