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HI LL F AR M STEAD
T HE EV O L UT I O N A ND DI S S O L UT I O N O F S HA UN E. HI L L

SU N DA Y, N OV E M BE R 1 , 2 0 0 9

Departing Denmark: Nrrebro Bryghus/Fan

Bryghus, Grassroots Brewing, and Hill Farmstead
Brewery...

NEXT: THOUGHTS OF HOM E. M Y

DI SSOL U TI ON .

This is likely to be my final writing from my 20 month tenure in

Denmark as Head Brewer at both Nrrebro Bryghus and the
relaunched Fan Bryghus. One full week from this expatiation I'll be
moving onward (both forward and backward, in a sense...) returning to Hill Farmstead with an ever more worldly perspective
and, perhaps, a more settled ability to continue the Hill legacy in

The freshly fallen snow in

Greensboro, Vermont. Hill Farmstead
Project continues.

Greensboro. This generation, however, as a brewer rather than a

dairy farmer...
I'm sitting on the island of Fan, listening to Wilco, and dry hopping
my latest IPA. Fan Bryghus is back on track - our Christmas Porter is
receiving great compliments (Chocolate, Coffee, Cinnamon, and
Vanilla) - and I suspect that an American Pale Ale will soon be added

THE FUTURE?

Sign In

to the year round catalog. Ryan Witter-Merithew (formerly of DuckRabbit Brewery in North Carolina) seems to have settled into life on
the island. His 'Chug" (Chihuahua/Pug mix) "Hamburglar" has been
making rounds on the Copenhagen beer scene - and has gained a
reputation as a magnetic force to the opposite gender... thus,
earning him the nickname "P. Mag." Multiple visits to the island by
Mike Murphy and Michael Jordan over the last month have brought
much needed respite from a hectic work schedule and we all attended
the Esbjerg beer festival together last weekend.

"THE" Hill Farmstead Brewery: A long

way from Denmark.

SU G G E STE D RE A DI N G

My Friend Ingrassia's Blog

My Friend Mike Murphy's Blog

FOL L OW ERS

The fermenters at Nrrebro Bryghus are full of beer in the wake of

my departure. Sren Parker Wagner (famed bartender of Lord Nelson
and Orsted and creator of Croocked Moon brewing in Denmark) is
going to be working part time at Nrrebro in order to keep the gears
running smoothly and Rasmus Broge will effectively become the

BL OG A RCHIV E

2010 (6)
2009 (9)
November (2)

senior brewer at Ryesgade (while maintaining his position at

A quiet return home...

Hedehusene's production brewery...)

Departing Denmark: Nrrebro

Bryghus/Fan Bryghus, ...

So... what have I left behind at Nrrebro Bryghus? Many beers which,
sadly, I'll never have the pleasure to consume! But, hopefully will be

July (1)

savored by the discriminating palates of the Copenhagen beer scene.

June (1)

Over the last months, I've brewed a beautiful american pale ale called

May (2)

"Hop Something." 10 kilos of Palisade and Glacier went into the

whirlpool of a 1,000L (that's 264 gallons for the metrically challenged)
batch. I have teamed up with the pinnacle of the coffee craft to
create two new beers - The Coffee Collective - located on
Jgersborggade in Copenhagen: http://www.coffeecollective.dk/).

April (1)
January (2)
2008 (3)

Kasper from CC and I put together a wonderfully subtle beer - 4.8%

and full bodied- called Kenya Coffee Stout. The next beer in the
coffee series will be a new version of La Granja Stout - brewed with
an abundant addition the Coffee Collective's Guatemalan coffee.

A BOUT ME
SH A U N E . H I L L

I began this blog as an American

We were joined by Eric Wallace of Left Hand Brewing Company in

Brewer living abroad and brewing

Colorado on October 17th. Eric shipped over 25kg of hackberry

beer in Copenhagen, Denmark. I've

smoked malt (smoked at their brewery!) for our version of a Smoked

traveled the world in pursuit of life,

Baltic Porter. The beer finished out at 7.2% abv, 35 ibus, and has a

love, and libation - which is perhaps

beautifully smooth and subtle smoke character the compliments the

how I've ended up here. Hill

rounded malt character of the beer. This beer should debut sometime

Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro

around Christmas and is tentatively named Eric's Smoked Baltic

Brewed its first beer on March 30,

Porter. 200 liters of this limited batch will be aged in an Islay whiskey

2010!

