July 2019 Newsletter

NAH Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

We held our July business meeting at Crazy Jakes on July 23rd.  Approximately 20 members and guests were present. We welcomed a new member, Charles L’Hommedieu and a first time attendee, James.

We recapped our July social at the new Resurgence Brewing location in on Chicago St. in Buffalo, which included a tour of the new facility, and discussed upcoming events.

For our beer education, Mark Zambron presented weizenbock and provided us with two commercial samples, two of his own homebrew samples, plus an aged homebrew sample from Dan Cassetta.

Upcoming events and notifications:

Our August Social will be held on Tuesday, August 13th at the new Prosper Brewery at 72 Webster St in North Tonawanda.  They will be opening just for our group. Partners and friends are welcome to attend.

If you brewed a German style at the Brew at the Bison, and are interested in entering it into the competition for the event, please contact Tim Belczak, as judging will take place in the coming weeks.

The Erie County Fair will be held August 8-18th, and we will again have a homebrew demonstration booth in the Grange Building, organized by Mark Zambron.  Brewers who are interested in sharing their knowledge or brewing a demonstration beer on the 3-gallon BIAB equipment that Mark has set up are encouraged to sign up here: https://teamup.com/ksmn89oh8qs9gbfv6f

The Dude Hates Cancer is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society featuring a homebrew competition with 25 local brewers serving their beer at the event, which will be held on Saturday August 10th at Resurgence Brewing Co.  More information is available on their website.

The Heritage Brewer’s Guild will be brewing a Steinbier at the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village’s annual Scottish Festival on August 17th.  If you’re attending the festival, stop by to say hi, and If you’re interested in helping with the brew demo, contact Keith Curtachio.

Das Hasbrauers von Buffalo are organizing the Annual Homebrewer Picnic on August 18th at Chestnut Ridge Park. The picnic will be held in shelter 19a at the park from 1-6pm.  Brewers are encouraged to bring a dish to pass and beer to share, and the Hasbrauers will provide pulled pork, hot dogs, beans, and slaw.  The shelter is near bathrooms and playground equipment, and the event is family-friendly.

The Salt City Homebrew Competition in Syracuse will be held the weekend of September 13th.  Entries are open and the local drop off site is Niagara Traditions.  Competition details can be found here.

A BJCP Mead Tasting Exam will be held August 24th in Toronto.  Open slots are available – if you’re interested in taking the exam, email eric.cousineau18@gmail.com.

Save the date for the Amber Waves of Grain Homebrew Competition, which will be held the weekend of February 21st.  Judging will be held at the Erie County Fairgrounds and the banquet will be held at UBs Center for Tomorrow.

June 2019 Newsletter

NAH Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

We held our June business meeting at Crazy Jakes on June 25th.  Approximately 25 members and guests were present. We welcomed a new member, David.

We recapped our June events, including our social at the new Woodcock Bros location in North Tonawanda and the Brew at the Bison event at Flying Bison, and discussed upcoming events.

For our beer education, Tom Reed presented kveik and provided us with two samples he’d homebrewed at very different temperature conditions.

Upcoming events and notifications:

The Hasbrauers von Buffalo will be organizing the homebrewers summer picnic in mid/late August.  To express a date preference, fill out the form here.

Our July Social will be held on Tuesday, July 9th at the new Resurgence Brewing Company location at 55 Chicago Street.  Partners and friends are welcome to attend.

A new BJCP Study Group is forming which will take place every other Tuesday starting July 16th @ 7:30pm. Contact John Crossett (jpcrossett@gmail.com) if you’re interested in the class and in becoming a BJCP judge.

The Erie County Fair will be held August 8-18th, and we will again have a homebrew demonstration booth in the Grange Building, organized by Mark Zambron.  Brewers who are interested in sharing their knowledge or brewing a demonstration beer on the 3-gallon BIAB equipment that Mark has set up are encouraged to sign up here: https://teamup.com/ksmn89oh8qs9gbfv6f

The Dude Hates Cancer is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society featuring a homebrew competition with 25 local brewers serving their beer at the event, which will be held on Saturday August 10th at Resurgence Brewing Co.  Brewers who are interested in serving at the event are encouraged to sign up on their website.

