Aged to prolific perfection, Weltenburg Abbey, in Bavaria, Germany
A musing by co-Director Scott Owen:
Beer has always been the drink for the every man. That is the way it should be. Other beverages and Spirits are so exclusive that only the richest of human beings could even consider having even a sip. I think of ... more than a couple bottles valued at over $500,000. Not so with beer, even if a beer is one of the greatest beers ever made - a certifiable 100 point beer. If you can get it, it still probably wont run you any more than 7-10 bucks and that's probably for a 12oz glass! That is one of the greatest things about beer: it truly has remained the drink for ALL.
Breaking bread with a bubbly brew in Romania
Since everyone is invited to the "beer party" that means there will be a ton of different ideas about what tastes good, what ingredients are best, all sorts of conversations about the variants of beer will be had. There is no right answer. What you like, might be different from what I like, and in the beer world it's ALL good. There is a fair amount of debate about how to drink a beer. Master Cicerone Max Bakker once uploaded a video of him talking about how to pour a beer. It has nearly 2 million views. So, yeah, this is a topic. Seems like there shouldn't even be a question, right... Open and Drink. Well, if you are going to get the absolute most out of your beer then there are some parameters about drinking those beers. Once again, I'll reiterate that beer wants you to be happy so if you want to drink it right out of the can or bottle, then go for it. There are a number of techniques that you should at least be aware of. Let's assume that we are drinking a beer that is bottled. For me, I've found that I prefer to pour certain beers into a glass with enough energy that there is a fair amount of foam that is built, for me, at least an inch if not more. I can kind of classify these beers by color - beers that are usually on the lighter side; IPA's, Hefes, Lagers, etc... I've repeated a few times here the words "for me" because this totally depends on how you like to drink your beer. I like my lighter beers really cold, bubbly and effervescent. It's whatever you like.
When I was a kid and would have a Pepsi I would crack it and walk away for an hour then come back and drink it. I loved it totally flat. Like I said, beer wants you to be happy. When it comes to darker beers: Porters, Stouts, Dunkels, etc... Like my flat Pepsi when I was a kid, I don't pour them with as much energy so there is less head and I usually walk away for 10 - 20 minutes so all those amazing roasty, malty, chocolate, coffee flavors have time to blossom and bouquet. I find that the more complex darker beers love to sit for a while before they are ready. That's just me. Enjoy your beer, responsibly, however you like it.... You deserve it. Those are what I call, "Pour Ideas".
Foam for days at Hofbräuhaus