I have lived in New York, New Jersey, Kansas, Illinois, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida and the United Kingdom. I have shopped on numerous occasions in many other states. With the possible exception of Pennsylvania there are few states with alcohol control laws as incomprehensible as those in the Garden State. One example is the manner in which New Jersey regulates microbreweries and brew pubs. The present laws prohibit having more than one brewery under common ownership. Consequently, the successful Triumph Brewery of Princeton had to locate its second brew-pub across the river in New Hope, Pennsylvania instead of Lambertville, New Brunswick or Red Bank. The laws for licensing for a micro-distillery are well nigh incomprehensible. Last but not least there is the whole morass of laws regarding the obtaining a permit to sell alcoholic beverages. One such component of these laws prohibits a person (or corporation which is a "legal" person for purposes of the law) from holding more than two permits statewide. In effect this allows only two stores in a Grocery chain to sell beer or wine. Grocers have sought to have this law overturned for decades. Their self interest aside such a change would benefit the consumer and the environment.
The present method of liquor distribution in our state involves chosen "distributors" who have "territories" and are the only ones that can legally buy from a Winery/Brewery/Distillery they then peddle their wares to retail outlets. This system limits the availability of some brands in some areas. Some distributors choose to flex their muscles and force retailers to sell certain brands at the expense of others. This can be done by various means such as by threatening to cut a retailers allocation of a brand that sells well if they do not buy a quota of slower selling brands. Other more subtle interference may involve product placement and in store promotions or declining to carry smaller producer's products without incentives. The current system limiting the number of outlets a permit holder can own reinforces the bargaining disparity between retailers and distributors by keeping retailers small. A chain of Grocery outlets could use its purchasing power to buy in bulk and pass the savings along - as happens outside the Garden State.
The distributors are not happy with this proposal, small surprise, they like the status quo, and they have enlisted the help of the retailers by warning of doom and gloom. The mom and pop liquor stores, the story goes, will be phased out if you allow the sale of beer and wine at grocery outlets. The analogy they point to is the alleged elimination of the mom and pop hardware stores where a Home Depot or Lowes has made an appearance. Now it does not take a rocket scientist to know that the level of service that a small local store can provide far exceeds what the Big Box stores have on offer. Successful local business owners have adapted emhasized personal service and are generally none the worse for appearance of their super-sized competition. Small liquor stores will continue to operate as they always have by providing exemplary personal service (including familiarity with their products and customers), readily accessible stock, short lines and wider varieties of brewed, fermented and distilled products. They can continue to special order products for their customers, deliver kegs and ice and differentiate themselves from a chain grocers at many turns. One thing the mom and pops may see is better service from their distributors who will continue to have a vested interest in having their retailers succeed.
As a consumer we will see lower prices, more convenience (less separate errands) and perhaps some more respectful treatment of beer. Beer being sold as a food accompaniment and not as an adornment for young lithe models. Imagine if you will someone selling beer without a cut-out of a bikini clad model. Beer and food pairings coming to the fore and included in store recommended recipes. Beer is, after all, just another food product why not treat it like one?
If you are wondering how this will work, just visit the Shop Rite in Middletown or our local whole Foods. Some Grocer's, like Trader Joe's, have their own craft beers bottled on their label. Imagine being able to swing by Costco and buy your ribs, veggies and salads as well as beer and wine in one stop. Less driving, less pollution less precious leisure time spent shopping.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Cooking With Beer - Beef Short Ribs
Beer is food. It is Water, Grain, Yeast and some type of flavoring, usually hop flowers (which also happen to be a natural preservative). Through the miracle of fermentation wherein the yeast feeds on the sugars in the grain and converts them to alcohol this mixture becomes beer. With aging beer develops body, flavor and effervessence. Like wine and other alcoholic beverages beer can fit the bill as an ingredient in many dishes. For example, one might consider using beer as the acid component in a marinade. Beer also stars in batters and breads and sauces - more on this in another column.
Let's start with the most basic use of beer in cooking - marinades - marinades impart flavor to food, increase some foods ability to retain moisture during cooking and also tenderize certain foods. Often the use of a marinade is a means of taking a relatively modest cut of meat and making it more attractive as a main course - think Corned Beef.
As with all ingredients care must be taken to use the correct type of beer for the marinade. A delicate or mildly flavored dish such as most seafood would be overpowered by a coffee stout, on the other hand coffee stout might just be perfect with beef short ribs or chili rubbed flank steak. Conversely using a delicate pilsner in a highly spiced recipe may be next to pointless as the beer will be - quite literally - lost in the sauce. Here is a recipe for short ribs based on one used for Bison ribs in Bon Appetit Magazine. I have substituted coffe stout for some of the coffee and water in the original recipe. I have also reduced some of the other sugars as well to offset the malty sweetness found in many stouts.
Coffee Stout-Marinated Short Ribs
Adapted From Bon Appétit (February 2008)
Let's start with the most basic use of beer in cooking - marinades - marinades impart flavor to food, increase some foods ability to retain moisture during cooking and also tenderize certain foods. Often the use of a marinade is a means of taking a relatively modest cut of meat and making it more attractive as a main course - think Corned Beef.
As with all ingredients care must be taken to use the correct type of beer for the marinade. A delicate or mildly flavored dish such as most seafood would be overpowered by a coffee stout, on the other hand coffee stout might just be perfect with beef short ribs or chili rubbed flank steak. Conversely using a delicate pilsner in a highly spiced recipe may be next to pointless as the beer will be - quite literally - lost in the sauce. Here is a recipe for short ribs based on one used for Bison ribs in Bon Appetit Magazine. I have substituted coffe stout for some of the coffee and water in the original recipe. I have also reduced some of the other sugars as well to offset the malty sweetness found in many stouts.
Coffee Stout-Marinated Short Ribs
Adapted From Bon Appétit (February 2008)
Servings: Makes 6 servings
Marinade:
4 cups water
1 -12 ounce bottle Coffee Stout or Coffee Porter (Try Founder's Breakfast Stout or Goose Island's Coffee Stout)
1/2 cup coarse kosher salt*
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 pounds Beef short ribs, cut between ribs to separate into individual servings and to increase the surface area for the marinade to penetrate and browning.
Short Ribs:
1/4 cup chopped bacon (about 1 1/2 ounces)
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped shallots
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small jalapeño chile, seeded, chopped
1 cup coffee stout
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup chili sauce (such as Heinz) or ketchup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Preparation
For marinade:
Stir 4 cups water, 1 bottle of stout, 1/2 cup kosher salt, and sugar in large bowl until salt and sugar dissolve. Add syrup and next 3 ingredients; stir. Add ribs. Place plate atop ribs to keep submerged. Cover and chill at least 4 to 6 hours. Drain ribs; discard marinade. DO AHEAD: Drained ribs can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
For short ribs:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Sauté bacon in heavy large wide ovenproof pot over medium heat until beginning to brown. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate. Increase heat to medium-high. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook ribs until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer to large plate. Add onions, shallots, garlic, and jalapeño to pot. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add coffee stout and broth; stir, scraping up browned bits. Add chili sauce and all remaining ingredients; bring to boil. Add bacon and ribs, cover, and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is tender, about 2 hours 15 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm in 325°F oven until heated through, about 20 minutes, before continuing.
Transfer ribs to plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Skim fat from surface of sauce. Boil sauce until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over ribs.
Pair with more coffee stout - or a dry stout such as Guiness which is lighter bodied but very roasty. Now some of you may be alarmed by the amount of Salt this recipe calls for. Remember this is for the marinade which is discarded. Also the salt serves a purpose here. Salt's role is to pull the other flavors of the marinade into the meat. It does this by someting akin to osmsis. Osmosis is the natural process of of a soluble seeking equilibrium by moving from an area with a higher concentration to one with a lower concentration. Salt will move from the marinadeinto the meat (pulling the beer, water and sugars and other flavors with it, at the same time it increases the salt content in the meat which increases the meats ability to retain moisture. The salt also breaks down the celluar structure of the beef. Much like brining a turkey this will ensure a moister more tender meat. If you intend to marinate for more than 4-6 hours you will probably want to dial back on the amount of salt you use. If you do not have Kosher Salt you can use table salt but use a bit less.
What can be better than braised short ribs and mashed potoes or polenta on a cold January day. Enjoy!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The King of Beers...
…And other superlatives. We all recognize that self anointed appellation for a famous and iconic light American Lager. But that is not the topic for this week’s missive. I am referring to the increasing emergence of extreme beers. I am referring to beers with high alcohol by volume, tongue blistering quantities of hops and additives ranging from Muscat grapes to espresso. I am referring to the proliferation of Über/Imperial/Double/Triple (insert name here) "Style"Ale/Lagers.
In the beginning of the craft brewing movement there were always high gravity beers. Notably that Holy Grail of brewing the Russian Imperial Stout- a historic style that was first brewed in Burton-On-Trent at the request of the Tsar. This mighty brew was crafted to withstand the rigors of a sailing vessel Baltic Passage from Liverpool to Saint Petersburg thence overland to Moscow. High in alcohol and heavily hopped the style was the perfect accompaniment to a rich feast that might feature a whole Volga Sturgeon, Wooly Mammoth meat recovered from the Siberian permafrost and pies made from hundreds of songbirds. A mighty brew indeed to accompany such a rich repast. There are other traditional heavyweights: the so called "Old Ales", Barleywines, Doppelbocks, Eisbocks and Baltic Porters and of course the ever popular, despite being taste challenged, American Malt Liquor. But lately it seems every brewer is getting on the high gravity band wagon and it has morphed into other styles "Double White/Wit", Imperial or Double India Pale and Imperial Pilsner to name three.
