Quintessential to college life, right?? Some might say that nothing else makes a weekend night quite like a six-pack of Natty Lite. But as you pound down yet another one with your boys, little do you know that someone, somewhere, is screaming, “Oh, the sacrilege.”
Wait … there’s someone who holds beer in higher esteem than your average college Joe? Is that possible? And when you pour beer on the table to provide better traction for flipcup, they view it as a waste??not because it could have gone to a higher purpose in your bloodstream, but because, to them, beer simply shouldn’t be abused. Who are these people, you might ask? They’re a little known breed to the college world and to them, beer is exactly what it definitely isn’t to us: an art form. And, no, we’re not referring to the can collection that decorates your shelves.
It’s an art form that researchers believe began around 10,000 BC. Today, these men are referred to as “masterbrewers.” Their mission is to take basic ingredients like hops, barley, yeast and malt and create a drink with flavors and aromas as intricate as a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Beer may seem to be a less complex, simpler product than wine. After all, that six-pack of Natty only cost you $2.75 at Wisey’s, while a bottle of wine at dinner can double the bill. That reasoning, however, is simply not correct. “Wine-making and beer-making are very similar,” asserts Bill Madden, a masterbrewer at Capital City Brewing Company in Arlington, Virginia. “Beer, like wine, is a science fermentation product.” And, like wine, mastering the actual science of brewing is only half the battle. “To produce the different tastes is the art form,” Madden explains. “A lot is unknown scientifically in terms of ingredients.” How different ingredients will react with each other and with different brewing methods makes the possibilities for taste endless.
This is why it is considered such an art: With every batch, the masterbrewer begins with an empty canvas. Everything that he/she does to the beer affects the final product, from the freshness and combinations of the ingredients to the length of the fermentation period to the bottling method. This also explains how you can buy the same brand of beer, but the taste seems just a little different.
Is there a perfect brew? Probably not. But that doesn’t keep the brewers from trying. The mantra, Madden tells us, is to “Always strive for the better brew.” That’s not as easy as it sounds. Obviously, much has to do with trial-and-error, factors such as refining one’s taste buds and simply knowing from experience, as with any other craft. But we’re not talking about your bathtub brew here. To become a true master brewer takes time, effort … and a master’s degree.
Due to today’s expanding market for microbrews, many universities and colleges, such as University of California, Davis, offer graduate programs in brewing. Although this may come as a surprise, brew schools have long been in existence. The Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago, founded in 1872, stands as the oldest beer-brewing school in America. But wait??don’t run to telephone mom and dad to inform them of your transfer plans just yet. The master brew program at these schools is no joke??all require an advanced science background in college-level calculus, biology, microbiology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Sounds more like pre-med, doesn’t it?
Perhaps that is why in certain societies, such as England and Germany, brewers are highly respected. “The United States is coming around,” attests Madden. “There is a [recent] movement towards the craftbrew industry.”
Americans seem to be discovering the pleasure of a good brew. Some have even gotten adventurous, wanting to try their own hand at brewing. If you are of age, the market today offers many home-brewing kits.
Afraid of what you might create? Then try U-Brew, a store in Annapolis that helps you brew your own case of beer??labeled and all.
Not sure if even a master-brewer can help you? You can still enjoy specialty brews at a brewpub. Microbreweries, such as the Capital City Brewing Company, become more popular every year. CCBC, in fact, now has four locations in the D.C.-metro area; joining them are brewpubs such as the Virginia Brewing Company in Alexandria and the Olde Towne Tavern & Brewing Pub in Gaithersburg.
Maybe now you might stop before you chug to appreciate the art you are about to consume. “Savor the flavor!” pleads Bill Madden. “It not about the quantity, but the quality.” Then again, maybe that’s just a masterbrewer’s wishful thinking.
