Hoppy New Year!

This year for Christmas I received a gift to supplement my beer drinking hobby: a beer tasting and hop appreciation kit. Just as the gift is intended to do, I started to consider what hops are and how they contribute to creating a beer. Beers are often described as hoppy, but for those who don't know what a hop is, this can be difficult to understand.

As you may already know, beer is comprised of four main ingredients: hops, malt, yeast and water. Hops, or Humulus Lupulus if you want to be technical, are small leafy cones of flowering plants used for flavoring and stabilizing beer during the brewing process. The bitterness of hops are used to counteract the sweetness from the malt, creating a well balanced brew. The bitterness, flavor, and aroma of beer are all greatly affected by the hops. There are several different hop varieties used for brewing beer, and there are several methods of adding the hops, which all affect the complexity of the beer.

The point at which the hops are introduced to the beer creates a varying impact on the final product. Hops added at the beginning of the process create a bittering affect, hops added 15-20 minutes prior to the end of the wort boil contribute to the overall finish of the hop flavor, hops added at the end of the boil are used for aroma, and a process known as 'dry hopping' is used when hops are left in the beer for days while it ferments, providing another layer of complexity that adds additional flavor and aroma to beer.

The beer kit contains 13 jars of processed small pellets of common hop varieties. They are labeled by name, region, common styles of beer in which they are used, and include detailed descriptions such as "a mild and pleasant bite with a delicate floral aroma that is almost musty and leaves a clean bitterness." Smelling the hops while tasting a beer helps your mind and taste buds distinguish the ingredients in the beer.

The moment I received the gift, I cracked open one of the jars, inhaled deeply, then proceeded to eat one of the pellets. It was immensely bitter and dry and absorbed all the saliva from my mouth. The more I chewed, the worse it got. I had a strong inclination to spit the thing out, but seeing as how I had already committed, I forced myself to see it to the end, despite the awfulness. I immediately realized that eating the hops was NOT the intended purpose of the kit. They should really include a warning about that. Nevertheless, it was a good learning experience. So, here's to a new year and my new tools for learning more about beer.

VaVoom: A Night of Art and Music

Most of you who read this are already familiar with McNellies. But what about that curious blue building next door, The Continental? Another downtown Tulsa hot spot, the Continental is an upscale venue that provides a relaxing atmosphere for a night on the town. On Wednesday, December 26th, The Continental is hosting VaVoom, a feast for your eyes and ears. A collection of original artwork by one of Tulsa's most creative and unique artists, Vanna McAllister, will be on display for one night only. Musical guests Valerie Eskridge and Steve Liddell, two of Tulsa's jewels, will be performing an acoustic music set for the show. The energetic passion these artists bring to the table will satisfy your artistic appetite and leave you hungry for more.

Vanna's colorful eye-popping artwork is genuinely one of a kind. The main focus of her work is generally a female figure, with much of the emphasis on the face. She incorporates words, phrases, or song lyrics in her prints that add to the complexity of her work. She describes her art as a visual diary. Her illustrations are inspired by certain events that have affected her life, and her emotional responses to these incidents. Her heart felt sketches stimulate a reaction and leave the viewer searching for the story behind the art.

While you're perusing Vanna's art, you'll experience the pleasure of hearing the melodious vocals of the exceptionally talented Valerie Eskridge, followed by Steve Liddell. The captivating presence of these musicians will have you perk up and draw your attention to the stage with interest. Their funky vibes will light up the Continental for a transcendent experience you won't want to miss.

The Continental is known for attracting an eclectic mix of local talent, and VaVoom is no exception. The brilliant art presented by Vanna, Valerie and Steve is a treasure that you must experience for yourself. If you can't wait for VaVoom to check out the art, you can get a preview of Vanna's work at www.vannamcallister.com. The opening reception begins at 8pm and lasts throughout the night. It's the perfect chance to wind down after the Christmas holiday and have a relaxing evening with friends, art and music.

Beer Specials for Disaster Relief

Thousands of Oklahomans have gone without power over the past week, but McNellies was lucky enough to make it through the ice storm unaffected. Many people camped out at the pub enjoying the food, lights, warm heat and cold beer. When a natural disaster strikes and people turn to the pub as their save haven, one concern to be had is walking away with a hefty bar tab. Luckily, McNellies has had (and still has) some pretty decent specials to choose from this month.

Shiner Black, a Bohemian black lager is on special for a mere $2.00. It's a rich deep dark black/brown color, light to medium body and has a slight chocolaty malted flavor. It's not highly complex and seems rather flat, but for two bucks it's not bad.

Flying Dog Old Scratch is our other special, available on draft for $3.75. This Colorado brewed lager features a ruby amber color, medium body and a decent amount of alcohol, at 5.3%. It has a very smooth drinkability, fermented at a medium temperature to give this brew both ale and lager characteristics. There's a slight carmel trait which is particularly appealing. I find this beer to be very easy and enjoyable to drink.

The specials are likely to change before the month is over, so I'll do my best to keep a current update. I would have liked to have gone in more detail or perhaps posted a picture, but I'm one of the unfortunate ones still without power, writing from a computer at the library, and my session is about to expire.

'Tis The Season To Drink Beer

Many breweries produce a special holiday brew in spirit of the season. The Rogue brewery of Newport, Oregon, creates Santa's Private Reserve to commemorate the Christmas season. This brown bottle features a festive red, white, and black label with a cartoon Santa raising a glass as if to say “cheers.” Or maybe that's “ho ho ho.”

