Beer Slobs & Wine Snobs

Why is it that beer drinkers and wine drinkers are typically depicted in the media as such polar opposites?

Beer drinker...

Attire (men): T-shirt, no shirt, jeans, shorts, baseball cap.
Attire (women): T-shirt (wet), no shirt (!), jean shorts, bikini.
Sport: Baseball, football, bowling, hockey.
Location: Sports bar, stadium, tailgate.
Music: Rock, Country.
Food: Brats, burgers, hot dogs, pizza.
Typical Quote: "Party!", "Git 'er Done!", "GO (insert team name here)!!!"

Wine Drinker...

Attire (men): Ralph Lauren dress shirt, Dockers.
Attire (women): CK blouse, sensible skirt or slacks, pearls.
Sport: Golf, tennis, Kentucky Derby.
Location: Trendy club, yacht, veranda at golf club.
Music: Smooth jazz, classical, light rock.
Food: Brie, whole grain crackers, fancy dishes with unpronouncable foreign names. like Fornacato al Fresco.
Typical quote: "Have you seen my new Beemer?", "Let's do lunch."

How did these images arise? Why are wine drinkers considered to be haughty, rich, sophisticated intellectuals sipping daintily and laughing gaily with friends, while beer drinkers are relegated to fat, drunken slobs with their team's logo painted on their bare chests on the jumbo-tron of some sports stadium in January?

Is it just an American image? I don't think so. You see this stereotype in England and Europe too. How did this happen??? Beer has been around longer. Wine is higher in alcohol content, thus more likely to lead to alcoholism (habitual drunks are often called winos, not beeros). Beer has a wider variety of flavors and subtlties making it a better beverage to pair with foods (don't take my word on that, ask any food or spirits critic). Wine is more expensive (you can afford to buy the best beer, you can't say that about wine). Beer is more consistant, wines can vary significantly from year to year, even barrel to barrel. I can go on and on.

I think part of the problem is that most wine drinkers understand wine. They know that there are good wines and there are great wines. They sip, they taste, they consider the flavor, the color, and the "nose" of the wine. They stop and compare it to other wines they have tasted and share these observations with friends.

Most beer drinkers, on the other hand, are drinking primarily for the cheap buzz. Most drink the same swill they've been drinking since college (or sooner). They drink this stuff because they are bombarded with it in the media. They're vaguely aware that there are some dark beers out there (aka; Guinness), but dark beers are strong, heavy, high in calories, and just plain scary.

The difference here is taste. Wine drinkers taste, beer drinkers... well, drink.

Beer drinkers: WAKE UP! Stop letting the wine snobs rule the beverage world! Next time you're at the liquor store, don't just go straight for the Bud Lite and the Miller Lite. Look around. TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT! There are microbreweries everywhere and odds are your local liquor store will carry their wares. Don't go nuts with something really exotic (like a stout or an IPA) if it's your first time. Try a lager, pilsner, or even an ale. You'll be peasantly suprised to find out that beer has flavor.

There's a whole new world out there. Drink it up.

Sand Creek Brewing Company

Sand Creek Brewing Company was founded in 1999 by Cory Schroeder and Jim Weisender in a converted milk house on the old Schroeder farm in tiny Downing, Wisconsin . Back then, their beer was only available on tap in select taverns in nearby Menomonie and in half-gallon growlers. Fortunately for me, Downing is close to my home and our local liquor store started carrying the growlers. They only brewed their Golden Ale and their English Style Special Ale at that time. I seem to remember an Imperial Stout, but their website today makes no mention of it. Perhaps I am wrong. That happens occasionally.

Things took off quickly for Cory and Jim. Their beer was extremely popular with us locals. I found myself giving growlers of their brew to friends outside Sand Creek's distribution area (not very far). I started getting requests for cases of growlers at a time. I doubt Jim or Cory knew about my free-lance, non-profit distributorship of their product. That's okay. We beer-lovers have to help each other out.

By 2004, Sand Creek had grown enough revenue to join forces with Todd Krueger to purchase Pioneer Brewing Company in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Pioneer already had a history of producing some really great beers, including an Oatmeal Stout and an Oktoberfest/Marzen that each won gold medals in the 2000 World Beer Cup.

Today, Sand Creek still produces their Golden Ale and their English Style Special Ale. I have been drinking these beers since 1999, and I can honestly say that the taste has not changed one bit. The growlers are gone though, replaced by the more practical 12 oz. longnecks. Thank God too because, even though both beers are delicious, it was hard for one guy to polish off a half gallon of beer before it went flat.

With the purchase of Pioneer also came several recipies that the trio chose to add to their beer menu. I have not tried all of them yet, but the ones I have tried were pretty good.

Oscar's Chocolate Oatmeal Stout is dark and nutty with a sweet initial mouthfeel and a bitter coffee aftertaste. This is a nice beer for a thick steak or hearty beef stew, but on a cold December night, in front of a warm fire, all it would need is a plate of sharp cheddar cheese and a few whole wheat crackers.

Woody's Wheat is a great summer beer. With a nose full of clove and a nice, quenching citrus aftertaste, this beer is best cold, when it's really hot outside. The alcohol is subdued enough not to buzz you up too bad. This beer is best enjoyed while standing in front of the grill while you're searing the heck out of any dead animal. Barbeque chicken is best though.

Groovy Brew is a delicious kolsch-style beer that should be taken far more seriosuly than the 60's-inspired name would imply. It's psychedelic label and stupid name hides a world-class beer that would make a German native sit up and take notice. This is a good spicy-food beer. I like it with pizza.

Pioneer Black River Red is pretty good, but it didn't wow me. It may have won an award, but I can honestly say I've tasted better. That's just my opinion though. It was very pleasant as it washed over my tongue, but I thought the aftertaste was a little too dry and hoppy. I would pair this beer up with a garden salad and a vinagrette dressing (to offset the aftertaste).

Badger Porter is definitely a one-glass-thank-you-very-much-I'm going-to-bed-now kind of beer. Thick, creamy, sweet, roasty, and heavy. How many other adjectives can I attribute to this one? This is a sipping beer. Pair it with salted cashews, but for something really unusual, drink it with a Werther's Original candy in your mouth. Don't choke on it though.

They also offer Pioneer Lager, Wild Ride India Pale Ale, Pioneer Oderbolz Bock, and a Cranberry Special Ale (!). I have not tried these yet, so if you have, please tell me what you think of them.

Later, friends!

Russ

Welcome to the Club!

The Burkhardt Beer Club is for people who like beer. Not in the sense of swilling down can after can of some watered down domestic garbage. Rather, this is for people who genuinely like the taste of a well crafted beer, and like to share new beer and new brewery finds with others.

Personally, I enjoy trying beers from other countries. When I travel, I like to try what the locals drink. More often than not, those brews are delicious (the locals CHOOSE to drink them) and are impossible to find at home.

I am also a newbie in the field of homebrewing. It's a great hobby, and I know there are many people who really take it seriously, but for now I just brew for fun. Let the professionals do their jobs and I will enjoy the fruits of their labors.

So... tell me about your favorite beers.