I’m an American Beer Drinker

There was a time when I would scoff at such a proclamation. That time is basically the last eight years here in the U.S. I am one of those lefty-leaning, Neiman Marxist over-educated types that would gladly drink a $10 half-pint of Affligem Blonde before ever uttering those words. Macro-lager over my dead body. But I have to say now that there is a skip to my step and a feeling of hope in the air since the election of one Barack Hussein Obama to the highest office in the land. And since the InBev has made Budweiser its global submissive we now have Pabst Blue Ribbon as the official holder of the title: the largest American-owned brewer.

I told Mel the gatekeeper to this blog here and some other great friends last night as we drank German, Flemish and Belgian beer over pomme frites and Polish sausage galore that I felt compelled to come out of the closet AGAIN about my secret love for Pabst Blue Ribbon. They laughed at me like they should be laughing. PBR is like Barack Obama–so many good things going for it but at the end of the day you know Obama is going to bomb Pakistan and that can’t bode well for PBR.

PBR is also so easy to make fun of these days for so many different reasons. One of them being that it is the official hipster beer in so called dive bars like Bar 107 in Downtown Los Angeles and Little Joy in Echo Park, as well as a host in other hipster meccas like Austin and Williamsburg, Brooklyn. When did hipster become the new scientology? Why does the term hipster cajole us into our best schoolyard bully stances? When did hipster become code for Animal Collective-listening douchebag? (I love Animal Collective by the way) Well, that’s definitely a blog topic for another blog but it is funny to me that the oldest American macro-lager has become somehow the official beer to all that is tragically hip.

Well, this is where I come in and say no way, hipster. Not today. Today I make the claim for Pabst Blue Ribbon. Except the more I learn of its roots the more I become enamored, yet there’s double edge to this sword my friend (pardon me, I’m functioning here after one too many here)–Pabst has a shady past.

According to a salon.com article on Pabst that came way before I had this cool idea last night after my second Spaten, 

“Pabst Brewing Company will be the last of the famous iconic U.S. brewers to be fully independent and American-owned,” the company gloats on its Web site. “Most of our brands … have been around since the 1800’s.”

In an online survey, Pabst asked customers this question: “Would information about Pabst’s American ownership on packaging, like bottles or cans, impact your decision to purchase our products?”

First, Pabst isn’t even a brewer. It closed its Milwaukee brewery in 1996, and now does business out of an office in suburban Chicago. Second, its beers aren’t made in American-owned breweries. Pabst farms out production of its brands to Miller — which belongs to a South African corporation. AGGGHHH!!!! Super buzzkill.

But Pabst’s “We’re an American Brand” claim may succeed. Since the Bud sale, the only classic American-made beers left are tiny regional brands. They’re the real Great American Lagers, but in most of the country, patriotic macro-brew drinkers can’t find them. And, as a new book points out, Pabst’s emergence as a “trendy” beer (to quote a Chicago bartender) demonstrates both the power of its red-white-and-blue image, and its success at marketing, even when that was achieved by barely marketing at all.”

Ugh, Pabst is breaking my heart though this is definitely not the first time I have been the hypocrite. This article goes on and on to say that Pabst knows who is drinking its marketing-free brand so if you get a wild hair up your ass and need some sponsorship for your bourgeois bohemian-type of event, then hit this brand up! Pabst does not advertise it’s red, white and blue cans in the likes of Maxim or even The Nation but it did lay off tons of workers in Milwaukee to maximize profits in suburban Chicago. Boo to the bad beer. I hate being collateral damage to a brand!

I love this quote from salon.com, it lessens the pain: “…portrays the revivalists as trendy urbanites glomming on to blue-collar symbols. And they are, but not quite in the same way as a graphic designer who wears a Carhartt jacket because it’s “unpretentious.” Hipsters fetishize the lowbrow culture of the ’70s and ’80s. But hipsters also tend to hold down jobs as bar backs and waiters. Sure, there are trust funders among them, but they’re mostly young people with thin wallets… The hipster’s beer of choice is always going to be a cheap one.”

