THE BEER BEAT: A brief Pints & Union beer list report (yay) and a Yuengling correction (shrug).

It's ironic, although not entirely unexpected, that the more beer I drink as part of a solemn imperative to research (alas, someone's got to do it), and the greater the amount of time translating this diligent research into a beer list for Pints & Union, the less opportunity to write idly about beer in general.

It's a lesson I'm relearning. By the way, there is good news: a June local board hearing date for the three-way license.

Hallelujah.

The past few days I've been poring over the pour sheets from four larger wholesalers and two or three smaller ones. That's around 70 pages combined, much of it written in very small print. The range of choice boggles even this fairly experienced mind.

These days an aspiring pub entrepreneur might choose to sell lists made up of imports only, or all domestic; just bottles, or cans alone; beer from California, or Indianapolis; all ales, or exclusively lager; or entirely wood-aged as opposed to fruit-flavored.

One beer we likely won't be selling is Yuengling Golden Pilsner, which I sampled earlier in the week. Frankly, I'm amazed at being informed this beer is all-malt, without the corn grits that are the norm in the brewery's other beers.

Granted, I'm a tad rusty when it comes to beer judging, but to my nose and tongue, that characteristic sweetness seemed a dead giveaway. It reminded me of the last time I was compelled to hold my nose and drink a Miller High Life.

Obviously, Yuengling's house character must owe to other factors, and so it goes. What was I tasting and smelling that might be confused for corn? Anyway, one cannot be right all the time, and I'll add that the second Golden Pilsner was consumed at a near-freezing temperature, and tasted much better as a result.

THE BEER BEAT: Yuengling Golden Pilsner, or how I mourn the taste of corn in the morn (and afternoon).

Getting back to the Pints & Union list, there's no need to go into great detail apart from a reminder that the ultimate intent is a relatively small inventory of bottled and canned "classics" and "greatest hits," not a swirling kaleidoscope. There'll be stylistic diversity, and we'll work seasonal beers and "new" selections into the set list as we go.

As for draft, the ideal plan hasn't changed: eight faucets, five of which are fixed, with two seasonal/specialty rotators and a cider.

Overviews are easy, and the devil resides in those 70 pages of details. If you'll excuse me, I'll get back to them.

THE BEER BEAT: Yuengling Golden Pilsner, or how I mourn the taste of corn in the morn (and afternoon).

I wore the sunglasses for a reason. 

I also chose the Civil War shelf for a reason.

Several of my friends beat me to tasting Pabst Pale Ale (I still haven't), but earlier today by sheer serendipity I walked into Keg Liquors (Clarksville) and became the first customer to buy a six-pack of Yuengling's ballyhooed Golden Pilsner.

The verdict: It's worth $7.99 ... barely, and by the way, the color "golden" can be assumed as the default appearance of any pilsner. An adjective is necessary only when it isn't golden, which never happens -- at least in my sheltered world.

Politics aside, proper stylistic comparisons are important. Lately I've been drinking Firestone Walker's Pivo Pils ("pivo" is the word for "beer" in Slavic languages), and it's absolutely incredible. However, FW Beer Pils must be compared to classic German and Bohemian examples in spite of a few crafty twists.

It sizes up quite well.

Without having done any research, my guess is Yuengling's Golden Pilsner must be included in a group with Coors Banquet, Miller High Life and other "American-style" pilsners. Hence the usual Yuengling house character -- some sulfur and corniness (adjunct) on the nose, no discernible hop presence, watery body.

Another thing: keep mentioning Hallertauer and Saaz hops, and eventually someone will notice there isn't much of a trace of either -- but again, that's what American pilsners ARE, and I'm told noble German hops are cheap these days.

Admittedly, once I knew what corn as an adjunct tastes and smells like, I understood what I never liked about such beers. Not that there can't be good adjunct beers; just that they're not my preference.

Having said this, Yuengling Golden Pilsner tastes fine as measured against the appropriate yardstick, for $7.99 a six-pack, when nothing more classically pilsner-like is available. In other words, like all the other times I've ever consumed a Yuengling, usually while traveling and dining somewhere without useful "craft" options.

Preferable options include Firestone Walker Pivo Pils, which I'm drinking now, because try as I might, it simply didn't seem like a second Yuengling was in the cards. It's good for what it is, and what it is, isn't my usual choice. So be it.