In preparation of the lecture on beer please read and view the following:

Who makes Brooklyn Brewery Beer? Learn about Garrett Oliver

How Beer is made:

Click here for another video (this is a concise video)

Some history and the current state of Brooklyn Brewery, press here.

There is a difference: Ales and Lagers

There are various types of beer: types of beer

For and in-class activity: press here and pick two beer styles. Reply to this post with the beer style you are going to share with the class.

2 weeks ago I went to Brooklyn coffee roasting company. Since I don’t drink Alcohol and I love coffee it was a very good experience for me to explore the coffee roasting place. I had no idea how the coffee roasts and a brew I’m glad that I went there and learned a lot. I had a lot of questions and the employees were super nice they answered all my questions. Melissa is a barista and she’s been working there for over 2 years.she has very good knowledge about coffee.I asked her what the difference between light roast coffee and dark roast coffee. so she told me light roast is coffee beans roasted at low temperature and short time.its has the floral and sweet flavor to it and dark roast is roasted for a long time and at a higher temperature. it has a strong and bitter flavor.

This is a sampler testing machine where they test the coffee beans. in this machine they test the beans for its quality.theres some rules to sample the coffee bean it should be stored in a cool and drak place.The sample they roast 24 hours of cupping the beans.

This is sampler coffee stored for testing.

This is a Coffee roasting machine.This is where they roast coffee beans.so there are two species of coffee Robusta and Arabica. Robusta coffee has more caffeine, it has a strong and bitter taste. and one the other side Arabica has much less caffeine than Robusta.has a sweeter taste.

Brooklyn Coffee Roastery is 85% fair trade.All of their coffee beans are locally roasted every day.They have coffee beans from all around the world.Brazil, Mexico.Kenya, Costa Rico etc.They also have organic and sustainable coffees.

It was an amazing experience and I really learned a lot.

I took a weekend trip in November to the Poconos with my family and we found a cute little Vineyard & Winery Called Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery. The owners Randy and Tiffany decided in 2010 after visiting the West Coast to open elegant yet informal winery where they handcraft small batches wines. They also have two locations where they sell their wines called Regina Farms and The Crossing Premium Outlets. They also sell their wines in little shops around town.

I was surprised to find out that the wine tastings was only $5 per person which includes 5 wines. They have a large and detailed list of white, red sweet wines. I tasted a Cabernet Sauvignon which they called The Godfather. Randy who is the owner and also gave the tour, told us that they aged the wine in 15 gallon bourbon barrels. The Godfather was fullbodied wine. The wine is unfiltered and raw so the wine did have some Sediments in it which i did not like .

Raspberry Inspiration, Riesling, and Terroir

Discriptive wine menu. I marked the ones i tried.

The winery was full of unique vivification methods. They also have a wine that is put into a bourbon barrel then is place 5 feet under ground on the vineyard and is left there for 9 months. It was taken out on June 17. It is also raw and unfiltered.  We also tasted a Chardonnay. Randy told us how they aged the grapes in 40 year old scotch and tequila barrels. On the nose the wine had a fruity melon smell with hints of pineapple but on the palate it i tasted a lot like figs and mango with citrus.

The wine tasting room was beautiful. Its a large open space with a wrap around porch that faces the vineyard. In the tasting room they have live performances on the weekend and dinners from 6-9. The tasting room over looks the vineyard and the Christmas tree farm which is next door to the vineyard property . The weekend that i went they started the lighting of the vineyard which would be a great view while drinking wine. Although i didn’t get to stay long for the lighting of the vineyard or for the dinner they do have food trucks and vendors on the property.

View in tasting room

View of vines

As i mentioned before the owner of the vineyard ran the free tours. which took place at 2pm and 4pm. You can tell that he was very passionate about wine and had a great amount of knowledge. He explained viticulture and how he had played a major roll in each and every wine. Randy took us to this machine and showed us the bottling process. it had 8 filling heads it goes around in a circle and fills the bottles next it goes to the sipper which basically sucks out some of the wine to make sure it is exactly 750ml in each bottle. Then before it is corked it is hit with some nitrogen to stop any further oxidation from happening. The bottle is than corked and labeled.

Bottling machine

Over all i had a great experience at the Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard &Winery. Having the tour done by the owner made it a greater experience and made it fell more personal.

I brought 2 bottles and they gave us complimentary wine glasses

Stainless steel cooling bin Picture by:Kave Brooklyn

For the Beverage production learning analysis assignment I decided to do an alternative task and visit a coffee roaster named Unique Coffee Roasters. It is located at3075 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10303. I spoke with the manager named Joseph Ferrara who informed me that the beans they use to roast coffee are mostly from brazil, however they also have beans that are from Hawaii, Asia, parts of Africa and Jamaica. ).

Close look at coffee bean package.
Picture by: @uniquecoffeeroasters

When I asked Joseph about the farmer’s approach to agriculture/farming practices, he said they are grown in Minas Gerais which is in Brazil and is very close to the south Atlantic Ocean. The coffee beans are picked during Brazil’s winter which is from June through September. The beans cannot handle the frost so when they are ready they are harvested right away (and can be found in stores almost out of stock at T.J Maxx, Homegoods, Marshalls, and Stop & Shop).

