Thomas Jefferson, keeping in line with his political ideals defined before his day by John Locke, wrote of natural rights. Natural rights for mankind was a fairly radical notion given that the monarch in Britain defined his or her power and authority from "divine right." God ordained it. In writing the "Declaration of Independence," Jefferson had the audacity to say that all of mankind held rights "endowed by their creator," those being "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." These rights were "unalienable," meaning the crown nor any form of government could not stand in their way.
The Average Guy takes rights such as these seriously to the point that if I were sitting at Jefferson's side at that point in history, I'd say, "Hey Tommy, consider this to the old list, 'the pursuit of hoppiness.'"* Thomas, it is worth pointing out, was a wine person and credited with the creation of American wines by grafting wine branches from France and taking them to Monticello. So it is logical then that he would have gladly taken craft beer as a worthy pursuit.
Hops were substituted as a key ingredient in beer by the Germans about 500 years ago.... so says Bill Hardy, master brewer and grand proprietor of the Yellow House Canyon Brew Supply store in Lubbock. As he notes, it took the place of some rather unseemly ingredients, and as the Germans hold the ingredients into what can define a beverage as a "beer," hops have become that main ingredient. Hops give it the "bitterness" factor and, as some claim, the mellowing factor of a beer (it's not just the alcohol).
Pale ales are beers dedicated to hops. The IPA, the current rage, is an especially hoppy beer that measures high on the hops' richter scale, called the IBU. Pale ales in general have a high hope factor. Two that Average Guy has tried recently are Shiner's Wild Hare Pale Ale and Mirror Pond Pale Ale.
Shiner is so proud of its Wild Hare that it has a website dedicated strictly to it. Not a fan of overly hopped beers myself, I did enjoy the Wild Hare as it toned down the hoppy tradition of a pale ale as you can see in the specifications of its beer. Mirror Pond has a distinguished hoppy flavor beyond my taste buds, but I think the fan of a pale ale and its hops will enjoy it. Shiner calls its pale ale a "classic American pale ale" while Mirror Pond, brewed in Idaho at the Deschutes Brewery, refers to itself as a classic northwest pale ale.
Neither come close to the rabid hops of an IPA which I tend to avoid, but I will give in eventually in order to provide you with wise words of counsel when it comes to beers.
Try either of these two beers if they are available. Remember, it is a God-given right when it comes to the "pursuit of hoppiness" in 'Merica, by gawd.
*Editor's note - It is worth pointing out that Pursuit of Hoppiness is a beer brewed by the Grand Teton Brewery in Victor, Idaho which I learned as I was typing this. This is meant as an acknowledgement of their trademark and not a review of their beer.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Spring Brake
Spring is in the air here in the South Plains of West Texas, and as such, God (or nature, or Vishnu, or whomever else you the reader hold in esteem) has put a brake on the weather of Artic nature. I am convinced that this was the time of year that settlers in their horse-drawn wagons came to the area and said to themselves, "Beautiful, this is God's country. Let's make our homes here," not realizing God would then release the brakes around mid-April and give us a solid month or two of hurricane force winds. He had them fooled, and as more advanced and high-minded folk, He (or she, or it, or whatever gender/non-gender you assign him or her) has us fooled as well.
We took advantage of the break last week, appropriately named "Spring Break," and our family came together on several occasions to observe the rituals of the cold snap lifting, the geese beginning their long migration north, the whir of lawnmowers starting up, and other familiar sounds of the thaw.
Each Texan is granted a God-given right, ordained by God himself (Leviticus 7), to offer meat for sacrifice via burnt offering and then partake in that offering afterward. Consequently, every Texan worth his or her weight in salt has a smoker of equal or greater proportions to a small house in which to smoke and consume meat in all categories - beef, poultry, pork, fowl, fish, assorted vegetables such as corn on the cob, onions, and creative dishes known or unknown to the end user of the product such as various forms of road kill and other such desired plates.
