Fire Island Beer Descends on TAP-NY

What do you get when you stick thirty-six New York State brewers, hundreds of aficionados and one six foot plus guy in lederhosen in a Catskills ski resort fresh out of snow? The TAP-NY Craft Beer festival, of course.

Fire Island Beer made its first appearance at TAP, and we settled on in with a bang. For two days, we poured for a line of fans that never waned. And poured. And poured. 62 gallons of Lighthouse Ale and Red Wagon IPA, to be precise. At three ounces a pour, that translates to roughly 2,600 glasses of Fire Island Beer’s finest.

We were having so much fun we quickly forgot our booth was within smelling distance of the guys hawking seafood jerkey. What? Yes, that really exists.

Festival goers didn’t just guzzle up our brews, our swag was flying off the shelves. Were you there? Did we meet you? Miss out and have a hankering for a tshirt all your own? Pick one up here so you’ll fit in at the next event!

Season’s First…Craft Beer Festival!

We kicked off a long season of festivals and fun this past weekend at the Spring Craft Beer Festival on Long Island. Blue skies, over fifty fellow brewers and hundreds of guests packed into the lower level of Nassau Coliseum to carry around a 6 oz. tasting glass and swill over a hundred different beers.

Our booth snagged a lot of repeat visitors, and we’re fairly certain they weren’t coming back for our jokes. Everyone was getting riled up about our Lighthouse Ale and Red Wagon IPA! They were going wild, really. You could hear the crowd chanting for more all the way across the Sound in Connecticut. It was a veritable mosh pit in front of our booth, and no one would step down til their glass was refilled…

Ok, so maybe it wasn’t quite that biblical. But between the haze of the fluorescent lights and the line by our booth, it was hard to resist imagining that this is what it must feel like on stage at Madison Square Garden.

We had a blast and we‘re looking forward to the next festival. Weren’t able to make it to Long Island? Don’t get too down on yourself. This is the start of a long and exciting summer. Up next: TAP New York in Hunter, NY. See you there!

But How Does it Taste?

Anyone who’s been to a wine tasting is familiar with attention to “nose,” “clarity,” and “finish,” but what is the equivalent nomenclature for beer tasting? And how do you judge a beer? Is there a correct way to drink a beer without succumbing to the comic absurdity of Paul Giamatti nasally sniffing merlot in “Sideways’?

First of all, you need to get over some common beer myths and misconceptions. One of the biggest party fouls when serving good beer is over chilling it. Sure, a really frosty beer dripping with ice looks good on a beer commercial, but chilling a beer too much numbs your taste buds. Cool down your beer too much and you’re more likely to get the flavor of ethanol rather than the rich aromas and nuance of malts and hops.

Of course, this might be good if you’re swigging some cheap two dollar special at the local pub, but for a more nuanced craft beer like Fire Island Beer Company (FIBC) Lighthouse Ale you’ll want to taste what you’re drinking. As a rule of thumb, pale beers should be served at cooler temperatures than dark beers. Aim for around 40-50 F for light beers and 50-60 F for darker ones. FIBC Lighthouse Ale, for instance, should be served between 46-54 F to really bring out some of its more subtle flavors.

Once your beer has been chilled to just the right temperature, you’re ready to pour. When pouring tilt the bottle at a 45 degree angle until the liquid reaches the halfway point, then switch to a 90 degree angle. This will cause the beer to foam up at the top, producing delightfully perfect head (which, without dwelling on the subject too much, is generally a preferable in many aspects of life).

With your beer now poured, raise it up and look at it. As the bubbles slowly rise up from the bottom and moisture gathers around the glass, take a moment to appreciate the beer and evaluate its color. Is it dark or light? A golden amber or a stout so thick you can barely see through it? The color of a beer is important, and it’s one of the first things that brewers use to describe a beer. While you examine your brew, be sure to note how the beer fizzes, or sits sad and lifeless. Little things like this can profoundly affect the taste of a beer.

Now that you’ve evaluated the beer’s color, notice the aroma, or “nose,” rising up from the glass. Just don’t be a snob about it! There’s no need to go swishing your beer about, poking your nose in the foam. With time and practice you’ll be able to distinguish the aromatic layers built into a beer as you pour it. These include a wide variety of smells, from lighter caramel finishes like the one in FIBC Lighthouse Ale to floral bouquets, malty infusions, and even subtle roasted scents.

Just remember that it’s what you smell, not what some expert says you should smell, or what the label on the beer says. So don’t go around pawning off some so-called expert’s description of a beer’s “nose” if you don’t actually detect anything. After all, would you repeat an expert’s opinion that praised a steakhouse that actually produced stuff that tasted like donkey meat? Of course not! Beer tasting is a decadently selfish venture: it’s all about how it tastes to you.

Ok, so you’ve poured the beer, you’ve looked at the beer, and you’ve smelled the beer-- there’s only one thing left to do. It’s time to taste the beer! Because taste and smell each contribute to the sensory experience of the other, many adjectives used to describe flavor are very similar to smell. A beer can have fruity flavors, be sharp, malty, sour, sweet, stout, bitter or anything in-between.

Think of a beer as having a personality. Is the beer you’re meeting a bitter old man? Soft and sweet like a young lover? Harsh like a demanding boss? Or coy and mysterious with hidden layers of flavor like...well you get the idea. Just don’t be shy about describing your beer, because the best description is the one that conveys the essence of what you’re tasting. If you describe a beer to a friend and they snap their finger’s in an epiphany of understanding, you’re on to something. If not, keep trying and tasting. You’ll find the right words.

