10 Beers and 10 Songs That Go With Them
Words by Blake
Spaghetti and meatballs, peanut butter and jelly, wine and cheese. There are things in this world that just go together and music and beer are one of those great pairings. There is a reason every bar has a jukebox in it, there is a reason that when you slap on a vinyl that you want to grab a six-pack, there is a reason that at concerts nearly every man and woman has a beer in their hand even though it costs 8 bucks. They just work. The beers and songs are paired together in a handful of ways. For some, the flavor or the song and the flavor of the beer are just in sync. For others, the names are just so similar that when I am drinking that particular beer I can’t help but have that song stuck in my head. And others, well, I like drinking that beer while listening to that song – no particular reason, I just do. Deal with it.
10. Rogue Dead Guy Ale / “Black River Killer” by Blitzen Trapper
This is a funny pairing. Rogue Brewery‘s Dead Guy Ale is as smooth as they come and is full of buttery biscuit flavors, a touch of spice and has a bite right at the end of it. Something a cowboy would drink up after he finished a long day of ropin’ and ridin’ and whatever the hell else a cowboy does. “And I shot a man down on the edge of town /Then I stole me a horse and I rode it around / Til the sheriff pulled me in and sat me down.” Now that’s how a cowboy does it!
Blitzen Trapper / Black River Killer
9. Dogfish Head Bitches Brew / “John McLaughlin” by Miles Davis
If I didn’t have this beer paired up with a tune off of Miles Davis‘ Bitches Brew LP this whole list would be bullshit. Period. Dogfish Head did it right. Inspired by the album and jazz legend Miles Davis, the brewery blended a few of their smooth cool stouts and threw in a brew that used Gesha Root from Ethopia for good measure. Dogfish Head nailed it and Miles Davis would be proud.
8. Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale / “One Red Thread” by Blind Pilot
This was one I really wanted to put on this list as soon as the idea came to me. The beer is fantastic. It hits you in the face with hops, fruit, and a smooth finish that is impressive for a beer that’s 9% alcohol. I love the beer, I love the song, and the whole red thing just seemed to make them a good fit for each other. Blind Pilot‘s “One Red Thread” may have been the catchiest song of 2009 (I know, I know, it came out in 2008, but I didn’t know about it until 2009).
7. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale / “That Western Skyline” by Dawes
Sierra Nevada came up big with this little concoction. Not too heavy, not too light, full of character and yet another beer that gets me with a bucket full-o-hops. The pale red color reminds me of the color the sky is when the sun is setting. If I could have ambient theme music in the background of my everyday life, Dawes‘ “That Western Skyline” would be my tune for late evenings on the porch watching sunsets.
6. Bell’s Oberon Ale / “July Flame” by Laura Veirs
Why not pair my favorite summer beer with perhaps my favorite song about summer. Oberon Ale is hazy, lemon-y (I almost chose The National‘s “Lemonworld” for that sole reason), and crisp as they come. In her defense, Laura does mention drinking lemonade out in her backyard. “July Flame” just embodies everything that is great about summer time – cookouts, fireworks, kites, campfires, peaches. Pretty solid.
5. Great Divide Old Ruffian Ale / “Good Friend” by Plants and Animals
A beer that ages like wine or a friendship. This ale is enormous on flavor but becomes more refined and toned down with time. Malt and heavy as they come and has a bite to it that reminds you that your drinking something that will more than likely put you on your ass. Now I could be completely wrong on this one, but jockeys and their ruffians seem like they’re best friends. They know each other, they work with each other, they’re good friends. So yeah, that’s about it, there was my logic behind that pairing. Hmmm.
Plants and Animals / Good Friend
4.Stoudt’s Scarlet Lady Ale / “Laughing with Mouth of Blood” by St. Vincent
Scarlet Lady Ale is a personal favorite of mine because of its copper-red color and light as a feather taste. Not too many beers pack just the right amount of flavor, many over do it (which I’m all for) and far too many say “the hell with how it tastes.” St. Vincent has struck the heartstrings of many of us here at Draw Us Lines and maybe this sick twisted little tune of her’s gets us going (or I just ran with the whole red thing again, but it was probably the former).
