Winter Beer Tasting

On Saturday, January 21st, a few Boundary Bay Brewery folks will be at Bellingham Technical College (BTC) teaching about Winter Beers.  Join Anthony, our Assistant Brewer, and Matt, our Kitchen Manager and BTC culinary program alumni, for an afternoon of Winter Beer Tasting and food pairing!

Winter is a great time to stay indoors and warm-up with some great beer and friends. This winter you’ll have the opportunity to do just that at our “Winter Beer Tasting” class…you’ll experience a selection of strong ales, barley wines, and other winter warmers along with pairings of delicious food. The class focus will be on seasonal releases fro the U.S. and Europe plus a vertical tasting of barley wine to see how aging beer changes the flavor.

In the class, you’ll get to enjoy two spiced ales, some strong ales and barley wines – including one from Schamlz Brewing that was made with fig, date and grape juices aged in rye whiskey barrels.  There’ll even be a two year vertical tasting of Big Foot Barley Wine!  Along with all this delicious beer, Matt will be cooking up some focused food pairings to perfectly accompany these big winter beers.  Expect lots of seasonal dishes and warm, comforting foods.  Perfect for all this chilly, snowy weather we’ve been having!

There are still six seats left in this Winter Beer Tasting class, so call Bellingham Technical College or register online and reserve YOUR spot for this Saturday!  Cheers.  Oh, and if you’re STILL not convinced, check out this blog about the beer pairing class Anthony and Matt did last April.

Learn More About Beer in the New Year!

If you know Anthony, one of our brewers here at Boundary Bay Brewery, you know that he is passionate about beer.  He brews it professionally here at work AND he dabbles in homebrewing when he’s not here at work.  He likes to drink beer, talk about beer, learn about beer and teach about beer.  And now you have a chance to glean some of his knowledge and passion through his classes at the Bellingham Technical College!  The first of his classes in 2011 is coming up this Saturday.

Join him on January 15th for an Introduction to Craft Beer Styles and Flavors or sign up for February’s class for a Winter Beer Tasting. In the spring, Anthony is also planning on hosting a class called Beers of the British Isles.  In it, you’ll get to taste and discuss the history of beer from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.  You’ll learn about the strong brewing traditions in these countries and taste American variations on the classic British styles.  Cheers!

Click here to register for one of Anthony’s classes!

Craft Beers…An Introduction to Styles and Flavors – JANUARY 15th, 3-5 pm.

Today there are many choices of craft beer on the market offering an array of styles and flavors! You have the opportunity to find out which one could be your new favorite. This class, taught by Anthony Stone, introduces you to the basic ingredients which make each beer different. You will taste eight local ales and lagers while enjoying food pairings. Tasting different beers, side-by-side, will help you learn which ones you prefer and increase your knowledge about beer in general.  $35.00 Winter Beer Tasting – FEBRUARY 19th, 3-5 pm Winter is a wonderful time to stay inside and enjoy a great beer with family and friends. By joining our “Winter Beer Tasting” class, you will have the opportunity to sample some of these great beers. We will be tasting a selection of strong ales, stouts, barley wines, and other winter warmers. There also will be food paired with different beer styles providing the perfect enhancement for your beer tasting experience. Most of the beers sampled in this class will be available locally; however, there will be a few imports along with some other interesting surprises!  $35.00

 

Beer at Bellingham Technical College

Join Anthony Stone, one of the Boundary Bay Brewery brewers as he talks beer at Bellingham Technical College!  On September 25th, he’ll be leading An Introduction to Styles and Flavors of Craft Beer where you’ll get to taste eight different beers all expertly paired with foods made by BTC’s head chef.  Then, on October 9th, Anthony will be teaching the basics of Extract Homebrewing.  Learn how you can make craft beer…right in your own kitchen!  These are community education classes, so you don’t even need to be enrolled at BTC to attend.  Anthony did a trial run of these classes over the summer…check out his blog about that experience and then sign up to experience it for yourself!  Cheers.