Our August Social will be held on Tuesday, August 13th at the new Prosper Brewery at 72 Webster St in North Tonawanda.  They will be opening just for our group. Partners and friends are welcome to attend.

 

May 2019 Newsletter

NAH Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

We held our May business meeting at Crazy Jakes on May 28th.  Approximately 21 members or guests were present.

We recapped our May events, including our social at Flying Bison, and discussed upcoming events.

 

Congratulations were extended to John Crossett, Brian Milleville, and Mark Zambron for winning Best in Show at the Erie County Fair competition for their Leichtbier.  Brian also won 3rd in the show with his German Pils.  In addition, Mark Zambron, Mark Scibilia, Tom Reed, Kevin Ditondo, and Ken DeMarree placed at UNYHA.

 

We welcomed new members Paul Weisenburger and Mike Nowakowski, and had one new prospective member (David) in attendance.

 

For our beer education, Scott Kroon presented Maibock/Helles Bock and provided us with two commercial examples to taste.  We also tasted the bourbon barrel barleywine project in its 9-month state. It will be bottled (and the barrels refilled) on Labor Day weekend.

Upcoming events and notifications:

Our June Social will be held on Tuesday, June 11th at Woodcock Brewery’s new location in North Tonawanda at 908 Niagara Falls Blvd.  Partners and friends are welcome to attend.

Brew at the Bison is scheduled for Saturday, June 15th starting at 8am at Flying Bison. This is a club tradition that started as a “combat brew” at a club member’s house along the Niagara River, and moved to an annual event at Flying Bison.  We will have access to Flying Bison’s hot liquor tank, so you can mash in nearly as soon as you arrive!  The theme is German Styles, and there will be a competition on August ($3 entry) for any German style beers brewed at the even.  The event it potluck, so bring a dish to pass.  NAH will provide Bratwurst as a main course. More details can be found on the event page.

 

A new BJCP Study Group is forming which will take place every other Tuesday starting July 16th @ 7:30pm. Contact John Crossett (jpcrossett@gmail.com) if you’re interested in the class and in becoming a BJCP judge.

 

The Dude Hates Cancer is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society featuring a homebrew competition with 25 local brewers serving their beer at the event, which will be held on Saturday August 10th at Resurgence Brewing Co.  Brewers who are interested in serving at the event are encouraged to sign up on their website.

 

Our August Social will be held on Tuesday, August 13th at the new Prosper Brewery at 72 Webster St in North Tonawanda.  They will be opening just for our group. Partners and friends are welcome to attend.

April 2019 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

We held our April business meeting at Crazy Jakes on April 23rd.  Approximately 17 members or guests were present.

We recapped our April events, including Maple Weekend and our social at Froth Brewing Co, and discussed upcoming events. Tim Collins discussed the (long) history of the Brew at the Bison event, and encouraged everyone to attend. For our beer education, Mark Scibilia presented Kentucky Common and provided us with a (very tasty and drinkable) homebrewed example.

Upcoming events and notifications:

The Erie County Fair judging is this weekend – please contact Paula Smith (psmith@ecfair.org) if you can help with judging or stewarding.

Our May Social will be held on Tuesday, May 14th Flying Bison Brewing Co, located at 840 Seneca Street in Buffalo.  Partners and friends are welcome to attend.

UNYHA will be holding their hombrew competition on May 18th, with entries due by May 8th.  Entries can be dropped off at Niagara Traditions.

Finally, Brew at the Bison is scheduled for Saturday, June 15th at Flying Bison. This is a club tradition that started as a “combat brew” at a club member’s house along the Niagara River, and moved to an annual event at Flying Bison.  We will have access to Flying Bison’s hot liquor tank, so you can mash in nearly as soon as you arrive!  More details will follow.

 

March 2019 Newsletter

March 2019 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

We held our March business meeting at Crazy Jakes on March 26th.  Approximately 18 members were present.

