American Craft Oktoberfestbier doubleheader!

Last time we took a look at the current reality of "true" Oktoberfestbier and the "legend" of Oktoberfestbier. It is the legend that has heavily influence the American craft scene in regards to their views of märzen. Let's dive into a few examples to see the interpretation. 

Left Hand Brewing Oktoberfest

Brewed by Left Hand Brewing out of Longmont, Colorado, their Oktoberfest poured a clear, dark, amber color with minimal head. It has fair carbonation and on the drink it is hoppy and bitter with little of the toffee malt flavor you would expect. In fact on the first taste I was slightly taken aback on how bitter this actually was. The bitterness yields as you continue to drink but it never fully backs down, staying ever present even through the aftertaste. The toffee flavors and a slight sweetness start to emerge from the background as the beer warms but they aren't able to balance the märzen as they should. This is a beer out of balance with too much bitterness overriding everything else. If you prefer a bitter tasting beer then this is worth checking out. Overall I'm glad I tried this but it is doubtful I will come back to it. Left Hand Oktoberfest comes in at 6.6% ABV.

Here is the "party line" from Left Hand Brewing:

"This is no festivus for the restuvus - on the contrary - we start brewing in the Spring and it takes a full two months to reach lagered perfection.Biscuity, malty goodness dominates upfront while the noble pedigree hops lend a properly spicy, dry finish. Zicke zacke, zicke zacke, hoi, hoi, hoi. Time to roast your chicken and upend your stein before the air gets crisp, the leaves flame and fall and the skies fade to black. Auf geht's!"

Stegmaier Oktoberfest

Brewed by the Lion Brewery out of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Stegmaier Oktoberfest poured a clear, golden amber color with a small white head that slowly collapsed into a film across the top of the beer. On the drink this beer reveals that it is slim, with little body. It is light in ways that a märzen shouldn't be. All the characteristics are present, the hoppiness, the toffee flavors, the sweetness, but it seems they have been diluted and aren't as pronounced as you would expect them to be. It finishes very quickly, with little aftertaste. Long story short this is a gateway beer for märzen style brews, as an entry point for novices this will work well, but more experienced beer drinkers this will quickly pass by. It comes in at a surprising well masked 6% ABV.

Here is the "party line" on Stegmaier Oktoberfest:

"In recognition of our German heritage, we proudly present you with our Stegmaier Oktoberfest Beer. Traditionally known as Marzen, it boasts a brilliant reddish-brown color and full-body for the true beer drinker. In Using a blend of Munich, Vienna, and Aromatic malts, Stegmaier Oktoberfest possesses a light-toasted character with a touch of sweetness. The addition of German hops adds a perfect balance of flavor, which is sure to be enjoyed by the most sophisticated palate. We hope you enjoy. Prost!"

Your mid-week beer links to keep the mind Oktoberfest sharp

Oktoberfest. (Original found here)

Since it is Oktoberfest month here at JGF lets start off with a few Oktoberfest related stories.

In the News

Fort Bragg cancels annual Oktoberfest celebration; decline in revenue, attendance cited in festival's demise (Fayetteville Observer)
A part of me isn't really surprised and I'd be curious to know how this was promoted over the last few years. Something tells me that the Ft. Bragg MWR didn't really move with the times.

Germany's real crisis: Oktoberfest beer shortage looms (NBC News)
I guarantee the bottles will come swarming in. Those Germans couldn't handle the embarrassment if their premier festival had a beer shortage.

Heading to Oktoberfest in Munich? Read This, Especially If You're Female. (jaunted.com)
Some good tips in this if you travel across the pond to the big one.

Red Robin Beer Milkshake Debuts Ahead Of Oktoberfest (Huffington Post)
We have Red Robin's near us. I may have to go try this...but I must admit I'm hesitant.

Portland's Passions for Beer, Bicycling United in New Guidebook (Sacramento Bee)
Looks like Sarah is going to have a new project for JGF!

Campaign launched to mass produce White House beer (Mother Nature Network)
An interesting idea but their kickstarter campaign needs a lot of help if this is going to become reality.

The Audacity of Hops (CFO.com)
A very informative article on what it takes to get started in the commercial craft brewing industry.

Is Obama's public love affair with beer improving his numbers among male voters? (The Province)
Your American politics article through a Canadian lens. Remember what Lincoln said.

You're Doing It Wrong: Pumpkin Bread (Slate)
Pumpkin brews aren't getting covered till next month, but here's a recipe to tide you over. Somebody needs to try this out and report on it.

