New England; A beer lover’s destination paradise?

A recently published survey in Travel and Leisure magazine, ‘America’s Best Beer Cities’ (re-published and tweeted by blog.seattletweeted) reveals the Top 20 Beer cities in America. http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-best-beer-cities

Surprisingly, 3 New England cities rank in the top 20 (actually 3 in the top 10). Boston rolled in at #7, Portland, Maine came in at #5, and Providence, Rhode Island ranked #4 (Is the Trinity Brewhouse really that wonderful?).

But, that’s not the surprising news. What is, is that true Beer Cities like Portsmouth, New Hampshire (check out the Old Seaport Downtown area), Bar Harbor, Maine, New Haven, Connecticut, or Burlington/Stowe, Vermont didn’t make the cut, while cities such as Nashville, Phoenix (Strip Mall Capital of the US), Houston (HOUSTON??!!!??) and Savanna (a nice town, though) did.

Now it might make more sense when we understand that Portsmouth, New Haven and Burlington weren’t even choices on the survey form, but when we see New York, NY, Asheville, North Carolina and Grand Rapids, Michigan miss the top 20, that’s mystifying. San Diego is #18? Huh? Consider the breweries of Green Flash, Stones, Lost Abbey, Ale Smith and Pizza Port. Along with tons of Pubs and Beer Bars, that city belongs in Top 5…at least!

All in all, The ‘America’s Best Beer Cities’ survey should be celebrated, not criticized, because while America’s Mass mega breweries continue to show continuous decline in sales and interest, despite the billions they waste in the mindless bombardment of idiotic advertising, the “Craft” beer industry enjoyed a 12% profit increase in 2010. And that’s not a new trend. The craft market continues to grow each and every year. That the editors of Travel and Leisure chose to include a beer destination survey article tells us clearly that the craft beer and pub scene is very popular in the US of A. That’s good news for us!

As with any survey, there are faults to be found. Anyone can list their favorite beer cities or towns, so here goes…New England represented in Bold

1. Portland, Oregon

2. Seattle, Washington

3. Boston/Cambridge, Massachusetts

4. Denver, Colorado

5. San Diego, California (distance between beer is vast)

6. Portland, Maine

7. Grand Rapids, Michigan

8. Portsmouth, New Hampshire

9. Austin, Texas

10. Burlington/Stowe, Vermont (close enough when you’re in Vermont)

11. Asheville, North Carolina

12. New York, New York

13. San Francisco, California

14. Amherst/Northampton, Massachusetts

15. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota

16. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

17. Bar Harbor, Maine (there are lots of beer options in one small area…YA!)

18. New Haven, Connecticut

19. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

20. Providence, Rhode Island

There was/still is a lot of self-debate going on while making this Top 20 up. My friend Bob who lives in Tucson, Arizona is quite happy with the beer options in that ol’ town. The folks of St. Louis or Kansas City, Missouri probably feel their cities should be included in any top 20, and maybe they’re right. If that’s how they feel, they should make up their own damn top 20 list. What are your favorite beer destinations?

Drink up fellow New Englanders! There’s plenty of great beer nearby!

Cheers!

Quote: “Come, my lad, and drink some beer.” – Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

Beer Style of the Week - A somewhat reluctant nod to "Euro" Lagers

Week 24

In US beer lexicon, Euro Lager is sort of an insult or slur towards the mass-mega-breweries of Europe (they brew massive quantities of good, but not great beer). They are the European counterpart to America’s own “Adjunct” Lagers (Mass-mega-brewers of swill). But upon closer inspection and reflection, along with a bit of hazy nostalgic recollection, maybe the Euro Lager ain’t so bad after all.

We appreciated the noticeable upgrade in taste and quality when we sampled our first Euro Lager (that is if you really like the aroma and taste of beer) and once that door was opened there was no turning back. We thought, “So, this is what real beer is supposed to taste like. Ummm good!”

The Euro Lager was, and still is in many cases, the gateway beer away from the Americanized Adjunct Lagers and into the wonderful world of “Craft” beer. For the most part, the Euro lagers beat the Adjuncts in their beeriness, because they tend to use more and often better quality hops. They use real barley malt, instead of rice, corn and other mealy adjuncts. Oh, some may use a little rice or corn in the brew process to “clarify” the beer, but it’s not meant to be a barley malt substitute. On the other hand, most of the Euro lagers, and let’s reveal some brand names here, share a common and stupid, if not unforgiveable “marketing” mistake; they use green bottles to sell their beer in. Ever smell a sun or light-struck Heineken or Beck’s, or Stella Artois? SKUNKED!!! The head brewers at these breweries must suffer a degree of depression at the end of the day, knowing their efforts will eventually run afoul in the green-bottled death of beer.

