Beercraft newspaper column #23: "Light" beers

Three wimpy cheers for our choice of light beers!

By Mark Tichenor and Bruce Lish

Americans have always loved beer, but as our populace grew fatter, we began to look at ways of living a healthier, less overindulgent lifestyle. Enter “light” beer: you get a fraction of the calories without sacrificing the gratification of drinking a bunch of alcohol.

Now, the obvious question is “if you’re so concerned with your weight, why try to swill down a beverage so culpable for fat production that they named a type of gut after it? Wouldn’t you just switch to wine or something?”

It’s kind of like veganism.

You ever look in a vegan’s fridge? It’s probably chock full of foodstuffs made of bean curd or wet grain, molded into the shape and approximation of meat. “Not Dogs.” “Tofurkey.” “Veggie Ribs” (we’re not kidding, these things exist).

There’s nothing wrong with choosing to eat only vegetable products, but for crying out loud, why does it all have to distantly resemble meat?!? Can’t it just be freakin’ vegetables? WHY?

But we digress.

It turns out, people really like beer. It’s the beverage associated with good times, good friends, and satisfying, resonant belches. People wanted to lose weight, but they still longed for their brewskis. Thus, the light beer market was created, and the megabreweries jumped in with every marketing dollar they could muster.

Light beer, when it first appeared in the 1970s, was received with great fanfare. It had lowered calorie content, yet was exactly like regular lager, in the same way that your bathtub is exactly like a swimming pool. Still, it gave people something to swill while mingling awkwardly, along with the misguided idea that they were sticking to rigorous diets. Thanks to very high-budget marketing, light beer soon became a dominant presence in the market and a necessary part of each megabrewery’s brand portfolio.

Obviously, Americans are still drinking the stuff by the kegful, so we’re not going to try to crusade against it. Instead, here are a couple of the more, um, palatable light beers you might find:

Amstel Light is the best-known imported light beer, and it isn’t half-bad, for what it is. Kind of like a Heineken, without the intense flavor, Amstel still manages to deliver some authentic beer taste. You may need to drink twice as many, but Amstel still offers a modicum of, um, “refreshment.” At 3.5% alcohol by volume, it can’t actually be classified as water.
Beck’s Light also comes to us from European shores. With less alcohol than Amstel (and correspondingly less flavor), Beck’s also manages to retain some beer flavor and color. It’s fizzy, but still palatable, and a good alternative at the office Christmas party when you want to be social, but still don’t want anyone to experience the real you.

A good friend of ours drinks Miller Lite almost exclusively. It’s ironic considering the guy looks like a beer keg with feet. Anyway, it’s actually not the worst of the worst, sharing the skunky cabbage aroma and corny taste with its heavier, more caloric cousin: Miller High Life. Once again, the fizz factor is very high, so you can pretend you’re drinking a beer soda.

Look, we can’t do this anymore. Between you and us, all these beers are wimpy and watery. It’s the nature of the beast. Take our advice. If you want to drink a robust, delicious beer and still cut back on the calories, the answer might come as a very pleasant surprise. Guinness Draught.

Yep. We’re talking about that jet-black stuff with the dense, creamy head. People think it’s heavy because of the dark color, roasty flavor and velvety nitrogen carbonation. In reality, it has just one more calorie per ounce than Miller Light. The black patent malt gives it a full flavor unequalled by any light lager.

Of course, you may have to develop a taste for stout, but if you can acquire a taste for that nasty, swampy, fetid ultra-light slurry water, choosing the Guinness should be a no-brainer.

By the way, some people actually enjoy light lager, and more power to them. Beer should make you happy, in whatever form you prefer. Far be it for us to judge; our motto is “Drink what you like.”

Even if you’re wrong.

Bruce is a certified beer judge and former commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http://beercraft.blogspot.com. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com

Fall is gimmick beer time

Every autumn, a bunch of microbreweries put out a pumpkin ale. This is a wonderful beverage for anyone who enjoys beer and pie at the same time. Personally, I prefer to chew, swallow, then swill.

We'll be doing bonus reviews of various pumpkin ales over the next few days. Hope you enjoy novelty.

-Mark

All beer and no play...

More intensive blogging will resume shortly. Currently, I've been traumatized by having to write a column on 'light' beer.

Foks if you wanna drink beer, drink beer. If you don't want the calories, drink something else. Why choke down a watery near-beer when you could have a delicious, full-flavored Crystal Light?

Getting ready for the colder weather

Yesterday was likely the last 80-degree day we'll see this year. It's time to clear the fridge of the pilsners, hefe-weizens, and light lagers in order to make room for the porters, stouts and barley wines of winter.

It's almost like the turning of the leaves, as bright gold and amber becomes chocolate brown and black. The strong, darker ales aresimply my preference during the colder months. They're warming and hearty, just the thing after a day of being outside in the snow.

And I'm already looking forward to the first Pilsner of the next summer season.

-Mark

Thursday's Beer from the Other Side of the World: Tiger

Singapore is known for a lot of things: Security, order, horrific punishment of litterers and vandals. It is not, however, known for beer.

Maybe this is a shame. I picked up a bottle of Tiger lager, and it surprised the crap out of me.

To be honest, I expected a thin, light, ricey lager; that's pretty much the norm for asian beers available in the USA. What I got, however, was a fragrant, heady beer with a pleasantly golden hue. The first sip showed Tiger to be the product of a a quality brewery. It's dominated by malt sweetness and aroma, but the bitter hop finish is a perfect counterpoint. The result is a beer that's sweet and hearty, but still eminently refreshing.

I'd say Tiger tastes similar to Efes Pils, another awesome beer from a brewery that, from an American standpoint, isn't only easy to overlook, but it's hard to find in the first place. Thanks to Singapore's Asia Pacific Brewery for creating a gem.

I just hope they don't cane my ass for chucking the bottle cap.

-Mark

-Mark

Beercraft newspaper column #22- Oktoberfest

Ein Prosit, Der Gemütlichkeit! Oktoberfest ist da!
By Mark Tichenor and Bruce Lish

In Munich, you can almost smell it in the air.

As the summer wanes and cooler breezes blow through the cobbled streets, the restaurateurs and hoteliers of this old Bavarian capital brace for their busiest time of the year. Over by the main train station, on a flat plaza called the Theresienwiese, workers will erect tents that dwarf anything the circus could bring to town. Soon, these tents will house the largest beer event — indeed the largest public celebration — in the entire world: Oktoberfest.

First held in 1810 as an extravagant horse race to commemorate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen (pause for breath), Oktoberfest has come to embody that part of the German national character that doesn’t involve being punctual, cleaning obsessively, and occasionally taking over Europe. Nowadays, the festival hosts over 6 million visitors from around the globe.

Anyway, the main festival has spawned hundreds of knockoffs around the world, so most everyone is familiar with the rituals. Link your arms. Sway back and forth. Wait for the world’s drunkest band to yell “Zicki-zacki! Zicki-zacki!” and respond with a hearty “Heu! Heu! Heu!”

But what many folks outside of Germany might not get to experience is the Oktoberfest beer. It’s a style all its own, brewed every fall and spring (in spring, however, it’s called “Märzen”).

Oktoberfest is darker than most lagers; a rich amber color. It’s also considerably sweeter, the malt producing most of the flavor with just enough hops to bring the beer in balance, leaving no residual bitterness. After a few of them, you’ll probably notice a slightly higher alcoholic content (in the neighborhood of 6.5% alcohol by volume). We recommend serving it in the traditional Mass glass. It’s one liter of pure liquid deliciousness.

Unsurprisingly, the best Oktoberfest beers are brewed by the big Munich breweries: Spaten, Paulaner, Löwenbrau, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr and Hofbräuhaus. These are the only beers allowed for sale at the big Fest in Munich, and each brewery has its own ridiculously huge tent.

All of these beers are available in the US during the fall, but they tend to go quickly and aren’t always restocked. Check with your favorite specialty beer store and buy by the case.

The Germans, of course, would argue that a festival beer is meant to be enjoyed socially, not in the isolation of one’s own home. Fortunately the 19th annual Irondequoit Oktoberfest is coming up on September 15. Also, you can find the brews on tap in many bars, pubs and restaurants in the area. Unfortunately, you’ll be hard pressed to get anyone to serve you the beer in the proper one-liter glass.

The Oktoberfest beer style has caught on among American microbreweries as well, and throughout the fall it’s easy to find some very good examples. Examples by Saranac, Custom Brewcrafters, and the Ithaca Brewing company are available in the area. American producers may not have the authenticity of the multiple century-old Munich breweries, but they’re usually excellent beers in their own right, often a bit more bold than their Teutonic counterparts.

So let’s all give a hearty toast and enjoy the coming of Autumn in the Bavarian way- not by wearing comical leather shorts, but by raising our glasses high and giving the traditional Oktoberfest toast: “Oins! Zwoa! Drei! G’suffa!” This is how beer is meant to be enjoyed.

In other beers:
The High Falls Brewery continues to re-introduce Genesee Cream Ale to Rochester. Vice President of Marketing Gregg Stacy has held tastings of the old stalwart at Monty’s Korner and Johnny’s Irish Pub, and surely there are more on the way. It’s nice to see the brewery fostering interest in one of its classic brands.

Dundee’s IPA, also from High Falls, is out and available around Rochester, and it’s very good. If you’re not a fan of floral, bitter beers, this probably isn’t the brew for you. But hopheads can rest assured that the IPA holds its own.

Bruce is a certified beer judge and former commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http://beercraft.blogspot.com. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com.

Friday's overrated beer: Carlsberg

Carlsberg is one of the great names in brewing. They perfected a lot of what goes into modern lagers. They've funded incredible art museums. Truly a class company.

Too bad their beer is so damn average. It's very bland, mildly skunky,absolutely unmemorable. That's the best I can say about it. If you want a good Danish lager, go for Tuborg (which is owned by Carlsberg). Problem is, Tuborg is much harder to find in the States.

