October 9th, 2023 - Fixed Disraeli Gears Beer is a Strange Brew

Hey there rockers, rollers, and craft beer fanatics!  Your pal the Meista here with an old favorite of mine... "Disraeli Gears", the brilliant sophomore album by the ultimate power trio, Cream along with a Fixed Gear Beer, a tasty new beer from my friends at Fisher Brewing Company!  Oh yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Cream
• Title: "Disraeli Gears"
• Recorded: May 11th through 15th, 1967 at Atlantic Studios in New York City, New York
• Release date: November 2nd, 1967 (2nd studio album by the Cream)
• Record company: Reaction Records
• Production:  Felix Pappalardi
• Album cover art: Martin Sharp
• Personnel: Ginger Baker (drums, percussion, and vocals), Jack Bruce (lead vocals, bass, piano, and harmonica), and Eric Clapton (lead, rhythm, and acoustic guitars, and vocals)
• Musical style: Psychedelic rock with elements of hard rockin' blues and pop
• Sound: Probably one of the most influential rock bands of the mid to late 1960s, the sound on Cream's first album may not seem all that revolutionary now, but at the time it was a mind-bending experience of heavy-duty rock and roll, pop, heavy blues, and psychedelia.  
• Major themes: Life, love, loss, sorrow, mythology, heartbreak, the blues, etc.
• Funny side note: Of the album's title, Ginger Baker explained: "You know how the title came about – Disraeli Gears – yeah? We had this Austin Westminster, and Mick Turner was one of the roadies who'd been with me a long time, and he was driving along and Eric [Clapton] was talking about getting a racing bicycle. Mick, driving, went 'Oh yeah – Disraeli gears!' meaning derailleur gears ... We all just fell over ... We said that's got to be the album title."
• Tracks: 

1. "Strange Brew"
   
2. "Sunshine Of Your Love"
3. "World Of Pain"
4. "Dance The Night Away"
5. "Blue Condition"
6. "Tales Of Brave Ulysses"
7. "SWLABR"
8. "We're Going Wrong"
9. "Outside Woman Blues"
10. "Take It Back"
11. "Mother's Lament"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Fisher Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.fisherbeer.com/
• Brew: Fixed Gear Beer
• Style: German-style Pilsner
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 10
• Ingredients: 100 percent German Pilsner malts and traditional Saaz hops from the Czech Republic 
• Pour: The Fixed Gear Beer pours a bright, golden-yellow hue with a very thin, bright white head that dissipates rather quickly, leaving only trace lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by grainy, grass, and malty notes.  There are aromas of cracked wheat, doughy bread, freshly cut hay, crackery biscuit, and a touch of light honey.
• Taste: The taste of the Fixed Gear Beer follows the nose with grainy and grassy flavors.  There are notes of grassy hops, crackery biscuit, fresh sourdough bread, Pilsner malt, and a splash of honey.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp and smooth with a dry, clean finish
• Side note: A portion of the proceeds is being donated to The Bike Collective here in Utah: @bicyclecollective.

Overall pairing: The classic, complex, heavy hitting sound of Cream's wonderful "Disraeli Gears" coupled with the classic German Pilsner flavors of Fisher's delicious Fixed Gear Beer make for a great evening of tasty brew and rockin' tunes!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!