Jim Galligan

The brews will get you in the mood, one way or another.

Legend has it that foods like oysters, chocolate and even watermelon have certain properties that ramp up our carnal desires and diminish our inhibitions.  Any cop or bartender can tell you that beer has a very similar effect on the libido, so you can imagine the kinds of sparks that fly when lubricants of the heart such as these are married in a glass.

Choco-love
Guys have been buying ladies Valentine’s Day chocolates for ages, and it’s for a very good reason. Chocolate contains tryptophan, a chemical that helps the brain make seratonin, which scientists believe is involved with sexual arousal.  It also contains the stimulant phenylethylamine, which showers our synapses when we fall in love.  Put these two together and you have a recipe for romance!

The Foothills Brewing Company cut right to the chase when coming up with a name for their cocoa-infused Imperial Stout - it’s called Sexual Chocolate, and it’s released at the brewery once a year, just in time for Valentine’s Day. This 9.75 percent alcohol-by-volume (ABV) cup of love boasts notes of semi-sweet chocolate, roasted malts and a little kick of coffee.  Too bad it’s tough to find outside of its native North Carolina.

For a chocolate-infused brew that’s easier to get your hands on (and smoother than Barry White), look no further than Southern Tier’s velvety Choklat Imperial Stout, or perhaps check out one of these other wonderful chocolate beers I sampled with my wife last year.

Steamy shellfish
It’s been said that the legendary lover Casanova ate 50 oysters a day to keep his libido primed for love.  Perhaps he was on to something, as oysters contain amino acids that lead to the production of testosterone in men and progesterone in women, two hormones that can lead to increased sexual activity. 

Flying Dog’s Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout (a name that begs for off-colored jokes) is a 5.5 percent ABV English Stout that’s brewed with oysters from the Rappahannock River, near the brewery in Frederick, Md.  This roasty treat offers tastes of dark chocolate, hints of coffee and a savory undercurrent, thanks to the oysters. While it may or may not get you in the mood for love, it will definitely help a good cause, as proceeds go to the Oyster Recovery Partnership, whose mission is to restore these magnificent mollusks back into the Chesapeake Bay.

Manly meats
Since the dawn of time, men have been eating the boy parts of butchered beasts in hopes of being imbued with the creature’s animalistic virility.  If you subscribe to such notions and want to have the prowess of a bull, then consider sipping on Wynkoop Brewing’s Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, brewed with 25 pounds of bull testicles per batch.

While it may sound a little gross, this 7 percent ABV bovine brew is a rich and roasty treat, boasting big notes of dry cocoa and espresso, not to mention a thick thread of umami. Wynkoop has recently announced that they will be making this novel brew year round, so you can have your lover calling you “el toro” whenever the desire arises.

Mighty melon
One aphrodisiac many folks are unfamiliar with is watermelon.  Watermelon contains citrulline, a phytonutrient that can start a chemical chain reaction in the body that relaxes the blood vessels, which boosts the erectile function in the unfairer sex. Basically,  it’s nature’s own Viagra.

21^st Amendment’s Hell or High Watermelon comes to mind here, a 4.9 percent wheat beer brewed with flaccidity-fixing fruit. Unfortunately it’s a summer seasonal brew, released from April through September, which means it might be tough to find.  But that’s OK;this nifty recipe from Food.com will show you how to make your own watermelon-infused brews any time of the year.  While I’m not a big fan of beer cocktails, this one is tasty and refreshing, and can be made whenever your little buddy needs a boost.

Seductive saffron
Saffron comes from the crocus flower, which is full of a chemical called crocin.  Studies have shown that crocin increases sexual desire and the frequency of arousal, at least in rodents. 

The Turks of old used to mix saffron into opium to create an irresistible love potion.  More recently, Dogfish Head has used it as an ingredient in Midas Touch, a recreation of an ancient Turkish ale dating from the time of King Midas (those Turks just loved adding saffron to their inebriants!).  This 9 percent ABV sweet ale is made with saffron, honey and Muscat grapes, which makes for a fairly complex brew with notes of tart fruits, herbs and honey all swirling together to romance your taste buds and warm your palate. 

Any one of these beers is a delightful treat to share with your love this February 14, but be warned:  Whoopi Goldberg was born almost exactly nine months after Valentine’s Day. Take care that the amorous ingredients in these crafty brews don’t lead you to make a little too much “whoopi” of your own!

Jim Galligan is co-founder of the Beer and Whiskey Brothers blog, where he and his brother Don cover the ever-evolving world of craft beer and distilled spirits. Follow him on Twitter.  

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Skip the Champagne and raise a glass of beer this New Year's Eve!

