Drink Up the Summer

Brewer- Clown Shoes

Beer- Clementine

Style- Witbier

ABV- 5.90%

Description – Clown Shoes Clementine pours a hazy golden orange with a white creamy head that leaves a thin lacing on the glass. The aroma is that of a typical Witbier with notes of coriander, orange peel, candied sugar and that beautiful yeast dancing in the background and mixing with hints of spicy hops and sweet malt.  The taste backs up the nose with subtle spices hitting the palate first bringing forth perceptions of coriander and white pepper before giving way to citrus flavor of oranges combined with sweet sugar and followed by sweet malt and hop notes to finish it all off. The medium body and moderate carbonation give this beer a creamy mouthfeel and creates a beer that is both highly drinkable and highly refreshing.  Clementine is yet another fantastic beer from the oddly named Clown Shoes brewery, but when they are making beers this good, honestly who cares about the name?

Food pairing – The Witbier style is one that traditionally goes well with lighter fare. Any dish too hefty or spicy will overpower the beer. If you are looking to enjoy a relaxing Sunday brunch than be sure to have Clementine on hand, this is a beer that goes well with omelets, hash browns, pancakes, or even a light fruit salad. This is a beer that is also great with a wide variety of sandwiches from turkey to tuna to a delectable BLT, Clementine with add a layer of flavor and spice to the dish while providing more than enough carbonation to scrub the palate clean and leave it feeling exhilarated.  A pairing that truly makes this beer shine though is with fish. It is light enough to compliment the most delicate fish such as turbot, a type of flat fish, or sole but also has enough citrus characteristics and tartness to heighten the natural flavors within as well. Another fantastic pairing with this beer is with a light summer salad piled high with any variety of fruit and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.

The Final Word – As the summer begins to wind down and pumpkin beers invade our beer shelves it is a great idea to drink up as much of the summer season as one can before it’s gone. Enjoying some Clementine is one of the best ways to do so. While Clementine is available year round. The refreshing, crisp, and subtle Belgian characteristics make this a great beer to enjoy by the pool.  Clown Shoes is a brewery that has been building a solid reputation since it first opened the doors in 2010 with great beers such as Hoppy Feet, Galactica IPA, and Undead Party Crasher paving the way and making new fans of the brewery all the time.  Clementine quickly became a fast seller for the brewery once it hit shelves, it is a perfectly brewed Witbier and is extremely invigorating and a must try beer. Grab some now before the fall season completely takes over!

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Where can I get it? – Currently available in 12 oz. bottles at: Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; Cooper’s Seafood- Scranton, PA. Also available on draft at Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA.  Try searching in your area on BeerMenus.com
Remember,  I can also be heard weekly on the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on 102.3 FM Saturdays @ 10 a.m.

Enjoy responsibly!

Great for Recreational Use

Brewer- TerrapinBeer Company

Beer- RecreationAle

Style- American Pale Ale

ABV- 4.70%

Description – RecreationAle pours a cloudy golden yellow with fluffy off white head that lingers throughout the drink and leaves behind a web of lacing on the glass.  The aroma is hop forward with notes of citrus and pine balanced against a lightly sweetened malt bill, not overly complicated but still very enjoyable.  The taste follows the nose with a taste of citrus fruits up front namely grapefruit, orange, and lemon followed by sweet grains that coat the palate and sooth it to keep everything in balance before ending with a quick dry finish.  The moderate carbonation and medium-light mouthfeel give this beer a highly drinkable quality and makes for a great session beer.  Despite the session beer label, this is a beer that drinks like the best of them and is perfect for days when you want a few drinks to relax and enjoy a night out, but don’t want that heavy feeling in your stomach or head.  RecreationAle is a great beer to have in your fridge at any time of the year, thankfully it is brewed year round, and the sessionable qualities make it even better, not to mention it comes in a can!

