Monday, 05 April 2010

• The Beauty Of Beer Blends

  
  
  So LG seemed horrified when I ordered a blended beer tonight at the brewery (we always go to the brewery together on Monday evenings). However I got him to cave, and for once, I'm getting to shove a bit of "I told you so" in his face!

  
  
  Blended beers allow you to experiment beyond just what might be available to you. Certain blends simply do not work obviously, but other blends accentuate the positive qualities in certain beers while masking their negative qualities. It can make for a lot of fun experimentation, seeing what works and what doesn't, and the like.
  
  I've found certain styles do well blended while others don't. Don't think blending an American adjunct lager with anything else will automatically make that beer taste better - far from it. An American adjunct lager is still exactly what it says, and nothing will make it any more pleasant to drink. Trust me, I've tried.
  
  Of course, one of the most popular beer blends is a staple during St. Patty's Day. Of course, that's the well-known and loved black-and-tan. Of course, this is the most well known, but don't let that make you think that's the only one that works! Some you might like while I don't. Experiment. You'll be surprised at what you come across!
  
  That said, I'll tell you a bit about my favorite combination (and is the very one I ordered tonight): a nut brown/Scotch ale combination. You get the real sweet, chewy front end of the Scotch ale combined with the bit of chocolate malt and the hop spice of the nut brown - two flavors that complement each other absolutely beautifully. Another one I like, and LG just seems to cringe at this one, is what I call a "hefe-dunkelweizen," which I take a bottle of hefeweizen and combine it with a bottle of dunkelweizen. The pale/dark versions of what are essentially the same beer otherwise go beautifully together. I think I'm going to need to do some more convincing to get the boyfriend to try that one.
  
  So I guess what I'm saying is experiment. Don't be afraid to ask for a blended beer from the tap or make your own concoctions! You might just absolutely love what you create!
  
  Have you ever had a blended beer? What did you think?
  
  

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