Poor Richard’s Ale

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy”

This quote of unknown provenance is often attributed to Ben Franklin. While he may or may not have actually uttered these exact words, contemporary accounts support the notion that Benjamin Franklin was a man who enjoyed a pint now and again. Sources indicate he had a particular fondness for ales that were stronger and fuller bodied. We know that the first beers brewed in North America were Ales; the first Lagers would not arrive on our shores until the 1840’s. We also know that the cost and limited availability of quality Malted Barley makes it almost certain that adjuncts such as Corn and Molasses were used to round out the grain bill. As for hops, the scarcity and cost of imported hops make it likely, that to be authentic, the beer should be mildly hopped, perhaps flavored with fruit, or spices such as cloves, nutmeg or cinnamon. There is also some evidence that brewers used nettles or spruce to offset the otherwise cloying sweetness of the malt and adjunct sugars of the day. While sharing a common lineage, the beers of Mr. Franklin’s time were much different from the beers of today.

This month, more than 100 brew pubs around the country will celebrate the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth. Many of them will follow a recipe for Poor Richard's Ale that emulates a beer - the ever loquacious Ben Franklin might have enjoyed after debating the wording of a certain Declaration that ultimately found its way to London. The rest is history.

Local Brewer, Gretchen Schmidhausler, of Basil T's in Red Bank is among the brewers that chose to commemorate this icon of American history by brewing her interpretation of "Poor Richards Ale". There was a decent article in the January 13th Asbury Park Press that is both interesting and informative. Googling "Poor Richard's Ale" will lead you to some of the other brewers that are brewing this traditional ale. The recipe that many of these brewers are using is based upon the research of another Brewer named Tony Simmons.

On Wednesday January 18th I ventured out to Basil T's in Red Bank to test the fruits of Ms. Schmidhausler's labor. To aid me in my historical task I recruited two friends, Mike and Ulf. I can fairly state that we were all pleasantly surprised by the drinkability of this brew. Off the cuff I'd say that had the ales of the time been this tasty and refined we might still be part of the Commonwealth. The beer poured out a very dark chestnut brown with a creamy tan head that faded to a pancake and left delightful clumps of lacing sticking to the sides of the glass. The aroma of this beer is spicy, smoky and earthy with a lingering sweetness in the back. The molasses and malt are clearly in evidence as are the hops. The taste is balanced - the sweet malt and corn finding a nice spicy counterpoint in the leafy hop and smoky molasses tastes. Not the slick, cloyingly sweet brew that I anticipated at all. Rather, it is a full bodied and balanced brew that is worth taking the trip to Red Bank to enjoy. I think this is a fine way to commemorate Mr. Franklin and the other signers of the Declaration of the Independence. But, you’d better hurry because this limited edition brew will only be on tap for the next couple of weeks.

So Many Choices ...

There was a time when there were not many convenient choices when it came to beer. There was the Anheuser Busch family of adjunct lagers... Bud, Busch, Micelob... There was Miller, The Champagne of Beers, an adjunct lager in a snazzy clear bottle, Schmidt's, Schlitz, Pabst, Piels and Colt 45(Remember the Shark advert and that catchy whistled theme?)... Yup, more adjunct lagers. Then came light beer, woo hoo another adjunct lager, albeit a light one, and there was even generic beer in a black and white can ... yes a generic adjunct lager (best enjoyed with generic high or low tar smokes, which no doubt gave you generic ailments.) There was also Billy Beer ... remember that one? Can Y'all say "presidential adjunct? Oh and and there was Miller's version of Lowenbrau an adjunct lager in a green bottle for the big shots (Yet another catchy theme). There was also Meisterbrau and Carling's Black Label if you were on a budget and needed a really cheap adjunct lager. Then there were the Canadian adjunct lagers - Labatts, Molson and Moosehead. The pickings were indeed slim, unless you liked adjunct lagers in which case you were in cereal grain heaven. For those special times when Champale wouldn't do, there were also some imported lagers, the usual suspects: Becks, Heineken and Fosters. There was a lone hold-out that brewed the only widely available domestic "Ale" that I can recall - Ballantine. Some fortunate folks had access to local or regional beers like Henry Weinhard's, Rolling Rock, Yuengling or the holy grail of Adjuncts ... Rocky Mountain Brewed Coors. (Tales of trunk loads of this "rare" brew being smuggled from Colorado to the forbidden territory East of the Mississipi used to be commonplace). Alas, not all was rice and corn in the United States, some local brewers had an all-malt product or had an ale in their line-up but they were relatively unknown and of limited availability.

