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With the Internet uniting people at such a hot rate, I wasn’t surprised to hear that Doug Booth and Dan Kahn found each other in cyberspace. Booth, a Reno resident and wildlife biologist with a passion for beer, began his search via email for a brewer and business partner in his quest to start a brewery. Kahn answered his query.
Brewmaster Kahn began home brewing during college. Through many moves and professions, his passion for hops and malt didn’t fade. Four years ago, the two began creating their business plan via e-mail. Two years later Kahn moved from Dartmouth, Massachusetts, to Reno to join Booth, and the dream of brewing a beer in Northern Nevada began taking shape.
Buckbean is a plant found in the Tahoe Meadows. Many years ago it was used in place of hops to brew beer. With this fitting history and the ever-so-flowing alliteration, Buckbean Brewing Company seemed a most appropriate name, especially since the company wants its brew to be known as “Nevada’s beer.”
Expect to see Buckbean’s sixteen-ounce cans soon in local grocery stores, restaurants, and bars. Like many microbreweries, the Buckbean boys are canning their beer. This not only has a nod to old school, cans actually maintain the freshness of the beer longer than transparent glass bottles.
Buckbean is kicking off with two brews: Orange Blossom Ale and Black Noddy Lager. Each bubbly sip is smooth and full of flavor, enticing both keg connoisseurs and those that fear the beer.
“We want everyone to enjoy our product, from beer lovers to women that tend to avoid the beer section,” explains Booth. “We wanted a beer that women enjoy, too.”
These guys have done just this. Both beers are easy to drink and not overbearing with heavy bodies or flavor that is too complex. They are light and don’t linger on your palate, thus they are great with a variety of foods. Yet each has big enough flavor to stand alone.
Hannah Hind is a Reno-based freelance writer.
Buckbean Brewing Basics
Making beer at home is pretty simple: boil malt extract with hops—this liquid is called wort. (Advanced homebrewers can make their own malt extract with an all-grain mash.) Then, cool and aerate the boiled wort and mix with live brewer’s yeast in a fermenter. After the beer has finished fermenting and has settled, bottle with a little priming sugar.
• Brewing Tips
Utilize your local homebrew shop: The Reno Homebrewer, 2335 Dickerson Road. Not only can you get ingredients, equipment, and recipes for a wide variety of beers there, you also can often taste someone else’s brew and exchange ideas with other homebrewers.
• Prevent Contamination
This is the number one reason for a disappointing batch. The wort is sterile at the end of the boil; make sure all containers and hoses that contact the wort or beer after it is cooled are sterile also.
• Aerate Well
Yeast is a living organism, and its growth during fermentation not only produces alcohol and carbon dioxide, but many of the characteristic flavors of beer. It needs sufficient oxygen and the proper temperature for a rapid, healthy fermentation. A lengthy, vigorous stir with a large, slotted spoon just before adding the yeast is a big help.
• Choose Your Hops
Malt extracts are a great time saver, but don’t rely on pre-hopped extracts to provide sufficient hop flavor. At most, they will supply a mild bitterness, but virtually no other flavor and aroma. Additional hops added later in the boil will produce the spicy, herbal flavors and aromas that make beers more distinctive.
• Make Adjustments to Suit Your Taste
Once you get used to the process, don’t be afraid to vary recipes and experiment. You can add flavors and color with different malts, adjust alcohol content by using more or less malt or extract, and control bitterness levels with hop amounts and varieties. Since there are a number of ingredients in beer, you have the freedom and ability to create exactly the blend of flavors you prefer.
Buckbean Brewing Company
Tasting Room*
1155 S. Rock Blvd. Suite 490, Reno, NV 89502
(775) 722-3949
*call before heading over as the tasting room is not scheduled to be open until early spring!
WEB EXCLUSIVE RECIPES
Beef Marinade
• 1/2 cup Black Noddy Lager
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• ½ tablespoon sage
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper.
1. Whisk together all ingredients and place in a large plastic resealable zipper-lock bag with your favorite cut of steak or roast. 2. Squeeze out excess air, seal, and refrigerate for four to twenty-four hours. 3. Grill, broil, roast, or rotisserie your beef, and enjoy!
Chicken Breast with Pineapple Salsa
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 1/3 cup Original Orange Blossom Ale
Pineapple Salsa—Combine the following ingredients
• 1½ cups diced pineapple
• ½ cup diced red bell pepper
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 seeded and minced jalapeno (optional)
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Heat olive oil in sauté pan and lightly sear salted breasts until golden brown on each side, turning once. 3. Transfer to baking pan. 4. Deglaze sauté pan with beer and pour liquid over the chicken. 5. Bake until cooked through, about 10 more minutes. 6. Top with fresh salsa, and serve!
BUCKBEAN BREWING COMPANY
Tasting Room*
155 S. Rock Blvd. Suite 490, Reno, NV 89502
buckbeanbeer.com
775.722.3949
*call before heading over as the tasting room is not scheduled to be open durring early spring! |
