10.08.08
Beer vs Wine
I’ve frequently been asked if beer is better than wine for pairing with food, or if beer can match the complexity of wine. So. . .
Beer, in my view, is more versatile than wine. Not only does beer rely on differing varieties of malted grain (barley, wheat,etc), but also different varieties of hops, yeast, and water supply. Barley, for example, can have dozens of varietals grown around the world, each varietal dependent on soil/weather conditions. Then the grain goes to the maltster, where it is handled in a way to bring out is strengths and reduce its shortcomings. We, as brewers, have an array of grains/malts to choose from, ranging from English Pale Malts, German Lager Malts, to locally grown barley and wheat. Wine makers do not have this flexibility, and their product can suffer from it.
Now, hops, also, are a plant that grow around the world. New Zeland organics, German Noble, and even good old US native hops all lend different nuanced flavors to a beer, or even texture if you dry hop.
Water chemistry plays a huge part in beer production and flavors. Simply put, local water supplies can determine if a beer will be richer/fuller or somewhat light and sweet. The chemistry affects how hop bitterness works, how mashing the grain works, and how the yeast performs. All these play together to make the subtle nuance of each raw material work together to achieve the ultimate balance .
Different yeasts provide different aromas, flavor, and texture to a beer. Some are fruity and robust, some are more subtle, some crisp and clean, some minerally and some more round and smooth. We can even blend
yeasts to get different effect, and can filter/age/or change fermentation temps to get the yeast flavor just the way we want.
Synopsis: Beer is the oldest recorded recipe and has been around civilization as long as bread has. Every society in the world has a form of locally made beer, and has had this form since society became, well, a society. Beer comes from grain, and has many of the charactaristics of grain, so in turn pairs nicely with any dish (when have you had a dinner without some form of grain?) Wine is a nice treat. Beer is a staple.
