7000 Years

More on Trends

2008-02-10T10:13:00.000-08:00

So my last post: Swallowing Trends, I discussed the idea that due to hops shortages, extreme beers might be on the decline and with that might come a whole new wave of older or experimental beer styles to keep the "interesting-ness" trend flowing.

Well, Friday night, I spent another wonderful evening at The Gate, one of my most favorite beer bars in NYC (Keep a look out for one of my Pub Crawl beer bar reviews). There, I had another blast of beers that have not gotten much play in the past, but I think we are going to see more and more of them in the future.

First up, Maibock. I am having trouble recalling the name of the producer, but I am guessing that it was Ramstein, but I could be totally wrong on that. Maibock is bock that is usually brewed in May. They are dark lagers that are stronger in alcohol (Bock means strong in german) and stronger on the malt side as is typical with most german beers. My Maibock was a darker amber in color, but had an intense honey aftertaste to it. Delicious and still blows me away that German-style beers can get such complex, rich flavors without any adjuncts in the brewing process. Sorry for being a bit light on the details of the beer (Other than it was really good!), but with such a drinkable, but highly alcoholic pint in front of me, I tend to forget the details. Needless to say, really tasty and keep a look put this spring for any and all Maibocks.

Now, one beer that I did have and vividly remember was Brooklyn's Smoked Wezienbock. This style is similar to the Maibock in that both are bocks, which means darker and more alcohol, but that comparison can end right there. This is an AMAZING beer and anyone who has a chance, please order. You will not be disappointed. As I have said in the past, I am not a big breakfast person, but this beer epitomizes breakfast flavors. First up on the palette is the smokiness from the smoked malt. It is really meaty, like smoked bacon, meaty. Tasty! Quickly followed is the sweetness that was similar to the Maibock, but instead of the honey taste, the bananas and cloves that most weise beers are know for, kicks in. To me, this beer reminded me of banana and spiced pancakes, topped with smoked bacon and maple syrup drizzled over everything. I only had a half pint of this, which was the perfect amount. I think the Maibock was definitely more drinkable, but I have to hand it to the Brooklyn Brewery for not going to hog wild with the smokiness. More often than not, the smoke in beers overpowers both the palette and the rest of the flavors in the beer. This was not the case with Brooklyn's Smoked Weizenbock. Again, truly amazing beer.

Lastly, one thing hit me when I ordered my first beer that night. When writing my last post, I didn't take into consideration the wonders of cask ale. Cask ales provide a unique drinking experience and will defiantly attract the beer explorers, such as myself. The downside of this idea, which is rather major, is that more bars and more importantly restaurants will have to learn how to cellar and serve cask ale. As I said, it will be popular with the serious beer drinkers, although, I am curious if it will be as appealing to the more causal drinkers. Drinkers who might have been willing to tempt fate on an Expresso Imperial Stout, but might think otherwise on a flat (I say lightly carbonated), warm (I say more flavorful) beer.

As with most predictions about the future, most will be proven to be bunk and then there are few that get to say "See, told you so!". Which one will I be? Who cares, I am too busy enjoying Brooklyn's Smoked Weizenbock to care.

Swallowing Trends

2008-02-08T19:17:00.000-08:00

Everything follows trends. Fashion, music, campaign slogans, and even something as geeky as web design. For any beer geek and even the casual beer explorer, you are probably aware that the hot style of beers have been the imperials. Imperial Russian stouts, Imperial Pilsners, and the mother of all Imperials, the Imperial India Pale Ale.

For those of you who don't really understand what it means for a beer to be imperial, here is the lowdown. Imperial beers are usually high in alcohol, which mean they have been made with more malt. The higher malt creates more sugar in the brewing process, which means more alcohol is produced in the fermenting process. WooHoo! But with that boost in sugar and without anything else, it will be too sweet of a brew. To balance out this sweetness, brewers add massive amounts of hops, beer's bittering element, and in the case of the Imperial IPA, they add an insane amount of hops. These are the qualities of all imperials, regardless of style.

The interesting thing about trends is that one thing can happen and derail it all. For imperials, that bump has happened. The key ingredient to make an imperial beer is hops. Without hops, an imperial becomes an out-of-balance sweet ale. Hops prices have sky rocketed due to poor crop seasons in the U.K. and eastern europe. The United States' crop production was average, but unfortunately there was a massive fire at a large warehouse and a portion of this years hop harvest burnt up. In addition, hop stockpiles usually are turned into extract for large commercial brewery stockpiles. It is believed that those stockpiles are gone. To make matters worse, much of land that once was cultivated for hop production has gone to more valuable and less fragile crops. As a homebrewer and the last in the long line of those requiring hops, I have seen prices on a few ounces of hops almost double and many are not even in stock. All in all, hops are scarce.

Does this mean that your favorite hoppy beer is is on the verge of extinction? Nope. Many brewers have contracts with farmers and will probably keep on brewing without a change in recipe. But I believe that brewers will be less likely to create a whole new line of beer that require massive amounts of hops. They will continue brewing their hoppy beers because they have built an expectation with their customers, but in the next few years don't expect as many newly developed beers that require lots of hops.