Food Pairing – The hop forward nature of this beer make it a great pairing for spicy foods, however due to the lighter body of the beer you may want to keep from going towards overly spicy dishes as the beer may get lost in the pairing.  RecreationAle is great for American foods; especially those enjoyed during the summer outside or in, so keep this one on hand for all cookouts!  Pair this beer with hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, or even steak, the hops will add flavor to any of these dishes and the carbonation will be able to scrub the palate clean every time.  If you are looking for a spicy food pairing, try having this beer on your next pizza and wings night, the malts will match up nicely with the dough from the pizza while the hops will grab onto the Italian seasonings.  While the wings will most certainly benefit from the subtle hop bite of the beer and the malts will help sooth that burn left behind from the sauce and leave the palate refreshed.  Whatever you decide to pair with this beer just keep in mind the session nature of it as some dishes may overpower the beer and while it will not be a “bad pairing” flavor wise it may cause the beer disappear on your taste buds and that most certainly is a not a good pairing.

The Final Word – There has been a slow and steady movement from many American craft brewers towards more sessionable beers, those that are lower in ABV, however the movement has only seen a small amount of successful session beers take off.  The problem is that brewers are trying to make very flavorful beers but with fewer ingredients, typically malt.  The difficultly with this is that when brewing hoppier beers the lessened malt bill creates a beer that can be wildly out of balance and be far too bitter for the casual beer drinker to enjoy.  Thankfully, breweries such as Terrapin have been creating balanced, enjoyable, and very sessionable beers that are available to the masses.  RecreationAle has a tremendous amount of flavor packed into the 4.7% ABV and the availability in cans makes it a great beer to pack with you on any outdoor trips.  Be sure to grab a six-pack of this one and get out and enjoy the warm weather while it is still here!

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Where can I get it? –   Currently available in 12 oz. cans at: Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; J & H Beer- Plains Township, PA; and Krugel’s Georgetown Deli- Wilkes Barre, PA

Search your area using sites like BeerMenus to find Terrapin or if no luck, try checking here

It's Good to Be a Loser

Brewer- Elysian Brewing Company

Beer- Loser

Style- American Pale Ale

ABV- 7.00%

Description – Loser pours a hazy copper color with a rocky, slightly off-white head that leaves behind a thick web of lacing on the glass. The aroma is full a sweet malts up front mostly of the bread and toasted caramel variety, backed by subtle scents of tropical fruit from the hops. The taste follows the nose and is malt forward with bready malts again leading the charge mixed with sweet caramel malts and followed by bitter tropical fruit notes before a semi-dry finish takes over. The medium body and moderate carbonation present a very smooth and easy drinking beer that gives no hint to the 7 percent ABV and the 57 IBU’s give this beer a slightly bitter taste that is perfect for many craft beer newbies. Elysian Brewing has yet another excellent beer on their hands with the great Loser pale ale, a must try for craft beer fans.

Food Pairing – The malt forward taste and aroma backed with fruit hops make this a great summertime beer and goes very well with grilled meats. Try pairing Loser with hamburgers and top them off with cheddar cheese and mushrooms for an even more enjoyable experience that will truly highlight the complex flavor profile within the beer. Loser is also a great match for pork sausages and lamb chops, the malts will highlight the caramelized flavors within the meat while the hops will add an extra layer of complexity. Tex Mex dishes also make for a great pairing some great choices are: tacos, quesadillas, tamales, chimichangas, chilaquiles, enchiladas, fajitas and huevos rancheros. Loser is a workhorse of a beer and makes for great pairings with any number of dishes; this is certainly a beer to experiment with to find your favorite combination of flavors.

The Final Word – Elysian’s Loser is not only a great beer but is also a beer that celebrates great music. Loser is a beer originally brewed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fantastic Sub Pop records, a label home to some of the most influential artists of the last 2 decades. Sub Pop is a label that has been influential upon the overall music industry since its humble beginnings and has released albums by artists such as Nirvana, Mudhoney, and the Shins; however, Elysian Brewing has had the same influence within the craft beer industry. The brewery has seen many changes in the industry since opening the doors in 1996 and the brewery has been on the cutting edge ever since and continues to be to this day.  Loser is a beer that pairs together companies that exert influence within their respective industries, but even more importantly, it is just a fantastic beer. So do not be ashamed to be a loser.

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Where can I get it? – Currently available in 12 and/or 22 oz. bottles at: J & H Beer- Plains Township, PA; Joe’s Six Packs to Go- Dunmore, PA; Flood’s Bar- Stroudsburg, PA; and Wegmans- Dickson City, PA.

To find it in your area check out Elysian's beer finder here.