California brewery is bottling arrogance
Kerry Lengel
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 20, 2002
So much for the theory that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Southern California's Stone Brewing Co. cultivates customers' loyalty by insulting them.
"You're Not Worthy" is the motto on its flagship Arrogant Bastard Ale.
"It is doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth," the label taunts. "Perhaps you think multimillion-dollar ad campaigns make a beer taste better. Perhaps you're mouthing your words as you read this."
Arrogant Bastard definitely isn't for everyone, but this intensely malty and intensely bitter brew has earned Stone an intensely loyal clientele. The phrase "cult following" gets thrown around a little too freely, but in this case it's entirely appropriate.
"It's an aggressive beer in the bottle, and it's an aggressive bottle, and it's an aggressive philosophy behind the beer, and if you're drinking it, you kind of understand that," says head brewer Lee Chase, who collaborates on Stone's lineup with brewmaster Steve Wagner.
"Arrogant Bastard helped define what we're doing and made it possible for us to make beers that aren't very accessible to most people. When people see Stone, they go, 'Hey, those are the arrogant bastards that make Arrogant Bastard.' They expect that we're going to do something a little irreverent."
The reigning philosophy is that there's no such thing as going too far. You'd be hard-pressed to find a hoppier beer than Stone's India pale ale, and its limited-release imperial stout was the blackest, thickest, most fabulously over-the-top beer I've ever had (with enough alcohol to tranquilize a moose).
Stone's latest gambit (or should we say gimmick?) is its Vertical Epic series: 11 unique, high-alcohol beers to be released one year and one day apart and designed to improve with age. The first debuted on Feb. 2, or 2/2/02, and is to be followed by its brothers on 3/3/03, 4/4/04, etc., through Dec. 12, 2012. On that date, all 11 beers can be enjoyed together in a "vertical" tasting.
"It makes it interesting for us, it makes it interesting for the beer culture, and it's kind of a collector's thing," Chase says. "It's just a way for us to play around and enjoy different beers and create a little bit of buzz."
Buzz, indeed. Five cases, of a total 300, of the Vertical Epic arrived at Tops Liquor in Tempe last Wednesday. By the time I showed up that afternoon to buy my ration of two 22-ounce bottles, more than half the supply had been sold.
The first Vertical Epic is a stronger, hoppier version of a Belgian wit beer. For those lucky enough to have secured a supply, Chase offers this advice on storage: Keep it in a dark, cool place; cellar temperature, or 55 degrees, is optimal. And don't turn it as you would champagne - "It'll definitely get some of the yeast character as time goes on, so the less you disturb it, the better."
In what might be a slight departure from the party line, Chase says, "It shouldn't have any problem aging for 10 years, but whether you like it better 10 years from now, that's kind of up to the individual taster. . . .
"It's my philosophy that if you like the beer, then drink it. And if you like it after two years, then you're lucky you waited that long. (But) sometimes you have a beer that you really like when it's fresh, and three years later, you're like, 'Oh, not so good.' "
For my money, this wit could use some aging. Right now, the sharp bite overpowers the silky wheat and bright citrus tastes that epitomize the style. After a year or so, the beer should be mellower, with better-balanced flavors.
In the meantime, look for limited releases such as the Stone Imperial Russian Stout, Old Guardian Barleywine and Double Bastard Ale. Tragically, it may be a while before we see another batch of the fabulous Lee's Mild, a delightfully nutty brown ale that was low in hops and low in alcohol - and, unfortunately, low in sales.
"It won't be called Lee's Mild, that's for sure," Chase says when I ask whether a comeback is in the offing. "I think 'Stone' and 'Mild' are two things that shouldn't go together on a bottle label. . . .
"Maybe it just didn't have that cult appeal."
Reach the reporter at (602) 444-4896.
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