After the Oktoberfest season is over, enjoy a bock

Due to the mass marketing appeal of light lager, the perception of German Beer styles has been skewed. Before the isolation of the lager yeast and development of pale malts, Germany enjoyed multiple beer styles, they still do.

It takes a little encouragement to get Americans to step out of the marketing trap and enjoy another type of German beer, Bock. Chances are, if you are frequenting your local brewery and I hope you are, you will have noticed a few changes to the beer list; namely the addition of Bock.

Bock beer styles can be found as far back as the 1500’s. Primarily monks to sustain them during Lent brewed these styles. The labels on the beer in Germany may have an image of a billy goat. The German word for billy goat is bock. Really the name is more likely a mispronunciation of the city of Einbeck were the beers were commercially produced. Paulaner Brewing Company adopted its name from an order of St.Francis of Paola.

The bock beer profile is developed carefully through decoction mashing. This requires the brewer to take a portion of the mash and gently cook it separately to draw out more sugars known as melanoidins and develop its deep dark color.

The process gives the beer rich, toasty flavor sweet malt aroma. The process also attributes to the large creamy persistent off white head. Hops are not the feature here so only enough is used to balance the sweetness. There should not be any hop aroma or hop flavor. This beer will be medium brown in color with garnet highlights and should be crystal clear due to lagering no matter how dark the beer is. Some brewers will add small amounts of chocolate malt or crystal malt to accentuate the aroma and the flavor

The flavor should mirror the aroma and appearance, dark, rich, and malty. Decoction mashing will develop caramel and toasty notes. It should not be overtly sweet. It is the job of the hops to keep this in balance and to permit a long malt finish in the beer. Low alcohol warming may be noticed in the aroma and mouth feel. The alcohol should be smooth. This beer is lagered so it should be clean. There should be no DMS or diacetyl in this style.

Brewing Companies that submitted their version of bock include :

Faultline Brewing Co. http://www.faultlinebrewing.com/
Mammoth Brewing Co. http://www.mammothbrewingco.com/
Eel River Brewing Co. http://www.eelriverbrewing.com/

Don’t let the dark beer fool you it still has to be protected from light. Store it in a cool dry place.
Be sure to give it a tall glass to show off the head as you pour it.

This beer will match well with the seasonal food. The caramelizing developed through decoction pairs well with roasted root vegetables. Braised lamb shanks are my favorite meat dish this time of year. A nice pot of stew with crusty sweet bread would be happy alongside this beer.

Counter Culture

• Beer is quickly growing in popularity. There are increasing tap handles to choose from and some smaller restaurants are featuring beer menus. Many wine bars will carry some very upscale and sophisticated beers. If you are not a beer geek how do you figure out one type of beer from another?
  
  What to do

1-Ask questions. The bartender will have some knowledge of the beers that they are serving. A smart bartender or server will have taken the time to taste the beer.

2-Tell the server or bartender what kinds of beers you like. If you know you like dark sweet beers the server will be able to suggest alternatives.


3-Feel free to ask for a sample of what is on tap. It’s ok to find out for yourself if the beer is really something you will like. Unfortunately this doesn’t apply to bottled beers.

4-Tip well. If the bartender is willing to increase your dining and drinking pleasure by helping you out with your beer selection then return the favor.

What not to do

1-Don’t stick with a pedestrian beer. If you have an opportunity to try something different, go for it.

2-Don’t wear heavy colognes or wear colognes heavily. This changes your ability to evaluate your beer. It also changes everyone else’s.


3-Don’t gag or make faces if the beer is not to your liking. If you find the beer offensive then politely say so. Be able to express what it is that you don’t care for without the drama and ask for another suggestion.

4-Don’t be stingy. Tip well.

Picture is Vino's at Roseville. I was not able to find out who took it.

'09 Iron Liver Tour

You’ve heard about it. You’ve read about it.
Now is your chance to be there!

Don’t miss Gold Country’s Annual Pub Crawl Jan 17th 9 am-9 pm

Every year Gold Country Brewers Association puts beer judges, home brewers, and beer geeks on a cushy air-conditioned bus for a twelve-hour beer tour.

Everyone receives a goody bag.
Beers from all over Northern California are poured for guests on the bus while on their way to other breweries. Each beer is introduced with informative wit.
Arrangements are made to meet with four different brewers.

Each brewer takes time to talk about his/herself.
The brewer offers samples of beer. Sometimes it will be beer not available to the Sacramento area. Sometimes it is beer the brewer has not released.

The brewer personally escorts you to tour the brewery
This is your opportunity to have a one on one with the brewer, the brewery, and the beer. Get your picture taken get the brewer’s autograph, what ever you like. It’s your time.
Please patronize each brewery by purchasing memorabilia to take home and generously tipping the wait staff.

Lunch is included and the host brewer rotates to different tables to sit and answer questions.

Between brewery stops there are raffles prizes from the brewery or other supporting breweries.
Other home brewers bring along their beer to be sampled on the bus as well.

At the last brewery stop, time is taken to have dinner. After the tour and the Q&A with the brewer it’s a good time to relax and enjoy the area, the company, and the beer.

By the end of the day you have had the chance to sample beers from many different breweries and so much beer.

Every year the brewers surprise us. While we make every effort to coordinate as much as possible we leave it up to the brewers to come up with surprises for us.

On the way home there will be time to relax and enjoy a movie on the bus.
Feel free to enjoy more beer at the brewer pick up and drop off spot.

Bus departs sharply at 9 am from the Sacramento Brewing Company at 2713 El Paseo Ln Sacramento and returns at 9 pm.

Space is limited
Tickets are $65.00 and sold on a first come first serve basis.

Tickets are available at:
General Meetings of the Gold Country Brewers.
See site for meeting details. www.goldcountrybrewers.org

and
Folsom Brewmeister. www.folsombrewmeister.com
Or call 916 985-7299

Black Beer Demystified

There is a common conception that dark beers are “heavy” and more alcoholic.

To help the average consumer appreciate the difference between a Premium Lager such as a Miller Genuine Draft or Michelob and a dark lager such as a Sapporo Black, or any dunkel style, I will start with a statistical comparison. Then I will discuss the similarities and the differences.


Premium Lager
O.G. 1.046-56
F.G. 1.008-12
ABV% 4.7-6.0
IBU 15-25
SRM 2-6

Schwarz bier
O.G. 1.046-52
F.G. 1.010-16
ABV% 4.4-5.4
IBU 22-32
SRM 17>

O.G (original gravity) this refers to the amount of sugar available to the yeast to be converted. It is measured by using a hydrometer. It a similar to measuring specific gravity.

F.G (final gravity) this tells us how much of the sugar has been converted. The difference in O.G and F.G determines the amount of alcohol in a beer. It also tells us how much residual sugar is available in the beer.

Residual sugar can give the feeling of fullness of “heaviness”. In the case of these two beers, the percentage of attenuation is high. Beers attenuated below 1015 –1010 fall below the threshold of perceiving sweetness in flavor. These two beers are very well attenuated.
Granted brewers are not going to post or label beers with O.G and F.G. This information is for the purpose helping to appreciate the similarities of the beer

ABV (alcohol by volume) The biggest similarity lies in the alcohol. Both beers are pretty close. In fact a black lager can have a lower amount of alcohol than a Premium Lager.

IBU (international bittering units) this is an indication of how bitter a beer is. Bittering beer is necessary to balance the sweet malted barley used to make beer. Bittering comes from hops, which also adds to the aroma and flavor profile of a beer. Pilsners can be bitterer than a black lager.

SRM (standard reference method) this is a scale used to determine color in beer. A Light lager can be as pale as a 2-3. An Oktoberfest can be 7-14. An SRM of 17 would put a beer at a similar color as a Michelob Dark. Colors darker than that would be similar to a porter or a stout.

Here is the kicker. The amountof kilned and roasted malt used to make the difference in color is less than 4 percent of the recipe! Kilned and roasted malts of this color provide very little in the way of alcohol content or carbohydrates. It requires a small amount of kilned and roasted barley to make a difference in color, flavor and aroma that are enjoyed in these styles of beer.

Take your next opportunity to try a black lager or a dark lager. You can have the knowledge that you are drinking a beer that is the same or less volume of alcohol as some of the average beers. You also know that it is not a heavier in calories that the other beers; it may actually be lighter. While others are drinking a pale beer you can enjoy the variety of appearance, aroma, and flavor that a dark lager has to offer.