Carlsberg Expects European Beer Market to Be Challenging in 2013 (Bloomberg Business News)
Market saturation is coming for macrobreweries and once arrives the craft beer industry better be prepared.

A new marriage of kebabs and beer in PB (sdnews.com)
This sounds like a winner.

President of Beers (Willamette Week)
Here's a countdown that is sure to piss you off in some aspect, beer snobbery at its finest.

In Site News

The biggest news is that JGF is welcoming a new writer into the fold. Craig Jones, a frequent commenter on the blog has joined the writing team and will be bringing his thoughts and food knowledge to beer reviews. In addition he will be taking a closer look at the exploding Southern beer scene. Welcome aboard Craig.

Remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Untappd, and Google+. Just click on the widget in the upper right corner and it will take you where you want to go. Thanks for stopping by. 

We kick off Oktoberfest month; a dose of reality and a taste of a legend

September has arrived and with it the greatest beer festival in the world. I speak of course of Oktoberfest. For sixteen wonderful fall days, people will drink, eat, and be merry. So in celebration of that we are taking September to take a closer look at not only the festival, but also the beer that named after it. To start off we are going to take a look at two German brews, one that reflects the reality of today and one that informs the legend. 

First we will look at the reality. Staatliches Hofbräu-München has been brewing beer for the Bavarian state for a long time. They are one of the select breweries allowed to produce for the Oktoberfest and label their beer accordingly. The irony is our first beer doesn't look anything like what you would expect an Oktoberfestbier to look like. So what gives? When you look at the parameters that define Oktoberfestbier this beer actually is. It is brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot, around high 5, low 6 percent alcohol, and the brewery is within the city limits of Munich. That's it. That is all it takes for a beer to be an Oktoberfestbier. Turns out Oktoberfestbier is a bit of a misnomer. For over 200 years the beers served have varied from dunkel, to bock, to märzen, and since 1990 all beers brewed and served at Oktoberfest have been golden colored helles brews. The festival has evolved with the times and so has the beer. Basically, Oktoberfestbier is dictated by whatever the popular taste is at the time. We will get more into this craziness later in the month but for now lets dive into the beer.

Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier is one of the beers you will find in the tents at Oktoberfest. It is a Helles style beer, but due to the rules it is an Oktoberfestbier. This is the current reality. The beer poured a clear dark golden color, with a small white head. It has a pleasant malty aroma. The hops are up front giving way to a smooth, malty, slightly sweet taste. It finishes bitter but the aftertaste vanishes quickly. It is a very drinkable beer with a nice body on it. Make no mistake, this is a festival lager, a beer to carry you throughout the day, while you eat some sausages, enjoy a pretzel and generally have a good time. It is an average brew that is an easy drinker. It comes in at a sneaky 6.3% ABV.

Here is the "party line" on Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier:

The Munich Beer Festival, or Oktoberfest, is an event of superlatives - it's the largest popular festival in the world, staging in the beer metropolis of Munich. Millions of visitors from all over the world flock along every year to enjoy its very special atmosphere.
For this occasion, Hofbräu brews a rich, full-bodied beer which goes down ideally with traditional Bavarian cuisine. With its deliciously bitter taste and alcoholic content of 6.3% volume, Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier is as special as the Beer Festival itself.

Now for the legend. Our other candidate is Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen. This beer is about as authentic an old world, old school Oktoberfestbier as you will find. As mentioned above, you are 22 years to late to find this in the Oktoberfest tents. For American craft brewers this is the style (maybe even the actual beer) that has informed their Oktoberfestbiers to this day.

It poured a rich, clear, amber color with a light tan head that shrank down to a thin layer across the top of the beer. On the drink you get a pleasantly malty, hoppy mix. It has some sweetness to it, and a nice rounded body with decent carbonation. It coats the mouth and on the aftertaste you get a mild bittersweet roasty and toffee nut flavor that sticks around for several minutes. This too is a sausage beer, but it clamors for some rye bread and spicy brown mustard also. As you keep drinking this beer reveals itself as a very smooth and easy drinker. This is a well crafted beer and worth tracking down. It comes in at 5.8% ABV.

Here is the "party line" on Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen:

The Oktoberfest, the world’s greatest folk festival, attracts millions of visitors every year and of course, there’s a special beer here too. But, whether it’s in a bottle or in a Wiesn beer mug, the Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen is available the whole year round. Its clear amber colour, malty taste, with hints of toffee, and its zesty bitterness will instantly turn your own four walls into an Oktoberfest tent.

