American Craft brews: Innovation vs. Execution of classic styles.

So, working at a beer bar and mingling with a considerable amount of fellow beer lovers has given me ample opportunities to engage in a debate discussing who we think, country-wise, offers the best beer. While the argument always is between Belgium, Germany, and the good ol' US of A, I think the discussion offers a more interesting debate that I believe to be of a different character than merely your favorite beer producing location. The subject I love discussing with beer experts (those who know a considerable larger amount than I) and brewers is what they genuinely think of the quality of American beers. I come at this from an execution standpoint.

When I say "execution" I think of it in a couple of ways: 1. The execution of a classic style of beer that's been brewed for hundreds of years in places like Germany/Czech Republic and Belgium. I combined ze Germans and the Czechs because when you talk about Czech beer you really are focusing on their pilsners, which are certainly different from the German pilsners, but debating the differences doesn't help this discussion. I also left out the English/Scottish/Irish because there is very little to no attempt these days to make beers that are reminiscent to those traditional styles any longer. All of our Pale Ales, Porters, Stouts etc.....are very American and have a characteristic of their own. Beer Advocate are even giving most styles brewed here the "American" prefix. 2. The second "execution" I speak of is in regards to the absolute explosion of the last 5+ years of all sorts of crazy beer styles and flavor profiles. These things include ultra-hopping, barrel aging, crazy yeast strains, collaboration brews, mixing of styles, adding ingredients like chocolate/coffee/vanilla.........well, the list goes on and you get my point. Fellow beer lovers put America at #1 because we have, as a country, taken beer to another level. I agree with that in theory, but I think the thing that keeps me pensive about throwing the US into the top spot is that we have seemed to bypass some of the all time classics in favor of our own fusion-style cuisine, so to speak. In mind it's execution per se, but the innovation and new flavor profiles that get us excited.

EXECUTION OF TRADITIONAL STYLES

This is what I discuss most with beer experts, and remains my biggest issue with American breweries. With all the innovation that takes place on a seemingly less than yearly basis with American brewery, it is my opinion that while the quality of American beer has reached very high levels, there still seems to be a lack of brewers and breweries that can sit down, take a style that has been made in the aforementioned countries for hundreds of years, and nail it. To hell with the rye malts, the crazy yeast strains, the crazy hopping, etc.......take a Belgian abbey ale, a hefeweizen, a doppelbock and kick its ass. Do it without adding any of that extra bullshit and just knock it out of the park. Time and time again (with a few exceptions, of course) American brewers miss the mark. I absolutely LOVE the complexity that some of the newer American brews offer that challenge the pallet....they have become fun to drink. What bothers me though, for some reason, is that in brews that have been made for a really long time, you can find a big ol pile of complexity that is as interesting to the pallet as something that American brewers are inspired to make because they found something they thought looked cool at a yard sale.

Specific Examples you ask? here goes:

The German Doppelbock: There is one American doppelbock I've had that is even in the same stratosphere as the best traditional German doppelbock (the best being Ayinger's Celebrator) and that is made by Bell's brewery out of Michigan (their Consecrator) that hangs with Ayinger's.....kind of. Outside of that one, it's a really really poor go around. America features brews that are heavy-handed with the malt, and become a big, syrupy mess. Celebrator gets all the yummy sweetness, and brown sugar-caramel character that you would want, and doesn't even hit the 7% abv mark. The American ones that I try are all 8% plus and just blow the pallet out with this maple-y nonsense. They look the part, smell the part.....and you get a feeling that they know what they're doing....yet once it hits your tongue you realize the execution is really piss poor. None of them are even CLOSE to what you'd find from a number of German brewers.

German Hefeweizen: A proper German hefeweizen is a relatively low-alcohol brew, yet can still give you a really entertaining level of complexity with competing notes of clove, bubble gum, banana, and maybe a few others every once in a while. It is a highly-drinkable, easily accessible style of beer, yet seems to be forgotten when "great brews" are discussed.....I believe because of its ease to drink. Unlike the last example with doppelbocks, I'm not sure I've tasted any American version of this style that's even worthy to call a a "hefeweizen", much less compare it to the likes of one of the world's finest beers, in Weihenstephaner's Hefe weissbeer. Hell, many American breweries seem to shy away from the name "Hefeweizen" and try to limit themselves to a mere use of the term "unfiltered" when describing their wheats. And while breweries like Boulevard out of Kansas City, Missouri have certainly made a name for themselves with a very drinkable, easy to find brew in their wheat beer, it doesn't have 1/100th the sophistication or flavor profile of any number of German wheats. The American brews that I have tried that have the balls to put "Hefe" in their name make a more valiant effort, but still come off as nothing more than full-bodied, easy to drink brews. A good German Hefe accomplishes that, but also shows a beautiful delicate nature to the style that gives it an interesting array of flavors on even the most inexperienced pallet.