The next time you hear the comment “ Dark beers are heavy” or “Dark beers are too alcoholic” you will be empowered with the facts and help to demystify dark beer and help others to enjoy dark lagers for what they have to offer; great taste, less filling.


It is interesting to note that studies have shown that the darker the roast on the barley the more anti-oxidant properties it contains. The following is a link to the National Center for Biotechnology Information and contains an abstract on the subject. It is one of several that can be found. This one is in English.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16190672

Eel River Brewing Co. teamed up with Soil Born Farms for the 8th Annual Summer Equinox Festival.

Eel River Brewing Co. is iconic in the industry of brewing organic beer. The owners are sensitive to the community of people and the surrounding environment. Owner Ted Vivston maintains the history of Clay Brown Redwood Lumbar Mill in Fortuna Ca.
Ooh good idea, save the forest; brew beer!

Eel River Brewing Co. doesn’t do any thing quietly. It’s a good thing to promote the fact that responsible beer making can also mean great beer making. After two years ERB began to receive awards at the Great American Beer Festival. The beers were so popular that they quickly grew out of the old lumber mill and needed a new home. They move into another mill that had taken a downturn. This provided a mutual arrangement between the brewery and the mill.

Brewing bigger in this case did not mean a larger carbon footprint. Just the opposite. The new brewery which is also located a vacant lumber mill in Scotia is the first bio mass powered brewery in the US. This means leftover products or scraps of the mill produce all the energy used to brew the beer. Locals can bring over their lawn clippings and know it will be used to brew beer. How cool is that?

Recently Eel River can to Sacramento to support a grass roots project. (No pun intended).
Soil Born Farms is a certified organic farming project, which connects people with the earth and the food grown in the local farms. Soil Born farms recently grew itself. It now produces on a historic farm area in Rancho Cordova off the American River. The farms provide educational opportunities and an opportunity for underpriveledged to reconnect with the earth and learn how to be self-sustaining. It also provides volunteer opportunities to farm and educate.
Produce from the farms is Certified California Organic Farmers. This is one of 13 organic certifiers in the State of California.

The 8th annual Summer Equinox Festival was held outdoors at the Hurley farm just off Jonas Salk School. Bales of hay provided seating areas for most. Tents provided areas for restaurants that use organic produce in the menu. The tents were decorated with the harvest theme. Typically line chefs or wait staff are the ones seen at such events. Chefs were on hand to serve up their best organic dishes. Rick Mahan, Patrick Mulvany, Ame Harrington, and Molly Hawks to name a few. It was a great opportunity to meet them in person. The music was eclectic yet familiar. The day was mild and sunny. A perfect harvest backdrop. Small gardens throughout the farm created intimate areas for families with children to play.

Eel River Brewing Co and Soil Born Farms made a great connection with participants who gathered together that evening. What could be better than knowing that both are contributing to the sustentation of our enjoyment. and the environment.

For more information about Soil Born Farms visit http://www.soilborn.org/

A beer inspired by a festival

Oktoberfest season is here and it is the inspiration for the ever popular Marzen or Oktoberfest beer.
The origins of the Oktoberfest began in 1810. Oktoberfest wasn’t always about beer drinking. The festival commemorated the marriage of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hidburghausen by organizing a horse race. The horse race and marriage were only one day each but the festivities surrounding the event lasted for weeks.

Breweries outside the city limits of Munich are not allowed to participate in the world famous festival, which draws over 6 million to date from all over the world.
Breweries that do participate are known as the big six: Spaten, Lowenbrau, Augustiner, Hofbrau, Paulaner, and Hacker-Pschor.
The six breweries brew one style but with so many brewers it is not difficult to come up with variations of the style.
Beers brewed for the Oktoberfest must adhere to the German Purity Law. This limits the ingredients to malted barley, hops, water and yeast.

Malted barley used is primarily Vienna or Munich malt. Historically these beers would be decocted during the brewing process. This develops color and contributes to a range in color from deep gold to a deep red orange color. The process also contributes to the depth of malt flavor and aroma.

The hops used for the beer are Noble hop varieties, which can include Hallertau or Tetnanger to name a few. These elegant hops are responsible for balancing the sweetness of the malt and contributing to a delicate, spicy hop aroma and the large thick mousse-like head of the beer.

The water in the area is alkaline and is high in carbonates that contribute to the mouth feel and effervescence of the beer.

The beer brewing season was restricted past the month of March Tthis was to prevent spoilage of beers that typically happened while brewing during the warmer months. Beers brewed were cellared or lagered in nearby caves during the summer season. This allowed a strain of yeast to work slowly and thoroughly in fermenting the beer. This also contributed to the smooth clean flavor and aroma. It is also responsible for the bright clarity of the beer.

You don’t have to be in Munich to enjoy an Oktoberfest or Marzen.
Classic examples of the style were brewed and submitted for competition by:
Sudwerk,
River City Brewing Co.,
Mendocino Brewing Co.
Any of the beers would be a good selection to have your own Volksfest. O’zapft!!!
Oktoberfest season runs from September 20-October 5.

Because these are lager beers it is best to store them at cellar temperatures. The amber colored beer is best shown off in a tall glass with an open mouth. Be sure to pour high towards the end to encourage a thick rich head. Marzen beers are malty and well balanced. The beer paired with foods which are well caramelized. This would be a complimentary pairing for both food and beer.

Can 100,000 repeat customers be wrong?

Early this month I nearly fell out of my chair. I was looking at KVIE’s transcript for the new history of beer in Sacramento. The website had some links to it. I clicked on one link and it took me to Target’s website for beer making supplies. The product was Mr. Beer.
I was flabbergasted that a reputable program discussing the rich history of Sacramento’s role in brewing history would take me to such a product.

I had a solemn discussion with my beer master. “Master”, I said. “Wouldn’t is be a good experiment to make some of this beer?” Master said, “ One does not need to experiment with bad things.” “Master”, I said. “I wonder what kind of feedback we would get if we submitted beer made with Mr. Beer into competition?” Master said, “One does not need to experiment with bad things.” I could see where this discussion was going.

Mr. Beer started in 1998. They claim they are America’s No.1 homebrew kit. They must be doing something right because 10 years later they have sold over 600,00 brewing kits. That amounts to 5000 kits a month. I know some homebrew shops that would love to see those kinds of sales. There is even an offer to make me an affiliate. I can make 20% of the sale of a kit every time some one visits my website and purchases one.

In any case Mr. Beer does a great job with their website. The company warns that the production of beer by minors can lead to prosecution and that legal guardians will be held responsible. Gift cards are available. They even have logo gear so that you can wear the fact that you make beer with pride.

Last night as I was perusing through the recent magazine issue of BEER. There was again.
They made a batch of pale ale and actually liked it. Hmmmm, is there accounting for taste?
Mr. Beer gives the maker the ability to make two gallons of beer within 2 weeks. They encourage makers to consume the beer within four months. They offer over 170 different beer kits. They also offer cider and root beer making kits.

I took a look at the instructions to see how one would make such a beer. I did find one step that was left out that could make the beer problematic. The instructions say to add cold water to the liquid malt. It would behoove the (pseudo) brewer to vigorously boil the water uncovered (allow for evaporation) for 15 minutes and allow it to cool covered. Water from the tap is not sanitized. Sanitation cannot be over emphasized in the process of brewing.

I don’t think that I will be making a batch of Mr. Beer. I went from extract to partial mash and graduated to all grains recipes because I love the artistic and creative juices of being master designer. Can I recommend the product? I may never have the opportunity to see for myself what it tastes like. But can 100,000 repeat customers be wrong?

Beer and its place in the culinary realm

Because beer pairs well with food and beer has nutritional value it only seems logical that beer would be factored into a culinary program.
It would seem a natural progression to incorporate beer as one of mankind's oldest beverages along side a study of cheese or bread making.
After all when we sit for a meal with family, friends, or co-workers, we have a drink along with the meal.

So why after contacting dozens of culinary programs as far east as New York, as far south as Pomona or even in our own culinary mecca, San Francisco was I not able to find a program the featured beer and food pairing?

