Fishing Wild Rivers

Standing on the boat ramp in the early light of dawn, I shimmied into a borrowed pair of long johns. According to my guide Brent, I couldn't rely on a wool sweater and a thermos of black coffee to keep me warm during a full day on the Salmon River. And so before we pushed off into the swift current, I slipped on another layer. Shivering through my first steelhead fishing excursion didn't seem like a particularly wise decision.

Two weeks ago I visited Idaho for the first time. Like many trips I've made over the years, this one ended too soon. Setting out from Lewiston near the Washington state line, I ended up more than 100 miles south in Riggins, a little town named after the area's first mailman. But I hadn't traveled to Idaho's whitewater capital to learn about western postal history. I was there to see the Salmon, the longest wild or free-flowing river in the lower 48.

Getting out on the water however, wasn't something I planned to attempt on my own. Especially considering the limited time and resources at my disposal. Fortunately, the night before I climbed into a drift boat with Brent, I had met with Amy Sinclair of Exodus Wilderness Adventures at the Back Eddy Grill. As I savored a bison burger and a bottle of rich Black Butte Porter, she talked me through the basics of obtaining a fishing license and dressing for Idaho's cool autumn temperatures, explaining that she'd have a bag of extra clothes waiting for me in the morning. 

The next day, wind whipped through the narrow gorge and John Day Mountain cast its long shadow over the river for hours after sunrise, but I remained warm. This, I discovered, was an important part of enjoying any fall fishing trip. Sure, hooking four good-sized steelhead in the first two hours added to the fun, but comfort was key. In fact, I think I'll pack my thermal underwear the next time I go to Idaho.

13 Frighteningly Good Halloween Beers

October can be a strange time for beer drinkers. Alongside any number of Oktoberfest lagers, you'll occasionally find a saison or a summer ale if the month starts off warmly, only to be replaced by a variety of pumpkin beers, redolent with pie spices and the flavors of fall. By the last week or two though, darker porters and stouts begin to creep into most draft lineups, signaling colder nights ahead. And of course October also brings Mischief Night and Halloween, two excellent opportunities for brewers to tap into their spooky side by giving their products creepy names and labels. With that spirit (pun intended) in mind, I've chosen to list some of my favorites:

1. Vampire Ale—City Steam Brewery Cafe, Hartford, CT
   
2. Dark o' the Moon—Elysian Brewing Company, Seattle, WA
3. Evil Twin—Heretic Brewing Company, Pittsburg, CA
4. Voo Doo American Stout—Left Coast Brewing Company, San Clemente, CA
5. Certified Evil—Lucky Bucket Brewing Company, La Vista, NA
6. Pendle Witches Brew—Moorhouse's Brewery, Burnley, UK
7. Rosemary's Baby—The Peekskill Brewery, Peekskill, NY
8. Three Skulls Poison—Pillager's Pub, Seattle, WA
9. Black Cat Stout—The Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth, NH
10. Zombie Dust—Three Floyds Brewing Company, Munster, IN
11. Redrum Imperial Red Ale—Trinity Brewhouse, Providence, RI
12. Hop Zombie—Uncle Billy's Brew & Que, Austin, TX
13. Hobgoblin—Wychwood Brewery, Witney, UK

Drinking Local

As busy as I've been with my hiking guide, I somehow also managed to find time to contribute to the occasional magazine. It was still work, but most of those assignments actually turned out to be a lot of fun. One of them, a feature on Long Island's emerging beer scene, appears in the High Summer issue of Edible East End. 

In it my friend (and ex-roommate) Luke and I borrow a Subaru Outback and drive out to the North Fork on a rainy Sunday in April. Eschewing the many wineries that cling to Route 25 like grapes on a vine, we opted instead to visit the Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, with a stop at the Southampton Publick House and another at the Black Forest Brew Haus on the way back just for good measure. Never has a road trip tasted so good.

Fun With Fermentation

With several writing projects to keep me busy during the remaining months of winter, I'm not likely to have much time for anything else. Although I may be able to tackle a project that involves lots of waiting. Something like brewing a beer, for instance.

As luck would have it, a box containing a malted barley blend, Fuggle hops, yeast, and a bunch of home brewing equipment arrived at my door yesterday. Theoretically, if I follow the enclosed instructions carefully, I'll end up with a quaffable Chocolate Maple Porter in about three weeks. It's an exciting prospect, and one that I'll be posting about again very soon.

The Iron Santa Challenge

Even after finishing the first beer, it still seemed like a good idea. By Wednesday morning however, I began to doubt the sanity of attempting (and completing) Pacific Standard's Iron Santa Challenge on a weeknight. I suppose the free T-shirt made it all worthwhile. Well, either that or seeing Colson Whitehead at the end of the bar reading a trade paperback of I Am Legend. Herewith, the drinks of my undoing, in the order I consumed them:

• Rogue Mogul Madness (7.0% ABV). A dark winter ale with a sweetish caramel aroma, citrus hops, and notes of berries and mocha.
• Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter (9.5% ABV). This beer was on cask and tasted somewhat off to me. A strong, full-bodied ale, it ordinarily has a complex character with flavors of coffee beans and smoky molasses.
  
• Young's Double Chocolate Stout (5.2% ABV). The hops remain subtle in this silky brew which tastes like a melted candy bar. Indulgence in a glass.
• Mendocino Black Hawk Stout (5.0% ABV). Brewed with Black Patent malt and hops from North America, this is a very drinkable, rich beer with a dry finish.
  
• Two Brothers Red Eye (9.3% ABV). With strong flavors of bittersweet cocoa and roasted coffee, this deep brown ale was my favorite of the night. Or so I recall.
  
• Chelsea Frosty's Winter Wheat Wine (9.5% ABV). Described on the tap menu as a deceptively easy drink, I found this beer difficult to describe. Which I might have expected after downing five pints in relatively quick succession. It allegedly balances a hint of sour fruitiness with toasted wheat malt and just enough hops to keep things interesting.
  

Odds are good that I will be back to Pacific Standard before long, but next time I'm going to seriously consider ordering from the other extreme.

Another Year, Another Beer

I look forward to coming home for Thanksgiving every year, although with gray skies in Baltimore, a part of me wishes my family could spend the holiday in San Antonio. The sun makes this Texan city particularly appealing when temperatures on the East Coast dip into the 40s, and on top of that, I discovered that it also has a youthful, yet accomplished beer scene.

Trying all of the craft breweries in the area wasn't an option during my abbreviated visit this summer, but I'm glad I didn't skip Freetail, which celebrated its first anniversary this weekend. Located in a small shopping plaza off a beltway that's easy to drive by if—like me—you don't know San Antonio well, Freetail serves pizza and large, freshly-made sandwiches in addition to a rotating selection of beers.

An inexpensive sampler seemed like a great way to get a better sense of their full range so I asked for a small pour of Interloper Stout, Torper Porter, Tadarida IPA, and Verano Sin Fin Saison along with a half pint of their year-round Freetail Ale. While I did enjoy all five styles, if I found myself in the vicinity again soon, I'd probably go for the malty, medium-bodied porter with its notes of coffee and caramel over the slightly less successful saison. A stronger beer at 6.4% ABV (vs. the porter's 5.6%), the Verano Sin Fin poured a cloudy yellow and had the fruity aroma I would expect from a saison, but lacked in spiciness and struck me as overly bitter in the finish. Finally, while it wasn't exactly the ideal drink for a hot summer afternoon, with a deep, roasty aroma, smooth mouthfeel, and smoky-sweet finish, the 6.2% Interloper is definitely a stout worth trying. Happy brewing, Freetail—here's to another year of beer.