European Brewery of the Year: Birrificio Montegioco

I acquainted or reacquainted myself with many breweries and beers across Europe in 2012, from pints grabbed between drams during a journey through Scotland to the many and diverse brews encountered while judging at the Brussels Beer Challenge. Without question, however, one of the most captivating and compelling European beers I tasted last year arrived my first day in Rome this past November, when I was handed a glass of a beer called La Mummia.

It was also my introduction to the brewery that would ultimately earn my nod as European brewery of 2012: Birrificio Montegioco.

Mummia is a beer I was told is aged for a full three years in barrels that previously held Barbera wine, so it’s not at all surprising that its character is tart and fruity, with ample spicy-vanilla notes. What did come as a bit of an eye-opener, however, was the relative delicacy and nuance of the beer, which segues seamlessly from one of the most attractive aromas I encountered in a beer in 2012 to a softly tart and surprisingly fresh-tasting and sweet-ish body, with white peach and apricot notes, culminating in a dry, spiced orange finish.

Were that all Montegioco had to offer, I would have been impressed. But there was more to come.

Among others, I sampled: Runa, a mildly fruity golden ale used as a base beer for other brews, but delightful on its own; Tibir, a peachy and passionfruity ale fermented with local wine must; and Tentetripel, a warming and candied pear-ish treat for the end of the night. About the only misstep encountered was Demon Hunter, which I found to be overly boozy for its body, but even that is personality disorder I suspect would be adjusted were the beer allowed to age for a time.

All told, the brewery displays a skill and finesse with a multitude of style, the likes of which I might expect of a seasoned brewery in a mature craft beer market, rather than a seven year old operation in rural Italy. For this reason, and for how it exemplifies the extraordinary brewing taking place today all across Italy, my pick as European Brewery of the Year is Birrificio Montegioco.

Australasian Brewery of the Year: Yeastie Boys

Before we get to my pick of Australasian brewery of 2012, I need first offer a caveat of sorts, it being that my experience with Asian breweries remains unsatisfyingly limited. Thus far, my Asian travels have been limited to Thailand alone, and while I have sampled a decent amount of beer from that country and also Japan, I am hopeful of greatly expanding my understanding of the region in the months and years to come.

And so it is with respect to breweries like Swan Lake Beer of Japan, Brewerkz of Singapore and the long-enduring Cooper’s of Australia that I return to New Zealand for this year’s Australasian Brewery of the Year, tipping my hat to the contract brewing firm, the Yeastie Boys.

“Audacious” is a word which comes to mind when speaking of the two man team behind the Yeastie Boys. As in, creating a beer brewed entirely from peated malt, Rex Attitude, and then “doubling” it up as Rex, a 10% alcohol version of the same peated-up monster that should be disastrous, but is somehow, almost impossibly even better than its similarly ridiculous but tasty little brother. As in, crafting a strong, Scottish-inspired ale,  Hud-a-wa’ Strong, and giving it a tropical fruit backbone through the use of Nelson Sauvin and NZ-grown Cascade hops. As in, well, calling their company Yeastie Boys.

What’s more, when they developed a hoppy black ale, and a rather masterful one, at that, they resisted the temptation to jump on the “black IPA” bandwagon and described Pot Kettle Black instead as a “hoppy porter.” Perhaps not an audacious move, but one which appeals to my anti-style-expansionism self.

True, Yeastie Boys is a contract brewer, but in New Zealand, where a small population base is stretched across a long and isolated land mass, or rather, masses, that is a status without the perception issues that tend to dog it still in North America and parts of Europe. Indeed, contract craft brewing seems at times almost the Kiwi norm rather than the exception.

For beer that is bold and flavourful and deliciously irreverent, the Yeastie Boys are my choice as Australasian Brewery of the Year.

Friday: 2012′s European Brewery of the Year!

