Pairing Beer with Pasta

Pairing beer with pasta is not something I usually do. So, when a friend recently asked me to suggest a few beers for him to serve alongside the Italian cuisine he is planning to serve at his upcoming dinner party, I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was a bit stumped. Not sure what it is about pasta, but there's just something about it that doesn't scream 'beer!' to me in the way that oh, pretty much everything else does. And yet, there I found myself last night, with a bowl of spaghetti in front of me and a taste for beer on my tongue. Since I began training for a half marathon a few weeks ago, I've been craving carbs like nobody's business, and after all, it was Wednesday night, which seemed like a perfect time to relax and enjoy a brew. So, pasta and beer, I wanted them both - what's a girl to do?

 Well, a few things, primarily research and tasting. And (lucky dog that you are), I, as your resident go-to beer gal, have taken the liberty of doing both for you (I'm a kind-hearted soul, I realize that). Before we can do anything though, we need to narrow down what kind of pasta dish we're talking about, which basically means the sauce. Pesto, for example, has an herby, garlicky bite, and is a totally different animal than say, an Alfredo, with its slightly nutty cheesy creaminess; as such, each needs to be paired with different beer. Last night, the pasta in my bowl was dressed with a simple, fresh marinara sauce, which, again, is wildly dissimilar from the two sauces previously mentioned. The way to think of it is that pasta is the blank canvas while the sauce acts as the colors that give it panache. So, what colors are we painting with in our dish and how does that affect our beer choice? Read on. 

In general, the stronger the flavor of the sauce, the stronger you are going to want your beer. So, for something like the slightly sweet, slightly acidic, middle-of-the-flavor-road tomato sauce I enjoyed last night, you're going to want to go with a similarly middle-of-the-road beer - for example, an amber ale. The hoppiness of the amber will cut through the sprinkling of cheesy parmesean on top and contrast with the slight richness of the sauce quite nicely. Additionally, the toasted malt flavors also present will complement and bring out some of the grainy flavors in the pasta, creating a very well balanced food-beer pairing. For a richer tomato sauce featuring meat, or a lasagna, for example, we'd want to go a little heavier on the flavor and select a Rauchbier, which, with its smokiness, will pair very well with the meat component of the dish. Going in a different direction, a spicy sauce, like a Fra Diavlo,  should be served with an IPA; depending on the specific beer, IPAs can vary in degree as far as flavor is concerned, but can always be counted on to pump up and highlight the spice factor with their extreme hoppiness. Herby pestos go well with a strong Belgian ale - Duvel in particular works really well with those flavors, while Alfredos - assuming you haven't added chicken, broccoli or any other accoutrements - can stand up well to a rich oatmeal stout.  For those thinking that oatmeal stout, with its sweet coffee-chocolate profile is an odd pairing with an Alfredo dish, try it out - the rich heaviness of both create a really nice, hearty effect.    

Bottom line, you want the flavors in your beer to either compliment or contrast with the flavors in your meal, and you want to be sure that the heaviness of your dish is matched by a similar richness in the brew. For beginners, a good rule of thumb is to pair light meals with light beers and heavier meals with dark beer; another way of thinking of it is to substitute light beers where you might serve a white wine, and dark beers where you'd serve a red. There are so many possibilities out there, and while many, many of them are going to be amazing, some just aren't going to work. So experiment. The world of liquor and food pairings is not just limited to wines after all! Surprise all your friends and order a beer next time you're at an Italian restaurant - you may just get hooked. If you're looking for specifics, here's what I drank last night with my ziti with red sauce:

Tröegs Hopback Amber Ale

:

Hopback Amber Ale pours a bright, clear, coppery-red color with one finger of off-white head that quickly dissipates. The aroma is great - caramel and toffee, toasted malts and warm biscuits, all balanced very well with a fruity/floral hop presence. The taste is both sweet and bitter, with slight hints of citrus and a strong malty background. It feels smooth and creamy in the mouth, but medium bodied, and finishes slightly dry. This beer is extremely drinkable, especially for 6% ABV, and tasted awesome with my spaghetti dinner. It would also pair very well with pizza (same types of flavors) or even a nice juicy burger. Other suggestions to pair with your pasta and red sauce include Stone Levitation, Green Flash Hop Head Red Ale and Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale. 

