It is a bright and sunny day in the Financial District and interesting things are brewing in the world of beer…
The headlines in the business sections today included news that Anheuser-Busch, the world’s largest brewer, is engaged in talks with several mid-sized breweries in India. Per capita the Indian’s drink less than one liter of beer per person per year. On the other hand, Indian beer sales are increasing on an average of 7% -10% per year. In the United States mainstream beer consumption has been generally on the decline, though the one bright spot on this gloomy outlook is that American craft brewers are steadily increasing their sales. What will A-B do to meet analyst’s growth expectations? Domestically the good folks that bring you Budweiser have sought out different avenues to enhance their revenue stream. Recent efforts have included expanded seasonal offerings such as Bare Knuckle Stout and Jack’s Pumpkin Ale, craft brews like the excellent Brewmaster’s Private Reserve and even an Organic Beer called “Wild Hop” available in some upscale grocery markets. In another direction they have inked distribution deals for imports such as Tiger and Grolsch. A_B has also approached some of the larger regional craft brewers such as Old Dominion and Red Hook for the rights to distribute their brews. And of course they advertise and advertise and advertise….
Wherever you look in our town: The neon adorned windows of First Avenue; The billboards on Route 36; plastered on the sides of Distributor’s trucks; emblazoned on summertime shore blimps; flapping on beach buzzing plane banners; and embroidered onto ball caps and t-shirts, the advertisements for Anheuser-Busch’s beer are there. The in-store posters show incredibly fit and beautiful men and women drinking responsibly in poses and clothes that highlight their svelte physiques. They seem to say “you too can be young and beautiful if you buy and drink our pale golden elixir”. Are you running to out to get some? Let me step out of your way, I have chosen the road less traveled, though my fellow travelers are apparently increasing in numbers at a healthy rate.
Enter Dogfish Head; a craft brewer from the First State, their tag line is “off-centered beers for off-centered people”. Sam Calgione, the founder of the brewery, has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, has produced numerous award winning beers, and has written a book on entering into the brewing business. His latest impish creation will be coming to a store near you.
For years people seeking better taste have derided the big brewer’s products by comparing the aforesaid brews with the by-products generated by mammalian fluid consumption – piss. I have seen t-shirts that show a man, his back to the viewer, urinating into a large vat with the caption “The creation of light beer” Well Sam Calgione, ever irreverent, has taken the assault to the next level. In my inbox Saturday I received an announcement from the brewer himself. He is introducing into the Dogfish Head stable of beers a product that will take back the good name of the Pilsner. Sam notes in his announcement that most of the larger brewers claim that their product is a “Pilsner Style” beer and frequently include a reference to that style on their labels. He takes them to task and points out in some detail the falsity of their claims:
“In the middle of the nineteenth century, in a land that is now the Czech Republic, the Pilsner beer style was born. The soft local water, the bottom-fermenting Bavarian Yeast, the local hops and the lightly toasted barley made it beloved the world over.
Unfortunately, the industrial breweries here in America have spent the better part of a century diluting and bastardizing this beer style to its hardly recognizable current state of existence. Over three quarters of the beer made and consumed in America is sold as Pilsner. But it doesn't have the alcohol content or the crisp, bracing, hop character of the old world standard. In fact, it doesn’t even have the same ingredients.”
He also describes the cheap ingredients used, the folly that led them to market their product on the basis bland and ice cold is better and the multi-billion dollar marketing budget that comes with these generally uninspiring products.
To counter this abuse of the Pilsner name he is brewing up a whopper of a brew. Using 100% Pilsner Barley and a healthy dose of European Hops and weighing in at 9% ABV Sam is presenting us a with a beer that he asserts is the secret to selling something that he wants people to buy and drink:
“INSTEAD OF MAKING IT INOFFENSIVE MAKE IT TASTE GOOD”
Sounds reasonable enough right? The name Sam has chosen for this new product? Why “Golden Shower” of course. A name that is funny on so many levels that it is guaranteed to generate more than a few chuckles from the younger crowd.
Sam promises no advertising, no marketing and has even shared the recipe with a Czech brewery for free, so long as they also agree not to advertise as well. Can a brewer succeed without advertising? Ask Sam, and what will he tell you? :
“Yup. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery has averaged over 50% revenue growth for the last three years and we are on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing private companies in America. We've achieved all of this even though our beers are among the strongest in alcohol and most expensive in the world. We do this by paying more attention to the quality of our beer then we do about creating an image or buying mind and market-share. We spend about 2% of our annual revenue on marketing or advertising any of our beers or any aspect of our company and yet we continue to grow stronger every day. And we are not alone. In 2005 overall beer sales in America grew less than one percent. Wine sales and Liquor sales were up around 4%. But craft beer sales were up 9% this past year; making ours the fastest growing adult beverage segment in the country. There are over 1400 craft breweries in America that contributed to this growth. Hardly any of us have sizable advertising campaigns to speak of. But then again we don't make our beer with cheaper ingredients like corn and rice either. What we do have is a growing, grassroots army of beer enthusiasts by our sides who have chosen quality over hype and are helping us spread the word. We wouldn't waste our Golden Shower on the kind of beer drinker who decides what to drink based on which brewery spends the most on advertising and the least on ingredients, we brewed it for the rest of us. “
As we near my 46th Birthday I hope my birthday gifts include a Golden Shower or three, which would be the bottled kind that is, wiseacre.
