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MARCH II 2009
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Issue: # 10 |
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St Patrick's Day Countdown!
Welcome to the St. Patrick's Day pre-game edition of the Four
Peaks Brewsletter! Do we have some special things in
store for you! Remember that this year we open at 7 am with our T- shirt giveaway and breakfast buffet. That's right 7 am!!!
We are deviating a bit from previous years by moving it ahead an hour. I
am sorry if that disappoints some of you "crack of dawn" drinkers out there,
but we feel that the natural ambient light of a Phoenix
sunrise really provides the only appropriate backdrop that our festivities have to
offer.
Remember, we have all sorts of drink specials ($5.50 car
bombs and $3.50 pints all day!) and Irish delicacies (Shepherd's Pie and Corned
Beef & Cabbage) available all day after 10 a.m. So get your Irish on and stop down
any time this Tuesday for one of the best holidays that a Brewpub or Grill
& Tap could ever ask for! If you've forgotten the menu, allow me to refresh your memory, just click here: MENU. Don't forget that the first 100 people through the door receive a commemorative Four Peaks 2009 St. Patrick's Day T-Shirt so good luck to all of you!
For those of you who missed the "Backyard BBQ Throwdown"
at BBQ Island
on Saturday, for shame! I haven't had so much great brisket since the
last time I was in Austin, TX
(actually, most that I sampled were better, but don't tell the Texans)! Not only was it a beautiful
day to eat some of the best BBQ from the Southwest, it was a great day to enjoy
a tasty beverage courtesy of the Four Peaks
beer truck... and judging from the lines in front of said beer truck, nothing
goes better with anything grilled. I got  there late (about 1:45) and the first person I ran into was Four
Peaks chef and
BBQ judge, Daryn Campagna sporting a shirt that promoted serving bacon as a vegetable (damn, you just have to love that New York/New Jersey P.O.V.).
As he was leading me to the Four
Peaks contingent
I hear a, "Hi Timmy!" from over my shoulder.
As I look over, I see what can only be described as the most precious
scene I'd, well... seen all year, the lovely Miss Renee Velasquez sitting in the judges tent with a rather
healthy basket of pork ribs right in front of her grinning from ear to
ear! As it would turn out, by the end of the
day both Daryn and Renee will have consumed close to half their respective body
weight in ribs, brisket, chicken, and assorted condiments, truly amazing. Everything I tried was fantastic and I couldn't
even imagine having to pick one item over another, so I tip my hat to all who
had to judge. By the end of the day I
was left with two things, a full belly and the unquantifiable love that Ted Golden carries
for grilled bratwurst! Let's hope they hold
another one next year.
Join Four Peaks Brewing in conjunction with Nello's Pizza on Sunday,
March 29th and meet Chicago Cubs legend and Hall Of Fame Pitcher
Ferguson "Fergie" Jenkins. The event
will be taking place at the Nello's Tempe location on the Northeast corner of McClintock and
Southern. For a minimum donation of $20
you can get an autographed baseball with all of the proceeds benefiting the "Fergie Jenkins Foundation" which contributes to several local and national charities. Feel free to bring anything else that you may
want him to sign (baseball cards to jerseys), donation amounts will vary
depending on the item, but with all proceeds going to charity it will be well worth
it. Who knows what other baseball
celebrities may stop by as well! The
event goes from 5 until 7 pm
(arrival time may change if the Cubs game runs late), stop by for a worthy
cause.
On to the content portion of this weeks' issue. This time around the Brewers tackle the Hefeweizen in the latest installment of "What The Hell Am I Tasting." Mike from "NoSco" shares the Grill and Tap St. Patty's Day menu as well as one of his soon to be famous jokes! I talk a bit about the upcoming Bon Vivant event at Rawhide and chat with Heather Blair for the latest edition of 5 Questions. Well that's what we got this week, I hope you... Wait a second, ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention. I've just been
handed an urgent and horrifying news story. I need all of you to stop
what you're doing and listen...
CANNONBALL!!
Your Friends at The Four Peaks Brewery and Four Peaks Grill & Tap
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1340 East 8th Street #104
Tempe, Arizona 85281
480.303.9967
480.303.9964 fax
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15730 North Pima Road
Suite D5-7
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
480.991.1795
480.991.1796 fax
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The Grill & Tap Dispatch
with Mike Kruchko
So this week is all business for us up here in NoSco (that's
apparently what the kids call it these days).