National Drink a Beer Day!!!

Hey everybody and happy Tuesday! Or should I say Happy Drink a Beer Day? Yes, that's right, today is a holiday and even better, it's a holiday dedicated completely to beer. What could be better? So go on, don't be shy, and crack open one or two in celebration this evening... or afternoon, as the case may be. What will I be drinking tonight? Glad you asked. 


As luck would have it, today is actually a double holiday day, with the other fun celebration centering around a delicious strawberry dessert. So, in commemoration of both National Drink a Beer and Strawberry Cream Pie day, I will be lounging around tonight with a glass of Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde in hand, an absolutely delectable combination of both. 



Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde is a fruit beer brewed in Texas but widely available in the Boston area (my thinking is that if it's gotten up this far, it's reaching my friends in the MidAtlantic states as well!). It pours an orangey-yellow color with a thick, bubbly white head and decent retention, though very little lacing. It smells.... like strawberries. And not in a bad way. The scent that reaches my nose first isn't that fake, cloying strawberry syrup strawberry, but fresh, clean strawberry, reminiscent of jam cooking away on the stove. I immediately am intrigued and drawn in by the yummy fruitiness I have inhaled. On the first sip, Pete's tastes remarkably like a pale ale, with lots of toasted malts and graininess, though the strawberry flavor does follow. In the mouth, the strawberry is definitely less pronounced than in the aroma, but I would certainly prefer that to a cloying strawberry cough syrupy mess. In this case, the hints of strawberry are very well integrated into the beer as a whole, presenting as a well balanced and refreshing treat. Oddly, this beer got panned on BeerAdvocate, receiving only a C, or mediocre, rating. I myself have given the beer at B+ , or very good, and I do think that it is just that - very good. It isn't spectacular, it's not world-renowned, but there aren't very many strawberry beers on the market, and this one is very drinkable and both tastes and feels good. Besides, what else are you going to drink to celebrate the two arguably best obscure holidays revolving around food and drink? Pick up a 6-pack!!!


For those of you not strawberry inclined, what are you drinking tonight?!

Pick of the Week: Wachusett Larry

While summer is officially over according to the calendar, I don't think you'll find that the weather agrees. These 80-something degree days will eventually pass us by, however - as difficult  as it is at the moment to imagine - so this weekend I encourage everyone to take advantage of the fleeting sun and heat and enjoy your favorite summer brew one last time. For me, that's Larry, a Double IPA brewed by Wachusett Brewing Company. 


Larry, at 7.5% alcohol, is an Imperial IPA, so expect a bit of a hop-bomb - though not, in my opinion, so much of a palette wrecker that non-hopheads can't enjoy it. It pours a orangey-amber color, crystal clear with one finger's worth of off-white head, good retention and great looking lacing. The sight of this beautiful beer alone made me swoon - the aroma emanating from it put me totally over the edge. Think tropical paradise:  juicy pineapple, sweet grapefruit and tangy citrus with a nice, slightly toasted malty background to round it all out. Larry tastes much like it smells, all fruity hops and bicuit-like malts, with a bitterness that is evident and pronounced but not super-overpowering. This beer is highly drinkable with its medium to full, kinda creamy, kinda dry mouthfeel and swiftly passing aftertaste. It really is a outstanding IPA, no question about it. Sold only in 22oz bombers, I suggest that you pick one up and share with a friend... or enjoy the whole thing yourself..... trust me, once you take one sip, you'll want to. 

Draft or Bottle/Can? Pumpkin or Octoberfest?

