Microbrews 101 continued

Back | Subscribe

At times at the Steam Plant Grill, we forget that there are some (a scattered few is our best guestimate) people out there who are not as passionate about beer as we are here. So, we thought we'd give you a little assist when it comes to some of the terminology we might use when you ask us about our beer:

FLAVOR: balance describes how a brewer might play the flavors imparted from malts against those from the hops. The flavor of malt depends largely on how much it is roasted. These flavors can range from sweet to chocolate to coffee. Bitterness comes from the hops, which preserve beer and can act as a preservative.
AROMA: just like wine, beer can have several different aromas. Swirl a glass of beer and your nose could pick out bananas, peaches, grapefruit, raisins or even tobacco.
MOUTH FEEL: this is just what is sounds like - how does the beer "feel" in your mouth, on your tongue? The beer could be thick, carbonated or thin.

Beer Trivia

We think beer is not only delicious, but fun as well. Here is some interesting trivia about beer that is sure to tickle your funny bone:

Just in case you were thinking of driving.
Modern breathalyzers work on an interesting electrochemical principle. The subject's breath is passed over a platinum electrode, which causes the alcohol to bind with oxygen, forming acetic acid. In the process it loses two electrons which creates a current in the wire connected to the electrode. The higher the concentration of alcohol in the breath, the stronger the current, which is read using a simple meter to gauge intoxication levels.

Interesting Fact
The saying "Mind your P's and Q's" comes from the time when alcoholic beverages were served in "Pints" and "Quarts". So, if someone was telling you to mind your P's and Q's, they were telling you to be careful of how much you drank.

Well, if that's the law....
It is always helpful to have a law that clearly defines when a person is legally intoxicated. In Kentucky, you are only considered drunk when you can no longer "hold onto the ground."

Toddlers
The term "toddlers" originated in England. There were impurities in the drinking water that made it unfit for consumption. A common alternative drink was beer (it was cheap, plentiful and the water used to make it was treated during the boiling process of the brew). Toddlers, having just been weaned from their mother's milk were unaccustomed to the effects of beer. In addition, they were just learning to walk. You can imagine the effect these two had on the young one's gait - they certainly did toddle!

Chef Barry's Features

This week Executive Chef Barry Matthews is sticking with the theme of microbrews and has come up with some wonderful dishes featuring our award-winning ales. He broke out the pasta machine and made a fresh pasta using our Honeymoon Wheat Ale for a dish he calls "Drunken Pasta". He starts with jumbo prawns, sauteed with olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs and vegetables tossed with the fresh Honeymoon Ale pasta. If you are looking for a steak, this weeks Pub Steak is a must try. Chef Barry marinated a Certified Black Angus steak in our Vanilla Burbon Stout, broiled to  your specification, and topped with sauteed mushroom caps. To see all of Chef Barry's features for this week, click on the links below:

Weekly Lunch Features
Weekly Dinner Features   

Quote of the Week

To repeat what others have said, requires education, to challenge it, requires brains.

                                   -Mary Pettibone Poole

If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, please click here.