Ahh, Independence Day is upon us, and we’d all probably like a little more freedom these days.
And as things begin to open up, I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that we are still in the midst of a pandemic, so please follow the instructions of the experts when you go out to anywhere that is open in your area.
Of course, the bars and breweries aren’t open yet, but recently I was dreaming of someone who was actually totally locked up, with no access to beer, and I was wondering which beer they could pick as the first when they got a chance. That thought experiment was fun, but of course there are too many beers for it to be a manageable column. But then I had a secondary idea: what if beers that are no longer brewed are “unlocked” and available for one day? Which one would you choose?
I pondered this for a while and got a top 5 (Note: this is a top 5 this week; ask me next week and you might get different answers except the first one here 🙂
- Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project Meadowlark IPA – If you have read this column faithfully, you can probably see it going down the pike for several miles. I’ve mentioned it before in several ways, and here’s another way: If this drink were to crash and then take a day’s break, I’d drink as much as I could. Lots of jumps but incredibly balanced.
- Catamount Brewing Co. Amber Ale – This is going backwards, and I have certainly regretted the loss of Catamount Brewing before, but if I had to choose one of their three original beers, I would probably choose amber. (Although, again, ask me tomorrow and I might get a different answer.)
- New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat – I’m not a big wheat beer fan, but this one was so different from most wheat beers that I thought about it the other day when it was over 90 degrees. He packed up a huge citrus punch that really made him a thirst quencher.
- Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project Fluffy White Rabbits Okay, yeah, Pretty Things is getting two places on this list, but hey, it’s my list. You can make yours. This magnificent tribute to the Belgian Tripel was both acidic and fruity, with plenty of spice.
- Dissident of the founder of Brewing Co. – With 8.7% alcohol by volume, this double IPL was only brewed once, and I was lucky to find it. With a name that suits today’s social and political mood, the beer also offered a lot of bitterness up front, but it ended up quite crisp and balanced (because it’s a lager) that is always expected during dissent.
