The Morning Call from Allentown, Pennsylvania • 53

THE MORNING CALL. WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 3, 1993 07 Beer dinners combine the best of two worlds Newsy Notes Beers can be matched with foods in two ways, according to the Emmaus beer enthusiast and lecturer who also produces a "brewsletter" called "On Tap." The first way is to pair the beer with a food that has similar characteristics. But beer and foods that are totally different in nature and character can create more exciting and rewarding combinations, such as the match of a superb pumpkin cheesecake with the Belgian Boon Faro Lambic Ale. Explained Schmidt, "Originally we thought we'd pair the cheesecake with the pumpkin ale.

But bitterness of the beer and sweetness of the cheesecake clashed, so we tried 1 it another way." During the multi-course beer dinner, Hansell dispensed interesting facts, from the origin of the Marzen style beers (which were tapped traditionally during Okto-berfest celebrations and came to be known as Oktoberfest beers) to the way porter got its name (because the porters in the Covent Garden area of London liked to drink dark ale). He explained differences in terminology. "Beer tapped and sold as 'bitter in Britain is sold here as pale he said. As beer dinner guests tasted Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale, made in England, Hansell told them the Smith Brewery is one of the last to keg its beers in wooden, rather than stainless steel, kegs. When the Rogue Smoke beer was being poured, Hansell explained that its flavor is somewhat similar to the single malt scotch, because the Munich malts are smoked over an alder and cherrywood fire to give the beer both a smoky aroma and flavor.

But probably the most interesting beer described and tasted dur ing the evening was the Boon Faro, the Belgian Lambic ale, made in an area near Brussels. "It is spontaneously fermented, meaning that there is no specific yeast strain added that is responsible for the beer's flavor. After it is brewed, it is pumped to the attic of a farmhouse brewery where it sits in big, wide, shallow vessels to cool. Windows are opened, inviting wild bacteria and yeast in the air to go to work on the beer. The process continues inside wooden casks that are left open but protected from insect infestations by cobwebs that are carefully left in place.

Because wild bacteria and yeasts growing in a specific area of Belgium are used for the beer, it can't be duplicated anywhere else. A sweet-sour type of beer, it can be flavored with any number of fruits." Those who tasted the Boon Faro had the chance to taste an ale that was sweetened with candy sugar and enhanced with coriander, orange peel and aromatic peppers. Other Iambics are flavored with fresh cherries, raspberries or peaches. "Sometimes, the Belgians even combine an old and a young Lambic beer, producing a highly carbonated brew that gushes out like a geyser and gives it the name said Hansell, who added, "Belgium has been called the Disneyland for beer enthusiasts because so many different beers are produced in such a small country." For information or reservations, call the Farmhouse at 967-6225. For more information about subscribing to the On Tap beer journal, write: John Hansell, 3416 Oak Hill Road, Emmaus, Pa.

18049. reports reservations are flowing in so fast for Christmas Beer Dinners at the Farmhouse ($45 a person, including tax and tip) that Friday and Saturday evening sessions already are filled and a Saturday afternoon session (3:30 p.m. Dec. 10) has just a few more openings. If there's enough demand, there will be a Thursday evening and a Sunday session.

In addition, Hansen and the Schmidts also are planning Winter Beer Tasting Dinner sessions the weekend of Jan. 22; Spring Beer Tasting Dinners the weekend of April 23, and a Belgian Beer Tasting March 12. Schmidt, a beer enthusiast himself, called the events a "marriage" between Hansell's expertise and the Farmhouse's extensive selection of beers. "My brother Art and I were intrigued by beer bars like the Brickskeller in Washington, D.C. which has some 500 beers available.

We decided we wanted to offer an extensive selection of beers at the Farmhouse. Our advertising attracted John, and as we exchanged ideas about beers, we had the idea to collaborate on beer dinners." Enthusiasm for beer styles beyond pilsners began in the 1960s, with the start of microbreweries that today can be found in many states. "These operations produced smaller volumes of beer that were hand-crafted and made with fine ingredients. The breweries began producing beer styles like stouts and porters and many more. At the most recent Great American Beer Festival in Colorado, there were more than 30 different styles of beer.

