Beer Report

My heart skipped a beat as I awoke to the words, “Hey, did you know that the Paulaner brewery is three blocks away?” This was coming from mouth of my travel companion on the first morning of our stay in Munich. I grew excited because I consider Paulaner to be one of the finest beers and one that is relatively easy to find in the US. Before he had finished his sentence I had already decided to make a stop and take a tour of the brewery. After the tour the hook that had been set during my first Paulaner experience last year was pushed even deeper into the flesh of my top 5 favorite beers list. While the tour was amazing, I found the facts surrounding the beer and its history to be even more tantalizing than a cold, crisp glass of the brewery’s weisse bier.

One of the biggest reasons why I’ve always liked Paulaner is because of its rich history. The brewery was started in the 17^th century by a group of monks living on the outskirts of Munich. Back then the town was much smaller and the citizens enjoyed their beer enough to request that the monks, who were brewing it for monastery use, begin to sell it to the townspeople. A legend was immediately born from these very humble and very pious beginnings. Over the years the brewery has grown along with their product line. There are currently many varieties of Paulaner including their Bock, Octoberfest, and an extremely tasty Dunkel. Each has its own distinct taste and traditionally, its own season for enjoyment.

The morning after imbibing, I find Paulaner to be a much kinder, gentler beer to my body. Because of Germany’s Beer Purity Law or Reinheitsgebot of 1516, Paulaner used to be made only from four ingredients: water, hops, barley, and yeast. In 1987 the law was scrubbed but replaced by a slightly more lax version called The Provisional German Beer Law which allows for ingredients like cane sugar and wheat malt but no longer allows for malted barley. Because it’s made with no preservatives I have never experienced a hangover after drinking Paulaner, which is certainly something considering all the chemicals and preservatives used in brewing many domestic beers. What’s more, the people at the Paulaner brewery argue that the taste hasn’t suffered one bit due to the changes in the German food laws and I would argue that even if the taste has changed, it’s a taste that I’ve grown accustomed to enjoying both in Germany and back home.

Nick DuBay

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), are urging MillerCoors to cease the sale of their new caffeinated beer Sparks Red.  The CSPI argue that Sparks Red is a danger to society at large.  The watchdog group claims that energy beer targets under-aged drinkers with ads that are appealing to that demographic.  They also claim that the caffeine masks the effects of the alcohol leading people to behave wrecklessly because they don’t know that they are actually drunk.  Lawsuits have been filed in 25 different states.

I’ve actually never drank the Sparks Red, but I have had the misfortune of tasting it’s weaker relatives Sparks Light and Sparks Plus.  Let me just say the stuff is nasty, it has a very poisonous effect, and the morning after you’ll have the worst hang-over you’ve ever had.  That’s just my opinion and my experience, I choose to stay away from the Sparks, even when I’m drinking on a budget.

Tastes aside, does the government have a right to stop the sale of this beverage, or any other of it’s type?  The alcohol is sold to adults, not minors.  And there are far more dangerous legal substances out there that aren’t being targeted.  If a person gets drunk they run the risk of being a danger to themselves and those around them, regardless of whether there is caffeine in their drink or not.  Why not stop the sale of whiskey or vodka?  Hey, bring back prohibition while you’re at it.  Right?

When I first heard of Beer on a Stick, I thought for sure that it was a new exotic flavour of popsicle, or something to that effect.  I was intrigued.  But, alas, Beer on a Stick is just a tacky gadget to hold your beer cup.  According to the maker of this product, Beer on a Stick will keep your beer icy cold by keeping your warm hands off the glass.

Seriously?  This product was featured on Donny Deutsch Big Idea.  Here’s another big idea, try drinking your beer before it gets warm, or try not holding your beer in your hands for prolonged periods.  Or even better, try a mug with a handle!

Would you drink a beer named after a drug-dealer? In the western state of Sinaloa, Mexico the Minerva Brewing company has been making a controversial beer named after the patron saint of narco-traffickers.

The beer named Malverde is named after Jesus Malverde, a Robin Hood-type who robbed from the rich and partied with the poor.

Mexico has been plagued with drug smugglers and a thriving drug industry from the dawn of time so it’s no surprise that in such a hard-core Catholic country even drug dealers get their patron saints. But not everyone is buying it. Many retailers are refusing to stock the beer in their store aisles because the name’s association with drugs.

