tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post7129672934499181537..comments2024-03-29T05:58:25.823-04:00Comments on Seen Through a Glass: "You're not getting this, are you?"Lew Brysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-42012484994267351542007-05-14T11:39:00.000-04:002007-05-14T11:39:00.000-04:00>"I'm through being cool.">>Didn't Devo do a song ...>"I'm through being cool."<BR/>><BR/>>Didn't Devo do a song about that?<BR/><BR/>Time to bang some heads<BR/>Time to beat some butts<BR/>Time to show those Evil Spuds what's what<BR/><BR/>Seems oddly appropriate for this thread, I think!<BR/><BR/>have fun<BR/>RDSRichard Stuevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13436463489996483859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-10733519816312078602007-05-09T10:59:00.000-04:002007-05-09T10:59:00.000-04:00But Scott! The glass of porter was in my other han...But Scott! The glass of porter was in my <I>other</I> hand!Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-87958101404648337132007-05-09T10:52:00.000-04:002007-05-09T10:52:00.000-04:00Hey Lew,As always, thanks for spanning the globe t...Hey Lew,<BR/>As always, thanks for spanning the globe to bring us a constant variety of sports - um, beers. Oh, you know what I mean...<BR/><BR/>One comment: You may have been more convincing on the merits of a lower alcohol beer that you can drink all afternoon without a glass of 50.5% liquor in your hand. Granted, the portion size is certainly different, but it's certainly a big flavored beverage...<BR/><BR/>And thank goodness people like Jeff are out there, doing their part at the Mad Mex Cranberry, DRINKING those session ales so they keep them on tap!<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/>Scott - East EndAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13809646059259382068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-17705939894677008272007-05-01T12:54:00.000-04:002007-05-01T12:54:00.000-04:00Gary Burleigh, folks!I drink it all, myself, but I...Gary Burleigh, folks!<BR/><BR/>I drink it all, myself, but I put more of a hurting on your porter supply than anything else. Good beer, man!Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-78130922422397272302007-05-01T12:30:00.000-04:002007-05-01T12:30:00.000-04:00Lou, at first I had a feeling it was one of my fri...Lou, at first I had a feeling it was one of my friends,now pretty sure it was not.But like they say opinions are like A-holes everybody has one. Right now I have 6 beers on tap the highest abv is 7 the highest ibu is 75 and I cant keep up with the 5.4 ABV and the 35IBU stuff.Opinions about beer are like opinions about motorcycles. Some belive if you dont ride a HD your not a biker, but I dont know how many none bikers rode their bike from Erie to Key West.So let say what they want and drink what they want.garyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14268031012883105389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-47435065185701114042007-05-01T00:04:00.000-04:002007-05-01T00:04:00.000-04:00I know what you're saying, Rich. I like Stella. I ...I know what you're saying, Rich. I like Stella. I find it a refreshing, tasty lager on draft. In fact, not long ago, I had draft Stella and draft Pilsner Urquell side by side, and all things being equal, I was happy to be drinking Stella. No beer geek I tell this to understands me. Sigh...Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-76162258052668951982007-04-30T23:47:00.000-04:002007-04-30T23:47:00.000-04:00Hi Lew,I enjoyed the story about your meeting with...Hi Lew,<BR/><BR/>I enjoyed the story about your meeting with the guy in the bar with the harsh views. As I am probably one of the "sheep" referred to in the story, I also have liked your supporting commentary about session beers in the wake the latest and greatest beers to be imagined, brewed, and then consumed.<BR/><BR/>Your story reminded me of a request I recently complied with from a friend I am trying to put together a beer dinner with. He asked for a "dream list" of bottled beer and among the Ommegang and the Allagash <BR/>selections I put down Kronenbourg. Later, he asked me about it in a surprised tone. I explained that I drank a lot of it in France last summer and it was great with sushi.<BR/>I could have said PBR, which I drink for watching "My Name is Earl", just to stick a fork in him to get over the beer geek holiness. <BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/>RichRichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15767933208824983050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-32597609980834191812007-04-30T08:10:00.000-04:002007-04-30T08:10:00.000-04:00A Double White? What are we coming to?A Double White? What are we coming to?Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10585545034172431563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-1603160199659267132007-04-29T14:03:00.000-04:002007-04-29T14:03:00.000-04:00Well-said, Jeff. And Dortmunder rocks.Well-said, Jeff. And Dortmunder rocks.Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-5343066386668489362007-04-28T13:05:00.000-04:002007-04-28T13:05:00.000-04:00Hey Lew,Glad to see you writing on this topic. I ...Hey Lew,<BR/><BR/>Glad to see you writing on this topic. I was starting to think that maybe Greg and I were going on too much about appreciating subtle beer. It seems all too often we either find ourselves in a rant usually about Stone; or preaching about how people who think they have reached the pinnacle of your beer appreciation with Pliney the Elder have not seen it all, usually winding up on how wonderful the Dortmunder style is.