SouthShoreMagazine

holiday great tastes ~ Craft Beers Holiday Beer Food with Certified Cicerone® Jean-Marc Aubuchon Colder winter months are upon us, I can't wait to strap on my skis and hit the slopes! The holidays are the best time to meet and drink with family and friends, so I decided to let a few of my beer industry friends suggest their beer and food pairings. Holidays are about sharing. Light the fire, dim the lights, grab a beer with a friend and cozy up! My friend Brad from Oskar Blues Brewing in Longmont, Colorado suggests a malty Scotch ale for a holiday feast, "Old Chub Scotch Ale with a pot roast that's been cooking in the crock pot all day. Perfect for warming you up on a cold winter night." Scotch ales tend to be higher in ABV, great for loosening the mood at a holiday party (you were invited right?). "Old Chub features semi-sweet flavors of cocoa and coffee, and a wee-bit of smoke. A head-turning treat for malt heads and folks who think they don't dig dark beer." (www.oskarblues.com) They are a great beer to pair with darker meats or even sweeter dessert dishes. Many scotch ales contain an element of smoked malt, adding a smooth smokiness to the finish of the beer. Oskar Blues is the first craft brewery in the USA to put their product in cans and has been "cannin' it" since 2002. The Woodstock Inn Brewery in Woodstock, NH is the perfect getaway for families or couples these coming winter months. Check out nearby Loon Mountain Resort for awesome skiing and hospitality. I asked Woodstock's saleswoman Erin for a holiday beer and food pairing and she shared a brewery favorite recently quoted by Brauista.com, "The holidays are a time for making merry and indulging in special treats. A fudge made with a sweet malty winter beer like Wassail makes ordinary fudge something super special, sweet and delicious with just a hint of beer flavor. Wassail is a un-spiced, hearty full bodied holiday ale, malty with assertive hoppiness combining with alcohol warmth at 8%." (www.brauista.com) Troegs Brewing Co from Hershey Pennsylvania brews a high ABV holiday ale aptly named "Mad Elf." This Elf uses local 28

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