Mattmc1973 Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 A good article about good beer and beer snobs/geeks... Czech Mate Richard Nalley 06.16.08 Free the Clydesdales! Cold beer you can love. Personally, I've always considered Budweiser my sports drink, but there are beer drinkers in this country who would rather die the death-of-a-thousand-cuts than be seen with a Bud, Miller or Heineken--or anything that could be mistaken for one at a distance. These people might include, for instance, the readers of the publication and website Beer Advocate, who wrote in to rate the Top Beers on Planet Earth. Among the throng of ales, stouts, fruit lambics, barley wines and porters on the list, there ranks exactly...one brew made in the golden lager style familiar to drink-ers of Budweiser. (In other words, the most popular style of beer in the world.) And that lone, rater-conceded beverage--Moonlight Brewing's Reality Czeck from Sonoma County--is (surprise!) all but unobtainable unless you happen to live in the northern San Francisco Bay area. And even there it is served only on tap. "We have almost no concept in this country that we can have a beer that is light but also flavorful and vibrant," explains Brian Hunt, Moonlight Brewing's owner (and sole employee). "Making a great lager like that requires more time, more skill and more expense than making an ale." For brewers like Hunt, the great lager tradition holds soaring possibilities. It includes, for example, brews like Ayinger, Czechvar, Samuel Smith and Capital Autumnal Fire--beers that are complex and smooth-drinking, cold and refreshing, relatively light without abusing the privilege. Among other things, these are the perfect beers for barbecue, for spicy Thai, Indian and Chinese food, for mustardy hot dogs, softball games and spreading a blanket outdoors--hell, for summer in general. Snobs who favor huge-flavored, "hop-bomb" ales--unmissably Serious Beer--may be blind to some nuances here. As blogger Andy Crouch of Beerscribe.com puts it: "Drinking an ale is like watching Bill Murray in Caddyshack, while tasting a lager is slyly smiling at him in Lost in Translation." Dave Alexander of Washington, D.C.'s Brickskeller restaurant--the sometime Guinness World Record holder for its beer selection--prefers the analogy of a string quartet (lager) to a jazz band (ale), and goes on to say that lager is exactly what you want while "sitting on a dock on the Chesapeake Bay in the sunshine eating a big pile of blue crabs." Hmm...subtle yet hedonistic. Sound like something you could get behind? Back in the day, 500 years or so ago, lager was the elegant answer to the question "How do we stop making brown, murky beer?" Before Milwaukee was famous, before the first Oktoberfest ("Hon, slip on that dirndl!")--at least since the days of ancient Sumeria, actually--all beers were basically ales, "top-fermented" in the sense that brewers left their vats open and yeast cells would semimagically float in, settle on top and kick off the fermentation. By the late Middle Ages, barrels of such brews would be stored ( lagern means "to store") high in the Bavarian Alps, in caves packed with river and pond ice to see them through the summer. Over time, this seems to have set up a natural selection for yeasts that would continue working at low temperatures and ultimately sink to the bottom of the cask (the technical term is "flocculate," which frankly is just fun to say out loud). This gave birth to something new, because the chilled-out, slower-working yeasts produced a stable beer at lower alcohol levels, and the summerlong aging blended and mellowed the beer's flavors. While these "bottom-fermented" Bavarian beers were still dark, the serendipity that created them yielded a flavorful beer minus the palooka punch of a heavy ale. Still, it wasn't until the 19th century that the science, technology and technique for producing bottom-fermented lagers came together as a methodical process, first at the Spaten ("Spade") brewery in Munich and eventually, around 1842, in the vowel-poor town of Plzen in Bohemia. The story goes that the brewers of Plzen had become so disgusted with the quality of their local ale that they dumped 36 barrels of the sludge in front of City Hall. What happened next included the town fathers' constructing them a new, modern brewery, the hiring of a lager-minded brewmaster from Bavaria and possibly the theft of a Bavarian yeast strain, smuggled in by a monk. Was it the soft local water? Newfangled British malting techniques? An effect of the region's particular barley and hops? Whatever: The Plzen lager now known as Pilsner Urquell (German for "Plzen's Original Source"), came out lighter-bodied and more golden-colored than its Bavarian forerunners. Slowly at first, then gathering downhill momentum as refrigeration became more reliable, the Plzen Original touched off a world beer revolution. In time, the temptation to take pilsner several steps beyond--to go lighter and lighter, until the lager neither offends nor intrigues any potential drinker--overcame dozens of giant breweries around the world. At its worst, this produces the alcoholic beverage equivalent of elevator music, the Soft Sounds of Lager. But there are still plenty of breweries around the world playing their figurative hearts out. So what separates the great stuff from the rest? All that really matters, of