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Beer in Art #14: The Tibetan Barley Beer Song

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I’ve been trying to present a mix of old master and contemporary art featuring beer. If art is a reflection of real life, then beer should — and is — as much a part of art as any other aspect of our lives. That beer is also an art and craft all its own I think magnifies its importance, because it then becomes art reflecting art. Today’s painting is by a Tibetan artist by the name of Zhungde. The painting is titled “Barley Beer Song,” and depicts three women engaged it what appears to be some sort of ritual.

 

The painting was completed in 2001 and is 100 x 100 cm (or about 40 x 40 in.), making it not too large. That’s really all I know about it.

As for beer in Tibet, it’s traditionally an unhopped barley beer known as Chhaang, or more often simply Chang.

From Wikipedia:

Barley, millet (finger-millet) or rice is used to brew the drink. Semi-fermented seeds of millet are served, stuffed in a barrel of bamboo called the Dhungro. Then boiling water is poured and sipped through a narrow bore bamboo pipe called the Pipsing.

When the boiled barley has gone cold, some yeast or dried barm is added and it is left to stand for 2 or 3 days when fermentation begins when it is called glum. The barm consists of flour and, in Balti, at least, often has ginger and aconite added to it. After fermentation is complete, some water is added to it and is then ready for use.

“If proper care is taken (and the people of Ü and Ladakh generally do so), the pale beer, thus obtained, is not amiss, and sparkles a good deal, but not being hopped it does not keep long.”

In Lahaul and some other places the glum is pressed out by hand instead of by filtering, making quite a cloudy drink. The residue of malt can be pressed through a strainer and then mixed with water or milk and used instead of barm in baking bread or cakes.

Near Mt. Everest chaang is made by passing hot water through the fermenting barley, and is then served in a big pot and drunk through a wooden straw.

In Nepal, it is called tongba by the Limbus. There is another term called jand which refers to the turbid liquor obtained by leaching out the extract with water from the fermented mash. Unlike chhang or tongba, it is liberally served in large mugs. These alcoholic beverages are prepared by using traditional starter called murcha. Murcha is prepared by using yeast and mold flora of wild herbs in cereal flours.

The brew tastes like ale. Alcohol content is quite low, but it produces an intense feeling of heat and well-being, ideal for enduring the temperatures which go well below freezing in winter.

Most accounts say that’s it’s aromatic, sweet and low in alcohol. Singing and drinking seems to figure quite prominently in Tibetan culture and is a fixture in virtually all holidays and celebrations.

Here are the lyrics to just one of their folk songs sung in celebrations.

May you have long life,
may the house be filled with grain,
May you have the good fortune
to make use of this abundance.

The China Tibet Tourism Board adds an interesting tidbit about drinking customs in Tibet:

As a guest, one should use the third finger of the right hand to dip into beer or wine three times and flick it up to the sky to show the respect to heaven, the earth and the older generations. When the host serves the wine or beer, after the three dips, drink a little, the host will fill up your glass and do like this three times, the fourth time is bottoms up if you are able.

So it seems clear that Zhungde is reflecting an important aspect of Tibetan life, and how beer figures into it. Knowing now about Chang, one assumes that the three women are singing in celebration and enjoying the barley beer as a part of that celebration.

From Zhungde’s biography at Gendun Choephel Artists’ Guild:

In my childhood, there were some odd pictures always emerging in my dreams, I do not remember the concrete contents of the dream, but visible or invisible appearance of these forms always entwine with my soul together, often making me fidgety. Later one day I unintentionally drew a few sketches and my heart started to feel calm, and had an indescribable pleasant feeling, then I took the paintbrushes and another world was discovered.

I do not understand what is art, and do not want to understand, and I feel only to paint, and this lets me feel happy, and I paint to pursue a simple, innocent life. Emphasizing this kind of emotion, I paint in fact to examine my own heart, pacify my uneasy emotion. I and the canvas rightly meet each other in the process of seeing one’s soul. If I can’t paint, life seems to be pale and meaningless, because painting has already constituted my life and it has become indispensably part of myself.