The Wit and Pilsner styles were always brewed as a hot weather quencher with mild hop profiles, a balanced light malt presence, floral aromas and moderate alcohol levels. A refreshing and "genteel" brew well suited for a hot afternoon. Not content to leave well enough alone, some brewers have decided to push the envelope. Traditional styles have had there hop profiles dramatically increased and their malt levels doubled or tripled. The resulting concoctions bear little resemblance to their forbears. I often find the only indication of the brews "origin" is on the packaging. Somehow the idea of a 9% alcohol "Imperial Pilsner" is not appealing to me. I am all for taste calling but something an "Imperial Pilsner" simply because you amped up the ABV is somewhat disrespectful of the style. Southampton Brewing brews a Double White while flavorful in some regards it seems to be an attempt to brew stronger ale because you can.
Do I have an answer for this proliferation of "Über" styles and super brews? No, indeed I am all for the judicious application of individualism to a style to create a new standard of excellence- but do we always has to have more alcohol in there? What is wrong with quaffable session beers anyway? Take a "Double White" as an example. Why not stick with a solid white and use a locally grown grain bill? Age the hops before brewing, as was done on the original? Change the types of adjunct flavorings such as the type of dried orange peel used or another type of citrus rind? Or Kaffir Lime leaves? Cultivate a new yeast strain? In other words go ahead and try to make the brew your own but brew for more Flavor not more alcohol.
An interesting tidbit as respects River Horse Brewing, a Garden State brewer whose beers, in the past where generally unadventurous an underwhelming. The buyer at our local whole Foods advises that they have a new management and brewing team. This apparently has resulted in a new brewing philosophy and some darn fine brews. I recently enjoyed their Oatmeal Milk Stout and found it wonderfully rich and quite tasty. The Oatmeal gave it a very silky mouth feel and the hint of lactose was paired nicely with an appropriate hopping level. All in all a solid brew and I am hoping it is a harbinger of the great things to come form River Horse. I will have to re-try some of their standard brews and give them a fair chance. We all need to be mindful that in our fragile economy we need to support our local brewers or we risk sliding back into a an era where the only beer available is mass market beer.
In the beginning of the craft brewing movement there were always high gravity beers. Notably that Holy Grail of brewing the Russian Imperial Stout- a historic style that was first brewed in Burton-On-Trent at the request of the Tsar. This mighty brew was crafted to withstand the rigors of a sailing vessel Baltic Passage from Liverpool to Saint Petersburg thence overland to Moscow. High in alcohol and heavily hopped the style was the perfect accompaniment to a rich feast that might feature a whole Volga Sturgeon, Wooly Mammoth meat recovered from the Siberian permafrost and pies made from hundreds of songbirds. A mighty brew indeed to accompany such a rich repast. There are other traditional heavyweights: the so called "Old Ales", Barleywines, Doppelbocks, Eisbocks and Baltic Porters and of course the ever popular, despite being taste challenged, American Malt Liquor. But lately it seems every brewer is getting on the high gravity band wagon and it has morphed into other styles "Double White/Wit", Imperial or Double India Pale and Imperial Pilsner to name three.
The Wit and Pilsner styles were always brewed as a hot weather quencher with mild hop profiles, a balanced light malt presence, floral aromas and moderate alcohol levels. A refreshing and "genteel" brew well suited for a hot afternoon. Not content to leave well enough alone, some brewers have decided to push the envelope. Traditional styles have had there hop profiles dramatically increased and their malt levels doubled or tripled. The resulting concoctions bear little resemblance to their forbears. I often find the only indication of the brews "origin" is on the packaging. Somehow the idea of a 9% alcohol "Imperial Pilsner" is not appealing to me. I am all for taste calling but something an "Imperial Pilsner" simply because you amped up the ABV is somewhat disrespectful of the style. Southampton Brewing brews a Double White while flavorful in some regards it seems to be an attempt to brew stronger ale because you can.
Do I have an answer for this proliferation of "Über" styles and super brews? No, indeed I am all for the judicious application of individualism to a style to create a new standard of excellence- but do we always has to have more alcohol in there? What is wrong with quaffable session beers anyway? Take a "Double White" as an example. Why not stick with a solid white and use a locally grown grain bill? Age the hops before brewing, as was done on the original? Change the types of adjunct flavorings such as the type of dried orange peel used or another type of citrus rind? Or Kaffir Lime leaves? Cultivate a new yeast strain? In other words go ahead and try to make the brew your own but brew for more Flavor not more alcohol.
An interesting tidbit as respects River Horse Brewing, a Garden State brewer whose beers, in the past where generally unadventurous an underwhelming. The buyer at our local whole Foods advises that they have a new management and brewing team. This apparently has resulted in a new brewing philosophy and some darn fine brews. I recently enjoyed their Oatmeal Milk Stout and found it wonderfully rich and quite tasty. The Oatmeal gave it a very silky mouth feel and the hint of lactose was paired nicely with an appropriate hopping level. All in all a solid brew and I am hoping it is a harbinger of the great things to come form River Horse. I will have to re-try some of their standard brews and give them a fair chance. We all need to be mindful that in our fragile economy we need to support our local brewers or we risk sliding back into a an era where the only beer available is mass market beer.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Pumpkin Ales and Holiday Brews
The wind along the Bay shore is ripping the tops off the waves as we race across the Sandy Hook Bay on our way to Lower Manhattan. Inside the passenger compartment of the Seastreak Highlands we are warm and dry. The windows are sheathed with salt slush and the only view to be had is through the stern glazing...35 minutes later safely ensconced at my desk overlooking Water Street I ponder the season and the sights and smells of the holidays. My last posting struck a somber tone as our economy started its nose-dive seemingly to oblivion. Now, I am cautiously optimistic or 2009 and beyond.
In my mind I had formulated a rather lengthy pumpkin ale based post and a holiday ale based one as well. Alas, the season got away from me and both posts will be merged. After all they are more, or less, variations on the same theme.
Let's start with the brewers "homage" to the mighty gourd. That orange globe that is at once heroic in size and decidedly bland in palate. Pumpkin is an ingredient but not a star performer, it is canvas and not paint. It has some earthy qualities but it needs to be flavored to be noticed. Looking at some of the examples that are out there consider there is Dogfish Head "Punkin" a 7% behemoth with a palate of cloves and Cinnamon, perhaps some mace painted on an earthy yeasty background. Not an everyday drinking beer but pleasant enough and very approachable as a warmer for a cool October evening. Nothing overpowering in this one, nicely balanced, the hops and malty sweetness are paired and balanced with the spice mix and a whiff of boozy alcohol. Punkin is somewhere on the extreme end of the palate. Of more normal proportions are the offerings from Brooklyn (5% ABV "Post Road Pumpkin") and Smuttynose 's "Pumpkin Ale." Both are caramel colored subtle mixtures of holiday spice and sweet malt. Reviewer's often claim that "pumpkin taste" is discernable. My palate is not sensitive enough to pick out the earthiness of the mighty gourd - but the cognoscenti say they are there. Both are drinkable and subtle enough to make these offerings drinkable over the course of an evening. If variety is the spice of life these brews are significantly different enough to be a nice diversion for an otherwise jaded palate.
Consider pairing these with poultry and beef as well as that staple holiday dessert - pumpkin pie - of course. I might be inclined to enjoy one of these with a mild after dinner cigar as well.
On to the holiday ales. Often a boozy, frequently spicy and alcoholic style that is, to me, the brewer's version of of "comfort food." Some have spices and some do not, some are rather heavy and others are more moderate in dimension. Colors range from caramel to pitch black. Some are so full flavored and spicy they can stand up to being warmed or mulled and others may make a suitable marinade for beef , venison or pork. Around the holidays this style proliferates. Being called interchangeably "holiday ale", "winter warmers", "Christmas Ale" or other "seasonally appropriate" appellations. Consider the humorously named "Bad Elf", "Seriously Bad Elf" and "Criminally Bad Elf" as typical - if extreme - examples.
Any purchase of these ales may warrant some advanced research or at least careful shopping. If the idea of a "spiced" ale does not appeal to you, read the label to be sure your purchase includes no spices. If you are looking for a "warmer" check the ABV often located on the six-pack carrier if not on the individual bottles.
On the spicy end of the spectrum Sam Adam's "Old Fezziwig" seems to have quite a following, I fall squarely in the non-spiced camp with Berkshire's "Cabin Fever" (6.3% ABV) my preferred tipple. Malty with a balanced, hoppy finish Cabin Fever rewards the contemplative imbiber with a rich palate of flavors.
The Pumpkin and Holiday Ales afford the beer drinker the opportunity to enjoy a seasonally inspired and robust warming beverage on these bitter cold Bay shore nights. As we count down to 2009 consider your drinking options carefully. Might I also suggest, if your New Years Eve plan's include a glass or two, you consider staying home and spending the money you will save on some truly outstanding and flavorful ales?
