Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced "Einbeck" as "ein Bock" ("a billy goat"), and thus the beer became known as "bock". To this day, as a visual pun, a goat often appears on bock labels.
Read moreBeer on the Road: Lansing MI
In early December 2017, I to traveled to Lansing Michigan. I was only there for a couple days, so any in-depth beer research was limited. But I did come home with some local beer bounty.
Read moreA Deeper Shade of Brown
Brown by any other name is still the same color but not necessarily the same beer
THE SESSION #120— BEER BLOGGING FRIDAY The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts the Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing all of the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry.
This month's theme is Brown Beer and is hosted by The Fatal Glass of Beer
What Is Brown
Brown my any other name is still the same color — marrone, marron, bruin, brun, bruin, braun or brown—or is it. And beer styles may be similar but still very, very different. Some brown or brownish beer styles include: Oud Bruin, British Brown Ale, American Brown Ale, Brown IPA, London Brown Ale, dunkel, dubbel. So its a wide field. Brown is not black but a brown ale can be black. Take the Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron for example.
Touring Dogfish
I had the pleasure of touring the Dogfish Head brewery in Milton DE a few years ago. Part of the tour took us by the Palo Santo Marron wooden tanks. These were impressive to stand near. It has been reported that the barrels costs $140,000 and were questionable whether those costs would ever be recouped. The founder, Sam Caligione (Youtube: his take on Palo Santo Marron), said in a New Yorker magazine article (see reference below) that if worked for a publicly owned corporation that he would have been fired for this move. I assume they have paid for themselves, but it does make for a good story.
For the greater story, jump over to an excellent 2004 article by the New Yorker entitled A Bitter Brew which describes the story of the journey to Paraguay, the discovery of the wood behind the beer as well and the man behind the wood (and beer).
A Big Drink
My first experience with this beer was not a pleasant one. The tasting notes on the side of the bottle suggest caramel and vanilla. Remembering my first sip all I could think of was a huge black licorice bomb, which at the time I thought was too big and not pleasant at all. I had purchased a four-pack, so I had three more to level out my opinion. The second seemed more mellow, but still a big beer. By the time I'd finished the fourth, I was a convert. Now it is one of my favorite beers and high on my DFH list of brews. To drink one, it is an opaque black beer (darker brown) and pours a big tan colored head that quickly fades. As read on the label, you get notes of caramel, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate. At 12% ABV you are going to get some boozy character, but it is a very well balanced beer. There are hints of the wood but not overpowering like you might expect. BeerAdvocate labels is as an American Brown Ale and rates it at 93 points.
The Tree & Its Wood
Palo Santo wood is highly prized for its properties, even before it became famous for its beer improvement characteristics. In an article 11 Things You Never Knew About Palo Santo, it describes when Spanish monks first discovered the wood and experienced its ability to seemingly cleanse and heal, they named the tree “palo santo,” which means “holy wood” or “the wood of the saints.” The tree grows in the South American rainforest and its scientific name is bursera graveolens, or “a bag of oil” and the naturally aromatic wood from this truly unique tree is used in several ways for energetic and healing purposes. Its primary use is to burn small palo santo sticks as incense (which you can find find online at such places as Amazon.com). On the hardness scale, it is measured as three times harder than oak and one of the hardest in the world.
Final Thoughts
I find this beer fascinating not only as a wonderful drink to enjoy, but also for the effort exerted to bring it into being. The fusion of the wood and beer, ancient culture and domestication makes me pause as I sip it in — and not only because its 12% ABV. Not all browns are created equal — this certainly is a deep shade of brown.
Discomfort Beer: Learning to Love Sour
THE SESSION #118— BEER BLOGGING FRIDAY The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts the Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing all of the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry.
This month's theme is Discomfort Beer and is hosted by Alec Latham at Mostly About Beer
My favorite beers to drink are large flavorful beers such as Imperial Stouts or Belgian Quads. I thoroughly enjoy the higher alcohol content, not that I'm working to become elevated as quick as possible, but just the opposite, so I can pour it into a beautiful goblet, let it warm a bit, sip and savor must like a fine port wine. I simply love the process, the fuller flavors and the entire experience.
That is the best of all beer experiences — for me.
American IPAs have become all the rage and many of my fellow beer drinkers love the hops — more the better. And I too, enjoy a well made IPA, whether of the West Coast variety or New England unfiltered offerings. They do have their place and I will savor the good work the brewer and company puts into these creations.
The beer style that has jumped to public awareness lately — over the past year or so — are the sours. Of course, there are many beer styles that can be lumped into that grouping — wild ale, gose, Berliner weisse, flanders red, oud bruin, lambics, gueuze, and can include saison, bier de guarde depending on the brewers creativity. Some are included among my favorite beer styles. The beer that would be described as musty, funky, horse blanket, barnyard — I've had a difficult time cuddling up to.
I've been to several beer distributor open houses where just about every beer style imaginable is available for tasting. So, I've experienced just about all that is out there. As already mentioned, I'm still quite particular to many of the Belgian beers: dubbels, tripels and quads. As I've progressed in my beer experiences I've learned that Belgian beer covers a wide range of flavors. Some I've had to pull away from, "How can anyone find that enjoyable?" Let the drinker beware!
My take on the sours are much aligned with Ray Daniels, founder of the Cicerone Program. He stated in an interview that he appreciates everything about sour beers: how they are made, the ingredients, the process, history, etc. But he simply prefers other beer styles.