We recapped our March events, including Art of Beer, our social at Belt Line Brewery, and Beerology, as well as the Amber Waves of Grain homebrew competition.  Thank you to the many people who helped to make AWOG a success, and congratulations to Mark Zambron for his Best of Show winning Gueuze.  We voted in a new member, Tom Sirgey.  Jim Gorman discussed mash tun construction and members shared their equipment/setups.

Upcoming events and notifications:

Maple Weekend at Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village is scheduled for March 30-31 from 9am-4pm.  There will be a brewing with maple sap homebrew demonstration.  Please contact Keith Curtachio if you’re interested in helping with the homebrew demo.

Our April Social will be held on Wednesday April 10th at Froth Brewing Co at 700 Military Rd, Buffalo. Froth is a new brewery that opened in January.  They’ll provide us with a tour of their facility.  Partners and friends are welcome to attend.

The Erie County Fair will be holding their homebrew competition soon, and entries will be due April 5th at the fairgrounds or at Flying Bison.  See their website for accepted styles and entry information.  New this year, they will also have a cider making competition.

UNYHA will be holding their hombrew competition on May 18th, with entries due by May 8th.  Entries can be dropped off at Niagara Traditions.

Finally, Brew at the Bison is scheduled for Saturday, June 15th at Flying Bison. More details will follow.

AWOG 2019 Winners

Thanks to all who entered and everyone who volunteered. Our 23rd year was another outstanding success!

Congratulations to all the winners who took home some amazing prizes thanks to our generous sponsors:

PLEASE NOTE: Score sheets and prizes were available at the awards banquet on Saturday, March 16 and most were distributed that evening.  Those who did not attend the banquet will receive their score sheets (and prizes, if applicable) in the next week or two.  This competition is run entirely on volunteers and sorting/shipping will take place as soon as possible.  Your patience is appreciated.

Best of Show - Beer

Best of Show

Mark Zambron
There Are Two ‘o’s In Goose
Gueuze

2nd Best of Show

Mark Zambron
Wicked Blizzard
Eisbock

3rd Best of Show

Rob Sells
Total Eclipse Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout

Honorable Mention

Michael Kanick
Trojan Bob
American Porter

Best of Show - Mead and Cider

Best of Show

Phil Boulanger
Pommedemonium
New World Cider

2nd Best of Show

Tim Collins
Spring Hydromel
Semi-sweet Mead

3rd Best of Show

Jeffrey Kochems & Gary Kochems
Holiday Donkey
Cider w/ Herbs/Spices

American Light Lager & Ale

1st Place

Mike Eagan & Geoff Heusinger
Huh?
Cream Ale

2nd Place

Mark Zambron
The Emperor’s New Clothes
American Lager

3rd Place

Mark Zambron
Cuz I Can
American Light Lager

Malty Continental Lager

1st Place

Rob Sells
Volksfest Lager
Marzen

2nd Place

Mark Zanatian
Bavarian Sunrise
Munich Helles

3rd Place

Scott Kroon
Lederhosen Splitter
Festbier

Pilsner & Export Lager

1st Place

Brian Milleville
Das Haus
German Pils

2nd Place

Kevin DiTondo
Play Maker Pilsner
German Pils

3rd Place

Mark Zambron & Brian Milleville, John Crossett
Heavyweight Export
German Helles Exportbier

