PROFILES IN BREWING by Bobby Bush, author of "Beer & Loafing" Mike Duffy - Brewmaster of Green Man Brewing in Asheville NC Mike Duffy is an admitted beer nut. In his profession, that's almost a requirement. Mike is the brewer for Green Man Brewing Company, the one-man brewery that makes beer for Jack of the Wood, a quaint Asheville bar, restaurant and live music venue. While Duffy came upon his love for beer innocently enough, his professional path has taken a more dedicated course. With only brief homebrewing experience under his belt, the brewing-curious lad became a volunteer assistant for Ipswich Brewing in 1996. By his second year at the Glouchester, Massachusetts brewery, Duffy was thrust into the head brewers slot, where he remained until the company's financial trouble forced his departure. Still in love with the craft of brewing, Mike accepted a brewer's job with regional micro Harpoon. During his one year tenure in Boston, Mike became disenfranchised. He unfortunately learned that productivity demands at the large brewery took precedent over craftsmanship. "It was too much, too big," he exclaimed. His hands-on brewing tutorial had all but ceased. Rather than jump into another dead end position, Mike reassessed his history and his goals, choosing an advanced brewing education at the University of Sunderland, a renown English brewing academy. During the five month program, he worked at six different English and Irish breweries, often using equipment that was over 200 years old. This experience included open fermenters, ancient brewing techniques, even lager brewing. As an Associate Member of the Institute of Brewers, Mike was ready to start brewing his own beer. He wanted to be a head brewer again. He found Green Man's want-ad on a professional brewers' website. After speaking with the owners by phone, graduate Duffy flew directly from London to Asheville, where he's been ever since. Working in a somewhat cramped seven-barrel brewhouse, Mike took little time to establish his beers. He also substantially improved the brewing equipment, replacing the old mash tun and adding several tanks to the walk-in cooler. Two new conditioning tanks, which will keep four beers on tap at all times. Green Man cask conditioned beers are also new for Jack of the Wood. Mike dry hops and primes two firkins each week for the busy bar's hand pump. Green Man Pale Ale is medium bodied, light amber in hue. It sports 5% abv and a maltier finish than the lighter but hoppier Light English Ale. ESB, made smoother from cask conditioning, provides a pleasing balance of malt sweetness and mid-taste hop floral flavor, without being overpowered by obvious bitterness. Done English in style, Brown is rich in its maltness, while Green Man Porter revels in malted barley complexity with flashes of roasted barley and bittersweet coffee tastes, all supported by a smooth, almost milky mouthfeel. foundation. The House Stout is a dry stout: black, rich and full bodied. Named for the Celtic Goddess of Fertility, seasonal Anu is a full-bodied, malty, high alcohol brew. Assisted by a few volunteers, Mike brewed 700 barrels in 2001. Those two new tanks will bring capacity up to 900 barrels. But does Mike miss New England? He'd rather be drinking beer in Edinburgh. Honestly, he's enjoying Southern living, especially the mountains and the weather. Mike wears shorts to work almost every day. You can't do that in Boston. As for Green Man and Jack of the Wood? Mike fell in love with the authentic Irish/English pub atmosphere. And for his beer? Well, his "beer stands for itself." Simple, but effective. Green Man Brewing Company & Jack of the Wood Brewpub 95 Patton Avenue, Asheville NC 28801-3316 - (828) 285-0068 Read more by nationally recognized beer writer Bobby Bush at: http://www.realbeer.com/library/authors/bush-b/ ===================================================================== Thanks to: Brooke Baldridge, Cornelia Corey, Chuck Fazio, Dan Fordham, Chip Galle, Jeff Glor, Wes Hughson, Tony Kiss, Ken Koenig, John Lock, Tom Moench and Joe Walker. Until mid-March, cheers The Beer Bwana |
RESOURCES You may have noticed Beer South has tweaked the site's navigation bars. It's now much easier to access the festival photos and homebrewer sections and the BUZZ archives. Speaking of photos, we have posted a nice selection of photos from the recent Florida Brewer's Guild festival held in Tampa's Ybor City. |
FESTIVALS CALENDAR 3/1-2 - Real Ale Festival - Chicago IL 3/2 - Orlando International Beer Festival - Orlando FL 3/16 - TasteDC.com International Beer Festival - Washington DC (NEW) 4/6 - 7th Classic City Brew-Fest - Athens GA 4/13 - World Beer Cup 2002 4/10-13 - National Craft Brewer's Conference - Cleveland OH 4/27 - 9th Southeastern Microbrewer's Conference - Chapel Hill NC 5/11 - Greenville Beer Festival - Greenville SC (NEW) 5/18-19 - 8th River City Beer & Seafood Festival - Richmond VA 6/1 - Knoxville Brewers' Jam - Knoxville TN |
