Reading, Writing and Drinking Beer…

I originally set out to write a weekly blog about my journey studying for the Cicerone test… unfortunately, I’ve been failing miserably at continuing to write every week like I planned. But I’m back at it and ready to keep studying and writing and drinking!!

This past year since January has been a whirlwind for me: from breaking toes, to starting new jobs, to volunteering at beer events, to interviewing for reality tv shows. I’ve had an amazing year, and as I planned, beer has still been my #1 focus!

Session #3 at FOBAB 2014

In September, I moved on from Grace restaurant (who just received their third Michelin Star) and started bartending at Vistro (Chef Paul Virant’s newest venture) in Hinsdale and I’ve continued to pour beer every Sunday at Imperial Oak (if you still haven’t checked out either place – come visit me!!!).

I’ve also been learning more than I thought I ever would, and not just about beer. Bill Anderson, the bar manager and bad ass mixologist at Vie/Vistro, has gotten me to appreciate bourbon and whiskey (without a pickle back!) AND I can make a pretty decent Manhattan. Yeah!

Keeping it classy at Vistro: Hinsdale Meantime (bourbon, lemon, chamomile and, red wine top).

Being able to learn more about spirits and cocktails has actually helped me to develop my tasting skills. I’ve noticed now that I appreciate heavier spirits like whiskey, my preferences in beer have completely changed! These days I’m going to stouts, brown ales or bourbon barrel aged beers first. Funny how just training yourself to taste and understand liquors can make you completely change your palate.

In the past few months, I’ve also collected a library of beer books (in addition to all those English major classics) and try to read when I get the chance. I even picked up a couple home brewing books to try my hand at making some delicious brews this winter.

My beer book library is continuing to grow!

Now that it’s getting colder and I (might) want to stay indoors more, I’ll definitely be reading all my new books from front to back.  I’m also signing up for an off flavor course (if anyone wants to join, let me know) and will be joining up with bunch of other beer nerds to keep study for the Certified Cicerone test this winter!

My mission to get beer to be as popular as wine will not be ending any time soon. This is still just the beginning…. and what a start it’s been!

There’s a Saison for us all (Style Guide for the beer inept – Part 1)

Before I made an effort to recognize what I was drinking, I had no idea how certain beers were supposed to taste. I just drank whatever tasted good – and trust me, a Saison was NOT what I picked up first… These days, after studying the style, I’m much more likely to give a Saison a second or a third glance!

Saison means “season” in French and was originally brewed between November-March by migrant workers who were harvesting the farms.  They would continue to brew throughout the winter so there would be enough beer during the summer working months.

In the 19^th century, saisons were brown. Today, Belgian Saisons are golden to light amber and placed in the subcategory Farmhouse Ales. Saisons have high carbonation and attenuation that contribute to its super dry character… it may make your mouth water (like what a glass of red wine with tannins will do).

• 5-14 SRM (Gold to Light Amber)
• 20-35 IBUs (Moderate)
• 5-7% ABV (Normal to Elevated)
• 1.048-1.065 Original Gravity
• 1.002-1.012 Final Gravity

Some brewers will add a mix of herbs and spices to compliment the character of the yeast, and sugar to improve its drinkability. Saisons are light bodied with high bitterness and complexity. They can have floral, woodsy or minty hop flavor and aroma.

The most unique part to this beer is the yeast used, believed to be related to red-wine and produces fruity, peppery/phenolic notes that can taste “earthy” (which is why I didn’t originally enjoy this style). The yeast is tolerant of high fermentation temperatures (above 90F). Most bottled saisons will have some yeast sediment left at the bottom (the beer continues to ferment in the bottle when additional yeast is added – you don’t generally want to drink this though).

A delicious Allagash Saison at Beermiscuous

Some great examples of saisons to try:

• Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) by Brewery Ommegang
• Saison Dupont by Brasserie Dupont
• Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale by Boulevard Brewing Co.
• Farmer’s Daughter by Imperial Oak Brewing (maybe I’m biased)

A saison is more of a summertime beer, but many are produced year round. It can be a great meal component and can be paired with richer foods like chicken, ripe cheese and hearty salads. If you like a Belgian Pale Ale, you are likely to enjoy a Saison as well!

If you drink a saison and like it or think there’s a saison I should try, let me know! I’m always looking for new beers to sip on:

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Salud!

