Archive for September, 2009

Style Profile: Irish Dry Stout

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

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There is probably no style of beer more closely associated with a single brewery more than Irish dry stouts and Guinness. Chances are that many Guinness drinkers can’t name more than six other brewers producing a beer in that style (but if you can name six let us know in the comments section and we’ll send you out some Beeriety swag). It’s true that Guinness has played a key role in establishing the style’s popularity and most recognizable qualities, it’s still a clearly defined style, independent of any particular brewer. With Guinness’s 250th birthday last week we thought we’d take a look today at the style it has made so famous.

The origins of dry stout, like all stouts, can directly by tied back to porters. Stouts initially emerged as heavier versions of the already heavy porter style, which is why they were first known as ’stout porters.’ Over time the name was shortened to just stout, and a new style was born. Today there are of course many different types of stout, from milk stouts to even oyster stouts, but the most well known is undoubtedly Guinness’s dry stout.

Despite Guinness reputation as ‘liquid bread’ or ‘a meal in a class,’ dry stouts are actually the lightest type of stout in terms of alcohol and do not contain many more calories than your average light lager (take a look at our more detailed look at this issue here). Part of the reason for Guinness and other dry stouts light smoothness is their use of nitrogen  in addition to the usual CO2 to carbonate the beer. Because nitrogen is less soluble than CO2 and forms smaller bubbles the beer is able to carbonate with less gas, creating a less acidic flavor. Several years ago Guinness also debuted the ‘nitro can‘ which is a regular can of beer with a widget inside of it which releases nitrogen when the can’s opened to replicate the draught experience at home.

A can of Guinness draught cut open to reveal the 'nitro widget'

A can of Guinness draught cut open to reveal the internal 'nitro widget'

Although there are also coffee stouts, which use real coffee beans in the brew and give the style strong coffee flavors, dry stouts have also been noted as having subtle coffee flavors. Although with the creaminess of the nitrogen and the burnt qualities of black malt, dry stout might more closely resemble cappuccino than black coffee.

While Guinness will probably always remain the signature brand of dry stouts there are several other notable Irish producers of the style which are worth a try. Both Beamish and Murphy’s hail from the Southeastern Irish town of Cork and can be said to be a bit sweeter and and smoother than Guinness, give them a try next time you have a chance. There is also plenty of American craft brewers who do dry stouts.

What’s your favorite dry stout besides Guinness? Next time you have it let us know by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Reinheitsgebot: The 16th Century German Beer Purity Law

Thursday, September 24th, 2009
A copy of the 1516 Germa beer purity law, the Reinheitsgebot

A copy of the 1516 German beer purity law, the Reinheitsgebot

Today beer is commonly defined as containing four main ingredients: Water, barley, yeast and hops, but  there are plenty of exceptions to this definition.  There are the folks at Dogfish Head Brewery who have been known to throw everything from juniper to strawberries into their world class beers, and on the other end macro-brewers like Anheuser-Busch who use corn and rice to make their cheap lagers even cheaper. Despite these outliers beer has generally stuck to these basic four ingredients. Although there are many contributing factors, beer’s adherence to these rules can largely be traced back to the Reinheitsgebot, the German law enacted by Wilhelm IV of Bavaria on April 23, 1516 stating:

The only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be barley, hops and water. Whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance, shall be punished by the Court authorities’ confiscating such barrels of beer, without fail.

The wording of this law of course omits the all-important ingredient of yeast, but that was because folks at the time weren’t aware of its existence. Yeast as well as wheat were later added to the list of acceptable ingredients and the law remained in effect until 1987. Because this rule applied to not only beer made in Germany but beer sold there as well the law ended up dictating the habits of brewers not just in Germany but all across Europe as no one wanted to be excluded from the profitable German market.

There were two main reasons for enacting this law. The first was an issue of health. Back in the 16th century much of the water available, especially in more urban areas, was not fit for drinking; beer was what folks drank morning, noon and night. With so many people relying on their daily share of beer for basic hydration, this law esured that the beer was made with only safe and trusted ingredients.

The second reason the purity law was put into effect was a matter of economics. The land’s barley fields were owned by the aristocrats of the land, and making it illegal to brew with anything else meant that the wealthy land owners were basically able to guarantee themselves a virtual monopoly on the grains bought for brewing.

Although the Reinheitsgebot certainly stifled a great deal of creativity among brewers it also ensured that beer would become a consistent and lasting part of Western culture, so in many ways it’s a mixed blessing, but one that I’ll toast to either way.

