Man (and woman) kind's debt to beer

"Back in the day" ( as my students used to say, usually eliminating the word "old" and the plural of day), I would begin my senior World Literature unit by telling stories of early humans as "hunter-gatherers." At the conclusion of my tales, with my students either rapt or nodding off (especially if it was a morning class or a class immediately after lunch), I would tell them that when these nomads eventually decided to settle down, nothing less than civilization began. Then I'd give an assignment by asking them to think about this question: What momentous, cataclysmic event could it have been that made these nomads decide to forgo their "nomading" and settle down? Then I'd tell them that a close friend of mine was the curator at a very prestigious museum, and he would be allowing me to bring into class tomorrow (so you don't want to be absent, boys and girls!) the very valuable item that was responsible for the birth of civilization.

The next day, after reviewing the assignment and building up the pending revelation with sufficient drama, I'd very carefully and slowly reach into my lower desk drawer and extract an item wrapped in velvet cloth.

An empty bottle of beer.

Pete's Wicked Red, to be precise, because it had a picture of Ninkasi, the Beer Goddess, on the label.

I taught mostly seniors in high school. And when you begin your school year by praising beer in a class of seniors, you've got them on the hook until June. Let them discover that you get paid to go to bars and drink beer, and you've got Facebook friends for life. And some of them, nearing retirement age, still call you "Mr."

Yes. Beer can do that. And it seems that what I taught is now being verified by professionals.

The picture and motto on this very blog is testimony to how important beer was. And is.

Enjoy the article! H/T to Carl for the heads-up!

Cheers! The PubScout

Beer on the Boards

Beer on the Boards

The inaugural Beers On The Boards festival makes it debut on the Point Pleasant Boardwalk on Saturday, March 24^th.

The organizers are the Point Pleasant Beach Chamber of Commerce, Martell’s Tiki Bar and TotalBruMarketing/Beerheads.com and the event is billed as a showcase of the quality of our local and regional microbreweries and a craft beer celebration.

“Microbrewery is not really the right word for many of these guys anymore,” says organizer Chris DePeppe, owner of TotalBru Marketing and beerheads.com (and a Wall H.S. graduate).

“There has been such amazing growth in the world of craft brewing in the US that a lot of the breweries that started in a garage are now regional or national brands, so it’s hard to call them ‘micro’ anymore. But they are still making quality beer with quality ingredients and are not some mass-produced, flavorless commodity, so it makes sense to refer to them as ‘craft breweries’ now.”

The growth of brands like Brooklyn and Sierra Nevada, DePeppe explains, are indicative of the industry’s remarkable success.

“Ken Grossman was selling cases out of his trunk in 1980 and maybe doing 2000 barrels a year in the mid 80s, and they brew over 700,000 barrels a year now,” DePeppe says, referring to the founder and CEO of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

On a more local level, breweries like Kane, Carton and East Coast are attempting to replicate on a smaller scale just what Grossman did 20 years ago.

“I love what these guys are doing and I think that the best advice for anyone who loves good beer is to support your local breweries,” DePeppe emphasizes. “You always have to respect that the very best beer flavor will always be derived from a fresh product and that the freshest beers should always be the local ones, so if you love great fresh beer, you should demand it from your local pub or retail store. Or make your own.”

The event at Martell’s Tiki Bar is the first ever on the Point Pleasant boardwalk and will feature over 20 craft breweries, an all-day gourmet buffet, live music, and some boardwalk games and prizes. There are two sessions, in the afternoon from 12:30 to 4:00 PM and in the evening from 6:00 to 9:30 PM. Tickets are limited and are likely to sell out. For online ticket information, go to www.beerheads.com.

Call Carol Vaccaro at the Point Pleasant Beach Chamber of Commerce for more information or to be part of the event as an exhibitor or sponsor.

This event will be a true craft beer tasting and a celebration of the unlimited flavors of beer. You will get to talk to the brewmasters, owners and brewery reps and see what is behind the rapid growth of craft brewing in New Jersey.

The beers will not be the standard flagship flavors from each brewery. We will be featuring one specialty beer from each brewery and we have added two additional tasting areas that will feature Belgian and German beers as well as some crazy super-hoppy beers.

The buffet will feature beer-inspired classics, like brats cooked in brown ale, beer-battered fish and chips, and more, each prepared with a beer from one of our participating breweries (see menu page for an updated menu).

Buy Tickets Early for this one though because we have VERY limited space and will not oversell this event and expect to sell out both sessions.

The value of this event compared to other beer fests:

BEER AND FOOD ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR TICKET!

SO GET TO TASTE:

EVERY BEER INCLUDING THE BELGIAN AND GERMAN BEER BARS AND THE BEERHEADS BOTTLE SHOP

AND

THE COMPLETE ALL-DAY GOURMET BUFFET WITH CHEF TOM PREPARING

UNIQUE MENU ITEMS WITH GREAT BEER.

