I had some spicy Italian sausage in the freezer left over from a night my buddy and I made pizza. Not wanting it to go to waste I decided to grill them up and do a little food and beer pairing. Posing the question on Twitter I received two separate responses suggesting that I should pair it with a hoppy Red ale or a Marzen. Having both in the fridge I figured I’d give them a try. Allow me to first do a quick review on each beer.
Ska Pinstripe Red Ale: A light copper color body with a minimal head it was created to be a sessionable ale coming in at 5.1% abv. Brewed with loads of caramel malts it has a sweet malty aroma and taste. Liberty hops deliver a piney/light fruity bitterness (45 IBUs), but overall it is rather well balanced. Malts dominate the nose and initial taste. The hops are pick up in the back half and in the finish imparting a dry finish. It has a medium mouthfeel that is clean, crisp, and leaves a slightly resinous aftertaste. Grade: B+
Spaten Oktoberfest/Ur-Marzen: One of the oldest beers of this style it is a staple to many. Smooth, malty, and sessionable in its own right this beer weighs in at 5.9% abv. Its color is a deep wonderful bronze with a dense foamy head. Predominately malty it uses Vienna and Munich malts to lend a toasty malt character. The aroma is jamy (grape), lagar yeast, minor skunk, phenols (sulfer), almonds, and earthy noble hops. The mouthfeel is exceptionally light and creamy on the palate while packing rich malt flavors. It too finishes on the dry side while finishing with that clean lager aftertaste. Grade: B
The Pairing:
Overall, the sausage was not too hot. It left a tingly spiciness in the back of the throat that was quenched by both beers. Moreover, the hops seemed to be canceled out or muted during the front half of the sip allowing the malts to shine through for each of the brews. I found the Spaten did a much better job of cleansing the palate/throat of the spice while leaving the meaty aspect intact. I attribute this to the lager characteristics which seem to lift heavier foods better and because it had a much more depth of malt content.
The Pinstripe was similar, but differed in that the piney hops supported the spiciness to a certain degree. The fruity aspect of the ale yeast did help in cleaning the palate, but its heavier mouthfeel did not finish as clean. I did note that the dryness mentioned above did aid in relieving some of the spice as well. In my opinion, this was a rather balanced Red Ale. I think pairing it with Green Flash Hop Head Red, NCBC Red Seal, or Rogue’s dry hopped St. Rogue Red would have been a better outcome. More hops, but still the malty body.
The winner of this contest was Spaten. So, as Oktoberfest approaches, make sure you stock up on brats, Wienerschitzle, and Italian sausages (not at all German) along with some good Marzen style beers.