Beer, Prohibition and the Valentine’s Day Massacre

And other, long-term drawbacks of a zealot Temperance Society

The Volstead Act - Prohibition (1919 – 1932)

How many times have you turned the channel on your TV only to see some old movie portraying the roaring twenties with the Feds, G-Men or the Chicago Police busting up the gangsters, or worse, busting up barrels of innocent beer with axes? It’s enough to make you jump up from the couch and scream, “Stop the madness, you dirty rats!!! You’re making a terrible mistake!!!!” Sadly, those mugs probably had no idea they would be affecting the beer-drinking enjoyment of their children and their children’s children for decades upon decades after Prohibition was lifted. How’s that you say? Glad you asked, wiseguy!

The U.S. Brewing industry was totally shut down along with the rest of the alcohol-producing industries. Brewing was forced underground and the illegal distribution of suspect beer and booze was controlled mainly by the mob and a fistful of backwoods moonshiners. The small, “Local” neighborhood brewer of quality ale was driven out of business. Prohibition brought about some violent times. In Chicago alone, 700 deaths (getting whacked) were related to mob violence. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, spearheaded by the notorious gangster, Al Capone occurred during the heat of prohibition on February 14, 1929. Public outcry was fast and forceful. Enough was enough! It was the beginning of the end for the Volstead Act. The U.S. lost over $34.5 billion dollars in tax revenue in addition to hugely increased law enforcement costs. The “great experiment” had gone terribly wrong.

It is understood that cheap, poorly made beer, (though it has always been brewed by some undesirable elements throughout history) didn’t start to flood the American market in earnest until directly after prohibition. This horrible trend continued to fester through World War II and well beyond and on into today.

During Prohibition, decent folks were sneaking off to speakeasies for a taste of a near beer–like potion laced with grain alcohol. This was sometimes a gastric if not fatal mistake. During and soon after the prohibition was repealed, the any of the remaining small craft brewers who managed to survive by making soda or near beer were driven out of business for good by brewing giants. The mega-swill brewers benefited in more ways than one by the thirteen plus years of prohibition. Number one, people under the legal drinking age when prohibition began, never experienced the pleasure of a real beer. Number two, in thirteen plus years of being deprived, beer drinkers had forgotten or had become complacent about beer quality and were simply satisfied that any beer was available. Number three, Beer could now be mass-produced using cheap grains such as rice, corn or other grain adjuncts. The amount of hops pitched into a brew vat was cut in half and the quality of the hops was an inferior grade. Time-honored brewing methods were thrown out the window in favor of speed and quantity. Mass production, slick marketing and transporting massive quantities of “suds” to every corner of the country was the new game in town. Cheaply made beer began to infiltrate the well-established European craft brew market as well. Hey, profit margins don’t lie. One by one, small, local brewers on both sides of the Atlantic lost out to the massive brewing giants. If situation wasn’t bleak enough, canned beer became available in 1935. This new “convenience” for the beer drinking public created an enormous production advantage for the mass-mega swill brewers. Most small brewers didn’t have the capital to invest in the canning machinery or the space to operate it and thus lost out on a valuable market share. The perfect storm was brewing, so to speak.

Then there’s advertising. It’s no wonder so many unsuspecting individuals are lured into drinking inferior beer – we’re bombarded by endless idiotic advertising campaigns telling us we are not worthy of love or friendship if we don’t drink their particular brand of beer. We all know who these companies are and we all know what their objective is (to brain wash us into buying their crappy products). Lord only knows why those ads are so effective!

It’s been a long hard road for small quality brewers to gain market share. It’s been an uphill battle that many of us beer lovers can’t take lightly. Now granted, there are people walking around without taste buds that actually prefer bland, stale and flavorless beer to a well-made craft brew, and that’s fine, but we the beer-loving people have been hosed for years. And we’re not going to take it anymore!

So let’s keep up the good fight, be brave, and turn your friends and family on to real craft brewed beer. Rest assured, the arrogant Goliath Breweries who were giving so much momentum by the prohibition will come down in size. And we will be rewarded with a wonderful variety of beautifully crafted lagers and ales. The craft movement is in full swing and continues to get better. So raise a glass to real beer and the brewers who create them.

