Winter is Coming (or Possibly Already Here)

Every now and again, as in right now as I am writing this blog post, the family and I are privileged to be able to visit my wife’s family in western New York, or as I prefer calling it, the Great White North. Now, don’t be confused – we are not in Canada – we are still in the States, but honestly, we are as close to Canada as one can be while still being in the States. Usually, we come up here in the summer, when the weather is perfect and all of the tourist stuff is fully operational (like Niagara Falls for example). This time, however, we elected to visit for Christmas and New Year’s Day, placing us right in the midst of the winter wonderland you always see on the weather channel.

The Wall, which separates the Seven Kingdoms from the north (aka Canada)

But why am I telling you all of this, and what does it have to do with beer? Quite simply, as those of you who have been following my exploits for some time already know, whenever I go somewhere different, I always take full advantage of the local beer scene, and try as much craft-brewed excellence as I can get my hands on.

A map of the area

On this vacation, I have been focused on local breweries in Niagara and Erie Counties, which encompasses Buffalo, Niagara Falls and the surrounding areas. I have also been buying as much New York craft beer from the local specialty beer stores as I can find, and have had some wonderful offerings from Lake Placid, Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca, Ellicottville, and beyond. Not surprisingly, they have some pretty good craft beer out here in western New York, and it is my privilege to drink it, and to share my thoughts with all of you.

Buffalo Brewpub, Amherst, New York

The Buffalo Brewpub is a quiet brew pub located in a commercial area in the suburbs of Buffalo. The beer menu consists of four beers they make onsite, as well as lots of other craft beers made by other breweries, most of which are local. The food is really excellent, and the beer is very good too. The four beers they had on the flight when we were there were…

1) Buffalo Brewpub’s Pale Ale

2) Buffalo Brewpub’s Buffalo Lager

3) Buffalo Brewpub’s Amber Ale

4) Buffalo Brewpub’s Kringle Christmas Ale/Winter Warmer

These beers were all good. The lager and amber ale were both spot on to their styles. The Kringle was the most interesting and the star of the show.

I also got into a pint of Ithaca Beer Company’s winter seasonal offering, Cold Front Belgian Strong Dark Ale while at the Buffalo Brewpub.

The flight of four, at the Buffalo Brewpub in Amherst, NY

Woodcock Brothers Brewing Company, Wilson, New York

Another great brewpub located in the heart of Niagara Country, in a town that is quite possibly the last place you would ever look for a brewpub, Woodcock Brothers is a relatively new operation in a converted cold storage warehouse. The food is mostly higher end pizza and burgers and it is delicious. They have six delicious beers on their flight, which are…

1) Woodcock Brothers Brewing Company’s Stiff Mittens Winter Ale

2) Woodcock Brothers Brewing Company’s Niagara County IPA (made with hops that were grown in Niagara County, NY)

3) Woodcock Brothers Brewing Company’s Hoppycock IPA

4) Woodcock Brothers Brewing Company’s Harvest Wheat Ale

5) Woodcock Brothers Brewing Company’s Porter

6) Woodcock Brothers Brewing Company’s Amber Ale

The two IPAs were my favorites, especially the one made with local hops. The Porter and Wheat Ale were also very tasty. The Winter Ale was very spicy and interesting. All of the beers at Woodcock Brothers were excellent.

Dueling flights of six, at Woodcock Brothers Brewing Company in Wilson, NY

Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, Buffalo, New York

Located in downtown Buffalo, Pearl Street is a great brewpub with great food and amazing beers. This is my second time drinking at this brewery, and it was just as good the second time. In addition to the really good food, Pearl Street offers 14 beers to select from (though they only had 13 this time) which consists of 10 regulars and four seasonals, which were…

1) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Lighthouse Blonde Ale

2) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Wild Ox Wheat American Wheat Ale

3) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Trainwreck Altbier

4) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Lake Effect American Pale Ale

5) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Street Brawler Stout Oatmeal Stout

6) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Sabre’s Edge Double IPA

7) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Blue-eyed Blonde Blueberry Blonde Ale

8) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Don Cherry (Cherry Wheat) Ale

9) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Raspberry Fields Raspberry Stout

10) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Billy Bonka Chocolate Stout

11) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Lord Stanley Scotch Ale

12) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Powderkeg ESB

13) Pearl Street Grill & Brewery’s Winter Warmer

It’s pretty impressive when a brewery has 14 (13) beers on their menu to choose from, and of course, I have to try them all. What’s cool about this place is they have their staples, and then they start experimenting with them, adding different fruits to their blonde, wheat and stout to create new beers. Also, Pearl Street has embraced their position at the top of the world by offering three different stouts, as well as other dark beers such as their scotch and winter warmer. The Sabre’s Edge is an amazing Double IPA that is just as good as I remember it from the last time I was here.

A flight of 14, at Pearl Street Grill and Brewery in Buffalo, NY

Other New York Beers I've Gotten My Hands On

1) Flying Bison Brewing’s Christmas Ale (Buffalo, NY)

2) Southern Tier Brewing Company’s Krampus Imperial Helles Lager (Lakewood, NY)

3) Southern Tier Brewing Company’s Compass American Strong Ale (Lakewood, NY)

4) Brewery Ommegang’s Game Of Thrones - Take the Black Stout (Cooperstown, NY)

5) Lake Placid Pub & Brewery’s India Pale Ale (IPA) (Lake Placid, NY)

6) CB Craft Brewers’ Caged Alpha Monkey IPA (Honeoye Falls, NY)

7) Captain Lawrence Brewing Company’s Frost Monster Russian Imperial Stout (Elmsford, NY)

8) Middle Ages Brewing’s Wizard’s Winter Ale (Syracuse, NY)

9) Captain Lawrence Brewing Company’s Pumpkin Ale (Elmsford, NY)

10) Middle Ages Brewing’s Im Paled Ale (Syracuse, NY)

11) Ithaca Beer Company’s Cascazilla American Amber/Red Ale (Ithaca, NY)

12) Middle Ages Brewing’s Grail Ale American Amber/Red Ale (Syracuse, NY)

13) Ithaca Beer Company’s Flower Power American IPA (Ithaca, NY)

14) Middle Ages Brewing’s Swallow Wit Witbier (Syracuse, NY)

15) Matt Brewing Company’s Saranac High Peaks Imperial IPA (Utica, NY)

16) CB Craft Brewers’ Joe Latte Vanilla Coffee Stout (Honeoye Falls, NY)

17) Ellicottville Brewing Company’s E’VIL Hoppy Winter Ale (Ellicottville, NY)

18) Lake Placid Pub & Brewery’s Ubu Ale English Strong Ale (Lake Placid, NY)

19) Captain Lawrence Brewing Company’s Freshchester Pale Ale (Elmsford, NY)

20) Ringside Brewing Company's Ringside American Lager (Saratoga Springs, NY)

And the best part is, my time in western New York is not over. I've still got a few more days with which to add to this list. I am planning to go down to Buffalo (or as the locals say, “up to Buffalo) again over the weekend to visit the Flying Bison Brewery and Community Beer Works, and may even roll over to Rochester to see what’s going on over there. Plus, there are still plenty of local craft beers on the shelves at the specialty beer stores to try. Endless possibilities. As of this point, I have added 44 unique check-ins and three new locations to my Untappd account… not too shabby. If you want to get updates on my western New York beer adventures, or any of my other beer adventures for that matter, follow me on twitter @SousBrewer.

Happy New Year!!!

And since this is the final post of 2013, I want to sign off by wishing you all a happy and safe New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. May they be filled with delicious craft beer and a designated driver! Looking back on the past year, we did a lot less brewing, but a lot more visiting – adventures galore! Who knows what 2014 holds in store? Continue following my adventures, and find out. Until next year…

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

The Eleventh Hour

Four days left

Ordinarily, I am not one to incite panic. Especially during a time of year that is supposed to be peaceful. That being said, it is December 21st, so if you haven’t finished your Christmas shopping yet…

IT IS TIME TO PANIC!!!

