A whole world of beer
Many people, especially fans of Sportsball events, tend to gravitate toward a preferred beer in life. They call themselves beer lovers. But, there’s usually one beer they drink. And, it’s a mass produced lager like Coor’s light, Bud light, or miller lite. Even when they branch out, it’s usually still a lager, just a different brand. This isn’t just an American Phenomenon. It’s worldwide. And, it shows in the numbers. Estimates put the number of breweries in the world around 19,000. In America, we have over 4,500 micro-breweries. But, the top 40 beer companies produce over 1.6 Billion hectoliters of beer annually, with the top 3 accounting for over 1/2 of that. There’s a whole world of beer out there; but, corporate mass produced beers are king. Today, let’s change that. It’s international beer day. So, start drinking.
When it comes to beer sales AB/inBev leads the pack with almost 500 million hectoliters across their portfolio of well known brands such as Bud, Corona, Becks, Stella Artois, and about 400 others. The next biggest is the Heineken portfolio of about 300 brands, and 240 million hectoliters. 3rd is China Resources Snow Breweries Ltd. at around 110 million, including the most sold beer, by volume, in the world: Snow (yes, the Chinese drink a lot of beer). With these 3 behemoth conglomerates, it’s a wonder that any other breweries stand a chance. But, remember, there is a whole world of beer out there. And, despite the sportsball mentality, there are plenty of us who want choice in our beer. These corporations do offer choice, but, it saps the independence of individual brewers. So, today, let’s drink outside the mass production box.
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There’s a whole world of beer hidden behind the corporate facade
In the USA, we’re noted for our entrepreneurial spirit. That’s why we lead the world in micro-breweries. But, they can’t compete with the corporate juggernaut. And, maybe that’s a good thing. The current economic crisis gripping the world stems from corporate greed. While large corporations have staying power and offer consistency, their very existence guarantees an unequal distribution of wealth. Walk into any store selling beer, you’ll find the vast majority of the hundreds of beers offered are all owned by a handful of groups. It looks like you have choice. But, the money all goes back to only a few. Plus, of the top ten, only Molson Coors is based in the USA/Canada. Constellation brand comes in at number 11. 3 of the top ten are Chinese.
So, today, when you go to the store, take the time to check out who owns the beer you’re about to buy. And, embrace the spirit that established the USA: Rebellion. Do some research. You’ll find that sourcing a truly independent beer is a lot harder than you think. But, don’t be tough on yourself when you discover that even some of the smaller names have corporate backing. There are still people, even in the corporate world, who have a passion for brewing. And, some smaller breweries find opportunity in selling to the big boys. They get distribution beyond their own capacity. And, a good chunk of change. Plus, the parent company usually tries to keep on employees and some of the culture that made the brewery special in the first place. But, profitability outweighs other concerns. So, it’s a bit of a tightrope maintaining an independent image.
Today is about variety
Yes, there is the Geo-political and anti-corporate issue. But, it’s not a deal breaker. You can drive yourself nuts trying to find a truly independent beer, especially when buying imported. And, that’s what today is about: trying the beers of the world. If you want to avoid conglomerates and greed, try home brewing. Or, you could visit a local brew pub. Being international beer day, the focus, today, is on trying new beers from around the world. The biggest problem with the corporate brews is that most of them are similar in style. There are over 100 different styles of beer. But, the majority sold are the simplest forms of lager. Don’t do that today, please.
Try a porter, bock, stout, lambic, sour, dubbel, trippel, wheat, altbier, Bière de Garde, or a host of other styles. whether you’re a seasoned beer aficionado or a football fan, make it a point to try different things. While trying beers from other countries is the aim, they don’t necessarily have to come from away. There is a world of difference in your local brewpub. For the best experience, we recommend trying a flight of beers to really explore different styles. That way you can sample 3 or more different styles without getting filled up. heck, you can even have a lager in the mix. Although, if that’s what you usually drink, please, try something else. There are plenty of flavorful, lighter styles; as well as, medium and heavy ales and beers. There’s a whole world of beer waiting to show you the possibilities. Take that flight today.
