Interview with Rich Buceta of Singlecut Beersmiths

Rich Buceta Working Hard

My latest Craft You interview is over on my Wordpress site. It is a mini-bio of the life skills and traits Rich is using to make his brewery a reality.

Rich is opening a 30 bbl brewery in Astoria Queens this fall.

Check it out here-http://craftbeercoach.com/?p=252


I am a certified Life Skills Coach capturing the essence and energy of the people behind the craft beer movement, If you know of a brewery that you would like to know more of their personal story send me an email at craftbeercoach@gmail.com.

"The Purpose of Beer is People"

- Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery

YEAH…WHAT HE SAID

That seems to be the takeaway quote from Garrett Oliver's keynote speech last night at the Beer Bloggers Conference in Indianapolis. I would estimate it was tweeted by dozens of bloggers in attendance. It really seemed to hit home for quite a few folks.

I wholeheartedly share that sentiment. Craft brewers in almost all cases, seem to be putting the people before profits. It's rare to find that in any industry. Craft brewers are answering the call of a growing set of people who are looking for more from a beer. They seem to truly be putting the customer first.

And then there are the industry considerations. In an industry with large conglomerates having a near strangle-hold on business, craft beer is actually changing the industry and gaining ground. It's a true David vs. Goliath story. The large conglomerates are actually having to flex a bit to cope with the changes brought on by the craft beer industry. It has put an end to one of my strongest pet peeves about work- the excuse that is "that's the way we've always done it."

The other industry consideration is that in the worst economic downturn in decades craft beer is a growth industry that is putting a good amount of people to work.

But there is more to craft beer than what people want to drink and what it is doing for the larger beer industry. Step back and look at what craft beer is accomplishing.

DREAMS

It's simple enough. The systems we all grow up within in large part tell you to put aside your dreams. Why do you think it is always such an attention getter when a young star rises to the surface of our social conscience? So few of us buck the system to make our dreams a reality.

Craft beer is full of dreamers. The only ones who can start a dream are the people behind the industry. What do you dream of accomplishing for yourself or your industry?

PASSION

Now obviously it's rather easy to be passionate about a delicious beverage that makes you feel good. But it is not so easy to decide to go hundreds of thousands to possibly millions of dollars in debt to pursue a dream…a dream based upon the product before the profit. A dream that will require a significant amount of personal self sacrifice by those who choose to pursue it. More and more people everyday are tapping that passion and sacrificing nearly everything for it. This is what you are willing to do when you are acting on a passion.

It's the pursuit of a passion that is creating success for so many of them. Here's why. When you are pursuing something rooted in passion, when the rough patches hit all that is left to pull you through is passion. Sure, sometimes it can be luck or a conditional reward that buys you some time but lessons learned through passion will teach you more about yourself for the long haul.

Too many people are wasting our professional careers not feeling passionate about what we are doing for the majority of the day. Craft beer can be the muse for finding your passion.

MOTIVATION

When you are basing decisions upon intrinsic motivations (motivation from within…not money or grades) you are feeding yourself. Even the slightest attainment of intrinsic motivation provides fuel to keep going. You are more likely to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If all of your reward is based upon conditional motivation (external…money…grades…awards) and you don't achieve it, it pretty much takes all of the wind out of your sails. You adopt a perspective of blame. It is much harder to bounce back.

I think we see a lot of intrinsic motivation in craft beer. I think many brewers are using craft beer to express who they are as a person. The reward for them is delivering that very personal product to the marketplace, regardless of what the market thinks about it. Obviously, they do care about satisfying the taste preferences for a majority but brewers are definitely tapping into some intrinsic motivations.

People need to find their intrinsic motivators for more meaningful and longer lasting fulfillment. What do you value most in experiences? Craft beer can be your muse.

NO JUDGMENT

But here's the other great thing. There is nearly a total lack of judgment about what the fellow craft brewer is doing to his or her beer. It seems all experimentation with additives and one-off creations of styles is welcomed as a interesting challenge and a chance to expand the realm of craft beer.

