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feste_sylvainAfter our anniversary barbecue at Blue Ribbon (most excellent), we dropped in at Marty's in West Newton, which has an extremely deep beer selection (and wine selection, and...). I found something interesting: Mayflower Brewing makes a limited-run seasonal Thanksgiving Ale.
Unlike Christmas ales, which are an Olde Englyshe Tradition of roasted malts and spices, there really isn't a traditional Thanksgiving ale (despite the Puritans explicitly mentioning running out of beer on their 1620 trip1). Fortunately, this Plymouth-based brewery doesn't let a silly thing like "lack of tradition" stop them.
This is nice. It's a copper-colored ale, half-barley and half rye malts. They aged it in oak (which is becoming quite the Thing among microbreweries now). Rather than taking any big swallows, this has enough flavor that it's much better to cover the tongue and swallow slowly. It's lightly bitter, but full-bodied. I'm picking up caramel notes, something which pretends to be spice (but this isn't a spiced brew), and the oak comes thru in the finish.
Okay, there's no point to calling your limited autumnal ale "Thanksgiving" unless you make something which will go well with a heavy turkey-based meal. Oh, this will do just dandy for that. It will work with the dark meat, it will work with the light meat with gravy, it will work with the stuffing, it will work with the garlic mashed potatoes, with the corn pudding, with the butternut and parsnips, and with both the mince and pumpkin pies. It won't hurt the green beans almondine. It is strong enough in body to stand up to the heavy feast, and smooth enough not to overpower any side dish in it.
Did I mention it has a creamy texture? Huh, no I didn't. It has a creamy texture.
Oh, this one's a win. I'll be getting more for Thanksgiving proper.
1 "We could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being spent, especially our beer." -- William Bradford
Unlike Christmas ales, which are an Olde Englyshe Tradition of roasted malts and spices, there really isn't a traditional Thanksgiving ale (despite the Puritans explicitly mentioning running out of beer on their 1620 trip1). Fortunately, this Plymouth-based brewery doesn't let a silly thing like "lack of tradition" stop them.
This is nice. It's a copper-colored ale, half-barley and half rye malts. They aged it in oak (which is becoming quite the Thing among microbreweries now). Rather than taking any big swallows, this has enough flavor that it's much better to cover the tongue and swallow slowly. It's lightly bitter, but full-bodied. I'm picking up caramel notes, something which pretends to be spice (but this isn't a spiced brew), and the oak comes thru in the finish.
Okay, there's no point to calling your limited autumnal ale "Thanksgiving" unless you make something which will go well with a heavy turkey-based meal. Oh, this will do just dandy for that. It will work with the dark meat, it will work with the light meat with gravy, it will work with the stuffing, it will work with the garlic mashed potatoes, with the corn pudding, with the butternut and parsnips, and with both the mince and pumpkin pies. It won't hurt the green beans almondine. It is strong enough in body to stand up to the heavy feast, and smooth enough not to overpower any side dish in it.
Did I mention it has a creamy texture? Huh, no I didn't. It has a creamy texture.
Oh, this one's a win. I'll be getting more for Thanksgiving proper.
1 "We could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being spent, especially our beer." -- William Bradford