Culinary programs have multiple modules. In the culinary field there are several factors to consider. There is sanitation, tools and equipment, conversions, yield factors, food costs, legal issues, menu design, plate presentation, buffet presentation, knife skills, management. This does not even cover the specific study of the process of cooking.

The culinary program at the American River Community College in Sacramento is one of the oldest continuous running programs. They did not have a beverage program until Brian Knirk became dept chair over five years ago. Trained in the San Francisco area, Brian appreciates the value of educating culinary students in the beverage dept.

This is a difficult module to teach because more than half of the students are under 21. Brian himself does not cover the beer section of the beverage module. He defers that to commercial brewer and Master beer judge Kevin Pratt. Kevin Pratt has been a featured speaker for the beer section for several years. He incorporates the process of brewing in the module. Last year the students made ten gallons of beer to serve at their fundraiser.

I asked Kevin Pratt if he felt the amount of time and the budget allotted for the beer portion of the beverage module was significant enough to cover all the points of beer. He said no and that it was his hope that in time that would change.


It seems logical to a layperson that there should be a beer program somewhere. Over the past four years, World Beer Cup has shown an increase in breweries by 40%. Countries participating in this prestigious competition went up by 65%, Styles submitted for competition has increased up to 76%.

The Brewers association shows that California holds 22% of the top Craft Breweries by sales volume in the U.S., and 16% overall sales in 2007. Craft Brewing Statistics show beer sales up by 12% by volume from last year.

The association also shows studies that in tough economic times beer sales are one of the last to slow down when a consumer is given a choice over what to cut back on. I know this on a personal level. I just spent $20.00 on an 11.2 bottle of Harviestoun Ola Dubh 30.

This an ale which has been allowed to age in selected oak casks formerly used to mature the award winning Highland Park 30 year old Single malt Scotch Whiskey. So the question still lies, with such sophisticated, complex, high quality, and creative beers on the market, why is there such a lack of formality when it comes to the education of these beers?

What about sommelier programs for beer? Sommelier programs are very intensive. I participated in the wine course at the UC Davis Extension program. I came away with many tools that could easily be incorporated into a beer program. I couldn't understand why the Extension program had a brew master series but not a beer evaluation program. Is there an opportunity here?

Since 1985 the Beer Judge Certification Program has had a program to promote beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills. This is a program, which requires dedication because it can be up to 9 weeks long. A great deal of effort is taken to cover beer faults and styles with extensive tastings. Perhaps this could become the new credential for those in the culinary industry who are looking to expand their understanding of beer and provide a solid background for them when serving beer?

After all if the culinary programs have their plates full, it appears that the future for beer education programs directed to the restaurant industry is wide open.

L Lounge and Urban Kitchen make a great spot for food and beer pairings

The L Lounge is a very well conceived venue. When I first walked in. I couldn’t help notice the simplicity of the eastern style mixed with the industrialism of the western style. The acid green custom sofas and plaster makes a an intriguing contrast with the walnut finished
The upper dining level gives the area a sense of exclusivity while the full windows leading out to the patio provide spaciousness.

The menu on many levels impressed me. First the ingredients are local, seasonal, and sustainable. All the selections suggest a simple elegance of the food.
I loved the fact that the plates are small. It makes it so easy to sample all the sensuous flavors that Chef Ame Harrington creates. Another advantage to the small plates is that it makes it fun and adventurous to share while sampling great beers.

I took the opportunity to attend a Sunday Supper. This event featured Chuck Silva of Green Flash Brewing Company. Chuck and Ame collaborated the menu for the dinner to pair with six of his beers. When I arrived, I felt as though I was at a New York soirée with very well dressed 20 and 30 something’s.

To start the event Ame served a amuse bouche. It was the first time I had an amuse bouche. An amuse bouche is different than an appetizer for several reasons. It is not on the menu, rather designed by the chef for the event and is plated. It consists of one or two bites.
The amuse bouche for this dinner a prawn and pepper salpicon petitaco (little taco) paired with West Coast IPA.

The second course was Tripple battered halibut, crispy pommes Anna served on a bed of fennel Frisee salad and a sauce of preserved lemon butter. This was paired with the Trippel. I loved the spiciness of the fennel, the bitterness of the frisee and the pungent preserved lemon butter with the Trippel. It made all the things I love about the beer style stand out.

The real treat was the Intermezzo. An intermezzo is a smaller plate intended to act as a palate cleanser or freshener. It has been my experience that these are ices or sorbets. Ame choose to stay with the classic example. She served a honeydew sorbet with crisp prosciuto and orange zest. It introduced a new beer, not yet sold in stores. It is a double IPA with a Belgian style trippel. Not only was the beer a huge hit but so was the combination with the intermezzo.

Following the intermezzo were grilled Merguez Sausages served with toasted couscous, leeks, peach and Harissa Oil. The Merguez sausage is a spicy sausage commonly made with lamb. It is very popular in Tunisia. The Harissa oil is also a Tunisian accompaniment. It is commonly served along with the couscous. The leek seemed to calm the spiciness down and the peach added a nice sweetness to contrast with the spiciness. All this to pair with a huge Imperial IPA.

Finally, after all were wowed by the flavor combinations of the spiciness, the bitterness, the savory, sweet, and citrus. Ame out did herself again with an ice cream float of Ginger Ale, mango, mint and Green Flash Stout Sabayon. This was served with a small pour of Chuck Silva’s Stout.

The ginger ale in the float nicely cut the bitterness that is prominent in stouts. Hop bitterness will fight with sweetness and I was wondering how she was going to pull off this combination. Everyone ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the bits of mango and the chiffonade of mint as they took spoonfuls of it all mixed with the sabayon.
Ame Harrington’s ability to pull from her repertoire and compose a culinary palate in collaboration with Brew master Chuck Silva shows off her skills as a true culinary artist.

Although the showing for the event was soft, the response was overwhelming. The establishment is looking forward to doing another brew master dinner. You will not want to miss it. It is a true culinary experience not easily found.

Whether you are able to make it to the next Brew masters Dinner and Beer pairing or just come down for a good beer and several small plates to share with friends. Your experience at the L Lounge and Urban Kitchen will be not one easily matched.

Open T-Sat 4pm-10:00, midnight on Saturday
L Lounge is located on 1801 L st.
443-6970
www.lwinelounge.com

Get Real Get Fresh Get Organic

Sacramento has always had the luxury of being able to drink fresh beer. The beer in the area is some of the best beer in the State of California. Now we have the pleasure of adding an organic brewery the list.

Greenhouse Restaurant in Roseville CA introduces the area’s first organic brewery.
The property has had a gorgeous 4BBl copper system in house since it was built back almost 10 years ago.
The Greenhouse Restaurant is appropriately named. The décor is very much like a greenhouse. When you first step in your eyes are drawn to the large glass domed ceiling. There is a large fiscus tree in the middle of the dining room. The walls have large paned windows, which allow light to softly pour in.

Speaking of pouring, the copper system has been put to the task of producing organic beer. There are six beers on tap now with a few more specialty beers on the way. The beer styles on tap are Pale Ale that is served on Nitrogen, which gives it a smoother more English appeal to the beer. Other great beers on tap include, Stout, American Wheat, Kolsch, Amber Ale, and English Brown Ale.

The beers are brewed to classic examples of style. The malt used for the beer is from Gambrinus. Brewer, Kevin Pratt says using the organic malts will limit him from producing some styles. Having over six beers on tap from a 4BBL system doesn’t sound limited to me.

Owner Cory Holbrook pushed the production of the beer in the restaurant because he wanted to have a say in the styles and how they were developed. This is a creativity that he wasn’t allowed to have using distributors.Cory is also staying true to his house brand of beer. The taps for beer other than what is brewed is limited to a few.

Not only are the beers organic, the selection of beers work very well with the remarkable food that is on the menu.
The menu changes with the season. This allows the menu to feature what is available locally.
Eating green never tasted does well. The organic meat tastes the way meat was intended. The texture and flavors are remarkably rich and delicate. The presentations of all the plates represent sophistication.
If you go to the web site you can check out the summer menu.
Everything from appetizers to dessert is sure to exceed expectations.
The Greenhouse also features spacious outside dining on a covered patio.

I have created a new system of ranking. The highest rank is “compelled to return”. I have returned to this place a dozen times and have never been disappointed by the beer, food, or the service.
Currently there are no growlers, or samplers.

