For those of you that are new to the wonderful world of Craft Beer, nothing will aid in the enjoyment of the beer you are about to try more than a basic understanding of what to expect!
Even the crusty old vets would benefit from a refresher now and again, especially if the beer in hand is "not one of your favorite styles" or one you have not had in a while. Certified Beer Judges review the styles before competitions, so it certainly wouldn't hurt.
To illustrate my point, let's take Brown Ale. Do you know that there are two distinctly different versions of Brown Ale? How about the styles that are similar, like Amber Ale or Porter? Do you know the differences between them, or how they came to be? How about the flavors that are typical or considered unacceptable to the style? What color should it be, and what is the ABV range? And finally, do you know what foods would go perfect with the particular style?
If you do not know the answer to all of the above, then how can you judge the beer correctly or appreciate it to the fullest? I think you know the answer; you can't!
By not knowing what to expect, there are three typical responses the newcomer will have when trying a new beer:
- It was good
- It sucked (usually citing Bitterness as the culprit), or
- It was just ok
- Set The Stage - tell them what they are going to hear (setting expectations)
- Do The Demo - allowing the customer to experience it
- Confirm The Experience
Imagine this scenario: "John, I am going to demonstrate the imaging capability of these loudspeakers for you. Imaging is the placement of the instruments withing the soundstage. A truly great loudspeaker can create the illusion of actually being there with the musicians. This a track from (ARTIST). I want you to focus on the following. The bass player will be dead center holding down the groove. The clean vocals will appear in front of the bass player, about 6 feet high. Take notice how the the sound of the vocals emanate outward giving you a sense of the spaciousness of the room they are performing in. The guitarist will appear clearly positioned five feet off to the left. But your main focus should be on the drums. The drummer is a few feet off-center to the right. At one point he does a sweeping drum roll followed by the a crash of the cymbal. You will be able to actually "see" the mammoth drumset before you, with every piece in the kit precisely defined in space."
CONFIRM
"John, did you hear what I was talking about with the vocals?"
Customer response: "Absolutely, but what you told me about the drums...OMG that was incredible! I was totally convinced that I was right there with the band!" ...And then the customer continues to expound on the experience, ultimately and finishing with, "I'll take a pair!"
That is a far cry from "It was good, or just ok". The difference maker was simply a little bit of information on what to expect.
This is a universally applied concept. So take a few minutes to gain a basic understanding of what to expect, and heighten your enjoyment of every glass!
BTW, I recently took my own advice regarding Brown Ale, particularly American Brown Ale, and I have a significantly deeper appreciation for a style that I didn't really care for prior.
Below is the 2011 Brewers Association Style Guidelines for American Brown Ale:
American Brown Ales range from deep copper to brown in color. Roasted malt caramel-like and chocolate-like characters should be of medium intensity in both flavor and aroma. American brown ales have evident low to medium hop flavor and aroma, medium to high hop bitterness, and a medium body. Estery and fruity-ester characters should be subdued. Diacetyl should not be perceived. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.
Original Gravity (ºPlato) 1.040-1.060 (10-14.7 ºPlato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato) 1.010-1.018 (2.5-4.5 ºPlato)
Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 3.3-5.0% (4-6.4%)
Bitterness (IBU) 25-45
Color SRM (EBC) 15-26 (30-52 EBC)
To download the The 2011 Brewers Association Style Guidelines, visit http://www.brewersassociation.
Significantly more in-depth Style Guidelines can be found at http://www.bjcp.org/index.php
The Style Guidelines are on the top right in the Quick Navigation Side Bar
The Brief History of Brown Ales can be found here:
http://allaboutbeer.com/learn-
Food Pairing info and more in-depth history can be found in The Brewermaster's Table, by Garrett Oliver, and Tasting Beer, by Randy Mosher
A small investment of time will pay huge dividends in enjoyment! Now get busy!
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The more one knows, indeed the more one enjoys and can actually relate to all of its GOODNESS!!!
ReplyDeleteSuzanne