[Open on the guy who plays Chandler on Friends sits informally upon a low-sitting stool:]

With as much misconception surrounding the two most elementary forms of beer, it would be more than worth the time for those interested and concerned to snuggle up to the warmth of their computer screen and hear about what makes an Ale and Ale and a Lager a Lager.

Many a time have I bellied up to a bar or patronized a party in the woods (or does that only happen in Pennsylvania?) and hear somebody who warranted a quick and painless correction of their understanding of beer. “Nah, that beer is too dark,” a thoroughly confused young adult proclaims. “I don’t like Lager, I usually stick to Pale Ales like this,” as the clearly inebriated individual points to their Solo O’ Swill.

There is a global misrepresentation of beer via its consumers and if it’s not Boosh’s duty to amend it— who’s is it?

Beer, the world’s oldest and most celebrated beverage has two main categories of Ale and Lager (well, three if you include Lambic, but we’ll talk about that later). But let’s back up to simply review one of the four elements of beer — yeast. You would pretty much think that all of beer’s flavors are derived from the malted barley and hops. That’s right, the water and yeast are just there to turn those components into something delicious and bongable. Wrong.

Admission: an open-mind. Okay, and maybe a couple extra bucks.

According to recent studies that I have completely fabricated to have the appearance of an expert analysis,100 fake people were asked what they thought of when they heard the phrase “college student," and 84 replied “cheap beer”.

Those condescending, make-believe bastards!

The truth is that college students are at least one of the following (usually both): broke and looking to get drunk. Naturally—no pun intended— this would lead the poor saps purchasing and consuming the usually suspects in bulk; Natural Light, Keystone Light, Milwaukee’s Best— most of which bear very fun nicknames and the option of an Ice version.

And you know what, who can blame you? A lot of the time, you’re buying beer for a party (i.e. Other people are drinking the booze anyhow). But what I suggest isn’t to go and buy the good brew for ragers, keggers or whatever the hell they’re being called in your time zone. I’m calling for a change in your beverage for those little urges that you refuse to call alcoholism. You know, you’re bored in your apartment and nothing’s going on. Wouldn’t it be great to have a couple of worthwhile, craft brews to savor and enjoy? Well, here are a few easy steps toward becoming what I would like to refer to as “Beer Conscious”.


Step One:
Try everything you can get your hands on.

There are hundreds of what the Beer Conscious know as Beer Styles out there. Trying out different breweries’ takes on different styles will allow you to figure out what you have a taste for. The best advice that I can give you in this aspect would be to not blow off a style of beer after only having it once or twice. You may hate Green Flash’s West Coast IPA [India Pale Ale] and love Dogfish Head’ 60 Minute IPA. Moreover, you may hate them both upon tasting them, but then grow to appreciate them and eventually the style itself after gaining an understanding of what the brewer was going for when they created the recipe.
 

    It’s happened to everybody at one point or another. Good times are being had by all and like a gunshot, the anticipated first sip of a beer brings even the happy-go-luckiest of beer drinkers to their knees as they exclaim a seven-letter word that is worth a four-letter word in its own right: “Skunked!”

    However, the proclamation is currently in an abusive relationship with those who don’t know any better. For instance, did you know that cans of beer cannot ever possibly become skunked? Also, did you know that beer going from chilled to warm to chilled also has nothing to do with skunked beer? That is more a matter of oxidation that can also lend unpleasant flavors. For example, beer left in the trunk of a car in the blistering sun of a record-setting July day is certainly a great way to add wet cardboard flavors caused by oxidation. However, that is certainly not how beer becomes skunked.

    Firstly, I feel it imperative to explain exactly why the condition of perished beer is called skunked beer. Skunked beer is scientifically known as light-struck beer. Hops, one of beer’s four main ingredients, is a flower that contains a molecule called “isohumulones”. These molecules, when broken down, are susceptible to merge with sulfur components in the beer to help accentuate that smells that reminds you of a skunk’s spray. In fact, the makeup of this final result is pretty similar to the exact liquid that comes out of the skunk’s ass. Cheers!

Because we're all about new experiences here at Boosh, we decided to let our staff share some of their favorite porch-chilling post-class beverages each week. We'll kick it off with a fruity Belgian to help say goodbye to Summer, which officially ends tomorrow.

Southern Tier’s Cherry Saison
This is a great beer for those who are both new and experienced in the craft beer scene. The combination of a welcoming presence of cherry and the complexity of a balanced Saison make this beer one that will please all. This is essentially a fruit beer and a Belgian-style beer melded together to make a very interesting drink for anybody. There are subtleties of wood-aging and some funky yeast flavors that make it out of the ordinary.  Southern Tier’s Cherry Saison is great beer to sip on during a cool later-Summer night.

About:

Southern Tier Brewing Company

Lakewood, NY

Been around since 2004. Pump out 12,000 barrels annually. Can be found in 17 states and releases Cherry Saison as a summer seasonal.

Alc. 8.0% by Vol.

Ingredients:

malted white wheat

belgian candied sugar

cherries

kettle hops; magnum

aroma hops; sterling

The IPA, or India Pale Ale, is the fastest growing style of beer in the United States. Defined by its generous amounts of hop presence and alcohol content, the style was initially made this way to survive caustic travels from Great Britain to troops who were in serious need of a beer run. The style has created fanatics, called Hopheads, who could very well be responsible for the more recent envelope-pushing that has sparked the even more popular styles of Double and Triple IPAs; with— you guessed it— even more hops and alcohol. So the next time you sit down to tackle the bitter beast that is known as the IPA, it’s best you stay tuned and find out just exactly why the style was created and why it continues to be put on a beer pedestal.

History of The IPA
Before the advent of refrigeration and pasteurization—a process of heating liquids to kill bacteria and other variables that would lead to spoilage, British brewers had their work cut out for them to create a beer that would be able to take long voyages to their traveling soldiers. After shipping away beer to soldiers only for it to wind up spoiled and sour, they soon discovered that hops weren’t only useful for flavor and aroma but they were also a natural preservative. And with the combination of hops and alcohol came a very hostile environment for the likes of bacteria and other beer-souring agents. This recipe, credited to English brewer George Hodgson, would eventually go on to be known as the India Pale Ale since breweries could finally ship their product to both soldiers and customers in the then British Empire of India.