Over the course of the next month we'll take a closer look at Oktoberfest itself, but beer-wise we will be focusing our efforts on how the American craft brew scene has defined Oktoberfestbier and continues to stretch the boundaries of it.

Beer links for the post Labor Day funk

The unofficial end of summer is here but the heat hasn't gotten the message, at least here in Virginia. We haven’t done the news lately so let’s get caught up.

In the News
Beer Drinking: Shape Up! (The Economist by way of the Chicago Tribune)
In other words my tulips are trying to mess me up.

Yes, I do wish I was still on the beach.

White House beers just in time for the debates (Washington Post)
Homebrewers get brewing…for America!

White House Beer: A Brewer Weighs In (New York Times)
Now that the recipes have been released, everyone has an opinion. I still just want to taste the originals, though I am not holding my breath with my interview request.

SAB Miller Relaunches Spiced Indian Beer (Wall Street Journal)
I would be curious to try these, and I think you could do some cool things with Indian spices but based on the brewer I don't think these will pass muster.

5 intoxicating facts about beer (Mother Nature Network)
Beer…it’ll get you drunk.

Budweiser turns to music in bid to attract younger beer consumers. (Los Angeles Times)
Two things in this article that are interesting, the first is that Budweiser knows it missed the boat on changing tastes, the second is the Project 12 Brews. Stay tuned as we will be tasting those.

How to get beer into backcountry without turning hikers into pack mules (Alaska Dispatch)
Having hiked a few miles with a pack on my back all I want to know is how it tastes after 20 miles of hoofing it.

Japanese Beer: A Look at Asian Craft Brews (The Daily Meal)
Some cool new names to track down for that Japanese Untappd badge.

The 20 Top Selling Domestic Beers (Huffington Post)
Not only is the list deceiving it is also depressing.

2012 NFL Beer Bible (Esquire)
Just in time for the start of the season. Yay!

In Site News
Macro month is over and there is a lot of ground uncovered, partially from me refusing to get out of my vacation mindset and the rest from the fact that I found more material than I could shake a stick at. Something bigger is will be coming out off all that research so stay tuned, I just don't know what that format will be yet.

Now we dive into the big pool of flavor that is Oktoberfest month. Also it is the start of the NFL season, (Go you Packers go!) So what can you expect? A little history, reviews of a variety of Oktoberfest brews, and whatever else we can scrape up.

As always thanks for following. Remember to like/ follow/circle/friend us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Untappd. We made it easy, just click on the widget in the top right corner. 

Fruity Beer & Fruity Pies: A Summer Sensation

As well all know, the late, great, Michael Jackson really knew his stuff. Jackson's word in beer has been my own training of sorts. So when he tells me he loves a beer - in fact thinks its one of the best 10 beers in America, I'm listening. Oh - and did you say it's brewed by New Glarus, one of my favorite breweries? I'm definitely on board now...

New Glarus Brewery's Belgian Red is "the marriage of wine and beer." If its not 100% beer and its not 100% wine, how do you pair it with something? The answer to me is simple: pair it with something that is both sweet and savory. How about pie! YAY PIE!

Its berry season in Oregon, and the Farmers Markets are filled with the ripe local delicacies. Since moving to Oregon, I've been hooked on marionberries, a hybrid blackberry with a balanced amount of sweetness and tart. My lovely wife, a baking phenom, takes homemade pie dough (seriously, she makes the stuff for fun - I'm sure a pre-made pastry shell from the cold case in a grocery store would work fine, too), lines it in an oven safe ramekin, and adds the berries. The berries I'm told simply have a little bit of water, lemon juice, sugar, and corn starch, but that's it. Baked in a 400 degree over until perfection and now it's time to eat.

Pairing beer with food can be tricky, but when successful, it can be a joy. Michael Jackson is right by naming New Glarus Belgian Red as a top beer in America - a perfect crisp taste, just sweet enough to awaken the palette and tart enough to make drinkable (and, by drinkable, I mean sharing a 750 ml bottle without getting tired of it). The marionberry pie enhances the beer's wheat-like flavor, and doesn't over power the pound of Door County cherries put into every bottle.

Overall - a perfect desert to any outdoor meal, picnic, or barbecue (oh, who am I kidding, a perfect desert ANY TIME!). Next time you have a fruit beer or a lambic try pairing it with in season fruit pies.

Have any good beer & pie pairings? Let us know in the comments below.

{ prost! }

Welcome to your weekend - Nashville edition

We are covering the Music City Brewers Fest on Saturday and conducting
our first homebrewing interview on Sunday!

