United Nations of Beer

Pisgah Pale Ale

by Ethan Keller
(Milwaukee, WI)

Pisgah Pale Ale
Asheville, NC

Oh my goodness.

On my last stint out east, (early April 2009) I had the privilege of visiting Asheville, NC. A new friend (strangely enough my wife's ex-boyfriend) and I hung out at a great place downtown called Ed Boudreaux's.

Since we were the only people in the joint, and I couldn't decide which beer I wanted, the bartender poured me a sample of every beer they had on tap. He then proceeded to ask me which music DVD we wanted to watch on the big projector. I said "Blind Melon."

Of all the beers I tasted, I loved Pisgah Pale Ale the most (Pisgah Brewing Company, Black Mountain, NC). The bartender said it was actually their best seller. It was easy to taste why.

Although I when I first started drinking microbrews, I didn't care much for the bitter pale ales, but then they grew on me. It might have been the time I played at Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo when they had just invented Hopslam -- they said they had sold the first 40 cases in under two weeks, and my drummer had in fact bought the last six pack to bring home to Wisconsin. We both were hooked.

Pisgah Pale ale is so fresh and crisp -- you can almost taste the hops in their green state. It smells like aromatic spring garden in your mouth. I think it is the best pale ale I have ever tasted. I think it even trumps the Hopslam, which I love so much.

The next day I went to Bruisin Ale's in downtown Asheville to buy a growler, which I took home to Wisco and saved for a special occasion -- which came soon in the form of a recording session with Milwaukee's best musicians, and a Grammy winning producer. I am glad to have shared the cream of the crop with the cream of the crop.