BEER-THE OTHER STATE DRINK... BESIDES MILK
In college, I tried my first wine and loved it. My friends in college drank wine. We did not have a specific brand, except one friend. She drank Manischewitz.
While in college, I was involved in a program known as 5-H. It was an extension of 4-H, only a service organization for college students. One weekend, our group went to Camp Upham in the Wisconsin Dells area for the sole purpose of cleaning the grounds and buildings for the upcoming camping season for the young 4-hers. After the long, labor intensive day, we went to a local tavern for some adult libations. Upon entering, the leader of our group looked directly at me and said, "Do not order a white wine or any wine." He was well known in the area and did not want to be embarrassed by someone who drank wine. I did order a beer, but could not drink it, because to me, it was disgusting. I gave it to the "sensitive "fella," and ordered a diet Coke.
That was not my last experience tasting beer. There would be other times, I would try beer while out with friends, sometimes liking it. However, most of the time, NOT!
Then I met the Hubster, who enjoys a beer from time to time. All was fine when we went out for the evening. He did not mind if I ordered a wine. He would sip on a beer, usually a Budweiser or Leinenkugels, and I would have a glass of wine, usually a Chardonnay. We were and are a perfect match.
Several years ago, we started going to wineries. The Hubster discovered he enjoyed the sweet wines. I was so moved by his diversifying his taste that I decided to reciprocate and try some beer at the various Craft Breweries. After all, marriage is about "Give and Take."
As we ventured to the Breweries, I asked the Hubster what the different beers were. He did not really have an answer to that question, saying, "People that like beer, just drink beer. They don't think about it."
So, I began reading the Beer Baron column. While I gained some insight, I still wanted to know more. I did some research on different kinds of beers, but found mostly pictures and diagrams. I tried asking questions to the Cicerones (beer guides) at the breweries, but they are so busy that they couldn't answer any questions. Craft Breweries are "hopping" places. (Beer gurus will get the joke)
I was not to be deterred. For Mother's Day, my youngest Millennial gave me books on tasting beer. Hence, this blog was born.
 |
| There was a lot of "research" involved for this blog. |
There are more than one-hundred different beer styles. For this blog, I am going to focus on the basic beer offerings from the Craft Breweries. There are two large styles of beer-Ales and Lagers. Ales, which are the bigger variety of beer, are fermented at higher temperatures(room temperature). This results in Ales finishing fermenting in about 3-4 weeks. Whereas, Lagers are fermented at lower temperatures, usually between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Lagers take twice as long to finish fermenting, about 6-8 weeks. Ales tend to be fruitier than Lagers. Lagers have more of a clean, crisp taste. This is all due to the kind of yeast and fermentation.
The types of Ales, I will discuss are the basic Ale, Porter, Stout, and I.P.A.(India Pale Ale). For the Lager, it will involve the Lager/Pilsner, and the Bock.
Let's get started:
Beer just doesn't happen. There are necessary ingredients to making beer. These include Water, Malt, Hops, and Yeast.
Water determines the taste of beer, whether it be from hard water or soft water. This includes from where the water comes and what the water flows through. These elements indicate the quality and the style of beer. The rule of thumb is softer water is better for Lagers and darker Ales, while hard water is good for Pale Ales with more hop presence.
If Water gives beer its soul, Malt gives it body. Barley is the preferred grain because it provides the best extractions of sugars. However, I will mention that Rye, Corn, and Wheat are also used for brewing.
If Water is the soul, and Malt is the body, then Hops is the Zing in beer. Hops is a member of the Cannabaceae family, same family as Marijuana. However, Hops and Marijuana are in different genuses. Hops is a flowering vine that brewers use for its bitterness or aroma. Brewers may use a single Hop or even a mixture to create a certain taste or aroma profile.
