4th of July Beer style of the week – Independence Day-inspired beers

Week 22

The course of history might have been drastically altered had, for instance, Paul Revere ducked into a pub for a few pints on his way to Concord, or had he detoured to Concord, New Hampshire and begun ringing bells to warn the British, as the history-challenged Mama Bear from Alaska suggested.

Historical inaccuracies aside, we can take comfort and a measure of pride that 235 years ago a nearly cosmic alignment of smart, independence-minded leaders, hard-working farmers, sailors, business owners and clergymen stood together, shoulder to shoulder and drank beer.

And they didn’t just huddle secretly together in taverns to slug down beer to discuss sports and women. No, they decided they didn’t like living under tyrannical rule of law or being taxed without representation, so they drafted a Declaration of Independence and after fighting war with King George III’s army followed by several more rounds of ale, drafted The Constitution of The United States.

Was it any coincidence that founding fathers George Washington, Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson (Great, great, great, great, great grandfather to George Jefferson of “The Jefferson’s”), John Hancock and Ben Franklin were all brewers of beer? I don’t think so!

You’re probably asking yourself, “What prompted Don to write stuff about Independence Day and somehow try to tie it into an article about beer?”

It was Samuel Adams (a real Patriot) Boston Stock Ale. It triggers my patriotism every time.

Passionate beer lovers well up with pride whenever we hear of how George Washington, in the heat of war took on a congress that suggested beer rations for the troops be cut in half. General George knew that in addition to providing some nutritional value, beer gave the troops a much needed boost in morale. You might say, beer won the war. I wouldn’t go that far.

This Independence Day, as we gather with those near and dear to us for American-style BBQ, let’s raise a glass or two to those who came before us to fight for the freedoms we enjoy today. And what patriotic beers should we raise in New England this 4^th?

Beers for working at the grill and snacking on appetizers

Samuel Adams Boston Stock Ale – Boston, MA – 5.2% ABV

Sam Adams Boston Ale/Stock Ale is my favorite "everyday" ale. When researching and rating a vast array of ales and lagers, from delicate pilsners to overwhelming imperial stouts and barleywines, it's good to find an ale with which to refresh the palette or to simply enjoy without research in mind (yes, at times we need a break from the daily grind). This ale has a deep copper color with reddish hues, nice malty body and is amply hopped. The separation between the distinct malt and hops flavors, smooth out and become more balanced after a few gulps. The fresh finishing hop aroma lingers. There's a clean fruity finish and nice long lasting head. Now I’ve gone and made myself thirsty for another one!

Liberty Ale - Pale Ale– Anchor Brewing – San Francisco, California – 6% ABV

Yes, it’s not from New England, but it does inspire “Liberty” and the pursuit of Hoppiness!

The rich copper color shines brightly. I believe Maaco should offer this color in car paint. They could call it 'Liberty Deep Copper'. It would certainly look great on my Ford Edge!

The wonderful hop bouquet is immediately noticed and appreciated when poured into the glass and unlike most American pale ales, the aroma lingers, albeit more subtlety as the brew disappears.

After taking the time to fully admire the fine hop nose and rich copper color, the next outstanding trait of Liberty Pale Ale one notices is the hop distinctive taste. The fresh whole hops are in abundance, yet not overwhelming. There's a crisp metallic sharp-edged bitterness with light citrus undertones. The sharpness diminishes slightly as you drink it down and the hop to malt difference becomes less exaggerated and more balanced and smooth. The medium to full malt body is lightly sweet with a hint of nuts. It seems to me that a lot of care has been taken in the malt roasting process.

Main Course Beers

Salads and Cold Plates

Les Biere Des Sans Culottes – Biere de Garde – Brasserie La Choulette – Hordain, France – 7% ABV

This beer is not only a nod to the French who helped us achieve our independence, it’s a fantastic Biere de Garde! Viva la revolution!

16.9oz tall green, corked bottle. Best Before date notched on the side. Nice artwork on the label paying tribute to the "trouserless" laborers who did the handiwork of the French Revolution. BTW - The fighters appear to be wearing trousers, but the woman leading the charge has raised her flag while lowering the top of her blouse. Ooh la la! Merci!!!

It pours a cloudy honey gold color with a small, but lasting white head and some sticky and trailing lace.