The days, now the same length as they were before but categorized as saving daylight (please explain that to me logically), gave ample time to smoke an abundance of meat over the break. The beauty of a finely smoked piece of meat (piece weighing less than a ton but over five pounds) is that the time and duration of the smoke is equal to the merriment that surrounds the day. In all, we spent about five days in and around three different cookers - a new gas grill, a smoker, and then a friend's smoker - enjoying such things as steak, chicken, brisket, pork spare ribs, and pulled pork.
Average Guy cannot underscore the importance, then, of how to fill the time while the meat is on the smoker/grill - dominoes, cards, chatting around the table, cigars, wine, and of course the staple to any diet with such things as smoked meat - beer. Now, high-minded educated types (not Average Guy) have a table of foods that mix properly (etiquette) and worthily (taste) with beverages - wines and beers. Rogue Ales (I'm now a citizen of Rogue Nation by the way - even have my freshly minted ID card) even is kind enough to use a legend and figures on the side of each beer telling you what this blends well with. I do enjoy a lighter beer during the smoke, perhaps even a mass-produced kind that is light bodied and not leaning too much on flavor, maybe even best served cold. However, in the event a cigar is lit while the meat is smoking, a lager becomes the choice (although lagers are not light-colored beers alone). With it being Spring Break, a St. Arnold's Spring Bock (seasonal) became that beer of choice. Bock, as was mentioned earlier, means "ram" in German (see Shiner Bock). This is a full, rich dark-bodied beer that flows smoothly and is pleasing in many ways.
With my son back at college, my daughter back on full schedule, my wife back teaching in the classroom (supporting my lazy self), I hope to begin a more consistent review of brew for you. May I recommend, though, the finer things in life like a good day, nice weather, the aroma of smokes in the air (wood of choice, meat, and cigar), and all the other things in life that make it good.
Until next time, I am just the Average Guy seeking the perfect beer one beer at a time for you.
We took advantage of the break last week, appropriately named "Spring Break," and our family came together on several occasions to observe the rituals of the cold snap lifting, the geese beginning their long migration north, the whir of lawnmowers starting up, and other familiar sounds of the thaw.
Each Texan is granted a God-given right, ordained by God himself (Leviticus 7), to offer meat for sacrifice via burnt offering and then partake in that offering afterward. Consequently, every Texan worth his or her weight in salt has a smoker of equal or greater proportions to a small house in which to smoke and consume meat in all categories - beef, poultry, pork, fowl, fish, assorted vegetables such as corn on the cob, onions, and creative dishes known or unknown to the end user of the product such as various forms of road kill and other such desired plates.
The days, now the same length as they were before but categorized as saving daylight (please explain that to me logically), gave ample time to smoke an abundance of meat over the break. The beauty of a finely smoked piece of meat (piece weighing less than a ton but over five pounds) is that the time and duration of the smoke is equal to the merriment that surrounds the day. In all, we spent about five days in and around three different cookers - a new gas grill, a smoker, and then a friend's smoker - enjoying such things as steak, chicken, brisket, pork spare ribs, and pulled pork.
Average Guy cannot underscore the importance, then, of how to fill the time while the meat is on the smoker/grill - dominoes, cards, chatting around the table, cigars, wine, and of course the staple to any diet with such things as smoked meat - beer. Now, high-minded educated types (not Average Guy) have a table of foods that mix properly (etiquette) and worthily (taste) with beverages - wines and beers. Rogue Ales (I'm now a citizen of Rogue Nation by the way - even have my freshly minted ID card) even is kind enough to use a legend and figures on the side of each beer telling you what this blends well with. I do enjoy a lighter beer during the smoke, perhaps even a mass-produced kind that is light bodied and not leaning too much on flavor, maybe even best served cold. However, in the event a cigar is lit while the meat is smoking, a lager becomes the choice (although lagers are not light-colored beers alone). With it being Spring Break, a St. Arnold's Spring Bock (seasonal) became that beer of choice. Bock, as was mentioned earlier, means "ram" in German (see Shiner Bock). This is a full, rich dark-bodied beer that flows smoothly and is pleasing in many ways.
