Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Lager? I Hardly Know ‘er! by Nick Anderson

For our first week of German beer style exploration, we’re going to take a look at what is probably the most popular style of beer in the world — the German-style Lager. Lager has a long and fascinating history. The word Lager itself is actually medieval German for “cellar,” as it was in the caves and storehouses where these beers were originally made. The bottom-fermenting yeast that makes a Lager ferments and conditions at lower temperatures, and as a result the beers they made adopted the name of where they were most commonly brewed.

It was in the 15th Century when the common Lager yeast developed as a hybrid, but it would take nearly 500 more years for the beers we recognize today as Lagers to come around. There is still much that is unknown about the origins of Lager; even today we’re still learning more about how it came to be. Just last year for example, researchers discovered that one of the yeast strains involved in the hybridization that produced Lager yeast originated in Patagonia. How one specific yeast strain managed to travel from southern Argentina to Germany in the 1400s to help produce beer is a question we’re going to have to wait for an answer to.

While there are records dating back to the 1400s of cold-storage beers being brewed in Germany, it wasn’t until the mid 19th Century that the technology and scientific understanding was in place to begin crafting Lager in the manner that many of us are accustomed to seeing it today. By the turn of the 20th Century there were dozens of breweries in Munich alone, many of whom are still with us today: Hofbrau, Spaten, Paulaner, Augustinerbrau, and Hacker-Pschorr being among the most well-known. Weihenstephaner Original Lager from Freising shares many characteristics with these beers as well. Munich brewers also developed the concept of Helles (“bright”) Lager, which remains maybe the most popular German Lager form. The water of Munich was high in carbonates, which exaggerated the bitterness of hops in beers. To achieve balance, brewers tended to use fewer hops and more malt resulting in a slightly sweeter, less harsh Lager. Schalfly Summer Lager is an American-made version that sticks to this script and is a world-class example.


The Lagers of Dortmund have a pronounced bready character to their malts, with a sharper hop tone than their cousins in Munich. Ayinger and DAB are the most common seen in the U.S. today, with Cleveland’s Great Lakes making perhaps the finest example of Dortmunder stateside. Vienna Lager actually has its origin in Germany, with another irony being that the most well-known examples all seem to be made here in the States these days. Beers like Sam Adams Boston Lager, Abita Amber, Great Lakes Elliot Ness, and Leinenkugel Red can all be categorized as Vienna Lager. The hallmark of Vienna Lager is a slightly darker color from the abundance of malts used, yet they tend to not be as sweet as the Munich Lagers even with the additional malt.

Innovation in Lager brewing led to an explosion of variants in the style. We’ll be getting to these in the next couple weeks, so don’t fret if your favorite didn’t show up today. For now, get out there and try the classic beer of Germany, armed with just a bit more knowledge about the provenance of some of its styles.

Until next time.
Cheers!

Monday, July 23, 2012

Finding the Right Hefeweizen by Nick Anderson

My first experience with Hefeweizen was probably much like many people of my age: a happy hour special ordered because ‘look at that tall glass—that’s a deal,’ served with a wedge of lemon. In those days I thought that was a beautiful thing, and if I’m honest there are some days even now when I still do (don’t tell anyone, though. I’ve got a rep to maintain here). There were a great many things I didn’t know, however. Things I’d learn only with time and experience. To many here in the U.S. though, the classic German Wheat Ale is still that cloudy junk you throw citrus into. Let’s take a few moments today to explore true Hefeweizen, and see if we can’t find the right one for you. Because there is a right Wheat Beer for everyone.

Hefeweizen/Hefeweisse: Consider the two terms interchangeable. “Hefe” refers to the special yeast used in these Ales, which along with them being unfiltered is mostly responsible for the banana and spice notes often found in them as well as their cloudy appearance. In Bavaria the term Weisse (“white”) is used; in other regions of Germany Weizen (“wheat”) is more common. I’m going to use Hefeweizen as it’s the term I use more often. Classic Hefeweizen uses a combination of that special yeast strain and at least 50% wheat malt with a very limited amount of hops to create an easy-drinking Ale with notes of banana, clove, and lemon. The wheat malt contributes a bit of the fruit flavor, but more than that it brings a biscuit-y bread-like note that serves to balance the style. Weihenstephaner, Schneider, and Paulaner make some of the most commonly-found and classic Hefeweizen you’ll find. Among American breweries, you’ll find seasonals like Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, Victory Sunrise Weissbier, and Troeg’s Dreamweaver.

Kristalweizen: A style of Hefeweizen that has been filtered, which not only gives the beer a clear appearance, but brightens up and softens some of the fruit notes as well. Weihenstephaner’s Kristalweizen is my go-to, but the recent release of Brooklyn-based Sixpoint Brewery’s Apollo has been great as well.

