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MARCH IV 2009
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Issue: # 12
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Wired For Sound And Down With Whatever!
Alright, just what does a obscure lyric from the band "The Hold Steady" have to do with Four Peaks? Absolutely nothing! But it is a good lead in to let you know that we have just added Wi Fi to our location in Tempe as well. That's right all you Fantasy Football/Baseball/NASCAR/Soccer folks out there, we have just made your life a little easier and jumped hip deep into the 21st Century. Feel free to come in and ask for access, we encourage you! But much like our compatriots in Scottsdale, we ask you don't abuse it. Be cognizant of your servers feelings and don't dawdle for hours while nursing an Iced Tea! We thank you for your cooperation!
It's never to early to start thinking of the Easter Holiday! We know you'll probably have spent the brunt of the morning hiding Easter Eggs, loading marshmallow peeps into Easter Baskets and getting your sugar enriched children calmed down enough to sit through a church service, so why not treat yourself? We at your friendly neighborhood Brewery and Grill & Tap are compiling an expanded Easter Brunch menu to help you unwind! Joining the ranks of the Eggs Benedict, French Toast, Enchiladas and Eggs and Breakfast Beer Bread, we will be adding a few "special" items (Prime Rib anyone?); the hours are from 10 am until 2 pm, plenty of time to get to either location and enjoy the day. Keep your peepers peeled next week for the great unveiling!
Now a few upcoming events:
Don't forget this Sunday we have Bon Vivant 2009 going on at Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass. Tickets are still available and here is a brief little article on what to expect LINK. It is a wonderful celebration of food and drink which benefits the Boys and Girls Club of The East Valley. The event starts at 4 pm and can last until 10 if you buy the magic Gold Ticket!!
Attention Cubs fans and baseball enthusiasts!! Following the Cubs/Indians game at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, stop by Nello's in Tempe (the NE corner of McClintock and Southern) for the "Fergie" Jenkins chairity autograph signing. A $20 dollar donation will get you a commemorative signed baseball. Feel free to bring an other items you may want him to sign (prices will vary depending on the item). Four Peaks will be offering beer specials throughout the event which goes on from 5 pm until 7 pm. Plus you never know what other baseball legends may also show up with him!
Alright, down to brass tacks! This week our Brewers submit for your approval another installment of "WTHAIT." Mike from up North fills us in on AZ Bike Week and a few other musings. I have the privilege of unveiling the all new Beer Dinner menu which has a delicious new theme this time around. In lieu of a 5 Questions this week I offer instead a brief profile of Missing Link Racing, a local bicycling team, in hopes of (re)awakening the fitness side of you. Now, as Joel Robinson and Crow T Robot of MST3K fame once mused while watching Ator, The Invincible...
How Much Keefe Is In This Movie?
(please go to the "Parting Words" section of the issue for the answer) 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 Brewers Blog
"What the Hell Am I Tasting"? Well, Oatmeal Stout, this week.
Ahh, "The Stout", as it is affectionately abbreviated; it
is, though, an Oatmeal Stout and if it could slap your face for not showing it
the respect it deserves it would. You
see, most Stout today is of the dry, Irish variety though not from birth. Stout (without oats) originated in England
as a variant on the wildly popular Porters of the time and was named,
appropriately, Stout Porter, or a stronger porter. That was later abbreviated to just Stout
because it was fundamentally different from many of the day's porters. The recipe was taken to Ireland
(and some say perfected) by an enterprising young brewer named Arthur Guinness. Heard of him? Here's a little known fact; the brewery
sponsored the first Guinness Book of World Records as marketing pamphlet
1954. Not a bad side gig.
Oatmeal Stout came about as a restorative for nursing
mothers at the beginning of last century and has held on as the "English"
version of stout ever since. The oats
were seen as supremely healthful and were added to encourage lactation. Our theory; Mommy just needed a drink.
The addition of oats actually helped to sweeten the beer and
it added a little mouth-feel, or body; two things lacking in the Irish
variety. Also, Oatmeal Stouts tend to be
a tad stronger in terms of alcohol than their Irish cousins, around 5%.
So, here we go:
See it. Black, right?
Well, not exactly. In the bar, at
night, it certainly appears to be as black as pitch. But against a strong light one notices a deep
garnet ruby color that is quite typical for this style. Next time order one in our 10-ounce bow-tie
glass and you'll see that the thick glass on the bottom bends the light upward
making a nice deep red color appear at the base.
You'll also see the mark of most draft Stouts; that
wonderful cascading effect of the bubbles.
This can only happen in beers that are "nitrogen-ated" as opposed to being
carbonated. Nitrogen is different from
CO2 in that it creates smaller bubbles and lacks the accompanying carbonic acid
which lends to stout's creamy, soft character.
The bubbles are so dense that it creates a sort of optical
illusion. It appears that the bubbles
are dropping into the beer, but in reality it's the liquid that is pushing its
way down through the mesh of bubbles that will eventually form the tell-tale,
dense, almost cream-like head.
