beer

Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway)

As per reader requests from our comments section, today we’re looking at the relatively recent phenomenon of hard cider and its sudden, rapid growth here in the United States. I should say resurgence to be more accurate, though: Cider has a history here that dates to nearly the beginning of Colonial America, and was the national drink for most of our existence. What happened, you may ask? Well, that’s a long and fascinating tale that I’m about to condense into a few paragraphs.

A (very) brief history of cider in America:

Cider became the drink of choice for the earliest European settlers through the process of elimination. The crabapples that the first colonists found upon their arrival were inedible, so seeds for common and eventually cider-producing apples made their way from England. The apples took to the New England climate and that along with the conditions proving tough for barley production made hard cider the logical choice for those first Americans looking to ferment some goodness for themselves. As the young nation grew, so did the production and popularity of cider. Even the kids got into the act: Ciderkin, a type of extremely low-alcohol water-cider made from pouring water over the left-over pomace from standard hard cider production, was a popular dinner table beverage for children of the Colonial period.

So what happened to cider? First, the huge early 20th century influx of immigrants from Europe brought many new citizens to the U.S. whose tastes ran more to beer than cider. Also, Prohibition happened. Prohibition was devastating to the state of alcohol in America for far longer than most of us tend to think about; by the time Prohibition was repealed, modern farming technology had improved to the point where the barley-growing portions of the Midwest could churn out massive amounts of grain for the big brewery houses of the day, who were the only ones big enough to create a presence nationwide post-repeal. The era of Big Beer had begun, and hard cider was reduced to an afterthought, a fringe beverage drowned in a sea of Lager soaking the U.S. from coast to coast.

The modern wine industry and craft beer revolution represent our first steps toward normalcy, a natural pendulum-swing back from the industrial dominance of the bigger firms post-Prohibition. Cider, it seems, is making a real comeback in an attempt to get in on the action. Much of this actually has sprung up in response to the needs of those who are sensitive to gluten. With so few choices in gluten-free beer (and only a couple of those choices being even remotely worthwhile), many are discovering hard cider as an alternative. Cider also gives farmers an outlet for their wares that doesn’t involve dealing with gigantic multinationals looking to make a cheaper applesauce. In the past few years alone, the market share of hard cider has doubled, and while its overall place in the market is tiny any growth is indicative of an emerging trend (by comparison, even with craft beer’s outstanding growth taken into account, beer as a category has lost ground over the same time period).

I’ve always had a tumultuous relationship with cider. I never particularly enjoyed the ‘big name’ ciders I would see on shelves as they always struck me as cloying. Over the time I’ve been doing my current job, I’ve had the ‘cider people’ clamoring for me to carry more and more variety, only to see them rarely show up when I do. Today, I find myself coming around to cider a bit, with new options out there we didn’t have years ago. I’ve had the pleasure of trying many new ciders that I’d be happy to carry in stock and there are seemingly more every week that I feel like I may need to try. Here’s a quick list of some to look out for:

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Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway)

Every year around this time, I get the same comments from folks when they see the early arrivals of Oktoberfests, Pumpkin Ales, and other fall seasonal beers: “Already?”; “Isn’t it a bit soon?”; “Shouldn’t those Oktoberfestbiers be available in, like, October?” For the record, the answers to those are “Yes”, “Probably”, and “No, since the Oktoberfest starts in late September (the 22nd of September this year, by the way)”.

Season changes are always awkward times of the year for me, as the demand for outgoing specialty beers clashes with the need to be up-to-date with my inventory for those looking for the newest arrivals. Of all the season changes, the transition from summer to autumn is by far the most difficult to handle.

We’ve talked about the intense competition for the consumer dollar that drives breweries to release seasonal and specialty beers earlier than expected. I’m not sure there is a seasonal beer segment more competitive than Oktoberfest beers; there’s a built-in audience and a specific date and event to associate the beer with. If you make a great Oktoberfest it can drive the growth of your brewery like few other styles can. Even if you only make an okay Oktoberfest, you’re still likely to sell a fair amount of it, and for some breweries that can be the difference between expansion or failure. All of that is to say that I understand the early releases of fall seasonals (especially Oktoberfestbiers) and try not to shake my head too much when some pop up sooner than expected.

