"Beer, if drank in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit, and promotes health."
- Thomas Jefferson
Summer is here and many of us will be spending time outdoors at picnics and barbeques enjoying the weather. In many cases, beer will be a part of the "refreshments." What better way to quench your thirst on a scorching hot day than with a cold brew? For the casual drinker any 6-pack will do, but most lagers are bloating and too gassy to be a thirst quencher. Try something different next time you want to have a cold one this summer; the different wheat beers of the world will have you wondering what you were drinking before.
From Germany, the hefe-weizen, which literally means yeast wheat, is an unfiltered wheat beer that uses a yeast that produces flavors of banana, clove, and/or bubblegum. Do not scoff at this even if it sounds strange. Schneider Weisse Original is a good example of the style with its juicy body and banana and clove spiciness. Your taste buds will thank you for trying a beer that is not harsh, but tasty and refreshing. Many German breweries also have filtered versions that are labeled as kristall. Maisel's Weisse Kristall, for example, is less spicy and sweeter with a slight lemon taste.
Also from Germany is the Berliner Weiss. This is a wheat beer that undergoes a lactic fermentation to produce a sour character in the beer. The result is a refreshing tartness, though some find it too sour and add raspberry syrup or woodruff essence to it. Still, I recommend that you try this style by itself before adding anything.
Hopping over to Belgium, you can find the Witbier. This is also an unfiltered wheat beer, which gives it a white haze, thus wit (white) beer. Pierre Celis revived this ancient style of beer in the 1960s. The recipe calls for the use of sweet orange peel and crushed coriander seeds, producing a final product that is light, acidic, and slightly citrus in flavor. One of the best examples of this style is Hoegaarden White, the original beer that Celis created.
A final example of a great wheat beer for your summer get togethers is an English wheat beer. I would suggest O'Hanlon's Champion Wheat Beer, which is light and crisp with citric aromas and a lemony hop finish.
No matter which style you choose, you will notice a long lasting head, lots of flavor, and the ability to refresh you while you grill or sit out in the sun. You may not win any belching contests, but I suspect you will enjoy yourself more than if you bought the usual 6-pack. Prost!
Jason Arakelian Editor and Reviewer
Beers Reviewed in this Issue
Veltins Pils (Germany – Pilsner) Gouden Carolus Triple (Belgium – Abbey Triple) Heavyweight Two Druids Gruit Ale (USA – Gruit (Unhopped Ale) Cottage Norman's Conquest (England – Barleywine) Hair of the Dog Adam (USA – Adam Beer)
Veltins Pils
This fine pilsner is crystal clear with a flowery aroma; it is not as spicy as some other beers in the style. This beer starts with a slight sweetness reminiscent of honeysuckles and ends with a dry balanced finish.
Gouden Carolus Triple
This is a gold-yellow Belgian ale with a large soft head, that is refreshing despite its hefty alcohol content. The beer has a hoppy and fruity aroma that leads to a sweet, crisp taste with the hint of apricot.
Heavyweight Two Druids Gruit Ale
There are few commercial beers available that do not contain any hops. While the modern definition of beer is a beverage that uses water, malted grains, hops, and yeast, the term ale predates this definition and comes from the days before hops were used. This ale uses yarrow, sweet gale, wild rosemary, and some spices to produce an herby, spicy, fruity, beer that is earthy and complex. And while it is obvious that hops have not been used, the beer is amazingly well balanced.
Cottage Norman's Conquest
This malty ale is a good example of an English barleywine contrasting the hoppier versions found in the US. It is dark brown with little head or carbonation, and the aroma is spicy and smells of apples. The smooth body starts malty and leaves you with a peppery dryness.
Hair of the Dog Adam
An interesting beer created from written accounts of a beer once brewed in Dortmund, Germany. Nobody truly knows what the original recipe was, but the brewer has created this wonderful dark brown interpretation with its soft tan head. It has a fruity and spicy aroma and a very complex taste. The oily body is very malty and tastes of chocolate, peat, and spruce/pine can be found before the hoppy finish leaves you in bewilderment. It is as unusual as it is addictive. Meal Time
Looking for something different to grill this summer? How about pork loin in a beer glaze? Here is a great recipe that I found on the Phoenix Imports website, slightly modified to reflect what I actually prepared.
Ingredients:
5 – 1 ½ " cut Boneless Pork Chops
2 T Vegetable Oil
4 Cloves Garlic, minced ½ Spanish Onion, minced
1 Jalapeno Chile, seeded and minced
14 oz Broughton Merlin Ale ¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar ½ cup Pure Maple Syrup pinch Cinnamon pinch Nutmeg ½ tsp Kosher Salt Cracked Black Pepper
1 ½ T Unsalted Butter, diced and chilled
Preparation: In a saucepan heat the oil over medium high heat for about 1 minute. Add the garlic, cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the onion, continue cooking for a minute until the onions are tender, add jalapeno chili, then slowly pour in 10 oz of Merlin Ale, simmer for 1 minute or until half the beer has evaporated. Mix in the brown sugar and maple syrup and simmer for 1 minute. Season with spices, salt, and pepper. Finish by whisking in the remaining 4 oz of beer and the butter to thicken the glaze.
Grilling: Preheat grill and rub with vegetable oil. Brush pork chops with vegetable oil and season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Place the chops on the grill; brush the top with the glaze. Cook about 12 minutes per side. Constantly glaze every minute or so or until glaze is gone. Make sure to save some glaze for the other side. You can also reserve some of the glaze to serve with the pork.
As long as you do not flip the meat too often and continuously baste with the sauce you prepared, the result will be wonderfully tender meat with a sweet caramelized outside. To pair with this great dish you have created, why not drink Broughton Merlin's Ale? Since it was used in the sauce, it will go very nicely with the meal itself. The light amber color and caramel sweetness is highlighted with an apple fruitiness and a dry hoppy finish.
Still hungry? Try this Chocolate Raspberry Fondue recipe for dessert (also from the Phoenix Imports website).
Ingredients: ¾ lb Semi Sweet Chocolate ¾ lb Bittersweet Chocolate
1 cup Cream
1 T Unsalted Butter
3 tsp Raspberry Preserves
6 oz Broughton Kinmount Willie Stout
Preparation: In a double boiler or in the microwave (in a microwave safe bowl) melt all ingredients and mix until smooth. Reheat as necessary.
You can serve this with almost any fruit (I had bananas, strawberries, and pineapple) as well as cubed pound cake or anything else that you may desire. Of course More Kinmount Willie would go great with this. Its smooth, dark burnt maltiness stands up well to the chocolate. Some might prefer a cold glass of milk, though I am obliged to push the beer.
In vino veritas, in cervesio felicitas. (In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is joy)
World Brew Review Staff Jason Arakelian: Editor/Reviewer Emily Grant: Graphic Design/Editorial Consultant
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