THE must-read for 2016, from Lew Bryson: "IPA is a playground; it’s not a prison."

Pete's Landscape of Beers (circa 1990).

Lew's remarkable rumination comes along at just the right time, when my mind is filled with plans and schemes to recapture some of the lost joy by simplifying my approach and maybe ... MAYBE ... getting back to my roots.

The counter-revolution.

At last, maybe it's here.

Enlist me in the Michael "Beer Hunter" Jackson Brigade, please.

WE CHANGED THE WORLD … FOR THIS?, by Lew Bryson (All About Beer Magazine)


... It took 30 years, but we’ve almost come full circle. Back in the ’80s, almost everywhere you went offered you a choice of light lagers, and maybe a Guinness or a Bass, and if you were lucky, a cream ale. Now most of the places I visit offer me a broad choice of IPAs, and maybe a couple of sours or saisons, and a couple of big dark ales. There may be a pilsner, if I’m lucky; it’s probably hopped to the gills.

It’s so boring! We’ve reached the point where brewers are stuffing things into IPAs to make them more interesting: grapefruit, peppers, ginger, lemons, blood oranges, flowers. One brewer had the tongue-in-cheek puckishness to describe his IPA as “beer-flavored.” I can’t decide whether I should salute or punch him in the nose ...

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When NABC's Porter become "old," but not as a result of aging.

Label art by the inimitable Tony Beard.

Ten years ago this July 17, I explained a delicate issue about Porter. 

First, let's review the origins of Bob’s Old 15-B.

When NABC first brewed Bob Capshew's competition-winning homebrewed Robust Brown Porter back in 2003, the reaction was so favorable that we decided to continue. Later, when the Beer Judge Certification Program unexpectedly altered its numbering system for style categories and subcategories, Bob's became prefixed "old" rather than be renumbered – but don’t be fooled, because the flavor is forever young.

Here is what I wrote at the time. Note that Publicanista! has long since been abandoned, but the ale lives on. 

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New Albanian Brewing's porter to become "old," but not as a result of aging.

Every other week, and sometimes more often if there’s time, I write Publicanista!, the official newsletter of Rich O’s Public House, the New Albanian Brewing Company and Sportstime Pizza.

You can subscribe to this on-line newsletter by going to www.newalbanian.com and following the directions in the box to the bottom right of the page.

Here’s an excerpt from last week.

NABC brewer Jesse Williams has a batch of Bob’s 15 B porter on the way, and therein a problem has arisen. Evidently, the official numbering scheme for style and sub-style definitions has changed, and according to the Beer Judge Certification Program, 15 B now refers to German Dunkel Weizen.

I’m inclined to leave the name unchanged for the sake of tradition, and to observe the vital dictates of remaining contrarian at all times with respect to style, but your thoughts are appreciated. Next Friday (July 22) we’ll have a cask-conditioned firkin of Bob’s 15 B pouring from the beer engine.

Both my business partner Amy and longtime FOSSILS club stalwart Ed Tash wrote to suggest that we change the name of the beer to Old 15 B, and Ed included this rationale:

I've been giving some thought to your dilemma, caused by the BJCP changing robust porter from 15 B to 12 B. I suggest you call your Porter "Bob's Old 15 B.”

Here's why. There is book about Jack Daniels whisky published about a year ago that attempts to explain the origin of Jack Daniels Old Number 7.

According to the author, the number 7 was the license number of the Jack Daniels distillery. The borders of the county the distillery was located in changed, and the distillery changed counties (without moving), which caused the distillery to be given a new license number. Jack Daniels had established “7” as a brand name and didn't want to start over with a new name, so he put "Old Number 7" on the barrels, bottles, etc.

I have not read the book, but I heard the author interviewed on WFPL-FM 89.3 when the book came out.

Now you know more about Jack Daniels than you ever wanted to know, but bottom line is that I think you should keep 15 B in the name; your customers already know the name and what to expect from the beer.

Besides, only a handful of geeks know that Robust Porter is now 12 B.

Ed makes a strong case, and Amy agrees -- so it will be.

