Archive for the 'Beer' Category

I shouldn’t have to even write any of this, but I think it needs to be said. I’ve been drinking beer for quite some time now. I wasn’t one of those people who started off with the flavorless yellow beer known to most people as American Macro (though Beer Advocate politically correctly changed it to “adjunct”) Lager. I actually started off drinking Sam Adams and Pete’s Wicked back when Pete’s was independent and an excellent brewery (I do miss them, they made a killer brown ale). I would occasionally drink the cheap stuff when I was at parties and that’s all there was. Then I switched to a phase of my life where I would refuse beer if it wasn’t craft. I’m now at the point where I just want beer and will drink it.

Fast forward to yesterday. I was at a graduation party for a cousin of mine. In the past, they’ve had some craft beer at events at their house, but this time they had a keg. I suppose it was to provide the most beer that the majority of the people would drink, but whatever their reason, it was Bud Light. I’ve never been a fan of light beer. I think Coors Light was the only light beer I ever liked. I choose full flavored, full calorie beer. I laugh at the Miller Lite “triple hopped” marketing scheme, because 3 times 0 is still nothing. But with nothing else to drink (I’m not a fan of liquor, except for some frozen drinks), I drank the beer. I suppose I could have had some water or just drank soda all day, but I chose the beer.

I didn’t particularly enjoy it, though it was ice cold and pretty flavorless (I see why people drink a ton of it, it doesn’t really do much to the palate). I also didn’t hate it (likely because it was like fizzy slightly flavored water). But it made me wonder why people always steer towards the norm.

Let’s rewind about a week now. I was at a wedding for a friend of mine. Granted, the crowd was a different age, but the beer selection was quite different, though he had more than he needed. His options were Sam Adams Summer Ale and Long Trail Ale. Neither are in-your-face flavor bombs, but they do have flavor (and color and aroma). I don’t know if his choices were those because that’s what most people drink or because that’s what he wanted, but whatever his reasoning was, he picked beer that people drank (everyone was drinking Long Trail). Most weddings have a pretty lousy beer selection full of the usual suspects with a Sam Adams thrown in for people who like “fancy” beer. My own wedding had beer that was relatively local to RI (Sam Adams thrown in for good measure, but they’re only an hour away). No one complained, and people drank a lot of beer.

What I don’t understand is why people are so unwilling to try something new. Is it fear that their guests won’t be happy? Is it fear of breaking routine? Whatever it is, I just don’t understand the reasoning. I remember a college party I attended about 12 years ago. The only beer they had was a keg of Saranac Pale Ale. They were kinda hippies, and hippies were known to drink the microbrews. What stood out was that it was different. The common beer of choice at UConn was Natural Light (aka Natty Light) because it was cheap and easy to drink.

I guess my point is this… If you’re having a party and buying beer, try something new. You might be surprised by what your guests will drink. There are craft beers that even “light beer drinkers” will enjoy. But regardless of what you pick, I will almost never pass up a free beer at this point in my life.

In the beer community you often hear the mantra “Support your local breweries, drink local beer”. Well, what exactly does “local” mean? It has different meanings depending on who you ask, but that doesn’t mean that only one answer is correct. So… what is local?

Here in Rhode Island, we get beer from all over the country world. Most of it comes from the US. We get a lot from Europe, and even some from as far away as Japan. I’m not talking about beer that’s actually brewed in the US under license from foreign breweries. I’m talking about actually importing the final product from these other countries. It travels pretty far. Most beer geeks (I prefer the term geek) will seek out the best beer regardless of how far it traveled. Many prefer to support their local breweries. That’s where this question of “what is local?” comes into play.

Rhode Island is a small state. In fact, it’s the smallest state. We have four brewpubs and one production brewery. The beer to come out of these places is local beer for us. But being as small as we are, we are very close to many other breweries. Local has many meanings. It can mean in the town, in the county, or in the state. Well, New England states tend to be small. Maine is our only exception, though it’s nothing compared to some of the states west of the Mississippi River. New England has a very strong regional feel to it. When it comes to beer, at least in Rhode Island, local does not mean in the same state. We have to branch out to reach more beer than the five beer producers in this state. Once you add in Massachusetts, you add several more breweries and a whole bunch of brewpubs. Tossing in Connecticut adds in even more. These are all within about a 3 hour drive from most of Rhode Island. I’m not going to stop there, though. Local to me is anything produced in the six New England states. This adds in a ton of breweries from Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire, all of which have several breweries. The reason all of these breweries are local is because they are all within a relatively short drive, a drive that would keep you within many of the larger states out west.

