Drinks With Fullsteam
Drinks With Fullsteam: “Crafting a Southern Brewery”
Tuesday, May 15 from 5:30 to 8:00pm
(the third Tuesday of every month)
$10, includes a half-pint glass and samples of beer
Did you know it’s American Craft Beer Week next week? What a perfect time to kick off…and I mean *really* kick off “Drinks With Fullsteam.” If you’re reading this post (and chances are if you’re scanning these words right now, you are), you have the opportunity to experience a more mellow, intimate version of an event that’s certain to grow substaintially in the months and years to come. A discussion on craft beer. A two-hour sampling session. And a Fullsteam half-pint, yours to keep. All for $10!
This month’s Drinks With Fullsteam will feature Head Brewer Chris “32″ Davis and me on the stage, reflecting on what it means to be a Southern brewery. Chris and I both came back from the Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego a few days ago, and we have a lot on our minds about regional differences in American Craft Beer. As we hone in on this mission to craft a distinctly Southern beer style, we’re learning (more likely, *I’m* learning) just how important it is to reign in what we do. To not be all things for all people…and thrive in that process.
Take, for example, India Pale Ales. Chris and I spent a week in the epicenter of ultra-hoppy West Coast IPAs. We left not with a case of beer, but with a slight case of palette fatigue. Don’t get me wrong: the beer was delicious! But the area’s focus on aggressive hops tired out our palettes after a couple of days. I personally came back more convicted that we need not compete in this regional specialty…I can enjoy the heck out of Ballast Point, Stone, Green Flash, and so on…but that’s what that area does great. It’s probably not something we should try to compete in.
So what’s our regional specialty? Is it balance? Sweetness? Does the South even need one?
How do you balance the intense demand for hoppy beers with this mission to distinguish yourself regionally?
Is a balanced American IPA the smart approach…or “boring?”
Nearly two years in, we’re still on our quest. Join us as we answer your questions and challenge ourselves to explore what it means to “craft a Southern Brewery.”
Reserve your ticket here.
Oh…American Craft Beer Week! Here’s a fun video about it all. You may recognize a certain someone!
This is why I like you guys – you gots your heads on straight. Katy and I might try to swing by for a bit. (I’ve heard that CBC was a lot of fun this year!)
Its a shame that hops don’t grow very well in this area. I think that is why West Coast IPA can really be described as such. I really like what you’ve done with Rye IPA so maybe a southern IPA needs to be defined by the malt bill with hops that truly compliment the malt, rather than being overly aggressive with citrus hops (though I love those damn things).
Ah, but hops *do* grow reasonably well in this area. Interestingly, it’s those C-hops (Cascade, Centennial) that seem to be growing the best.
It’ll take years to bring back the harvest and the post-harvest infrastructure, but a number of farms and entrepreneurs are giving it a go (Echoview Farms, many others).
Cheers!
We don’t have years! Are there any slight flavor differences based on growing location?
Good name for an IPA – Fullsteam Simply Southern Smash IPA. Now, how to choose a grain and hop to pull that off in a southern style I will leave up to the brains of the operation.