More beery goodness in Omaha, hopefully this time it won’t get blown away. The Monks will have a keg of our Saison pouring at Sunfest, the Crescent Moon’s summer beer festival. Here is the skinny from the Moon:

July 12. Saturday. 3pm – 8pm. Crescent Moon/Beertopia Summer Beerfest!! This event is bigger and better than last year’s event. We are moving it outdoors and boasting 20 breweries with upwards of 100 different beers - not just seasonals.

Tickets will go on sale May 23rd. Advance tickets are $22. Tickets purchased the day of the fest are $27. Your ticket gets you a tasting glass, program and unlimited samples from 3pm-8pm. We will have food available for purchase from our outdoor grill station also.

WE WILL ONLY SELL 500 TICKETS!!!!! If you were one of the unfortunate ones that did not get a ticket to the “Extreme Beer Fest” I’m sure you know that you should not procrastinate on getting your tickets this time around. It would be sad to get shut out twice in a row.

Call 402-905-2603 for more information.

Click here for a map to 3578 Farnam Street, Omaha NE

Thanks for all the work that went into this. Glad to hear that there were no injuries.

Omaha Summer Arts Festival PDF

Already pouring as this is typed, the newest release from the Modern Monks is now available at the Omaha Summer Arts Festival. The festival charges no admission, and features tons of art, music, food, and beer from all willing Nebraska breweries. Oddly, there is no mention of Nebraska craft beer on the festival’s website, but all the other info is there. Thanks to the Nebraska Craft Brewer’s Association for all their help in setting this up.

Various Monks will be on hand throughout the weekend helping pour beer and convert the masses. Our Saison is a dry-hopped beer with an earthy character. Stop by and spend some wooden nickels on a glass or two!

Yes sir, those crazy cats at Bread & Cup are at it again. If you are looking for some good Nebraska brewed beers this weekend, swing on by Bread & Cup where you can get pints of the Monks schwarzbier as well as a maibock from Empyrean. Maintaining the “wish we were in Franconia” theme, the good folks at B & C will also offer some German inspired foods. Should be a good time…drinking starts at noon. Be prompt, please! It is for your own good. Schwarz should be available on the patio. Bring your own Black & Tan spoon and see if the maibock will float the schwarz. If we are lucky, the heavens will provide a bit of entertainment.

These jokers below all appeared at previous Monk gatherings. What a mix of merry makers…maybe some will show up this weekend…

It was a good time. Friday, May 9th saw the lonliest Monk show up at Branched Oak Farm to pour some beers for the Nebraska Slowfood group. Three different versions of Brothers’ Cup were on offer (including one of mixed fermentation with Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus), as well as Arctic Storm, Schwarzbier, and (straight from the lagering tank) some of the Smoked Bock. This is the first time in creation that nearly every Modern Monks brewed beer was on offer in one location.

Thanks to Krista and Doug of Branched Oak Farm for hosting the event at their farm and providing us with a great variety of cheeses, Todd and Susan from Wise Oven Bakery for baking the sour-dough bread (which included Arctic Storm in the mix) and designing the tasting menu, Maggie of MaGGiE’s Vegetarian Restaurant for organizing and providing glassware (and also the pictures posted here!), and the band Trigger Town for providing some great music!

A couple more pictures from the beer and cheese event. Thanks Maggie!

The Monks are going to the Moon, the Crescent Moon, that is. The Good News is that a full barrel of Brothers’ Cup batch 4 is currently making the pilgrimage to Omaha. Once there, it will willingly sacrifice itself to save all thirsty revelers who are willing to accept it into their bodies. Redemption is at hand, Omaha!

Also, further Good News is revealed in O-town. This for fans of German-style beer. In days past (not too far past), the Monks had welcomed a weary brewer from another cult into their fold. Bringing a bit of German engineering to the Monks normally free-wheeling brew sessions, this honorary Brother Rich descended from his empyrean home in the skies into the dark depths of the Modern Monks brew house. The result was no less than the creation of Black Gold, a German-style Schwarzbier. Black Gold holds bright redemption within its shadowy mystery. And…it is beer! What a combo…this was just sent from the Huber Haus:

Guten Tag,

This Saturday May 10th we welcome back Barry Boyce and the Band for their monthly visit to the Haus, music starts at 9:00 and as usual, there is no cover charge.

