NAC: How would you describe Harbin to someone who has never tried it before?

REISCH: The first thing you want to do is admire the packaging. Harbin comes in two different sizes, and the 20 oz bottle with white rice paper on the outside is absolutely stunning packaging. Then, when you pour Harbin into a glass, you'll see clarity, golden color, with very beautiful foam. I like it in a narrow glass to show off delicate nature. The way you pour it into the glass, it's really important. I love for people to pour properly, right down the center of the glass, not down the side. When you have a wonderful aroma beer and you pour it down the side, you miss a lot. Pour it down the center to release the aroma.

Harbin is a pilsner beer designed to show off the hops.  When you drink it it's lightly sweet but very balanced.  It finishes quickly, and doesn't leave any lingering. 

NAC: Tell us about the hops that are used in brewing Harbin beers?

REISCH: The hops [called Qindao Dahua] are grown in China and have a wonderful floral spicy character that we wanted to showcase. We thought Harbin would be a great way to do it.

The hops plant is a perennial plant, similar to rose bushes. It needs wonderful soil and moisture, but it's critical that it gets the right amount of sunlight. We only use female plants because we don't want them to become pollinated and develop seeds.

Every hops has a different aroma and taste characteristic to it. We brewers will tend to blend several varieties together to make every brand of beer, so we get just the right aroma and flavor. Hops are probably the smallest quantity of ingredient in beer. They're more of a wonderful seasoning. Sometimes, they're so evident in the taste that people will think you're using more of them.

NAC: What kinds of foods pair well with Harbin?

REISCH: It's actually perfect to pair with Asian foods because it stays out of the way and allows the food's flavors to be elevated. It's important that people understand; beer pairs well with food strictly because of carbonation. CO2 is very unstable at warm temperatures, and when you put cold beer in your mouth, it warms up, and the CO2 carries aroma up into your nose and dials up the flavor of the food that you're having. When you pair beer with food it doesn't change the flavor of the food, but it elevates it to a different level.

Beer in general goes very well with spicy food. It accentuates the flavor of spices, and it's a natural palate cleanser. If your food is really spicy, if you take a sip of beer it will cleanse away the excess spice. In general, Asian beers go with Asian foods. If you go out and order a plate of Asian food, and have a beer with it, pretend you're introducing these foods, like a blind date. When you're convinced you know exactly what each tastes like on its own, have some food and then have a sip of beer. The flavors will pop. It's a sensory experience.

NAC: How do you decide on what dishes will pair well with beer?

REISCH: Anheuser-Busch has had chefs on the payroll for years. Our company truly believes in beer and food as the perfect marriage. All of our recipes come from years of cooking with beer, pairing food with beer. And it's so much fun! We've had a wonderful history of cooking with beer, and we've got cookbooks, that come out of sensory experiences and actual use in our corporate kitchen. It's a lot of fun working for a company that puts the resources in.

NAC: What's your favorite part of being a brewmaster?

REISCH: Tasting. Not drinking. There's a big distinction. Tasting is the life's blood of any brewmaster's job. You, as a consumer, are better [at judging taste] than the best lab instruments. When I'm in the brewery, I have you in mind. I want you to experience the best beer you can. And everything the brewmaster does draws from that experience, that desire. I always tell people that when we're tasting in our tasting room, the decision we make go towards guaranteeing that the consumer gets a consistent product. I've been with Anheuser-Busch for 29 years, and it's been a wonderful journey. I can’t tell you enough how much I believe in pairing a good beer with a good meal. I get to have a sensory experience as a daily experience, and that's what still makes me excited after 29 years.