As is the case with many College of Wooster students, Andy Tveekrem ’85 was a self-proclaimed beer studies major. By the time Tveekrem graduated with a degree in history, he had already realized the potential of beer on a semester abroad in Germany.
Upon returning to Wooster from Europe, he was disappointed with the offering of mass-produced American lagers, which offered little flavor or variety. In one word, America’s beer situation was “desperate.”
Tveekrem decided to do something about that: he became the new brewmaster at Dogfish Head, a microbrewery located in Milton, Del. that specializes in strong, aromatic and innovative ales. Unlike most American beers, Dogfish Head ales use large quantities of hops and malt, giving the beer a higher alcohol content and more pungent flavor.
Tveekrem’s products were on display for all the senses on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at the Wooster Inn’s beer dinner, where six Dogfish Head ales were paired with a six-course meal of complementary foods.
The first beer presented was the 60-Minute I.P.A., or India pale ale. I.P.A.s were originally brewed with higher contents of hops and alcohol, which were used as preservatives, so the beer would survive shipment from England to British India. The formula evolved when colonists demanded beers that wouldn’t come out of the cask spoiled after the long sea voyage. I.P.A.s have become one of the most popular micro-brewed styles, and they’re known for their bitterness, which comes from the hops.
The 60-Minute has a strong hop presence, but unlike with most I.P.A.s, the drinker can easily discern the malted component. Mixing the flavor of bitter hops with the sweeter malts gives the beer an added complexity, making for a surprisingly balanced beer in a style that is mostly known for being hoppy.
The “big brother” of the 60-Minute is the 90-Minute I.P.A. The minutes in the name stand for the amount of time hops are thrown into the beer as it cooks, so it’s no surprise that the 90-Minute has a greater hops profile than the 60-Minute variety. But in order to maintain the presence of malt in the flavor, larger amounts of barley are used in the brewing of the 90-Minute version than the 60-Minute.
The resulting beer contains nine percent alcohol, more than twice that of a regular lager. The taste is very hoppy, and slightly roasted due to the barley. This brew is a little on the sweet side, making it ideal for those who like sweeter malt beers like stout, brown ale or dark lager.
Dogfish Head’s motto is “Off-centered ales for off-centered people,” and sure enough, Tveekrem featured two beers at the dinner with quirky, unique ingredients. Punkin Ale and Raison D’√ätre, two beers based on a foundation of brown ale, both describe their featured ingredients in the puns of their names.
Punkin Ale is brewed with pumpkin and spices that would be found in a pumpkin pie and Raison D’√ätre includes raisins. Neither of these beers tastes exactly like its namesake, but the Punkin Ale has a spicy, baked quality to it that hints at the pie and the Raison D’√ätre has a fruit flavor that hints at a wine-like quality.
Finally, in Dogfish Head’s series of ancient ales, Midas Touch and Theobroma were poured. Midas Touch Golden Elixir is a combination of beer, wine and mead, based on one of the oldest known recipes for a fermented beverage. Each of the ingredients asserts itself, but the taste of the white Muscat grapes especially stands out, making it similar to a sweet white table wine.
Theobroma, another ale based on an ancient brewing tradition, is made from cocoa nibs and powder, along with honey and chilies. It has the sweetness of honey and the spice of chili, but does not particularly taste like chocolate, distinguishing it from a chocolate stout, which also contains real cocoa. Neither of these rich, distinctive beers is probably meant to be drunk in large quantities or loved by everyone. But for the occasional unique sip, each is worth trying.
For more information about Andy Tveekrem and Dogfish Head microbrewery, please consult the Fall ’06 issue of Wooster Magazine, or visit www.doghead.com.