A Quart of Ale± #58. On the craft journey with a mixed session from Mescan, Brú, O'Hara's and Whiplash..

A Quart of Ale± #58 

On the craft journey with a mixed session from Mescan, Brú, O'Hara's and Whiplash.

Mescan “Westport Blond” 4.8%, 330ml bottle O’Briens Wine

Not my first time enjoying a Westport Blond (without the “e”). And like the first time, it’s the golden colour that first impressed and there’s a lingering soft head as well. You know what they say about first impressions. 

Hops are modest but have enough to perfectly balance with the malt flavours and it is harmony all the way  (even if the fruitiness is slightly ahead of the bitterness) with this clean, crisp and flavoursome beer, so very well made.

Blonde or Golden Ales “are the ultimate European session beer and a great opening to the pale ale pathway” according to Craft Beer for the People. Yet many of these are more than easy-drinking and this is one of the outstanding ones. Recommended serving temperature is between four and six degrees.

This blond was the first beer from Cillian and Bart and has become a firm favourite with the public. Blond beer, with its accessible character, combines well with most dishes. Mescan recommends steaks, burgers, chicken, sausages, also  noodles, pasta Bolognese, and Salade Niçoise.

So a superb beer from a couple of veterinarian friends who started off as amateurs on their beer journey in 2010. Then, Bart  (a Belgian) welded together their first brewery -  a 50 litre set up. "For three years, we brewed each week in Cillian's garage, creating recipes and learning from our mistakes. The real work started when we set about converting a farm shed on Bart's farm,  building a 1000 litre brewhouse from scratch. All great until all the paperwork hit:  warehousing legislation, VAT, Excise and setting up companies. Many expansions later, we’ve now lost most of our hair, but, on a good day, we wouldn't swap it for anything.”

Brú Cheep Flirt Session IPA 3.8%, 440 can Bradleys

Colour of this County Meath IPA is lemon, a hazy one with a good up-flow of bubbles and lots of hoppy aromas (it has been dry-hopped) even as you pull the tab. Nice frothy head that doesn’t vanish immediately. Citrus and floral notes in both the aromas and the palate. Refreshing and satisfying and well geared for a session in the sun. Sun or no sun, I reckon I’d get on very well with this well-built well-flavoured Cheep Flirt (vegan-friendly).

They say:  A hazy session IPA that’s lower in alcohol but packs a flavour punch. Cheep Flirt showcases three star ingredients: Golden Promise malt, oats and Centennial hops, which come together for a nutty and biscuit backbone, a silky and full mouthfeel and an abundance of citrus and floral notes.

Brú, who have been popping up in my selections quite regularly, are using this Urban Jungle series to celebrate their “adventurous side” with bold, modern beers while their Core range showcases traditional and classic Irish styles with a contemporary twist. I was recently very impressed by their Red Ale.

O’Hara’s Double IPA, 7.5%, 500ml bottle via Radical Drinks

This is a complex piece of work from O’Hara’s. Colour is between amber (day) and copper (night). Intense aromas are a melange of fruit and floral. Generously hopped and dry hopped the complexity continues on the palate, rich of flavour, orange, floral, a caramel sweetness with the malt making its mark right to the finale. Lots of elements here, yet harmony has been achieved. And yet, I wouldn't want more than one of an evening. Perhaps too much has been packed in here for my taste yet I have little doubt that double IPA aficionados are more than happy with this O’Hara’s effort.

They say: A full-bodied, full on Double I.P.A. combining caramel and malt flavours with a well-balanced and substantial bitterness.  Light carbonation allows the full flavour of this Double IPA to shine through. At 7.5% abv, the high alcohol content is balanced with a caramel sweetness and a full bodied malt character. Generously hopped and dry hopped, it is a true treat for fans of the style.

Geek Bits
Style:

Bold Double IPA

ABV:

7.5%

Plato °:

19.50°

IBU:

44

Fermentation:

Top fermentation

Availability:

Keg (carbonated), Bottle 50cl (Oct 2013) (occasional 41L cask)

Serving Temperature"

6-8°C

Food Pairing:

Perfect with spicy foods such as Thai or Indian. Excellent with strong cheeses.

Glass:

O’Hara’s Irish Craft Beer conical glass.

