Affordable luxury

At least in Michigan, and probably nationwide, "affordable luxury" is a frequently-used phrase to describe what craft brewers offer and to explain why the craft beer industry is so successful, even during the "Great Recession."  (As a quick aside, we're hardly seeing the recovery here in Michigan, though we hear about it from the news media - we appear to be the "first in, last out" state when it comes to our entire economy falling apart.  That said, our wonderful craft brewers are doing well.)

"Affordable luxury" isn't a new phrase.  In fact, when I took Enterprise Organization in law school, we studied Starbucks Coffee Co., and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz had used the phrase some time ago to describe what the company was selling.  It's an apt, useful phrase.  Applied to the beer industry, one might then wonder what the macros are selling: ultra-cheap banality?  But I digress.

Terrific craft beer is generally cheaper - often far cheaper - on a per-ounce basis than comparably fine wines, and it often pairs better with a wider variety of cuisines.  The other night, I indulged in a dinner of bar-b-que ribs, coleslaw, and potato salad, and the bottle of Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale went really well with it.  There may be wines that would go well with this meal, but the fresh-hopped, copper-colored ale with a firm malt foundation and frothy, iceberg-like head was simply delicious, interplaying beautifully with the sweet-tangy-meaty flavor of the ribs, creamy-tart slaw, and the mustardy bite of the potato salad.  

Buying single beers is a nice way to build up a collection gradually.  Although you'll pay a small per-ounce premium for buying singles, it's a great way to try a lot of different brews and have on-hand a beer appropriate to any occasion or meal.  We're fortunate to have a number of stores that have a terrific selection of single brews, including Arbor Farms, Plum Market, and the Beer Depot on William between Fourth Ave. and Main Street.  The first two have the added bonus of being full-service grocery stores, so you can get all your shopping done.  From 22-oz. bombers to single 12-oz. bottles, I've had a lot of luck finding terrific beers and buying a couple at a time to build a collection.  

If you do start collecting beers, keep them somewhere cool and dark until you're ready to drink them, and keep them upright.  Higher ABV and barrel-aged beers will age best.  If you're living in a house, the basement may well be perfect for beer storage.  I just spent several hours clearing out a basement closet under our front porch that stays nice and cool and happens to have shelf space.  If you have somewhere to cellar your beer, you generally can serve it without further refrigeration and end up with a brew that's at ideal serving temperature.  The flavors and aromas will be at their fullest.  Bad beer needs to be ice cold to tamp down the nasty taste and smell and to numb your taste buds.  Of course, ice cold or not, who wants to serve bad beer?

A luxury is still just that, and sometimes we're in no position to indulge, even in something that's modestly priced.  But while collecting might slow considerably during hard times, building a collection just a bit at a time may still be possible, and a lot of beers stand up well to careful storage. 

Orange. Banana. Beer.

Just a quick entry to comment on Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, their golden-orange, cloudy hefeweizen.  Obviously, it's not from around here, but it's not that hard to find and certainly isn't one of their more popular brews.  Sierra Nevada is known for their pale ale, of course, but this brew is worth a mention.  Maybe it's my way of bidding final farewell to summer.  Sigh.

The label recommends pouring 2/3 of the bottle into a glass, swirling the rest, and then pouring the remainder into the glass, since yeast is suspended in the brew.  It forms a big head that recedes pretty quickly to soft peaks and then a nice layer of foam with a touch of laciness on the glass.

The aroma struck me as mostly orange with a touch of banana.  As for the taste, it's a whole lot of banana with subtle spice notes, followed with a nice bitterness, a touch of sweetness that doesn't quite balance it out, and a finish that sees the bitterness soften and disappear pretty quickly, mingling with fruit and leaving a bit of malty breadiness at the end.  As I was getting to the end of my glass, I noticed a new taste: a distinct cinnamon quality at the back end that was really quite good.  A nice surprise.

I'd drink this beer on its own or with food that isn't too salty or otherwise strong.  It wouldn't take much to overpower the flavors of this beer.  That's not to say it's not flavorful.  It certainly is, but the flavors are delicate, and the interplay between them is subtle.

Damn the Torpedoes!

Sierra Nevada isn't a regional brewery by any means, and many are already familiar with their beers, but I did want to toss in a mention of their Torpedo IPA. I have a certain fondness for that brewery, since my mom lived in Chico, CA, for a number of years.  I've had the good fortune of tossing back a few at their pub, and it's well worth a visit.  Just getting the beers on tap at the peak of freshness while sitting up at the bar, admiring the dark wood and beautiful stained glass of the company logo, makes for a fine afternoon or evening.

Their Torpedo IPA earns its moniker by exploding on impact with your tongue.  You remember learning as a kid how different regions of the tongue are specialized for different flavors?  This is a back of the tongue beer from the start.  Huge flavor, pronounced bitterness.  As it warmed, a balancing sweetness peeked out.  Medium thick head.  Medium-fine carbonation; nothing distracting there.  Flowery aroma.  Smooths in the finish.  Like with most beers, I'd recommend letting it warm a bit before drinking, though I'll admit it's plain hard to wait once it's poured.

This is a 7.2% abv beer and widely available.  I picked it up at Arbor Farms Market as a single.  A big but eminently drinkable beer.  It would stand up well to strong food flavors and complement them nicely.