Thursday, 15 July 2010
Bottle or glass?
Buzzing neighbourhood bar in the vicinity of Rutland VT. Bottle of Long Trail Ale please (chewy, biscuity crispness and dry finish, has that crisp character of an Alt, on which it was modelled, though my favourite has to be Uerige with its slight but still discernable floral nose). I handed back the emptied glass that had held Switchback . It's taken but no glass is proffered. I'm left with a bottle, offered the same sort of choice as Bud Light swillers are offered. I'm tempted to say 'can I have a glass'then stop. Surely the fact I am offered a bottle of a craft beer and meant to drink it like any other beer means that craft beer has hit the mainstream over here, and is regarded on a parity with BL? I think that's a good thing, I was there for the beer and enjoyed it, but I didn't want to make notes. I don't always want to suck on a bottle but this time it felt right. Would you drink a bottle of Jaipur or Sierra Nevada Torpedo or even ReAle from the bottle?
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It seems like heresy, but sometimes, you have to be like Mike and Just Do It.
ReplyDeleteReAle is about to be bottled in 33cl, so that would make it an easier proposition than struggling with a heavy 75cl bottle.
Zak, Bottle of Bigfoot on a coach coming back from Thornbridge!
ReplyDeleteNo. It's ignorant, it does the beer absolutely no favours and it makes you look like a dick.
ReplyDeleteI always prefer a glass, though generally I ask for a non-frosted because I hate beer like ice. Talking about craft beer being mainstream over here, there is much to be said for that considering the number of pubs specialising in craft beer that also sell Pabst Blue Ribbon (the homeless bum's Bud Lite).
ReplyDeleteMartyn - cor that's a strong reaction but then on the other hand that's why I posted this, it's just one bottle and I couldn't be bothered to ask for a glass, I just went with the neighbourhood vibe, I should see the brewer tomorrow night in Burlington so I will ask him his thoughts.
ReplyDeleteVelky - I did think PBR last night in the name of research and resisted it totally.
Have just read your 'Hook 'em and Cook 'em' in COAST magazine, very interesting and food for thought.. no pun intended, if it was it would have been worse than that! But reading the brief bio in the front of the mag, my attention was caught by TREARDDUR BAY. I spent childhood holidays there, rockpooling, grazing knees and so on... but that was in the late fifties and I've not been back since, though my family all came from the area. Fond memories though, thanks for reviving them.
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong with drinking from the bottle! Bottle conditioned beers maybe not, and 500ml bottles are a bit big, but others are fine. Of course, it's more time and place stuff - outside in the sun, inside after a long day, a cold bottle of something familiar while cooking dinner... I drink Punk IPA and 77 lager at home by the bottle without thinking, in a pub I'd prefer a glass.
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