The Secret Lair

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This week, I was a guest on the Living Proof Brew Cast, hosted by John Taylor Williams and Thomas Gideon.  Their show notes are replicated below:

Before we got into the thirsty work of my recent trip update, we poured and discussed our beers for the evening. As a foreshadowing on our main topic with Chris, he had a St. Peters Sorghum Beer. The beers John and I enjoyed were a good introduction to my thoughts on Brussels. John had the New Belgium 1554 and I had the New Belgium Trippel. Both ales reminded me strongly of the many beers–dubbels, trippels, blonds, brunes–that I enjoyed every day during my week in Belgium.

The reason for my trip, a business trip, was the EU Hackathon. Some of you may have seen the video I sharedthe really captured the spirit of the event. My Untappd stream reflected almost all of the beers I had while abroad. The highlight of my trip was definitely Moeder Lambic, the one at Place Fontainas. Not only was there an amazing profusion of beers on offer but beer culture is definitely in the very DNA of this establishment. The photos from the very end of the set on my Flickr account are from this venue.

From early on in my trip, I shared how I learned what Belgians consider a black ale versus what we call a black beer here in the states. This experience was from Cafe Leffe and the beer in question was the Westmalle Abbey Dubbel. The 1554, which is very close to the black, or more accurately brown, ales reminded John of another New Belgium, Snow Day, that he had recently.

The best beer of the trip, bar none, a beer that still haunts me was the Val-Dieu Grand Cru. This is a specialty beer, on researching it, from the Abbey du Val-Dieu which may make it hard to find either through an online or a local retailer or importer. The top spot of this beer is saying something considering some of the others I had at Moeder Lambic like the Cantillon Rose du Gambrinus, a two year old framboise lambic, and the Kerkom Winterkoninkske. Bret, our friend and the brewmaster at Growlers, recommended checking with his friends atHalftime Beverage.

One of the other beers I had on the trip, a 12 year old Trappist ale, has just been announced as coming to the states.

Speaking of travel, Chris shared his thoughts on his travel plans for the coming year. He is thinking of trying to head out some place interesting at least once a month. Ideally 2012 will see some great reports from the field by him as well as another brew day with accompanying social time to hang out, relax, and catch up in person.

The subject of brewing with Chris again segued us into a brewing update from him. He shared his thoughts on a pale ale he made and several instructive failures from his experimentations since he last collaborated with us in the beer kitchen. The pale ale, a Bells Two Hearted clone from TastyBrew.com, sounded like a challenging beer while young but may be aging out to something very special, what John dubbed a “hop wine.” The impetus for an experiement so heavily hopped was 10oz of home grown hops from a friend of Chris’. John offered that the experience with this beer was very similar to his with the Green Grass and High Tides.

We ended up chatting a bit about what we’ll be brewing next. As fun as the idea of The Mongrel was, I think John and I want to put the Summer of protest beer behind us and return to familiar responses and new experiments. We are due to brew in my kitchen next. I want to tackle a recipe we tasted and discussed in our triangulation episodes, the Sun-Dial in the Shade Oatmeal Stout.

Chooch told us how to cheer in China, in both Mandarin and Cantonese.

We turned to the reason we invited Chris on, a discussion of gluten free beers and brewing. Chris shared his experiences and impressions from about half a month so far of drinking only gluten free beers. He reminded us why he is doing this for the month of November. In addition to the St. Peter”s he mentioned at the outset, Chris has also tried RedBridge, Lakefront New Grist, and Bard’s.

John has mentioned William Davis’ “Wheat Belly” before, when we were ruminating on the effectiveness of Evo’s brew diet. He brought it up again as being relevant to why wheat may cause some people grief even in the absence of celiac or an actual allergy. Chris offered a similar read that provokes thought around food culture and industry, “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan. In addition to reading and research, Chris is taking a very considered approach that includes journaling his experiences and impressions.