There are even what would seem to be rival no-gos that are ignored in the interest of collaboration. These collaborations seem almost like a cause completely based in furthering craft beer as a common movement...individual business and interests be damned.

If there is one thought process that does more damage to fair and equal treatment of your fellow man or woman, it is judgment. If an industry can do it, then individuals can drop their guard, ignore labels, and maintain an open mind toward the interest of collective progress. Stop making assumptions.

WHAT'S MY POINT?

Garrett Oliver is right. A large profit-driven industry can prioritize being about the people within it and the customers it serves.

As a life skills coach with a passion for craft beer I have seen how craft beer can be the muse for leading people to more satisfying and fulfilled lives. Not only is it a model for what other industries could aspire to become but what craft beer is doing can be extrapolated down to stories and guidance about a more ideal human condition for individuals.

That human condition requires a dream, some passion, intrinsic motivation, a lack of judgmental thinking, and a heaping serving of self sacrifice to bring it all home.

Follow along as I capture some of the human spirit behind craft beer through life skills-based interviews with craft beer personalities.

Officially Certified as a Life Skills Coach

Just a quick note that this week I became an officially certified life skills coach through a program built upon the standards set by International Coaching Federation (ICF).

I am now taking what I learned in the Academic Life Coaching program and using it to begin to create my own program which uses the essence and the energy of the human spirit behind craft beer as the muse.

I will continue to do craft beer "lifestyle" pieces on the events I attend at craftbeercoach.blogspot.com but the main focus now becomes my wordpress site, craftbeercoach.com, that will flesh out my thinking behind craft beer as a muse for self improvement and fulfillment.

I look forward to this unique journey and I hope that you will follow along.

Worcester Sauced? The Pregame.

Not that I really care about "tying one on" anymore...because I really don't. It honestly is about the taste for craft beer. I wish I could get 4-6 oz. bottles for home so that I could just sample brews. But it's inevitable given this event this weekend- http://www.the-festival.us/. Over 70 world-renowned brewers bringing the most unique collection of 300 beers we may ever see.

So, it's inevitable that I start feeling like I am at least a couple of sheets to the wind at some point. This will by my first multi-session beer fest so I am a bit nervous about surviving it.

The festival has consumed my thoughts. So much so that last night I woke up with a DUI- dreaming under the influence. Symptoms include nervous anticipation, racing thoughts, excitement, and restlessness.

That's when the post title came to me.

Earlier last night I had tweeted about preparing for the fermented onslaught. I did some research to come up with a hangover prevention plan. I bought the weekend pass and I want to make sure I wake up Sunday feeling like going one more round before retreating back to my hotel room until Monday morning.

Here's the plan-

Saturday morning drive up- 
- oatmeal, OJ, yogurt, and brewer's yeast before leaving
- sip water along the way
- will try to avoid coffee but may have to have a small one as I am setting out by 7 AM
- an egg sandwich or 2 just before the fast food joints shut down breakfast ops

Saturday Sessions 1 and 2 and Sunday Session
- have a shelf stable milkbox right before I enter (I read that milk slows alcohol absorption)
- backpack will contain water and saltines that I will snack on and drink during the session
- for each sample I will fill my glass with an equal drink of water...maybe 2?
- eat a carb heavy treat from one of the food trucks

Between Sessions
- likely find some fast food for the heavy, coating effect (plus, it's what I will be craving at that point)
- perhaps a brewer's yeast and vitamin C booster

Before Bed
- a final fatty / cargo food
- brewer's yeast and Vitamin C booster
- tylenol (just in case)
- a sports drink

Sunday Morning
- egg sandwich or 2
- rinse and repeat

So, how do you prep for a multi-session beer fest? Any suggestions? Comment below.

So Did It Work? (7-13-12 update)


All I can say is that it seemed to work for me. At the very least, going into a multi-session beer fest with some plan of staving off debilitating headaches, nausea, and general malaise is always a good idea.