Regardless of any circumstances, I would continue to paint for ever.

There’s precious little additional information about Zhungde and only one more painting at his Artist’s Main Page, called Sisters and Peaceful Wind gallery has a third Zhungde painting, Crowded Train.

 

The Lagunitas Circus Comes To Town

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At the Lagunitas Beer Circus, here’s some preliminary pictures of the wildest event of SF Beer Week. More photos to follow soon.

 

A giant tent, nearly a city block long, was erected next to the Lagunitas Brewery.

Pat Mace (at right) from Lagunitas Brewery and Paul Stokeld, the owner of Santa Rosa’s Toad in the Hole Pub.

One of the beer and food areas behind the Boil Theatre stage at one end of the tent, before the circus began.

At the other end of the tent, the first musical act did a soundcheck.

Out front at the entrance, a snailmobile.

Captain Crunch (whose name mysteriously changed later in the evening to Captain Chronic) with one of the Boil Theatre performers and a bewildered-looking passerby.

Part of the brewery itself was roped off and had all manner of curiosities and oddities on display, such as this stuffed Jackalope.

 

Continue on to Freaks and Beer Geeks

 

The 9th Annual Bistro Double IPA Festival

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The 9th annual Bistro Double IPA Festival, and the first major event of SF Beer Week, got underway Saturday morning in beautiful downtown Hayward. It was a gorgeous February day, cool, not cold, but with a bright, warming sun. Owners Vic and Cynthia Kralj finally persuaded the city to let them takeover a larger portion of the street for the festival. The additional space was a wonderful addition as it made getting around and navigating to your next beer far less crowded. But even with the extra space, the Bistro was full of people by early afternoon, with somewhere between 25-50% more attendance over last year.
 

Even with considerably more space, this year’s Double IPA Festival was a well-attended affair.

Russian River’s Vinnie Cilurzo with Melissa Myers, the Bay Area’s best brewer without her own brewery.

 

For more photos from this year’s Double IPA Festival, visit the photo gallery.
 

Anchor’s OBA & SF Beer Week Launch

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Friday night Anchor was kind enough to host an event to officially kick-off SF Beer Week. It was a chance for all the people who made SF Beer Week to get together — the organizers, the brewers, the bar owners, the chefs and restaurant owners, the volunteers and the media. It was also an opportunity for Anchor to share their latest creation, a spectacular new beer that they debuted for the local beer community.

Available only in magnums, and very limited — only 100 cases — that will be sold only at the brewery, for $30 per bottle.

The OBA, or “Our Barrel Ale,” a nod to their Christmas beer, “Our Special Ale,” is a blended beer using three of their beers. Though not revealed, I’m guessing their Porter, Liberty Ale and Old Foghorn.

We had a pretty good turnout to enjoy Anchor’s hospitality.

They opened four cases of OBA and poured everyone there a small sample of it.

Which took some time for everyone to get a taste.

Then Fritz Maytag talked about the beer and how it came to be. Originally he was not in favor of it, but eventually saw it was a good way to use their old whisky rye barrels. Three of their beers were aged in their own used barrels for six months and then blended into the beer they dubbed Our Barrel Ale.

Then, using Anchor’s OBA, I gave a toast to officially launch SF Beer Week and we drank to a successful week of events. Here, the organizers of SF Beer Week pose with Fritz Maytag after the toast. From left: Tom Dalldorf (Celebrator Beer News), Dave McLean (Magnolia), Bruce Paton (The Beer Chef), Fritz Maytag (Anchor), Shaun O’Sullivan (2st Amendment) and me (Brookston Beer Bulletin). Behind us, from the left, is Steve Bruce from the Toronado who was there on behalf of Dave Keene, who was unable to be there, and Dean James, also from Magnolia, who took over web duties and kept the schedule updated.

