Beer of the Weekend #73: Liberty Ale
Tonight Manny Ramirez returns to the Dodgers lineup.
Their playing the Padres, and PETCO Park is jam packed with Dodgers fans. It’s probably the only way they can fill that place; the Padres aren’t doing well, and two of the team’s three sell-outs were games against the boys from Chávez Ravine.
He just stepped up to the plate for the first time in 50 games and the crowd is giving him a mixed response: boos blended with cheers. Vin Scully says there’s more cheering than jeering.
And he’s walked. Now we can all move on.
(I wrote that four hours ago. I always do a little prep work on my BotW posts before tasting, and happened to be writing when the Dodgers game started. The Dodgers won, 6-3. Goddamn did those red hats look ugly.)
The beer this weekend is Liberty Ale brewed by the Anchor Brewing Company of San Francisco, California.
In spite of what I wrote earlier today, BotW is being festive for the Fourth. It’s timely, that’s all I can say. The beer this weekend was either going to be Liberty Ale or a German hefeweizen, probably Schneider Weisse. The idea with the hefe was to honor my (predominant) ancestors, who presumably came to the United States in search of a better life. I mean, they certainly didn’t come for the beer.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Poured a hazy light orange/yellow. About two fingers of dense foam developed and dissipated slowly to leave a soapy lacing.
Smell: Invigorating grapefruit citrus, with touches of lemon. There was a slight hint of hops at the very beginning, but then I had to search for it later.
Taste: Smooth and tasty. It’s very well balanced. The grapefruit citrus from the smell is present, and there is a more prominent hop presence, which is not overly bitter but does have adequate bite. There is also sweet candy caramel mixed in.
Drinkability: The drinkability is high. It’s easy drinking and well crafted. What else can you expect from a native Iowan named Fritz?
Fun facts about Liberty Ale:
-Serving temperature: Beers of the World recommends 50ºF, while BA suggests its typical 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: Beers of the World recommends “Steak and ale pie.” Ale pie? (It’s not like mom used to make.) BA lists “Pan Asian” (which is probably apt for a San Francisco brew); earthy cheeses like Camembert and Fontina, and tangy cheeses like Brick (tha shizz-nit!), Edam, and Feta; also salad and poultry.
-Liberty Ale was introduced April 18, 1975 to commemorate the bicentennial of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride. It was available only for a short time, but was often re-released as Anchor’s Christmas Ale. However, it was made a year-round feature of the brewery’s lineup in 1983.
-Anchor Brewing products, like Liberty Ale, are made using “only natural ingredients — water, malted barley, fresh whole hops and yeast.” However, Anchor is not certified organic.
-A technique called dry-hopping is used in the making of Liberty Ale, which, according to the Anchor website, “imparts a unique aroma to the ale.” (For me there wasn’t anything particularly unique about the aroma, but whatever.) Dry-hopping involves adding fresh hops during the aging process, and its apparently rarely used elsewhere.
-A beer on my brew wish list is Anchor Porter, but it’s never available at the BevMo! on Beach. I’ll have to special order it, along with more PBR bottles soon. Just thought I’d mention that.
-Also, I’m thinking about flying to San Francisco for a weekend. I haven’t been there since the high school journalism conference I “attended” way back in 2001. Flying to San Francisco from Orange County costs about $49. No joke. I’m unsure when I’ll go, but when I do I’m definitely paying a visit to the Anchor Brewery.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
Their playing the Padres, and PETCO Park is jam packed with Dodgers fans. It’s probably the only way they can fill that place; the Padres aren’t doing well, and two of the team’s three sell-outs were games against the boys from Chávez Ravine.
He just stepped up to the plate for the first time in 50 games and the crowd is giving him a mixed response: boos blended with cheers. Vin Scully says there’s more cheering than jeering.
And he’s walked. Now we can all move on.
(I wrote that four hours ago. I always do a little prep work on my BotW posts before tasting, and happened to be writing when the Dodgers game started. The Dodgers won, 6-3. Goddamn did those red hats look ugly.)
The beer this weekend is Liberty Ale brewed by the Anchor Brewing Company of San Francisco, California.
In spite of what I wrote earlier today, BotW is being festive for the Fourth. It’s timely, that’s all I can say. The beer this weekend was either going to be Liberty Ale or a German hefeweizen, probably Schneider Weisse. The idea with the hefe was to honor my (predominant) ancestors, who presumably came to the United States in search of a better life. I mean, they certainly didn’t come for the beer.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Poured a hazy light orange/yellow. About two fingers of dense foam developed and dissipated slowly to leave a soapy lacing.
Smell: Invigorating grapefruit citrus, with touches of lemon. There was a slight hint of hops at the very beginning, but then I had to search for it later.
Taste: Smooth and tasty. It’s very well balanced. The grapefruit citrus from the smell is present, and there is a more prominent hop presence, which is not overly bitter but does have adequate bite. There is also sweet candy caramel mixed in.
Drinkability: The drinkability is high. It’s easy drinking and well crafted. What else can you expect from a native Iowan named Fritz?
Fun facts about Liberty Ale:
-Serving temperature: Beers of the World recommends 50ºF, while BA suggests its typical 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: Beers of the World recommends “Steak and ale pie.” Ale pie? (It’s not like mom used to make.) BA lists “Pan Asian” (which is probably apt for a San Francisco brew); earthy cheeses like Camembert and Fontina, and tangy cheeses like Brick (tha shizz-nit!), Edam, and Feta; also salad and poultry.
-Liberty Ale was introduced April 18, 1975 to commemorate the bicentennial of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride. It was available only for a short time, but was often re-released as Anchor’s Christmas Ale. However, it was made a year-round feature of the brewery’s lineup in 1983.
-Anchor Brewing products, like Liberty Ale, are made using “only natural ingredients — water, malted barley, fresh whole hops and yeast.” However, Anchor is not certified organic.
-A technique called dry-hopping is used in the making of Liberty Ale, which, according to the Anchor website, “imparts a unique aroma to the ale.” (For me there wasn’t anything particularly unique about the aroma, but whatever.) Dry-hopping involves adding fresh hops during the aging process, and its apparently rarely used elsewhere.
-A beer on my brew wish list is Anchor Porter, but it’s never available at the BevMo! on Beach. I’ll have to special order it, along with more PBR bottles soon. Just thought I’d mention that.
-Also, I’m thinking about flying to San Francisco for a weekend. I haven’t been there since the high school journalism conference I “attended” way back in 2001. Flying to San Francisco from Orange County costs about $49. No joke. I’m unsure when I’ll go, but when I do I’m definitely paying a visit to the Anchor Brewery.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
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