THHG Book Club: Double Feature.

The Beer Revolution is in full swing. From brewing innovation, to record sales, to an informed public, beer is finally getting the attention it deserves. What better to indulge your love of the brewer’s art than a double feature of films that will get you ready to head out into the January chill in search of a bottle of brewed bliss? (Of course you could order it on tap, but that didn’t work for my alliteration.)

First up, we suggest “The American Brew”, a 50 minute walk through The United States’ long and rocky history with beer which aired on A&E and is now available on DVD. From the earliest English settlers (who found beer essential as it was healthier than the contaminated water), to the disastrous experiment with Prohibition, to the post-World War II resurgence of beer, the story is uniquely American. The contributions of immigrants and politicizing of the industry are featured, as are the rise and fall of titans of industry. With humor and insight from many of brewing’s most famous and successful families and breweries, the film takes us to the early 21stcentury, which saw the number of breweries skyrocket from 48 in 1980 to over 1500 in 2005. Discover the contributions of Louis Pasteur to brewing. Get a glimpse of how beer is judged at the World Beer Cup. It is 50 minutes very well spent. Baseball and apple pie have got nothing on beer! Be sure to watch the extras, also, which include information on the collection of breweriana, an interview with the sorely missed Michael Jackson, and much more. For a limited time, the DVD is included free with orders from www.beerbooks.com  and also for sale at www.amazon.com .

For a …quirkier…look at the world of craft beer and the devotion it inspires, we recommend “American Brew”, a road trip/beer hunt that follows five friends as they decide to visit 38 breweries in 40 days. (One of the pilgrims is Jeremy Goldberg, our friend from Cape Ann Brewing, who was so inspired by the experience that it led him to become a brewer!) Inevitably, wrong turns, overindulgence and nearly six weeks in a van with 4 friends and a camera take their toll, but there’s no denying the sheer joy and passion for the object of their quest: getting to know America’s craft brew community. Some of the finest small breweries are featured and as we learn about the brewing process we get glimpses into Dogfish Head, Ommegang, Anchor, Victory, Magic Hat, Brooklyn and many more. Ultimately, though, it’s about the journey and about finding the next great unknown. Obviously, that speaks loudly to us. And in the end, we see that even the craziest of ideas can make a change for the better. (Seriously, did you TASTE Jeremy’s Pumpkin Stout?!) Available at www.amazon.com .

Explore! Bev-tour!

Have you seen a Tegestologist lately?

 It’s quite likely that you have seen a tegestologist lately, but just don’t know it. A tegestologist is someone who collects beer coasters or beer mats. I am a tegestologist. I never meant to become one and until recently I didn’t know that I was. I thought there was no name for my affliction. Tegestology comes from the Latin word ”teg” which is a small reed mat. That’s where the name for my affliction originated.

It turns out that tegestology is very popular throughout the world and particularly so in Germany and the U.K. which makes perfect sense. There is a thriving eBay community and social clubs built devoted to this hobby around the world. It’s actually a fantastic, unobtrusive habit which is historically based and is a nice way to preserve personal memories. There are some who take it much more seriously than that, using mat collections to chart historical and social changes throughout the years. It’s surprising how much you can learn about a time and place by looking at what they sell or endorse or depict on their beer coasters. Of course, there are proper ways to care for and store your coasters, all of which I have been breaking for years as I was ignorant of them.

Beer coasters first appeared in Germany in the late 19th century and appearing in the U.K in the early 20th century. Wealthier patrons used tankards which had a hinged top to keep insects and other debris from falling into the drink. Less prosperous drinkers began to employ a small mat, first made of felt then later of pressed fiber and paper. Over time, the mats became employed under the glasses to absorb moisture. Today they’ve progressed to the point that there are mats which sense the weight of the drink they hold and signal the bar with a light when it’s time for a new drink. Seriously, there are. It was only a matter of time before advertisers began to view this as a means to reach a new audience and breweries began to employ the mats to their advantage. Guinness alone has over 1,000 different designs produced throughout the years. 

My personal journey into tegestology began on my first visit to Ireland. On the wild coast of Connemara in the town of Cleggan, I found myself spending an evening listening to local musicians and storytellers in Newman’s Bar long after the door had been locked and the closed sign posted. With the winds howling outside I hit it off with Jimmy Newman, the owner, and he told me of his plan to cover the ceiling (and walls?) with bar mats from around the world. I enlisted to help and for years I gathered the mats and prepared packages to send back to Jimmy. Over the years, the mailings decreased. I’m not even sure the bar is still there, although I’ll make a point of finding out on my next visit. However, my habit of picking up the mats never stopped. Today I have an impressive collection and a dram…I mean dream… of opening my own bar and somehow making use of all my tegestological specimens. Word is that the Guinness Book of World Record holder has over 150,000 of them. I can beat that. Someday.

Next time you’re in a bar, make note of the beer coasters. They could be someone’s treasure.

Websites for further information:

www.calvert-beermats.com

www.britishbeermats.org.uk 

www.beermatmania.com

Maine-ly useful bits and pieces.

