George Jetson Syndrome and the latest Beer Rage: Mark Dallmeyer, Lenox, MA / USA:
Have you ever asked your Ale server to pour you a beer with a head? Then you know the blank look and the hidden embarrassment that creates a reactionary rage in them. No server wants to be embarrassed by not knowing something, but its the old "learning while doing" mentality that is destroying any hope of a beer culture at the taps in America. On my return from the MBAA in Rhode Island where bottled Ale was the main stay, I didn't need to experience someone else pouring my free beer for a day or two. Those were some of the best days, including the 6 bus trip to a 19 century boat cabin on the Providence Bay. It seemed like this could be a little taste of Heaven. One week later, I returned to a favorite micro pub in Lee, Massachusetts. Once again I was confronted by that old blank look but this time, it was as if Road rage came in colors. I encountered a stern comment with my request for a head from the owner sitting at a distance waiting to see me order. He announced that I am the only one that ever asks for head. It was clear, I would now need to debate the head or leave his people alone and go somewhere else. He claimed that his system cannot deliver a full head of beer due to the carbonation or something. His people were also not trained for this. So I did what any passionate, beer loving, traveling meister would do, I stuck around and ordered a nice Dale's in a can and poured it myself. As for the barmaid, she was in hot water when I showed that any one of her ales could be poured to look like a beer from Pilsner. The following week, I left for another place and realized that their beer source was located in the back basement with lines apparently wrapped around the hot water tank even when served in a chilled glass from their rusty freezer that was part of the original toilet structure of the bar.
Back at my favorite pub with no head, the owner didn't want to know I was there reading the June issue of Automation World, with the headline "George Jetson Syndrome", the official term for operators of the future. It's detail highlighted the following verse, "Operations improve when the operator (beer server), is able to solve complex problems, instead of having to filter through a tidal wave of data to get useful information." My addition is that better trained servers are important for draft beer to survive, and, "Best practices are the best". English Ale traditions such as tilting and fill to the top is not what beer is about. Traditionally in America, we see that even Utica Club recommended slapping the bottom of the glass. Now look at any experienced bartender in Germany and you will see this in action. It doe not matter which carbonation system you have. In America, we can even pour an English Ale like a beer. I am not a complacent George Jetson, but rather, see the need to be engaged, alert at all times and able to make critical decisions like pouring the perfect beer.
Now that its Summer, I took my beer head to the TGIF near the Airport in Newark, NJ. Wow, is Corona in a bottle always flat or did I just get a bad one? Good that the bartender was OK with that because he offered to pour me a draft instead. Again no fizz at all! "That's OK", he said, as he charged me for both of them anyway. I think I'm in a scene from the horror film about the Jetsons as I drove back to Massachusetts again, sad, but 4 hours away!
Mark Earl Dallmeyer,
Market Expansion Director
Healthy Remnants LLC
24 Orchard Street
Lenox, Massachusetts 01240 USA
413-441-1697
Samuel Adams Boston Lager® is the best example of the fundamental characteristics of a great beer, offering a full, rich flavor that is both balanced and complex. It is brewed using a decoction mash, a time consuming, traditional four vessel brewing process discarded by many contemporary brewers. This process brings forth a rich sweetness from the malt that makes it well worth the effort. Samuel Adams Boston Lager® also uses only the finest of ingredients including two row barley, as well as German Noble aroma hops. The exclusive use of two row barley not only imparts a full, smooth body but also gives the beer a wide spectrum of malt flavor ranging from slightly sweet to caramel to slightly roasted. The Noble hops varieties, Hallertau Mittelfruh and Tettnang Tettnanger, add a wide range of floral, piney and citrus notes, which are present from the aroma, through the flavor, to the lingering smooth finish. Jim take great pride in the Noble hops used in his beers. They are hand selected by Jim Koch and their other brewers from the world's oldest hops growing area. Among the world's most expensive, they cost twenty times as much as other hops.
A.) Free Beer Training based upon Maxit Compliance: This Staff system assures that the organizers track each level of training. Specific Focus is based upon individual training of each employee through the free beer initiative.
i.e..:
1.) Brewmaster: confirmation of beer ingredients. Follow using BA / MBAA guidelines.
2.) Servers: Must meet proper regional training and meet international pouring standards.
B.) Equipment confirmation and Set Up:
1.) Special Cup / Glass portions must indicate a fill line with curved proportions to allow beer volume control. Individual portions should not exceed 10 ounces per container.
2.) Product variables must be prepared in a booklet or information sheet to the customers.
The potential for changes in
C.) Safety Action Guidelines:
1.) Facility Guidelines must be met for the event. Outside events must meet organizational guidelines from the MBAA regional chapter.
2.) Staff training for start times, length of event and closing guidelines need proper documentation.
3.) Prepare proper relief lines and keep security staff aware of guidelines.
4.) Provide contact points for paid ride home option.
5.) Provide proper health guidelines for beer consumption and recovery guidelines.
6.) Provide paid options for food or snack offers and introduce food options.