Continental Bitter Beer

1st Place

Mike Eagan & Geoff Heusinger
The Edgewood Kolsch
Kolsch

2nd Place

Mark Zambron & Brian Milleville, John Crossett
Featherweight
German Leichtbier

3rd Place

Kevin DiTondo
Penalty Kill Kolsch
Kolsch

Strong Lager

1st Place

Mark Zambron
Wicked Blizzard
Eisbock

2nd Place

Ken DeMarree & John Crossett
Insert Insult of Tim Collins Here
Dopplebock

3rd Place

Rob Sells
Big Scandanavia
Baltic Porter

Wheat Beer

1st Place

Rob Pilon
White Stripper
Weissbier

2nd Place

Mark Zambron
Rogue-One-Beer
Roggenbier

3rd Place

Sean Wall
Weak Wine
Wheatwine

Light & Amber British Ale

1st Place

Joe Lenhard
Get Off My Lawn
Strong Bitter

2nd Place

Rob Sells
Old Man Bitter
Best Bitter

3rd Place

Bob Charboneau
Golden Ale
British Golden Ale

Dark British Ale

1st Place

Mark Zambron
Your Momma Was A Cajun Queen
British Brown Ale

2nd Place

Brian Milleville
New Mild
Dark Mild

3rd Place

Rob Sells
Yorkshire Brown
British Brown Ale

Scottish & Irish Ale

1st Place

Mark Zambron
Limp Bagpipe
Scottish Light

2nd Place

Michael Sullivan & Tyler Sullivan
Danny Boy
Irish Red Ale

Stouts

1st Place

Patrick Bradley & Chris Blume
Chaclat Milk Stout
Sweet Stout

2nd Place

Ryan Imondi
Muddy Brook Stout
American Stout

3rd Place

Scott Kroon
Going Back To The Tropics
Tropical Stout

Imperial Stout

1st Place

Rob Sells
Total Eclipse Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout

2nd Place

Todd Jech & Jeff Morante
Attridge Grove Imperial Rye Stout
Imperial Stout

3rd Place

Daniel Cassetta
Yukon Howler
Imperial Stout

Honorable Mention

Daniel Cassetta
Bortles 10
Imperial Stout

British Strong Ale

1st Place

Rob Sells
Sip, Stare, Repeat
English Barleywine

2nd Place

Matthew Clohessy
Barleywine 1
English Barleywine

3rd Place

Thomas Bacon
Old Grandad
English Barleywine

Wee Heavy

1st Place

John Crossett & Tom Bacon, John DePaolo
A Trio Heavy
Wee Heavy

2nd Place

Kevin DiTondo
Whistle Wee Heavy
Wee Heavy

3rd Place

Mark Zambron
Caber Toss
Wee Heavy

American Light & Amber Ale

1st Place

Steven Fitzgerald
Dad’s Favorite Blonde
Blonde Ale

2nd Place

Michael Sullivan
Dog Day
American Pale Ale

3rd Place

John Crossett & Brian Milleville
20 Load Showdown
American Pale Ale

American Dark Ale

1st Place

Michael Kanick
Trojan Bob
American Porter

2nd Place

Corey Dudish & Jenny Hare
Kid In the Bushes
American Brown Ale

3rd Place

Vince Polino
Styles’ More Betterer Robust Porter
American Porter

American IPA

1st Place

John Crossett
Leftover American IPA
American IPA

2nd Place

Brian Milleville
Dank As Night
American IPA

3rd Place

Brian Milleville
Rose Water IPA
American IPA

Specialty IPA

1st Place

Mike Eagan & Geoff Heusinger
Amy’s IPA
New England IPA

2nd Place

Mark Zambron
I Don’t Usually Like IPAs
Belgian IPA

3rd Place

Mike Eagan & Geoff Heusinger
Birkenstock IPA
White IPA

Honorable Mention

Phil Boulanger
Tranquility
Specialty IPA

American Strong Ale

1st Place

Scott Kroon
Wait Until You Taste The Barrel Version
American Barleywine

2nd Place

Jeff Murbach
Barleywine
American Barleywine

3rd Place

Paul Weisenburger & Amy Weisenburger
The Magic Pickle
Double IPA

Sour Beer

1st Place

Mark Zambron
There Are Two ‘o’s In Goose
Gueuze

2nd Place

Michael Nowakowski
Blambic
Lambic

3rd Place

Michael Nowakowski
Purple Drank
Fruit Lambic

Belgian Ale

1st Place

Rob Pilon
Empty From The Neck Up
Belgian Blonde Ale

2nd Place

Mark Zambron
Blue Loon
Witbier

3rd Place

Mark Zambron
Vow of Silence
Trappist Single