With my son back at college, my daughter back on full schedule, my wife back teaching in the classroom (supporting my lazy self), I hope to begin a more consistent review of brew for you. May I recommend, though, the finer things in life like a good day, nice weather, the aroma of smokes in the air (wood of choice, meat, and cigar), and all the other things in life that make it good.
Until next time, I am just the Average Guy seeking the perfect beer one beer at a time for you.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Arm the Garrison
March 6 marks the date in Texas (and US) history in which the Army of Mexico made final assault on and killed all soldiers in the Alamo at great cost to life on both sides. Col. Travis and some 150+ soldiers had been under siege for 13 fateful days defending the western outpost in San Antonio at the old mission known as the Alamo as Santa Ana moved north and then would move west to defeat the insurrection of the province now called Texas who had declared independence from Mexico after Santa Ana took power in 1835.
What was the threat the Alamo posed that the Mexican army had to take the fort with its small number of soldiers? What was its strategic advantage? More importantly, did it hold something of tremendous value that Travis and his men would be willing to die for ultimately and that Santa Ana would sacrifice so many for in return to capture it?
These are the kinds of questions we ask ourselves here in Fredericksburg, Texas from time to time as we sit back and enjoy the better things in life. For Average Guy, it has been a three-year relationship now with Texas first independent distillery that produces Texas first small batch bourbon whiskey known as Garrison Brothers Texas Bourbon Whiskey. Like the volunteers at the Alamo, no sacrifice is too great for God and country (Texas first and foremost. As Davy Crockett said, "You can all go to hell. I shall go to Texas.".
The volunteers at the garrison at the Alamo knew the precious nature of their supply, and this week the volunteers at Garrison are bottling Single Barrel Bourbon, known for all bottles in that limited batch of 65 - 70 bottles coming from a single 15-gallon barrel. Limited in quantity, it becomes a precious supply of high quality small batch bourbon. Like the officers at the Alamo, the staff at Garrison Brothers make sure you understand as a volunteer the unique nature of the bourbon you are handling, so there are special instructions at each part of the bottling process. Part of the honor of bottling at Garrison is the half-hour quality control check made by volunteers and staff... you know, the sacrifice you make for a team kind of thing. Each quality control check provides you the opportunity to sample the bourbon and make a toast. It is an important step in the process that ensures the taste and integrity of the bourbon as well as putting a smile on your face (and in 20 degree weather warming the heart).
Bourbon, it seems, is a trademarked distillate that can only be made in the US. Kentucky once held the lock on bourbons, but Garrison Brothers brought the bourbon industry to Texas and gets most of the ingredients for its bourbon from Texas farms, including Dan Garrison's, and it gets its water for the bourbon from Texas skies above the land that the distillery occupies. The land is the hard rock-filled land that is the Texas Hill Country dotted with thick oak trees knotted by time, land, and hard weather, so it is completely ironic that such a smooth bourbon can come from deceptively beautiful but hard surroundings.
If you ever get the chance to visit Garrison Brothers, take it. It is located between Johnson City and Fredericksburg on Highway 290 just south of Hye. If you ever get a chance to bottle, take it. Tell the gang who bottle I sent you, mainly to increase my value to them, but also to be asked to leave immediately. As we like to say in Texas, they's some good people there.
Remember Garrison Brothers Bourbon...and remember that March 6 is the day the Alamo fell. Santa Ana won, but he lost with that victory. Texas would soon become a republic, and its independence still lives on today.
What was the threat the Alamo posed that the Mexican army had to take the fort with its small number of soldiers? What was its strategic advantage? More importantly, did it hold something of tremendous value that Travis and his men would be willing to die for ultimately and that Santa Ana would sacrifice so many for in return to capture it?