In the home stretch! Our last two summer seasonals

It is our last week of summer seasonals and I'm going to go a bit of the beaten track for the first. My first candidate is only available in Iceland and then only in small batches though if all goes well larger batches soon. Sumarliði Hveitibjor Nr.11 is brewed by Borg Brugghús. The good brewmasters at Borg gave me this bottle when I stopped in and visited them last month in Reykjavik. 

Pours darker than you would expect, a hazy golden almost amber color with some sediment settling at the bottom of the glass. It doesn't have the big banana nose like some German variants, it is more subtle. On the drink it has a nice yeasty hoppiness mixed in with some wheat and banana finishing out with little bitterness and some wheat lingering around in the aftertaste. This is a good hefeweizen and it hits all the notes, but it does have a bit of peculiarity. This is like your cousin from a different part of the country. Same family, but different point of view on things. This isn't a German hefeweizen, it is an Icelandic hefeweizen that speaks German and has some extended family living over there. 

I did a sausage test on it, enjoying the beer with bratwurst and spaetzle, (ideally it would have been weisswurst but it can't always be perfect) and here the beer worked very well complimenting the spice and flavor of the meat. For this brew that is the ideal situation, to be a natural accompaniment to the grill or a picnic. I enjoyed Sumarliði a lot and only hope that eventually Borg will import to the States sooner rather than later. This comes in at an enjoyable 6.0% ABV.

Here is the party line on 

"Sumarliði is the first German wheat beer produced and sold in Iceland. This prestigious and enjoyable beer style can be traced back to Bavaria, where beer like this is called Hefeweizen and enjoys immense popularity."

Want another opinion on Sumarliði, then go read a local's point of view.

Our other candidate tonight is out of Michigan, Cerise, brewed by Founders Brewing Company.

This is delicious. Cherry, cherry, and more cherry. It poured a clear scarlet red with minimal head. On the drink you get cherry. It is has some tartness, but it is interwoven with more sweetness than you would expect. It is a rich beer, but it isn't heavy or cloying, with intense flavors up but clearing of the palette very quickly with just a hint of tart funkiness in the aftertaste. It was a very smooth drinker with decent carbonation.

This is a great example of beer as dessert. It would work amazing with cheesecake, decent with chocolate, and fine as a digestif alone. It comes in at a surprising but very well masked 6.5% ABV. If you wanted a beer to convert diehard wine drinkers to the joys of the grain then this may very well be your ticket. 

Here is the "party line" on Cerise:

You’ll have a soft spot for this one. Using only fresh Michigan tart cherries, this beauty tantalizes with intense flavors combined with a no-hesitation malt bill. Adding fresh cherries at five separate stages of fermentation achieves the ultimate balance between tartness and sweetness.

We have barely scratched the surface of what is available during the summer season and for the most part stuck by traditional summers like pale wheats. There are many others sitting on the shelves waiting for you to discover them so get out there and explore! Let us know in the comments what a few of your favorite summer brews were this year.

Flying Fish in the Shipyard! A look at two northeastern summer seasonals.

We are still battling the heat out here, though a respite comes tomorrow. I have to admit I really don't like the heat, once it gets above 85 degrees I would prefer to shut down and do a whole lot of nothing. There is an exception to this, if I am on a nice sandy beach, breeze blowing off the ocean, resting in a chair with an umbrella, a beer in one hand, and a gin and tonic chaser in the other then it can be 90, 100, 105 degrees, I'll be just fine, otherwise give me cold day any day. That said, the real reason we are here tonight is to continue looking at a few summer seasonals. 

Our first candidate is Farmhouse Summer Ale by Flying Fish Brewery out of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. It poured a hazy golden color with a big, fluffy, white head that slowly settled. There was a lot of particulate swirling about, finally coming to rest at the bottom of the glass. This had a nice crisp bite up front with good carbonation. It was effervescent, fruity, and light on the tongue with some mild bitterness and faint grassiness in the aftertaste wrapping up with a dry finish. Overall it reminded me of a lighter version of a comes of as a lighter version of a saison, which isn't a bad thing particularly on a hot day. This beer is a decent summer drinker that I would use for a more "formal" summer party. I think this has the potential to be a really good cheese beer. It comes in at a refreshing 4.6% ABV. For my first Flying Fish experience it sets a pretty solid standard. I'm pretty happy with the result.