Santa's Private Reserve is an American amber ale with brewmaster John Maier's trademark top-fermented Pacman yeast. An abundance of Chinook and Centennial hops are used, which give this brew a pronounced aroma and added bitterness. There's also a mystery hop added, which Maier calls the 'Rudolph' hop. The brew pours a deep reddish translucent color and features a thick off-white foamy head that leaves considerable traces around the glass. The flavor hints of herbal, smoky tones with a touch of citrus and molasses. The beer leaves a hoppy pine taste lingering on the back of the mouth. It has a heavy body which is very complex, with 6% alcohol. Rouge prides themselves in producing brews that have no chemicals, additives or preservatives, creating a nice clean taste.

The Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale is available in limited edition silk screened 12-ounce and 22-ounce bottles during the winter months. If eggnog doesn't float your boat but you want to feel festive with your booze, you can raise a glass of this Rogue beer, just like Santa.

My Goodness, Where's My Guinness?

A few days ago a lone bandit robbed the Guinness brewery in Dublin, making out with 450 kegs of Guinness, Budweiser, and Carlsberg. Apparently the suspect drove into the brewery at St. James Gate, hitched his truck to a fully loaded trailer and drove away. This heist is the largest in the 248 year history of the brewery.

I wonder where might one hide this lofty loot? Ireland isn't a large country, about the size of Indiana, plus it's an island. This must be one pretty shrewd thief to conceal such a huge shipment of beer barrels. This guy is getting away with bloody murder! Someone send out the lions!

Green's Tripel Quest

A slew of new and interesting beers have recently arrived at McNellies, and one that caught my attention was the new line by Green's from Belgium. There are three varieties of the brand: Tripel Quest, Endeavor Dubbel, and Discovery Amber. Green's boasts all natural, gluten free, organic products. They are marketed towards those with gluten (wheat) intolerance, and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. I don't fall into any of these categories, but the idea of an organic beer was appealing nonetheless. I contemplated which style I would drink, and since they were all the same price I decided on the one with the most alcohol, which was the Tripel Quest, at 8.5%. My mama didn't raise no fool.

I found the description on the label to be intriguing. A tag was attached to the top of the bottle that read, "No barley. No Wheat. All Natural." Green's makes their product with millet, rice, buckwheat, and sorghum. The backside of the label states that Green's beers DO NOT contain: crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soya beans, milk, lactose, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulfites. I read this and thought it to be rather puzzling. No crustaceans? Really? I could have sworn that all beers were made with crustaceans. Foolish, foolish me. I'm not sure why they felt the need to overly state what the beer did not contain, and deduced the list was for the allergy prone drinker with paranoia.

The Green's Tripel Quest had a taste unlike any beer I could compare it to. It reminded me of a highly carbonated port wine more so than beer. The taste was very clean, effervescent, sour and tangy, with a sweet aftertaste. I thought it to be very tasty and full of flavor, with a long solid finish. I don't know how I would feel about drinking it on a regular basis, but I suppose if I fell into the category of the target market and my options were limited, I would consider it satisfactory.

Fullers ESB

Last night I went the the 'other' Irish pub in Tulsa. They have a decent enough beer selection with 15 brews on tap. There was nothing I hadn't tried before, so I had the pleasure of drinking one I already know and love; Fullers ESB.

The Fuller's ESB (Extra Special Bitter) is an English ale with a robust malt and hop character. It pours a deep amber bronze and features a medium to full body. The taste has soothing and mellow toffee flavor with traces of fruitiness. Ironically, the ESB isn't particularly bitter, as the name would have you believe. The sweetness of the malt is balanced with the bitterness of the hop, creating a well balanced beer that has consistently won this brew numerous awards including "World Champion Bitter" and "Best Strong Ale" from the US Beverage Tasting Institute and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), respectively.

Fullers is brewed at Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, a district in West London. Griffin brewery is England's oldest independent brewery and is known for creating an excellent range of exceptional products, including the Fuller's London Pride, their flagship beer, Fuller's London Porter, Fuller's Vintage Ale, and Fuller's 1845, all (usually) available at McNellies.

Thanksgiving Day Fun

I'm not known for my superb cooking skills, so when it came time for Thanksgiving dinner with my family, I didn't have much to offer. Most people brought over something: turkey, pumpkin pie, broccoli casserole...the typical traditional dishes. I decided my contribution for Thanksgiving would be to bring beer. I picked out six different varieties from my refrigerator and brought them along to have a beer tasting with the family. My grandfather warned everyone to be careful, or we could end up like that one lady who recently ran over five people. I assured him that six beers split between seven people was hardly going to cause anyone to unknowingly plow over five people, much less hit a curb.

We started out with Pilsner Urquell. This beer was created in 1842 and holds historical significance because it is the world's first golden colored lager. Up until this point all beers were dark and cloudy. The brewery was founded in Pilsen, Bohemia, currently the Czech Republic. This style of beer is the basis of all the pilsner style beers, but it is the true original. There's a lot to be said about Pilsner Urquell, but for the sake of a shorter blog, I'll stop with that. The website is worth checking out if you're interested in learning more. The beer had a lot of fizz, almost like a champagne. It went down very smooth, but left a bitter aftertaste that most people found unpleasant. Generally I like this beer, but it tastes better on tap than in a bottle.

Next we tried Klaster Winter Lager, another one from the Czech Republic. The label on this bottle contains different shades of sky and baby blue which I found aesthetically pleasing. It had a light golden yellow color, moderate carbonation, and a medium body. The flavor was clean and malty, a bit sweet with a hint of honey. At 5.8% alcohol, it was pretty hearty for a lager. Most everyone liked this beer, and agreed that we would enjoy drinking it again.

