Fall in a glass

Left Handed Brewing Company’s OKTOBERFEST is Fall in a glass. And we were happy to fall into this one.

It has an inviting copper color with a pale orange foamy head. It is a fine example of a Märzen Lager, a beautiful lace clings to the side of the glass. The pour gives off a malty toasty bread aroma.

The initial taste is slightly sweet, with caramel and spice cookie notes. It ends with a hit of hops- a nice dry finish. It’s lightly carbonated and does not leave you with the bloated feeling some action-packed lagers can.

This is a great beer for tailgating or watching the game at home. It paired well with pizza and wings. The beer cut through the fatty goodness of the wings and the meats on the pizza without diminishing its strength. Out of the many more hearty beers we sampled in October, this beer certainly earns its name.

3 spooktacular reds for Halloween

What’s more perfect than blood red wine for Halloween? We looked through many, many of the kitchy holiday wines on the shelf this time of year, and found three we will drink all year long. Serve one of these at your next haunted event!

FREAKSHOW, 2015, Cabernet Sauvignon, Michael David Winery, California, $18
We love every wine that comes from this super creative California vineyard. Their marketing is funky, and their flavors are delish! This wine has evolved over the years, and this vintage has pulled together all of the best parts of previous years. It is deeply fruity, and voluptuous. The texture, alone, is so rich. It has the traditional pomegranate edge with a hint of smoke and dirt you expect from a good Cab. Drink this now and all year long!

INFERNO, 2016, Red blend aged in charred whisky barrels, Apothic Wines, California, $17
I recognize the snoots may find alcohol-barreled wine as an abuse of nature, but damn they are tasty. And many of the national vineyards realize the cash flow benefits of offering this sort of party wine- they fly off the shelves. I also find they can be a bridge for beer and alcohol lovers to other types of wine.

All of the Apothic wines are juice bombs, mostly on the sweet fruit side. For me, aging this wine in charred whiskey barrels for 60 days mellows out and balances Apothic’s red blend. The minute you pop the cork you realize there is alcohol involved. The fruit flavor is on the dark side, and you can easily taste shades of maple and spice with every sip. If you’re a whisky fan this is an awesome choice, and wine lovers can easily turn this sip into a guzzle.

BOOK OF SHADOWS, 2015, Zinfandel, California, $12
The texture of great Zin can vary from medium-bodied to thick and hearty. They all have a welcomed jammy, dark fruit-forward quality with some spice and even a little pepper. Think chocolate and vanilla. This wine adds a little Petite Syrah, Cab and Tannat which gives it a hearty, fruity, almost smokey flavor. The texture is super smooth and rich. There is depth of flavor here. And the finish lingers with a jammy quality. For the price, especially, this is a wonderful sip for Halloween with its gothic title and logo.

I would pair this with any hearty and spicy sauce- barbecue, buffalo, or General Tso’s, for example. It would boost any stinky cheese, especially anything blue. And its a great choice for flavorful Asian food, and good BBQ.

Wishing everyone a safe Halloween season, and happy sipping!

Roadsmary's Baby... excellent Halloween craft

This is a unique option for Halloween parties! TWO ROADS, ROADSMARY’S BABY PUMPKIN ALE.

It is made with pumpkin and the traditional spices like other fall ales on the market, but the twist is it’s aged in rum barrels with vanilla beans. Yeah…! It has a 6.8% alc/vol, too. Initially you are hit with the aroma of rum. It has an inviting dark caramel/amber color with a frothy white head.

The first taste is sweet malt, caramel, and vanilla flavors. You don’t get hit hard with the traditional pumpkin spices that usually overpower this type of beer. And it is not overly sweet.

There is a sophisticated balance of flavors that goes down smoothly on a fall evening. You will not regret bringing this to a Halloween party this weekend!

Poizin your guests this Halloween with Zinfandel

Wine to die for….serve this Zinfandel at your next Halloween party. POIZIN by Armida Wines of Sonoma is perfectly poised to be a deep ruby hit this time of year.

POIZIN, Zinfandel (plus Petite Syrah), Armida Wines, Sonoma, CA, $22

The wine features a deeply dark and inviting color. The nose is pure fruit- think cherry and plum. The flavor is pomegranate to me, on the brighter side of the grape. The texture is more medium-bodied than many examples of this style. There is an appreciated and subtle linger of vanilla in the finish. There is a bit of Petite Syrah added which accounts for some fairly strong tannins.

As a party wine this would pair well with spicy and even smokey foods because of the bright fruit- buffalo wings, ribs, those stupidly good meatballs simmering in something tangy and fruity. For a meal I would serve this with any lamb dish, certainly anything Middle Eastern because of the surprising pomegranate hit, and even the more hearty Asian dishes like General Tso’s or a curry from any cuisine.

You can have a lot of fun with the cool bottle this time of year. Slurp up a syringe-full at your next Halloween gathering.

The Anti-Pumpkin Beer for the Anti-Pumpkin-Beer Beer Lover

Sloop Brewing Company’s (no) Pumpkin IPA promises it is '“brewed without pumpkin or spices for 100% pure IPA pleasure.” It is the perfect October beer for people who hate pumpkin beer!

It has the coloring of an Arnold Palmer and the hoppy flavor profile of a New England IPA. You get a big juicy hit with a lime leaning, and notes of also mango and melon. It pours with a frothy head and a lingering classic lace.

It reminds me of a more hearty cousin to Sloop’s famous Juice Bomb, one of my favorite NEIPAs to date. This is the beer for you if you think pumpkin beer is worse than pineapple on pizza.