Beer

What Would Jesus Brew? - The Trappist Beers

2013-03-29T16:42:00Z

One of the great ironies of the beer world is a common familiarity with the idea of "Trappist beer", but little understanding of what the label actually means. Today, there are only eight Trappist monasteries in the world that brew beer, and these are the only breweries allowed to use that name. Contrary to popular belief, the Trappist breweries are not all in Belgium. One is in the Netherlands and another -- the most recent -- is located in Austria. Many mistakenly believe that "Trappist" represents a style of beer, but the term actually refers to beers brewed under strict rules set by the International Trappist Association (ITA).

Trappist History

The Trappists, or the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (COSO), are a Roman Catholic religious order that strictly adheres to the rule of St. Benedict, a set of monastic values emphasizing work, humility, prayer, and compassion. St. Benedict of Nursia lived from 480-547, and the Cistercian Order, now divided among sects of Common and Strict Observance, was originally founded in 1098. The Trappist sect did not emerge until the 17th century.

In the 1660s, the Abbot Armand Jean le Bouthillier de Rancé championed strict and penitential observance of St. Benedict's Rule at the La Trappe Abbey in Normandy, and his followers became known as "Trappists". Under Rancé, the monks lived an austere life in quiet revolt against the lax and soft practices that -- in Rancé's mind -- characterized the larger Cistercian community. The abbey became a center for reform in the Cistercian order, but Rancé developed many enemies before his death in 1700. The Abbey faced further peril during the French Revolution, as church lands throughout France were seized, and many clerics faced the guillotine. The Abbot Dom Augustine de Lestrange led the Trappists into exile in 1792, but managed, after Napoleon's defeat, to purchase and rebuild La Trappe Abbey in 1815, returning the order to its home. After a second period of exile, the Trappist order returned to La Trappe, and became an independent monastic order -- the COSO -- in 1892.

Prior to the French Revolution, there were no Trappists in Belgium. The period of revolution and war in the late 1700s and early 1800s wreaked havoc with monasteries and religious orders in Europe, particularly as Napoleon and the Pope were often in open conflict. On February 7th, 1831, Belgium ratified one of the most progressive constitutions in Europe, opening the doors to scattered Trappists in exile to begin opening new monasteries.

The Rules

Despite several centuries of tradition, it wasn’t until recently that the Trappists formed an organization to protect their name. As market demand grew for products from Trappist monasteries, other businesses started to use the name "Trappist" as a marketing tool. This is really no different than California wine producers using the term "Chablis". Nine Trappist Monasteries came together to draft the by-laws for an organization that would protect their name. The by-laws went unsigned upon completion in 1928; in 1997 the rules of production and were finally agreed upon and the International Trappist Association (ITA) was officially formed.

Once the ITA organization was formed, it outlined four basic rules that a Trappist Monastery must follow in order to label their beer with the Trappist logo and name.

The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery and the work must be done either by monks themselves or under the direct supervision of monks.
The brewery must be of secondary importance to the monastery.
Income from the brewery is meant for the sustainment of the monastic way of life and, thus, additional proceeds are to be used for charity.
The ITA itself will constantly monitor breweries carrying the Trappist name and logo in order to ensure the quality of their beers.

Today, breweries that do not meet these conditions but make beers in styles associated with Trappists often call them ‘Abbey’ beers instead.

Trappist Beers and Breweries

Today, we still hear patrons of the publican ask for a ‘Trappist’ ale as though this is a style. It is something of an overstatement to say that Trappist beer is a distinct style; however, there are some generalities as to production of beer that the Trappist breweries follow. Trappist ales are top-fermented ales, they undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle, and no antiseptic agents or pasteurization is used -- meaning that the breweries and processes must remain impeccably clean. The Trappists beers typically include "heavy" in their list of attributes. As monks have always lived under strict dietary rules, in brewing heavier beers they were able to take in necessary additional calories without violating the Rule of St. Benedict. Consider, for example, Germany monasteries that produce Doppelbock, which has become known as liquid bread.

Although three styles have been traditionally brewed by Trappists -- single, dubbel, and tripel -- it is the latter two that are the most well known. It is likely no mistake that there were three traditional styles considering the importance of the Holy Trinity, but there is still a wide array of beers made by the Trappists outside of these three traditional styles. There are too many styles to go into a full break down of each in this article. Instead, we will take a quick look at the two major categories, dubbel and tripel.

