Beer by Michael Reinitz
Wonderfully complex with hints of chocolate and dark fruits, reminiscent of tart cherries and plums, as well as notes of vanilla. A background oak character rounds out the overall flavor, and works to smooth the distinct sourness. Initially sweet, but finishes rather dry with a lingering mild bitterness and a slight astringency, possibly from tannins in the wood. This is Petrus Oud Bruin from Brouwerij Bavik in Belgium. And it’s a beer.
Thirty years ago, you’d be hard pressed to find Petrus Oud Bruin in any store in the U.S. American brewing was one thing, and one thing only: mass-produced, adjunct-laden, light lagers. Today, there are roughly 80 different beer styles brewed right here on American soil by small, independent craft brewers. Across the country, specialty beer stores and even your run-of-the-mill liquor stores are carrying unique and flavorful brews from all over the world. Restaurants and bars are expanding their beer selections as consumers demand handcrafted ales and lagers over bland, “fizzy yellow” beer. Beer culture in the U.S. has changed dramatically in the last couple decades, and it can probably be traced to a single day in 1979.
In November of 1978, the Cranston Act passed through Congress, and was signed into law by President Carter on February 1, 1979. The bill, which was written by Senator Alan Cranston of California, legalized the homebrewing of beer at the federal level. Although the bill allowed individual states to regulate and prohibit the hobby, it opened up the doors to an influx of brewing creativity and served as the catalyst for the American craft beer revolution. Today, nearly every state has legalized homebrewing, though there are still a few that are behind the times—Utah just passed legislation in May 2009 allowing its residents to homebrew. New Jersey allows residents to brew up to 200 gallons a year for personal or household use and consumption.
Homebrewing has allowed amateur brewers to experiment and break boundaries, which ultimately led to an explosion of small brewpubs and microbreweries popping up all over the country. There are over 1,500 craft breweries in the U.S. today, some of which are right here in New Jersey, such as Cricket Hill Brewing in Fairfield and High Point Brewing in Butler. Across the Hudson, New York City is home to Chelsea Brewing, Heartland Brewery, and the famous Brooklyn Brewery among others.
The growth of the craft brewing industry means more variety and choice for consumers. You can pick up a crisp, refreshing Wheat Ale on a hot summer day or a hearty and warming Russian Imperial Stout during the winter months. Belgian ales such as the Flanders Oud Bruin (literally “old brown”) that I described earlier or Abbey-style dubbels and tripels are elegant and complex, making them the perfect accompaniment to a fine meal. English-style beers such as Pale Ales, Milds, and Porters are smooth and easy drinking. Unique American styles of beer have developed as a result of the craft industry as well, such as the Imperial (or Double) India Pale Ale, a uniquely hoppy brew (hops, the female flower cones of the hop plant, are one of the four main ingredients in beer and act as a bittering and flavoring agent).
As a consumer, the first step in learning to appreciate fine beer is to go out there and try the various styles. The myriad possibilities at a good beer store can be a little intimidating if you don’t know what you’re looking for. I recommend finding a store that sells single bottles, so that you can put together your own variety six-pack—just grab whatever looks interesting; you can always go back for more! There’s also an advantage to singles in that if you don’t like one of your purchases, you’re not stuck with five more of them. Locally, Ramsey Liquors on Main Street in Ramsey has a nice singles selection, and if you ever find yourself further south, Oak Tree Discount Wines & Spirits in South Plainfield has an incredible beer department.
When tasting beer, always pour the bottle or can into a glass (you wouldn’t drink that ’98 Cabernet out of the bottle, would you?). A lot of craft beers and imports are bottle-conditioned, meaning they undergo a second fermentation in the bottle to naturally carbonate the beer—this means that you may find some yeast sediment in the bottle, so it’s especially important to decant these into a glass. Once the beer is poured, smell it. Just like wine, beers have unique bouquets with aromas such as fruity, floral, nutty, and roasty. Next, observe the appearance. What’s the beer’s color? Is it clear or opaque? Does the head persist or does it fall back quickly into the glass? Finally, smell the beer again and take a sip. Swirl it around to coat all the different parts of your mouth, and as you swallow, take note of any lingering flavors or sensations. On a side note, when tasting wine, beer, or any other beverage for that matter, it’s always important to swallow to get the full flavor. Spitting prevents the liquid from hitting key taste receptors on the back of your tongue. Besides, why would you want to spit out something that tastes so good?
A beer brewed in the tradition of the Reinheitsgebot, the German beer purity law, has only four ingredients: water, malted barley, hops, and yeast (the Reinheitsgebot leaves yeast out though because it hadn’t yet been discovered when the law was written in 1516). These four ingredients all play a unique role in defining a beer’s character. Regional water chemistry has led to the development of distinct styles in different parts of the world. Malted barley, the source of fermentable sugars in the beer, is kilned to different levels producing a wide-range of flavors such as toast, coffee, chocolate, caramel, and even fruit. The bitter oils in hops help balance the malty sweetness, and hops provide their own unique citrusy and floral flavors and aromas. Yeast of course is what makes the beer, transforming sugars into alcohol, and it can lend its own individual touch to the beer’s profile. Have you ever had a German Hefeweizen? Those banana and clove-like flavors come solely from the strain of yeast being used. When tasting a new beer, think of how the ingredients interact with one another, and try to trace specific flavors and aromas to their source.
Exploring beer can be both fun and fascinating. There are thousands of different ales and lagers available to us today, and beer is slowly being recognized as the graceful and intricate beverage that it rightfully is. It won’t be long before that fancy restaurant you go to has a beer list and a beer expert on-hand in addition to the traditional sommelier. Across the country, American brewers are producing incredible handcrafted beers and offering you, an exceptional, and dare I say gourmet, variety of brews. So try something new this summer and grab yourself a craft beer. Have some friends over for a beer-pairing dinner or organize a tasting. Give craft a beer a chance; you won’t be disappointed! Cheers!
Check out Michael Reinitz’s Beer Blog or email him at mikereinitz@gmail.com with any questions you might have regarding beer.