On its face, choosing a beer seems like a pretty simple proposition. And It would be, save for the fact that this liquid is one of the most fragile of all packaged products, vulnerable to time, heat, light and other forces. The single biggest factor in making sure you have great beer in your glass is getting it reasonably fresh.
Beer is an extraordinarily fragile beverage. It is composed of well over a thousand chemical components coexisting in an uneasy and short-lived balance, far from anything resembling chemical equilibrium. It’s best within weeks of its packaging day, a fact that few of its fans really realize.
This post deals with the fascinating world of functional fragrance: the commercial art of adding aromas to household products. Since so much money is riding on this, it tends to be highly secretive, and it’s very difficult to get those involved to really tell stories about the tricks and techniques that make these products and deal with our perceptually messy selves. John has moved on to other things, so was happy to share some insights with me.