What is an American Pale Ale?

Style: American Pale Ale (APA)

Brief History: The APA style is based upon the historical English counterpart, as are most beer styles, but the main differentiation between the two is the hop selection and slightly less caramelized malt flavor. The English Pale Ale primarily uses British hops, such as Fuggles or Kent Goldings, whereas the APA uses a wide selection of American hops, which tend to higher in alpha acids, leading to more aromatic and bittering qualities than the English counterparts. The English Pale Ale version also uses sweeter malts and gives the beer a heavier mouthfeel and more of a semi-dry finish compared to the APA, which is lighter in mouthfeel and leaves a much drier finish. This is a beer style that is based on a long British brewing tradition but has become very Americanized.

Standard characteristics: The overall impression of the APA should be refreshing and hoppy, but with a strong support of malt. The hops are present but do not overwhelm in the way that an IPA can in both the aroma and taste. The beer should be lighter in mouthfeel and leave behind a dry finish and should be both crisp and refreshing on the palate.

Nose: It has a typically moderate to strong hop aroma, leaning towards American hop aromas of citrus, but also notes from the malt should be present and typically would be described as being bready, toasty, or biscuity. The key with this beer is a balance between hops and malt.

Body: The body for this style should range between medium-light to medium, meaning it will be a bit thinner and lighter in mouthfeel with moderate to high carbonation. The beer should still have a smooth mouthfeel.

Taste: The hop presence should be moderate to high, but still below the levels typically attributed to the IPA style. The malts should be present and leave behind a clean taste while keeping the beer in balance. Hops flavors will typically be in line with citrus, pine, or floral but can range a great deal with American hops, and the taste of the malts will be bready, toasty, or biscuity, but again leave behind a clean and dry finish.

Food Pairing: The APA style is fantastic with a wide variety of foods and is a very versatile beer. Food selections should be based upon what you wish to highlight within the beer. If you wish to highlight the hops, choose something a bit spicier, such as Mexican, Thai, or Indian dishes. If you are looking for something to highlight the malt and use the hops as background notes, try pairing with venison, buffalo meat, or any red meats. This is a great style of beer to have on hand all year round due to its versatility.

Recommendations: American Pale Ales are extremely approachable, whether you are new to craft beer or you are a true beer geek. This is a style that is a true showcase for the talents of the brewers, as it is a lighter beer with not as much to hide behind as compared with some other craft beer styles. This is a list of must-try APAs:

• Deschutes Brewery- Mirror Pond Pale Ale

• Oskar Blues- Dale’s Pale Ale

• Sierra Nevada- Pale Ale

• Maine Brewing Company- MO

• Flying Dog- Doggie Style

• 21st Amendment- Bitter American

• Great Lakes Brewing Company- Burning River Pale Ale

• Victory Brewing Company- Headwaters Pale Ale

• Three Floyd's Brewing Co.- Zombie Dust

• Hill Farmstead Brewery- Edward

• Smuttynose Brewing Company- Shoals Pale Ale

• Firestone Walker Brewing Co.- Pale 31

A Cut Above the Rest

Beer: Daisy Cutter

Brewer: Half Acre Beer Company

Style: American Pale Ale (APA)

ABV: 5.20%

Description: Daisy Cutter pours a beautiful hazy golden orange with a frothy white head that dissipates quickly but leaves behind a thick lacing on the glass. The aroma is hop forward, primarily with notes of grassy and citrus hops backed by some sweet honey-like notes from the malt. The taste follows the nose, but the hops do not overwhelm as the aroma may elude one to think. The hops attack up front, but are softer on the palate and lean more towards floral hops first before the sweet caramel malts rush over and then give way to a lovely dry finish with a flash of the citrus hops. The medium body and carbonation are perfect to bring a light and refreshing APA that still can deliver a lot of hops without crossing over the line into the IPA category. This is a perfect beer for those who love hops but do not like to have their palate destroyed by them and is also a perfect beer for the summer. Hunt this one down!

