Villain Blog: Issue 001
Something is stirring– volatile villainous aromas wafting in the wind.
It was a cool evening in sunny San Diego. I was driving south on my way to meet a friend at a local brewery. They were fairly new to beer and asked if I would join them and help them navigate the tap list. Pfft– are you kidding?? Of course I was more than happy to oblige. When I arrived it was just after sunset. In my head I thought to myself how this is great because it will eliminate any worry of ordering a few tasters at a time and suffering from the pours becoming "lightstruck," impacting the aromas. Aroma will be significant to this story later. Although, I would never have anticipated that the events of this evening would become my villainous origin story.
I was happy to see my friend but little did they know... as soon as we stepped into that taproom... I had begun plotting. There was a long line and the bartenders were making quick work of it. I had to act fast. What is on the tap list– a few IPAs (Obviously), some Stouts, an Amber (Thank goodness), a Blonde, Mexican lager, and... ooh a Japanese lager too! I'll admit that I may have possibly zoned out for a second in the line while my friend was telling me about how the Padres were doing that season; I was planning out my attack. A nice selection of their light lagers and the blonde should be a good start. I gave my friend a rundown of what I was thinking and asked them if there was anything that they really wanted to try.
The Japanese lager had caught their eye.
Little did we know that this had triggered a chain of events that would change everything. We ordered a few taster-size pours to share and found an open table to occupy. I was eager, yet, unsuspecting. My friend, entirely innocent, had no reference points and no experience with which to defend themselves from the beers bubbling before us. I gave them my introductory spiel on beer fundamentals and sensory. It was my goal to encourage them to be bold and expressive as they took their first steps into the world of beer sensory. We each took a few light sniffs, sipped our respective beers, and reflected on what we held in our hands.
Their face lit up with excitement and intrigue. I was elated. They were clearly still processing so I waited a moment and revisited my own pour– studying their facial expressions as they dissected the beer. "What do you think?" I finally asked them. Still thinking it over, they looked back at me and replied, "Well its hard to explain, but I really like it." I reitterated, "Say whatever comes to mind! Be as vague or specific as you'd like. There are no wrong answers."
They paused, took another sniff, a sip, looked back at me and said, "It reminds me of a white wine."
All of a sudden– I was struck with curiosity!
White wine from a Japanese Lager? I had to know what the connection was. First I considered what they said and tried not to appear so thrown by the assessment. Their fresh perspective was invaluable; It was a golden opportunity to learn something new. "Do you mind if I have a sip?" I asked.
These pours were small, leaving only about 2 ounces left in this tulip glass. I lifted the glass gently to catch the light coming from inside the taproom. It presented as a pale straw color and the head had mainly subsided, but once I took my first sniff... I knew something was terribly wrong.
A sulfur bomb.
How could this happen?? This was a well respected location and this amount of sulfur, another off-flavor, was wild. What I did next– well, let's just say I was naively optimistic. Yes, I knew the bartender that day, so I thought I might be doing them a big favor if I were to kindly inform him about this sulfuric slip-up. It must have been an accident. So I told him, and he told his manager, and his manager told the brewer, and then they fixed the beer! I was a hero. They celebrated my palate! Lifted me over their shoulders and named the new Japanese Lager after me! Wouldn't that be nice? But the following is how the rest of the story really went:
I went up to the bar for another round and while over there I chatted with the bartender that I knew. He waited a bit and passed on the tip to his manager, who confidently laughed off the notion that their lager could be any less than outstanding. I can't even blame the manager for reacting this way initially, but he also said it after trying a fresh pour. Moments later, one of the brewers came up for a post-shift pint. Right in front of the bartender, the manager calls him out as he says to the brewer, "Hey man, [Bartender] says there's something wrong with your beer!"
"Yeah which one?" says the brewer.
"Your Japanese Lager."
"Oh yeah," chuckled the brewer, "that one is all f*cked up."
Looking back on this story I realized something important. This moment changed me. It changed my perspective on beer– on the industry. I am no hero.
I am a villain.
Beer is rad; food science and sensory are a huge part of what makes any non-essential product feel artisanal and personal, but the lingering air of "snobbery" might keep someone from wanting to dig deeper, from wanting to appear too cynical or over-serious, or from letting their bartender know they think there is something wrong with their beer. The consequences of standing clear of contention, however, can trend towards a world of complacency. I want to dare to challenge and explore these foods that I love. I have so much to learn, unlearn, and share with you– the readers!
Yes, this extends far beyond beer!
While the catalyst for my interest in food science was beer, I have found myself drawn towards many other types of food and beverage in recent years. Whiskey and wine, chocolates and cheeses, and so much more are on my mind. Learning how these things tick feels like unlocking new superpowers. I hope I can use these powers for the greater-good, but I can make no promises.
After all, I'm a Villain.
Thanks for reading the blog! You should check out some of my other articles as well. I write about lots of different food, beverage and sensory topics.
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