Archive for the ‘Beer Education’ Category

Start Your Own Craft While You Craft Night

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Need more excuses to drink good beer with good friends? Me too. So recently some friends and I came up with a great one: we love to do craft projects, and we LOVE to drink craft beer. Why not put them together and start a Craft While You Craft Night?!

For our first meeting we did a selection of beer and cheese pairings combined with a pinhole art project from designsponge.com. Crafting guru Lauren provided the tools for the project, and I selected some beers and cheeses to sample before, during, and after the project.

For our second meeting we decided to make a beer-themed project, using something most beer-drinkers always have plenty of: bottle caps. Using epoxy, mosaic grout, corkboard, plywood circles, a glue gun, pin-backs, and a few other handy craft supplies, we fashioned some coasters, trivets, earrings, and pins out of our bottle cap collections.

However, before we started crafting, we did a tasting of our favorite Summertime brews. Lauren started us off with a very summer-y beer cocktail: shandy. Shandies can be made a number of ways, but this one was a simple half & half mixture of sparking lemonade and Endurance Arctica Pale Ale. It was bubbly, sweet, and delicious. We then moved to Rebecca’s selection, American Darling, Pretty Things’ “Lawnmower” Lager; then Diana’s, the People’s Pint Natural Blonde Ale – both crisp, clean selections perfect for a summer afternoon. Ready to “spice” things up a little, we moved on to my selection, the Luciernaga Belgian Pale from Jolly Pumpkin. This brew is refreshing and slightly tart, with hints of spice, citrus and apple – a perfect summer-to-fall transition beer. We ended with Heather’s selections: first some Saison Dupont, one of the best saisons around, and we ended with some Ipswich Summer, an unfiltered and citrus-y Blonde. The tastings and the projects went very well!

If you’re not a Craft-er (but still love Craft Beer) there are lots of other possible Beer-tivities that might be right up your alley:

For the film buff: host a movies & craft night – pick a classic (or kitchy) flick and pair it with a selection of beers. You could also do a TV show beer night. Why not drink craft beer (or beer cocktails) during your weekly Mad Men screening instead of downing martini after martini. You’ll stay sober longer and you don’t even have to buy olives!

For the foodie: try a potluck food and craft beer night – everyone brings a combination and you get to explore the flavors that come out when you pair beer with various foods. Or you could go all out and take turns hosting a Craft Beer Dinner where each course is matched perfectly with a particular craft beer.

For the sportsfan: pre-game with some craft beer and then switch to something more session-y when the game starts. There’s no reason to drink swill just because you’re drinking for hours. Don’t be peer-pressured by promises of “Drinkability.”

For the overly-literate: mix up your book club meetings with a tasting before or after you discuss (before, if you’re looking for a more exciting discussion.) Or if you host a weekly Scrabble or Trivial Pursuit night, why not make it more interesting by trying some craft brew while you play.

For the beer-lover with no other beer-friendly hobbies: why not just host a no-frills craft-tasting night? Sometimes the best choice is the simplest one.

Do you have friends, beer, and some way of putting them together? Let us know your favorite craft-ivities, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #mybeer to tell us what you’re drinking!

Sugar & Spice: An Intro to Beer Spices

Friday, August 20th, 2010

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.

However, as regulatory practices worked towards more standardized beer production, spiced beer remained traditional in some regions and was legislated, regulated, and even shamed out of popular use in others. For this reason, spices are a much more common element of styles produced in regions like Belgium than they are in Germany (where the Reinheitsgebot limited beer ingredients to the big four) or England (where for a while even the use of hops was forbidden in certain ales.)

