Month: January 2012

Written by Jay R. Brooks for .mercurynews.com and The Bay Area News Group

Now that we’re safely into the new year, it’s time to make some new beer resolutions — and try some different kinds of beer this year.

For a number of years now, India Pale Ales have been the fastest-growing type of beer sold — and “seasonals” have been the biggest-selling category, which means people also are keen to try something new. But beer drinkers tend to stick to a small subset of the dozens of American craft beer styles. Last year, for example, seasonals were in the top spot again, and the next five best-selling beer categories were IPA, pale ale, amber ale, amber lager and wheat beer.

They’re all fine beer styles, and I drink my fair share of them, too, but they’re not exactly a diverse crowd. So this year, break out of your comfort zone and try one of these exceptional beers.

Craft pilsners

When microbreweries started making beer in the early ’80s, the vast majority made ales. They took less time to brew, required less aging and, some said, were more forgiving. But pilsners have been a popular beer style since their introduction in the 1840s. If you have enjoyed a beer by one of the big breweries, you’ve already had a version of a pilsner, with added corn, rice or other adjunct to lighten the color and flavor.

If you’ve had Pilsner Urquell, you’ve had the original all-malt pilsner. But a growing number of craft breweries now make a pilsner, and many of them are world class, too. Berkeley’s Trumer Pils, for example, is one of the best pilsners brewed anywhere. Moonlight Brewery’s Reality Czeck, a Czech-style Pils, and Lagunitas Brewing’s Pils are both excellent pilsners, also. They tend to be a little spicy — from the signature Saaz hop — and crisp and clean, but still very full-flavored.

 

Altbier

In German, “alt” means old, as these ales continued to be popular in Germany even after lager brewing became all the rage in the 19th century, especially around Düsseldorf and other parts of northern Germany. But Rich Higgins, at Social Kitchen in San Francisco, is making a great example of this old style, calling his Old Time Alt. It’s slightly peppery with great toasted malt character. If you can’t make it to the source, Alaskan Amber is also an alt, and is available in six-packs. Altbiers are delicate and complex, with spicy hops and usually a dry finish, though sometimes they’re nutty or bittersweet.

Oatmeal stout

 

Continue reading “Brooks on Beer: New Year’s Beer Resolutions”

Another interesting location for the brew business- The Professor

Written by Steven Jack for http://oswego.patch.com

The world of beer is no longer just Bud, Miller and Coors.

Craft brews have taken over the beer scene with double-digit increases in sales in the last few years. And now a group of three local guys want to bring their own brand of specialty beers to Oswego with a brewery proposed for the old Fire Barn location at 59 Main St.

Jason Thalman, Steve Woertendyke and Rafael Gomez are the co-owners of Misfit Craft Brewery. They will appear before the Oswego Plan Commission at 7 p.m. Thursday at Village Hall to discuss a special-use permit for the building that has sat vacant since 2009 when the Oswego Fire Protection District opened its new Station 1 on Woolley Road. If the commission recommends the project for approval, it could appear before the Village Board in the coming weeks.
Continue reading “Craft Beer Brewery Proposed for Downtown Fire Barn (Oswego, IL.)”

Written by Melissa D’costa for indiatimes.com

Beer drinkers have something to cheer about if a recent report is to be believed: The consumption of beer in moderate quantities (that means one to two glasses only!) could reduce the risk of heart disease.

The findings are based on a meta-analysis of several different studies conducted worldwide from over 200,000 people’s drinking habits, conducted by Italy’s Fondazione di Ricerca e Cura. It showed that moderate consumption of beer decreases drinkers’ risk of heart disease by 31 per cent, just as much as moderate consumption of wine.

Written by Andy Ingram for azcentral.com

You wouldn’t think that something as seemingly mundane as filtration could elicit such strong emotions among brewers and beer drinkers, but it does.

The underlying question is whether beer should be brilliantly clear — or “bright,” in brewer’s parlance — or if it’s OK to have a beer that’s hazy, even cloudy. This excludes, of course, American wheat beers and hefeweizens, which are cloudy according to style.
Continue reading “Beer Buzz: Filtered vs. Unfiltered Brews”