25. January 2012 by Dan.

Since American Ales were developed here, and German Ales were developed in Germany, I assumed that India Pale Ales came from, well, India.  Here’s the real story…

Ales are beers made with top-fermenting yeast.  They tend to be slightly cloudy and full of hop flavor.  Pale ales were developed in a particularly hard-water region of England, and as the name implies, are lighter in color.  India Pale Ales were developed in England for export to British nationals living in India in the 19th century.  Allegedly Indian water was populated with bacteria offensive to the British digestive system, so they generally avoided drinking it or anything made from it.  The India Pale sent from their homeland was high in alcohol content and strong in hops, so it survived the journey well.  Maybe more importantly than serving as a substitute for the local water supplies, I imagine it eased the burden of living in a foreign and occasionally inhospitable land.

India Pale Ales today are a little softer and lower in alcohol content than their ancestor beers, but they still hold up well to steaks and other hardy foods.

Hope to see you soon.

Your favorite bartender,

-Dan

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6. January 2012 by Dan.

The Babylonians celebrated the New Year as early as 2002 BC with a spiritual celebration called Akitu, and most cultures have followed some version of it since.  That means there have been about 4000 opportunities for a New Year’s party, most of which I missed, some of which I don’t clearly remember, and a few that really stand out.

One of the stand outs was last Saturday night.  I guess working a shift doesn’t really qualify as attending a party, but it sure felt like it.  So many family members and old friends of the Bear Trap came in that the atmosphere was charged with the kind of good cheer you just can’t find in most restaurants.  Even first time patrons were caught up in it, and I suspect they will become old friends too.

As always, our Old Fashioneds ruled the night, and we even had a run on our summer staple the Bear Trapeze.  We invented a few new cocktails (I got really close on matching the taste of an Almond Joy), and we made our Hot Buttered Rum that was so popular last year.

I’m holding a good thought for the rest of the year.  We’ll have a few months of good snow that will bring energetic snowmobilers, followed by a strong summer buoyed by a recovering market.  We promise the same great food, cocktails, and service you’ve always enjoyed here, and we hope you’ll get to visit often.

Your favorite bartender,

-Dan

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