Tailgating at Ole Miss

Walking into the campus of the University of Mississippi with a cooler in tow awaits a tailgating experience of renowned acclaim - the Grove. Sitting in the middle of campus is a 10-acre oak forest that is the canvas for the nation’s crown jewel of tailgating.

Here in the vast landscape of tents and toddies, initiates autumn’s unmistakable crisp air and College Football season. Fried chicken, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, and deviled eggs are Southern staples that must be accompanied by libations as Bloody Marys, mimosas, bourbon, and definitely some mixed brew.

So what brew to drink? Typically, before visiting a town that I’ll be staying in for a few days I will search online for unique restaurants (dine.com) and local breweries or brewpubs (beeradvocate.com/beerfly). I planed ahead and bought a few mixed 6-packs at Miller’s Liquor and some seasonal brew at Spec’s. This allowed those who wanted beer at the game to sample something different but enjoyable - leaving room for local beer if any could be found.

The void in the cooler was filled with a local brewery, Lazy Magnolia that makes an amazing ‘Southern Pecan’ Brown Ale. Also, in the mix was a darker seasonal brew, ‘Autumn Ale’ created by Breckenridge Brewing Company. Darker ales are perfect companions to the brisk fall days that have changed from the blonde ales of summer to heartier and deeper brews like porters and brown ales.

My top picks for local brew to add to your next tailgate cooler:
Austin - Real Ale, Live Oak (growlers), Independence
Baton Rouge- Abita
College Station - Southern Star
Dallas/Ft.Worth - Rahr & Sons
Houston - Saint Arnold’s
Lubbock - Triple J Chophouse (growlers)
Beaumont - Gulf Coast Brewing Co. (soon!)

In addition to local brews try these fall picks: Abita’s ‘Pecan Harvest’, Paulaner Oktoberfest—Märzen’, Dogfish Head ‘Punkin', Rogue Chocolate Stout

Beaumont was represented well at the Grove and many stayed to watch the Ole Miss & University of South Carolina game on pay-per-view and listen to the live band that was playing at the tent. Although Ole Miss lost the football game - the party still continued till the evening. Christy & Mike Persia III conduct impeccable entertaining, helping to remind all that the Grove is first-and-foremost a haven to let loose and enjoy the camaraderie of friends and family. Cheers!



Southern Pecan
Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company
Kiln, Mississippi
LazyMagnolia.com

Pours medium to pale caramel color with garnet highlights and displays a tan crown that dissipates quickly. Pleasantly sweet aroma of roasted nuttiness and a soft fruitiness. Rustic bread crust, roasted pecans, maple syrup, and light caramel along with balanced hop bitterness help round out the flavor profile. Not much carbonation and a medium bodied mouthfeel. An outstanding ale that is amazingly drinkable. When in Oxford, Mississippi, head to Murff’s and get a pint of this brew with a Muff Burger and fried egg.

Appearance: 3
Smell: 4
Taste: 4
Mouthfeel: 3.5
Drinkability: 4.5
Overall = 3.8

Style: English/American Style Brown Ale
Alcohol By Volume : 4.02%
Availability : Year Round
Sample Size: 12oz. brown bottle

Pairings: Cheese: Camebert, Fontina
Cuisine: BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Glassware: Pint glass
Price: $7.99 six-pack


Autumn Ale
Breckenridge Brewing & BBQ
Denver, Colorado
Breckbrew.com

Deep dark brown that is translucent to opaque with ruby highlights that holds a tan ecru head then sticks around with sticky lacing. Nose is molasses and chocolate malt with a subtle nuttiness. Taste is a bit complex of toasted almonds and dark fruits like sugar plums and raisins which yields an alcohol warmth and low carbonation perfect for cozy, crisp evenings. I suggest this brew as a digestif - don’t let this beer be the only one for the evening as it is not sessional, leaving lackluster and wanting to quaff something less heavy.

Appearance: 3.5
Smell: 3.5
Taste: 4
Mouthfeel: 3.5
Drinkability: 2.5
Overall = 3.6

Style: Old Ale
Alcohol By Volume : 6.70%
Availability : Fall Seasonal
Sample Size: 12 oz. brown bottle

Pairings: Cheese: Gouda, Havarti
Cuisine: Digestif
Glassware: Pint Glass or Snifter
Price: $7.99 six pack

Hoppy Ending / October Brew Review

Is any beer hoppy enough? Hops are the brilliant flowering cones and a cousin of the cannabis plant (sorry, no THC in these crops) that lend much of the beer’s aroma, flavor, and bittering properties which derive from the hop’s resin and oil. Hops are the age-old seasoning of the beer, the natural warriors who fight spoilage from wild bacteria, act as a preservative, and bring balance to the sweetness from malt. They also help create head/foam retention that pleases the palate by imparting its unique characters and flavors. Basically, hops put the ‘bite’ in beer.

American brewers are creating many ‘extreme’ brews to celebrate the intoxicating character of hops and playing a game of ‘one up’ to challenge beer perception and ultimately redefining consumers tastes. As a brew advocate and self proclaimed ‘hophead,’ I like finding the harmony in chaos. Any brewer can pitch in loads of hops into their beer, but how does it play with the other ingredients?

Our tongue and brain are imbedded initially not to like or appreciate bitter flavors – in a plant’s defense, bitterness is nature’s way of saying ‘don’t eat me.’ The International Bitterness Unit (IBU) scale is roughly used to gauge bitterness – a typical American Light Lager has around 10 IBUs, and below you will see an American Double India Pale Ale at 101 IBUs!