He or she must feel a little sense of relief on the days they can or keg their product.

Another common trait of the style is that they (the beers) have neither a strong malt nor hop presence. With a few exceptions, they do not reveal any easily identifiable hop types (Kronenbourg’s Alsatian hops are noticeable to some). You might say, drinking a Euro Lager is akin to drinking a Blended Scotch Whiskey as opposed to drinking a German or Czech Pils which is more like drinking Single Malt Scotch.

Who are these Euro Lagers?

To name a few of the Green Bottle Gang: Heineken from Holland, Grolsch and Oranjeboom from Netherlands, Beck’s and Lowenbrau from Germany, Stella Artois (my mother-in-law’s favorite) of Belgium, Menabrea Birra of Italy, and Kronenbourg 1664 from France. If given a choice, go with the canned or tapped options of these beers, unless you’re absolutely certain they are cool, fresh and have been kept out of any sun or fluorescent lighting.

Others, not in green bottles representing Scandinavia are: Carlsberg and Tuborg Gold from Denmark, Lapin Kulta IV and Koff III or IV from Finland, and Ringnes Pils from Norway.

You can also find loose representations of the Euro Lager style in such faraway places as: Japan (Sapporo Reserve), Brazil (Antarctica Original), Thailand (Singha) and New Zealand (Steinlager).

So, while all of above beers may be different in their own way, they are the same in that they tend to be easy drinkers. Never bland, yet never remarkable. No spectacular hop, yeast, or barley characteristics. They are the quintessential, tapping the palette, gateway beers to the wonderful world of the craft brews of the world.

Hurry down to your local packie! There’s more than likely a 12 pack on sale; doesn’t matter much, which brand. Get those dogs and burgers on the grill or pop your favorite frozen pizza in the oven! It’s Euro-time!

Cheers and Skol!

Quote: “Beer was not made to be moralized about,

but to be drunk” – Theodore Maynard - (1890–1956)

Happy Bastille Day!

la tweet on Bastille Day! Saison, Biere de Garde, Biere de Champagne, Biere de Mars. Viva la Biere!

Beer style of the week: Roggenbier-Rye BeerWeek 23 When it comes to flavorful (without going over the top) beer styles, a well-made Rye (roggen) Beer

Week 23

When it comes to flavorful (without going over the top) beer styles, a well-made Rye (roggen) Beer is hard to beat. Originating in Germany, as far back as the 14^th century, perhaps earlier, Roggenbier have a wide varying percentage of malted rye in the brew kettle (generally 20% - 60%).No rye beers are made from 100% rye.

The often misunderstood, German Beer Purity Law, Reinheitsgebot (1516) actually went into effect as a result of a few poor grain harvests in Germany. The bread makers needed the surviving wheat and rye grains to bake bread. Barley wasn’t a grain suitable to bread baking, so the government stepped in and decreed Reinheitsgebot; only the use of water, barley and hops could be used for brewing beer. Notice that yeast wasn’t even mentioned? That’s because they didn’t fully understand yeast’s contribution to the brewing process at the time. Anyway, as a result of the law, Roggenbier (Rye beer) went into an almost 500 year hiatus. Thank God, America has never suffered a bread-makers lobby! Yeah, well prohibition sucked, but that asinine law only lasted 13 years.

American Rye Beer and German Roggenbier are similar to each other in that they both use rye in the brew process. They are separate in that the American versions tend to be hoppier and generally have a bit higher alcohol by volume (ABV) rating. The Roggenbier tend to use a higher percentage of rye in the mix, allowing the natural tart sourness of the rye to edge forward, while the hop bitterness is a bit more subdued.

One of the oldest beer styles in the world, Finnish Sahti is a rye ale brewed with wild yeast and juniper branch as a bittering agent. The shelf life of Sahti is rather short, so I suggest you fly to Finland and get it fresh from the source. But at least finish this article first.

