No matter the bar, pub or tavern, the common denominator is unequivocally the presence of beer. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Whether it’s an ale, lager, pilsner, porter or simply a brewski, cold one, liquid courage, or bottle of suds — it’s all beer in the end.
Beer History
The presence of beer is as old as civilization itself. It is produced and served in every corner of the world from German beer halls to Irish pubs; beer is as common as the money used to buy it.
According to www.history-of-beer.com, historians have said Sumerians and Mesopotamians were producing beer as early as 10,000 B.C.
Ancient Chinese and Egyptian cultures brewed beer, as did pre-Colombian civilizations in the Americas, which used corn instead of barley in their brewing endeavors, according to the site.
The site says European medieval monks gave beer its modern characteristic flavoring by introducing hops as a flavoring and preservative.
In the 1800s Louis Pasteur added the final touch to the process by classifying yeast as a living organism, according to historians, which allowed beer makers to control the conversion of sugar to alcohol with more accuracy.
Until then, beer makers had relied on wild yeast for fermentation. Pasteur’s pasteurization soon was added to many beers, making it safer for beer-lovers to consume.
The Process
Beer is defined by the Columbia Encyclopedia as an “alcoholic beverage made by brewing and fermenting cereals, especially malted barley, usually with the addition of hops as a flavoring agent and stabilizer.”
In layman’s terms, yeast is allowed to consume the sugars produced by the malting of barley or other grains to produce alcohol known as beer.
The encyclopedia outlines the steps to produce beer. The first step in producing beer is the mashing process where malt and other grains are added to water in certain proportions and temperature. The book says this mixture is heated and rotated to dissolve the solids and convert the starches to sugar via malt enzymes. The resulting solution is called “wort.”
After straining the wort, the solution is boiled with hops to. The solution is cooled, and yeast is added to convert the sugar to alcohol. This process can take more than two months.
The beer is filtered to remove excess solids left after the fermentation process. As a final step, most beers are pasteurized to kill excess yeast to prepare for consumption in local bars.
Around the World and B.R.
Almost every college student has drunk from a keg of cheap beer, where the goal is quantity over quality.
Many bars in the LSU area attempt to provide more sophisticated options to college students.
The Chimes and Rotolo’s Pizzeria both offer versions of a beer-filled “around the world,” experience, where patrons can drink beers from around the globe.
Chimes has an around-the-world list consisting of 60 beers from 20 countries, adding each drinker’s name to a gold plate on the bar wall upon completion.
“The Around the World is really popular,” said Jeff Canulette, Chimes’ bar manager. “I get probably 10 to 15 people finished a month, and I don’t even know how many people get started and don’t finish.”
Chimes stocks 130 bottled beer with 32 beers on tap giving the establishment the top beer selection in Baton Rouge.
“I don’t think anyone even begins to compare to our beer selection,” Canulette said.
Similarly, Rotolo’s contest is drinking 46 beers from 15 countries. Upon completion, the patron gets their name and picture on the wall, a free t-shirt and a free pitcher of beer.
“We have about 200 people who are actively participating,” said Claire Sanderson, Rotolo’s general manager. “Unlike The Chimes, we don’t have much of a time limit, so you can do it for up to a year.”
Canulette said Chimes limits participants to five beers a day because any more could get someone in trouble. At his bar, participants have six months to complete the list.
Mellow Mushroom, located on Nicholson, also is considering offering a similar promotion in the future, according to David Bruno, owner and operator.
“We have over 100 beers with 25 on tap,” Bruno said. “Some of the other Mellow Mushrooms do something like that, but we would like to do something different. The idea is being tossed around, and eventually it will happen.”
At a smaller establishment like Ichabod’s, it’s not possible for the bar to carry such a broad selection of international beer, but bar owner Scott Frye doesn’t think it’s necessarily a requirement given the climate of the average Baton Rouge beer enthusiast.
“We have about 30 or 40 imports bottle wise, but Baton Rouge really isn’t an import town,” Frye said. “I mean with our imports, like Newcastle and Guinness, whether it be bottle or draft, we’ll go through those more than anything else.”
According to Frye, domestic beers are the most popular at Ichabod’s.
“We do have a wide selection of imports; I just don’t think a lot of people know that about Ichabod’s,” Frye said.
At Mellow Mushroom, the sentiment is very much the same, as domestic beers reign king at the bar, Bruno said.