The aroma is a pleasant mix of dried malt, hay, lemony citrus and faint whiff of alcohol.

The malt has a nice herbal quality to it. A light sweetness and buttery biscuit taste provide a uniquely satisfying maltiness.

A lime-like bitterness is upfront. Hints of coriander, cloves and faint taste of pears adds to the brew's fine subtle character. The 7%abv is well disguised.

This is one those rare beer purchases that turn out to be an amazing find. I ALWAYS wish I had bought more.

Grilled and/or Smoked Meats

Geary’s Hampshire Special - D.L. Geary’s Brewery – Portland, Maine – 7% ABV

This was a winter seasonal - Must Try! Now it’s available year-round. Deep golden bronze/amber with a tint of red. Very complex dry robust malt with a trace of sweetness. Powerfully hopped, then dry hopped for good measure. The maltiness rolls forward throughout the glass and begins to reveals a trace of berries and some smoothness. An unusual, but nice pine essence is long lasting. The alcohol is noticed, though not overly so. The creamy beige head lingers and nice lace is formed. As with all of D.L. Geary’s brews, there sort of a raw wildness, like Maine itself. It’s easy to picture a Norman Rockwell Maine coast pub scene in winter where the cheerful patrons are toasting one another with a frosty mug of Hampshire Special. Now that really warms the heart! BTW Hampshire Special pairs really well with hearty stews and grilled or smoked meats. Try braising a roast with this ale in place of Burgundy wine.

Desserts

Blueberry, Strawberry and Whipped Cream Parfait (Red White & Blue)

We need a beer here that can pair with tart fruit, yet melds well with rich sweet cream.

Thomas Hooker Liberator Dopplebock – Bloomfield, Connecticut – 8% ABV

16.9oz dark brown swing top bottle. Bottled in 2006.

It pours a very dark and deep ruby-hued mahogany color with a fast-fading beige head, along with thin scattered patches of lacing.

It smells like a hop monster with big whiffs of caramel and damp hay accompanied by notes of dried barley and leather.

Tastes of burnt crème brulee, sweet caramel, Ovaltine, milk chocolate, tobacco and leather are all quite upfront and noticeable. A slight background taste of prune juice is detected in the background.

A mellow Myers Lemony tartness provides some contrast to the big, bold malty body, as does a dose of a metallic bite. Though make no mistake, this brew is all about the malt structure with well-applied hop reminders.

Lovely Stuff!

Rich, creamy Cinnamon Ice Cream or Indian Pudding

Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin – Portland, Maine – 9% ABV

Pumpkins were widely used for brewing in early America’s history. The colonists of Maine built “shipyards” to build the ships which were used to defeat the British. Shipyard Founder and Brewer, Alan Pugsley emigrated from England. How’s that for rationalizing?

22oz brown bottle. Served in a Chimay goblet.

It pours an oily, orange-hued amber color with a beige head along with some wisps of trailing lacing.

A strong and delightful whiff of rum-soaked pumpkin pie rises at first pour. Do I actually smell the crust! The nutmeg spiciness is subdued, but thoughts of Thanksgiving dessert flood my senses. A solid malty smell mingles with some spicy and citrusy hops. Dark rum in the nose never fades.

The flavors are bold and upfront. Very little in the way of subtleties. Big spiced pumpkin taste, Big Doughy Maltiness, Big Ruminess, and not so big, yet noticeable hoppiness.

SO much better than Shipyard's other Pumpkin Ale, and not because it's much bigger. It's big but balanced and wonderfully rich and decadent.

Let's see how it ages...

Ok, let the fireworks and patriotic music begin! God Bless America!

Quote: ““An attack on one of our sister colonies, to compel submission to arbitrary taxes, is an attack made on all British America. That we will not hereafter, directly or indirectly import, or cause to be imported, from great Britain, and of the goods hereafter enumerated, either for sale or for our own use . . . beer, ale, porter, malt.” – George Washington - 1774

Beer Style of the Week – Witbier (White Beer) – French (la bière blanche)

Week 21

Looks like we missed a week, due to many factors, mainly concerning the author was busy drinking the beer without actually writing about the beer (he always take notes, at least).

