Interesting Details About Beer

With the planning of the upcoming Wine and Beer Tasting sponsored by the Sherburne County Historical Society and the Carousell Works, I have taken on the task of re-educating myself about beer.

We all understand that all beers do not taste the same, at least not until the sixth one.  But there are a number of interesting facts and details that have come to my attention in the past few weeks.

• Did you realize that beer often symbolizes masculinity?  According to a little known newsletter, the Woodhouse Symbolism Newsletter, beer has long been viewed as the drink of the common man.  And, only in recent centuries has wine been the drink of the gods.  Before wine, the gods preferred a fine draft ale.

• Did you also realize that aluminum cans are actually better for beer than bottles?  According to a Del Vance, a beer expert in Salt Lake City, Utah, the myth of metal cans ruining the taste of beer is just that, a myth.  With the end of steel beer cans and the rise of lined aluminum cans, the taste of canned beer has been enhanced.

• Most “beer historians” agree the first batch of lager beer brewed in the United States was by John Wagner of Philadelphia in 1840.  The lager being a lighter beer than the ales brewed in Europe dating back to the middle ages.

• Within the main categories of beer, the 2004 Beer Judge Certification Program list twenty-three different styles of beer.  These range from a “light lager” to “smoke flavored and wood-aged beer.”

With the upcoming wine and beer tasting at the Carousell Works, I obviously need to study more of the intricacies of this fine drink.  So much to know and oh so little time!

If you would like to join me at the Carousell Works on 25 March for the first annual Sherburne County Historical Society Wine and Beer Tasting, be sure to purchase your tickets at the Sherburne History Center.  Admission is restricted to individuals over the age of 21.  Ticket sales are limited to the first 50.  Admission price is $25 per person.  Call us for more information at: 763-261-4433.