As much as we'd like to hang out and hit up Spring Training, we're busy
getting everything set for your favorite St. Patrick's Day extravaganza!
I'm going to do my best to not make this sound like a
laundry list, but when it's all good times I guess that's not so bad. Without further ado, time to let the info flow
like a mountain spring of green beer.
Just like the Brewery in Tempe, we will also be opening at 7am. The
first 50 people through the door will be receiving THE most coveted Four Peaks T-Shirt
of the year and my sources tell me this year's style is the best yet!
Also at 7am, we
will be serving the staple foods of any early drinking holiday. Our breakfast items are a (World Champion) Celtic Beer Bread....(get it, Celtics - NBA Champions), Green
Eggs & Ham, Corned Beef Hash, Eggs Bennie, and French
Toast (or Irish Toast, you decide).
Unlike the brewery though we will not be doing a buffet and the breakfast
will be going till 10am.
From
there we'll be having the sounds of a traditional bagpiper playing for your
drinking enjoyment. As much as some of
you may think Phil and his sweater will be the one performing, he's actually
Scottish not Irish, so don't be disappointed.
All the while we'll be serving our world renowned dishes such as:
Shepherd's Pie
Corned Beef & Cabbage
Atlantic Salmon Cakes &
Irish Stew
As well as drink & shot
specials such as Car Bombs, Peppermint Patty's, Nutty Irishmen and Baileys
& Coffee all day long!
So now that I'm thoroughly stoked
to get the festivities underway, I guess we have nothing left to do but keep
an eye on the calendar and get the liver well prepared.
 Ok, I know I said earlier that
it's all business up here, but I guess we'll leave you with one (not so
amazing) Irish joke for the occasion.
A Englishman, a
Scotsman, and an Irishman walk into a pub. They proceed to each buy a pint of
Stout. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage a house fly
lands in each one of their pints and gets stuck in the thick head.
The Englishman pushes his beer away from him in disgust. The Scotsman fished
the offending fly out of his beer and continued drinking it as if nothing had
happened. The Irishman too, picked the fly out of his drink, held it out over
the beer and then started yelling, "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT YOU
BASTARD!!!"
Thank you! Thank you, I'll be here all week! Have an amazing AND
SAFE time next Tuesday and Happy St.
Patrick's Day Murph!
You can contact us in
Scottsdale at 480-991-1795 or at Scottsdale@fourpeaks.com
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CASK-CONDITIONED AND SEASONALS
IN SCOTTSDALE THIS WEEK
8th Street Ale: Enjoy our classic English Style Pale right now, you know you want to!
IN TEMPE THIS WEEK
Hop Knot I.P.A.: An American Ale that has become an icon to all the locals! Come in and get it while you can, it always goes fast. Fear not loyal drinkers as we have an extra 8th Street Ale ready in the event the Hop Knot goes too quickly
SEASONAL DU JOUR
Belgian Black Ale: We are down to the last couple of kegs folks, so come in and have one today!
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5 Questions With... Heather Blair
Where does the time go? This week I take the time to give 5 Questions to Heather Blair, and for me this is kind of a big thing. Why is that? Well, Heather is the last person still working here who I had a hand in training! It is hard to believe that when she started in July of 2004 I was still working "the floor" here at the Brewery. It seems so long ago and  like yesterday at the same time! At any rate, we were able to catch up with her in a brief respite between a hectic work schedule, Child Psychology classes at ASU, and taking care of her daughter Ashley to pose some intellectually stimulating queries about life, liberty and the pursuit of libations. Ohh final trainee of mine...the floor is now yours...
1. Which Four
Peaks Beer would be the one you enjoy the most?
Oatmeal Stout, hands down! It's rich, creamy, smooth, and sooo
delicious! For an extra treat, I like to add a shot of vanilla vodka!
2. Its come to my
attention that you've never seen Star Wars or Lord of The Rings. What is it like living in the real world? Please explain it to me in detail (extra
credit if you use "I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like
my father," or "my love... my... preciousssss!!!").
Well first off, I could never get extra credit for quoting a film that
I have never seen! I guess one of  these days I will have to sit down
and watch them both... although I'm pretty sure someone will have to
tie me down and use toothpicks to keep my eyelids open! I guess I'm
just stuck in my ways of watching Sex and the City over and over again!