Any Belgian Abbey-Ale: The list of the beautiful abbey-style ales that come from Belgium is seemingly too long to even worry about. I think if you are reading this blog than you have more than likely come across any number of dubbels, tripels, quads that are wonderful pieces of brewing art and absolute treasures to drink. This is a similar discussion as the one above with Doppelbocks, but it is my opinion that a great Belgian abbey-ale offers a fairly larger array of flavors and subtleties than even your high-end doppelbock. That's not a knock on ze Germans, just a general observation of German beers which tend to focus on drinkability, versus some big Belgian ales which more often lend themselves to be "sippers". Crap, I'm getting off-track. The point is, is that this is yet another style where Americans seem to fall short. I'm not saying that you have to love abbey-ales, but like the doppelbocks, many of the American attempts at making these big beers really miss the mark. These are all heavily-malted beers, but for some reason or another, the amount of malt in the brew is often-times the only thing executed correctly. There are extremely easily noticeable levels of complexity to the traditional Belgian ales that aren't found in the American attempts. Now, not being a brewing expert I'm not 10000% sure why this is the case, but I would assume (and some brewers have hinted at this with me) that it's the yeast used and the quality of the malt used in the product. There are a lot of wonderful, spice-characteristics that come in the traditional ales from Belgium that, often times, pull together, and help clean up a beer that is otherwise "heavy" in every sense of the word. The American versions are certainly "heavy", but the fun notes of fruit, pepper, and funk that are found in the traditional takes on the styles often just aren't there. Of all the North American breweries that throw their hat into the abbey-ale ring, I'd say the most consistent product, in my opinion, comes from Unibroue out of Canada. They have all the wonderful notes coming from their yeast that the American versions seems to be missing.

HEAVY-HANDED INNOVATION

It would take quite a while to list all the new styles and flavor profiles that American brewing has given us over the last few decades. As a dedicated beer drinker I love this and it can be really exciting when a brewer gets it "right". The wide spread use of barrel aging, adjunct malts like rye, different yeast strains, and of course massive use of hops - in any and all amounts and varieties has allowed American brewers to do more than stake their claim in the world of high end brews. Hell, the American IPA has almost single-handedly taken American brewing to another level. Most reasonable beer snobs realize this and enjoy going out and tackling the ever growing collection of mad scientist brews that we now have.

Ok, I've kissed enough ass to show that the point of this post isn't a wholesale indictment of American brewing. The problem I have (at times) with this innovation is the fact that such a prevalence does not cover up the first point that I made. Many American brewers still fail to execute the classical styles have been perfected by man in Europe. I understand that America hasn't been doing it as long as the folks across the pond, but that's also the reason why I think our ability as a country, to brew beer, still isn't on the level of those who have perfected their craft. A great hefeweizen, belgian tripel, saison, and doppelbock can entertain your taste buds with a very high level of complexity.....all without bringing in all sorts of adjuncts, barrel aging, and a mouth puckering barrel of hops. In the aforementioned styles, you still have an exquisite layering of flavors, a beautiful balance of bitter and sweet, and at times a level of drinkability that does can be hard to find, even among the high end American brews.

A discussion on drinkability brings us back to the title of this section in reference to the "heavy-handedness" of many high-end American creations. Too many times the drinker is beaten over the head with dominant note of the beer. The seemingly endless supply of double and imperial IPAs often times showcase nothing more than a brewers ability to get their hands on an obscene amount of hops. It's to the point where it often seems like the brewer was mistakenly delivered too many hops and had to figure out a way to use them before they went bad. What the fuck...let's throw some more into the boil!! Certain beers here and there give us a decent malt backbone and help tone down the mouth-puckering bitter a bit, but that often isn't the case. The same heavy handed behavior is showcased in our weak attempts at anything that is made with significant amount of mat....be it a doppelbock, or a high-gravity belgian style abbey ale. Certainly the German and Belgian versions of those styles feature a big, malt profile, but there are subtle hints of bitter, and more importantly beautiful esters that offer notes of fruit and spice that help complete the beer and keep it from becoming a syrupy mess. American attempts at high malted styles like those just mentioned are just that.....big syrupy messes. The malt is way too heavy handed, and the subtleties that keep the beer from becoming a malt bomb and nothing else are non-existent.

