I reached the Threshold

[olivermoss]

And it had folk music. I had a rice lager with makrut lime leaf. It was good, but not the best beer I've had from them. I like rice lagers a lot, so I expected one from them to blow me away, but it was just solid. Nice vibes and a good place for a rainy afternoon, though. Threshold, like Block15, is still one of my go-to labels.

Comments

[razielim]

never even heard of a rice lager or seen one on tap! what's the distinctive trait(s) that appeals to you so much?

[olivermoss]

A lot of Japanese beers are rice beers, mostly lagers. They used to be pretty looked down on for using rice because they couldn't grow the usual beer grain in Japan, but these days they are pretty popular. A number of local breweries in my area, including Crux, do rice beers. Typically, they have a very light flavor and you can often taste the rice flavor profile. Using jasmine tea or something to accent the flavor is also popular.

In this, I couldn't taste the rice, it just tasted like a beer. A good beer, but not what I typically expect out of a high quality rice beer.

[razielim]

Okay, okay, cool! I'll keep an eye out to try. It might be less common with the local breweries on this coast if it's a Japan influence, but I also might have been just passing right over things on the menu due to being unfamiliar. Thanks!

[olivermoss]

If you've had a beer in Japanese restaurant, you might have had a rice beer. The older and more established brand were trying to use rice to mimic American beer. Newer and more indie breweries lean into the rice flavor and let it be it's own thing, and also US breweries typically lean into the rice.

[mistressofmuses]

It looks like a nice place to spend some time!

(Weirdly, the second mention of makrut limes that I've heard today, though I know I'm a few days late to the post.)

[olivermoss]

I didn't expect the folk music, but it was cool!

[mistressofmuses]

That is cool! It's fun when you encounter random performances or the like that you weren't planning on.