Drinking in Context...don't be so serious...

You hear me talk a lot in recent posts about “drinking in context”. Meaning, drinking the “right” beer for the current setting or situation. I think a lot of times, beer people tend to take beer a little too serious, or have lost the ability to see the fun in it. They get so caught up with weather they are drinking a “good” beer, or not, they lose sight of whether or not they are drinking the right beer for the current situation. Let me explain…



...but this looks SO much better!



This looks "OK"?



Let’s get away from beer for a minute. Let’s take a standard, run of the mill middle shelf Margarita. Take that margarita, and drink it in an Applebee’s, or Chili’s, in say, Gilbert Arizona, or Detroit Michigan. It would taste OK, like a middle shelf margarita from a corporate chain restaurant. Now, take that very same margarita, the EXACT same one, and now, drinking it on a beach, in Key West, or St Thomas, or Cabo San Lucas. Tell me that very same margarita isn’t going to taste better on a beach than it does in the Motor City. That my friends, is drinking in context.

This seems "right"..

Same with beer. A few posts ago, I made reference to this, while at the “beach bar” at Guedo’s Taco Shop, drinking a Corona, or Negro Modulo actually adds to your experience. While on its own, either of those beers really doesn’t taste like much, and would be considered “bad” beers by beer folks, it seems almost silly to drink anything else while at a place like this.




....this, not so much!

One of my favorite beers in the world in Dogfish Head’s Palo Santo. This is an ass kicker of a beer. It’s almost black, thick and viscous, and packs a 12% ABV. It’s a strong, heavy beer, and I love it. That being sad, I am not about to get one while I am sitting pool side on a hot summer day. I’m going to grab a Red Stripe, or Corona, Landshark, or something like that. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t any good craft beer that goes well pool side, on a hot summer day. Bells Oberon is a great beer for just such an occasion, as is our local Four Peaks Sunbru, or even Sam Adams Summer Ale.



Great new Mexican place???

It’s not to say that you can’t have one of these heavy strong beers while sitting on the beach if you want(again, there are no rules, no right or wrong), I’m just simply pointing out, there is a time and a place. Beer that in a normal situation, wouldn’t taste good, or have no taste at all, given the right situation, can actually ad to the fun and authenticity of your experience. Like the old expression, “when in Rome”. It’s so true. Reminds me of a trip back to Maine I took some years ago. After landing, my friends asked where I wanted to go for dinner. I asked what was around, and they responded "well, this great new Mexican place just opened up" My response was "I just came from Arizona, to Maine, and you ask if I want to get Mexican food? That would be like me taking you to Red Lobster if you visited Arizona". You don't go to Belgium, and get an Irish Stout, or to Germany and get an American Light Lager! When you are traveling, or out to someplace you've never been before, don’t go for something familiar, try something local or new (to you at least). You may end up not liking it, or even hating it, but you will have experienced a bit of local culture, or something new, and grown just a little because of it.

Beer tasting, while structured, should still be fun

Also remember, beer should be fun, beer IS fun, and we need to remember that. Don't let it get to serious, I know it sounds odd, but it happens. I have seen friends that are “beer people” like myself, but they have seemed to lose their focus on why they started enjoying craft beer to begin with. I’ve been to tastings, where people have gotten into “discussions”, almost arguments as to whether the color of a beer was amber, or ruby, or weather this was a "true IPA" and not say, and a hybrid American Pale Ale. Instead of simply stating their opinion, listen to what others thought, and moving on, they felt the need to defend their opinion, as if someone was accusing them of being wrong, or Oh god forbid, not knowing as much about beer as the other person (a true insult in the beer community!). I mean, what difference does it make? I can think the color of the beer is amber, and you could think it’s purple. I can think it tastes like an IPA, you can think it tastes like a milk shake, so what? When it comes down to it, it’s all subjective anyway to anyone but true professionals anyway. No one is right, no one is wrong. What is a good beer? A good beer is one you like; a bad beer is one you don’t. It doesn’t make a difference who brewed it, how long you stood in line for to get it, or how big a batch it was made in. A good beer comes down to one thing, taste. Does it taste good, does it taste bad; does this beer “fit” the situation in which I am drinking it? Next time you are out, at a bar, or restaurant you’ve never been too, again, don’t order something you’ve had, ask the bar tender what is local, or seasonal. Trust me, it can only add to your experience. Even if you don’t like the beer, don’t look at it as buying a bad beer, think of it as learning what beer not to buy in the future.

 

So, try something new, try something local, you may just find a new favorite. If you do find a new favorite, I would love to hear about, so please, drop a line!

