Real Ale has a pilsner now!  And it is FUCKING GOOD!  The Hans’ Pils is bold, dry, hoppy, and damn tasty!

It’s pale golden in color, slightly hazy like a light wit.  It satisfies the olfactory senses as it does the taste buds.  It smells like the best damn spring day you can remember, green, fresh, and full of promise.  It doesn’t disappoint.  It’s one of the most well balanced beers I’ve ever had.  At first light and dry, as you’d expect a pilsner to be.  But then, it finishes with the barest hint of hop bitter, and a fair sampling of hop flavor.  At 52 IBU, it’s got more hop than a lot of pale ales, but Real Ale does a good job of tempering the earthy tettnang tettnanger hops (hahaha!!! tettnang tettnager!) with a nice sweet golden malt.  This brew will satisfy hop heads as well as casual beer drinkers.

Thankfully, there’s still plenty of summer time left in central Texas to enjoy this newly released pilsner.  Hopefully, Real Ale keeps the Hans’ flowing!  Next time you find yourself at the pub, check for the Hans’.  If it’s hot and humid outside, and you damn well know it will be for the next couple of months, you’ll be happy to have a Hans’ in your hand.

Oktoberfest beers, or Marzenbier, are characterized by their pale bronze to rich amber color, medium to full body, and malty flavor.  Marzen is the German word for March.  The term is used for this particular style of lager because it’s brewed during the month of March, and allowed to mature through spring and summer.  It’s ready just in time for Oktoberfest, hence its pseudonym Oktoberfest.

I’m a big fan of seasonal brews, Oktoberfest being one of my favorites, so I made it my mission this past Saturday to get out and sample some.  My mission took me to Austin’s own Draught House Pub & Brewery.  I figured if anyone would have a fair sampling these guys would.  It also happens to be the best pub in Austin, AND they serve FREE bratwurst on Saturdays.  FREE Bratwurst by the grace of the Gods, YES!  I had about an hour before brats were served, plenty of time to get a few Oktoberfests down.  I started with St. Arnold’s Oktoberfest.  A medium bodied, bronze colored, lightly malty brew with just a hint of bitter to it.  Overall, a fair sample.  Next I moved on to Brooklyn Brewery’s Oktoberfest.  This brew had a really strange note to it.  It had a heavy buttery aroma, and flavor.  Initially it’s slightly sweet, but finishes with this funky buttery sensation.  I recalled having read something about this off flavor in a brewing book years ago, but couldn’t quite remember what the cause was.  I did a bit of research, and discovered that the buttery note comes from diacetyl, a chemical byproduct yeast produces as it converts sugar to alcohol.  I suppose a dirty beer line could have been the cause of the foul, but I doubt it.  After half a half pint of the yeast poo beer, I pressed on to Blanco Texas brewer, Real Ale’s Oktoberfest.  Here is a nice medium bodied, pale copper brew with a good malty front, and a slightly hoppy bitterness that lingers on the back end.  Very tasty this one!  Next, I went for the tried and true Spaten Oktoberfest.  Spaten has been doing it longer than most, so they damn well better know how to get it right, and they do.  Here is a beer as hearty, and enjoyable as the good Germans that brew it.  This rich beer is full bodied, golden copper in color, with a nice rich malty flavor that finishes crisp, and clean.  Prost!  Last, but definitely not least, is another South Central Texas brew, Live Oak’s Oaktoberfest.  I’m fortunate to have a keg of this on tap at my place, and I celebrate that fortune as many times a day as I can get away with.  This light bodied brew is a nice rich amber, with a smooth malty flavor that finishes clean, and leaves just the slightest hint of hop bitterness.  Live Oak was certainly the most balanced of all the Oktoberfests I sampled.  Making it an easily enjoyable beer for beer lovers, and non-beer lovers alike.

As awesome a time as I had sampling those brews, I was disappointed to find a lack of Oktoberfests among South Central Texas Brewers.  Real Ale, and Live Oak represented.  Independence, 512, where y’all at?  You both brew up some tasty beers and you’re well respected for doing a good job of it, but where’s the Oktoberfest?  Next year please?

In the spirit of festive times, and with the festive season upon us, tell us what you’re fond of drinking during these festive times.

