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.