Who doesn’t love beer?
It’s September again. Labor day is upon us. And, most people are back to work or school. Time to drown your workday sorrows with the perfect beverage: beer. Some people say they “like” beer. That’s not good enough today. We aren’t talking about being raving alcoholics. Just people who appreciate the finer zymurgic arts, not simply the art of getting stupid drunk. Liking beer may be good enough to get you on the supreme court. But, if you aren’t a liar, and can honestly say you “love” beer, today is your day. Because, realistically, Who doesn’t love beer? It’s the most popular alcoholic beverage in the world. And, today is national Love Beer Day.
But, we’re going to test your assertion that you “love” beer, today. You see a lot of people using and abusing beer, like superfans at sporting events. But, face painting bud swilling supporters of the team aren’t real beer lovers. They say they love beer. But, they only over-indulge. A true beer lover is someone who appreciates beer in all of its forms: Ales, porters, stouts, IPA, ESB, Sours, Pilsners, lagers, and more. That’s not to say you need to be a beer snob. far from it. Even the abusive drinker has a deep seated love of beer. They are just misguided and lack self control. So, today, we want to slow down and really appreciate what is so special about beer.
Table of Contents
What makes the person Who doesn’t love beer tick?
While most of the world loves beer, there are definitely people out there who don’t. They are, generally, tea drinkers and don’t consume alcohol in general. But, there is irony in that. For, beer is actually brewed in a manner similar to brewing tea. I think the biggest deterrent for some, though, is the hops. Hops add flavor, dimension, and character to beers. But, they also add a bittering component. And, that’s one of the things that (actually logically) turns people off of beer.
But, it’s like coffee in a way. It’s an acquired taste. Do you remember your first taste of coffee? To a teenager used to drinking coke and other sugary drinks, it’s disgusting. But, after a couple years of drinking it, you can’t get enough. Again, you have a bitter, overbearing drink that you just can’t get enough of. So, if you drink coffee, but not beer, maybe you aren’t approaching it from the right perspective.
Perhaps you need to start with a less expressive beer. There was a German restaurant/bar we used to frequent where they served an ale called Berliner Weisse. It’s a light, semi sweet wheat beer that they put a fruit syrup in. It tastes a little like pink champagne. Even non beer drinkers love this. So, it’s a good place to start. Whether it’s new beer day or Beer lovers day, there’s no time like now to give it a try.
Educate your palate
So, if you’re one of those people who don’t appreciate beer, it’s probably due to improper exposure. If you go to a sporting event and walk near the restroom, the smell of stale beer and urine could be enough to turn you away from beer permanently. But, if you ease into the genre, you may have a completely different perspective. While beer snobs denigrate sweeter, fruity beers, there is nothing wrong with them. In fact, combining beer and fruit is an expression of a brewer’s creativity. And, the art of fruit beers dates back centuries with Lambics and other examples of the art. Think about it, wine is a fruit based beverage. Why not add fruit to beer? Eventually, your palate may develop to a point where you crave bitterness. But, starting with a smooth innocuous ale is fine (Just like coffee with extra cream and sugar).
But, even some long time beer drinkers don’t have a developed palate. Again, you go with what you like. But, for some of us, that’s not enough. We like to change up the flavor profile. The same old same old isn’t exactly intriguing. So, we experiment with different flavors. While a light, cold Pilsner or lager is perfect for a hot summer day, a hearty oatmeal stout really soothes the cold winter nights. And, there is a whole slew of variation between a heavy porter and Coor’s light. So, to say I only like one type of beer is missing an entire world of possibilities.
What’s your type?
With over 100 different styles of beer, picking one favorite should be a difficult task. But, many people pick a favorite type without even seeing what else is out there. If you look at sales statistics, you would think that lighter lagers are the best. Whether it’s Bud, Molson, Heinekin, or Tsing Tao, the world tends to gravitate toward light simple beers served cold. But, there is a whole world of ales and beers that go unnoticed and/or underappreciated. The proliferation of micro breweries and brew pubs over the last few decades is proof that there is a desire for good beer beyond the commercial market. There is something about a fresh local brew that really makes a difference, kind of like home cooking. Or, in some cases, home brewing which is another avenue to explore.
As much as being monogamous to one type or brand of beer demonstrates a love of beer in its own way, experimenting with different types can be very rewarding. And, honestly, different ales, like different wines make or break varying situations. Drinking a cold domestic beer while watching a baseball game in the middle of summer evokes an American Classic. But, drinking a frosty light beer while bundled up for a football game in December seems counter intuitive. Don’t you think a full bodied ale or a warming stout would make more sense in that situation? Unfortunately, the sporting world is sponsored by giant corporate brewing empires. So, they want you to buy the cheap, easy product across genres. And, this tradition ostracizes those who stray from the norm. Be a man, drink what makes sense.