A summary of the Brewers Association definition of Belgian Dubbels: they are “medium-bodied, red to dark brown colored ales with a malty sweetness and chocolate-like caramel aroma. A light hop flavor and/or aroma is acceptable. Dubbels are also characterized by low-medium to medium bitterness. Yeast generated fruity esters (especially banana) are appropriate at low levels. Often bottle conditioned, a slight yeast haze and flavor may be evident.”
A summary of the Brewers Association definition of Belgian Tripels: they are “pale/light-colored ales, which may finish sweet. They are often complex in character, and sometimes with mild spicy character. Clove-like phenolic flavor and aroma may be evident at extremely low levels. Yeast-generated fruity esters, including banana, are also common. The beer is characteristically medium-bodied with an equalizing hop/malt balance and a perception of medium to medium-high hop bitterness. Traditional Belgian Tripels are often well attenuated. Brewing sugar may be used to lighten the perception of body. Its sweetness will come from very pale malts. There should be no character from any roasted or dark malts and have low hop flavor is acceptable. Alcohol strength and flavor should be perceived as evident.”

Although there are nearly 200 Trappist Monasteries in the world, there are only eight making beer today under the Trappist logo. Six of the breweries are in Belgium: Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren, and Achel. One is in the Netherlands (Koningshoeven, which we commonly know by the abbey name of La Trappe), and the newest brewery, Engelszell, is in Austria.

The Trappist Breweries

Chimay

The Chimay (pronounced something like "She-may") brewery was founded in 1863 within the walls of the Scourmont Abbey in the Belgian municipality of Chimay. It was Jean-Baptiste Jourdain who first conceived of the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Scourmont in 1844. Jourdain obtained support from Prince Joseph II of Chimay along with the abbots of Westmalle and Westvleteren, and on July 25, 1850 the priory was officially founded. As a matter of fact, it was a small group of monks from Westvleteren along with Jourdain that settled the wild plateau of Scourmont. Today they brew with water from a well within the abbey walls. They filter the water and the leftover particulate goes into the cattle feed, whose milk is used in the production of Chimay Cheese. Chimay was the first to use the "Trappist Ale" designation on its labels. They produce one beer -- patersbier (father’s beer) -- exclusively for the monks, with three other beers making up their main public offering. These are often referred to by their cap colors of red, blue, and white. they are Chimay Rouge (the ‘Première’, a dubbel), Chimay Bleue (the ‘Grand Reserve’, much like a very strong dubbel), and Chimay Blanche (the ‘Cinq Cents’, a tripel) respectively.

Chimay Rouge (Première) - red
Noted for its coppery color topped with a creamy head, it gives off a light, fruity apricot aroma produced by the fermentation. The palate is in balance, confirming the fruity nuances noticed in the nose. 7% abv
Chimay Bleue (Grande Réserve) - blue
Principally distinguished by its character of a strong beer with a nose of fresh yeast and a light, flowery, rosy touch. The palate follows the nose along with a light but pleasant touch of roasted malt. 9% abv
Chimay Blanche (Cinq Cents) - white
This brew is golden and slightly hazy with a fine, dense head that is especially characterized by its aroma of fresh hops and yeast. Fruity notes of Muscat and raisins add to the nose on the palate. 8% abv

Orval

The Orval brewery was founded in 1931 by the Abbey Notre-Dame d’Orval in the Gaume region of Belgium. The brewery itself is only 80 years old, but the Abbey, founded by a group of Cistercian monks from Champagne, dates all the way back to 1132. Orval itself is the main brand, and they are well known for their fish-holding-a-ring logo. The story behind the logo: a beautiful young countess from Tuscany, the widow Mathilda, lost her wedding ring in the lake while visiting the site. She prayed to God for the return of her ring and when a fish arose from the lake with the ring she praised the site as a "Val d’Or", or golden valley. In gratitude to God she built a monastery on the site. The brewery still draws its water from the same spring.

Orval
It has an intensely aromatic and dry character. Between the first and second fermentations there is also an additional dry-hopping process. The beer is bottled at 5.2% abv, labeled as 6.2%, yet can get as high at 7.2% through the bottle conditioning process.

