Ok, I admit it (isn’t it already obvious?) I’m a Beer Snob…

It was Christmas Eve and as usual we celebrate at my in-laws with a very traditional Italian Christmas feast. The highlight of the meal is spaghetti with calamari sauce. There are many other fantastic selections of lightly fried seafood, vegetables – and don’t forget desserts.

I always try to bring an interesting beer that will match up and two of the brothers in-law usually enjoy whatever it is. We usually also have a Chianti or some other dry table wine. Before we headed out the door for the feast, I realized the only decent bottle of beer I had to bring was one that I had hoped to cellar. It already had 2 years on it, but I thought that I should not go empty handed. I was ready to sacrifice it to the spirit of Christmas with the family.

This year, I was surprised to see that brother in-law Al arrived with two bottles of a great Sicilian wine called “Pinocchio.” I turned him onto it after having it at a “Wine Shop” tasting at Capitol Market. Unfortunately, the other brother in-law was laid up with a major head cold and missed the feast totally, leaving Alberto and me to do the all of the quaffing.

I got as far as opening the cage on the Caracole (Yes! It’s corked!), then beer snobbery set in… What in the heck was I doing! There was no way I was going to open this particular bottle in such a scenario where it would not be the star of the show. Besides, there was a strong likelihood I would wind up drinking most of it myself, due to the wine being there as well.

And it’s not that I’m not worthy (or that Al is not worthy). But this couldn’t be the way it was supposed to end for this wonderful bottle of Belgian artisanal ale. No one would have even taken note of how well-crafted and sublime this beer is. It would not have received a proper eulogy with all of the other feasting going on. A beer like this one is meant to be savored and shared. It also should really match the food that was to be served along with it. Today was not the day. I discretely twisted the cage back in place and stealthily removed it from the table.

We wound up splitting a bottle of Edmund Fitzgerald Porter with some chocolate desserts. The Caracole will have its day!

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