The St. Louis Brews, one of the local St. Louis homebrewing clubs will be holding their monthly meeting tonight at the Annunciation Church in Webster Groves. The meeting starts at about 7PM. Tonight’s styles are as follows:

Cat. 1 Light Lager

• 1A. Lite American Lager
• 1B. Standard American Lager
• 1C. Premium American Lager

Cat. 2 Pilsner

• 2C. Classic American Pilsner

Cat. 4 Dark Lager

• 4A. Dark American Lager

Cat. 6 Light Hybrid Beer

• 6A. Cream Ale
• 6B. Blond Ale

Cat. 7 Amber Hybrid Beer

• 7B. California Common Beer

Cat. 10 American Ale

• 10A. American Pale Ale
• 10B. American Amber Ale
• 10C. American Brown

I will be bringing two beers for evaluation. It’s always an interesting experience and provides you with a lot of great feedback. If you’re looking to try some great beer tonight, this is your place.

Happy 4th of July to you all. I hope the the start of your three-day weekend is going well. Looks like we’re going to have almost perfect weather for fireworks, friends, food and beer (I lost my alliteration). Hope everyone has a great time and remembers to be safe. Here’s the Round-Up:

Stuff from around the web

• A couple of reviews about Schlafly’s latest offerings.
• The Post-Dispatch has been all up in the beer business lately.
• William at Year of Beer reviews Boulevard’s Double-Wide IPA.
• The Suburban Journal takes a look at The Stable.
• Java Journal looks at microbrewing in St. Louis…
• …and Bill Burge gets rant-y over the phrase “craft beer.“

Beer Releases and News

• Andrew from Bon Vivant Wines informs me to some beers he has in his stock:
  • Capital Brewing Company - Special Pilsner
  • Capital Brewing Company - Bavarian Lager
  • Capital Brewing Company - Wisconsin Amber
  • Capital Brewing Company - Munich Dark
  • Dark Horse Brewing Co. - Black Bier
  • Dark Horse Brewing Co. - Crooked Tree IPA
  • Moylan’s Brewing Co. - Pale Ale
  • Moylan’s Brewing Co. - IPA
  • Moylan’s Brewing Co. - Kiltlifter
  • Two Brothers Brewing Co. - Oh Brother Tripel
  • Lagunitas - Lucky 13
  • Lagunitas - Maximus IPA
• Andy from Whole Foods let’s us know about some new beers he has in his stock (and remember if you don’t see it on the shelf, be sure to ask for it):
  • Avery - Karma
  • Avery - 14′er ESB
  • Avery - Red Point
  • Avery - White Rascal
  • Shmaltz Brewing Company (He’Brew) - Sword Swallower
  • Shmaltz Brewing Company (He’Brew) - Albino Python
  • Hitachino XH, Espresso Stout 330ml
  • Gouden Carlus 2008 Red and Blue 750ml
  • Mendocino - Spring Bock
  • Mendocino - Summer White
  • New Belgium Folly Pack w/ Old Cherry
  • Ommegang Witte 750ml
  • Bison Brewing - Reunion Beer 2008
• Paul at The Wine and Cheese Place in Clayton alerts me to some new beers he has in stock:
  • McAuslan St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat
  • McAuslan St. Ambroise Plae Ale
  • McAuslan St. Amborise Oatmeal Stout
  • Avery Karma
  • Avery 14er ESB
  • Avery Redpoint Amber
  • Mikkeller Stateside IPA
  • Nils Oscar IPA
  • Nils Oscar Kalasol
  • Nils Oscar Imperial Stout
  • Nils Oscar Barley Wine
  • Eisenbahn Lust
  • Eisenbahn Defumada Smoke
  • Haandbryggeriet Dark Force
  • Haandbryggeriet Norwegian Wood
  • Brasserie de la Senne Taras Boulba
  • Gavroche French Red
  • Nogne IPA
  • Nogne Saison
• Joe Billhartz of Specialty Import Distributing Co. let me know of some beer over in Illinois. Contact your favorite beer store to see if these are available:
  • Harviestoun Ola Dubh 12, 16 & 30
  • Anderson Valley Summer
  • Shipyard Summer
  • Lagunitas Maximus
  • Lagunitas Lucky 13
• Mike Cherre, Beer Consultant at Lukas Liquor posts on their blog some of the new and special selections they have in stock:
  • Maredsous Dubbel and Trippel (750ml)
  • Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Keizer 2008 (750ml)
  • St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat (4pk)
  • St. Ambroise Pale Ale (4pk)
  • St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout (4pk)
  • Berghoff Red Bock Winter Ale
  • Shiner Bohemian
  • New Grist Sorghum Beer
  • Bell’s Oberon 5L mini kegs & 6pks
  • Buffalo Bill’s Orange Blossom
  • Aventinus Wheat Doppelbock vintage 2003 & 2004
  • New Belgium La Folie