These are the kinds of questions we ask ourselves here in Fredericksburg, Texas from time to time as we sit back and enjoy the better things in life. For Average Guy, it has been a three-year relationship now with Texas first independent distillery that produces Texas first small batch bourbon whiskey known as Garrison Brothers Texas Bourbon Whiskey. Like the volunteers at the Alamo, no sacrifice is too great for God and country (Texas first and foremost. As Davy Crockett said, "You can all go to hell. I shall go to Texas.".
The volunteers at the garrison at the Alamo knew the precious nature of their supply, and this week the volunteers at Garrison are bottling Single Barrel Bourbon, known for all bottles in that limited batch of 65 - 70 bottles coming from a single 15-gallon barrel. Limited in quantity, it becomes a precious supply of high quality small batch bourbon. Like the officers at the Alamo, the staff at Garrison Brothers make sure you understand as a volunteer the unique nature of the bourbon you are handling, so there are special instructions at each part of the bottling process. Part of the honor of bottling at Garrison is the half-hour quality control check made by volunteers and staff... you know, the sacrifice you make for a team kind of thing. Each quality control check provides you the opportunity to sample the bourbon and make a toast. It is an important step in the process that ensures the taste and integrity of the bourbon as well as putting a smile on your face (and in 20 degree weather warming the heart).
Bourbon, it seems, is a trademarked distillate that can only be made in the US. Kentucky once held the lock on bourbons, but Garrison Brothers brought the bourbon industry to Texas and gets most of the ingredients for its bourbon from Texas farms, including Dan Garrison's, and it gets its water for the bourbon from Texas skies above the land that the distillery occupies. The land is the hard rock-filled land that is the Texas Hill Country dotted with thick oak trees knotted by time, land, and hard weather, so it is completely ironic that such a smooth bourbon can come from deceptively beautiful but hard surroundings.
If you ever get the chance to visit Garrison Brothers, take it. It is located between Johnson City and Fredericksburg on Highway 290 just south of Hye. If you ever get a chance to bottle, take it. Tell the gang who bottle I sent you, mainly to increase my value to them, but also to be asked to leave immediately. As we like to say in Texas, they's some good people there.
Remember Garrison Brothers Bourbon...and remember that March 6 is the day the Alamo fell. Santa Ana won, but he lost with that victory. Texas would soon become a republic, and its independence still lives on today.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Endeavour to Persevere
March 2, 1836 is the date given to Texas Independence from Mexico, and we native Texans celebrate the day as is customary in simple terms by putting out the Texas flag, acknowledging the day on social media, firing 21 gun salutes from our backyards, parades, speeches, enjoying a beer, enjoying several beers, parties and talking smack to anyone who will listen about the virtues of all things Texas. St. Bum Phillips once said there were two kinds of people when he reigned victorious over the Houston Oilers in the late 1970s: Texans and people who wanted to be Texans.
This bravado gets us in trouble to a certain extent with the rest of the world because it is interpreted as bragging, perhaps bragging too much, but when a group of students, including me, went to Europe in college, there was really only one state that they knew about and could spot you even without a cowboy hat. In London, they knew us for two reasons in fact - 1. You were from Texas; and 2. Buddy Holly was from Texas.
My pride in Texas is evident. Once, when bidding on a project in Missouri, I was asked if my accent would be a distraction to the locals not accustomed to such by the executive director of the then-company I represented (she was from Michigan no less with a distinct accent herself). No, I said, I've never been accused of having too dramatic an accent, so when I called on the district via phone conference, I knew my voice was on display. About two minutes into the conversation, I asked, "Can you tell I'm from Texas?" Silence preceded the answer with a brief pause and then a confession that my accent was not distracting, so I ratcheted up the accent for them to let them know I could sound Texan if necessary.
My pride is also evident in the fact that my home town of Houston had Texas first microbrewery, St. Arnold's (written about before by Average Guy). Consequently, on Texas Independence Day, the beer I chose to have along with a cigar was Endeavour. St. Arnold's Endeavour comes in a large bottle and is an IPA - referred to on their website as a double IPA. The IPA is the darling of a younger generation who seeks something different in a beer. Personally, Average Guy is happy with beer and doesn't need a hops infusion on a comparative note of being the difference between a stick of dynamite and an atomic bomb. Hoppiness doesn't make me hoppy, but hops is apparently that additive, approved in Germany around the 1500s I'm told, that makes the beer drinker a bit more mellow when a beer is sipped.
