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It’s been announced on a few other blogs, but I had the opportunity to read The New Yorker’s fantastic upcoming article on craft brewing, and Dogfish Head in particular, over lunch today. Burkhard Bilger has produced a great read, especially if you’re a fan of Sam Caligione, the owner of DFH, and his somewhat outsized personality. Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery fame is also quoted several times. Sam Koch, as the unofficial godfather of modern craft brewing, also gets his share of print.

Having met Sam at Novare Res’s event this past summer, I can tell you first hand that the cargo pants and flip-flops are not an act put on for Bilger. Sam is a good guy who makes some great beers and some really great beers (the Palo Santo Marron is excellent, as is the World Wide Stout). Oliver serves as a good counter-point for Caligione. His comments on the need to ennoble the craft beer movement and the fact that truly extreme beers might, in fact, shrink craft brewing’s audience rather than grow it are insightful and good food (err…drink?) for thought. The difference of opinions is embodied perfectly in a single paragraph in the middle of the piece:

“We are trying to explore the outer edges of what beer can be,” Calagione says. But the idea makes even some craft brewers nervous. “I find the term ‘extreme beer’ irredeemably pejorative,” Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery, told me recently. “When a brewer says, ‘This has more hops in it than anything you’ve had in your life—are you man enough to drink it?,’ it’s sort of like a chef saying, ‘This stew has more salt in it than anything you’ve ever had—are you man enough to eat it?’ ”

As a big fan of the craft beer scene (I know, I try so hard to hide it), any piece that gets more exposure for some of the brewers doing such great work out there is a good one in my mind. Burkhard Bilger goes above and beyond the call here and has written a truly excellent article. For those who still think that beer choices stop at the Bud vs. Coors dilemma (choose water), The New Yorker may help to open their eyes to the wonderful realm of possibilities that exist once you move past industrial lagers. I’ll drink to that!

I read an interesting post over at Musings Over a Pint. In it David contemplates the movement toward expensive, style-specific glassware for beer consumption:

My feelings on proper glassware are well-documented. I insist on drinking beer from a glass whenever possible. But, we all know glassware can get expensive. There are almost as many varieties of glasses as there are styles of beer. I remember when the Boston Beer Company released their specialty beer glasses, and many drinkers, myself included, balked at the price. Now, the Spiegelau glass makers of Germany have released their ‘Beer Classics’ line, in a sense taking things up a notch:

Throughout the world, there is a fast growing range of different beers just waiting to be discovered. In order to get most out of the characteristics of beer (appearance, aroma, taste, finish) it is essential to choose the right glass. To cover all these aspects, we at Spiegelau used our expertise and 500 years experience in making crystal to develop three elegant, especially thin blown beer glasses matching the world‘s most common beer styles.

I certainly agree with those first two sentences. The new glass designs include a 14 oz. stemmed glass recommended for Belgian-style beers and pilsners, a 16 oz. footed glass for general lagers and ales, and a 17.5 oz glass for wheat beers. These glasses come in sets of two in a unique tube package. And, they sell for about $15.00 per glass. That’s a lot of beer that could be had for the money one would spend to acquire a set of two in each style. How much is too much? Fine glassware for wines is not uncommon, and we often lament that beer doesn’t seem to merit same respect that wine receives. I am sure this is very nice glassware and I certainly wouldn’t mind adding these to my assemblage. Though I wonder if the apparent trend towards pricey beer glasses is the sort of equality we hoped for. However, if high-end glassware causes folks to sit up and take notice, then I’m all for it.

A color brochure for the new glass line can be found here.

(Via Musings Over a Pint.)

My own thoughts tend to follow David here. While no one would like to choose between paying for glassware and paying for the beer to put in it (since the former is pointless without the latter), drinking a beer from “the right glass” can and does impact the taste. A chalice or tulip full of murky amber Belgian trippel is almost a totally different beer than a tumbler or—gasp—a bottle of the same brew.

Local (and not so local) places like Novare Res, Great Lost Bear, and Ebenezer’s recognize this fact. That is why you will see rows and rows of barware hanging at each, and rows and rows of customers waiting to order. The beer at these three, and others like them, is generally better (and more expensive) than some other Friday night haunts, and so is the tasting experience. It’s not the whole equation, but it’s an important part.

So, what is a budding beer connoisseur on a budget to do? $15/glass crystal is not really practical, but there are cheaper alternatives to be had. First and foremost, realize that you only need a few different types of glasses to enhance your home sampling. Start with a good web beer guide, such as the one offered by BeerAdvocate.com. Find your favorite two or three types of beer, and pick up a few appropriate glasses. A pair of tulips or chalices if you like Belgian ales (the tulips are generally more versatile), a couple proper tumblers for you hopheads out there, or a set of nice tall Weizen glasses for wheat beer fans, and you’re on your way.

After acquiring your glasses, do a side-by-side comparison of your favorite beer in its new glass, in a straight-sided American pint glass, and out of the bottle. Invite some friends over and get their thoughts, too. A nice glass won’t turn a Bud Light into a great lager, but it can open your senses to some of the nuances of your latest trappist gem which you may have been missing. Cheers!

The existence of Ebenezer’s may be one of the strangest ‘secrets’ in the Maine beer scene. The next time you’re at a good beer bar, ask the folks either side of you whether they’ve ever been to Ebenezer’s. My guess is three out of four have never been. 

If you can’t get to Belgium, Ebenezer’s is the next best thing to visiting a Belgian bar. Monk’s bar in Philadelphia is a good approximation, but Ebenezer’s is the real thing. In Lovell. Honest…

So once a year Chris, the owner,  does a Belgian Fest. A classic case of gilding the lilly. People from away park their RVs on the grounds. Mainers sleep under the tables on the porch. Who knows where the visiting Belgian brewers sleep…

Amazing….   Just go!

Loyal readers may have noticed a complete lack of beer reviews here lately. There’s a reason for it (well, two actually—one is that I’ve been busy doing summer stuff and recruiting new authors). I’ve decided I don’t like my “mug count” review system anymore. As I’ve had more (and more interesting) beers of late, I’ve decided that it’s not really fair to give a numeric rating to a beer. It’s way too subjective and can be influenced by things like food pairing, the previous beer you had, and general mood.

Therefore, I’m unveiling today a new review system. Instead of a numeric rating of zero to five mugs, I will be using one of the following three “ratings” for the beers I sample:

• Don’t Miss This One — Seek this beer out. It’s a great or unusual brew that should not be missed.
• Worth Trying — This is a beer that you should definitely try. I wouldn’t necessarily drive out of my way to find it, or pick a restaurant solely because it has this on tap, but if you see it on the menu, give it a try.
• Don’t Go Out of Your Way — This beer is not a standout in its style. It may still be a good beer, and shouldn’t necessarily be avoided, but it’s also not a “special” beer worthy of a long drive or change of restaurant plans just to have.

So there you go, my new “rating” system. After trying over a hundred different beers in the last 18 months or so, I’ve really gained a new appreciation for the nuance of different styles and the care that goes into brewing them. Therefore I really can’t justify saying that something is only worthy of one mug out of five just because I didn’t personally love it. Even something like one of the (no longer) American macro lagers does have some redeeming qualities. The A-B brewers love their craft and work hard to produce a consistent product in extremely high volume. There’s something to be said for that.

Oh, and keep an eye out for some new reviews to be posted with this new system. They’ll probably be a little shorter than reviews past, but hopefully with the new rating system they won’t be as few and far between.