Whiplash Midnight Dipper Pale Ale 5.2%, 440 can Bradleys

A soft fluffy head crowns the hazy lemony body of this Pale Ale, the brewery’s “latest love letter to Idaho 7”. Aromas are quite intense with exotic fruit such as mango and guava in the melange. The mouthfeel is quite plush. As you drink, and if you are taking note - you may well be chatting (and why not) - you’ll note those exotics again, all in beautiful harmony, no jarring extremes here. Get it. Quick.

They say: Our latest love letter to Idaho 7, a hop we prize for its versatility and how well it gels with other varieties. 

Details: Vienna Malt, Melanoidin Malt, Wheat Malt, Oat Malt, Idaho 7 hops.

Here's a little more about the Whiplash brew crew:

We were lucky enough to celebrate five years since our first ever commercial release in March, five years since Scaldy Porter was let loose on the world. In that time we have released 68 more beers and grown from a team of 2 to a team of 12. We were also really proud to be awarded International Independent Brewery of the Year 2021 by HonestBrew members. This win coming a few years after we won Best Breakthrough Brewery really made it all the more special.

We wish we could have celebrated this big birthday with the sesh to end all seshes, maybe a tap takeover here and there so you could meet the team, but for obvious reasons that wasn’t a runner. Hopefully we can mark the occasion (maybe for our 6th birthday!), but in the meantime we snapped some portraits and interviewed the team for our social media channels.

More info and lots of pics here..

A Quart of Ale± #55 On the craft journey. Time for a session!

 A Quart of Ale± #55

On the craft journey. Session Time!

Wicklow Brewery Hopknut Irish Pale Ale, 4.9%, 330can Bradleys

Amber is the colour here with a strong touch of orange. The white head persists for a spell. You get the hops smell the second you pull the tab; later, there’s robust orange, and some caramel from the malt aromas. The flavours follow the aromas on the palate, medium-bodied, and finishing crisply dry. It is very approachable, very drinkable indeed, refreshing, almost Märzen like. Neat and tidy, well put together and one to put on your short list.

The label tells me that Knut was a Danish Viking king who ruled over the Scandinavian empire including Wicklow (Wykinglo) in the 11th century. My scepticism was on high alert when I first saw this on the label on April 1st. You don’t have to believe everything you read but there is some factual basis for this.

The main thing to take away from this is that the beer is excellent. Looking forward now to trying a few more from the Redcross brewery, preferably in their Micky Finn pub. It might well have been called the Wykinglo Pub - that would have harder to pronounce!

Western Herd Atlantic Irish Red Ale 4.0%, 440ml can Bradleys

There’s a vibrancy about the colour of this red ale from the County Clare. The soft off-white head sinks slowly enough. Malt leads the way in the aromatics. And there’s a malted intensity too on the palate, a traditional one but none the worse for that. Far from it. Something deliberately clean and precise about this one. Straight on to the short list!

So what is Red Ale? They say: Similar to English Pales and Bitters, the Red Ale is brewed with a variety of specialty malts such as caramel malts, chocolate malt or roast barley to provide a rich, complex maltiness and this beer’s signature red hue. Traditionally, hop aroma and flavour are kept very low to highlight malt character. However, in recent years, many brewers have begun hopping their red ales more heavily in an effort to brew a very balanced, easy drinking beer.

For the geek:

Colour/Appearance
Vibrant red and crystal clear

Aroma
Honey and malted barley

Flavour
Dark fruits, bread and honey

Hops
Magnum, Perle

Malts
Pale, Melanoidin, Caramunich I, Special B, C-150, C-120

O’Hara’s Leann Folláin Extra Irish Stout 6.0%, 500ml bottle via Radical Drinks

The head, off-white, shrinks pretty quickly over the gleaming black body of this well-known stout. There’s a moderate coffee scent in the nose. And that coffee turns up also on the palate along with chocolate. The full-bodied stout is pretty intense, boasting a refreshing bitterness that rounds it all up, all leading to an intense dry finish. Quite a knockout beer with an abundance of dark flavour  and a refreshing bite towards the end. A true contender! But that’s pretty well acknowledged by now as it has spawned a series of barrel-raised follow-ups. Carry on Carlow!

They say: True to it’s name, “Leann Folláin” being the Gaelic for “wholesome stout”, our full-bodied extra Irish stout is a fantastic example of how good stout can taste. Opaque black in appearance with a tan head, this luxurious stout has a classic European hop bitterness giving a refreshing bite after the chocolate subsides. Leann Folláin takes its name from the Gaelic “leann dubh” meaning “dark ale/stout” and “folláin” being the Gaeilc for “wholesome”.

