"Pale Ale" by Clinton Begley

“There’s a pork-chop in every beer,” my dad often says.

Clinton Begley

I suppose that depends on the beer. Some beers seem more apt to contain a ham steak…or just the snouts. Either way, I guess you could say I’m a big fan of a good pork-chop…or maybe a loin, or the center loin roast perhaps. This is where the pork metaphor falls apart actually. The point is, I like beer and I like good beer. I like everything about beer. I like the history of beer, the science of beer, just typing the word beer, and yes… even the art, of beer.

The art of beer? Of course! Even though I don’t HAVE to make the case, I’m going to anyway.

From Wikipedia: “Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way to affect the senses or emotions.” So there, Clinton wins.

Wikipedia not good enough?  How about Webster’s Definition “…the conscious use of skill and creative imagination…” I challenge someone to drink a bottle of Dogfish Head’s Pangaea, or Lagunitas’ Hopstoopid, or Avery’s Black Tot and tell me a cruiser of these carefully crafted cold- ones don’t constitute capital craftsmanship! Not convinced by my arresting alliteration? Ever heard of the Culinary Arts? I rest my case.

"Homegrown Hops" by Clinton Begley

Crafting sensations and flavors on the tongue is just as much art as anything you can do with a paintbrush. The way that malt, hops, yeast and carbonation balance, offset and compliment each other against  the light or heavy backdrops of the desired ABV can be the stuff of pure creative genius.

Discarding the pale lager flavor (think Budweiser, Coors, Miller etc.) that we all grew up with as the benchmark taste for all beer, and understanding that there are as many styles of beer as their are types of sandwiches is paramount to understanding, appreciating and (most importantly) enjoying the art of beer. To put it another way: just as Picasso is not the ONLY representation of painting, neither is Budweiser the only representation of beer. (Pablo fans, please show mercy for the comparison)

It is with this rather belabored preface that I would like to introduce a new recurring segment to the Alt-Art blog titled, “Alt-Bier.” (I considered calling it “Yeast Lords” but Gentleman Broncos beat me to it) Alt-Bier will periodically explore the art of brewing. Specifically, I’ll tap regional experts and amateurs alike on the art of the home-brew, crafting your own recipes and flavors, get tips on what regional micro-brewers are up to and maybe even re-hash some of the rich history of Quincy brewing (Washington, Ruff’s and Dick Brothers breweries all started in Quincy).

If you’re a brewer and have a tip or carefully crafted recipe to share, I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me an email at: brew@clintonbegley.com or post a comment on the blog and I’ll get back to you… just as soon as I finish my pork-chop.