This Saturday is also the night of our first German Dinner, all slots for the dinner have been sold. If you have a reservation please note that Dinner will be served at 7:00 Dinner will consist of soup, Jagerschnitzel with Spatzle and apple strudel.

As an added treat we will be tapping a special keg of German Style Schwarzbier from the Modern Monks Brewery. Modern Monks is a new brewery that brews their beers in Grand Island, NE ! This will be one keg only so get here on Saturday to get a mug or two of the stuff.

Hope to see everyone this Saturday in the Huber Haus

Prosit,

Bill Baburek

Wow…this is a lot for one post. The Schwarzbier will of course turn up at the regular Monk haunts in Kearney and Grand Island. Some is being reserved for a special gathering in Lincoln later this month. More on that later. For now, here are a few bonus photos of the sweet Modern Monks tap handle crafted especially for the first appearance in Omaha:

The secrets of Brothers’ Cup, that undeniably enchanting beverage of refreshment, have yet to be revealed to most believers.  The truth is, the beer has been ever changing.  Non-believers might say something about evolution, but all good Monks know that suck talk is heresy and carries harsh punishment, normally beer-boarding.  Nothing here evolves, it is forced into existence through conscious design and brute force.  That’s just reality folks, um, time to face it.  The test batch was brewed in the garage of one of the Monks, during a moment of divine inspiration.  Turns out, that the divine had many other ideas to inspire or was maybe just wrong…as not only the hop schedule changed, so did the yeast, the grain bill, the strength, and the hop varieties once the beer was brewed down in the Lord’s Chicken Coop.  The paradox here is that the Monks hold nothing sacred, and the beer has changed at the whims of its brewers each and every time it was brewed.  The average believer out there will never have any way of knowing which batch they are imbibing.  The revelation below, coming in the surprising form of an Excel spreadsheet, is but a hint at the secrets contained within the cup.

 Brothers’ Cup hop mass chart

Eagle Seagull videos on French blog.

“Let’s get drunk and forget ourselves.”  We didn’t write that…those evil seagulls did…but it seems like a decent enough idea.

Bus Trip Update

We will leave from the Sam’s Club parking lot April 19 at 11:30. Please be there by 11:15 as we need to leave promptly. We will use a corner of the lot closest to 27^th Street. We will be in Grand Island for a tour of the Modern Monks Brewery by 1:00 p.m. We will depart around 3:15 p.m. and head to Kearney where we will stay until 8:30 p.m. and return to Lincoln by 10:30 p.m.

In Kearney you can visit Thunderhead and Platte Valley breweries and weather permitting the beer garden at Platte Valley. There will be prizes, treats and food and drink specials. Feel free to bring beer or snacks on the bus. The cost is $40 per person. Food and drink at the breweries is extra. Tickets are on sale now.

Checks should be made payable to Modern Monks. Tickets by mail to Modern Monks, 2630 S 13^th, Lincoln NE 68502.

See you there!

 A BJCP judge shares his take on the Modern Monks’ Arctic Storm. Please note that the beer does not pretend to be something it isn’t. It is brewed to be drank, not judged by style guidelines. However, it is interesting to see it put into such a context. Thanks for sharing, Lash. We encourage others to do the same. Critical thought is most welcome. Commence notes now:

Tasting notes for non-beer geeks.
Arctic Storm: This reddish brown beer is the perfect accompaniment to hearty vegetarian dishes that use lots of lentils or barley. Each sip yields a mystery. Is this beer a little sweet or a little dry - you decide - it might vary with your food choice. Do you taste hints of prunes and currants? Do you taste a hint of juicy fruit gum? Do you taste raw wheat? All good stuff. The aroma is slightly spicy - not like a typical beer - but an aroma somewhat familiar. What is that bouquet?? Is it a Christmas cookie? Is it warm clean laundry? Is it cough syrup? With this beer there is no right answer - just enjoy

Tasting Notes for beer geeks - I am treating this beer like a Dubbel for tasting purposes

Aroma. My beer is a little too cold. Decidedly Belgian. Spicy and strong. Crisp phenol character. Outstanding use of a stylistically appropriate yeast.

