For the Love of Beer

As a ‘hop peddler’, I am always amazed at watching the throngs of beer lovers who come in and out of my establishments! What amazes me is the variety of folks that I not only see, but engage with. The variety always surprises me; from the differences in the crowd at our Mokena location to the different crowd at our Tinley Park location. The one thing they all have in common, they love beer!

The beer we serve is a lot like the variety of people who come through our doors. Having done this for so many years now, I can almost pin a person to a particular beer based on what they look like! Try it sometimes – it can be fun! It’s also fun to try and pair a beer with the folks sitting down to enjoy one of our tasty entrées;  I try to create menu items that pair very well with the beer that we carry. But often, people will pair their own likes to the food they have and often, it will be the opposite of what even I expected!

For example, if I see a big bear of a man walk in, I can easily peg him for a stout lover, perhaps taking in the rich smoothness of a Great Lakes Blackout Stout! Generally, women tend to fall to the nice amber ales like the deliciously nutty Lost Coast Downtown Brown and when I see a group of younger people coming in, generally their first foray into the wonderful world of craft beers, they direct themselves to the lighter end of the spectrum. A fruity O’Fallon Wheach or the subtle OmmegangWitte is usually a good place for them to start! The real aficionados, the ‘hop heads’ always steer their way to the IPAs!  There is nothing like a Firestone Walker Double Jack to take the bite out of a cold winter evening!

Pairing food with beer is always fun and can really enhance the flavor of the dish. For example, with a juicy Alehouse Black ‘N Bleu Burger there is nothing like the smooth, rich finish of a Scottish style ale to compliment the bite of the crumbled bleu cheese! Try a nice IPA, or perhaps an Oscar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale, with some Scallop & Garlic Shrimp Scampi, talk about bringing out the flavor of the garlic! But above all, experiment! Each beer has its own personality and may change with your pallet; food does as well – different pairings will bring out different flavors!

If you are reading this – you are reading this for the love of the beer! It’s why I do what I do as well, for the love of the beer! So, if you see me sitting in the corner, a nice Green Flash West Coast IPA in my glass, watching the crowd come alive, it is because I love the beer and what I do! Stop by and say hello, let me know what you are drinking, better still…let me guess!