To bring you behind the curtain a bit, here’s how it usually goes for me this time of the year: On August 1st of every year I wait for the phone calls and emails telling me which fall beers are arriving and ready to go. I expect this and think it’s an appropriate if seemingly early date to start working on bringing them in. The usual suspects are the first to pop up — Hofbrau, Paulaner, Weihenstephaner, etc., along with a handful of Harvest Ales (notables this year include Southern Tier’s Harvest Ale and New Belgium Red Hoptober). Over the next few weeks more will roll out; Pumpkin Ales will tend to run a little later with many coming in as we get into September and various Oktoberfest and fall releases will be scattered over the next couple of months.

There are always outliers of course. The big one this year seems to be Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale, made by MillerCoors under their Blue Moon label. I heard reports of this hitting shelves as early as three weeks ago, which is the kind of corporate marketing leverage move we should expect yet it still surprised me to see them roll out so early. The aforementioned Southern Tier Harvest Ale arriving a week ago wasn’t expected, but I’m hoping that means we see more of it over the course of the next few weeks as it’s a favorite of mine. After the popular first-year performance of their Oktoberfest and the continued growth of their Pumpkin Ale here, expect to see Schlafly seasonals in sooner rather than later.

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Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway)

By the time you read this, the second annual IPA Day will have already come and gone. Started last year, the idea of IPA Day is that every August 2nd, craft beer lovers everywhere get together and celebrate the humble hop flower and all the joy it brings us through its use in the venerable India Pale Ale style. Since this column runs the day after IPA Day and because it’s a relatively new event, I’m going to go ahead and say take the weekend to enjoy your favorite hophead treats. If you need a few suggestions, I’ve got some right here:

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale: Besides being one of the most popular craft beers around, Two Hearted is a finely balanced IPA that even appeals to those who think they don’t like ‘really hoppy’ beers. Bell’s fruity yeast strain plays exceptionally well with highly-hopped Ales, and helps give Two Hearted a combination of hop character and balance that isn’t seen as often as I’d like.

Dogfish Head 60, 90, 120 Minute: Pick one, pick them all—just make sure someone’s around to take care of you, ‘cause you’re going to need some help if you’re throwing back some of these bruisers. I’ve always been a 90 Minute fan myself, but I do occasionally enjoy a well-aged 120 (at 15-20% ABV, it takes a few years for the sugars in 120 to mellow out). All three have distinct characteristics and their own fan bases: 60 in some ways is the most assertive of the bunch, with 90 having a heavy malt element and 120 being so sweet in its youth due to its high alcohol level. These are the beers that put Dogfish Head on the map nationally, and they hold up all these years later.

Heavy Seas Loose Cannon: Straight out of Baltimore, Loose Cannon is one of the most versatile beers on the market. It also happens to be a heavily-hopped take on IPA. There’s an element of crispness to Loose Cannon that at once accentuates and gives focus to the hops used, and the careful consideration taken in making it pays off with a hoppy Ale that can sit with you at nearly any dinner table.

Uinta Hop Notch: Hop Notch has had a big year in our area. Where only a few months ago I’d see but a case or two at a time, now I’m regularly displaying case-stacks at Arrowine and selling through them quickly. Hop Notch plays on the citrusier, grapefruity aspects of the hop which serves to make it feel less strong than its 7.5% would have you think. Compared to, say, Two Hearted Ale, Hop Notch has less of a malty streak, which dials down the earthiness and punches up the ‘juicy’ notes. This is a very cool beer that many are just discovering.

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Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway)

As a retailer, the question I hear the most in my day-to-day conversations at work is “Do you have…?” Sometimes my answer is no. There are a few reasons why that would be the case, and I do try to explain why I don’t have something available. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve always tried to be uniquely open with customers about some of the behind-the-scenes of our business; even within the world of retail the alcohol industry is weird and I believe educating consumers demystifies some of the vagaries that can confuse and frustrate buyers. So for those of you heading out to stock up on beer, here are some reasons I or any other retailer may not have the specific brew you’re looking for:

It’s out of stock: The most common reason and the simplest, except for the often overlooked factor of a distributor being out of stock. Virginia is a classic ‘three-tier’ state: I buy my beers from distributors who own the rights to brands in our state. In fact, every restaurant and retailer has to buy their beers (and wines) from the specific distributors who own the rights to them. Occasionally for any popular brand, demand outstrips supply and we all just have to wait for another truck to arrive from a brewery to their distributor. I promise I’m not trying to not have that beer you need for your party this weekend that I always have.

