Colbert is just too funny. And he occasionally focuses the humor onto beer. So watch this short clip. It’s after the bit on the new Superman.
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Tip/Wag – British Superman & Big Flats Beer<a> | ||||
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Session # 48
Here is the topic posed by the Reluctant Scooper:
The method of beer dispense often raises the hackles of even the most seasoned beer drinker. Some evangelize about living, breathing cask as being the one true way. Others heartily support the pressurized keg. The humble tinny has its fans. Lovers of bottled beer, either conditioned or pasteurized, can be equally vociferous.
Perhaps you think that one method magnifies a beer’s impact. Perhaps you won’t try a beer if it’s dispensed in a way you don’t agree with. Perhaps you’ve tried one beer that’s been dispensed every which way.
The question is simple but your answer may not be: Cask, Keg, Can, Bottle: Does dispense matter?
I guess I would have to fall in the slut category. That may not be the most politically correct term but if the beer is good the beer is good.
Yes, a cask may bring out all of the flavors of that English ESB or a nitro may add notes unseen to an Irish stout but I think those are isolated examples. The pale ale is not going to be appreciably (and I am talking the average beer geek not the ciccerone or brewer) different be it from the bottle or can or tap. If (and you knew this was coming) the same care was shown by the people in the supply chain from Brewer A to Beer Merchant Z.
Some taps may be fresher but you have to deal with clean lines. Bottles may sit too long in harsh light. Cans may be set out in the sun too long while being delivered.
A recent example reinforced my idea. I had a Sierra Nevada sampler tray at the wonderful Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank, California. On it was Hoptimum. It was too harsh for me on the tip of my tongue and too boozy at the back end. But I also had a bottle in my ‘fridge. The next day, tried again and got the same result.
If the beer is good and it arrived to my pint glass in peak condition, then I do not care. (But I am willing to have people buy me a beer to make their point!)
Beer Geek Mind Blower
The Yard has enough to blow the crankiest beer geeks mind away. Check this:
“The Yard is giving away a tasting of the Best Beer in The World.
Beer Freek is a series of rare beer tastings (see below for full schedule). We will be offering special tastings of all the beers listed for each event. Chef CJ will also be doing pairings and dishes inspired by the tastings, aka Food for the Freek. A number of the beers listed below are considered the best in the world, and many are difficult, if not impossible to get. At the final tasting, we will be giving away a number of tastings of one of the Holy Grails of the beer world – Narke’s Stormaktsporter, a rare Swedish porter. Everyone who attends a Beer Freek tasting and samples the rare brews will receive a raffle ticket for a free tasting at the Narke tasting on May 11th. Winners will be drawn on May 11th at The Yard. They’ll also get to taste some great beers along the way! Prices for the tastings will vary depending upon the beers being offered at each tasting.”
Jan 26
Goose Island Bourbon County Vanilla Stout,
Dogfish Head Chicory Stout (on draft),
Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence (on draft)
……also:
Beer float – Chicory Stout w/Redbreast Irish whiskey ice cream.
Feb 9
Stone Vanilla Porter (cask),
Stone Verical Epic (draft),
Stone Double Bastard (draft),
more Stone TBA.
Food: Goat Head’s soup. Music: Rolling Stones.
Feb 23
Bell’s Hopslam IPA mini kegs,
Three Floyd’s Dreadnaught IPA,
Alpine Expo,
Cask Ale – 24th Street Pale or their IPA.
Food: Roast Suckling Pig.
Mar 9
Hair of the Dog w/Doggie Bites.
Doggie Claws – w/ Rabbit Stew Croquette, coriander chutney;
Matt – w/grilled Pork sate, apple brandy, soy sauce;
Cherry Adam of the Woods – w/macerated berry tart.
Mar 23
Bruery Black Tuesday/Chocolate Rain.
more Bruery specialties TBA.
Food: TBA.
April 13
Sour Freek – TBA.
Will include: Cantillon,
New Glarus,
Russian River,
Lost Abbey.
Food: Duck leg confit, et al.
April 27
Belgian Freek,
Westvleteren 8,
Unibroue,
more Belgians TBA.
Food: TBA.
May 11
Narke Stormaktsporter,
Portsmouth Brewery’s Kate the Great,
Three Floyd’s Dark Lord 09,
Olde Rabbit’s Foote.
Food: TBA
More craft beer on the horizon
One way to gauge the health of the craft beer industry is to check the stats on breweries in the planning stages. Here are some states to pique your interest…
Connecticut – 6
Alabama – 6
Iowa – 9
Tennessee – 11
New York – 26
Colorado – 29
I delved into the California numbers and came up with 23 in the planning stages. Berryessa and Aztec were two with names attached. And LA had it’s fair share.
I also perused my home state of Oregon, twelve breweries are in the planning stages. Among them Charlatan Brewing, Dexter Brewing, Dragon’s Gate, Noble Brewing, Occidental Brewing, Sasquatch Brewery, Workshop Brewpub.