The larger western states might have a different definition of local. They might make it a radius from their location. They might consider it anything within the same county or state. I tend not to think of local in terms of a radius. The biggest reason for that is because of the ocean. While Southampton might be pretty close to RI as the bird flies, it’s not quite as easy to get to as some places farther away in northern New England. This differs from the western states because there’s no ocean between you and the next state. A radius makes more sense. My definition most likely differs from that of people from a place like Vermont where they have an abundance of breweries all over the state. It probably differs from someone from Boston or Portland, ME where there are multiple breweries right in town. Ultimately, local has a different meaning for each person, but it need not mean only beer from  your state/county/town.

Let’s consider something else – the purpose of local. Local is used in terms of environmentalism and economics. With environmentalism, it’s used as a way to reduce pollution of trucking goods all over the place. Your “carbon footprint” is lowered by consuming local goods. With economics, it’s stimulating the economy of your location, whether that be town, state, or region. The reason I bring this up is that with beer, it tends to be considered in terms of economics. Drinking local beer supports the local economy and breweries in your local area. It raises an interesting question when it comes to contract brewed beers, such as Narragansett. The company is located in Providence. The money comes into Providence. The beer is brewed in Rochester, NY. Is it local? In terms of economics, yes. In terms of environmentalism, no. Would I consider it local as far as beer is concerned? Most definitely.

No matter how you define “local” when it comes to beer, support your local breweries. They may not be the best breweries or make the most amazing beer, but they are still your local breweries. Show pride in your locale, whatever that may be, and drink local beer. For me, that means drinking a Harpoon, a Smuttynose, or a Long Trail. It means drinking a Newport Storm, an Allagash, or a Berkshire. It means that I support New England beer. It means that when I travel, I try to drink the local beers for that area by visiting a brewpub or ordering the local beer. And if I don’t know what the local beer is, I ask. When asked what I’d like to drink, I’ll ask “what’s local and good?” The waiter or bartender usually knows.

I’ll be in Seattle and Bellingham, WA in June, and I’ll definitely be drinking. So… What’s local and good?

… and you know what that means, right?

If you guess a bunch of idiots will get drunk over some fake holiday, you’re correct. Everyone is not Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. If you wanna get drunk, go for it, but at least do it on actual Irish beer or beer brewed in the proper style. Here’s a little guide to help you decide what to drink and what not to drink.

First, here’s a little info on the two major Irish beer styles.

Irish Dry Stout – You see the word “stout” and automatically think Guinness. Yes, Guinness is a stout, but it’s a certain type of stout (there are multiple). Irish Dry Stout was basically brought over to Ireland from England. It’s not an originally Irish beer style but it has become synonymous with Irish beer. Irish Dry Stouts tend to be a bit drier in flavor. They’re usually lower in alcohol (between 4 and 5% ABV). You’ll notice some slight roasted flavors, a little cocoa, and some coffee. No, coffee and/or cocoa are not added to the beer. These are flavors given off by the dark roasted malts used to brew the beer. When the uninitiated think “stout”, they think “bitter”. These are not bitter beers in the grand scheme of things, though they might be bitter compared to Bud Light.

Irish Red Ale – This style is lesser known. You’ve heard of Killian’s Irish Red. That’s not an Irish Red Ale. Heck, it’s not even an ale. But a real Irish Red Ale is a lighter beer. It actually is a bit red in color, though it’s really more of a deep, dark amber that gives it that red-looking color. The beer tends to be a bit sweeter, though, again, if you’re used to Bud Light, it’s going to be bitter. It’s definitely sweeter than the stout and not quite as dry. The flavor should have a slight hint of hops to it, and be mostly malt. It may have a slight toasted quality to it. This is my pick for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, if I celebrated.

Now here’s a little guide to the beers you’ll come across (obviously written more from a New Englander’s perspective) and what you should and should not drink to properly celebrate this “special” day.

Killian’s Irish Red – Don’t drink it. Why? Because it’s not Irish. Oh, but Killian is an Irish name, right? Sure, that may be true, but it’s brewed by Coors and was never an Irish beer. But it’s still an Irish style of beer, right? Wrong. It’s a lager… a pretty crappy one at that. It pretends to be an Irish Red Ale, an actual style of beer that happens to be pretty tasty when made properly. This is not an Irish Red Ale. If you’re going to drink crappy lagers, at least drink a crappy Irish lager, like Harp.

Harpoon Celtic Ale – Drink it. Why? Because it’s tasty. This one actually is an Irish Red Ale. It’s also brewed in Boston, a city known for being very Irish. Support your local-ish brewery and drink a real Irish Red (even if it’s not from Ireland).

