Inked - April 2008

EURO TRASHED

The human love affair with beer was built over many pints. Five thousand

years ago, the Chinese, Egyptians, and Mesopotamians fi rst fermented

grains to yield a froth pretty different from today’s pint. Ancient Greeks liked

it so much, they drafted their own recipe, as did the Romans after them,

then the Germans, Czechs, Belgians, and Irish. European brewing was born.

Back in the Middle Ages, beer was more than just enjoyable; the “cooking”

process rendered the liquid grain sterile, making it much safer to drink than

water. These days, beer is made of four primary ingredients: barley, hops,

water, and yeast. Lagers and pilsners are made with “bottom-fermenting”

yeasts, and are typically fermented at cooler temperatures; ales and stouts

are made with “top-fermenting” yeasts, which ferment best at warmer tem-

peratures. Whichever you prefer, there’s a European version you’ll want to

try. Here, Heidi Smith, a bartender at Jackalope, in Austin, TX, shares some

of her favorites. —Chris Doorley

Austin bartender Heidi Smith shares her favorite beers from across the pond.

KROENENBURG 1664 (FRANCE)

Lager

Believe it or not, the French make

good beer (they started in the mid-

13th century). Perfectly bitter, this

pale lager is popping up more and

more in sixes or on tap at bars, even

on this side of the Atlantic.

YOUNG’S OATMEAL STOUT

(ENGLAND)

Stout

Roasted oats give this dark, smoky

brew with 5.2 percent alcohol a

creamy head and rich, toasty,

smoooth fl avor. Not the everywhere

stout, this may be the every time one.

CZECHVAR (CZECH REPUBLIC]

Lager

An Old Country brew with a

hopped-up fi nish, this crisp, fresh

beer left companies battling over

the rights to the name, if not the

original recipe. Meet Czechvar, the

“weiser” Czech brother.

PILSNER URQUEL

(CZECH REPUBLIC]

Pilsner

Hundreds of years ago, the Urquel

brewery, in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia,

made such a refreshing lager that the

term “pilsner” has become synony-

mous with lagers that imitate its style.

inked life | DRINK

photo by CAMBRIA HARKEY

Don’t make Heidi

Smith, bartender at

Jackalope, in Austin,

TX, climb over the bar

to throw you out.

APRIL 2008 | 23

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