Beer-Topia

by Bathroom Readers' Institute

  Lite was introduced nationally in 1975, and had an astounding effect on the Miller Brewing Co. In 1972 the company was the eighth-largest brewer, selling 5.4 million barrels of beer—compared to number-one Anheuser-Busch’s 26.5 million barrels. By 1978—three years after the introduction of Lite—Miller was in second place and gaining, selling approximately 32 million barrels to Anheuser-Busch’s 41 million.

  BEER MYTHS, DEBUNKED

  Myth: Stouts pack substantially more alcohol and calories than other beers. (That’s why it’s called a “stout.”)

  Truth: Generally, the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calories, because alcohol is very caloric. A 12-ounce serving of Guinness, the world’s most famous and best-selling stout, has a relatively low ABV of 4.2 percent, and contains 125 calories. A can of ordinary Budweiser has an ABV of 5 percent and 145 calories.

  Myth: Guinness is properly served with its famous “two-step” pour.

  Truth: Here’s how it goes: Fill the glass up about three-quarters of the way. Allow the bubbles to subside and settle, and then fill up the glass. It’s absolutely unnecessary—just a bit of dramatic, legend-building flourish invented by Guinness’s marketing department.

  Myth: Foster’s is “Australian for beer.”

  Truth: Foster’s was first brewed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1886 by William and Ralph Foster, Irish-American emigrants. It’s the second bestselling beer in England, and does respectable business in North America. Foster’s, in fact, is almost an entirely exported beer. Despite the famous ad campaign tying Foster’s to quintessentially Australian things, it’s not a big seller in Australia. (The people there prefer Victoria Bitter and Carlton Draught.)

  Myth: Beer kills brain cells.

  Truth: Beer make for not smart? That un-possible! Actually, beer—or any alcohol for that matter—does not destroy brain cells. Too much alcohol may temporarily damage the parts of the brain cells responsible for relaying information, which leads to something called “intoxication.” They may be out of service for a while, but those brain cells don’t go anywhere.

  HANGOVERS: HOW DO THEY WORK?

  Ben Franklin famously wrote that beer is “proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy,” which sounds lovely until you’re kneeling over a toilet at three o’clock in the morning. How can something so delicious hurt us so badly? Science still doesn’t really know, but we do seem to be getting closer to figuring out how hangovers happen, and maybe even how to prevent them.

  The thoughtful drinker’s approach is to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water between beers, and there’s sound science behind that method: Alcohol is a diuretic, a compound that dehydrates the body while also stimulating urine production. However, studies suggest that there actually isn’t any connection between dehydration and hangover severity. This isn’t to say that we recommend forgoing water while you’re out pounding brews, just that it may not be a cure-all.

  So if it isn’t dehydration, what is it? Scientists now think a hangover may have something to do with a buildup of acetaldehyde, a by-product of alcohol that has been found to produce hangover-like effects (sweating, nausea, hurling) in lab studies. There are also indications that drinking too much can trigger the production of cytokines, a signal system the body uses when trying to fight an infection, thus causing some of the familiar fatigue.

  The bottom line is that while we don’t really know why hangovers happen, we do know this much: As with so many things in life, the best medicine is prevention. Drink reasonably and responsibly, and know and respect your alcoholic limits. Your body will thank you for it…at least until science finally gives us free license to whoop it up.

  BEER MATH

  Gravity: This distinction has appeared on more and more beers in recent years, but what does it mean? It’s a measurement taken throughout the brewing process (with a hydrometer) of a beer’s density of fermentable sugars, starting with the wort (original gravity) and ending when the fermentation is complete (final specific gravity). The number printed on the label is the original gravity, minus the final gravity, and then divided by the original gravity. That’s the beer’s apparent attentuation, a measurement of how much fermentation the beer underwent.

  Alcohol by Volume (ABV): A measurement of the alcohol content of a beer, as calculated by the percentage volume of alcohol. To figure out a beer’s ABV, subtract the final gravity from the original gravity and divide by 0.0075.