Happy New Years to all.
In my mind I had formulated a rather lengthy pumpkin ale based post and a holiday ale based one as well. Alas, the season got away from me and both posts will be merged. After all they are more, or less, variations on the same theme.
Let's start with the brewers "homage" to the mighty gourd. That orange globe that is at once heroic in size and decidedly bland in palate. Pumpkin is an ingredient but not a star performer, it is canvas and not paint. It has some earthy qualities but it needs to be flavored to be noticed. Looking at some of the examples that are out there consider there is Dogfish Head "Punkin" a 7% behemoth with a palate of cloves and Cinnamon, perhaps some mace painted on an earthy yeasty background. Not an everyday drinking beer but pleasant enough and very approachable as a warmer for a cool October evening. Nothing overpowering in this one, nicely balanced, the hops and malty sweetness are paired and balanced with the spice mix and a whiff of boozy alcohol. Punkin is somewhere on the extreme end of the palate. Of more normal proportions are the offerings from Brooklyn (5% ABV "Post Road Pumpkin") and Smuttynose 's "Pumpkin Ale." Both are caramel colored subtle mixtures of holiday spice and sweet malt. Reviewer's often claim that "pumpkin taste" is discernable. My palate is not sensitive enough to pick out the earthiness of the mighty gourd - but the cognoscenti say they are there. Both are drinkable and subtle enough to make these offerings drinkable over the course of an evening. If variety is the spice of life these brews are significantly different enough to be a nice diversion for an otherwise jaded palate.
Consider pairing these with poultry and beef as well as that staple holiday dessert - pumpkin pie - of course. I might be inclined to enjoy one of these with a mild after dinner cigar as well.
On to the holiday ales. Often a boozy, frequently spicy and alcoholic style that is, to me, the brewer's version of of "comfort food." Some have spices and some do not, some are rather heavy and others are more moderate in dimension. Colors range from caramel to pitch black. Some are so full flavored and spicy they can stand up to being warmed or mulled and others may make a suitable marinade for beef , venison or pork. Around the holidays this style proliferates. Being called interchangeably "holiday ale", "winter warmers", "Christmas Ale" or other "seasonally appropriate" appellations. Consider the humorously named "Bad Elf", "Seriously Bad Elf" and "Criminally Bad Elf" as typical - if extreme - examples.
Any purchase of these ales may warrant some advanced research or at least careful shopping. If the idea of a "spiced" ale does not appeal to you, read the label to be sure your purchase includes no spices. If you are looking for a "warmer" check the ABV often located on the six-pack carrier if not on the individual bottles.
On the spicy end of the spectrum Sam Adam's "Old Fezziwig" seems to have quite a following, I fall squarely in the non-spiced camp with Berkshire's "Cabin Fever" (6.3% ABV) my preferred tipple. Malty with a balanced, hoppy finish Cabin Fever rewards the contemplative imbiber with a rich palate of flavors.
The Pumpkin and Holiday Ales afford the beer drinker the opportunity to enjoy a seasonally inspired and robust warming beverage on these bitter cold Bay shore nights. As we count down to 2009 consider your drinking options carefully. Might I also suggest, if your New Years Eve plan's include a glass or two, you consider staying home and spending the money you will save on some truly outstanding and flavorful ales?
Happy New Years to all.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Stretching Your Beer Drinking Buck
Times are tough. You now need a home equity line to fill up the gas tank of your Suburban. Your home mortgage lender is likely insolvent. Feeding your children requires a second job. Worse than that, Anheuser-Busch just announced it's packing up and moving to
All is not lost sports fans – despite soaring grain and hop prices, not to mention shipping costs - you can still drink well and for not a lot of money (Okay, Okay -- yeah you the morally outraged one in the third row -- lets just dispense with the whole “why are you buying beer when you can’t afford food shock and outrage” this is a BEER COLUMN not a guide to healthy responsible living… Phew got that out of my system, must be the heat or the pending $700 a month ferry price. The weather is hot, the economy is cooling and tempers are flaring -- a properly cooled ale or lager on the front porch – under the new ceiling fans (Thanks Al) is what I need.
Point 1 – Craft Beer is still not a Bad Deal!
You can still buy world-class craft beers for around $8- $10 a six pack for home consumption. Drink three of bottles of a craft brew for just $5 bucks. Aside from a Bottle of “Three Buck Chuck” at Trader Joe’s try and find a single bottle of decent wine at that price?
Point 2 -It’s About the Taste Stupid!
But it's not just about the price. You want good value and taste for your hard earned coin. We are not at the
When bargain hunting you should look at a brews ABV - alcohol by volume - the higher the alcohol by volume, the more malt needed to get there. More malt usually means more hops to offset the sweetness with the end result being a more complex flavor. More ingredients usually mean a higher price, too. I say usually as there is a whole market segment devoted to high alcohol low taste brews like “Steel Reserve” and “Mickey’s Big Mouth” these brews use corn and other flavorless adjuncts to boost ABV without adding anything to the palate – except a nice “Corny” taste. Blecch!
For price/ABV comparison consider Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (9 percent ABV), at $10 a four pack as compared to Dogfish’s 60 Minute IPA (6 percent ABV) for $8 or $9 for a six-pack. Less ingredients = lower price. Dale’s TenFidy Imperial Russian Stout (10%ABV) $11.99 for a four pack of 12 ounce cans vs. $16 for a twelve pack of Dale’s Pale Ale at 6.8% ABV. Thusly forearmed, you can now seek out some very tasty bargains.
Dale’s Pale Ale a robust and flavorful IPA with a blistering hop kick at 6.8% ABV $9.00 a six pack (of cans) at Spirits Unlimited in Red Bank.
Dales TenFidy an incredibly well balanced brew that has a nice hop profile, strong notes of espresso and bittersweet chocolate. 10% ABV $11.00 for a four pack at Spirits in Red Bank.
Stoudt's Fat Dog, an exceptionally smooth, easy-drinking imperial oatmeal stout with huge chocolate notes, 9%ABV. Look for it at Spirits Unlimited in
Paulaner Salvator:$7.99 a sixer 7.2 percent ABV. A double bock from
Saranac Black and Tan (and others): 5.4 percent ABV. Usually $6 -7 for a sixer. For fans of the style this one's an easy sipper with a sweet finish. Most Saranc brews are a good value (Note- JW Dundee products come from the same brewery and go for even less…)
Troegs Sunshine Pils: $7.99 a six-pack. 5.3 percent ABV. A crisp, light Czech style pilsner for less than a buck and a half a bottle?
Or how about a blend? Mix 2 ounces of Dogfish Head Burton Baton $3.49 a 12 ounce bottle (10% ABV) with a 12 ounce CAN (NOT THE BOTTLES PLEASE!!!) of Ballentine Ale (5.3% ABV) $4.50 for six cans and enjoy a rare and flavorful treat. Ballentine is an American Classic and the Burton Baton adds an oaken and spicy hop dimension and a rich amber tint to an inexpensive “frat house” brew.
Can't find these brands? Look for any of the brews from Troegs, Victory,
These are some places to start. If you have another suggestions drop me a line…
Coldest Beer in Town
This has been a pretty typical morning for the Bayshore. Hazy blue skies, gulls screaming and a gentle breeze from the North. Last night we watched from our porch as several groups of teens walked down the street toward
So, tonight as I walk home I will collect the wrappers and cans and dispose or recycle as needed. And someday these lads, somewhat older and wiser, will hopefully do the same thing…
As I round the corner I am treated to a near miss between two drivers youthful too focused on their cell phones to drive carefully, and exchange greetings with a school custodian. We just smile and shake our heads at what we have just seen. Moving on down
This is a beer column so at some point I have to get around to writing something beer related.
So today let’s talk temperature. The late Michael Jackson author of several books on Scotch and Beer once said that the saddest four words in the English language were “Coldest Beer in Town.” As a Brit one might expect this type of comment but what was he really trying to say? As a young lad I was a Boy Scout and spent many a summer evening around a roaring fire listening to the leaders and parents compare stories of their military service during the Second World War. There was always a comment like the English and the Germans like their beer warm. This was usually uttered as a derisive comment as if any nation that did not ice down their beer was somehow a lesser nation. Well there are two sides to the coin and we are becoming a culture that is taking a closer look at what we eat and drink. Websites like Beer Advocate, Rate Beer and Chow.com look at beer as not just a drink but as a companion to fine food. With wines we are told to serve some wines chilled, some cooled and some at room temperature to allow the wine to express itself properly. With Scotch we are told to add some water to “open up” the nose and flavor. So too with serving beer - temperature is important. Ales which are top fermented at warmer temperatures and then cellared to mature, taste better cooled to cellar temp. In some styles such as English Bitter this warmer temperature (warmer but still cooled) will allow the subtle flavors of malt and fruity yeast to compete with the fragrant and floral Kents, Fuggles and Goldings hops typically used in the style. Other ale styles such as the American Pale Ales are highly hopped and can stand up to colder temperatures - but you will miss something – balance. For example take Sierra Nevada Pale Ale which is a typical American Pale Ale. Serve it icy cold in a chilled glass and all you will taste is the hops. - grapefruit, citrus and the other sharp tastes associated with Cascades,
Lager beers are another story. They are fermented at cooler temperatures over a period of weeks not days like the typical ale so they have a crisp flavor profile that will stand up better to a cooler serving temperature. As they warm you will notice some sweetness but there is very little there. Lager styles, especially the pale ones, use lightly toasted malts so the color will be very pale and there will be little in the way of un-fermentable sugars. Darker lagers such as Bocks and Double Bocks, while still lager styles, will have a malty sweet profile and will taste better a little warmer.
