Published May 2, 2004 12:00AM
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The Downhill Report, December 1996
There’s a Reason They Call It a Brewski
Six of America’s Best Microbrews
The Brew: Long Trail India Pale Ale The Ski: Stowe, Vermont Our Hopsmeister Says: “Keg beer in a bottle. Brings a flood of frat-party flashbacks, but with a smooth, cigarette-butt-free aftertaste. Call it a Foosball brew.” The Brew: Deschutes Obsidian Stout The Ski: Mount Bachelor, Oregon Our Hopsmeister Says: “Nothing halfway about this one–it’s all-the-way dark. Nutty, with a velvety molasses undertone. Proves that Guinness does not hold a monopoly on stout.” The Brew: Wasatch Raspberry Wheat The Ski: Park City, Utah Our Hopsmeister Says: “The Earl Grey of beer: mountain-air scent, back-of-the-tongue taste. It’s a little on the thin side, but finishes with a zing. The sun’s shining, the snow’s melting–it’s spring skiing with a head!” The Brew: Snake River Lager The Ski: Jackson Hole, Wyoming Our Hopsmeister Says: “Light, clean–a good drinking beer. Subtle, but not wispy, and satisfying, though not remarkably complex. The kind of beer that gets better as the evening goes on.” The Brew: The Brewery at Lake Tahoe’s Indian Pale Ale The Ski: Heavenly Valley, California Our Hopsmeister Says: “A sassy bite, with just a hint of apricot. Intricate, deep, inviting. Makes your taste buds stand up on edge. It says, “Deal with me on my own terms.” The Brew: Breckenridge Mountain Wheat The Ski: Breckenridge, Colorado Our Hopsmeister Says: “A wheaty wheat, like a Kansas county fermented and bottled. Earthy, but also proud, proletarian. As dependable as a midwinter snowstorm on the banks of the Prairie Dog River.” Copyright 1996, Outside magazine |