On Tap: Summer Ales

After a brief, one-week hiatus, On Tap is back folks!  And boy do I have some fun stuff to discuss this week.  But before we get into the weeks brews, I’d like to discuss a topic that interests me: pairing beer with my favorite foods.   Being a relatively new beer drinker, I often wrestle with the problem of which beer would compliment my meal best.  The wrong beer with the wrong meal can make for a most unpleasant experience… and a lot of wasted beer!  Insert, He Said Beer, She Said Wine: Impassioned Food Pairings to Debate and Enjoy –from Burgers to Brie and Beyond.  A friend was kind enough to tell me about the book and I must say, I am very tempted to buy it.  The book is co-authored by Marnie Old, an esteemed sommelier (wine guru), and Sam Calagione, owner of the renowned craft brewery DogFish Head.  Now, I probably wouldn’t be that interested in the wine section but I’m betting that the owner of DogFish Head brewery knows a thing or two about beer.  Anyway, I just thought I’d share that in case you are like me and don’t always know what beer to enjoy with your food.

Ok, onto the week’s winners and losers.  The big winner this week was another from the Leinenkugel family, Leinenkugel Summer Shandy.  Now I bet you’re saying to yourself, “Wait, I thought this was a seasonal brew.  It’s not summer!”  Well, I thought the same thing when I saw it sitting in Wegman’s just waiting for me to enjoy.  Apparently, summer has come early and I couldn’t be happier.  Summer Shandy is a beer infused with the citrusy deliciousness of lemonade.  It is a slightly tart delight that I can see going very well with some grilled barbeque chicken or lounging by the pool.  I can safely say that Leinenkugel now makes the two beers closest to my heart.

Another winner, and a bit of a surprise, was a beer I tried while out to dinner at El Rodeo: Cerveza Pacifico Clara (or simply, Pacifico).  Pacifico is a Mexican pilsner-style beer that is smooth, without too much of the hoppiness that is common among pilsners.  I enjoyed mine with a slice of lime (What can I say?  I’m a fan of citrus) and some tasty tacos.  This is definitely a beer I can see enjoying while sitting on the beach.

The only loser of the week was another rare miss by Leinenkugel.  The beer in question: Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown.  The beer was slightly bitter for me and had a bit of a metallic aftertaste.  Overall, just kind of a letdown. 

Well, that’s all for this week.  Join me next week when I hope to discuss the following brews:

Whatever’s left in my Wegman’s six-pack!  :-)