The brewers of Malverde have plans to sell the beer in US markets, but would you buy it? Is this just a publicity stunt? Or is it supposed to funny?

After my last post I was left with a craving for Chimay, but my beer budget for the week was blown on school supplies for the kid.  I thought I’d never get my fix of Belgian brew, luckily a good friend of mine satisfied my appetite and my need for good beer.  I was introduced to a third variety of Chimay.

That’s right, there’s another variety of Chimay, it’s called Cinque Cents and it’s lighter than the other two.  It is easy to drink.  It’s lighter, less heavy and goes well with sushi and seared salmon.  It is also great by itself.  For those of you prefer something closer to a pale ale, you might want to try this one first, before moving on to something heartier.

When I’m feeling reckless with my money or I’m in a celebratory mood, I always splurge on a bottle or two of Chimay. Chimay comes in two varieties: Rouge and Bleue. The Rouge or Red, is dark-brown, has a fruity aroma and a sweet, nutty taste with a slight peppery bite. It’s not too heavy and tastes best very, very cold. The more popular Bleue or Blue, is a dark ale, copper-brown in color with a creamy head and a slight bitter taste. Both these beers pair really well with a hearty, meaty meal, or alone. Either way you’ll be satisfied with the crispness and flavor of these well-crafted brews.

Like I said before though, this is definitely a luxury. But one worth everyone of the ten dollars per bottle. Chimay is brewed in Belgium by Trappist monks at a monastery, all the money made from the sales go to the production of the beer and cheeses, the upkeep of the monastery and to charitable foundations in the community. So not only is Chimay an exquisitely tasting beer, it is also socially conscious and it’s made by monks! It’s got the stamp of approval of God. What’s there not to love about this beer?

With the rising costs of fuel, a world-wide shortage of hops and the soaring cost of barley, the price of beer is expected to rise, business analysts are telling us. And the prices aren’t expected to drop for another two years as the hops and barley industry catches up to world’s demands for more grains. Even though beer sales haven’t been affected by rise on cost, could the price hike contribute to more crime?

Check out this story about a man in Jackson, Miss., who was shot by a store clerk while trying to steal a case of beer. This guy was willing to pay with his life.

As we’ve all heard the maker of the “king of beers” has been sold to Belgium corporation InBev for a reported $52 billion. Here’s a comprehensive article about the buy out. Some questions still linger though, will the new deal change beer-drinking culture in this country? And will Budweiser still taste like piss water? What does this mean to Americans? All I know is that sadly another American icon is sold to foreign investors…

As a hard-core beer drinker I was quite appalled when a friend recently hosted a party where beer cocktails were a special feature, but after checking my manners, I decided to be a graceful guest and try to enjoy the evening. Every guest was asked to bring a six pack of their favorite beer or bottle of booze. The hostess provided the mixers and the ambiance.

The evening started out tame enough, Red Beers, consisting of beer and tomato juice, were a popular request. Then a bottle of tequila appeared and someone made me a concoction called a Beerita, which is basically a Corona with a shot of tequila and a squirt of lime. It was after I had an Irish Carbomb that things got, shall we say, creative?

Here’s a list of some of the more exotic blends that I sampled throughout the night. Some of these were not that nasty, but keep in mind, my ability to judge was a bit impaired.

• Pipe Wrench- an ice-cold IPA mixed with a shot of gin, this one is crisp!
• Broadway- a cola and beer combo, a favorite of the Japanese.
• Yorsh- this one really knocked me out, a lager and a shot of vodka!
• Dessert Martini- my favorite of the night, MGD with some olive brine….yum!

I don’t remember much after that, I think i had a beer with some orange Fanta in it, who knows… The next morning was no fun, but the party was a success. And I got to experience my favorite beverage in a whole new light.

Beer Buzz is a community dedicated entirely to the subject of beer. This is for serious beer drinkers and beer lovers only! We are here for people who love to drink beer, to talk about beer and who even love their beer belly. We want to hear what you have to say about this tasty beverage that has graced humanity for thousands of years. So reach out (for a cold brew) and connect with your beer community.