Yeast is what sets beer in motion. Without yeast, you have glop, you know that stuff your Mother set in front of you for breakfast. Yeast is what makes the Water, Malt, and Hops into an alcoholic beverage. You can thank French Scientist, Louis Pasteur for starting the "yeast quest" in 1871, developing yeast specifically for making beer. From this, with a few extras, we get beer.
Just like the 5 S's for tasting wine, there is a proper way of tasting beer. This includes:
1. Aroma- Smell the beer, immediately, because the aroma dissipates quickly. Swirl the beer in
your glass to create a head and thus, the aromatics.
2. Appearance- Look at the beer's color, clarity, and head retention. All of this is dependent on the
style of beer. Some beer styles are pale yellow or dark brown or black. While most beers are
clear, others like a New England I.P.A. are hazy or opaque. Finally, some beers styles show
very little head, while others will have a billowing head.
3. Taste- Figuring out the nuances in beer assessment is often done by dividing the flavor
impression into foretaste and mid-taste. Different ingredients in beer will determine where
on the tongue they are tasted.
4.Aftertaste- There should be an aftertaste or finish, when tasting beer. It is the aftertaste that helps
you decide if you will have another sip. Do you like it?
5. Mouthfeel is literally how the beer feels on the palate. This includes that prickly fizz, thickness,
or hop bitterness in your mouth.
ALES and LAGERS
In the beginning, there were just Ales! This includes a Red Ale, Scottish Ale, Brown Ale, and India Pale Ale. There are even more Ales. So much to choose from, I could do a blog just on Ales. Ales are fermented between room and cellar temperatures, as mentioned. They can be spicy and fruity, while others can have a creamy maltiness. There are Ales with a woody, tangy, grassy flavor of hops. The Hubster prefers a mild Ale, a sessionable or easy drinking beer. A good example of an Ale is the "Spotted Cow" from New Glarus Brewery. It showcases the fruity element found in an Ale. Ales goes well anything from BBQ to Pork Rinds to Football.
Porters are also in the family of Ales.They have a creamy, roasty, not overwhelmingly hoppy, sweet finish. Sounds decadent, doesn't it? Often recommended to serve at room temperature, a Porter is usually the beer of choice in cooler weather. It pairs well with Prime Rib, Swiss cheese, and chocolate desserts. A favorite Porter is Mud Puppy Porter from Central Waters Brewery in Amherst, Wisconsin. It has a thick, frothy head with chocolate aroma. You get the hops in the aftertaste. However, I have to mention the first Porter, I ever tried was the Perky Porter, brewed with coffee, from Stillmank Brewery in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is always served with a doughnut hole for garnish.
Stouts are a strong black beer, and goes back to the year 1630. The term "Stout' was given to the "Stout Butt Beers" that would eventually be named Porter beers. So, history given to the Porter can be applied to the Stout. Known as "Son of a Porter," the Stout beer has a deep, dark, roasty body that can vary from dry to sweet, weak to strong taste. You may not get a hops aroma, but there is always a roasty, caramel flavor. A Stout goes well with hearty food such as steak or oysters. I find the Stout beer rather heavy; I call it a "commitment." However, a good Stout that is dark and malty is the Oatmeal Stout at Duesterbeck's Brewery in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
India Pale Ale or I.P.A. is a version of the Pale Ale that was originally exported from England to ports in India. Hence, the name! This style of beer has more bitterness and a high intensity of hops. I have yet to taste an I.P.A. that I didn't like. The Hubster will say the opposite, but he's getting there. The India Pale Ale is my favorite style. There are nine different styles of I.P.A.'s, so the Hubster and I have more to try. Several memorable I.P.A.'s come to mind from trips to craft breweries. These include:
Red Haymaker I.P.A. from Rock County Brewing in Janesville, Wisconsin. It is a West Coast
style I.P.A., brewed with 3 kinds of hops, with a fruit flavor and a bitter aftertaste. Delicious!