barrel throughout the winter months and hopefully through next

summer... Hopefully someone can carry a sample to the states for
Eric and I to taste?
Next week I'll be brewing an Oatmeal Brown Ale for the draft calendar
at Nrrebro as well the new La Granja and a (now not so much of a)
surprise "farewell" beer that shall rest nicely in the tanks for a month
or two until a gap opens up in the draft list at the pub.
There are also at least 2 new IPAs ahead for Nrrebro. I brewed
"Hoppier Something" (though the name is likely to change before it
hits the draft lines) - a bigger, hoppier brother to Hop Something mostly dominated by Simcoe hops.
And, lastly - next Saturday, November 7th, at 4pm, we'll debut a new
Double IPA at Nrrebro Bryghus named Hill Spawn Double IPA. This is
my reincarnation of a beer that I brewed at The Shed (in Stowe, VT
and the brewery that first gave me creative freedom!) named Hell
Spawn. I brewed Hell Spawn back in June of 2006 specifically for the
Hop Head Throwdown at the Publick House in Brookline,
Massachusetts. My attempt was 220 theoretical ibus and the beer
finished out around 10.5% abv. Analyzed, Hell Spawn was 87 ibus. Hill
Spawn is a bit more over the top. I wanted 300 theoretical ibus in
hopes of breaking the 90+ *real* ibu level - the beer is finished nicely
at 10.8% abv and required more than 20kgs of hops for a 900L batch.
After dry hopping and kettle loss, I am hoping to keg 500 liters of
beer.
On Sunday, November 8th, my last full day in Denmark as a
'temporary resident', I'll go to the Royal Danish Theater, sit in the 4th
row, and watch/listen to Wilco play a fantastic set of music. Which
will carry me home...
But not without leaving something behind.
For nearly a decade now I have been dreaming of starting my
Grassroots Brewery - my original plan was to find a brewing space
somewhere in Northern Vermont and conduct brewing operations long
enough under the title of Grassroots in order to raise funds to move
all operations to Hill Farmstead. At that time, I would have two
brands or lines of beer - Grassroots and Hill Farmstead (this was
several years before Tomme Arthur launched the Port Brewing/Lost
Abbey brands under the same roof). I registered the tradenames,
LLC, and bought the domain names for Grassroots Brewery nearly 5

V I EW M Y C O M P LET E P R O FI LE

years ago. Now, as I transition into my last days in Denmark - I have

finally found a means of starting Grassroots Brewery here on Danish
soil.
Last weekend, here in Fan, I brewed my first American Pale Ale
under the Grassroots name - I am contract brewing the beer (for
now, myself, and after I leave, Ryan will take the reins) here at Fan.
The focus is American style IPAs, Pale Ales, and hop-forward beers.
For now - draft only - and the first batch will be divided between
Copenhagen, Sweden, and Italy. The first batch has been effectively
pre-sold and tomorrow I'm brewing another 1,000L of this winter pale
ale - here in DK - HumleJul (hoppy christmas). Each season will see a
different variation on the IPA - whether more flavor forward or
bitterness oriented - all beers will be round and elegant - with soft
bitterness and flavor forward hop profiles. Look for them on draft in
Copenhagen (at the usual beer bars) in about 3 weeks. Beer #1 is a
Simcoe forward IPA - 5.5% abv and 120 theoretical ibus and
predominantly late hopped. The bitterness is relatively unexpressive
and the hop character builds on the aftertaste into a resiny and
pleasant linger. It's quite dry and highly drinkable. Think 3 Floyd's
Alpha King meets Hop Something meets Bell's Hop Slam...

Grassroots Brewery in Denmark means permanent ties for me in this

country - and it will keep me coming back. Anders (Kissmeyer) and I
have been steadily entertaining the notion of a yearly guest brew at
Nrrebro - laying beers down in oak - and possibly coinciding my visit
with the arrival of another American brewer for a three fold
collaboration. Alesmith/Hill Farmstead (Grassroots)/Nrrebro, for
example? (Damn, this IPA, that I am dry hopping, is almost too
pleasant to sip...)
Grassroots is a subsidiary of Hill Farmstead in Vermont - a purposeful
connection -in light that my friends and investors can never question
my intention and focus...
Look for a sessionable stout in mid-winter and possibly some bottles
of the IPA once the bottling line here in Fan is up and running.
And Hill Farmstead? Almost immediately upon my return, my first
weekend home, I am off to Montreal to brew with the crew at Dieu Du

