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.

Holy Thursday: The Land of Ice and Snow

"I got a woman that stay drunk all the time." - The prophets Plant, Page, Jones and Bonham

Although it might seem as if the title of this week's Holy Thursday is very reminiscent of the weather we've dealt with in the Northeast for the duration of the past two and a half months, it isn't in my mind. I'd like to think that the title means something in the direction of a good mix of Led Zeppelin and a few beers rather than my traditional made-up, sarcastic and biblical-sounding verses. On a very ironic note, if you know which song that lyric hails from then you get my joke. How about another one from the same song?

"Sunday morning when we go down to the church and see the menfolk all standing in line."

My main reason for today's post is my fear to venture back into an aspect of beer from the past - frozen or frosted glassware. I'm hopefully venturing down to Morgantown, W.Va. tomorrow evening after work. My sister wants me to come and join her at a bar in town called Mario's Fishbowl.

Being the dork that I am I always tend to check out the place online before I actually go. What beers do they usually serve? What's the food like? The usual. Apparently this place is famous for serving "fishbowls" of beer. By fishbowls it looks like giant goblets. At least, that's what I can notice on the place's Facebook page.

They are frosted. Long ago I learned that you lose some of the flavor if your beer is above a certain temperature. That might be the case when and if I get to this place. It's agreed among the fancy beer community that we reserve the right to ask for a regular glass. Not entirely sure what I want to do as of yet. Maybe try it both ways? Been a long time since I ran a temperature experiment. )

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.

Underwear, Socks and Beer

I know that it was the thing that was in a few Christmas holidays ago, but gift cards are still pretty popular as gifts. Hell, it's pretty much the only thing we ask for nowadays. They're pretty much the only thing my father buys for anyone in my family anymore.

I came across an unused gift card for American Eagle while sifting through one of my old computer bags the other morning. From my own recollection the card was from a previous relationship of mine. If you remember my posts about the Civil War Beer Series in Maryland, the same girl that was responsible for getting me some of that beer is the same reason I have this gift card in my possession. I guess I just saved it from Christmas, put it in the front compartment of this bag and forgot it was there with the magnificent plethora of gift cards I received this past year.

Now it's time for a little too much information. I decided to put this gift card to good use last night and bought some boxers on clearance. I try to do an hour of cardio twice each week and have noticed that everything wants to fall down. Hence, why I need medium everything. I also bought a few sets of socks. For the last three or so years I've worn almost nothing but black socks. So, this time I ordered a few pair that are neon green and turquoise blue. Maybe you can say I'm getting a bit more eccentric in terms of my sock selection?

"When the hell is he getting to the beer?"

You're probably also thinking that it's ironic that I used one of the last gifts from a previous relationship to buy underwear and socks. I know that's what it looks like, but given my current predicament I need anything that will cling to my damn waist.

Remember when you hated getting clothes as a Christmas or birthday gift? My uncle and I went at it every year. I hated getting one of those dreaded clothes boxes stuffed with underwear and socks. He went as far as to root for me to get clothes as I opened my gifts. He then proceeded to stand up and cheer when it was one of the infamous clothes boxes. I find it ironic that both of these clothing items are a clothing necessity as we grow older.

While I was hot in the online shopping department, I decided to acquire an interesting piece of drinkware. I settled on this. I've only ever seen a few of these glasses that are shaped like cans. The one I linked from Anderson Valley Brewing and another in the shop of Schlafly Beer in St. Louis. The Schlafly can glass was apparently taken off of the online store. So, I settled on the one from AVBC. Not that I was actually settling, but I really like the bear with the antlers on its beer labels that's pictured on the glass.

Just Pour It

Remember when I was all worked up about the Dogfish Head hybrid wine glass that was supposedly for hop-centered brews? I wasn't the only one, but to get to my point for this post the purpose behind my many rants about the ramming of such a glass down our throats is that it really doesn't matter to me what glass I'm drinking my beer out of.

Flute or Pokal? I drink, you decide.

With that said, I still am attracted to fancy beer glassware like a college kid that has his eyes set on a crush. A big part of that is because some glasses have history and stories behind them. Others have memories that tie us to them.

