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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

LIFT A PINT FOR ST. PADDY

If you are a beer aficionado like me, you know that drinking green beer isn't the way to celebrate this beer drinking holiday. Green beer is just the crappy fizzy yellow beer with food coloring. That's no cause for celebration! Celebrate with the "most Irish" of all beers styles, the Stout.

My writing partner, fellow beer chick and dear friend - beer expert and author Hallie Beaune wrote a great article for The Rundown today for St. Patrick's day about, just that! Yummy Stouts really are the best beer to drink if you'd like to honor the Irish in all of us.

Here are the five domestic craft Stouts Hallie recommends on the Rundown with which to imbibe this fine St. Paddy's Day!

Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
A smooth, easy-drinking stout. Velvety on the tongue, with notes of mocha and a nice hop presence on the finish for balance.

North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
Like a shot of espresso or a dark, bitter bite of cacao-heavy chocolate, this brilliant stout is intense. A perfect nightcap, at 9.5% alcohol, it'll send you home singing.

Bison Organic Chocolate Stout
Brewed in Berkeley, this sustainable stout lets you be truly green on St. Patty's Day. With notes of subtle Dutch chocolate, it won't knock you over the head with saccharine Hershey bar flavors.

Alaskan Brewing Smoked Porter
Malt smoked over alder wood gives this beer a distinct flavor. Excellent when aged in a bottle (it mellows out the smokiness), so snag older vintages or store bottles in your closet for next year.

Deschutes Brewery's The Abyss
Aging in French Oak and Bourbon barrels gives this hard-to-find stout a depth worthy of its name. Savor notes of bitter chocolate, espresso, molasses and licorice before the 11% alcohol kicks in.

And make sure to check out the Rundown.

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