Latin American Brewery of the Year: Microcervecería Gourmet Calavera

Anyone who regularly reads my work will know that I’ve been getting increasingly enthusiastic about developing craft beer markets in Latin America of late, most specifically in Brazil, but also in parts of Argentina and Chile. And this year past, I added the youthful but gradually developing craft beer scene of Mexico to the mix.

From my time tasting in Mexico, I was able to identify ten solid craft breweries with strong potential. Of this ten, the standout for me was and is Microcervecería Gourmet Calavera.

There are other craft breweries in Mexico that are doing things right – Cucapá, Jack, Primus and Minerva all spring to mind – but none to my mind doing as many things so well and showing such potential as Calavera. From their highly credible American Pale Ale, loaded with tropical fruit and citrus notes, to the brewery’s trio of Belgian-inspired brews, led by the spicy, peppery Tripel, to the perhaps style defining Mexican Imperial Stout, with its roasted chili-chocolate notes, this is a small brewery with many successful irons in its fire.

But fine beers are just the starting point. Calavera has also shown great initiative in both getting its beers out to market and promoting the nascent Mexican craft beer scene as a whole. Its involvement in the pioneering craft beer program at the Fairmont Mayakoba hotel and resort is indicative of the brewery’s inventiveness on both of these fronts.

And so, for stretching Mexican beer styles and helping to promote craft beer in the outrageously oligopolistic Mexican market, my pick for Latin American Brewery of 2012 is Microcervecería Gourmet Calavera.

Thursday: 2012′s Australasian Brewery of the Year!

U.S. Brewery of the Year: New Glarus Brewing Company

As per my Canadian experience documented yesterday, profligate tasting opportunities made selection of an American brewery of the year a task that was, to say the least, daunting. I sampled more great beer in 2012 from a larger range of breweries in the United States than I have in any year past, and choosing one to highlight above the others was not a task I relished.

Still, choices must be made, and when I thought back on all the beers I tasted over the past twelve months, I realized that no brewery provided quite as many “wow” moments as did the Wisconsin stalwart, New Glarus Brewing.

A look through my notes reveals the tale to be told: marzipan-esque Enigma, part of the “Thumbprint” series of beers we can only hope to see return; gorgeous, complexly fruity Serendipity, a lovely brew crafted as a place-holder for the Wisconsin Belgian Red when the local cherry crop failed; unorthodox Dancing Man Wheat, strong at over 7% alcohol with barbecued banana notes and white peppery spice; cherry pie-esque Cherry Stout, another “Thumbprint” beer; restrained Snowshoe; Kentish-American Hop Hearty; the list goes on and on.

Of course, the rap against New Glarus is Spotted Cow, the ubiquitous Dairy State beer some deride as overly simplistic and dull. But if its success is what allows Deborah and Dan Carey to produce such a remarkable line-up of fringe, occasional and one-off brands, then I say “Let it flow!”

The sole negative, as I see it, is that you can only buy New Glarus beers in Wisconsin, which is tough on the rest of us, but a sign of the Careys commitment to their motto: Drink Indigenous.

For great beer and tremendous growth in their home market, New Glarus Brewing is my choice as U.S. Brewery of the Year for 2012.

Wednesday: 2012′s Latin American Brewery of the Year!

Ontario Brewery of the Year – Bellwoods Brewery

(With the co-Beer Places of 2012 out of the way – see yesterday’s post – I turn my attention now to the various breweries of 2012, beginning locally with my home province of Ontario. I’ll take the weekend off, returning on Monday with the Brewery of the Year for Canada, followed by my picks for the U.S., Latin America, Australasia and Europe.)

The last few years have seen craft brewing in Ontario improve by leaps and bounds, with new breweries, new beers and a refreshingly new attitude that eschews much of the conservatism that dominated the provincial beer scene during the 1990’s and for most of the new century thus far. This has (thankfully) made choosing a provincial brewery of the year an exercise of increasingly difficulty.

Looking back over 2012, however, I came to the realization that no brewery had made as significant an impact as did Toronto’s own Bellwoods Brewery.

