A taste of Thelonious

[brownie]

Stumbled on this item from the North Jersey media group. The story came out earlier this week.

JAZZ GREAT THELONIUS MONK INSPIRES BREW

By Tony Forder

Music and beer have long been connected.

North Coast Brewing Co., of Fort Bragg, Calif., has come up with an interesting combination of the two that focuses on the popularity of Belgian beers -- especially those brewed in monasteries. Brother Thelonius, a new abbey-styled ale from the West Coast brewery, celebrates jazz legend Thelonius Monk as its inspiration.

It's a rich, dark ale at 9 percent alcohol, packaged in a 750-milliliter bottle, with a traditional Belgian-style cork finish.

"It's time to remind the world that here in the U.S., we have a monk of our own," said North Coast's sales manager, Doug Moody.

Brother Thelonius is being released in association with the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz. North Coast is making a contribution for every case sold to support jazz education. For more information, visit northcoastbrewing.com or monkinstitute.org.

The beer will be launched locally at Cecil's Jazz Club in West Orange next Wednesday.

North Coast is the brewery that brought us such classics as Red Seal Ale, Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, Old Stock Ale and PranQster Ale, so I have high hopes for Brother Thelonius.

Who's going to brew the first quadruple India pale ale?

I ask the question with tongue only barely in cheek in this age of hyperbolic brews. Actually, Weyerbacher Brewing has come out with a triple India pale ale for its 11th anniversary. Its extreme hop bitterness will pucker the most hardened hop lovers' palate.

For easier summer drinking, I recommend Sierra Nevada Summerfest, a smooth and light, long-lagered pilsner; Mendocino Summer Ale, a citrusy, light Belgian-style ale; and Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale, another light, Belgian-style ale with a crisp, hop bite.

[47 West 63rd N.Y.C.]

http://ratebeer.com/beer/north-coast--brot...elonious/58540/

[robviti]

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Stumbled on this item from the North Jersey media group. The story came out earlier this week.

When Stanley Cup action ended and I was bored to tears I found that monitoring the North Jersey media group on a daily basis was somehow uplifting. Guess the same is true for Parisians & post-World Cup play.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

whoi even knows if Monk even liked beer. this is an outrage. even the pic of him on it is stupid. I will have no part in this whatsoever. I'm holding out for "Mobley-Kakes"

[mikeweil]

A Monkian beer should have an undefineable, herb taste and be labelled "Misterioso" ...