Somewhere along the way there was a change. Brewpubs became popular, craft brewing pioneers like Fritz Maytag and (Anchor Brewing), Bert Grant and Yakima Brewing and Jim Koch and Sam Adam's/ Boston Beer Company started brewing products that appealed to peoples palates as opposed to their wallets. The tide was turning and the quality starved, advertizing driven beer market was in for a change. Fast forward 15 years and now the choices abound, perhaps the "beer tide" is in flood mode. Today when you go to a well-stocked store you may have sensory overload. To compensate for the number of products available craft brewers have employed an abundance bright colors, flashy packaging, cheeky and clever names to lure the beer buyer to load up their cart...with their product!

You have the "gonzo artwork" of Steadman selling Flying Dog's Brews...You have beers impishly named "Bad Elf", a "Seriously Bad Elf" and for the really ill mannered "Extremely Bad Elf"... For the naughty we have "Lump of Coal Christmas Stout" for the feeble minded we have "Blithering Idiot" there is "Old Horizontal" for that nightcap and there is "Arrogant Bastard" a brew that was no doubt named for some of my fellow commuters...Decisions, Decisions Decisions...In the Seventies an ad campaign for peanut butter asked the question "What's a mother to choose?" and answered it with "choosy mothers choose _ _ _ !" Well that was easy it was peanut butter but with so many different choices what beer should I try next? Sadly, many resort to buying what they already know is drinkable, if unexciting, lest they have to suffer through a sixer of a funky brew they do not like.

For those of you that are willing to take a chance the rewards are there. What should you buy? Well that depends on what you like. (short answer, long answer follows) When you buy wine or spirts you are seeking a certain flavor profile. So too with beer. As we move into 2006 resolve to buy beer not by the packaging or the advertizing but by the style and the taste. Learn about the various beer styles and read some product reviews. You can find good info on the web. For starters look at BeerAdvocate.Com and read what others have said about a beer. Read the section about the different beer styles and how to taste beer. A fat Cabernet is not the same as a spicy Syriah? Likewise a Crisp Pilsner is not at all like a Hoppy Pale Ale. Learn the styles, learn how to taste and experiment until you find your preferences. Pick beers that suit your mood...sippers, refreshers or for food pairing. Keep a variety of styles on hand to suit your mood. Lastly, do not be afraid to try a new beer every once and a while.

East Meets West

Happy 2006, I hope your holidays were safe and the new year finds you in good health. Whatever your New Years resolutions may be, please leave a little room to treat yourself to some quality beers during the coming year. Speaking of quality brews, as promised, I was able to find some unwitting volunteers to sample the Anheuser Busch Brewmaster's Private Reserve with me. Whew, what a delightful treat it was indeed. It is a smooth and well balanced, all malt brew, that is a crystal clear pale straw color with a tightly knit white head that lasts for a short time. There is a healthy bit of carbonation that ensures a persitent ring of head that accents the beers appearance and adds to the mouthfeel of this slightly sweet to balanced tasting brew. There is little noticeable alcohol taste or aroma despite this beers advertized 8% strength. If you can still find it, I urge you to grab a bottle to share with your friends. Let's hope this is among the first of many good things to come from A-B.

Last week we were invited to our friends home for a post New Year's cocktail. I was treated to some superb wines and the inspiration for this column, a can of Baltika No. 9. This beer is brewed by Pivazod Baltika, St. Petersburg, the Russian Federation. A Euro Strong Lager by nomenclature this 8% brew is a slightly sweet medium bodied brew that packs a punch and blows the doors of the Northa American "Malt Liquor" competition. While not a style I prefer it is part of a "numbered" product line that starts with #0, a Non-alcoholic brew and ends with #9, being the Aleksandyr Nevsky of the line if you will ... In between there are variuos light and dark euro lagers. #4 is a quite good dark lager, #6 is a Baltic Porter and #8 is a Hefe Weizen. At $1.79 a pint bottle these are some affordable indulgences and may pair well with Borscht, Sausage, Cabbage and Pierogi's.

Moving Westward to Poland there are also some fine brews available. Elbrewery in Elbag brews Hevelius Classic (6.8%) and Kaper(9.10%)both rews crisp and tasty, and would pair nicely with the afforementioned ethnic fair. Rycerskie from Browar Namyslow is another tasty and strong euro lager crafted to ward off the chill winds blowing out of the East (not to mention warmly satisfy some thirsty Westerners needing to spend some cash).

But no discussion of the East would be complete without at least a mention of some of the rich, malty, Baltic Porters. Sinebychoff from Finland and Okocim from Poland and Zywiec from Lithuania are three readily available, moderately priced, Eastern Baltic Porters. (Should I put a plug in here for Monmouth County's own Heavyweight Brewing's "Perkuno's Hammer?" as fine a Baltic Porter as any I have tasted).

At the turning of the year the East Meets West, here in Atlantic Highlands on the Raritan Bay.

Na Zdrowie! Za vashe zdorovye!