Do I ever drink ice cold beer? You bet. Industrial Beers like Budweiser, Miller and Coors (in all their variations light, lime , select, ultra etc.) are, in my opinion, best enjoyed at palate numbing temperatures. The same goes for the clear bottle beers of
So serving temperature is important but there is no right or wrong here, there is just personal preference. So next time, as you sip a cold beer take note of how the beer changes as it warms. You decide what is the best temperature for you for that beer.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
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…
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…
Thursday, June 05, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
A pint of bitter please...
In 1983 I was a young intern at the eminently restrained Lloyd's Broker "Hogg, Robinson, Gardner & Mountain Ltd. " lodged on Crutched Friars, London England. The title of this article hearkens back to those salad days... London was hot that year, I recall the envious looks of my co-workers as they marvelled at my lightweight, American made, worsted wool suits. Their eminently respectable British wool was thick and heavy, more like my Citadel Dress Grays than the international uniform of reinsurance and commerce. On the way to the 'tube' or on a Saturday after touring the city, a pint of bitter was just the ticket to wet your whistle and sharpen ones appetite.
The "bitters" in London are served "cooled to cellar temp" not warm, nor icy cold, just cooled. They were "pulled" by hand pump from a cask in the cellar into a delightful and easy grip pint "jar" or a dimpled mug --and were not at all bitter. They were gently carbonated, deliciously malty with a floral hop nose. What they weren't is "bitter." Not sure at all where the name comes from but the style of beer that is the English Bitter is an easy drinking beer that does not overwhelm the palate and does not bloat you with carbonation.
Eric Azimov wrote a great column for today's New York Times (Wed 5/28/08) that goes into more detail and includes tasting notes. Rather than replicate that here I point you in that direction for further and more detailed info on the style and tasting notes.
As we transition from a wet cool spring to a warm summer on the bay shore many of you will reach for a Corona or another pale, fizzy, lager beer. Sometimes with a piece of citrus perched on it other times without. I say "hold the lager mate and give me a pint of bitter. " Great beers are just a short jaunt away...
Our local Vingo here in Atlantic Highlands has a few bitters on hand even as I type this. Consider sampling Fuller's London Pride or Fullers ESB from England or Brooklyn's Pennant Ale from Brooklyn Brewing. while touring the British Isles, also at Vingo are Theakston Brewing's "Old Peculier" (not a typo) a delightful Yorkshire Ale that has profile similar to a true "bitter" and further north to the land of the Kilt and the Claymore are Belhaven's Scotch Ale and Long Trail's Hibernator, nothing like a bitter but a a nice, gently warming, malty, smoky, study in contrasts from the "bitters" of the South.
The "bitters" in London are served "cooled to cellar temp" not warm, nor icy cold, just cooled. They were "pulled" by hand pump from a cask in the cellar into a delightful and easy grip pint "jar" or a dimpled mug --and were not at all bitter. They were gently carbonated, deliciously malty with a floral hop nose. What they weren't is "bitter." Not sure at all where the name comes from but the style of beer that is the English Bitter is an easy drinking beer that does not overwhelm the palate and does not bloat you with carbonation.
Eric Azimov wrote a great column for today's New York Times (Wed 5/28/08) that goes into more detail and includes tasting notes. Rather than replicate that here I point you in that direction for further and more detailed info on the style and tasting notes.
As we transition from a wet cool spring to a warm summer on the bay shore many of you will reach for a Corona or another pale, fizzy, lager beer. Sometimes with a piece of citrus perched on it other times without. I say "hold the lager mate and give me a pint of bitter. " Great beers are just a short jaunt away...
Our local Vingo here in Atlantic Highlands has a few bitters on hand even as I type this. Consider sampling Fuller's London Pride or Fullers ESB from England or Brooklyn's Pennant Ale from Brooklyn Brewing. while touring the British Isles, also at Vingo are Theakston Brewing's "Old Peculier" (not a typo) a delightful Yorkshire Ale that has profile similar to a true "bitter" and further north to the land of the Kilt and the Claymore are Belhaven's Scotch Ale and Long Trail's Hibernator, nothing like a bitter but a a nice, gently warming, malty, smoky, study in contrasts from the "bitters" of the South.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Real Men drink from a Glass
It never ceases to amaze me that there are folks out there that believe that drinking beer from a glass is elitist and something for the weak willed. Alas, nothing could be further from the truth.
Now listen up all you working stiffs, I'll put this in very simple terms. You work hard all day, and the fruit of your labors is something you take pride in, be it an automobile, a widget, a well tallied spreadsheet, a nicely drafted contract-- or whatever . You want the end-user to appreciate your craft and treat it with dignity and respect the amount of work that you put into it. So too with brewers, they take pride in their product and want you to enjoy it at its best. They want it served fresh, at an appropriate temperature and from a clean glass so that you can marvel at the color and carbonation, allow the brew to form a proper head, smell the roasted malt and hop notes and taste it and enjoy as they intend you to. Just as you hate to see your hard work discarded, unused and unappreciated, watching someone slug down a well crafted beer straight from the can or bottle is an insult to the hard working men and women that made that marvel of nature that you are enjoying possible. Show some respect for the folks that labored hard for you -- be they union, non-union and/or self-employed. Show them you appreciate what they do and next time you're out ask your server for a glass. You will find you enjoy your beer more and you will be sending your brewer a message - the right message - I appreciate what you do.
Now listen up all you working stiffs, I'll put this in very simple terms. You work hard all day, and the fruit of your labors is something you take pride in, be it an automobile, a widget, a well tallied spreadsheet, a nicely drafted contract-- or whatever . You want the end-user to appreciate your craft and treat it with dignity and respect the amount of work that you put into it. So too with brewers, they take pride in their product and want you to enjoy it at its best. They want it served fresh, at an appropriate temperature and from a clean glass so that you can marvel at the color and carbonation, allow the brew to form a proper head, smell the roasted malt and hop notes and taste it and enjoy as they intend you to. Just as you hate to see your hard work discarded, unused and unappreciated, watching someone slug down a well crafted beer straight from the can or bottle is an insult to the hard working men and women that made that marvel of nature that you are enjoying possible. Show some respect for the folks that labored hard for you -- be they union, non-union and/or self-employed. Show them you appreciate what they do and next time you're out ask your server for a glass. You will find you enjoy your beer more and you will be sending your brewer a message - the right message - I appreciate what you do.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Small Beer and Small Town Politics.
Both are not for the unitiated. Small beer is a brew that is generally low in alcohol and fermented from the second mashing of batch of grain. The only domestic brewer that still offers small beer (that I know of that is) is Anchor Brewing of San Francisco. They brew a Barleywine called "Old Foghorn" and then ferment the mash a second time to make their "Small Beer". I found it an acquired taste. Likewise with small town politics. As most of the locals know my wife and I try to give something back. We participate in many local activities. My wife serves on the School Board, I serve on the Planning Board and we both volunteer our time and/or treasure to many local organizations. We also encourage our kids to do likewise. In a small town this gets you two things. Appreciation from the folks that appreciate what you do and scorn from folks that think you should "shaddup and moind your own ... &*$%^ newcomers" You learn to live with this though it seldom makes you happy...
Small beer anyone?
Small beer anyone?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Pairing Food and Food.
Here is a link to an interview with a master of the art of pairing food with great beer, Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery. Nuff said.
http://dcist.com/2008/05/13/chewing_the_fat_2.php
http://dcist.com/2008/05/13/chewing_the_fat_2.php
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Extreme Beer and the Craft Beer Renaissance
My friend Gene and I occasionally walk up to New Beer Distributors here in Manhattan to grab a bottle or two of something especially tasty that we have tried previously and sometimes we each grab something that appears unusual or intriguing. In today’s craft brewing renaissance this usually translates into what is sometimes referred to as an “extreme beer.” Just what is an extreme beer? Well that depends on who you ask. Some say it refers to highly hopped or high alcohol brews. Others say it refers to a departure from accepted styles such as adding fruit or spices to a traditional beer such as a Pomegranate Wheat Beer or a Chipotle Smoked Porter. Whatever definition suits you I think we can agree that some of these brews are exciting and others… well just plain wrong.
Gene is prone to saying that to him it seems that craft brewers are brewing some of these extreme beers for no other reason than “because they can.” I am inclined to agree with him. Nonetheless, beer is food and I have come around to thinking of it as an ingredient in cooking as well as a beverage. I can see the merits of adding a robust brew to flavor soups and stews. Sometimes a particular beer may add another layer of flavor to a pot of chile for example. The aforementioned chipotle smoked porter would be a prime candidate for this type of endeavor.
Other extreme beers make complex “sippers” that can take the bite out a chilly spring evening here on the Bay Shore. I have been enjoying a canned Imperial Stout with the improbable name of “Ten Fidy” as my evening warmer. Yes, I said canned as in aluminum cans. Brewed by Oskar Blues of Lyons Colorado and weighing in at an impressive 10% alcohol by volume, Ten Fidy is smooth and roasty like a stout should be without the cloying sweetness that pervades many other imperial stouts. At $10.50 for four 12 ounce cans it is a bit pricier than a traditional stout but well worth the additional expense.
