GROUPON GUIDE

Ale Asylum’s Ambergeddon Pairs Well with Thai Food, Bruce Willis

BY: Shannon Jewitt | May 2, 2014

There are almost 3,000 craft breweries in the United States. In this edition of Beer Stalker, we investigate Ale Asylum’s Ambergeddon and see where it stands during on the movie Armageddon and the real Armageddon. The beer: Ale Asylum’s Ambergeddon Style: West Coast–style amber ale Color: The murky red-brown of a misguided ruby What was the inspiration for Ambergeddon? When Dean Coffey, the brewery’s cofounder, was a homebrewer, he created an ESB he called Big Ol Bitter. He loved that style of beer so much that he used it as the basis for Ambergeddon. The result was an aggressive amber that “walks up to you and smacks you in the face,” said Hathaway Dilba, Ale Asylum’s director of promotions. Is this beer a bit of a bully? Coffey didn’t want to create a feeble beer. Thus, the beer’s motto is “The end is near for weak amber beers.” In other words, yes, this beer is a bit of a bully. The brewery had fun with the branding of this beer—it even had a T-shirt made that said “Our amber can beat up your IPA.” During Armageddon, what side is this beer on: good or evil? “Ambergeddon straddles both lines,” Dilba said. “Probably with a strong nod toward the evil side.” Would Ambergeddon go well with the movie Armageddon? Ambergeddon would be the perfect beer to drink with Armageddon. But watch out. With a 6.8% ABV, the beer is stronger than most amber ales. “We jokingly call this beer fire water because we’ve witnessed instances when people have more than two and they get really aggressive,” Dilba said. After three Ambergeddons, you may find yourself muttering "God gave us children so there would be roses in December" or an equally nonsensical Bruce Willis line. What food pairs well with this beer? Dilba said something salty, spicy, or umami would pair well with the hop-heavy beer, such as spicy Thai, Chinese, or Mexican food. She also pointed out that the beer goes well with raspberry chocolates or even food with a citrus note. What other good amber ales are out there? Although they would probably lose a fight to Ambergeddon, Coffey recommended several amber ales. Rush River Brewing Company’s The Unforgiven Amber Ale serves as a classic session beer. He also suggested the more generously hopped Red Seal Ale from Northcoast Brewing Company.

BY: Shannon Jewitt

Guide Staff Writer

Resident Beer Stalker Shannon has an insatiable thirst for craft beer. Despite being a vegetarian, she always makes an exception for fries cooked in duck fat.