Authors: Christina Perozzi
The Naked Pint (22 page)
Mild Ale: Better Than It Sounds
THIS BEER’S FOR YOU IF YOU LIKE:
MELLOWNESS. DRY BISCUITS. LOW, LOW ALCOHOL. NOT GETTING WASTED. NUANCE.
MELLOWNESS. DRY BISCUITS. LOW, LOW ALCOHOL. NOT GETTING WASTED. NUANCE.
Mild Ales are low-alcohol (around 3%), low bitterness beers that originated in England around the 1600s.
Mild
originally meant “young beer,” meaning it had not been aged (as much of the beer of the time was), but the term now defines a low bitterness beer. Mild Ales have been described as “running beers,” referring to the fact that the beers were served just a few days after they were brewed; they became popular in the pubs of the late 19th century. This was probably because the aged beers had a bit of a sour taste due to the stability issues with the yeast used. The idea of drinking a freshly brewed beer is still popular among British pub-goers. Mild Ales were also often mixed with other English Ales, like Browns, to create a unique, complex brew. Mild Ales tend to be nutty and mellow, with subtle fruit, molasses, toffee, and caramel notes. Their low alcohol and full flavor make them perfect for a session (see page 98). The style is extremely rare in America, where the idea of a session is a bit foreign and where using the word
mild
as an advertisement wouldn’t sell a cheap hooker to a salty sailor. Here are a few tasty Milds:
SURLY BREWING MILD ALE: Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Toffee flavor, caramel malt, mild hops. Served in a can, but don’t let that keep you away. 4.2% ABV.
THE TAP MERRIMACK MILD ALE: Haverhill Brewery Inc., Haverhill, Massachusetts. Roasty sweet caramel, hint of coffee, mild hops. 3.4% ABV.
VICTORIAN RUBY MILD : Dark Star Brewery, Haywards Heath, UK. Just slightly bitter. Nutty, mild, mixed with aged dark beer. A bit high in alcohol for its style at 6% ABV.
Mild
originally meant “young beer,” meaning it had not been aged (as much of the beer of the time was), but the term now defines a low bitterness beer. Mild Ales have been described as “running beers,” referring to the fact that the beers were served just a few days after they were brewed; they became popular in the pubs of the late 19th century. This was probably because the aged beers had a bit of a sour taste due to the stability issues with the yeast used. The idea of drinking a freshly brewed beer is still popular among British pub-goers. Mild Ales were also often mixed with other English Ales, like Browns, to create a unique, complex brew. Mild Ales tend to be nutty and mellow, with subtle fruit, molasses, toffee, and caramel notes. Their low alcohol and full flavor make them perfect for a session (see page 98). The style is extremely rare in America, where the idea of a session is a bit foreign and where using the word
mild
as an advertisement wouldn’t sell a cheap hooker to a salty sailor. Here are a few tasty Milds:
SURLY BREWING MILD ALE: Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Toffee flavor, caramel malt, mild hops. Served in a can, but don’t let that keep you away. 4.2% ABV.THE TAP MERRIMACK MILD ALE: Haverhill Brewery Inc., Haverhill, Massachusetts. Roasty sweet caramel, hint of coffee, mild hops. 3.4% ABV.VICTORIAN RUBY MILD : Dark Star Brewery, Haywards Heath, UK. Just slightly bitter. Nutty, mild, mixed with aged dark beer. A bit high in alcohol for its style at 6% ABV.
Bitter, but Not Angry: Bitters
THIS BEER’S FOR YOU IF YOU LIKE:
BEING SURLY BUT NOT MEAN. LONG DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SHAKESPEAREAN THEMES. NOTES OF TOFFEE. STAYING ON YOUR STOOL. EVENINGS AT THE PUB.
BEING SURLY BUT NOT MEAN. LONG DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SHAKESPEAREAN THEMES. NOTES OF TOFFEE. STAYING ON YOUR STOOL. EVENINGS AT THE PUB.
British Bitter is one of the most popular styles in Merry Ole England. Bitters are almost synonymous with Pale Ales, but were coined “bitter” by drinkers who wanted to differentiate these beers from other popular brews like the Mild Ale and Porter. The Bitter has a higher hop profile
than the others and is thus described by its taste. Bitters gained popularity around the mid-1800s and are still a common request by Brits. Bitters have a nice wide range of alcohol, anywhere between 3% and 7%; a malt roast level of golden to deep brown; and a variety of bitterness. The most important thing, we think, to remember about a bitter is this:
It’s not that bitter!