course, is that you hear the music--if Michelob sweeps you away, so be it. But in objective terms, you can taste a difference that starts with ingredients. Purists point to many giant breweries' use of "adjuncts," a kind of "beer helper" of syrups and unmalted (meaning ungerminated) grains like rice and corn that, among other things, thins the brew's body and boosts its alcohol level on the cheap. The objective here is to hit the broad middle of taste as cost- and time-efficiently as possible. A family-owned, tradition-minded brewer like Ayinger, near Munich, views its goals differently (not that it doesn't want to be efficient too). "Our philosophy is that we still brew for the tastes of the local people," says Ayinger's export manager, Gertrud Hein-Eickhoff. "It is very important that we can always be recognized as being characteristic of this area." Ayinger, best known here for its iconic Celebrator Doppelbock, employs what Hein-Eickhoff calls "four elements plus one": earth (barley from the local fields, the renowned regional Hallertau hops), water (from its own well), weather, skilled people and "the fifth element," time--which was, after all, at the heart of the original happy accident. "Lagers can take up to six to eight weeks, or longer," says Moonlight's Hunt. "You try to find the equilibrium point where the beer belongs once you've gotten rid of the chaos of the fermentation. If you don't have the will, or the extra tank space, or the capital--and it does tie up capital--to let the beer stay in the brewery, it will never reach that point." Then there is the pricey question of hops. Hops give beers much of their flavor, aroma and bitterness, or lack thereof. Like wine grapes, hops are said to reflect the specific character of their soil, climate and farming technique, and the best ones are highly coveted. Always expensive, hops prices are currently skyrocketing. (Perhaps you hadn't put "worldwide hops shortage" on your list of Things to Worry About. But there it is.) Big American brewers (and their imitators from Japan to Mexico to Australia) have long downplayed the role of hops in their lagers. This is partly because farming or buying hops puts pressure on the bottom line, but also because many American drinkers weaned on soft drinks have never developed the Old World tooth for bitterness. Still, if you want character and complexity in your beer, you gotta have hops, and the hoppiness of beers can be approximately measured in International Bittering Units (IBUs). Big IBU numbers aren't everything, since balance, to my taste anyway, is the key, but the numerical spread is revealing. One reckoning, from Fred Eckhardt's The Essentials of Beer Style, shows Coors Light at an IBU of 9, Bud at 10.5 and Heineken at 18. This contrasts with, say, Sam Adams Boston Lager at 35 and Pilsner Urquell at 43. You get the picture. Assuming you don't take your chemistry set to the deli, your best bet for finding beers of character and solid IBUs is still to explore labels from the historic lager heartland of Germany and the Czech Republic. But American microbrewland produces some gems, as does the U.K., and various other worthies are scattered about the globe. (Negra Modelo, for instance, is a dark Vienna-style lager, an artifact from those palmy days when the Austrians ruled Mexico.) And, far from being one all-too- predictable thing, lager beer offers numerous variations on the theme (for a comprehensive list of lager types, check www.tastings.com/beer/lagers.html). There are the typical golden styles like pilsner, or pils, and dark versions such as dunkel. There are also the stronger, headier brews (not to be confused with malt liquor--also a lager), called bock or doppelbock, meaning "double bock." (Is it coincidence that "bock" is also German for "male goat"? Or a time-tested prediction of its effect on your behavior?) All of the best bottlings, no matter how dangerous to your dignity, share lager's subtlety and vibrancy. Beerscribe.com's Crouch has written that "Drinking a well-crafted, traditional lager is a sublime experience that requires patience, concentration and the willingness to move beyond the obvious and banal..." To which I would only add, "and pass the chili dogs." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle87 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 A good article about good beer and beer snobs/geeks... blah blah blah blah blah blah... Spaten ("Spade") brewery in Munich yada yada yada... Ayinger, best known here for its iconic Celebrator erbsca derbski boobka.... Couldn't agree more!