Many thanks to Peter "Bear" Brett for coming by on short notice to represent Lancaster Brewing Company on Wednesday. If you don't know Bear, come by next week when he will be helping out Roy Pitz Brewing. He is a joy of a human being, and is chocked full of knowledge and a willingness to share it. Here is what we came up with:
Strawberry Wheat with Truffle Tremor: Strawberry Wheat is Lancaster's second best selling beer after the Milk Stout, and it is easy to see why. Crisp, light and refreshing, it is perfect for Spring, just like fresh and tangy goat cheese. The lemony notes of both cheese and beer conversed fluently, while the strawberry and truffle notes provided an interesting dichotomy of sweet fruit and musty earth.
Amish Four Grain Pale Ale with Vacherin Fribourgeois: A complex and hearty Ale, the Four Grain demands a similarly formidably cheese to play with. We found the rich, beefy, soul-warming Vacherin Fribourgeois to make perfect sense. Together, it was like roast beef and mashed potatoes, a hungry-man meal reduced to one bite and one sip.
Hop Hog with Mature Montgomery's Cheddar: For an IPA, the Hop Hog is surprisingly balanced with a significant amount of roasted malts, making it bitter but also pleasantly sweet. Montgomery's Cheddar, which has had nearly every achievable honor bestowed upon it, is wonderfully complex, earthy, grassy and sharp with notes of horseradish. This we a lush, elegant pairing where you might expect all hop and bite. One of our favorite examples of IPA and Cheddar in a long while.
Milk Stout with Bayley Hazen Blue: Far and away Lancaster's most popular beer, this Milk Stout is made with lactose and chocolate, so it is best enjoyed as a dessert beer. Bayley Hazen is teeming with note of chocolate itself, but also roasted peanuts and a good amount of salt, which served to amplify the sweetness of the beer. It could be though of as the beer and cheese equivalent of Stilton and Port, only better.
As I mentioned, it will be Roy Pitz here next Wednesday. This is a relatively young company, but their ability is unquestioned and their beers will wow you. Please stop by, and bring all your friends.
