The Beer Circle » Beer Pairing, Bell's Brewery, Dogfish Head, Lancaster Brewing Co., Tröegs Brewing Co. » Unlikely Pairings: Weather
Unlikely Pairings: Weather
Hurricane preparations in State College. Plenty of milk and bread, but shortage on Hurricane 40’s (Photo Credit: Dave Cole – Onward State)
For my next installment of “Unlikely Pairings”, I was initially inspired by the events surrounding Superstorm/Hurricane Sandy. Up in State College, Monday afternoon classes were canceled. Being a rarity, and that the area was only a minor impact from the storm, many students raided the local bottle shops for Hurricane 40 oz. malt liquor bottles.
So, I’ve decided to scan my tasting history for what I think would be the best beer to have in the event of each kind of weather. As of this writing, I have 375 unique beers on Untappd, and have decided to limit my choice to only things I have logged on this list.
Rainy Day – Hopslam Ale (Bell’s Brewery)
Kept indoors on a rainy day? This style will remind you that soggy (or hoppy) isn’t a completely bad thing! This highly saught-after brew is a bottle to keep around for a rainy day when you’re not looking to get out for a while. It clocks in at 10% ABV with a great taste to complement. For more on Hopslam, check out Russ’s review.
Tornado – 120 Minute IPA (Dogfish Head Brewing Co.)
In the event of a tornado, you should be very close to your cellared beer. Either in your basement, tornado shelter, or room without windows, I would expect your beer is most likely kept in the same location that is ideal to ride out the severe weather. Because of this, I am recommending a beer that ages very well, so when you have the threat of a powerful wind causing major damage, at least you can ride it out with a well-aged bottle. 120 is one of those staples that I would keep in your tornado shelter. If you’re ambitious, include a World Wide Stout and make a Heaven & Hell (given you’re going through a Hell of a storm!).
Snowstorm – Winter Warmer (Lancaster Brewing Co.)
From a local brewing company, this is a beer that will definitely keep you warm while the cold wind blows outside. Clocking in at 8.9% ABV, it contains a wintry blend found in most holiday season beverages. Most noticeable is a minty taste up front. By the end of one of these bottles, you should be able to lose the Snuggie. Stocking up on bread and milk is over-rated anyway.
Four Loko? I can only recommend this in the event of the rapture.
Sunshine – Sunshine Pils (Tröegs Brewing Co.)
This is the beer that will let you enjoy the outdoors! Many people would also consider this to be the “lawn-mower beer”. Winner at this year’s GABF for the German Pilsner style, the taste encompasses an ideal summer flavor with refreshing taste, and a low (5.3%) ABV expected from a session beer. I recommend to drink this straight from the brown bottle in order to keep it from skunking in the sunlight.
Have a weather pairing suggestion? We’d love to hear it in the comments below!
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Written by Kenton Martin
Kenton is a Southeast PA native who began diversifying his beer tastes alongside many of The Beer Circle writers at Zeno’s beerfests in State College, PA. He continues to live in the area and is an avid follower of the local microbreweries – going so far as to try his hand at brewing himself. Initial results have been very successful. Find Kenton Martin on Google Plus
Filed under: Beer Pairing, Bell's Brewery, Dogfish Head, Lancaster Brewing Co., Tröegs Brewing Co. · Tags: Unlikely Pairings
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