Lombard homebrewer takes contest by storm
After winning Samuel Adams' home-brew competition for the second time in four years, Rodney Kibzey admits he's tossed around the idea of quitting his day job.
“I've looked into the idea of pursuing (brewing) as a profession, but there's a lot of start up costs, and some risk,” the Lombard man says. “So … it's a possibility.”
Kibzey's Blackened Hops, a blend of three types of hops and dark Carafa malt, was one of two home-brewed recipes picked by the Boston Beer Co. as winners of its LongShot American Homebrew Contest. Blackened Hops, along with Friar Hope Ale (from a Georgia man) and Honey B's Lavender Ale (a recipe from a Sam Adams sales associate) are featured in the Longshot Category 23 variety six-pack ($9.99) available now. (If you don't find it at your neighborhood shop, head to samueladams.com and plug your ZIP code into the Beer Finder.)
Category 23 refers to the designation the brewers association gives to specialty beers that don't fit neatly into a defined style.
“I really don't make Category 23 beers ... I'm always looking to refine a beer style that I've made before,” says Kibzey, a beer geek (that's not a put down) with ties to the Urban Knaves of Grain and Chicago Beer Society. “Over half my freezer was filled with hops so I thought I'd do something with them.”
His first attempt turned out to be the batch he submitted; some 800 beers were considered by Sam Adams judges at the regional level.
Yeah, the one-time royalty fee of $5,000 is nice, but Kibzey says he's just as excited to introduce people to this emerging style of craft beer. The beer has hop-forward citrus and piney notes that belie the roasty hue of the beer, he says,
“To make something I like and have the whole country get to try it ... I can't wait to read the (beer blog) reviews and see what people like about the beer, what they don't like about the beer.”
As for a three-peat, Kibzey says he's not for that notoriety.
“I told myself ‘win, lose or draw this is the last time,'” he says. “I'd like someone else from the Midwest to win it; I think we have some great homebrewers here.”
If you're looking for homebrewing advice or just want to taste his award-winning beer, Kibzey will talk with customers and sign bottles from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 2, (his 42nd birthday, by the way), at Famous Liquors, 105 E. Roosevelt Road, Lombard.
Give it a shot: If you think your home-brew deserves the opportunity to be bottled by a big-league brewer, the Sam Adams LongShot American Homebrew Competition will accept 2011 entries between May 9 and May 20. The rules and regulations are at samueladams.com/longshot.
Considering Kibzey is ineligible this year, your odds just improved.
Passover prep: Chef Laura Frankel will share healthful Passover recipes and offer advice for preparing a beautiful holiday Seder at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5.
In the “Passover Boot Camp” class, Frankel, chef for Spertus Kosher Catering, will introduce timesaving tips and global ingredients to add interest to eight day's worth of Passover meals and treats. Karen Rose, owner of City Olive in Chicago, will be on hand to share samples of kosher-for-Passover olive oils.
The class costs $18 ($15 for Spertus members) and will be held at the Spertus Institute, 610 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Make reservations at spertus.edu or (312) 322-1773 by April 1.
Meatless Monday: For kitchen gardeners eager to break ground, the recent cold snap has been a bummer.
While we continue to long for warmer days indulge in this pasta dish that celebrates spring's first crops like garlic and mint. No need to wait til the peas sprout, frozen peas work fine in this quick and delicious recipe.
— Deborah Pankey
• Contact Food Editor Deborah Pankey at food@dailyherald.com or (847) 427-4524.