Ever sang the Peanut Butter and Jelly song with a group of kids at your local library’s toddler story time? It’s adorable. You know what’s more fun then going to toddler story time? Drinking beer. Seriously…try it for yourself and compare.
I did a party before Thanksgiving; before the party the host and I were chatting about this and that when the conversation turned to beer. He mentioned a concoction that I had never heard of, but for the life of me, I don’t see how that was possible. It’s such a stupid easy idea, that it made me realize I have a long way to go as far as human development and the usage of my obviously feeble brain. For two years or so, I’ve known about Peanut Butter Stout. A popular and wonderfully balanced stout from San Diego’s own, Belching Beaver Brewery in Vista; with a tasting room in North Park.
The Drink
The host of the party asked me if I had ever had a PB&J beer. An eyebrow raising “noooooooo?” was my reply. I figured I knew the peanut butter side of it and was right. Out comes a bottle of peanut butter stout, (the peanut butter). Then for the jelly, he used a Belgium Kriek Lambic (cherry beer), from Brouwerij Lindemans. I’m sure there are other beers for the jelly, like raspberry or whatever, but this one seemed like the best of what was available. Somewhere around a 60-40/70-30 ratio of stout to lambic seems like the money spot.
Although not a beer you can drink all night long, this combination is all things delicious, interesting and fun. It brought a smile to my face and it was sweet without being overly sugary. Just a wonderful and different holiday libation. When it was served at Thanksgiving, everyone was underwhelmed, but that was my fault. Serving them right outta the fridge was an error that masked the flavors. This drink should be room temp on a cool day. When cold, the flavors are muted and it just tastes sweet, fizzy and confusing.
