Seeing Red

Occasionally, The Beer Revolution will drift off the topic of beer and into social and political areas of drinking in Ireland (but not too often - it's not much fun!).

Having previously lambasted the much loved pint, what is my target this time as the cause of 'binge drinking' and the alcohol fuelled breakdown of society? It is the monster that is Red Bull mixed with alcohol.

All joking aside, I do have serious misgivings with the common misuse of alcohol and energy drinks (primarily Red Bull). I'm not going to get into a food and drug discussion on taurine, caffeine or glucuronolactone (all active ingredients in Red Bull) but rather talk about my own observations and experiences regarding Red Bull and alcohol.

Now, I'm no fan of prohibition. Red Bull, drunk in moderation, is probably no more malign than coffee. In fact, Red Bull suggest a comparison to coffee as a usage guideline (one can of RB contains about the same caffeine as a cup of coffee) and a RB spokesperson has been quoted as saying "We have always recommended drinking one to two cans of Red Bull to have the optimum effect on performance in times of need." But despite the fact that in Canada and Sweden, it is expressly recommended that Red Bull is not mixed with alcohol, we, in Ireland, happily sell it by the case load from branded fridges in pubs.

What harm? You might say. Have you ever seen somebody after several double vodka and Red Bulls? I have and it's not a pretty sight. Alcohol is a depressant. If you drink too much of it, you will, eventually, fall asleep. Add a stimulant drink into the equation and the sleep part doesn't come into play. More and more alcohol can be consumed without the sleepy side effects. The result is an extremely inebriated, wound up ball of energy who either wants to fight you or be your friend (sometimes at the same time!). Both very unpleasant options. I know this from experience.

From one, ok two, first hand, long past, experiences, I know what the combination of Red Bull and alcohol is like. I know that it tasted horrible, cost a small fortune and left me with parts of my night missing on both occasions. As a younger man, I probably did indulge in alcohol more than was good for me, on occasion, but to loose my memory was a very, very rare thing. The only two times I mixed Red Bull with alcohol, memory loss was a factor. Not nice.

It is my personal theory that much of the violence on our streets which is blamed on cocaine use, is, in fact, the result of the abuse of alcohol and Red Bull type drinks. Please note that I use the term 'abuse'. Red Bull isn't in its own right a problem. The excessive consumption of it with alcohol is the problem.

Obviously, as a beer enthusiast, I'm not in favour of "sweety shots" and "alcopops" and feel that they don't give younger people a respect for alcoholic beverages but my problems with RB and alcohol are more fundamental.

To put it bluntly, I think Red Bull and similar stimulant drinks should be banned from sale where alcohol is sold. If, a few years down the line, the kids are getting completely out of control on espresso and vodka, we'll review that then!

Interestingly, Red Bull is banned in Norway, Uruguay, Denmark, and Iceland while Switzerland and Finland have lifted previous bans. Personally, it wouldn't affect me if it were to be banned here entirely but The Beer Revolution is all about choice and personal responsibility, therefore I only suggest that it is not sold with alcohol as that particular mix tends to diminish one's ability to be personally responsible.

I hope you like the picture of a red bull at the top.

Here's an interesting thread on the subject

My last drink was; Weihenstephaner Hefeweiss, 5.4%abv, 50cl

Hoppy Days

I think it might be time for another 'pure' beer post. A few things have brought the topic of hops to my mind today.

1. The recent arrival of Schneider Hopfenweiss
2. My recent visit to England and the purchase of an IPA
3. My ongoing love of Hommelbier

For those in the know, read on and criticise my unscientific, inexpert post and for those who want to know a little bit more about what goes into beer, I hope this helps.

I did a recent post on ale and yeast here which may be of interest too.

Nowadays, virtually all beer contains hops. It gives beer it's bitterness and aroma, makes the beer more stable and has preserving qualities. Prior to the 1400's, when the Belgians exported hopped beer to England, British beer was unhopped. It is unclear, exactly, when hops were first used in beer but they were grown in Bohemia and Bavaria as early as the 8th century where beer was also brewed.

Hops share a common parent with cannabis and is grown on high trellises. It is the hop cone or blossom that is used for it's oils and acids in beer making, while the shoots can be eaten and are much considered a seasonal delicacy in Belgium.

Today's brewer has so many choices to make when it comes to using hops that there is an almost infinite number of permutations available.

Firstly the brewer must choose the hop variety; from flowery Saaz from Bohemia - famously used for it's aromatic qualities in Pilsener-style lagers to the varieties more known for their bittering attributes such as Goulding from East Kent right through to the spicy, very aromatic US cultivated Cascade. The choice is almost endless with each variety having different characteristics, depending on where it is grown - much like gape varieties and, like the winemaker, the brewer can use several different hop varieties or limit their palette to just one.

Having chosen their variety(s) of hops, the brewer must decide whether to use simply dried hop cones, hop cones compacted into pellets or a jam-like hop extract. Different brewers have their own ideas about which work best.