Greenhouse Restaurant is open for
Lunch M-F 11-2:30,
Dinner during the week 5- 9; 30, Dinner on Saturday 5-10:30.
Happy Hour is M-Sat 3-6 with $2.00 off all beer.
Located on 1595 Eureka Road Roseville Ca (916) 789-1900
http://www.greenhouserestaurant.com/

Celebrate Life; Don't hide from it

I wanted to take a little time away from the subject of brewers and their beer and turn it towards us, the consumers.

The consumption of alcohol is as old as mankind. There will always be alcoholic beverages around us no matter how hard organizations try to make it seem irresponsible to imbibe.

The prohibition died 75 years ago. We just celebrated the anniversary of being able to purchase and consume alcohol.

Alcohol is a beverage that is made to be enjoyed and to consume during times of celebration. The Bible mentions alcohol making the heart rejoice. Ps.104: 15. (OK it really says wine but for the purpose of the rationale I will refer to it as alcohol).

I want to emphasize that the consumption of alcohol is a social event. It is poured during times of celebration and sharing with friends.

When we serve alcohol we take on an inherent responsibility. We do not want to be the host who allowed our guest to leave our celebration only to lose control and do himof her harm.

Depending on the circumstance, whether we are with family or with friends moderation is always an exercise.

Drinking alcohol is not a way to manage stress or other problems. Over indulgence is related to health problems. Answers to life’s issues will never be found at the bottom of a bottle.

The bottle is only there to help us celebrate life and the people we share it with.
Lets keep it that way.

Don’t hide from life. Celebrate life!

Responsible Drinking

Z Recommends: Statement of Belief

Z Recommends: Statement of Belief

Green Hops in our local beer

Brian Cofresi of River City Brewing Company was looking to unload his mash when he decided to put an ad in Craig's List.

Scott Jordan of Jordan Family Farms, http://www.jordanfamilyfarms.com/, responded to the offer. Scott was looking for natural, inexpensive ways to augment the soil on his farm.
Brian and Scott struck up a friendship over the year. Last year Brian presented an offer to Scott. With the hop situation the way it is, how practical would it be to start a hop yard?



It was a large venture for Scott. Scott was up for the call.
Hop growing is not new to the Gold Country region. I recall the expansive hop yards by the Sloughhouse area of HWY 16. At the time I was a teenager and had no clue what hops were. I just recall how impressive the fields were. The city of Sacramento had its own hop yard back in the early 1900's.


This year was the first crop to be picked from the Jordan Family Farms. Accounted for on the farm to hand pick the sustainable hops for their beer was


Brian Ford of Auburn Ale House, http://www.auburnalehouse.com/,
Brian Cofresi of River City Brewing Company. http://www.rivercitybrew.net/
and Steve Maylor of Placerville Brewing Company, http://www.placervillebrewing.com/.





Many other beer geeks were on hand. A hop head, a home brewer, the guys from Pacific Brew News, and Rick Sellers of Draft magazine.Every one had a good time and I couldn't help but contemplate how the culture of hop farming helped bring together people and communities much like this event did. To be sure next year there will be more hops to be picked and more helping hands to make the job an easy one.


As for myself, am looking forward to the beers that will be available mid September. River City Brewing Company will have a Harvest Ale out Sept 19. It's not to be missed if you love hops.

Out of the Weeds?

It’s all a figure of speech.

The locals have always had a little fun with the name. Especially since the word now has a different connotation. Tourists pull over to have their picture taken in front of the freeway sign “ Weed next three exits” It’s all harmless fun. Right?

The name weed however has nothing to do with the popular plant. The town Weed gets it’s name from founder, Abner Weed. Abner Weed purchased 280 acres of the land and a lumber mill. The town was established in 1901.

In 1992, a quiet retired policeman with German and Polish background decided that he wanted to spend the rest of his golden years as a brew master in the state he served in for 20 years. Vaune Dillman negotiated to purchase the historic Medo-Bel Creamery in Weed California and have it retrofitted to accommodate a brewery. At last Vaune Dillman was able to follow his lifelong dream. He named the brewery Mt. Shasta Brewing Company.

To honor the founder of Weed, Vaune approach the family of Abner Weed and was given permission to use the name Weed. The beer that is named after the founder is session amber ale. The label on the bottle bears the name and the resemblance of the founder.

Vaune’s slogan for the brewery is,” A friend in Weed is a friend indeed.” So how far can one go with the ATF when it comes to a word that has more than one inference?

Before talking with him I carefully scoured the brewing company’s website. I did get the impression that the battle with ATF had been won.

I spoke with Vaune late in August and was expecting to hear a soft accent from his upbringing. Instead what I heard was a very pleasant mild toned man with a quick and easy laugh. Vaune has been spending a lot of his time talking to individuals who want to hear the story behind “the bottle cap heard ‘round the world,” (he made that up) I was one of the hundreds.

Vaune has been on TV talk shows, radio programs, interviewed for print. While he has told his story many a time he was happy to tell it again.

An argument that he takes is to point out the phrase, “This Bud’s for you”, is not inferring that AB is suggesting that the consumer smoke weed.
Labeling laws may seem contradictory with such an argument. Freedom of speech is another area that was brought up in the discussion. Not all labels are intended to be taken literally pointed out Vaune.” If you were to purchase a bottle of Rogue’s Dead Guy ale would you expect a cadaver to come out when you poured the beer?” ”If you purchased Moose Drool ale would you expect to really be drinking moose drool?”

Vaune also talked about the Compliance Matters. Compliance Matters 94-2 states, “We do not believe that responsible industry members should want to portray their product in any sociably unacceptable manner”. Given the worldwide interest and support that Vaune has experienced, I made the comment to him that the bottle cap was probably the most socially acceptable bottle cap in the world!

A person who visited Mt. Shasta Brewing Co, asked Vaune for some of the bottle caps. Vaune learned that the person turned around to sell the bottle caps and that they were going for $4.00 a cap. The cap itself is not the culprit. It is the cap on the bottle that is the issue.

While the arguments sounded good, it took three California attorneys to address the issue. These attorneys worked pro-bono. It has really been an interesting haul to fight this battle. I didn’t think it would be this much work. Thankfully he has the tireless support of the lawyers to make sure that this issue is dealt with properly. These attorneys may be paving the path to other brewers who would like creative license for their product.

Vaune tells me he is not out of the weeds yet. He has won his argument, but he still has not been given the O.K to use the caps. He said that he is being requested to resubmit paperwork in order to get the approval. So once the paperwork is resubmitted, time is required to go through the entire process again. Then soon we will all be able to have our own bottle of this history making bottle cap with the beer of course.

Picture cut and pasted with Vaune's permission.

Pilsner; The Champagne of Beers

Pilsner

To be fair , I cannot talk about the pilsner with out talking first about the birthplace of the style.
While Germany may be considered one of the great brewing nations in the industry, it is the Republic of Czech that we owe the style that all brewers strive for. The Pilsner. The first time I had a pilsner I remarked that it was like having champagne.

The pale straw color was crystal clear with tiny bubbles racing up the sides of the glass to push the ultra fine white mousse like head which left behind a lacy rim around the glass when I tipped it to allow the crisp dry malt balance with the spicy Saaz hops and finish with a lingering of soft pilsner malt and firm bittering from the noble hops. Back to the birthplace of the style.

The first Czech brewery was built in 1118. Towns and cities were given charters to develop cooperative breweries from the 13th century on. However, the Czech beer still left something to be desired. I have read in some places, not all, that the people revolted against the quality of beer by dumping it in the streets and insisting that it was possible to make a better beer.

Enter Josef Grolle, 1842, It seems that brewing beer as anyone knew it would almost cease to exist when Josef brought with him a lager yeast strain and the technique of cold fermenting beer.

What Josef probably did not know at the time he brewed the beer was how water chemistry played a part in the final product. The water chemistry makes this style a classic example of how water chemistry plays a large part in the appeal of the style. When studying for the BJCP exam to become a judge, classic styles and water chemistry are a part of the curriculum. The soft water of Pilzn contributes to the style as much as the lager yeast and the noble hop.

The one invention that really made this beer shoot off the charts is glassware. (Only my opinion). No more stoneware for the appearance of beer to hide behind. Glassware forced beer brewers to a new standard. The palest, clearest beer would be the most universally appealing. And the world was in a break neck race to copy this style.