There is good news, however, if you have any craft beer people on your list, because craft beer people are quite literally the easiest people to shop for. This is due to the proven fact that craft beer people want craft beer for Christmas. Shopping done. See how easy that was?

Now I will show my work.

The easiest possible way to give a craft beer person craft beer for Christmas is to march your happy butt down to your local grocery store, package store, specialty beer store, or whatever, and buy craft beer to give that special someone on Christmas morning. It really is no different than what you ordinarily do when purchasing craft beer, except that once you get it home, you’re going to wrap it (or put it in a gift bag) and give it to the person on Christmas morning. I know it sounds too easy, and may therefore be disregarded as “not trying hard enough,” but if it’s what they want (and I assure you it is), than what’s the problem?

Merry Christmas to me!

If you want to try a little harder, because allegedly it’s the “thought that counts” (whatever that  means), go to your local brewery and fill a growler of fresh, right off the tap, craft-brewed deliciousness and deliver it to your craft beer person on Christmas morning. This will definitely be appreciated, and you will be placed upon the Christmas gift giver pantheon of greatness. I must warn you, if you are going this route, please, please, PLEASE… wait until at least December 23rd to fill the growler and place it immediately into the fridge when you get it home, until Christmas morning. If you want to take it out that morning and move it to beneath the tree, that’s fine. If you leave it sitting out multiple days, or buy it too far in advance of drinking it, it will go flat – thus rendering it not as appreciated as it otherwise would've been.

All shapes and sizes

Another way to ensure legendary Christmas gift giving is to give them craft beer in their stocking. This is one of my personal favorites. Essentially, buy them craft beer and put it in their stocking on Christmas Eve, instead of under the tree. It might not sound like much, but remember back to when you were a kid, and how stocking presents were for some reason, more enjoyable than the rest. It’s not an exact science, and perhaps it’s better that way, but trust me, finding beer in your stocking brings a smile to your face. Note – please don’t put beer in children’s stockings. It won’t end the way you think it will.

You can also give your craft beer people something other than beer, such as craft beer swag (shirts, hats glassware, etc). Craft beer people are more often than not fans of the beer they drink, so much so, that they want to wear it proudly in the form of on clothing. Or, drink it from a glass emblazoned with the logo of their favorite or local brewery. This route toward Christmas gift giving excellence is full of options, and is literally a can’t fail scenario. The best places to look for this stuff is online or at your local brewery.

The merch area at the Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, VA

Speaking of your local brewery, did you know that most (if not all) of them offer tours? What better way to say Merry Christmas to your craft beer person than by taking him/her to your local brewery and going on a tour? Tours usually are free, and usually include samples, or at least the opportunity to purchase a flight of tasters holding the very craft beer you just saw the brewers making. You’ll be able to fill another growler, buy some more swag from the gift shop area of the brewery, meet fun people and share in their holiday merriment, etc. It might be the best Christmas ever.

A real live brewery tour at the Highland Brewery in Asheville, NC

However you choose to reward that special craft beer person in your life this Christmas, I hope you have a truly great and wonderful holiday. Take a load off, kick your feet up, and enjoy some craft-brewed excellence (or two) with your family and friends (and maybe some people you've never met before). From all of us in the Mash Tun to all you out there in computer or mobile device land…

Merry Christmas!

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

The 12 Craft Beers of Christmas

It wouldn't be the Christmas season if I didn't take a moment to write the obligatory post about Christmas beer recommendations. It seems that I, and many bloggers like me, write this post every year. Last year, I went full-on grizzly bear and recommended 25 beers for the Christmas season. This year I will cop out and only do 12. Why 12? Because if I do 12, I can co-opt the “12 days of Christmas” song and make it into a gimmick for my beer recommendation blog. Too easy.

