The Slow Pour

Amidst the lactose and pastry and god forbid boba out in the beer world, it is really nice to see that beertending technique is coming back, in the form of the slow pour.

I first encountered it at Cellador Ales which smartly has a pilsner on tap amidst its fine sour collection and my first thought was that it was an Instragam beer moment for sure.

But I just read on a newsletter from the magazine Craft Beer & Brewing the following from renowned brewing legend, Charles Bamforth, “Maybe there is a flavor difference; maybe it has lost a bit of its fizzy nature, and you get a mellower mouthfeel, depending on how much of the CO2 has dropped out of the solution. But, I think the visual triggers are more important than the taste ones.” 

So maybe that pretty top hat of foam is just show, but it is a cool one that might even give you a different flavor perspective on that pils in your glass.

Sonic Screwdriver

I received this press release in my inbox about the Sonic Foamer and I have to comment on it. I don’t have one, so I don’t know if it works as advertised. But it has the look of a gadget that gets used once and then is forgotten. Anyway, let’s dissect the release….

“Starting this week, a new product will come to America that allows beer drinkers to enjoy a great beer more fully by enhancing flavor and aroma. It is widely accepted in the beer community that the first taste of a properly poured beer is the best taste. The turbulence of the pour creates the head and opens the beer’s aromatic qualities for a full burst of flavor. The dilemma has been that the beer’s aroma and taste diminishes as the head dissipates.”

I appreciate the fact that the discuss aroma and taste without mucking it up. But is it a problem? And a widely accepted one at that?

“Anyone can appreciate an ice cold beer after a hard day at work or with a great meal, but to really enjoy that beer, you need to be able to smell it! Up to 90% of taste actually lies in our ability to smell, a link that has tremendous impact on how we experience our favorite flavors, according to Dr. Alan Hirsch and other scientists at the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.”

Again, kudos for reiterating how important aroma us to beer. But how am I to know who and what the Smell and Taste Treatment Foundation is legit?

“This means you can’t fully experience a great beer without a great head. California Creations knows this and that’s why they are launching the SONIC FOAMER”

A) bad name
B) of course it is from California
www.sonicfoamer.com

“This incredible new device uses finely tuned, ultrasonic sound or vibrations to create ideally small sized bubbles in a beer’s head. It can do this multiple times throughout one beer. This means it can revive the head as needed and maintain the aroma for the best beer drinking experience possible.”

Really? Vibrations.

“The owner of California Creations, Mark Dinges regards the new product as a revolution for beer drinkers everywhere: “I’ve never been involved with a product quite like this one that inspires so much excitement and enthusiasm in customers. Once the consumer tries the product, they want to share it with their friends, take videos and pictures on their phones, it really transforms the experience of enjoying your favorite beers.”

No more cat videos. YouTube and Vine will be filled with sonic beer snippets.

“Not only is the Sonic Foamer useful, but it’s also fun to use. The ultrasonic sound is transmitted through an activation tray on top of the unit. A small amount of water placed on the tray conducts the vibrations through the glass and into the beer. The result is an almost magical explosion inside the beer. Within seconds, a perfect head appears on top. Even non-beer drinkers love to watch the Sonic Foamer in action!”

Of course it has sound. But how exactly is that fun?

“It uses a precisely tuned, ultrasonic vibration to excite the gases in the beer. It creates consistently sized small bubbles for a custard-like mouth feel and an ideal structure to last a remarkably long time. What’s more amazing is that you can manage the head throughout the entire beer. When the head dissipates, you can recharge it with the Sonic Foamer at any time. This process causes the beer drinker to concentrate on the head and the aroma, which is very significant to the craft beer industry. It is hard to fully appreciate this process unless you try it for yourself.”

Drop the science on us.

Like I said, maybe this works and works well. They have an endorsement from the Denver Beer Co. And they seem more interested in the craft beer market which is another plus but for $39.99 a pop it would have to work wonders plus it would have to leap over the As Seen on TV / Shark Tank vibe the press release sends to me.