Geek bits .
Style - Extra Irish Stout

ABV - 6.0%

Plato ° - 14.5°

IBU -42

Fermentation -Top fermentation

Availability - Keg (carbonated), Bottle 50cl and 33cl (occasional 41L cask)

Serving Temperature 6-8°C (Some enjoy this stout served in the traditional way in southeast Ireland at room temperature “off the shelf”.) 

Food Pairing -Dark meats such as venison or beef make an excellent companion. Also to be enjoyed with blue cheeses.

Glass - O’Hara’s Irish Craft Beer conical glass.

Klosterbrau Weißenohe Bonator Dopplebock, 8.0%, 500ml bottle via Bradleys

Colour of this Dopplebock is a deep amber with an off white head that sinks pretty quickly. Difficult to separate the aromas, caramel is in there, something more vegetal too. It keeps the tastebuds working too. First impression is that it is a light stout, then some sweetness unsettles the balance a bit before a choir of hops chips in to restore harmony. It stays interesting right to the finish.

And the story is interesting too. The local Cork saying “there’s atin’ an’ drinkin’ in it” could apply here. “Liquids don't break the fast – this was a generally accepted rule for fasting during the times of the Benedictine monks in Weißenohe. To this rule we Franconians owe the mirror carp as an accepted Lenten fare in our landscape that is rich in ponds stocked with carp, and the stout Doppelbock as a liquid food during this time of slender eating.”

The “atin’ an’ drinkin’ in it” may not be too far out. Consider the Brewer’s note: Of course, beer was not only drunk because of the alcohol content. Beer contains a whole range of minerals and vitamins, as well as broken-down sugars that are easily utilized by the body. The monks were highly knowledgeable in issues of health and medicine, so they knew that beer prevents deficiencies. Hence, Lenten beer was, to put things into today's jargon, one of the first nutritional supplements in human nutrition.

Geek Bits

• Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops
• Original wort: P 18
• ABV 8.2 %
• EAN code: 41 05 91 66
• Packaging: 500 ml glass bottles
• Best before: at least 9 months after bottling

A Quart of Ale± #54. On the craft journey with a quartet of IPAs

A Quart of Ale± #54

On the craft journey with a quartet of IPAs

 Brú IPA 5%, 330ml can Bradleys

This is a bright light gold IPA from Brú, lots of bubbles spouting up towards the quickly diminishing white head. By the way, the longer it was out of the fridge, the hazier it got. Strata has, in recent years, become the darling of craft brewing. It brings tropical fruit notes to the aroma and flavour mix, citrus too, and you can see here how well it combines, as you’d more or less expect, with Centennial and Cascade. It’s a mouth-watering package indeed, zesty and hoppy. 

According to Brú’s own notes,  this “bold and pleasing beer” scores  33% for “malty” while “hoppy” hits the 100 mark. Not too sure it’s that bold but certainly its very pleasing indeed. The blue lady you see on the labels is Anna Danu, the Celtic primordial goddess. As a tribute to her (and for more practical reasons too, more than likely) only the highest quality ingredients are used. A good policy and, clean and bitter, is a very good beer indeed.

Hops: Strata, Centennial, Cascade
Malts: Pale, Maris Otter, Arome

Wicklow Locknut Kveik IPA 5.2%, 330 can O’Donovan’s

An orange/gold colour with a dense haze and a soft floppy head that hangs about for a bit. Aromas aren’t intense at all, a little citrus-y, perhaps a tiny hint of salinity in there as well. Quite a mouthfeel to this one across the palate. Bitterness is modest and it is quite juicy; as well as the Mosaic hops, “a large addition of pineapple and mango” has been added and is listed among the ingredients.

No Kviek in that list but it is prominent on the can. What is it? A Norwegian farmhouse yeast that throws off citrus and tropical esters. Kviek, also one of the Norwegian words for yeast, is now widely used in the beer world.

Its distinguishing factor is that, at very higher temps (c. 104 degrees F), Kveik can ferment the same 5% ABV beer in as little as 48 hours—three to five days sooner than a typical ale yeast. And it also throws off those citrus and tropical esters.

