North West Alpha

The Hippity Hoppity Series
Volume 4

You are now about to witness the strength of hop knowledge. Straight outta Yakima!

Make it black and hoppy...

From one side of the country where the vast majority of American hops are grown to another in Vermont where this style is credited to have originated at The Vermont Pub & Brewery under the late Greg Noonan. What's this style called you ask? Well its gone by everything from the simple Black IPA, to the elegant Cascadian Dark Ale, to Totalitarian names like American-Style India Black Ale and American-Style Black Ale. Personally I like to keep it simple on this so I'll go with Black IPA or as in this case Double Black IPA.

We started with English Maris Otter pale malt,light crystal malt,Belgian biscuit malt, German munich and roasted black malts. This culmination of grains results in a black as night color that combines a bouquet of roasted cacao beans and a citrus fruit basket from the use of hops like Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Simcoe and Warrior. Medium bodied in palate with an assertive bitterness, fresh baked Russian black bread with a touch of Seville oranges and fresh grapefruit zest.

Grab a pint, find yourself something to dance to and keep it real by keeping it hoppy.

Oatmeal reduces cholesterol

Who would argue with that scientific fact? Now can the same be said about Franklin's Oatmeal Stout? While there are currently no studies that can state that consumption of oatmeal stout can reduce cholesterol, I'm a firm believer that it can help eliminate a case of the "frownies". Don't believe me, then see for yourself by sipping a glass or two and tell me the world doesn't look a little rosier. Made with fine Maris Otter pale malt,chocolate malt,roasted barley and of course creamy flaked oats its full bodied with a rich toasted malt character,touches of chocolate,coffee and mellow fruit esters. At 5.9 % ABV its sure to keep help the chill off your extremities this winter and seeing as we're serving it via our nitro faucet it goes down easier than a cough drop.

Old Miser

Its that time of year again when spirits are merry and tidings are good. Sometimes this can get a bit overwhelming and when it does sometimes you need a little something to take things down a notch. That's where our Old Miser steps in with its rich warm malt body,hint of molasses, mellow fruitiness and 8.5% ABV to take the stress off the holidays. Who knows, after a glass or two you might actually find yourself with more cheer than before.

Cheers

Highland Hugh

Scotch ales are big bold statements of a beer. They fill you with sweet warm cheer and never leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Our Scotch ale is no different as its brewed with a thousand pounds of malt and a touch of dark brown sugar. We also take the time to slowly caramelize a portion of the wort in the kettle by preheating it, allowing it to slowly trickle in and boiling it down. What's left is a full bodied dark copper ale rich in caramel malt sweetness and a warming alcohol presence. Highland Hugh is named after Hugh Colston, a long time friend of Franklin's. I first met Hugh almost a year ago upon my arrival. Hugh welcomed me with a sweet warm cheer and always had a great story to tell me. Farewells are never an easy thing in life, so instead we'd like to say welcome Hugh, with a beer that we hope brings as much warmth and good times as you did.

Fàilte

Stonehenge

In ancient times...
Hundreds of years before the dawn of history
Lived a strange race of people... the Druids

No one knows who they were or what they were doing
But their legacy remains
Hewn into the living rock... Of Stonehenge

I just couldn't resist a Spinal Tap reference for a beer that is a revival of an "ancient" English beer style. English Dark Milds can be some of the most interesting and satisfying of session beers. They can have a rich and complex malt depth while still have a light and refreshing body. Stonehenge is no different with its deep ruby brown color accented by roasted malt lending a touch reminiscent of coffee and sweet finish.

Pumpkin Pie Stout

It was ten years ago this autumn while brewing at IncrediBREW in Nashua, NH that I formulated my first ever brewing recipe, Pumpkin Pie Stout. So with the harvest season upon us and the dreaded thought of brewing the traditional old pumpkin ale I went back to my Hall of Beer Records and dug up my virgin brew. Ten years gone things are bound to change including tweaking this recipe slightly to marry a more modern approach to brewing as well as increasing the batch size from 15 gallons to 310! This recipe was quite fun to create and brew, but not to cleanup after. For those of you in the know the first attempt at brewing this beer was met with a bit of disaster. While trying to bring the wort to a boil in the kettle I had some mechanical issues with the brew house and couldn't generate steam flow into the kettle to bring it to a boil. This resulted in the infamous home brew Stout giveaway....more on that story to follow. So with a few repairs made we were back up running the following week and the results can now be tasted for yourself here at Franklin's. The recipe utilizes English Maris Otter malt for a rich malt profile,along with Crystal,Roasted and Chocolate malts giving this beer a rich black color,tan head and full body. The nose is a blend of pumpkin,spices(cinamon/nutmeg) and roasted malt. Sipping through the creamy nitro pour you'll be awakened by liquid pumpkin pie, minus the whipped cream. Roasted malts balance the sweetness as the pumpkin coats and your tongue sizzle with the dazzling of seasonal spices. Enjoy it now bef0re your Mom gives your relatives the leftovers to take home.

Hop E Soul

The Hippity Hoppity Series
Volume 3

Beer glass beer glass on the bar
Tell me beer glass have I gone too far?
Could it be this watering hole
Or is it just my Hop E. Soul
What I brew ain't make believe
I brew it honest that's no lie
But when it comes to being Hop E
It's just me myself and rye



The third installment in the Hippity Hoppity Double IPA series is Hop E Soul. This beer is probably the most unique so far in the series as it utilizes a large percentage of malted rye in the grist bill which brings out an interesting spice character. Combined with heavy handed usage of Chinook,Liberty and Columbus hops it electrifies your palate with green bitterness,floral and citrus accents. Orangey-copper in color with a thick light tannish head, the aroma hits your nose with floral,citrus and spice. Its full body stickiness coats with an impression of bitter oranges and spicy grain as its 8.7 % ABV warms your mouth as it trickles towards its final resting place.