Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #106. Bleeding Heart Brewery Beet IPA.

Happy Autumn Equinox Ladies and Gentlemen!  

Well, Equinox isn’t until tomorrow at 1:02PM PST, so I am celebrating a bit early.  Why celebrate the end of summer?  I guess I am just feeling lucky to have survived the summer craze.  Now I have made it to the “chill” time of year when everyone goes home at 9PM and the beer lines are manageable.

I decided to start doing Thirsty Thursday beer painting releases again.  So follow along every week to see a new beer-themed painting and blog post.

I made this beer painting to honor Bleeding Heart Brewery’s flagship beer — the Beet IPA.  That’s right, this is not a Rosé wine, this is an IPA brewed with water, malt, hops, BEETS, and yeast.  I know, I thought it was very strange at first, and that’s why I had to order it.  The beets add an earthy and slightly sweet flavor to the hoppy brew.  Now I order this beer every time.  I have visited this Palmer, Alaska brewery three times and it makes me wish I lived in Palmer.  The irony of this brewery is the brewers are using a system not much larger than my home brewery, and yet, they seem to make enough product to stay in business and to sell commercially.  Often times brewing a batch twice to fill one of their tiny fermenters.  The price is a bit steep for a new start up brewery, but I have yet to try a brew from these artisanal brewing artists that wasn’t worth the $6 – $10 per 12 oz serving.  I love the farm setting, and the avant-garde beers are cutting edge.  This is a true farmhouse brewery complete with chickens and cows.  The beer garden is as fun to drink beer in as any I have ever visited.  Often there’s a food truck offering delicious grub that pairs perfectly with the brew.  If you are an Alaskan, or traveling in Alaska, and you don’t make a pilgrimage to Bleeding Heart, conveniently located behind the Alaska State Fairgrounds, you are making a big mistake.

Cheers to Bleeding Heart, a brewery that will “make it” from sheer tenacity, with great products, a wonderful setting, and fabulous personality.  A hidden gem waiting to explode.  I would invest now if I were you!  This brewery is a solid addition to the craft beer community of Alaska. 

The original oil painting sold, but 52 limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #106. Beet IPA by Bleeding Heart Brewery in Palmer, Alaska. By Scott Clendaniel. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Advertisement

Kenai River Brewing Company Sampler

I have been painting the beers from Kenai River Brewing since I started the Year of Beer Paintings project in 2014.  I’ve done a painting of each of the canned beers, four total, and every one of them went to the private collection of Doug Hogue, the founder and owner of this great Soldotna beer oasis.  Kenai River Brewing has been brewing up some avante-guarde styles like XPA, Black IPA, Honeymoon Heffe, and a Gummy Bear Belgian Triple, as well as some style-perfect traditional ales like the Peninsula Brewers Reserve Blonde, Skilak Scottish, and Sunken Island IPA.  All I can say is this brewery is a gem.

Soldotna is on the way to Homer, and I was driving there to attend our friends’ wedding celebration, so I planned ahead and brought my painting kit so I could paint live at the brewery.  This was my first visit to the new building, which now has a restaurant and a large dining room.  I ordered the bacon cheeseburger (see picture below), and set up my painting station outside in the back.  I should have included the colossal burger in the painting, which is as good as the best burger I’ve ever had.  Half a pound of fresh beef, with a great bun, pepper bacon and crispy fries on the side.  I think a brewery should have classic pub fare and KRB does this perfectly.  Food and beer coming together in a great establishment with easy to access service, making this place a near perfect example of what a brewery should be!  If you haven’t visited this stop when you are on the Kenai, you are missing out!  You can get a taster paddle with four 3 oz tasters, made from local burl wood.  I chose to paint my taster paddle because it looked like a work of art to me and showed off the dedication to detail that KRB consistently exhibits.

Doug found me outside while I was painting, and bought the painting.  I took it back to the studio in Anchorage, so it could dry, then varnished it and framed it.  I delivered the painting to Doug at the brewery while I was driving to go dip-netting at Kasilof, and we shared a bottle of my homebrew.  I got a picture of Doug and I with this painting out back. I will be returning to KRB next time I head to Soldotna!

Cheers to great Alaskan beers, good food, and a beautiful place to enjoy it all!  Way to go KRB!

The original oil painting sold, but limited-edition art prints are for sale at my Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.

My painting set-up, the inspiration, and lunch.

Epic bacon cheese burger!

Founder and owner, Doug Hogue and I.

Beer sampler at Kenai River Brewing Company in Soldotna, Alaska. Oil painting by Scott Clendaniel. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

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 #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 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″.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 332

Happy Black Friday sales hunting, but save some money for the annual Holiday Studio Sale and Open House at the Maury home happening next Friday, Dec. 5. If you want the best selection of pottery, jewelry and my paintings and prints, I recommend showing up at opening on Friday at 11 AM. I have made seven new non-beer themed paintings, and when they are gone, I will unveil some of the newest Year of Beer originals. Then come back at 5 PM on Friday, because I will be tapping a keg of my homebrewed honey ginger beer!

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! We celebrated with a total of thirty people at my brother’s house this year – a record! My wife and I didn’t stand a chance at the annual doubles ping-pong tournament. I started the party by popping the cork of this bottle of Whiteout Wit Bier with Brett brewed by Anchorage Brewing Company. The old label had a beautiful wintery spruce forest scene on it, but I like the white owl more because it makes me think of Athena, goddess of war and wisdom. Get it? Wit. The beer was the perfect table beer for our feast. My brother married into a Vietnamese family, and his mother-in-law brings the most amazing egg rolls to Thanksgiving. We also had turkey, a duck, prime beef, and a ham, so I made a meat sandwich from all the offerings and washed it down with Gabe Fletcher’s beer. Overall, a feast to remember!