“People will look at our menu for five minutes and then order a Bud Light, and I don’t know why people are like that,” Bruno said. “It’s kind of weird, you know?”
Chimes has a similar situation, according to Canulette, mostly because domestic beers are less expensive, and it’s what people have been drinking for years.
“We sell so much Bud Light, it’s unbelievable,” Canulette said.
All agree Baton Rouge is moving up in the ranks when it comes to worldly beer consumption.
“Baton Rouge is getting better,” Bruno said. “The Chimes has done a lot for this town in educating people about beer.”
Local Bar Breakdown
The number of beers differs from bar to bar, but the goal is always the same: to provide some variety and fresh experiences to consumers who have spent their whole lives drinking domestics.
Chimes has by far the most classy aesthetic with the most beers on tap and in the bottle, making them the obvious leader in beer diversity and range, but their selection often costs more, up to $8 for some beers.
For college students not wanting to pay Chimes’ higher prices, both Mellow Mushroom and Rotolo’s in Tigerland offer a shorter list but are easier on the pocketbook.
Ichabod’s is a healthy mix of all the locations with a decent number of international selections mixed with nice microbrewery picks like Sierra Nevada, Shiner Bock and some beers off the Louisiana Abita line.
A wide selection of beers away from the bars, is availabe at Cost Plus World Market. This specialty market offers beers and food from many countries and allows customers to buy beers by the single bottle. Most cost less than $2 a bottle, but some are a bit more expensive, such as the 12 ounce Belgian Lindeman’s Frambois which is $5.99.
Cold Ones: A Review
For a fruity beverage without the more traditional taste, try the Lindeman’s Framboise. The Belgian beer sports a deep red color. The taste is a very sweet raspberry. This is definitely not a beer designed for chugging, as the beverage demands to be sipped from a glass.
Germany is known for dark, bitter beers. Warsteiner carries that tradition well with its dark, smooth almond taste. Paulener Hefe Weizen is reminiscent of smoked pork. It has the dark, woody complexion, but lacks a taste normally associated with beer.
Hue beer from Vietnam is similar to a Budweiser, but has a deeper yellow complexion and a longer-lasting aftertastee.
Everyone has heard of Foster’s Lager as “Australian for beer,” but it’s actually bottled in Canada. The most memorable quality of this beer is its great advertising campaign.
Peroni beer from Italy is well suited to pasta and Italian dinners that surround its region. The beer is fast and clean with little to no aftertaste, which allows drinkers to enjoy the full flavor of their food. It does have a greasy, somewhat slimy body that slides down the throat similar to olive oil.
Another option for those seeking a less bitter beer is Woodchuck’s Dark and Dry Cider, which has an apple tang suggestive of apple juice, only with an alcoholic kick.
Popular among college students is Guinness Draught, which is a very dark Irish beer with a thick creamy head. The beer is as bitter and black as coffee with a pungent soy sauce underbelly that fills the drinker like a meal. This beer has an extremely loyal following and a proven top seller at many Baton Rouge area bars.
Sapporo, similar to beer from other Asian countries, is light with a strange aftertaste best described as salty, but compared to other beers from the Orient, this beer reigns superior.
For a taste of England less bitter and dark than Guinness, there is Bass Pale Ale. It has a lighter complexion and a bitter, woody taste.
Mexican beers are quite popular among college crowds. Whether it be Corona with a lime or Dos Equis Amber, Mexican beers are light with an extremely bitter aftertaste. Dos Equis Amber is produced in Mexico but was developed by a German brew master. It combines the taste of murky German beer and dainty Mexican beer.
In a tour of specialty beers offered by Baton Rouge bars, one cannot exclude the local Abita line. Offering varieties from the very popular Amber to the raspberry-flavored Purple Haze, all are made with Abita Spring water. This is a favorite among LSU college students who appreciate quality Louisiana beers.
A beer that recently has become popular in bars around campus is Hoegaarden, a Belgian wheat beer. It generally is served with an orange slice and is tastes like citrus soda with high carbonation. It is a must-try to vary the monotony of standard beer.
Most college students will continue to drink domestic beers such as Bud Light or Natural Light for economic reasons, but there is an abundance of international beers that should be experienced. They may cost more, but regular beer drinkers might find something more exotic to satiate their palate. Baton Rouge may not be an import town, but there are plenty of bars that offer an extensive line of international beers.
Editor’s Note: It is illegal to consume alcohol if you are youger than 21. The Reveille does not support underage drinking. Everyone who worked on this story was 21 years old.