Ciel!... The style is still undecided but I can imagine it to be

relatively hoppy and abundantly late hopped. As our great friend, and
one of the most influential figures on my brewing career and
understand of beer - Greg Noonan - passed away several weeks ago I suspect that Stephane and JF and myself will want to pay some sort
of tribute to the man that inspired all of us to brew better beer. In
fact, it's pretty easy to follow the lineage of my brewing education
and inspiration: Noonan --> John Kimmich (owner/brewer of The
Alchemist, worked for Greg as a brewer for many years...) --> Me.
I'm leaving too many friends behind in Denmark. Every day I am
divided - leave/stay... leave/stay... but I must continue to follow my
passion and share my experience with the world. Annual returns to DK
are certainly in the cards - and the future of Hill Farmstead remains
to be written. I've assembled a pretty amazing support team to help
me launch - between my investors (who may or may not want to be
named... yet), my graphic designer, my distributors, my brewing
colleagues, friends, family, ... We'll see how it progresses. Worst
Case Scenario: I return to Denmark as a brewer and finally attempt to
learn the language. Things could be worse, right?
There remains an uphill battle back in Vermont. But I have found my
investors, the money, the equipment, and maintain the spirit. Hill
Farmstead now... a brewpub in a few years... maybe a longer term
return to Denmark...as long as the energy and the consciousness of
those involved in this project (that has ever become greater than my
microcosmic 'I' ) continues to grow and sustain, then I suspect that
we can expect further projects to evolve...
P O S T ED B Y S HA UN E. HI LL A T 11: 10 P M

5 C O M M ENT S :

SA TU RDA Y, JU L Y 2 5 , 2 0 0 9

2 weeks... Into the Wild.

The hours are turning into weeks and my return to V ermont, my

adv enture into the folds of dream-destiny , is just two weeks away .
My return to the wilderness with which I identify ... the connection
between place, spirit, and passion, is glowing like a beacon at the
end of an ex hausting journey . Some people follow their passion
and allow things to fall into place...and others... just want to follow
the sun. I'm no longer sure what I'm following - perhaps I'm lost in
my own confusion, my crazy loneliness, and reuniting with my
sense of place. I miss liv ing in V ermont (I do not miss liv ing in the

United States). The most organic farms, the most breweries, and
the most artisan cheese makers per capita in the United States...
The area in which I liv e has been named the #1 Food Town in
America by Eating Well Magazine. Is there any doubt as to why I
would feel more connected to my landscape, more at peace with
my self in V ermont, than any where else...? Considering more than
two hundred y ears of heritage upon Greensboro soil... My
forefathers (and mothers) are the v ery agrarian ancestors that
settled (1 7 81 ) and worked the soil that is now heralded...(by the
New Y ork Times, for ex ample...)

Reflections upon time spent in Copenhagen - my tenure at

Nrrebro Bry ghus, enduring friendships, and impossible romance
- shall nev er cease to find a place in my heart...

Best to enjoy my remaining moments...

Last weekend, Peter Sonne (Halsns Bry ghus) and I guest brewed
a Black Ry e IPA at Sv aneke Bry ghus in Bornholm with
brewmaster, Jan Paul. 7 0 ibus of Simcoe and Columbus in the
whirlpool. To be named Black Hill IPA (the hills behind my home
in V ermont are called the Black Hills...) Also, sitting in the
fermenters in Ry esgade are Hill Pale Ale, Sev en Russian Imperial
Stout, North Bridge Ex treme, Double Knot Brown, Skargaards
Porter, Biere de Miel, and some misc. barrels - such as an
american oak barrel with Skargaards Porter, cocoa nibs, and
coffee beans...

Today I'm on the island of Fan (just 1 0 minutes off the

southwestern coast of Denmark and 3 hours west of Kbenhav n) at
Fan Bry ghus - where I hav e assumed the position of "consultant"
to their restructuring and launch of brewing operations. Kasper
and I just finished drinking (well, taking a sip and then spitting out)
an infected bottle of 2008 Alesmith Decadence. Strange. V ery . In
the meantime...
I'll keep dreaming... Hoping that the glass will find its way to half
full...y earning for peace of mind...tranquility ...answers...
(purpose). Any one?