Early autumn in America brings a new hop harvest, typically picked from the Northwest regions like Oregon and Washington. Unfortunately, we have a crisis on our hands; American and European hop supplies are dwindling and craft beer demand is skyrocketing. A warehouse fire that held 4% of the year’s US crop, energy prices, and ruinous weather in Europe furthered the hop shortage. Many small, craft brewers are scrambling to find the hops for their recipes, while much larger producers, like Anheuser-Busch/ InBev & MillerCoors, aren’t as affected because they have long-term contracts with hop growers.

To this, drink what you like and remember that beer is still one of the best affordable luxuries. You can go to the store with $10 and come out with a six-pack of a world-class beer – try doing that with a world-class wine.



HopDevil Ale
Victory Brewing Co.
Downingtown, PA
victorybeer.com

The Devil pours reddish with persimmon highlights and displays rocky foam crowning the lip. The aroma of fresh hops sits to the back while more grain and malt are mostly present - the fresher the brew the more revealing hop aroma. This brown bottle has an ‘Enjoy By’ date of October 22, 2008 that could explain the underwhelming aroma. The taste is absolutely perfect – caramel malt and piney/grapefruit hops whisk together then slide to a trailing bitterness that devilishly taunts repetition. This ale is silky, somewhat dry, and completely exquisite.


Appearance: 4.5
Smell: 3.5
Taste: 5
Mouthfeel: 4
Drinkability: 5
Overall = 4.5


Style: American IPA (India Pale Ale)
Alcohol By Volume : 6.70%
International Bitterness Units: about 55
Availability: Year Round
Sample Size: 12oz. brown bottle

Pairings
Cheese: Gorgonzola, Limburger
Cuisine: Thai, Spicy Indian
Glassware: Pint glass
Price: $7.99 six-pack


Green Flash Imperial India Pale Ale
Green Flash Brewing Co.
San Diego, California
greenflashbrew.com

The golden ale kissed with garnet highlights releases a complex and masterful aroma of spruce, pineapple, cannabis, green grapes, and onions. The hop flavor on this beer is magnificent and somewhat unbalanced – in that the flavor lends intensity to the bitterness with a malt background screaming for attention. Pure freshness and masterful complexity where it counts. Crisp edges and medium carbonation gives a dry yet smooth mouthfeel. At 101 IBUs, I was expecting a bit more flavor bitterness throughout the finish but the aroma flags abrupt caution.

Appearance: 4
Smell: 5
Taste: 4.5
Mouthfeel: 3.5
Drinkability: 4
Overall = 4.35

Style: American Double IPA (India Pale Ale)
Alcohol By Volume: 9%
International Bitterness Units: 101
Availability : Year Round
Sample Size: 22 oz. brown bomber

Pairings:
Cheese: Pungent blue, razor sharp cheddar
Cuisine: Grilled Meat
Glassware: Pint Glass
Price: $6.15 bottle

April Brew Review

Shiner 99 / Munich Helles Lager

Spoetzl Brewery / Shiner, Texas / shiner.com

Pours a bright, clear, straw color with ample suds. Smells of grain malts and a very faint sweetness/honey and spice coming through from the Hallertau hops. Taste of forward leaning malt with hops that lean to the back. Light-medium mouthfeel with calm carbonation and average drinkability for a Munich lager. A common representation of the style that pays tribute to Shiner's rich German tradition and heritage. Bring some to your next crawfish boil (see picture below.)

appearance: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | mouthfeel: 3.5 | drinkability: 4
3.75 overall

Style: Munich Helles Lager
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 5.0%
Availability: limited release
Sample Size: 12oz brown bottle

Pairings:
cheese: Havarti, Brie
cuisine: spicy crawfish, fried oyster po-boy

glassware: flute or Pilsner glass
price: $6.99 6/pack

Allagash Tripel Reserve

Allagash Brewing Company / Portland, Maine / allagash.com

Bottle is corked and caged with a #68 batch stamp. Brew streams into the goblet translucent golden-orange with a frothy dense head. Extremely convoluted aroma of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, with hints of banana. Taste brings rich flavors of candi sugar, caramel, banana, clove, and a tad bit of citrus tartness with light pepper. Carbonation pops in the mouth and levels out with some alcohol warmth. Fruity sweet and dry finish that is quite drinkable. One of the best, if not the best Tripel brewed in the United States. Try drinking Allagash Tripel as an aperitif with the suggested parings, with a dessert, or especially excellent on its own as a digestif.

appearance: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4.5 | drinkability: 4
4.55 overall

Style: Tripel
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 9.0%
Availability: year-round
Sample Size: 750ml corked and caged bottle

Pairings:
cheese: Stilton, Roquefort, Feta
cuisine: Greek salad, asparagus, lemon squares

glassware: goblet, snifter
price : $9.25 bottle

Style Profile:

In 2005, five years from their Centennial Anniversary, Shiner began brewing an annual series of limited edition, commemorative brews, tipping a hat to their rich German roots. Shiner kicked things off with their 96 Märzen-Style Ale followed by 97 Black Lager (Schwarzbier), then 98 Bavarian-Style Amber and now Shiner's 99 Munich-Style Helles Lager. Click here for more info on Shiner's Anniversary Brews.

Tripel is a strong blonde/pale ale originally created and popularized in 1934 by the Belgian Trappist monastery at Westmalle. Allagash stands out as one of the best breweries in America with an anchored portfolio of Beligian inspired style beers such as White and Dubbel, while some brews are barrel-aged in bourbon soaked oak. All Allagash beers are always bottle-conditioned, meaning that they are not pasteuized and they contain live yeast to being a new process of fermentation.

Below is a video from Allagash brewing company. They are in process of creating one of America's first spontaneous fermented beers, which are also called Lambics and are made from wild yeast and aged hops. After fermentation the Lambic will age in French oak and possibly be added with fruit and should be ready in 2009.

http://allagash.com/news_cool_ship.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD_49kfVJeE