Beer Lesson #1 – Know the Bare Beer Basics (so you can impress your friends)

Okay, I’ll admit, when I was younger I would look through the beer list and order whatever had the highest alcohol content, regardless of the type of beer. Thankfully I’ve long grown out of that stage, but unfortunately there are still many people out there who continue to pick their beers based on the highest alcohol percentage for the lowest cost.

Most people do not know the difference between types and styles of beer and as a result when they pick the beer with the highest ABV they don’t always end up liking it. I try the best I can when working at the brewery to find the perfect beer for the guest. Countless times I’ve had someone come up to me at Imperial Oak asking for a light beer, but not knowing whether they really want something fruity (like a Hefeweizen) or crisp and clean (like a Kolsch) or with a little bitterness (like a Blonde Ale).

So many options – why not try them all? Beer flight from Hailstorm Brewing in Tinley Park, IL

Unless you’re a beer nerd, you may not know the difference, so I’m here to enlighten you!

Every beer has a few basic qualities that make it different from another beer:

• SRM (Standard Reference Method)
• IBUs (International Bitterness Units)
• ABV (Alcohol by Volume)
• ABW (Alcohol by Weight)
• OG (Original Gravity- also called Specific Gravity)
• FG (Final Gravity)

The SRM basically clarifies the color of the beer as set by the American Society of Brewing Chemists. It ranges from 1° (pale straw) to 40°+ (black). The Beer Drinkers Guide to Colorado has a cool chart showing the colors and the styles of some beer.

IBUs measure the bitterness of a beer and range from 5-100+.  Humans can generally start tasting a bitterness between 4-9 IBUs. The bitterness in beer is needed to balance the sweetness from the malt.

ABV is the measurement of alcohol content in beer.  To get this number, a brewer will use a hydrometer (that finds the density of liquid in relation to water) to measure the OG. They let the beer ferment and then remeasure (days, weeks, months) later to find the FG, then multiply that number by 131. Basicially: OG – FG x 131 = ABV% (easy enough even for a math inept person like me)

Beer may also show the ABW on the side of the bottle. Between 1933-1990, after Prohibition, brewers wanted to show that the alcohol in the beer was not that high and opted to use the ABW on the side of their bottles instead. The rest of the world continued to use ABV and eventually it became the norm in the US again.  In order to convert ABW in the ABV, another fun math equation: ABW x 1.25 = ABVWhat does all this information actually mean to a customer? A couple weeks ago I had a woman come into Imperial Oak who was looking for something light, not hoppy and had a little sweetness to it. She really had no idea what style of beer she was looking for, so I suggested our Dunkelweizen. Although it looks dark (due to the dark malt used), it is a wheat beer and therefore not bitter, and it’s also low in alcohol content. Needless to say, it was a perfect match for her and she ordered a couple more for her friends when they showed up to the bar.

There is SO much info out there about beer, but if you know some of the basics you can impress your friends next time you’re at the bar… heck, it might even impress me!

Move Over Wine, It’s Beer Time

These past few weeks have literally flown by for me. On top of studying for the Beer Server exam (which I’m aiming to take in the next couple weeks), I have been looking for jobs, started a group for beer nerds and finished the BeerSavvy program.

I’m happy to announce I’ve accepted a new job downtown at Grace Restaurant – one of the top restaurants in Chicago! Being the city girl that I am, I’m super excited to finally get my foot into the fine dining scene in the best city in the world. Even better, being the huge beer nerd I am, I’m thrilled that Grace has a decent selection of beer on their drink menu. Yes, there is a God!!

As I’ve increased my beer knowledge over the last month, I’m even more determined to make a name for it as a classic drink to pair with amazing food at a fine dining restaurant, such as Grace.

Chimay Bleue with chicken in spicy Asian zing paired perfectly!

Despite beer being offered at multiple fine dining restaurants these days, it is still not thought of as a classy, sophisticated drink or highlighted for pairings (with the exception of ING that has begun a cool pairing program).

Society still sees someone who has a glass of beer as casual, laid back and unrefined (which, granted, they could be – nothing wrong with that), but beer has so much more depth than being a casual drink! Most of the beer that we drink today has its roots from European styles that began being made  as early as the 1600s and the process to make beer is no easy feat. Its extensive history alone should make it a hot commodity.

