Waiter - There is Fruit in My Beer

Waiter there’s fruit in my beer…

Usually I do not like to adulterate my beer. I don’t usually care for lemon in my hefeweizen, nor do I generally care for orange in my Blue Moon or Hoegaarden (both Belgian Wit styled brews). I will however take lime in the “cheaper” Mexican beers (note “cheap” refers to quality, not price as Corona is not all that cheap). In fact, I feel no guilt whatsoever in adulterating these bland brews from south of the border. While it seems the lime is ubiquitous around the Bay Shore as an accompaniment to Mexican light lagers, what is less common is the addition of salt as a glass “rimmer” as one finds in Texas and the arid South West. Presumably the salt helps the drinker retain water to offset the diuretic effects of the alcohol. Over the years the concept of adding to the flavor of a beer (so called “beer cocktails”) got me thinking and experimenting. So here are some of my less zany combinations.

Lime and Beer - I like lots of lime flavor so I rub the edge of my glass with a lime wedge. I then rim the glass with a mix of salt and a little chili powder or smoked paprika. A gentle touch here may be appropriate. I then squeeze the lime wedge into the glass, pour in the beer (Corona/Modelo/Sol or Tecate) preferably from a can as clear bottles tend to be have skunky brews and enjoy. This combo is refreshing and easy. It also imparts big flavor to an otherwise bland brew. You can pack the ingredients to go for a day at the Beach.

In Kansas City, where we lived for a few years, folks sometimes drank “Red Beer” this is a mixture of light lager beer such as Bud/Miller/Coors (BMC) and tomato juice. To this combo I substituted V-8 and added fresh lime juice, a dash of Tabasco and a salt and black pepper rim. Why the name “Red Beer?” I am guessing it had something to do with the “Big Red” that are the one and only “Nebraska Cornhuskers.” As Kansas City is a barbecue town and barbecuing in 95 degree weather is hot work, a person partaking in the manly art of ‘cue’ needs to stay hydrated and somewhat sober. My version of Red Beer fits the bill nicely, its light bodied, boldly flavored and high in sodium and vitamins. You might try using Clamato and a cooked shrimp, as a garnish, for a “Bay Shore” twist.

Gin and beer - okay this is definitely one for the historically inclined. Imagine a night in the 1800’s. You are a sailor and your ship is docked in Hamburg after delivering a cargo of Baltic Fir. The local spirits are Korn, Steinhager Gin or Genever Gin and the beer of choice is a light pale German lager such as Hansa or Dortmund Pils. In Northern Europe Juniper is a common flavor in food and spirits, and in some countries’, such as Finland, Juniper and Spruce can be found in the beer as well… So try this, add a splash of your favorite Gin (I like Plymouth) to a light pilsner to add some floral notes to the nose and some spicy botanicals to the palate. Not for everyone, but it works for me. A gentle touch here is best, as with Gin, a little goes a long way… you can always add more. You can pair this with stinky cheese, onions, dark bread, smoked meats and pickled fish if you really want to be authentic. Brawling and debauchery are optional…

The Chelada or Michelada. This one comes from south of the Border and incorporates aspects of Beer and Lime and “Red Beer.” While everyone has their own preferences I tend to start by wetting the rim of a glass with lime and rimming it with a mix of chipotle powder or chili powder and kosher salt. Then into the glass I add the juice of half a lime, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, a splash of Tabasco (more or less to taste) and a splash of Maggi or Soy Sauce, you can top this of with 12 ounces of any Mexican Light Lager. If you want more flavors you can increase the quantities of lime juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco and Maggi as needed. Ice is optional. Garnish with a lime wedge.

You can premix the liquids and put them in a plastic bottle to add to your beer when you arrive at your destination. Mix up your rimmer in a shallow, wide mouthed, lidded plastic container as well. Some lime wedges, a well stocked picnic hamper, a cooler and it’s off you go.

Other possible beer pairings include Lemonade and lemon-lime soda im the UK this is called a “Shandy” and in Germany a “Radler” or “Cyclist”. You get the idea; your only limits are your imagination and you thirst.