Following the Klaster, we sampled Choc, the handcrafted Oklahoma original. Named after the Choctaw Nation, this brewery has been open in Krebs since 1925. Choc is brewed in small batches using "beer-perfect Krebs water," Liberty and Cascade hops, malted barley and wheat. It's an unfiltered American wheat, with a cloudy pale yellow appearance. It had an overly fizzy taste on the tongue and it didn't have a strong wheat flavor. Overall, we found it to be "not bad."

Next came the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. This was one of the beers we had on special at McNellies this month "while supplies last." Supplies were not abundant, and we've run out. No big disappointment in my opinion. I thought this one to be pretty rancid. It tastes like cough syrup, and brought back terrible childhood memories. My sister, who has been sick, thought it was nice and claimed "it was a good beer for sick people," whatever that means (she was probably on medication). My dad countered, "It's a good beer for people who want to get sick." The aroma wasn't bad, but the taste was sour and pretty awful. Most of us decided we didn't like it.

I thought the Cherry Wheat was going to be the worst beer until we cracked open the Christian Moerlein Hefeweizen. This is a German style beer brewed in Cincinatti, Ohio. Before I had a chance to take a sip of mine, I heard the words "Bad" "Tart" "Yucky" "Eww" and "Gross," all from different participants. It was definitely the worst beer we tried. It had a strange flavor; very yeasty, to the point where someone said it tasted like cake. Three week old moldy cake. Although it was dreadful, I wouldn't write it off completely because I have a feeling the bottle was expired.

Lastly, we tasted the Pete's Wicked Ale. This is a reddish brown brew from Utica, New York. It had a smooth and luscious character with a good balance of malts and hops. It was very drinkable, with a hint of roasted caramel. There was no bitterness or strange aftertaste like some of the other ones we tried. I was glad to have this taste in my mouth for our final beer. Collectively, we rated this one as our favorite.

In the spirit of the holiday, I would like to give thanks to my attentive tasting crew.

Pub Run Pics

Is Ice Nice?

In last weeks issue of the Urban Tulsa, several of "the most tasteful beers, wines, spirits available locally" were reviewed. The 12 person tasting crew sampled over 30 beers and gave each beer a score based on appearance, aroma, palate and flavor. They used a point system, with 20 points possible for a perfect beer. The highest score they gave was 16.5 to Sam Adams Winter Lager and Lemp Standard Lager, which tied for number one. The review that I found the most shocking was their number six choice, Molson Ice, with a score of 14.85.

We've carried Molson Ice at McNellies for a long time, and it doesn't exactly fly off the shelf. Far from it. After reading the review I thought I'd give this beer another shot. I've had a poor opinion of the beer for a couple reasons. One is the fact that it's an 'Ice' beer, which reminds me of crappy domestic beers such as Miller's Icehouse, Bud Ice or Smirnoff Ice. Another reason I've been disinterested in the brew is because of the unimpressive label and green bottle. Green bottled beers always seem to have a skunky aroma, and I find it hard to get past this and enjoy the beer. I found an explanation for this green bottled phenomenon on a blog called Premium Bitter; see #5 if you're interested in reading about it.

So, what exactly is an 'ice' beer? The creation of an ice beer involves lowering the temperature of a batch of the final product to 32 degrees, then filtering out the ice crystals that form. This reduces the amount of water in the beer, and results in a higher alcohol content. The Molson Ice has an alcohol content of 5.6%.

I reached down to the bottom of the cooler, wiped the dust of one of the bottles and cracked it open. As I anticipated, the aroma was terrible. It smelled like my dirty running socks, but it slightly lessened after a few minutes. I poured it in a glass and observed the color had a clear pale golden shade, unlike the Urban Tulsa's description of 'amber.' There was a slight foamy head which quickly faded, and there was moderate carbonation. The taste was nothing too spectacular, pretty crisp and plain.

I would say it's Canada's equivalent to our basic domestic Bud Light. It wasn't as horrible as I anticipated, but it wasn't overly stimulating either. I'll agree with one reviewer's statement I read online," "I would drink it again. As long as I didn't have to pay for it."

All About The Hops

Fall is my favorite season. I love the bright and colorful trees and the feel of the crisp fresh air. I delight in stepping on the fallen leaves and hearing them crunch beneath my shoes. In addition to enjoying the great outdoors this time of year, I have also been enjoying a new brew that came with the season: Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale.

I had high expectations for this beer, as it came highly recommended by multiple fellow beer enthusiasts. I was a bit hesitant because as you've figured out, I don't particularly enjoy the hoppy beers. This ale is one of the exceptions; I'm highly impressed.

The Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale is unique because it is brewed with fresh picked wet hops. Conventionally, hops are brewed in a dry form after undergoing a kilning process and dried so they can be stored throughout the year. With this brew, freshly harvested Cascade and Centennial hops are hand picked from Yakima, Washington and shipped to the Sierra Nevada brewery in Chico, California the same day to be brewed without undergoing any processing. Freshly harvested hops are abounding in aromatic oils and resins, which yields hop elements that are unparalleled. Due to the difficulty of the brewing process, it comes in a limited supply. The Sierra Nevada Harvest is available in kegs or 24 ounce bottles.

The first thing I noticed about the Harvest Ale was the incredible aroma. The smell was so invigorating I wanted to stick my nose in the glass and inhale the beer. But that would have hurt. The appearance is also appealing; it's the perfect color for a fall beer. It has a vibrant copper hue with amber highlights, resembling one of the trees outside my door. It pours with a thick foamy head and has a full body. It possess a piney flavor that penetrated by taste buds until they were almost tingling. I found the hops flavor to be completely and surprisingly enjoyable. I found it so pleasing, I've since drank four or five more just to make sure I really liked it. And I did.