Too many choices to not sway the one who doesn’t love beer
There are hundreds of types of beer out there. And, the differences are vast. To simplify your search, though, we have a list of the 7 major types of beer:
- Lager: Bottom fermented and cold brewed, lighter in color. Best served cold, lager is the most popular type of beer in the world. Think Budweiser, Miller, Heinekin. But, don’t be afraid of smaller breweries. Expand beyond the big box names if you can.
- Pilsner: Another bottom fermented cold brewed beer. This actually can be classified as a lager. But, Pilsners have a hoppier flavor and a creamier texture. Invented in Czechoslovakia, Pilsner Urquell is the penultimate example.
- Ale: This is a rather wide chategory. There are hundreds of variations. Top fermented at room temperature, ales vary in style flavors and complexity. There are India pale ales, ESB’s, brown, red, white, Sour, and more.
- Stout: Think of stout as the espresso of the beer world. It starts with Dark roasted grains, almost to the point of burning. They tend to be creamy and strong tasting with a frothy head. Guinness is the best known. But, many breweries like Samuel Smith and other micro breweries make great examples.
- Porter: Porters tend to be dark roasted like stouts. But, they have more characteristics similar to other ales. They are a rich dark malty ale.
- Wheat Beer: As the name would imply, these ales are made from wheat malts. They are effervescent in nature. Many of the best ales in the world were developed by Monks using a wheat base. Think Corsendonk and Duval, The aforementioned Berliner Weisse, and domestic variations like Blue Moon, Celis, and Allagash White.
- Lambic: Ales brewed with the addition of fruit. Framboise (strawberry) is a popular style. Of course, any berry does. Sam Adams makes a Cranberry lambic around the holiday season.
So, really, Who doesn’t love beer?
Give some of these a shot. Sometimes love is an acquired taste. If you’re not a beer lover yourself, you probably love someone who is. So, as Mr hankey says: Therefore, vicariously he loves you… People are afraid of love for all the wrong reasons so why not take a chance on beer. It’s not going to drain your bank account, put you through years of emotional turmoil, and leave you for a hotter younger lover (unless you have an addiction problem, in which case, stick to tea, please). Either way, embrace the possibilities of beer and show some love, if only for this day. But, especially beyond. Here’s a recipe for some homebrew that you can enjoy in about a month if love sticks around.
Cheers!
28 Days Later October Ale
Ingredients
- 6 Gallons Water (3 gallons for cooking, then more to finish)
- 8 Lb Medium malt extract
- 1 quart Munich Malt
- 1 pint Carapils Malt
- 1 Pint Chocolate Malt
- 3 each cinnamon sticks
- 2 Oz Hallertau Hops
- 1 oz Cascades hops
- 1/2 oz Chinook Hops
- 1/2 oz Hallertau hops (finishing)
- 1 each defloculation tablet (or 1 oz Irish moss)
- 11.5 grams Lager yeast
- 3/4 cup corn sugar or other type of priming sugar
Instructions
- Sanitize all your equipment and containers at all steps of the process.
- Bring 3 gallons of water to a boil.
- Place the Malts in a cheesecloth sack and put in the water. Add in the cinnamon sticks. Taper it back to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 45 minutes. Then remove the bag, making sure to strain the liquid back into the pot.
- Whisk in the Malt extract and bring back to a simmer.
- Add in the Hallertau hops. Simmer for 45 minutes.
- Add the cascades hops and Irish moss or flocculation tablet. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Add in the remaining hops. Continue simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Strain the brew into a 5 gallon bucket using a sparging bag to remove as much sediment as possible. Take out the bag and add cold water to the wort. Transfer to a "carboy or fermenting tub. Allow to cool to room temperature. Then pitch the yeast.
- Put a stopper with a blow off tube in the carboy. Put the fermenter in a dark cool place like a closet. Allow the brew to ferment for 2 to 3 days with the tube so that the krausen (foamy discharge) can escape, and drain off into a container with water in it. Check the discharge a couple times a day.
- When the discharge level tapers off, replace the tube with an air lock. Allow to ferment an additional 11 days for a total of 14 days.
- After the initial fermentation, transfer the beer to a "raking" or bottling bucket. Strain it out during the transfer to remove excess sediment. Use a syphon for this process. You don't want to mix in the sediment in the bottom. Heat the priming sugar in about a cup of water. Whisk into the beer. Transfer the beer to bottles and/or kegs. Cap them and then allow the secondary fermentation to take place. Place the bottles or kegs in a dark cool place where they won't be disturbed for 2 weeks.
- The bottled beer should sit for 2 more weeks. Then, you can rfrigerate and enjoy.