About beer culture (and happy birthday, Dad!)

The last day of August was always special, growing up. It marked the last day of the summer vacation, as on September 1st school would start again. It also meant party time, as our family celebrated my dad's birthday. Today they are celebrating again, with an open house where the whole extended family and friends and neighbors are welcome to stop by, partake in great food and ample drinks. Central in this, of course, is honoring Luc Vanraes, patriarch of the clan. And a lot to celebrate there is!
Apart from a loving father, hard working, who loves his wife dearly, he was always close with his children. Strict, but fair (even when at times we would have disagreed with that, of course, hard headed teenagers that we were).  One of the greatest things he gave us, was his example of how to live life. His joie-de-vivre and hospitality are legendary, literally around the world (for some reason, we always had guests in our house, from all 5 continents). So often we would take these guests around and show off our beloved Flanders. A typical stop would include touring Brugge (Bruges), a medieval town that is often referred to as the 'Venice of the North', and a true gem. We loved going there, and after a few times we had our tour down, to show the most beautiful and interesting places. A standard stop was always the Brewery "De Halve Maan", famous for their Straffe Hendrik and Brugse Zot. It is an old brewery, right near the idyllic Beguinage. They have an operating brewery in a small part of the original building (the green beer is cellared elsewhere), and the actual installation of the old brewery is open for tours, put together in a very nice overview of the brewing process and history. The entry ticket you have to buy for the tour also gives you a free beer at the end of the tour. Very often we would start the afternoon in the bar area of this brewery, talking about our country and the countries of our guests, over a shared beer.

Bonifacius Bridge, Bruges

One of my dad's favorite places to go would be the fish market. There he would buy 'maatjes', some sort of sardine-like fish, eaten raw (slightly pickled with onions). He would relish in the horror of some of our poor guests, who did not dare refuse their gracious host in his insistent encouraging to taste. Some people had no qualms and were asking for more of this delicacy. Either way, they would be rewarded by a stop at a nearby chocolates shop.

Cathedral of our Lady, Antwerp

Another city we would often go to was Antwerp, a great port city with very old roots. There was this nice 'cafe' (pub) we would go to, in this old building with a very picturesque open inner court. We'd bring our guests there, and had them try some more of our delightful beers. Very often, people had their first encounter there with 'Kwak', from Brewery Pauwels. My dad would explain the name as derived from the sound made by the beer, once you reach that tipping point when the beer suddenly rushes out of the ball shaped lower end of the glass, held in their classic wooden holder. A good number of people had their first real encounter with beer at this place! Needless to say they were converts ever since.
Back at home, he would spare no expense preparing the best food he could find, together with of course the best of beers.
So apart from honoring the man who taught me how to savor beer, there is another point. These stories about my dad (believe me, I did not even scratch the surface) show something important: beer is meant to be enjoyed and shared. As we grew up, we often were allowed to sip from the beers of the grown-ups, without any taboo. We learned that drinking means savoring quality, not pounding down quantity. The rich encounter over beers with so many different people who each brought their own culture to the table, was fabulous.
That is what beer is about. That is what we want to bring here. An example of how to enjoy life, and how to savor beers, in moderation, but often and in good company. It is our wish that Saint William Brewery, together with the other craft breweries here in New Jersey, can help create such a culture, and become part of that meeting place where people can come together, to share and enjoy each other's company and culture, over a glass of cold brew.

So with that, cheers to you, papa, and thanks for the lessons learned. May this coming year be the best one yet for you, and the worst of those still to come!

'Big beer' and Craft beer, at odds?

As promised in my previous post, a new article to tackle a very interesting question. The large breweries (Budweiser, Coors, Miller, to name the infamous 'Big Three') are looking for inroads to profit from the booming craft beer market. I just read the half year numbers from the Brewers Association:

Boulder, CO • August 8, 2011 - The Brewers Association, the trade association representing the majority of U.S. brewing companies, has released strong mid-year numbers for America's small and independent craft brewers¹. Dollar sales were up 15 percent in the first half of 2011, excluding brewers who left the craft segment in 2010². Volume of craft brewed beer sold grew 14 percent for the first six months in 2011, compared to 9 percent growth in the first half of 2010.