Even Carlsberg isn't sold on their own brand. The slogan is "Probably the best beer in the world." Probably? Who the hell is their ad agency? I guess, with a beer as average as Carlsberg, you don't want to overstate the case. People might ask for their money back.

-Mark

Oktoberfest on the wind

It's almost time for the festival of festivals, Oktoberfest!

I've always loved this form of ritualized beer drinking, and so did my German mother. Hell, until I was seven, I thought the German word for "three" was "G'suffa!" So we're gonna hold our own Oktoberfest. Cheesy German oom-pah music, Spaten Oktoberfest beer (served in the 1-liter Mass glass, of course), pretzels, and Wurst. If you want to join in, let us know.



Officially, there are ten days to go until the blessed event, but what the hell, I'm going to start right now!

-Mark

Beercraft newspaper column #21- beer basics

Beer 101: What am I drinking anyway?

Lager or ale, what are the differences? It all boils down to the type of yeast used during fermentation. Due to its microscopic nature, yeast was the last ingredient in beer to be recognized. The German Beer Purity Law of 1516 originally listed three ingredients as the building blocks for beer; barley malt, water and hops. Yeast was added later as technology improved and humans discovered that by looking through a microscope they could see a whole new life to beer. Literally. They found tiny little animals living their entire life cycle in beer. That is enough to make some of us envious. This yeast consumes the sugars that are produced by the malted barley. The waste products that the yeast excrete are alcohol and carbon dioxide. Two very necessary components in finished beer. Who said potty humor can’t be educational?

Ale yeast was isolated first and is much easier to handle. Ale is considered to be “top fermented, and lager “bottom fermented”. This has nothing more to do than the feeding habits of the two yeast strains used in beer production. Fermentation temperature and duration are other factors that differentiate the two beer styles. Ales are fermented in the range of 60-70 degrees for five to ten days. The warmer fermentation temperature allows the yeast to produce esters which give the ale a fruity flavor and aroma. English ales are legendary for this flavor character. Look for a Fullers London Pride for a tasty example. Porters and stouts are also a part of the ale family.

Lager yeast was isolated in the latter part of the 1800’s. Lager beer is fermented in the 40-50 degree range for ten to fourteen days. Yeast move slower in lower temperatures, the slower fermentation does not produce the esters found in ales, thus producing a much cleaner flavor. After fermentation, the beer is aged, or lagered, for a period of two to four weeks at a temperature of 33 degrees before filtering. Before the invention of refrigeration, lager was fermented and aged in caves for natural temperature control. Lager only became popular after refrigeration became economical. Your Budweisers and Heinekens fall into this family. We’ve all heard the marketing gimmickry tied to lager beers. “Cold aged” and “Cold filtered” are done out of necessity and are not secret patented processes. Warm filtering would be a challenge. Thankfully not all lagers are created equal. Oktoberfest, Munich helles, European Pilsner and dopplebock are also members of the lager family.

Whatever your personal taste desires, be it heavy, light, dark, sweet, or hoppy there are ales and lagers that will fit any occasion. Remember this the next time you reach for “the coldest tasting beer in the world”.

In Other beers: The Keg on Gregory Street is now proudly serving Ithaca Beer Co.’s Cascazilla, a very fine strong red ale. The waning days of summer are winding into Autumn. A friendly reminder of this was the first taste of Custom Brewcrafters Wee Heavy. Barrel aged and cask conditioned at Monty’s Krown.

Curse you, IKEA!

I wanted to post about beer today, but the wife dragged me to the closest IKEA, which happens to be in Burlington, Ontario, about three hours from my house when the threat level is orange.

Upon my return, I was promptly assigned the task of assembling the shitty particle-board furniture we'd procured.

I just finished. The only beer-related thing I can add is that the IKEA cafeteria sells Tuborg, which is unavailable in western New York. I would have relished this Danish beer, had I not just returned from a week in friggin' Denmark.

So cheers. I'll make a point of drinking something interesting tomorrow, and babbling about it.

-Mark

Off-topic: Shitty soft rock and commerce

Soft rock of the female vocalist kind is annoying. Extremely annoying. For the past twenty years or so, we've been force-marched down the sonic trail blazed by Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey et. al; a trail of third-party singers spewing second-rate songs. A trail of formula schlock that's all constructed exactly the same, has the same obligatory modulation in the same obligatory place, with the same schmaltzy saccharine lyric themes. It certainly isn't rock, nor is the high-frequency shrieking particularly "soft."

OK, if you like this shit (and incidentally, if you do, you're wrong and you have por taste), that's fine.

BUT WHY IS IT ACCEPTED AS THE NORM IN THE WORPLACE AND IN PLACES OF COMMERCE!?!?!?!

Why do I have to deal with this crap in office environments? Why is it more professional than classical, jazz, or for that matter, metal? Moreover, why, when I'm sitting at a small mom-and-pop diner, where the owner has complete control over what plays in his store, am I forced to try and enjoy my spinach and feta omelette while some banshee-voiced hussy vomits overproduced garbage into my ears?

I am calling a personal boycott. I will not patronize establishments that play "soothing" soft rock radio at me. Silence is preferable. Good taste is even better. Sorry, I am unable to tune it out, and I know I sound like MattD, but that's where I stand. Hey, stick it, Mariah.

-Mark

Stone Brewery lives up to the hype

I haven't had much beer from the Stone Brewing Company, but I was always a bit leery of the hype they get in beer-geek circles.

I had several glasses of the IPA last night, and I must admit, the beer holds up. Very nicely balanced, good bitterness, and a unique, spicy finish. This is a very, very good beer.

-Mark

Back from Copenhagen

Having returned from moy ardurous journey, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised to find a minor microbrewery revolution going on over in Copenhagen. Several "Bryghus" have opened around town.

Interestingly, microbrewing over there seems to be the providence of ex-Carlsberg brewers; I don't think it's really hit the hobbyists level yet. Still the beers these places are producing are top-notch and bang on style. They cost an arm an a leg, but then again, so does everything else in Copenhagen.

-Mark

Microbrewing in Copenhagen

Batting 1.000 so far.

On our first night in Copenhagen, some friends of ours directed us to the Koebenhavn Brewpub. Excellent stuff... the porter was roasty and complex, and bang on for style, and the Heveweizen was extremely authintic, reminiscent of Paulaner. I hate European keyboards.

-Mark

No posting from the plane

I'll be signing off until Friday, when posting will commence from the quaint little town of Denmark.

We'll be updating the blog from overseas with pictures and beer reports and stuff, all the while remaining culturally receptive and not posting any inflammatory cartoons.

So, until Friday, Sayonara! (or whatever they say for "goodbye in Denmark...why can't they learn to speak English like normal people?)

-Mark

Beercraft newspaper column #20- Brooklyn Brewery

Mediocre Beer? Fugggedaboudit!

By Mark Tichenor and Bruce Lish

After prohibition, the American brewing industry was basically destroyed. Hundreds of beer producers went out of business, and huge cities that once had a brewery in every neighborhood were bereft of local beer.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that the craft beer movement began to reverse the fortunes of regional brewers. Mostly, the companies that opened were small, serving the brewery/restaurant, the immediate area, and perhaps some other cities through beverage distributors.

When you’re opening a brewery in New York City, however, small just doesn’t cut it. Brooklyn Brewery thought big, and because of their availability and high quality, they’re enjoying considerable fame well beyond the isle of Manhattan.

Brooklyn’s head brewer, Garrett Oliver, is probably the only commercial beer maker who could justifiably be considered a celebrity. His book, “The Brewmaster’s Table,” demonstrates the versatility of beer as a partner to good food, and can (or at least should) be found in the kitchen of every craft beer fan.

We’ll let Mr. Oliver handle advice on the food pairing, but let’s talk about some of our favorite Brooklyn beers.

First up is Brooklyn Lager. Supposedly brewed in the style of pre-prohibition lagers, it pours a darker color than the typical American macro brew. There’s a definite sweetness in the aroma, and that carries to the flavor. The beer is balanced, though, with a distinctive hoppy finish that rounds the sweet characteristics out. a light mouthfeel and prickly carbonation make the Lager pleasantly refreshing. This would be a perfect choice for a summer night on the porch.

You’ve read our quibbles with American Hefeweizen. It’s rare that a microbrewery nails the style, or indeed brews a wheat beer that’s even palatable, so Brooklyner Weizen is a very pleasant surprise.

The trademark banana/clove aroma wafts pleasantly above the beer’s tall white head. Underneath the foam is the light, refreshing, slightly sweet flavor of a real Hefeweizen, although the color isn’t quite spot on. However, we’ve never let color get in the way of slurping down an exemplary brew, and Brooklyner is certainly that. It’s a comfortable 5.1% alcohol by volume, so you can enjoy a couple without feeling too much of an effect.

If you like your beer dark and strong, we’d recommend the Brooklyn Monster Ale. It’s a barley wine weighing in at 11% alcohol by volume, so you might not want to consume it out of 20 ounce pint glasses.
The first flavor you pick up in the Monster ale is malt sweetness, which is common in this style of beer because sweet masks the taste of the alcohol. Due to the strength of the brew, however, there’s still a noticeably warming alcohol essence. The edge is taken off by the bitter hops in the finish, which rounds the Monster out nicely.

Brooklyn Monster ale is suitable for cellaring; a year or two in cool storage, out of direct sunlight, will mellow the flavors, creating a more harmonious blend between sweet and bitter and introducing new flavor characteristics to the palate.

In Other Beers:
Hooray for the death of a blue law! A couple weeks ago, Governor Pataki signed legislation eliminating restrictions on the sales of beer on Sunday Morning in New York State. Now you can get started right away… Er, we mean you don’t have to kick yourself for forgetting to pick up a six-pack on Saturday night for the Sunday football game.

