How to Taste a Beer – Part I – Keeping a Journal

While it is very easy to taste a beer and know if you like it, it's sometimes a lot harder to know why you like it.  If you really want to begin understanding your own tastes in beer and knowing what you like and what you don't, and if you want to really explore your love for the sudsy stuff, I highly recommend starting a beer journal. 

Moleskine Pocket Notebook

I started my first beer journal in a little pocket moleskine notebook in 2007.  I used a rating system based pretty closely on that used by ratebeer.com.  RateBeer's system involves first rating the beer's attributes (appearance, aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel) separately, and then giving the beer an overall score.  The appearance and mouthfeel are weighted slightly lower than the aroma and flavor, but in the end the overall rating is more dependent on how the attributes work together than on anything else.

In my journal, for instance, I first record the name of the beer and the brewer at the top of the page.  I then wrote whether it was a bottle, can, or draft, the date I recorded the entry, and the Alcohol by volume (for my own reference).  I then rate the appearance on a rating of one to five, and make notes about the appearance.  Then, I rate the aroma on a scale of one to ten, similarly pausing to write notes.  When I taste the beer, I do so first for flavor, and then for mouthfeel.  The flavor is rated from one to ten, and includes any finish or aftertaste in the beer.  The mouthfeel is rated from one to five, and is based on how the beer feels on your tongue.  In the end, I go through all of the sensory experiences and consider them together, and rate the overall beer rating out of twenty.

Cooking with Beer - Beer Can Chicken

Beer + Chicken = Delicious.

One of the best recipes for chicken at an outdoor barbecue, the Beer Can Chicken is a classic.  It is very easy to do, makes a delicious and moist bird, and always impresses if you’re entertaining.  Of course, you don’t necessarily have to do this outdoors, but it sure helps.  Not only do you not have to worry about drippings as much (if you make it in the oven, make sure and have a pan under your chicken), but the smell also won’t completely fill your house, although that may not be such a bad thing.

The best beers to choose for this are typically lighter ales or lagers, although I’ve heard that a stout or porter is nice if you couple it with the right rub (I haven’t tried it, though).

Since the best cans to use are 16 oz cans, you might want to use one of the ales or lagers from Tallgrass Brewing Company, since they are pretty good and come in the right-size can. 

Cooking with Beer - Beer and Cheddar Soup

Did you know that you can do other things with beer than just drink it?

I know. It’s crazy.

My favorite other thing to do with beer is cook with it. There are a lot of really great recipes out there, from beer bread to beef and Guinness stew, and it can be fun to experiment with our favorite beverage as an ingredient in food. As a new feature for this column, I’m going to start sharing with you some of my favorite recipes for cooking with beer. In most cases, pairing the recipe and the beer with which it is made brings out some flavors you may not have noticed before.

This recipe, given to me by my brother some time ago, was originally pretty loosey-goosey with the ingredients, but I have tightened it up a bit, and it makes a delicious cheese soup. I’m not sure where he got it, but I’m a big fan. For this printing, I’ve gone ahead and named it after his blog at www.thirstypilgrim.com. Use your favorite ale or lager, but it should probably not be too malty or too hoppy. American Pale Ales work well, but an IPA might have issues. British beers work well, like an ESB or a bitter, and if you want to go fancy, I highly recommend Saison DuPont, but it can be a bit pricey to cook with. While Joe originally sent me the recipe with the instructions to ladle the soup over croutons, it was my wife’s idea to make our own when we first made the soup. (Crouton recipe follows)

Thirsty Pilgrim’s Beer and Cheese Soup:

Ingredients:
3 tsp water
3 tsp corn starch
½ onion, chopped
1-2 cloves minced garlic
½ tsp thyme
2 tbsp butter
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup beer (sip on the rest of it while cooking.)
6 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
6 oz melty cheese of your choice, shredded (I’ve used havarti or mozzarella, be creative.)
1 tsp paprika
Salt
Pepper
Hot sauce
1 cup milk or heavy cream
Croutons (recipe follows, or you can just buy some.)

Instructions:

Mix the 3 tsp of water into 3 tsp of cornstarch and set aside. In a saucepan, sauté the onion, garlic, and thyme in the butter until the onion is soft. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Add 1 cup of beer, 6 oz cheddar cheese, and 6 oz melty cheese, and 1 tsp of paprika. Add the salt and pepper to taste and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Reduce the heat to medium low, then whisk in 1 cup of milk or cream and the cornstarch mixture, and then stir until the cheese completely melts and the soup begins to thicken or bubble. Ladle the soup into a bowl over your favorite croutons, and serve with the beer with which it was made.

