The Porter in Atlanta much more than just a beer bar

Nestled in a funky, somewhat grungy corner of Little Five Points in Atlanta, Ga., The Porter Beer Bar appears rather low brow form the exterior. When you step through the door the impression does not change much with its dark wood cabinets, grey concrete bar, and Mason jar light fixtures. But, you would be wrong in setting your expectations low for this pearl of the burgeoning Atlanta beer scene.

Upon entering, a tattooed and bearded man asked if we would like a table or to sit at the bar. Because I like to be able to see how the bar runs and chat with the bartenders, we opted to sit at the bar. The bar stools seemed mismatched and held together with copious amounts of duct tape, but perhaps that is part of the atmosphere and charm.

We were greeted cheerfully by the bar manager, Justin Wickline who handed us two clipboards; one with the beer list and the other the menu. The Porter boasts around 40 taps of brews that, in the crowded Atlanta beer market, may not sound like a lot when you consider the typical Taco Mac trumps that number with over 100. But, at The Porter, it is not the quantity but rather the quality of their tap choices that draw drinkers to the bar.

On tap the morning we visited was the likes of: Duck Rabbit Duck-Rabbator, Evil Twin Freudian Slip, Green Flash Le Freak, and Lost Abbey 10 Commandments. Along with the taps, imbibers have the option of two brews on beer engines. On our visit there was only one choice, but it was the excellent Allagash Curieux. In addition the bar has an extensive bottle collection ranging from obscure Belgian brews like Pico Alvine Gaspar to excellent American brews like Founders Red Rye Ale.

Wickline was a font of information and definitely knew his beer. As we sat and chatted he presented several beers for us to taste and gave a little information on each. We worked quickly and adeptly to fill orders, take orders, and discuss the finer points of Belgian IPAs. A better bartender would be difficult to find.

Beer, though, is not the only story at the Porter. The food at this quirky little slice of heaven is phenomenal, too. The menu contained such delights as Poutine – rosemary fries covered in parmesan cheese gravy, and cheese curds, Pork & Foie Gras Terrine served with drunken raisins, whole grain mustard, pecans, bacon jam, and bacon powder, and Brasstown Pork Belly served with arugula, cherry tomatoes, bacon vinaigrette, and roasted hatch pepper.

I chose the brunch special Hangover Hash, which was a potent combination of corned beef, potatoes, red peppers, and onions topped with Buffalo sauce and three fried eggs. My companion opted for the Porter’s Half-Pound Cheeseburger of house-made fresh Angus beef patty, bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, homemade pickled red onions, and homemade pickles. The hash was delightfully spicy, but not so much so that the flavor of the corned beef and potatoes were masked. My companion’s cheeseburger was perfectly cooked and heaped with toppings; she could only manage to eat half of the monster.

All-in-all, The Porter, which was recommended to me by a brewer friend, was an excellent choice for a Saturday morning lunch before an afternoon of visiting breweries. The excellent beer choices primed us for later consumption and the food kept us nourished as well as very happy. On our next road trip to Atlanta, The Porter will definitely be on our must-visit list. It should be on yours, too.

 

Irish Brew 101

Without a doubt the most famous brew to come out of Ireland is Guinness Draught. In fact, the brew is almost synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day in the United States and at some watering holes it is responsible for 50% of the beer sales on the St. Paddy’s Day. Guinness is also one of the most misunderstood beers on the market with many misconceptions surrounding it. Today I am going to try to dispel some of those myths and present you with a bit of history about this favored brew and a few other Irish delights.

Guinness began life as a porter beer that originated in London in the early 18th century not as a stout. Porters were a precursor beer to stouts and were brewed to try and replicate a blended beer drink known as “Entire.” Porters were relatively low in alcohol and mild in flavor. The designation stout generally meant that the beer was stronger than a regular porter therefore it was a “stout porter.” Eventually, as the beer grew in popularity, stout came to describe brew’s color and body, the word porter was dropped from the name and stouts became a recognized style of their own.