            Last night, I ordered a pumpkin beer at a restaurant. This was the first, presumably of many, pumpkin beers that I will go on to enjoy while out to dinner this fall. I know that I've already written about my experience drinking my legitimate first pumpkin beer of the season, but I consider this to be a different first, my second first, if you will, in that it was my first served in a restaurant setting.  Beer consumed in a restaurant or bar is typically, in my opinion, a totally different animal than beer served at home - and that can be both good and bad. On one hand, as craft beer lovers, ordering a beverage in a bar can be a bit nerve-wracking, depending on where you are, in that as consumers, how we are served and presented our beers is totally out of our control. Unlike at home, where you can select your particular choice of glassware, pour the beer at the temperature and with the exact amount of head you want, and serve it with whatever accoutrements that your heart desires, at the restaurant, we are left completely up to the mercy of the waitress, barmaid, server, or what have you. There is an upside to restaurant beer, however, and that upside can be summed up in two words, two words that have me choosing restaurant served beer over home poured beer time and time again... Those two words are "On Draft". 

            I just love draft beer, and I'd chose draft over bottled or canned any day of the week, simply because I believe that it's better. And you know what? - it's not just me. Draft beer actually is better.  Draft beer has a better taste than its canned and bottled brethren, and is typically much fresher. It doesn't go through the harsh trials that beer designed to be sold in stores does - being shipped and packaged and exposed to sun light, etc. - and as such is less susceptible to off flavors caused by extreme or inappropriate conditions. So.... we're agreed then: beer on draft is better than beer in cans or bottles, end of story. Now - on to my first, or second, or second first, pumpkin beer experience:

            I ordered a glass of Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale last night at TGI Fridays; not exactly Beer Mecca, I know, but it was trivia night (we won, by the way) and though I wasn't planning on imbibing, I was seduced by the offer of something other than Bud Light. What can I say? It's September, so I haven't had my fill - or overfill, as it may end up being - of Pumpkin Beers yet, and as you now know, I love me some beer on tap. It had been a long day, and sometimes, you just have to go for it. So I ordered a glass of the Pumpkin, and my companion ordered one of the Sam Octoberfest, and we set about having ourselves a mini fall tasting, right there in the middle of our kick-ass trivia marathon. 

            The Shipyard Pumpkin looked a lot like the Bud Light I had not wanted to order, though leaning a little more on the side of orange and sporting a snazzy cinnamon sugar rim. I know there are a lot of haters out there who can't stand it when bartenders make unnecessary or unwanted additions to their beers, but let's keep in mind that I was at Friday's and to be honest, cinnamon sugar and pumpkin do go together really well, like pumpkin pie in my mouth. So I didn't complain about the sugar rim. In fact, it may have just been my favorite part of the beer. 

            The Shipyard continued on the Bud Light route as far as taste, aroma and mouthfeel are concerned. I actually don't necessarily think that's a bad thing, so please don't get the wrong impression - I am fully aware that there are plenty of people out there who really enjoy Bud Light and who would embrace a pumpkin take on it as the perfect answer to the seasonal beer question. Not everyone is into really spicy or heavy pumpkin beers, remember, and I actually may be one of those people. I haven't tried enough this season to know for sure, but I'm definitely not going to slam the Shipyard Pumpkinhead for being too adjunct-lager-like (that means too much like Bud or Coors or Miller as far as style). The beer was extremely light, with only the tiniest hints of pumpkin and spice coming through, but I got the impression that that is what the brewers were going for. Again, I wasn't at the Cambridge or Portsmouth Brewery, and I wasn't at some upscale beer bar. I was at Fridays, and this beer was extremely drinkable and worked well with food. Overall, I think it sort of reached the goals it had set for itself.  Pumpkinhead received a C on BeerAdvocate, which means mediocre, and I think that's probably pretty accurate. Though I certainly wouldn't serve it at a tasting or something like that, I'd order it again at Fridays. And only partially for the cinnamon sugar rim. 