My theory is this, that the more I expose myself to this style of beer, the more I will appreciate them. It's a theory! Really, I didn't even like the taste of beer on my first attempt. But then that was decades ago and the only beer readily available was industrial light lagers. I have come to enjoy the lighter side funk. For now, I have a great affinity for bold stouts and Belgian tripels and quads — I'm still learning to love sour.
Twelve Beers of Christmas: Day 11
Schneider Weisse Adventinus Weizenbock Tap 6
While this beer doesn't have Christmas or Winter in its name, this is a classic winter wheat beer. This is such a great Christmas-season beer because this style traditionally was a seasonal beer, brewed in the cool season, up until Spring, then put away until the cool season later in the year. Plus, it perfectly fits the Christmas beer profile, full of flavor, ruby color and higher ABV.
The Beer
The Schneider Weisse website is in Germany (there is the option for translations to English).
...full-bodied, dark ruby-colored... warming, balanced and soft. The oldest weizdock in Bavaria - since 1907! Its powerful body in combination with its malty sweetness offers real depth - a brilliant combination, perfectly tasty. Fits well to hearty, dark roasts and sweet desserts.
Schneider Weisse Tap 6 Unser Aventinus scores a 96 points (world class) on Beer Advocate.
The Weizenbock Beer Style
The German's are proud of their language and its proper usage, so they off the correct pronunciation as ”veye-tssen-bock"
German Beer Institute states, "Comparable to the barley-based regular Bockbier (see there) a Weizenbock is the strong version of an unfiltered Weissbier or Hefeweizen. It is usually made with 60 to 70% wheat malt (German law requires that a Weizenbier, regardless of strength, be made from at least 50% wheat). The other 30 to 40% tend to be so-called Pils, Vienna or Munich malts. These are pale to amber, and sometimes slightly caramelized barley malts that give the beer a full-bodied mouthfeel, a rich and satisfying malty finish, and—depending on the barley malt's color—a more or less opaque appearance. While regular Bockbiers are lagers, Weizenbocks are all ales. They are fermented with a special yeast that gives the brew a slightly spicy, clove-like flavor."
Beer Advocate offers a great description for this beer style.
A more powerful Dunkel Weizen (of "bock strength"), with a pronounced estery alcohol character, perhaps some spiciness from this, and bolder and more complex malt characters of dark fruits.
All About Beer
Few beers combine so exquisitely several different stylistic profiles as does weizenbock. Bavarian hefeweizen and dunkelweizen are known primarily for their natural haze, yeasty texture and extraordinary palette of top-fermentation products. Weizenbock expresses all the banana, clove and vanilla aromas and flavors of its less formidable brethren. These are tempered by a firm background of malt.
TAP6 Unser Aventinus is brewed in Kelheim, Bavaria, part of the Schneider Weisse portfolio. Its has the claim as Germany’s original “wheat doppelbock.” The foggy mahogany hue is topped with a creamy beige head. The aroma bustles with banana, raisin, chocolate, cherry and licorice. This is followed by earthy flavors and dessert-like spiced banana bread, molasses and malt.
TWITTER: #12BeersOfChristmas
Twelve Beers of Christmas: Day 10
Schlafly Christmas Ale
All the senses will be filled with this Christmas beer. Spices, high ABV, gorgeous mahogany color. Schlafly is Missouri's oldest and largest craft brewery, right in the heart of St Louis and beyond.
The Schlafly Tap Room first opened its doors in 1991 and proudly holds the distinction of being the first new brewpub in Missouri since Prohibition.
CHRISTMAS ALE is a warming winter ale that blends the spices of the season with sweet caramel malt. Orange peel, juniper berries, ginger root, cardamom and cloves are added for spiciness. We use honey in the fermentation process, which raises the ABV without producing too much heat from the alcohol content.
Many breweries produce richer, higher alcohol beers for the winter holiday season, bolder than their year-round offerings. The inspiration for this beer came from spiced holiday beverages such as wassail and mulled wines. Around the holidays, the sweet and spicy aromas, not to mention the booze, in such libations tend to smooth the rougher edges of enjoying each other’s company and spreading goodwill.
Available: November-December
ABV: 8.0% | IBU: 30
APPEARANCE: Deep copper, bright
PROCESS: Spiced with orange peel, juniper berries, ginger root, cardamom and cloves
HOPS: Magnum (PL)
GRAINS : Pale, Caramel, Munich, Chocolate, Honey
YEAST: American Ale
SRM: 30
TWITTER: #12BeersOfChristmas
Twelve Beers of Christmas: Day 9
The Bruery 9 Ladies Dancing
This is one of the classic Christmas-season beers that should be on every beer lovers short list. Each year has been a different day from the song —The Twelve Days of Christmas — with a beer-take on that particular verse. As stated in The Bruery’s own description, this ninth edition is based on the Italian dessert ladyfingers.
THE BRUERY 9 LADIES DANCING — This beery homage to the classic Christmas song, 12 Days of Christmas began in 2008. Then, A Partridge in a Pear Tree was just the first in the 12 Days/Years of Christmas Series. That beer has since been retired as have many others in this series. So, if you want to try this beer, first hurry, because supplies are dwendling, and also, it won't be reproduced next year... And perhaps not for another 12 years.
Here’s a pick me up for the latest verse in our Twelve Days of Christmas series. Inspired by flavors and ingredients found in tiramisu, including ladyfingers, 9 Ladies Dancing mimics the Italian dessert by whipping together flavor combinations and layers of its own. This includes notes of vanilla, chocolate and coffee – clearly the leading ladies in this rich, dessert-like beer.
Food Pairing: Sartori Espresso BellaVitano cheese, roast turkey with bacon-cranberry chutney, spiced parsnip and sweet potato mash. The cotillion plus one. A bite of tiramisu.
