Coriander in Beer

There’s a small rack of spices commonly used in beer and coriander is undoubtedly at the top. A classic list of European ales and corresponding American and global versions call for coriander, so you’ve probably tasted coriander in beer whether you realize it or not.  Personally, I find it exciting to contemplate today’s spiced beers’ connections to historical brewing practices. After all, the ingredients used and innovations explored by brewers over centuries of practice now brings us some fantastic products!

Altbier & Sausage

You can’t get much more classic a pair than a German beer and a sausage. And of the many styles of German beers, I find a classic Dusseldorf-style Altbier to be a winner alongside a lightly spiced pork sausage. Altbiers are ales that undergo a generous cold conditioning period which helps lend them a crisp mouthfeel. They are also nicely roasty and dark, but not chocolatey or toffee-like as a porter might be, and have a higher IBU level than many German lagers. Altbiers stand out in the German repertoire, and in my opinion they are big stars on the table.

Centennial Hops

Known as one of the “three C” hops along with Cascade and Columbus, Centennial hops are a thriving example of the combination of innovative and diligent Washington state breeding programs and supportive, creative craft brewers. You’ve most certainly tasted the hop in dozens of beers spanning a variety of styles, and it wouldn’t take much to remind you of its taste: warm, floral, citrus-heavy and delightfully bitter.

Hefeweizen & Citrus

This pairing shouldn’t be a surprise to American drinkers. Although it may be common to add an orange or lemon wedge to a glass of wheat beer here, it’s not typically done across the pond in Germany where the classic style has its roots. While I’m not going to say there is a “right” way to drink any beer, there are certainly ideals and reasons why things are done the way they are.

Style Spotlight: English and Irish Stouts and Porters

Dark ales are no competition to the IPA craze here in the US, but they are of deep-rooted significance in connecting our craft beer revolution to British predecessors and their long-developed styles. While much of large-scale breweries in the US have taken direct cues from Germanic brewing, homebrewers and small craft breweries especially in the 1980s and ‘90’s focused on a wider set of examples, looking to expand away from the ubiquitous American light lager. At that time, much of the grain and hops available for homebrewers and small breweries was from the UK. Why? Although the US produces the majority of the world’s hops and a huge amount of its barley, there wasn’t much of a market for selling small quantities at that time, thus they were not always easy to obtain.

Drinking for Good Causes

Let’s be truthful: this week’s political events have made me want to drink. A lot. It’s not just me feeling this way–I’ve been making cocktails and pouring beers for many a discouraged face at work too. While I’m no expert on giving political or diplomatic advice, one of my personal mantras is to always put my money where my mouth is. Turns out, my mouth is often near a beer. And thus I sought out some charitable, warm and fuzzy-feeling locations to help direct your money where your mouth is as well. Here are just a few breweries and events that do double duty in this trying time: providing you with a tasty beverage and helping your money go to a good cause.

In Seattle’s University District, Floating Bridge Brewing is holding a benefit to help Planned Parenthood on Sunday, February 12 from 1-9pm. 722 NE 45th St, Seattle, WA 98105

An Overview on Kegs

Beer, beer, everywhere. And how does it get from here to there? Historically, beer vessels were made out of wood by skilled craftsmen called coopers, but today the vast majority of large-format distributed beer for sale is packaged in kegs. There are however a sparse handful of mostly European breweries that still sell or store some of their beer in wooden casks. Wooden barrels continue to be widely used to age, condition, and store specialty beer, wine, and spirits by the beverage industry as a whole, but even cask-driven UK style beer and “real ales” are more frequently stored in kegs these days for cost, mobility and microbiological reasons.