Drinkin’ with Doan
I have been currently employed for the past five years as a liquor store clerk and, as one does with any retail job, I am often asked to make recommendations on products in the store. Usually the questions are about a certain scotch or what goes well with a certain dish. For the latter, in the back of my psyche, a little voice is shouting INDIA PALE ALE, or HEFEWEIZEN, but usually the customer is happy with whatever semi-dry red/white wine that fits their budget.
To be perfectly honest, instead of going for the traditional wine, cuisine can be paired with what I have become a specialist over the years with – beer. Over the next while I will try to recommend some ales, pilsners, lagers, or stouts to try and get more people in Abbotsford to appreciate the true nectar from the gods, beer.
Reinheitsgebot, or as we here in North America know it the German Purity Law of 1516, celebrates three very special ingrediants. Water. Barley. Hops. Three simple components that make up one of the finer things in life – beer. Although all beers contain these three ingredients at their foundation; beer, as with any alcoholic beverage, has so many little idiosyncrasies that make each brew unique. I will probably not venture too far into the generic North American lager style (a tasteless brew made for mass consumption – think Budweiser, Molson Canadian, Coors Light etc…). Don’t get me wrong, these are fine if one wants to play a heated match of beer pong or duel a mate in German Roulette (“shot-gunning” brews until someone passes out) but usually everyone has tried these and has their own opinion on them – “Making love in a canoe” anyone? I won’t get all bourgeoisie about picking up “notes of cassis and a slight hint of English toffee” unless it is BAM in your face, but will try to give a humble opinion on which brews I tend to go for and a few reasons why.
The Drink:
The first brew that I will review might as well be my favourite. Now everyone has a beer that reminds them of a vacation to an exotic destination or just one that is so good you dare not venture far away from it as you don’t want to be disappointed. The beer that fits both these criteria for me comes from the Boon Rawd Brewery located in Ayutthaya Thailand – Singha. Formed in 1933 by Boonrawd Srethabutra it was Thailand’s first brewery. Singha is the flagship beer of Boon Rawd and is always produced in Thailand. As with most tropical countries Boon Rawd imports most of the hops used to make Singha but this pale lager differs from most Saxony/Czech lagers where the hops are sourced from.
The Drinking Experience :
The beer is a nice light golden colour. The first sip is a nice robust malty taste with a dry semi-sweet finish. This is a clean tasting beer with slight bitterness at the end with definite hoppy elements that rest on the back of your throat. This brew reminds me of a strongish pilsner but it is a lager (in my next review I will try to explain the difference of these).
The Drinking and Eating Experience:
Singha pairs well with spicy dishes, perhaps a yellow coconut curry or Louisiana hot wings, the hop elements placate and compliment spice extremely well.
Around town Singha can be picked up at the BC Liquor Store (about 12-14 bucks a 6 pack) or you can come see me at the Abbotsford Liquor Barn and I’ll show you where it is.
Enjoy
– JD Doan
