Repeal Day

This coming Wednesday, December 5^th, marks the 79^th anniversary of Repeal Day, an end to the years of civil delinquency & organized crime wrought by Prohibition.  Speaking as someone who sells, drinks, & adores beer, it’s hard to imagine a time when the production, distribution, & consumption of alcohol constituted illegal acts.  It’s humbling to reflect on this from time to time, as it becomes all too easy to take for granted the pleasures we indulge in, & get lost in the appreciation, criticism, even snobbery, of enjoying a finely brewed beer.  There but for the grace of God drink I...

As much damage as Prohibition did, it’s important to remember that it happened for a reason.  In hindsight, people like to point the finger at the “fantacism” of the temperance movement & to our country’s historically “Puritanical” persuasions as fueling the fire, but that’s only part of the story; the other part is that irresponsible drinking was (& is) causing a lot of people a lot of problems.  Was Prohibition the solution?  History proves not – it increased criminal activity & all the dangers associated with it.  But per capita consumption has never returned to its highest pre-Prohibition peak, & that residual moderation may have as much to do with conscientious consumption as it does guilt or Puritan mores. 

The irony is that, for a long time, beer was the friend of the temperance movement – it was seen as a moderate alternative to the prevailing “devils” of gin, whiskey, & rum (more on lager & Prohibition in a later posting).  But beer, too, fell under the ax of the 18^th Amendment, & was vilified with its stronger cousins.  As much as we love brew & the joys of imbibing, it’s important to balance that self with mindfulness & responsibility.  BeerAdvocate’s motto is “Respect beer”, a profound sentiment that beer should be loved, revered, & not abused or exploited.  Treated with respect for its gifts of indulgence & the risks of over-indulgence.  Repeal Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on this, to celebrate the good that beer can bring to our lives while also observing the need for care & balance, & to not take such a great thing for granted.

Throw Your Own Beer-Tasting Party

Too many people on your holiday shopping list?  Sick of the same old Christmas party with pie & ironically tacky sweaters?  Why not throw a beer tasting for your nearest & dearest?  It’s a great way to show your friends & family a good time during the winter season, & can be one big gift for a bunch of buddies at once.  And with beer as the centerpiece, you can share the wealth with some alehead veterans while introducing some others to the joys of good brew.

A few tips & ideas:

Pick a theme.  A common thread through the menu can bring some focus & help compare & contrast.  You can do by style (stouts, IPAs, barleywines, winter ales, et al.); highlight a brewery or “line” (Dogfish Head’s experimental beers, or Great Divide’s Yeti variations);  a region (local, California, or Belgium, for instance); pairings with food (cheese goes wonderfully with beer, or organize a full dinner menu with a pairing for each course).  Or maybe your theme is just ‘Awesome Beers’!

Serve munchies.  Having some food on hand helps line the stomach & keeps folks from getting too tipsy, plus it’s great for some impromptu pairing.  To keep the party price tag from getting too steep, you can suggest that each guest provide some sort of food.  Some edibles to have on hand are bread, cheeses, dried fruits, chocolate, cured meats, chutney, nuts, dips, olives – these all make for great pairings too, & you can get as creative or simple as you want.  Also, make sure to provide plenty of water.

Consider portions.  2 to 4 oz. pours are plenty for giving people a good taste of each beer, with a good flight anywhere from 5 to 12 beers.  Our palates get fatigued after a while, & it would be nice for everyone to be able to taste the first & last beer.

Sequence.  In preparing a flight list, a rule of thumb is to go from least to most intense.  A lot of times this correlates with ABV, but not necessarily – a smoky rauchbier or sour lambic can be low alcohol but still pack intense flavor, so take the overall impact on the palate into account. 

Educate (in moderation).  A few factoids about style characteristics, process, history, or other background can be fun, give context, & spur some discussion, but remember that your guests came to eat, drink, & be merry, not listen to you geek out. 

Make it interactive.  Have guests give scores or vote on a favorite.  Not everyone will agree on which is “best”, & individual tastes make the world go ‘round.  Maybe even do a blind tasting & have folks guess what they’re drinking.  Get creative!

Enjoy!  That’s the point, right?  Don’t stress too much, & make sure you get to have fun, too.  And remember that there are some who just don’t like beer – most of those people know who they are ahead of time, so if you have some non-beer-drinkers coming, offer an alternative like wine or craft soda.  Guests’ enjoyment is the bottom line, & when they (& you) are loosened up by some delicious, adventurous brews, what better way to brighten the darkest days of the year?

