After so many horribly abysmal crimes against beer, I’m very happy to be able say that a San Francisco Chronicle article on Friday, “Cantillon, a brew for wine lovers,” was actually a very good overview of the historic Brussels brewery. It was written by freelancer Derek Schneider, who also writes a food (and wine) blog, An Obsession with Food. He provides a nice introduction to Cantillon’s methods, what makes them unique and even provides some tasting notes.
My only criticism is that the Chronicle sells the piece through its title where they can’t let Cantillon stand on its own two feet. They have to make it a beer that winos will love, too, which I find a little annoying. Cantillon is a beer for beer lovers, too, as well, and can be enjoyed by anyone with a developed palate who likes complex flavors. Always having to compare everything to their revered wine seems to me to distort reality into a world where all grapes are good and barley is bad. I suspect that was the only way Schneider could sell the piece to the Chronicle, if wine was somehow still central in a beer article.
But that criticism aside, it was certainly good to see an otherwise positive beer article in San Francisco. Now if we could only get their management to actually like it, too, now that would be something.
Having anyone a developed palate and a liking complex flavors but not having yet found a place for Cantillon in my heart, I find your characterization a wee bit broad.
It is quite the good article and I agree about the lame title. For one, I ADORE Cantillon but do not like wine all that much. Secondly, my wife loves sour beer as well and she’s more of a White Zin drinker. Thirdly, my mother-in-law and father-in-law are avid wine fans…and they nearly puke at the mere smell of a Cantillon if I bring a bottle over to enjoy at their dinner.
Baby steps, yet again?
Actually, the rationale for the title and theme was more banal. Most of the wine section’s readers are wine drinkers, and I wanted to catch their eye and have them read a beer article, rather than skip over it as might be their normal tendency.