From almost the first day this Ossington strip brewery and pub opened its doors, it attracted vast amounts of well-deserved attention. The local beer cognoscenti was abuzz; visiting brewers and owners from none other than the acclaimed Dieu du Ciel! sang its praises; and the line-up of would-be collaborators grew quickly. Here was a brewery the likes of which Toronto had not before seen.

Thanks to my rigorous travel schedule this year past, it took me a while to get myself to Bellwoods, but when I finally did, I was immediately impressed. Arriving sans notebook for a friend’s going away drinks, I sampled my way across the entire draught list, finding several very bright spots and, more importantly, encountering zero duds. A return visit was quickly planned.

On that return, some of the taps had changed – Bellwoods being nothing if not an operation keen on experimentation and innovation – but the Lost River Baltic Porter still inspired with its licoricey, boozy beauty, and the new to me Mash Pipe smoked Berliner weiss was a tart, refreshing and wonderfully balanced gem.

Since that second visit, a third and a fourth have been scheduled and executed, but I still don’t feel I make it to Bellwoods nearly enough – unquestionably a sign of a very good brewery. In fact, I have yet to visit its on-again, off-again bottle shop, although home to do so in the near future.

For all the above, and much more besides, Toronto’s Bellwoods Brewery is my Ontario Brewery of 2012!

Monday: 2012′s Canadian Brewery of the Year!

Best Beer Place of 2012: A Tie!

I travelled a lot last year, covering around 70,000 miles by air and plenty more on the ground. Along the way, I visited a lot of beer places and enjoyed a lot of good times with good people.

Such plenitude makes choosing a favourite, or even five favourites, a difficult task, but in the end I arrived at two beery destinations that stood out for me. They are, in some ways, very similar enterprises, and in others quite different. But they share in their hearts a commitment to great food and excellent beer.

They are: The Meddlesome Moth in Dallas, United States, and Bir & Fud in Rome, Italy.

The Moth was the first I visited in 2012, so it shall be the first discussed here. Offspring of the beer bar chain, Flying Saucer, itself with 15 (about to be 16) locations mostly in the southern U.S., the Moth is a creature of a decidedly different sort, with a more formal but still casual aesthetic, a fine list of beer offerings on tap and in the bottle, and a creative menu that veers from basic sandwiches in the afternoon to steak frites and other brasserie favourites at night, each listed with a recommended beer pairing.

Other places do the same, of course, and some execute it with equal or even greater success. But the Moth does it in Dallas, not exactly a long-standing craft beer Mecca, and does it with grace, style – quirky though it may be – and taste. In three meals enjoyed thus far, I’ve yet to sample anything I would consider even mediocre, much less sub-par, and the beer list is always as carefully selected and stylistically diverse as its Texas location allows it to be. Kudos to Moth navigator Keith Schlabs, Chef David McMillan and the whole Dallas crew on a job very well done.

Bir & Food, although showing equal dedication to the victual side of its menu, is the pizzeria yin to the Moth’s Belgian-esque, gastropubby yang. Smaller in size but no less selective in its offerings, it sits on a back lane way in the Trastevere neighbourhood of Rome, almost directly across the street from another great Italian beer destination, Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà, informally known as the “football pub.” It’s sometimes cheek-to-jowl crowded and jostlingly busy, but inviting even on a cool late autumn Roma night.

With fewer taps and a lot less space, management at Bir & Fud has to be circumspect in what they carry, but that doesn’t mean quality need be at all compromised. The eighteen taps pour all Italian craft beer and the international bottle list is judiciously chosen, all waiting to accompany quite excellent pizzas and other dishes. Judging by the crowds on what I was told would be a “slow day,” the people of Rome appreciate the effort.

So, for 2012, I salute two beer places that highlight the joys of great beer and fine cuisine: The Meddlesome Moth and Bir & Fud!

Tomorrow: 2012′s Ontario Brewery of the Year!

