beer

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

I try in these columns to stay away from directly relating the topic to a particular beer that may be arriving in the shop or that I might be featuring that week. I probably should, to be honest, but I enjoy going through one style at a time and trying to give you, the reader, a nice introduction and some good examples of each. There is something coming in this week, though, that made me think of a style that is largely unknown to the public at large but is starting to gain importance: gluten-free beer.

The number of Americans being diagnosed with Celiac disease is increasing every year, as doctors begin to understand it and its many varied symptoms. Where only 10-15 years ago the conventional wisdom had Celiac being something that only affected around 1/2,500 people (and focusing on children and young people), today some three million Americans have been diagnosed as Celiac. Celiac disease affects the lining of the intestines, specifically in reaction to foods containing gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats among other grains. The damage done by Celiac leaves the sufferer unable to process important elements in food, leading to various and sundry maladies, none of which are good. Looking at that list of ingredients containing gluten, you can see where issues come up for beer drinkers.

Over the past few years many beers have hit the market for those with Celiac disease who missed beer and were looking for a gluten-free option. I’ve seen the number of customers looking for gluten-free beers increase every year, and every year I’ve seen the disappointment of those customers in the beers on the market for them. These days, the gluten-free beers I keep in stock are limited to Britain’s St. Peter’s Sorghum Beer and Green’s Gluten-Free, whose Belgian-style beers have gained in popularity over the past few years.

The problem is that as well-made as many gluten-free beers are, they simply are not a realistic substitute for traditional beer. Often they lack balance and can come across as cloying or without character. Enter Delaware’s Dogfish Head Brewery. The popular craft brewery had for years been getting requests for a gluten-free beer at their brewery, brewpub, and at their local restaurants. Last year, they developed a recipe and put it on tap at their Rehoboth Beach brewpub; it was a smash hit. It was such a hit that they decided to put it into their production as their first new 4-pack in almost five years. That beer is called Tweason’ale, and why it works is that it is specifically not trying to ape any traditional beer.

Tweason’ale features local strawberries with a base of dark sorghum syrup and buckwheat honey. The resulting beer is bright with a lot of strawberry character along with notes of molasses and even some grains from the buckwheat honey. Dogfish is known for their interesting beers, and they’ve succeeded in making a gluten-free beer that is interesting not only to those with medical dietary restrictions. Tweason’ale is just an interesting beverage, plain and simple. The first batch of Tweason’ale is arriving this week: supplies are limited but don’t worry if you miss it — Dogfish plans on brewing it between seasons (hence the name).

Until next week. Cheers!

Nick Anderson keeps 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.

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

While there are classic Old World versions to be found, today Amber Ales are most associated with America and the American craft beer movement. Amber as a style denotes varying amount of caramelized malt (usually crystal malt) used to add sweetness and fruit to a beer (typically though not always an Ale), along with color ranging from pale copper to deep, fiery red. Today we’re going to take a quick look at some of the variations on the Amber/Red Ale theme as well as take a little bit of the air out of the importance of style designations.

For the most part, there isn’t a great deal of difference between what we know today as Pale Ale and Amber Ale. Ambers really took off in the late 1970’s-early 1980’s when young, growing brewpubs and breweries were looking to quite literally offer a full spectrum of beers to an America that didn’t really know much of anything about beer outside of the big brands. Many brewers felt having a Pale, Amber, and Dark beer option was important to give customers more choices, and the extra balance more malts could give to aggressive new American beers was a plus in an era where bitterness in beer was derided (most infamously in a series of commercials that ran in the ‘States for years hawking bland Macro-Lager). In fact, many Amber Ales got their classification in an effort to avoid being labeled as IPAs or strong Pales, lest any potential drinkers be scared off.

It was quickly discovered however just how versatile and varied Amber Ales could be. Their malty sweetness gave greater balance to more intensely hopped beers and played well off of different types of food. An Amber Ale became a staple of almost every revered craft brewery in the U.S., almost a shibboleth acknowledging to beer enthusiasts everywhere that yes, they “got it.” Eventually, adventurous brewers started to push the boundaries of the style, resulting in everything from intensely hoppy Imperial Amber Ales to dark, rich Red Ales. Here are some to look for if you’re new to Amber Ales:

New Belgium Fat Tire: One of the most popular craft beers in the country is this mild, well-balanced Amber Ale from Colorado. Production is high enough that Fat Tire can be found almost everywhere these days, and it’s a great beer to give to folks who don’t think they like craft beer.