P O S T ED B Y S HA UN E. HI LL A T 11: 44 P M

NO C O M M ENT S :

M ON DA Y, JU N E 1 5 , 2 0 0 9

8 weeks...
8 weeks from yesterday I will set down upon American soil for the
duration of what will likely prove to be a difficult and painstaking
experiment in passion and dream fulfillment... and I can't help but
wonder why we hold onto some dreams and allow others to fade...
how it is that some dreams manifest our entire being, become our
identity, our ontology - simultaneously limiting and freeing us all at
once. What would this Danish experience have become without Hill
Farmstead?
I gave my resignation more than a week ago and am now
undergoing the process of preparing Nrrebro for my departure.
This includes a great deal of hand bottling, writing/documentation of
processes, and training/questioning of what is to follow. The
highlight for me will be tasting the North Bridge Extreme Extreme
(not a typo) in three or four weeks.
Just Eight Weeks...
I spent most of yesterday in some sort of wilderness/deer
garden/park 30+ minutes or so outside of the city. A picnic and a
nap in the sun atop a hill beneath a grove of beautiful beech trees. I
felt at peace, once again. Home amidst nature. As if all of the
chaos within me is unleashed within the city - psychological clutter
and stress within the pavement and unfamiliar faces of this unique
culture... I feel more alone in the city, surrounded by a million
strangers, than I do in the woods. It will be beneficial to return to
my own sanctuary. A walk in the woods and chirping birds, a
sunset over Barr Hill, and hay fields in August are meditative bliss...
I have also booked the tickets for Peter Sonne (my former assistant
brewer and now the owner of Halsns Bryghus) and Kristoffer
Wolff (brewer at Herslev Bryghus) to come to Boston/Vermont for
10 days during the time of the Backwoods Brewdown. They
actually arrive in the US two days before I do. Alex will pick me up
at the airport on Sunday night, and hopefully we'll meet Peter and
Kristoffer that evening (in Burlington?) or the next day. I'll be
surrounded by a half dozen friends for an entire week, 200 friends
by the following weekend... and then emptiness. And the weight and
responsibility of preparing my brewery. As all things contain their
opposite, I can't deny that my fear/anxiety currently outweighs my
excitement.
The fermenters have arrived and have been unloaded. I've signed

on to attend the Kennett Square Beer Festival in Pennsylvania on

October 10th - I'll bring along some one offs - like a 2 year old
Flemish Red, Fresh/Wet Hopped IPA, Smoked Sour Wheat beer
(loosely based on a Lichtenhainer - a suggestion by Loren (aka
Venom)) - 50% home smoked malt, fermented with Brettanomyces
and conditioned with Lacto). And a saison, of course...
On another note, today Kasper and my new inter/assistant Simon
and I hand bottled 1300 bottles of the Niepoort (Port) Barrel
SEVEN Russian Imperial Stout. All bottle conditioned in 375ml
champagne Grand Cru bottles (think Russian River and Lost
Abbey). Tomorrow we'll be bottling the Bordeaux Barrel SEVEN,
Wednesday we'll brew the North Bridge (NEX) and
Thursday/Friday we'll brew a double batch of Skargaards Porter.
Busy week, indeed! But it feels great to take these beers out of their
temporary home and commence their entry to the marketplace so
that other folks can appreciate consuming them as much as I've
enjoyed producing them... and... waiting... for... them... Next week
we'll try and bottle the Oud Bruin (Funky Viking) and also blend the
Saison Vermont with more of the 2 year old Drie Fonteinen and
bottle it off... Busy weeks ahead! And I'm glad that I'm not doing it
all alone. Hopefully some of these bottles will find their way to VT
for the Brewdown...