So I’m probably just one of the many duped by the PBR’s ability to front like it is working class because I wear Dickies but damn, who doesn’t have a hot waitress or plumber fantasy in them anyway to be immune to such cheap allure? I’m only human and like Morrissey I need to be loved. But man, Pabst Blue Ribbon is actually kind of delicious and even more so for the fact that you can get it for $2-3 a pint at most bars that have Pixies or the first Public Enemy album on their jukebox.

 

Well, in case Pabst is just too self-referential or utterly ironic for your tastes then maybe you want to hit up some other solid stand-by’s like Lucky Lager (which I don’t know if that is still around but hot damn that was some beer! It’s like Red Stripe but not as cool yet still really cool because it was bottled in those hot stubby bottles with a basic red lettering on cream colored label. Freakin’ classic, man.) All’s I know is that it was the beer to drink during those John Coltrane interstellar nights…

Yuengling is also the cheap delicious beer to drink when visiting friends in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It’s definitely surprises you with how light and robust it is and for 9.99 a 12-pack you can’t go wrong. Plus, it sure is fun to say…whatever you do, you must resist the cute branding that is BROOKLYN LAGER. No matter how cold it is it just does not taste good. I want to be down because every time I go to NYC I want to be supportive of the local breweries but man, it just tastes like ass (no offense to ass).

Take a Beercation to Austin, Tejas

Austin has to be the only place in Texas where it’s normal to find legitimate vegetarian options on restaurant menus all over town. Austin doesn’t really feel like Texas, probably due to its reputation as the “Berkeley of Texas.” I can live with that. Like Berkeley, Austin is home to queers, people of color, white hipsters, (transplanted) Californians, artists, college students and professors, rockers/musicians, poor and homeless people, people who hate Bush, voted for Obama, and eat tofu, and all that good stuff that most people don’t associate with Texas. And Austin likes its beer. Several bars have an impressive offering of both local/regional beers and imports. An amazing selection of over 65 draughts and over 100 bottles can be found at The Ginger Man (www.gingermanpub.com) in downtown Austin. I walked in and just eyed the long line of draught handles and lovely collection of bottled beers from all over the world and the US, including local offerings from Shiner, Real Ale, and Independence. It was packed on a Saturday night, so we only stayed for a drink before heading over to The Duck and Dog Pub (http://www.dogandduckpub.com/), a sister-pub of one in London with the same name. It was also hoppin but it’s not as big as The Ginger Man. It definitely has that cozy pubbish feel, and I’m happy to say that I had my first (and only) properly poured pint of Guinness there. They had a great selection of English, Irish, and Scottish ales, as well as a couple local brews. I couldn’t help myself. After the Guinness, I had a pint of Belhaven and bought a shirt.

I also tasted some good local brews brewed in and around Austin/South Texas, including Shiner Holiday Cheer, Shiner Bohemian Black Lager, Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale from Real Ale, and Austin Amber and Bootlegger Brown from Independence Brewery. I was most surprised by Shiner’s winter/seasonal beer. Holiday Cheer is brewed with peaches and pecans, and pours with dark blonde and orangey tones. It’s definitely refreshing and reflects Texas’s winter offerings, very much a departure from other heavier, browner, and spicier winter brews. It was good, though, and next time I’d like to try it on tap, along with the Black Lager. The stuff from Independence and Real Breweries was also really good, but I didn’t get enough of a range. Guess I’ll have to go back and drink some more. Austin has so much to offer any beer fan/geek/enthusiast, and I feel like I’ve only just begun my beer adventures there.  –mel.

TAPS, etc.

