Yum! A Pale ale. In terms of preparation for Friday, let’s just discuss a Pale Ale. The first beer that comes to mind for many readers is Rolling Rock. Maybe you even thought of Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale. Did anybody think of these two? If you are thinking of the blonde color of Rolling Rock or the hoppy flavor of Sierra Nevada, get those ideas out of your head.  “Why?” you ask. Well, first of all, Pale Ales are not historically pale. Pale Ale refers to a specific type of malt that British Brewer’s use/used to flavor and lighten their beer.  When we say lighten, we mean from black or dark brown to reddish or bronzish. Hopefully, it is clear that a “Pale Ale” beer does not have to be pale at all. Rather, your Samuel Smith’s will be more colorful than many of its American counterparts.

Second of all, do not expect Samuel Smith’s to be overly hopped. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is great, but it is somewhat of an anomaly in the style of Pale Ales. I suspect that more hoppy versions of Pale Ales might carry some designation like “bitter” to show that they had hopped more than normal in their Pale Ale. So the hops are more restrained than one might be used to. I, for one, am excited to taste this (again) and give feedback based on some other beers that we all might have tasted.

Please drink this with us Friday. You really should be able to find this sold as singles. Expect to pay between $3-6 for a 16 ounce bottle. Remember that good beer is worth a little extra time and money. Cheers!