When it comes to adding hops to the beer, the brewer has huge choice. All beer brews are boiled for one to one and a half hours and hops are added into into the beer during this boiling stage. Hops added at the start of the boil impart bitterness, while hops added towards the end of the boil impart aroma to the beer. Hops can be added several different times during the boil and different varieties are often used at different stages.

Sometimes the hot brew is pored over further hops as it is strained to give even more aroma and following fermentation, the beer may be matured in vats with more hops added - this technique is known as dry hopping.

To come back to what has brought hops to mind, Schneider Hopfenweiss is a dry hopped, strong weissbier which is a collaboration between Brooklyn Brewery in the US (known for their very hoppy Brooklyn Lager) and Schneider of Munich (world famous for their weissbier). The resultant 8.2% abv, pale, cloudy beer has a creaminess balanced by an assertive hop aroma and bitterness - a wonderful, powerful special edition beer.

IPA or India Pale Ale was a style of beer developed to survive the three month journey by ship to India for the troops in the 18th century. As it's name suggests, it was a pale ale but with a higher than usual alcohol content (up to 7.5%abv) and brewed with more hops than typically used in pale ales of the day. IPAs are strong, pale and bitter with big hop aromas.

American brewers have a fondness this style and have developed what is known as American IPA. These beers can be pale to quite dark (despite the name), almost always strong in alcohol with huge amounts of American hops. If you want to know what hops taste like, then an American IPA like Sierra Nevada, SnakeDog or Hercules will tell you straight away.

Britain, on the other hand, seems to have lost sight of what an IPA is. I've had IPAs in England that were neither pale, strong or hoppy that left me at a loss as to why they were called IPAs at all. Although, my recent visit did throw up Marston's Old Empire IPA. This was pale, 5.7%abv hoppy ale. So, while it did fulfil the conditions of it's name, it was a rather uninspiring beer, not bottle conditioned and presented in a clear bottle (not good for keeping beer in) with the rather odd label of "Official Beer of England" (what does that mean). I'm sure there are great English IPAs out there - I just haven't had them yet!

I have had a very good Swedish IPA called Nils Oscar India Ale 5.3%abv.

One couldn't talk about beer and hops without mentioning Popperings Hommelbier.
This is a 7.5% abv, golden ale from the hop growing region, Watou in Belgium. It is yeasty, hoppy in both flavour and aroma and strong. It is bottle conditioned and presents very fruity yeast and hop flavours. Just in case you didn't know what was inside the bottle, the label depicts a hop plantation and has hop cones decorating the label.This full-on beer is one of my favourites.

The next time you taste a beer, think of the humble hop and try to detect it's bitterness and grassy, citrus aroma (not an easy task with a mass produced, bland, yellow lager).

My last drink was; Leffe Vielle Cuvée, 8.2%abv, 33cl

Is the Grass Greener, Oh Yes!

The Beer Revolution has been away for the past number days but he hasn’t been idle. I’ve been in England and though it hasn’t been a beer trip (yes, I know the Cambridge beer festival was on while I was here) I have been observing and keeping notes while fulfilling family duties.

So, after many years of CAMRA being active in this land, what has been the result?

My first port of call was a manor garden café (dutiful husband). To go with their pork pies and lasagna they obviously had some beer and cider. This consisted of, unfortunately, only mainstream cider but among the small choice of industrial beer a local organic lager from the Hepworth Brewery stood out with its rather minimalist, slightly misleading label which suggested it as a blond beer. Not so. On opening, later that evening, it turned out to be a rather ordinary 5% lager. But top marks for putting an organic, local lager on the market. And minus marks for putting it in a clear bottle. (This is an issue that deserves a post all of its own.) And why make such a fuss about using local hops and wuss out on the quantities? Methinks the marketing people in Hepworth have more say than the brewers!

Next up, the local Sainsbury’s. Nothing very different from an Irish Tesco’s here; a few English ales, some Inbev Belgian beers and all the rest, but a short walk across the road to the small chain off-licence displays the earnest efforts that English ale producers have made to get their products into the mainstream. A high visibility display adorns every offie I’ve been in with a fair selection of English ales sold at three for £4. Maybe if we got them at that price here we’d drink more of them!

Surely Wagamama’s aren’t players in the beer game. In England they are. Among the usual Asian suspects nestles Asahai Dark Lager. I’ve never seen that in Waga’s in Cork. I just had to have a beer with lunch! Mmm smooth and black – not a million miles from a Pint Bottle.

Now, the local pub can be a very hit and miss affair in England but Badger umbrellas outside got one’s hopes up. One Tangle Foot later and I’m still not sure if I like cask conditioned ale but, hey, that’s my problem (and as long as I visit, I’ll keep trying to acquire the taste but, oh, for even a little fizz). As long as English pubs continue to reintroduce traditional beer there is hope for beer everywhere, especially when you consider the state of beer in England fifteen years ago.