3. What items would
you put on top of your ultimate Four
Peaks pizza?
In all my time working at the brewery, I have never once ordered a
"build-your-own" pizza. I am such a huge fan of the BBQ Chicken, Veggie
Pesto, Mediterranean... actually... I love them all! There is no
"build-your-own" required when I order a Four Peaks pizza!
4. When you finally
get some down time from work and school, what television programs can we expect
you to be watching (what do you TiVo)?
Spongebob usually take precedence in
my household thank to Ashley, but when it comes to my turn to watch
television, I honestly have quite a number of favorites... Fox News,
Top Chef, The Bachelor/Bachelorette,  The Millionaire Matchmaker,
Fringe... pretty much ANY show on Bravo or E!. But I'm especially a
sucker for the reality dance competition shows as I love to critique!
5. I was just
looking at the employee roster and you are #6 in seniority. What would you say was the most memorable
experience from working here after all this time?
Indeed, I am approaching my 5 year anniversary at the brewery. I
honestly can't believe it has been that long! There have been many
memories and several life experiences as well; it's hard to pick just
one! However, I absolutely love those illustrious occasions when I'm
sooo busy, take a second to look around at all the people EVERYWHERE,
get such an adrenaline rush, and push myself to work even harder!!
If it is at all possible, can I send a shout out in today's March 11th brewsletter... HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!
No problem, consider that wish granted!
Thank you for joining the ranks of the quizzed Heather. We are all appreciative of the almost 5 years of hard work and loyalty you've provided. I can only hope that one day you will see the light and sacrifice 2 hours to watch Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Trust me it's easy, put the DVD in the DVD Player, turn off the telephone, turn off your brain and keep your expectations for creative dialogue relatively low. There you go, it's just like bulls-eyeing womp rats in your T-16 back home!
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| UPCOMING EVENTS |
Tuesday, March 17th: St Patrick's Day... don't act so surprised, it falls on the same day every year. Food and beverage specials all day!
Thursday, March 19th: The Sheraton at Wild Horse Pass is hosting a Beer Dinner featuring the beers of Four Peaks! Contact Ted Golden at (480) 250-0640 for more details!
Sunday, March 29th: Ferguson "Fergie" Jenkins autograph signing at Nello's in Tempe (N.E. corner of McClintock and Southern) from 5pm until 7pm.
Sunday, March 29th: Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass hosts Bon Vivant 2009 from 4 pm to 10 pm. tickets available HERE
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The Brewers Blog
We're back from our brush
with fame. That is, if you count
blathering on about the brewing process on a local, late-night public
broadcasting channel.
The signed 8"x10" glossies
are in production as we speak, make sure you get one.
And, yes, we'll try to lose a
few pounds... Thanks, everyone.
On with this week's "WTHAIT";
Hefe-weizen.
Our Hefe is a traditional,
Bavarian-style Hefe-weizen, meaning that it is unfiltered (hefe means yeast)
and it is made with 51% wheat malt (weizen means wheat). The yeast is the special part, though. It imparts aromas and flavors that other
yeasts just can't achieve. These aromas
and flavors are not found in American-style Hefe-weizen, which, in our humble
estimation, are pretty bland.
See it. The first thing you notice is the cloudy
turbidity of the beer. That's the
unfiltered yeast which is an essential component of the style. Depending on the amount of yeast left in
suspension the color can range from a cloudy yellow to a deep orange. We're not too concerned with color variation
on this one because we know its so dependant on the yeast level. Our big concern is keeping that level down;
we want cloudy, not solid.
Sniff it. This is the best part of a Hefe-weizen. The beer is still alive so the aromas can
vary, but what you're looking for are clove-like aromas punctuated with a
distinct banana undertone. These are not
flavors that we add; they are the by-products of the unique yeast that is used
for this beer. Sometimes, when it's just
right, we get, well, Juicy-Fruit (remember Juicy-Fruit?).
Sip it. Not coincidentally, all the flavors that we
perceived are present in the flavor.