I’ve aways liked Taps, a seafood restaurant and brewery in Brea, the O.C. I’ve never really liked Orange County, however, so it’s always nice to find a place where I feel safe enough to drink and enjoy a good beer. During 2003-04, when GW Bush started the Iraq War, I would often join the handful of anti-war protesters who dared to occupy a little bit of space at the intersection of Imperial Hwy and Brea Blvd in what we called “The Heart O’the Beast.” Those famed Republican-leaning Orange County-ites would hurl all kinds of viciousness our way, and many times, when I found myself standing in front of TAPS with my “Stop U.S. Imperialism” anti-war signs, I thought, ‘Damn, I really just want a beer right now. I wonder if I should hide my signs…’ Those days (not really) aside, I still make myself at home at the Taps bar, home to some of the best beers, and one of the best happy hours, around. From 4-7pm on weekdays, they offer generous portions of popular appetizers, and their brewed-on-the-premises European-style ales and lagers will please any beer-geek like myself. I love taking growlers home. (Growlers=64oz. jug of beer you can take home from a brewpub.) My favorites include the Irish Red and the Doppelbock. I have yet to meet Vic, their brewmaster, but I will soon. I would be very happy to make beers that taste this good. Next time you’re at Taps, look for Sarah at the bar. I like a girl who knows her beers. Sarah turned me on to their IPA. It’s a lot like the Pliny the Elder’s Double IPA, a beer I really enjoyed and reviewed here. Sarah was very generous with the tastings, and she poured me samples of the IPA, Doppelbock, APA (American Pale Ale), and their cask ale. That’s another thing I like about Taps: they carry a hand-pumped, cask-conditioned beer, something that’s always a treat. It’s only the second place I’ve come across, aside from Pizza Port in Solana Beach, that serves a cask ale, and to me, that’s always a good sign of a place that knows what they’re doing with their beer. At any given time, they offer between 8-10 beers, ranging from the pale lagers to deep Belgian-style ales, all crafted on-site by their master brewer. Next time you find yourself in the Belly O’the Beast, O.C., stop into Taps and order yourself a pint of goodness. It’ll take the edge off. –mel h.

mel’s jingle brews pt. 3/Beer 101

It’s all about keepin’ warm in the winter, however you define winter in your neck of the woods. Either way, ’tis the saison for some really kick-ass brews that only crop up this time of year. I had Full Sail’s Wassail Winter Ale for the past couple years, and I’m always comin’ back for more. It’s a quality winter ale, nice and dark, and never fails to keep you toasty. And while I *heart* Anchor’s Merry Christmas Ale, I have to say that a close 2nd (if not a tie) for my fave winter brew would be Anderson Valley’s Winter Solstice Ale. It’s a gorgeous explosion of seasonal joy. To paraphrase my friend Luisa, “That shit’s like a Christmas tree in your mouth!” And while typically, the experience of having a Christmas tree somehow taking up your mouthspace might be kind of painful and unpleasant, I’m sure she meant it in the most tastiest of ways. You know, the flavors bursting in your mouth, the browns and the greens and the snow and the freshness of it all. I LOVE the Winter Solstice. It’s so…festive! It pours a nice brown color with adequate head, but the best part is the smell and first sip. Toasty canela y nutmeg and a hint of coffee caramel topped off with a spicy tea-latte kind of feel with no funky aftertaste that so many of these seasonal beers leave to linger. My compadre and I polished off nearly a six-pack between the two of us, it’s so tasty. I like the Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale, but not as much as the Anchor or Anderson Valley winter brews. Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale pours a deep blonde/golden color and leaves a nice patterned head. Not all winter brews are deep brown/dark amber types, I’m finding. Samuel Smith’s, brewed in Yorkshire, England, looks like a regular ale. Nice fruity nose with a bitterness that to me isn’t typical of winter ales. There’s no warm cinnamon or nutmeg that jumps right out at you. Any of those tones that do come through are pretty subtle, dominated instead by the fruity bitterness that characterizes most ales. If I was blindfolded, I wouldn’t know this was a winter brew. Then again, it could be a style thing; that is, maybe the Brits’ version of winter brew is just different from what many US (more specifically, California/West Coast) breweries do during this time of year. Even something like El Monte’s Skyscraper Winter Warmer gives more of the brown ale feel. When I had my first sip of the Winter Warmer, I really liked it, and my first impulse was to compare it to Anchor’s Merry Christmas ale. Its initial warmth and spice made an impression on me that sadly sorta wore off for me after a full pint. I have to say that I think the Winter Warmer is the best beer in Skyscraper’s lineup of brews. If you like the AmberBock from Michelob (i.e., Anheuser Busch/Budweiser), you’ll really like the Skyscraper winter brew. It’s easy drinking that goes down well, but in the end, it doesn’t really stand up to the boldness of the Winter Solstice or Merry Christmas Ale. Still, I found it to be a great warm-up beer before moving on to others.