And to make this list extra awesome, all of these are brewed in the good-ole U. S. of A. ‘Murica!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

One Winter Warmer, by Harpoon Brewery (Boston, MA) – Winter Warmer - Dark, copper colored, sweet and malty with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla – Not overly hoppy – 5.5% ABV – Quite nice

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Two Our Special Ales, by Anchor Brewing Company (San Francisco, CA) – Winter Warmer - Dark, deep brown colored, sweet spicy complex flavor and aroma, notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, berries, juniper, cloves, molasses, pine? – 5.5% ABV – Delicious

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Three Winter Ales, by Weyerbacher Brewing Company (Easton, PA) – Winter Warmer - Dark, rich brown color, almost amber in color, molasses and nut notes, easy to drink, 5.6% ABV – Very good

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Four Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ales, by Boston Beer Company (Boston, MA) – Winter Warmer - Mahogany color – cinnamon, ginger and orange peel notes – one of my personal favorites – 5.9% ABV – Delicious

Blogger’s note: Sam Adams needs to sell this as a stand alone six pack, instead of just one of the six beers available in their winter seasonal variety pack.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Five Samuel Adams Holiday Porters, by Boston Beer Company (Boston, MA) – Porter - Dark brown – caramel and molasses notes – slightly bitter – also part of the Sam Adams winter seasonal variety pack – 5.9% ABV – Very satisfying

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Six Santa’s Private Reserve Ales, by Rogue Ales (Ashland, OR) – Amber Ale - Amber color – hoppy with grapefruit notes – very well balanced – 6% ABV – Delicious

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Seven Celebration Ales, by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, CA) – American IPA - Dark amber color – robust hoppy and bitter flavor – pine and grapefruit in the nose – seasonal IPA? Yes, please. – 6.8% ABV – Wonderful

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Eight Prelude Special Ales, by Shipyard Brewing Company (Portland, ME) – Winter Warmer - Maple syrup color – maple syrup flavor, along with nutmeg and caramel – bold and malty – 6.8% ABV – A treat

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Nine Old Jubilation Ales, by Avery Brewing Company (Boulder, CO) – Winter Warmer - Deep mahogany color, boozy spiced brown ale with five different malts in the mash, hazelnut and butterscotch notes on the nose and taste – 8% ABV – Great brew

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Ten Frosted Frog Christmas Ales, by Hoppin’ Frog Brewery (Akron, OH) – Winter Warmer - Dark color – very sweet and very aromatic – cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg notes like liquid ginger bread – full-bodied – more of a desert than a beer – 8.6% ABV – Fantastic

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Eleven Santa’s Little Helpers, by Port Brewing Company (San Diego, CA) – Imperial Stout - Pitch black color – burnt coffee and black licorice in the nose – roasted barley and very bitter hop flavor – 10% ABV – Seriously Intense

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Twelve The Mad Elfs, by Tröegs Brewing Company (Hershey, PA) – Belgian strong dark ale - Red-brown color – Belgian yeast and cherries in the nose – complex, sweet, boozy, Belgian taste – 11% ABV – Sublime

… and then I passed out for the rest of the holiday season.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

What If Santa Is A Craft Beer Drinker?

Jolly Old Saint Nick

I know the premise seems a bit silly, but in the spirit of creative writing and holiday cheer, let’s role with it. Let’s presuppose for a moment that, in spite of the evidence to the contrary, Santa Claus does currently exist as the hallmark cards and Coca Cola commercials depict him – an obese elderly gentlemen with a long white beard, a bright red suit (complete with hat), nine magical reindeer who pull a flying sleigh, elves to make toys for the kids, and that he delivers Christmas gifts to the good children of the world on Christmas Eve. You know – the whole shebang.

Now, let’s picture Chris Kringle up there at the North Pole. Maybe he’s in his living room with a roaring fire going, reading over his list of good children, checking it twice as it were. Mrs. Claus is sitting across from him reading Hunger Games, just to see what all the fuss was about. They’ve recently finished dinner and are settling in for the night. There is a blizzard raging outside, but the fire is making the living room quite warm and welcoming. Now, look at the coffee table between Santa and Mrs. Claus – what do you see? I’ll tell you what I see – an English-style pint glass of oatmeal stout in front of Santa, and a tulip glass of saison in front of Mrs. Claus. Both beers were made by the craft-beer loving brewer elves who work down the street from Santa’s house and workshop at North Pole Alewerks.