Rochefort

The Rochefort brewery is located within the walls of the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy, near the town of Rochefort in Belgium, and was founded in 1595. The Abbey can trace its history back to 1230, when it was built to house a group of Cistercian Nuns. In 1464 the nuns were ordered to leave and the convent became a monastery. Today, the oldest parts of the abbey date to the 1600s due to centuries of ruin and war, and the brewery was renovated in 1899. Rochefort produces three primary brands. Rochefort 6, referred to as the red cap, is a reddish-colored beer that is only brewed once a year. Rochefort 8, the green cap, is like a strong dubbel and represents the largest part of their production. The Rochefort 10, or blue cap, is a dark, reddish-brown, high-alcohol beer. The numerals refer to an old Belgian system of measuring specific gravity that was used to set tax levels. Though the system is no longer in use, Rochefort continues to name their strong ales with it.

Rochefort 6
Reddish-brown color with amber-gold highlights; a soft body leads to earthy flavors and an herbal character. Refined, soft spiciness in the bouquet finishes with a bit of caramel. 7.5% abv
Rochefort 8
Deep brown color; the flavor is vigorous and complex, with firm body to support the strength. The aroma has elusive notes of fresh fruit, spice, leather, and figs. 9.2% abv
Rochefort 10
This brew pours a rich dark color and has a full and complex palate of plum, raisin, and black currant. 11.3% abv

Westmalle

The Westmalle brewery was founded in 1836 in the Belgian municipality of Westmalle, north of Antwerp, by the Abdij van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van het Heilig Hart (Abbey of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart). The abbey itself was founded in 1794; the brewery started up in 1836 but it wasn’t until 1870 that they first commercialized the beer. For the 150th anniversary of their brewery they released a commemorative brochure with uses and advice for their beer. “Against loss of appetite, have one glass of Tripel an hour before mealtime; against sleeplessness, drink one Trappist; two glasses of Trappist will reduce stress by 50 per cent”. We have to suppose that with the last two suggestions we may choose the Trappist beer of our liking. They produce three beers in the traditional format of a single, dubbel, and tripel; however, the single is a patersbier and is only produced for the monks. Westmalle is often attributed with being the first to use the term ‘tripel’ for Belgian golden strong pale ales.

Dubbel
A reddish brown ale delightfully malty with hints of fruit from fermentation and featuring a 3-week secondary fermentation. 7.0% abv
Tripel
A strong, golden hued ale, dry and spicy with faint citrus notes, rounded body, and an alcoholic kick. The use of Belgian candi-sugar raises the alcohol, adds more body, and leaves a slight sweetness. 9.0% abv

Westvleteren

The Abbey of Saint Sixtus founded the Westvleteren brewery in 1838 in the Belgian municipality of Vleteren. Although signs of monastic life at the site trace all the way back to 806, it wasn’t until 1831 when the hermit Jean-Baptist Victoor was joined by a prior and several monks to found Saint Sixtus. Westvleteren is no longer distributed in the US, but they made a one-time release of the XII recently. An exception was made when they found themselves without enough money to pay for a multi-million dollar roof renovation. Lines at liquor stores started overnight and extended around blocks for the one-time commemorative pack release. Today, the curious beer drinker will get closest to the Westvleteren XII by drinking the St. Bernardus 12. This is because the brewery we know as St. Bernardus today once brewed, under contract, for -- and with -- the Saint Sixtus monks. When the monks decided they wanted to take over the entire operation again they allowed their previous brewery to continue using the yeast and recipes. That brewery renamed themselves St. Bernardus. Interestingly, Westvleteren doesn’t use their own original yeast strain, rather they now purchase yeast from Westmalle.

XII
A step past the tripel, this is considered a quadruple with notes of dark fruit, biscuits and yeast with well-blended alcohol. 10.2% abv

Achel

The Abbey of Saint Benedict in the Belgian municipality of Achel founded the Achel brewery. The abbey is also known as Achelse Kluis, or the "hermitage of Achel". The abbey's roots reach back to 1686, when Petrus van Eynatten gathered a community of hermits on the site. After nearly two centuries of war and treaties interrupting monastic life on the site a group of Trappists from Westmalle helped to rebuild the Abbey in 1846. Brewing has occurred sporadically throughout Achel's history, but it began modern commercial brewing as recently in 1998. Today the monks produce three beers that are only available at the brewery: a Blond 5 (5%), a Brune 5 (5%), and a 9.5% Extra Blonde. The following beers are marketed worldwide.