P O S T ED B Y S HA UN E. HI LL A T 10: 27 P M

2 C O M M ENT S :

SU N DA Y, M A Y 3 1 , 2 0 0 9

And so it goes...
And so it is. This life is such that fleeting moments are oft
ov erlooked. Unaware as we are, that distractions become the
essence of liv ing and, when we are not distracted, boredom settles
into our bones... at a y oung age, I had established a v ision of "what
it is to be thirty ." As such, this imaginary dreadful v ision
proceeded as thus... that some mature lev el of cohesion and selfaffirmed career obligations might be realized and achiev ed - with
or without the hands of matrimony and child. Closer to death.
Accomplished. Aged. Remov ed from y outhful tendencies...
enlightened, ev en? The end of the 20s - a decade of liv ing that
inev itably is defined, for me, by trav el, adv enture, honesty , lov e.
The pursuit of Hill Farmstead. Brewing. Airplanes. Painting
houses. Dy lan. Europe. Tom Robbins. An enthusiastic departure
into a world of all things 'fine' and 'bey ond' (beer, food, thought).
Localization. V ermont. Obsession. Damon. Family . And a
tendency to drown in the undercurrent of romance until finally I
resurface for breath and life once again... only to be pulled down
under.
The 20s were perfect. And, at four day s into 30, I am conv inced
that the 30s will be ev en better...

And, let me just state that I can't stop listening to Bon Iv er... and
I'm blown away , captured, can't put it down... Shantaram by
Gregory Dav id Roberts...
My fermenters are on the road from Seattle to V ermont solenoids and temperature control panels included.

My brother is remodeling our house and the former garage. Funds

from inv estors should be deposited in the coming month.
Wastewater permit will be in the mail within the nex t week.
Env ironmental permit not far behind. The state of V T is going to
allow me to hav e a small retail space at my brewery location which will make the release of barrel aged and ex perimental
bottlings much more enjoy able.
And, I may hav e ev en found a full time brewing gig to carry me
away for sev eral months while preparing and launching the
farmstead. An auspicious turn of ev ents (for me, at least) has led
to a change of plans for a new brewpub startup 'somewhere' in New
England - and, accordingly , if all falls into place, shall allow me an
opportunity for promised creativ e freedom and barrel aging... and
an opportunity to be instrumental in the launching of a potentially
premiere establishment. More to come...
Meanwhile, here in Bry ghuset, coming up: the bottles hav e arriv ed
for the barrel aged beer series and I will begin bottling these beers
soon. Right after I call Peter Zien and ask him for adv ice on how to
bottle condition my Imperial Stout. The end of June should see
the release of these beers - Funky V iking (sour brown), Saison
V ermont/Lambic Blend, Port Sev en, Bordeaux Sev en, and three
different v ersions of Little Korkney Barley wine - Cognac, Bourbon,
and Port. Sev eral brews ahead of me, as well, throughout the
summer. Another batch of Hill Pale Ale, Skargaards Porter, and
Brown Ale will allow me to prop the y east necessary for brewing a
small and v ery fresh batch of North Bridge Ex treme, Triple Knot
(bigger v ersion of Double Knot - the collaboration with Ngne only to be aged in Cognac and Port), another batch of Sev en (to
leav e with Kasper and the gang here...) - potentially in a Bourbon
edition, and a strong Slbr (Black Currant) sour beer aged in
Cabernet barrels. I'll also be returning to Sv aneke Bry ghus, in
Bornholm, sometime before August to brew a beer with my v ery
good friend Jan Paul. Perhaps one more brew with Jacob at
Amager - a weekend trip to Cologne/Bonn - a weekend road trip to
Belgium with some friends - and one more collaborativ e beer at
Nrrebro and then... going away party on August 2nd at a secret
location. Whirlwind. =)

