February 19, 2009: Meteor

If you're a French Geography buff like me, then you're undoubtedly fascinated by the regions of France that border their neighboring countries. These areas along the borders uniquely incorporate elements of both French culture and the culture of their neighbors. In the south you have the famous Basque country, which has it's own language and very distinctive cultural practices. Historically, Corsica has been largely influenced by both French and Italian Culture. In my opinion however, the most interesting border region of France without a doubt is Alsace, also know as Alsace Lorraine. Bordering Germany to the east, the Alsace region is a strange melting pot of two very different countries. With town names like Hochfelden, Wilshausen, Schwindratzheim and Strasbourg, Alsace is a quirky little corner of France that is unlike any other place in the world. Today's beer Meteor hails from this region of France, and like the area of it's origin, this lager is a bit of an enigma.

The Alsace region has long been seen as an inferior producer of beers when compared to the regions of Northern France and Southern Germany. If these regions were family members, Germany would be the oldest brother who's the captain of the football team and is dating the most popular girl in school, northern France would be the gifted yougest child with an IQ of 150, and poor old Alsace would be the forgotten middle child that's never quite lived up to the standards set by it's more impressive siblings. Put quite simply, Alsace has never been known for it's brewing heritage despite the fact that it's surrounded by world renowned brewing meccas on all sides. Needless to say I'm not expecting much from Meteor tonight, but we'll give it a go either way. Meteor has a nice orange-gold tint that reminds me a lot of a lager like Stella Artois. I tried to track down the origin of the name Meteor, but had no luck. Some have suggested that the name Meteor was an attempt to link it to more establish English beers, but there's not much evidence to support this idea in my opinion. Meteor has a very even and mild flavor; not too much bite or blandness to speak of. In my opinion, Meteor is closer to American mega-brews like Budweiser and Coors in terms of flavor and weight than it is to it's European neighbors. Not bad at all, if you like your lagers by the book than Meteor is a good fit for you. If you're looking to be more adventurous, there's no need to bother with this one.

A Votre Sante!
Ian

http://www.brasserie-meteor.fr