Thanks to the Brewers Association for keeping up this massive list.
Bruery + The Foundry =
If this does not perk up the inner Beer Geek then nothing will….
Lunch menu (food first / beer second)
Goat cheese and orange rillettes/flatbread/ herbed oil (Orchard White)
Endive salad/taleggio /Asian pear/hazelnut oil (Saison Rue)
Confit of rabbit/lemon/date/olive/harissa (Loakal Red)
Pecan coconut and cocoa tartlet/ bourbon ice cream/ corn flakes feuilletine (very rare dessert beer)
Dinner Menu (food first / beer second)
Charred mackerel/grapefruit juice/oil (Saison de Lente)
Crispy skin loup de mer/spicy lemongrass broth/sriracha kimchee mushroom ragout (Mischief)
Fried chicken oysters/cheddar cheese / biscuit bread pudding/collard greens/honey & black pepper gastrique (Premiere)
Mascarpone and black pepper gelato quenelle/strawberry gooseberry cranberry compote/balsamic reduction /tarragon (very rare & limited release beer)
Duck breast “reuben” / mustard / sauerkraut (Rugbrod)
Dark chocolate crepes / burnt orange marmalade / cinnamon and nutella ice cream (very rare dessert beer)
G’Knight
Now that the furor has died down over the newly extra corporate Gordon Biersch has cease and desisited Oskar Blues from using the name Gordon, it would be a good time to pick up some cans from the Colorado brewery and toasting to their continued success.
I wish that the GB owners could have worked out a compromise with Oskar Blues. Maybe Gordon in non-GB states and G’Knight in GB states?
End of small rant. (I am now going to hide the Gordon cans I have in case any lawyers come around)
R.I.P. Don Younger
One of the greats of the craft beer revolution has left the bar.
Don Younger passed away but I firmly tell you that his legacy will live on. He was the first beer booster and without him places around Portland might not exist and I sure as hell wouldn’t be writing about beer.
Craft beer is diminished today but without him it would be a shadow of what it is right now.
This is blatantly taken from Jay Brooks’ wonderful Beer Bulletin: take a listen with a pint in your hand.
In the Tap Lines for February 2011
The shortest month of the year is upon us.
Here is what is planned this month for all of you readers/drinkers.
~ e-visits to four breweries of New Zealand
~ video reviews of two beers from my local, Eagle Rock Brewing (I mean it this time!)
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my opinion on the craft beer world
~ my 2011 Beer challenge will be expanded
~ plus many more posts about new beers, beer products and breweries
The First Firkin of 2011
One of the enduring theological questions that cause great debate in the craft beer community is the theory that one can drink (insert industrial water lager) and still enjoy craft beers too.
This topic came up this month on the excellent BeerNews website in a rant from an East Coast brewer (amongst other rant targets) that I won’t attack as wrongheaded in this post.
I know that someone can drink the full gamut of beers from the lowliest malt liquor to the highest ABV beer stuffed in a squirrel.
I just don’t know how. My tastebuds do not have a reverse on them. Let me explain what that means. Once I had In ‘n’ Out burgers, I could not reverse and have McDonalds ever again. The taste of In ‘n’ Out is light years ahead of the golden arches. Same with coffee. I won’t be buying a tub of Folgers when I can have Stumptown or Intelligentsia.
I can anticipate the argument that comes next. Price. Yes, Stumptown costs more if you just look at dollars and cents. But if the gaze is widened to include how much more flavor and enjoyment you get then the equation changes.
The same for beer. Yes, you can slam more PBR’s for the same price of two of my craft beer bombers. But I am getting something that is full of complex flavors that keeps me interested. I get to sit and enjoy my beer slowly while the supposedly cost-conscious are spending more on aspirin.
Another argument I don’t buy is that it makes someone less pretentious if they are “seen” drinking the industrial water lagers of the world. You should drink beer because you love it or are curious about it. Not to sell the brand of you via the marketing dollars of a mega-brewery.
That is why no one can call you a snob or an elitist if you drink what you enjoy. I don’t drink Dogfish Head or Stone to be cool like Sam or Greg. (Which they are by the way.) I drink craft beer for the flavor.
Let’s REALLY Tour – Strand Brewing
Foreword
Usually my tours are of the electronic variety, I wish I could tour breweries and write about them for a living but that is not the case (yet!). But today is different. An actual visit, with photographic proof.
I have met the fine people (Rich and Joel) behind the Strand Brewing enterprise at a few events over the last few months. And two days ago, I got to visit the brewery!
There is no one successful model in creating a brewery. But there is one constant. Caring about the quality of the beer first. Yes, the branding is important. Yes, the customers are important. And I learned a lot from talking to Rich about his views on those topics. But I could tell that the beer really comes first at Strand. They want a product that is up to their expectations and it is why Rich is especially proud of his re-order rate (100%).
I can assure you that Strand will be talked up even more this year as more people taste the Beach House, Atticus and 24 Street.