It’s also important to try a beer more than once before you giving it a full evaluation. Beers are like people: sometimes the ones that seem bad at first may reveal more positive aspects on a second or third meeting, while others that seem sweet and alluring are doctored concoctions that turn out to be just plain nasty. Sure, there’s always love at first sip, but sometimes the best beers need time to grow on you.

Now, before I get to the last component of a proper beer evaluation, everyone who used to be one of those kids that made snide remarks in the back of the class needs to leave. Really. Just leave the room. Because we’re adults, right? And if you’re not, what are you doing on a beer site? Get out of here kid, before I tell your parents! So, this next one’s called “mouth feel”… and it’s, well, kinda like it sounds. How does the beer feel in your mouth? Light, smooth, and slightly bubbly, or thick like flat soda pop and hard to swallow? Hey! I told some of you to leave the room! We’re talking about beer here. God, the deer on Fire Island are more mature. Honestly… So yeah. Mouth feel. How it feels in your mouth. Got it?

So that’s it. You’re equipped with the basic things to focus on when evaluating and describing a beer: color, nose, flavor, and mouth feel. Yet no matter how many words, similes or metaphors you use, or how poetic you wax on barley and malts, there will always be something missing in your description of a beer for someone who’s never tried it. It’s just a fact of life. It’s like sitting on a dock in the Pines at sunset, or walking along the soft surf of Ocean Beach at dawn-- no amount of words can ever really substitute for the real experience.

Come to think of it, all of this talk about beer has gotten me thirsty, and I think it’s about time for me to head off and get a Fire Island Beer Company Lighthouse Ale. It’s a beautiful craft beer with a light golden color, a toasty round body, and a gently carbonated caramel finish that— wait. What am I saying? You shouldn’t be listening to me! Get off your computer and try it yourself!

Why You Should Hide Your Kid’s Hannah Montana Videos from Your Over-Curious Cousin

What does Hannah Montana have in common with Fire Island?

Apparently a music video starring some of the Fire Island’s boys of summer. Using the Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana track “Party in the USA” a group of local men filmed themselves lip-sinking to the teeny-bopper’s tunes while dancing on the beach.

So what’s Miley Cyrus’ reaction to the video? Well, if you believe her “tweet” to Perez Hilton, she’s apparently “obsessed” with the video!

To see the clip, and develop your own “obsession,” check out the link below.
(Despite popular belief, over-consumption of Fire Island Lighthouse Ale had absolutely nothing to do with the production of this clip--but it might have helped!)

House Passes $850,000 Bill to Spiff-Up Fire Island Ferries

Whoever said politicians don’t have their priorities straight? Recently, the U,S. House of Representatives appropriated $850,000 to renovate the Fire Island ferry terminals at Ocean Beach and Bay Shore.

To solve a reoccurring flooding problem, $600,000 was set aside to replace the Ocean Beach terminal, with the remaining $250,000 going toward repairs to the Bay Shore Terminal.

“Our ferries are not only a great way to get tourists to the beautiful Fire Island beaches, they are also essential to small businesses on both sides of the bay,” Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) said.

But don’t get too excited yet. Although the Senate appropriations bill passed committee in July, it still needs to come to a full Senate vote.

In the mean time, is it really too much to ask Rep. Steve Israel to lobby President Obama for another Beer Summit? Maybe on Fire Island? After all, he had a Bud Light last time! We’re pretty sure that Fire Island Beer Company’s Lighthouse Ale can beat that!

Smoky Sunday Blues, Beer & Bites

Spend a sultry summer Sunday afternoon with Karen and David Waltuck celebrating the magical mingling of blues, artisanal brews, and smoked foods on August 16. Chanterelle is proud to partner with The Jazz Gallery to feature live performances by Marvin Sewell, Saunders Sermon, and Doug Wamble. Paired with each blues artists will be hand-crafted local beers from smooth, light caramel Fire Island “Lighthouse Ale” to dark and creamy Keegan “Mother’s Milk” Stout together with David’s riffs on classic American smoked foods including Cold Smoked Corn Chowder, Tea Smoked Duck with Potato Salad and Warm Smoked Oysters and Bacon.

This finale Sunday Salon of 2009 will mark the last day that Chanterelle is open to the public before closing this summer in preparation for its 30th anniversary this fall. To usher in its third decade, the Waltucks will refresh the restaurant, with the addition of an intimate bar and an expanded menu. The last day for general reservations is Friday, August 14.

Smoky Sunday Blues, Beer & Bites, with brews presented by Andrew Reed, Craft Beer Specialist of Manhattan Beer and Yvon Pasquarello and Ari Meisel from Fire Island Brewery.

Date: Sunday, August 16

Time: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Location: Chanterelle, 2 Harrison Street (at Hudson)

Cost: $65 per person, including tax and gratuity

Reservations: contact Paul Case at 212-966-6960 or paul@chanterellenyc.com or visit www.chanterellenyc.com/salons for more information.

Fire Island Beer Company Lighthouse Ale Served at the Holy Family Festival

Fire Island Beer Company Lighthouse Ale will be served at the Holy Family Festival in Hicksville, New York this week.

Running from Wednesday, August 12th through Saturday, August 15th this great community event features rides, food, and fun for the whole family. The Festival is sponsored by the Parish of the Holy Family in Hicksville, New York.

For directions and event times, be sure to visit: http://sites.google.com/site/holyfamilyfestival/