Certainly someone will complain about how this will Hurt the Children, but the ban really didn’t make any sense. It’s good to see New York’s government move progressively and decisively in improving the quality of life for its citizens! Cheers!

Bruce is a certified beer judge and former commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http://beercraft.blogspot.com. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com

Beer and sausages

For today's blog post, we shall gape in glee at the menu of the most famous brewery/restaurant in the world, the Hofbrauhaus!



I've always loved the HB beer, and it's at its best when consumed, one liter at a time, in the big beer hall on a chilly spring night. If you have any Hofbrauhaus stories, post a comment and share them.

-Mark

Friday's Overrated Beer: Red Stripe

Ok, we're starting this again...



This beer is as overrated as a Caribbean vacation. A corny, skunky, utterly sub-average lager made popular by its sun-n'-fun connotations, Red Stripe is like Corona, but without the unique and delicious flavor.

now let's throw in the lowbrow, borderline racist ad campaign the importes of the Stripe are currently running on nationwide TV. You know, the clown in the sash mugging Jamaicanly for the camera as he hands Red Stripe to the tourist? I can't put my finger on it, but something about that ad makes my teeth grind.



Bottom line, if you're not on a cruise ship, or island paradise fenced off from the poverty and misery that surrounds it, you got no business drinking this dishwater. Do us all a favor and find a good Pils.

-Mark

Milk stout, we hardly know ye,.

I had a Mackeson's XXX milk stout last night, mainly for the pleasure of sampling a beer style not commonly found in the USA.

Milk stout (also called sweet stout) is a mild yet full-bodied dark ale with unfermentable sugars added (most commonly lactose) to give the beer sweetness and counteract the roasted malt character. Thought to be very nutritious, English doctors used to recommend it to nursing mothers back in the day.

It seems to be mostly a London style, although a couple of American Breweries (Lancaster Brewing of PA comes to mind) also produce a milk stout. Still, it seems the style has never really caught on among American microbrewers except as a novelty. To some extent, this reflects the current state of the style in its home country as well, since it has certainly fallen out of favor since the '50s. Kind of a shame, really.

-Mark

The Czech Republic gets its due

The Czech Republic is one of the most important beer nations in the world. It was there that lager was introduced and Pilsener was invented. Since the American craft beer scene is dominated by ales, many beer fans never really learn about the awesome beers of this region, or the heritage and importance of the breweries that produce them.

This article in the New York Times gives credit where credit is due. Read it and expand your horizons!

-Mark

Here comes a Regular

Thought I'd take a moment to pimp one of my favorite blogs: Monroe County, NY Bars.

Snazzy title aside, it's a day-by-day journey through the varied bars of my hometown (Rochester, NY) and the surrounding area. The Bar Man's stated goal is to visit all of the bars in the area within a year; a pretty ambitious feat to say the least. No way this dude is married!

If you live in Rochester, consider this blog an essential guide to the watering holes in your area. If you're reaing from somewhere else, you get to view the settings and cast of characters almost anthropologically, or perhaps voyeuristically. Either way, it's a great exception to the self-indulgent nature of most weblogs.

Bar Man, next time I go out, I'll hoist one to you!

-Mark

Beer is alive and well.

I just read today's headline post at the Brookston Beer Bulletin. This is a must-read for anyone who really likes good beer.

Newspapers across the country delight in any opportunity to make themselves seem "upscale" in their feature pages. They do this in two ways: They build up something considered sophisticated (like wine) and they tear down something lowbrow (like beer). With the exception of Eric Asimov's work in the New York Times, When's the last time you've seen decent beer coverage in a daily newspaper? But every single fish wrap in the country has a soccer mom droning on about the wonders of merlot, or whatever the hell vino she saw in "Sideways."

Newspapers know that craft beer is gaining market share at the expense of the megabreweries, and it's percisely the sophistication of beer drinkers across the nation that is driving this. People are putting down the can of Schlitz and picking up a good IPA. Customers want something that tastes good, and they're beginning to vote with their wallets. It's incredibly encouraging for the craft beer industry, and points toward a much more positive outcome than the article dissected in the Beer Bulletin would suggest; a light lager at the end of the tunnel?

But you'll never read about that in your newspaper.

Beercraft goes overseas!

On August 17th, I'l be travelling to Copenhagen, Denmark in a tireless quest to discover and spotlight great beers. There will be photos and stuff, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here's a picture from Insider Magazine of Bruce and I at the Genny Cream Ale tasting.

New York State loses a blue law

Finally, Governor George Pataki has abolished the archaic law prohibiting sales of alcoholic beverages before 11am on Sunday.

I'm not saying I want to go on a Sunday morning binge or anything, but any sports fan will tell you that it's a bitch when the game starts in ten minutes, the guys are over at your house, you forgot to plan ahead for beer, so your fridge is empty except for a tub of butter-like "spread," and you can't get any brew until halftime.

Thank you, Governor Pataki, for eliminating this extra bit of bureaucratic nonsense from the books.

-Mark

Beercraft newspaper column #19- High Falls Brewery

High Falls Brewery and the split personality

By Mark Tichenor and Bruce Lish

The old joke goes, “how’s American beer like having sex in a canoe? They’re both fucking close to water.” For a long time that was true. After World War 2, American tastes had shifted toward light, thin, pale beer, and this style was produced by hundreds of regional breweries.

Most of those breweries are gone now, either swallowed up or forced into insolvency by the giant conglomerates. Many of the remaining regionals, like Utica’s F.X. Matt Brewery, have survived by repositioning themselves as craft brewers.

In Rochester, the High Falls Brewery straddles the line between artisan brewery and producer of mainstream lager. The former name of the brewery is still emblazoned on what’s been the signature beer of Western New York for most of the 20th century, and for us at least, no trip to Frontier Field is complete without a liberal amount of ice cold Genesee.

Sales of Genesee and Genny Light have declined, however, thanks to the huge marketing budgets of larger American and Canadian mega breweries. So under the watchful eye of Head Brewer Dave Sclosser, the brewery is reconciling the marketing of its traditional Genesee brands with the finding of new markets for its J.W. Dundee’s brand craft beers.

Currently, the Dundee’s line consists of Honey Brown Lager, American Pale Ale, American Amber Lager, and a rotating seasonal (currently Hefe-Weizen ). As well as sin-store availability, they’re going over huge in PaeTec Park and Frontier Field.

With its distinctive aluminum bottles, widespread presence, and a major award or two, the J.W. Dundee’s line of craft beers is carving out a Saranac-like niche in the Northeast. J.W.Dundee’s IPA, which made its debut at the Flower City Brewer’s Fest last weekend, should win some major street cred for the High Falls Brewery.

“This IPA should silence more than a few people who think that we can't/won't make some really hoppy beers,” says Dave Schlosser, High Falls’ head brewer. “I think all beers should have a balance to them, and our IPA is no different. It is certainly dominated by the hop aroma, flavor and bitterness, but there is a strong malt backbone to the beer that carries the hops nicely.”

While satisfying the beer snobs, High Falls refuses to abandon the beers upon which the company was built. Greg Stacy, Vice President of Marketing, sees tons of growth potential among the young hip crowd for that staple college campus generator, Genesee Cream Ale.

Stacy is taking a grassroots approach with the Screamer, personally holding tastings in bars, brainstorming with his team to develop new drinks (anyone for a cream and tan?), and giving away tons of cool promotional stuff. As a history buff himself, he’s trying to remind consumers that Genesee isn’t just a brand name, but a part of Rochester’s character and culture.

It’s working. According to Stacy, sales of Genny Cream Ale are on the upswing. Schlosser notices it too. “The funny part about it too is where it is growing,” he points out. “It certainly has grown in some of the younger more hip bars as a retro product, but it is also available in bottles at places like 2 Vine and Black and Blue”
High Falls has just launched a Cream Ale website, www.geneseecreamale.com.

It’s heartening that, as the brewery makes its transition to craft beers, it’s still optimistically growing the “beers of Rochester.” Whether you’re drinking a Dundee’s, a Cream Ale, or straight Genesee Beer, you’re patronizing a brewery that, while quite large, remains Rochester owned and operated, and more impressively, still here. When you consider the economic battery that our area has endured in recent years, that cold Genny starts to go down pretty smoothly.

Bruce is a certified beer judge and former commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http://beercraft.blogspot.com. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com

Flour City Brewer's Fest wrapup

This was a good time. The festival seemed to go off without a hitch. Thanks to the Rohrbach Brewing Company for organzing it and keeping things running smoothly.

Highlights of the festival: Flying Bison Oatmeal Stout and Southern Tier Phin and Matt's Extraordinary Ale. No surprise there.

Of course, the weather didn't coperate. It never does. Thunderstorms once again drove festival goers underneath the fringes of the brewers' tents, but did little to deter the crowd.

So I got a little glass to add to my collection of useless little glasses. Perhaps I'll buy a bunch of beers and use my little glass to have a private beer festival in my own home. Whee.

-Mark

A glass, or seven, of Rochester tradition

Thanks to Greg Stacy of the High Falls Brewery for the cool Genny Cream Ale jacket, and for that matter the cool Genny Cream Ale. It's pretty good on draft. In fact, Bruce and I both think it would be pretty damn good on cask!

Anyway, let me pimp the brand new (launched yesterday) Genesee Cream Ale website.

Look, if we're gonna have a bunch of hipsters in chunky glasses and trucker hats ordering "ironic" beers, we could at least ensure that they go for the Rochester-brewed choice. I'm sick and tired of Pabst Blue Ribbon running away with the growing hipster market segment. So, Rochester hipsters, put down the Wilco album, belly up to the bar, and do your duty. Drink a Genny Cream Ale today.

Oh, and it was good to meet some of our readers last night. I appreciate the props for the column and blog. If you're a regular reader of our Freetime column, do us a favor. Drop them a quick e-mail at freetime@frontiernet.net and let 'em know this column is reaching somebody.
Thanks,

-Mark

Come taste the screamer!

