Glasses a plenty

Remember I said that Fürstnenberg glasses can be found in abundance in Irish charity shops? I walked into one today near my job to nosey through the books, and look what I spotted on the shelf:


No, the beer wasn't in the glass when I bought it.

Out and about

I don't get out to the pub nearly enough. I read with envy other bloggers who frequent their local, especially if their local stocks and understands good beer. Most of this envy is directed at UK bloggers who have an abundance of great pubs to patronise, but here in Dublin there is but a handful worth visiting and all of that handful are a long bus trip from my house. Last week I visited the Bull and Castle for some long over due Irish craft beer but while their managed to take in some American beer and some not so Irish, Irish beer. The American beer was Sam Adams Double Bock, sadly a let down and all the more sad because I really like Sam Adams beer - most of it is excellent, but this didn't really work. It was very bock like I suppose; sweet, sticky and heavy with nice warmth but a little sickly and just didn't sit right.

The other non Irish beer is in fact Irish in the eyes of many who are not fully informed because the marketing is superb. If the label is to be believed this is the most Irish beer ever in the history of the world. Much debate has been spawned in Irish craft beer appreciation circles by Árainn Mhór's beer mainly because it aggravates us that this beer is pushed as Irish when it is in fact brewed under license in Belgium and then shipped off around the world benefiting greatly from the awful blarney that is spouted on the label. For example the label states the beer contains:

'...a secret essence of Árainn to deliver an aura reflecting the authentic romance of this Irish island...'

And later:

'Árainn Mhór Bán. One of our own. Brewed in the EU. Árainn Mhór Island, County Donegal.'

The first piece of blurb is bullshit. The second is just plain misleading, though no doubt within the letter of the law. It's the brewed in the EU part that is so perfidious because it is entirely accurate but the addition of the island after it would lead most to think that is where the beer is brewed. It is not, and despite suggestions by the guy who set up the business, it will never be brewed on the island.

In some respects I am torn about what this business man is doing. He wants to be involved in the brewing of good beer, and the beer is good, but not remotely Irish tasting - it is a solid Belgian ale through and through with lots of fruit, bottle conditioned to boot and is a welcome addition to the Irish beer scene, but I don't like the way he is doing it. It is misleading and purposefully so.

Blast from the past

I was surprised to see a bottle of Furstenberg lager on the shelf of my local Tesco. This is one of those beers from the murky past of Ireland's licensed trade, much like Oranjeboom lager. Very occasionally I see a very old and weather beaten sign for one of these beers hanging from the much neglected façade of a dirty Dublin pub. The beer has not been available on tap in these pubs for the best part of 20 years, but the signs persist. This could be put down to the lazy and complacent nature of the average Irish publican who sees no need to refurbish their establishment or get rid of advertising for beer that no longer exists. No doubt the signs were put up for free by whomever was pushing these beers and the publican sure as hell isn't going to pay to have them taken down.

If you haven't spotted one of these signs, there can be no doubt that you have spied an ancient pint glass with Furstenberg emblazoned across it. There is one of these in every Irish household (strictly, in the family home, in a cupboard that your mother can't reach to the back of) or, for some strange reason they are also found in large abundance in charity shops . I am fascinated to see these glasses and signs because they suggest a time in Ireland when half decent German lager was pouring from the taps of pubs that now only stock the most mundane macro swill. As for the beer itself, it is harmless but well crafted, with a typical slightly sweet malt nose and satisfying fullness. It is nothing special at all, but I wish it was an option in the average Irish pub.

Stick to the cigars

I haven't been to Cuba but I hear it is hot. Really hot. This sort of information brings to mind my theory that bland beer or beer that you usually wouldn't touch with a long canal related piece of wood suddenly becomes quite pleasant and satisfying under such conditions. It has happened to me in various Canary Islands and on the sun scorched rock of a country that is Malta. I contentedly chugged back light and bland lagers while on holiday in these sweltering places, temporarily suspending the beer snobbery that my friends assure me I exude. So when I was distinctly underwhelmed by Cubanero Fuerte - it is a sweet and heavy lager with an unpleasant alcoholic heat - I of course can't help but wonder if I would happily neck this stuff if I was in the land of Mr Castro. It's a question I don't think I can answer with any degree of accuracy, but highlights once again the powerful influence of mood and environment on the way we appreciate and judge the beer we drink.

I need a bigger lawn...

It's the May Day weekend, and all the better for me because I have Tuesday off work too. What better way to celebrate hanging around the house with nothing more more to do than a bit of gardening and some study for my last brewing exam than imbibing five litres of quality German lager? I chanced upon this big tin of beer in my local German box of tricks Lidl store. There is always something tasty and unusual to be had from these stores, and in the current economic climate the German discount stores are all the more appealing.

I have had a few of these mini kegs in the past and always found them thoroughly satisfactory. The funny thing is that the beer that is served from them is rarely the very best available, but I always find the pint drawn from them excellent. This keg of Grafenwalder Pils is no different and is serving me well this weekend. It is the perfect lawnmower beer offering superb refreshment with solid lager malt padding things out. It also packs decent bitterness, providing a satisfying lip smack. It took me a while but I have pinned down why the beer from these mini kegs is so satisfying; the carbonation is perfect. It is smooth and oh so easy to drink, but at the same time gives a rich foam that lasts and lasts. In many ways it is similar to the pressure barrel I use for my home brew, though the method of dispense is different.

I am always a little confused about how to serve from these kegs. Allowing the beer to come forth under its own trapped carbonation is a disaster; a glass of tasty looking foam was the result, so I twisted the valve on top to allow air in and this fixed things. However, as most beer lovers will be aware, this signed the beer's death warrant, resulting in a shelf life of around 3 days - similar to that of a cask.

Not to worry, it'll be gone by then.