Summer is Here!!!

I think it's time to review the summer beer out there so you know what your choices are for the hot, sweaty, brutal summer. You need a beer thats not heavy, not filling and that will quench your thirst. So let's get started!

SHINER RUBY REDBIRD

This is a wonderful beer with ginger and ruby red grapefruit. It has a clean and crisp flavor that leaves you wanting more. Brewed by Shiner out of Texas, this is a great seasonal beer. When you are by the pool or at the beach, don't forget the Ruby Redbird in your cooler!








VICTORY SUMMER OF LOVE

 This is a light crisp ale with a nice hoppy flavor to satisfy your thirst on a warm summer day. Great for picnics, Bar B Ques, and of course beach days! The hops are light and floral and just the right amount of bitterness to balance this ale.










BLUE POINT SUMMER ALE

Another fine brew from Blue Point which is a great ale that has a smooth flavor. They have added a bit of wheat to the mixture to give it that smooth flavor and I can tell you that it is a bit different that other summer ales. A six-pack or two on a summer day should do the trick!








SAMUEL ADAMS SUMMER ALE

 This is a wheat ale with a hint of citrus and a light floral hop finish. I usually keep a six pack of this in the fridge just to break up the monotony of drinking the same beer. I like it because of the different flavor and I think it's because of the grains of paradise that they use. Keep this beer on hand for the guest thats not sure what they want to drink. Give them a Sam Adams!







LEFT HAND GOOD JUJU

Known for one of the finest milk stouts around, Left Hand now gives you one of the finest summer beers around. Good Juju is a fine malty pale ale with ginger added to smooth out and balance the hops. Grass and floral on the nose you can't help but taste the ginger in this beer. I put this on my summer list because it has that clean crisp flavor with that little something extra. I raise my left hand to the brewers on this one well basically because I'm left handed. The ladies will love this beer because of the ginger and the guys will love it because of the pale ale hops.





Well I have two or three more to review to round out my summer beer list. these are my "gotta have" beers for the summer. So it's back to the pool for me with beers in hand and I'll give you my tale on the next batch!

I CAN'T MAKE UP MY MIND?!?!?!

The dilemma that some of have is..... what do I want to drink? Wine, beer, whiskey, rum, vodka, bourbon? I know, it's a cross I must bear but sometimes it becomes a problem. It takes me longer to figure out what I want to drink than it does to know what I want to eat. After a couple of business trips in the past 6 weeks (in Las Vegas of course), I know I like food cooked at home but my taste for the right drink for the right food has become more refined. Refined means that I'm getting picky about what I want. So let's start with a few choices that I paired up with my food lately.

SILVER OAK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006
Alexander Valley

I drank most of it myself...

I only paid 40 dollars for this bottle and let me tell you that it was worth a lot more than that. This wine has a bold elegant body with a velvety feel on the tongue with a nice tannin finish but not too much. The steak that I paired this with was a nice New York strip with broccoli and a salad (sorry no potato) and I left room for a chocolate dessert which, as all of the women that I know will tell you, Is the only thing you need with a big bold Cab. I would even pair this wine with lamb, beef bourguignon or a bold pasta dish with meat. Silver Oak is a fine winery that creates some of the finest American wine around. Have a bottle and you will not go wrong!








OMMEGANG HENNEPIN

This beer is bold enough to pair perfectly with this dish. This is from Sage in the Aria hotel in Las Vegas. It's Shelton's Farm organic chicken with farmhouse sausage, braised lentils and alfalfa hay smoke. Sounds like a lot but it's a very rich dish.  They paired it with a Anchor Steam Breckle's brown ale. I thought it needed something a little more. I think that the Hennepin would work better with this dish. The sausage and braised lentils in the smoke reduction was rich in flavor and the beer would complement that. This would be the perfect dinner for me!

So for those of you that can't make up your mind on what you want with your meal, just remember that you can your cake and eat it too by having either a wonderful wine or an awesome beer that will complement your meal. I love both and cannot tell you which one to choose because I love the variety that this life gives! Cheers!