This was the toast I wrote and gave:

To San Francisco, where beer flourished with the gold

To Gold, the beautiful golden color of beer

To Beer, its art and craft whose soul we celebrate

To Celebrating, the reason we’re all together

To Togetherness, the hallmark of the Beer Community

To Community, which is who made SF Beer Week

To SF Beer Week —

Raise Your Glass To the Start of SF Beer Week 2009

And so it begins …

 

Bistro Double IPA Festival Winners 2009

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Pizza Port‘s Poorman’s Double IPA was chosen best in show at the 9th annual Double IPA Festival today at the Bistro in Hayward, California. The full winner list is below.

 

 

 

Albion Don In the Temple of Beer

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new-albion-ale
Yesterday the first five events of SF Beer Week were all “Albion Don” Barkley and the recreation of the original beer that started the modern craft brew movement. New Albion’s Pale Ale, dubbed Napa Smith’s Original Albion Ale was tapped every hour, on the hour, for five hours at a different location in San Francisco. Beginning at the Temple of Beer, the Toronado, Don arrived, beery scepter in hand to christen the day (and the week’s) activities.

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Don Barley, with the scepter of St. Gambrinus in hand.

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The first pints poured of Napa Smith’s Original Albion Ale.

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Don’s first sip.

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By the power of St. Gambrinus, he declares that it is good.

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Less impressive than it looks, I got to hold the magical scepter while Don availed himself of the facilities.

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Next stop on the tour was Magnolia. Here Don poses with Dave McLean, owner of Magnolia and fellow SF Beer Week organizer extraordinaire.

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And again, the scepter declares that the beer is good.

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I missed the next two tappings at Monk’s Kettle and City Beer Store due to having to do some prep work for SF Beer Week, but caught up with them at 21t Amendment, where Shaun O’Sullivan was on hand to greet Don.

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And again, it was good.

Session #24: Tripels For Two

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February brings our 24th monthly Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, so that we can finally fill a case. Hosted by David Turley at Musings Over A Pint, he correctly asserts that any beer is made better by sharing it, and suggests that a Belgian Tripel, because of its uniquely strong qualities, is ideally suited to this purpose.

Beer is best when it’s shared, and a strong beer is just right for sharing. Belgian Tripels are big beers with a flavor profile that is enjoyed by both experienced and new beer fans. Be it an intimate evening, or watching a ball game on TV, a Tripel is made for sipping and sharing. For Session #24 the theme is “A Tripel for Two.” What Tripel would you pick to share with that good friend, family member, or lover?

As it happens, today’s Session is also the first day of SF Beer Week and I’m already at my second event, the second tapping of Napa Smith’s Original Albion Ale at Magnolia. But I’m also there to try one of their beers specially created for Strong Beer Month, in this case the Tweezer Tripel. It’s a mere 25 IBUs but a more impressive 9.9% abv. Light gold in color, but with a nice ivory head. It has a light malty nose, but really opens up in on the palette. Floral and fruity flavors mix wonderfully with the malt sweetness and its octane is not overly pronounced, making it deceptively drinkable. I could definitely see sharing this beer with friends and lovers, with or without the tweezers.

Next stop, 21st Amendment and the fifth tapping of Don Barkley’s beer. For this year’s Strong Beer Month, one of the beers they created was Double Trippel, a 9.6% tripel that’s loaded with hops ala an imperial IPA. It’s cloudy amber in color with citrusy hop aromas and some vegetal, herbal and oniony aromas. The hops dominate the flavors, unusual in a tripel, of course, and when I declared the beer “interesting,” brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan interpreted that as meaning I didn’t like his beer, but that was not the case.

To me, I like when commercial brewers take the parameters of a more or less traditional style and turn it on its head, creating something both surprising and unique. As far as I’m concerned, beer styles are only useful guidelines, not hard and fast rules. In competitive judging, they may be necessary evils but for professional brewers style definitions, if adhered to strictly, seem to me a bit like gross limitations on creativity. And Belgian beers, since that’s what were looking at today, are known for each brewery making a unique beer that’s difficult to pigeonhole into a style category. And in fact, we create broad, almost vague, categories just so we have somewhere to put them for competitions.

