Beer and Opportunity

As I have noted in previous pieces about serving beer as well as brewpub daytrips, the way a beer is presented can be significant. Flavors and fullness of beers can vary depending on its temperature, conditioning style or the glass in which it is served.

One evening my spirit found an old haunt, as.ghosts are wont to do. As All Hallows' Eve approached, to Poor Phil's I did float. Frightened by the lack of local and craft brew choices at most places (please...Stella Artois, Guinness and Beck's are as ubiquitous as Miller Lite and Bud. With twenty-five taps - some assigned to Chicago-area breweries of the likes of Goose Island, Bell's and Two Brothers' -- I figured the odds were in my favor I'd find something to suit my palate.

An IPA (India Pale Ale) aficionado, I'm always on the hunt for something hoppy. I also love a beer served from a beer engine.

Pulled from a conditioned cask, a beer from a hand pump is usually served slightly warmer than the chilled CO2 taps to which we have all been conditioned. A little creamy in mouth feel, I find a hand pulled IPA sends me near bliss.

To my delight, when I asked for a Two Brothers' Heavy Handed IPA, my bartender Dave asked me if I wanted one on draft or from the pump. Never one to pass over good fortune - nor one to miss a taste test - I ordered one of each.

I am a beer geek, so trying different styles of beers side by side, evaluating their qualities, is a hoot and a half.

I was not disappointed. As I already knew, the hops in the hand pulled beer were a bit subdued. Even as my chilled CO2 tap brew warmed, its hops were sharper.

Recommendation: never pass up the opportunity to taste the same beers served different ways side by side, hand pull, tap and/or bottle.