With the fall of thick gold chains came the rise of hammer pants. This too will happen with beer. Now, I am not usually the one that enjoys making predictions, but I think I might have an idea where brewers might stray with these low hop reserves. Beer drinkers have gotten used to these interesting beers that challenge their palette and if brewers don't have hops then they are going to have to create something else to grab our taste buds.

There are two possible avenues I see brewers taking. One is barrel conditioning. I have already begun to see an influx of porters, stouts and other ales conditioned in used wine, wiskey, bourbon and even sake casks. They impart oakiness, vanilla, burnt carmeliness and the most interesting, a sharp sour twang. The sourness is usually imparted thru a yeast strain called Brettanomyces. Typically, this strain of yeast is not a good thing to see in your beer, but when used on purpose, the beer can get interesting. The yeast is already living within the barrel as red wine makers like to use it in low levels to help develop complexity and an aged character. All I know is that it can do some funky stuff with beer and I like it.

The other path that I see breweries following is digging deep into their recipe chest and pulling out their oldies, but goodies. There are many styles of beer that do not get much play today. I have already discussed the Berliner-weisse; then there is the Rauchbier, a smoked malt beer; the Alt, german for old and has a big malt taste; Saison, a crisp french farmhouse ale; or maybe Bier De Garde, another french ale but more malty than the Saison. All of these beers play more with grain and yeast rather than with hops.

These older styles are more likely a short term fix while the other stuff is aging in old barrels. Or maybe we will see a mixture of these old styles of beer conditioned in the oak barrels. I could easily see a Gueuze Lambic, a spontaneously fermented wheat ale, conditioned in an old Pinot Noir barrel.

While some may not be as excited about my Pinot Lambic as they are about an imperial coffee stout, one thing for sure is that when ingredients go scarce, the chefs begin to cook with what they have. For me, as long as it keeps my interests peaked and something other than a bud in my hand, I will be happy.

Cheers!

Propagating Culture Via Propagating Yeast

2008-01-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

When I decided to start this beer blog, I titled it 7000 years to remind myself that I am part of a culture that has lasted and endured much. Thru this blog, I get to add my bit to one of the few aspects of our species' culture that survived the evolution from nomadic tribes. The one thing that I did not consider when settling on my title was how fragile that culture can be. The development of one's culture is not necessarily an additive process, but elements within the culture can be setback and even lost. But sometimes, when a tradition, knowledge, or skill begins to fade, something sparks and re-ignites it. This is what has happened to beer. It has happened probably more times than we can tell, but it has happened in a major way in the last few hundred years in our own back yard.

Imagine a restaurant/inn in a small sleepy town in VT that makes its own beer for traveling customers. Now, what is the setting that springs to mind? Is it colonial times? Modern day? Both are believable. During colonial era importing beer from far away was not an option due to spoilage. It also provided health benefits. No known pathogens can survive in beer, which made it an ideal thirst quencher when wary of unknown water sources. Fast forward to today, the U.S. has so many options that people seek even more choices. In a world of thousands of commercially made beers, people begin to desire the homemade. It is like eating out for months, an urge for a home cooked meal begins to swell. Oddly enough, this abundance of variety makes a brewpub's beer a damn special option due to its authentic nature. You know it was handcrafted because you are dining a few feet from where it was made.

So where am I going with this? We had inns that serve beer then and now. Big deal? It is, actualy. In the years separating colonial times and now, a lot happened (duh.). This part of our culture was almost lost, but not at the fault of one catastrophic event, rather many would pave the way. For example, during World War I, there was a large anti-German sentiment, which caused German owned breweries, the majority, to take a financial hit due to boycotts. There has been prohibition which effectively killed off most small breweries in the states. Then along came the scientific era, which brought about massive changes to the way we manufactured and delivered material and food which influenced the method in which beer was made. This was one more stumbling block for the surviving smaller breweries, who could not afford this new way of life and competition. The Second World War left a large female population at home as well as a rationed crop. This lead to the increase in usage of adjuncts like corn and rice, which created a lighter, less flavorful beer. A lighter beer was perfect for business because it was more palatable to the new female work force and cost less than the original formula. All of these events caused a booming American beer culture to dwindle from thousands of small breweries producing local, authentic and varied styles to the few, light, flavorless lagers millions of Americans drink today. This overwhelming popularity of lighter beer have now begun to alter European recipes that have been around for centuries. It is an endless domino effect.

In the mid-70's to early 80's, the American beer culture was in a sad state of affairs. 80 breweries were making beer for only 51 Brewing companies and it was almost all the same style and flavor profile. As nature tends to do, whenever an environment is off balance, some mechanism is tripped to restore the balance. Beer's purging fire was the homebrewing revolution. It eventually sparked thousands of small breweries all producing their own takes on a wide variety of beers, which filled a much need gap in the marketplace. To date, the swell has caused so much stir, that the major companies have realized that this is a growing sector and they, too, need to get back in the trenches and compete with these small creative producers. Today, almost 30 years later, it is a great time to be a beer drinker.