Cheers!

“He was a wise man who invented beer” - Plato

Otter Creek - Stovepipe Porter

Otter Creek - Porter - Middlebury, VT. 4.4%abv
12 oz brown bottle. Freshness Lot Date (which I don't understand) is stamped on the bottle.
It pours a dark cola mahogany with a medium-sized beige head and a fair amount of sticky lace.
A smoky smell permeates the air upon first pouring. A dry malty smell begins to develop and sticks around for a while. A light citrusy aroma is noticed early, but it fades rather quickly.
The malt is toasty and smoky. A light sweetness does very little to counter the strong smokiness (not that it’s a bad thing). Strong coffee and a mild dark chocolate taste
A tea-like bitterness, along with an edgy citrus taste provides a dry sharpness. The taste is raw and wild. Lots of flavors for a low abv porter. Goes well with grilled sausage and peppers.

‘Rating Beer In “The Moment”-It’s Really All About the Beer!

Have you ever considered the circumstances you find yourself in while you’re rating beer and how it may affect your ability to remain objective? Rating beer, or in my case, "researching" beer is an additional activity attached to the actual act of examining and consuming the product. It should be an enjoyable part of the beer-drinking process, but it should be taken seriously as well. There are many different reasons to rate beer. Some, like me for instance, like to keep track of all the different beers we have sampled. After over twenty-five-hundred beers, (not all at one sitting) it’s not always easy to recollect with any degree of accuracy exactly how each beer looked, smelled, and tasted. Another good reason to rate is to track year-to-year quality consistencies of breweries. Certain beers are well-suited for cellaring. As these vintage-type beers age, they evolve in flavor, aroma, and appearance. So rating beers of this nature can get very interesting. Of course it’s of vital importance to maintain these vintage brews in a light and temperature-controlled (around 55°F) environment. But I digress. Vintage and cellaring is a topic worthy of a separate article.

Anyone who takes rating beer seriously understands that ratings can be somewhat subjective, with personal preferences coming into play. Raters who prefer rich stouts and porters may, for instance, need to raise their objectivity level to fully appreciate and describe a delicate pilsner or crisp clean lager. The flavors and aromas of the lighter beers are naturally subtler and require an increased amount of concentration to identify specific brew characteristics.

Which brings me to the point. As we rate beers we have a responsibility to the reader to remain objective in spite of personal preferences. A less obvious factor that may create bias in our writings- is what BeerAdvocate.com Co-founder, Todd Alström refers to as, "The Moment", or the current circumstances we find ourselves in while we are rating.

For instance, I was laboring with heavy video gear in the sweltering 105° F humid heat of smoggy Bangkok, Thailand. I had no idea my hotel could be so well hidden and frustratingly distant. As I was about to ask for directions ... again, or worse, hail a tuk-tuk (little rear-seated, open-air, death-trap scooters with awnings), I spotted my hotel.

Dripping with sweat, I entered the lobby. The staff, astutely sensing my extreme discomfort, relieved me of my gear and provided me a hot, scented washcloth. The inviting teak and mahogany bar's A-C was blowing Arctic quality air. Freshly chilled prawns with a spicy dipping sauce and jumbo salted peanuts were promptly delivered to me at the bar. "Welcome back mistah Don", chirped the cute barmaid in the tight silk dress, as she handed me an ice-cold Singha Beer in a frosted mug. "Ahhh"!

Now fellow beer raters, I pose to you the following question; given my extreme change in fortune and most excellent surroundings, should I be allowed to bestow the non-existent “10” overall rating on Singha? The answer, of course, is no. Let’s face it; embalming fluid (if it was cold and had a head) would be tempting in the aforementioned circumstances. By the way, Singha is a pretty good beer and it needn't be served tongue- numbingly cold to enjoy. No beer deserves near freezing conditions.

