The first brew.

image source: inspirationsandexplorations.com

The word 'homebrew' is a negative. Or so it seems.

Every time I have muttered the words, "So I am making a batch of beer" over the past couple of weeks, I'm provided with a vivid recollection of a horrible, sludgy pint. Foul aftertaste, bitterness, general strangeness, and a clear dislike for home made beer. I'll even go so far as to include most micro brewed beers here as well - it seems that the popular palate for beer these days is a derivative of the mass produced 'Clean crisp, no aftertaste' type of pint. Unfortunately.....


I think that this bias is also fueled by most craft beer maker types too. Most folks who choose to make their own beer, are true beer connoisseurs. They appreciate complexity in their pint. Strong hoppy finishes, lingering flavors, varying degrees of carbonation. With colors ranging from jet black through all shades of red, orange, and yellow too. Craft made beer should offer a very complex and unique experience. No? Moreover, these beer makers are producing beverages that are true to form. Ale's, Lager's, Stout's and all beer types have certain characteristics that should be respected and presented in any properly crafted brew.

So at one end of the beer spectrum you have pale yellow flavorless mass market popular beers. The other end has a reputation for sometimes murky, complex suds that are by all formal measures outstanding achievements, but lack mass appeal and drink-ability. Very little lives in between.

Now, these are pretty general statements. Broad-stroke personally biased generalizations in fact. Some would argue that my take here is dead wrong. ......so I'd like to offer up empirical evidence to back up my position.

Take the local beer scene here in Ottawa. Going back 8 years or so ago, we had piss poor local beer to consume. Then along came Mill Street, Beaus. Kichesippi and Broadhead and others - small scale beer makers, who brew fantastic beer! The signature suds offered by each of these establishments also happens to be clean and crisp, with very little aftertaste. Much closer to the average beer drinkers tastes. Each of these breweries also has more complex offerings in their stable, but for a brewery to survive (i.e. brewery = business) you need to sell beer. These guys have figured that out, they make delicious true to form beer with wide appeal.

Local Artifact.

Consider the former Hart Brewery out in Carleton Place. They brewed award winning local beer for years. Accolades and high fives all around, the quality and craftsmanship of their beer was unparalleled. I should know, I worked in a bar back then that carried Hart beer. I had friends who were employed by the brewery, rep'ing to local bars and restaurants to carry the full Hart line of beers. It sucked. No body bought it. The business failed, and they faded into obscurity and sadly went away. All sorts of PR/media spinning emerged about a retired brew master, failed business dealings, and other such issues that brought it down from the inside ........but the elephant in the room was that their beer did not appeal to enough local beer drinkers. Connoisseurs? You betcha, they loved this stuff, so did anyone who truly enjoyed a well made pint - but there were not enough of them to fuel demand for a business of their scale - so they went away.

As a happy footnote to the Hart Beer story, it seems that the man behind Hart is now heavily involved in the Ashton Brewing Comany (ABC)........who make fantastic, delicious beer. Beer with mass appeal, that draws people to the brewery from miles away to consume. If you could go back in time and compare a Hart beer with a current ABC pint, you would see the transition. A happy ending indeed. Home and Micro brewed beer ~can be unique and authentic, and also be drinkable.

The point of my rambling here is this: Beer is delicious. Craft brewed beer is delicious too. Home brewed beer can be every bit as drinkable as micro brewed beer. It does not have to be murky, or bitter, or flat.

That's what I'm setting out to achieve with bracieRSS.

I had many options for my first brew, from hoppy IPA's to dark roasted stouts ......I deliberately selected a Corona inspired 'Mexican Cerveza' for our first batch. It should be light, clean and crisp. It's a very summery type of beer, perfect for enjoying on the monolith with friends.

It's also worth noting Corona is one of the brands owned by Constellation Brands, the company who made my beer kit. My beer might well be spot on target, we'll see.

I'm setting out to achieve mass appeal, here's to my first beer landing at least in proximity to that goal.

Cheers.