Overall, the Sierra Nevada is a spectacular seasonal brew. Drinking it makes me feel like I'm rolling around in a pile of freshly fallen autumn leaves. The only complaint I have about this beer is that it's not available year round.

Beer Tasting

Monday night Elliot (the owner of the pub) hosted a beer tasting for some of the new beers McNellies recently added to the menu. We sampled 18 beers in 45 minutes, some of them with alcohol content as high as 9.5%. I was diligently trying to take notes, which started out very detailed, but after the first few my notes became less and less informative. I tried to record other people's reactions, as well as my own, and I gave most of them some kind of star rating. As incomplete and fragmented my notes may be, I though they were at least worth sharing:

1. Queleque Chose: a Belgian style beer, brewed in Quebec. 8% alcohol. Cherry flavor. Not much carbonation; tastes flat. Resembles cough syrup or a watered down Lindeman's Kriek. 1.5 stars.

2. Bridgeport Ebenezer: brewed in Portland, Oregon. Seasonal Christmas beer. Looks darker and tastes somewhat better than last year's brew. Tastes like charcoal or a fireplace. Strange bitter aftertaste. Not well balanced; needs more malt. 2 stars.

3. Taj Mahal: Indian Lager. 4.5% alcohol. Nothing too extreme. Was a big seller when we carried it in the past. 1.5 stars

4. Sneider Organic Edelweisse: A certified organic weisse beer. Doesn't taste like any of the organic beers I've had. Tastes like Chinese food. 6.2% alcohol. 2.5 stars

5. Choc Waving Wheat: I didn't think this would be a good one, based on the other beers from this brewery. It's better than regular Choc. Belgian style wheat beer. Not much substance, better than expected. Three stars.

6. Beirdegarde: Another beer from the Choc brewery. Seems weird an Oklahoma beer would have this name; it's like they're trying to hide the fact that it's a Choc beer. There's a hops flavor, but not too strong. Reminds me of same style as Chimay, but not nearly as good. Three stars.

7. Petrus Dubbel Bruin: Belgian Abbey style beer. Abbey beers are similar to Trappist beers, but not brewed by monks. Dark beer, pruny taste. Not sure if I like it or not.

8. Reverand Quad Avery: high in alcohol content, pretty flavorful. Three stars.

9. Avery Barley Wine Hog Heaven. 9.2% alcohol. 100 IBUs. Bitter, hoppy, floral. Extreme. Yuck, I don't like it. Half a star.

10. Avery's Ellie Brown Ale: Good, easy to drink on any occasion. Medium body, nice finish. Comparable to Newcastle, but a lot better. Slightly nutty. 3.5 stars.

11. Avery's White Rascal: Belgian style wheat ale. Like a Blue Moon. Brewed with spices, has peppery taste. Good. 3.5 stars.

12. Breckenridge Christmas: mixed reviews. some people said it was horrible, some really liked it. It's sour, not terribly offensive. Tastes like a brown ale.

13. Sam Adams Honey Porter: We dubbed this one the "bee shit" beer, because it's dark and tastes like honey

14. Sam Adams Brown Ale: ? (I didn't write anything on this one - either because it was not worthy or because we were going too fast. Probably a combination of both.)

15. Great Divide Wild Raspberry: 5.6% alcohol. Not good. Tastes like a crappy wine cooler

16. Great Divide Titan IPA: 6.8% alcohol. Ugh. Gross.

17. Great Divide DPA: Denver Pale Ale. Bitter, not so good.

18. Great Divide Samari: Rice flavor grain and malted beer. Tastes like a wheaty beer. Good. 3.5 stars.

After sampling so many beers, they tend to start to run together. I wouldn't really take much of this to heart, considering we went through them so quickly, and only drank an ounce or so of each brew. I'll probably try most of them again on another occasion and give them a more thorough evaluation.

New Specials

Specials for the month of November include:

Flying Dog Woody Creek: brewed in Colorado, a traditional Beligan-style wit ale. A pale yellow color with orange peel and coriander, citrus flavor. Comparable to a Blue Moon or Hoegaarden.

Sam Adams Cherry Wheat: brewed in Boston, brewing ingredients include cherries, honey, and malted wheat.

Choc Lefty 363 (Nov 1-11): brewed locally in Krebs, Oklahoma. Seasonal brew.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Nov 12-30): brewed in California, full bodied pale ale. Deep amber color, liberal amounts of hops. One of the best selling craft beers in the United States.

All specials are on draft, priced at $3.00

Lost in Translation

I have to admit, I know very little about Russia. When I think about Russia, the few things that come to mind are vodka, Communism, and that movie with Val Kilmer. Not so much beer though. But we carry four Russian beers at the pub, so I was curious. I tried the Red East Classic, made by some brewery that I can't type because my keyboard did not come complete with the Russian alphabet.

I poured the contents of the bottle into a glass to experience my first Russian brew. A long train of tiny bubbles rose to the top of the glass like a champagne. There was a hint of a skunky, grassy aroma. The flavor was crisp and bland, with a rather displeasing flowery perfume aftertaste. The Red East Classic is a pale lager, but it lacked that thirst quenching, refreshing quality many lagers exhibit. I had a hard time getting it down, but it wasn't so terrible that it couldn't be done.

