Darling lacks heavy lager flavor
Mike Partel
Issue date: 10/23/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
It's officially fall-the temperatures have been consistently below comfortable, the winds have picked up and the leaves are beginning to change and fall. It's the time to pick up a rake or two and keep those old two-strokes chugging along. We've had to deal less with maintaining the grass and properties since we live in Philadelphia, but I would wager that none of you cannot remember making a proportionally enormous pile of leaves and jumping in it before your fathers shooed you away to either set that vibrant cushion ablaze or shredded them for mulching. For one of the more colorful times of the year, I bring the thirst quenching Pretty Things American Darling.
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project, Inc. is an artisanal craft "brewery." I use the term brewery pretty loosely as they don't actually own one-they rent one. Their beer is currently brewed at Paper City Brewing in Holyoke, Mass. The owner and brewer, Dann Paquette, began as a "real ale" brewer at a family owned brewery in Yorkshire, England. There, he and his wife frequented the nearby towns, moors, and general surroundings. In a town called Ripon, there is a cathedral, in which Paquette was shown the choir carvings-fantastical images of ridiculous topics. One such character proved to be inspiration for his mascot of sorts, Jack D'Or. Jack is a malted grain of barley who, when assisted by his various other "friends," creates beer. Parquette and his wife, Martha, have since moved to Massachusetts and worked with many breweries over the years.
American Darling is considered a pale lager. Now, these are not usually the kings of beer, even if a particularly well-known brand claims to be. This is a simple, clean, crisp beer that does not outshine most other styles. It is just what it is. The pale golden fizzy drink knows its place as a non-assuming, everyman's workhorse beer. Malt and hop presence is generally quite restrained so there is really very little flavor or aroma to be even noticed and completely dominates many markets because of that subdued nature. Most of the world is not too concerned with any sense of taste unfortunately.
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project, Inc. is an artisanal craft "brewery." I use the term brewery pretty loosely as they don't actually own one-they rent one. Their beer is currently brewed at Paper City Brewing in Holyoke, Mass. The owner and brewer, Dann Paquette, began as a "real ale" brewer at a family owned brewery in Yorkshire, England. There, he and his wife frequented the nearby towns, moors, and general surroundings. In a town called Ripon, there is a cathedral, in which Paquette was shown the choir carvings-fantastical images of ridiculous topics. One such character proved to be inspiration for his mascot of sorts, Jack D'Or. Jack is a malted grain of barley who, when assisted by his various other "friends," creates beer. Parquette and his wife, Martha, have since moved to Massachusetts and worked with many breweries over the years.
American Darling is considered a pale lager. Now, these are not usually the kings of beer, even if a particularly well-known brand claims to be. This is a simple, clean, crisp beer that does not outshine most other styles. It is just what it is. The pale golden fizzy drink knows its place as a non-assuming, everyman's workhorse beer. Malt and hop presence is generally quite restrained so there is really very little flavor or aroma to be even noticed and completely dominates many markets because of that subdued nature. Most of the world is not too concerned with any sense of taste unfortunately.
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