Father’s Day is this weekend, and if your family is like millions of others in the U.S., you’ll be spending Sunday sitting around the grill. In this month’s issue of Sauce, we gave you all the barbecue tips you’d ever need to master that perfect ‘cue. But while Dad is outside in this blasted heat working his magic at the grill, he’ll need a brewski to keep cool. To help you decide what suds to share with your father, we asked a trio of area brewers for their top picks – that is, of course, if they couldn’t choose their own.
“I would suggest going to The Wine and Cheese Place and getting anything from Charleville [Vineyard]. They have a great 22-ounce bomber selection, perfect for gifting. Dave [Scarmana] was brewing something called Box of Chocolate – high-gravity, lots of chocolate and very nice.”
– Evan Hiatt, co-owner and brewmaster, Six Row Brewing Co. “If we were sticking with craft beers, I would say get down to Urban Chestnut and try what is on tap. You can have fun visiting one of St. Louis’ newest breweries and tasting the beers while you shop. Shopping for Father’s Day has never been as much fun! The Schnickelfritz there is a great Weissbier.”
– James “Otto” Ottolini, brewmaster, The Saint Louis Brewery “One of my all time favorites is Orval. I am usually not a big fan of imported beers but this is a worthy exception. I like the fact that it is very refreshing but also has an extremely complex aroma and flavor. It also ages well and is a very good option for pairing with lots of different foods.”
– Florian Kuplent, co-owner and brewmaster, Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.
This article appears in June 2011.