While Champagne is the traditional adult beverage to have in your glass on New Year’s Eve, a poll conducted by Wakefield Research found that 60 percent of American men between the ages of 21 and 40 would prefer to celebrate with beer over Champagne. I’m guessing the other 40 percent didn’t want to get yelled at by their wives for being knuckle-dragging barbarians. 

If you'd rather celebrate with a well-crafted brew, what beer should you drink? In the helpful holiday tradition, I’ve created this handy guide for what to drink depending on who you are and what you’re doing on New Year’s Eve.

You are:

Trying to show your non-geek friends just how fancy beer can be. Going for a beer that resembles Champagne in both form and flavor is a smart move here.  You won’t miss with a bottle of DueS Brut Des Flandres, an 11.5 percent ABV Belgian Ale that’s effervescent, fruity and dry.  As a bonus, it also comes in a fancy corked bottle that some people might mistake for traditional New Year’s bubbly.

Alone with your cats. You’re a cat fancier with a thirst for the finer things in life, so as the clock strikes 12, hoist a glass of Keegan Ales Hurricane Kitty to your feline friends, all of whom you have cleverly named after your favorite astrophysicists.  This 5.5 percent ABV American IPA will claw playfully at your tongue with a citrusy wallop of hops, and what are hops if not simply catnip for humans?

Trying to impress your beer geek friends.  As midnight draws near, you’ll want to break out the Westvleteren 12 you stood in the rain to get your hands on.  This ultra-rare 11 percent ABV Belgian Quad is regarded by some as being the best beer on the planet and is sure to impress even the most jaded beer geek. Figuring everyone gets a 2-ounce pour (hey, make it three – it’s the holidays!) two 330ml bottles should cover up to eight friends.  And really, do you know more people than that who are truly worthy of a taste?

Chilling with your bros, bro.  As the evening wears on and the Keystone Light flows (and the Ping-Pong balls fly) into the red Solo cups, you’re going to want to draw your ultimate bros near and treat them to the swaggiest suds they’ve ever had.  Chimay Grande Réserve (the one in the blue bottle) is a 9 percent ABV Belgian Strong Ale that will blow your bros’ minds with its layers of dark fruits and rich malts, not to mention its righteous corked top. Not only is this fine Belgian brew sold just about everywhere, it’s a great value for what you get.

Working on New Year’s Day. Surviving work on New Year’s Day depends on making smart choices on New Year’s Eve.  If you’re going to have a beer, it’s best to go with something flavorful and low in alcohol, like Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere, a 4.5 percent ABV Saison that’s grassy, fruity, a little funky and has just a hint of sourness in the finish.  It should allow you to enjoy your celebration like a grown up while leaving you capable of dealing with the general public the next morning (many of whom have made poorer choices than yourself the night before and will be crankier than normal).

Afraid of a marriage proposal. While you’ve been searching for Mr. Right, you’ve been dating Mr. Right Now, and he’s been dropping unsettling hints that “something big” is going to happen on New Year’s Eve. Best not to take any chances – you gotta get a bit unhinged so he won’t take it the wrong way when you throw up on the ring. St. Bernardus Abt 12 is a great choice here – it packs a hearty 10 percent ABV that’s very well hidden within an ambrosia of earthy fruits and dark caramel flavor notes.  Many people have found themselves unintentionally woozy after consorting with this crafty monk, so you’re groom-to-never-be will understand when you’re in no shape to make important life choices come midnight.

A doomsday cultist.  It’s understandable that you’re unprepared for New Year’s Eve, because you didn’t make any plans past 12/21/12.  Luckily for you, you’ve stocked up on canned goods, including canned beers.  Why not break out the finest of the bunch, a tallboy of Heady Topper, an amazing Double IPA that wonderfully balances a gush of citrusy hops with a huge malt backbone. 

Middle-aged with small children.  In other words, you’re me.  In that case, you’re probably going to hunker down at home with Ryan Seacrest and lift a tulip full of Troegs Mad Elf as the ball drops. This 11 percent ABV ale is brewed with cherries and honey and is by far my favorite taste of the season.  Enjoying one as 2012 expires is a great way to put a button on the holidays. After that, you’re immediately going to bed, because staying up past midnight doesn’t stop the kids from waking you up at 7:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day looking for a bowlful of Cheerios.  No rest for the weary!

In the end, it doesn’t matter which beer you drink on New Years Eve, just as long as it’s something a little special that you really enjoy.  In my opinion, about any craft beer is a better way to ring in 2013 than hoisting a fancy flute of sparkling French wine.

Tell us, what will you be drinking on New Year’s Eve?

Jim Galligan is co-founder of the Beer and Whiskey Brothers blog, where he and his brother Don cover the ever-evolving world of craft beer and distilled spirits. Follow him on Twitter.  

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