            The Sam Adams Octoberfest, on the other hand, was less Bud Light-like. I enjoyed it, though I typically do not favor Sam Adams beers - this was actually the first brew put out by them that I would order again. It was served to us pretty flat - not sure how much of that was due to the bartender's pour, again, one of the things about beer at a restaurant that's out of our control - and was pleasantly amber in color. It both smelled and tasted malty and slightly sweet; imagine light brown toast with caramel drizzled over it. It felt smooth and a little sticky in the mouth, and I considered it to be extremely drinkable as well. This definitely would be a good beer to order if you are the kind of person who doesn't typically order beers at places like Fridays, due to their limited selection of craft. I will certainly be ordering it again next time I'm at a restaurant like this, and I think I'm going to be a little sad when the Sam Winter Ale comes along... 

Anyway, for me it's always draft beer over canned or bottled, and I think I'm going to side with the Octoberfest over the Pumpkin this time around. What do you think? 

Warning: This Post Contains Explicit Material

..... Also known as beer porn! Which, for those of you not in the know, doesn't actually mean pornographic images featuring beer - that would just be weird. Beer porn, quite simply, is a really great collection of beer that causes other beer lovers to feel intensely excited and jealous. And while these pictures may not be quite as sexy as some of the other pics I've seen out there on the craft beer forums, I definitely think that my beer fridge counts as risque material. Check out what I have stocked away, chilled and ready to be cracked open and poured whenever the mood strikes me... some notable beers to mention include Rugbrod, Autumn Maple and Two Turtle Doves from The Bruery, Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig IPA from Russian River, Maui Coconut Porter (tastes like an Almond Joy bar!), Mystery Stout, Strawberry Short's Cake, Sustenance Black Bier and Soft Parade from Short's and Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout (at 18% ABV, I'm going to need a really special occasion to crack that one open!). I have a few seasonal Pumpkin Ales and Oktoberfests sprinkled in there and a whole bunch of Yuengling (my favorite from college) that I shlepped up here from Pennsylvania for any non-craft beer lovers that may find their way into my fridge. If you are interested or want to know more about any specific beers I mentioned or anything you see in the photos, send me an email or leave a comment! If you think your beer collection is pretty special too,  post up some pictures! Either, way, I want your opinion.... does this beer collection count as beer porn or is it more like the FX station of the beer world? 

Redstone Liquors Grand Tasting

            Redstone Liquors held their semi-annual Grand Tasting yesterday at their store on Rt. 28 in Stoneham, MA. The number of beers being served were in the double digits, and representatives were present from Troegs Brewing Co. and the Haverhill Brewery, among others. The event was free, of course, but if my experience was any indication, "free" didn't exactly translate to "no money spent". Buying the full size bottle after you've sampled and enjoyed the fun size version is just simple human nature after all,  the tried and true samples-at-the-grocery-store strategy, and it appeared to be bringing in a lot of business for Redstone yesterday. Though I spent a lot of time contributing to Redstone's bottom line, selecting several different beers for purchase, I did, however, find the time to sample a few interesting beers I hadn't had the chance to try before.  One notable brew to mention was Southern Tier Pumpking, which is argued by many to be the best pumpkin ale on the market. It tastes very much like spicy Pumpkin Pie, and at 9% ABV, it definitely warms you up like a slice right out of the oven. This beer is only sold in 22 oz. bombers, and two of the people I attended the event with picked up bottles for themselves. I definitely recommend it, even if you are gourd-phobic; it's fall after all - you just got to try at least one pumpkin ale this season. 

