The sun peeks through and it’s suddenly summer. The scent of fresh flowers in the breeze,daylight stretching into 9 o’clock. These are the days and nights of a lifetime. So you’d better have some tasty brews to celebrate!
Summer is traditionally the season for light beer:pilsners,lagers and pale ales dominate the seasonal offerings from many Northwest breweries. For a refreshingly bitter change of pace check out Pyramid Brewing’s Outburst Ale,a strong hoppy Imperial IPA. Pyramid brews across the West Coast,with Alehouses in Seattle,Portland,Berkeley,Sacramento and Walnut Creek,CA.
What I Drank: Outburst Imperial IPA from Pyramid Brewing. 8.5% Alcohol by volume / 80 IBUs
What I Ate:Spicy Szechuan Noodles from the Co-op’s own Deli. Outburst and these stir-fried noodles with onions,red peppers and hot chiles made a winning pair. The sweet heat of chilies and acidity from tamari sauce and rice vinegar nicely match the deep hoppy bitterness of the Imperial IPA.
What I Thought:Outburst is aptly named. This beer has some serious weight,with amber golden roasted malts and a host of caramel hoppitude. Be sure to pair this ale with some sturdy company. It’s dry hopped profile include Chinook,Cascade and Nugget hop varieties alongside roasted Munich,Caramel,Carared and 2-Row malts. Outburst pairs well with strong flavored foods that benefit from a brewed kick in the pants –bright flavors of grapefruit,pine forest and slightly sweet orange. A great summer beer to celebrate BBQ season!
Posted by Claire
