A non-New Year’s resolution

I normally don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I figure that if there’s something that you really should do, you should do it now rather than wait until some arbitrary, future date. New Year’s resolutions seem a form of procrastination (which I am also very good at). So this resolution isn’t actually a New Year’s resolution, it just a change I plan to make that happens to coincide with the end of year period. Clear?

That out of the way, my resolution is to be more positive about beer on this blog.

This comes about because I have been flat out for the last two weeks and have been too busy to write, but it has given me plenty of time to reflect on the past year of writing. I realised that I work in beer because I love it, but that if the only contact someone had with me is this blog you might wonder.

It’s funny really, I spend so much of my time presenting beer appreciation classes, hosting corporate tastings, hosting the 4BC beer show and writing about beer. Through all of that I’m pretty much a huge fanboy for beer, raving about it and trying to show how exciting, interesting and dynamic beer is. This blog was planned as an adjunct to all of that, but something happened along the way. I don’t get paid for writing it and don’t sell advertising, it’s something that I started to do because there’s a lot that I think should be said about beer and the Australian beer industry that doesn’t really find a place in print. Unfortunately, because it’s something that I do around real work and only write here when motivated rather the need to earn a dollar, I seem to have been most motivated to write when stuff pisses me off. This has seen the blog tend towards beer bile rather than a site that celebrates beer the way I want to. So I resolve that will change. From the site traffic stats, I am frankly amazed at how many people (apparently you are ‘uniques’ in the jargon of the web) stop by to read these self-indulgent rantings and I think I owe it to you be a little more enthusiastic here.  I will still vent, but I will also use the site to to celebrate all of the beery goodness in the world, not just the bad.

Just like the quitting smoker, I expect to have you hold this resolution up to me if I lapse…

Wither the wine wanker

I have an article on ThePunch today called "Wither the wine wanker" (I know it says "Whither" on the site, obviously a sub editor missed my subtle genius - which happens a lot...I meant 'wither' as in to shrivel; fade; decay: The grapes had withered on the vine.)

Anyway, it's always interesting to see the comments - or lack thereof - about beer on a general website like this. In a previous article bemoaning about how crappy restaurant beer lists are, a perceptive reader called D left the comment:

"I think the lack of comments clearly demonstrates why licensed restaurants do not serve a wide variety of quality beer - the market for quality beer is not big enough to make it worth the effort."

He's spot on, most people just don't give any thought to beer, except to make comment about:

One drinking game my friends and I play is to drink a beer from a different country every round.  We try to go around the world before getting too pissed and moving onto the yaeger bombs.

Classy.

But then you get a comment like this one:

Yes its a challenge.  Any time I go to my brother’s place for the footy and a beer he and his mates are literally angry that I would bring anything other than VB! Yet we must be brave and farsighted.  The goal is not to convert my brother and his mates but to increase the chances that when my nephew finally asks for his first beer he says “Dad, can I have a glass with that please."

There's something in that for all of us.

Better appreciating beer

I had a bit of a dig at Snowy Mountains over a recent media release they sent out and so I should also post this one as it provides some very good tips about appreciating beer. While I personally dislike calling a beer lover a connoisseur - I mean, it's beer let's not go all uppity about it - the points that Kevin makes are good ones for eveluating a beer and improving your appreciation for it...particularly reviewing at beer festivals.

How to be a beer connoisseur - the ‘Beeroisseur'

With the premium, craft and boutique beer market still growing by 11.3% compared to last year, despite that our overall beer production and consumption has gone down in Australia, it becomes obvious that beer lovers appreciate quality over quantity.

But, how do you best appreciate a good beer? Kevin O'Neill, founder of award winning craft beer label Snowy Mountains Brewery and self-proclaimed ‘Beeroisseur' himself, offers some tips on how to best assess and review a good brew.

"Firstly, there is no right or wrong when it comes to taste as we all have our own preferences and experience each beer different on the palate," explains Mr O'Neill.

For the best results, Kevin recommends to do your tasting away from strong smells or tastes, so it is not ideal to expect a true flavour assessment when you are having a beer with food or are in a smoky environment. Experts go as far as saying that you should not be wearing or be around strong perfumes as this will also hinder the true perception of the beer's flavours.

"I personally go by a simple set of categories and take my notes as I go along," said O'Neill.

Appearance - Look at the colour, bubbles and head formation to get a first visual idea of the beer. This sets the groundwork, as we are rather visual people. Hence, it can be interesting how perceptions can change if you are doing a blind tasting. Try it, you may be surprised.

Agitate and Aroma - This is similar to swirling wine in its glass to see it consistency. With beer you are encouraging the release of its aromas. Sniff the beer through your nose with closed mouth and then again breathing the aromas through your open mouth. This should give you a fair idea as to the smell and aroma. Aromas can reach from sweet, smoky and caramel to citrus, leather or musty.

Tasting the Beer - Take only a small sip (about as much as you would use mouthwash) and let is splash gently around in your mouth. Notice the initial flavour as beer is known to present a secondary after taste, so it is common to experience a variety of tastes. Don't swallow it straight away, but give it time to develop its full flavour. Notice the difference between the first taste and the follow-on flavour as these can vary greatly. Write your notes down right away.

Drinkability - This is a really important step as it determines not just the initial flavour, but that it still tastes good after a few mouthfuls, a whole bottle or even two... many beers can taste rather good in small quantities, however get a bit overpowering the more you have. This is referred to as drinkability.

Serving Temperature - The old motto of ‘beer has to be icy cold' being slightly out-dated, when tasting beer it should be around 7 degrees or thereabouts and ideally served in a clean, dry glass at room temperature as the lower temperatures will actually mask the tastes of the beer and hinders its full flavour.

Glasses - It is equally important to poor and review your ale from a suited glass. There are of course many types of glasses for a various beers, however, a glass that opens up toward the top allows for more flavour and aroma to develop than a narrow lipped glass. It is not hard to find the recommended glass for the beer(s) you are trying or reviewing.

Don't Review Drunk Or At Beer Festivals - For obvious reasons, it is an overwhelming environment in terms of tastes, smells and flavours and of course - once you have had a few, the scope of your palate is being impacted. Enjoy beer at a festival or fair, but do your conscious tasting in a more ideal setting.

Make sure you write your notes as you go, because it is really hard to remember tastes after they have gone. Also, if you taste more than one beer, clean your palate with some plain French bread - ideally without salt, spices or even butter. Try each beer from a fresh clean glass and stick to tasting it, once you consume a good amount it makes it harder to tell any differences. Professional tasters only taste about a shot glass full.

For tasting notes on the award winning Snowy Mountains craft beers log onto www.snowybeer.com.au