Barrels sold by craft brewers for the first half of the year are an estimated 5.1 million barrels. Despite many challenges, the mid-year numbers show signs of continued growth for craft breweries. The industry currently provides an estimated 100,000 jobs, contributing significantly to the U.S. economy. (excerpt from a press release, found here)

 Seeing this continued growth, when the big breweries are seeing a continued decline, their move into the craft beer segment doesn't come as a surprise. By definition, their beers are not 'craft beer', as they are not brewed by independent breweries. Some people hate to see the large corporations trying to wiggle between the small craft breweries and take away from the profits they could (should) be making. Or that they might even drive the smaller craft breweries out of business because of their overwhelming economic power and organisation. Other people take a different view, and point out that the huge success and nationwide distribution and marketing of, say, Blue Moon, has helped a growing number of people who would otherwise never stray from their mass produced lager to try something new. In this case a Belgian style White. Which then opens up the door to all the other craft beers. Many bartenders will undoubtedly be able to tell you about people at their bar asking: 'Hey, I really like Blue Moon, what else like that do you have?'

Some people would even go as far as to point at Hoegaarden, and say that since they are owned by InBev, who also owns Anheuser-Busch, that Hoegaarden is not craft beer. Well, it isn't, it is Belgian beer. When InBev tried to relocate the brewery from the original brewery in idyllic Hoegaarden, in the Flemish part Belgium, an uproar of discontent and even a difference in taste brought it back really quickly. So corporately owned? Definitely, that is indisputable. But therefore any less tasty and important? I would disagree with that.

The size of a brewery is not important. What should matter is the quality of the beers they make, the efforts they support in maintaining and fostering a diverse and quality drinking culture. I can only applaud that the big breweries are recognizing that there is more to beer than watering down lagers to the cheapest and most singular form possible. In a way, they are admitting defeat. The single pebble from David lodged in Goliath's forehead. What they are saying is that there is so much more to beer than what they have to offer. And there is no way that any single brewery can satisfy the huge diverse range of different tastes that American beer drinkers have developed over the last few decades. Their attempts to get into the market will only serve to give craft beer a broader appeal, bring it to more drinkers who would never have tried new, more tasty beers. And that is where this creates a golden opportunity for craft breweries: make great beers, that can appeal to everyone. Not necessarily very courageous new, style definition redefining brews, but superb examples of established styles. Beers that everyone can enjoy, and that can become standards for their respective styles. Become 'comfort beers'.

Gravensteencantus, beer and culture in perfect marriage, celebrating
the KVHV student club's occupation of the castle in the heart of Ghent.

The wonderfully new and bold off-centered beers have conquered for themselves a place to stay. There will always be a place for the small local nano-breweries, brewpubs, and the larger craft breweries who devote themselves to pushing the envelope. This as well I applaud and am thrilled about! But we need to understand that the American craft beer movement was a reaction against bland mass produced lagers. As such, they will (and have) go all the way to the other extreme, before there will be a natural move to a more balanced approach, where the distinction between 'mass beer' and 'craft beer' will blur into the artificial distinction it really is. Beer is beer. People want not just good beer, but great beer. Beer is culture, and the brewery that manages to evoke that 'joy-de-vivre' in celebrating life with friends and good beer, will always thrive. Beer is social, so the small brewery in the neighborhood will locally always have the advantage over even the biggest brewery in the world. Lets not overly focus on the definition and the distinctions, but indeed promote quality in beer and the culture of enjoying that quality in good company. That is what beer is about. And it so happens that this is what Saint William is all about. Live life to the full, but balanced. So go out, and savor the legend!

Cheers!

Do you agree or not? We are very interested to hear your comments and opinion, so let us know!

Market research: sampling competitor brews. Hard work.

