In baseball, we talk of utility players, those who perform pretty well in many positions. There are some beers like that, too, that work pretty well with a lot of different foods. Many times, these are pretty simple beers that just provide a non-distracting contrast and refresh the palate. Irish stout is a classic case- good at cooling spicy Mexican- and Thai- singed tongues, cutting the sweetness of heavy sauces, etc. Moving upward in complexity, Munich lagers, both light and dark, seem to taste good with most any main dish- a good Helles can seem lightly hoppy or lightly malty depending on the food you're eating. Garrett Oliver seems to reach for a Biere de Garde an awful lot in his book The Brewmaster's Table; this is another characterful, but balanced, beer.
Who's your favorite 'utility player?'
But is it impactful?
ReplyDeleteIt will be after I've incented it.
ReplyDeleteI assume you're including kolsch in the Munich lagers. Mmmm, kolsch... Think I'll open one now, go sit out on the deck, and read a book while you're busy peopling away! Wad.
ReplyDeleteWeeellll... Kolsch is a pretty good all-around, but Munich it ain't....
ReplyDelete