The Stube

It would be decently hypocritical of me if I didn't put Die Bier Stube (dee beer shtoobeh), or simply "The Stube", at the forefront of the picture of my bier infatuation. It is my home away from home, not because I spend more time there than I spend at home, but because when I am there it has all of the warmth, laughter and company of home. And at this point, just about everybody there does know my name.

I mentioned in the end of my last post that I'm there at or by 9:30 on every Sunday. Why Sunday you ask? For me, the loveliness of this bar often comes when there are few other folks around. I like being able to sit at my favorite table, I like being able to hear myself think, and I also like being able to talk to Kessler. Mr. Kessler Dixon is my bartender. He is my man (not in every sense). Kessler is one of the most fun-loving, outgoing, well-spoken yet humble men I've ever known. If there were a pie chart expressing what it has taken to make the Stube my bar, I'd dare to say that 33% of the pie is Kessler. Not joking. The right server can turn a lousy bar setup into something really special. Not to say that the Stube is poorly arranged, the bench style seating is great and the 3 flat screens can help generate conversation (or save you from it) in moments when you've lost the words.

So what are the remaining 67% of the bier pie? The bar itself deserves 33%. Five percent of which goes toward the actual layout. Are there restrooms that you feel okay touching with your bare skin? Darts are a plus, movable tables are nice, coaster supply is helpful, as is open seating- that way new friends can find their way to the table without having to awkwardly weave their way through the place like a lost child.

The remaining 28% from the bar goes to the bier (25%) and food (3%) they serve. Yes, I know, I just said that the bartender is more important than the bier. What if they can't pour a half liter of Hacker-Pschorr Weisse Dark? What if they play Clay Aiken albums and the TV is always turned to the CW? What if they don't remember your name? What if they card you every time you come in? What if they don't rinse your glass all the way, leaving horrible foam-dissipating detergent behind? Let's face it, the right bier served incorrectly is a waste of that brewery's time. They made that product to be enjoyed under certain conditions (temp, style of glass, amount of head), and straying far from them will greatly reduce the enjoyment you will get from it. "As long as it has alcohol in it" I heard some of you just say. Then buy wine. Don't fork over $8 a liter for bier that is a bastardization of something worth keeping true to design. Or go to a happy hour and drink PBR, which I enjoy, but not at the Stube. I go out to the public house for more than just bier, I go for fellowship. If I wanted, I could go to Metropolitan Market, or QFC or Whole Foods and buy a bottle of Ayinger Bräu-Weisse. I can get the bier all over the place; it is the atmosphere that is induplicable.

Also, the Stube has excellent bavarian pretzels with two kinds of mustard. If you're ever uncertain whether or not to get a pretzel, ask AJ. He's the pretzel tzar.

The final 34% goes to the people with which you go out. The company, to me, gets the edge over the bar and the server because they are what give a bar staying power in my mind. Having a great bier, served correctly in a nice place is worth telling friends about. Having those same things with a great group of dynamic, interesting, cultured friends is worth bringing friends to.

If you've ever been to the Stube with us on a Sunday, you may know what I'm talking about. Typically it is a group of 6-10 of us, but every once in a while that group swells to more than 30. It is a place that is worth bringing friends to because if they like good German bier, and they like you, they'll probably have a good time. (http://www.diebierstube.com/)

Do you have a bar like this? It doesn't have to be the Stube. Maybe you don't fancy bavarian hefeweizen (wiesn) or bocks, doppelbocks, schwarzbiers and oktoberfests. Maybe Kessler rubbed you the wrong way. Well that's okay, not everybody fits everywhere, that's what makes the earth worth exploring. Prost!

First Sips

Well here we go. I've been needing to do this for a while, and thus it begins.

My intention in blogging about bier is primarily to share my passion for great bier. There may be a few other themes that wedge their way into this space from time to time, however; as with most things in life, I find it of great importance to keep the main thing the main thing.

I plan to talk about biers I've had recently, the breweries that produce them and the bars (or stores) at which I came across them. I'll give some color to the experience when necessary and let you know what I thought. Don't agree with my opinion? I won't be surprised, that's why it's my opinion. Go out and find your own if need be.

I will warn you in advance that I claim no superiority: I don't fancy myself an "expert" on bier, and feel quite frankly that what I do know is mightily limited by the amount of time I've paid attention to what it is I'm consuming. I'm still young and although this limits my experience, I think it gives me an element of objectivity over the old bier hippies who have already decided which 1% of all biers deserve their approval. I'm still fresh on the scene, and if you find yourself keeping up with these writings I bet you are too.

Hopefully this blog will also not become too much of an excuse to go out more than the 1-3 days per week that I currently do. I don't think my salary or liver can afford it! Besides, overconsumption is for the under-appreciative.

I'm not sure if any of us will come away from this blog with more wisdom, but if we do I'd consider it successful. Don't feel obligated to read this blog, particularly if you're one of the people to which I often rant. I'm putting digital stylus to papyrus here so that maybe we can talk about a different slice of life every once in a while. I'll still love talking bier, but perhaps the moderation that has so long evaded me will return.

Please forgive any inaccuracies you come across, and feel free to write me corrections. Prost!