Food pairing: As with IPAs, the APA style goes extremely well with a wide variety of spicy foods that are perfect for the warm summer evenings. Try pairing Daisy Cutter with your next Indian dish. Whether you want to have some of the spicier curries or the lighter and sweet chicken tikka masala, this is a great beer to pair with both, and the hops will make their presence a bit more known when combined with the spicier dish. Also, this is a great beer to have with Mexican dishes. Whether it is the simple taco or burrito or a slightly more involved dish like enchiladas or fajitas, this is a great beer to have on hand! Also, this beer has enough body and is versatile enough to handle those backyard summer barbeques. Whether it’s burgers, steaks, ribs, or brisket, slather on your favorite barbeque sauce (I personally recommend ordering some from the Salt Lick BBQ in Austin, Texas) and enjoy this lovely beer, as it will pick up the caramelized meat with the malts and highlight that lovely kick of spices within the hops. Daisy Cutter is yet another perfect summer beer to always have in the cooler!

The final word: The APA style is similar in vein to the American IPA, but with one huge difference: the hops do not overwhelm the beer and instead play more of a background note. That being said, it is far more difficult for brewers to perfect an APA, as it has less to hide behind than an IPA. However, Half Acre has hit this style dead-on with Daisy Cutter. The hops are certainly present and are there enough to make an appearance, but then they quickly get out of the way in time to leave you feeling refreshed. Also, the brewery releases their beers in the wonderful 16 oz. cans, making it perfect to bring along on camping trips and hikes this summer. Half Acre’s beers are available in the area, but they are still in the growing stages. It may be one that you need to place a special order for, though you will absolutely not be disappointed by this beer!


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Where can I get it? Currently available in 16oz. cans at: J & H Beer- Plains Twp., PA and Cooper’s Seafood House- Scranton, PA, to get a more in depth look at where it is in your area try searching Beer Menus

Tried and Truly Hoppy

Beer: Stone IPA

Brewer: Stone Brewing Co.

Style: American IPA

ABV: 6.90%

Description: Stone IPA pours a light clear golden color with a frothy white head that hangs around, leaving behind a wonderful lacing on the glass. The aroma is everything hopheads dream of smelling in IPAs, with strong notes of citrus, grapefruit, pine, and a very subtle earthy/floral hop background mixed in with light sweet malts. The taste follows the nose and is dominated by hops, with citrus again being the most dominant with grapefruit, mango, orange, and some lemon dancing across the palate along with a bit of pine before the malts wash over and scrub the palate clean for an unbelievably clean and dry finish. The medium body and moderate carbonation give this IPA its signature smooth mouthfeel and is a real testament to just how well Stone Brewing Co. brews a perfect IPA.

Food pairing: While Stone IPA is great to drink year-round, it is truly a refreshing summer beer and goes well with a wide variety of barbecue dishes. It’s a dream when paired with spicier foods. Try pairing it with Mexican dishes such as tostadas, chimichangas, or huevos rancheros; the bitterness will cut through the cheese, quell the heat from the chillies on your palate, and leave behind the hops to play joyfully with the spices before a clean and dry finish. If you are in the mood for something heftier, try pairing with chicken tikka masala, a creamy and spicy Indian dish; the creamier sauce melts into the malt bill to create a heftier feeling beer on the palate, while the hops and spices mingle with one another and, again, the beer keeps any spiciness from getting out of control and still manages to have a clean, dry finish. Since it is summer, try pairing this beer with your favorite burger, hot dog, steak, pork, or any other dish you can cook on a grill and slather in BBQ sauce and spices!

The final word: Stone Brewing Co. first released this world-class IPA in 1997. While most breweries constantly adjust recipes before and after a beer’s release until they feel it is perfect, Stone has used the original recipe since the initial release. Not only does this showcase the great brewing skills possessed by those at Stone, but also the forward-thinking and “try to catch us if you can” attitude that is also prevalent throughout the brewery. IPAs are certainly all the rage right now, and Stone’s IPA is still leading the pack in that department, but the fact that they had this style dialed in 17 years ago is just amazing. Many IPAs have come and gone since the initial release, yet Stone IPA is still standing. If you are an IPA fan, Stone IPA should be a constant go-to for you. If you are new to the style, reach for one of the IPAs that started this trend!

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Where can I get it? Currently available in 12-ounce bottles at: Arena Bar and Grill- Wilkes-Barre, PA; Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, PA; Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer,- Wilkes-Barre, PA; and Wegmans- Dickson City, PA and Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Currently available on draft at Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, PA.


Looking for it in your area?  Check here

Beer Colored Glasses

 

Glassware is a much overlooked subject when it comes to beer, but there have been some fantastic revolutions that are slowly overtaking the craft beer world that help us realize just how important it is to pour beer into the correct vessel.

