Show 23: Big Beers In Funny Glasses
Prebeer Preamble: Whenever the question “What’s the best beer in the world?” comes up, there’s usually a clutch of strong Belgian ales vying for first place. Today, we see what all the fuss is about. I’m joined by my lovely wife Carolyn, for the first time drinking pure beer on the show, as we tackle two beers that routinely make the beer snobs’ top 10 lists. Let’s see what us regular folk think of these fancy beers!
Beer #1: Carolyn and I first drink some Pauwel Kwak, from the Bosteels Brewery in Buggenhout, Belgium. Carolyn has a real “Kwak glass”, and we both have some nice memories tied up in this brew. What follows is a dollop of beer talk and much nostalgic dicussion. How do you think I got her on the show, anyway?
Interbeer Interlude: Eat Your Beer. “Marinating with Beer From the Inside Out” Podcast pioneer/beer cuisine wunderkind Michael R. Menennga joins me once again, this time to discuss using beer as a marinade. We’re not talking soaking in a tub in the fridge here; Michael likes to shoot his food full of marinade with a giant mad-scientist syringe. Find out what wisdom his unholy experiments have uncovered!
Beer #2: Now that we’ve walked down memory lane, Carolyn and I try something new to both of us: Chimay Grand Reserve, also known as Chimay Blue. Compared to Kwak, this Trappist Ale is darker, stronger, and not the center of old memories. Does the good will generated by Beer #1 slop over to Beer #2?
Beer Geek Moment: “Monks and Beer”. They devote their life to God, but their worldly energies are devoted to brewing the best beer on Earth. We take a brief peek into the monastic experience to find out why the devout are such kick-ass beer geeks.
Postbeer Postscript: Carolyn and I now score today’s big beers, factoring in weird glassware and fond rememberances, along with the usual taste, mouthfeel, etc. Do these beers with big reputations get big scores? Tune in and find out!
February 8th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Coolest. Glass. Ever.