Purple Palace update

Purple Palace Brewing had an EPA on tap this past weekend. EPA meaning English Pale Ale. EPA’s are not as aggressively hopped as and IPA. The perfect mixture of hops and malt to make a good full flavored beer. The first swig of this Ale brings out the malty taste, but wait a couple of seconds after you swallow and the hop flavor really comes out. We calculated an ABV(alcohol by volume) or roughly 5%. It comes out to be a nice clear copper color with a thick frothy head. Its been determined that if we start making our own version of an EPA its going to have the name “Good Head”. Mmmmm. Good head indeed. So far we’ve had two beers in the keg now, and this one beat out the Witbier we had for New Years.
Two weeks from now Umphrey’s McGee will be performing 3 shows at 1st Avenue. So why not have some beer on tap for friends before we see the greatest live show around? Our thoughts exactly. Up next on tap is an Octane IPA. If you like lots of hops, and a bitter flavor, this beer is up your alley. The story behind IPA’s goes back to 18th and 19th centuries. The British had made their presence felt in the East Indies. British sailors loved their beers. One problem. It wouldn’t keep on those long voyages. The fix? Hops. Hops served as preservative and the beer kept longer. Long story short, thats where the name IPA(India Pale Ale) comes from. So, we’re hoping to have an IPA with a strong hop presence in that first sip. We also added Oak Chips to the secondary fermentation. We’re hoping it brings a little bit of a musty flavor to it. IPA’s are my favorite and I can’t wait to give this one a whirl.
We still have our Belgian Tripel due out this coming October. Can’t wait for that. It is now in secondary fermentation and we’re hoping for an ABV of around 8-9%. Perfect for those cool October nights over the bonfire. This week I believe we’re going to try a Cream Ale. Something light and sweet.
So the craft beer movement has made its mark with big beer makers. Miller has announced 3 new “craft” beers that are now out in 4 test markets. They are Baltimore. Charlotte N.C., Minneapolis, and San Diego. The beers are a Blonde Ale, Wheat, and Amber. Being in Minneapolis I can’t wait to try them. One beef I have though are those god awful labels. What kind of think tank came up with those? The guys that have brought us hilarious beer commercials for years, and thats the best they can do? Sorry, but those labels are hideous, and show no appeal. For a guy like me that is a beer connoisseur, I can see around the label. I want to see what a manufacturer known for lagers can do in the craft beer market. But what about your average joe schmo beer drinker? Obviously the first thing to catch someones eye is the appearance. These labels are bland and boring. If they decide to put these beers into full time production, I hope that they re-consider the labels they chose.
I’m off. Go Wild