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PLEASE
tell us you caught the Olympic opening ceremonies on
Friday. We could barely drink our pints of Endless
Summer Ale because our jaws kept dropping. You know how
people say, "It was awesome," or, "Awesome!" about
things like bachelor parties or plans to see a movie
later? Those things are not really "awesome." But
this - this was AWE-SOME. Like the Grand Canyon is
awesome when you stumble upon it - that kind of
"awesome." Sorry to carry on, but damn.
And
what is this craziness about losing Bernie Mac and Isaac
Hayes in one weekend?! And what about the "South Ossetia
Issue," as G-Dub alliterated in his interview with Bob
Costas from Beijing? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OUT
THERE?!
We've obviously been inside watching a
lot of TV lately. Getting to see Michael Phelps and his
teammates stick it to the French in the 4x100 freestyle
relay on Sunday night was the real highlight of the past
weekend. But THIS
weekend, August 16th, we've got some BIG plans to
dress up like Elvis and gorge ourselves on cheesepuffs.
There are trophies to be won, y'all! And we're ALLLL
jazzed to be just like the champions we've been watching
on Tee Vee!
Please enjoy this
installment of the Brewsletter, which may be called the
"Endless Summer Ale Issue," or "The Olympic Issue," or
the "Mike Phelps Tribute Issue." If you read nothing
else, read Neuman's educational and inspiring piece on
the 29th Olympiad. Outside of that and plugging our new
seasonal about 50 times, we've put together another
mish-mash of random images, links and ideas for your
procrastinative enjoyment.
Oh, and - er - for
your, um... convenience, we'll
keep the link to the poll for The Phoenix New Times'
Best of Phoenix Readers' Choice Award
here.
(You know, just in
case.)
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Endless Sum mer Ale Now On Tap!
We tapped
this special seasonal on 8.8.8 - the most
auspicious date in the Chinese calendar - and felt
lucky the moment its golden goodness touched our
lips. One of us was even lucky enough to try it
the day before it was carbonated and could not get
over the contrast between its beautiful hop aroma
and crisp, light flavor. It's one of those rare
craft brews you think you could drink...
endlessly. Get it while you can at the
Tempe Brewpub or at the Grill & Tap. Then send
all heartfelt thank-yous to
brew@fourpeaks.com. Here's an imaginary
interview about this wonderfully mysterious brew
written by our Brewmaster and yours, Andy Ingram.
What is it?Endless
Summer Ale is our version of an English-style
Summer Ale. This type of English specialty beer is
usually marked by a light color (golden, straw),
light body and a noticeable but not overpowering
fresh hop aroma. English Summer Ales have
traditionally also had some secret ingredients
added to enhance the crispness of the beer and
also to kind of keep the drinker guessing. Endless
Summer Ale is no different; although we won't
reveal the ingredient here. Let the rumor mill
begin... What's the "secret
ingredient"?Nice
try. Who brewed
it?Charlie chose this style. It
seemed perfect for a late (seemingly endless)
summer beer. What's it
like?Well, there are few commercial
examples of this style but it can best be
described as a lighter, more crisp version of an
English pale ale. Very refreshing.  What's the "secret
ingredient"?Oh, alright... Grains of
Paradise. What the hell is
that!?A West African spice reminiscent
of coriander, black pepper, jasmine, and some say
hazelnut. You'll have to decide for yourself. It's
also widely used in Voodoo ceremonies for its
"medicinal" properties. (I don't know, Randito
told me that). The character it lends to Endless
Summer Ale is one of a dry spiciness that's hard
to describe but very drinkable. Mr.
Billingsley, you've really outdone yourself this
time. This beer is a real champion. Introduction to Haitian Voodoo!
Here! |
The Timmy
Neuman Guide to Olympic
Fun!
by Tim
Nnnnneuman!
 Ahhh, the Games of the
29th Olympiad are upon us; that special epoch
during which we, as sports fans, openly anticipate
watching gymnastics, badminton, anything
synchronized, water polo and equestrian
competitions without fear of being called
something derogatory!
