All hail the King of Beers
Budweiser, famously, called itself the King of beers in advertisements. This is erroneous. At the time they started using the slogan in advertising, they were the number one selling beer in America. That has changed. Also, they incorporated an old saying about the original Budweiser. The original beer was a Pilsner made by a Czech brewer. Somewhere in the 15th or 16th century, they brewed in Rome, and garnered the nickname the beer of kings. The beer of that time, and the beers Budweiser brews today are miles part. Even the Czech version of Bud is far superior. But, this king thing is bothersome, for there is a True King of beers in Zymurgic Mythology: King Gambrinus. And, today is King Gambrinus Day. All hail the King of Beers!
If you aren’t familiar with him, don’t fret. Chances are, he isn’t even a real person. But, that didn’t stop the legend from spreading for over 500 years. In fact there is a Gambrinus brewing company out of Texas, with several labels under its umbrella. And, there are multiple brews with the name Gambrinus from the Czech republic to Germany to Austria, even Denmark and right here in the USA. In fact there is a statue of the fabled King at the site of the old Pabst Brewery in Milwaukee. As with many things in history, King Gambrinus became larger than life through a conflation of facts.
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Who are we referring to when we say All hail the King of Beers?
There was no actual king Gambrinus. But, we think we know where the name came from. There were 2 figures who fit the bill, but, only collectively. The legend says Gambrinus could drink prodigious amounts of beer, and that he actually invented beer or at least developed pilsner and introduced hops to brewing. Plus, he was beloved by all his followers. And, there is also legend that even predates these actual historical figures. As you can see from his depiction, he is a pretty Jovial, fun loving guy. But, who are the men behind the Legend?
There was a Germanic historian, Aventitus, who claims there was a King Gambrivius or Gampar who supposedly learned the art of beer making from Osiris and Isis. Supposedly, he descended from Noah. So, he would date back to around 1700 BC. But, this account came out in 1523. And, many contemporary scholars and people in subsequent years believe this myth is actually based on some actual historical figures from more recent history. There was John 1, Duke of Brabant (modern day Brussels): 1252-1294. And, then we had John the fearless, Duke of Burgundy: 1371-1419.
John 1, Duke of Brabant
John was a fun loving Duke. His Duchy encompassed Brussels, and the surrounding area, famous for beer. In fact there was a Brewers’ Guild there. They had a great hall where John was a frequent and exalted guest. Supposedly, he could drink gallons of Beer, and would still beat his opponents at fencing. While not as rotund as Gambrinus, his appetite for beer was legendary. Also, His name, John the first, was Jan Primus in Dutch (Jan + John, Primus + First). Remember, the Scholar who invented Gambrinus was German. Switching a J for a G would have been commonplace. Plus, when you drink a lot of beer, words may slur. So, Jan Primus could easily become Gambrinus.
John the Fearless
While we can’t attest to how fearless he was, he did have a grand impact on the brewing process. At the time, beer was preserved and bittered with herbs (called Gruit) in France. But, John found out about Hops. He introduced them to the region, changing forever the standard for brewing.
All hail the King of Beers, no matter who he is.
So, I guess it’s kind of like playing cards: 2 dukes equal a king. Whether Gambrinus is a conglomerate of historical figures or a myth, what he symbolizes is bacchanalian to the world of beer. The Greeks had Dinysus. The Romans had Bacchus. Both preferred wine. So, the secular world needed a deity for beer. But, beer drinkers aren’t so vain to need a god. So, a King will do just fine. And, why not a jocular, chubby mascot? I’ll drink to that!
But, don’t forget, when drinking a lot, it’s a wise idea to get some food in you. So, here are some beer friendly recipes to go along with your drinking. All hail the King of Beers!
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.
Midwestern Beer braised Bratwurst with caraway slaw
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 Lbs Quality Bratwurst
- 2 cups Sliced Sweet Onions
- 2 Bottles Brown ale or Wheat ale (Not too hoppy like IPA)
- 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tbsp Shaved garlic
- 1 tsp whole allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- olive oil
- For slaw:
- 2 cups shaved green cabbage
- 1/4 cup shaved carrots
- 1/4 cup shaved red onion
- 1/4 cup shave red pepper
- 2 Tbsp Picked parsley leaves
- 1 tsp caraway seed
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- Pretzel Rolls for serving the brats
- Whole grain mustard to spread (optional)
Instructions
- Make the slaw: Whisk together caraway, mayo, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Then toss in the vegetables. Coat evenly, and refrigerate.
- Heat oil in a heavy duty Deep pan over medium high heat. Sear the bratwurst about 1 minute per side to caramelize the skin. Remove from the pan, and add in the onion, garlic, and allspice. Stir, then turn temperature down to medium. Cook the onions slowly until they become caramelized, stirring as needed. remove the allspice seeds. Then add the brats back in. Add in the beer and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Cook down until the beer is almost a glaze. Then Stir in Dijon and butter. Season with salt and pepper.
- At service time, Mark the brats on a grille at high temp to give color. Serve in a pretzel roll with the beer onions and cole slaw. Add grain mustard or other mustard if you like.
Beer Braised New England Pot Roast with natural gravy, Root Vegetable Hash, and Buttered Fiddleheads
Ingredients
- 2.5 LB Eye of the round beef
- 1/2 cup AP flour
- 1/2 tsp each, salt and pepper
- 6 each medium garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup each rough chopped carrot, celery, and onion
- 12 oz beer, preferably a medium bodied ale
- 2 qt Beef stock
- 1 quart water
- 1 each bay leaf
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup oil for searing the beef
- Root Vegetable hash (see separate recipe)
- 1/2 lb fresh fiddleheads
- 1/4 Lb unsalted butter
Instructions
- prepare all your vegetables and get your mise en place together.
- rinse the fiddleheads with warm water repeatedly to remove any dirt. Then, soak them in cool water to remove dirt that gets in between. Trim the bottoms if they are black. Remove from water, and drain them.
- mix flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the beef in the flour mix. Save the extra flour
- Heat the oil in a large heavy duty pot or dutch oven. When it is just below smoking, put the flour coated beef in. Sear each side of the beef until golden brown (about a minute per side depending on the heat from your burners).
- In a separate pan heat the beef stock and water mixed together.
- Add in the garlic, celery, carrot, and onion, stir occasionally. Cook until some color comes into the vegetables. Add in 1/2 of the butter and melt. Stir in the remainder of the flour mix. Stir and cook for a couple more minutes to make a pan roux. Add in the beer and stir.
- Pour the Beef stock mix into the pot with the beef and vegetables. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Then cut back to a simmer. Add in the herbs and bay leaf.
- Allow to simmer for about an hour. Check the beef to see if it is tender. Stick a fork in. It should be able to wiggle relatively freely without pulling apart the beef. If it is still tough, but the sauce has thickened, add more stock or water.
- When the beef is cooked, remove it from the pot, and, reduce the gravy until it becomes a pour-able, not too thin or thick consistency. Strain the vegetables and herbs out of the gravy and keep it warm for service.
- Melt the remaining butter in a separate saute pan, stirring occasionally. Add in the fiddleheads and cook over high heat. Add salt and pepper, and stir it in.
- Slice the beef and plate with vegetable hash (see recipe), the fiddleheads, and drizzle with gravy.