Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week:" Tusker Lager

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Feb 11, 2009 7:00PM

A "session beer" is described as follows:

• under 4.5% ABV
• flavorful enough to be interesting
• balanced enough for multiple pints (or bottles)
• conducive to conversation
• reasonably priced

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's discuss Tusker, a Kenyan lager that we had at Ethiopian Diamond (6120 N. Broadway, 773-388-6100) Saturday night. This certainly met the requirements; especially since our dinner conversation often centered on our recollections that Ethiopian Diamond used to look like a dump (this is as good a time as ever to let you know we have a review forthcoming on Ethiopian Diamond).

Anyway, this lager goes down smooth, with a crispness we usually associate with better lagers. Unlike a lager, however, the bitterness did not become more pronounced as it warmed. This is an ideal 2-3 bottle beer for dinner, and you don't want to think too much about what to pair with a communal plate of food. Tusker, Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week," did the trick for us.