Secrets About Beer and Its Enjoyment

The secrets about beer are to be revealed here, however it needs to be noted that these are only some of the secrets. The more you explore the world of beer and where different beers are made and what ingredients they use, the more you’ll learn about how to enjoy beer and how they taste. Revealing the truth about beers and learning about what you are drinking is where all the secrets lie.

Taste

One of the key secrets about beer is about taste. You may have your favorite or maybe you’re not typically a beer drinker or maybe you just haven’t found one that you like yet. This just means you need to keep tasting more beer. Beer is made all around the world, so it’s reasonable to believe that there’s one out there for you and you just haven’t found it yet. Many restaurants are learning that beer is just as popular as wine and so they are offering beer flights, where customers can sample a range of beers. Similar to a wine flight, a beer flight will let you taste several beers from the same region or of different flavor profiles to learn more.

Presentation

Many will argue that the glass is what makes the beer. There are several different kinds of glassware that beer is presented in such as:

• Pilsner
• Stout
• Pint
• Fluted Pint
• Stein
• Tulip
• Weizen Glass

All beers are not created equally and therefore not all glasses are created equally. This is one of the most important secrets about beer that many beer manufacturers and pubs have tried to hold close to their heart. Sam Adams has created their own glass designed to allow the bubbles to reach the surface. A tulip glass has a large opening that can accommodate large foamy heads like that of an American Ale. A stein, on the other hand, is designed to hold a lot of beer and can be great for any beer if you don’t mind losing some of its head.

Large Brewery vs. Microbrewery

One of the most controversial secrets about beer is within the brewery. Some will argue that a large brewery such as Busch is better than a small, local microbrewery. It is the battle of size and flavor within these breweries because a microbrewery produces a fraction of its full size rivals. These smaller productions often lead to more unique flavors but sometimes inconsistent from one batch to the next. The larger version, however, is producing quality beer batch after batch.

There are many secrets about beer that many people have not realized. Ultimately, the main secret is that you need to drink what you enjoy the most. This is where the rules are broken and despite what some people say is the most flavorful or should be enjoyed with certain kinds of food, you should drink what you like. So whether you like a light beer, an amber one, or a stout, it’s your beer and your thirst, so drink up and ignore the critics.

Beer fans all over the world, despite their particular favorites, are all united by one word: Oktoberfest. This is a 16-18 day festival that takes place every year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It starts in late September and runs through the middle of October. It is, of course, one of the most famous events in Germany, and the largest fair in the world. More than 5 million people attend each year, visiting from all over the world. It is so popular, in fact, that many countries and cities across the globe celebrate similar events, inspired by and modeled after the festival.

Origins of Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is a crucial part of Bavarian culture. It dates back to October 12, 1810 probably in relation to the parade celebration of the marriage between Prince Ludwig and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. This was not an annual celebration, though, but was revived and continued in 1850, when the parades commemorating the event were once again added to the festival. Approximately 8,000 people, mostly from the Bavarian region, walk from Maximilian Street through the center of Munich to get to the festival. The march, which is always done in traditional costumes, is led by the Munchner Kindl.

While this is an important part of Bavarian culture, the festival did not always go as planned. In 1854, for example, approximately 3,000 Munich residents became afflicted by cholera and the festival was cancelled, for obvious reasons. During 1866, Bavaria was part of the Austro-Prussian War, which also caused a cancellation of the festival. Similarly, in 1870, the France-Prussian War gave cause to cancellation, and another cholera epidemic caused a cancellation in 1873. By 1880, though, Oktoberfest was finally hitting a new stride, perhaps partially due to the introduction of electric light and the growth in size to over 400 booths and tents.

As you may have gathered, Oktoberfest was put on hold between the years of 1914 and 1918 because of World War I. This was the longest period of time that did not consistently celebrate the festival at that time. However, the two years after the war concluded also saw no festival because of inflation. It should be only obvious, then, that when Hitler began his reign, and swastika flags replaced those of Bavaria’s blue and white one, there was no festival. During World War II, between 1933 and 1945, there were no festivals. From 1946 to 1948, though, Munich only celebrated the “Autumn Fest.” Since its inception, the festival has been cancelled 24 times.

Since 1950, though, Oktoberfest has been a widely-celebrated and worldly-anticipated event. It has since grown to see approximately seven million people over the two and a half week period. About three-quarters of the fair visitors will likely be from Bavaria. Of course, the other 25% of visitors will likely hail from other countries of the European Union as well as the countries of the Americas. Visitors will taste beer, wine, sparkling wine, coffee, and tea from the region as well as dine on local delicacies made from chicken, pork sausages, fish, pork knuckles, and oxen.

Anyone who’s sat at a bar and had a beer will tell you that there are many different types of beer. Just as wine comes in a variety of flavors, so does beer. There are light beers and dark beers and imported and domestic beers. Even the way they are served can be a dramatic difference, giving beer drinkers the choices of draft, bottled, or canned.

As the beer is made, it will contain key ingredients. Water, yeast, hops, and malted barley are combined to give you beer. As you change one of these ingredients to a slightly different version, you’ll get a slightly different beer.

Lager

The yeast used in lager is known as bottom fermenting. This kind of yeast produces a less alcoholic beer and needs colder temperatures during the fermentation process. Lagers are lighter in color and less complex. Of the different types of beer, most beers sold in the US are lagers.

Ale

Ales use a different kind of yeast than a lager. Different types of beer use different types of yeast and in the case of ale, the yeast used is top fermenting. As a result of this kind of yeast, it requires a warmer temperature and will have a slightly higher percentage of alcohol. Ales will be fuller and more complex than a lager as well.

Within the category of ale are the porters and stouts. These are made with dark malts and are therefore dark in color, like a Guinness. A porter and stout are very similar and were first used in the 18^th century. Typically a stout is considered a double porter.

Specialty Beer

There is no rhyme or reason when making specialty beer. This is when people can truly get creative, adding virtually anything to make a unique flavor. Candy, chocolate, spices, juice, and anything else that one can get their hands on can be added to the beer. Many home brewing kits will typically be categorized as specialized beer because your average beer drinker can’t control themselves when they’re allowed the freedom for adding ingredients and making all different types of beer.

The Vessel

The different types of beer also produce a different flavor as they are served via draft or in a can or bottle. Many believe that the truest way to drink the beer is by draft because it is freshly poured. Next is the glass bottle because the glass doesn’t change the flavor that the brewery had intended. Finally is the can. While it is often the most cost-efficient way of drinking beer, many avid beer drinkers feel that the aluminum taints the flavor.

Beer comes in almost every shade from virtually clear to golden yellow to almost black. As the color changes, so does the flavor. Changing the yeast or the malted barley will change the richness and the category of the beer. As beer is made in every country, each one will taste a little different. No matter where in the world the beer was made, it will use the same four basic ingredients but can have a completely different flavor.