Archive for October, 2009

13 Beers For Your Halloween Brouhaha

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

halloweenHalloween is upon us, and what better way to celebrate this night of mischief than with a few craft beers who pay tribute to the macabre. Here’s a look at 13 brews whose names honor all that is spooky and scary.

Rogue Dead Guy Ale
A classic dopplebock from one of most influential craft brewers around.

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Any of the brews by this Michigan brewer are worth a try, but the Madrugada Obscura “Dark Dawn” stout is perfect for All Hallows’ Eve.

Wychwood Hobgoblin
A delightfully balanced, yet malty brown ale from a wonderful English brewery.

Victory Hop Devil
A great IPA which might put the novice’s taste buds through hell.

Young’s Old Nick Barleywine
Although most folks think Santa when they hear of ‘Old Nick,’ the name was originally an epithet for Satan.

Unibroue Maudite
From the French for ‘damned,’ this is one to be enjoyed in moderation, thanks to its massive taste and strength.

Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout
This acclaimed Indiana brewery made a stout as black as the dark lord himself. Well worth a try.

Avery Mephistopheles
Another dark-as-night stout named after a mighty demon. Certainly worth a sip.

Brooklyn Monster Ale
Brooklyn Brewery is not known for big or ‘extreme’ beers, which is even more reason to pick this barleywine up if you see it.

Lost Abbey Witch’s Wit
Despite its dark name, this wit is light and crisp.

Fantôme Black Ghost
With two ghosts in its name, this brew will spook you twice.

Wychwood  Scarecrow
Antoher great brew from this traditional British brewery located in Oxford.

Avery The Beast Grand Cru Ale
Drink too much of this massive brew, and you’ll find yourself haunted by a hangover the next day.

What’s your favorite Halloween beer? Let us know next time you have one by tweeting what you drank and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Try These Five Barrel-Aged Beers

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Barrel-Aged Beer

Barrel-aging is nothing new in the world of wine and liquor; aging beer in barrels, however, is a relatively new practice that’s gaining in popularity. Today, we’re going to take a look at how it works and some barrel-aged beers that everyone should try.

Beer is usually placed in barrels for aging after primary fermentation is complete and before it has been carbonated. A variety of barrels can be used, but brewers frequently use barrels which have previously held wine or liquor. After anywhere from several months to several years in a barrel, the beer will absorb some of the flavors and aromas left over from the wine or liquor. Then, the beer will be carbonated and bottled for your drinking enjoyment.

The barreling process adds additional complexity to the taste and aroma of a beer. Sometimes a brewer will simply age an existing beer he has in his (or her) repertoire, but many of the more adventurous will craft a recipe specially suited to benefit from the barreling process. This could be an extra malty brew that will blend well with the sweet flavors of rum or a crisp light beer that will complement the light flavors of a chardonnay.

However it is done, barrel-aged beer is an exciting area that craft brewers are exploring with enthusiasm and passion. Be sure to try one if you haven’t yet. Some of our favorites include:

Stone Brewing Co. Oaked Arrogant Bastard – The barrel-aged version of Stone’s infamous Arrogant Bastard. Trying this alongside the regular version would be a good introduction to how barrels can enhance beer.

Brooklyn Brewery Manhattan Project – This  beer was a collaboration between Brooklyn Brewery and David Wondrich, drinks editor of Esquire magazine. It was aged in rye whiskey barrels for a wonderfully smoky aroma and taste.

Allagash Curieux – Aged in Jim Beam barrels for 8 weeks, this one is a must try.

Dogfish Head Burton Baton – A fantastically complex yet still light ale with notes of oak and vanilla.

Smuttynose Brewing Oaked Tripel Penetration – A great twist on a traditional Belgian style tripel. The heavy oak notes blended well with the light flavors of a tripel.

What’s your favorite barrel-aged beer? Have you tried a barrel-aged brew you would like to recommend? Let us know next time you have one by tweeting what you drank and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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A Hard Look At Hard Ciders

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

Ciders

We’ve been discussing the many different beers that are associated with the autumn months lately. For many though, beer is not the only drink strongly connected to the fall. Hard cider is also quite popular this time of the year. Although it doesn’t get the same attention as the craft brewers, there are a number of great craft cider producers out there worth a try. Today we’re going to change gears a bit look at some cider worth a try.

