The next time you’re at a bar or restaurant, notice the ‘beer menu’ and you’ll see 8-12 bottles displayed on a shelf that resembles a college freshman’s boastful brand display of binge drinking. These bottles may have shinny labels, be in green or clear glass, stuffed with adjunct grains, reign from USA, Mexico or Europe but are all the same brew - the American Adjunct/Light Lager. Brews made with adjuncts like corn, rice, and cheap cereal grains cut flavor and costs, all developed for mass-production and consumption. These tiny 12 oz form-fitted mass marketed pieces are built by large, macro companies who have a fractionalized portfolio that include different variations of the same style - many of whom will have their own $3 million spot during the Super Bowl.
We want real - real beer created not for the voluminous bottom dollar, but for taste and pure enjoyment, for just a few quarters more. It is important to notice that there are people creating products by hand with much attention to creativity, quality and craftsmanship that attract a small segment of the market with a very scaled marketing budget. The craft beer business and movement is a segment that has been widely unaffected by the tumultuous economy.
Kickoff this bowl season and host your own Brew Bowl. For NCAA bowl games or Super Bowl, try to pick some brews from each participating city/region or something from the host city. If the city match up happens not to be in beers favor, like this year’s BCS National Championship between Oklahoma vs Florida in Tampa Bay or the Super Bowl in Miami then we must move to plan B.
A true taste showdown. Cool down some macro adjunct lagers and some craft brews that are similar in stye. My recommendations:
1st Quarter: Bud Light vs. Sam Adams Boston Lager
2nd Quarter: Lonestar vs. Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower
Halftime: Bathroom break, refuel - grab grub
3rd Quarter: Corona vs. Bohemia
4th Quarter: Miller Genuine Draft vs. Victory Prima Pils
Don’t forget to add other craft brews to the mix: Sierra Nevada Celebration or Bigfoot Barleywine, Victory Hop Wallop, Anchor Porter, Southern Star Pale Ale, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, New Belgium 2 Below, Kona Fire Rock
Another idea is to have a beer cooking throwdown - beer brats, beer bread, or the below recipe for a Brew Con Queso.
Brew Con Queso
Ingredients:
* 1 bottle Saint Arnold’s Fancy Lawnmower beer
* 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
* 1 cup grated Gorgonzola
* 1 cup grated Monterrey Jack
* 1 cup grated Colby
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 small yellow onion, minced fine
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 1 8oz can of Rotel tomatoes
* Assorted hot peppers (use as many as you wish, fresh jalapeños seem to be the crowd favorite)
* Tortilla chips
Direction & Notes:
In a bowl toss the cheeses with the flour and reserve the mixture. In a large heavy saucepan cook the onion with the butter over low heat, stirring, until it is softened and clear (do not burn), add the beer, the can of Rotel, and the peppers (jalapeño), and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. Add the reserved cheese mixture by 1/2 cupfuls to the beer mixture, stirring after each addition until the cheeses are melted, serve the dip with the chips.
Fancy Lawnmower Saint Arnold Brewery Houston, Texas
SaintArnold.com
Appearance: 3.5
Smell: 4
Taste: 4.5
Mouthfeel: 4.5
Drinkability: 5
Overall = 4.25
Kölsch is an interesting and rare style, as it is like a hybrid of a lager and an ale, reining from Cologne, Germany. Lawnmower is fermented using an ale yeast and is lagered, which means that it is cold-conditioned at lower temperatures (around 35° F) which in this case will lend a bit of sweet complexity with the ale yeast, yet will be quite crisp and mild with a lighter color.
Lawnmower pours fizzy yellow with a dissipating crown of foam which smells of biscuity malt and slight purple grape with a fine hop accent. Taste parallels the aroma but with an additional hoppy lemon kiss at the end. Wow, this is one drinkable brew and the clean, crisp carbonation lends a fantastic mouthfeel. This brew won a gold medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival and two previous bronze medals in the same category. Try Fancy Lawnmower with the lobster quesadillas at Easy’s.
Style: Kölsch
Alcohol By Volume : 4.90%
Availability : Year Round
Sample Size: 12oz. brown bottle
Pairings: Cheese: Cheddar, Monterey Jack
Cuisine: Salads, Seafood, Chips and Queso (see recipe)
Glassware: Slender Pilsner or Pint
Average Price: $7.99 six-pack
BohemiaCervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.
Monterrey (Nuevo León), Mexico
ccm.com.mx
Appearance: 3.5
Smell: 4.5
Taste: 4
Mouthfeel: 4
Drinkability: 4.5
Overall = 4.05
This is by far my favorite Mexican beer. When I’m craving Tex-Mex, I typically head to Carmella’s in Beaumont because they have this brew .... and some of the best chicken fajitas and guacamole.
Spicy foods and alcohol simply don’t mix too well together because the alcohol acts as magnifying agent to the heat. When you choose a beer while eating heat, pick one with lower alcohol content - but please don’t forget flavor. Fats help to calm the fire and this is why I typically order guacamole or queso with the chips and hot sauce when drinking.
Bohemia is light golden in color with decent head retention yet little lacing. Fantastic light floral and herbal hop aroma that you don’t get in most Mexican brewed lagers. Taste brings sweet malts, clear balance, and a clean finish with a considerate bitterness. Bohemia is a fantastic substitute for the American Adjunct Lager.
Style: Vienna Lager
Alcohol By Volume : 5.30%
Availability : Year Round
Sample Size: 12 oz. brown bottle with gold aluminum wrap
Pairings: Cheese: Monterey Jack, Colby Cuisine: TexMex
Glassware: Slender Pilsner or Pint
Average Price: $7.99 six pack
