The Beers of Winter Past

It never fails. Ever fall and winter, I buy tons of beer. Pumpkin beers, Christmas ales, Baltic porters, Imperial stouts, I buy them all. Yearly seasonal beers that will only be around for a month. These are the special brews and I have to have them. But, you can only drink so many beers. And come spring, as the weather warms, I am left with a glut of every dark and delicious beer imaginable. And this has been happening for years. What to do with all of these beers?
As a seasonal beer drinker, I mostly tend to go with the new releases, the beers that fit the time of year at hand. As spring has taken hold and temps have crept into the 80’s, pale ales, IPA’s, wheat beers and the like are becoming more and more the norm. These and more spring perfect beers just taste right at this time of year. But what of those leftovers from the recent seasons past. Here are a few suggestions.
First and easiest of all — drink em! Seasonal drinking be damned. Every evening, pop open one delicious winter or specialty seasonal beer and sip on it. We still get a few cool nights here and there, so even the biggest, most complex Russian imperial stout will make you happy even without temps being near freezing. You bought these beers for the flavors, have at them. Pop a top, grab several glasses, and share these holiday bombers with friends.
Second, and also relatively simple — age them. The biggest obstacle to aging a beer is temperature. Your aging space needs to be a constant temp, usually below 60 degrees, and the darker and dryer the better. Yes, a second fridge would be great, but other options are a rarely used closet or even in the basement or under the house.
Most any beer above 8 percent ABV (alcohol by volume) can be aged. Wait a year or two and compare it to the original beer, you will often be pleasantly surprised. It’s often the fall and winter beers that are more malty, more alcoholic, and overall bigger and badder, so they really do lend themselves to being cellared. And if you’re done with these big boys for the year, put them down and wait until later. Just don’t forget about them, lest you do the same thing next year; I am notorious for this move.
Last, and somewhat more time consuming and sometimes trial and error — cook with them. On one hand, beer can be a fantastic ingredient in your favorite dishes. One of the best brunch items I’ve had recently was made from scratch buttermilk biscuits with a Foothills India Brown Ale gravy. I have also done a delicious faux-bananas foster sauce with a Baltic porter and vanilla extract. You cannot go wrong with a big stout and a scoop of ice cream. Try a pour of some dark malt ale in your burger or meatloaf mix. Many fall and winter beers work wonderfully as part of a sauce, whether BBQ, mole or other.
On the other hand, big beers make great marinades. Either combined with oil and spices or by themselves, almost any of the winter brews work as a marinade for most any meat dish. I rarely if ever eat brats and sausages now without soaking them for a time in some mean brown ale or porter. Pouring a winter lager over a steak often makes the meat more tender as it breaks down the fibers of the meat while imparting a delicious flavor. Dump a beer in a bowl or bag, throw in your meat, and let it sit. In any case, find a job for those winter beers as spring and summer usher in an entirely new stable of options. Enjoy the brews … Cheers.
Gene’s Haufbrau has more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.