8/12/2023 0 Comments Anchor big leaf maple![]() They use nectar, pollen (and rarely floral oil) for themselves and their developing young. Pollination occurs because bees seek resources from flowers to provide energy and protein. In most ecosystems, bees are among the most important pollinating insects. Much of our world’s flowering plant diversity relies on insects for pollination. Pollination, or the transfer of pollen between flowers of the same species, occurs in nearly every terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. As beautiful as bee biodiversity is on its own, native bees are important pollinators that facilitate plant reproduction in wildland and agricultural ecosystems. These effects can ripple into the ecosystem, affecting mammals and birds that depend on fruits and seeds. And when native bee communities are disrupted, seed and fruit production can decline. Nevertheless, most bee species contribute to pollination. For example, some bees can remove resources from a flower without pollinating it. With such diversity, it is no surprise that some bee species are ineffective pollinators. Others forage only on plants within a specific family or genus. Some species visit many different types of flowers. Not all flower species are equally attractive or even accessible to all bee species. One way that bees vary is in their floral preferences. They vary in the plants they visit for food, how they build their nests and in their degree of sociality. If you like to drink seasonally (duh, who am I writing for?) then don’t just think of the pumpkin beers and Oktoberfests when it comes to the fall season because the reds (the style of beer or the Cincinnati baseball team) are best in October (and only available thru the end of the month).With such tremendous biodiversity, native bees differ considerably in their life histories. Now, as the leaves in my part of the country char to the shades of flames, this highly drinkable (dare I say sessionable seasonal) red ale provides the perfect accompaniment for fires, tailgates, and Halloween parties. Their beers never disappoint, proving that the west coast is much more than hopped-out IPAs. If there really is a “San Francisco treat” then Anchor Brewing’s beers are it, pushing Rice-a-Roni and other impostors by the wayside. It finishes crisp with mild hop bitter and an almost unnoticeable floral aftertaste. The burnt sienna color (again, I had the 64 pack of Crayons) gives way to a malty body, pale in flavor with a touch of maple. This was not George Killian’s fancy beer this was full, complex, crisp and brisk, Autumn Red reflects the season. The foam had now settled leaving some intricate lacing down the inside of the glass, and the next sip, having let the beer breathe and warm a bit surprised me. I…I have made fire.” Knowing that my survival does not hang in the balance makes the feat no less of a triumph for me, and thus full celebration is called for. When the fire actually gets going (usually a long and arduous process for this suburbanite), I always feel like Tom Hanks in Castaway – “Look at what I have created. Beer poured, sip had, beer good, commence fire building. Who am I to argue with the likes of Bear Grylls? Anchor Brewing’s Big Leaf Maple Autumn Red, in hand, I made my way down to the wood pile with matches and anticipation. As any survivalist will tell you, the first step to starting a fire is always to take a sip of beer. Tonight would be a trial run for the newly constructed fire pit, as well as some newly released beers celebrating the season – pumpkin (Dogfish Head and Post) for my wife and marzens and reds (Great Lakes and Anchor Steam, respectively) for me. Having our first non-summer weather this past weekend, I sought out some seasonals. Long story short, red beers never piqued my interest because the only reds I tasted were overwhelmingly underwhelming for the extra bucks I was spending.įast forward seven years. These were the days when quantity always took precedent over quality we will call those years 15-25 (er…wait years 21-25, I will not condone nor will I admit to underage drinking). Killian’s would have fallen into the last category. In fact, George Killian’s Irish Red probably makes up over ninety percent of my total red beer consumption, dating back to my years of classifying beers in one of four categories: swill (Old Milwaukee’s Best and Busch), surprisingly drinkable beer that is cheap (Miller High Life and Pabst Blue Ribbon), good beer (Miller Lite and Coors Lite), and fancy beer (anything not in the former categories that costs more than $5 per six-pack). As a relative neophyte to the craft beer world, red beers are one area where I feel I have extremely limited knowledge of flavor spectrums and ingredients.
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