Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #39, September 24, 2015

This week’s Thirsty Thursday beer painting is entitled American Goblet, and is a parody of Grant Wood’s iconic painting American Gothic. Switching the pitchfork for a beer goblet changes everything about this piece. Wood painted this composition to represent American culture. The American Gothic house is a real house in Dibble, Iowa, and the artist painted the couple that he imagined would live in such a house. The pitchfork is a symbol of labor in the field, but the beer glass symbolizes relaxation after a hard day’s work. Now the woman looks irritated at her man, instead of just looking worn out from hard work. I hope this painting makes you laugh, because it’s intended to be a lighthearted look at the way Americans have evolved since the 19^th century. Wood painted this in 1930, three years prior to the end of Prohibition. Maybe that is why the woman (modeled after Wood’s sister), is mad at her husband (modeled after Wood’s dentist), because he is actually breaking the law.

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

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #39 by Scott Clendaniel. September 24, 2015. American Goblet. 11″x14″, oil on panel.

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Year of Beer Paintings – Day 304

Hoppy Halloween! The featured painting for the haunting occasion is Maudite Belgian Strong Dark Ale, or “the Damned” by Unibroue. The beer was named after a story about eight lumberjacks slaving away far from their home village during winter months longing to be back at their home village for the winter celebration. Their wish was granted by Beezlebub himself. All eight pledged their souls in order for the Devil to enchant their canoe to make it able to fly. Of course, there were a couple stipulations. One, they must leave the party after one night before dawn and return to their work in the morning. Two, they must not make the sign of the cross, or use the Lord’s name in defiance to the Devil. Legend has it that they made it home and partied all night at a wickedly sinful party, and all became very intoxicated. On the return flight the lead paddler was so drunken they were swaying all over the sky. A woodsman in the back of the boat was so frightened he made the symbol of the cross and the canoe instantly crashed. There were no survivors. At least these rough fellas had one good night of carousing before eternal damnation.

This beer is a Belgian-style strong dark ale with flavors of spicy yeast, coriander, cloves and a nice hop finish. A strong ale, but not too strong at 8%. This one won’t immediately make you find a place to snooze, like barleywine might, however if you were to drink it all night you might crash your flying canoe. My personal favorite thing about this beer is not only the label, but also the pop of the champagne cork. Hopefully, not a signal to bring out the devil, but a signal that the party has begun. I think this is a perfect Halloween treat, a beer that inspires the right kind of mood on this un-holiest of holidays.

Cheers to Unibroue for putting out such special brews! The Maudite is a perfect Halloween warmer for after taking the kids trick-or-treating. Drink it while they are counting their loot and drinking hot chocolate.

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 10.31. Maudite Belgian Strong Dark Ale by Unibroue. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 303

Today’s featured beer painting is of Pynk Ale by Yards Brewing Company in Philadelphia. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and Yards donates $1 from the sale of every case of this seasonal beer to breast cancer research. I know several women who have successfully battled breast cancer, and I would be glad to donate 10% of sales of this painting/prints to the The Tyanna Foundation for breast cancer research.

This beer is very tasty! I was a little worried when I saw it was a fruit-flavored beer, but when I read the label it sounded like it has actual fruit in it, not just flavoring added, which always seems to make the beer taste better. This ale was brewed with 3,300 lbs of sour and sweet cherries and raspberries, making it a nice ale with a sour edge. Knowing that drinking this beer helps breast cancer research makes every sip taste all the sweeter.

I became aware of Yards Brewing Company when I painted a commissioned portrait of the Brawler for my friend Jay’s 1^st wedding anniversary present to his wife. He and Kelly had this beer and a few other Philly specialties served at their wedding. Since I consider these little beer paintings to be portraits, I normally prefer to “meet” the beer, to find out the underlying flavor, so Jay asked his family in Philly to send him some beer. Upon inspection, I executed the painting with landmark images from the setting of their wedding. It was great to be part of the secret present and to be tasting beers I had never heard of before. The Brawler was smooth and the present was gladly received. The couple loves their beers, and I love making beer paintings.