Twelve Beers of Christmas: Day 8
Flying Dog Naughty and Nice
The first reference to this pair of yin yang beers was from 2015 Christmas season. The names make reference to your Christmas list and whether what gifts Santa will be bringing youth is year. He’s making a list, checking it twice, gonna find our who’s naughty or nice. Santa Claus… la , la, la… You know the rest.
In 2015, the Naughty beer was Belgian-Style Dark Ale brewed with cinnamon, star anise, orange peel and habanero peppers for a bold mix of heat, citrus and spice. Any, yes, it was hot.
For 2016, Flying Dog has come back with their Naughty as a Egg Nog Ale “with subtle sweetness and a palate full of holiday spice and bourbon, this beer can standalone as your dessert course all season long.”
The 2015 Nice was a Golden Ale that paid tribute to the Belgian brewers. It had a fruity nose and was a bit sweet and crisp. From feedback, many chose to be Nice rather than Naughty in 2015.
The 2016 Nice edition has changed directions again to quite friendly quaff, a Holiday Milk Stout.
The beauty with of this pair is you win either way, you can be naughty and nice and enjoy the results.
Naughty
With subtle sweetness and a palate full of holiday spice and bourbon, this beer can standalone as your dessert course all season long. adding cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla beans into an ale that even Belsnickel could find enjoyment in. This 8.4% ABV treat is also a great pregame beer for any Naughty holiday activities, so let the vicious cycle continue.
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 8.4%
AVAILABILITY: Mid-November
HOP BITTERNESS: 25 IBU
SPECIALTY MALTS: Oats
HOPS: Perle
YEAST: Chico
Nice
Slight sweetness from the lactose follows behind a rich chocolate malt profile. Give this nicety a whirl with creamy cheeses like brie and camembert or with dark chocolate desserts.
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 7.3%
AVAILABILITY: Mid-November
HOP BITTERNESS: 20 IBU
SPECIALTY MALTS: Roasted Barley, Chocolate, Caramel, Oats
HOPS: Perle
YEAST: Chico
TWITTER: #12BeersOfChristmas
Twelve Beers of Christmas: Day 7
St Bernardus Christmas Ale
While not one of the official Trappist breweries, St Bernardus, none the less, is a great abbey-style brewery with many favorite beers in their offerings. Their famous Abt 12 is rated 98 points and the Christmas Ale is not far from it at 93 points on Beer Advocate. Like many winter seasonal beers, this is a high alcohol content at 10% ABV beer so caution is given.
ST BERNARDUS CHRISTMAS ALE is a dark seasonal brewed in the classic 'Quadrupel' style of Belgium's best Abbey Ales. (10,0 % ABV) Similar to all the beers from our brewery, it greets the drinker with the signature aroma of the St.Bernardus house yeast strain (in use since 1946!) Rivaling the complexity of the St.Bernardus Abt 12, St.Bernardus Christmas Ale offers a spicy, mint-like flavor profile exuding the tastes of warming alcohol, fermented molasses, apricots, licorice and marzipan that are highlighted by the perfect balance of brewing sugars. The perfect companion to enjoy a cold winter evening, with or without the company of your friends!
TWITTER: #12BeersOfChristmas
Twelve Beers of Christmas: Day 6
Dogfish Head Pennsylvania Tuxedo
While this beer has been on many of my lists, it must be included as a Christmas beer as well. The spruce flavors and aroma is nothing short of drinking in a Christmas tree.
While DFH describes it as “sessional”, at 7.5% ABV I'm not sure that qualifies by definition, but it certainly does by drinkability. Spruce in a beer may not be for everyone, but I still remember my first full drink and finishing my first bottle and thinking, “That was not enough, I want another one”. And by my definition, that does qualify as a sessionable beer.
DOGFISH HEAD PENNSYLVANIA TUXEDO — A spruce-infused pale ale, Pennsylvania Tuxedo pays homage to the flannel-suited hunters and gatherers who dwell deep in the backcountry of north-central PA. A dry yet doughy malt backbone lets the hops and spruce shine while still balancing out the bitterness, making this one an easy sipper.
Brewed in collaboration with family-run outdoor clothing company Woolrich, Pennsylvania Tuxedo is a sessionable concoction with a grassy citrus kick complemented by the resinous conifer notes of fresh green spruce tips. We went into the forests of north-central Pennsylvania and Georgetown, DE, to pick these fresh tips ourselves.
ABV: 8.5
IBU: 50
Release: November
Original Release Date: 2014
STYLE: Pale Ale
TWITTER: #12BeersOfChristmas
Twelve Beers of Christmas: Day 5
Sierra Nevada Celebration
While many beers associated with Winter or Christmas time are big in alcohol and spice, Celebration moves in another direction and is actually an American IPA or as the label states, “Fresh Hop Ale”.
The start of Celebration season is a festive event. We can’t start brewing until the first fresh hops have arrived, but once they have the season is officially under way! First brewed in 1981, Celebration Ale is one of the earliest examples of an American-style IPA and one of the few hop-forward holiday beers. Famous for its intense citrus and pine aromas, Celebration is bold and intense, featuring Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops—honoring everything we have at Sierra Nevada.
FRESH HOPS are the freshest dried hops to come from the fields, typically within seven days of harvest. Over 90% of the world’s hop harvest happens between August 31 and October 31, and these hops are used throughout the calendar year. Can hops possibly be the same on November 1, one day after harvest, as they are on July 25, nearly one year after growing in the fields? The answer is no. We think of hops like dry kitchen spices—the flavor of thyme or rosemary right after the jar is opened is far more intense than it is six months later. The same can be said for hops. There are ways to control the way hops age and to reformulate and readjust as some of the aromas fade, but there’s nothing like the magic of the first bales of hops as fresh as can be.
