"I like beer. it makes me a jolly good fellow,
 I like beer. it helps me unwind
 and sometimes it makes me feel mellow (makes him feel mellow)..."
  --Tom T Hall, "I Like Beer"

My name's Duke, and I like beer.
     Oh, don't get me wrong, I like wine and spirits of most kinds as well. But when it comes right down to it, when I come home after a long day, when I want something that's familiar and friendly, I'm likely to drink a beer or a cider. Beer is something I'm passionate about; it makes me feel connected with all the history that has gone before me.

      Beer is one of the world's oldest beverages. The earliest Sumerian writings include the Hymn to Ninkasi, which was both a prayer and a way of remembering the recipe for beer brewing. (Now that, my friends, is multi-tasking). Beer has been food and fellowship and libation and good times, and while Twin is known for its excellent wine and spirits selection and prices, I'm here to tell you we also have some pretty tasty beers.
     Here it is already October, and that of course means Oktoberfest. (We will cheerfully ignore the fact that Oktoberfest in Bavaria is already over, having run from September 19 to October 4. Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.) Of course, that means it's time for Oktoberfest beers; a traditional Oktoberfest beer has a rich, caramel flavor redolent of malt, very little hops (resulting in a low IBU number; more on that in a moment), and a sweet, dark taste with a clean finish. An excellent example of an Oktoberfest beer is put out by Texas' own Saint Arnold Brewing Company; its sweetness and full body pairs well with the slightly elevated alcohol content. Twin offers this great beer for $7.99 a six-pack.
     October, of course, also means tailgating, football, and other circumstances in which you might need a lot of beer at a good price. Allow me, if I may, to bring your attention to the resurgence of a classic... and tell you a story at the same time.
     I clearly remember my late grandmother being madder than a wet hen when Schlitz Brewery changed their iconic recipe in the early to mid 1970s. While I will not repeat her exact language here, it was soon apparent most every Schlitz drinker agreed with her, as Schlitz went from the number two brewery in the country to being bought out in the space of ten years.
     Fastforward to 2007 or so. Pabst owns the rights to the Schlitz name. The pre-1970 recipe for the beer is presumed lost... so Pabst' brewmaster begins interviewing retired Schlitz employees, doing research, and manages to recreate the old recipe. It comes out in 2008. And you know what? It's pretty tasty. At a reasonable $7.49 for a 12-pack as of this writing, your local Twin Liquors is a great place for you to stock up and still offer your buddies a pretty decent beer.
     Last but not least, October means pumpkins. Whether you call it Halloween, Harvest, Samhain, or merely view the 31st as an excuse to dress up and be silly, you can do it with the accompaniment of a fine pumpkin beer. Having tried a few of these over the years, I have to say my choice is Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale; not overly sweet or overly spiced, but a brilliant brown ale that is redolent of pumpkin, clove, and cinnamon without being overpowering. It’s quite a deal at $9.59 for a four-pack of longnecks. Your local Twin Liquors should either have it or be able to get it; ask one of our helpful associates for assistance.
     Until next month, keep your head up, your lace delicate, your malt toasty, and your hops snappy.

THIS MONTH'S BEER VOCAB BUILDER:

IBU (International Bitterness Unit): "The accepted method of expressing hop bitterness in beer. Ppm of dissolved iso-alpha acids present in beer." (Definition taken from Randy Mosher's Tasting Beer).
     The higher the IBUs, the more bitter and hoppy a beer is -- providing the malt content is not high enough to balance the bitterness out. 100 IBUs is considered to be an upper end, though some breweries will say their beer goes beyond that. Remember that a lower IBU beer with very little malt will taste more bitter than a high IBU beer with a matching high level of malt.