So what is the point of the history lesson? The point was to share with you how it is possible to loose part of your culture. The frailty of one's culture struck me while watching and episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. The episode was in Hong Kong and they were watching a man prepare noodles using a technique that was on its death bed. No more bamboo pressed noodles will ever be made in Hong Kong after this guy dies. I immediately thought of beer and loosing the technique to make a quality malt beverage. While at first, I thought "Good thing that won't happen", but then I thought about the above history lesson and realized that while we were not down to the only quality brewer in the world, we were veering way off course. Sad, but true.

I think what I am trying to say is, pick something that you get passionate about and think of a world that, for one reason or another, its traces have vanished from your life. It is important to think in terms like this because it happens. It has happened in the past and it will happen in the future. If you really care, do something to stop it. The most frustrating thing about that Bourdain episode was these two huge foodies, shrugging their shoulders at centuries of tradition going down the shitter. Nothing to do, but to point at culture circling the bowl with dispair. For me, I drink, I read, I write, and most importantly, I create. I am a homebrewer and should we veer off course again, I will have a homebrew in hand to keep me happy and that is a comforting thought.

Ok, I suck...

2008-01-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

It has been far too long. I have not posted anything since September. This means, I officially suck. See, I even tagged this post as a reminder of how much I suck. Every time that too much time passes sans post, you will see that number in the tag increase by 1.

But in my defense, I have been working my ass off on my new web design portfolio site. 100% hand coded html, css, javascript and all W3C compliant. Oh and it has pretty design work on it, too. For those of you who didn't understand any of that tech gibberish, just know that it was a lot of hard work and late nights. So go check it out!

Confessions of a Recovering Extreme Beer Drinker

2007-09-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, I admit it. I am in remission. I have been an extreme beer drinker for sometime. Double Wit ale? Sure, never had that before (sorta hard to finish a pint). If there is a a double IPA cask conditioned in Pinot Noir oak barrels on a pull cask, serve it up please. I think you get the point.

In my defense, I think NYC has something to do with it. Things in this city are never enough. You get used to this lifestyle that is so fast past that is constantly striving for more and more. NYC is a distilled version of that good old American ingenuity and determination. Get 2 weeks of work done in a day? Sure thing, bye-bye life & so long friends! Could ya stuff 30 different flavors into one beer and make sure its 14% alcohol? Make it a pint while your are at it. I am a busy person, I don't have 6 hrs to kill in a pub downing endless pints of bitter. I need my fix and I want it fancy (Is this another symptom of NYC dwelling?). Extreme urban living and beer drinking go hand in hand.

But as I said, I am recovering. I have had it with cramming as much as possible into my life. I am tired of pushing myself to consume any edgy type of beer. If I don't slow down at times, I am going to come away with a really shitty taste in my mouth.

In an attempt to at least address some of this. I have been drawn more towards the more mundane, yet drinkable beers. My brewing guru Mark, or Harvey as he is know in his brewing circles, likes to brew very classic and easily drinkable beers. Go out to a bar with him and you will soon find out why. Let's just say, taunts of being a pussy and having to make up for lapped sessions have something to do with it. While I haven't strayed as far as Mark, I have been enjoying the simpler side of life.

So here are a few beers that I have been enjoying lately. All of them are local and cheap:

Southampton Secret Ale - $6.80 for a 6 pack

This is the first beer I have had from Southampton. I didn't know what to expect from such a cheap beer. I was damn happy that I didn't stress out about having to find the perfect beer. I took the chance and all was good (In the end, it still is beer. How could you go wrong?). The Secret Ale is an Alt, meaning "Old" is a well balanced brown ale with a smooth malt backbone. Not too hoppy and damn drinkable. This totally hit the spot on a hot night and I consumed the six pack within a week. Really tasty, easy to drink, and hands downs a super deal.

Ithaca Nut Brown - $7.50 for a sixer

I like Ithica. They walk on the wild side too, as I mentioned in my 1st post. But, thankfully, they know how to build a easy, drinkable beer. This one is a nice strong malt ale that is a little lighter on on the hoppy, crisp bite but damn does it have a nutty aftertaste. It is a great beer to drink with a variety of cheese. If you enjoy a nutty cheese or cheese and nuts, grab a six pack of this beer and play with your favorite cheeses. Maybe a nuttier cheese will diminish the nuttiness of the beer or vice versa. I dunno. Relax, drink this beer and eat some good cheese. I am sure it will be great either way!

Brooklyn Pilsner $8~9 depending if you plan ahead or take it easy and pay a few extra by grabbing it at a bodega

For some reason, this beer from Brooklyn always gets lost between the Brooklyn lager and the Brooklyn Weisse. It has great dry, crisp malt flavor to it with a touch of honey oat-i-ness to it. Makes me think of breakfast cereal, but beer, which in my world is a great thing. Plus, it is really tasty cold on a hot day. Pick it up or order it at a bar, it is worth a try.