An army of brewer elves, who may have had too much to drink

Here’s how I know the Claus’s are craft beer people.

1) Santa, as all the evidence would suggest, is a person of discerning tastes. He wears the finest furs and he lives in a spacious home with all the top whistles and bells. Clearly, if he’s drinking an alcoholic beverage, it will be something of some stature, taste-wise.

Reindeer aint cheap, and I got nine of 'em

2) Santa has means. Aligning with the first point, the Claus’s live a posh manor in North Pole Towne, the largest home in the village. The rest of the residents of the town either work for him directly, or are employed as a result of the existence of his operation. He wants for nothing, as is evidenced by his rotund stature, and has unfettered access to whatever he wants or needs, including delicious craft beer. As I alluded to earlier, there is a craft brewery in North Pole Towne – because we are taking over the earth. Who do thing funded the establishment of that brewery?

3) Look at Santa Claus. A man that large and in charge, living in a place as freezing as the North Pole obviously is – do you really think he is drinking some light, yellow, fizzy, industrial, mass-produced swill beer? He needs something with the bollucks to it. He needs a beer that will warm you up and keep you there. Obviously, his beer needs to be made from proper ingredients, and a fair bit of them too. He’s most likely a stout hound, preferring dark beers like porters and black lagers.

4) Mrs. Claus is obviously running the show. Santa is undeniably the face of the franchise, but his lovely bride is clearly the brains of the operation. She is the consummate tactician, always thinking four steps ahead, and she is savvy enough to know that what her husband does reflects upon her entire enterprise. She is not about to let centuries of hard work and reputation-building be undone by her husband drinking bad beer. She will ensure that he drinks only the best.

You thought he was driving this thing?

5) Rudolf, the red-nosed reindeer. Rudolf is one of the greatest cover-ups in the history of the world. The song indicates that it was Rudolf’s glowing red nose allowing him to navigate through the wintery storm that brought him to the reindeer team and saved Christmas that year. The reality is, there’s always a storm on Christmas Eve – if Rudolf’s navigation was needed due to bad weather, it would've been needed long before that one incident. The truth is, Rudolf’s navigation was needed because Santa was too drunk to drive. He brought in Rudolf so he wouldn't need to drive, and he could drink delicious craft beer all night long to stay warm and pass the time. Rudolf drives, the other reindeer propel the sleigh, and Santa sits back and drinks. Too easy.

Clearly, based on the “evidence” listed above, Santa drinks craft beer. He loves it. So please remember that this Christmas Eve and you’re leaving out some goodies for him – he really doesn't want your milk and cookies – if you want to ensure optimal gifting from the fat man, leave out beer and cheesecake. Good beer too, something dark like a barleywine, stout porter, schwartzbier, etc. You’ll be pleased with the results.

Barleywine and cheesecake never fail

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Dude, non sequiturs are logical
fallacies, not literary devices.

Thanksgiving is officially in the rear-view, which can only mean that the Christmas season has officially begun. You can expect more of these blatantly obvious puns, asides, palindromes, and other literary devices to be used to insert Christmas carol lyrics, non sequiturs, and other such holiday cheer into these blog posts.

And since it is quite cold outside this morning, what better topic to address than the seasonal style of beer called the winter warmer.

Winter warmer, by defined style, is an English strong ale that is brewed in the winter months. They are malty sweet offerings that tend to have a big malt presence, both in flavor and body. The color ranges from brownish reds to nearly pitch black. Hop bitterness is generally low, leveled and balanced, but hop character can be pronounced. The primary characteristic is strength; the average alcohol content by volume ranges from 6.0% to 8.0% ABV and some winter warmers reach 10% ABV or more.