Cheers.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Beer for Toads
Catchy Title this week, eh? In my efforts to keep you, the beer drinking cognoscenti of our little town on the bay, fully aware of global beer affairs I bring you this juicy tidbit from the land down under.
Boys and Girls the topic for the week is Cane Toads. Cane toads are a species of toad that is native to Central America. These huge toads (up to 5 lbs.) were imported to various parts of the globe, including Hawaii, Florida, the Caribbean and Australia as a means of controlling the pesky Sugar Cane Beetle. It was reasoned that these bug vacuuming behemoths would allow farmers to control these beetles without the use of pesticides.
Buzzzzzz - Wrong answer. Thanks for playing.
Sugar Cane Beetles reside in the upper portion of the sugarcane…far from the reach of these monstrous toads. To make matters worse, Cane toads (bufo marinus) excrete toxic fluids from glands on their backs and are thus toxic to predators, even in the tadpole stages, so they are breeding unchecked and driving out the native amphibian populations wherever they take hold. Alas, the good folks at Coopers Brewery in Australia have a solution. Beer for toads. Here is an extract from a recent article in the Northern Territory News:
“The RSPCA, Coopers Brewery and the Cavenagh Hotel have teamed up in the name of animal welfare and the result is that toads can be turned into beer.
In a move designed to turn seasoned Top End beer drinkers into lean, mean, toad-catching machines, the three Darwin organisations have got together to set up a toad-for-beer exchange.
Anyone over the age of 18 who captures a toad and delivers it alive to the Darwin RSPCA qualifies for a glass of icy cold Coopers beer at the Cavenagh Hotel.
``Everyone who takes a cane toad to the RSPCA to be disposed of humanely gets a voucher for a free pot of Coopers ale at the Cav,'' Coopers Brewery's NT sales executive Sean Gould said. “
So I gather they want the toads dead, - but from a kinder, gentler sort of death than say the one that a well placed Louisville Slugger or steel belted radial tire might administer…”
``No coupons for squashed toads,'' Mr Wilkinson said. “
He was keen to make it clear he wasn't starting a roadkill collection. ``Healthy, live, no squashed cane toads,'' he said.
And Mr Simmonds agreed, saying the deal was ``fresh toads for fresh beer''.
``The idea is to get people catching toads and taking them for humane disposal”
Now here is the line that might offend some people:
“Mr. Simmonds said no one would get a beer for taking a toad to the pub. “
I am Shocked! Shocked I tell you! What kind of blatant Amphibiphobia is this? If Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter books has a toad, and he can bring it to Hogwarts why can’t I bring my pet toxic toad to the Harborside to share a pint of Bass Ale or a nice jar of Guinness? Sure you can kill them humanely, but don’t you dare try to share a pint with a toad before he’s off to meet his maker! Even the condemned gets a last meal. Humane treatment indeed - Hippocrates.
Outrage aside, this has me thinking. I wonder if Joe Reynolds and the Atlantic Highland’s Environmental Commission can arrange a reward system for humanely disposing of locally unwanted, invasive, excess Grey Squirrels? Anyone bringing a live, un-squashed, outwardly content, socially well adjusted, Grey Squirrel (like the ones in residence in my garage eaves) to the Monmouth County ASPCA for “retirement” gets a coupon for a nice Brown Ale? Make it two, one to savor in Squirrel-free bliss and one to toast the cute little grey fellow before he’s off to join the choir invisible? Sounds reasonable to me…
By the way Coopers is a great little brewery and they make some excellent if hard to find brews.
Cheers.
Boys and Girls the topic for the week is Cane Toads. Cane toads are a species of toad that is native to Central America. These huge toads (up to 5 lbs.) were imported to various parts of the globe, including Hawaii, Florida, the Caribbean and Australia as a means of controlling the pesky Sugar Cane Beetle. It was reasoned that these bug vacuuming behemoths would allow farmers to control these beetles without the use of pesticides.
Buzzzzzz - Wrong answer. Thanks for playing.
Sugar Cane Beetles reside in the upper portion of the sugarcane…far from the reach of these monstrous toads. To make matters worse, Cane toads (bufo marinus) excrete toxic fluids from glands on their backs and are thus toxic to predators, even in the tadpole stages, so they are breeding unchecked and driving out the native amphibian populations wherever they take hold. Alas, the good folks at Coopers Brewery in Australia have a solution. Beer for toads. Here is an extract from a recent article in the Northern Territory News:
“The RSPCA, Coopers Brewery and the Cavenagh Hotel have teamed up in the name of animal welfare and the result is that toads can be turned into beer.
In a move designed to turn seasoned Top End beer drinkers into lean, mean, toad-catching machines, the three Darwin organisations have got together to set up a toad-for-beer exchange.