See a special note in my review of The Festival US, Session 3- The Pregame. Did it Work?

Review of The Festival US- Session 1

Well there was a bit of a hiccup in the road to reviewing The Festival US. See my post, "Craft Beer Coach is Back."

Will Wake Early for Beer
I drove up from NJ Saturday morning, checked in, and almost immediately caught the hotel shuttle down to Mechanics Hall. I shared the shuttle with a nice group from Bon Beer Voyage, a beer brewery tour company creatd and run by Ruth Berman. The quick story on Ruth is that her story is nearly like mine, and that of others entering the craft beer industry...giving up a successful yet unfulfilling career in order to pursue a particular passion for the craft beer industry. To note, I plan to have Ruth participate in a Craft Beer Coach interview as her story is part of the quintessential energy and essence I am capturing from the people behind the industry.

It was only about 10:30 am. The Festival US does not open until 12. Ruth and her gang are going early to set up an exhibitor booth. I am going this early to secure my place to receive the Westvleteren XII gift pack of 6 bottles and two abbey glasses. It is a special release of a beer that can only be purchased at the monestary in Belgium....until today. When I get in line there are about 30 people ahead of me. My placement on the voucher list is secure. The mood is quite jovial, as is to be expected for what awaits attendees inside. The hour and a half goes by pretty quickly.

Upon the doors opening people rush upstairs to line up to get the voucher needed to pick up the Westvleteren XII gift pack at Julio's Liquors about 10 miles away. By law the gift pack could not be sold directly at The Festival US so they made arrangements for Julio's to dispense and accept payment for the gift packs.

Meeting the Brewer of a Memorable Brew

After receiving the voucher, the Westvleteren tasting line next to me was about 20 deep so I decided to visit the Bryggeriet Djaevlebryg (roughly translated as The Devil's Brewery) table. This brewery holds a special place in my heart from one of many visits to Copenhagen, DK, when I used to work for a Danish pharmaceutical company. My favorite pub in Copenhagen to wile away an evening was Den Tatoverede Enke (The Tatooed Widow). It is a great Belgian Pub and Brasserie where nearly every dish includes beer as an ingredient. Admittedly, I love pubs and pub grub so I have never dined in the restaurant upstairs.

Anyway, I am there one night and the chef walks out from the kitchen behind the bar with a tray of what look to be dark chocolates. He proceeds to pass them out to the pub patrons. I take a bite and the center is this incredible smoky, dark fruits, chocolatey, toffee-like substance. I immediately ask the bartender what is in the center and he points to a tap labeled Nekron Stout. The chef had reduced a pot down to a toffee-like consistency and dipped it in some dark chocolate. I immediately order a glass and to this day, this is the only beer I have ever felt incredibly compelled to post a review of on Beer Advocate (link to review). I was blown away by the complexity of the 3 distinct stages of flavor I experienced from Nekron Stout. I was informed that this was Nekron the Father and that they had a keg of Nekron the Son in back that they would tap next.

I had hoped that I would have had a follow up trip back soon (I was there every other month up to that point so odds were pretty good) but once back home I got word that I would be layed off at the end of the year so that put the kabosh on my trips to what is still my favorite city. I went back in November of that year on a personal visit with Danish friends but Nekron the Son was long gone by then. It was great to meet Per Olaf Huusfeldt, one of the forces behind Nekron Stout and to share the story of my first experience with Nekron Stout as a toffee. A quick sample of the Gudelos Imperial Stout was a tasty and strong way to start off the session.
Session 1 Tasting Highlights 

Just a quick word that I do not give in-depth tasting notes because tasting is such a subjective experience. I focus on general comparisons and impressions that give the reader the base style plus any outstanding qualities that I found unique, especially any particularly captivating malty profiles. I am a Malt Mind in a sea of Hop Heads. I hope to just give the reader enough of an idea of whether he or she will want to seek out that particular brewer or beer...not to tell you what I think that beer should taste like for you. 

