Monday Rant: That Jar Belongs to Mason

I overcame my fear of the frozen glassware on Friday night and indulged in what Morgantown, W. Va. had to offer in the night life department. My sister insisted that I try Mario's Fishbowl and took me to the original spot as there are now two locations in the metro area down there.

A "fishbowl."

Where I went to school, we knew a fishbowl as an actual fishbowl that the bartenders would mix a giant cocktail and toss in a handful of straws for our group to communally drink. My sister's endorsement of the place was "you've got to try a fishbowl!" Little did I know that a fishbowl in Morgantown was an interestingly-shaped glass of beer. It looked to me like a giant goblet. Something you'd see in King Arthur's court or at least something of the sort.

I've been aware for years  that craft hasn't fully taken over Morgantown as of yet. Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat is what they consider fancy beer. I also noticed an appearance of some Goose Island while visiting. Even fancier to those in Morgantown even though it has dropped in value to some of us that consider ourselves more versed in craft. To put it simply, Mario's Fishbowl was a great hole-in-the-wall place. Beer wasn't bad by our standards and the wings were right up there with the best I've ever had. The city is still growing in terms of more creative beer. I also noticed two brewpubs, but I didn't think to write or record the names. One was coal themed. There's definitely potential down there.

I had a night and an entire afternoon the next day to enjoy the remainder of my stay. So, we stopped in a local liquor store and bought a Goose Island 12-pack variety. I'm sure the W. Va shops are state run, to. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Now, one thing about those I still know in that state is that they use Mason Jars for more than just jarring/canning. In a lot of cases, including my own family, they're used as everyday drink ware. One of the things in the craft community I've never understood is the obvious disdain for the Mason Jar. I'm a stubborn and spiteful person, Thus, I poured almost every beer I had down there into a Mason Jar.

A lot of folk can't seem to decide on which is worse for beer - the jar or the shaker pint glass you see in almost every bar in the country. I still argue that a brewery coming out with a glass that's specifically for a beer that boasts a single flavor (i.e. the Dogfish IPA glass) is worse for beer than the Mason Jar and shaker pint are combined.

Beer and some of it's sub-styles are rooted in geography in some cases. When in a country area why not drink beer from a Mason Jar? A real Mason Jar has the curvature in the upper portions of the glass. Very similar to witbier and goblets. All three of these curvatures can help to concentrate aromas as well as cradling heads of beer.

After all, the stimulation that glasses can have between assorted beers is only minimal. I believe that the only thing that can be dramatic is the aesthetic value and pleasure. Beers can look different, or even prettier, in certain vessels.

Monday Rant: Beer Clean

One of the sub-debates in the beer community is cleanliness. You constantly here from others about tainted beer taste due to certain establishments not cleaning their lines. There are even multiple-step procedures for cleaning your beer glassware the proper way.

I pretty much run everything beer here at home. My father does most of the homebrewing, but when it comes to buying, storing and providing vessels to consume said beverages it's all up to me. I make it a point to hand wash every single one of my glasses in the sink. They soak for a few minutes in hot soapy water and each glass gets individually washed and dried.

Sometimes my old man gets lazy and fires some of my glasses into the dishwasher. So, I have to pluck them back out before the machine gets used. I'm not risking any paint, lining or labels being deformed or damaged. If there aren't any designs on them, I'm a but more alright with letting them go through the dish washer.

The cleaner the glass, the better chance of pretty lacing.

This weekend I ran a bit of an experiment. I took one of my glasses that had been in the dish washer (didn't rinse it prior to pouring as I make it a habit to do) and grabbed a Coors Banquet, to prevent losing out on some quality on a better beer.

I noticed some that dreaded congregation of bubbles on the side of the glass we all recognize. The obvious signs of something not being "beer clean." These bubbles were clustered on the bottom of the glass. This led me to the conclusion that the dish washer might be a great place to clean most of the ware you use to eat and drink, but just not able to get the job done for those of us that strive for that perfect experience that every beer can provide.

Monday Rant: Thou Shall Not Speak of That Word

I used to be into the sports thing. I even took it as far as to have a sports blog. I've been blogging, as it were, since I was in middle school. The very first one I had pertained to baseball stadium designs I had made in a CAD class. I have no idea what happened to it, but I strove on. I do this and I've even gone as far as posting my photographs taken at Gettysburg to their own blog.

As I mentioned earlier, I was into the sports thing. The fighting and bickering among the Pittsburgh sports fans in the online communities sort of drove me away. As I grew older I just didn't have the stomach for it anymore.

An article from Esquire, in just a single usage of a word, instantly brought back the horrors of the carnage that was sports blogging. I've found the worlds of writing about beer and Civil War battlefields much more relaxing in part to the fact that few actually care about the aforementioned subjects. Still, when I see the word "butthurt" in a craft beer post or article I'm instantly thrown back in time to the periods of barbaric keyboarding sports fans partake in.

Yes, I understand that there's arguing in the craft beer spectrum. I just don't see how that word in which I refuse to repeat can even be used in a sophisticated conversation or argument. I don't understand as to why it needs to get personal. I've always been an advocate of being respectful towards everyone else's beer tastes. I don't see the need to troll or make fun.

You don't like a certain style of beer, brewery, or type of glass? Fine. More for me.