Another issue I have is with the innovation itself. While sometimes the final product is nothing short of a really cool brew, it seems as if American brewers are hiding the fact that they can't make any of the traditional styles mentioned, (at least not at a high level) and throw in all these new ingredients and techniques to develop a more complex profile. I don't know if there is this idea that these old styles are tired and boring, but it's hard to believe that any good beer drinker would find something like St. Bernardus Abt 12, Ayinger Celebrator, or Weihenstephan Hefeweizen boring. To me it seems like some American brews are like the people that use A-1 steak sauce on their steak because they can't cook the beef the way it's supposed to be cooked. Either that or the ingredient(s) they started with are simply inferior. The same goes for a top notch piece of seafood. A good seafood joint won't ruin a fresh, perfectly cooked product with a plateful of heavy sauces because simple ingredients done properly should offer a great product, with depth of flavor.

I'm not saying that American brewers owe John Q. Beerdrinker a larger portfolio of traditional brews, my ultimate argument is that I simply don't think that, in terms of skill, American brewers have been able to perfect traditional brews. That doesn't mean our beer is craft, it just means I don't get on board with the idea that we have surpassed the veterans of the beer making profession. The proof is in the product, and the American versions of any number of traditional styles fall EXTREMELY short of their predecessors. An ability to make those styles at a high level will not only offer more depth to a brewer's portfolios, but more importantly, allow them to use that skill and their innovation to start absolutely dominating the euros in high-end brewing.

Sorry folks, we aren't there yet.


Fellow beer nerds, let me know what you think. I have some people that think I'm bat shit crazy, and some people that agree with me to a certain extent.

Cheers.

I'm a beer nerd, not a snob.

Am I (are you) a "beer snob" or merely a "beer nerd"? I consider myself the latter, but it seems that a number of people nowadays prefer to call me a "beer snob" as if I take some sort of offense to what they are drinking, especially if they were to have the audacity to offer me a bud light or the like. I may not like what they offer, but to assume I am offended by this is completely off base.

Let's start with the very base of the discussion, Webster's Dictionary (online) defines a "snob" as either: (1) one who blatantly imitates, fawningly admires, or vulgarly seeks association with those regarded as social superiors; (2) one who tends to rebuff, avoid, or ignore those regarded as inferior; or (3) one who has an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste.

Keep that in mind and we'll get back to the definition later and see where I stand........

Now before I figure out where I fit, let me describe my love for beer in the most objective way possible. I have a general love for all things "taste" related....probably my favorite sense. I specifically use that love of taste in how it relates to beer. Just like many people prefer a higher quality of any sort of items in life, I prefer a higher quality of beer, and ultimately have little problem with paying for that quality. Much like a New York strip purchased from a reputable butcher is better than the 8.99 steak and buffet meal at Ponderosa, often times there is a distinct difference in quality in the beer I choose to drink and the beer made by companies such as Anheuser Busch, Miller, Coors, etc. This is a fact. Beer, in it's purest form is water, barley-malt, hops, and yeast. It is also a fact that things such as malt from rice or corn is cheaper than barley-malt, and is thus used by larger breweries to be able to produce a cheaper product. Beers that are more expensive avoid adding ingredients for purposes of making a less expensive product (although they add stuff to them to enhance flavor from time to time), and it can be argued that they are truer "beers" in the sense that they subscribe to traditional brewing techniques, as opposed to changing their recipes for pricing reasons. (Don't let AB tell you the other ingredients are to add "smoothness"....kiss my ass.) Needless to say, I prefer the taste of beers that are brewed with the proper ingredients, which often times leads to an increase in price. Of course, as I have shown, food and drinks made with higher quality ingredients often taste better.

As I said before, I subjectively consider myself a "beer nerd", but that's just me. I'm also going to be honest, and get into "dick" mode here: In my opinion, a majority of what is sold as "beer" and what is drank in this country sucks, period. Budweiser isn't very good, Bud Light sucks, Bud Select sucks even more, and Michelob Ultra is out of the realm of "beer" and reaches a level of suck not yet known to man. Outside of Budweiser (or MGD, or Coors for that matter), which I don't mind all that much, 95% percent of "macro-brews" pretty much suck ass. I guess that might throw me into "snob" category, but I'm just being honest. I'm not saying you can't drink them, or that you or others are stupid for what you like. I don't understand why you like something that tastes like watered down corn syrup.....but that's just me. I imagine you probably don't understand why I do a lot of the crap I do with my beer

So now that we have my reasoning out of the way, let's re-visit the definition I posted. I think it's fairly obvious, of the three possibilities listed, that #2 probably best describes my thought process when it comes to beer. I guess by definition that makes me a "snob". That's fine, on it's face, it's just that my problem with the terminology is that those who prefer a higher quality of numerous other products don't get the word "snob" thrown at them nearly as often. So while I already threw the text book definition of the word at you, I'm still going to insist that I am not a snob in how the current word is used, and instead I am a "nerd".

