Tag: Opinion

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Session # 54

Here is the topic from this month’s host, The Brew Site…..

“…we’ve had Sessions covering Summer Beers, Fruit Beers, and Wheat Beers already (all which could suitably cover summertime beer enjoyment), it occurred to me that the topic of Sour Beers fits well within the season and (surprisingly!) hasn’t come up yet.

I’ve been gradually exploring Sour Beer and finding myself seeking out and trying various beers which fit into the “sour” realm (yes, I’m purposefully avoiding the word “style” here as it is entirely too loaded): beers inoculated with wild yeasts, soured with fruit (often in conjunction with those wild yeasts and barrel-aging), lactic acid beers like Berliner Weisse-influenced beers and the rare Gose, and so on. It’s a challenging area, both in acquiring a taste for soured beer and in brewing them—fortunately many brewers are being adventurous and branching out these days, giving us many more options.

So that’s our topic for August: Sour Beer…..”

We are not talking this type of sour…..

…we’re talking about what I consider the final step in complete craft beer immersion.

If you are not scared off by sour, if you have Festina Peche in your ‘fridge like I do right now or you attend SourFest at Stone in California or Puckerfest at Belmont Station in Portland then you have probably tried the length and breadth of the craft beer world.

You are truly assimilated into this culture because, in my mind, sour beer is truly the farthest from the industrial water lager as you can go. DIPA’s and Whiskey barreled beers may take getting used to but they have an essential beer-ness that newbies can still readily identify (even if they are put off by the taste). Sours don’t do that. That is a major generalization but think about it. Most people have had a Guinness so they can take that experience and apply it to Stone’s Russian Imperial Stout like connecting one actor to Kevin Bacon in a few steps. Ballast Point’s Sculpin is a bitter bomb but even PBR drinkers could make the leap from their fizzy, yellow beer to it.

Sours have no easy beer or alcoholic touchstones that your sense memory can use to link up. Wines are tannic or sparkly but sour no. Cocktails come close but the most popular tend away from sour. So you truly are a blank slate when you start exploring the world of tartness. And if that isn’t enough to make sours one of the last beers that people get obsessed with, then the price of some of them surely will. A Cascade Kriek (excellent beer by the way) is going to set you back some coin. Consumers will pick-up many other brews before that because of the cost.

One more thing sets the sours as the final frontier. Fruit. Beers made with fruit are overcoming the stigma of being the “light” version. But much like cans being re-cast as a container for not only crappy beer, true beer nerds do not see fruit as wimpy. And lo and behold you can end up with a sour flavored with prickly pears.

All of us who have been initiated into the club of sour beer need to push, pull and cajole the others into it so that, one day, we will look back and see everyone alternating between IPA’s, cask ales and sours as if there were absolutely nothing amiss at all.

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The Firkin for July 2011

I saw this in the Wall Street Journal at the beginning of July and all I could do was shake my head. Another giant international beer conglomerate focusing everywhere but on the product.

Granted that seems to be the only arrow in the “water lager” quiver. Blanket all forms of media with ads in the hope that you can drown out the siren call of craft beer.

But that call is still getting through. It has been mentioned on many a blog but the state of Oregon now drinks 15% + craft beer. That is not a niche, boutique industry number. That is a player.

And as important as educating the consumer about craft beer is, I believe it is more important to just get the word out that craft beer exists. Break through the cloud cover of constant Miller ads and Coors billboards and Budweiser sports sponsorships.

How do you do that? Get outside the craft beer community. Partner with local restaurants that don’t have taps or beer lists. Give to charities in the community that are not affiliated with the food and beer industry. Get your beer on tap or in bottles where new people can find it. Or brainstorm your own, out of the box ideas.

Just get the name of the brewery out there. That is all the advertising you need. Let Heineken spend their money on Facebook and Google.

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The Firkin for May 2011

I read this thought provoking post on NPR and it got me thinking about the craft beer world in both good and bad ways.

Back before the revolution of good beer, to try the best beer in the world required a European vacation. Now to try the best would require months and months of time, all the frequent flyer miles you have and an extra liver.

There is just TOO MUCH worthy beer out there. But that is a good thing. I like that there is an embarrasment of riches. Unlike the movies, where you might look at what’s playing and go, “Is that it?”, with beer you can rest assured find something good practically anywhere in the US and the world. And this will eventually entice all the industrial water lager drinkers to come over to the flavor side. So it is a seeming win-win. (Which is also a movie that I need to see).

But here is the downside on both a personal and consumer level. It is hard to grapple with the fact that I won’t have a majority of the beers that I wish I could. All these one-offs in Portland, Oregon or Portland, Maine. Anniversary beers from Alabama that never make it to bottles. Heck, even a lot of the brews that I post about will never make it to my ‘fridge.

But I am coming to the point in my beer drinking life where I am OK with that and I am starting to want more people to come to that realization to.