As Jimmy heads off to Hawaii for some ‘research’, I respond by visiting the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, ME and experiencing the brand new aquarium and its “human bubble” feature where you can almost become one of the fish. What does this have to do with Happy Hour? Well, nothing. There is liquid involved. Can you ferment fish-water? But Jimmy gets to go to Hawaii and I wanted some sort of aquatic adventure. Thus, I got up close and personal with some brook trout. It’s a great break from the outlet shopping and will keep cranky kids and adults grinning and distracted. It is next door to the Jameson Tavern, does that count? Speaking of the Jameson…

A follow up to our earlier entry on the Jameson Tavern ghostly activity (History and a Haunting): 

I had the pleasure of talking to Christina, who was working the bar when I dropped in this time. She shared with me a first hand story of a mustard jar literally flinging itself across the entrance to the bar area in front of a startled group of employees. Was it the spirit of the young girl, Emily, or the mysterious man in the hat apparition that was responsible? The Happy Hour team will be making return visits to get the latest. Who knows? We may bring our cameras and spend a late night here.  Stay tuned!

One of the most renowned beer bars in Maine is The Great Lost Bear. A decent alternative in the Old Port of Portland, though, is $3 Dewey’s (www.threedollardeweys.com). Contrary to its name, the beer is not three dollars. However, the selection is very good, with roughly three dozen taps and an equal number of bottles. The emphasis is on Maine and New England beers, including the rare but highly sought after Cadillac Mountain Stout. Decent food (I’m told the chowder is great) and free popcorn will keep you full and happy as you work your way through the list (there is a full bar and a nice single malt selection for non beer drinkers). Its convenient location makes it an easy and welcome stop while exploring the shops and restaurants of Old Port without having to get in the car and drive elsewhere.

Lastly, if you’re spending some time in Maine, it’s good to know that the grocery stores not only sell beer and wine, but have a full liquor selection, as well. Many have a surprisingly complete selection and feature local beer and wine.  Just a little tip to make provisioning that much easier.  Cheers!

LEMP. A Haunting History.

“This Lemp’s for You.”  If fate had played a kinder hand to the once dominant Lemp family brewing dynasty, we could indeed have been hearing that slogan instead of the famous version serenading us from our televisions today. Instead, the family suffered a tortuous series of tragedies, some of their own making, and has all but disappeared from most people’s memories. The story of their family and its rise and fall reminiscent of the most classic tragedies, is told by Stephen P. Walker in his incredibly researched book, Lemp: The Haunting History.

In 1840, German immigrant Adam Lemp opened his Western Brewery in St. Louis based on the popularity of the beer he had been brewing on a smaller scale in his grocery. In those days, brewers were much like neighborhood bakers, with local patrons picking beer up on their rounds of errands. Lemp’s decision to open a brewery was forward thinking, and took the operation to levels not commonly seen in those days. The brewery flourished, then more so once Lemp’s son, William, took control of the company. Under his leadership, the brewery grew with astounding speed, and he quickly moved to a larger facility to increase production. He chose a parcel of land directly above a series of caves his father had used to store beer. By the turn of the century, the now named William J. Lemp Brewing Co. covered 11 city blocks and produced 500,000 barrels of beer a year with distribution throughout all of North America and reaching Australia and Europe. The brewery produced six beers, the most known today being Falstaff. At this point the Lemp’s were larger and more influential than the Anheuser- Busch Brewery, who began business nearly two decades after they did.

Tragedy entered the family when Frederick Lemp, William’s heir apparent, died suddenly at age 28. Disconsolate, William fell into a deep depression and took his own life in 1904. The family soldiered on, but the tide had turned and time began to pass them by. Then the advent of Prohibition devastated the family business and they were forced to sell off assets at alarmingly low returns. William Lemp Jr., who had stepped into the leadership role after the deaths of his father and brother, became a high roller in St. Louis society and his divorce in 1920 provided scandalous gossip for the entire city. However, it was the disaster of Prohibition that defeated him. He, also, took his own life in 1922, as his sister Elsa had also done in 1920.

Despite the efforts of William Lemp III to re-introduce the brewery after Prohibition, the attempt failed. He died tragically in 1943 at age 42 of a cerebral hemorrhage. Another brother, Charles, also committed suicide in 1949.  The famous label of Falstaff Beer was purchased and continued to be sold for a while under different owners until ultimately fading away. 

All of this is told in detailed and fascinating accounts, often through written first-hand entries, by Walker. Letters of the Lemps themselves are quoted and newspaper articles of the time are reprinted. Walker also includes many examples of the famous Lemp advertising art and intricate descriptions of the lavish lifestyle and homes of the family. It’s a fascinating look at a chapter of American history, as well as brewing history, that is often overlooked.

Walker concludes with some accounts of ghostly goings on at the Lemp Mansion, which is now open as a bed and breakfast (www.lempmansion.com). Considering the history of the family, it’s almost to be expected that they would continue to haunt the scene of their greatest triumphs and failures. We’ll be visiting here with our cameras, no doubt.

A great read and highly recommended:

        4 and a half pints out of 5!

