Tap Time Radio Aug 14th, 2019

Check out last night's edition of Tap Time with John Lee from Rebel Kettle and Adam Farrell from The Joint talking about their upcoming 6th Annual Jointstock this weekend.

Tap Time Radio June 19th, 2019

Here's the latest Tap Time with John Lee from Little Rock's Rebel Kettle Brewing chatting about their recent Conway expansion announcement and lots more:

Stout Conversations - A Rebel with a Kettle

Living a Stout Life

"Episode 16 - Always in search of great breweries, we came across a rebel in the industry. Started in a garage in 2013, Rebel Kettle Brewing in Little Rock's burgeoning scene of innovative craft beers, became a force to be reckoned with. Being rebels at heart and in hand, John and his team craft beers on their terms."

Be sure to visit https://livingastoutlife.com for more stories, Stout Life Approved places to visit, and resources to help you live your best craft beer life! A Stout Life!

Tap Time Radio August 6th, 2018

Check out last night's Tap Time on 103.7 The Buzz with guest John Lee from Rebel Kettle Brewing in Little Rock as we talk about their new beers, expansion and the effects of social media on breweries all while drinking some of their upcoming bottle release, Fuzzy Dice.

 

Tap Time Radio February 7th, 2018

Here's last night's Tap Time with guests John and Josh from Little Rock's Rebel Kettle Brewing talking about their big 2nd anniversary party coming up in April and lots of other things. Check it out:

 

Beers To Cheer: February 2017

 

Here's we go with another month's picks for our "Beers To Cheer" from the Arkansas brewing scene! And we've got a little treat for you this month... not only are Michael, Brian and I telling you what pair of brews we got giddy over this month, but we've also got our first GUEST PICKER, one Mr. Steve Shuler from Rock City Eats *insert applause*.

So check out a whopping 8 total choices from these 4 Arkansas beer lovers for you to get out and discover for yourself! And if you missed last month's edition, by all means check it out right here: Beers To Cheer: January 2017.


Steve Shuler (@Steve_Shuler):

Rebel Kettle Barrel-Aged Wake'n'Flake - Wake ‘n’ Flake is one of the brews that put Rebel Kettle on the map. Before there was the best taproom/patio in Little Rock, John Lee and his companions brewed this excellent coffee and coconut cream stout ale for festivals around the state, quickly earning a reputation for Rebel Kettle as an adventurous and fearless beer maker. February’s barrel-aged version pushes the envelope again in two important ways. First, it’s everything a barrel beer should be; full, robust, but letting the original brew shine through instead of submitting it. Second, it embraces the lower ABV that few barrel-aged brews enjoy. The flavor is as big as a 10-percent brew, but at less than 6 percent ABV, it’s a beer that lets you enjoy the big taste without making you stop drinking sooner than you’d like. This one is off tap now, but you’ll be able to taste it again at the brewery’s one-year anniversary on April 1st. It’s a beer that will be worth the April Fool’s trip all by itself.

Moody Brews Katchiri's Bier 2017 - Even though he’s departed Little Rock for Northwest Arkansas and Bike Rack Brewing Company, it’s safe to say we’re fortunate to have a brewer in our state like Josiah Moody. Very few brewers anywhere (and I mean anywhere) have his knack for creating perfectly balanced brews with both technical and artistic expertise. His latest iteration of Katchiri’s Bier is no exception. Originally envisioned as a nuanced farmhouse saison, Moody has developed it into this gorgeous monster of an ale. Eclipsing 9 percent ABV, this year’s Katchiri’s Bier is still mellow and smooth, with an unmistakably buttery finish. Moody decided to age this one in gin barrels from Rock Town Distillery, and my goodness, what a choice that turned out to be. The leftover floral notes are the perfect accompaniment in Moody’s final Little Rock symphony. This beer is almost gone (Legacy Wine and Spirits still has it for growler fill-up), but the impact Moody made on our beer scene won’t fade anytime soon.

Scott (@WooPigBrewey):

Stone's Throw Biere de Gras - This is one that was requested by the Cajun/Creole restaurants in town for release leading up to Fat Tuesday. It's based on their biere de garde recipe but made to a more "sessionable strength." It has a wonderful toasted aroma and the flavor is a super easy-to-drink sweet malt and toasty caramel with warrior and saaz hops dancing around in the mix. A great beer to drink during Mardi Gras celebrations or paired with crawfish and spicy gumbo dishes. It definitely made my Fat Tuesday a little (a lot?) fatter.