The forthcoming batch of Bob’s Old 15 B will be the first to bear the qualifier … but not the last.

Cheers.

The PC: Merlot? Sorry, it isn't IPA, either.

The PC: Merlot? Sorry, it isn't IPA, either.

A weekly web column by Roger A. Baylor.

The German Café has moved from Paoli to French Lick, and a few weeks ago, we traversed the pastoral Southern Indiana countryside and visited the new location, situated opposite the casino in a much larger, altogether nicer space than before.

As I’ve noted previously, there’s a restaurant just like the German Café in the middle of most German towns and hamlets. Whether in French Lick or Memmelsdorf, the food is hearty, the price mid-range, and the vibe community-oriented. Naturally, there’ll be beer, though not necessarily an enthusiast’s dream lineup; just good beers to accompany the pork and dumplings.

The revamped German Café has three draft handles in addition to the smallish bottle list from its Paoli times. On the day of my visit there was Beck’s on tap (who knew it still exists?) along with two wheat ales: Weihenstephaner and Franziskaner Dunkel. Given that I hadn’t had hefeweizen for the longest time, Weihenstephaner was my choice. It was tasty, indeed.

On the one hand, the consultant in me would love to swap the Beck’s at German Café for Hofbrau, and to substitute a schwarzbier (black lager) for the Franziskaner; still, letting loose of my hoary prejudices and going with the prevailing flow by drinking Weihenstephaner proved to be unexpectedly pleasurable, and it tasted great with my zigeuner schnitzel and sauerkraut.

It had been a while between hefeweizens. Why so long?

Probably I’d permitted myself to be scarred by those timid Public House customers of old who refused to try anything different, and invariably insisted on hefeweizen. At the time, my disgust with their fear became manifested by my own rejection of hefeweizen, but in the present age there is no reason for me to take it out on myself, and anyway, times have changed since then. These days, it’s the hopheads, not the wheat-kneed, who are supremely annoying by virtue of their monocultural fixations.

One must change with the times. First, is the following a dream sequence, or real life?

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I couldn’t help noticing that you’re making funny faces. Is there a problem with your beer?

You bet there’s a problem. This beer is absolutely terrible. Worst ever. Your lines are dirty. Yuck. I’ll be giving it to you good on RateAdvocate.

(The bartender pours a bit from the tap, smells it, and takes a taste.)

Sorry, but it tastes fine. I’m not getting any “off” flavors or aromas.

Oh, it’s “off” all right. Where are the hops? I can’t taste any hops at all!

Possibly, that’s because it’s a hefeweizen.

That’s exactly what I’m trying to tell you! This beer you just sold me isn’t an IPA! Didn’t think I could tell, did ya?

Of course it isn’t an IPA. It’s the one you chose from the beer list. It’s a German wheat ale.

So what? I wasn’t born yesterday.

You see, that’s a particular style of beer. Knowing the style gives you information about the beer’s flavor. It’s like when you have children, and you give each of them a different name so you can tell them apart.

Whatever. Who has time for that? You guys have really slipped. I remember when this place used to care about beer, now this beer with no hops. I’ve been coming here for five years, dude. So, tell me this: If it isn’t an IPA, then why isn’t it sour, huh?

It isn’t supposed to be. In classical terms, Berliner Weisse is sour, not German-style wheat ale.

It just proves that those other breweries are way better than yours. I’m going to say so on Untappd.

Feel free, and if you like, I can give you directions to those other breweries. That’ll be $6.75, sir. Have a nice evening.

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Although I’ve ground my teeth to the nub through variants of the preceding dialogue during the course of “discussing” beer at on-line geek sandboxes, the episode is entirely fictitious.

Once upon a time, I was grappling with well-meaning folks who knew nothing about beer, but at least didn’t pretend to, while nowadays, everyone’s an expert – except the knowledge level hasn’t really changed, and all too often, this inability to grasp objectivity – this failure to know the difference between personal preference and value judgments based on shared criteria – irreparably taints the various ratings measurements, thus corrupting an already tottering system of snobbery promotion.

Surely it’s better than all that, isn’t it?