TWITTER: #12BeersOfChristmas
Twelve Beers of Christmas: Day 4
Stone Enjoy By 12.25.16
Stone has served as the epitome of west coast IPAs, big, bold and very hoppy. Over the past few years, a new IPA style has gathered much of the beer drinkers imagination, commonly know as New England IPA.
The one key characteristic of this new take on IPA is that is it unfiltered—meaning you'll find yeast and other particulates flowing around in your beer. Brewers like to borrow from each other and we beer drinkers are the beneficiaries.
The Stone Enjoy By series are released a few times a year. They want the buyer/drinker to focus on the fact that IPAs, as a rule, are meant to be enjoyed as fresh as possible. Therefore, Stone puts it right on the label, Enjoy By… In this case, Christmas.
STONE BREWING ENJOY BY 12.25.16 — In most cases, skipping a step is a bad thing. Not this time. This version of Stone Enjoy By IPA omits the part where we filter out the extra yeast, hop sediment and proteins that build up in beer as a natural result of the brewing process. Though it may sound like it, this missed step was no misstep. By letting this IPA go unfiltered, its peach and tropical fruit hop flavors are amplified while its golden-hued color takes on a hazy appearance. Like its filtered counterpart, this IPA is brewed specifically NOT to last, and is shipped immediately to ensure hopheads get their hands on it as soon as possible.
TWITTER: #12BeersOfChristmas
Twelve Beers of Christmas: Day 3
Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale
Winter Warmers are traditional seasonal beer and Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome is a classic. Beer Advocate has this to say about this beer style.
The History of Winter Welcome
Throughout history, beer of somewhat higher alcohol and richness has been enjoyed for the winter holidays, when old friends get together to enjoy the season. Wassail, a festival to celebrate winter and the beer that goes with it, predates the Christian era. Winter Welcome is vintage-dated with a special label each year, and was first shipped to the US in 1990 - it was the first imported winter seasonal beer. Serve in a traditional Sam Smith tulip or nonik glass for the holidays.
TASTING NOTES
Taste: Honey-amber colored, creamy head of small bubbles, floral aroma and delicious caramel malt flavor with great finesse. Fine hop aroma finish and a fruity note from fermentation in open-topped stone "Yorkshire Squares."
Food Pairing: Roast goose, smoked turkey with oyster dressing, rack of lamb, candied yams, Smithfield hams, fresh pears and apples, Christmas cake. Serve in crystal tumblers, or traditional Yorkshire tulip or nonik pint glasses.
These malty sweet offerings tend to be a favorite winter seasonal. Big malt presence, both in flavor and body. The color ranges from brownish reds to nearly pitch black. Hop bitterness is generally low, leveled and balanced, but hop character can be pronounced. Alcohol warmth is not uncommon.
BeerAdvocate offers a description on this traditional seasonal beer style. Many English versions contain no spices, though some brewers of spiced winter seasonal ales will slap "Winter Warmer" on the label. Those that are spiced, tend to follow the "wassail" tradition of blending robust ales with mixed spices, before hops became the chief "spice" in beer. American varieties many have a larger presences of hops both in bitterness and flavor.
TWITTER: #12BeersOfChristmas
Twelve Beers of Christmas: Day 2
Anchor Christmas Ale
This is probably the most iconic Christmas beer. Really, this has been a tradition for 42 years. Each year a different beer, each year a different tree. That is TRADITION! And as a professional forester, trees have a special place in my life… as does beer of course.
2016 Anchor Christmas Ale. New tree. New recipe. Same traditions.
A deliciously smooth winter warmer with notes of seasonal spices and a malty backbone, our 2016 Christmas Ale marks the 42nd annual release of this celebrated Anchor tradition.
It is sold only from early November to mid–January. The Ale's recipe is different every year—as is the tree on the label—but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew. With a heavily guarded, secret recipe, Christmas Ale is a highly anticipated seasonal delight, complex and full in flavor with a velvety texture and alluring, yet subtle, spiced aroma.
The tree for 2016 is the “1,000 Mile Tree” or the lone pine found during westbound construction of the transcontinental railroad. Discovered in 1869, it was a lone pine amidst a vast and desolate landscape. The tree on this year’s label was hand-drawn by Bay Area artist James Stitt, who has been creating Anchor’s Christmas Ale labels since 1975. His charming illustration of the 1,000 Mile Tree includes a person at the top of the tree with a mug of beer, honoring an old legend that railway passengers sometimes attempted to climb the tree.
The 2016 Christmas Ale is a deep mahogany brown with a creamy, tan head and boasts aromas of fruitcake, molasses, and fresh cut wood. The beer tastes of a roasted caramel malt, with notes of spiced chocolate and nuts. And it has a rich, smooth, and velvety mouthfeel. Every year the Anchor brewers look forward to formulating a new Christmas Ale recipe and tasting the fruits of their labors. We are always excited to please beer fans with its ever-changing recipe and label. Cheers from the Anchor brewers!
TWITTER: #12BeersOfChristmas
Twelve Beers of Christmas: Day 1
Troegs Mad Elf
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" (Wikipedia) is an English Christmas carol that enumerates in the manner of a cumulative song a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas (the twelve days after Christmas). The song, published in England in 1780 without music as a chant or rhyme, is thought to be French in origin.
THE SET-UP
You may have seen a few of these juxapositions of the ye olde Christmas song singing out twelve days and twelve gifts of Christmas. Since beer is one of my favorite gifts to get and gift, I have been compelled to offer up my list—in of course, twelve offerings.