Blond 8
A pale, strong, fruity, hoppy ale that is lightly filtered, but still wholesomely hazy. 8% abv
Brune
Despite the name this ale pours more of a very dark amber color and is richly malty with hints of raisin and yeast biscuit yet still refreshingly dry. 8% abv
Extra Brune
This copper-colored ale has just a little malt sweetness, dried fruit flavors, warm sherry notes, and a brisk balancing backdrop of fresh hop bitterness. 9.5% abv

Koningshoeven

The Koningshoeven Brewery, founded in 1884, is located in the Netherlands. The most commercialized of the Trappist beers, we know them now under the name "La Trappe". Bavaria Brewery manages De Koningshoeven; while monks don’t manage the logistics of the brewery, they may still continue to use the name "Trappist" because they meet the minimum requirements of the ITA. The Abbey La Trappe -- part of the same order, but not at the same physical location as Armand Jean le Bouthillier de Rancé's original La Trappe in Normandy -- traces its roots back to 1122 when Rotrou III, Count of Persche, built a chapel to commemorate his late wife. In 1140 it was raised to the status of an Abbey. La Trappe today produces many beers, but it is the Isid’or and the Quadrupel for which they are particularly well known.

Isid’or
This beer was first brewed to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the brewer and is named after Brother Isidorus, the first brewer of "de Koningshoeven". It is a slightly sweet amber beer with caramel and nuts, which continues to ferment after bottling and has a rich, slightly bitter flavor along with a fruity aftertaste. For a real treat seek out the oak-aged version. 7.5% abv
Quadrupel
This brew has a very strong malt presence, is slightly sweet, and has some distinct brandy-like notes. This beer is produced in an oak-aged version as well; worth seeking out, but expect to pay! 10% abv

Engelszell

Lastly, we have the newest brewery in the Trappist line up: the Austrian Engelszell brewery. The Abbey Engelszell goes all the way back to 1293, when it was founded by Bernhard, Bishop of Passau. Although it was established as a Cistercian monastery it did not become a Trappist monastery until 1925, when German refugee monks expelled after World War I from the Oelenberg abbey in Alsace settled here. Engelszell, with only 7 monks in its community, was approved to brew under the Trappist name in May of 2012. They already have two brews in the US market: Gregorius, named for Gregorius Eisvogel, the Abbot of Engelszell from 1931 to 1950; and Benno, named for Benno Stumpf, the Abbot from 1953 to 1966.

Gregorius
A dark ale with rich, bittersweet cocoa notes from an addition of roasted malt. It is made with hops from the region and a generous dose of local honey, 9.7% abv
Benno
This brew boasts a heightened hop aroma and flavor reminiscent of a farmhouse brew from Wallonia. Golden blonde and relatively light in body. 7% abv

Much like beer itself, the Trappists have a long and rich history, which we are only beginning to understand. Much like wine producers in California striving to make wine like the French in the early days of the industry, American home and craft brewers have strived to make their beers in the fashion of Trappists. Brewers have gone to great lengths to mimic the Trappists: they have used the name (now protected), to depicting monks and monasteries on their labels, to cultivating yeasts from the bottles of Trappist breweries. The question in the beer world today is for the future of the Trappists. The draw of monastic life is not what it was in centuries past. De Koningshoeven has the youngest Abbot of all eight monasteries, and he is 60 years old! Without new men and women to enter into the Trappist fold and accept the austere life of the monastery, their future is in question. But with Engelszell's recent entrance to brewing, there is hope. Interest in the monastic lifestyle may be falling, but interest in Trappist brews has never been higher.

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Drew Larson holds certifications as a Cicerone®, Sommelier, and Specialist of Spirits on top of a degree in Culinary Arts. Currently, he is the Beverage Director at The Hopleaf in Chicago where he produces one of the most well known beer programs in the country with 400 bottled selections and 68 daily rotating drafts. This is in addition to the 60 bottle wine list, 8 draft wines, and spirit program. Drew is also the owner of Leaders Beverage Consulting, a company that not only focuses on beverage and menu development with brand integration, but draft design and maintenance as well. If you want to keep up on trends in beer you can follow Drew on twitter at @DrewDLarson or @LeadersBeverage.

