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: 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.