Here is the "party line" on Farmhouse Summer Ale:

A tribute to the highly drinkable "every day" beers from French-speaking Belgium. Contains Belgian two-row pale malt and 7% wheat. This beer is lightly filtered with an earthy, spicy hop character from imported Styrian Goldings hops and a beautiful rich creamy head from the wheat.

Our other candidate for the night is Shipyard Brewery's Summer Ale from Portland, Maine. This is a pale wheat ale, the American craft brewers' go to style when brewing up a summer seasonal. This poured a clear dark golden color with little head that quickly disappeared.

This is bigger in taste than other summer seasonals I have had. It reminds me almost of a lager in the way that it has a larger body. It clearly is punching above its weight class here. There is some faint fruitiness and a flat taste of wheat, fair carbonation, with a lingering but small bitterness in the aftertaste which hovers in the background for a good while after then drink. It is an all right brew but doesn't really do anything to standout from the crowd other than be more filling and bigger bodied than other summer seasonals. That isn't necessarily a good thing on a hot summer day. It comes in at a smooth 5.1% ABV.

Here is the party line on Shipyard's Summer Ale:

Shipyard Summer Ale is a traditional American wheat beer. With its inviting golden color, mellow malted wheat flavor and less hoppy characteristics, it’s sure to please those looking for a clean, cool taste sensation on long, hot summer days.

The anatomy of a well run festival: NoVa Summer Brewfest photo catalog

A few weekends ago the 5th Annual Northern Virginia Summer Brewfest had a craft beer celebration out at Morvern Park in Leesburg. Most of the festivals I've attended over the last few years have done a great job with the beer so now I have started to look at other factors, the intangibles that make a festival a great experience or a fiasco. We have all been to festivals that are too crowded, no parking, beer ran out early, and frankly just annoying. My intent is to use the NoVa Summer Brewfest as a case study of how to run a festival.

There was only one real hiccup and that was actually finding it which was entirely my fault for not reading thoroughly on the website.  I know a little due diligence on my part would have prevented me from running all over northern Virginia. I do know I was not the only one that had issues with directions. Now that we have gotten my stupidity out of the way,  let's take a closer look at the Brewfest itself and what they did well.To do this we are going to break it down with a photo collection. 

The location was excellent, on the outskirts of Leesburg adjacent to Morvern Park. Parking was plentiful and free and to keep things interesting Civil War re-enactors had encamped nearby. Musketry occasionally rang out throughout the summer day.

Safety first! This was actually a reoccurring theme throughout the event. Here is a prime example, the festival had organized a shuttle service of several coach busses that could transport people to and fro from the Vienna metro. You paid a little more for your tickets but didn't have to worry about all the hassle.

Another example of safety first. Local law enforcement was on the scene, very courteous, and making the rounds.

Kids had an area all for themselves with not just two bouncy houses...

...but also other fun activities including balloon animals...and seriously, who doesn't love balloon animals. Seriously, this was a nice inclusion and promoted a family friendly atmosphere.

The designated driver tent was manned and providing complimentary beverages for those responsible heroes.

Law enforcement officers made the rounds throughout the festival grounds.

Organized and plentiful spaces for people to relax, talk, and eat their foods. In the background, a decent amount of facilities for people to relieve themselves also.

Speaking of foods, there were a wide variety of foods for peoples enjoyment. Not only the usual assortment of beer festival food like sausages and pretzels, but also Thai, paninis, and other various sundries.

Plenty of open space between the tents...Brewvival take note. I can't stress how important this element is. Nobody likes to be packed in like sardines. In the center row were a variety of vendors and artisans adding to the festival atmosphere.

There was live music, always a nice addition to any festival. Rebelicious entertains the crowd during their set. Overall there were 8 bands throughout the two day event.

All these above elements form a nice solid foundation so people can enjoy their time at the festival, but they came here for a reason. So let's actually take a look at the beer. Before we dive to far in though...

...a word of thanks to the volunteers. They did a great job. All the tasting booths were manned by a motivated and fun volunteer corps that was friendly, courteous, and hard-working. This allowed the brewers a chance to talk with folks.

As for beer, a majority served up by the breweries were refreshing summer seasonals which was to be expected. As we have discussed earlier, summer seasonals can be defined in all sorts away so the diversity of beer meant there was something for everyone.

Local up and comers were represented. Port City Brewing brought their summer seasonal Downright Pilsner. They were joined...

by their colleagues across the river, DC Brau...

....and the fine folks from Lost Rhino along with others.

Your regional breweries are represented. Here is Starr Hill out of Charlottesville, but DuClaw, Weyerbacher, Williamsburg Alewerks, and others had turned out.

