PA honey and cherries to give the Belgian ale 11% alcohol
warmth and a slight reddish hue. "The combination of cherries,
honey, and chocolate malts delivers gentle fruits and subtle
spices. Fermented and aged with a unique yeast, this ruby
red beer has significant warming strength that underlies the
pleasant character of this intriguing yet delicious ale." (www.
troegs.com) Local Massachusetts salesman Jason gave me his
feedback, "Mad Elf and apple pie, pumpkin pie almost any kind
of pie will work as a food pairing. The beer has some sweetness
and will compliment the sweet nature of the selected holiday
dessert."
Adding a fruit compote (fruits that are cooked in water with
sugar and a variety of spices) will enhance the flavors of both
the dish and the beer. Our special Belgian yeast adds hints of
spice to the dark fruit, caramel, and chocolate flavors."
Well there you have it, perfect food and beer combos from the
pros that profess the art of brewing, pairing and drinking all
in a day's work. Skilled brewers toil day in and day out hand
crafting todays beers while the resilient salesmen and women
push the product to the customers bringing the brewers efforts
to your fridges. Relax and enjoy the holiday season, it'll be
spring before you know it. Life is hard, beer is easy. Cheers JM
Another brewery churning out Belgian style ales is the Brooklyn
Brewery in New York. They've been brewing beer for 25 years
and have brewed German, English and Belgian styles all to
perfection. I asked the sales manager of Brooklyn Brewing,
Patrick for his holiday suggestions. "We brew a Belgian style
dark ale named Local 2. The dark fruit flavors of the Local 2
will work well with dark meat such as goose, pork or duck.
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