I'll even take this up a notch (with the help of anecdotal evidence) and suggest that swill drinkers can demonstrate a greater level of snobbery, if not more, than a beer snob. A beer snob/nerd generally knows his audience, and his surroundings. If you come into the bar where I work, you can snob it up all you want as we portray ourselves as an establishment that serves high end beer the way it was meant to be served.....proper glassware and whatnot. I am fully aware that 98% of the bars I walk into aren't going to serve their beer in such a manner (even if they have a few good offerings) and unless I'm fairly certain that they will, I'll usually just take what I can get.

Now, for the anecdotal evidence:

I have, numerous times in my bar, experienced a customer become upset at the fact that we do not serve "domestic beer" (as in Budweiser.......even though we carry hundreds of American brews, idiot), and also that we do not serve our beer cold enough, or offer frosted mugs. I have seen people become confused at those facts, and some insist that we are hurting our business because of these two things.

Things I have NEVER done at an establishment where I am not certain about the quality of the beer: complained to the staff or other surrounding customers/strangers about glassware, serving temperature, or poor selection. It is what it is. The farthest I have gone is politely asking if I can get my beer in a non-frosted glass. If that's not an option and if my pale ale has ice chunks floating in it like every other beer poured at the bar, then so be it. I don't think I've ever said a word to a bartender/server after the fact if my brew is given to me ice cold. What I have seen....however, on MULTIPLE occasions, is a customer becoming incensed at the fact that their beer isn't ice cold, and being irritated that they didn't get a frosted glass. I've seen beers returned, and I've seen noses turned up to a bud light that isn't cold enough to get your tongue stuck to. Yet, once again, I'm the snob. I just paid 6 dollars for a Blvd. Pale Ale with chunks of ice floating at the top, but your 3 dollar bud select is above 35 degrees and you want a new one. I fail to see how I'm the douche bag in this scenario. But whatever.

Another prime example is the MULTIPLE times that I have been given hell from family members, bartenders, serving staff, and sometimes complete d-bag strangers about my beer choice. I've seen serving staff get pissy at my mere polite ordering of something not starting with the word "bud", and I've had complete strangers huff and puff over my request for something that is located in the cooler at the other end of the bar. God forbid they have to wait 4 extra seconds to get their 16oz aluminum bottle of michelob ultra. I've even had a guy look at me and go "dude, just order a bud light", when I let him cut in front of me at a bar because I simply told him to "go ahead man, I'm still checking out the selection". Once again, I'm the asshole, right? This also happens to me among family members during large family get-togethers. They bring a cooler of what they want to drink, and I bring what I like to drink. I say not one word about what they have decided to enjoy, and yet I hear endless shit for my drink. I get shit about the glassware, the color, and of course the price. Once again, my instigation of this consists of nothing more than me having the audacity to do exactly what they are doing: drinking what I want to drink. Yep, I'm still the asshole.

99.9% of the time, I don't antagonize random strangers in a bar, and I don't say a word to family members unless asked. Now if I get a "why are you drinking that" then I'll be honest and say that I prefer it to XXXX, but rarely if ever will I step up a stranger or an extended member of my family and instigate any sort of "snobbery". And as I have just said, I have received much more flak than I have ever dealt to these folks.

Why is that? Is the presence of my beer insulting to them? Is it akin to wiping my ass with the American flag or kicking a baby? I honestly have no clue. We all wear different clothes, have different houses, drive different cars, and make a myriad of other decisions that say a lot more about us than the beer we choose to drink, yet I am 100% honest when I say that there are people out there that immediately get on the defensive when I have something in my hands that's not fizzy yellow water.

Now, I'm fully aware that the mere presence of this blog is slightly contradictory to this entire rant, but as I said before, I try to be aware of my surroundings when douching it up beer-wise. I'm not so retarded as to antagonize random passer-bys because of their beer choice. Yet, as I've said, it's happened to me on numerous occasions and will certainly happen again.

So I say DRINK WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY, and so will I. Just keep your piss-water away from me and I'll keep my stuff away from you.

Cheers.

BEERGASM. (I'll have what he's having)

So, I was at work speaking with a co-worker (fellow beer nerd) and we were talking about one of our favorite beers Schneider Aventinus (weizen bock) and she made it a point to tell me how it was the first ever beer that gave her her first ever "beer-gasm". I was taken back by the statement at first......but then I thought about it for a while. After some deep thought, I was able to think back to a handful of times in my life where I believe I had legitimate beergasms, similar to what she spoke of.