Anyone over the age of 18 who captures a toad and delivers it alive to the Darwin RSPCA qualifies for a glass of icy cold Coopers beer at the Cavenagh Hotel.
``Everyone who takes a cane toad to the RSPCA to be disposed of humanely gets a voucher for a free pot of Coopers ale at the Cav,'' Coopers Brewery's NT sales executive Sean Gould said. “
So I gather they want the toads dead, - but from a kinder, gentler sort of death than say the one that a well placed Louisville Slugger or steel belted radial tire might administer…”
``No coupons for squashed toads,'' Mr Wilkinson said. “
He was keen to make it clear he wasn't starting a roadkill collection. ``Healthy, live, no squashed cane toads,'' he said.
And Mr Simmonds agreed, saying the deal was ``fresh toads for fresh beer''.
``The idea is to get people catching toads and taking them for humane disposal”
Now here is the line that might offend some people:
“Mr. Simmonds said no one would get a beer for taking a toad to the pub. “
I am Shocked! Shocked I tell you! What kind of blatant Amphibiphobia is this? If Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter books has a toad, and he can bring it to Hogwarts why can’t I bring my pet toxic toad to the Harborside to share a pint of Bass Ale or a nice jar of Guinness? Sure you can kill them humanely, but don’t you dare try to share a pint with a toad before he’s off to meet his maker! Even the condemned gets a last meal. Humane treatment indeed - Hippocrates.
Outrage aside, this has me thinking. I wonder if Joe Reynolds and the Atlantic Highland’s Environmental Commission can arrange a reward system for humanely disposing of locally unwanted, invasive, excess Grey Squirrels? Anyone bringing a live, un-squashed, outwardly content, socially well adjusted, Grey Squirrel (like the ones in residence in my garage eaves) to the Monmouth County ASPCA for “retirement” gets a coupon for a nice Brown Ale? Make it two, one to savor in Squirrel-free bliss and one to toast the cute little grey fellow before he’s off to join the choir invisible? Sounds reasonable to me…
By the way Coopers is a great little brewery and they make some excellent if hard to find brews.
Cheers.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
In Praise of Porters
In Praise of Porters
It is a sunny morning in the Big Apple. Unbelievably they are predicting snow for tomorrow. The air is crisp and the sky is blue with sheets Cirrus Clouds layered over a few scattered Cumulus clouds, the whole skittering rapidly to the East. Sunlight sparkles on the surface of the East River and WNYC is announcing 36 Degrees in Central Park. Come on spring!
Porter is a style that few understand. I am guessing that much of this confusion arises in part because of the diversity of Porter types and partly because of the confusion that many have with the darker brews in general.
Porter is said to have been popular with manual laborers, in particular baggage and freight handlers of 18th Century London, hence the name. Contemporary accounts state that “Porter” was a blend of three different styles: old ale (frequently stale or soured), a new ale (a sweet brown ale) and a weak one or mild ale. Brewers experimented with various combinations of blending and staleness. The resulting brews were also commonly known as "Entire Butt" or "Three Threads" and had taste that was by all accounts refreshing and generally pleasing. Washington and Jefferson were said to be Porter Drinkers.
One way to look at a traditional Porter is to consider an analogy Scots Whisky. A Porter was not a Single Malt but rather a blended Scots Whisky. The blended product was an attempt at market to the public’s taste. A smoky Talisker is not for everyone, a blended Dewar’s however is likely to be appreciated even by the casual drinker. Blending three ales afforded the brewer the opportunity to sell more of the less popular “older” and “newer” brews. The resulting blends were vat aged for several months, sometimes over a year. Some of these vats held in excess of 500,000 gallons. Failure of a vat could and did have catastrophic consequences in the crowded streets of London.
The Porters of the late 1700’s were strong, perhaps 7% alcohol by volume. Some brewers made even stronger, more robust versions to be shipped to Northern Europe and Czarist Russia. These stronger brews were commonly referred to as “Baltic Porters”. While we cannot be absolutely certain as to the taste of these brews, we can speculate. In general, the style’s dark brown color masked the cloudiness that probably plagued the soured “older” ales. The Blending of a Sour Old Ale and a Sweet Young Ale likely masked brewing flaws that were common before sterilization and pasteurization. The addition of an “Old Ale” also lent an acidic/sour flavor, which made it more refreshing. Consider the refreshing sharp sourness of the Flemish Wild Ales or even Homemade Lemonade. I would imagine that on a hot day such a tart and acidic palate would be quite popular.
Historical records note that before he started brewing his popular “Stouts”, Sir Arthur Guinness' brewed Porter. In fact the Guinness product line included a Porter up until the mid 1970’s.
Even with the mass-production of Porter, some breweries could not keep up with the demand for the unique blending of old and new ales, since a portion of the blend could only be created by a long period of maturation. In response to economic pressure some brewers resorted to molasses and burnt sugar to artificially color their ales. Others apparently introduced “additives” to enhance the brews intoxicating effects (opium, hemp, strychnine, and tobacco for example). Not surprisingly, some porter drinkers fell ill or even died as a result of these experiments.