Sniff it. Right off you'll notice the roasty, toffee,
caramel aromas from the various malts.
We also get a distinctly chocolate aroma as well. The sensation is different as well. Because of the sometimes sharp effect of CO2,
Oatmeal Stout is milder, and in a way more inviting. What you won't get is the aroma of hops. Hops play in the background of most stouts
solely as a bittering agent. Hop aroma
tends to interfere with the great mix of malt aromas required by the
style. You also won't smell oats. Its contribution is solely in the sweet
flavor and body.
Sip it. Of course you'll get the roasty, almost burnt
character from the highly kilned malts, but then you get a mild sweetness. You'll also notice the bitterness. It's different from the bitterness of an IPA
because it mainly comes from the black malt.
It's milder than a hop bitterness.
We also get dried fruits like raisins or blackberries. Then something happens; it all sort of goes
away. It's not a lingering type of beer
despite its appearance. It's not heavy
or oily, it's, well, kind of silky and smooth.
To those of you who religiously drink the Oatmeal Stout,
thank you. If it's not something you
think you'd like or if the appearance and color scare you off, we'd suggest
that you give it a shot, just once.
You'll be surprised, appearances aren't everything (look at us) and it
might be just what you're looking for.
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CASK-CONDITIONED AND SEASONALS
IN SCOTTSDALE THIS WEEKRaj I.P.A.: Our traditional style India Pale Ale served the way the English troops used to drink it! IN TEMPE THIS WEEK
Oatmeal Stout: To coincide with our latest Brewer's Blog we offer you our delicious Oatmeal Stout! Should the demand be overwhelming, we have a back up of Raj I.P.A. waiting in the wings!
SEASONAL DU JOUR
Lost Dutchman Lager: Now available!! Our version of a "California Common" (aka Steam Beer), try one today! | |
Latest Beer Dinner Event Just Added!
Our latest beer dinner extravaganza will be an even more special event than earlier ones. Not to say that all of our previous endeavors weren't special, but this one will have an added dynamic; all of our dishes will feature something locally grown or raised. Yes, we upped the ante yet again by celebrating all things Arizona. I could talk your virtual ear off by gushing about this upcoming momentous event, but I will let the menu speak for itself, so please, read on:
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Arizona Tribute Beer Dinner
7:00
p.m. April
28, 2009
Reception
Hopknot American Pale Ale
First Course
* Applewood & Peach Smoked
Pork Loin Salad *
Buckeye,
Arizona
pork loin slowly smoked with apple-wood and peaches, served over arugula
and field greens with Belgium
endive, cabrales cheese, candied pistachios, and vine ripened
tomatoes in a purple tomatillo vinaigrette, served over grill bread.
Oatmeal Stout
Second Course
* Double Check Manicotti *
Chipotle pepper pasta stuffed
with grass fed Winkelman, Arizona
veal and beef, dark opal basil, and asiago, mozzarella
and pecorino cheeses, baked in a classic béchamel with a stripe of bulognese sauce.
Accompanied with stewed garlic and fresh herb escarole.
Kiltlifter
Scottish Style Amber Ale
Third Course
* Brown's Orchard Rack of Lamb *
Grilled
Willcox,
Arizona
rack of lamb marinated in yogurt and spices, topped with a Tahini
lamb reduction and served with a lentil potato cake and McClendon
Farm vegetables.
Hefeweizen
Fourth Course
* Chili Acres Cupcake Trio *
Three homemade gourmet cupcakes,
including a lavender & honey cupcake, a chocolate stout cupcake and a red
velvet cupcake.
Lindeman's
Lambic Framboise (Belgium)
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Now that we have your attention, we would like to RSVP ASAP! BTW, tickets will run $60 per person with all taxes and gratuity included (how's that for a smokin' deal!) and we will require full payment at the time of purchase. If you are interested in attending, please contact manager/longtime member of the Martin L Gore fanclub Steve Lynch at:
steve@fourpeaks.com
Space is limited so inquiries will be taken on a first come first serve basis. We look forward to seeing all of you that evening!
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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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 HEREWednesday, April 8th: Our next Cheese Puff Day Saturday, April 18th-Sunday 19th: Scottsdale Culinary Festival's Great Arizona Picnic! Tickets to this event found HERE! |
The Grill & Tap Dispatch
with Mike Kruchko
With Japan once again winning the World Baseball Classic (or
maybe more importantly the U.S. once again not winning), Spring Training
starting to wind down and the Sun Devils making a not so graceful exit from the
NCAA's (has anyone told James Harden that he missed the tourney yet). Some of you may be left feeling like you need
something different to get the blood flowing before we start hitting the triple
digit weather we love to hate. Well,
this next week brings us, well...something different. 
Friday is the beginning of AZ Bike Week 2009. Now I'm not a motorcycle kind of guy, but a
lot of you out there surely are; either way we're all going to be aware of the
festivities 'cause the roads will be filled with bikes galore! What does that mean for us up here in N.
