The Naked Pint (23 page)
Authors: Christina Perozzi
TOGETHER IN PERFECT HARMONY: THE BLACK AND TAN
You’re probably familiar with the black and white cookie of beer: the Black and Tan. This is usually a combination of a Pale Ale or English Bitter with a Porter or Stout. Sometimes a Pale Lager is used in lieu of the Pale Ale, but either way, the tan part of the concoction is a beer that is low in bitterness and alcohol. The most popular combo for this drink are the Irish beers Harp and Guinness; however, Black and Tans are not actually consumed often in Ireland and are much more popular with Brits and Americans. In fact, in Ireland the term black and tan refers to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, which was engaged in the 1920s in active suppression of the revolution in Ireland. Employed by the queen of England and made up of World War I vets from England and Scotland, the force was supposed to focus on fighting the infamous Irish Republican Army (IRA), but instead they were famous for attacking Irish civilians. The point of this history lesson is that black and tan can be an offensive term in parts of Ireland; in fact, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream had to pull their black and tan flavor made in honor of St. Patrick’s Day in 2006 due to Irish feelings about the association.
Black and Tans are made by slowly pouring the tan portion into a pint first and finishing with Guinness (or whatever Stout is used) on top. The Stout is often poured over an inverted spoon, or “brolly,” which hooks onto the pint glass, preventing a mixture of the two beers. The perfect Black and Tan is pleasing to the eye and counterintuitive because the dark portion floats above the light. The reason the Stout hangs above the lighter beer is because the Stout is actually less dense than lager and Pale Ale. Wow for physics.
In addition to the Black and Tan, here are some other 50/50 splits from around the globe:
HALF AND HALF: Half warm Guinness and half chilled Guinness. Some Irish claim that this produces the perfect temperature Guinness.
BLACKSMITH OR PINT OF SPECIAL: Half Smithwick’s Irish Red Ale, half Guinness. This is the way to order a Black and Tan in Ireland if you don’t want to get kicked out of the pub.
SNAKEBITE: Half lager, half hard apple cider. This is a common choice for new beer drinkers because of the sweetness.
SHANDY: A percentage (50% to 60%) of beer (lager or lighter ale) and lemonade or lemon-lime soda.
BLACK AND GOLD OR BLACK APPLE: Half hard apple cider and half Guinness.
BLACK BASTARD: Half Stone’s famous Arrogant Bastard Ale and half Guinness.
BLACK AND BLOOD: Half Guinness and half Ribena (a popular black currant juice abroad).T
his is where we delve a little deeper into a world ruled by a Dark Lord. Okay, maybe we’re going too far with that, but we definitely want to turn you on to a beer style that doesn’t get as much play in America as it should: the Bavarian-born Dunkel (pronounced DOONK-ELL). Even though these beers are deep in color, there’s no deep, dark mystery here.
Dunkel
is just German for “dark.” That’s it. Now, Dunkel can be a little confusing because the word
dark
can really be applied to almost any darker beer. As you know, we don’t like to judge a beer by its color; in this case, it’s the flavor profile of these Dunkels that really sets them apart from other dark beers, like Porters or Stouts.
his is where we delve a little deeper into a world ruled by a Dark Lord. Okay, maybe we’re going too far with that, but we definitely want to turn you on to a beer style that doesn’t get as much play in America as it should: the Bavarian-born Dunkel (pronounced DOONK-ELL). Even though these beers are deep in color, there’s no deep, dark mystery here.
Dunkel
is just German for “dark.” That’s it. Now, Dunkel can be a little confusing because the word
dark
can really be applied to almost any darker beer. As you know, we don’t like to judge a beer by its color; in this case, it’s the flavor profile of these Dunkels that really sets them apart from other dark beers, like Porters or Stouts.
We talked about Pilsners in Chapter 3 and how they were met with such acclaim and popularity. Well, that’s because up until the 1840s all beer was pretty much dark, or Dunkel. However, because the brewing process wasn’t necessarily understood, those beers were dark, muddy, murky, and questionable in flavor at best. These aren’t the Dunkel beers we’re talking about here. The Dunkels of today are clear dark lagers that aren’t necessarily heavy, charred, or smoky. Dunkels traditionally also use a method called decoction (a word that makes us giggle). The decoction method concentrates a portion of the beer and aids in a process that creates nice, malty, sweet, caramelized characteristics: a revelation in dark beers at the time.
Because of the popularity of Pilsners and light sparkly beers, Dunkel styles pretty much took a back seat to them and became less frequently made. But Dunkels are seeing a resurgence in popularity, and we’ve decided to honor the style and bring ’em back big-time, baby, yeah.
München mag Dich (Munich Loves You): Munich Dunkel Lagers
THIS BEER’S FOR YOU IF YOU LIKE: SAYING FUNNY WORDS. CRUNCHY BAGUETTES. MAHOGANY. COMPLEXITY AND RICHNESS. CARAMELS.
Munich Dunkels are the classic dark lagers and are made using a majority (and sometimes 100%) of the rich and complex Munich malt, which lends sweetish notes like caramel and bread crusts, nuts and cocoa. For the most part, Munich Dunkels are not intense or bitter beers and usually ring in between 4.5% and 6% ABV. They should be approachable, comfortable, and medium bodied. Because these beers are not cloying or overpowering, they are great steps in acclimating you to the truth that dark beers are not bitter or heavy. (Yes, we said it again.) In fact, this beer style should have none of the big burnt, super-smoky, or bitter flavors that its darker cousins Porters and Stouts have. Lest you think that this style might be too sweet for your liking, there is usually a nice hop presence in these styles that isn’t necessarily bitter but provides a clean, not too astringent finish to the sweetness. Sound good? Try some of these rad Dunkels:
AYINGER ALTBAIRISCH DUNKEL: Brauerei Aying, Aying, Germany. Amazing balance, clean, toasty. A classic representation from one of the best breweries in the world. 5% ABV.
LEINENKUGEL’S CREAMY DARK: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. A great American version of the Bavarian classic. Smooth and rich; nutty with hints of chocolate. 4.9% ABV.
NEGRA MODELO: Grupo Modelo, Mexico City, Mexico. This Mexican version of a Munich Dunkel is pretty darn good. Caramel and brown sugar with a clean finish. 4% ABV.
AYINGER ALTBAIRISCH DUNKEL: Brauerei Aying, Aying, Germany. Amazing balance, clean, toasty. A classic representation from one of the best breweries in the world. 5% ABV.LEINENKUGEL’S CREAMY DARK: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. A great American version of the Bavarian classic. Smooth and rich; nutty with hints of chocolate. 4.9% ABV.NEGRA MODELO: Grupo Modelo, Mexico City, Mexico. This Mexican version of a Munich Dunkel is pretty darn good. Caramel and brown sugar with a clean finish. 4% ABV.Other books
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