Traditionally, the style does not contain spices, and relies on the malt and low amounts of hops for its flavor. It is common today to find a seasonal beer that is heavily spiced and called a winter warmer – technically, it’s not a winter warmer, and the brewer is attempting some marketing hoodwinking. Winter seasonal beers that are spiced tend to follow the "wassail" tradition of blending robust ales with mixed spices, as a nod to the good old days before hops became the chief "spice" in beer. In America, not surprisingly, our varieties of winter warmers have a larger presence of hops, both in bitterness and flavor. Murica!

All bundled up, ready for the cold.

When you think of winter warmers, you often think of Christmas Ales, and for good reason. Christmas beers are similarly strong in alcohol content to their winter warmer cousins and are usually spiced with a variety of unusual ingredients. The exact hierarchical relationship between Christmas ales and winter warmers is difficult to pin down – many would categorize Christmas as a sub-style of winter warmer, while others (myself included) would rank the winter warmers as a sub-style of Christmas Ales. In the end, it doesn’t matter, as the two are always seen together on the shelves and oft-mislabeled anyways. For more on this interesting juxtaposition, consult last year’s blog post on Christmas beers, by clicking here.

In their natural habitat.

Some good examples of winter warmers that I highly recommend are Anchor Brewery’s Christmas Ale, Harpoon Brewery’s Winter Warmer, Starr Hill Brewing Company’s The Gift, and Flying Dog Brewing Company’s K-9 Cruiser. There are, of course, countless fine examples of the style beyond the four I just listed, so don’t feel like it will be hard to find winter warmers to help warm you up this cold, holiday season.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

I'm Thankful For Craft Beer

Tis the season for turkey, football, family, blog posts about thanksgiving, and most of all, being thankful. Despite all of my irritations, frustrations, agitations, and other “ations” that don’t need to be expounded upon in this forum, I have it pretty good. There are several, if not plentiful, items on my list to give thanks for, but today, I’m going to focus on just one. Spoiler alert – its beer.

In any language.

Craft beer to be precise. Yes, I know it comes as a shock that this post about being thankful for beer doesn't include the likes of the yellow, fizzy, American mass-produced industrial swill beers, which will remain nameless… if this isn't your first day, you already know my feelings toward those punks. So as I launch into this list of reasons why I’m thankful for craft beer, I do so under the premise that I’m talking about properly made from proper ingredients… beer. American Craft Beer.

So here is the list, in no particular order, of the reasons I am thankful for Craft Beer:

Nor does one care about such nonsense.

1) It tastes great! Not in a 1990s era beer commercial “less filling, tastes great” kind of way, but in a way that can be appreciated. There are so many flavors at work in your average pint of properly made craft beer, it’s almost impossible to pay them all enough attention and truly appreciate them – but trying to do so is half the battle. All together, they are sublime, and when you try to break them apart on your palate, the unique qualities of each shine through. And if you understand what they are and where they come from, they become even better.

2) Versatility! If you drink bad beer, you know of two or three styles of beer. Probably light and dark, which aren't actually styles at all. In reality, there are dozens of beer styles out there that most American beer drinkers have never experienced. They are all different, and they are all wonderful. And with so much diversity, how can you not be captivated?

Yo!

3) Science!!! Just like Jesse Pinkman trying to keep up with Walter White in the lab, the science behind craft beer can be overwhelming, but learning about how it works unlocks a whole new level of appreciation. Plus, there is always something new to learn. If you take the time to immerse yourself in the science, craft beer becomes a hobby, and maybe even a passion.

4) Social Drinking! Don’t have enough friends in your life? Or maybe the friends you have are not of the caliber you would prefer. Becoming a craft beer drinker is a free ticket to a world full of nice people who want to hang out with you! And the more “nerdy” you allow yourself to be with beer, the cooler you will be with these people. Boom – instant friends. Like you’re the high school quarterback… sort of.

5) Okay fine… it makes you feel good. It’s true. And unlike sub-par beers, craft beer usually packs a higher payload of alcohol, so you get drunker on fewer beers – which equals money saved and fewer calories in the long run. Not a bad deal.

