Govnors Public House APA

[steveh]

http://www.govnors.com/prod/publichouse/gph_hours.shtml

A brew-pub in Lake In The Hills, IL, far north-west suburbs of Chicago.

I tried the sampler of the pub's brews just to get an idea of the brewmaster's art, but I'm pretty familiar with this pub as they've showed up at a favorite beer-fest for years. They even brought along a cask of their bourbon stout last year!

The beer of theirs that I wanted to focus on was the APA (American Pale Ale) they offered cask-conditioned from the hand pump. There's been much discussion of the availability of this style of beer in the U.S., and I've often mentioned (okay, proclaimed) that cask ales are very available at brew-pubs.

Govnor's calls their APA an Americanized version of the famous English style, there was no mention of the ale being brewed as an IPA, I think they just took the opportunity to capitalize on the acronym craze.

The ale was served at true cellar temps (guessing around 50 F) and poured a hazy golden color with a thin white head that dissipated into dish-soap-like film of bubbles.

The nose was predominantly hops, but of a mild variety - not overpoweringly citrus or piney. I didn't get the chance to ask if this ale had been dry-hopped. Warm fermented esters and light malt followed behind the hops.

The flavor started with hops, carrying some more citrus in the flavor than the nose, that blended to crystal malt with vague biscuit notes.

The body of this ale was light leaning toward medium - but not heavily. It carried a sort of thickness to its mouth-feel that I have found common in cask ales, especially those served at proper temperatures. This body should not be confused with unfermented sugars, as the beer was quite dry with little sweetness.

The APA is very nice session ale with which I could have spent the afternoon, very quenching, refreshing, and easy drinking. It very much reminded me of the cask ales I enjoyed throughout London.

S.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by steveh
http://www.govnors.com/prod/publichouse/gph_hours.shtml

A brew-pub in Lake In The Hills, IL, far north-west suburbs of Chicago.

I tried the sampler of the pub's brews just to get an idea of the brewmaster's art, but I'm pretty familiar with this pub as they've showed up at a favorite beer-fest for years. They even brought along a cask of their bourbon stout last year!

The beer of theirs that I wanted to focus on was the APA (American Pale Ale) they offered cask-conditioned from the hand pump. There's been much discussion of the availability of this style of beer in the U.S., and I've often mentioned (okay, proclaimed) that cask ales are very available at brew-pubs.

Govnor's calls their APA an Americanized version of the famous English style, there was no mention of the ale being brewed as an IPA, I think they just took the opportunity to capitalize on the acronym craze.

The ale was served at true cellar temps (guessing around 50 F) and poured a hazy golden color with a thin white head that dissipated into dish-soap-like film of bubbles.

The nose was predominantly hops, but of a mild variety - not overpoweringly citrus or piney. I didn't get the chance to ask if this ale had been dry-hopped. Warm fermented esters and light malt followed behind the hops.

The flavor started with hops, carrying some more citrus in the flavor than the nose, that blended to crystal malt with vague biscuit notes.

The body of this ale was light leaning toward medium - but not heavily. It carried a sort of thickness to its mouth-feel that I have found common in cask ales, especially those served at proper temperatures. This body should not be confused with unfermented sugars, as the beer was quite dry with little sweetness.

The APA is very nice session ale with which I could have spent the afternoon, very quenching, refreshing, and easy drinking. It very much reminded me of the cask ales I enjoyed throughout London.

S.

Oh your making me thirsty! I too want to help dispell the notion that cask ales are unavailable in this country. While not every brewery makes them I have seen more and more brewpubs having at least one beer available on the hand pump. The first question I always ask is if they have any. I think many patrons do not know to ask. I can only hope this trend continues.
The APA sounds just great. Sort of a hoppier version of an English mild? A nice session beer? Any idea of the alcohol content?

[steveh]

Originally posted by chazwicke The APA sounds just great. Sort of a hoppier version of an English mild? A nice session beer? Any idea of the alcohol content?

Hmm, I think I'd say it was a hoppier version of the typical English bitter. Take your Coniston and eke (sp?) up the hops a llittle bit, but not by 3 Floyds' measures. Just a guess, but I'd say the APA was about 4% ABV. I'll have to do some more "research." ;)

S.