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A chat with Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
Dogfish Head President and Founder Sam Calagione

Dogfish Head President and Founder Sam Calagione

We’ve mentioned the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and their many fine beers many times on our blog, and there is a reason for it. Dogfish is hands down one of the most original and innovative brewers today in America, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. Since the company’s meager beginnings in 1995 as the smallest commercial brewery in the world, they have consistently pushed the boundaries of what beer is and how it is made. This includes developing new methods of continually hopping beer to give it unique hop flavors to crafting beers based on the residues found in an 8th century BCE Turkish king’s tomb. Since their founding they have grown to become the 22nd biggest brewer in America, with a reputation that far exceeds that.

The man behind all of this is Sam Calagione, who founded the company when he was just 25. Last week I got the chance to sit down and talk to him at the Milton, Delaware company headquarters about the company’s past, present and future.

Calagione’s office is a disheveled cubicle filled with trinkets and mementos from various events in the brewery’s history, like the annual two day “Intergalactic Bocce Ball Tournament” which was taking place the day after I was there. The private competition features friends and brewers from all over the country and is regarded as a “holy day” amongst the Dogfish Head staff. Along with Easter and Christmas, it’s the only time the brewery shuts down. It’s not all cut throat competition during the tournament though, Calagione tells me they also launch cases of light lager from a homemade trebuchet into a oversized toilet. The contest, along with everything else Dogfish head does, seems to be dealt with in an earnest, but casual manner. “We don’t take ourselves very seriously but we take our beer very seriously,” said Calagione.

"Robot Sam" hard at work in his office

"Robot Sam" hard at work in his office

It’s this same approach towards beer and business that led to Dogfish Head’s newest offering, and their first collaboration. Life & Limb, a beer brewed by Calagione together with Sierra Nevada’s Ken Grossman was born out of a casual conversation over beers together while the two of them were in Boston earlier this year for a brewers conference. “I have gotten to know Ken through our years on The Brewers Association Board and at numerous beer events throughout the country. As a brewer myself, it is inspiring to see a person like Ken drive a beer-centric brewery so far and so wide while sticking to his original ideals and integrating his family into the company,” he said.

Like most of Dogfish Head’s beers, Life & Limb defies any easy categorization, but one thing’s certain- it’s a collaboration through and through. At 10% ABV, it’s quite strong and was brewed with maple syrup from Calagione’s farm in Massachusetts and barley grown by Grossman at the Sierra Nevada brewery in Chico, California. The yeast is a blend of the two breweries’ house yeast strains.

A companion beer will also be released around the same time this November, know as “Limb & Life.” This brew is made from a second running of the Life & Limb mash tun, a technique known as partigyle brewing, which will yield a similar, but still distinct brew which will be much less alcoholic at 5%.

Life & Limb

Life & Limb, a collaborative brew by Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada

This first collaboration for both breweries is something Calagione’s clearly exciting about, telling we me hopes it will lead to exciting things for both Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head. That’s not to say that Calagione’s company hasn’t been experiencing plenty of growth before this project with Sierra Nevada. Currently the brewery is in the midst of a major construction project to expand the office space for the staff and brewing capacity. They are already brewing at their limit, and not able to meet demand with their current facility. Calagione told me this is part of the reason so many of their brews are available on a seasonal or rotational basis. “If we wanted to make one beer available year round, we’d have to switch out one of the styles already made year round,” Calagione told me.

When I asked how he decides what beers will be available year round versus seasonally, Calagione told me it’s simply the beers he wants to have around year round. “We don’t do focus groups or market research, we just make the beers we want to drink,” he said. The closest thing he told me they have to something like that is their brewpub on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk.

The brewpub is actually how Dogfish Head first began back in 1995, and continues to feature the newest and most experimental brews Calagione and his team develops. After the interview I drove down to the restaurant where I was able to try Chicha, their newest brew, which was recently featured in a New York Times article, is based on a traditional Peruvian corn beer which involves the brewers chewing purple maize from Peru and spitting it into the brew kettle. Calagione explained to me that the natural enzymes found in human spit help break down the sugar in the corn for brewing and assured me that because it’s added to the brew before boiling, it’s perfectly safe. The beer is light and tasty with a pleasant strawberry flavor from the berries that are also added to the beer.

With so many things happening right now for Dogfish Head, and their history of innovation it’s hard to know where they will go next, but whatever they do and whatever beer they make, it’s sure to be unique, tasteful and off-center, just like Sam Calagione himself.