Bolstering the idea that there are unexplored flavors beyond wheat and barley, John had the Great Divide Samurai, a rice beer that definitely compares well to any beer, gluten free or otherwise. He has also brewed with rye and is a fan of its presence in spirits. Basic Brewing Radio had a fantastic episode on gluten free brewing that delved in the flavors available from these ingredients. Search for Desiree Knott of High Gravity in Tulsa to find the episode in question. All three of us are great fans of everything James and company do on that podcast.

Chris explained the thought behind the name he decided to brew under, Speculative Brewing, that captures the adventurous and experimental spirit he brings to brewing. If you want more from Chris specific to beer, check out his recent review of pumpkin ales. He is planning a similar review in December of Christmas and holiday ales. Feel free to participate in the conversastions around both pieces by contributing your thoughts on a related beer in the comments. John or I will add a comment with our impressions of Flying Dog’s The Fear, an outstanding and unusual local pumpkin beer. You can expand the beers Chris is able to review by donating and sending him something local or regional near you. That holds true if you want John and I to try something on mic. Either way, feel free to contact us for details of how to get us beers.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:13:11 — 83.8MB)

WITNESS the glory of PAX 2011 through the eyes of Roving Reporter Natalie Metzger on our new YouTube Channel!

OR…you know… Watch below.

Editor’s Note: Rob Holmes is an old friend and world traveler. His letters and pictures from the road show a world very few of us will be able to see. The Travels of Captain Holmes is a new feature sharing Rob’s adventures in Asia and across the globe. — Chris Miller

Captain’s Log. Stardate 08/28/2011

I’ve gotten in and settled in Thailand. The trip over was as about as good as they get. In spite of leaving Cleveland Hopkins without seating confirmations, or even a boarding pass for my NRT->BKK leg, O’Hare was a breeze, and Narita was manageable. The long layovers were a welcome respite from the static torture of the 12 and 6 hour flights.

I did learn a handy tip this trip at Narita. There are a small number of shops that will take USD and EUR. They’re fairly inconspicuously labeled with a “¥ $ €” sign. I found mine at gate 44-48, Terminal 1. The exchange rate is painful, but not like a finger or firstborn. Buy a bottle or two of water with a $20.00, and get 1200 Yen in return. Instant pocket change for the neighborhood. And don’t forget: All your liquids are seized upon arrival at Narita. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Suvarnabhumi to the hotel was painless, if slightly expensive. After 30 hours of travel, I didn’t mind much. The hotel is delightful. The neighborhood is a toilet. And it’s hot. With a 14th floor overlook of PatPong, the distant view is so much more pleasant than the street view. But hey, it comes with the territory.

So comes the standard entry POD for the trip. The room with a view. Le Meridien Hotel Surawong, Bangrat, Bangkok. It’s got a nice balance of business/singles/couples/family travelers, and the amenities are as good as any I’ve seen.

So, off I go. Stanley arrives in 45 minutes. So we’ll meet for prep. Customer visit in the morning.

~Rob

Captain’s Log. Stardate 08/29/2011

The gang here has been keeping me busy, so I’ve already started to fall behind on pictures! I did get a brief moment to grab local shots of the neighborhood just around the hotel. It always helps me cement the landmark memory.

So, five star hotel (IMG 1969) smooshed in the middle of two star neighborhood. The other shots are of my compass points from the hotel proper. I was particularly surprised at the general cleanliness of the neighborhood, but it is rainy season… Ha! All together, it was a respectable hotel and a tolerable neighborhood. Too bad I didn’t get more time to enjoy it!

~Rob

Captain’s Log. Stardate 08/30/2011

Tuesday shaped up to be so much more busy than I expected. Stanley arranged a spot visit to a new customer. It definitely wasn’t in my grand master plan to plug in a wake-up at 5:30 to visit a new customer before a 1:40 exit flight to Taipei, but I’ll get some cheese for my whine and it will be good. (NINE HOURS. Nine wasted travel hours to get to the Howard Hotel in Taipei. I felt like I was lost in a time vortex.)