DAY ONE — Troegs Mad Elf
... perhaps not exactly a turtle dove but a great beer and a classic Christmas beer. Mad Elf, what more needs to be said. Another much anticipated seasonal favorite. Big flavors with Pennsylvania Honey and West Coast Cherries. Again, as with many winter seasonal beers, this one is big on ABV at 11%. Warning, if you want to enjoy this one you best buy early and be disciplined since it may not be available by Christmas quaffing comes around.
The holidays at Tröegs start with our inner Mad Elf momentarily taking over the brew deck. So blame “him” for this cheerful ruby red creation reminiscent of ripened cherries, raw honey and cocoa with notes of cinnamon, clove and allspice.
SPECIFICATIONS
ABV 11% | 15 IBU
Malt: Chocolate, Munich, Pilsner
Hops: Hallertau, Saaz
Yeast: Spicy Belgian
Color: Ruby Red
TWITTER: #12BeersOfChristmas
It's More Than a Beer — It's a Moment
THE SESSION #118— BEER BLOGGING FRIDAY The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts the Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing all of the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry.
The December 2016, edition The Session No. 118 was hosted by Stan Hieronymus at Appellation Beer. The theme directions were simple and yet wide open, Four Guests Four Beers.
When I first read the theme my mind went to historical men and women that I have wanted to meet and perhaps share a beer such as Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln or Benjamin Franklin. Or more contemporary heroes like Paul McCartney or Ronald Reagan. And then my mind drifted even further and I thought about the story A Christmas Carol and I could meet and share beers with the ghosts of Beery Past, Present and Yet to Come (I'd have to make up the forth ghost, perhaps the ghost that could have been). The more I thought about it, the more personal it became.
A Beer With My Father
The first of my four people and beer choices was quite easy. My father passed away at the age of 72. He died from complications due to Alzheimer's disease. He had been battling with that disease for about 10 years before it took him. I had always wanted — hoped — to have a relationship with my father where we could sit down and have a beer together and talk about life, life's lessons, joys, hopes and disappointments, growing up, just having a lasting adult relationship with him. But suddenly and totally unexpectedly he started to lose his mind. And before you know it he was gone.
I've often said, or at least thought, I just wanted to sit down and have a beer with him. Because that's kind of what a beer has become for me now. It’s more than a beer, its a moment. It's a pause to reflect, to think, to celebrate, to share, just to enjoy some peaceful time, and if its with others so much the better. And I never had that time, that relationship with my father. Alzheimer's stole that from me, from us. So, if somehow I could make a wish and could have a beer with someone, that would be an easy choice — with my father.
Many times I would see him over the course of the weekend drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon, always from a can. Now I don't think a whole lot of Pabst beer these days, I don't drink it. But what it symbolizes is far, far greater than any mere taste of beer. It symbolizes an important relationship, an innocent time in my life. The time that was stolen from us. The time that I'd always wanted to spend with him. And to drink that beer.
A Beer With My Son
That beer that I wanted to have with my father and never did I can now play forward and enjoy it with my son. As I'm writing this, he is 25. Earlier this year he married his high school sweetheart. That day was one of the best of my life. And now, I love watching the two of them together. I hopefully have taught him some things about life and beer, and now he is teaching me about his passions.
He loves good German beer and his favorite is Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier. He knew to buy the proper weissbier glasses. I told you he was smart (and good looking). We occasionally have that beer and I enjoy every moment, every sip we have together. Prost! Zum wohl!
A Beer With Lost Friends
Chris Holmes was a friend of mine. We spent some good times together. But more than a person, I am sorry to say, Chris is a symbol of friendship lost. A friendship that never fully developed, but I had hoped someday would. Chris passed away this year, suddenly, from a brain tumor. He was a man full of life, fully enjoyed his family and friends and life's experiences. And I wish I had known Chris deeper and more thoroughly. I wrote on his online journal when I had learned of his passing that my mind was fixed on a quote from a James Taylor song, "I always thought that I would see you again".
And so this third beer is for Chris and Bob and Joe and Tom, all of those friends that you wanted to develop a more meaningful relationship with, but you keep putting off, because life happens — but then one day it doesn't. And this is the toast to all of my friends that I have lost far too early, that I wanted so much to have a deeper relationship. In the hope that I will keep Chris in my mind when I'm thinking about the friends before me. That I will not put off time with them. Because life is short, time is fleeting, and friendships are far too important to put off till tomorrow.
So what beer would I have with Chris or Joe? I think, it would have to be Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. That was a beer that has been special in my life, that really opened my eyes to how good a beer can be. And I’d like to share one, no two, maybe even three, with these friends. I'm older now, and have learned that we should not take moments or friends for granted.
A Beer With Myself
I've often heard of interview questions were someone asks what advice would you give to your 30-year-old self. I thought 22 might be a good age to have that talk, but at that time my life I had just graduated college, didn't have many cares or worries, I was bright and shiny and ready to take on the world.
But by the time I turned 30, some of the shininess had started to tarnish a bit. I’d been in some some relationships that didn't work out and was wondering if I'd ever find the right person, if I'd ever marry and have children.
I would like to tell my 30-year-old self to just be patient, in about another year you'll meet the love of your life. You will have two beautiful children together and they will grow into wonderful people. Yes, they'll be ups and downs but life in general is really very good. As for the beer, you're going to have to settle for industrial lager for a while. But try this, it's a Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. You'll have to wait a few years to have it again but it will be worth it. And oh, put more money into savings, you're going to need it.
