Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #49, December 3, 2015

Happy 49^th Thirsty Thursday from the 49^th State! I painted this week’s beer painting live at Anchorage Brewing Company last night. If I said I am a fan of Anchorage Brewing Company, it would be the understatement of the Millennium; I am absolutely gaga over its delicious libations. This was the 12^th brewery I have painted live at since I started doing it last year, when I was invited to paint at HooDoo Brewing in Fairbanks. I have also painted at Dogfish Head (Delaware), Hill Farmstead (Vermont), Allagash (Maine), Bell’s (Michigan), Ommegang (New York), Yards (Pennsylvania), Tired Hands (PA), Spring House (PA), Midnight Sun (Anchorage), and Resolution (Anchorage). Click on each brewery’s name to see the painting from it. I like this painting of Anchorage Brewing, because it shows so much of the brewery, and, of course, both the beer and bottle in the same frame. Gabe Fletcher, the owner/operator of ABC, should be known as the Brettanomyces King, since so many of his lovely ales and beers are fermented and aged in Oak barrels. ABC starts with a lovely product and then makes it extra special with the aging process! The Mosaic Saison is a beer that has improved with age in the last few months since it’s release, and buying a bottle to be consumed at the brewery was fortuitous indeed, as this beer looks pretty too! When I saw the design for the label I knew it was only a matter of time until I painted this one!

Cheers to Anchorage, my hometown and home to Gabe Fletcher’s Anchorage Brewing Company! A place that can only be described as World Class!

The original painting sold. You can purchase limited-edition prints, or order a custom beer painting at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #49 by Scott Clendaniel. December 3, 2015. Mosaic Saison by Anchorage Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

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Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #32, August 6, 2015

Holy Grail of beer?  Dom Perignon?  Tom Dalldorf is a bit on the dramatic side when describing this unique Belgian Double IPA by Anchorage Brewing Company.  He wrote the verbiage on the bottle.  Don’t get me wrong, I dig the beer.  It’s great, and I don’t doubt the 96 rating on Beer Advocate.  Actually, I think it deserves a higher score, but calling it the Holy Grail may be a bit of a hyperbole.  This beer is unique, and not what you would expect from a regular 9% IPA.  First off, it has Brettanomyces added, and second, it was aged in Chardonnay barrels, imparting a unique flavor that very few breweries come close to.  There is a reason it is 10 bucks, or more for a bottle of this caliber.  It takes extra effort, and triple fermentation to brew something this special.  I can totally see an aging monk thinking about this beer continually, going to the cold storage room to check on the barrel, just making sure it is safe.  Why is this monk so bitter?  100 IBUs from Citra and Apollo hops would cause many people to make the bitter beer face, but not as bitter as if you were chaste as well.  Imagine a lifetime of chastity, at least certain monks can enjoy the fermented juice of the barley.  Think of the cold storage room and the entry by the special abbey key leading to a very special place where warmth is only provided by consuming the brew within.  Don’t be bitter, give this brew a try.  Its unique, delicious flavor will have you wishing you bought a case!

The original oil painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #32 by Scott Clendaniel. August 6, 2015. Bitter Monk IPA by Anchorage Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

 

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #29, July 16, 2015

The Skilak Lake is a popular destination on the Kenai Peninsula. If you go, don’t forget to bring the Skilak Scottish Ale from Kenai River Brewing Co. Skilak is one of the biggest lakes on the Kenai and is easily accessible from Soldotna and Anchorage. The fact that it’s a popular destination makes sense, because there are two campgrounds and square miles of beautiful crystal blue water to enjoy. The views are nice too.

Skilak Scottish Ale pours with a robust creamy head that is more than ample. The aroma is of licorice and smoke. This is a very malt-forward beer that finishes with a hint of piney hops. The taste is robust of licorice candy and caramel dark grain. It is sweet and satisfying. A nice dark amber beer with a hint of peat. The mouth feel is a bit boozy even at only 5.3% ABV, and this beer is creamy and smooth. Overall, highly recommended for drinking during out of town adventures, preferably by a lake.