          Redstone also had a few special beers on their shelves yesterday, available only for purchase and restricted to one bottle per person. Autumn Maple and Rugbrod from the Bruery were included in this selection, as were Dogfish Head My Antonia and Burton Baton. I picked up a bottle each of both of the Bruey's offerings, having already tried and loved Rugbrod and hoping to feel the same way about the Autumn Maple. I also picked up a 6-pack of North Coast Old Rasputin, my go-to stout and my dad's favorite, as well as the bottle of Dogfish Head Bitches Brew that I had been on a waiting list for and that had come in a few days earlier. Overall, I ended up dropping a pretty penny at the tasting event, but was certainly in good company. One attendee confided in me that he had been putting money away for the past month, knowing he was going to be making a huge purchase yesterday. Even non-craft beer devotees, like two of the friends I brought along with me, ended up giving in and buying a six pack or two. Again, it's just human nature.... if you like something and it's right there in front of you, you just gotta go for it. 
            The Grand Tasting was a great event and a really fun time for everyone who stopped by. Though they won't be doing another tasting at this magnitude until the spring, Redstone does put on smaller beer tastings featuring two or three breweries on a pretty regular basis, with the next one coming up on September 24th. I wouldn't wait until the next tasting to check out this store though - they were written up recently in Northshore Magazine as having the best beer selection in the area, and as your resident beer guru, I can attest that this is totally true. The guys that work in the store are extremely knowledgeable, friendly and helpful as well, which is one of the main reasons besides their selection that I am so loyal to them. As I said, Redstone is located on Rt. 28 in Stoneham, right off of 95; whether it takes you 10 minutes or 2 hrs to get there, I say pack up and head over right now. Tell them Suzy Six Pack sent you... you definitely will not be disappointed. 




To find out more, check out Redstone's website: http://www.redstoneliquors.com

First Pumpkin Beer of the Season Flops

 Last night I cracked open my first Pumpkin Beer of the season and I've got to say, I was less than impressed. I'd been excited about Cape Ann Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout since I heard about it from TJ Peckham, a rep for the brewery, at the Newburyport Yankee Homecoming Beer Festival this past July. He'd mentioned to me that their seasonal fall offering was hitting stores on August 1st, and when I finally came across it a couple weeks ago, I gleefully snatched up a six-pack. Here I was, all excited: I thought I couldn't go wrong with a pumpkin stout. How could I? I love stouts, love the combination of chocolate and pumpkin.... I honestly thought there was no way that a pumpkin stout could do me wrong. But it did. It did me real wrong, and here's why: 

 First of all, Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout pours completely flat. While this isn't exactly an unheard of occurrence in stouts, what a beer lacks in carbonation, it typically makes up for in thickness. Fisherman's apparently missed this memo. If there is one pet peeve I have about stouts, it's in regards to mouthfeel: I like my dark beers creamy, chewy, smooth and even syrupy on occasion. I do not,  on the other hand, like them to feel like under-carbonated Bud Light in my mouth; I just don't go for that. For me, undesirable and inappropriate (as fits the style) mouthfeel can ruin a beer. It's hard to convey the taste of roasted malts, rich chocolate and coffee, the typical flavors put forth by stouts, for example, via a thin, watery consistency. This principle definitely applies to Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout, with the mouthfeel detracting from the flavor.... though, to be honest, I'm not sure the flavor was doing too well on it's own anyways. Throughout the course of my glass I tried to pick up whatever subtle flavors and nuances I could out of this beer, but they were just that - extremely subtle. Pumpkin and fall spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.) were hinted at, and possibly could have married well with the stout style, had any of the characteristics of a stout been present. I was hoping to find the dark richness of malts and chocolate in my glass, but what I actually got was a very weak interpretation. Overall, the best thing I can say about this beer was that it didn't attack you with fake, cloying pumpkin and overwhelm with cinnamon spiciness, as some pumpkin style beers can do. Going the stout route is certainly an interesting and not overdone way of putting pumpkin into beer; unfortunately, while intentions were good, the delivery just fell flat. 


Have you tried Cape Ann Brewing Co.'s Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout? If so, what did you think? For everyone else, what's your favorite pumpkin beer? Maybe your suggestion will wind up in my glass next!

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Beer Trading

Last week, I packed up and shipped off four different boxes. One went to California, one to Virginia, another to Louisiana and the last one to New York City.  All, I might add, were full – chock full - of beer. Some time late this week, I’ll receive five similar packages, also filled with beer. What is this strange and amazing phenomenon, you ask? Welcome to the world of beer trading.


