When you collect beer like I do, drinking it can become something of a chore; especially if it starts to pile up. I can maybe get through eight or so in one sitting but my notes get sloppy by the fifth and it’s usually down-hill from there.
Inviting friends to help is a good strategy but you can’t just invite anyone. Most folks, when asked about the beer they’re drinking, will usually offer up such gems as, “this one’s bitter” or “this one’s not so bitter” and my favorite, “this one’s pretty easy to drink”. With that kind of feedback, it’s essential to find people who put a bit more thought into their evaluation.
It doesn’t have to be a by-the-book tasting either; one of my favorite comments about a beer was by a friend who compared Stuarts Natural Session Ale to “licking a wet dog”.
Tonight, I’ve invited five friends over for beer and food. The vast majority of them are part of the LCBO’s summer beer release but I’ve included a few old favorites too…
Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse
Erdinger Weisbier
Whistler Export Lager
Heritage Maple Bush Lager
Duchy Originals Organic Ale
Warka Strong
Banks Caribbean Lager
Chapeau Lemon Lambic
Chapeau Exotic Lambic
Fuller’s ESB Champion Ale
Fruli Strawberry Beer
Innis & Gunn Blonde
Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale
Amsterdam Strong Framboise Beer (which I want to compare to…)
KLB Raspberry Wheat (owned by Amsterdam!)
Amsterdam Pomegranate Wheat Beer
Wittekerke Rose
St. Ambroise Vintage Ale 2009
I was unable to procure any Edelweiss (damn LCBO strike!) but hopefully my brother will be bringing a bottle to bring the beer total to eighteen.
Food-wise, we’re going to have sesame seed crackers with smoked cheddar, pickles and walnuts, mini-wraps (the filling is, at this point, unknown) and some homemade hummus and pita.
It should be a good night.
