Grupo Modelo S.A. – Corona Extra Style: American Adjunct Lager ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 4.6% IBU: Approximately 10

Desnoes and Geddes Limited – Red Stripe Jamaican Lager Style: American Adjunct Lager ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 4.7% IBU: 17

The Beer Genome Project #19 Show Notes

0:00-1:27 – Introduction 1:27-15:32 – Corona Extra by Grupo Modelo S.A. 15:32-29:16 - Red Stripe by Desnoes and Geddes Limited 29:16-45:45 – Weekly Discussion 45:45-47:36 – Conclusion

My first thought went to the marketing of the macrobrews. I held in my hand a Coors Light – “When the mountains turn blue, it’s as cold as the Rockies”. The first couple sips of Coors actually are not bad, but for the love of god, don’t let the mountains turn a different color away from blue. When this beer gets any warmer than the Rockies, and maybe represents a temperature similar to the lower Adirondacks, do yourself a favor and just toss the blasted bottle. These beers were produced with one thought in mind: consumers consume. These beers are not meant to be enjoyed, conversed about, or even thought about, only recycled. They are low in flavor, low in alcoholic content, and they sure had better be drunk at a low temperature. Instead of letting their customers enjoy a couple of these in an evening, they mass produce and market the idea of 12 and 24 packs. I went to a party beforehand that offered wine, wine, wine, and Keystone Light. Why does beer get such a bad rap? Who is it that decided people don’t enjoy nice things, they just want crap? Don’t even get me started on the American auto industry.

My second thought was of the “Import”. For starters, they didn’t even offer any imports. But have you ever noticed that imports are always marketed as the premium product? In some marketing manger’s head is “Oh, this person enjoys fine beer, so we will give him Heineken and Stella for extra cost”. How can this happen? Court Avenue makes their own beer across the street; Olde Main is a half-hour away and distributes to many places in Des Moines. I don’t blame the brewers, they want to reach new customers. Who in their right mind believes offering up Bud, Bud Light, Miller Light, and Coors Light is giving their costumers a choice? Why can’t we have a choice of Leinenkugels or Blue Moon even, they’re still products of the macrobrewers? Go to a chain restaurant and ask for their import list – bet you a beer they tell you Sam Adams is available. Microbrews are rising in popularity, but when are consumers going to be given a choice, and when are people going to start having that “beer defining moment” that you and I have experienced? I’m out to change that. Shawn and Jason are out to change that. You are out to change that. We all deserve a “beer defining moment”. I want to be offered a selection of beers, much like I can order a variety of wines or liquors at any dining venue. I give props to Old Chicago for offering 110 different beers. They are the extreme end where you can have a different beer every time you sit down. I’m looking for just a few, local, tasty options.

Welcome to episode 7 of The Beer Genome Project! Jason, Shawn, and Mike have gathered this week to talk about two more Minnesota beers. The first beer reviewed is Brewer’s Cave Golden Caramel Lager by Blue Diamond Brewing and that is followed by a review of Finnegans Irish Amber. Beyond the beers, we recount a few local beer tasting events – Des Moines Tweet-up, Winterfest 2009, and the Surly Three release. There’s a large world of craft beer out there, and we aim to help you discover more of it. Again, we are still learning about this culture, so feel free to join in on the conversation. Thanks for listening, cheers!

Blue Diamond Brewing Company – Brewer’s Cave Golden Caramel Lager Style: American Lager ABV (Alcohol by Volume): n/a

Finnegans, Inc. – Irish Amber Style: American Amber / Red Ale ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 5.0%

The Beer Genome Project #7 Show Notes

0:00-1:01 – Introduction 1:01-8:17 – Blue Diamond Brewing Company’s Brewer’s Cave Golden Caramel Lager 8:17-18:13 – Finnegans Irish Amber 18:13-21:52 – Surly Three Release at Blue Nile 21:52-32:24 – Tweet-Ups and Local Beer Events 32:34-33:56 – Conclusion

I love browsing the beer sections of liquor stores. In smaller stores it seems as if you can never find exactly what you are looking for, but can always come away with something a little great. Today I ventured into the cooler of a local store and came across a curious 12-pack. A red box, a retro logo, and a half-fish, half-girl decorated a little treasure known only as Lakemaid Beer. The name pronunciation of “lake-made” had me almost moving to the next shelf, but the Schell’s logo had me hooked (See what I did there?). I had to take it home with me; I had to find out the story of this beer.

Lakemaid Beer is produced by August Schell Brewing Company of New Ulm, Minnesota. The beer is actually being co-advertised with Rapala, the fishing lure company, with a tag-line of “The Fisherman’s Lager”. This was a limited release beer for the opening of fishing season back in May, but I believe the brew was rereleased for Minnesota’s ice fishing season. I’m sad to say that I haven’t been fishing in a few years, but also glad to say that I’m not reviewing this beer from the middle of a floating slab of ice, looking into a small, dark hole , while huddling for warmth in -20 degree weather. 

The name of “Lakemaid Beer” comes from a legendary fishing myth about freshwater mermaids, known as lakemaids. The Lore of the Lakemaids from Schell’s packaging:

Wherever anglers gather, you’re bound to hear great stories. One of the better known and sworn-to-be-true is the story of the Lakemaids. Long ago, these freshwater mermaids found their way inland from the oceans, down the St. Lawrence Seaway and up the Mississippi, to summer in the cool, pure waters of the lakes of the North country. Each year, on the night of the summer solstice, they reward anglers who have kept their lakes pure, with ice cold Lakemaid beer, made fresh from the deepest, purest water they can find.

How can you say no to that? Exactly. I like trying out new beers from the home-state breweries, even if they are a little silly. When I opened the box, I discovered that each of the twelve beers features a different Lakemaid on the label. You’ll have to fight with your fishing buddies on who gets which lakemaid. 

Miss Northern Pike Miss Walleye Miss Smallmouth Bass Miss Largemouth Bass Miss Muskie Miss Sunfish Miss Sturgeon Miss Rainbow Trout Miss Catfish Miss Perch Miss Crappie Miss Salmon

When I popped the cap on the bottle, I noticed one last thing. If you look on the underside of the cap, you’ll see the weight of the fish you just “caught”. I have the bragging rights to a 12-pound Walleye. Feel free to use this weight as a jumping point to begin your own fishing story. Others might turn this into a game. 

Though I assume most will consume this one straight from the bottle, I poured the Lakemaid smoothly into a glass with about one centimeter of head on top. Golden, with a fair amount of carbonation. On the nose, it is about what you would expect of an American lager – a grainy smell, no hoppiness. I’m not typically a golden lager kind of guy, so here goes nothing. The taste is pretty good; nothing too special, but certainly better than average. In a world where you must choose between American lagers, this would probably be among my top selections. A solid, if not unexpected, refreshing beer from Schell’s (though I do like Grain Belt). Am I allowed to go halfsies? 3.5/5 from me.

Have any of you had a chance to try out this beer? Do you have a tale to share, from meeting a lakemaid during that week-long summer trip to Kabetogama? You can at least tell me your favorite lakemaid. Give us your thoughts in the comments section, cheers!