Beer to chase away the grey

By Mark Tichenor & Bruce Lish

 

You get used to it, but that doesn’t mean it gets any easier. 

 

In the northeast, February is when the true gloom of winter sets in, when the morning cold feels like it generates in your bones and radiates out from there. The lines of city skyscrapers diffuse into the thick pallor of a sky the color of dryer lint.

 

Well, our dryers anyway. If you have a lot of pink clothes, that metaphor might not apply. But you get the point.  Midwinter is gloomy and people can get really bummed about it. The lack of sunlight affects moods.

 

It might even drive some people to drink.

 

And if that’s your plan, allow us to recommend a few beers that’ll put a little fermented sunshine into your day.

 

Tröegs Nugget Nectar, from the Tröegs Brewing Company of Harrisburg, PA can make any groundhog ignore its shadow. Legendary beer among brewing geeks, Nugget Nectar makes its presence known as soon as your nose approaches the glass. An aggressive aroma hints at an explosion of citrus to the palate, tempered with a soft but firm bitterness that gives those spring flavors something to wrap around.

 

Tröegs calls Nugget Nectar an Imperial Amber Ale, but realistically this beer is in a class of its own, and it’s highly sought after each year when it makes its midwinter seasonal appearance.

 

One of the largest independent brewers, the Boston Beer Company, promotes anticipation of spring with Samuel Adams Noble Pils. It noticeably bucks the bigger, heavier beer trend with a light snappiness and teasing hoppy finish.

 

Though its flavor does not overpower, Noble Pils possesses a spicy zest that cuts through most foods, with a solid grain backbone that helps the beer avoid wateriness. This is one of the finest Sam Adams seasonals to date; in terms of seasonal rejuvenation, a couple pints of Noble Pils beats an hour in a tanning bed hands down.

 

Our third beer is a West Coaster:  Sierra Nevada’s Glissade Golden Bock. A deep ruddy color and complex aroma gives way to a slightly spicy, medium-bodied glass of awesome.

 

Glissade retains the punchy finish for which West Coast beers are known, but in a subtle European way. Heavy use of German hops lends a character that manages to surprise even though it’s familiar. Glissade’s medium body and snappy flavor can make you swear that it’s the middle of April, even thought the calendar says ‘February.’ This effect is especially potent when consuming Glissade in a warm, windowless room.

 

As a cure-all for seasonal blahs, beer probably isn’t the best choice. But as one element of a larger palette of pleasures, the right brew can provide a pleasant solace amid the slush fields of Western New York. Until spring shows up for real, you might as well enjoy as much of the feeling as you can get.

 

In other beers:

Want to combine your love of craft beer with an extremely slippery and solid surface? Then head out to the Scottsville Ice Arena Winterfest on Saturday, February 13, and enjoy one of the best little festivals in our area.

 

In addition to beer and wine tasting, you can enjoy chili and chicken wing contests, a pig roast, live music, and open skating. Admission is $10, $5 for kids 12 and under. All proceeds go to the continued operation of the nonprofit Scottsville Ice Arena.

 

Bruce is a certified beer judge and commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http://www.beercraftsite.com. Find us on Twitter @beercraft. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com.