D.) Utilization of Cloud Coverage Expansion Detail: (see attached also)
· Free Beer Cloud STRATEGY & ROADMAP: Analyze existing environment, make recommendations for business applications to move to the cloud and identify specific deployment strategies
· * Free Beer CLOUD SECURITY & RISK: Analyze existing or planned cloud deployments and recommend controls to help mitigate risks
· * Free Beer CLOUD IMPLEMENTATION MANAGEMENT: Manage the transition of existing service into the cloud, provide assistance with contractual negotiations and ensure functional and security testing as appropriate
*MAXIT (Learning Management System) training guidelines help prepare your staff for free beer events. See www.maxit.com for training compliance based upon the above customized highlights.
On a recent trip back to see the Romeis Laboratory in Germany, the independent testing facilities for the Rheinheitsgebot,
I became a convert of Pilsner Beer again. Just imaging, all the Beer being made in North America and all those people looking for
ways to come home and seriously claim that Beer is Good for you, need to make this trip to Germany immediately.
While there, Weihenstephan, the oldest active brewery in the world, made a license agreement with the one and only, Jim Koch
back in Boston, two days after my departure from that city. At Romeis, we were only about 50 miles away from Weihenstephan, the
hometown of Freising, and thoughts of reasons why. Is it for the marketing, is it distribution, or is it because of the Pope is from there?
It's not because of the coronation but the Carbonation!! Yes, go ahead, your body can handle it. Unfortunately, most micro brewers in America have
avoided carbonation and formed a tradition of Ales, some with more or less PYF, but the beer / Ale battle ensues in opposite directions.
When someone asks me, I recommend a beer that has a handle on carbonation and where the Burpp becomes your friend. Just make sure you
can handle what's going on and ry to save your shorts for another day.
In carbonation, we can avoid the beer geek questions of hops, barley, and yeast activities such as dreadded PYF and other funky stuff. Let your gut
focus on the enjoyment of micro bubbles to square your pants. Its FREE! Why have Micro Brewers avoided the micro bubble issue for so long?
One aspect is that most brewers are focused on a flat Ale mentatlity that is making Beer extinct in America. Not even in Mexico do they forget the power
of the bubble and the true enjoyment of Beer that comes through the smooth carbonation bubble.
Precision influence such as known at Romeis, assures that nothing but beer will live through the process. Our own concept of Beer vs. Ales depend upon these bubbles.
Additionally, bottled water in Germany knows the true health benefit of Carbonation. However, Wine will lose its Whine edge over a truly carbonated beer in a moment. For
this, we can claim a bubble or two that potentially makes it past the endzone depending upon the enjoyment of carbonation in our digestive system.
I need to go back to my brewer and ask them to start making a Pils that understands carbonation. We can always find Pils in Germany and even China that produces
a traditional beer, but what about my brewer in America? Taste is important, hops important and so even yeast with its PYF issues. The battle with these complex issues
continues to drive people to wine. He needs to be reminded on what makes beer great.
My brewer says that he can't make a Pilsner that stands up to anything else. By this he's limited to stay in the flat Ale catagory and never do beer "good".
He also wants to tell other brewers how great his ingredients and someday claim his own version of the Rheinheitsgebot than even the German version. It is
in essense, a way to continue to cater to other brewers of Ale rather than attempt to make a Pils for us. My brewer says he can't make a Pils that can handle
the cold preferences of the American drinker. Is it? I ask. Why not work with all the important factors and know your Carbonation options to produce beer with
all the right ingredients, even claiming the Rheinheitsgebot.
I still enjoy all beers in time, however, we are missing the greatest beer experience and the success of beer by staying with Flat Ales in America. Do we need
to lose everyone before my brewer finally says OK lets go for a Pils with a head. We can do it. Let's demand a revival in Beer and People get ready, Pils is the
best. Let it flow and bring that good head up and up. NO MORE FLAT ALES.
It was a healthy autumn day in Vermont.Curving through the Green Mountains with the top down on our RV, beautiful leaves, views, and danger at every turn.Are we in Heaven or is this the drive to Harpoon’s yearly Beer event in the hills?When the Oktoberfest began over 10 years ago in Vermont, not many people were concerned about Bears at a beer fest, and today its not a big deal either, but the thought of Bears is more reason to offer free beer.The only people worried about bears within one hundred miles this day would be the people at the wine foliage fest in upstate New York.Beer was on everyone’s mind here.I have never seen a more gracious group of beer runners before and after a race.Free beer, a glass mug and a quick run near the woods meant a full day for everyone with a number tag and sneakers.White socks didn’t matter.I met my good buddy Rodwel on line at the race.Could it be, I asked Rodwel, if he had a plan with black socks, Munich Dark Beer, and a Medical Doctor’s degree from just up the road at Dartmouth?Rodwel was the leading medical student doctor on exchange from Zimbabwe, Africa with a focus on bringing babies into the world.Rodwel was with Joanne from southern Brazil and both represent two of the most unlikely regions to find common ground in Vermont through Harpoon providing the “love of beer” to everybody.