Tasting Tips

Too many people on your holiday shopping list?  Sick of the same old Christmas party with pie & ironically tacky sweaters?  Why not throw a beer tasting for your nearest & dearest?  It’s a great way to show your friends & family a good time during the winter season, & can be one big gift for a bunch of buddies at once.  And with beer as the centerpiece, you can share the wealth with some alehead veterans while introducing some others to the joys of good brew.

A few tips & ideas:

Pick a theme.  A common thread through the menu can bring some focus & help compare & contrast.  You can do by style (stouts, IPAs, barleywines, winter ales, et al.); highlight a brewery or “line” (Dogfish Head’s experimental beers, or Great Divide’s Yeti variations);  a region (local, California, or Belgium, for instance); pairings with food (cheese goes wonderfully with beer, or organize a full dinner menu with a pairing for each course).  Or maybe your theme is just ‘Awesome Beers’!

Serve munchies.  Having some food on hand helps line the stomach & keeps folks from getting too tipsy, plus it’s great for some impromptu pairing.  To keep the party price tag from getting too steep, you can suggest that each guest provide some sort of food.  Some edibles to have on hand are bread, cheeses, dried fruits, chocolate, cured meats, chutney, nuts, dips, olives – these all make for great pairings too, & you can get as creative or simple as you want.  Also, make sure to provide plenty of water.

Consider portions.  2 to 4 oz. pours are plenty for giving people a good taste of each beer, with a good flight anywhere from 5 to 12 beers.  Our palates get fatigued after a while, & it would be nice for everyone to be able to taste the first & last beer.

Sequence.  In preparing a flight list, a rule of thumb is to go from least to most intense.  A lot of times this correlates with ABV, but not necessarily – a smoky rauchbier or sour lambic can be low alcohol but still pack intense flavor, so take the overall impact on the palate into account. 

Educate (in moderation).  A few factoids about style characteristics, process, history, or other background can be fun, give context, & spur some discussion, but remember that your guests came to eat, drink, & be merry, not listen to you geek out. 

Make it interactive.  Have guests give scores or vote on a favorite.  Not everyone will agree on which is “best”, & individual tastes make the world go ‘round.  Maybe even do a blind tasting & have folks guess what they’re drinking.  Get creative!

Enjoy!  That’s the point, right?  Don’t stress too much, & make sure you get to have fun, too.  And remember that there are some who just don’t like beer – most of those people know who they are ahead of time, so if you have some non-beer-drinkers coming, offer an alternative like wine or craft soda.  Guests’ enjoyment is the bottom line, & when they (& you) are loosened up by some delicious, adventurous brews, what better way to brighten the darkest days of the year?

Top Shelf Thursday: November 2012

Our Top Shelf Tastings have gotten to be a consistent draw here at the House.  We’d originally organized one as part of Steel City Big Pour Week, a way to showcase some of the specialty beers in our inventory.  So often we encounter customers wanting to try something but balking at the sticker price, so we thought, why not have a way for folks to try some of the higher end bottles without having to risk dropping money on something they’re not sure if they’ll enjoy?  We wanted the tasting to be affordable, so we designed the price-tag first & then picked beers that we thought folks would like: $15 for ten 2-ounce samples seemed right.  The September tasting garnered good feedback & continued interest, so we had an October tasting, & just held the November tasting last night, each one selling out quicker than the last.  As long as momentum keeps up, we plan to continue having one each month.  Keeping the attendance limited gives the tasting a relaxed, intimate vibe, & allows for conversation between attendees & staff.

We also decided it would be good to starting posting a “wrap-up” of each event.  And while normally there’d be a picture of the flight, unfortunately, technical foul-ups prevent us from doing so this time (sorry, no beer porn!).  Instead, we’ve linked each one to a photo & some more info 

We kicked off with a newer release from Mount Pleasant’s Helltown Brewing: their Spiteful Saison, a Belgian-style farmhouse ale with a spicy, floral nose & nicely rounded body.  This seems to be another sign that the folks at Helltown really know what they’re doing & are capable of making some great, versatile beers. 

Next up was Leon, a Belgian-style pale ale from Swedish gypsy brewer Omnipollo, brewed at Brouwerij DeProef in Belgium.  Conceived as an “all-night drinker”, Leon is fermented with champagne yeast, giving it dry, crisp finish.

 Following that was Brasserie Caracole’s Saxo, a smooth, honey-like Belgian blonde (with a charming label).  Saxo is made with just 2 organic malts, raw wheat, & Saaz hops, showing how a simple recipe can yield such interesting, complex results.