Are You Going to San Francisco…

(Continued from last week) …I attended a reception at “Annabelles” across from the San Francisco Marriot. At 7:00 p.m. I linked up with my fellow “beer hunters” and the four of us hopped in a cab for Haight-Ashbury and the “Magnolia.”

At first glance Magnolia has a Psychedelic Logo painted on the façade that belies the traditional pub-like interior. Inside is austere -- water stained walls, high ceilings, dark wood with some booths and both common and separate tables. The bar runs the length of the building and has about eight taps serving traditional keg beer with CO2 and four ales on “Cask.” Our server was both cheerful and well informed as to the nuances of each beer. I dove right into the Cask offerings I started with the Bluebird Bitter (fabulously refreshing with a wonderful mouth feel, a delicate natural carbonation and a pleasing, mildly hoppy aroma) and I asked our server for samples of their Mild and their Brown Ales - both were superb. I elected to order a pint of the Brown (Crisp, lightly carbonated and not at all sweet like the common brown ales that are available in our area). The Brown Ale paired rather nicely with the Quail and spring carrots that I chose for my entrée. In a moment of quiet reverie I silently toasted John Thaw of “Inspector Morse” fame and reflected on the virtues of the often overlooked style that is the “English Brown.” Morse was clearly on to something…

Our repast complete and a busy Monday ahead, we paid our tab and went out into the now quite chilly San Francisco night. One of my companions’s started humming the melody of the song that is the title of this week’s column. We passed a few moments waiting for a cab trying to remember who sang the song in question. Alas, it eluded us all and we arrived at the hotel resolved to look it up prior to turning in.

All things considered it had been a great visit so far, but the best was yet to come.

As an aside some might wonder what exactly is the difference between “tap or draught” beer and “cask” beer. Ingredient wise they are similar it is the delivery system and the source of carbonation that vary. In traditional “draws” such as one might find at the local establishments, CO2 is used to propel the beer from a keg to the tap and thence to the glass. With Cask no CO2 is involved -- gravity or a hand pump provides the means of transport. With cask beers the only carbonation is that which occurs naturally as a byproduct of a secondary fermentation in the “cask.”

Monday dawned with an impossibly blue sky and warm sunshine. I had a few more meetings and a 2”O’clock appointment to tour the Anchor Brewery…

In a word the Anchor Brewery tour was awesome. Our guide, Lindsay, a Jersey Girl, shepherded us through the brewing room with its massive copper kettles and immaculate tile flooring… In the process she explained the history of Anchor Brewing and possible origins of the unique San Francisco styled “steam beer.” Visits to the hop room the traditional flat cooling trays and bottling room followed.

Anchor brews 500,000 barrels a year. Approximately 70% of that total is their signature Steam Beer the rest being divided up amongst their 3 other regular brews (Anchor Porter, Liberty Pale Ale and Old Foghorn Barley Wine) 2 seasonal styles (Anchor Bock and Anchor Summer) and 2 specialty brews (Anchor Small Beer and Christmas Ale). They brew five batches per day, five days a week. Anchor has 60 employees and has no present intention of moving or growing. They prefer to stay small and local and follow their current model. Bit of trivia – Anchor is owned and operated by Fritz Maytag, a member of the Iowa Maytag clan who decided Appliances and Blue Cheese were not for him and became a brewer instead. Fritz first enjoyed Anchor as a graduate student studying Japanese History and Literature and when he found out the Brewery was in financial trouble he made an investment and became a half owner. A few years later he bought his partners out and the rest is history. Anchor was a pioneer in the craft brewing movement and remains a well thought of brewery with a reputation for quality and taste.

