Arthur's Day

Happy Arthur's Day

 

In 1755, Arthur Guinness opened a brewery in Leixlip, Ireland. With the 100 pounds that he inherited from his godfather, Arthur Prince, who was the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Cashel. He definitely was on to something of a grand scale which he probably did not know of at the time. In 1759, he left the brewery to be run by his younger brother and headed for Dublin.

 

Today, September 26th is a VERY important day in the history of Ireland and of course in the history of beer. On this day in 1759, Arthur Guinness went to the city of Dublin and opened up the Guinness brewery at St. James's Gate in the heart of Dublin. With the signing of a 9000 year lease on the land, this meant that the brewery would never leave its address. It was on that day that the empire of the modern Guinness brewery was founded.

 

In the first few decades of the brewery, Guinness experimented with brewing different types of beer. After numerous attempts, by the late 1790's he created the recipe that is the mainstay of the brewery. In 1798, the brewery's only type of beer was the famous stout (porter) that is brewed to this day.

 

In the more recent past they have started to brew different varieties of the original beverage including Guinness Black lager (which is a cold-brewed lager), but the main ingredients have always remained. The original famous beer is one of the most produced beers and largest selling brands in the world.

 

So in honor of the 26th of September, at 17:59pm (5:59pm), if possible, wherever you are, raise a glass, have a moment of silence and toast to one of the greatest innovators in the world of beer and brewing. Little did Arthur know what would become of the brand that he created!!!!!

 

I was fortunate enough to celebrate Arthur's Day in 2012 at the Brazen Head Pub in Dublin (actually, The Brazen Head is THE OLDEST pub in Ireland - but you will just have to wait for "Pubs To Have a Pint In: Dublin" for all of the historical goodness and photos of The Brazen Head). This black tie event was packed to the roof with fans of Guinness all willing to drink and pay homage to "Uncle Arthur."

 

While in Dublin, I also took the tour of the brewery and became a "certified pourer" of Guinness on draught. There actually is a trick to pouring Guinness. With the back pour, nitrogen is added to the mix to accurately fill out the head of the beverage. It is supposed to be poured in a certain way so that the foamy head on the beer develops just right. A bit to learn indeed!!!!!

 

Some trivia about Guinness:

 

The color of Guinness is NOT black. It is actually a very dark ruby red which can be seen when tilted into the light at just the right angle.

 

The original 9000 year lease which was signed by Arthur Guinness can still be seen . It is mounted under a glass floor in the center of the Guinness Storehouse to be seen by the masses of visitors.

 

In 2006, Guinness Draught became the official beer for the Irish Rugby team.

 

Contrary to popular belief, Guinness beer is NOT brewed with the water of the Leffe River that flows through Dublin. The water is from the meadow and hills that surround Dublin.

 

Guinness Draught does taste different where you drink it. You can taste a slight different between a pint that is poured in a pub in the USA and in London, but you can still taste a slight difference between a pint that is poured in London and in Dublin.

 

In 1939, Guinness sent all the British troops in the British Expeditionary Forces a bottle of Guinness to be enjoyed with their Christmas dinner.

 

My friend Art's favorite beer is Guinness. (Take that Art!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

HAPPY ARTHUR'S DAY

Enjoy a pint, Cheers - Charles

OKTOBERFEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The One and Only Original Oktoberfest..........

Well fellow beer snobs, it is that time of year again. The wonderful time of year to celebrate the coming of autumn, Halloween, and the colder weather. What better way to celebrate this time then with an selection of fine fall brews at an Oktoberfest celebration. The best way I can think of to ring in the season!!!!!!

Now of course, if you can make it to Germany (the birthplace of the Oktoberfest) then more power to you. If not, throw one of your own parties. All you really need is some good friends, good food,  and a great selection of Oktoberfest beers.

Munich, Germany is THE home of the celebrated event of the fall season. Started in 1810, it is a 16 day festival that starts towards the end of September and runs through the first week of October. The festival attracts more then 6 million locals and tourists every year and it keeps on getting bigger. With carnival rides, games, mountains of food, and of course rivers of beer (in 2007 nearly 7 million liters of the golden liquid were consumed), it is definitely one of the biggest parties in Europe. Originally, the festival ran through the first Sunday in October, however, with the reunification of Germany in 1994, the schedule was altered a bit and now the festival culminates on October 3rd which is German Unity Day.

Started in 1810, the first party was actually for the wedding of King Ludwig to his new Queen Theresa. Held in what was know as "Theresa's Gardens" (and still is), all of the citizens were invited to attend. In the years that followed, an agricultural show was added as well as horse racing to promote German culture. The annual opening kick off parade which started in 1850, has roughly 8,000 marchers all dressed in traditional German costumes, is one of the highlights of the entire event. One new tradition that started in 1950 was the tapping of the first keg. At 12:00, the mayor taps the keg which is accompanied by a 12 gun salute. That is respect for the brew!!!!!!!!!

Traditional German food is always served which includes, Hendl (roast chicken), Schweinebraten (roast pork), Schweinshaxe (grilled ham hock), Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), Knodel (potato or bread dumplings), and Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes). You will also find the assortment of sausages, krauts, and Bavarian delicacies as Obatzda which is a spiced cheese-butter spread.

Now this is a very important fact. Only beer that is brewed in Munich and which conforms to the Reinheitsgebot may be served in the tents at Oktoberfest. What is the Reinheitsgebot? This important (and hard to pronounce - if you do not speak German) word is the Purity Order of Bavaria. Sometimes referred to as the German Purity Order, it is a regulation of the production of beer in the Holy Roman Empire. Instated in 1487 by Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria, this order stated that beer could only be made with 3 ingredients: Water, barley, and hops. The order was passed to keep the other grains available (such as wheat and rye) so they could be used for baking bread, and thus not have a shortage and a spike in bakery prices. We Germans do like to drink!!!!!!!

The brewers that can produce beer under this order are Paulaner, Spatenbrau, Lowenbrau, Hacker Schorr-Brau, and Augustiner-Brau. These beers will be the only beer that one will find being served at Oktoberfest. Any of these fine beers pair very well with the German cuisine that is served. Or if one prefers, they can always skip the food to save more room for the liquid diet. Although, that could have some very intoxicating effects which are accelerated.

While I have never been to Munich for Oktoberfest, I was fortunate enough to attend the Oktoberfest in Dublin (hey, the Irish drink like fish too!!) on the Docklands 2 years ago. Judging by how insanely fun and festive that was (once again the Irish) I can only imagine Munich is escalated by a factor of 100. This is one party that is definitely on my bucket list. Munich AND ESPECIALLY the beer tent better be ready for me when I arrive. 

So get ready to throw back a couple of Oktoberfest brews and have a great time. Speaking of the beers, in my next post I will write and rate some of the more popular and not so popular types of Oktoberfest beers.

Cheers and HAPPY OKTOBERFEST, Charles..............