  Alcohol by Weight (ABW): This is always lower than ABV. The amount of alcohol in beer measured according to the percentage weight of alcohol per volume of beer. In other words, 5 percent alcohol by weight equals 5 grams of alcohol per 100 centiliters of beer.

  IBUs: International Bitterness Units, or points on the scale used to measure a beer’s hoppy bitterness. It ranges from the low single digits (light lagers) up to around 100 (Imperial IPAs). Although you might assume that measuring IBUs involves lab workers sitting around downing beer, it’s actually a process that centers on solvent extraction to measure isohumulone, the acid responsible for hops’ bitterness.

  Microbrewery: More commonly and poetically referred to as a craft brewer, there is a clear definition of what makes a brewery a “microbrewery.” According to the Brewers Association (a craft beer trade group), it’s a brewery that produces less than 15,000 barrels annually, of which at least 75% is consumed off-site.

  DESTINATION: BEER

  Attraction: The Beer Can Museum

  Location: Taunton, Massachusetts

  Details: It’s a museum, and it’s full of beer cans. Not just any cans, mind you—the collection reaches back and across the annals of beer history. As curator Kevin Logan puts it, “Many of these cans tell stories about American and world history and their values at certain points in time.” It isn’t open to the public—tours are by appointment only or at the annual open house, Museumfest.

  Attraction: Deutsches Brauereimuseum

  Location: Munich, Germany

  Details: This museum offers an array of exhibits on the evolution of brewing, including artifacts like a drinking vessel from 4,000 BC. There’s also a complete microbrewery on the grounds.

  Attraction: Brussels Gueze Museum

  Location: Brussels, Belgium

  Details: Gueuze, a type of beer that the museum calls “a Brussels specialty from the Middle Ages,” is made by blending lambics, a process visitors can witness and learn about while touring the facility. The museum also offers a glimpse of traditional brewing equipment and, more importantly, samples.

  Attraction: Guinness Storehouse

  Location: Dublin, Ireland

  Details: Spread out across seven floors that surround a glass atrium shaped like a pint of Guinness, the massive Storehouse features everything from a close-up look at the ingredients that go into the beer to the history of the company, including its many distinctive ad campaigns. Start at the bottom, work your way to the top, and you’ll be rewarded with a visit to the Gravity Bar, which serves Guinness with a panoramic view of Dublin (and a perfect pour).

  Attraction: The Heineken Experience

  Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands

  Details: Plenty visit Amsterdam to sample an intoxicating substance of a different kind, but there’s also this lavish monument to Heinies (and pilsners in general). Located in the original Heineken brewery, built in 1867 and vacated in 1988, it promises “a sensational interactive tour through the dynamic world of Heineken,” which is brewspeak for “yes, we have samples.”

  Attraction: Hook Norton Brewery

  Location: Hook Norton, England

  Details: Hook Norton offers a case study in the beer version of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The brewery’s machinery is powered by a steam engine and other equipment that, in most any other brewery, would long ago have been replaced in the name of progress. Very much a working operation, Hook Norton produces cask ale for a network of pubs and grocery outlets, so after you’re finished gawking at the brewery’s operation, hi
storic artifacts, and local history exhibits, you can sample a brew that’s been produced since 1849.

  Attraction: National Brewery Centre

  Location: Burton-upon-Trent, England

  Details: Formerly the Bass Museum and then the Coors Visitor Center, this museum was dealt a blow in 2008 when Coors opted to shut it down as a cost-cutting measure…in spite of a petition with more than 20,000 supporters’ signatures. Fortunately, a local group banded together to explore other options, and in 2010, it reopened as the National Brewery Centre, a tribute not only to Bass but to what the museum refers to as “the social history of the development of brewing,” specifically in Burton-upon-Trent. Incorporating a multimedia tour, historic exhibits, and a bar and restaurant serving beer brewed on the site, it also hosts a variety of events; try planning your visit to coincide with the Chili Festival.

