NPR - "More Drinking, Less Buzz: Session Beers Gain Fans"

Congrats to NPR for just noticing this after what, two years since sessions started popping up in a more consistent fashion? Guess it took them 2 years to decide beer wasn't' too "low brow" for them....

Personally, I'm a fan of several of these. Especially as a golfer. Just like to poke fun at NPR. Like using "NPR" voices in my head while reading the article...

 

The New Yorker cover let them report on the topic without being ridiculed at their cocktail parties.

 

I think NPR has been noticing various beer trends for a while. You can just browse back in their 'beer' tagged stories to see a bunch of other stories.

Tangentially, I'd object to calling something a 'session pilsner', given that 4% isn't really out of the typical ABV range for pilsners.


edit: check out this great picture from one of their stories a couple years ago

 

10+ mins of talking to them and I was lucky enough to have a quick snippet ... all of my constructive thoughts on the whole "session beer" movement did not make the cut. ;-)

At least they we're talking about beer ...

 

First off, I didn't catch that whole "sessionable Pils" thing - quite right of you to point this out. Finally, great picture - Looks like someone stole his booth and he's not at all pleased about it. or maybe "Hells ya Michelle knows I'm drinking this!" only to get reamed later because she in fact DIDN'T approve of it....

 

Maybe he just really likes his Bud Light Lime...

 

Haha, he's like YEAH I GOT 2 TICKETS LARGE BEER YEAAAAH

 

Everytime I see All Day IPA mentioned as "sessionable", I assume it must be around 3.5-4%. Shocked to see the ABV so high on a "session IPA".

 

My winter session beer is Sam Adams Cream Stout at 4.9%

 

Honestly didn't notice said "big banner" - just jumped right in to read the article using inner NPR voices to narrate. Even had I seen it, I doubt I would have listened to it. Got this great Meshuggah thing happening on my speakers that I won't interrupt. Was making more of an NPR in general joke, not based on any particular regional feed or office. Just cracking on NPR.......lesson learned, never crack an NPR joke........

 

Nah, just making a joke about NPR being made up of hoity-toity types who associate with other hoity-toity types who all read the New Yorker!

(Or, at least who all have it sitting on their coffee tables!)

 

Before the General Lafayette outside Philly shut down, they started making a lot of super-low abv session beers. I'm talking 1.5-2%. And they were amazing! Solid profiles, decent body, great drink-ability. It was great to knock back a few pints and have only the slightest buzz. Face full of hops and only a tingle of a buzz? Yes, please!

There is really a market for this sort of thing. Honestly, I would drink beer far more often if it had a lower abv, as my primary motivation not to drink regularly is the impact of alcohol on my psyche.

 

Last time in London I saw a 4% Becks in many places. Brewed for the British beer drinker I do think.

 

These is a great lack of knowledge about the strength of Czech Pale Lager (Pilsners). There are multiple strength categories, including 10P and 12P gravity which corresponds to roughly 4 and 5%. Ron Pattinson just wrote about this in a recent Beer Advocate Mag column in some detail. Here's a link to his blog:

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2008/05/czech-beer-styles.html

I called it Session Pils, because Světlé Výčepní Pivo doesn't roll off the tongue as easily.

Additionally, BJPC has just recognized these varying Czech strengths in their guidelines, and Notch Session Pils is a commercial example.

http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2014 BJCP Style Guidelines (DRAFT).pdf

The best way of thinking about this is British Bitter - Bitter, Special Bitter, Extra Sepcial Bitter - but with Czech Pale Lager.

Hope this helps.

 

Did you call it a ruse? ;-)

Much was left on the cutting room floor, including my criticism of IPA being the only focus of most brewers session beer. We can do better. I'm sure you were on that path.

 

I agree with this sentiment. IMO, the IPA style does not lend itself well to the lower ABV. It tends to go out of balance and become "watery". There are a couple that are pretty good, even so.

 

Why is NPR always two years late to the party when doing articles about beer?