Flyway Lord God Imperial Chocolate Stout -This big 11% imperial chocolate stout was a lot easier to find than the elusive Ivory-Billed Woodpecker for which it's named, but it disappeared (from my glass) pretty quickly. Dangerously drinkable for a huge beer, only slightly boozy, it's a full-bodied chocolate stout aged on a copious amount of fresh roasted Izard Chocolate cacao nibs. Why yes, I'll have a glass of liquefied, chocolate alcohol please.

Brian (@EBSorensen):

Ozark Beer Co. Onyx Coffee Stout - Lost amidst the hype of bigger, bolder beers from Ozark – such as the Rogers brewery’s Double IPA and the forthcoming BDCS 2017 – are smaller, more sessionable beers that have been there since day one. My personal favorite, and one I filled a growler with in mid-February, is Onyx Coffee Stout. The cream stout base is superbly complimented by cold brewed coffee provided by on-the-rise roaster Onyx Coffee Lab. Some coffee beers are nuanced, but this one screams java in every way possible. A velvety backdrop of chocolate and dark fruit is punctuated by roasted coffee notes. I could literally drink this one all day long, starting alongside my bacon and eggs in the morning.

Flyway Bluewing Berry Wheat - Back on February 4th I attended Frost Fest 2017 in Fayetteville, a gloriously freezing beer festival hosted by Fossil Cove Brewing Co. I could name any number of double IPAs, sours, or barrel-aged brews that I sampled on that day, but cutting through the haze and standing out with its pure simplicity was the flagship beer from North Little Rock’s Flyway Brewing Co. – Bluewing Berry Wheat. This easy drinker provided the necessary balance to a boozy, high-consumption day. A crisp body and tart blueberry effervescence scrubbed the tongue. Witbier is a much-maligned style that gets no respect, particularly when laced with fruit. However, Flyway pulls it off in such a way that even the manliest of men can drink Bluewing without fear of embarrassment. It is – quite simply – a well-made beer.

Michael (@fayettebrew):

Apple Blossom Bloodhound English Barleywine - This barleywine from Apple Blossom’s Brian Youngblood was one of the first beers I had in February and it made an impression that has stayed fresh in my mind all month. The English style elements keep Bloodhound strong but malty and smooth - smoother than most American style barleywines - which is appreciable regardless of whether the February weather is frigid or friendly. For a style that does not always get a lot of play in our state, this is a welcomed sight on the Apple Blossom chalk board. [Still on tap at ABBC as of this post.]

Fossil Cove Saturday Series #3: Shiny Green Bullet - Fossil Cove’s Saturday Series brings the staff who typically handle the non-brewing responsibilities of the business into the Brewdizzle (the name for Fossil Cove’s brewing space) to incorporate their style and flavor into the lineup in the form of a small batch release. The third in this series features the New Zealand Green Bullet hop in a way that lends a refreshing lime flavor to an overall easy drinking beer.  Seemingly readymade for the hotter months ahead, Shiny Green Bullet is also an excellent beer for introducing someone to the less bitter and dank side of hops.



Check back next month's for our March picks!

Arkansas Beer Buzz Podcast #9 With Rebel Kettle

We're talking with John Lee from Rebel Kettle Brewing Company in Little Rock about their one year anniversary party coming up on April 1st, Beer And Loathing In Little Rock. There will be a lot of live music, barrel aged beers, food trucks and a hog roast. You don't want to miss this one!  

Some Arkansas Beer Updates

It's certainly a great time to be a craft beer lover in the state of Arkansas with so many new breweries, new beers and beer-soaked events taking place lately you really do need a program to keep up. Follow along on my Twitter feed and I'll do what I can to keep you informed, but here's a compilation of some things that are on my mind this morning.