Picture by: @Uniquecoffeeroasters

Brambati Roasting Machine Picture by: @uniquecoffeeroasters

Their roasting methods vary since they produce different types of coffee bean flavors like a Deck blend or the Costa Rican Tarrazu. He mentioned that he was inspired by someone he knew in the coffee business who tried their beans before roasting them, this way he would know if the bean deserved a long roast or a light roast. Since I prefer a dark roast he said it would be a long roast if I wanted that chocolate, caramel, heavy taste to it. They roast the beans using a Brambati roaster which has a closed cylinder where the pure heat of the flames circulate throughout the container. It almost looks like a construction site since you are able to climb the stairs and go around it.

Roasting Machine Picture by: @striper

A close look at the beans
Picture by: @UniqueCofeeRoasters

The one who assisted me was Joseph who is the son of the James Ferrara, the original owner of Unique Coffee Roasters. James opened the coffee roasting business back in 1955 and Joseph knew coffee was his calling when he was in the 8th grade. Seeing his father run his business made him eager to work there and was first hired to sweep floors and moved up the ladder from there. He said he was fond of his father because he taught him to learn from the bottom and work his way up. Joseph plans on opening a new location in other boroughs such as Manhattan since he believes it will expand his current market.

Packaging the finished beans.
Picture by: @uniquecoffeeroasters

The customer service was great, a receptionist was able to let the manager know that I was interested asking question for an assignment. I had to call back at a different time since he was currently unavailable for questioning. When it came time for scheduling a tour he was unable to give a tour on the days I proposed.

Top View of Cooling bin. Picture by: @pmorse19

Since Joseph was unable to give a tour on the days I was available, he answered my questions through the phone. He was nice enough to suggest using photos from their Instagram page and some from those who had already taken a tour of the place. One thing I learned from this experience was to manage my time better when it comes to doing assignments that involve planning a tour.

Barossa Valley, South Australia Shiraz

by Malica, Vanessa, Dale, Karim

Learn about the wine and pick a menu item

• Genetically similar to Syrah but has characteristic differences.
• Similar to grapes grown in the northern Rhone Valley.
• Red wine usually paired with beef, venison and lamb dishes.
• Oak, pepper and spices can be tasted on the palette.
• Food pairing: 28 Day Dry Aged New York Steak and Rack of Lamb
  • Pairs well with the lamb reduction and Dijon mustard custard.
  • The pepperiness of the wine will accent the gamey taste of the lamb and also the caramelization of the shallots in the bordelaise sauce.

Factors that affect wine plus an interesting fact

1. Grape variety
   1. Shiraz aged in oak
2. Soil
   1. Limestone, Clay or sand (very interesting because sand is a draining soil whereas clay retains moisture)
3. Physical location
   1. Barossa Valley
   2. South Australia
4. Climate
   1. Mediterranean, hot and dry with some cooling conditions from the ocean breeze.
   2. Topography: Flat Lands, Some Hill Plantings
   3. Lots of sunshine warmest region in Australia
   4. Spring (Sept.- Nov.) 18 rain days
   5. Summer (Dec.- Feb.) 8 rain days
   6. Autumn (Mar.- May) 14 rain days
   7. Winter (Jun.- Aug.) 29 rain days
5. Interesting fact
   1. Vintage Festival held every harvest season to celebrate wine vintage. The festival is 9 days long and there a different events held each day. Tons of activities for the children.
   2. Because of the concerns with water supply in the late 20^th and early 21^st They began using reverse osmosis by adding water to the must.

Taste– Black currants, black cherries, plum, blueberry. Accents of pepper and spice.

Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Climate: Stellenbosch is a hot and dry region that is also considered to have a maritime climate because of a body of water nearby called False Bay. This causes what is known to be diurnal temperature.

Soil: The soil used for this grape variety is granite and sandstone. Because of the high clay content, it allows the water to be retained.

Physical Location:The vineyard for the Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa is located on the hills of Stellenbosch and reaches the lower slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain in the north.

We decided to pair our wine with the Grilled Branzino which has confit cherry tomatoes, roasted black olives, smoked eggplant, and salsa verde.

• South Australia – Clare Valley Riesling
• Food pairing: Miso Marinated Black Cod

1. Grape variety
   1. Riesling
2. Soil
   1. Slate mixed with clay
3. Physical location
   1. South Australia
4. Climate
   1. Maritime Temperatures
   2. Lots of wind
   3. Cold nights and hot summer days
5. Interesting fact
   1. Was the first region Australia to invent screw cap closure for Riesling bottles

Learn about the wine and pick a menu item

• Pungent crisp wine with crisp passionfruit and tropical fruit flavors
• Highly acidic wine
• Has a zing
• Food pairing: Grilled Branzino
  • Pairs well with tomato based dishes with a lot of acidity
  • The frsh crispness of the wine also goes well with the white fish

6factors that affect wine plus an interesting fact

1. Grape variety
   1. Sauvignon Blanc
2. Viticulture
3. Soil
   1. Glacial, free draining soil
4. Physical location
   1. Marlborough
   2. Top of the south island
   3. North east tip of the south island
5. Climate
   1. Maritime
   2. Lots of sunshine sunisest region in new zealand
   3. Warm and dry in the summer 68-78 during the day
   4. 2,400 hours of sunshine a year (6.5 hours a day)
   5. Winter has frost in the beginning 50-59 degrees
6. Vinifaction
7. Interesting fact
   1. Largest wine producing region in New Zealand
   2. First to see the sunrise in the world

Taste, smell

Taste- passionfruit and gooseberry with lemon grass

Robertson

Soil-lime stone, sandy, and low nutrition.

*rivers are very important

Temperature- High diurnal temperature, it doesn’t rain a lot but most likely rain during Jan(Mediterranean Climate).

Fun Fact*

The lime-soil drains the water.