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| Homebrew entries for CASK 5th Annul First Coast Cup |
Thus
began my Saturday morning (July 21) thoughts after a late-evening Prowl the
night before. Arriving home a little before midnight, poor companion had to be
up three hours later to take his coworker to the airport and have him there no
later than 4:30 am. When he returned from his limo-duty in The Beast, he fell
back into bed, only to awaken a little after 7:00 am, knowing he would need to
rouse me by 8:30 am.
Ed
Stansel has been ever-so-helpful and gracious in inviting me to learn to be a
Steward for the upcoming First Coast Cup Homebrew Competition being held next
Friday and Saturday at the Sheraton on Baymeadows Drive. Due to conflicting
schedules and previous commitments, I had been unable to attend previous
Cowford Ale Sharing Klub (CASK) Steward training classes, so I was determined
to make this one, schedule to begin at 10:00 am!
Companion
prepared eggs and toast for me while I got myself presentable and he offered to
drop me off and then tend to gathering the supplies needed for the
Belgian-themed Bottle Sharing at Green Room Brewing beginning at 2:00 pm. I
felt so bad for him since he had not had much restful sleep and I knew he would
be worn out before the day ended.
We
arrived at CASK member Shaun's apartment on time and soon all those to
be in attendance arrived.
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| CASK prejudging for FCC |
I
soon learned that being a Steward is no easy matter! … a particular way to
taste and savor beer – how to judge it … how to score it … mannerisms …
protocol … policies - like not wearing cologne or perfume – all play a part in
being acceptable as a Steward.
WOW!
… a lot of information was provided to me in a relatively short time in that
training session! … although members of the group had offered to buy lunch, I
needed to have companion pick me up so that we could get to the Bottle Sharing
meeting at Green Room on time.
I
bid farewell to Ed Stansel, Prescott Scaffe, Marshall and Sherri Crews, David
Poquette, Shaun Newman, Lukasz Kluz, Mike Lentz, Steve Campbell and the rest of
those from CASK and thanked them for the education they provided. My sincere
appreciation to Ed Stansel for inviting me and suggesting I learn how to be a
Steward. I look forward to the First Coast Cup Homebrew Competition next
weekend.
To view photos from CASK, visit the link below:
Cowford Ale Sharing
Klub (CASK)
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| "Oh, Snap" Brown Ale & the Island Girl DIPA |
Companion
arrived around 1:30 pm with the cooler of beer we would be sharing and the
other necessary items – the Belgian Waffle maker, the waffle batter he had
blended that morning, butter, syrup, strawberries and Cool Whip. Our
destination was Green Room Brewing (228 3rd Street North – Jax Beach –
904.201-9283) where the Bottle Sharing group was scheduled to meet at 2:00 pm.
The
reason for the inclusion of the Belgian Waffle maker was that the theme of the
Bottle Sharing was Belgian – to commemorate Feestdag, Belgian
Independence Day, the day celebrated honoring the country's independence from
The Netherlands.
Kathy
Corbin had suggested this theme and I decided that we should have Belgian
Waffles to accompany the Belgian-style beers many would be bringing to the
gathering.
This
would be the first Bottle Sharing at Green Room that I would be “heading up” so
to speak after originators Mark and Kathy Corbin has asked me to step in for
them for awhile. “Heading up” is too heady a phrase, though – it just involves
notifying those on the mailing list of upcoming times and confirmations of
dates – providing suggestions for any particular themes – and then making sure
the tables are set up before and rearranged and cleaned when we leave. I felt
honored to be asked by the Corbins and I want to do a good job for them and the
group.
It
is customary for Bottle Sharing group attendees to purchase a pint of the
available drafts at Green Room, so companion and I ordered and split the
following two delicious brews:
Green Room Brewing
Island Girl DIPA
– their Double Overhead aged on Spanish Cedar from cigar boxes!
Green Room Brewing
“Oh, Snap!”
- fresh candied ginger in a brown ale!
Both
were certainly enjoyable on the palate – and I practiced a little of what I
learned at CASK. Trish Scott saw me and got me tickled and I almost blew some
of the “Oh, Snap!” out my nose. Noticing my coughing and trouble in swallowing
(thanks to Trish and David!), companion commented he would keep drinking beer
“the old-fashioned way”, noting the new way I had learned was obviously a
little dangerous.
In
attendance that day were Trish and David Scott, Mike, companion and myself and
later, Nora, Mark and Kathy Corbin and our “adopted son” Jonathan Faulkner.