That's right,
somewhere in America right now there is a guy
saying sans sarcasm, "This Red Sox game is
boring... hey, let's turn on the men's pommel
horse competition!" Yup, good times indeed! Let's
start with a few facts and figures, shall we?
- Olympiad - A
period beginning on January 1st of a year in
which the Summer Olympics are due to occur, and
lasting for four years (hence, the 29th
Olympiad, not the 29th Olympics). A total of
three Olympiads were missed, all appearing to be
the fault of the Germans and their crazy wars.
- The Summer
Olympics is larger in scale than the
Winter Olympics: 11,100 competitors from
202 countries in Athens 4 years ago vs. 2,663
competitors from 80 countries in the Winter
Olympics in Turin 2 years back. (According to
Wikipedia.)
- Michael
Phelps is pretty @#$%&* amazing!!!
(According to Timipedia.)
Now then, with
the history lesson out of the way, let's take a
fun look at things to do at home to make the
Olympics more fun for the layman!
Seeing as the
Olympics can be found on all channels pretty much
around the clock, one can start a myriad of games,
drinking and otherwise, at one's leisure. Ideas
include:
1. During
Synchronized diving and/or swimming, take one
drink every time someone uses the word
"synchronized" or a variation of it. This is fun
because no one bothered to give a thesaurus to
ANYONE commentating on these sports, thus you can
get pretty waxed in about 15 minutes!
Example: "Wow Bob, the synchronization of
the Chinese National team was almost perfectly
synchronized in their execution of their double
reverse, half somersault twisting pike style
synchronization... I mean it was really fully
synchronized!"
2. For the
guys, after the 2 p.m. feed from NBC wraps up,
inform your better half that it is their turn to
enjoy some great (sic) afternoon programming. "Why
don't we watch something on, say... Oxygen? I hear
it's TV for women!" As she gets all misty-eyed
seeing you get in touch with your feminine side,
what happens? That's right, it's time for some hot
hand ball event or maybe some sassy rhythmic
gymnastics! Then, as she looks over at you in
disgust, in your finest French accent a la Belloq
from Raiders of the Lost Ark say, "Once again, you
see there is nothing that you can possess which I
cannot take away." Expect to sleep on the couch
for the duration of the 29th Olympiad.
 3. Just sit
back and marvel as the announcers relish in saying
how disappointed someone is in coming in 4th, 5th,
or 6th while the entire time you realize they are
the 4th, 5th, and 6th best in, like 5 billion...
continue to drink until stupid because you thought
drinking at keggers at St. Cloud State University
while taking six years to complete a two-year
degree was an appropriate career path. That's
right, keep telling yourself the curriculum didn't
challenge you enough, and that's why you just gave
up going to class. Then go to bed, cry and ask for
your mommy.
There you go, just a few ideas
to pass the time. And, just in case it gets too
boring watching the games at home, feel free to
stop into either one of your local Four Peaks
establishments for a delicious new Endless Summer
Ale while watching endless Summer Olympic coverage
on many high-definition screens! Cheer on all the
U.S. Olympians, and remember - NO
WAGERING!
To-the-Minute Medal
Standings
Women's
Gymnastics? Really? WOMEN'S?!
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THIS
SATURDAY! COMEBACK SPECIAL!
10
p.m.!!
Elvis Night is almost upon us. We've
had a blast dusting off the bronze bust from
the shrine, fluffing up the wigs and replacing the
rhinestones on our leisure suits - which we also
had to have "let out," if you know what we mean. (The last
Elvis Night was longer ago than we thought!)
Today (Wednesday) was cheese puff day,
which gave us the opportunity to sample some of
these savory fried globs of mashed potatoes, feta,
mozzarella, romano and parmesan cheese. The most
any of us could eat? THREE. (That in mind, please
see an important revision to the cheese
puff-eating contest below.)
Polk
Salad Annie, Don't You Know Fools
Rush In?
