Volume 2, Issue 21 September 28 - October 11, 2000

Bar Guide

Fifteen years ago, craft brewers had a fairly easy time differentiating themselves from the homogeneous pack of blonde ales produced by commercial brewers. All they had to do was throw a little dark malt into their recipe and the end product stuck out like a single burnt grain in a bowl of Rice Krispies.

Recently, though, these same beer pioneers find themselves in an unfamiliar position: that of being stuck in a saturated market of ho-hum mediocrity. With the inundation of chain brewpubs, big breweries buying up little breweries, and too many micros making too many similar tasting brews, something had to be done to pull away from the pack. Who would have thought the answer would be found in the bottom of a black aluminum import?

Ever since Guinness sent us the "smoothifier," that little nitrogen-filled plastic bladder in the bottom of their draught-flow cans, a little bulb began to flicker within the minds of beer-brains across America. In no time, there was talk of what Dr. Alan Forge, the creator of this technology, had successfully accomplished and mirco-breweries decided they too would like to create brews with the taste and texture of British beer here at home. Now the kinetics of this idea are gaining steam with more and more pubs trying their hands at making beer in-house that is conducive to being poured through a nitrogen-mixed tap. But the taste we are all familiar with is the sparkling effect the CO 2 bubbles give off in the mouth. This gas has always performed admirably in beer by being an excellent conductor of volatile aromatics as well as enhancing the flavors of each ingredient, especially the bitterness of the hops. This is the interaction that creates the amplified sensation of crispness beer lovers have all come to take pleasure in.

So the question arises: are enough beer drinkers willing to give nitrogen a chance? Are they willing to take a step back and accept a beer that hearkens back to times of yore, to one of the traditional ways of how ale is consumed in Europe?

With the early returns in, the answer is a definite maybe, as more people are beginning to develop an affinity for its quality, finding patience enough to wait for a savory pint of slow pouring nitrogen beer. However, nitrogen alone does nothing for the flavor. Only through the design and mechanics of the tap does the true magic happen. Because nitrogen is an inert gas that cannot be absorbed by liquid at normal beer temperatures and pressures, the flow rate of the ale being dispensed can be increased. The ale is forced at high pressure through a small, perforated disc known as a "sparkler" or "resistor disc." From here it passes a small cross-shaped piece known as a "flow-straightener," ending through the restrictive tapered spout and into the glass. This process takes advantage of the beer's natural molecular proteins and lower level of dissolved carbon dioxide, resulting in ale with a head so thick it can float your pocket change. And since our atmosphere is composed of the same gradient of nitrogen as the N 2 bubbles in your glass, you can head off to the bathroom, go outside for some air and get into a drawn-out conversation on sex or politics. When you return, you'll find your foam is still standing tall as if you never left. A major advantage to this style is that less CO 2 means a silky smooth texture that goes down quick and easy, without the bloated gassy feeling you get from regular draft beer. Nitrogen gives the effect of a warmer, softer and silkier finish under that Herculean dense head. It's a texture that will feel weaker or even flatter than what most are used to, and this is the foundation for most detractors. On the contrary, some brewers are banking on the hope that the lighter finish will attract consumers who have never liked beer in the first place.

The biggest problem nitrogen poses is that this method requires special gas and taps and bartenders who know how to pour the stuff. The advantage of nitrogen is that it lessens overflow and waste, which translates into long-term cost savings. These are decisions pub owners are faced with -- either keep up with the changing times or be relegated to the status quo. If the initial trend is any indication, soon there won't be a pub in town where you can't find at least one of these funny looking taps. You can enjoy nitro-injected brews all along the Front Range. The hipster beer enthusiast can find it on 13th Ave. at Pint's Pub; the yuppie might want to head to Rock Bottom on 16th St., and the hippies can gather at Mountain Sun in Boulder, just to name a few.