Next, the whole placed found an Oktoberfest mood and great autumn weather.Hundreds attended the event, listening to old German musik and wondering if their grandmothers were playing a joke on them.The chicken dance was like a bad hit of a deja vous dream, but the kids and their buzzed mom’s and dads loved it.Next year, my suggestion is to get a real rock and roll group from Germany for a modern Oktoberfest and see how the other half lives and loves beer.
The beer choices were interesting.A choice of IPA, Filtered / Unfiltered, Munich Dark, and Wheat beer was great.The lines were great unless you wanted food.I enjoy the IPA from Harpoon best and had a taste of a few extra specials in the brewery.They were giving tours and helped qualify them for free beer on a Sunday, the day of rest.I recommend Harpoon as one of the best buddies to hang out with when you come to Boston or go to the hills of Vermont.They really know how to bring people together.
They traveled from The New York Times food section, with publication, books and Blogs on their minds. A train ride to Upstate Berkshires on Saturday was met by a sellout crowd to glean frpm these very successful food writers of America. Writers, not of food as many suspected, but rather, places to see, have seen or not been scene. Judith Jones, of Julia Childs fame and now home cooking, Christine Mulke, field reporter, Oliver Strand, creator of yelp and kill to eat documentaries, Amanda Kludt, food blog leader, Kim Severson, Times Newspaper extraordinare, and Amanda Hesser, food diary and secret admirer of Koennigsberger Kloppse. The food moment was tense as could be for such an event. Finally, Gord Travers, the man with leppard shoes, and chairman of The Mount, was called upon by the moderator. Would he question the streets of NY or would he try to stop our embarassment of living here in the hills? His question, direct and to the point was, yes, about locally grown Beef. A quick flurry and we realized that the only organically grown beef is in Vermont. After that, we never did get a chance to discuss the definition of free range Chickens, never mind, the fact that most of us eat vegetarian cows anyway. Now they were shifting into our territory, mentioning Home cooking and where it comes from. Judith Jones was leader of the pack. She worked with Julia Childs and knows her stuff. At her experience level, she's seen it all and her new book proves it. As the rock of the panel, Judith re-introduced home cooking, but also stopped short of embarassing the blog community. She opened the door for Kim Severson to have some fun with newspaper writing and to sell enough subscriptions to the NYTim es during the book signing to collect the change needed to take a next train back. Our Moderator, chosing to sit during the entire panel discussion, pumped the panel about their favorite places. To this, it was clear that almost everyone in the audience needed a car to get from place to place, which was different than the lives of famous food panelists, who by God never need one anyway. Suddenly, the audience was in awe when they heard the 50,000 hit time-bomb that lands each day for Amanda Kludt on her www.eater.com website, At this point, I stood up to comment on a few things. Besides, I contribute on health issues to a well known food magazine and to the website www.freebeerbuddy.com regarding the technical issues of drinking healthy with food. I was also quoted once in Whole Foods Magazine this Summer. To get started, I had to mention the time a few years ago that my 92 year old mother, living at her farmhouse in the Shaker Hills was making her Roladen dish. Then, all of a sudden, the local police department sent a team of 6 trained swat officers to search the hills behind her farm for an escaped convict. She would not let them go on this mission without having a full stomach. The next time, it was the fire department who showed up after seeing smoke in those same hills. They sent their battalion and found themselves with the same home cooking dilema. Our beloved food writers make or break the restaurant scene in America's cities and around the world, but it is in our homes where healthy good food lives on. Our society lives and brea t hs by blog and twitter volumes that run wide and not so deep. It is the little old lady, never alone in the Shaker Hills, that demonstrates the core of fellowship that fills the depths of aquifers and wells of our society. The book to read that supports the strength of Home Cooking is by Judith Jones, who realizes that it is not by blogs or twits but the written word that brings substantial food news to the priviledged in America. Let's Pray for Healthy foods and drink, but know that our stomach is still the Judge, Jury and the Ruler. The Stomach takes front page in our lives and be prepared to keep the Underberg German bitters handy.
Samuel Adams Boston Lager® is the best example of the fundamental characteristics of a great beer, offering a full, rich flavor that is both balanced and complex. It is brewed using a decoction mash, a time consuming, traditional four vessel brewing process discarded by many contemporary brewers. This process brings forth a rich sweetness from the malt that makes it well worth the effort. Samuel Adams Boston Lager® also uses only the finest of ingredients including two row barley, as well as German Noble aroma hops. The exclusive use of two row barley not only imparts a full, smooth body but also gives the beer a wide spectrum of malt flavor ranging from slightly sweet to caramel to slightly roasted. The Noble hops varieties, Hallertau Mittelfruh and Tettnang Tettnanger, add a wide range of floral, piney and citrus notes, which are present from the aroma, through the flavor, to the lingering smooth finish. Jim take great pride in the Noble hops used in his beers. They are hand selected by Jim Koch and their other brewers from the world's oldest hops growing area. Among the world's most expensive, they cost twenty times as much as other hops.
