There Stands Jackson Like a Cold Pint

As I always say there are few things better than either a good craft beer and an interesting read about history. One of the few things that can possibly be better is having both combined into a single product. If you've read up on the Civil War Beer Series in Frederick that I've been keeping tabs on then the odds are that you are reading this post for the very same reason.

A poster on a Civil War message board that I sometimes frequent alerted me of other beers that are named for events and people in the conflict in a thread in which I brought up the subject of the beer series in Maryland.

According to this poster, the brewery is called Blue & Gray Brewing Co. and is based in a town famous for one of the many epic clashes of the war,  Fredericksburg, Va. In case you can't blow up the screen cap that I took, I'll let you know a few of the historical brews this place makes.

The first being Stonewall Stout which is obviously named for General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. Temporary Insanity is named for General Dan Sickles who was the first person to use the plead of temporary insanity in a murder case. He was accused of shooting a man that he caught having an affair with his wife. That man was the son of Francis Scott Key who was coincidentally born in Frederick. The beer that follows that one is called Minor Dementia, also named for Sickles. Both are Russian Imperial Stouts.

Not all of the brews deal with the Civil War period. There's another called Washington's Cherry Wheat since George Washington's boyhood home was in Fredericksburg. The difference between these beers and the ones included as part of the series in Frederick is that all of these are available at some point each year if not year-round. The Frederick brews seem to be a one-time-only kind of thing.

I haven't visited Fredericksburg in years. Most likely before this place started brewing. Hopefully I get the chance to get my hands on some of these beers.

Beer Review: Antietam Ale

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 4.5 percent

Appearance: Antietam Ale pours on the darker side of an amber. A few reddish hues peak in and out of the body as well. I wouldn't call the body hazy, but there is a slight thickness to it that prevents you from seeing through it. This beer doesn't look watered down at all. The most visually-pleasing feature of this brew is definitely the very thick and frothy head. It's more of a cream color than a pure white. Some beige can be found within.

Smell: The aroma of this beer lends it to seem like a much darker one than it actually is. I got plenty of roasted notes. There is also a strong maltiness that comes through and provides a subtle hint of sweetness.

Taste: This beer has a touch of sweetness on the front, but it's not exactly sugary. The roasted parts of the brew take over as it heads towards the back of your tongue. Be prepared for a bitter finish with an above-average hop kick. Overall, everything is well-balanced in the taste department. I couldn't taste it, but I could certainly feel an alcohol presence half-way through this drink. Always a plus when my taste buds aren't sizzling with booze.

Overall Rating: 

I was very excited to come across a case of this beer as it was a limited release. From what I could find, it's made as close as possible to the way an English Bitter was brewed back around the time of the Battle of Antietam. The bitterness is strong immediately after the pour, but it mellows out as the beer warms.

New Civil War Beer Series

I'd hate to harp on the subject of history and beer once again, but when you really think about it beer is a huge part of world history. So, when I catch news of new beers like Frederick's Monocacy Brewing I get a bit excited.

Taken right down the street from Brewer's Alley in Frederick.

If you take a look at this article from the Frederick News Post, you'll see that Monocacy, Brewers Alley and the National Museum of Civil war Medicine have all combined to begin a series of up to nine beers celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

Apparently the first of the possible nine is out. It's called Antietam Ale and was made in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam which was just last month. From what I read in the article, the beer seems to have a nice hop kick, but with a sessionable ABV.

I can't wait to see what the rest of the beers in this Civil War series will be and how some of the beer styles relate to their namesakes. I especially can't wait for the Gettysburg one, but you pretty much assumed that already, right?