A Kitsap brewer fine enough for a famous horse race
Around 150,000 people attended the 149th annual Kentucky Derby this year. Collectively, they consumed an estimated 522,000 cans of beer, 142,000 hot dogs, and 120,000 mint juleps. For the juleps, 1,000 pounds of fresh mint, barrels of Old Forester and 60,000 pounds of ice were staged. And the hats! 90% of the women attending wear big colorful hats, almost all flower themed.
The winning horse, Mage, had 15-1 odds to win the derby. So, a $2 bet on Mage would have paid out $330.44. And a $1 trifecta bet on Mage, Two Phil's (2nd place) and Angel of Empire (3rd place) would net $982.36. That’s enough to buy a fancy hat for next year’s Derby.
On a small, active farm just north of Poulsbo, the Bushel & Barrel Ciderhouse on Beaver Ridge Lane serves up cider, beer, wine and fun! The farm has alpacas, donkeys, pigs, goats, and more. Live music, karaoke and craft lessons are also part of the down home fun with visiting vendors dishing up the chow.
The family and pet friendly Bushel & Barrel was the perfect place to view the Kentucky Derby from 2,383 miles away. They even had a doozy of a Derby hat contest.
In my younger days, I attended a few Running of the Roses in the crowded infield without a fancy hat where you were lucky to see a horse because there were 59,999 people packed against the fence. Had me a mint julep or two for consolation.
But this year at the Bushel & Barrel, a flight of their ciders was the winning ticket. There were a bunch to choose from too! Taro (impressive), Lemon, Cotton Candy, Scumpy Bear (traditional), French Toast (sweet), Cranberry (very nice), and Blood Orange (tart but in a good way). Local brews were also represented by Western Red Cedar Amber, Valholl Poulsbo Porter, and Rainy Daze Goat Boater.
Bushel & Barrel: Cidery takes the leap from selling wholesale to opening tasting room
So, we opted for the flight of six and two cups. The Derby menu from Cafe Rendezvous’ truck included hot dogs, one with traditional toppings and the other with Thai-like vegetables of cilantro and pickled matchstick carrots and a sumptuous mac and cheese that was hard to keep my fork out of.
There were fun activities too beyond the fancy hat contest. Mop horse races, a craft market and farm animals to feed dandelions to and later Karaoke. Great ciders, Good food and Lots of fun. Plan a day on the farm soon!
Brew News
Speaking of fun, authorities in Belgium told Miller High Life, “Ceci n’est pas du Champagne!” A video of a shipment of 98 cases of Miller High Life, nicknamed the Champagne of Beers, was crushed by customs in Antwerp for infringing on Champagne’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).
That’s because in the European Union, it’s illegal to use a PDO name on the label unless, of course, you’re a part of that PDO. In the EU, it isn’t Champagne because it wasn't made with grapes grown in the Champagne region of France, much less made there.
Here in America, Miller High Life enjoys the freedom of labeling whatever it wants, including “the Champagne of Beers,” which it has done for just about 120 years. But in the EU, that’s a party foul.
Miller’s parent company, Molson Coors doesn’t export the Champagne of Beers to Europe. And there are only four stubborn countries in the world that refuse to honor Europe’s protected designations, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Russia and the good ole US of A.
Neither the source nor recipient of the 98 cases of Miller High Life was identified, but the intended recipient was in Germany. Ironically, Miller Brewing Company was founded by a German immigrant, Frederick Miller in Wisconsin in 1855.
Brew Trends for 2023
Last year, the brewing industry dealt with carbon dioxide shortages, a tight labor market and extra expenses, as inflation impacted everything from bottles to cans to grains to freight. Almost everything needed to brew costs more than in the Before Times.
After reading about the Champagne of Beers, I went down the rabbit hole and here is a Cliff Note’s report of trends in the brewing industry for this year. See if you might wager on any of these.
With inflation, brands are rethinking the most bang for the buck. Selling in bulk, such as an 18-pack of beer for $15, creating variety 6-packs or higher-ABV beers so you’ll only drink one rather than three beers.
Ready-to-drink (RTDs) cocktails and hard sodas are also gaining ground.
Hazy IPAs will continue to obsess the American beer scene. Hazy IPAs are, according to the Beer Judge Certification Program, “an American IPA with intense fruit flavors and aromas, a soft body, smooth mouthfeel, and often opaque with substantial haze. Less perceived bitterness than traditional IPAs but always massively hop-forward.”
Cloudiness typically indicates a flawed brew but for a Hazy IPA, the cloudiness happens because of how it’s fermented. Besides being unfiltered, hazy IPAs get their haze from the proteins and hop oils. The more insoluble protein in the grain bill, the more haze. The polyphenols from the hops and the protein from the grain (more common in oats and wheat) make haze and certain strains of yeast can also produce a cloudy beer.
Non-alcoholic lineup
The non-alcoholic (NA) segment is growing in the U.S. According to Drizzly, the share for non-alcoholic beer increased by forty-one percent as of the end of October 2022.
In the NA line up, you’ll begin to notice more hop waters, a sparkling beverage made with hops. Hop waters often come packaged in cans or bottles that are similar to beer. Which can help some fit in at the party if they don’t want to imbibe.
Destination tap rooms and gardens
With masks a thing of the past, gathering with family and friends in a garden or on the farm is the destination. Beer gardens and taprooms will become a compelling choice for kid friendly, dog friendly places to gather for music, games, karaoke, trivia, food and, of course, a frosty mug of something delicious. Destination: Poulsbo’s Bushel & Barrel Ciderhouse.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: A Kitsap brewer fine enough for a famous horse race