Aluminum cans or glass bottles, which do you prefer?  Why do you prefer one to the other?  Does it really matter?  For me, the beer is what counts.  However, the way in which your beer is packaged can drastically effect the taste of your beer.  The better question then would be, which container is better at preserving the beer inside?  Let’s explore their virtues.

Both cans, and bottles are easily sterilized, nonporous, and to varying degrees, durable.  Sunlight, and air are death to beer.  Sunlight will leave your beer skunky and sour, and air will flatten your beer, and impart other off flavors.  Cans do the best job of filtering sunlight, and air.  They’re airtight, and light-tight.  Bottles do an effective job as well, so long as they aren’t exposed to sunlight for too long, or allowed to sit on a shelf for extended periods of time.  When it comes to choosing a bottled beer, it’s usually best to go with a brown bottle versus a green bottle, or clear bottle.  Brown filters sunlight far better than green, or clear.

Some folks believe that aluminum imparts a slight metallic tang to beer.  That was probably true at one time, but today’s cans are lined with a water based coating.  The beer doesn’t even touch the can.  If you’re wondering that this coating might effect the taste of the beer, it doesn’t.  Just pop the top on a tall can of Strongbow, and tell me if that isn’t the cleanest tasting cider you’ve ever had.  You’ll not be able to say so!  If you’re one of those that turns your nose up at canned beer in general, I used to be one of those, stop and consider draft beer.  You wouldn’t turn your nose up at a draft beer would you?  Of course not!  Well, where do you think draft beer comes from?!  It comes from a big fucking aluminum can called a keg, or cask.

Let’s consider the aesthetic differences between cans and bottles.  Aesthetically, the two couldn’t be more different from one another.  It’s like comparing dwarves to elves.  In fact, let’s do that, this is a nerd blog after all.  Cans are like the dwarves of beer containers.  By dwarves I mean those that dwell in Middle Earth, and carry battle axes.  Cans are short, stout, can take a beating, but still serve up a good beer.  Bottles are more like elves; tall, slender, strong, but delicate.  Just a quick aside, as if elves and dwarves weren’t enough, sexiest long neck ever, Pacifico Clara.  See above picture.  This long neck is slightly taller, and thinner than most others.  Most long necks taper from base of neck to mouth at a sharp angle.  Pacifico’s long neck bows out a bit near the base, and goes up in a gentle curve.  SEXY!

Can or bottle, dwarf or elf, sexy or not sexy, does it really matter?  I suppose it comes down to personal preference.  However, once you’ve popped the top, it’s the beer that matters.  Drink up!

Cheers!

Mama's 'n' Me

Summer time!  Yes!  Sunshine, BBQs, swimmin’ holes, scantily clad hippie gals, HOT!  What goes well with all of these?!  Cold BEER!  You already knew that of course.  Because as you know, beer goes with damn near everything.  Personally, I prefer ales to lagers.  However, some beers are better suited for certain times.  In my opinion, brown ales don’t go down so well when it’s 100 degrees in the shade.  They’ll taste good going down, but after about three double IPAs you’re likely to dehydrate yourself pretty quick.  Better to stick with the lighter ales, and lagers, and save those heartier brews for cooler times, January 15 to February 28.  Nothing will warm you better than a stout Barley Wine.  I might be a bit late in getting around to summer beers, but as we have about two months of summer left, there’s still plenty of time for summer beer drinking.