Summer is finally here in New England and we can look forward to a wide variety of beers that are better suited to hot dog days in the sun. Light German-style Lagers, Kölch, Crisp Pilsners, Summer Ryes, English Bitters and even mild Porters and Stouts may fill the bill (they can be quite refreshing!)

This week we focus on a style that should be in the Top 3 all time of Summer Beers. The Wit, or Biere Blanche. If you go to any beer rating website you will find a very wide range of reviews and comments concerning White Ales. There seems to be a love it or hate it, or a complete indifference to it (especially the French versions). They are a very distinctive and unique ale style. Comparing them to any other style of beer does them an injustice. Don’t even bother sampling a Wit after downing an IPA or any hoppy, or high ABV beer. You’ll totally miss the point. Go at them with a clean palette and an open mind and chances are you’ll come back for more.

Witbier is a very hazy pale (whiteish) unfiltered, top fermenting beer, generally brewed with a high percentage of wheat in the mash. A mix of light oats are sometimes thrown into the kettles for added sweetness and/or body. Oftentimes known as White Beer, the Wit is spiced and flavored with citrus peel, coriander, pepper, ginger and/or a bit of bitter orange. A good Witbier has subtle flavor and aroma profiles. Nothing should jump out a grab our taste buds by the neck. Instead, we have the pleasure of seeking and finding a refreshing and highly drinkable beer. Many proper beer bars will offer a wedge of lemon or lime on the side to squeeze into the glass. An improper bar squeezes the citrus and leaves the wedge in your glass. THIS IS WRONG! To squeeze or not to squeeze should be left up to the customer.

Witbiers should be fairly low in alcohol at 4% - 5.2% ABV. Trappist Wits and Double Wits have more alcoholic punch and should not be considered Summer-time, lawn-mowing beers. We do want you to keep all of your toes attached to your feet, after all. German Berliner Weisse and Hefe Weisse are different, separate styles and will be profiled in a later article.

Wits pair very well with mild creamy cheeses, fresh mixed salads, shellfish, grilled fish or chicken. Try it with Middle Eastern foods such as Hummus, Minty Tabouli, Grilled Eggplant and Falafel.

Belgium and France (Land of Origin)

Hoegaarden Original - Brouwerij van Hoegaarden – Hoegaarden, Belgium – 4.9% ABV

At first glance you wonder if the waitress accidentally brought a tulip-shaped glass of milky yellow dishwater to your table. Then, oh yeah! This is the White Ale I ordered. It just looks the way it's supposed to! The cloudy pale, off white, tinted yellow color reveals a light body. Whiffs of clove and hop aroma with a trace of alcohol rise up. High in complex bitter hops with citrus undertones. Extra Dry. Fine Carbonation with a fizzy head and fine lace. Very sharp and spicy.

Amadeus Biere Blanche – Les Brasseurs de Gayant – Douai Cedex, France – 4.5% ABV

750 ml Corked bottle. Freshness date stamped on back. Served in a tall Weisse Glass.

It pours a hazy milky lemonade color with a very fast-fading snowy white head. Some thin wispy lacing trails down and dissolves.

Nice lemony and peppery smells rise at first pour. A light smell of bread dough, cloves and orange zest inch forward. Is that cardamom in the distance?

The flavors mirror the aromas in nearly every way. The tart, astringent lemon taste is perhaps a bit too over the top, but it does cut through and declare its dominance.

An odd peppery saline is noticed in the after taste, and then seems to vanish. It could be the bottom of bottle sediment. I need to try this one again to be sure.

Spain

Estrella Damm Inedit – Barcelona, Spain – 4.8% ABV

26.4 oz. dark olive green bottle. Freshness date stamped on neck label.

Listed as a Witbier, more like a mild farmhouse.

The color is an opaque, foggy caramel candy with a rocky, firm white head. Patchy and trailing lace lasts throughout the glass.

Aromas of herbs and flowers are present at first pour. Smells of coriander and citrus follow and remain. A light whiff of wet cut grass seems out of place. A hint of banana sneaks in late. The flavors are mild yet distinct. Orange Tang, herbs, and a little wheat in the background. Tastes of tart Chardonnay, citrus peel and limes are very pleasant. As in the aroma, a slight taste of banana is noticed as it warms.

