Drinkability:  Beer isn’t too sweet and won’t bog you down too much when drunk in large quantities.  So when you find yourself at a festival drinking beer for the weekend, you can have several without feeling as though you’ve overdone it.  And, strange as it may sound, beer is somewhat nutritious.  Well, it’s fat-free and cholesterol free, and packs fewer calories per ounce when compared to most juices, milk, and sodas.  Studies have shown that there are some cardiovascular benefits to drinking beer, too, because of the antioxidants found in the cereal grains used to brew up a batch of beer.

Alcohol:  Yes, some people at times drink beer because there is alcohol in it, and alcohol relaxes your nervous system, helps you unwind after a stressful day, or on a date, or whatever reason you may have for needing to loosen up a little.  That same alcohol content is responsible for starting the beer-drinking trend way back in ancient times, when drinking the water could literally make a person sick.  Thus beer was a staple for the Egyptians and Greeks, young and old alike.  It’s been said that the workers who built the infamous pyramids were given beer three times daily, and scenes of ancient Egyptian breweries could be found on the walls of tombs.  Nowadays, nearly 2/3 of American adults drink alcohol, and of those adults, approximately 41% report that beer is typically their drink of choice.

Cost:  This one is simple. The ingredients in beer (malt, grains, hops, yeast, etc.) are not all that expensive.  It can be made relatively easily on an industrial scale (Budweiser or Coors, anyone?) and even microbreweries, while more expensive to operate, are still overall fairly cheap.  And distribution is easy, too, because once the beer is bottled or put into a keg, it is ready to drink.  No need to add juices or other ingredients to make the perfect beverage.

Food compatibility:  Burgers and beer.  Beer and pizza.  Need I say more?

Variety:  Although beer is comprised of few ingredients, the flavors are complex, varying, and abundant.  Like snowflakes, no two brews are exactly alike, and brewers eager to show off their mad skills are forever working to perfect their craft.  It may be nearly impossible for even the modest beer drinker to not find something they like—or even love.  The result is that brewers are constantly deriving better beers with more flavors, which in turn attract more drinkers, who then encourage brewers to come up with an even better recipe.  The result is a never-ending cycle and as the market continues to grow the competition grows right along with it.

Beer drinking has been around since ancient times, and there is no indication that the love affair will die down any time soon. With new varieties cropping up nearly every day, there will always be something out there for you to love.  Cheers!

The post Cheers for Beers! appeared first on Houston's Blog.

It’s pretty wild that scientists were able to recreate recipes from eons ago.  What’s even wilder, though, is that beer and grapes combine to make bright, refreshing, and bubbly beers that are so desired that they are becoming a crafting trend in our day and age.  Who would ever have thought it possible?

While the Ancient Egyptians likely concocted the beverage because of the tools and ingredients available to them at the time, modern crafters are excited about the complexity of the resulting beverage.   Hops, barley, and grapes, though, have never been the best of friends.  At best they were fine just keeping to themselves, but at worst they have been each other’s arch enemy.  Brewers are working hard to overcome this virulent rivalry and to bridge the gap for wine and beer loyalists alike.  The newest genre of what has become known as a “hybrid” (although brewers sort of resent that term) is rapidly taking a strong grip on the industry.

And so one must ask themselves if this new concoction really is a beer, or is it really a wine?  And herein lies the conundrum because really, it is not just wine mixed with beer, but rather mixing the methods in which beer and wine are made.  The simple answer is “neither,” but the longer and probably truer answer is that it is oh-so-much-more.  The resulting beverage is truly the best of both worlds, as complex as the best of wines but as crisp and refreshing as a cold beer on a hot day.  The hybrids, for lack of a better word, are fruity and oaky, sweet or dry as the grapes dictate, and beyond bitter hoppiness or smooth maltiness.

Brewing up this tasty beer is a chore, though, especially because brewers are in general used to working with dried hops and grains that don’t spoil.  Grapes are another story, as they need to be used soon after harvesting to avoid rotting before putting them to use.  The result seems to be well worth the effort, and craft brewers continue to experiment with barrel-aging techniques, with using wine yeast strains in the fermentation process, and even with brewing with the entire wine must (freshly pressed grape juice that includes the skin, the seeds, and the stems.)

To taste for yourself what the craze is all about, maybe start with the Noble Rot by Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales out of Milton, Delaware.  The Noble Rot is brewed with Viognier must, a Pinot Gris must, and pilsner and wheat malts, and then fermented with a Belgian yeast strain.  The beer is an almost-equal partnership between grapes and grains, and the result is an exceptionally bubbly, golden beverage with a rich grape aroma.  Its flavor is initially sweet but it finishes a bit spicy, making it an optimal choice for a warm summer night.  For a sweeter take, try their Midas Touch, brewed with white Muscat grapes, barley, wildflower honey, and saffron.  Or if you prefer a hoppier IPA, Dogfish Head makes Sixty-One, a hoppy IPA brewed with California Syrah grape must.

No matter which you decide to try, or if you venture out and find others that are equally as tempting, you will find yourself pleasantly surprised by the refreshingly complex flavors of this new genre of beers.

The post When Two Worlds Collide: Making Beer with Grapes appeared first on Houston's Blog.