FanPost

Beer of the Series 4.17: Oakland Athletics

There are few guarantees in life, but among them are death, taxes, and the Tigers going 2-7 on their collective road trips to Oakland, Seattle, and Anaheim. There are probably stats that debunk this statement, but I don't think I've ever felt comfortable in my years as a Tigers fan with road trips out west. I do remember that we clinched the AL Central out in Oakland one year, but that might be the happiest memory I have of playing the A's (in the regular season) in Oakland.

Now, back when both teams were regularly fighting it out for the chance to go to the ALCS, The Tigers-Athletics games were a fairly unique juxtaposition of styles. The Tigers were a team unafraid of tossing the checkbook around to fill holes. The A's liked to grow from within. The Tigers tried to outhit you to win games and treated defense as unnecessary. The A's were an outstanding team built on speed and defense. What won out in the end was that the Tigers had just a little more talent in areas that mattered the most (offense and starting pitching). Oh, and they had Justin Verlander dominate two Game Fives and effectively neuter the Oakland offense.

So, a couple years back, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company opened up a tap room in Berkeley to be an anchor of the Bay Area brewing scene. They use this space for experimental brews as well as a homestead to integrate their classic styles into the community. One of their newer seasonals that has made it east of the Rockies is the Summerfest lager.

Last series, we profiled the Kölsch, which is one of the lightest ales available based on a style prominently brewed in Köln, Germany. The closest style on the lager side is the Pilsner, which, yes, is essentially what the prominent American Light Lagers all are. To get the closest to type, you go to Plzen, Czechia and find the citizens public brewery for the original Pilsner. Now, the style doesn't have to be bland and watered down, and the Summerfest is proof of that. Clean and bright, with floral hoppy notes, the Summerfest is made to accentuate the ingredients and characteristics of a true Pilsner instead of masking them. A good, clean finish that doesn't linger makes it perfect for the Summer, and at 5% ABV and 28 IBUs, you can have a couple 12-packs on ice at your barbecue and feel okay for work Tuesday.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is located in Chico, California.

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This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the <em>Bless You Boys</em> writing staff.