The material presented on this site is based on information believed to be correct, but is subject to change at anytime. If you have an update, correction, suggestion or any other contribution, please send it to us at: beersouth@mindspring.com. We welcome your input. (c) 1999 - 2002 by Beer South. All Rights Reserved. |
The material presented on this site is based on information believed to be correct, but is subject to change at anytime. If you have an update, correction, suggestion or any other contribution, please send it to us at: beersouth@mindspring.com. We welcome your input. (c) 1999 - 2002 by Beer South. All Rights Reserved. |
February 2002 Newsletter Greetings from The Beer Bwana, Well, lest we be struck with a massive blizzard in this part of the world, let's just whisper that winter hasn't been too terrible. Of course, the downside is the mosquitos might be as big as birds and thick as flies this summer. Ya can't win. As has been well reported by the media, the economy has been hit pretty hard by a combination of factors and quite a few of our friends in the craft brewing industry are feeling the effects. We wish them, and all brewers, the best and know things should turn around before too long. Just to be safe, let's patronize our local craft brewers as much as possible. That's surely a win-win situation. |
NEWS Asheville NC Asheville's daily newspaper, the Citizen-Times, has begun a biweekly beer column written by entertainment editor Tony Kiss. This new feature will discuss beer in general and the Asheville region's brewers in particular. He becomes the second beer columist in the state joining All About Beer's Julie Bradford who authors "Beer Here," a Friday column for the Raleigh News & Observer. To read his debut article go to: http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/entertainment/6525 Source: Asheville Citizen-Times (Editor's note: If you are aware of any other southern-based newspaper columns on beer, please let us know so we might tell readers of the BUZZ about them.) Buffalo NY The United States Beer Tasting Championship recently completed the Winter Session of its 8th annual competition. A total of 397 beers from 145 breweries were examined across 11 different beer categories. Style awards were also presented in each of six geographic regions, with the South being designated as part of the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast region. The following is a list of the "Best of the South" from that division, along with beers receiving honorable mention: Best of the South (When two brewers are listed in one category, the 2nd is an Honorable Mention) Barleywine Millennium - Old Dominion Brewing Company / Ashburn VA Stout Stout: Dogwood Brewing Company / Atlanta GA Porter Big Nasty Porter - Richbrau Brewing Company / Richmond VA Dergy's Classic Porter - Williamsville Brewery / Farmville NC Brown Ale Charleston Brown Ale - Carolina Beer Company / Mooresville NC Brown Ale - First Coast Brewing Company / Fernandina Beach FL Scottish-Style Ale Old Rag Mountain Ale - Shenandoah Brewing Company / Alexandria VA Belgian-Style Ale Winter Ale - Dogwood Brewing Company / Atlanta GA Dunkles Lager Black Radish Dark Lager - Weeping Radish Brewing Company / Manteo NC Blackened Voodoo Lager - Dixie Brewing Company / New Orleans LA Vienna/Marzen Lager Octoberfest Lager - Dogwood Brewing Company / Atlanta GA Valley Fest Oktoberfest Lager - Shenandoah Brewing Company / Alexandria VA Spice Beer Cottonwood Pumpkin Spiced Ale - Carolina Beer Company / Mooresville NC Source: USBTC |
BREWING CHANGES FL / Orlando - Big Belly Brewpub has ceased brewing but remains open as a bar. FL / Orlando - Unique Beers, a contract brewery, has opened. It will use Shipyard Brewery in Orlando to produce its beers. Tom Moench and brewer Dan Fordham, who were formerly with Big Belly Brewpub, are the principles. FL / Weston - Sporting Brews has ceased brewing but remains open as a bar. LA / New Orleans - Lagniappe has shifted its contract brewing from St. Arnold's Brewery in Houston TX to Day Brewing Company of Marrero LA. NC / Asheville - French Broad Brewery has changed it's name to French Broad River Brewing. SC / Charleston - Brewer Frank Hughes has left Southend Brewpub. No word yet on his replacement. Hughes will work part-time for Palmetto Brewery in Charleston and Vista Brewpub in Columbia SC. |
