the future is complicated

I was going to talk about the future of craft beer and I wanted something futuristic to drink with it.  The most convenient place when I was going shopping was Labirratorium, which has plenty of selection so no problem, although maybe it was a little too plenty.  I asked about the most innovative or strangest beer and they said, "Oh...my god, there's so many!"  And we took a little tour through the strange inventions of recent brewing times.  There was one with smoked cheese as a flavoring.  There were several sours with surprising fruits added.  There was an Italian beer with wine wort as well as regular beer wort.  And we didn't even look at the local beers!  In the end, I picked up County Fair Cobbler, a Milkshake Sour IPA.  I was tempted by a couple of porters, but they don't seem to be in fashion for the moment, or the future, and the sours and IPAs definitely are.  So that was that.

It looks a lot like a pink grapefruit soda, and even has a little grapefruity aroma.  There's definitely a bitter foundation, though.  The head is light and fizzy and doesn't stick around.   There's a fruit punch quality in there, dangling hints of pineapple and ... whatever they want us to think makes it red.  Cherry?  That's not very tropical.  Maybe it's a northern fruit punch.  I can't quite get a handle on the cranberry, but the orange is a very subtle kind of citrus winding it's way through the flavor.  I'm even getting something more like cinnamon than cranberry.  I guess there is a little cinnamon in there, along with vanilla and graham cracker.  It's certainly festive, like the first night or the last night of the fair.

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €9.65

openly smuggled

The latest discussion was the Great Beer Wars of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.  Founders represents the situation pretty well, a craft brewery that got swept up in hopes of greater market access.  I mean, it's not 100% owned by Mahou, but it's more than 25%, which is enough for the Brewers Association to say it doesn't count as craft anymore.  There's plenty of interesting stuff coming out of there, though, like Barrel Runner, a "Mosaic hopped ale aged in rum barrels".  Oughta be something different, at least!

There is a strong, sweet smell of rum right away, and the beer has a honey gold color that is certainly appetizing.  The head isn't over-abundant, but thick and stays put.  A little further sniffing pulls a fruitiness out of the aroma, something like a fig newton.  The flavor captures the burny feeling of strong alcohols, with a touch of rum sweetness, but there's a clash of flavors with the bright citrus of the mosaic hops.  It almost tastes like two drinks at once, like you're taking sips from separate glasses and mixing them in your mouth.  It's an experience, although I think it's not as smooth as other rum barrel beers I've had.

Supplier: La Cervecista

Price: €8.20

no argument here

It's a little bit of a trip down memory lane to pick up a Sierra Nevada, a true craft success story.  Their brewery in North Carolina is a sight to behold.  And damn if they don't make fantastic beers there!  Like a lot of craft breweries big and small, though, you just can't get all the menu anyplace you want.  Pale Ale is pretty much always a good choice, a long standing standard. 

The just-opened bottle gives off a fresh, piney scent, and the beer is clear, although fairly dark for a pale ale.  Not too much head, but frothy and resistant.  The flavor is bitter, but with a thick, bready feeling, a slightly sweet aftertaste.  It feels a little heavy for a pale ale, impossible to ignore, but smooth.  After a few sips it takes on a peppery quality, getting a little less smooth and more spikey.  There's no build-up of heaviness with time and warming, it's a very balanced and regular drink.

Sounds like a family company, all right

Supplier: Labirratorium

Price: €2.95

by the sea

So it seems we are about to leave the "state of emergency" that has been our normal for some time.  There are still a bunch of restrictions that have to be abided by, though, including limits on the number of people who can sit together at a restaurant table.  It's still a pretty good time to have a good beer all to yourself with the cheesiest of movies, or virtual conversation on historical marketing.  When it's 20th century beer marketing, the best choice is obviously a lager, although I can't resist picking up a good craft instead of slumming with industry.  On the other hand, we don't always hear who gets absorbed into the industry from the craft world, so Basqueland's Santa Clara might have been even more fitting for a later discussion.

In the store it was labeled as a pilsner, and the look is exactly that.  It's a light straw color with a bright, fizzy-looking head.  There's a noticeable standard beer aroma as soon as the cap is removed.  The taste hits with a hard bitter and a lager grain punch, although that graininess stays back from being truly sweet.  It's bubbly on the tongue, leaving a bit of a tickle rather than an aftertaste.  The feeling is very light, a very easy to drink kind of beer, there's almost no weight in the mouth at all.  If it wasn't less than 5% alcohol it might a something to be careful of, but as it is you can't help but feel relaxed with it.  A great start to drinking in summer temperatures!

Supplier: La Cervecista

Price: €2.70