P O S T ED B Y S HA UN E. HI LL A T 3: 17 P M

2 C O M M ENT S :

M ON DA Y, M A Y 4 , 2 0 0 9

Vermont, Boston, and Copenhagen

Having just returned from the United States for a brief 10 day
sojourn, I must admit that I am amazed by the transition that beer
culture is undergoing. My local bar, Parker Pie (yes, local, as in a 10
minute drive on pavement TO and a 20 minute drive on dirt FROM),
might now possibly be the best watering hole in VT (based upon
selection and pricing). The stores are beginning to carry a staggering
selection of 22oz and 750ml bottles at affordable prices... all within
the stream of my few months abroad. BeerAdvocate shelf tags at
Stowe Liquor store? Stone IRS on draft at several locations. Nice.
Good work. Then there was Boston...
Dieu Du Ciel's Aphrodisiaque and Saint Lamvinus on draft at Daniel
Lanigan's "The Other Side." Pliny the Elder and Ithaca Brute on draft
at Deep Ellum. Witnessing the new beers from Dann Paquette (Pretty
Things) selling at a staggering pace while I was visiting Julio's
Liquors. The time is right, I reckon... The time is right... I hope
that Vermont will someday see such novelty in draft selection. Better
yet, I hope that Vermont will be responsible for creating such novel
products...
The Craft Brewer's Conference was a social event, indeed.
Conference? Maybe. Social hour(s), moreso. The highlights for me
were the evenings spent at Deep Ellum with Anders, Greg Koch's
keynote speech, and the barrel aging seminar with Tomme Arthur
(even though Bourbon barrel aging is not my intended direction or
foremost desire...). Miraculously, I found my bed (a couch), most
evenings, no later than 11:30pm and rose in the morning before
8am. Responsible in 29th year? Almost. My greatest sense of
satisfaction seemed to come from morning or early afternoon
conversations with fellow brewers that were, seemingly, still
intoxicated and beginning their hangover. Oh, Boston, I remember
that feeling from too many BeerAdvocate festivals...
Most notably, while back in Vermont I spent nearly all of my time
doing something brewery related (surprised?). Darren and I hung
some insulation and, by the end of the weekend, my entire family
was participating in the activity... So, with funds committed by
investors (all friends) and the still steady momentum of tomorrow...
We continue to move toward opening day. Indeed, I think we will
finally open the 3 Liter bottle of 2003 Double Bastard at the
Brewdown. Who's coming?

P O S T ED B Y S HA UN E. HI LL A T 10: 48 P M

NO C O M M ENT S :

F RI DA Y, A P RI L 1 0 , 2 0 0 9

things falling into place: Barrels, Brewdown, and

Brewery

Yet another much overdue post.

Things are falling into place for Hill

Farmstead Brewery - after many years of visualization and concerted

effort, it appears that momentum and rhythm are finally leading
toward an epoch. Whether or not this new era will see brewing
activity at 403 Hill Road, is yet to be determined. However,
gauging by the last three weeks, I think it is fair to assume that I am
moving forward... toward... something.
I have purchased six 7 barrels fermenters which should arrive in
Vermont sometime within the next few weeks. Thankfully, my father
and brother will be there to receive them. I am still searching for a 7
barrel kettle and burner - but, again, I am sure that things will
continue to fall into place (can you sense the optimism?). Here is a
picture of one of the new fermenters:

Fortunately, I am also blessed with wonderful and ambitious friends.

Due to their ambition and generosity, there is also a 10 barrel Mash
Tun, formerly belonging to my very good friend John Kimmich and his
Alchemist brewpub, resting in my garage back home. 10 barrel mash
tun, seven barrel kettle,... Nice. Reminds me of Tom Baker and
Heavyweight Brewing Company - Tom used to have a 15 barrel mash
tun for a 7 barrel kettle. Certainly a great many options here. Mike
went into the Alchemist on a weekend morning and did the dirty deed
of removal. Pretty awesome - that's Mike with the sunglasses and
water hose:

I am still working on raising the remaining the capital (any takers?)

and the business plan is polished, initial brewing and release line-up
planned, and the financial projections actually show that I could earn
a living! Imagine...
In more news, I am continuing to place more beer into oak at
Nrrebro. Current oak aging includes Imperial Skargaards Porter in
Cabernet barrels, Triple de Lente in Sauterne, CCC in Pinot and
Merlot, Saison in Pinot, Oud Bruin, and SEVEN in Port and Bordeaux.
Within the next few weeks several more beers will be added to the
mix.

More pictures of the barrel aging room will be posted soon. Some of
these beers - especially the blended Saison/Drie Fonteinen beer, will
debut at the Copenhagen beer festival next month. I'm still trying to

source 375ml champagne bottles for the bottling of the SEVEN and
Oud Bruin.
In other news - I will soon begin mailing out invitations to this year's
Backwoods Brewdown. If you don't know what this is, or haven't heard
about it, then perhaps you should come out and join us this
year...the picture that opens this entry is a fantastic photo taken by
Alex at last year's event.
Lastly, for now, I'm going home next week and will be in Boston the
following week for the Craft Brewer's Conference. My first Craft
Brewer's Conference and I'm anticipating spending some evenings
with my friends at the Publick House as well as attending a few great
seminars and making more contacts with fellow brewers and industry
suppliers. Also, equally exciting, I'm going to be a judge at next
year's GABF. With my 30th birthday just six weeks away... things
seems to be moving in the right direction.