I had my first pint of the Skyscraper Winter Warmer at Vinatero wine shop in Whittier last week, before their “Beer 101″ event presented by Dean Green. We tasted the Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, Skyscrapter Lug Nut Lager, Kostritzer Shwarzbier, Chimay (red label), Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A., Black Butte Porter, and Deus. This was a great tasting for both newbies and beer-geeks alike. The good folks at Vinatero taught us important stuff, like how beer is made from 4 ingredients (not corn or rice, like Bud/Miller/Coors add to their ‘beers’), and that you can really get the full flavor of a beer by pouring into a glass rather than chuggin it from the bottle. These days, I’m all about pouring a beer in the glass, even if it’s something like Negra Modelo or PBR, because most beers do taste better out of a glass. Granted, beers like Pacifico (or okay, fine, Bud Light) are meant to be chugged from the bottle. But even a Negra Modelo tastes like a whole different beer when it’s allowed to ‘breathe’ and open up, much like how a red wine needs to be decanted or drunk from a wide-mouthed glass. That whole thing about how it allows you, the drinker, to enjoy the nose and fully appreciate the taste of the beer is true. Pour your beer in a glass and savour the flavour. (And yes, I know I spell like I’m in the U.K. For affect/effect, you know.)

Pranqster Ale

Love at first sip...

mel’s winter brews, pt. 2: jingle beers!

I’ve had a bottle of the famous Austrian wintertime bier, Samichlaus, in my fridge for about a month. Ernie at Vinatero stocks it, and that’s where I got mine. A little research (by research here, I mean looking at the label on the bottle and Beeradvocate.com) reveals that Samichlaus is brewed in Hürlimann, Austria. (Hmm…sounds an awful like like “Girly-man.” I bet Arnold the Austrian is really from Girlyman…but I digress.) It’s brewed only once a year, on December 6. Today happens to be December 6, so what better way to ring in the season of Santa by finally cracking open that bottle. So I did. Dayum. Right way, this thing smelled like a meal. A synchronicity of sweet, spicy, and robust aromas poured out of this bottle. Mmm. Reminded me of a lot of those Belgian beers I’m so fond of. I was gettin’ all excited. Then I poured it in my favorite glass and noticed, Hmm, no creamy fluffy head. Not like the Belgians at all! But the color is gorgeous. Deep caramel and amber tones. And this beer has legs! Kinda like wine. The stumpy little legs on this beer nevertheless intrigued me, so I finally had a sip. Whoa! This beer must be sipped, I’m finding out. It reminds me of some of those heavy, almost syrupy-sweet-on-the- verge-of-bitter Belgian ales, or even like a port wine or an aged old-vine zinfandel. If you like sipping on a cognac or brandy, this might also be your bier. This Samichlaus has been aged 10 months and has been in the bottle for an additional 2 years (mine was bottled in 2006), and at a whopping 14% alcohol, does a heckuva job warming you up. I appreciate the ’special-ness’ of this beer and I could see myself enjoying one of these maybe every other year. Maybe once every leap-year…

(stay tuned for pt. 3. when i recover from drinkin this Samichlaus, i’ll hit up the Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale and Full Sail’s winter offering, the Wassail Ale.)

‘Tis the saison for winter brews (pt. 1)