That's right. The High Falls Brewery is once again taking up the reins of this, um, time-honored classic American beer. And hey, for what it is, it's not bad. So if you're in Rochester, come drink some Genesee Cream Ale, and get some cool schwag. We'll be the first in line.

-Mark

Beercraft newspaper column #18- Hard cider

Hard Cider- the lager alternative

By Mark Tichenor and Bruce Lish

Let’s face it. Not everyone likes beer. We’ve pondered this position for many years and cannot come up with any other answer than the fact that they aren’t trying hard enough. It’s probably going a bit overboard, however, to say these folks have poor taste. Many beer haters we know are absolute connoisseurs of hard cider.

As soon as humans learn that certain fruit juices can be magically turned into tasty intoxifying beverages that don’t make you ill (unlike water, historically) they will indeed produce this beverage for daily consumption. Cider was most likely the first fermented beverage to be produced in colonial America. Easily produced at home, it enjoyed continued popularity even through prohibition. Cider met a decline in the United States after the end of the Second World War as light lager rapidly overtook the American palate.

Cider continued to be produced in Europe during the post war years, especially in the British Isles. The start of CAMRA (The CAMpaign for Real Ale) in Britain brought cider back into the world spotlight in the early 1980’s. It once again began to show up on store shelves and on draft in American bars. Recipes for cider also began to appear in the pages of homebrewing books.

Some people are surprised by cider’s breadth of flavors. Like wine, they range from very dry to very sweet, and each brand has unique complexities. The most commonly available ciders in the US, Woodchuck, Hornsby’s, and Woodpecker, tend toward the more easily marketed sweet side, but with a mimimum of searching, one can find several choices to please the more sophisticated palate.

Dagan Celtic Cider, produced in France, is closer in color to fresh pressed cider, but filtered. This cider is much drier than the overly sweet Woodchuck, and is in line with most of the true “craft” ciders that we have tasted in the past. The apple flavor is subtle and refreshing with just a hint of sweetness.

Doc’s Draft Cider is produced at the Warwick Valley Wine Co. in Warwick, New York. This cider is lighter in color than the Dagan and is a touch sweeter, but still much drier than Woodchuck.

The third cider producer is Bellwether Hard Cider, located on the west shore of Cayuga Lake. Bellwether has been producing fine ciders for about six years and offer five distinct varieties. Two are still, which means no carbonation. The other three are carbonated. They range from off-dry to semi-dry with one flavored with tart cherries.

Bill Barton, the proprietor of Bellwether gave a tour and some history about cider making. They use 100% local apples in their products and have planted their own orchard recently. The cidery is located at 9070 Route 89 in Trumansburg, New York and is well worth a visit while on a wine tour of west Cayuga Lake.

Although Bellweather is a bit of a haul for a casual beverage purchase, it’s a perfect stop if you’re on a Cayuga Lake wine tour, and the crisp, fresh cider provides an excellent counterpoint to the ubiquitous Finger Lakes reislings. Bill told us that they are working out details for distribution in the Rochester area. We will keep you posted on any developments, but keep your eyes open in the Rochester Public Market.

So if you’re not a beer lover, be happy; you still have something to live for. Just remember, a cider a day keeps the doctor away, but swig down thirteen and you’ll need a new spleen (sorry, it’s hard to rhyme with ‘liver’).

Bruce is a certified beer judge and former commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http://beercraft.blogspot.com. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com

I can't say enough about the Flower City Brewer's Fest

...Mostly because I screwed up my deadline days and missed my chance to cover it before the next issue of Freetime. But hell, our blog readership is only a smidgeon smaller than out print readership, so we'll cover it here. BeerAdvocate has a page with all the details of the event.

Bruce and I will be in attendance, of course. Looks like we'll be hitting the second session. Then calling a cab.

-Mark

High Falls steps it up

Good times at High Falls Brewery. Head brewer Dave Schlosser is releasing J.W. Dundee's IPA, the first India Pale from the Rochester Brewery since High Falls IPA in the mid '90s. It'll premiere at the High Falls Brewer's fest July 29th.

Also, Genesee Cream Ale is making a resurgence. Look for a push on this venerable Rochester beer at both Monty's Krown and Monty's Korner. Hey, it's a premium beer in the South...

Anyway, we'll see you at the festival. Second session. -Mark

Happy Anniversary to Me! And a gripe about fine dining.

Well, the 16th was my first wedding anniversary. We're celebrating it today by holding a clambake. Shitty weather for it, bute we'll cope.

So it's off to Beers of the World for a couple of cases. I'm tempted to go with American micros since I haven't been giving them their due lately. Maybe Dogfish Head or something from Great Divide. What goes well with clams?

Anyway, Last night after the Rhinos game, I stopped by the Park Avenue Pub, a fine dining restaurant where a friend of mine bartends. As is fitting for a place whose entrees hover around $20 per dish, the wine list was excellent and extensive.

But the beer choices sucked.

Heineken, Stella, Labatt Blue, Bud, Coors Light. This beer menu belongs at a baseball stadium, not a place of gastronomy. Why is beer always so totally ignored by chefs? There's a whole world of it out there, and you're stuck with Coors light to complement your Crispy Skinned Maple Leaf Farms Boneless Duck Breast. Gimme a place with a beer cellar, thanks very much. Oh, and waiter, you don't have to open it at my table. I have a keychain for that.

-Mark

-Mark

The High Falls Brewer's Fest

Hot on the heels of Belgium comes to Cooperstown is the High Falls Brewers Fest here in sunny Rochester, NY.

On July 29, brewers from all over the northeast will gather at the High Falls festival site for your sampling pleasure. The festival is sponsored by the Rohrbach Brewing Company, who will of course have a booth there.

So bring $20 and a designated driver, or at least the phone number of a cab company. Some of these breweries pour beer that needs to be sampled again and again. -Mark

Recovering from Belgium Comes to Cooperstown

We had a great time at Ommegang's Belgium Comes to Cooperstown festival. Thanks to Chris from Ommegang for inviting us down.

Right now, I'm trying to discover from vast quantities of tripel, a sleepless night (thanks, asshole with the bongo drum), and a drive back to Rochester. A full review is pending.

-Mark

Beer works, not bad for an engine of commerce

We went to the Beer Works opposite Fenway Park on Wednesday. It's cavernous and modern, with lots of "BEER WORKS" themed merchandise on display. Things like this always make me worry; in my experience places that lead with the decor and the crap pimping usually come up short in the quality of the beer.

However, Beer Works did not disappoint, once you got past the cutesy beer names. The Buckeye Oatmeal Stout was very good, balanced with a dry finish. I'd also reccommend the Boston Garden Golden. It's light in body with a sweetish malt character.

Beer Works is a chain now, but they haven't forgotten what got them there. Keep brewing, guys!

-Mark

Boston, Pt. III

There seem to be two types of bars here: corporate-owned, tourist-oriented faux-Irish megapubs and relatively comfortable holse in the wall. Having spent considerable time in both, I can say that Boston is a pretty good drinking town, although many bars lack the variety to which I'm accustomed in my native Rochester.

Still, there's plenty of Harpoon IPA, and that's just fine by me. Here are the better pubs I've visited so far:

• The Littlest Bar


• Pete's Pub


• The Red Hat

There will be more. Tonight, my friend Patrick and I will be checking out an area microbrewery, although we've yet to decide on which one.

-Mark

Boston follies

This is a pretty cool town. Lots to do, lots of places with good stuff on tap. We wound up in The Littlest Bar, which lives up to its billing and, as far as I can tell, is the only genuinely Irish bar in Boston.

Thanks to the folks who threw me suggestions. I'm going to continue avoiding the tourist traps and smell out Boston's best beers. In case you were wondering, Tremont IPA is certainly not it.

-Mark

Hellooo Beantown

I'm in Boston all week on business. during the day, anyway. At night I'll turn into a partyin' fool! Don't tell my wife.

Anyway, It'll be fun to sniff out the best of B oston's beer bars; rest assured I'll be cataloging them here.Any suggestions would be tres appreciated.

Hell, if I get crazy enough, I might even swig a Sam Adams!

-Mark

It's a Belgian dip

Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of Belgian beers. I like 'em, but unless I'm in the proper mood, my first choice isn't going to be that funky trappist ale that tastes vaguely like somebody's basement.

That said, I've been enjoying Delirium Tremens as of late. I drank an awful lot of it a couple of days ago to drown my sorrows after Germany got Eliminated by the Italians. In doing so, I've reacquainted my palate with some of the more complex and subtle characteristics of Belgian ales.

It's fortuitous, then, that we're heading to Belgium comes to Cooperstown, a festival of Belgian ales sponsored by Brewery Ommegang. You'll get a full report. With pics. Because I won't remember.

-Mark

Beercraft Newspaper Column #17- Brewery Ommegang

Ommegang brings Belgium to Upstate New York

By Mark Tichenor and Bruce Lish


It’s only Monday, but that doesn’t stop your intrepid beer writers. We raise our glasses of Ommegang Witte and inspect the apricot-colored liquid within. Then comes the first sip. The light body of the Belgian witbeer (wheat beer) cools the mouth pleasantly. The flavors of coriander and orange peel, so characteristic to this style, are augmented by a citrusy grapefruit flavors. We are happy men.

And not just because Chris Sayer, Regional Sales Manager for what might be the most unique brewery in the United States, is buying.

Of all the world’s great brewing nations, tiny Belgium is held in highest esteem by beer lovers. The beers produced within its commercial breweries and venerable Trappist monasteries are unique and complex and the traditional methods of Belgian brewcraft diverge radically from the clean-room fanaticism of beer makers in neighboring countries.

The things that make these ales great have also served to limit their brewing to within Belgian borders. Natural airborne yeasts, century-old storage casks, and the devotion that comes with a cloistered blend of brewing and religion make these beers difficult to reproduce on this side of the pond. Many breweries flirt with Belgian styles, but rarely do they accurately match the real stuff’s parameters.

