Taste of the Month -- Some Foods and Drinks Make Bigger Impressions Than Others

Thus far, the winter of 1997-1998 has been pretty gentle on the people of southern Ontario, where I live. Sure, we have had some snow -- the landscape outside my office window is being dusted with the white stuff even as I write these words -- but through to the end of January, we have still yet to be hit with what could be described as a major storm. Even the average daily temperatures have been well above the norm, hovering closely on either side of freezing.

While this mildness of winter has on the whole pleased me -- I am most definitely not a fan of winter! -- I can't help also feeling a bit deprived. Because icy cold temperatures and driving snow storms produce what I consider to be the finest conditions possible for the enjoyment of many great foods and drinks, including barley wines, brandies, high-fat rillettes, hearty stews, potent old ales and mulled beers, wines and spirits.

So when we were recently hit with a slightly snowy, sub-zero evening, Christine and I took full gastronomic advantage, which included heating up a bottle of Quelque Chose, the spiced, cherry-flavoured mulling beer from Unibroue of Chambly, Québec. It was the perfect occasion for this fine ale, with its spiciness accentuated by the heat and the sourish cherry notes backing the body and keeping it from becoming too cloying All in all, it was the kind of brilliant taste experience that makes me glad that I live in a wintery climate...if only for a few hours.

We're very interested in your news, notes, comments and questions, so please feel free to contact SBWoB by clicking on the link below. Or you can add your comments when you sign up for the World of Beer Update, a mid-month e-mail newsletter that brings even more of the world of beer to your computer.

Send Feedback To: beaumont@worldofbeer.com

Stephen Beaumont reserves all rights that pertain to the text of his articles, in any form that it appears.