Beer (updated)

I have been meaning to test the local brews for some time now, so I started the other day by buying a variety pack of bottled beers from Erie Brewing Company. You get 6 each of Railbender Ale, Presque Isle Pilsner, Misery Bay IPA and Mad Anthony's APA.

First, I tried the IPA (India Pale Ale) to see if it compared to one of my favourites (Deuchars IPA). It was pretty good; quite strong (6.5%) but with the distinctive grapefruity IPA aftertaste. I tried the APA (American Pale Ale) next and it was very good. The bitterness is toned down slightly in favour of more malt. But not too much. And at 4.2%, very drinkable.

Railbender Ale has been brewed in a Scottish style; it is the darkest and strongest beer (6.8%). The high malt content gives it a big flavour, so I'd recommend drinking this with curry rather than, say, fish. The final beer, Presque Isle Pilsner, is the lightest in colour and not too strong (4.2%). Crisp and refreshing, it reminds me of a local brew I had in Munich, when I went to Germany to install software on the grinding machines in the Ford factory. The hotel had the best tomato soup ever.