Beer trading is an incredible thing, and I can’t believe that I didn’t think of it first. As a concept, it’s amazingly simple: I want beer that isn’t distributed in this part of the country and you want beer that’s only available in New England, or even more specifically, in the Boston area. What do we do about this situation, besides sit and dream and pine away for beers that are planes and trains and automobile rides away? Again, simple: we trade.

Beeradvocate and Ratebeer.com both have features on their websites that allow beer lovers all over the country, all around the world even, to connect with each other and exchange their local beers, rarities and wants. For all of their faults, these websites do a great service to the beer community by giving individuals the space and the platform to offer their wares and broadcast what they are looking to attain. I first joined the beer trading world last spring, when I posted a message on Beeradvocate’s Trading Forum in search of New Glarus Raspberry Tart and Wisconsin Belgian Red, two fruity and highly desirable beers only distributed in the Mid-West. As it turned out, once I actually tried these brews, I didn’t care for them. But that’s not the point: once I opened that package up and saw beers inside, I was hooked.

Everyone likes getting mail, that’s a universal truth. People like getting packages even better than plain old letters, and take that up one more notch and you have beer trading. Receiving beer in the mail is better than buying it at the store for many reasons: first, you’re getting beers shipped right to your front door, beers that you never could have gotten your hands on otherwise. Second, beer traders and aficionados are notoriously generous, and often throw in “extras”, or beers that they think are good or that you’ve mentioned you wanted, as a surprise. Lastly, it’s actually illegal to ship alcoholic beverages through the mail, and, as everyone knows, there’s nothing more fun than breaking…or shall I say, bending… the rules. So, to sum up, beer trading is fun, it’s addictive, and it’s somewhat illegal… or should I say frowned upon? So what are you waiting for? Get on those forums and trade away!

A Quick and Dirty Guide to Trading:

Shorthand:

           

* ISO: In search of (used in the title of your post to express what specific beers or types of beers you are looking for)

* FT: For trade (also used in the title of your post; lets others know what you are willing to trade)

* Wants:  Beer Advocate allows each user to create a list of up to 100 “wants”, which acts as a sort of wish list in the beer world

* Gots: You can also create a list of up to 100 “gots”, so that other users know which beers you are in possession of, or are able to purchase locally

*  Extras: while not required, most traders like to throw in a few surprise beers that they think the recipient of their package may enjoy. Oftentimes, these extras will be beers that are listed on the recipients “wants” list

How to Trade:

First, you must create an account on either Ratebeer.com or Beeradvocate.com. Personally, I find Beer Advocate more user friendly, but to each his own. Once you’ve done that, there are a few routes you can take to get involved in your first trade:

1. Put together your list of “Wants” and “Gots” by surfing your preferred website and selecting beers for each list. Wait for someone to contact you.
2. Look up beers that you want to try and then message users who have this beer on their “Gots” list
3. Post a thread in one of the trading forums ISO (in search of) the particular beer you want; alternatively, you can post a FT (for trade) listing what beers you are willing to trade and what you would like in return.                                                                          

            Once you agree upon a trade, be sure to exchange email addresses and phone numbers as well as physical mailing addresses, to ensure that you can contact your partner if anything goes amiss during the course of the trade. As a first time trader, it is generally best to become involved with an experienced trader who can walk you through the process. Don’t worry though – once you do one or two trades successfully, you’ll feel like a pro.

