“A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it’s better to be thoroughly sure.”

Czech Proverb

That quote reminds me of a term I first heard while attending beer school: quaffability. And even though my spell check is suggesting the contrary right now, I can assure you that the word is real. Quaffability is the “state or condition of being quaffable” according to wiktionary.org, an online open source dictionary. I have always thought that quaffability was a funny word to say and write, but all humorous meanderings aside it refers to a beverage’s drinkability—how easily one can consume and enjoy a particular beverage, especially in quantity. Naturally, this is a subjective idea. Some die-hard pilsener fans might cringe at the thought of downing several pints of a thick Imperial Stout on a hot summer day. A tried-and-true Stout fan might relish the thought.  It’s the beauty of choice and diversity, and it kind of makes me want to belt out the theme song to Diff’rent Strokes right now. But I will spare everyone that horror and get back to the point. The point is that the idea of quaffability has stuck with me over the years, and I took it into consideration when I began writing my most recent recipe. This year is the fifteen-year anniversary of the Michigan Brewer’s Guild. 2012 also just happens to be OBB’s fifteen-year anniversary. Not long ago, Guild members were asked to make a beer in honor of the anniversary. The original recipe was for a high-gravity, Imperial IPA-style beer made with Michigan wheat malt. Well, rebel with a mash paddle that I am, I took this recipe and tweaked it into something a little more sessionable, something I would consider quaffable in the middle of July because we are going to have it on tap all summer and into October, in honor of our anniversary as well as the Guild’s. So look for our single-hop Anniversary Pale Ale to be launched sometime in May. Also, as hotter days are ahead, expect to see our Blueberry Witbier on tap soon. But if you are looking for a good deck beer right now, you might want to try our Raspberry/Lemon Wheat or Ginger Saison. And for all you strong ale fans, another Imperial Red may be in the hopper (pun absolutely intended, by the way). Anyway, here’s to quaffability in all its varied glory, and until next time…Cheers!