My search for the best beer in New York continues….
Usually with Thanksgiving dinner, you’ll find a bottle of wine, some cranberry cocktails, or perhaps apple cider. But this year, I decided to bring a bottle of something a little closer to my heart and more pleasing to my palate: beer. I’ve been reading books on beer and have discovered that pairing food with beer is often more successful and appropriate than pairing food with wine. Blasphemous, I know, but the range of styles and flavors in beer is much more diverse than wine and makes for a range of possibilities.
I’m still learning and am certainly not a master of pairing, but I thought two of the Brooklyn Brewery bottle fermented beers would be perfect. First off, when they’re popped open in what looks like a champagne bottle, many people “ooh” and “aah” and are curious to try a dramatic beer. And this did elicit quite a few reactions at the dinner table. I may have even convinced a few wine drinkers to give beer a try. The food on Thanksgiving is generally very muted, rich, and comforting. So based on what I’ve learned, you need a beer that won’t overpower those mild fatty flavors. A hoppy IPA is probably not the best route for this food, but something darker with nutty, sweet notes.
For dinner itself, I popped open the Brooklyn Local 2, which is a dark strong Belgian style ale. It pours with a big creamy ruby-colored head, while the body is a pretty dark amber. I was probably the only one at the table who sniffed the beer before drinking it (snob!), so I was the only one who got wonderful aromas of bananas and cherry. There was very little hops present, but some wonderful yeast and malt flavors. The strongest flavors were of molasses and brown sugar, but it finished with a full mouthfeel and hints of raisins and smoke. It paired beautifully with all the rich food on the table.
The next morning, we attended a brunch with leftover turkey sandwiches and lighter pastries. For this, I brought the Local 1 (strange to drink these backwards, but it worked best that way in this scenario). This is also a Belgian-style strong pale ale, but it’s totally different than Local 2. It’s still strong (both 9% ABV), but smooth and drinkable. It’s modeled after farmhouse ales and pours a hazy golden with a creamy beige head. Hops is a more evident characteristic here, but yeast is still the predominant smell giving both bready and floral aromas. It’s very balanced in the mouth with a slight spicy, bitterness and a clean, crispy finish of honey and citrus.
These were both huge successes (for those that were open to trying them) and perhaps with a little convincing, I could make these a new holiday tradition. Cider, you better watch your ass!
Is Brooklyn Brewery’s Local 2 the best beer in NY? It’s definitely one of my favorites, being richly flavored with wonderful dark notes of cherry and smoke. A stunning 10 out of 10.
Is Brooklyn Brewery’s Local 1 the best beer in NY? I appreciated its light crispness, while maintaining a strong complex array of flavors at a solid 9 out of 10.
| BROOKLYN BREWERY |
| brooklynbrewery.com |
