Today, we love Beer!
I know. It feels like we just celebrated a beer holiday recently. But, why not keep on celebrating. Today is national beer lovers day. So, cheers to all you alcoholics and semi-alcoholics out there. Today, we love Beer, and those who are drawn to the art of a Pint glass of beverage infused with malts, hops, and yeast. Although the origin of national Beer lover’s day is unclear, it makes sense that we wouldn’t know. You drink enough beer and you begin forgetting things like car keys, anniversaries, and where the bathroom is. So, why should we remember who started a holiday? Let’s do what beer drinkers do: enjoy the celebration. Come on, then, let’s play “drink the beer!“
For those of you playing along at home, get your scorecards ready. We have a lot of beer to get to. First, you need to decide what kind of beer you want to drink. Beers can be classified into several categories with multiple sub genres in each category. And if you want to make your own beer, here is a recipe on this page.
Table of Contents
Types of Beer
- Ales (such as pale ales, cream ales, and IPAS)
- Lagers and pilsners
- Porters and Stouts
- Belgian style or wheat ales
The difference is in the hops, yeast, and fermentation processes. The biggest difference can be found between ales and lagers. Ales are produced using a top fermentation process at room temperature. But, lagers and pilsners use a bottom fermentation process at lower temperatures. Most domestic and lighter beers are lagers and pilsners. These are best when kept under refrigeration. Ales, on the other hand, do fine at room temperature. In fact, if you go to some European countries such as England, many ales are actually served at room temperature. This can be off-putting to someone expecting a cool lager.
For many people, lager is the only kind of beer they know. But, if you get into artisan or home brewing, there is a whole world of possibilities. It’s like the difference between fast food and fine dining. If you go to a sporting event or a local bar, the best, freshest beers are probably the mass produced lagers that every knows like the ones in the red, white, and blue cans. For those of you skeptical of making the leap from your traditional beer, how about this first step? The Czechs have brewed Budweiser for longer than the Americans have. They call it Budvar. It was not available in the USA. But, now there is a version: Czechvar that you can get. The American version tastes like water compared to the original. Try that, and you may be open to exploring other styles of ales moving forward.
Today, we love Beer in all of it’s forms.
Beer and ale come in many forms. There are light, pale, Amber, red, dark, chocolate, creamy, citrus, herbal, and many more types. IPA is a common style now. It tends to be high in alcohol, and highly hopped with citrus undertones. Many people consider it an entry level drink when entering the world of craft beer. Ales cover a large swath of styles and sub-styles. Be adventurous. Try different things. As a home brewer, I like to add different flavors into traditional ales. For instance, I once brewed a chocolate mint ale where I added Ande’s candies into the brewing process. When I first opened the beer, it was horrible. But, I held onto some of the bottles for a year. When I opened it after a good aging, it had mellowed out, and the flavors had blended perfectly. So, don’t give up. Some misses can become hits.
Another approachable style of ale for beginners is Belgian style. But, they tend to be richer than your average ale. And, many use a wheat based malt. With a fruity, vibrant, effervescent complexity, true Belgian ales are a thing of beauty. Look for ones produced by Trappist monks. There are now Belgian style ales produced in the USA. Many know Blue Moon. I used to enjoy Celis White, brewed in Austin, Texas. Unfortunately, the Miller company acquired them in the 90’s. And, the reputation of the brand suffered greatly at that time. But, The Celis family bought the brewery back a few years ago, and it is available in all its glory again. Another notable Belgian style ale is Spencer. It is brewed in Massachusetts by Trappist monks at St. Joseph’s Abby. This is the first and only certified Trappist beer made in the United States.
Today, we love beer! What about Stout?
Stouts are actually a type of ale. They tend to be heavier, richer, and darker than other ales. They tend to have chocolate or coffee flavors. Porters are similar to stouts. But, they tend to be a bit less bitter, and, not quite as heavy. One would think that a heavy beer like a stout would be loaded with calories. But, that is not necessarily the case. A lot depends on who is making the stout and ale you are drinking. For instance, a bottle of Guiness has roughly 170 calories (comparable to most ales), while Sierra Nevada’s stout has 225 calories. So, Drink up and forget about the calories. Compare that to 150 calories for Bud, 180 for Sam Adams, and 240 for Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo ale.
So, the choice is yours. Beer is a portable drink. So, you can drink it at home, in the wilderness, or in a bar or restaurant. In some places, people even drink it on the job. It is the great equalizer after a long day, and the reason many kids have a hard time getting through college. It is the beverage of choice that transcends class and culture. Whether you are a fan of the Cleveland Guardians or attending a new installation at the Louvre, beer is that which brings us together.
Perhaps our politicians should remember beer. Beer doesn’t care what “party” you belong to. You can argue about policy all day long. But, then, you can sit down with your colleague and enjoy a cold one while the troubles and disagreements of the day pass. Beer is what built this country. And, maybe, it’s what can bring us back together now. For, today, we love Beer!
Slainte! Cheers! Salud! Prost! Kanpai! Saude! GanBai! Skal!
