beers of conviction

And what I failed to mention yesterday about Green Lakes Organic Ale is that it poured with a billowing head that left elegant lacing on the sides of the glass. That certainly added to an impression the beer was fresh and alive.

I thought of this yesterday evening while I was reading “Grape vs. Grain,” a book by Charles Bamforth due out in May. It is subtitled “A Historical, Technological, and Social Comparison of Wine and Beer.” Once I finish it and then “He Said beer, She Said Wine” I will review the two of them together.

Before wandering off on a discourse about what constitutes a good head on a beer and why it happens, Bamforth writes:

“There is no question that foams impacts drinker’s perception of a product. Show customers images of beer with good or poor foam and those with superior foam are declared to be better brewed, fresh, and better tasting. All this is based solely on appearance; not a drop has been drunk in making this evaluation.”

(In the interest of honesty, the photo is not Green Lakes. It’s a picture of nice beer lace I happen to have on hand. No, I do not carry it around in my wallet.)

This might not go over well in Belgium. I pick Belgium because that is notoriously the land of non-styles, and although the Brewers Association does not define any additional styles in the 2008 Beer Style Guidelines there are 11 new categories.

Before getting to the list, a few words from Carl Kins, a Belgian beer enthusiast who judges at the Great American beer festival and world beer Cup: “We Belgians do not like categorization that much.”

Also, I hope Ron Pattinson is looking on and has some comments on the Leipzig-style Göse (maybe even a post I can just link to). So I’ll also drop that in before the list of what’s new.

The original versions of this style of beer were spontaneously fermented, similarly to Belgian style gueuze/lambic beers. No current German Göse breweries introduce any other microorganism into the fermentation other than pure beer yeast strains. This style description is indicative of traditional and original Göse. Complexity of acidic, flavor and aroma typical of original-style Göse should be contributed by developing acidity through introducing appropriate wild yeast and bacteria into the fermentation.

Göse is enjoyed fresh, carbonated, and cloudy, with yeast character and may have evidence of continued fermentation activity. Light in color, negligible malt and hop character. Some versions may have the spicy character of added coriander. Salt (table salt) character is also permissible in low amounts. Character of lactic acid is evident. Horsey, leathery, earthy aroma and flavors contributed by Brettanomyces yeasts may be evident but have a very low profile, as this beer is not excessively aged. Overall complexity of flavors and aromas are sought. Balance between acidity, and yeast-enhanced, spice and refreshment is ideal.

Original Gravity (ºPlato):
1.040-1.046 (10-11.5 ºPlato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato):
1.008-1.012 (2-3 ºPlato)
Alcohol by Weight (Volume):
3.5-4% (4.4-5%)
Bitterness (IBU): 10-15
Color SRM (EBC): 3-6 (6-12 EBC)

Now, the other new stuff.

Fresh Hop Ale
Ales which are hopped exclusively with fresh and un-dried (“wet”) hops.

American-Belgo Styles Ales
These beers portray the unique characters imparted by yeasts typically used in fruity and big Belgian-style ales.

Belgian-Style Blonde Ale
Belgian-style blonde ales are characterized by low yet evident hop bitterness, flavor and sometimes aroma.

Australasian-Style Pale Ale
This style is a mild, pale, light-bodied ale with a color varying from light to amber. Hop bitterness and flavor range from very low to low.

Out of Category- Traditionally Brewed Beers
There are many excellent and popular beers that are brewed with traditional ingredients and processes, yet their character may vary from styles currently defined or included in these guidelines.

Wood- and Barrel- Aged Beer
Any lager, ale, or hybrid beer, either a traditional style or a unique experimental beer that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.

Wood- and Barrel- Aged Pale to Amber Beer
Any classic style or unique experimental beer that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.

Wood- and Barrel- Aged Dark Beer
Any classic style or unique experimental style of dark beer beer can be wood or barrel-aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.

Wood- and Barrel- Aged Strong Beer
Any strong classic style or unique, experimental style of beer can bee wood or barrel-aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.

Wood- and Barrel- Aged Sour Beer
A wood- or barrel- aged beer is any lager, ale, or hybrid beer, either a traditional style or a unique experimental beer that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood and has developed a bacterial induced natural acidity.

“Brew” Blog yesterday asked: “Why do People Drink Imports?”

The blog and a related monthly magazine (download it at no charge) are from Miller Brewing, and Miller recently conducted research to understand why people pick up the imports they choose.

A lot to look at but here are a few bullet points suggesting how people choose their imports, and that they may have very different reasons.

• Fun. Sometimes people want to celebrate a special occasion – and “special” can mean anything from a pick-up game to a party to a vacation – by paying a little more for a beer. During times like these, people tend to pick up brands such as Corona Extra, Foster’s or Modelo Especial.

• Discernment. Some people want to seek out unique-tasting beers (think lambics) or beers that offer a distinct taste experience (hoppier beers). But the taste is the most important thing. For the more luxury inclined person, this could mean ordering a Chimay. Someone hanging out with friends in a beer garden on a sunny day might opt for a Pilsner Urquell.

• Status. Green-bottled European lagers are the beers of choice for people seeking a badge that says they’re sophisticated and accomplished – or who just want a refreshing beer. Hence the number of green bottles at high-end lounges or restaurants. Beers for these settings include Heineken, Stella Artois and Peroni Nastro Azzurro.

You’ve probably already figured out what’s missing here. Craft beers, microbrews, whatever you call them. Mostly American, but also the imports that aren’t distributed by giant brewing companies.

Yep, we drink them for fun, discernment and, to be honest, status. Although that doesn’t have to come in a green bottle.

The Ann Arbor News does a quick Q&A with Ron Jeffries of Jolly Pumpkin Ales: Serving humanity via better beer. Give Ron an opportunity to wax philosophic and he will.

Consider the last question: What makes a great beer?

That is a question that is impossible to answer because its entirely subjective. A really great beer is going to be different for every individual, and not only every individual, but every moment of your day and every day of your life because there are so many different flavors out there within different beers that go with so many different foods or different weather. There’s no answer to that question.

Nice answer.

Also got me wondering if flipping two words makes it a different question: What makes a beer great?

Too subtle? Perhaps. It could be the setting, a different sort of “moment” than Ron refers to, the pour, when the cask was broached, whatever.

All reasons that sometimes you drink a good-excellent-just fair beer and think “great,” and sometimes you pour a “great” beer and it isn’t.