But as long as the beer works and tastes good, styles doesn’t matter. And as for Shaun’s Double Tripel, it does work. That its flavors are surprising is a definite plus, in my mind. There were a few folks at the brewpub with the homebrew magazine BYO in town for the SF Beer Week festivities. One of them asked me what I was sampling and, when I told him which beer it was, wrinkled his nose and declared it too hoppy and not drinkable. But I think that’s the mindset you often find in homebrewing, that a beer not to style is somehow wrong or defective. But I believe that kind of thinking is short-sighted. If everyone thought that way, styles would not evolve and beer would remain static. That would, I think, make for a very boring world. In countries where traditional styles are rarely challenged (e.g., Germany, England) innovation suffers and while their beers — according to style — can be magnificent, over time a certain sameness creeps into their national scene.

If that had been true in Belgium, we may never have had the style of Belgian Tripels at all. The first tripel, most likely brewed by Westmalle in 1934, was innovative at the time and perhaps some people disparaged the beer because it didn’t fit any preconceived ideas of what it should taste like. But eventually it was accepted, of course, and now is considered a traditional style that shouldn’t be messed with. But for creativity to continue the sacred cows must be tipped over, so to speak. That’s what keeps things interesting.

As much as I enjoy Session and even middle-of-the-road beers, it is the extreme and strong beers that often seem best for sharing precisely because in most cases, less is more — or at least enough. That makes one bottle enough for two, three or occasionally more to all enjoy. With smaller beers, you share by each having your own, making it the company that’s shared. With Tripels, it’s both the beer and company that’s shared. That’s what I love most of all with big beers. They facilitate fellowship. How can you not love a beer that by its very design brings people together?

 

New New Albion Tapped Today

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I like to give credit where credit’s due, and the original idea for this came from Rodger Davis, the head brewer at Triple Rock. But it was fortuitous that I ran into Don Barkley at the Falling Rock in Denver during GABF week last year. I hadn’t seen Don probably since CBC in Austin the year before when he accepted an award on behalf the famously reclusive Jack McAuliffe, his old boss at New Albion Brewery, the first modern craft brewery in America. But I knew he’d recently started brewing again at a new venture, Napa Smith Brewery in Napa. So I asked what he thought about recreating one of the original New Albion beers for SF Beer Week, as a way to tie the history of Bay Area beer together from its humble beginnings to its illustrious present. Don told me he had all the old brewing logs and would be more than pleased to brew it. “Which one do you want?” He asked with a wry smile. “Do you think anybody else would be interested in a keg of it if we made some, too?” Don wondered aloud. Well, needless to say the entire batch is sold and will be featured throughout SF Beer Week, a fitting tribute, I think. Once back in the Bay Area, Dave McLean took over working brewer to brewer to make it happen and today Don Barkley will tap the first kegs of the “Official Ale of SF Beer Week,” which will be called “Napa Smith’s Original Albion Ale.” It’s essentially the New Albion Pale Ale and only one batch was brewed, so when it’s gone, it’s gone.

But if you’re in the right place at the right time today, you can get a chance to try it and even meet legendary brewer Don Barkley in the process. Here’s from the press release we sent out:

To kick start SF Beer Week, Don Barkley has decided that he will be roaming San Francisco on Friday, tapping his beer for the first time at 5 different San Francisco locations, starting at the venerable Toronado in the Lower Haight, and ending up spending his happy hour in SOMA at the 21st Amendment. Don will be officially tapping his beer at every bar he visits, sharing some pints, a few stories, signing his awesome new Celebrator cover issue, and celebrating the start of SF Beer Week all day on his pub crawl around the city. Which starts with:

HIGH NOON first tapping at the Toronado!

The first drops of the Original Albion will be poured at the place where it all began for most of us, the Toronado. Don will be at the T from Noon to 1pm, catch him if you can. The Original Albion Ale will be available all weekend, if it even lasts that long!

Watch Your Speed! 1pm-1:45pm

Before leaving the Haight, Don and crew will be tapping the Original Albion at Magnolia Pub, where you can take a break from Strong Beer Month to grab a pint of a beer that hasn’t been brewed in well over 20 years!