Buy Tickets Before February 21^st and get $5 off.

Enter the discount code SEAGULL.

Sounds like The PubScout's kind of event!

Cheers!

A First at The Fox and Hound

Mark your calendars for Monday evening, Feb 20 at the Fox and Hound Pub in Menlo Park. The pub will be hosting a first-ever beer dinner and The PubScout is happy to participate in this ground-breaking event. Many of the old (and young--see photo L.) familiar faces will be on hand.

The menu:

Course 1- Bruschetta paired with Sam Adams Alpine Spring
Course 2 Wedge Salad paired with Sam Adam Cherry Wheat
Course 3 Pesto Pasta served with Sam Adams Pale Ale
Course 4 Roast Pork Tenderloin served with Sam Adams Irish Red
Course 5 NY Style Cheescake with Blueberries paired with Sam adams Blackberry Witbier

The festivities start at 7 PM. Call 732 452 9100 at the Pub to reserve your spot.

Cheers!

The PubScout

Listen to Dr. Manny

Dr. Manny Alvarez holds forth on the many health benefits of beer. Nothing new, of course, to those of us who truly know the beverage, but nice for the laity to learn.

Reminds me of the story of the 98 year-old woman who thanked the Funeral Director after the wake of her 99 year-old husband.

"How old are you, Mrs. Dinkelacker?" asked the director.

"Ninety-eight," she said, dejectedly.

Then added, "Hardly worth going home, is it?"

Bottoms Up!

The PubScout

Uno's Dinner "Postponed"

I had heard some rumblings about changes being considered for the pending 2/27 Uno's Beer Dinner, so I contacted Brewer Chris Percello to get the skinny. Chris confirmed that the dinner will indeed be postponed, but details about why are sketchy. Chris added that another Cask Event is slated for early Spring, however.

Meanwhile, word has it that a nearby local tavern/eatery has a Beer Dinner in the works for February 20. I have few details at the moment, but when I know them, so will you. Stay tuned!

Cheers!

The PubScout

A Fruit Beer worth trying

Fruit beer has its place, both in my cupboard and on my table. The holidays are perfect times for fruit beer, especially when trying to lure visiting non-beer drinkers into the fold. I usually preface an offering of same with, "I have something I want you to try." And after the inevitable pleased look or comment, I hit them with, "That's beer."

As for those whose tastes run to mainstream swill, the rule in my house is simple: Hide and Have (Hide the good stuff; have the swill available).

But I make an exception for the Canoe Beer Folks, if they're willing to try a fruit beer. And certain guests have been pre-screened--and good targets-- by their preferences for Mike's Hard. Usually it's an offering of Lindemann's in either Framboise or Kriek that does the trick, but Sam Adams Barrel Room American Kriek is outstanding. It is a tad more expensive, maybe, with the Linde coming in around $9 for a big bottle, and the SA at $10 or more depending on your local liquor locker.

But, with the holidays past, I unexpectedly found a super fruit beer the other day in a local store dedicated mainly to wine, with the rather unusual name of Wine-O-Land. Growing up, all the guys in my neighborhood knew that Wine-O-Land was mostly found "under the train bridge," but who am I to criticize a name choice, especially when the beers they carry are pretty impressive?

I digress. I sauntered into Wine-O-Land to pick up some Sam Adams Alpine Lager (Excellent!) and noticed a section of another Sam brewery--Smith's to be precise. And having enjoyed many products from Tadcaster, I was intrigued by this one label: Samuel Smith's Organic Cherry Ale. It's actually a two-step process, with the brewing and fermenting taking place at the nostalgic Melbourn Bros. Brewery in time-warped Stamford, England, after which it's blended, conditioned and packaged at Tadcaster.

About $10 a bottle, but totally worth it, this beer pours a cloudy reddish-orange with a modest, but decidedly pink, head. Its nose is quite impressively aromatic and the taste is wonderfully augmented by olfaction and retro-olfaction. Perfectly balanced, Sweet and Sour perform a delicate ballet on the palate, leaving you craving more after the first taste. A dry, distinctively cherry finish tops off this ale, which will go well with cheeses before dinner, or as a stand-alone afterwards. I'd even put this one in my Lawnmower Collection, which is reserved for those beers that reward a bloke for mowing his lawn in the hot summer time. And because it checks in under 4% ABV, you can treat yourself to two.

Or three.

But leave some for your guests, who claim they "don't like beer."

And watch their opinions change.

Cheers! The PubScout

Gypsy Brewers

They are called the "New Beer-Makers" in this very interesting and well-written article. And their strategy is not only spicing up the craft beer scene in Europe, it's having the same effect here. As the article will show, it's their penchant for experimentation that drives the movement. And experimentation is critical to the beer consumer as well, as it drives beer lovers like us to explore new horizons.

H/T to Patty for the heads up. It's nice to know that my former students are reading publications called "More Intelligent Life."

Cheers!

The PubScout