Before we get to the particular ciders though, I should mention that just like there’s many different styles of beer, there are many different styles of cider. Because the sweeter varieties are the most popular here in the US, many folks think all cider is like that, but there are many different versions out there, made from many different apples. The taste of cider can range from syrupy sweet to dry as champagne, so before you cast off cider be sure you’re aware of the variety out there to try.

Magners - Possibly the most well known brand of cider around the world. Although Magners is not very respected among many serious cider drinkers, who find it too sweet, everyone shoot still try it just for the reference. This brand is actually known as Bulmers in its native Ireland, which should not be confused with the English brand of the same name.

Woodchuck – A Vermont producer which has a delicious Granny Smith cider available. It’s got a nice tart flavor to it that balances out the sweeter qualities of the apples.

Harpoon – This Boston-based craft brewer has making great craft ale since the 1980’s. Recently they began producing a line of cider, and it’s definitely worth a try.

Original Sin – A producer based out of New York City which makes great cider that’s a little bit dryer and less sweet. It’s a great introduction to the more sophisticated European styles of cider

Ace – The first American craft cider producer, this is the company that started it all. If you can get your hands on any of the cider from California, be sure to give it a try.

What do you think about Cider? Let us know next time you have one by tweeting it and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Five Alternative Autumn Brews

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

autumn beer

We’ve already taken a look at a few of the most well known beers of the fall season, such as pumpkin ales and the Oktoberfest style. They’re plenty of lesser known styles of beer that go great with the autumn also. Today we’re going to take a look at few of them.

Schwartzbier – German for “black beer,” this style of dark lager is surprisingly light given its name. Dark grains are used for color, but not enough to impart any of the roasted qualities of a porter or stout. Instead this style gets its bitterness from German hops. Overall it makes for light but full-bodied taste that’s a bit creamy. Sam Adams’ Black Lager is probably the most well known version in America, but Köstritzer Schwarzbier and Saranac Black Forest are also worth checking out.

Biere de Garde – This obscure style is one of the few types of beer native to France. The name loosely translates to “beer for keeping” which is indicative of the style’s high alcohol strength, which was designed to help the beer age well over the hot summer months when it’s too hot for brewing. Unlike other high alcohol brews, biere de garde is usually well balanced in flavor and moderate in body, with light buttery elements to it. All of this makes Biere De Garde a great beer for big starchy meals like Thanksgiving. Brasserie De Saint-Sylvestre’s probably the most notable produces of this style with their 3 Monts beer, but be sure to try Avant Garde from the Lost Abbey, Biere de Mars from Brewewy Ommegang (not to be confused with New Belgium’s Biere de Mars) and Oro De Calabaza from Jolly Pumpkin Brewing.

Dobblebock – These heavy lagers were first brewed by fasting German monks to give them sustenance while abstaining from food. They are nutty and sweet in flavor with a medium body. Sam Adams Winter Lager is a great example of the style by an American craft brewer. Ayinger Celebrator, Paulaner Salvator and Spaten Optimator are three more traditional German versions worth a try.

Dunkelweizen – A dark (‘dunkel’ meaning ‘dark’ in German) version of the well known Hefeweizen style of German wheat beer, this style combines the banana and clove qualities of a hefe with dark grains to make a refreshing yet full bodied beer that some compare to banana bread. For a good example of this style try Weihenstephaner’s dunkelweizen. Franziskaner and Erdinger also make excellent traditional versions of the style.

Weizenbock – An even darker version of Dunkelweizen, which combines the dark roasted qualities of a porter or stout and matches them with the effervescent and fruity qualities of a hefeweizen. Try Aventinus from Schneider to taste a classic version of the style. Moonglow from Victory is a great American take on the style.

What’s your favorite autumn beer?  Let us know next time you have it by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Style Profile: Oktoberfest

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

OktoberfestAlthough Oktoberfest in Munich ended last Sunday, there’s no reason why we can’t continue to enjoy all the great Oktoberfest beer that’s produced every year. Today we’re going to take a look at the history and characteristics of this wonderful German style of beer.

