Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Bierland Bamberg and The Rauchbier

With the highest concentration of breweries on earth Bamberg is not only know as a UNESCO World Heritage city but also known as the capital of beer. Known for their "Rauchbier" smoke beer, the city itself counts 8 breweries. Since 1818 the town has been a host to over 70 breweries, most of the town's operations were oriented to crafting beer. 




Rauchbier

The most popular one is Schlenkerla, made by Heller-Bräu Trum. In Bamberg, Spezial is also know for it's Rauchbier and they have a few varieties including a smoked Weissbier for those of you who prefer white beer. If you follow the Rauchbier link you will also find a recipe as Rauchbier can also be used for marinating pork or lamb!

Drinking your first Rauchbier, you'll probably think WOAH, this is just like drinking pure smoke and after 0,5L you won't have another one. I found that different brands have different levels of smokiness and some are even very rich and creamy, it is possible to enjoy more than one at a time. The stronger ones will leave a smoky aftertaste on your palate so if you have to try lighter beers first, I recommend you do that.



The Aecht Schlenkerla is the Rauchbier you are most likely to find in your neck of the woods, in Canada for example I know they have some for sale at the LCBO (Ontario) and SAQ (Québec). Elsewhere, visit your specialty beer store to see if they have it.

Still in style

There seems to be a revival of Rauchbier among the craft brewers lately. Fort Collins Brewery (Colorado) has a Rauchbier called Out of the Ashes, Beau's (Vankleek Hill, Ontario) made this interesting Banana Rauchbier which was surprisingly delicious! 



Had a Rauchbier lately? Tweet it to @beerfeederguy 

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Top 10 sexiest beer labels

When it comes down to beer, are we more likely to make a decision based on the beer label? Is a formal label associated with a refined, more expensive product? What about the sexy beer labels? Are they just a cover for mediocre beer? I thought I'd round up a few of the sexiest beer labels and let you decide.

#10 New Albanian Brewing Company's Naughty Girl Blonde India Pale Ale



You had me at Naughty, check out their website they have some insane artwork! http://newalbanian.com

#9 Palo Alto Brewing Company's Hoppy Ending Pale Ale



Not only hilarious play on words but I bet this one has a good palate and a great finish! 

#8 Wasatch Beers' Polygamy Porter



If you're into that you can buy gear on their site.

#7 Old Dominion Brewing Company's Morning Glory Espresso Stout


                                      

Guaranteed to get you up and running! They have a blog with killer recipes here.

#6 Amager Bryghus' Lust series



Unfortunately they don't have an english version of their website. But if you're from Denmark, here you go! http://amagerbryghus.dk/index.php

#5 Clown Shoes' Tramp Stamp Belgian India Pale Ale



They have close to 7000 followers on Twitter, all wanting to get into 'dem jeans! You can wear them on your chest for 15.99$ and while you're checking out their store, check out the other beer labels!


#4 Rubbel SEXY LAGER


From the makers of Delirium in Belgium, a vintage look and a reasonable alcohol volume! For more info on this one you can visit Shrimper's blog. He's got an informative bit on this beer's marketing. And yes, that IS a scratch remove bikini!

#3 l'Alsacienne "sans culotte"



From France it is now reportedly brewed by Brunehaut brewery which looks a lot classier than what the label above suggests, you be the judge.


#2 Buckeye Brewing Cleveland's Summer Girl





Spotting this one on the shelf will definitely make you look twice! There's not a lot on Buckeye Brewing Company and if anyone would care to send some information my way, @beerfeederguy.

#1 St. Pauli Girl




 
She's the obvious choice, she's been around for a while she's had a guest appearance in the US version of The Office.


It has been updated!


And it seems like the older version wasn't even blonde! In fact on their website you can see a carousel of St Pauli Girls going through the years.

Did I miss one? Post them on Beer Feed's Facebook page.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Beer culture: Pouring a weissbier

Weissbier 101

The weissbier is usually good. It is also know as Hefeweizen, Weiss, Weizenbier and Wheat Ale. It is pronounced "vice-beer". It means white beer in German. It is unfiltered, hence the residue at the bottom of the bottle.


The glass

You should always pour a weissbier in a glass. There is residue at the bottom of the bottle, you don't want to drink it out of the bottle. Never wash the glass in a dishwasher, traces of detergent may affect the integrity of the glass and the quality of the head.

The bottle

You should store the bottle in an upright position so that the residue stays at the bottom of the bottle. This will prevent the yeast from moving around and you'll end up with too much head. If you can, the suggested temp. is 5º - 7ºC.

The pour

There's the slow and steady method where you angle the glass and when there's just less than a third of beer left in the bottle you give it a twirl to dissolve the residue still at the bottom and then pour the rest.

The other method is the inverted pour which takes a little more skills but definitely a crowd pleaser .

For Hoegaarden lovers, this guy seems to have found a way to pick up at a party.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Beer Culture: The Shower Beer.

Most of us have a favourite beer, if you're reading this blog or following @Beerfeederguy on Twitter you likely have more than one. But what about your favourite place to have a beer? A group of dirty beer lovers decided it was time to clean up their act and do it right. The "Shower Beer" was born! 


How it all started?

Can't really tell but sure glad it did! According to the Urban Dictionary the oldest definition dates back to March 12, 2004.

Do people actually know about this? ...and how awesome it is!

For redditors out there the subreddit /r/showerbeer has close to 1000 posts and 17 000 subscribers. The first post dates back to the summer of 2013 so this movement on reddit seems to be a new thing and will likely pick up very quickly.

