Beer Laws and the Legacy of the Temperance Movement

Any beer drinker in the US is probably well aware of the disparate laws that welcome us whether in each town or county or each state.  Joe Sixpack in his weekly column in the Philly Daily News this week, highlights some of the more ridiculous statutes.  Here are a few of the article’s highlights:

In Utah, draft beer can contain no more than 3.2 percent alcohol by weight, or 4 percent by volume.

In Kentucky, 55 of the state’s 120 counties are dry and 30 are wet. The remaining 35 are “moist,” meaning you can drink beer in certain places, like a golf course.

In Nebraska, it’s a felony for bartenders to mix beer and hard liquor.

Check out this link from Wikipedia concerning the litany of beer statutes in US. Also, the food blog Grub Street explains some the peculiarities of the Keystone State’s liquor laws.

Generally speaking, it is very interesting that these laws  (most of them going back before the Great Depression) still remain on the books.  However, there is hope -  I’ve found that one of the real significant aspects about the “craft beer” movement is its unanticipated embrace of civic duty. Stick with me here, whether its reviving a old neighborhood (like lots of the places I grew up next to in South Philly) or helping foster local business and farms…. there is something very democratic and encouraging in it.  With some luck, hopefully, this can spark up some much needed debate to our politicians and get some of the these laws changed or eliminated.

What We’re Drinking – Vinyl Lager

Magic Hat’s latest brew – Vinyl Lager – maintains the quirky, non-sensical conventions that Magic Hat, well Magic Hat.  Vinyl is strange name for a beer, but a strange name should not stop ya from enjoying the classic flavors this lager brings your tastebuds.  Nice subtle roasted malts (thanks to the great blend of Pale, Crystal, Munich, and Victory), tasting like roasted honey at times….not lots of hop bite, but it’s there.  A slightly askew version of lager, but what did you expect from Magic Hat.

B

Homebrew – Bottling Phase

We are onto our final phase – bottling!  We prepped and cleaned each bottle and cooked up some priming sugar.  The second tasting revealed a beauitful piney ripe citrus boutique of hops.  The brew has a classic amber hue….We are anticipating cracking open the first bottle in a couple of weeks…..

Christmas in April?

Surprises are a mixed bag, but overall they usually are pretty sweet…this evening I discovered that I had one remaining bottle of of my favorites, Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve.  This ale is plenty bready and malty mixed in with solid hoppy goodness…. a real treat no matter what tine of the year

What I’m drinking – Summerfest 2010

It’s that’s time of year for one of my favorite reminders of summertime, Sierra Nevada Summerfest! If you have not had this stellar brew, you are in for a treat….a great pale lager – crisp Saaz hops with plenty of lightly malt body. Already thinking of a clone recipe!

A

Homebrew – Super Pale Ale

We at the WCBC are brewing some beer, a pale ale to be exact. We were inspired by a bottle of Lagunitas New Dogtown pale ale that Aub brought back from San Francisco….only three weeks away from opening the first bottle.

What I’m drinking – Sam Adams Noble Pils

If you have not noticed recently, Sam Adams has been increasing their ads and their visiability.  They have also shuffled around their products, notably replacing their “spring seasonal” beer, the Belgian Witbier styled White Ale with a pilsner, Noble Pils.

Noble Pils is a real good addition to their lineup.  Plenty of hop snap and great carbonation in each sip.  A solid beer to have in your fridge all season….look out Victory, Sam is focused!

A

Beer Hero – John Maier of Rogue

Living the dream……

Review – Village Whiskey

Burgers are ubiquitous these days.  Almost every restaurant at any price point has a cheeseburger (some with truffles, some with fois gras, some with short ribs, etc…).  In this beef welter lies a gem -  the Village Whiskey burger.  Frankly, it’s the best cheeseburger in Philadelphia…..it’s made up of  grass-fed beef (about 70/30 lean to fat).  It’s so so juicy and flavorful.  The roll is perfect, the cheddar is just sharp enough, the additions of the homemade thousand island and Boston bibb lettuce hit all the right notes…… I can’t wait to go back.

Oh yeah, the beer!!! One of the things I always liked about Jose Garces and his burgeoning restaurant empire is its emphasis on showcasing top-notch beers, Village Whiskey (despite the name) does not disappoint.  Beer lovers rejoice, because along with great burgers are great beers.  We enjoyed Founders Double Trouble, Sixpoint’s Righteous Rye, and Duck Rabbit Milk Stout (along with absinthe – don’t ask)!  We especially liked the Founders Double Trouble – a very distinctive double IPA.  Rye beers are some of my favorites and Village’s selection of Brooklyn’s Sixpoint Righteous Rye was a notable winner!  We had never heard of Duck Rabbit’s brews and the bartender was kind enough to give some clues to their brewery’s history and tasting notes.  We found the Duck Rabbit Milk Stout in the flavor profile of Mackennson’s XXX, lots of rich roast coffee with a especially dense, thick body.

Village Whiskey is a home run, some notes:  The space is usually jam-packed, get there early.  We got there around 6 on Saturday and grabbed four premium seats at the bar.  About twenty minutes later there were about ten people in line.  The bar is place to sit, the small tables are not comfortable enough for more than a couple (especially after filling your belly with burgers). The bartenders are very knowledgeable and gracious.

A+

Keystone Travesty

If you have not already heard, the PA State Police recently raided three Philly beer establishments owned by Leigh Maida and Brendan Hartranft (Memphis Taproom, Local 44, and Resurrection Ale House).  The reason – the beers were not properly registered with the PLCB.  Here are the facts:

1. The beers were purchased from a registered distributor.
2. All taxes and fees were paid.
3. More than 12 PA State Troopers ONLY raided the establishments owned by Maida/Hartranft.

Argh, where to begin……Let’s start with the anonymous tip that sent the police in the first place.  It is very clear that someone is pissed off at the owners and has clearly enough pull to get State Troopers involved for a vague, not to mention ridiculous ”violation.”  Let’s assume that it was a regular citizen – John Q. Public – decided after hearing, say Local 44, had a keg of Pliny the Younger, said to himself, “Goddamnit, they must be stopped!”  Can you imagine the phone call?   It is absurd to grant any credence to this.

Secondly, Pennsylvania.  As Philly Beer Week-end begins, what perfect timing to demonstrate to the public just how much PA thinks of its beer culture and how backward their liquor statutes are.  What sort of ridiculous, antiquted law is the not registering names of beers?  By the way, wine is completely excluded from this rule.

Thirdly, the violation itself.  The point of contention by the State is that Maida/Hartranft did not register the names.  Some of the beers confiscated were Duvel, Brewer’s Art’s Resurrection ale, Monk’s Flemish Sour, and Russian River’s Pliny the Younger.  Now, there are numerous establishments across the Delaware Valley, not to mention Philly, where one can grab a pint of these (namely MONK’s)!  It begs the question……

Owner Maida sums it up perfectly, “My main beef with this whole convoluted situation is that the PLCB is the sole regulator of a set of products that they do not even know the names of.”

– Joe Sixpack of Philly.com writes a good article about this in today’s paper.