A Sommelier's Essential Beer Knowledge

2012-04-23T18:13:00Z

The following feature is co-written by Drew Larson and Sayre Piotrkowski, two Certified Cicerone ® beer directors based in Chicago and Oakland, respectively.

With beer pairing dinners taking place at Michelin rated restaurants, craft-beer festivals featuring celebrity chefs, and people like Ferran Adria and James Syhabout creating proprietary brews, the integration of craft-beer into our contemporary culinary culture is taking off. Those of us who have been championing the cause of beer professionally are naturally thrilled at all of this. Even the most wine-centric Sommelier would likely agree that our guests benefit when we are able to utilize every possible tool at our disposal to enhance their experience. Today, as many ambitious Sommeliers are integrating craft beer into the experience they offer to guests, we are beginning to see craft beer climb out from its status as perhaps the most underutilized of these tools.

The purpose of this piece is to provide you with our perspective, as beer-focused beverage industry professionals, watching this integration process unfold. What are some strategies we have seen that work well? What are the common mistakes we see being made? We hope to make clearer the ways in which a properly implemented beer program can help a restaurant generate larger profits and create a more complete experience for the diner. Hopefully we can provide you with a few ideas to consider when incorporating craft beer into a comprehensive restaurant beverage program.

(photo © Grant Kessler)

Composing a Focused and Fresh Beer Selection

In our world, beer programs tend to market themselves by their size. The number of taps or bottles available often becomes the defining factor rather than any specific character or focus within the program. For example, the Hopleaf in Chicago boasts nearly 400 different bottles and 65 taps, while Monk’s Kettle in San Francisco carried and rotated over 700 different bottles on their menu in 2011 alone. As a result we have seen many proprietors and/or beverage managers think that the shortcut to a great beer list is to stock a large variety. This is a mistake and will quickly cause some obvious problems with respect to server knowledge, customer confusion, beer freshness, and manageability from a P&L perspective. The Hopleaf and Monk’s Kettle are in very specific markets and focused on a certain clientele, so their respective programs work. However, they invest in ensuring the aforementioned problems are not problems. Most restaurants will do better with very small, yet focused, beer programs.

Just like any wine list, a good beer selection should have an identity. Have a reason for carrying each beer that you do. Even a small selection of 10 beers can be enough, provided you’ve focused your choices on the beers that make sense with the food you serve and the character of your establishment. Keep the size of your inventory small enough so that servers can wrap their heads around it; every beer you carry should sell quickly enough to ensure that you are pouring the freshest batch available.

While there are a few exceptions, most beer is highly perishable. This is something to consider when composing your selections and ordering product. Over-stocked beer sitting around should stress out a bar manager in the same way that unsold produce bothers a chef. However, while the chef can see when the produce is bad, you and your servers may not realize that the pilsner you are serving is past its prime. Unfortunately, whether consciously or not, your guests will notice and likely not reorder. If your restaurant doesn’t sell that much beer, you might consider buying smaller kegs and/or selling those drafts in smaller pours and trimming the number of brands you offer. On the other hand, an improved beer program will see improved beer sales and product turnover.

Glassware, Refrigeration, and Beer Temperature

Chilled--or even worse, frozen--glasses are not the way to go. This is one of those things that makes every beer guy or gal cringe. No chilled glasses. Please, let us reiterate this: NO chilled or frozen glasses. It is unnecessary, wasteful, and detrimental to the quality of the beer you serve to your guests. Firstly, pouring beer into a frozen mug can create a micro-layer of frozen beer on the walls of the glass. As some of the water in the beer freezes the remainder of the beer's flavor will be thrown out of balance. Furthermore, as the glass warms this micro-layer of ice will be dumped back into the beer, again upsetting its balance.

