1904 World's Fair

I’ve often wondered about the transient nature of our society. Why is nothing built to last? Our infrastructure crumbles while in Europe parts of the ancient Roman aqueduct system is still in use. We tear down our building because they are out of date just a couple decades after they were built. Pop culture tastes change constantly, its reinvention just another name for recycling. Why is there no permanence in American society? I don’t know if I’ll ever understand. But I did gain some clarity and insight into this nature this evening at the St. Louis History Museum.


The museum has a continuing exhibit commemorating the centennial of the 1904 World’s Fair held in St. Louis. The exhibition celebrated “Looking Back at Looking Forward” and took the city years to prepare for the visit from the world. Buildings and entire neighborhoods were constructed. Public sculptures commissioned, marketing thrown into overdrive. All of it was done to show the world how modern St. Louis and the rest of America was becoming. It was a show that has become etched in the collective mind of this country. It was a show that launched the world into the American Century.


All of which makes a lot of the artifacts from the show rather disconcerting. Countless pictures and paintings were commissioned, and now on display, that depict the model of perfection. It is easy to imagine the event as representing a “city on a hill.” But look closely. Not at the pictures of the natives living their happy lives, those pictures are far too easy to critique. No, look at the magnificent sculptures towering in those pictures. Now walk over to the display of the now ruined sculptures, the mass produced composite moldings that were not meant to last but meant to be an impressive façade. Those sculptures gave grand appearances to new buildings that had been built for the exposition. They were there in the photographs but not long after as many were torn down almost immediately after the fair. So much unnecessary waste, what have we learned.


To be sure, the World’s Fair did leave a lasting mark on St. Louis. What was built for the exhibition that still remains adds to a magnificent city. But it contributed to a culture with some very bad habits. In many ways America is a “city on a hill” with a false façade. Our American Century has been terribly wasteful; we constructed symbols of envy but did not build them to last. We are still a transient society, one magnificent to experience. But if we still build things to crumble, how long will it all last?

Square One Brewery

Square One brews absolutely amazing beers. That is a plain and simple description for beverages that are anything but plain and simple. Other simple words have been bantered about the table are best ever. Lofty words that may or not be a stretch. No doubt there are some amazing beers out there that can lay claim to that title, but honestly, none better come to mind than what Square One offers. Of the brews sampled, all were without exception, full of flavor and smooth, with a clean and perfect finish.

The first taste was of a flavor that usually finishes a meal. The Pumpkin Ale is described by Square One as pumpkin pie in a glass, which is actually a disservice to the ale. That standard Thanksgiving dessert conjures thoughts of a thick, pudding-like consistency that finishes off a glutinous feast you'll take a week to recover from. This Ale, though a fine topper for any meal, is as crisp as can be imagined. Flows like a light beer but with the honest to god flavor of a real beer. This is no b.s. flavor-promise most light beers try to sell you on, but flavors worthy of giving thanks. Pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg come balanced but won't linger, putting this brew in the upper crust of all Pumpkin Ales on the market.

Taking a step back on the color prism but giving no quarter to taste was Square One's Spicy Blond. This Belgian Ale could have been a girl named Ginger, dancing to U2's album, "Zooropa". There is no doubt "she wore lemon," while causing those ginger and lemongrass flavors to blend so beautifully that, "she's going to make you cry."

With senses and emotions engaged, the Square One IPA is an invitation to properly approach the inherent citrus of hops. Like you'd savor a sip of vintage wine, get your nose in the glass and take in the aroma before putting the ale to your lips. Hold the beer for a moment and let the memory of that inhalation engage with your taste buds, revel as a sweet and bitter grapefruit blooms in ways few IPAs are ever able to produce. It is a magical moment.

You know Square One is a enchanted place when you realize it is also a micro-distillery. While a review of their spirits will have to wait for a later post, they did make an appearance in the Scotch Ale. They smoke the malt themselves to make their whiskey and thereby ensuring this is a craft-beer experience not to be missed.

Of course what nobody should ever miss or skip is a beer that would go oh so well with the most important meal of the day, breakfast. Square One's Maple Stout would feel right at home dripping down the sides of any adult's short stack. Yet the beer isn't even remotely sweet. It is a flavor profile that will baffle your taste buds should they be engaged first thing in the morning or at the end of the day as cold Vermont winter winds begin to blow and something is needed to warm the soul.

There are plenty of other varieties of beers that will necessitate many a return visit, as will the selection of house-distilled spirits. Best is a tough label to assign, but Square One is as good as it gets. There are certainly very few breweries that can do it better.