 Our fourth course was the Chimay Tripel on draft, served in Chimay goblets that attendees kept as souvenirs.  The most ubiquitous Trappist beer, the Tripel is distinct for its very dry character. 

Up next was Caldera Brewing’s Vas Deferens Ale, a strong Belgian-style dark brewed with orange zest, orange bitters, & dark candy sugar.  The beer’s name & label are infamous, but no-one knew why Caldera chose to call it that – if anyone knows, please fill us in!

 Southern Tier’s Pumking was up next, to help mark the season as a standard-bearer of the style.  There was some discussion as to whether baking spices are added in brewing, as none are listed among the ingredients on the label or on-line, but it’s hard to ignore the pumpkin pie quality. 

A point of comparison was the spiced & oak-aged Oak Jack from Uinta Brewing in Salt Lake City.  The spices were definitely apparent with this one, as was the toasty, oaky character imparted by the wood. 

By this time the ABVs were climbing, as we moved to Port Brewing’s Older Viscosity, a barrel-aged American strong ale tipping the scales at 12%.  Somewhere between a barleywine & an imperial stout, this one packed in a ton of flavor. 

Both the Older Viscosity & the Angel’s Share, from Lost Abbey, are creations of brewmaster Tomme Arthur, a big name among beer geeks.  The Angel’s Share, aged in bourbon-barrels for 12 months, leaned more toward the caramel quality of a barleywine.

 And rounding the evening off was the original bourbon barrel-aged stout: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout, a huge, intensely warming beer at 15% ABV.  Bourbon County is an expertly crafted classic that envelops your whole mouth, & many were thrilled to find that the acquisition of Goose Island by Anheuser-Busch InBev has not compromised the quality of a landmark beer. 

So all in all, not everybody likes everything (the big barrel-aged brews were too much for some), but everyone finds something that hits a chord for them.  We at The House have a great time curating the line-up & throwing these little shin-digs, & the best part about being part of The House is the people.  And the beer.  But specifically, sharing the beer with people.  If you’ve missed out on these in the past, we hope to see you in January.  And if you miss that one, don’t worry, we’ll catch you the month after.

Paint the White House Amber

Another election season’s ended.  Whether you’re happy with the results or devastated, we can all breathe a sigh of relief that the attack ads, speculation, & other hoopla will soon have left our collective consciousness.  Once the dust had settled at the polls, my thoughts turned to where they usually do: beer.  I thought of the Yards Brewing’s Ales of the Revolution, a series of beers inspired by the original recipes of George Washington & Thomas Jefferson, & reflecting the value ascribed to brewing by our founding fathers.  Speaking of founding fathers, I’m reminded of the photo of Jim Koch, founder of the Samuel Adams brand of beer & a groundbreaker in today’s craft beer movement, standing in front of the White House in 1987, a Boston Lager in each hand.  Two years after starting the Boston Beer Company, Koch was invited to the White House by Ronald Reagan, & ever since, Samuel Adams has been served at the White House, Camp David, & Air Force One.

As craft beer emerges to more prominence in the marketplace & our culture in general, it’s no accident that it seems to have carved a niche in today’s White House.  Whether you’re a true-blue Democrat or a red-blooded Republican, it’s safe to say that President Obama is one of the most beer-friendly commanders-in-chief in recent history.  Beer geeks everywhere were abuzz over the “beer summit” in the summer of 2009, when the proposed approach to conflict resolution was to sit down & talk it out over beers.  The on-line forums were full of curiosity & speculation over which brews the men would choose (& a little disappointment that they weren’t something a little more interesting).  During the Steelers’ last Super Bowl attempt, beers from each teams’ home state were sent to the White House - Green Bay was represented by Hinterland Brewing, &, despite a Hail Mary by locals East End, the Steelers’ symbolic brew was Yuengling.  And homebrewers everywhere are agog that White House chefs are now brewing not one, but three beers:  a brown ale, porter, & blonde ale, all made with honey from the White House beehive.  This is the first record of brewing on actual White House grounds, though historians are quick to point out that Washington brewed & distilled at Mt. Vernon & Jefferson made wine at Monticello.

Brewers themselves are taking politics as a cue, too, with Avery’s release of Ale to the Chief, a double IPA, & Blue Point’s tongue-in-cheek Entitlement Porter.   Again, regardless of your own persuasion, please realize that this is not an endorsement, but an observation that craft beer is on the rise, to the point that it’s taken a place in the highest office in our nation.  And that’s a message that fans of good beer everywhere can approve.