Recent drinks: Mother's Day Edition

As with each post I make, these are a few delicious drinks I enjoyed over the course of this past week. Today, however, I decided to focus on beers that reminded me of my mom. My mother has made her living as a gardener for most of her adult life, and while she isn't exactly a drinker, I decided to pick some delicious beers that featured fruits, flowers, and herbs in the mix. Since I live across the country from her, this post functions as both a guide to some unique beers and a tribute to the woman who raised me to be unafraid of my own eccentricities. She's also responsible for introducing me to the first heavy metal song I can recall hearing, so all of this might well be her "fault." Thanks mom. Here's to you!

He'brew Rejewvenator 2013 (Shmaltz)
As is always the case with new He'Brew drinks, this beer had my interest the second I knew it existed. Being sold as a Dubbel Doppel,this beer follows in He'Bew's bold tradition of playing with unconventional flavors and mixes in delicious new ways. Utilizing dates and figs as primary flavors in this strange brew proves to be a surprising success, although I'm also picking up a hint of pomegranate in addition to the subtle yet tantalizing bits of date. Overall the beer is on the thinner side of the dark spectrum, with a pretty evenly balanced blend of malt and hops, making for a beer every bit as adventurous as any other He'Brew beer, but slightly more awesome than many others from these guys. Definitely recommended.

MoM Hefeweizen (Rogue)
Between the name of this beer and the theme of this post, this tasty little treat was a necessity. This is pretty much a standard hefeweizen but it's been brewed with rose petals, which definitely play into the smoothness of the drink. Their flavor doesn't really stand out as a dominant taste, but I'm not sure if I would want my beer to have too heavy of a rose flavor. The balance is nice and subtle, which made it quite a pleasant experience. This is solid, pleasant easy drinking, especially on a beautiful Spring day spent on a porch or in the garden.

Bison Organic Honey Basil (Bison)
In keeping with today's gardening theme, this beer was another necessity. It only came into my radar within the past week and the timing couldn't have been more opportune. This one was enjoyed on a beautiful sunny afternoon in my own back yard. The honey and basil flavors don't overwhelm this amber ale, but the notes of spice absolutely play into the overall experience, with sweetness staying subtle but absolutely contributing to the great nose on this beer. This one's a highly refreshing experience if you're into herb or spice-based beers, but might not appeal to more casual drinkers looking for a sweet drink that the honey in the title might imply.

19 Original Colonies Mead (Chatoe Rogue)

Well, it's time for another first here. I've had a couple bottles of mead in my day, but it's been quite a while, and I've always served them warm, with cinnamon sticks and the whole nine yards. Normally purchasing a bottle of something that claims to be mead that says "serve chilled" would make me slightly anxious, but I've been drinking Rogue's beers for a long time and they've earned my trust. While this is slightly different from my typical understanding of a mead, I'm drinking this and finding it to be quite enjoyable.

This light, sweet, grape-y mead is perfect on a sweltering day like today. The champagne yeast used in this beverage really shows, probably above all of the other ingredients, and it works nicely for a change of pace from my usual habit of dark, dense, beers. While I'm not sure what category this drink should actually be filed under, I'm quite sure it's an enjoyable and not overly alcoholic (5.2% ABV) drink that works perfectly for my palate on a lazy afternoon.  I also have to give extra props to Rogue for cultivating their own honey for this delicious beverage and for keeping their list of ingredients simple. In today's world of overly processed, chemical-infused foods and drinks, it's refreshing to know that I'm consuming something a little truer to humanity's diet of days past. If only all the food we consumed was so simple, perhaps we'd be a healthier and happier society.

This one's been available for a hot minute from what I've heard through the grapevine, but I only first saw it here in Florida a week or so ago, so I recommend grabbing this if and when you find it. If it does happen to stay on shelves for a while, you'll have more opportunities to get it, and if it's a quick seller, you'll be one of the lucky few to enjoy this treat. If you don't live in such a hot region as I do, I recommend hanging onto this beer for a few months until the first truly warm days of spring or summer start to beat down on you.