Following the introduction of the Pale Ale and Lager Styles, with their greater clarity and their well hopped flavor profiles, Porters became a breweries second or third product, and in many cases were dropped altogether. Eventually the style dropped off the radar and was only available in a few niche markets.
Today, Porter has made something of a comeback. Most craft brewers include Stout and Porter in their product lines. Long gone, however, is the “Blended Porter.” Modern-day Porters are typically brewed using a pale malt base with the addition of black malt, crystal, chocolate or smoked brown malt. With a nod to tradition, some brewers will age their beers after adding a shot of bacteria to create an “authentic” taste. Many porters also spend a little time in wood barrels to impart an oaky, smoky flavor profile.
Caught your interest? Ready to take the plunge? There are many readily available modern-day Porters for you to enjoy. To explore the American Porter Style I would start with Anchor’s Brewing’s “Anchor Porter”, Smuttynose’s “Robust Porter”, or Sierra Nevada’s “Porter”. For a “Baltic” Style Porter consider Heavyweight’s “Perkuno’s Hammer”, Sinebrychoff’s “Porter” or Flying Dog’s “Gonzo Porter.” For a contrast consider a British Style Porter such as Fuller’s “London Porter”, Samuel Smith’s “Taddy Porter” and the flavorful and rich (not to mention somewhat pricey) Salopian Brewery’s “Entire Butt.”
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day folks!
It is a sunny morning in the Big Apple. Unbelievably they are predicting snow for tomorrow. The air is crisp and the sky is blue with sheets Cirrus Clouds layered over a few scattered Cumulus clouds, the whole skittering rapidly to the East. Sunlight sparkles on the surface of the East River and WNYC is announcing 36 Degrees in Central Park. Come on spring!
Porter is a style that few understand. I am guessing that much of this confusion arises in part because of the diversity of Porter types and partly because of the confusion that many have with the darker brews in general.
Porter is said to have been popular with manual laborers, in particular baggage and freight handlers of 18th Century London, hence the name. Contemporary accounts state that “Porter” was a blend of three different styles: old ale (frequently stale or soured), a new ale (a sweet brown ale) and a weak one or mild ale. Brewers experimented with various combinations of blending and staleness. The resulting brews were also commonly known as "Entire Butt" or "Three Threads" and had taste that was by all accounts refreshing and generally pleasing. Washington and Jefferson were said to be Porter Drinkers.
One way to look at a traditional Porter is to consider an analogy Scots Whisky. A Porter was not a Single Malt but rather a blended Scots Whisky. The blended product was an attempt at market to the public’s taste. A smoky Talisker is not for everyone, a blended Dewar’s however is likely to be appreciated even by the casual drinker. Blending three ales afforded the brewer the opportunity to sell more of the less popular “older” and “newer” brews. The resulting blends were vat aged for several months, sometimes over a year. Some of these vats held in excess of 500,000 gallons. Failure of a vat could and did have catastrophic consequences in the crowded streets of London.
The Porters of the late 1700’s were strong, perhaps 7% alcohol by volume. Some brewers made even stronger, more robust versions to be shipped to Northern Europe and Czarist Russia. These stronger brews were commonly referred to as “Baltic Porters”. While we cannot be absolutely certain as to the taste of these brews, we can speculate. In general, the style’s dark brown color masked the cloudiness that probably plagued the soured “older” ales. The Blending of a Sour Old Ale and a Sweet Young Ale likely masked brewing flaws that were common before sterilization and pasteurization. The addition of an “Old Ale” also lent an acidic/sour flavor, which made it more refreshing. Consider the refreshing sharp sourness of the Flemish Wild Ales or even Homemade Lemonade. I would imagine that on a hot day such a tart and acidic palate would be quite popular.
Historical records note that before he started brewing his popular “Stouts”, Sir Arthur Guinness' brewed Porter. In fact the Guinness product line included a Porter up until the mid 1970’s.
Even with the mass-production of Porter, some breweries could not keep up with the demand for the unique blending of old and new ales, since a portion of the blend could only be created by a long period of maturation. In response to economic pressure some brewers resorted to molasses and burnt sugar to artificially color their ales. Others apparently introduced “additives” to enhance the brews intoxicating effects (opium, hemp, strychnine, and tobacco for example). Not surprisingly, some porter drinkers fell ill or even died as a result of these experiments.
Following the introduction of the Pale Ale and Lager Styles, with their greater clarity and their well hopped flavor profiles, Porters became a breweries second or third product, and in many cases were dropped altogether. Eventually the style dropped off the radar and was only available in a few niche markets.
Today, Porter has made something of a comeback. Most craft brewers include Stout and Porter in their product lines. Long gone, however, is the “Blended Porter.” Modern-day Porters are typically brewed using a pale malt base with the addition of black malt, crystal, chocolate or smoked brown malt. With a nod to tradition, some brewers will age their beers after adding a shot of bacteria to create an “authentic” taste. Many porters also spend a little time in wood barrels to impart an oaky, smoky flavor profile.
