Beer Primer
For beer drinkers and non-beer drinkers alike, understanding the difference between the brews can sometimes be confusing. With the help of local breweries, Toledo City Paper is breaking down the different kinds of beer for you.
│Beer Newbie│Hops Hater│Pub Pundit│
│Ale Adventurer│Brewski Brother│Boujee Boozer │
Pilsner: Light straw to golden in color with a dense and rich head. The flavor is simple and has a clean and refreshing finish. Best with chicken, salmon and salads.
Wheat: These are sometimes cloudy and unfiltered, and are also highly carbonated. Fruity flavors can be found. Best with seafood, fruit and tacos.
Pale Ale: Both malty and hoppy. English versions are more hoppy and spicy, whereas American versions are more fruity. Best with pork, steak and other spicy foods.
Lager: These crisp and refreshing beers have a smooth finish, high carbonation and a medium hop flavor. Best with shellfish and Asian foods.
Saison: A complex style of beer, very fruity in aroma and flavor, mild to moderate tartness. Best with Middle Eastern foods and cheese.
India Pale Ale (IPA): Moderate to medium bodied, herbal and citric characters and known for its bitter aroma. Best with burgers, desserts and salty foods.
Brown Ale: Higher levels of malt can be found, making them earthier and less bitter. Flavors can be sweet or malty. Best with duck and lamb.
Bock: Some of the heaviest and maltiest beers, yet smoothest and richest, too. Best with sausage and cajun foods.
Stout: Rich and creamy head, often using a portion of unmalted roasted barley to create a coffee-like taste. Best with oysters and rich stews.
Porter: Dark, almost black and fruity dry. This top fermenting style brew is made with combinations of flavors and pairs best with chili and smoked foods.
Maumee Bay Brewing Company
Adam Harrell, head brewer
27 Broadway St.
419-243-1302
mbaybrew.com
Inside the Five Brewing Co.
Brandon Fields, co-owner
127 W 3rd St., 5703 Main St.
419-931-0707, 567-408-7212
insidethefivebrewing.com
Ye Olde Durty Bird
Cari Webber and Kim McKnight, Managers
2 S St Clair St.
419-243-2473
The Attic on Adams
Amelia Jarret, Owner/Manager
1701 Adams St.
419-243-5350
Hey, my name is Makenna and I’m a beer newbie. I just turned 21 last week and have not had any alcohol other than a couple sips of my parents’ wine on my birthday. I’m looking to try different kinds of alcohol, and beer is first on my list. What do you think I should try?
What brew would you recommend for someone new to beer and why?
Maumee Bay Brewing: Mango Jerry – Twisted Tango
One of the reasons I love beer so much is because I’m a firm believer that if you aren’t a beer drinker, I can turn you into a beer drinker. It’s come such a long way since just your cheap stuff, there’s so much flavor that we don’t always have to succumb to the cheap stuff. For the Beer Newbie I would recommend something like a wheat ale; they tend to be mildly flavored and hopped, and a lot of breweries nowadays will heavily fruit them and make them more appealing. The Mango Jerry – Twisted Tango is a wheat based ale fruited with mangos and tangerine to make it bright and citrus-y; perfect for a hot summer day. Alternatively, Bayside, Broken Bat and #fakejuice are all good options as well.
Inside the Five: Sunshine Sky
She should try Sunshine Sky, our lemon and orange American wheat. It is nice and light with a little bit of citrus to it. It’s a very inviting beer, especially for someone who is brand new to the craft beer scene. Great for summer, or any time of the year, and it’s one of our most popular beers.
Ye Olde Durty Bird
I would suggest a seasonal beer such as Great Lakes Oktoberfest or the upcoming Christmas Ale. They have a unique spiced flavoring. Or, if you’d like something with more of a beer taste, try a citrus wheat like a Blue Moon.
The Attic on Adams
We’ve got this amber from Quenched and Tempered right now. It’s a nice, light amber, easy, mild drinking for those who don’t like the IPAs and want something easy.
