The BLager
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This month, @walrusmagazine explores the historical rise of Canada as a “brewing capital of the world.” I’ll leave you with the closing paragraph, and would love to hear your thoughts:
Today beer is to Canada what wine is to France, vodka is to Russia, tequila is to Mexico, ouzo is to Greece, and sake is to Japan. Our athletes publicly celebrate their victories with it; Canadian musicians rejoice about it in song; comedians poke fun at our collective thirst for it; and even our prime minister allows himself to be caught on camera enjoying it by the glass. It is not the quantity that we drink, but rather the way we drink it and imagine it that makes beer quintessentially Canadian. It is what Roland Barthes terms a “totem drink.” Just as a primitive totem united all who worshipped it, so it is with our beer: we drink, therefore we are.
Beer 101: Bock Bock Beer
As May winds down, we find feeling chilly despite the long days of sunlight which beckon us out of dark drinking halls. What to drink now that stout season is over and the summer saison is yet to come? Well, the Bavarians have just the beer for you and the month of May: the Maibock.
“Mai” is German for May, and “Bock’ indicates a strong malty lager. The relative strength of Maibocks (usually clocking in around 6-7% abc) is enough to keep your warm during this transitional season, and it’s gold or deep amber hues are the perfect compliment to sunshine. Yum yum.
In fact, there seems to be a bock for every season. Helles Bock, with low alcohol and straw colour is often the summer slurper of choice. As the leaves turn red in the fall, so too does our bock of choice as many drinkers turn to the stronger toffee-colored doppelbock. And in winter, the ice distilled “eisbock” can sometimes still be found as it enjoys a bit of a renaissance after nearly disappearing for decades.
So, what’s with all the goats? Well, the original “traditional” Bock surfaced out Einbeck Germany. The most common theory is that as this beer gained popularity and was ordered in pubs across Germany, the pronunciation shifted to sound like “Ein Bock” meaning billy goat. There are some other, intense conspiracy theories concerning satanic worshippers, Goya paintings, and the Catholic church - I will allow you to draw your own conclusions on that.
Other re-occuring themes in Bock-advertising are the color red, and young girls and women pictured with the goat. Perhaps most interesting is the image of a young girl wearing a red cape in little-red-writing hood style that often resurfaces in older depictions of Bock beer. A brother’s Grimm reference perhaps? It remains a mystery, as I couldn’t dig up any information on these patterns. Your guess is as good as mine on this one.
@Eviltwinbrewing There’s chunks in my hipster juice. There must be some kind if metaphorical explanation? #beer #craftbeer
Friday Music & Beer Pairing Dedication: Massachusetts
I can’t believe what is happening in my home state right now and this week. A total shock and the level of intensity of what’s happening there is both frightening and sickening. A lot of love and concern from me to my family and friends who are all safe, but unfortunately in lock down amidst this craziness.
This pairing is for all of you stuck at home. Here’s to the good memories of Massachusetts, and Boston with my favorite home state anthem. I hope your beer is stocked with something local, today I would suggest a Sam Adams Boston Ale - a delicious beer from a sponsor of the Boston Marathon.
Please be safe and don’t watch too much news. Much love.
One of the treats I picked out @bottleworks @greatdividebrew espresso oak aged imp stout
I went to Seattle once, and I will admit it was a very quick stop over - but I did not do my research and I felt disappointed. I knew there were probably loads of amazing consumables and activities - yet somehow they eluded me.
This time I have dedicated a lot of time to research. Thanks to the insights of the lovely @seattlebeergirl, @SeattleTap, @DaveNguyen206 (this guy also has a tumblr- Foodhipster206), some tips from my dad, and a @NYTimes travel article - I have a hell of a to do list.
The to-dos range from free outdoor activities, coffee shops, brunch spots, upscale dinners, fancy cocktail spots, craft beer bars and bottle shops. I will not even get to 1/10th of the things on this map - which is why I am sharing it with you. If you have 12hrs or 12 days in Seattle, this map is for you!
I’m super excited I get to go back and check out these places - thanks to all who contributed to this project. Check back for photos and updates later this week.
Homebrew Season Has Arrived!
I have been on a homebrew bender the last couple weeks - which may be the only thing that has kept me from going bezerk during the final icy throes of this never-ending winter. But really, spring is one of my favorite times to brew and the temperatures are optimal for lagering (for those of us with basic setups). Spending my St. Paddy’s day indoors and bottling my Irish red was the perfect way to spend the holiday, and avoid the leprechaun crowd.
Since the time is right for firing up our brew kettles, I am also excited to announce that we at Toronto Beer Week are gearing up for our 2013 edition of the Homebrew Contest! Although entries won’t be accepted until May 1st, it’s the perfect time to start planning your recipes and stockpiling ingredients. More information on the contest can be found here, and you can keep checking our twitter feed @torontobeerweek, Facebook page, and website for more info as it comes down the pipe.
Global Ale-ment
Generally, when we seek out craft beer destinations our internal compasses are likely to point us towards the USA, Germany, or Belgium. Additionally, a tour of the Guinness brewery has become a right of passage for many. The renaissance of cask ales across England has revived it’s credibility among thirsty travelers as well. Beyond these usual suspects, prospects are dim for those of us who don’t love Budweiser/Carlsberg/Heineken/Stella/FizzyYellowWater.
Or not. Slowly, the craft beer tide is rising and sweeping over some of the most unexpected places on the map. Travelers in Krakow might be shocked to find many bars have traded in their Zyweic accounts for kegs of IPA made by the local brewery Artzen. And on the other side of the border, Lithuania (pictured above) earned itself a slot on the New York Times list of travel destinations for 2013. The reason: it’s overlooked historic beer trail.
Other terroir’s that have earned their reputations in the wine world are suddenly finding that many tourists are now arriving in search of grains instead of grapes. Perhaps this trend was predictable, given California’s contemporary history of wine trails weaving around kegs West Coast IPA and California Common.
Following suit, South Africa’s iconic wine country is now also home to a vast stretch of craft breweries, with many more planning to open their doors soon. Several are perched right in the center of wine country, although if you want to try them all you will have to travel to some very remote parts of the country. If you don’t have time, trade in your Oktoberfest plans for the Capetown Festival of Beer, where you can try everything the region has to offer in one fell swoop.
What is your dream beer destination’?
