Monthly Archives: February 2007

The history of stout

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Porters, a dark ale favored by London street and river porters, hence the name, was first developed in the early 1700s. It was relatively strong by modern standards (above 6% ABV) and the porters drank it to keep up their energy as they carried parcels on and off ships and throughout London’s streets.

The word “stout”, after the fourteenth century, had taken on as one of its meanings “strong”, and was used as such describe strong beers. “Stout” could be applied to any style, meaning it was not uncommon to see a “stout pale ale”. In 1820 Guinness began producing a stout porter. As time went on, “stout” came to apply only to porter and, eventually, the “porter” part of the name dropped off. Today, stouts are no longer stronger versions of porters but a style in their own right and, in fact, may have less alcohol than some porters.

Stout declined in popularity starting in the 1800s, partly due to the high cost and lower yield from brown malt as well as the introduction and adoption of pale ale. In fact, during World War II restrictions on the roasting of malt effectively killed English porter and stout production. It remained popular in places such as in Scotland and Ireland, but beyond those small pockets was unknown. That is, until Michael Jackson revived interest in it in the 1970s, including prompting revival of the extinct oatmeal stout.

Brown’s Brewery – It’s Been Too Long – Part V

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I mentioned earlier in this series that I used to get over to Brown’s Brewery, known as the Troy Pub back then, every other Friday with my colleagues from work. It was a great bonding experience for all of us and I miss it greatly. About 10 years ago, I had to abandon my friends at the bar because I was changing jobs.

In doing research for this series, I stopped over at lunch last Friday to chat with the pub’s owner and low and behold, there they were! …still sitting there at the bar I had left them at almost a decade ago!

beertoast2.jpgI recall that it was during those years that the pub made such an impression on me. As a matter of fact, it was my friend Sue who made me try the Pumpkin Ale despite that I didn’t like pumpkin and that I also had strong feelings against fruit/adjuncts in beer. But it was a turning point and since then I have fallen in love with pumpkin ales.

The Golden Ale was a beer that the pub brewed during that time and has been the fuel behind my Quest for the Golden Ale. I had a keg of this Golden Ale for a party back in 1996. I remember pouring that first glass off the tap and my friend making fun at me as I prattled on about the beer… I know he read this blog, so I’ll leave myself open to be poked fun at again.

At one point in my career, my work turned back to Troy and I was able to frequent the pub once again. My favorite barmaid knew me by name and another whole slew of memories were made during those years as we drank many pints of pale ales and porters.

It was great to see my old friends again and it brought back many great memories, including something I didn’t realize I missed that much.

Brown’s Brewery is a welcoming pub that has everything I look for in a pub. But, it is the time you spend with friends that create the experiences you enjoy and will always remember. Brown’s Brewery provides the stage, the atmosphere, upon which to enjoy and relax and make memories that last a lifetime.

After all, while life is not all about beer, beer is all about life.

Beer News Sampler

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Beer drinkers turn to less heady brews
A movement is afoot in the United Kingdom where beer drinkers are demanding lower alcohol “session” beers. The idea is that with lower alcohol one can spend more time socializing in the pub without getting drunk. Brewers are also looking to market to more women as well. Some of the larger American brewers are experimenting with the idea, but it doesn’t look like it’s catching on here on this side of the pond.

Foster’s Says Profit Rises 90% on Beer, Asset Sales
With a 55% market share of beer in Australia, Fosters’ profits nearly doubles from raising some beer prices. They also managed to cut costs in their wine business, prompted by a glut in that market, and also by selling their breweries in Vietnam. We Americans did our part, as their sales here were up 17 percent.

No sex please…
A new study shows that middle-aged British women have lower sex drives than their European counterparts. One participant in the study suggests that due to the drinking culture British men just don’t take care of themselves, resulting in beer bellies and being less desirable to women.

Free beer. Free, as in speech
You’ve heard of open source software, but open source beer? A group of Danish students are doing it. “The only requirements for using Free Beer’s recipe and branding are that you have to credit Free Beer and that any improvements to the recipe or branding have to be published and openly licensed for others to use.” freebeer.org

Beer price war brews
Australia, where until recently beer was universally light and bland, now finds itself in the midst of a pricing war for premium brands. Our Ozzie friends’ palates are increasingly looking for more flavorful options.

