Wednesday 11 August 2010

Crystal balls not needed here

Are we too busy rediscovering the past to think about the future when it comes to beer (I use the word beer rather than brewing, as invention and newness seem to be exceptionally snug bedfellows when it comes to brewing but rather more uncomfortable, though occasionally compliant, when it comes to beer)? Or is the future of beer (I don’t mean sales, marketing, drinking, pubs etc but the actual liquid in the glass) a course setting sail for that glorious place, Novelty Island. As those with the nose for burying it within dusty parchments of former brewing logs seem to have discovered (here and here), there seems to be nothing new under the sun, whether it’s imperial this or blending and aging that: all seem to have been done at one time or the other. Brewers are remembering the past and as I have written before this is fantastic, but it does seem that when novelty knocks on the vast door in the massive house that beer and all its family members do dwell what do we see — beer as clear as gin but as foul as the water in the fish pond in my back garden, though this grimy pool of fish faeces flavoured water doesn’t seem to put off the dogs when they develop a thirst (and they don’t even have the excuse of being bedazzled by canny marketing); or there might be beer infused with the sort of faux fruity confectionery that only children can really enjoy and make the dentist weep. Sometimes a new beer is a new beer by virtue of its new name, rather than anything else. That doesn’t make it a bad beer though: there are many versions of English bitter that I will drink and enjoy. On the other hand, you could say that a beer containing, for argument’s sake, sorghum, wheat, rye, raspberries, Goldings and Hallertau, saison yeast and Burtonised water was a new thing even if it sent your palate straight in a handcart to hell. 

All this musing and contemplating the navel comes from thinking about lager and then thinking about the future for lager. Steady as she goes — bock, helles, dunkel, svelty lezak, North German, American, British craft, Pils, dry hopping, different hops and so on — with quality as the keyword? Or upwards and onwards towards a high tower of idiocy — how about a lager and cola mix? Or something that’s been infused with lemongrass and whatever else the brewer can find in his cupboard and make the money guys happy. Pass me the sick bucket is my reaction, but then if it works does it matter? Would you have a lager and cola mix after a pretty intense game of squash? Even though your inner beer guy is screaming like that poor fella in the Edvard Munch picture. And even if you succumbed would you then feel part of the future? Or would it be a case of selective memory — as soon as you had quenched your thirst, this moment of madness would become an unperson and an unmemory. Maybe the future of beer (the beer itself, not the ads, the marketing, the guff and the stuff, but just the beer) is best left alone.  

8 comments:

  1. I'd be happy if there was a well distributed, faithful to the original, craft Pilsner this side of the pond - I even have the beer in mind, Victory's Braumeister Pils - Saaz.

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  2. I wonder how much of it is down to the ingredients available to brewers these days - maybe the new generation of highly-flavoured, high-alpha hops? Certainly the IPAs of yesteryear will have tasted nothing like the IPAs of today - maybe the IPAs of tomorrow will be some Vurt-style super-accelerated aerosol extract that you spray up you nose?

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  3. Velky — not had that one, Prima I know well, but one for the importers I hope.
    Zak — I’m old enough to remember when the future was everyone having their own jet pack and houses that did everything. What frightens me when people talk about the future of beer is that it’s change for change’s sake.

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  4. I ordered a beer and a diet coke on holiday a few years ago and was baffled when they arrived in the same glass. Thankfully they changed it, although I did have a couple of mouthfuls to try it... I don't think I'll order again.

    I'm all for developments and it tends to reflect the beery zeitgeist, which is interesting, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's a good thing. I like the relative fluidity of styles and the ways they are interpreted around the world. Hopefully the good shines through in the long run and that's what will last the distance - if it ain't broke, and all that.

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  5. I had to have a meeting once with the man who gave the world "George the Bear". Only sad old students of Courage probably remember it. He said: "Nothing wrong with this beer, We've just spent a million promoting it."
    Give me taste any time.

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  6. If it's going to be different, let it be different without a whole host of additives and novelty reasons. The cider boom came out of nowhere a few years ago and grabbed sweet tastebuds. I suspect something as simple as a sweet, malty Belgian Blonde will probably become the mass produced future favourite. A lot of ciders and so on have won favour by being sweet and strong, perhaps beer will follow? I certainly don't think truffle and foie gras rauchbeir will be the future...

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  7. ATJ - I've been having similar thoughts myself recently - but more the opposite way round! Check out my last post....

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  8. Peter — that rauchbier sounds, minus the foie gras, but the truffle and smoked malt might give it an earthy smoky nose, like a burnt down building after a night’s heavy rain.

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