I decided that since I was attending all 3 sessions I would focus my Session 1 efforts on Washburn Hall, a room featuring approximately two dozen of the breweries.

I grabbed a sample of Westvleteren XII since the line had died down. It was my first time having it. For me it had a very Belgian beer profile (duh!) so it was good but not "best in world" good in my personal opinion. Beers that blow me away are ones that accomplish flavor profiles that separate themselves from the pack. It tasted like so many other Belgians. Will I drink the six and enjoy it? No doubt but it seems I am fading in my interest of the more traditional styles. But hey, I have been drinking them since 1986. It's the ingenuity and boundary pushing of the American Craft Beer Industry that has me seeking the next mind blowing flavor profile.

One brewery in Washburn Hall that did rock my socks is Anchorage Brewing Company. I ran through the whole portfolio being offered at the festival. It was solid. A delicious mild sour (I am not a sour fan) called The Experiment. A Galaxy White IPA that had a strong but delicious cat piss profile. A Wit Bier called Whiteout that is just a bit funkified and then aged in French Chardonnay barrels. And then there is The Tides and Its Takers. A Triple with slight Brett funk. The amazing quality of this beer was the sweet "wetness" that you could just repeatedly wash over your palate to extend the flavor experience for as long as you desire. 

Another brewer that grabbed my attention was To Ol. The unique aspect of the portfolio came through in the moutfeel. There is a "creaminess" quality to the portfolio that I don't recall ever experiencing across a portfolio. I am big into moutfeel so To Ol stands out to me in this regard. Even their lager, Raid Beer, has a creamy, viscous mouthfeel which I found unique and enjoyable.

I sampled a few other brews from Buxton Brewery and Le Trou du Diable, whose La Buteuse (a triple blond) on tap and La Buteuse Brassin Special (aged in Apple Brandy barrels) in a bottle was a fun side-by-side comparison. The Brassin Special was a bit dry for my liking so I give the nod to the un-aged version. Their Smash Citra IPA was a lovely combo of cat piss and marijuana. It never feels good to describe someone's labor of fermented love as cat piss but it definitely is a good thing in the aroma and taste profile of IPAs. But as hunger set in it was time to pay a visit to the food truck court out back.

I decided on an order of crab and corn fritters from BT Smokehouse. They were amazing and really hit the spot after a couple of hours of sampling brews.

As Session 1 began to round up I paid a visit to the Bon Beer Voyage table. Ruth had an intriguing collection of photos and videos running showing her and tour attendees having a great time at world-renowned breweries of Belgium. The pictures look like everyone is having a blast on the voyages. A steady stream of festival attendees were signing up for a Bon Beer Voyage trip giveaway. My fingers are crossed! The canal tour on a barge look particularly interesting and one that goes on the bucket list. I learned that the guys helping out that day are the result of friendships formed during past voyages and they are volunteering their weekends to help out Ruth. What people will give up to help a fellow craft beer devotee.

A plan was made with the Bon Beer Voyage crew to get out to Julio's to pick up our Westvleteren bounty before Session 2. It was a rather seamless operation to retrieve the gift packs although I wish I had had more time to peruse the aisles of Julio's craft beer selection as it looked quite impressive. Probably for the best that I did not have time as I was already committed to droppping $85 for the Westy gift pack.

Stay tuned for the Session 2 recap.

Review of The Festival US- Session 2

Between Sessions
So I get back to my hotel room after picking up the Westy gift pack. As I reload on vitamin B, water, Gatorade, and saltines (water retention) I begin to feel like it's going to be a rough go at Session 2. The body is not bouncing back so well even though I brought my sampling during Session 1 to a crawl around 3 PM, a full 2 hours before that session ended. I avoid the bed so as to not get cozy and seal my fate for the evening.