Finally, today, bearing in mind the dutiful husband that I am, I had to endure a long, lingering lunch in an ancient manor house called Gravetye (pictured). Top-end hotels, restaurants, and houses in Ireland take note – yes, you should have an extensive wine list (and this was extensive), yes, you should stock a huge array of spirits, fortified wines and liqueurs (these guys had their own label Speyside 12 and 14 year single old malt) but, no, stocking a small selection of decent beers will not damage your business. I admit that their beer list wasn’t up to the standard of the rest of their drinks menu but it’s a start. Peroni, Beck’s, Budvar, Leffe (blond, I imagine), Duvel, Guinness (not sure what type), Fuller’s Honey Dew, Harvey’s Old Ale and Kaliber aint so bad. To me the list screamed out for Thomas Hardy Ale and something better than Kalibur (maybe Baltika 0) but I’ve never seen anything close in an Irish top-end restaurant (tell me if you have).

Just to support their list, I selflessly had a Harvey’s old ale. At only 3.7%, this dark, malty, old fashioned ale slips down after a sumptuous feed. Not being a fan of weaker beers, it surprised me with its complexity and a little carbonation from the bottle appealed to my philistine ways.

What have CAMRA done for England?

I was not seeking beer but look what I found.
Maybe there is hope.
Maybe?
Damn right there is.
Howl for good beer, you good people.

My last drink was; Harvey's Old English Ale, 3.7%abv, 33cl

What's in an Ale?

Let's get away from politics and bars and talk about beer on a purer level today. I want to try to clear up a very simple notion that causes much confusion amongst the casual beer consumer.

What is ale?

I am not a brewer or a microbiologist so, for some, my explanations may be oversimplified and a little unscientific but this isn't a brewing lecture - it is a (overly)simple explanation of beer types.

It's all in the yeast.

Most beer is made with one of two basic yeast types: Top Fermenting Yeast or Ale yeast, or Bottom Fermenting or Lager Yeast. Within these groups there are countless different beer styles but for the purpose of this exercise, I'm going to categorise all beer into one of the above two.

Lager is probably the easiest to understand as there are less commonly available variants to the style. Lager is usually a pale, golden brew fermented with a Bottom Fermenting Yeast which ferments at quite a low temperature (around 6- 9 degrees C.) and is stored (lagered) at around 0 degrees C. for one to three months to condition. The resultant brew should be clear with clean, crisp flavours and is usually served well chilled. There are, of course, variations on this. There are amber lagers, smoked lagers, dark and almost black lagers but all will have a Bottom Fermenting Yeast acting on them at low temperatures. The first single-cell, bottom fermenting yeast was isolated at the Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen in 1883 by Emil Hansen. Bottom fermenting yeasts are hence known as Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis. Most people don't have a problem identifying a golden lager.

Ale, on the other hand, confuses people. Keeping in mind my oversimplification, all ales are fermented with Top Fermenting Yeasts (Saccaromyces cerevisiae) at a higher temperature of 15-25 degrees C. This type of fermentation produces fruity, spicy flavours and a far more aromatic beer which usually is served a little warmer than lager. Within the broad category of ale there are so many variants (ale,stout,abbey beer, porter, barley wine, red ale , blonde ale etc. etc.) that it is hard to group them together but they all share a common type of yeast. Bare in mind that while each brewer may use their own particular strain of yeast all ale yeasts will be of the same family (Saccaromyces cerevisiae).

So, it's that simple. The basic difference between ale and lager is the type of yeast. We can have pale, blonde ale (Duvel) or we can have dark lager (Budvar Dark). Stout usually uses a Top Fermenting yeast and there are even hybrids like Anchor Steam which uses a Bottom Fermenting yeast but manages to ferment it at the much higher temperatures associated with Top Fermenting.

For those of you still with me at this stage, it wouldn't be right to talk about yeast and fermentation without speaking of Bottle Conditioning . This is the practice of allowing the beer to ferment a second time in the bottle. This produces more alcohol and CO2 ( natural carbonation), preserves the freshness of the beer and produces complex, flowery flavours. It can be achieved by ensuring there is enough yeast in the beer prior to bottling to refermentation or by adding (pitching) fresh yeast to the beer. There may be enough sugars in the beer for refermentation or glucose or a portion of young fermenting beer may be added to feed the yeast. A different yeast may be used in this secondary fermentation than in the primary fermentation. It is usually Top Fermented beers which are bottle conditioned but there are exceptions.

Bottle conditioned beers will always have a sediment in the bottle which, depending on the style of beer and personal taste, will either be swirled into the beer or carefully left in the bottle. Weissbiers and Belgian Wit biers are usually served with the yeast sediment in suspension. Bottle conditioned beers are naturally fizzy as the CO2 produced in refermentation is trapped in the bottle and causes carbonation in the beer. Other beers are bottled under pressure with CO2 'injected' into the bottle. Bottle conditioned beers have more character than filtered, carbonated beers and will mature and develop over years in the bottle much like a fine wine. (Many bottle conditioned beer continue to improve long after their 'Best Before' date has expired)

Despite my oversimplification of beer into two distinct types, defined by yeast, I will also mention Spontaneously Fermented beer. These Belgian artisan beers called Lambics, are fermented by naturally occurring wild yeasts. These yeasts belong to a different family and these beers deserve a post all to themselves.

