A Busy Week Ahead-Join Me!

This week, Bill Jaker will interview me about A Deadly Draught on his radio program, OFF THE PAGE. The program will be presented live on WSKG Radio on August 17 at 1:00 PM and repeated that evening at 7:00 o’clock. The audio will be archived on their website at www.wskg.org and will be available for download as a podcast. The program will also be streamed live on the Web at ww.WSRK.org.


I will travel back to a former home in Willimantic, Connecticut on Wednesday to sign books at Willimantic Brewing Company. WilliBrew is holding an event to raise funds for the Gulf Coast oil disaster victims on Wednesday, August 18 from 5:00 until 8:00 PM. Part of the proceeds from the sale of A Deadly Draught will be donated to this worthy cause. Consider buying a good read and helping a great cause.  See you there!

Saturday in The Book Village of the Catskills

On one of the most beautiful days of August (after our ninety degree heat passed!), Glenn and I traveled to Hobart, NY. This small village at the northern edge of the Catskills is known as the Book Village of the Catskills. It boasts five independent bookshops within a two block area. Visitors come here from New York City to find books available no place else.

On Saturday, the town had its third annual private seller day where individuals who have new and used books for sale can become a book dealer for a day. I had never atteneded the event before, but now that I have my book, I decided this might be the perfect place to sell it. And it was. All the traffic past my little table (see picture above) were people who loved books. What better place for a writer to be. Not only were we surrounded by readers, but the people in town from the Rotary Club who sent around an individual to take orders for lunch and deliver the food back to the sellers to the book shop owners and book sellers were the friendliest folks. The shop owners provided us with coffee and date nut bread in the morning and wine and cheese after the event.

I met Don Dales there and, not only did he buy my book, but he's opening yet another book store in the village, a store that will stock the kind of books I love, mysteries. He's calling it Mysteries and More. The more will be coffee and perhaps even wine and beer. I can hardly wait until next spring when he's invited me to come and do a program.

I will certainly come back to the Private Seller Day next year as well as drop in to see how Don's shop is coming along and visit the other book stores in the near future. Perhaps one of these fall days we can jump in the car and drive over the mountain for a browse through the book shops there.

The village is close enough to Westchester County and New York City for a day trip. Visit their website www.hobartbookvillage.com. You can click on the logos for each of the shops to see what types of books they carry.

Now there's a weekend adventure for you: the breweries around Cooperstown, NY and the Butternut Valley near Morris, NY and the book village in Hobart. Sounds like autumn fun. And the kids will love the Baseball Hall of Fame. There's something for everyone in Upstate New York.

Fun on Sunday-We Tour Cooperstown Brewery

Cooperstown Brewing is located in Milford, NY, just a few miles outside of Cooperstown. The names of their beers such as "Old Slugger" call forth the game of baseball, absolutely appropriate to the baseball village and the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Glenn and I paid a visit to deliver some of my books to Stan Hall, President of Cooperstown Brewing. He's pictured left with the big grin on his face, and why shouldn't he be smiling. He makes some of the best ales in the Northeast. While there, we decided to take the tour, and I'm glad we did. I'm not a brewer, so anytime I can get information to rock my knowledge of brewing, I do it.

You must go. This tour, lead by Joe, the guy with the beard standing next to the large white vessel used to heat the water to begin the brewing process, was an excellent tour guide. He walked us through the process of crafting beer with detail, enough to understand the intricacies of the process and appreciate the creativity and science that goes into brewing. The picture at the top left shows one of the heat exchangers with a view of the fermenting tanks in the background. Remember those little yeastie beasties are busily converting the sugar to alcohol and releasing carbon dioxide, so don't think you can hang out in the room where those fermtners are located!

The picture taken outdoors shows the hops growing on the tall poles. These hops along with others from the Pacific Northwest are used in making Copperstown Brewery's "Back Yard India Pale Ale". We bought a six pack to take home with us after the tasting. Yum!

Many of my friends and readers tell me they do not like beer, but craft beer is not like manufactured beer. It's a different drink. Try one. You might like it.

Thanks, Stan and Joe and all the staff that make up Copperstown Brewery. Keep doing what you're doing. Fine ales, and the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Visit their website at http://CooperstownBrewing.com

Hera's New Beer-A Contest

I am working on the second of the Hera Knightsbridge mysteries. Hera has informed me that she wants to craft another beer, but is undecided whether it should be a a lager or an ale. Go to my webpage www.lesleydiehl.com and click on beer to find out what beers Hera already has in her brewbarn. There is a description of each of her four brews. What beer do you think she should create? A light, clean lager or a foamy, complex ale?