Caught your interest? Ready to take the plunge? There are many readily available modern-day Porters for you to enjoy. To explore the American Porter Style I would start with Anchor’s Brewing’s “Anchor Porter”, Smuttynose’s “Robust Porter”, or Sierra Nevada’s “Porter”. For a “Baltic” Style Porter consider Heavyweight’s “Perkuno’s Hammer”, Sinebrychoff’s “Porter” or Flying Dog’s “Gonzo Porter.” For a contrast consider a British Style Porter such as Fuller’s “London Porter”, Samuel Smith’s “Taddy Porter” and the flavorful and rich (not to mention somewhat pricey) Salopian Brewery’s “Entire Butt.”
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day folks!
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Beer from the Magic Kingdom
This past week my duties called me to the Spring Meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners at Disney World. Your State insurance regulators are an affable bunch of hardworking folks that are charged with protecting the consumers of insurance products. Given the diversity of insurance products and services, they have their work cut out for them. That however is another story. In between the flurry of meetings and panel discussions (not to mention dinners and receptions) I found the time, with my faithful beer companion Albert, to walk out onto the Disney Boardwalk to observe the Big River Brewery. The Big River Brewery is part of a chain of Microbreweries owned by Gordon Biersch. My family and I have fond memories of the Big River Brewery in Chattanooga Tennessee. Excellent food, kid friendly and they pour a decent pint…not to mention the fact that it is right across the street from the Tennessee Aquarium, a neat place that you must see if you have the occasion to be in North-West Georgia or Eastern Tennessee. The Disney locale lacks the dark wood ambience and charm of the Tennessee venue but it does offer the only fresh brewed pint in the entire Magic Kingdom. Surely Walt himself would have preferred a fresh brewed pint, brewed within his realm, to a mass-marketed product imported from elsewhere. The menu was diverse and reasonably priced by Disney standards. The wait staff and bar tenders were attentive and friendly. Our bar tender Gary was obviously proud of the brewery and its products and went to great lengths to describe each of the brews offered and the flavor profile of each. If you happen to be at Disney World and in need a pint and a meal to sustain you, give this place a shot.
Sometimes I can go to extremes to obtain a new beer to try. This weekend was no exception. Just because it’s Florida doesn’t mean there isn’t any good beer to be found, right? Right. In my case the source of my present elation is a non-descript liquor store called “Big C”. On University Ave in Winter Park (part of Greater Orlando), just a short trip from the rental car drop-off, this diamond in the rough is strategically located next to a Winn Dixie and a short walk to Keller’s Barbecue…purveyors of a deliciously smoky pork sandwich. The store interior is bright and airy. It boasts a great section of Belgians not to mention many other European Brews. They also have the superlative craft brews of Great Divide and some more pedestrian Colorado brews including Tommy knocker. The little voice in the back of my head said “how the heck are you going to get this stuff home?” The beer lover in me bludgeoned the pesky voice into submission and purchased two bombers of Great Divide (Double IPA and Oak Aged Stout)Two Magnums from Meantime, UK (One Porter, One IPA), a 750 ml. of Flying Dog Brewery’s “Wild Dog” (Weizen Bock) and two 750’s from Val Dieu (Brune and Blonde). I also scored six new beer glasses for the collection.
The bounty safely secured in the car I pondered the logistics of the pending operation. How was I going to get this stuff home without winding up in Federal Custody? At this point, the little voice was alternating “I told you So” with “Sir, please come with me we have some questions regarding your baggage.” Surely the bottles will clink together and break in transit. If not they will definitely burst in the un-pressurized baggage compartment. Concluding that the latter was not likely I still had to ponder the former. Like a bolt from the blue the solution sprung forth from my troubled mind. I needed Bubble-wrap! Like an Oasis in the desert, Office Max loomed on my horizon. I quickly found the bubble-wrap and the packing tape I needed to safeguard my goods. Happy, I resumed my drive back to Disney World.
My simple solution was however not without its flaws, as I pondered the upcoming packing event; I realized that I needed something to cut the tape and bubble-wrap. Eureka! There was Lowe’s on the right, what better place to locate a fine piece of cutlery to cut wrap and tape. I purchased a nice little Gerber lock-back and back to the Magic Kingdom I went. About the time I reached the park entrance I recalled that the knife was packaged in one of those annoying clam-shell packages that are hermetically sealed and immune to assault by well honed incisors. Packaging so cunningly designed that it is guaranteed to injure or maim the unwary and ill-equipped. The only cutting implement I possessed was the Homeland Security Approved Nail Clipper…It may take some time I thought, but it will do the trick…I hoped. In the event it did work, barely, but it did take quite some time. I carefully wrapped and arranged my bottles in my rolling carry-on bag. I had packed an extra duffle to carry my coat home and that provided a safe and soft place to carry the six glasses I purchased as well as the obligatory Disney sweatshirts and t-shirts for the rest of the Clan.
