3 Winter Beers For This Kapolei Cold Snap
The weather forecast says it will drop as low as 60 degrees this week. Time to throw on an extra blanket, make your shower a little hotter — and sample a winter-weather beer.
Thicker, darker beers aren’t made for refreshment. They won’t cool you down when it’s 85.
Winter beers are made for replenishment. They’re hearty, warming — closer to stew than to soda.
Here are three of the best winter-style beers you can get in Kapolei (…and near Kapolei — we snuck one in from Beer Lab in Waipiʻo).
Honolulu BeerWorks South Shore Stout — On tap at Kalapawai
The aroma on this beer tells you you’re not drinking anything light (or Lite). The brewers suggest you’ll taste notes of dark chocolate, tobacco, and burnt caramel. To me, there’s a little bit of coffee flavor, too. Enhance the chilly experience by drinking it on Kalapawai’s outdoor patio.
Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout – On tap at Eating House
Milk stout is a creamy stout, without the bitterness that some stouts have. Belching Beaver figured, if you’re gonna have creamy, why not add peanut butter too? This beer sounds strange, but has an “exceptional” rating on the ratings site Beer Advocate. It’s the San Diego-area brewery’s top-seller. Some folks say the peanut butter flavor is very strong, others say it’s light. You should judge for yourself. Would pair very nicely with one of Roy’s famous souffles at Eating House.
Tableau Vivant — On tap at Beer Lab HI, Waipiʻo
This is a really unique one I tried last week. It has a deep, earthy flavor, because it was aged in Laphroaig single-malt scotch barrels. Not as dark in color as the other beers, but the scotch notes (and hints of apple) made it feel like a cold-weather drink. The Beer Lab folks call it a Bière de Garde, so it’s a type of French farm beer. Available only at Beer Lab’s Waipiʻo location (and probably not for long).