While on the topic of extreme beer we cannot neglect the current trend/concept of “barrel aging.” Dogfish Head has its oak aged “Burton Baton”, There is Bourbon Barrel Stout from Goose Island and “Oaked Arrogant Bastard” from Stone Brewing. But these all pale with the apparent audacity of the folks at Iron Hill. Here is an excerpt from their latest press release:
“WILMINGTON, DE – Your Dad doesn’t have to love Johnny Cash to embrace Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant’s spicy Father’s Day treat: on Sunday, June 15, they will premier “Ring of Fire Porter,” an assertive brew sure to light Dad’s fire.
Crafted from Iron Hill’s own Pig Iron Porter, then aged and finished in a TABASCO® pepper mash oak barrel, this is a libation that will please beer and barbecue lovers alike. Better still, it arrives just in time for grilling season. Ring of Fire will be available in 375 ml bottles for $9 at all Iron Hill locations for dine-in and carry-out.
As the beer ages inside the oak Tabasco barrels, the heat and the pepper character mix with the roastiness and subtle chocolate notes of the porter, making this a steak-friendly beer with 5% alcohol that’s sure to be a summertime favorite for its sweet, smoky character and flavorful punch…”
I do not want to think about where the name “Ring of Fire” originates, though perhaps the morning after a few of these you may have a revelation … nevertheless I might try this as a marinade or a base for a homemade sauce or in a pot of chile.
Well whatever your preferences these days there is an extreme beer for you. And while Garrett Oliver may not be thrilled with this moniker I think the term “Extreme beer” is firmly entrenched in the brewing lexicon.
Gene is prone to saying that to him it seems that craft brewers are brewing some of these extreme beers for no other reason than “because they can.” I am inclined to agree with him. Nonetheless, beer is food and I have come around to thinking of it as an ingredient in cooking as well as a beverage. I can see the merits of adding a robust brew to flavor soups and stews. Sometimes a particular beer may add another layer of flavor to a pot of chile for example. The aforementioned chipotle smoked porter would be a prime candidate for this type of endeavor.
Other extreme beers make complex “sippers” that can take the bite out a chilly spring evening here on the Bay Shore. I have been enjoying a canned Imperial Stout with the improbable name of “Ten Fidy” as my evening warmer. Yes, I said canned as in aluminum cans. Brewed by Oskar Blues of Lyons Colorado and weighing in at an impressive 10% alcohol by volume, Ten Fidy is smooth and roasty like a stout should be without the cloying sweetness that pervades many other imperial stouts. At $10.50 for four 12 ounce cans it is a bit pricier than a traditional stout but well worth the additional expense.
While on the topic of extreme beer we cannot neglect the current trend/concept of “barrel aging.” Dogfish Head has its oak aged “Burton Baton”, There is Bourbon Barrel Stout from Goose Island and “Oaked Arrogant Bastard” from Stone Brewing. But these all pale with the apparent audacity of the folks at Iron Hill. Here is an excerpt from their latest press release:
“WILMINGTON, DE – Your Dad doesn’t have to love Johnny Cash to embrace Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant’s spicy Father’s Day treat: on Sunday, June 15, they will premier “Ring of Fire Porter,” an assertive brew sure to light Dad’s fire.
Crafted from Iron Hill’s own Pig Iron Porter, then aged and finished in a TABASCO® pepper mash oak barrel, this is a libation that will please beer and barbecue lovers alike. Better still, it arrives just in time for grilling season. Ring of Fire will be available in 375 ml bottles for $9 at all Iron Hill locations for dine-in and carry-out.
As the beer ages inside the oak Tabasco barrels, the heat and the pepper character mix with the roastiness and subtle chocolate notes of the porter, making this a steak-friendly beer with 5% alcohol that’s sure to be a summertime favorite for its sweet, smoky character and flavorful punch…”
I do not want to think about where the name “Ring of Fire” originates, though perhaps the morning after a few of these you may have a revelation … nevertheless I might try this as a marinade or a base for a homemade sauce or in a pot of chile.
Well whatever your preferences these days there is an extreme beer for you. And while Garrett Oliver may not be thrilled with this moniker I think the term “Extreme beer” is firmly entrenched in the brewing lexicon.
Another Reason to Like Sam Adam's...
I read about this in several places on the web including a blog calle "Fabrichorse" where I nicked the above photo...
Apart from their Double Bock and Scotch Ale what is so good about Jim Koch and Samuel Adam's? Lot's apparently. For quite some time now people have brewed beer using barley, yeast, water and hops. These ingredients were happily plentiful and many made merry with modestly priced beer. Then, sports fans the hop regions suffered a drought and the hop vines that did not dry up and die outright fell victim to disease. The harvest was small. The brewers took comfort and solace in the old saw, "Well, one year won't kill us." With so many hops in the bank (warehouses), they might get a little more expensive.... " Did I say warehouse ... you all recall reading about a tragic fire in a major hops warehouse?? It even made it to the local papers. That fire consumed much of the nation's strategic hop reserve. Hops, that noble vine and key ingrdient in American craft beer-making (think IPA, Double IPA, Imperial IPA yada yada) became scarce. A scramble to find Hops was on, at least among the America's craft brewers. Distributors began to raise their prices, from $3 a pound to upwards of $30 a pound, and brewers began to worry. Just as a signficant diversity in American beer was settling in, marking a new "Golden Age of Brewing" on this side of the ocean, the microbrew industry faced an uncertain hopless future ... spruce tips anyone??? Ouch!!!
Most of the market's remaining hops were already contracted to huge breweries who could afford to finance a producer's entire hop crop. Craft brewries were calling their suppliers to no avail... Add to this the cost of Barley going up as more acres switched over to corn for ethanol and the future looked bleak indeed.
As this story sounds like something from the "Perils of Pauline" we need a white knight. And so it we have one in the unlikely form of Jim Koch and his Boston Brewing Company ("BBC") BBC has become part of the major leagues, if they brew craft brewed beers its clearly on a macro brew scale. They are a major national brewery whose beers are almost everywhere, but they still cling to the spirit of craft brewing. They brew some edgy beers such as their"Imperial Pilsner" and "Utopias". Every year in advance of the Great American Beer festival, they sponsor a homebrew competition and produce a mix-six of the top three brews (called "Longshot"). These practices keep them on the craft side of the Macro vs. Micro American Beer divide. When Koch heard about the impact of the hop shortage on small brewers, he set aside 20,000 pounds of BBC's own hops for small brewers to purchase at cost their cost which was-- far below market prices (apparently $6 a pound). Apparently a brewery could request up to 528 pounds each and brewers were asked to apply only if they really needed hops and not because they'd merely save money. Nearly 350 microbreweries applied for them, which is nearly a quarter of American brewers and the the lot of them were raffled off in a lottery. Way to go Mr. Koch.
In the meantime, beerlovers are hoping the next two harvests will be than the last. Hats off to BBC and their fine example. This is also fairly shrewd on BBC's part. Keeping the craft beer movement vibrant will only serve to strengthen BBC's standing with todays discriminating beer drinkers.
Most of the market's remaining hops were already contracted to huge breweries who could afford to finance a producer's entire hop crop. Craft brewries were calling their suppliers to no avail... Add to this the cost of Barley going up as more acres switched over to corn for ethanol and the future looked bleak indeed.
As this story sounds like something from the "Perils of Pauline" we need a white knight. And so it we have one in the unlikely form of Jim Koch and his Boston Brewing Company ("BBC") BBC has become part of the major leagues, if they brew craft brewed beers its clearly on a macro brew scale. They are a major national brewery whose beers are almost everywhere, but they still cling to the spirit of craft brewing. They brew some edgy beers such as their"Imperial Pilsner" and "Utopias". Every year in advance of the Great American Beer festival, they sponsor a homebrew competition and produce a mix-six of the top three brews (called "Longshot"). These practices keep them on the craft side of the Macro vs. Micro American Beer divide. When Koch heard about the impact of the hop shortage on small brewers, he set aside 20,000 pounds of BBC's own hops for small brewers to purchase at cost their cost which was-- far below market prices (apparently $6 a pound). Apparently a brewery could request up to 528 pounds each and brewers were asked to apply only if they really needed hops and not because they'd merely save money. Nearly 350 microbreweries applied for them, which is nearly a quarter of American brewers and the the lot of them were raffled off in a lottery. Way to go Mr. Koch.
In the meantime, beerlovers are hoping the next two harvests will be than the last. Hats off to BBC and their fine example. This is also fairly shrewd on BBC's part. Keeping the craft beer movement vibrant will only serve to strengthen BBC's standing with todays discriminating beer drinkers.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
The Price of Beer
Here is a great article from Jim Zebora that tries to explain the dramatically increasing price of beer. From the hop Shortage to the petroleum crunch its all there... A perfect storm of economics that does not bode well for craft brewing.
If barley is the heart of beer, hops are its soul. They contribute flavor, aroma, bitterness, body and so much more to a brew.
But these days they also contribute to beer's increased cost.
