"If You're Drinking Beer Ice Cold, You're Doing It Wrong"

I was recently at a job-related event in which the height of beer that the free bar was supplied with was a choice between Miller Light and Coors Light. Despite my shame at partaking in these to make the event organizer happy, I was compelled to log them on Untappd anyway.

This did give me the opportunity to ponder the much-advertised *COLD - SUPERCOLD* indicator on the bottles of the latter, playing up the whole thing that mass produced American lagers are best enjoyed when they are as close in temperature to ice as possible. Which is somewhat true, given that they are rather awful. Well-brewed beer, however, is all about flavors and aromas that come out with warmer than freezing temperatures. The following infographic from FrugalDad is a great reminder that warmer beer, depending on the style, can be a truly beautiful thing:

Source: FrugalDad.com

the rise of yeast and the fall of pumpkins

Brettanomyces, a cc by-nc-sa image from cizauskas on Flickr

While I was in Oz, John Fleury finished up the DCist's look at the basics of beer with an entry on yeast. In it, he addresses some of the basics of fermentation, and breaks down the chemistry behind certain scents and tastes associated with different beer styles. All in all, this is a fitting end to his informative blog series.

As an excellent coda, he followed it up with a piece on the currently-seasonal pumpkin ale style. Anyone who knows my fermented proclivities is aware of my lust for more extreme brews, but it may surprise you to know that when it comes to pumpkin beer, I prefer subtle, less pumped-up takes on the style. Fleury's roundup of pumpkin ales is a wonderful summary of the history and content of the style, and gives specific brand examples that run the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous. It's a must-read if you have any interest in the squashy brews.

• The Ego of Beer: Yeast and Water
• It's the Great Pumpkin (Ale), Charlie Brown!
• previously - Malt: Cereally Delicious on the DCist
• previously - Hop to It! on the DCist

mmmm... malty...

malted barley grain, cc by-nc-sa image from urtica on Flickr

In a follow-up to his previous article on hops, the DCist's John Fleury has moved on to tackle the topic of different malt varieties. Like last time, he lists specific beers that are made with each type, and suggests local DC establishments where one can find said brews. This is a great educational series - made all the better with local pub tie-ins - and I look forward to the next logical installment: that mysterious fermenter and occasional medical infectious adversary of mine, yeast.

(Another tip o' the hat to Thomas at Living Proof for pointing this out!)

• Malt: Cereally Delicious on the DCist
• previously - Hop to It! on the DCist

the Centennial Warrior Challenges Saaz-Fuggle in the land of Hallertau

Hops for making beer, a cc by image from nikonvscanon on Flickr

Many thanks to the gents over at Living Proof for pointing out this excellent post on hop varieties. The specific characteristics of different hop varieties are often a bit of a mystery to the average beer imbiber, and this piece does a great job breaking down the theory behind their use and describing the most popular kinds. Better yet, included are specific beer and DC-area pub suggestions to explore different brews associated with each type.

• Hop to It! on the DCist

Periodic Table of Beer Styles

Earlier today, Joe directed me to this poster of the Periodic Table of Beer Styles:



A bit of investigating led me to discover that the author of this image is Delirium Tremens on reddit Beer, who modified it from this more detailed but less visually appealing poster:



I really need to snag this for a wall somewhere... (which, I am aware, can be done here, among other places)