RICH’S CORNER – NOVEMBER 2021

 

Dear devotees, enthusiasts and purveyors of that which aims higher,

I’m especially proud to begin this cultural e-newsletter, a monthly journal highlighting the passions of our crew and patrons, as well as glimpses behind the curtain of our brewery and what we create. This first installment features columns we plan on reprieving each month, supplemented with a range of articles that help define the SingleCut experience.

The format is sure to evolve with each edition as we like to tweak and refine more than just our beer. We welcome all comments and contributions so please don’t hesitate to reach out – have a thought for a column? Send it in! We’d like nothing more than to feature our extended fam (you) in future editions, reach out to newsletter@singlecut.com.

I’d like to contribute by having a brief discussion on something that I see varying opinions on: The Perfect Pour. How it is done and perhaps more importantly how it is not done.

First, consider your drinking vessel. There’s a wide range of available glassware for the enthusiast but for the sake of simplicity I’ll keep it to the bare standard a true connosseur should own: a slim/tall pilsner glass, a traditional pint glass and a Teku/tulip glass. With these three you can appropriately serve practically any brew. And yes they do make a difference! Try drinking your favorite IPA side-by-side from a pint glass and a Teku – to my palate the Teku, with it narrower mouth diminishes the waft of hoppy expression (aroma which greatly influences flavor), and intensifies/focuses bitterness as a result. The pint glass with it’s wide mouth, accentuates aroma and therefore offers a more balanced and dimensional experience. See if you don’t agree.

Now I do love the Teku/tulip glass for sours, and short pours of high ABV brews such as Imperial Stouts, oak-aged beers and weird stuff in general work well too. In short, brews that require sips versus gulps = Teku/tulip.

The tall/slim pilsner (or Kolsch) glass rounds out a basic collection. No surprise here, this is what you want to pour lagers into. Can you use a Teku or pint glass for bottom-fermented brews? Yes, more successfully than other styles perhaps but in my humble opinion, the subtle combination of malt and hops that encompasses the typical lager just combines for the best experience in the traditional European vessel.

Now that you have your glassware selected, remove the can or bottle from your fridge (always stored upright if unfiltered) and avoid any undue agitation as you want to keep any settled yeast or other matter to the bottom.  Allow the container to sit for a few minutes before cracking open to allow any stirred-up yeast to re-settle.

Finally it’s “go time” – crack open the brew and hold the glass at 45 degrees to begin. Pour along the side of the glass and note the rate with which the head forms. If the head is minimal, you can increase the speed or hold the glass at a higher angle. If the head forms quickly, slow the rate of the pour and allow the stream of beer to cover as much of the side of the glass as possible, lowering the glass angle even. Essentially this is the push and pull of a good pour: speed vs glass angle. A perfect pour will always have an adequate head which should occupy roughly 20% of the glass height.

Here’s a key tip that defines true mastery: Do NOT pour any settled yeast into the glass. It’s a misconception that including those settled blobs from the bottom of the can or bottle into your glass adds flavor. Well, yes in a sense they do – but truthfully those are flavors you don’t want to add if you can avoid it. If you could taste say a spoonful of that collected matter, it would be deeply and harshly bitter and nothing else. Decanting carefully and leaving it in the container allows the brew to taste cleaner, fresher and highlights the fruit and other favorable flavors (not to mention just looks more appealing). Keep a close eye on the beer stream as your pour, once you are getting near to emptying the can/bottle is when some white matter may appear in the stream. Immediately stop pouring. If you’re lazy like me, just leave an ounce or two in the container and pour that down the drain.

Let us together raise a properly poured glass in celebration of SINGLECULTURE – cheers!

 

Rich Bucet
Founder & Chief Creative Officer
rich@singlecut.com