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Mixing it up with beer cocktails

Friday, September 18th, 2009

beerCoctailsAlthough they tend to get little respect in the craft beer scene, there are a number of beer cocktails out there beyond the Black & Tan that can be quite tasty and have their place in beer history. Today we’re going to mix it up and take a look at a few of those cocktails. As we reported in our article about porters, many years ago blending different beers together was actually fairly common, especially among the working class who would blend cheap, stale beer with a little bit of fresh brew to save money.

This is a practice that was continued with the Berliner Weisse style of wheat ale from Berlin. This once popular style waned in popularity for much of the 20th century until the craft beer movement of the 1990’s. It’s a tart, acidic beer, brewed with live strains of the bacterium Lactobacillus to give it a unique flavor, similar to other wild ales we’ve discussed before. To lessen the bite of these pucker inducing brews the people of Berlin have for a long time poured flavored syrup into their glasses, with raspberry being the most common taste.

GuinessHarpBlackandTanFor those unfamiliar with it, a Black & Tan is of course a beer cocktail of half Bass ale and half Guinness. So named because the colors resemble the uniforms of the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, who were British counterrevolutionary paramilitary forces during the Irish War of Independence in the early part of the 20th century. The beverage gets its unique look from the fact that Guinness is less dense than many other beers and so floats on top of it, although generally a special spoon is used to ensure the beers don’t mix when pouring them.

Another beer cocktail of British origin is the Snakebite, traditionally a mixture of half hard cider, half pilsner and a splash of black currant juice. The drink is frequently enjoyed by university students in the UK, many of whom will tell you that the mixture of pilsner and cider (both beverages of fairly low alcoholic content) combine in special way to give the drink an exceptionally high alcohol percentage. Although I’ve yet to hear a scientific explanation for why that would happen, and it’s probably nothing but a school boy rumor, the fact remains that some pubs and other establishments in the UK will not serve the drink for fear of the rowdy behavior it can inspire.

A beer cocktail that’s a bit classier than the Snakebite is something called the Black Velvet, a mixture of Guinness and Champagne. Indeed, the Snakebite is even sometimes referred to as a “poor man’s Black Velvet.”

This of course is just the start to many different beer based cocktails that range from the Shandy, a half lemonade half pilsner designed to be a ultra low alcohol beer for new drinkers, to Citrona, a mixture of Corona and lemon flavored vodka designer to be extra strong. For a deeper dive into beer cocktails check out the beer cocktail entry on Wikipedia.

What do you think about beer cocktails? Do you have a favorite one of your own we didn’t cover? Are they a fun twist on old beers or just a distraction from enjoying a proper pint?  Next time you try one or any other beer you love, let us know by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Style Profile: Biere de Champagne

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Riddling the champagne

Riddling the Champagne

Biere de Champagne is a new style in which beer is put through a similar process as the one traditionally used to produce Champagne, known as the méthode Champenoise. The beer making process and Champagne making process are already very similar, but the extra steps taken when producing this style give it unique qualities that any serious beer drinker should try.

Both bottle-condition beer and Champagne go through primary fermentation in large batches and secondary fermentation in the bottle where additional sugars or yeast is added to naturally carbonate the beverage. Unlike most beer, Champagne then goes through a process of collecting (riddling) and removing (disgorging) the sediment from the bottle.

Riddling is performed by placing the bottles at a 45° angle racks known as pupitres. The sediment in the beer or Champagne slowly drifts down to the neck of the bottle. Every few days it is carefully turned and angled further until all of the sediment has been collected, usually taking about 6 to 8 weeks.

The sediment is now removed from the neck by removing the cork and allowing some of the liquid to spill out, a process known as disgorging, which today is automated by machines which freeze the bottleneck but years ago could only be performed by a skilled practitioner.

After all this additional yeast or sugar can be added for what is essentially a third fermentation. Putting beer throughthis process, which can take years if done properly, gives it the subtle complexity, spicy flavor and rich carbonation that Champagne is known for. All of this is balanced by the rich body and balance which only a beer can provide. Actual Champagne yeast is used sometimes to further enhance these flavors.

All of this makes for a wonderfully light and refreshing beer that is akin to Champagne but with the body and hops that are unique to beer. The process is a costly one, as a result there are not many brewers who offer a beer of this style, just a handful of mostly Belgian brewers at the moment. The most well known is probably Deus by Brouwerij Bosteels with Malheur Brut from Brouwerij De Landtsheer coming in at a close second.

