Set in stone
Ben McFarland attends a beer dinner organised by Stone Brewing, a San Diego microbrewery making some big beers
Ten years ago, the Stone Brewing Company burst onto the West Coast brewing scene and defiantly thrust a hot poker into the behind of conventional brewing.
While hundreds of craft brewers were hitting the wall in the middle of the 1990s, victims of a small beer business running before it could walk, Stone managed to buck the trend with beers that were colossal in character and even bigger in attitude.
A menacing gargoyle adorned its bottles, “warding off modern day evil spirits such as chemical preservatives, additives and adjuncts,” and the names of the beers were as defiantly disobedient as the liquid itself.
Arrogant Bastard, a 7.2% beast of a beer with an IBU (international bitterness unit) rating so high it’s unclassified, epitomises Stone’s in-yer-face ethos and does exactly what it says on the tin: “This is an aggressive beer,” announces the back label proudly.
“You probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory – maybe something with a multi-billion dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it’s made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beer will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think that multi-million dollar ad campaigns make a beer taste better. Perhaps you are mouthing your words as you read this.” Antagonising drinkers at a time when they’re questionin.....
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By Ben McFarland
Section : Beer and Food
Page number : 42