Oktoberfest first took place on October 10, 1810 as a 16 day celebration of the marriage between Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The main attraction for the 40,000 Bavarians at the  festival wasn’t the beer but rather a horse race. Over the next few years, the attention shifted away from the horse race and wedding anniversary and toward a celebration  of the fall harvest. When food and beer stands were introduced in 1818, this transition was complete, and the Oktoberfest as we know it was born. Since that time, Oktoberfest celebrations have spread to the rest of Germany, and today, Oktoberfest type celebrations are held throughout the world each fall.

Some brewers have a tendency to make whatever beer they want and call it “Oktoberfest,” but the real stuff has its roots in the strong traditions of German beer. Oktoberfest is usually brewed in the Marzen style, a beer brewed in the late spring for consumption over the hot summer months. A type of lager, Oktoberfest/Marzen typically has a copper  to red color with a lightly malty or sweet taste. The hops are generally mild and take a backseat to the malts. These balanced qualities make Oktoberfest/Marzen the perfect brew for the fall. It’s right between the lighter summer styles and the heavier winter styles.

Sam Adams’ take on Oktoberfest is probably the most well known American version, but be sure to try some German varieties for something slightly more authentic. Paulaner, Spaten and Ayinger are three great German breweries who each make a mean Oktoberfest that’s slightly sweeter than Sam Adams.

What’s your favorite Oktoberfest beer? Let us know next time you have it by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Beervana Beer Festival

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Beervana

Recently the Beeriety crew went down to Providence, RI to attend the first Beervana Beer Festival in the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center. There was a lot of beer to try, and a lot of fun was had by all.

DSC04622

The most striking thing about this beer festival was its location. The botanical gardens were a far cry from the usual convention halls in which most beer festivals take place. The high glass and metal ceilings and the plethora of large and exotic plant life made it feel like a beer festival in the bio-dome. The environment was fun, even if the winding layout made it tough at times to find your favorite brewer. All of the glass and metal didn’t absorb much of the noise of 500 chatty beer lovers either, which made talking to the various brewers a bit of challenge at times.

Of course, the beer and not the location was the reason we went down to Providence, and on that front, Beervana was a rousing success. Over 20 different brewers and importers offered a huge variety of different brews, including many that weren’t available anywhere else. There were many different beers to try, but the ones which stood out most in our minds were the scotch ales and other liquor-inspired offerings.

Here’s a breakdown of some of our favorites:

Newport Storm Rum-Chipped Marzen- This was a traditional German marzen brewed with chips from an oak barrel which had been used to age rum.  (The chips were strained out before bottling.)  The sweet, warm flavors of the rum imparted a subtle vanilla taste to this beer.

Brooklyn Brewery Manhattan Project- This  beer was a collaboration between Brooklyn Brewery and David Wondrich, drinks editor of Esquire magazine. It was aged in rye whiskey barrels for a wonderfully smoky aroma and taste.

Berkshire Brewing Company Wood-aged Scotch Ale- Another great, barrel-aged scotch ale with a powerful aroma matched only by its alcoholic strength.

Samuel Smith Stingo- This classic Yorkshire brewery unveiled their latest creation, which was aged in oak barrels for over a year before bottling.  The oak blended nicely with the buttery flavors from Sam Smith’s house yeast.

Smuttynose Brewing Oaked Tripel Penetration- A great twist on a traditional Belgian style tripel. The heavy oak notes blended well with the light flavors of a tripel.

Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione

Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione speaks

In addition to all of the great beer, there were special guest speakers. Rob Tod, founder of Allagash Brewing Co., spoke about barrel aged beer. Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, spoke about his special ancient ales project. Both speakers attracted large crowds, but it was no surprise to see that Calagione drew the biggest audience, as he’s known throughout the craft brew world for his blunt nature.

All and all, it was a great time and a well organized event, especially for a festival in its first year. If you’re in the area next year, be sure to check out Beervana.

