On a recent visit to Hop Nuts Brewing Company in Tivoli Village I was tempted to sample a variety of their craft made brews. I opted for a flight which included their Papa's Red Ale, The Sour Razz (which was outstanding!), the LB to LV DIPA, and the Old Town Alt Bier. I then sampled the 18 Pale Ale and Chasing Clouds NE IPA, and it was time to decide. Though I had enjoyed them all, I needed to narrow the field. I opted to bring home 3 crowlers, the 18B Pale Ale, the Old Town Alt, and the Papa's Red Ale, which were filled and sealed on the spot.
On my drive home, I called to let Linda know what I was bringing home so that she could start planning a pairing and tasting. As a salute to her German heritage, she was immediately interested in the Alt Beer and began searching for the perfect pairing! A quick search led her to select roasted chicken as our entrée and also prompted her to create an over-night refrigerator pickle (with Persian cucumbers, dill, coriander, and mustard seed) to serve on the side, as well.
Hop Nuts' Old Town Alt is brewed in the style of Altbier, a German-style Brown Ale which is a specialty of Düsseldorf, Germany. In German, the word "alt" translating as "old" may refer to the fact that Altbiers are conditioned for longer than normal periods of time. This longer conditioning time balances the Altbiers fruity notes resulting in a more refined beer which is light on the palate and easy to drink. The Old Town Alt was certainly smoothe and easy on the palate. Popping the crowler, I poured the Altbier into a tulip glass. Its' light reddish-brown color, creamy head and moderate carbonation led me to expect that it would be refreshing and light on the palate, and indeed it was. At 5.1% ABV and with 31 IBU's, the Old Town Alt presented with little hoppy bitterness and a toasty maltiness that was balanced and indeed easy to drink.
Opting for a new recipe suggested by our neighbor Rose, Linda decided to give Bon Appetit's No Fail Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic a go. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! The chicken was juicy and fragrant, rich with olive oil and roasted garlic, and with a citrusy tang from the roasted lemons, this chicken was a perfect complement to the Old Town Alt! With the tangy, crisp refrigerator pickles that Linda had made the day before and my favorite crusty French Bread, this was a meal fit for a king - oh, lucky me!
It is now Thursday and with two crowlers from Hop Nuts still chilling in the fridge, I look forward to the weekend and wonder what we will come up with for our next pairing...
Hop Nuts Brewing Tivoli Village
430 S Rampart Suite 190
Las Vegas, NV 89145
702 749-3232
Follow us @ https://www.craftbrewvegas.com/