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

Okay beer fans, let’s get into one of the great conflicts within modern craft beer today: the lack of support for and supply of quality Lagers out there. Worldwide, Lager is everywhere; by far, it’s the most popular style of beer on the planet. The ubiquitous Pilsners and Light Lagers that dominate the market are poor representatives of their style, though — so poor that the raison d’être of the craft beer movement was to create beers that were their opposite. As a consequence, many craft beer drinkers (and brewers for that matter) shy away from Lager. But there are many great Lagers to be found, both traditional in style and not-so-traditional. Let’s get into what Lager is and then find some examples of different styles that best express what Lager’s really all about.

Every beer on the planet can be classified as either a Lager or an Ale. The big difference is that where Ales are fermented at higher temperatures with top-fermenting yeast, Lagers are fermented and conditioned at lower temperatures with bottom-feeding yeast. What you really need to retain about Ales and Lagers is that Ales, on the whole, tend to be fruitier and more expressive than Lagers, which are by nature much ‘cleaner’ flavored and refreshing on the palate. As lighter Lager styles (Pilsners in particular) became mass produced and marketed in the 20^th century, they also became more ‘watered down’. Not literally, of course: adjuncts (most notably corn here in the U.S.) were used to thin out the body of already lighter Lagers, leading to most of the world drinking very boring (and in that dullness non-traditional) beer. Even today this perception of all Lagers are boring or lacking in body persists, especially in light of the popularity of intense India Pale Ales and Stouts.

The truth about Lager is that it’s very difficult to do well. Lager yeasts’ lack of powerful, fruity flavors means that a brewers’ choice of ingredients and techniques is laid bare. There’s little room for error in a Lager, and mistake jump out from them in a big way. When they’re done right though, there’s nothing quite like a great Lager. Here are some common and less than common styles of Lager and examples to go out and try if you can find them:

‘Classic’ Lager: I’m including Dortmunder/Helles/Munich styles of Lager under this umbrella for the sake of not overloading anyone (yet). Traditional Lagers have a rich, bready body with subtle hop notes leading to a refreshing finish. Look for Weihenstephaner Original, Hofbrau Original, Bell’s Lager of the Lakes, Victory All-Malt Lager, and Session Lager.

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

Continuing our “Beer 101” series discussing what you really need to know as you begin your journey into the world of craft beer, let’s take a look at dark beers. Today we’ll be covering the basics: Brown Ale, Porter, and Stout. While tackling malty beers might seem simple, the generality with which their style names have been used both in the past and the present can lead to much confusion. As we have over the past couple of weeks, let’s break these down into simple rules to remember:

1. Malty is as malty does. What ‘Brown Ale’ meant in the late 17th century is much different from what it means today, and beyond that back then there was a great amount of variety in the category (as there is now). At the heart of the style, Brown Ales essentially are beers where the emphasis is on the predominance of malts for flavor and character, with bittering hops relegated to the background. Many breweries today do use quite a bit of hop in their Brown Ale, though, as they find it can bring a freshness to the mouthfeel and keep a malty Ale from feeling too rich or cloying. It may seem anathema to those looking to avoid strongly hopped beers, but a hoppier Brown Ale can be just the thing for the drinker looking for a more balanced dark beer.

2. All Stouts are Porters, but not all Porters are Stout. I get asked about this all the time — what’s the difference between a Porter and Stout? Well, historically speaking, Stout is a stronger style of Porter. Porters are stronger malty Ales that became popular with street and river porters in the 18th century (hence the name). As Porter rose in popularity, stronger versions started to appear, often referred to as “Stout Porters” or eventually simply Stouts. Today, Porter tends to have more roasty caramel notes and less alcohol by volume than Stout, where Stout generally is richer and more redolent with chocolate and coffee notes.

3. All beers are for all seasons. This is definitely the time of year where most tend to think about dark beers, but it certainly isn’t the only time to consider them. We don’t stop drinking Pale Ales because it gets cold out; there’s no reason to give up dark beers because it gets warm. I personally rarely consider weather when I’m buying beer for myself, and when I do it’s long after I’ve considered my mood, if I’m having guests or not, and what I’m serving food-wise.

4. We all have preferences, but there is a beer of every style for every one of us. This is a pretty general rule, but I think it’s time to put it out there. There is so much variety among all styles of beer, but especially within the darker ones, that there is no reason to ever make a blanket statement such as “I don’t like dark beer”. From the most intense Imperial, Chocolate, Coffee, or Oatmeal Stouts to the roasty Robust, Staark, or Smoked Porters and the lightest or darkest Brown Ales there really is something for everyone out there. Never lose your curiosity; you can easily miss out on a new regular or favorite that way.