How can I describe the "beergasm"? I don't think it's the violent "turtle-necking" situation that is associated with the other "gasm", but I do believe it is a full body experience. Let's face it, alcohol is a drug (no shit) and it can affect you as such. While it doesn't offer the immediate euphoria of something like heroine or cocaine, there are those times where I do get all tingly, and what not. I remember watching the A&E show "Intervention" one time, and a heroin addict was describing how when they shoot up it's like a massive calm all of the sudden hits them and it slowly goes from their heads, all the way down to their toes. Well, I'm not going to lie and say that doesn't happen to me every now and then when I get a top notch beer,...........because it does happen. Now, it's not like that with every beer, and I'm not "chasing that high" every day, but when it does happen, I really like to sit back, remain motionless, not talk to anyone.....and just let out a big ol' "ahhhhhhh". Don't talk to me, don't look at me, don't ask me "is it good?". Just let me *be* for 5 minutes and bask in my complete, euphoric, beergasmness.

How does it start/How do I get there? Well it needs to be a "big beer", generally a Belgian, an imperial stout, or the occasional big barleywine. It needs to be something with a lot of stuff going on. I'd say I've reached beergasm through Belgians more than anything else. The setting has to be right, you have to be in the mood to get the beergasm, and you have to be excited for the possibility. I'm not trying for a lame pun, but it's like when you eat something that "really hits the spot". I am in the mood and in the position (hehehe) to sit down and really relax and drink my beer, and appreciate all its yumminess. I don't think I've ever beergasm'd in a bar or at a friends house, or at a party of any sort. And while I'm sure they've happened, I also can't think of any recent beergasms with anyone else in the room. A beergasm is a special moment between a man and his beer.

Recent: Beergasms:

What: Achel Extra
Where: My room in Maastricht, The Netherlands, May-ish 2009.

I was treating myself to either an after finals, or an after thesis treat and was just relaxing in my room watching a movie on my laptop. I took a sip and proceeded to melt into my chair and become unconscious for the next 10 minutes. Time and space seemed to lapse momentarily. When I came to, I wasn't sure where I was, my hair was matted, my shirt untucked, and I was only wearing one sock. My glass was half empty and I assumed that I was the one who drank it....but who knows? I felt like I just had a really nice, comfortable nap on a cool, fall day. You know the one where you are awake in your head, but your muscles are telling you to just lay down for another half an hour or so? Yeah, that's the one.


What: JW Lees Harvest Ale (2000)
Where: Living room, writing on my blog. Weldon Spring, Missouri. February 2010.

Wanted something top notch to start off the blog (read the post here) and went ahead and spent 8 bucks on a 12 ounce bottle of beer. I didn't pass out from this, as it was more of a tear-filled, heavily involved, beergasm. Every sense was tuned in as I tasted something like 232423098 different flavors, with a new one seemingly popping in with every sip. It was complex, it was smooth, it was boozy, it was warming, and it was pure velvet. It was worth every penny, and lived up to every single review and expectation I had. I remember my arms were flailing out in front of me, like I was reaching for something with my eyes closed, but I just kept only coming up with air. It was exhausting to say the least, but I believe I came through the experience a better man and a better beer drinker.

I'm not sure if any of you have been there, or if any of you love beer enough to ever reach the pinnacle of beer satisfaction. It doesn't happen often, and it's not something you can force. The stars have to align and have to just allow nature to take it's course. It may hurt at first, and it may not last as long as you would want, but I can assure you it will only get better. I wish I could predict when exactly it would happen, but I've had enough beer to know that it's hard to predict it, or even expect it. Oh well.

So there you have it, I've tried my best to put you into the mind of someone having a beergasm, and I only hope that you can either relate, or have your first one, soon. It is a beautiful thing.

Summer Beers that don't suck.

Alrighty, I know it's not summer quite YET, but the weather is getting nicer, and outdoor activities will only increase in the coming weeks and months. For that you need to make sure you prepare yourselves accordingly. That means you need to get your hands on the best summer-brews possible. I got a handful here that I'm going to recommend that I think fit the "summer beer" mold quite well. Now remember, some of you guys think you are drinking "light" beer because of the color of these brews, or because it's a crisper, fruitier taste on your tongue........which is only half true. I guess you could call the taste of these beers "light", but in terms of calories or filling you up, these beers are no lighter than the the "darker" beers that you believe to be heavier. But that shouldn't be a problem, as if you are reading this you probably abhor shitty light beer and realize that all good beer is going to be "heavy" and high in calories. It's just a fact of life.

If I'm getting a beer for an outdoor event on a nice day, BBQ, whatever......I'm looking for the following characteristics:

Crispness - the flavor doesn't sit and linger for a while, it makes you want to drink more and doesn't feel like it's bogging you down.

Citrus - I like a touch of citrus, where possible. This is usually refreshing and citrus isn't something that will linger for too long (see above).

