A romantic name for a French beer. It means “beer for keeping.” It is the first thing every article says. Keeping for what? 

Go to your big box liquor store and ask for one. I did, and was told how hard it is to find before being given the names of a couple other stores that, on rare occasions, stocked the style. Search your local breweries and among endless IPAs, hazy IPAs, cold IPAs, and throw-back west coast IPAs, you will be hard pressed to find Bière de Garde. 

If you do, how do you know it is Bière de Garde?

Is it blond, ambree, or brune?

Does it have yeasty, vinous, or corky characteristics?

Like all things French, there is the allure of mystery.

Intrigued? You should be. Let it all be revealed in tantalizing detail.

Join Nordeast Brewers Alliance on Thursday the 15th of June in the Pavilion. There will be 7-10 Bière de Gardes to sample while we, your humble brewers, slowly reveal the mystery that is French Bière de Garde.

If weather permits, we will likely be in the pavilion behind the ESNS building.

Cheers!

There are some tricks and additions to brew day that can make the process easier and create better beers in your glass. The education topic this month will explore a few of the things that you can do.

Stop by East Side Neighborhood Services on Thu May 18 7-9pm to chat about Brewhouse Aids and maybe learn something to improve your next brew day!

Brewers of all experience levels from curious to master are welcome to join any of the club events! Check out the calendar at NordeastBrewersAlliance.org and stop by one of the many events we have going on before becoming a member.

Cheers!

Take a virtual tour of Bohemia with this month’s education topic: Czech Dark Lager. Some may call it Tmavé Pivo. Some may call it Dark Beer. I bet you will call it tasty!

Stop by the LOWER LEVEL of East Side Neighborhood Services on Thursday, February 16 7:00-9:00pm for some club business and sharing beers.

See you there!

Waste not, want not. After brew day, what do you do with your spent grains? One option is to use them in baking! That is the education topic for the January meeting.

Swing by East Side Neighborhood Services on Thursday, January 19 for a discussion on baking with brewing ingredients. All are welcome!

Thank you to all the participants, judges, and stewards who made this competition a great success again! With 195 entries, this was our biggest competition to date! Look for our next competition in about six months with the return of Sour Times — and for the all-category competition again this time next year. Cheers!

Best of Show Winners  

Best of Show – Beer

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Caleb Meinke	Len’s	1A: American Light Lager	Madison Homebrewers & Tasters
2nd	Steve Ristau	Rock Pile Porter	20A: American Porter
3rd	Metts Potter	Adjacent	3C: Czech Amber Lager	Bloatarian Brewing League

Winning Entries  

Table 1: American Pale (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Caleb Meinke	Len’s	1A: American Light Lager	Madison Homebrewers & Tasters
2nd	Metts Potter	Little Buddy	1B: American Lager	Bloatarian Brewing League
3rd	Caleb Meinke	Duster	1B: American Lager	Madison Homebrewers & Tasters

Table 2: Dark Lager (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Metts Potter	Strike Two	8A: Munich Dunkel	Bloatarian Brewing League
2nd	Greg Sayler Co-Brewer: Dustin Lee	Dark Lager	3D: Czech Dark Lager
3rd	Adam Joyce	Danish Winter Lager	2C: International Dark Lager	Sun Prairie Worthogs

Table 3: Pale Bitter European (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Colby Reineke	Cultivate	5D: German Pils	Minnesota Home Brewers Association
2nd	Bill Gavin Co-Brewer: Roy Ventullo	Dortmunder the Great	5C: German Helles Exportbier	CRAZE
3rd	Charlie Madison	Kolsch	5B: Kölsch	Northern Brewer Fermentation Brigade

Table 4: European Amber (14 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Metts Potter	Adjacent	3C: Czech Amber Lager	Bloatarian Brewing League
2nd	Steve Ristau	Supercaliamberlicious!	2B: International Amber Lager
3rd	Metts Potter	Fall Weissbier	10B: Dunkels Weissbier	Bloatarian Brewing League

Table 5: International Pale Lager (8 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Patrick Ramsey Co-Brewer: Karla Grauberger	Jefe de Pista	2A: International Pale Lager
2nd	Timothy Wicklund	Hamster Style	2A: International Pale Lager	Keepers of Craft
3rd	Tyler Bye	Fast Lager	2A: International Pale Lager	Nordeast Brewers Alliance

Table 6: Pale Malty European Lager (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Adam Skjefstad	What the Helles Brian!	4A: Munich Helles	River City Brewers [MN]
2nd	Steve Towey	Maineck Maibock	4C: Helles Bock	Nordeast Brewers Alliance

Table 8: British (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jeremy Glowicki	Days Are Dark	17C: Wee Heavy	Jordan Homebrewers
2nd	Joseph Belevender	Cuts You Up	13B: British Brown Ale	Pontiac Brewing Tribe
3rd	Kevin Olson	Saloot To Mamoot	13A: Dark Mild	ZZHops Homebrewing Club

