What does lacing on a glass signify?
- Jon C., Philadelphia, PA

First and foremost, your beer has to have head. No bubbles means no cling, so many light lagers simply won’t produce much lacing. Even with a decent head, there is chemistry involved. The basic element in lacing is protein. When you take a sip and foam is left on the side of the glass, the bitter tasting alpha acids in hops can interact with proteins in the beer, linking them together. They trap air when the head dries out, which is why lacing, if left to sit, will harden.

What makes a beer cask conditioned?
- Ashley F., Newtown Square, PA

Cask conditioning is simply taking finished beer and putting it in to casks (most often made of wood) to age and mature. This aging process lets the beer absorb flavors in the wood, and in some instances, whatever was aged in the cask before the beer. For instance, Innis & Gunn uses brand-new white oak casks to pick up on vanilla and toffee flavors in the wood, whereas Allagash Curieux uses old Jim Beam barrels, which lends the beer hints of bourbon. The longer the beer stays in the casks, the smoother it gets and the more flavor it picks up from the casks.

Dear John, beer Vegan?
-Carissa S. Philadelphia, PA

Well, I can't definitively say yes or no on this one – it depends on the brewery, the beer, and how strict you are in your definition of vegan.  Firstly, some breweries refine their beers with animal byproducts such as isinglass – a collagen found in fish swim-bladders. Secondly, some beers made by brewers that are mostly vegan, might not be vegan. Any beer brewed with honey would be an obvious example. The last thing is the hardest to pinpoint. Although most beers brewed by Anheuser-Busch InBev are brewed in vegan friendly processes without the use of any animal products, they used to own SeaWorld and also sponsor rodeos. If I had to say yes or no, I'd say yes, as the vegan friendly beers seem to be the rule rather than the exception.

Dear John, I'd like to drink a few Guinness pints this St. Patrick's Day but the bartender always takes so long to pour it for me. What gives?
-Lindsay M., Bensalem, PA

Actually, it is supposed to take a little longer to pour than other beers. The company that owns Guinness maintains that it should be poured in a 2 minute traditional process in which the bartender stops a little more than halfway through and lets the initial pour settle before slowly topping it off. While this is more tradition than practical, it does mean that less beer is usually spilled in the form of overflowing head when your bartender pours your drink.

Dear John, What is the reason for keeping head on a beer?
-Jonathan C., Philadelphia, PA

Achieving a proper pour with a nice head is important to ensure that the aromas of your beer are released for maximum enjoyment. While I don’t believe that it is really necessary to have a thick foamy head on every glass of beer (in fact much of the beer I drink won’t foam too much) the main argument for head retention is that it also improves the body and mouthfeel of a beer.

Dear John, which regions of the world can hops grow in? Also, what is the difference between the various types?
- Rachel de Bernardo Philadelphia,PA

Good news for anyone who would like to grow some themselves: hops, as part of the hardy Cannabaceae family of plants, can grow almost anywhere. Of course, the species of hops we use in beer (Humulus lupulus) are mostly grown in Europe and North America. Major growth areas are located in Germany, the UK and Northwestern United States.

The various types of hops are all specific cultivars - specialized plants altered by humans to have specific uniform characteristics. All the varieties have unique flavors and aromas as well as differing levels of alpha acids which impart bitterness to the brew.

Dear John, I've noticed that you seem to wear the same shirt every time I've seen you (and in all the photos of you in the August/September issue.) What gives - do you only own one shirt?
Shannon M., Manayunk, PA

Thanks for pointing that out, actually. The shirt I can often be seen wearing is the promotional shirt from our first Brews for Boobies pub crawl last year. I love wearing the shirt because it is both stylish and helps raise awareness for our annual charity event. By the time you read this, we will have just completed our second Brews for Boobies event on the 3rd of October so you can look forward to me wearing the new one everywhere I go (and yes, I do wash it every time I wear it.)

Dear John, why do some people refer to some beers as “hoppy?” Aren't all beers brewed with hops? Adam T., Philadelphia, PA

As I pointed out in the last issue, beer does not technically have to be brewed with hops but most beers are. Besides the hops, much of a beer's flavor comes from its malts. Different beers use different amounts and types of hops for flavor and aroma. The beers that most people refer to as “hoppy” typically have their balance between malt and hops flavors tipped more towards the hops side, possibly as a result of using a large portion or stronger variety of hops.

Dear John, I’ve seen a lot of beers recently that are being served with fruit around the rim. I thought this was only done with Coronas and limes. What gives?
-Josh M., Manayunk, PA

This relatively recent trend of putting citrus fruit in beer is a way of marketing beer to people who may not be as discriminate towards the taste of the actual beer. I’m looking at you, cheap beer drinkers. Beers are regularly brewed with all kinds of fruits ranging from passion fruit (see Voodoo Love Child on page 34) to pumpkin, and can certainly be brewed with citrus flavor too. This technique is mainly designed to attract people who would normally drink cocktails or to hide the taste. There may be other experts who disagree with me. They are wrong.

My friends have recently gotten me to switch from cocktails to beer, how can I find which types of beer suit me best?
- Rachel W., Yardley, PA

Congratulations, you've taken the first step by picking up this magazine! At first taste, beer can put off many tasters simply because their palates are not used to the bitterness of hops used to flavor beer. My favorite tactic is to simply try and taste a bit of every beer you come across. After sampling many, many beers the strong bitter beers that I could barely choke down after sampling just a few are now my favorites.