This is a very gulpable brew! Complex, but subtle. Unusual and difficult to compare.

Nice fringe beer, but pricey!

Netherlands Biere De Blanche

Wieckse Witte – De Ridder Brewery – Maastricht, Netherlands – 5% ABV

I ordered this Biere Blanc (White Beer) at a bar in Belgium and of course, assumed it was brewed in Belgium. I didn't find out until I returned home and looked it up to complete my notes. Oh well! This cloudy gold brew has more body than I expected. The medium hops have grapefruit-like and citrusy bitterness. A clovey aroma is quite noticeable. Clove-like flavors dominate while a faint hint of camphor can be tasted. Overall this is a delicate, yet flavorful and balanced beer. Quite drinkable.

New England Whites

Allagash White – Portland, Maine – 5.2% ABV 12 oz. Stubby brown bottle. Served in a fluted Weizen beer glass.
It pours a cloudy lemony creamy off-yellow color with a full frothy, fluffy white head and loads of clingy lacing.
The smell is a clean mix of fresh bread dough, citrusy lemon zest, spices, cloves, and citrusy hops. A faint smell of green banana and a wisp of vodka trail.
The flavors are amazingly balanced as well. Tart citrus, oranges, wheat malt, citrusy hops and a mix of spices, most notably white pepper and coriander mingle together nicely.
The mouthfeel has a slightly astringent tang to it, though it seem to have a thirst cutting effect.
This White can hang with the French and Belgian Wits any day!

Long Trail White – Bridgewater Corners, Vermont – 4.7% ABV

12 oz. brown bottle - Served in a Sam Adams fluted glass.

It' got the cloudy Witbier off-yellow color, but the head fades rather quickly.

The aroma is subdued for the style, with not much in the way of citrus or spiciness. A little lime smell. A bit of malt. Not much else.

The flavor department is much the same.

I'm afraid that the brewers were trying to be too careful not to go crazy with the spiciness and the edgy citrus and orange flavors, but in doing so they have missed the point of the Witbier.

But all that aside, I like this beer as palette cleanser. It's sort of a nice beer to keep on hand for newbies to the style as an entry level Belgian White.

Samuel Adams White Ale is a very worthy Summer Seasonal Offering

Harpoon’s UFO White may be the most popular of all New England White Ales. Cisco’s White Lady is also an easy-to-find- White and is available in cans ( think boating, camping and beach!)

Viva la Biere de Blanche!!!

Salut!!!

Quote: “May Ninkasi (Sumerian Goddess of Intoxicating Beverages) live with you,

Let her pour your beer everlasting.

My sister, your grain – its beer is tasty, my comfort” – Sumerian greeting

Let’s Have a Beer! And Other Very Random Thoughts About Beer…

Let’s have, get together or meet for a beer. It’s what many delusional beer-drinking buddies say to one another. What we mean is; Let’s have a few or many beers! One beer is rarely sufficient, unless it's in the form of a growler. Rarely do we hear; “Hey let’s have a coffee”. Instead we leave an opening for perhaps a second cup by saying, “Let’s meet for coffee”.

Now, I do have friends who are more realistic and come right out and suggest we go out for beers. They stop short of suggesting we go out and drink ourselves stupid, but I like their openness.

Another random beer-induced thought is; Common Beer Etiquette. Say you invite some friends over for a Beer and Food Pairing Party and a friend of one of your friends brings a sixer of Corona and some limes. It’s probably safe to say you might overlook, or even welcome someone bringing Stella Artois, Heineken or Becks and some cheese, but Corona? No way! When you think of a discolored liquid that passes through a Mexican donkey’s intestines after he washed down rotting cattle corn with a case of warm Busch Lite? (Also an Anheuser-Busch product) think Corona Extra (Extra Bad?). Yeah, like “Imported” from Mexico somehow makes it drinkable.

But back to the point; what should you do? This person is obviously a clueless cretin, so any attempts to rehabilitate his attraction to shite beer are probably a hopeless endeavor. I guess you could offer him a Stella or Heinie and hopes he at least gets the awful taste out of his mouth.