Last night I tried a few new beers. There is this almost childlike excitement when you found some new beers you haven't tried before, bought them, and have them chilling in your fridge, waiting for that right moment to be opened and sampled.
Part of the fun is the 'Russian Roulette' feel it has: you never know what you're gonna get. Even a very sleek stylish bottle from a trusted brewery can contain a beer that really does not work for you, or that bottle you really did not want to buy but ended up with anyway proves to be the revelation of the year! I'm sure we've all had similar experiences, and that makes sampling and trying new beers ever so exciting and rewarding.
Well then, I first had in my glass a Ommegang Aphrodite.
On the Ommegang website they introduce this beer as follows:

In Greek mythology, Aphrodite rises from the foam of the  waves of the sea, enchanting all who see her, and inciting thoughts of love and lust where ever she goes.
We could hardly say it more eloquently. Our Limited Edition Aphrodite Ale is ethereal, intriguing and mysterious – as the Goddess Aphrodite must have been. Aphrodite has champagne-like carbonation, much as the foam of the waves of the sea. Plus enchanting flavors with whispers of raspberry and pear, and hints of funk and tartness created by the Brett yeast. The refreshing dryness comes from the unusual combination of Ommegang and Brett yeasts, and incites feelings of love and thirst, though we don’t know about lust. Grains of paradise are infused into the nectar, and when poured Aphrodite is crowned with a luxuriously  shimmering rose-pink head. 

It has a very outspoken raspberry flavor, is very easy to drink with only a hint of tartness, not overly sweet either, and a very nice balance of flavors, with not only raspberry but also pear and plum, and grains of paradise that add a nice spice layer that goes well with the funk of the wild yeast (Brett yeast, from Brettanomyces) which is not at all overpowering. It is almost 9% ABV, but this rather high alcohol content is well hidden. A dangerous fruity drink when you're thirsty! It made me think of the 'Framboise' lambics I drank in Belgium, but it is clearly different, with a quite light body and a different tartness/funk. My wife really liked it, so guys, if you need a fun dessert drink and want to treat the lady, get her some of this brew!

The other bottle I tried was a Blue Moon Vintage Blond Ale. I saw the bottle in the liquor store, which is quite appealing. A different format of label, the wine-like bottleneck 'hood', and the maple leaf booklet give a very stylish first impression. I do enjoy the regular Blue Moon as a simple go-to beer when it is hot, and I have nothing else to try, so though I would give it a shot. The bottle said it was a blending of a wheat beer with Chardonnay grape juice, a perfect follow up beer after the raspberry earlier. It pours very thin, almost champagne like, with a full foamy head of fine bubbles, that dissipates quickly. A very clear pale color makes it even look like champagne. Tasting it, I was confused, as I did not feel I was drinking a beer. To me, that evening, it was so much more some sparkling wine or cider. Somehow sweet, fruity, definitely the grapes, even hints of apples, with a slight dry tartness. Only in my last glass, with the last bit of beer that had time to warm up, did I notice the wheat maltiness I could not really detect before. So it left me confused. I love cider, I love a nice white sparkling wine, and I love a good refreshing wheat beer. But drinking this, I wasn't certain which of the three I had in my glass.

I am fairly certain I will have it again, but now knowing not to expect a clear beer taste, but rather a light fruity refreshing drink with a nice little sparkle. Definitely a surprise, one that left me wondering what exactly I was drinking. But hey, that is the fun of the exploration!
From what I read about it, Blue Moon is only offering this beer in 5 markets, Northern New Jersey being one of them, to test the response of consumers. That means I am one of the lucky ones to get my hands on it already! It also has won a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival, under the name "C Blonde", in the category Fruit Beer. Owned by Coors, it is Coors' attempt to breach into the Craft market. This beer definitely has been crafted, and well crafted, I should say. But that brings me onto another topic that I will leave for our next article. Coming out this week, so stay tuned, and don't forget to stay thirsty, my friends!

Beer Flavor Exploration part 2

Last night we had the second and final part of our beer flavor exploration. It was a great evening, and very pleasurable as this time we did take a closer look at the 'good' flavors. This are flavors that are usually wanted in certain beers, but if present in large amounts or in other styles of beer signs of trouble (infection, poor yeast health, or problems with brewing technique/equipment). A lot is determined by personal taste as well.