The Belgians have realized this fact long ago, and in visiting the country it is quite obvious just how serious glassware is to the drinking culture. Whatever beer that is ordered must be poured into the correct brewery’s glassware, and if a glass is unavailable at that time, then one must wait until the proper glass is returned before receiving the beer.

The Belgian glasses have long been seen as different glasses when visiting a favorite bar, whether it be the popular Chimay glass, Duvel tulip glass, or the unique Orval glass. Not only do the glasses have the brewery logo, but they are specifically designed to highlight each beer’s unique quality by capturing the aroma and also through unique etching to help the beer continually circulate carbonation to aid in aroma release.

For far too long, America has been stuck in a sad state of glassware options for beers. The most common glass we see is the standard shaker pint, and the most exciting characteristic is a possible brewery logo attached to the beer that is within the glass. The shaker pint does a huge disservice to the beer within, as it does nothing to aid the drinker in the enjoyment of the beverage inside the glass.

The biggest issue with this glass is the lack of its ability to trap the beer’s aroma. This is very important, as about 90 percent of our tasting ability comes from the smell of the food or drink, so the lack of a strong aroma creates a different flavor experience for the beer.

Fear not, faithful craft beer lover, as there is a renaissance happening with proper beer glassware here in America. This is being led by breweries teaming up with glassware producers to do some research and development on beer styles to find glasses that accentuate specific qualities of these beers.

One brewery that released its own glass a few years ago was Sam Adams. Owner Jim Koch spent a number of years developing the glass with many attributes that not only aid in the drinking experience, but have a very unique look. The shape helps to trap aroma, deliver the malt in a smoother manner, and circulate carbonation.

Breweries Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head collaborated with glassware producer Spiegelau to create the IPA glass. Dogfish Head owner Sam Caligione was not super happy when he first saw the design of the glass, the reason being the odd shape with ridges on bottom and a top that slopes inward with very thin walls. As they tested a wide variety of glasses, it was apparent that this was the one. The glass managed to deliver IPAs in the best manner possible by trapping the aroma and allowing the beer to stay a constant temperature.

Spiegelau also recently collaborated with Rogue Ales and Left Hand Brewing Co. to create a brand new stout glass. Spiegelau certainly knows the right breweries to work with in creating glasses to fit the styles and, again, this is a glass that fits the beer perfectly.

If the investment in a lot of glassware seems a bit much to you, then start small by having wine glasses and brandy snifters in the house; this change alone will start to make you look at beer glassware differently.

While it may seem like a gimmick to some to have such specific glassware, a side-by-side test between the standard shaker pint and proper glassware will make it immediately apparent that it is certainly not a gimmick, and you may just find yourself turning away from the shaker pint all together and demanding proper glassware next time you are out at the bar.

Insanely Good!

Beer: Insanity

Brewer: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

Style: English Barleywine

ABV: 11.10%

Description: Insanity pours a murky copper brown color with a foamy light tan head that disappears rather quickly, a standard characteristic of beers with a high ABV such as this one. The aroma is breathtaking and unbelievably rich. Strong notes of coconut and vanilla hit up front from the oak barrels, with backing notes of sweet caramel, toffee, raisins, and bourbon. The taste is just as complex as the aroma, with notes from the bourbon barrels hitting up front, bringing some coconut, vanilla, and bourbon all swirling together and melding with richly sweet malts, raisins, dates, and just a hint of brown sugar, which is followed by a tiny amount of alcohol heat. The full body and moderate carbonation are perfect for the style and gives the beer a very smooth-drinking experience. This is a beer that is meant to be sipped. Allow this one to warm up a bit and you will get even stronger aromas and flavors coming through. Take your time and enjoy the complexities within this beer. It may drive you insane, but it’s a good kind of crazy!

Food Pairing: Insanity is a fantastic beer to pair with desserts, especially those that you could enjoy while sitting around a campfire on these refreshing spring/summer evenings. Try pairing Insanity with a warm and delicious s’more, as the graham crackers will highlight the malt bill while the chocolate and marshmallow will add a layer of creaminess and extra body to this delectably smooth beer. If you are looking for something even easier, be sure to pack your cooler with some creamy ice cream, preferably vanilla bean. This rich and creamy dessert coats the palate and removes the alcohol heat from this beer and replaces it with a deliciously sweet finish that lingers long on the palate.