Dunkelweizen: Dunkel means “dark,” so you can take a stab at this one. The higher malt content can produce beers ranging from slightly amber in color to very dark brown. The more intense the malts, the more muted the spice and fruit are in the beer. Franziskaner, Ayinger, Paulaner, Weihenstephaner, and even Sam Adams and Great Divide make fine examples of the style.


Weizenbock: Is there a stronger alternative to a major beer style? If there is, we here in the States are likely to jump all over it and Hefeweizen is no different. Weizenbock are stronger, more intense styles of Hefeweizen and while there aren’t that many still coming over from Germany (Vitus from Weihenstephaner is my favorite); it’s the Americans who have taken the style and run with it. Brooklyn Brewery makes a fine example in collaboration with Schneider; Victory’s Moonglow is a rare treat, and if you can catch it when released Weyerbacher’s Slam Dunkel is a cool Weizenbock that adds a touch of malt to give the style extra smoothness.

Berliner Weisse: If you’re the type to ask for extra lemon in your Hefe, give this a shot. Low in alcohol and bottle conditioned, Berliner Weisse gain a tart, sometimes full-on sour character from either a second fermentation or addition of lactobacillus. Fritz Briem 1809 is my favorite German available around here, and Dogfish Head has just released their seasonal Festina Peche, based on a Berliner Weisse but with fresh peach juice added to the tank during fermentation. Traditionally, Berliner Weisse beers are served with a shot of raspberry and woodruff syrup to cut the tartness of the style. With Sour Ales entering a Renaissance, many breweries are making them to be enjoyed on their own. California’s The Bruery makes Hottenroth; a bold, once-per-year Berliner-style, and while it’s classification as a Berliner-style is questionable in my book, BeerAdvocate.com has the fantastic Bell’s Oarsman Ale marked as a Berliner-style. Oarsman does seem influenced by Berliner Weisse, but I’m not so sure it can really be considered one: the use of Bell’s proprietary yeast strain gives it a slightly more round feeling than a true Berliner. That said, Oarsman is my go-to session beer — at 4% ABV with the right balance of tart, sour, and refreshing, there’s nary a moment you’ll catch me without some in my fridge. If you’re looking for something a little more tart than a straight Hefeweizen, try one of these out.

I hope this gives you a good jumping-off point to explore the joys of Wheat Ales. Just remember, if it feels wrong to throw a slice of lemon in the glass — it probably is. Until next time.

Cheers!

Nick Anderson maintains a blog at www.beermonger.net, and can be found on Twitter at @The_Beermonger.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Chasing the Elusive Rare Craft Beer by Nick Anderson

I want to address something today that has always been an issue in the craft beer community and is only going to become bigger as more people come into the fold: rare beers and trying to acquire them.

I got to have a conversation with a representative from a major craft brewer this week, and as we talked the subject of limited run, highly sought-after beers came up. Now, I try not to consider myself “old” by any stretch, but I’ve been doing this for a while, and I mentioned the difference between when I started and now as far as getting a hold of limited production beers goes. This led to an informative and reasoned discussion of the pressures facing retailers, bars, and breweries alike. What I gained from that conversation and wish to pass along is a greater appreciation for the limits of craft beer output and the limits of a given institution’s “buying power.”
I’ve read a great deal online recently about who is or isn’t getting ‘enough’ of one special release or another, and read some pretty harsh judgments of stores and buyers who I respect and know for a fact are doing their jobs to the best of their ability. What needs to be kept in mind is this: there are so many hands in the pot that weren’t there even two or three years ago that it means something if someone gets any of a special release at all. As an example: before I came to Arrowine I was buying beer for another shop in the area. When the Stone brewery put their 11th Anniversary Ale out, I got dozens of cases and sold them all within a couple of weeks. Last year, when the 15th Anniversary came out and I was at Arrowine, all of my contacts and expertise amounted to three cases for our shelf. That reflects on nothing but the exponential increase in attention for craft beer in the mainstream.

That increase in attention is a good thing. Those new eyes and palates allow growth (or in many cases, survival) for small breweries who otherwise wouldn’t be practicing the same fantastic dark magic otherwise. But it also means expansion into other states, other markets, and those markets demand attention in the form of some of the rare beers we may have taken for granted around here. I hate to think that I may have once taken for granted how much of one release or another I could get, or that I’m now of an age to have a “good ol’ days” of beer buying, but the facts say otherwise.


