Tomorrow (Friday, September 12) on Science Friday on NPR, they will be discussing the Evolution of Beer. Specifically they will be talking about new reasearch that has traced the genetic evoltion of beer yeast:

In the world of beer, ales are separated from lagers by their yeast. Lager yeast collects on the bottom of the fermenting vessel and ferments sugars into alcohol at lower temperatures that ale yeast, which operates at higher temperatures at the topof the fermentation vat. In new research published this week in the journal Genome Research, scientists examined the genetic sequences of 17 unique lager yeast strains from breweries in Europe and North America, tracing variations in the genetic code of those yeasts back through time. The researchers found that a key hybridization step, in which genetic information from two different yeasts combined and rearranged to yield a new ‘lager yeast’ organism, may have actually happened twice. The researchers found two different family groupings in the lager yeasts they studied, with one lineage associated primarily with Carlsberg breweries in Denmark and breweries in what is now Czechoslovakia, and the other family grouping connected mainly to breweries in the Netherlands, including Heineken. In this segment, we’ll talk with one of the authors of the study about genetics and beer, and about the genes behind lager beer styles such as Pilsners, Märzen, Dortmunders, and Bocks. Cheers!

Sounds like an interesting show.There are also several other beer-related shows in the archives. Just look on the left side of the page.

Hat tip to J

Popularity: 6% [?]

J.W.Dundee is a different kind of beer, it’s a Lager Flavored with Honey. It’s not the only Honey Lager in existence but it’s rare, for me, and it’s different from the normal beers out there. It’s made by Dundee Brewing Company, formally known as J.W. Dundee, of Highfalls Brewing Company in Rochester New York.

Smell after Pouring: After the pour the Lager had a honey and hops smell, lightly reaching out to me to let my nose to see.

Appearance: Original Honey Brown Lager lived up to its name with a Honey Brown color with a white semi frothy head

Smell after sitting a minute: The Beer opened up a little more after sitting a little, giving more of a honey smell to my nose.

Taste: After the first sip of the beer, which had a pleasant chilled temperature, there was a slight sweetness of taste of honey which danced on the beginning of the tongue, which led into a gentle hoppy bitterness on the middle of the tongue. There was no after taste. The beer was consistent pretty much through and through.

Mouth feel: This beer was very smooth, nuff’ said

Alcohol feel: The alcohol feel was enough to let you know it was there, but I was not there to hurt you

Comic Book Pairings: For me this is a beer for a fun comic or an insane one. I would have this beer with any of the Deadpool series from Marvel comics (except the new one, I have not read it yet). Mind you, there are a few beers that could go with Deadpool, this is a definite.

Food Pairings: For me this beer would go great with fish ‘n’ chips. I mean as close to real British fish and chips as you can get. There is a place, A Salt & Battery, in the heart of Greenwich Village, New York, that I would love to take a bottle or 2 to. Weirdly enough, I had this with a piece of warm blue cornbread I had made earlier that day, it fit very well also.

Drinkability and Repeat Drinkability: This is a beer I can drink again, not a regular, but every once in a while, or when the moment suits me.

More info on the Brewery

http://www.dundeebeer.com/

Dundee Brewing Company does something pretty decent…

Dundee “Save the Honey Bee Program” supports research efforts to eradicate Colony Collapse Disorder. The program is designed to bring attention to the plight of honey bees and support research efforts to eradicate the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). In 2008, a portion of every Dundee beer sold in the U.S. will be donated to the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees. http://www.dundeeforthebees.com/

WHY ALL THE CONCERN? BEE CAUSE.

Honey bees are disappearing due to a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder. That’s important to us at Dundee because bees do more than make honey, they also pollinate many of the foods we depend on.”

About The Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees
The Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees is a charitable research and education foundation dedicated to preserving and protecting honey bees to ensure a quality food supply and environment. Sponsored by the American Beekeeping Federation, the foundation provides educational opportunities to help advance public appreciation of honey bees, advance the beekeeping culture, improve pollination, and conserve biodiversity. For more information on the foundation, visit www.honeybeepreservation.org.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Bock is the German term for strong beer. The primary characteristics of bock are:

• Relatively high in alcohol content. In Germany the alcohol by volume (ABV) is more than 6.25%.
• It is a lager.
• Often dark in color but can be golden to dark brown.
• Malty with low hops bitterness.

Random facts about lager:

• The word bock is a corruption of Einbeck, the town in Germany in which bock has its roots.
• Bock literally means “goat” in German. Many bock labels feature goats.
• Traditionally brewed for special occasions, such as Christmas, during autumn, winter, and spring.
• It’s a favorite of Roman Catholic monks in Germany.

There are several different kinds of bock:

• Traditional
• Maibock -A pale version of traditional bock.
• Dopplebock (double bock) - Bavarian specialty beer that was first brewed by the monks of St. Francis of Paula. Traditionally it was sweeter and lower in alcohol but isn’t necessarily true in modern dopplebocks.
• Eisbock - Made by freeze distilling a doppelbock and removing the ice to concentrate the flavor and alcohol content.

Here is a nice diagram of all beer types arranged in a sort of family tree. Michael Jackson also has a decent beer styles section on his Beer Hunter site.

Beer 101 is an ongoing series intended to help the average beer drinker learn more about the mystical beverage we call beer. If there is a topic you would like covered in Beer 101, leave a comment, visit the contact page.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Lager is one of the two major styles of beer, the other being ale. The primary characteristics of a lager are:

• It is bottom fermented, meaning the yeast settles at the bottom of the fermenter rather than floats on top.
• It is fermented at cold temperatures, generally below 50°F.
• It is stored, or “lagered,” for some period, usually several weeks to months, before being ready to drink.

Random facts about lager:

• Lager comes from the German word lagern which means “to store.” Hundreds of years ago the beer was stored in cold cellars or caves to keep it fresh, hence the name “lager.”
• Lager is generally golden colored but can be darker, particularly in Europe.
• According to Michael Jackson, lager can mean the “most basic beer of the house.”
• Lager is the most popular style of beer.

There are several different kinds of lager:

• Bock (and the variations of bock)
• Dunkel lager (Dunkel means “dark” in German)
• Märzen (often associated with Oktoberfest)
• Pale lager (Variations include Pilsner, which is the beer that most Americans know, e.g. Budweiser)
• Schwarzbier (”black” beer)
• Vienna lager (often reddish in color)
• Kellerbier (unfiltered)

Here is a nice diagram of all beer types arranged in a sort of family tree. Michael Jackson also has a decent beer styles section on his Beer Hunter site.

Beer 101 is an ongoing series intended to help the average beer drinker learn more about the mystical beverage we call beer. If there is a topic you would like covered in Beer 101, leave a comment, visit the contact page.

Popularity: 22% [?]