Cooperstown’s Brewery Ommegang, however, pulls it off, thanks to some heavy financing from Duvel, its parent brewery in Belgium, authentic imported yeast, and a commitment to tradition which is reflected in everything from the corked bottles to the architecture of the brewery itself.

Let’s be clear. Brewery Ommegang is not just another microbrewery that decided to go heavy on Belgian styles. It is a Belgian brewery in design and function, built to be so from the ground up. The place even looks more like a small cathedral than a brewhouse.

Standouts among the Ommegang range of beers include Sayers’ favorite, Rare Vos. “It’s a very nice session beer,” he explains,” very easy to drink and very pleasant in the summertime. It’s also nice and malty, which I like.”

The pale golden Hennepin, an example of the farmhouse ale style, is rich, complex and strong. To describe Hennepin’s flavor as “well balanced between maltiness and bitterness, with citrus fruit hints and a grassy finish” really doesn’t do it justice. It tastes like, well, good Belgian ale.

Then there’s Ommegang Three Philosophers. Hopefully you like your beer strong. It’s a Quadrupel, which is apparently a Flemish word for “owwww, get me an aspirin.”

At 9.8% alcohol by volume, Three Philosophers needs to be consumed with some respect. But this very malty brew with lots of cherry and alcoholic warming in the finish is not a chugging beer. It almost resembles port whine in its character and mouth feel.

Ommegang’s beers are readily available throughout the region. Wegmans and most specialty beer stores carry them in bottles, and some are available on draft at enlightened pubs.

Or you could sample them in their natural habitat. This July 15th, the brewery will be hosting its annual Belgium Comes to Cooperstown festival, offering a chance to try a diverse assortment of beers from various Belgian and American breweries, as well as the full line of Ommegang ales. If you’re new to Belgians, the festival will provide fantastic insight into the staggering diversity and iconoclasm of beer from one of Europe’s more diminutive nations.

In other beers:
The California Brew Haus up on Ridge Road remains a bastion of good beer, although their clientele has lessened as Kodak slimmed down. Even now, the selection of bottles to be found within their coolers is staggering: four Scotch ales (from Scotland!), several English bitters, beers normally found only within the beer halls of Munich, and a full selection of American micros. It may be a bit out of the way, but the Brew Haus staff knows their stuff and deserves your business. After serving up some delicious Augustiner Edel-Hell, they sure as hell have ours!

Bruce is a certified beer judge and former commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http://beercraft.blogspot.com. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com

Mixed blessings

I have to say, I'm thrilled that France beat Brazil. But I'm not so happy about the England Portugal game. Now that Brazil's out, I have no idea what the moronic American commentators will prattle on about. Oh, and Ronaldinho can suck it.

In memory of England's 2006 World Cup run, I toasted wth an Adnam's Broadside. I tried to drink a Portugese beer, but every time I went to pick it up, it fell on its side and rolled around.

-Mark

Deutschland gewinnt!

Sorry.... I'm totally amped right now! Germany has prevailed over Argentina and persevered to the next round, in which they'll beat up on the hapless Italians! This calls for Spaten!

Belgium+Cooperstown=fun

I wound up talking to the sales rep from Cooperstown's Brewery Ommegang last night. Being owned by Duvel, They're about as Belgian as a brewery located in New York State can get.

Anyway, they're hosting the annual Belgium Comes to Cooperstown festival on the 15th of July. Now, with the Baseball Hall of Fame and two excellent breweries, Cooperstown is worth a visit all on its own. Add a Belgian beer festival with a bunch of European breweries, and you've got the best thing that'll happen all summer.

Just a little plug for the guy who was providing me with free Ommegang Witte all night.

-Mark

Independent brewing for Independence Day

July 4 is almost here, and I'd like to take a moment to suggest that We as a people take this opportunity to remember the independent breweries, free from the tyranny of A-B, Miller, and Coors. Remember the small producers struggling to survive against industry giants bent on market-cornering and bland homogeny.

(cue patriotic music)

Remember the brave pioneers that first pitched yeast back in the '70s so we could truly have regional choice in our time. For, were it not for those brave souls who brewed against the grain, the beer coolers of this nation would look very different today.

Drink independent this Independence Day!

Friday's overrated beer- Blue Moon

You ever go out with the office crew for Friday happy hour? That one giggly chick always orders Blue Moon. She likes the taste and thinks it's sophisticated. She's also got a boyfriend, so forget it.

Hey, you like what you like, and what you choose to drink is not a measure of sophistication. But Blue Moon is a pale imitation of Belgian witbeer. Oh, and it's also a phony microbrewery. The stuff is made by Coors. Think of it as money laundering but with beer.

I can't really lambaste anyone for enjoying this beer, just don't expect it to taste authentic; its like lasagna from the Olive Garden. If you want to try a real Belgian wit, go for Hoegaarden. You can thank me later.

-Mark

I'm pissed off.

The US played like balls today, badly enough to get beaten by that troupe of pantomime artists, Ghana. This sets US soccer back ten years.

Anyway, I should be writing about beer, but I'm taking a break for today. I just might go have a cold one at the California Brew Haus, a working-class bar up on Ridge Rd. next to Kodak Park with an amazing beer selection. Six kinds of Scotch Ale. Whitbread, John Courage, Augustiner Edelstoff... this place has it all.

Now that Kodak tanked, patronage has been waning for the 'Haus. They could use some support. If you like great beer, let 'em know.

-Mark

Off topic: Rochester soccer crucified

My friend, and long-time soccer hater Mike Cialini(KROC)finally gave in to my constant cajoling and attended a Rochester Rhinos soccer game with us. Needless to say, he came away less than impressed.

His review is funny as hell though, and he's spot on about the annoying music and overpriced beer.

-Mark

Beercraft newspaper column #16- Beers of the World Cup

Ole, Ole, Ole. Beers of the World Cup

By Mark Tichenor and Bruce Lish

The World Cup is underway, and we are so into it. Watching from a pub, amid a crowd of Europeans, Argentinians, and fellow Yanks, you really get into the electrifying atmosphere of the tournament. Each goal is orgasmic. Every near miss is like passing a kidney stone. A loss is a catastrophe.

Obviously, this environment is perfect for drinking beer. And since this is a global tournament, it behooves the serious spectator to sample global beer. Let’s take a look at some of the offerings from World Cup countries, shall we?

Brazil is the favorite, and everybody loves them. The American commentators on ESPN2 can barely pause for breath betwixt bouts of smooching Brazilian butt. Admittedly, their team is fantastic; they run, show creativity, and make devastating plays.

We don’t know what the Brazilian players drink, but chances are it’s Xingu Black Beer. As the name would imply, it’s dark, brewed in the German Schwarzbier style. Xingu is brewed with roasted malt, so there’s a robust, toasty flavor with a lot of sweetness. Since the body is light, Xingu manages to refresh despite its sweet and strong flavor characteristics.

Poland hasn’t done so well in the Tournament, but they’re aces when it comes to dark, sweet Baltic porter. Zywiec (zee-vich) and Okocim are two locally available examples. Stronger than English and American porter, with a medium body and strong chocolate and coffee flavors, these porters hearken back to the days of the Imperial Russia, when English breweries would export to the imperial court of the Czar. The beer was made extra strong to preserve it during the lengthy journey.

The style was picked up in the English merchant ships’ ports of call all along the Baltic Sea, and today features some of the most complex and satisfying beers made in Europe today.

The Czech Republic’s soccer team completely outmatched the US team, and Czechvar Pils, from the town of Budweis, does the same to American Budweiser. A furious legal grudge match finally forced the Czech Budweiser to change its brand name to Czechvar in the USA at the behest of Anheuser-Busch. And that’s fair, since the Czechs have only owned the name since the 1300s.

Yeah, we’re bitter on this point, but fortunately so is Czechvar. Hop bitterness is a primary characteristic of the Pilsner style, as is a fresh, grassy flavor, pale golden color and foamy, lingering head. Czechvar is a most refreshing beer, wonderful on a hot summer day when you’re watching your team get destroyed by a squad from a small Central European Republic one-sixteenth the size of the USA.

And of course there’s the host country, Germany. And one of the most interesting beers available from Der Vaterland is Aecht Sclenkerla Rauchbier, from Bamberg. The dark and robust beer is made with smoked malt, giving it a strongly smoky flavor that absolutely dominates from start to finish.

Some people think it’s awesome, some think it tastes like sausage. Whether you love the Rauchbier, or hate it, you’ll have at least had the pleasure of drinking one of the most unique beers in the world.

We’ll certainly be trying more as the Tournament goes on (We’re rooting for the US and Germany, by the way). The thing runs for a month, so the last few days will be a bit of an alcoholic endurance test. Still, if anyone can manage it, it’s your favorite intrepid beer columnists. GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAL!

In other beers:
Swan Market will be putting one of our favorites, Warsteiner Dunkel, back on draft soon. There was a big push for Warsteiner in the area a couple of years ago, and the Dunkel is a superior dark beer. It hasn’t been available for a while, so this is a hell of a treat. Add the Swan atmosphere, and you have a half-day of work waiting to happen.

Bruce is a certified beer judge and former commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http://beercraft.blogspot.com. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com

Budweiser gets self-effacing

Five minutes of watching the World Cup on ESPN or ABC is all you need to realize the commentators suck to the point of national embarrassment. Budweiser, Ironically the "official beer of the 2006 World Cup," picked up on this in a series of ads running in the UK. They feature clueless American commentators butchering the game.

I haven't yet been able to find the series on the internet, but here's an example from the Bud website:



-Mark

Friday's overrated beer: Heineken

It's a sad situation. Many four-star restaurants will boast a wine list that resembles the US Tax Code, and yet carry only three beers. Since these are classy restaurants, one of them will be an "import." That import is almost always Heineken.