Ever tried this new style of beer? If you ever get the chance to try it let us know what you think by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Style Profile: Pumpkin Ale

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

pumpkinWith the fall quickly approaching it’s time to begin looking at the beers of autumn. September is traditionally harvest time, in which the fruits and vegetables of the summer are collected and there’s plenty of good food and good cheer to go around. The root vegetables gathered this time of year frequently make for great beers; the most well known of these is of course the pumpkin beer.

Although pumpkin beer as we know it got its start by American craft brewers during the 1990’s people have been brewing beer with pumpkins for ages. The pilgrims were even known to brew pumpkin ale when they arrived on Plymouth Rock, because they was a lack of other fermentables like barley available. While pumpkin beer is associated with the autumn these days, because pumpkins weren’t typically available to brewers in colonial times until harvest, pumpkin beer couldn’t be enjoyed until the winter months.

Today modern pumpkin ales typically fall into two schools: beers which taste like actual pumpkins, and beers which taste like pumpkin pie. Although beer which replicates the taste of real pumpkins is generally more difficult and sometimes more respected by beer snobs out there, both types can be wonderful and a great way to celebrate the fall. Brewers striving for the first type will use a variety of methods to create their brew, sometimes using canned pumpkin filling while others will use actual roasted pumpkins for a more authentic taste. Brewers hoping to replicate Grandma’s pumpkin pie on the other hand will typically use pumpkin filling with a variety of associated spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice; some lazier brewers will sometimes even just use the spices and leave out the pumpkin all together.

There are countless brewers who craft a mean pumpkin beer. Some favorites of Team Beeriety include are the pumpkin beers of  Smuttynose, Dogfish Head, Post-Road and Shipyard. What are some of yours? Next time you enjoy a pumpkin ale let us know what you think about it by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Style Profile: Wheat Wine

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

wheatwine

Wheat wine is a relevantly young style of beer, having emerged from  bolder American craft brewers over the last decade or so. For awhile there has been a trend among these brewers to experiment with older, less alcoholic styles by creating high alcohol versions; these bold versions are often dubbed “imperial,” a reference to the extremely potent Russian imperial stout. Some of these experiments work better than others. Over time wheat ale proved to be a style which did extremely well at higher alcohol percentages, and the one-off batches made by various brewers across the country took shape as a more cohesive style.

Photo Credit: Mark Pansing

Photo Credit: Mark Pansing

As a result of its young age and development it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that wheat whine is not a very precise category. Generally speaking, wheat wines feature a smooth, velvety mouth feel and a sweet, but light taste. Its strong alcohol percentage, (which can range anywhere from 7-14%) also gives the beer a warming affect.

Unlike other high alcohol or imperial beers, such as the barley wine, from which it borrows the ‘wine’ part of its name, wheat wine remains a nicely balanced beer thanks to the subtle flowery and citrusy flavors the wheat gives it. This makes it perfect for consumption any time of year. Color and appearance tend to fairly widely, ranging anywhere from a clear amber to a cloudy gold.

Ever had a wheat wine? Although it’s still fairly rare there are plenty of great brewers with examples of the style. New Hamshire’s Smuttynose Brewing makes a great one, and be sure to check out Gamma Ray from Terrapin Brewing in Georgia and  New Holland’s Pilgrim’s Dole from Michigan for wonderful wheat wine. Next time you do let us know what you think about it or any other wheat wine by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Beer Etiquette

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

silverplatter3

Although beer etiquette doesn’t quite have the strong tradition of wine, there are definitely some traditions and customs which should be followed when serving or enjoying beer. Today we’re going to take a look at some of them.

IN THE LIQUOR STORE:

If you don’t see your favorite beer on the shelves, ask the clerk if they carry it. Although not every liquor store gives much thought to their beer selection, and increasing amount of them do. If a store does have a serious beer section, especially if they’ve just opened one, they may be eager for feedback on their new venture. If you see a new beer, ask about it, if they don’t have it, ask about that too. There’s no better way to help your liquor store be the best it can be than letting them know what you’d like to buy.

If you do find a beer you want but it’s on the shelf at room temperature, ask if they have any of it cold. Frequently a store will keep some of their stock cold in the back, even if they don’t have any in the fridge out front.

SERVING BEER:

If you having some friends over for the game, or for dinner or any other beer-centric activity, it’s your responsibility as the host to provide everyone with their first beer or two, properly chilled with the proper glassware to go with it. Because you can end up buying beer for a lot of folks, don’t feel the need to get the most expensive brews, it’s the thought that counts.