Sorry, but I’m not sure. If you’ll accept only one face of beer, whether light lager, German wheat or IPA, you’re missing a universal point about the brewing revolution. What's more, solipsism is a poor substitute for style consciousness.

Meanwhile, if you’re like me and perpetually inclined to contrarianism, merely kick back and revel in the shifting perspectives. I never thought I’d be divulging it, but the summer forecast for 2014 is for me to drink more hefeweizens than previously predicted.

In fact, it may be time for a grand hefeweizen tasting … maybe even at the German Café?

So, who's in?

"Mug Shots" today in LEO: "Cold-weather beers."

If you think about Gravity Head beers, well, that's purely intentional.

Mug Shots: Cold-weather beers

My ancestry is as clear as mud — specifically, the flat and indefensible terrain formerly occupied by land-owning Junkers in eastern Germany and the western half of what is now sovereign Poland. Rest assured, my people were the German workers hoeing endless rows, not the Bismarckian aristocrats in the manor house. My guess is that we were located closer to Berlin than Bialystock, because I’ve never had much of a taste for distilled spirits, of which vodka is most notorious in that part of the world.

BBC's Kick in the Baltic triumphs at the '08 GABF.

A hearty pat on the back (he'd prefer the rump) goes to Bluegrass Brewing Company's brewer of record at the original Shelbyville Road location.

Jerry Gnagy scored a gold medal at the recently concluded Great American Beer Festival for his Kick in the Baltic Porter, which last appeared at the Public House during the 2008 edition of Gravity Head and was tippled by the Publican on more than one occasion during its run.

It remains a favored beer style of mine, and Jerry's success has me thinking about reviving the NABC version, called Solidarity, which was last brewed too long ago. If we started lagering a batch soon, it'd be perfect for GH '09 (The Liver Olympics).

Here's a piece I wrote from a couple years back that goes into greater depth. When reading, be aware that several of the listed beers no longer are available through legal distribution channels in Indiana. They come, they go.

Baltic, Russian and Ukrainian bottled beer blast: Porter and more.

Reformulated Beak's Best to return to NABC draft lineup.

Yesterday I made reference to Beak's Best in a posting about the forthcoming Best Of Louisville bash.

Accordingly, it’s as fine an opportunity as any to revisit Beak’s and see what the future will hold for it.

Many of you already know that Beak's Best – named for my cousin, renowned scholar and traveler Don “Beak” Barry -- was the second ale brewed in 2002 by founding NABC brewer Michael Borchers. Originally Beak’s was intended to be a staple of the everyday draft offerings. For a variety of reasons, it didn’t work out that way, and Jesse Williams eventually refashioned it into what we now call St. Radegund, which in terms of style falls into the Extra Special Bitter (ESB, English style) category.

In recent weeks, with the Bank Street Brewhouse expansion underway, we began discussing the desirability of our having a “poundable” house ale for the taproom in downtown New Albany. At the same time, it was recognized that even if our desired niche in the Louisville metro marketplace would be bigger and bolder beers, we’d need something of a more introductory nature – rather like an English-style Best Bitter, lower in gravity (circa 4.5% abv), with an enticing hop nose, and without the heavier body of many other NABC selections. Community Dark fits the bill in some ways, although it may not be sufficiently well hopped to travel far.

The answer is Beak’s Best, recalibrated as a Best Bitter. It will be sold off-premise in kegs, and at the downtown taproom, we’ll it will be served exclusively in the cask-conditioned, hand-pumped version.

The formulation is being plotted, and artist-in-residence Tony Beard will be working on a fresh graphic design. Stay tuned.

Kottbusser ale at BBC (Shelbyville Road), but no blood sausage?

Whenever I have the time to visit the recently remodeled, original location of Bluegrass Brewing Company on Shelbyville Road in St. Matthews, I look to the board for the current roster of seasonal and one-off beers conjured by brewer Jerry Gnagy.

To my way of thinking, Jerry’s rotating beers continue the eclectic and tasty tradition practiced by original BBC brewmaster David Pierce, who continues to craft seasonals and specialties downtown at BBC Main & Clay, albeit as a production breweries outside the smaller-batch brewpub setting. I prefer the classic BBC styles as brewed by Dave, and always enjoy the sometimes demented twists offered by Jerry.