One of the main factors that determine flavor and aroma are called esters. Typically fruity, they are produced inside the yeast cells, and then leak out into the beer, imparting with typical flavors. A famous one is called Isoamyl Acetate, and gives that typical aroma and taste of bananas. Typically found in weizen beers and some other heavier beers (Westmalle Tripel, for example), it can signal problems with yeast health, fermentation temperature or oxygen supply in the beer if found in large amounts or in beers that should not typically have this flavor. Another common flavor was 4-Vinyl Guaiacol. As a metabolite of ferulic acid, it is formed by fermentation of barley malts by certain top-fermenting yeasts, but could also be produced by wild yeast as well. It has a characteristic taste of cloves, or a hint of phenolic, and gives beer a more 'spicy' touch. Another flavor discussed was Ethyl Hexanoate, another ester, but this one imparts hints of aniseed or ripe apples to the beer. It is also a pheromone to certain insects, including the fruit fly (drosophila).


The blind taste test at the end of the evening proved challenging, as some of the flavors were very subtle. Jessie DiNizio won this blind tasting test as the only person to reach a perfect score, congratulations! She won a cool key chain bottle opener from Beers Not Bombs, a group that makes jewelry and bottle openers from bronze. The bronze has a very unique source: the copper needed to make it comes from disarmed nuclear weapon systems! "Beating swords into ploughshares" is a great ideal, but beating nuclear missile silos into bottle openers, now that is just excellent! Of course certified radiation free...

Anyways, another great event discovering new ways to look at beer and to enjoy beer. If you need a drink today to help you cool down in the heat wave currently hovering above the US, may I propose either a Paulaner Heffeweisen or a Sly Fox Royal Weisse? Very refreshing, and I am sure you will be able to pick up some of the flavors described above... Cheers!

Pictures of the beer flavor exploration

With thanks to Tim Besecker for being the unofficial photographer of the evening!

Giving an overview of the sources of the flavors, when and where they can be found.

Drinking beer that tastes like stinky feet, and still paying attention to isomerizing alpha acids
that also oxidize and split of an isovaleryl group that becomes the source of the funk. Great group!

Tasting attentively, John Harmon lays the foundation to win the blind tasting.

The quick overview sheet for the evening

Part of the prize, 'Pannepot' by Flemish brewery 'De Struise Brouwers', top rated on RateBeer,
second only to the Westvleteren Trappist Brewery.

Beer Flavor Exploration

When you learn to cook, a great way to build up an understanding of flavors and what does and does not match, is to sample the foods. Or one can grab some basil, crush it between their fingers, smell the aromas, then put a pinch on their tongue to get a sense of the taste. This works with any other possible ingredient, and when you later on eat a meal, you will be able to discern (depending on how much you practiced), to tell what kind of ingredients and spices have been used. As it would be your turn to cook next, you will also know how the tastes work together, what spices you can or should not use to get that specific flavor and touch that you want to bring out.

When brewing beer, that is not quite possible. One can taste some of the malt, to get an idea of what flavors they will carry over to the finished beer, and hops will allow that as well. But brewing is part magic. Someone once remarked: "A brewer does not make beer, only wort. The yeast makes the beer." There are so many chemical reactions that go on throughout the whole brewing process!

So last night I invited a number of friends and the New Jersey Beer Club for a small 2 night beer flavor exploration at the Stirling Hotel (next Wednesday is the second part). The first evening we explored 5 so called 'off-flavors', flavors you should NEVER find in a beer(with few style related exceptions), as they are surefire signs of errors in the brewing/packaging/tapping process, infections from various sources, etc. If you ever get a beer with such a flavor, sending it back is the only thing to do... The next evening we will present 5 flavors that can be found in normal beer, and that define styles. We discuss in a very accessible way what those compounds are, where they come from, what beers you can find them in, what beers you should not find them in.

How will this work? There will be a generic light beer with little flavor of itself. We will spike 1 liter of this beer with the concentrated and isolated flavors in 5 pitchers, plus a pitcher of unspiked beer as a reference. The compound of each flavor will be present in 3 times the taste threshold. We'll pour two thirds of each pitcher to give each 6 glasses, 1 for each flavor and the reference, and then we'll discuss each, as they have the opportunity to sample them as they explore each flavor as it is presented on its own. After this first round, we'll dilute the remaining beer by filling it up again to 1 liter, so we get to sample the flavors at 1 time the taste threshold. At that point we give a blind tasting test, so they can put their newly acquired skills to the test, and win a special beer prize!