I’m typically a winter person. I’m a native Southern California girl who really liked living Southern Chicago and Southern Indiana for the snowy winters. Since “winter” in L.A. means some rain and a few “freezing” nights with temps in the low 50s, there doesn’t seem to be a need to warm up with a nice seasonal ale. Warm up from what? But good thing drinking a good winter beer doesn’t require living in an actual winter climate. I like this time of year for the beer. I’m generally a fan of rich, dark, flavorful ales, which abound this time of year. Many seasonal winter ales tend to be darker, more complex, and often more alcoholic to keep folks warmer during these chilly months. (That’s already a plus, yeah?) I’ve tasted a few over the years, and one of my favorite winter beers is Anchor’s Christmas Ale. San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Co. is one of California’s oldest microbreweries, and every year, they release their Christmas ale. I first drank it last year when a friend up in Alameda told me about it. It was so good that I went through 2 six-packs in less than 3 days. (Whether I should be proud of that or not is debatable, but I mention it to emphasize my point that it was that good!) This year, I found it on draft at a little dive bar in La Mirada called Draft Picks Sports Bar. (They have an awesome beer selection, by the way. If you’re ever in La Mirada…) The 2008 Anchor Merry Christmas beer was so good, I had 4 pints that night. (See comment above.) When it’s served on draught and at the right temperature, the flavors dance on your tongue and leave you wanting more. I love the deep brown color and rich, spicy flavor profile of creamy coffee, chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg. It doesn’t have a bitterness that characterizes a lot of winter beers, and it’s smooth from start to finish. It is only available from Nov.-Jan. each year, so if you’re lucky enough to come across this Merry Christmas brew, get some while you can. Ask Santa to bring some for you. Better yet, leave a pint of this out for Santa instead of milk and cookies. Merry Christmas, indeed! –m.h.

(Stay tuned for pt. 2 where I review the famous Austrian Samichlaus beer…)

Mel’s Bay Area Beer Fun, pt. 2: Thirsty Bear Brewery, SF

A week ago tonight, I was sitting in the Thirsty Bear in SF, sippin some of the best beer I’ve had pretty much since I was pub crawling in Ireland in ‘05. An accidental detour during the Dyke March in June led me and some friends to this Spanish place that served great drinks (and, more importantly at the time, had clean restrooms.) I noticed that their house beer selection was from this brewery a few blocks away called Thirsty Bear, and one pint of their Meyers ESB had me sold. Then and there, I made a mental note: Must go to the brewery on Howard St. and sample all these beautiful brews next time I’m in SF. It’s hard to find a really good, quality ESB (or Extra Special Bitter), one of my all-time favorite beers. ESBs are typically native to and brewed in the British Isles, lower in alcohol content than many ales, but usually very smooth and flavorful. (And it still does the job.) Good ones are usually served only on draught or cask, another reason I like the way ESBs taste. I figure if this Thirsty Bear place made a great ESB, then I couldn’t go wrong with their other brews. I am a very Thirsty (Cal) Bear!

Thirsty Bear (http://www.thirstybear.com/) is also a Spanish tapas restaurant, although I admit my only reason for being there was the beer. They brew 9 kinds right there on the premises (7 house, 2 rotating/seasonal), all-organic, and all very very tasty. Last week, they also served a golden ale on cask and an Oktoberfest style beer. My friends and I managed to taste all 9 brews. Mmmm…! Mi chula enjoyed the Howard St. IPA, and her roomie made a great choice with the Oktoberfest. I had to have my pint of Meyer ESB before I moved on to the others. My top picks, besides the ESB, are the Golden Vanilla and Brown Bear Ale. The Brown Bear was smooth and very rich. Nothing like a Newcastle, for you Newkie fans out there thinkin that all British-style brown ales are like that. This has 10x the depth and flavour. It reminded me of the same flavors present in their Kozlov Stout, so I’d call the Brown Bear a lighter version of the stout. Now the Golden Vanilla…I fucking loved it. It’s unusual and TB’s answer to all those faddish fruity beers that creeped on the scene a few years ago. Who knew to put vanilla in beer? And why would it taste good? I was lucky enough to be sitting right next to one of the original brewers/beer recipe creators for TB, Ron Silberstein. I introduced myself and was all bubbly, starving for his beer secrets and the story behind this delicious, silky, soft-like-a-blankie-on-your-cheek vanilla beer. This lush vanilla beer that makes you want to snuggle up real close to your favorite girl (or boy, if you like that sort of thing. heh.) Ron the brewer told me that when everyone was putting fruit in their beer–apricot, cherry, peach, blueberries, you’ve seen ‘em–their chef thought, ‘hey, let’s throw some vanilla in there as a joke.’ What was meant as a joke-beer became a popular fixture on their House Brews list. It so works. I don’t like really light pale-ales, but this one is an exception for me. It’s basically the same recipe as their Golden Ale (which I sampled that day from the cask) but with fresh vanilla beans added during the 2nd stage of the fermentation process. The result is a pleasant and lingering finish that tickles your tongue with a soft vanilla aftertaste. Damn, what a sexy beer! Go git you some! And get thee to Thirsty Bear post-haste.

