Black Tuesday: Behind the Glass

The 2015 release of Black Tuesday® is one day away! As we count down the hours to the beer’s release at noon on Tuesday in the Tasting Room and the Release Parties that begin Tuesday evening, we thought we’d give you an inside look – rather, take you behind the glass – of this year’s Black Tuesday tasting glass.

A nod to the past
Black Tuesday is named after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 – the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States and the spark that fueled the decade-long Great Depression. Before that, it was simply referred to as the Beer from Hell. At The Bruery, we’ve played up the 1920s angle big time over the years – dressing up in themed attire on Black Tuesday (the last Tuesday in October) and using period-specific imagery to conjure up that feeling of nostalgia.

The center design of the glass does just that, with the font selection and art deco style borders carrying you into an ornate movie theater at the peak of its popularity in the roaring 1920s. But instead of a screen, the glass is the focal point. The dark canopy is Black Tuesday.

To the far left are oak spirals, a fundamental element of the beer’s character. The far right signals time – a nod to the long maturation in oak bourbon barrels plus a reflection on both the 1920s and The Bruery’s evolution over time. The four quadrants between the half circles and the center Black Tuesday logo represent the core ingredients in both Black Tuesday and the history of brewing: malt (top left), hops (bottom left), yeast (top right) and water (bottom right).

More than looks
While the art on the glass amplifies the attractiveness, the style of the glass was carefully selected to deepen the experience of tasting beer. To achieve this, we chose a crystal glass from Riedel. Crystal provides the optimum color, brilliance and polished finish to the glass. Your hands can cup the bowl to warm the beer or you can hold it by the stem, keeping the beer at its served temperature longer.

The top of the glass flares out, releasing an aromatic bouquet. It’s wide enough to isolate your nose in the glass to maximize the aromatic experience. It’s been said that the human nose can detect north of 10,000 different scents, while there are only five flavors the tongue can discern (salty, sweet, sour, bitter and savory / umami). Aroma tells us much more about beer – it influences what we perceive as taste. And with a beer like Black Tuesday, the more the merrier. The beadless rim of the glass allows the beer to flow smoothly onto the tongue, harmonizing the multiple elements that are discernible in the flavor with an unobstructed mouthfeel.

Availability
Attendees at our Black Tuesday Release Parties on Tuesday and Wednesday will each receive a taster glass. On Friday morning, a limited number of Black Tuesday taster glasses will be available for Reserve Society® and Hoarders Society® members through TheBrueryStore.com. Black Tuesday apparel will be available online as well, and in the Tasting Room, on Friday.

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