Mosaic I.P.A. from Second Salem Brewing in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It has a crisp, citrusy
flavor with a floral aroma. Made with just mosaic hops, it is always a favorite. And finally,
Mosey I.P.A. from Vintage Brewing is brewed in Madison, Wisconsin. However, you can get
it at their sister brewery in Sauk Prairie, Wisconsin which is where we go. The hop taste is at
Let's get started:
Beer just doesn't happen. There are necessary ingredients to making beer. These include Water, Malt, Hops, and Yeast.
Water determines the taste of beer, whether it be from hard water or soft water. This includes from where the water comes and what the water flows through. These elements indicate the quality and the style of beer. The rule of thumb is softer water is better for Lagers and darker Ales, while hard water is good for Pale Ales with more hop presence.
If Water gives beer its soul, Malt gives it body. Barley is the preferred grain because it provides the best extractions of sugars. However, I will mention that Rye, Corn, and Wheat are also used for brewing.
If Water is the soul, and Malt is the body, then Hops is the Zing in beer. Hops is a member of the Cannabaceae family, same family as Marijuana. However, Hops and Marijuana are in different genuses. Hops is a flowering vine that brewers use for its bitterness or aroma. Brewers may use a single Hop or even a mixture to create a certain taste or aroma profile.
 |
| A Hops field in western Dane County. |
Just like the 5 S's for tasting wine, there is a proper way of tasting beer. This includes:
1. Aroma- Smell the beer, immediately, because the aroma dissipates quickly. Swirl the beer in
your glass to create a head and thus, the aromatics.
2. Appearance- Look at the beer's color, clarity, and head retention. All of this is dependent on the
style of beer. Some beer styles are pale yellow or dark brown or black. While most beers are
clear, others like a New England I.P.A. are hazy or opaque. Finally, some beers styles show
very little head, while others will have a billowing head.
3. Taste- Figuring out the nuances in beer assessment is often done by dividing the flavor
impression into foretaste and mid-taste. Different ingredients in beer will determine where
on the tongue they are tasted.
4.Aftertaste- There should be an aftertaste or finish, when tasting beer. It is the aftertaste that helps
you decide if you will have another sip. Do you like it?
5. Mouthfeel is literally how the beer feels on the palate. This includes that prickly fizz, thickness,
or hop bitterness in your mouth.
ALES and LAGERS
In the beginning, there were just Ales! This includes a Red Ale, Scottish Ale, Brown Ale, and India Pale Ale. There are even more Ales. So much to choose from, I could do a blog just on Ales. Ales are fermented between room and cellar temperatures, as mentioned. They can be spicy and fruity, while others can have a creamy maltiness. There are Ales with a woody, tangy, grassy flavor of hops. The Hubster prefers a mild Ale, a sessionable or easy drinking beer. A good example of an Ale is the "Spotted Cow" from New Glarus Brewery. It showcases the fruity element found in an Ale. Ales goes well anything from BBQ to Pork Rinds to Football.
 |
| Knuth's Red Ale from Ripon, Wisconsin. |
 |
| Mud Puppy Porter from Central Waters Brewery in Amherst, Wisconsin. |
 |
| American Stout from Ooga Brewery |
Red Haymaker I.P.A. from Rock County Brewing in Janesville, Wisconsin. It is a West Coast
style I.P.A., brewed with 3 kinds of hops, with a fruit flavor and a bitter aftertaste. Delicious!
Mosaic I.P.A. from Second Salem Brewing in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It has a crisp, citrusy
flavor with a floral aroma. Made with just mosaic hops, it is always a favorite. And finally,
Mosey I.P.A. from Vintage Brewing is brewed in Madison, Wisconsin. However, you can get
it at their sister brewery in Sauk Prairie, Wisconsin which is where we go. The hop taste is at
the beginning of the sip with the smoothness of soft butter at the end. Yum!
