40 Ounce Casualty

I'd be a hypocrite if I did not preface this post by saying that I was not part of the craft beer movement in the early to mid 2000s. But its funny how all things seem to come full circle at some point...

The 40 ounce beer can be considered an enigma; what is it's purpose? If the standard can or bottle can be used to achieve the same amount of beer, why package it in this manner?  Firstly, you need the historical perspective:

• 40OunceMaltLiquor.Com has a great write-up on the history of this beer, from more of a fan perspective
• J. Nikol Beckham looks at "black beer culture" and how malt liquor has been inevitably tied in with it.
• Kihm Winship has another great write-up on 40 ounce beers, "a story without heroes." 

Essentially, malt liquor began burgeoned from necessity, from both Prohibition and World War II. Supplies were limited and drinkers complained that post-Prohibition beers lacked the "kick" that pre-Prohibition beers had. Fast-forward...with the help of some chemists and corn, malt liquor was born and contrary to popular belief, it was originally marketed to "white America." The larger size beers (32 ounce, 40 ounces, and the extinct 64 ounce) were marketed as "picnic beers," meant to be shared among a few people, much like a bottle of soda or seltzer. Country Club, one the earliest malt liquors, was marketed toward the upper class, as can be seen in the name and the advertisements. Kihm Winship notes that this supposedly "un-obvious" transition to marketing towards Black America happened around the time of the Civil Rights Movement, when marketers realized that there was now a whole new market of consumers that needed to be reached. He also notes that the statistics at the time only showed that 33% of all malt liquor drinkers were black, which would mean that 66% were non-Black, adding to the question of why was it marketed towards Black America, unless the idea was that they had a specific demographic. Mr. Winship also notes that a similar study was performed by Newport cigarettes and this is why that brand was marketed to Black America. Although it always seemed like a stereotype, the Billy Dee Williams Colt 45 ads seem to be the venturing of companies into this type for marketing. Not much later, 40 ounce beers were being discussed in rap lyrics and later, groups were being used for advertisements.  And the stereotypical history is, for the most part, history.

My new found fondness for 40 ounce beers burgeoned from a stint of unemployment. For many years, to that point, I was the guy showing up to parties with some obscure Eastern European beer or some rare local beer that was only being released via growlers. But after losing my job, I no longer had the money to buy these types of beers. And often with unemployment comes the need for more quantity at a cheaper price. Initially, twelve packs of Stroh's (ok...I admit it...115 packs), Schlitz, and Schaefer were in the rotation. But I found that I often drank more than I needed to, adding to the depression of being unemployed. And during a un-fruitful afternoon of job searching, I read a pleasant blog post about a man reminiscing about grabbing two Ballantine beers from the cellar each night before dinner from his father. My interest was peaked; I have always been nostalgic and wanted that "beer" that people would say, "Yeah..that's the beer Dan used to drink." So I hunted the beer down to find that it mostly appeared in 40 ounces form, even though its ABV is less than 5% . It's essentially a poor man's pale ale, with a skunky, hoppy bite at the front and that soapy dish soap finish. However, it is one of the best of the bunch when it comes to 40 ounce beers.

I refer to a "new found fondness" because 40 ounces had been on the docket from late high school through college. Olde English 800 owned the late high school years into college; a Big Bear made an appearance for a while, with cameos by Crazy Horse, Country Club, Silver Thunder, Hurricane,  Colt 45, St. Ides, and King Cobra. Late high school consisted of a Friday afternoon 40 in Central Park, to pick up a good buzz for the train ride home. Olde 800 English headlined many nights of lunacy, poor judgement, and "the spins." Big Bear represented while being away at college, as my roommate and I would drink it in paper bags in the woods behind our dorm, a homage to high school.