Light Belgian Strong Ale

1st Place

John DePaolo
Oakwood Abbey Salvation Strong Golden
Belgian Golden Strong Ale

2nd Place

Mark Zambron
Mephistopheles Is Not Your Name
Belgian Golden Strong Ale

3rd Place

Eric Burt & Wally Kopinski
Tripel X
Belgian Tripel

Dark Belgian Strong Ale

1st Place

Rob Sells
Night Terror
Belgian Dark Strong Ale

2nd Place

Vince Polino
Narcolepsy 2017
Belgian Dark Strong Ale

American Wild Ale

1st Place

Bob Charboneau & Deron Weet
Wild Child Blueberry
Wild Specialty Beer

2nd Place

Craig Sherwood
Razhaze Sour
Wild Specialty Beer

3rd Place

Joseph Flett
Strawberry Fields For Never
Wild Specialty Beer

Fruit Beer

1st Place

Craig Sherwood
Razhaze
Fruit Beer

2nd Place

Rob Sells
Raspberry Delight
Fruit Beer

3rd Place

John Crossett & Brian Milleville, Mark Zambron
A Little Lemon Tonight
Fruit Beer

Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer

1st Place

Mike Soltiz
Pfeffernusse Christmas Ale
Winter Seasonal Beer

2nd Place

John Prey
Pita Pumpkin Ale
Autumn Seasonal Beer

3rd Place

Jeremy Keller
#37
Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer

Honorable Mention

Vince Polino
Thin Mint Porter
Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer

Smoked & Wood Aged Beer

1st Place

Steven Landgren & Peter Leas, Jeff & Maureen Reimer, Mark Hall, Greg Savich, Naomi Reutz, Jason McLaughlin, Amy & Dan Harris
Burning Leaves
Rauchbier

2nd Place

Joe Lenhard
Drunken Peeps
Wood Ages Beer

3rd Place

Mark Scibilia
WBA Millennium Falcon
Specialty Wood Ages Beer

Honorable Mention

Corey Dudish & Jenny Hare
Don’t Be A Dyngus
Piwo Grodziskie

Alternative Fermentables & Experimental Beer

1st Place

Ken DeMarree & Alex Placito
This Was Not Supposed To Taste Like This…
Experimental Beer

2nd Place

Corey Dudish & Jenny Hare
Secret Sauce
Alternative Sugar Beer

3rd Place

John DePaolo
Luscious Maple Porter
Alternative Sugar Beer

Honorable Mention

Keith Curtachio
Maximón
Experimental Beer

Standard Cider & Perry

1st Place

Phil Boulanger
Pommedemonium
New World Cider

2nd Place

Jeffrey Kochems & Gary Kochems
Pear-A-Legal
Traditional Perry

3rd Place

John DePaolo
Best Ever Sparkling Apple Cider
English Cider

Honorable Mention

John Crossett
Big Apple Cider
New World Cider

Specialty Cider & Perry

1st Place

Jeffrey Kochems & Gary Kochems
Holiday Donkey
Cider w/ Herbs/Spice

2nd Place

Mark Zambron & Dan Gestwick, John Crossett
Sore Arms Apple Crushers
New England Cider

3rd Place

Dan Gestwick
Yet Another New England Cider
New England Cider

Traditional Mead

1st Place

Tim Collins
Spring Hydromel
Semi-Sweet Mead

2nd Place

Tim Collins
Yeast Pitch Experiment – Staggered Nutrients
Dry Mead

3rd Place

Christian Doeing
Dry Traditional
Dry Mead

Fruit Mead

1st Place

Tim Collins
Black Currant Mead
Berry Mead

2nd Place

Tim Collins
Cherry and Mixed Berry Mead
Melomel

3rd Place

Tim Collins
Brew At the Bison Cherry Mead
Stone Fruit Mead

Spiced Mead

1st Place

Tim Collins
Ginger Mead
Spice, Herb or Vegetable Mead

2nd Place

John DePaolo
Condor Nest Elixir of Love
Spice, Herb or Vegetable Mead

3rd Place

Tim Collins
I Heart Crossett #3
Fruit & Spice Mead

Specialty Mead

1st Place

Christian Doeing
Braggot Barley Wine
Braggot

2nd Place

Tim Collins
FU Crossett #3
Experimental Mead

3rd Place

Tim Collins
American Oak Mead
Experimental Mead

February 2019 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

We held our February business meeting at Crazy Jakes on January 22nd.  Approximately 22 members were present.