Big names in the craft world were present too! Oskar Blues represents here but other big craft brewers included Bell's, Abita, St. Louis Brewing (Schlafly), and Great Lakes to name a few.

New kids are encouraged to share their hard work for the enjoyment of the masses. Three Heads Brewing came down from Rochester, New York. Other new breweries to the event included Blue Mountain and Climax Brewing.

Your major sponsor, Vintage 50, is present and serving up their own quality brews...

...with head brewster Kristi Griner showing off her hard working kicks.

So to wrap this up. What makes a good beer festival? I think you can break it down to these seven basic points: (in no particular order)

• Entertainment for all ages
• A diverse selection of quality brews
• Ample food selection!
• Space and plenty of parking/ accessibility.
• Safety!
• Motivated staff and volunteers.
• A proper amount of facilities for folks to relieve themselves.

I'm sure there are other things I have missed, but all in all the NoVa Summer Brewfest hit all those marks and then some. I applaud their efforts on pulling off a great festival and I look forward to the NoVa Fall Brewfest this October.

Independence Day Safety: 7 Non-Alcoholic Beers

This is soda masking as beer.

Skye: Every so often we step away from the craft scene and look into the smaller niches and crevices to explore spaces the might not be looked at. Last time Rudy and I looked at gluten-free beers, this time we take a gander at those misjudged, unloved children: non-alcoholic beer.

Rudy: For the longest time in my drinking career those two words made about as much sense to me as decaffeinated coffee….What? Most of us see them daily or at least every time we pass the beer isle in the back of the store, hidden from view. If you happen to be in one of the bigger grocery stores with a large liquor selection they will segregate the Non-alcohol from the alcoholic beverages. You might be asking why…well the first thought is that demand for non-alcoholic beer is obviously less than the main stream high octane craft brews and commercialized beers that we have come to know, love and consume. One might think that, but actually there is a strong surge in non-alcohol beers and you might be surprised at the brewery’s that are making very good, (I hate to say it), beers.

I chose three beers to taste, from the high to the low end of non-alcoholic beers. First up was:

Clausthaler Premium
Imported from Germany.

This beer comes in two distinctive varieties “Premium” and “Golden Amber”, both of these beers are very good. They have distinctive color and taste, a bit skunky, [ed. note: skunkiness may be attributed to the time of import, agitation in transit or light pollution from sitting on the shelf] but full bodied and very smooth.

St Pauli N.A. Malt Beverage
Imported from Germany.

Yes, another German malt…I loved this beer in my youth, one of the all time go to beers in the fridge. I have to say, at first taste it was the same and then after a couple more swigs I began to feel like something was missing. It was very distinct in contrast and flavor, but it was like drinking your favorite pop, (soda) and it only has some of the syrup. It is good and you can drink it, but you could also wait until they fix it.

If you want a beer that tasted the same without the alcohol this one nailed it!

Kaliber, Malt beer
Imported from Ireland.

Guinness is a great brewery and this beer has a great color and mild caramelized overtones. I think it is a little muted and watery, but not bad. I am not saying that I would trade this for a real Guinness, but if I was the designated driver and all they had from the brewery were Guinness and the non Guinness…I would still hold one in my hand and be jealous all night long.

Skye: I choose four different brews. Three of them I found in my local Total Wine and the last I stumbled across in a small English Tea Shop here in Virginia. In my view the point of a non-alcoholic brew is to be a decent simulacrum to it's alcohol-based brother. It needs to look like beer, smell like beer, act like beer, and most importantly taste like beer. One thing to note, if you want good NA beer you are going to pay a bit of money.

Shandy Bass:
Imported from England.

Looks like beer - Yes, dark on the pour
Smells like beer - No, very little smell actually
Acts like beer - No, way to fizzy and noisy on the pour
Tastes like beer - No, definitely not

The can tells me that this is made with real Bass beer, so at least it has that going for it. It poured like soda, a lot of fizziness and noise. The head disappeared very quickly. It's sweet, slightly flat, a clear amber color. It's a refreshing beverage something you could drink in place of a soda if you wanted to.

Drink your Beck's NA while enjoying
a bratwurst and you won't be
dis

Verdict: This is a soda version of a shandy with some beer flavoring. Enjoyable but definitely not beer-like at all.

Beck's Non-Alcoholic
Imported from Germany.