Finale
A beer is not just a drink, it is a moment — a celebration of sorts. Whether its just you, a dear friend, or a group of people you just met. There you are — enjoy the moment, enjoy the beer, enjoy your life. And never take the moment for granted — it is a gift. And with the famous words of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one!"
Jack Perdue is a regular beer blogger at DeepBeer.com and contributor to beer-related adventures on Twitter @DeepBeer. He is a Cicerone Certified Beer Server and studying for the next level of certification. He has worked at a prime bottle shop on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for over 8 years and has toured many fine beer locations around the world, with more lined up on his bucket list.
Thanksgiving Beers for 2016
Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving this year or going to a family or friends house, if you are a beer lover, you probably will want to share some interesting beverages to help make the day even more memorable. To some, the first thought may be wine, but really, beer goes very well with any aspect of the day’s meals. I know at our family gathering, there is an early part of the day leading up to the main course where people are arriving, food is being prepared in the kitchen or even the backyard (my brother cooks a turkey in the fryer and I bring the oysters for grilling and shucking). Tradition! You may want to bring some interesting beer just for this time.
An aperitif is an alcoholic drink offered before a meal to stimulate the appetite (or even the mind - my addition). It should prepare you for the main course, setting a proper frame of mind and preparing your gastro visions of the feast to come.
Of course, the usual main course which may offer the traditional turkey and all the fixings. There are many great beers that will compliment the main course enhancing both the array of foods and the lively conversations around the table.
And what would Thanksgiving be without the desserts. Some may not consider beer as a component of the dessert menu, but some beers can enhance the desserts or if you have real beer lovers in the group, can even stand along as a dessert. Let’s take a look at some considerations.
Aperitif
Allagash Curieux - This is a beer that can provide a very interesting opening round. It could be served with the main course or even as dessert, but I offer it here as an aperitif. First, this is a Belgian-style tripel ale that has been aged in Jim Beam bourbon barrelsfor eight weeks. The combination of the bourbon and oak and spicy yeasts make for not only an stimulating drink but good conversation. It is rated at 94 points on BeerAdvocate. About $20 / 750ml
Dogfish Head Pennsylvania Tuxedo - This is a beer you may want to consider just for the wow factor. This seasonal beer is brewed with spruce tips. If you have not had a beer with spruce as an ingredient you are in for a treat. It is like nibbling on a Christmas tree, so it will certainly get everyone in the mood for the next big holiday coming in about one month. About $11 / 4-pack
Main Course
Unibroue La Fin du Monde - This is perhaps one of my favorite beers and for the money, can't be beat. Brewed in Canada using an authentic Belgian style, is a perfect pairing with a turkey dinner or any time of the year. Thanksgiving will not be the end of the world if you offer this beer (see translation of the name). About $9 / 750ml
Founders PC Pils - Full of effervescence and a slight hoppy spiciness. A good choice for those that love classic clean, crisp pilsner beer. About $12 / 6-pack
Ommegang Rare Vos Amber Ale - Ommegang does beer well—pick a style. Amber beers simply offer themselves well with lighter foods. This one adds a note of caramel with a touch of sweetness and a spicy finish. About $13 / 6-pack
Devils Backbone Vienna Lager - No hops here, just a touch of sweet malt and caramel. This beer style will pair well with your main meal and this beer is a great example of the style. About $11 / 6-pack
Allagash White - This a traditional Belgian-style wheat beer spiced with coriander and Curacao orange peel. It is fruity, refreshing and slightly cloudy in appearance. A classic food beer and always a safe choice if thinking about what to drink with a great meal. About $11 / 4-pack
Chimay Première Ale (red) - You could choose from any of these classic Trappist ales and do well. This one is in the middle, you can choose to go higher (blue) or lower (white). Simply put, Belgian beers are a perfect and easy choice with most meals, especially Thanksgiving. About $12 / 750ml
Dessert
Lindemans Lambic Kriek - This is a classic Belgian lambic, full of effervescence, cherry and sweetness. Offer a sample to the person who says they don’t like beer. It also comes in a raspberry (Framboise) or peach (Pêche). About $11 / 750ml
The Bruery Autumn Maple - This is what my favorite beers of autumn and Thanksgiving. Knowing is is brewed with yams, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses and maple syrup, it’s easy to see that this beer was made for Thanksgiving dinner. About $13 / 750ml
Ballast Point Victory At Sea Imperial Porter - Full of roasted barley notes, brewed with cold brewed coffee and whole vanilla beans, plus with the added coffee it may just delay that “help-me-find-the-couch” feeling. About $17 / 6-pack
Stone Coffee Milk Stout - Milk stouts offer a touch of sweetness and smoothness to beer. Great with many sweet desserts or as a dessert on its own. About $12 / 6-pack
Conclusion
Be a Thanksgiving hero to all of your beer lover family and friends. Show off you beer prowess by sharing one or more these excellent beer choices—or better yet, one from each category. Thanksgiving is about spending some comfortable time with loved ones, recalling and sharing blessings and lots of great food. And beer certainly pairs oh so well with all of that! Cheers!
Jack Perdue is a regular beer blogger at DeepBeer.com and contributor to beer-related adventures on Twitter @DeepBeer. He is a Cicerone Certified Beer Server and studying for the next level of certification. He has worked at a prime bottle shop on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for over 8 years and has toured many fine beer locations around the world, with more lined up on his bucket list.
Less Room in the Inn AKA More Competition
THE SESSION #117— BEER BLOGGING FRIDAY The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts the Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing all of the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry.
The November 2016, edition The Session No. 117 was hosted by Csaba Babak at Beer Means Business. The theme directions were simple and wide open, consider the future of beer and “capture ONE thing you think we will see MORE of with an explanation of the idea.”