Though spices are uncommon to many beer styles, if you’re both a beer-lover and a spice-enthusiast (like me) there are still lots of styles you can explore. For the purposes of keeping it simple, I want to talk about three of the spiciest beer categories:

Fall & Winter Seasonals (Pumpkin beers, Winter “Warmers”, Holiday beers, etc.)
Cooler weather means warmer beers, so these seasonals combine the natural warming effects of alcohol with the natural warming effects of certain spices. Pumpkin beers tend to spice with the same ingredients that we know and love in our pumpkin pies. In fact, the core spices used in most cool-weather brews will be things you could find in any given kitchen: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, and vanilla. among others. In addition to these types of warming spices, Winter beers frequently add fruit flavors to mimic the classic Wassail experience.

For a Pumpkin Ale try Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale, Brooklyn’s Post Road Pumpkin, or Smuttynose’s Pumpkin Ale – all of which feature a subtle (instead of overwhelming) pumpkin-spiciness.

For Holiday or Winter Brews try the Sam Smith Winter Welcome, Anderson Valley Winter Solstice, or the Dubuisson Bush de Noel.

Belgians
As legendary beer writer Michael Jackson noted, “the Belgians are the greatest users of herbs and spices in beer.” And you don’t have to be a serious beer expert to feel the truth of this statement. A wide range of Belgian brews feature spice as a prominent ingredient -most notably, Belgian witbiers and saisons. Traditional spices include coriander, sweet and bitter orange peel, black pepper, grains of paradise, and sweet gale – all of which provide the sweet, spicy, and summer-y flavors that you except from those styles.

For a classic Witbier, just pick up a Hoegaarden (unfortunately now owned by InBev) or an Allagash White.

For a Saison try Saison Dupont, Foret, or Ommegang’s Hennepin.

Experimental

Though the Belgians may be the reigning spice champs, the American craft scene is giving them a run for their money with a collective penchant for spices and other unorthodox ingredients. In addition to all the classics, many American brewers are using herbs, flowers, and even chili powder to play with styles and flavors.

Boston-based Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project makes a Rustic Stout with rosemary. Rogue offers us a a beer spiced with Chipotle peppers (their Chipotle Ale, which tastes exactly like what you’d think,) a few variations on Juniper beers (John John Juniper and the Juniper Pale ale,) and even a Chamomile Ale (of same name). Dogfish Head seems to use every spicing agent under the sun, including basil (Black Thai), lemongrass (Namaste), crystallized ginger (Pangea), chiles (Theobroma), and juniper & black tea (Sah’Tea).

Got a favorite spice-y beer? Let us know by tweeting with hashtag #mybeer!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, the yearly holiday which celebrates all things Mexican. The festival dates back to May 5, 1862 when Mexican Republic forces defeated the invading French military at the Battle of Puebla, despite being vastly outnumbered. Although the holiday is not currently celebrated through much of Mexico, it remains as popular as ever in the United States and other parts of the world. Along with Mexican food, a great way to honor Mexico tomorrow is to enjoy some tasty Mexican brews.

The origins of Mexican beer can actually be traced back to the events surrounding the Battle of Puebla. That battle was just one small part of the larger Franco-Mexican War, and despite Mexico’s victory at Puebla, the French would ultimately win the war, ending the Mexican Republic and establishing the brief Second Mexican Empire. In 1864 The French installed Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph of Austria as Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, who brought with him much of the Austrian way of life, including brewing, which was previously unknown to the area.

Maximilian’s reign and the Second Mexican Empire were extremely short lived. The Empire was overthrown by republican forces just three years later in 1867 and Maximilian was executed. While the Mexicans clearly didn’t take kindly to Max, they did like his beer. Ever since then Mexican breweries have continued to produce the Vienna lager Max introduced to them.

Vienna lagers are a crisp and refreshing style of lager that’s primarily marked by its light to medium body and biscuity taste. Although most closely associated with Mexican beers such as Dos Equis, Modelo Especial, many common American beers, such as Sam Adams Boston Lager, are technically Vienna lager. Snake River Lager from Snake River Brewing in Wyoming is tough to find but universally regarded as one of the best in the style. Bohemia, despite its German name is actually made by a Mexican brewing company.

