Repositioning Round-up 2: San Francisco & Mexico

Let’s continue with my repositioning adventures.  After Oregon we ventured to San Francisco where my beer tasting continued.  I was fortunate enough to try the Anchor Steam beer, which holds the copy right for this name as it is the last beer produced by the original steam method.  I also got to try one of Speakeasy Ale & Lager’s offerings – the Big Daddy IPA.  Next we moved down away from America and into Mexico.  I’d asked my twitter friends for some recommendations for Mexican beers and was not disappointed by Modelo Negra which I think will be my go to Mexican beer from now on.  Let’s check out the tasting notes:

San Francisco Anchor Steam Beer

This beer had a beautiful amber colouring and a low head.  With a grainy, lightly citrus aroma this brew was quite satisfying with my burger.  I enjoyed the bitter beginning leading to a maltiness that filled the mouth.

Big Daddy IPA – Speakeasy Ale & Lager

Gold with a lingering white head this offering had a good balance of bitter grapefruit sweetness and nettle linger – my favourite combination in an IPA.

Modelo Negra - Modelo

This was recommended to me by Beerinalia on Twitter when I asked which beers I should try in Mexico and the Caribbean.  I’m really glad I took his advice!  Darm amber in colour with a quick;y dissipating fuzzy white head this beer had a rich malty sweet aroma with some underlying fruitiness.  I found the malty taste very refreshing with it’s sweet linger.

Victoria – Modelo

This was a recommendation by my server in Huatulco, Marco.  It is light amber with little to no head and a pine aroma.  Victoria has a good body with a grainy taste and only a little bitterness which was very refreshing in the heat.

Pacifico Clara – Modelo

Pale gold with no head to speak of this lager was not too bad despite the fact that I am not a fan of lagers in general.  It has a sharp lime aroma and a crisp grainy taste but I found it a little on the alkaline side for my tastes.

Bohemia Dark – Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma

I have had the regular Bohemia before but had not found the dark version until my current season in Mexico.  I enjoyed it a lot more than the regular version, once again confirming my love of darker beers!  Nut brown with a low head this offering has a slightly astringent flavour with some roastiness.  The flavour begins mild but then becomes more roasted like a stout.  I found it more refreshing and watery than a regular stout though.

We are almost through the Panama Canal in my beer adventures so stick around to hear more soon!  

The Heineken Experience - Amsterdam

While I was in Amsterdam back in April I visited the Heineken Experience.  This is more of a museum and activity center than a brewery tour as Heineken hasn’t been brewed in the old brewery since the 80s, but it is still worth a visit for those of us interested in beer.

Half of the Experience is about how the company was built through four generations of the Heineken family and how they developed the world renowned beer we know today.  The second half of the Experience explores the marketing side of the company, which has played a huge part in its success.

I was very interested to learn that currently the company is owned by a woman, Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken.  She gives you a little speech via video part way through.  When you get into the old brewery proper with the mash tuns and old equipment on display you get a chance to taste the wort made from the ingredients Heineken brews with.  I didn’t realize how sweet and like warm cereal it would taste!  I also had a go at stirring the wort while wearing traditional brewers garb.

One of the activities you can take part in is being brewed.  You are shown a video discussing the brewing process while standing on a platform that moves.  It shakes and mixes you while the temperature in the room also changes and you get sprayed with water!  I apparently now know how malts feel.

There is of course the obligatory beer tasting at the end of the Experience.  With your ticket you get a wrist band with three tokens on.  One token is good for a half pint.  You get a half pint in the tasting and then at the very end can get more in the World Bar. 

Overall I found the Heineken Experience interesting, it is definitely a different approach to a beer tour.  A lot of the information is about the company and its marketing process however so if all you really want to know about is the beer and the brewing process, that side is a little light.  I still think it is worth seeing though, but you definitely have to be a beer or business enthusiast to really enjoy it.

American Craft Beer Week!

I think I've mentioned that I work on cruise ships and that gives me the opportunity to travel a lot.  Well, I just did a quick fill-in contract that took me to 8 different European countries in 3 weeks.... my beer adventures from there will be blogged soon :-)

While I was away there was an excellent radio programme on BBC Radio 4 about craft brewing in the USA called The New Beer Frontier.  I finally got to listen to it this week (the internet on cruise ships is a bit sketchy) which falls in line quite nicely with American Craft Beer Week.

Here's a summary of what I found interesting in the programme:

Originally, American brewing was influenced by British brewing techniques but this changed in the 1850s when an influence of German and Czech styles took over.  In fact, brewing in American became almost entirely German oriented, with meetings even been held in German.  Prohibition (from 1920-1933) skuppered the industry and when it was revoked, after WW1 a happy eye was not cast against an industry that was German run.