Arthur Guinness began brewing beers in 1759 when he signed a 9,000 year lease at the St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin. But, it took Guinness nearly 20 years before it started selling porters in 1778 and another 60 before the brewery produced the first Single and Double Stouts in the 1840s. The Guinness beer that we enjoy today came into being in the 1970s after a decision was made by the company to make the Guinness Extra Stout recipe “more drinkable” by reducing the gravity of the brew. It is estimated that this brew, also known as “the black stuff”, is poured into 1.8 billion pint glasses a year.

Another of Ireland’s famed stouts is Murphy’s. Brewing began on this light, sweet stout in 1856 in County Cork, Ireland. Brewery construction began in 1854 with the building situated next to a famous “Holy Well.” Eventually, the brewery became known as the Lady’s Well Brewery. Murphy’s Irish Stout’s flavor can be described as chocolate milk-like with a double shot of espresso and a thick caramel scented head.

No discussion of Irish beers would be complete without taking a look at Irish red Ales. These brews are generally amber to a deep reddish copper color in appearance with a malty aroma that carries hints of caramel or toffee. The flavors of reds carry the aroma through with sweet caramel malt and, in some, buttery notes. There should be little or no hops flavor present although, more American reds will have pronounced hop character.

A prime example of the Irish red style of beer is Smithwick’s (pronounced smit-iks). Originally brewed in a part of the medieval St. Francis Abbey Brewery in Kilkenny, the brewery is still situated on the site of a Franciscan abbey where monks had brewed ale since the 14th century, and has ruins of the original abbey on its grounds. The Smithwick’s Brewery is Ireland’s oldest operating brewery, founded by John Smithwick and Richard Cole in 1710 on land owned by the Duke of Ormonde. Selling ales, porters and stouts, Smithwick’s was the third largest Irish brewery Smithwick’s is the major ale producer in Ireland. It was purchased from Walter Smithwick in 1965 by Guinness and is now, along with Guinness, part of Diageo. Smithwick’s, as most people know it today, was originally created as a special brew for the first Kilkenny Beer Festival. It was later renamed Smithwicks No. 1 and today is known as Smithwick’s.

Whether you quaff a pint of the hearty, black Irish stouts with their thick creamy heads and rich coffee and chocolate flavors or a sweet, flavorful Irish red that is full of caramel and fruity flavors, be sure to hoist a pint in remembrance of our Irish friends across the pond. The hard-working Irish helped build our great nation. Without them the westward expansion would have been much more difficult than it already was.

I close with a traditional Irish toast, “May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.”

 

A Tale of Two Beers

Image via Wikipedia

North Florida is in the grip of old man winter, which basically means we are going to have a couple of really cold days followed by a week of mild days. Winters here can be confusing to the new arrival. Just about the time you pull out your winter coats, crank up the heat, and stock up on firewood the weather changes and everyone is wearing shorts and flip-flops again. Yes, north Florida is a magical place when it comes to winter weather. But, the schizophrenic weather we Jacksonvillians endure does not mean that we can?t enjoy some good traditional winter beer. And by that I mean stouts and porters. Sure, the beer aficionados out there will argue that there are many other winter brews to choose from and that stouts and porters are quaffable year-round. And they would be correct. But, since this is my column and I want to write about stouts and porters, that is that. Sit back gentle reader and let me take you on a little journey to the world of David Copperfield (the character, not the magician) and the Georgian and Victorian periods of England.

Stouts and porters originated in approximately the same era and their roots can be traced back to similar brewers. Indeed the two dark beers can be traced to have originated only 50 years apart. Both are English and, though there are differences between the two in modern brewing, the two terms were used somewhat interchangeably in early England.

Mention of stout beers can be found as early as 1677; the original meaning of the word stout was “proud’ or “brave” (which begs the question; shouldn’t that movie with Mel Gibson about the Scottish fighters be called “Stoutheart?” Just asking.). It was later that the word took on the meaning of strong and was attached to beer. A stout beer, therefore, meant it was a strong beer, typically over 7% or 8% ABV. The term became synonymous with the strongest – or stoutest – porters. In general stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water, and yeast.

