Whenever I Think Of Steam
13 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in adjunct lager, Anchor Steam Beer, beer, California beer, California common, Crosley field, Fritz Maytag, Hudy, Old Style, Sam Adams, San Francisco, sierra nevada, Wrigley Field
I recently had the pleasure of returning to sample an old favorite, indeed what could easily be called the original craft brewed classic: Anchor Steam Beer. It maybe difficult for younger beer enthusiasts to imagine what it was like back in 1965, when a young Fritz Maytag became a fledgling brewer, purchasing an operation headed for oblivion.
What was the appeal? Well at that time the American brewing industry was chiefly concerned with moving “product”, which basically meant cereal based concoctions now commonly known as American lager. What brewers call adjunct lager. The pale golden coloured beers loved by so many millions of people, and, despite any inroads from the craft beer segment, are not going away anytime soon. The fact that Bud Light is 25% of the world beer market is really all that needs to be said.
The revival of regional recipes, the so-called retro movement, has reintroduced many of those all grain lagers, before marketing greed had corrupted their formulas. Thus beer brands remembered with nostalgic fondness have returned. Beers consumed at baseball games by a generation’s parents or grandparents, or once again available. In the case of Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Old Style, it never left.
This throws me back to when I was 10 years old, attending a Cincinnati Reds game at Crosley field. In those days, beer vendors lugged around cases of bottled beer, expertly pouring the entire bottle into paper cups, using sales pitches such as: “get moody with Hudy!” and what now would be considered irresponsible “One for the road!” since there was no cut off point for selling beer in those days: beer for all 9 innings.
So bland tasting, sometimes foul smelling adjunct lager was an accurate description of the American beer scene in 1965, when Fritz Maytag began the arduous task of keeping alive Steam beer, an all barley malt beer linked to the West coast of the 19th century. It wasn’t until 1971 that the modern Anchor Steam was first bottled. Years before Sierra Nevada and Samuel Adams even existed. So is Anchor Steam the grand daddy of them all? I would have to say yes.
A sampling of Anchor Steam reveals a beer with enormous character. It is most certainly wise not to serve this beer at the taste numbing temperature called ice cold. In fact, at a warmer temperature, Steam pours with luxurious natural carbonation. In other words, do not hurry when enjoying this beer. This beer produces what in old school language can be called a rocky headed pour. But what truly makes Steam the remarkable beer that it is, can be found in the dry finish. A gentle bitterness that is oblivious to a culture acclimated with soda pop.
The evolution of flavorful beer has seen the explosion of aggressively hopped beers. Perhaps the grace and nuance of recipes such as Anchor Steam are missed by a younger generation of beer drinkers. In fact I have heard people display an aversion to anything called lager, Which is unfortunate because this denies the possibility of experiencing an expertly made pilsener, or an exquisite rendition of bock. And of course, the lager referred to as California common, trademarked in San Francisco as Anchor Steam Beer.
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.
As The Beer Of Course, Continues
28 May 2010 1 Comment
in Acme India Pale Ale, Acme Pale Ale, american ale, beer, California beer, sierra nevada, Steinlager, Uncategorized
With the approach of summer, much consumer emphasis is placed on going outside, at least into your backyard. A boom for the hardware companies who push everything from gazebos to charcoal grills. Add to this the grocery stores’ appeals for grilling just about everything, and last but not certainly the least, this is also The Summer Of Beer (which starts here).
The recent return of a famous international lager has proved to be a disappointment. Steinlager, now known as Steinlager Classic, is a shadow of its former self. A beer I am well acquainted with for over 25 years. I never have forgotten a memorable beer, and I remember knowing the taste distinction between Steinlager brewed in Auckland and that produced in Wellington.
The 25.4 oz bottle from Wellington in those times, was the best Stein’ available. I will always recall the full body lager that was in those days batched brewed, using only the four classic ingredients, giving it an apple-ginger note in the finish. I suspect that this ester characteristic was due to the New Zealand hops, which are highly prized, as a brewery in Chico, California will tell you.
The stupid green glass bottle has always been problematic. Providing very little light protection, six packs of the beer would wind up being presented as yet another skunked import. But I had a good working relationship with my local beer store (as I do now), and so I had unopened cases of 25.4 oz Stein available for several years.
So it is with some sadness to taste this most recent manifestation of Steinlager. Its not that it tastes bad, and it most certainly is drinkable, its just that it has lost its distinctive character. A visit to the Steinlager web site seems to reveal a corporate marketing approach which is long in hype and short on actual details.
Another return proved to be more pleasurable. North Coast Brewing’s Acme Pale Ale is a beer I first tasted 13 years ago. I loved it then and I love it now (which makes me wonder if they still make Acme Brown Ale?) with its straightforward focus on balance of malt and hops. The pale ale is a good example of achieving flavor complexity using simplicity: Yakima hops combined with two-row barley.
A new edition to the Acme line, or at least one I never had a chance to sample before, is Acme India Pale Ale, a wonderful old school, California style take, which for myself, provided refreshing relief from all the extreme versions where lupulin is the reason for existence. Which is also what I love about Acme beers: they always remember the importance of malt.
