This is going to be another non-traditional post. I’m away from home all this week, so I didn’t have a chance to try any of the many many beers I picked up last week at Dogfish Head. I still wanted to update, though, because I keep telling myself that regular updates will eventually lead to some kind of following.

Unless you’ve been ignoring the media - and if you have I envy you - you’re aware of Henry Louis Gates’ recent run-in with the law / future run-in with the President. Apparently all you need to do to sit down with the President for a beer is get arrested. Good to know… Anyway, I heard on the news this morning that the three men have chosen ‘Red, Lite, & Blue’ (lucky pun, newsies), or specifically: Red Stripe, Bud Light, and Blue Moon.

I cried a little.

Not only are these selections entirely uninteresting or - in the ironic case of Bud Light - undrinkable, but they’re not even technically American. Red Stripe is a Jamaican Import, Budweiser is owned by Belgian giant InBev, and Blue Moon comes from Molson-Coors up in Toronto, Canada. So much for the good ole’ “Red White & Blue.”

So, in response, here are my three picks.

Red:

A modern, California take on the traditional Irish style, Hop Head Red is simply that. Sort of a Red, sort of an IPA. A big caramel malt backbone keeps the citrusy hops from overwhelming the flavor, and a high-for-a-red-ale 6.4% ABV beefs up the character a bit. If you’re looking for an old school beer that sticks to its generations old recipe, don’t go for this. But if you’re an IPA fan in the mood for something to break the monotony of all the hop-juice flowing off the west coast, grab yourself a Hop Head Red.

White:

It was a tough decision between this and Sam Adams’ Imperial White Ale, but in the end I have to go with the Allagash. Imperial White is delicious, but it’s a bit outrageous. This brew, on the other hand, is a spot-on American recreation of the age-old Belgian Witbeer. Unfiltered, it pours a fizzy, cloudy orange. Like most wits, it has a barely existent hop character and spice aromas of citrus, clove, coriander, and pepper. Fruity and sweet, this white is a great counterbalance to the deep and hoppy Red. A great summer beer.

Blue:

For my final pick, I had to go with a local brew I’m fairly proud of. Wachusett Brewing Co. is a small Massachusetts brewery, and as a result their beers aren’t terribly easy to get outside of the Northeast. If you’ve never heard of it, well I’m sorry. Wachusett Blueberry is a great example of how to do a fruit beer right. Like most other fruit beers, this one has a low hop high wheat character. However, unlike almost all other fruit beers, the blueberry taste is both natural and subtle. The blueberry tastes like real blueberry, and it doesn’t overpower the ‘beer’ taste. Drinking this beer doesn’t feel like you’re drinking fruit soda or processed syrup thrown into a batch of otherwise weak lager. Wachusett Blueberry is far and away my favorite fruit flavored beer, and fast becoming one of the only fruit beers I can tolerate. Next time you’re in New England, do yourself a favor and pick up a six-pack. Or if you happen to catch it on tap, order half a pint of this under half a pint of Guinness and taste the real ‘Black and Blue’ that you’ve been missing all these years.

So there you have it. Three unique, delicious, and All-American craft beers that should make any president proud. If you disagree, I’d love to hear your theme suggestions. Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Tags: allagash, beer, blue, green flash, obama, red, wachusett, white
Posted in Current Events | 7 Comments »