Court of opinion is on session

The New York Times has a piece on lower-strength beers.

With that, some discussion, a few thoughts …

Sometimes it seems like the buzz about high-alcohol brews – ones Frank Sinatra probably would have dubbed gasoline (his preferred handle for Jack Daniel’s) – is the beer equivalent of Nigel Tufnel’s amplier cranking to 11.

But hey, you can make 10 louder, that is, make a quite tasty session beer (like Philly pub Nodding Head’s Berliner Weisse, 3.5% ABV), one that keeps its feet on the ground and lets you stay on yours after a pint or two (or three).

Ironically, it’s talk itself that’s one of the wider planks in the platform of session brews: You can enjoy beer without compromising your ability to converse intelligently (or work your mack daddy moves).

Big beers, and the taste for ’em, have been around long enough that they’re in no danger of fading away. There will always be fridge space for that big, corked bottle and the four-pack.

But it could be simple economics that pulls the choke chain and reins ’em in a little. They require more raw ingredients (whose costs have risen) to make and are pricier on the store shelf. And anyone who's divvying up their dollars knows the overhead of everyday living is taking a bigger bite these days.

So the marketplace will speak. Have a beer and talk about it.