During
the get-together, Green Room co-owner Mark Stillman came by and eventually
joined us in some of the tastings. With each bottle opening, one of us would
run up to the bar so that Jason and/or Molly, both tending to bar duties that day, could try a sip and we
made sure they had a hot Belgian Waffle to share. Mark was gracious enough to
spend some time with me discussing Green Room and how much we all miss the
presence of Diamond, a truly integral part of the history of the brewery, She
was a beloved and revered canine princess and she will always be remembered.
Beers,
too numerous to mention, were all shared and all were very tasty and
appreciated by the group. Companion did a fine job in preparing the waffles –
serving them up hot for all those wishing to have a slice – and making sure
there was no leftover mess. The aroma apparently filled the tap room as several
patrons came over to find out just what was creating the hunger-inspiring
smell.
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| Kathy, Mark and baby Mad Max |
Jason
and Molly were efficiently handling the duties behind the bar and they kept a
watchful eye on both our group and the other patrons to make sure each person's
experience inside Green Room was pleasant and memorable.
As
we were finishing off the shared bottles of interesting and tasty beers, the
band, Lonesome Bert & The Skinny Lizards starting doing their sound-checks
and setting up as the evening's entertainment. We decided it was time to free
up the tables, clean up and head out to our next adventure.
My
heartfelt appreciation to Jason and Molly for being such gracious hosts and to
Mark, Eric and the rest of the team there at Green Room for indulging us this
special Bottle Sharing event and for maintaining a warm, inviting atmosphere
for my continuing visits during many Jax Brew Bitch Prowls.
To view more photos from the Bottle Sharing meeting at Green Room Brewing, visit the link below:
Green Room Brewing
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| Lost Coast Brewery Indica IPA & Anchor Brewing Steam California Common |
It
had been awhile since we had visited The
Brix Taphouse (300 2nd Street North – Jax Beach – 904.241.4668) and since
we were in the area, I decided this might be a good time to stop in, hopefully
say hello to Grady and enjoy a beer.
We
were able to find a parking spot right across the street from Brix and were
soon seated at the huge bar in the center of the establishment. I was pleased
to see Day Manager Grady was indeed serving as co-bartender and after
discussing our options with him, made the following selections (descriptions
per breweries' websites):
Lost Coast Brewery
Indica IPA
Indica is a hoppy,
full-bodied ale. It has a higher than average alcohol content balanced by
radical bittering from Columbus hops, then dry hopped with generous amounts of
Willamette and Centennial hop flowers. - Note: 6.5% ABV
Anchor Brewing Steam
California Common
Anchor Steam® Beer
owes its deep amber color, thick, creamy head, and rich, distinctive flavor to
a brewing process like none other.
It is a process that
combines deep respect for brewing tradition with many decades of evolution to
arrive at a unique approach: a blend of pale and caramel malts, fermentation
with lager yeast at warmer ale temperatures in shallow open-air fermenters, and
gentle carbonation in our cellars through an all-natural process called kräusening.
Anchor Steam® Beer
derives its unusual name from the 19th century when “steam” was a nickname for
beer brewed on the West Coast of America under primitive conditions and without
ice. While the origin of the name remains shrouded in mystery, it likely relates
to the original practice of fermenting the beer on San Francisco’s rooftops in
a cool climate. In lieu of ice, the foggy night air naturally cooled the
fermenting beer, creating steam off the warm open pans. Once a nickname for any
West Coast beer brewed under these conditions, today the name “steam” is a
trademark of Anchor Brewing and applies only to the singular process and taste
of our flagship brand - San Francisco’s original Anchor Steam® Beer. The
classic of American brewing tradition since 1896. - Note: 4.9% ABV
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| The Brix Taphouse also sells Growlers to Go! |
Grady
was kind enough to discuss upcoming draft beer selections and specials – stay
tuned!
Currently
The Brix Taphouse already has outrageous Happy Hours and specials! .,...
Everyday from 3 to 8 pm, $3 pints including their craft brews!
It
was time to eat, so we thanked Grady for his friendly customer service and
focused ourselves on deciding where to find some good chews on our way home.
Thank
you to Grady for taking the time to speak with me and to the ownership of The
Brix Taphouse for providing another enjoyable stop on this day's significant
Jax Brew Bitch Prowl.
The Brix Taphouse (300 2nd Street
North – Jax Beach – 904.241.4668)
Lost Coast Brewery
Anchor Brewing
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| Engine 15's own Old Battle Ax IPA & Rye of the Tiger IPA |
The
Beast was naturally headed westward, so I was able to quickly consider and
choose Engine 15 Brewing Company (1500 Beach Boulevard – Jax Beach – 904.249.2337) since we had not visited there
in past few weeks and I knew they have some righteous grub!