Help develop Hera's next brew by deciding whether it will be a lager or an ale, but, more importantly, give it a name. If I choose your name for the beer, I'll send you a free copy of A Deadly Draught, autographed to you or anyone you choose. The contest will end on August 30. Post your ideas below or send them to me LesDieh60@aol.com.

Another book-yippee!

My college roommate recently got in touch with me to say she was reading my book. She even sent me a picture to prove it, and consented to let me use it on my blog. So here is the former Kathy Gosselink, now Kathy VanCorbet , Pella, Iowa’s most beautiful and talented Tulip Queen. She dressed with more taste than any college coed I’ve ever met. And from the picture, you can tell she still has that pizzazz. We did not know each other before we were assigned the same dorm room as freshmen in college. While I was not a fan of tulips before I met her, I came to appreciate them, and a good thing, too. Our room was usually filled with them each spring.

This week I was offered a contract for Dumpster Dying. It will be released by Oak Tree Press sometime in the fall. I’m very excited about the book because it is set in my second home, Okeechobee County, Florida where I spend my winters. Here’s a short synopsis of it:

Although set in Florida, Dumpster Dying is not just another story about sunny beaches and bikini-clad beauties. In it, Florida natives collide with winter visitors in murderous, yet often humorous ways.

Emily Rhodes, the new bartender at the Big Lake Country Club in rural Florida, lifts the lid of the club’s dumpster one night to discover the dead body of the wealthiest rancher in the county. The authorities are certain they have the killer since evidence at the scene points to Emily’s friend and boss, Clara, but Emily has doubts. She believes Clara is hiding a secret involving the dead man’s family, but unraveling how Clara and the rancher’s lives are intertwined competes with Emily’s own problems.

Emily’s life partner has recently died, and the only will she can locate leaves everything to his ex-wife. Despite the grief she feels over her partner’s death and the money problems it has created for her, Emily sets out to identify the rancher’s killer. She must outwit a vengeful widow, fend off the advances of the man she believes to be the murderer, get to know an adult daughter she’s never met, and flee a fire bearing down on the drought-ridden pastures and swamps of her adopted community. Suddenly, the golden years of retirement seem more like pot metal to Emily.

Imagine Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum surrounded by alligators while a herd of stampeding cattle close in on her.

Emily will join my more serious-minded protagonist, Hera Knightsbridge, on my blog and my website. It’ll be great to have these gals each with her unique personality add to the mix of beer, food, alligators, cowboys, and brewers on the site and blog. You’ll notice the changes on the website beginning the end of the summer. I’m sure Fred will enjoy yet another feisty female joining us on the blog. That will probably mean he’ll have to do something outrageous just to get attention.

Happy Fourth of July, however you choose to celebrate. Of course, I recommend doing what my former college roommate is doing in the picture above—reading a great book!

Back to Beer

Today we are talking with Randy Thiel. When I met Randy he was the brew master at Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY, several valleys over from the Butternut where I live. He has moved on to New Glarus Brewing in New Glarus, Wisconsin.

Welcome, Randy. I guess e-mail is the only way I can talk with you now that you moved half way across the country!


Could you tell us about your background in brewing?

I have a B.Sc. in Microbiology from UW-Madison. Attended the Siebel Institute & UC-Davis for specific training in Brewing Science & Technology. My interest in brewing started by being an avid fan of beer (!) and also homebrewing. I was searching for a tangible craft that had a strong heritage.


What is your position at New Glarus?

I am the team leader for Quality Control/Quality Assurance. That may sound dry to some folks, but I love it! Besides running the lab, I get to be involved with all aspects & departments at the brewery. Kind of like playing the safety position in football.


New Glarus is a very diverse operation with respect to its brews. Tell us about them.

New Glarus puts out a wide range of beer styles. Last year, we produced 19 different beer styles. We have the same dedication, enthusiasm, and attention-to-detail making a Belgian-style Quadrupel as we do making an American-style lager. We honestly love all beer styles.


Clear up for us the distinction between microbrews and craft beers.

Our beers can be referred to as either microbrews or craft beers. Craft beer is more appropriate, though. 'Microbrewed' beer implies a smaller operation; we will produce 90,000 barrels this year, which is on the larger end of the microbrew spectrum.


I know our readers would like to know more about the difference between lagers and ales.


Ales usually have more complex (and just 'more') flavor than lagers. Lagers tend to be neutral in the flavors contributed by the yeast; so, just the hops and malt play the major roles. Ales have many flavors contributed by the yeast (think variations of fruity & spicy).



Beer can be quite complex which many Americans who drink only lagers are astonished to discover.

