After a long day of hiking, fishing, and canoeing subsides, after the search for adequate dry kindling ends, and after the initial fuss and smoke and spark of flickering baby flames erupts, the soothing magic of a summer campfire asserts itself and lures the camper into a trance. The pulsating glow of coals and dancing blue-gold flames licking the strategically placed logs is a kind of hypnosis unlike any other. All troublesome thoughts and worries fade and the quiet stillness of the woods at dusk is only broken by the subtle crackling pops and wheezes of the fire.
A man can be lost for minutes, simply staring into the hot coals of a well-built campfire. The only thing to break the trance is the reminder of the cold beverage in hand. A shake of the head to bring the camper back and the bottle of delicious beer becomes the new reality. There are not too many earthly experiences that can match the satisfaction of a mouthwatering, yeasty, malty brew enjoyed by the fireside with friends and/or loved ones.
Camping this weekend and sitting by a fire of my own design afforded me some time to taste some worthy beers that only added new levels of enjoyment to the campfire experience. I had with me a couple Belgians (the mass-marketed and produced Palm Special and a small-production level saison from a family brewery) and a trio of beers from Otto’s Pub and Brewery, a craft brewery in State College, Pennsylvania.
Once the fire was good and glowing hot, with adequate flame-age to meet my high standards — that’s when I popped the first cap. I started with a Palm Speciale, a beer that has become one of my absolute favorite “everyday” type beers in recent years. I guess I chose this beer first because it was one I didn’t need to think about. Having had this beer many, many times, I figured I could still work on the early stages of my fire and enjoy this beer without much need for time to sit and reflect. It’s a smooth-drinking, palpable amber ale that blends English hops (from Kent) with French barley and Belgian yeast. It’s a harmonious blend that yields to a fruity, yeasty aroma and a balanced bitterness that makes it an enjoyable, easy-to-drink beer, with a sweet and mellow honey finish.
Once the fire was really going and I could finally stop nitpicking over the need for constant attentiveness, I decided to pop the cork (yes, a corked bottle!) of a saison I picked up before my camping trip at a favorite restaurant of mine, Cafe Bruges in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This beer, called La Saison d’Epeautre (or “Spelt of the Season”) by Brasserie de Blaugies, is a traditional farmhouse ale brewed by a small, family-owned and operated brewery near the French border with Belgium.
This beer was surprisingly high in carbonation, much more than most saisons, but I think this added to its appeal. I found this to be a perfect warm-weather beer. The golden, straw-colored beer combines a wheaty spelt malt with barley to make it a kind of combination of a witbier and amber ale. Its super carbonation gave it a foamy head that took time to subside, but the taste was refreshing and really hit the spot on a warm evening by the campfire as the sun waned and quietly slipped beyond the horizon.
By now, the campfire scene was dark, and the large flames from early on had consumed much of the initial timber as the hot coals began to glow. I tossed on a few large, heavy timber logs and sat back to watch the flames grow again. I now turned to a trio of ales I had picked up in six-packs at Otto’s Pub and Brewery in State College. My sister and brother-in-law live in State College and recommended this place to me, and I took their advice on a few beers.
I started with one of Otto’s seasonal brews, Pallet Jack Pale Ale. Pallet Jack quickly became my favorite beer of the weekend. It is a Belgian-style pale ale that is reminiscent of some blonde abbey ales like Affligem’s blonde ale or the more commonly known Samuel Adams Summer Ale. According to Otto’s website, the brewery uses Belgian yeasts to ferment the beer and mixes in a blend of hops. The beer is noticeably lemon heavy, and that taste follows through all the way to the finish. The citrus fruit is refreshing and not overly acidic, though. The beer has a white, thin-but-frothy head and a deep golden hue — delicious and very drinkable. Thinking that I may have found my new favorite summer beer, I had to have a second one.
Moving on to the later hours now, the fire began to dwindle and I was quite at ease with myself and the state of the world as I drank the last two of my chosen campfire beers, both from Otto’s. I had two of their mainstay brews, the Slab Cabin I.P.A. and the Zeno’s Rye Ale. Slab Cabin offered up a typical, hop-centric, floral aromatic sensibility that is expected with an American I.P.A., but it had a reddish-brown hue, which I felt was atypical for this style of beer. I later found out from Otto’s website that this is due to the addition of Munich malts, giving it a German doppelbock appearance. The beer was more of a sipper than the previous few, but it offered me a chance to take it easy and really enjoy my now-low-burning fire.
Zeno’s Rye Ale, which came heavily recommended by my sister, poured a darker, but still translucent, brown with a frothy white head that was thick. The beer took on a spiced aroma, like cinnamon or vanilla, the rye ever-present. This was a great finishing beer, as it was quite complex compared to the more refreshing tastes of the previous beers. It featured long, lingering hops, smooth without overwhelming my palate.
By this point, my gaze lost in the lingering flickering flames that leaped from side to side of a thoroughly charred log, I was feeling satisfied, accomplished, and tired. A campfire, with the sounds of crickets all around and the stars above, made my personal tasting a worthy experience. So, if you are looking for some good, easy-drinking brews to share by the campfire this summer, you can’t go wrong with any of the beers I had. Enjoy your summer!
Quick tasting notes:
Palm Speciale — A Belgian amber ale, easy to drink, smooth, with a honey sweetness and balanced bitterness. Good everyday beer. 5.4 percent alcohol by volume, 18 International Bitterness Units. Available in bottles or draft. Grade: B
Blaugies La Saison d’Epeautre — A wheat-heavy Belgian traditional saison beer with a heavy carbonation and refreshing taste. 6 percent ABV. Only sold in corked 750-milliliter bottles. A
Pallet Jack Pale Ale — My favorite beer to have enjoyed by the fire. A yeasty, citrus-heavy pale ale with a thin, foamy head. 6.1 percent ABV. Available on draft at the pub, or to take home in six-packs or by the case. A
Slab Cabin I.P.A. — Typical tasting American I.P.A. but with a brown tone due to added Munich malts. Hop heavy. 6.3 percent ABV. Available on draft, in 12-ounce or 22-ounce bottles, and in a keg from the brewery. B-
Zeno’s Rye Ale — Spicy and complex ale, but with a smooth finish and flavor. Vanilla notes and cinnamon present. 6.5 percent ABV. Occasionally available on draft and 12-ounce bottles in six-packs. B