So there you have it. Ale doesn't mean warm, flat, red, watery tasting beer. But it can do!

Get out there and drink some ale ! It might not be what you thought.

Here's an interesting article by someone who really doesn't agree with my blunt division of beer into two categories .

My last drink was; Nils Oscar India Ale, 33cl, 5.3%abv

Drink Small, Stay Fresh

The Beer Revolution has been busy the last few days and hasn't updated the blog. Apologies.

Now here's a crazy idea and I've a feeling it won't be very popular but it kinda makes sense to me.

Nobody seems to disagree that we have a problem with alcohol in this country. This is a subject that TBR will discuss periodically. We have a problem with under age drinking and with binge drinking.

What people can't seem to agree on is what measures to take, if any, to tackle this problem.

It is my belief that what is needed is a paradigm shift in the relationship with alcohol and the manner in which it is consumed. There is no quick fix solution. You cannot change the habits of a large sector of the population overnight. No single measure will cure the problem. A somewhat more holistic approach is needed.

My, possibly unpopular, idea is not a cure for Ireland's drinking problems, it is simply one of many possible measures (I may discuss more in the future) which may help to slowly change the drinking culture.

Here goes; I want the standard, most commonly used measure for beer to be the half pint. I don't want the pint banned - I simply don't want the default measure to be the pint. It seems that the easiest way to influence people's behaviour is to hit their pockets.

Currently most bars charge more for two half pints than for one pint. I simply wish to reverse this trend. This could be done with a tax imposed on larger measures but as I suspect the unpopularity of this scheme of mine already, I don't wish to exacerbate the situation by adding more tax onto alcohol. Passing legislation that ensures a pint costs, for example, 20c more than two half pints would probably do the trick (let the publicans do the maths).

But why do this?
Because of our 'pint' culture, there seems to be a machoism associated with the larger measure - it's not considered 'manly' for a man to drink halves and conversely considered unladylike for women to drink pints. Let's move on from this place, folks.

If people habitually drank glasses, I believe, there would be a more social focus on drinking rather than a quantity focus. Rounds become cheaper and less intimidating and people would be more inclined to drop out if they've had enough, not having forked out a fortune for their round. The notion of 'one for the road' is less harmful. Something similar could be done with spirits.

I don't naively think this will reduce peoples drinking significantly - what I'm after is a subtle and gradual change to our habits. Most European countries typically serve beer in 25 - 30cl glasses. Anyone ever been to Cologne? Their local beer style, Kolsch is served in 20cl glasses - in Germany! Almost everyone looks to a more 'European' style of drinking.

Is there anything worse than a flat, dead pint of stout, than a warm, headless lager. Drink small, stay fresh! Have as many as you see fit, drink pints if you want to pay the difference - the choice would be yours. 'Can I buy you a glass?' That won't break the bank!

I tentatively publish this post awaiting the backlash.

P.S. I'm not crazy about the standard half pint glass, there are many other designs to choose from.

My last drink was; Maradsous Bruin 8%abv 33cl.

Is This Really The State of Play ?

I don't really plan for The Beer Revolution to become a bar review blog or even a beer review blog but a new bar has opened in Cork and their clear disregard for quality beer is possibly an indication of the disappointing position we're in as regards the revolution.

The Pavilion, once a cinema, which has traded for many years as a night club with a separate bar has changed hands, been refurbished and reopened as -you guessed it- The Pavilion. Again there is a separate downstairs bar and an upstairs club/gig venue.

The people behind the new Pavilion are, I believe, people who were involved in The Lobby bar and music venue and The Bodega. These guys and their compatriots have been up to all sorts of interesting club and music ventures in Cork for many years. One imagines the metaphorical finger on the slightly sluggish pulse of the Cork beautiful people set. What I mean is, these guys are not property developers, they are music/club enthusiasts with a lot of musician/DJ friends.

Evan Dando is, I think, the first gig scheduled. I haven't seen the venue yet but I have been to the bar. I dropped in during the quiet daytime hours (no food served).

The décor is clean and relatively neutral with a suitably modern feel. Understated and quite nice. I ordered a double espresso and a scone (even TBR keeps afternoon beer sipping for special occasions!). The very pleasant server duly served up a truly rank coffee in a dirty cup, on a dirty saucer and I scone which I suspect wasn't baked that morning - oh, and a glass of water which was fine.

Not great but what about the beer?