I grabbed the shuttle and head to Mechanics Hall around 6 PM. This time my focus will be on the second level, The Great Hall and Boyden Salon. I am using the time to scope out particularly quirky, impressive, or talkative brewers who I would approach during Session 3 for my interview series. One thing I realized is that the din inside the hall rooms was too great to try to do abbreviated interviews on the spot as I had planned. Also because the brewers were actually working the sample tables, any interviews would have to take place outside of the festival times as they were quite busy chatting with fans. And when they did get a break, who could blame them for wanting to spend that time sampling other brewers, making new friends (and possible collaborations), or catching up with old friends. They deserve it.

Session 2 Prep 

Upon arrival I immediately headed to the Food Truck Court out back to grab some grub to help hold the evening's BAC at bay. I decided to try Julian's Omnibus roast beef sandwich with a red skin potato salad before heading upstairs. Another great hit with the food truck grub but my mind is trying to get me to sit this round out. I finish up the meal and head upstairs.

Julian's Omnibus is a really cool food bus. It is a former double-decker bus that has been converted into a food bus, complete with seating on the upper deck. It's basically a full mobile restaurant.

I absolutely love the idea and just seeing it on the street makes you want to grab some grub from it.



Session 2 Tasting Highlights 
The first thing I notice is that the evening session seems to be quite a bit more lightly attended. Not the best scenario for the organizers, Shelton Brothers and 12% Imports, but great for the attendees. No lines and extended time talking to brewers. As I felt back at the hotel, Session 2 started off rough. The first few samples were not settling easily. And I felt rather groggy. I think I will tweak the morning prep for Session 3. Anyway, I pushed on.

I immediately headed into the Boyden Salon because that is where Against the Grain (ATG) was set up. They were pouring a Rauchbier called Raucho Man Randy Beverage. I homebrew Rauchbiers so when I can find one being done professionally I jump at the chance to taste their interpretation. I would put this one somewhere between my homebrew and Schlenkerla's with regard to the smoke level. Where mine is mildly smoky and Schlenkerla is an "in-yer-face" smoke bomb, Raucho is at a moderate level. A tad bit of sweetness helps the overall flavor experience. I would drink it again but for the style to win hearts I think mild smoke is what to aim for. My non craft beer drinking local friends love my Rauch. Quick shout out to Kelso (not at the fest) whose Rye Aged Rauch is my favorite Rauch at the moment. I have a growler in the basement that I can't drink because of this personal recent setback. Fortunately it was filled with a counter-pressure system at Bierkraft so I have time.

I take a few moments to talk to Joshua M. Bernstein, who is repping his book, Brewed Awakening near the ATG table. I met Joshua at one of his homebrew tours when I helped a friend co-host his stop on the Brooklyn tour back in April. Anyway, I am flipping through a copy while Joshua is talking to other attendees and I am captivated by the book's visually appealing format. Lots of great beer-related photos "clipped" to pages and helpful notes "taped" upon thick, "antiqued"pages. Very informative on beer terminology and includes a lot of suggestions for beers to try. I am not a book reader so the format of this book is very appealing. The other great thing for non book readers is that the format allows you to jump around and still learn new information. Thanks for the signed copy Joshua!

Back to Sampling
So I work the Great Hall and Boyden's Salon, sampling here and there, but my head is just not in it. Don't get me wrong, it's on me because there was not a bad beer in the joint. I sample but nothing is standing out due to my Session 1 induced stupor. So I will just run down the list of what I sampled and apply the general statement that, "Yes! You should seek each and everyone of the brands and styles."
- Midtfyns Bryghus X Porter (Collaboration with De Molen)
- 8 Wired The Big Smoke ( I guess the Porter base lends more of an earthy-woodsy smoke than the "meat juice" smoke of a straight Rauch. It's a good thing.)
- Haandbryggeriet Barrel Aged Aquavit Porter (very lively and tingly mouthfeel)
- Nogne Rye Imperial Porter (I love just about rye anything)
- Local Option Bourbon Barrel Aged Kentucky Common (quite a few people mentioning this brewer and this beer in casual conversations with attendees)
- Cambridge Brewing Company Heather Ale (I have no notes on this but as I write about it I am recalling how herbally refreshing this beer was. I can remember standing off in the corner and being amazed at how it feels like it just opened up the senses. And I think this is the beer that "refloated" by boat for the rest of Session 2. This was sample #8 or so and I began to feel a second wind coming on.)
- Cambridge Brewing Company Red God Imperial Red Ale (serious hoppyness @ 9.0%)

