AtDTdA (9): 240

[Daniel Harper]

On 5/14/07, Jasper <jasper.fidget at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> ---
>
> "the dense, warm, unaerated product known on this island as beer"
> Lew would be used to cold, pasteurized lager brewed by German immigrants
> starting in the mid-19th Century (Anheuser-Busch, Miller, Coors, Stroh,
> Schlitz, Pabst).  English beer is more often a warmer ale, brewed with
> top (rather than bottom) fermenting yeast.  It is more aromatic,
> fruitier, and traditionally unpasteurized.  Stronger ales are often
> served at room temperature.  Personally I like a good stout.
>
> http://www.beerhistory.com/library/holdings/raley_timetable.shtml
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_beer
> http://www.drinkfocus.com/beer/beer-styles.php
>
> ---
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>
In my other life, I'm something of a beer geek.

http://beeradvocate.com/user/profile/danielharper

What you say above is accurate, but let me add a bit.

Keep in mind that beers today are not necessarily what was going on with
beers in the early twentieth century -- nowadays something like 98% of
American beer sales are taken up by three monolithic companies (Bud, Miller,
Coors, or BMC to geeks like me), but pre-Prohibition most brewers were
regional, distributing only to a few surrouding states. American beer
culture is largely inherited through German immigration, so our beer styles
are most similar to German Pilseners and the like, but there's some
speculation that in a lot of areas your local tavern would probably have
been brewing their own beers with whatever was available. Like cactus and
other unsavory elements.

Top-fermenting ales are much more common in Britain, and are generally
served "warm" when compared to American tastebuds. Generally English Ales
are recommended to be served at 45-50 degrees F, whereas American Lagers are
to be served at 40-50 degress F. (Snarky comment -- since cold temperatures
mask the actual taste of the product, most of us over at BA would argue that
American lagers are served at that temperature specifically so you can't
actually taste them.) This is an important serving difference in terms of
styles, but no one should get the impression that these beers are served
"warm", like a cup of soup or even at room temperature. They are
refrigerated, but not quite as cold as an American lager would be.

Personally, I like a wide range of styles, although a nice Russian Imperial
Stout is one of my faves. (Unfortunately we have insipid laws in Alabama
which prevent high-alcohol beers from being sold, but we're working on it.)
Brooklyn Lager is, for me, a nearly-perfect example of what a good-quality
American lager _should_ taste like (you'll weep if you ever taste Budweiser
again afterwards), and there are plenty of fine pale ales that fit the bill
if you're interested in that style. English Pale ales tend to be slightly
less hoppy than their American counterparts, and are slightly more difficult
to find fresh -- Sam Adams Boston Ale (not the standard Sam Adams Lager,
although that's a fine beer in and of itself) is a very good example of the
style.

Damn. Now I'm thirsty.

--Daniel
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