We recapped our February social and discussed upcoming events.  Brian Milleville presented Dark Mild and provided two homebrewed examples for us to try. Jim Gorman will be discussing mash tun construction at our March meeting, and brewers are encouraged to bring their tun to discuss different setup options.  In addition, we tasted samples from each of the barrels for the club barleywine project.

Upcoming events and notifications:

Our March Social will be held on March 12th at Belt Line Brewery and Kitchen at 545 Swan St. in Buffalo.  Belt Line is a new brewery that opened in January.  They’ll provide us with a tour of their facility.  Partners and friends are welcome to attend.

The Amber Waves of Grain Homebrew Competition is scheduled for March 15-16 at the Buffalo Niagara Heritage VillageRegistration is open, and entries are due March 2nd.  Dropoff locations are Niagara Traditions, Flying Bison, and Southtown Beverage (Rochester).  If you are interested in volunteering at the event (e.g., judging or stewarding), you can use the registration link above.  The awards banquet details are being finalized, so look for more information soon.

The Art of Beer at the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center is scheduled for Friday, March 8 from 6-9pm.  We will be helping Niagara Traditions with their homebrew demonstration.  Please contact Keith Curtachio if you’re interested in helping with the homebrew demo, or Niagara Traditions if you’re interested in pouring beer at the event.

Beerology at the Buffalo Museum of Science is scheduled for Saturday March 23rd from 6-10pm. We will host a homebrew demonstration at this event, and Tom Reed will organize it.  If you’re interested in helping with the demo, contact Tom.

Maple Weekend at Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village is scheduled for March 30-31 from 9am-4pm.  There will be a brewing with maple homebrew demonstration.  Please contact Keith Curtachio if you’re interested in helping with the homebrew demo.

The Erie County Fair will be holding their homebrew competition soon, and entries will be due April 5th at the fairgrounds or at Flying Bison.  See their website for accepted styles and entry information.

Finally, UNYHA will be holding their hombrew competition on May 18th, with entries due by May 8th.  Entries can be dropped off at Niagara Traditions.

 

January 2019 Newsletter

We held our January business meeting at Crazy Jakes on January 22nd.  Approximately 20 members were present.

We recapped our December and January socials and other events, and discussed upcoming events.  Tom Reed presented on Old Ales and provided two examples for us to try.  Brian Milleville will present in February.

Upcoming events and notifications:

Our February Social will will be a joint educational/social event on the evening of February 12th.  Former president Scott Kroon’s non-beer life involves temperature measurement and calibration, and he’s offered to do a brief lecture on temperature measurement as well as to provide us with an opportunity to calibrate any temperature devices we bring with us. Starting at 6pm (note the earlier time), we will meet at Scott’s work, Conax Technologies (2300 Walden Ave, Cheektowaga).  Bring your thermometers, temperature controllers, or anything else you’d like calibrated, and Scott will have temperature controlled baths set up at key calibration points, including fermentation, protein rest, and saccharification rest.  Please arrive on time since no one will be able to let you in once the presentation starts. 

After the calibration, we’ll go down the street for a social at World of Beer in the Walden Galleria Mall (near Macy’s department store).

The Amber Waves of Grain Homebrew Competition is scheduled for March 15-16 at the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Museum.  Registration will be open soon, and entries will be due on March 1st.  Dropoff locations will be Niagara Traditions, Flying Bison, and Southtown Beverage.  We are in need of someone to take on the role of head steward – please email John Crossett if you are interested or have questions on what that would entail (jpcrossett@gmail.com).  The banquet and awards ceremony will be held at the same location following judging on Saturday, and will feature a people’s choice competition for any homebrew served at the banquet.

The Art of Beer at the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center is scheduled for Friday, March 8 from 6-9pm.  We will be helping Niagara Traditions with their homebrew demonstration.  Please contact Keith Curtachio if you’re interested in helping.

Beerology at the Buffalo Museum of Science is scheduled for Saturday March 23rd from 6-10pm. We will host a homebrew demonstration at this event, and Tom Reed will organize it.  For those who attended the meeting on Tuesday, I just received word that the kitchen space (Bite Size Science) we’ve used in recent years will be available for our use.

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