Hi there, my name is Denise and I am a beer hater. As a mom of four, my busy schedule limits me from going out most of the time, so I usually enjoy a nice glass of wine (or two) in the evenings. My husband always drinks the cheap canned stuff, which has completely turned me off to beer. However, I have my first girls’ night in over a year coming up, and we’re going to a brewery. What do you think I should try?
What brew would you recommend for someone who dislikes the taste of beer and why?
Maumee Bay Brewing: Total Eclipse or Oktoberfest
This is one I can sympathize with, although it’s not a very popular opinion in American craft beer. I like a more moderately flavored beer, but just because it’s not hoppy doesn’t mean it has to be moderate. I would recommend our Total Eclipse beer. If you’re a coffee drinker, that one would very much translate over to you. Loaded with coffee beans from our partner Flying Rhino Coffee here in Toledo, we also back it up with vanilla as well to make it a dessert in a glass. Also, we are offering our seasonal Oktoberfest, and it’s just a traditional German lager. A little bit darker than your pilsners or light lagers, so it’ll offer a little more bread-y and caramel notes, a little fuller flavor than your average beer drink while still being crushable and easily consumable.
Inside the Five: Training Wheels
She should try Training Wheels. It is a pineapple radler, so it’s only 3%. It is a blend between wheat beer and pineapple juice, so it’s going to be nice and light, very fruity. Great for somebody who might not necessarily enjoy beer, so kind of a good mix of flavors
Ye Olde Durty Bird
Try a cider or a tea beer. Wild Ohio has some really good flavors such as Blueberry or Black Cherry.
The Attic on Adams
If you don’t like beer, we’ve been carrying Four Fires mead on tap. Right now Kakamora, which is their pineapple and toasted coconut. It’s more like a honey wine, so if you don’t like beer, it’s nice and sweet, but it’s stronger than it tastes.
Hello, my name is Julian and I’m a beer enthusiast. I’ve had every kind of beer you can think of and study brewing avidly. Tonight, I’m taking my new girlfriend on our third date to a local brewery I’ve never been to. I love beer with a distinct and full flavor. However, I’ve never been to this brewery and I want to impress my date. What do you think I should try?
What brew would you be most proud to recommend for a beer enthusiast?
Maumee Bay Brewing: Total Eclipse or Glasshopper Ale
I just mentioned the Total Eclipse and I want to take it right back there because I feel like every good brewery has a nice solid stout that a beer enthusiast is always looking for. Our Total Eclipse beer is a hard hitting breakfast stout, modeled off the Founder’s breakfast stout. A lot of breweries use stouts as a blank canvas to do some wild things. Alternatively, on the lighter side, our Glasshopper Ale. Every brewery is judged on their India Pale Ale (IPA). We got our Glasshopper, that’s our bread and butter. That one keeps the lights on – that’s a crowd favorite.
Inside the Five: Xerxes’ Bane
Julian should try Xerxes’ Bane. It is a double IPA that we age in bourbon barrels, so it comes in this year at about 13%. It has a lot going on, very complex, great double IPA flavor, but the bourbon comes through at the end.
Ye Olde Durty Bird
I would suggest a Hazy IPA. There are so many out there with very different flavors. Try Evil Genius or There’s No Crying in Baseball, it’s a mango Hazy IPA.
The Attic on Adams
We’ve got a really awesome beer called Wet When Slippery from Hoof Hearted. It’s a double IPA, lots of fruity and tropical notes to it. Not your end of the night kind of beer.
Greetings humans! My name is Pedro and I’m an adventurous beer drinker. I’m always looking for unique recipes and tastes that take traditional beers to the next level. Be it dessert beer, spicy beer or even pizza-based beer, you name it, I’ve tried it! I’m looking for the next crazy taste to satiate my beer taste buds. What do you think I should try?
What brew would you recommend for someone asking for your weirdest flavor?
Maumee Bay Brewing: Ball Game
Maumee Bay is more of a traditional brewhouse, although they do allow us to get a little wild and express our creativity. For that one, you’re looking more toward the fruited sours, maybe you’ve heard of wild ales which blend more of a farmhouse ale and more of a gamey-er side of brewing. Or you can go the pastry stout route, which a lot of brewers love to get carried away and add whole boxes of breakfast cereals and the like. For us, I would recommend Ball Game: a golden Kolsch-Style Ale with salted caramel and roasted peanuts.