I believe the Brewers Association categorizes over 70 different beer styles, some traditional and some modern. Porters, stouts, and pale ales are all traditional British styles. These were/are popular amongst craft brewers in America, although American brewers tend to add more bitterness and hop aroma to the styles (thus you have categories like "American-style Pale Ale", etc.).
Porters: Dark ruby-red to black color. Soft roasted character. Medium bitterness.
Stouts: Very similar to porters, although darker and more roasted flavors.
Pale Ale: Deep golden to amber color. Assertive bitterness & hop aroma.
Pilsners: Traditional German and Czech beer style (originated in Pilsn, Czechoslovakia). Lager w/ pronounced malty character and assertive bitterness. Note: Miller Lite is NOT a pilsner, even though it is marketed as such.

Is there a proper temperature for drinking beer?

'Proper temperature' is too severe a topic. Typically, lagers should be colder (refrigerator temp) and ales slightly warmer (let the bottle sit out for 10 minutes before pouring). I encourage people to try different beers at different temperatures and notice what happens to the flavors. Rules are no fun. Experimentation and thinking about flavor is fun.


I like your philosophy, Randy. I’ve been researching food and beer pairing to see how I can incorporate this into my next book about Hera. There are some guidelines I’ve found for such pairings, but, you’re right, rules are no fun. The fun comes with trying different foods paired with different beers.

Thanks for visiting with us, Randy. Now all of us are ready to go out there and try different microbrews or craft beers, knowing that our own palates are the best rule book we can carry with us.

Water, Water Everywhere . . .

These pictures are of the Butternut which borders my property. Hera's brewery is also on this beautiful stream.

Hera has become increasingly alarmed by the gulf oil spill and the parallels between off-shore drilling and hydraulic fracturing, a drilling approach to obtaining natural gas. I thought I’d let her speak about her concerns as one of the residents of her valley who understands the dilemma of the people sitting on this underground wealth of gas. Getting caught in the middle of this controversy is part of Hera’s next challenge as I write the second in the Hera Knightsbridge, Master Brewer, Mystery Series.

In Hera’s words:


Seeing the globs of red crude floating in the ocean and washing ashore onto once pristine white beaches, killing wildlife and destroying wetlands got me thinking and worrying about this valley. In some ways, we could be confronting the same issues here because of energy needs. The Marcellus Shale region runs through half of New York State, western Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio. The valley where I brew beer is located here. Within the shale layers lies trapped natural gas which can only be extracted through a process called hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, accomplished by horizontal drilling into the shale layer, then forcing water, sand, and other chemicals (the exact mixture is an industry secret) under pressure to release the gas. The run-off water contains these chemicals. Not only will this toxic cocktail poison wells should it get into ground water, but also wildlife. Gas seeping into wells can sometimes explode, as recently witnessed in West Virginia, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Is this beginning to sound familiar?

My valley is poor and has been hit hard by the recent recession. Farmers are paying more money to produce milk than they get selling it. Companies have moved their operations to other places, other countries. It is understandable that people here see the gas companies’ sign-on bonuses and the promise of a monthly check as the solution to their economic woes. In addition, many see gas drilling as a way to end independence on foreign oil. Does this sound familiar, too?

What if something goes wrong as it did in Dimock, Pennsylvania where one woman’s well blew up on New Years’ day? In this community, the State Environmental Protection Agency has shut down drilling in some areas, finding over 14 wells with well water contaminated by the process. For those who signed contracts with the gas companies, the idle wells mean no monthly checks. Individuals dependent upon money from drilling now find themselves without an income. Folks in the gulf who worked in industries related to oil can surely see the parallels here.

Why would a microbrewer be concerned about fracking? We buy all our yeast and malt from outside sources. Our hops come from as far away as New Zealand or the Pacific Northwest. But our water, the most plentiful ingredient in craft beers? It comes from our wells. Contaminated wells mean we must either buy water from somewhere else or go broke, another dent in the economic health of this community. I don’t have to sign a contract with a gas company, have something go wrong, and it ruin my water supply. My neighbor can sign on while I hold out. Ground water in a large region could be affected by my neighbor’s drilling.

This is the perfect storm—the desperate need for energy and an economic recession making jobs scarce. People without jobs, small farmers whose costs may outweigh their incomes, both are sitting atop one of the richest natural gas sources in the world. We must weigh the alternatives carefully because we may be seeing our future in the frightened eyes of gulf coast residents, in the oil-covered birds and turtles, and in the dying vegetation of the wetlands.

I just want tightened oversight in the gas and oil industries, not complicity between governmental agencies and private enterprise. People’s lives and our earth are at stake, not just my brewery.