St. Louis Blog

Time to pour out a little liquor for beer school. It's over. No more I.B.U. updates, no more observations about smooth ale and bitter E.S.B.

Last night we, the graduates, received beer glasses with "Cicero's Beer School Class of 2008" pasted on the side.

We also received a card that allows us to purchase one beer per sitting at a discounted price -- not valid for specials -- until May 1.

Read more about what happened on our last class after the jump.

The semester is almost over. After twelve weeks of note-taking, studying and balancing driving with imbibing, Beer School has come to a close. Graduation is next week. Lots of prizes and treats are promised...I'll try not to cry.

Last night we sampled four brews from the Left Hand Brewing Company based in Longmont, Colorado. Read more about these "phenomenally balanced" brews, as sales manager Mike Walters describes them, after the jump.

Every Wednesday, from roughly 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Delmar Loop institution Cicero's hosts beer school. As part of a semi-regular account of the beer sampling and sudsy knowledge gained, RFT editorial fellow Matt Kasper will write about the beer he tastes and the people who present it.

If you are reading this at work and get thirsty, Matt apologizes. But maybe you shouldn't be wasting company time.

It was a night for the hopheads -- the second half anyway.

The Missouri Beverage Company showed up with a selection of four drastically different beers. The next time anyone tells you beer ain't diverse -- most likely not the most pressing concern for people, but an ugly stereotype nonetheless -- just offer them a little St. Peter's and Bear Republic.

The beers from St. Peter's included the English Ale followed by the Cream Stout. St. Peter's Brewery started in Suffolk, England in 1996 and bottles their beer apothecary-style. The tall, bulky, green bottle has shoulders a linebacker would envy, and is based on a 1770 design, according to Jim McGinn, field sales manager for the company.

It tastes unusual, I think. The hops are organic and come from Australia's twisted sister, New Zealand. McGinn described it as very light -- crisp, clean with a little citrus in it.

Every Wednesday, from roughly 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Delmar Loop institution Cicero's hosts beer school. As part of a semi-regular account of the beer sampling and sudsy knowledge gained, RFT editorial fellow Matt Kasper will write about the beer he tastes and the people who present it.

If you are reading this at work and get thirsty, Matt apologizes. But maybe you shouldn't be wasting company time.

At this point, almost every St. Louisian knows about Schlafly. The seasonal beers are available at grocery stores. The Tap Room [See my review! -- Ian] and Bottleworks attract buckets of people. The beer is tasty, sometimes a little watery, always affordable. What I didn't know until Wednesday's class is that their brewers have an encyclopedic knowledge about brewing.

The tasting was great. We usually try four beers, sometimes only three. Last night we quaffed --count 'em -- five. No one beer sent me through the roof, but all of them were very good.

More after the jump...

Every Wednesday, from roughly 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Delmar Loop institution Cicero's hosts beer school. As part of a semi-regular account of the beer sampling and sudsy knowledge gained, RFT editorial fellow Matt Kasper will write about the beer he tastes and the people who present it.

If you are reading this at work and get thirsty, Matt apologizes. But maybe you shouldn't be wasting company time.

www.andrewsvirtualbrewery.com

Bell's Brewery came all the way from Kalamazoo, Michigan, to beer school last night to offer samples of its Amber Ale, the unique gold pale ale Third Coast and -- my personal favorite -- the hoppilicious Two Hearted Ale.

Jim O'Connor, a brewery representative for Bell's, started off talking about the history of the company, including how how a $200 donation from Larry Bell's mother in 1984 helped launch his investment in home brewing. The brewery opened in 1985.

The amber ale, 5. 8 percent ABV, is made with Munich and caramel malts. It offered a bitter, sharp taste that I wasn't expecting. O'Connor said Bell's sold 35 barrels the first year - for those keeping score at home, a brewer's barrel equals 31 gallons -- and used to be called Great Lakes Amber Ale.

(Remember: Kalamazoo is wayyyy up there.)

What the hell is a melange of hops? Find out after the jump...

