Sandpipers Beer Tasting
NovemberFest
Monday, Nov. 9, 4-6pm (rain date Nov. 10
)
Sites 36 & 37
Everyone is invited! The whole park-tell your friends!
*1. Bring 2 unusual, unique, or foreign
beers (per person).
*2. Bring your own chairs. Apartment dwellers-chairs will be reserved for you!
*3. This is a Super Happy Hour so bring incredible and delicious food...from appetizers to main dishes, even desserts! (electricity is available for crock pots).
*4. Parking golf carts is limited so park
only on left or right side of the road leaving a car
pass-thru...and for Heaven's sake, don't park in the field or you'll disappear forever!!!!!
Tasting of all beers will be in 2 oz. cups
while you acquire vast amounts of skilled beer
tasting knowledge.
Questions? Talk to John-37, Jon-36 or me (SueZ-38)
First bit of skilled beer tasting knowledge!
Despite my instruction on the proper way to taste beer....swirl, sniff, sniff, sniff, then sip, savor, swallow...past beer tasters were more of the slurp and burp, 'knock it back and ask for more' persuasion.
Second bit of skilled knowledge:
Common Beers
Ideal food matches are below.
Ale:
Pair with: Burgers; buffalo wings; Asian food; Mexican food; spicy food; nutty food; fried food; pizza; steaks; Cheddar, Parmesan, or Romano cheeses.
Bock beer:
Pair with: Gruyère, Emmental, and Swiss cheeses; Cajun food; jerk chicken; beef; sausage; seared foods.
Fruit beer/lambic:
Pair with: Mascarpone cheese; light white meat; foods driven by herbs and spices; duck and pork dishes with sweet components (avoid very tart lambics); pickled dishes (great with tart lambics); salads with fruity dressings; fruity desserts.
Lager:
Pair with: Shellfish; light seafood; sushi; grilled pork and chicken; not-too-heavy pasta dishes (without cream or meat sauces); Southeast Asian food; Latin food; Mexican food; spicy food.
Pilsner:
Pair with: American cheese; Muenster, Havarti, and Monterey Jack cheeses; salads; light seafood; salmon; tuna; trout; asparagus; Asian food; Mexican food; spicy food.
Porter:
Pair with: Smoked foods; barbecue; sausage; rich stews; meats; bacon; chili; braised dishes.
Stout:
Pair with: Roasted foods; smoked foods; barbecued/grilled foods; salty foods; oysters; rich stews; braised dishes; chocolate; desserts (ideally the beer is sweeter than the dish).
Wheat Beer/ Hefeweizen:
Pair with: Light soups and salads; vegetarian dishes; sushi; Gruyère cheese and Feta/goat cheese; sweet and fruity Asian dishes; citrus-flavored dishes, including dessert and salad dressings.
Third bit of skilled beer knowledge-just where do 2oz plastic cups fit in?
Six glasses that will cover most occasions:
Basic pint glasses - Many brewpubs and bars use tumbler or shaker pint 
glasses, and you've probably got some of those at home. These are sturdy, easy to stack and OK for serving many styles of beer. That's why they are popular, but it also means that they aren't great at anything. A British-style pint glass, bulged near the rim, will serve you better for pale ales, bitter, porters and stouts. The glass will draw in the distinctive aroma hops you expect in an American pale ale, while also capturing the darker, roasted malt flavors of stout.
 | Pilsner glasses - A proper pilsner glass is tall with an inverted cone shape and focuses the hop aroma of a beer. It allows for zesty carbonation and a robust head.
Weizen glasses - You need the height of one of these to serve a traditional Bavarian weizen (wheat) with a big head and high carbonation. The slightly bowed-out shape and narrower top will focus the yeasty, fruity aroma.
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Goblets - Excellent for big and malty beers where hop aroma plays a small role in the flavor profile. The bowl should be big enough to hold the whole beer and still collect the aromas you want to savor before drinking. Some call these chalices, some goblets and while their may be a technical distinction between the two don't worry about it.
Tulips and snifters - These accentuate the nose for specially aromatic beers. A snifter has a somewhat smaller opening and taller cup. Its design is perfect for aromatic Belgian ales. Snifters are ideal for barley wines, allowing the complexity of malt aromas and alcohol to blend. Yes, a brandy snifter will work fine. If you are serving smaller amounts then wine glasses make an acceptable alternative.
Thistles - We are getting into specialty glassware here but these are too 
cute to leave out. The are bowed at the bottom, then open a little like a pilsner. They also work with Belgian ales, but think of them first when drinking Scottish ales. They will accent the malty aromas while allowing your beer to sneak under a robust head. Many single-malt whiskey drinkers favor a smaller version of a thistle, but without a stem.
So save the date: Nov 9, Monday afternoon, 4-6
See you there (blonde wigs optional)