Looks like beer - Yes, nice golden color
Smells like beer - Yes, smells like a cheaper Euro lager
Acts like beer - Yes, pours with a fizzy head that dissipates but never
Tastes like beer - Yes, tastes fairly malty but there is a bit of hops to balance things out.

I had this with bratwurst and spaetzel and it stood up very well. It does a lot of things fairly right for a lager, it's hopped fairly well, decent carbonation. The hops are there in the nose and on the taste, but it doesn't have the crisp bite. I found that body wise something was not quite right, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. The malt extract is big enough to provide some cover.

Verdict: Overall this is a decent simulacrum of beer, easily drinkable and was surprising decent with the bratwurst. 

Paulaner ThomasBrau
Imported from Germany.

Looks like beer - Yes, nice golden color
Smells like beer - No, smells like a malt extract bomb
Acts like beer - Yes, but the head disappears really fast
Tastes like beer - No, tastes like light malty water…that is not a good thing.

When I purchased these I had high hopes for this since Paulaner tends to brew decent, quality brews. Needless to say I am sorely letdown. This is not very good at all. There is no body to it, it doesn't taste at all like beer instead going for an overwhelming but weak malt taste. There is little hop presence and what is there makes no impression. The aftertaste is a faint blah of malt extract. The only thing it has going for it is decent carbonation but it made me burp which only served to remind me how poor this was. It is a constant reminder that you are not drinking a real beer.

Verdict: Avoid. If this is the only thing in the cooler drink a soda instead. If you are dying of thirst in Death Valley and this is all that is left then yes drink it, but it will still taste like disappointment.

Buckler

Imported from Holland.

Looks like beer - Yes, nice golden straw color,
Smells like beer - Yes, but it is more faint, with a mild hoppy smell
Acts like beer - Yes, great fizzy head on the pour
Tastes like beer - Yes, but it is lighter on the taste

This is a light beer equivalent for NAs. It is does have a decent bite on the drink, but not much body to it at all. A decent hop presence and good carbonation, there is some maltiness but it is more background noise, no real aftertaste to speak of other than a very faint bitterness. This is decent if unremarkable, but it is a refreshing brew and would go well on a hot summer picnic.

Verdict: If you want a lighter tasting NA then go get the Buckler.

Rudy: I am happy to say that, although Skye has once again given me a challenge that I was not too sure I was going to enjoy… I did have fun finding out about the new beers that are out there on the back shelves hidden from the lime light, but are still useful and desired by those who can not participate in the consumption of real honest to goodness alcoholic brews. Today’s brewers have found new and inventive ways to give us the full bodied taste, smell and color that embodies the alcoholic beverage without the alcoholic substance.

Skye: If you need to take one for the team you don't have to be miserable while you do it. Hopefully these recommendations help point you in the right direction when choosing a non-alcoholic brew. This shows that you don't have to sacrifice taste and enjoyment. Happy Independence Day and remember to be responsible and safe out there!

Want a different point of view? Then check out this huge 11 NA beer taste test!

Beer Links for the first official week of Summer

Let's get right to it! 

In the News!

One day I will end up in Bulgaria and I will
 drink one of these. I'm not sure
if that is a good thing

A line of beers under 5% finds its way (Canoe)

A well crafted session beer is a wonderful thing. 

Craft Brewers Form Connecticut Beer Guild (Hartford Courant)

Slowly but surely craft brewers are stealing guild powers from the SCA. 

Carving a New Niche in Craft Beer (Terra USA)

This growler pouring system sounds bad ass!

Rogue Ales Debut Beer Yeast from Brewmaster’s Beard. (Food and Drink Digital)

Anything to keep your name in the papers...but I'll try it. 

Almost 50% of beer consumption is in summer: Union of Brewers in Bulgaria (FOCUS News Agency)

Because in the winter we all drink liquor!

ABC Beer’s Draft Selection Will Have You Growling In Delight (The Gothamist) 

Growler mania continues to boom.

Beer Notes: L.A. Beer Hop plans bus tours of bars and breweries (Los Angeles Times)

I need an LA writer to go try this out and report back. Any takers?

Beer, Wine, Liquor Sales: How They’ve Changed in Recent Years (Time)

The one common denominator? We love our alcohol. 

Corona beer draws AB InBev to Modelo deal (Reuters)

6th largest beer market...I did not know that. A lasting influence by the Hapsburgs. 

Beer for 24 Cents Gains in Spain Amid Consumer Cutbacks (Businessweek) 

I'm sure Rudy would be thrilled if this was our next combined write up.

Hotels use craft beers, tastings to attract business (USA Today)

It would work on me. 