Scottsdale? That's
easy...more traffic. I'm kidding (kinda);
our friends across the way at Hacienda Harley will be throwing a bash both
Friday & Saturday nights this week, so feel free to stop by and see what
they have to offer while in the neighborhood, then come by and enjoy a pint or
two of the VERY POPULAR new seasonal, Lost Dutchman Lager.
That's not all; being right around the corner from West
World we're right in the middle of all the action or for the non-motorcycle
enthusiast, the other reason to come check out the action. West World will be transformed into a live
music venue for the upcoming week and will be showcasing the Valley's (and the
Brewery's) favorite Gin Blossoms, Cheap Trick and the Money Man Eddy Money, to
name a few.
So if you're bracket is toast, you're left counting the days
till April 6th (that's opening day if you didn't know) and the wife is nagging you to get the garage
cleaned out, come swing by the area, check out the cool bikes that will be
showcased during the events and check out some kick ass - beer drinking music.
That all being said, don't forget that it is the Sweet
16 and even though the Sun Devils got a crappy draw and the NCAA did a
ridiculous favor for Lute Olson (yeah, I said it - UofA's draw was totally
rigged) make sure to swing by the Grill & Tap and enjoy the games with all
of us. Ok, I'm leaving you guys with a
short dispatch this week, 'cause I'm going to do my best to get a game in before
I have to hit the office...wow, my job is tough!
See ya next week.
You can contact us in
Scottsdale at 480-991-1795 or at Scottsdale@fourpeaks.com
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Profiles In Gear-age... I am well aware that the brunt of you wait with bated breath for each ensuing weeks edition of 5 Questions. Fear not dear readership, it will return next week bigger and better than ever. This time around I decided to throw you a bit of a curveball...a brief profile on our friends at Missing Link Racing. They have been coming in for years now and we can't help but find sweet solace in their two greatest passions, beers and bicycles! We couldn't be more proud to be one of their sponsors and wish them the best in this years' races. Well enough of me blathering on, I'll let them explain who they are and what they do... 
A Mountain Bike Team
founded in 1995, Missing Link Racing (MLR) is a cycling team from the Phoenix/Tempe
area of Arizona. We can be found
using many of the greater Phoenix
metro trail systems from North Phoenix Trail 100 to the many trails of the South/East
Valley. Most commonly we can be found at South Mountains Regional Park/Preserve
either riding or helping the local park rangers with trail maintenance projects
or other special events.
With an original
membership of seven friends who liked to drink beer and race, Missing Link
Racing has grown to over 45 members and continues to grow. Members can be
located throughout Arizona, Utah,
New Mexico and Texas.
Missing Link Racing participates and support riders in almost every category
and class of racing for both male and females, we also participate in weekly
recreational group rides and Epic type events and charity rides such as the
Whiskey off road in Prescott, Tour of the White Mountains in Show Low, Toys for
Tots in Flagstaff and special events such as the Tour de Fat. We Pride
ourselves in being bicycle advocates and doing what we can to encourage more
people to ride bicycles as recreation, transportation and of course to race.
For the year 2008 and
2009 we are very proud to wear the Four Peaks Brewing Company logo on our
jerseys' as our newest sponsor, we also have our official meetings the first
Wednesdays of every month at the Tempe
location. Four Peaks goes perfect with our motto: "Beer Drinkers
with a Mountain Biking Problem." We hope to see you on the trail, at a race or
at the brewery some time so stop in and join us for a fine brew and ask us why
we love Beer and Bikes. Find out more about us at There you have it my friends, truly an inspiration to us all! Looks pretty damn sporty if I do say so myself.... 
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A Few Parting Words...
As we bid you farewell for yet another week, we would like to welcome the Mesa Amphitheater to our list of fine locations to enjoy a tasty Four Peaks Kilt Lifter on draught! Welcome aboard! So now when you catch Fall Out Boy on April 3rd, Kings Of Leon on May 19th, The Offspring on June 1st or Rancid on July 14th you can enjoy your favorite Scottish Style Ale! Order tickets to any of the above shows HERE and see why Phoenix Magazine voted them Best Concert Venue! Once again, we are having a beautiful day, why not make the most of it and stop by either Peaks location and enjoy a quality beer while keeping updated on the latest spring training baseball scores through the wonder of Wi Fi (or simply watch the ESPN bottomline from the comfort of the bar if the Sun is too big of a scary thing for you)! Remember, it's going to be hitting 120 degrees before you know it! Lastly, if you are planning on going to the Tempe Music Fest on April 3rd and/or 4th, take heed! The Phoenix Light Rail is extending their hours until 12:30 am both days (or would that be nights...or mornings, or...ah you know what I mean!). Take advantage of it and stop in before or after the shows for a more affordable pint! While you're at it, you should probably pick up a limited edition Four Peaks "tatter" hat (now available in two fantastic colors) because it's going to be bright out there!!! Enjoy another great week and take in the weather while you can! Cheers!
"I'm going to buy a boat... do a little travelling, and I'm going to be drinking beer!"
- John Welsh, Brooklyn bus driver who won $30 million in the New York lottery
Miles O'Keefe! (Get it??)
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