Brews and Blues Beer and Smokin’ Blues

Pabst Blue Ribbon

Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company
Where: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Style: American Adjunct Lager
IBU: N/A
ABV: 4.74%

Being the extra cool guy that I am, people have been asking me... "Hey John... What's your new year's resolution gonna be this year?"  It's always a tough question for me, but this year, I believe I have the answer.  For those of you who follow this blog with any regularity, you know that I enjoy really great beers.  But really great beers are also really expensive beers.  I typically spend anywhere between $3 and $30 for some of the bottles you have seen sampled in this blog.  Well, times are tough and money is short.  I'm giving up the life of the beer snob and getting back to basics.  For what I spend on a typical bottle of beer, I can buy a sixer of Pabst Blue Ribbon.  Lots of bottles equal the price of a 12-pack, and some even as much as a case of this true piece of Americana you see before you. 

This classic example of an American Adjunct Lager poured with a beautiful golden hue and a thick foamy head.  This head quickly subsided, which is a good thing.  Once all that foam went away, I could actually see what I was drinking.  I didn't have to imagine what it looked like through all that foam and I didn't get the 'got beer' mustache that I'm often seen sporting around town.  The beer doesn't have a strong aroma, which is once again a good thing.  I can still smell whatever I might be eating at the time without the beer getting in the way.  This beer is best served at temperatures near 32°.  The colder this beer is, the less it smells and tastes like urine, which is another good thing.  Colder is better. 

From the can:

This is the ORIGINAL Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer.  Nature's choicest products provide its perfectflavor.  Only the finest of hops and grains are used.  Selected as America's Best in 1893.

That's pretty impressive I guess.  I'm not sure how many beers you could buy in the US in 1893, but I know I have now sampled the best of the bunch.  Also according to the can, Pabst Brewing Company was established in Milwaukee in 1844.  It only took them 49 years to win that award! 

As with any other great beer, you have to consider the food pairing options that are available to you.  For Pabst Blue Ribbon, I would suggest serving it at the stated 32° with other fine American cuisine such as Vienna Sausages, saltine crackers, and Cheez Whiz.  If you want to create something truly phenomenal, drop a Slim Jim in the can with the beer to spice it up a little.

Until next time...

Kingfisher Premium Lager

Today's sample is from Kingfisher Brewing Company in Saratoga Springs, New York.  This beer is quite similar to the Peroni from a few days ago.  The head and color characteristis are almost identical, but the Kingfisher Lager has a little more pronounced hop presence compared to the sweet and malty character of the Peroni.  In a side-by-side comparision, I would take the Peroni.  The Kingfisher falls a bit too close to Budweiser to suit my taste.  There is no special characteristic in this brew that will draw me back for seconds.  However, I won't pour this one out.  It's still beer!  Kingfisher Premium lager rings in at 5.0% ABV and finished with a bit of a hop aftertaste.  If your grocer has no other selections, pick up a six-pack of this :)