[chazwicke]

I tend to like the Milds because they typically are slightly lower in alcohol and I can drink more of them.

[steveh]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I tend to like the Milds because they typically are slightly lower in alcohol and I can drink more of them.

I enjoy them for the same reason, and that they are proof you can brew a beer with low alcohol and big flavor (with all due respect to Richard and the original/actual definition of the style). The first one I ever tried was a Sam Smith dark mild at the Cheshire Cheese in London. My friends told me that this beer was around 3.0 ABV and I thought there was no way it was going to taste good - but wow!

Of course, based on some of the 6 - 8 ABV beers I've been drinking lately, the APA at around 4% is pretty low octane!

S.

[threecb]

I've seen the APA moniker often in the northeast. What I've got from it and sampling many with the "American" attached to the "Pale Ale" is that they're true american takes on the British Pale or Bitter. I guess it's due to the hops used (but I'm sure yeast strain plays a part) that they tend to be fruity, with the citrus hoppiness. Maybe the "true" part comes from domestic hops such as the cascades?

I never took it to be an IPA offshoot, mostly because where I've seen them, there's usually an IPA on the list too. I guess in my mind I've sort of taken SNPA as the "mold" for the APA. Maybe a little less hoppy...

And as for cask conditioned, last friday I had a cask conditioned Vanilla Porter on the hand pump at the Harvest Moon, my local BP in New Brunswick, NJ, and it was awesome. Strong vanilla in the nose, but not sickly-sweet. It was smooth, and high in alcohol (it wasn't posted, though, I'd guess 8 or 9%). The vanilla and chocolate characters mixed together nicely, and there was a hint of sherry-like warmth in the back of the throat that made this a tasty brew.
If I was there for dinner, it would've been a perfect dessert beer! (guess i shoulda started another thread for this last paragraph!)

[chazwicke]

Sounds yummy. Did you get them to fill your growler? I have several from Harvest Moon. I guess I will have to make a trip up that way soon. I was over in Cape May in November and I will be In Ocean City, MD for New Years and will also be in Rehobeth, DE home of Dogfish.

[Richard English]

This evening I will be at the Garland, Redhill (a pub that refuses to sell A-B Budweiser, selling only the real one)

I will spend the evening on Harveys Mild at 3% ABV. Although weak, it is a very tasty beer and a rare representative of a style that is losing popularity.

You can see the pub here http://www.harveys.org.uk/t1garland.htm and I'll be thinking of you all as I sup.

[threecb]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Sounds yummy. Did you get them to fill your growler? I have several from Harvest Moon. I guess I will have to make a trip up that way soon. I was over in Cape May in November and I will be In Ocean City, MD for New Years and will also be in Rehobeth, DE home of Dogfish.

sadly, they won't fill growlers with the cask selections :(

luckily, it's a five minute drive from the house! They're also going to have an Imperial Stout and a Belgian Triple coming on soon. The Winter Warmer is ok, and what I filled my growler with. Matt also makes a terrific mild that's one of my favorites of the standards...

I'll be spending New Years in Toronto, seeing what the region offers in brews...

[chazwicke]

I used to go to Toronto and Niagara Falls for New Years. Was always fun. Upper Canada has a nice tour and The Granite Brewery/ pub is excellent. I am not sure which others are still open up there. it has been a while. Toronto is a neat town. Going up the CN Tower?

[steveh]

Originally posted by threecb
I never took it to be an IPA offshoot, mostly because where I've seen them, there's usually an IPA on the list too. I guess in my mind I've sort of taken SNPA as the "mold" for the APA. Maybe a little less hoppy...

When I first saw the moniker (APA) on the pub's menu board it immediately made me think IPA - then I put the A to American and said, "Duh." to myself. While I've heard the term used to refer to SNPA, and the like (while also being an AHA category), I'd never seen it actually labeled as such. One sip and I knew the pub's offering wasn't supposed to be in the IPA style - and it actually had little to none of the Cascade citrus nose, I imagine the brewmaster decided to try a different variety.

S.

[steveh]

Originally posted by Richard English
You can see the pub here http://www.harveys.org.uk/t1garland.htm and I'll be thinking of you all as I sup.

Wonderful looking establishment, but there's no food menu on-line. On what did you dine to compliment the mild?

