Catch the buzz
Microbrewing means exactly that. Its about brewing at a smaller scale, and doing so with a sense of eccentric individuality and joyful abandon. Think of it as brewing with a human face.
But theres more than one brew in life, and for me, coffees as vital as beer. Whats more, the two can be combined in ways you wouldnt expect. Derby City Espresso (331 E. Market St., 442-0523) began life as a haven for coffee junkies, and then owner/conceptualizer Matthew Landan added bottled beers in November. He started with about a dozen, now grown into a rotating list of 64.
Now hes mixed coffee and beer. Alchemy was never this rewarding.
Matthew works closely with Bluegrass Brewing Companys brewmaster, David Pierce, and BBCs Joel Halblieb, to craft Derby City Espresso Stout. While most of the stout is destined for aging in bourbon barrels to make BBCs signature Bourbon Barrel Stout, a small portion is reserved for a different process.
I asked Matthew to explain how his DCE Stout is made:
We did a 192-degree hot water/fine grind extraction 80 grams of coffee to 24 ounces of water for four minutes. Each batch poured off approximately 20 ounces of coffee. We did this about 30 times; five pounds of coffee total, just under five gallons of coffee.
Joel blends the coffee extract into 45 gallons of beer enough to supply DCE and the Pink Door (on tap now at both). Future DCE/BBC/micro/beer/coffee/brewing plans include ale infused with green tea, a cappuccino imperial stout, and a coffee stout with the equivalent of a 16-ounce caffeine jolt in each pint, about which Matthew gets the final word:
The future is caffeinated alcohol drinks. I know my buddy Ken Kesey (author of One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest) would have appreciated the crossover buzz wired and alcoholically inspired.
Roger Baylor is co-owner of the New Albanian Brewing Co. in New Albany. Visit www.potablecurmudgeon.com.