Beer - What's the difference?

It's been two years since I wrote about beer production, so it's probably about time I circle back around, and satisfy my beer loving friends.

Last weekend, my advanced Sommelier class to a break from wine study, and we spent the day reviewing beer, cider and sake. As we worked our way through over twenty beers, it was evident that there is some confusion as to beer styles, versus beer types. Read on, and hopefully I'll make myself clear.

Lambics

When studying beer, the process is important, and one of the things a brewer must determine is what type of yeast to use. In most beer courses, you will learn that there are two types of beer: Ale and Lager. I'll argue that there is a third: Lambics. What is the difference between these three? First, Lambics are beers that are fermented with wild yeasts. There is no control over the types of yeasts, and the beers might also pick up ambient micro-organisms (brettanomyces and bacteria) which create this unique, sour beer. The typical flavor profile is dry, sharp, and sour. Sugar (faro) and fruit is often added to balance the sourness of the beer. Lambics are probably the original beer.

The two acknowledged types of of beer are Ale and Lager. Ales are fermented using top fermenting yeasts. These yeasts are no doubt, relatives of the yeasts found in the foaming heads of early beers. the yeasts ferment on top of the beer (or wort) at relatively high temperatures (59 to 68 degrees) for a few days to a week. These top fermenting yeasts leave behind complex esters and sugar, due to their inefficiency. These leftovers result in the complex flavors of ales. Ales generally have a more robust taste than lagers, and are best consumed cool (45 degrees)

Lagers really didn't come into being until the 19th century, when Emil Hansen (a brewer at Carlsberg) followed up on work done by Louis Pasteur, and isolated a pure yeast culture that fermented at the bottom of the barrel, and at cooler temperatures (39 to 48 degrees) than ale yeasts. These yeasts also take longer to ferment, producing dryer, cleaner, rounder beer with less complexity than ales. As a result of their cool fermenting yeast strains, Lagers have less yeast derived flavors, allowing for a clearer expression of the hops and grain. The word "Lager" comes from the German word "Lagerung", meaning storage, due to the long storage periods required for these types of beers.

So, depending on how you look at it, we have two or three types of beers, but that doesn't explain the styles. When it comes to styles, there are two many to discuss in a small blog like this. Heck, there are thick books written on the subject, but let me summarize a bit....there are light, pale, hoppy, malty, chocolaty, fruity, wheat, rice, corn, barley...well you get the point. Each one tastes different. In Belgium alone we find Lambics,  Hoegaarden, Red Ale, Gold Ale, Trappist, Abbey, Saison (all ales) as well as Belgian Lagers. Where Belgium is mostly known for ales, Germany is known for Lagers, like Dunkel, Vienna-style, Helles, Dortmunder, Bock and Doppel Bock. Then there are those beers that can be made either way: Altbier and Kölsch. Most British beers are Ales: Bitter, Pale Ale, IPA (India Pale Ale), Barley Wine, as well as heavier beers like Porter and Stout. Americas most popular (at least as far as sales go) are Coors, Budweiser, and Miller - all lagers.

For those of you who have read this far, I've got a couple fast facts about beer, that you can share with your friends.: 1) In the middle ages, beer was the poor mans drink, but essential to their health, as it provided vitamins and minerals, and the alcohol killed bacteria that was prevalent in the water; 2) Beer makes up 85% of all alcohol consumed in the United States; 3) China is the largest producer of wine in the world; 4) Darker beers are usually lower in alcohol and calories than lighter beers, due to the malting process, which toasts the grains, and accounts for the amount of sugars available for fermentation; and lastly 5) Ever wonder why beer is more popular among males versus females? Sour and bitter tastes trigger built-in genetic warning signs in humans that help us spot potentially poisonous foods and liquids. These senses become more acute in pregnant and nursing women, which may explain the stylistic beer preferences of men and women.

Drinking with the Irish

On March 17^th, everyone is Irish. We all remember growing up as kids, and having to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, or else you would get pinched. Now, as grownups, we celebrate the “wearing ‘O the green”, by hoisting a few Stouts at the local bar.

Ireland is renowned internationally for its beverages. The pub culture is legendary (whether deserved or not). So what do the Irish drink? The most notable drinks are beer and whiskey (note that in Ireland, whiskey is normally spelled with an “e” in the word...rumor has it that this has to do with Catholic spelling versus Protestant spelling). Ireland is also known for their Mead, a honey wine. 

The presence of Whiskey in Ireland can be dated back to the 12^th century. The Normans couldn't pronounce the Gaelic 'Uisce Beatha', which means 'Water of Life'. Instead, they used the word 'Fuisce' for ‘Uisce’, which became whiskey later on. Whiskey has been an Irish drink for centuries (and probably predates the Scottish version - Scotch). It is thought that Monks brought the distilling techniques from Europe, which originally came from the Arabic world (see my article on spirits)

The first commercial whiskey was established in Ireland in 1757: Kilbeggan Distillery. There are currently only four operating distilleries in Ireland, they are: New Middleton Distillery (Jamesons, Powers, Paddy, Midleton, and Redbreast); Old Bushmills (all Old Bushmills, Black Bush, 1608, Bushmills 10-, 12- and 16- and 21-year-old single malts), Cooley Distillery (Connemara, Michael Collins, Tyrconnell, Feckin and others) and  Kilbeggan. Another well-known brand is Tullamore Dew (now Scottish owned and operated, but still produced in the New Middleton distillery).