Costume
Contest  Take your pick - white
polyester leisure suit and cape, black leather "outfit" recalling the
man's most studly appearance (the '68 Comeback),
Hawaiian luau Elvis, or some other version we
can't think of at the moment. Whichever Elvis
incarnation you prefer is gonna be alright with
us. The winner will receive an extra-special
heirloom bronzed Elvis bust, the very one that was
in our Elvis shrine for YEARS before the new girly tees took its
place. You'll get other stuff too, like a Four Peaks gift
card and whatever else we can give you for
squeezing yourself into polyester or leather on
one of the hottest nights of the
year.
Come
Skinny, Leave
Fat
Cheese Puff Eating
Contest
Elvis did it, and so can you. Here's the -
er - skinny on this competition: for
your entry fee of $10 (to go to Steve's charity,
aka "a big screen in the back bar area for
football season") we fry up 10
6 puffs
and you see how quickly you can eat them. First
contest is at 10:30 p.m., with subsequent heats at
15 minute intervals (depending on number of
participants). 1st Place Winner gets a prize
engraved trophy and miscellaneous other goodies.
Maybe we'll throw in a free dessert - like an
Oatmeal Stout ice cream float or something. How
does that sound?
Hunka
Burnin' Love
Hula Hoopin'
Contest
You should probably start training now,
because the lucky winner of this most excellent of
contests will receive The Golden Hoop, a
mysterious and magical hula hoop created specially
for this night. The rules are simple: hula
hoop 'til you can't hoop no more. Last hooper
hooping - wins. 
IF YOU
WIN all three contests, Four Peaks
will fly you and a friend to Vegas and give you
two nights' stay at Mandalay Bay. If you're King
(or Queen) enough to score this Elvis Night Hat
Trick, you deserve something special. We're not
serious about much, but we're serious about this.
(And we just came up with the idea, so we've got
to put it in here and send off the Brewsletter
before we change our minds.)
All contest
participants are eligible for various types of
Four Peaks schwag TBD, and all contest WINNERS
will be recognized at The Brewpub with a
prominently displayed photo and plaque of some
sort, as well as in the following issue of the
Brewsletter.
Easley's
Costume Shop - see what it's like on a day that
isn't October
31st!
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| UPCOMING EVENTS |
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Saturday, August 16th: The '08
Comeback Special!! Everything Elvis begins at 10
p.m.
Tuesday, August 19th: Gourmet
Beer Dinner, 7 p.m. @ South
Beach Restaurant and Lounge! For reservations
and more information, call
480.990.1777. Friday,
September 26th: Grill-Tastic Beer
Dinner @ The
Phoenician Resort's Windows on The Green.
Featuring five craft ale and food pairings at $60
per person, all-inclusive. For more information at
this time, you can email Ted Golden. Sunday, October 12th: Walk to
Defeat ALS. To join Four Peaks' Walk Team, or for
more information, visit our Walk Team
Page!Wednesday, November
12th: Fourth Annual Four Peaks
Charity Golf Tournament to Benefit The ALS
Assocation of Arizona. Details to
come. |
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Brewers
Blog X:
Hospitals of the 21st Century Should
Serve
 Beer Our
apologies, a very brief blog this week. We've been
a bit under the weather lately and it seems it has
affected our ability to come up with a decent
topic. Well, that's not all true, we've got plenty
of ideas it's just that they all concern illness,
pain, the emergency room and the fact that the
miracle of modern medicine is at times neither
miraculous nor, it would seem, modern.
We
will say that the one thing we craved while in
purgatory, er, we mean, the hospital, was a beer.
And while not being given specific instructions
not to drink beer we decided that maybe it would
be best to wait.
During that time though we
pondered what beer would be perfect coming off of
an illness? Frankly, anything sounded good, even
that new Belgian beer from St. Louis, what's it
called? Stellaweiser? Bud Artois? However, during
the whole time we were being tortured, er, we mean
treated, we knew that a new seasonal was happily
fermenting away: Endless Summer Ale. When
the day came, that's what we ordered. And a happy
experience it was. We tend toward the more
flavorful, mid-range alcohol beers and ESA had
everything we expected; a nice floral hop aroma
and a clean, crisp dryness that brought out the
Grains of Paradise that we added to give the beer
some complexity.