We’re on a Mission! 2pm-2:45pm

Next stop on the Original Albion pub crawl: the Monk’s Kettle. Catch a mid afternoon beer with Don and the boys at the Kettle, one of the best new beer spots in the city, an instant classic if you will. They are kicking off SF Beer Week by running specials on local craft brews all week long!

Bottled Beer Heaven! 3pm-3:45pm

The City Beer Store, your best option for a take home version of the best beers in all the land, will be hosting Don’s beer on draft too, so stop by and wet your whistle while you decide which beers are going to fill up your fridge!

Lower De Boom! 4pm-5pm

The 21st Amendment, one of the sites of Strong Beer Month 2009, welcomes Don for the day’s final tapping, part of the pub’s legendary post-work day happy hour, where you can let the Original Albion wash away your sorrows, and prepare for what is sure to be an action-filled SF Beer Week for the next nine days in February.

Throughout the ten days of SF Beer Week, Napa Smith Original Albion Ale will be available at select locations around the Bay Area. Here’s a list of where you’ll be able to find it:

Alembic Bar
The Toronado
The Monk’s Kettle
City Beer Store
Chez Panisse
The Bistro
Barclay’s
Magnolia Pub
Hopmonk Tavern
Rogue Ale House
Ben & Nick’s Bar & Grill
Cato’s Ale House
21st Amendment Pub
Jupiter Brew Co
Billco’s in Napa
Bounty Hunter in Napa
Murphy’s Irish Pub in Sonoma
The Celebrator’s Best of the West Beer Fest (on Sunday February 15)
 

 
If you want to try to recreate this beer at home, Don has graciously shared the recipe for this sip of history:

Napa Smith Brewery’s ‘ORIGINAL ALBION ALE’

Don Barkley Master Brewer of Napa Smith Brewery and the original brewer for the New Albion Brewing Co., has brewed for SF Beer Week the original New Albion Pale Ale. “Using recipes from New Albion we have reproduced a great ‘straight forward’ pale ale that helped shape America’s brewing history”. Although this ale dims in the stark glare of today’s extreme beers, it holds high the unique character of true craft brewing. New Albion Brewery yeast was used for fermentation thanks to the generosity of the Mendocino Brewing Company, who still uses this yeast in their ales. Pale malt used at New Albion was sourced from San Francisco’s last producing Malt House (Bauer & Schweitzer) in this beer we used a blend of 50 % Great Western 2-row and 50% Gambrinus Pale Ale Malt. The Napa water was hardened with the addition of Gypsum to a level of 350PPM hardness. Hops used as in the New Albion recipe are Cluster for bittering and Cascade for aroma (This was the Cascades first introduction into the craft brewing industry).

Process:

Infusion mash 144 degrees F, 90 min.
Sparge at 170 degree F
Boil 90 min., Hops (1/3 cluster, 2/3 cascade)
1. at boil Cluster
2. 30 min Cascade
3. 60 min Cascade

O.G. 13.5 balling, Pitching Temp 60 F, using 0.75lb yeast slurry/bbl
Ferment at 68 F 6days
Secondary 60 F 8days
Final Gravity 1.6 balling
Bottle condition using cane sugar and yeast slurry for 1Million cells /mil

Style: American Craft Pale Ale, using New Albion Ale Yeast
First Available:. August 1977
Description: Medium body, Bright golden color, White dense foam head, Lightly hopped, Aroma is malty with some hop spiciness, full malt flavor accented with hop character, moderate bitterness, Clean, dry after taste with lasting richness. Fermentation and yeast character is clearly evident with this unfiltered Ale.

