Chicagoist's Beer Of The Week: Lakefront Brewery's Riverwest Stein

By Jason Baldacci in Food on Jun 27, 2014 8:45PM

Even if the weather doesn't want to cooperate this weekend with rain in the forecast, backyard BBQ season is upon us. This week we're sharing one of our long time favorite beers to accompany a day around the grill.

Riverwest Stein is an Amber Lager from Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It pours more of a copper-amber in the glass and we pick up hints of toffee and caramel on the nose, along with a little earthy hops. On the palate, the caramelized malts lay in early with a touch of sweetness but the malt profile overall is quite crisp and bready, definitely more bready than we would assume by the aroma. That hint of toffee from the nose cranks up a bit in the flavor, and while this beer is definitely malt-forward, the hops kick in towards the finish to help it finish dry and leave us with a pleasantly bitter, slightly herbal aftertaste. At 5.6% alcohol content, Riverwest Stein is a nice change up from a lighter colored lager.

The malty caramelization component of this beer is what makes it play so nicely with grilled meats. When you mix that malt profile with a little smoky char on your food, the sweetness in the beer matches perfectly. We love Riverwest Stein for this, but we love it just as much because it finishes dry so it's easy to drink a few without food as well. Whether it's burgers, ribs, steaks or just a couple of brews on the stoop, this beer is always appropriate.

Riverwest Stein is available on draft and in six-packs. Check beermenus.com to see where you can find some this weekend.