On draught were the usual suspects: Heineken, Miller, Coors Light, Carlsberg, Budweiser, Guinness, Murphy's, Beamish, Beamish Red and Bulmers. How come a contemporary, hip bar doesn't have Hoegaarden, Erdinger, Puallaner,Staropramen, Budvar or something from the local Franciscan Well brewery ? These may not be my favourite beers but at least they give some draught choice to the consumer. But no. The young and not so young clubbers and music fans will drink only mainstream industrial draught beer. I can't see Beamish Red selling anyway and I'm told Coors Lite is a hard sell too.

To bottles: Heineken, Miler, Budweiser, Coors Lite, Bulmers Light, Corona, Holsten pils. And for the connoisseur (tongue firmly in cheek): Tiger Beer, Budvar, Erdinger Hefe, Koppaberg (glorified alcopop) and .....wait for it......Hoegaarden 33cl.
So, we have 8 lagers, two of which might be considered premium, a light cider and a sweety pear 'cider', one weissbier and one (not bad) Belgian Witbier.

Wow.
Fuck me!
Is that the best the newest, trendiest, hippest, coolest, finger on the pulse bar can do with beer?

I guess so.
Shit coffee, mainstream beer and bottles of Hoegaarden!

Is there not a market for varied, interesting beer. Look at The Bierhaus. The Crane Lane has consistently sold a pretty good selection of varied bottled beer (not just lager and Erdinger) and local draught - they seem to be doing ok.

I had hopes for this bar but until they get some beer in, I won't be meeting any of my beautiful, affluent, hip friends there. We'll go where the beer is.

Apologies for the Cork Colloquial post.

P.S.

I'd like to note that on other forums, (interesting debate here) many people disagreed with my views on the coffee in The Pav. But mine was sour.

My last drink was; Glass of Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2006, 12.5%abv

And Then There Were Two?

This article may not be news to many readers but in conversation with people, I've found that there is much unawareness of what is happening in the mainstream brewing world.

For as long as I can remember the stout market in Ireland has been almost exclusively dominated by three brands; Guinness, Murphy's and Beamish.

Over the years Guinness sold out to Diagio, Murphy's to Heineken and Beamish to Scottish & Newcastle.

Now a rather worrisome development is about to take place.
Heineken and arch rivals Carlsberg have joined forces to take over Scottish & Newcastle in a €10.44 billion deal.

The effects of this will see Heineken take over S&N's operations in UK, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Belgium, USA and India. The result of this will be that Heineken will own Beamish.
ie Murphy's and Beamish having the same owner.

It seems that the Irish part of the deal has yet to be passed by the Irish Competition Authority.
There has been talk of a management buy out or, if the deal is blocked, then the Beamish brewery would be offered up for sale. But can we trust the Competition Authority to prevent the smaller two of the three big stout producers in Ireland being under the same owenership?

One can't but help speculate that one of the two brews will be axed. Which one? My bet is that Beamish will go. Murphy's is brewed in Heineken's modern Lady's Well brewery Cork, while Beamish is brewed across town on a city centre site I assume to be much more valuable. Take into account that stout sales are falling, will a corporate brewer keep two stouts that struggle to compete in a lager market.

What is interesting to note is that, should the deal go through, Heineken will be the brewers of six lagers: Heineken, Amstel, Fosters, Miller, Kronenburg 1664 and Coors. Will it keep all of them? Who cares?

Now, I'm not a huge lover of the modern draught stout. Over the years it has been tweaked to deliver a pint that is more about coldness and creaminess than flavour. This has happened all three of the big stouts and even the likes of O Hara's Stout, while having a bit more going on, still falls into the nitrogenated, cold, rather bland model of Irish stout. (Draught stout uses nitrogen to force the beer through a fine holed plate in the tap to produce the much loved creamy head.)

I do , however, have a fondness for Beamish. I went for the price and stayed cause I liked it. I would now pay more for Beamish over Guinness or Murphy's if I had to. Beamish is not my beer of choice but given the dismal choice of beer in so many Irish bars, it is my best option. Beamish and boiled bodice.....mmmmmm.

Will Murphy's be axed? Will Beamish be no more? Will the South Main St. brewery (pictured) which employs 160 staff be turned into apartments? Along with the news that Diagio could close St. James' Gate Guinness brewery, things look bleak for the future of what's left of the Irish Stout Industry.


On The Pint Bottle issue;
I was in the iconic Mc Carthy's Bar of Catsletownbere, made famous by the late Pete Mc Carthy's book Mc Carthy's Bar. Very nice bar with grocery section and friendly staff.
But did they have The Pint Bottle?
No.
But they did have Guinness Extra in 33cl bottles.
Now that's plain odd.

My last drink was; Glass of Cote Du Rhone 2006, 14%abv

Stop breathing... It's bad for the environment !!

Most things we do are bad for the environment and drinking beer is no exception or, to be more accurate, making beer is no exception!

All industry uses energy and produces waste and in all industries, some companies will be more efficient (from an energy/waste point of view) than others. But there's nothing like a bit of consumer awareness to make industry sit up and think about what they're doing.

