Book Review – Artisanal Small-Batch Brewing: Easy Homemade Wines, Beers, Meads and Ciders by Amber Shehan

 

Artisanal Small-Batch Brewing by Amber Shehan. Photo by Matt Brasch.

As a home brewer of beer for several years now, I have had my share of success, failure and mediocre 5 gallon batches.  And what happens when you are not happy with your creation?  You are stuck between drain pouring and feeling obligated to drink 5 gallons of a beverage you’re not really happy with.

Amber Shehan’s “Artisanal Small-Batch Brewing: Easy Homemade Wines, Beers, Meads and Ciders” was released on June 4, 2019 and provides several beer recipes scaled for 1 gallon batches.  Admittedly, I first scanned the index of the chapter entitled, “Grains and Gruits and Hops, Oh My!” The simple yet intriguing recipes in this chapter – including “Lemon-Pepper IPA” and “Blueberry Porter” – immediately caught my interest and had me thinking, “If I used a 1 gallon carboy, I’d be more excited for brewing experimentation!”

After reviewing the rest of the index, I jumped into the book at page 1.  While generally a recipe book, Amber’s passion for her craft seeps through the words and had me excited to try her mead, wine and cider recipes.   Compared to beer brewing, the other beverages are less labor and time intense, but allow for just as much creativity as beer.  

Several of the recipes shared by Amber made this homebrewer sit up in my chair and think, “I’m going to try this tomorrow!”  “Vanilla Bean and Chamomile Mead,” “Scarborough Fair Wine”, and “Dry-hopped Cider” are now on my short list of experiments in 2019.   In addition to recipes, the book also includes chapters on basic brewing techniques and non-alcohol recipes for spent grains, simple sugars, and vinegars. The superb photography of each beverage provides an encouraging invitation to the eye – “Come on, try to make this and you can drink it too!” 

I would highly recommend this book to both new brewers as well as experienced homebrewers who are looking for recipe inspiration.  Available on Amazon on Kindle (around $10) and paperback formats (around $20), this will be a great addition to your brewing library. 

Cheers!

The Brewholder

Copyright 2019 – all rights reserved

Tannery Run Brew Works Holds Soft Opening In Ambler, PA

Tannery Run Brew Works held their soft opening this weekend in Ambler, PA.  Named for the waterway that runs under the town, Tannery Run Brew Works has been long awaited by Ambler locals, being highly visible and serving samples of their brews during recent local events.

Tannery Run is located in the old Twisters studio on Butler Avenue in the heart of Ambler.   The redesigned space is filled with warmth, from the antique style lighting to the wood highlights throughout.   A mural depicting a water mill on one of the walls evokes memories of simpler times and the beginnings of Ambler Borough.  In anticipation of warmer weather, a garage door has been installed in the front wall, but for now it enhances the welcome feel of the space by bringing in more natural light to the room.

On the evening I visited, Tannery Run served six varieties of their beer – “Wild Horses” German Pilsner, “Premier” Pale Ale, “Blue Dragon” Belgian IPA, “Sympathy For The Devil” Belgian Tripel, “Leeloo Dallas” multigrain Pale Ale, and “Radio Diva” multigrain Belgian Ale.  Taken as a whole, the beers were enjoyable and lent themselves well to hearty discussions with friends over the course of an evening.  There were no experimental beer styles or strong flavors on the menu, which is understandable for a soft opening, but I would liked to have seen at least one adventurous brew.

Also on the menu for the evening were a variety of cocktails and wines, however, I  only drank their beer so I will defer any opinions to liquor and wine bloggers!

Tannery Run has a full kitchen and will offer items that complement their brews.   I tried two flatbreads – one had pork belly, onions, sesame, and pineapple with an Asian style sauce, and the other had goat cheese, figs, and balsamic onions.  Both had the right amount of flavor to enhance the beer – and make me want more!

All in all, Tannery Run Brew Works’s soft opening left me optimistic that there is space in Ambler for more than one brewery.   With some fine tuning on their food menu and brews, there is no doubt that Tannery Run will be able to carve out a comfortable place for itself in Ambler’s vibrant restaurant scene.  I look forward to returning soon to see the finished product!

Tannery Run Brew Works is located 131 East Butler Avenue, Ambler, PA. Their Grand Opening will be held on Friday, March 15, 2019, beginning at 12 noon.

Cheers!

The Brewholder

Copyright 2019 – all rights reserved