It may not be the worst of the world's crises, but the rising price of hops, delicate flowers that grow on a tall vine, certainly adds to the pain in the wallet caused by $4 gas and $5 milk.
Try finding a quality craft brew on a package store shelf for less than $8.99; it's almost impossible. Even budget beers that were selling for $12 per 30-pack a few months ago are three or four bucks higher today, though not all of that increase can be blamed on hop prices.
The reasons for hop inflation are myriad, but all pretty much within the bounds of an Economics 101 class. After several years of oversupply, when growers often had to sell their hop crop below cost, the opposite is now true.
Hops have had a couple of lousy years in the field, with crop yields well below normal. In addition, many hop farmers curtailed production rather than sell below cost and did not ramp up their growing as prices increased.
In some cases, they devoted their fields to more profitable crops and have not gone back to the Fuggles, Cascades, Saaz, Goldings and Northern Brewer varieties that make beer so fine to drink.
The result is that hop prices have at least doubled, and at the extreme hops can cost five or six times what they did a few years ago.
Big commercial brewers have been somewhat
insulated from the rise in hop prices. Companies such as Anheuser-Busch Inc. get a big percentage of the hops they use from their own farms in the Pacific Northwest and so are not competing on the open market for limited hop supplies.
The big brewers also tend to use fewer hops per barrel than smaller brewers, for recipe and scientific reasons, so their cost per barrel is less affected by hop prices. Budweiser hasn't seen the same percentage price increase at retail as have microbrews, for example.
The real casualties are microbrewers specializing in very hoppy beers - those with names such as Hop Devil, Hop Trip, Big Hop Harvest Ale, Hop Heaven, etc. - who can use three or four times the amount of hops per barrel as the big kids.
This is partly because they are seeking to give their customers the hoppiest experience they can, and partly because hop utilization - a measure of the alpha acids and other components they release into the brew as it is boiled - increases with the size of the batch.
Large breweries make beer in vats roughly the size of small oil tankers, but I've seen one very tiny micro whose brewing vat was barely bigger than a turkey fryer.
As a homebrewer, I quickly learned that hops varied in price depending on the variety, the preparation and the packaging. Noble hops such as Kent Goldings (used in pale ales) and Saaz (used in pilsners) could cost twice as much as varieties with more bitterness but less aroma and flavor.
The hop flowers are sometimes used in original form, but processing them into pellets gives greater yield, and also makes them easier to ship and store.
Back in the years of plenty, I could sometimes buy a pound of bittering hops for $8, and noble hops could be as low as $1 per ounce. Today, homebrewers are seeing three- and fourfold price increases in this essential ingredient.
Of course, hops aren't the only reason that beer is costing more. Cereal grain prices are also rising due to the diversion of much corn production to ethanol, and energy prices for brewing, conditioning and delivery are also boosting the bill.
Like oil, gasoline, bread and so many other staples of modern life, beer is simply getting more expensive. And we beer lovers just have to suck it up while we're guzzling it down.
*
Jim Zebora, managing editor of Greenwich Time, is a dedicated homebrewer and a contributor to Zymurgy, the magazine of the American Homebrewers Association. His column appears once a month. His e-mail address is jim.zebora@scni.com.
If barley is the heart of beer, hops are its soul. They contribute flavor, aroma, bitterness, body and so much more to a brew.
But these days they also contribute to beer's increased cost.
It may not be the worst of the world's crises, but the rising price of hops, delicate flowers that grow on a tall vine, certainly adds to the pain in the wallet caused by $4 gas and $5 milk.
Try finding a quality craft brew on a package store shelf for less than $8.99; it's almost impossible. Even budget beers that were selling for $12 per 30-pack a few months ago are three or four bucks higher today, though not all of that increase can be blamed on hop prices.
The reasons for hop inflation are myriad, but all pretty much within the bounds of an Economics 101 class. After several years of oversupply, when growers often had to sell their hop crop below cost, the opposite is now true.
Hops have had a couple of lousy years in the field, with crop yields well below normal. In addition, many hop farmers curtailed production rather than sell below cost and did not ramp up their growing as prices increased.
In some cases, they devoted their fields to more profitable crops and have not gone back to the Fuggles, Cascades, Saaz, Goldings and Northern Brewer varieties that make beer so fine to drink.
The result is that hop prices have at least doubled, and at the extreme hops can cost five or six times what they did a few years ago.
Big commercial brewers have been somewhat
insulated from the rise in hop prices. Companies such as Anheuser-Busch Inc. get a big percentage of the hops they use from their own farms in the Pacific Northwest and so are not competing on the open market for limited hop supplies.
The big brewers also tend to use fewer hops per barrel than smaller brewers, for recipe and scientific reasons, so their cost per barrel is less affected by hop prices. Budweiser hasn't seen the same percentage price increase at retail as have microbrews, for example.
The real casualties are microbrewers specializing in very hoppy beers - those with names such as Hop Devil, Hop Trip, Big Hop Harvest Ale, Hop Heaven, etc. - who can use three or four times the amount of hops per barrel as the big kids.
This is partly because they are seeking to give their customers the hoppiest experience they can, and partly because hop utilization - a measure of the alpha acids and other components they release into the brew as it is boiled - increases with the size of the batch.
Large breweries make beer in vats roughly the size of small oil tankers, but I've seen one very tiny micro whose brewing vat was barely bigger than a turkey fryer.
As a homebrewer, I quickly learned that hops varied in price depending on the variety, the preparation and the packaging. Noble hops such as Kent Goldings (used in pale ales) and Saaz (used in pilsners) could cost twice as much as varieties with more bitterness but less aroma and flavor.
The hop flowers are sometimes used in original form, but processing them into pellets gives greater yield, and also makes them easier to ship and store.
Back in the years of plenty, I could sometimes buy a pound of bittering hops for $8, and noble hops could be as low as $1 per ounce. Today, homebrewers are seeing three- and fourfold price increases in this essential ingredient.
Of course, hops aren't the only reason that beer is costing more. Cereal grain prices are also rising due to the diversion of much corn production to ethanol, and energy prices for brewing, conditioning and delivery are also boosting the bill.
Like oil, gasoline, bread and so many other staples of modern life, beer is simply getting more expensive. And we beer lovers just have to suck it up while we're guzzling it down.
*
Jim Zebora, managing editor of Greenwich Time, is a dedicated homebrewer and a contributor to Zymurgy, the magazine of the American Homebrewers Association. His column appears once a month. His e-mail address is jim.zebora@scni.com.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Beer in a Box
This is something really cool...
Beer in a box by John Holl/Star-Ledger Staff
In a novel approach to the way freshly brewed beer can be carried home, a Hunterdon County brewery has decided to go the route long used by wine and more recently by coffee and soda purveyors. The Ship Inn Brew Pub in Milford now gives its customers the chance to buy its beer in a box.
“There really isn’t much of a learning curve,” said Tim Hall, the brewer. “There aren’t a lot of people doing this.”
Since it opened in 1995, patrons to the brewery have been able to take the brewed-on-premises beer home in half gallon jugs called growlers, that can be refilled multiple times, but Hall said a lot of the decision to switch to a cube was economical and environmental.
The boxes are inexpensive and biodegradable and are a favorable alternative to glass bottles. Hall, who has spent a lot of time abroad as both a student and tourist said that he was unaware of the stigma that boxed adult beverages have in the states.
“In Europe, it’s really good,” said Hall standing behind the dark wood bar on a chilly morning. “At first, I was getting strange looks from customers.”
Sideways glances did not last long however. The Ship Inn began to test the five and 10 quart boxes in the fall of 2006 and by last summer had made them a staple of the pub. The idea has caught on and they are now selling about an extra 100 gallons of beer each week.
A brew pub is defined as a restaurant that brews small batches of beer on premises. State law prohibits the pubs from selling their suds through distributors. A micro brewery is traditionally defined as one that produces up to 15,000 barrels per year. A barrel holds roughly 31 gallons.
Currently the Ship Inn has three of their homemade beers on tap. There is an English Bitter Style Ale, a cask conditioned -unfiltered and low carbonation beer served from a hand pump - ale and Golden Wheat beer that Hall calls more of a “lawn mower” beer, designed for people who still might be leery of craft brews.
Of the nearly two dozen brew pubs and micro breweries in the Garden State, the Ship Inn is the only one currently pouring into boxes, according to the state brewer’s guild.
Hall said he researched the idea for a few years and had to reconfigure the pub’s taps to accommodate the new system. In the spirit of fresh beer, they are only filled when ordered.
“You won’t find them sitting on a shelf or cooler,” he said.
There are a handful of brew pubs across the country that are also boxing their beer, including Rubicon Brewing in Sacramento, CA which has been offering gallon boxes for the last few years.
But in large, the idea of boxing beer is a new thing.
Julia Herz, a spokeswoman for the Brewers Association, a nonprofit group devoted to professional brewers, said that while “alternative packaging” has become a trend in craft brewing, she and others at the association had not heard of the cardboard contraptions.
“From a cost perspective it’s probably a helpful decision,” she said in a telephone interview from Colorado.
She noted that many craft brewers are also returning to the idea of cans - a container that can also carry a negative image - saying that in 2007 at least 25,000 barrels of suds wound up in aluminum cylinders. Micro brewers who are using cans said it is cheaper than bottles, it better helps retain flavor and helps their product stand out on shelves that are becoming more and more crowded with craft beers.