Cheers to Kenai River Brewing, a great Alaska brewery producing unique brews! Keep up the good work!

The original oil painting sold.  You can purchase limited-edition prints, or order a custom painting at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #29 by Scott Clendaniel. July 16, 2015. Skilak Scottish Ale by Kenai River Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #19, May 7, 2015

This week’s beer-themed painting is of my homebrewed Saison chillin’ in the snow on top of Flattop Mountain. After a vigorous hike to the summit we drank the beer while enjoying the view and then had a good time sliding down the snow on our way down. I chose to paint homebrew this week because May 7^th is the day that National Homebrew Day was announced before Congress in 1988. Last Saturday the Great Northern Brewers Club put on an event known as Brew-a-thon where home brewers of Anchorage showed up to brew together. It is a national event that kicks off with a nationwide toast at noon CDT, 9AM here in Anchorage! I teamed up with newly retired Rick Levinson to brew a California Common Beer (like Anchor Steam Beer) we are calling the Steamy Retirement. I have been home-brewing for ages and consistently putting out homebrews for ten years now, but I recently upgraded my system from a less than five-gallon setup, to a ten-plus-gallon, all-grain, two-kettle brewery. I enjoy every aspect of the brewing process, except for cleaning fermenters, which is the most boring, although extremely important part of the job. In brewing, cleanliness is next to godliness! I have filled every fermenter I own with beer from the new system. Cheers to Arctic Brewing Supply for having every piece of gear a home-brewer could ever need, and all the ingredients to make world-class beer! I hope your homebrew tastes fresher and more delicious than any commercial beer! If you brew with the GNBC, you are on your way!

The original oil painting sold.  You can purchase limited-edition prints, or order a custom painting at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #19 by Scott Clendaniel. May 7, 2015. Home-brew on Flattop Mountain. 11″x14″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #15, April 9, 2015

This week’s beer painting is of Sockeye Red India Pale Ale — a beer that Anchorage has grown to love since 1995 when it was first brewed for Humpy’s Alaskan Alehouse by Midnight Sun Brewing Co.  Mark Staples and Billy Opinsky teamed up 20 years ago to make a hop-forward red ale that is now classified as a Northwest style India Pale Ale.  I have been loving this beer since I discovered it over a decade ago.  Now available in cans, it is a lot easier to procure than buying it only at Humpy’s, like you used to have to in 1995.  “Determined and bitter, but amazingly balanced, Sockeye Red IPA is gnarly enough to take you hook, line and sinker.” – Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

Alaskans take salmon seriously, that is why Sockeye Red IPA is close to many Alaskans’ hearts.  It is a bold beer for bold people.  One of the things we bold Alaskans like to do is go fishing.  What do you do with a big fish harvest?  You can it!  This painting is a play on canning.  I placed the Sockeye Red IPA from an aluminum can into a canning Kerr jar.  If you go out fishing and catch 20 Sockeye Red salmon, you are going to have to throw one heck of a salmon bake, or invest in a second freezer, or dump everything you had, including the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream to make freezer space.  The other option is to can the fish.  Jars are the way to go if you want to be eating this year’s salmon until you can harvest again next year, or even five years later.  It’s shelf stable, baby!  Even the best freezer bags will go funky in about 9 months, so Alaskans are big fans of the glass mason jar.  These jars are also great beer-drinking glasses, as they are true pints!  Have you noticed that the pint glasses at some bars are getting smaller and smaller?  Last time I measured, my “pint” glass held a measly 13 oz to the top!  If you get a Sockeye Red in a pint jar without any foam, you know you are getting a full pint.

Cheers to the upcoming fishing season, and to good brews to keep us happy on the beach!

The original oil painting sold.  You can purchase limited-edition prints, or order a custom painting at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #15 by Scott Clendaniel. April 9, 2015. Sockeye Red IPA by Midnight Sun Brewing Co. 11″x14″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #12, March 19, 2015

This week’s Thirsty Thursday beer painting is of Modern Romance — a collaboration by Midnight Sun Brewing Company and Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge. Brewed with cacao nibs, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chilies and maca, this dark ale is a sexy brew indeed. Spicier than last year’s batch, it will bring on the heat and clear your sinuses. This is a great winter warmer, warming more that just your spirits. At 9.3%, and sold in 22 oz bottles, I recommend sharing this one with a friend. Not for someone who dislikes spice, but if you want a beer that will broaden your palette, this is the right bottle. This seasonal, and limited brew comes out right before Valentine’s Day each year.