But, the morning jaunt paid off. Stuck in the middle of urban Bangkok (IMG 1980) was this nifty Thai Buddhist Temple. We briefly stopped after my near-homicidal insistence that I would get pictures of something interesting today that was not cityscape. Our driver Tom claimed that this was a legitimate temple and not a tourist temple, and insisted that it was a quite famous one. I could not make out the fourteen syllable name or begin to hope to commit it to memory. The lack of entry fee proved point to part of his claim, but the fact that there were more dogs exploring the grounds than people detracted from the second. Then again, I do not believe Tom was really his name.

So, here you go. Famous Unnamed Thai Buddhist Temple in Bangkok Thailand Suburbs.

~Rob

Captain’s Log. Stardate 09/01/2011

I’m knee-deep in a sultry Taipei. This morning, it was hot and wet. Tonight, it’s hot and wet.

So I’m taking a break from working into my third night in Taipei. Customer visits are going well. I’ve got two more tomorrow before my (hopefully) slightly relaxed weekend begins. I’m still searching for some solo entertainment for Saturday, but I’m sure I will find something. I am going to subject you to “room-with-a-view pictures from the Howard. I’m sure you’ll find it strikingly similar to the last seven visits. I chuckled at check-in when I noticed I worked for yet another new company, a competitor this time. Maybe next time I can get the Taipei diplomatic government rate. The hotel hasn’t changed any. It’s still got its charms and quirks. The room is the room. The view is urban metro vogue, Taipei style. Always with a spritz of damp.

At check in the lady notified me that I was receiving a free upgrade for “something”, which included a larger room and an invitation to a frequent guest cocktail hour with the general manager of the hotel in the Maxim on the fourth floor.

I pondered. At $150.00 USD plus VAT, how is it free? Why on earth would I need two queen beds and a couch and a chair?

The room is fine, save it wasn’t prepared for bedtime, had no complimentary water (severe party foul!), and smelled vaguely of fish curry, if that exists.

Also of note. There is no Maxim on the fourth floor. No Maxim anything, on floor four or any other.

After routing the entire hotel available to me, I am still perplexed as to what this mystical Maxim is.

I passed on the invitation.

Two things I’m still looking for since touchdown are dental floss in my brand and Halls cough drops. The former I can weather with an alternative, but the latter is making me a little buggy. I heard a rumor earlier in the car today that there are no Halls cough drops on the island of Taiwan, and my supply I picked up in Tokyo Narita are dwindling. I may have to leave for Shanghai early. Or have some air shipped from the states. Stat.

Dinner last evening was wonderful. Terence and I ventured down to the SOGO shopping plaza at the intersection of Chung Hsiao East Road and Ren Ai, about three long blocks from the Howard. There’s a Din Tai Fung there that we were hoping to hit for their signature dumplings. It was packed, with an over one hour waiting line. Neither of us were in the mood to be out that late, so we spelunked the mall. The three basement levels availed nothing. But it seems there’s a small number of restaurants on the tenth and eleventh floors that I’ve never ventured to. Reason is: They cost to bloody much. We elected to risk the Italian restaurant.

Factoid about Italian restaurants: They appear to be nearly universally recognized as “safe” restaurants for nearly everyone.

After the sticker shock of the $1,200.00 TWD set dinners (about $50.00 USD), we perused the five menus for something a bit more economical. Yep. Five menus. It was like a shell game where Terrence was looking for spaghetti and I for pizza.

We did finally find what we were looking for, and for less than $500.00 TWD each. I picked my selection from the pizza a-la-carte menu.

My pizza was to-die-for. Italian style thin crust with chicken, bacon, and salami over a white mozzarella and light tomato sauce. Some of the best pizza I’ve ever had, bar none. I was stunned.

- Trattoria Pizzeria TRASTEVERE TAIPEI, 11F SOGO No.300, Sec.3, Chung Hsiao E. Road., Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C. +886-2-8772-1237

http://www.trastevere.com.tw

If you’re ever in the neighborhood.

So, room with a view. Howard Hotel, Taipei Taiwan. Room 603.

