Business and Beer

Surrounded by friends with the superb 12/12/12 concert playing in the background, I'm happy to say that the first meeting of the Drink Like an Adult contributors (well, most of us at least) was an enlightening and exciting experience. We talked strategy and writing and we drank beer - three things that don't often go hand-in-hand outside of Mad Men era business meetings, but what kind of beer blog would we be without all of that?

It took me a little while in the liquor store yesterday to select two beers to introduce to everybody else. I wanted to find something unique and interesting for everybody to enjoy, but nothing overly exotic. I picked up a four-pack of Bethlehem Brew Works's Rude Elf Reserve and a bomber of Brooklyn Brewery's Sorachi Ace for our tasting and I happened to find myself a bottle of Dogfish Head's 75 Minute IPA as well. Unfortunately, we didn't get around to tasting the Sorachi Ace and I plan on saving the 75 Minute IPA for another day, but the Rude Elf's Reserve and the S'muttonator I grabbed the other day made it out of the fridge. Today's review will focus on the Rude Elf's Reserve, a beer with a one-of-a-kind flavor from a brewery near and dear to me.
 

A sampler of six beers from Fegley's Brew Works



Fegley's Brew Works, located right on the corner of Main and Broad Streets in downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is a brewery and restaurant that has served Lehigh Valley locals for just over a decade now. I met my girlfriend while studying just outside of the Bethlehem area and she, knowing the area as well as she does, treated me to my first beers as an of-age adult at the Brew Works. You could say that is is the birthplace of my love for craft beer. I'm thrilled that I now have the opportunity to review one of their brews after having enjoyed so many different beers they produce year-round at their restaurant.

Seasonal beers are funny in that creating them, brewers are essentially telling drinkers what the flavors of the season are. Spring beers are light and floral, summer beers are refreshing and hoppy, fall beers are darker and spiced (also, the beer industry is not unique in that they pumpkin spice everything too that time of year), and winter beers are often dark, spiced, and heavy. Fegley's Brew Works made a decision some time ago that they weren't about to make a typical winter beer when they set out to create Rude Elf's Reserve. This spiced and fruity beer is a welcomed sight in any liquor store compared to the dozens of typical winter beers available. With a 10.5% ABV, this beer packs enough alcohol to make even the biggest of us feel warm and jolly after a single bottle. It really does put the "strong" in Belgian Strong Dark Ale



One of the first things I noticed about Rude Elf's Reserve is its striking appearance in the glass. While I didn't consider it the most aesthetically pleasing with my initial cursory glance (I thought it looked sort of muddy), its color really stood out when I held it up to the light. There was a deep ruby color to the beer that seemed to fluctuate between red and brown as the finger-width head settled in. Although it wasn't particularly excting to look at, the white head sitting on the deep red body gave the appearance of Santa's red coat with its white trim - an all too fitting look for this Christmas-themed brew.

Fruity and spicy, the smell of this beer is different from anything I've ever smelled before. The first smells to hit your nose are cherries and berries - somewhat unfamiliar territory for a winter beer. Following the fruitiness, the more familiar wintry aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg roll in with a noticeable, but not overwhelming alcohol smell. The taste isn't very different from the aroma. You're immediately greeted with a spiced cherry flavor. The cinnamon and nutmeg roll around on the tongue with a clove flavor as well. Without any sort of bitter hop flavor, this beer actually tastes a bit more sweet; it makes for an excellent dessert drink. Rounding off the spices and fruit is a warmth provided by the alcohol that makes this beer almost seem like a wine.

As a holiday-themed beer, Rude Elf's Reserve does well in what it sets out to do - invoke the spirit of Christmas and the winter season by taking classic winter brewing spices and adding a fruity kick. It's innovation like what you get in this beer that I believe makes Fegley's Brew Works an up and coming force in the craft beer world. It's definitely not my favorite beer (read: I love a super bitter brew), but it's worth a try if you can find it.