No Sleep 'Til Down Under

I went back down to Washburn Hall to revisit with the Bon Beer Voyage crew. They are still plugging away with networking and promoting that insane trip giveaway. Off in the corner is the Yeastie Boys table. The Yeastie Boys seem to be making a name for themselves over in their neighborhood so I saunter over for some sampling. Pot Kettle Black is an award winner for them back home so I give it a go. It's a Porter but a hoppy one so it is an interesting spin. But I have always viewed Porters as weak Stouts so it's always been hard for me to find a standout Porter. It's good but not blown away. The most memorable recent Porter I have had is Brooklyn Brewery's Mary's Maple Porter. I am a Malt Mind more than a Hop Head so I like it malty, viscous, and sweet. Ugh! Kills me to be thinking about it right now when it will be 2 weeks or so before I can have any beer, let alone that Porter.

I also tried the Yeastie Boys award winning Guanamatta, a tea infused IPA. Unfortunately I had it after I had sampled Rex Attitude, their peat-smoked Golden Strong Ale. A 100% smoked! It's a much different smoke than what you get from a Rauchbier. A strong Rauchbier is "raw hot dog juice." A strong peat is medicinal. If you are my age you may remember an ointment for cuts from the 1970's called merthioloate. That is Islay peat. This beer has a strong Islay single malt profile. I drink single malt and I am more of a Highland and Campbelltown malt lover but if you like the extra peaty Islay malt you will probably love Rex Attitude. As far as sampling anymore that night, I was done because this beer "Rexed" my palate. The peaty smoke lingered on the palate for the rest of the evening. Not a bad thing but you just want to drink this one in isolation or at least make it the last one of the night. The boys explain the beer further here- Rex Attitude.

I'm Calling it a Night
I heard that many of the brewers would be heading out to local watering holes after the session but I just could not fathom having a full glass of beer at that point. My boat had begun to take on water again. I was sinking. Plus I had Session 3 to attend.

I head back to the room to implement the planned ritual for staving off a hangover. No animals were harmed in said ritual. Liver? Perhaps…but no animals.

Review of the Festival US- Session 3

Pre Session 3

Wow! I feel pretty good! Tired and groggy but only a slight headache. Pop a couple Tylenol and go get some breakfast. I know I am feeling pretty good because I participated in a couple of conversations in the hotel lobby and I was actually able to stay tuned. I was not all up in my own head about how crappy I felt…or thinking I just want to go lie down.

Today's plan is to get some brewers lined up for the Craft Beer Coach Interview Series. Being completely focused on the brewer as a person and what makes them tick, these are not your everyday craft beer interviews.

I would also just hit all the rooms randomly to get to brewers I had not sampled yet during Session 1 or Session 2.

I spend about an hour reading various sections of Brewed Awakening before catching the shuttle to check in at Mechanics Hall at 1 PM. I really like this book!

Session 3 Highlights

I start off in the Great Hall with the tables along the stage. Along here I found Stillwater, Jolly Pumpkin, Jester King, Brouwerij De Molen, De Ranke, Dock Street, Pretty Things, and Huvila and Malmgard.

Time Out! As I type off the names of just one row of brewers it hits me. Take any one row of tables from The Festival US and you have a small but insanely memorable beer tasting event!