Inside the Five: The Floor is Baklava
He should try The Floor is Baklava, a new beer we just released. It is a lighter amber style beer with honey and pistachios. It’s a little bit on the sweeter side, modeled after the baklava dessert.
Ye Olde Durty Bird
I’m a fan of Blake’s El Chavo Habanero Mango Cider. It’s spicy and sweet at the same time.
The Attic on Adams
If you like the sours, we always have at least two sours on tap, and right now we’ve got the Notorious POG, the passionfruit, orange and guava sour from Stone Brewing. We also always try to have something from Urban Artifact, so we have the Squeeze Box right now. That’s another high octane, strawberry midwestern tarts. That’s always tasty.
Yo what’s up guys, my name is Brock and I’m an absolute cheapskate when it comes to beer. I drink beer almost every day, but it’s usually the cheapest case I can find at the store for me and the boys. As president of my fraternity, it’s up to me to make sure my brothers have a good time after a long week of skipping class and breaking hearts. The frat has a dress up event coming up at a brewery, and I have no idea what to order (do you think they sell PBR?). What do you think I should try that won’t break my bank account?
What brew would you recommend to someone looking for beer on a budget?
Maumee Bay Brewing: Buckeye or Broken Bat Kolsch
For the Brewski Brother who might not necessarily be into craft beer as much as I am, there’s definitely an angle for you there, too. You’re looking for your palest beers out there, tends to be your pilsners or light lagers. For us, that’s our Buckeye beer, or our Broken Bat Kolsch – just easy drinking beers, lawnchair beers, lawn mowing beers, your everyday drinking beer. Also, we are offering our seasonal Oktoberfest, and it’s just a traditional German lager. A little bit darker than your pilsners or light lagers, so it’ll offer a little more bread-y and caramel notes, a little fuller flavor than your average beer drink while still being crushable and easily consumable.
Inside the Five: T-Town Lager
Brock should have T-Town Lager, it is an American craft light lager – nice and light, easy drinking. Drink it throughout the day or all night long. Great taste, won’t fill you up and enjoy it, whatever you do.
Ye Olde Durty Bird
An IPA will get you where you want to go quickly, Maumee Bay Glass Hopper is an average priced beer with a decent ABV.
The Attic on Adams
We always have Locals Light on tap, and that’s our easy, light, domestic ale. It’s from Shorts up in Michigan. That’s going to be $3 a pint for all the people looking for something closer to a domestic style.
Good day, my name is Gabrielle and I’m a bit of an alcohol snob. I’ll admit it: I only drink imports, and must have the perfect meal paired with my beer or else it won’t have the same flavor profiles. But, my expansive knowledge of and passion for alcohol always ensures I have the best drinks and meals in all of Northwest Ohio – and maybe even parts of Michigan. I’m trying this brewery for the first time and want the perfect drink and meal combination. What do you think I should try?
What brew and meal combination would you recommend for someone with expensive taste and looking for the perfect pairing?
Maumee Bay Brewing: Total Eclipse Ice Cream Float
For the Boujee Boozer out there, I think the perfect cap off to the experience at Maumee Bay is the Total Eclipse Ice Cream Float. You get dessert in a glass, you get your ice cream, it’s really the best of both worlds. And if you’re a boozer, it’s 9.1%, so definitely the perfect end cap to your evening here at Maumee Bay.
Inside the Five: Megaphone paired with the Nashville
Gabrielle should order the Nashville. It is a hot chicken sandwich served on a brioche bun with pickles, and she should pair that with Megaphone, our Irish Red Ale. It is an easy drinking, great classic red ale that actually won Bronze in the World Beer Cup last year.
Ye Olde Durty Bird
When we suggest a food and beverage combination, it’s usually always our hamburger and a cold glass of Stella Artois. They complement each other very well.
The Attic on Adams
One of the things everybody loves on our menu is our veggie chili. We do use stout in our veggie chili, so I’m going to suggest this oatmeal stout we have on tap (Rover Truck) to go with that. Our veggie chili is totally vegetarian, and you can also get it vegan with vegan cheese and vegan sour cream.
