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Hopping Into Spring With Brewmaster Floyd Rosenbaum

Brewmaster Floyd Rosenbaum

In the kitchen, we look forward to the first green tendrils emerging through the earth's dark crust. When the weather starts to warm, chefs love to break the chains of cold weather dishes such as rich, bone-warming soups, and stews.

Dishes we welcomed in September now seem tiresome. Spring offers us less restricting lighter recipes full of hope...not to mention the possibility of a slimmer waistline.

Bloomington Brewing Company

Beer-making is a seasonal passion as well. Here at Earth Eats, we love a slow pulled pint of local brew, and we wanted to learn more about the process. So we got in touch with a true brew master, our friend Floyd Rosenbaum of Bloomington Indiana's Bloomington Brewing Company.

They Got HOPS!

Hops, which are commonly used in beer to add flavor, greatly resemble small pine cones. They usually peak by early June and by the time September comes around, it's time to pick! Specifically, hops provide all the flavor, balance, and head retention required in a good beer. But more importantly, hops also act as a preservative.

Most beverages are carbonated with carbon dioxide. But like brewers Guinness and Murphy's, the Bloomington Brewing Company uses nitrogen. Nitrogen is more effective than CO2 in bringing out the floral flavors from the hops.

Flavors Of The Spring

Rosenbaum specializes in brewing up a plethora of springtime flavors. Most of these brews are lighter style beers that require less hops, such as strawberry, cherry or watermelon blondes, or a blueberry pale ale.

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