Modern Monks

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