When I went to purchase a classic example of the beer, I asked the bagger to put the beer in a brown paper bag. This is to prevent any further skunking to the beer. I put it in the refrigerator and kept it there till the next day to make sure it was thoroughly chilled. To really do the beer justice I selected a tall narrow glass. This style loves to show off so let it.
The beer is very well rounded in spite of the high IBU’s 35-45. This beer makes a great appetizer because it contrasts with many things. The contrast in flavors gets the tastes buds going and whets the appetite for the next course. This beer also cooks well with food. I love to add it as a liquid substitute to my tempura batter and dip thinly sliced summer vegetables. Tomatoes really hold up to this treatment.

Locally brewed examples of the style that were submitted for competition in this years State Fair include:

Sudwerk’s
Bear Republic
Fault Line
Brew It Up
Auburn Ale Housee
Mammoth Brewing Co.
Trumer Pils
Some of these may be variations of German or American Pilsner. You are still going to get the essence of the style these variations are trying to imitate.

Believe me when I say ,"you can find great beers at wine bars."

Recently I took a friend up on an invitation to go to a wine and beer tasting event in the El Dorado Hills area. I was trying to picture in my head how the event would lay out. Beer at on end of the room with hardly any one in line?

The place is the Wine Konnection in the Town Center Village. The easy and relaxing atmosphere invites one to sit, sip, and stay awhile. I found that very easy to do when I arrived.

The décor is open, inviting, with sleek hardwood floors, and deep rich red walls.
I couldn’t help but notice the large glass walled cellar that showcased some rare and hard to find wines.

The owner, Bill Ramsey was out in the main area chatting it up with their patrons. The tasting area had a selection of five wines and five beers from Lost Coast brewing Co..

Jack Van Stone was on hand as the Northern Rep for this iconic brewing company. Typical for beer festivals, Jack had the plastic cups. I gave him the wine glass I was given as part of the wine tasting. Today, my tastes included Alleycat Amber, Indica IPA, 8-Ball Stout, and Great White.

It was a gorgeous day. The doors to the patio had been opened. Soft breezes coaxed me onto the patio. It was a very comfortable summer evening. The patio was not crowded with many tables and chairs. The landscape had been developed with large fountains surrounded by gentle sloping banks.

My server brought me the summer menu.
I made two selections. I wanted to see how the entrée and appetizer plate I selected paired with the beers of Lost Coast Brewing Co.
Are these plates designed to be paired only with wine?

My first choice was the Skewered Kobe Beef on a bed of heirloom tomatoes and Oregonzola bread salad. Of the five styles offered to sample, I found that the combination of rich beef played up with ripe tomatoes and the Alleycat Amber best complemented piquant Gorgonzola cheese. The malt profile worked really well with the natural sweetness of the beef and the tomatoes without competing with the aged cheese.

My next selection was the Cheese Plate. Humbolt Fog from Cypress Grove, Oregonzola from Rogue River, Camembert from Le Chatelain, and Mezzo Secco Jack from Vella were offered with an assortment of crackers, nuts and dried fruit. Slowly savoring each cheese I decided that the one beer that tied the flavors developed with a careful aging process was enjoyed best with the Great White. Great White is an American Wheat style. The soft wheat flavor really added to the complexity of the cheeses offered.

The Wine Konnection captures everything great about the Northern California area. World class wines, award winning beers, and fabulous food, and the rolling hills of the Gold Country. I live thirty minutes away and I can’t wait to bring a friend very soon.

I know that as a beer enthusiast, when I ask my server about beer, she will be happy to make some very good recommendations.

The Wine Konnection is located off HWY-50 and Latrobe Rd. 4364 Town Center Blvd. #128Tele: 916.941.1555

http://www.winekonnection.com/

Dress Code upscale casual for days/ elegant for evenings

The WK is always open at 11:00 a.m.

reservations are available

Summer features live jazz music on Wednesday and Friday evenings

Dortmunder Export

Dortmund started out as a small town in Germany in the late 800’s. It turned into on of the Germany’s most powerful towns. Could it be because of the incredible beer they brewed?
Really, the beer wasn’t developed until 1873. But it is fair to say that the city did grow in popularity due to the Dortmunder beer.

To symbolize the city’s major industry of brewing, a ten foot bronze statue was presented to Dortmund by DAB (Dortmunder Actien Braurei) in 1979. Artur Schulze-Engels designed the sculpture. The sculpture is called the Dortmund Drayman.

“A Drayman was historically the driver of a dray, a low, flat-bed wagon without sides, pulled generally by horses or mules that was used for transport of all kinds of goods. Now the term is really only used for brewery delivery men, even though routine horse-drawn deliveries are almost entirely extinct. Some breweries do still maintain teams of horses and a dray, but these are used only for special occasions such as festivals or opening new premises.(Wikipedia)”

The term export is said to be a category of strength as determined by German Law. I could not find what qualified the beer to be labeled as an export. The term export is not limited to Dortmunder. It is a legal description of a bee. It is possible to find other German or European beers with that terminology. It is probably the strongest beer in alcohol (4.6-6%) for the color and style.

Dortmunder Export is defined by Michael Jackson as a “sociable beer”. That was certainly the case during the height of its popularity. It was responsible for Dortmunder Union becoming Germany’s largest brewery with the highest concentration of breweries.

The most notable factor about this beer is that it starts out large and finishes small. This contributes to the higher alcohol content. The beauty of the beer is its balance between the Noble hops and the generous amounts of Pilsner malt. It is possible for this beer to be a dark golden color; in most cases the color is a very pale color.

Water profile also contributes to the aroma and mouth feel of this style. The water in the area of Dortmund is high in Sulfite, Carbonates, and Chlorides, This gives the malt beer a slightly sulfur nose and draws out the bitterness of the hops. It also contributes to the mouth feel. This beer is very crisp.

It seems like a contradiction to have a beer with smooth malt flavor and crisp mouth feel, but once you have a glass you will be able to appreciate the appeal of the beer.

I was not able to find a micro brewed version of the style that had been submitted to the fair that took any awards. However I did see that GB is considered to be a classic example of style for the beer.

This would be the perfect beer to serve during your summer BBQ. If your recalling your P’s and Q’s about serving beer you know that this beer is served best cold. May be some bratwurst on the grill would be just the ticket.

Need an excuse to come down to Old Sac?

River City Brewing Company is at the gateway of Old Town Sacramento.
Another reason to head down there, they don’t distribute their beer. If you want their beer, you have to go there.

There is a third reason you have to go. I talk about that later.

River City Brewing Co. is a great destination point because there is so much to do in the area: theatres, the Crocker Art Museum, mall shopping, The Historic Railroad Museum, a comedy club, a romantic walk along the Sacramento River. It’s all there. Once you have worked up a thirst or a hunger, River City Brewing Co. is an easy walk.

River City Brewing Co. was the first brewery I went to when I had the beer “sampler”.
It was also my first experience with stout. That took some getting used to but I’m glad I am a fan of the style.

Nowadays, when I go down there, my favorite beer to have is the Woodenhead. A rich red ale that is aged in oak barrels. It is also the strongest beer they carry on tap for the time. Any other beer you order will be lower in alcohol. If you go there for the day or with friends or family any other beer you select will be closer to a session style of beer.

Of course no one drinks on an empty stomach. My favorite plate to order is their signature steak salad. Another great signature menu item is their Eggplant Neapolitan; Even if you don’t care for eggplant, this is a real treat. Really, anything you order from the menu will be great. River City Brewing Company has a menu to rival any other brewing establishment. The chef takes great pride in everything they have to offer.

The other chef is Brew Master Brian Cofresi. Brian has been with River City Brewing Company almost from the time he began to brew professionally. I asked him how he got into brewing. Was I surprised when he told me that he started as a home brewer? No. I was surprised to learn that he was a member of GCBA? Yes.

After brewing several batches of all-grain homebrew, Brian said he decided to attend the American Brewers Guild. With a few short stints at other brewing companies, Brian made his home with River City Brewing Company in 1999.

