High-gravity beers are finally here. While some might find these brews intimidating with their steep prices, hefty alcohol content, and rich flavors, beer snobs are exuberant over their arrival in Charleston. Only a few months have passed since state lawmakers voted to lift restrictions on the sale and distribution of these strong beers, but taverns and restaurants are introducing a variety of choices.
“High gravity” refers to the higher level of fermentable sugars in the wort at the beginning of the fermentation process. The more sugar one starts with, the more alcohol is produced. But a large dose of alcohol isn’t the brewer’s primary goal (we’re not talking about malt liquor here). Instead, it’s to create a clean, big-bodied beer with a complex character that develops with age.
But be careful. A pint of particularly strong beer can pack the alcoholic wallop of three. Take your time with them, especially the huge ale close to 10 percent of alcohol by volume (ABV). An eight-ounce serving of beer with each course should be plenty. Savor it and enjoy the craft that went into the brew.
Here are a few suggested pairings of beer and food from some local menus:
Chimay Red w/ the Shrimp Basket ($11)
at Off the Hook Cantina
$8 per 11.2 oz. bottle
Sullivan’s Island, 2213 Middle St.
(843) 883-5030
It’s a sign of a new era: A beer drinker can order a world-class Trappist brown ale like Chimay Red and drink it from an authentic Chimay goblet in a casual, sandy beach bar. Most excellent. Available for eight bucks, the bottle-conditioned, ruby-brown ale clocks in at 7 percent ABV and goes well with the peppery house specialty: breaded shrimp tossed with crumbled Mexican cheeses and sides of ancho chile barbecue sauce, chipotle buttermilk dressing, and sweet potato fries. Those monks brew a tasty beer that’s medium-bodied with a hint of raisin in the flavor. The wine-like sweetness counters the subtle spiciness of the shrimp and complements the delicate salty-sweet flavor of the thin-cut sweet potatoes.
Terrapin Brewery’s All American Imperial Pilsner w/ Pollo a la Parilla ($9.50)
at The Pour House and El Bohio
$4 per 16 oz. glass / $6 per 12 oz. bottle
James Island, 1977 Maybank Hwy.
(843) 571-4343
Diving head-first into the high-gravity beer craze, the Pour House and its sister Cuban restaurant El Bohio currently keep a rotation of five or six strong ales and lagers on hand (with one on tap). The Terrapin Brewery’s All American Imperial Pilsner Draft, available in a chilled 16 oz. pint glass for $4 (and for $6 by bottle), brewed with domestic malts and hops, is so “independent,” beer purists consider it too far out to even be labeled a pilsner. As a unique creation, the Imperial Pilsner pushes flavor components balanced so carefully by the Pilsner Urquell brewers to extreme limits. Much sweeter than a true pilsner, the copper-colored lager lands with a high amount of hop bitterness and an alcohol content of 7.5 percent ABV. Try it with El Bohio’s signature Pollo a la Parilla — grilled, cumin-heavy, marinated chicken breast, white rice with black beans, and a fried plantain chip. The All American Imperial Pilsner’s malty, butterscotch aroma with a hint of citrus almost resembles the fruity character of some stronger English pale ales, but blends well with the grassy Northwestern hops used to “dry hop” each batch. The combination of big hop and malt flavors balances and enhances the earthy, spicy flavor of this plate. Nothing gets lost — even with a generous dash of Pickapeppa sauce.
Geary’s Hampshire Special Ale w/ Kind of Bleu Burger ($6.99)
Kulbacher Eisbock w/ Corn River Fritters ($5.99)
at The Village Tavern
Geary’s Ale: $3.75 per 12 oz. bottle
Kulbacher: $6.50 per 12 oz. bottle
Mt. Pleasant, 1055 Johnnie Dodds Blvd.
(843) 884-6311
Boasting “Charleston’s finest selection of high-gravity beers,” in their advertisements, the laid-back Village Tavern keeps more than a dozen of these beers in the coolers. Most are monastic brews from France, Holland, and Belgium, with a few domestics and German examples in the mix. One of the best deals is the Geary’s Hampshire Special Ale out of Portland, Maine. Served from a 12 oz. bottle with a hazy moonlit scene on the label, the ale is a rich copper color with a fragrant balance of floral hops and bready malt and caramel. Very drinkable at 7 percent ABV, Geary’s balanced, refreshing flavor fits nicely with the Kind of Bleu Burger, a house specialty that’s assembled with crumbled bleu cheese and Cajun seasoning. As the perfect after-dinner beer at any bar — or with the salty and crunchy sweet corn fritters — the mighty Kulbacher Eisbock, a concentrated Bavarian bockbier at 9.2 percent ABV — does the trick, too. Dark brown, full-bodied, with a hint of burnt caramel and oak wine in the flavor, Eisbock is one to handle with care.
