Mail Call: Your Wednesday Mailbag, CBC Edition
Do you have a burning question that can wait up to a week to get answered? Send it over HERE.
Last week I fielded your burning questions from rural England. This week we’ve got another special edition of the Mailbag from not-so-sunny Chicago. Where’s that Mr. Sandburg? “HOG Butcher for the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight Handler; Stormy, husky, brawling, City of the Big Shoulders.” Yeah, that’s the place. Expect constant news from the Craft Brewers Conference in the coming days, but for now let’s get with the mail.
John
“I saw the first beer from Sierra Nevada’s anniversary line the other day. What else is coming up from them?”
Good stuff, John. Good stuff. The team at Sierra Nevada’s certainly reached out to legends in the industry for this line of 30th anniversary beers. We’re most excited about the capstone beer: Tentatively called Brewer’s Reserve Oak-Aged Ale. This best-hits beer blends different vintages of Bigfoot, Pale Ale and Celebration for something that should definitely be on your must try list for the year. This one won’t be out until late this year, so there’s plenty of time to try out your own blends in the coming months.
Chris
“I’m heading down to Florida next week and wondered if you can point me toward some good beer. I’ll be in Tampa mostly.”
Nice name, Chris. As luck should have it, the annual Best Florida Beer Championships finally posted the results. If you’re in Tampa, I’m a big fan of Cigar City Brewing, which does some amazing cedar-aging experiments, and Saint Somewhere, which makes a hell of a saison. While you’re in Florida, don’t miss out on Florida Beer Company, who like the previous two breweries also took home some jewelry from the competition.
Sarah
“I’ve got a ton of Easter ham leftover and it just so happens I’m a beer geek. What brew do you recommend to pair with the ham?”
I like your style, Sarah. Hope you’re not dining alone. Maybe I’m not the most adventurous person but I stick with malty sweet brown ales when it comes to a nice honey-glazed ham, particularly Flossmoor Station Pullman Brown Ale. The caramel, molasses and brown sugar notes are a natural pairing for the ham’s sweet coating, while the beer delivers just enough bitterness to wash the tongue of the salty meat.
Speaking of pairings, regular DRAFT contributor Sean Paxton, the Homebrew Chef, is currently kicking around the kitchen inside the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, prepping his 2,000-plate beer dinner to conclude the World Beer Cup on Saturday. That’s right, 2,000 people. Stay tuned here for updates from the CBC, a video tour of Paxton’s kitchen and much, much more. Can’t read more than 140 characters at a time? Solution!