 

Bottoms up my friends

 

The Beer Czar

 





 



Tasting a beer......

This is NOT tasting a beer!

There is huge difference between just drinking a beer, and tasting a beer. To drink a beer, you simple open a bottle, and drink, maybe pouring into a glass, maybe not. However, if you are just drinking the beer, you are missing out on SO much. Just opening a beer, and drinking it out of the can or bottle, is sort of like renting a beach hut on a tropical beach, and spending the entire time you are there, sitting inside, watching TV, with all the windows closed and shades drawn. Sure, it’s a great place to watch TV, but you would be missing so much!

So, this is my suggestion if you want to do more than just drink your beer, this is what I do to "experience" my beer. First things first, make sure it is quite, and you will not be distracted for at least 15 to 30 minutes (easier said than done for those of us with kids I know) but it will help to not have distractions. I wouldn’t recommended doing this in a bar or restaurant either. Not only will you get some looks, it hard to concentrate when you are in public, and the big game is on. Then, you have to select your beer, and the appropriate glassware, because it does make a difference (more on glassware on a later date). Once you have your beer and glass selected, and perfectly poured, you can start your evaluation.





All Styles have thier own "look" to them.



First thing you do, is look at the beer, and not just a passing glance, study it. Raise it in front of you (but not up to direct light, this can obscure the appearance a bit). Look at the head, is it made up of small tight bubbles, or more porous, thick ones? Look at the carbonation dancing along the edge up towards the top of the glass. Just note, not all beer styles look the same. Some may appear cloudy, with sediment (floaties) in them. This is not a defect, some styles call for this. Make sure you know a little about the style of beer you are trying, so you will know what is expected, and what can be considered defective.

"lacing" results from agitation



Once you have had a good look at your beer, give it a little agitation. Swirl the beer around a little in the glass, till the head thickens a bit. This will work to enhance some of the aromatics of the beer, and loosens the carbonation and stimulates the head, and helps retain it.

Take a good sniff

Next, take in the bouquet of the beer. I know, the word bouquet is about as manly as spending the afternoon watching the Lifetime Network, but we need to talk about it. The bouquet (will it help if we call it the aroma, or the nose?) will make the first impression you have of what to expect in the flavor of the beer, and is a vital component of how you interpret the taste. After you agitate the beer, bring the glass up to your nose as close as you are comfortable (you will see wine folks literally stick their nose right down into the glass, this is actually very helpful) and take two short sniffs. You will see a lot of people take a long, drawn out sniff, this is fine, but you can sort of “overload” your system, or in this case, your olfactory senses. Two quick sniffs will give you enough to really experience the beer, without taking in too much, and risk drawing out some of the lesser notes.

Next, the best part, the taste. OK, so this might be considered bad manners, but your first sip, you want to sort of “slurp” the beer. What this does, is sort of sprays the inside of your mouth, most importantly, your tongue and flavor receptors, and gives them an even coating, allowing a more balanced taste. Do not swallow the beer immediately either. Allow the beer to explore and swim around your mouth for a bit. Breathe out through your nose while the beer is still in your mouth. This sounds odd, but trust me, it helps, and you will be amazed. Note the way the beer feels in your mouth (called, oddly enough, Mouthfeel). Notice the body, the intensity of the flavors, and try to see if you can isolate some of the individual flavor component, and what they are, do you taste fruit? If so, what kind, orange, banana, plum? Can you taste the sweetness of the malt, or the smokey, chocolaty flavor of them? This takes practice, but with time, it gets easier and easier, and beside, practicing is so much fun!

Also, let the beer sit a little bit, and let it warm, and keep sipping it as it does. Note how the flavor changes, and intensifies the more the beer warms. This can help you identify the optimum temperature in which that beer works for you.

Everyone enjoys a good beer tasting (or summit)

I also recommended taking notes, nothing to detailed, but some quick words that will help you remember the experience. The most important thing of all to remember is, have fun with it. Don’t take it too seriously; this should be fun, maybe educational, and nothing more. There is no wrong way to describe a beer. I like to write a quick review of a beer, then go on Beer Advocate and read all the reviews of that same beer, and see how they differ, or how they are alike. Don’t ever think what you tasted is wrong however, it is your interpretation of that beer, it’s not a test.

So, I suggest grabbing a beer, a glass, and a pen and paper, and enjoy yourself for a bit. Or do it with friends, and do a group tasting, and compare notes. Again, there is no wrong way to do it; these are just suggestions on getting the most from the tasting experience.



Bottoms up my friends,