Craft Beer Growth an American Success Story
This has been all over the beer blogosphere lately, but just in case you missed it: Craft brewers in the United States enjoyed double-digit growth again, increasing sales by nearly 12% in 2006.

Anheuser Busch brewing a beer without adjuncts?

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Is it even possible?

Apparently so.

maltmich.jpgI note that William Dowd of the Albany Times Union in his Dowd on Drinks column/blog mentions that Michelob and Michelob Light will return to an all-malt formula as of this Monday.

This reverses a change originally made in 1961 when Anheuser Busch started using rice in its beers to lighten the taste.

Of course, Michelob and Michelob Light sales are down 16 and 10 percent respectively since 2005. A cynical person might suggest that A-B’s move is more about trying to jump-start sales of a family of flagging products rather than love of beer causing such a change of heart.

The new formula will also be in some funky new bottles, which are actually an old style. Everything old is new again.

Got beer?

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Remember that old saw about politics making strange bedfellows? How about this one:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are encouraging people to drink beer as a more healthy alternative to milk as part of their Milk Gone Wild campaign. They’re even giving away a six-pack of “vegan” beer each month. (There’s beer that’s not vegan?)

Now I’m not keen on all of the methods that PETA uses, and this is not a political blog, but how can you not like free beer?

Not only that, but they’re pretty much right, about the beer anyway. See our Health category for stories we’ve covered.

(via: Days That End in Y)

Hop & Vine: An appreciation

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Longer ago than I care to recall, my wife threw a surprise 30th birthday party for me. Unlike most surprise parties, this one really was a surprise. She also managed to get just about all of the people dearest to me to the restaurant where it was held, even though many of them had a significant distance to travel.

hopandvine_logo_small.gifAmong the gifts were a gift certificate to Hop & Vine in Morristown, New Jersey. Ron had started homebrewing within the last year and I, well, coveted the delicious, fresh beer he was able to create. As a result, I’d expressed to my wife and others several times that I’d like to try homebrewing myself.

Honestly, I didn’t think anything would ever come of it. But, there it was: a large dollar amount reserved for me at the local homebrewing and winemaking supply store. There was nothing for it but to give it a whirl.

A few days later I went to the store not really knowing what to expect. Oh, sure, Ron had talked about what he’d been doing, but it isn’t like he invited me over to help him brew or anything. (Okay, so he lived over three hours away.) When I got there I told Barbara (or maybe it was Julianne) what I was there for. She asked me what kind of beer I was looking to make. I don’t recall what I said, but she immediately set to collecting the equipment and ingredients for my first kit. I know she asked if I had any questions, but I think I was too dumbstruck to actually have any. She gave me the Hop & Vine Beginner Homebrewing instructions, went over them with me briefly, then cheerfully sent me on my way.

Ah, the instructions. They made everything so clear and seem so easy. So easy that I have used them ever since. I haven’t had a batch of beer go bad on me yet. Admittedly, I haven’t made that many batches, and it was a long time between the first few and my latest two, but these instructions have been like a security blanket. (I like them so much, in fact, that I’ve transcribed them from the wrinkled and stained paper I have to a page to share with the world.)

Both Barbara and Julianne were always helpful, encouraging, and ready to answer questions. On my second batch, after having transferred my wort from the primary to secondary fermenter, I accidentally pushed the stopper all the way into the carboy. I was in a panic! I didn’t know what to do. I had no experience with this, and it sure wasn’t in the instructions. So I called up the store. I explained my predicament and she told me to cover the neck with a plastic bag and come on in. She gave me a new stopper, told me to leave the other stopper in until after I transferred the beer out for bottling, and even suggested how to get the stopper out. (A bent wire coat hanger, natch.)

Not long after that they moved from Morristown to Lebanon, New Jersey. I don’t know the reasons behind the move, but I know that they weren’t going to get the same kind of walk-in traffic in a strip mall along US highway 22 as they were in the middle of historic Morristown. I visited them there a couple of times, but my brewing slowed and then stopped as I changed jobs, started a family, and made a couple of moves myself. Still, I was quite saddened when I heard they’d closed. I think that not having that familiar place and those friendly people who I “knew” was a significant factor in me not brewing for a long while.