P O S T ED B Y S HA UN E. HI LL A T 10: 13 P M

NO C O M M ENT S :

TH U RSDA Y, JA N U A RY 2 9 , 2 0 0 9

Onward into Spring...and Vermont?

Just returned from a 3 day adventure to Belgium with Peter and my
new Alaskan brewer friend, Ben Millstein from Kodiak Island Brewing
Company (he and I brewed a 27 Plato Braggot together a few days
ago...). Look up Kodiak Island on a map and imagine what this guy
must have to go through to produce beer... Managed to meet up with
Urbain Coutteau at 't Brugs Beertje, sample some great lambics, and
had an opportunity to taste and choose between barrels at Drie
Fonteinen (hauled back a few kegs of 2 year old lambic that I will use
for blending and serving later on. Possibly even a Backwoods
Brewdown surprise...?) Here is part of what I brought back with me:

In the fermenters right now, we have some particularly wonderful

upcoming beers. Two different versions of a Belgian Trippel (one
brewed with Orval yeast, a la La Rulles, the other brewed with
Rochefort yeast and Honey) - the La Rulles inspired Trippel is
destined for Tokay barrels and a marriage with Brettanomyces. We
also, as I mentioned before, just brewed a 27 Plato Braggot - 200kg
of Maris Otter/200kg of Orange Blossom Honey (Orval yeast and to
be finished with Champagne yeast). The intention is to barrel age a
fraction of this collaboration as well. Yesterday I brewed my
Brettanomyces Saison - not that any of the followers of this blog will
remember (nor have they ever attended...?) Belgium Comes to
Cooperstown but this last batch of Saison is loosely based on my
Substance D (from The Shed) as well as the Saison that I brought to
BCTC in 2007. And so forth... it is all too likely that I will blend a
fraction of this Saison (aptly titled Saison Vermont, I think) with 3-8%
of the 2 year old Drie Fonteinen that I just carried back with me over
the weekend (think of the Saison from Yvan at De La Senne - which I
tried at Poechenellekelder on Friday evening) and have it available at
the pub and the Copenhagen Beer Festival in May... also very likely
that I will debut the Oud Bruin and the Barrel Aged versions of the
SEVEN at the same festival and the pub (on the same weekend).
What else? Well, perhaps eve more importantly than all of this
rambling, is the fact that I have finally come to terms with a feeling
that I had upon returning to Copenhagen from Vermont at the end of
December. The feeling of which I refer is best expressed as a notion
that "this is what it feels like before the storm..." or "this is what it
feels like when you make the wrong decision to return to a location."
I somehow knew that I would not be able to make the move back
homeward to the country, to the bucolic woodland and serenity of
lonely Northern Vermont and Greensboro until I had tired of
population density - had my fill of asphalt, cars, foreign language,
consumerism, absence of trees, the subtle tones of alienation, and
the constant cough/congestion/and 'sickness' that has become so
very characteristic of my stay here (indeed, the very opposite of my
life in Vermont where health is normative).
What does this all mean? Well - I guess it means that, yet again, I
am sincerely considering *the* departure. A real going away party.
Listening and honoring those misanthropic tendencies within me that
are discouraged here... and... working for myself. Returning to the
life of impoverished artist. Struggling cynic. And, I dearly hope, the
rebuilding of a once abundant farmstead alongside the motivation
and vision of my brother. Anyone have a 7 barrel direct fired kettle
that they would be willing to part with? Foolishly, I am ignoring the
wisdom of my good friend John Kimmich (The Alchemist) and

postponing any thought on opening a brewpub. Instead, I will launch

head first into a barely profitable, ridiculously consuming life as a
single employee owner/brewer/distributor. Why not?
Thus, onward with permitting and the remnants of work that needs
to be completed. I'll be living off of pasta and 50 bottles of Drie
Fonteinen (what is that? 2 a week?) for the next four months. Feel
free to send contributions in the form of solid foods, beer/libation,
or surplus brewing equipment. No licorice, please.
Cheers...
OH! And I almost forgot - Tomme Arthur will be joining me here at
Nrrebro for a guest brew the first week of March. Not quite sure yet
what we'll be brewing... but I'm pretty sure that it won't be too bad.
Only trouble with all of these barrel aged beers is that if I leave, I
won't get to taste them... and... who is going to look after them?

P O S T ED B Y S HA UN E. HI LL A T 3: 33 P M

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