Contrary to what you may assume, growth of awareness of a brand does not equal output of their smallest production beers. Even if it does, there are so many more hands in the pot today for those rare beers that supplies are going to only become more limited. As a retail buyer, my default is to demand every last bottle made of these beers, but I know better in my heart and can often only do the best I can to make sure as many bottles as possible get into as many hands as possible.

If you’re chasing the rarest of the rare, I can only offer a couple points of advice:

1. If it means that much to you, make sure you get it. Your local retailer can make sure you get your hands on something if you let them know how much you want it. If you expect to walk into a shop and just happen across some brewery’s Anniversary or once-per-year release, I gotta say it — it isn’t 2007 anymore. These things spend little time on shelves if they hit them at all. If it means that much to you, keep tabs on arrival schedules and stay in touch with your retailer of choice. Today’s environment benefits the informed consumer more than ever.

2. Don’t trash the store that doesn’t have the super-rare beer you’re looking for. I’ve seen too much of this lately; too much discussion online and elsewhere about who isn’t what they used to be because they didn’t have overflowing shelves of this or that. As someone who goes out of his way to have unique and hard-to-get beers on his shelf, let me let you in on something: no one gets to have those overflowing amounts of rare beers anymore. Even those beers I bring to Arrowine through importers that you won’t find anywhere else are in limited quantities. That’s not because I don’t want more than I’m getting — it’s because craft beer is a thing right now. Craft beer is hot, and everyone wants in. That is a very good thing in terms of diversity of product, but it means that what was once occasional is now scarce, and what was scarce is now almost instantly gone once it arrives.

Limiting your beer interests to the rare and hard-to-find is a path that only leads to frustration, especially in today’s environment. Keep perspective and accept that you may have to make more than one stop and you’ll do just fine. Communicate with your local beer buyers; make sure you can get what you want. If you don’t do these things, you’ll have no place to complain.

Until next time.

Cheers!
Nick Anderson maintains a blog at www.beermonger.net, and can be found on Twitter at @The_Beermonger. 

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Lawnmower Beer by NIck Anderson

Mrs. Beermonger and I are moving into a new home this weekend, and it has completely taken over our lives. We’ve always heard of the “joys of homeownership,” but we were blindsided by the sheer amount of work that needed to be put into the place before we officially move in.

Luckily, in the course of spackling, grouting, sanding, taping, painting (so much painting), and moving stuff, I’ve found a handful of brews that I’d like to recommend if you have a big summer project to get done, or if you’re just looking for a new “lawnmower beer.” Here we go:

Bell’s Oarsman: I tout this beer often, perhaps too much. All I can say after the last couple of weeks is that after getting back to my current place from my future place, often times after having spent the day at my job, this stuff is like water. Except better, because it’s beer.

Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Ale: A lovely Wheat Ale that flaunts its yeasty character but doesn’t have the overpowering banana/clove component often seen in such beers. This is a refreshing beer with citrusy and subtle minty notes.

Terrapin Easy Rider: One of my newer obsessions. We’ve started to see the rise of hoppy Session beers, and this amber-tinged gem from Athens, GA is a standout. The malts are just right, and Easy Rider packs a hoppy punch that belies its 4.5% ABV.

21st Amendment Bitter American: The vanguard of the hoppy Session movement. Bitter American is, ironically, based off of an English-style ESB that sees some dry-hopping. Originally a seasonal release, Bitter American proved so popular that 21st made it available all year long. Smart move.

Dogfish Head Festina Peche: I love me some tart beer goodness, and this Berlinerweisse-style Ale brings it. Clear, clean, with subtle fruit notes, Peche is a great summer treat.

Keep some of these on hand this summer to refresh and revive yourself after working in our area’s absurd heat and humidity. Until next time.

Cheers!

Nick Anderson maintains a blog at www.beermonger.net, and can be found on Twitter at @The_Beermonger.

Friday, July 20, 2012

The Maturation of the Beer Geek by Nick Anderson

Having gone through the process of buying (and recently moving into) a home, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about maturity, responsibility, and growing up. I feel that all of us, as beer geeks, are coming of age right now, and that all of our changing palates and preferences are poised to make the craft beer scene more open and accessible than ever before.

The most obvious way that this is happening is in a more reasoned approach to “extreme” beers. That isn’t to say that the Imperial IPA is dead, or even dying. I mean to say that these days fewer of us are being brought into the craft beer fold through insanely hoppy IPAs or brutish Stouts, and that’s thanks to the evolution and maturing of those of us who, 10-15 years ago, became beer geeks precisely because of those big beers. The maturing of the beer geek palate has facilitated the rise of session beers of all styles, not to mention the proliferation of international styles previously unknown to many Americans and the recent resurgence of craft Pilsner and other Lagers here in the States. The combination of more approachable (though still unique) styles with world-class versions of familiar Lager beers is contributing to the mainstreaming of craft beer, and creating a new generation of beer geek for whom bigger isn’t necessarily better.