Several days later I found myself on my way to the Airport. Apprehensive of my predicament to say the least. Weighing in at just less than 50 pounds (phew!), my roller bag was way too weighty for carrying on. I checked it and hoped for the best. No request from the baggage examiners to please come with them. No pre-flight announcement to report to the Security Desk or meet an Airline Representative. I boarded my flight thinking “So far so good”. Upon arrival in Newark, it seemed to take an eternity for the bags to arrive, and when they did my satchel was dead last. I imagined it arriving in a beer soaked plastic tray with a nasty letters from Homeland Security and from the Airline. Alas, in the end it was all a non-event. My worst fears never materialized and all my goodies arrived safe and sound.
You can be sure that when my Lenten Fast is concluded I will have some world class brews to enjoy.
Cheers…and thank heavens for bubble wrap!
Sometimes I can go to extremes to obtain a new beer to try. This weekend was no exception. Just because it’s Florida doesn’t mean there isn’t any good beer to be found, right? Right. In my case the source of my present elation is a non-descript liquor store called “Big C”. On University Ave in Winter Park (part of Greater Orlando), just a short trip from the rental car drop-off, this diamond in the rough is strategically located next to a Winn Dixie and a short walk to Keller’s Barbecue…purveyors of a deliciously smoky pork sandwich. The store interior is bright and airy. It boasts a great section of Belgians not to mention many other European Brews. They also have the superlative craft brews of Great Divide and some more pedestrian Colorado brews including Tommy knocker. The little voice in the back of my head said “how the heck are you going to get this stuff home?” The beer lover in me bludgeoned the pesky voice into submission and purchased two bombers of Great Divide (Double IPA and Oak Aged Stout)Two Magnums from Meantime, UK (One Porter, One IPA), a 750 ml. of Flying Dog Brewery’s “Wild Dog” (Weizen Bock) and two 750’s from Val Dieu (Brune and Blonde). I also scored six new beer glasses for the collection.
The bounty safely secured in the car I pondered the logistics of the pending operation. How was I going to get this stuff home without winding up in Federal Custody? At this point, the little voice was alternating “I told you So” with “Sir, please come with me we have some questions regarding your baggage.” Surely the bottles will clink together and break in transit. If not they will definitely burst in the un-pressurized baggage compartment. Concluding that the latter was not likely I still had to ponder the former. Like a bolt from the blue the solution sprung forth from my troubled mind. I needed Bubble-wrap! Like an Oasis in the desert, Office Max loomed on my horizon. I quickly found the bubble-wrap and the packing tape I needed to safeguard my goods. Happy, I resumed my drive back to Disney World.
My simple solution was however not without its flaws, as I pondered the upcoming packing event; I realized that I needed something to cut the tape and bubble-wrap. Eureka! There was Lowe’s on the right, what better place to locate a fine piece of cutlery to cut wrap and tape. I purchased a nice little Gerber lock-back and back to the Magic Kingdom I went. About the time I reached the park entrance I recalled that the knife was packaged in one of those annoying clam-shell packages that are hermetically sealed and immune to assault by well honed incisors. Packaging so cunningly designed that it is guaranteed to injure or maim the unwary and ill-equipped. The only cutting implement I possessed was the Homeland Security Approved Nail Clipper…It may take some time I thought, but it will do the trick…I hoped. In the event it did work, barely, but it did take quite some time. I carefully wrapped and arranged my bottles in my rolling carry-on bag. I had packed an extra duffle to carry my coat home and that provided a safe and soft place to carry the six glasses I purchased as well as the obligatory Disney sweatshirts and t-shirts for the rest of the Clan.
Several days later I found myself on my way to the Airport. Apprehensive of my predicament to say the least. Weighing in at just less than 50 pounds (phew!), my roller bag was way too weighty for carrying on. I checked it and hoped for the best. No request from the baggage examiners to please come with them. No pre-flight announcement to report to the Security Desk or meet an Airline Representative. I boarded my flight thinking “So far so good”. Upon arrival in Newark, it seemed to take an eternity for the bags to arrive, and when they did my satchel was dead last. I imagined it arriving in a beer soaked plastic tray with a nasty letters from Homeland Security and from the Airline. Alas, in the end it was all a non-event. My worst fears never materialized and all my goodies arrived safe and sound.
You can be sure that when my Lenten Fast is concluded I will have some world class brews to enjoy.
Cheers…and thank heavens for bubble wrap!
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Murder, Mayhem and Brown Ale
I am not a person that watches a great deal of deal of Television. This probably accounts for my utter lack of knowledge of current cultural references when it comes to clothing, music and what-not. Nor am I a person you want to talk to about spectator sports like Baseball or Hockey (like watching paint dry to me). History and useless trivia are more my style. “My Dad is a Square” is what my kids say! Heck Yeah I say and darn proud of it too! I do however have a weakness for English Television, in particular the shows that PBS featured on Mystery!” Whether it is “Prime Suspect” with Helen Mirren, Derek Jacoby as “Cadfael” or the late John Thaw as “Inspector Morse”, I am hooked and will not lift my eyes from the tube until the show has run its course. It is the latter that inspired me to first try, what is now one of my favorite styles of beer, English Brown Ale. Whilst reviewing the facts with his assistant “Lewis” in a Cambridge Pub the good Inspector would gingerly sip his “Jar” of Brown Ale. As the brown liquid receded leaving a delicate lace-like pattern on the glass, our hero would relive the victims last moments and ponder the identity of the perpetrator, all this against a backdrop of his catastrophic personal life and the bucolic English Countryside. Ahh but I digress.