6) Health benefits! That’s right, I said benefits! Studies have shown that craft beer has vitamins, nutrients, amino acids, and all kinds of other stuff in it that is good for us, which has been linked to reduced risk of heart failure, lower cholesterol, lower stress, etc. Big beer, on the other hand, doesn't contain these things, as the ingredients they use are of lesser quality and quantity, and more often than not, the good stuff is filtered out in the name of saving money and marketing.

Fascinating.

7) Cool activities! Beer is so much more than bars and man caves – in the craft beer world, we hang out at breweries and brew pubs, where we get to interact with other beer people (see number 3), as well as the brewers themselves. We also get to learn more about the process (see number 2) and see it all in real life. Fascinating. There’s also beer tastings, beer pairings, tap takeovers, etc.

8) Food! Craft beer goes with food better than wine goes with food, and has become a game unto itself. Beer pairings, whether at restaurants or in the comfort of your own home, are very interesting and social ways to learn, drink, and be merry. Plus, it’s delicious! Everybody wins.

9) Merch! Swag! Craft beer-related items like shirts, hats, glassware, signs, etc. So many different things to fill your very own basement bar with and show off to your friends.

10) Cool label art! Big beer, for as hard as they try in the marketing world, has boring labels and boring names for their beer. In the craft community, we pride ourselves on clever names and cool labels, not only from a marketing standpoint, but because we can.

11) ‘Murica! Craft beer is made in America! It’s a source of pride to know that your country now makes the best beer in the world, even though we are still best known for that big beer crap (some of which isn’t even an American company anymore). Plus, if you drink your local brewery’s beer, there’s even more pride in it because you’re supporting your local small businesses and keeping your money in the local economy. Everything you want, nothing you don’t.

12) You can make it yourself! Many of the things I've mentioned already lead you to the day when you decide that you want to learn to make beer and become a home brewer. Even though the processes that commercial craft breweries use are obviously on a much grander scale, they are essentially the same processes. Which means you can recreate your favorites in your own home, or get adventurous and come up with your own recipes. Then, your house will be the one where everyone wants to hang out… instant friends. It’s the circle of life.

This could be your basement, where your new cooler friends hang out with you and drink your beer.

Anyways, I’m sure I've left some out some things, but this list is pretty good. Feel free to add to my list in the comments. And remember – drink craft beer this Thanksgiving. You deserve it.

For more reading, like what craft beer you should serve with your Thanksgiving dinner, click here. If you want to read about how beer fits in to the history of Thanksgiving, click here.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

What To Do About Thanksgiving

A veritable cornucopia of beer choices,
a horn of plenty if you will

The good thing about blog writing is that these pesky little posts of mine have dates on them, which means I get a weekly reminder of what the date is. Seriously, without them, I may never remember where on the calendar I am.

So imagine my surprise when I sat down this dreary Saturday morning to write and saw that the date is already November 16th! As in, Thanksgiving is a week and a half away! I don’t know if your family is like mine, but menu preparations are almost as big a deal as the meal itself. With particular attention paid to…

BEER PAIRING!!!

And since it is my yearly tradition and honored privilege to do so, I bring you my 2013 edition of what beers to pair with your traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Free of charge. Because I know how overwhelming menu planning can be from a food standpoint; at least the beer part should be easy. Let’s begin.

Wait, what?!

Ordinarily, beer pairing is accomplished by finding multiple beers that compliments each course individually – as in one different beer per course. The problem with Thanksgiving is, usually the courses are served simultaneously in the form of a literal ton of food placed on the table that we eat at the same time. You could pick a different beer for every food on your table, and bombard people with 6 or 7 glasses of beer in front of them, or you could find one beer that does a “pretty good” job of pairing with everything. But what beer should you pick?

You're welcome.

The Thanksgiving dinner plate typically has serious diversity in flavors, textures, temperatures and weights, making it problematic to pick a single beer to pair well with everything you consume. The key is to find the common characteristic across each menu item, and in this case, believe it or not, the common characteristic isn’t food at all, it’s your oven. All the best stuff on the Thanksgiving table comes from your oven: turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pies, etc.

