Sixthirtyone

Issue date: 1/20/10 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Alicia Smith

I would like to go on a little rant today… For a long time now, beer advertisements have been telling us what beer is, most notably Miller, Budweiser, and Coors. I suppose we are supposed to listen to them and believe everything they say is fact, right? Well, just like any advertising, we should take it for what it is and do our research before believing any of it.

Let's take a step back to the basics again. Beer, for this article, is to be everything from a pale to a stout; it must contain the following four ingredients: Water, Hops, Barley, and Yeast. Do not get confused when a beer company claims that their product IS beer. No company makes every type of beer, and the ones who do have a wide variety are not the best at all of them. Now that we know what we are talking about, let the rant begin….

I believe Budweiser was the originator of the 'Born on Date' and pressured all of us to buy fresh beer. This one is just true enough, but still does not apply to all beers. Beers that are kept in direct sunlight will go bad faster due to ultraviolet radiation. Beer that is low in alcohol will also go bad faster - this is because the alcohol prohibits bacteria living in it and turning your beer sour. Barley Wines can actually benefit from years of aging. Lastly, a beer that has lots of Hops, such as an IPA, usually keeps longer - Hops are a natural preservative. If you would like to get an idea of what beer that has gone off tastes like, try a Douchesse De Bourgone. It is a Flemish Red Ale and actually very highly rated in its style characterized by a sour finish that some people enjoy.

I would like to send a big thank you to Miller for their 'Triple Hopped' ads. To set the record straight here, this is nothing special at all. The fact that they had to advertise this makes you wonder what they have been doing all these years in which they were telling people they made beer. You see, all beers are 'Triple Hopped'. In the beer making process, you add hops three times. The first round is done towards the beginning to add bitterness; this is fittingly referred to as the bittering hops. The second time you add hops is fairly close to the end, and this is your flavor hops. These are the ones you actually taste in your beer. Lastly, just before you take the wort (beer before it is fermented) off the fire, you add the aroma hops, the ones you smell when you put the beer up to your nose to take a drink. Keep in mind that the hops can be the same, just added at different times, or could be completely different hops. Side note: the Hop plant is in the Cannabis family.

'The Coldest Tasting Beer in the World' - yes, that would be Coors Light. Actually, it seems as though all of the Large American Brewers would like you to think that beer is supposed to be served ice cold. Beer has been around much longer than refrigeration. Depending on the style of beer you are drinking, the temperature will vary. Though some will say that other countries drink 'warm' beer, it is really just warmer than what you are used to here in America. Beer served closer to warm has a different taste; that is, it has taste. Cold has an impact on your taste buds - it has a tendency to render them useless, thus making beers such as Coors Light palatable.

One thing I will trust though. All beer companies seem to want you to be able to properly pour their beer. Listen to them. Often times you will find pouring instructions on your bottle or can, and to be honest, most of the time you won't be able to tell a difference in taste, but you should feel better for having the right beer, in the right glass, the right way. A few examples of beers which are regularly poured incorrectly are:

• A can of Guinness should be opened and turned upside-down into a glass - NOT gently poured down the side.


• For Unfiltered Wheat beers: pour half the bottle into a glass, gently swirl the remainder of the bottle (this 'wakes up' the yeast in the bottle), and finish pouring.


• Trappist style ales should be poured into a goblet (red wine glass also works) gently along the side at first to reduce head, and then begin pouring directly into the middle of the glass.

Your homework for today is to know your beer better than they can advertise it and to go to the liquor store and find a bottle that has the drinking temperature and pouring instructions on the label and follow them.

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