Being raised as an only child in lovely Charleston, South Carolina, I have a tendency to slip into daydreams. As an adult, those daydreams are either about the workout I’m going to do when I leave work, or what song/album I’m going to play when I get home after my workout and wind down with a great beer. For me, life does not get much better than throwing on a fleece blanket, holding a snifter of a barrel-aged stout from a local brewery while blues icon Junior Kimbrough plays in the background.

Here are my top three Junior Kimbrough songs to listen to while enjoying a barrel-aged stout, porter, or barely wine during the coldest of months.

(READ: A ‘Stirring Tale’ Behind the Father of Homebrewing’s Famous Spoon)

“Meet Me in the City”

“Meet Me in the City” sounds like it’s played on my granddaddy’s porch in Rock Hill, South Carolina. It’s easy, effortless and free of worry — a feeling that runs congruent with life in South Carolina. But like any place in America, hard times follow us all. Even in one of the most picturesque cities on the planet, Charleston has rough edges, but those edges are often smoothed by the serenity of home.

Brookeville Beer Farm‘s Lost Barrels is all this wrapped in one pint. Beer and bourbon can be as harmonious as rocking chairs and porches. Listening to this song by Kimbrough, you’re guaranteed to pass the times merrily, while simultaneously witnessing heartbreak and humid Southern summers. Be sure to enjoy this beer with a friend.

“I’m in Love with You”

One of the beauties of the craft beer boom is people are finally viewing beer just as romantic and sexy as wine. “I’m in Love with You” is definitely a testament to one person’s love. What better way to enjoy this song than with a Town & Country.

Town & Country is a red wine barrel-aged Belgian Strong Ale from Atlas Brew Works in DC. This beer is the harmonious creation of old and new perceptions. In a sense, it feels and tastes like the song because it’s an honest conversation about the relationship between two different constructs working together to create a love that can be preserved for the long trying roads ahead.

(LEARN: Discover 75+ Beer Styles)

“Work Me”

A little curve-ball here…

About 12 years ago, a little-known band from Ohio recorded an album called “Chulahoma.” The band was The Black Keys and the album was six covers of a famed blues singer from Mississippi, named Junior Kimbrough. On that album was an awesome rendition of “Work Me.” Up until now, it is my most-played song, according to my iTunes analytics.

It’s the end-all-be-all of what the Blues are: soul, funk, rock, and pure honesty. This song has no genre according to my ears. I really feel like if a person cannot like this song, he or she may be a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

What could pair best with this jam? I’m selecting the Hardywood and New Belgium collaboration beer created for SAVOR℠: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience — the annual beer and food pairing event that the Washington Post called “The gold standard of beer festivals in Washington.” SAVOR X celebrated the event’s 10th anniversary and was the parting gift for attendees. When I opened this 12% ABV Baltic porter with cacao husks, it filled my home with scents of beautiful roasted chocolate.

So why this pairing? Both the beer and the song are no frills, no gimmicks. Just a perfect creation for everyone to enjoy.

(READ: Brewers Association Announces Breweries for SAVOR 2018)

Final Pairing Notes

By now, we all know beer is a subjective experience. Some of us favor stouts, while others enjoy ESBs, lambic, pilsners — you name it. Music lives in the same subjective world. But one thing I’m sure we can agree on: if you’re a craft beer lover hanging out at breweries or beer festivals, music and beer are merging during your experience. If you have not already heard of Mr. Kimbrough, then head to your local brewery, and hit the shuffle in the Kimbrough library.

Cheers, y’all!

The post Pairing Great Beer and an Iconic Blues Man During the Cold Weather Months appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

In the midst of DC Beer Week, the Guild organized an event for women in beer called “We Can Brew It!” Here, women (and a few bearded dudes peppered in) were able to join other females in the industry for a meet and greet at The Black Squirrel in the Adams Morgan neighborhood in northwest DC.

(FALL SEASONALS: The History Behind the Nostalgic Season for Beer)

Thanks to a conversation with DC Brewers’ Guild chair Kathy Rizzo about how Shep and I could help out, we settled on the idea to have a live podcast during the event. Our podcast, “Help the Pour,” is a podcast featuring women in beer, while we chat about beer over a few beers. (Yeah, we like beer). A live show from the event made perfect sense —  not to mention, Kathy was our very first guest when we started the podcast earlier in the year.