'What if we could invest in efficiency, sell more product and save on energy and waste costs?'

The fact is, that some consumers will pay more for a product they believe to be environmentally responsible. Eco sells.

I recently read of some innovations Bavaria Browerij in The Netherlands have going on.


They claim:

That their waste water returns to the local system cleaner than it came out, due to their own treatment facility.

The methane produced in this facility is then used in their specialised efficient power system.

The one I think is particularly clever is;
The co2 given off during fermentation is recycled and used in the bottling.

They also claim to use considerably less water, use considerably less energy and produce less waste than the European average to produce a hectolitre of beer.

They also malt their own barley, which, presumably, reduces transport impact.


Surely, this must save them a heap of money too?

I realise that these kind of innovations may not be feasible for many smaller breweries and, in the scale of things, it's more important that the mainstream brewers become more efficient. But they need to hear the message from the consumer, not just the regulator.

Would I buy Bavaria over a similar beer because it is more environmentally responsible?
If I wanted a well made, unchallenging, mainstream lager.....Yes.

And while we're on the subject.

Why do we have to put our empty beer bottles in the recycling bin or, even worse, the waste bin. Why aren't our beer bottles returnable? I realise that we import much of our beer but at least our domestically bottled beer should all have a deposit/refund system. We had this system in the past and it works in other countries.

Drink beer - save the planet?

My last drink was; Popperings Hommel Bier, 50cl, 7.5%abv

Strength in Numbers

There seems to be a lot of confusion and, dare I say it, fear surrounding the alcohol strength of beer.

Firstly, I'd like state some facts.


Strong beer does not equal good beer.

Weak beer does not equal bad beer.

Strong beer drunk in appropriate amounts does not get you drunker than week beer.

It is alcohol and the amount of it you consume and nothing else that makes you intoxicated.

Alcohol in drinks is usually measured as alcohol by volume (abv). Simply put, this means that a 50cl bottle of 5% abv beer (or anything else) has 2.5cl of pure alcohol.


Possibly the fear of strong beer in Ireland is due to the fashion in which we drink beer - ie by the pint and multiples thereof. If you're going to drink beer by the pint then 7 or 8% abv beer is probably not wise for a session down the local.

But how come this fear of strength doesn't carry over to other drinks?
People don't fear wine at 14%. Most fortified wine is around 20%abv. And people drink spirits of 35% to over 40% all the time.
So why the problem with beer?

Back to the pints.
If I started to drink wine by the pint or whiskey by the wine glass, then I'd soon be very intoxicated. So, most people don't do this. Alas this sense of measure doesn't carry over to beer for most people. Irish people seem to be conditioned to think that beer = pint. The result of this is if a stronger beer is introduced to the equation, then alcohol consumed also goes up.

One can, and I often do, take great pleasure from strong beer. I drank a 9.2% beer last night - but I only drank one of them (33cl). If I drank 4 pints of it - I'd have been very drunk. The beers fault? I don't think so.

Personally, I don't care for beer under 4% - I find it a little watery - but there are many top quality, well made beers lower than this strength. There are also many mass produced cheaply made 'super lagers' at strengths of up to 9%. I like a beer that I drink by the pint to be between 4% and 5% but why be restricted to only beer in this range.

I treat strong beer much like I treat wine. In fact, although almost every beer has it's own glass, I've yet to come across a beer that doesn't drink well from a large wine glass. To take this one step farther, I also like to share beer out in wine glasses (particularly strong beer). People who don't normally drink strong beer will often enjoy a little in a glass rather than being faced with a whole bottle. Large bottles are obviously made for sharing.

If you can get people away from the idea that beer must be gulped from a large vessel, then you open up a whole world of beer. Treat a 9% or 10% beer like a fine wine or a sherry. Sip it. Savour it. Enjoy it, see how it changes as it warms up, maybe have another. Strong beer also tends to go well after a meal or with cheese and some sweeter beers go well with desert when wine just isn't going down easily any more.

I don't want to get into listing my favourite beers, or the strongest beers in the world (remember , stronger doesnt equal better) but people may wish to know the strongest beer I've drunk.
It's Samichlaus Bruin - an Austrian brown lager at 14%abv. Sipped slowly it's a warming, sherry like beer. Very nice but not by the pint!

My last drink was; Trappistes Rochefort 8, 33cl 9.2%abv

T' Bolleke

Most beer enthusiasts don't have one favourite beer.
They may have a favourite of each of many styles.
One's favourite beer can change depending the time of day, the weather, the location, company etc. etc.

Today's post is on what is, probably, my favourite draught tipple.

There is nothing quite like a cool Bolleke in an Antwerp pub full of character and characters (my favourite pub for a Bolleke is Den Engel on Grote Markt).
The funny think is, there is no beer called Bolleke in Antwerp or, as far as I know, anywhere else.
The beer is called De Koninick. 'Bolleke' refers to the glass that De Konnick is served in - a 25cl bowl shaped chalice - but I've never heard anyone order anything but a Bolleke.