The Final Word: Insanity is certainly not a beer for the timid; it is packed full of flavor and complexity and is certainly a sipping beer that demands respect and examination. The barleywine style in general is not loved by everyone, but those who enjoy it absolutely love it and are extremely fond of the experimentation that goes hand-in-hand with the style. For those who are familiar with and enjoy Weyerbacher’s Blithering Idiot, Insanity is a beer for you to try, as it is Blithering Idiot aged in oak bourbon casks, making the deeply rich and complex beer even more complex and enjoyable. While this is not a beer that everyone will love, if you are a fan of barleywines or higher ABV beers, then do yourself a favor and try Insanity – the richness of the beer alone may just win you over.

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Where can I get it? Currently available in 12-ounce bottles at: Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer-, Wilkes-Barre, PA; J & H Beer- Plains Township, PA; Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, PA; and Goldstein’s Deli- Kingston, PA.

Hop Dreams

Beer: Two Hearted Ale

Brewer: Bell’s Brewery

Style: American IPA

ABV: 7.00%

Description: Two Hearted Ale pours hazy golden orange with white foamy head that settles and remains while leaving a webbing of lace on the glass. The aroma is filled with lovely hops, with citrus, floral, and pine notes being the most dominant with a very subtle backing of sweet malt. The taste is also hop-forward, again with citrus notes coming through, mainly grapefruit, backed with lemon and candied orange while pine and floral tastes dance around the palate before a lovely sweet malt bill rushes through and leaves behind a perfectly dry finish, with absolutely no hint whatsoever of the seven percent ABV within the beer. The full body and moderate carbonation work flawlessly together to deliver this perfectly balanced American IPA. The key to making a great IPA is drinkability, and Two Hearted Ale certainly has a high drinkability factor. If you consider yourself a hophead in any manner and you have not had this beer, you are doing yourself a disservice!

Food pairing: As with most IPAs, Two Hearted Ale is perfect with a wide variety of spicy foods; however, the wonderful malt bill helps this beer to expand out and also makes it great for everyday dishes. Try pairing Two Hearted Ale with your next burger and, of course, go crazy with the toppings: jalapeños, bacon, cheese, barbecue sauce. Anything you like, this beer can handle it, and it will still leave behind that wonderful dry finish after it scrubs your palate clean. Also try this beer on your next Friday night pizza excursion and definitely pile the pizza high with pepperoni; Two Hearted Ale will highlight the spicy flavors locked within due to the hop bill in the beer. This is, of course, a great beer with any Mexican dishes, and do not be afraid to lean more towards the spicy side of the spectrum.

The final word: Two Hearted Ale is a beer that has garnered itself quite the reputation since its initial release. This is certainly not a beer that has ridden the IPA wave, but instead is one of the beers that initiated the craze early on. It is a perfect example of the American IPA style with great balance, drinkability, and a strong hop presence. It is a beer that even the most jaded craft beer or IPA lover can still find enjoyable despite the numerous variations tried within this style. Regardless of what trends come and go within the craft beer industry, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale is a mainstay, and this is simply because it was perfected long ago. A nice new addition to this beer is its release in 16-ounce cans. The perfect beer is now packaged into the perfect container for summertime fun, so grab yourself some cans and get out and enjoy the perfect beer with the perfect weather!

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Where can I get it? Currently available in 12-ounce bottles and/or 16-ounce cans at: What’s Brewin’ 6-Pack Ale Shoppe- Old Forge, PA; Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; J & H Beer- Plains Township, PA; Mrs. D’s- Scranton, PA; and Wegmans- Wilkes-Barre, PA. Currently available on draft at: Jack’s Draft House- Scranton, PA; and Beer Boys- Wilkes-Barre, PA.  You can also search Bell's Website for the most updated locations by clicking here

The Dragon Awakens

Beer: Fire and Blood

Brewer: Brewery Ommegang

Style: Amber/Red Ale

ABV: 6.80%

Description: Fire and Blood pours a deep, dark reddish hue with a rocky off-white head that sticks around throughout the drink, leaving a hefty lacing on the glass. The aroma is very subtle and delicate but gives hints to the strong flavors inside. The Ommegang house yeast comes through first, mainly due to its easy recognition, and other aromas such as dark fruits, hints of spice, earthy floral hops, and sweet malt make their presence known. The taste follows the nose but also delivers a bit more spice from the peppers as well. The sweet malts hit up front, followed by the spice from the peppers, which then give way to a pleasant semi-dry finish from the hops and rye. The medium body and moderate carbonation are a great combination for this beer and give it a very silky mouthfeel.