Guinness Draught – I’m gonna catch some flack for this one, but don’t drink it. Why? Because it’s not that good, and you wanna be original, right? If you’re gonna drink a Guinness, make it an Extra Stout. You know the beer. It’s the one that comes in the normal bottle without the widget that releases nitrogen. It’s the better of the Guinness stouts that are available in the US, and it’s actually quite good. But if you really want that smooth creamy feeling of the nitrogen, keep reading.

Beamish Irish Stout – Drink it. Beamish is a lesser known cousin to Guinness. It’s still an Irish Dry Stout, but it has a whole lot more flavor to it. The only problem with Beamish is that it’s harder to find either on tap or even in the big nitro-cans. But if you find it, drink it. It’s tasty with some nice chocolate and roasted coffee flavors (they’re not strong and over-powering, but just right). The beer is smooth and creamy and the best of what I call the “Big 3 Irish Stouts”. In Providence, I’ve seen it on tap at Local 121, but I haven’t been there in a while.

Murphy’s Irish Stout – Drink it. Murphy’s is probably the second most well known of the “Big 3″ and, in my opinion, the second tastiest. It’s easier to find than Beamish, though still not quite as easy to find as Guinness. If you’re in Providence, Murphy’s Deli downtown usually has this on tap.

Murphy’s Irish Red – Drink it. Coming from an Irish brewery and being an Irish Red Ale, it’s one of the most authentic Irish beers you’ll come across. Enjoy this one.

Smithwick’s – Drink it. Again, this is an Irish Red Ale, though a very dark version of one. Also, this beer is not pronounced like it looks. Say “Smidick’s” and you’ll be pretty close to the proper pronunciation. This one is brewed by the same people who make Guinness and Harp Lager (that’s right, Guinness is no longer an independent company). If your choice is this or Guinness, make it Smithwick’s.

Harp Lager – Toss up. I’m not a fan of Harp. It’s an Irish beer, but it’s not an Irish style. It’s a lighter lager and lacks much flavor. If you need to drink a lager because you can’t stand the bold flavors of an ale (and trust me, the beers I’m listing aren’t overly bold in flavor, but more nuanced), drink it. If you want to drink real Irish beer, go with an Irish Red Ale.

Samuel Adams Irish Red – Drink it. This is a quality Irish Red Ale from one of the best known breweries in the country. It’s brewed to style, it’s inexpensive, and it’s also somewhat local.

O’Hara’s Irish Red Ale – Drink it. This is another example of an Irish Red Ale that’s actually from Ireland.

O’Hara’s Irish Stout – Drink it. This is an Irish Dry Stout from Ireland. It’s tasty, though not as good as Beamish or Murphy’s.

I’m sure I’m missing a whole ton of other beers from around the world, but this is my blog and my guide, and I admitted it’s very New England-centric. Whatever you do, have a safe St. Patrick’s Day, and try to break from the norm. Try something different. It might just surprise you.

Our little vacation ended with a trip to the Allagash Brewery in Portland, ME (after spending lots of time at LL Bean in Freeport). The tour started with a tasting of their main brands – White, Dubbel, Tripel, and Four. They weren’t full pours, but they weren’t small pours either, considering the strength of some of the beers. Not having had them in a long time, it was nice to be reacquainted with them, remembering how good they are.

The woman in the visitor center had a pretty strong knowledge of their beer and the styles. She knew quite a bit about the brewery and even seemed to have some good general beer knowledge. They weren’t brewing at the time we were there. In fact, they were just moving stuff around. The tour portion was short, but brewery tours need not be long unless there are a lot of questions. Given that the group was small, there weren’t many questions. They allowed us to check out some of their barrels, but not drink any of the beer in them, unfortunately.

What I found most disappointing was the pricing of the beer at the brewery. Oftentimes, breweries will sell beer for slightly cheaper than most retail outlets. In this case, that didn’t hold true. We didn’t buy anything extravagant, picking up a bottle of Four for ourselves and a bottle of Black for my cousin whom we were visiting for dinner that evening on our drive back to RI. I had wanted a t-shirt, but they didn’t have anything in my size in stock. I picked up a glass because that’s what I do at breweries, and we were on our way. It was one of the more informative brewery tours I’ve seen, and certainly the only real Belgian tour. I had expected their tasting room to be a bit different because of the popularity of the brewery. I was also hoping to be able to taste something a bit more special than the four beer we tried, knowing I wouldn’t get to taste the Gargamel or Vagabond.

It’s worth a visit, especially if you like Belgian beers. Someday I’ll get back up to Portland and tour the rest of the breweries in that fine New England beer town.