Many of us these days are uncomfortable going out to bars or restaurants and sitting a few feet away from strangers or even from old friends who we would like to catch up with. I get it. It’s weird for all of us. The good news is, there’s something great that you can do in the safety of your own home, away from people… drink! I, of course, mean in a responsible way in an appropriate amount. That being said, a little buzz can certainly take some of the edge off of an otherwise stressful day having to sweat it out at work in gloves and masks. Maybe you’re stuck at home and bored out of your mind trying to find a new hobby. Whatever the case, a little bit of booze can certainly help you relax at the end of the day.
What was that? Someone said pineapple? Oh yeah, perfect, how about the Ciderboys Pineapple Hula? It’s got the qualities of a great crisp apple cider with an Emeril “BAM” of pineapple just to sweeten the pot. You could probably pick it up at certain liquor stores around town, but you can definitely pick some up from Mellow Mushroom and if you don’t want to drink it there, you are able to pick it up to go and stick it in your own fridge. Also while we’re on the topic, Ciderboys is an excellent source for interesting cider flavors mixed and matched, so if you or someone you know has been afflicted with a love for ciders, look into the Ciderboys lineup.
If you’re looking to bait some cougars, Country Boy has their Cougar Bait Blonde Ale, but if you’d like something a little bit special, they’ve also released again this summer their Key Lime Cougar Bait. The Key Lime is a version of their flagship Blonde with the addition of bready, citrusy notes. With just a hint of lime and the wheat from the original brew, this beer is excellent to drink outside on the porch while you watch your neighbors take their dogs for the fourth walk of the day because it’s the only thing to do. This beer is also available at Mellow Mushroom in cans if you want to stop by and snag a few on your way through town. Just an all around light, refreshing, summer weather beer.
If you’re a fan of sour beers or just beginning to consider them, there’s a recently available release by a brewery called 2nd Shift out of St. Louis. The beer is Cranberry Bridget and it’s a brett beer which is foeder fermented and then refermented on cranberries. Bridget is a light, flowy, hippie of a beer, with a tint of pink and just a touch of sour from the cranberries. The brettanomyces gives the beer a funky background, and the cranberry adds a bit of sweetness to the beer along with a minor pucker. For anyone looking to get into sours, I highly recommend giving this beer a try, because it’s only a little bit sour. I’ve heard stories from plenty of people trying a sour one time, they don’t realize the thing they tried is actually a super intense sour, and they assume from that point on they don’t like any style of beer in the range of “sours.” This beer is a great intro, it’s almost cidery, and it’s light enough that if you still aren’t into it, it hasn’t ruined your palate for the night or anything like that.
Last but certainly not least impressive new release, 3 Floyds out of Munster, Indiana has recently bottled a new Barleywine and named it Pillar of Beasts. If the name alone isn’t enough to strike fear in your heart, consider that it has an ABV of 13.5%. Not only is it a powerhouse of a drink, it tastes fantastic. Take an English Barleywine with salted caramel, age it in bourbon barrels for a year, and add cocoa nibs and vanilla beans. It’s like a big, boozy drinkable brownie and that should honestly be all the convincing you need. Go get one. You know where.
-by Josh Helton
