The Brewsletter
November 2011
The Official Newsletter of the Hampton Roads Brewing & Tasting Society (HRB&TS)
Presidential Musings - C.J., aka. Chris Jones.
Our last meeting was great fun, thanks Walkers; plus that silent auction rocked. We can throw a boogie-woogie with the best of clubs.
The arrival of cold weather like we had this Saturday is a harbinger of good things to come in Beerville, namely Holiday Season beers. Big ones, spiced ones, with and without glassware that matches, it’ll be just grand. And to get you started on your big beer season, how about some robust teutonic food art the German Pantry? Gott im Himmel, it’ll be great fun. More info elsewhere, so be there.
We’ve got one more HRB Cup event left, the tripel showdown; if you haven’t made one yet, there’s still time.
Going to try some educational outreach on Wednesday – an experiment with light; you don’t want to miss it.
And with that … a man goes into the Colley Cantina, says “I need a Stone IPA!”, the bartender pours one and hands it to him. Slam! Gone! The guy says “Thanks; I need a Stone IPA, fast!”, the bartender pours one and hands it to him. Slam! Gone!
The bartender says “You’re pounding those things pretty fast” and the guy says “You would, too, if you had what I have.”
The bartender bites, and says “What have you got?”, and the guy says “A quarter.”
That’s it, my work is done here, see you Wednesday. CJ
The Meeting Location by Diane Catanzaro
German Pantry, Norfolk
7 pm Wednesday November 2
Our Nov 2 meeting marks the return to restaurants for the HRB&TS as cooler weather prevails. Hey there German Pantry, get the spaetzel sizzling and your best wurst, the HRB&TS is coming to town with a thirst for some of the 14 draft beers and 100 bottled beers available!
While it has been fantastic to meet at member homes in warmer weather (big thanks to Rob & Jodi, Mike & Terri, Ron & Jeannine, Kelly, Patti & JL, Erin & Phil, and Will & Jonna!!!), it is also fun to check out local restaurants that offer great beer, a varied menu, and a hospitable meeting room or special space where we can meet and share homebrew and fel-ale-ship. (Ok, I invented a new word here....maybe it will catch on. I am still waiting for my Noble (hops) Prize for 'mic-faux-brew' so I'm not holding my breath....).
The German Pantry will graciously close to 'normal' customers for our private function on Wednesday night at 7 pm. We HRB&TS-ers have our own private kitchen and beer keller (cellar) for a night! The German Pantry is awesome not to charge for this, so please join us in ordering something to eat from their tasty menu.
There are lots of great sandwiches, such as the classic or schnitzel Reuben, Black Forest ham, smoked turkey, pork loin, and corned beef on rye...none are more than $9.00 AND come with your choice of side like fries (ah, pomme frites), white asparagus, soup, potato salad, green beans, potato pancakes, etc. Entrees include traditional German specialties, a variety of German sausages and schnitzels, and check this out: slow roasted pork loin in a tasty sauce made with beer and honey. For veggie options I usually go with the mushroom and onion spaetzel or a "veggie Reuben" (hold the meat, extra cheese)...love it! There are also many veggie side dishes and a salad to choose from. So please “lassen Sie nicht Ihren Fleisch faulenzen” (don’t let your meat loaf!) and join the HRB&TS at 7 pm for our first restaurant meeting since last spring.
For your tasting pleasure, Fat Tire, Spaten, Stone IPA, Schneider Celebrator, and two local beers from O'Conner are just some of the beers likely to be on tap, and the bottled selection includes German, Belgian, and American craft beer. Please do bring homebrew to share samples if you have some, but of course no commercial beers can be brought in. The Pantry has plenty to choose from!
The location is only a couple of minutes off I-64 and I-264, very close to Military Circle Mall and JANAF, so it is a convenient drive from anywhere in Hampton Roads or the Peninsula.
