Fall is quickly approaching in many parts of the world, and as the weather cools down, the light and refreshing beers of summer give way to darker, richer seasonal beers that have a bit more flavor and depth.
Even though we don’t experience a true autumn in Hawaii, we can still enjoy the deep, roasted flavors of fall, which are perfect for our cool evenings. These are fun to seek out because they’re available just once a year and offer a nice change from our usual go-to styles.
A few fall seasonal recommendations:
» Sierra Nevada Brewing Autumn Tumbler Brown Ale: This is a wonderfully rich and complex ale that has aromas of molasses, coffee and toasted bread. Deep reddish brown in color, it pours with a large white head of foam. Brown ales are increasingly hard to find, so I make it a point to seek out this beer every September. The roasted flavors are perfectly balanced with a slight caramel sweetness, and an earthy hop bitterness prevents it from being overly sweet.
This beer is a perfect complement to a bowl of beef stew.
» Anchor Brewing Bigleaf Maple Autumn Red: As the name suggests, this new fall seasonal is brewed with the addition of maple syrup, which is made evident by the aroma it gives when poured into a glass. I love that the brilliant ruby red color almost sparkles in a glass. Though it is brewed with maple, this beer — from the historic Anchor Brewing in San Francisco — is not sweet because of a good amount of spicy and citrusy hops.
The slight sweetness is perfectly balanced with bready notes from the malt and a perfect bitterness from the hops. Pair this with barbecue-glazed chicken or roasted duck.
» Clown Shoes Genghis Pecan Pie Porter: Don’t expect pecan pie in a glass. This dark brown beer has strong aromas of brown sugar, coffee and a slight nutty sweetness, but instead of flavors that scream pecan pie, you will find a deliciously rich beer that is full of roasted chocolate and vanilla flavors with just a hint of pecans and spice. Because it lacks overbearing sweetness, this beer is a perfect pair for desserts such as crème brûlée. Or try it with Thanksgiving dinner!
On the local scene
Kauai is now home to two breweries with the opening this month of Kauai Beer Co. in Lihue. Father-and-son team Jim and Justin Guerber recently started distribution of their two flagship beers to Kauai restaurants and opened a tasting room with limited hours of noon to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays.
They have plans to open a full brewpub on site in the near future.
"Our thought was that since we have started brewing beer … we would open up our unfinished space for people to stop by and check us out while we finish out the rest of the bar," says Justin Guerber.
The flagship beers are a dark lager (Black Limousine) and a light lager (Lihu‘e Lager).
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Tim Golden shares his obsession with all things craft beer monthly in the Star-Advertiser food section. See his blog, "Beer in Hawaii," at www.beerinhawaii.com.
