Beer to Grill By

Barbecue season is upon us, which means two things.

1. Make sure the landlady doesn't throw a wet towel on your coals while you walk away for ten seconds to get the chicken legs.¹

2. Beer.

Every season means beer around the B&B offices, of course, but barbecue season presents a particular challenge. We look for something crisp and refreshing to distract us from the hot New York summer, but nothing so light that it gets lost once the food is ready. (Miller Lite, though indistinguishable from water, doesn't do much to support a good cheeseburger.) Many beers fit the bill, and we inevitably cycle through them as the summer wears on. But were we shipped off to a desert island with just a Weber, a pack of hot dogs, and a case of beer, we'd want the Brooklyn Brewer's Pennant Ale '55.


Named to commemorate the Brooklyn Dodgers' 1955 World Series win over the Yankees, Pennant Ale embodies a balance well suited to barbecue drinking. It has a deep, rich ale flavor but never feels heavy or flabby. The carbonation is ample, reminding us that a barbecue is a party; but the beer holds little foam, so we never feel as though we're drinking a milkshake in the triple-digit heat. (This is one reason our first and truest love, Guinness, is sadly not the best choice a summer afternoon.) Pennant Ale walks close to the line of cloying but never crosses it; moderate sweetness compliments grilled meat and barbecue sauce, but even late in the evening, one never worries that sugar shock is close at hand.

As above, the color is a medium-dark copper with a slight tinge of red in it. The green halo in the photograph is purely a result of our incompetence artistic license in shooting the picture.

The flavor of Pennant Ale resembles that of Magic Hat's #9 Not Quite Pale Ale (official good beer of places that otherwise don't have good beer), but we find the Pennant better balanced overall. Like #9, the Pennant Ale features a slight fruity apricot flavor in the background. Pennant Ale is also mercifully devoid of the strange aftertaste can afflict other Brooklyn products. (Brooklyn Lager, we love you, but your finish sometimes reminds us vaguely of the East River.)

Like the best kind of cheese to put on a burger or the best brand of pickle², the best beer for a cookout is ultimately a matter of individual taste. One could do worse, though, than Brooklyn Pennant. Enjoy the weekend.

Stats
What: Pennant Ale '55
Who: Brooklyn Brewery
How Much: $10 or so for a six pack
ABV: 5.0 percent
Rating: Yes, have some.



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1. Seriously. Saddest day ever.
2. Just kidding. The correct answers are "Boar's Head cheddar" and "Claussen."