Now Heineken isn't bad per se, but it has some, shall we say, questionable flavor characteristics. Out of the tap, it tastes like nothing. You might as well be drinking Fosters. When served from those green bottles,the UV rays of the sun break down the hop compounds, and Heineken takes on a characteristic skunky taste that some people swear is part of the flavor profile.

Love it or kinda like it, Heineken will always be that one import you get at the wedding reception's open bar. It will be the beer you order on the plane. And trust me, over the course of your life you'll order it again and again, usually because there's nothing better on that anemic index card that all to often passes as a beer menu.

-Mark

Thursdays Beer from the Other Side of the World: Hitachino Nest Stout

Oh, how cute. There's a Pokemon on the label. Pull that shit in the USA, and 63 activist groups would foam at the mouth over the marketing of beer to children. Anyway, Hitachino Nest Stout, from Japan's Kuichi Brewery, is a real departure for people used to the Japanese Bud clones like Asahi and Sapporo.

Hitachino Nest Stout is a pretty complex beer. There's a lot of caramel in the flavor, along with vanilla and coffee. You can taste the hops in the finish, but they aren't bitter enough to clash with the sweet malt that dominates in each sip. Whoever formulated Hitachino was not after a Guinness copy.

I didn't have high expectations for this stout from the Land of the Rising Sun, so I was very pleasantly surprised. This is a quality beer with many unique characteristics. If you can find it, order a pint. Drink enough of them, and you'll want to turn into a giant robot. Banzai.

-Mark

More Hot World Cup Action!

Mark and I are posting this from Monty's Korner, our home away from home during the World Cup. As I type, I'm a-swillin a Sweaty Betty Blonde from the Boulder Beer Company.

I have avoided this beer for an awfully long time based on the name alone. The fact that we drank the bar out of Victory's Prima Pils left me with a reason to try something new. This beer is very good, it has some of the flavors that I love about German hefe-weizen but no hefe, although it does have an unfiltered haze.

-Bruce

Lambics, courtesy of the marketing department

I tried something I've never had before: Lindemann's Pomme (apple) Lambic. This is the Belgian brewery responsible for most of the fruit beers you find here. The Kriek and the Framboise are traditional, but someone in Marketing keeps diversifyng the friggin' product line. So now we also have peach, blackcurrant, and apparently apple beer.

It's tart and oversweet, and I concur with those on the beeradvocate.com forum who likened the flavor to a Jolly Rancher.

I know Belgian beer is the end all, be all or beer, blah blah blah. Still, Lindemann's product line is an example of market share killing tradition, even in a centuries-old European brewery.

The tournament goes on...

Bruce and I have caught every one of the World Cup games so far. We're both huge Germany supporters, so the tourney opener was the priority, and we went all-out. A traditional Munich breakfast of Weisswurst and Hefeweizen got us in the mood for a fantastic game, won, of course, by Germany.


Our heroes being uber-dorky at Monty's Korner

The Krown is a great place to watch the games, but the beer list could be better. It skews heavily toward ales, Victory Prima Pils being the only pilsener present. Still, the crowd is fantastic and really gets into it.

Bruce and I will be there again at 8:55 am for The Netherlands vs. Serbia & Montenegro, and we're staying for all three of Sunday's matches. Drop in. I've got the first round!

-Mark

Friday's overrated beer" All beer from...

Canada.

I live a litle more than an hour from the US/Canada border, and about three hours from Toronto. It's a world=class city, and my wife and I go there a lot. The Canucks are expert at spotting visiting Americans, and are usually very hospitable and friendly, but they always ask us the same retarded question: "Oh, yer from the States, eh? Bet you've never had good beer before."

No, Gord. We've never been exposed to craft beer in our desolate little research station of a city.

Thing is, Canadians think their mass-market beer is somehow better than American mass-market beer. It's not. It's exactly the same. In the case of Alexander Keith's IPA, it's much, much worse.

Sure, if you're a SUNY Buffalo frat boy, a trip to the duty-free shop in Niagara Falls will net you a case of Molson XXX, which has a very high alcohol content. But if you're over 21, the local micro probably has something equally strong, with actual flavor, on tap.

Don;t get me wrong, there are some awesome beers in Canada (La Fin du Monde and Steam Whistle being two of my favorites). But I don't find Molson and Labatt to be necessarily any better than Coors and Budweiser. I guess all corny, ricey lagers are created equal.

Special thanks to Nick from the Ithaca Beer Company for the tasting he ran at Monty's Korner last night. If you haven't tried Ithaca Cascazilla, do yourself a favor and pick some up. Absolutely fantastic.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to don my German National Team jersey and get to Monty's Korner, where they're showing the opening match of the World Cup. Ole. Ole. Ole, etc.

-Mark

Thursday's Beer from the Other Side of the World- Kingfisher

Kingfisher is the largest brewing concern in India. They're so big, they even own an airline.

As is usually the case with gigantic breweries, Kingfisher lager teeters on the border of suckitude. As you've surmised from the pic, it's a pale, American-style lager wth a bit more of a malt character than Budweiser, Miller or Coors. The finish is kinda nice; crisp, clean and quenching.

The adjunct cereals used as a barley substitute in brewing, however, give Kingfisher a corny taste that precludes it from ever appearing next to my vindaloo. It also skunks easily. Still, it's a quencher that takes the fire out of hot foods, and that makes Kingfisher a good choice after some of the more firey Indian dishes.

Beer for the World Cup

I admit it. I am a soccer (football) fan. It's a result of having spent a decent chunk of my childhood and/or adolescense in Germany and Belgium. That being said, A couple of friends and myself are going apeshit over the World Cup.

I got DirecTV. I got the DVR. The large-screen tv will be arriving tomorrow (and my dad's going to freak out when he notices it missing). All that's left is the beer.

The idea is to stock up on the beer of each nation playing in the matches we'll be watching. First up: Germany vs. Costa Rica. Down to Beers of the World I go.

As it turns out, even they don't have any Costa Rican beer. Fortunately, there are 300 German brews from which to choose. I settle for a case of Dortmund's D.A.B Original since it's on sale.

I hope Brazil gets knocked out early. I'm not particularly fond of Xingu.

Now for the stupid song: "Ole, ole, ole ole."

-Mark

Beercraft newspaper column #14: Saranac Beer

A brewery’s resurgence: Saranac beer

By Mark Tichenor and Bruce Lish

From the end of prohibition until the ‘90s, the primary beer produced by the Matt Brewery was Utica Club, a fizzy, limp lager common in the blue collar taverns of Upstate New York. Like many regional staple brands, Utica Club lost market share to brewing juggernauts like Anheuser-Bush and Miller, winding up in the same financially perilous situation faced by many regional beer companies no longer in existence.

Rather than succumb, tavern by corner tavern, to the inevitable decline of their flagship brand, the Matts put Utica Club on the back burner, launching a new line of superpremium beers that totally leapfrogged the bland, watery offerings of the national brewing conglomerates. Their timing was excellent. The craft beer movement was just taking off, and drinkers across the northeast were eager for the new flavor combinations and styles that microbreweries brought to the table.

The Saranac line was a success, and the Matt Brewery stayed viable. Over time, the product range expanded. In total, there have been 16 distinctive Saranac beers, some of which have been retired, exploring styles from hefeweizen to oatmeal stout. Here our some of our favorites from the current Saranac beer range.

Every New York craft brewery needs good pale ale, and Saranac Pale Ale brings the Matt Brewery a generous portion of street cred. It’s simple and basic in both name and presentation, with a pleasant hearty malt character and dry hop finish; a perfect choice for a cool summer evening.

For those who like their beer dark and robust, Saranac Black Forest Porter is a pretty good choice. Appropriately for the porter style, Black Forest is relatively sweet and substantial in body, with a more subtle hop character that provides an agreeably dry finish.

Saranac Belgian White is excellent outdoors on a hot summer day. It does a pretty good job of reproducing the Belgian wit beer style: pale whitish amber with heavy orange and coriander flavors and the quenching bite characteristic of wheat beers. American breweries have not had the best track record in replicating Belgian niche beers, but Saranac’s example comes pretty close.

One of the best things about Saranac is its availability. You can get it in all area supermarkets as well as the beer boutiques, usually at a lower cost than many of the imports surrounding it in the display cooler. So you can entertain at a reasonable cost without looking like a complete el cheapo. Of special note are the sampler 12-packs: Winter Sampler, 12 Beers of Summer, and Adirondack Trail Mix. Many of the more ambitious beers can only be purchased in these samplers.

Utica Club still soldiers on, mostly in Utica, but the Saranac range of beers has come to epitomize the model for regional brewery success. Across the country, these former lager mills are repositioning themselves as purveyors of quality and beer craftsmanship.

As beer lovers, we have the Matt family to thank.

In other beers:
Dale’s Pale Ale, from the Oskar Blues Restaurant & Brewery in Lyons, Colorado, is now available at The Old Toad. It’s one of the few microbrews to be sold in cans, but the quality of the beer obviates the stigma of the packaging material. It’s hearty, full-boded ale with citrus aromas and a pleasant hop finish. Overall it’s a very well-balanced brew.

Now that it’s springtime, Spaten Bock is taking over the more discerning taps in town. It’s pretty much the best Bock available, and there’s no better place to enjoy one than over a German Lunch at Swan Market on Parsells Ave. Careful, Spaten Bock kills us again and again.

Bruce is a certified beer judge and former commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http://beercraft.blogspot.com. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com

The Brookston Beer Bulletin- Learn something today.

I'm going to use this post to pimp the Brookston Beer Bulletin, which I stumbled across while checking my blog referrals. What a cool resource. This is about as close to the perfect American craft beer portal as I could imagine.

J. is an incisive and skilled beer writer, who relentlessly advocates for my beverage of choice, pointing out skewed studies, biased editorials, and vindictive voices with an axe to grind, then setting the record straight. There's so much quality content here, it's gonna take me weeks to read it all.