So, take a moment from the hurly burly that is NYC. And if you are like me, take a break from the crazy beers as well. Sit back, pop open a few of these easy, tasty, but cheap, local beers, and cool down on one of these last summer nights. And if you want, relax a bit more by sticking the tips of your fingers down the front of your pants, Bundy-style. No one's lookin' and if they are... whatever.

Technorati Tags: experimental, style: Alt, style: Nut Brown Ale, style: Pilsner

NKOTB - Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, just Festina Peche

2007-06-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

OK, so what does Joey from New Kids on the Block have to do with my blog about beer? Other than another reason for everyone to question my sexuality, not a damn thing! You just read my acronym and jumped to an incorrect conclusion. NKOTB, or New Kind of Tight Beer, is going to be a reoccurring post that talk about new and tight (that's right TIGHT, I could have gone with terrific, but com'on) beer that I just drank. This time I will be talking about Dogfish Head's new Festina Peshe!

The First time that I tried Festina Peche, I thought I was drinking a peach flavored Wit ale. It was at the Extreme Beer Fest in Boston and maybe it was all that we had to drink that day or the flavor intense beers, but I swear it was a Wit ale. But I was wrong. It is actually a Berlinerweisse and to be even more specific, it is a "Neo-Berlinerweisse", so says Dogfish Head. That makes this beer even cooler.

So what is a Berlinerweisse? It is one of those beer styles, such as Rauchbier, that used to be popular, but are no longer. Berlinerweisse is a typical Weisse, an unfiltered wheat beer, except that is tart due to the lactic acid used in fermentation. In order to balance this sourness, it is typically served with a shot of raspberry, lemon, or woodruff syrup. The syrup flavors as well as colors the beer depending on which shot was added. The style's low alcohol, around 2.8%, mixed with the crisp effervescent action and a shot of sweet syrup make it a really easy drink to slug down on a hot day. According to Dogfish Head, there are only a few places left in Berlin that still make this style and that is down from over 70 breweries at one point. Another sad reminder that this beer is on the endangered species list.

Luckily for us, Dogfish Head is trying to pump some life back in to it with their Neo-Berlinerweisse. So what makes it "Neo"? My belief is that they couldn't sell a bottle and a shot of syrup, so they had to figure out a way to incorporate the syrup right into the brewing process. They added some peach juice into the fermenter and poof, a Neo-Berlinerwiesse was born. It isn't exactly the same as a Berlinerweisse as it doesn't have a shot of syrup (duh) and its alcohol comes in at 4.5 percent, but it follows the other characteristics pretty well. It is perfect for a light meal that could use a bit of citrus or vinegar to add some zest. I don't even eat fish and the first food paring that popped into my head was a simple fish dish. It would even work flying solo on a hot humid day. A perfect midsummer drink. Now if Bierkraft can only keep it on tap all summer long.

For you brooklyn based beer lovers, I urge you to go pick up a growler at Bierkraft and give this one a whirl. After one taste, you too will be singing along with NKOTB: New Kind of Tight Beer.

Enjoy!

The Gateway Beers

2007-05-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

I believe that the five most wonderful words in the English language are "Would you like a beer?". But there is a yang to this yin. A horrible concoction of verbal nastiness that is like a piercing sound that only beer geeks can hear and feel as it crawl up their spine no matter where they stand: "No, I don't like beer.". It gives me the shivers to even think about it. For those of you out there that didn't feel it rattle your soul, it probably means you have said this phrase at some point, and if so, then this post is for you.

I am not a beer snob that believes that if you don't worship beer, then there is something wrong with you. I like to think of myself as a beer therapist, a beer counselor, or that matchmaker in Fiddler on the Roof, but for beer. What I am saying is that if you don't like beer, that's fine. But maybe it isn't that you don't like beer, but rather that you just haven't met the right beer yet. That is exactly what this post is all about, walking you or your no-beer-drinking friend thru a few beers that could help them see that there is more to beer than Corona.
**Side note:
I am not saying that these are the best beers ever, but I am saying that these are easy beers for the non-beer drinker to find, enjoy, and possibly get hooked on. This post is not for reader who, while reading, will think, "Shit, these aren't interesting beers." because if you know them, you are into beer. **

Believe it or not, but I used to not like beer. Granted, most of what I knew was the piss American lager from The Big Three, but for me, this first beer was like a first toke on a crack pipe. After one pint, I was hooked on beer.

Brooklyn's Weisse
The thing that shocked me about this beer was that it didn't taste like beer, or at least the beer that I knew. For you newbies, unlike a bud, when you pour it into your glass (if you were served with a lemon, don't squeeze it just yet), stick your nose in and take in the beer's aroma. What do you smell? Probably, the first thing you will notice is the sweeter, fruitier scents. Take a sip. For me, I am hit with bananas and clove. Maybe a bit of citrus and some breadiness, but overall a smooth beer with light bubbles that nip at your tongue that accentuates the zeztiness of the beer. Now ask yourself, is this like any other beer you have had? If you want to, go ahead and squeeze in that lemon. Take another sip.