Decent price - Summer brews are meant to be enjoyed outside, with friends, and most likely consumed more frequently than a really chewy, complex ale. I want to get my summer brews in six-packs (at least) as I plan on having more than 1-2 at a time.

Simplicity - Kind of like crispness, these aren't beers I want to drink while sitting inside while agonizing over every little detail of the brew. I'm not looking (as hard) for hidden flavors, or things to open up as they get warmer. I want a good, clean flavor, but nothing that's going to require a ton of thought.

Drinkability - This goes with all the other characteristics from above, but I want something I can have 4-5 of and not be (a) shitfaced and (b) so overwhelmed with the flavor where I need to start drinking water or have to switch up styles. ABV under 6% is a must here.

So now that we have THAT out of the way, here's a list of stuff I think are "musts" for the summer.

BELL'S-OBERON ALE

Absolutely fabulous beer, and one of the, if not THE best spring/summer beer around. It's a wheat beer, but I believe it's brewed with some more traditional "ale" characteristics as well, and you get just a hint more hop bitterness in the finish than you would in a normal wheat. It has a touch of citrus notes to it and all the characteristics you look for in a good summer wheat such as the aforementioned citrus, as well as a nice refreshing crispness in every sip. There's not too much flavor that's going to overpower you, but they do a nice job of keeping it really drinkable while keeping a great, full taste. Remember, a lot of these beers are meant to be had 3-4 at a time, so they aren't made to be overwhelming. This isn't a ridiculously hard to find beer, but it's not going to be at too many grocery stores, either. I'd say if a place has a "good" beer selection, they'd have this available. It's usually around 10 bucks a six pack, give or take a dollar. There's a touch more alcohol in this as it's 5.8% abv, but you're not going to notice it unless you polish off a whole six pack by yourself, which is entirely possible at a barbecue/picnic.


HOEGAARDEN - ORIGINAL WHITE

The original Belgian Wit. Stop drinking Blue Moon, and drink the beer that Blue Moon tried to emulate. This beer is a quintessential Belgian White (wheat beer). Citrusy, refreshing with hints of lemon and orange, smooth but with enough carbonation to keep it crisp. If you think about it, you can also pick up a bit of peppery bitterness to it as well which gives it a touch of unique character. It's certainly on the sweet and possibly, at times, "sour" side of things, but it's not all that over-powering. Very drinkable with a ton of flavor, and one of the beers that I would actually recommend serving a bit colder than most top notch brews. This is becoming easier and easier to find and it's even becoming pretty fairly priced. I picked my last sixer up from a grocery store for only 8 bucks, which is about what Blue Moon is being priced at. This is what a real Belgian White tastes like and you'll realize that after nearly 600 years of brewing, that Hoegaarden probably has their recipe pretty much locked in by now. You can put a lemon in this, if you want, but I have absolutely no clue why you'd need this any sweeter/lemony, unless you don't actually like the taste of beer and/or you suck at life.

SIERRA NEVADA-SUMMERFEST LAGER

This is listed on beeradvocate.com as a "Czech Pilsner" but I think they have their heads up their ass, and I'd call this a "Kolsch", instead. (Kolsch is essentially the German version of a "summer beer") This beer is all about being refreshing, crisp, and extremely drinkable. This is an extremely simple style, and they don't try to blow anything up your ass with any sort of weird characteristics. This style was essentially made for Germans to have something easy to drink in warmer weather, and drink a lot of it. There may be some citrus notes in there, not all that much fruitiness/sweetness, and the occasional fair amount of hop-bitterness that acts more as a refreshing bite than some sort of lingering notion. This particular take on a Kolsch is my personal favorite version of the style, and the most refreshing "beer" I've ever had. It's far far too easy to drink. If you ever want to get a macro-brew drinking friend to switch over from their usual swill, this may be the first beer I would recommend you to give them. If someone can't stomach this very simple, very refreshing beer, then they can just go to hell as it doesn't get any easier drinking than this.


SCHLAFLY-KOLSCH (you might see it some places as "Summer Kolsch"...same thing)

Yes, I know I already listed a Kolsch, but I think this is a pretty solid beer as well. This is very similar to the Sierra Nevada, but I think this one has just a touch more "going on". It's still very crisp, with some background notes of citrus, but I think this one maybe offers a little more maltiness which gives you a touch of deeper sweetness. I will be honest in that I think that this version is just a tiny, eensy-weensy step below the Sierra Nevada Summerfest but this is much easier to find as it's (a) produced not just in the summer and (b) carried by quite a few places in the Missour area. It's also fairly cheap as well, you can get it for the same price as pretty much any other Schlafly product......8 bucks or so per sixer. At the end of the day this is a great summer beer as it meets the criteria I listed above. I recommend.


