I was divorced yesterday. It is a horrible thing.

English cask delight in Baltimore

18 December 2003 at Sean Bolan's in Baltimore was this English ale lover's delight.

On draft was George Gale Christmas Ale: brown/ruby red in color with evident crystal malt character accompanied by Christmas fruit-cake flavors of allspice,raspberry, apple, and raisin...a tippling 8+% abv. The bottled iteration was selected by the Baltimore Sun as one of three preferred imported Christmas beers this year.

The hand-pulled cask was Butty Bach, from Wye Valley Brewery, a regional in Herfordshire. It was bright with spot-on conditioning and 4.5% abv. The nose was superb: fragrant and spicy hops intertwined with a sweet malt aroma. Ditto for the flavor. The finish was surprisingly dry for only 28 BUs. I would have had a second but ...

There was another cask, set on the bartop. It was Ploughman's, from Wye Valley as well.

Wow! With a gorgeous red garnet shade, bright and clear, this was a very well conditioned pint. The head and lace were long-lived in the glass - well at least for the few minutes before I drained it. The aroma: coffee ice cream, toffee, dark fruit, and apples. 5.6% abv made this a welcoming winter warmer. The 45 BUs weren't evident as heavy-handed bitterness but as a welcome drying balance at the finish.

The couple sitting next to me at the bar, drinking the cask as well, took the name of the beer to heart, and ordered a Ploughman's Platter.

Prohibition Repealed!

Seventy years ago today, Utah voted to approve the 21st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, thus terminating the ignoble nearly 14 year reign of the 18th Amendment, Prohibition.

Some might find it ironic that Utah, of all states, would vote to allow alcohol. On closer examination, it may have been sagacious of that state, in light of its founders' tribulations, to repudiate an amendment, in fact the ONLY amendment, that eradicated constitutional rights.

A guide for our age?

Have a beer (or, if you must, some wine) tonight and toast the great state of Utah ... and wisdom.

Dominion Winter Brew 2003 - a review

John Pollack, the manager of The Old Vine (a wonderful wine, beer, and artisinal cheese shop in Baltimore) recently turned me onto a marvelous beer.

It's this year's (2003) Dominion Winter Brew.

The back label states: "This year's Winter Brew is a reproduction of the classic Polish porters. We used a traditonal lager yeast to ferment this high gravity beer. Our brewers used a combination of German malts and Polish hops to create this unique beer." The rest of the label continues on in Polish, I would suppose repeating this description.

At 5.8%, it's not the high gravity to which some of us have become accustomed, but the 'bite' of alcohol was obvious in this beer, not unpleasantly. It pours dark red/brown, with good legs, and an honest dark tan head. The aroma combines hints of licorice and woody spice with wafts of sweet chocolate. The flavor continues the chocolate theme but contributes roast coffee and malt sugar. There is alcohol present in flavor, almost like a shot of coffee liqueur. The finish is roasty and bitter, again with a warming alcoholic bite.

I drank this with lentil soup and a slice of dense German pumpernickel. Delicious ... even if that pairing did mash together elements of "old Europe" with "new Europe".

I might compare the beer to Baltika Porter, or to Utenos Porter from Lithuania, or to the late lamented Polish Okocim Porter, or, even closer in style, to the similarly discontinued Swedish Pripps Carnegie Porter, although not as strong as the Okocim's 8% and not as roasty and bitter as the Pripps. (By the way, those last two beers were discontinued by their respective breweries soon after being absorbed by Carlsberg. I sent an email to remonstrate but, of course, there was no response.) ... or to New Jersey's Perkuno Hammer and offerings from other US micros. As with IPA and porter, it's American micros that once more are coming to the rescue of an endangered breed of beer.

With my surname of Cizauskas, I might disagree with the designation "Polish Porter". For even with the use of Polish harvested Lublin hops, I would presume the modifier Baltic to be better and Lithuanian to be best. Labas!

Halloween Costume Beer Dinner

It's a Halloween Beer Dinner, Wednesday 29 October,at the Sputnik Cafe in Crownsville, Md. Located just outside of Annapolis, the Sputnik Cafe, when not hosting beer or wine dinners, is a funky, Asian-American fusion-esque restaurant, with BOTH a good-wine list and a good-beer list (bottles only).

1397 Generals Highway
Crownsville, MD
410-923-3775
www.sputnikcafe.com

$40 with costume
$50 without!
reservations required

The dinner features 6 beers from wholesaler Legends, Ltd, paired with a 5-course dinner, planned by the three chef/co-owners. I'll be providing the commentary.

Beer 1
Moorhouse's Black Cat

Beer 2
Schneider Wiesen Ede-Weisse
Paired with roasted beets and purple potato salad, tossed with Chinese mustard vinaigrette.

Beer 3
Buergerbrau Wies'n Marzen
Paired with Chicken & apple sausage skewers.

Beer 4
Moorhouse's Pendle Witches Brew
Paired with Monkfish with milk-cooked corn, chilis and coconut.

Beer 5
Unibroue Maudite
Paired with slow-braised lamb, onions, leeks.

Beer 6
Unibroue Anniversary 10
Paired with platter of mead-glazed artisianal cheeses.