There is a perceived sweetness as well which may be from our nose
confusing our brain into thinking we're just about to eat a clove-studded banana. More than likely it's the low hopping rates
for this beer. Nevertheless, it's
there. Also present is something that
makes Hefe-weizen such an enjoyable quaff in the spring and summer months;
tartness. It can be attributed to the
tanginess of malted wheat in tandem with the yeast. This slightly sour note
cleanses the palette and always leaves us wanting a little more.
Now, on to a real sour point; lemons in Hefe-weizen
(HA! sour! Lemons! We kill us).
Seriously though, lemons really have no place in Hefe-weizen, much less
any beer for that matter (that goes for you, too, limes. We're watching you). All the aromas and flavors mentioned above
don't stand a chance against the olfactory punch that's packed in a lemon. In other words, lemon doesn't play well with
others. If you absolutely must
adulterate you beer, or if you have some mad phobia concerning vitamin C or scurvy
then go ahead, it's your pint. All we
ask is that you at least try the Hefe-weizen without a lemon first. Chances are you'll open up a whole new world
of unique flavors and aromas.
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The 24th Annual Bon Vivant
One of the events that even we here at the Four
Peaks Brewing Company look forward to every year is the
M&I Bank Bon Vivant. Rawhide at Wild
Horse Pass
hosts the event on Sunday, March 29th from
4:30 until 10 pm, and it is now going into its 24th year. It would be an understatement to say that
this event is huge (they typically expect close to 3,500 people to show up) and with
so much to eat and drink you will be forgiven if you are slightly overwhelmed.
If you've never been, Bon Vivant, quite simply, is a
celebration of food and drink put on each year to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs
of the East Valley. Basha's typically provides more than 300 types
of beer, wine, liquor and assorted non-alcoholic beverages. More than 30 local restaurants showcase their
menus along with other food and beverage providers from around the Southwest. Oh, yeah, and Four Peaks will be there to provide all of your favorite local brews as well!
Tickets come in two tiers, the "Green" basic ticket and the "Gold"
VIP ticket. The Green ticket provides
you access to the Main Event only and takes place from 5 until 8 and goes for $100. For the ultimate experience, splurge and
purchase the "Gold" VIP ticket which allows you access to the Main Event and entry
into the VIP section with even more samples not available to the "Green" Ticket
holder and featuring the musical stylings of Michael A. Pollack's Corporate
Affair and Vintage, these are availabe for $150. The "Gold" ticket
also allows you access to the Afterglow Party that takes place from the 8 o'clock hour until 10.
The evening also includes a Silent Auction that includes
Vacation packages, sports memorabilia and tickets, home furnishings, gift
certificates and more. We know times are
tough on a lot of us right now, but look into your heart and help those less
fortunate than yourself. We look forward
to participating in this event every year and it is one of the most fun to be a
part of. We look forward to seeing you
there!
To purchase tickets and find out more, please feel free to click on the link HERE.
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A Few Parting Words...
Just a couple of things before we leave you to your own devices for another week. First on the agenda, we want to wish Bethany Ramsdell all the best as she moves on to other things. Most of you probably remember her for all the football Sundays she worked. After putting in four seasons worth of Viking football, that's a lot of disappointment for anyone to have to weather on the sober side of things! Once again we wish you good luck in all your endeavors.
Don't forget that it is not too late to contact Ted Golden if you are interested in attending the Beer Dinner hosted by the Sheraton at Wild Horse Pass on Thursday the 19th. Space is still available, tickets are $55 per person with the Reception starting at 6 pm. It should be quite an experience to remember as both the Kai and Ko'Sin kitchens will be involved. For those who aren't familiar, the chefs there are known for utilizing items raised by local growers around the Valley for a delicious fusion of both American and Southwest cuisine. Please feel free to check out their conventional menu HERE. Please call Ted at (480) 250-0640 for more details or email him at ted@fourpeaks.com.
Lastly, have you bought your limited time only Four Peaks "tatter" hat yet? If you haven't, get your posterior into either location on the double! Chop, chop people! You will easily be the envy of everyone at whichever Spring Break location you decide to go to or the Spring Training game you attend! Let the populace know who they are dealing with and purchase one today!
Cheers!
"...there is only one game at the heart of America and that is
baseball, and only one beverage to be found sloshing at the depths of
our national soul and that is beer."
-Peter Richmond
Our Hop Knot Was Recently Spotted In Steamboat Springs Strapping On Some Skis For A Well Deserved Vacation...
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