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No. 119 South Front
Marquette, MI 49855
906-228-3533
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THE DAWN OF
BEER
It is difficult to overstate the universality
of beer. Not only is it a fundamental staple
in Western culture, but it
is prized by nearly every group of people on the earth who have access to
grain or other starch producing crop. Sake, brewed from rice, chicha from
corn, chang from rice or barley, and a dazzling variety of millet based
beverage from Africa all proudly qualify as beer. Just
as a tasty brew can cement the bond of a friendship between tavern
mates, beer forms a strong and ancient bond between all
peoples of this planet.
TASTING BEER
Tasting beer uses all your senses- one noted
beer guru even counsels to “Listen to your beer.”
After you’ve poured carefully to create a thick, creamy head, use your
eyes. Is the beer clear or hazy? How about the
color-is it pale, amber, brown, black? Does it have a
rich, refractive look described as “depth of color?” Is the head white,
cream or tan? Observe the texture, and the way it lingers after you’ve
started to drink it.
Next give it a good sniff. Check out the malt- is it
caramelly, bready, toasty, roasty, or something else?
Can you detect the scent of hops-herbal, spicy, resiny, minty,
green? Fermentation gives the beer an overlay of
other aromas- fruity, spicy, alcoholic, even bubblegum
or caramel corn.
Now, have a drink. Let it slosh around in your mouth before swallowing.
Breathe through your nose while the taste of the beer is fresh in your
mouth. Flavors will explode, as much of what we think
of as taste is actually aroma. Is it sweet or dry? Perhaps there’s a touch
of acidity. How about the bitterness of the hops
or the different kind of sensation you get from the black malt
used in stouts and porters? Does the beer seem balanced? Malt
sweetness and hop bitterness should play against each other in a pleasant
way, sometimes with a toasty/roasty flavors adding a
third side to the balance triangle.
What about the texture of the beer as you drink it? The head, the level
of carbonation, the body of the beer all have an
effect.
Pay attention to the after taste, too. Whether long or short, it should
fade away gracefully, without any harshness on the
back of the mouth. Stronger beers create a warming sensation as
they go down, perfect for those winter
nights.
BEER STYLES
DEFINED
PALE ALE — Broad family of British
styled ales including bitter and others. In Britain, it encompasses a wide range of strength, color, bitterness. American
craft brewers have taken even greater liberties with it. Should be a
deep gold to deep amber, with noticeable hop aroma and bitterness, often
quite a lot.
AMBER ALE — Vaguely defined American
ale style, where, basically, anything goes as long as it’s amber. Usually
not to hoppy.
RED ALE — American ale style,
originally in imitation of fictitious Irish style. Typically deep
reddish-amber, not too bitter.
BROWN ALE — British ale style, medium
amber to deep brown. Usually a toasted malt character not found in pale
ale. Traditionally lightly hopped. Weaker versions called “mild. “
PORTER —Medium to blackish brown ales
originally created in London. Stronger versions called “stout” porter, hence the origin of that name. Lightly to well
hopped, usually without much hop aroma. American versions much more
assertive than English ones.
STOUT — A stronger, darker variant of
porter. Usually of the modest strength, fairly well hopped .
Typified by two British interpretations: Dry Irish stouts
such as Guinness, and the sweeter London stouts such as Mackeson. American
craft brewers are fond of the style, but make up their own rules with the
regard to bitterness, sweetness and strength.
As times have changed so has the Vierling . In 1995 we opened up our
own 5 barrel brewery, and with the help of our skillful brewer our beer
has never been better. As for the Vierling we
will always continue to serve only quality meals, but now with some
of the finest beer in the Upper Peninsula.
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