During the heyday of the American Light Lager in the 1970s and 80s, freezing cold was the order of the day. Even today we still see commercials talking about ice-cold beer in cans that promise to turn color when they are cold enough, meaning this perception is still something we fight against for truly quality beer. Cold temperatures mute the flavor and aroma of beer just as they do with wine. As a matter of fact, aren’t cold temperatures sometimes used to hide the poor quality in a wine? Same thing is true with beer. If you let a supermarket American Light Lager (you know the ones we are talking about) warm up, it tastes terrible. On the other hand, allowing a high quality craft beer come up to 45°-55° will help to release subtle aromas and allow more of its flavor to come across on your palate. The desire for chilled or frozen mugs stems from a belief that colder beer is better beer, and this is simply untrue. Should you find that the beers on your list are improved by being served ice-cold, the time has come to re-evaluate your selections.

Another argument for keeping glassware out of your reach-in coolers is the fact that, from both a hardware and an energy costs standpoint, refrigeration is expensive. How many places have you worked that could boast an abundance of cold storage space? Probably not many. So why are we wasting this resource on things that do not need to be cold? The worst offenders are the bars or restaurants wherein the pint glasses get refrigerated, and bottled beer back-stock is exposed to high temperatures in a dry storage area. This is completely illogical and the sort of thing that gives a brewer nightmares.

One frequently raised argument for placing glassware in a reach-in fridge is that the dishwasher delivers glasses that are hot to the touch and the fridge is a quick and easy way to counteract this problem. You are now expending even more energy and money in order for the cooler to bring itself down from increased internal temperatures. Should you find yourself experiencing this issue, a glass rinser is cheaper to install and cheaper to operate than a “glass fridge.” A cold-water rinse just before use provides more than enough cooling to prepare a glass for beer and also helps to ensure your glass is “beer clean.”

A final point to consider here is the selection of your glasses. The same beer will show differently depending on the style of glass in which it is presented. Just as there is a difference between a glass designed for a young New Zealand white wine and one designed for vintage Burgundy, most every beer style has an associated piece of glassware. While companies like Riedel have created a glass for every conceivable wine style, in the beer world it is the breweries themselves that often produce the ideal drinking vessels for their various brands. However, just as most restaurants (with the exception of the super-elite) only use 2 to 4 different wine glasses in day-to-day service, most would do just fine with a pint glass, a tulip glass, and a goblet for beer service. These three standard styles of glassware will cover nearly the entire spectrum of potential beer styles.

Hopleaf's glassware selection (photo © Grant Kessler)

How to Get the Right Beer for a Guest

Often customers who are apathetic about ordering unfamiliar beers from a menu--or even having a beer at all--are weary because they haven’t gotten what they asked for in the past. This is not to say that a server brought them something other than what they had ordered, but rather they thought they had requested something dark and sweet, and received a recommendation for something red and bitter instead. If we ask a Sommelier for something red, chewy, tannic, and fruity to go with a steak, he or she will likely already have 15 suggestions. However, how many diners order wine with that kind of clarity? How many of your guests actually know what tannin is, or what you might mean by describing a wine as “earthy?” In the trade we have all learned how to ask questions and “read” guests in order to better guide them toward the proper selection; the need for such a process is just as common with respect to beer.

You may encounter a guest who says something like, “I am just not into hoppy beers,” and then, in his or her very next breath, says something completely contradictory, like “I love the Sweetgrass APA from Grand Teton.”--a very hoppy American Pale Ale. For this reason, you might consider training your staff to ask questions like, “What do you want your beer to taste like?” and, “Can you remember the last beer you loved?” We find that this can be much more effective technique than asking about styles, or restricting the conversation to beer specific terminology like “malty” or “hoppy.” As in the wine world, such “insider” terms are frequently misunderstood, even among customers who fancy themselves knowledgeable on the subject.

It is also generally a wise move to avoid use of the word “light.” This is a classic example of a term that means something different to every beer drinker. For some, “light” indicates a mildness of flavor; for others it may indicate a low level of alcohol or calories, or a dry texture, or for others a pale color. In our experience it is best to keep the conversation related to familiar specific descriptors: sweet vs. bitter, rich vs. dry, high alcohol vs. low alcohol, and so on. Just as with wine, the trick is to find ways to get your guests speaking in terms that are familiar but also specific.