You have just experienced what is called a Hefeweisen, a German style beer that means Wheat with yeast. The cloudiness within that orange wheat beer is yeast. The style is normally unfiltered. Don't worry, it isn't bad for you. It actually adds some of the flavors in the beer. Many brewers make this style of beer, esp German breweries, and is a perfect beer to drink on a hot summer day.

Unibroue Éphémère Apple
This Ale proves that Canada has more up its sleeve than Labatt's Blue, a beer that once again proves that Canadians have just as bad taste as American.
Éphémère's style is called a fruit beer. It is similar to the Brooklyn's Weise in that it is a light, fizzy beer that is wonderful on a summer day, save one aspect. Fruit! It is teaming with flavors of spiced Grannysmith apples, a slight hint of crisp pear and a touch of coriander. You could compare it to a cider, but it is really all ale.

Unibroque makes other fruit beers that fall under their Éphémère label, such as cranberry, peach, cassis, and framboise (raspberry). Belgian brews, like Éphémère, have a unique sub-style called Lambic entirely dedicated to the use of fruit and wild yeast. Many other breweries experiment with fruit/beer combinations, such as Dogfish Head's Peach and champagne-like whit ale Festina Peshe ( I am really excited to start drinking this beer this summer!)

Bitter
For you men who are fearful that all the beers on this list are going to be "Girl beers", this one is for you. I have already discussed Bitter in an earlier post and how it is a great beer for non-beer drinkers and experienced beer drinkers alike to start exploring. It is light, crisp, and don't let the name fool you, it ain't that biter. There is a wide array of Bitters, everything from light crisp style to an almost apple cider like beer. For the whole rundown on Bitters, read the post: Know Your Beer: Bitter.

OK, last "Girly Beer":

Hoegaarden (Pronounced 'Who-Gar-Den')
What can I say. This beer is super easy to find in New York and many other places. It is another Whit ale and has a unique flavor provided by the brewery's use of coriander and dried Curaçao orange peel. It has a very light flavor and like the Hefeweisen is unfiltered and typically served with a lemon. I like it cause it is simple, refreshing and really easy to find in NYC. Almost all midtown bars have the standard 3 imports: Bass, Guinness, Stella, and many of them rebound this list of monotony by offering Hoegaarden. So for you adventurous types who want to throw caution to the wind and break into beer, this one can be found all over the place and is worth a try.

An interesting side story about Hoegaarden: It was started like many other breweries are started, by one passionate man with a vision, but it ended, at least for him, on a sad note. The brewery caught fire in the mid 80s and a few other breweries pitched in to "help" him out. InBev, the largest beer company in the world, loaned them the money for the repairs. Once they were back up and running, InBev then leaned on Hoegaarden's founder to change his recipe to give it a broader appeal. The owner decided it was time to sever his ties with the brewery as he no longer had true control over the product. Sadly, the beer that you try today is this altered recipe and is owned and controlled by InBev. The founder moved to Texas to found another brewery to keep the original recipe alive. Making a woeful tale even bluer, his new brewery was also consumed by a major megabrewery, this time it was Miller. The true original recipe can be found thru a few small breweries in Belgium.

While this list is in no way a complete list of all the beers I would suggest, it is comprised of some beers that will intrigue new comers and are easy to spot in NYC. So, break the habit of saying No to beer and remember, at one point in time, I, too, had no interest in beers. But after a few pints of gateway beers such as these, I was a changed man and a few (thousand) pints after that, I was hooked in a real bad way. Here's hoping that even if you don't get hooked, you will at least find some beer that you can enjoy. And when that day happens, I can stop shivering every time someone, somewhere says "No, I don't li...." Sorry, I really can't say this awful phrase twice in one post. It hurts too much.

Pub Crawl: Vol De Nuit

2007-04-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in a bit. I apologize. I've been sick and still am. Nevertheless, on to the beer!

For all of you New Yorkers tired of your favorite watering hole, I offer you the Pub Crawl, a random posting about places to get injected with quality beer in NYC.

This time we are going to focus on Vol De Nuit, a little Belgian beer bar on West 4th in the West Village. I had hoped to start the Pub Crawl off with a more positive note, but alas, I feel it is more important to heed caution.

DO NOT GO TO VOL DE NUIT!

Do they have a bad selection of beer? No, all Belgian, though they could be a bit more adventurous on the selection.

Crappy Atmosphere? Nope, dark, comfy couches, maybe the music is a tad loud.

What is it then? The owners prey on people like you and me. They know that all we have eaten are some frites to fight back the effects of a couple Tripels. They know that with prices ranging from 5 to 15$ bucks a beer, the tab can add up quickly and with that big bill, you will opt to pay with plastic. They know all this, so when it comes to paying your bill with credit, they slap on a fee they call "TAX". It isn't a minimum tab amount that many places require to justify the credit card fee, it isn't even a set fee for use of a card, but rather a fee of somewhere in the neighborhood of 11% of your total tab, beer included. Now, I am not a tax lawyer or even an accountant, but I am guessing that calling something a TAX when it really is a service charge has to be illegal. If it isn't, it still leaves you with lying to the customer. Lastly, there isn't a sign explaining this wack policy. By the time the customer has realized what has happened, the card has been swiped, making it that much harder to dispute. It then puts the customer in an awkward situation with the bartenders and you want to blame them, but they push it on to the owner and beg you not to stiff them their tip.

