Buffalo Rising Online

Apr 13th 2006, 5:35pm By Ethan Cox

Though the popular image of Mr Goodbar is often that of 50-cent draft and collage-age drinking, bar manager Bobby Rabb has been quietly building the place a reputation as one of the best watering holes in town for the discerning beer palate. Goodbar features a whopping 28 taps, well-distributed between domestic microbrews (local, NYS, and further) and imports, and additionally offers a similarly broad bottled selection. This is only the context, however, in which youill find the Mr. Goodbar Good Beer Club on the second Wednesday of every month.

Last night, the former coffee shop space upstairs was packed with 65 or so beer fans, anxious to sample widely and to follow up with Bobbyis own specially-paired cookingOe

For the $20.00 entry, we got raffle tix (totally rigged, by the way, as Queenseyes scored a free six of one sample, Victory Prima Pils) plus a sheet with descriptions which allowed for notes and was a valuable aid to memory, given that the samples ranged from 2.5% to a substantial 8% abv and were plentiful. All the sample and food distribution was well managed by an expert support staff (thanks, guys!)

This monthis theme was German and German-style beers, and the event was guest-hosted by Dave Glor, who works at Niagara Tradition Homebrewing Supply as well as at Flying Bison Brewing. Having studied brewing in Germany, Dave was the perfect guide through the nightis samples- totally comfortable, humorous, and also chock full of information. We wandered through 9 beers over the course of a couple of hours, from classics like Spaten Optimator (which you do see around town at various spots- Ulrichis and Sterling, to name but two) to Flying Bisonis own spring release Barrel Roll Bock. This last is a maibock style beer, fueled by flavorful but pale malt and finished with a perfect light dose of noble hops. Folks were given a quick lesson in the difference between beer color and flavor with a dark, yet lager-like Schwarzbier (Kulmbacher; you might also seek out Sprecheris, from WI), and drank a ismoked hami in the form of Aecht Schlenkerla Rauschbier Marzen, which incorporates heavy does of beech-smoked malt.

The most surprising beer of the night for me was without a doubt the Berliner Kindl Weisse. There are broadly three variations of the weiss- or wheat-beer style, from the original Berliner and Bavarian types to the newer American-wheat style (such as Anchoris Summer Wheat.) Kindl, as an example of the first listed, is a classic and currently almost threatened beer and style at the moment.

It is low in alcohol--2.5% abv--but this is all for the best with a beer so refreshing: You could easily imagine drinking it by the liter on a warm day. This is sort of the original lawnmower beer, to be honest. What makes Berliner Kindl distinct is that the familiar wheaty and yeasty flavors of other wheat beers are here accompanied with the sourness of a lactobacillus culture- as seen also in Belgian lambics. Sure, the acidic sourness might be at first surprising, but then many drinkers add lemons to their wheat beers, anyway. This is just a more complex, fermentation-based means to a similar and stronger end: some delectable tartness. If you like lemonade, or those frankly detestable malt-beverages like Mikeis Hard Lemonade, you really ought to check this beer out. (A domestic example of this style is Three Floyds Deesko: Indiana isn't too far to drive for a beer, you know!)

Needless to say, by the end of the tasting, things were beginning to look a little like this. The food came on, and we were treated to an incredible combination of bean soup, Sauerbraten and Weinkraut- recipes for which were also included on the beer description sheets!

So, if you want to check out some good beer and food in a totally informal, but informative atmosphere, consider the Good Beer Club. The price is $20.00 and booking ahead is recommended so that the amount of samples and food is appropriate. In addition, you get a $5.00 discount if you book that night for the next monthis meeting. Drop by at 1110 Elmwood to reserve a spot, or call 882-4000.