The Beers of Autumn

Ahh, the beers of Autumn. The weather breaks its summer swelter, it’s time to move to something a bit darker to accompany the hearty and rustic meals on menu. With butternut squash and wild mushrooms, pumpkin pie and apple tarts, the aromas of sage and ginger, cinnamon and cloves, food friendly beers are becoming increasingly popular with traditional holiday meals.

It seems that every brewery these days are making some sort of pumpkin or fall spiced brew. Rightly so, as autumn beers are the most popular of all the seasonals. From Late Harvest to Autumn Maple, Apple and Pear Cider, Oktoberfest Marzens and Pumpkin Spice, there is a beer for ever fall meal. But where to start, and how to pair?

If you are sticking with traditional turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes and gravy for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, you will find that the variety of flavors that can be found in this meal are at all ends of the spectrum. From savory to citrus, sweet and spicy, many find it a difficult task to pair an appropriate wine for the occasion. Luckily, beer is here to save the day. An Oktoberfest Marzen pairs wonderfully with the diverse flavors that come along with this meal. Try Paulaner Oktoberfest, light in body, full in malty flavors, it won’t overpower anything,  but is still big enough to hold its own – $10.80 for a 6 pack. If you are looking for a beer that will pack some bigger flavors, try Dogfish Head Pangaea. It has a warming ginger tone, but a light crisp finish that will cleanse your palate  – $10.50 for a 750 ml bottle. For those of you that prefer a lighter, Champagne-y style beer, go for a cider. Ace Joker Cider $4.50 for a 22 oz bottle, pairs fabulously with a pork roast slow cooked with Granny Smith apples and rosemary. Serve it in a Champagne flute and impress your guests.

If you have ham with orange glaze on the menu, try a Weizen such as Franziskaner Hefeweizen, spicy and light with notes of citrus, coriander and clove – $10.80 for a 6 pack. If you prefer a bolder ham with perhaps a mustard glaze, try a darker styled weizenbock or dunkel weiss such as Julius Echter Dunkelweiss, – $3.50 for a 22 oz bottle. The smooth malts will cut the acidity in the mustard, and with the low hop content it won’t leave you with a bitter aftertaste in your mouth.

For the prime rib, roast tenderloin and brisket lover, try a Scotch ale, a Porter or a heavy German Dopplebock. Spaten Optimator is one of those big, scary dark beers (my favorite!), and be careful of the alcohol content at 7.2%. Certainly not a slugging beer. Perfect for beef with a good amount of peppery flavors or whole peppercorns – $10.80 for a 6 pack. If you choose a rich, dense gravy, Rogue Mocha Porter will do the trick – $13.50 for a 6 pack.

And on to dessert – pumpkin pie, pecan pie and gingerbread cookies go famously with a pumpkin spiced beer. Try Dogfish Head Punkin – $9.90 for a 4 pack. If you simply want beer for dessert, try Southern Tier Creme Brulee (tastes just like burnt cream) $9.25 for a 22 oz and Southern Tier Pumking (tastes like biting into pumpkin pie crust) $7.50 for a 22 oz –  a side of vanilla bean ice cream will suffice.

Most of these beers are seasonal and they do sell out. The next time you can get your hands on these fall specialties won’t be until next year, so grab them while you can and enjoy the holidays!

A Toast to the Beer Glass

As promised, and in lieu of our Domestic Microbrew tasting this coming Wednesday, I am going to take you on a trip to the magical world of the malty beverage and highlight proper beer-ware. Now proper beer-ware is subjective. If you are happy drinking beer out of a red party cup then by all means, go for it. But if you don’t feel like contributing to your local landfill, consider a glass that may assist in accentuating your beer experience.

Weizen Glass

The Weizen Glass (Wheat Glass) has thin walls and a tapered base, allowing for the fruity and often spiceness of a wheat beer to waft directly  into your nostrils. The extended height allows for a decent head often typical of the wheat beer.  Suggested Beers: Hefeweizen, Weizenbock, Dunkelweizen, American Wheat, Witbier

Pint Glass

The Pint Glass comes in two standard sizes, the American Tumbler which holds 16 oz and the Imperial Nonic (shown) which holds 20 oz. The American Tumbler is the most common and is thicker and heavier than the Nonic. The Nonic has a ridge near the top which helps with stacking and organization in the sud slinger world. The larger volume allows for more beer (obviously) and room for a substantial head. Suggested Beers:  Stout, Porter, English Ales

Pilsner Glass

A tall, slender 12 oz glass, the Pilsner Glass showcases the light colors, clarity and effervescence of a Pilsner style lager. Suggested Beers: Czech Pilsner, German Pilsner, American Lager

Goblet or Chalice

This stemmed beer glass is designed for Belgian Ales and German Bocks. The Goblet (shown) is typically thinner and more delicate  than the heavier, thicker Chalice. If you look into the bottom of the glass you will usually find a scoured texture which is meant to circulate the CO2, providing constant release of bubbles as well as head retention. Suggested Beers: Belgian IPA, Belgian Heavy Dark Ale, Dubbel,  Tripel, Quadrupel

Snifter

If you order a high alcohol beer at your local pub, chances are they will serve it in a smaller portioned glass. The Snifter is the most common. The wide base which tapers to a narrow rim keeps the aromas within the glass and allows for swirling without sloshing beer all over your neighbor. Stick your nose in your glass and be prepared for an intense bouquet of brew. Suggested Beers: Barley Wine, Imperial IPA, Imperial Stout, Lambic, Belgian Strong Ale

Mug

If you’ve ever joined a mug club, this is probably what you got. Your very own mug, maybe even with your name on it, proudly hanging amongst the mugs of your friends at your local watering hole. This is the oldest version of a beer holding device, dating back to the Black Plague era. The original mugs came equipped with a lid to prevent flies – evil plague carriers – from landing in your brew. Some of the ornate German Steins still have lids to this day. Suggested Beers:  American Amber, American Pale Ale, IPA, English Bitter, English Brown Ale, Scottish Ale

So there you have a sampling of the wide variety of vehicles available to the beer aficionado. There are more to mention, but these are the standards. Don’t be afraid to ask for a glass either. Oftentimes your bartender will overlook the obvious and hand you a brown bottle sans glass. Since the sense of smell makes up the majority of your tasting experience (many flavors you think you are tasting are actually aromas creeping up the back of your throat into your nasal cavity), it seems logical to serve your beer in a glass that will accentuate these aromas. Think about what you may be missing out on by drinking beer out of a tiny hole at the top of your beer bottle. If you truly want to experience your beer, pour it into a glass.

Decanted is located at 1410 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples FL. Join us for monthly beer tastings. More information at http://www.decantedwines.com