With a whole world of beer, it’s hard to know where to start
Given 20,000 breweries each offering a wide selection of beers, plus specialty and seasonal offerings, the task is daunting. Unfortunately, we can’t try them all. But, we can explore a good cross section. As mentioned above, the best way to explore is via a flight of beers. This way, you experience more flavor sensations in one sitting. The important thing to remember when tasting this way is to line the beers up in the right order. It’s the same principle as wine tasting. You start with the lightest and work your way up to the heaviest. Rinsing the palate between beers is a good idea, too. Eating something relatively neutral also helps. You don’t want the flavor of the last beer to taint the next. And, if you start with a heavier one, it saturates the taste-buds, making it hard to distinguish nuances in the next.
Be careful, though, sometimes the lightest beer isn’t the easiest on the palate. If it has astringent hops like a kolsch, that can affect your taste-buds. Phenols and esters influence everything from aroma to mouthfeel to flavors and drink-ability. They have positive and negative impacts. And, they can make or break your drinking experience. All beers have both to some degree. And, this is where a professional assessment comes in handy. Hops are the most obvious contributor to bitterness and a variety of flavor considerations. But, the grains, yeast, water, and other factors such as aging, fermentation steps, and storage all impact the final product. While water, yeast, hops, and malt are the base, just like with wine, the way the ingredients are handled makes a world of difference.
Don’t forget to eat.
While beer is food in its own right: grains, yeast, water, and other flavors (same as bread), you should eat something solid to help absorb the alcohol and to cleanse the palate between different beers. Of course there are classic combos like pizza and beer or burgers and beer. But, we’re experimenting today. And, discovering a world of beer. It’s not as simple as a coor’s light and a hot dog. More complex beers like lambic, saison, tripels, or gose work well with a different array of foods. If you drink wine, reds, whites, and roses each pair better with different types of food. The same applies to beer. A lot of people don’t give much thought to the interplay of food and beverage, except when it comes to wine. But, it should be part of any meal.
So, to that end, we present a few food recipes to go with your beer. Some are lighter for lighter beers, and continue with varying attributes. We will also include a home brew recipe if you decide to make your own beer. Remember, though, it takes a good month to brew. So, spend today tasting, then come back in a month with renewed appreciation for your own beer.
Cheers! Prost! Slainte! Ganbei!
Suddenly Last Summer Autumn Ale
Ingredients
- 6 Gallons Water
- 1 Lb Caramel malt
- 1 Lb Dingeman's malt
- 1/2 Lb pale Ale Malt
- 1/2 Cup Green Cardamom Seed
- 1 Pint Fresh Blackberries
- 9 Lb Golden Malt extract
- 1.5 oz Cascade Hops pellets
- 1 Oz Mighty axe Tropica Hops pellets
- 2 Oz Mosaic Leaf Hops
- 1 oz Tetnang hop Pellets
- 1 Each Flocculation tablet or 1 oz Irish moss
- 11.5 g Safe Ale T 58 yeast
- 2 Oz cascade Hop Pellets for Dry Hopping
Instructions
- Sanitize all fermenting and bottling equipment before each step in the process.
- Boil 2 gallons of water in a 5 gallon pot. Place The malts and cardamom in a brewing bag. Simmer for 45 minutes.
- remove the bag and drain it into the wort. Whisk in the extract and the berries. Bring back to a boil. Then add the cascades, mighty axe, and mosaic hops. Boil for 30 minutes. Then add the tetnang hops and flocking tablet. Continue boiling for another 15 minutes.
- Strain the wort well through cheesecloth into a sterilized Brewing bucket. Then, transfer to a carboy. Add clean cold water directly to the wort in the carboy until you get to about 6 gallons. Allow the wort to continue cooling.
- Once it is down to room temperature, add in the yeast. Place a blow-off tube in the top of the carboy to allow excess material and gas to escape during the active period of the yeast. Put the carboy in a cool dry place where it won't be disturbed or exposed to light for about a month.
