Does a beer name ever stir up long almost lost but not quite forgotten memories for you? Me too!
Visiting my grandparents as a kid was always an adventure. They lived in a very small village. Just past the single lane stone bridge that led into town was the General Store that my grandfather owned. My Grandparents lived in an apartment above the store. The old brick building was in between the infamous barber shop/speakeasy on one side (that kid needs a haircut) and the post office on the other. My Grandfather sold everything at that store except gas and bait, you had to go across the street to the bait shop for that.
My sister and I would go into the store and marvel at all the things for sale. The big regulator clock on the wall above the butcher’s block. The comic books and the toys. Grace, the lady at the cash register, would motion us to come over, all clandestine and secretive. She would whisper in our ears “I bet you guys would like some candy. Don’t let gramps know or your dear old Grace will be in a peck of trouble.” We were as excited about the sweets as we were about being part of this nefarious candy scam, perpetrated by our partner in crime, Grace.
The general store is no more, and the barber shop closed up long ago. What is still there is the bait shop which I stop by when I am there because not only do they have a great selection of bait and tackle and many other things, but these days they also sell beer! Speaking of beer, our brew du jour is a Fairweather pale ale named Grace. How’s that for a super suds segue. How’s that for a rhetorical question. *
Tea infused brews are not new news to us COM. And although no one in their right mind, or any other more precarious mental state, would call us teatotallers, we have enjoyed a few ale of Earl Grey in our day. We’ve also super suds a few Fairweathers as well. Priceless was worth every penny, and High Grade was graded highly. Let’s see how Grace performs under pressure.
A golden hazy pour that looks juicier than I expected. What other surprises lie in store? It has a slim trim but uncompromised film of foam, a fine looking pour. It has an aroma of candy juicy sweet, no tea yet. First taste is very tasty, berry sweet juicy body. Strawberries? Not what I was expecting. A touch of tea enters for a mildly flat dry finish and aftertaste, Subtle enough to accentuate the positive. A very juicy sweet pale with a light touch of tea. Not enough tea leaves for a reading, but just enough to make this one unique and tasty pale ale.
60 years later and I’m still getting sweets from Grace!
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