The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) publishes a free guide produced in conjunction with the Brewer’s Association that outlines all of the “accepted” styles of beer. This guide can be printed, ordered in hard copy, or even put on your smartphone as a free app. In order to get the right beer into the hands of each guest, a Sommelier should really know and understand their beer list, and the list should be logically organized. A beer list could be short, with products organized from mild to intense, or long, with options listed by country or style. If the list has a logical and natural order to it, it makes understanding easier for both the staff and guests. The BJCP guidelines can aid in this organization and give the sommelier a better understanding of beer styles. Once you know what your beer IS, you will be better prepared to find a perfect beer for each guest.

Consider Beer in Pairing

While we may come from establishments where beer is the primary beverage focus, we know that for most of you a good beer program is one that will support and complement your wine program. Such a selection provides delicious and interesting beer choices for devoted beer drinkers and adventurous diners looking to try something different, while also seeking to raise check averages by utilizing beer as both an aperitif and as a useful pairing asset for items that may not work as well with wine. Today restaurants often seem to be reaching for craft beer with cheese courses, charcuterie, raw bar items and dessert. This strategy leaves the main courses open for wine sales and serves as a great example of how a fully integrated beer program can add to both a guest’s enjoyment of their experience and to a restaurant’s bottom line.

Locavore Meets "Loca-Pour"

Since terroir does not dominate brewing the way it does winemaking, it is possible to produce beers of almost any character anywhere on the planet. There are a few notable exceptions to that statement, but they are beyond the scope of this piece. In most major markets it is possible to find a significant portion of the spectrum of potential beer characteristics within the portfolios of your local breweries. This negates the need to source draft beers from across the globe.

As an example, consider this selection from a newly-opened Bay Area establishment.

A Bavarian Style Hefeweizen
A Pre-Prohibition American Pilsner
A Wallonian Style Saison
An Amber Lager
A British Style Brown Ale
An IPA
A Stout
A Sour Beer

All of these beers are brewed within the state of California, yet this concise and 100% locally-sourced list offers guests a significant portion of the potential beer spectrum.

Draft vs. Bottle

In most non beer-focused restaurants draft lines are scarce. These lines should be saved for beers that truly benefit from draft dispense. Aside from price, the primary benefit of draft dispense is freshness. There are a few beer styles in which freshness is particularly critical. These include almost all contemporary IPAs, Pale and Amber Ales, and any other beer that is “dry-hopped.” Dry-hopping is a process by which hops are used as post-fermentation aromatizers. These aromatic compounds begin to break down immediately as the beer is racked off of the hops. From here it is a matter of weeks--not months--before the beer is significantly less appealing aromatically.

Conversely, two styles we often see sommelier-run beer programs emphasizing do not benefit at all from draft dispense; Belgian-style Abbey Ales and Hefeweizens. These feature higher volumes of dissolved CO2, with recipes calibrated toward bottle conditioning and the intentional lack of filtration. These factors actually contribute to a beer that will suffer on tap. Many of the classic bottle-conditioned Belgian imports are not even offered in kegs. These beers tend to benefit from time in the bottle and particularly durable examples have the potential to mature beautifully for years with proper storage in a dark place no warmer than 60°F.

Hefeweizen is another special case. While common commercial examples are seldom meant to age, Hefeweizen underwhelms on tap. A true Hefeweizen is dependent on the integration of its lees to achieve its signature texture, flavor, and aroma. As modern keg designs feature a down-tube that causes the beer to dispense from bottom of a keg first, any solid matter that has fallen to the bottom of the keg will be released in the first few pints. You will soon be selling a beer that is lacking its most characteristic element.

Service Standards for Beer

In a wonderfully welcome sight for any devout beer-drinker, a Sommelier serves beer as though they were pouring a 61’ Cheval Blanc in a fine dining restaurant, carefully watching the neck of the bottle to ensure that the beer was poured off its sediment if necessary. Sadly this is a rare occurrence and most wine-centric restaurants remain notoriously neglectful of beer service standards. The experience of being the one beer drinker at a table full of savvy and eager wine drinkers can be a lonely one. We feel like an unwelcome inconvenience even when we are members of a party that is receiving excellent service on the whole.