- After about 3 days, the yeast activity should slow down enough to replace the blow off tube with an airlock. At this time, add the dry hops, and cover with an airlock. Let it ferment for another 10 to 14 days.
- After a couple weeks, there should be little to no yeast activity. You will know this by limited or non existent bubbles in the airlock. At this time, you can bottle or keg the ale.
- Boil 1 cup corn sugar or similar sugar in a cup or 2 of water. Transfer the beer from the carboy to a bottling bucket carefully. Use a Siphon, and be careful not to suck up the sediment from the bottom of the carboy. Going through another filter is a good idea here as well.
- Once the beer has been strained into the bottling tub, whisk in the corn sugar mixture. Then transfer the beer to your bottles or kegs. Cap and allow to ferment for a couple weeks, then open and enjoy.
Autumn Ale Steamed Mussels with Caramelized onion and Hot Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 Lb Mussels, cleaned and beards removed
- 1 Quart Julienne Sweet Onions
- Olive oil for cooking
- 2 Tbsp Fresh garlic, chopped
- 1/4 Cup Chopped fresh Jalapeno, Poblano, or Serrano Peppers
- 12 Oz New England Ale, Preferably something medium body.
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
- 1 each Fresh medium lemon
- 2 Oz Unsalted butter
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Hearth Baked Bread to serve with the mussels
Instructions
- In a large pot, Heat the olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic over medium heat. Allow it to slowly caramelize. Stir occasionally. It should reach a point where it is sweet, lightly brown, and very soft. About 10 minutes over low to medium heat. You can turn the heat up a bit, but keep a closer eye on it.
- Add in the hot peppers, Thyme, and mussels, and stir. Then add the beer. Cover the pot and allow the mussels to steam in the beer for about a minute. The Mussels will open up. When all the mussels are open, remove them from the pot, into a serving bowl or bowls. Reduce the sauce in the pot by about 20 %. Then, whisk in the butter, and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Pour the sauce over the mussels.
- Serve the mussels immediately. A nice sour dough bread or focaccia goes well and can sop up the extra sauce.
Margarita Neopolitan Pizza Pie
Equipment
- Pizza Stone
Ingredients
- 1.5 Lb Type 00 flour
- 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Tbsp dry active yeast
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 pint warm water Around 100 degrees fahrenheit
- 1 to 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
- Topping:
- 2 Lb Sliced Fresh Tomato
- 1 cup Thin sliced/shaved sweet Onion
- 2 Tbsp Thin shaved Fresh garlic
- 1 Lb Thin sliced and drained Fresh mozzarella
- 1/2 Cup Fresh basil leaves
- Olive oil to drizzle
- Flaked Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Oregano or 1Tbsp Fresh chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- corn meal for dusting
Instructions
- Put warm water, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a mixer. Allow the yeast to activate for about 10 minutes
- Add in the salt and 1 Tbsp olive oil.
- Use a dough hook attachment on the mixer. Start at a low speed, and gradually add in the flour. Then increase the speed as you incorporate the last of the flour, so it doesn't fly all over.
- Mix until a dry dough forms. Add a little more oil if it is too dry.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and put on a floured surface. Sprinkle flour on top and cover. Let the dough sit about 20 minutes to 1/2 hour.
- Cut the dough into smaller portions if you want or leave whole if you have a large enough stone to accomodate.
- Preheat your oven to it's highest temperature. Most max out at 550. Have the pizza stone in the oven
- When the oven is hot, form the dough by hand. You can roll it out if you want, but I find the dough forms better and has a better mouth feel if done by hand.
- The dough can be formed on a pizza peel and slid into the oven or built on the stone itself. If you build it on the stone, be prepared to work fast. Either way, you want to dust the stone with corn meal to prevent sticking. If you are building on a peel, put some corn meal on the peel as well (also to prevent sticking).
- Drizzle the pizza crust with olive oil. Top with tomato slices (thin is better), onion, and garlic, top that with the fresh mozarella, then sprinkle parmesan, oregano, salt, and pepper on.
- Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how well done you want it. The cheese should be somewhat browned. Be careful that it is not too wet.