~Rob

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Last Sunday was Father’s day, and being a father myself for more than a handful of years now I was the recipient of what for most is a day of relaxation and barbecue.

This year was different. A week before my wife, Erin, asked me if I wanted to relax at home and generally be left to lounge around and not be required to do anything, or if I wanted to do something.

Then she said, “How about doing something on Father’s Day that you won’t forget?”

That made me think. I’d had several Father’s Days where I’ve just lounged and generally had a quiet Sunday. They were nice, but really, not very memorable. I have a hard time remembering those particular non-events, even though I was very relaxed at the end of it.

Besides, I thought, this is a day about being a Father. I have two girls, and I always say that I don’t spend nearly enough time with them. So I said, yes, let’s do something.

That’s when she told me we were going rafting.

It had been years, probably close to ten, since the last time we had been rafting. It was great trip, and one that both of us remember fondly. I knew she was on to something.

So the day came, with a little trepidation as it was overcast and rain was a definite possibility. We all packed in the car and headed out. Things went smoother than normal for us, and we got away about an hour before we really needed to.

Turns out things going smoothly was going to be the order of the day, except for one part. That part happened just as we were getting in to the Starved Rock area. Our phones¹ that we were using the Google Maps directions for, stopped working.

A combination of the latest map update, which caused them to freeze and force quite, combined with a lack of any data signal at all, made them fairly useless.

So we stopped at Starved Rock, and while Erin took the kids to the lodge, I searched for a signal to get our maps back. It was about twenty minutes of searching and waiting, but I won’t bore you with that here.

The lesson learned from it though, as I got back to the car and Erin had found a paper map was, “You don’t need to always have electronics to know where you are.” I knew that lesson, should have remembered it, but it’s hard when you’re always tethered to the ‘net to remember that stuff outside the ‘net exists still.

We arrived at the Vermillion River rafting drop off, still a little early.  As we waited to be dropped up the river, my youngest helped my oldest pick and eat mulberries from the trees.

Being disconnected earlier was just a lead in to the rafting, of course. While on the river I was tempted several times to check our position on my phone, I resisted. Mainly, because we had left all the phones in the car. It was a good thing though, since checking progress on it would have ruined one of better parts of the trip.

That part? Being there.

By not having anything to distract me, I was able to pay more attention. More attention to my girls, Erin, everything on the trip. The river was an easy one, perfect for taking two young kids out on and not pulling my hair out with worry over them.

The girls swam next to the raft several times. We taught them how to paddle the boat. My oldest learned how to steer it.²

The trip was over four hours long, and while I could get a good sense of the time by the sun, it was nice to not know what time it actually was. To not even have the option to do other things.

After we passed under the last bridge and got ashore, I wanted to actually go right back in.

On the way home we stopped for dinner at the Starved Rock lodge. Something we wouldn’t have thought to do if we hadn’t lost our signal to the maps in the first place. Looking around the table, I saw that we were all tired. I also saw the girl’s excited faces as they ate and talked about the trip.

I owe a great thanks to my wife, who indeed delivered on her promise to make Father’s Day 2011 a day to remember. I recommend it to everyone.

1. G2s, we love them. [↩]
2. She’s 8. [↩]

The Commandant of our Air Forces has already waxed poetic on the wonders of Balticon; for me to do so would only be gilding the lily, and I have firm beliefs about the dangers of overgilding anything, let alone lilies. Therefore, I’ll say that I had a wonderful time, delighted in meeting with old friends and new, and cannot wait until next year.

Since I have not been to a new-media-centric convention in almost five years, I am woefully behind times when it comes to my podcast listening. What follows is a list of audio treasures I’ve picked up, listened to, and would happily force upon you, my most loyal of minions.

