Several recent news stories have reminded us once again of how much growth and change the craft beer world is constantly undergoing, in particular the purchase of Independent Brewers United, the producers of the Magic Hat, Pyramid, and MacTarnahan beers, by North American Breweries (NAB). NAB is the company responsible for such questionable “brews” as Labatt Blue lager and Seagrams’s Escapes wine coolers. Understandably, many in the craft beer world are a bit concerned over this news, as Magic Hat and Pyramid are the 8th and 5th largest craft breweries in the country, respectively. Some are also reading the resignation of Magic Hat’s president and co-founder following this deal as another bad sign.
The history of spices in beer is as old and varied as beer itself. Despite the fact that hops have become the predominant spicing agent used in most contemporary styles, that was not always the case. In areas where hops are not native or easily grown the role of hops was frequently played by another bitter and/or mildly anti-septic plant, such as marigold, burdock, juniper, or heather. In fact, during the Middle Ages, a substance known as gruit (a mash-up of various herbs and spices) was used to provide the same preservative and flavoring benefits that hops can provide. As recently as the Renaissance, spicing beer was still fairly common all across Europe. Grains of Paradise (a peppery member of the ginger family) was particularly popular and was most likely used to cover over the stale or sour flavors of beer that had been improperly made or stored.
For this week’s installment of The Crafted Can, I took on Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, from British brewery Wells and Young. This 5.2% beer isn’t only packaged in a can, as you can also purchase it in bottles. However, you get a special treat when you buy the canned version: a cartridge of nitro called a widget. The 12oz. can is given extra length to house the widget.
For the past month I’ve been in charge of Saturday brewery tours at the Chelsea Brewing Company. Four months ago, I never would have though myself capable of giving an informative and in-depth brewery tour. However, the hands on education I’ve been receiving has really beefed up my beer knowledge and more importantly, it has giving me a real, physical understanding of the beverage I’ve spent the last several years studying while enjoying the occasional pint.
Last week we covered some of the great places and great beer we had while in Chicago, but that wasn’t all the town had to offer. While the Goose Island Brew Pub and Miller’s Pub were a lot of fun, there were plenty more beer-centric locales to try while in town; fortunately we got to try two of them.
Recently some of Beeriety crew headed to lovely Chicago, IL to take in the sights, sounds and tastes of The Second City. While we were there, we got the chance to check out many of Chicago’s best beer bars and sample some of the tasty brews that we just can’t get in our home base of Boston. Here’s a quick run-down of where we went and what we drank.