I logged onto the Red East Classic website which was in Russian (no big surprise). I clicked on the option to translate the page and what I got was equally incomprehensible:

Sound c tvuyte dear friends! Have you tried beer "East is Red"? Do not imagine this otkazyvayte pleasure, feel the flavor of life along with beer "East is Red" - beer made on the conscience! For your age tradition in 1867 and modern technology one of the largest refineries in Europe.

Come again? The orange and red label on the bottle reads, "The Tradition Beer of Russia." Did they mean "traditional? Was that another error in translation? I gave up deciphering the language, and asked my Russian friend for some input. I was told that the beer is indeed drank by Russians, but not particularly a favorite. Some of the more prevalent beers in Russia are made by Baltika and Yarpivo. Although I've never had them, I would have to assume they are better than the Red East.

If I were in Russia, I think I'd stick to vodka.

Will Run For Beer

This past weekend over 8000 people, myself included, participated in the Tulsa Run. What surprised me the first time I did this race three years ago was that beer was served at the finish line. This struck me as odd because for one, I was only expecting water or gatorade, two, it was so early in the morning, and three, athletes and alcohol aren't something I would have paired together. But I guess it does make sense when you think about it. Beer replenishes the body with carbohydrates, as well as numbs the body of pain. As I began participating in more athletic events, I noticed that beer at the finish line was somewhat standard. It's nice to know that there's a nice cold beer waiting for me at the end of a race. It gives me something to look forward to.

What I'm really looking forward to is the next race I'll be doing, the McNellies Pub Run. The best thing about this race is you don't have to wait until finish line to drink beer; you drink it while you run. For this event, runners guzzle down three pints during the race; one at each water stop and one before crossing the finish line. And it's no sissy Michelob Ultra either; it's three pints of Guinness. This four mile run begins in front of McNellies and loops through the Brady and Blue Dome Districts. The race ends at the pub, where, you guessed it, more beer will be served. This run is THE most fun race I've ever done. I would encourage anyone to participate, regardless of running abilities. The event is two weeks away, Saturday November 10th. Starting time is 3pm, perfect for us night owls who generally spend our Friday nights, well, drinking.

Say It Ain't Beau

The rumors are true. Beau is back at McNellies, slinging drinks behind the bar and playing his guitar. Chances are, if you've been to McNellies on a few occasions, you've met Beau. Although he's a pretty small guy, he's hard to miss. He's somewhat of a mascot to McNellies, known to some as "the pub leprechaun." We thought we might have lost him when he left for Austin to pursue a musical career, but lucky for us, he has returned. You can catch him behind the bar, or listen to him play on Tuesday nights.

The Fox and Hen

Some beers spark my interest because they have a pretty label. Some have a cool tap handle. Some I'm drawn to because I like the name. Perhaps it's my background in advertising that explains my attraction to these things. Perhaps it's because I'm a girl. In any case, I drank a beer called Old Speckled Hen solely based on the name. I get a lot of questions about this one. Old Speckled Hen, people muse. What does that taste like?

The name 'Old Speckled Hen' doesn't exactly make my mouth water. What would I think it would taste like? Probably not very good. But, they say you can't judge a book by it's cover, so I gave it a try. This English ale is a pale golden orange color and pours with a thick foamy head. It has a dry and crisp taste with a lot of bitterness to it, as many English ales do. It's a bit of a floral beer as well. I didn't especially like it; I found it a bit too bitter for my tastes. I finished it anyway. Some input I got from a friend who tried it said it tasted like soda water, and it sucks. Maybe you can judge a book by it's cover.

So, what about the name Old Speckled Hen? The term "owld speckled un" was used to describe an old MG, a British sports car. The British locals came up with this name because the car was covered by specks of orange paint. The vintage MG cars were manufactured in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, the same location where the beer is brewed, at Moreland brewery. Old Speckled Hen was produced as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the MG.

I logged onto the beer's website and was surprised to see a plethora of foxes featured as a mascot. I don't get it. I would think that they would have chosen, oh, I don't know, maybe a HEN. Maybe they figured, "Who doesn't like a friendly cartoon fox?" Maybe foxes were easier to personalize than hens. Or maybe they were drunk on Old Speckled Hen when they came up with that idea. Who knows.

Tulsa's Oktoberfest

Thursday night I went out to Oktoberfest. I had access to the VIP tent where they were serving free beer. Score! Or so I thought. There was a small beer stand set up with two unmarked tap handles. I walked up to get a beer and the guy working the stand asked if I wanted light or dark. Light or dark? At first I took this as an insult because I figured he assumed I must not know anything about beer, so he just skipped the formalities of telling me the names so I wouldn't be confused. When I asked what the beer was I realized I was wrong in my assumption; he didn't know. "I would have to get out my glasses and look at the keg," he said. Oh, okay, that sounds like a lot of work. I guess I'll take the dark beer. I wish I could say I'm such an expert I could recognize a beer by the taste, but I'm not. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say it was probably Shinerbock. It was flat and unimpressive. The only redeeming quality was that it was free.

I definitely didn't go to Oktoberfest to drink lousy beer, so I moved onto the 'good' beer tent and got a pitcher of Spaten Oktoberfest. The lady working the beer stand here asked if I needed a fresh cup. Thinking I would be environmentally friendly, I declined. She gave me a look and asked what was in that cup. I don't know. Good point, I'll take a new cup. We wouldn't want to mix them. She obviously had a different outlook on beer than the visually impaired guy at the VIP tent, who figured beer was beer. The Spaten was a big improvement over the first mystery beer.

