Matt Schlecht

beer

Take a sip out of crime: drink good beer

It’s summer. You’re by the pool or on the porch or in your comfy leather armchair with the air conditioner on high, nose-deep in the latest thriller, hanging on the psychotic killer’s every gruesome act. It’s hot. You need a beer. But are you really going to chase that Scandinavian noir with a Bud Light Lime-a-Rita? Really? Now that would be a crime.

For those with a taste for killer brews, Mystery Scene suggests a few more appropriate alternatives, from light to noir, obviously.

eviltwin_lowlife

Evil Twin Low Life (pilsner)

Some of you are dubious about the craft beer. I get it. You just want to be left alone with your bottle of lager. As you wish. May I humbly suggest one of these before we part. Playing off a certain low-budget brew that aspires to the “high life,” Evil Twin’s pilsner is a perfect choice for readers revisiting a pulp classic or just up to no good in general. Seriously refreshing, and even better on draft. As I began my research with a first pint I declared I would require about 12 more. Sadly, due to budget and liver constraints this was not possible.

eviltwin.dk

eviltwin_femmefatalebrett

Evil Twin Femme Fatale Brett (IPA)

Another one from Evil Twin (hey it’s an evocative name for our purposes here, okay?). The Danish brewery’s offerings have become more widely available in the States since its owner, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, moved to Brooklyn and opened a sleek beer bar, Tørst. Femme Fatale is a hoppy ale brewed with brettanomyces, a yeast that many consider a nefarious infiltrator in fermentation, but provides a tart, funky, some might say seductive finish to the beer. Pair this one with a hardboiled Michael Shayne classic by the genus-appropriately named Brett Halliday.

eviltwin.dk

 

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Sam Adams Double Agent IPL (hoppy lager)

From the brewery that has inspired many East Coast drinkers to start exploring the rest of the taps at their local, this new offering manages to embed the hoppiness of an IPA into a crisp lager. It’s a stealthy mission, and one that has the very real possibility of failure when it reaches the palate. Spoiler alert: it’s a delicious cliff-hanger of a finish. And one that is eminently repeatable. If you’re into nonfiction this summer, a six-pack could help you power through Ben Macintyre’s Double Cross, a tale of five WWII-era spies instrumental in the success of D-Day.

samueladams.com

 

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Speakeasy Vendetta (IPA)

Here’s a West Coast IPA with a point to prove. Yes, indeed, I’ll have my revenge served cold, thank you very much. An amber-hued beauty that packs an arsenal of hop bitterness and citrus character and still stands up straight with a solid malt backbone. This offering from San Francisco-based Speakeasy goes down nicely with a shot of Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade.

Facebook.com/SpeakeasyBeer

 

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Jack’s Abby Private Rye (biere de garde)

Roughly translated as “beer for keeping,” the Biere de Garde style originates in the farmhouse breweries of northern France. In other words, this was a beer for keeping farmhands happy. It has also been known to produce a revelatory effect in modern-day beer geeks looking for something different. In recent years, brewers have tinkered with the style, boosting alcohol levels a bit higher than might be wise for someone operating, say, a pitchfork in Pas-de-Calais. Jack’s Abby Brewing uses local Massachusetts rye in their version, which adds a bit of spiciness to the proceedings.

jacksabbybrewing.com

arcadia_cerealkiller

Arcadia Cereal Killer (barley wine)

Even though it’s still hot outside, we’re going to stray a bit from thirst-quenching summertime “lawn-mower beers” and check out the alcoholic deep end of this beverage pool. In fact, here’s one that is more likely to mow you down. Arcadia’s English-style barley wine is a sipper at 10% ABV (alcohol by volume), but you’re going to need its sherry-like comforts to deal with all the bloodsport in the latest Jeff Lindsay Dexter novel, right?

arcadiaales.com

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Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Rigor Mortis Abt (quadrupel)

A dark toffee-colored quad brewed in Quebec, Dieu Du Ciel’s homage to the ale produced by Trappist monks in Belgium is a North American classic. Coming in at a stiff 10.5% ABV, this beer conjures up dark fruits, chocolate, caramel, and a strange urgent desire for poutine. You really might want to turn down the lights before digging into this one. And once you’re in a cloistered frame of mind, solemnly flip the pages of Louise Penny’s The Beautiful Mystery set in Quebec while you imbibe.

microdieuduciel.com

brasserie_herculestout

Brasserie Ellezelloise Hercule Stout (imperial stout)

This one is a must for any Poirot lover or Agatha Christie completist. It’s an oil-black stout brewed in the town of Ellezelles, Belgium, which celebrates the mustachioed detective as a native son. The roasted grain and chocolate flavors you expect to find are there, but the Belgian yeast profile makes this a unique case indeed, with a few twists and turns on your tongue. Thankfully, there is no hint of a red herring.

brasserie-ellezelloise.be

 

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