Less Room in the Inn
This is an interesting question — more what — and the answer, as desired, can go in any direction. The one thing that has been on my mind is the pending beer bubble burst. There have been many pundits that tell us there is plenty of room in the beer business, that there is no looming bubble. But there are some very basic things we must be on our minds.
I've been working with a very nice bottle shop — The Winery — for almost nine years. During that time, a lot has changed in the beer business and culture. More breweries, better beer, more sophisticated beer drinkers. And with all of that, more beer trying to push its way onto pub tap handles and bottle shop shelves. And what about those tap handles and beer shelves. My observation is that they haven't expanded all that much to accept the deluge of beer coming on the market each week. The creation of new beers is one thing, expanded distribution adds a whole other dimension. Just in the last year some excellent, long standing breweries have begun distribution to my state of Maryland, including Bell’s, Founders, SweetWater.
So what does that do to the beer from Stone, Lagunitas and Dogfish Head. Rather than go with the great beer we’ve come to know from these breweries, many curious beer drinkers want to try the beer they may only have heard about.
I attended the Backyard Symposium event at Flying Dog in Frederick MD leading up to Savor in Washington DC this year — an event they hold this time of year. Ryan Glenn, Ballast Point VP of Operations was asked about the Grapefruit Sculpin and how that came into being. He said that they must produce their regular lineup of expected beers, for example Sculpin, but that there is a segment of the customer base that wants to try the new thing and that they have to be there with those beers e.g. Grapefruit Sculpin. In other words, they have to keep pushing more beer onto the market to stay relevant.
Local Preferences
As an observation of people making beer choices, I've noticed a preference for beer from local breweries. Some have even voiced their opinions of this preference. Some of this is an effort to support locals businesses. Some may be from an effort of limiting decision exhaustion — too many choices causes people to decide with with what they know.
Good Beer Hunting in a July 2016 article mentioned that, “In a 2015 survey by market research firm Nielsen, 45% of respondents said “local” is important to their beer purchasing decisions. The number rose to 53% for 21-34-year-olds, the most important potential consumer demographic in American beer.”
Again, this makes pulling the Stone beers from the shelf to make your next beer that much less likely. Speaking of Stone...
Stone Layoffs
The recent announcement from Stone Brewing says a lot about the current state of the brewing industry. The mature breweries are feeling the pinch from macro beer, but also from the new comer local breweries.
“Due to an unforeseen slowdown in our consistent growth and changes in the craft beer landscape, we have had to make the difficult decision to restructure our staff. Unfortunately, this comes despite a year that includes the incredible accomplishments of opening two new breweries, which are ultimately expanding the availability of Stone beers and boosting the reputation of American craft beer in Europe.
“More recently however, the larger independent craft segment has developed tremendous pressures. Specifically, the onset of greater pressures from Big Beer as a result of their acquisition strategies, and the further proliferation of small, hyper-local breweries has slowed growth. With business and the market now less predictable, we must restructure to preserve a healthy future for our company. Even given this unfortunate circumstance, we will continue to be fiercely independent and, importantly, Stone remains one of the largest – if not the largest – employers in the craft brewing segment.
Less Jovial Brethren
The word has been that the craft beer business is a friendly sort, that craft breweries all get along great and help each other, brewing beers through collaborations, sharing excess hops with needy smaller breweries. And I'm sure that is mostly true. But there is increasing news about law suits over marketing infringements and the such. Its getting crowded in here, give me some room. Industrial macro beer is the common enemy of craft beer, right?
But business is business when survival is on the line. I've been reading Sam Calagione’s new book Off-Centered Leadership. It's a great read about the throws of building a business from scratch and directing it through the maze of growth and higher expectations.
One particular passage caught my attention on the subject of increased competition within the craft beer business.
“I began considering bringing in new external resource in 2014 I saw our industry becoming more complicated and competitive is less of jovial, familial clubon like-minded entrepreneurs. Don’t get me wrong, most of the 4,000 indie craft breweries in the country still recognized each other as compatriots. But the landscape where the large breweries operate this change more rapidly in the last two years. Having the previous 18 years our company has been in business. More and more breweries that were once and for my craft brewer founders are now controlled by publicly traded international brewing conglomerates or financial enterprises— yet compete with craft brewers because they have acquired craft breweries. To ensure we remain competitive and continue to reach a bigger market, we needed to invest in the business. Before we could consider bringing in outside investors, who have their own opinions about what dogfish should be focused on, however, I wanted to make sure our internal leadership team is ready to work with the greater harmony priorities.”
Too Many Beers Out There
In a Thrillist article Why Craft Brewing Is About To Go To War With Itself again the finger gets pointed to the new competition is from inside the craft beer industry.
Craft beer’s competition isn’t the Anheuser-Busch boogeyman anymore. “We’re definitely not getting pushed around by the macros [like we were] when Sierra Nevada and Bell’s were coming around,” says John Laffler, co-founder and brewmaster at Chicago’s Off Color and the former “innovation brewer” at Goose Island. Nope, these days, it’s the brewer next door that poses the threat. Across the country, craft brewers are crowding in. The neighborly smiles are starting to strain.
Serious Eats stated in a 2014 article stating that the breweries are simply out pacing the expanded beer drinking base. That was 2014, how about now in 2016 when there are a record number of breweries in the US.
CONCLUSION
As craft beer drinkers we have a lot to be thankful for. The selection of beer has never been better. Not only has the quality gotten better, the range of style and hybrids has certainly kept it interesting. But the physical reality is that there is only so much space on bottle shop shelves and only so many tap handles to compete for. When the pressure increases, business survival becomes even more front and center. It’s a big room, right? Perhaps from a beer drinkers perspective, but not as big as it use to be for craft brewers.