Thirsty Mel’s Bay Area Beercation, Pt. 1: Bobby G’s in Berkeley

I love Berkeley and the SF Bay Area, and I was just there last week for a couple days. I love it even more when I find new places to drink good beer. Sometimes, I rely on my old standbys, my undergrad haunts like Jupiter, Raleigh’s, Triple Rock, and Beckett’s Irish Pub. This time, I got way excited about two new places, the first one in Berkeley. (See the next post for Thirsty Bear in SF.) The first one, Bobby G’s Pizzeria (http://www.bobbygspizzeria.com/) is an all-green business in downtown Berkeley. They drew me in with their awesome happy hour specials and relaxing atmosphere. And whatever they were cooking smelled damn good! During happy hour, it’s $3 pints and $2 cheese pizza slices. Heck yeah! I like that owner Robert Gaustad (“Bobby G”!) offers only California and West Coast beers, a rotating selection of 9 draughts and over 15 bottles. Their draught selection that day included Mirror Pond Ale (Oregon), Lagunitas IPA (Petaluma, CA), Boondt’s Oatmeal Stout (Anderson Valley, CA), Damnation and Pliny the Elder, both from Russian River Brewery (CA), and a Trumer Pilsner from Berkeley. I drank a lot of Mirror Pond, a good ale that’s even better during happy hour. They were out of the Pliny’s on draught, but the guys there on the staff–Vince and Josh, the beer guy–were so cool that they sent me over a taste of the popular Pliny’s out of the bottle. Usually I shy away from overpowering IPAs, especially the double IPAs like the Pliny’s. But now I understand why they were so excited about it. It was soooooo good! A good IPA taste up front that wasn’t too offensive like a lot of IPAs I know. This one had enough spicyness and the best part was the smoooooth, lingering finish. Josh told me that the ‘double’ hops is actually 50% part malted barley added to the extra 50% hops blend, which we have to thank for that tasty finish, a great way to balance out the spicy intro. So, that a non-IPA drinker like myself could appreciate the Pliny’s and look forward to the day that I can taste it on draught I think says a lot about about this double IPA. It was an enjoyable beer experience. Yes, I said “experience.” If the bottle is this good, can’t wait for the draught. So go get yourself some Pliny’s where you find it. The other beer I liked was the Trumer Pilsner. Bobby G himself was kind enough to hook me up with a generous serving of this very special Pils. A visit to the brewery’s website (www. trumer-international.com/trumer.php) will explain why this is a special bier. Real quick: it’s a 400-year old recipe out of Salzburg, Austria, that was never brewed anywhere else. And now, this golden, bubbly, sweet pils is brewed in da bay for our enjoyment. Stella is ubiquitous now and so many people know it and drink it. The best way to explain this Trumer Pils is to compare it to Stella, but it’s way better. It’s light but deep in flavor, a beautiful golden full-bodied Stella times 3 is the best way I can describe it for the masses. The next time I’m in Berkeley, I want to visit the brewery on 4th street. The last thing I want to say about Bobby G’s is that it has the elements that makes it a great place to get together and have great beer and yummy Italian food at a modest price. My homegirl and I went back two nights in a row. We watched the debates and enjoyed their good happy hour specials. And I loved that I was able to plug in my laptop and perch myself on the end of the bar, getting some work done while sippin my pint of delicious California beer. I love it. One of these days, I’ll have a place like this.

Investment Advice for Beer Lovers: First Joke for BUTCHES BREW!

If you had purchased $1,000 of AIG stock one year ago, you would have
$42 left.

With Lehman, you would have $6.60 left.
With Fannie or Freddie, you would have less than $5 left.
But if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all of
the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you
would have had $214.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink
heavily and recycle.

It’s called the 401-Keg…..