As I said, though, Imperial styles aren’t going anywhere. People just now coming into the fold are going to be curious and will seek out the big beers eventually, and the rest of us still enjoy an over-the-top hop bomb on occasion. As we all get to experience new styles and new approaches to classic styles, we are entering an era where context will be king. The next 10 years or so in craft beer will look much like the Slow Food or Organic movements; as more consumers become aware of their options, products will emerge to fill voids and find niches. To draw out the analogy, think back to about 10 years ago: having knowledge of organic and biodynamic farming was just starting to expand beyond the niche of being a “foodie”, but within a few years even the biggest of box stores were touting “local” and “organic” produce. The ’00s saw the emergence of “organic” after decades of hard work and relative obscurity, as the movement itself and the public at large matured with regard to their approach to it. I feel we’re on the verge of a similar emergence with craft beer.

From the sudden appearance of craft brewers on grocery store shelves, to craft beers taking a spot or two on the draft list of the local watering hole, to the resurrection of the neighborhood brewery/brewpub, to even the copycat “macromicro” beers being put out by the biggest of big breweries, craft beer is finally coming of age as we are. It’s going to become more important as we move forward to keep perspective, to make sure we take things in the right context as they develop. In other words, we need to be mature. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean we have to grow up. Until next time.

Cheers!

The Spirit of Collaboration by Nick Anderson

If I may toot the horn of the craft beer movement a bit: there’s a camaraderie and sense of community amongst the beer geeks, from the drinkers to the brewers and everyone in-between, that is truly unique. Competitions are almost always healthy, entered with the knowledge that at the end of the day, we’re all going to sit down and enjoy a couple cold ones regardless of the outcome. The most notable result of this brother/sisterhood is the collaboration beer, where two or more breweries get together and see what happens when ideas starting being bandied about.

Collaborative wines or liquors are almost unheard of, and while over the years the number of ‘collab’ beers has grown to the point of parody I still believe that their spirit exhibits the best of beer culture. More often than not, collaborations are once-per-year or one-time-only deals, but let me give you a rundown of some that you should be able to find right now without going too far out of your way:

Collaboration Not Litigation Ale (Avery/Russian River): Both Colorado’s Avery Brewing Company and California’s Russian River Brewing Company make Belgian-styled beers named Salvation. It would have been easy for the two to sue the hell out of each other for the name and moved on, but that’s not what they did. What they did was get together, have some beers, and decide to blend the two Salvations together into a new, third beer. This was the first collaboration that I can remember having, and its story became a tenet of my own beer geekdom as it related to openness and not thinking territorially. Russian River will be coming up again very soon in this column.

Land Ho! (Heavy Seas/Devil’s Backbone): Virginia and Maryland working together. Baltimore’s Heavy Seas is a fixture in the region’s craft beer scene, where Lexington’s Devil’s Backbone is only starting to grow its name in the D.C. area, though it’s doing that quickly. This joint effort is a “Black Pils”, with all of the clean, grassy, refreshing feel of an old-school Pilsner with enough malt to color it black and add a touch of chocolate and caramel.

Sobrehumano Palena’ole (Maui/Jolly Pumpkin): A favorite of mine from SAVOR that just arrived recently in Virginia, Sobrehumano is the work of the gang at Maui Brewing Company with Michigan’s Jolly Pumpkin Artisanal Ales. Using tart cherries from Michigan and Hawaiian passion fruit, this Amber Ale is refreshing, complex, and bracing all at once.

BRUX (Sierra Nevada/Russian River): Told you Russian River was coming up again. This one, if it isn’t available by the time you read this, will be in the area next week. Working with the legendary Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Russian River brings the Belgian influence to BRUX with a re-fermentation of this Pale Ale with Brettanomyces yeast, giving it subtle yet funky notes of spice and tropical fruits. BRUX won’t last long, so if you’ve enjoyed Wild Ales don’t miss out.
Saison du BUFF (Stone/Dogfish Head/Victory): When three of the biggest and baddest craft breweries in the U.S. got together a few years back and decided to make a beer together, most of us were expecting some kind of hop-based ordinance that would be inaccessible to mere mortals. Instead, we got Saison du BUFF; a subtle, refined, easy-drinking take on the Belgian style using the full Scarborough Fair (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme). The herbs come through almost like a grassy hop character in the brew, which is made at each brewery in turn during years when it’s released. Stone’s version is just arriving, but it should still be feasible to track down the Victory and Dogfish Head-made ones too.

Until next time.
Cheers!