It's the beginning of the month again, the Zurich Beer Tour staff has done a lot of research, by that we mean drinking, in order to present you our Top 3 beers of May 2020. Because the Swiss federal government has loosened the corona restrictions we were finally able to travel a bit, so now we can also feature a small brewery we found in the Swiss town of Sion. Other than that our own Sandro will of course again feature an IPA, this time from Russia, for his pick. Simona as usual chose a very special high ABV dark beer with a very special flavor profile. Let's go!
Simona's pick: The Bruery - White Chocolate With Cherries (2018)
The Beer:
Simona's pick this month is something very special, a 13.6% ABV #Wheat #wine from The Bruery. This #Ale was first aged in used #bourbon barrels. So what about the white chocolate? Because white chocolate consists of mostly fat it is not really something you should put in a beer, the result would be a really slick mouthfeel. But to create the taste of white chocolate they added cocoa nibs and whole vanilla beans. Also the #oaky flavors of the barrel helps to create the perfect illusion. Another important addition are of course the juicy and tart cherries. This beer develops the perfect aromas of white chocolate, smokey oak and even port wine like notes. Super tasty!
The Brewery:
The Bruery is a craft beer brewery from Orange County, California. They are specialized in barrel aged and experimental beers. The name comes from the name of the founder, Patrick Rue, who found the completely perfect word play. It is a friend and family run business and was founded in 2008.
Our food pairing recommendation:
Pastel de Nata, a sweet Portuguese type of pastry.
Sandros's pick: Zagovor Brewery - Stamp of Approval
The Beer:
За здоровье! or as we would say : Cheers! Sandro's pick is coming directly from Moscow, #Russia. This 8% ABV Imperial hazy IPA from Zagovor Brewery is a real hop bomb and shows us that Russia has not only Vodka but also really talented brewers. This New England Style IPA comes with loads of tropical fruit aromas, mango, pineapple and piney and citrusy notes. It is very soft and has almost no bitterness, it really drinks like a fruit juice.
The Brewery
It was very hard to find information about this brewery, the only thing that popped up a couple of times was: Craft beer from the deep end of the #Moscow underground. Their name means something like conspiracy, or secret organisation. So maybe that's why we can't find anything more.
Our food pairing recommendation:
Korean-style sticky BBQ ribs
Zurich Beer Tour's pick: Le Traquenard - Saison Barrique
The Beer:
This tasty 7% ABV Saison from the small brewery Le Traquenard in Sion, Valais was barrel aged on #apricots. And it turned out really fruity, there are literally pieces of apricots left in the beer which makes you feel like you are eating a fresh fruit directly from the tree. A hint of sourness and #funk give this beer a really unique taste. It is the perfect summer beer, even thought it is a bit dangerous because of its absolutely high drinkability but also 7%.
The Brewery
We found the Pub of Le Traquenard in the old town of #Sion while wandering around looking to have a drink. The Valais is definitely wine focused, so it wasn't that easy to find a good beer. But when we walked in the TraqBar we knew we found the right place. They had nine beers on tap and one on the handpump (a best bitter) and all of them were pretty tasty. Other than the Saison #Barrique we wanted to mention their Tropical Stout and the Imperial Wit. The Stout was not really with tropical aromas but very chocolaty and with high drinkabilty. The Wit was very smooth, lots of typical Wit aromas like clove and banana. If you ever go to Sion, check those guys out.
Our food pairing recommendation:
Blue cheese with apricot jam
Theses are our three beers. Which ones were your favorite brews in May? Tell us in the comments!
Stay tuned for our June recommendations!
Cheers,
Your Zurich Beer Tour Guides