Beer #107 - W/C 13 March 2017
BREWERY // In Lexington, Massachusetts there is a liquor store named Berman's that has been steadily serving fine beverages for 98 years (although they focussed on groceries for a while in the 1920's). A few years ago Gregg Berman (4th generation in the business) and the store's beer manager Jesse Dooley got into craft beer and submitted a brew to a Beer Advocate competition. Their beer, The Wrath Of Pecant, didn't place and that made Gregg real angry. Perhaps realising that their ideas and taste surpassed their actual brewing prowess, head brewer Dan Lipke was brought into the fold to transform the great ideas into great beer. Clown Shoes was born and their beers have been receiving rave reviews ever since. And the name? Gregg says "Clowns are questionable but the shoes make me laugh. They remind me about humility and to find humor in life. Our mission now is to produce beer without pretension while being free and a little crazy.". We'll drink to that!
BEER // American Monastic is a beer that celebrates the God given American right to have it all "the right to wear monk robes with stars and stripes, shamelessly eat greasy cheeseburgers and unrestricted use of the selfie stick, this beer represents the freedom to explore America". Most beer recipes champion one ingredient (hops, malt or yeast) with the others playing back-up. But not here. This beer is all about the floral, orange-peel, grapefruit, grassy hop aroma and flavour from the SEVEN varieties of hop. Also the sweet caramel malt which gives the beer big body. And it's really about the Belgian yeast with the spicy, peppery dried fruit esters... Sometimes more is indeed more.
BREWERY // Clown Shoes
BEER // American Monastic
STYLE // Belgian IPA
ORIGIN // Massachusetts, USA
ABV // 8.5%
TEMPERATURE // Cold - 6-10C
FOOD MATCH // Cubed Cheese, Celery Salt & Mustard. Fried Chicken Livers. Fish Soup with Rouille. Pink Grapefruit Sorbet.
GLASS // Tulip. IPA Glass