• Living Proof Brew Cast: John Taylor Williams and Thomas “cmdln” Gideon host this semi-monthly show focusing on what they call the Beer Quest; a combination of their own exploits in homebrewing beer, seeking our new and exotic beers/ciders which they taste and discuss on air, and interviews with anyone with a love of fermented liquid. Their most recent episode features a cider tasting with Nathan Lowell, author of the beloved Solar Clipper novels. This Overlord has had the honor of brewing and tasting with these gentlemen, and if you like beer and/or homebrewing, this is a must-listen.
• Antigone’s Wrath: One of the people I most enjoyed meeting was the talented Starla Huchton, author of The Dreamer’s Thread, a 2010 Parsec-award finalist. She launched her new work, Antigone’s Wrath as a live full cast recording at Balticon. Antigone’s Wrath is the tale of Captain Rachel Sterling who finds herself in a deadly situation when a strange ring finds its way into her possession. The Brotherhood is hot on her trail and the carefree life she once knew is lost in a maze of deception and high adventure. The audio and video of the first chapter has been released; I believe that this book will be one to keep up with over the summer.
• Talking On My Morning Walk: When David and I arrived at Balticon, our first stop was to join Nathan Lowell for breakfast at Panera. It was a first for both of us; neither had met the man who delighted us for so many hours with his words. Sitting and talking with him was a real treat, and I developed a real fondness for the man. Since abducting him would likely impede the progress of future books, I decided to subscribe to his personal podcast, Talking On My Morning Walk. It is exactly what it sounds like; Nathan discussing whatever is on his mind as he takes his morning constitutional. He’s is refreshingly honest and uncensored, and it’s like have Mr. Lowell in my pocket. Which isn’t nearly as creepy as it sounds.
• Ditched By Kate: It’s not a podcast: it’s a band, and a damn fine one. There are people in this band that you might of hear of, such as front man Phil Rossi (author of one or two or three Podiobooks) and Chooch Schubert (host of one or two podcasts). They were outstanding to hear live, and that’s not just the scotch that the Bad Doctor and I were imbibing speaking. I purchased their five-song EP and am craving more oroginal work from these folks. I should also note that their fiddler is smokin’ hot, and believe me, I know a little thing or two about smokin’ hot fiddlers.

And there you have it, a small smattering of earcandy schlepped to you from Balticon 45. This is by no means a definitive list: try searching the #balticon hashtag on Twitter for more fun and games.

Reporting from Room 929 at the Crown Plaza hotel, Overlord Johnson is joined by sometime-nemesis David Moore and almost-never-nemesis Mario Dongu, both of The Game Master Show,  for the Origins 2008 report. Shannon Farrell is also present, but he quickly flees in terror, and rightly so.

Where is Overlord Miller? The answer lies within.

People We Saw

• Mur Lafferty, who acquired a pair of awesome steampunk goggles.
• Jim Van Verth, host of The Vintage Gamer.
• Cmaaarrr!
• SciFi Laura.
• Carlos, whose last name I can never remember.
• Rachel “Nycteris” Ross.
• JD and John.

The Board Room

Games We Discuss

• BattleTech (FASA)
• Fairy Tale (Z-Man Games)
• The Secret Life of Gingerbread Men is allegedly published by Wicked Dead Brewing Company, but no reference to it could be found on their website.
• Dragonriders (Rio Grande Games).
• Crocodile Pool Party (Rio Grande Games) is not “Crocodiles in the Pool”. They are not the same thing at all.
• Arkham Horror (Fantasy Flight Games)
• Pandemic (Z-Man Games)
• Mad Scientist University (Atlas Games)
• AmuseAmaze (HL Games)
• Stupiduel (Lost Adept Distractions)
• Catan Dice Game (Mayfair Games) is not Catan Card Game.
• Wealth of Nations (TableStar Games)
• HeroScape (Milton Bradley)
• Twilight Imperium (Fantasy Flight Games)
• Toppo (Rio Grande Games)

Promo

• Brave Men Run by Matthew Wayne Selznick. Minions are directed to visit Amazon.com on Sunday, 13 July to purchase the book.

Lairkeeping

• Our theme music is “Skullcrusher Mountain” by Jonathan Coulton.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:05 — 34.0MB)