Cheers to the Whiteout Wit on Black Friday! I hope your shopping basket is full of great beers this year!

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 11.28. Whiteout Wit Bier with Brett by Anchorage Brewing Company. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 298

Trickster, or Treat? Both are pumpkin beers, but I went for seasonal T.R.E.A.T. The Royal Eccentric Ale Treatment is the Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter from Midnight Sun Brewing Company of Anchorage, Alaska. This is a big, bold pumpkin Porter at 7.8% ABV! My favorite part is the chocolate nibs, which differentiate this pumpkin beer from most others. Midnight Sun has been making this beer since 2005, so any kinks have been worked out. There are tons of flavors besides pumpkin: chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are all in the mix. This beer pours black, and looks sinister in a glass.

I’m glad Midnight Sun offers 6 oz servings at the Loft tasting room, because I can’t drink a full glass of some of those beers and still drive home safely. Alaska has strange laws about what a brewery can and cannot do. Mainly due to the difference between a full liquor license and a brewery license, a brewery can only serve 36 oz to one person on premise per visit, a person can take home 5 gallons, and the tasting room has to close at 8 PM. There are more restrictions too, such as no games like pool tables, or darts, no bar stools at the main bar, and no live music. You gotta pay for the full liquor license to enjoy stuff like that. So, I’m glad I can buy 6 oz servings, not only because most of the beers are strong, like T.R.E.A.T. and Termination Dust Barley Wine, but then you can have several different flavors without incurring the wrath of a hangover, or worse, a DUI. This Halloween consider drinking T.R.E.A.T., as it really is the grown-up version of a very fine reward for not being too tricky.

Cheers to the T.R.E.A.T! I appreciate what you do MSBC! Bring on Halloween! Hoooooowwwwwl!

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 10.25. T.R.E.A.T. Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter by Midnight Sun Brewing Co. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 292

The featured beer painting is of Redoubt Red Ale by Baranof Island Brewing Company located in Sitka, Alaska. I have never been to Sitka, but I do want to go. Alaska is a huge state, and there are many places that are on my list such as Cordova, Yakutat, Barrow, Kodiak, and the Brooks Range, among many others. Most of them are only accessible by plane. This beer is named after Redoubt Lake, which is a popular fishing destination for Sockeye (Red) Salmon. It’s a meromictic lake, which means that it has two layers of water: a warmer layer on top and a colder layer underneath. The word Redoubt means “a fortified place,” and is also the name of an active volcano not far from Anchorage. Unlike Redoubt Volcano, the one that towers over Sitka’s boat harbor, Mount Edgecumbe, is dormant. So I painted Redoubt Volcano exploding in the background, so that this painting would be a tribute to all things named Redoubt in Alaska: the lake, the volcano, and the beer.

The Redoubt Red Ale is a great beer, and one of the best offerings from Baranof Island Brewing. It is more of an Irish-style red ale, rather than a red IPA. More malty and sweeter than its IPA cousins, this beer still has a nice hop bite, however it is subdued in comparison. Not light on the alcohol by European or American standards coming in at a solid 6%. I tasted all the brews this brewery brought to the Great Alaska Beer and Barleywine festival, and look forward to watching this brewery grow and develop its style.

Cheers to all things Redoubt. I need to make it to Sitka, even though there’s no road to Baranof Island. Good thing there’s a brewery there – a major attraction for me.

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 10.19. Redoubt Red Ale by Baranof Island Brewing Co. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 287

The featured beer painting of the day is of Alaskan Brewing Company’s Pumpkin Porter. I would have to say that pumpkin beer is the right ale to be drinking at this time of year. A Pumpkin Porter is a great Halloween beer and I am getting in the spirit of the next upcoming holiday. The dark grains in this beer remind me of the fall harvest in Alaska, and what a bountiful harvest it was! At my local farmer’s market I bought tomatoes, kohlrabi, beautiful spices, and carrots, but I didn’t see any pumpkins. I wonder why, because I know they grow well in Alaska, and some of them get enormous, like the cabbages. Twenty-four hours of daylight and rich volcanic soil can do that. The pumpkins can get so big that they have to be transported to the Alaska State Fair using a forklift! If you look at the label on this beer, you’ll see a truck carrying a colossal pumpkin. I bet this truck is hitting its payload! This year’s blue ribbon pumpkin at the Alaska State Fair was 1,235.5 lbs! That is one big gourd! The world record was broken this year in Mainz, Germany with a behemoth that weighed 2,096.6 lbs! The question that arises is what do you do with a pumpkin that large?   I am imagining a huge brewing operation, a whole batch of pumpkin beer from the pulp! Or, if 1,000 homebrewers showed up, they could make a 1,000 five-gallon batches, and still have enough for everyone to have 1-2 lbs per batch. That’s a lot of pumpkin, really!

Cheers to Fall, and the great harvest that ensues on this side of the world! I hope you get some of Alaskan’s Pumpkin Porter — one of the best pumpkin beers I’ve had yet!

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

Year of Beer 10.14. Pumpkin Porter by Alaskan Brewing Co. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.