Brown Ale is a style that is contemplative by nature. Similar in many respects to the English Mild Ales, Brown Ales tend to be maltier and sweeter on the palate, with a fuller body. Color can range from reddish-brown to dark brown. Some versions will have a fruitier aroma, while others tend to be drier with nutty characters. All Browns seem to have a low hop aroma and little hop bitterness. To grasp this brew’s subtleties it must be sipped, contemplated and savored. “Newcastle Brown” in the clear bottle is a brew you may have seen in the stores, but this is, in my opinion, is a watered down version of a true brown ale, a brown ale for beginners if you will. Newcastle is a pale shadow of the treat that this style can truly be. For better examples of “English Browns,” consider trying Samuel Smith’s “Nut Brown Ale”, Smuttynose’s “Old Brown Dog” or Wolaver’s “Organic Brown Ale”. More full bodied richly colored than Newcastle these are brews that the good Inspector could sip with pride and determination while reminding Lewis not to be hasty in his presumptions or to avoid the fizzy Australian Lagers (“They don't spell Australian beer with four Xs out of ignorance”). Interestingly, the Boston Brewing Company, the good folks that bring you Sam Adams, have begun bottling a Brown Ale as part of their Seasonal Line-up. The early reviews that I have read are mostly favorable; I think a trip to Red Bank is in order, I need to acquire some … er … um … research materials for a future column. Yes, that’s it Research Material! In the spirit of Tax Season I wonder if I can deduct the cost of said research materials used for this column?
There is also a style recognized as American Brown Ale which traces some it’s roots to the English Version but may feature American Hops at higher levels or a higher level of alcohol. Dogfish Head’s “Indian Brown” and Brooklyn Brewery’s Brown both fall into this category.
I’ll leave you with a bit of humorous dialogue from the show:
Morse : Isn't it your round?
Lewis : Do you think another one's a good idea?
Morse : Think? That's why I want it - to think. I don't drink for pleasure!
Brown Ale is a style that is contemplative by nature. Similar in many respects to the English Mild Ales, Brown Ales tend to be maltier and sweeter on the palate, with a fuller body. Color can range from reddish-brown to dark brown. Some versions will have a fruitier aroma, while others tend to be drier with nutty characters. All Browns seem to have a low hop aroma and little hop bitterness. To grasp this brew’s subtleties it must be sipped, contemplated and savored. “Newcastle Brown” in the clear bottle is a brew you may have seen in the stores, but this is, in my opinion, is a watered down version of a true brown ale, a brown ale for beginners if you will. Newcastle is a pale shadow of the treat that this style can truly be. For better examples of “English Browns,” consider trying Samuel Smith’s “Nut Brown Ale”, Smuttynose’s “Old Brown Dog” or Wolaver’s “Organic Brown Ale”. More full bodied richly colored than Newcastle these are brews that the good Inspector could sip with pride and determination while reminding Lewis not to be hasty in his presumptions or to avoid the fizzy Australian Lagers (“They don't spell Australian beer with four Xs out of ignorance”). Interestingly, the Boston Brewing Company, the good folks that bring you Sam Adams, have begun bottling a Brown Ale as part of their Seasonal Line-up. The early reviews that I have read are mostly favorable; I think a trip to Red Bank is in order, I need to acquire some … er … um … research materials for a future column. Yes, that’s it Research Material! In the spirit of Tax Season I wonder if I can deduct the cost of said research materials used for this column?
There is also a style recognized as American Brown Ale which traces some it’s roots to the English Version but may feature American Hops at higher levels or a higher level of alcohol. Dogfish Head’s “Indian Brown” and Brooklyn Brewery’s Brown both fall into this category.
I’ll leave you with a bit of humorous dialogue from the show:
Morse : Isn't it your round?
Lewis : Do you think another one's a good idea?
Morse : Think? That's why I want it - to think. I don't drink for pleasure!
Beer for Lent
Today is Ash Wednesday, on this day many Christians around the world will attend Church and be blessed with ashes in recognition of the start of the Lenten Season. “Lent” is a Teutonic word that originally referred to the onset of the “Spring” season and the lengthening of the days that this season brings. Now the word “Lent” is generally used to describe the forty day period of sacrifice, fasting and purification that many Christians undertake in the practice of their faith. It is also closely intertwined with the brewing of particularly tasty beer style, that style being the “Doppelbock.” (Okay, you knew this was coming. This is after all a beer column and not a column devoted to the practice of your chosen faith… unless of course you worship beer.)
As part of the strict Lenten practice, the Monks, who were also the brewers of beer throughout most of Europe, were required to fast from sunrise through sunset. The sole concession to this strict fasting was the intake of fluids. In the early days “fluids” meant beer or wine as the water was frequently too fouled to safely drink. To prepare for this period the monks took to brewing hearty brews that used extra grain to increase the nutritional value of the brew and thus the style “Doppelbock” was born.