Cheers to Pynk, the beer that is helping the world! Buy a case of this beer, and you will be giving a dollar towards breast cancer research.

The original painting sold. You can purchase a limited-edition print at my Etsy shop.

*I am donating 10% of sales from this painting/prints to The Tyanna Foundation for breast cancer research.

View the complete Year of Beer Paintings gallery.

Year of Beer 10.30. Pynk Ale by Yards Brewing Co. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 300!

The featured beer painting of the day is of Endless River Kolsch-Style Ale from Mother Earth Brewing of Kinston, North Carolina. I opened this beer for the first time for my dinner guests who own the local homebrew supply shop. Lisa is a beer perfectionist and makes some of the best brews I have ever had, and Kolsch and Pilsners are her favorite styles of beer. She gave this beer a very good review, and kept looking at the bottle so she could remember the name of it, and the brewery. I noticed right away how this version of kolsch is bright and clean tasting. Kolsch or Pils are styles that are a litmus test for a brewery. If a brewery has any off flavors in its brews, they will be obvious in the Kolsch and Pils. Not much to hide behind in this simple style of beer. Not only is this beer super tasty, but the label is really pleasant, and I can imagine being out on the river sipping on Endless River Kolsch.

The Mother Earth brewery has the coolest building in Kinston. They are as green as the name suggests. “Peace, Love and Beer” is their motto. They have a six-kilowatt solar system producing endless energy from the Southern sun. They even have recycled blue jeans as insulation and sound barrier built right into the retrofitted historic building. If you like Kolsch style beer, you will be a fan of this one. I certainly am.

Cheers to peace, love and beer! If you are at peace, and you love beer, you will find happiness, or hoppiness at least. Thanks Charlotte for sending me this delicious beer from the other corner of the country!

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 10.27. Endless River Kolsch-Style Ale by Mother Earth Brewing. 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 296

The featured beer painting of the day is of Pilsner Urquell, the original Pilsner beer established in 1842. This fine golden lager is brewed in Plzen, Czech Republic, and is the source of inspiration for 9 out of 10 beers that are commercially available today. My friend Aaron Rathbone brought this bottle to Anchorage all the way from Prague! More heavily hopped than most Pilsners, the original bottom-fermented brew contains abundant helpings of Saaz and Noble hops. During the summer of 1842, 36 casks of beer were thrown out due to inconsistency and foul flavor in the bohemian town of Plzen. Josef Groll was hired to brew a new batch, and by October 5 the wort was already fermenting. The beer was ready by November 11, and the first Pilsner was tapped and served for the first feast of Saint Martin markets.

If you don’t like pilsner beer, I suggest giving it a second, third and maybe even a fourth try. It really starts to grow on you. The crispness of the malt and the yeast flavors that are created during the slow bottom fermentation produce a bread-like aroma that is unique to this style of brew. The Saaz and Noble hops balance out the sweetness to make a perfect beer. It is not a surprise to me that Pilsner beer took the whole world by surprise, changing the way people looked at beer. Almost every beer you will come into contact with, craft beer aside (although there are many great craft pilsners) will be a pale imitation of the real deal, Pilsner Urquell. Don’t buy the green bottles, though, unless you are in Plzen. It is now available here in the USA in light proof cans and dark brown bottles. Nothing makes this beer worse than light contamination. If you have never had a Pilsner Urquell before, I highly recommend sitting back and savoring one ASAP.

Na Zdravi! Cheers to your health, Pilsner Urquell, the brewery that changed the world’s beer scene! I hope you never quit making this quality product!

The original painting sold. You can purchase a limited-edition print at my Etsy shop.

View the complete Year of Beer Paintings gallery.

Year of Beer 10.23. Pilsner Urquell. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 295

Wow! Only 70 days left in 2014! Only 60 until Solstice, which I am eager for, but don’t want to rush. I want to enjoy every day of the Year of Beer. I know the winter seasonals just hit the shelves, but I will wait to paint them at least until Halloween is over.

