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I had been meaning to do an organic beer tasting ever since I brought home a selection of multiple eco-friendly brews from my local Whole Foods last month.  Last Sunday afforded such an opportunity for myself and my wife, the latter being a novice beer drinker who only recently has ventured outside of her comfort zone of wine.  Evaluating the collection of certified organic beers in my refrigerator for the tasting, I decided to focus on Ales, one of the most common types of beer you can find on the market.  Not wanting to isolate the delicious beverages from a good meal, I decided to sample them with one of their most frequent companions at the dinner table or any restaurant - the American style pizza.

The three selections came from different places on the Ale spectrum.  Beer #1 was a Lamar “L” Street Organic Pale Ale, made by Goose Island Beer Company of Chicago, Illinois.  Certified by the Oregon Tilth, this organic beer carries aromas of floral and citrus.  Our 2^nd selection was a USDA-certified Wolaver’s India Pale Ale, made by Middlebury, Vermont’s Otter Creek Brewing Company.  Very true to form for an IPA, this beer contained generous amounts of hops, with a real spiciness and malt balance.  Lastly, our third and final choice was the Cru d’Or, and USDA-certified organic Belgian Dubbel-style ale made by the North Coast Brewing Company of Ft. Bragg, California.   

The beers were all relatively close in color, in particular the two pale ales (not surprising) which both carried a light golden brown coloring.  The “L” Street Pale Ale was definitely a bit cloudier than the Wolaver’s IPA, which was the only discernible difference between the two.  The Cru d’Or was noticeably cloudier still, with an amber color and a more pronounced foamy head than either of its counterparts.

With the beauty pageant portion of our tasting now out of the way (really, does the color matter that much if a beer tastes good?), we zeroed in further on the smell and taste.  We found the aromas of citrus in the “L” Street definitely carried all the way through to the finish, in particular a strong hint of apples.  With a 4.5% ABV, it carries about as strong of a kick as you might expect from a Pale Ale, with a yeasty finish.  The Wolaver’s IPA carried the usual bitterness of the style brew it is, despite having a more subtle aroma than we were expecting.  It definitely had a more relaxed malt balance as well, but there was still no mistaking that this was a full-flavored beer.  Recommended for spicier foods than what we were eating on this day, the Wolaver’s IPA is 6.5% ABV.  Last but not least, the only Belgian-style ale in our tasting did not disappoint.  With a large floral head and caramel aroma that also carried through to the taste, the Cru d’Or featured a very fruity flavor.  At an 8% ABV, this is also no drink for a lightweight, either. 

Overall, we were collectively impressed by what we sampled.  My personal favorite of the three ended up being the Cru d’Or, although it should be pointed out that I have a weakness for most types of Belgian beers.  My wife gravitated to the “L” Street Pale Ale, primarily due to its tastes of citrus and hints of bread and yeast.  Overall, there certainly could be worse ways to enhance a Sunday evening while eating a delicious pizza.