Kolsch-style is my style!

Last weekend, Nick and I took an adventure with some friends down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Leaving our beloved tri-state area, we figured this would be a great opportunity to try some local brews that would otherwise be unavailable back home.

A closeup - how pretty!

The 6 pack we picked up to try was Mother Earth Brewing’s Endless River Kölsch-Style Ale. (Side note: I learned that the classification of “Kölsch” is strictly reserved for only 20 or so breweries in Germany surrounding the town of Cologne, and therefore anything else must be designated as Kölsch-Style. Most Kölsch-style ales are actually mistaken for light lagers, as noted here).  This brewery was about 180 miles inland of us…sounds far, but seemed close enough to be considered regional to us. I was drawn to this beer by the artwork on the 6-pack and the bottles…it was just too artistic to pass up. (Nick: I couldn't agree more, I'm a sucker for beautiful artwork on the bottles. I will definitely try a beer based off of its packaging.)

Kölsch beers are typically light and easily drinkable – probably my favorite style of lighter beers because they’re crisp and have a bit of a bite to them on the finish. To me, this one did not disappoint; Nick might tell you otherwise. (Nick: While I do agree that there is a certain crisp flavor to it, I'm not enamored with it. It was a little too light for me and just seemed to be missing a little something. While not a terrible beer by any means, I would prefer something with a little more flavor to it.) 

When poured from the bottle, it has a soft golden color with a decent but quickly dissipating head and next-to-no lacing. There was quite a bit of carbonation to it, so I probably should have drank it a bit more quickly than I did so it wouldn’t go flat – woops! Definitely very drinkable, you could take this sucker down in a few gulps and be on to your next. (Nick: I can attest to that. I may have not that with the second one I had.) Aroma gives off a slightly grainy malt smell, a bit corn-bready. It also had some fruity-ness to it, perhaps some lemon and apple. If you’re not into this on a regular basis, I’d say it’s still an absolutely great choice as a summer beer.  (Nick: I definitely got a hint of some sweeter fruit flavors, but no cornbread smell for me. I would certainly add this to the summer beer rotation.)

From the brewer:

Super artsy-fartsy.

"A clear, crisp beer, Kölsch offers a very slight fruity flavor and aroma. It is light gold in color, with a delicate head. This light-bodied beer appeals to nearly everyone who samples it. Expect to enjoy a slight tang in the finish.

Food Pairings: Leafy Green Salad with Creamy Dressing, Broiled Lobster, Grilled or Steamed shrimp, Fried Soft Shell Crab, Peach Cobbler" (Which sucked for the two of us, having bought this after our delicious seafood dinner at The Black Pelican). The packaging had a sweet QR code to scan that told you all of this, instead of cluttering up the 6-pack with words. 

Happy drinking!

-Maggie (& Nick)

Lager... I Hardly Knew Her

In the spirit of National Lager Day, Marissa and I went to the liquor store to pick out a nice 'merican lager. Nothing really caught my eye at first until I noticed they had a beer I've had before and certainly enjoyed; Creamy Dark by the Leinenkugel's Brewing Company. With Leinenkugel's being a brewery in Marissa's comfort zone we both knew this was going to be the beer for us that evening. (Marissa's Note - Translation: I chickened out of trying anything I hadn't heard of before.)


The first beer out of the 6 pack gave me this incredible head (not pictured) that remained through the entire beer. Every other beer I've poured has had a much smaller head that has dissipated rather quickly. The aroma of this beer is incredibly strong once you pop the cap, and stays true for the initial sips. As you can see this beer in very dark, and has almost no transparency. For being such a dark beer you figure it would leave that Guinness-like heavy feeling in your mouth but the beer is incredibly smooth. It leaves a creamy (Creamy Dark... makes sense) feeling that falls somewhere between a light beer and a Guinness. (Marissa's note: While I normally steer clear of thick, dark beers, I surprisingly appreciated this one. It gave me that overall fullness feeling I expected, but was still smooth and satisfying enough to enjoyed without feeling like I'm going to end up with a giant beer belly.)

This beer is brewed with a blend of 7 malts, and 3 different hops. This produces a crisp nutty taste, with notes of coffee and caramel. It is a very drinkable beer that is good for a cold winter night.

All and all I'm not a huge Leinenkugel's person but this beer is probably my favorite from their line. Try it out if you're into dark lagers. (Marissa's note: Then go read my post about how much I DO enjoy Leinenkugel's and try them all.)



... Also if you hate on the Jets pint glass, you can suck it.