Sunshine…..ever wondered what sunshine might look like in a can?  The folks at Oskar Blues have managed to take the best virtues of sunshine, golden yellow, wholesome, refreshing, awesome, and cram them all into a 12oz can of “Damn Good!”  They call this can of wonderful, Mama’s Lil Yella Pils.  For me, the best summer brews are crisp, clean, light to medium in body, with subtle hoppy character, and cold.  Mama’s Lil Yella Pils embodies all the qualities of a great pilsner.  Oskar Blues is known for brewing rich, tasty beers that pack a lot of flavor, and a wallop of alcohol.  The average alcohol content of their other four brews, is about 8.5% ABV. Don’t get me wrong.  I’m a HUGE fan of all of Oskar’s brews.  I’m particularly fond of Dale’s Pale Ale, Gordon, and Ten Fidy.  Allow me to digress a moment to deliver a warning: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER drink more than three Gordons in a single drinking session.  You’ll end up going to places you were never meant to go, and doing things you weren’t meant to do.  You’ll have a good time doing them, but you’ll be ashamed of yourself the next morning.  To boot, you’ll be as dry as an Austin summer with a hangover unlike any you’ve ever known.  Beware the Gordon.  It’s TASTY, but dangerous.  Mama’s is safer, and more subtle.  She clocks in at only 5.3% ABV, and is lightly hopped at 35 IBUs (International Bittering Units).  Made with 100% malted barley (because FUCK rice and corn!), German specialty malts, and Saaz hops, Mama’s is what an American Pilsner should be.  Common in some pilsners, there isn’t a hint of skunk in Mama’s.  Her aroma, and taste are both clean.  So long as you drink her while she’s cold.  This mama’s a bitter crone if she gets left in the heat.  Might wanna bring along your beer koozie if you plan to drink ’round the barbecue or pool.  Mama’s only downfall is not really her fault, she’s pricey.  As much as $9.49 a six-pack at Central Market, and as high as $9.99 at Live Oak Market, and Whip In.  She’s well worth the cost though.  If you can find her for less than $9 let us all know.

Light on the alcohol, but rich in flavor, and character, Mama’s Lil Yella Pils is the ideal summer session beer.  If you haven’t had one yet, finish this post, which is nearly done, and treat yourself to a sixer.  While you’re on your way home, your sixer of Mama’s riding shotgun, give me a call.  ‘Cause it’s probably been too long since we drank a pint.

Please drop a quick comment and let us all know what you’ve been drinking this summer.

Cheers! To your Mama and mine!

Hi! I’m Bill, and Beer is why I’m here. Beer is the second greatest thing ever. I’m here because I love beer, drinking beer, brewing beer, AND talking about beer. I’m here to discuss all things beer.

Beer is a big celebration in a bottle, or 16oz pint glass. Beer goes well with good company or no company, with good food or all by itself, with fair weather or foul, with good times and bad. There is never a time when beer is not a good idea. You might have just thought, “Really? I’m not so sure a funeral is a good time to drink beer.” Bullshit! is what I say to that. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the memory of a family member, or dear friend than to raise a glass, and drink to their memory. I can think of two ways I wouldn’t mind dying. The second is in some catastrophic natural event with a pint of beer in my hand. Beer is good for the soul. It makes us dance harder, smile broader, and laugh heartier. If the people around you have had enough of it, then it even makes you appear way more attractive than you really are. That’s always nice, right? Beer goes with nearly every recreational pastime, except some kinds of exercise, and MAYBE not sex.

Tragically some folks don’t like beer. However, I maintain that there’s a beer out there to suit every palate. Among all the ales, lagers, stouts, ciders, lambics, and blah blah blah so many varied styles, there’s a beer out there for everyone. If you’re not a beer drinker, then you just haven’t found the right beer for you. If bud lite is the only beer you’ve ever tasted, then you haven’t tasted beer. That disgusted face you made when you tasted bud for the first time was warranted, but the thought that accompanied it, “Man! Beer sure does taste like piss!” was inaccurate. It’s true, bud lite tastes like piss, or at least what I imagine piss to taste like. REAL beer tastes like liquid goodness. Keep trying, there’s a beer out there for you.

Just a quick nod to the brewers of the beer that I’m drinking as I write this. South Central Texas is fortunate to have some really great microbreweries. One of which is Real Ale Brewing out of Blanco. They brew a wonderful variety of beers, and their Rio Blanco Pale Ale has been one of my favorite pale ales for years. It’s a simple, well balanced pale ale, not overly complex, easy to enjoy for most. It fills the glass with just the right amount of hoppy goodness, and malty sweetness. It goes down exceptionally well in the spring time, and is a great companion for barbecue. There’s currently a pony keg of it residing in my kegerator. Cheers to the folks at Real Ale! Thanks for the tasty beers!

In closing I’d just like to say, Beer lubricates life. We could all do with a bit more lube in our live, so pour yourself a pint, and drink up.

Cheers!