It's a trend that continues to grow. Today, there are more than 100 micro-breweries producing a multitude of styles," Hansell said. The world of beer expanded even further with the opening of brew pubs like Philadelphia's Dock Street that produce and sell beer on the premises. "They might make a 15-barrel batch of a particular type of beer. The brew pub's Dock Street Pumpkin Ale, included in the most recent tasting, is an example.

The brewmaster added pumpkin and spices to the basic brew. If people like it, he'll make it again. If people don't like it, he can simply make something else," Hansell said. Entrepreneurs who have decided to tackle the paperwork necessary to import beers also get some of the credit for today's level of interest in this classic beverage. Finally, someone with an idea for a new beer doesn't have to construct a brewery to do it.

There are a greater number of beers because "a person with an idea for a beer simply can go to an existing brewery with some excess capacity and make arrangements with that brewery to produce a certain beer under contract. Samuel Adams is a contract beer. So is Neuweiler's, for example," said Hansell. Because there is an emphasis on drinking smaller quantities of alco- hohc beverages, people who enjoy beer tend to drink better beers, according to HanselL He added, however, that unless one can attend beer dinners or has friends who are willing to buy cases of unusual beers and divide them up, tasting many different beers can be a difficult and expensive process. Beers at the most recent Farmhouse dinner, for example, retail for about $20 to $100 a case.

Although no one apparently has taken the time to count, Hansell estimates there probably are thousands of beers on the market, giving him a lifetime (and more) of material for his efforts at matching foods and beers. He credits wine enthusiasts for paving the way for beer enthusiasts, but admits a decided prejudice: "I think beer has more of a potential than wine when it comes to pairing it with food." "Beer is an important part of my dining experience," he added. "Drinking beer for the love of it is one thing, but matching beers with foods adds an entire new dimension to a meal." UN HI I II JLst r-Y Continued From Page D1 who wanted to see how much they could drink. Hansell, an Emmaus resident and a consultant on fine beers and whiskey, explains his "beer-in-the-hand" answer to those who ask him to reveal his favorite, by saying, "To me, there is no 'best' or 'worst' beer in the world. There are beers for different occasions.

One that is right for one occasion might not go well at all at another occasion." His audience at The Farmhouse included many fellow beer enthusiasts who see their favorite beverage in much the same way as wine lovers savor the latest vintages. Hansell talked of aromas, flavors and finishes as he described the beer renaissance going on in America. The soft-spoken expert, who has traveled to breweries around the world and carefully logged the taste experiences he has had, admits there was a time when he didn't like beer "When I was in college, my friends and I couldn't afford anything but cheap, boring, bland beer. But then a friend purchased a six-pack of a German pilsner and shared it with me. That's when I realized there was a whole world of beer to be explored.

"For many decades here in the United States, the major brewers made just one style of beer, pilsner, when there were dozens of other styles in the world. It was like offering 50 different flavors of ice cream everywhere else and having everyone in America focusing on just one of those flavors," Hansell said. Apparently, however, there are a significant number of people who do want to learn more about beers beyond pilsners and are eager for Hansell to teach them. Explained Farmhouse co-owner Alan Schmidt, "We planned the first beer dinner with John Hansell in March of 1993 and hoped we could get 35 people to sign up. Before we were through, we ran four dinner sessions for 240 people and had an additional 50 people on the waiting list." The early enthusiasm for the beer-tasting dinners hasn't waned.

Fans are signing up and bringing groups of friends, which is the best way to guarantee the quality of your dinner companions. Schmidt SCOUTS Continued From Page D1 juices and vegetables; foods providing protein, such as canned tuna, beans and peanut butter (in plastic, not glass); meal-in-one items, such as chunky soups and stews, and baby items, such as formula and diapers. If possible, fill bags with a variety of foods. Although agencies receiving the food appreciate all donations, they prefer not having to serve the same food at nearly every meal, Chase said. Filled bags should be placed out 0 if YV ii i ii I I I II I I ir-mi Ex-hostage Cicippio begins book tour Former American hostage Joseph Cicippio will begin a tour of book stores and speaking engagements as well as over 30 radio and television appearances to promote his new book, "Chains to Roses" being published by WRS Publishing of Waco, Texas.