One last random beer thought: Yesterday morning, as dim, early light entered and interrupted my fading beer dreams. I began to contemplate my relationships with friends as it relates to beer. Friends whom I grew up with and still hang out with for poker, beer-drinking and fishing nights, always (ALWAYS) have a beer in hand. It’s like an extra appendage. The opposable thumb, after all, is perfectly created for grasping a glass, can or mug of beer.

My friends and I have long ago agreed that when we are reminiscing about some glory days past event in our lives, we can leave out the part where we say, “we were drinking beer”. It is just assumed that we were drinking beer and we no longer need to throw that piece of information into the story.

God forbid I should be rushed to the hospital, or worse, and have one of my friends try to identify me. “I’m sorry doctor, but I can’t be sure that’s my friend Don lying there. Here, put this bottle of beer in his hand, so I can be sure”. Oh yeah that’s Don! I’ve seen him like that hundreds of times! He’s fine!”

Cheers!

Quote: “Beer he drank, seven goblets. His spirit was loosened. He became hilarious. His heart was glad and his face shone”. – ‘Epic of Gilgamesh’ – The oldest tale from around 300 B.C.

Drunkest State in America?

The Drunkest state in America as reported in MainSt.com.

Quote:This fall, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) released a comprehensive study of alcohol consumption per capita for every state in the U.S. as of 2007.

Not to spoil the fun of clicking through the attached slide show links, I'm wondering how surprising the results are to you, the reader.

Drum roll please...

Enjoy!

http://www.mainstreet.com/slidesho ... es-america

Beer Style of the Week - One of a Kind Beer (The Bastards) Imperial Pumpkin

Beer Style of the Week – The Bastards (One of a Kind Beer) Part 3 of 4

Week 20

As we learned from our friend, Horst Dornbusch, German Beer Historian and Writer, a beer “Style” cannot be created from a single or even two or three similarly brewed beers. A “Style” is created when there are several brewers who create a beer that can be compared and contrasted to one another. For example; Pale Ale – There are literally 1000 different, yet similarly brewed Pale Ales. Imperial Stouts – While there are perhaps 100 on the shelves or on tap around the globe, there are plenty enough to weigh against and compare to each other. Even Imperial Coffee or Imperial Java Stouts meet the criteria to fit into a “Style”.

On the other hand, we find beers like Samuel Adam’s Utopias that more closely resemble a Sherry, at 27% ABV than a beer, that fall loosely into the “Strong Ale” category, yet it is a one of a kind brew with nothing to compare it to.

Q: Is Pumpkin Ale a style?

A: Yes, glad you asked! It’s one of the oldest American original styles. The early colonists learned to brew beer with whatever fermentable fruits and/or vegetables they could get their blessed little hands on. Pumpkin, tree bark (for bittering), molasses, squash, you name it. Beer was important and damn the lack of barley malt and hops, if they wanted beer, they improvised!

Q: So what about Imperial Pumpkin Stout Ale?

A: We covered that “Bastard” in Part 2 with Cape Ann’s Fisherman’s Imperial Pumpkin Stout. There are a few Imperial Pumpkin Stouts floating around out there, but certainly not enough to fit into a style.

So that’s where we find this week’s ‘Beer Style of the Week’- The Bastards Part 3 - Shipyard’s Smashed Pumpkin (Pugley’s Signature Series) It’s an amped-up Pumpkin Ale on steroids, sans the Stout!

Shipyard Brewing – Smashed Pumpkin – Portland, Maine – 9% ABV

22oz brown bottle. Served in a Chimay goblet.
It pours an oily, orange-hued amber color with a beige head along with some wisps of trailing lacing.
A strong and delightful whiff of rum-soaked pumpkin pie rises at first pour. I think I can actually smell the crust! The nutmeg spiciness is subdued, but thoughts of Thanksgiving dessert flood my senses. A solid malty smell mingles with some spicy and citrusy hops. Dark rum in the nose never fades.
The flavors are bold and upfront. Very little in the way of subtleties. Big spiced pumpkin taste, Big doughy maltiness, Big ruminess, and not so big, yet noticeable hoppiness.
SO much better than Shipyard's other Pumpkin Ale, and not because it's much bigger. It is big but balanced and wonderfully rich and decadent.

Goes well with Turkey Dinner and of course, Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream
Let’s see how it ages...

Cheers and Happy Father’s Day! (even if you’re reading this after your special day)