The Croutons:

Ingredients:
1 large loaf or 2 small loaves day-old French or other bread (can be slightly stale)
Olive oil or butter
Garlic powder
Italian Seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut the loaves of bread into 1 inch cubes. In a large bowl, put some olive oil or butter in the bottom and toss the bread in the olive oil to coat. Then, sprinkle with garlic and seasonings, and toss again. Repeat the sprinkling and tossing if you wish to strengthen the flavor, but taste them first. You can always add more, but taking seasoning out is impossible. Lay your croutons on a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake them for 15 minutes (tossing halfway through) or until they are golden brown. Cool them. You can store them in a plastic bag or covered container if you have extras.

Have a recipe you’d like to share with me? I’d love to try it and write about it. Send your recipe to stangebrewing at gmail dot com if you’d like it to be considered for posting, or if you’d just like me to try it. If you don’t want it posted, let me know. It’ll be our secret.

New Kid In Town - Tallgrass Brewing Company

Part of my duty as a beer columnist is finding out and trying new beers as they move into Springfield.  I can assure you that, while I use the word “duty” here, you should understand that I am happy to jump on this hand grenade for you. 

That is why I was eager to write a column about Tallgrass Brewing Company, which just arrived in Springfield from Manhattan, Kansas.  The origins of this brewery are near and dear to my heart.  The story provided on their website tells a tale of Jeff Gill, a 6-year home brewing veteran, whose wife, Tricia, turned to him one day and asked what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.  Having considered carefully, he replied “I want to start a microbrewery!”

Having been an avid home brewer for over six years myself, I can definitely relate to Jeff’s passionate wish.  While home brewers love beer and love the process of making it, what really makes us happy is making beer that others can enjoy.

Out of Jeff’s wish, the Tallgrass brewing company was born in 2007, and they have been quietly brewing up a storm in their copper kettles ever since, and you can now try their wares by visiting your local fine beer-selling establishment.  (I have found their wares at the Brown Derby Wine Center, but I imagine they can be found in a few other places if you look hard enough.)

Oh, one more thing: you can take these beers on your float trip, because—like many other great craft beers now—these fine ales and lagers are sold in cans. 

Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat Stout – Tallgrass Brewing Company – Sweet Stout – 5% ABV – Although the name sounds disgusting, this beer may surprise you.  It’s another gateway beer for folks who don’t typically drink a stout.  It pours nearly opaque brown with a light tan head.  The aroma is full of roasted things – chocolate, coffee, and dark bread.  The flavor might remind you a bit of brownies, as the sweetness of the cream sugar and malt combines with the roasted chocolate and coffee to create something new.  May not be one for a hot day on the river, but you might plow through a few that night by the fire. 3.5 out of 5 pints

Tallgrass IPA – Tallgrass Brewing Company – IPA – 6.3% ABV – Alright, so sometimes a bit of a hop-head, but hops can add a lot of things to beer, including bitterness, flavor, aroma, and freshness.  In the case of Tallgrass IPA, the brewer employs them all satisfactorily.  Some IPA’s are overpowered by their hops, but Tallgrass is fairly well balanced.  The fresh hop aroma in this bright orange ale is piney and citrusy, but still allows some of the caramel and bread notes to come through.  This translates well to the flavor which starts with sweet citrus but is followed closely by a slight lemony tartness and bitterness.  The beer finishes with a little bit of peppery hops.  Overall, it’s pretty easy to drink, and is an easy IPA.  3.5 out of 5 pints

Tallgrass Köld Lager – Tallgrass Brewing Company – Kölsch – 5% ABV – If there is a favorite craft beer style that is always easy to drink, it’s Kölsch.  This style is a light lager that has been produced by great German brewers in Köln, Germany for centuries, although the name “Kölsch” was not used commercially until 1913.  The glasses this beer is traditionally served in?  Stange glasses (pronounced Stahng-uh, which means a pole, like a curtain rod).  Yup.  It’s also my last name, though my name is pronounced more like Stayng.  Anyway, this beer is a crystal clear straw-color with white head.  The arome is like hay and bread.  The flavor is light, like the style demands, but it’s very refreshing.  The idea behind a good Kölsch is to be light and easy-to-drink, and this one does that almost too well.  3 out of 5 pints

Tallgrass Oasis ESB – Tallgrass Brewing Company – Premium Bitter/ESB – 7.2% ABV – The strongest ale of this group, Oasis ESB is actually described by the brewery as being a “Double ESB/IPAish beer.”  I didn’t know for sure what they meant until I tasted it.  I’ll say it packs a bit of a punch compared to the others.  It’s a bit hazy on the pour, but has a reddish-amber color with an off-white head.  The aroma has a lot going on, including some sweet molasses, pine, citrus, and bread. The flavor is a bowling ball of hops.  It’s bitter and floral with a very slight sweetness.  You may also detect a little bit of tea-like tannins in the background.  If there is a beer on this list which puts Tallgrass in with the big boys of craft brewing, this beer is it.  Phenomenal job.  4.5 out of 5 pints.