FESTIVALS CALENDAR 3/1-2 - Real Ale Festival - Chicago IL 3/2 - Orlando International Beer Festival - Orlando FL 3/16 - TasteDC.com International Beer Festival - Washington DC (NEW) 4/6 - 7th Classic City Brew-Fest - Athens GA 4/13 - World Beer Cup 2002 4/10-13 - National Craft Brewer's Conference - Cleveland OH 4/27 - 9th Southeastern Microbrewer's Conference - Chapel Hill NC 5/11 - Greenville Beer Festival - Greenville SC (NEW) 5/18-19 - 8th River City Beer & Seafood Festival - Richmond VA 6/1 - Knoxville Brewers' Jam - Knoxville TN |
RESOURCES You may have noticed Beer South has tweaked the site's navigation bars. It's now much easier to access the festival photos and homebrewer sections and the BUZZ archives. Speaking of photos, we have posted a nice selection of photos from the recent Florida Brewer's Guild festival held in Tampa's Ybor City. |
PROFILES IN BREWING by Bobby Bush, author of "Beer & Loafing" Mike Duffy - Brewmaster of Green Man Brewing in Asheville NC Mike Duffy is an admitted beer nut. In his profession, that's almost a requirement. Mike is the brewer for Green Man Brewing Company, the one-man brewery that makes beer for Jack of the Wood, a quaint Asheville bar, restaurant and live music venue. While Duffy came upon his love for beer innocently enough, his professional path has taken a more dedicated course. With only brief homebrewing experience under his belt, the brewing-curious lad became a volunteer assistant for Ipswich Brewing in 1996. By his second year at the Glouchester, Massachusetts brewery, Duffy was thrust into the head brewers slot, where he remained until the company's financial trouble forced his departure. Still in love with the craft of brewing, Mike accepted a brewer's job with regional micro Harpoon. During his one year tenure in Boston, Mike became disenfranchised. He unfortunately learned that productivity demands at the large brewery took precedent over craftsmanship. "It was too much, too big," he exclaimed. His hands-on brewing tutorial had all but ceased. Rather than jump into another dead end position, Mike reassessed his history and his goals, choosing an advanced brewing education at the University of Sunderland, a renown English brewing academy. During the five month program, he worked at six different English and Irish breweries, often using equipment that was over 200 years old. This experience included open fermenters, ancient brewing techniques, even lager brewing. As an Associate Member of the Institute of Brewers, Mike was ready to start brewing his own beer. He wanted to be a head brewer again. He found Green Man's want-ad on a professional brewers' website. After speaking with the owners by phone, graduate Duffy flew directly from London to Asheville, where he's been ever since. Working in a somewhat cramped seven-barrel brewhouse, Mike took little time to establish his beers. He also substantially improved the brewing equipment, replacing the old mash tun and adding several tanks to the walk-in cooler. Two new conditioning tanks, which will keep four beers on tap at all times. Green Man cask conditioned beers are also new for Jack of the Wood. Mike dry hops and primes two firkins each week for the busy bar's hand pump. Green Man Pale Ale is medium bodied, light amber in hue. It sports 5% abv and a maltier finish than the lighter but hoppier Light English Ale. ESB, made smoother from cask conditioning, provides a pleasing balance of malt sweetness and mid-taste hop floral flavor, without being overpowered by obvious bitterness. Done English in style, Brown is rich in its maltness, while Green Man Porter revels in malted barley complexity with flashes of roasted barley and bittersweet coffee tastes, all supported by a smooth, almost milky mouthfeel. foundation. The House Stout is a dry stout: black, rich and full bodied. Named for the Celtic Goddess of Fertility, seasonal Anu is a full-bodied, malty, high alcohol brew. Assisted by a few volunteers, Mike brewed 700 barrels in 2001. Those two new tanks will bring capacity up to 900 barrels. But does Mike miss New England? He'd rather be drinking beer in Edinburgh. Honestly, he's enjoying Southern living, especially the mountains and the weather. Mike wears shorts to work almost every day. You can't do that in Boston. As for Green Man and Jack of the Wood? Mike fell in love with the authentic Irish/English pub atmosphere. And for his beer? Well, his "beer stands for itself." Simple, but effective. Green Man Brewing Company & Jack of the Wood Brewpub 95 Patton Avenue, Asheville NC 28801-3316 - (828) 285-0068 Read more by nationally recognized beer writer Bobby Bush at: http://www.realbeer.com/library/authors/bush-b/ ===================================================================== Thanks to: Brooke Baldridge, Cornelia Corey, Chuck Fazio, Dan Fordham, Chip Galle, Jeff Glor, Wes Hughson, Tony Kiss, Ken Koenig, John Lock, Tom Moench and Joe Walker. Until mid-March, cheers The Beer Bwana |
