For this weekend's #beersaturday share, I a) pulled some bison patties out of the freezer earlier in the day to grill, and b) bought some fresh Surly Fest at a local grocery store. Can anything possibly go wrong??
Is this a Fest Bier? I think so! It's a bit stronger at 6% ABV. It has a very sweet malty taste like all good Fest beers do. Historically, Surly Fest was a bit more hoppy, but I sense the brewer went back to a more traditional German sensibility.
It's a yummy beer, yes, but maybe a too sweet? I like a good fest, no doubt, but I like ones that are a little stronger in ABV and a little less sweet with the malt flavor. I'm picky, however; I remember the days when I was able to drink City Brewery's Fest Biers back in 2005-2006, and how much I enjoyed the rich, amber, lager taste. I'm not a big a lager guy, but I do like a good Oktoberfest!
Ok, what in the world was going on with these bison burgers?
We found them at a co op in Viroqua, Wisconsin, a few weeks ago and have had them stashed in our freezer since. I was in the mood for a burger today, but my wife wasn't feeling red meat...so bison it was!
The setup was pretty standard, and I went with the reverse sear yet again. We added some corn on the cob that was drizzled in olive oil first and then cooked up the burgers on the cold side.
Double yum. With a some red onion, tomato, and Wisconsin cheese to top these burgers, this #beersaturday turned out perfect, yet again. We are fortunate, no doubt, to enjoy an afternoon like this in August.
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