Last Wednesday I stopped at BBC Shelbyville Road for a growler, and saw that something called Köttbusser had just come on tap. The fact sheet at the bar refers to it as a non-Reinheitsgebot ale recipe that includes barley, wheat, oats and molasses, with German noble hops. The body is medium, approaching pale bock mouth feel, and overall, I find it delicious.

Upon reflection, and after a couple of pints of Jerry’s beer, it occurred to me that I’ve been to Cottbus, which is near Berlin, and actually serves as the cultural center of a non-German ethnic minority called the Sorbs. It’s a swampy, bayou-like area specializing in runny blood sausage (look, I tried it, okay?), pickles, ornamental snakes on rooftops, and canoe trips.

Material in German that I’ve found on-line refer to an old tradition of wheat ales in Cottbus, and the non-Reinheitsgebot aspect makes perfect sense considering that the “beer purity law” is Bavarian, and would not have been enforced in a place like Cottbus until well after unification in the 1870’s, if at all -- at least until more recent times. After all, there was still Gose in Leipzig for a while after World War II, even in Communist times.

Beers like Jerry’s new Köttbusser are the perfect ones for me. Not only are they tasty, but they make me think, and while doing so I remembered a wonderful time back in 1991.

Then again, perhaps the Sober Brewer’s making it all up.

Either way, I approve.

A thread: Can a great restaurant serve mass-market beer?

There's been an interesting thread going at the Louisville Restaurants Forum: Can a great restaurant serve mass-market beer?

Here is one question asked, followed by the answer I provided. It isn't tremendously grammatical, but I was in a hurry.

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Can you give me some examples of what would be high quality beers that should be served at a high quality restaurant?

I've thought about this a lot at various times, and the answer tends to change based on recent experiences.

The fundamental thing is to offer a variety of styles, not just a variety of labels/brands. Knowing the difference between styles and labels is the first jumping off point for me.

So ... in no particular order of preference …

Lagers (bottom fermented; clean character)

A true Pilsner with hop character, i.e., Pilsner Urquell; fewer micros attempt this, but if we could get Victory's Prima Pils ...

Dark lager with balls, like Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel. Amber and malty Oktoberfests fit here, too, but probably should be seasonal.

Doppelbock: Rich, sweet, malty, meant for meat. You haven’t lived until you’ve enjoyed Bavarian-style pork knuckle with Doppelbock.

Ales (top fermented; far wider potential flavor spectrum)

Belgian-style Wit (white/wheat), and Blue Moon does not count. Hoegaarden remains serviceable. Citrusy; hint of sourness.

German style wheat: Schneider or Weihenstphaner, although I suppose Franziskaner is acceptable even if the character is too mild for me. Cloves, apples and bananas.

Belgian Trappist (Chimay red or blue, et al) ... dark, bottle conditioned, vinous, complex malt.

Assorted Belgians and French Bieres de Garde. Among the former, sour reds (Rodenbach), eclectic Wallonians (La Chouffe, McChouffe) and wondrous Saisons (Dupont the finsets example); the French beers are criminally underrated and simply wonderful with many dishes. Ask Chef Clancy if you don’t believe me. American examples of both Belgian and French styles include Ommegang Hennepin, Jolly Pumpkin’s line and Two Brothers Domaine Dupage (sic).

Imperial Stout. Thick, black, intense, oily, viscous. Many good microbrewed versions. Functions much like Port with assertive cheeses, and modifies sweet desserts.

American-style hop bombs, double IPA, etc. Bitterness for contrast, and can also be quaffed sans food.

Local microbrews. To me, preferably on draft, and maybe rotating. Louisville is blessed with excellent small breweries (and there’s Alltech, and many more in Indiana, as Shawn noted).

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Think in terms of style and the possibilities are endless. I didn’t mention everyday dry Stout of the Guinness mold, which remains beautiful with shellfish, and I’m assuming that there always will be a few yellow Eurolagers around for the plain fearful; as I wrote previously, you simply don’t need Budweiser if you have Stella or Spaten.