In Site News

I finally got the Borg Brugghus interview transcribed and will be posting all three parts later this week. The NoVa Summer brewfest was this past weekend, look for a write up of that tomorrow. As always you can find us on a variety of social media sites, just click on the widgets in the top right corner. I hope you are all staying refreshed in the summer sun and thanks for stopping in!

Summer beckons; a closer look at two summer seasonals

Welcome to the official start of summer. It is already hot and it's going to get hotter. Last time Sarah looked a bit at a few year round beers that work well in the summer. Now I'm going to look more at what is on the shelves that was specifically brewed for summertime enjoyment.

Like pilsners, summer brews are meant to be thirst quenching and refeshing. We've moved out of the leftovers from winter or last year's brewing. Traditionally this would have been some of the first real fresh brew of the year and it was meant to be enjoyed that way. What you find is a beer that is a bit lighter, more crisp, a bit reserved on the hops and a touch of fruitiness, though sometimes fruit is added in to amplify the tastes. literally. We aren't dealing with the richness of stouts or barleywines here but that doesn't mean flavor has taken a back seat. It's just more refined and subtle. If there was a style for a summer seasonal in the American craft beer scene then it is a pale wheat beer, but that doesn't tell the whole story, you can find saison, kölsch, pilsner, and others style being offered too. The Summer seasonal then is another misnomer like the festive beers of Christmas or the spring seasonals that we just left. We are just going to use it as an excuse for trying these beers out and considering how they would taste on a hot summer day. 

Bell's Brewery Oberon

The beer poured a nice hazy golden color with a fair share of sediment that swirled around then settled at the bottom of the glass. A small white head that slowly dissipated but never disappeared and moderate carbonation. You can taste the wheat but it isn't as forward as you would find in a Witbier or here-weiss though both of those really aren't apt comparisons. This is meant to be more subdued than those styles, a welterweight fighter compared to those middleweights. There is a whiff of spice in the nose, but on the drink it blends in with the subtle fruitiness in the beer. It finishes pretty smooth with a minimal bitterness in the aftertaste that clears off very quickly. Lighter than you expect but adequately charged at 5.8% ABV. I would say this would be a good 80 to 85 degree beer. It is a beer that requires just a bit of time to warm a bit to reveal itself, but it would not be as enjoyable in the big heat and humidity. There is a reason this beer has become the classic it is and it is safe to say it is a suitable benchmark for comparison as we dive into other summer seasonals. Go enjoy one of these. Here is the 'party line' on Oberon: 

Bell's Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell's signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic summer beer.

Goose Island Summertime 

Back when I lived in the Midwest Goose Island's Hex Nut Brown, (now discontinued sadly) was a quality session beer. A few months ago I had a Goose Island IPA at the Kennedy Center and I was surprised that I found it there. After a little research I found out why, Goose Island had been purchased by Anheuser-Busch which meant its distribution had been expanded. I'll admit that it dampened my enthusiasm a little but it is time to move on and see if the Goose still has it. 

This is a kölsch-style beer which means its comparison is more in line with a pilsner except this isn't a lager, it's an ale. It was a response to the success of pilsner, a local style that changed enough to be competitive, hold on, and actually stop pilsner in its tracks.

It poured a clear golden straw color with high carbonation and a fluffy white head. Like pilsner this is better when fresh and chilled. Unlike a pilsner with it's earthy bitterness, kölsch goes more for a fruity bitterness though in the case of the Summertime it is rather mild and leaves little impression. It has a decent crispness on the drink but the rest is rather uneventful. I hoped for more out of this beer and I am not finding it.

Some of this may be chalked up to the fact that kölsch as a style is one where I don't have as much experience as I would like but if you compare this to the three I have had over the last few months this is rather lackluster. There is another commonality kolsch and pilsner have and that is there is nowhere for the brewer to hide. Because of the simplicity and purity of the ingredients both demand diligence and skill to to get the most out of them, the Summertime is not delivering on that front. It has 5% ABV.

The Summertime falls into the category of a gateway beer. It's an easy beer for folks used to industrial lagers to drink and enjoy. It also would do well on those really hot summer days. But like the really hot and humid day you are going to want a change of pace sooner rather than later. Here is the 'party line' on Summertime:

The color of sunshine, with a light fruity aroma and a hint of fruity acidity, Goose Island Summertime is the perfect summer session ale. A kölsch beer brewed in the traditional German fashion, you'll find yourself enjoying and savoring each sip of summertime as much as you do those hot summer days and cool summer nights.