One of my best beer friends (the always mentioned Beer Snob Sr.) has an imperial pint Guinness glass that he stole from a pub in England. Prying it from his hands is a challenge. That's exactly what I mean. When my grandmother has some of us over for dinner there are two glasses there that I like consuming a beer from.

There's one of the old Duquesne Pilsener flutes along with an even older Miller Lite hybrid flute. I'm not sure exactly what the Miller one is. So, you can correct me if I'm wrong.

I obviously don't enjoy Miller Lite, but I have a deep affinity for that glass. Hey, I just love beer glasses. Sometimes the logo doesn't matter. Just what you put in it.

It's Come to This

I try to keep up with trends in the craft market as best I can. I seemed to have missed this one that I came across in a New York Times article pertaining to much bigger beer bottles than what consists most of the what's out there.

What this tells me is that we are pretty much snobbish wine drinkers. Now some of our brewers are trying to play it off as such. In my opinion a simple 12 oz. bottle of beer pairs exactly the same way with food as it would if you had one of the bigger bottles. I don't understand how the size of the bottle makes any kind of difference.

I do know two negative things about the bigger bottles. They're pricier and if the beer inside has a higher ABV, it can be a tough bottle to finish off. As the article states, you can't really save the rest for another session. I once bought two big bottles once and paid the same as I would have for a case of other beers.

I should have seen this coming a mile away. Breweries are coming out with glassware that they claim to be standards for styles and now this. For me, craft beer was all about freedom of drinking whatever the hell you wanted. Now I feel that certain breweries are trying to impose what it feels as the right course.

Sometimes it's a change of pace (in a nice way) to grab a big bottle of exotic beer. I just don't want it ending up one day as that being the only choice we have. Hope you are enjoying your new IPA glass. This is the business we've chosen.

Monday Rant: Still Can't Taste the Cold

Not long after I turned 21-years-old in college I became one of the many that were sucked in to the hype of knowing that cold beer is better beer. There was a local watering hole that would keep those tall beer mugs in a freezer or cooler to maintain that beautiful frost. I now look back upon those days and frown at my ignorance.

See the beauty you miss if the glass is covered in frost?

Even more ignorant on my behalf is the fact that Blue Moon was once awesome out of such mugs. Now, with a good number of notches in my beer tasting belt I know for sure that one of the only ways for me to enjoy a Blue Moon is to actually have it ice cold because it actually hides some of the flavor.

I do keep a freezer mug on hand in case of emergencies. By emergencies I mean you have company and you didn't put enough of a certain beer in the fridge to chill. I'm sure a lot of beer geeks out there like myself have found themselves in a similar situation. In my book only then is a freezer mug acceptable.

Still, the fact remains that there are people that make it a habit to drink beer from a frosted mug. It's perfectly alright for them to do so, but in my opinion the colder the beer is the less flavor you can get out of it and onto your palette.

Unlike the Coors Light commercials telling you to taste the cold, I believe a good beer should be consumed out of an unfrosted glass and enjoyed visually. It should be completely taken in like a significant other before you drink it. Notice the how the beer's flavor changes as it warms, too.

Monday Rant: Fragile Standards

I made one of the more ironic discoveries during my craft beer travels last Friday when I ventured to the new digs of East End Brewing Company. I was craving a growler of Monkey Boy Hefeweizen. I also had heard a lot about the currently tapped Chocolate Covered Cherry Stout. So, I picked up a growler of that as well.

After I made the purchase of the aforementioned growlers, I stumbled across the ironic discovery on my way out. On the rack of East End memorabilia was a card labeled "Fancy Schmancy Glass - $5.) I looked up at the rows of glasses and was excited to see East End Brewing branded snifters. Pardon me if my classification is wrong, but it's definitely a cross between a snifter and a tulip. Still, that's far from the point.

It was ironic to me being that the craft beer community has been engulfed in the Dogfish/Sierra Nevada wine and IPA glass controversy. To me, this cleverly-named piece of glassware was a microcosm of the happenings of the past week. It's called a fancy schmancy glass. So, the namesake could be poking fun at the way some of us beer drinkers are about our glassware. It also could not be the reason it's named as such. That's why I thought it was both brilliant and ironic. That and five dollars for a good glass is a bargain. I instantly bought it.