Remember, though, objectivity is key. Although that beer you're about to consume with your favorite special pizza may seem to taste better, don't be fooled. Beer can improve a dinner, but the dinner cannot improve the beer. Conversely, a bad meal should not reflect poorly on the beer. That promotion at work will not make your beer taste better. You will, naturally, enjoy it way more. That tasty ale you just enjoyed will not make your mate more attractive ... it may, however, seem that way. Beer IS magic like that! And the magic of beer can be tricky!

So, please, for the sake of our readers, and for our own benefit, let’s try to remain focused on the beer. We are, after all rating the beer, not the “moment”.

Happy Rating!

Cheers!

Flying Dog - Double Dog Double Pale Ale

Flying Dog - Double Pale Ale (Double IPA) Maryland, US
12oz Dark brown bottle. No freshness date noticed. Served in an Orval goblet.
It pours a deep coppery color with a rich foamy beige head which leaves loads of sticking, webby lacing.
I was half expecting to be knocked over with a big alcoholic aroma blast at 11.5% abv, but instead was mildly surprised to inhale lots of sweet malty bread notes and citrusy hop smells. There is a nice rummy fuminess rising up and lasting throughout, but it is in its place.
Tastes of brown bread and spiced rum cake and grapefruity citrus are potent. Sweet honey and a mild taste of oranges follow. The rummy alcohol taste reminds me not to go too fast with this one. Peppery and clovey spices are noticed in the finish.
A tingly effervescent body is another surprise here. I expected more of a rounded and buttery mouthfeel.
It is what is is. A really strong brew for sitting by the fire while enjoying some smoked almonds and cheese and crackers.

Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project - Novemeber 15, 1901 KK - Black Ale

Westport, MA - 7.8% abv
22oz dark brown bottle. No Freshness date, although the legend on the label suggests cellaring.
Pint glass.
It pours a very deep dark smoky cola color with a firm and rocky tannish head and loads of lacing.
The smell is a little here and there. Burnt rye toast, grapefruit zest, coffee and bread dough is followed by a slightly astringent camphor and witchhazel fuminess.
I like the overall flavor mix, although it reminds me of several homebrews I have sampled over the years. The citrusy and metallic hops are surprisingly up front. A resinous hop taste is always present, yet mild. Burnt sugar and rye crackers tastes follow and some warming alcohol is in the finish.
The mouthfeel is a tad raspy though not enough to keep me from taking some large gulps now and then.
Interesting brew!

Nogne - Sunturnbrew - Barley Wine

Nogne Sunturnbrew - Grimstad, Norway - 11% abv
16.9 oz dark brown bottle. A place for "Best fore" date but not stamped on label. Batch # 474.
It pours a spent motor oil black with a thin beige head and some splotchy lacing.
Smells of rum-soaked prunes and an odd whiff of camphor on a Band-Aid are released upon first pour. Smells of fresh rye bread, molasses, citrus peels and mixed fruit follow.
This huge-bodied sweet beast is certainly boozy! A big hit of Kahlua hit home beat feet fast. Caramel candy and bread pudding comes to mind as does honey and Vicks Cough Syrup. A medicinal taste of camphor and Band-Aids takes me down a road best forgotten, but it's not altogether unpleasant.
It's a bit on the thick side, so the drinkability factor comes down a notch.
Brie and crackers would go well with this.

Brasserie Dieu du Ciel-Rigor Mortis Abt

Brasserie Dieu du Ciel-Rigor Mortis Abt - St. Jerome, Quebec, Canada - 10.5% abv
12 oz brown bottle. Indecipherable freshness date code.
Allagash glass.
It pours a muddy Coca Cola color with a thin, fast-fading beige head.
Fruity, yeast esters are quite potent. Smells of horse barn, cut hay, cloves, and citrus blend very well together. A nice warming gin-like perfume fuminess rises.
As in the aromas, there are big dominant flavors. Tart white grapefruit, strong gin, limes and a slightly astringent medicine taste slowly allow the sweet caramel maltiness to inch forward. Tastes of rum-soaked prunes and lemon zest peek through and lasts throughout. A little bit of wood, peppery spices and tobacco is noticed.
The mouthfeel is rich, slick and deeply satisfying.
Two of these powerful brews is plenty.
Rich creamy cheese and strong tasting salami goes well with this big, flavorful brew.