Move Over, Wine: Beer is Back

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Samuel Adams ' Founder Jim Koch has a saying: "Beer is the new wine." And he means it.

Back in 1984, Koch began brewing what would become Samuel Adams Boston Lager in his kitchen using a recipe belonging to his great grandfather. That beer became one of the pioneer beers in what he refers to as the craft beer revolution in the United States.

Now, Koch says we're seeing what he calls an explosion in craft beer brewing in the America. Why, you may wonder? Koch says people are starting to understand that just like wine, beer belongs at the table with good food.

• Want to learn the right way to drink your favorite beer, just in time for summer? Impress all your friends with tips from Jim Koch, founder of Samuel Adams. Click on the video to the left to watch as he shows you the right way to drink a beer-- from the pour to the sip.

Simply put, "Beer is the new wine," Koch told reporters at a recent pairings lunch he hosted in Washington, D.C. He was in town to participate in SAVOR, an American craft beer and food experience which was held May 30 at the National Building Museum. The event is put on by the Brewers Association, and it featured 68 small, independent, and traditional breweries from across the country.


Beer is back, and it's on your table
If you ask Koch, the cuisines that are popular today--- like those from Mexico, Morocco, China, and India, to name a few—are beer cuisines. The reason? He says those kinds of foods need the malt in beer to cut through the spices in the dishes.

"They're big—they overwhelm wines," Koch explained. "They need big, flavorful liquids to pair with them."

Koch will be the first to tell you that beer has come a long way.

"Twenty-five years ago, small brewers like Sam Adams started making great beer in the United States, and slowly, we've begun to educate American consumers about beer's rightful place at the table," he said.

Koch says that over the years, advertising has given beer the wrong image. He points out that up until the 1970s, beer was considered a 'country club drink'—a drink of moderation. But, he says, advertising changed that. Koch believes the different beer makers started focusing on their target market—men between the ages of 21 and 25—and it became a very masculine drink. From talking frogs and lizards to Miller Lite's memorable 'twins', Koch says the ads took on a sort of 'frat-boy mentality.'

But years later, he says, people are beginning to see that beer has all the dignity, variety, and drinkability of wine. In fact, Koch says, beer simply goes better with food than wine does.
 

Show Me the Menu
Enter Executive Chef Daniel Bortnick. He's the man behind the menu at D.C.'s Firefly, an urban neighborhood restaurant located in Dupont Circle where the recent tasting took place. And on this Saturday in May, Bortnick prepared a menu to compliment the Samuel Adams brews that were up for tasting.

Here's a quick rundown of what was on the menu:

First Course
Tartare of salt-roasted beets, egg baked in a bread basked, and lemon-horseradish sauce
Beer Paring: Samuel Adams Imperial White 10.5

Entrée
Samuel Adams Double Bock brined and roasted organic PA chicken, fennel spiced Italian sausage, Scarlett runner beans, and collard greens
Beer Pairing: Samuel Adams Double Bock

Dessert
Chocolate Pot de Crème, coffee foam, and chocolate pearls
Beer Pairing: Samuel Adams Imperial Stout

Cheese Course
Cowgirl Creamery Redhawk pickled ramp
Beer Pairing: Samuel Adams Triple Bock
This batch of Triple Bock was made 15 years ago, and had never tasted before. It is the beer that marked the beginning of the extreme beer movement.

Utopias Tasting
At 26 percent alcohol, Samuel Adams Utopias is currently the strongest beer in the world. It comes in a replica brew kettle, and is served in small amounts. Koch called it 'the Starship Enteprise' of extreme beers.
 

Do You Know the Right Way to Drink a Beer?
Tasting is nothing new for Koch. He frequently hosts events like this one around the country as a way of spreading the word about the versatility of craft beer, and specifically Samuel Adams . And, he says he still tastes each and every batch of beer that comes out of the Samuel Adams Brewery in Boston.

Think you know the right way to drink your favorite beer? Click on the video to watch Samuel Adams Founder and Brewer Jim Koch show you the right way to drink a beer—from the pour to what you should taste when you sip it.

Tips from the Founder Himself
During the tasting, Koch shared a couple of tips for how to spice up your favorite Samuel Adams brew. Check out these combos, and experiment for yourself this summer:

Make a Beer Mimosa— Koch says champagne in your mimosa doesn't bring much to the party aside from the bubbles—so why not try it with beer? Use Samuel Adams Imperial White in place of the champagne, and mix it with about 40 percent orange juice. The beer has a citrusy flavor that really compliments the OJ.

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