The point remains that a very good 15-20 beer list can be constructed from what is available locally, and it will cover most of the contingencies. Seasonals can make up the difference.

Earlier someone brought up Maido as an example of a great beer list, and I agree 100%. Using conventional wisdom, you’re washing down diverse sushi and voluminous wasabi with weak golden lager, but chase them with Stone’s hoppy Ruination Ale and it’s a religious experience, indeed.

What was hot and what was not for the Curmudgeon in 2007.

For many years, I’ve steadfastly resisted the temptation to definitively answer frequent questions along the lines of, “So, what’s your favorite beer?”

The same goes for this: “Okay, if you won’t tell me your favorite beer, then what about your favorite style of beer?”

Granted, there’s no reason why newcomers should know the drill, and that’s fine, so if you’re just tuning in, know that any query smacking of “favorite” comes replete with numerous qualifiers, including the time of year, the locale, the food being served, and perhaps even the activity being contemplated – the music, the book, the company.

However, having provided the disclaimer, and now thinking back on a year almost concluded, it strikes me that far more often than not, my beer favorites actually can be loosely grouped by category if I care to take the trouble to record them.

Imperial Stouts
Checking the list of beers being squirreled away for Gravity Head 2008, I noticed that we’re in imminent danger of a baker’s dozen of them being Imperial Stouts. Furthermore, I’ve concluded that this doesn’t bother me in the least. Black, oily, roasted, chocolate tinged, bitter … bring ‘em on, and don’t forget the pickled herring and rugged pumpernickel.

Sour (any sub-style will do, ma’am)
My liver will remember 2007 as the year that Rodenbach Grand Cru returned to Southern Indiana, consistent supplies of Jolly Pumpkin began trickling in on a regular basis, and NABC’s late summer batch of Phoenix Kentucky Komon proved to be the best ever, perhaps owing to the hundred degree temperature in the brewhouse. I can’t get enough of than funky stuff.

Lambic
Speaking of funk, just last night it was my pleasure to introduce a discerning customer to Cantillon Gueuze for the very first time. His enjoyment so influenced me that I made a quick dash to the lambic rack for a bottle of 3 Fonteinen Schaerbeek Kriek and split it with him just to provide an opportunity to taste the unsweetened fruit essence.

Smoked
Barring the unforeseen, the evening of Monday, December 10 will be spent in part quaffing Schlenkerla Marzen somewhere within the hallowed halls of the Trum family’s traditional Bamberg pub. Earlier this year, Rich O’s had four Schlenkerla lagers (and Spezial) on tap simultaneously along with NABC Happy Helmut, which used Weyermann smoked malt. NABC ConeSmoker is aging as I write.

Hops, hops, hops
Yes, they’re in short supply, but I suppose we’ll manage. What will you pay for a fix? I’m prepared to go high, not home.

If these represent what’s hot, then what’s not?

I try them again periodically, hoping that the light bulb might someday ignite, but very few (if any) brown ales in the style of Newcastle made their way past me teeth during the past year, and almost as few American-style browns. A notable exception was Dogfish Head’s Indian Brown, but then that’s hardly typical of the style, is it? It reminds me far more of the Colonial-era molasses ales.

Browns, ambers, reds … yes, perhaps serviceable on widely scattered occasions, but otherwise a waste of valuable drinking time for anyone who has progressed beyond intermediate. Life’s just too short. IPA, please.

Outside of a few scorching days in mid-summer, the broad range of wheat ales, whether German, Belgian or American, again utterly failed to excite me. I’ll drink the European ones for the purpose of refreshment when joyfully present on the continent and beercycling, and of course I’d visit the Schneider brewery in Kelheim weekly if permitted, but there was no biking trip this year.

In like fashion, the biggest disappointment of the year to me was Bell’s Batch 8000. Imperial Wit just isn’t where it’s at even if I continue to adore the brewery otherwise.

And I keep forgetting to try Miller Chill … neglecting to visit Louisville’s pre-packaged Fourth Street Live … let’s see, what else?

