Beer from A to Z
Milwaukee, WI
Saison, a seasonal style of beer invented before refrigeration
Originated in the French-speaking region of Belgium
Typically bottle conditioned
Notes of fruit and yeastiness, very little hoppiness
Delicious with milder foods, such as chicken, fish, and vegetables
ABV: 6.5%
IBUs: 20
This tasty beverage was enjoyed at AlphaBeer VIII. The lovely Chef Jill Houk introduced all of the beers at the tasting and provided information on each one, as well as appropriate food pairings. All beers that are tagged “AlphaBeer VIII” and “Chef Jill Houk” are from that tasting, and the notes are hers.
There’s more than vodka in Russia; There’s Zatecky Gus. It’s a Czech style pilsner with a light flavor. Perfect for that heavy Russian cuisine.
This beer has “double chocolate” in its name. Do we need to say more? Didn’t think so.
Talk about people passionate about beer. Xingu Black Beer is the result of a couple from Vermont flying to Brazil to try to recreate a lost beer. The husband, a writer, had learned about a beer dating back to 1556 from the Amazon rainforest while researching an article on the history of beers in the world. They couldn’t find the original beer so they worked with a local as crazy as they were to find a brewery to help them bring it back to life.
The beer? It’s a dark, opaque rich brew with a touch of bitterness and some sweetness. Worth a trip to the Amazon? You decide.
Samuel Adams Boston Lager is the original beer for the incredibly successful Boston Beer Company. When we say original, we don’t just mean from 1984 when the company was founded. We mean way back to 1860, when Jim Koch’s ancestor Louis Koch brewed it up in St. Louis, Missouri. Koch (the younger) used the same recipe in his kitchen. Since then it’s been tightened up and the company’s been purchased by Anheuser-Busch, but Koch is still there maintaining the family legacy. They better keep him or he might throw his beer into the harbor; it is Boston, after all.