-Mark

No good beer in Soccertown

The Rochester Rhinos of the USL 1st Division (one level below MLS) opened their brand spankin' new soccer-dedicated stadium yesterday amid sheets of rain and electrical problems.



It was a fantastic game, and an impressive stadium, with one disturbing oversight on management's part: No craft beer. Zip. Nada. Not even good imports, unless you count Heineken and Sol.

I would've liked to see something, Saranac, Flying Bison, Rohrbach. Anything.

So I ordered Heineken, and they gave me the whole keg can. At a soccer match. I biefly entertained the notion of going all soccer fan on them, filling the keg can up with water, and whipping it at a player, but that's not really me. '

So, please, Rhinos management, work something out. A Bud might be fine at a baseball game, but the world's game requires world-class beer.

Friday's Overrated Beer: Guinness Draught

Now don't get me wrong, there's a lot to like about Guinness. It's really pretty, silky from the nitro carbonation, and sometimes I feel like a good roasty stout.

But ask an Irish American, no matter how many generations removerd from the old sod, about Guinness, and you'll be hit with the most annoying stream of blather since Ross Perot's campaign speeches. "I don't drink anything I can see through," They quip smugly, usually employing a lilting accent painstakingly learned from Lucky Charms commercials. "It's like water from the Liffey." I've seen the Liffey. I've smelled the Liffey. That is not a selling point for Guinness.

And when the Guinness marketing juggernaut ramps up for Saint Patricks Day, friggin' forget it. Every assclown in Rochester puts on their one green T-shirt, comes out to that fake Irish pub which festers in every city, and proceeds to fill his or herself with a waterbed mattress-worth of Guiness, so they can get their once-a-year intake of Irishness before picking fights with each other and passing out in the path of the parade floats.

I guess it comes down to this. Guinness to me is like the Dave Matthews Band, They'd both be ok if it weren't for their fans. No wait, I take that back. That braying donkey with an accoustic guitar would suck anyway. I heard, before he hit it big, he was even a shitty bartender.

But to stay on topic, I will order Guinness, but I'd also suggest trying the other Irish stouts which are relatively widespread: Murphy's and Beamish. You'll find both are just as beautiful to behold as Guinness, but more robust and complex in character. And if you order them on Saint Patricks Day, the bartender likely won't know what you're talking about.

Especially if it's Dave Fucking Matthews.

-Mark

Heckling, powered by beer

This hilarious post over at Don Cialini's blog reminded me how beer can make any occasion great, especially the ball game. You wouldn't talk to anyone this way unless you contained a copious quantity of shitty beer.

By the way, he did not check his swing. He did call the mascot a motherfucker.

Thursday's Beer from the Other Side of the World- Baltika 6

St. Petersburg's Baltika brewery has a refreshingly non-western approach to branding their beers, they number them. #1 is the light lager, #4 is the dark lager, et cetera. I like this system because the beers have to stand up for themselves, without any flashy image. It's almost like a blind taste test.



My favorite is Baltika 6, the porter. Dark, aromatic, and very complex, few beers are more satisfying for a nightcap. It has a chocolate-toffee character, and it finishes smooth and sweet.

Baltic porter in general is like this, and most examples from Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Russia rival Baltika 6 in quality. These are countries not really known as great brewing nations, but man does not live on vodka alone.

Even in Vladivostok.

Here comes a regular- Stammtisch

This article on Stammtisch in Spielgel Online's Germany Survival Bible describes one of my favorite beer-related traditions.

When you walk into a German Kneipe (pub), you'll often see one table curiously unoccupied, even though the others may be full. Good table, too. Best view in the house.

Don't sit there. See that sign on or above the table? it says Stammtisch. In a bizzare custom that wouldn't ever go over in the USA, this table is reserved for a select group of regulars. It's theirs even when they're at home.

Now this sounds annoying, and if anyplace tried it here the cops would wind up getting involved, but being invited to sit at the Stammtisch is a privilege, and can lead to that rare kind of boozy fun that reminds us why we love beer in the first place.

As far as I know, the only Stammtisch in Rochester is at Swan Market. It's odd, but I'm proud when Oskar Meyer and Guenther Schwann motion me over to join their table. Prosit!

Happy Memorial Day

Ahh, Memorial Day, that sacred holiday where all across the great United States, folks honor those who fought for this Nation's freedom by getting trashed.

Personally, I'll be featuring Dale's Pale Ale from Lyon's Colorado, as a companion to my Zweigle's White Hots (a Rochester tradition). And I'll give a shout out to the men and women in the Sandbox. Wish I could buy you all a beer.

-Mark

Friday's overrated beer: Sam Adams Lager

The American beer scene of a couple decades ago was pretty bleak. Imports were sparse and expensive, no micros to speak of, and the closest anyone got to actually appreciating it was "Bud Bowl." Then Jim Koch changed everything.



Never mind the fruity-looking patriot on the bottle. When Sam Adams Boston Lager first appeared, it was like the gates of heaven had opened. Balanced, dark, delicious, it quickly became a favorite among the trendy set and the beer afficianados. For years, Sam Adams remained a viable choice on any tap set.

Then something went wrong. Horribly wrong. Perhaps it's because they started letting Genesee (now High Falls Brewery) contract brew the stuff. Perhaps it got lost in Marketing's frenzied push to increase the Boston Beer Company's product range. It just slid right of the hill. It's nice that tey use Hallertau hops and all, but what was once a flavorful, complex lager nows seems cloying, a tad syrupy, with a weird finish.

Sam Adams is still held in very high esteem, and granted, I haven't ordered one in about four years, so maybe it's good again. But for now, it goes on the Beercraft list of Overrated Beers.

Special Thanks to the guys from Spaten and the Brooklyn Brewery for this hangover. We enjoyed the event at the Krown last night. That the Spaten was excellent goes without saying. The Brooklyn Blond Bock was a very pleasant surprise. Nice job, Mr. Oliver and crew!

Thursday's beer from the other side of the world: Efes Turkish Pilsner

The country of Turkey is not renowned as an epicenter of great beer, so it was with some trepidation that we sampled Efes Pilsener. Our wory qulckly dissolved after the first sip.



First off, it is decidedly not a pilsner. With it's sweetish flavor and prominent malt character, Efes more closely resembles a Munich lager. It's also darker than a pils. All in all, it's not a bad beer. I would order this if I saw it in a pub.

So hats off to Efes, the best "beer from the other side of the world" we've talked about so far.

Sisters of Murphy tonight at Monty's Krown

Tonight's the night. Our Irish band is playing at 10pm, with the whole thing being sponsored, inexplicably, by Spaten

Along with punky-edged pub music, there will be great Spaten beers on special. If you're in Rochester, come down and drink a few from one of the finest breweries in the world.

-Mark

Band practice & Canadian Shite Lager

Had our final practice for Thursday's show at Monty's Krown. My band, the Sisters of Murphy, are rarin' to go.

Problem is, I'm the only one who ever brings beer to pratice.

I'm sick of supplying the good stuff. Tonight it was straight Labatt Blue. My mouth tastes like Saskatchewan.

My ears are ringing. I'm going to bed.

Beercraft newspaper column #13: Hefeweizen

Hefeweizen: The best of summer beers

By Mark Tichenor and Bruce Lish

If you’re a beer person, you’ve probably noticed that some beers seem more seasonally appropriate than others. When you walk into the pub on a January night, fingers stiff and ears prickly from the icy wind, nothing is as comforting as a strong, dark imperial stout.

On a hot June day, however, it’s probably preferably to enjoy something lighter and more quenching. And we have Bavarian beer garden culture to thank for the most appropriate of all summer beer styles: Hefeweizen.

“Hefe” is German for “yeast,” and “Weizen” means wheat. That’s exactly what this is: a beer made with wheat instead of barley, and served unfiltered and cloudy with the standing yeast. The wheat base imparts a completely different, lighter character to the beer, and the methods used in brewing Hefeweizen result in a unique, delicious summer drink with a lot of visual appeal.

This style gets a special glass, and most bars who know their beer will have Hefeweizen glasses on hand. They’re really tall, curvy, and flared toward the top, amplifying the aroma of the beer. Very often, the filled glass is served with a lemon on the rim (Our advice: ditch the citrus. The Germans certainly would).

There should be a pleasant cloudiness from the yeast. As we said before, Hefeweizen is unfiltered, and that lack of clarity may put some people off at first. Rest assured it’s supposed to be like that.

A good Hefeweizen is slightly sweet, with good head retention and a characteristic banana and clove flavor combination. A bad one tastes like envelope glue. We decided to save ourselves the misery and review some good ones.

Paulaner Hefe-Weissebier is our favorite; the archetype of the style. On a summer afternoon, it’s absolutely sublime. It has a lush, apricot color and an intriguing, well-rounded flavor that really captures the spicy banana and clove essence. Sometimes you’ll see it on draft, but usually your best bet is to head down to Beers of the World for the bottled stuff.

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse is the most available. If your bar has the style on draft, chances are it’s this one. That isn’t a bad thing; Franziskaner is very good. It sports the characteristic peach-to-orange color, with a nice thick head. The flavor is spicy-sweet, with a lot of citrus, and it’s very smooth.

Erdinger Hefe-Weizen is Paulaner’s regional rival for best Weizen. It’s a lot more dry, and will appeal to people who like the light wheat body and bite, but aren’t into sweeter beer. It’s also much paler than Paulaner or Franziskaner. Once again, you’ll be looking for the bottled version; we’ve never seen Erdinger distributed on draft in this region.


Hefeweizen is tricky to brew and few American examples are able to accurately hit the style guidelines, but we found a good one to compare with the old German standbys. Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat, from the Flying Dog Brewery of Denver, is a great domestic Hefe, with appealing cloudiness. It can’t stand with the Uber-hefes in terms of color or head retention. The flavor, though, is pretty much bang-on European. The guys who formulated In-Heat know their craft, and it pays off for the consumer. Enjoy this beer as fine American alternative to lager on a hot summer day.