Here’s a list of upcoming beer events:

• July 16 - Newstead Tower Public House Boulevard Beer Dinner
• July 17 - Starr’s July Beer Dinner

You may remember me mentioning talking about La Fleur Misseur a while back, but it looks like the day has finally arrived and La Fleur Misseur is available in St. Louis. This beer is part of New Beligum’s new Lips of Faith series of sour/funky beers. Each couple of months will bring about a new beer for our tasting pleasure. For instance, La Fleur will give way to a Grand Cru by early August.

The catch to these beers is that they’re limited release small batches, which means you’re going to have to seek them out. Luckily for you they’re easy to find at Bailey’s Chocolate Bar and Cicero’s.

(As a completely separate, yet related side note, during my visit to The Flying Saucer in KC this weekend I noticed that La Fleur was available so I immediately ordered up a glass. Imagine my surprise when the beer arrived and after one whiff I knew I had the wrong thing. A manager walked by and noticed a puzzled look on my face and I explained that I didn’t think that they gave me La Fleur because I didn’t smell or taste any Brett. He told me that it wasn’t a sour ale and that it was made with Wormwood. I didn’t feel like fighting it so I just drank what I was given.

This same manager told me that Schlafly had a sour ale.)

Sorry about the late Round-Up, I’m currently in Kansas City for the Cards/Royals series. I plan on making a trip over to Boulevard and the Flying Saucer while I’m out here. Should be a blast. I’ll take lots of pictures. On to the Round-Up:

Stuff from around the web

• Some thoughts on last weekend’s Rhythm and Brews Festival.
• Q&A With Dan Kopman about Schlafly’s greeness.
• Bill comes back from Kentucky with quite a haul.
• You may have heard, but AB said “no thanks” to InBev.

Beer Releases and News

• Paul at The Wine and Cheese Place in Clayton alerts me to some new beers he has in stock at the Clayton and Rock Hill locations:
  • Mikkeller Jackie Brown
  • Coney Island Albino Python
  • Coney Island Sword Swallower
  • Unibroue 8 pack Sampler
  • Mendocino Cast of Hawks 12pk sampler
  • Duchesse de Bourgogne 25oz

Here’s a list of upcoming beer events:

• June 28 - Westport Beer and Brat Festival
• July 16 - Newstead Tower Public House Boulevard Beer Dinner

If you were paying close attention to some of the comments yesterday you may have noticed that a new beer has made it’s way to St. Louis. If you don’t know much about Mikkeller brewery, don’t feel bad, I don’t know much either. But I know that their Beer Geek Breakfast is pretty sought after and pretty highly rated on Beer Advocate.

Dylan told me he didn’t have very much of this or the other Mikkeller beer, Jackie Brown, they received so if you want to get your hands on this get down to 33 as quickly as possible. I know I will.

I made a decision before attending Monday night’s beer tasting at Growler’s, this was probably going to be my last tasting.  Growler’s recent beer menus have left a bit to be desired.  It seems like the same beers over and over again mixed with a few light lagers to really spice things up.  But if the this most recent tasting is a sign of things to come, I may have to change my mind.  Just a few beers I remember from the tasting:

• Avery Hog Heaven
• Arcadia Coco Loco
• Het Anker Gouden Carolus Carolus D’Or - Cuvée Van De Keizer
• Great Divide Yeti
• De Proefbrouwerij - Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale
• O’Fallon Smoke
• Great Divide Hercules
• Left Hand Milk Stout
• Arcadia Hopmouth

Imperial IPAs?  Imperial Stouts?  Wild Ales?  Was this the same Growler’s I’ve been going to for the past 5 years?  And sure, that Wild Ale isn’t the more funky wild beer you’ll ever find, but it’s a step in the right direction!  Let’s just hope some of these beers make it onto the final beer list.  We’ll have to wait until September to find out for sure.