Generally speaking, when food is cooked in the oven, it undergoes browning and caramelization—just like the darker malts used to create amber and brown-colored beers do when they are kilned and prepared for brewing. The similar flavors created by these shared processes offer a good balance between darker malty beer and oven-roasted food. Keeping this in mind will help you narrow the field to a few beer styles.

Bière de Garde:

Most beer experts recommend Bière de garde as the best versatile style for Thanksgiving. It’s a good call. BDGs, as I call them, are adequately forceful in alcohol and carbonation to stand up to richness but subtle enough in flavor to avoid dominating your delicate Thanksgiving dishes. In fact, the amber (or "ambrée") versions of the style have a more bready, toasty and caramelly malt flavor alongside fruity and spicy yeast character, which go quite well with the autumnal flavors of Thanksgiving. The only problem is availability, but if you have access to a specialty beer store in your neck of the woods, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Some examples of BDGs - so you know what to look for

Dubbel:

Belgian-style dubbels are more common than BDGs and make a statement at the dinner table. They are traditionally bottled in elegant cork-and-cage finished 750mL bottles and look like beers worthy of celebration. They drink pretty well too. Dubbels lift the mouth-coating richness of gravy and dairy-laden mashed potatoes from the palate due to high carbonation and pack a one-two punch of dense dark fruit and peppery, clove-like phenol character that complements sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and the star-of-the-show turkey itself.

Some Belgian dubbel abbey ales to choose from

Märzen/Oktoberfest:

Characterized by toasty malt dominance, moderate in alcohol and low in bitterness, these beers are an ultra-safe but effective play for your Thanksgiving table. There's nothing here to throw your food out of balance, great examples can be had for cheap, and your guests will probably be at least somewhat familiar with beers of this style already. Dunkel lagers and drier doppelbocks feature a similarly malt-forward flavor and will behave the same way.

Absholutely.

Scotch Ale:

Scotch ales are all about smooth, caramelized malt character. Red grape, toffee, and peat smoke flavors are par for the course here, offering savory and sweet complements to your plate. These beers have some bollucks to them, weighing in with enough ABV to hang with the richer dishes. They can be great with dessert too, but reserve that for sweeter examples.

Brown Ale:

Brown ales have expanded far beyond the scope of one-dimensional Newcastle facsimiles. You'll find toasty, roasty, nutty and chocolatey flavors packed into your average brown ale and many examples (especially the American-brewed ones) feature a significant hop profile as well. Expect a balanced beverage that will fit in comfortably with everything on your dinner plate.

What about desert? Glad you asked. Pairing beer and dessert can be equally cumbersome to pairing beer with dinner, once again due to the diversity. Frequently encountered flavors like pecan, apple, and pumpkin all appear on your plate at once – bombarding your palate with sweet, spicy, tart, rich, bright and weighty, all at once!

Mmmm... pie and beer

The best solution to this great problem to have is a sweet-leaning English-style barleywine. These beers offer a deep malt complexity that works really well with pie. Expect a full range of caramel, toffee, and dark fruit character from these beers, all welcome complements to pecan, pumpkin, and apple pie.

A good milk stout (aka sweet stout) will offer an appropriately-sweet chocolatey counterpoint to your pecan and pumpkin pies as well. Depending on the stout, the sweet chocolate flavor may overwhelm on it’s own, but with pecan and pumpkin pies, it tastes more balanced, offering a satisfying back and forth between the sweets and the beer.

If you’re focusing on an apple pie only route and want to try something different, sweeter dunkelweizens are great with less-sweet apple pies. They are typically packed with banana, raisin and nut flavor, and a zippy clove-like yeast character. They pair brilliantly with the cinnamon-apple flavor of apple pie.

No Duff at the Thanksgiving dinner table

This concludes my 2013 edition of “what to drink at Thanksgiving.” You are now armed to the teeth with good advice on what beers go best with your meal, and really impress your guests with how beer-enlightened you are. In fact, if you memorize some of what I said here, you can serve your beer, and explain why it works, and then they’ll really be impressed with your ability to nerd out. And you’ll be the hero of the day.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!