5.16.14 Brews for A Grilling Feast
Party at Tracy’s! No, it’s not but if it was you’d want to bring these great beers! We went to the local pro for the tips on what to serve this Memorial Day weekend, Josh Nagle. 3 beers, 3 savory and sweet pairings! You will want to know Josh and hear the scoop on Berks County’s newest eatery too! Salute!
I’ve included Josh’s notes. He was gracious to share them!
Hefeweizen (Franziskaner Heffe-Weisse)
Description:
A south German style of wheat beer (weissbier) made with a typical ratio of 50:50, or even higher, wheat. A yeast that produces a unique phenolic flavors of banana and cloves with an often dry and tart edge, some spiciness, bubblegum or notes of apples. Little hop bitterness, and a moderate level of alcohol. The “Hefe” prefix means “with yeast”, hence the beers unfiltered and cloudy appearance. Poured into a traditional Weizen glass, the Hefeweizen can be one sexy looking beer.
Often served with a lemon wedge (popularized by Americans), to either cut the wheat or yeast edge, which many either find to be a flavorful snap … or an insult and something that damages the beer’s taste and head retention.
Food Pairing: Shellfish (Skewered shrimp, Grilled lobster/ crab salad), Lighter dishes
Dessert: Bananna Pudding
Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4.0-7.0%
Saison / Farmhouse Ale (Goose Island Sofie)
Description:
Saisons are sturdy farmhouse ale that was traditionally brewed in the winter, to be consumed throughout the summer months. Not so long ago it was close to being an endangered style, but over recent years there’s been a massive revival; especially in the US.
This is a very complex style; many are very fruity in the aroma and flavor. Look for earthy yeast tones, mild to moderate tartness. Lots of spice and with a medium bitterness. They tend to be semi-dry with many only having touch of sweetness.
Food Pairing: Fresh Fish (white) or Grilled herb Chicken
Dessert: Citrus Desserts (Key Lime or Lemon Meringue Pie)
Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5.0-8.0%
Fruit / Vegetable Beer (DuClaw Chocolate Raspberry Stout)
Description:
A generic form of flavored beer, some breweries actually use real fruit or veggies, though most use an extract, syrup or processed flavor to give the effect of a particular fruit or vegetable. Usually ales, but with not much ale character to them and commonly unbalanced. Malt flavor is typically hidden with a low hop bitterness to allow the fruit or vegetable to dominate.
Food Pairing: Beef/Pork- Steaks, Ribs, or Pork chops
Dessert: Berry Shortcake/Choc cake
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