One of the reasons I've not been regularly updating the blog here is that the bi-weekly radio show I co-host with my man Bryce Nall, Tap Time on 103.7 The Buzz, has been taking up time. We've just finished our first 3 months and it looks like we have 5 more months worth for sure so that should keep going through the summer. Last week's show was my favorite yet possibly, with guest Founders Brewery, but it hasn't made it to Soundcloud yet. Here's a link to the previous shows though, all except the first one we did:

https://soundcloud.com/scott-parton/sets/tap-time-1

The next show is March 21st and Rebel Kettle Brewing will be the guest. You don't want to miss this one!

Speaking of Rebel Kettle Brewing, they seem to be opening on an "any time now" sort of thing. I feel pretty sure that we'll be in there drinking their killer line-up of beers before March ends, but there's no official word yet. My fingers are crossed as I couldn't be any more excited about this awesome brewery getting going.

The newest Core Public House opened in central Arkansas on Friday at 411 North Main Street in North Little Rock. That's in the Argenta area if you're not familiar and it's not far from Flyway Brewing and Diamond Bear's tap rooms. The place looks great, has a cool staff and plenty of Core beers, with at least 10 taps flowing all the time and 12 total. Most of the beer lovers in central Arkansas are already familiar with Core beers as they've been available here for years, but we should see a lot of beers we wouldn't normally get to try plus there will be all sorts of special events and such going down. Here's a rundown of what's on now from my opening night visit:

Up in northwest Arkansas, Rogers to be more exact, New Province Brewing Company got their doors open last week and although I haven't been there it looks really cool in all the pictures I'm seeing. I can't wait to see it in person and try some beers, hopefully soon. They're on a 15bbl system and are starting with 4 beers.

We're just over a week away from Stone Brewing Company and Arrogant Bastard Brewing joining the state and for me this is going to be HUGE. I love their beers and have for many years. The big news for Little Rock is the “Arrogant After Party” at Sticky Fingerz, which will be following Foam Fest on Friday, April 1st. Boom! Put that on your calendar. Can't wait.

Bell's Brewery will be in Arkansas in late April! That's two of America's best breweries to launch here in a month.

Here's a few festival dates for you, click the links for details:

Friday April 1st - 19th Annual Food & Foam Fest at Dickey Stephens Park in NLR
April 7th - 10th - Fantastic Cinema and Craft Beer Festival
Friday May 13th - Arkansas Times Spring Firkin Fest (more info to come!)
Saturday May 21st - Hot Springs Craft Beer Festival

That's all I can think of right now. Follow the Twitter feed for updates!

Interview on KARN Today

Did a little chatting about Rebel Kettle, fall beers and the Arkansas beer scene in general this morning on KARN Newsradio. I didn't get much time to work in all the things I wanted to say, as usual (you know how I like to talk), but I got in a bit. 

 

I did screw up by not coming up with any central Arkansas pumpkin beers off the top of my head other than RedRumPum from Rebel Kettle as Stone's Throw has a Pumpkin Pie Porter coming out. I actually had it a few times last year even. Hey, live radio, no script.

Enjoy.

Local Breweries Collaborate on Ales For ALS Brew

ALS is a disease that's had an impact on my life since I lost my grandfather, who was more like a dad to me, when I was a teenager. Now I have a good friend who has been battling it the last few years at way too young of an age, if there is such a thing. But first things first here. What is ALS? (AKA: Lou Gehrig's Disease)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to paralysis, due to the death of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain.

• There is no known cure for the disease.

• The average person survives only 2-5 years following diagnosis.

• About 5,000 people in the US are diagnosed with ALS each year.

• There are about 30,000 people in the US diagnosed with ALS today.

• The worldwide population of ALS patients is estimated at 450,000.

In summary: it sucks. So what can you do? Give money for research for one thing, and one group has made that easier for beer drinkers to do. Check out: http://www.alesforals.com/

These guys have offered participating brewers access to a proprietary hop blend, free of charge, in exchange for participation in Ales for ALS™.

For more on the hop blend click here.

In come our local boys...

 

From Rebel Kettle: "We are happy to announce that next week we are brewing a very special collaboration beer with our good friends at Stone's Throw Brewing, Flyway Brewing Co., and Leap of Faith Brewing Co. to benefit Ales for ALS. Ales for ALS has partnered with hop producer Hopunion to create a special 6 hop blend just for this project. We will be using this unique blend in a generously hopped American Wheat ale. There will be a few release events next month to raise awareness and to aid research beginning at Stone's Throw on July 18th. Stay tuned for more details."