Corona is of course bound to show up at any Cinco De Mayo celebration. While unquestionably the most popular Mexican beer, we can’t recommend drinking it. Much like Budweiser is a poor imitation of a Czech pilsner, Corona is also a terrible approximation of what Vienna lager should be, so be warned. Drinking one tomorrow may be tough to avoid, but you should at least know what you’re getting yourself into.

¡Salud!

How to say “Cheers” is 40 Languages

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

No matter where you go and what you drink, people everywhere appreciate a toast to good health and good cheer. Here’s a list of 40 different ways to say cheers from around the world. We’ve tried to verify these as much as possible but if you have any suggestions or corrections please let us know in the comments.

Afrikaans – Gesondheid!
Albanian – Gëzuar!
Arabic (Egyptian) – (fee saḥitkum) في صحتكم!
Bosnian -  Živjeli!
Bulgarian – Наздраве! (Nazdrave)
Chinese (Mandarin) – 乾杯! [干杯!] (gān bēi)
Croatian – Živjeli!
Czech – Na zdraví!
Danish – Skål!
Dutch – Prosit!
English – Cheers!
Estonian – Tervist!
Flemish – Santé!
Finnish – Kippis!
French - Santé!
Irish Gaelic – Sláinte!
Scottish Gaelic – Slàinte!
Georgian – Gaumarjos!
German -  Prost!
Greek – στην υγειά σας! (stin ighia’ sas)
Hawaiian – Okole Maluna!
Hebrew – L’ Chaim
Hindi - अच्छी सेहत! (acchī sehata)
Hungarian – Kedves egeszsegere!
Icelandic – Skál!
Indonesian – Pro!
Italian – Salute!
Japanese – 乾杯 (kanpai)
Korean – 건배 [乾杯] (geonbae)
Norwegian – Skål!
Persian/Farsi -  به سلامتی! (beh salamati)
Polish – Na zdrowie!
Portuguese – Saúde
Russian – Будем здоровы! (Budem zdorovy)
Spanish – ¡Salud!
Swedish -  Skål!
Turkish - Şerefe!
Vietnamese – Chúc sức khoẻ!
Welsh – Iechyd da!

A Guide to Dates on Beer Bottles

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

Most beer bottles have some sort of date on them, but figuring out what they mean can be a bit confusing. Some bottles have “pull dates” and some have “born on dates.” What do each of these dates mean? Isn’t aged beer supposed to be good? Here’s a closer look at the dates on your bottle, and how they can affect your beer.

The date you see on most beer bottles are not expiration dates but ‘pull dates,’ which are the dates retailers are instructed to pull beers off a shelf if they haven’t sold yet. The beer inside hasn’t expired, but it’s not longer considered “brewery fresh” and most companies no longer want it to be sold. Many brewers will buy these bottles back from a retailer a full retail price, so there is no reason to keeping old beer on the shelf.

“Born on dates” are the less common marking you’ll find on some bottles indicating when the beer was bottled. They were first introduced by Anheuser-Busch in the 1990’s as part of a marketing campaign, but in practice they also let the retailer know when beer should be taken off the shelf. For many years A-B recommended a shelf life of 110 days, but a few years ago extended that to 180 days. Of course this wasn’t info readily available to the consumer, which can make born on dates a bit confusing as they’re easy to mistake for pull dates.

While getting a beer as fresh as possible is great, aged beer can be pretty wonderful, so which beer should you pick up from the store? Well aging beer is unfortunately not as simple as letting a beer sit on a store shelf. Beer only ages correctly under the proper conditions. Usually this means a cool, dry place around 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit away from any direct light; so basically the opposite of a store shelf. Additionally, not all beer ages well. Beers high in hops or low in alcohol (under 6% alcohol by volume) typically are best consumed relatively fresh.

The long and short of it is that you should probably pay attention to dates on bottles, and try to pick up the freshest beer you can. While there’s a chance an old bottle of beer at the store will be just fine, that’s a risk not worth taking. Try to avoid any bottle at the store with dust on it, that way you can age it yourself properly if you want and ensure it will mature the right way. Also generally speaking, unless otherwise noted, most dates on beers are pull dates, not born on dates.

