The Phoenix Network:
 
 
 
About  |  Advertise
 
On The Cheap  |  Restaurant Reviews
-->

Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale

Not a bum note
By MIKE MILIARD  |  October 18, 2006

They called him Melodious Thunk. The Only-est Monk. Both names fit. The man knew how to play. And he played in a way no one has before or since. Thelonious Monk’s piano plinking — spare, sometimes arrhythmic, a little off-kilter — was beautiful music utterly his own.

So why shouldn’t a beer in his honor also be an idiosyncratic walk on the wild side? Fort Bragg, California’s North Coast Brewing Co. created this complex brown ale in conjunction with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz — they’ll make a donation to the school for every case sold — and as a tribute to the man himself.

This one’s a beaut, pouring a dark cola color (and, forgivably, with a cola consistency — a thin mouthfeel and minimal head retention). But it smells sweet and strong, redolent of brown sugar, with a hint of molasses and the tang of spice. And like the knotty compositions of the man itself, its flavor is deep and complex: a rum-like boozy kick here, a chocolaty richness there, the pleasing bite of nutmeg, clove, and pepper over that way. It’s powerful stuff, too, weighing in at nine percent ABV. Enjoy it like the title of one of Monk’s best-known songs: “Straight, No Chaser.”

Available for $7.99 for a 750-ml bottle at Bauer Wine & Spirits, 330 Newbury Street, Boston | 617.262.0363.

Related:
  Topics: Sipping , Thelonious Monk , Soft Drinks , Culture and Lifestyle ,  More more >
  • Share:
  • RSS feed Rss
  • Email this article to a friend Email
  • Print this article Print
Comments

Today's Event Picks
ARTICLES BY MIKE MILIARD
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   GLOBALIZED  |  December 02, 2008
    The world in comics
  •   IS HE BEING SERVED?  |  November 18, 2008
    Tony Millionaire's still best on the page
  •   TWO MANY AMERICAS  |  November 14, 2008
    Could an Obama administration mean an end to the red-state/blue-state divide?
  •   SOMBER SKIES  |  November 11, 2008
    The 10th Magners Film Festival
  •   INTERVIEW: ART SPIEGELMAN  |  November 13, 2008
    Drawing conclusions

 See all articles by: MIKE MILIARD

MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed 



Friday, December 05, 2008  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
thePhoenix.com:
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2008 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group