Have you ever felt like you were becoming pretty good at something, and then abruptly find out that you have a long way to go to actually becoming decent? I think this happens often to people as they progress through life. We all have things we know we aren’t good at, things we know we could improve on, and things we think we have a pretty good handle on. You may even be the best person you know at something like sports, trivia, cars, or computers. And then you meet someone who actually is great at it, and you realize you have some work to do.
I think a lot of us (the craft beer fans who read stuff like this) are on a quest to become a better craft beer fan. Regardless of how your craft beer journey begins, it inevitably gets to a stage where you are trying to find new, exciting, seasonal or rarer beers to try. This process helps you develop a small appreciation for what you like in a beer versus what you don’t and this tricks you into thinking that you have a pretty good beer palate.
Then you attend an event like I did on Thursday (2/19) at Scarlet Lane Brewing as part of their unique membership program. This was beer tasting 101, keeping it simple…easy stuff right? After all we are tasting 3 beers that I’m guessing anyone who signed up to be a member has already had multiple times. What’s so different about that? The difference is similar to going to an art gallery with your high school drinking buddies, versus going to an art gallery and getting a tour with the artist. Things you didn’t notice are pointed out to you and things you had in inkling that you liked but couldn’t put into words, are now articulated.
Simon Sothras (Head Brewer) was our artist to guide us through a tasting training of Lenore, Vivan, and Dorian, the three flagships of Scarlet Lane. It was only a small crowd of members that braved the miserable sub-zero temps to be a part of this tasting training. We hunkered in close and got some quick notes on how to correctly taste a beer and then were asked to give feedback. It was at this point that people start to realize that even though we all love these beers, very few of us could give an expert breakdown on all of the flavors you should be getting from this beer.
Simon deftly walked us through the basic tasting trainings, and I think everyone learned something new and learned a lot more about what they didn’t know. And yes, I’m being purposefully vague on these points because the details are what make the event special.
Next we got to try the new beer (New Beer!) Scarlet Lane is working on straight from the fermenter. If you’ve never had this experience before, it is one of my favorite parts of both this membership program and being an Indiana On Tap team member. Beer right out of the fermenter is normally cloudy, warm, and not near the usual finished products you’ve come to expect. However it does really accentuate a lot of the flavors that will often get lost through filtering and carbonation.
If you are a craft beer fan that really wants to learn more about beer, the industry, the process, ways to enjoy it better, and wants to get to know your local brewery, then this is the spot. I’ll be writing about my experiences through the membership program as it goes along. You can choose to read these and wish you had signed up, or you can go ahead and sign up now and join in. Limited memberships are still available and I’ve included a link at the bottom so you can see all of the other perks that come with the program, like early access to new beers…
http://www.scarletlanebrew.com/resources/brewery-membership/
Thanks to Nick, Simon and Jared for hosting a great evening. Can’t wait for the next event.