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Pumpkin Ale Flights Soar At Sunset

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

pumpkinFlights

As we discussed recently, pumpkin beer is by far one of the most popular beers of the fall. Each autumn countless brewers from the smallest craft brewer to the big guys over at Anheuser-Busch release their own take on this seasonal style. With so many different pumpkin beers out there to choose from the task of which one to have next time you’re at your local pub can be a bit daunting. In order to find your favorite pumpkin beer you certainly could simply try a full pint of each brewery’s version of pumpkin beer. With so many out there though that process could take you right through the fall and into winter and spring. A more manageable approach to becoming familiar with a style might be to try a flight.

A flight is several smaller portions of a beer served at the same time, typically four or five glasses containing 4 or 5 ounces each. It’s a great way to try several beers at once without investing a whole night’s worth of drinking, or the money associated with it.

Although still fairly uncommon, many beer bars will offer flights of their draft offerings in any combination of your choosing. One such place here in Boston is Sunset Bar & Grill, where Team Beeriety recently ventured to try some of this year’s pumpkin’s ales. This style 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.

pumpkin flight

Our flights consisted of four beers:

1. Clipper City The Great Pumpkin - At 8.5% Alc./volume this one packs a punch, but with its balanced flavors you’d never notice how strong it is.

2. Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin - Another great brew with subtle notes of nutmeg mixed with roasted pumpkin

3. Dogfish Head Punkin – This fantastic brew takes it’s name not from punk rock but an annual pumpkin shooting contest in southern Delaware

4. Wolavers Organic Pumpkin - While this one was a bit sweet, we applaud the effort to make it organic which is tough for many brewers.

They were all great, but the two that we liked the best were Clipper City and Dogfish Head with Weyerbacher coming in a close third. These beers fell into the first school of beer which tastes like actual pumpkins.  They each had a crisp, mild sweetness combined with strong pumpkin flavors that gave the beer a clean, roasted quality, which is what we like in a pumpkin beer. We all agreed that Wolavers Oragnic Pumpkin was the least favorite of the batch. Even though it was more of a pumpkin pie beer than a pumpkin beer it was still way too sweet with not nearly enough pumpkin flavor to it. All and all though it was a great way to get a taste of the season and discuss our favorite beers.

Have you ever tried a flight of beer? What’s your favorite pumpkin beer? Next time you have one let us know by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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The Great American Beer Fest 2009

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

GABF

Today’s post comes to us courtesy of Beeriety’s Denver correspondent Rachel Dipalma. Thanks Rachel!

The Great American Beer Fest (GABF) sloshed its way through Denver from September 24th to the 26th. The GABF is really an incredible experience, but like any epic undertaking it does not benefit from going into it blind-eyed. A four hour session can fly by if you go in unprepared. The best place for me to do research was on Twitter, where searching for #GABF would yield tons of tweets from Thursday’s session about everything from the beers to try, the overrated brews not worth waiting for, to the lines in the bathroom. You can also prepare in the admission line, because it’s one of the longest ones you’ll ever stand in. Hopefully you’ve already made your pretzel necklace by now (to ward off the beer belly-ache, of course) so you can focus your hour-plus stand in line to map out where to go first, what not to miss, etc.

Once I was inside I took a deep breath and a good look around. A massive showroom floor is in front of me, with thousands of happy people representing 450 breweries waiting to serve over 2,000 beers. Thankfully, the groupings of tables are broken up by geographic region, which makes it easier to prioritize. I had the benefit of going with three GABF virgins who all had different goals and tastes- one wanted milk stouts, another wanted sour styles, and another went into it like I did- asking the brewers and reps (if they’re around) what their favorite is. Truthfully, it’s damn near impossible to try every single beer on your wish list, so for me, going with a recommendation is the best way to handle a new brewery.

Photo: Jason E. Kaplan

Photo: Jason E. Kaplan

Some highlights for all of us were beers from Lost Abbey, Duck-Rabbit, Brugges Brasserie, Alesmiths, and the always-charming Brooklyn Brewery. I tried some excellent beer made with Yerba Mate tea (from MateVeza Brewers out of Ukiah, California,) and got a chance to say hi to the brewers from Olde Saratoga/Mendocino brewery, whom are among the East Coast establishments I miss dearly. I think the most important part for me was to spend time with good friends drinking and talking about beer.