After making many laps trying to find parking, Shep and I moseyed our way to Adams Morgan, along with our producer/engineer “Back Pack” Matt, to digitally document the growing diversity in craft beer. Immediately after we set-up in the rear of the venue, it was time to make our beer selections (the first round was on me, by the way):

• Shep’s choice: Atlas Brew Works — Blood Orange Gose 4.5% ABV
• Matt’s choice: Atlas Brew Works — Rowdy Hop Forward Rye 6.2% ABV
• My choice: Atlas Brew Works — Rowdy Hop Forward Rye

“We Can Brew it!” had a great turnout of local prominent figures in the DC area craft beer scene, including Julie Verratti from Denizens Brewing Company as well as Rachel Murray from Atlas.

(BEER TRAVEL: Beer Lover’s Guide to Denver International Airport)

Shep, Matt and I started off giving a brief overview of the progression of the podcast thus far, then we launched into our conversations. There was so much to talk about, we broke it into Part I and Part II. Take a listen! You can subscribe to all the Help the Pour podcasts on iTunes, Google Play, SoundCloud and Stitcher.

The post ‘Help the Pour’ Podcast Live from DC Beer Week appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

In honor of Record Store Day, we’re doing what we at The Wayfarer Study do best: pairing beer and music, but this time with an interesting twist. Instead of pairing beer with music and emotions (like CraftBeer.com’s Andy Sparhawk does by recalling the music of his angsty teenage days), we are looking at intriguing album cover art.

(MORE: Top 50 U.S. Craft Brewers by Volume)

Here are three classic albums with amazing cover artwork paired with a few of our favorite brews.

Beer + Album Cover Art Pairing 1

Marvin Gaye’s “Live at The London Palladium” and Green Flash’s Tangerine Soul Style IPA

I’m sure it goes without saying but just a reminder: Marvin Gaye is legendary. His live performances at the London Palladium in 1976 were recorded and released as an album in 1977 and it is amazing. “Distant Lover,” “Let’s Get It On” and “Got to Give It Up” are just a few of the classics you will find on this album but the true star of this record might just be its cover.

The red, orange and yellowish tones depict Gaye accurately, as a fiery and passionate performer. He stands in the center of the cover demanding the attention just as he does with his live audiences. Based on the name alone, it’s only right that this album’s art is paired with Green Flash’s Tangerine Soul Style IPA. The label’s color also matches up well with the tones of the album art.

(MORE: Every Beer Style You Ever Want to Know)

Beer + Album Cover Art Pairing 2

Sly and the Family Stone’s “There’s A Riot Going On” and Port City Brewing’s Tartan

I bought this album in Austin, Texas, after spending several hours scouring the city’s vinyl shops looking for Stevie Ray Vaughn records. I came up empty on the Stevie Ray search but managed to score a few others I had been looking for. Sly and the Family Stone’s “There’s A Riot Going On” is a classic 70s funk record, while most people are familiar with the hit song “Family Affair,” “Luv N Haight” is the perfect song for the summer days that are approaching.

The cover is a simple redo of the American flag, replacing the stars with suns. Pairing this album with Port City’s Tartan Ale wasn’t difficult. The red, white and blue color scheme on the Tartan Ale matches perfectly with “There’s A Riot Going On” and is fitting, considering Port City is a brewery 15 minutes outside of the nation’s capital.

Beer + Album Cover Art Pairing 3

Mercedita Valdes’s “Aché” and Stone Brewing Company Pataskala Red IPA

(MORE: New “Help the Pour” Beer Podcast)

This album is a wildcard. I came across this record while traveling in Old Havana, Cuba. I asked the vendor to point me to the records that truly symbolize the Afro-Cuban sound; a genre that originated on the island. He showed me a few artists and referred to Mercedita Valdes as one of the greatest.

I chose “Aché” solely based on the cover art. Valdes stands confidently on the cover donning a black dress and her hair delicately wrapped. She looks iconic and fierce on the cover. The same fierceness appears on Stone Brewing’s Pataskala Red IPA. The bottle is bold with red accents almost commanding you to pick it up. According to Stone, “The crimson hue is courtesy of a special German malt variety by BESTMALZ called Red X.”

The post Craft Beer and Album Cover Art Pairings for Record Store Day appeared first on CraftBeer.com.