MANUAL
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Robert Docker remembers the first time he tried an Indian Pale Ale [PA]. While visiting his brother at college, Docker Sullwater, Oklahon senior, drank a Bell's Two Hearted [Pale] Ale and was pleasantly surprised. "When a lot of people think of beer, it's a glass of American style Lager like Budweiser. Beer is so much more than that," he says. "The more you learn about it, the better chances you have of finding it."
ACQUIRED TASTE
The balance between the malt, a barley grain that has been soaked and dried to create a sweeter flavor in beer, and the hops, a flower that provides the bitter, tangy flavor to certain beers, excited his taste buds. Beer, like wine, can provide subtle yet complex flavors that stimulate the senses.
While the production of wine depends largely on the region in which the grapes are grown and other natural factors like the weather, beer depends on the ingredients used and how it is made. Luckily, there are skilled and inventive brewers who make interesting and surprisingly elegant flavors. You can find a style of beer to suit your individual tastes, but the hard part is knowing where to start. "The possibilities are limitless in terms of what you can actually have and enjoy," says Kevin Prescott, a brewer at Free State Brewery, 636 Massachusetts St. He says people will limit themselves to a 30 pack of Natural light because its cheap and it gets them drunk. "Something can be said for putting a little more money down and enjoying the product. That way, you're not just slugging down watery beer," he says.
BRANCH OUT BEYOND YOUR AVERAGE ALE JON HERMES
Tasting a beer is a lot like tasting wine there are rules to follow. Here are some tips to make your tasting experience effective and enjoyable.
A Porter please: Get your head out of the keg and try new types of beer. If you you're into dark and bitter, go for a Porter or Stout. If you like sweetness, order a Pilsner.
A group experience can help you make well-rounded observations about the flavors. Everyone has a different palette and different senses, says Bryan Buckingham, a brewer at 23rd St. Brewery, 3512 Clinton Parkway, "Somebody might taste something different or mention something that you might have missed the first time you took a sip," he says. Buckingham recommends focusing on one style of beer. Buy a mixed six-pack of one style by different breweries. Focus on a Pilsner or Pale Ale at first, then work up to Porters and Stouts. And don't forget to try everything in between.
>> If you insist on tasting several different styles of beer throughout the night, make sure you start with lighter-colored beers and work up to darker beers. Don't start with an IPA or a beer with a lot of hops. Too many hops can dominate your palette for the night. Also, don't
smoke cigarettes before tasting and be sure to drink water between beers.
Proper pouring can enhance the aroma and flavor of the beer. Prescott, the Free State brewer, says you want the bubbles to rise to the top. This lets the beer breathe while enhancing smell and taste. Specific glasses are designed to emphasize flavors in the different beers.
Note the appearance of the beer after it is poured. Swish the beer around to let it breathe. Focus on the smell and try to pick out the hops or malts. Take a sip and focus on the flavors. Decker says to try to isolate a distinct flavor that you like in the beer.
Note the texture of the beer and its flavors. Is it sweet or bitter? Silky or dry? Tasting the various flavors creates a unique experience. Chris Armstrong, Lawrence senior, says. "I like to taste the chocolate and coffee flavors in stouts and the earthy, rustic flavor of Belgian farmhouse ales," he says. "I like the complicated tastes that have a balance between the sweetness and spices."
A SAMPLE OF BEER TO GET STARTED
PORTER/STOUT The stout and porter are dark, bitter beers that use barley and dark malts. The ingredients in these two styles give a rich, complex flavor. Stouts and Porters tend to have sweet coffee and chocolate notes.
With: A pint glass.
Try: Porter: Boulevard Bully! Porter.
Stout: Guiness
WHEAT. This flavor is a common favorite. With little to no hops you can taste the wheat American wheat beers also tend to use ale yeast, fruit and other flavors to give it a sweet citrus taste.
Try: Sam Adams Coastal Wheat
With: Wheat beer glass: The glass is tall, starting off skinny at the bottom and grows slightly larger at the top. It allows for a nice foam head to form at the top and helps trap the aromas.
