Looking for some book and beer recommendations? Every day between now and Christmas, I’ll be offering up one of my favorite books and a favorite brew. Whether for a holiday gift or for yourself, I’ll be giving you plenty of options.
The book: The Snow Tourist by Charlie EnglishSpendiness: $15.95 (paperback)
Buy it for… that person you hate (or love) for loving winter.
The Snow Tourist is a breath of fresh (and cold) air in the record-breaking heat we’re experiencing in the northeast. In the book, Charlie English (self-professed “winter person”) commits to finding the world’s “purest, deepest snow”, and more broadly to exploring winter and the people who love it. English builds igloos in Canada, skis at Chamonix, and interviews avalanche survivors. Expertly weaving his lifelong love of winter and his research travelogue into the story the science and history of snow, the author leaves us with an irresistible read. A paean to those of us who are skiers, snowboarders, and “winter people.”
The beer: Ramstein Winter WheatSpendiness: $8.99 (6-pack, 12oz bottles)
Buy it for… the lover of Aventinus.
Remember Aventinus, the beer I wrote about yesterday? This American brew is as close to it as you’ll find brewed in the US. If you’ve got a relative that demands domestic rather than an import, slip them this baby.
Cloves, figs, and alcohol fill the nose. Very strong and complex, with a ton of layers to it. Sweet. Fruity (figs and bananas) with some alcohol in the undertones. Malty and sweet, though the finish is a bit tart with some other fruity tastes, particularly plum/raisin. A fantastic example of the style that has different flavors for beginning, middle and end. Chewy and thick, but very smooth. The taste of alcohol is there, but there isn’t any bite to it, but just a warming sensation in the throat. Sweet, soft carbonation.
Tags: charlie english, high point brewing, ramstein winter wheat, the snow tourist
The book: Then Everything Changed by Jeff GreenfieldSpendiness: $26.95 (hardcover)
Buy it for… the history nut.
The beer: Tags: aventinus, Jeff Greenfield, schneider, then everything changed
Looking for some book and beer recommendations? Every day between now and Christmas, I’ll be offering up one of my favorite books and a favorite brew. Whether for a holiday gift or for yourself, I’ll be giving you plenty of options.
The book: I Married You for Happiness by Lily TuckSpendiness: $24.00
Buy it for… the lovebird.
I Married You for Happiness was one of my biggest surprises this year. I like to poke fun at “literary fiction” by saying that it’s 300 pages where nothing happens, and on the surface Tuck’s novel seemed like a perfect example. It’s a novel about a woman whose husband has just passed away lying in bed, drinking wine, and remembering their life. That’s it. But I’m so glad I gave it a chance, because it’s an intimate, very real story of a decades-long relationship, full of great insight and beautiful writing. And it’s engaging! I read the whole thing in an evening.
The beer: Sebago Slick Nick Winter AleSpendiness: $7.99 (6-pack, 12oz bottles)
Buy it for… Saint Nick.
Like a lot of fall seasonals, many winter beers are loaded up with spices and adjuncts to make them artificially “wintery.” Luckily, Sebago forgoes the spice and puts out an amber, malt-forward, traditional winter warmer. Slick Nick is a sweet, malty beer, and plenty warming on a cold night at 6.2% ABV.
Slick Nick Winter Ale is our most popular seasonal ale. The caramel and black malts we use to brew Slick Nick gives it the deep amber color. This insidious brew is best enjoyed during New England’s freezing winter months. Slick Nick himself is pictured on our label casing out the Victoria Mansion in Portland on a blustery night. Warm up with one of Maine’s best winter offerings. Slick Nick is a perfect match with rich sauces, BBQ, grilled meats and hearty sandwiches or simply enjoyed as a stand alone meal. - from sebagobrewing.com
Tags: I married you for happiness, lily tuck, sebago, slick nick
Looking for some book and beer recommendations? Every day between now and Christmas, I’ll be offering up one of my favorite books and a favorite brew. Whether for a holiday gift or for yourself, I’ll be giving you plenty of options.
The book: The Whore of Akron by Scott RaabSpendiness: $25.99 (hardcover)
Buy it for… anyone in search of a good rant
Last weekend, Patrick Brown wrote about The Whole of Akron for The Millions, and it served as a timely reminder of how much I loved this book. On it’s surface, the book looks like it’s just about Lebron - probably enough to turn away readers who aren’t fans of the Cavs, or even those that aren’t sports fans. The Whore of Akron, however, is about so much more than James. It’s about fandom, obsession and strangely touching about being a husband and father. It’s also the purest distillation of rage I’ve read. As I said on the Bookrageous podcast, the author cuts open a boiling, fetid vein and sprays it on the page. It would be easy for a rant to burn up in short order, but Raab sustains and manages to entertain for 300 pages.
The beer: Oxbow Brewing Saison NoelSpendiness: $15.00 (half-gallon growler, $10 for refill)
Buy it for… sharing with the family on Christmas Eve
Another winner from the Newcastle farmhouse brewery. With a bit of smoke behind figs, fruit and earthy malt, you’re basically getting a Christmas Eve fireplace in a glass. In a good way. A beautiful fusion of an estery Belgian Dark Ale and a crisp saison.
What I’m saying is, you need to try this beer.
This wheat based farmhouse-style Christmas Ale is smooth and cloudy. Deeply kilned Belgian malts and our rustic farmhouse yeast come together to provide a bone-dry, warming richness with notes of dark fruit, wet stone, leather, and tobacco. In Season when ‘tis the Season.
Tags: oxbow brewing, saison noel, scott raab, whore of akron
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