Looking Back Post #8: European Brewery of the Year

(This is the sixth and final post detailing what I found to be the breweries of the year for 2011 in various regions. Note that there is no science to the choices I have made, just my own highly subjective reasoning as detailed in each post. You can find my pick of the Brewery of the Year for Ontario here, Brewery of the Year for Canada here, U.S. Brewery of the Year here,  Latin American Brewery of the Year here and Australasian Brewery of the Year here.)

I had some tough decisions to make before arriving at my choice of European Brewery of the Year for 2011. First was, should I separate out the U.K. for its own Brewery of the Year award, as I did Ontario from Canada and Canada and the U.S. from North America? In my head, I made a good argument for so doing, since my experiences in Britain last year left me quite impressed and very optimistic about the future of brewing there. But then I stared down the prospect of also separating out the Benelux, Scandinavia and Germany-Austria, just for starters, and the whole thing grew rather daunting. So Europe alone it remains.

Next up, I had to decide whether to make my focus experimentation and innovation, of the type at which the Italians and the Danes, in particular, excel, or stick to the kind of solid, ultra-reliable brewing seen across Germany and amongst the old school breweries of Belgium. And should I reward persistence within undeveloped beer nations, taking me back to Italy and parts of Scandinavia, even a bit in France, or reliability and character within developed nations?

Ultimately, I swept all those questions aside and asked myself this: “What European brewery has had the most focused, forceful and practical presence both within their home market and beyond?”

My answer, and my choice of European Brewery of the Year, is Brouwerij de Molen of the Netherlands.

Yes, their beers are multitudinous, often fleeting and frequently next to impossible to find, but my experience has been that there are enough of them that something is usually available at the better beer shops in the Netherlands, and sometimes elsewhere, and even if it’s not precisely what you’re looking for, it’s usually pretty damn good anyway. And besides, how many European breweries have the tenacity and sheer brewing prowess to list on their website the beers they produce by national inspiration, ie: “Belgian-Style,” German-Style,” etc.?

But as good as the above reasons are, they are not why de Molen is receiving this particular nod. No, the reasoning behind this pick is rather the way in which De Molen has brought forward Dutch brewing, encouraging other breweries to shed their conservative ways and embrace the diversity of beer, and then introducing that emerging face of Dutch beer to the world via tireless travels to beer fests all over Europe. For that leadership, De Molen, I salute you, and recognize you as my choice for European Brewery of the Year.

Looking Back Post #7: Australasian Brewery of the Year

(This is the fifth of several posts detailing what I found to be the breweries of the year for 2011 in various regions. Note that there is no science to the choices I have made, just my own highly subjective reasoning as detailed in each post. You can find my pick of the Brewery of the Year for Ontario here, Brewery of the Year for Canada here, U.S. Brewery of the Year here and Latin American Brewery of the Year here.)

I’ll be the first to admit that my exposure to breweries in Asia, Australia and New Zealand is limited, and something I intend to remedy this and next year. But since I did make the acquaintance of a previously unheard of (to me) number of such operations in 2011, I thought I should in fairness include Australasia in my Brewery of the Year picks, even if the selection process is a little more unfair than it is for the rest of my year-end awards.

So my Brewery of the Year for Australasia is Renaissance Brewing.

Renaissance came to my attention early in 2010 and continued to impress through 2011. Their Stonecutter Scotch Ale has been a treat from the get-go, and their Elemental Porter is reminiscent of one of the finest porters I’ve ever tasted, that of London’s Meantime Brewing. In 2011, reports out of New Zealand and Australia indicate that the brewery has continued its winning ways with American-inspired ales and what I understand is a re-imagining of their Craftsman Oatmeal Chocolate Stout. They may not be as RateBeer and BeerAdvocate lauded as other New Zealand breweries, but they are richly deserving of much praise.

In a broader sense, I see this as an award for New Zealand craft brewing in general, about which I expect the world will be hearing much, much more in the very near future.

