5 Tasty Beers to Celebrate International Beer Day
Image: Full Moon Brew Work
Today we’re celebrating one of the best designated international days ever, International Beer Day! This highly anticipated world-wide celebration is held every year during the beginning of August. For whatever reason, some countries celebrate the event on slightly different days.
Australia celebrated August 1st, for example, and the US designates Friday, August 5th as the official beer day celebration. Other places are holding off for weekend to celebrate. Much like it’s inebriating state, Beer Day celebration’s seem to be a bit fuzzy. 😉
Ready to celebrate International Beer Day (whenever you decide to?!) Then read on to check out our 5 Tasty Beers to Celebrate International Beer Day!
Ales
Let’s start our beer journey with the Ale beer. The process of creating and brewing beer into an Ale has been around for a long time; in fact, Ales have been traced back to at least the fifth millennium BC. The ancient Egyptians drank ale beer! This type of process brews top fermenting yeast at room temperature, and produces darker flavors with more distinctive and rich tastes than newer brewing styles like lagers. Most fruit-flavored beers are considered ales.
The Pacific Northwest is known for its propensity for delicious, unique tasting beers. The area’s also known for it’s Serendipity (New Glarus) fruit ale made from cherries, strawberries, and apples. With a unique fermentation process, this sweet-tasting beer packs a powerful punch with 5.1% ABV (alcohol by volume) content.
Lagers
Lagers are a fairly new process of producing beer (it’s been around for a few hundred years), and produces a crisp and smooth. Unlike ales, lagers are stored and produced at near freezing temperatures. Once fermented, lagers can be made into a myriad of beer styles; i.e. amber, dark, pilsner, etc.
According to the World Beer Awards (yep, that’s a thing!), the best lager in the world in 2015 was the Kronenbourg 1664 Millesime. Crafted in France, the beer boasts a buttery aroma, combined with dried fruit and a “mahogany note on the finish.” The beer has an ABV of 6.7%, and was also awarded the World Beer Awards Best Style Winner, Best in Europe Winner, and Best in France Winner. The next time you’re in Europe, you know which beer you should try!
Stouts & Porters
Stouts and Porters are actually two distinct types of beers but their close similarities often mean they’re associated together. Both stouts and porters are part of the ale family, meaning they’re brewed at room temperature and create a distinct flavor. Porter’s are typically very dark, almost black, in color and are fermented with a significant number of hops to create a somewhat sweet taste. Stouts on the other hand are not sweet. Instead, stouts are made from barley, creating a taste reminiscent of coffee. Often, stouts have the highest alcohol content of most beers.
World-famous stouts include the Aphrodisiaque (Dieu du Ciel), a beer crafted in Montreal, Canada that features flavor combinations of vanilla, dark chocolate, bourbon, and roasted malt, and the German-famous Beer Geek Breakfast (Mikkeller) crafted to taste like coffee. Celebrated porters include: Morning Wood, a 12% ABV porter produced in Florida, and Sunday Brunch, a 9% ABV porter from New Jersey.
Malts
Contrary to stouts and porters, malt beer is created with very minimal fermentation creating a low alcohol content and a sweeter-tasting beer flavor. Malt beer is made from barley, yeast, sugar, hops, and water. In many countries, malt beer is considered similar to sodas or soft drinks. In fact, in iceland people of all ages drink malt beers regularly (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic). Iceland’s most popular malt beers are: Egils Maltextrakt (1.2% ABV) and Víking Maltöl (0.9% ABV).
In the rest of the world, malt beer is less well-regarded than more popular beer types like the traditional lagers and ales. For enthusiasts, favorites include namely American brews like: Big Daddy J’s Malt Liquor, and Tap and Die Malt Liquor.
Pilsners
Last but not least, you need to try a pilsner beer on International Beer Day! Pilsner beers are a type of pale lager meaning they’re brewed after being cold-stored for a lengthy period of time. The pilsner brewing process is extremely sensitive and must be monitored carefully for imperfections. Any mistakes can greatly alter the pilsner beer taste. It’s surprising then that a large portion of craft brews are pilsner beers.
The pale aspect means the beer has a smooth, soft, and less sharp taste to it. Pilsners are an extremely popular type of beer in most of the world. Men’s Journal recommends trying the following pilsner beers: Pikeland Pils, Pivo Hoppy Pills, Prima Pilsner, and Stammtisch.
Ready to learn more about drinks, food, and fine dining? Then connect with FFTK to celebrate your upcoming event or wedding, info@freshfromthekitchenllc.com, (602) 694-1197.
Fresh From The Kitchen is a catering and event planning company based in Phoenix, Arizona. Under the direction of Chef Noelle Townsley, Fresh From The Kitchen has won numerous awards including the industry’s highest achievement, The Bride’s Choice award. Other achievements include being named the 2013 and 2015 Best Event Caterer by Arizona Foothills Magazine and catering the 2015 Maxim Magazine featuring Nick Cannon Super Bowl Party.
For more information, please contact info@freshfromthekitchenllc.com, (602) 694-1197.