It’s Got Foam
29 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Alstrom Brothers, aluminum cans, american lager, beer, Rodenbach, Schlitz, tall boy
One of the joys of my life has been having a friend who participated and survived the D-Day invasion. As a friend of his sons, I had the chance to talk to someone who lived through the turbulent events of the 20th century. A wise man with a wonderful sense of humor, Glen liked to drink a beer now and then, with Miller High Life being his preferred choice.
This was quite awhile ago. I was just starting to build my Beer Doctor street credentials at the time, and he didn’t quite know what to make of it, as he watched me pour glasses of the darkest stouts, the hazy golden bubbly of hefe-weizen, and the exotic burgundy coloured brew called Rodenbach Grand Cru. But I asked him once, why did he like Miller High Life? His answer: It’s Got Foam.
I bring this all up because recently I had a chance to sample Schlitz Beer in the “Tall Boy” 16 oz can, introduced in 1960, now revived, using the original formula that made the beer number one in America in the 1950′s. I don’t need to go into what happened, except to say that Jason Allstrom has an excellent article on the subject over at Beer Advocate, where now, the retro-revival attempts to “Go For The Gusto” it once was acknowledged for.
For those accustomed to hyper flavorful beer, any macro brewery beer is treated with disdain. I think that is a mistake. To understand beer, especially American beer, the historic context is necessary to appreciate why a particular beer became a beloved staple in millions of households. With Schlitz, I think part of the answer is in the mouth-feel. A refreshing carbonation combined with a not overly sweet malt palate, and with “just a kiss of the hops”, a never bitter finish.
In polite craft beer circles. a drinkable beer is called “session beer”. In old fashioned American parlance, it can be called a slammer or pounder. Which I think going for the gusto is all about.
A NEW GENERATION
25 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in 21st Amendment Brewery, aluminum cans, arbitrary distinctions, beer, California beer, Oskar Blues Brewery, Patrick Rue, The Bruery
“Let the word go forth that the brewery stein has been passed to a new generation of Americans…”
One of the benefits of growing older is to observe the follies of this world, including your own. Which also explains the great pleasure at observing a new generation who look at things from a different angle, and where, if I am being honest, I must admit, I would have never thought of.
Take for example this whole business about whether or not beer should be brewed in aluminum cans. For many of the so-called craft brewers of the late 20th century, this would be heresy. It was glass, or you did not pass. Not any longer. Brewers at 21st Amendment and Oskar Blues among a growing number of others, decided that the recipe of a brew is far more important than the aesthetic desire of a glass container, and besides that, it is deemed more ecologically responsible, since aluminum is 100% recyclable.
But that is only part of the story. A new generation of brewers have developed their own unique takes on recipes, producing bold assertive beers of great character. Take a look at what Patrick Rue is doing in California at The Bruery. An operation dedicated to producing, for the most part, artisanal Belgian-style style variations in 25 ounce bottles, with names like Mischief and Saison Rue.
The truth of the matter is, there is a lot of love going forward in this ancient beverage. The idea of producing a product that is flavor neutral, as was the practice in the 20th century macro-brewing industry, seems distant and strange today.