There is no need to go chasing after “beer whales”. Enjoy the fruit in your backyard and if a special beer shows up, try it. I’m not advocating an unadventurous spirit. But don’t pass up 10 good beers that you have had for the “special one” that might be good. Because the relentless hunt will only lead to dis-satisfaction.

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Session # 51

The back-story and introduction for this month’s Session is a bit involved but thought provoking…all about pairing beer with cheese. In this instance, what pairs with iconic cheeses Blue, Cheddar and chevre.

Part 1: The Regular May Session
That brings us back to Session #51, and the topic of cheese and beer. So pick up some of each cheese, or if you can’t find those specific cheeses, choose similar ones. Pick a beer to pair with each one and post your results on the first Friday in May.

There are at least a few approaches you could take:
1. Guess what beer to pair, and then report the results.
2. Try a few beers with each cheese, then report the results on which worked best, and why.
3. Invite some friends over, and have each bring a beer to pair, then report the results on which worked best, and why.
4. Obviously, if you can only pair one cheese, or two, don’t let that deter you.
5. Whatever else catches your fancy.

And that is just 1/2 the challenge, check out the Brookston Beer Bulletin for Part 2 of the challenge…

Last Sunday, my beer buddy Richard and I headed to the Silver Lake Cheese Store to complete the May Session challenge of pairing beer and cheese.

We even got an employee who was well aware of beer and cheese pairings and was able to help us find the cheeses we needed. We ended up with a nice Stilton blue, a Dunbarton cheddar and the Humboldt Fog chevre.

Next stop was the nearby Cap’n Cork store to make our beer selections. We had chosen to each find a beer to pair with each cheese for a total of 6 beers. After perusing the many choices and each selecting a beer to sample, we set up for the grand tasting and roped in my sister-in-law as an additional taster and got the challenge under way.

Cheese # 1 – Stilton
My Beer Choice – New Belgium Lips of Faith Dunkel Weiss
Richard’s Beer Choice – Stone Old Guardian Belgo Barleywine.

This cheese did not play well with either of our beer choices though the Stone brew rated higher. It was a case of strong beers and strong cheese not working together. I thought the big malty backbone of a extreme Dunkel would undercut the blue but it was too smokey and powerful and didn’t add anything to the cheese. The Belgo was good on it’s own but really could not match with the blue at all.


Cheese # 2 – Dubarton cheddar
My Beer Choice – Sam Adams Longshot Friar Hop
Richard’s Beer Choice – Firestone-Walker Union Jack.

I went out on a limb with my first beer choice and then I went even further for my second and third. Selecting two beers from the Longshot 23 collection from Sam Adams. The cheddar was much more forgiving with beer. And at the end of this round, Richard and I agreed that the Union Jack and it’s big citrus taste really enlivened the cheddar. There was a spark of flavor that we had really missed with the blue cheese. The Friar Hop won my sister-in-law’s vote because it was less hoppy and more rounded with a caramel note from the Belgian candi sugar that she thought melded with the cheese.


Cheese # 3 – Humboldt Fog
My Beer Choice – Sam Adams Longshot Honey Lavender
Richard’s Beer Choice – Allagash Dubbel

I was hoping to go out with a win. But it was not to be. The chevre overpowered the light but noticeable lavender flavor and the sweetness did not cut against the creaminess of the cheese. The dubbel worked wonders though. I thought it would be too strong but it really added a layer to the chevre and both were on the same taste wavelength.

In the end, Richard was the clear winner of the afternoon. If you factor in that we both had great cheese and beer and learned a lot then we both won.

Oh and here is Richard’s side of the story.

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Label talk

Occasionally, (especially for beers that I haven’t yet tasted) a label is just so weird or weirdly great that I have to talk about whats on the package instead of what’s inside. Such is the case for Cellar Rat.

First things first, I am not a rat or mouse hater or frightened victim. But due to paying attention in history class, I have learned my fair share about the rat’s role in disease spreading in the olden days.

Which leads me to label # 1

Aside from the old but iconic hammer and sickle, it is the color of red that really makes this not work for me. The color doesn’t automatically take me to thoughts of the devil. But the combined rat, USSR and color do. Plus it looks more possum-y to me. The font for the name is evocative without being too cutesy though.


What a vibrant green. And boy how it conjures disease. Especially in tandem with the swirly, hypnotic design on the possum, I mean rat, belly. I feel like this is one of those labels that would catch my eye, then immediately lose it.

They have a distinct brand and I certainly hope the beer is good. Maybe the rats will become the next Stone Brewing devil. But for now, it isn’t my pint of beer. And the motto of “Infest You” should go to.

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The Firkin for April 2011

Can a craft beer be crappy?

This was discussed back in February on the Appellation Beer blog. I could have made a snarky little comment on the post but I thought that I should let people know my full thoughts on the matter.

Yes, a craft beer can suck. It could be infected. It could be skunked. It could not taste the way the previous keg did and the next keg does. But that is the ONLY time that you can intelligently say that a beer is crappy.