Dan Soboti Jr., who brews at the Gaslight Brewery and Restaurant in South Orange said that they would likely stick with glass growlers for the foreseeable future.
“We talked about it, but we decided that it wasn’t going to work for us,” he said.
Hall said that he sells between 30 and 40 boxes and growlers per week and once a cube is filled, the beer stays carbonated for 2-3 weeks. The five quart box sells for $18 and the 10 quart for $28. Each comes with a reusable plastic tap that can be screwed onto the spigot and reused by return visitors. The box itself isn’t built for more than one use, though the brewer said it’s possible to get a second round out of it. When the box is emptied, drinkers can break it down and toss it in with the recycling.
Customers to the Ship Inn, like Richard Kroth of Milford, like the box because they last longer than growlers. And with a young child at home, he’s not able to get to the pub as often as he’d like.
“It’s just really easy,” he said.
Looking forward, Hall says he hopes to add some new beers to the rotation that are “full of flavor but have a low alcohol content.”
In doing so, he hopes to bring new drinkers to the craft brew bar, and see them leave with a box tucked under their arm
Link to article.
Beer in a box by John Holl/Star-Ledger Staff
In a novel approach to the way freshly brewed beer can be carried home, a Hunterdon County brewery has decided to go the route long used by wine and more recently by coffee and soda purveyors. The Ship Inn Brew Pub in Milford now gives its customers the chance to buy its beer in a box.
“There really isn’t much of a learning curve,” said Tim Hall, the brewer. “There aren’t a lot of people doing this.”
Since it opened in 1995, patrons to the brewery have been able to take the brewed-on-premises beer home in half gallon jugs called growlers, that can be refilled multiple times, but Hall said a lot of the decision to switch to a cube was economical and environmental.
The boxes are inexpensive and biodegradable and are a favorable alternative to glass bottles. Hall, who has spent a lot of time abroad as both a student and tourist said that he was unaware of the stigma that boxed adult beverages have in the states.
“In Europe, it’s really good,” said Hall standing behind the dark wood bar on a chilly morning. “At first, I was getting strange looks from customers.”
Sideways glances did not last long however. The Ship Inn began to test the five and 10 quart boxes in the fall of 2006 and by last summer had made them a staple of the pub. The idea has caught on and they are now selling about an extra 100 gallons of beer each week.
A brew pub is defined as a restaurant that brews small batches of beer on premises. State law prohibits the pubs from selling their suds through distributors. A micro brewery is traditionally defined as one that produces up to 15,000 barrels per year. A barrel holds roughly 31 gallons.
Currently the Ship Inn has three of their homemade beers on tap. There is an English Bitter Style Ale, a cask conditioned -unfiltered and low carbonation beer served from a hand pump - ale and Golden Wheat beer that Hall calls more of a “lawn mower” beer, designed for people who still might be leery of craft brews.
Of the nearly two dozen brew pubs and micro breweries in the Garden State, the Ship Inn is the only one currently pouring into boxes, according to the state brewer’s guild.
Hall said he researched the idea for a few years and had to reconfigure the pub’s taps to accommodate the new system. In the spirit of fresh beer, they are only filled when ordered.
“You won’t find them sitting on a shelf or cooler,” he said.
There are a handful of brew pubs across the country that are also boxing their beer, including Rubicon Brewing in Sacramento, CA which has been offering gallon boxes for the last few years.
But in large, the idea of boxing beer is a new thing.
Julia Herz, a spokeswoman for the Brewers Association, a nonprofit group devoted to professional brewers, said that while “alternative packaging” has become a trend in craft brewing, she and others at the association had not heard of the cardboard contraptions.
“From a cost perspective it’s probably a helpful decision,” she said in a telephone interview from Colorado.
She noted that many craft brewers are also returning to the idea of cans - a container that can also carry a negative image - saying that in 2007 at least 25,000 barrels of suds wound up in aluminum cylinders. Micro brewers who are using cans said it is cheaper than bottles, it better helps retain flavor and helps their product stand out on shelves that are becoming more and more crowded with craft beers.
Dan Soboti Jr., who brews at the Gaslight Brewery and Restaurant in South Orange said that they would likely stick with glass growlers for the foreseeable future.
“We talked about it, but we decided that it wasn’t going to work for us,” he said.
Hall said that he sells between 30 and 40 boxes and growlers per week and once a cube is filled, the beer stays carbonated for 2-3 weeks. The five quart box sells for $18 and the 10 quart for $28. Each comes with a reusable plastic tap that can be screwed onto the spigot and reused by return visitors. The box itself isn’t built for more than one use, though the brewer said it’s possible to get a second round out of it. When the box is emptied, drinkers can break it down and toss it in with the recycling.
Customers to the Ship Inn, like Richard Kroth of Milford, like the box because they last longer than growlers. And with a young child at home, he’s not able to get to the pub as often as he’d like.
“It’s just really easy,” he said.
Looking forward, Hall says he hopes to add some new beers to the rotation that are “full of flavor but have a low alcohol content.”
In doing so, he hopes to bring new drinkers to the craft brew bar, and see them leave with a box tucked under their arm
Link to article.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Magic Hat and Pyramid to Merge
Well, a sign of the times. Brewpub becomes micro, micro becomes regional, becomes macro, becomes mainstream.
SEATTLE & SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (April 2008) - Pyramid Breweries Inc. (NASDAQ: PMID) ("Pyramid") and Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center, Inc. ("Magic Hat") today announced the execution of a Letter of Intent ("Letter of Intent"), which contemplates a transaction by which Magic Hat will acquire Pyramid, through an agreed all-cash tender offer and subsequent merger, at $2.75 per share of Pyramid common stock on a fully-diluted basis.The proposed transaction is subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive merger agreement. The merger agreement will provide for a first-step tender offer for outstanding Pyramid shares by an acquisition entity wholly owned by Magic Hat, to be conditioned upon the acquisition of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding shares of Pyramid. The tender offer, if consummated, will be followed by a merger of Magic Hat's acquisition entity with and into Pyramid. The proposed transaction is also subject to the satisfactory completion of a due diligence review by Magic Hat of the business, financial and legal affairs of Pyramid, and receipt of necessary consents and approvals of regulatory agencies and third parties.The Letter of Intent provides for the payment of a break-up fee payable by Pyramid to Magic Hat in specified circumstances, and also for the payment of Magic Hat's reasonable expenses in specified circumstances, each involving the failure to consummate the proposed transaction.Certain shareholders of Pyramid holding approximately 29% of the outstanding Pyramid common stock have, concurrently with Pyramid's execution of the Letter of Intent, entered into a Tender and Support Agreement (the "Tender Agreement") with Magic Hat, pursuant to which they have agreed to tender the shares owned by them in the Magic Hat tender offer and have granted Magic Hat an irrevocable proxy with respect to such shares. The portion of the shares subject to the Tender Agreement in excess of 19.9% of the outstanding shares of Pyramid common stock may be released from the provisions of the Tender Agreement in specified circumstances in connection with the receipt by Pyramid of unsolicited superior offers as defined in the Tender Agreement.The closing of the proposed transaction, subject to the conditions referred to above, is anticipated to occur not later than August 31, 2008.The board of directors of Pyramid has approved the transactions contemplated by the Letter of Intent."The combination of these two well established, high profile craft breweries will be very complementary given our respective brand portfolios and the geographies in which we predominantly operate. Additionally, there will be a number of important benefits for Pyramid to be part of a private company versus continuing to operate as a stand alone public entity. This consolidation makes both good strategic and financial sense and is well timed, particularly as the beer industry's competitive dynamics continue to intensify," said Pyramid CEO Scott Barnum. "The Company will continue to have offices in Seattle, its historical home, and will seek opportunities to capitalize on the enhanced assets and capabilities of the new combined entity," he added.Martin Kelly, CEO of Magic Hat said, "We have a great deal of respect for Pyramid's brand heritage, award-winning beers and its dedicated employees, and look forward to consummating this transaction, which provides both strategic and financial benefits both to Pyramid's and Magic Hat's stakeholders."Important NoticeThe tender offer for the outstanding common stock of Pyramid contemplated by the Letter of Intent has not commenced, and will only commence pursuant to the terms of a definitive merger agreement, as described above. This document is neither an offer to purchase nor solicitation of an offer to sell securities. At the time the tender offer is commenced an affiliate of Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center, Inc. will file a tender offer statement on Schedule TO with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The tender offer statement (including an offer to purchase, a related letter of transmittal and other offer documents) and the solicitation/recommendation statement will contain important information that should be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the tender offer. Those materials will be made available to Pyramid's shareholders at no expense to them. In addition, all of those materials (and all other offer documents filed with the SEC) will be available at no charge on the SEC's web site: www.sec.gov.About Pyramid Breweries Inc.Pyramid Breweries Inc. is a leading brewer of specialty, full-flavored beers produced mainly under the Pyramid and MacTarnahan's brand names. Pyramid's family of unfiltered wheat beers continue to be honored by beer drinkers and judges, earning the most craft beer medals in the last decade at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival ("GABF"). Pyramid has received a total of 34 medals at the GABF. The brewery has also received a total of eleven medals in international competition at the World Beer Cup.Pyramid owns two alehouse restaurants adjacent to its full production breweries under the Pyramid Alehouse and MacTarnahan's Taproom brand names in Berkeley, California and Portland, Oregon, respectively, and three alehouse restaurants in Walnut Creek and Sacramento, California and Seattle, Washington. For more information, visit www.PyramidBrew.com.About Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center, Inc.Founded in 1994, Magic Hat has become one of the largest craft brewers on the east coast, and ranks among the fastest growing companies in the category nationwide. The company has methodically expanded its reach, and today sells its beers from Maine to Georgia and as far west as Illinois. Magic Hat is known for its distinctively flavorful offerings and imaginative recipes that combine ancient brewing traditions with the miracles of modern science. Created in the company's unique brewery and Artifactory, Magic Hat's family of fermentations includes three year-round beers (#9®, Circus Boy®, and Lucky Kat®) a full line of seasonal ales, and a variety of special single-batch "Odd Notions." Magic Hat has been hailed by the appreciative palates and grateful connoisseurs everywhere who enjoy the brewer's pours more than any they've explored before. For more information, visit http://www.magichat.net. Note Regarding Forward Looking StatementsThis news release contains certain "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). This statement is included for the express purpose of availing Pyramid of the protections of the safe harbor provisions of the PSLRA. The forward looking statements contained in this new release are subject to factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Important factors that might cause such a material difference include, but are not limited to, the inability of Pyramid and Magic Hat to negotiate and execute a definitive merger agreement; Magic Hat's possible determination not to proceed with the transaction based on its due diligence review of Pyramid's business, financial and legal affairs; a material adverse change in Pyramid's business or financial affairs; failure to obtain required regulatory approvals or third party consents; the tender of less than 66 2/3% of Pyramid's outstanding shares in the first-step tender offer described above; and similar matters. If the proposed acquisition does not close, Pyramid's stock price may significantly decrease, and Pyramid's business may be materially impacted. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements. Pyramid undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update these forward looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this news release, except as may be required by law.
