Since the weather has really heated up these past few weeks, I’ve been thinking of good beers to drink in the summertime. There’s just nothing quite like drinking a cold beer on a hot summer day. Fortunately this season also brings special summertime brews giving beer lovers an even greater selection to choose from.
The addition of seasonal summer beers brings up the question: What makes a good summer beer?
A good summer beer is light, both in color and the body. Summer brews are thirst quenching and full of flavor and aroma. Typically summer beers are pale ales, Pilsner, and Weissbier.
Pale ales are amber to copper colored and brewed mostly with pale malts. Pale ales have a malty profile that is balanced with hops.
Pilsners are very fragrant, complex and have a light sweetness to their flavor. The Pilsner is a well-hopped beer, but does not have the bitterness that other beers tend to have.
Weissbier is a German word that refers to variety of wheat beers. Three main Weissbiers are Berliner Weisse, the Witbier from Belgium, and American Wheat Beers (Hefeweizen). Weissbiers are unfiltered and are actually ales since they are brewed with top-fermenting yeast. They have a pale color and “weisse” actually means “white” which is why they are sometimes referred to as “white beers.”
The Berliner Weisse has low alcohol content and is brewed exclusively in the Berlin, Germany area. It has a sour flavor so it is served with sweet syrup to help balance the tanginess.
The Belgian Witbier is a brew from Belgium. Witbiers have a crisp taste that is accented with orange zest and coriander and different spices or herbs.
American Wheat Beers include Hefeweizens. Hefe refers to yeast and Weizen refers to wheat. Hefeweizens are brewed with a majority of malted wheat and some malted barley. They are pale colored and have a refreshingly crisp flavor. Hefeweizens have high carbonation which is meant to balance the malt sweetness.
To find a good summer beer, it’s a great idea to taste a variety of beers including the seasonal summer brews. You can read more about summer beers on NewsMiner and MSNBC.
(photo credit: stevendpolo)
July 24th, 2009 by Catherine Anne Alipio | Posted in General, Great Brews, Seasonal Brews | Comments (1)
It’s winter, you’re over it. What to do? Drink. What to drink? Ale. What ale to drink? Brown ale. Brown ale? Yeah, brown ale.
Popularized by brands like Newcastle Brown Ale, the sometimes pale and sometimes deep brown color, not surprisingly characteristic of brown ales, screams winter. Their body, ranging from pretty light to pretty full (but rarely super light or crazy full) is perfect for winter–you want a beer with some substance that can stand up to the cold outside, but as you’re probably pairing it with sausages, short ribs, a bout of depression or other classic winter fare, anything too heavy will just weigh you down and make you feel, well, bad.
Ranging from sweet to hoppy to nutty, these brown ales are generally approachable without being boring. In the middle of a sometimes seemingly never-ending winter season, you want more from a beer than mere alcohol content: You want a balanced serious beer with notes of pleasant warm things, like honey, nuts and hoppy sweetness.
So next time winter leaves you wondering what to do with yourself and all those extra hours of literal darkness, grab some friends and head to the local pub and throw back a pitcher (or two) of local microbrew brown ale, or pick up a six pack after work and find someone to drink it with, or have a couple while watching a game or playing Scattergories. In any case (pun only quasi-unintended), with brown ales in ample supply nationwide, you’ve no excuse to feel down or have nothing to do this winter.
Have a favorite brown ale? What is it?
Cheers,
Erin Hollingsworth
(photo credit: mfajardo)
April 10th, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in Great Brews | Comments (0)
This Valentines Day, serve up something special by pairing the award-winning taste of O’Haras Irish Stout with Frli, the Belgian fruit beer. A new drink recipe for combining the two acclaimed beers gives beer lovers a fun way to celebrate the holiday and indulge in a delicious duo.
According to Jeff Coleman, president of Distinguished Brands International, the distinct dark chocolate hints of OHaras Irish Stout pair perfectly with the fresh strawberry taste of Frli to create a decadent drink that tastes like everyone’s favorite Valentine treat of chocolate-covered strawberries.
For a new twist on a Valentines favorite check-out the recipe that the folks at Frli have suggested!
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Drink Mix
- 3 Parts Oharas Irish Stout
- 1 Part Frli Strawberry Beer
- Garnish with a fresh strawberry
O’Haras Irish Stout was named the Worlds Number One Stout above 74 competing products at the worlds most prestigious beer competition, the Millennium Brewing Industrys International Awards.
Frli was a gold medal winner at the International Beer Competition 2004 and its made with Belgian white beer and natural strawberry juice.
(photo credit: asam)
April 7th, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in Great Brews | Comments (0)
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