Last but not least, I know I didn't get into HUGE beer nerd with this post as summer brews focus more on volume, but that doesn't mean that you have to be barbaric while drinking them. I'd still recommend the basic serving tips as in ALWAYS pour your beer into a glass whenever possible, and while these beers are going to be served a touch colder than your top-notch ales, by no means do you want to put them in a frosted glass. Once again, there is not one reputable brewer that will ever, in any circumstances, recommend that you drink their beer out of a bottle when there is glassware available.


Cheers, bitchez.

How you should drink good beer - Serving Basics

The following are just some basic tips and things that I follow when drinking good beer. I say "when I'm drinking good beer" as there's little you can do to drastically effect the taste of a Bud Light or a Bud Select. Hell, something that inhibits the flavor of those beers might actually be a good thing. Also, I understand that not every situation allows you to do this stuff, so I'm not advocating you turn into a gigantic douche at a BBQ or a friend's Super Bowl party because you want a specific type of glass or whatnot. If you're in the right atmosphere and you actually want your more expensive beer to taste the way it is supposed to taste, here's a few easy things that I recommend to get the best out of your purchase. After all, why spend the money on something and not drink it correctly?

(I understand I didn't get to everything here, this was just stuff that I was thinking about last night while I was....yes...... drinking beer)


SERVING BASICS:

If possible, always, and I mean ALWAYS pour your beer into a glass. Your beer will absolutely not taste the way the brewer intended it to taste if you suck it out of the bottle. Find a freaking glass, and pour it into that glass.....not a plastic cup, but a glass. There's not one reputable brewer out there that would recommend their beer out of a bottle/can when a glass is available, which of course makes perfect sense. Why would a brewer not want their product to taste as good as it possibly can?

Secondly: By no means does your beer belong in a frosted glass/mug of any sort. I don't give a shit how many crappy beer commercials you see that get all boner-rific over the coldness of their beer, you are severely hurting the flavor of your beer by putting it into a frosted mug. Not only does your beer being that cold hurt the flavor, but it doesn't take Bill Nye the Science guy to understand that frost = ice = water = diluted beer = compromised taste. If you're looking to just go out and just get hammered on miller lites, then this is fine, but if you're dropping 10+ bucks on a six pack, or 5-6 bucks a bottle at a nicer beer bar then you are just wasting your time. For you St. Charles/St. Louis folks, this is why Trailhead "Brewery" sucks. (notice the quotes around the word "Brewery") Any place that claims they brew their own beer then proceed to serve it in a glass so that has ice floating on the top of their brown ale pretty much lets you know they suck and suck hard. A good brewer spent a hell of a lot of time figuring out a recipe and making that recipe just right, if they wanted more water to be in the beer they would have made it that way.

Thirdly: Be reasonable with your temperature. Not drinking your beer at sub-zero temperatures is just something you're going to have to get over. Put on your big kid pants, and realize that the reason you remember your beer tasting like shit when it was "warm" is because you were most likely drinking shitty beer to begin with. Similar to pouring your beer in a glass, no good brewer will recommend serving your beer as cold as humanly possible. Also, regardless of what people say, good beer in Europe is not, anywhere, served "warm". It's not served ice cold, but it's not served warm. There are a TON of good beers that recommend a serving temperature on their bottles, and the "warmest" I've seen is 55 degrees F, which is still below room temperature. A good rule of thumb that I follow is to get your beer as cold as your fridge will allow it. Pull it out, and let it sit 10-15 minutes before opening it. Pour it and drink it slowly, letting it warm up closer to room temperature as you drink it, and try to see how it changes as it 'warms'. Often times you'll find flavors that weren't there at first, or a bit of sweetness that didn't come through at all when you took your first sip of it at 40 or so degrees. With high ABV brews you will honestly miss a lot of the great aspects of the beer when you try to drink it too cold.

Glassware: This is great if you or the bar you are at have the proper glass for the style, but it's not the most important thing ever. In my opinion, a non-frosted glass, and a very CLEAN glass are just as important to get the proper flavor(s). Here's a good primer on glassware from: beeradvocate.com. If you don't have a bevy of different style glasses, a good alternative (which is also in the link) for a lot of the higher ABV beers is to just get a big/oversized wine glass. Air is a good thing for a lot of the "bigger" beers and it will only help open up all the intricate flavors and smells that the brewer intended. I guess you can be afraid of looking like a douche, but if you're just with a few folks hanging out at someone's place, they're probably aware of the fact that you're just trying to optimize the good chunk of change you just spent on whatever you're drinking.