Reason #3- Brian has ale he has been aging for 18 months. It is called “Consternation”. This is a malty ale with subtle vanilla, almond and chocolate notes. There is a complementary sour nose and a low hop aroma. It has a deep reddish brown color with good clarity. It has a low head and resembles old ale when poured. The process of aging the beer was to achieve a smooth complex sour beer that has layers of malt and brett . It is very similar to a Flanders without the fruitiness. It is medium bodied ale with low carbonation.

Let there only be amazement, when you enjoy this beer. Brian worked very hard to save it. If you have not been there lately you may notice several fermenters missing. There was a small shift in floor space and the effort it took Brian to hang on to this little specialty took some effort.

I find the beer to make a great aperitif. The sourness in the beer gets the juices rolling.

Six Months

It has been six months since I began blogging about beer subjects. I started to do it as an exercise in writing. I wanted to develop a voice. I also wanted to be disciplined enough to put out articles on a regular basis. I knew I wanted to write about what I know and what I have been doing.

At first I left the comment section off. I told myself I just wanted to be able to write. I needed more self esteem before I subjected my new venture to criticisms from strangers. I just turned on the comment button so I am open to your comments now. I will say that what you can expect on my blog is anything to do with the Northern California area.

Brewers, beers, tap houses, beer issues, and events. I will not write about any thing outside the area. I believe those areas are already well covered. I see Christina Perozzi in Southern California doing her thing and calling herself “The Beer Chick”. I see Lisa Morrison focusing on the Oregon and Washington area referring to herself as the “Beer Goddess”. Seeing my niche as the female voice in the Northern California area, I decided to adopt the title “The Beer Maven”.

As the Beer Maven I will continue to devote myself to the area.
I wont write about beers brewed in Oregon, Washington, or Alaska. I wont write about any beer related adventures I may have outside the Northern California area.

It is my goal to form a bridge for you, who appreciate beer to understand more than just where to go to get a good beer. Breweries also face a lot of issues as producers and distributors of America’s numbers one choice of alcoholic refreshment.

A good brewery understands that it is not in a bubble and has a responsibility to the community. It is my goal to help you understand these issues. I also hope to share with you all the events and celebrations that breweries love to promote to encourage a sense of community.

Thank you for your support. Please share this link with family and friends. If you have a comment or constructive criticism please let me know.

Sincerely,
The Beer Maven

emailthebeermaven@gmail.com

"Some decanted evening"

Bubbles can be fun.
Sometimes they will detract from the real thing.
You may not always want them in your beer, at least not so many.





There are several companies that package their beer with CO2. Sometimes they get carried away. Sometimes their regulator is set to XXX ppsi and you get more fizz than the beer justifies.

What, beer with less fizz?
I came upon this not with any intent. One day I was enjoying some time at my favorite tap house in the Folsom area. You know, the one that has been open for less than 6 mos. and has already received an award, yea, that one. Any way, they had Lagunitas Lucky 13 on tap. Lucky 13 began life as Lagunitas Anniversary ale. It is a deep, rich, vinuous, red ale. I enjoyed it so much that when I found it at my local grocery store in a 22oz. bottle, I picked it up . I wanted to serve it when the cool delta breezes were stroking the warm Sacramento evening.

When such an evening presented itself, I poured the red ale into a short-stemmed glass. However, as I savored the liquid, it seemed as if the carbonation was running interference with the rich flavors of this finely crafted beer. Hmmm…. What to do?

I pulled out my decanter, turned the remaining contents of the 22oz. bottle upside down into the decanter. The decanter was filled with foam. I set my timer for 15 minutes to give the beer time to gas out.
I returned to the beer, and re-poured my glass. Low and behold I had a completely different beer. All the malt richness, and complexity was standing alone as it should. It didn’t need the CO2 to hold it up. The vinuous character that was being suppressed by the show off bubbles was now able to shine through.
I spent the rest of the evening slowly savoring the beer in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.

There are several other companies that consistently over carbonate the beer. It does not always do the beer credit. If you come across a lovely beer and you think that the carbonation in the beer is overwhelming the .seductive flavors of the beer, then see if you can draw out those flavors by decanting the beer and allowing the superfluous gas to escape. It’s always a pleasant surprise to find a different beer than what you initially tasted.

This principle follows that same line of reasoning as the serving temperature of beer. It could have been that while the beer was gassing out it also had time to warm up and allow more flavors to be enjoyed without being accosted by the cold.

Invariably the beer sensory experience is just that, a sensory experience. The more appreciation you learn to give beer and what it may have to offer, the more opportunities you look for to increase your pleasure.

Take time to enjoy your beer. Allow it to unfold. Not all beers are designed to be chased with nachos.

I hope that with these articles you are learning to appreciate the many nuances that you beer selection has to offer. I would love to hear from you and any comments you have or articles you would like to see me write about.

Munich Helles

Munich Helles

Munich is the capital city of Bavaria. It is the third largest state in the country of Germany.
The word “munich” is derived from an old German word munchen, which means monk. Munich is one of three cities with this classification. Munich’s coat of arms has a monk on it.
Where there is a monk, there is beer.
Helles is pronounced hell-es. It is German for bright.

The term Munich Helles refers to a very light German lager. It is the lightest beer in color and ABV, for it’s style classification. There are some who say that it was created to offer a lighter version of Munich Dunkel, which is a dark lager. There are others that say that the beer was designed to compete with the Pilsner-style beers. Perhaps it was developed to offer a different version of a similar product much like we do in product placement today.

This beer was designed as an alternative to the Pilsner and not the American Pilsner. For that reason, we will find a very different beer. This beer is brewed to the German Purity Law.
Ingredients play a very distinctive part in the final product. First of all there are no adjuncts. No rice or corn to lighten the flavor, color or ABV. Yet is it a remarkably light beer. The alcohol content is generally less than 5.5%. The lager yeast used in the beer attenuates to make it a very dry beer for the amount of grain in the malt bill.

The malt profile is not hiding behind rice or corn so you can expect to enjoy a clean, sweet, malty aroma with no diacetyl or very low notes of DMS and no fruity esters.
Secondly, another attribute you can expect to find in Munich Helles that you won’t get in an American Lager is foam. The Helles has a thick, white tall stand of foam when poured.

Thirdly, in addition to the malt bill being entirely malted barley, you can expect to find a lot of hop flavor in this style. You will not find this in an American Lager. The IBU in this “bright” beer is a whopping 16-22. It is for the style on of the hoppier beers. It is right up there with the American Pale ale.

What really makes the hop profile for this beer style pop is the fact that the water in Munich is high in carbonates. The carbonates in the water really pull out the alpha acids from the hops and rather than soften the acids.

The mouth feel for this beer may be harsher than what one might expect due to the high carbonate is the water. If you think you are experiencing any astringency it may be more an attribute of the hop bitterness. Astringency is very seldom a quality in any beer.. This style typically has medium carbonation and medium body which accentuates the malt profile of the beer.

There are several breweries in the Northern California area that submitted their fine beer as a Helles Bock. These are not to be mistaken as a Munich Helles. The Munich Helles was in response to the Pilsner craze and Bocks are not Pilsners. It is a good example of creating a light version of a beer. This was the incentive for designing the style.


So for sporting purpose I will mention the breweries.
Blue Frog Grogg and Grille- Fairfield
River City Brewing Co.- Sacramento
Brew It Up- Sacramento
Sierra Nevada- Chico

I will add that Gordon Biersch does make a Munich Helles. However, their beer was not submitted for competition.


Munich Helles is a lager and should be served cold. Due to the high hopping rate of the beer, it will go great with salads with a lot of bitter greens. Curly endive, escarole, radicchio, arugula, and dandelion make are great bitter salad greens. Hey, it’s summer! Need another excuse to drink beer and eat your greens?

Beer Types and Styles a thumb nail description

Beer Types & Styles

This text is from the nbwa.org site.

As a walk through the beer aisle
in a grocery or specialty store will confirm, there are many
brands and types of beer available in the U.S. today.These beers
differ for a variety of reasons, from the amount and types of
malt and hops utilized, to the timing and temperature used in
the brewing process.

Here is a beginner’s overview
of some of the most popular styles;
the fun comes in tasting and
experimentation:

Pale Ale
This is the classic English ale, with a
slightly bitter and malty finish. Look
for a fruity or flowery nose and a
copper color.

Brown Ale
Darker in color than Pale Ales, this beer
has a slightly nutty flavor and cola finish.
India Pale Ale
A copper colored, big-bodied, strongly
bitter flavored beer.

