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.