This was a great success, and everyone went back home having learning something, after a lot of fun as we went through a bunch of quite horrible off-flavors, from creamed corn/canned asparagus over stinky feet to cardboard. Some of the group were home brewers, so they had encountered some of these, and we could give some pointers as to why those flavors appear in beer, and how to avoid them. A very common one is DMS, or Dimethyl Sulfide. Tasting and smelling like bad vegetables (asparagus and corn), it is a normal in-between step in the brewing process, and a very volatile element. So during the boiling most of this will dissipate out of the wort. Unless, of course, you had the boiling pot covered for some reason... Another one, Diacetyl, tastes like butter/butterscotch, and if encountered in a beer from a tap, almost always a sign of tap lines that are dirty and have become infected. Another 'favorite' was Isovaleric Acid, a compound that comes from oxidized iso-alpha acids that can be found in hops, and are a sign of stale or old hops. This tastes like bad cheese, stinky or sweaty feet,... A real crowd-pleaser! You can, however, get this in much softer form because of either voluntary use of wild yeast, or by contamination, specifically in sours (think lambic style beers).

As a brewer, it is important to be able to identify these bad flavors during brewing, for purpose of quality control (we would never want you to taste these in our beers, and you never will!), and to be able, if we find them, to keep the beer from being sold and to pinpoint the source of the contamination or error so we can fix it. For beer lovers, it was just fun to explore this normally inaccessible side of beer. We all are looking forward to next week, as that night we will tackle good flavors! 

July 11, 1302: Battle of the Gulden Spurs

Happy feast day to all Flemish, and to all those who carry Flanders in their hearts!

On this day a Flemish army, consisting mainly of peasants and militia from the free cities, completely defeated an army of French knights, the pride of the nation. This was one of the first times an army of knights was defeated by commoners, and it sent shock waves throughout Europe. 5 years earlier, in 1297 the Scottish, led by William Wallace, defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. This and the battle in 1302 were only the first to mark the end of an era where knightly armies would dominate.

Another important feature was that this battle was one of the very few popular uprisings of the common people against their lords (in this case, king Philip IV from France) that was actually successful. It underscores the strong sense of freedom and justice the Flemish had, which indirectly but in an important way contributed to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. For a great article about this, read this article by a good friend, David Baeckelandt.

Of course, namesakes of the great saint William were present, in roles of leadership and with feats of bravery. One William, named William van Saefthinge, was a lay brother at the abbey of Ter Doest. A really tall and strong man, he is said to have rushed to the battlefield when the armies gathered, donning an old rusty suit of armor he found in the barns of the abbey. Upon reaching the site of the battle, he traded his horse for a sword, and entered the fighting. It is told that it was he who threw Count Robert II of Artois, the french commander, from his horse, after which the count was killed by other soldiers.

William of Jülich was one of the main leaders of the uprising, being strongly opposed to the annexation policies of the French King. He was archdeacon at the prince-bishopric of Liège and the son of William of Jülich and Maria, a daughter of Guy of Dampierre, Count of Flanders. His connection to the count and his wish to avenge the imprisoning of his uncles Robert III of Bethune and William of Dendermonde by the French king presumably explains his support for the Flemish resistance. An extra incentive for this support could have been the murder of his uncle Walram of Jülich by the French after the Battle of Bulskamp in 1297. The Flemish resistance led to the unexpected victory over the French during the battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302. (excerpt from wikipedia). Legend has it that William of Jülich, who died in at the Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle as he had broken so deeply through the ranks of the French that he and his knights were able to wound the King and made him flee the field, and who's remains were never found after the battle, will return when Flanders is in direst need.

After the battle, hundreds of golden spurs -sign of knighthood- were collected from the battlefield and hung up in the Church of Our Lady, giving this battle its contemporary name: the Battle of the Golden Spurs. A modern day monument, erected near a highway leading to France, depicts a large spur in concrete, with the point of it aimed directly at Paris. The battle gave Flanders only a short lived independence, but it ensured that it was never fully integrated in France, keeping its language, culture and identity.

So ponder with Mr. Baeckelandt the many Flemish influences on the Americas, and toast to the heroes of long lost times who kept that Flemish identity alive! With the unfortunate near absence of beer in French culture, it is safe to say that on this day, our rich beer culture was saved as well! Cheers to that!