There really isn't anything we can do except voice our opinion and vote with our dollar. Therefore, no matter how nice the place is to get a Belgian Ale on tap, there are other places to go in this big city. I am not going back to Vol Du Nuit till they change their policy and stop this predatory behavior. I suggest you do the same.

For the next pub crawl, I promise it will be a place that you will want to go. Until then, your favorite watering hole will have to do...

Know your Beer: The Bitter

2007-03-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget that not everyone is a beer geek. Not everyone has tried many of the styles of beer nor could tell them apart. They just enjoy their beer. I forget this.

But I do like thinking about what makes up a style of beer. I like to think about why there is a divide between say a porter and a stout. I guess that is why I am a geek. Nevertheless, I think if you are reading this blog, then maybe you too might wonder the difference. If anything, knowing these things might make my perspectives on beer a bit clearer. With that in mind, I give you Know your Beer. A simple look into styles of beer and what makes the beer you drink.

To start this new segment off, I am going to discuss one of the least understood styles in the States, the Bitter or more precisely, the Ordinary Bitter. There are actually three types of Bitters: Ordinary Bitter, Best Bitter, and Extra Special Bitter or ESB. Right now, I am only talking about Ordinary Bitter, the other two will be discussed in a later article.

There are two reasons why this beer is misunderstood by American drinkers. First off, the name. With a name like Bitter, it sounds like a beer that is really hoppy and has a harsh bite. Quite the opposite is true. More on that in a minute.

The other reason is that Bitter's style is really hard to lock down. It comes in an array of colors from a golden amber to a darker chocolate. Its flavors are just as various, ranging from sweet, fruity apple and pear to creamy smooth butterscotch. Because it varies so, it can take a slightly adventurous soul to blindly order an unknown pint of Bitter as you might be expecting a different flavor than you receive.

As I said earlier, Bitters are not bitter beers, they are actually referred to as a session beer. Session beers are beers that are easy to drink, light in alcohol, low in carbonation and tend to be very well balanced, just enough sweet to mellow out the hops. People would venture to pubs have a few pints of Bitter and still be able to maintain, albeit more lively, discussion on current events or politics. The K Y Jelly of social discourse. The flavors of the Bitter need to be very enjoyable and the alcohol present, but not overpowering, otherwise it fails as a session beer. Not burping all the time is nice too.

One might think that the unpredictable nature and that mellow flavor of the Bitter is a bad sign, but once you think about it, the combination is the strength of the beer. You get a lot a variety within the style and the chances of you finding an offensive Bitter are low. Also, it is a great beer for those that don't like heavy/big beers or have never ventured past Budweiser. I am thinking about those friends of yours from college that, in beer terms, are still in college or your girlfriend.

Girls, if you are going out for a night on the town with a new man and he wants to stop off at a pub, ask for a Bitter.

Girls, if you are going out for a night on the town with a new man and he wants to stop off at a pub, ask for a Bitter. For one, the guy is going to be super impressed that you want to drink beer, know about something other than Stella, and it just sounds hot. Maybe try it in a British accent. Also, you can keep up with him and maybe even drink him under the table. Just a word of warning, because it is lighter and you can theoretically drink more, makes sure that the restroom in the bar is up to your standards as you will be taking a few trips throughout the night.

Bitters really are a great beer just as long as you understand what a Bitter is and have a better idea of what to expect when the bartender pours you a pint. As I discussed in my 1st post about Extreme Beers, you can't drink many pints that have crazy levels of maltiness, hoppiness, or alcohol. A night of drinking is where the Bitter reigns as champ. This is probably one of the reasons that the Bitter is so popular in the U.K. but it is high time that the U.S. catches up to its neighbors across the pond and get in on some of the Bitter goodness.

Some bottled Bitters you can sample at home are:
Fullers London Pride
Young's Bitter
Goose Island's Honkers Ale

But possibly the best place to try a Bitter is from the cask at a Pub. A good pub will have more options than anything you could find in a bottle. Have fun exploring!

Bring on the Timid Beer

2007-03-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

My older brother Ian drives like a bat out of hell. This has been the case since I was a teenager. Once, when I was riding shotgun in a friend's car, Ian blew past us driving at his normal clip. Our friend offered his perspective on Ian's need for speed. "Anyone can can break the speed limit, but it takes a true genius to break the minimum speed limit." 45 minutes and 10 miles later, we caught up with Ian.

With this story as a backdrop, I have an idea. So many brewers today are attempting to push beer into uncharted territories. Brewers are trying to figure out how to add more body, more hops, more alcohol, more, more more. Kudos to them and I look forward to enjoying their spoils of exploration. Want some names of beer to try? How about Dogfish Head's Golden Shower, an imperial pilsner. Besides possibly the best beer name ever ( can you imagine popping over to your local watering hole and asking the bartender for a Golden Shower?) it has a slightly sweet taste with a hint of orange followed with a nice soft punch of hops and cognac on the back end. Believe it or not, but this is based off the same style as a Budwiser. Or how about Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel? This beer has a head of white frothy meringue, a nice hazy yellowish hue, a bit of honey, followed by the most wondrous gift of hops that can only be produced by the magical Amarillo hop. As with this consistent upward thrust, both of these beers double the alcohol levels of what most beers produce.

