AUGUST 11, 2016 // 23
BOOK SHELF // GLIMPSE // WILDLIFE // POP CULTURE
COLUMBIA BAR
Snakebites at the Fort ANTHEM
A snakebite, which
originated in the
U.K., is a pint
glass of 50/50 lager
and hard cider
By RYAN HUME
For over two years now,
this monthly column has
solely dedicated itself to
the Hard-A alchemy of our
talented local mixologists
and their tireless
efforts to dream up
and discover both
new and old ways
to layer liquor upon
liquor, cut with any
number of mixers
and enlivened with
infusions and ex-
tracts galore, often
housemade.
I have come to
consider myself
something of a
cocktail guinea
pig (I always let
the bartender
pick their poison
with as little
coaching as
possible, placing
an emphasis
upon signature
drinks, cus-
tomer favorites
and seasonal
delicacies), and
I have learned
much of what I
know about the
science of spirits
by listening to
the knowledgeable bar wom-
en and men of the North
Coast.
But this is not to say that I
don’t occasionally just yearn
for a good pint or a tall boy.
Living in Astoria, which
seems to have one church,
brewery and pot shop per
every five residents, the
hop-minded are eternally
rewarded with a variety of
complex and unusual brews.
Entering August 2016
and hoping for some truly
warm weather before the
summer slips away like so
many of July’s clouds, my
mind inevitably turned to
the beer cocktail — the
lemonade-punched shandy,
or the michelada, that sudsy
Mexican cousin of the Bloody
Mary. There’s never
been a better friend
to have around on a
hot, sweltering day
than a beer cocktail.
Beer: You know, it’s
for what ales ya.
So I approached
Fort George,
figuring the North
Coast’s veritable
brewery behemoth,
which boasts three
separate menus,
a number of lec-
ture series and
charity events
and a rotation
of employee-cu-
rated and locally
inspired one-off
batches, might
be down for the
challenge.
After chat-
ting up a few
servers, who
assured me
many a cus-
tomer enjoys
personalizing a
pint out of what
is available on tap, I settled
into an experimental round
of snakebites. Two out of
three of these experiments
centered around some new
batches of sours that the Fort
has been playing around
with as of late, with one
I HAVE
OFTEN
FELT LIKE A
GUINEA PIG
DOING THIS
COLUMN,
BUT ... THIS
IS THE FIRST
TIME I HAVE
FELT LIKE A
KID WITH A
CHEMISTRY
SET.
low-volume IPA thrown in for
good measure.
Traditionally, a snakebite,
which originated in the U.K.
— home to only one venom-
ous snake, the adder — is a
pint glass of 50/50 lager and
hard cider, but many varia-
tions had already appeared
internationally, including a
stout-and-cider combo state-
side, prior to Brexit.
The Fort keeps Anthem Ci-
der on tap, which ferments a
semi-dry from apples grown
in Oregon and Washington
right out of Salem. With an
alcohol by volume of 5.0%
to 6.5% per batch, this crisp
cider formed the control
group for the following
concoctions. What variations
occurred relied upon what
was available on tap at Fort
George as of Aug. 1 and on
the various beer-to-cider
ratios applied.
Like I said above, I have
often felt like a guinea pig
doing this column, but with
so many sample glasses laid
out on the bar before me,
this is the first time I have
felt like a kid with a chem-
istry set. My results and
musings are listed below
and are based on trying
three different beers mixed
with the same cider at two
different ratios: 50% beer to
cider and 75% beer to cider.
The ABV of each brew is
listed along with the board
description of the beer.
Precision is not necessary to
recreate these experiments
— to each their own palate
— but, whether by Fort tap
or by can or bottle pulled
from the cooler, peer review
is encouraged.
—Experiments courtesy of
David Licitra, server at Fort
George, Astoria, Oregon
++++++++++++++++++++++
CIDER
PLUS ++++++++++++++++++++++
Anthem Cider +
Brown-eyed Girl: 4.6%,
sour brown ale
Anthem Cider +
Suckerpunch: 4%, lemon
and lime zest kettle sour
Anthem Cider +
Overdub IPA: 4.5%, mellow,
pristine, passionfruit
Notes: Really, the Sucker-
punch packs such a strong,
citrusy left hook that the 50%
and the 75% ratios made little
diff erence, though the 75% ra-
tio did feel just slightly heavier,
beer-wise, on the back end.
Overall, fl axen and eff erves-
cent, like a carbonated glass of
lemonade — the closest thing
to a shandy on this list — the
50/50 was my personal favor-
ite of the entire fl ute, but I may
be biased simply because I
like the idea of a drink called
Snakebite Suckerpunch being
in existence.
Notes: Honestly, I’m sure
this would work for some,
but the 75% pour of this
long-session IPA reminded
me that there are fl oral and
citrus notes in dirt — it’s that
earthy. The beer itself is great,
but when mixed with the cider
at this level some eruption of
hoppiness occurred against
the cider that I frankly did not
care for. In complete contrast,
the 50/50 pour was the most
traditional snakebite of the
bunch and something that I
would certainly hold in hand
on a hot summer day.
Notes: I could rip off a
bunch of Van Morrison quotes
to describe the distance a single
sour can go while traveling
the distance between the top
of a tooth to the back of the
esophagus. Into the mystic,
anyone? Sours are unusual. I’m
just getting to know them. This
one is brown and round until
the end, where it takes a sharp
nod up toward your sinuses. The
75% pour remained tart, playing
off the malic acid in the cider,
but weighed down the tongue
with the full-bodied richness
one would expect from a brown.
The 50% on the other hand was
sweet, crisp and malty: overall,
pretty well balanced and rich.
2911 Marine Dr #B
Astoria, OR 97103
503-325-3276
Mon-Sat 10 am - 8 pm
Sun 12 Noon - 6 pm
Where Astoria Shops!
Great professional, friendly service
in a relaxed atmosphere
along with a wide selection of the best
of Oregon brands and growers
High CBD and THC Flowers * Extracts
* Concentrates * Edibles * Topicals
To see our full menu, go to
thefarmacy420.com
or come by our store and take with you a small
gift, compliments of The Farmacy staff.
Must be 21 years old.
No medical marijuana card
needed.
Every Day is 420 at The Farmacy, with Cash Back Rewards!!