  Attraction: SAB World of Beer

  Location: Newtown, South Africa

  Details: This place lives up to its grandiose name with an immersive experience that takes visitors all the way back to beer’s beginnings in ancient Egypt. Given that it’s hosted by the South African brewing conglomerate SAB, there’s an understandable focus on beer’s history in the region, including a look at how the company was founded to tap into the burgeoning local demographic of thirsty miners. Visitors may sample malted barley and hops pellets and quaff a couple free pints (and get a free commemorative glass).

  Attraction: Sapporo Beer Museum

  Location: Sapporo, Japan

  Details: Interested in the history of Japanese beer? Start with the nation’s only beer museum, located on the former grounds of the Sapporo Sugar Company. The free guided tours offer a glimpse of Sapporo’s storied past, including archival ads and marketing materials, as well as historic brewing equipment and a beer garden.

  Attraction: Tsingtao Beer Museum

  Location: Shandong, China

  Details: China’s first beer museum pays tribute to more than a century of Tsingtao with a three-part tour: corporate history (from its beginnings as the Chinese branch of the Anglo-German Brewery Co.); how Tsingtao is made today; and the taproom for samples. It’s not entirely dry—the tour includes a trip through the “Drunken House,” with slanted walls and floors that reduce even the soberest entrants to stumbling buffoons (as well as video screens for playing back visitors’ pratfalls).

  Attraction: Bruges Beer Museum

  Location: Bruges, Belgium

  Details: This one opened in 2014, and it reflects its 21st-century birth with an interactive experience. An iPad-assisted tour allows visitors to walk through at their own pace, and they can use the tablet’s camera to scan QR codes that trigger multimedia presentations about the exhibits, which cover the history of beer with a special concentration on the Belgian brewing tradition. Spread out over three floors, which include beer memorabilia and re-creations of the large foeder drums used to brew Flemish ales, the tour even includes a “children’s version” of the museum.

  Attraction: A. Le Coq Beer Museum

  Location: Tartu, Estonia

  Details: Estonia probably isn’t one of the first places that come to mind when you think about beer, but that might change after you have the unique privilege of whiling away a couple of hours at the nexus of Baltic brewing. In addition to a tour of the A. Le Coq Brewery, the museum houses hundreds of years of history in an old malt drying tower. Guided tours take two hours, and, as with just about every other stop on our world beer museum map, include samples of the product.

  Attraction: National Brewery Museum

  Location: Potosi, Wisconsin

  Details: The Potosi Brewing Company actually houses a pair of museums: the National Brewery Museum, which pays tribute to “the rich history of America’s breweries” with exhibits and an assortment of memorabilia, and the Potosi Brewing Company Transportation Museum, which frames the brewery’s history through its use of waterways and roadways. It’s the former attraction that will probably be of most interest to beer aficionados, and for good reason—after an extensive rebuilding and remodeling campaign that found new owner Gary David spearheading efforts to restore the historic (and long-defunct) PBC building, the museum houses an extensive collection that includes noteworthy bottles, cans, ads, and other assorted beer memorabilia.

  BEERS FROM TV

  • Indiana’s Federation of Beer, a brewery named for the United Federation of Planets from Star Trek, makes a beer called Roggen Dunkel. It’s inspired by a potent tipple consumed by the fearsome Klingons on Star Trek: The Next Generation. It’s made with sweet and rye malts with notes of banana and cloves.

  • In 2014, Philadelphia’s Dock Street Brewery introduced Dock Street Walker—“walkers” are what characters call zombies on The Walking Dead. Colored with cranberries to make it bloodred, it’s also brewed with smoked goat braaaaains.

  • New York brewery Ommegang makes three beers inspired by HBO’s Game of Thrones: Iron Throne Ale, Take the Black Stout, and Fire and Blood Red Ale. “Fire and Blood” is the motto of Daenerys Targaryen, “the mother of dragons.” Each bottle depicts one of three different dragons.

  “HOORAY BEER!”