But with these two examples, it leaves me asking, is the only direction we can go is up? Up in hops, flavor and alcohol. But where is the exploration on the other side of this coin? The question I pose is, why not down?

Anyone who has been to brunch with me knows that I hate restaurants that serve only breakfast food for brunch. I don't like eggs, don't drink coffee, and the idea of eating something sweet for the first meal makes be go into some kind of diabetic shock. That leaves me with eating lunch for breakfast. Now this next statement might worry those that love me and will encourage attendance to one of those meeting that suggests you take it one day at a time. I forgo the risk for the sake of beer and all those that enjoy it. Why not make a big flavored beer that has practically no alcohol and serve it for breakfast. Something like a lightly carbonated, low alcohol, full bodied sweet lacto stout sounds like a dream.

If you have not yet tried a sweet lacto stout, run out and grab Hatachino's Nest's version of the style. It is easy to come by and does the style well. They use lactose, or milk sugar, which does not ferment, but adds an sublime, silky smooth, milky taste to the stout. The roasted barley in the stout brings a rich, nutty, almost coffee-like flavor to it. For you history buffs, during the civil war, coffee beans were as hard to come by as a black man serving in the confederate army, so the soldiers used to drink a hot brew of roasted barley as a substitute. It tastes kinda like watered down coffee.

Now, here is the part where I create my rational for drinking beer for breakfast while not looking like a complete alcoholic. If everyone on the planet can drink coffee for breakfast, then why can't I get a low alcohol version of the sweet lacto stout style which has a similar taste profile to that of coffee? I mean, the Irish have been drinking stouts for breakfast for centuries. Oh wait, that probably didn't help my case. But seriously, if the alcohol is minimal, but the flavors are that of coffee and milk, why not? (pretty weak rationale, huh?)

So I call on all the experimental brewers out there. Tap in to this unexplored region of beer, the Mount Everest of beer, if you will. Show me what type of geniuses you really are by pushing the minimum and not just the maximum. And when you do deliver, I promise I will add it to my list of things to consume for breakfast, no matter what social awkwardness may arise!

Organic Beer is Fucking Stupid!

2007-03-06T21:14:00.001-08:00

Ok, now that I have that off my chest, let me explain myself to all of those angry treehugers (I get to say this without offense, I grew up in VT).

First off, do not try and say "Cause it tastes better". This is bullshit. I have had non-organic beers that made me cream myself and organics that were as bland as a bud lite. There is no way that you can convince me that it improves overall quality, so do not even try.

Now in order to label a product as "Organic", the product must contain at least 95% organic ingredients. This amount does not include salt or water. That's right! There is no such thing as Organic table salt. Beer is 92% water, give or take a few points based on the style (a lite beer is going to contain more water than a stout). This is the origin of that phrase "drink one, piss two". Manufactures of organic beer are only required to use organic ingredients in about 95% of 8% of the beer, or 7.6% of the bottle of beer. 7.6% of the whole product! If I tried to sell an organic fruit bar, and then told you that it was only 7.6% organic, you would demand your 5$ back.

The ingredients that could be used to make an organic beer are barley, wheat, hops, adjuncts (like corn or rice) and any specialties ingredients (like cherries in a cherry stout). Most of these ingredients are easy to produce organically, save one. Hops are really hard to source as the hop bine (it is a bine and not a vine) and the hop flower are susceptible to a wide array of attacks from bacterias, fungi, and viruses. It is unfortunate that one of the key components of beer is so finicky.

And what about water? As it is 92% of the product, shouldn't we be using the best fucking water on the planet? If a manufacturer is creating an organic beer, shouldn't there be some regulation on the main ingredient? I can create a beer that is made of organic barley, non-organic hops, and water from the east river and I can still slap an organic label on the beer. Why isn't there a demand that all organic beers use triple purified, charcoal filtered, glacier spring water? If the main ingredient isn't being regulated, can we really have an discussion on how it will/won't benefit our environement and health?

My main question in this organic beer revolution is from where are we going to source all these organic ingredients? In order to maintain current output without using pesticides, we will need to increase farm land, which destroys habitats and burns more fossil fuels as there is more land to work. Importing organic hops from New Zealand, one of the few places that does not have the same fungal issues as North America, will burn tons more fossil fuels, while raising beer prices dramatically. I am not saying that I want non-organic products, I am just being realistic. Does the use of organic ingredients in 7.6% of a product really improve our environment or have that dramatic of an impact on our bodies?