Quite a juicy little number then, one that will satisfy many, though not perhaps the hop heads!

Bradleys in collaboration with DOT Brew “The Real Capital” IPA 6.2%, 440 can

This Real Capital IPA has a colour a bit like the city at sunrise on a foggy day, a hazy orange. There’s a soft white head on top that thins down quickly enough. With a “healthy helping” of Idaho-7 and Amarillo hops on board, you’re guaranteed pretty intense aromas (tropical, citrus plus floral also) and so it goes also on the palate but there’s also more than enough bitterness, a bitterness though that is light and lively, so that it’s harmony all the way, like a happy version of After All by the Frank and Walters. Capital stuff, really.

 

This well muscled beer (6.2%) is a collaboration between Bradleys (founded 1850) and  the much younger DOT Brew (from the unreal capital). It is exclusive in store and online to Bradleys Cork. Flaked and malted oats and a healthy helping of Idaho-7 and Amarillo hops are the key ingredients.

O’Hara’s Hop Adventure Strata IPA, 5.0%, 500ml bottle via Radical Drink 

This edition in O’Hara’s Hop Adventure showcases Strata – a brand new hop cultivar that has received wide-spread acclaim, and for good reason! Strata has a complexity that lends itself perfectly to a single hopped beer, the same Strata in the Brú above.

This comes in a light to mid gold colour, a soft white head. Lots of bubbles rising too. Aromas are lively enough, bright fruit with citrus to the fore, also a herb-ie touch. Very impressive balance on the palate, hops and malt in active unison, soft and juicy and refreshing right through to the very pleasing finalé. Thumbs up folks.

Details:

Style- IPA

ABV- 5.0%

 Plato ° -13.0°

 IBU- 45

 Fermentation- Top fermentation

 Availability- 30L Keg (carbonated) and 50cl Bottle

Serving- 6-8°C

 Food Pairing- Perfect for matching with a spicy, diavolo Pizza, Fish and Chips and blue cheese.

Glass- O’Hara’s Irish Craft Beer conical glass

Slainte, the 2014 guide to Irish craft beer, classed Carlow Brewing, along with Porterhouse, Franciscan Well, Whitewater and Hilden, as being in the first generation of Irish craft brewers. Not an easy station back then (1996) but Carlow successfully entered the export market to gain experience and sales and eventually a firm footing at home, their hard-won achievements underlined when they left their original premises behind and moved to a smashing new premises in Bagnalstown in 2009. 

A Quart of Ale± #53 On the craft journey with a handy quartet of IPAs.

A Quart of Ale± #53

On the craft journey with a handy quartet of IPAs. 

O’Hara’s Irish Pale Ale,  5.2%, 500ml bottle via Radical Drinks

Colour of O’Hara’s Irish Pale Ale is a light and bright copper with a soft white head that soon thins down. It may be an Irish Pale Ale in title but their description is “A Contemporary style IPA with an Irish twist. Combining the balance of European IPAs with the generous dry hopping of American pale ales (APAs), this beer is everything an IPA should be and more.”

Aromas, a mix of floral and fruit, are fairly intense. And that citric zestiness is more pronounced in the palate. Excellent body and the refreshing bitterness persists all the way through to the satisfactory finish. Quite a beer with inputs from both sides of the ocean, rich, smooth and balanced, one that I very much enjoyed. Mid-Atlantic? 

 

Most of you probably know how IPA came about but just in case:

The term "pale ale" originally denoted an ale that had been brewed from pale malt. During the British colonial period in the late 1800s demand grew for export pale ales and a strongly hopped pale ale was developed, hops being a natural preservative and a higher abv lending the beer style better suited to the long voyages, particularly to India, hence the style name IPA.

For the geek:

Style

Contemporary Style IPA

ABV

5.2%

Plato °

13.5°

IBU

45

Fermentation

Top fermentation

Availability

Keg (carbonated), Bottle 50cl and 33cl (occasional 41L cask-conditioned)

Serving Temperature

6-8°C

Food Pairing

Works incredibly well alongside the BBQ, with spicy food and shellfish.

Glass

O’Hara’s Irish Craft Beer conical glass

The Brewery:

Carlow Brewing Company, also known as O’Hara’s Brewery, is an independent, family-owned business established in 1996 and one of the pioneers of Irish craft brewing. Located in the heart of Ireland’s traditional malt and hop-growing “Barrow Valley” region which has strong historical linkages to the Irish brewing industry, “we are proud to have been at the forefront of the new wave of Irish craft brewing for 25 years. As a craft brewery we brew our beers true to the tradition – with taste and flavour.”