Every Wednesday, from roughly 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Delmar Loop institution Cicero's hosts beer school. As part of a semi-regular account of the beer sampling and sudsy knowledge gained, RFT editorial fellow Matt Kasper will write about the beer he tastes and the people who present it.

If you are reading this at work and get thirsty, Matt apologizes. But maybe you shouldn't be wasting company time.

www.amby-import.dk

From the first sip I was excited. Pete Larsen, of Wetten Importers, was talking about Belgian Ales -- the four different hops used and the fermenting process, which takes up to three years -- but I was already lost in a dry, crisp paradise.

I was drinking Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor, one of the four beers we sampled last night that was made in Belgium and shipped across the pond. At 8 percent ABV, this isn't the kind of beer you pound. After the tasting, I drank it in a wide, u-shaped glass -- trust me: it's something to savor. The pleasant sour finish reminds me of the hint of salt water in your mouth after returning from the beach.

It was good is what I'm trying to say. In fact, it might be best beer I've had to date at beer school. There, I said it.

Matt vs. the fruit beers, after the jump...

Every Wednesday, from roughly 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Delmar Loop institution Cicero's hosts beer school. As part of a semi-regular account of the beer sampling and sudsy knowledge gained, RFT editorial fellow Matt Kasper will write about the beer he tastes and the people who present it.

If you are reading this at work and get thirsty, Matt apologizes. But maybe you shouldn't be wasting company time.

What O'Fallon Brewery lacks in creative naming (it is based in O'Fallon, Missouri, after all), they make up for in delivering delicious beer! Well, except for the Cocoa Cream Stout beer, which made at least a couple people cringe -- but I'll get to that.

The first beer of the night was the O'Fallon Gold, which O'Fallon representative Brian Owens described as a balanced golden ale that is "light, but not too heavy." Owens definitely has a way with words, likenening O'Fallon Gold's "soft, floral spiciness" to a German Kolsch. My only complaint was that it wasn't available on tap.

More O'Fallon brews after the jump...

www.chicagoist.com

Every Wednesday, from roughly 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Delmar Loop institution Cicero's hosts beer school. As part of a semi-regular account of the beer sampling and sudsy knowledge gained, RFT editorial fellow Matt Kasper will write about the beer he tastes and the people who present it.

If you are reading this at work and get thirsty, Matt apologizes. But maybe you shouldn't be wasting company time.

Last night, George F. Reisch, a brewmaster for Anheuser-Busch, presented three beers: the Pale Ale, the Amber Bock and the American Ale, which was just released in late September. Now, I'm usually not a big fan of Anheuser-Busch beers like Budweiser. They taste too light and watery. Maybe that makes me un-American, though I'm guessing the InBev buyout might give me some cover.

Anyway, the three beers we sampled last night were a lot tastier than I expected. And the presentation about beer was tremendous. Reisch definitely knows his stuff.

"I love people who love beer," he declared at the beginning of the session. "I was homebrewing when it was an illegal federal act."

Throughout the night, Reisch passed on seeds of wisdom. He said adding wheat increases foam. He said drinking beer out of the bottle is no good because you are essentially swallowing the beer in its condensed state -- pouring it into a glass lets it aerate. Of course, he doesn't like pint glasses either. He prefers a tall, skinny champagne-style glass for a more concentrated taste.

The seeds of wisdom assumed a literal dimension at one point when pale malt and black malt seeds were distributed throughout the crowd and discussed. The pale malt seeds tasted like grape nuts. My seat mate, Tarren, said the black malt seeds "taste like I ate Starbucks."

The three beer samples went down easy -- Amber Bock was probably my favorite because it includes a crisp taste with a more full-bodied flavor. Reisch seemed to be pushing the American Ale for its equal gender appeal.

Noting that men, generally, like bitter beers and dislike sweet beers, he said the American Ale is "round in front" and has a nice bitter taste. Noting that women, generally, like sweet beers, he said the beer offers a sweet taste as well.

Check in next week for more beer news...

- Matt Kasper