SEATTLE & SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (April 2008) - Pyramid Breweries Inc. (NASDAQ: PMID) ("Pyramid") and Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center, Inc. ("Magic Hat") today announced the execution of a Letter of Intent ("Letter of Intent"), which contemplates a transaction by which Magic Hat will acquire Pyramid, through an agreed all-cash tender offer and subsequent merger, at $2.75 per share of Pyramid common stock on a fully-diluted basis.The proposed transaction is subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive merger agreement. The merger agreement will provide for a first-step tender offer for outstanding Pyramid shares by an acquisition entity wholly owned by Magic Hat, to be conditioned upon the acquisition of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding shares of Pyramid. The tender offer, if consummated, will be followed by a merger of Magic Hat's acquisition entity with and into Pyramid. The proposed transaction is also subject to the satisfactory completion of a due diligence review by Magic Hat of the business, financial and legal affairs of Pyramid, and receipt of necessary consents and approvals of regulatory agencies and third parties.The Letter of Intent provides for the payment of a break-up fee payable by Pyramid to Magic Hat in specified circumstances, and also for the payment of Magic Hat's reasonable expenses in specified circumstances, each involving the failure to consummate the proposed transaction.Certain shareholders of Pyramid holding approximately 29% of the outstanding Pyramid common stock have, concurrently with Pyramid's execution of the Letter of Intent, entered into a Tender and Support Agreement (the "Tender Agreement") with Magic Hat, pursuant to which they have agreed to tender the shares owned by them in the Magic Hat tender offer and have granted Magic Hat an irrevocable proxy with respect to such shares. The portion of the shares subject to the Tender Agreement in excess of 19.9% of the outstanding shares of Pyramid common stock may be released from the provisions of the Tender Agreement in specified circumstances in connection with the receipt by Pyramid of unsolicited superior offers as defined in the Tender Agreement.The closing of the proposed transaction, subject to the conditions referred to above, is anticipated to occur not later than August 31, 2008.The board of directors of Pyramid has approved the transactions contemplated by the Letter of Intent."The combination of these two well established, high profile craft breweries will be very complementary given our respective brand portfolios and the geographies in which we predominantly operate. Additionally, there will be a number of important benefits for Pyramid to be part of a private company versus continuing to operate as a stand alone public entity. This consolidation makes both good strategic and financial sense and is well timed, particularly as the beer industry's competitive dynamics continue to intensify," said Pyramid CEO Scott Barnum. "The Company will continue to have offices in Seattle, its historical home, and will seek opportunities to capitalize on the enhanced assets and capabilities of the new combined entity," he added.Martin Kelly, CEO of Magic Hat said, "We have a great deal of respect for Pyramid's brand heritage, award-winning beers and its dedicated employees, and look forward to consummating this transaction, which provides both strategic and financial benefits both to Pyramid's and Magic Hat's stakeholders."Important NoticeThe tender offer for the outstanding common stock of Pyramid contemplated by the Letter of Intent has not commenced, and will only commence pursuant to the terms of a definitive merger agreement, as described above. This document is neither an offer to purchase nor solicitation of an offer to sell securities. At the time the tender offer is commenced an affiliate of Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center, Inc. will file a tender offer statement on Schedule TO with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The tender offer statement (including an offer to purchase, a related letter of transmittal and other offer documents) and the solicitation/recommendation statement will contain important information that should be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the tender offer. Those materials will be made available to Pyramid's shareholders at no expense to them. In addition, all of those materials (and all other offer documents filed with the SEC) will be available at no charge on the SEC's web site: www.sec.gov.About Pyramid Breweries Inc.Pyramid Breweries Inc. is a leading brewer of specialty, full-flavored beers produced mainly under the Pyramid and MacTarnahan's brand names. Pyramid's family of unfiltered wheat beers continue to be honored by beer drinkers and judges, earning the most craft beer medals in the last decade at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival ("GABF"). Pyramid has received a total of 34 medals at the GABF. The brewery has also received a total of eleven medals in international competition at the World Beer Cup.Pyramid owns two alehouse restaurants adjacent to its full production breweries under the Pyramid Alehouse and MacTarnahan's Taproom brand names in Berkeley, California and Portland, Oregon, respectively, and three alehouse restaurants in Walnut Creek and Sacramento, California and Seattle, Washington. For more information, visit www.PyramidBrew.com.About Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center, Inc.Founded in 1994, Magic Hat has become one of the largest craft brewers on the east coast, and ranks among the fastest growing companies in the category nationwide. The company has methodically expanded its reach, and today sells its beers from Maine to Georgia and as far west as Illinois. Magic Hat is known for its distinctively flavorful offerings and imaginative recipes that combine ancient brewing traditions with the miracles of modern science. Created in the company's unique brewery and Artifactory, Magic Hat's family of fermentations includes three year-round beers (#9®, Circus Boy®, and Lucky Kat®) a full line of seasonal ales, and a variety of special single-batch "Odd Notions." Magic Hat has been hailed by the appreciative palates and grateful connoisseurs everywhere who enjoy the brewer's pours more than any they've explored before. For more information, visit http://www.magichat.net. Note Regarding Forward Looking StatementsThis news release contains certain "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). This statement is included for the express purpose of availing Pyramid of the protections of the safe harbor provisions of the PSLRA. The forward looking statements contained in this new release are subject to factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Important factors that might cause such a material difference include, but are not limited to, the inability of Pyramid and Magic Hat to negotiate and execute a definitive merger agreement; Magic Hat's possible determination not to proceed with the transaction based on its due diligence review of Pyramid's business, financial and legal affairs; a material adverse change in Pyramid's business or financial affairs; failure to obtain required regulatory approvals or third party consents; the tender of less than 66 2/3% of Pyramid's outstanding shares in the first-step tender offer described above; and similar matters. If the proposed acquisition does not close, Pyramid's stock price may significantly decrease, and Pyramid's business may be materially impacted. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements. Pyramid undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update these forward looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this news release, except as may be required by law.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Becoming reacquainted with an old friend.
Well it was a busy weekend. Friday evening was "pit night" for Cub Scout Pack 22. We prepared all the cars for the next days races. 8:00 a.m. Saturday found me in Lenape Woods surveying a bridge with an aspiring Eagle Scout and 1:30 found me trying to officiate the actual annual ritual that is the Pinewood Derby. The derby, through the efforts of many dedicated volunteers, went off without a hitch. When the track was packed and the hall cleared I headed for home and a beer. The beer was Fuller's ESB. What a rare treat to my hop-blasted palate. A lovely balanced brew with delicate English hop notes in the nose and palate and an all-to-rare balanced taste. A nice mix of grassy hops and caramel and crystal malts. Sublime. It paired nicely with some good flicks with the kids. Akeela And the Bee and the original Jurrasic Park. --Then Return of the King Disc Two - I love the Siege of Minas Tirth and the Battle of the Pellenor Fields. Sunday found me at Scout Headquarters arranging for Ceremonial Performers at the Pack Cross-over Ceremony at the end of February.
As for the Burns Supper, Alas it was Walkers Shortbread and a wee dram of Balvenie on the Boat home... Nae Haggis - Chieftan O' the Puddin Race... thank heavens.
As for the Burns Supper, Alas it was Walkers Shortbread and a wee dram of Balvenie on the Boat home... Nae Haggis - Chieftan O' the Puddin Race... thank heavens.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
