This just in! We officially can serve you up a tasty beverage with our own beer and wine permit. Come help us celebrate this weekend with not just one, but two incredible shows. Tonight @farewellfriendnc , @sad_gravity and Bloom. Tomorrow @wildermaker @adam_baker_heartache and Heidi Klein. We’re taking 10% off everything in the store all weekend in celebration as well, so avoid those storms out there and come hang out in the comfort of your friendly neighborhood record store. #letsgoseeashow #letsgrababeer #neatneatneatrecords #dtfw #recordstoresarecool (at Neat Neat Neat Records and Music)
Spent this week in stunning Wyoming & Idaho with @letsgrababeer learning more about Barley and how important it is to beer. Being a beer lover I was proud of how much I actually did know. But I was surprised to find out that, 1) 72% pf Americans don't know most beers are made from Barley in addition to Hops and, 2) small farmers are who supply most of the Barley to beer companies large or small. I somehow believed it was all grown on large, corporate farms. The one farmer we spent the most amount of time with was so fun to talk to I didn't want to leave. It all brought new meaning to that lyric, "Amber waves of grain...." and made me think even in times like these, America is indeed beautiful.
Foodies give thanks. It’s finally the time of year when feasting becomes an American art form. But are you prepared to bring the joy of beer to your table? This Thanksgiving, we’ve rounded up seven fall inspired beer pairings that are sure to impress your family and friends. Now who’s ready to grab a beer and start prepping?
During the harvest season, you’re bound to encounter squashes of all shapes and colors. Why not match them up with a squash-inspired beer? The malty sweetness and the exciting mix of spices in a Pumpkin Ale will compliment the natural sugars and flavors of certain squash dishes like butternut squash soup.
Fall desserts are rife with rich and earthy flavors, making them a natural fit for a darker beer like the Doppelbock. This bigger-bodied and fairly sweet beer often contains notes of caramel, toast and fruit, which will compliment the succulent ingredients in the pies nicely.
Though the leaves on the trees might be changing colors, it’s harvest time for some of your favorite fresh salad greens. The fruity and spiced flavors of the Hefeweizen will sync up well with a fall salad, especially if topped with citrus fruits, apples or cranberries.
The apple orchards and cranberry bogs are calling this time of year. As you reach for cranberry dishes, consider sipping a slightly sweet Belgian Dark Ale for some nice contrast to the tart berries. Or, pair your Belgian Dark Ale with a slice of apple pie. The apple flavors mingle well with the spice and caramel flavors of the beer.
Most fall dinners center around a favorite main dish of caramelized meat. Oktoberfest beers have just enough toasted malt character to accompany the browned meat without being overpowering. Sweeter meats like glazed ham will also harmonize with the toasted malt profiles of Oktoberfest Beers.
The crisp and slightly hoppy finish of a Pilsner plays nicely against these semi-sweet and often buttered vegetables, cleansing the palate and leaving you refreshed for more.
No fall feast would be complete without earthy ingredients like sweet potatoes, mushrooms and gravy. Their savory flavors make them a perfect match for the toasty and nutty Brown Ale. Typically, this malty beer also contains a subtle taste of hops, providing just enough bitterness for a clean finish.
Anheuser Busch-InBev is a perfect example of a company that must pursue a house of brands strategy. The ad above played during the Super Bowl this year was Budweiser’s bold attempt to separate itself from the growing craft beer segment and stop its 15+ year decline in the United States. Many criticized Anheuser Busch for presenting a campaign that criticized the craft beer segment, a segment they have gotten more involved in very recently with the acquisitions of various craft breweries, one of which even has a Pumpkin Peach Ale (or something similar). The problem with this criticism is that this wasn’t an ad for ABI, it was an ad for Budweiser, a beer that is in fact in targeted at a consumer very different than the craft beer drinker.
Though ABI does separate its brands and markets them individually, many consumers still have the association to ABI when they think of Budweiser or Goose Island. This is both good and bad. The association with ABI is also an association with a company who is the leader in the beer industry. However, this association makes it difficult to run campaigns like this Super Bowl commercial.
Can a company be both a branded house and a house of brands? Perhaps with their new campaign, “Let’s grab a beer,” ABI is trying to do just that.