De Koninick is a Belgian ale. It is reddish in colour and is smooth, subtle and fresh to drink.
It has warm toasted malt flavours, fruity ale yeasts notes and is gently hopped and at 5%abv is a very balanced everyday drinking beer. There is a brightness and thirst quenching quality to this beer to challenge the perception of any 'ale hater'.

25cl is a little under half a pint but the Bolleke looks deceptively larger. It seems just the right size for this beer. The beer stays cool and fresh, rounds work out inexpensive and you get to call out 'Bolleke' without offending anyone. Ah, to be in an Antwerp pub now.

De Koninick is, strangely, the only brewery in Antwerp (apart from one brew pub/restaurant) and has been in the same ownership since 1919, without any corporate take overs. I've yet to come across an Antwerp pub that didn't sell De Koninick on draught and, usually, the only other draught beer will be whatever single Belgian Pilsner they choose to stock.
You can have De Koninick, lager or bottled beer.
Thing is; this system offers the beer drinker many different styles - real choice.

De Koninick, in recent years also offer a stronger ale that they call a 'Triple' and a blonde version of a similar strength to their much loved ale.
I've yet to taste these beers.
I've never had De Koninick from a bottle either.

I can't help but wonder if De Koninick just wouldn't taste the same anywhere but in an Antwerp pub. For this reason - my next Bolleke will be in Antwerp.

My last drink was; Glass of Cote Du Rhone 2006, 14%abv

The Beer Snob

Along with trying to change the attitude towards beer and alcohol in general in Ireland, I've realised that I also need to tackle the attitude towards people who are passionate about beer.

I was told in a forum that I "seem fierce snobby about beer".
I'd like to get to the root of what that means.

Is it a latent inferiority complex in many Irish people?

"You drink beer that you claim is better beer than me so you must be a snob"

I don't buy that. I think no less of a person regardless of what they drink. I ask the same for me.

"Irish people are slow to accept change."

I don't accept that either. The shelves and taps of almost all pubs has changed dramatically in the last ten years. We've had a rash of long-neck lagers, light lagers, light cider, alcopops, Red Bull. More draught lagers have come and gone than most publicans can even remember, and remember Guinness Extra Cold? (Ice cream headache)!
Irish people accept change if it's wrapped up in mainstream marketing but if I want quality, flavoursome beer, I'm a snob.

Look at the sea change in coffee in Ireland. We've come from cheap instant, through filter coffee and cafetierres to proper espresso. Now we just need to learn how to handle the beans properly and operate the machines but no one is called a coffee snob for not wanting to drink instant coffee - hell, filter coffee is almost the new instant!

One of the many things about quality beer that I love is that it's within almost everybody's reach, irrespective of socio-economic status.
I know I can't afford to drink very top end wine - one can pay thousands for a bottle of wine -there is no real upper limit. I have to drink what I can afford.
The finest beers in the world, on the other hand, cost maybe twice as much as cheap beer. Just drink less or less often. Apart from a few notable exceptions, top-end beer just doesn't get very expensive, so again, I wonder about the 'snob label'.

I think I'm gonna need some help to figure this one out.

Or maybe I should just accept that a refusal on my part to drink beer that I don't like and which will give me a headache, makes me a snob.

My last drink was; Trappist Orval, 33cl, 6.2%abv (allegedly), at home.

Now we're in The Big Hefeweizen League

While being far from an expert on German Beer, I've for many years, been a fan of a Munich Weissbier or Hefeweizen. (Weissbier simply means 'white beer' while Hefe means 'yeast' and weizen means 'wheat')
So a hefeweizen is a yeasty,usually pale beer made with wheat and barley (as opposed to most German beers which are exclusively made with barley).

Weissbiers have been available in Ireland for quite a number of years now but the choice has been sadly limited and the brands have been chosen more for their status than their quality.
Hence Erdinger is widely available here and while I thank Erdinger for opening the minds of a many an Irish pint drinker to the possibilities of weissbier, I find it heavy and a little bland. It is, however, the best selling Weissbier in Europe but mass appeal has never been a sure sign of quality, in my book.

Schneiderweiss has been here for quite a while but this is a rather dark-coloured hefeweizen and while its quality cannot be questioned, it is not to everyone's taste and is not a typical example of the style. Oh, but their Aventinus is something special (very dark and over 8%abv)!

Franziscaner, Schöfferhofer, Pualanner and various other weissbiers have come and gone, relieving the tedium of Erdinger but now a truly great Munich Hefeweizen has arrived on our shores.

What is it?


Weihenstephaner



This beer does, for me, what a truly great weissbier should.
It is aromatic, fruity, full-bodied but at the same time quite light and refreshing.
It has all the classic hefeweizen, bananna, spice and citrus flavours but all in perfect balance.
This is a quaffable beast and at 5.4%abv, it's maybe one to treat with respect as it goes down with the ease of beer lighter in alcohol.