The pour: Head, in any form, is not a bad thing (pun INTENDED). You are supposed to get a good layer of foam on your beer, and some brewers even make their own glassware to support a large amount of foam in their product. (Duvel being a great example) The reason some of you don't like foam in your shitty light beers is because you're more worried about getting more beer in your glass than you are the taste. If you ever start getting the glassware made for specific beers you'll even find that some of them have lines on them where they suggest the head of the beer to start. Most beers will give you the desired head without a super aggressive pour, but I like to do the typical 45 degree angle slow pour, then slowly get the glass upright and finish the last 1/3 or so of the pour a little more aggressively to see if I can get some foam. Don't worry if you don't get any, as there are some beers that simply won't give you a big fluffy head, or if they do, it will dissipate quickly. Also, a dirty glass will inhibit both the initial amount of head, and head retention while you're drinking.

Fruit?: No thanks. I don't go absolutely bonkers over someone trying to put a lemon, lime or orange in their beer, but I really don't want that. If the brewer wanted that stuff in their beer, they would have put it in there. The reason you put a lime in your Corona or other Mexican beers, is because those beers kind of suck. Putting a lemon or an orange in your draft beer just adds acid to it which is going to compromise the head you got with your pour, as well as the overall taste of the beer. Once again, I don't go completely apeshit over someone putting a lemon in their beer (although it makes less and less sense to me), but for god sakes, don't assume I want the same......ask me first.

I'll get to what I do to taste beer in the future (as you can be surprised at what you can find when you really pay attention to what you're drinking) , but these are just some small things I was thinking about that can have somewhat of an effect on the quality of your brew.

Annoying hop craze.

Alright. Something's been pissing me off.

To be honest, I have no problem with hops, or hoppy beers. There are some pales, IPAs, and some super hopped barleywines that I really enjoy. I also enjoy styles that are sometimes hybrids of say a belgian golden ale that's hopped up (Gouden Carolous Hopsijnoor), or even a hopped up hefeweizen like the Schneider/Brooklyn collaboration. Those two examples are ok because they exercise a nice word we like to call "balance".

What's beginning to piss me off, is all these nouveau beer snobs who think they are sophisticated because all they drink is retarded hopped IPAs. And of course micro breweries and craft brewers all over the country saw this and started to pump out ramped up IPAs like it was going out of style. I guess you sell what people want, but what people wanted sucked. It seems like every wannabe beer nerd equated the quality of his new found beer by the amount of hops jammed into the bottle and the IBU count. You ask them "what do you like about this or that beer" and they replied "man this is fucking HOPPY...it's awesome...I'm such a hop-head!1!!1!."

That's fine if you like hops, or malt, or wheat, or whatever. But for christ sakes, your supposed new found love of a single type of beer brought in some really shitty beers (Ranger IPA from New Belgium, Avery IPA to name a few). Beers that boast names that are akin to those d-bags playing beer league softball, who try way too hard to be funny and always have some fat douche playing first base with the name "big sexy" on his jersey and is invariably wearing number 69. Names like: hop slam, hop stoopid, hoptober, hoptacular, hoppopatumus, hop explosion, hop rock and roll extravaganza nuclear bomb face melting awesomeness of hops. (ok, the last few are made up). While you think you are some sort of revolutionary connoisseur, the only thing you know is hops, so brewers make these stupid named beers with a stupid amount of hops to get your stupid attention.

Once again, I'm not anti-hops, or anti-IPA. But good beer is about balance. How do the flavors, particularly the malt and the hops play off of each other? Anybody can throw a million buckets of hops into a brewing tank and charge you 12 bucks a six pack, but it takes an actual brewer to make it still taste good. I made fun of "hop slam" in the last paragraph, but that was just for the name. Bells "gets it". They make Hop Slam with a truckload of hops, but they make it unique, balanced, and fun to drink. Bell's figured that most guys try to load up their double-IPAs with malt so they can strike a balance of sweet and hop-bitter, but you often time get a beer that's extremely malty as well as hoppy, and is just hard to drink. Bell's put some honey in theirs and allowed it to mellow out the hops that were in there but kept it crisp on the tongue without making it a big-syrupy mess. End product: the best "double IPA" on the market.

A beer consists of water, malt, hops, and yeast. All four ingredients can have a drastic effect on the taste of your beer, and all are equally important. There's more to beer than hops, people!!!! There are other styles out there. Try something else. IPA is one of like, a hundred styles you can try. The best beers are the "best" because they offer a multitude of flavors. A good beer is more than just the hops that are in it, and just like an overly malty beer sucks, an overly hoppy beer sucks as well.

I'll still drink, and enjoy a number of beers with a big hop profile, but I will not fellate said beers simply because of the amount of hops that are involved in the brewery process. If it's a good, balanced, well thought out brew, I will enjoy it, regardless of the style or the absolutely inane name on the label.