Thank Goodness It’s Black Friday. ‘Tis the season to fight the madness at 5am to find that cherished digital picture frame at $4 savings. That sentence makes me want to drink.
And what better to have on a cold Friday than a BLACK beer? With origins going back to the dark ages in Germany (ask far back as the late 14th century) Schwarzbier is typically a very smooth drinking beer with virtually no hoppy bitterness. The color comes mostly from darker malts that get extra color from a roasting process. These should never be confused with other dark beers like porters and stouts. Those will have more oft he chocolate and coffee favors, but black beers will only have subtle hints of these flavors, and usually lower alcohol content.
There are myriad choices when it comes to black beers. Today at lunch I enjoyed one of my favorites: Samuel Adams Black Lager. Perennially ranked as one of the better black beers, it is extremely smooth. To quote Ferris Bueller, “if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”
Largely overlooked by most of the Western Hemisphere, schwarzbier is a category that deserves much better recognition. Even the most timid of beer drinkers will have to admit that this is exceptionally smooth. I’m talkin’ Billy Dee Williams smooth. Basically, the polar opposite of me.
Happy Schwarz Friday, everyone!