It wasn’t until the early 1700s that mention of porters could be found. Porter was originally an attempt to capture the flavor of a popular pub blend known as “three threads.” This potent blend was a favorite of the baggage porters at Victoria Station who often made a meal of the rich brew. This combination of brews consisted of equal parts ale, beer, and twopenny the strongest style of beer produced at the time. The mixture became known as porter in recognition of the above mentioned baggage handlers around 1730 after a brewer named Harwood brewed a single beer called Entire that recreated the “three threads” flavor.

All London Porters were matured in barrels for six to eighteen months before they were racked into smaller casks for distribution to pubs. Thus, porters became known as an aged beer while a stout beer could be a young, strong porter. In modern porter production it is not unusual for the beer to be aged in used bourbon barrels, which impart the smoky flavor of the liqueur to the beer.

Early London Porters were strong by today’s standards, but soon became less strong due to taxation on higher alcohol beers. The popularity of the beers forced brewers to produce these beers in a wide variety of strengths. Brewers began to produce Single Stout Porters, Double Stout Porters (such as Guinness), Triple Stout Porters, and Imperial Stout Porters.

There are a number of types of stouts and porters for the dark beer lover to choose from. Below is a short list of the major categories.

Dry Stout – Very dark, almost black, in color. These beers often have a toast or coffee flavor.

Imperial Stout – Is a strong, dark beer originally brewed in England for export to Catherine the II of Russia. The beer had a higher alcohol content to keep it from freezing during shipment.

Baltic Porter – Big and bold, this style is often brewed with lager yeast and is full of coffee and dark fruit flavors. Some brewers also make a smoked version with flavors ranging from coffee made over a campfire to bacon – yes, really.

Milk Stout – Brewed with lactose, a sugar derived from milk and not digestible and therefore unfermentable, milk stouts are often sweet, heavy in body, and high in calories.

Oatmeal Stout – Just as it sounds, this beer is brewed with oats which can impart a bitter or astringent flavor.

Chocolate Stout – These stouts use darker, more aromatic malts roasted until they are the color of chocolate. Some brewers add actual chocolate as well.

Coffee Stout – As the name indicates, these beers have a pronounced coffee flavor derived from the darkest roasted malts.

Oyster Stout – Yes, they actually brew beer with oysters thrown in the fermentation tank. Not for everyone, but it is out there.

Ok, Mr. Peabody says we have to head back to the Way-Back Machine and return to the modern day. Because I have you, my faithful reader’s best interest at heart, I asked a few beer experts to give me their take on these dark pints of heaven.

Ben Davis is owner and brew master at Intuition Ale Works on King Street in the Riverside area. His King Street Stout is a wonderful blend of roasty caramel and milk chocolate flavors. He brews his beer with brown sugar, which dries the beer out and compliments these flavors as it lightens the body increasing the drinkability. Since it seems to be one of the most popular beers in his tap room – it doesn’t last long when they tap it — it goes without saying; it’s darn good!

Other than his own beers, Ben recommends, Allagash’s Black, which is a Belgian style stout. It is a very drinkable style and I think the King Street Stout and it have a lot in common.” Other recommendations from Ben include: Ten Fidy from Oskar Blues and Old Rasputin from North Coast.

Steve Rushe, owner of local beer blog Beer Junto (www.beerjunto.com), calls stouts one of his favorite styles of beer. His recommendations for a cold night are: Pike XXXXX Extra Stout, Laughing Dog’s The Dogfather, and Great Divide’s Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti. Generally Steve tries to end a tasting session with a stout. He also points out that, though stouts are considered winter beers by many, you can drink and enjoy them year-round.

So, let’s recap: stouts and porters are very similar. They both come from the same era and area of England. There are a number of delicious styles and you can drink them year round. What more do you need to know? Now, go out to your local pub, watering hole, or retailer and find yourself a great porter or stout to warm your innards during the frigid winter months here in Florida. But, if the weather should change, no worries these beers are quaffable anytime of the year.

Until next time, long live the brewers!

Cheers