Look here

I've never had alot of meas in Kristal Weissbiers (filtered clear versions of hefeweizen) as, in my opinion, they tend a little towards lager but are not as refreshing. Weinhenstephaner Kristal, on the other hand, does carry alot of the aroma and flavour of its cloudy brother.

I had high hopes for their Weizenbock (a stronger version of the hefeweizen called Vitus) but this beer nerd found it a little harsh and wanted it a bit darker (each to their own).

I'd really like to taste their Dunkel (dark wheat beer) but haven't been able to find it yet.
(Note to the importers!!!!)

There are a couple of non alcoholic versions, one of which is 'isotonic' (a new one on me).
Both are very drinkable but, as with all non alcohol beers, there's a hole in the flavour palette that nothing but alcohol will fill. This is not just the taste of alcohol that's wanting but the alcohol also acts as a carrier for flavour compounds.

If you're tired of Erdinger or just want a change or simpmly want to taste what is arguably the best Hefeweizen in the world, I highly recommend Weinhenstephaner Hefeweizen (in moderation, of course).

If you can't find it, ask for it.

The Pint Bottle & The Sunny South East

Aside from the alleged finer weather in the South East corner of our damp isle the thing I like about visiting Waterford and Wexford is the proliferation of The Pint Bottle Of Guinness.

Staying in the Brandon House Hotel, New Ross, last night I had high hopes, considering the location, of finding The Pint Bottle behind their bar.
I was only slightly disappointed.
The Bottle was there but only in the fridge.
Ah well, it'll always warm up.

Taking into account that Guinness Extra is far from my favourite beer, why get so excited?

Think of a typical hotel bar. If I want to drink beer, the average pub or hotel has nothing to offer me - several mainstream long-necks, industrial draught (and I include Guinness,Beamish and Murphy's as the best of a bad lot here) and nothing else. Okay, maybe (and a big maybe) Erdinger will be there but I just don't really like Erdinger.

But..
If in The South East, then the Pint Bottle of Guinness is a saviour.
A proper, full flavoured, slightly challenging beer with a lot of tradition behind it. It's what one imagines Guinness should taste like. Oh, and trust me, it really is much, much nicer off the shelf - smoother and fuller flavoured as opposed to a little thin and bitter when cold.

So, people of the South East;
Drink The Bottle!
If you don't, publicans will stop stocking it as they have in most parts of the country and I'll stop visiting and Guinness will probably stop making it - the one product that hasn't been tweaked beyond recognition to suit the ever changing taste of the fickle consumer.

I thank you, Waterford and Wexford and I thank all the other pups around the country that still stock The Pint Bottle.

Try one - off the shelf, with a half-pint glass and if you don't like it, try mixing it with a Pint Bottle of Smithwicks to make a Black & Tan.
Nice

Budweiser, Budvar, Budejovicky, 1795.... What the...?

Here's an interesting if somewhat complicated story.

I was always under the impression that the Battle between Anheuser Busch (US Budweiser) and Budejovicky Budvar (Czech Budweiser) was a David and Goliath battle with the big American giant preventing the little European brewery from using it's rightful name.

As far as I know, the present situation is that the Czech beer is called 'Budweiser' in the Czech Republic, 'Budvar Budejovicky' in Europe and 'Czechvar' in the US.

Now this is where the story gets interesting.

Anheuser Busch had a beer trademarked as 'Budweiser' before Budvar even existed.
Budvar's claim to the name 'Budweiser' comes under protected geographical origin (rather like Bordeaux or Stilton) as their brewery is situated in the town of Budweis.
The thing is, another Brewery from Budweis called 'Budejovicky Mestansky Pivovar' was established in 1795 - 70 years before Anheuser Busch!
Not only that, but they actually sold their beer in the US as 'Budweiser' five years before A.B. made their first Budweiser.

As a result of communism, Budejovicky Mestansky Pivovar was nationalised and the name Budweiser was reserved for the bigger, neighbouring Budvar which was pushed as a national export.

However after the fall of communism in 1991, Budejovicky Mestansky Pivovar was restituted to it's original owners as was the right to use the name 'Budweiser Bier' or 'Budejovicky Pivo'. In 1998 the brewery re-launches it's 'Budweiser Burgerbra' to the Czech market.

Their export beer is 1795 Budejovicky pivo.

Funny thing is that Budvar, while claiming geographical origin for their own beer, object to Budejovicky Mestansky Pivovar using the name outside of the Czech Republic.

"It seems that Budvar likes to claim geographical origin when it suits their purposes against Anheuser Busch but when it comes to our brewery, they turn and use similar arguments that Anheuser Busch uses against them. It makes no sense."
Miroslav Zeman, Budejovicky Mestansky brewery manager.

One starts to wonder who is the David and who is the Goliath?

1795 is available in Ireland. As you may know, I'm not a big lager drinker but I have tasted it and find it to be fresher and hoppier tasting than Budvar. On a hot day I could certainly be tempted!