The Naked Pint (37 page)

Here are a few of the best of the bitter:

So turn the lights down low and the Barry White way up. Open a bottle of Bière de Champagne and light some candles. Go all the way, baby. It’s time. You visited all the bases, time to round home plate. We know that when we pull out the big guns of beer, we can seduce pretty much anyone into drinking craft beer. And it’s nice to know that beer has a dressier side: Saison is like classic white pearls, Barley wine is like a tux ’n’ tails, Russian Imperial Stout is like the little black dress. Perhaps American IPA could then be the ass-kickin’, handmade, real-leather cowboy boots, and the Double IPA is like those ass-less chaps. Use protection—know your ABVs—so that you don’t have to suffer the walk of shame; we’ve all had a Double IPA night that got a little out of control. But if you take precautions, you can be relaxed and comfortable going all the way with the right beer.

Home Is Where
the Beer Is

I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and safety.

—WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
KING HENRY V

B
eing a beer lover means bringing that love into the home. You now have a long list of styles to choose from and an advanced palate to taste with. So why have a variety of wines and liquor on hand in your cabinet for every occasion and only one lonely six-pack of beer in the fridge? Now that you have embraced the breadth of the beer world, you’ll want to have some choices when dining at home. Whether you plan a dinner party or have an unexpected soirée, or even a 3 a.m. booty call, pulling out a variety of special beers for your guests will leave a memorable mark on their minds and palates. In fact, having options for your guests is simply good manners for a beer lover. We tell you this from personal experience; we find that people remember the craft beers we served them as much as the good company when we throw parties. But beer in the home isn’t just about the drink, it’s about the whole aesthetic experience. In this chapter we’ll tell you how to get the most out of your craft beer experience at home—How to serve it in the right glass, and what to keep around to have good beer feng shui.

W
e’re going to tell you something that wine enthusiasts have known for years: The glass matters! It
really
matters. Great glassware isn’t just pretty; its function has a huge effect on a fine beverage. There’s much more to glassware than a cheap pint glass or, even worse, the giant red plastic cup (The Horror!). Just like a white wine belongs in a different size and shape glass than red wine, different beer styles have their own glassware. Americans are finally catching on to the idea of using great glassware for beer, but this idea has been thriving for ages in Belgium and other beer-centric European countries. Thankfully, the resurgence in craft beer has brought back interest in using the proper glass. You may have even seen a few of these around town: the tulip-shaped glass, the chalice glass, or at least the tall Weizen glass. So how does the glass affect the beer?

The shape of the glass has great influence on the release of the carbonation in the beer. Think of a Champagne flute. It allows this bubbly elixir to retain its carbonation because of its narrow shape and small surface area at the opening. This is important for Champagne, which needs a nice dose of carbonation to balance out its sugary sweetness. Try putting Champagne into a big pint glass and see what happens. It will no doubt lose carbonation quickly and get syrupy sweet and cloying. Certain beers need the same attention to carbonation release. Lambics, for instance, benefit from a glass shaped like a Champagne flute so that they retain enough carbonation as you drink them to keep some balance and not be perceived as overly sweet or sour.