Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Stillwater Artisanal Ale Dinner

The Stillwater Beer Dinner
With Special Guest Brian Strumke
Monday, June 28 | 5 Courses + 7 Beers | $76

Join us at Birch & Barley on Monday, June 28th as we host Gypsy Brewer Brian Strumke, and pair seven of his delicious and rare brews with a five course tasting menu artfully prepared by Executive Chef Kyle Bailey and Pastry Chef Tiffany MacIssac.

Brian will lead us through the dinner, shedding light on his fantastic beers as they compliment Chef Bailey's menu. This is an extremely unique opportunity to taste some never-before seen Stillwater beers and to meet the man behind the brews. This will be Brian’s first Beer Dinner in DC, so don’t miss out on a truly special Craft Beer experience!

The menu is still being written and we'll be sure to publish it asap - but we know we'll be featuring the following Stillwater Artisanal Ales:

JUNGLE DE RUS (Draft) This is the first time this brew will be featured in Washington, DC! The brew is a collaboration between Stillwater and Voodoo Brewing Company from Pennsylvania. A sort of Black Belgian Wheat Ale, it is brewed with pureed raisins, hibiscus, juniper, rose hips, and Schisandra berries.

RED 33 (Cask) Another Washington, DC debut! This is one of Brian’s prototype beers that has yet to be released to the public, and we hear it is incredible. It is a sort of Flemish Red Ale, brimming with fruit and wonderful acidity.

STATESIDE SAISON (Draft) Stateside Saison pays homage to old world tradition while celebrating new world innovation. Naturally brewed with the finest European malts & fresh aromatic hops from the United States & New Zealand, it is then fermented using a classic farmhouse ale yeast. The outcome is a beer of unique design and exquisite taste, showcasing some of the best attributes of modern-day craft brewing.

STATESIDE SAISON (Cask) w/ Chamomile in the Cask The same base beer as above, but creamier and more aromatic from the firkin. Chamomile adds a nice floral note to an already complex nose.

CELLAR DOOR (Draft) Stillwater’s summer seasonal is a refreshing and light Saison. The same proprietary farmhouse yeast is employed to guarantee aromatic complexity, and white sage is added for a cleansing finish.

CELLAR DOOR (Cask) w/ French Oak & Dry-Hopped with Citra hops in the Cask The same base beer as above, also creamier and more aromatic from the firkin. French oak lends some vanilla notes and a touch of acidity, while the bouquet gains citric, herbal aromas from the dry-hopping.

THE CHANNEL-CROSSING (Draft) A knockout collaboration between Stillwater Artisanal Ales and Pratt Street Ale House in Baltimore. It is an English Strong Ale with full malty flavor and drying, earthy hops. Stillwater’s farmhouse yeast adds a grassy, spicy and citric array to the nose. Excellent!

About Stillwater Artisanal Ales

Stillwater Artisanal Ales is the nomadic brewing venture headed by Baltimore native, Brian "Stillwater" Strumke. A former internationally renowned techno DJ and producer who has extensively traveled much of the US and Europe, he returned home in 2004 to delve into a new passion, brewing. Brian rather quickly made his mark in the homebrewing community for his often odd concoctions and unconventional brewing methods. "I look at brewing as an art form, creating a beer to me is like painting a picture. There are virtually an infinite amount of variables that can be manipulated and my approach to brewing very much parallels how I went about creating my music."

Brian eventually cut his teeth by ranking in some local homebrew competitions, which eventually led to wins in the Sam Adams Longshot and Holiday Competitions, as well as the AHA (American Homebrewer’s Association) Nationals. These accolades were surprising given that Brian’s beers rarely fit into BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) categories; even the more "traditional" beers he made would have some sort of twist. "I am not really into this to reinvent the wheel (or Pale Ale for that matter), so you can definitely expect something fresh and new." These competitions often yielded wins in the more esoteric categories and his intricate use of herbs, spices, wild yeasts, and anything else he could get his hands on often came to judges with both intrigue and enjoyment.

In 2010, after about 5 years of backyard brewing, Brian has taken Stillwater Artisanal Ales to the public. Wary of startup costs for a full-blown brewery, Brian now travels to various breweries in the US and Belgium, hand-crafting small-batch, authentic ales.

Details: Stillwater Beer Dinner at Birch & Barley on Monday, June 28 at 7 PM. $76 plus tax and gratuity for the 5 course menu and 7 Stillwater Artisanal Ales. Please call Call Birch & Barley at (202) 567-2576 to reserve your seats today.

2 comments:

  1. Step it up, Churchkey! The Saison summer school was not announced here. The Belgian beer event with the free glassware didn't show up here. I'm sure there are other events that weren't posted here. What's the point of having this if it doesn't get updated?

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  2. This great! i love this kind of events too much.Hire Bartender Event

    ReplyDelete