It’s time to dust off the grill and break out the tongs again, barbecue season is here! In celebration, here’s a hand selected list of some of the finest brews ever to be paired with outdoor cooking. Drink up, read on, and enjoy.
Full Sail Session Black
A dark beer that’s surprisingly light. Toasty malts combine with a hint of chocolate to give this brew a full bodied taste without sitting too heavily on your stomach. The flavors are strong enough though to ensure that it stands up well next to a big juicy steak fresh from the grill.
Sprecher Black
A bit bolder and fuller than the black mentioned above, this beer is stout enough to stand up to anything you can throw at it. Don’t serve this with mild foods like grilled chicken and fish, or the beer may run away with your taste buds, but if you’re serving up sharp, bold flavors on the barbecue, then this is an excellent addition to the menu.
Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen
If you’re doing seafood on the grill, then you want something lighter than the beers above. In that case, this is our recommendation. It’s a wheat ale, light in color and filled with zesty lemon tones that will pair perfectly with your seafood entrees.
Sierra Nevada Summerfest
Crisp, clean and refreshing, this tasty pilsner has just the right amount of zip to go with most anything, but really stands out among lighter fare, in particular chicken dishes and halumi (our vegetarian friends just love barbecues halumi cheese.)
Angry Orchard Apple Ginger Hard Cider
If you like your barbecue Southern Style, then you need a drink that can pair well with that. If that’s where your tastes run, then you’d be hard pressed to find a better match than this hard cider by Angry Orchard. Sweet, tart with a ginger bite that will leave your taste buds begging for more.
Ommegang Abbey Ale
Sometimes, lamb can be a hard meat to pair properly with a beer, but in this case, it’s about as close to a perfect match as you can get. Ruby in hue and Belgian inspired, this beer is great by itself, but it’s even better with some freshly seared lamb flavoured with rosemary.
Try these, and many other great barbecue beers at the Edmonton International Beer Fest next April. now!
As the festivities continue to scale and people rush to acquire gifts for their loved ones, there is one group of people who seem to be as calm as ever: the beer lovers. Beer is handcrafted, available in over 100 styles, and has its own decorative packaging, which eliminates the need for wrapping. Plus the fact that the recipient will most probably share a glass with you, making it the ultimate gift for this season. However, there are many other good gifts that can be just as pleasing to beer lovers.
Glassware
Proper glassware is a must have for any beer lover, not only for their aesthetic value, but also to enhance the taste of beer and the drinking experience. Just like you need a glass to pour your wine, you also need the right glassware to appreciate the striking characteristics of your beer.
Nuts, Cheese or Meats
There are a few things that pair well with beer to make any drinking experience so much more incredible, and you can never go wrong with some artisan cheeses, nuts and meats. You can expect the recipients to devour them fast owing to their awesomeness, so make sure to purchase enough to last longer than a moment.
Bottle keeper
There is nothing good like a cold beer, and the vacuum-insulated stainless steel growler promises to do just that. The best thing about these coolers is that they can keep your drinks cold, carbonated and safe for longer than 24 hours, allowing you to enjoy your favorite alcohol during overnight trips and long hikes.
Home brewing Equipment
A brewing starter kit makes the perfect gift for home brewers or those aspiring to be home brewers. The kit contains different supplies and equipment that can significantly enhance the home brewing experience. If you are not certain about what the recipient needs, you can purchase a few ingredients, or get them a gift card.
Beer Bottle Cufflinks
Every now and then, everyone needs to dress up when attending a function or celebration. Not many people wear cufflinks, but you may manage to change the minds of a few beer lovers by getting them some with beer bottles on them.
Beer Nerd Board Game
Beer taps into the playful side of the brain, and while one’s attraction to the opposite sex seems to scale significantly, so does the need to interact more closely with drinking buddies. Nothing achieves this better than a trivia board game to challenge your beer knowledge while having lots of fun. It has multiple choices, so you do not have to be so informed to win.