Trust me, I still enjoy a great glass of wine (especially a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc), but beer can be just as universal as wine, if not more. I think it’s time for everyone to start enjoying beer as a refined pairing for dinner and make it become a timeless, classy, sophisticated drink…. then I can feel more justified holding my pinkie up when I have a beer.

Salud!

Things got ‘A Little Crazy’ last night…

Got the chance to meet Revolution’s brewer Matty (the face of A Little Crazy) and some great people at the Revolution brewery tour Wednesday night!

A Little Crazy Ale label (courtesy of Revolution Brewing)

Even though I’ve had A Little Crazy quite a few times (in addition to having it on tap at work), beer always tastes better when it’s fresh and right out of the brew kettle.

A big THANK YOU to everyone at the brewery!

Who Needs to Understand the Opposite Sex? Just Have a Beer.

There are some things in life I may never understand: math, infinity, men… so I can completely relate with people who are overwhelmed by beer and decide to pick a boring beer they know (big name brands), instead of trying to find a craft beer that they enjoy. It’s not fun to make a decision on something you know little about and stress yourself out even more – especially when all you wanted was a drink!

BUT there is hope! I promise you, finding a delicious beer doesn’t have to be impossible, or cost a ton of money. You can start on your own journey towards becoming a beer nerd.

• Ask about the beer. The best thing you can do to narrow down what you like is to first talk to whoever is handing you the beer – the bartender, the sales clerk, the server. Tell them what you like and don’t like and let them give you options based on your preferences.
• Be open to trying new things. I despised dark beers when I was younger, but after trying a couple bourbon barrel stout beers, I opened my eyes to a whole new range of beers. Sure you won’t like some, but you also won’t know you like it until you try!
• Remember the beer was brewed with love. Seriously. The brewers who made this beer put their heart, soul and sweat into making it perfect. When you taste a beer, even if for just a split second, try and envision what the brewer wanted you to get out of the beer.
• Every beer is different. Just because one company makes the same style of beer, it will not taste the exact same! A lot of people don’t may not like one pale ale because it’s too hoppy, but another brewery will make one with less hop and easier to guzzle down.

You might love your wine or hard liquor and don’t want to waste your time finding a beer to drink, or you think that every beer is going to be as tasteless as the beer you drank during Spring Break (it won’t). Take a chance! You’ll be surprised.

Randy Mosher said it best, “practice makes perfect, but nobody ever complains about practice with beer.”

Salud!

True Story: It’s Fun Studying About Beer (for real)

I never thought I’d be saying I’m having fun studying for the Certified Beer Server, but somehow I’m having a blast!  Chicago and the outlying suburbs have SO many options for beer lovers, like me. I’m a girl on a mission to try as many different bars, restaurants and specialty stores that I possibly can. I want to learn everything about beer while working my way towards becoming a Master Cicerone, even if that means being considered a complete nerd. I’m willing to risk it.

I’m not the only one who has this weird obsession with learning about beer. It’s crazy how many programs are centered around beer, its history and brewing. There are certificates, specialized MBA degrees and schools devoted to beer! Seriously. There is no lack of information out there.

Breweries in the Chicagoland area (courtesy of craftbeer.com’s Google map)

With all this new info floating around, the craft beer scene in recent years has boomed. In 1977, there were less than 50 companies brewing. At the end of 2013, there were 2,722 brewing facilities in the US! As Andy Sparhawk points out in his blog Map: The Small Brewers of 1985, 98% of those are small and independent craft breweries. And brewers are nowhere near done yet. Growth in the beer market continues to increase 10-15% a year, according to Mosher in Tasting Beers.

You don’t have to look far to find someone brewing their own craft beer. There are over 60 breweries in Chicago and the surrounding area, with one (Urban Legend Brewery) even located in my hometown of Westmont! How cool is that?

Inside Urban Legend Brewing’s tasting room

Urban Legend has been in operation since Aug 2013 and I finally got to check it out today. My gosh, was I happy I decided to go! Check out my review on yelp to see why I was so impressed and make sure it a point to go there and try their delicious selection of beers.

The best part about learning, tasting and talking to others about beer is finding my appreciation for the industry, brewers and the beer lovers. The craft beer movement is in full swing and trust me, it won’t be ending any time soon!