Here's the event page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1499430676958483/

And here are a few of more details for you:

June 28th - Brewday
July 17th - Radio spot on 103.7 The Buzz @ 11:30am
July 18th - Beer debuts at Stone's Throw
July 21st - Dugan's Pub 5-9pm
July 22nd - Big Orange Midtown 5-9pm
July 23rd - Flying Saucer

I reached out to John Lee from Rebel Kettle and shot a few questions at him if you're interested in learning more about this came about.

ABS: So how did this collaboration come about?

John Lee: After Foam Fest, Matt Foster (Flyway Brewing) mentioned how well he thought the Little Rock breweries did amongst the regional and national breweries there and I thought it would be a great idea to get some of us local breweries together and do a charity beer.

ABS: So you just got in contact with the Ales for ALS people and told them what was up and they sent you some of the hops? And how did the recipe come about?

John: Yeah, as far as getting the hops, you're correct. We actually got right in at the tail end of the window. They were running out and we only needed a small amount. We got 11 pounds. As far as the beer we're doing, we decided to do a couple of test batches. I did a hoppy wheat beer and Dave Ragan from Leap of Faith did a pale ale then we sat down last week and did some tastings and decided the hoppy wheat would work better for what we wanted to do. That's what we'll be brewing next week.

ABS: So tell me a little about the beer we'll be drinking?

John:  It's a hoppy wheat beer. The base is a simple American Wheat Ale recipe utilizing a 35% mix of wheat malt and flaked wheat. What really makes the beer shine is the six hop pellet blend provided by Ales for ALS and Hopunion. The hop expresses a wide array of aromas and flavors ranging from tropical fruity to piney and spicey. We used an enormous amount of the hop in late kettle and dry hop additions to give it a huge hop nose but still leave the underlying flavor of the beer intact. Although it may smell like an IPA it isn't bitter at all. Balanced and refreshing, the beer finishes crisp and clean making a perfect Summer beer.

ABS: Sounds great! I'm seeing a quite a few of this style now and I like them. And the schedule of events I'm posting is pretty close? 

John: Yes, we have the 4 dates, starting at Stones Throw on July 18th on their "new brew Friday" followed by July 21st at Dugan's Pub, the next night at Big Orange Midtown and then The Flying Saucer on July 23rd.

ABS: Big week! Each place will have a slim keg?

John: I believe 2 each, that's what we're going to commit right now.

ABS: Is this the first of many of these collaborations?

John: I hope. We've had a great time. I hope we can do some more. We're always looking for good causes and spreading the word through brewing. I hope we can continue to do so.

So there you go, now get ready to get out and get some of these for a GREAT cause. I'll see you there I hope!

A Few Pics From The 1st Hot Springs Craftbeer Festival

I went down to Hot Springs for their inaugural craft beer festival last weekend and had a great time. I didn't take a whole lot of pictures but I'll share a few. I got to try a couple of the first beers from Superior Bathhouse Brewing (a Kolsch and a pale ale) and was pleased. Lots of excitement for them going on with huge wait lines to try out the new stuff. I sat around their tasting room a few times during the day drinking from their quality tap selection also. Great addition to Hot Springs IMO.

So you know the routine at these... walk around with your tiny cup, talk about beer, get tipsy, talk more about beer, pee a lot, etc...

Enjoyed an Evil Twin Low Life Pils at Superior to start

Some drafts at Maxine's, home of a Leaky Roof Meads tap takeover later in the night

Capone's Ohio Club is a cool old bar

The Copper Penny Pub has Founders taps

Rebel Kettle table

Piney River table

Stone's Throw table

The Founders All Day IPA truck

Founders table

Vino's table

Ended the day with a Founders Devil Dancer at Superior

Rebel At Heart, 4 Rebels In Hand?

The annual Little Rock Food & Foam Fest is just 1 day away! I posted a whole list of the available beers yesterday and have posted some of the VIP room beers but I thought I say a bit about one of my favorite up-and-coming breweries in the area, Rebel Kettle Brewing. 