I’m sure some of you reading this will be quick to point out that your local homebrew supplier is just as friendly and helpful. I don’t doubt it. But for me, this was my first encounter with the “homebrewing scene” and I had no expectations or prior experience. I’ve gone ahead and introduced myself at my new local homebrew supplier, and they seem friendly and I’m sure they’ll turn out to be just as helpful. But they’re not my first homebrew supply shop.

Wherever you’ve gone, Hop & Vine people, you’re missed. A toast to you.

I think I’ve Created a Monster, and I Love Her

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I love to eat out for a fine meal and so does my wife; especially as a way to take a break from the kids and just spend some ‘us’ time. We try to go out at least once a month.

This time around, I wanted to try something a little different. Instead of just going out to the restaurant and having a drink at the bar while waiting for a table, I decided to make the waiting at the bar the focal point and suggested going over to Brown’s Brewery & Pub for drinks and then head somewhere else for a fancier dinner.

“Go out for drinks?” she asked. She told me she has never gone out ‘just for drinks’. I was shocked… and we’ve been together for 19 years!

It seemed a little out of the norm for her but she went along with it anyway; and, she was very glad she did. It didn’t take long for her to relax and not hop-heart.jpgthink about what we were going to do next. Instead, we were able to just think about us and have great conversation; the kind you will never get to have with kids at the table.

The only problem is I think I’ve created a monster. Now, that’s all she wants to do; but I’m good with it because I’d rather put my time and money into good beer and a relationship, rather than a $30 steak. We almost didn’t go to dinner, but we did. However, we did decide that next time we are just going out for drinks and perhaps splitting an appetizer, focusing on us, and not the dinner.

Brown’s Brewery Bottles Beer – Part IV

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Brown’s Brewery to bottle beer… it’s not Dr. Seuss, it’s for real. Owner Garrett Brown has informed me that they are working hard on their flagship products because coming in the spring of 2007, Brown’s Brewery will be bottling the Pale Ale, IPA and Oatmeal Stout in 12 ounce bottles for regional distribution. This means that the great beer you get at the pub might soon be available at your favorite distributor.

browns-bottled-beer-008_sm.jpgRight now, you can get all of Brown’s Brewery products to bring home in either a growler or in a 20oz bottle. I have made the effort to visit the pub a couple times in the past few weeks (all in the name of research for our beer blog, of course) and brought home a pair of bottles, including a brew I haven’t talked about much, the Brown ale.

Yes, Brown makes a brown beer that you can get in a bottle, but currently only at Brown’s Brewery in Troy, New York. (extra credit to anyone who can re-write that with more B’s – leave a comment) Brown ales happen to be my wife’s favorite style. She is not a hop-head and prefers the taste of sweet malt and a hint of hops; she also likes the Oktoberfest style a lot.

I sampled Brown’s Brown Ale and it was excellent, but I’d rather give you my bride’s thoughts on the beer since she is probably a better critic of brown ales. Her favorite browns are:
1. Brooklyn Brown
2. Tilburg’s Dutch Brown Ale
3. Wolaver’s Brown Ale

I suspect she would also like Smuttynose, Troegs & Samuel Smith’s, but she hasn’t had them enough to compare with. Also, Newcastle used to be a favorite, but was really an introduction to the style and is no longer her favorite. So where does Brown’s Brown stand within the rankings…? Either tied, or better than, the Brooklyn and I can’t disagree. She described Brown’s Brown to have a little more of a molasses character, something she loves. Brown’s Brown was well done, smooth, sweet and well balanced. I’m glad we found it, but I think I may have created a monster…

Marmite Guinness

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Talk about specialty foods, here’s an odd one for Anglophiles.

guinnessmarmite.jpgJust in time for Saint Patrick’s Day, Guinness yeast extract will be used to make a special spread. As described by Cool Hunting:

…[F]or those of you who aren’t familiar with Marmite, it’s a nutritious, vegan-friendly, British foodstuff originally made from the yeast left over by the beer-brewing process. Usually, it’s spread thinly on toast, and for those who like it, it has a salty, almost meaty flavor. For those who don’t, the flavor is more akin to that of earwax.

Well, that sure is…interesting. Only 300, 000 jars will be manufactured and can be found in UK supermarkets for about £2.49.

Well, I’m obviously not going to get to the UK any time soon, but I wonder if I could find some “regular” marmite on this side of the pond. I should try it once.

(via: Boing Boing)