O’Hara’s 51st State IPA, 6.0%, 500ml bottle via Radical Drinks

Colour of this “attack on the senses” is a mid-gold, with a long-lasting white head. Bubbles galore rise through a light haze. Aromatics are intense, exotic fruits leading the way. The big aromas continue with the big flavours in a smooth sensation right to the finish. Citrusy and soft and very very quaffable indeed.

They say: Bursting with bold tropical flavours of grapefruit, passion fruit, apricot and peach, this unfiltered IPA, which takes its inspiration from the New England IPA style, is an attack on the senses. A carefully chosen hop blend provides an intense citrus aroma while adding a well-balanced yet mild bitterness. Malts are combined to deliver a smooth mouthfeel.

The addition of lots of different hop varietals late in the boil help achieve the big aroma and flavour. Further enhanced by later dry hopping with Citra and Amarillo while “generous additions of wheat, crystal and caramalt make this beer very smooth on the pallet (also on the palate!)”. They also make a session version of this, with a 4% ABV.

For the geek:

Style - IPA

 

ABV - 6.0%

 

Plato ° - 15.0°

 

IBU - 40

 

Fermentation- Top fermentation

 

Availability- 30L Keg (carbonated) and 50cl Bottle

Serving Temperature - 6-8°C

 

Food Pairing- Perfect for matching with spicy chicken dishes, steak, Eton Mess and Stilton cheese.

 

Glass- O’Hara’s Irish Craft Beer conical glass

Dundalk Bay Brewmaster Irish IPA 5.6%, 440 can O’Donovan’S 

Amber is the colour of this one, couldn’t even tell you about the head as it vanished so quickly. Checked it with a robust second slash later on and it is (barely) off white and with some little lasting power.  Aromas are reticent, a vague hint of tropical fruits. It is soft in the mouth and soon you know you have a pleasant ale, one without extremes. Passionfruit and grapefruit flavours are moderate and there’s a slightly bitter finish but the balance is superb, harmony all the way.

I like this one, an excellent beer for an evening when the conversation is pleasant, not boisterous nor cranky, the kind of evening most of us like.

Food suggested by the maker: Pair with salty or fried foods. Recommended with red meat.

They say: At Brewmaster we develop unique recipes with a modern brewing style to create sessionable and refreshing premium quality beers. Dundalk Bay Brewery and Distillery is a family company that started from a vision and passion for building breweries and distilleries. The idea came about when one day we decided to take a leap of faith and build our own showcase living and breathing brewery and launched our premium Irish beer, Brewmaster.

The journey has continued since when they developed a Gin Distillery and subsequently Ravenrock Premium Distilled Irish Gin was born in January 2020. The expansion continues…

Rising Sons “5th Horseman” session IPA 3.8%, 440 can Bradleys

Light gold is the colour of the 5th Horseman, a session IPA from Cork City centre brewery The Rising Sons. Nice white head’s not for staying and you’ll see plenty of bubbles rising in the slight haze. The aroma signalled that this is decently hopped and so it proved and the lower strength does not mean less flavour. Aromas (fruit and hints of pine) are rather intense and the palate follows suit more or less, lots of flavour (citrus, melon) in a lively background, the finish also good and hoppy. A very friendly beer indeed and should take you through a session comfortably. Glad they’re selling their beers in cans. While they have a dozen or pubs scattered across the city, not always easy to get down and sample the draught.

They say: 5th Horseman is a low ABV session IPA. Hopped with Amarillo, Centennial, Huell Melon and Idaho 7 hops. Notes of pine , orange , lemon and grapefruit

A Quart of Ale± #49. On the craft journey with Wheat/White, an Irish and German mix here.

A Quart of Ale± #49

On the craft journey with Wheat/White, an Irish and German mix here.

Heaney Irish White Ale 4.8%, 440can Bradleys

Heaney’s Irish White Ale is hazy; colour is a pale yellow and the white head doesn’t hang about. Hints of pine and a burst of citrus fruit. The malt, which also gets a show in the aromas, is prominent in the mouth where it matches up well with hop bitterness. Lots of late hop additions for a lively citrusy punch in this fresh and zesty white. 