I have some Stillwater Table Beer and I am sampling some Jolly Pumkpin IO Saison when I turn to find Jeppe from Evil Twin standing behind me. He is with a group of craft beer gods such as the Alstrom Brothers, his brother Mikkel, Brian Strumke of Stillwater and a couple of others I don't yet know…and yet he takes time out for this beer blogger and craft beer entrepreneur to exchange pleasantries and some light dialogue. Gotta love the Danes!

I met Jeppe back at his tasting event at Beer Street NYC. I approached him back then about doing a Craft Beer Coach interview and he gladly accepted the invitation. But he's a very busy man. As much as I am, I know the craft beer world is wondering what is behind Jeppe the brewer. I asked him for some suggestions of other brewers that he thinks might give an entertaining interview. He gives me some great suggestions. He suggests I try Jolly Pumpkin's Cinco Anos and we part ways.

The Sour Hour
Man, sour brews are all the rage these days and if you're a Sour Craft Kid, The Festival US was the place to be. I am not a Sour Craft Kid but this is what I challenged my jowels with on this day. Whew!
- Stillwater Table Beer (super sour to me)
- Jolly Pumpkin Cinco Anos (mutha' pucker!)
- Tilquin Draft and bottle (draft is less tart)
- Trois Dames Oak Aged Ale (jowel muscles still aching after this one!)
- Crookes Stave Persica, Surette, and Petit Sour (Persica was the most palatable...ahem! least sour...to me)
- Local Option Kentucky Common (sour somewhat balanced by brown ale)
- Local Option Schmetterling Gose (Now I enjoy the yeasty profile of this Gose. In the world of sours, this one Gose home with me! You see what I did there?)

Time for Some Mutha' Shuckin' Lunch!

I stepped outside to the Food Truck Court and saw the Schuckin' Truck off on the left.

Cue romantic "classical music while a couple runs toward each other on a beach" scene. Except that I have a torn meniscus to be operated on when I get home so it's more like the guy is "Frankenstein shuffling" toward the girl.

It felt like raw oysters were the only gustatory option for myself at that point. I could taste the sea water. Crap! As I am typing this a craving for raw oysters builds within. Anyway, the Shuckin' Truck is pulling in some bucks. There's gonna be a bit of a wait. I order the Lobster slider to tide me over. O…M…G! Tender, sweet, and juicy bits of Lobsta'.

The shucker is working hard to keep up with the demand but he is getting trays out at a steady pace.

The timing was perfect. I just wrapped up the Lobster slider when I was handed my tray of oysters. I ain't shucking' around when I tell you that it was the perfect and only option at that point of 3 back-to-back sessions. A squeeze of lemon. The cool, salty sweet water sliding down with the fresh and tender oyster. It definitely felt like the world was my oyster that weekend.

The Wrap Up

I went back inside and worked the rooms some more to line up interviews. Everyone I asked said yes and was curious about the interview format so their will be some interesting interviews coming up.

I have about 10 or so on the list. A Dane focused interview day was supposed to happen last Sunday but then I had the complications to my knee surgery which had me in the hospital all weekend. It was going to be a concentrated effort to try to find out if there are any common themes behind Danish brewers. I was so looking forward to that day. Don't worry, this collection of interviews is still coming.

To Shelton Brothers and 12% Imports- Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You may take your bow. The overwhelming consensus is that you must…You Must… do The Festival US again! Many thanks for bringing together such an incredible collection of innovative and bar-raising brewers, along with their insanely delicious portfolio of craft beers. All of the very positive press and feedback should help to sell out all sessions the next time.

In conversations with some brewers I learned that a few were sticking around in the days after the fest to do collaboration brews so there should be some exciting collaboration projects coming out in the near future.

The Pregame Plan. Did it Work?

As I had mentioned in my post "Worcester Sauced. The Pregame", I did some research to try to come up with a prevention plan for my first multi-session beer fest. There were two basic goals-                   1. Keep the overall BAC at a respectable level during the sessions
2. Avoid "day-after" screaming headaches and general nausea.

