Personal Dream Come True

I've mentioned this in the past, but I need to brag a little. Last night, we tapped the first keg of our Holiday Ale. This is a dream come true for me. This Holiday recipe is not only one of the things that got me into craft brewing, but what even launched my decision to homebrew (I wanted a beer that didn't exist). After much debate and cajoling, I convinced the brewmaster to trust me and give me pretty much free reign to do the beer how I wanted (only a couple minor ingredient stipulations). It is out now.

It's a Belgian Strong Dark/Belgian Holiday style. Slightly Americanized by a very healthy addition of American hops for flavor/aroma (still relatively low bitterness, ~35 ibu). My goal was to make a beer with the spiciest perception I could, but without adding any spices.

I'm incredibly happy with how it turned out. It actually came out a bit better than I anticipated; higher alcohol, lower residual sugar, but dangerously smooth and not boozy (8.7% abv, tastes like 7).

So far, response has been great. Pretty much everyone has been impressed and floored by how good it is. Most are shocked that there are no spices in it. Lots and lots of aficionados have talked about how it is the Holiday beer they've been waiting for, because they do not like the normal Christmas Cookies/Ginger Bread/Pine Tree holiday beers that are the norm around here. One person last night put it really well, "It's not extreme or gimmicky. It's just a really good beer that tastes like the winter weather makes you want to feel inside."

Soooooooooo where/when can I get some?

Also, congrats man!

What he said!

I want some!

Congratulations! It sounds delicious.

DaveEstey wrote: Soooooooooo where/when can I get some? Also, congrats man!

Thanks man.

Only in Columbus, OH. For now it's at the brewery, but we already had three kegs go to accounts this morning. We're going to have to be very judicious with it, since the batch came out a bit short (35 kegs worth, instead of 40... then we set 6 aside for barrel aging), and we're only doing the one batch because we would rather run out early than be sitting on extra inventory.

We're actually having a big party for it on Monday. I could also be talked into a special GRM event one of these weeks.

Sounds great. I just brewed my 3rd annual holiday ale batch last weekend. This year it's a red ale with orange peel added at flame out. It's bubbling away now.

Damn I wish I was closer. Are you guys bottling this elixer of the gods, or holding it for keg distribution?

ultraclyde wrote: Damn I wish I was closer. Are you guys bottling this elixer of the gods, or holding it for keg distribution?

We only keg for now. The stuff that we will be barrel aging will get (mostly) bottled, but it is such a limited supply that we expect it to disappear fast.

Sounds tasty. How did the investment talk go?

Congratulations! I presume that's Columbus, Ohio, not Columbus, Georgia. It would be awesome if this one goes national.

Cotton wrote: Sounds tasty. How did the investment talk go?

Went well. The feedback from folks here helped a lot. They actually touched on a number of points that people here said that we should be thinking about, like diversifying, branding, etc., also how to eventually get money back, getting bought out, or what if I left. I didn't bother to go over the balance sheets super-close or anything because it wasn't really worth the time and hassle for a relatively low amount of money. Definitely worth it for the sake of getting allowed to be able to see behind the business curtain and know the inside story of what is actually going on behind the business scenes with the company, and to now be kept in the loop more than a regular employee (even a manager).

Thank you for not making a confectionery beverage.

On a separate note: That is some serious kick. With our 0.05 blood alcohol limit in Ontario, it would be possible to drink one and drive home. Prohibition is pretty much back.

If I weren't so busy, I would head directly to Columbus for some.
It's a good kind of busy and I too will be writing a thread soon with a very similar title (foreshadowing).

Congrats to you for the accomplishment.

NOHOME wrote: Thank you for not making a confectionery beverage. On a separate note: That is some serious kick. With our 0.05 blood alcohol limit in Ontario, it would be possible to drink one and drive home. Prohibition is pretty much back.

Yeah... I was aiming more for the low 8%'s, not high 8%'s. The yeast surprised me with how voraciously it ate consumed all of the sugars (for those of you who are home-brewers, it attenuated out from 19.0 plato down to 3.25; or 1.075 s.g. down to 1.011). Not that that makes it much safer to consume before driving. Also, most bars around will probably serve it in smaller snifters rather than full pints.

In reply to Beer Baron:

Congrats man, sound like things are looking up!

Man I wish this was about a week and a half ago. I stopped in Columbus. E36 M3 I wished I paid more attention in class, I would have run to your brewery. Sf1 and I were chasing good beers at the local beer dispensary and I would have loved to have a growler or two of that in my possession.

Beer Baron wrote:

ultraclyde wrote: Damn I wish I was closer. Are you guys bottling this elixer of the gods, or holding it for keg distribution?

We only keg for now. The stuff that we will be barrel aging will get (mostly) bottled, but it is such a limited supply that we expect it to disappear fast.

Any chance of shipping a keg to NJ? The manager of the local bar near work is always looking for interesting stuff (I may see him during lunch today).

Nice...I havent followed your story as closely as a fellow ohioan ought to have, but I remember you having some tribulations after the move to the Buckeye state. Glad to see news like this come out. It could be beer, or it could be rocking chairs...its just good to hear about a GRMer succeeding in their passion. Its just really nice that the fruit that your success has bore is beer!

I really hope I can make some time to get up to Cbus and find a public house offering this brew. Care to share a few suggestions for good places where one could find it?

4cylndrfury wrote: Nice...I havent followed your story as closely as a fellow ohioan ought to have, but I remember you having some tribulations after the move to the Buckeye state. Glad to see news like this come out. It could be beer, or it could be rocking chairs...its just good to hear about a GRMer succeeding in their passion. Its just really nice that the fruit that your success has bore is beer! I really hope I can make some time to get up to Cbus and find a public house offering this brew. Care to share a few suggestions for good places where one could find it?

Yeah. I know it's beer and that's generally cool. But I'm really excited that a creative vision I have had is making it's way out onto the market. We're not wholly stable yet, but it feels really good after banking so much on this dream and having some rocky patches that led me to almost give up on it, to now have things going more-or-less how I hoped they would.

Best place to drink it is going to be at our bar/taproom here at Zauber Brewing Co. We're going to be the most consistent - and probably least expensive - place to get it. I know it will be around town at a number of outside accounts, but don't know where all just yet. I'll have to check with our sales and delivery guys.

For those outside of Columbus, OH. Sorry. Not going to be able to get it this year. We only self distribute and we are not even making enough for our local market. We will be replacing it with something else awesome pretty much as soon as it runs out; our Ominous Belgian Black. It's going to be our Belgified twist on the brewmaster's wife's love affair with Old Rasputin (which I just happen to know a bit about).

What yeast strain did you use (if you are allowed to share)? Sounds "vigorous".

How about you slip some into a bottle and send it to me in return for me sending you something special from one of our nano-breweries.

Hi Beer Baron,

I’m really, really happy for you.

I wouldn’t give any consideration to drinking a beer that’s had junk added yet a smooth, deep (sorry, I don’t know the proper vernacular) beer would be great around the holidays.

Congrats! That is really great.

If I stop by on my way home from work will you be there?! (5pm or so)

bgkast wrote: What yeast strain did you use (if you are allowed to share)? Sounds "vigorous".

Can't share specifics, but it is a Belgian strain sourced from one of the U.S. yeast labs. High pitch rate, moderate proportion of candi sugar, and the opportunity to grow a couple generations in lower alcohol brews helped it out.