Key regulations defining Irish whiskey and its production are established by the Irish Whiskey Act of 1980. They are as follows:

• Irish whiskey must be distilled and aged in the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland.
• The contained spirits must be distilled to an alcohol by volume level of less than 94.8% from a yeast-fermented mash of cereal grains (basically beer) in such a way that the distillate has an aroma and flavor derived from the materials used.
• The product must be aged for at least three years in wooden casks.
• If the spirits comprise a blend of two or more such distillates, the product is referred to as a "blended" Irish whiskey.

Traditionally, Irish whiskies are distilled three times for extra smoothness (Scotch whisky by comparison is traditionally double distilled).

Beer is still a favorite drink for the mass population in Ireland. At one time, there were over 200 breweries in Ireland, mainly centered around Dublin. Today, there are only 12. Ireland is most popularly associated with Guinness Stout, but Stout only makes up about 32% of all beer produced. 63% of beer production is actually lager. Harp is the most popular lager in Ireland. Other noteworthy malt beverages include Smithwicks, Kilkenny, Murphy's and Beamish. Ciders are also quite popular. 

Another popular drink for St. Patrick’s Day is Irish Coffee, however, this may, or may not have been created in Ireland. While it appears to have come from Ireland, it’s popularity, and history starts at the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco, in 1952.

To make an Irish Coffee (Buena Vista Style), fill a six-ounce goblet with hot water to heat, then empty. Pour hot coffee into hot glass until it is about three-quarters full. Drop in two cocktail sugar cubes. Stir the sugar until completely dissolved. Add a full jigger of Irish Whiskey. 48 hour aged cream (frothed to a precise consistency) is carefully poured over the back of a spoon initially held just above the surface of the coffee and gradually raised a little. The layer of cream will float on the coffee without mixing. The coffee is drunk through the layer of cream.

So what if you are preparing the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patrick's Day? What should you drink with that? I have a couple suggestions: 1) if wine is your choice, try a Beaujolais Village (Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, or Regnie); 2) Beer...go with a stout or dark lager.

And, after all that, did you know that the Irish drink more tea per capita than any other nation on earth?

Wine and Chocolate

It's almost Valentines Day, and you know what that means? .....You'll be paying a fortune for roses.

But, if chocolate is part of your gift giving, why not pair that with a nice bottle of wine?

Wine and chocolate seem as if they were meant for each other. But not all wine, or chocolate, are made equally for this pairing. Let's first take a look at chocolate, then a quick look at our pairing "fundamentals", followed by some suggested wine to go along with your chocolate.

Just like coffee, chocolate is the processed result of a bean. The cocoa bean is roasted and ground into a mix of solids (cocoa solids) and liquid (cocoa liquor). The cocoa liquor can further be processed into cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The style of chocolate is determined by the percentage of solids, liquor, fat and sugar. For example, bitter (or unsweetened) chocolate is pure cocoa liquor. Moving down the scale of bitter to sweet, we have dark chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate (which includes milk solids in addition to sugar, fat and cocoa solids). Then there is white chocolate, which is made without any cocoa solids (only cocoa butter, sugar and milk).

Chocolate has a natural affinity to pair with certain foods. Think about the last candy bar you had, or chocolate dipped fruit. What comes to mind? Almonds, caramel, cherries, raspberries, coffee are just a few that I think of, and as it turns out, many wines have these same aromas.

While a lot of red wines have chocolate aromas, they tend to be dry, tannic wines. Remember one of our pairing "rules"...make sure your wine is sweeter than your dessert, or else the wine will taste flat. For this reason, bittersweet chocolate works best with wine. That doesn't mean we can't pair with milk chocolate, it's just a little more limited in our choices. Remember to match lighter, more elegant chocolates with lighter-bodied wines and stronger chocolate with more full-bodied wines. Here are some of my suggestions, based on the aromas, and sweetness of the wine. Most of these are going to be dessert or fortified wines.

Banyuls - a sweet fortified wine from Southwest France with flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, blackberries, and dried fruit (depending on the age).
Malaga - a sweet fortified wine made from a blend of Pedro Jimenez and Moscatel grapes, with pronounced grape tastes.
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise - A lighter style of sweet fortified wine, with an aromas of rose petals, tropical fruit, candied oranges. Try [pairing with milk chocolate or white chocolate
10-year old Tawny Port -a sweet fortified red wine with ripe, rich fruit and nuttiness.Older versions of Tawny Port will lose their ripe fruit flavors.so stay with a younger wine, or even a Ruby Port.
Brachetto d'Acqui - a sweet, semi-sparkling red wine with floral and fruit aromas (one of my personal  favorites with chocolate). Look for it in the Italian section of your favorite wine store.
Demi-sec Rose Sparkling wine - Nuances of strawberries, and raspberries, and palate cleansing bubbles
Madiera (Bual or Malmsey) - Dark colored "cooked" wine with toffee, caramel, and nut aroma.
PX Sherry - A sweet Sherry, that is usually dark brown in color, with flavors of caramel,  fig and coffee.
Cabernet Sauvignon (fruitier versions) - with dark/bittersweet chocolate
Zinfandel (fruity or late harvest) - with dark/bittersweet chocolate
Orange Muscat - a sweet wine it, you guessed it, orange aromas. Serve with white chocolate.

In addition to wine, many would argue that coffee and beer might be the best match. Try a Brown Ale, or Stout. If you are really adventurous, try Framboise (a lambic beer made with raspberries). Whatever you decide, make sure you share your wine and chocolate with the people (or person) you love, and make this Valentine's Day, and day to remember.