        Unfortunately, the book is out of print, but readily available atwww.beerbooks.com . A great resource for anyone interested in any aspect of the brewing industry.

The Great Pumpkin - alive and well.

Yes, the Great Pumpkin is alive and well, and at least on Oct. 19, had taken up residence in beautiful Nashua, NH. Inside a bottle. A number of bottles, actually. That night saw the initial offering from www.beerencounters.com, The Great Pumpkin Ale beer tasting and Halloween Party. That’s how I found myself sipping seasonal brews with Elvis (he’s alive!!), a cross dressing Hugh Hefner and Playmate (eventual winners of the costume contest), a Green Monster (go sox!), and various other vampires, ghosts, ghoulies, soldiers, nurses, and an intriguing Texas Hold’em gal.

As it should be with an event that bills itself as a beer tasting, the beers were the stars of the night. I worked my way through as many of the choices possible, but I’m only human, so I couldn’t try then all. The Magic Hat Brewery (www.magichat.net), one of our favorites, was there with their Circus Boy (an excellent hefeweizen), Jinx (a seasonal English Ale that’s big with hints of peat-smoked whiskey malts) and their ubiquitous No 9. I had a nice chat with Magic Hat’s Melissa about how one goes from being a dissatisfied bartender, to being a very satisfied employee of one of the funkiest and most imaginative breweries around. Next I sampled some of the offerings from Milly’s Tavern (www.millystavern.com)   from Manchester, NH. I’m sad to say they don’t sell off premises yet because these were some of the most intriguing beers of the night. Their Pumpkin and Scotch Ales were very popular, but I was most taken with their Burton Ale, a harder to find variety, that knocked my socks off. Big and bold. I had a great chat with Milly’s Head Brewer, Dan Rudy, ranging from beer to eco-friendly brewing, to leaving a “green footprint” to the beauty of New England and Maine, in particular. We should all keep an eye on Dan. I have a feeling he’ll continue to brew imaginative quality beer and garner much attention.

After a break to cruise the chocolate buffet (decked out with appropriately creepy holiday décor) I dove back into the beer…figuratively. Next up was another of our favorites, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (www.dogfish.com), who brought along their Festina Peche, a neo-Berliner Weisse brewed with real peaches and delivering intense tartness. Allen Reitz from Dogfish Head assured me that after three sips I wouldn’t be able to put it down, and he was right. This is a fantastic, fruity, surprisingly refreshing beer. What can I say about the Dogfish Punkin Ale? I love the stuff. A full-bodied ale brewed with real pumpkin (many breweries use pumpkin flavoring. Brewing with real pumpkin is difficult and costly) and brown sugar. They call it the “anti-pumpkin pie ale”. It’s a great autumn, sit-by-the-fire beer. Next I tried the Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale, Anheuser-Busch’s attempt to step into some newer craft-brew inspired styles. It’s really not bad but suffered in comparison to some excellent smaller brews next to it. Still, we should applaud A-B for being willing to give this a shot. It would be easy to sit back, pump out the Bud and Bud Light, and call it a day. I was winding down by now. I’m Irish, but I’m human.  However, on I went to the Saranac offerings (www.saranac.com). Here I discovered, much to my surprise, that I enjoyed the Pomegranate Wheat. I’m on record as saying that I never cared for wheat beers. I must have had an early bad experience, because I’m consistently discovering imaginative variations on this style and enjoying them. My thanks to Jeb Moore from Saranac for the nudge toward this beer and all the tips on the Saranac Brewery, I hope we’re able to visit there soon. This unfiltered wheat had a slightly tart finish and a light body. It’s made with real pomegranate juice. Pomegranate is good for you. I suspect that this beer actually extends life expectancy.

Sadly, I missed out on the Stone Cat and John Harvard offerings, most likely because I was chatting too much with Jim Carleton and his wife Maria, brewers for those respective breweries (Stone Cat is produced by Mercury Brewing Co.). However, I did get to close the night with some of Cape Ann Brewing Company’sPumpkin Stout. I’ve been searching for this limited release since Jeremy at Cape Ann told me about it. It is, in a word, fantastic. An imaginative combination of styles and flavors, I’d never had a pumpkin stout before, but the chocolate/coffee notes of the stout work extremely well with the nutmeg/cinnamon of the pumpkin. I hope this reappears next year in even larger quantities. A real winner from Cape Ann and very popular on the night (also a 2007 New England Microbrew champion).

In all, the lads over at beerencounters.com put on a great party. Mike Rego, Jim Messier, Dan Archambault, and Matt Zukowski started the company to bring people together and share their passion for quality beers (one of them is a detective, but I won’t tell you who it is so you’re on your best behavior when you meet them). The smiles on the faces of their guests at the end of the evening were proof that this night was a success.  Congratulations, guys, you’re off to a great start. Check out their slick site which is developing even as you read this. Future events will include gatherings for St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo. In the growing community of New England brewers and beer enthusiasts, Beer Encounters’ focus on bringing interesting people and excellent beer together bodes well for future success.

Boo.  Cheers!