Saturday was the first winter beer tasting of the season at By The Bottle in Vancouver and they had several good beers open. Anchor's offering for this year has a nice shot of nutmeg to it. But the standout for me was Anderson Valley's Winter Solstice ale. This one is a strong ale, but it has a wonderful caramel/toffee tone that makes me want to curl up with it on a cold night.
My usual Winter beer joy has been somewhat dimmed by Widmer brewing this year. As long time readers know one of my all time favorite beers is Widmer's winter release Snow Plow. So when my SO came home and told me he'd bought a variety pack and Widmer had switched to the winter seasonal I was thrilled, until he told me it ISN'T Snow Plow this year. They've release a red IPA they are calling Brrr. It might be okay if you like bitter beers, I don't and was sad.
Fortunately they are releasing my beloved Snow Plow in larger bottles this year, so I just have to go to a beer store to find it. And I will probably stop muttering about Widmer betraying me something this spring...
The Salmon Creek Brew Pub already has their winter seasonal on tap (Salmon Clause...mmm) as well as an Rum Oaked Porter (also mmmmm.)
Rumor has it Larry has some other Christmas goodies up his sleeve as well.
The Holiday Ale Festival starts Dec 3 and runs through the 7, so stay tuned.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
A few words on Ciders
With fall in the air and apples in the market I've decided it is time for a quick overview of the more common hard cider style you may encounter.
First up, and sadly most common, the Not Hard Cider At All.
Look closely at what you buy. If the bottle says 'malt beverage' what you mostly have is fermented grain, most probably rice, with flavoring pretending to be Hard Cider.
Farmhouse Cider- these range from sweet to dry (and should be labeled as such). Most are going to be drier than the average person tends to expect. You tend to taste the alcohol up front with subler fruit flavor coming into play later. Many small cider producers make these
French Cider- this is the style most Americans will be more familiar with, it has a lower alcohol content and higher sweetness with a more 'apple juice' character to it.
Fruit Cider- this is hard cider with other fruit juices added.
Now I bet you are wondering why more breweries don't make their own hard ciders.
Simple answer here, it requires a winery liscense. In the U.S. alcohols fermented from agricultual products other than grains (like apples or honey) are legally considered wines. Which is why, I suspect, we tend to see the Not a Ciders hanging about in the grocery store...
First up, and sadly most common, the Not Hard Cider At All.
Look closely at what you buy. If the bottle says 'malt beverage' what you mostly have is fermented grain, most probably rice, with flavoring pretending to be Hard Cider.
Farmhouse Cider- these range from sweet to dry (and should be labeled as such). Most are going to be drier than the average person tends to expect. You tend to taste the alcohol up front with subler fruit flavor coming into play later. Many small cider producers make these
French Cider- this is the style most Americans will be more familiar with, it has a lower alcohol content and higher sweetness with a more 'apple juice' character to it.
Fruit Cider- this is hard cider with other fruit juices added.
Now I bet you are wondering why more breweries don't make their own hard ciders.
Simple answer here, it requires a winery liscense. In the U.S. alcohols fermented from agricultual products other than grains (like apples or honey) are legally considered wines. Which is why, I suspect, we tend to see the Not a Ciders hanging about in the grocery store...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