Do you pay attention to the dates on beer bottles? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.

An Introduction to Mead

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

Although beer is our main focus here at Beeriety, we sometimes like to profile related fields that are also popular among craft beer enthusiasts. Humans have been drinking mead for a long, long time. In fact, its thought to be the first type of alcohol ever produced, dating back all the way to 7000 BCE. The Romans drank mead, the Vikings drank mead and people today still drink mead, although in much smaller numbers. Since the mid-1990’s there has been a growing interest in the beverage and more great mead makers are cropping up with each passing year. Although it can be tough to find in some parts of the US, the unique variety of flavors possible with mead makes it worth seeking out.

The mead brewing process is very similar to the beer brewing process. Both start with a sugar-rich substance, (with beer it’s grains, with mead it’s honey) which is steeped and boiled and then brought back down to room temperature. Yeast is added to ferment the mixture, converting the sugars to CO2 and alcohol. After a few weeks to a few months of aging, a delicious beverage is the end result.

Also just like with beer, from this simple process a whole range of flavors and styles are possible. Meads range from sweet to dry, from still to sparkling, and everything in between. Sometimes the labels on bottles of mead can be difficult to decipher so here’s a quick rundown of some mead styles and terms:

Show mead – A basic mead but with just honey, water and yeast. Frequently multiple types of honey will be used and blended together

Traditional mead – Basic mead that makes uses of some additives, but still tastes very similar to show mead

Varietal Mead – Mead made from honey from a single type of honey from a single region

Metheglin – Mead made with spices and herbs.

Pyment – Mead made with grapes or blended with wine.

Cyser – Mead made with apples or blended with cider.

Braggot – Mead made with grain or blended with beer.

Melomel – Mead brewed with fruit, usually something different than grapes or apples.

Hydromel – Low alcohol mead, between 1-6% alcohol by volume.

Standard strength – Moderately alcoholic mead, usually 7.5-14% ABV

Sack strength – Mead of more than 14% ABV

Still - Uncarbonated mead.

Petillant – Lightly carbonated mead.

Sparkling – Fully carbonated mead, similar to beer or sparkling wine in effervescence

These terms are frequently combined on a label, so you’ll see a bottle marked “petillant hydromel braggot” or “sparkling sack melomel.” Occasionally you’ll even see mead marked as “honeywine,” but that’s really a bit of a misnomer, since it doesn’t have much to do with actual wine. By far the biggest mead brewery, or meadery is Red Stone out of Colorado.  They are available in almost 30 different states and all of their styles are worth a try. Head over to their website for further info on availability.

Have you ever tried mead? What do you think of it? let us known on Twitter or in the comments.

How Hangovers Happen (And How To Avoid Them)

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

We’ve explained before how alcohol affects the brain during a long night of  drinking. As most people know though, the affects of heavy alcohol consumption doesn’t end when you finally make it to bed. If you’re not careful the next morning can often be a miserable experience thanks to the unpleasant symptoms of a hangover.

Much of a hangover’s negative symptoms are caused by the dehydrating effects of alcohol. When absorbed through the digestive system alcohol inhibits the secretion of vasopressin, a hormone which regulates the retention of water in the body. In response the body begins releasing water through the urinary system, which eventually leads to dehydration. This lack of moisture causes headaches, dry mouth and of course, thirst.

Dehydration is only one of the many reasons you can feel crummy the morning after. When the body digests alcohol the various byproducts produced can have some pretty nasty effects as well. The liver breaks down ethanol into acetic acid, a substance which can be up to 30 times more toxic than alcohol itself, contributing greatly to the general sick feeling associated with a hangover. Usually this substance is handled by glutathione, a detoxifying agent produced by the liver, but in the presence of large amounts of alcohol the liver is unable to produce enough of the stuff, causing a build up of acetic acid. The elevated levels of this acid also impair the body’s ability to process glucose and maintain proper blood-sugar levels, especially in the brain, resulting in a lack of energy and ability to focus. On top of all that, alcohol can also affect the lining of the stomach, causing nausea.

