A Toast to Fall

Saint Arnold Oktoberfest

With only a month ‘til Oktoberfest celebrations begin sweeping the world (we’re looking forward to Galveston’s event in late October), we thought we’d spend this Texas Tuesday highlighting one of our favorite fall seasonals brewed right here in Texas– Saint Arnold Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest is “a full bodied, malty and slightly sweet beer celebrating the autumn harvest,” according to Saint Arnold. The red-amber colored ale boasts a hefty 6% ABV content that will keep you feeling warm on a crisp fall night. Drink at 40˚ Fahrenheit for optimum taste and serve with hearty fall favorites like roasted turkey or spicy sausage for a well-rounded meal.

As a bonus, we thought we’d share a little Oktoberfest trivia for your Texas Tuesday. The yearly celebration was originally created to honor the legendary wedding of Crown Prince Leopold and his wife, Therese. As the story goes, this type of beer was brewed especially for their two week-long wedding. The prince and princess had so much fun during their nuptials, they declared that beginning in September of the subsequent year, their marriage would be celebrated annually with a two week, beer-filled party. And thus, Oktoberfest was born.

So raise your glass and toast to Leopold and Therese. We hate to think what a world without Oktoberfest (the craft beer and the party) would look like.

Cheers, Pint Jockeys!

Read Full Post »

Beer School, Lesson #3

Amber vs. Amber (Ale vs. Lager)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With only one day left in the week (TGI Thursday), it’s time for another beer school lesson. Did you already forget what we studied the past two weeks? As a reminder, we started by going over the general differences between ales and lagers, and last week we dug a little deeper with our study of pale ales versus pale lagers. So, it’s only appropriate that today we take class one step further by comparing amber ales and amber lagers.

According to the Beer Judge Certification Program (with a name like that, who wouldn’t consider them a trusted source?), amber ale is, fittingly, “amber to coppery brown in color” and usually clear, “although dry-hopped versions may be slightly hazy.” The malts may be sweet, often with a caramel flavor, and yet maintain a nice balance with the hops. Interestingly, BJCP says, this style of beer is known as “Red Ale” in other parts of the country, especially on the west coast, where the brew was first concocted. Some of our favorite amber ales include Fat Tire Amber Ale, Saint Arnold Amber Ale, Rogue American Amber Ale and Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale.

Amber lagers, BJCP says, are “a vaguely defined style of lager much favored by US lager brewers. They are darker in color, anywhere from amber to copper hued, and generally more fully flavored than a standard pale lager.” With more caramel malt flavor than in amber ales, amber lagers “are frequently hoppier than the true Vienna lager styles on which they are loosely based.” You’re surely familiar with one of our favorite amber lagers, ZiegenBock Amber (we’ve featured it on the blog before). Some other favorites include Rahr & Sons Texas Red, Magic Hat Spring Vinyl and Negra Modelo.

Another difference between amber lagers and ales? The Alcohol by Volume. The ABV in amber lagers is less (at 4% – 5%) than that in amber ales (4.5% – 6%). While there’s only a slight difference in ABV between the two, grab an ale if you’re looking for a little more kick.

Now, it’s time for a pop quiz! If you’ve been to a beer tasting before (one of Pint Jockeys’, perhaps?) or read any of our past blog posts, you’ve undoubtedly heard the terms “hoppy” and “malty.” Can you tell us what each of those flavors mean? *Cue Jeopardy music…* Don’t know? Don’t worry, we’ll tell you. Beers with a lot of malts have bready, sweet, floury, chocolate and coffee flavors. Hoppy beers are more bitter, often containing hints of grapefruit, resin and pine. And now you know.

Your homework assignment this week, should you choose to accept (and why wouldn’t you?): Grab a buddy and taste test each type of beer. Afterward, leave a brief description of what you taste in the comments below. Describe the color, aroma and flavor differences in an amber lager and amber ale, and share with us your overall impressions of each. For extra credit, let us know which brand you tried (and where).

Cheers, Pint Jockeys!

Read Full Post »

Beer School is in Session

This week: Ales vs. Lagers

 

 

 

 

 

With August in full swing, we’re starting to hear a lot of chatter about “back to school” season, and it’s inspired us to share a few of our very own lessons with you.  While we recognize that official school days are a thing of the past for many of you, we’ve decided to introduce a different kind of school. One that’s sure to turn you into the most well-educated guy or gal at the pub. Without further ado, welcome to Beer School, Pint Jockeys!

That’s right, for the next few weeks, Beer School is in session. On the blackboard this week? Understanding the difference between ales and lagers. This may seem elementary to most, but sometimes, it’s good to get back to basics.

According to Tastings.com, “the simple difference between a lager and an ale is that the yeast employed for fermentation of a lager works at a cooler temperature and sinks to the bottom of the fermentation vessel, while ale yeasts work at higher temperatures and rise to the top of the vessel. Hence lagers are ‘bottom fermented’ beers.” Additionally, lagers often take several months to brew, while ales can be brewed in as little as seven days. And, given its yeast content, lagers should be served at a much cooler temperature than ales.

There are many different types of lagers, many with which you’re probably familiar. Common lagers include amber lager (popular in the U.S.); bock; dark lager (or dunkel); doppelbock; esibock; “light” and reduced calorie lager; Munich helles; malt liquor; pale lager (“the standard in international beer”); pilsner; and Vienna-style lager. Among our favorite pale and Helles lagers are Rahr and Sons Blonde, Kona Longboard, and Rogue Irish Lager.

Although ales have been around for centuries, many consider it an “experimental” beer. Because of its shorter brewing cycle, brewers tend to throw in additional ingredients (called adjuncts) to their recipes. Ales also contain a higher count of hops, malt and roasted malts than lagers, giving the ale “a more prominent malty taste and bitterness,” according to BeerTutor.com. A few of our favorites? Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Magic Hat Elder Betty, and, just in time for fall, Shock Top’s Pumpkin Wheat (be sure to check back Friday when we’ll have a great recipe for you which may or may not include cooking with Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat).

Which brings us to your homework. Go out and sample both types of beer, making note of the differences. Come back here and let us know which you prefer – lager or ale — in the comments below. Doing homework has never been so fun!

‘Til Friday, class dismissed, Pint Jockeys!

Read Full Post »