On top of it all the mild
maltiness and light color of the beer were perfect
for a hot, endless summer day. It was one of those
moments that we were thankful not just to be
brewers but also to simply be beer drinkers. A
moment alone with something we loved, a moment
that would have been overlooked any other time as
trivial; something to take for granted. It was,
however, rewarding, refreshing... and although it
probably had nothing to do with our eventual
recovery, it did brighten our spirits. Sometimes
it's the little things that help get you
through.
Forget
apples! Wine, schmine! Drink
beer!
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EXTREME
CONDITIONING
and
CASK-CONDITIONING
IN TEMPE
& SCOTTSDALE WEEKHop Knot IPA:
Six different American hops are woven
together at seven separate times during the
brewing process for this award-winning ale, then
mellowed slightly with pure American malt. Few
ales enjoy a cask as much as this one. 6.0%
Alc./Vol.l. Michael Phelps is rumored to
consume 10,000 calories a day, expending up to
1,000 calories an hour with his extreme physical
conditioning regimen. While 10,000 is HIGHLY
unlikely (more like 6,000 according to experts),
that is still A LOT of cheese puffs - easily
seven, maybe eight. We don't know who the guy in
the picture above is, but he, too, is probably an
athlete whose conditioning program could be
considered "extreme." If you Google
"extreme conditioning," you get links to boxing
gyms all over the country as well as
advertisements for Alberto V05 hair care products.
Not sure if you've ever used any of the Alberto
line, but there is NOTHING extreme about the
conditioning you get from them. Is it
obvious we're trying to fill space here to get
both columns of the Brewsletter to line up? Just
checking. Club SAR
- THE Boxing Gym in
Scottsdale |
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The Grill & Tap
Dispatch
by Karina
Lang
Upon my return home from yet
another trip for yet another wedding in Illinois
(the weather was - sigh - PERFECT), I was pleased
to discover we have a brand new seasonal sure to
quench even the most challenging of summer
thirsts.
Up at the Grill & Tap, we're
excited for you to try the Endless Summer Ale. Of
course, you can get the seasonal in pints and
pitchers - but we're also making it available to
you in growlers so you can enjoy the goodness of a
Four Peaks seasonal in the comfort of your own
home.
As a matter of fact you can get
all of our ales except for the Oatmeal Stout in
one of our take-home 64 oz. growlers, which you
can refill again, and again... and again. Your
first filled growler is $14 and all refills after
that are $9. So, to minimize any pangs of guilt
you might feel from drinking beer at the bar all
day while your lawn overgrows, you can take home a
growler and still
take care of business!
For those of you
following the Olympics, the Grill & Tap has
been dedicating lots of high-definition TV time to
the contests. It's hard not to be impressed with
Michael Phelps' continued gold medal winnings. (We
all know his motivation is his next sip of Kilt
Lifter!) You really should come up and watch world
records continue to be broken with
us.
Don't forget to
visit the Grill & Tap for preseason
football (we're dedicating TV time to that
too, of course) and great drink specials.
Until next
time...
A list of
seasonal beers we've brewed over the years, and
below - a list of what we typically have on
tap...
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Did we say in the last Brewsletter we'd talk
about the Endless Summer Ale, or did we say we'd
talk about the Endless Summer Ale -
ehhhhh?
As much as we'd like to continue
rambling on about random things of marginal
relevance, there's still A LOT to do to get ready
for the influx of Elvi ("Elvis," plural) we're
anticipating at the Brewpub this Saturday. We've
got a hula hoop to glaze in magic gold, a million
or so Elvis songs to upload to the iPod, and
cheese puffs to prepare in bulk. Should we call
them cheesy poofs? Which begs (or doesn't beg, but
we're going to ask it anyway) the question, in a
cheese puff eating contest between Homer Simpson
and Eric Cartman - who would
win?
Endless Summer Ale, 
The Precocious
Third-Graders at Four Peaks Brewing
Company
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