HOW TO PAIR BEER WITH EVERYTHING: Fireside Chat by 21st Amendment Brewery
Beer: Fireside Chat
Brewer: 21st Amendment Brewery
Style: Winter Warmer
ABV: 7.90%
Description: Fireside Chat pours a deep hazel brown with a big frothy tan head that has fantastic retention and leaves a thick sticky lacing on the glass as it recedes. The aroma is very malt forward with notes of roasted malts mingling perfectly with warm cocoa and cinnamon to create a very alluring smell that is especially suited for cold winter months. The taste is fairly malt forward as well, but not as much as one might expect with this style. The malts hit the palate first with a roasted sweetness that is followed quickly by the cinnamon and cocoa for a touch of bitterness before a warming dry finish takes over. The medium body and light carbonation create a very smooth and easy drinking beer, and the hidden 7.9 percent ABV can quickly sneak up on you, but it will most certainly keep you warm. I cannot think of a better way to warm up on a cold winter evening.
Ideal setting: The allure of this beer is the winter warmer characteristics that make it perfectly suited for enjoying in a social setting around a fire. Whether it is at a ski lodge, at home, or outdoors, this is the perfect beer to enjoy during cold days and nights with friends.
Ideal music: This is a great beer to enjoy while unwinding, and music that helps relaxation is perfect with this beer. Leave your Yanni, Enya, and John Tesh records behind, though, and think more contemporary indie rock or folk with a beer of this quality.
Some great albums to enjoy with Fireside Chat are:
- Bear’s Den – “Islands“
- Bon Iver – “For Emma, Forever Ago“
- Radiohead – “In Rainbows“
- Iron & Wine – “Our Endless Numbered Days“
- Travis – “The Man Who“
- Department of Eagles – “In Ear Park“
Ideal movie: This is a winter seasonal beer that will most definitely relax you on a cold winter night, and a film that is both entertaining and introspective is best enjoyed during winter. Many of the best films to enjoy with Fireside Chat are foreign, which may go against a beer that has the proud American president FDR on the label, but I am sure he would approve!
Some great films to watch while enjoying Fireside Chat are:
- “Winter Light“
- “The 400 Blows“
- “Persona“
- “Breathless“
- “L’Avventura“
Ideal book: Books that are filled with quick bits of knowledge are a perfect fit for a beer like Fireside Chat. The higher ABV is just enough to affect focus after enough time, and this is a beer that is great for social situations, so if you are in a reading mood, something that has trivia-like facts is perfect with this beer and just may make you a more interesting person!
Some great books to read with Fireside Chat are:
- “mental_floss Trivia: Brisk Refreshing Facts Without the Ice Cream Headache!” by Sandy Wood
- “The Best Bar Trivia Book Ever” by Michael O’Neill
- “Now I Know: The Revealing Stories Behind the World’s Most Interesting Facts” by Dan Lewis
- “What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions” by Randall Munroe
- “mental_floss Presents: Condensed Knowledge: A Deliciously Irreverent Guide to Feeling Smart Again” by Will Pearson
The perfect experience: Fireside Chat is most definitely a social beer that should be enjoyed amongst friends. There is a fair amount of complexity in this beer, but it is extremely easy drinking, and the portability of the can also makes for a great beer around the fireplace. Put on some great music and enjoy the feeling of being alive surrounded by friends on a cold evening.
