Pauwels brings the beer and a few surprises
By Owen Morris in Booze
Tuesday, Mar. 10 2009 @ 10:00AM
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Last night I was fortunate enough to attend Flying Saucer's tasting of Boulevard's Smokestack Series beer. It was presented by Boulevard's brewmaster Steven Pauwels, who not only talked for 90 minutes straight but also kept the crowd of 40-plus enthralled. Tough to do when they're slowly getting drunk.
Pauwels, who came to Kansas City from Belgium for the Boulevard job, began by remembering that when he first arrived for the job interview nine years ago, he didn't know anything about the city: "I was expecting to see tumbleweeds." At that interview with Boulevard founder John McDonald, he said, the idea for the Smokestack Series was there. "We talked about Belgium beers, and John kept saying how he wanted to do that here."
It took seven years to release the Long Strange Trippel, but judging from people's reactions, it was worth it. Flying Saucer manager Matt Gardner said the Boulevard beer tasting sold out "much quicker" than previous ones for Bell's or Avery, and the crowd was atwitter about the "mystery" beer Pauwels was serving.
They didn't have to wait long.
Servers came by carrying glasses of a new saison based on the Saison-Brett. "You are drinking what will be our first Smokestack series on draft," Pauwels said.
Currently nicknamed "Tank 7," the beer is heading to bars in April. With the hops and yeast and slight fruit hints, it had something for everyone. And at the end of the night, when Pauwels had people vote on their favorite, Tank 7 won easily.
But that wasn't the end of the surprises. Pauwels said he had been experimenting with witbiers and that in May, Boulevard will release its own version of a witbier called "Two Jokers."
Then he asked how many people knew Boulevard has a vineyard in Clinton, Missouri, and has been making wines including chardonnay and viognier. Almost nobody did. Yes, Boulevard is experimenting with wine and will be releasing a wheat wine this year. And Pauwels just happened to have some of the first bottles with him. "It's like barley wine but made with wheat instead ... in a viognier barrel with a little viognier mixed in."
Pauwels also said Boulevard is bringing back Smokestack BBQ in the next six months and that the brewery is also working on a rye beer that should be released early next year. And a sour beer will be ready to go in three years. Each of these announcements drew "ooooohs" and "aaaaahs" from the beer nerds there. Everybody had a rocking good time at the Flying Saucer drinking good beer while listening to the man who made it.
Currently nicknamed "Tank 7," the beer is heading to bars in April. With the hops and yeast and slight fruit hints, it had something for everyone. And at the end of the night, when Pauwels had people vote on their favorite, Tank 7 won easily.
But that wasn't the end of the surprises. Pauwels said he had been experimenting with witbiers and that in May, Boulevard will release its own version of a witbier called "Two Jokers."
Then he asked how many people knew Boulevard has a vineyard in Clinton, Missouri, and has been making wines including chardonnay and viognier. Almost nobody did. Yes, Boulevard is experimenting with wine and will be releasing a wheat wine this year. And Pauwels just happened to have some of the first bottles with him. "It's like barley wine but made with wheat instead ... in a viognier barrel with a little viognier mixed in."
Pauwels also said Boulevard is bringing back Smokestack BBQ in the next six months and that the brewery is also working on a rye beer that should be released early next year. And a sour beer will be ready to go in three years. Each of these announcements drew "ooooohs" and "aaaaahs" from the beer nerds there. Everybody had a rocking good time at the Flying Saucer drinking good beer while listening to the man who made it.
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