In My Dreams

I love to collect glassware. I don't follow any beer style and particular glass guidelines. I usually just pick a glass I'm in the mood for and pour the beer that I cracked open into it. It looks pretty and in some cases I can smell certain notes of the brew a little easier depending on the crown of the glass I chose. Not a big deal.

I love buying and receiving new beer glasses. Sometimes this goes without even thinking about where the hell I'm going to put said glasses. I'm quickly approaching my limit of allocation in terms of where I can fit these precious  and aesthetic gifts. I had a few instances this past weekend that had me thinking of plausible scenarios.

Where Shalt Thou Put Them?

I stopped into a nearby beer distributor in conquest of a new case to sample. I narrowed it down to two cases, one of which had the very popular "free glass with purchase" posted above the display of cases. I'm such a sucker for those. I'm always up for a new piece of glass to consume funky ales from.

Sadly, the deciding factor in this dilemma was due to my conscience reminding me that I don't need anymore glassware for the time being. After giving this mental message the time of day I decided that I didn't feel much like consolidating any more space in the glass cabinets back home.

Lovely glass. Amplified beauty of beer.

Where Shalt Thou Reside?

My father has been looking to purchase a home since about the beginning of the summer. He has toured a few houses and felt that needed to come along to give my thoughts on the most recent one. I quickly realized why my presence was required upon seeing the bar that was built in downstairs.

I was enthralled at the site of it. It had padding on the rail which was bright red and slightly peeling and the light fixtures consisted of Miller Lite and Pabst Blue Ribbon labels/colors. Those would be easy fixes. Behind the bar was a small cove with glass shelves. I instantly knew what I'd do it this was our place. That's where all of the fancy glassware would be stored and displayed. No more cramming and consolidating. My facorites get displayed prominently while the more basic glasses go in the regular kitchen cabinets.

All I needed in that area was a fridge to have constantly stocked with good beer. The garage is right outside where the bar is and would make for an excellent storage/cellaring area. It is a bit dark and somewhat cool. Perfect conditions for beer storage, or hoarding if you look at my situation. Still, time will tell what happens. My father still has to make an offer on the house and I still have to decide if I'm set to go on my own or end up paying him rent. Time will tell. Not worrying about anything just yet.

No Sympathy for the Smitten

As it usually is, (except in instances when everyone on your timeline tweets about idiotic television programming that you refuse to switch on) Twitter is a valuable source of information. It doesn't matter what your area of interest is. There's something to indulge in for everyone. Yesterday it was by this here Twitter account that I came across something interesting. Those of you in a big flourish for this new Dogfish/Sierra Nevada IPA glass might want to click "back" on your browsers.

What came first? The chicken or the egg? That Red Lobster glass and the new standard for IPA glassware look quite similar. Both have that etched stem to enhance your flow of carbonation and everything.

I don't feel sorry for anyone that immediately fronted the $9 plus shipping fees for the new IPA glass. If you really think the experience of drinking a certain type of beer is going to be dramatically increased because of the vessel you pour it into you need to think about returning to Earth soon. A glass can slightly change how a beer appears, feels or might even enhance the smell. It's not going to change the experience.

If you want it as a collector's item. That's great. That's why I wanted my Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass. I'm not really sure what a perfect pint even is, but it's got some nice curves and I can pick aromatic notes better out of it. Beers still taste exactly the same out of a shaker pint, though.

BEER GEEK TIP: If you ever want to get the carbonation going in your beer just swirl it in the glass.

Monday Rant: Nothin' Wrong With a Pint Glass

There's always been debate among beer drinkers about whether or not the type of glass you drink your beer out of changes the experience of said beer.

It's always been my opinion that the type of glass used to consume a beer only slightly affects the the experience you're going to have. Yes, if you drink a pilsner or a lightly-colored lager out of a tall pilsner glass, the look of the beer is slightly improved. The head is focused towards the crown of the brew and the carbonation is easier to see.

If you use a witbier glass, the aroma of the beer is more easily directed to your nose due to the glass's curves. There's also plenty of room for a foamier head. If you use a Belgian Tulip, it features a longer stem, which is to be held in order to keep your beer cooler for a longer period of time. The list goes on and on.

You can look up as many beer glass posts, articles and reviews as your heart desires, but you should notice that one glass is usually forgotten about: the typical pint glass.

The folk of the craft beer world can go on and on about how much a certain glass improves the experience of drinking beer when paired with the proper style, but from my experience I can only deduct that the actual change in experience is only minimal.

Can the visual aspects of a beer be greatly improved due to the glass it's served in? Sure. Is it going to smell and/or taste completely different if drank out of a different glass? Not really.

Speaking of visual pleasures when it comes to our favorite beers, I don't think there's a glass out there that's more forgotten about, but yet offers the most consistency in terms of visual pleasure. The pint glass is served in most local pubs and features thick, rounded edges at the top of the glass. If you pour a foamy beer into it, the head is comfortably taken care of.

Your final product is a beer with a healthy crown at the top. Very, very visually pleasing. There also isn't any curves or odd shapes to change the direction of the carbonation or aroma either.

I've always been one to experiment and enjoy certain types of beer glassware I have, but sometimes it's just nostalgic to bring out and fill up a traditional pint glass.