Why organic?

It is easy enough to jump on the green wagon these days. It's intuitively easy to be on board. Who doesn't want healthy? But why is it so damn hard to just pick up something natural?

It wasn't that long ago. Prior to WWII, virtually everything was organic. Think about that for a minute. It has been only in the last half century that we've changed our food to such an extent that you have to go out of your way to get real food.

The change started with a huge leftover stockpile of chemicals left over from war. Someone got the bright idea that those chemicals could make food cheaper. Later, our leaders decided we need a food pyramid.

We end up with cheap (subsidized) unnaturally processed carbs and expensive real food. (Why aren't there price supports for real food?)

“When we Indians kill meat, we eat it all up. When we dig roots, we make little holes. When we build houses, we make little holes. When we burn grass for grasshoppers, we don’t ruin things. We shake down acorns and pine nuts. We don’t chop down the trees. We only use dead wood. But the white people plow up the ground, pull down the trees, kill everything. … the White people pay no attention. …How can the spirit of the earth like the White man? … everywhere the White man has touched it, it is sore.”

Wintu, Native American

Mild Child, if anything, represents the way we were. Cheers!

Barley's Mild Child

Style Guidelines: Our second organic ale is brewed for springtime refreshment. Mild Child is a medium bodied, smooth beer with hints of dried fruit. Extremely drinkable, well balanced and refreshing. Mild Child is a celebration of our respect for Earth, without compromise in the flavor and richness for which Barley's ales are known.

Rotation Schedule: If it is so, maybe we'll brew it for every Earth Day. Then again, isn't every day Earth Day?

Food Pairings: Aged goua, some crusty bread and a mild pate. Who you share this with is up to you. Perhaps Chicken Paprikash. Washes down nicely any food that isn't too spicy or assertive. Think mild, child.

Body: this side of medium

Color: deep amber

Grain: Organic American pale ale, organic American 120 deg caramel malt, organic American chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: Organic German Tradition

Finishing Hops: Organic German Sephir and Organic German Tradition

Original Gravity: 1.036

IBUs (estimate): 14.78

Alcohol By Volume: 3.6%

First Tapped: April 21, 2010 (on the eve of Earth Day 40)

Barley's Smokehouse & Brewpub Ale House No. 1xx 467 North High Street Columbus OH 43215