Porter
Legend says that the name of this beer
derived from its status as a favorite
drink of the porters at Victoria Station
in London. Porters are dry beers,
dark brown in color.

Stout
Originally developed as a heavier,
"stouter" version of the Porter,
Stouts are almost black in color.They
can be sweet or dry and have a
coffee-like flavor.

Lager
Lagers represent 95 percent of the
beer sold in the world.These beers
are light yellow, highly carbonated and
have a clean, refreshing taste.

Pilsner
The grandfather of light Lagers, true
Pilsners have a light to medium body,
a flowery, hoppy aroma, and a soft
mouthfeel.

Bock
Bocks are all-malt lagers.They have
a brown or ruby color and a strong
malt aroma.

Wheat
Wheat beers are very light, golden in
color and have a dry, tangy finish.

Premium American Lagers

The last two styles I talked about allowed for up to 40% adjuncts to be added to the grain bill. Adjuncts are grains other that barley. Adjuncts in this style or rice or corn.
Premium American Lager have less than 25% of these adjuncts. Remember that during the first World War cereals were being rationed. A beer made with 75% of cereal grain would certainly be considered a “premium” beer.

Here is another tidbit regarding the style. It’s called American because it does not fit the Reinheitsgebot Law for German beers. This law is generally know as the Purity Law (it’s hard enough to say it let alone spell it.). The law was adopted by Germany in 1877 when Bavaria joined the German Union. The law had actual been a Bavarian law as far back as 1516. The law stated that only water, hops, and malt were allowed to be ingredients for beer. LP had not discovered yeast so it was not on the list.

As a result of the lower adjunct beer we enjoy a more colorful beer. The color in this beer can range anywhere between straw and gold. We also get to enjoy more flavor. The higher grain bill gives us more malt sweetness. However, along with more sweetness comes more alcohol. These beers can range from 2-6 % ABV. To balance the sweetness of the malt more hops are added.
We are definitely in the toothy range when it comes to this style for American Lagers. All of this is lightened up with appropriate amounts of carbonation. This gives the beer a crisp and slightly carbonic bite.

While there are good commercial examples of the beer, I do not find microbrew versions of the style. This does not mean you will not be able to find them. For the purposes of this article. I am limiting my resources to the examples which received medals at the California State Fair.
So venture out and ask your brewer if they brew a Premium American Lager. Your best bet is to go to a German -style brewery like Gordon Biersch or Sudwerk’s.

Standard American Lagers

We have to give the Germans credit for making due. When they immigrated to the United States and began brewing their beer, they did so with limited resources. American six-row barley had higher tannins and protein content then the European two-row pilsner malt that they were accustomed to using for their beer.

They didn’t have access to the fine Bavarian hops that were used to brew the beer they way they used to. When in America, use American ingredients. This is how a popular German style beer became "Americanized".

To offset the many factors that the American six-row barley created, the incorporation of adjuncts such as corn was used. This gave the beer its characteristic light color and flavor. Six-row barley also has a higher sulfur profile that gives the beer a character of light sulfur in the nose. This character is acceptable for style and is referred to as D.M.S. The long word for it is di-methylsulfide.

If you here ones saying that the beer in Germany is different: It is!
What the Germans gave to us in an effort to brew their beer is truly American.
With the industrial revolution came the thermometer, the hydrometer, the isolation of yeast species, mass transportation, steam engines, and an agricultural revolution. Beer production was an industry.

Then there was the war. Apparently, rationing valuable grain meant a product that was not as strong as the Germans were used to making. As a result of all the flux with the availability of grain selection and the rationing, then industrialization, we get American Standard Lager.

American Standard Lager is a tad bit darker in color. It is a tad bit hoppier. Some varieties may be as much as 15 IBU’s but that is just at the threshold of bitterness that can be perceived by the average Jack and Jill. American Standard Lager can be between 4.2-5.1 % alcohol by volume.

Lagers are a very refreshing, effervescent. They will always be a great complement to any food because of the neutral aromas and flavors of the beer. It is a beer that allows the food to be the main player during your dinner. Cheesy foods and foods with cream sauce also work well with these beers.

This year the microbreweries that took awards for their beer at the 2008 California State Fair for this category are:
Beerman’s- Lincoln Lager

http://www.beermans.com/

Eel River Brewing Co.- Climax Organic Microlight

http://www.eelriverbrewing.com/

Sudwerk’s- Sudwerk Lager

http://www.sudwerk.com/

Although they may be listed as light lagers, the alcohol content puts them in this category:
These microbreweries distribute widely throughout the area and if you can’t make it to the brewery then you should be able to get it at your local supermarket or fine beverage store.

About the picture.

The above picture is a visual example of the difference between 6 an 2 row barley. 6 row barley is one the left.

Grape and Gourmet

For the past 13 years, the California State Fair has organized the best that California has to offer at an event called the Grape and Gourmet. Fast forward past the grape and let’s get to the gourmet!!!

This is the category that we find Northern California’s best beer and best breweries, as awarded by a panel of judges in the Northern California area. These judges volunteer their time and their taste buds to evaluate flights of up to 8 or more beers entered in any given category.
This is a double blind competition. It is one of the largest competitions in the Northern California area.

The Beer Judge Certification Program certifies judges participating in the event. The BJCP is a national program that creates a cohesive manner of sensory evaluation and beer education. Judges who participate on the certification process under go a grueling 3-hour long testing which consists of essay and tasting.

Breweries through out the Northern California area receiving awards this year include:
Sudwerk's, BJ’s, Bear Republic, Blue Frog, Etna’s, Santa Cruz Mountain, Fault Line, Valley Brewing, San Francisco, Sacramento, Hoppy, River City, Brew It Up, Elk Grove, River City, Beerman’s Beerwork’s, Fox Barrel Cider Co., Auburn Ale House for their Old Prospector Barley Wine (a panel which I sat on. You can thank me later Brian Ford.), Fifty Fifty, Napa Valley, (yes, there is beer in the wine country), Mammoth, Mendocino, Anderson Valley, Marin, Moylan’s, Eel River, Lost Coast, Gold Hill, Jack Russell, Black Diamond, Schooner’s, Sierra Nevada, Bison Brewing, Drake’s Brewing, Pyramid, Trumer,

This certainly is not a reflection of all the breweries in the Northern California area. Many did not submit their beer for competition. I would like to see all breweries in the area participate in this event. Missed was Russian River Brewing Company, Third Street Aleworks, Gordon Biersch, Anchor Brewing Company, Lagunita’s Brewing Company, Dempsey’s Brewing Co., Downtown Joe’s, which is another brewing company in the heart of Napa City. Silverado Brewing Company just to name a few. Hopefully we can get them to participate next year to make a strong showing of the micro brewing community in the area.

The event is not limited to small breweries. Anhauser Busch and Miller were represented at the event by having their booth there. The beers available to try were a Belgian Style wheat beer to target Blue Moon Drinkers and the Lime lager that is targeted to the Corona Beer drinkers.

Often times one can meet the brewer pouring his own beer at these events. I was able to visit with Craig Cauwel of Schooner’s, Shaun of Marin Brewing Co., and Roger, whom I judge with occasionally with formerly of Drake’s Brewing Co. who informed me that he is now with Triple Rock in the bay area. Hopefully we will see Triple Rock on the list of awards for next year.
I was also able to talk with Bruce of Fox Barrel Cider Co. who always manages to be there. Missed in the category of ciders was Two Rivers who produces a very popular Pomegranate Cider. Another Cider company that was missed this year was Aces Cider Company.
I have yet to see a commercial mead category.

When the brewer cannot be there you will find either a distributor or a rep pouring the beer. If a distributor or a rep is not available, J.J. Jackson, the man behind the scenes, who works tirelessly to organize the event for the commercial and homebrew competition will volunteer his judges to pour. This way there is always some one to represent the winning brewery at the event.
This event sponsors the Friends of the California State Fair Scholarship Program in collaboration with Agricultural Advisory Council. State Fair Gala Committee, and the Friends of the California State Fair. This year a total of $ 24,500.oo in scholarships was awarded to aspiring young students looking to better themselves by pursuing degrees.