Its funny how I pop out a Ballantine 40 at a party and someone will inevitably say, "How do you still drink that shit?" This phrase is usually uttered by someone holding a blood orange pale ale. I could use this section to go into a tirade about how certain 40 ounce beers hold some merit but instead will focus on...how the discussion will soon turn to vivid, happy memories of days gone by, of house parties, high school hi-jinx, and days when having a good time meant more than anything else. I don't hold on to the past but its nice to know that getting older doesn't mean completely disconnecting from my youth. Sure, there are merits to the 40 ounce now...the idea of finality, that there will not be a few extra beers in the fridge that I don't need to drink...the idea of price...how a responsible night of drinking costs $7.13...but its also about the hunt...these 40 ounce beers are becoming dinosaurs, as even the shadiest gas station stocks up on Sierra Nevada, and finding the rare 40 ounce beers has become a thrill much like finding a Hacker-Pschorr Sternweisse was ten years ago. If anyone who reads this has found a spot that sells odd 40 ounces, drop a line here. You can never know when a great one will show up. For example, on a ride back from Orient Point Park, I found a 40 ounce of Hurricane at a gas station in Greenport, a quaint seaside town that offers fine dining and attractions for those looking for a Hamptons experience. A Long Island Frugalist looks for deals in any shape, size, or form and to me, a $2 40 ounce of Mickey's fits that bill. With that in mind, a shout-out to Bellmore Beverage, who has kept the flow of Mickey's and Ballantine 40 ounces steady for the past few years.

Oktoberfest at Plattduetsche Park Restaurant

Oktoberfest at Plattduetsche Park Restaurant
1132 Hempstead Turnpike
Franklin Square, NY 11010
516-354-3131
10/15/2010
$45 - Unlimited German buffet, beer, wine, and soda

Oktoberfest, whether you spell it with a "c" or a "k", usually brings to mind liter mugs filled with a copper beer, piles of sausages, and waitresses who define the meaning of cleavage. However, there is a rich history behind the affair. According to BeerAdvocate.com, "This festive celebration was established in October of 1810 by Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (crowned as King Ludwig I) in celebration of his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen." BeerAdvocate also notes that the odd thing about the celebration is all people from all walks of life were invited to attend, a social taboo to this point, where peasants would be in the company of royalty. Ironically, the original celebration was based upon horse racing and an agricultural show and not until 1818 did the beer and food vendors arrive. (BeerAdvocate)

Even more ironically, the Plattduetsche Park Oktoberfest actually brings together people from all walks of life. Jess and I attended this celebration last year for the first time with another couple. It is held indoors in a huge banquet hall, not unlike a classic wedding setting. The odd thing is that if you do not have enough people in your reservation to fill a large, circular table, you will find yourself sitting with people that you do not know. It was admittedly awkward at first but as the beer began to flow, little did it seem to matter. This year, we were seated with an older couple. We exchanged pleasantries and never spoke again. And that is fine with me. Last year, we sat with two couples that were similar in age. Everything was fine until they started ordering beer for the whole table opting for "whatever they had" instead of the fine imported beer that could also be attained. I will speak about this more as things have changed in a year.

Yes, it is much like a wedding. Loud music, lots of food and drink, awkward company, and lots of time spent chatting. However, the music is provided by The Continentals, who roar through sets of classic German songs, bad jokes, and plenty of chant-response ditties enjoyed mostly by those who are drinking heavily. Dancing is done by the Original Enzian Dancers (do not be fooled by imitators!) who provide plenty of knee and ankle slapping and circle-skirt twirling, demonstrating old-style German dance. It is enjoyable and if you have enough beers, it is pretty fun to watch.

The food is the highlight of the night. I would imagine that the critical question behind the unlimited food is, "How much German food could one possibly eat in one night?" A peek at the non-vegetarian menu would lead one to schedule a session with the cardiologist. Here is list of what I had the pleasure of enjoying:

