Meadowlands Int'l Beer Expo - Part 1

I heard about the International Beer expo from a member of Tristate Beer Lovers Meetup back in January when tickets were being offered at half the $40 entrance fee.  Of course, I didn’t act fast enough to get that deal but waiting worked out in my favor.  My nephew Sean, who had to work the show, was able to get me a comp ticket so I felt ahead of the game right from the start. My brother and I and our wives took the train into Secaucus Junction and then hopped in a cab for the 10 minute ride to the Expo Center.  On the train, we split a bottle of Labyrinth Black IPA and some pretzels in order to prime us for the show.

We accepted our plastic tasting glasses and program at the door and took a lay of the land.  It was a very similar set up to The Atlantic City Beer Fest I attended last year.  The girls headed for the food stands while Joe and I scouted out some of our favorites.  The program listed all the breweries of which only about half were foreign.  We were a little disappointed to see there were only 2 Belgian Breweries in attendance.   American Craft beers were well represented though. 

The first beers that caught my eye were the distinctive cans of 21^st Amendment from San Fran whose Monk's Blood Strong Ale is quickly becoming one of my favorites.  I walked up to the pourer and asked for some Monk and he poured me some amber colored ale from a bottle.  I asked him why it wasn’t served from a can like the others and he said that he was from North Coast Brewery also from California.  Apparently, they didn’t bring a sign which made for some confusion. 

The beer has a sweet complex taste like the Monk and is called Brother Thelonius Monk. It too is a Belgian Style Abbey Ale, and part of the profits from its sale go to a Jazz Institute named for Thelonius.  Not a bad start.  I just have to remember to ask what I’m getting before they pour. 

I sidled over to the 21^st Amendment table and was bumbed that they didn’t bring their Monk, but they were pouring Back in Black.  This black IPA is toasty malt with a nice bitter finish; not too different from the Labyrinth we had on the way down. 

We joined the girls for some basic beer fare of burgers and sausage and pepper heroes.  Then we set out to try as many international beers as we could. We got our next fill from a St Paulie Girl look alike at the Stiegl table.  She didn’t have much of a personality, but this Austrian beer had a floral nose and was one of our favorites on the day. 

My sister-in-law, Irene, is Polish so we made a bee-line for the two Polish beers at the show:  Tyskie and Lech (as in Welesa).  We had a little trouble pronouncing the former, calling it Titsky even before we saw the girl behind the counter.  Both beers were standard lagers but I thought they stood up well to the competition. 

To be continued . . .

Prohibition on PBS

Part 1

This Ken Burns documentary aired on PBS in NY over three days this week and educated me on a period in our history when it was illegal to drink alcohol (Ah!!).  I had always been aware of Prohibition.  My grandmother even bragged about making wine in her basement in the 1920’s.  But the political and social pressures that gave rise to this amendment to our constitution were unknown to me. 

For example, I was unaware that the abstinence movement was initially a female movement that was tied to women’s suffrage (voting rights).  Carrie Nation is a name I had seen on plaques in bars, but never knew what a powerhouse she was.  She went into bars wielding a hatchet and single-handedly closed down dozens of drinking establishments.  Frances Willard worked through the public schools to brainwash children against ever taking a drink of alcohol.  The textbooks of the day misinformed students about the dangers of drinking saying that one drink could destroy the internal organs.  These were some nasty ladies!

This is not to say that a little temperance wasn’t needed back in the good old days.  The Colonial American habit of having a beer or cider 3 or 4 times during the working day became a societal problem when they began distilling spirts with much higher alcohol content. Alcohol consumption in the early 1800's was pretty high: American males over the age of 15 consumed, on average, 88 bottles of whiskey per year.   Drunkenness led to physical and emotional abuse of women and children and a break down of the family.

However, there were many men who were "drys" and in favor of prohibtion.  A mostly male Anti-Saloon League was one of the most powerful political groups, what we would call political action committees, of the day.  They could use their influence to get officials elected into or out of office.  The league was led mainly by Protestant ministers, but it was the attorney Wayne Wheeler who was the leader that made “wet” or “dry” the litmus test for congressmen.  He eventually was able to get enough states to ratify the 18^th amendment in 1920. Shorty after, women got the right to vote with the passage of the 19th amendment.  Prohibition had unintended consequences that are discussed in parts 2 and 3 of this series . . .

Bronx Ale House

I happened to be in New York City's northern-most borough the other day and decided to stop into the Bronx  Ale House for lunch. The "Rogue" neon sign seemed to just draw me to the place.  This small bar is located on 238th Street about 2 blocks from Manhattan College and Van Cortlandt Park.  I had heard that they have a solid selection of craft beers on tap and I was not misled. 

The dart boards and fireplace give this bar a homey feel.  I could envision patrons coming in out of the cold in December and warmimg up with a pint next to the fire.  Steve, the bartender, told me that they are starting to build clientele in the neighborhood, but people will get off the nearby subway stop from all parts of the city for their beer.

Steve has a solid knowledge of craft beers and this AP English teacher eloquently described the characteristics of each beer I sampled. I told him that currently I’m drinking a lot of dark ales so he started me with a sample of Ommegang Abbey Ale.  This Belgian style ale had a delightful spicy aftertaste, but at 9% ABV, I thought it might be a little strong for midday.  Next, I tried Founders Porter which had a smooth, woody taste and a 6% ABV.  Finally, I enjoyed the malty sweetness of a 21st Amendment Back in Black Ale (6.8%%).  I settled on the porter with lunch but filled a growler of 21st Amendment to take home. 

There is something about the taste of dark malty ale that really appeals to me. These beers seem to have more depth to them.  Sometimes they fill me up like I just had a good meal. I know that many people like to save these darker, "heavier" beers for the cold weather, but I find  they are great any time of year. 

My lunch consisted of burger sliders (they also serve chicken sliders) and fries.  The Bronx Ale house even makes their own ketchup that had a tangy BBQ sauce flavor to it. The whole thing, growler included (I brought my own), cost me less than $25.  Where else can you get that much satisfaction in NYC for $25?  Don’t say it!

So if you are in “Da Bronx” any time soon, check them out and take a growler to go.  If you're a fan of The Bronx Ale House, leave a comment here about what you like most about BAH.