St. Vincent / Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood
3. New Belgium Skinny Dip / “Skinny Love” by Bon Iver
This one is a bit funny and literal. Skinny Dip used to be one of my go-to mainstay-type beers, but then one day it just didn’t really appeal to me any more. Not really sure why, maybe my tastes changed, maybe I just found something else better. Love gone sour you could call it, which is exactly how I interpret “Skinny Love”. A beautiful tune that Justin Vernon poured his heart out singing.
2. Straub Lager / “Chemtrails” by Beck
A super light beer that is perfect for a summer cookout (and Jim’s favorite beer!). Something you can drink all day and never weigh you down and still tastes really good. In other words, something you can also drink really damn fast, too. Fast is all I can think about when it comes to Beck’s “Chemtrails”. The drum work is fantastic and makes the song an instant hit for me. The song itself is quite slow, but the percussion is as fast as Michael Phelps on a good day in the pool. Hot damn.
1. Sly Fox Oatmeal Stout / “Two” by The Antlers
A heavy beer for a heavy song. Sly Fox’s Oatmeal Stout is dark, heavy, creamy, and as delicious as they come. For any stout fan out there, I dare you to find a better one. “Two” is one of those songs that you simply can’t keep on your daily playlist. Sure you could listen to it everyday for a week or so, but eventually it weighs you down until it makes you put it back into the “occasional listen” queue. It’s incredibly odd, but I think that is why I like it so much. Not too many songs force you to do anything, but this one does.
Any beers that you think have a great song that go with them? Or great songs that have that perfect brew to pair it with? Let us know in the comments. Hey we can talk about beer and music pretty much 24/7. Dare us. Go on.
Filed under: Lists
Obviously, I’m pumped that my favorite beer Straub got to be part of this list. My second favorite summer beer is Oberon and your pairing of that with July Flame is terrific. This list makes me anxious for spring and summer beer drinking while listening to music outside. Thanks, pal.
now this is the type of blog post i am looking for. allow me to drink each of these beers while listening to each of these songs. ill hit the singles section in d’s and everything.
This may or may not have actually been named for Wilco, but it would have totally fit this list (doesn’t come out til this spring, though, I think): Wilco Tango Foxtrot beer from Lagunitas Brewing.
fuck yes, Blake. yunz guys gotta come out here so we can go the Lagunitas plant and then drive cars around
Dudes…another fine rant about simple songs and how they fit into this big, nutty world. It’ll be a sunny day in the 412 when everybody else finally realizes how important this blog is.
The reason I enjoyed this post so much, I think, is because I couldn’t have sat down and orchestrated it on my own. I’ve sewn music into the fabric of just about every single thing I can possibly think of: food, seasons, holidays, landmarks, girls, street signs…things like that. For one reason or another, I’m having a devilish time with, “Hi Beer, I’d like you to meet my good friend, Song.” (Sometimes formal introductions have their way with me and my head.)
My day job allows me uninhibited exposure to (somewhere in the range of) 1200 beers. Rest assured: I’d become an absolute wreck of a human being if I tried to handcuff a specific song to each and every one. Pressure, to me, is not providing food for my children; it’s providing a good soundtrack for their lives.
So thanks for shouldering this one, fellas. Even if it was only for a short time, that’s 10 less beers and 10 less songs I don’t have to worry about for now. I could rest easy tonight knowing they belong with one another.
Just realized I used a horrendous double-neg in the final paragraph, above. It’s horrendous in more ways than one, as it directly changes exactly what I wanted to say. You guys get my drift, though. Thanks again for the post. It was huge.
We got an overwhelming response from this post. Apparently people like music AND beer… who would have thought. We’ll be bringing you more posts like this in the future…for sure.
awesome post! I really like “Devil’s 666 Pale Ale” and would pair it with the Dodos “God?”
Dude, Blake… this is simply the best Draw Us Lines article ever… Brilliant, compelling, delicious.
Thanks Nick, I really appreciate that. I had fun writing it.
Great post!