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Finkels Release Wood-Aged Stout
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Charles & Rose Ann Finkel with "Entire"
Charles and Rose Ann Finkel, the owners of Pike Pub & Brewery, have just released their most ambitious brew yet, a barrel-aged stout called "Entire." It's a dark, fragrant beer with an aroma of espresso, velvety malt flavors, and a finish of bitter chocolate. "The biscuity character of pale and crystal malts, along with roasted barley, is balanced by a generous amount of Yakima Valley Willamette, Goldings and Columbus hops," says brewmaster Drew Cluley. Adding complexity are the underlying wood tones from barrels used to age Kentucky Bourbon.
The Finkels have lived in Seattle for 30 years. Owner of a wine distributorship in Oklahoma, Charles was recruited by Chateau Ste. Michelle to be its national sales manager. He went on to found Merchant du Vin, the nation's first importer to focus on specialty beers. In the late 1980s he launched a brewery in the Pike Place Market, followed by a brewpub. Having sold everything, "retired," and embarked on bicycle trips to the food capitals of Europe and Asia, the Finkels ended up buying the place back two years ago, this time with Roseanne as president. They hired a serious brewermaster (Cluley) and quickly restored Pike Brewery to prominence. The family-friendly pub features a dozen or so brews on tap, a vast array of bottles and mixed drinks. Down in the brewery, several bourbon barrels stand alongside the stainless steel trappings of a craft brewery that produces 9,000 barrels a year. (At 15.5-gallons a barrel, that's about 1.5 million 12-ounce glasses or bottles of beer. Sounds like a lot, but Budweiser probably spills more than that.)
Rose Ann is one of Seattle's most prominent foodies. She and a couple of pals owned Truffles, a specialty food store in Laurelhurst; she was chief operating officer of Merchant du Vin, started Seattle's Slow Food convivium, and is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier. In addition to his passion for craft beer and fine wine, Charles has a remarkable talent as a graphic designer, specializing in marketing materials for breweries. He's also a writer, photographer and world traveler; his design shop website is a hoot.
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