BRINGING BEER:

Similarly if you going over to a friend’s house, be sure to bring some beer with you. Unless you’ve been told otherwise, Even if you expect to be served a few beers by your friendly host you should bring some beer of your own, simply as a way of thanking your host for the hospitality.

If you’re going to a dinner with some folks who don’t normally drink beer, take the opportunity to introduce some new folks to the world of craft beer. If you bring something that goes well with the entrée, you may impress a few folks too.

Regardless of what you bring, it’s definitely a no-no to take back the leftovers with you when you leave. The beer is a gift to the host, not your personal stash.

AT THE BAR:

As we’ve mentioned on the site before, the proper pour and the proper glassware are important for the maximum enjoyment of a beer. If you’re served your beer without a glass, or in a chilled glass (which is a no-no) politely ask your server for another. If you do it respectfully chances are they won’t mind at all.

Although the custom varies in other countries, tipping is expected in American bars. If you’re paying for your beers one at a time, be sure to tip a dollar a beer and if you’re paying for tab at the end, even if it’s just beer, you should tip the standard 18-20%. It’s just good manners.

What do you think of our suggestions for proper beer etiquette? Did we miss any? Disagree with anything we said? Let us know what you think about it the next time you enjoy a beer by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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A Look At Malt Liquor

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Malt Liquor

Today we’re going to take a look at a style of beer often overlooked by many in the craft beer world, but is still consumed widely by American beer drinkers. I’m talking of course about malt liquor, that pale yellow beer at your local liquor store that comes in 40 oz. bottles instead of the usual 12 oz. ones.

The history of malt liquor dates back to 1939 when Grand Valley Brewing Co. in Ionia, Michigan introduced the first malt liquor to the market, Clix. Since then it has slowly rose in prominence in American culture. The first successful malt liquor was Country Club, which gained a following in the 1950’s with middle class whites. In the late 70’s and early 80’s malt liquor began to be heavily marketed towards African-Americans, and became quite popular due to its high alcohol content (7-9% Alc./volume) and low price, (usually under $5 for a 40oz.) It was also around that time that malt liquor was first marketed in the now famous 40 oz. bottles. Although ‘forties’ are often synonymous with malt liquor that was not always the case. In the 1950’s malt liquor was often available only in 7 and 8 oz bottles, because of the added strength of the beer. It was a simple marketing decision to sell the stuff in forties as demographic research showed African-Americans tended to prefer larger containers. Nowadays malt liquor isn’t the only thing available in 40oz. bottles. Some standard light lagers such as Miller High Life are  available in these oversized bottles as well.

Clix, the verx first malt liquor

Clix, the very first malt liquor in 1939

By the 90’s malt liquor and forties became strongly associated with hip-hop and rap culture as it was frequently name checked in songs and featured in music videos.  It wasn’t long before white college students began purchasing the stuff, hoping to emulate their favorite musicians and take advantage of malt liquor’s dirt cheap price and strong alcohol content. By the end of the decade college students’ love of forties spawned new drinking game most commonly known as “Edward Forty Hands,” a name inspired by the 1990 movie “Edward Scissorhands.” This game forces participants to tape a 40 oz. bottle of malt liquor to each hand and consume all 80 oz. before doing anything else, including visit the rest room.The college kids who take part in this sophomoric enterprise are probably not thinking much about the quality of the beer they’re consuming, which might be  good thing as malt liquor is made with a high amount of artificial adjuncts and additives to raise the alcoholic volume while lowering the cost, and the taste.

What defines malt liquor  can be a bit hard to narrow down. Various US states define ‘malt liquor’ various ways; sometimes it can be any beer over 5%, while in others it’s the inclusion of additives such as dextrose. Some states have even banned the sale of malt liquor all together and while Florida does permit the sale of it, 40 oz. bottles are banned, so 32 oz. ones are used in stead. Regardless of how it’s defined any malt liquor can be counted on to be very lightly hopped with a stale aroma of corn and rice and a somewhat sweet and viscous mouthfeel.

Given its reputation it’s not surprising craft breweries haven’t produced many malt liquors. The notable exception is Dogfish Head, who debuted ‘Liquor De Malt‘ a few years ago, a malt liquor which comes in its own brown paper bag. The beer has since been discontinued, so it remains to be seen if any craft more malt liquors will emerge from the craft beer scene.

What do you think about malt liquor? Are they just for the college crowd or do they have more to offer? Next time you try one let us know what you think about it by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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