The exemplar and gold standard for the style is Paulaner “Salvator” now available year-round thanks to modern brewing techniques. In recognition of the primacy of Salvator, traditional brewers have appended the suffix “ator” to their versions of the brew. For example: Spaten : “Optimator”, Ayinger “Celebrator” Troegs “Troegenator” Augustiner “Maximator” and etc. Stylistically Doppelbock is a lager. This is likely related to the cooler weather during the period leading up to Lent. As brewing was accomplished without the aid of refrigeration “lager” styles were not feasible during the warmer months and Ale yeasts were not active enough to complete the fermentation during the cooler weather. Additionally, as mentioned above, the style was brewed using extra grain, requiring a longer fermentation period, and producing richer and maltier brews and consequently resulting in a higher alcohol content (6.5% to 9% or more).
What should you expect in a typical Doppelbock? Well, the brew will be darker in color, ranging from an oxidized copper through to a deep mahogany brown. The aroma will be toasted or caramelized grain, with some floral hop notes. When tasting, expect some chocolate, roasted coffee and toasted grain accompanied by a toasted malt sweetness that is rounded out with some floral and spicy hop notes. A rich and heady brew, the Doppelbock will sustain you as contemplate the deep philosophical issues raised by the latest episode of “Desperate Housewives.”
In the better stocked stores you can find most of the aforementioned brews. In our own Bayshore Plaza Vingo you may even find,the often overlooked but very tasty, Sam Adam’s “Double Bock.” While you’re fasting don’t overlook the Weizen bocks such as “Aventinus”. Be warned however that on an empty stomach I would avoid the “Eisbocks” such as Kulmbacher’s EKU 28 Kulminator however.
As for me, I have chosen to undertake a Lenten sacrifice in the form of an abstention from alcohol. This should not affect my column and I will continue to contribute to the Herald, though I may be forced to comment on beers that I have purchased and seen in stores and not personally tried. Prior to undertaking my abstention I enjoyed two tasty brews that will sustain me for the challenges to come. First I enjoyed a vinous and roasty A. Le. Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout brewed by AS Tartu in Estonia, followed by a rich and malty St. Bernardus Abt 12 - Quadrupel brewed by Browerij St. Bernardus – Watou NV. Cheers.
As part of the strict Lenten practice, the Monks, who were also the brewers of beer throughout most of Europe, were required to fast from sunrise through sunset. The sole concession to this strict fasting was the intake of fluids. In the early days “fluids” meant beer or wine as the water was frequently too fouled to safely drink. To prepare for this period the monks took to brewing hearty brews that used extra grain to increase the nutritional value of the brew and thus the style “Doppelbock” was born.
The exemplar and gold standard for the style is Paulaner “Salvator” now available year-round thanks to modern brewing techniques. In recognition of the primacy of Salvator, traditional brewers have appended the suffix “ator” to their versions of the brew. For example: Spaten : “Optimator”, Ayinger “Celebrator” Troegs “Troegenator” Augustiner “Maximator” and etc. Stylistically Doppelbock is a lager. This is likely related to the cooler weather during the period leading up to Lent. As brewing was accomplished without the aid of refrigeration “lager” styles were not feasible during the warmer months and Ale yeasts were not active enough to complete the fermentation during the cooler weather. Additionally, as mentioned above, the style was brewed using extra grain, requiring a longer fermentation period, and producing richer and maltier brews and consequently resulting in a higher alcohol content (6.5% to 9% or more).
What should you expect in a typical Doppelbock? Well, the brew will be darker in color, ranging from an oxidized copper through to a deep mahogany brown. The aroma will be toasted or caramelized grain, with some floral hop notes. When tasting, expect some chocolate, roasted coffee and toasted grain accompanied by a toasted malt sweetness that is rounded out with some floral and spicy hop notes. A rich and heady brew, the Doppelbock will sustain you as contemplate the deep philosophical issues raised by the latest episode of “Desperate Housewives.”
In the better stocked stores you can find most of the aforementioned brews. In our own Bayshore Plaza Vingo you may even find,the often overlooked but very tasty, Sam Adam’s “Double Bock.” While you’re fasting don’t overlook the Weizen bocks such as “Aventinus”. Be warned however that on an empty stomach I would avoid the “Eisbocks” such as Kulmbacher’s EKU 28 Kulminator however.
As for me, I have chosen to undertake a Lenten sacrifice in the form of an abstention from alcohol. This should not affect my column and I will continue to contribute to the Herald, though I may be forced to comment on beers that I have purchased and seen in stores and not personally tried. Prior to undertaking my abstention I enjoyed two tasty brews that will sustain me for the challenges to come. First I enjoyed a vinous and roasty A. Le. Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout brewed by AS Tartu in Estonia, followed by a rich and malty St. Bernardus Abt 12 - Quadrupel brewed by Browerij St. Bernardus – Watou NV. Cheers.
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