<BR/><BR/>Lew is 100% right about having more than 2. And this is frustrating me at the moment. A new Max Mex opened up 3.1 miles from my house, it's non, smoking, I was on top of the world. But the bar manager is stuck in the extreme beer phase. Out of their 23 craft taps they something along the lines of 4 DIPA 6 IPA 3 Imperial Stouts/Porters A double white. And the list goes on and on. <BR/><BR/>I wanna have more than 2 too. Thank god that they are carrying the East End Brewing Session Beer as a welcome change of pace from the rest of the menu.<BR/><BR/>One point that Dan Shelton made on our show was that these big beers are not the ones that are healthy for you. With beers that are 400 calories for 12 ounces it does not quite balance out with the good stuff that beer provides.<BR/><BR/>Time to go get that Dortmunder out of the fridge.Jeff Bearerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543327641698139244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-29996284965405217882007-04-27T12:08:00.000-04:002007-04-27T12:08:00.000-04:00"I'm through being cool." Didn't Devo do a song ab..."I'm through being cool." <BR/><BR/>Didn't Devo do a song about that?<BR/><BR/>I'm with you, Chuck, but then what the hell am I going to write about?!Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-40777712032997766662007-04-27T10:35:00.000-04:002007-04-27T10:35:00.000-04:00You know, I've been doing this beer thing for 30 +...You know, I've been doing this beer thing for 30 + years now. I'm tired of the debates too. I just want to enjoy my beer, be able to drink more than one if I want or have something huge if the mood strikes me (It rarely does anymore).<BR/>I no longer feel the need to take notes about what I'm drinking, do some long drawn out analysis of the flavors, or whatever. <BR/>I just want to be able to choose a well-made brew and sit down and enjoy it without too much thought. Most often that choice will be an accessible beer like Bluebird or maybe a growler of some beautiful, precision lager from my local Gordon Biersch. Lew is correct; I don't need to be maligned for drinking what I like. After all my taste is the bottom line for me. I've done all the big brews and next hip new thing in the beer movement for a long time. I'm through being cool. Just let me drink what I want to drink.<BR/>Chuck TriplettAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-29481875354635902072007-04-26T13:08:00.000-04:002007-04-26T13:08:00.000-04:00Rick,You're right on the foodies and all their sub...Rick,<BR/><BR/>You're right on the foodies and all their sub-categories: hot peppers, chocolate, fat, offal, rare, and so on. I think most do move beyond. I just wish they weren't so dismissive when they're mid-phase!<BR/><BR/>Welcome to Seen Through a Glass!<BR/><BR/>LewLew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-21779433652037487212007-04-26T12:41:00.000-04:002007-04-26T12:41:00.000-04:00Couldn't you call caffeinated water or vitamin enr...Couldn't you call caffeinated water or vitamin enriched water "extreme" water?<BR/><BR/>Can't wait to see what BA & Bryson can "cook" up.Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10585545034172431563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-21138589005670568132007-04-26T12:36:00.000-04:002007-04-26T12:36:00.000-04:00Extreme Water: there has to be a way. Fresh, clea...Extreme Water: there has to be a way. Fresh, clean, daily requirement, healthy. Its got to be there. And, frnkly, I expect you to pick up these ideas and run with them, Lew. I can only feed you so many of these gems. ;-)Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01670495301758701170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-23992583515790236342007-04-26T12:24:00.000-04:002007-04-26T12:24:00.000-04:00Great story, wonderful comments. I've been guilty...Great story, wonderful comments. I've been guilty of the over-enthusiastic love affair with all things big - the days with 8% was small and 70 IBUs was weak. I think it is a phase, and certainly not sustainable for lifelong beer drinkers. I've rediscovered session beers in the last couple of years, and am happy it is warming up and more and more are coming to market now. <BR/><BR/>I don't think this is unique to beer enthusiasts though. I look at the 'foodies' who swear by eating the richest, most flavorful foods day in and day out. I think that is the same issue - there's a period of discovery and excitement with big beers and big food, and for many it is like a switch that is flipped that drives them to discover all they can in that thread of taste. <BR/><BR/>I do find it odd these days going to a good beer bar with a handful of taps, but nothing under 7%. I think this will correct itself naturally, again, because it just isn't sustainable for those who really appreciate a good beer.<BR/><BR/>Great comments here - glad I stumbled across the site. Thanks.Rick Sellershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09382485679681997941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-80540388345922521302007-04-26T11:42:00.000-04:002007-04-26T11:42:00.000-04:00Alan,I absolutely agree that we ARE deeply affecte...Alan,<BR/>I absolutely agree that we ARE deeply affected by commercials and marketing. I am faced with evidence of it in myself practically every day, much to my chagrin. What I meant in my post was that people don't choose porter, or bitter, or witbier, for example, because of marketing, at least not in the U.S. market. They come to those choices as natural as is possible in this fallen world.<BR/><BR/>As for the story...we're writing it. Here. And people are picking it up. The latest issue of BeerAdvocate announced that the Brothers Alström and I will be doing...something (to tell the truth, we don't know exactly what yet) to champion session-strength beer. That's got weight. Eric Asimov wrote about session strength beer in his NYT blog recently. It's peeked over the horizon, and that's very, very good.