Easter brunch is fully loaded, everything from fresh fruit and scrumptious egg dishes, to honey-baked ham and bacon and pork belly. It calls for a beer that can be shared and can easily pair with any number of foods. Here are five beers to bring to the Easter brunch table.
Jester King Brewery Le Petit Prince
The lightest of our Easter picks, Le Petit Prince is a dry, unspiced beer brewed with pilsner malt and organic wheat; hopped with Golding, Fuggle, and Perle hops (all organic); and fermented with wild yeast. It comes in at 2.9% ABV. This people-pleasing beer was brewed to embody the hoppy, low-alcohol beers found in Northern Europe. Its effervescence cuts through rich dishes such as Eggs Benedict.
Ommegang Rare Vos Belgian-style Amber Ale
Here’s an atypical amber ale brewed with grains of paradise, coriander, and orange peel that, along with the beer’s house yeast, make for a spicy, fruity take on the style. With caramel malt up front and balance from Styrian Golding hops, this beer is mellow and easy to pair with just about anything. The brewery website says it best: “Rare Vos . . . [is] one of the most food friendly of all of Brewery Ommegang's ales. Its aromatics of citrus and caramel lead the culinary minded to pair it with cheese of all styles or even a rich fig bread pudding.”
Epic Brewing Smoked Porter
“The cherry wood smoked malt used in this beer gives it a heavy smokiness that blends smoothly into the chocolate malty body,” says Epic Brewing’s website, which also suggests pairing this beer with smoked meats. This is another versatile food pairing beer for the Easter brunch table that will bring out both sweet and savory flavors, so try it next to hearty granola, quiche, or cured bacon.
Boulevard Brewing Co. The Sixth Glass
Here’s a mildly hoppy, big bodied quad with a fruit ester aroma and a complex, caramel-meets-dark-fruit flavor. It’s a beer that will pair well with both sharp cheeses, such as smoked gouda and aged cheddar, and dark chocolate. The Sixth Glass comes in 22-ounce bottles, as well as four-packs, both optimum for sharing at the brunch table.
Left Hand Brewing Co. Good JuJu
Brewed with fresh ginger, Left Hand Brewing’s Good JuJu is a refreshing pale that will brighten most dishes and pairs surprisingly well with desserts. Try it with carrot cake for a spicy, earthy pairing.