As many of you may know, when it comes to hangovers, not all alcohol is created equally. Some drinks tend to cause worse hangovers than others. This is due to certain chemicals found in some types of alcohol, such as congeners and sulfites. Generally speaking, the darker and sweeter a beverage the more of these chemicals are found. A recent study at Brown University found dark liquors such as bourbon and rum contained much more congeners than lighter colored drinks like vodka. Sulfites are also notorious for causing hangovers, although they tend to be found only in red wines.

There are countless folk remedies for relieving the more unpleasant aspects of a hangover, but most scientific studies have found them to be mildly effective at best. Water and food with plenty of healthy vitamins are always good ideas for when you’re feeling sick, regardless of whether it’s alcohol related or not. In particular, a study released last year suggests that bacon may be especially helpful the morning after.

Despite all of this the only guaranteed way to relieve or prevent a hangover remains drinking responsibly. We all have the occasional heavy night out, but if you’re drinking to the point of a hangover on a regular basis chances are you’re drinking too much. You may be endangering not only your health but the health of those around you when you’re intoxicated. If you’re concerned about the alcohol consumption of you or someone you know, please seek professional help.

Cooking with Guinness on St. Patty’s Day

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s day, a time for gathering with loved ones and enjoying a glass or two of your favorite beer. Many celebrate St. Patty’s day with perhaps the most famous Irish beer, Guinness. It’s a yearly tradition the Beeriety team follows as well. Guinness is not only great on its own, it’s also is great to cook with. Here’s five delicious recipes with Guinness in them to cook tomorrow.

Guinness Bread – Whatever you have to eat tomorrow, you’ll probably want some bread to go with it, and what better bread to have on St. Patrick’s than some tasty Guinness bread? It’s easy to throw together and tasty enough to be its own meal.

Guinness Beef Stew – This classic Irish meal is hearty and delectable. It’s a great meal that will fill you up in no time, but still leave you craving more. The rich flavor of the Guinness blends amazingly well with the beef.

Guinness Potato Salad – Although it may seem a bit unusual, the Guinness really makes this dish into a delicious side. In addition to that, there’s bacon in it, and who doesn’t love bacon? It’ll go great with almost anything you decide to have tomorrow.

Guinness Chocolate Pudding – Absolutely amazing looking and even better tasting, this thick chocolate pudding has a wonderful hint of Guinness to it.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes – These delicious treats are inspired by the cocktail of the same name which involves a half-shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream and half-shot of Jameson’s Irish whiskey in a glass of Guinness stout. Our friend Meg made them recently at an Oscars party we attended and they were absolutely amazing.

How do you like to ring in St. Patrick’s day? Have you ever tried cooking with Guinness, or any other beer? Let us know in the comments or on twitter.

Erin Go Bragh!

Is Your State Restricting Your Beer?

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Two weeks ago the Alabama Senate passed a bill legalizing the homebrewing of beer and wine. If the bill, which is now being considered by the Alabama House, goes into law, Alabama will become one of the last states in the US to legalize homebrewing. Although homebrewing is legal under federal law there a few states which still ban the hobby. Unfortunately, these aren’t the only restrictive beer laws on the books in many US states.  This includes not just what you can make at home, but what you can buy form the store, such as how strong beer can be. Here’s a quick rundown of some of these prohibitive beer laws.

Iowa – Beer > 5% ABV must be shipped through state warehouse, making it difficult to find and all but illegal.

Utah – Beer > 4% ABV can only be sold in state stores. Only 4% ABV or below beer available on tap. Ban on the sales of kegs.