They say: A versatile beer that pairs well with many foods. Try with a Fritto Misto. 

Other suggestions include lighter curried dishes, chilli or game, like pheasant or duck. Dim Sum could be added to the list too.

The label tells us this is a Wit Beer with orange peel and coriander. 

Wheat or white beers originated on the continent and many have prominent clove and banana in either the aromas or palate or both. Not too prominent here though, certainly not banana, clove has more of a presence. Heaney have put their own stamp on this White. And quite a good one. And there is certainly room in Ireland for a good one.

O’Hara’s Curim Gold Celtic Wheat Beer, 4.3%, 500ml bottle via Radical Drinks

Colour is gold, tending towards copper, with an attractive white head steady on the top, and shoals of little bubbles rising though a slight haze. A touch of fruit, including banana, in the aromas. O’Hara’s promise a “slight tart residue” and that is the case on the palate leaving the fruity flavours still in the picture but in a diminished role. The banana, peach and plum though are still there at the finish while the usual clove seems to more or less out of the picture all through.

Quite a good robust beer that has been on the O’Hara list for a long while now but it is indeed some distance from your typical German wheat beer, which is a somewhat gentler experience. Check it out sometime against the Ayinger Weizenbock (below) and your senses will soon inform you.

Geek Bits

Style- Celtic Wheat Beer

ABV- 4.3%

Plato °- 10.75° 

IBU- 20

Fermentation- Top fermentation

Availability- Keg (carbonated), Bottle 50cl (occasional 41L cask)

Serving Temperature- 6-8°C

Food Pairing- Truly refreshing, Curim Gold is an excellent accompaniment to hot and spicy dishes. A few years back, I enjoyed it with Porcini Mushroom Ravioli in a game broth with shredded duck leg and celeriac remoulade. Glass- Curim Gold Wheat Beer glass.

Rothaus Hefe Weizen, 5.4%, 500ml bottle via Bradleys

Muddy amber is the colour of this Rothaus beer from Germany’s highest brewery by elevation, at 1,000 meters above sea level. Situated in the beautiful Black Forest, the brewery was first established in 1791. Today, Rothaus claim to be one of the most successful breweries in Germany, largely due to the high quality of their products.

There’s a soft foamy head, white, above the haze, and it stays around for a spell. Aromas are intriguing: clove, honey, as well as the ripe peach. Some mix, and you meet much the same on the palate. Quite fruity then but no sense of sweetness and this fresh beer hints at summer days in the garden, in the beer garden (hopefully) rather than just in the back garden.

The label icon, “Biergit” (beer girl), a Black Forest girl holding two glasses of beer, first debuted in 1956 and is now the defining symbol for all beers made for the Rothaus Brewery.

The brewery points to “the best ingredients” as the big factors here:  Noble wheat malt, the purest spring water from the Upper Black Forest and mild hops with our aromatic hops from Tettnang and Hallertau ensure this”.

Ayinger Weizenbock, 7.1%, 330ml bottle via Bradleys

Pale yellow, hazy, with quite a decent white head. Expected aromas of clove and banana. Smooth on the palate, again with clove and banana, now with fresh bread added and a background of tropical fruit. Rich and vibrant and harmonious all through. Didn’t see an IBU count but bitterness feels modest and there is a refreshing dry and long finish. A very satisfying beer indeed.

They say: Our winter specialty is brewed with four different malts and wort separation method. The result is an alcohol degree of 7.1% by vol. and the Original gravity is 16.5°plato. Ayinger Weizenbock is a top fermented and unfiltered wheat bock beer. Available in 0.33l Vichy bottles.

The weizen-bock style is relatively uncommon, even in Bavaria: they are wheat ales (weissebeer or weizen beer) that are brewed to be as strong as a bock - with corresponding fuller body, and enhanced flavours. They can be pale ("helles") or dark ("dunkles"), and Ayinger Weizenbock is pale in colour.

Try with hearty German cuisine - smoked pork chops, sauerkraut and sausages; full-flavored game or duck; Weizenbock can pair beautifully with spicy Mexican or Indian cuisine. A memorable digestif or nightcap, Weizenbock is also a very nice match with apple strudel for dessert. Serve in the classic Ayinger 17-ounce "weizen swirl" glass, or an oversized wine glass.