Have you ever taken a shot at something at life, given it your all, and actually succeeded? Massachusetts homebrewer Bruce Stott did, and now his homebrew recipe for a German inspired Dortmunder Export Style Lager has been chosen as one of the three LongShot selections being sold by Boston Beer of Samuel Adams fame.

Last year, Boston Beer ran a contest for homebrewers, and announced that three winners would be selected for the 2007 LongShot line. Bruce, a homebrewer for 13 years, got his smiling visage on the label of his beer as a reward.

Kudos to Boston Beer for releasing the Longshot line in single six-packs containing two bottles each of the three beers, as well. This makes it easy for beer enthusiasts to enjoy these inspired recipes in one fell swoop.

Homebrewing, of course, is a noble pastime and a great way to enjoy truly fresh beer. And it’s always a plus when friends are wowed by your creations and you can tell them, “I made that”. Most who enjoy the hobby don’t engage in it for the savings realized. Quite the contrary, since the specialized equipment and quality ingredients frequently ratchet up the cost of your brew. And of course, extra credit to Bruce for making a lager. Lagers are more difficult to make at home than ales, after all.

Do you homebrew? If you do, it’s not too late to enter your recipe for the 2008 LongShot line. Just head on over to www.samueladams.com for details. In the meantime, should you need some inspiration, we’ll just pop the cap on a bottle of Bruce’s beer.

Longshot Dortmunder Style Export pours to a pale golden color with a soapy head of foam and softly pronounced notes of grassy hops in the nose. A fine layer of Brussels lace clings to the sides of my glass as the liquid descends. Your first sip reveals a dangerously drinkable beer with a delightfully smooth malty body. The beer is packed with fresh, biscuity malt character. But rather than being crisp like, say, a pilsner, it’s creamy like a Munich Helles. I get a slight touch of butteriness, too.

Where the beer is like a pilsner, though, is in the finish, where a gentle hop bitterness pokes through and lingers a bit on the tongue. Not as hoppy as some of the more extreme German style pilsners, mind you, but you can tell they’re there. And that’s what I like so much about a good Dortmunder Export: plenty of malt and hops; the best of both worlds.
And this is a good Dortmunder Export. Hurry up and try it though, because you’ve only got one shot to try it. When it’s gone, it’s gone.