Beer or Shakes
I was listening to an audiobook — in the flow — when suddenly the author described the condition of an author of the 1927 era who had suffered from delirium tremens. Whoa! — sound of a needle dragging across a vinyl record. Stop! Now I know that beer but not the “condition”.
A quick trip to Wikipedia was required and thus resulted in my continuing education. That condition the author had described — delirium tremens — is what I've always known as the DTs.
So what is the connection? Is there one? Of course there is!
About the Condition
The DTs is the shaking withdrawal one experiences after stopping a drinking binge. I have been there once, but that story is for another time. And one of its nicknames is elephants. A sad joke or cleaver beer name — you decide. Here is some further information if you should want to know.
The name delirium tremens was first used in 1813; however, the symptoms were well described since the 1700s. The word "delirium" is Latin for "going off the furrow," a plowing metaphor. It is also called shaking frenzy and Saunders-Sutton syndrome. Nicknames also include barrel-fever, blue horrors, bottleache, bats, drunken horrors, elephants, gallon distemper, quart mania, pink spiders, among others.
About the Beer
As mentioned, I've only known Delirium Tremens as a superb Belgian beer. Or so I thought. It's label is distinguished by bright blue background with dancing pink elephants. Someone once mentioned to me they'd never bought the beer because they thought it was a "girly" beer because of those pink elephants. Just to assure you in case you are unsure, it is an excellent beer choice for all boys and girls.
Huyghe Brewery is the Dutch brewery founded in 1906 by Leon Huyghe in city of Melle in East Flanders, Belgium. Its "flagship" beer is the Delirium Tremens, a golden ale often rated as one of the best beers in the world. The brewery does produce other fine beers that you can find on good beer store shelves, the dark Delirium Nocturnum, the seasonal Delirium Christmas, the Delirium Red fruit beer and Deliria, but Delirium Tremens is the most common.
Perhaps the beginning of its global fame, Delirium Tremens was named as "Best Beer in the World" in 2008 at the World Beer Championships in Chicago, Illinois. Plus, Stuart Kallen gives it the number one spot in his book, The 50 Greatest Beers in the World.
The fine people at Beer Tourism offer a nice write up of this beer, its genesis and ingredients.
The Delirium Tremens was born in 1988 at the request of an Italian client. This beer is an outsider. Its white bottle is reminiscent of Cologne pottery ware.
On the label you will see pink elephants, crocodiles and dragons depicting the various stages of inebriation you might expect to go through after a few glasses. The name was invented by a tax inspector, of all people, as he became aware of slowly-approaching intoxication. Delirium Tremens hits the spot as far as many beer lovers are concerned. Its production alone represents almost a third of the brewery’s total volume.
Conclusion
So, try some pink elephant beer and I assure you that you won't regret it. And my hope is that you never suffer the other Delirium Tremens.
The Role of Beer Books
THE SESSION #115— BEER BLOGGING FRIDAY
The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts the Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing all of the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry.
Date: September 2, 2016
Host: Joan Villar-i-Martí at Birraire Blog
Topic: The Role of Beer Books
The Beer Geek Handbook
The Beer Geek Handbook: Living a Life Ruled By Beer. This was a book with many great gems if you whether you are already a full-fledged beer geek or someone just getting started on that path. Wherever you are on the path of beer geekdom, this is a fun and clever road map. It is full of pithy life lessons, beery vocabulary, and warnings of pitfalls that anyone who chooses to walk this path will benefit from.
I first discovered Patrick Dawson from my desire to learn more about aging beer. His book Vintage Beer: A Taster's Guide to Brews That Improve Over Time is highly rated on Amazon and I've purchased the paperback as well as the digital versions. I then discovered from engaging him personally that his second book would be released later in the year, so I preordered it.
Six Chapters
Without going into the details of the book, I offer a glimpse inside. Here are the six chapters:
- Beer Geeks: An Introduction
- Beer: The Root of All Beer Geekery
- Breweries: The Exclusive Club
- Procurement: The Beer and Other Geeky Goods
- Drinking: Where & How
- The Beercation: Seeking the Source
As I was reading through the book, I couldn't help but place myself somewhere on the beer geek continuum—how do I rank? As I think you will find, on some subjects I think I would rank well, on some others I have some ways to go. One of the things the book did help me with was to answer some of the questions I've had (like all of us) but were afraid to ask. I mean, no one wants to expose himself/herself as not knowing something that you secretly think everyone else knows. Here was one of my favorite parts of the book, the beer guy.
Liquor Stores and Beer Guys — In this chapter, Patrick goes into his explanation of the various types of guys you may encounter when you visit a beer shop. I read this section with special attention because for the past eight years, that has been me. I have my own opinions of the "beer guy" from both sides of the counter. Its funny because I used that term to describe myself before reading this book. It just seems to fit. According to the author, here are five things every good "beer guy" should know:
- Anything and everything about every beer on the shelves
- New breweries arriving on the scene
- What the upcoming limited releases are
- How many cases of each offering are coming in
- How quickly a particular beer will sell
Summary
This is a fun and engaging read. I took my time, first reading through some of what I thought would be the most interesting sections, then going back from the beginning taking it all in. Sometimes I would laugh out loud, then others scream about something I would disagree with. Anyway, if you are a beer geek, you'll find the book enjoyable. If you are just wondering into the beer geek world, then it is a must read. Hey, you're likely to save yourself from some beer brotherhood/sisterhood embarrassment and you may even win friends and influence people with your new found beer knowledge.