Drink Beer, Stay Warm

All my hard work learning to drink beer this year will culminate later this week with my arrival in Czech, home to beer. I set myself to this task this summer, starting with some lovely brews at Schlafly's in St Louis that showed me beer need not be the nasty liquid I found in cans back in college. I've enjoyed moving from summer to fall and into winter, changing beer with the seasons.

Back in the summer it seemed beer was perfect for a hot day, and wondered how I would like it come December in the frosty Czech Republic. It seems I have my answer now. My husband arrived home tonight with a 6-pack of Schlafly ESB (Extra Special Bitter -- I had to look that up) Winter Ale. I had thought that I shied away from bitter ales, and my first sip caused me to make a face. But the more I sip, the more I like this dark golden brew.

I can't pretend to talk knowledgeably about beer, and couldn't tell you the difference in a hop and a rye so I won't embarrass myself. Suffice to say this is a warming, full-bodied slightly spicy beer that I can easily imagine sipping as the snow falls. At 6.2% alcohol, it would provide a most helpful bracing effect on a blustery day.

So I'll count myself ready for my Authentic Czech Beer experiences to come in a few days. Na zdraví!