This is where the British accent on beer is something we Americans need to decode; the bitter in England is
not
the bitter in America. When a British fellow walks up to the bar and asks us for a Bitter (BITT AH), we know he doesn’t mean an American IPA or even a bold American Pale Ale. He means bitter as opposed to mild, light amber, dark Stout, or Porter. To the American craft drinker, these beers may simply taste dry, not bitter. To the British, these beers benefit from a subtlety that is appreciated by their countrymen. Some Bitters are popular session beers, being fairly low in alcohol but flavorful enough to enjoy pint after pint.
SESSION: A SINGLE CONTINUOUS SITTING
Session is one of our favorite beer terms. Session beers are a British invention, referring to any style of beer meant to fuel the tongue for hours of chatting and general camaraderie. Unfortunately, we don’t really have an equivalent term for this kind of beer drinking in the United States. Session beers are generally between 3% and 5% ABV, keeping the alcohol from forcing one to quit the evening too early (or too ugly). The British treat their pubs like a second living room, going there to chat the way we Americans meet at the coffee shop. This requires a particular beer that can last long and keep one from getting too sauced too quickly. One may have seven beers in a particularly enjoyable session. This is not to be confused with binge drinking, which requires a super-speed downing of many pints, often higher in alcohol, with the goal of getting wasted and making an ass of yourself. Nor does this relate to the sipping of a high-alcohol, intensely flavored beer, like a Barleywine or a Russian Imperial Stout, or the way one would drink a fine Scotch. The flavor of a session beer, too, must be sustainable for many gulps. This means perfect session beers tend to be well balanced, not too bitter, and not too sweet, with a complexity of flavor that doesn’t hit you over the head but won’t leave you bored.
It’s not that bitter!
This is where the British accent on beer is something we Americans need to decode; the bitter in England is
not
the bitter in America. When a British fellow walks up to the bar and asks us for a Bitter (BITT AH), we know he doesn’t mean an American IPA or even a bold American Pale Ale. He means bitter as opposed to mild, light amber, dark Stout, or Porter. To the American craft drinker, these beers may simply taste dry, not bitter. To the British, these beers benefit from a subtlety that is appreciated by their countrymen. Some Bitters are popular session beers, being fairly low in alcohol but flavorful enough to enjoy pint after pint.
Bitters have several different titles, as it were. These titles are general categories of Bitters, usually giving information about the alcoholic strength of the ale. Here they are in loose order of strength, from mellow to high: Session Bitter, Ordinary Bitter, Regular Bitter, Best Bitter, Special Bitter, Extra Special Bitter, Strong Bitter, and Premium Bitter. British IPAs will often be found around the session section of the Bitter scale. This is again quite contrary to our American IPAs, which would be somewhere way past the Premium Bitter on the way to “Holy shite!” for most Brits. Perhaps the most common British-style Bitter found in the states is the ESB. It is one of the biggest styles of Bitter, referring to a higher-alcohol brew with slightly bolder flavors of a fruity, roasty, toasty nature. ESBs sometimes use darker malts in the mash, leading to a deeper copper- or brown-colored beer, and may have more hops in an effort to balance out a higher malt content, but they are still not ... what? Yes, you guessed it: bitter. Here are some Bitters that make us happy:
ANVILESBALE: AleSmith Brewing Company, San Diego, California. An American-style ESB with bold toasted malt flavors and a good dose of hops; well balanced. 5.5% ABV.
FULLER’S
ESB:
Fuller Smith & Turner PLC, Chiswick, London, UK. A famous British ESB; earthy, caramel sweetness; bitter end. 5.9% ABV.
MORLAND OLD SPECKLED HEN : Greene King Brewery, Bury St. Edmunds, UK. Nutty, caramelly, touch of bitterness. 3.5% ABV.
OAKHAM ASYLUM: Oakham Brewery, Peterborough, UK. Bitter with bold grapefruit and bitter, resiny hops. 4.5% ABV.
ANVILESBALE: AleSmith Brewing Company, San Diego, California. An American-style ESB with bold toasted malt flavors and a good dose of hops; well balanced. 5.5% ABV.FULLER’SESB:
Fuller Smith & Turner PLC, Chiswick, London, UK. A famous British ESB; earthy, caramel sweetness; bitter end. 5.9% ABV.
MORLAND OLD SPECKLED HEN : Greene King Brewery, Bury St. Edmunds, UK. Nutty, caramelly, touch of bitterness. 3.5% ABV.OAKHAM ASYLUM: Oakham Brewery, Peterborough, UK. Bitter with bold grapefruit and bitter, resiny hops. 4.5% ABV.Other books
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