What your looking at is a photo I snapped at The Violet Crown Cinema, in downtown Austin, Texas and it's of Revolver's Blood and Honey Ale. It simply knocked my socks off earlier this summer. I have been, for several years now, what is lovingly referred to as a Hop-head, greedily seeking that bitter, mouth puckering, palate cleansing liquid gold. My partner Greg prefers the dark brown sweetness of Porters and Stouts. I digress-while seeking cool local (meaning Tejas Craft Brews) bottles to take up to my old college classmate in Oklahoma, who is making us a beer chandelier, I came across their awesome revolver-themed bottles in Dallas, picked up a 6 pack and for the first time in several years succumed to the sweet citrus fruitiness of an ale, as opposed to the overwhelming bitter edge. I am sincerely thankful for that because the summer just got better and better and I realized that my palate was not in fact "wrecked" from IPA's but was finding it's way back to balance.
Greg and I are devoted home-brewers. We are crazy about the Craft Brew scene that is exploding in Austin and for several years now have been brewing and dreaming up a business that we finally opened yesterday, Austin Bed & Brew, a beercation-destination in the heart of Austin. We met in an alternative teacher training program 16 years ago and have both wandered away from the classroom, but absolutely love brewing and teaching and several other things that we felt we could pull together our concept of doing what we love, which is, brewing, gardening, designing, meeting new people and of course sharing a fabulous brew while getting to know them!
Home Brewligans is going to be a shared blog about all things beer. Breweries that we visit, beers that we try, festivals we attend, successes and failures while attempting to make that perfect beer, and the fine folks who brew that we meet along the way.
For the record (not that one exists) Greg is finishing up his PhD. and that is what sent me into brewing on my own...he's been taking a break, and after watching him brew for the past 5+ years, making suggestions and working along side...I've decided to take off on my own and become a homebrewer myself. My maiden brew happened on Summer Solstice, the day our stained glass window for the Bn'B was installed, and a holiday that is very endearing to me. That beer is now gone! It was a lemongrass, ginger Summer Ale, that I infused with a fresh lemongrass tea made from my herb garden. Here's what I've brewed since:
Greenbelt IPA
Lavender Saison
(again, I made an infused tea from the blossoms in my garden added at the secondary fermentation transfer)
Imperial Robust Porter
(at transfer, I added extra dark chocolate and a tea from dried chili pequin in my garden)
Blonde Mystery Hops Ale
(my buddy in Idaho sent me some wild hops growing on his property and the bearded dudes at Austin HomeBrew came up with a recipe to help us identify the hops!)
Like I said, the Bn'B opened yesterday, and I'll post about it at some time, but you can check it out at Austinbedandbrew.com, "Like" us on Facebook and see the photos or consider a "beercation" with us!
Next up...Pumpkin Ale. What are your thoughts on that?
Sun coming through the clearstory, casting light on our "Church of Beer" stained glass window
at Austin Bed & Brew
~Cheryl
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