- Either hand tear or slice the basil and sprinkle evenly over the pizza, Cut and serve immediately.
Notes
- Type 00 flour is a finely ground flour available in specialty stores. In Italy they categorize flour by the fineness of the grind. 00 is the finest grind. It’s gluten content is similar to AP flour, but the grinding makes the gluten react differently, resulting in a crisper dough. You can mix with AP or bread flour if you want a chewier crust.
- Fresh Mozzarella needs to be drained first. It has a lot of moisture, and can make your pizza soggy. Slice it thin. Otherwise it will not cook quick enough, and, the moisture will seep out. You can use regular mozzarella if you want. But, fresh or buffalo Moz is preferred in this type of pizza.
- Strain the tomatoes too. They can sog out the crust as well.
- This dough is universal. I like to make larger batches of it, cut into smaller balls, and freeze the dough. You can put whatever toppings you want on it. Try a fig, prosciutto, and blue cheese, drizzle with balsamic reduction! Molto Bene!
Vegan Lentil veggie Burger
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
- 1 Cup Red Lentils
- 2 to 4 Cups vegetable Broth
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
- 1 Cup Peeled and Cubed Sweet Potato
- 1/2 Cup Diced Carrot
- 1/4 Cup Diced Fresh Tomato
- 1 Cup Fresh Spinach
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Fresh Chopped Turmeric Root
- Coconut oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Bread or Rolls to serve on
Instructions
- Heat Coconut Oil in a high sided pan. Saute onion, ginger, garlic, and fresh turmeric over medium high heat until translucent. The turmeric will give a yellow/orange color.
- Add in the Sweet potatoes and carrots. Cook for a couple minutes until they begin to soften. Then, fold in the lentils and stir until well coated. Add spices at this time and mix well.
- Add vegetable broth or water and bring to a simmer. Cook until the lentils get soft. Add more liquid if needed. Continue cooking until all liquid is absorbed and all ingredients are soft. Add in tomatoes at this point.
- Fold in the spinach and let it wilt down. Stir to mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
- Allow to cool. Take 1/3 of the mix and puree it in a food processor. Fold it back into the mix. Form the mix into patties. Heat in an oven or pan before serving.
- Spray bread slices or buns with pan spray. Sear on a grille or pan to toast. Place the "burger" on the bread and serve with your favorite accompaniments.
Lemon Scented Beer Battered Fish and Chips
Ingredients
- 12 oz Beer, lighter style (lager, pilsner, golden ale)
- 2 each large Eggs
- 2 Cups AP Flour
- 1/2 Cup Corn Starch
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1 Medium Lemon
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Oil to Fry
- 4 Each Fish Fillets (Haddock, cod, or sole), about 6 ounces each.
- 4 90 ct Baking Potatoes
- 1/2 Cup AP Flour
- 1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
Instructions
- Cut your French Fries: Use a mandolin or french fry cutter if available, or cut by hand. Cut to the desired thickness: 1/4 to 1/2 inch is best. Soak the potatoes in water for about 30 minutes to an hour.
- make the seasoning for the fries. Mix 1/2 cup of flour with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Drain the potatoes well and toss with the flour to coat evenly. You can substitute gluten free or other flour if desired.
- make the beer batter: Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Add in the beer and mix. Whisk in the Flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Zest the lemon. Fold the zest into the batter, and squeeze in the juice. If the batter is too thin, add a little more flour.
- Heat the oil in a fryer to 350 degrees, or over medium heat on a stove. Fry the French fries until golden brown, crispy on the outside, and, soft on the inside. Dry on paper towels. Keep warm in a holding oven until ready to serve.
- Fry the Fish: Dip the fish by hand into the batter next to the fryer. make sure it is completely coated. Move quickly to gently and carefully put it in the oil. Dip it in from one end and slowly let the rest immerse in the oil. Try not to splash (you won't be happy with the mess or the burns). Repeat with the rest of the fish. Cook until golden brown. This should take about 10 minutes. remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with the french fries and tartar sauce.