After the pitcher was empty, I had a Sam Adams Oktoberfest. I felt slightly guilty drinking an American beer at a German festival, but since it was an Oktoberfest style beer, I figured it was justifiable. The Sam Adams was a bit sweet, with a hint of a toffee nut flavor. The alcohol content was somewhat lower than the Spaten, which was probably a good thing since I already consumed a considerable amount of beer. It was very smooth and flavorful, but I preferred the Spaten over Sam Adams.

Oktoberfest is a great festival to experience German traditions. There was lots of lederhoisen, chicken hats, chanting, dancing, bratwurst, and yodeling. It was all fun to observe, but honestly, I was just there for the beer.

Duchesse De Bourgogne

I drank a beer the other night which was completely unfamiliar to me: Duchesse De Bourgogne. I've never heard any customer input about this beer as it's rarely ordered, and I didn't know what style of beer it was, so I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was it's from Belgium, and I like a lot of Belgium beers. When I asked for the beer, the bartender got a look on his face that said, "Are you sure you want to do that?" Or the look could have said, "Could you possibly have botched the pronunciation of that any worse?" Yes and perhaps.

The beer is served in a bottle that looks more like wine or champagne than beer. It's a 25.4 ounce dark green corked bottle with a label that tells a story. A sovereign lady is pictured with a falcon perched upon her hand. This lady is Mary of Burgundy, who became the Duchess of Burgundy. She ruled the people of Flanders in the 15th century, until a tragic accident at the age of 25 when she fell off her horse while hunting a falcon and died. Who would have thought a beer label would contain so much history?

Now that you know a bit about the bottle, time to move on to the beer. The Duchesse De Bourgogne is a Flemish red ale brewed by Verhaeghe Brewery in Vichte, West Flanders. Once the beer is brewed, it is aged at least a year in oak liquor casks which helps form the distinctive flavor of the beer. The final product is actually a blend of different vintages of the same ale.

The beer has a deep burgundy appearance with a curious aroma of wooden oak and plum, which is accentuated by the goblet glass. The taste is very unique, perhaps more of a wine drinkers beer. It has a very rich flavor with a sugary aftertaste. My first sip reminded me of a mix between grape and apple juice. It has a sour taste with a balance of sweetness. The alcohol content is 6%, which is lower than I would have expected for a Belgium ale. It's unlike any beer I've tried in the past. It's not a beer that I could drink every day, but it's nice if I'm looking for something out of the ordinary.

The Duchesse is a very distinct and interesting beer in all respects. It's not a beer that everyone will love, but it's worth trying at least once. As for the pronunciation, you're on your own.

Pint Night

Every Monday night McNellies features a different beer you can drink and keep the glass. Pint night begins promptly at 5pm, and there is a limited supply of glassware, so the glasses usually go quickly. I've collected quite a few unique beer glasses over the years, and I added one more to my collection last night.

The beer of the night was Spaten Oktoberfest, which is my favorite pint night all year. It's a great beer and an awesome glass. Pint Night is a bit misleading for this one; Liter Night would be more accurate. Yep, this German stein holds a whole liter of beer. It's rather impractical to use for drinking purposes, as it's so huge and heavy I had to use both hands to lift it. I might have broken some kind of record for taking the longest amount of time to finish the beer; it took me two whole hours. You might think with all my practice I would be a bit faster, but a beer this strong (5.9% alcohol) and flavorful deserves to be savored. It was time well spent.

Spaten Oktoberfest is a seasonal beer, available primarily between August and October. It was created in 1872, making it the worlds first Oktoberfest beer. It has a dark amber color, medium body and pours with a foamy white head. The flavor encompasses carmel roasted malts with a nice balance of hops. I'm not a big fan of overly hoppy beers, so this one is perfect for me. It's very smooth and delicious, with no bitterness or sour aftertaste. McNellies will have Spaten Oktoberfest on tap for a few more weeks, so you should try one before the kegs run dry. All Oktoberfest beers on draft will be on special for $2.50 the last week of this month.

Next week's pint night is Franziskaner. Come down and get a glass. What else are you going to do on a Monday?

First Draft

Thursday night I attended a fundraiser for the Tulsa Press Club. It was the third annual First Draft, a cleverly named beer tasting event that featured different beers from around the world. It was a beer drinkers paradise. Out of the 45 different beers offered, I sampled 14. The things I go through for the sake of charity.

The event was meant to educate about the art of beer brewing, but many people working the tables were volunteers from the Press Club and had minimal knowledge about the beers. One exception was Eric Marshall, Brewmaster of Marshall Brewing Company, Tulsa's first production craft microbrewery. Eric has a strong background in the art of craft brewing, having studied at the World Brewing Academy in Munich and served as an apprentice and brewer in multiple craft breweries. Eric offered three beers from his brewery: Atlas IPA, Marshall Wheat, and an ESB. I tried the Atlas IPA and found it to be one of the most enjoyable beers of the night. Marshall Brewing Company is scheduled to have beer available to the public in November. Look for it at McNellies.

After tasting beer after beer, my taste buds (and overall state of mind) were a bit confused, but there were a few beers that stood out. Wittekerke Rose was one of them. It neither looked or tasted like what you would think of as beer. It was served in a Red Bull sized pink can featuring a neon green female figure. I couldn't decide if this packaging was stylish and posh or a gaudy embarrassment to beer. It looks like a great beer to drink at a dance club, or if you were to be sneaky, you could drink this beer while driving and law enforcement would be none the wiser. Obviously targeted to women, this Belgium wheat beer is brewed with pure raspberry fruit. Unlike the Lindemans Framboise, another Belgium raspberry beer which is cloyingly sweet, the Wittekerke Rose was the perfect balance. I gave it a five star rating.