They're bringing 4 beers this year and I was lucky enough to try them last weekend and trust me there's not a stinker in the bunch. I've compiled their recent descriptions of the beers mainly because I want you to know what you're missing if you don't get your butts by their table before these run out. If you don't try them, then you can't blame me now. I've done my part. I'll sleep fine.

And I don't want to pick a favorite of these because it would probably depend on my mood, but I sure do like the cucumber saison... 



Bretting Bad - Oaked and Dry-hopped, 100% Brettanomyces (wild yeast) fermented Pale Ale

Based on a typical American Pale Ale recipe, this beer offers a completely different and intriguing sensory experience. It pours a clear bright copper with a firm white head. It has a peculiar yet addictive bouquet of warm, ripe tropical fruits, malt and wood. The myriad of elusive scents are wrapped in a distinct "Brett" funkiness. A light body lends itself to an easy drinkability of the crazy collection of flavors within. An eclectic mishmash of tropical fruits, vanilla oakiness and funk that finish in a subtle juxtaposition of bitterness and tartness.

to HELLES and BOCK Lager

An ode to the season. This traditional styled Helles Bock German Lager is a perfect pairing for cool Spring evenings. The strong, 7.4% abv beer pours a deep gold with a fluffy pillow-like white head. Aromas of heavy malt and a slight fruitiness with some toasted breadiness in the backdrop. A smooth and creamy medium bodied mouthfeel lends itself to a strong maltiness that floods the palate. Rounded out by a slight bitterness from German Noble hops, the beer finishes dry yet with a nice malt sweetness and a hint of alcohol.

Womanizer - Cucumber and Melon Saison

A unique twist on a farmhouse-style ale. The beer pours a hazy straw with a persistent white head. The bold aroma of freshly cut cucumber is followed by a sweetness of sun ripened watermelon. Similar in flavor, the cucumber come to the forefront then are smoothed out and sweetened by a glorious mix of melon flavors. Slight bready malt and a spicy Belgian yeast character round out the beer making for a very interesting and pleasant finish.

Popfly - Popcorn Cream Ale

Deep straw hue with glints of copper and gold, topped with a brilliant white head. Faint aromas of bread crusty malts and freshly popped corn. Smooth and easy- drinking, light to medium body. Simple sweet malt and toasty corn flavors coupled with earthy hops that balance nicely into a clean and harmonious finish.  

Interview: Rebel Kettle Brewing

After a solid showing at several beer events around central Arkansas recently, aspiring brewery Rebel Kettle Brewing is starting to create a bit of buzz (pun intended). I get asked a lot about the status of them so I thought I'd sit down with the guys and throw some questions at them about the current and future state of their brew and brewery. Run by 2 friends in the Little Rock area, Tommy McGhee and John Lee, their motto is "Rebel at heart, Rebel in hand."

Here's a bit more from their Facebook page to get you acquainted:

"Rebel Kettle Brewing is an aspiring brewery that holds true to an underground, rebellious style. We are currently not a licensed brewery and do not sell or distribute. We brew on a half-barrel system and share the spoils with family and friends. Our goal is to brew bold, bad-ass beers that defy style guidelines. We stand in rebellion against the idea that all beer must fit within a category. Rebel Kettle Brewing vows to break down the barriers of beer stereotypes and push the boundaries of craft brewing. We are proud supporters of the craft beer revolution and urge people to try something different. Support the revolution, JOIN THE REBELLION!"

Arkansas Beer Scene (ABS): So what made you guys want to open a brewery in the first place?

John Lee: Tommy and I work together and we've been talking about opening a brewery for about 5 or 6 years. Initially it was "let's do like a brewpub" but we realized we don't know anything about the restaurant business. We know beer. This is what we do. So we decided we could take what we know and open a small brewery and bring our craft to Little Rock.

Tommy McGhee: John is actually the one that got me involved in actual craft beer. We went to a lot of festivals and things together, we started home brewing together (although John had been home brewing for years himself) and we just always talked about how doing a brewery would be great. So we basically just one day finally said "let's do it." We just decided why not try it?

ABS: How long ago was that?

John: That was last March (2013). When we first starting talking about it, 5 years ago, there weren't that many breweries in Arkansas. Now that's changed. Hopefully we can get there too.

ABS: To go a little further on that, with all the new breweries in the area, do you really feel there's room for more?

