<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=192888919167017&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Friday, March 29, 2024
March 29, 2024

Linkedin Pinterest

Check It Out: Raise a glass to comprehensive beer guide

By Jan Johnston
Published: September 27, 2015, 6:02am

Put on your lederhosen, tune up that alphorn, and get ready to quaff some ale because it’s Oktoberfest time. Prost!

Today, we think of oompah music and foamy beer steins whenever the term Oktoberfest is used, but did you know that when this festival started in Germany in the early 1800s, horse racing was the main attraction? Of course, it didn’t take long for food — and barley pops — to become necessary accompaniments to the spectators’ enjoyment. Although the horse racing event officially galloped away in 1960, the parades, brass bands, and vast quantities of beer continue to this day. Curious as to how much beer is consumed during the annual Munich Oktoberfest? In 2013, 7.7 million liters (a little over 2 million gallons) were consumed by hop-happy visitors. That’s barrels and barrels and barrels and barrels of fun.

I’ve been known to partake of a cold brew now and then, but I’m certainly no connoisseur. My very first taste of a malt beverage caused me to question the good sense of those who favored a beer over, say, a glass of lemonade. But I eventually came around, learning how to appreciate the malty flavors and amber goodness.

Since Oktoberfest is under full swig (snicker) across the world, and the Northwest is home to many local breweries — plus it helps that I can actually imbibe a glass of suds without making a face — it felt like a good time to tap into the library’s selection of beer-related books.

There are many good titles to choose from, but “The Complete Beer Course” caught my eye because it sounds authoritative (“complete” implies all that there is to know, so that’s solid enough for me), and the subtitle includes the words “geeks” and “novice,” an apt description of yours truly. And guess what? The book does not disappoint.

Here are just a few of the fascinating tidbits I learned from “The Complete Beer Course.” Let’s start with hops. Did you know that hops can be deadly? “When tightly baled,” writes Joshua Bernstein, “the oily, resinous flowers have been known to combust spontaneously, sparking deadly fires like the one that destroyed a hops warehouse in Yakima, Washington, in 2006.” So hop-tempered. I also learned that hops can have interesting names. Fuggles, Nelson Sauvin, Pride of Ringwood and Falconer’s Flight are just a few of the many hops varieties climbing their way to beery success.

Time to talk about beer recommendations. Back in the day, a typical grocery store stocked a limited number of beer brands. Nowadays, the beer selection can be overwhelming. An important part of Bernstein’s “complete beer course” focuses on — what else — consumption. Each beer category includes “Two to Taste” and a list of backup beers. Homework never tasted so good!

My beer of choice is a wheat beer — aka hefeweizen. The author’s description is so much better than anything I could write: “The [hefeweizen] is a cloudy looker, all hazy gold and topped with a foam tiara that’s as thick and creamy as mousse.” He practically makes it sound like a dessert. On the other hand, bitter beers, of which there are many, as I have sometimes unhappily discovered, can be so bitter, such as a triple IPA, that a taste can be “a palate-wrecking bomb to both your taste buds and your sobriety.” If you’ve never tried the triple IPA, the author advises that you “make sure to share … with a friend. Or three.” Or, avoid it altogether, I say.

From pumpkin beers to bourbon barrel-aged beers, suds-licious historical facts to yeasty bits of beer-lore, Bernstein’s “boot camp” feels less like a workout and more like a convivial pub crawl — without the pubs or the crawl. And when you complete the course, you might be inspired to create your own special brew. Not to worry. The library has plenty of home-brewing books to check out, so be sure to include us in your research process. Hop to it!


 

Jan Johnston is the collection development coordinator for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District. Email her at readingforfun@fvrl.org.

Loading...