Food Pairing: The spices within this beer make for a dream pairing with spicier dishes. Try pairing Fire and Blood with enchiladas, as the spices in the dish and beer will lock on to one another while the sweet malts will quickly douse the fire in your mouth, and the carbonation will scrub the palate clean. Also try pairing this brew with simpler Mexican dishes, such as burritos or tacos. Fire and Blood is also a great beer to have for backyard cookouts, especially those dishes covered in barbecue sauce. Try pairing with barbecue chicken, pork or even a standard hamburger and do not hold back on the toppings – the spicier the better! With a beer this unique, you need to whip up something special for dessert. Try this with a creamy vanilla bean Pavlova, bananas foster upside down cake, or the fantastic Indian dessert Gajar Halwa.

The Final Word: Fire and Blood is the third “Game of Thrones” beer released from Brewery Ommegang. With each successive release, the “Game of Thrones” series of beers seems to get better and better, with Fire and Blood being one of the most enjoyable to date. Many drinkers are put off by spicy beers, mainly due to the beer possessing an over-the-top aggressive spiciness. However, Fire and Blood does not suffer that folly and instead provides a very subtle amount of heat from the pepper, while balancing nicely between the malt and wonderful Ommegang house yeast. Fans of the show should be on the lookout as well, as this bottle possesses three different labels, so all the completionists will have their work cut out for them. Be on the lookout this fall for the fourth “Game of Thrones” brew, which is going to be called Valar Morghulis and will be an Abbey Dubbel.

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Where can I get it? Currently available in 750-milliliter bottles at: Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer- Wilkes-Barre, PA; Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, PA – although check with places first, as this one is a very fast seller!  You can also search here for more places to find this great beer!

Answered Prayers

Beer: Trappistes Rochefort 6

Brewer: Brasserie de Rochefort

Style: Belgian Dubbel

ABV: 7.50%

Description: Rochefort 6 pours a chestnut brown with ruby red highlights throughout and produces a very fine layer of slightly off-white head that remains throughout. The aromatics are wonderful and extremely complex with notes of apples, raisins, ripe plums, biscuit malt, dark fruits, and a very subtle note of spicy hops. The taste follows the nose with an engrossing amount of complexity with appearances of sweet malt and a wide variety of fruits that are detectable on the palate, such as apple, apricot, and plums. These meld with restrained spicy notes of cinnamon and clove before the Belgian yeast characteristic washes throughout and the dark fruit flavor develops into the finish of the beer. The medium body and moderate carbonation give the beer its signature smooth drinkable quality. While Rochefort 6 is considered a Belgian Dubbel, it may be quite different from others that may have been sampled in the past.

Food Pairing: Rochefort 6 is a beer that is wonderful to have on hand all year round and can find its home with a huge variety of dishes. Try pairing Rochefort 6 with a vegetable-based stew, as the carbonation and complex flavors throughout will highlight a variety of vegetables and create an unforgettable experience. Another fantastic pairing is with duck. Many complain of duck being overly fatty, but the carbonation and body of Rochefort 6 will make this quality all but disappear in the dish and render it to its smooth enjoyable qualities, highlighting the caramel flavors that could have otherwise been locked within. A wide variety of gamey meats make perfect companions with Rochefort, 6 whether you are looking to try wild boar, ostrich, rabbit, or venison.

The Final Word: The Trappist brewery Rochefort only brews three beers that are readily available to the public, and if you are going to rely on such a small beer lineup, then the beers must be absolutely fantastic – rest assured that they are breathtakingly wonderful. However, despite the beer being only 7.5 percent ABV, this is still very much a sipping beer that will continuously change while sitting in your glass. If you have the ability allow this one to warm up a bit before opening, or if you are out and order it, then allow yourself to sit and sip and take in all the subtle complexities and nuances locked within – something many a monk have done whilst brewing this beer – then do so. Another important note with this beer is that the glass certainly matters; this is not a beer to be had in a standard pint glass, as you will not experience the full bouquet of aroma and it will stifle the effervescent carbonation. Rochefort 6 is an absolute must-try beer, especially for fans of Belgian beers. It may be a bit pricey, but it is absolutely worth every cent!

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Where can I get it? Currently available in 12-ounce bottles at: Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer- Wilkes-Barre, PA; Arena Bar and Grill- Wilkes-Barre, PA; and Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, PA  For a broader search of places to find this beer try Beer Menus