WINE 150 Craft Beers…An Introduction to Styles and Flavors!
Today there are many choices of craft beer on the market offering an array of styles and flavors! Now you have the opportunity to find out which one could be your new favorite. This class, taught by Anthony Stone, introduces you to the basic ingredients which make each beer different. You will taste eight local ales and lagers while enjoying food pairings prepared by BTC Chef Marc Eilberg. Tasting different beers, side-by-side, will help you learn which ones you prefer and increase your knowledge about beer in general.
Click here to Register
Item #	Instructor	Dates	Times	Location	Credits	Cost
7061	Stone	9/25	3:00p-5:00p	G 103B	0.2	$35.00

WINE 150 Homebrewing Basics – Extract Brewing 101
Homebrewing is a fun and exciting hobby that can also save you money! Anyone can make a great tasting beer in their own kitchen…experience how! Learn the ins-and-outs of homebrewing in this class taught by Anthony Stone moving through the basics with a demonstration extract brew stopping along the way to hear and talk about the various ingredients (malt, hops and yeast) which are used to make different styles of beer. Tap into the basics of homebrewing – extract brewing from brewing to bottling, to good sanitation and recordkeeping.
Click here to Register
Item #	Instructor	Dates	Times	Location	Credits	Cost
7062	Stone	10/9	2:00p-5:00p	G 105	0.3	$35.00

Thoughts on Beer College

Anthony Stone, one of our brewers here at Boundary Bay Brewery, taught a homebrewing class last weekend.  Here’s what he had to say about the experience:

“This last Sunday I taught my first homebrewing class at the Bellingham Technical College (BTC).  There was going to be a beer tasting class the Saturday before, but it got cancelled due to low sign up.  Sunday’s class went pretty well, but there were a few hiccups.  The biggest obstacle was not being able to hook up a wort chiller so it took a little extra time at the end.  I really appreciate everyone who came and put up with me and my first attempt at teaching.  They were enthusiastic and very patient when things didn’t go as smoothly as they could have.  Especially since we had to use a classroom instead of the main kitchen as originally planned due to some renovation in the kitchen.

It was difficult to figure out the best way to get people to have hands on experience homebrewing in groups, in a classroom.  Most homebrewing is designed around making 5 gallon batches.  We had to figure out a good way to split that up between 3-4 people.  What we came up with is that each person would get a one gallon carboy and airlock with some of the beer they made in it to take home and ferment.  The assumption is that people taking this class are going to be homebrewing in the immediate future.  The one gallon carboy is kinda unusual and not ideal compared to the 5 gallon batches they will make in the future.  I am more concerned that they get good hands on experience that will give them the confidence to brew at home than if the one gallon of beer turns out great. I hope everything goes well for them when they do a full batch at home.  Luckily we live in a town with a great homebrew store, Northcorner Brewing Supply, that is a great resource for beginning brewers.  I remember when I first started brewing I made many worried and/or confused phone calls down there and Robert (the owner) always gave me great information.  He still gives me good advice and ideas when I want to try something new at home.  He helped me shape the structure of the homebrew class.

I meet lots of people who say they want to start homebrewing, but most of them don’t go much beyond saying they want to start. It is hard to just read a book and then start brewing away without seeing someone else do it first, or walk you through your first batch.  Everyone who took the class went home with a beginning book on homebrewing and one gallon of beer they made.  They will also get a discount on their beginner’s homebrewing kit from Northcorner Brewing Supply, thank you Robert.  The next class will be in the kitchen at BTC with several stoves and (hopefully) more people.  I should go smoother than the first one.  Speaking of which, I have to give a huge thank you to Nick Crandall for helping me.

He kept everything running smooth and filled in any gaps that I left in the class.

Look for more beer and brewing classes from Anthony at BTC this fall.   The tasting class is scheduled for Saturday Oct. 2nd.  The beginner’s homebrewing class is scheduled for Saturday, October 9th. The tasting class will have a focused pairing prepared by the BTC’s Chef and Food Service Director, Marc Eilberg.  He has some great ideas and I am looking forward to the class just to eat some of the awesome food he has planned.  If this class is successful we could do some in the future that feature beers of different countries or regions.  As it is planned now it will have lagers from Chuckanut Brewing, ales from Boundary Bay and North Fork, and one special beer at the end from Belgium.   I wanted to focus on beers that are available locally so that people could go out and get their favorites on a regular basis.  If the class expands then I might get to go out hunting for some hard to find beers and we could have some real fun.  I could just go find some great beers and enjoy tasting them myself with some friends, but I really want to taste what Marc cooks up to go with them.