I'll be damned if I didn't drink both the hefeweizen and the stout out of it. I did and it was wonderful. I plan on probably drinking all kinds of styles out of this glass down the road because it really doesn't matter.

I've fallen in love with this glass just as I fell in love with the Libby craft brew set my girlfriend got me for a Christmas gift one year. For me, the fun and enjoyment of different types of craft beer is drinking it the way you want to. There isn't any set standard. I've drank IPA's and fruit beers from a tulip. Pilsners and dunkels from a flute glass. You can bet the farm that I'm going to drink all kinds of different styles from my new East End fancy schmancy glass because the brewer probably intended all of his brews to be drank from it. Now, that's a great standard to drink by.

Another Piece of the Puzzle

As Elaine Benes of Seinfeld fame would say, "And another piece of the puzzle falls into place." This new Dogfish/Sierra Nevada IPA glass keeps taking odder turns by the day. I don't particularly care for it or for the fact that its creators are hailing it as the new standard for drinking IPA's. Then again, I'm a really stubborn person.

Debate continues on Twitter concerning this new glass. I have a few more tidbits to share with any of you that haven't come across this information already. There was a small discourse I caught on my timeline yesterday. It looks as if this new IPA glass isn't as unprecedented as it's being made out to be.

.@brewkkake @blakex Funny. That brand is actually owns the company that DFH and SN "collaborated on the design" of their IPA glass with.
— Craft Pittsburgh Mag (@CraftPittsburgh) February 14, 2013

@dogfishbeer queencitydrinks.com/2013/02/14/bee…
— Blake Kunisch (@blakex) February 14, 2013

Dogfish replied to this exchange by saying that the stem is the same, but the bowl is actually different. Now, if you take that and read what Craft Pittsburgh posted through its Facebook feed you'll discover that Dogfish and Sierra Nevada possibly might have just updated an already-existing wine glass.

The Queen City Drinks link in the embedded tweet above includes a side-by-side comparison with the new glass and a shaker pint. The results are pretty much what I stated in yesterday's post. Visually appealing, but it's still the same beer in both glasses.

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.

On A Mission From Puca

Word has it among the family belonging to my father's girlfriend is that her son is heading to Lakewood, New York this weekend to visit a relative. If you're one of the many craft beer enthusiasts out there only one thing comes to mind when you hear that town: Southern Tier Brewing.

Of course my father and I are going to take advantage of this opportunity to bag some loot for ourselves. The best part is we don't physically have to make the trip.

Who knows. Maybe a bottle or two of Pumking (brewed in honor of the Celtic god, Puca) is stuck in a nook or cranny somewhere up there. Maybe even a bottle of Choklat, Eurotrash Pils (which might not be out yet) or Krampus?

One thing is for certain. I should come out of this with that elusive Pumking goblet I've been planning on buying for myself. It's a good thing that we have some of our case of Pumking remaining. Now to actually find a spot for this damn thing.

Monday Rant: How Much Glassware Is Enough?

About a year ago, I stopped collecting empty beer bottles. The stop in which I held my collection was the back of my dresser, which is somewhat old-fashioned hence its length (I don't really know for sure if there's a technical name for this type of dresser, but I'm far from a furniture aficionado). I had a decent amount of room to display the bottles that I had saved over time.

It got to the point that as I tried more and more beers and procured bottles I wanted to keep that room to store said bottles became less and less. I eventually ended up throwing them away to save myself from appearing on a certain show on TLC.

Different glasses help in creating images like this one!

I've came into my next phase of super collecting and that's the phase of being obsessed with different types of beer glassware. I keep finding new ones and lack the actual room to harbor more. I just find it fascinating to have different glasses from different breweries (sometimes regardless if it's a shaker pint or not) along with different styles of glassware. It just makes for a slightly different experience with different beers.

I mean I really love having a few of the glasses that I do. I enjoy finally having found my Hoegaarden hexagonal glass. My Samuel Adams "Perfect Pint" glass is pretty darn close to being perfect for any beer. I have a Belgian Tulip from a Libbey glassware set that I use for pretty much any type of beer. It's always fun. There are also a few more out there I have my eye on like a Hofbrauhaus stein. Now, where to put all of these.

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.