Category: Beer

This is an archived edition from PGA, featuring some of the best brewed here at The Professor over the years.

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. This edition of Brew Biz was originally published in The Score: a publication of Music City Brewers, two years ago. And republished here at PGA in 2009. It is a review of a fine brewpub in Connecticut.

Written by Ken Carman

Willimantic Brewing
967 Main Street
Willimantic, CT 06226
Phone: 860-423-6777

Brewer and co-owner: David Wollner

Going postal?

Hey, if Willimantic is “going postal” I’m all for stopping by this old post office started in 1909; surrounded by beers brewed to the extreme, and interesting menu entries identified by zip codes and outdated postal cliche’s. Besides, one person’s “outdated cliche…” …a little like saying “I’m repeating my repetition…” is another old man’s nostalgia. And I’m “old,” so it suits me fine.

Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All”

Without intent, I have collected well over 1,000 beer bottles since the early 70s. When something finally had to be done about the cheap paneling in this old modular, I had a choice. Tear down the walls while, oh, so carefully, replacing the often rotted 1X3s. Or: cover them with… The Bottle Collection.

Written by Ken Carman

This was one of my first beers and, to be honest, I drank it for the booze. Someone bought it for me when I lived near NYC. I’m guessing you know the rest of the story.

I didn’t like it at the time, and I’m lucky to have developed a palate for beer after that because most beer was of this style back then. I had it after that first try, but even that was so long ago I can only give you a distant recollection: yes, it was a just a rather dry version of the usual lagers almost all the brewers in U.S. made: America Lager. Not grainy in any sense, rocky head, urine color (sorry), hops: some, but only a tad that added to the dry sense, very well attenuated. With Rheingold it was all about the mouthfeel as far as making it different compared to Bud, Miller, Schmidts, Stroh, Piels or Schaeffer; a few of the big beers back then available near “the city…” as some insisted on calling New York City, as if it were the only city in the world.
Continue reading “From the Bottle Collection: Rheingold”

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.

Sunday River Brewing
29 Sunday River Rd.
Bethel, Maine
(207)824-4ALE

I’m not going to call this a “review.” That wouldn’t be fair to the pub or the brewer, Stewart Mason. That sounds bad for him, but it’s not. Actually I’m very interested in interviewing him and trying his other brews. Besides, I wasn’t there long enough to make an honest assessment, except maybe about staffing and education of said staff.

I was going to see my cousin near Bangor, Maine, coming out of Tilton, New Hampshire. Especially cutting cross country for the first time that’s a long drive. I had wanted to stop by Brays in Maine, but I was running late. I went there years ago and was quite impressed.

But when I connected with route 2 there was this grand looking place called Sunday River in Bethel, Maine.
Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All”

This is an archive of an archive edition. First appeared in The Score, a publication of The Music City Brewers, about 1999-1996. The exact date is lost along, much like the Ark in Indiana Jones, with the original. This is one of the final drafts of an interview with Tim Rastetter about BrewWorks: a brewpub just south of Cincinnati that appeared a little while after PGA went on line.

-Professor Good Ales

What Kills a Brewpub

Covington, KY

What kills a brewpub? Certainly the homebrewer should support any business that promotes knowledge, taste, an appreciation for good product and intrigues potential new homebrewers. Anything which kills it is our foe. There is an added incentive. It’s quite possible these very personal horror stories can serve as warning buoys for where the monsters might be; what NOT to do as a homebrewer.
Continue reading “Ye Olde Scribe’s Hop-in Around”

Written by Tom Becham for professorgoodales.net

Recently, my wife and I made a stop at The Bruery Provisions, in Orange, California.

This stop was notable for several reasons. First, because my wife is fully on-board with craft beer destinations while on road trips. Secondly, because The Bruery is one of the best craft beer breweries in Southern California, if not the entire country. And finally because Old Town Orange is a unique and unexpected slice of Americana that I had no idea even existed before now.

Orange, California is one of the first communities established in its area of the state. The Old Town area is the largest historic district in the entire state, and contains buildings of many distinct architectural styles, built from 1888 to 1940. Wandering on foot in this area is like stepping back into a SoCal version of Leave it to Beaver. Except there’s a lot more liveliness and activity than that old hackneyed television show would ever countenance.
Continue reading “The Bruery”

Courtesy Tom Becham

Profile and Interview by Millie and Ken Carman for professorgoodales.net

KC: State your name for the record!!!

DM: Derrick Morse. M-o-r-s-e,  like “Morse code.”

KC: Any relation to Samuel B.?

DM: No, we’re more related to the Morse brothers who were pretty intricately involved in the Revolutionary War.

At this point we talked about his pump, and Nashville’s Jackalope Brewing who had to have a Mandarin manual for their equipment. Derrick told a story about Twisted Pine where he brewed before Cool Springs.

Continue reading “Brewer Profile and Interview: Derrick Morse”