Your Mid-August Mailing It In From Vacation Beery News Notes

So, I probably should have skipped this week’s post given I have paid less than my usual not paying all that much attention. But walking past Montreal’s statute of Edward VII, the best of him that I can think of,* has inspired me to do my duty. So much nicer that the somewhat ignored statute of his mammy, Vicky, turning a cold shoulder a couple hundred yards further south. These little imperial spots are joined by other odd wee hints like we see at the Bell Telephone building on Beaver Hall built in 1928, where we can see a little hint of the rose of England there above the main door. Very weird. Makes one a wee bit more sympathetic for the nationalist cause, doesn’t it.

Well, enough imperial politics. What has been going on with beer? I have had one or two but I like my vacations without beer as much as with. Not so with others out there. For example, Ron has been on the road again, the descriptions of which travels are always some of my favorite things of his to read. Luckily he has not forgotten his need to describe his first meal of every… frikkin’… day:

We don’t rise very early. Well, the kids don’t. Me and Lexxie head down for breakfast at 10:30. And just miss breakfast. But they are serving brunch. Luckily, I can get something with fried eggs: pork hash. It’s quite nice, but the broccoli is almost raw and very tough. As we eat, the dining room fills up a bit. Still far from full, though it is pretty big. 

And Stan has taken a break in his vacation to do a bit of a round up on Monday but he is in no way not not not promising to do it next Monday. I liked this comment he made:

I pass it along not only because I think the combination of five words at the top should be put to music, but because it helps explain why the speed at which beers that don’t taste like beers that came before are being introduced.

Speaking of beers that don’t taste like beers, I liked this thought by Mr. B as to perhaps the why of it all:

Allow me to add a reminder that, back in the early days of microbrewing, what gave rise to the craft beer industry we know today was specifically NOT listening to what people wanted, but rather making good beer and educating people as to why it was so good.

Speaking of which, please note that fresh beer was very common before the days of micro brewing. It was called draft. Ask your uncles. Everyone drank it. And please also note that in 1997 imported beers were not hard to find and often in quite good condition if you had any interest in finding the store or bar that had them. Unlike revisionist histories so common today, reading reports from the time will quickly confirm that the main impetus for the micro brewing revolution was not to take on big beer but to make beers like those widely available imports. I have no idea why so little effort goes into researching a certain class of article when they reference the recent past  – but it shows. I can only appease my disappointment with another entirely gratuitous shot of another fabulous building in Montreal. Just click on the link for the fine details. It’s some sort of bank… or a hotel… or a hotel for bankers… Have I mentioned I’m in Montreal?**

Trying to make sense of another sort of misinformation – the adulteration of the concept of IPA – Matt wrote a long piece on the classifications of beers falling under that shadow… err… label and I was for the most part a very useful thing. There is still too little critical consideration of hierarchical, chronological and taxonomic legitimacy… but… what a lovely bit of truth telling is this:

A session IPA is not an IPA. It is a marketing term designed to sell you lower strength beer on the premise of it being as intensely hoppy as its stronger cousins. In reality, these beers are pale, or golden ales. In the past I have been told by brewers that a session IPA is brewed with the same amount of hops as an IPA, but some of those brewers also make beers called DDH pale ales, so which is it? Call it pale, call it golden, call it a hoppy bitter for all I care, but please let’s stop giving these low strength pretenders the credibility of a true IPA. 

Actual nerds interested in actual history may want to block out May 11-13, 2023 to hold a spot for a virtual lecture or some such experience on experimental archaeology and medieval brewing. Those so inclined can also watch the archives of past beery discussion panels from Ireland’s BeoirFest here.

Excellent reportage of London’s past from Boak and Bailey this week with a story on the Star of the East pub as well as an oral history from Robin Davies, a worker at  Godson’s Brewery in the 1980s. Fabulous.

Finally, Beth wrote another good article on the continuing systemic pale old boy control of craft – which, come to think of it, does remind one of the keystone above the entry way to that Bell Telephone building:

… according to those interviewed for this article, even if some people do begin to accept their role in beer’s exclusionary hierarchy, marginalized folks in craft beer will still likely face insurmountable barriers to equity unless organizational leadership and decision-makers relinquish their need for control. “There are a lot of spaces in which white people, and especially white men, still hold power,” says Lay, who notes that history has shown that redistribution of power rarely comes by asking nicely.

Indeed. There. Just a short report this week. I am sure I missed the most interesting stuff but I am out of here. Well, and then I will be over there by Friday. More later on my movements. Until then check out the updates from Boak and Bailey mostly every Saturday and perhaps now from Stan once in a while on a Monday. Check out the weekly Beer Ladies Podcast, and at the mostly weekly OCBG Podcast on Tuesdays or Wednesdays – and also sometimes, on a Friday, posts at The Fizz as well (Ed.: we are told ‘tis gone to podcast heaven… gone to the podcast farm to play with other puppies.) And the long standing Beervana podcast (Ed.: which I have missed from this list for some unknown reason.) There is a monthly sort of round up at The Glass. (Ed.: that seems to be dead now… nope, there was a post on July 25th… in 2022 even.) There is more from DaftAboutCraft‘s podcast, too. And the Beervana podcast. And sign up for Katie’s (Ed.: now very) irregular newsletter, The Gulp, too. And check out the Atlantic Canada Beer Blog‘s weekly roundup. Still gearing  up, the recently revived All About Beer has introduced a podcast, too. (Ed.: give it a few weeks to settle in and not be as agreeable.) Plus follow the venerable Full Pint podcast. And Fermentation Radio with Emma Inch. The AfroBeerChick podcast as well! And also look at Brewsround and Cabin Fever. And Ben has his own podcast, Beer and Badword (Ed.: …notice of revival of which has been given… still not on the radio dial…)  And remember BeerEdge, too, and The Moon Under Water. There has also been the Beer O’clock Show but that’s now wound up after ten years.

*Only one I’ve ever seen. Such a bragger.
**I am in Montreal!