If you are going to make beer a component of your beverage program, the goal must be to make your beer-drinking customers feel as special and as attended to as wine drinkers. Customers have a right to expect that their beer will be served at the proper temperature, in the proper glass, and that it will be poured in the proper manner for the style. While you don’t need to be an expert on these standards for all the beers of the world, it is entirely reasonable for a guest to expect that you and your staff are familiar with these standards for beers you’ve chosen to carry.

When a beer is ordered let your guest know that his or her beverage choice is just as important as everyone else’s by placing the beer drinker’s glassware as you place stems for the wine. Bring the beer bottle to the table separately, opening and pouring just as you would in wine service. These simple gestures will help to create an environment where a beer drinker does not feel like an outcast. Couple that with a compelling selection and you might be surprised to see us returning frequently with like-minded friends.

Some Useful References

Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)
A good link to style guidelines as discussed.
http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php

Cicerone ® Program
An educational and certifying body started by Ray Daniels and designed to create the equivalent of Sommeliers for beer. At only 4 years old the program already counts Certified Beer Servers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, each of the Canadian provinces and a range of other countries including Australia and Britain. This program has 3 levels, the first of which is Certified Beer Server and is a great way to impart useful floor service standards for service staff. The program is preparing to grow even larger with European and Canadian chapters and a new online learning forum.
http://www.cicerone.org/

Brewers Association: Draught Beer Quality Manual
This is fantastic reference (pdf) discussing draught systems and is now considered the industry standard. This outlines very simply the equipment your draught system uses, when and how it should be cleaned, and how to troubleshoot problems. Do you know how much money you're throwing away when you pour foam down the drain?
http://www.draughtquality.org/w/page/18182201/FrontPage

Tasting Beer: An insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink by Randy Mosher
This is a fantastic one-stop-shop book on beer. It discusses history, styles, serving, care, and food pairing. While there are dozens of incredible beer books, this one is a great overall reference.
http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335196819&sr=8-1

About the Authors

Drew Larson grew up with such an affinity for food he had his own vegetable garden as a young child. After graduating from Western Illinois University, he became an officer of the United States Army, flying Blackhawk helicopters for the Army Medical Department. During his 18 years of service he traveled all over the world gaining a true and deep passion for the culture of foods and beverages. After leaving active duty, he followed his enthusiasm for food to Kendall College of Chicago earning a degree in Culinary Arts. Throughout his travels and culinary training he found that his passion for beverages was limitless. Drew has been brewing beer for 12 years and is a Certified Cicerone ® (Beer Expert), is studying to take the Master Cicerone ® test, and has guest lectured on beer at Kendall College’s culinary program.

Drew furthered his beverage studies by attending the intensive wine program at The French Culinary Institute in conjunction with the Court of Master Sommeliers where he earned his Certified Sommelier Certificate and also took and passed the Certified Specialist of Wines certificate test with the Society of Wine Educators. Currently, Drew is the beverage director at Michael and Louise’s Hopleaf Bar in Chicago; an internationally renowned Belgian beer bar (also a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Restaurant) boasting a current selection of almost 400 different beer bottles, 65 beer taps, 60 bottles of wine, and 8 wine taps. In addition he works as an Associate Ambassador to William Grant & Sons family of spirits, which includes Balvenie and Glenfiddich Scotches, Milagro Tequila, and Hendricks Gin and will soon earn his Certified Specialist of Spirits certificate from the Society of Wine Educators.

Follow Drew on Twitter at @drewdlarson

Sayre Piotrkowski is a Certified Cicerone ® and accomplished beverage consultant based in Oakland, CA. He has collaborated on events and served as a consultant for many of the Bay Area's most ambitious restaurants and chefs. He is best known for spending the last three-and-a-half years as the “face” of "The Monk's Kettle," home to San Francisco’s "Best Beer List" according to 7x7 Magazine. Having recently left Monk's, Sayre is now serving as "beer-director" at David Lynch’s forthcoming San Francisco project— An "American Osteria" called St. Vincent which will open any day now. Sayre is currently working on his first book, which he describes as a "succinct short-cut to craft-beer savvy, directed at sommeliers, bar-owners and restauranteurs" He will also be launching www.BeerAndSoul.com, a sight he describes as "dedicated to separating the vinyl from the leather in today's craft-beer movement" the first week of May.

Follow Sayre on Twitter at @beerandsoulblog