How to Ship:

First of all, shipping alcohol via the US Postal Service is, as I mentioned before, strongly, er... frowned upon. So... don't advertise it. And don't stress too much about the whole shipping process, either - just relax and think about the end results.The first time I did a trade, I was really anxious about my beers arriving to their destination in one piece, but as long as you package correctly, you're going to be fine. The agreed-upon best way to package your beer is, as follows: 

1. 1. Line your box with a plastic bag, just in case spillage does occur
2. 2. Place a layer of packing peanuts or newpaper on bottom of the box so that your beers are suspended and not directly on the cardboard
3. 3. Wrap beers in bubble wrap, secure with tape
4. 4. Place your beers in your box, making sure that there is plenty of newspaper or packing peanuts between each bottle
5. Place an additional layer of packing peanuts or newspaper on top of the bottles
6. Tape up box, attach shipping label
7. Locate the nearest FedEx or UPS pick-up location and drop off your package 

And remember, it's always better to be safe than sorry, so on your first trade, it's totally ok to go overboard on packing peanuts and bubble wrap! Whatever it takes to get it there in one piece!

               

Once You've Completed Your First Trade:

1. Open up your box
2.  Chill your new brews in your beer fridge
3. Crack open one of your frosty new bottles or cans, pour, relax and......
4.  Trade again!

** If you have any questions or want to know more about trading, please leave a comment or send me an email!!!!

What's everyone drinking tonight?

Hey everybody!


So it's Saturday night, and a beautiful, crisp fall one at that. I'm thinking it might be time to open one of those pumpkin beers I've been saving.... but which one? What's everyone else planning on pouring this evening? 

Suzy Six Pack's Pick of the Week!

Well guys, it's finally Friday and you know what that means: beer time. Not that every day in my world isn't a beer day, but on the weekends, that's when I really get down to business. And so should you... with my first weekly Suzy Six Pack's Pick of the Week!!! This is THE BEER you need to go pick up and relax with this weekend... in fact, leave work now and pick up a bottle so it has time to chill before 5 o'clock... or 4, or 3 rolls around. Trust me on this one guys - if you stick with me, you won't be disappointed.


Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast is a 7.5% ABV Imperial Stout that tastes like the best chocolate dessert you've ever had. Coffee, sweet roasted-toasted malts and silky caramel round out its very balanced and full flavor. In the mouth, it feels creamy and incredibly smooth - two qualities you definitely should be looking for in your stouts. At around $10 a 22oz bottle, it is a little on the expensive side, but come on - it's the weekend, indulge yourself a little!!! You know I will.... :)

Berkshire Brewing Co. Beer Dinner

Beer dinners are the best - in general, and especially when they’re held at Cambridge Common Restaurant in Porter Square, my favorite and arguably THE BEST craft beer and food joint this side of New York City. The two women who run the Common and put on the dinners, Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker, are phenomenal: extremely knowledgeable, personable, and, most exciting for me, great role models and representatives of all the fantastic women who so often get forgotten in the beer world. Sadly (for us beer-diners at least), they are leaving the restaurant this winter to open their own beer store. They’re putting on several more beer dinners before they depart to make it on their own, however, and I plan on attending as many as possible. Here’s what I thought of the most recent one:

Tuesday’s beer dinner featured Berkshire Brewing Company, located somewhat in my neck of the woods in South Deerfield, MA. Like the majority of the beer dinners at Cambridge Common, this one featured 4 courses, 5 beers and was absolutely delicious. The email confirmation I received told me to show up between 6:30 and 7, and when I ran in from work around 6:50, it was bumpin’ already. When you order your ticket you can specify who you would like to sit with, so, upon entering and picking my jaw up off the floor, I found my placemat and my friends sitting in a nice cozy corner booth, my first beer poured and all ready for me. If this isn’t heaven, I don’t know what is.

Steel Rail 

The first beer, which was served in the interim period before the first course came out, was Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale. I had never tried this particular brew before, but man, am I glad I did Tuesday night. This beer was excellent and will definitely be making its way into my go-to beer lineup. Yellowish-gold in color with a thin foamy white head, Steel Rail smelled like citrus rind, piney hops and toasted golden malts. It felt light, yet creamy and smooth in the mouth, and tasted like sweet, toasted malts and slightly floral hops, with a barely noticeable hint of strawberry and apricot. I truly could not get enough of it and may have to limit the quantity in which I start buying it…. If I don’t watch myself I could be drinking this for breakfast – it is THAT good.

