Meet the Brewer from Nøgne Ø

At the beginning of March, we participated in a clone brew experiment at Brooklyn's brew-on-premise and homebrew shop Bitter & Esters.  For this installment of their "Brew Like the Pros" series, we brewed 2 clone brews by Norway's Nøgne Ø:  their Porter and Sunturnbrew (smoked barleywine). Now the beers are ready and head brewer and founder Kjetil Jikiun is coming to town to pass judgement. Given that their slogan is "the uncompromising brewery", we're a bit nervous to see what he thinks but regardless, it was a fun experiment and the outcome will show how difficult it is to recreate a beer using the exact same ingredients.

Like many of our newer breweries, Kjetil started out as a homebrewer, having been inspired by the many flavors and styles of beer that he discovered on his travels to the US and Western Europe as a commercial airline pilot. The name Nøgne Ø is taken from a line in a Henrik Ibsen poem and means "the barren island", a reference to the rocky islands off of the shore of Grimstad, the town where the brewery is located and where Ibsen lived when he wrote the poem. The protagonist of the poem tries to run the English blockade of Norway during the Napoleonic wars, an effort thought to be against all odds.  Nøgne Ø felt that introducing the first IPA and other styles to Norway was also against all odds but they persevered and the Norwegian beer scene is all the richer for their efforts.

On Friday and Saturday, come out and try some of these uncompromising beers. 

When:  Friday, 27 April, 5 pm tapping of the beers and 7 pm dinner
Where:  Jimmy's No. 43, 43 E. 7th Street
What:  $45 for a family-style dinner and 8 beers or pay-as-you-go at the bar. Tickets for the dinner are very limited; purchase them at Brown Paper Tickets.  

Jimmy's No. 43 will be hosting a private dinner in their back room featuring 4 Nøgne Ø drafts and 4 bottles plus samples of the clone Porter.  Brewer Kjetil will be there to talk about the brewery, the beers, the Norwegian brewing scene as well as discussing his Porter (a 7% roasty, chocolatey porter brewed with American hops) vs. our Porter.  He'll probably also regal you with stories about his forays into sake brewing.  Dinner, 8 beers, and the brewmaster himself in attendance for $45?  Act fast if you want to attend!

If you are unable to attend the dinner or just want to drop by for a beer, the drafts will be tapped at 5 pm.  With the purchase of a Nøgne Ø beer, you'll also be able to sample the clone Porter. 

On draft:

• Pale Ale
• Saison
• Porter
• Imperial Stout

In bottles:

• Two Captains Double IPA
• Tiger Tripel
• India Saison
• Sunturnbrew 

When:  Saturday, 28 April, 2-6 pm
Where:  Swift, 34 E. 4th Street
What:  pay-as-you-go

On Saturday afternoon, join Kjetil at Swift for draft event featuring samples of the clone Porter and Sunturnbrew.

The Sunturnbrew is an 11% smoked barleywine named after the Norwegian legend that says that the sun turns on its axis every winter solstice.  After a few of these beers, you might be ready to agree.  Our clone version, Solar Flare, came in a bit smaller due to some problems with the brewing process but early reports say that it's might tasty

The beers:

• Wit - first and only keg in NYC! 
• India Saison - first time in NYC 
• Tiger Tripel
• Porter
• Porter clone
• Sunturnbrew
• Solar Flare - Sunturnbrew clone

Brew Like a Pro with Nøgne Ø

We're participating in a very exciting event this weekend which will be both educational and fun:  Bitters & Esters in Brooklyn will be hosting 2 homebrewing classes on Saturday during which we'll brew a clone of Nøgne Ø's Porter. 

Can't fit this in your kitchen, can you?

When:  Saturday 10 March, 2 sessions:  10 am - 2:30 pm and 3pm - 7pm
Where:  Bitter and Esters, 700 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn
What:  $65 per class (fee includes a free sample of the beer at the release party in April)
Classes are limited to 15 people per session; purchase your tickets here:
Session 1:  http://www.citybrewshop.com/?p=1387
Session 2:  http://www.citybrewshop.com/?p=1417


If you're not familiar with Bitters & Esters, it is a new brew-on-premise/homebrew shop in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. For those of us with cramped NYC apartments and tiny stoves, this is a godsend. Owners John and Douglas say that not only are they the first and only BOP in the City but also in New York State! What took you so long?? 

Once a month, they hold a class that not only teaches the fundamentals of homebrewing but which brews a clone of a commercially released beer. The previous 4 classes have featured domestic breweries so we're honored that Norway's Nøgne Ø has been chosen as the first international brewery to be cloned. It makes perfect sense:  brewmaster Kjetil Jikiun started out as a homebrewer and the brewery is still a big supporter of homebrewing in Norway. This Saturday's class will replicate Nøgne Ø's Porter, a 7% roasty, chocolatey porter brewed with American hops.   

We will brew this porter following the recipe generously provided by the brewery and once the beer is ready, there will be release parties at the end of April where the clone will be poured side-by-side with the commerical brew. Your class fee includes a ticket for a free sample of the clone brew at any of the release parties. Brewer Kjetil will be in attendance at the release although he will not be attending the brew session on Saturday. Tim Stendhal of Union Beer and myself will be leading you through class. Whether you are a novice or experienced homebrewer, this is a fantastic way to learn about the brewing process on a nifty 30 gallon electric HERMS system. AND, most importantly, they do the cleaning up. No more spraying the entire kitchen with a hose, trying to clean out the mash tun! The release of the clone can be a real eye-opener as to how difficult it is to clone a beer due to the many factors involved, even if you follow the recipe exactly.