Beer Recommendations for Easter

We know there are many of you who prefer craft beer over wine most days, and Easter is certainly no exception. We've discussed among ourselves, and we can recommend these craft brews as perfect pairings for your Easter ham, turkey or lamb.

Weyerbacher Verboten

Weyerbacher Verboten would pair perfectly with roast turkey, especially one that has a lot of herb seasonings on it!  The herbal character from the selection of hops and Belgian yeast-derived esters in Verboten complements the natural flavors of Turkey. The caramel malts sync up with the crispy skin and the brisk carbonation zips away the fattiness of the dark meat.

Verboten, at 5.9% ABV, is a Belgian-style Pale Ale with an American twist. It’s brewed with Pale, Carahell and Wheat malts, and generously hopped with Cascade to give it a distinctly American character. This medium bodied beer has a crisp palate and moderate bitterness coupled with the fruity esters from Weyerbacher's Abbey yeast strain. Verboten is bottle and keg conditioned, so expect a tall fluffy head and a small amount of yeast.

Originally released as “Alpha”, Verboten was the first Brewers’ Select beer. It was later seasonally released as the word for “fools” in Dutch. THAT name was “forbidden”, so they elected to go with Verboten (German for forbidden)!

Carton Brunch. Dinner. Grub.

Assuming a sugared ham, look for steam beers. The sugar and salt will pull fruit from the common yeast quite nicely.

Matching the right beer to the right food is a wonderful assignment. The contemplation of point and counter-point can often be as much fun as the reward of good pairing. Sadly, in a life well lived there is not always time to contemplate what dinner will be, let alone what beverage will play best with it. Here Carton has selected malts to evoke the crusty breads that sit well next to every meal and seasoned it with the lemony, tarragon/thyme notes of Aramis hops. A go-to, food friendly ale for the table. Drink B.D.G because you are what you eat... and drink.

B.D.G. is a Country Ale that comes in at 6% ABV.

River Horse Lager

River Horse Unfiltered American Lager is a crisp, refreshing Lager. Bready notes and a subtle maltiness are balanced with just enough hops. It comes in at 5% ABV, and is brewed with Chinook, Hallertau and Saaz hops, plus Pilsen, Munich and Carapils malt.

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale

What if dinner is a glazed ham, with all the brown-sugar sweetness? Look for something that will play well with the sweetness and also interact with the salt.

Old Brown Dog has been cited as a classic example of the “American Brown Ale” style of beer. Compared to a typical English Brown Ale, Old Brown Dog is fuller-bodied and more strongly hopped.

Rogue Dead Guy Ale

Made in the style of a German Maibock, brewed using Rogue's proprietary Pacman yeast, Dead Guy Ale is deep honey in color with a malty aroma, rich hearty flavor and a well balanced finish. Will pair with spicy food, as well as anything pork.

"Deep reddish amber hue. Generous toasty malt aromas and earthy hops follow through on a moderately full-bodied palate with fruity accents and a long spicy hop finish. A delicious hybrid style with bock-like maltiness but ale-like hopping." –World Beer Championship Judges

If you're inclined toward lamb for Easter, we have suggestions for you as well. Not really craft beers, but niche producers.

Trappist ales or Abbey ales work well with the more delicate and lean flavor of lamb (Abbey-style means the ale was not brewed by an authorized monastery.) Try your lamb with an Orval Trappist Ale.

The gustative sensations will gain in nuance depending on the age of the beer. Young beer is characterized by a bouquet of fresh hops, with a fruity note and pronounced bitterness, light on the palate and a less firm collar than a beer of six months. The latter will feature a bouquet consisting of a blend of fragrances of yeast and old-fashioned hop. The bitterness is more diffuse and the taste has moved to a slight touch of acidity accompanying yeast and caramel flavors. Served without its sediments, a beer of six months or more, has a particularly bright appearance. It will be less so, if it is served at a temperature below 44° - 45°F.

The brewery indicates the bottling and best-by dates directly on the label. Every consumer can thus easily know the age of an Orval beer, and whether it should be consumed rapidly or less so, depending on whether one likes this beer young, or after a few months or years in the cellar.

Orval is one of only 10 Trappist breweries in the world, and Orval brews within the monastery walls.  At this writing, Orval is only in stock in Woodbridge, but we can transfer some to Lawrenceville upon request.

Chimay Red Cap is another Trappist ale worth inviting to your easter dinner. The Red Cap, or "Première", is the oldest of the Chimays. This Trappist beer possesses a beautiful coppery color that makes it particularly attractive. Topped with a creamy head, it gives off a slight fruity apricot smell from the fermentation. The aroma felt in the mouth is a balance confirming the fruit nuances revealed to the sense of smell.