12 Beers You Missed at Oktoberfest « Sharp – Canada's Magazine for Men

Sign up for the sharp insider, our email newsletter, and get a FREE DOWNLOAD of a past issue of Sharp The Book For Men.

May 2013

Gold-Award

Prev Next

Prev

Next

12 Beers You Missed at Oktoberfest

<b>Expert:</b> Ashley V. Rouston
<br></br>
<b>Website:</b> </b> <a href="http://drinkwiththewench.com">Drink with the Wench</a>
<br></br>
Ashley Rouston, better known as the beer wench, is a self proclaimed craft beer evangelist. Her mission is to advance the beer industry though education and inspiration. Not only does this brewed beverage lover work at a brewing company, she is also a regular contributor to the Brewers Association and Whole Foods Market Blog. Being a hardcore foodie, her specialty is creating ideal food and drink parings, which she has generously included with her best beer picks.
<br></br>
</b> <a href="http://russianriverbrewing.com">Russian River Pliny the Elder</a>
<br></br>
"This is an American Double IPA brewed with west coat hops. It's beautifully off-balanced, crisp, bitter, and slightly boozy with a fresh aroma of floral, citrus and pine. I recommend pairing cave-aged and blue cheeses, charcuterie, salmon, or carrot cake with this beer."
<br></br>
Photography: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinoyed/4817095794/">Edwin Bautista</a>
<br></br>
<a href="http://www.cantillon.be/br/3_1">Cantillon Classic Gueuze</a>
<br></br>
"This bottle-conditioned blend is 100% spontaneously fermented Belgian Lambics that has been matured in oak barrels. Funky, sour and highly carbonated, Cantillon's Classic Gueuze boasts citrus and barnyard aromas, tart yogurt-like flavors, and a crisp, dry finish. Perfect pairings would be fresh milk cheeses, steamed mussels, mushrooms and truffle accent dishes."
<br></br>
Photography: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brostad/2866814843/">Bernt Rostad</a>
<br></br>
<a href="http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/home/56.php">Goose Island Sofie</a>
<br></br>
"I chose Belgian-style farmhouse ale fermented with wild yeast and aged in wine barrels with orange peel. It's slightly tart with hints of spice and excellent carbonation. Sofie is both a complex and refreshing beer that pairs well with soft-ripened cheeses, lobster, oysters, and curries."
<br></br>
Photography: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7318334@N07/4497542629/">David Fischer</a>
<br></br>

<b>Expert:</b> Jeff Alworth
<br></br>
<b>Website:</b> <a href="http://beervana.blogspot.com">Beervana</a>
<br></br>
Jeff Alworth runs his beer blog from the brew mecca that is Portland, Oregon. And you can trust his tastes - he’s already written a book, <i>The Beer Tasting Toolkit</i>, and has another, <i>The Beer Bible</i>, on the way. Here, he gives us his top picks.
<br></br>
<a href="http://www.orval.be/en/8/Brewery">Orval</a>
<br></br>
"Orval, perhaps the beer most admired by other breweries, is brewed at just one of six Trappist monasteries. A beer that defies category, it is made in the rustic farmhouse tradition of Belgium using wild brettanomyces yeast, but dry-hopped (sacks of hops submerged in aging beer like tea) in the English manner."
<br></br>
Photography: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56423590@N05/7605263166">Adam Barhan</a>
<br></br>
<a href="http://www.sierranevada.com/index2.html">Sierra Nevada Pale</a>
<br></br>
"Across the globe, breweries now make 'American-style' pale ales and IPAs. They are referencing a saturated, citrusy hop profile riding atop an easy-drinking caramel-malt body. The first beer to perfect this balance was Sierra Nevada, and it's still one of the best."
<br></br>
Photography: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/traftery/5246552259/in/photostream/">Tom Raftery</a>
<br></br>
<a href="http://www.pilsnerurquell.com/ca">Pilsner Urquell</a>
<br></br>
"When Josef Groll first made a batch of sparkling, hoppy light beer in 1842, ales made up almost all the beer in the world. His beer became so popular that now the reverse is true--lagers are the dominant type. They're still making beer in the town pilsners were born--Plzen, Czech Republic--and Urquell, the original, is still the standard."
<br></br>
Photography: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35593319@N04/3702141093">Shalbs</a>
<br</br>

<b>Expert:</b> Lew Bryson
<br></br>
<b>Website:</b> <a href="http://lewbryson.blogspot.ca">Seen Through a Glass</a>
<br></br>
Pennsylvania citizen Lew Bryson has been a drink writer since 1996, and whiskey and beer lover for many more. His expertise is used as an editor for Whiskey Advocates Magazine and a regular writer for multiple publishers in the beverage industry. This beer advocate and funny man's road to fame took off when a pilot episode of his very own reality show, <i>American Beer Blogger</i>, aired early this year, with hopes of being picked up by a network.
<br></br>
<a href="http://21st-amendment.com">21st Amendment Bitter American</a> <br></br>
"I love that it's in a can, tastes great, and makes me want more. And at 4.4%, I can easily do just that."
<br></br>
<a href="http://www.carlsberggroup.com/Pages/default.aspx">Carlsberg Group Okocim Porter</a> <br></br>
"I vividly remember the first time I had this huge, sweet, dark Polish lager over 15 years ago. I've been mad about Baltic porters ever since."
<br></br>
Photography: <a href="http://feistyfoodie.com">Yvo</a>
<br></br>
<a href="http://www.batch19.com">Coors Batch 19</a> <br></br>
"It was an easy call for this 'pre-prohibition' lager that Coors rolled out earlier this year. It's clean and well-blended, has a medium body, and just tastes like more."

<b>Expert:</b> Matt Simpson
<br></br>
<b>Website:</b> <a href="http://www.thebeerexpert.com/">The Beer Sommelier</a>
<br></br>
Beer sommelier Matt Simpson has been in the craft beer industry for nearly two decades. During this time he has taught beer education at university, and has worked within multiple beverage companies such as co-founding <a href="http://www.beercellar.co.nz/">beercellar.com</a> and writing for BEER magazine. This award-winning home brewer has hosted his share of craft beer tastings since the 90s. Have this beer industry professional's advice wherever you go with his mobile app, one of the biggest beer databases out there.
<br></br>
<a href="http://www.ommegang.com">Brewery Ommegang Hennepin</a>
<br></br>
"This hoppy, farmhouse-style ale has a champagne-like effervescence with a crisp but light-on-the-tongue finish. Hennepin has a majestic golden tone and notes of bread and bright coriander. Absolutely incredible with most food, but especially cheeses."
<br></br>
Photography: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mitch_j/4800780380/">Mitch J</a>
<br></br>
<a href="http://www.jailhousebrewing.com">Jailhouse Brewing Breakout Stout</a>
<br></br>
"This ale is anything but a typical American stout. Rich, chewy and strong, but still relatively dry, this deeply dark beer is rife with notes of coffee, chocolate and tobacco. Perfect with chocolate desserts."
<br></br>
<a href="http://www.millercoors.com">MillerCoors Blue Moon Grand Cru</a>
<br></br>
"This may be the best interpretation of a Belgian-style wit (wheat beer) by any of the macro breweries. Relatively strong, at 8.2% a.b.v., it's light in colour, but spicy, aromatic and complex. It pairs extremely well with creamy cheeses, chicken, fish and salads."
<br></br>
Photography: <a href="http://www.missmake.com">Devon</a>

Comments