Chicagoist's Beer of the Week: Dark Horse Brewing's Raspberry Ale
By Jason Baldacci in Food on Jul 5, 2013 7:40PM
When it comes to putting fruit in our beer, we'll admit we're picky. Our days of garnishing pints of Blue Moon with orange slices are thankfully long behind us, and although there are so many breweries working with fruit these days, few make a fruit beer that still tastes like, well, beer.
Dark Horse Brewing Co.'s Raspberry Aleis a definite exception. They brew with fresh Michigan raspberries which lend a nice, earthy aroma and a wonderful tartness to the palate. Since they use fresh fruit instead of an extract or a syrup, the flavors imparted by the berries are actually more toned down and balanced, rather than being cloyingly sweet or overwhelmingly sour. There's a solid, yet thin malt backbone that lends a touch of richness, but mostly stays out of the way to let the raspberries shine through. We don't detect much in the way of a hop profile, but there is a hint of spicy ginger in there if you dig deep enough. At 5 percent alcohol content, this is essentially a beer that's very light-bodied and easy to drink, with the raspberries adding a refreshing twist.
Cooking with beer can be a bit tricky, even for a more experienced chef. Beer tends to get more bitter when it's cooked, especially if you're cooking with a beer that's pretty hoppy and bitter in the first place, so a low-hopped beer like Dark Horse's Raspberry Ale is a great place to start if you're interested in working beer into some of your favorite recipes. If you're cooking a roast and you want to do something a little different, braise it in raspberry ale. You'll still want to season the meat, but braising in beer can add an extra layer of flavor. Sauces and salad dressings are also a great opportunity to incorporate beer. If someone served us a "Raspberry Ale Vinaigrette," we'd be very happy guests. If we were served a "Raspberry Ale BBQ Sauce," we might be hard-pressed leave. Don't be afraid to get creative, but we'd probably refrain from trying something for the first time when you're expecting 30 people over within the hour.
Look for Dark Horse's Raspberry Ale on draft and in six-packs this weekend, check beermenus.com to see where it's available in your neighborhood.