The
crowd was notable but there were still some seats available, so companion
selected a table by the front entrance while I placed our following beer order
with Mall, one of my favorite beer-temptresses there at Engine 15: Also serving
behind the bar was Caleb, a dedicated and friendly member of the Engine 15
team.
Engine 15 brewing
Company Rye of the Tiger IPA – (description per brewerydb.com)
“This amber colored
rye beer combines the citrus and floral character of a classic American IPA
with the spicy earthy notes of a Rye ale. Hoppy but not too bitter and just
enough spice to give you a little “how’s your father?”
Old Battle Axe IPA – (description per
brewerydb.com)
“The Summit hops lend
a pronounced pineapple and citrus character to this American IPA, late
additions of Northern Brewer, Glacier and more Summit round out the hop profile
in this delicious nectar.”
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| Engine 15's Pigs in Blankets $6 |
A
friend had mentioned how good Engine 15's “Pigs in Blankets” (only $6) were, so
we ordered a plate of those, Served with a special sauce, these hot little
piglets fit perfectly with the beer we were enjoying!
Still
a little hungry, we then ordered Engine 15's popular and value-priced
appetizer, the Chips and Queso Blanco (only $5) – a healthy helping of fresh
salty chips and a bowl of warm white cheese queso. Surprisingly, I was a little
disappointed in this selection. Some of the chips seemed to be the “bottom of the bag”
and the queso had a aftertaste of it having been frozen and then heated up.
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| Engine 15's Chips & Queso Blanco $5 |
I
was able to speak with co-owner Luch and congratulated him and his lovely wife
Kara on the birth of their daughter.
Luch makes each of our visits so pleasant – his hands-on approach to
management and engaging personality have helped build the solid top-rated
reputation now enjoyed by Engine 15 Brewing Company,
We
still had a significant drive home to make, so we bid farewell to Mall and
Caleb and were soon continuing our voyage home on Beach Boulevard.
My
sincere appreciation to Mall and Caleb for their friendly customer service; to
Luch for taking the time to speak with me and to him and the rest of the staff
at Engine 15 for maintaining everything they do in making Engine 15 Brewing
Company a consistent top-quality stop on many Jax Brew Bitch Prowls.
Engine 15 Brewing
Company
I
was thinking the evening was done and I thought it would be best to get
companion home since he had lost some sleep the night before but as we
approached the corner of Beach Boulevard and St. Johns Bluff Road South,
companion and I looked at each other with knowing smiles. Yes, we were somewhat
full – but forget Jello! … there's always room for late-night sushi!
We
pulled into the Winn-Dixie Shopping Center located at the southwest corner of
that intersection for Matsuya Sushi and Grill and parked right in front of the
restaurant, not too surprising since it was 9:30 pm.
Entering,
we saw owner Jackie Chen, his lovely wife and new baby daughter inside along
with the sushi chef and a very pleasant waitress. We were alone inside Matsuya
but felt very comfortable as we could tell the entire staff appreciates each
and every customer. As I have noted before in earlier posts, ownership at
Matsuya are very willing to serve you – even if you arrive a few minutes before
the posted closing time.
I
quickly grabbed the sushi menu and made the following selections:
Dynamite Roll ($6.20) – Fresh salmon, krab
meat & asparagus – deep fried with mayo, hot sauce and eel sauce on top.
Philadelphia Roll
($4.00)
– Cream cheese and krab meat
Spicy Tuna ($5.20) – self explanatory
Crunch Spicy Salmon
($5.20)
– self- explanatory – MY FAV! - I even ordered one of these to go!
We
always prefer “water & lime” with our sushi – unless I am suffering from
ESD (Extreme Sake Deficiency). Oh, by the way, that reminds me! … check with
Matsuya about their all-you-can drink Sake special! …
Also,
by reserving a spot and pre-paying, you can attend the regularly scheduled
“Make-Your-Own-Sushi” class where for $29 per head ($10 more if you want the
all-you-drink-sake combined with the class) you can learn how to make sushi and
eat all you make! ,.,, I am SO going to do this – the class is typically held
on certain Sundays, so check with Matsuya about their next available class!
My
sincere appreciation to Jackie and his wife, the sushi chef and waitress for
their spectacular service and food – and for providing the perfect experience
to end this extended and very memorable Jax Brew Bitch Prowl.
Matsuya Sushi and
Grill
The
remaining portion of the drive home seemed to go quickly, as I reflected upon
the day's events. I am blessed with a supportive companion, great beer-centric
friends and those of you who take the time out of your day to read and follow
my Prowls. You are each such a treasure to me – you truly make being the Jax
Brew Bitch “wonderful” – or as they say in the three native languages of
Belgium - prachtig ...merveilleux
…wunderbar.
Thank
you all!
