Month: June 2012

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Brewer Profile: An Interview with Karen Lassiter, Boscos in Nashville, Tennessee

Profiled by Millie and Ken Carman

Courtesy beermelodies.com

Boscos Hillsboro Village
1805 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
615.385.0050

Hours of Operation…
Mon – Sat: 11 AM – 1:30 AM
Sun: 10:30 AM – 12:30 AM

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As co-editors of the Music City Brewers publication, The Brew-Score, Millie, my wife, and I felt since this interview was with fellow club member, and professional brewer: Karen Lassiter, it would be best served by her being interviewed together by both editors. Plus, this my second interview with a woman brewer, women brewing being a trend on the rise nationally and in Nashville. Karen brews for Boscos of Nashville and Boscos of Cool Springs. Jack is her husband and fellow motorcyclist. I keep telling him to get rid of that pansy Harley and get a real bike like my Honda Big Ruckus. Yes, that’s a joke.

Karen. before Boscos, brewed at fellow Music City Brewers brewery: Tom Vista. Where echoes of “Chop chop” can still be heard.

We’ve known Karen and Jack since they first joined Music City Brewers and, of course, since they started going over to the Bunker Brewery, owned by fellow club member Tom Vista. Karen has told me she learned a lot brewing at The Bunker that has helped her because Tom’s set up is actually a bit more complicated than the 7 barrel at Boscos. Quite a few club members, past and present, have enjoyed brewing at The Bunker, and Karen is known for her phrase that still inspires folks at The Bunker, “Chop, chop,” or “hurry up.”

Other notes: MC: Millie Carman. KL: Karen Lassiter. KC: Ken Carman. Fred Sheer is the former brewer at Boscos Karen trained under. Linus Hall: once MCB member, now owns Yazoo Brewing in Nashville, Travis Hixon: former brewer at Blackstone in Nashville, now at Popcorn Sutton, a micro-distiller and Chuck Skypeck (No truth the rumor he has a second cousin “Bushel N. Ahpeck.”) is the head brewer over all the Boscos, former brewer at the Nashville location and brewer in Memphis at Ghost River, while still overseeing Boscos brewing locations in Tennessee and Arkansas.

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MC: I know I should know this but, how long have you been brewing here at Bosco’s?

KL: It will be 4 year’s this coming September. The 1st year or so I was Fred’s assistant.

MC: You were an assistant at Blackstone for a time weren’t you?
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Whipped Wheat

Written by Joe Sixpack

American brewers who dabble in wheat must feel some days like William Murray.

Who?

William Murray – a mostly forgettable character from 17th-century England who had the somewhat bad luck of being the boyhood pal of Charles I. It was Charles’ father, King James I, who devised the philosophy of the “divine right of kings.”

“The state of monarchy,” James wrote, “is the supremest thing upon earth; for kings are not only God’s lieutenants upon earth, and sit upon God’s throne, but even by God himself are called gods.”well-deserved spanking. No one would dare lay a hand on the son of a god, right?

Instead, it was his friend, the unfortunate William Murray, who felt the lash. Charles won’t eat his veggies, William gets a beating.

Thus was born the entirely odious concept of the whipping boy.

Which only makes me wonder: Who made German hefeweizen the prince of beers?

Want to read more? Please click…

HERE

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Lauren Salazar of New Belgium Q&A!

Written by Brandon Jones

Good news everyone! (said in a Professor Farnsworth voice). After a month off that included a wonderful vacation with my family I’ve got a great Q&A session with Lauren Salazar of New Belgium Brewing. Lauren is the “Sensory Specialist” for NB and is regarded by many people as not only one of the greatest judges/tasters/blenders in the USA, but in the world!  Since I’m a huge fan of Oud Bruin and Sour Brown beers I have to admit I was geeking out talking to the person who blends/creates one of my favorite beers in the world: La Folie. I love this interview for a few reasons, but one of the biggest is the revealing look as to how in tune with and caring Lauren is with her products at New Belgium. She gave me some great advice to pass along to aspiring home brewers and dropped some information on a few new beers that will come out this year! So let’s get the fun started…
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Beer Out of a Beard: Coming Soon

Posted by hayatnorimine at huffingtonpost.com and seattlepi.com

 

No, it’s not “magic,” it’s science apparently.
When Rogue Wire Service first blogged about a new beer made out of beard hair, the first question that came to mind was whether this was a real thing. (See my first blog post about it here.)

“It’s gotta be a joke,” White Labs Communications Director Mike White thought when he first heard about it.

Well, we’re all with him there. But it’s confirmed, folks. What started out as a joke — White Labs put Rogue brewmaster John Maier’s beard hair on petri dishes just for kicks — became a very real yeast strain perfect for brewing.

Come early 2013, look out for Rogue’s new beer called “New Crustacean.” It is, I kid you not, made out of a Rogue brewmaster’s beard.

I wish I didn’t know so I could try it in peace.

Rogue Ales and Spirits initially wanted to grow a new yeast strain out of its own hops, but the hopyard’s three samples that were sent to White Labs came back negative. White Labs then took nine follicles of Maier’s beard and put them on petri dishes; that’s where the surprise came in.
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Brew Biz: Werts and All

Ken Carman is a BJCP judge; homebrewer since 1979, club member at Escambia Bay and Music City Homebrewers, who has been interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast for over 10 years.


The Topic: Category Conundrums

 

I judged beer in Lexington, Kentucky a few weekends ago. I also entered a Braggot, but an odd one.

Who me? Brew odd? Who woulda guessed!

Anywhosie…

The judging went well. I enjoy judging as much, or maybe more, than brewing. It’s like a very specific, directed, tour through styles of beer and the differences in judge’s palates. I swear I learn more practical information about beer from judging than I did studying to pass my BJCP exam, because it relies more on diving into a style on a one on one level with other judges… less with memorization that sits in the brain and rots, or flows out the other end sooner or later.

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