The Forgotten Mr. Gladstone

Sounds an interesting hypothesis, but I'd expect only one target to be addressed at a time since skilled essay writers have learned to focus their brief allotment of a reader's attention on one issue and making their basic point with that one issue.

And often skilled editors require such focus, favoring a second essay for a second issue, especially when intended and unintended consequences are somewhat different in their original motivation for legislation.

 

The Reinheitsgebot was introduced in part to prevent price competition with bakers for wheat and rye. The restriction of grains to barley was meant to ensure the availability of affordable bread, as the more valuable wheat and rye were reserved for use by bakers.

It was passed for the same reason all of our ridiculous laws are passed. Politics.

 

Maybe because everybody knows about the Reinheitsgetbot? I for one don't remember ever hearing about the Free Mash Act before.

 

The Reinheitsgebot has been appropriated by contemporary craft brewers and characterized as a villain to be tied to a whipping post. An advertisement is not the first place one would take a thoughtful stance on a historical subject or establish new meanings. It's a place where a brand can speak to it's audience using shared meanings.

 

I'm going to guess that a very, very small percentage of Brits know about the Free Mash Tun Act. And whatever that percentage is, I'm going to say that a teensy-weensy fraction of that number of Americans know about it (possibly Sam included).

And either way, I'm not sure how Chinese Gordon (definitely not fresh in the UK public's mind, and likely non-existent in the mind of an American) or Irish Home Rule are linked to it, or are in any way stopping Sam or anyone else from talking about it.

But interesting to read an original post!

 

This is basically a really nicely worded way of saying, "He's preaching to the choir", no?

To that end, do I correctly gather you feel differently about the Reinheitsgebot than Mr. Calagione? If so, I'd be interested to hear your take on it. I don't have a dog in the fight, not knowing nearly enough about said law, other than a desire to understand folks' views on the subject.

 

As for the RHG , it's amazing how many posters disregard macro lagers on the grounds that they aren't all malt!
The Free Mash Tun Act of 1880 shifted the tax from malt to beer strength. Before that it was illegal to use unmalted grains or even to have them on the premises.One illegal substance was roast barley so this can't be a necessary part of Stout brewing

 

Personally, I am not a fan of the use of his words "art censorship" because that's loaded language and I would not use that in the context of beer. I feel strongly that this is in bad form. I do not have such strong feelings regarding Reinheitsgebot. I'd go to folks like Ron Pattinson for some historical digging and folks like Sebastian Sauer for genuine modern impact on small scale brewing. (Coincidentally, those two have collaborated on a beer.) I am not really interested in craft beer bogeymen.

 

IIRC the 1st craft brewer to speak about Reinheitsgebot was Boston Beer. They were proud to claim to be imported into Germany because Boston was brewed according to the Reinheitsgesbot. Most of the craft beer in the USA would also pass the test.

 

Stroh (by then the brewer of Schlitz' all-malt Erlanger) and Hudepohl (brewer of Christian Moerlein) were both claiming theirs were the first/only US beers to pass/meet the Reinheitsgebot in a public media feud in 1984, the year before Samuel Adams hit the market.

 

What beer did they brew? Is it available for purchase in the US?

Cheers!

 

I don't think it's a case of "too hot to touch" as much as "very few people are aware of it". I don't think beer drinkers in Britain are thinking "god I would love to discuss the Free Mash Tun Act over a pint, but Gladstone's Midlothian campaign is still such a hot topic 135 years later, that I better not bring it up. Maybe next century." The average Brit likely has no idea about either.

Edit - I'd say the title of your post is more on the money

 

Must confess that through 20 or so visits to the UK ranging in length from a week to a month, in multiple locations both urban and semi- rural, as far south as Exeter and as far north Edinburgh I've never heard either discussed in a pub or other public place. Glad as a simple American BA to learn I don't need to feel I've missed out on something....

At least I have read a wee bit about Chinese Gordon so I don't have to feel totally out of the loop he's pursuing. :-)

 

Having mentioned Ron, here's his take on the Reinheitsgebot;
http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/reinheit.htm
He makes the point that Guinness would be allowed under the 1516 Act which is the one always mentioned.

and on Mr.Gladstone's Act;
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/free-mash-tun-act.html

And yes, the Free Mash Tun Act has been the subject of quite a few pub conversations in our neck of the woods.

 

The Monarchy Grätzer and Grodziskie. It's in the US but probably not common. There were other brewers involved in the collaboration.

 

That beer is detailed a bit here: http://www.sheltonbrothers.com/beers/the-monarchy-grodziskie/

I am unsure whether this beer is regularly (periodically) brewed or not.

The only The Monarchy beer that I drank was Year of the Dragon on draft at a local beer bar. The beer bar menu described that beer as being a Sticke Alt but “its addition of a large percentage of Jasmine rice to the brew kettle” gave that beer a very unique flavor. I actually gave my glass to my wife to drink; she enjoyed the ‘herbal’ flavor of the Jasmine rice more than I did.

Cheers!

 

That would be my take as well. Basically, saying "We don't let The Man keep us down! We brew with whatever crazy ingredients we want to!"