John: Absolutely. There's room for a lot more. The one thing we actually looked forward to was helping create a beer community here in Little Rock and all of Arkansas as well. We're still pretty small as far as breweries per capita here in the state. We want to help make Little Rock and Arkansas a beer destination. We love what Fayetteville is doing with the Ale Trail and would love to see something like that here in Little Rock. Right now we're up to 6 or 7 breweries in the area and we'd love to be a part of that. Each one of these breweries is putting their stamp on their style and beer in general and we want to bring what we like to do to that, which may be a little different. But everybody is bringing something a little different.

ABS: So you don't feel like you're competing as much as just "let's all do this together" sort of thing?

John: It is a family thing. Everybody we've talked to in the beer community here has been really supportive. We've needed a lot of help getting started and it seems like everybody bands together. We've meet some really great people.

ABS: So I love the original old-school artwork. What's the deal with it and who came up with it?

Tommy: I came up with the artwork when we started coming up with this whole idea of a brewery. Pretty much the first thing we did was try to come up with a name and logo and we kicked around lots of different names and John came up with this big list and one that he really liked was Rebel Kettle. I thought it was great too and stood for our general style in music and beer.

I went home and kicked it around and my wife Belle is big into the 40s pin-up stuff and she was saying we should do something rockabilly-ish and one of my favorite bands is actually Social Distortion so it kind of kicked it off for me, sort of a skeleton with a pompadour holding a beer glass with a leather jacket. I sketched it up and sent it to John and he thought it was awesome so we tweaked it a bit from there. Actually the first picture I sent is it. It just fit.

ABS: So does the guy have a name?

Tommy: We came up with Johnny Two-Pints.

ABS: That's awesome. Alright, now a few quick questions for you guys. First, what craft beer was your "gateway" to craft brews, or introduction?

John: Sam Adams Boston Lager, circa 1992.

Tommy: I'll go with Sierra Nevada Celebration.

ABS: What are some of your current favorite breweries?

John: If I had to pick a few.... Sierra Nevada, Cigar City, I'm really liking Jester King and probably my favorite is Crooked Stave.

Tommy: I agree with Sierra Nevada and Cigar City, I love Funky Budha, I like Firestone Walker.

ABS: OK, what are just some of you favorite styles you most like to drink, overall, I know a lot depends on the season.

John: I gravitate towards drinkability. I love saisons, they can be high alcohol beers and still be very drinkable. I love pilsners... I like maltier stuff as well, swartzbiers are great beers, they kind of give you the best of both worlds. The same goes for IPAs, you don't want a heavy IPA, you want something you can drink. That's what it comes down to for me.

Tommy: Some of my favorites are more on the maltier side... browns, porters, stouts. I pretty much go for the darker side.

ABS: OK, now just a few of your favorite current beers, just off the top of your head.

Tommy: At Christmas I had a lot of the 1809 Berliner Weisse, I'm just getting into sours. Also Jester King's Boxer's Revenge, another sour. And Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA.

John: The one recently I can't put down is Crooked Stave Hop Savant, 100 percent brett beer. It's put me in a whole new state of where I want to take Rebel Kettle, changed my perception of beer. It's something new, for me.

ABS: Last question, so what exactly is happening with you guys now? Where does the business stand, when can we expect beer?

John: Right now we're working our business plan, trying to get settled financially. We're looking for a location, hopefully to have one by mid-year.

ABS: Are you talking about a brewing location or like a brewpub sort of thing?

John: Just a small brewery, with a taproom. Initially starting with a pilot system, then the timeline is within 6 months being able to open. We've heard generally it's 6-8 months. Hopefully by the end of the year we'd be looking at opening.

ABS: Do you have a specific area you're looking at?

John: We're gravitating towards North Little Rock, considering where we live. We're certainly not opposed to downtown Little Rock either. We'll open small, hopefully have about 8 taps. Maybe running a session IPA, a cream stout, Dirtbag Brown, maybe another IPA.

Tommy: We want to have a few "always there beers" but we also want to be ever-changing and never settle. We want to be a brewery for beer drinkers, to try things.

John: The goal is a new beer every week. We want staples, but the ultimate goal is variety. Give people something new and different.

ABS: Thanks for your time guys and good luck on your goals!

Follow Rebel Kettle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebelKettle