Name: Schlafly Beer
Location: St. Louis, MO
Website: http://www.schlafly.com
Type: Production brewery with taproom
Available in DC Market: Yes
What you need to know: Schlafly has been a St. Louis mainstay for over two decades. They were the first St. Louis craft brewery to send beer to Washington, D.C. and have had a strong presence here ever since. Schlafly's portfolio is massive and spans just about every possible style, and they do nearly all of those styles well. Your mileage may vary, but I bet that it won't. Tom Schlafly went to Georgetown and ostensibly is a big fan of DC because he's here fairly often doing events and meeting folks.
Beer #1: Schlafly Kolsch (Kolsch / 4.8%)
In Their Own Words: "Our Kölsch is a classic golden ale that uses a centuries old yeast strain sourced from a famous Kölsch brewer in Köln, Germany. Fermented at 62 degrees, then cold conditioned, it has the delicate fruity aroma of an ale with the crisp, clean finish of a lager. It is brewed with lightly roasted malt and 100% German Noble Hops: Perle for bitterness and Hallertau Traditional for flavor and aroma.
In 1918, the term Kölsch was used to describe the ale brewed in Köln, a city on the Rhine River in western Germany. The style began to rise in popularity in the 1960s and now, many American craft brewers brew variations of the style, labeling it a golden ale. Our Kölsch is unique to the Schlafly brewery because Ulrike, a native of Köln and wife of brewery co-founder Tom Schlafly, connected Schlafly Beer with the Gaffel Brewery of Köln. Schlafly Beer won the Gold Medal for Best German-style Kölsch in the World Beer Cup in 2010."
Food Pairing: Golden Citrus Beet with Lemon Verbena, Mascarpone, and Honey Powder
Our Thoughts: Schlafly's Kolsch is a pretty perfect example of the style. It is a crisp, thirst-quenching delicate dance of malt and hops. The food pairing here is appropriately nuanced; each of the components will play with a different facet of the Kolsch. You should get this pairing early in the evening. Once you have that first DIPA, sour, or stout, it just won't be the same.
Beer #2: Schlafly Pumpkin Ale (Pumpkin beer / 8%)
In Their Own Words: "Our Pumpkin Ale blends the spices of the harvest with full-bodied sweetness for a beer that tastes like pumpkin pie. Pounds of pumpkin form a malty foundation that supports the fall flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.
While pumpkin beers were produced in the early days of the American colonies, they were different from the pumpkin beers we know today. Colonists used pumpkin and squash as the fermenting medium, since malted barley was scarce. Once malt became more readily available, it replaced these alternatives to grain. In the 1990’s, American craft brewers reintroduced the style to the delight of pumpkin beer drinkers."
Food Pairing: Pecan hushpuppies
Our Thoughts: Sure, the pairing works fine. Spice from the beer plays nicely with the nuttiness of the hushpuppies, yadda yadda yadda. Explain to me again why we have a pumpkin beer in DC in May? Of all the beers in Schlafly's portfolio, they're bringing a pumpkin beer? Some things aren't meant to be understood by me, I suppose. Sorry, Schlafly. I still like you though.
This profile is a part of the DCBeer.com SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2014 SAVOR participants.