LAGERS/PILSNERS AND BOCKS
Lagers, invented in the mid-nineteenth century in Munich, Germany, ferment at cooler temperatures than Ales. If you detect a fruitiness in a beer that has been deemed a Lager, it is probably because the beer was fermented at too warm of a temperature. Because of the yeast ability to ferment all the grain sugars, Lagers have a higher alcohol level. Ales are sweeter because they only have a partial breakdown of the sugars from the grains, giving them a less alcohol content. Interesting note- Lager means "to store" in German. This is because Lagers were stored over the Summer month to age, as well as preserve them for use. This was done instead of adding more hops as is done with Ales.
Really, there is not a lot of experimenting done with Lagers. It is a done by the book kind of beer, with taste more focused on hops and malt. However, today's Lagers may have corn or rice malt, in addition to barley malt. Leading mainstream Lagers include Budweiser, Coors Banquet, and Miller Genuine Draft. Those Octoberfest beers, you look forward to in the Fall, well that's a Lager. The Hubster and I found an enjoyable lager, heavy on the malt, called the "Vienna Lager" at Rustic Road Brewing in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Another good Lager can be found at Lion's Tail brewery in Neenah, Wisconsin called "Boundary Waters," not made with corn or rice for malt, but with maltose, a type of malt sugar that is smooth but not malty.
The Pilsner got its start because people were upset with the "Skunked Ale" (bad beer) in the city of Pilzen, Austria in 1842. The beer was so awful, people were dumping it in the street. Horror, I know! Enter Barvarian Brewmaster, Josef Groll, a skilled Brewmaster for bottom fermented Lagers. With soft well water and herbal, spicy aromatic Saaz hops, Groll developed a light barley malt. The combination created a light, straw-colored, sparkling beer when poured with a white, light, long lasting head.
However, the Pilsner of yesterday is not the Pilsner of today. As with the Lager, there is more corn or rice, not at the same time, added for malt instead of 100% barley malt. The perfect Pilsner will have a shimmering, burnished gold with a fresh Saaz hop aroma. However, the American Saaz hop has more bitterness due to its higher Alpha acid than the traditional Czec Saaz hop of Josef Groll. A good Wisconsin Pilsner to try is Great Dane German Pilsner from Madison. It is an easy drinking, light golden colored beer with a long lasting foamy head when poured.
Finally, the Bock, the beer Barvarian Monks drank during times of fasting, because it provided enough sustenance in liquid diet form to continue their work. Although you can find various forms of Bock beer year round, it especially can be found on store shelves during Christmas and Lenten season.
Bock beer is known for its caramelly malt with a soft bitter finish. There is another Bock beer, found in May, known as Maibock. This type of beer is a drier, hoppier, more bitter version. There are other Bock styles, but let's not get lost in Bockland. Capital Brewery in Madison and Rock County Brewing in Janesville have tasty versions of Maibock.
New Glarus Brewery in New Glarus, Wisconsin has a Winter Bock known as Cabin Fever, and is a Hubster favorite. This is available around the Winter Holidays. Although, not a Wisconsin beer, a favorite Bock at our house is the Abita Mardi Gras Bock from New Orleans, a full body beer with a caramelly malt, and a very slight bitter hop flavor. Look for it on store shelves before Lent because its appearance is brief. We like it with Mexican food.
There you have it, a rundown of the basic beers offered at Craft Breweries. Keep in mind, Brewmasters are always experimenting, trying to create that elusive beer that has not yet been concocted. Just another reason to return to your favorite Craft Brewery or try a new one. What has become of all this extensive research? I do enjoy a beer with the Hubster. No longer do we sip different libations. We have evolved and are better for it. As Wilhelm II (last German Kaiser and King of Prussia) said, "Give me a woman who loves beer, and I will conquer the world!" Unfortunately for Wilhelm, it did not work out like that!