Appearance. Hazy. I might have expected a beer with this big grain bill to drop a little clearer. This probably isn’t a flaw because several trappist brews look like mud, but I always assumed that this was because of bottle-carbonation. This is probably a by-product of yeast choice so the trade off with aroma is probably a good trade-off.

Mouthfeel. Oh Yeah! Perfect example of the “Belgian” mouthfeel. Slight alcohol sting, with deceptively light body. Medium high carbonation persists.

Taste. Initial hit of dark stone fruits quickly gives way to a distinct caramel flavor. Interesting phenols - slightly medicinal, but still approachable.

Overall Perception. I like this beer very much. I think that the authentic mouthfeel in a Belgian is very difficult to achieve. Nicely done. I like the prune/plum flavors early in the flavor. Very well brewed. I would do nothing different.

Notes for the Monks

I have done several Dubbel side by side blind tastings over the years. Artic Storm would hold its own with Ommegang, Trois Pistole, and Westmalle. And it would blow away Chimay Red Cap, and that atrocious New Belgian Dubbel.

Matt - I was just flippin’ you crap about the Special B/sugar balance. Yes - you and I would both prefer a more malt based beer, but this balance really worked well. You need that sugar to create the Belgian mouthfeel. I enjoyed your stories about the monasteries. We need to get together sometime to discuss more.

It is official.  The new Modern Monks beer is called Arctic Storm.  The perfect beer to keep you going through the last blast of winter.  8.5% ABV will keep you warm.  Don’t drink too much, though, because you’ll get drunk.

The gathering will take place on Thursday, February 21st from 6.30-8.00 pm.  For $15 you will get two pints of beer as well as various snacks which should include a few things made with Modern Monks beers…possibly some beer bread…maybe some meatballs with Arctic Storm, etc…  No reservations required.  Bread & Cup is located on the corner of 8th & S streets in the Haymarket.

Back in December, the Monks made a somewhat harrowing voyage to Grand Island to brew a new beer. A storm had hit and was just starting to rage at 6.30am. By the time two of us traveling monks reached Milford, we were feeling rather uncomfortable with the journey.  We turned around and decided to try it out again the next day. Good thing we did, as Sunday was sunny and we saw 3 cars past Milford that had either flipped or ended up in the median.

The beer was supposed to be a strong amber with a certain caramel character to it.  We thought the yeast we had on hand would be as great in a darker malt loaded beer as it is in the golden hoppy Brothers’ Cup. We used some darker malts in this, as well as some Demerara sugar to help move it in the caramelly direction. The beer is clocking in someplace around 8.5%, and the samples so far have been quite enjoyable. The beer is smooth and malty with some nice caramel and fruity notes. The strength is well hidden. The overall palate of the beer is quite light, making it feel like a session strength brown ale or something…dangerously drinkable.

The real challenge has been coming up with a name for this one off batch. Bob, Ryan, and Bob went to work brainstorming one evening and produced the above list.  For all you brewers out there reading this, don’t even think about stealing any of these gems. We will sue you.

Look for the beer, whatever it is called, to be available in the next 3-4 weeks at your favorite Modern Monks pub.

Anybody that knows Brother Bob, probably knows that he is a big Frank Zappa freak. He wanted everybody to know about a new show on KZUM 89.3FM Lincoln.

The show is called Freak Out, and Brother Bob believes a man named Joe is the host on Tuesdays from 1pm to 3pm. The KZUM website doesn’t list it yet. A phone call to the station resulted in assurances that Freak Out is in that time slot, although the DJ couldn’t recall the name of the host either. He said he listened to it last week and it was really good, featuring a lot of early stuff. The name of the host isn’t so important. It is really important to Bob that everybody tune in, though. Frank may not have been a drinker, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a beer while you listen to his music. It is probably necessary…you might need several beers!