Some dark beers to consider trying if you’re new to them:

Bell’s Best Brown Ale: The modern example of Brown Ale. Best Brown is made for the fall and winter months, but holds up well in the spring or late summer as it’s relatively light on the malts and balanced by a surprising amount of hops.

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

Our “Beer 101” session continues this week and I felt that we should address the big issues first so let’s start with hops. Hops are a critical element in what we know today as beer, but have had a difficult relationship with American beer drinkers over the decades. Now, I could wax academic about the history of hops and their cultivation and use, but I feel like we should focus on what you need to know as you enter the wild world of craft beer. Here are the basics:

1. Hops make beer bitter. Yes, hops contribute bitterness to beer. Before hop usage became commonplace in the 11^th century, various herbs and spices were used in an attempt to balance the inherit sweetness in malts. Hops however proved to have the required acids to not only balance malts, but to add a refreshing backbone to beer. Hops were also found to be a natural preservative for beer; in fact, when British colonists found that their Pale Ales were dying on the long trip to India, they added extra hops to the barrels making the long trip. This stronger, more intensely hoppy style became known as India Pale Ale, or IPA (see — beer is history). Throughout the 20th century, in the Age of the American Macro Lager, the bitterness associated with hops was played up to the public at large as a flaw. This was a pure marketing move; an attempt to establish any ‘bitter’ beers as flawed and inferior to their plainer, lighter product.

The irony, of course, is that hoppy beers are what drove the great American microbrew revolution. Almost all American craft beer enthusiasts come into the fold through the discovery of intensely hoppy, flavorful Ales. I know I did. From there, there is a whole world of styles and flavors to discover, but from Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale to Sam Adams Boston Lager to Dogfish Head’s extreme IPAs, hoppy beers are the first step on the journey for beer people coast to coast.

2. “Hoppy” doesn’t necessarily mean “bitter.” Hops express themselves in beer much the same way oak usage does in wine. It’s a flavor that can be either a welcome addition or a distraction. It all comes down to the discretion of the brewer. There are just as many beers that feature hops but have great balance as there are “hop bombs” that appeal to only a small section of drinkers. Unfortunately, they rarely garner the attention they deserve. These beers don’t necessarily have to be IPAs or Pale Ales, mind you: Some of the best Lagers and Pilsners made today use hops to add a sharp streak to liven up a style that otherwise can be kind of plain.

3. You don’t have to love hops to love beer. This is something everyone needs to hear at some point as they get into beer. We all have a limit; a line we have to draw where we say “okay, that’s enough.” It’s okay to find yours. There are plenty of beers and styles where hops play a critical role without overshadowing other elements. Beer is all about finding your where your palate is, and what you like. Again, never let anyone tell you what to like or dislike.

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

It’s a fair question: What exactly is beer? Strictly speaking, the conversion of starch to sugar to alcohol constitutes beer. But sake isn’t beer (though technically it could be considered such); so what is it? Well, beer is the third most popular beverage in the world after water and tea and has been such for hundreds if not thousands of years. In modern terms, beer is the fermentation of the basic cereal grains (malted barley, oats, and wheat) with the addition of hops as a natural preservative and for the purposes of adding bitterness to the brew. Everything else in beer is under the discretion of the brewer, and this is where beer gets interesting. For a nerd like me, beer isn’t just a beverage; beer is history.

When water was untrustworthy, there was beer. Where an army stood victorious, it’s beer at the very least shared credit for its victory. Agriculture, religion, enlightenment; where major shifts in thought or power have gone over the centuries, beer has followed or led the way. There are a great many misconceptions about beer these days; what with the rise of microbreweries and the idea of artisan beer as some sort of luxury or oddity. The basics of beer however are enduring and absurdly simple.

1. The heart of beer is a blend of grain, yeast, water and hops. There are some more esoteric styles that don’t necessitate hops, but for all intents and purposes, we can go by these simple ingredients as the base of what beer is. The Germans have run with this basic allowance since the 16^th century and to this day, the German  Reinheitsgebot, the beer purity law, has only allowed for variations within this strict set of ingredients.

2. Beer is, and shall always be, a beverage of the people. Beer production dates back far beyond that of wine or spirit, and played a great role in humans becoming an agricultural society. Look at any civilization, and you’ll find some form of what we call beer among them, and not in an abstract sense, either. The production of beer requires time, materials, and the farming those materials demand; where there is an organization of peoples, there is a beer that they drank as a regular part of their diet.

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