Until Next Time,
Minnie and The Hubster
 |
| Some favorite I.P.A.'s from Vintage Brewery and Rock County Brewery! |
Lagers, invented in the mid-nineteenth century in Munich, Germany, ferment at cooler temperatures than Ales. If you detect a fruitiness in a beer that has been deemed a Lager, it is probably because the beer was fermented at too warm of a temperature. Because of the yeast ability to ferment all the grain sugars, Lagers have a higher alcohol level. Ales are sweeter because they only have a partial breakdown of the sugars from the grains, giving them a less alcohol content. Interesting note- Lager means "to store" in German. This is because Lagers were stored over the Summer month to age, as well as preserve them for use. This was done instead of adding more hops as is done with Ales.
Really, there is not a lot of experimenting done with Lagers. It is a done by the book kind of beer, with taste more focused on hops and malt. However, today's Lagers may have corn or rice malt, in addition to barley malt. Leading mainstream Lagers include Budweiser, Coors Banquet, and Miller Genuine Draft. Those Octoberfest beers, you look forward to in the Fall, well that's a Lager. The Hubster and I found an enjoyable lager, heavy on the malt, called the "Vienna Lager" at Rustic Road Brewing in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Another good Lager can be found at Lion's Tail brewery in Neenah, Wisconsin called "Boundary Waters," not made with corn or rice for malt, but with maltose, a type of malt sugar that is smooth but not malty.
The Pilsner got its start because people were upset with the "Skunked Ale" (bad beer) in the city of Pilzen, Austria in 1842. The beer was so awful, people were dumping it in the street. Horror, I know! Enter Barvarian Brewmaster, Josef Groll, a skilled Brewmaster for bottom fermented Lagers. With soft well water and herbal, spicy aromatic Saaz hops, Groll developed a light barley malt. The combination created a light, straw-colored, sparkling beer when poured with a white, light, long lasting head.
However, the Pilsner of yesterday is not the Pilsner of today. As with the Lager, there is more corn or rice, not at the same time, added for malt instead of 100% barley malt. The perfect Pilsner will have a shimmering, burnished gold with a fresh Saaz hop aroma. However, the American Saaz hop has more bitterness due to its higher Alpha acid than the traditional Czec Saaz hop of Josef Groll. A good Wisconsin Pilsner to try is Great Dane German Pilsner from Madison. It is an easy drinking, light golden colored beer with a long lasting foamy head when poured.
Finally, the Bock, the beer Barvarian Monks drank during times of fasting, because it provided enough sustenance in liquid diet form to continue their work. Although you can find various forms of Bock beer year round, it especially can be found on store shelves during Christmas and Lenten season.
Bock beer is known for its caramelly malt with a soft bitter finish. There is another Bock beer, found in May, known as Maibock. This type of beer is a drier, hoppier, more bitter version. There are other Bock styles, but let's not get lost in Bockland. Capital Brewery in Madison and Rock County Brewing in Janesville have tasty versions of Maibock.
New Glarus Brewery in New Glarus, Wisconsin has a Winter Bock known as Cabin Fever, and is a Hubster favorite. This is available around the Winter Holidays. Although, not a Wisconsin beer, a favorite Bock at our house is the Abita Mardi Gras Bock from New Orleans, a full body beer with a caramelly malt, and a very slight bitter hop flavor. Look for it on store shelves before Lent because its appearance is brief. We like it with Mexican food.
There you have it, a rundown of the basic beers offered at Craft Breweries. Keep in mind, Brewmasters are always experimenting, trying to create that elusive beer that has not yet been concocted. Just another reason to return to your favorite Craft Brewery or try a new one. What has become of all this extensive research? I do enjoy a beer with the Hubster. No longer do we sip different libations. We have evolved and are better for it. As Wilhelm II (last German Kaiser and King of Prussia) said, "Give me a woman who loves beer, and I will conquer the world!" Unfortunately for Wilhelm, it did not work out like that!
Until Next Time,
Minnie and The Hubster
Comments
Post a Comment