Pranqster Belgian-Style Golden Ale w/ Roman Flat Bread ($8.50)
at Mellow Mushroom
$6.50 per 12 oz. bottle
Downtown, 309 King St.
(843) 723-7374
Pranqster, brewed by North Coast Brewing in California, is a new arrival on the scene — a Belgian-style golden ale with a hint of wheat beer character. Light, crisp, and citrusy in flavor and aroma, this handsome bottle-conditioned beer is deceptively drinkable, despite its strength (at 7.6 percent ABV). The subtle malt flavors blend nicely with Mellow Mushroom’s famous dough. Their Roman flatbread — made with baked asiago cheese, topped with spicy arugula greens and thin-sliced prosciutto, and served in four triangle slices — is a lighter alternative to the specialty pizzas and cheesy calzones. Served very cold in a chilled pint glass (you might want to let it settle for a few minutes), Pranqster has plenty of zing from the general amount of West Coast hops (not typical of a Belgian ale) and residual unfermented sugars (very typical of a Belgian ale). If you’re among a really thirsty group, try splitting the Highland Brewing Co.’s Tasgall Ale, a bold, well-conditioned Scottish-style ale at 8 percent ABV made with roasted barley and chocolate malt. Even with an increased hop level, it’s malty-sweet and very strong — the perfect after-dinner capper.
Allagash Tripel w/ the Colossal Crab Cake ($15) and Chocolate Pyramid ($6)
at 11 Center Street
$12 per 750 ml. bottle
Folly Beach, 11 Center St.
(843) 588-9898
The mighty, golden-colored Allagash Tripel (9 percent ABV) is one of several artisanal Belgian-style ales produced by the Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine. Modeled after the classic Trappist style, this well-conditioned Tripel has the fruitier notes of a Bavarian wheat beer. Available in a handsome, corked 750 ml. bottle, it’s best poured in small glasses, shared among two or three at the table. Medium-bodied, mildly honey-sweet, very smooth and malty, it stands up to the teetering “Colossal Crab Cake” and corn salsa without overpowering the meat’s delicate, peppery flavors. The servers crack the Allagash open at a chilly temperature more suitable for lagers. But let it warm up to “cellar temperature” (as British brewers call it), and the malty complexities in the aroma and flavor become even more pronounced. By the time you’re ready for a rich dessert, like the shiny-black Chocolate Pyramid mousse, garnished with kiwi and raspberry syrups, it’s a perfect complement as the spice of coriander accentuates the sweetness.
Great Divide Hercules Double I.P.A. w/ Tagliatelle ($18)
Duvel (Belgian ale) w/ Cheese Plate ($6)
at Muse
Hercules: $6.50 per 12 oz. bottle
Duvel: $7 per 11.2 oz. bottle
Downtown, 82-A Society St.
(843) 577-1102
With guidance from local wine and beer merchant Henri Gabriel (of Advintage Distribution), the folks at Muse are currently armed with corkscrews and bottle openers, eager to feature some world-class beers and a few new microbrewed experimentals. Complementing their strong wine menu, the bistro’s new high-gravity beer selection features a rotation of eight or nine ales (no lagers), mostly Belgian styles. The extremely hoppy, full-bodied Hercules Double I.P.A. (9.1 percent ABV), poured with a thick, creamy head in a tall Pilsner glass, hails from the Great Divide brewery in Denver. As the label suggests, it’s “not for the faint of heart.” The toffee sweetness of the malt, balanced by the bitterness and grassy flavor of the Northwestern U.S. hops, counters the spicy flavors of Muse’s tagliatelle, a ribbon-cut pasta made with a zesty fish broth, fresh tomato, shrimp, and chorizo. Hercules starts sweet, but finishes dry. Internationally admired, the sophisticated Belgian golden ale Duvel is probably the most familiar beer on the new menu. Served in a snifter glass, it’s pale-golden, flowery, and light … a devil in disguise at 8.5 percent ABV. Muse suggests serving it with their “Crispy Whole Loup de Mer” (wolf fish), but Duvel works wonders with any course — as an aperitif with their delicious cheese plate sampler, accompanying a spicy pasta or entree, or as a digestif after a fruity dessert.
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