It’s not available here: The second most common reason I don’t have a requested beer. I often mention in this space beers that aren’t available in Virginia, but getting those beers here isn’t a matter of my simply asking for the brewery to send them. A brewery has to determine that they want to sell their wares here and then make a deal with a distributor in Virginia before I can even think about seeing it. This is one of the many ways the alcohol business is just odd — I can’t just get what I think will sell or what I think is interesting. I’m at the mercy of a whole separate industry that determines what I can/cannot purchase and stock. Weird, right? Again, though: I promise I’m not trying to not have your beer. Unless…

I just don’t carry it and don’t plan on stocking it: Yup, unless I just don’t want it. Even with the space that I’m blessed to have at Arrowine, there are a good dozen or so breweries whose stuff I can’t regularly carry because I just don’t have room. Beyond that, there are so many options within a couple miles of our shop in each direction that I don’t necessarily feel like overlapping what they run with. That isn’t to say your local shop can’t get that beer for you: if a customer gets a hold of me early enough in the week I can usually get whatever they want for the weekend, regardless of whether it’s something I regularly carry or not. I want to make you, as the customer, happy but if I feel that you’d be better or more quickly served by a nearby store who stocks something I don’t, I’ll let you know.

Happy hunting. Until next time.

Nick Anderson maintains a blog at www.beermonger.net, and can be found on Twitter at @The_Beermonger. Sign up for Arrowine’s money saving email offers and free wine and beer tastings at www.arrowine.com/mailing-list-signup.aspx. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway)

We’re already well past the halfway point of 2012, which I didn’t even realize until the other day. That got me thinking about the new beers I’ve had the opportunity to try and in some cases stock this year. Between new brews arriving at Arrowine, random bottles brought by friends and customers, and festivals like SAVOR I get to try more different beers than the average bear. Here are my top five for the first half of 2012:

Stillwater Premium: The instant I tried Premium earlier this year I was blown away, and I still don’t expect anything to knock it off of its spot. Brian Strumke at Stillwater Artisanal Ales is in my opinion just about the smartest brewer in the country right now, and Premium is a masterpiece. Essentially a riff on the classic ‘macro lager,’ Premium uses many of the same grains and hops found in beers with TV ad budgets. The twist is that Strumke ferments Premium with two strains of wild Brettanomyces yeast and somehow the whole thing comes out of the bottle an elegant, funky joy to behold. If we get lucky, we’ll see another release of Premium before the year’s out.

The Alchemist Heady Topper: Word of mouth has made this Imperial IPA a sensation among beer geeks everywhere. Most often compared to Russian River Brewing’s legendary Pliny the Elder, Heady Topper is one of the punchiest and most drinkable hop hits out there. If you can get your hands on any of these 16oz. cans of goodness, don’t hesitate.

Williamsburg Alewerks Caledonia: This is a pretty recent addition to the list, but it just struck me out of nowhere. Labeled as a “Scottish-Style IPA,” Caledonia is just about every great British beer you’ve ever had in one bottle. At 4.5% ABV, Caledonia has a classic grassy English Pale Ale note and easy feel with just a touch of malt. Caledonia is still available, at least for now.

Mother Earth Double-Wit Blackberry: I mentioned this in my SAVOR recap, and it’s still holding up in my memory. Mother Earth’s beers aren’t available up here unfortunately, but it was nice to be able to try this one. The fruit was balanced with the rich yeast and wheat character, will all of the elements coming together just right to make this more than just a gimmicky ‘fruit beer’ — this was an elegant beverage.

Port City Downright Pils: Alexandria’s Port City brewery came through big-time with this special brew. Using one malt and one hop variety, Downright is a textbook clean, snappy Pilsner with just the slightest hint of extra hop bite to set it off. Downright had been out of stock for the past few weeks, but it’s just coming back to the market now so get at it while the weather’s right. Who knows — maybe we’ll get to see this one year round.

Until next time.

Cheers!

Nick Anderson maintains a blog at www.beermonger.net, and can be found on Twitter at @The_Beermonger. Sign up for Arrowine’s money saving email offers and free wine and beer tastings at www.arrowine.com/mailing-list-signup.aspx. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.