Some other noteworthy beers I tried: Avery Ellie Brown Ale, Ayinger Celebrator, and Konigshoeven Quadrupel. These beers were all very distinctive and flavorful. McNellies carries a variety of beers from each of these breweries, so you can come in and try them for yourself. The worst beer I tasted, other than some home brews from the Fellowship of Oklahoma Ale Makers (FOAM), was Budweiser's fairly new seasonal beer, Beach Bum. Go figure.

Asahi Super Dry

There's a scene in the movie Sideways in which the main character, Miles, a huge wine connoisseur, is teaching his friend Jack how to taste wine. He describes the delicate steps of the process: swirling the wine in the glass, smelling the wine, describing the aromas, and tasting the wine as Jack follows his lead. After they take a sip, Miles looks at Jack with disgust and says "Are you chewing gum?"

This scene came to mind the other night as I was chomping on a potent piece of Dentyne Ice Arctic Chill and took a sip of Asahi Super Dry. Not a good combination. Although this beer (or any beer, I would imagine) doesn't go well with gum, it does go well with food. Beer is not typically my preferred beverage when I'm having a meal, but every time I eat sushi, I have to order an Asahi Super Dry. It's a great thirst quencher that really compliments the spicy rolls and wasabi, without interfering with the taste of the food.

Asahi Super Dry is a Japanese rice lager. The yeast is the vital ingredient in the brewing process of this beer. Without sounding too technical or boring, basically the yeast separates the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, which results in a dry beer. It doesn't have much of an aroma or lingering aftertaste, and it's not very filling, which is why it pairs well with food. It has a very light, clean, fresh taste with slight carbonation and a dry finish.

This beer is available in a 22oz. bottle, which gave me ample time to rid my pallet of the minty gum flavor and enjoy the beer. In the future, I'll be sure to avoid any disgusted looks and spit out my gum before I drink a beer.

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

One of the most popular beers we sell at McNellies is Boulevard Wheat. I got to thinking about this and wondered why that is. Is it because it's the best beer we have on tap? No. Is it less expensive than other beers on tap? No. Does it have some special quality that makes it especially outstanding? Not really. So, what is it then? I came up with some reasonable theories as to why it's so popular.

The most plausible explanation is the familiarity of Boulevard Wheat, due to the brewery's Midwest location in Kansas City, a mere 4 hours away. It's a fairly common beer around Tulsa, so many people have tried it at some point. In fact, name recognition is so high, 80% of the time someone orders a Boulevard Wheat, they just ask for a Boulevard. I respond with a reasonable question, "Which one?" This confuses people because they don't realize that Boulevard is a craft brewery and the Wheat is just one variety of the many they produce. In addition to Wheat, Boulevard also brews a Pale Ale, Porter, Dry Stout, and Lunar, as well as seasonal brews which include Bob's 47, Zon, Nutcracker Ale, and Irish Ale.

Boulevard Wheat may not be the best beer we have on tap, but it's pretty decent. It's similar in style to a German Hefe Weizen: a top fermented, unfiltered ale, with a considerable amount of wheat malt. I find it refreshing and mellow with a hint of citrus. Sometimes I even drink it with a lemon. What? Everyone else does it.

In addition to being recognizable and tasty, Boulevard Wheat is easy to pronounce. When faced with a menu listing beers named "Seigneuriale, Grieskirchner Weiss, Duchesse de Bourgogne, and Ayinger Jahrundert", it's not a surprise to hear someone order a Boulevard Wheat. I don't even know how to pronounce those beers.

Although these are all reasonable justifications as to why Boulevard Wheat is a best- seller, I feel that the beer has lost its novelty. It's satisfactory for an evening at Fridays, but at McNellies, there's so many other exceptional beers to consider. Franziskaner and Paulaner Hefeweizen are a couple alternatives. Explore. Point if you must.

Don't Be That Guy

"Why would someone come to McNellies and order Coors?", asked a bar patron as I was restocking the cans in front of him. He continued, "I took a girl on a date here once and she ordered a Bud Light. Needless to say, it didn't work out."

Often I hear people claim to actually like Bud Light and the such, but I think they should stop kidding themselves. They just don't know any better. (Okay maybe there's the rare exception, but seriously, it's not a good beer.) To the domestic beer drinkers defense, everyone's got to start somewhere. I remember back in the day when I would stock Rolling Rock in my fridge and believe I was oh so highbrow. Nothing but the best for me. My first experience of going to a bar that didn't serve the domestics I was used to occurred years ago when I was visiting Sacramento. I was hesitant about ordering a beer I was unfamiliar with, but it was too early in the evening to start on the hard liquor, so I ordered a local brew. I remember taking my first sip and thinking, "This beer actually has flavor. I can taste something. Wow, I could get used to this."

If you're 'a fan' of Bud Light, let me offer a few suggestions. First of all, McNellies isn't the place to order a domestic beer. They are served in condescending tall boy cans, which causes people to point and laugh, or break up with you. Some of the draught beers you might enjoy instead: Kronenbourg 1664, Spaten Premium, Pilsner Urquell, or Trumer Pils. These are all pale lagers with a bit more substance, flavor and alcohol than the domestics you're used to. I would also suggest trying our specials, which change each month giving you the opportunity to try a variety of good beers at a low cost.

If you want a bucket of Milwaukee's Best or a pitcher of Busch Light, Dirty's Tavern is down the street. If you want to enjoy a really good beer, get yourself into McNellies!