Table 9: Irish and Scottish (8 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	David Fetty	Scottish Export	14C: Scottish Export	Brixie’s Brewers
2nd	Divesh Lakhi	Blood Of My Blood	15A: Irish Red Ale	Cedar Rapids Brewing Society
3rd	Metts Potter	Don’t Call It A Comeback	15B: Irish Stout	Bloatarian Brewing League
HM	Divesh Lakhi	Dark Sister	15C: Irish Extra Stout	Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

Table 10: American (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Steve Ristau	Rock Pile Porter	20A: American Porter
2nd	Eric Sanders	For Richer Or Porter II	20A: American Porter	Rochester Area Zymurgy Enthusiasts (RAZE)
3rd	Dan Ullsperger	Ullsperger Brewing – Hello Life Blonde Ale	18A: Blonde Ale

Table 11: Dark (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Dean Muldoon	Sooty Foot	9C: Baltic Porter	Chop & Brew
2nd	Michael Andrea	I’ve Got The Golden Ticket	16A: Sweet Stout
3rd	Andrew Lockwood	Quaker’s Blood	16B: Oatmeal Stout	Nordeast Brewers Alliance

Table 12: American IPA (10 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Brandon Pflipsen	Ddh Olive Street IPA	21A: American IPA	Northern Brewer Fermentation Brigade
2nd	Brandon Edwards	Cold Seas	21A: American IPA	Keepers of Craft
3rd	Colby Reineke	Golden Fall IPA	21A: American IPA	Minnesota Home Brewers Association

Table 13: Specialty IPA (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Adam Skjefstad	What’s the Haziest Beer You Have On Tap?	21C: Hazy IPA	River City Brewers [MN]
2nd	Joseph Belevender	Minor Transgression	21B2: Black IPA	Pontiac Brewing Tribe
3rd	Charlie Madison	Hazy Star	21C: Hazy IPA	Northern Brewer Fermentation Brigade

Table 14: Sour (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Dave Matson	Gose	23G: Gose	Minnesota Home Brewers Association
2nd	Adrian Swanson	Mn Lambic	23E: Gueuze	Nordeast Brewers Alliance
3rd	Adrian Swanson Co-Brewer: Nordeast Brewers Alliance	Flanders Red #8	23B: Flanders Red Ale	Nordeast Brewers Alliance
HM	Brian Stephens	Petra-Fication V4	28C: Wild Specialty Beer	Keepers Of Craft

Table 15: Pale Belgian (9 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Metts Potter	Thirsty Monk	26A: Belgian Single	Bloatarian Brewing League
2nd	Rick Gruye	A Ghost Is Born	24A: Witbier
3rd	Steve Ristau	All-Day B P A	24B: Belgian Pale Ale

Table 16: Strong Belgian (16 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Jim Ingebrigtsen Co-Brewer: Nick McLawhorn Steve Mittlestadt Mike Colling	Quadrophenia	26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale	Nordeast Brewers Alliance
2nd	Kevin Olson	Won The Bull Race	26C: Belgian Tripel	ZZHops Homebrewing Club
3rd	Patrick Williams Co-Brewer: Alex Williams	Honey I’m Home	25B: Saison
HM	Anthony Davis	Griz	25B: Saison

Table 17: Fruit (8 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Dave Matson	Ceiling Art	29A: Fruit Beer	Minnesota Home Brewers Association
2nd	John TeBockhorst	Resting Sour Face	29A: Fruit Beer	THIRSTY
3rd	Colby Reineke	Brunch Punch IPA	29A: Fruit Beer	Minnesota Home Brewers Association

Table 18: Spiced (12 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Divesh Lakhi	Lakhi Chai	30A: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer	Cedar Rapids Brewing Society
2nd	Mike Perman	Shitter’s Full	30C: Winter Seasonal Beer	Mansfield Homebrew Club
3rd	Brandon Pflipsen	Pumpkin Pie Ale	30B: Autumn Seasonal Beer	Northern Brewer Fermentation Brigade

Table 19: Smoked & Wood (11 entries)

Place	Brewer	Entry Name	Style	Club
1st	Brandon Pflipsen	Barrel Aged English Barleywine	33B: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer	Northern Brewer Fermentation Brigade
2nd	Brad Segall	Dragon’s Silk	33B: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer	Northern Brewer Fermentation Brigade
3rd	Ron Fitch	Bourbon Barrel Porter	33B: Specialty Wood-Aged Beer	Saint Paul Homebrewers Club
HM	Kyle Bonura	Th7: Up In Smoke	32A: Classic Style Smoked Beer	Brew Haven

The next education topic will be sweet: brewing sugars! The education for Thu Dec 15 7-9pm will cover this sticky topic. Brewers of all levels are encouraged to join and try some batches across traditional styles.

See you there! Cheers! 🍻

What makes a seasonal beer? The monthly education will cover just that!

Come join us Thu Nov 17 7-9pm at East Side Neighborhood Services to sample examples from the club members and hear some ideas on what makes seasonal beer special.

Cheers!