If you’re buying Hefeweizen in bottles, remember to gently roll the bottle on the table before opening it. This circulates the yeast from the bottle’s bottom. If you skip this step, you’ll probably lose the signature cloudiness, as well as some of the flavor.

So pour yourself a nice big glass, sit outside in the sun and be thankful to the Bavarians for creating something as wonderful as Hefeweizen. Hell, they had to do something to atone for the invention of Lederhosen.

In other beers:
It is with great personal sadness that we lament the closing of MacGregor’s downtown location. For well over a decade, it has been a bastion of beer. With 85 taps, excellent, high-quality specials, and a friendly staff, MacGregor’s was as close to the perfect pub any we’ve visited.

The other MacGregor’s locations remain open and pouring; although none of the suburban spots can match the original Gregory Street bar for ambiance and conviviality. Still, they all have a huge variety of beer on draft, and they know their product.

Bruce is a certified beer judge and former commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http://beercraft.blogspot.com. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com

The first podcast is recorded.

Well, fellow beercraft participant Rob Walsh and myself put together the first episode. It's a bit more amateurish than I was hoping for; we were using Audacity, a laptop, and a cheap computer mic. Once Bruce comes on board with the podcast, we'll use a full Pro Tools suite in a studio.

So we reviewed a couple of American beers, including Great Divide Titan IPA, which was a real delight.

Hear more in the Podcast, hopefully going up this week. I look forward to feedback on the project.

-Mark

Breath patrol?!?

I received a press release for this poduct. It's described as " 'emergency equipment' for all beer/wine drinkers. It's recommended by Professional Taster Stephen Beaumont (worldofbeer.com), Ratebeer.com and South West Brewing News (USA). BreathPatrol does not mask but eliminates breath odor from alcohol, tobacco, garlic, onions and coffee. The Germans have had breweries for 25 centuries: Who better to create a great tasting and effective breath freshener?"

So, what we have here is an anti-DWI pill. I can't see how you'l fool a breathalyzer, since alcohol is metabolized through the lungs, but you might take away any reason on the part of the coop to administer the test in the first place. I guess it's also nice to be able to slam back a few at lunchtime then return to work without smelling like a brewery.

Thank you, Germans, for helping us bring alcohol back into the workplace and the driver's seat! Who better than you guys? Oh, and can you do anything about my B.O.?

-Mark

Friday's overrated beer: Bass Ale

Bass Ale is ubiquitous. It's the oldest trademark in Britain. The bottle was depicted in a Monet painting. It's often considered the pinnacle of beer by people who rarely venture out of Busch-land.

And it sucks.

OK. Mayby it doesn't exactly suck, but it lacks body and character. Other English pale ales, such as Old Speckled Hen blow bass out of the water (sic) in terms of body, balance, and general character of the beer.

I guess Bass' strongest positive is that it's available everywere. Mostr restaurants carry it, and you can get it in the British Airways Club Lounge (provided Snoop hasn't totally trashed the place). It's blandness also helps make it less of an acquired taste than many of the craft beers.

At any rate, you won't ever find it in my fridge.

Thursday's Beer from the Other Side of the World: O.B. Lager

The Oriental Brewery of South Korea makes this light, American style lager for both export and domestic consumption. After trying it, I kind of wish they'd kept it at home.

When we poured it, the cheap, cereal smell that wafted out of the glass simultaneously raised our eyebrows and lowered our desire to taste. But a hobby is a hobby, dammit, so taste we did. And we were not disappointed. Which is to say we were highly disappointed.

There is more rice in O.B. than in your average sushi bar. The cheap adjunct grain provides fermentable starches at a lower price and worse flavor than real barley. It's a technique used by American and Canadian macrobrewers for more than a century, but the Oriental Brewery makes even less of an effort to cover the thin, character-free taste than our domestic giants.

The result: a limp, pissy brew that's mercifully close to flavorlessness until the aftertaste maims your tonsils. If you're a poor Korean student, or a poor American serviceman, this beer will probably hit the price point for you. If you're looking for an exotic brew in your local beer store, rest assured this is not it, and I can think of another product named O.B. which is probably tastier than this, although it might leave you with cottonmouth.

-Mark

An Irish band & German beer

Our Irish band, the Sisters of Murphy, is playing at Monty's Krown on Monroe Ave. in Rochester Thursday, May 24. I sing, Bruce plays bass.

usually, we play one show a year (an Irish band...guess which day?), but this will be a rare appearance by the Sisters of Murphy in all our drunken, er, splendor.

The show is sponsored by Spaten, and we can expect at least a couple kinds to be on draft at a special price. Irish pub music, German beer, American swearing, sounds like a hell of an evening to me!

-Mark

On the proliferation of "big" beer

American craft breweries are formulating high-alcohol, high-gravity brews at an increasing rate. seems the average microbrew afficianado has taken a liking to brawny, hangover-inducing out-of-balance ales.

Personally, I'm not a fan. Sure, in the winter I might grab a Middle Ages Druid Fluid or Victory Storm King, but bang! there's your night right there. A couple glasses of an over-the-top beer will put you under the table before you even close the 20s on the dart board.

Some big beers are very tasty, but many go down like malt syrup. Some, in a halfhearted attempt at balance, taste like strangulation with a hop vine. I don't want to have to pull my uvula back into place with pliers every time I sip my beer.

Consumer perception is a large part of the big beer craze. People new to craft beer, or who stay locked in that "I won't drink anything I can see through" box equate higher strength beer as more "crafty." Like it's somehow a more exclusive product because the brewer left more fermentable sugar in the wort.

Thanks. For my money I'll take something I can session with, and enjoy a pleasant, leisurely evening with friends. For me, beer is a social thing, not a delivery system for drunkenness. If I want to get hammered on the first sip, I'll just order a shot of vodka.

-Mark

R.I.P MacGregor's Downtown

I just learned that one of my favorite pubs, MacGregor's, has closed its Gregory Street location suddenly and without warning. I had a lot of great times, and great beers in there, and made some friends.

The other MacGregor's locations are still open, but they're far from downtown, requiring lengthy drives that one does not wish to take while consuming beverage. It looks like we'll have to find an alternative. Sigh.

-Mark

The beercraft podcast

We're going to start a podcast, which will be every bit as exciting as hearing three guys making slurping sounds and waffling about beer can be. I hope to record the first episode this coming Sunday and pump them out on at least a biweekly basis. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to hear discussed.

-Mark

A bock oversight

Of course, we didn't find this out until after our article on Bock beer published.

Swan Market, on Parsell's Ave in Rochester, is now pouring Spaten Bock on draft. This isn't the Optimator Doppelbock (which they have bottled), but the honest-to-gosh golden Bock Lager.

If you live in Rochester, but don't know Swan Market, you're missing a treat. It's a little German deli in the middle of the 'hood. They make their own sausages and smoke their own meat in a 100 year old smokehouse. Wednesday through Saturday, they serve German lunches from 11:30-2. Vegetarians need not apply; even the vegetables have bacon in them.

There is NO better place in Rochester for beer drinking.

A shout-out to the Brewers

Not the Milwaukee baseball team.

Is there a more thankless job than Brewer at a microbrewery? You have to lug tons of heavy shit around all day, spend half your time up to the elbows in caustic as you sanitize, work around huge boiling vats even in the middle of summer, and deal with high waitstaff turnover that could give fuck-all about what you labor to create.

At the same time, the place where you work is always on the edge of closure, the owner only cares about maximizing profit so you're working all hours of the night. The owner thinks he's a brewmaster, so he's fucking with your recipes and criticizing your procedures. You're lucky to have the tiniest bit of health insurance, if any, and your place of employment could close down with no notice at any time.

Groupies? Yeah, you get them. 50 year old men with scraggly Jerry Garcia beards and graphing calculators peeking out of a shirt pocket, who always want a tour of the cramped dungeon you call a brewery, and go on for hours about every other beer they've ever swilled before pedalling away on their recumbent bicycles.

Yet you keep making beer.

Hey, brewers, thanks for loving beer and loving your craft. The job might be a pain sometimes, but some of us out there appreciate the way you guys do it.

Overrated beer of the week

Since yesterday's post lionized Sheaf Stout, it's only fiting that today's should slam another Australian beer.



Yes, I'm talking about Foster's Lager, a beer so bland, so bad-to-ordinary, that you couldn't pick it out of the friggin' Pepsi Challenge. According to the Foster's website, "Its signature full malt character on the mid-palate blends well with a delicate creaminess and crisp, clean hop finish, creating a perfect balance to the beer." But according to me, it's Labatt Blue with a touch less corn flavor, served in a fat can.

The galling thing is, were it not for Paul Hogan and a vast marketing budget, Foster's would be as rare as Sheaf on American shelves. It bums me out that people buy the "G'day, shrimp on the barbie" hype, try Fosters, find it mildly less exotic than Utica Club, and from that moment on take a slightly skewed view of all beer.

Of course, if you like Foster's, by all means drink away. I don't mean to imply that Foster's fans are wrong or posess inferior taste. If this is your bag, enjoy.

That way, there'll be less for the rest of us.

-Mark

Thursday's Beer from the Other Side of the World: Sheaf Stout

Australian beers, at least the exported ones, tend to be thin lagers with little to no personality. Picture Labatt Blue as pitched by Paul Hogan. Sheaf Stout, however, is a welcome exception. Although difficult to find, tracking down the Sheaf is well worth it. Bruce and myself happened upon it at the Map Room in Cleveland's Warehouse District.

It's a sweeter stout, with a tantalizing dry finish and a medium body. The flavors are quite complex and blend with each other well. Sheaf clocks in at 5.7% alcohol by volume; usually one would expect a stout with this much character to rate much higher on the drunkard scale. If you can find it, fill your fridge and enjoy.