Cheers to Modern Romance, a great collaborative product from two of my favorite Anchorage establishments!

This painting sold. You can purchase a limited-edition print, or order a custom painting at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #12 by Scott Clendaniel. March 19th, 2015. Modern Romance by Midnight Sun Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #8, February 19, 2015

This week’s Thirsty Thursday painting veers from the pattern of famous paintings turned into beer-themed art, because I got a call on Tuesday morning from a reporter from Channel 11 News who wanted to do a story about my art. She asked if she could film in my studio, but because my studio is really small, I suggested filming at one of my favorite local breweries, Snow Goose Restaurant and Sleeping Lady Brewing Co., because I have several paintings hanging there, the beer is great, and on Wednesdays (and Fridays) growlers are only $5! I also do chalkboard art at this place, so I spend quite a bit of time there. I haven’t painted live in a brewery since November, and I missed doing it, so I suggested doing the interview while I paint a beer. I painted this pint of Urban Wilderness Pale Ale by Sleeping Lady Brewing Co. on the railing of the deck, because this pub has the best deck in town that is packed on sunny days in the summer. This beer is mostly true to its style, but is more hopped than standard pale ales.

I was flattered to be interviewed by Heather Hintze from KTVA. I always worry whether I sound intelligent when speaking about my beer paintings, but figure it will be better to say something about them than nothing at all. Hopefully Heather will edit out all the stupid things I may have said. Painting and talking in front of a camera at the same time is more challenging than you may think. If you live in Anchorage, tune in tonight at 6 PM to Channel 11 News to see my segment.

If you have not visited “The Goose”, I highly recommend it. Keep in mind that if you’re drinking your pint on the deck in high sunlight, move your beer into the shade, or cover it. Direct UV light can damage a beer in just a couple minutes, and will make it taste “skunky”. Thanks to Gary Klopfer, Greg Mills, Dion, Dave, and the rest of the fabulous crew at the Snow Goose Restaurant and Sleeping Lady Brewing! May the restaurant prosper and stay true to its beer-centric roots!

You can purchase this painting, or limited-edition prints at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #8 by Scott Clendaniel. February 19th, 2015. Urban Wilderness Pale Ale by Sleeping Lady Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 361

The featured beer painting for today is of Gluttony Triple IPA by Midnight Sun Brewing Company of Anchorage, Alaska! The brewers at Midnight Sun are on fire!   This is, hands down, the best IPA I have consumed this year! The Vermont crew can put their cans of Heady Topper in a cooler and keep it for themselves (like they do anyway), Devil Dancer comes close from Founders, and Stone Brewing’s Ruination is a good warm up for drinking this hoppy brew. The 120 Minute IPA is similar to this glorious triple IPA that is part of the 7 Deadly Sins beer series, but it’s not available fresh on the West Coast. I don’t know what to pair with this beer, but I am sure it would be good with Alaskan King crab. We were going to try it with some TastyKakes from Philadelphia, but were stuffed with homemade cinnamon rolls and bacon by the time we thought about opening up a box.

This beer claims to have 200 IBUs, which is like saying, “I am going to boil this water at 400 degrees.” Your tongue can only really tell if there are about 80-100 IBUs, and then your palate should peter out. I know there are super human palates out there, like some people can hear the same frequencies of pitch that dogs hear. For the rest of us saying this beer has double the hops of humans’ tasting capacity is actually slightly absurd. Like Lagunitas saying there are 102 IBUs in Hop Stoopid. Although, even that absurdly hopped beer falls short to the freshness that Gluttony provides here in Anchorage! I had this one at the brewery, and at home in the bottle, and I can tell you that here in Anchorage, a fresher, hoppier IPA can not be found! I don’t know why IPA should be consumed as close to the brewery as possible, considering it was designed originally to travel, but hey, even Captain Cook knew fresher was better, that’s why he brewed on board his ships, keeping scurvy at bay by dry hopping his boat’s ale with Alaskan Spruce tips. I digress, however! I am sure I have alienated the entire IPA consuming community by now. Take what I say with a grain of brewing salts. I know you can get a fresher beer brewed at your local brewery than from anywhere else! That’s also why Gluttony is so good! MSBC has their water chemistry on lockdown!