German Roggenbier

Wolnzacher Roggenbier – Wolnzacher Burgerbrau – Wolnzacher, Germany – 5.5% ABV

After a nearly 5 minute pour (seemed an eternity), due to overly enthusiastic carbonation, the bartender at the wonderful Publick House in Brookline presented my beer in a tall matching mug. Bits of yeast and unfiltered rye goodness continued rising in the still slowly cascading tannish head. The color mutated from an almost clear rusty amber to a completely cloudy and opaque rust. The aroma is very much like rye crackers with just a hint of lemons and whiff of malt. Rye dominates the flavor department. A faint clove and spicy taste mingles and blends with mild lemon and orange zest. The body is a bit grainy and edgy, but not altogether an unpleasurable experience. I hope to find this locally in order to present it at our small tasting group. This is an interesting brew!

Thurn und Taxis – Furstliche Brauerei – Regensburg, Germany – 5.3% ABV

16.9 oz. dark brown bottle. Freshness date on label.

Served in a 20oz nonic tumbler.

It pours a cola-shaded dark amber color with a fast-foaming, yet fast-fading off-white head. Some sticky and webby lacing last halfway through the glass.

The aroma is at first wet malty, then the smell of rye crackers push through. The light smell of mixed fruit with a little citrus and dried flowers fades in and out. A faint whiff of white rum is noticed, as is a little fresh cut grass.

Tastes of fresh rye, dried malt, caramel, figs, peppery spices, ripe pear and resinous hops (in that order) come through separate, yet balanced nicely. Just a touch of metallic tang is revealed in the aftertaste. A hint of dark rum comes out in the breath.

This a is very nice summertime beer. It starts out dry in the finish, then more full and wet as it warms.

Great BBQ beer!

Austrian Roggenbier

Schremser Bio-Roggen – Brauerei Schrems – Schrems, Austria – 5.2% ABV

On tap at The Draft House Tower Bridge, London. Served in a fluted Schrems glass.

It pours an orange-hued tannish color with a medium-sized off-white head. Some trailing and patchy lace clings all the way down.

A smell of dry rye cracker crumbs comes to mind. Smells of peat and cut hay mingle with whiffs of floral and resinous hops.

The rye flavor seems a bit subdued for the style. The flavor profiles, in general are mellow and pleasant. Light marbled rye, dry malt, caramel, resiny and metallic hop and a touch of mild citrus tartness blend quite nicely. A little sourness is noticed in the finish.

The dryness diminishes and the sweetness becomes more prevalent as it warms.

Truly a nice likeable beer!

American/New England Rye Beer

Harpoon Rich and Dan’s Rye IPA – Rye Ale – Harpoon Brewing – Boston, MA – 6.9% ABV 22oz brown bottle. No freshness date. Served in a standard pint glass.
It pours a brassy yellow color with a firm white head and tons of sticky lacing.
The smell is very much like Harpoon's IPA with a dry resinous hop hit along with dried hay, mixed citrus and a bit of alcohol fuminess. A faint smell of spruce is noticed in the background.
Rye and caraway spice tastes cuts through the resinous and citrusy hops and dried malt clearly and cleanly. The hop resins have a somewhat minty and piney taste that fills the mouth.
Very good cookout ale, especially with game meat.

Try!

Mayflower Summer Rye

Willamantic Mail Rail Rye

Samuel Adams Revolutionary Rye Ale (Limit Seasonal)

MUST TRY!!!

Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye – Bear Republic Brewing – Healdsburg, California – 8% ABV

It pours an old worn leather with a solid beige head and loads of lace. A strong floral hop aroma dominates while strong smells of rye crackers and whiff of alcohol creep up. This potent brew is just bursting with unrestrained flavors. Wild malt (6 row?) and edgy rye flavors are completely separate from sharp grapefruit, zesty orange peel, light lemon and a hint of metallic tanginess. A touch of toffee sweetness does little to counter sharp flavors, but that's ok. All of these sharp edged flavors are accompanied by a constantly noticeable alcohol kick. This beer is unrelenting in its wild character and never mellows or sweetens further, even when it warms. I love this stuff!

Summer heat is Roggenbier weather. Cool summer evenings on beach beg for stronger a bit stronger versions of Rye Ales.

Prost!

Quote: “Do not cease to drink beer, to eat, to intoxicate thyself,

To make love, and celebrate the good days” – Egyptian saying

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