The Spirit World

Part of being a Beer World explorer is having a local beer shop that brings at least part of the Beer World to you. The beer aisle in your grocery store (unless it’s a really special grocery store) probably won’t cut it. I’ve only found one grocery store in the US that has an extensive beer selection from around the world and a knowledgeable staff person designated to help their beer patrons; that store was Calandro’s Supermarket in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

So get out there and find yourself a really good beer shop, because that’s where you’ll be finding a lot of your Beer World treasures. Here’s what to look for in a good beer retailer. Find a place with a knowledgeable proprietor and staff. When you go into a beer shop talk to the folk who run the store. Ask questions, talk them up, get to know them, and let them know you are looking for unusual beers. The proprietor and staff should be responsive and should be willing to special order beers that they might not carry on a regular basis. Most retailers will stick with a usual selection of beers that they know will sell. By telling them you want to explore Beer World, they may be inspired to experiment with new products.

Here are some things to do when you are buying beer from a beer shop. Inspect the bottles for dust and other tell-tale signs of how long the beer has been sitting on the shelf. Some, but not all, beers will have a “best before” date. Make sure you check that. Ideally, the beer should be stored in a cooler. Beer stored at room temperature will go old faster than beer stored in a cooler. Beers bottled in clear or green glass should be away from sources of sunlight and fluorescent light as the light tends to have a skunking effect on beers (a chemical reaction between ultraviolet light and the isohumulones from the hops). I tried Pilsner Urquel from three different beer shops; all three bottles were from the fluorescent-lit cooler, all were skunked. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t buy beer in clear and green bottles from lit coolers. The exception to this rule is when you are buying American Light Lager brewed by one of the mega-corporate brewers. These large brewers use a hop derivative that does not contain the unstable isohumulones. (At least that’s what I was told when I asked why Miller Light doesn’t skunk.)