Both classes cost $35 and you have to be 21 years of age or older.  Sadly, the clases are listed as “wine 105.”  If we keep these classes going maybe we can get BTC to change their class grouping from “food and wine” to “food and beverage” or “food, beer and wine.”  We’ll see…Please come and see all that beer has to offer.  Cheers, -Anthony”

Learn About Beer from Boundary Bay Brewers

Anthony Stone, one of our brewers here at Boundary Bay Brewery, will be giving away some of his brewing secrets at Bellingham Technical College (BTC) this month!  These classes are open to the general public and you can register online!  Anthony got his start as a home brewer before entering the world of professional brewing at our brewery and his passion for brewing is evident.  So you’re sure to glean lots of knowledge through either his Introductory Homebrewing class and/or the Craft Beer Styles and Tasting class which will pair (mostly local) beers with food.  Here’s what Anthony had to say about his classes:

“Being a professional brewer I feel that part of my job is to educate people about beer and to help nurture the beer culture of Bellingham.  Because I’m a brewer and a beer lover, many people ask me what kind of beer they should try or which is my favorite.  And while I’m happy to share my opinions, I think it’s really all about personal taste.  Some people love hoppy beers, others prefer a beer with a stronger malt profile.  I always encourage people who have never been to Boundary Bay Brewery to try our beer sampler.  The benefit of having six beers to try simultaneously is that you can compare and contrast the aroma and flavors of the beers.  By trying several at the same time you can find what is the most satisfying to you. Which is exactly what you’ll get to do in the Into to Craft Beer Styles and Tasting class!

This summer I will be teaching my first beer tasting class at the Bellingham Technical College on Saturday, July 24^th.  “Introduction to Craft Beer Styles and Tasting”  will feature ten local beers (from Boundary Bay and other local breweries) and one beer from Belgium.  The head chef Marc Eisenberg, from BTC’s culinary program is paring food with each beer. ANY MORE DETAILS ON FOOD?  WHAT IS GOAL – LEARNING TO PAIR FOOD AND BEER OR LEARNING ABOUT CRAFT BEER STYLES OR BOTH?

And for those who want to delve deeper into the world of Craft Beer, I’ll be teaching an Introductory Homebrewing class at BTC the following week.  On Saturday, July 31^stI meet many people who want to start homebrewing but are intimidated to try, so this will be a hands on class aimed at beginners.  We will be doing an extract brew with the true novice in mind, and each participant will brew their first beer in small groups right there in the BTC kitchen. The class comes with a small book and class participants will get a discount on a homebrewing kit from Northcorner Brewing Supply in downtown Bellingham.
at the Bellingham Technical College.

And who knows, if these classes go well, there might be more in the future!  I’m thinking more regional beer tasting in the future like beers from England or Germany and maybe an intermediate homebrewing class focused on all-grain brewing.  So if you have always wanted to make your own beer or just want to drink a few with some great food, please join me this July at the Bellingham Technical College.

Cheers, -Anthony Stone”

Boundary Bay Brewery Goes to BTC

Anthony Stone, Boundary Bay Brewer

Anthony Stone, one of our brewers here at Boundary Bay Brewery will be bringing his skills to BTC this summer.  Through the Community Education program at Bellingham Technical College you can learn about homebrewing basics and/or the history of craft beers.

On Saturday July 24^th, Join Anthony for Craft Beers…An Introduction to Styles and Flavors.  This class introduces you to the basic ingredients that make each beer different.  You will taste eight local ales and lagers along with focused food pairings.  Tasting different beers will help you learn which ones you prefer while increasing your knowledge in general.  Anthony paired up with the head chef over at BTC to find just the right palette pleasers to accompany each of the local beers you’ll be tasting.  3-5pm.  $35.00

Then, on Saturday July 31^st,  Anthony will be discussing Extract Brewing 101 in Homebrewing Basics.  Homebrewing is a fun and exciting hobby!  Anyone can make a great tasting beer in their own kitchen.  Learn the ins-and-outs of homebrewing moving through the basics while stopping along the way to talk about the ingredients which are used to make different styles of beer.  Tap into extract brewing from brewing to bottling, to good sanitation and recordkeeping.  2-5pm.  $35.00

Registration isn’t open quite yet for these summer courses, but we wanted to get the word out early for Anthony’s classes.  These are the first of Anthony’s Community Education courses and he’s hoping to continue more advanced homebrewing courses into the Fall and Winter through BTC.  Stay posted for details!