Address: 5329 Virginia Beach Blvd., Norfolk, 461-5100. They have a bright yellow sign on the left end of a very small strip shopping center. http://www.thegermanpantry.com/
Directions:
From the Peninsula: Take I-64 East to Military Highway South exit. Follow Military Highway about a mile or two. Turn right onto Route 58/VA Beach Blvd. Once on the Blvd, stay in the left-hand lane. When you see The German Pantry on the left in just a minute or two, there is a left turn cut-across that comes up quickly (left blinker, quick!!). When you take your left, you’ll need to cross all the way over to the ‘feeder road’ rather than doing a typical u-turn. It's a bit odd but apparently at one time Norfolk's traffic engineers who were aiming for Shinola and didn't know the difference.
From Norfolk, VA Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake - Take I-264 toward Military Highway. (If you are heading westbound you have to be on the right side of the highway in way in advance to be able to take the Military Hwy exit). Take the exit for Military Highway North. About a mile down the road is the big intersection with Route 58/VA Beach Blvd. Take VA Beach Blvd westbound, toward Norfolk. The German Pantry is on the left in about a minute. When you see The German Pantry on the left, there is a left turn cut-across that comes up quickly. (Left...blinker....fast!) When you take your left, you’ll need to cross all the way over to the ‘feeder road’ rather than doing a typical u-turn.
Competition Coordinator Corner
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2011 Hampton Roads Brewers Cup Standings |
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|
Brewer |
Club |
Robust Porter (12B) March 2011 |
Hefeweizen (15A) June 2011 |
American IPA (14B) September 2011 |
Belgian Tripel (18C) December 2011 |
Points |
||||
|
Chris Knight |
BARF |
4 |
6 |
|
|
10 |
||||
|
Paul Hutchings |
HRBTS |
1 |
4 |
5 |
|
10 |
||||
|
Lee Dodd |
HRBTS |
6 |
1 |
1 |
|
8 |
||||
|
Justin Crandall |
BARF |
1 |
|
6 |
|
7 |
||||
|
Chris Jones & Diane Cat |
HRBTS |
1 |
5 |
1 |
|
7 |
||||
|
Andrew Jackson |
BARF |
5 |
1 |
1 |
|
7 |
||||
|
Frank Tiffany |
HRBTS |
|
|
4 |
|
4 |
||||
|
Dan Tully |
BARF |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
3 |
||||
|
Corey Basely |
BARF |
|
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
||||
|
Doug Boyd |
HRBTS |
1 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
||||
|
Jennings Lyon |
HRBTS |
1 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
||||
|
JP Messier |
HRBTS |
1 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
||||
|
Rob Pearson |
BARF |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
||||
|
Joe Graves |
HRBTS |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
||||
|
Skip Sharp |
HRBTS |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
||||
|
Elijah Roberts |
BARF |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
||||
|
Jason Kuller |
HRBTS |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
||||
|
Thomas Wright |
BARF |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
||||
|
Ben Powell |
BARF |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
||||
|
Steve Clark |
BARF |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
||||
|
This could easily be you |
|
If you get brewing ……. |
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Our next competition will be held on December 14 starting at 7:30pm. This is a week early according to the rules but the 3rd Wednesday is too close to Christmas. The location will be announced as we get closer to the date. The category is 18C. Plan ahead and brew with us. There are many great brewers in our ranks and we need you to make this competition successful.
|
2011 HAMPTON ROADS BREWERS CUP SCHEDULE |
||
|
Month |
Style |
BJCP Category and Sub Category |
|
21 December |
Belgian Tripel |
18 (C) |
About the HRB&TS: The Hampton Roads Brewing and Tasting Society is dedicated to promoting the enjoyment of home brewing. The annual dues are $20 per individual and $25 per family. Members are encouraged to support the reasonable enjoyment of beer and observe the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Federal government, and the Golden Rule. Persons attending HRB&TS meetings and events are solely liable for actions attendant to their participation. HRB&TS maintains a NO SMOKING policy during all meetings so that members may better enjoy fine beers. Visit the HRB&TS online at www.hrbts.org.