  Match the classic ad slogan to the beer it promoted.

  Answers are on page 254.

  1. “The beer that made Milwaukee famous”

  2. “The champagne of bottled beers”

  3. “The beer refreshing”

  4. “Tap the Rockies”

  5. “I am Canadian!”

  6. “Hooray beer!”

  7. “Miles away from ordinary”

  8. “The king of beers”

  9. “You never forget your first girl”

  10. “Head for the mountains”

  11. “Reassuringly expensive”

  12. “Refreshes your spirit”

  13. “Life beckons”

  14. “Australian for beer”

  15. “It works every time”

  16. “The beer to have when you’re having more than one”

  17. “Reach for greatness”

  18. “America’s world class beer”

  a) Coors

  b) Old Milwaukee

  c) Stella Artois

  d) Beck’s

  e) Shaefer

  f) Colt .45

  g) Molson

  h) Corona

  i) Hamm’s

  j) Courage

  k) Foster’s

  19. “This one has the touch”

  20. “It’s what your right arm is for”

  21. “It just doesn’t get any better than this”

  l) High Life

  m) Schlitz

  n) Bass Ale

  o) Samuel Adams

  p) Busch

  q) Guinness

  r) St. Pauli Girl

  s) Budweiser

  t) Red Stripe

  u) Pabst Blue Ribbon

  THIS BUD(S) FOR YOU

  Three distinctly different brews from three different eras all claim to be the one true Budweiser.

  Which Bud’s the true brew?

  • Ceské Budejovice, a city in what is now the Czech Republic, is commonly known by its German name, Budweis. Breweries have operated there since the 13th century, and in 1795, a group of German residents opened a new one, Budweiser Bier Bürgerbräu. Their signature beer was a light-colored, mild German-style lager they called Budweiser (or “of Budweis”).

  • In the late 1860s, American brewer Adolphe Busch was looking for ways to improve the quality and shelf life of the beers being made at the St. Louis brewery he co-owned with his father-in-law, Eberhard Anheuser—mostly dark ales, which were the most popular style at the time. Busch toured Europe, studying brewing methods and sampling many different types of beer. His favorite was the one he drank in Budweis: Budweiser. In 1876, Busch’s brewery developed a beer similar to Budweiser to sell in the United States, and he called it…Budweiser. On the strength of that beer, Anheuser-Busch became America’s biggest beermaker in less than 20 years. />
  • In 1895, King William II of Württemberg (today a part of Germany) made Bürgerbräu’s Budweiser his official court beer. With William’s endorsement, Bürgerbräu’s sales skyrocketed. Result: A group of enterprising brewers decided to cash in on Budweiser’s popularity. They opened the Budvar Budweiser Brewery, and rolled out the third lager with the name of Budweiser.

  Around 1900, the two Budweis-based Budweiser breweries learned that Busch’s version of Budweiser was selling extremely well in the United States. Both Bürgerbräu and Budvar began exporting their Budweisers to America. That put three different beers called Budweiser—all of which were technically very similar—into the U.S. marketplace. This didn’t lead to consumer confusion. Reason: There was a lot more of Busch’s Budweiser in stores—by a ratio of 10 to 1.

  It all came to a head in 1901 at a brewingindustry trade fair attended by representatives from all three breweries. The parties met…and argued about which was the real Budweiser and who should get the rights to the very lucrative and very recognizable brand name. The Bürgerbräu brewers argued that they should have the rights to “Budweiser” because they made their lagers in Budweis, and they’d been doing it since 1795. Anheuser-Busch representatives contended that they owned the North American trademark on the Budweiser name and had the paperwork to prove it.

  A 10-year courtroom battle ensued. In 1911, they reached an agreement: Each brewer could continue to use the name Budweiser, but only in certain territories. Anheuser-Busch was granted the right to sell its Budweiser in North America only. The two European brewers agreed to share the name and the European market. The two breweries kept a tenuous peace for another few years, until the conclusion of World War I, when both operations were seized by the Czech government.