Six-Pack o’ Beer Facts: Episode 2

Happy Friday Blind Tasters! Here we are again, let us delve into the world of beer facts, but not so deeply you’re drowning in alpha acids and college degree level history.

These are beer facts compact enough to take home with you right now. And what better way to start this fortnight’s episode with the six-pack itself?

1.The convenient six-pack

Before we look into the origins of the six-pack we must first go back to 1935, when the (now defunct) Kruger Brewing Company of New Jersey released the very first canned beer. The packaging vessel of course has gone in and out of favour in the near century since, but one thing that remains constant is the ubiquity of the six-pack, the beer delivery system those first cans helped create.

The greatest appeal of the six-pack was, and it is said to be quite by design, was among American housewives who found carrying and storing cans by the six easy and convenient. The beer can itself also finding favour among GIs returning from service who consumed beer from the can while on the frontlines during the Second World War.

2.Russian Court order

Think Trump’s current trade war is baffling? Me too, I don’t understand the first thing about it. But historically trade tariffs and embargoes have gone back centuries. On March 31 1822 Russia wholesale banned the importation of almost every British article, from cheese to cutlery, and from ale to cotton, with one notable exemption: Porter.

That’s right, the Russians made the strange distinction between ale and porter (porters right down to their core are of course ales!) meaning the peoples could enjoy porter but not their also much beloved Burton strong ale. All this was of course at the behest of the Russian Empress Catherine the Great who was said to be highly partial of the beer that came to be known as Russian Imperial Stout in the early 20th century.

You can learn more about this storied beer style from a fascinating article for which I have provided a link below.

3.Belgian beer glasses

Most of Australia’s major cities have a Belgian Beer Café. Each has an admirably strong selection of Belgian beers. Admirably these are dependable sources for the likes of Westmalle, St. Bernardus, Liefmans and Petrus, among others. What is a very neat touch is most of these beers come with matching glassware for that perfect Instagram shot.

But what might be a feast for the eyes is more often than not seriously compromising the beer’s complex aromatic presentation, the very thing for which Belgian beer is known (Liefmans’ glassware being a notable exception - see images below). Most branded Belgian beer glasses, even Orval’s!, are shaped like a chalice, with an enormously exposed surface area that does nothing in giving your nose that concentrated dose of concentrated aromatics. They are purely for marketing purposes. 

Liefmans' branded glassware is among the better examples doing the rounds. Image shows a glass of Liefmans' Goudenband oud bruin-style ale poured into its matching glass with the original bottle to its left

4.Millboro Lite?

Marketing and beer go hand in hand, from the sales reps on the road to asinine Super Bowl advertisements. The story of Miller Lite is particularly fascinating. The “Lite” brand was originally owned by Gabblingers, and the name harks back to Marlboro Lite cigarettes. Both were marketed heavily towards women, however Miller, whose parent company was then Phillip-Morris (!), purchased the “Lite” brand in 1975.

Then, marketing swayed heavily back towards the male populace (particularly sports fans) with the tagline:”More flavour, less filling.” Miller Lite, an adjunct lager (which is to say brewed with maize), was indeed made less filling by being filtered to an inch of its life, with every last skerrick of fermentable sugar accounted for by a fungal agent.

5.Umami’s first cousin: Kokumi

The five taste sensations of salty, sour, bitter, sweet and umami (savoury) should be familiar to everyone who appreciates food and beer, and almost certainly familiar to everyone else. But did you know there are several more as yet less understood detectable flavours science is still working to understand? One particularly mysterious flavour element is known as Kokumi, and it is thought to be a hidden flavour element within beer that is absent from wine and even sake.

Kokumi is noted to be indicative of protein-rich material, and yes, beer is relatively rich in protein. But rather than being its own flavour element, kokumi is also said to enhance salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami flavours, while also enriching mouthfeel. It’s for this reason it is being widely studied as a food additive. Moreover, its flavour enhancing properties are why beer should be considered more as a partner for your next meal.

6.Beer as an antibiotic?

Beer’s nutritional value goes far beyond kokumi-giving protein. After all, much like bread it has kept millions of people nourished for centuries. It was once upon a time, Ancient Egyptian times to be exact, even a source of antibiotics.

To be exact, it was the peoples of ancient Nubia whose bones were found to have traces of tetracycline, which most likely came from beer (then a valuable dietary staple). It is also worth noting that studies undertaken by bioarchaelogists and medicinal chemists from Paratek Pharmaceuticals found that the ancient Nubians were then producing antibiotics, over 2,000 years prior to the advent of penicillin in 1928.

More on the history of Russian imperial stouts can be found here

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