She put a little blurb in her Dining Notes section on Friday about the Monks. She did a fine job conveying the spirit of the Monks and Brothers’ Cup in just a few words. Thanks Nichole!

Here is a cut and paste of the notes:

Funky monk-y

Brothers’ Cup, a Belgian-style beer from Nebraska brewing company Modern Monks, has shown up on tap at three Lincoln eateries and may come to Omaha soon.

The four Lincoln guys behind it — beer distributor Matt Dinges, drywall man Robert Myers, accountant Dave Oenbring and respiratory therapist Chris Vejnovich — are neither monks nor brothers. They’re friends and home-brewers who kept their day jobs and launched Modern Monks last fall as a more formal version of their hobby.

Dinges said Modern Monks is a subdivision of Thunderhead Brewing Co. in Kearney and brews on Thunderhead’s license at the Chicken Coop brewpub in Grand Island.

Brothers’ Cup is a Belgian-style blonde made with German hops. Dinges said he designed it after a September visit to Achel, a Trappist monastery-brewery in Belgium.

It is available on tap at Thunderhead and Chicken Coop, and in Lincoln at Bread & Cup, Yiayia’s Pizza and PieZano’s. Dinges said the Monks hope to have some available soon at specialty beer-havens in Omaha such as the Crescent Moon.

The Modern Monks will be hanging out on Tuesday, January 8th, from 7.30pm on…for an evening of pizza, pasta and Brothers’ Cup and maybe some old school video games. For those of you that are cyclicsts, some of the gang from the TNMWR will probably be around…sounds like a great mix of food, beer, and people. There may even be some cellared bottles of previous Modern Monks beers being sampled. We are hoping Brother Robert or Brother David can find something hidden away in their cellars…maybe some stuff from the days of brewing on Bob’s 3BBL system still exists…

Stop by and have a pint and say hi…we’ll be looking forward to seeing you!

Well…not what you might have been thinking. Hops are definitely legal, and that’s what you see above. Hops. There are a lot of them in Brothers’ Cup. German ones, mostly, but back to the subject:

Are the Modern Monks legal?

A prominent Nebraska brewer asked that back in November when he heard the arrangements that had been made.

The answer is: hell yeah! Monks do not need the sanction of man’s law for their deeds, we operate with authority from a higher order. But don’t worry, we’ve got man’s law covered in this instance too.

Another common confusion:

You brew in Kearney, right?

Answer: NO, no…Grand Island! Right down the block from the Coney Island hotdog counter, at the Chicken Coop. We don’t brew in Kearney and we aren’t Thunderhead Brewing. Let’s get that straight…kind of straight…

You guys are from Thunderhead, aren’t you?

We are a creative subdivision of Thunderhead Brewing. That is the Thunderhead Brewing in Kearney, NE, yes. Did anybody know there was also a brewpub system in Grand Island at the Chicken Coop? We did, and we took it over. Our beers are brewed under the Thunderhead banner, but are strictly our creation and under our control. We buy the malt, the hops, the yeast, the man power, etc… There is no staff brewer residing in or visiting Grand Island. Its all Modern Monks. So don’t blame Thunderhead for our beers. We do it all. And we live in Lincoln. We thank Brother Trevor for having the vision and generosity to grant us brewing rights in Grand Island. May the almighty bequeath many hoppy beers upon you, Brother Trevor.

That’s the legal origins of the Modern Monks in a nutshell. We are a real LLC, and pay taxes and everything…lots of taxes. If you’ve still got questions, let us know.

Hello,

Welcome to Modern Monks Brewing. Modern Monks are an eclectic group of beer visionaries bringing unique hand crafted beer to Nebraska.

We’ve recently brewed 3 batches of Brothers’ Cup (3-week old BC from batch 3 can be seen in the photo above). The beer is slowly making its way across Nebraska. Right now you can find it in Kearney at Thunderhead Brewing, Grand Island at Chicken Coop, and Lincoln at Bread & Cup and Yia Yia’s.

Check back soon for a lot info on the Monks, Brothers’ Cup, and other beery topics.