In addition to the Grape and Gourmet, the State Fair organizes a tasting of the entire award winning beers. This is a one-day event that has grown in popularity and has been moved from the Blues and Brews Stage to the Grandstands at the Race Track. This event takes place August 22 at Cal Expo. For tickets and information go to http://www.bigfun.org/.

Hoppy Beers make Happy Beer Drinkershttp://www.hoppy.com

It took eight years of searching before the owners found their home here in the Sacramento area.

Hoppy Brewing started out as a venture by a home brewer in southern California. A lot of time was spent in the brew houses of other breweries as Troy developed his beers. This is not to be confused with contract brewing. Troy made the commute to brew the flagship beer Hoppy Face himself.

Over the years, in an effort to find a home of their own, Hoppy Brewing Company continued to brew beer. They put themselves out to the public to create an awareness of the beer by participating in charitable events. They also submitted the beer into competition. Hoppy’ beers continue to be successful winners at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver Colorado.
It was not until 1999 that Troy was able to find a home for his brewery right here in River City. In the same year the microbrewery industry felt a crash. This crash was a result of too many people in the business. Hoppy Brewing Co. was able to stay fast. Their product placement, label design and quality continue to keep them head and neck above the rest.

What makes me go the Hoppy Brewing Co.? The calamari. I dine out quite a bit and am always looking for the best. In my opinion Hoppy Brewing Company have consistently provided the best calamari of any establishment in the Sacramento area. Making perfectly fried calamari is not easy feat. Either it can be anemic in color because the sous chefs are afraid to over cook it, or it can come out with the texture similar to little rubber bands.

The other thing that keeps me coming back to the inviting restaurant with excellent service. Their award winning porter called Black Eclipse. I love the clean coffee-like flavor balanced with moderate amounts of bittering hops. In my opinion I think that should be their flagship beer. But the general public outnumbers me. I do hope you go and challenge me on my opinion of their calamari.

Hoppy Brewing Company is offers Happy Hour not once but two times a day. First Happy hour is daily 3-6 p.m. The second is as follows: Sun-Wed 9:30 to close. Monday all day. Tues –Sat. 10:30 to close. Pints are $3.50 Pitchers are $12.00. You can purchase 22 oz of their bottles beer to take home for $3.50. I found their growlers to be comparatively pricey. The do offer kegs for parties in 5gal. Or 13.2 gal.

If you’re new to Hoppy you can sample all of their beer for $6.75.
If you are a fan of the Burnt Sienna Ale, which is a smoked malt ale. Then you better get down there. They will be eliminating the beer from their selection soon. Hop availability is responsible for that change. They will be replacing that beer with an Earl’s Hop Farm Auburn Ale which will be 5.8% ABV.
This beer will have caramel, chocolate malts which is intended to give the beer a raisin flavor balanced with Columbus hops
Seasonal Ales on tap are Black Sheep Cocoa bock and Burnt Bitter

Hoppy Brewing Company is conveniently of HWY 50. Located at 6300 Folsom Blvd. They have a fun my space page. Check out at http://www.hoppy.com/ and learn more about all that Hoppy Brewing Company has to offer that I don’t have room to write for. Hoppy Brewing Company proudly sponsors Sacred City Derby Girls. This is a local Women’s Flat Track Derby team.

Wheat Beers, The stuff summer is made of

Wheat beers make a great summer time beer.
These beers tend to be pale straw to pale gold in color. They have very thick, white, persistent heads. Wheat beers are relatively low in alcohol. These beers can range between 4- 5.5% ABV. This puts them close to session beers, so they are very drinkable without dehydrating you (alcohol acts as a dehydrant which is the main reason why those who overindulge without drinking water end up with a headache or a hangover).

Wheat beers have a fun, refreshing, crisp, effervescent mouth feel due to the high malted wheat content. The grist for these beers is generally 50%.

The hopping rate for these beers is generally between 10-20 IBU’s (international bittering units). This is about the same bitterness as an American Lager. The low hopping rate makes this beer extremely food friendly.

These beers are well paired with salad, fruit, and cheese platters. Their flavors range from the neutral American wheat, to the banana, clove like fruitiness of a German Weiss (the term hefe refers to the yeast not the wheat), or the spicy coriander and orange-like profile of a Belgian Wit.

These beers lend themselves very well to fruit style beers. It will not be uncommon to find the brewer play with berries or stone fruit. 21st Amendment does a great job in playing with summer themed wheat beer and fruit by featuring watermelon in their wheat beer.

These beers are a perfect example of my "Wars of the Yeast" article. While the water, hop schedule and grain bill may be similar, it is the yeast that gives the beer a very distinctive profile

I personally have never been a fan of the German style wheat beers. I have come across many others who say they do not like “wheat beers”. In fact it is the style they may not care for. I love it when I can turn them on to other wheat style beers and see their faces light up!

Because of the general appeal of wheat beers, you will almost always find a wheat style on tap at your favorite brewery or in bottles at your favorite beverage store or supermarket.

Typically you will be served these beers with a wedge of lemon or orange. Although these beers are not traditionally served in this manner, you don’t have to be hoity- toity about it like I was when I learned this little fact and toss the fruit. If you don’t want the fruit, discreetly set it aside. No big deal.

When you serve a wheat style beer don’t forget what I mentioned in my earlier article about decanting beers. These beers are often bottled with the yeast and or are unfiltered. It is up to you how you would like to serve them. I recommend that you start without the yeast. Be sure to read the article on decanting.

Aside from decanting the beer, you want to pour carefully. These beers have a large head and need to be poured so that you don’t waste the beer.
These beers also call for a particular glass style, usually short stemmed with long narrow bowls. Check out the picture to get an idea of an appropriate glass style for these beers.

My personal favs are:
American –Lost Coast Brewing Co.: Great White
German- Sudwerk’s: hefeweizen
Belgian- St.Bernardus Wit. This comes in a 750ml. Bottle with a champagne cork and tie. It makes a great beer to try at parties and there is plenty to share.

Lite American Lagers and their German Heritage

Lite American Lagers and their German Heritage

In the world of micro brewing it hardly seems to be appropriate to discuss Extra Light Lagers.
On the contrary, not discussing extra light lagers in the brewing industry is like not discussing McDonalds in the restaurant industry.
Both products fill a very large market for the respective industries. Unfortunately, there are no commercial examples of the beer being micro brewed. We are restricted to the large production breweries for this particular example.

Lager beer arrived in the United States at with the immigration of Germans to the US during the 1840’s. By that time, German brewers had already perfected the Lager beer style.
I knew that the Mexican beers were styled by the German immigrants that moved to Mexico. When I was visiting in San Antonio Texas last year, I was surprised at the huge influence German immigrants had in the area.
Germans love their beer. It could be said that were there was a German community there would be a German style brewery.
Even backs then, lagers were not considered to be "intoxicating."

Fast forward to 1970: large beer companies were swallowing up smaller beer companies. The large beer companies were offering the same kind of beer. What could the breweries do to make the almost pale, almost flavorless beer more inviting? Shame on us.
The big corporations learned to market their beer so that we would want it even less colorful and less flavorful. Can you believe that we fell for that?!?!!!!!

The target of the market was not only women (because some do watch their figure, unlike myself) but it was also less alcohol. In some cases the ABV would be as low as 3.2 %. Why not just drink soda water. Other marketing tags included, "dry beer" and "ice beer."

The appeal for this style of beer continues to be the mainstay of large corporate breweries.
Budweiser, Miller, and Coors are the largest producers of this style and continue to be a flagship beer for these companies.

I would highly recommend that only cans of the beer be purchased. One may argue that the hop skunking that may occur in the beers would be nil. However, these beers are so delicate that if you are going to spend money then you want to be sure you are getting the best product.
These beers are lagers and therefore are best served cold. I wonder if there is enough alcohol in them to keep them from freezing? Hmmmm. I’ll report back on that one later.

You could serve these in a hefty frosted mug or in a frosted pilsner glass. With this beer, I think it is more about the appearance rather than flavor. Having your taste buds put in deep freeze may not be such a bad idea.

The best thing about this beer style when it comes to pairing it with food is it's neutrality.

You can serve it with just about anything and the clean palate will not obscure the food. It's more like a palate cleanser. With little scrubbing bubbles dancing over your tongue before you take the next bite.

There is a time and a place for all beers, even a Bud Lite. Drink responsibly.

Next Tuesday look for me to write about Standard American Lager.