Another surprising highlight was the amount of amateur events going on. We got to try the three Sam Adams Long-Shot competitors, Sam Adams’ homebrew competition. They were all great- Lemon Pepper Saison? YES PLEASE! We also spent some serious time at the GABF Pro-Am tables. 25 or so of the nation’s most creative and delicious small batch brews were served up, conceptualized by Average Joes and sponsored by their local breweries to be there. It really speaks to the purpose of GABF itself- a gathering to encourage and inspire people to do what they love, and do it well. The Pro-Am standout for me was a golden ale made with elderflowers- the flavor was so crisp that it made an impression on my beer-burnt out tongue.

Alas, taste bud fatigue is the demise of many a GABF-er, and the only remedy for that is, obviously, a late-night snack. Thankfully, we know the perfect place for that. The Vine St. Pub in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood serves up organic bar food and a late-night happy hour full of microbrews from their mother brewpub in Boulder, as well as several carefully selected guest brews. This place is definitely a laid-back spot, and is always a great way to end a blurry evening.

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Five Things You Didn’t Know About Your Beer

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

Thanks to their ubiquitous advertising and numerous sponsorship deals, light lagers are by far the most well known beers in America. While everyone knows their catchy jingles and funny commercials there is plenty that the average consumer doesn’t know about light lagers. Today we’re going to take a look at a few things those commercials leave out.

1.There are fish guts in your beer.

Beluga_sturgeonIsinglass is an ingredient made from the swim bladder of fish (specifically the beluga sturgeon) that has been traditionally been used by brewers as a clarifying and finning agent in beer. Although most of the major macro brewers in America have discontinued to use of this product, plenty of other notable brewers such as Guinness, Red Stripe, Foster’s and Newcastle still put it in your beer. For a more complete list of what brewers still use this and other animal-derived products check barnivore.com.

2. All lagers are brewed cold, it’s nothing to brag about.

Many different brewers over the years have bragged about how cold their beer is brewed. As we’ve pointed out before though, all lagers are brewed cold, that’s just how lager beer is made, so bragging about it in commercials doesn’t really mean much, all you’re saying is that you followed directions.

3. Drinking light lager isn’t saving you money.

beerA common defense among folks that prefer light lagers is that it’s cheap and they’re just drinking it for the alcohol. We happen to think that beer should be enjoyed for its flavor, but if you feel otherwise that’s cool too. It’s true that light lagers like Coors and Miller have some of the lowest prices on the market but they also have some of the lowest alcohol content as well. Miller Light, Coors Light and Bud Light all clock in just above 4%, while the average for the style is usually at least 5%, so you’re hardly getting your money’s worth.


4. Light lagers aren’t made with barley, they’re made with corn and rice.
As we’ve explained many times on this blog, barley is one of the main ingredients of beer, and probably the ingredient which defines beer the most. While other traditional grains such as rye and wheat are sometimes used, barley is the ingredient which really makes beer what it is. The Germans even passed a law in1516, the Reinheitsgebot, that forbade the brewing of beer with anything other than barley. Don’t tell this to Miller, Coors or Budweiser though, as there’s hardly any barley in their beer at all. They mostly use rice and corn because it’s cheaper, and they think you can’t tell the difference. Miller has been even known to use high fructose corn syrup in their beers, the same stuff that sweetens Kool-Aid. I doubt that would past the Reinheitsgebot.

5. There aren’t real hops in your light lager.

tetraAs we’ve mentioned before, the reason beer can get ’skunked’ after being left out for awhile is due to a reaction between the hops in beer and sunlight. How can some breweries like Miller and Newcastle get away with clear bottles? Because they don’t use real hops. Thanks to the miracle of modern science there is a synthetic chemical known as Tetrahop available to brewers that mimics hop flavor, while being immune to the adverse effects of the sun. A downside is that Tetrahop has no aroma, which is too bad as aroma is a major component to perceived hop flavor.

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