<BR/><BR/>"Extreme water." I see what you mean, but I'll be dipped if I can see it working!Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-6274166470715333372007-04-26T11:32:00.000-04:002007-04-26T11:32:00.000-04:00I go back to my extreme water concept, Lew. You n...I go back to my extreme water concept, Lew. You need the angle on the session and it must be founded the respectability of lightness. <BR/><BR/>I disagree to the point that people are not affected deeply by commercials. We are what we are taught and we experience what our teaching guides us to. So the macro brews are the subject of the lesson learned from TV ads and massive bombs are the lesson learned from the large "alt.beer" spinoffs. We do not have a story for the third way of the session in the way Stonch notes CAMRA provides for real ale in the UK.<BR/><BR/>BTW, I have a cellar full of 10% beers that are gathering dust as I move through the sessions on a regular basis. Their role is exactly as Stonch says - the extra special treat. We need a new way to describe the alternative. Maybe "table beer" or "everyday craft beer" - which are all about that skill in framing good water.<BR/><BR/>Alan<BR/>A Good Beer BlogGenX at 40https://www.blogger.com/profile/09691873959881169457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-18807531276160556082007-04-26T07:36:00.000-04:002007-04-26T07:36:00.000-04:00GBBF is on the list, Stonch; not this year, but ma...GBBF is on the list, Stonch; not this year, but maybe 2008. Just the thought makes me swoon.Lew Brysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084380741402026573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-41235603736808796462007-04-26T07:25:00.000-04:002007-04-26T07:25:00.000-04:00That's one great thing about CAMRA festivals here ...That's one great thing about CAMRA festivals here in the UK - its all about session beers. Row after row of casks of session beers, with just a handful of "extreme beers" thrown into the mix to mark the occasion. You appreciate a big beer so much more in that context.<BR/><BR/>Lew, you need to come over for the Great British Beer Festival this year. It's in August. I'll be your local guide!Stonchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15927490011165896353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-6881373240529876822007-04-25T23:15:00.000-04:002007-04-25T23:15:00.000-04:00Don't wine reviewers favor the "hedonistic fruit b...Don't wine reviewers favor the "hedonistic fruit bombs"? I wouldn't put too much stock into the the review scores on the two main beer sites.<BR/><BR/>Subtle will always have problems with proper appreciation no matter what the category. That's why it is called "subtle." If everyone appreciated these qualities, they wouldn't be subtle.<BR/><BR/>Why did Jesus speak in parables?geoffrobinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14949411893531888555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-6491975058544257252007-04-25T18:40:00.000-04:002007-04-25T18:40:00.000-04:00Just to make an example of myself, and because I h...Just to make an example of myself, and because I have nothing pertinent to add to Lew's points, I stopped at Victory last Friday and picked up a bottle of V-Saison and filled a growler with Throwback Lager. One kind of big, one kind of...session-y.<BR/><BR/>It was a good weekend. Thank God for variety and the ability to choose.Harry Spadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16771473518735979275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-32520799677608471012007-04-25T16:46:00.000-04:002007-04-25T16:46:00.000-04:00A number of years ago I was sitting at Victory and...A number of years ago I was sitting at Victory and struck up a conversation with the guy next to me. He talked about how he used to drink BudMillerCoors but now that he found Hop Devil he only drinks "good" beer. I then ordered a Golden Monkey and he asked me why I would order that "sh*t" since Hop Devil was the "good" stuff. He still had the same, narrow minded view that he had before, he only appeared to be better educated. Just because he was drinking a beer that many consider "better" or "more flavorful" than the macro-brews does not make up for the fact that his outlook is still all wrong. To truly appreciate beer you need to sample ALL beers, even ones you might not like or "get." It is the only way to educate your palette and understand where these "extreme" beers came from. That is why I will still have a BudMillerCoors every now and again...if someone buys it for me. ;)<BR/><BR/>Bottom line, a lot of folks THINK they know alot about beer because they seek out the biggest and baddest around but they never take the time to truly learn and educate themselves about the full spectrum of flavors available. I actually feel sorry for them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-54978816986029733442007-04-25T16:27:00.000-04:002007-04-25T16:27:00.000-04:00I'll show you all - I'm going home and having a Wa...I'll show you all - I'm going home and having a Warsteiner Drive with dinner!! ;-)Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10585545034172431563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315262155858800734.post-75066956773491278212007-04-25T14:40:00.000-04:002007-04-25T14:40:00.000-04:00Well maybe some of these folks need to come to The...Well maybe some of these folks need to come to The Session Summer Of Love Fest on May 24,25,26. It's not your daddy's session beer anymore!Dan Bengelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06383866980175703394noreply@blogger.com