These days, it never seems to be the right time to tackle a strong or quirky beer. Maybe it’s the weather — we’re craving cold lager or, like Knut, wheat beer. Ron’s of the view that there’s nothing better in the heat than a chilled Guinness Foreign Export, but we’re not convinced.
So, the Brew Dogs, the Belgians and the bocks sit gathering dust in the ‘cellar’ while our recycling bin fills up with empty bottles from beers like Svyturys (contains rice) and Franziskaner (contains no real hops). We’re also slowly working our way through our oh-so-small stash of homebrewed lager.
Maybe this weekend, we’ll tackle our recently acquired Lou Pepes. They ought to be refreshing and worth taking notes on.
22 replies on “Hot weather no good for beer geekery”
What about a nice Saison, like Saison Dupont for the hot weather if you can find it?
Hello, again, oblivious. It’s something we’d have to go our of our way for, whereas we can get a cold Svyturys or Franziskaner on the way from the station to the house after work.
I dunno. It’s bloody roasting and horribly heavy here, but after work we just had a session of Kellerbier, my home-brewed pale ale and a couple bottles of Goose Island IPA (a rare treat in Germany!). I’d murder a Chimay Bleue right now, but I promised to keep it for another time, and despite the heat I’d be happy with a slow-drinking, strong son’a’bitch right now 😀
By the way, an ice cold Guinness FES sounds like just the treat, but I only have two bottles, and I’m saving them.
Good call, Barry — Goose Island IPA is great chilled right down, and as refreshing as they come. Again, fairly hard for us to get hold of.
Maybe what I’m really saying is that hot weather makes us bloody lazy?
Here in Oslo we’re finding the same. We’ve consumed large quantities of Nøgne Ø Wit over the past week, as well as some other lighter beer. In desperation when there was no more Wit, the wife even bought Aass Gourmet Weizen (from an industrial brewer, yes), which went down the sink.
Not that it matters much. We only get two weeks of really hot weather a year, so this’ll be over in a few days.
mmmm…I’ve got a Guinness FE, I might just test that theory.
But just have a heart for us brewers in this weather. Think of me at 9am tomorrow morning as I’m mashing in.
The Guinness is just the tonic. Perhaps I’ll have a Thirst Quencher (Keswick 4.3%) next though.
Dave, mashing in in your own brewery beats the hell out of writing tender responses in an office while the sun beats down outside… 🙂
And now I’m tempted to throw a FES into the freezer for half an hour 😀
Barry, good point, and I can get away with stripping to the waist in my own brewery. Thanks for the reality check.
Ah ok, I do like a cold Franziskaner and it tends to be a bit cheaper than other hefs around here. Also Chimay use hop extract too!
The answer’s simple: stop being a beer geek! Drink what you want and ignore all the Emperor’s new clothes bullshit!
Indeed. I can’t keep up with the geekery lately what with its new militancy. And I seem to be only wanting bourbon myself. Goes with the mint in the garden.
Dave — we’ve not brewed for ages, partly because of time, but mostly because it’s such hot work. So, yes, I do have some sympathy.
Jeff — I think we’ve always drunk what we want! That doesn’t mean we always finish what we’ve started, of course. Some of those oak-aged, triple-hopped monsters, pricey and rare as they are, end up down the sink because they basically taste like cough medicine.
Alan — militant geeks? I’ve missed that and I’m intrigued. I think of geeks as an inherently gentle people, not given to warlike ways.
I stand by my choice of strong Stout as the perfect summer drink. If it wasn’t good in hot weather, why would they sell it all over the tropics?
Ally, I’ve found that the Bunker beer has improved compared to where it was a couple of years ago.
Alan’s suggestion sounds damn good right now!
I feel you. I don’t do well in the heat and am uninspired beer wise. When I drink a good beer that I’ve been saving I want to write about it but the heat has robbed me of my mojo.
The other day I had several pints of very cold pilsner in the Bunker and while the beer was nothing to blog about (the beer there has been getting progressively tasteless lately) it hit the spot.
And what’s to say about bland but satisfying beer other than: “Had a nice pint the other day. It was nice.”
Still, it’ll soon be winter…
Gueuze lambic – bang it in the freezer for half an hour then it’ll kill any thirst known to man. Some beer snobs will choke on their Fullers at this but they can fuck off – cold lambic is the way forwards!
We’ve got some Cantillon Iris in and that was very nice when we drank it a bit colder than prescribed.
Cold gueuze is awesome on a hot day, as is slightly cooler than normal pale ale, and I agree with Ron, those big tropical stouts can be when very cold hit the spot too. I have been nailing the homebrew Kellerbier tho and a dry hopped “TarasBoulba lite” effort, the cornie/cooler system is going full tilt at home, lined up for a big weekend coming.
Jeff/Ally, interesting to hear that Bunker might be back on form?
Now I am drinking Christmas beers for Canada Day. Poured some on ice even. That was excellent.
The new militant geeks include those who can’t distinguish between the interests of the brewers and their own, the fan boys who advocate to pay more for beer.
Phil, Bunker’s beer is certainly drinkable, and thanks to the presence of Kent and Essex scallies, it’s the perfect place to view a bit of rough.