Looking Back Post #6: Latin American Brewery of the Year

(This is the fourth of several posts detailing what I found to be the breweries of the year for 2011 in various regions. Note that there is no science to the choices I have made, just my own highly subjective reasoning as detailed in each post. You can find my pick of the Brewery of the Year for Ontario here, Brewery of the Year for Canada here and U.S. Brewery of the Year here.)

The year past was one in which I had the privilege of acquainting myself with many breweries from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and elsewhere in Latin America, which makes deciding on this honouree all the more difficult. No doubt there are several worthy candidates brewing up great things in difficult market conditions, such as Cervejaria Colorado, Cervejaria Bamberg and Bodebrown Cervejaria & Escola in Brazil; Cerveza Jerome, Cerveza Zeppelin and Cerveza Artesanal Antares in Argentina; Cerveceria Kross, Szot Microbrewery and Tübinger Microbrews in Chile; Costa Rica’s Craft Brewing Company in, well, Costa Rica; and Cerveceria Minerva and Cerveceria Primus in Mexico. But as I looked back on my notes and impressions, one brewery stood out.

My choice for Latin American Brewery of the Year for 2011 is Falke Bier.

Brewer and owner Marco Falcone’s beers caught my attention the moment I first tasted his Estrada Real IPA, which I thought more akin to an ESB, but nonetheless enjoyed tremendously. Then I  had a chance to linger over lunch with Falcone and sample many of his other brews, including the Ouro Preto, a schwarzbier for which he toasts the grain himself in a coffee-style roaster, the stylish Falke Bier Pilsen and Falcone’s attempt at a tripel, the somewhat variable Monasterium, which is spicy-fruity treat that in my opinion falls short of the stylistic mark, but remains a most appealing tipple.

What sealed the deal, however, was sampling his Vivre pour Vivre in Buenos Aires a number of months later. Lightly tart and quenching, this fruit ale undergoes lengthy barrel aging, exposure to lactobacillus culture and a final fermentation with native jabuticaba fruit, resulting in a beer of appetizing and spicy fruitiness and great character. I have read that it was the original product of a mistake in the brewhouse, which I have yet to confirm with Falcone, but even it it was, it remains a marvelous correction, and ample reason to push Falke over the top as my Brewery of the Year pick for Latin America..

Looking Back Post #5: U.S. Brewery of the Year

(This is the third of several posts detailing what I found to be the breweries of the year for 2011 in various regions. Note that there is no science to the choices I have made, just my own highly subjective reasoning as detailed in each post. The first post, highlighting my Brewery of the Year for Ontario, is available here, while the Brewery of the Year for Canada is introduced here.)

I sampled a lot of beers from a lot of American breweries this past year, much of it in preparation for the writing of my and Tim Webb’s forthcoming World Atlas of Beer, and as such have numerous contenders in mind for this crown. Sun King Brewing of Indianapolis impressed the hell out of me, for instance, as did St. Louis’ new Urban Chestnut Brewing and the ever popular Boulevard Brewing of Kansas City. Out west, Green Flash made a very strong impression, as did The Bruery and Utah’s Squatters, and in the middle, more or less, New Belgium continued to turn out strong seasonals and special editions. And that’s not even scratching the surface of my notable reviews of 2011.

In the end, though, one brewery did stand out as my pick for the U.S. Brewery of the Year for 2011: Stone Brewing.

I suspect some will consider this a suspect pick, since Stone’s apologetically in-your-face ways with hops and marketing can be a bit too much for some people, and understandably so. But if there is a brewery that more consistently releases hop-forward beers with balance, I don’t know of it, and besides, as illustrated by several of their releases in 2011, notably the Elysian-Stone-Bruery collaboration pumpkin beer, La Citrueille Celeste de Citracado, this is also a brewery that can quite comfortable handle subtlety.

Add in the consistently convivial atmosphere of their World Bistro and Gardens,  their remarkably frequent, and frequently remarkable, collaboration beers, and their aggressive attitude towards growth, and you have what I consider a worthy winner of the 2011 title.