Instead of slapping the Organic symbol on everything, I would prefer to see breweries adopt other environmentally sound practices. Already, many breweries are shining stars of the recycle, reuse, renew concept. Spent grains are used as feed for livestock, the brewing process generates more yeast than the brewery can use (homebrewers, hit you your local brewer for some yeasty action), brewing water is heated via the last batch's heat during the wort chilling process, and on and on... There are some areas that breweries can improve on, such as basic green building practices, the use of alternate sources of electricity (Brooklyn Brewery uses wind power), cleaning and the reuse of run off water for toilets, watering the breweries grounds or even to help power the brewery. As for what you can do to get a more environmentally-sound beer? Restart the East/West coast rivalry. If you live on the East coast, buy only East coast beer and for you west coasters, buy West. Basically, buy more locally produced beers and shun as much imported beer as possible. We burn fossil fuels to bring that German Octoberfest to your local shop. Instead, go to your local brewery or beer shop and see if they will sell growlers ( for Park Slope, Bierkraft, Carol Gardens, American Beer Distributors, elsewhere try The Beer Mapping Project). That way you are buying local, buying in bulk, and reusing the glass growler. These are much more real than buying a bottle that charges you more cause it sports an organic symbol on it's label.

I am all for eating healthy products and supporting local producers, but please people USE YOUR HEAD! Christ, if Anheuser - Busch has jumped on this bandwagon, you know it has nothing to do with producing a good beer or a better environment. It is more about commanding a higher price for low cost product, all while trying to compete with the swell of micro breweries. As more companies jump on the organic train, my fear is that the term will be diminished to the "All Natural" or "Fresh" slogans of yesteryear. So please, think about this stuff. Ask yourself: are you popping open an organic beer cause it is better for the environment, better for your body (remember now, you are drinking beer), or are you drinking that organic beer because it makes you feel better about yourself, a fact of which many marketers are very aware and "could" be exploiting.

Aiii, It's Hopzilla!

2007-02-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

Last week, A few friends and I ventured to the Extreme Beerfest in Boston. Despite having a stupid and uncreative name for what should be a celebration in creativity, the Extreme Beerfest is a expo where breweries get to parade their most recent experiments.

What is a beer experiment? To explain this, I need to first explain what it isnt. Most beer is the light, refreshing kind that isn't bad on a hot day. If comparing it to food, this type of beer is the chips and salsa that any Mexican restaurant serves before dinner. It is fine, you know what to expect, and will hold till your real food arrives. Then there is the craft beers. They are refreshing, enjoy developing specific styles while packing in some great flavor. This type would compare to poblano pork Sopes with crema fresca. It has some serious flavor and a clear tie to it's heritage. Lastly, there are the experiments. These beers bend, break, and demolish styles while punching you in the face and kicking you in the junk with flavor. Going back the mexcian food analogy, it is like charred Habanero pepper marmalade spread on a buttery, corn and chorizo scone. Sounds great, right? Yes, but with limits.

The Beerfest (I have left out Extreme cause it irritates me so) was like three hours of stuffing that habanero marmalade and chorizo goodness down my gullet. The idea sounds magical, but the problem with the event was that after a few samples, I could no longer make any balanced opinions because my taste buds were rebelling. I even went back towards the end of the event and re-tried one of my more favorite beers (a double IPA from Ithica) and I could not taste any of the qualities that I had loved.

I am sure that you, my dear reader, is saying to yourself, "Well, no shit!". But I think this brings up a good point. Besides just tooling around in the brew shack, what is the point of these beers? If you can't go to the pub, order a pint and truly enjoy it, then why experiment?

I believe that we are at an interesting point in beer's history. American breweries are being inventive with everything from ingredients to methods of brewing because they are not bound by traditions like the German's Reinheitsgebot. They also have a crowd of people, like myself, that want more quality beer on the market and are willing to experiment and develop their tastes. This environment spawns the experimental beer, but in order for these new beers to work, I believe we need to be willing to experiment with new ways of enjoying these new beers.

Wine has been experimented with for centuries. We have red, rose, white, desert, sherry and thousands of variations with in each class. You do not pour yourself a big glass of sherry. Like wise, why is it that pubs that serve these monsters try to offer you a pint or even a half pint of some of these beers. I wonder if there is too much testosterone among beer drinkers? People love to chat about how they just tried some overly hopped beer. Who cares? Whoopdidoo! You were able to slug down a pint of a double imperial smoked poter. Cool, but did you enjoy it? Could you notice the malt complexities or the hoppy finish towards the bottom of the glass? I doubt it cause these beers by their sheer design, will eventually overpower your tongue.

I believe that we, as beer consumers, need to stop treating these monsters like beer and treat them like what they really are. They are the sippers. The little glass'd beer that kicks you in the junk (or junkette) every time you bring the glass to you lips. And if you are worried about strolling up to the bar and coming back with a teeeny-tiny glass of beer. FAGAETABOUTIT! You don't think those guys that sip a small glass of fine scotch whiskey are pussies, so why are you when you do the same with some serious beer?

Oh and one of my favorite beers from the fest? Dogfish Head's Festina Peche, a peach flavored champagne-like wit ale! Perfect for summer, now only if summer were here now!

p.s. - I would like to dedicate my first post, posted on President's day, to Jimmy Carter. Thanks for the Homebrew, President Carter!