Hold Onto Your Barstool

The other night I had the opportunity to try a new beer: Great Divide Hercules Double India Pale Ale. A beer with a name this long should automatically clue you in: it's a highly complex and potent beer.

Perhaps I should start out with an explanation of India Pale Ales. The production of the IPA came about due to the British exporting beer to India in the 1700s. The long journey would cause the beer to flatten or go sour, so the brewers used more alcohol and more hops to prevent beer from spoiling. Henceforth the creation of the IPA.

Great Divide, a Denver brewery, is known for brewing flavorful, assertive beer and the Hercules Double IPA is no exception. The bottle is 22oz, which I found nearly impossible to drink the whole thing. Although I thought the beer to be horribly disgusting, it's not a bad beer, per se, just not my style. Describing the beer with disregard to my personal opinion, Hercules maintains a nice balance of hops and malts, which is often unaccomplished in American style IPAs. The beer has a medium body, a deep golden copper color and an aroma of pine and hops. As the name implies, a Double IPA has even MORE alcohol and hops than a standard IPA. It's a "more of a more," if you will. Hercules has an EXTREMELY hoppy, intense and bitter taste with an alcohol content of 9.1%. The Great Divide website affirms Hercules is "not for the faint of heart."

You want a beer that will knock you off your barstool, drink this one.

Stellar Margaritas and Mexican Beer

This evening I had dinner and drinks at El Guapos, which is a Mexican restaurant noted for their margarita selection. Although the focus of my research is on beer, I couldn't resist ordering a couple margaritas. I started out with a Margarita Ponche de Fruta Blood Orange, which tasted like a fruity ice cream slushy. Yum yum. My next selection was the Hibiscus Margarita, described on the menu as "the beauty of a Mexican flower infused with a margarita." It was pink, sweet and delicious. Once I had my margarita fix, I decided to switch to beer.

El Guapos offers a decent beer selection, including a variety of Mexican beers. I ordered a Carta Blanca. I looked up the English translation of the phrase and apparently it means 'unlimited power.' Interesting name for a beer. Many of the Mexican beers seem to be pretty similar in style. Pale lagers with slightly more flavor than Bud Light. I found Carta Blanca to be one of the better Mexican beers I've tried. It tasted very crisp with a light and fairly carbonated body. There seemed to be a hint of fruitiness to it, but I wouldn't describe it as a sweet beer. I tried to check out their website to get some more insight on the beer, but unfortunately, no hablo espanol. I thought the beer was easy enough to drink, non offensive, but not much complexity to it.

After I finished the Carta Blanca, I went for a Pacifico, but I put a lime in the bottle and the only descriptive word I could come up with after that was 'limey,' if that's even a word. I'll have to give that one a try at some other point, without the lime.

Oktoberfest

This weekend I'm visiting my friend in Dallas, who conveniently lives in an apartment complex located just a couple minutes walk away from the Oktoberfest in Addison Park, which ended today. In a historical context, Oktoberfest is a festival meant to celebrate the marriage of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig's marriage in 1810. In a more contemporary context, Oktoberfest is basically an excuse to do the chicken dance, wear stupid hats and drink beer. Good beer. Oktoberfest style beers are generally seasonal lagers, brewed especially for the occasion. Many of the Oktoberfest beers are moderately darker and stronger in taste and alcohol than other lagers, featuring a malty and complex flavor.

Upon entry into the festival, I headed straight for the beer tent. Paulaner, a brewery in Munich, Germany, was the official sponsor of the event. They offered two beers: Paulaner Oktoberfest and Paulaner Munchen, which is their original lager. The 16 oz. beers were priced at $4.00, and 20 oz. souvenir stein glasses featuring the Paulaner logo were available for $11.00 (beer included). Not a bad price for such a tasty beer. I opted for the Oktoberfest beer (naturally). The beer went down very smoothly; perhaps it was the hot and humid Texas weather that made it especially desirable, but it really hit the spot. It is a beer that's reddish-amber in color, with a faint hoppy taste. As previously mentioned, Oktoberfest beers are a bit stronger in alcohol content, this one being 6%. After my second one I was feeling slightly tipsy, and the German food became equally appealing as the beer. The skillet potatoes had been highly recommended, so we waited in line for 15 minutes to try them out. I did still have a beer in my hand, which made the line more tolerable. Well worth the wait.

On another note, what they say isn't true: not EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas. Tulsa's Oktoberfest blows Addison's out of the water. I'm very much looking forward to attending the festival in my home town, which takes place October 18-21. The Tulsa festival features more beer, more food, more people, and more fun than Addison. Beers from German breweries Spaten and Warsteiner will be available, as well as domestic beer (not recommended): Budweiser, Coors, and Miller. I'll be hanging out by Die Bierstube (German for "the beer tube") wearing a stupid hat doing the chicken dance.

In the meantime, if you're in the mood for some good Oktoberfest beers, McNellies has them in stock. From now until the end of October, a different Oktoberfest beer will be featured as the weekly special. We also have an Oktoberfest flight (for those that are unfamiliar, it's a platter of beer samples) which is a good way to go if you don't want to just choose one.

Cheers Darlin'

It's my job as a bartender to know about beer. Especially working at a place like McNellies, with 60 beers on draft and another 200-ish in bottles. I've decided to expand my knowledge, and yours, by drinking more beer and blogging about it. It's important to know what I'm selling, don't you think? Hanging around in the pub for three years has given me ample opportunities to drink a lot of different beers. I've always considered it a recreational pastime, but now my focus has changed to educational purposes. From this day on, I will drink beer for the sake of research.