I was over at the Rock Hill Wine and Cheese Place on Friday and was pleasantly surprised to see a whole new expanded beer selection now available. I emailed Paul to find out the details and he informed me that they added about 150 beers at Rock Hill to bring the total up to around 460. Not too shabby for a friendly neighborhood wine store. (Paul also let me know Clayton W&C is up to 720 beers in stock!)

Sorry for the small Round-Up today, everything just seems relatively quiet on the beer front in St. Louis.

Stuff from around the web

• Neat write-up about the Rotten Apple.
• Don over at OatSoda reviews the Export IPA from Schlafly.
• If you’re Green and like beer, Schlafly is the place for you.
• More information on the upcoming Stable opening.
• CraftBrewRadio interviews Tom Schlafly.

Beer Releases and News

• Paul at The Wine and Cheese Place in Clayton alerts me to some new beers he has in stock at the Clayton and Rock Hill locations:
  • Hitachino Nest XH Matured in Sake Casks
  • Hitachino Nest Commemorative Ale
  • Thiriez Extra Dry Hopped French Farmhouse Ale
  • Inveralmond Brewery Blackfriar
  • Orkney Dragonhead Orcadian Stout
  • Mendocino White Summer Ale

Here’s a list of upcoming beer events:

• June 21 - Hermann’s Rhythm and Brews
• June 21 - Wine Stein and Dine
• June 28 - Westport Beer and Brat Festival
• July 16 - Newstead Tower Public House Boulevard Beer Dinner

I shouldn’t have been shocked when Jared Gardner, the beverage manager for the Rotten Apple, sent me over an another beer list for The Stable that also included bottles, but I was pretty bowled over. Not only will they have an impressive draught list, but some great bottle beers as well. The Stable is open for bar service now and will be opening full service either Friday or Saturday from what I’ve been hearing. Give them a call to find out for sure. Oh and Jared also let me in on a little surprise, see if you can find it in this new list:

Draught

• Schlafly Schwarzbier
• North Coast Scrimshaw Pils
• Reissdorf Kolsch
• North Coast Red Seal Ale
• Hoegaarden
• Duchesse De Bourgogne
• Lefthand Milk Stout
• North Coast Old Rasputin
• Sleeman Cream Ale
• Unibroue Maudite
• O’Fallon 5 Day
• La Chouffe
• Kasteel Rouge
• Bell’s Two Hearted
• Arcadia Hopmouth
• Ayinger Brau-weisse
• Bell’s Oberon
• Schalfly Hefe
• Kostritzer Black Lager

Bottles

• Great Divide Hercules
• Great Divide Yeti
• Chimay Grande Reserve
• Southern Tier Unearthly Imperial IPA
• Hebrew Brewing Lenny’s RIPA
• Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
• Weihenstephan Brewing Hefe
• Rogue Brewing Shakespeare Stout
• Rogue Brewing Imperial Pale Ale
• New Belgium Fat Tire
• Cantillion Iris
• Boulevard Brewing Double Wide IPA
• Budweiser
• Miller High Life
• Stag

In case you missed it over at the BeerAdvocate forums, Bear Republic will be arriving in St. Louis in early July thanks to MoBev.  Bear Republic has been available in Illinois for quite some time, but you’ll finally be able to purchase it in both states which makes everyone’s shopping that much easier.  For those unfamiliar with Bear Republic, their most famous beer may be the Racer 5 IPA, here’s their description from their website:

This is a hoppy IPA. Did I say hops? Your brewer is a hop head! This is a full bodied beer using American grains. The goal was to create a base for showing off the unique floral qualities of two Pacific Northwest hops, Columbus and Cascade. Columbus is a new hybrid High Alpha Acid hop used mostly for bittering, but used heavily as an aromatic in this strong brew. Cascade is the balance that ties the malt and bittering hops together. It is a true specialty ale and is our brewer’s statement on this style. 2004 L.A. Commercial Brewing Competition, Silver Medal Winner; 2004 World Beer Cup, Silver Medal Winner; 2001 Real Ale Festival, San Diego, Gold Medal Winner; 2001 Real Ale Festival, Chicago, Gold Medal Winner; 1999 Great Amercian Beer Festival, Gold Medal Winner - og 1.070, ABV 7.0%, IBU 69. California State Fair Bronze Medal, 1997 Beerfest Invitational. 

Mmmmm, IPAs.