S.

[Richard English]

Quote "...On what did you dine to compliment the mild?..."

I may have stumbled on a UK/US cultural difference here. In the UK it is quite usual to go out to a pub just to drink - which is wht I did. Indeed, it is relatively unusual to go out to a pub in the evening to dine - except to those pubs that make a special point of being dining establishments. If I were to go out for an evening meal I would usually go to a restaurant, not a pub.

Pubs are often the best choice for a lunchtime meal and tThe Garland does, indeed, offer a good lunchtime menu. Being a pub, though, it does not make a great issue about this; pubs are mainly about drinking good beer and enjoying good company.

Interestingly I noticed earlier this year, when I was looking at the details of the Chicago Festival, that the food and drink section of the webpages talked a lot about food - and nothing at all about drink. I am sure that the likes of Goose Island were there to quench the thirsts of the visitors, but so far as the advertising was concerned they might just as well not have existed.

[steveh]

Originally posted by Richard English
Quote "...On what did you dine to compliment the mild?..."

I may have stumbled on a UK/US cultural difference here. In the UK it is quite usual to go out to a pub just to drink - which is wht I did. >snip<

Sorry, I misinterpreted your use of "sup" as defined by "to eat the evening meal." Supper is a common term for dinner in the U.S. (possibly more common in the midwest?), and I've only heard sup used as a verb for dining. Of course, I suppose dinner could consist solely of ale! ;)

Interestingly I noticed earlier this year, when I was looking at the details of the Chicago Festival, that the food and drink section of the webpages talked a lot about food - and nothing at all about drink. I am sure that the likes of Goose Island were there to quench the thirsts of the visitors, but so far as the advertising was concerned they might just as well not have existed.

There is much dining and celebrating in the days leading up to the RAF (and I'm still not sure the planners recognize the great coincidental cross-meaning to those initials), and I do recall small food being available at the last fest - bratwurst, in particular. But there wasn't much eating to be seen at the actual festival.

In years past, the festival was held at Goose Island's second brew-pub on Chicago's north side, so one could step away from the fest and order from their menu. But make no mistake, the actual sampling of the real ales at the fest is the true focus.

There is a separate link on the site to a treatise on Real Ale, written by Ray Daniels: http://www.realalefestival.com/aboutreal.html Plus some real ale resources links - both having direct links to CAMRA.

See my post in the Commmunity Events area on changes for this year's fest - due to politics and red-tape.

S.

[Richard English]

In UK English "to sup" means to drink - although it is not an especially common word in the south of England.

The old meaning of "to dine or take supper" is archaic here. It seems possible that it has remained in use in the USA, as have other expressions now archaic in the UK (such as gotten).

The Chicago Festival I was checking out was not the RAF but another summer festival, held to celebrate Chicago's cultural traditions. I can't immediately remember what it was called.

[threecb]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I used to go to Toronto and Niagara Falls for New Years. Was always fun. Upper Canada has a nice tour and The Granite Brewery/ pub is excellent. I am not sure which others are still open up there. it has been a while. Toronto is a neat town. Going up the CN Tower?

We'll be going to the CN Tower, the Hockey Hall of Fame and a Maple Leafs game. (big hockey fans!). We'll also go to the Granite, and I'd like to get to the Distillery District and visit Mill St. Brewing. We'll be spending New Years Eve at C'est What. Should be fun...

[steveh]

Originally posted by Richard English
In UK English "to sup" means to drink - although it is not an especially common word in the south of England.

I found that definition in my research as well.

The old meaning of "to dine or take supper" is archaic here. It seems possible that it has remained in use in the USA, as have other expressions now archaic in the UK (such as gotten).

Something about "gotten" has never sounded just right in conversation, somewhat low-brow.

The Chicago Festival I was checking out was not the RAF but another summer festival, held to celebrate Chicago's cultural traditions. I can't immediately remember what it was called.

Hmm, Chicago is awash with festivals in the Summer, cultural and the like. Perhaps it was the actual Goose Island Festival itself? Many of the local restaurants would set up shop at past G.I. fests, but this past Summer's event was quite smaller than past gatherings - beer offerings included.

S.

[threecb]

If i were to guess, it might be Taste of Chicago.

(which I hear is overcrowded...)