1) Sauerbraten - Slightly thick fork-tender medallions of bottom-round (top-round? rump?) in a sweet brown gravy.
2) Loin of Pork - Tender and in a slightly-spicy sauce.
3) Leberkase - German meatloaf (minced pork and beef) with the consistency of a thick cut of bologna. It is horrifying to most people, has a uncanny resemblance to Spam, but has a wonderful, meaty flavor. Slap it on a roll with sauerkraut and mustard. Bring it to work and jam it in someone's face!
4) Wursts - An assortment of bratwurst (pork and beef), knockwurst (smoked beef with garlic), weisswurst aka bockwurst (pork, veal, and milk!), and peanut franks (mini hot dogs). All were excellent.
5) Mashed Potatoes - Heavenly, loaded with butter, bacon, and cream, and topped with fried onions
6) Potato Dumplings - Gelatinous white orbs that might have been the densest things I have ever eaten. A decent flavor but the consistency took some getting used too.
7) German potato salad - Al-dente potatoes with a nice vinegar kick and salty, smoky bacon.
8) German cabbage salad - A focus here on crisp cabbage with vinegar and a nice note with the addition of fennel seeds.
Other items included sauerkraut, red cabbage, a garden salad, split-pea and ham soup, and a slice of apple strudel as dessert. All of the food is excellent here and well cooked despite the buffet style.

They offered two types of beer. Warsteiner Original was the pale beer offered, a hoppy pilsener that went nicely with the food. They also offered a mystery Oktoberfest. I deduced that it could not be by Warsteiner because it had too much of a rich copper color (Warsteiner Oktoberfest does not vary much from the original). From the taste, color, and "wallop," I believe that it was Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest. Last year, I was able to taste many of the great beers offered on tap at the bar but this was no longer an option. I had my fill of the Oktoberfest, so I did not leave unsatisfied.

It is funny that I should mention "last year." Last year, the Oktoberfest celebration was much livelier, much more crowded, and we even noticed that the lights were dimmer. There also seemed to be many more younger people at the celebration last year. I have to think that the moving of the date of the Beer Tasting Festival to the weekend before the Oktoberfest (last year the tasting was in May) left people with empty wallets, massive headaches, and little desire to do it all again in less than a week, now with the addition of unlimited food. Even I had to select between one of the two events. Obviously, I was in the minority by choosing this.

I believe that this event is worth attending at least once, regardless of age. There is enough German culture here to make it semi-educational and enough beer and food to make $45 seem like a steal. However, upon my return for a second time, a lot of the "wonder" and "excitement" was lost. I still got full value for the money but I think I would rather have had a nice, sit down dinner in the restaurant, which I have heard is very good.

Notes:

- Visit the The Plattduetsche Park website. Here they have a calendar of events, menus, beer pairing dinners, festivals, etc. There is a lot going on here most weeks. Join the beer club! Think you can hold a full liter of beer for a while? Enter the Masskrugstemmen! Visit the beer garden!

Barrier Brewing

Barrier Brewing
3595 Lawson Blvd. Unit E
Oceanside, NY 11572
Phone: (516) 316-4429
E-mail: evan@barrierbrewing.com

I have often been called a "beer snob" merely because I have some knowledge of beer, respect it as an adult beverage, and have negative comments to make about the conglomerate companies that change their advertising strategies depending on "what's cool in beer" at the moment (e.g. Miller Lite's brief foray into the emphasis on triple-hop brewing was quickly replaced with male lower-back tattoo commercials). However, if I am visiting someone's house and Budweiser is their beer of choice, I will not turn it down by any means. This is their drink of choice and I respect that. Beer is rarely noted for its social powers, a means of bringing people together to enjoy food, drink, and a few laughs.

Most times, a "tasting session" will require good beers created by good people with good ingredients. With the craft beer boom comes tons of breweries opening producing a sub-par product with a catchy name. In addition, the prices on some of these fairly unknown products often astounds me, for $13 for a six-pack of "Uncle John's Wet Sock I.PA." does not appeal to me especially since I have no idea about the taste nor the brewery. This is why my friends and I were excited to hear about a brewery opening in Oceanside, NY, central to where many of us live and/or have family. Barrier Brewing is seemingly a one-man operation running out of a warehouse district along Lawson Boulevard. The journey there is half of the fun as the last time I went I waited for a friend to follow before I ventured down the dimly-lit, narrow asphalt road; it was like some sort of modern day beer adventure that beats the hell out of pulling into the lot of a distributor. When you arrive at the open garage door, do not let the exterior surroundings fool you; this is a model of cleanliness, hospital-like even, with tons of stainless steel instruments for brewing shining from every corner. Bags of top-notch hops (mostly from the Pacific Northwest) and grains (from the U.K., Germany, Belgium, France, Canada, and the United States) form a bunker in the middle of the floor, announcing to all visitors that this not some sort of backwoods moonshine operation.