While I made it very clear that I had suffered through much of Session 2 the night before, I woke up Sunday morning with just a slight headache and actually looking forward to eating a heavy breakfast. I know I was in better shape than usual because I was actually able to hold a conversation with a couple people in the lobby around the breakfast. I pigged out and did not get that rebound nausea…you know when you think it will help to eat but about 30 minutes you ask yourself, "Why did I eat?" So my prevention plan is completely unscientific but staying focused on the prep and the reload plan seemed to have helped me make it through 3 back-to-back sessions.

One tweak I am very curious about is the milk. I had read somewhere that milk may help slow or prevent alcohol absorption. On Saturday morning I drank the milk box a full hour and a half to 2 hours before I had my first sample. Saturday evening was rough so I wonder if I drank the milk too early. Sunday morning I was not going to wait in line for entry so I was able to drink it within the half hour of starting to sample brews. I sampled consistently for about 2 hours and then just a few more after 3 PM and by 4 PM I felt nearly completely sober.

By 6 PM I was completely sober and jumped in the car to go get a burger and a good old Harpoon IPA at a local Chili's. I knew brewers and fest attendees were out and about on the town but I just wanted a burger and a "non-exotic" beer to wrap up the weekend. It really hit the spot. The bottom line is that having the milk within 30 minutes of starting sampling seemed to help quite a bit.

Last but Not Least
Let us pay homage to what is one of the most under appreciated features of a craft beer tasting event. They sit poised almost as a shrine under which attendees should bow and ask forgiveness. They keep us going through round after round. They keep our sample glasses clean. They are-

I am off to setup those interviews. Follow me on Twitter @craftbeercoach to get the tweets for the interview postings.

Craft Beer Coach is Back

If you follow me at all, you have probably noticed my nearly null presence on Twitter for the past week. The last you heard from me I was preparing to write a wonderful post on the sublime experience at The Festival US.

Well, there was just one pesky, relatively minor knee surgery to get through. That was a week ago.

There were complications of the "blood clotting, and then traveling to the lungs" kind. Two days of normal post surgery pain followed by a weekend in the hospital.

If you must know, the knee is coming along just fine. It's an unexplained calf pain that had me near tears at many points and got me to the ER a few days ago....only after my wife pushed me to contact my Ortho doc. But the calf pain seems to have saved my life. Although there is some question about whether the calf pain is the result of the clots, it led to the discovery of clots in my calf. And those led to the discovery of small clots in my lungs. Yep. A few pulmonary embolisms. They are small and pose little threat now that I am well into a blood thinning regimen. But a minor knee surgery with unexplained calf pain basically saved my life.

There is some speculation that maybe I was taking the blogging lifestyle a bit "too seriously" and that could've had the clots forming before the surgery due to long hours sitting and nothing replacing the exercise I used to get when I was commuting to work. Just speculation but feasible given I don't leave the house before settling down for a day of craft beer blogging.

For the most part I am back. Going to make some changes to the daily schedule. Take a walk before sitting down to work. Get a new office chair. Sit in it for an hour tops at a time. Use the adjustable work station I had built to balance sitting vs standing (I built it but have not used it...and my wife has been on my case about that for good reason).

Psst...Gentleman. If you have a dedicated lady in your life nagging you about your health, listen to her.

Late yesterday are the first days I really feel less limited in mobility. I am down to using 1 crutch for the calf pain. Next is 6-9 months of a blood thinning regimen to prevent further clotting and help the body get rid of the present ones. This includes weekly blood monitoring for now.

Now the craft beer tie in- I will be able to drink in strict moderation in about 2 weeks. Alcohol does have an effect on the blood levels being checked but dosing can be adjusted accordingly.

So I kindly ask you to refrain from tweeting any tasting notes or pictures of frothy-headed golden to amber, or red to jet black fermented beverages for the next two weeks. Whataya say?

Just kidding. Enjoy your imbibing responsibly and I look forward to joining you soon.

My first test? I am off to finally creating a post about all of the wonderful beverages I sampled at The Festival US. Right after a walk.