Microbrewed Adventures - Charles Papazian [30]
Arrogant Bastard courtesy Stone Brewing Co.
I made a pilgrimage to the brewery in July 2004 in an effort to understand where these beers were coming from and discover the people and spirit behind the brew. Some guy with shockingly bright blue hair greeted me at the door. “Hi Charlie, I’m Steve; we’ve met before. Welcome to our brewery,” welcomed the company president. It was “blue do” time at the brewery. All staff members had been encouraged to dye their hair blue for a charity fundraiser and the brewery’s upcoming eighth anniversary.
The brewery was a beehive of activity, brewing, bottling, shipping and receiving, and it was obvious why an expansive new brewery on the other side of town was being built.
I’ve known Greg Koch, chairman and CEO, for several years and have watched and tasted his beers throughout Stone Brewing’s six-year history. “What’s the ‘arrogant’ all about, Greg?” I ask. He smiles and says it represents a viewpoint: “It’s about what we think a great beer is all about.” Greg and I resolve that not all Stone’s beers are malty and hugely hoppy. I’m wondering whether perhaps the attitude is about making interesting, flavorful beers that are always complex. I came away from that conversation still wondering, “What is the Stone style?” Giving it my best shot, I might conclude what Greg hinted at when he said, “We don’t like to paint ourselves into a box.”
Did he mean “We don’t like to paint ourselves into a corner?” or “We don’t like to put ourselves into a box?” I suppose mixed metaphors are not in anyone’s box or corner. As Humpty Dumpty said, “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” To which Alice replied, “The question is, whether you can make words mean so many different things.” Humpty concluded the discussion from his precarious perch on the wall: “The question is, which is to be the master—that is all.”
Greg had just opened a preview bottle of Stone Brewing’s Eighth Anniversary Ale, and I felt as though I was playing Humpty Dumpty with him. Or perhaps it was the beer playing games and being the “master.”
It was all becoming clear for me when Greg explained the style of Anniversary Ale: “Hmmmm. Maybe it’s an imperial mild?” If you looked carefully, you’d notice a grin on his face.
Imperial—implying big, bold, strong beers. Mild—implying low-alcohol, easy-drinking, mild-tasting brown ale. Who was the master, Greg or the beer? It all seemed quite logical at first, but then contrarian.
Don’t ever attempt to figure out the beers of Stone Brewing and why they do what they do. They are all complex and a mirrored vision of only themselves. Expect the unexpected. Anticipate excitement and what is next. It’s as though every “box” you want to put them in, they’ll punch themselves out of, and then you realize that they weren’t in a box to begin with!
Greg Koch, Stone Brewing Co., San Diego, Calif.
A visit to Stone Brewing’s website will introduce you to the passion behind their beers and their spirited support for those who homebrew. For example, here’s Stone Brewing Company on the making of beer:
To get started, you usually want to have a stock of a couple of beers that you are going to taste to keep you inspired (while brewing). Not that it is necessary, but it can keep you focused.
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STONE 03.03.03 VERTICAL EPIC ALE
Stone Vertical Ales are a series of brews whose essence goes well beyond the bounds of a recipe. They are brewed with an attitude and the poetry of the moment. Follow the journey of a Stone epic and then brew your own. This recipe is excerpted from their web page, with my