Cicippio will be on hand 2-4 p.m. Saturday at Gene's Books, located at the King of Prussia Plaza. The book signing at Gene's Books will be a homecoming for Cicippio who is originally from nearby Norristown. Information: 265-6210. Toy show and sale set in Whitehall The third annual Allentown Preview Antique and Collectible Toy Show will be held 3-9 p.m.

Friday at the George Washington Lodge, Route 22 and Seventh Allentown. The show is expected to have up to 300 tables of antique and collectible toys from top exhibitors in the U.S. It will consist of tens of thousands of antique and collectible toys such as cars, trucks, trains, planes, vehicles, toy soldiers, die-cast toys, playsets, comic character, TV and movie-related characters, advertising, dolls, figural items, games, banks, premiums, robots, monster-related items, model kits, PEZ collectibles and more. Information: 201-935-3388. Just 20 minutes Irom VSchnedcvilte Just 10 minutes tramSoulh a 'CP.

liid 15 OCUtlCIICIll 1 miteS Just 10 minutes Irom Treilertown it EMMU5AVt FOOD Just 10 minutes From 4 LESS lellertown it iKJLJi i side front doors by 8 a.m. Nov. 13 for collection. Scouts are not permitted to go inside homes or into apartment complexes to collect bags. Anyone who does not receive a bag still may contribute by dropping off donations between 10 a.m.

and 2 p.m. Nov. 13 at Curtis Armory, 15th and Allen streets, Allen-town, or National Guard Armory, Second Street and Prospect Avenue, Bethlehem. Donations can also be taken to Minsi Trails Council Service Center, 991 Postal Road, Allentown, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday. Information: 264-8551. My. If, r-v' 1 1 ft 1 1 i I 1 VI 1 Vx vvwrrr- I Strange As It May Seem: Your child may have 2020 eyesight, and yet have a vision problem affecting the ability to learn up to potential. PatCasciano "I found shopping Food 4 Less to be a nice, relaxed atmosphere with every thing properly spaced and wide, comfortable and prices proved to be, overall, basically lower than the other stores.

Pearl Lehr "Our first impression of the Food 4 Less store was the large selection of food and the really wide aisles not cluttered by empty and being retired, we're on a limited income and need to keep grocery costs down. We found that shopping Food 4 Less cut our grocery bill by one third. Why Be Concerned? Studies show that about 35 of children in the lower fourth of a class and 50 of children with learning disorders have vision problems that can interfere with learning. What To Look For: Number and letter reversals such as and Difficulty copying from the board. Sloppy handwriting.

Loss of place when reading. Frequent careless errors. Eyestrain, headaches, poor concentration and attention span. Restlessness, unable to stay on task, Are Any of These "Signs" Present? If your child is between the ages of 6 and 1 5 and has one or more of these problems, our 45 minute FREE SCREENING will evaluate abilities involving: EYETEAMING, FOCUSING, TRACKING, VISUAL MEMORY, REVERSALS, VISUAL ANALYSIS SKILLS, VISUAL MOTOR INTEGRATION After the Screening, What Next? If the results of the screening suggest that a problem is present, we will develop a VISION THERAPY program to meet your child's individual needs and eliminate the underlying vision problems. Good News If Vision Therapy is necessary it is covered by most major medical insurance policies.

Call 282-3969 Be sure to ask for an appointment for a free screening by Dr. Mitchell Scheiman for learning related vision problems. 2F MH OTIMIMHHII.nl nmi 1,11,1111 Located 1 14 mile off Lehigh St exit from Route 309, 2900 Lehigh Street Allentown Just 6 minutes lrom Coopersbunj.