Still, I'm not trendy. Don't go to coffee bars in my garb to look cool and stare into my notebook computer. Don't hit hot spots that are the upscale scenes with trendy looking people there. Instead, I like a local bar that knows me. I like the Big Band sound, 1960s rock and tail off the music scene around 1990, so I even missed the grunge sound, rap, and anything else that has come since. In addition to that, I'm not an IPA enthusiast because it is currently just that, a trend.
Endeavour went well with a cigar, so I was not disappointed but it isn't in my taste realm. I would recommend it if you like IPAs. I would also say that enjoying a beer that originates from Houston on Texas Independence Day was perfect as well. I just wish it had not been a double IPA.
I am back in the saddle, to stay with the theme. Two bouts of strep throat knocked me down, but not out, over the past month. Consequently, I've backlogged my activity. Rogue Dead Guy Ale gets a review shortly, AND a surprise commentary on bourbon from Hye, Texas all this week.
Enjoy the time we have on this earth. Be productive. And productivity increases with a beer or two. Endeavour to persevere.
This bravado gets us in trouble to a certain extent with the rest of the world because it is interpreted as bragging, perhaps bragging too much, but when a group of students, including me, went to Europe in college, there was really only one state that they knew about and could spot you even without a cowboy hat. In London, they knew us for two reasons in fact - 1. You were from Texas; and 2. Buddy Holly was from Texas.
My pride in Texas is evident. Once, when bidding on a project in Missouri, I was asked if my accent would be a distraction to the locals not accustomed to such by the executive director of the then-company I represented (she was from Michigan no less with a distinct accent herself). No, I said, I've never been accused of having too dramatic an accent, so when I called on the district via phone conference, I knew my voice was on display. About two minutes into the conversation, I asked, "Can you tell I'm from Texas?" Silence preceded the answer with a brief pause and then a confession that my accent was not distracting, so I ratcheted up the accent for them to let them know I could sound Texan if necessary.
My pride is also evident in the fact that my home town of Houston had Texas first microbrewery, St. Arnold's (written about before by Average Guy). Consequently, on Texas Independence Day, the beer I chose to have along with a cigar was Endeavour. St. Arnold's Endeavour comes in a large bottle and is an IPA - referred to on their website as a double IPA. The IPA is the darling of a younger generation who seeks something different in a beer. Personally, Average Guy is happy with beer and doesn't need a hops infusion on a comparative note of being the difference between a stick of dynamite and an atomic bomb. Hoppiness doesn't make me hoppy, but hops is apparently that additive, approved in Germany around the 1500s I'm told, that makes the beer drinker a bit more mellow when a beer is sipped.
Still, I'm not trendy. Don't go to coffee bars in my garb to look cool and stare into my notebook computer. Don't hit hot spots that are the upscale scenes with trendy looking people there. Instead, I like a local bar that knows me. I like the Big Band sound, 1960s rock and tail off the music scene around 1990, so I even missed the grunge sound, rap, and anything else that has come since. In addition to that, I'm not an IPA enthusiast because it is currently just that, a trend.
Endeavour went well with a cigar, so I was not disappointed but it isn't in my taste realm. I would recommend it if you like IPAs. I would also say that enjoying a beer that originates from Houston on Texas Independence Day was perfect as well. I just wish it had not been a double IPA.
I am back in the saddle, to stay with the theme. Two bouts of strep throat knocked me down, but not out, over the past month. Consequently, I've backlogged my activity. Rogue Dead Guy Ale gets a review shortly, AND a surprise commentary on bourbon from Hye, Texas all this week.
Enjoy the time we have on this earth. Be productive. And productivity increases with a beer or two. Endeavour to persevere.
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