Alcohol: By volume 6.5%
Bitterness: 31 BU
Color: 18
CO2: 2.5 Vol.
OG: 13.5 Balling
FG: 1.6 Balling

 

SF Beer Week Starts Tomorrow

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I can scarcely believe it, but tomorrow SF Beer Week begins, unofficially at Noon (more about that later) and officially Friday night about 7:00 p.m. I haven’t even had time to post this week, I’ve been so busy trying to get last minute details taken care of, along with some Herculean efforts by Dave McLean and Dean James from Magnolia. The total tonight stands at 146 events, which exceeded my expectations. And more than that, I’m pleased with the types of events and some of the great places that you don’t normally think of as beer friendly stepping up and embracing beer week, high end restaurants like Oliveto and Chez Panisse. I’ve kissed and wife and kids and told them not to wait up for the next ten days, and am planning on trying to attend as many events as humanly possible. I’m prepared to be amazed. Are you?

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Anchor Beers

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For my fifth Top 10 list I’m up to my eyeballs getting ready for SF Beer Week. Since Anchor Brewery is the oldest brewery in San Francisco still around, having been founded originally around 1864 (though it wasn’t called Anchor beer until 1896), I though I’d list my favorite Anchor beers. On Friday they’re debuting a new beer and I’ve very excited about it. I know what it is, but am sworn to secrecy. I could tell, but then I’d have to kill you. By Friday night the cat will be out of the bag, so to speak, and I’ll be able to reveal what it is. Suffice it to say, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Anyway, here’s List #5:
 

Top 10 Favorite Anchor Beers
 

Bock Another of their newest beers, but I’ve never quite warmed up to it.
Summer Beer/Wheat Beer The wheat build on the two is slightly different, but they don’t taste substantially different. Anyway, the Summer beer replaced the Wheat Beer in their portfolio.
Small Beer Perhaps the finest example of recycling, and a great way to make a tasty session beer.
Steam I know the Steam beer is one of the few original American beer styles, and I certainly appreciate it on that level, but it’s never been my favorite of their beers. It is a great thirst quencher, and works with a variety of foods — but you knew that, right?
Spruce Beer Most people I’ve talked to about this beer have a love/hate relationship with this beer; they hated it and I loved it. I wish I still had some of this, though by now it would be toast. It had a very strong air freshener nose, which was oddly absent on the palette. But that spruce character was overpowering, and I think that’s what turned people off.
Our Special Ale (2000-present) Since the Millennium, the spices in Anchor’s Christmas beer have been too restrained, but then I think if you’re going to do a spice beer you should go whole hog. It’s still better than almost every other spice beer out there, but I have a very warm (spicy) spot in my heart for their earlier efforts.
Porter By the time this was first bottled in 1974, the style had almost died in England, sad to say. Maytag apparently spent a lot of time studying English styles in England and it’s quite evident in the beers that Anchor released in the early 1970s.
Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale Another old English style that Anchor helped introduce to American drinkers is their barley wine, which debuted in 1976. I confess I’ve developed a taste for more generously hopped barley wine, but can still appreciate a maltier one like Anchor brews. And when you’re in the mood for one like that, you’d be hard pressed to find a better example on our side of the pond.
Our Special Ale (@1994-99) These were the years (roughly) when the spices in Anchor’s Christmas beer really shined. I still have a couple of magnums from these years and a few 12 oz. bottles. Having done a few verticals stretching back pretty far, I’ve found about ten years in the max for aging Anchor’s Christmas beers, though the spicier ones, of course, have a slight advantage. Most people I know think their beers were too spicy at this time, but not me. These were my favorites.
Liberty Ale You’d be hard-pressed to find a better all-purpose beer than Liberty. Its aromatic Cascade hops are almost pedestrian today but in 1975 it must have seemed revolutionary, which is fitting, I suppose, since it was released on April 18, the 200th anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. Remember the time you drank your first decidedly hoppy beer? It was so different from anything else that it was almost confusing. In 1975, as a high school sophomore, I was drinking local lagers and cream ales in Eastern Pennsylvania. I can’t imagine what I would have thought of Liberty at that time. But now it feels positively sessionable, even at 6%. I know I treat it that way. It’s a beer I often start and finish a night out with. Their best, hands down.

 

I wish I had an opportunity to try the Ninkasi Ale they did in 1989 and also the Potrero Commons in 1990. Oh, well.

 

Also, if you have any ideas for future Top 10 lists you’d like to see, drop me a line.