Pennsylvania – Beer is only available through state run distributors or restaurants. Distributors mainly sell cases and kegs, making it difficult to try new and unusual beers. Six packs and 12 packs of beer can be purchased from bars and restaurants to be taken home, but only 194 ounces (or sixteen 12oz bottles) at a time. Pennsylvania is also one of the few states in which you must be 21 to purchase non-alcoholic (0.5% ABV) beer.  Breweries most also register their beer with the state, last week a controversial raid took place in Philadelphia of three bars selling aged beers not registered because the brewery had gone out of business.

Alabama – Beer stronger than 13.9% ABV is not permitted. No bottles larger than 16 ounces.

Florida – No bottles larger than 32 ounces.

Georgia – 14% ABV cap on beer. A recent development, up until five years ago the cap was 6% ABV

Oklahoma – Beer stronger than 4% ABV can on be sold at room temperature. This refrigeration ban has lead to many craft breweries to skip the state. Homebrewing is also still illegal.

Kansas – Until 1987 selling alcohol to be consumed on site, such as at a bar or restaurant was illegal. Today many counties still require bars and restaurants restaurants make 30% of their profits from food to sell alcohol.

Michigan – Beer made at micorbreweries or brewpubs cannot be served on site

New Hampshire - 14% ABV cap on beer.

New York – Beer and liquor cannot be sold at the same store.

North Carolina – 15% ABV cap on beer.

Ohio – 12% ABV cap on beer.

South Carolina – 14% ABV on beer.

West Virginia – 12% ABV cap on beer.

Washington, D.C. – No singles bottle sales permitted.

Although limits as high at 15% ABV may seem permissive enough, it does ban many of the more experimental beers from Belgian brewers and adventuresome craft brewers. Moreover, it confines brewers from exploring uncharted brewing territory. If distilled liquors which are frequently 40-45% ABV are permitted, why limit how strong beer can be? To find out what you can do to help change the beer laws in your state head over to the Brewers Association Beer Activist site.

What do you think of the current beer laws? Have further details what is and isn’t permitted in your state? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.

How Yeast Affects Beer Flavor

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Yeast is a key ingredient in beer. It can account for 70% of a beer’s flavor and without it there’d be no alcohol. With these things in mind we thought it was a good idea to take a closer look at the stuff.

Yeast buds under a microscope

As you may know, yeast is a living microorganism, a fungus. The type used in most brewing and baking goes by the name of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

As we’ve mentioned before, when yeast is introduced to wort (pre-beer) it will eat the sugars for energy and expel CO2 and alcohol as waste products, a process known as anaerobic fermentation. Ale yeast ferments on the top of the beer, while lager yeast usually ferments on the bottom.

However, this is only part of the story of how yeast turns grains and water into beer. In addition to alcohol and CO2, there are other secondary elements which are produced during fermentation and create much of a brew’s flavor. Here’s a quick list of some of the major ones:

Esters – These create fruity flavors, and are frequently found in beers from England and Belgium.

Fusel Alcohols – This is a heavier variation of the standard ethanol alcohol produced during fermentation. They have been linked with hangovers.

Ketones – The most common type of this compound is diacetyl, which gives beer a sweet butter or caramel taste. It’s common in some of the heavier beers of Great Britain, but its tendency to cause stale flavors cause some to regard it as a flaw. Others see it as a benefit, such Samuel Smith Brewery, whose beers all feature strong diacetyls

Phenolics – A type of chemical which can produce spicy notes.

Fatty acids – While these don’t impart a strong flavor on their own, fatty acids can make beer oxidize and grow stale quicker than normal and as a result most brewers try to avoid them

While there is only one main species of yeast used in commercial brewing there are many different varieties, all with different characters and flavors. Most yeast is strained out of beer before it makes it to the bottle as it can produce off flavors. When yeast is allowed in the bottle, as with bottle-conditioned beer it’s still best to avoid pouring it into the glass. That is of course if you’re drinking hefeweizen, or other wheat beers. Consuming the yeast is actually encouraged with style. It all goes to show the tremendous diversity of yeast and beer.


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