December 2005 Archives
Two stories showing the quirks of the restaurant business...
The bad news: Chicago's historic "Berghoff" restaurant and bar is closing. The various Berghoff brews will survive, as the family sold its recipes and brewing contract to the Huber brewery in Monroe, WI many years ago. It's always sad to see old landmark destinations pass on, likely to be reinvented in 10-15 years with a Disney-fied "authentic German rathskeller."
The good news: Just up the lake shore, the Weissgerber family has expanded its restauarant efforts to include a new establishment, "The Old German Beer Hall." Unlike the future Chicago hall I just described, I have fairly high hopes for this place, since there will be plenty of local experts to advise if the beer hall strays from its essential mission, and the Weissgerbers have a pretty good reputation for their current restaurants (esp. Third Street Pier). Also, with the closing of John Ernst's and the Brown Bottle, and the reputed declines at Karl Ratzsch's and Mader's, it's nice to see someone reaffirming the city's proud German heritage.
The grousing has already begun over at OnMilwaukee.com, but that's par for the course -- Milwaukee has a potent mix of "tall-poppy syndrome" and occasionally-misguided parochialism.
Owing to some recent minor surgery (successful, thanks), I won't be sampling any beers for the next few weeks. In the meantime, here are a couple items to consider...
1. Just before my surgery, I found a lovely bottle of rauchbier or "smoke beer" -- a German regional speciality. I've already confessed my love for smoky, peaty, malty beverages, so this seemed like a natural. I'd want to try another before writing a proper review, but the town of Bamberg just made its way onto my future itinerary of Germany...
2. I spent six years in Wisconsin (and three of those working at a law firm where Miller Brewing was one of our major clients) but never managed to take a tour of the Leinenkugel's brewery in Chippewa Falls. Miller bought Leinie's back in 1988, with part of the deal being that Leinie's could still be creative at the old brewery (Original and Light are now brewed in Milwaukee, across from the old Pabst brewery). They've added some flavorful (Creamy Dark, Northwoods) and not-so-flavorful (Honey Weiss) beers to the line-up over time, with the infamous "Big Butt Doppelbock" being introduced, dropped, and revived again. Now, however, I'm afraid that Jake and the boys have gone over the top.
Example A: Apple Spice Beer. To be perfectly clearm I enjoy hard cider, particularly good dry British ciders. US brands generally don't have the same crispness or tartness, even when they claim to be ciders. But this is something else -- a beer that has apples added to the mash. And if Berry Weiss is any indication, this is doomed to be a sweet, almost syrupy beer.
Example B: According to a local enthusiast, Leinie's is thinking about rolling out a new seasonal brew this spring -- orange spice is the current thinking. If true, I'd guess that it will taste something like a Blue Moon... meaning that it will be a hefeweiss with more coriander in the mix, or even a Belgian witbier.
The irony, of course, is that Miller used to have the premier witbier brewed in the United States (and by some opinions, the world) -- Celis White. After a quick splash of distribution (taking Celis from Austin, TX to finer grocery and convenience stores all over the midwest), the Miller hotshots decided that Celis wasn't pulling its weight and stopped brewing the beer. About three years ago, some folks in Michigan bought the recipe from Miller and begain making Celis White again -- from all accounts, the recipe still holds but the distribution is very limited.
I've met some of the folks from the Otter Creek / Wolaver's Organic brewery (at the DC Greenfest this past fall) and like them a great deal. I will certainly continue to patronize their beers, especially the Organic Brown Ale and Stout (both of which I hope to review soon). That said, I'm disappointed by the Copper Ale -- it just never distinguishes itself. Caught halfway between a standard red/amber ale and an IPA, it fulfills the mission of neither.
Minor Gripes: Too hoppy for a red, but not crisp enough for an IPA.
Characteristics: Light body, rich amber color, relatively bitter (for a red).
Bottom Line: Pick up a real red (e.g. Smithwicks, Leinie's) or a real IPA (e.g. Sierra Nevada) -- but don't mix the two in the same glass.
Rating: 4.5/10
