White Gypsy Likes Her Food

White Gypsy Likes Her Food

American Pale Ale, 7.5%, 75cl bottle, €7.99 Bradley’s

Dark amber colour and a really bitter taste. Sufficient initial head soon reduces to a thin lacy cover. A really good balance of malt and hops (which they grow themselves). The bitterness doesn’t make your mouth pucker but it is obvious enough in the dry finish. Good body, made for food, and should perform ably at the table. Maybe that’s why I served it in a Reidel glass!

Tipperary Brewery White Gypsy, where Cuilan Loughnane is owner and brewer, intends this ale, one of a series of four beers, as a food beer and Cuilan says this is great with spicy dishes and grilled chicken. So you might well see it in restaurants in the near future and that would be no bad thing.

Russian Imperial Stout, 7%, 75cl bottle, €7.99 Bradley’s

Have been enjoying the excellent Irish craft stouts over the past 12 months and thought I might get on well with this one from its initial caramel aromas.

The ample head soon settled down to a see through cap but the toasty flavours remained intense and smoky right through to the dry finish.

The stout, like the ale, is part of a series, the big bottles aimed at the restaurant market. Indeed it, and the others, carry a food pairing recommendation. 

Didn’t have a steak handy for this one but did have a chunk of Gubbeen Smoked cheese. Like all good pairings, neither dominated and they proved a good match.

Also in the series (not tasted, yet!):

German Doppelbock 750ml  ABV:7.5%, A sweet malty beer with a juicy toffee finish. A perfect match for venison and roast pork and terrific with sweet vegetables.

Belgian Dubell 750ml  ABV:8%, A dry slightly spicy beer with a fruity finish. An excellent choice for grilled oily fish like tuna and salmon.