Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009
New South Has Can-Do Spirit
It was late on deadline day when I picked up a voicemail from Dave Epstein, owner of New South Brewing Co. in Myrtle Beach.
Epstein said his canning operation is now underway. White Ale, New South's most popular beer at the taps, has started to appear in six-packs at some local grocery store shelves. The sixers, distributed by Better Brands, Inc. of Myrtle Beach, will arrive at more local stores soon.
New South's canning operation was long-delayed by bureaucratic red tape. A federal agency had to approve dozens of minute details on the label, and when the official White Ale label finally was approved in late spring, New South was up against the summer season, during which the microbrewery is busy supplying kegs of several beers to area bars and restaurants that are full of thirsty tourists.
Stay tuned to more details on New South's expansion into the retail market.
TASTE OF THE BELGIUM
Speaking of Better Brands, the company is the distributor for New Belgium Brewing Co. of Fort Collins, Colo.
The 26th Annual Taste of the Town, held Oct. 27at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, featured a New Belgium booth.
Even with three young children in tow, I managed to stick around long enough to try New Belgium's Mothership Wit and 1554 Enlightened Black Ale. It's a well-documented fact that beer helps increase a man's tolerance for young children, as well as a man's tendency to cause their existence.
Mothership is a witbier, or wheat beer, that claims to be organic. A point of reference would be Blue Moon Belgian White, although Mothership is more complex in its spice and citrus notes.
Then there was 1554. What's enlightened about the Belgian-style dark ale? Everything from its brewers to its drinkers. There's a secret behind why I like 1554. I've become a bit of a wimp when it comes to the heartier, toasted, roasted flavors of porters and stouts.
The joy of 1554, I submit, has nothing to do with the beheading of Lady Jane Grey, or the birth of Anglican theologian Richard Hooker, or the birth of poet Sir Philip Sidney.
The joy of 1554 is in its accessible flavor. Thank the recipe. New Belgium's description says 1554 "uses a light lager yeast strain and dark chocolaty malts to redefine what dark beer can be." What can it be? Accessible, enjoyable, dark yet yummy.
If you haven't yet tried Mothership and 1554, they both belong on your short list.
HALLOWEEN KARMA
Here's what I get for writing a regular column on beer: my 9-year-old's choice of Halloween costume.
It started - and really ended - innocently enough.
But then there were the in-between moments.
Maggie, who is a voracious reader, wanted to dress up like someone from the medieval era. Not bad, huh? She's going to be a nerd just like her father.
But then there was the acquisition of the actual costume, which left her with few choices in the marketplace.
Maggie, also like her father, is a bit tall, so she needed to look for a costume in a larger size.
Well, ultimately, what came home from the store was a costume marked "adult" in size and labeled "Tavern Maid."
Isn't that perfect? My 9-year-old daughter, server of beers.
Contact Colin Burch at beerpour@yahoo.com and visit his blog at maltyhops.blogspot.com.