PILSNER. Light in color with high carbonation, Pilsner has a clear, golden amber color with a white foam head. It has an earthy, floral taste with a light sweetness.
Try: Pilsner Urquell
With: A pilsner glass: Similar to the wheat beerglassbutwithlesscurvature,the pilsner glass shows off the color of the beer.
PALE ALE. Uses pure barley malts. It has a strong flavor that is bitter to the taste. Many people are turned off by the bitter and sometimes spicy taste, but fans will stand by it. Its color ranges from golden to amber.
Try: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
With: A mug or a pint accentuates the flavors and allows foam to form at the top, which gives off the aroma of the malts and hops.
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CAMPUS
Early spending by Senate not a worry
What appeared to have been an early spending spree in Student Senate was nothing more than business as usual, said treasurer Erin Pishny.
Last year, Senate had approved $30,365 after two full sessions, or 26 percent of its unallocated account. Money from the unallocated account funds events, speakers and other activities sponsored by student groups. It also pays for general costs associated with those groups and costs associated with Senate.
The largest amount approved so far this year was $19,100 in salary increases for members of the Student Executive Committee.
Despite the early spending spree, Pishny said Senate should have enough money to last through the school year.
Pishny said allocating such a large percentage of Senate's available funds at the beginning of the semester was typical. Even so, she said she'd like senators to be more meticulous before voting to approve funding.
Senate allocated $35,467, or 30 percent, of funds available to student groups during its first two sessions.
Money for the unallocated account comes from a $15.50 activity fee paid by all students as a required campus fee.
BY MICHAEL HOLTZ mholtz@kansan.com
"I would just caution people to really look at the bills," said Pishny, a senior from Lenexa. "I would like to see more questioning of people in finance [committee] and in full Senate."
"I don't really see it being a problem," Pishny said. "We have a good amount of money unallocated to
SENATE TO WORK ON A MISSION STATEMENT
fund the projects that students have on campus."
Smith said he'd like to see a completed mission statement by mid-November.
"We want to make sure that Senate is keeping campus moving forward." Smith said. "To do that you need to have something that's creating that vision and that purpose for you."
"As long as we display it, read it and know it, it's going to inform the decisions we make for a lot of years to come," Smith said.
Students interested in joining the President's Taskforce on Mission, History and Vision should send an e-mail to Michael Wade Smith at michaelwadesmith@gmail.com.
Student Body President Michael Wade Smith announced the formation of a new taskforce designated to create a Student Senate mission statement Wednesday.
Smith said he was shocked when he first realized Senate didn't have a formal mission statement. He said it was an integral piece of any organization's success.
Edited by David Cawthon
Senate committees each elected two members to the President's Taskforce on Mission, History and Vision on Wednesday night. Smith said he would choose two students unaffiliated with Senate to also be members.
SING OUT
HOW TO JOIN THE SENATE TASKFORCE
Carter Calvert performs the opening act to Neil Bery's 100 years of Broadway Thursday at the Lied Center. The show featured 19 incredible Broadway classics sung by today's top Broadway stars.
Howard Tino/KANSAN
Shining lights of Broadway come to Kansas, for a night
BY NICOLAS ROESLER
nroesler@kansan.com
The number one touring Broadway concert brought the bright lights and big stars to the Lied Center Thursday night in the show "100 Years of Broadway"
Lead singers from Broadway shows such as "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Cats," "Les Miserables" and "Wicked" performed some of the most recognizable songs in American
"Broadway is inherently appealing," said Kevin Cook, a senior from Lenexa.
history. Although the show spans 100 years of Broadway classics, each song finds its place in today's society and popular culture.
Director Neil Berg sat on stage, playing a grand piano to songs that span generations, connecting them to American history and American culture between each performance.
"It's like seeing 30 of the best Broadway
.
University students Kelsey Flinn, a freshman from Overland Park, and Megan Lounds. a freshman from Winfield, arrived 20 minutes before the show and were excited to see some of their favorite songs.
"We're big Broadway nerds," Flinn and Lounds said.
musicals in one night," Berg said.
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Despite many of the songs' connections to
SEE BROADWAY ON PAGE 3A
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