Anchor has so-far avoided the “extreme” beer craze and I cannot say this is a bad thing. At the end of the tour we sampled most of the current Anchor brews with the exception of the “Small” and the “Christmas.” The Summer Ale is a 50% Wheat brew that is crisp, light on the palate and very refreshing. Pair this summer quencher with a warm bay shore evening on the front porch and some good friends – you get the idea. We worked our way through the rest of the line-up savoring the nuances of each style. At the end of the tasting I was ready to stock up on Anchor for the rest of the summer. I settled for some coasters, a baseball hat and a set of glasses…

I Left My Glass in San Francisco

Apologies to Tony Bennett… as many of you know, this past week I traveled to San Francisco to attend a regulatory conference on behalf of my employer. Such trips present many opportunities including chances to interact with domestic and foreign regulatory officials and their staffs, catch up with friends and industry colleagues and last but not least what I like to call “Brew Tourism.” As I am confident you really have no interest in the regulations governing domestic and foreign reinsurers I will focus exclusively on the Brew Tourism aspect.

San Francisco, unlike Orlando, Florida and Grapevine, Texas presents the imbiber with an abundance of options. This past visit I arrived safely at my hotel and had a few hours to kill before my first meeting. This allowed my usual visit to World Beer on Folsom between 7th and 8th Streets. World Beer is an unassuming place with a few tables a few taps and a nice selection of bottled brews. As I had no time to imbibe I purchased three bottles brewed by Russian River (Three Belgian Style ales branded Perdition, Damnation and Salvation respectively) had a nice chat with the owner and then made my way back to the hotel to review my notes and prepare for my meetings.

Saturday was a long grind, numerous meetings a business breakfast and working lunch -- by dinner time I was numb and ready to enjoy a nice brew -- but where to go? Decisions, decisions… fortunately I have help. There is a small dedicated cadre of craft beer supporters that I have fallen in with. We met and decided to head across the Bay to Oakland for a beer and some dinner. First stop, The Trappist, a charming, impossibly narrow venue, with about 18 Belgian and Belgian styled beers on tap and several hundred more available in bottles. All beers were served in the proper style glass at an appropriate temperature for the style. We sampled and shared a Belgian Wit, a Trappist Quadrupel, a Belgian Brown, a Strong Golden and a Belgian Pale Ale. All were pronounced tasty and worthy of further exploration. The group decided we needed to grab a bite so it was on to another venue (The Trappist only having light cheese and fruit plates to offer).

Our next stop, just a short block away, was the Pacific Coast Brewing Company. A traditional Brew Pub with a standard pub fare on the menu. I had the Fish and Chips paired with their English Bitter which was on cask. Others enjoyed burgers and paired them with Pale Ales and Stouts. The Pacific Coast brews were solid and well crafted. Nobody was disappointed with their meal and we left satisfied and ready to hop on the BART and get back to the hotel.

Sunday started with an 8:00 a.m. meeting and several more that occupied my time until noon. The rest of my day was open until 5:00 so I headed ‘up country’ along route 101 to Santa Rosa and the Russian River Brewing Company. An hour and a half later I settled into a table with a nice glass of their Belgian Wit Beer paired with a Caesar Salad topped with Smoked Salmon. Russian River is a highly acclaimed brewery that brews traditional ales and stouts as well as a line of “Belgians.” Being pressed for time, I purchased a Growler of their “Blind Pig” IPA to share with the group and a bottle of “Supplication,” their homage to the spontaneously fermented brews of Belgium, to bring home, perhaps, more on this in another column.

I attended the reception at 5:00 hooked up with my colleagues and four of us hopped in a cab for Haight Ashbury and the “Magnolia.” At first glance Magnolia has a Psychedelic Logo painted on the façade that belies the traditional pub-like interior. Inside is austere, dark wood with some booths and both common and separate tables. The bar runs the length of the building and has about eight taps serving traditional keg beer with CO2 and four ales on “Cask.” Our server was both cheerful and well informed as to the nuances of each beer. I dove right into the Cask offerings I started with the Bluebird Bitter (fabulously refreshing with a wonderful mouth feel, a delicate natural carbonation and a pleasing, mildly hoppy aroma) and I also tasted their Mild and their Brown both were superrb. I elected to order a pint of the Brown and it paired rather nicely with the Quail and Spring carrots that I chose for my entrée.

All things considered it was a great visit so far, but the best was yet to come.