Cheers to MSBC! My hometown super-duper powerhouse of a brewery! Putting out world-class beers from my hometown Anchorage, Alaska!!!

You can purchase this painting, or a limited-edition print at my Etsy shop.

View the complete Year of Beer Paintings gallery.

Year of Beer 12.27. Gluttony Triple IPA by Midnight Sun Brewing Co. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 355

Happy Solstice! I am always more excited about winter solstice, because now we’ll start gaining light, which is a big deal in Alaska. I don’t understand why summer solstice is a bigger celebration; to me it’s a sad day when we start losing daylight. At 11 AM here in Anchorage, Alaska, I am just beginning to see full daylight outside. A nice little dusting of snow on the ground graced our beautiful solstice morning. It will start to get dark at 3:45 and will be dark as night by 4:30, so we’ll get a nice solid 5 hours of daylight today. Not bad when you compare that to Barrow, the most northern town in Alaska, where it has been night for well over 30 days now. On the 20^th of November the sun set, and will not rise until the 23^rd of January! So I’m glad to have five whole hours of sun today!

The featured beer painting is of Anchorage Brewing Company’s Darkest Hour Imperial Stout aged in whisky barrels! I opened this bottle yesterday at an ugly Christmas sweater party, and it was a big hit. Possibly, the best commercial beer available at the party among good homebrewed stouts including the Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, which was very palatable, and a homebrewed Russian Imperial Stout. The homebrewed RIS was about 15% ABV, while the Darkest Hour is a mere 13%, although the Darkest Hour won the darkest flavor! I am sure this beer will cellar very well, and I am hoping I get a chance to buy a few more bottles before it is all sold out. It pours like black engine oil, with a dark brown foam, and has rich dark grain flavor that will make you involuntarily go, “Mmmmm!” There must be a ton of dark grain in this beer, but the sourness of it is completely destroyed by the mighty Saccharomyces and the aging process in different kinds of whisky barrels.

Cheers to the diabolical dark genius of Gabe Fletcher at Anchorage Brewing! I can’t wait to visit the new brewery!

You can purchase this painting, or a limited-edition print at my Etsy shop.

View the complete Year of Beer Paintings gallery.

Year of Beer 12.21. Darkest House Imperial Stout by Anchorage Brewing Company. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 336

The featured beer painting is of Winter Ale by Alaskan Brewing Company. An Oude (Old) English ale brewed with spruce tips, this beer is one of my favorite seasonal ales. I have been drinking this strong and sweet beer since I was old enough to buy alcohol legally. I love the purple label with an eagle landing on a Spruce covered in snow. The chances of seeing an eagle landing on a spruce tree in Alaska are very high, especially in Juneau, the brewery’s hometown, and the state’s capital. Juneau has a downhill ski resort called Eagle Crest Ski Area, and I’ve never skied there, but I bet nothing would be better than sipping on Winter Ale after a day of downhill skiing through a spruce tree forest.

I’m relieved that we finally got some snow in Anchorage. It graces the spruce trees like a garland and reflects light, illuminating the surroundings. It may be dark, but as long as the snow has been falling, the moonlight and starlight are magnified enough to create a winter wonderland that makes a northerner feel lucky to call this place home. I love sipping on Alaskan Winter Ale, not only because it’s a family tradition, but also because the sweet aromatic taste of spruce is a taste of the winter forest.

Cheers to Alaskan Winter! My favorite time of year, and a very good beer!

You can purchase this painting, or a limited-edition print at my Etsy shop.

View the complete Year of Beer Paintings gallery.

Year of Beer 12.02. Winter Ale by Alaskan Brewing Company. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.