Summer is cruising by way too fast. The faculty at The WLS recently completed a week of inservice (Monday – Thursday) to get the ball rolling for the new school year. With that completed, Friday found the 2 Man Brew Crew at Fieldpointe South for a much need brew / grill session and some relaxation.
Keeping with the theme of the last post, another Anchor Brewing / BYO clone was on the agenda to pay homage to an American Classic Brewery.
This Fieldpointe creation is a tribute to Anchor’s Liberty Ale.
What I find appealing to the Anchor brews is that they are mostly simple in design (at least the two that have been attempted thus far). Keep It Simple So That Brewers Like Us Can Easily Follow And Enjoy It – KISSTBLUCEFAEI. That’s what I always say – and appreciate.
Once the morning grass cutting was out of the way, a trip to Littleport Brewing in Racine for supplies was in order. Having the goods in hand, it was off to get the business of the day underway at the Blauer Man Cave.
The good Lord blessed us with a fantastic day. God is Good! Mark had his Bloody Mary Bar (a staple) open along with the Dorothy Doors. Alexa was playing the tunes, Mark was grilling tube style meat from Danny’s along with BBQ chicken while this guy was working the stainless in combination with electricity and water in the Man Cave – and survived.
Initially, the conversation pertained to exciting things covered during the inservice week but the real discussion commenced when Helen, Mark’s wife, joined us on the back patio. Under consideration was wondering if there were in fact pears growing on the neighbor’s pear tree. Some thoughts on the matter were apples or bananas. Upon further and closer observation, it was determined that there were in fact pears growing on the pear tree. The problem is: 1) they are the neighbor’s and 2) they are high up on the tree beyond the grasp of Andre the Giant.
Our good friend Greg H was able to stop by – but not before the BMB closed. He was forced to join us in reducing the volume in the Vesuvius keg (see a prior post). As a side note, the Vesuvius turned out rather well. I don’t think Mark is going to let it last very long out of concern that it might go bad.
While taking up personal space and reducing the volume of Vesuvius, Greg came up with the crazy idea of participating in a local brewery tour consisting of 3 or 4 breweries in the Milwaukee / Racine area. Not having too much summer remaining, we all thought this a fantastic idea – provided that someone head the project up. Greg was, according to conventional convention procedure, elected to head up such an endeavor. We are patiently waiting for his research and report. The projected time frame is the last Friday before the first week of school. This would be a great way to end the summer. Sure hope he comes through and doesn’t disappoint. I’m guessing that there will not be a FAQ.
Mark had 4 / 5 different varieties of brats from Danny’s. They were all very good because they were grilled to perfection. Perhaps, some day, when he eventually reads this post, he will mention them in the comments section. He will be eating well all week.
Mark also had Danny’s meat sticks for the BMB – along with a large variety of good things to include. The BMs are a meal unto themselves! Notice how I am drawn back to the BMB again. They are that good.
Anchor Liberty Ale uses Cascade hops – just like their Old Foghorn Barleywine does. The beer is almost a SMASH beer (Single Malt And Single Hop) but it includes just a touch of crystal (caramel) malt for color. This will be a good end of summer beer before the transition to the heavier / stronger beers of Fall & Winter.
Here are the makings of Life, Liberty & Hoppiness:
Grain
- 10 lb – 2 Row Malt
- 0.5 lb – Crystal 40° L
Hops
- 1 oz – Cascade @ 60 minutes
- 1 oz – Cascade @ 45 minutes
- 1 oz – Cascade @ flameout
- 1 oz – Cascade in the keg
Yeast
- Lallemand – BRY-97 American West Coast Ale
Projected Stats:
- OG – 1.055
- FG – 1014
- Color – 7.6 SRM
- Bitterness – 38 IBU
- ABV – 5.4%
Celebrate the heritage of Anchor Brewing. Raise a pint to commemorate the legacy of such an American institution!