Points for pondering, courtesy of the GABF's revised style guidelines.

Early June is when breweries receive their registration packets for the annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver Colorado, which will take place this year from October 11-13.

If you’ve ever wondered, draft beers for the festival's public tasting sessions make their way to Denver in Microstar kegs via Anheuser-Busch’s distribution network. Meanwhile, beers for the medals competition judging must be bottled (or canned) and shipped separately.

It’s doubtful that NABC will participate in 2007, and this decision has nothing to do with politics or my traditional ambivalence about Charlie Papazian's empire. We’re small, money’s finite, and we feel it is better spent taking entertaining tasting trips to regional festivals like this Saturday’s 12th Annual St. Louis Microfest in St. Louis, Missouri, and the Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, Wisconsin on August 11.

Having noted that, I’m always interested in the yearly tweaking of the GABF style categories and sub-categories, and for this reason I’m reprinting the text of competition manager Chris Swersey’s message to brewers. The complete style list can be viewed here.

These annual refinements represent an effort to match judging criteria to current trends and realities, and while some always represent progress – the addition of American-Style Sour strikes me as indicative of wonderful things – others denote regress, as in the case of German Oktoberfests no longer being distinguishable from Dortmunders. That's quite sad, isn't it?

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The 2007 GABF competition is just around the corner, and I hope that you will enter your beers and be a part of the fun – there’s nothing like the rush you get during the awards ceremony on Saturday afternoon. Be sure to look over the style list and the style descriptions very carefully before submitting your entry form. As usual, there are a number of big changes to the categories that need pointing out – don’t use last year’s category numbers when you complete your entry form!

I also want to point out a recent trend in American-Style Pale Ale, Strong Pale Ale, IPA and Imperial IPA entries. During the past four years, the style descriptions for the American-style Pale Ale family of beer styles have evolved to the point that the essential differences reflect alcoholic strength more than any other single quality. We have received numerous comments from brewers, judges, and consumers which indicate that there is confusion regarding the alcoholic strength of beers entered in particular categories, with respect to the brand name of the beers themselves. For example, a brewery could intentionally under-enter a strong pale ale in the pale ale category, with the idea that the beer might outclass the competition.

The GABF has no intention of policing entries for compliance by alcoholic strength. Analyzing entries is impractical and expensive, and more importantly, this role would subvert the function of the judge panel. Over the years, the judge panel has told us what makes great beer, and we plan to continue to let them. With this in mind, the judge orientation this year will include a taste calibration session that focuses on alcoholic strength, along with a reiteration of the comments that we have received regarding alcoholic strength. Please be sure to enter your beers in the appropriate category based on alcoholic strength as well as other factors.

Okay, here’s a list of some of the changes you’ll see in the style guidelines:

Category 4d – we’ve added Pumpkin Beer as a subcategory to fruit or vegetable beer.

Category 10 – Other Low Strength Ale or Lager – a new counterpart to category 73, Other Strong Ale or Lager.

Category 12 – Gluten Free Beer – This rapidly growing product segment now has its own category.

Category 13a – American-Style Sour Ale – an exciting new category for mixed fermentation beers that reflect American brewing on the cutting edge.

Category 16 – Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – ditto.

Category 19 – Smoke-Flavored Beer – greatly expanded subcategories to reflect the broad range of German-style smoke beers.

Category 20 – International-Style Pilsener - Renamed the old European-style Pilsener to reflect the broad origins of adjunct lagers from around the world.

Category 24 - Dortmunder/European Style Export or German-Style Oktoberfest/Wiesen (Meadow) – This category reflects the current market reality that current-day German-style Oktoberfest is indistinguishable from Dortmunder or Export.

Categories 59-62 – Reorganized the Belgian-style categories based on feedback from judges and brewers from both the United States and Belgium.

Category 70b – Added an American-style Imperial Stout. We plan to continue the Pro-Am Competition this year. This is a special competition that will be judged by the same professional judge panel that evaluates all GABF entries.

Good Luck at the 2007 GABF, we'll see you in Denver this fall!