I was greeted by Evan, the master brewer, and was happily given the opportunity to sample some beers before I bought. At the time, these beers were available: Ruthless IPA, Belgian1, GreenRoom Pale Ale, Lights Out Stout, Bulkhead Red, and Beech St. Wheat. Being a modest fellow and knowing that this brewery was just getting started (plus I had to drive home), I asked for samples of the Beech St. Wheat and the Lights Out Stout. I was completely blown away by the quality of the beers. The Beech St. Wheat had a terrific aroma of citrus and coriander and this followed through in the flavor. It had a nice mouthfeel, slightly dry, a bit creamy, with strong citrus notes and various spices. It was a nice play on the typical Belgian Wit but with a modern interpretation. I liked the balance of spice to citrus as this can be the downfall of many witbiers as they fall too much into one category. This would be an unbelievable thirst-quencher during the warmer months.

I also sampled (and ended up buying a growler of) the Lights Out Stout. Stouts are one of my favorite styles of beers, so much so that it does not have to be cold out for me to enjoy one. Barrier's stout is a monster, comparable to many of the better American stouts out there now. It had a nice, thick mouthfeel and strong coffee notes without the addition of actual coffee. For me, this is a real mark of quality to be able to extract such a strong coffee flavor without the addition of any flavorings. The roasted, chocolatey nature of the beer is something that I really enjoyed as well as the light alcohol note in the finish. It had a nice balance of bitterness from the hops. This is an easy drinking stout, dare I say a session beer, that I look forward to enjoying more in the cooler months. And there's nothing like a pitch-black stout poured into the correct glass (as this was). I was also able to sample the Bulkhead Red, which was also an excellent interpretation of the style, with a beautiful red hue and a nice, malty sweetness.

On a side note, I was impressed that the website listed three goals or objectives. This might appeal to the educator in me but it gave much validity to the operation. According to the website, the objectives of Barrier Brewing are: 1) to educate the local consumer to the variety and quality available in locally produced craft beer, 2) to create and produce beers of a caliber that cannot and have not been produced elsewhere, and 3) to spread the word of great beer through the creation of great beer. The brewery gives you the opportunity to see the creation process from start to finish, something most of Long Islanders will never be able to see or do (especially that close up). I am glad to hear about the education part as well. There is such a focus in the food world on understanding where our food comes from that this should be applicable to beer as well. To be able to see the process of beer making and then see the beer on tap at a local bar is tremendous. I applaud the brewery for their accessibility and their desire to make the brewery accessible to all.

I am looking forward to sampling more beers in the future and for the price ($10 to $12 for a growler fill), this is quite the deal. Let's remember too that you are getting your growler filled in the same place that it is made - talk about freshness! I read rumors about a possible schwarzbier in the works and a reference to a winter warmer and I am amped! There are some great things being brewed here and it would be worth your time to take a drive over and get a growler or buy a glass or t-shirt!

Notes:

· Visit the brewer webpage here: Barrier Brewing Co. Here you will find a history of the brewery, how the beers are made (very informative), merchandise, and the various beers that are produced.

· The brewery normally does growler fills on Saturdays from 12pm to 4pm. I happened to get my growler filled on Friday night. Check the Barrier Brewing Facebook page for updates on when the growler fill days and times will be for that week. A friend of mine also e-mailed the brewery (evan@barrierbrewing.com) and received a quick reply when asked about fill times. You can even set up a tour of the brewing facility.

· If you like the beers, take a business card and give it to your local distributor, especially if they have taps to fill growlers. Long Island needs more breweries like this! Keep It On Long Island (KIOLI!)