I don't know by what divine intervention it all happened, but all I know is that three months ago, I did not like hoppy beers; they were too pungent and tangy. It was like when I was a kid and my dad would give me a drink of his Old Milwaukee Light or a got a sip of my granpa's salted Goebel's--it just tasted bad(probably still would, but for different reasons). Then I grew up and reached the proper age to drink a beer, but still, it was Bud, Miller, or Coors--turns out they don't even use grains anymore, just corn and rice because it's cheaper, and hop extracts.
When I had my first Guinness seven years ago, I was in heaven. For the last few years, I have preferred a good old malty beer like a porter, draught or a good ol' stout, especially in the winter.
But for whatever reason, after my sister bought me a nice hop head from a micro-brew for Christmas, I have developed an affinity for the hoppier beers. A good Dogfish Head IPA or a Saranac pale ale is not as overwhelmingly bitter and perfumy as I had previously thought. For years, I couldn't stomach a Boston Lager, but now, I wouldn't mind sitting down to dinner with a classic Sammy. Either my tastes are becoming more sophisticated or I am finally becoming an adult, because as all children know, adults like things that taste like shit. So maybe this weekend I will settle down with some IPA and a plate of chicken livers and watch some PBS.
you may be too late-- isn't there a hops shortage/extinction in progress right now?
ReplyDeleteyou'd better drink as much hoppy beer as you can in the next year or so. i'll cover for you.
The shortage is over--there is actually a surplus now because people overcompensated.
ReplyDeleteThe Dogfish Head '60 Minute IPA' is outstanding if you like hoppy. Their '90 Minute IPA' is apparently superb if you like malty.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're pretty close to the truth about the mainstream beers. They still use some grain, but all have definitely fallen back on using a ridiculous amount of adjuncts like corn and rice, which are to beer what lips and assholes are to hot dogs.
So, cheers. You might check out the movie "Beer Wars." I know you can watch it on-demand on Netflix. It's not great, but it does present a lot of facts about the modern brewing industry.
Strange Brew is another great film on the facts of life about beer. It also offers a refreshing and modern look at MacBeth.
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