The term should not be taken lightly for those of us serious about beer in all its facets. It’s important to remember: just because a certain brew doesn’t suit our palate or just tastes flat out nasty doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad beer. Some questions we should ask ourselves are: What was the brewer after? Did they achieve their goal? Is it true to the style it claims to be. Is it fresh? Was it handled properly? Some people love the lighter adjunct, macro-brewed lagers and some hate the highly regarded craft brews of the world.

To each our own… The world of beer is saturated with culture and history, lovers of the trade from the macro-brewers to the guy or gal in their garage creating his or her first batch of liquid beauty. It’s a beverage worthy of all the respect and appreciation that wine and spirits receive. As the Bro’s at Beer Advocate point out:
 
“We first coined the term (Respect Beer) when we realized that it's essential for everyone to drink and think differently if we hope to raise beer's perception amongst the masses and enhance the overall appreciation for this awesome social lubricant that we all love.”
 
Amen to that, brothers.

Last Friday’s tasting was particularly fun. For something different – others would call it weird – I decided to mix beers. All of my experiments tended to lean toward the sweet side. And the reactions were great. "You're doing what?"  "You mean you're going to mix them … together?" and so on. 

I mixed up something that tasted like a Snicker’s bar with Rogue's Hazel Nut Nectar and a splash of the Chocolate Stout. Then there was the Raspberry Truffle – a combination of Young's Double Chocolate Stout and Lindeman's Frambois. For Belgian Waffle lovers, I mixed Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel (for the waffle taste) and Pannepot Old Fishermans Ale (to simulate the syrup) – Yum!

And the best part – people seemed to enjoy them, despite the wackiness of it all. Try it sometime when your entertaining guests and see what you come up with. Don't be afraid to mix it up – it could be a lot of fun!
 
Cheers!

IPA’s, barley wine (two of my favorite styles), big, rich stouts and the like are the Northwest’s styles of choice it would seem. But there’s another side to consider.

Even if you are a loyal IPA, suck-the-moisture-out-of-your-shoes kind of beer drinker, there is much to be said about a light and crisp lager. Full Sail’s Sessions comes to mind. There are many great lagers out there, but this one took me by surprise. It’s the perfect brew if your intent is to have a nice refreshing beer without a lot of complexity, bitterness and especially alcohol. Light, crisp, and nicely balanced with a sweet malty backbone and enough floral (not bitter) hop quality to give it character. The best part is that you can have a few without having to keep one foot on the floor to stop the room from spinning.

Barley wine’s are my style of choice, but this one will be a staple for me, especially when summer weather arrives. As always, if you’d like direction in choosing a lager, ask one of our beer stewards to guide you.
 
Cheers!

I was having a conversation the other day about my transition from the American adjunct lagers to the world of ales.
 
Ambers and some of the pale ales out there are great “transition” brews. They offer more complex flavors, such as sweet and/or toasted malt flavors, fruity and floral flavors and generally, but not always, a low-hop bitterness and a more full-bodied brew.
 
Their complexity is what seems to scare people away. Too much flavor, or unfamiliar flavors sometimes turn people off. Ambers, in particular, tend to be a great mellow balance of sweetness and bitterness that is not as “offensive” to some as say, an IPA.

And while transition brews no longer top my list of favorites, they did offer me a view into the world of more complex beers.

There are always exceptions to the rule, however, so if your ready or thinking about traveling down that highway to ale, ask one of our experienced Market of Choice stewards to assist you in finding just the right fit for your transition.
 
Have fun and happy ales to you!