All other times. And I mean ALL (sorry for the all caps, trying to be clear) the beer is not to your liking. It could use a hop that is not your favorite. The fruit could be too strong. The ABV could be too high. All problems of YOURS. The person sitting next to you loves that hop. It is his favorite. The fruit is that guy’s friends childhood memory of a tree in his parent’s backyard so the more the better and the beer geek next to him may think the ABV brings an additional note to the beer. So don’t loudly proclaim that the beer is crap.

Here is my suggestion. Tell everyone why you don’t like the beer. I don’t want you to lie and say that the beer is great just to keep craft brewers happy. I want you to explain why the beer isn’t to your liking. Those people that liked the beer(s) that you didn’t may have just had a beer that they didn’t cotton to. One that may be perfect for you.

Converse people. Don’t be a dittohead, don’t scream like a political pundit. Calmly verbalize your reaction to the beer. Then we all learn. I may find out that are tastes are similar and you had a great beer last month that I should try. But if you say, Wow this blows. I’m going to think you’re an idiot.

Seriously, if you can’t convince a fellow geek about a beer’s worthiness then how do you think you can tell your bartender, your publican, your distributor or you local brewer what to have on tap.

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The Firkin for March 2011

I had a nice little opinion piece set for March. I was going to talk about constructive criticism. Then Goose Island happened.

First, all beer bloggers and beer pundits need to take a deep breath. (Except for Andy Crouch and the New School who have written well thought out pieces)

Because what happened is not the end of the world. The worst case scenario of ABInBev owning Goose Island is that their beers will become worse over time and a landmark Illinois brewery will fade away. Certainly sad and worth lamenting over. But is it going to derail the craft beer train? I don’t think so.

But why is that the first thing that people think about? From what I have read, you would think this is the beginning of the end. And anyone not willing to boycott Goose Island beers is glossing over the mercenary tactics of the Busch clan and does not understand the severity of the situation.

But I return to my initial question, Why is disgust and horror the first thing that people think about? And why isn’t it opportunity?

Yes, opportunity. Is it so in the realm of science fiction that the beers might be just fine? God forbid, maybe even improve! Yes, ABInBev has proven time and time again that they can’t make a decent beer. And even more damning it seems they don’t want to. I fully understand their money grubbing part in this equation.

But maybe this will get Bud to stop their horrible half-efforts at craft beer. Maybe Goose Island can get more and newer equipment and the ability to grow. Maybe together they can distribute more good beer to a wider audience.

All I am saying is that with each change comes BOTH positive and negative possibilities and we should take both into account before frothing at the mouth instead of the pint glass.

One last thought to take with you, my dad was fond of the corny, hillbilly sayings. Usually involving animals for some unknown reason. He said, on many occasions, “Even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in awhile”. Maybe Budweiser is that squirrel.

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The Firkin for February 2011

PtY madness is a disease. But it is treatable.

This month’s Pliny the Younger release from Russian River Brewing was a much smoother affair than last year. Growlers were replaced with glasses and more people went away happy with a bitter beer.

The only downside to PtY or Dark Lord from 3 Floyds or Black Tuesday from The Bruery or Kate the Great from Portsmouth is the mania that goes with each beer.

I’m not going to get into the nuts and bolts about how to fairly distribute a scarce product. It’s hard. And what works one year may not the next.

First, let me be clear, these are great beers. You do not get people returning, year after year if they are not. That is not my issue.

My concern is that the rest of a brewer’s line up is settled for at best and dismissed at worst. This mania creates a small sub-category of beers that are worthy of treasure hunts or put on pedestals. And to me that is the opposite of what craft beer is about.

We spent years drinking one type of beer. We now have choice. Why limit ourselves again? I want to have Russian River’s entire selection, not just one beer. The brewery should always be first and foremost. Not PtY but Russian River’s Pliny the Younger and then add, “one of many fine IPA’s brewed by Russian River”. It’s redundant but the focus needs to be fixed onto the brewery and not individual brews. Otherwise we can end up with one trick pony breweries.

PtY day is like beer Christmas. A day that people wait for all year long. But I want people to remember that the other holidays are great too.

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Community

One of my favorite shows is Community. Part of the NBC comedy block on Thursdays. Of course only 4 of those 6 six shows are funny to me but that leads to this great post on the RateBeer HopPress about beer blogging.

Now that you are back from reading there, I want to add my two cents. I love having an opinion (see above) but what I am learning is how to listen better to other’s words. Because the more I listen, the more I learn. AND if I disagree, it teaches me how to frame an argument. I may have been too scared to enter a debate class in high school but the beer world is filled with opinions and I love to talk about them.

Because apathy leads to a world of cheez whiz, white bread and water lagers. Let’s get the discussion going. It can be heated but at the end of the night it should lead to both sides learning something and buying each other a beer. SO keep talking. In bars, during brewery tours or online, it doesn’t matter as long as you are discussing and not hurling words at somebody.

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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!)