Better Beer for Better Pub Nights

Fine hops, top-fermentation, small batches. So far, the beers offered at bi-weekly Pub Nights in Loker Commons have been missing all of these characteristics. Brews in Loker start with one dollar drafts of Pabst Blue Ribbon, and reach their pinnacle at Heineken, Newcastle, and Corona. As a member of the Harvard Beer Society, the sorry state of the beer selection at Loker Pub Nights has watered down my enthusiasm. People go to bars because of the variety and quality of the drinks. And seeing as Pub Nights only serve beer, and not mixed drinks, better beer will attract more students.

That’s why I was excited that Senior Pub Night this Friday would serve 12—count ‘em—house brews, based on votes conducted in each House. But I had my reservations. Popular rule is great for government, but in this case I was a little worried about the tyranny of the majority. My peers generally know as little about beer as I do about cosmopolitans, so I was afraid that these House votes would only widen the selection available in Loker to Dos Equis and, gasp, Red Hook. Lo and behold, not even these modest heights were reached. The most interesting beer to come out of the House votes was Magic Hat #9, and nothing from Sierra Nevada even made the cut. Cabot House should be wiped off the beer-map for picking Busch Light.

If Loker Pub Nights are ever going to grow larger, they need beers that are out of the ordinary. No Harvard student has ever turned down an opportunity to educate him- or herself while drinking. And faced with two beers of the same price—one out of the ordinary—I believe many students would want to (and actively seek to) try something new. So, with the dual purpose of beerducation and beervocacy, I’m presenting my picks for beers (all widely available at stores like University Wine) that should have been voted onto the stainless steel counters of this Friday’s, and future, Senior Pub Nights:

Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA: IPAs, or India Pale Ales, are the hoppiest, sharpest tasting beers around. This one tops them all. Smelling of grapefruit and citrus, the 60-Minute hits you with a smoky, bitter hop flavor that lingers long after you sip it. Carbonation is light, and the taste is smooth. Drinkable, satisfying, and at six percent alcohol by volume more accessible than its brother, the 90-Minute (nine percent alcohol), Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA would be a fabulous introduction to better beer for Loker-goers.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale: Made from the same stuff as beer, this gem from California-based Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is actually denoted a barleywine. With a burnt orange color in the glass, this creation has a distinctly more alcoholic taste. It’s not wine, but it’s not beer either. That said, the taste is smooth and rich, with hints of citrus and caramel poking out amongst the strong notes of malt and hops. Fortified with an impressive 9.6 percent alcohol, you can expect to drink 60 percent less liquid for the same buzz. Not for chugging!

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale: The worst sin a brown ale can make is a sweet finish. Purveyors of Newcastle Brown Ale know its nutty, dry finish well. Multiply the nuttiness threefold, add in hints of chocolate, and package it all together in a lightly carbonated, supremely drinkable body and you’ve got Old Brown Dog Ale. The creation of Smuttynose Brewing Company, based in New Hampshire, this ale is perhaps the tastiest, widely available brown in America.

Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout: Repeat after me: there are better stouts than Guinness. Besides a slick ad campaign and nitrogenating capsules in each bottle, bottled Guinness has little going for it. On tap, Guinness is richer. Bottled, Guinness loses the rich chocolate and smoky tastes it is known for. Pub Nights should offer a non-mass produced stout that is nonetheless smooth and accessible to the casual beer drinker. Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout stands out here. In contrast to Guinness, this oatmeal stout attacks your senses. Its rich chocolaty aroma gives way to strong roasted coffee and barley malt tastes. The velvety texture of the beer comes from the oats used in brewing it, making this beer smoother, richer and tastier than most other bottled stouts.

Anchor Porter: If you like the taste of liquid smoke, stick with other porters. This Anchor Porter excels at delivering a complex taste of chocolate and molasses accentuated with smoky undertones. Unraveling this beer is like taking an orgo midterm, only much more enjoyable. What’s better, it’s one of the easiest porters to find at most better beer stores.

Beyond hints of chocolate, barley, oats and whatever else, the bottom line is that there are better beers out there than Sam Adams and Blue Moon. Drinking better beer is neither elitist nor expensive, and it’s so much more satisfying. A six-pack of Anchor Porter will set you back just as much as a six of Sam (and, by extension, bottles of better beer in Loker should also cost the same if offered). The difference is in the care that these smaller breweries take in crafting their beers. Try one sometime. You’ll find that beer doesn’t have to be backed by an ad campaign to blow your mind.

Alex Slack ’06, a Crimson editorial chair, is a history concentrator in Leverett House.