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I need advice on what to buy. As I'm newly 21, I want to go ahead and buy my first pack of beer. I want to try something I've never tried. What I want to avoid, however, is getting a pack of something and then not liking it, effectively wasting my money. I will tell you what I like and don't like of what beers I've tried so you have an idea of what I'm looking for: I hate, hate, hate Budweiser in any way, shape, or form. When I think of flavor, the last thing that comes to mind is Budweiser. Honestly, I can't really describe what I hate about it because I'm not quite sure how to describe the "flavor". On the opposite end, though, I like Purple Haze. It definitely tastes like beer, but there's just enough sweetness to offset that... bitter(?) taste, but it's not overly fruity or Manishewitz-sweet (Jews'll know what I mean... ). I do, however, like Guinness. Here are some pics of what I have to choose form, in thumbnail form. This is what's sold at my local Publix. The first picture is the right-end of the isle, and the last picture is the left-end of the isle. it's with my cell phone, so sorry if you can't make out some of them: I just don't know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattmc1973 Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 ^ Hmm, based on the selection I see there, I'd probably go with Blue Moon or Newcastle. Better than your average domestic, but pretty accessible and tasty to average drinkers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattmc1973 Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 Looky at what I got today, gents. I paid $250 to some guy who listed it on Craigslist, these retail for $1200-1300 new... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I need advice on what to buy. As I'm newly 21, I want to go ahead and buy my first pack of beer. I want to try something I've never tried. What I want to avoid, however, is getting a pack of something and then not liking it, effectively wasting my money. I just don't know... You came to the right place for this one. The first time me and my best buddy got totalled was on Heinekien. A nice beginner's beer - enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Looky at what I got today, gents. I paid $250 to some guy who listed it on Craigslist, these retail for $1200-1300 new... Most things on Craigslist usually include fishnet stockings and a suction device, for that price? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 You came to the right place for this one. The first time me and my best buddy got totalled was on Heinekien. A nice beginner's beer - enjoy! Which does Heinekin fall closer to tastewise? Budweiser or Purple Haze? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Why are we talking about Budweiser - isn't this a beer thread? Heinies are the best for starters - so get goin'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I need advice on what to buy. As I'm newly 21, I want to go ahead and buy my first pack of beer. I want to try something I've never tried. What I want to avoid, however, is getting a pack of something and then not liking it, effectively wasting my money. I will tell you what I like and don't like of what beers I've tried so you have an idea of what I'm looking for: I hate, hate, hate Budweiser in any way, shape, or form. When I think of flavor, the last thing that comes to mind is Budweiser. Honestly, I can't really describe what I hate about it because I'm not quite sure how to describe the "flavor". On the opposite end, though, I like Purple Haze. It definitely tastes like beer, but there's just enough sweetness to offset that... bitter(?) taste, but it's not overly fruity or Manishewitz-sweet (Jews'll know what I mean... ). I do, however, like Guinness. Here are some pics of what I have to choose form, in thumbnail form. This is what's sold at my local Publix. The first picture is the right-end of the isle, and the last picture is the left-end of the isle. it's with my cell phone, so sorry if you can't make out some of them: I just don't know... Go for the St. Pauli Girl. A very nice beer and one of my favorites on a hot day. She's in the second last picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Looky at what I got today, gents. I paid $250 to some guy who listed it on Craigslist, these retail for $1200-1300 new... I can't wait till my wife see's this !!! That would look great in my garage bar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Why are we talking about Budweiser - isn't this a beer thread? Heinies are the best for starters - so get goin'... Well, yeah, we're talking about beer. I just bring up Budweiser to show what I hate in my beer and Purple Haze to show what I like... a slight (and I do mean slight) sweetness to offset the taste of the... what?... hops?... wheat (as y'all can tell I know little to nothing about beer )? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattmc1973 Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 Hops make a beer bitter. But there is actually very little hop bitterness in most American beers, especially Bud. I think you're just tasting its crappy taste. And "bitter" isn't actually a bad thing in the beer world. Americans are conditioned to think bitter beer is bad, and our palates aren't accustomed to it, but elsewhere in the world, bitterness is a big component of taste. Many craft-beer lovers are into what are called "hop bombs", beers that are extremely hoppy and bitter. There is actually a unit of measurement that measures bitterness called IBU (International Bitterness Units). Budweisers has a IBU count of 8, which is very low. Many of these high-end hoppy beers have IBU's between 70-100! I've had some of them, and they're quite good, because in the high-end beers, it's about balance. They are quite hoppy, but are also heavy in malt and sweetness, so they offset. Stone Brewery beers are pretty readily available, and they are purveyors of huge hop bitterness. Arrogant Bastard Ale is very hoppy, as is their Ruination India Pale Ale. So there's a little beer lesson for ya! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Here's an important lesson, for dining out: Don't be afraid to tell them ahead of time you just want the beer, uncompromised, when it is served. Some Mexican place put salt around my beer glass, and a pub put a lime or something in a German beer! Sure, they'll say stupid nonsense like "Oh, but everyone likes it this way - why don't you try it before we take it back?", and then take their sweet time bringing a real one when you spit it out. Don't let this happen - nip it in the bud... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Nathan, beer can be an experience. Since your new to the game then You might be better to take Matts advice rather than my suggestion of the St Pauli Girl. It is a very nice lager/pilsner and it may end up being more to your liking down the road but you should try ales first. If you like them, then there is a whole world of discovery ahead of you. Start off on with a sampler pack If you like them then you'll be hard pressed to drink anything else. Just remember they are all unique and don't be swayed if you don't like the first one you try. There are plenty of ales that I don't like but the fun is in trying them out...... just don't drive my man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattmc1973 Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 I think Blue Moon would be a good starter, it's smooth and not bitter, very tasty. Being summer, any wheat ale (hefeweizen) is going to be good. If you have Bells in your area, Bells Oberon is similar to Blue Moon, but a bit better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I think Blue Moon would be a good starter, it's smooth and not bitter, very tasty. Being summer, any wheat ale (hefeweizen) is going to be good. If you have Bells in your area, Bells Oberon is similar to Blue Moon, but a bit better. Yeah, or even something like Mirror Pond or Fat Tire if they're available in his area. Not too heavy and refreshing as well. All this beer talk is making me thirsty Can't wait till tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattmc1973 Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 I'm gonna have some beer tonight! My buddy and his wife are coming over for dinner, and I'm sure the girls will sit and talk all night, and my buddy and I will retreat to the TV room for some beer tasting. I need some help with my stash in the basement! Especially these big bottles... http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/unibroue-trois-pistoles/1926/ http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/gouden-carolu...lauw-blue/6170/ http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/alesmith-grand-cru/2488/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I'm gonna have some beer tonight! My buddy and his wife are coming over for dinner, and I'm sure the girls will sit and talk all night, and my buddy and I will retreat to the TV room for some beer tasting. I need some help with my stash in the basement! Especially these big bottles... http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/unibroue-trois-pistoles/1926/ http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/gouden-carolu...lauw-blue/6170/ http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/alesmith-grand-cru/2488/ We're going to visit Babs and his wife tomorrow evening. Somehow I think there'll be a need for a good hangover cure on Sunday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattmc1973 Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 We're going to visit Babs and his wife tomorrow evening. Somehow I think there'll be a need for a good hangover cure on Sunday Ah cool, say "hey" to Babs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Ah cool, say "hey" to Babs! Will do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I think Blue Moon would be a good starter, it's smooth and not bitter, very tasty. Being summer, any wheat ale (hefeweizen) is going to be good. If you have Bells in your area, Bells Oberon is similar to Blue Moon, but a bit better. I went with Blue Moon. Also, having a little extra, I bought Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. I haven't tried the Blue Moon, yet, as I plan on it tomorrow. The Sam Adams was suggested by the Publix Manager. They had a sizeable shipment in yesterday and I bought their last one today, so apparently it sells. I did try it, and while I like the initial tase, the after taste is not all that pleasant. That's one I'll save for rare occasions, so it's gonna last a while. Can't wait to try the Blue Moon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I went with Blue Moon. Also, having a little extra, I bought Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. I haven't tried the Blue Moon, yet, as I plan on it tomorrow. The Sam Adams was suggested by the Publix Manager. They had a sizeable shipment in yesterday and I bought their last one today, so apparently it sells. I did try it, and while I like the initial tase, the after taste is not all that pleasant. That's one I'll save for rare occasions, so it's gonna last a while. Can't wait to try the Blue Moon. Sam Adams sucks - tell that to your pubic man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle87 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Alright!, im happy now... I just fund a guy who sell international Beers!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.