American brewing soon found the innovation of bottom fermentation, which led to the popularisation of lager beers that lasted longer but didn't have very complex taste (I'm looking at you Budweiser!)

The Craft Beer scene that we know and love today really took off in 1979 when home brewing was declared legal practice.  Also around this time air fairs were slashed so more people were taking trips to Europe and experiencing the beers available there.  The Americans came back from their European adventures and wanted to replicate the amazing flavours they had discovered.

In the 1980s, Boston was the place to be to taste new and exciting beers - Harpoon Brewery being one of the main culprits.

The Americans are now experimenting with many different styles and techniques.  New World hops are giving beers bigger, fruiter flavours and aromas and breweries like Cambridge Brewing Co in New York are trying out barrel ageing with wine, spirits and port wine barrels.

There are a few breweries mentioned in the programme that I need to look up the next time I am drinking beer in America.  The programme is still available on iPlayer here if you want to listen for yourself.

Tried Beer List

Here is my continually growing beer list. This post will be updated every time I try a new beer so keep an eye on it!

4-4-2 Shepherd Neame
Alaskan Amber Ale
Alaskan Summer Ale
Alexander Keith’s Dark
Alexander Keith’s Premium White
Alexander Keith’s Red
Badger Tanglefoot
Baltika lager
Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale
Bass Pale Ale
Becks
Belkin Lager
BH (Beer House) Premium
Blue Moon Belgian White
Boddingtons Pub Ale
Bohemia
Boulevard Lunar Ale
Brand Up

Brooklyn Lager
Bud Light
Bud Light Lime
Budweiser
Carib
Carling
Carlsberg
Caybrew
Chimay Premier Rouge
Coopers original pale ale
Coors Light
Cornhusker lager
Corona
Corona Light
Dos Equis Amber
Dos Exies
Dunkle (Krombacher)
Dunkles Extra
Florida Beer Florida Lager
Fosters
Franziskaner
Früh Kölsch
Fruli strawberry beer
Fumisterie (Hemp beer)
Garrison Raspberry Wheat
Greenwich Raspberry Wheat
Guinness
Heineken
Hobgoblin Ale
Hoegaarden Original white ale
Indiana Pale Ale
Innocence
Ironshore Bock
Island Summer Ale

John Smith's Extra Smooth
Kalik
Karhu III
Key West Sunset Ale
Kilkenny Irish Ale
Kona Longboard
Konig Ludwig Dunkle
Krombacher
Kronenbourg 1664
La Mondaine Brune
Landshark lager
Lapin Kulta III
Leafpeeper Lager
M&S Belgian Cherry Wheatbeer
Mariestads 3.5%
Marsalkka Vehnä
Märzen Spezial
Meantime London Porter
Medalla light
Medovar Honey
Michlob Light
Miller Light
Modelo Especial
Molson Canadian
Moosehead Lager
Moosehead Light
Newcastle Brown Ale
Newport Storm Hurricane Amber Ale
Newport Storm Oktoberfest
Norfolk Bitter
Old Speckled Hen
Pearl Light
Péché Mortel
Peroni
Pete’s Wicked Ale Strawberry Blonde
Pilsner Gold
Pilsner Urquell
Presidente
Propeller Pumpkin Ale
Pump House Blueberry Ale
Punk IPA
Red Rooster Ale
Red Stripe
Red Stripe Bold
Redbridge Gluten Free Beer
Rickard’s White Ale
Rostocker Pils
Rothaus Hefeweizen Zäpfle
Russell Cream Ale
Russell Honey Blonde
Russell Lager
Sagres
Saku Originaal
Salva Vida
Samuel Adams Backberry Witbeir
Samuel Adams Boston Brick Red
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
Samuel Adams Irish Red
Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA
Samuel Adams Noble Pilsner
Samuel Adams Oktoberfest
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Samuel Adams White Ale
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Sandringham Diamond Ale
San Miguel
Sandels
Sands
Sands Light
Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat
Sea Dog India Pale Ale
Shipyard Export Ale
Shock Top Belgian White
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Sleeman IPA
Southern Tier Raspberry Wheat
Spendrups Premium Lager 5%
Spitfire Kentish Ale
St-Ambroise The Great Pumpkin Ale (Citrouille)
St David's Light
Stella Artois
Super Bock
Tecate Light
Tiger Beer
Tropical Mango Pale Ale
Tuborg Classic
Tuborg Gron
Unibroue Blonde De Chambly
Vana Viini Lager 
Warsteiner Premium Verum
Wieckse Witte
Wychcraft White Ale
Yeugling traditional lager