The featured beer painting of the day is of Red Racer IPA from Central City Brewing located in Surrey, BC, Canada. I know this beer is called Red Betty here in the States, but the same beer is distributed as Red Racer where it is brewed in Canada, so I went for the Canadian version. I know there are killer single-track mountain bike trails right there in British Columbia, so I put Betty’s bike parked on the trail. She is sipping on this cold one, or so my story goes. I love mountain biking, and I love beer, and I combined my two loves in this painting. This label makes me think of my beautiful red-haired wife who shares my love for biking and beer. That’s the trouble with paintings. I try to tell a story, but the interpretation is completely up to the viewer.

Beer is more concrete, and this one was a solid offering. An English-style IPA for sure, with a strong malt backbone. I am glad the brewers didn’t overdo the bittering hops. The aroma and flavor was piney, and reminded me of riding my bike in the spring right after the mud has dried up, and the new shoots are springing from the trees. This IPA is a very nice offering from BC, and I will make sure to drink more of this one when I roll through Canada, hopefully after a day of cycling, or hitting the slopes at a sweet Canadian ski mountain.

Cheers to the Red Racer IPA! A finely-crafted Canadian brew. I hope you get your hands on this can, because its flavor is uniquely BC.

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 10.22. Red Racer IPA by Central City Brewing Co. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 294

The featured beer painting of the day is of Extra Pale Ale by Summit Brewing Company, located in St. Paul, Minnesota! This is a classic from St. Paul, and is perfect for almost any occasion. My friends Petr and Lisa brought this one for me from their travels to Minnesota this summer. Last night I paired it with some amazing pizza that my wife made, and I wish I had more than one, because I had to share with my dinner guests, but my homebrew seemed to be a big hit as well. Everything about Summit Brewing is pretty classy from its slick golden label showcasing the St. Paul skyline, to the embossed bottle with decorative grains. Not to mention the amazing copper brew kettles. I love the dry hopped flavor of this delicious brew. Nice and bready with a fine after bite of hops. I think it might be my favorite Minnesota beer at this time. Minnesota is now on my “to visit” list. Maria and I are taking a trip to the North East this year, but next year we might just load up our truck and swing around the states on a tour, or a series of shorter trips like the upcoming trip to PA, MA, NY, DE, VT, NJ, and ME. Our new mission is to make it to all 50 states, and I have been to about 13 so far. At least we have the hard ones (AK and HI) covered already.

Cheers to beers from Summit Brewing! Can’t wait until I am sitting in St. Paul sipping on a fresh one.

The original oil painting sold, but you can purchase a limited-edition print, or commission a custom beer painting at my Etsy shop.

Year of Beer 10.21. Extra Pale Ale by Summit Brewing Co. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.

Year of Beer Paintings – Day 293

The featured beer painting of the day is of F5 IPA from COOP Ale Works located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma! Thanks, Amy, for bringing this beer home in your luggage all the way from Oklahoma! This project has been such a learning experience for me, and not just about beer. I never knew about the scale for measuring the strength of tornadoes — the F Scale named for Theodore Fujita who developed the rating at Chicago University in 1971. The F5 IPA is named after the strongest of all the twisters, so strong that it levels houses off foundations, sends automobile-sized missiles flying through the air, and debarks trees. It is a truly incredible phenomenon. I guess when wind speeds reach over 300 mph the universe starts to work in unexpected ways.

This beer was unexpected, showing up from a client who ordered a painting of her favorite bicycle, and she chose very well. This beer has a rating of 91 on Beer Advocate! Nice and bitter, not like the IPAs you sometimes get that are too malty, because the brewers try to get the balance right, but fail on the first hop addition, resulting in a nice smelling, but entirely too sweet IPA. This one had an unusual hop bill with Columbus and Falconer’s Flight. I don’t think I have ever used them in a home brew before. The beer was piney, with notes of spicy citrus. If you can get your hands on the F5 IPA, buy it and enjoy!

Cheers to Oklahoma beer! Great job COOP Ale Works on your F5 IPA, a nice addition to the Year of Beer Paintings series!

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 10.20. F5 IPA by COOP Ale Works. 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″.