Another New Addition

Elite is happy to welcome Grand Teton Brewing to our craft beer lineup.
Grand Teton Brewing Company is the original brewery of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. We have been brewing their handcrafted beers at the base of the Tetons since 1988.

Since they've been around awhile, many of you are probably familiar with their portfolio, but for those who aren't, here are just a few of the highlights:

Bitch Creek

Bitch Creek perfectly balances big malt sweetness and robust hop flavor for a full bodied mahogany ale.  Like the stream for which it is named, our Bitch Creek ESB is full of character, and not for the timid. 

Sweetgrass

An American Pale Ale of distinction!  2009 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal winner in its category, this crisp and fragrant beer is hopped and dry hopped with plenty of Amarillos and Cascades. Try it with any bold, flavorful food to complement its citrusy, resinous spiciness.

Pursuit of Hoppiness Imperial Red

Brewed to showcase the brash beauty of American hops--topping out at 100 IBUs, and about 8.5% alcohol by volume, this thick and warming beer is to be shared and savored. Tastes like it sounds--lots of hops and spice.

Lost Continent Double IPA (available Apr-Sept).

A more traditional Double IPA flavor profile--drier, less malty, more hoppy.To the delight of hopheads everywhere, the style has survived through the centuries and has become the beer of choice for adventurers with the curiosity to discover what lies over the horizon.

First New Elite Brewery of 2011

The pride of Humboldt County, Mad River Brewing is in th' house!
Tasty beers, great pricing and lots of awards.

Spread the Madness!

Sommelier In Training

Baby Jade is making great progress, working her way up to opening wines by corkscrew after mastering Stelvin screw top bottles with the greatest of ease.
Next on the agenda -- decanting and serving of aged red wines, advanced food and wine pairing, cigar service and a final test in Champagne sabering!

Jade's pick of the month: 
Château de Montfaucon Côtes du Rhône Blanc "Comtesse Madeleine" 2008 paired with Strained Pea Purée.

Delicious Saber Rattling

Last month, Jack Van Antwerpen, Big Kahuna at Belgium's Bosteels Brewery was making a market visit to Colorado and dropped into the Cheeky Monk to remind the Elite staff and friends of how delicious his craft brews are (although he didn't need to).

After a few Kwaks and Tripel Karmeleits, Jack proceeded to open a few bottles of his incomparable Champagne-styled Deus Brut de Flandres--an amazingly complex and distinctive beer.
As a grand finale, he opened the bottles in the historic and dramatic Saber style (for those unfamiliar, read all about it here).
To date, The Cheeky Monk doesn't keep swords or sabers on hand, but a chef's knife from the kitchen proved to be up to the task (mostly due to Jack's skill). He shattered the lip of the bottle on the first try, sending a fountain of Deus with the intact wire and cork flying across the room).

There's nothing like a bit of fun and showmanship to make a world class brew taste even better. Personally though, I'll stick to opening my Deus in the standard way. It's much safer for my clumsy fingers, and not one drop of the stuff escapes my glass.

If you haven't already, grab a case or two of the Deus Brut for the holidays--it's perfect for holiday meals and celebrations, especially the New Years Eve toast (*saber not included).