Best Beverage for...

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Best Beverage for...

Unread postby bourbonv » Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:59 am

I am not much of a beer drinker but do enjoy good beers and ales. What do you recomend as the best beer/ale/stout for the following occasions:

1) Hot Summer day after yard work.

2) Cold Winter night by the fire.

3) Summer BBQ by the lake.

4) Tailgate party in fall football season.

5) After shoveling snow off walk.

6) Rainy spring day watching video.

7) Good steak dinner out.

8) Fish fry after a good fishing trip.

9) Poker game with cigars and bourbon.

10) To take to a party.

I can tell you what I consider as a good bourbon for these occasions, but not beer. Those with more experience may want to help us less eductaed out with these questions.

Mike Veach
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Unread postby Brewer » Sun Aug 21, 2005 9:05 am

OK Mike, sorry for the delay, but here's some ideas for you...

For a hot summer day, I don't think that a nice wheat beer can be beat. There's lots of good ones to choose from, both domestic and imports. There's a number of styles within the wheat beer category. Belgian style, Berlin style, Hefewizen, Dark Wheat (Dunkel Weizen). Belgian style includes some of my favorites including Celis. This style uses Curacao orange peel and coriander in addition to the barley malt, hops, water and yeast. Another good one is Blue Moon which is made by Coors. Germany produces lots of good examples including a very sour beer, called Berliner Weisse, which is the Berlin style. First time I had it, I HATED it. A few years ago, I thought I should give it another try, and this time I could appreciate its qualities. Hefeweizen's are also very good. Hefe means yeast, so these beers have a small amount of yeast remaining in the bottle. Schneider Weisse is the most commonly available example. Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weissbier is an example of the dark wheat style, which also has yeast in the bottle. I'd say that all of these could fit the bill for your summer BBQ, but I'd also add Pale Ale and English Bitters. The classic PA is made by Sierra Nevada, but there's lots of good ones to try. Bitters would be noted by ESB (Extra Special Bitter) on the label.

Now for the tailgate football party, just about anything goes, depending on what you like, but my cooler would be nicely stocked with India Pale Ales, cuz hops make me hoppy :lol: Once again, there's a huge number of IPA examples including Hop Devil, Hop Pocket Ale, Grant's IPA, Magic Hat IPA. You just gotta try 'em all! :partyman: Especially if you're at a football game with a bunch of good friends, enjoying some good food before & after gametime.

For that cold winter night, you gotta crank up the alcohol content a bit to warm yourself up, so you want a nice Imperial Stout (Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout or Grants IS) or a Barley Wine. Amongst Barley Wines, I'd suggest Thomas Hardy's, Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Ale, Brooklyn Brewery's Monster Ale. Old Ales can be nice as well including Young's Winter Warmer or Old Peculier. Another style is Bock beer with Aass Bock as one of my favorites; also Celebrator's Double Bock, which is very good.

For that dreary rainy spring day, you should go for a Maibock. Try Rogue's Maierbock Ale.

For that steak dinner at your local restaurant...don't ruin it with a Bud or a Miller. Get yourself a nice glass of BOURBON!

Hope this helps you find an appropriate beer for the situation! :beer:
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Unread postby bourbonv » Sun Aug 21, 2005 9:43 am

Thanks Bob! That is what I am looking for. Great information and now I can pair up some bourbons to go with them and have fun.

Mike Veach
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Unread postby Brewer » Sun Aug 21, 2005 9:48 am

Let me know what you try, and what your impressions are Mike. Also, many of the beers I mentioned shouldn't be ice cold when you drink them. Cool is OK, but too much cold will detract from the taste.
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Unread postby Mike » Sun Aug 21, 2005 11:10 am

For a nice steak, I recommend a good stout, such as that which Sierra Nevada produces. To offset the malty sweetness, stouts use roasted malt in addition to hops. I find that roasted malt flavor complements a thick juicy steak very well. I believe many chefs use stouts in making gravies for roast beef and meatloaf.

Brewer (the man knows his beers) is exactly right about the wheat style beers as a summer refresher. Another choice I would also recommend is a good clear, crisp Pilsner, such as Pilsner Urquell, or even Grolsch.

Brewer is also right (the man does indeed know his beers) about something a bit stronger for a winter's eve. An Imperial Stout really is just the thing. I forgot which brewery it comes from, but I like Old Rasputin Imperial Stout a lot in addition to Samuel Smith's and Bert Grant's IS.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
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Unread postby Mike » Sun Aug 21, 2005 11:25 am

Pardon me, I misspoke. I should have said roasted barley, not roasted malt! They roast the malted barley until it adds no fermentable to the mash, but adds a nice bitterness.

Mind you, I didn't make a mistake or lie, I MISSPOKE (what a load of crap that word carries with it).

I lay my misspeaking on my age and the fact that I have not had anything to drink for 4 days now (saving up.........a friend is coming over today)
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
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Unread postby bourbonv » Mon Aug 22, 2005 12:53 pm

Mike,
I agree that a stout goes well with a steak. I had some friends over for some steaks on the grill a few summers ago and had some particularly good Bluegrass Brewing Company bourbon barrel stout with them. That developed a particular fondness for stout on hot summer days with steaks and bourbon baked beans. At the same time, as you point out, a good pilsner on a hot day is very refreshing.

Mike Veach
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