The main offenders are usually male but you'd be surprised at the number of ladies who also enjoy a cold one in the shower. You'll find a few inspirational couple pictures (this seems to be the favorite) and a few pieces of literature on the subject.

So you have to clean yourself with one hand?

Not quite, you see two guys put their shower caps on and brainstormed Shakoolie! A shower beer holder made with velcro. They've also produced a game card so you know exactly when a shower beer is a good move.

You can also check out showerbeer.org if you're a fan of shower beers and need you're "badge".

Even Good Guy Greg knows about shower beers...



Thursday, October 17, 2013

Quota filled in Czech Republic

I recently spent a few days in the beautiful sceneries of Czech Republic and I must admit that this is the farthest I've gone east inside of Europe. First we need some beer facts because that's all we really care about right? Czech Republic is number one in the per capita consumption of beer, a smashing 132 litres crushing second place Germany at 107 litres throwing Canada in fifth and the U.S. in twelfth.

Most of you will think about Pilsner Urquell and Kozel and perhaps Czechvar (the original Budweiser) which has an interesting trademark dispute with Anheuser-Busch.

Finding some literature on Czech beers was proven difficult, there are a few blogs worth reading and I managed to find a tiny book on the most popular breweries in Czech Republic which was more of an advertising brochure. "Come visit our brewery. Our beer is good. Free sample. Address/Phone number." For 79 Czech korunas (or crowns), I didn't make a fuss.

If you're curious about the exchange rate...it's awesome. We were told that in Czech Republic you can buy a fresh half litre of beer for no more than 1 euro, well the closest we got was 1,10 which in my opinion is why their per capita is so high, it's as cheap to buy a beer in a restaurant as to buy one in a superstore. The other reason why their per capita is so high would be attributed to their beer's alcohol by volume (ABV) which is usually below 5%.

A few things to note when ordering a Czech beer, you'll often have the choice between a 10 º and a   12 º beer, this has to do with the pre-fermentation process and something called the "Original Gravity", chemists read more here. I was recommended the 12º Lobkowicz and was not disappointed.


U Dvou Kocek in the heart of Prague prides itself in brewing it's own beer, you can watch the process near the entrance while you gulp down a cold one.

You'll notice that not all Czech beers are not all pilsners and pale lagers, you'll also be surprised by the refreshing taste of their "Cerne" dark beer. Guinness lovers will notice that it's not as rich and creamy but some of them have strong chocolate and a certain sweetness on the nose which is very nice when you need something different.

Eggenberg's Nakoureny Svihak (Cesky Krumlov, CZ)

Until I return, I still have a lot to learn about Czech beers, I welcome your comments or any contribution you would like to make to this article. I will be working on a beer spa article as well!

If you're curious about Czech beers or beer travels to Czech Republic I encourage you to visit these links:

Czech beerfest
Czech beer guide (a bit outdated but a few words of encouragement might bring them up to par)
BBC's surprising facts about Czech beer





Tuesday, October 15, 2013

This ain't no mecca man, this place is FULL!

The year is 2013 and by now the earth's population reached too many billions already. Six million of them make their way from the four corners of the globe to participate in what the Germans call, "die Wiesn". Commonly known to foreigners as Oktoberfest or the biggest shit show on earth, the 16 day festival held from the end of September to the first week of October is often said to be overcrowded and  overpriced. This shouldn't stop you from enjoying the atmosphere and the beer tents with a few tips and a bit of luck.

Accommodations


source: neatorama

Probably the biggest challenge during the Oktoberfest will be to find a place to crash. Hotels and regular tourist accommodations in Munich will double in price during the season. You may have better luck couch surfing or crashing at a friend's place if you're so lucky. Make your reservations in advance. I found that no matter when you're looking to book a flight to Munich between mid-September and early October, the price will be higher than usual. Maybe it's time to use those air miles you've been saving for a rainy day!

Getting in a tent



Fact is, the safest way to guaranty your place at a table is making a reservation (one year in advance, almost). You can drop a hefty 300 euros which means that this is the amount of money the guests at your table will be spending (half a chicken and two litres of beer).  If you go as a large group such as five or more good luck getting a table together, one or two can easily squeeze in on the same table but getting there early is key. Obvious factors such as dinner time, Friday and Saturday evenings or statutory holidays will make it even harder to get a good seat. To get organized you can visit the Oktoberfest website showing all the information on reservations, opening and closing times and tips to have a safe and enjoyable time.

DOs and DON'Ts


source: gadling.com

Clearly the rules about alcohol apply, for some reason Oktoberfest seems to be a place to show off how much you can drink, hell yeah! It's the aftermath that can be quite unpleasant, hopefully you're not scheduled to take an early flight or a 6 hour bus ride the next day.

Don't take a nap on that hill... you know the one where all the people puke and piss!
Don't throw your mug, these things weight a ton.
Don't stand up on a table and raise your glass unless you're certain to down every single drop of beer.
Don't go on an empty stomach, buying beer and food can get quite expensive.

Do "Prost" your neighbours and table mates, getting to know the people at your table. They're likely there for the same reason and won't refuse a casual chat.
Do check your stuff (phones, jackets, sunglasses, etc.) Sucks to say but people steal shit!

To the point


With this information you should be able to profit from this amazing conglomerate of drunks who made a point to get together and enjoy some of the world's best brews.

Got pics from this years Oktoberfest? A video of your buddy chugging 5 beers in 3 hours? Or perhaps you wrote a blog post similar to this, in any case I'd be glad to hear about your experience.



Prost!