Gold Spike

Right around 7 o’clock, the first course was served as punctually as promised. Placed in front of me were two potato pancakes with peach rosemary chutney and a glass of Gold Spike Ale. Not being a huge fan of potatoes, I was a little wary, but boy, was I surprised by how much I loved these delicious little cakes. The starchiness of the potatoes and the fruity, herbiness of the chutney really worked so well with the beer, which is brewed in style of the German specialty, Kolsch, and as such is extremely light and somewhat fruity. This beer is so light, in fact, that I had a hard time detecting any aroma from it at all. Though it wasn’t my particular favorite, the other attendees at my table really enjoyed it, commenting particularly on the slight cherry and pleasantly medicinal notes in the brew.

Lost Sailor IPA

Next came cups of sweet potato corn chowder served with Lost Sailor India Pale Ale. I, personally, as you can probably tell from some of my other posts, love IPAs, but for whatever reason, I just cannot make myself enjoy this beer – and trust me, I’ve tried. As you can see from the picture, it is coppery in color, signifying the presence of lots of malts. That, combined with the fact that it is only very slightly hopped, just doesn’t do it for me. My friend Lindsey in San Francisco loves it however (I just sent 2 bottles out to her last week), and the other people at the beer dinner seemed to as well, so possibly….probably… it’s just me. At any rate, the beer did pair extremely well with the chowder, which, though yummy, was very thick and sweet. The Lost Sailor cut though the heaviness of it very well, resulting in a nicely balanced beer/food combo.

Oktoberfest

After a brief interlude in which we heard from Gary Bogoff, one of BBC’s owners and founder, we were served the main course. Listed on the menu were two options to choose between: Marzen Mac and Cheese with Buttered Bread Crumbs behind door number one, and Black Bean Ravioli with Corn, Red Peppers, Baby Spinach and Spicy Cream Sauce behind door number two. To keep things interesting, and thus try both beers and meals being offered, my companions and I decided to order two of each. The mac and cheese came out steaming hot, creamy and full of cheesy deliciousness, paired with the seasonally appropriate Oktoberfest. The Oktoberfest, we were told, was brewed in April using Bavarian Lager yeast and aged until just now. It was reddish brown and clear with a toppling, foamy white head and smelled slightly sweet and very roasted. It tasted like fall spices, malty sweetness and rich fullness, if you can consider that a flavor, and felt nice and smooth in the mouth. The ravioli, on the other hand, came out with the Double Nickel Ale, an IPA brewed solely with Amarillo hops. This beer had a nice tropical and sweet hoppy aroma but the aftertaste was too bitter and linger too long for me to really enjoy it. Luckily for me, the mac and cheese and  Oktoberfest were placed directly in front of me and I made quick work of both.

Rum Aged Shabadoo

Finally, dessert came out: Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Rum Sauce and Rum-Aged Shabadoo Black and Tan. This chocolate cake was honestly one of the biggest and richest slices of anything I’ve ever experienced, and I could only get down a couple bites before my stomach forced me to put the fork down and focus on the beer. This beer was actually a one-off, brewed and served only at this one event. In my opinion, that’s all right. If you like rum, maybe you would have been more inclined than I was to put down a full pint of this brew, but for a non-hard alcohol drinking girl, this stuff was just way too liquory for me to wrap my head around. The rum taste, which was imparted by aging the Shabadoo in barrels contributed by Berkshire Mountain Distributors for 6-8 months, was overpowering to me – I literally could not get past it to taste or smell anything else. The non-aged Shabadoo, on the other hand, which is a mix of BBC’s porter and stout, is supposed to be really good, and I plan on picking up a bottle to try this afternoon.

Overall, the Berkshire Brewing Co. beer dinner at the Cambridge Common was fantastic, really a smashing good time, and I encourage you to check out the Common’s website and sign yourself up for one of their many dinners this fall. As I said, Suzanne and Kate are departing this winter….better hurry up and attend one of these awesome events before it’s too late!

The Beer Chix!